第1章

CHAPTERI

ItwasaseasonofunequalledprosperityinDevil’sFord。ThehalfadozencabinsscatteredalongthebanksoftheNorthFork，asifbysomeoverflowofthatcapriciousriver，hadbecomeaugmentedduringaweekoffierceexcitementbytwentyorthirtyothers，thatwerehuddledtogetheronthenarrowgorgeofDevil’sSpur，orcastuponitssteepsides。Sosuddenandviolenthadbeenthechangeoffortune，thatthedwellersintheoldercabinshadnothadtimetochangewithit，butstillkepttheiroldhabits，customs，andeventheiroldclothes。Theflourpaninwhichtheirdailybreadwasmixedstoodontherudetablesidebysidewiththe"prospectingpans，"halffullofgoldwashedupfromtheirmorning’swork；thefrontwindowsofthenewertenementslookedupontheonesinglethoroughfare，butthebackdooropenedupontheunclearedwilderness，stillhauntedbythemisshapenbulkofbearorthenightlyglidingofcatamount。

Neitherhadsuccessasyetaffectedtheirboyishsimplicityandthefranknessofoldfrontierhabits；theyplayedwiththeirnew—foundricheswiththenaivedelightofchildren，andrehearsedtheirglowingfuturewiththeimportanceandtrivialityofschool—boys。

"I’vebinkalklatin’，"saidDickMattingly，leaningonhislong—

handledshovelwithlazygravity，"thatwhenIgotoRomethiswinter，I’llgetoneo’themmarblesharpstochiselmeastatooo’

somekindtosetuponthespotwherewemadeourbigstrike。

Suthin’torememberitby，youknow。"

"Whatkindo’statoo——WashingtonorWebster？"askedoneoftheKearneybrothers，withoutlookingupfromhiswork。

"No——Ireckononeo’themfancygroups——oneo’themLatingoddessesthatFairfaxisalwaysgassin’about，sorterleadin’，directin’andbossin’uswheretodig。"

"You’dmakeahealthy—lookin’figgerinagroup，"respondedKearney，criticallyregardinganenormouspatchinMattingly’strousers。"Whydon’tyouhaveafountaininstead？"

"Where’llyougetthewater？"demandedthefirstspeaker，inreturn。"Youknowthereain’tenoughintheNorthForktodoaweek’swashingforthecamp——tosaynothin’ofitscolor。"

"Leavethattome，"saidKearney，withself—possession。"WhenI’vebuiltthattherereservoironDevil’sSpur，andbringthewaterovertheridgefromUnionDitch，there’llbeenoughtospareforthat。"

"Bettermixitup，Ireckon——havesuthin’halfstatoo，halffountain，"interposedtheelderMattingly，betterknownas"MarylandJoe，""andsetitupaforetheTownHallandFreeLibraryI’mkalklatin’togive。DoTHAT，andyoucancountonme。"

Aftersomefurtherdiscussion，itwasgravelysettledthatKearneyshouldfurnishwaterbroughtfromtheUnionDitch，twentymilesaway，atacostoftwohundredthousanddollars，tofeedamemorialfountainerectedbyMattingly，worthahundredthousanddollars，asacrowningfinishtopublicbuildingscontributedbyMarylandJoe，totheextentofhalfamillionmore。Thedispositionofthesevastsumsbygentlemenwearingpatchedbreechesawakenednosenseoftheludicrous，nordidanydoubt，reservation，orcontingencyenterintotheplansofthecharmingenthusiaststhemselves。Thefoundationoftheirairycastleslayalreadybeforetheminthestripofrichalluviumontheriverbank，wheretheNorthFork，sharplycurvingroundthebaseofDevil’sSpur，hadforcenturiessweptthedetritusofgulchandcanyon。Theyhadbarelycrossedthethresholdofthistreasure—house，tofindthemselvesrichmen；

whatpossibilitiesofaffluencemightbetheirswhentheyhadfullyexploitedtheirpossessions？Soconfidentweretheyofthatultimateprospect，thatthewealthalreadythusobtainedwasreligiouslyexpendedinenginesandmachineryfortheboringofwellsandtheconveyanceofthatpreciouswaterwhichtheexhaustedriverhadlongsinceceasedtoyield。Itseemedasifthegoldtheyhadtakenoutwasbysomeironicalcompensationgraduallymakingitswaybacktothesoilagainthroughditchandflumeandreservoir。

SuchwasthepositionofaffairsatDevil’sFordonthe13thofAugust，1860。Itwasnoonofahotday。Whatevermovementtherewasinthestiflingairwasseenratherthanfeltinatremulous，quivering，upward—movingdustalongtheflankofthemountain，throughwhichthespiresofthepineswerefaintlyvisible。Therewasnowaterinthebaredandburningbarsoftherivertoreflecttheverticalsun，butunderitsdirectraysoneortwotinnedroofsandcorrugatedzinccabinsstruckfire，afewcanvastentsbecamedazzlingtotheeye，andthewhitewoodedcorralofthestageofficeandhotelinsupportable。Fortwohoursnooneventuredintheglareoftheopen，oreventocrossthenarrow，unshadowedstreet，whosedullreddustseemedtoglowbetweenthelinesofstragglinghouses。Theheatedshellsofthesegreenunseasonedtenementsgaveoutapungentodorofscorchingwoodandresin。Theusualhurried，feverishtoilintheclaimwassuspended；thepickandshovelwereleftstickingintherichest"paygravel；"thetoilingmillionairesthemselves，ragged，dirty，andperspiring，laypantingunderthenearestshade，wherethepipeswentoutlistlessly，andconversationsanktomonosyllables。

"There’sFairfax，"saidDickMattingly，atlast，withalazyeffort。Hisfacewasturnedtothehillside，whereamanhadjustemergedfromthewoods，andwashaltingirresolutelybeforetheglaringexpanseofupheavedgravelandglisteningbouldersthatstretchedbetweenhimandtheshadedgroup。"He’sgoingtomakeabreakforit，"headded，asthestranger，throwinghislinencoatoverhishead，suddenlystartedintoanIndiantrotthroughthepeltingsunbeamstowardthem。Thisstrangeactwasperfectlyunderstoodbythegroup，whoknewthatinthatintenselydryheatthedangerofexposurewaslessenedbyactiveexerciseandtheprofuseperspirationthatfollowedit。Inanothermomentthestrangerhadreachedtheirside，drippingasifrainedupon，moppinghisdampcurlsandhandsomebeardedfacewithhislinencoat，ashethrewhimselfpantinglyontheground。

"Istruckoutoverherefirst，boys，togiveyoualittlewarning，"

hesaid，assoonashehadgainedbreath。"Thatengineerwillbedownheretotakechargeassoonasthesixo’clockstagecomesin。

He’sanoldishchap，hasgotafamilyoftwodaughters，and——I——am——

d————difheisnotbringingthemdownherewithhim。"

"Oh，golong!"exclaimedthefivemeninonevoice，raisingthemselvesontheirhandsandelbows，andglaringatthespeaker。

"Fact，boys!SoonasIfounditoutIjustwaltzedintothatJewshopattheCrossingandboughtupalltheclothesthatwouldbelikelytosuityoufellows，beforeanybodyelsegotashow。I

reckonIclearedouttheshop。Thedudsarealittlemixedinstyle，butIreckonthey’recleanandwhole，andamanmightfacealadyin’em。IleftthemroundattheoldBuckeyeSpring，wherethey’rehandywithoutattractingattention。Youboyscangothereforageneralwash—up，rigyourselvesupwithoutsayinganything，andthenmeanderbackcarelessandeasyinyourstoreclothes，justasthestageiscomingin，sabe？"

"Whydidn’tyouletusknowearlier？"askedMattinglyaggrievedly；

"you’vebeenbackhereatleastanhour。"

"I’vebeengettingsomeplacereadyforTHEM，"returnedthenew—

comer。"Wemighthavemanagedtoputthemansomewhere，ifhe’dbeenalone，butthesewomenwantfamilyaccommodation。TherewasnothingleftformetodobuttobuyupThompson’ssaloon。"

"No？"interruptedhisaudience，halfinincredulity，halfinprotestation。

"Fact!Youboyswillhavetotakeyourdrinksundercanvasagain，Ireckon!ButImadeThompsonletthosegold—framedmirrorsthatusedtostandbehindthebargointothebargain，andtheysortoffurnishtheroom。Youknowthesaloonisoneofthempatenthousesyoucantaketopieces，andI’vebeenreckoningyouboyswillhavetopitchinandhelpmetotakethewholeshantyovertothelaurelbushes，andputitupaginKearney’scabin。"

"What’sallthat？"saidtheyoungerKearney，withanoddminglingofastonishmentandbashfulgratification。

"Yes，Ireckonyoursisthecleanesthouse，becauseit’sthenewest，soyou’lljuststepoutandletusknockinoneo’thegables，andclapitontothesaloon，andmakeONEhouseofit，don’tyousee？There’llbetworooms，oneforthegirlsandtheotherfortheoldman。"

Theastonishmentandbewildermentofthepartyhadgraduallygivenwaytoaboyishandimpatientinterest。

"Hadn’twebetterdothejobatonce？"suggestedDickMattingly。

"Orthrowourselvesintothosenewclothes，soastobeready，"

addedtheyoungerKearney，lookingdownathisraggedtrousers。"I

say，Fairfax，whatarethegirlslike，eh？"

Alltheothershadbeendyingtoaskthequestion，yetoneandalllaughedattheconsciousmannerandblushingcheekofthequestioner。

"You’llfindoutquickenough，"returnedFairfax，whosecurtcarelessnessdidnot，however，preventaslightincreaseofcoloronhisowncheek。"We’dbettergetthatjoboffourhandsbeforedoinganythingelse。So，ifyou’reready，boys，we’lljustwaltzdowntoThompson’sandpackuptheshanty。He’soutofitbythistime，Ireckon。Youmightaswellbeperspiringtosomepurposeoverthereasgaspin’underthistree。Wewon’tgobacktoworkthisafternoon，butknockoffnow，andcallithalfaday。Come!

Humpyourselves，gentlemen。Areyouready？One，two，three，andaway!"

Inanotherinstantthetreewasdeserted；thefiguresofthefivemillionairesofDevil’sFord，crossingthefierceglareoftheopenspace，withboyishalacrity，glistenedinthesunlight，andthendisappearedinthenearestfringeofthickets。

CHAPTERII

Sixhourslater，whentheshadowofDevil’sSpurhadcrossedtheriver，andspreadaslightcoolnessovertheflatbeyond，thePioneercoach，leavingthesummit，beganalsotobatheitsheatedbulkinthelongshadowsofthedescent。Conspicuousamongthedustypassengers，thetwoprettyandyouthfulfacesofthedaughtersofPhilipCarr，miningsuperintendentandengineer，lookedfromthewindowswithnolittleanxietytowardstheirfuturehomeinthestragglingsettlementbelow，thatoccasionallycameinviewattheturnsofthelongzigzaggingroad。Aslightlookofcomicaldisappointmentpassedbetweenthemastheygazeduponthesterileflat，dottedwithunsightlyexcrescencesthatstoodequallyforcabinsormoundsofstoneandgravel。Itwassofeebleandinconsistentaculminationtothebeautifulscenerytheyhadpassedthrough，sohopelessandimbecileaconclusiontothepreparationofthatlongpicturesquejourney，withitsglimpsesofsylvanandpastoralgladesandcanyons，that，asthecoachsweptdownthelastincline，andtheremorselessmonotonyofthedeadlevelspreadoutbeforethem，furrowedbyditchesandindentedbypits，undercoverofshieldingtheircheeksfromtheimpalpabledustthatrosebeneaththeplungingwheels，theyburiedtheirfacesintheirhandkerchiefs，tohideafewhalf—hystericaltears。Happily，theirfather，completelyabsorbedinapractical，scientific，andapprovingcontemplationofthetopographyandmaterialresourcesofthesceneofhisfuturelabors，hadnotimetonoticetheirdefection。Itwasnotuntilthestagedrewupbeforearamblingtenementbearingtheinscription，"HotelandStageOffice，"thathebecamefullyawareofit。

"Wecan’tstopHERE，papa，"saidChristieCarrdecidedly，withashakeofherprettyhead。"Youcan’texpectthat。"

Mr。Carrlookedupatthebuilding；itwashalfgrocery，halfsaloon。Whateverotheraccommodationsitcontainedmusthavebeenhiddenintherear，astheflatroofabovewasalmostlevelwiththerafteredceilingoftheshop。

"Certainly，"herepliedhurriedly；"we’llseetothatinamoment。

Idaresayit’sallright。ItoldFairfaxwewerecoming。

Somebodyoughttobehere。"

"Butthey’renot，"saidJessieCarrindignantly；"andthefewthatwereherescamperedofflikerabbitstotheirburrowsassoonastheysawusgetdown。"

Itwastrue。Thelittlegroupofloungersbeforethebuildinghadsuddenlydisappeared。Therewastheflashofaredshirtvanishinginanadjacentdoorway；thefadingapparitionofapairofhighbootsandblueoverallsinanother；theabruptwithdrawalofacurlyblondheadfromasashlesswindowovertheway。Eventhesaloonwasdeserted，althoughabackdoorinthedimrecessseemedtocreakmysteriously。Thestage—coach，withtheotherpassengers，hadalreadyrattledaway。

"IcertainlythinkFairfaxunderstoodthatI——"beganMr。Carr。

HewasinterruptedbythepressureofChristie’sfingersonhisarmandasubduedexclamationfromJessie，whowasstaringdownthestreet。

"Whatarethey？"shewhisperedinhersister’sear。"Niggerminstrels，acircus，orwhat？"

ThefivemillionairesofDevil’sFordhadjustturnedthecornerofthestragglingstreet，andwereapproachinginsinglefile。OneglancewassufficienttoshowthattheyhadalreadyavailedthemselvesofthenewclothingboughtbyFairfax，hadwashed，andoneortwohadshaved。Buttheresultwasstartling。

Throughsomefortunatecoincidenceinsize，DickMattinglywastheonlyonewhohadachievedanentirenewsuit。Butitwasoffunerealblackcloth，andalthoughrelievedatoneextremitybyapairofhighridingboots，inwhichhistooshorttrousersweretucked，andattheotherbyatallwhitehat，andcravatofaggressiveyellow，theeffectwasdepressing。Inagreeablecontrast，hisbrother，MarylandJoe，wasattiredinathinfawn—

coloredsummerovercoat，lightlywornopen，soastoshowtheunstarchedbosomofawhiteembroideredshirt，andapairofnankeentrousersandpumps。

TheKearneybrothershaddividedasuitbetweenthem，theelderwearingatightly—fitting，single—breastedbluefrock—coatandapairofpinkstripedcottontrousers，whiletheyoungercandidlydisplayedthetrousersofhisbrother’ssuit，asaharmoniouschangetoashiningblackalpacacoatandcrimsonneckerchief。

Fairfax，whobroughtuptherear，had，withcharacteristicunselfishness，contentedhimselfwithaFrenchworkman’sblueblouseandapairofwhiteducktrousers。Hadtheyshowntheleastconsciousnessoftheirfinery，orofitsabsurdity，theywouldhaveseemeddespicable。Butonlyoneexpressionbeamedonthefivesunburntandshiningfaces——alookofunaffectedboyishgratificationandunrestrictedwelcome。

TheyhaltedbeforeMr。Carrandhisdaughters，simultaneouslyremovedtheirvariousandremarkableheadcoverings，andwaiteduntilFairfaxadvancedandseverallypresentedthem。JessieCarr’shalf—frightenedsmiletookrefugeinthetremblingshadowsofherdarklashes；ChristieCarrstiffenedslightly，andlookedstraightbeforeher。

"Wereckoned——thatis——weintendedtomeetyouandtheyoungladiesatthegrade，"saidFairfax，reddeningalittleasheendeavoredtoconcealhistooreadyslang，"andsaveyoufromtrapesing——fromdraggingyourselvesupgradeagaintoyourhouse。"

"ThenthereISahouse？"saidJessie，withanalarmingfranklaughofrelief，thatwas，however，asfranklyreflectedintheboyishlyappreciativeeyesoftheyoungmen。

"Suchasitis，"respondedFairfax，withashadeofanxiety，asheglancedatthefreshandprettycostumesoftheyoungwomen，anddubiouslyregardedthetwoSaratogatrunksrestinghopelesslyontheveranda。"I’mafraiditisn’tmuch，forwhatyou’reaccustomedto。But，"headdedmorecheerfully，"itwilldoforadayortwo，andperhapsyou’llgiveusthepleasureofshowingyouthewaytherenow。"

Theprocessionwasquicklyformed。Mr。Carr，aliveonlytotheactualbusinessthathadbroughthimthere，atoncetookpossessionofFairfax，andbegantodisclosehisplansfortheworkingofthemine，occasionallyhaltingtolookattheworkalreadydoneintheditches，andtoexaminethefieldofhisfutureoperations。

Fairfax，notdispleasedatbeingthusrelievedofalighterattendanceonMr。Carr’sdaughters，neverthelessfromtimetotimecastapaternalglancebackwardsupontheirescorts，whohadeachseizedahandleofthetwotrunks，andwerecarryingthemincouplesattheyoungladies’side。Theoccupationdidnotoffermuchfreedomforeasygallantry，butnosignofdiscomfitureoruneasinesswasvisibleinthegratefulfacesoftheyoungmen。Thenecessityofchanginghandsattimeswiththeirburdensbroughtacorrespondingchangeofcavalieratthelady’sside，althoughitwasobservedthattheyoungerKearney，forthesakeofcontinuingaconversationwithMissJessie，kepthisgraspofthehandlenearesttheyoungladyuntilhishandwasnearlycutthrough，andhisarmwornoutbyexhaustion。

"Theonlythingonwheelsinthecampisamulewagon，andthemulesarepackin’gravelfromtheriverthisafternoon，"explainedDickMattinglyapologeticallytoChristie，"orwe’dhavetoted——I

meancarried——youandyourbaggageuptotheshant——the——yourhouse。Giveustwoweeksmore，MissCarr——onlytwoweekstowashupourworkandrealize——andwe’llgiveyouapairof2。40steppersandaskeletonbuggytomeetyouatthetopofthehillanddriveyouovertothecabin。Perhapsyou’dpreferaregularcarriage；

someladiesdo。Andaniggerdriver。Butwhat’stheuseofplanninganything？Aforethattimecomeswe’llhaverunyouupahouseonthehill，andyoushallpickoutthespot。Itwouldn’ttakelong——unlessyoupreferredbrick。IsupposewecouldgetbrickoverfromLaGrange，ifyoucaredforit，butitwouldtakelonger。Ifyoucouldputupforatimewithsomethingofstainedglassandamahoganyveranda——"

Inspiteofhercoldindignation，andthefactthatshecouldunderstandonlyapartofMattingly’sspeech，Christiecomprehendedenoughtomakeherlifthercleareyestothespeaker，assherepliedfreezinglythatshefearedshewouldnottroublethemlongwithhercompany。

"Oh，you’llgetoverthat，"respondedMattingly，withanexasperatingconfidencethatdrovehernearlyfrantic，fromthemanifestkindlinessofintentthatmadeitimpossibleforhertoresentit。"Ifeltthatwaymyselfatfirst。Thingswilllookstrangeandunsociableforawhile，untilyougetthehangofthem。

You’llnaturallystamproundandcussalittle——"Hestoppedinconsciousconsternation。

Withreadytact，andbeforeChristiecouldreply，MarylandJoehadputdownthetrunkandchangedhandswithhisbrother。

"Youmustn’tmindDick，orhe’llgooffandkillhimselfwithshame，"hewhisperedlaughinglyinherear。"Hemeansallright，buthe’spickedupsomuchslangherethathe’saboutforgottenhowtotalkEnglish，andit’snighontofouryearssincehe’smetayounglady。"

Christiedidnotreply。YetthelaughterofhersisterinadvancewiththeKearneybrothersseemedtomakethereservewithwhichshetriedtocrushfurtherfamiliarityonlyridiculous。

"Doyouknowmanyoperas，MissCarr？"

Shelookedattheboyish，interested，sunburntfacesoneartoherown，andhesitated。Afterall，whyshouldsheaddtoherotherrealdisappointmentsbytakingthisabsurdcreatureseriously？

"Inwhatway？"shereturned，withahalfsmile。

"Toplay。Onthepiano，ofcourse。Thereisn’tonenearerherethanSacramento；butIreckonwecouldgetasmallonebyThursday。

Youcouldn’tdoanythingonabanjo？"headdeddoubtfully；

"Kearney’sgotone。"

"Iimagineitwouldbeverydifficulttocarryapianooverthosemountains，"saidChristielaughingly，toavoidthecollateralofthebanjo。

"Wegotabilliard—tableoverfromStockton，"halfbashfullyinterruptedDickMattingly，strugglingfromhisendofthetrunktorecoverhiscomposure，"andithadtobebroughtoverinsectionsonthebackofamule，soIdon’tseewhy——"Hestoppedshortagaininconfusion，atasignfromhisbrother，andthenadded，"I

mean，ofcourse，thatapianoisaheapmoredelicate，andvaluable，andallthatsortofthing，butit’sworthtryingfor。"

"Fairfaxwasalwayssayinghe’dgetoneforhimself，soIreckonit’spossible，"saidJoe。

"Doesheplay？"askedChristie。

"Youbet，"saidJoe，quiteforgettinghimselfinhisenthusiasm。

"HecansnatchMozartandBeethovenbald—headed。"

Intheembarrassingsilencethatfollowedthisspeechthefringeofpinewoodnearesttheflatwasreached。Heretherewasarude"clearing，"andbeneathanenormouspinestoodthetworecentlyjoinedtenements。TherewasnoattempttoconcealthepointofjunctionbetweenKearney’scabinandthenewly—transportedsaloonfromtheflat——noarchitecturalillusionofthepalpablecollusionofthetwobuildings，whichseemedtobetelescopedintoeachother。ThefrontroomorlivingroomoccupiedthewholeofKearney’scabin。Itcontained，inadditiontothenecessaryarticlesforhousekeeping，a"bunk"orberthforMr。Carr，soastoleavethesecondbuildingentirelytotheoccupationofhisdaughtersasbedroomandboudoir。

Therewasahalf—humorous，half—apologeticexhibitionoftherudeutensilsofthelivingroom，andthentheyoungmenturnedawayasthetwogirlsenteredtheopendoorofthesecondroom。NeitherChristienorJessiecouldforamomentunderstandthedelicacywhichkepttheseyoungmenfromaccompanyingthemintotheroomtheyhadbutafewmomentsbeforedecoratedandarrangedwiththeirownhands，anditwasnotuntiltheyturnedtothanktheirstrangeentertainersthattheyfoundthattheyweregone。

Thearrangementofthesecondroomwasrudeandbizarre，butnotwithoutasingularoriginalityandeventastefulnessofconception。

Whathadbeenthecounteror"bar"ofthesaloon，gorgeousinwhiteandgold，nowsawnintwoanddivided，wassetuponoppositesidesoftheroomasseparatedressing—tables，decoratedwithhugebunchesofazaleas，thathidtheroughearthenwarebowls，andgaveeachtabletheappearanceofavestalaltar。

Thehugegiltplate—glassmirrorwhichhadhungbehindthebarstilloccupiedonesideoftheroom，butitslengthwasartfullydividedbyanenormousrosetteofred，white，andbluemuslin——oneofthesurvivingFourthofJulydecorationsofThompson’ssaloon。

Oneithersideofthedoortwopathetic—looking，convent—likecots，coveredwithspotlesssheeting，andheapedupinthemiddle，likeasnow—coveredgrave，hadattractedtheirattention。TheywerestillstaringatthemwhenMr。Carranticipatedtheircuriosity。

"IoughttotellyouthattheyoungmenconfidedtomethefactthattherewasneitherbednormattresstobehadontheFord。

Theyhavefilledsomefloursackswithcleandrymossfromthewoods，andputhalfadozenblanketsonthetop，andtheyhopeyoucangetalonguntilthemessengerwhostartsto—nightforLaGrangecanbringsomebeddingover。"

Jessieflewwithmischievousdelighttosatisfyherselfofthetruthofthismarvel。"It’sso，Christie，"shesaidlaughingly——

"threeflour—sacksapiece；butI’mjealous：yoursareallmarked’superfine，’andmine’middlings。’"

Mr。CarrhadremaineduneasilywatchingChristie’sshadowedface。

"Whatmatters？"shesaiddrily。"Theaccommodationisallinkeeping。"

"Itwillbebetterinadayortwo，"hecontinued，castingalonginglooktowardsthedoor——thefirstrefugeofmasculineweaknessinanimpendingdomesticemergency。"I’llgoandseewhatcanbedone，"hesaidfeebly，withasidelongimpulsetowardstheopeningandfreedom。"I’vegottoseeFairfaxagainto—nightanyway。"

"Onemoment，father，"saidChristie，wearily。"Didyouknowanythingofthisplaceandthese——thesepeople——beforeyoucame？"

"Certainly——ofcourseIdid，"hereturned，withthesuddentestinessofdisturbedabstraction。"Whatareyouthinkingof？I

knewthegeologicalstrataandthe——thereportofFairfaxandhispartnersbeforeIconsentedtotakechargeoftheworks。AndIcantellyouthatthereisafortunehere。Iintendtomakemyownterms，andshareinit。"

"Andnottakeasalaryorsomesumofmoneydown？"saidChristie，slowlyremovingherbonnetinthesameresignedway。

"Iamnotahiredman，oraworkman，Christie，"saidherfathersharply。"Yououghtnottoobligemetoremindyouofthat。"

"Butthehiredmen——thesuperintendentandhisworkmen——weretheonlyoneswhoevergotanythingoutofyourlastexperiencewithColonelWatersatLaGrange，and——andweatleastlivedamongcivilizedpeoplethere。"

"Theseyoungmenarenotcommonpeople，Christie；eveniftheyhaveforgottentherestraintsofspeechandmanners，they’regentlemen。"

"Whoarewillingtolivelike——likenegroes。"

"Youcanmakethemwhatyouplease。"

Christieraisedhereyes。Therewasacertaincynicalringinherfather’svoicethatwasunlikehisusualhesitatingabstraction。

Itbothpuzzledandpainedher。

"Imean，"hesaidhastily，"thatyouhavethesameopportunitytodirectthelivesoftheseyoungmenintomoreregular，disciplinedchannelsthatIhavetoregulateandcorrecttheirfoolishwasteofindustryandmaterialhere。Itwouldatleastbeguilethetimeforyou。"

FortunatelyforMr。Carr’sescapeandChristie’suneasiness，Jessie，whohadbeenexaminingthedetailsoftheliving—room，brokeinuponthisconversation。

"I’msureitwillbeasgoodasaperpetualpicnic。GeorgeKearneysayswecanhaveacooking—stoveunderthetreeoutsideattheback，andastherewillbenorainforthreemonthswecandothecookingthere，andthatwillgiveusmoreroomfor——forthepianowhenitcomes；andthere’sanoldsquawtodothecleaningandwashing—upanyday——and——and——itwillberealfun。"

Shestoppedbreathlessly，withglowingcheeksandsparklingeyes——acharmingpictureofyouthandtrustfulness。Mr。Carrhadseizedtheopportunitytoescape。

"Really，now，Christie，"saidJessieconfidentially，whentheywerealone，andChristiehadbeguntounpackhertrunk，andtomechanicallyputherthingsaway，"they’renotsobad。"

"Who？"askedChristie。

"Why，theKearneys，andMattinglys，andFairfax，andthelot，providedyoudon’tlookattheirclothes。Andthinkofit!theytoldme——fortheytelloneEVERYTHINGinthemostalarmingway——

thatthoseclotheswereboughttopleaseUS。AscrambleofthingsboughtatLaGrange，withoutreferencetosizeorstyle。Andtohearthesecreaturestalk，why，you’dthinktheywereAstorsorRothschilds。Thinkofthatlittleonewiththecurls——Idon’tbelieveheisoverseventeen，forallhisbabymoustache——sayshe’sgoingtobuildanassemblyhallforustogiveadanceinnextmonth；andapologizesthenextbreathtotellusthatthereisn’tanymilktobehadnearerthanLaGrange，andwemustdowithoutit，andusesyrupinourteato—morrow。"

"Andwhereisallthiswealth？"saidChristie，forcingherselftosmileathersister’sanimation。

"Underourveryfeet，mychild，andallalongtheriver。Why，whatwethoughtwaspureandsimplemudiswhattheycall’gold—bearingcement。’"

"Isupposethatiswhytheydon’tbrushtheirbootsandtrousers，it’ssoprecious，"returnedChristiedrily。"Andhavetheyevertranslatedthispreciousdirtintoactualcoin？"

"Blessyou，yes。Why，thatdirtylittlegutter，youknow，thatranalongthesideoftheroadandfollowedusdownthehillallthewayhere，thatcostthem——letmesee——yes，nearlysixtythousanddollars。Andfancy!papa’sjustcondemnedit——saysitwon’tdo；

andthey’vegottobuildanother。"

AnimpatientsighfromChristiedrewJessie’sattentiontohertroubledeyebrows。

"Don’tworryaboutourdisappointment，dear。Itisn’tsoverygreat。Idaresaywe’llbeabletogetalonghereinsomeway，untilpapaisrichagain。Youknowtheyintendtomakehimsharewiththem。"

"Itstrikesmethatheissharingwiththemalready，"saidChristie，glancingbitterlyroundthecabin；"sharingeverything——

ourselves，ourlives，ourtastes。"

"Ye—e—s!"saidJessie，withvaguelyhesitatingassent。"Yes，eventhese："sheshowedtwodiceinthepalmofherlittlehand。"I

found’eminthedrawerofourdressing—table。"

"Throwthemaway，"saidChristieimpatiently。

ButJessie’ssmallfingersclosedoverthedice。"I’llgivethemtothelittleKearney。Idaresaytheywerethepoorboy’splaythings。"

Theappearanceoftheserelicsofwilddissipation，however，hadliftedChristieoutofhersublimeresignation。"ForHeaven’ssake，Jessie，"shesaid，"lookaroundandseeifthereisanythingmore!"

Tomakesure，theyeachbegantoscrimmage；thebroken—spiritedChristieexhibitingbothalacrityandpenetrationinsearchingobscurecorners。Inthedining—room，behindthedresser，threeorfourbookswerediscovered：anoddvolumeofThackeray，anotherofDickens，amemorandum—bookordiary。"ThisseemstobeLatin，"

saidJessie，fishingoutasmallerbook。"Ican’treadit。"

"It’sjustaswellyoushouldn’t，"saidChristieshortly，whoseideasofageneralclassicalimproprietyhadbeengatheredfrompagesofLempriere’sdictionary。"Putitbackdirectly。"

JessiereturnedcertainodesofoneHoratiusFlaccustothecorner，andutteredanexclamation。"Oh，Christie!herearesomeletterstiedupwitharibbon。"

Theyweretwoorthreeprettilywrittenletters，exhalingafaintodorofrefinementandofthepressedflowersthatpeepedfrombetweenthelooseleaves。"Isee，’MydarlingFairfax。’It’sfromsomewoman。"

"Idon’tthinkmuchofher，whosoeversheis，"saidChristie，tossingtheintactpacketbackintothecorner。

"NorI，"echoedJessie。

Nevertheless，bysomefeminineinconsistency，evidentlythecircumstancedidmakethemthinkmoreofHIM，foraminutelater，whentheyhadreenteredtheirownroom，Christieremarked，"Theideaofpettingamanbyhisfamilyname!Thinkofmammaeverhavingcalledpapa’darlingCarr’!"

"Oh，buthisfamilynameisn’tFairfax，"saidJessiehastily；

"that’shisFIRSTname，hisChristianname。Iforgetwhat’shisothername，butnobodyevercallshimbyit。"

"Doyoumean，"saidChristie，withglisteningeyesandawfuldeliberation——"doyoumeantosaythatwe’reexpectedtofallinwiththisinsufferablefamiliarity？Isupposethey’llbecallingUSbyourChristiannamesnext。"

"Oh，buttheydo!"saidJessie，mischievously。

"What!"

"TheycallmeMissJessie；andKearney，thelittleone，askedmeifChristieplayed。"

"Andwhatdidyousay？"

"Isaidthatyoudid，"answeredJessie，withanaffectationofcherubicsimplicity。"Youdo，dear；don’tyou？……There，don’tgetangry，darling；Icouldn’tflareupallofasuddeninthefaceofthatpoorlittlecreature；helookedsoabsurd——andso——sohonest。"

Christieturnedaway，relapsingintoheroldresignedmanner，andassumingherhouseholddutiesinaquiet，temporizingwaythatwas，however，withouthopeorexpectation。

Mr。Carr，whohaddinedwithhisfriendsundertheexcuseofnotaddingtotheawkwardnessofthefirstday’shousekeepingreturnedlateatnightwithamassofpapersanddrawings，intowhichheafterwardswithdrew，butnotuntilhehaddeliveredhimselfofamysteriouspackageentrustedtohimbytheyoungmenforhisdaughters。Itcontainedacontributiontotheirboardintheshapeofasilverspoonandbatteredsilvermug，whichJessiechosetofacetiouslyconsiderasanaffectingreminiscenceoftheyouthfulKearney’schristeningdays——whichitprobablywas。

Theyounggirlsretiredearlytotheirwhitesnow—drifts：Jessienotwithoutsomehilariousstruggleswithhers，inwhichshewas，however，quicklysurprisedbythedeepandrefreshingsleepofyouth；Christietolieawakeandlistentothenightwind，thathadchangedfromthefirstcoolwhispersofsunsettothesturdybreathofthemountain。Attimesthefrailhouseshookandtrembled。

Wanderinggustsladenwiththedeepresinousodorsofthewoodfoundtheirwaythroughtheimperfectjointureofthetwocabins，swepthercheekandevenstirredherlong，wide—openlashes。A

brokensprayofpineneedlesrustledalongtheroof，orapineconedroppedwithaquickreverberatingtap—tapthatforaninstantstartledher。Lyingthus，wideawake，shefellintoadreamyreminiscenceofthepast，hearingsnatchesofoldmelodyinthemovingpines，fragmentsofsentences，oldwords，andfamiliarepithetsinthemurmuringwindatherear，andeventhefaintbreathoflong—forgottenkissesonhercheek。Sherememberedhermother——apallidcreature，whohadslowlyfadedoutofoneofherfather’svaguespeculationsinavaguerspeculationofherown，beyondhisken——whoseplaceshehadpromisedtotakeatherfather’sside。Thewords，"Watchoverhim，Christie；heneedsawoman’scare，"againechoedinherears，asifborneonthenightwindfromthelonelygraveintheloneliercemeterybythedistantsea。Shehaddevotedherselftohimwithsomelittlesacrificesofself，onlyrememberednowfortheiruselessnessinsavingherfatherthedisappointmentthatsprangfromhissanguineandone—

idea’dtemperament。Shethoughtofhimlyingasleepintheotherroom，readyonthemorrowtodevotethosefatefulqualitiestothenewenterprisethatwithequallyfatefuldispositionshebelievedwouldendinfailure。Itdidnotoccurtoherthatthedoubtsofherownpracticalnaturewerealmostasdangerousandillogicalashisenthusiasm，andthatforthatreasonshewasfastlosingwhatlittleinfluenceshepossessedoverhim。Withtheexampleofhermother’sweaknessbeforehereyes，shehadbecomeanunsparinganddistrustfulcritic，withthesoleeffectofawakeninghisdistrustandwithdrawinghisconfidencefromher。

Hewasbeginningtodeceiveherashehadneverdeceivedhermother。EvenJessieknewmoreofthislastenterprisethanshedidherself。

Allthatdidnottendtodecreaseherutterrestlessness。Itwasalreadypastmidnightwhenshenoticedthatthewindhadagainabated。Themountainbreezehadbythistimepossessedthestiflingvalleysandheatedbarsoftheriverinitsstrong，coldembraces；theequilibriumofNaturewasrestored，andashadowymistrosefromthehollow。Astillness，moreoppressiveandintolerablethanthepreviouscommotion，begantopervadethehouseandthesurroundingwoods。Shecouldheartheregularbreathingofthesleepers；sheevenfanciedshecoulddetectthefaintimpulsesofthemoredistantlifeinthesettlement。Thefar—offbarkingofadog，alostshout，theindistinctmurmurofsomenearerwatercourse——merephantomsofsound——madethesilencemoreirritating。Withasuddenresolutionshearose，dressedherselfquietlyandcompletely，threwaheavycloakoverherheadandshoulders，andopenedthedoorbetweentheliving—roomandherown。

Herfatherwassleepingsoundlyinhisbunkinthecorner。Shepassednoiselesslythroughtheroom，openedthelightlyfasteneddoor，andsteppedoutintothenight。

Intheirritationanddisgustofherwalkhither，shehadnevernoticedthesituationofthecabin，asitnestledontheslopeatthefringeofthewoods；inthepreoccupationofherdisappointmentandthemechanicalputtingawayofherthings，shehadneverlookedoncefromthewindowofherroom，orglancedbackwardoutofthedoorthatshehadentered。Theviewbeforeherwasarevelation——areproach，asurprisethattookawayherbreath。Overhershouldersthenewlyrisenmoonpouredafloodofsilverylight，stretchingfromherfeetacrosstheshiningbarsoftherivertotheoppositebank，andonuptotheverycrestoftheDevil’sSpur——nolongerahugebulkofcrushingshadow，butthesteadyexaltationofplateau，spur，andterraceclothedwithrepleteandunutterablebeauty。Inthismagicallightthatbeautyseemedtobesustainedandcarriedalongbytheriverwindingatitsbase，liftedagaintothebroadshoulderofthemountain，andlostonlyinthedistantvistaofdeath—like，overcrowningsnow。Behindandabovewhereshestoodthetoweringwoodsseemedtobewaitingwithopenedrankstoabsorbherwiththelittlecabinshehadquitted，dwarfedintoinsignificanceinthevastprospect；butnowherewasthereanothersignorindicationofhumanlifeandhabitation。Shelookedinvainforthesettlement，fortheruggedditches，thescatteredcabins，andtheunsightlyheapsofgravel。Intheglamourofthemoonlighttheyhadvanished；aveilofsilver—grayvaportouchedhereandtherewithebonyshadowsmaskeditssite。Ablackstripbeyondwastheriverbank。Allelsewaschanged。Withasuddensenseofaweandlonelinesssheturnedtothecabinanditssleepinginmates——allthatseemedlefttoherinthevastandstupendousdominationofrockandwoodandsky。

Butinanothermomentthelonelinesspassed。Anewanddelicioussenseofaninfinitehospitalityandfriendlinessintheirsilentpresencebegantopossessher。Thissameslighted，forgotten，uncomprehended，butstillfoolishandforgivingNatureseemedtobebendingoverherfrightenedandlisteningearwithvaguebutthrillingmurmuringsoffreedomandindependence。Shefeltherheartexpandwithitswholesomebreath，hersoulfillwithitssustainingtruth。

Shefelt——

Whatwasthat？

Anunmistakableoutburstofadrunkensongatthefootoftheslope：——

"Oh，mynameitisJohnnyfromPike，I’mh—llonaspreeorastrike"……

Shestoppedascrimsonwithshameandindignationasiftheviewlesssingerhadrisenbeforeher。

"Iknewwhentobet，andgetupandget——"

"Hush!D——nitall。Don’tyouhear？"

Therewasthesoundofhurriedwhispers，a"No"and"Yes，"andthenadeadsilence。

Christiecreptnearertotheedgeoftheslopeintheshadowofabuckeye。Intheclearerviewshecoulddistinguishastaggeringfigureinthetrailbelowwhohadevidentlybeenstoppedbytwootherexpostulatingshadowsthatwereapproachingfromtheshelterofatree。

"Sho!——didn’tknow!"

Thestaggeringfigureendeavoredtostraightenitself，andthenslouchedawayinthedirectionofthesettlement。Thetwomysteriousshadowsretreatedagaintothetree，andwerelostinitsdeepershadow。Christiedartedbacktothecabin，andsoftlyreenteredherroom。

"IthoughtIheardanoisethatwokeme，andImissedyou，"saidJessie，rubbinghereyes。"Didyouseeanything？"

"No，"saidChristie，beginningtoundress。

"Youweren’tfrightened，dear？"

"Notintheleast，"saidChristie，withastrangelittlelaugh。

"Gotosleep。"

CHAPTERIII

ThefiveimpulsivemillionairesofDevil’sFordfulfillednotafewoftheirmostextravagantpromises。InlessthansixweeksMr。

Carrandhisdaughterswereinstalledinanewhouse，builtnearthesiteofthedoublecabin，whichwasagaintransferredtothesettlement，inordertogivegreaterseclusiontothefairguests。

Itwasalong，roomy，one—storiedvilla，withanotunpicturesquecombinationofdeepverandaandtrelliswork，whichrelievedtheflatmonotonyoftheinteriorandthebarrennessofthefreshly—

clearedground。Anuprightpiano，broughtfromSacramento，occupiedthecorneroftheparlor。Asuiteofgorgeousfurniture，whosepronouncedandextravagantgloriestheyounggirlsinstinctivelyhidunderhome—madelinencovers，hadalsobeenspoilsfromafar。Elsewherethehousewasfilledwithornamentsanddecorationsthatintheirincongruityforciblyrecalledthegildedplate—glassmirrorsofthebedroomintheoldcabin。InthehastyfurnishingofthisAladdin’spalace，theslavesoftheringhadevidentlyseizeduponanythingthatwouldaddtoitsglory，withoutreferencealwaystofitness。

"Iwishitdidn’tlooksocussedlylikearobber’scave，"saidGeorgeKearney，whentheyweretakingaquietpreliminarysurveyoftheunclassifiedtreasures，beforetheCarrstookpossession。

"Oragamblinghell，"saidhisbrotherreflectively。

"It’saboutthesamething，Ireckon，"saidDickMattingly，whowassupposed，inhisfieryyouth，tohaveencounteredthesimilarity。

Nevertheless，thetwogirlsmanagedtobestowtheheterogeneouscollectionwithtastefuladaptationtotheirneeds。Acrystalchandelier，whichhadoncelentafascinatingillusiontothegameofMonte，hungunlightedinthebroadhall，whereafewotherbizarreandpublicarticleswererelegated。Alongredsofaorbench，whichhaddonedutybesideabilliard—tablefoundaplaceherealso。Indeed，itistobefearedthatsomeofthemorerusticandbashfulyouthsofDevil’sFord，whohadfeltitincumbentuponthemtopaytheirrespectstothenew—comers，weremoreateaseinthisvestibulethaninthearcanabeyond，whosegloriestheycouldseethroughtheopendoor。Toothers，itrepresentedarecognizedstateofprobationbeforetheirre—entreeintocivilizationagain。

"Ireckon，ifyoudon’tmind，miss，"saidthespokesmanofoneparty，"ezthisisourfirstcall，we’llsorterhangoutinthehallyer，untilyou’rusedtous。"Onanotheroccasion，oneWhiskeyDick，impelledbyasenseofduty，paidavisittothenewhouseanditsfairoccupants，inafashionfranklyrecountedbyhimafterwardsatthebaroftheTecumsehSaloon。

"Yousee，boys，Idroppedintheretheothernight，whensomeofyoufellerswasdoin’thehigh—toned’thankee，marm’businessintheparlor。Ijustcametoanchorinthecornerofthesofyinthehall，withoutlettin’ontosaythatIwasthere，andtookupaWebster’sdictionarythatwasonthetableandlaiditopen——

keerlesslike，onmyknees，ezifIwassorterconsultin’it——andkinderdozedoffthere，listenin’toyoufellowsgassin’withtheyoungladies，andthatyerMissChristiejustsnakin’musicouterthatpianner，andIreckonIfellasleep。Anyhow，Iwastherenighontotwohours。It’smightysoothin’，themfashionablecalls；

sorterknockstheoldcampdustouterafellow，andsetshimupagain。"

ItwouldhavebeenwellifthenewlifeoftheDevil’sFordhadshownnootherirregularitythantheharmlesseccentricitiesofitsoriginallocaters。Butthenewsofitssuddenfortune，magnifiedbyreport，beganpresentlytofloodthesettlementwithanotherclassofadventurers。Atideofwaifs，strays，andmalcontentsofoldcampsalongtheriverbegantosettowardsDevil’sFord，inverymuchthesamefashionasthedebris，drift，andalluviumhadbeencarrieddowninbygonedaysandcastuponitsbanks。Afewimmigrantwagons，divertedfromthehighwaysoftravelbythefameofthenewdiggings，haltedupontheslopesofDevil’sSpurandonthearidflatsoftheFord，anddisgorgedtheirsallowfreightofalkali—poisoned，prematurely—agedwomenandchildrenandmaimedandfever—strickenmen。Againstthisrudeformofdomesticitywereopposedthechromo—tinteddressesandextravagantcomplexionsofafewsingleunattendedwomen——happilyseenmoreoftenatnightbehindgildedbarsthaninthegarishlightofday——andanequalnumberofpale—faced，dark—moustached，well—dressed，andsuspiciouslyidlemen。AdozenrivalsofThompson’sSaloonhadsprungupalongthenarrowmainstreet。Thereweretwonewhotels——

onea"TemperanceHouse，"whoseasceticqualitywasconfinedonlytotheabnegationofwhiskey——arivalstageoffice，andasmallone—storiedbuilding，fromwhichthe"SierranBanner"flutteredweekly，for"tendollarsayear，inadvance。"InsufferableintheglareofaSabbathsun，bleak，windy，andflaringinthegloomofaSabbathnight，andhopelesslydepressingonalldaysoftheweek，theFirstPresbyterianChurchlifteditsbluntsteeplefromthebarrenestareaoftheflats，andwashideous!Thecivicimprovementssoenthusiasticallycontemplatedbythefivemillionairesintheearlierpagesofthisveraciouschronicle——thefountain，reservoir，town—hall，andfreelibrary——hadnotyetbeenerected。Theirsiteshadbeenanticipatedbymoreurgentbuildingsandminingworks，unfortunatelynotconsideredinthesanguinedreamsoftheenthusiasts，and，moresignificantstill，theircostandexpensehadbeenalsoanticipatedbytheenormousoutlayoftheirearningsintheworkuponDevil’sDitch。

Nevertheless，theliberalfulfilmentoftheirpromiseinthenewhouseinthesuburbsblindedtheyounggirls’eyestotheirshortcomingsinthetown。Theirownremotenessandelevationaboveitsfeverishlifekeptthemfromtheknowledgeofmuchthatwasstrange，andperhapsdisturbingtotheirequanimity。Astheydidnotmixwiththeimmigrantwomen——MissJessie’sgood—naturedintrusionintooneoftheirhalf—nomadiccampsonedayhavingbeenmetwithrudenessandsuspicion——theygraduallyfellintothewayoftrustingtheresponsibilityofnewacquaintancestothehandsoftheiroriginalhosts，andofconsultingtheminthematteroflocalrecreation。Itthusoccurredthatonedaythetwogirls，ontheirwaytothemainstreetforanhour’sshoppingattheVilladeParisandVarietyStore，werestoppedbyDickMattinglyafewyardsfromtheirhouse，withtheremarkthat，asthecountyelectionwastheninprogress，itwouldbeadvisableforthemtodefertheirintentionforafewhours。Ashedidnotdeemitnecessarytoaddthattwocitizens，intheexerciseofafreeman’sfranchise，hadbeensupplementingtheirballotswithbullets，infrontofanadmiringcrowd，theyknewnothingofthataccidentthatremovedfromDevil’sFordanentertainingstranger，whohadonlythenightbeforepartakenoftheirhospitality。

Aweekortwolater，returningonemorningfromastrollintheforest，ChristieandJessiewerewaylaidbyGeorgeKearneyandFairfax，and，underpretextofbeingshownanewandromantictrail，weredivertedfromtheregularpath。ThisenabledMattinglyandMarylandJoetocutdownthebodyofamanhangedbytheVigilanceCommitteeafewhoursbeforeontheregulartrail，andtoremonstratewiththecommitteeontheincompatibilityofsuchexhibitionswithamaidenlyworshipofnature。

"Withthewholecountytohangamanin，"expostulatedJoe，"youmightkeepclearofCarr’swoods。"

Itisneedlesstoaddthattheyounggirlsneverknewofthisactofviolence，orthedelicacythatkepttheminignoranceofit。

Mr。Carrwastooabsorbedinbusinesstogiveheedtowhathelookeduponasaconvulsionofsocietyasnaturalasageologicalupheaval，andtooprudenttoprovokethecriticismofhisdaughtersbycommentintheirpresence。

Anequallyunexpectedconfidence，however，tookitsplace。Mr。

Carrhavingfinishedhiscoffeeonemorning，lingeredamomentoverhisperfunctorypaternalembraces，withtheawkwardnessofapreoccupiedmanendeavoringbytheassumptionofalighterinteresttoveilanotherabstraction。

"Andwhatarewedoingto—day，Christie？"heasked，asJessieleftthedining—room。

"Oh，prettymuchtheusualthing——nothinginparticular。IfGeorgeKearneygetsthehorsesfromthesummit，we’regoingtorideovertoIndianSpringtopicnic。Fairfax——Mr。Munroe——Ialwaysforgetthatman’srealnameinthisdreadfullyfamiliarcountry——well，he’scomingtoescortus，andtakeme，Isuppose——thatis，ifKearneytakesJessie。"

"Averynicearrangement，"returnedherfather，withaslightnervouscontractionofthecornersofhismouthandeyelidstoindicatemischievousness。"I’venodoubtthey’llbothbehere。

Youknowtheyusuallyare——ha!ha!AndwhataboutthetwoMattinglysandPhilipKearney，eh？"hecontinued；"won’ttheybejealous？"

"Itisn’ttheirturn，"saidChristiecarelessly；"besides，they’llprobablybethere。"

"AndIsupposethey’rebeginningtoberesigned，"saidCarr，smiling。

"Whatonearthareyoutalkingof，father？"

Sheturnedherclearbrowneyesuponhim，andwasregardinghimwithsuchmanifestunconsciousnessofthedriftofhisspeech，and，withal，alittlevagueimpatienceofhisarchness，thatMr。Carrwasfeeblyalarmed。Ithadtheeffectofbanishinghisassumedplayfulness，whichmadehisseriousexplanationthemoreirritating。

"Well，Iratherthoughtthat——thatyoungKearneywaspayingconsiderableattentionto——to——toJessie，"repliedherfather，withhesitatinggravity。

"What!thatboy？"

"YoungKearneyisoneoftheoriginallocators，andanequalpartnerinthemine。Averyenterprisingyoungfellow。Infact，muchmoreadvancedandbolderinhisconceptionsthantheothers。

Ifindnodifficultywithhim。"

AtanothertimeChristiewouldhavequestionedtheconvincingqualityofthisproof，butshewastoomuchshockedatherfather’sfirstsuggestion，tothinkofanythingelse。

"Youdon’tmeantosay，father，thatyouaretalkingseriouslyofthesemen——yourfriends——whomweseeeveryday——andouronlycompany？"

"No，no!"saidMr。Carrhastily；"youmisunderstand。Idon’tsupposethatJessieoryou——"

"OrME!AmIincluded？"

"Youdon’tletmespeak，Christie。Imean，Iamnottalkingseriously，"continuedMr。Carr，withhismostseriousaspect，"ofyouandJessieinthismatter；butitmaybeaseriousthingtotheseyoungmentobethrowncontinuallyinthecompanyoftwoattractivegirls。"

"Iunderstand——youmeanthatweshouldnotseesomuchofthem，"