第2章

Hathaway，"explainedCaptainStidger，naivelyobliviousofanydiscourtesyontheirpart，ashefollowedHathaway"sglanceandtookhisarmastheymovedaway。"Nottheleastofourtreasures，sir。Mostofthemdaughtersofpioneers——andallCalifornianbredandeducated。Connoisseurshaveawardedthemthepalm，anddeclarethatforGrace，Intelligence，andWoman"sHighestCharmstheEastcannotfurnishtheirequal!"HavingdeliveredthisParthiancomplimentinanoratoricalpassagethroughthedoorway，thecaptaindescended，outside，intofamiliarspeech。"ButIsupposeyouwillfindthatoutforyourselfifyoustayherelong。SanFranciscomightfurnishafittingbridetoCalifornia"syoungestsenator。"

"Iamafraidthatmystayheremustbebrief，andlimitedtobusiness，"saidHathaway，whohadmerelynoticedthattheprincipalgirlwashandsomeandoriginal-looking。"Infact，Iamherepartlytoseeanoldacquaintance——ColonelPendleton。"

Thethreemenlookedateachothercuriously。"Oh!HarryPendleton，"saidMr。Hoskins，incredulously"Youdon"tknowHIM?"

"Anoldpioneer——ofcourse，"interposedShear，explanatorilyandapologetically。"Why，inPaul"stimethecolonelwasabigmanhere。"

"Iunderstandthecolonelhasbeenunfortunate，"saidHathaway，gravely；"butinMYtimehewasPresidentoftheElDoradoBank。"

"Andthebankhasn"tgotthroughitssettlementyet，"saidHoskins"IhopeYOUain"texpectingtogetanythingoutofit?"

"No，"saidHathaway，smiling；"Iwasaboyatthattime，andliveduptomysalary。Iknownothingofhisbankdifficulties，butitalwaysstruckmethatColonelPendletonwashimselfanhonorableman。"

"Itain"tthat，"saidCaptainStidgerenergetically，"butthetroublewithHarryPendletonisthathehasn"tgrownwiththeState，andneveradjustedhimselftoit。Andhewon"t。HethinkstheMillenniumwasbetweenthefallof"49andthespringof"50，andafterthateverythingdropped。Hebelongstotheolddays，whenaman"ssimpleWORDwasgoodforanyamountifyouknewhim；

andtheysaythattheoldbankhadn"tascrapofpaperforhalfthatwasowingtoit。Thatwasallverywell，sir，in"49and"50，and——Luck；butitwon"tdofor"59and"60，and——Business!Andtheoldmancan"tseeit。"

"Butheisreadytofightforitnow，asintheoldtime，"saidMr。

Slate，"andthat"sanothertroublewithhischronology。He"sdonemoretokeepupduelingthananyothermanintheState，anddon"tknowthewholespiritofprogressandcivilizationisagainstit。"

ItwasimpossibletotellfromPaulHathaway"sfacewhetherhissympathywithColonelPendleton"sfoiblesorhisassenttothecriticismsofhisvisitorswasthetruer。Bothwerenodoubtequallysincere。Butthepartywaspresentlyengagedintheabsorptionofrefreshment，which，beingofapurely，spirituousandexhilaratingquality，tendedtoincreasetheirgoodhumorwiththehosttilltheyparted。Eventhenagratuitousadvertisementofhisvirtuesandtheirownintentionsincallinguponhimwasoratoricallyvoicedfromavailableplatformsandlandings，inthehallsandstairways，untilitwasprettywellknownthroughouttheGoldenGateHotelthattheHon。Mr。PaulHathawayhadarrivedfromSacramentoandhadreceiveda"spontaneousovation。"

Meantimetheobjectofithaddroppedintoaneasy-chairbythewindowofhisroom，andwasendeavoringtorecallalessprofitablememory。Theprocessofhumanforgetfulnessisnotadifficultonebetweentheagesofeighteenandtwenty-six，andPaulHathawayhadnotonlyfulfilledtheMayor"srequestbyforgettingtheparticularsofacertaintransferthathehadwitnessedintheMayor"soffice，butintheyearsucceedingthatrequest，beingabouttotryhisfortunesinthemountains，hehadformallyconstitutedColonelPendletontoactashisproxyintheadministrationofMrs。Howard"ssingularTrust，inwhich，however，hehadneverparticipatedexceptyearlytosignhisname。Hewas，consequently，somewhatastonishedtohavereceivedaletterafewdaysbeforefromColonelPendleton，askinghimtocallandseehimregardingit。

Hevaguelyrememberedthatitwaseightyearsago，andeightyearshadworkedconsiderablechangeintheoriginaltrustees，greatestofallinhissuperiorofficer，theMayor，whohaddiedtheyearfollowing，leavinghistrusteeshiptohissuccessorinoffice，whomPaulHathawayhadneverseen。TheBankofElDorado，despiteMrs。

Howard"ssanguinebelief，hadlongbeeninbankruptcy，and，althoughColonelPendletonstillsurvivedit，itwascertainthatnootherpresidentwouldsucceedtohisofficeastrustee，andthatthefunctionwouldlapsewithhim。Paulhimself，asoldieroffortune，althoughhabituallylucky，hadonlylatelysucceededtoaprofession——ifhispoliticalfunctionscouldbesodescribed。Evenwithhisluck，energy，andambition，whileeverythingwaspossible，nothingwassecure。Itseemed，therefore，asifthesoullessofficialmusteventuallyassumethedutiesofthetwosympathizingfriendswhohadoriginatedthem，andhadstoodinlocoparentistotheconstructiveorphan。Themother，Mrs。Howard，haddisappearedayearaftertheTrusthadbeenmade——itwascharitablypresumedinordertopreventanycomplicationsthatmightarisefromherpresenceinthecountry。Withthesefactsbeforehim，PaulHathawaywasmoreconcernedinwonderingwhatPendletoncouldwantwithhimthan，Ifear，anydirectsympathywiththesituation。Onthecontrary，itappearedtohimmorefavorableforkeepingthesecretofMrs。Howard"srelationship，whichwouldnowdiewithColonelPendletonandhimself；andtherewasnodangerofanyemotionalbetrayalofitinthecoldofficialadministrationofamanwhohadreceivedtheTrustthroughtheformalhandsofsuccessivepredecessors。Hehadforgottenthetimelimitedfortheguardianship，butthegirlmustsoonbeofageandofftheirhands。

Iftherehadeverbeenanyromanticorchivalrousimpressionleftuponhismemorybythesceneinthemayor"soffice，Ifearhehadputitawaywithvariousotherfoolishillusionsofhisyouth，towhichhenowbelievedhewassuperior。

Nevertheless，hewouldseethecolonel，andatonce，andsettlethequestion。Helookedattheaddress，"St。CharlesHotel。"Herememberedanoldhostelryofthatname，nearthePlaza。Coulditbepossiblethatithadsurvivedthealterationsandimprovementsofthecity?Itwasaneasywalkthroughrememberedstreets，yetwithchangedshopsandhousesandfaces。WhenhereachedthePlaza，scarcerecognizableinitslaterfrontagesofbrickandstone，hefoundtheoldwoodenbuildingstillintact，withitsvilla-likegalleriesandverandasincongruouslyandostentatiouslyoverlookedbytwonewandaspiringerectionsoneitherside。Foraninstanthetriedtorecalltheglamourofolddays。Herememberedwhenhisboyisheyesregardeditasthecrowningworkofopulenceanddistinction；herememberedaballgiventhereonsomepublicoccasion，whichwastohimtheacmeofsocialbrilliancyanddisplay。Howtawdryandtrivialitlookedbesidethoselaterandmoresolidstructures!Howinconsistentwerethoselonglatticedverandasandbalconies，patheticrecordofthatfirstillusionofthepioneersthattheirclimatewasatropicalone!Arestaurantandbilliard-saloonhadaggrandizedallofthelowerstory；buttherewasstillthefanlight，overwhichtherememberedtitleof"St。Charles，"ingildedletters，wasnowreinforcedbythetoodemonstrativelegend，"ApartmentsandBoard，bytheDayorWeek。"

Wasitpossiblethatthisnarrow，creakingstaircasehadonceseemedtohimthebroadstepsofFameandFortune?Onthefirstlanding，apreoccupiedIrishservant-girl，withamop，directedhimtoadoorattheendofthepassage，atwhichheknocked。Thedoorwasopenedbyagrizzlednegroservant，whowasstillholdingapieceofoilychamois-leatherinhishand；andthecontentsofadueling-case，scattereduponatableinthecentreoftheroom，showedwhathadbeenhisoccupation。AdmittingHathawaywithgreatcourtesy，hesaid:——

"MarseHarrybinhavin"hisoletrubble，sah，andbinengagedjustdismomen"onhistoylet；efyo"llaccommodateyo"selfondesofa，Iinformhimyo"isheah。"

Asthenegropassedintothenextroom，Paulcastahastyglancearoundtheapartment。Thefurniture，originallyrichandelegant，wasnowwornthreadbareandlustreless。Abook-case，containing，amongothervolumes，afewlawbooks——therebeingavaguetradition，asPaulremembered，thatColonelPendletonhadoncebeenconnectedwiththelaw——afewFrenchchairsoftarnishedgilt，arifleinthecorner，apresentationswordinamahoganycase，afewclassicalprintsonthewalls，andoneortwoirondeed-boxesmarked"ElDoradoBank，"weretheprincipalobjects。Amildflavorofdrydecayandmethylatedspiritspervadedtheapartment。Yetitwasscrupulouslycleanandwellkept，andafewclothesneatlybrushedandfoldedonachairborewitnesstotheservant"scare。

AsPaul，however，glancedbehindthesofa，hewasconcernedtoseeacoat，whichhadevidentlybeenthrusthurriedlyinacorner，withthesleevelininginsideout，andaneedleandthreadstillstickingintheseam。Itstruckhiminstantlythatthishadbeenthenegro"soccupation，andthatthepistol-cleaningwasapolitefiction。

"Yo""llhavetoskuseMarseHarryseein"yoinbed，buthislaig"spow"fulbadto-day，andhecan"tstand，"saidtheservantreenteringtheroom。"Skuseme，sah，"headdedinadignifiedconfidentialwhisper，halfclosingthedoorwithhishand，"butifyo"wouldn"tmindavoidin""xcitin"orcontroversicaltopicsinyo"

conversation，itwouldbedebetterfo"him。"

Paulsmilinglyassented，andtheblackretainer，withevenmorethantheusualsolemnceremoniousexaggerationofhisrace，usheredhimintothebedroom。Itwasfurnishedinthesamefadedgloryasthesitting-room，withtheexceptionofalow，ironcamp-bedstead，inwhichthetall，soldierlyfigureofColonelPendleton，cladinthreadbaresilkdressing-gown，wasstretched。Hehadchangedineightyears:hishairhadbecomegray，andwasthinnedoverthesunkentemples，buthisiron-graymoustachewasstillparticularlylongandwellpointed。Hisfaceboremarksofillnessandcare；

thereweredeeplinesdowntheangleofthenostrilthatspokeofalternatesavageoutbreakandrepression，andgavehissmileasardonicrigidity。Hisdarkeyes，thatshonewiththeexaltationoffever，fixedPaul"sonentering，andwiththetyrannyofaninvalidneverleftthem。

"Well，Hathaway?"

WiththesoundofthatvoicePaulfelttheyearsslipaway，andhewasagainaboy，lookingupadmiringlytothestrongman，whonowlayhelplessbeforehim。Hehadenteredtheroomwithafaintsenseofsympathizingsuperiorityandaconsciousnessofhavinghadexperienceincontrollingmen。ButallthisfledbeforeColonelPendleton"sauthoritativevoice；evenitsbrokentonescarriedtheolddominantspiritoftheman，andPaulfoundhimselfadmiringaqualityinhisoldacquaintancethathemissedinhisnewerfriends。

"Ihaven"tseenyouforeightyears，Hathaway。Comehereandletmelookatyou。"

Paulapproachedthebedsidewithboyishobedience。Pendletontookhishandandgazedathimcritically。

"Ishouldhaverecognizedyou，sir，forallyourmoustacheandyourinches。ThelasttimeIsawyouwasinJackHammersley"soffice。

Well，Jack"sdead，andhereIam，littlebetter，Ireckon。YourememberHammersley"shouse?"

"Yes，"saidPaul，albeitwonderingatthequestion。

"Somethinglikethis，Swissvillastyle。IrememberwhenJackputitup。Well，thelasttimeIwasout，Ipassedthere。Andwhatdoyouthinkthey"vedonetoit?"

Paulcouldnotimagine。

"Well，sir，"saidthecolonelgravely，"they"vechangeditintoachurchmissionaryshopandyoungmen"sChristianreading-room!Butthat"s"progress"and"improvement"!"Hepaused，and，slowlywithdrawinghishandfromPaul"s，addedwithgrimapology，"You"reyoung，andbelongtothenewschool，perhaps。Well，sir，I"vereadyourspeech；Idon"tbelongtoyourparty——minediedtenyearsago——

butIcongratulateyou。George!Confounditwhere"sthatboygone?"

Thenegroindicatedbythisyouthfultitle，althoughhemusthavebeentenyearsolderthanhismaster，afterahurriedshufflinginthesitting-roomeventuallyappearedatthedoor。

"George，champagneandmaterialsforcocktailsforthegentleman。

TheBEST，youunderstand。Nonew-fanglednotionsfromthatnewbarkeeper。"

Paul，whothoughtheobservedatroubledblinkinginGeorge"seyelid，andreferredittoafearofpossibleexcitementforhispatient，herebeggedhishostnottotroublehimself——thatheseldomtookanythinginthemorning。

"Possiblynot，sir；possiblynot，"returnedthecolonel，hastily。

"Iknowthenewideasareprohibitive，andsomeotherblankthing，butyou"resafeherefromyourconstituents，andbygad，sir，I

shan"tforceyoutotakeit!It"sMYcustom，Hathaway——anoldone——

playedout，perhaps，likealltheothers，butacustomnevertheless，andI"monlysurprisedthatGeorge，whoknowsit，shouldhaveforgottenit。"

"Fackis，MarseHarry，"saidGeorge，withfeverishapology，"itbingone"scapedmyminddismo"nin"indeprerogationobbusiness，butI"mgoin"now，shuah!"andhedisappeared。

"Agoodboy，sir，butbeginningtobecontaminated。BroughthimherefromNashvilleovertenyearsago。Eightyearsagotheyprovedtohimthathewasnolongeraslave，andmadehimd——dunhappyuntilIpromisedhimitshouldmakenodifferencetohimandhecouldstay。Ihadtosendforhiswifeandchild——ofcourse，adeadlossofeighteenhundreddollarswhentheysetfootintheState——butI"mblankedifheisn"tjustasmiserablewiththemhere，forhehastotaketwohoursinthemorningandthreeintheafternooneverydaytobewith"em。Itriedtogethimtotakehisfamilytotheminesandmakehisfortune，likethosefellowstheycallbankersandoperatorsandstockbrokersnowadays；ortogotoOregonwherethey"llmakehimsomekindofamayororsheriff——

buthewon"t。HecollectsmyrentsonsomelittlepropertyIhaveleft，andpaysmybills，sir，and，ifthisblankcivilizationwouldonlyleavehimalone，he"dbeagoodenoughboy。"

Paulcouldn"thelpthinkingthattherentsGeorgecollectedweresomewhatinconsistentwiththosehewasevidentlymendingwhenhearrived，butatthatmomentthejingleofglasseswasheardinthesitting-room，andtheoldnegroreappearedatthedoor。Drawinghimselfupwithceremoniouscourtesy，headdressedPaul。"Wo"dyo"

mind，sah，takingaglanceatdewineforyo"choice?"Paulrose，andfollowedhimintothesitting-room，whenGeorgecarefullyclosedthedoor。TohissurpriseHathawaybeheldatraywithtwoglassesofwhiskeyandbitters，butnowine。"Skuseme，sah，"saidtheoldmanwithdignifiedapology，"butdeKernelwon"thaveanybutdebestchampagneforhono"blegemmenlikeyo"self，andI"sedespairedtosayitcan"tbegotindehouseordesubburbs。DebestchampagnedatwegivesvisitorsisdeWidderGlencoe。Wo"dyo"mind，sah，fordesakeo"not"xcitin"deKernelwidtriflin"

culinarymatter，tosaydatyo"don"takebutdeonebrand?"

"Certainly，"saidPaul，smiling。"Ireallydon"tcareforanythingsoearly；"then，returningtothebedroom，hesaidcarelessly，"You"llexcusemetakingtheliberty，colonel，ofsendingawaythechampagneandcontentingmyselfwithwhiskey。Eventhebestbrand——

theWidowCliquot"——withaglanceatthegratifiedGeorge——"Ifindrathertryingsoearlyinthemorning。"

"Asyouplease，Hathaway，"saidthecolonel，somewhatstiffly。"I

daresaythere"sanewfashionindrinksnow，andagentleman"sstomachisathingofthepast。Then，Isuppose，wecansparetheboy，asthisishistimeforgoinghome。PutthattinboxwiththeTrustpapersonthebed，George，andMr。Hathawaywillexcuseyourwaiting。"Astheoldservantmadeanexaggeratedobeisancetoeach，Paulremarked，asthedoorcloseduponhim，"Georgecertainlykeepshisstyle，colonel，inthefaceoftheprogressyoudeplore。"

"Hewasalwaysa"dandynigger，""returnedPendleton，hisfaceslightlyrelaxingasheglancedafterhisgrizzledhenchman，"buthisexaggerationofcourtesyisablanksightmorenaturalandmanlythantheexaggerationofdiscourtesywhichyoursuperiorcivilized"helps"thinkisself-respect。Theexcuseofservitudeofanykindisitsspontaneityandaffection。Whenyouknowamanhatesyouandservesyoufrominterest，youknowhe"sacurandyou"reatyrant。It"syourblankprogressthat"smademenialservicedegradingbyteachingmentoavoidit。Why，sir，whenI

firstarrivedhere，JackHammersleyandmyselftookturnsascooktotheparty。Ididn"tconsidermyselfanytheworsemasterforit。Butenoughofthis。"Hepaused，and，raisinghimselfonhiselbow，gazedforsomesecondshalfcautiously，halfdoubtfully，uponhiscompanion。"I"vegotsomethingtotellyou，Hathaway，"hesaid，slowly。"You"vehadaneasytimewiththisTrust；yourshareoftheworkhasn"tworriedyou，keptyouawakenights，orinterferedwithyourcareer。Iunderstandperfectly，"hecontinued，inreplytoHathaway"sdeprecatinggesture。"Iacceptedtoactasyourproxy，andIHAVE。I"mnotcomplaining。ButitistimethatyoushouldknowwhatI"vedone，andwhatyoumaystillhavetodo。Hereistherecord。OnthedayafterthatinterviewintheMayor"soffice，theElDoradoBank，ofwhichIwas，andstillam，president，receivedseventy-fivethousanddollarsintrustfromMrs。Howard。Twoyearsafterwards，onthatsameday，thebankhad，byluckyspeculations，increasedthatsumtothecreditofthetrustonehundredandfiftythousanddollars，ordoubletheoriginalcapital。Inthefollowingyearthebanksuspendedpayment。"

CHAPTERII。

InaninstantthewholesituationandhisrelationstoitflasheduponPaulwithaterrible，butalmostgrotesque，completeness。

Herehewas，attheoutsetofhiscareer，responsibleforthewastedfortuneofthedaughterofasocialoutcast，andsaddledwithhersupport!HenowknewwhyColonelPendletonhadwishedtoseehim；foroneshamefulmomenthebelievedhealsoknewwhyhehadbeencontenttotakehisproxy!Thequestionablecharacterofthewholetransaction，hisowncarelessness，whichsprangfromthatveryconfidenceandtrustthatPendletonhadlatelyextolled——whatWOULD，whatCOULDnotbemadeofit!Healreadyheardhimselfabusedbyhisopponents——perhaps，moreterriblestill，faintlyexcusedbyhisfriends。Allthiswasvisibleinhispalefaceandflashingeyesasheturnedthemonthehelplessinvalid。

ColonelPendletonreceivedhislookwiththesamecritical，half-

curiousscrutinythathadaccompaniedhisspeech。Atlasthisfacechangedslightly，afaintlookofdisappointmentcrossedhiseyes，andasardonicsmiledeepenedthelinesofhismouth。

"There，sir，"hesaidhurriedly，asifdismissinganunpleasantrevelation；"don"talarmyourself!Takeadrinkofthatwhiskey。

Youlookpale。Well；turnyoureyesonthosewalls。Youdon"tseeanyofthatmoneylaidouthere——doyou?Lookatme。Idon"tlooklikeamanenrichedwithotherpeople"smoney——doI?Well，letthatcontentyou。EverydollarofthatTrustfund，Hathaway，withalltheinterestsandprofitsthathaveaccruedtoit，isSAFE!

EverycentofitislockedupingovernmentbondswithRothschild"sagent。Therearethereceipts，datedaweekbeforethebanksuspended。ButenoughofTHAT——THATisn"twhatIaskedyoutocomeandseemefor。"

ThebloodhadrushedbacktoPaul"scheeksuncomfortably。Hesawnow，asimpulsivelyashehadpreviouslysuspectedhisco-trustee，thatthemanhadprobablyruinedhimselftosavetheTrust。Hestammeredthathehadnotquestionedthemanagementofthefundnoraskedtowithdrawhisproxy。

"Nomatter，sir，"saidthecolonel，impatiently；"youhadtheright，andIsuppose，"headdedwithhalf-concealedscorn，"itwasyourduty。Butletthatpass。Themoneyissafeenough；but，Mr。

Hathaway，——andthisisthepointIwanttodiscusswithyou，——itbeginstolookasiftheSECRETwassafenolonger!"HehadraisedhimselfwithsomepainanddifficultytodrawnearertoPaul，andhadagainfixedhiseyeseagerlyuponhim。ButPaul"sresponsiveglancewassovaguethatheaddedquickly，"Youunderstand，sir；I

believethattherearehounds——Isayhounds!——whowouldbeabletoblurtoutatanymomentthatthatgirlatSantaClaraisKateHoward"sdaughter。"

AtanyothermomentPaulmighthavequestionedthegravityofanysuchcontingency，buttheterribleearnestnessofthespeaker，hisdominanttone，andacertainrespectwhichhadlatelysprungupinhisbreastforhim，checkedhim，andheonlyaskedwithasmuchconcernashecouldmasterforthemoment:——

"Whatmakesyouthinkso?"

"That"swhatIwanttotellyou，Hathaway，andhowI，andIalone，amresponsibleforit。WhenthebankwasindifficultyandImadeupmymindtoguardtheTrustwithmyownpersonalandprivatecapital，Iknewthattheremightbesomecommentonmyaction。Itwasadelicatemattertoshowanypreferenceorexclusionatsuchamoment，andItooktwoorthreeofmybrotherdirectorswhomI

thoughtIcouldtrustintomyconfidence。Itoldthemthewholestory，andhowtheTrustwassacred。Imadeamistake，sir，"

continuedPendletonsardonically，"agravemistake。Ididnottakeintoaccountthateveninthreeyearscivilizationandreligionhadgainedgroundhere。Therewasahoundthere——ablankJudasintheTrust。Well；hedidn"tseeit。IthinkhetalkedScriptureandmorality。Hesaidsomethingaboutthewagesofsinbeinginfamous，andonlyworthyofconfiscation。Hetalkedaboutthesinsofthefatherbeingvisiteduponthechildren，andjustly。Istoppedhim。

Well!Doyouknowwhat"sthematterwithmyankle?Look!"Hestoppedand，withsomedifficultyandinvinciblegravity，throwingasidehisdressing-gown，turneddownhisstocking，andexposedtoPaul"sgazethehealedcicatrixofanoldbullet-wound。"Troubledmedamnablynearayear。WhereIhitHIM——hasn"ttroubledhimatallsince!

"Ithink，"continuedthecolonel，fallingbackuponthepillowwithanairofrelief，"thathetoldothers——ofhisownkidney，sir，——

thoughitwasasecretamonggentlemen。Buttheyhavepreferredtobesilentnow——thanAFTERWARDS。TheyknowthatI"mready。ButI

can"tkeepthisuplong；sometime，youknow，they"reboundtoimproveinpracticeandhithigherup!AsfarasI"mconcerned，"

headded，withagrimglancearoundthefadedwallsandthreadbarefurniture，"itdon"tmind；butmineisn"tthemouthtobestopped。"

Hepaused，andthenabruptly，yetwithasuddenandpatheticdroppingofhisdominantnote，said:"Hathaway，you"reyoung，andHammersleylikedyou——what"stobedone?Ithoughtofpassingovermytoolstoyou。Youcanshoot，andIhearyouHAVE。Buttheh——lofitisthatifyoudroppedamanortwopeoplewouldaskWHY，andwanttoknowwhatitwasabout；while，whenIdo，nobodyherethinksitanythingbutMYWAY!Idon"tmeanthatitwouldhurtyouwiththecrowdtowipeoutoneortwoofthesehoundsduringthecanvass，butthetroubleisthattheybelongtoYOURPARTY，and，"

headdedgrimly，"thatwouldn"thelpyourcareer。"

"But，"saidPaul，ignoringthesarcasm，areyounotmagnifyingtheeffectofadisclosure?Thegirlisanheiress，excellentlybroughtup。Whowillbotherabouttheantecedentsofthemother，whohasdisappeared，whomsheneverknew，andwhoislegallydeadtoher?"

"Inmyday，sir，noonewhoknewthecircumstances，"returnedthecolonel，quickly。"ButwearelivinginablessederaofChristianretributionandcivilizedpropriety，andIbelievetherearealotofmenandwomenaboutwhohavenootherwayofshowingtheirownvirtuethanbyshowingupanother"svice。We"reinareactionofreform。It"stheolddrunkardswhoarealwaysmoreclamorousfortotalabstinencethanthemoderatelytemperate。Itellyou，Hathaway，therecouldn"tbeanunluckiermomentforoursecretcomingout。"

"Butshewillbeofagesoon。"

"Intwomonths。"

"Andsuretomarry。"

"Marry!"repeatedPendleton，withgrimirony。"WouldYOUmarryher?"

"That"sanotherquestion，"saidtheyoungman，promptly，"andoneofindividualtaste；butitdoesnotaffectmygeneralbeliefthatshecouldeasilyfindahusbandasgoodandbetter。"

"SupposeshefoundoneBEFOREthesecretisout。Oughthebetold?"

"Certainly。"

"AndthatwouldimplytellingHER?"

"Yes，"saidPaul，butnotsopromptly。"AndyouconsiderTHAT

fulfillingthepromiseoftheTrust——thepledgesexchangedwiththatwoman?"continuedPendleton，withglitteringeyesandareturntohisowndominanttone。

"Mydearcolonel，"saidPaul，somewhatlesspositively，butstillsmiling，"youhavemadearomantic，almostimpossiblecompactwithMrs。Howardthat，youyourselfarenowobligedtoadmit，circumstancesmaypreventyourcarryingoutsubstantially。Youforget，also，thatyouhavejusttoldmethatyouhavealreadybrokenyourpledge——undercircumstances，itistrue，thatdoyouhonor——andthatnowyourdesperateattemptstoretrieveithavefailed。Now，Ireallyseenothingwronginyourtellingtoapresumptivewell-wisherofthegirlwhatyouhavetoldtoherenemy。"

Therewasadeadsilence。Theprostratemanutteredaslightgroan，asifinpain，anddrewuphislegtochangehisposition。

Afterapause，hesaid，inarestrainedvoice，"Idifferfromyou，Mr。Hathaway；butenoughofthisforthepresent。Ihavesomethingelsetosay。ItwillbenecessaryforoneofustogoatoncetoSantaClaraandseeMissYerbaBuena。"

"Goodheavens!"saidPaul，quickly。"DoyoucallherTHAT?"

"Certainly，sir。Yougaveherthename。Haveyouforgotten?"

"Ionlysuggestedit，"returnedPaul，hopelessly；"butnomatter——

goon。"

"Icannotgothere，asyousee，"continuedPendleton，withawearygesturetowardshiscrippledankle；"andIshouldparticularlylikeyoutoseeherbeforewemakethejointdispositionofheraffairswiththeMayor，twomonthshence。Ihavesomepapersyoucanshowher，andIhavealreadywrittenaletterintroducingyoutotheLadySuperiorattheconvent，andtoher。Youhaveneverseenher?"

"No，"saidPaul。"Butofcourseyouhave?"

"Notforthreeyears。"

Paul"seyesevidentlyexpressedsomewonder，foramomentafterthecoloneladded，"Ibelieve，Hathaway，Iamlookeduponasaqueersurvivalofaratherlawlessandimproperpast。Atleast，Ihavethoughtitbetternotsociallytocompromiseherbymypresence。

TheMayorgoesthere——attheexaminationsandexercises，Ibelieve，sir；theymakeasortofreceptionforhim——witha——a——banquet——

lemonadeandspeeches。"

"IhadintendedtoleaveforSacramentoto-morrownight，"saidPaul，glancingcuriouslyatthehelplessman；"butIwillgothereifyouwish。"

"Thankyou。Itwillbebetter。"

Therewereafewwordsoffurtherexplanationofthepapers，andPendletonplacedthepacketinhisvisitor"shands。Paulrose。

Somehow，itappearedtohimthattheroomlookedmorefadedandforgottenthanwhenheenteredit，andthefigureofthemanbeforehimmorelonely，helpless，andabandoned。Withoneofhissympatheticimpulseshesaid:——

"Idon"tliketoleaveyouherealone。AreyousureyoucanhelpyourselfwithoutGeorge?CanIdoanythingbeforeIgo?"

"Iamquiteaccustomedtoit，"saidPendleton，quietly。"Ithappensonceortwiceayear，andwhenIgoout——well——ImissmorethanIdohere。"

HetookPaul"sprofferedhandmechanically，withaslightreturnofthecritical，doubtinglookhehadcastuponhimwhenheentered。

hisvoice，too，hadquiterecovereditsolddominance，ashesaid，withhalf-patronizingconventionality，"You"llhavetofindyourwayoutalone。LetmeknowhowyouhavespedatSantaClara，willyou?Good-by。"

ThestaircaseandpassageseemedtohavegrownshabbierandmeanerasPaul，slowlyandhesitatingly，descendedtothestreet。Atthefootofthestairshepausedirresolutely，andloiteredwithavagueideaofturningbackonsomepretense，onlythathemightrelievehimselfofthesenseofdesertion。Hehadalreadydetermineduponmakingthatinquiryintothecolonel"spersonalandpecuniaryaffairswhichhehadnotdaredtoofferpersonally，andhadahalf-formedplanoftestinghisownpowerandpopularityinacertainlineofreliefthatatoncesatisfiedhissympathiesandambitions。Nevertheless，afterreachingthestreet，helingeredamoment，whenanoddideaoftemporizingwithhisinclinationsstruckhim。Atthefartherendofthehotel——oneoftheparasiteslivingonitsdecayedfortunes——wasasmallbarber"sshop。Byhavinghishairtrimmedandhisclothesbrushedhecouldlingeralittlelongerbeneaththesameroofwiththehelplesssolitary，andperhapscometosomeconclusion。Heenteredthecleanbutscantilyfurnishedshop，andthrewhimselfintooneofthenearestchairs，hardlynotingthattherewerenoothercustomers，andthatasingleassistant，stroppingarazorbehindaglassdoor，wastheonlyoccupant。Buttherewasafamiliarnoteofexaggeratedpolitenessaboutthevoiceofthismanasheopenedthedoorandcametowardsthebackofthechairwiththeformula:——

"Mo"nin"，sah!Shallwehabdepleshureofshavin"orhah-cuttin"

dismo"nin"?"Paulraisedhiseyesquicklytothemirrorbeforehim。ItreflectedtheblackfaceandgrizzledhairofGeorge。

Morerelievedatfindingtheoldservantstillnearhismasterthancaringtocomprehendthereason，Hathawaysaidpleasantly，"Well，George，isthisthewayyoulookafteryourfamily?"

Theoldmanstarted；foraninstanthisfullredlipsseemedtobecomedryandashen，thewhitesofhiseyesweresuffusedandstaring，ashemetPaul"ssmilingfaceintheglass。Butalmostasquicklyherecoveredhimself，and，withapolitebutdeprecatingbow，said，——"ForGodsake，sah!Iadmitdesarkumstancesisaginme，butdesimplefackisdatI"mtemper"lyoccupyin"deplaceofanolefrien"，sah，whoiscalledrounddecornah。"

"AndI"mdevilishgladofanyfact，George，thatgivesmeachanceofhavingmyhaircutbyColonelPendleton"sright-handman。Sofireaway!"

Thegratifiedsmilewhichnowsuddenlyoverspreadthewholeoftheoldman"sface，andseemedtoquicklystiffentheruggedandwrinkledfingersthathadatfirsttrembledindrawingapairofshearsfromaraggedpocket，appearedtosatisfyPaul"scuriosityforthepresent。Butafterafewmoments"silentsnipping，duringwhichhecoulddetectinthemirrorsometracesofagitationstilltwitchingthenegro"sface，hesaidwithanairofconviction:——

"Lookhere，George——whydon"tyouregularlyuseyourleisuremomentsinthistrade?You"dmakeyourfortunebyyourtasteandskillatit。"

Forthenexthalfminutetheoldman"sframeshookwithsilentchildlikelaughterbehindPaul"schair。"Well，MarseHathaway，yo"sanolefrien"o"mymassa，andagemmanyo"self，sah，andasenetah，andIdo"anmindtellin"yo"——dat"sjesswhatIbingonedone!Itmakesalittlereadymoneyfordeolewomananddechilleren。ButdeKerneldon"no"。Ah，sah!deKernelkillmeorhisselfifhesomuchas"spicionedme。DeKernelishigh-toned，sah!——bein"agemmanyo"self，yo"understand。Hewouldn"theahobhisniggahworken"fortwomassas——forallhe"swillen"tolemmegoandhelpmyse"f。But，Lordblessyo"，sah，datain"tindecategory!DeKernelcouldn"tgetalongwidoutme。"

"Youcollecthisrents，don"tyou?"saidPaul，quietly。

"Yes，sah。"

"Much?"

"Well，no，sah；notsomuchasfom"ly，sah!Yo"see，deKernel"sprop"tyliesindeolepartsobdetown，wheredepo"whitefolkslib，anddeyain"treg"lar。DeKerneldatsof"inhisheart，hedaren"press"em；someof"emisolefo"ty-niners，likehisself，sah；andsomeisSpanish，sah，anddeyissof"too，andain"tnomoregumptiondanchilleren，andtinkit"soletimecomeag"in，anddey"sindeoleplaceslikeafo"deMexicanwah!anddeydon"binpayin"noffin"。Butwegetsalong，sah，——wegetsalong，——notindeprimafaciestyle，sah!mebbenotindemoddenwaydutdeKerneldon"tlike；butwekeepsourse"f，sah，andhaswinefo"ourfriends。Whenyo"comeagain，sah，yo""llfinddeWidderGlencoeondesideboard。"

"Hasthecolonelmanyfriendshere?"

"Mos"deoleonesbindonegone，sah，anddeKerneldon"cottontodenew。Hedon"mixmuchinsassietytilldebanksettlementsbingonedone。Skuseme，sah!——butyoudon"happentoknowwhendatis?Itwouldbeapow"fulheapoffdeKernel"smindifitwasdone。Bein"ahighandmightymanincommitteesupdahinSacramento，sah，Ididn"tknowbutwhatyo"mightknowasitmightcomebefo"yo"。"

"I"llseeaboutit，"saidPaul，withanodd，abstractedsmile。

"Shampoodismornen"，sah?"

"Nothingmoreinthisline，"saidPaul，risingfromhischair，"butsomethingmore，perhaps，inthelineofyourotherduties。You"reagoodbarberforthepublic，George，andIdon"ttakebackwhatI

saidaboutyourfuture；butJUSTNOWIthinkthecolonelwantsallyourservice。He"snotatallwell。Takethis，"hesaid，puttingatwenty-dollargoldpieceintheastonishedservant"shand，"andforthenextthreeorfourdaysdroptheshop，andundersomepretextoranotherarrangetobewithhim。Thatmoneywillcoverwhatyoulosehere，andassoonasthecolonel"sallrightagainyoucancomebacktowork。Butareyounotafraidofbeingrecognizedbysomeone?"

"No，sah，dat"sjustit。On"ystrangersdatdon"tknownobettercomeyere。"

"Butsupposeyourmastershoulddropin?It"squiteconvenienttohisrooms。"

"MarseHarryinabarber-shop!"saidtheoldmanwithasilentlaugh。"Skuseme，sah，"headded，withanapologeticmixtureofrespectanddignity，"butfo"twentyyearsnomanheztoucheddeKernel"schinbutmyself。WhenMarseHarryheztogotoabarber"sshop，itwon"tmakenomatterwho"sdar。"

"Let"shopehewillnot，"saidPaulgayly；then，anxioustoevadethegratitudewhich，sincehismunificence，hehadseenbeamingintheoldnegro"seyeandevidentlytryingtofindpolysyllabicandelevatedexpressiononhislips，hesaidhurriedly，"IshallexpecttofindyouwiththecolonelwhenIcallagaininadayortwo，"

andsmilinglydeparted。