第7章
Paulwasnotsorrywhenthetimecametotakeleaveofhisfriend；
butonceagainintheclearmoonlightandfresh，balmyairoftheAllee，heforgottheunpleasantnessoftheinterview。HefoundhimselfthinkingonlyofhisridewithYerba。Well!hehadtoldherthathelovedher。Sheknewitnow，andalthoughshehadforbiddenhimtospeakfurther，shehadnotwhollyrejectedit。Itmustbehermorbidconsciousnessofthemysteryofherbirththatwithheldareturnofheraffections，——somehalf-knowledge，perhaps，thatshewouldnotdivulge，yetthatkeptherundulysensitiveofacceptinghislove。Hewassatisfiedtherewasnoentanglement；
herheartwasvirgin。HeevendaredtohopethatshehadALWAYS
caredforhim。ItwasforHIMtoremoveallobstacles——toprevailuponhertoleavethisplaceandreturntoAmericawithhimasherhusband，theguardianofhergoodname，andthecustodianofhersecret。AttimesthestrainsofadreamyGermanwaltz，playedinthedistance，broughtbacktohimthebriefmomentthathisarmhadencircledherwaistbythecrumblingwall，andhispulsesgrewlanguid，onlytoleapfirmerthenextmomentwithmoredesperateresolve。Hewouldwinher，comewhatmay!Hecouldneverhavebeeninearnestbefore:heloathedandhatedhimselfforhispreviouspassiveacquiescencetoherfate。Hehadbeenaweaktoolofthecolonel"sfromthefirst:hewasevennowhandicappedbyapreposterouspromisehehadgivenhim!Yes，shewasrighttohesitate——toquestionhisabilitytomakeherhappy!Hehadfoundherhere，surroundedbystupidityandcupidity——togiveitnoothername——sopatentthatshewasthecommongossip，andhadofferednothingbutaboyishdeclaration!Ashestrodeintothehotelthatnightitwaswellthathedidnotmeettheunfortunatecolonelonthestaircase!
Itwasverylate，althoughtherewasstillvisiblealightinYerba"ssalon，shiningonherbalcony，whichextendedbeforeandincludedhisownwindow。Fromtimetotimehecouldhearthemurmurofvoices。
Itwastoolatetoavailhimselfoftheinvitationtojointhem，evenifhisframeofmindhadpermittedit。Hewastoonervousandexcitedtogotobed，and，withoutlightinghiscandle，heopenedtheFrenchwindowthatgaveuponthebalcony，drewachairintherecessbehindthecurtain，andgazeduponthenight。Itwasveryquiet；themoonwashigh，thesquarewassleepinginatranceofcheckeredshadows，likeagiganticchessboard，withblackforeshortenedtreesforpawns。Theclickofacavalrysabre，thesoundofafootfallonthepavementofthedistantKonigsstrasse，weredistinctlyaudible；afar-offrailwaywhistlewasstartlinginitsabruptness。Inthemidstofthiscalmtheopeningofthedoorofthesalon，withthesuddenupliftingofvoicesinthehall，toldPaulthatYerba"sguestswereleaving。HeheardDonaAnna"sarchaccents——archeventoColonelPendleton"smonotonousbaritone!——Milly"shigh，rapidutterances，thesuavefalsettoofDonCaesar，andHERvoice，hethoughtatriflewearied，——thesoundofretiringfootsteps，andallwasstillagain。
Sostillthattherhythmicbeatofthedistantwaltzreturnedtohim，withadistinctivenessthathecouldidlyfollow。HethoughtofRosarioandtherose-breathoftheopenwindowswithastrangelonging，andrememberedthehalf-stifledsweetnessofherhappyvoicerisingwithitfromtheveranda。Whyhadheeverletitpassfromhimthenandwaftitsfragranceelsewhere?Why——Whatwasthat?
Theslightturningofalatch!ThecreakingoftheFrenchwindowofthesalon，andsomebodyhadslippedsoftlyhalfoutonthebalcony。Hisheartstoppedbeating。Fromhispositionintherecessofhisownwindow，withhisbacktothepartitionofthesalon，hecouldseenothing。Yethedidnotdaretomove。ForwiththequickenedsensesofaloverhefeltthediffusedandperfumedauraofHERpresence，ofHERgarments，ofHERflesh，flowinuponhimthroughtheopenwindow，andpossesshiswholebreathlessbeing!ItwasSHE!Likehim，perhaps，longingtoenjoytheperfectnight——likehim，perhaps，thinkingof——
"Soyouar-rangetogetridofme——ha!likthees?Totur-rnmeofffromyourheelslikeadogwhohavefollowyou——butwithoutaword——
withouta——a——thanks——withouta"ope!Ah!——wehaveser-rvedyou——
meandmysister；wearetheor-rangedry——nowwecango!Liketheoldshoe，wearetobeflungaway!Good!ButIamhereagain——yousee。Ishallspeak，andyoushallhear-r。"
DonCaesar"svoice——alonewithher!Paulgrippedhischairandsatupright。
"Stop!Staywhereyouare!Howdaredyoureturnhere?"ItwasYerba"svoice，onthebalcony，lowanddistinct。
"Shutthewindow!Ishallspeakwithyouwhatyouwillnottheworldtohear。"
"IprefertokeepwhereIam，sinceyouhavecreptintothisroomlikeathief!"
"Athief!Good!"HebrokeoutinSpanish，and，asifnolongerfearfulofbeingoverheard，hadevidentlydrawnnearertothewindow。"Athief。Ha!muybueno——butitisnotI，youunderstand——
I，CaesarBriones，whoamthethief!No!Itisthatswaggeringespadachin——thatfanfarronofaColonelPendleton——thatpatternofanofficial，Mr。Hathaway——thatmostbeautifulheiressoftheCalifornias，MissARGUELLO——thatarethieves!Yes——ofaNAME——MissArguello——ofaNAME!ThenameofArguello!"
Paulrosetohisfeet。
"Ah，so!Youstart——youturnpale——youflashyoureyes，senora，butyouthinkyouhavedeceivedmealltheseyears。YouthinkI
didnotseeyourgameatRosario——yes，evenwhenthatfoolishCastromuchachafirstputthatideainyourhead。Whofurnishedyouthefactsyouwanted?I——MotherofGod!SUCHFACTS!——I，whoknewtheArguellopedigree——I，whoknowitwasasimpossibleforyoutobeadaughterofthemas——what?letmethink——as——asitisimpossibleforyoutobethewifeofthatbaronwhomyouwoulddeceivewiththerest!Ah，yes；itwasahighflightforyou，Mees——Mees——DonaFulana——anoblegameforyoutobringdown!"
Whydidshenotspeak?Whatwasshedoing?Ifshehadbututteredasinglewordofprotest，ofangrydismissal，Paulwouldhaveflowntoherside。Itcouldnotbetheparalysisofpersonalfear:thebalconywaswide；shecouldeasilypasstotheend；shecouldevenseehisopenwindow。
"WhydidIdothis?BecauseIlovedyou，senora——andyouknewit!
Ah!youcanturnyourfaceawaynow；youcanpretendtomisunderstandme，asyoudidamomentago；youcanpartfrommenowlikeamereacquaintance——butitwasnotalwaysso!No，itwasYOU
whobroughtmehere；youreyesthatsmiledintomine——anddrovehomethecolonel"srequestthatIandmysistershouldaccompanyyou。God!Iwasweakthen!Yousmile，senora；youthinkyouhavesucceeded——youandyourpompouscolonelandyourclevergovernor!
Youthinkyouhavecompromisedme，andperjuredME，becauseofthis。Youarewrong!YouthinkIdarenotspeaktothispuppetofabaron，andthatIhavenoproofs。Youarewrong!"
"Andevenifyoucanproducethem，whatcareI?"saidYerbaunexpectedly，yetinavoicesofreefromexcitementandpassionthatthewearinesswhichPaulhadatfirstnoticedseemedtobetheonlydominanttone。"SupposeyouprovethatIamnotanArguello。
Good!youhaveyettoshowthataconnectionwithanyofyourracewouldbeanythingbutadisgrace。"
"Ah!youdefyme，littleone!Caramba!Listen，then!Youdonotknowall!WhenyouthoughtIwasonlyhelpingyoutofabricateyourclaimtotheArguellos"name，IwasfindingoutWHOYOUREALLY
WERE!Ah!Itwasnotsodifficultasyoufondlyhope，senora。Wewerenotallbrutesandfoolsintheearlydays，thoughwestoodasidetoletyourpeopleruntheirvulgarcourse。Itwasyourhiredbully——yourrespectedguardian——thisdogofanespadachin，wholetoutahintofthesecret——withaprickofhisblade——andascandal。Oneofmypeonwomenwasaservantattheconventwhenyouwereachild，andrecognizedthewomanwhoputyouthereandcametoseeyouasafriend。SheoverheardtheMotherSuperiorsayitwasyourmother，andsawanecklacethatwasleftforyoutowear。Ah!youbegintobelieve!WhenIhadputthisandthattogetherIfoundthatPepitacouldnotidentifyyouwiththechildthatshehadseen。Butyou，senora，youYOURSELFsuppliedthemissingproof!Yes!yousupplieditwiththeNECKLACEthatyouworethateveningatRosario，whenyouwishedtodohonortothisyoungHathaway——theguardianwhohadalwaysthrownyouoff!Ah!——
younowsuspectwhy，perhaps!Itwasyourmother"snecklacethatyouwore，andyousaidso!ThatnightIsentthegoodPepitatoidentifyit；towatchthroughthewindowfromthegardenwhenyouwerewearingit；tomakeitsureastheCreed。Isenthertoyourroomlatethatnightwhenyouhadchangedyourdress，thatshemightexamineitamongyourjewels。Andshedidandwillswear——
lookyou!——SWEARthatitistheonegivenyouasachildbythewomanattheconvent，whowasyourmother!Andwhowasthatwoman——
eh?WhowasthemotheroftheArguellodelaYerbaBuena?——whothisnobleancestress?"
"Excuseme——butperhapsyouarenotawarethatyouareraisingyourvoiceinalady"sdrawing-room，andthatalthoughyouarespeakingalanguagenoonehereunderstands，youaredisturbingthehotel。"
ItwasPaul，quiet，paleinthemoonlight，erectonthebalconybeforethewindow。AsYerba，withastart，retreatedquicklyintotheroom，DonCaesarsteppedforwardangrilyandsuspiciouslytowardsthewindow。Hehadhishandreachedforwardtowardsthehandleasiftoclosetheswingingsashagainsttheintruder，wheninaninstanthewasseizedbyPaul，tightlylockedinadesperategrip，andwhirledoutonthebalcony。Beforehecouldgainbreathtoutteracry，HathawayhadpassedhisrightarmaroundtheMexican"sthroat，effectivelystoppinghisutterance，and，withasupremeeffortofstrength，draggedhimalongthewall，fallingwithhimintotheopenwindowofhisownroom。Ashedidso，tohisinexpressiblereliefheheardthesashclosedandtheboltdrawnofthesalonwindow，andregainedhisfeet，collected，quiet，andtriumphant。
"Iamsorry，"hesaid，coollydustinghisclothes，"tohavebeenobligedtochangethesceneofthisdiscussionsoroughly，butyouwillobservethatyoucanspeakmorefreelyHERE，andthatanyaltercationWEmayhaveinthisroomwillbelesslikelytoattractcomment。"
"Assassin!"saidDonCaesarchokingly，ashestruggledtohisfeet。
"Thankyou。Relieveyourfeelingsasmuchasyoulikehere；infact，ifyouwouldspeakalittlelouderyouwouldobligeme。Theguestsarebeginningtobeawake，"continuedPaul，withawickedsmile，indicatingthenoiseofanopeningdoorandfootstepsinthepassage，"andarenowabletolocatewithoutdifficultythesceneofthedisturbance。"
Brionesapparentlyunderstoodhismeaningandthesuccessofhisstratagem。"YouthinkyouhavesavedHERfromdisgrace，"hesaid，withalividsmile，inalowertoneandadesperateattempttoimitatePaul"scoolness。"Forthepresent——ah——yees!perhapsinthishotelandthisevening。Butyouhavenotstopmymouthfor——
a——to-morrow——andthewholeworld，Mr。Hathaway。"
"Well，"saidPaul，lookingathimcritically，"Idon"tknowaboutthat。Ofcourse，there"stheequalchancethatyoumaykillme——
butthat"saquestionforto-morrow，too。"
TheMexicancastaquickglanceatthedoorandwindow。Paul，asifcarelessly，changedthekeyoftheformerfromonepockettotheother，andsteppedbeforethewindow。
"Sothisisaplottomurderme!Haveacare!YouarenotinyourownbrigandCalifornia!"
"Ifyouthinkso，alarmthehouse。Theywillfindusquarreling，andyouwillonlyprecipitatemattersbyreceivingtheinsultthatwillmakeyoufight——beforethem。"
"Iamr-ready，sir，whenandwhereyouwill，"saidBriones，withaswaggeringairbutashifting，furtiveeye。"Open——a——thedoor。"
"Pardonme。WewillleavethisroomTOGETHERinanhourforthestation。Wewillboardthenightexpressthatwilltakeusinthreehoursbeyondthefrontier，wherewecaneachfindafriend。"
"Butmyaffairshere——mysister——Imustseeher。"
"Youshallwriteanotetoheratthattable，sayingthatimportantbusiness——adispatch——hascalledyouaway，andwewillleaveitwiththeportertobedeliveredINTHEMORNING。Or——Idonotrestrictyou——youcansaywhatyoulike，providedshedon"tgetituntilwehaveleft。"
"Andyoumakeofmeaprisoner，sir?"
"No；avisitor，DonCaesar——avisitorwhoseconversationissointerestingthatIamforcedtodetainhimtohearmore。YoucanpassthetimepleasantlybyfinishingthestoryIwasobligedtointerruptamomentago。DoyouknowthismotherofMissYerba，ofwhomyouspoke?"
"That"sm——myaffair。"
"Thatmeansyoudon"tknowher。Ifyoudid，you"dhavehadherwithincall。And，assheistheonlypersonwhoisabletosaythatMissYerbaisNOTanArguello，youhavebeenveryremiss。"
"Ah，bah!Iamnotoneofyour——a——lawyers。"
"No；oryouwouldknowthat，withnobetterevidencethanyouhave，youmightbesuedforslander。"
"Ah!WhydoesnotMissYerbasue，then?"
"Becausesheprobablyexpectsthatsomebodywillshootyou。"
"AsYOUforinstance?"
"Perhaps。"
"AndifyoudoNOT——eh?——youhavenotstopmymouth，butyourown。
AndifyouDO，youhelphertomarrytheBaron，yourrival。Youarenotwise，friendHathaway。"
"MayIremindyouthatyouhavenotyetwrittentoyoursister，andyoumayprefertodoitcarefullyanddeliberately?"
DonCaesararosewithavindictiveglanceatPaul，andpulledachairbeforethetable，asthelatterplacedpen，ink，andpaperbeforehim。"Takeyourtime，"headded，foldinghisarmsandwalkingtowardsthewindow。"Saywhatyoulike，anddon"tletmypresencerestrainyou。"
TheMexicanbegantowritefuriously，thenspasmodically，thenslowlyandreluctantly。"Iwar-r-nyou，Ishallexposeall，"hesaidsuddenly。
"Asyouplease。"
"AndshallsaythatifIdisappear，youaremymurderer——youunderstand——myMURDERER!"
"Don"tconsultmeonaquestionofepithets，butgoon。"
DonCaesarrecommencedhiswritingwithamalignsmile。Therewasasuddensharprapatthedoor。
DonCaesarleapedtohisfeet，graspedhispapers，andrushedtothedoor；butPaulwasbeforehim。"Whoisthere?"hedemanded。
"Pendleton。"
Atthesoundofthecolonel"svoiceDonCaesarfellback。Paulopenedthedoor，admittedthetallfigureofthecolonel，andwasabouttoturnthekeyagain。ButPendletonliftedhishandingrimdeprecation。
"Thatwilldo，Mr。Hathaway。Iknowall。ButIwishtospeakwithBrioneselsewhere，alone。"
"Excuseme，ColonelPendleton，"saidPaulfirmly，"butIhavethepriorclaim。Wordshavepassedbetweenthisgentlemanandmyselfwhichwearenowonourwaytothestationandthefrontiertosettle。Ifyouarewillingtoaccompanyus，Ishallgiveyoueveryopportunitytoconversewithhimalone，andarrangewhateverbusinessyoumayhavewithhim，provideditdoesnotinterferewithmine。"
"Mybusiness，"saidPendleton，"isofapersonalnature，thatwillnotinterferewithanyclaimofyoursthatMr。Brionesmaychoosetoadmit，butisofaprivatequalitythatmustbetransactedbetweenusnow。"Hisfacewaspale，andhisvoice，althoughsteadyandself-controlled，hadthatsamestrangesuggestionofsuddenageinitwhichPaulhadbeforenoticed。WhetherDonCaesardetectedit，orwhetherhehadsomeotherinstinctiveappreciationofgreatersecurity，Paulcouldnottell。Heseemedtorecoverhisswaggeragain，ashesaid，——
"IshallhearwhatColonelPendletonhastosayfirst。ButIshallholdmyselfinreadinesstomeetyouafterwards——youshallnotfear，sir!"
Paulremainedlookingfromtheonetotheotherwithoutspeaking。
ItwasDonCaesarwhoreturnedhisglanceboldlyanddefiantly，ColonelPendletonwho，withthinwhitefingerspullinghismoustache，evadedit。ThenPaulunlockedthedoor，andsaidslowly，"InfiveminutesIleavethishouseforthestation。I
shallwaitthereuntilthetrainarrives。Ifthisgentlemandoesnotjoinme，Ishallbebetterabletounderstandallthisandtakemeasuresaccordingly。"
"AndItelltoyou，MeesterHathaway，sir，"saidDonCaesar，strikinganattitudeinthedoorway，"youshalldoasIplease——
Caramba!——andshallbeg"——
"Holdyourtongue，sir——or，bytheEternal!"——burstoutPendletonsuddenly，bringingdownhisthinhandontheMexican"sshoulder。
Hestoppedassuddenly。"Gentlemen，thisischildish。Go，sir!"
toDonCaesar，pointingwithagauntwhitefingerintothedarkenedhall。"Iwillfollowyou。Mr。Hathaway，asanolderman，andonewhohasseenagooddealoffoolishaltercation，Iregret，sir，deeplyregret，tobeawitnesstothisbelligerentqualityinalaw-makerandapublicman；andImustdeprecate，sir——deprecate，yourdemandonthatgentlemanforwhat，inthefollyofyouth，youarepleasedtocallpersonalsatisfaction。"
Ashemovedwithdignityoutoftheroom，Paulremainedblanklystaringafterhim。Wasitalladream?——orwasthisColonelPendletontheduelist?Hadtheoldmangonecrazy，orwashemerelyactingtoveilsomewildpurpose?HissuddenarrivalshowedthatYerbamusthavesentforhimandtoldhimofDonCaesar"sthreats；wouldhebewildenoughtoattempttostranglethemaninsomeremoteroomorinthedarknessofthepassage?Hesteppedsoftlyintothehall:hecouldstillhearthedoubletreadofthetwomen:theyhadreachedthestaircase——theywereDESCENDING!Heheardthedrowsyaccentsofthenightporterandtheswingingofthedoor——theywereinthestreet!
Wherevertheyweregoing，orforwhatpurpose，HEmustbeatthestation，ashehadwarnedthemhewouldbe。Hehastilythrewafewthingsintohisvalise，andpreparedtofollowthem。Whenhewentdownstairsheinformedtheporterthatowingtoanurgentcallofbusinessheshouldtrytocatchthethroughexpressatthreeo"clock，buttheymustretainhisroomandluggageuntiltheyheardfromhim。HerememberedDonCaesar"sletter。Hadeitherofthegentlemen，hisfriendswhohadjustgoneout，leftaletterormessage?No，Excellency；thegentlemenweretalkingearnestly——hebelieved，intheSouthAmericanlanguage——andhadnotspokentohim。
PerhapsitwasthisthatremindedPaul，ashecrossedthesquareagain，thathehadmadenopreparationforanypossiblefatalissuetohimselfinthisadventure。SHEwouldknowit，however，andwhyhehadundertakenit。Hetriedtothinkthatperhapssomeinterestinhimselfhadpromptedhertosendthecoloneltohim。Yet，mingledwiththiswasanoddsenseofacertainridiculousnessinhisposition:therewastheabsurdityofhisprospectiveantagonistbeingevennowinconfidentialconsultationwithhisownfriendandally，whosefunctionshehadusurped，andinwhoseinterestshewasabouttoriskhislife。Andashewalkedawaythroughthesilentstreets，theconvictionmorethanoncewasforceduponhimthathewasgoingtoanappointmentthatwouldnotbekept。
Hereachedthestationsometenminutesbeforethetrainwasdue。
Twoorthreehalf-drowsy，wrapped-uppassengerswerealreadyontheplatform；butneitherDonCaesarnorColonelPendletonwasamongthem。Heexploredthewaiting-roomsandeventhehalf-litbuffet，butwithnobettersuccess。TellingtheBahnhofInspectorthathispassagewasonlycontingentuponthearrivalofoneortwocompanions，anddescribingthemminutelytopreventmistakes，hebegangloomilytopacebeforetheticket-office。Fiveminutespassed——thenumberofpassengersdidnotincrease；tenminutes；adistantshriek——thehoarseinquiryoftheinspector——hadtheHerr"scompanionsyetgekommt?thesuddenglareofaCyclopeaneyeinthedarkness，theonglidingofthelong-jointedandgleamingspottedserpent，thetrain——ahurriedglancearoundtheplatform，oneortwogutturalorders，theslammingofdoors，theremountingofblackuniformedfigureslikecaryatidesalongthemarchepieds，apuffofvapor，andthetrainhadcomeandgonewithoutthem。
Yethewouldgivehisadversaryfifteenminutesmoretoallowforaccidentordelay，orthepossiblearrivalofthecolonelwithanexplanation，andrecommencedhisgloomypacing，astheBahnhofsankbackintohalf-litrepose。Attheendoffiveminutestherewasanothershriek。Paulturnedquicklytotheinspector。Ah，then，therewasanothertrain?No；itwasonlytheupexpressforBasle，goingtheotherwayandstoppingattheNordStation，halfamileaway。Itwouldnotstophere，buttheHerrwouldseeitpassinafewmomentsatfullspeed。
Itcamepresently，withaprolongeddespairingshriek，outofthedarkness；aflash，arushandroarathisside，aplungeintothedarknessagainwiththesamedespairingcry；aflutterofsomethingwhitefromoneofthewindows，likealoosenedcurtain，thatatlastseemedtodetachitself，and，afterawildattempttofollow，suddenlysoaredaloft，whirledoverandover，dropped，anddriftedslowly，slantwise，totheground。
Theinspectorhadseenit，randowntheline，andpickeditup。
ThenhereturnedwithittoPaulwithalookofsympathizingconcern。Itwasalady"shandkerchief，evidentlysomesignalwavedtothewell-bornHerr，whowastheonlypassengerontheplatform。
So，possibly，itmightbefromhisfriends，whobysomestupidmischancehadgonetothewrongstation，and——GottimHimmel!——itwashideouslystupid，yetpossible，gotonthewrongtrain!
TheHerr，alittlepale，butcomposed，thoughtitWASpossible。
No；hewouldnottelegraphtothenextstation——notyet——hewouldinquire。
Hewalkedquicklyaway，reachingthehotelbreathlessly，yetinaspacethatseemedalltoobriefforhisdisconnectedthought。
Thereweresignsofanimationinthehall，andanemptycarriagewasjustreenteringthecourtyard。Thehall-portermethimwithdemonstrativeconcernandapology。Ah!ifhehadonlyunderstoodhisExcellencybetter，hecouldhavesavedhimallthistrouble。
EvidentlyhisExcellencywasgoingwiththeArguelloparty，whohadorderedacarriage，doubtless，forthesameimportantjourney，anhourbefore，yethadleftonlyafewmomentsafterhisExcellency，andhisExcellency，itwouldappear，hadgonetothewrongstation。
Paulpushedhurriedlypastthemanandascendedtohisroom。Bothwindowswereopen，andinthefaintmoonlighthecouldseethatsomethingwhitewaspinnedtohispillow。Withnervousfingersherelithiscandles，andfounditwasanoteinYerba"shandwriting。
Asheopenedit，atinysprayofthevinethathadgrownonthecrumblingwallfellathisfeet。Hepickeditup，pressedittohislips，andread，withdimeyes，asfollows:——
"YouknownowwhyIspoketoyouasIdidto-day，andwhytheotherhalfofthisprecioussprayistheonlymemoryIcaretocarrywithmeoutofthiscrumblingruinofallmyhopes。Youwereright，Paul:mytakingyouthereWASANOMEN——nottoyou，whocanneverbeanythingbutproud，beloved，andtrue——buttoMEofalltheshameandmisery。Thankyouforallyouhavedone——forallyouwoulddo，myfriend，anddon"tthinkmeungrateful，onlybecauseIamunworthyofit。Trytoforgiveme，butdon"tforgetme，evenifyoumusthateme。Perhaps，ifyouknewall——youmightstilllovealittlethepoorgirltowhomyouhavealreadygiventheonlynameshecanevertakefromyou——YERBABUENA!
CHAPTERVII。
Itwasalreadyautumn，andinthecityofNewYorkanearlySundaymorningbreezewassweepinguptheleavesthathadfallenfromtheregularlyplantedailantustreesbeforethebrown-stonefrontageofarowofmonotonouslyalikefive-storiedhousesononeoftheprincipalavenues。ThePastoroftheThirdPresbyterianChurch，thatuplifteditsdoubletowersonthecorner，stoppedbeforeoneofthesedwellings，ranupthedozenbroadsteps，andrangthebell。Hewaspresentlyadmitttedtothesombrerichnessofahallanddrawing-roomwithhigh-backedfurnitureofdarkcarvedwoods，likecathedralstalls，and，hatinhand，somewhatimpatientlyawaitedthearrivalofhishostessandparishioner。Thedooropenedtoatall，white-hairedwomaninlustrelessblacksilk。Shewasregularandresoluteinfeatures，offinebutunbendingpresence，and，thoughsomewhatpastmiddleage，showednosignsofeithertheweaknessormellownessofyears。
"IamsorrytodisturbyourSabbathmorningmeditations，SisterArgalls，norwouldIifitwerenotinthelineofChristianduty；
butSisterRobbinsisunabletodaytomakeherusualSabbathhospitalvisit，andIthoughtifyouwereexcusedfromtheForeignMissionaryclassandBibleinstructionatthreeyoumightundertakeherfunctions。Iknow，mydearoldfriend，"hecontinued，withblanddeprecationofherhard-seteyes，"howdistastefulthispromiscuousminglingwiththeroughandungodlyhasalwaysbeentoyou，andhowreluctantyouaretobeplacedinthepositionofbeingliabletohearcoarse，vulgar，orirreverentspeech。I
think，too，inourlongandpleasantpastoralrelations，youhavealwaysfoundmemindfulofit。IadmitIhavesometimesregrettedthatyourlatehusbandhadnotmoregenerallyfamiliarizedyouwiththewaysoftheworld。Butsoitis——weallhaveourweaknesses。
Ifnotonething，another。AndasEnvyandUncharitablenesssometimesfindtheirwayinevenChristianhearts，Ishouldlikeyoutoundertakethisofficeforthesakeofexample。Therearesome，dearSisterArgalls，whothinkthattherichwidowwhoismostliberalintheendowmentofthegoodsthatProvidencehasintrustedtoherhandsclaimsthereforetobeexemptfromlaborintheChristianvineyard。Letusteachthemhowunjusttheyare。"
"Iamwilling，"saidthelady，withadry，determinedair。"I
supposethesepatientsarenotprofessedlybadcharacters?"
"Bynomeans。Afew，perhaps；butthemajorityareunfortunates——
dependenteitheruponpubliccharityorsomesmallprovisionmadebytheirfriends。"
"Verywell。"
"AndyouunderstandthatthoughtheyhavetheprivilegeofrejectingyourChristianministrations，dearSisterArgalls，youarefreetojudgewhenyoumaybepatientorimportunatewiththem?"
"Iunderstand。"
ThePastorwasnotanunkindlyman，and，asheglancedattheuncompromisinglookinMrs。Argalls"seyes，feltforamomentsomeinconsistencybetweenhishumaneinstinctsandhisChristianduty。
"Someofthemmayrequire，andbebenefitedby，asternmonitress，andSisterRobbins，Ifear，wasweak，"hesaidconsolinglytohimself，ashedescendedthestepsagain。
Atthreeo"clockMrs。Argalls，withareticuleandafewtracts，wasatthedoorofSt。John"sHospital。AsshedisplayedhertestimonialsandannouncedthatshehadtakenMrs。Robbins"splace，theofficialsreceivedherrespectfully，andgavesomeinstructionstotheattendants，which，however，didnotstopsomeindividualcomments。
"Isay，Jim，itdoesn"tseemthesquarethingtoletthatgrimoldgirllooseamongthempoorconvalescents。"
"Well，Idon"tknow:theysayshe"srichandgivesaloto"moneyaway，butifshetacklesthatswearingoldKentuckianinNo。3，she"llhaveherhandsfull。"
However，thecriticismwasscarcelyfair，forMrs。Argalls，althoughmovingrigidlyalongfrombedtobedoftheward，equippedwithacertainformulaofphrases，neverthelessdroppedfromtimetotimesomepracticalcommon-sensequestionsthatshowedanalmostmasculineintuitionofthepatients"needsandrequirements。Nordidshebetrayanyofthatover-sensitiveshrinkingfromcoarsenesswhichthegoodPastorhadfeared，albeitshewasquicktocorrectitsexhibition。Thelanguidmenlistenedtoherwithhalf-
aggressive，half-amusedinterest，andsomeofthesatisfactionoftakingabitterbutwholesometonic。Itwasnotuntilshereachedthebedatthefartherendofthewardthatsheseemedtomeetwithanycheck。
Itwasoccupiedbyahaggardman，withalongwhitemoustacheandfeaturesthatseemedwastedbyinwardstruggleandfever。Atthefirstsoundofhervoiceheturnedquicklytowardsher，liftedhimselfonhiselbow，andgazedfixedlyinherface。
"KateHoward——bytheEternal!"hesaid，inalowvoice。
Despiteherrigidself-possessionthewomanstarted，glancedhurriedlyaround，anddrewnearertohim。
"Pendleton!"shesaid，inanequallysuppressedvoice，"What，inGod"sname，areyoudoinghere?"
"Dying，Ireckon——soonerorlater，"hesaidgrimly，"that"swhattheydohere。"
"But——what，"shewentonhurriedly，stillglancingoverhershoulderasifshesuspectedsometrick——"whathasbroughtyoutothis?"
"YOU!"saidthecolonel，droppingbackexhaustedlyonhispillow。
"Youandyourdaughter。"
"Idon"tunderstandyou，"shesaidquickly，yetregardinghimwithsternrigidity。"YouknowperfectlywellIhaveNOdaughter。YouknowperfectlywellthatI"vekeptthewordIgaveyoutenyearsago，andthatIhavebeendeadtoherasshehasbeentome。"
"Iknow，"saidthecolonel，"thatwithinthelastthreemonthsI
havepaidawaymylastcenttokeepthemouthofaninfernalscoundrelshutwhoKNOWSthatyouarehermother，andthreatenstoexposehertoherfriends。IknowthatI"mdyinghereofanoldwoundthatIgotwhenIshutthemouthofanotherhoundwhowasreadytobarkathertwoyearsafteryoudisappeared。IknowthatbetweenyouandherI"veletmyoldniggerdieofabrokenheart，becauseIcouldn"tkeephimtosufferwithme，andIknowthatI"mhereapauperontheState。Iknowthat，Kate，andwhenIsayitI
don"tregretit。I"vekeptmywordtoYOU，and，bytheEternal，yourdaughter"sworthit!Forifthereeverwasafairandpeerlesscreature——it"syourchild!"
"Andshe——arichwoman——unlessshesquanderedthefortuneIgaveher——letsyouliehere!"saidthewomangrimly。
"Shedon"tknowit。"
"SheSHOULDknowit!Haveyouquarreled?"Shewaslookingathimkeenly。
"Shedistrustsme，becauseshehalfsuspectsthesecret，andI
hadn"tthehearttotellherall。"
"All?Whatdoessheknow?Whatdoesthismanknow?Whathasbeentoldher?"shesaidrapidly。
"Sheonlyknowsthatthenameshehastakenshehasnorightto。"
"Rightto?Why，itwaswrittenontheTrust——YerbaBuena。"
"No，notthat。Shethoughtitwasamistake。ShetookthenameofArguello。"
"What?"saidMrs。Argalls，suddenlygraspingtheinvalid"swristwithbothhands。"Whatname?"hereyeswerestartledfromtheirrigidcoldness，herlipswerecolorless。
"Arguello!Itwassomefoolishschoolgirlfancywhichthathoundhelpedtofosterinher。Why——what"sthematter，Kate?"
Thewomandroppedthehelplessman"swrist，then，withaneffort，recoveredherselfsufficientlytorise，and，withanairofincreaseddecorum，asifthespiritualcharacteroftheirinterviewexcludedworldlyintrusion，adjustedthescreenaroundhisbed，soaspartlytohideherownfaceandPendleton"s。Then，droppingintothechairbesidehim，shesaid，inheroldvoice，fromwhichtheburdenoftenlongyearsseemedtohavebeenlifted，——
"Harry，what"sthatyou"replayingonme?"
"Idon"tunderstandyou，"saidPendletonamazedly。
"Doyoumeantosayyoudon"tknowit，anddidn"ttellheryourself?"shesaidcurtly。
"What?Tellherwhat?"herepeatedimpatiently。
"ThatArguelloWASherfather!"
"Herfather?"Hetriedtostruggletohiselbowagain，butshelaidherhandmasterfullyuponhisshoulderandforcedhimback。
"Herfather!"herepeatedhurriedly。"JoseArguello!GreatGod!——
areyousure?"
Quietlyandyetmechanicallygatheringthescatteredtractsfromthecoverlet，andputtingthemback，onebyoneinherreticule，shecloseditandherlipswithasnapassheuttered——"Yes。"
Pendletonremainedstaringathersilently，"Yes，"hemuttered，"itmayhavebeensomeinstinctofthechild"s，orsomediabolicalfancyofBriones"。But，"hesaidbitterly，"trueornot，shehasnorighttohisname。"
"AndIsaysheHAS。"
Shehadrisentoherfeet，withherarmsfoldedacrossherbreast，inanattitudeofsuchPuritancomposurethatthedistantspectatorsmighthavethoughtshewasdeliveringanexordiumtotheprostrateman。
"ImetJoseArguello，forthesecondtime，inNewOrleans，"shesaidslowly，"eightyearsago。Hewasstillrich，butruinedinhealthbydissipation。Iwastiredofmywayoflife。HeproposedthatIshouldmarryhimtotakecareofhimandlegitimatizeourchild。IwasforcedtotellhimwhatIhaddonewithher，andthattheTrustcouldnotbedisturbeduntilshewasofageandherownmistress。Heassented。Wemarried，buthediedwithinayear。Hedied，leavingwithmehisacknowledgmentofherashischild，andtherighttoclaimherifIchose。"
"And?"——interruptedthecolonelwithsparklingeyes。
"IDON"TCHOOSE。
"Hearme!"shecontinuedfirmly。"Withhisnameandmyownmistress，andthegirl，asIbelieved，properlyprovidedforandignorantofmyexistence，Isawnonecessityforreopeningthepast。Iresolvedtoleadanewlifeashiswidow。Icamenorth。
InthelittleNewEnglandtownwhereIfirststopped，thecountrypeoplecontractedmynametoMrs。Argalls。Iletitstandso。I