第8章

Buthefoundinhispreoccupationhehadtakenthewrongturninginthepath，andthathewasnowclosetothewallwhichboundedandoverlookedthehighway。Hereasingularspectaclepresenteditself。Acyclistcoveredwithdustwasseatedinthemiddleoftheroad，tryingtorestorecirculationtohisbruisedandinjuredlegbychafingitwithhishands，whilebesidehimlayhisdamagedbicycle。Hehadevidentlymetwithanaccident。InaninstantPaulhadclimbedthewallandwasathisside。

"CanIofferyouanyassistance？"heaskedeagerly。

"Thanks——no！I"vecomeabeastlycropperoversomethingorotheronthisroad，andI"monlybruised，thoughthemachinehassufferedworse，"repliedthestranger，inafresh，cheeryvoice。Hewasagood-lookingfellowofaboutPaul"sownage，andtheyoungAmerican"sheartwentouttowardshim。

"Howdidithappen？"askedPaul。

"That"swhatpuzzlesme，"saidthestranger。"Iwasgettingoutofthewayofaqueeroldchapintheroad，andIranoversomethingthatseemedonlyanoldscrollofpaper；buttheshockwassogreatthatIwasthrown，andIfancyIwasforafewmomentsunconscious。

YetIcannotseeanyotherobstructionintheroad，andthere"sonlythatbitofpaper。"Hepointedtothepaper，——ahalf-crushedrollofordinaryfoolscap，showingthemarkofthebicycleuponit。

AstrangeideacameintoPaul"smind。Hepickedupthepaperandexamineditclosely。Besidesthemarkalreadyindicated，itshowedtwosharpcreasesaboutnineincheslong，andanotherexactlyatthepointoftheimpactofthebicycle。Takingafoldedtwo-footrulefromhispocket，hecarefullymeasuredtheseparallelcreasesandmadeanexhaustivegeometricalcalculationwithhispencilonthepaper。Thestrangerwatchedhimwithawedandadmiringinterest。Rising，heagaincarefullyexaminedtheroad，andwasfinallyrewardedbythediscoveryofasharpindentationinthedust，which，onmeasurementandcomparisonwiththecreasesinthepaperandthecalculationshehadjustmade，provedtobeidentical。

"Therewasasolidbodyinthatpaper，"saidPaulquietly；"aparallelogramexactlynineincheslongandthreewide。"

"Isay！you"rewonderfullyclever，don"tyouknow，"saidthestranger，withunaffectedwonder。"Iseeitall——abrick。"

Paulsmiledgentlyandshookhishead。"Thatisthehastyinferenceofaninexperiencedobserver。YouwillobserveatthepointofimpactofyourwheeltheparallelcreaseisCURVED，asfromtheyieldingoftheresistingsubstances，andnotBROKEN，asitwouldbebythecrumblingofabrick。"

"Isay，you"reawfullydetective，don"tyouknow！justlikethatfellow——what"shisname？"saidthestrangeradmiringly。

ThewordsrecalledPaultohimself。Whywasheactinglikeadetective？andwhatwasheseekingtodiscover？Nevertheless，hefeltimpelledtocontinue。"Andthatqueeroldchapwhomyoumet——

whydidn"thehelpyou？"

"BecauseIpassedhimbeforeIranintothe——theparallelogram，andIsupposehedidn"tknowwhathappenedbehindhim？"

"Didhehaveanythinginhishand？"

"Can"tsay。"

"Andyousayyouwereunconsciousafterwards？"

"Yes！"

"Longenoughfortheculprittoremovetheprincipalevidenceofhiscrime？"

"Come！Isay，reallyyouare——youknowyouare！"

"Haveyouanysecretenemy？"

"No。"

"Andyoudon"tknowMr。Bunker，themanwhoownsthisvastestate？"

"Notatall。I"mfromUpperTooting。"

"Goodafternoon，"saidPaulabruptly，andturnedaway。

Itstruckhimafterwardsthathisactionmighthaveseemeduncivil，andeveninhuman，tothebruisedcyclist，whocouldhardlywalk。

Butitwasgettinglate，andhewasstillfarfromtheHall，which，oddlyenough，seemedtobenolongervisiblefromtheroad。Hewanderedonforsometime，halfconvincedthathehadpassedthelodgegates，yethopingtofindsomeotherentrancetothedomain。

Duskwasfalling；theroundedoutlinesoftheparktreesbeyondthewallweresolidmassesofshadow。Thefullmoon，presentlyrising，restoredthemagaintosymmetry，andatlasthe，tohisrelief，cameuponthemassivegateway。Twolionsrampedinstoneonthesidepillars。Hethoughtitstrangethathehadnotnoticedthegatewayonhispreviousentrance，butherememberedthathewasfullypreoccupiedwiththeadvancingfigureofhisuncle。InafewminutestheHallitselfappeared，andhereagainhewassurprisedthathehadoverlookedbeforeitsnobleproportionsandpicturesqueoutline。Itsbroadterraces，dazzlinglywhiteinthemoonlight；

itslonglineofmullionedwindows，suffusedwithawarmredglowfromwithin，madeitlooklikepartofawintrylandscape——andsuggestedaChristmascard。Thevenerableivythathidtheravagestimehadmadeinitswallslookedlikeblackcarving。Hisheartswelledwithstrangeemotionsashegazedathisancestralhall。

Howmanyofhisbloodhadlivedanddiedthere；howmanyhadgoneforthfromthatgreatporchtodistantlands！Hetriedtothinkofhisfather——alittlechild——peepingbetweenthebalustradesofthatterrace。Hetriedtothinkofit，andperhapswouldhavesucceededhaditnotoccurredtohimthatitwasaknownfactthathisunclehadboughttheestateandhouseofanimpoverishednoblemanonlytheyearbefore。Yet——hecouldnottellwhy——heseemedtofeelhigherandnoblerforthattrial。

Theterracewasdeserted，andsoquietthatasheascendedtoithisfootstepsseemedtoechofromthewalls。Whenhereachedtheportals，thegreatoakendoorswungnoiselesslyonitshinges——

openedbysomeunseenbutwaitingservitor——andadmittedhimtoaloftyhall，darkwithhangingsandfamilyportraits，butwarmedbyaredcarpetthewholelengthofitsstonefloor。Foramomenthewaitedfortheservanttoshowhimtothedrawing-roomorhisuncle"sstudy。Butnooneappeared。BelievingthistobeapartofthecharacteristicsimplicityoftheQuakerhousehold，heboldlyenteredthefirstdoor，andfoundhimselfinabrilliantlylitandperfectlyemptydrawing-room。Thesameexperiencemethimwiththeotherroomsonthatfloor——thedining-roomdisplayinganalreadyset，exquisitelyfurnishedanddecoratedtable，withchairsfortwentyguests！Hemechanicallyascendedthewideoakenstaircasethatledtothecorridorofbedroomsaboveacentralsalon。Herehefoundonlythesamesolitude。Bedroomdoorsyieldedtohistouch，onlytoshowthesamebrilliantlylitvacancy。HepresentlycameupononeroomwhichseemedtogiveunmistakablesignsofHIS

OWNoccupancy。Surelytherestoodhisowndressing-caseonthetable！andhisowneveningclothescarefullylaidoutonanother，asiffreshfromavalet"shands。Hesteppedhastilyintothecorridor——therewasnoonethere；herangthebell——therewasnoresponse！Buthenoticedthattherewasajugofhotwaterinhisbasin，andhebegandressingmechanically。

Therewaslittledoubtthathewasinahauntedhouse，butthisdidnotparticularlydisturbhim。Indeed，hefoundhimselfwonderingifitcouldbelogicallycalledahauntedhouse——unlesshehimselfwashauntingit，forthereseemedtobenootherthere。Perhapstheapparitionswouldcomelater，whenhewasdressed。Clearlyitwasnothisuncle"shouse——andyet，ashehadneverbeeninsidehisuncle"shouse，hereflectedthatheoughtnottobepositive。

Hefinisheddressingandsatdowninanarmchairwithakindofthoughtfulexpectancy。Butpresentlyhiscuriositybecameimpatientofthesilenceandmystery，andheventuredoncemoretoexplorethehouse。Openinghisbedroomdoor，hefoundhimselfagainuponthedesertedcorridor，butthistimehecoulddistinctlyhearabuzzofvoicesfromthedrawing-roombelow。Assuredthathewasnearasolutionofthemystery，herapidlydescendedthebroadstaircaseandmadehiswaytotheopendoorofthedrawing-room。

Butalthoughthesoundofvoicesincreasedasheadvanced，whenheenteredtheroom，tohisutterastonishment，itwasasemptyasbefore。

Yet，inspiteofhisbewildermentandconfusion，hewasabletofollowoneofthevoices，which，initspeculiardistinctnessandhalf-perfunctorytone，heconcludedmustbelongtothehostoftheinvisibleassembly。

"Ah，"saidthevoice，greetingsomeunseenvisitor，"sogladyouhavecome。Afraidyourengagementsjustnowwouldkeepyouaway。"

Thenthevoicedroppedtoalowerandmoreconfidentialtone。"YoumusttakedownLadyDartman，butyouwillhaveMissMorecamp——aclevergirl——ontheothersideofyou。Ah，SirGeorge！Sogoodofyoutocome。AllwellatthePriory？Sogladtohearit。"（Lowerandmoreconfidentially。）"YouknowMrs。Monkston。You"llsitbyher。Alittlecutupbyherhusbandlosinghisseat。Trytoamuseher。"

Emboldenedbydesperation，Paulturnedinthedirectionofthevoice。"IamPaulBunker，"hesaidhesitatingly。"I"mafraidyou"llthinkmeintrusive，butIwaslookingformyuncle，and"——

"Intrusive，mydearboy！Thesonofmynearneighborinthecountryintrusive？Really，now，Ilikethat！Grace！"（thevoiceturnedinanotherdirection）"hereistheAmericannephewofourneighborBunkeratWiddlestone，whothinksheis"astranger。""

"WeallknewofyourexpectedarrivalatWiddlestone——itwassogoodofyoutowaiveceremonyandjoinus，"saidawell-bredfemininevoice，whichPaulatonceassumedtobelongtothehostess。"ButImustfindsomeoneforyourdinnerpartner。Mary"

（herehervoicewaslikewiseturnedaway），"thisisMr。Bunker，thenephewofanoldfriendandneighborinUpshire；"（thevoiceagainturnedtohim），"youwilltakeMissMorecampin。Mydear"（onceagainaverted），"ImustfindsomeoneelsetoconsolepoordearLordBillingtreewith。"Herethehostess"svoicewasdrownedbyfresharrivals。

Bewilderedandconfusedashewas，standinginthisemptydesertofadrawing-room，yetencompassedoneverysidebyhumanvoices，somarvelouswasthepowerofsuggestion，heseemedtoalmostfeeltheimpactoftheinvisiblecrowd。Hewastryingdesperatelytorealizehissituationwhenasingularlyfascinatingvoiceathiselbowunexpectedlyassistedhim。Itwasevidentlyhisdinnerpartner。

"Isupposeyoumustbetiredafteryourjourney。Whendidyouarrive？"

"Onlyafewhoursago，"saidPaul。

"AndIdaresayyouhaven"tsleptsinceyouarrived。Onedoesn"tonthepassage，youknow；thetwentyhourspasssoquickly，andtheexperienceissoexciting——toUSatleast。ButIsupposeasanAmericanyouareusedtoit。"

Paulgasped。Hehadpassivelyacceptedthebodilessconversation，becauseitwasatleastintelligible！ButNOW！Washegoingmad？

Sheevidentlynoticedhissilence。"Nevermind，"shecontinued，"youcantellmeallaboutitatdinner。DoyouknowIalwaysthinkthatthissortofthing——whatwe"redoingnow，——thisridiculousformalityofreception，——whichIsupposeisafterallonlyaconcessiontoourEnglishforceofhabit，——isabsurd！Weoughttopass，asitwere，directlyfromourhousestothedinner-

table。Itsavestime。"

"Yes——no——thatis——I"mafraidIdon"tfollowyou，"stammeredPaul。

Therewasaslightpoutinhervoiceasshereplied："Nomatternow——wemustfollowthem——forourhostismovingoffwithLadyBillingtree，andit"sourturnnow。"

Sogreatwastheillusionthathefoundhimselfmechanicallyofferinghisarmashemovedthroughtheemptyroomtowardsthedoor。Thenhedescendedthestaircasewithoutanotherword，preceded，however，bythesoundofhishost"svoice。Followingthisasablindmanmight，heenteredthedining-room，whichtohisdiscomfiturewasasemptyasthesalonabove。Stillfollowingthehost"svoice，hedroppedintoachairbeforetheemptytable，wonderingwhatvariationoftheBarmecidefeastwasinstoreforhim。Yetthehumofvoicesfromthevacantchairsaroundtheboardsostronglyimpressedhimthathecouldalmostbelievethathewasactuallyatdinner。

"Areyouseated？"askedthecharmingvoiceathisside。

"Yes，"alittlewonderingly，ashiswastheonlyseatvisiblyoccupied。

"Iamsogladthatthissillyceremonyisover。Bytheway，whereareyou？"

Paulwouldhavelikedtoanswer，"Lordonlyknows！"buthereflectedthatitmightnotsoundpolite。"WhereamI？"hefeeblyrepeated。

"Yes；whereareyoudining？"

Itseemedacoolquestionunderthecircumstances，butheansweredpromptly，——

"Withyou。"

"Ofcourse，"saidthecharmingvoice；"butwhereareyoueatingyourdinner？"

Consideringthathewasnoteatinganything，Paulthoughtthiscoolerstill。Butheansweredbriefly，"InUpshire。"

"Oh！Atyouruncle"s？"

"No，"saidPaulbluntly；"inthenexthouse。"

"Why，that"sSirWilliam"s——ourhost"s——andheandhisfamilyarehereinLondon。Youarejoking。"

"Listen！"saidPauldesperately。Theninavoiceunconsciouslyloweredhehurriedlytoldherwherehewas——howhecamethere——theemptyhouse——theviewlesscompany！Tohissurprisetheonlyresponsewasamusicallittlelaugh。Butthenextmomenthervoicerosehigherwithanunmistakableconcerninit，apparentlyaddressingtheirinvisiblehost。

"Oh，SirWilliam，onlythinkhowdreadful。Here"spoorMr。Bunker，aloneinanemptyhouse，whichhehasmistakenforhisuncle"s——andwithoutanydinner！"

"Really；dear，dear！Howprovoking！ButhowdoeshehappentobeWITHUS？James，howisthis？"

"Ifyouplease，SirWilliam，"saidaservant"srespectfulvoice，"Widdlestoneisinthecircuitandisswitchedonwiththeothers。

Weheardthatagentleman"sluggagehadarrivedatWiddlestone，andwetelegraphedfortheroomstobemadeready，thinkingwe"dhaveherladyship"sorderslater。"

AsinglegleamofintelligenceflasheduponPaul。Hisluggage——

yes，hadbeensentfromthestationtothewronghouse，andhehadunwittinglyfollowed。Butthesevoices！whencedidtheycome？Andwherewastheactualdinneratwhichhishostwaspresiding？Itclearlywasnotatthisemptytable。

"Seethathehaseverythinghewantsatonce，"saidSirWilliam；

"theremustbesomeonethere。"ThenhisvoiceturnedinthedirectionofPaulagain，andhesaidlaughingly，"Possessyoursoulandappetiteinpatienceforamoment，Mr。Bunker；youwillbeonlyacoursebehindus。Butweareluckyinhavingyourcompany——evenatyourowndiscomfort。"

Stillmorebewildered，Paulturnedtohisinvisiblepartner。"MayIaskwhereYOUaredining？"

"Certainly；athomeinCurzonStreet，"returnedtheprettyvoice。

"Itwasrainingso，Ididnotgoout。"

"And——LordBillington？"falteredPaul。

"Oh，he"sinScotland——athisownplace。"

"Then，infact，nobodyisdininghereatall，"saidPauldesperately。

Therewasaslightpause，andthenthevoiceresponded，withatouchofstartledsuggestioninit："Goodheavens，Mr。Bunker！Isitpossibleyoudon"tknowwe"rediningbytelephone？"

"Bywhat？"

"Telephone。Yes。We"reatelephonicdinner-party。Wearedininginourownhouses；but，beingallfriends，we"reswitchedontoeachother，andconverseexactlyaswewouldattable。Itsavesagreattroubleandexpense，foranyoneofuscangivetheparty，andthepoorestcanequalthemostextravagant。Peoplewhoareobligedtodietcanpartakeoftheirownslopsathome，andyetminglewiththegourmetswithoutawkwardnessorthenecessityofapology。Wearesparedthespectacle，atleast，ofthosewhoeatanddrinktoomuch。Wecanswitchoffaboreatonce。Wecanretirewhenwearefatigued，withoutleavingablankspacebeforetheothers。Andallthiswithoutsayinganythingofthehigherspiritualandintellectualeffect——freedfrommaterialgrossnessofappetiteandshow——whichthedinnerpartythusattains。Butyouaresurelyjoking！You，anAmerican，andnotknowit！Why，itcomesfromBoston。Haven"tyoureadthatbook，"JumpingaCentury"？

It"sbyanAmerican。"

AstrangeilluminationcameuponPaul。Wherehadheheardsomethinglikethisbefore？Butatthesamemomenthisthoughtsweredivertedbythematerialentranceofafootman，bearingasilversalverwithhisdinner。Itwaspartofhissingularexperiencethatthevisibleentranceofthisreal，commonplacemortal——theonlyonehehadseen——inthemidstofthisvoicelesssolitudewasdistinctlyunreal，andhadalltheeffectofanapparition。Hedistrusteditandthedishesbeforehim。Buthislivelypartner"svoicewasnowaddressinganunseenoccupantofthenextchair。Hadshegottiredofhisignorance，orwasitfemininetacttoenablehimtoeatsomething？Heacceptedthelatterhypothesis，andtriedtoeat。Buthefelthimselffollowingthefascinatingvoiceinallthecharmofitsyouthfulandspiritualinflections。Takingadvantageofitsmomentarysilence，hesaidgently，——

"Iconfessmyignorance，andamwillingtoadmitallyouclaimforthiswonderfulinvention。Butdoyouthinkitcompensatesforthelossoftheindividualperson？Takemyowncase——ifyouwillnotthinkmepersonal。Ihaveneverhadthepleasureofseeingyou；doyoubelievethatIamcontentwithonlythatsuggestionofyourpersonalitywhichthesatisfactionofhearingyourvoiceaffordsme？"

Therewasapause，andthenaverymischievousringinthevoicethatreplied："Itcertainlyisapersonalquestion，anditisanotherblessingofthisinventionthatyou"llneverknowwhetherI

amblushingornot；butIforgiveyou，forIneverbeforespoketoanyoneIhadneverseen——andIsupposeit"sconfusion。Butdoyoureallythinkyouwouldknowme——theREALone——anybetter？Itistherealpersonwhothinksandspeaks，nottheoutwardsemblancethatwesee，whichveryoftenunfairlyeitherattractsorrepelsus？WecanalwaysSHOWourselvesatourbest，butwemust，atlast，revealourtruecolorsthroughourthoughtsandspeech。

Isn"titbettertobeginwiththerealthingfirst？"

"Ihope，atleast，tohavetheprivilegeofjudgingbymyself，"

saidPaulgallantly。"Youwillnotbesocruelasnottoletmeseeyouelsewhere，otherwiseIshallfeelasifIwereinsomedream，andwillcertainlybeopposedtoyourpreferenceforrealities。"

"Iamnotcertainifthedreamwouldnotbemoreinterestingtoyou，"saidthevoicelaughingly。"ButIthinkyourhostessisalreadysaying"good-by。"Youknoweverybodygoesatonceatthiskindofparty；theladiesdon"tretirefirst，andthegentlemenjointhemafterwards。Inanothermomentwe"llALLbeswitchedoff；

butSirWilliamwantsmetotellyouthathiscoachmanwilldriveyoutoyouruncle"s，unlessyouprefertotryandmakeyourselfcomfortableforthenighthere。Good-by！"

Thevoicesaroundhimseemedtogrowfainter，andthenutterlycease。Thelightssuddenlyleapedup，wentout，andlefthimincompletedarkness。Heattemptedtorise，butindoingsooversetthedishesbeforehim，whichslidtothefloor。Acoldairseemedtoblowacrosshisfeet。The"good-by"wasstillringinginhisearsashestraightenedhimselftofindhewasinhisrailwaycarriage，whosedoorhadjustbeenopenedforayoungladywhowasenteringthecompartmentfromawaysidestation。"Good-by，"sherepeatedtothefriendwhowasseeingheroff。TheWriterofStorieshurriedlystraightenedhimself，gatheredupthemagazinesandpapersthathadfallenfromhislap，andglancedatthestationwalls。Theoldillustrationsglancedbackathim！Helookedathiswatch；hehadbeenasleepjusttenminutes！

BOHEMIANDAYSINSANFRANCISCO

ItisbutjusttotherespectablememoryofSanFranciscothatinthesevagrantrecollectionsIshoulddeprecateatonceanysuggestionthatthelevityofmytitledescribeditsdominanttoneatanyperiodofmyearlyexperiences。Onthecontrary，itwasasingularfactthatwhiletherestofCaliforniawasswayedbyaneasy，carelessunconventionalism，orsweptoverbywavesofemotionandsentiment，SanFranciscopreservedanintenselymaterialandpracticalattitude，andevenacertainausteremorality。Idonot，ofcourse，alludetothebriefdaysof"49，whenitwasastragglingbeachofhutsandstrandedhulks，buttotheearlierstagesofitsdevelopmentintothemetropolisofCalifornia。Itsfirsttotteringstepsinthatdirectionweremarkedbyadistinctgravityanddecorum。Evenduringtheperiodwhentherevolversettledsmallprivatedifficulties，andVigilanceCommitteesadjudicatedlargerpublicones，anunmistakableseriousnessandrespectabilitywastherulingsignofitsgoverningclass。ItwasnotimprobablethatunderthereignoftheCommitteethelawlessandviciousclassweremoreappalledbythemoralspectacleofseveralthousandblack-coated，serious-mindedbusinessmeninembattledprocessionthanbymereforceofarms，andone"suspect"——

aprize-fighter——isknowntohavecommittedsuicideinhiscellafterconfrontationwithhisgraveandpassionlessshopkeepingjudges。EventhatpeculiarqualityofCalifornianhumorwhichwasapttomitigatetheextravagancesoftherevolverandtheuncertaintiesofpokerhadnoplaceinthedecorousandresponsibleutteranceofSanFrancisco。Thepresswassober，materialistic，practical——whenitwasnotseverelyadmonitoryofexistingevil；

thefewsmallerpapersthatindulgedinlevitywereconsideredlibelousandimproper。FancywasdisplacedbyheavyarticlesontherevenuesoftheStateandinducementstotheinvestmentofcapital。Localnewswasunderanimpliedcensorshipwhichsuppressedanythingthatmighttendtodiscouragetimidorcautiouscapital。Episodesofromanticlawlessnessorpatheticincidentsofmininglifewerecarefullyedited——withthecommentthatthesethingsbelongedtothepast，andthatlifeandpropertywerenow"assafeinSanFranciscoasinNewYorkorLondon。"

Wonder-lovingvisitorsinquestofscenescharacteristicofthecivilizationwerecoldlysnubbedwiththisassurance。Fires，floods，andevenseismicconvulsionsweresubjectedtoalikegrimlymaterialisticoptimism。Ihaveavividrecollectionofaponderouseditorialononeofthesevererearthquakes，inwhichitwasassertedthatonlytheUNEXPECTEDNESSoftheonsetpreventedSanFranciscofrommeetingitinawaythatwouldbedeterrentofallfutureattacks。Theunconsciousnessofthehumorwasonlyequaledbythegravitywithwhichitwasreceivedbythewholebusinesscommunity。Strangelyenough，thisgravematerialismflourishedsidebysidewith——andwasevensustainedby——anarrowreligiousstrictnessmorecharacteristicofthePilgrimFathersofapastcenturythantheWesternpioneersofthepresent。SanFranciscowasearlyacityofchurchesandchurchorganizationstowhichtheleadingmenandmerchantsbelonged。ThelaxSundaysofthedyingSpanishraceseemedonlytoprovokearevivaloftherigorsofthePuritanSabbath。WiththeSpaniardandhisSundayafternoonbullfightscarcelyanhourdistant，theSanFranciscopulpitthunderedagainstSundaypicnics。Oneofthepopularpreachers，declaiminguponthepracticeofSundaydinner-giving，averredthatwhenhesawaguestinhisbestSundayclothesstandingshamelesslyuponthedoorstepofhishost，hefeltlikeseizinghimbytheshoulderanddragginghimfromthatthresholdofperdition。

Againsttheactualheathenthefeelingwasevenstronger，andreacheditsclimaxoneSundaywhenaChinamanwasstonedtodeathbyacrowdofchildrenreturningfromSunday-school。Iamofferingtheseexampleswithnoethicalpurpose，butmerelytoindicateasingularcontradictoryconditionwhichIdonotthinkwritersofearlyCalifornianhistoryhavefairlyrecorded。Itisnotmyprovincetosuggestanytheoryfortheseappallingexceptionstotheusualgood-humoredlawlessnessandextravaganceoftherestoftheState。Theymayhavebeenessentialagenciestothegrowthandevolutionofthecity。Theywereundoubtedlysincere。TheimpressionsIproposetogiveofcertainscenesandincidentsofmyearlyexperiencemust，therefore，betakenaspurelypersonalandBohemian，andtheirselectionasequallyindividualandvagrant。I

amwritingofwhatinterestedmeatthetime，thoughnotperhapsofwhatwasmoregenerallycharacteristicofSanFrancisco。

Ihadbeenthereaweek——anidleweek，spentinlistlessoutlookforemployment；afullweekinmyeagerabsorptionofthestrangelifearoundmeandaphotographicsensitivenesstocertainscenesandincidentsofthosedays，whichstartoutofmymemoryto-dayasfreshlyasthedaytheyimpressedme。

Oneoftheserecollectionsisof"steamernight，"asitwascalled，——thenightof"steamerday，"——precedingthedepartureofthemailsteamshipwiththemailsfor"home。"Indeed，atthattimeSanFranciscomaybesaidtohavelivedfromsteamerdaytosteamerday；billsweremadedueonthatday，interestcomputedtothatperiod，andaccountssettled。Thenextdaywastheturningofanewleaf：anotheressaytofortune，anotherinspirationofenergy。

Sorecognizedwasthefactthatevenordinarychangesofcondition，socialanddomestic，wereputasideuntilAFTERsteamerday。"I"llseewhatIcandoafternextsteamerday"wasthecommoncautiousorhopefulformula。Itwasthe"Saturdaynight"ofmanyawage-

earner——andtohimanightoffestivity。Thethoroughfareswereanimatedandcrowded；thesaloonsandtheatresfull。IcanrecallmyselfatsuchtimeswanderingalongtheCityFront，asthebusinesspartofSanFranciscowasthenknown。Herethelightswereburningallnight，thefirststreaksofdawnfindingthemerchantsstillattheircounting-housedesks。Irememberthedimlinesofwarehousesliningtheinsecurewharvesofrottenpiles，halffilledin——thathadceasedtobewharves，buthadnotyetbecomestreets，——theirtreacherousyawningdepths，withtheuncertaingleamoftarlikemudbelow，attimesstillvocalwiththelapandgurgleofthetide。Iremembertheweirdstoriesofdisappearingmenfoundafterwardimbeddedintheoozeinwhichtheyhadfallenandgaspedtheirlifeaway。Irememberthetwoorthreeships，stillleftstandingwheretheywerebeachedayearortwobefore，builtinbetweenwarehouses，theirbowsprojectingintotheroadway。Therewasthedignityoftheseaanditsboundlessfreedomintheirbeautifulcurves，whichtheabuttinghousescouldnotdestroy，andevensomethingofthesea"slonelinessinthefar-

spacedportsandcabinwindowslitupbythelampsoftheprosaiclandsmenwhopliedtheirtradesbehindthem。Oneoftheseships，transformedintoahotel，retaineditsname，theNiantic，andpartofitscharacteristicinteriorunchanged。Iremembertheseships"

oldtenants——therats——whohadincreasedandmultipliedtosuchanextentthatatnighttheyfearlesslycrossedthewayfarer"spathateveryturn，andeveninvadedthegildedsaloonsofMontgomeryStreet。IntheNiantictheirpit-a-patwasmetoneverystaircase，anditwassaidthatsometimesinanexcessofsociabilitytheyaccompaniedthetravelertohisroom。Intheearly"cloth-and-

papered"houses——socalledbecausetheceilingswerenotplastered，butsimplycoveredbystretchedandwhitewashedcloth——theirscamperingswereplainlyindicatedinzigzagmovementsofthesaggingcloth，ortheybecameactuallyvisiblebyfinallydroppingthroughtheholestheyhadworninit！Irememberthehousewhosefoundationsweremadeofboxesofplugtobacco——partofajettisonedcargo——usedinsteadofmoreexpensivelumber；andtheadjacentwarehousewherethetrunksoftheearlyandforgotten"forty-niners"werestored，and——neverclaimedbytheirdeadormissingowners——werefinallysoldatauction。Irememberthestrongbreathoftheseaoverall，andtheconstantonsetofthetradewindswhichhelpedtodisinfectthedepositofdirtandgrime，decayandwreckage，whichwerestirredupinthelaterevolutionsofthecity。

OrIrecall，withthesamesenseofyouthfulsatisfactionandunabatedwonder，mywanderingsthroughtheSpanishQuarter，wherethreecenturiesofquaintcustoms，speech，anddresswerestillpreserved；wheretheproverbsofSanchoPanzawerestillspokeninthelanguageofCervantes，andthehigh-flownillusionsoftheLaManchianknightstillapartoftheSpanishCalifornianhidalgo"sdream。Irecallthemoremodern"Greaser，"orMexican——hisindexfingersteepedincigarettestains；hisvelvetjacketandhiscrimsonsash；themany-flouncedskirtandlacemantaofhiswomen，andtheircaressingintonations——theonemusicalutteranceofthewholehard-voicedcity。IsupposeIhadaboy"sdigestionandbluntnessoftasteinthosedays，forthecombinedodoroftobacco，burnedpaper，andgarlic，whichmarkedthatmelodiousbreath，didnotaffectme。

PerhapsfrommyPuritantrainingIexperiencedamorefearfuljoyinthegamblingsaloons。Theywerethelargestandmostcomfortable，evenastheywerethemostexpensivelydecoratedroomsinSanFrancisco。HereagainthegravityanddecorumwhichIhavealreadyalludedtowerepresentatthatearlierperiod——thoughperhapsfromconcentrationofanotherkind。PeoplestakedandlosttheirlastdollarwithacalmsolemnityandaresignationthatwasalmostChristian。Theoaths，exclamations，andfeverishinterruptionswhichoftencharacterizedmoredignifiedassemblieswereabsenthere。Therewasnoroomforthelesservices；therewaslittleornodrunkenness；thegaudilydressedandpaintedwomenwhopresidedoverthewheelsoffortuneorperformedontheharpandpianoattractednoattentionfromthoseasceticplayers。Themanwhohadwontenthousanddollarsandthemanwhohadlosteverythingrosefromthetablewithequalsilenceandimperturbability。Ineverwitnessedanytragicsequeltothoselosses；Ineverheardofanysuicideonaccountofthem。NeithercanIrecallanyquarrelormurderdirectlyattributabletothiskindofgambling。Itmustberememberedthatthesepublicgameswerechieflyrougeetnoir，monte，faro，orroulette，inwhichtheantagonistwasFate，Chance，Method，ortheimpersonal"bank，"whichwassupposedtorepresentthemall；therewasnoindividualoppositionorrivalry；nobodychallengedthedecisionofthe"croupier，"ordealer。

Irememberaconversationatthedoorofonesaloonwhichwasascharacteristicforitsbrevityasitwasatypeoftheprevailingstoicism。"Hello！"saidadepartingminer，asherecognizedabrotherminercomingin，"whendidyoucomedown？""Thismorning，"

wasthereply。"Madeastrikeonthebar？"suggestedthefirstspeaker。"Youbet！"saidtheother，andpassedin。Ichancedanhourlatertobeatthesameplaceastheymetagain——theirrelativepositionschanged。"Hello！Wharnow？"saidtheincomer。

"Backtothebar。""Cleanedout？""Youbet！"Notawordmoreexplainedacommonsituation。

Myfirstyouthfulexperienceatthosetableswasanaccidentalone。

Iwaswatchingrouletteoneevening，intenselyabsorbedinthemeremovementoftheplayers。Eithertheyweresopreoccupiedwiththegame，orIwasreallyolderlookingthanmyactualyears，butabystanderlaidhishandfamiliarlyonmyshoulder，andsaid，astoanordinaryhabitue，"Efyou"renotchippin"inyourself，pardner，s"poseyougiveMEashow。"NowIhonestlybelievethatuptothatmomentIhadnointention，norevenadesire，totrymyownfortune。ButintheembarrassmentofthesuddenaddressIputmyhandinmypocket，drewoutacoin，andlaidit，withanattemptatcarelessness，butavividconsciousnessthatIwasblushing，uponavacantnumber。TomyhorrorIsawthatIhadputdownalargecoin——thebulkofmypossessions！Ididnotflinch，however；I

thinkanyboywhoreadsthiswillunderstandmyfeeling；itwasnotonlymycoinbutmymanhoodatstake。Igazedwithamiserableshowofindifferenceattheplayers，atthechandelier——anywherebutatthedreadfulballspinningroundthewheel。Therewasapause；thegamewasdeclared，therakerattledupanddown，butstillIdidnotlookatthetable。Indeed，inmyinexperienceofthegameandmyembarrassment，IdoubtifIshouldhaveknownifI

hadwonornot。IhadmadeupmymindthatIshouldlose，butI

mustdosolikeaman，and，aboveall，withoutgivingtheleastsuspicionthatIwasagreenhorn。Ievenaffectedtobelisteningtothemusic。Thewheelspunagain；thegamewasdeclared，therakewasbusy，butIdidnotmove。AtlastthemanIhaddisplacedtouchedmeonthearmandwhispered，"Bettermakeastraddleanddivideyourstakethistime。"Ididnotunderstandhim，butasI

sawhewaslookingattheboard，Iwasobligedtolook，too。I

drewbackdazedandbewildered！Wheremycoinhadlainamomentbeforewasaglitteringheapofgold。

Mystakehaddoubled，quadrupled，anddoubledagain。Ididnotknowhowmuchthen——-Idonotknownow——itmayhavebeennotmorethanthreeorfourhundreddollars——butitdazzledandfrightenedme。"Makeyourgame，gentlemen，"saidthecroupiermonotonously。

Ithoughthelookedatme——indeed，everybodyseemedtobelookingatme——andmycompanionrepeatedhiswarning。ButhereImustagainappealtotheboyishreaderindefenseofmyidioticobstinacy。Tohavetakenadvicewouldhaveshownmyyouth。I

shookmyhead——Icouldnottrustmyvoice。Ismiled，butwithasinkingheart，andletmystakeremain。Theballagainspedroundthewheel，andstopped。Therewasapause。Thecroupierindolentlyadvancedhisrakeandsweptmywholepilewithothersintothebank！Ihadlostitall。PerhapsitmaybedifficultformetoexplainwhyIactuallyfeltrelieved，andeventosomeextenttriumphant，butIseemedtohaveassertedmygrown-upindependence——

possiblyatthecostofreducingthenumberofmymealsfordays；

butwhatofthat！Iwasaman！IwishIcouldsaythatitwasalessontome。Iamafraiditwasnot。ItwastruethatIdidnotgambleagain，butthenIhadnoespecialdesireto——andtherewasnotemptation。Iamafraiditwasanincidentwithoutamoral。

YetithadonetouchcharacteristicoftheperiodwhichIliketoremember。Themanwhohadspokentome，Ithink，suddenlyrealized，atthemomentofmydisastrouscoup，thefactofmyextremeyouth。Hemovedtowardthebanker，andleaningoverhimwhisperedafewwords。Thebankerlookedup，halfimpatiently，halfkindly——hishandstrayingtentativelytowardthepileofcoin。

Iinstinctivelyknewwhathemeant，and，summoningmydetermination，methiseyeswithalltheindifferenceIcouldassume，andwalkedaway。

Ihadatthatperiodasmallroomatthetopofahouseownedbyadistantrelation——asecondorthirdcousin，Ithink。Hewasamanofindependentandoriginalcharacter，hadaUlysseanexperienceofmenandcities，andanoldEnglishnameofwhichhewasproud。

WhileinLondonhehadprocuredfromtheHeralds"Collegehisfamilyarms，whosecrestwasstampeduponaquantityofplatehehadbroughtwithhimtoCalifornia。Theplate，togetherwithanexceptionallygoodcook，whichhehadalsobrought，andhisownepicureantastes，heutilizedintheusualpracticalCalifornianfashionbystartingaratherexpensivehalf-club，half-restaurantinthelowerpartofthebuilding——whichheruledsomewhatautocratically，asbecamehiscrest。Therestaurantwastooexpensiveformetopatronize，butIsawmanyofitsfrequentersaswellasthosewhohadroomsattheclub。Theyweremenofverydistinctpersonality；afewcelebrated，andnearlyallnotorious。

TheyrepresentedaBohemianism——ifsuchitcouldbecalled——lessinnocentthanmylaterexperiences。Iremember，however，onehandsomeyoungfellowwhomIusedtomeetoccasionallyonthestaircase，whocapturedmyyouthfulfancy。Imethimonlyatmidday，ashedidnotrisetilllate，andthisfact，withacertainscrupulouseleganceandneatnessinhisdress，oughttohavemademesuspectthathewasagambler。Inmyinexperienceitonlyinvestedhimwithacertainromanticmystery。

OnemorningasIwasgoingouttomyveryearlybreakfastatacheapItaliancafeonLongWharf，Iwassurprisedtofindhimalsodescendingthestaircase。Hewasscrupulouslydressedevenatthatearlyhour，butIwasstruckbythefactthathewasallinblack，andhisslightfigure，buttonedtothethroatinatightlyfittingfrockcoat，gave，Ifancied，asingularmelancholytohispaleSouthernface。Nevertheless，hegreetedmewithmorethanhisusualserenecordiality，andIrememberedthathelookedupwithahalf-puzzled，half-amusedexpressionattherosymorningskyashewalkedafewstepswithmedownthedesertedstreet。IcouldnothelpsayingthatIwasastonishedtoseehimupsoearly，andheadmittedthatitwasabreakinhisusualhabits，butaddedwithasmilingsignificanceIafterwardsrememberedthatitwas"anevenchanceifhediditagain。"Aswenearedthestreetcorneramaninabuggydroveupimpatiently。Inspiteofthedriver"sevidenthaste，myhandsomeacquaintancegotinleisurely，and，liftinghisglossyhattomewithapleasantsmile，wasdrivenaway。Ihaveaverylastingrecollectionofhisfaceandfigureasthebuggydisappeareddowntheemptystreet。Ineversawhimagain。ItwasnotuntilaweeklaterthatIknewthatanhourafterheleftmethatmorninghewaslyingdeadinalittlehollowbehindtheMissionDolores——shotthroughtheheartinaduelforwhichhehadrisensoearly。

Irecallanotherincidentofthatperiod，equallycharacteristic，buthappilylesstragicinsequel。Iwasintherestaurantonemorningtalkingtomycousinwhenamanenteredhastilyandsaidsomethingtohiminahurriedwhisper。Mycousincontractedhiseyebrowsandutteredasuppressedoath。Thenwithagestureofwarningtothemanhecrossedtheroomquietlytoatablewherearegularhabitueoftherestaurantwaslazilyfinishinghisbreakfast。Alargesilvercoffee-potwithastiffwoodenhandlestoodonthetablebeforehim。Mycousinleanedovertheguestfamiliarlyandapparentlymadesomehospitableinquiryastohiswants，withhishandrestinglightlyonthecoffee-pothandle。

Then——possiblybecause，mycuriosityhavingbeenexcited，Iwaswatchinghimmoreintentlythantheothers——Isawwhatprobablynooneelsesaw——thathedeliberatelyupsetthecoffee-potanditscontentsovertheguest"sshirtandwaistcoat。Asthevictimsprangupwithanexclamation，mycousinoverwhelmedhimwithapologiesforhiscarelessness，and，withprotestationsofsorrowfortheaccident，actuallyinsistedupondraggingthemanupstairsintohisownprivateroom，wherehefurnishedhimwithashirtandwaistcoatofhisown。Thesidedoorhadscarcelycloseduponthem，andIwasstilllostinwonderatwhatIhadseen，whenamanenteredfromthestreet。HewasoneofthedesperatesetIhavealreadyspokenof，andthoroughlywellknowntothosepresent。Hecastaglancearoundtheroom，noddedtooneortwooftheguests，andthenwalkedtoasidetableandtookupanewspaper。Iwasconsciousatoncethatasingularconstrainthadcomeovertheotherguests——anervousawkwardnessthatatlastseemedtomakeitselfknowntothemanhimself，who，afteranaffectedyawnortwo，laiddownthepaperandwalkedout。

"Thatwasamightyclosecall，"saidoneoftheguestswithasighofrelief。

"Youbet！Andthatcoffee-potspillwastheluckiestkindofaccidentforPeters，"returnedanother。

"Forboth，"addedthefirstspeaker，"forPeterswasarmedtoo，andwouldhaveseenhimcomein！"

Awordortwoexplainedall。Petersandthelastcomerhadquarreledadayortwobefore，andhadseparatedwiththeintentionto"shootonsight，"thatis，wherevertheymet，——aformofduelcommontothosedays。Theaccidentalmeetingintherestaurantwouldhavebeentheoccasion，withtheusualsanguinaryconsequence，butforthewordofwarninggiventomycousinbyapasser-bywhoknewthatPeters"antagonistwascomingtotherestauranttolookatthepapers。HadmycousinrepeatedthewarningtoPetershimselfhewouldonlyhavepreparedhimfortheconflict——whichhewouldnothaveshirked——andsoprecipitatedtheaffray。

Theruseofupsettingthecoffee-pot，whicheverybodybutmyselfthoughtanaccident，wastogethimoutoftheroombeforetheotherentered。Iwastooyoungthentoventuretointrudeuponmycousin"ssecrets，buttwoorthreeyearsafterwardsItaxedhimwiththetrickandheadmitteditregretfully。Ibelievethatastrictinterpretationofthe"code"wouldhavecondemnedhisactasunsportsmanlike，ifnotUNFAIR！

Irecallanotherincidentconnectedwiththebuildingequallycharacteristicoftheperiod。TheUnitedStatesBranchMintstoodverynearit，anditstall，factory-likechimneysovershadowedmycousin"sroof。Somescandalhadarisenfromanallegedleakageofgoldinthemanipulationofthatmetalduringthevariousprocessesofsmeltingandrefining。Oneoftheexcusesofferedwasthevolatilizationofthepreciousmetalanditsescapethroughthedraftofthetallchimneys。AllSanFranciscolaughedatthisexplanationuntilitlearnedthatacorroborationofthetheoryhadbeenestablishedbyanassayofthedustandgrimeoftheroofsinthevicinityoftheMint。Thesehadyieldeddistincttracesofgold。SanFranciscostoppedlaughing，andthatportionofitwhichhadroofsintheneighborhoodatoncebeganprospecting。Claimswerestakedoutontheseairyplacers，andmycousin"sroof，beingtheverynextonetothechimney，andpresumably"inthelead，"wasdisposedoftoaspeculativecompanyforaconsiderablesum。I

remembermycousintellingmethestory——fortheoccurrencewasquiterecent——andtakingmewithhimtotherooftoexplainit，butIamafraidIwasmoreattractedbythemysteryofthecloselyguardedbuilding，andthestrangelytintedsmokewhicharosefromthistemplewheremoneywasactuallybeing"made，"thanbyanythingelse。NordidIdreamasIstoodthere——averylanky，open-mouthedyouth——thatonlythreeorfouryearslaterIshouldbethesecretaryofitssuperintendent。InmymoreadventurousambitionI

amafraidIwouldhaveacceptedthesuggestionhalf-heartedly。

Merelytohavehelpedtostampthegoldwhichotherpeoplehadadventurouslyfoundwasbynomeansapartofmyyouthfuldreams。

AtthetimeoftheseearlierimpressionstheChinesehadnotyetbecometherecognizedfactorsinthedomesticandbusinesseconomyofthecitywhichtheyhadcometobewhenIreturnedfromtheminesthreeyearslater。Yettheywereeventhenamoreremarkableandpicturesquecontrasttothebustling，breathless，andbrand-newlifeofSanFranciscothantheSpaniard。Thelatterseldomflauntedhisfadeddignityintheprincipalthoroughfares。"John"

wastobemeteverywhere。Itwasacommonthingtoseealongfileofsampancooliescarryingtheirbasketsslungbetweenthem，onpoles，jostlingamodern，well-dressedcrowdinMontgomeryStreet，ortogetawhiffoftheirburnedpunkinthesidestreets；whiletheroadleadingtotheirtemporaryburial-groundatLoneMountainwaslitteredwithslipsofcoloredpaperscatteredfromtheirfunerals。TheybroughtanatmosphereoftheArabianNightsintothehard，moderncivilization；theirshops——notalwaysconfinedatthattimetoaChinesequarter——werereplicasofthebazaarsofCantonandPeking，withtheirquaintdisplayoflittledishesonwhichtidbitsoffooddelicacieswereexposedforsale，allofthedimensionsandunrealityofadoll"skitchenorachild"shousekeeping。

TheywerearevelationtotheEasternimmigrant，whosepreconceivedideasofthemwereborrowedfromtheballetorpantomime；theydidnotwearscallopeddrawersandhatswithjinglingbellsontheirpoints，nordidIeverseethemdancewiththeirforefingersverticallyextended。Theywerealwaysneatlydressed，eventhecommonestofcoolies，andtheirfestivedressesweremarvels。Astraderstheyweregraveandpatient；asservantstheyweresadandcivil，andallweresingularlyinfantineintheirnaturalsimplicity。Thelivingrepresentativesoftheoldestcivilizationintheworld，theyseemedlikechildren。Yettheykepttheirbeliefsandsympathiestothemselves，neverfraternizingwiththefanqui，orforeigndevil，orlosingtheirsingularracialqualities。Theyindulgedintheirownpeculiarhabits；oftheirsocialandinnerlife，SanFranciscoknewbutlittleandcaredless。Evenatthisearlyperiod，andbeforeIcametoknowthemmoreintimately，Irememberanincidentoftheirdaringfidelitytotheirowncustomsthatwasaccidentallyrevealedtome。IhadbecomeacquaintedwithaChineseyouthofaboutmyownage，asI

imagined，——althoughfrommereoutwardappearanceitwasgenerallyimpossibletojudgeofaChinaman"sagebetweenthelimitsofseventeenandfortyyears，——andhehad，inaburstofconfidence，takenmetoseesomecharacteristicsightsinaChinesewarehousewithinastone"sthrowofthePlaza。IwasstruckbythesingularcircumstancethatwhilethewarehousewasanerectionofwoodintheordinaryhastyCalifornianstyle，therewerecertainbrickandstonedivisionsinitsinterior，likesmallroomsorclosets，evidentlyaddedbytheChinamentenants。Mycompanionstoppedbeforealong，verynarrowentrance，amerelongitudinalslitinthebrickwall，andwithawinkofinfantinedeviltrymotionedmetolookinside。Ididso，andsawaroom，reallyacell，offairheightbutscarcelysixfeetsquare，andbarelyabletocontainarude，slantingcouchofstonecoveredwithmatting，onwhichlay，atapainfulangle，arichlydressedChinaman。Asingleglanceathisdull，staring，abstractedeyesandhalf-openedmouthshowedmehewasinanopiumtrance。Thiswasnotinitselfanovelsight，andIwasmovingawaywhenIwassuddenlystartledbytheappearanceofhishands，whichwerestretchedhelplesslybeforehimonhisbody，andatfirstsightseemedtobeinakindofwickercage。

Ithensawthathisfinger-nailsweresevenoreightincheslong，andweresupportedbybamboosplints。Indeed，theywerenolongerhumannails，buttwistedanddistortedquills，givinghimtheappearanceofhavinggiganticclaws。"VellybigChinaman，"

whisperedmycheerfulfriend；"first-chopman——highclassee——nocanwashee——nocaneat——nodlinke，nocatcheehimowngluballeesamenotheeman——Chinaboymustcatcheeglubforhim，alleetime！Oh，himfirst-chopman——youbettee！"

Ihadheardofthissingularcustomofindicatingcastebefore，andwasamazedanddisgusted，butIwasnotpreparedforwhatfollowed。

Mycompanion，evidentlythinkinghehadimpressedme，grewmorerecklessasshowman，andsayingtome，"Nowmeshoweeyouonefunnything——heapmakeeyoulaugh，"ledmehurriedlyacrossalittlecourtyardswarmingwithchickensandrabbits，whenhestoppedbeforeanotherinclosure。SuddenlybrushingpastanastonishedChinamanwhoseemedtobestandingguard，hethrustmeintotheinclosureinfrontofamostextraordinaryobject。ItwasaChinaman，wearingahuge，square，woodenframefastenedaroundhisnecklikeacollar，andfittingsotightlyandrigidlythatthefleshroseinpuffywealsaroundhischeeks。Hewaschainedtoapost，althoughitwasasimpossibleforhimtohaveescapedwithhiswoodencagethroughthenarrowdoorwayasitwasforhimtoliedownandrestinit。YetIamboundtosaythathiseyesandfaceexpressednothingbutapathy，andtherewasnoappealtothesympathyofthestranger。Mycompanionsaidhurriedly，——

"Vellybadman；stealeeheapfromChinamen，"andthen，apparentlyalarmedathisownindiscreetintrusion，hustledmeawayasquicklyaspossibleamidashrillcacklingofprotestationfromafewofhisowncountrymenwhohadjoinedtheonewhowaskeepingguard。

Inanothermomentwewereinthestreetagain——scarceastepfromthePlaza，inthefulllightofWesterncivilization——notastone"sthrowfromthecourtsofjustice。

Mycompaniontooktohisheelsandleftmestandingtherebewilderedandindignant。IcouldnotrestuntilIhadtoldmystory，butwithoutbetrayingmycompanion，toanelderacquaintance，wholaidthefactsbeforethepoliceauthorities。Ihadexpectedtobecloselycross-examined——tobedoubted——tobedisbelieved。Tomysurprise，Iwastoldthatthepolicehadalreadycognizanceofsimilarcasesofillegalandbarbarouspunishments，butthatthevictimsthemselvesrefusedtotestifyagainsttheircountrymen——anditwasimpossibletoconvictoreventoidentifythem。"Awhitemancan"ttelloneChinesefromanother，andtherearealwaysadozenof"emreadytoswearthatthemanyou"vegotisn"ttheone。"IwasstartledtoreflectthatI，too，couldnothaveconscientiouslysworntoeitherjailororthetorturedprisoner——orperhapseventomycheerfulcompanion。Thepolice，onsomepretext，madearaiduponthepremisesadayortwoafterwards，butwithoutresult。I

wonderediftheyhadcaughtsightofthehigh-class，first-chopindividual，withthehelplesslyoutstretchedfingers，asthatstoryIhadkepttomyself。

ButthesebarbaricvestigesinJohnChinaman"shabitsdidnotaffecthisrelationswiththeSanFranciscans。Hewassingularlypeaceful，docile，andharmlessasaservant，and，withrareexceptions，honestandtemperate。Ifhesometimesmatchedcunningwithcunning，itwastheflatteryofimitation。HedidmostofthemenialworkofSanFrancisco，anddiditcleanly。Exceptthatheexhaledapeculiardruglikeodor，hewasnotpersonallyoffensiveindomesticcontact，andbyvirtueofbeingtherecognizedlaundrymanofthewholecommunityhisownblouseswerealwaysfreshlywashedandironed。Hisconversationalreservearose，notfromhishavingtodealwithanunfamiliarlanguage，——forhehadpickedupapicturesqueandvariedvocabularywithease，——butfromhisnaturaltemperament。Hewasdevoidofcuriosity，andutterlyunimpressedbyanythingbutthepurelybusinessconcernsofthoseheserved。Domesticsecretsweresafewithhim；hisindifferencetoyourthoughts，actions，andfeelingshadallthecontemptwhichhisthreethousandyearsofhistoryandhisinnatebeliefinyourinferiorityseemedtojustify。Hewasblindanddeafinyourhouseholdbecauseyoudidn"tinteresthimintheleast。Itwassaidthatagentleman，whowishedtotesthisimpassiveness，arrangedwithhiswifetocomehomeonedayand，inthehearingofhisChinesewaiterwhowasmorethanusuallyintelligent——todisclosewithwell-simulatedemotionthedetailsofamurderhehadjustcommitted。Hedidso。TheChinamanhearditwithoutasignofhorrororattentioneventotheliftingofaneyelid，butcontinuedhisdutiesunconcerned。Unfortunately，thegentleman，inordertoincreasethehorrorofthesituation，addedthatnowtherewasnothingleftforhimbuttocuthisthroat。AtthisJohnquietlylefttheroom。ThegentlemanwasdelightedatthesuccessofhisruseuntilthedoorreopenedandJohnreappearedwithhismaster"srazor，whichhequietlyslipped——asifithadbeenaforgottenfork——besidehismaster"splate，andcalmlyresumedhisserving。Ihavealwaysconsideredthisstorytobequiteasimprobableasitwasinartistic，fromitstacitadmissionofacertaininterestonthepartoftheChinaman。Ineverknewonewhowouldhavebeensufficientlyconcernedtogofortherazor。

Histaciturnityandreticencemayhavebeenconfoundedwithrudenessofaddress，althoughhewasalwayscivilenough。"IseeyouhavelistenedtomeanddoneexactlywhatItoldyou，"saidalady，commendingsomeperformanceofherservantafterapreviouslengthylecture；"that"sverynice。""Yes，"saidJohncalmly，"youtalkeealleetime；talkeealleetoomuch。""IalwaysfindLingverypolite，"saidanotherlady，speakingofhercook，"butIwishhedidnotalwayssaytome，"Goodnight，John，"inahighfalsettovoice。"Shehadnotrecognizedthefactthathewassimplyrepeatingherownsalutationwithhismarvelousinstinctofrelentlessimitation，evenastovoice。Ihesitatetorecordtheendlessstoriesofhismisapplicationofthatfacultywhichwerethencurrent，fromtheoneofthelaundrymanwhoremovedthebuttonsfromtheshirtsthatweresenttohimtowashthattheymightagreewiththeconditionoftheoneofferedhimasapatternfor"doingup，"tothatoftheunfortunateemployerwho，whileshowingJohnhowtohandlevaluablechinacarefully，hadthemisfortunetodropaplatehimself——anaccidentwhichwasfollowedbythepromptbreakingofanotherbytheneophyte，withtheadditionof"Oh，hellee！"inhumbleimitationofhismaster。

Ihavespokenofhisgeneralcleanliness；Iamremindedofoneortwoexceptions，whichIthink，however，wereerrorsofzeal。Hismannerofsprinklingclothesinpreparingthemforironingwaspeculiar。Hewouldfillhismouthwithperfectlypurewaterfromaglassbesidehim，andthen，byonedexterousmovementofhislipsinaprolongedexpiration，squirtthewaterinanalmostinvisiblemistyshoweronthearticlebeforehim。ShockingasthiswasatfirsttothesensibilitiesofmanyAmericanemployers，itwasfinallyaccepted，andevencommended。Itwassometimeafterthisthatthemistressofahousehold，admiringthedeftwayinwhichhercookhadspreadawhitesauceoncertaindishes，wascheerfullyinformedthatthemethodwas"alleesame。"

Hisrecreationsatthattimewerechieflygambling，fortheChinesetheatrewhereinthelatterproducedhisplays（whichlastedforseveralmonthsandcomprisedtheeventsofawholedynasty）wasnotyetbuilt。ButhehadoneortwocompaniesofjugglerswhooccasionallyperformedalsoatAmericantheatres。Irememberasingularincidentwhichattendedthedebutofanewlyarrivedcompany。ItseemedthatthecompanyhadbeentakenontheirChinesereputationsolely，andtherehadbeennopreviousrehearsalbeforetheAmericanstagemanager。ThetheatrewasfilledwithanaudienceofdecorousandrespectableSanFranciscansofbothsexes。

Itwassuddenlyemptiedinthemiddleoftheperformance；thecurtaincamedownwithanalarmedandblushingmanagerapologizingtodesertedbenches，andtheshowabruptlyterminated。ExactlyWHAThadhappenedneverappearedinthepublicpapers，norinthepublishedapologyofthemanager。Itaffordedafewdays"mirthforwickedSanFrancisco，anditwasepigrammaticallysummedupintheremarkthat"nowomancouldbefoundinSanFranciscowhowasatthatperformance，andnomanwhowasnot。"YetitwasallegedevenbyJohn"sworstdetractorsthathewasinnocentofanyintendedoffense。Equallyinnocent，butperhapsmoremorallyinstructive，wasanincidentthatbroughthiscareerasasingularlysuccessfulphysiciantoadisastrousclose。AnordinarynativeChinesedoctor，practicingentirelyamonghisowncountrymen，wasreputedtohavemadeextraordinarycureswithtwoorthreeAmericanpatients。Withnootheradvertisingthanthis，andapparentlynootherinducementofferedtothepublicthanwhattheircuriositysuggested，hewaspresentlybesiegedbyhopefulandeagersufferers。Hundredsofpatientswereturnedawayfromhiscrowdeddoors。Twointerpreterssat，dayandnight，translatingtheillsofailingSanFranciscotothismedicaloracle，anddispensinghisprescriptions——usuallysmallpowders——inexchangeforcurrentcoin。InvaintheregularpractitionerspointedoutthattheChinesepossessednosuperiormedicalknowledge，andthattheirreligion，whichproscribeddissectionandautopsies，naturallylimitedtheirunderstandingofthebodyintowhichtheyputtheirdrugs。FinallytheyprevaileduponaneminentChineseauthoritytogivethemalistoftheremediesgenerallyusedintheChinesepharmacopoeia，andthiswasprivatelycirculated。ForobviousreasonsImaynotrepeatithere。Butitwassummedup——

againaftertheusualCalifornianepigrammaticstyle——bytheremarkthat"whateverwerethecomparativemeritsofChineseandAmericanpractice，asimpleperusalofthelistwouldprovethattheChinesewerecapableofproducingthemostpowerfulemeticknown。"Thecrazesubsidedinasingleday；theinterpretersandtheiroraclevanished；theChinesedoctors"signs，whichhadmultiplied，disappeared，andSanFranciscoawokecuredofitsmadness，atthecostofsomethousanddollars。

MyBohemianwanderingswereconfinedtothelimitsofthecity，fortheverygoodreasonthattherewaslittleelsewheretogo。SanFranciscowasthenboundedononesidebythemonotonouslyrestlesswatersofthebay，andontheotherbyastretchofequallyrestlessandmonotonouslyshiftingsanddunesasfarasthePacificshore。Tworoadspenetratedthiswaste：onetoLoneMountain——thecemetery；theothertotheCliffHouse——happilydescribedas"aneight-miledrivewithacocktailattheendofit。"Norwasthehumorentirelyconfinedtothisfelicitousdescription。TheCliffHouseitself，halfrestaurant，halfdrinkingsaloon，frontingtheoceanandtheSealRock，wheredisportingsealswerethechiefobjectofinterest，haditsownpeculiarsymbol。Thedecanters，wine-glasses，andtumblersatthebarwereallengravedinoldEnglishscriptwiththelegalinitials"L。S。"（LocusSigilli），——

"theplaceoftheseal。"

Ontheotherhand，LoneMountain，adrearypromontorygivingupontheGoldenGateanditsstrikingsunsets，hadlittletosoftenitsweirdsuggestiveness。Asthecommongoalofthesuccessfulandunsuccessful，thecarvedandletteredshaftofthemanwhohadmadeaname，andthestaringblankheadboardofthemanwhohadnone，climbedthesandyslopestogether。Ihaveseenthefuneralsoftherespectablecitizenwhohaddiedpeacefullyinhisbed，andthenotoriousdesperadowhohaddied"withhisbootson，"followedbyanequallyimpressivecortegeofsorrowingfriends，andoftentheself-samepriest。Butmoreawfulthanitsbarrenlonelinesswastheutterabsenceofpeacefulnessandrestinthisdismalpromontory。Bysomewickedironyofitssituationandclimateitwasthepersonificationofunrestandchange。Theincessanttradewindscarrieditsloosesandshitherandthither，uncoveringthedecayingcoffinsofearlypioneers，toburythewreathsandflowers，laidonagraveofto-day，undertheirobliteratingwaves。

Notreetoshadethemfromtheglaringskyabovecouldliveinthosewinds，noturfwouldlietheretoresisttheencroachingsandbelow。Thedeadwereharriedandhustledevenintheirgravesbythepersistentsun，theunremittingwind，andtheunceasingsea。

Thedepartingmournersawthecontouroftheverymountainitselfchangewiththeshiftingdunesashepassed，andhislastlookbeyondrestedonthehurrying，eagerwavesforeverhasteningtotheGoldenGate。

IfIwereaskedtosaywhatonethingimpressedmeasthedominantandcharacteristicnoteofSanFrancisco，Ishouldsayitwasthisuntiringpresenceofsunandwindandsea。Theytypified，eveniftheywerenot，asIsometimesfancied，theactualincentivetothefierce，restlesslifeofthecity。IcouldnotthinkofSanFranciscowithoutthetradewinds；Icouldnotimagineitsstrange，incongruous，multigenerousprocessionmarchingtoanyothermusic。

Theywerealwaysthereinmyyouthfulrecollections；theywerethereinmymoreyouthfuldreamsofthepastasthemysteriousvientesgeneralesthatblewthePhilippinegalleonshome。

Forsixmonthstheyblewfromthenorthwest，forsixmonthsfromthesouthwest，withunvaryingpersistency。Theywerethereeverymorning，glitteringintheequallypersistentsunlight，tochasetheSanFranciscanfromhisslumber；theywerethereatmidday，tostirhispulseswiththeirbeat；theywerethereagainatnight，tohurryhimthroughthebleakandflaringgas-litstreetstobed。

Theylefttheirmarkoneverywindwardstreetorfenceorgable，ontheoutlyingsanddunes；theylashedtheslowcoastershome，andhurriedthemtoseaagain；theywhippedthebayintoturbulenceontheirwaytoContraCosta，whoselevelshorelandoakstheyhadtrimmedtowindwardascleanlyandsharplyaswithapruning-

shears。Untiringthemselves，theyallowednolaggards；theydrovetheSanFranciscanfromthewallagainstwhichhewouldhaveleaned，fromthescantshadeinwhichatnoontidehemighthaverested。Theyturnedhissmallestfiresintoconflagrations，andkepthimeveralert，watchful，andeager。Inreturn，theyscavengedhiscityandhelditcleanandwholesome；insummertheybroughthimthesoftsea-fogforafewhourstosoothehisabradedsurfaces；inwintertheybroughttherainsanddashedthewholecoast-linewithflowers，andthestaringskyaboveitwithsoft，unwontedclouds。Theywerealwaysthere——strong，vigilant，relentless，material，unyielding，triumphant。