第2章

UponpressurehewouldalsohaveconfessedtothePhineasC。Buthedidnotconsideritgoodpracticetovolunteerinformation。"Ididnotreceiveyourcard，"hecontinued，bywayofrebuke，"soI——"

"Iknowyoudidn"t，"remarkedthevisitor，coolly；

"Andyouwon"tjustyet。Lightup？"Hethrewalegoveranarmofhischair，andtossedahandfulofrich-

huedcigarsuponthetable。LawyerGoochknewthebrand。Hethawedjustenoughtoaccepttheinvitationtosmoke。

"Youareadivorcelawyer，"saidthecardlessvisitor。

Thistimetherewasnointerrogationinhisvoice。Nordidhiswordsconstituteasimpleassertion。Theyformedacharge——adenunciation——asonewouldsaytoadog:

"Youareadog。"LawyerGoochwassilentundertheimputation。

"Youhandle，"continuedthevisitor，"allthevariousramificationsofbusted-upconnubiality。Youareasurgeon，wemightsaw，whoextractsCupid"sdartswhenheshoots"emintothewrongparties。Youfurnishpatent，incandescentlightsforpremiseswherethetorchofHymenhasburnedsolowyoucan"tlightacigaratit。

AmIright，Mr。Gooch？"

"Ihaveundertakencases，"saidthelawyer，guardedly，"inthelinetowhichyourfigurativespeechseemstorefer。

Doyouwishtoconsultmeprofessionally，Mr——"

Thelawyerpaused，withsignificance。

"Notyet，"saidtheother，withanarchwaveofhiscigar，"notjustyet。Letusapproachthesubjectwiththecautionthatshouldhavebeenusedintheoriginalactthatmakesthispow-wownecessary。Thereexistsamatrimonialjumbletobestraightenedout。ButbeforeIgiveyounamesIwantyourhonest——well，anyhow，yourprofessionalopiniononthemeritsofthemix-up。

Iwantyoutosizeupthecatastrophe——abstractly——youunderstand？I"mMr。Nobody；andI"vegotastorytotellyou。Thenyousaywhat"swhat。Doyougetmywireless？"

"Youwanttostateahypotheticalcase？"suggestedLawyerGooch。

"That"sthewordIwasafter。"Apothecary"wasthebestshotIcouldmakeatitinmymind。Thehypo-

theticalgoes。I"llstatethecase。Supposethere"sawoman——adeucedfine-lookingwoman——whohasrunawayfromherhusbandandhome？She"sbadlymashedonanothermanwhowenttohertowntoworkupsomerealestatebusiness。Now，wemayaswellcallthiswoman"shusbandThomasR。Billings，forthat"shisname。I"mgivingyoustraighttipsonthecognomens。

TheLothariochapisHenryK。Jessup。TheBillingseslivedinalittletowncalledSusanville——agoodmanymilesfromhere。Now，JessupleavesSusanvilletwoweeksago。ThenextdayMrs。Billingsfollowshim。

She"sdeadgoneonthismanJessup；youcanbetyourlawlibraryonthat。"

LawyerGooch"sclientsaidthiswithsuchunctuoussatisfactionthateventhecallouslawyerexperiencedaslightrippleofrepulsion。Henowsawclearlyinhisfatuousvisitortheconceitofthelady-killer，theegoisticcomplacencyofthesuccessfultrifler。

"Now，"continuedthevisitor，"supposethisMrs。

Billingswasn"thappyathome？We"llsaysheandherhusbanddidn"tgeeworthacent。They"vegotincom-

patibilitytoburn。Thethingsshelikes，Billingswouldn"thaveasagiftwithtrading-stamps。It"sTabbyandRoverwiththemallthetime。She"saneducatedwomaninscienceandculture，andshereadsthingsoutloudatmeetings。Billingsisnoton。Hedon"tappreciatepro-

gressandobelisksandethics，andthingsofthatsort。OldBillingsissimplyablinkwhenitcomestosuchthings。

Theladyisoutandoutabovehisclass。Now，lawyer，don"titlooklikeafairequalizationofrightsandwrongsthatawomanlikethatshouldbeallowedtothrowdownBillingsandtakethemanthatcanappreciateher？

"Incompatibility，"saidLawyerGooch，"isundoubt-

edlythesourceofmuchmaritaldiscordandunhappiness。

Whereitispositivelyproved，divorcewouldseemtobetheequitableremedy。Areyou——excuseme——isthismanJessuponetowhomtheladymaysafelytrustherfuture？"

"Oh，youcanbetonJessup，"saidtheclient，withaconfidentwagofhishead。"Jessup"sallright。He"lldothesquarething。Why，heleftSusanvillejusttokeeppwplefromtalkingaboutMrs。Billings。Butshefol-

lowedhimup，andnow，ofcourse，he"llsticktoher。

Whenshegetsadivorce，alllegalandproper，Jessuptheproperthing。"

"Andnow，"saidLawyerGooch，"continuingthehypo-

ifyouprefer，andsupposingthatmyservicesshouldiredinthecase，what——"

Theclientroseimpulsivelytohisfeet。

"Oh，dangthehypotheticalbusiness，"heexclaimed，impatiently。"Let"sletherdrop，andgetdowntostraighttalk。YououghttoknowwhoIambythistime。

Iwantthatwomantohaveherdivorce。I"llpayforit。ThedayyousetMrs。BillingsfreeI"llpayyoufivehundreddollars。"

LawyerGooch"sclientbangedhisfistuponthetabletopunctuatehisgenerosity。

"Ifthatisthecase——"beganthelawyer。

"Ladytoseeyou，sir，"bawledArchibald，bouncinginfromhisanteroom。Hehadorderstoalwaysannounceimmediatelyanyclientthatmightcome。Therewasnosenseinturningbusinessaway。

LawyerGoochtookclientnumberonebythearmandledhimsuavelyintooneoftheadjoiningrooms。"Favourmebyremaininghereafewminutes，sir，"saidhe。"I

willreturnandresumeourconsultationwiththeleastpossibledelay。Iamratherexpectingavisitfromaverywealthyoldladyinconnectionwithawill。Iwillnotkeepyouwaitinglong。"

Thebreezygentlemanseatedhimselfwithobligingacquiescence，audtookupamagazine。Thelawyerreturnedtothemiddleoffice，carefullyclosingbehindhimtheconnectingdoor。

"Showtheladyin，Archibald，"hesaidtotheofficeboy，whowasawaitingtheorder。

Atalllady，ofcommandingpresenceandsternlyhand-

some，enteredtheroom。Sheworerobes——robes；notclothes——ampleandfluent。Inhereyecouldbeper-

ceivedthelambentflameofgeniusandsoul。Inherhandwasagreenbagofthecapacityofabushel，andanumbrellathatalsoseemedtoweararobe，ampleandfluent。Sheacceptedachair。

"AreyouMr。PhineasC。Gooch，thelawyer？"sheasked，informalandunconciliatorytones。

"Iam，"answeredLawyerGooch，withoutcircum-

locution。Henevercircumlocutedwhendealingwithawoman。Womencircumlocute。Timeiswastedwhenbothsidesindebateemploythesametactics。

"Asalawyer，sir，"beganthelady，"youmayhaveacquiredsomeknowledgeofthehumanheart。Doyoubelievethatthepusillanimousandpettyconventionsofourartificialsociallifeshouldstandasanobstacleinthewayofanobleandaffectionateheartwhenitfindsitstruemateamongthemiserableandworthlesswretchesintheworldthatarecalledmen？"

"Madam，"saidLawyerGooch，inthetonethatheusedincurbinghisfemaleclients，"thisisanofficeforconductingthepracticeoflaw。Iamalawyer，notaphilosopher，northeeditorofan"AnswerstotheLovelorn"columnofanewspaper。Ihaveotherclientswaiting。Iwillaskyoukindlytocometothepoint。"

"Well，youneedn"tgetsostiffaroundthegillsaboutit，"saidthelady，withasnapofherluminousevesandastartlinggyrationofherumbrella。"BusinessiswhatI"vecomefor。Iwantyouropinioninthematterofasuitfordivorce，asthevulgarwouldcallit，butwhichisreallyonlythereadjustmentofthefalseandignoblecon-

ditionsthattheshort-sihhtedlawsofmanhaveinterposedbetweenaloving——"

"Ibegyourpardon，madam，"interruptedLawyerGooch，withsomeimpatience，"forremindingyouagainthatthisisalawoffice。PerhapsMrs。Wilcox——"

"Mrs。Wilcoxisallright，"cutinthelady，withahintofasperity。"AndsoareTolstoi，andMrs。GertrudeAtherton，andOmarKhayyam，andMr。EdwardBok。

I"veread"emall。Iwouldliketodiscusswithyouthedivinerightofthesoulasopposedtothefreedom-destroy-

ingrestrictionsofabigotedandnarrow-mindedsociety。

ButIwillproceedtobusiness。Iwouldprefertolaythematterbeforeyouinanimpersonalwayuntilvoupassuponitsmerits。Thatistodescribeitasasup-

posableinstance，without——"

"Youwishtostateahypotheticalcase？"saidLawyerGooch。

"Iwasgoingtosaythat，"saidthelady，sharply。

"Now，supposethereisawomanwhoisallsoulandheartandaspirationsforacompleteexistence。Thiswomanhasahusbandwhoisfarbelowherinintellect，intaste——ineverything。Bah!heisabrute。Hedespisesliterature。Hesneersattheloftythoughtsoftheworld"sgreatthinkers。Hethinksonlyofrealestateandsuchsordidthings。Heisnomateforawomanwithsoul。

Wewillsaythatthisunfortunatewifeonedaymeetswithherideal-amanwithbrainandheartandforce。

Sheloveshim。Althoughthismanfeelsthethrillofanew-foundaffinityheistoonoble，toohonourabletodeclarehimself。Hefliesfromthepresenceofhisbeloved。Shefliesafterhim，trampling，withsuperbindifference，uponthefetterswithwhichanunenlightenedsocialsystemwouldbindher。Now，whatwilladivorcecost？ElizaAnnTimmins，thepoetessofSycamoreGap，gotoneforthreehundredandfortydollars。CanI——

ImeancanthisladyIspeakofgetonethatcheap？"

"Madam，"saidLawyerGooch，"yourlasttwoorthreesentencesdelightmewiththeirintelligenceandclearness。Canwenotnowabandonthehypotheticalandcomedowntonamesandbusiness？"

"Ishouldsayso，"exclaimedthelady，adoptingthepracticalwithadmirablereadiness。"ThomasR。Bil-

lingsisthenameofthelowbrutewhostandsbetweenthehappinessofhislegal——hislegal，butnothisspiri-

tual——wifeandHenryK。Jessup，thenoblemanwhomnatureintendedforhermate。I，"concludedtheclient，withanairofdramaticrevelation，"amMrs。Billings!"

"Gentlementoseeyou，sir，"shoutedArchibald，invad-

ingtheroomalmostatahandspring。LawyerGoocharosefromhischair。

"Mrs。Billings，"hesaidcourteously，"allowmetoconductyouintotheadjoiningofficeapartmentforafewminutes。Iamexpectingaverywealthyoldgentlemanonbusinesconnectedwithawill。InaveryshortwhileIwilljoinyou，andcontinueourconsultation。"

Withhisaccustomedchivalrousmanner，LawyerGoochusheredhissoulfulclientintotheremainingunoccupiedroom，andcameout，closingthedoorwithcircumspection。

ThenextvisitorintroducedbyArchibaldwasathin，nervous，irritable-lookingmanofmiddleage，withaworriedandapprehensiveexpressionofcountenance。

Hecarriedinonehandasmallsatchel，whichhesetdownuponthefloorbesidethechairwhichthelawyerplacedforhim。Hisclothingwasofgoodquality，butitwaswornwithoutregardtoneatnessorstyle，andappearedtobecoveredwiththedustoftravel。

"Youmakeaspecialtyofdivorcecases，"hesaid，in，anagitatedbutbusiness-liketone。

"Imaysay，"beganLawyerGooch，"thatmyprac-

ticehasnotaltogetheravoided——"

"Iknowyoudo，"interruptedclientnumberthree。

"Youneedn"ttellme。I"veheardallaboutyou。IhaveacasetolaybeforeyouwithoutnecessarilydisclosinganyconnectionthatImighthavewithit——thatis——"

"Youwish，"saidLawyerGooch，"tostateahvpo-

theticalcase。

"Youmaycallitthat。Iamaplainmanofbusiness。

Iwillbeasbriefaspossible。Wewillfirsttakeuphypotheticalwoman。Wewillsaysheismarrieduncon-

genially。Inmanywayssheisasuperiorwoman。Phys-

icallysheisconsideredtobehandsome。Sheisdevotedtowhatshecallsliterature——poetryandprose，andsuchstuff。Herhusbandisaplainmaninthebusinesswalksoflife。Theirhomehasnotbeenhappy，althoughthehusbandhastriedtomakeitso。Sometimeagoaman——astranger——cametothepeacefultowninwhichtheylivedandengagedinsomerealestateoperations。

Thiswomanmethim，andbecameunaccountablyinfatu-

atedwithhim。Herattentionsbecamesoopenthatthemanfeltthecommunitytobenosafeplaceforhim，soheleftit。Sheabandonedhusbandandhome，andfollowedhim。Sheforsook-herhome，whereshewasprovidedwitheverycomfort，tofollowthismanwhohadinspiredherwithsuchastrangeaffection。Isthereany-

thingmoretobedeplored，"concludedtheclient，inatremblingvoice，"thanthewreckingofahomebyawoman"suncalculatingfolly？"

LawyerGoochdeliveredthecautiousopinionthattherewasnot。

"Thismanshehasgonetojoin，"resumedthevisitor，"isnotthemantomakeherhappy。Itisawildandfoolishself-deceptionthatmakesherthinkhewill。Herhusband，inspiteoftheirmanydisagreements，istheonlyonecapableofdealingwithhersensitiveandpeculiarnature。Butthisshedoesnotrealizenow。"

"Wouldyouconsideradivorcethelogicalcureinthecaseyoupresent？"askedLawyerGooch，whofeltthattheconversationwaswanderingtoofarfromthefieldofbusiness。

"Adivorce!"exclaimedtheclient，feelingly-almosttearfully。"No，no-notthat。Ihaveread，Mr。Gooch，ofmanyinstanceswhereyoursympathyandkindlyinter-

estledyoutoactasamediatorbetweenestrangedhus-

bandandwife，andbroughtthemtogetheragain。Letusdropthehypotheticalcase——IneedconcealnolongerthatitisIwhoamthesuffererinthissadaffair——thenamesyoushallhave——ThomasR。Billingsandwife——

andHenryK。Jessup，themanwithwhomsheisinfatuated。"

ClientnumberthreelaidhishanduponMr。Gooch"sarm。Deepemotionwaswrittenuponhiscarewornface。"ForHeaven"ssake"，hesaidfervently，"helpmeinthishouroftrouble。Seek，outMrs。Billings，andpersuadehertoabandonthisdistressingpursuitofherlamentablefolly。Tellher，Mr。Gooch，thatherhusbandiswillingtoreceiveherbacktohisheartandhome——

promiseheranythingthatwillinducehertoreturn。I

haveheardofyoursuccessinthesematters。Mrs。Bil-

lingscannotbeveryfaraway。Iamwornoutwithtravelandweariness。TwiceduringthepursuitIsawher，butvariouscircumstancespreventedourhavinganinter-

view。Willyouundertakethismissionforme，Mr。

Gooch，andearnmyeverlastinggratitude？"

"Itistrue，"saidLawverGooch，frowningslightlyattheother"slastwords，butimmediatelycallingupanexpressionofvirtuousbenevolence，"thatonanumberofoccasionsIhavebeensuccessfulinpersuadingcoupleswhosoughttheseveringoftheirmatrimonialbondstothinkbetteroftheirrashintentionsandreturntotheirhomesreconciled。ButIassureyouthattheworkisoftenexceedinglydifficult。Theamountofargument，perseverance，and，ifImaybeallowedtosayit，eloquencethatitrequireswouldastonishyou。Butthisisacaseinwhichmysympathieswouldbewhollyenlisted。I

feeldeeplyforyousir，andIwouldbemosthappytoseehusbandandwifereunited。Butmytime，"concludedthelawyer，lookingathiswatchasifsuddenlyremindedofthefact，"isvaluable。"

"Iamawareofthat，"saidtheclient，"andifyouwilltakethecaseandpersuadeMrs。Billingstoreturnhomeandleavethemanalonethatsheisfollowing——

onthatdayIwillpayyouthesumofonethousanddollars。IhavemadealittlemoneyinrealestateduringtherecentboominSusanville，andIwillnotbegrudgethatamount。"

"Retainyourseatforafewmoments，please，"saidLawyerGooch，arising，andagainconsultinghiswatch。

"IhaveanotherclientwaitinginanadjoiningroomwhomIhadverynearlyforgotten。Iwillreturninthebriefestpossiblespace。"

ThesituationwasnowonethatfullysatisfiedLawyerGooch"sloveofintricacyandcomplication。Herevelledincasesthatpresentedsuchsubtleproblemsandpossi-

bilities。Itpleasedhimtothinkthathewasmasterofthehappinessandfateofthethreeindividualswhosat，uncon-

ciousofoneanother"spresence，withinhisreach。Hisoldfigureoftheshipglidedintohismind。Butnowthefigurefailed，fortohavefilledeverycompartmentofanactualvesselwouldhavebeentoendangerhersafety；

withhiscompartmentsfull，hisshipofaffairscouldbutsailontotheadvantageousportofafine，fatfee。Thethingforhimtodo，ofcourse，wastowringthebestbargainhecouldfromsomeoneofhisanxiouscargo。

Firsthecalledtotheofficeboy:"Locktheouterdoor，Archibald，andadmitnoone。"Thenhemoved，withlong，silentstridesintotheroominwhichclientnumberonewaited。Thatgentlemansat，patientlyscanningthepicturesinthemagazine，withacigarinhismouthandhisfeetuponatable。

"Well，"heremarked，cheerfully，asthelawyerentered，"haveyoumadeupyourmind？Doesfivehundreddollarsgoforgettingthefairladyadivorce？"

"Youmeanthatasaretainer？"askedLawyerGooch，softlyinterrogative。

"Hey？No；forthewholejob。It"senough，ain"tit？"

"Myfee，"saidLawyerGooch，"wouldbeonethousandfivehundreddollars。Fivehundreddollarsdown，andtheremainderuponissuanceofthedivorce。"

Aloudwhistlecamefromclientnumberone。Hisfeetdescendedtothefloor。

"Guesswecan"tclosethedeal，"hesaid，arising，"I

cleanedupfivehunderddollarsinalittlerealestatedickerdowninSusanville。I"ddoanythingIcouldtofreethelady，butitout-sizesmypile。"

"Couldyoustandonethousandtwohundreddollars？"

askedthelawyer，insinuatingly。

"Fivehundredismylimit，Itellyou。GuessI"llhavetohuntupacheaperlawyer。"Theclientputonhishat。

"Outthisway，please，"saidLawyerGooch，openingthedoorthatledintothehallway。

Asthegentlemanflowedoutofthecompartmentanddownthestairs，LawyerGoochsmiledtohimself。"ExitMr。Jessup，"hemurmured，ashefingeredtheHenryClaytuftofhairathisear。"Andnowfortheforsakenhusband。"Hereturnedtothemiddleoffice，andassumedabusinesslikemanner。

"Iunderstand，"hesaidtoclientnumberthree，"thatyouagreetopayonethousanddollarsifIbringabout，oraminstrumentalinbringingabout，thereturnofMrs。

Billingstoherhome，andherabandonmentofherinfatu-

atedpursuitofthemanforwhomshehasconceivedsuchaviolentfancy。Alsothatthecaseisnowunreservedlyinmyhandsonthatbasis。Isthatcorrect？"

"Entirely"，saidtheother，eagerly。AndIcanproducethecashanytimeattwohours"notice。"

LawyerGoochstoodupathisfullheight。Histhinfigureseemedtoexpand。Histhumbssoughtthearm-

holesofhisvest。Uponhisfacewasalookofsym-

patheticbenignitythathealwaysworeduringsuchundertakings。

"Then，sir，"hesaid，inkindlytones，"IthinkIcanpromiseyouanearlyrelieffromyourtroubles。Ihavethatmuchconfidenceinmypowersofargumentandpersuasion，inthenaturalimpulsesofthehumanhearttowardgood，andinthestronginfluenceofahusband"sunfalteringlove。Mrs。Billinos，sir，ishere——inthatroom——thelawyer"slongarmpointedtothedoor。

"Iwillcallherinatonce；andourunitedpleadings——"

LawyerGoochpaused，forclientnumberthreehadleapedfromhischairasifpropelledbysteelsprings，andclutchedhissatchel。

"Whatthedevil，"heexclaimed，harshly，"dovoumean？Thatwomaninthere!IthoughtIshookherofffortymilesback。"

Herantotheopenwindow，lookedoutbelow，andthrewonelegoverthesill。

"Stop!"criedLawyerGooch，inamazement。"Whatwouldyoudo？Come，Mr。Billings，andfaceyourerringbutinnocentwife。Ourcombinedentreatiescannotfailto——"

"Billings!"shoutedthenowthoroughlymovedclient。

"I"llBillingsyou，youoldidiot!"

Turning，hehurledhissatchelwithfuryatthelawyer"shead。Itstruckthatastoundedpeacemakerbetweentheeyes，causinghimtostaggerbackwardapaceortwo。

WhenLawyerGoochrecoveredhiswitshesawthathisclienthaddisappeared。Rushingtothewindow，heleanedout，andsawtherecreantgatheringhimselfupfromthetopofasheduponwhichhehaddroppedfromthesecond-storywindow。Withoutstoppingtocollecthishathethenplungeddownwardtheremainingtenfeettothealley，upwhichheflewwithprodigiouscelerityuntilthesurroundingbuildingswallowedhimupfromview。

LawyerGoochpassedhishandtremblinglyacrosshisbrow。Itwasahabitualactwithhim，servingtoclearhisthoughts。Perhapsalsoitnowseemedtosoothethespotwhereaveryhardalligator-hidesatchelhadstruck。

Thesatchellayuponthefloor，wideopen，withitscon-

tentsspilledabout。Mechanically，LawyerGoochstoopedtogatherupthearticles。Thefirstwasacollar；andtheomniscienteyeofthemanoflawperceived，wonder-

ingly，theinitialsH。K。J。markeduponit。Thencameacomb，abrush，afoldedmap，andapieceofsoap。

lastly，ahandfulofoldbusinessletters，addressed——

everyoneofthem——to"HenryK。Jessup，Esq。"

LawyerGoochclosedthesatchel，andsetituponthetable。Hehesitatedforamoment，andthenputonhishatandwalkedintotheofficeboy"santeroom。

"Archibald，"hesaidmildly，asheopenedthehalldoor，"IamgoingaroundtotheSupremeCourtrooms。Infiveminutesyoumaystepintotheinneroffice，andinformtheladywhoiswaitingtherethat"——hereLawyerGoochmadeuseofthevernacular——"thatthere"snothingdoing。"

CALLOWAY"SCODE

TheNewYorkEnterprisesentH。B。CallowayasspecialcorrespondenttotheRusso-Japanese-Portsmouthwar。

FortwomonthsCallowayhungaboutYokohamaandTokio，shakingdicewiththeothercorrespondentsfordrinksof"rickshaws——oh，no，that"ssomethingtoridein；anyhow，hewasn"tearningthesalarythathispaperwaspayinghim。ButthatwasnotCalloway"sfault。ThelittlebrownmenwhoheldthestringsofFatebetweentheirfingerswerenotreadyforthereadersoftheEnterprisetoseasontheirbreakfastbaconandeggswiththebattlesofthedescendantsofthegods。

ButsoonthecolumnofcorrespondentsthatweretogooutwiththeFirstArmytightenedtheirfield-glassbeltsandwentdowntotheYaluwithKuroki。Callowaywasoneofthese。

Now，thisisnohistoryofthebattleoftheYaluRiver。

Thathasbeentoldindetailbythecorrespondentswhogazedattheshrapnelsmokeringsfromadistanceofthreemiles。But，forjustice"ssake，letitbeunderstoodthattheJapanesecommanderprohibitedanearerview。

Calloway"sfeatwasaccomplishedbeforethebattle。

WhathedidwastofurnishtheEnterprisewiththebiggestbeatofthewar。Thatpaperpublishedexclu-

sivelyandindetailthenewsoftheattackonthelinesoftheRussianGeneralonthesamedaythatitwasmade。Nootherpaperprintedawordaboutitfortwodaysafterward，exceptaLondonpaper，whoseaccountwasabsolutelyincorrectanduntrue。

CallowaydidthisinfaceofthefactthatGeneralKurokiwasmaking，hismovesandlivinghisplanswiththepro-

foundestsecrecy，asfarastheworldoutsidehiscampswasconcerned。Thecorrespondentswereforbiddentosendoutanynewswhateverofhisplans；andeverymessagethatwasallowedonthewireswascensored——withrigidseverity。

ThecorrespondentfortheLondonpaperhandedinacablegramdescribing，Kuroki"splans；butasitwaswrongfrombeginningtoendthecensorgrinnedandletitgothrough。

So，theretheywere——KurokiononesideoftheYaluwithforty-twothousandinfantry，fivethousandcavalry，andonehundredandtwenty-fourguns。Ontheotherside，Zassulitchwaitedforhimwithonlytwenty-threethousandmen，andwithalongstretchofrivertoguard。

AndCallowayhadgotholdofsomeimportantinsideinformationthatheknewwouldbringtheEnterprisestaffaroundacablegramasthickasfliesaroundaParkRowlemonadestand。Ifhecouldonlygetthatmessagepastthecensor——thenewcensorwhohadarrivedandtakenhispostthatday!

Callowaydidtheobviouslyproperthing。Helithispipeandsatdownonaguncarriagetothinkitover。Andtherewemustleavehim；fortherestofthestorybelongstoVesey，asixteen-dollar-a-weekreporterontheEnterprise。

Calloway"scablegramwashandedtothemanagingeditoratfouro"clockintheafternoon。Hereaditthreetimes；andthendrewapocketmirrorfromapigeon-holeinhisdesk，andlookedathisreflectioncarefully。ThenhewentovertothedeskofBoyd，hisassistant(heusuallycalledBoydwhenhewantedhim)，andlaidthecablegrambeforehim。

"It"sfromCalloway，"hesaid。"Seewhatyoumakeofit。"

ThemessagewasdatedatWi-ju，andthesewerethewordsofit:

Foregonepreconcertedrashwitchinggoesmuffledrumourminedarksilentunfortunaterichmondexistinggreathotlybruteselectmootedparlousbeggarsyeangelincontrovertible。

Boydreadittwice。

"It"seitheracipherorasunstroke，"saidhe。

"Everhearofanythinglikeacodeintheoffice——asecretcode？"askedthem。e。，whohadheldhisdeskforonlytwoyears。Managingeditorscomeandgo。

"Noneexceptthevernacularthattheladyspecialswritein，"saidBoyd。"Couldn"tbeanacrostic，couldit？"

"Ithoughtofthat，"saidthem。e。，"butthebeginningletterscontainonlyfourvowels。Itmustbeacodeofsomesort。"

"Tryemingroups，"suggestedBoyd。"Let"ssee——"Rashwitchinggoes"——notwithmeitdoesn"t。"Muf-

fledrumourmine"——musthaveanundergroundwire。

"Darksilentunfortunaterichmond"——noreasonwhyheshouldknockthattownsohard。"Existinggreathotly"——

noitdoesn"tpanoutI"llcallScott。"

Thecityeditorcameinahurry，andtriedhisluck。

Acityeditormustknowsomethingabouteverything；

soScottknewalittleaboutcipher-writing。

"Itmaybewhatiscalledaninvertedalphabetcipher，"

saidhe。"I"lltrythat。"R"seemstobetheoftenestusedinitialletter，withtheexceptionof"m。"Assuming"r"tomean"e"，themostfrequentlyusedvowel，wetransposetheletters——so。"

Scottworkedrapidlywithhispencilfortwominutes；

andthenshowedthefirstwordaccordingtohisreading——theword"Scejtzez。"

"Great!"criedBoyd。"It"sacharade。MyfirstisaRussiangeneral。Goon，Scott。"

"No，thatwon"twork，"saidthecityeditor。"It"sundoubtedlyacode。It"simpossibletoreaditwithoutthekey。Hastheofficeeverusedaciphercode？"

"JustwhatIwasasking，"saidthem。e。"Hustleeverybodyupthatoughttoknow。Wemustgetatitsomeway。Callowayhasevidentlygotholdofsome-

thingbig，andthecensorhasputthescrewson，orhewouldn"thavecabledinalotofchopsueylikethis。"

ThroughouttheofficeoftheEnterpriseadragnetwassent，haulinginsuchmembersofthestaffaswouldbelikelytoknowofacode，pastorpresent，byreasonoftheirwisdom，information，naturalintelligence，orlengthofservitude。Theygottogetherinagroupinthecityroom，withthem。e。inthecentre。Noonehadheardofacode。Allbegantoexplaintotheheadinvesti-

gatorthatnewspapersneveruseacode，anyhow——thatis，aciphercode。OfcoursetheAssociatedPressstuffisasortofcode——anabbreviation，rather——but——

Them。e。knewallthat，andsaidso。Heaskedeachmanhowlonghehadworkedonthepaper。NotoneofthemhaddrawnpayfromanEnterpriseenvelopeforlongerthansixyears。Callowayhadbeenonthepapertwelveyears。

"TryoldHeffelbauer，"saidthem。e。"HewasherewhenParkRowwasapotatopatch。"

Heffelbauerwasaninstitution。Hewashalfjanitor，halfhandy-manabouttheoffice，andhalfwatchman——

thusbecomingthepeerofthirteenandone-halftailors。

Sentfor，hecame，radiatinghisnationality。

"Heffelbauer，"saidthem。e。，"didyoueverhearofacodebelongingtotheofficealongtimeago-aprivatecode？Youknowwhatacodeis，don"tyou？"

"Yah，"saidHeffelbauer。"SureIknowvatacodeis。

Yah，apoutdwelforfifteenyearagoderofficehadacode。

Derrebortersindercity-roomhafithere。"

"Ah!"saidthem。e。"We"regettingonthetrailnow。

Wherewasitkept，Heffelbauer？Whatdoyouknowaboutit？"

"Somedimes，"saidtheretainer，"deykeepitinderlittleroombehindderlibraryroom。"

"Canyoufinditaskedthem。e。eagerly。"Doyouknowwhereitis？"

"MeinGott!"saidHeffelbauer。"Howlongyoudinkacodelive？Derreborterscallhimamaskeet。

Butvondayhebuttmithisheaddereditor，und——"

"Oh，he"stalkingaboutagoat，"saidBoyd。"Getout，Heffelbauer。"

Againdiscomfited，theconcertedwitandresourceoftheEnterprisehuddledaroundCalloway"spuzzle，con-

sideringitsmysteriouswordsinvain。

ThenVeseycamein。

Veseywastheyoungestreporter。Hehadathirty-

two-inchchestandworeanumberfourteencollar；buthisbrightScotchplaidsuitgavehimpresenceandcon-

ferrednoobscurityuponhiswhereabouts。Heworehishatinsuchapositionthatpeoplefollowedhimabouttoseehimtakeitoff，convincedthatitmustbehunguponapegdrivenintothebackofhishead。Hewasneverwithoutanimmense，knotted，hard-woodcanewithaGerman-silvertiponitscrookedhandle。Veseywasthebestphotographhustlerintheoffice。Scottsaiditwasbecausenolivinghumanbeingcouldresisttheper-

sonaltriumphitwastohandhispictureovertoVesey。

Veseyalwayswrotehisownnewsstories，exceptthebigones，whichweresenttotherewritemen。Addtothisfactthatamongalltheinhabitants，temples，andgrovesoftheearthnothingexistedthatcouldabashVesey，andhisdimsketchisconcluded。

VeseybuttedintothecircleofcipherreadersverymuchasHeffelbauer"s"code"wouldhavedone，andaskedwhatwasup。Someoneexplained，withthetouchofhalf-familiarcondescensionthattheyalwaysusedtowardhim。Veseyreachedoutandtookthecablegramfromthem。e。"shand。UndertheprotectionofsomespecialProvidence，hewasalwaysdoingappallingthingslikethat，andcoming，offunscathed。

"It"sacode，"saidVesey。"Anybodygotthekey？"

"Theofficehasnocode，"saidBoyd，reachingforthemessage。Veseyheldtoit。

"ThenoldCallowavexpectsustoreadit，anyhow，"

saidhe。"He"supatree，orsomething，andhe"smadethisupsoastogetitby，thecensor。It"suptous。Gee!

Iwishtheyhadsell，me，too。Say——wecan"taffordtofalldownonourendofit。"Foregone，preconcertedrash，witching"——h"m。"

Veseysatdownonatablecornerandbegantowhistlesoftly，frowningatthecablegram。

"Let"shaveit，please，"saidthem。e。"We"vegottogettoworkonit。"

"IbelieveI"vegotalineonit，"saidVesey。"Givemetenminutes。"

Hewalkedtohisdesk，threwhishatintoawaste-basket，spreadoutflatonhischestlikeagorgeouslizard，andstartedhispencilgoing。ThewitandwisdomoftheEnterpriseremainedinaloosegroup，andsmiledatoneanother，noddingtheirheadstowardVesey。Thentheybegantoexchangetheirtheoriesaboutthecipher。

IttookVeseyexactlyfifteenminutes。Hebroughttothem。e。apadwiththecode-keywrittenonit。

"IfelttheswingofitassoonasIsawit，"saidVesey。

"HurrahforoldCalloway!He"sdonetheJapsandeverypaperintownthatprintsliteratureinsteadofnews。

Takealookatthat。"

ThushadVeseysetforththereadingofthecode:

Foregone-conclusionPreconcerted-arrangementRash-actWitching-hourofmidnightGoes-withoutsayingMuffled-reportRumour-hathitMine-hostDark-horseSilent-majorityUnfortunate-pedestriansRichmond-inthefieldExisting-conditionsGreat-WhiteWayHotly-contestedBrute-forceSelect-fewMooted-questionParlous-timesBeggars-descriptionYe-correspondentAngel-unawaresIncontrovertible-fact——

*Mr。Veseyafterwardexplainedthatthelogicaljournalisticcomplementoftheword"unfortunate"wasoncetheword"victim。"But，sincetheautomobilebe-

camesopopular，thecorrectfollowingwordisnowpedestrians。Ofcourse，inCalloway"scodeitmeantinfantry。

"It"ssimplynewspaperEnglish，"explainedVesey。

"I"vebeenreportingontheEnterpriselongenoughtoknowitbyheart。OldCallowaygivesusthecueword，andweusethewordthatnaturallyfollowsitjustasweeminthepaper。Readitover，andyou"llseehowpattheydropintotheirplaces。Now，here"sthemessageheintendedustoget。"

Veseyhandedoutanothersheetofpaper。

Concludedarrangementtoactathourofmidnightwithoutsaying。Reporthathitthatalargebodyofcavalryandanoverwhelmingforceofinfantrywillbethrownintothefield。Conditionswhite。Waycon-

testedbyonlyasmallforce。QuestiontheTimesdescrip-

tion。Itscorrespondentisunawareofthefacts。

"Greatstuff!"criedBoydexcitedly。"KurokicrossestheYaluto-nightandattacks。Oh，wewon"tdoathingtothesheetsthatmakeupwithAddison"sessays，realestatetransfers，andbowlingscores!"

"Mr。Vesey，"saidthem。e。，withhisjollying-which-

you-should-regard-as-a-favourmanner，"youhavecastaseriousreflectionupontheliterarystandardsofthepaperthatemploysyou。Youhavealsoassistedmateriallyingivingusthebiggest"beat"oftheyear。I

willletyouknowinadayortwowhetheryouaretobedischargedorretainedatalargersalary。SomebodysendAmestome。"

Ameswastheking-pin，thesnowy-petalledMarguerite，thestar-brightlooloooftherewritemen。Hesawattemptedmurderinthepainsofgreen-applecolic，cyclonesinthesummerzephyr，lostchildrenineverytop-

spinningurchin，anuprisingofthedown-troddenmassesineveryhurlingofaderelictpotatoatapassingautomobile。

Whennotrewriting，AmessatontheporchofhisBrooklynvillaplayingcheckerswithhisten-year-oldson。

Amesandthe"wareditor"shutthemselvesinaroom。

Therewasamapintherestuckfulloflittlepinsthatrepresentedarmiesanddivisions。TheirfingershadbeenitchingfordaystomovethosepinsalongthecrookedlineoftheYalu。Theydidsonow；andinwordsoffireAmestranslatedCalloway"sbriefmessageintoafrontpagemasterpiecethatsettheworldtalking。HetoldofthesecretcouncilsoftheJapaneseofficers；gaveKuroki"sflamingspeechesinfull；countedthecavalryandinfantrytoamanandahorse；describedthequickandsilentbuilding，ofthebridgeatStuikauchen，acrosswhichtheMikado"slegionswerehurleduponthesurprisedZas-

sulitch，whosetroopswerewidelyscatteredalongtheriver。

Andthebattle!——well，youknowwhatAmescandowithabattleifyougivehimjustonesmellofsmokeforafoundation。Andinthesamestory，withseeminglysupernaturalknowledge，hegleefullyscoredthemostprofoundandponderouspaperinEnglandforthefalseandmisleadingaccountoftheintendedmovementsoftheJapaneseFirstArmyprintedinitsissueofthesamedate。

Onlyoneerrorwasmade；andthatwasthefaultofthecableoperatoratWi-ju。Callowaypointeditoutafterhecameback。Theword"great"inhiscodeshouldhavebeen"gage，"anditscomplementalwords"ofbattle。"ButitwenttoAmes"conditionswhite，"

andofcoursehetookthattomeansnow。HisdescriptionoftheJapanesearmystrum，strugglingthroughthesnowstorm，blindedbythewhirling，flakes，wasthrillinglyvivid。Theartiststurnedoutsomeeffectiveillustrationsthatmadeahitaspicturesoftheartillerydraggingtheirgunsthroughthedrifts。But，astheattackwasmadeonthefirstdayofMay，"conditionswhite"excitedsomeamusement。

ButitinmadenodifferencetotheEnterprise，anyway。

Itwaswonderful。AndCallowaywaswonderfulinhavingmadethenewcensorbelievethathisjargonofwordsmeantnomorethanacomplaintofthedearthofnewsandapetitionformoreexpensemoney。AndVeseywaswonderful。Andmostwonderfulofallarewords，andhowtheymakefriendsonewithanother，beingoftassociated，untilnotevenobituarynoticesthemdopart。

Ontheseconddayfollowing，thecityeditorhaltedatVesey"sdeskwherethereporterwaswritingthestoryofamanwhohadbrokenhislegbyfallingintoacoal-hole——Ameshavingfailedtofindamurdermotiveinit。

"Theoldmansaysyoursalaryistoberaisedtotwentyaweek，"saidScott。

"Allright，"saidVesey。"Everylittlehelps。Say——Mr。Scott，whichwouldyousay——"Wecanstatewithoutfearofsuccessfulcontradiction，"or，"Onthewholeitcanbesafelyasserted"？"

AMATTEROFMEANELEVATION

ONEwintertheAlcazarOperaCompanyofNewOrleansmadeaspeculativetripalongtheMexican，CentralAmericanandSouthAmericancoasts。Theventureprovedamostsuccessfulone。Themusic-

loving，impressionableSpanish-Americansdelugedthecompanywithdollarsand"vivas。"Themanagerwaxedplumpandamiable。Butfortheprohibitiveclimatehewouldhaveputforththedistinctiveflowerofhisprosperity——theovercoatoffur，braided，froggedandopulent。Almostwashepersuadedtoraisethesalariesofhiscompany。Butwithamightyeffortheconqueredtheimpulsetowardsuchanunprofitableeffervescenceofjoy。

AtMacuto，onthecoastofVenezuela，thecompanyscoreditsgreatestsuccess。ImagineConeyIslandtranslatedintoSpanishandyouwillcomprehendMacuto。

ThefashionableseasonisfromNovembertoMarch。

DownfromLaGuayraandCaracasandValenciaandotherinteriortownsflockthepeoplefortheirholidaysea-

son。Therearebathingandfiestasandbullfightsandscandal。Andthenthepeoplehaveapassionformusicthatthebandsintheplazaandontheseabeachstirbutdonotsatisfy。ThecomingoftheAlcazarOperaCom-

panyarousedtheutmostardourandzealamongthepleasureseekers。

TheillustriousGuzmanBlanco，PresidentandDic-

tatorofVenezuela，sojournedinMacutowithhiscourtfortheseason。Thatpotentruler——whohimselfpaidasubsidyof40，000pesoseachyeartograndoperainCaracas——orderedoneoftheGovernmentwarehousestobeclearedforatemporarytheatre。Astagewasquicklyconstructedandroughwoodenbenchesmadefortheaudience。PrivateboxeswereaddedfortheuseofthePresidentandthenotablesofthearmyandGovernment。

ThecompanyremainedinMacutofortwoweeks。

Eachperformancefilledthehouseascloselyasitcouldbepacked。Thenthemusic-madpeoplefoughtforroomintheopendoorsandwindows，andcrowdedabout，hundredsdeep，ontheoutside。Thoseaudiencesformedabrilliantlydiversifiedpatchofcolour。Thehueoftheirfacesrangedfromtheclearoliveofthepure-bloodSpan-

iardsdownthroughtheyellowandbrownshadesoftheMestizostothecoal-blackCaribandtheJamaicaNegro。

ScatteredamongthemwerelittlegroupsofIndianswithfaceslikestoneidols，wrappedingaudyfibre-wovenblankets——IndiansdownfromthemountainstatesofZamoraandLosAndesandMirandatotradetheirgolddustinthecoasttowns。

Thespellcastuponthesedenizensoftheinteriorfastnesseswasremarkable。Theysatinpetrifiedecstasy，conspicuousamongtheexcitableMacutians，whowildlystrovewithtongueandhandtogiveevidenceoftheirdelight。Onlyoncedidthesombreraptureoftheseaboriginalsfindexpression。Duringtherenditionof"Faust，"GuzmanBlanco，extravagantlypleasedbythe"JewelSong，"castuponthestageapurseofgoldpieces。

Otherdistinguishedcitizensfollowedhisleadtotheextentofwhateverloosecointheyhadconvenient，whilesomeofthefairandfashionablese駉rasweremoved，inimita-

tion，toflingajeweloraringortwoatthefeetoftheMarguerite——whowas，accordingtothebills，Mlle。

NinaGiraud。Then，fromdifferentpartsofthehouserosesundryofthestolidhillmenandcastuponthestagelittlebrownanddunbagsthatfellwithsoft"thumps"

anddidnotrebound。Itwas，nodoubt，pleasureatthetributetoherartthatcausedMlle。Giraud"seyestoshinesobrightlywhensheopenedtheselittledeerskinbagsinherdressingroomandfoundthemtocontainpuregolddust。Ifso，thepleasurewasrightlyhers，forhervoiceinsong，pure，strongandthrillingwiththefeelingoftheemotionalartist，deservedthetributethatitearned。

ButthetriumphoftheAlcazarOperaCompanyisnotthetheme——itbutleansuponandcoloursit。TherehappenedinMacutoatragicthing，anunsolvablemystery，thatsoberedforatimethegaietyofthehappyseason。

OneeveningbetweentheshorttwilightandthetimewhensheshouldhavewhirleduponthestageintheredandblackoftheardentCarmen，Mlle。NinaGirauddis-

appearedfromthesightandkenof6，000pairsofeyesandasmanymindsinMacuto。Therewastheusualturmoilandhurryingtoseekher。MessengersflewtothelittleFrench-kepthotelwhereshestayed；othersofthecompanyhastenedhereortherewhereshemightbelingeringinsometiendaorundulyprolongingherbathuponthebeach。Allsearchwasfruitless。Mademoi-

sellehadvanished。

Halfanhourpassedandshedidnotappear。Thedictator，unusedtothecapricesofprimedonne，becameimpatient。Hesentanaidefromhisboxtosaytothemanagerthatifthecurtaindidnotatoncerisehewouldimmediatelyhaletheentirecompanytothecalabosa，thoughitwoulddesolatehisheart，indeed，tobecom-

pelledtosuchanact。BirdsinMacutocouldbemadetosing。

ThemanagerabandonedhopeforthetimeofMlle。

Giraud。Amemberofthechorus，whohaddreamedhopelesslyforyearsoftheblessedopportunity，quicklyCarmenizedherselfandtheoperawenton。

Afterward，whenthelostcantatriceappearednot，theaidoftheauthoritieswasinvoked。ThePresidentatoncesetthearmy，thepoliceandallcitizenstothesearch。

NotonecluetoMlle。Giraud"sdisappearancewasfound。

TheAlcazarlefttofillengagementsfartherdownthecoast。

OnthewaybackthesteamerstoppedatMacutoandthemanagermadeanxiousinquiry。Notatraceoftheladyhadbeendiscovered。TheAlcazarcoulddonomore。ThepersonalbelongingsofthemissingladywerestoredinthehotelagainstherpossiblelaterreappearanceandtheoperacompanycontinueduponitshomewardvoyagetoNewOrleans。

OnthecaminorealalongthebeachthetwosaddlemulesandthefourpackmulesofDonSe駉rJohnnyArmstrongstood，patientlyawaitingthecrackofthewhipofthearriero，Luis。Thatwouldbethesignalforthestartonanotherlongjourneyintothemountains。Thepackmuleswereloadedwithavariedassortmentofhard-

wareandcutlery。ThesearticlesDonJohnnytradedtotheinteriorIndiansforthegolddustthattheywashedfromtheAndeanstreamsandstoredinquillsandbagsagainsthiscoming。Itwasaprofitablebusiness，andSe駉rArmstrongexpectedsoontobeabletopurchasethecoffeeplantationthathecoveted。

Armstrongstoodonthenarrowsidewalk，exchanginggarbledSpanishwitholdPeralto，therichnativemerchantwhohadjustchargedhimfourpricesforhalfagrossofpot-metalhatchets，andabridgedEnglishwithRucker，thelittleGermanwhowasConsulfortheUnitedStates。

"Takewithyou，se駉r，"saidPeralto，"theblessingsofthesaintsuponyourjourney。"

"Bettertryquinine，"growledRuckerthroughhispipe。

"Taketwograinseverynight。Anddon"tmakeyourtriptoolong，Johnny，becausewehafneedsofyou。ItiseinvillainousgamedotMelvilleplayofwhist，anddereisnoodersubstitute。Aufwiedersehen，undkeepyoureyesdotmule"searsbetweenwhenyouonderedgeofderbrecipicesride。"

ThebellsofLuis"smulejingledandthepacktrainfiledafterthewarningnote。Armstrong，wavedagood-

byeandtookhisplaceatthetailoftheprocession。Upthenarrowstreettheyturned，andpassedthetwo-storywoodenHotelIngles，whereIvesandDawsonandRich-

ardsandtherestofthechapsweredawdlingonthebroadpiazza，readingweek-oldnewspapers。Theycrowdedtotherailingandshoutedmanyfriendlyandwiseandfoolishfarewellsafterhim。AcrosstheplazatheytrottedslowlypastthebronzestatueofGuzmanBlanco，withinitsfenceofbayonetedriflescapturedfromrevolutionists，andoutofthetownbetweentherowsofthatchedhutsswarmingwiththeunclothedyouthofMacuto。Theyplungedintothedampcoolnessofbananagrovesatlengthtoemergeuponabrightstream，wherebrownwomeninscantraimentlaunderedclothesdestructivelyupontherocks。Thenthepacktrain，fordingthestream，attackedthesuddenascent，andbadeadieutosuchcivilizationasthecoastafforded。

ForweeksArmstrong，guidedbyLuis，followedhisregularrouteamongthemountains。Afterhehadcol-

lectedanarrobaofthepreciousmetal，winningaprofitofnearly$5，000，theheadsofthelightenedmuleswereturneddown-trailagain。WheretheheadoftheGuaricoRiverspringsfromagreatgashinthemountain-side，Luishaltedthetrain。

"Halfaday"sjourneyfromhere，Se駉r，"saidhe，"isthevillageofTacuzama，whichwehavenevervisited。

Ithinkmanyouncesofgoldmaybeprocuredthere。Itisworththetrial。"

Armstrongconcurred，andtheyturnedagainupwardtowardTacuzama。Thetrailwasabruptandprecipi-

tousmountingthroughadenseforest。Asnightfell，darkandgloomy，Luisoncemorehalted。Beforethemwasablackchasm，bisectingthepathasfarastheycouldsee。

Luisdismounted。"Thereshouldbeabridge，"hecalled，andranalongthecleftadistance。"Itishere，"

hecried，andremounting，ledtheway。InafewmomentsArmstrong，heardasoundasthoughathunderousdrumwerebeatingsomewhereinthedark。Itwasthefallingofthemules"hoofsuponthebridgemadeofstronghideslashedtopolesandstretchedacrossthechasm。HalfamilefurtherwasTacuzama。Thevillagewasacongre-

gationofrockandmudhutssetintheprofundityofanobscurewood。Astheyrodeinasoundinconsistentwiththatbroodingsolitudemettheirears。Fromalong，lowmudhutthattheywerenearingrosethegloriousvoiceofawomaninsong。ThewordswereEnglish，theairfamiliartoArmstrong"smemory，butnottohismusicalknowledge。

Heslippedfromhismuleandstoletoanarrowwindowinoneendofthehouse。Peeringcautiouslyinside，hesaw，withinthreefeetofhim，awomanofmarvellous，imposingbeauty，clothedinasplendidlooserobeofleopardskins。ThehutwaspackedclosetothesmallspaceinwhichshestoodwiththesquattingfiguresofIndians。

Thewomanfinishedhersongandseatedherselfclosetothelittlewindow，asifgratefulfortheunpollutedairthatenteredit。Whenshehadceasedseveraloftheaudienceroseandcastlittlesoftly-fallingbagsatherfeet。

Aharshmurmur——nodoubtabarbarouskindofapplauseandcomment——wentthroughthegrimassembly。

Armstrong，wasusedtoseizingopportunitiespromptly。

Takingadvantageofthenoisehecalledtothewomaninalowbutdistinctvoice:"Donotturnyourheadthisway，butlisten。IamanAmerican。IfyouneedassistancetellmehowIcanrenderit。Answerasbrieflyasyoucan。"

Thewomanwasworthyofhisboldness。Onlybyasuddenflushofherpalecheekdidsheacknowledgeunderstandingofhiswords。Thenshespoke，scarcelymovingherlips。

"IamheldaprisonerbytheseIndians。GodknowsIneedhelp。IntwohourscometothelittlehuttwentyyardstowardtheMountainside。Therewillbealightandaredcurtaininthewindow。Thereisalwaysaguardatthedoor，whomyouwillhavetoovercome。Fortheloveofheaven，donotfailtocome。"

Thestoryseemstoshrinkfromadventureandrescueandmystery。Thethemeisonetoogentleforthosebraveandquickeningtones。Andyetitreachesasfarbackastimeitself。Ithasbeennamed"environment，"

whichisasweakawordasanytoexpresstheunnameablekinshipofmantonature，thatqueerfraternitythatcausesstonesandtreesandsaltwaterandcloudstoplayuponouremotions。Whyarewemadeseriousandsolemnandsublimebymountainheights，graveandcontempla-

tivebyanabundanceofoverhangingtrees，reducedtoinconstancyandmonkeycapersbytheripplesonasandybeach？Didtheprotoplasm——butenough。Thechem-

istsarelookingintothematter，andbeforelongtheywillhavealllifeinthetableofthesymbols。

Briefly，then，inordertoconfinethestorywithinscientificbounds，JohnArmstrong，wenttothehut，chokedtheIndianguardandcarriedawayMlle。Giraud。Withherwasalsoconveyedanumberofpoundsofgolddustshehadcollectedduringhersixmonths"forcedengage-

mentinTacuzama。TheCaraboboIndiansareeasilythemostenthusiasticloversofmusicbetweentheequatorandtheFrenchOperaHouseinNewOrleans。TheyarealsostrongbelieversthattheadviceofEmersonwasgoodwhenhesaid:"Thethingthouwantest，0discon-

tentedman——takeit，andpaytheprice。"AnumberofthemhadattendedtheperformanceoftheAlcazarOperaCompanyinMacuto，andfoundMlle。Giraud"sstyleandtechniquesatisfactory。Theywantedher，sotheytookheroneeveningsuddenlyandwithoutanyfuss。

Theytreatedherwithmuchconsideration，exactingonlyonesongrecitaleachday。ShewasquitepleasedatbeingrescuedbyMr。Armstrong。Somuchformysteryandadventure。Nowtoresumethetheoryoftheproto-

plasm。

JohnArmstrongandMlle。GiraudrodeamongtheAndeanpeaks，envelopedintheirgreatnessandsublimity。

Themightiestcousins，furthestremoved，innature"sgreatfamilybecomeconsciousofthetie。Amongthosehugepilesofprimordialupheaval，amidthosegiganticsilencesandelongatedfieldsofdistancethelittlenessesofmenareprecipitatedasonechemicalthrowsdownasedimentfromanother。Theymovedreverently，asinatemple。Theirsoulswereupliftedinunisonwiththestatelyheights。Theytravelledinazoneofmajestyandpeace。

ToArmstrongthewomanseemedalmostaholything。

Yetbathedinthewhite，stilldignityofhermartyrdomthatpurifiedherearthlybeautyandgaveout，itseemed，anauraoftranscendentloveliness，inthosefirsthoursofcompanionshipshedrewfromhimanadorationthatwashalfhumanlove，halftheworshipofadescendedgoddess。

Neveryetsinceherrescuehadshesmiled。Overherdressshestillworetherobeofleopardskins，formountainairwascold。Shelookedtobesomesplendidprincessbelongingtothosewildandawesomealtitudes。

Thespiritoftheregionchimedwithhers。Hereyeswerealwaysturneduponthesombrecliffs，thebluegorgesandthesnow-cladturrets，lookingasublimemelancholyequaltotheirown。Attimesonthejourneyshesangthrillingtedeumsandmisereresthatstruckthetruenoteofthehills，andmadetheirrouteseemlikeasolemnmarchdownacathedralaisle。Therescuedonespokebutseldom，hermoodpartakingofthehushofnaturethatsurroundedthem。Armstronglookeduponherasanangel。Hecouldnotbringhimselftothesacrilegeofattemptingtowooherasotherwomenmaybewooed。

Onthethirddaytheyhaddescendedasfarasthetierratemplada，thezonaofthetablelandsandfoothills。

Themountainswererecedingintheirrear，butstilltowered，exhibitingyetimpressivelytheirformidableheads。Heretheymetsignsofman。Theysawthewhitehousesofcoffeeplantationsgleamacrosstheclear-

ings。Theystruckintoaroadwheretheymettravellersandpack-mules。Cattleweregrazingontheslopes。

Theypassedalittlevillagewheretheround-eyedni駉sshriekedandcalledatsightofthem。

Mlle。Giraudlaidasideherleopard-skinrobe。Itseemedtobeatrifleincongruousnow。Inthemoun-

tainsithadappearedfittingandnatural。AndifArm-

strongwasnotmistakenshelaidasidewithitsomethingofthehighdignityofherdemeanour。Asthecountrybecamemorepopulousandsignificantofcomfortablelifehesaw，withafeelingofjoy，thattheexaltedprincessandpriestessoftheAndeanpeakswaschangingtoawoman——anearthwomanbutnolessenticing。A

littlecolourcrepttothesurfaceofhermarblecheek。

Shearrangedtheconventionaldressthattheremovaloftherobenowdisclosedwiththesolicitoustouchofonewhoisconsciousoftheeyesofothers。Shesmoothedthecarelesssweepofherhair。Amundaneinterest，longlatentinthechillingatmosphereoftheasceticpeaks，showedinhereyes。