第7章

"Toseeus，mydear，"saidKittyloftily;"andthen，too，hehastosettlesomethingaboutHISshareoftheproperty;foryouknowgrandpaleftashareofittohim。Notthathe’severbotheredhimselfaboutit，forhe’srich，——akindofMonteCristo，youknow，——withagoldmineandanislandoffthecoast，tosaynothingofawholecountythatheowns，thatiscalledafterhim，andmillionsofwildcattlethatheridesamongandlassos！It’sdreadfullyhardtodo。Youknowyoutakealongropewithaslipknot，andyouthrowitaroundyourheadso，and"——

"Hark！"saidMarie，withadramaticstart，andherfingeronhersmallmouth，"hecomes！"

Therewastheclearrollofwheelsalongthesmooth，frozencarriagesweeptowardsthehouse，thesharpcrispclickofhoofsonstone，theopeningofheavydoors，thesuddensparklinginvasionoffrigidair，theupliftingofvoicesingreeting，——butallfamiliar！

TherewereGabrielLane’scheery，hopefultones，thesopranoofCousinJaneandCousinEmma，thebaritoneofMr。Gunn，andthegravemeasuredoratoricalutteranceofParsonDexter，whohadjoinedthepartyatthestation;butcertainlytheaccentsofnoSTRANGER。Hadhecome？Yes，forhisnamewasjustthencalled，andthequickearofMariehaddetectedalight，lounging，alienfootstepcrossthecoldstripofmarblevestibule。Thetwogirlsexchangedarapidglance;eachlookedintothemirror，andtheninterrogativelyattheother，noddedtheirheadsaffirmatively，anddescendedtothedrawing—room。Agrouphadalreadydrawnroundthefire，andasmallcentralfigure，who，withitsbackturnedtowardsthem，wasstillenwrappedinanenormousovercoatofrichfur，wasengagedinpresentinganalternatesmallvarnishedleatherboottothewarmthofthegrate。Astheyenteredtheroomtheheavyfurwasyieldedupwithapparentreluctance，andrevealedtotheastonishedgirlsamanofordinarystaturewithaslightandelegantfiguresetoffbyatravelingsuitofirreproachablecut。

Hislightreddish—yellowhair，mustache，andsunburnedcheek，whichseemedallofonecolorandoutline，madeitimpossibletodetectthegrayoftheoneorthehollownessoftheother，andgavenoindicationofhisage。Yettherewasclearlynomistake。HerewasGabrielLaneseizingtheirnervouslycoldfingersandpresentingthemtotheir"UncleSylvester。"

FarfromattemptingtokissKitty，thestrangerforaninstantseemedobliviousofthelittlehandsheofferedhiminthehalf—

preoccupiedbowhegaveher。ButMariewasnotsoeasilypassedover，and，withheraudaciousfacechallenginghis，heabstractedlyimpartedtotheshakeofherhandsomethingofthefervorthatheshouldhaveshownhisrelative。And，then，stillwarminghisfeetonthefender，heseemedtohaveforgottenthemboth。

"Accustomedasyouhavebeen，sir，"saidtheReverendMr。Dexter，seizinguponanawkwardsilence，andaccentingitlaboriously，"perhapsIshouldsayINUREDasyouhavebeentotheexcitingandstirringincidentsofalawlessandadventurouscommunity，youdoubtlessfindinapastoral，yetcultivatedandrefined，seclusionlikeLakevilleadegreeof"——

"Oh，severaldegrees，"saidUncleSylvester，blandlyflickingbitsofbuffalohairfromhiswell—fittingtrousers;"it’scolder，youknow——muchcolder。"

"Iwasreferringtoalessmaterialcontrast，"continuedMr。

Dexter，witharesignedsmile;"yet，astothemerequestionofcold，Iamtold，sir，thatinCaliforniatherearecertainsevereregionsofaltitude——althoughthemeantemperature"——

"IsupposeoutinCaliforniayoufellowswouldsayourtemperaturewasadarnedsightMEANER，eh？"brokeinAmosGunn，withaconfidentialglanceattheothers，asifofferingahumorousdiversionsuitedtotheCaliforniantaste。UncleSylvesterdidnot，however，smile。GazingcriticallyatGunn，hesaidthoughtfully："Ithinknot;I’veevenknownmenkilledforsayinglessthanthat，"andturnedtotheclergyman。"Youarequiteright;someofthehigherpassesareverycold。Iwaslostinoneofthemin’56withasmallparty。Wewereseventymilesfromanysettlement，wehadhadnothingtoeatforthirty—sixhours;ourcampfire，meltingthesnow，sanktwelvefeetbelowthesurface。"

Thecircleclosedeagerlyaroundhim，Marie，Kitty，andCousinJanepressingforwardwithexcitedfaces;eventheclergymanassumedanexpressionofprofoundinterest。"AmanbythenameofThompson，I

think，"continuedUncleSylvester，thoughtfullygazingatthefire，"wasfrozenafewyardsaway。Towardsmorning，havingbeenfifty—

eighthourswithoutfood，ourlastdropofwhiskeyexhausted，andthefireextinguished，wefound"——

"Yes，yes！"saidhalfadozenvoices。

"Wefound，"continuedUncleSylvester，rubbinghishandscheerfully，"wefoundit——exceedinglycold。Yes——EXCEEDINGLYcold！"

Therewasadeadsilence。

"Butyouescaped！"saidKittybreathlessly。

"Ithinkso。Ithinkweallescaped——thatis，exceptThompson，ifhisnameWASThompson;itmighthavebeenParker，"continuedUncleSylvester，gazingwithacertainlanguidastonishmentontheeagerfacesaroundhim。

"ButHOWdidyouescape？"

"Oh，somehow！Idon’trememberexactly。Idon’tthink，"hewentonreflectively，"thatwehadtoeatThompson——ifitwasHIM——atleastnotthen。No"——withafainteffortofrecollection——"thatwouldhavebeenanotheraffair。Yes，"assuringlytotheeager，frightenedeyesofCousinJane，"youarequiteright，thatwassomethingaltogetherdifferent。Dearme;onequitemixesupthesethings。Eh？"

Aservanthadentered，andafterahurriedcolloquywithGabriel，thelatterturnedtoUncleSylvester——

"Excuseme，butIthinktheremustbesomemistake！Webroughtupyourluggagewithyou——twotrunks——inthestationwagon。Amanhasjustarrivedwiththreemore，whichhesaysareyours。"

"Thereshouldbefiveinall，Ithink，"saidUncleSylvesterthoughtfully。

"Maybethereare，sir，Ididn’tcountexactly，"saidtheservant。

"Allright，"saidUncleSylvestercheerfully，turningtohisbrother。"Youcanputtheminmyroomoronthelanding，excepttwomarked’L’inatriangle。TheycontainsomethingsIpickedupforyouandthegirls。We’lllookthemoverinthemorning。And，ifyoudon’tmind，I’llexcusemyselfnowandgotobed。"

"Butit’sonlyhalfpastten，"saidGabrielremonstratingly。"Youdon’t，surely，gotobedathalfpastten？"

"IdowhenItravel。TravelisSOexhausting。Good—night！Don’tletanybodydisturbthemselvestocomewithme。"

Hebowedlanguidlytothecompany，anddisappearedwithayawngracefullydisguisedintoapartingsmile。

"Well！"saidCousinJane，drawingalongbreath。

"Idon’tbelieveit’syourUncleSylvesteratall！"saidMarievivaciously。"It’ssometrickthatGabrielisplayinguponus。

Andhe’snotevenagoodactor——heforgetshispart。"

"And，then，fivetrunksforonesingleman！Heavens！whatcanhehaveinthem"saidCousinEmma。

"Perhapshisconfederates，tospringoutuponusatnight，aftereverybody’sasleep。"

"Areyousureyourememberedhim，papa？"saidKittysottovoce。

"Certainly。And，mydearchild，heknowsallthefamilyhistoryaswellasyoudo;and"——continuedherfatherwithaslightlaughthatdidnot，however，concealacertainseriousnessthatwasnewtohim——"IonlywishIunderstoodasmuchaboutthepropertyashedoes。Bytheway，Amos，"hebrokeoffsuddenly，turningtotheyoungman，"heseemedtoknowyourpeople。"

"Mostmeninthefinancialworlddo，"saidGunnalittlesuperciliously。

"Yes;butheaskedmeifyouhadn’tarelativeofsomekindinSouthernCaliforniaorMexico。"

Aslightflush——soslightthatonlythekeen，vivaciouslyobservanteyesofMarienoticedit——passedovertheyoungman’sface。

"Ibelieveitisaknownfactthatourbranchofthefamilyneveremigratedfromtheirnativetown，"hesaidemphatically。"TheGunnswereratherpeculiarandparticularinthatrespect。"

"ThentherewerenooffshootsfromtheoldSTOCK，"saidGabriel。

Nevertheless，thispetjokeofGabriel’sdidnotdissipatetheconstraintanddisappointmentleftuponthecompanybyUncleSylvester’sunsatisfyingperformanceandearlywithdrawal，andtheyseparatedsoonafter，KittyandMariebeinggladtoescapeupstairstogether。OnthelandingtheymettwooftheIrishhousemaidsinastateofagitatedexhaustion。Itappearedthatthe"sthrangegintleman"hadrequestedthathisbedberemadefrombedclothesandbeddingALWAYSCARRIEDWITHHIMINHISTRUNKS！Fromtheirapologetictoneitwasevidentthathehadliberallyrewardedthem。

"Shure，Miss，"protestedNorah，indeprecationofKitty’sflashingeye，"there’sthimthat’slivedamongshnakesandpoysinriptilesandfaverousdisaysesthat’sparticklaravthebedsandsheetstheylieon。Hisht！HowlyMother！it’ssomethingelsehe’swantingnow！"

ThedoorofUncleSylvester’sroomhadslowlyopened，andabluepyjama’dsleeveappeared，carefullydepositingthesheafofbowsandarrowsoutsidethedoor。"Isay，Norah，orBridgetthere，someofyoutakethoseinfernalthingsaway。Andlookout，willyou，forthearrowheadsaredeadlypoison。Thefoolwhogot’emdidn’tknowtheywereAfrican，andnotIndianatall！Andholdon！"Thehandvanished，andpresentlyreappearedholdingtworifles。"Andtaketheseaway，too！They’reloaded，capped，andNOTonthehalf—

cock！Ajar，afall，theslightestshockisenoughtosendthemoff！"

"I’mdreadfullysorrythatyoushouldfinditsouncomfortableinourhouse，UncleSylvester，"saidKitty，withaflushedcheekandvibratingvoice。

"Oh，it’syou——isit？"saidUncleSylvester’svoicecheerfully。"I

thoughtitwasBridgetoutthere。No，Idon’tintendtofindituncomfortable。That’swhyI’mputtingthesethingsoutside。But，forHeaven’ssake，don’tYOUtouchthem。Leavethattotheineffableasswhoputthemthere。Good—night！"

Thedoorclosed;thewhisperingvoicesofthegirlsfadedfromthecorridor;thelightswereloweredinthecentralhall，onlytheredCyclopeaneyeofanenormouscolumnarstove，likealighthouse，gleamedthroughthedarkness。Outside，thesilentnightsparkled，glistened，andfinallypaled。Towardsmorning，havinginvestedthesturdywoodenouterwallsofthehouseandfilmedwithdelicatetraceryeveryavailableinchofwindowpane，itseemedstealthilytoinvadethehouseitself，stillingandchillingitasitdrewcloserarounditscentralheartofwarmthandlife。Onlyoncethefrigidstillnesswasbrokenbytheopeningofadoorandstepsalongthecorridor。Thiswasprecededbyanacridsmellofburningbark。

ItwassubtleenoughtopermeatetheupperfloorandthebedroomofMarieduPage，whowasthatnightalightandnervoussleeper。

Peeringfromherdoor，shecouldsee，onthelowercorridor，theextraordinaryspectacleofUncleSylvester，robedinagorgeousJapanesedressing—gownofquiltedsatintrimmedwiththefurofthebluefox，candleinhand，leisurelyexaminingthewallofthepassage。Presently，drawingoutafootrulefromhispocket，heactuallybegantomeasureit！MissDuPagesawnomore。Hurriedlyclosingherdoor，shelockedandboltedit，firmlyconvincedthatGabrielLanewasharboringintheguiseofUncleSylvesterasomnambulist，amaniac，oranimpostor。

PARTII。

"Itdoesn’tseemasifUncleSylvesterwasanythemorecomfortableforhavinghisownprivatebeddingwithhim，"saidKittyLane，enteringMarie’sroomearlythenextmorning。"Bridgetfoundhimcurledupinhisfurslikeacatasleeponthedrawing—roomsofathismorning。"

Mariestarted;sherememberedherlastnight’svision。Butsomeinstinct——sheknewnotwhat——keptherfromrevealingitatthismoment。Sheonlysaidalittleironically：——

"Perhapshemissedthewildfreedomofhisbarbariclifeinasmallbedroom。"

"No。Bridgetsayshesaidsomethingaboutbeingsmokedoutofhisroombyaridiculouswoodfire。Theidea！Asifamanbroughtupinthewoodscouldn’tstandalittlesmoke。No——that’shisexcuse！

Marie！——doyouknowwhatIfirmlybelieve？"

"No，"saidMariequickly。

"Ifirmlybelievethatpoormanisashamedofhispastroughlife，anddoeseverythinghecantoforgetit。That’swhyheaffectsthoseultra—civilizedandeffeminateways，andgoestotheotherextreme，aspeoplealwaysdo。"

"Thenyouthinkhe’sreallyreformed，andisn’tlikelytotakeanimpulsetorobandmurderanybodyagain？"

"Why，Marie，whatnonsense！"

Nevertheless，UncleSylvesterappearedquitefreshandcheerfulatbreakfast。Itseemedthathehadlitthefirebeforeundressing，butthegreenlogswerepiledsofarintotheroomthatthesmokenearlysuffocatedhim。Fearfulofalarmingthehousebylettingthesmokeescapethroughthedoor，heopenedthewindow，andwhenithadpartlydispersed，soughtrefugehimselffromthearcticairofhisbedroominthedrawing—room。Sofartheactdidnotseeminconsistentwithhissanity，orevenintelligenceandconsiderationforothers。ButMariefixeduponhimapairofblack，audaciouseyes。

"Didyoueverwalkinyoursleep，Mr。Lane？"

"No;but"——thoughtfullybreakinganegg——"Ihaveridden，Ithink。"

"Inyoursleep？Oh，dotellusallaboutit！"saidCousinsJaneandEmmainchorus。

UncleSylvestercastaresignedglanceoutofthewindow。"Oh，yes——certainly;itisn’tmuch。YouseeatonetimeIwasinthehabitofmakinglongmonotonousjourneys，andtheywereoftenexhausting，and，"headded，becomingweariedasifattherecollection，"alwaysdreadfullytiresome。Asthetrailwassometimesveryuncertainanddangerous，Irodeaverysurefootedmulethatcouldgoanywherewheretherewasspacebigenoughtosethersmallhoofsupon。OnenightIwascomingdowntheslopeofamountaintowardsanarrowvalleyandriverthatwerecrossedbyanold，abandonedflume，ofwhichnothingwasnowleftbuttheuprighttrestle—workandlonghorizontalstring—piece。Asthetrailwasverydifficultandthemule’spacewasslow，Ifoundmyselfdozingattimes，andatlastImusthavefallenasleep。IthinkImusthavebeenawakenedbyasingularregularityinthemovementofthemule——orelseitwasthemonotonyofstepthathadputmetosleepandthecessationofitawakenedme。Yousee，atfirstIwasnotcertainthatIwasn’treallydreaming。Forthetrailseemedtohavedisappeared;thewallofrockononesidehadvanishedalso，andthereappearedtobenothingaheadofmebuttheoppositehillside。"

UncleSylvesterstoppedtolookoutofthewindowatapassingcarriage。Thenhewenton。"Themooncameout，andIsawwhathadhappened。Themule，eitherofherownfreewill，orobeyingsomemovementIhadgiventhereinsinmysleep，hadswervedfromthetrail，gotontopoftheflume，andwasactuallywalkingacrossthevalleyonthenarrowstring—piece，afootwide，halfamilelong，andsixtyfeetfromtheground。Iknew，"hecontinued，examininghisnapkinthoughtfully，"thatshewasperfectlysurefooted，andthatifIkeptquietshecouldmakethepassage，butIsuddenlyrememberedthatmidwaytherewasabreakandgapoftwentyfeetinthecontinuousline，andthatthestring—piecewastoonarrowtoallowhertoturnroundandretracehersteps。"

"Goodheavens！"saidCousinJane。

"Ibegyourpardon？"saidUncleSylvesterpolitely。

"Ionlysaid，’Goodheavens！’Well？"sheaddedimpatiently。

"Well？"repeatedUncleSylvestervaguely。"Oh，that’sall。IonlywantedtoexplainwhatImeantbysayingIhadriddeninmysleep。"

"But，"saidCousinJane，leaningacrossthetablewithgrimdeliberationandemphasizingeachwordwiththehandleofherknife，"how——did——you——and——that——mulegetdown？"

"Oh，withslingsandropes，youknow——so，"demonstratingbyplacinghisnapkin—ringinaslingmadeofhisnapkin。

"AndIsupposeyoucarriedtheslingsandropeswithyouinyourfivetrunks！"gaspedCousinJane。

"No。Fellowsontheriverbrought’eminthemorning。Mightysprychaps，thoseriverminers。"

"Very！"saidCousinJane。

Breakfastover，theywerenotsurprisedthattheirsybariticguestexcusedhimselffromaninspectionofthetowninthefrigidmorningair，anddeclinedjoiningaskatingpartytothelakeonthegroundthathecouldkeepwarmerindoorswithhalftheexertion。AnhourlaterfoundhimstandingbeforethefireinGabrielLane’sstudy，lookinglanguidlydownonhiselderbrother。

"Then，asfarasIcansee，"hesaidquietly，"youhavemadeducksanddrakesofyourshareoftheproperty，andthatvirtuallyyouareinthehandsofthismanGunnandhisfather。"

"You’reputtingittoostrongly，"saidGabrieldeprecatingly。"Inthefirstplace，myinvestmentswithGunn’sfirmarebynomeansfailures，andtheyonlyholdassecurityamortgageontheforestlandbelowthehill。It’sscarcelyworththemoney。Iwouldhavesolditlongago，butithadbeenafancyoffather’stokeepitwildlandforthesakeofoldtimesandthehealthinessofthetown。"

"Thereusedtobealogcabinthere，wheretheoldmanhadahabitofcampingoutwheneverhefeltcrampedbycivilizationuphere，wasn’tthere？"saidUncleSylvestermeditatively。

"Yes，"saidGabrielimpatiently;"it’sstillthere——buttoreturntoMr。Gunn。HehastakenafancytoKitty，andevenifIcouldnotliftthemortgage，there’ssomepossibilitythatthelandwouldstillremaininthefamily。"

"IthinkI’lldriveoverthisafternoonandtakealookattheoldshantyifthisinfernalweatherletsup。"

"Yes;butjustnow，mydearSylvester，letusattendtobusiness。

Iwanttoshowyouthoseinvestments。"

"Oh，certainly;trot’emout，"saidhisbrother，pluckingupasimulationofinterestashetookaseatatthetable。

FromadrawerofhisdeskGabrielbroughtoutabundleofprospectusesandlaidthembeforeUncleSylvester。

Alanguidsmileofrecognitionlitupthelatter’sface。"Ah！

yes，"hesaid，glancingatthem。"Theoldlot：’Carmelita，’’SantaMaria，’and’Preciosa！’JustasIimagined——andyetwho’dhavethoughtofseeingthemHERE！Agooddealrougedandpowdered，MissCarmelita，sinceIfirstknewyou！Considerablybolsteredupbymiraculoustestimonytoyourpowers，mydearSantaMaria，sincethedayIfoundyouout，tomycost！Andyoutoo，Preciosa！——apreciouslotofmoneyIdroppedonyouintheolddays！"

"Youarejoking，"saidGabriel，withanuneasysmile。"Youdon’tmeantoimplythatthisstockisoldandworthless？"

"Thereisn’tacapitalinAmericaorEuropewhereforthelastfiveyearsithasn’tbeenfloatedwithanewcharactereachtime。MydearGabriel，thatstockisn’tworththepaperitisprintedon。"

"ButitisimpossiblethatanexperiencedfinancierlikeGunncouldbedeceived！"

"I’msorrytohearTHAT。"

"Come，Sylvester！confessyou’vetakenaprejudiceagainstGunnfromyoursuddendislikeofhisson！Andwhathaveyouagainsthim？"

"Icouldn’tsayexactly，"saidUncleSylvesterreflectively。"Itmaybehiseyes，oronlyhiscravat！But，"risingcheerfullyandplacinghishandlightlyonhisbrother’sshoulder，"don’tYOU

worryyourselfaboutthatstock，oldman;I’LLseethatsomebodyelsehastheworryandyouthecash。Andastothelandand——

Kitty——well，youholdontothembothuntilyoufindoutwhichtheyoungmanisreallyafter。"

"Andthen？"saidGabriel，withasmile。

"Don’tgivehimeither！But，Isay，haven’twehadenoughbusinessthismorning？Let’stalkofsomethingelse。Who’stheFrenchgirl？"

"Marie？She’sthedaughterofJulesduPage——don’tyouremember？——

father’sfriend。WhenJulesdied，itwasalwaysthoughtthatfather，whohadhalfadoptedherasachild，wouldleavehersomelegacy。Butyouknowthatfatherdiedwithoutmakingawill，andthat——richashewas——hisactualassetswerefarlessthanwehadreasontoexpect。Kitty，whofeltthedisappointmentaskeenlyasherfriend，Ibelievewouldhavedividedherownsharewithher。

It’sodd，bytheway，thatfathercouldhavebeensodeceivedintheamountofhiscapital，orhowhegotridofhismoneyinawaythatweknewnothingof。Doyouknow，Sylvester，I’vesometimessuspected"——

"What？"saidUncleSylvestersuddenly。

Theboredlanguorofhisfacehadabruptlyvanished。Everymusclewasalert;hisgrayeyesglittered。

"ThatheadvancedmoneytoDuPage，wholostit，orthattheyspeculatedtogether，"returnedGabriel，who，followingUncleSylvester’svoiceonly，hadnotnoticedthechangeofexpression。

"ThatwouldseemtobeaweaknessoftheLanefamily，"saidUncleSylvestergrimly，withareturnofhisformercarelessness。"ButthatisnotYOURownopinion——that’sasuggestionofsomeoneelse？"

"Well，"saidGabriel，withalaughandaslightadditionofcolor，"itWASGunn’stheory。Asamanoftheworldandapracticalfinancier，youknow。"

"Andyou’vetalkedwithHIMaboutit？"

"Yes。Itwasamatterofgeneralwonderyearsago。"

"Verylikely——but，justnow，don’tyouthinkwe’vehadenoughfinancialtalk？"saidUncleSylvester，withaboredcontractionofhiseyebrows。"Come，"lookingaroundtheroom，"you’vechangedtheinterioroftheoldhouse。"

"Yes。Unfortunately，justafterfather’sdeathitwasputinthehandsofalocalarchitectorbuilder，oneoffather’soldfriends，butnotaveryskillfulworkman，whomadechangeswhilethefamilywereaway。That’swhyyourpresentbedroom，whichwasfather’soldstudy，hadaslicetakenoffittomakethecorridorlarger，andwhythebigchimneyandhearthstonearestillthere，althoughthefireplaceismodernized。ThatwasFlint’sstupidity。"

"Whosestupidity？"askedUncleSylvester，trimminghisnails。

"Flint’s——theoldarchitect。"

"Whydidn’tyoumakehimchangeitbackagain？"

"HeleftLakevilleshortlyafter，andIbroughtanarchitectfromSt。LouisafterIreturnedfromEurope。Butnothingcouldbedonetoyourroomwithouttakingdownthechimney，soitremainedasFlintleftit。"

"Thatremindsme，Gabriel，I’mafraidIspokerathercavalierlytoKitty，lastnight，aboutthearrangementsoftheroom。Thefactis，I’vetakenafancytoit，andshouldliketofititupmyself。

HaveIyourpermission？"

"Certainly，mydearSylvester。"

"I’vesomeknickknacksinmytrunks，andI’lldoitatonce。"

"Asyoulike。"

"Andyou’llseethatIamnotdisturbed;andyou’llexplainittoKitty，withmyapologies？"

"Yes。"

"ThenI’moff。"

Gabrielglancedathisbrotherwithaperplexedsmile。Herewastheboredtraveler，explorer，gold—seeker，soldieroffortune，actuallyaspleasedasagirlovertheprospectofarranginghisroom！Hecalledafterhim，"Sylvester！"

"Yes。"

"Isay，ifyoucould，youknow，justtrytointerestthesepeopleto—nightwithsomeofyouradventures——somethingtoldSERIOUSLY，youknow，asifyoureallywereinearnest——I’dbeawfullyobligedtoyou。Thefactis，——you’llexcuseme，——buttheythinkyoudon’tcomeuptoyourreputation。"

"Theywantastory？"

"Yes，——oneofyourexperiences。"

"I’llgivethemone。Ta—ta！"

FortherestofthedayUncleSylvesterwasinvisible，althoughhisactivepresenceinhisroomwasbetrayedbythesoundofhammeringandmovingoffurniture。Astheremainderofthepartywereskatingonthelake，thiseccentricitywasnotremarkedexceptbyone，——MarieduPage，——whoonpretenseofaslightcoldhadstayedathome。Butwithhersuspicionsoftheformernight，shehaddeterminedtowatchthesingularrelativeofherfriend。AddedtoanaturalloyaltytotheLanes，shewasmovedbyacertaincuriosityandfascinationtowardsthisincomprehensibleman。

Thehousewasveryquietwhenshestoleoutofherroomandpassedsoftlyalongthecorridor;sheexaminedthewallcarefullytodiscoveranythingthatmighthaveexcitedthevisitor’sattention。

Therewereafewlargeengravingshangingthere;couldhehavedesignedtoreplacethembysomeothers？Suddenlyshewasstruckwiththedistinctconvictionthatthewallofthecorridordidnotcoincidewiththewallofhisroomasrepresentedbythelineofthedoor。Therewascertainlyaspacebetweenthetwowallsunaccountedfor。ThiswasundoubtedlywhathadattractedHIS

attention;butwhatBUSINESSwasitofhis？

Shereflectedthatshehadseeninthewalloftheconservatoryanoldclosedstaircase，nowusedasshelvesfordriedherbsandseeds，whichshehadbeentoldwastheold—timecommunicationbetweenthegardenandGrandfatherLane’sstudy，——theroomnowoccupiedbythestranger。Perhapsitledstillfarther，andthusaccountedforthespace。Determinedtosatisfyherself，shenoiselesslydescendedtotheconservatory。There，surely，wasthestaircase，——anarrowflightofwoodenstepsencumberedwithpackagesofherbs，——losingitselfinupperdarkness。Bytheaidofacandleshemanagedtogropeandpickherwayupstepbystep。

Thenshepaused。Thestaircasehadabruptlyendedonthelevelofthestudy，nowcutofffromitbythenewpartition。Shewasinastiflinginclosure，formedbythewalls，scarcelyeighteenincheswide。Itwasmadenarrowerbyasingularexcrescenceontheoldwall，whichseemedtohavebeenabrickedcloset，nowhalfdestroyedandinruins。Sheturnedtodescend，whenastrangesoundfromUncleSylvester’sroomstruckherear。Itwasthesoundoftappingonthefloorclosetothepartition，withinafootofwhereshewasstanding。Atthesamemomenttherewasadecidedmovementoftheplankoftheflooringbeneaththepartition：itbegantoslideslowly，andthenwasgraduallywithdrawnintotheroom。Withpromptpresenceofmind，sheinstantlyextinguishedhercandleanddrewherselfbreathlesslyagainstthepartition。

Whentheplankwasentirelywithdrawn，arayoflightslippedthroughtheopening，revealingthebareraftersofthefloor，andahandandarminsertedunderthepartition，gropingasiftowardsthebrickedcloset。Asthefingersoftheexploringhandwerewidelyextended，MariehadnodifficultyinrecognizingononeofthemapeculiarsignetringwhichUncleSylvesterwore。Aswiftimpulseseizedher。TotheaudaciousMarieimpulseandactionwerethesamething。Bendingstealthilyovertheaperture，shesuddenlysnatchedtheringfromtheextendedfinger。Thehandwasquicklywithdrawnwithastartanduncontrolledexclamation，andsheavailedherselfofthatinstanttogliderapidlydownthestairs。

Sheregainedherroomstealthily，havingthesatisfactionamomentlaterofhearingUncleSylvester’sdooropenandthesoundofhisfootstepsinthecorridor。Buthewasevidentlyunabletodiscoveranyouteringresstotheinclosure，orbelievedthelossofhisringanaccident，forhepresentlyreturned。Meantime，whatwasshetodo？

TellKittyofherdiscovery，andshowthering？No——notyet！

Oddlyenough，nowthatshehadthering，takenfromhiswickedfingerintheveryact，shefounditasdifficultasevertobelieveinhisburglariousdesign。Shemustwait。Themischief——

iftherehadbeenmischief——wasdone;thebreakinginofthebrickedclosetwas，fromtheappearanceoftheruins，abygoneact。

CouldithavebeensomeyouthfulescapadeofUncleSylvester’s，thesceneofwhichhewasrevisitingascriminalsarecompelledtodo？

Andhadtherebeenanythingtakenfromthecloset——orwasitsdestructionapartofthechangesintheoldhouse？HowcouldshefindoutwithoutaskingKitty？Therewasoneway。SherememberedthatMr。GunnhadonceshownagreatdealofinteresttoKittyabouttheoldhomestead，andevenofoldMr。Lane’swoodlandcabin。

ShewouldaskHIM。Itwasafriendlyact，forKittyhadnotoflatebeenverykindtohim。

Theopportunitypresenteditselfatdusk，asMr。Gunn，somewhatabstracted，stoodapartatthedrawing—roomwindow。Mariehopedhehadenjoyedhimselfwhileskating;herstupidcoldhadkeptherindoors。Shehadamusedherselframblingabouttheoldhomestead;

itwassuchaqueerplace，sofullofoldnooksandcornersandunaccountablespaces。Justtheplace，shewouldthink，whereoldtreasuresmighthavebeenstored。Eh？

Mr。Gunnhadnotspoken——hehadonlycoughed。Butinthedarknesshiseyeswerefixedangrilyonherface。Withoutobservingit，shewenton。Sheknewhewasinterestedintheoldhouse;shehadheardhimtalktoKittyaboutit：hadKittyeversaidanythingaboutsomeoldsecrethoardingplace？

No，certainlynot！Andshewasmistaken，heneverwasinterestedinthehouse！Hecouldnotunderstandwhathadputthatideainherhead！Unlessitwasthisridiculous，shadystrangerintheguiseofanunclewhomtheyhadgotthere。Itwaslikehisaffectation！

"Oh，dear，no，"saidMarie，withunmistakabletruthfulness，"HEdidnotsayanything。But，"withsuddeninconsistentaggression，"isTHATthewayyouspeaktoKittyofheruncle？"

Reallyhedidn’tknow——hewasjokingonly，andhewasafraidhemustjustnowaskhertoexcusehim。HehadreceivedlettersthatmadeitpossiblethathemightbecalledsuddenlytoNewYorkatanymoment。Mariestared。ItwasevidentthathehadproposedtoKittyandbeenrejected！Butshewasnonearerherdiscovery。

Norwastheretheleastrevelationinthecalm，half—bored，yetgood—humoredpresenceofthewickeduncleatdinner。Soindifferentdidheseem，notonlytohisownvillainybuteventothelossithadentailed，thatshehadawildimpulsetotaketheringfromherpocketanddisplayitonherownfingerbeforehimthenandthere。Buttheconvictionthathewouldinsomewaybeequaltotheoccasionpreventedher。Thedinnerpassedoffwithsomeconstraint，nodoubtemanatingfromtheconsciousKittyandGunn。Nevertheless，whentheyhadreturnedtothedrawing—room，Gabrielrubbedhishandsexpectantly。

"IprevailedonSylvesterthismorningtopromisetotellussomeofhisexperiences——somethingCOMPLETEandsatisfactorythistime。

Eh？"

UncleSylvester，warminghiscoldbloodbeforethefire，lookedmomentarilyforgetfuland——disappointing。CousinsJaneandEmmashruggedtheirshoulders。

"Eh，"saidUncleSylvesterabsently，"er——er——ohyes！Well"（morecheerfully），"aboutwhat，eh？"

"Letitbe，"saidMariepointedly，fixingherblackmagneticeyesonthewickedstranger，"letitbesomethingabouttheDISCOVERYofgold，oraburiedTREASUREHOARD，orarobbery。"

ToherintensedisgustUncleSylvester，farfrombeingdiscomfitedorconfused，actuallylookedpleased，andhisgrayeyesthawedslightly。

"Certainly，"hesaid。"Well，then！DownontheSanJoaquinRivertherewasanoldchap——oneoftheearliestsettlers——infact，he’dcomeonfromOregonbeforethegolddiscovery。Hisname，dearme！"——continuedUncleSylvester，withaneffortofmemoryandapparentlybeginningalreadytolosehisinterestinthestory——

"was——er——Flint。"

AsUncleSylvesterpausedhere，CousinJanebrokeinimpatiently。

"Well，that’snotanuncommonname。Therewasanoldcarpenterhereinyourfather’stimewhowascalledFlint。"

"Yes，"saidUncleSylvesterlanguidly。"Butthereis，orwas，somethinguncommonaboutit——andthat’sthepointofthestory，forintheoldtimeFlintandGunnwereofthesamestock。"

"IsthisaCalifornianjoke？"saidGunn，withaforcedsmileonhisflushedface。"Ifso，spareme，forit’sanoldone。"

"It’smucholderHISTORY，Mr。Gunn，"saidUncleSylvesterblandly，"whichIrememberfromaboy。WhenthefirstFlinttradednearSaultSainteMarie，theCanadianvoyageursliterallytranslatedhisnameintoPierreaFusil，andhewentbythatnamealways。ButwhentheEnglishsupersededtheFrenchinnumbersandlanguagethenamewasliterallytranslatedbackagaininto’PeterGunn，’whichhisdescendantsbear。"

"Alaboredformoftheoldjoke，"saidGunn，turningcontemptuouslyaway。

"Butthestory，"saidCousinsJaneandEmma。"Thestoryofthegolddiscovery——nevermindthenames。"

"Excuseme，"saidUncleSylvester，placinghishandinthebreastofhiscoatwithadelightfulexaggerationofoffendeddignity。

"But，doubtshavingbeencastuponmypreliminarystatement，IfearImustdeclineproceedingfurther。"Nevertheless，hesmiledunblushinglyatMissDuPageashefollowedGunnfromtheroom。

ThenextmorningthosewhohadnoticedthestrainedrelationsofMissKittyandMr。GunnwerenotsurprisedthatthelatterwasrecalledonpressingbusinesstoNewYorkbythefirsttrain;butitwasamatterofsomeastonishmenttoGabrielLaneandMarieduPagethatUncleSylvestershouldhavebeenupearly，andactuallyaccompaniedthatgentlemanasfarasthestation！Indeed，thelanguidexplorerandgold—seekerexhibitedremarkableactivity，and，cladinaroughtouristsuit，announced，overthebreakfast—

table，hisintentionoftakingalongtrampthroughthewoods，whichhehadnotrevisitedsinceaboy。Tothisendhehadevenprovidedhimselfwithasmallknapsack，andforoncerealizedKitty’sidealofhischaracter。

"Don’tgotoofar，"saidGabriel，"for，althoughthecoldhasmoderated，thebarometerisfallingfast，andthereiseveryappearanceofsnow。Takecareyouarenotcaughtinoneofourblizzards。"

"ButYOUareallgoingonthelaketoskate！"protestedUncleSylvester。

"Yes;fortheveryreasonthatitmaybeourlastchance;butshoulditsnowweshallbenearerhomethanyoumaybe。"

Nevertheless，whenitcameontosnow，asGabrielhadpredicted，theskatingpartywasbynomeanssonearhomeashehadimagined。

Ashrewdkeennessandsomestimulatingelectricconditionoftheatmospherehadtemptedtheyoungpeoplefaroutonthelake，andtheyhadignoredthefirstfalloffinegrayishgranulationsthatsweptalongtheicysurfacelikelittlepuffsofdustorsmoke。

Thenthefallgrewthicker，thegrayskycontracted，thehurryingflakes，dashedagainstthembyafiercenorthwester，werelarger，heavier，andseemedanalmostpalpableforcethatheldthemback。

Theirskates，alreadycloggedwithdrift，werebeginningtobeuseless。Thebarewind—sweptspaceswerebecomingrarer;theycouldonlystumbleonblindlytowardsthenearestshore。Norwhentheyreacheditweretheyyetsafe;theycouldscarcelystandagainstthestillincreasingstormthatwasfastobliteratingthebanksandstretchofmeadowbeyond。Theironlyhopeofshelterwastherangeofwoodsthatjoinedthehill。Holdinghandsinsinglefile，thelittleparty，consistingofKitty，Marie，andCousinsJaneandEmma——stout—heartedGabrielleadingandCousinJohnbringinguptherear——atlastsucceededinreachingit，andwererejoicedtofindthemselvesnearoldLane’shalf—ruinedcabin。Totheiraddedjoyandastonishment，whiffsofwhirlingsmokewereissuingfromthecrumblingchimney。Theyrantothecrazydoor，pushedasideitsweakfastening，andfound——UncleSylvestercalmlyenjoyingapipebeforeablazingfire。Asmallpickaxeandcrowbarwerelyinguponamoundoffreshlyturnedearthbesidethechimney，wheretherottenflooringhadbeentornup。

Thetumultuousentranceoftheskatingpartyrequirednoexplanation;

butwhencongratulationshadbeenexchanged，thewetsnowshakenoff，andtheyhaddrawnroundthefire，curiouseyeswerecastuponthesolitaryoccupantandthepileofearthanddebrisbeforehim。

"Ibelieve，"saidGabriellaughingly，"thatyouhavebeensoboredherethatyouhaveactuallyplayedatgold—huntingforamusement。"

UncleSylvestertookthepipefromhismouthandnodded。

"It’sacommondiversionofyours，"saidMarieaudaciously。

UncleSylvestersmiledsweetly。

"AndhaveyoubeensuccessfulTHISTIME？"askedMarie。

"Igotthecolor。"

"Eh？"

UncleSylvesterroseandplacedhimselfwithhisbacktothefire，gentlysurveyingtheassembledgroup。

"Iwasinterruptedinastoryofgold—digginglastevening，"hesaidblandly。"HowfarhadIgot？"

"YouweredownontheSanJoaquinRiverinthespringof’50，withachapnamedFlint，"chorusedCousinsJaneandEmmapromptly。

"Ah！yes，"saidUncleSylvester。"Well，inthosedaystherewasascarcityofmoneyinthediggings。Golddusttherewasinplenty，butnoCOIN。Youcanfancyitwasabothertoweighoutapinchofdusteverytimeyouwantedadrinkofwhiskeyorapoundofflour;

buttherewasnootherlegaltender。Prettysoon，however，alotofgoldandsilverpiecesfoundtheirwayintocirculationinourcampandthecampsaroundus。Theywereforeign——oldFrenchandEnglishcoins。Here’soneofthemthatIkept。"HetookfromhispocketagoldcoinandhandedittoGabriel。

Lanerosetohisfeetwithanexclamation：

"Why，thisislikethelouis—d’orthatgrandfathersavedthroughthewarandgavetofather。"

UncleSylvestertookthecoinback，placeditinhislefteye，likeamonocle，andwinkedgravelyatthecompany。

"ItistheSAME！"hewentonquietly。"Iwasinterested，forIhadagoodmemory，andIrememberedthat，asaboy，grandfatherhadshownmeoneofthosecoinsandtoldmehewaskeepingthemforoldJulesduPage，whodidn’tbelieveinbanksandbank—notes。Well，I

tracedthemtoatradercalledFlint，whowasshippinggolddustfromStocktontoPeterGunn&Sons，inNewYork。"

"Towhom？"askedGabrielquickly。

"OldGunn——thefatherofyourfriend！"saidUncleSylvesterblandly。"Wetalkedthematteroveronourwaytothestationthismorning。Well，toreturn。FlintonlysaidthathehadgotthemfromamancalledThompson，whohadgotthemfromsomebodyelseinexchangeforgoods。AyearortwoafterwardsthissameThompsonhappenedtobefrozenupwithmeinStarvationCamp。WhenhethoughthewasdyingheconfessedthathehadbeenbribedbyFlinttosaywhathehadsaid，butthathebelievedthecoinswerestolen。Meantime，Flinthaddisappeared。Otherthingsclaimedmyattention。Ihadquiteforgottenhim，untilonenight，fiveyearsafterwards，Iblunderedintoadesertedmining—camp，byfallingasleeponmymule，whocarriedmeacrossabrokenflume，but——I

thinkItoldyouthatstoryalready。"

"Youneverfinishedit，"saidCousinJanesharply。

"Letmedosonow，then。IwasreallysavedbysomeIndians，whotookmeforaspiritupaloftthereinthemoonlightandspreadthealarm。Thefirstwhitemantheybroughtmewasawretcheddrunkardknowntotheboysas’OldFusil，’or’FuselOil，’whowentintodeliriumtremensatthesightofme。Well，whodoyousupposeheturnedouttobe？Flint！Flintplayedoutandruined！CastoffanddiscardedbyhisrelationsinNewYork——thefoundationofwhosefortuneshehadlaidbythevillainytheyhadacceptedandcondoned。

ForFlint，asthecarpenteroftheoldhomestead，haddiscoveredtheexistenceofabrickedclosetinthewalloffather’sstudy，partitioneditoffsothathecouldbreakintoitwithoutdetectionandrifleitathisleisure，andwhohadthuscarriedoffthatpartofgrandfather’shoardwhichfatherhadconcealedthere。Heknewitcouldneverbemissedbythedescendants。But，throughhasteorignorance，heDIDNOTTOUCHTHEPAPERSanddocumentsalsohiddenthere。AndTHEYtoldoftheexistenceofgrandfather’ssecondcache，orhiding—place，beneaththishearth，andwereleftformetodiscover。"

Hecoollyrelithispipe，fixedhiseyesonMariewithoutapparentlypayingattentiontothebreathlessscrutinyoftheothers，andwenton："Flint，aliasPierreaFusil，aliasGunn，diedamaniac。Iresolvedtotestthetruthofhisstory。Icamehere。

Iknewtheoldhomestead，asaboywhohadwanderedovereverypartofit，farbetterthanyou，Gabriel，oranyone。TheelderGunnhadonlyheardofitthroughthecriminaldisclosureofhisrelative，andonlywishedtoabsorbitthroughhissonintime，andthusobliteratealltraceofFlint’soutrage。Irecognizedtheroomperfectly——thankstoourdearKitty，whohadtakenupthecarpet，whichthusdisclosedthelooseplankbeforetheclosetthatwashiddenbythepartition。Underpretextofrearrangingtheroom——forwhichKittywillforgiveme——Ispentthedaybehindalockeddoor，makingmywaythroughthepartition。ThereIfoundtherifledcloset，butthepapersintact。TheycontainedafulldescriptionofthesumtakenbyFlint，andalsoofalargersumburiedinacaskbesidethischimney。Ihadjustfinishedunearthingitafewmomentsbeforeyoucame。IhadatfirsthopedtoofferittothefamilyasaChristmasgiftto—morrow，but"——Hestoppedandsuckedslowlyathispipe。

"Weanticipatedyou，"saidGabriellaughing。

"No，"saidUncleSylvestercoolly。"Butbecauseitdon’thappentobelongtoYOUatall！AccordingtothepaperIhaveinmypocket，whichisaboutaslegaladocumentasIeversaw，itisfather’sfreegifttoMissMarieduPage。"

Kittythrewherarmsaroundherwhiteandbreathlessfriendwithajoyfulcry，andhonestGabriel’sfaceshonewithunselfishgratification。

"Foryourself，mydearGabriel，youmustbesatisfiedwiththefactthatMessrs。PeterGunn&Sonswilltakebackyourwildcatstockatthepriceyoupaidforit。Itisthepricetheypayfortheirshareinthislittletransaction，asIhadthehonorofpointingouttoMr。Gunnonourwaytothestationthismorning。"

"ThenyouthinkthatyoungMr。GunnknewthatFlintwashisrelation，andthathehadstolenfather’smoney，"saidKitty，"andthatMr。Gunnonlywantedto"——Shestopped，withflashingeyes。

"Ithinkhewouldhavelikedtohavemadeanarrangement，mydear，thatwouldkeepthesecretandthepropertyinthefamily，"saidUncleSylvester。"ButIdon’tthinkhesuspectedtheexistenceofthesecondtreasurehere。"

"Andthen，sir，"saidCousinJane，"itappearsthatallthesewretched，unsatisfactoryscrapsofstoriesyouweretellinguswerenothingafterallbut"——

"MywayoftellingTHISone，"saidUncleSylvester。

Astheotherswereeagerlygatheringaroundtheunearthedtreasure，Marieapproachedhimtimidly，allheraudacitygone，tearsinhereyes，andhisringheldhesitatinglybetweenherfingers。"HowcanIthankyou——andhowCANyoueverforgiveme？"

"Well，"saidUncleSylvester，gazingathercritically，"youmightkeeptheringtothinkoverit。"