第7章

theytalkonlyofthingsthatinterestallchildren——pets，toys，andtheirgames。ThisisonlyANYchild’slettertoANYfather。I

couldn’treallysayitWASBobby’s。Astothephotograph，theyhaveanoddwayinSouthAmericaofsellingphotographsofanybody，principallyofprettywomen，bythepacket，toanyonewhowantsthem。Sothatitdoesnotfollowthattheownerofthisphotographhadanypersonalinterestinit。Now，astoyourmysteriouspatronhimself，canyoudescribehim？“ShelookedatRandolphwithacertainfelineintensity。

Hebecameembarrassed。“YouknowIonlysawhimonce，underastreetlamp“——hebegan。

“AndIhaveonlyseenCaptainDornton——ifitwerehe——twiceinthreeyears，“shesaid。“Butgoon。“

AgainRandolphwasunpleasantlyimpressedwithhercold，drylypracticalmanner。Hehadneverseenhisbenefactorbutonce，buthecouldnotspeakofhiminthatway。

“Ithink，“hewentonhesitatingly，“thathehaddark，pleasanteyes，athickbeard，andthelookofasailor。“

“Andtherewerenootherpapersintheportmanteau？“shesaid，withthesameintenselook。

“None。“

“Thesearemerecoincidences，“saidMissAvondale，afterapause，“and，afterall，theyarenotasstrangeasthealternative。ForwewouldhavetobelievethatCaptainDorntonarrivedhere——whereheknewhissonandIwereliving——withoutawordofwarning，cameashoreforthepurposeofgoingtoahotelandthebankalso，andthenunaccountablychangedhismindanddisappeared。“

Thethoughtoftherottenwharf，hisownescape，andthedeadbodywereallinRandolph’smind；buthisreasoningwasalreadystaggeredbythegirl’sconclusions，andhefeltthatitmightonlypain，withoutconvincingher。Andwasheconvincedhimself？Shesmiledathisblankfaceandrose。“Thankyouallthesame。AndnowImustgo。“

Randolphrosealso。“Wouldyouliketotakethephotographandlettertoshowyourcousin？“

“Yes。ButIshouldnotplacemuchrelianceonhismemory。“

Nevertheless，shetookupthephotographandletter，andRandolph，puttingtheportmanteaubackinthecloset，lockedit，andstoodreadytoaccompanyher。

Ontheirwaytoherhousetheytalkedofotherthings。RandolphlearnedsomethingofherlifeinCallao:thatshewasanorphanlikehimself，andhadbeenbroughtfromtheEasternStateswhenachildtolivewitharichuncleinCallaowhowaschildless；thatheraunthaddiedandherunclehadmarriedagain；thatthesecondwifehadbeenatvariancewithhisfamily，andthatitwasconsequentlysomerelieftoMissAvondaletobeindependentastheguardianofBobby，whosemotherwasasisterofthefirstwife；

thatherunclehadobjectedasstronglyasabrother-in-lawcouldtohiswife’ssister’smarriagewithCaptainDorntononaccountofhisrovinglifeandunsettledhabits，andthatconsequentlytherewouldbelittlesympathyforherorforBobbyinhismysteriousdisappearance。Thewindblewandtherainfellupontheseconfidences，yetRandolph，walkingagainunderthatumbrellaoffelicity，partedwithheratherowndoorstepalltoosoon，althoughconsoledwiththepermissiontocomeandseeherwhenthechildreturned。

Hewentbacktohisroomaveryhopeful，foolish，buthappyyouth。

Asheenteredheseemedtofeelthecharmofherpresenceagaininthehumbleapartmentshehadsanctified。Thefurnitureshehadmovedwithherownlittlehands，thebedonwhichshehadsatforahalfmoment，wasglorifiedtohisyouthfulfancy。Andeventhatmagicportmanteauwhichhadbroughthimallthishappiness，that，too，——buthegaveasuddenstart。Theclosetdoor，whichhehadshutashewentout，wasunlockedandopen，theportmanteau——his“trust“——gone！

RandolphTrent’sconsternationatthelossoftheportmanteauwaspartlysuperstitious。For，althoughitwaseasytomakeupthesmallsumtaken，andthepapersweresafeinMissAvondale’spossession，yetthisdisplacementoftheonlylinkbetweenhimandhismissingbenefactor，andthemysteryofitsdisappearance，raisedallhisolddoubtsandsuspicions。Avagueuneasiness，astillmorevaguesenseofsomeremissnessonhisownpart，possessedhim。

ThattheportmanteauwastakenfromhisroomduringhisabsencewithMissAvondalethatafternoonwasevident。Thedoorhadbeenopenedbyaskeletonkey，andasthebuildingwasdesertedonSunday，therehadbeennochanceofinterferencewiththethief。

Ifmerebootyhadbeenhisobject，thepursewouldhavesatisfiedhimwithouthisburdeninghimselfwithaportmanteauwhichmightbeidentified。Nothingelseintheroomhadbeendisturbed。Thethiefmusthavehadsomecognizanceofitslocation，andhavekeptsomeespionageoverRandolph’smovements——acircumstancewhichaddedtothemysteryandhisdisquiet。Heplacedadescriptionofhislosswiththepoliceauthorities，buttheironlyideaofrecoveringitwasbyleavingthatdescriptionwithpawnbrokersandsecond-handdealers，aproceedingthatRandolphinstinctivelyfeltwasinvain。

AsingularbutinstinctivereluctancetoinformMissAvondaleofhislosskepthimfromcallinguponherforthefirstfewdays。

Whenhedid，sheseemedconcernedatthenews，althoughfarfromparticipatinginhissuperstitionorhissuspicions。

“Youstillhavetheletterandphotograph——whatevertheymaybeworth——foridentification，“shesaiddryly，“althoughBobbycannotrememberabouttheletter。Hethinkshewentoncewithhisfathertoaphotographerandhadapicturetaken，buthecannotrememberseeingitafterward。“Shewasholdingtheminherhand，andRandolphalmostmechanicallytookthemfromherandputtheminhispocket。Hewouldnot，perhaps，havenoticedhisownbrusquenesshadshenotlookedalittlesurprised，and，hethought，annoyed。

“Areyouquitesureyouwon’tlosethem？“shesaidgently。

“PerhapsIhadbetterkeepthemforyou。“

“Ishallsealthemupandputtheminthebanksafe，“hesaidquickly。Hecouldnottellwhetherhissuddenresolutionwasaninstinctortheobstinacythatoftencomestoanawkwardman。

“But，“headded，coloring，“Ishallalwaysregretthelossoftheportmanteau，foritwasthemeansofbringingustogether。“

“Ithoughtitwastheumbrella，“saidMissAvondaledryly。

Shehadoncebeforehaltedhimontheperilousedgeofsentimentbyasimilarcynicism，butthistimeitcuthimdeeply。Forhecouldnotbeblindtothefactthatshetreatedhimlikeamereboy，andindispellingtheillusionsofhisinstinctsandbeliefsseemedasifintentupondispellinghisillusionsofHER；andinherhalf-

smilingabstractionhereadonlythewell-bredtolerationofonewhoisbeginningtobebored。Hemadehisexcusesearlyandwenthome。Nevertheless，althoughregrettinghehadnotlefthertheletterandphotograph，hedepositedtheminthebanksafethenextday，andtriedtofeelthathehadvindicatedhischaracterforgrown-upwisdom。

Then，inhisconflictingemotions，hepunishedhimself，afterthefashionofyouth，byavoidingthebelovedone’spresenceforseveraldays。Hedidthisinthebeliefthatitwouldenablehimtomakeuphismindwhethertorevealhisrealfeelingstoher，andperhapstherewasthemorealluringhopethathisabsencemightprovokesomemanifestationsofsentimentonherpart。Butshemadenosign。Andthencameareactioninhisfeelings，withaheightenedsenseofloyaltytohisbenefactor。For，freedofanyillusionoryouthfulfancynow，apurelyunselfishgratitudetotheunknownmanfilledhisheart。Inthelapseofhissentimentheclungthemorecloselytothisonehonestromanceofhislife。

Oneafternoon，atthecloseofbusiness，hewasalittleastonishedtoreceiveamessagefromMr。Dingwall，thedeputymanager，thathewishedtoseehiminhisprivateoffice。HewasstillmoreastonishedwhenMr。Dingwall，afterofferinghimachair，stoodupwithhishandsunderhiscoattailsbeforethefireplace，and，withahesitancyhalfreserved，halfcourteous，butwhollyEnglish，said，——

“I——er——wouldbeglad，Mr。Trent，ifyouwould——er——givemethepleasureofyourcompanyatdinnerto-morrow。“

Randolph，stillamazed，stammeredhisacceptance。

“Therewillbe——er——ayoungladyinwhomyouwere——er——interestedsometimeago。Er——MissAvondale。“

Randolph，feelinghewascoloring，anduncertainwhetherheshouldspeakofhavingmethersince，contentedhimselfwithexpressinghisdelight。

“Infact，“continuedMr。Dingwall，clearinghisthroatasifhewerealsoclearinghisconscienceofatremendoussecret，“she——er——

mentionedyourname。ThereisSirWilliamDorntoncomingalso。

SirWilliamhasrecentlysucceededhiselderbrother，who——er——itseems，wasthegentlemanyouwereinquiringaboutwhenyoufirstcamehere，andwho，itisnowascertained，wasdrownedinthebayafewmonthsago。Infact——er——itisprobablethatyouwerethelastonewhosawhimalive。IthoughtIwouldtellyou，“continuedMr。

Dingwall，settlinghischinmorecomfortablyinhischeckedcravat，“incaseSirWilliamshouldspeakofhimtoyou。“

Randolphwasstaggered。Theabruptrevelationofhisbenefactor’snameandfate，casuallycoupledwithaninvitationtodinner，shockedandconfoundedhim。PerhapsMr。Dingwallnoticeditandmisunderstoodthecause，forheaddedinparentheticalexplanation:

“Yes，themanwhoseportmanteauyoutookchargeofisdead；butyoudidyourduty，Mr。Trent，inthematter，althoughtherecoveryoftheportmanteauwasunessentialtothecase。“

“Dead，“repeatedRandolph，scarcelyheedinghim。“Butisittrue？

Aretheysure？“