第7章

""No，"Ianswered。"HewenttoEuropeearlylastmonth。""

""Verylikelyhetookherwithhim。SheisprobablyatMonteCarlo。""

""ScarcelyinAugust，Ifancy。AndI"lltellyouwhat，Ethel。Ihavebeencountingitup。Shehaslosttwenty-fourthousanddollarsintheStandardEggalone。Ittakesagooddealofsurplustostandthat。""

""Serveherright，"saidEthel"AndIwouldsaysotoherface。""

"Septemberbroughtfreshnesstothestockmarketbutnottome。Mr。

Beverly，likethewell-to-domanthathewas，remainedawayinEuropeuntilOctobershouldrequirehispresenceasaguidinghandintheoffice。ThuswasIleftwithouthisbuoyantconsolationinthefaceofmyinvestments。"

"Petuniaswerebeingadjustedonafourpercentbasis；DutchessandColumbiaTractionwasholdingitsown；IcouldnotcomplainofAmalgamatedElectric，thoughitwasnowlowerthanwhenIhadboughtit，whilehadIsolditonthatWednesdayinMaywhenEthelbeggedme，beforetheincreaseddividendturnedoutamistake，Ishouldhavemademoney。

ButPhilippiSewerswerethreatened；PasteurisedFeedershadbeennumbsinceJune；PollyopolisHeat，Light，Power，Paving，Pressing，andPackingwasgoingtopassitsquarterlydividend；andStandardEgghadgonedownfrom63to71/8。Mymilliondollarsonpapernowwasworthinrealitylessthanaquarterofthatsum，andalthoughwecouldstillmakebothendsmeetfairlywellinsomeplacewhereyouwouldn"twanttolive，likePhiladelphia，inNewYorkweshoulddropintoapinchedanddwarfedobscurity。"

"Imustsaynow，andIshallneverforget，thatEthelduringthesegloomyweeksbehavedmuchbetterthanIdid。Thegrayertheoutlookbecame，themorewordsofhopeandsensesheseemedtofindSheremindedmethat，afterallmyUncleGodfrey"slegacyhadbeenathingunlookedfor，somethingoutofmyschemeoflifethatIhadmyyouth，mysalaryandmywriting；andthatshewouldwaittillshewasasoldatMr。Beverly"smother。"

"ItwasthethoughtofthatladywhichbroughtfromEtheltheonlynoteofcomplaintsheutteredinmypresenceduringthatwholedrearymonth。"

"WewerespendingSundaywithahousepartyatHydePark；anddrivingtochurch，wepassedanavenuegatewithalodge。"Rockhurst，sir，"saidthecoachman。"Whoseplace？"Iinquired。"TheoldBeverlyplace，sir。"Ethelheardhimtellmethis；andaswewenton，wesawacarriageandpaircomingdowntheavenuetowardthegatewiththatlookwhichhorsesalwaysseemtohavewhentheyaretakingthefamilytochurchonSundaymorning。"

""IfIseeher，"saidEtheltomeasweenteredthedoor，"Ishallbeunabletosaymyprayers。""

"ButonlyyoungpeoplecameintotheBeverlypew，andEthelsaidherprayersandalsosangthehymnandchantsverysweetly。"

"Aftertheservice，westrolledtogetherintheoldandlovelygraveyardbeforestartinghomeward。Wehadtoldthemthatweshouldprefertowalkback。Thedaywasbeautiful，andonecouldseealittlebluepieceoftheriver，sparkling。"

""Hereiswheretheyareallburied，"saidEthel，andwepausedbeforebrownoldheadstoneswithBeverlyuponthem。"Died1750；died1767，"

continuedEthel，readingthenamesandinscriptions。"Ithinkonedoesn"tmindtheideaoflyinginsuchaplaceasthis。""

"Someoftheyoungpeopleinthepewnowcamealongthepath。"Thegrandchildren，"saidEthel。"Sheisprobablytoooldtocometochurch。

OrsheisinEurope。""

"Theyoungpeoplehadbroughtabasketwithflowersfromtheirplace，andnowlaidthemoverseveralofthegrassymounds。"Givemesomeofyours，"

saidonetotheother，presently；"I"venotenoughforgrandmother"s。""

"Etheltookmerathersharplybythearm。"Didyouhearthat？"sheasked。"

""Itcan"tbeshe，youknow，"saidI。"HewouldhavecomebackfromEurope。""

"Butwefounditoutatlunch。Itwasshe，andshehadbeendeadforfifteenyears。"

"EthelandItalkeditoverinthetraingoinguptotownonMondaymorning。Wehadbythattimegrowncalmer。"Ifitisnotfalsepretences，"saidshe，"andyoucannotsuehimfordamages，andifitisnotstealingorsomething，andyoucannotputhiminprison，whatareyougoingtodotohim，Richard？""

"AsthiswasaquestionwhichIhadfrequentlyaskedmyselfduringthenight，havingfoundnosatisfactoryanswertoit，Isaid:"Whatwouldyoudoinmyplace，Ethel？"ButEthelknew。"

""Ishouldfindoutwhenhesails，andmeethissteamerwithacowhide。""

""Thenhewouldsuemefordamages。""

""Thatwouldbenothing，ifyougotafewgoodcutsinonhim。""

""Ethel，"Isaid，"pleasefollowmecarefully。Ishouldlikedearlytocowhidehim。andforthesakeofargumentwewillconsideritdoneThencomesthelawsuit。ThenIgetupandsaythatIbeathimbecausehemademebuyStandardEggat63bytellingmethathismotherhadsome，whenreallytheoldladyhadbeendeadforfifteenyears。WhenIthinkofitinthisway，Idonotfeel""

"Iknow，"interruptedEthel，"youareafraidofridicule。Allmenare。""

"HadEthelinsisted，IbelievethatIshouldhavecowhidedMr。Beverlyforhersake。Butbeforehisreturnourdestinieswerebrightened。CopperhadbeenfoundnearEthel"swastelandsinMichigan，andthefamilybusinessmanwasabletosellthepropertyforsevenhundredthousanddollars。HedidthissopromptlythatIventuredtoaskhimifdelaymightnothavebroughtagreaterprice。"Well"，hesaid，"Idon"tknow。

Youmustseizethesethings。BlakeandBeverlymighthavegottiredwaiting。"

""BlakeandBeverly！"Iexclaimed"Sotheymadethepurchase。ItMr。

Beverlyback？""

""Justback。TotellthetruthIdon"tbelievethey"refindingsomuchcopperastheyhoped。""

"Thisturnedouttobetrue。AndIamnotsurethatthebusinessmanhadnotknownitallthewhile。"WelookedoverthepropertyprettythoroughlyatthetimeoftheTamarackexcitement，"hesaid。Andinafewdaysmore，infact，itwasgenerallyknownthatthislandhadreturnedtoitsoldstateofnotquitepayingthetaxes。"

"ThenIpaidmyvisittoMr。Beverly，butwithnocowhide。"Mr。Beverly，"

saidI，"IwanttoannouncetoyoumyengagementtoMissEthelLansing，whoseMichigancopperlandyouhavelatelyacquired。Ihopethatyouboughtsomeforyourmother。""

"Those，"concludedMr。RichardField，"arethecircumstancesattendingmyengagementwhichIfeltmightinterestyou。Andnow，Ethel，tellyourstory，ifthey"lllisten。"

"Richard，"saidEthel，"thatisthestoryIwasgoingtotell。"