第4章

"Isupposeyourbrothertaughtyouthattoo？"

"Ohdear，no！"shereturned，withherfrightenedglance;"Ionlyheardhimsaysomepeoplepreferredthatkindofthingtosacredmusic，andonedayIsawacopyofitinamusic—storewindowinClayStreet，andboughtit。Ohno！Tappingtondidn’tteachittome。"

Inthepleasantdiscoverythatshewasattimesindependentofherbrother’sperfections，Herbertsmiled，andsympatheticallydrewastepnearertoher。Sheroseatonce，somewhatprimlyholdingbackthesidesofherskirt，school—girlfashion，withthumbandfinger，andhereyescastdown。

"Goodafternoon，Mr。Bly。"

"Mustyougo？Goodafternoon。"

Shewalkeddirectlytotheopendoor，lookingverytallandstatelyasshedidso，butwithoutturningtowardshim。Whenshereacheditsheliftedhereyes;therewastheslightestsuggestionofareturnofherdimplesintherelaxationofhergravelittlemouth。

Thenshesaid，"good—bye，Mr。Bly，"anddeparted。

Theskirtofherdressrustledforaninstantinthepassage。

Herbertlookedafterher。"Iwonderifsheskippedthen——shelookslikeagirlthatmightskipatsuchatime，"hesaidtohimself。

"Howveryoddsheis——andhowsimple！ButImustpullherupinthatslangwhenIknowherbetter。FancyherbrothertellingherTHAT！Whatapairtheymustbe！"Nevertheless，whenheturnedbackintotheroomagainheforboregoingtothewindowtoindulgefurthercuriosityinregardtohiswickedneighbors。Acertainnewfeelingofrespecttohislatecompanion——andpossiblytohimself——

heldhimincheck。MuchasheresentedTappington’sperfections，heresentedquiteaswarmlythepresumptionthathewasnotquiteasperfect，whichwasimpliedinthatmysteriousoverture。Heglancedatthestoolonwhichshehadbeensittingwithahalf—

brotherlysmile，andputitreverentlyononesidewithaveryvividrecollectionofhershymaidenlyfigure。Insomemysteriouswaytootheroomseemedtohavelostitsformalstrangeness;

perhapsitwasthetouchofindividuality——HERS——thathadbeenwanting？HebeganthoughtfullytodresshimselfforhisregulardinneratthePoodleDogRestaurant，andwhenhelefttheroomheturnedbacktolookoncemoreatthestoolwhereshehadsat。Evenonhiswaytothatfastandfamouscafeoftheperiodhefelt，forthefirsttimeinhisthoughtlessbutlonelylife，thegentlesecurityofthehomehehadleftbehindhim。

II。

Itwasthreeorfourdaysbeforehebecamefirmlyadjustedtohisnewquarters。DuringthistimehehadmetCherrycasuallyonthestaircase，ingoingorcoming，andreceivedhershygreetings;butshehadnotrepeatedhervisit，noragainalludedtoit。Hehadspentpartofaformaleveningintheparlorincompanywithacallingdeacon，who，unappalledbytheIndianshawlforwhichthewidowhadexchangedherhouseholdcerementsonsuchoccasions，appearedtoHerberttohaveremotematrimonialdesigns，asfaratleastasasympatheticdeprecationofthevanitiesofthepresent，anechoingofhersighslikeamodestencore，apreternaturalgentilityofmanner，avagueallusiontothenecessityofbearing"oneanother’sburdens，"andaneverlastingpromiseinstore，wouldseemtoimply。ToHerbert’svividimagination，adiscussiononthedoctrinalpointsoflastSabbath’ssermonwasfraughtwithdelicatesuggestionandanacceptancebythewidowofanappointmenttoattendtheWednesdayevening"Lectures"hadalltheshyreluctantyieldingofagrantedrendezvous。Oddlyenough，themoreformalattitudeseemedtobereservedfortheyoungpeople，who，inthesuggestiveatmosphereofthisspiritualflirtation，aloneappearedtopreservetheproprietiesand，tosomeextent，decorouslychaperontheirelders。HerbertgravelyturnedtheleavesofCherry’smusicwhilesheplayedandsangoneortwodiscreetbutdepressingsongsexpressiveofherunalterablebutproperdevotiontohermother’sclock，herfather’sarm—chair，andheraunt’sBible;andHerbertjoinedsomewhatboyishlyinthesoul—subduingrefrain。OnlyonceheventuredtosuggestinawhisperthathewouldliketoaddHERmusic—stooltotheadorableinventory;buthewasmetbysuchadisturbedandterrifiedlookthathedesisted。

"Anothernightofthiswildandrecklessdissipationwillfinishme，"hesaidlugubriouslytohimselfwhenhereachedthesolitudeofhisroom。"IwonderhowmanytimesaweekI’dhavetohelpthegirlplaythespiritualgooseberrydownstairsbeforewecouldhaveanyfunourselves？"

Herethesoundofdistantlaughter，interspersedwithvivaciousfeminineshrieks，camethroughtheopenwindow。Heglancedbetweenthecurtains。Hisneighbor’shousewasbrilliantlylit，andtheshadowsofafewrompingfigureswerechasingeachotheracrossthemuslinshadesofthewindows。Theobjectionableyoungwomenwereevidentlyenjoyingthemselves。Insomeconditionsofthemindthereisacertainexasperationinthespectacleofunmeaningenjoyment，andheshutthewindowsharply。Atthesamemomentsomeoneknockedathisdoor。

ItwasMissBrooks，whohadjustcomeupstairs。

"Willyoupleaseletmehavemymusic—stool？"

Hestaredatheramomentinsurprise，thenrecoveringhimself，said，"Yes，certainly，"andbroughtthestool。Foraninstanthewastemptedtoaskwhyshewantedit，buthisprideforbadehim。

"Thankyou。Good—night。"

"Good—night！"

"Ihopeitwasn’tinyourway？"

"Notatall。"

"Good—night！"

"Good—night。"

Shevanished。Herbertwasperplexed。Betweenyoungladieswhosenaiveexuberanceimpelledthemtothrowhandkerchiefsathiswindowandyoungladieswhoseequallynaivemodestydemandedthewithdrawalfromhisbedroomofachaironwhichtheyhadoncesat，hislotseemedtohavefalleninatroubledlocality。YetadayortwolaterheheardCherrypractisingontheharmoniumashewasascendingthestairsonhisreturnfrombusiness;shehaddepartedbeforeheenteredtheroom，buthadleftthemusic—stoolbehindher。Itwasnotagainremoved。

OneSunday，thesecondorthirdofhistenancy，whenCherryandhermotherwereatchurch，andhehadfinishedsomeworkthathehadbroughtfromthebank，hisformerrestlessnessandsenseofstrangenessreturned。Theregularafternoonfoghadthickenedearly，and，drivinghimbackfromacheerless，chillyrambleonthehill，hadlefthimstillmoredepressedandsolitary。Insheerdesperationhemovedsomeofthefurniture，andchangedthedispositionofseveralsmallerornaments。Growingbolder，heevenattackedthesacredshelfdevotedtoTappington’sseriousliteratureandmoralstudies。Atfirstglancethebookofsermonslookedsuspiciouslyfreshandnewforavolumeofhabitualreference，butitsleaveswerecarefullycut，andcontainedoneortwobook—marks。Itwasonlyanotherevidenceofthatperfectyouth’scareandneatness。Ashewasreplacingithenoticedasmallobjectfoldedinwhitepaperatthebackoftheshelf。Toputthebookbackintoitsformerpositionitwasnecessarytotakethisout。Hedidso，butitscontentsslidfromhisfingersandthepapertothefloor。Tohisutterconsternation，lookingdownhesawapackofplaying—cardsstrewnathisfeet！

Hehurriedlypickedthemup。Theywerewornandslipperyfromuse，andexhaledafaintodoroftobacco。HadtheybeenlefttherebysometemporaryvisitorunknowntoTappingtonandhisfamily，orhadtheybeenhastilyhiddenbyaservant？Yettheywereofamakeandtexturesuperiortothosethataservantwouldpossess;lookingatthemcarefully，herecognizedthemtobeofaqualityusedbythebetter—classgamblers。Restoringthemcarefullytotheirformerposition，hewastemptedtotakeouttheothervolumes，andwasrewardedwiththefurtherdiscoveryofasmallboxofivorycounters，knownas"poker—chips。"Itwasreallyveryextraordinary！Itwasquitethecacheofsomehabitualgambler。

Herbertsmiledgrimlyattheirreverentincongruityofthehiding—

placeselectedbyitsunknownandmysteriousowner，andamusedhimselfbyfancyingthehorrorofhissaintedpredecessorhadhemadethediscovery。Hedeterminedtoreplacethem，andtoputsomemarkuponthevolumesbeforetheminordertodetectanyfuturedisturbanceoftheminhisabsence。

OughthenottotakeMissBrooksinhisconfidence？Orshouldhesaynothingaboutitatpresent，andtrusttochancetodiscoverthesacrilegioushider？CoulditpossiblybeCherryherself，guiltyofthesameinnocentcuriositythathadimpelledhertobuythe"Ham—fatMan"？Preposterous！Besides，thecardshadbeenused，andshecouldnotplaypokeralone！

HewatchedtherollingfogextinguishthelineofRussianHill，thelastbitoffarperspectivefromhiswindow。Heglancedathisneighbor’sveranda，alreadydrippingwithmoisture;thewindowswereblank;herememberedtohaveheardthegirlsgigglinginpassingdownthesidestreetontheirwaytochurch，andhadnoticedfrombehindhisowncurtainsthatonewasratherpretty。

ThisledhimtothinkofCherryagain，andtorecallthequaintyetmelancholygraceofherfigureasshesatonthestoolopposite。

Whyhadshewithdrawnitsoabruptly;didsheconsiderhisjestingallusiontoitindecorousandpresuming？Hadhereallymeantitseriously;andwashebeginningtothinktoomuchabouther？Wouldsheevercomeagain？Howniceitwouldbeifshereturnedfromchurchaloneearly，andtheycouldhaveacomfortablechattogetherhere！Wouldshesingthe"Ham—fatMan"forhim？Wouldthedimplescomebackifshedid？Shouldheeverknowmoreofthisquaintrepressedsideofhernature？Afterall，whatadear，graceful，tantalizing，lovablecreatureshewas！Oughthenotatallhazardstrytoknowherbetter？Mightitnotbeherethathewouldfindaperfectrealizationofhisboyishdreams，andinHERallthat——whatnonsensehewasthinking！

SuddenlyHerbertwasstartledbythesoundofalightbuthurriedfootuponthewoodenouterstepofhisseconddoor，andthequickbutineffectiveturningofthedoor—handle。Hestartedtohisfeet，hismindstillfilledwithavisionofCherry。Thenheassuddenlyrememberedthathehadlockedthedoorongoingout，puttingthekeyinhisovercoatpocket。Hehadreturnedbythefrontdoor，andhisovercoatwasnowhanginginthelowerhall。

Thedooragainrattledimpetuously。Thenitwassupplementedbyafemalevoiceinahurriedwhisper："Openquick，can’tyou？dohurry！"

Hewasconfounded。Thevoicewasauthoritative，notunmusical;butitwasNOTCherry’s。Neverthelesshecalledoutquickly，"Onemoment，please，andI’llgetthekey！"dasheddownstairsandupagain，breathlesslyunlockedthedoorandthrewitopen。

Nobodywasthere！

Heranoutintothestreet。Ononesideitterminatedabruptlyonthecliffonwhichhisdwellingwasperched;ontheother，itdescendedmoregraduallyintothenextthoroughfare;butupanddownthestreet，oneitherhand，noonewastobeseen。Aslightlysuperstitiousfeelingforaninstantcreptoverhim。Thenhereflectedthatthemysteriousvisitorcouldintheintervalofhisgettingthekeyhaveeasilyslippeddownthestepsoftheclifforenteredtheshrubberyofoneoftheadjacenthouses。Butwhyhadshenotwaited？Andwhatdidshewant？Ashereenteredhisdoorhemechanicallyraisedhiseyestothewindowsofhisneighbor’s。

Thistimehecertainlywasnotmistaken。Thetwoamused，mischievousfacesthatsuddenlydisappearedbehindthecurtainashelookedupshowedthattheincidenthadnotbeenunwitnessed。

YetitwasimpossiblethatitcouldhavebeeneitherofTHEM。

Theirhousewasonlyaccessiblebyalongdetour。Itmighthavebeenthetrickofaconfederate;butthetoneofhalffamiliarityandhalfentreatyintheunseenvisitor’svoicedispelledtheideaofanycollusion。Heenteredtheroomandclosedthedoorangrily。

Agrimsmilestoleoverhisfaceasheglancedaroundatthedaintysaint—likeappointmentsoftheabsentTappington，andthoughtwhatthatirreproachableyoungmanwouldhavesaidtotheindecorousintrusion，eventhoughithadbeenamistake。WouldthoseshamelessPikeCountygirlshavedaredtolaughatHIM？

Buthewasagainpuzzledtoknowwhyhehimselfshouldhavebeenselectedforthissingularexperience。WhywasHEconsideredfairgameforthesegirls？And，forthematterofthat，nowthathereflecteduponit，whyhadeventhisgentle，refined，andmelancholyCherrythoughtitnecessarytotalkslangtoHIMontheirfirstacquaintance，andoffertosinghimthe"Ham—fatMan"？

Itwastruehehadbeenalittlegay，butneverdissipated。Ofcoursehewasnotasaint，likeTappington——oh，THATwasit！Hebelievedheunderstooditnow。Hewassufferingfromthatextravagantconceptionofwhatworldlinessconsistsof，socommontoverygoodpeoplewithnoknowledgeoftheworld。ComparedtoTappingtonhewasintheireyes，ofcourse，arakeandaroue。Theexplanationpleasedhim。Hewouldnotkeepittohimself。HewouldgainCherry’sconfidenceandenlisthersympathies。Hergentlenaturewouldrevoltatthisinjusticetotheirlonelylodger。Shewouldseethatthereweredegreesofgoodnessbesidesherbrother’s。ShewouldperhapssitonthatstoolagainandNOT

singthe"Ham—fatMan。"

Adayortwoafterwardstheopportunityseemedofferedtohim。Ashewascominghomeandascendingthelonghillystreet，hiseyewastakenbyatallgracefulfigurejustprecedinghim。Itwasshe。

Hehadneverbeforeseenherinthestreet，andwasnowstruckwithherladylikebearingandthegravesuperiorityofherperfectlysimpleattire。Inathoroughfarehauntedbyhandsomewomenandstrikingtoilettes，therefinedgraceofhermourningcostume，andacertainstatelinessthatgaveherthelookofayoungwidow，wasacontrastthatevidentlyattractedothersthanhimself。Itwaswithanoddminglingofprideandjealousythathewatchedtheadmiringyetrespectfulglancesofthepassers—by，someofwhomturnedtolookagain，andoneortwotoretracetheirstepsandfollowheratadecorousdistance。Thiscausedhimtoquickenhisownpace，withanewanxietyandaremorsefulsenseofwastedopportunity。Whataboobyhehadbeen，nottohavemademoreofhiscontiguitytothischarminggirl——tohavebeenfrightenedatthenaivedecorumofhermaidenlyinstincts！Hereachedherside，andraisedhishatwithatrepidationathernew—foundgraces——withaboldnessthatwasdefiantofherotheradmirers。Sheblushedslightly。

"Ithoughtyou’dovertakemebefore，"shesaidnaively。"IsawYOU

eversolongago。"

Hestammered，withanequalsimplicity，thathehadnotdaredto。

Shelookedalittlefrightenedagain，andthensaidhurriedly："I

onlythoughtthatIwouldmeetyouonMontgomeryStreet，andwewouldwalkhometogether。Idon’tliketogooutalone，andmothercannotalwaysgowithme。Tappingtonnevercaredtotakemeout——I

don’tknowwhy。Ithinkhedidn’tlikethepeoplestaringandstoppingus。Buttheystaremore——don’tyouthink？——whenoneisalone。

SoIthoughtifyouwerecomingstraighthomewemightcometogether——unlessyouhavesomethingelsetodo？"

Herbertimpulsivelyreiteratedhisjoyatmeetingher，andaverredthatnootherengagement，eitherofbusinessorpleasure，couldorwouldstandinhisway。Lookingup，however，itwaswithsomeconsternationthathesawtheywerealreadywithinablockofthehouse。

"Supposewetakeaturnaroundthehillandcomebackbytheoldstreetdownthesteps？"hesuggestedearnestly。

Thenextmomentheregrettedit。Thefrightenedlookreturnedtohereyes;herfacebecamemelancholyandformalagain。

"No！"shesaidquickly。"ThatwouldbetakingawalkwithyouliketheseyounggirlsandtheiryoungmenonSaturdays。That’swhatEllendoeswiththebutcher’sboyonSundays。Tappingtonoftenusedtomeetthem。Doingthe’Come，Philanders，’ashesaysyoucallit。"

ItstruckHerbertthatthedidacticTappington’smethodofinculcatingahorrorofslanginhissister’sbreastwasopentosomeobjection;buttheywerealreadyonthestepsoftheirhouse，andhewastoomuchmortifiedatthereceptionofhislastunhappysuggestiontomaketheconfidentialdisclosurehehadintended，eveniftherehadstillbeentime。

"There’smotherwaitingforme，"shesaid，afteranawkwardpause，pointingtothefigureofMrs。Brooksdimlyoutlinedontheveranda。"Isupposeshewasbeginningtobeworriedaboutmybeingoutalone。She’llbesogladImetyou。"Itdidn’tappeartoHerbert，however，thatMrs。Brooksexhibitedanyextravagantjoyovertheoccurrence，andshealmostinstantlyretiredwithherdaughterintothesitting—room，linkingherarminCherry’s，and，asitwere，empanoplyingherwithherowninvulnerableshawl。

Herbertwenttohisroommoredissatisfiedwithhimselfthanever。

TwoorthreedayselapsedwithouthisseeingCherry;eventhewell—

knownrustleofherskirtinthepassagewasmissing。Onthethirdeveningheresolvedtobeartheformalterrorsofthedrawing—roomagain，andstumbleduponadecorouspartyconsistingofMrs。

Brooks，thedeacon，andthepastor’swife——butnotCherry。ItstruckhimonenteringthatthemomentaryawkwardnessofthecompanyandtheformalbeginningofanewtopicindicatedthatHE

hadbeenthesubjectoftheirpreviousconversation。Inthisideahecontinued，throughthatvaguespiritofoppositionwhichattacksimpulsivepeopleinsuchcircumstances，togenerallydisagreewiththemonallsubjects，andtoexaggeratewhathechosetobelievetheythoughtobjectionableinhim。Hedidnotremainlong;butlearnedinthatbriefintervalthatCherryhadgonetovisitafriendinContraCosta，andwouldbeabsentafortnight;andhewasconsciousthattheinformationwasconveyedtohimwithapeculiarsignificance。

TheresultofwhichwasonlytointensifyhisinterestintheabsentCherry，andforaweektoplungehiminaseaofconflictingdoubtsandresolutions。AtonetimehethoughtseriouslyofdemandinganexplanationfromMrs。Brooks，andofconfidingtoher——

ashehadintendedtodotoCherry——hisfearsthathischaracterhadbeenmisinterpreted，andhisreasonsforbelievingso。Butherehewasmetbythedifficultyofformulatingwhathewishedtohaveexplained，andsomedoubtsastowhetherhisconfidenceswereprudent。AtanothertimehecontemplatedaseriousimitationofTappington’sperfections，arenunciationoftheworld，andanentirechangeinhishabits。Hewouldgoregularlytochurch——HER

church，andtakeupTappington’sdesolateBible—class。Butherethetorturingdoubtarosewhetherayoungladywhobetrayedacertainsecularcuriosity，andwhohadevidentlydependeduponherbrotherforaknowledgeoftheworld，wouldentirelylikeit。Attimeshethoughtofgivinguptheroomandabandoningforeverthisdoublydangerousproximity;buthereagainhewasdeterredbythedifficultyofgivingasatisfactoryreasontohisemployer，whohadprocureditasafavor。Hispassion——forsuchhebegantofearittobe——ledhimoncetotheextravaganceofaskingaday’sholidayfromthebank，whichhevaguelyspentinthestreetsofOaklandinthehopeofaccidentallymeetingtheexiledCherry。

III。

Thefortnightslowlypassed。Shereturned，buthedidnotseeher。

ShewasalwaysoutorengagedinherroomwithsomefemalefriendwhenHerbertwasathome。Thiswassingular，asshehadneverappearedtohimasayounggirlwhowasfondofvisitingorhadeveraffectedfemalefriendships。Infact，therewaslittledoubtnowthat，wittinglyorunwittingly，shewasavoidinghim。

Hewasmoodilysittingbythefireoneevening，havingreturnedearlyfromdinner。Inreplytohishabitualbutaffectedlycarelessinquiry，EllenhadtoldhimthatMrs。Brookswasconfinedtoherroombyaslightheadache，andthatMissBrookswasout。Hewastryingtoread，andlisteningtothewindthatoccasionallyrattledthecasementandcausedthesolitarygas—lampthatwasvisibleinthesidestreettoflickerandleapwildly。Suddenlyheheardthesamefootfalluponhisouterstepandalighttapatthedoor。Determinedthistimetosolvethemystery，hesprangtohisfeetandrantothedoor;buttohisangerandastonishmentitwaslockedandthekeywasgone。YethewaspositivethatHEhadnottakenitout。

Thetapwastimidlyrepeated。Indesperationhecalledout，"Pleasedon’tgoawayyet。Thekeyisgone;butI’llfinditinamoment。"Neverthelesshewasathiswits’end。

Therewasahesitatingpauseandthenthesoundofakeycautiouslythrustintothelock。Itturned;thedooropened，andatallfigure，whosefaceandformwerecompletelyhiddeninaveilandlonggrayshawl，quicklyglidedintotheroomandclosedthedoorbehindit。Thenitsuddenlyraiseditsarms，theshawlwasparted，theveilfellaside，andCherrystoodbeforehim！

Herfacewasquitepale。Hereyes，usuallydowncast，frightened，orcoldlyclear，werebrightandbeautifulwithexcitement。Thedimpleswerefaintlythere，althoughthesmilewassadandhalfhysterical。Sheremainedstanding，erectandtall，herarmsdroppedatherside，holdingtheveilandshawlthatstilldependedfromhershoulders。

"So——I’vecaughtyou！"shesaid，withastrangelittlelaugh。"Ohyes。’Pleasedon’tgoawayyet。I’llgetthekeyinamoment，’"

shecontinued，mimickinghisrecentutterance。

Hecouldonlystammer，"MissBrooks——thenitwasYOU？"

"Yes;andyouthoughtitwasSHE，didn’tyou？Well，andyou’recaught！Ididn’tbelieveit;Iwouldn’tbelieveitwhentheysaidit。Ideterminedtofinditoutmyself。AndIhave;andit’strue。"

Unabletodeterminewhethershewasseriousorjesting，andconsciousonlyofhisdelightatseeingheragain，headvancedimpulsively。Butherexpressioninstantlychanged：shebecameatoncestiffandschool—girlishlyformal，andsteppedbacktowardsthedoor。

"Don’tcomenearme，orI’llgo，"shesaidquickly，withherhanduponthelock。

"Butnotbeforeyoutellmewhatyoumean，"hesaidhalflaughinglyhalfearnestly。"WhoisSHE？andwhatwouldn’tyouhavebelieved？

Foruponmyhonor，MissBrooks，Idon’tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout。"

Hisevidentfranknessandtruthfulmannerappearedtopuzzleher。

"Youmeantosayyouwereexpectingnoone？"shesaidsharply。

"IassureyouIwasnot。"

"And——andnowomanwaseverhere——atthatdoor？"

Hehesitated。"Notto—night——notforalongtime;notsinceyoureturnedfromOakland。"

"ThenthereWASone？"

"Ibelieveso。"

"YouBELIEVE——youdon’tKNOW？"

"Ibelieveditwasawomanfromhervoice;forthedoorwaslocked，andthekeywasdownstairs。WhenIfetcheditandopenedthedoor，she——orwhoeveritwas——wasgone。"

"Andthat’swhyyousaidsoimploringly，justnow，’Pleasedon’tgoawayyet’？YouseeI’vecaughtyou。Ah！Idon’twonderyoublush！"

Ifhehad，hischeekshadcaughtfirefromherbrillianteyesandtheextravagantlyaffectedsternness——asofaschool—girlmonitor——

inheranimatedface。Certainlyhehadneverseensuchatransformation。

"Yes;but，yousee，Iwantedtoknowwhotheintruderwas，"hesaid，smilingathisownembarrassment。

"Youdid——well，perhapsTHATwilltellyou？ItwasfoundunderyourdoorbeforeIwentaway。"Shesuddenlyproducedfromherpocketafoldedpaperandhandedittohim。Itwasamisspeltscrawl，andranasfollows：——

"Whyareyousocruel？Whydoyoukeepmedansingonthesteppsbeforethemgurlsatthewindows？WasitthatstuckupSaint，MissBrooks，thatyouwereafraidof，mydeer？Oh，youfaithlesstrater！WaittillIketchyou！I’lltearyoureyesoutandhern！"

ItdidnotrequiregreatpenetrationforHerberttobeinstantlyconvincedthatthewriterofthisvulgarepistleandtheowneroftheunknownvoiceweretwoverydifferentindividuals。Thenotewasevidentlyatrick。Asuspicionofitsperpetratorsflasheduponhim。

"Whoeverthewomanwas，itwasnotshewhowrotethenote，"hesaidpositively。"Somebodymusthaveseenheratthedoor。Iremembernowthatthosegirls——yourneighbors——werewatchingmefromtheirwindowwhenIcameout。Dependuponit，thatlettercomesfromthem。"

Cherry’seyesopenedwidelywithasuddenchildlikeperception，andthenshylydropped。"Yes，"shesaidslowly;"theyDIDwatchyou。

Theyknowit，foritwastheywhomadeitthetalkoftheneighborhood，andthat’showitcametomother’sears。"Shestopped，and，withafrightenedlook，steppedbacktowardsthedooragain。

"ThenTHATwaswhyyourmother"——

"Ohyes，"interruptedCherryquickly。"ThatwaswhyIwentovertoOakland，andwhymotherforbademywalkingwithyouagain，andwhyshehadatalkwithfriendsaboutyourconduct，andwhyshecameneartellingMr。CarstoneallaboutituntilIstoppedher。"Shecheckedherself——hecouldhardlybelievehiseyes——thepale，nun—

likegirlwasabsolutelyblushing。

"Ithankyou，MissBrooks，"hesaidgravely，"foryourthoughtfulness，althoughIhopeIcouldhavestillprovenmyinnocencetoMr。Carstone，evenifsomeunknownwomantriedmydoorbymistake，andwasseendoingit。ButIampainedtothinkthatYOUcouldhavebelievedmecapableofsowantonandabsurdanimpropriety——andsuchagrossdisrespecttoyourmother’shouse。"

"But，"saidCherrywithchildlikenaivete，"youknowYOUdon’tthinkanythingofsuchthings，andthat’swhatItoldmother。"

"YoutoldyourmotherTHAT？"

"Ohyes——ItoldherTappingtonsaysit’squitecommonwithyoungmen。Pleasedon’tlaugh——forit’sverydreadful。Tappingtondidn’tlaughwhenhetoldittomeasawarning。Hewasshocked。"

"But，mydearMissBrooks"——

"There——nowyou’reangry——andthat’sasbad。Areyousureyoudidn’tknowthatwoman？"

"Positive！"

"Yetyouseemedveryanxiousjustnowthatsheshouldwaittillyouopenedthedoor。"

"Thatwasperfectlynatural。"

"Idon’tthinkitwasnaturalatall。"

"But——accordingtoTappington"——

"Becausemybrotherisverygoodyouneednotmakefunofhim。"

"IassureyouIhavenosuchintention。ButwhatmorecanIsay？

IgiveyoumywordthatIdon’tknowwhothatunluckywomanwas。

Nodoubtshemayhavebeensomenearsightedneighborwhohadmistakenthehouse，andIdaresaywasasthoroughlyastonishedatmyvoiceasIwasathers。CanIsaymore？IsitnecessaryformetoswearthatsinceIhavebeenherenowomanhaseverenteredthatdoor——but"——

"Butwho？"

"Yourself。"

"Iknowwhatyoumean，"shesaidhurriedly，withheroldfrightenedlook，glidingtotheouterdoor。"It’sshamefulwhatI’vedone。

ButIonlydiditbecause——becauseIhadfaithinyou，anddidn’tbelievewhattheysaidwastrue。"Shehadalreadyturnedthelock。

Thereweretearsinherprettyeyes。

"Stop，"saidHerbertgently。Hewalkedslowlytowardsher，andwithinreachofherfrightenedfigurestoppedwiththetimidrespectofamatureandgenuinepassion。"Youmustnotbeseengoingoutofthatdoor，"hesaidgravely。"Youmustletmegofirst，and，whenIamgone，lockthedooragainandgothroughthehalltoyourownroom。NoonemustknowthatIwasinthehousewhenyoucameinatthatdoor。Good—night。"

Withoutofferinghishandheliftedhiseyestoherface。Thedimpleswereallthere——andsomethingelse。Hebowedandpassedout。

Tenminuteslaterheostentatiouslyreturnedtothehousebythefrontdoor，andproceededupthestairstohisownroom。Ashecastaglancearoundhesawthatthemusic—stoolhadbeenmovedbeforethefire，evidentlywiththeviewofattractinghisattention。Lyinguponit，carefullyfolded，wastheveilthatshehadworn。Therecouldbenodoubtthatitwaslefttherepurposely。Withasmileatthisstrangegirl’slastcharacteristicactoftimidbutcompromisingrecklessness，afterallhisprecautions，heraisedittenderlytohislips，andthenhastenedtohideitfromthereachofvulgareyes。ButhadCherryknownthatitstemporaryresting—placethatnightwasunderhispillowshemighthavedoubtedhissuperiorcaution。

Whenhereturnedfromthebankthenextafternoon，Cherryrappedostentatiouslyathisdoor。"Motherwishesmetoaskyou，"shebeganwithacertainprimformality，whichneverthelessdidnotprecludedimples，"ifyouwouldgiveusthepleasureofyourcompanyatourChurchFestivalto—night？Therewillbeaconcertandacollation。Youcouldaccompanyusthereifyoucared。OurfriendsandTappington’swouldbesogladtoseeyou，andDr。Stoutwouldbedelightedtomakeyouracquaintance。"

"Certainly！"saidHerbert，delightedandyetastounded。"Then，"headdedinalowervoice，"yourmothernolongerbelievesmesodreadfullyculpable？"

"Ohno，"saidCherryinahurriedwhisper，glancingupanddownthepassage;"I’vebeentalkingtoheraboutit，andsheissatisfiedthatitisallajealoustrickandslanderoftheseneighbors。

Why，ItoldherthattheyhadevensaidthatIwasthatmysteriouswoman;thatIcamethatwaytoyoubecauseshehadforbiddenmyseeingyouopenly。"

"What！Youdaredsaythat？"

"Yesdon’tyousee？SupposetheysaidtheyHADseenmecominginlastnight——THATanswersit，"shesaidtriumphantly。

"Oh，itdoes？"hesaidvacantly。

"Perfectly。Soyouseeshe’sconvincedthatsheoughttoputyouonthesamefootingasTappington，beforeeverybody;andthentherewon’tbeanytrouble。You’llcome，won’tyou？Itwon’tbesoVERY

good。Andthen，I’vetoldmotherthatastherehavebeensomanystreet—fights，andsomuchtalkabouttheVigilanceCommitteelately，IoughttohavesomebodyforanescortwhenIamcominghome。Andifyou’reknown，yousee，asoneofUS，there’llbenoharminyourmeetingme。"

"Thankyou，"hesaid，extendinghishandgratefully。

Herfingersrestedamomentinhis。"Wheredidyouputit？"shesaiddemurely。

"It？Oh！IT’Sallsafe，"hesaidquickly，butsomewhatvaguely。

"ButIdon’tcalltheupperdrawerofyourbureausafe，"shereturnedpoutingly，"whereEVERYBODYcango。Soyou’llfinditNOW

insidetheharmonium，onthekeyboard。"

"Oh，thankyou。"

"It’squitenaturaltohaveleftitthereACCIDENTALLY——isn’tit？"

shesaidimploringly，assistedbyallherdimples。Alas！shehadforgottenthathewasstillholdingherhand。Consequently，shehadnottimetosnatchitawayandvanish，withastifledlittlecry，beforeithadbeenpressedtwoorthreetimestohislips。A

littleashamedofhisownboldness，Herbertremainedforafewmomentsinthedoorwaylistening，andlookinguneasilydownthedarkpassage。PresentlyaslightsoundcameoverthefanlightofCherry’sroom。Couldhebelievehisears？Thesaint—likeCherry——

nodoubttutored，forexample’ssake，bytheperfectTappington——

wassoftlywhistling。

Inthissimplefashionthefirstpagesofthislittleidylwerequietlyturned。Thebookmighthavebeenclosedorlaidasideeventhen。ButitsochancedthatCherrywasanunconsciousprophet;

andpresentlyitactuallybecameaprudentialnecessityforhertohaveamasculineescortwhenshewalkedout。ForagrowingstateoflawlessnessandcrimeculminatedonedaythedeeptocsinoftheVigilanceCommittee，andatitsstrokefiftythousandpeacefulmen，revertingtothefirstprinciplesofsocialsafety，sprangtoarms，assembledattheirquarters，orpatrolledthestreets。InanotherhourthecityofSanFranciscowasinthehandsofamob——themostpeaceful，orderly，wellorganized，andtemperatetheworldhadeverknown，andyetinconceptionaslawless，autocratic，andimperiousastheconditionsitopposed。

IV。

Herbert，enrolledinthesamesectionwithhisemployerandoneortwofellow—clerks，hadparticipatedinthemeetingsofthecommitteewiththelight—heartednessandirresponsibilityofyouth，regrettingonlythelossofhisusualwalkwithCherryandthehoursthatkepthimfromherhouse。Hewasreturningfromaprotractedmeetingonenight，whenthenumberofarrestsandsearchingforproscribedandsuspectedcharactershadbeensolargeastoinducefearsoforganizedresistanceandrescue，andonreachingthefootofthehillfounditalreadysolate，thattoavoiddisturbingthefamilyheresolvedtoenterhisroomdirectlybythedoorinthesidestreet。Oninsertinghiskeyinthelockitmetwithsomeresistingobstacle，which，however，yieldedandapparentlydroppedonthematinside。Openingthedoorandsteppingintotheperfectlydarkapartment，hetroduponthisobject，whichprovedtobeanotherkey。Thefamilymusthaveprocureditfortheirconvenienceduringhisabsence，andafterlockingthedoorhadcarelesslyleftitinthelock。Itwasluckythatithadyieldedsoreadily。

Thefirehadgoneout。Heclosedthedoorandlitthegas，andaftertakingoffhisovercoatmovedtothedoorleadingintothepassagetolistenifanybodywasstillstirring。Tohisutterastonishmenthefounditlocked。Whatwasmoreremarkable——thekeywasalsoINSIDE！Aninexplicablefeelingtookpossessionofhim。

Heglancedsuddenlyaroundtheroom，andthenhiseyefelluponthebed。Lyingthere，stretchedatfulllength，wastherecumbentfigureofaman。

Hewasapparentlyintheprofoundsleepofutterexhaustion。Theattitudeofhislimbsandtheorderofhisdress——ofwhichonlyhiscollarandcravathadbeenloosened——showedthatsleepmusthaveovertakenhimalmostinstantly。Infact，thebedwasscarcelydisturbedbeyondtheactualimpressofhisfigure。Heseemedtobeahandsome，maturedmanofaboutforty;hisdarkstraighthairwasalittlethinnedoverthetemples，althoughhislongheavymoustachewasstillyouthfulandvirgin。Hisclothes，whichwereelegantlycutandoffinermaterialthanthatinordinaryuse，thedelicacyandneatnessofhislinen，thewhitenessofhishands，and，moreparticularly，acertaindissipatedpallorofcomplexionandlinesofrecklessnessonthebrowandcheek，indicatedtoHerbertthatthemanbeforehimwasoneofthatdesperateandsuspectedclass——someofwhoseproscribedmembershehadbeenhunting——theprofessionalgambler！

PossiblythemagnetismofHerbert’sintentandastonishedgazeaffectedhim。Hemovedslightly，halfopenedhiseyes，said"Halloo，Tap，"rubbedthemagain，whollyopenedthem，fixedthemwithalazystareonHerbert，andsaid：

"Now，whothedevilareyou？"

"IthinkIhavetherighttoaskthatquestion，consideringthatthisismyroom，"saidHerbertsharply。

"YOURroom？"

"Yes！"

Thestrangerhalfraisedhimselfonhiselbow，glancedroundtheroom，settledhimselfslowlybackonthepillows，withhishandsclaspedlightlybehindhishead，droppedhiseyelids，smiled，andsaid：

"Rats！"

"What？"demandedHerbert，witharesentfulsenseofsacrilegetoCherry’svirginslang。

"Well，oldratsthen！D’yethinkIdon’tknowthisshebang？Lookhere，Johnny，whatareyouputtingonallthissidefor，eh？

What’syourlittlegame？Where’sTappington？"

"IfyoumeanMr。Brooks，thesonofthishouse，whoformerlylivedinthisroom，"repliedHerbert，withaformalprecisionintendedtoshowadoubtofthestranger’sknowledgeofTappington，"yououghttoknowthathehaslefttown。"

"Lefttown！"echoedthestranger，raisinghimselfagain。"Oh，I

see！gettingrathertoowarmforhimhere？Humph！Ioughttohavethoughtofthat。Well，youknow，heDIDtakemightybigrisks，anyway！"Hewassilentamoment，withhisbrowsknitandaratherdangerousexpressioninhishandsomeface。"Sosomed——dhoundgavehimaway——eh？"

"Ihadn’tthepleasureofknowingMr。Brooksexceptbyreputation，astherespectedsonoftheladyuponwhosehouseyouhavejustintruded，"saidHerbertfrigidly，yetwithacreepingconsciousnessofsomeunpleasantrevelation。

Thestrangerstaredathimforamoment，againlookedcarefullyroundtheroom，andthensuddenlydroppedhisheadbackonthepillow，andwithhiswhitehandsoverhiseyesandmouthtriedtorestrainaspasmofsilentlaughter。Afteranefforthesucceeded，wipedhismoisteyes，andsatup。

"Soyoudidn’tknowTappington，eh？"hesaid，lazilybuttoninghiscollar。

"No。"

"NomoredoI。"

Heretiedhiscravat，yawned，rose，shookhimselfperfectlyneatagain，andgoingtoHerbert’sdressing—tablequietlytookupabrushandbegantolightlybrushhimself，occasionallyturningtothewindowtoglanceout。PresentlyheturnedtoHerbertandsaid：

"Well，Johnny，what’syourname？"

"IamHerbertBly，ofCarstone’sBank。"

"So，andamemberofthissameVigilanceCommittee，Ireckon，"hecontinued。

"Yes。"

"Well，Mr。Bly，Ioweyouanapologyforcominghere，andsomethanksfortheonlysleepI’vehadinforty—eighthours。Istruckthisoldshebangataboutteno’clock，andit’snowtwo，soI

reckonI’veputinaboutfourhours’squaresleep。Now，lookhere。"HebeckonedHerberttowardsthewindow。"Doyouseethosethreemenstandingunderthatgaslight？Well，they’repartofagangofVigilanteswho’vehuntedmetothehill，andarewaitingtoseemecomeoutofthebushes，wheretheyreckonI’mhiding。GotothemandsaythatI’mhere！Tellthemyou’vegotGentlemanGeorge——

GeorgeDornton，themanthey’vebeenhuntingforaweek——inthisroom。IpromiseyouIwon’tstir，norkickuparow，whenthey’vecome。Doit，andCarstone，ifhe’sasquareman，willraiseyoursalaryforit，andpromoteyou。"Heyawnedslightly，andthenslowlylookingaroundhim，drewtheeasy—chairtowardshimanddroppedcomfortablyinit，gazingattheastoundedandmotionlessHerbertwithalazysmile。

"You’rewonderingwhatmylittlegameis，Johnny，ain’tyou？Well，I’lltellyou。Whatwithbeinghuntedfrompillartopost，puttingmyoldpardstonoendoftrouble，andthenslippinguponitwheneverIthinkI’vegotasurethinglikethis，"——hecastanalmostaffectionateglanceatthebed，——"I’vecometotheconclusionthatit’splayedout，andImightaswellhandinmychecks。It’sonlyaquestionofmybeingRUNOUTof’Frisco，orhidinguntilIcanSLIPOUTmyself;andI’vereckonedImightaswellgivethemthetroubleandexpenseoftransportation。AndifI

canputagoodthinginyourwayindoingit——why，itwillsortofmakethingssquarewithyouforthefussI’vegivenyou。"

EveninthestupefactionandhelplessnessofknowingthatthemanbeforehimwasthenotoriousduellistandgamblerGeorgeDornton，oneofthefirstmarkedfordeportationbytheVigilanceCommittee，Herbertrecognizedallhehadheardofhisinvinciblecoolness，courage，andalmostphilosophicfatalism。Foraninstanthisyouthfulimaginationcheckedevenhisindignation。Whenherecoveredhimself，hesaid，withrisingcolorandboyishvehemence：

"WhoeverYOUmaybe，Iamneitherapoliceofficernoraspy。YouhavenorighttoinsultmebysupposingthatIwouldprofitbythemistakethatmadeyoumyguest，orthatIwouldrefuseyouthesanctuaryoftheroofthatcoversyourinsultaswellasyourblunder。"

Thestrangergazedathimwithanamusedexpression，andthenroseandstretchedouthishand。

"Shake，Mr。Bly！You’retheonlymanthateverkickedGeorgeDorntonwhenhedeservedit。Good—night！"Hetookhishatandwalkedtothedoor。

"Stop！"saidHerbertimpulsively;"thenightisalreadyfargone;

gobackandfinishyoursleep。"

"Youmeanit？"

"Ido。"

Thestrangerturned，walkedbacktothebed，unfasteninghiscoatandcollarashedidso，andlaidhimselfdownintheattitudeofamomentbefore。

"Iwillcallyouinthemorning，"continuedHerbert。"Bythattime，"——hehesitated，——"bythattimeyourpursuersmayhavegivenuptheirsearch。Onewordmore。Youwillbefrankwithme？"

"Goon。"

"Tappingtonandyouare——friends？"

"Well——yes。"

"Hismotherandsisterknownothingofthis？"

"Ireckonhedidn’tboastofit。Ididn’t。Isthatall？"

sleepily。

"Yes。"

"Don’tYOUworryaboutHIM。Good—night。"

"Good—night。"

ButevenatthatmomentGeorgeDorntonhaddroppedoffinaquiet，peacefulsleep。

Blyturneddownthelight，and，drawinghiseasy—chairtothewindow，droppedintoitinbewilderingreflection。Thisthenwasthesecret——unknowntomotheranddaughter——unsuspectedbyall！

ThiswasthedoublelifeofTappington，halfrevealedinhisflirtationwiththeneighbors，inthehiddencardsbehindthebooks，inthemysteriousvisitor——stillunaccountedfor——andnowwhollyexplodedbythissleepingconfederate，forwhom，somehow，Herbertfeltthegreatestsympathy！Whatwastobedone？WhatshouldhesaytoCherry——tohermother——toMr。Carstone？Yethehadfelthehaddoneright。Fromtimetotimeheturnedtothemotionlessrecumbentshadowonthebedandlistenedtoitsslowandpeacefulrespiration。Apartfromthatundefinableattractionwhichalloriginalnatureshaveforeachother，thethrice—blessedmysteryofprotectionofthehelpless，forthefirsttimeinhislife，seemedtodawnuponhimthroughthatnight。

Nevertheless，theactualdawncameslowly。Twicehenoddedandawokequicklywithastart。Thethirdtimeitwasday。Thestreet—lampswereextinguished，andwiththemthemoving，restlesswatchersseemedalsotohavevanished。Suddenlyaformaldeliberaterappingatthedoorleadingtothehallstartledhimtohisfeet。

ItmustbeEllen。Somuchthebetter;hecouldquicklygetridofher。Heglancedatthebed;Dorntonsleptonundisturbed。Heunlockedthedoorcautiously，andinstinctivelyfellbackbeforetheerect，shawled，anddecorousfigureofMrs。Brooks。Butanutterlynewresolutionandexcitementhadsupplantedthehabitualresignationofherhandsomefeatures，andgiventhemanangrysparkleofexpression。

Recollectinghimself，heinstantlysteppedforwardintothepassage，drawingtothedoorbehindhim，asshe，withequalcelerity，opposeditwithherhand。

"Mr。Bly，"shesaiddeliberately，"Ellenhasjusttoldmethatyourvoicehasbeenheardinconversationwithsomeoneinthisroomlatelastnight。UptothismomentIhavefoolishlyallowedmydaughtertopersuademethatcertaininfamousscandalsregardingyourconductherewerefalse。Imustaskyouasagentlemantoletmepassnowandsatisfymyself。"

"But，mydearmadam，onemoment。Letmefirstexplain——Ibeg"——

stammeredHerbertwithahalf—hystericallaugh。"Iassureyouagentlemanfriend"——

Butshehadpushedhimasideandenteredprecipitately。Withaquickfeminineglanceroundtheroomsheturnedtothebed，andthenhaltedinoverwhelmingconfusion。

"It’safriend，"saidHerbertinahastywhisper。"Afriendofminewhoreturnedwithmelate，andwhom，onaccountofthedisturbedstateofthestreets，Iinducedtostayhereallnight。

HewassotiredthatIhavenothadthehearttodisturbhimyet。"

"Oh，praydon’t！——Ibeg"——saidMrs。Brookswithacertainyouthfulvivacity，butstillgazingatthestranger’shandsomefeaturesassheslowlyretreated。"Notforworlds！"

Herbertwasrelieved;shewasactuallyblushing。

"Yousee，itwasquiteunpremeditated，Iassureyou。Wecameintogether，"whisperedHerbert，leadinghertothedoor，"andI"——

"Don’tbelieveawordofit，madam，"saidalazyvoicefromthebed，asthestrangerleisurelyraisedhimselfupright，puttingthelastfinishingtouchtohiscravatasheshookhimselfneatagain。

"I’manutterstrangertohim，andheknowsit。Hefoundmehere，bidingfromtheVigilantes，whowerechasingmeonthehill。Igotinatthatdoor，whichhappenedtobeunlocked。Heletmestaybecausehewasagentleman——and——Iwasn’t。Ibegyourpardon，madam，forhavinginterruptedhimbeforeyou;butitwasalittleroughtohavehimlieonMYaccountwhenhewasn’tthekindofmantolieonhisOWN。You’llforgivehim——won’tyou，please？——and，asI’mtakingmyselfoffnow，perhapsyou’lloverlookMYintrusiontoo。"

Itwasimpossibletoconveythelazyfranknessofthisspeech，thecharmingsmilewithwhichitwasaccompanied，ortheeasyyetdeferentialmannerwithwhich，takinguphishat，hebowedtoMrs。

Brooksasheadvancedtowardthedoor。

"But，"saidMrs。Brooks，hurriedlyglancingfromHerberttothestranger，"itmustbetheVigilanteswhoarenowhangingaboutthestreet。Ellensawthemfromherwindow，andthoughttheywereYOUR

friends，Mr。Bly。Thisgentleman——yourfriend"——shehadbecomealittleconfusedinhernovelexcitement——"reallyoughtnottogooutnow。Itwouldbemadness。"

"Ifyouwouldn’tmindhisremainingalittlelonger，itcertainlywouldbesafer，"saidHerbert，withwonderinggratitude。

"Icertainlyshouldn’tconsenttohisleavingmyhousenow，"saidMrs。Brookswithdignity;"andifyouwouldn’tmindcallingCherryhere，Mr。Bly——she’sinthedining—room——andthenshowingyourselfforamomentinthestreetandfindingoutwhattheywanted，itwouldbethebestthingtodo。"

Herbertflewdownstairs;inafewhurriedwordshegavethesameexplanationtotheastoundedCherrythathehadgiventohermother，withthemischievousadditionthatMrs。Brooks’sunjustsuspicionshadprecipitatedherintobecominganamicableaccomplice，andthenranoutintothestreet。HereheascertainedfromoneoftheVigilantes，whomheknew，thattheywerereallyseekingDornton;butthat，concludingthatthefugitivehadalreadyescapedtothewharves，theyexpectedtowithdrawtheirsurveillanceatnoon。Somewhatrelieved，hehastenedback，tofindthestrangercalmlyseatedonthesofaintheparlorwiththesameairoffrankindifference，lazilyrelatingtheincidentsofhisflighttothetwowomen，whowerelisteningwitheveryexpressionofsympathyandinterest。"Poorfellow！"saidCherry，takingtheastonishedBlyasideintothehall，"Idon’tbelievehe’shalfasbadasTHEYsaidheis——orasevenHEmakeshimselfouttobe。ButDIDyounoticemother？"

Herbert，alittledazed，and，itmustbeconfessed，atrifleuneasyatthisreadyacceptanceofthestranger，abstractedlysaidhehadnot。

"Why，it’sthemostridiculousthing。She’sactuallygoingroundWITHOUTHERSHAWL，anddoesn’tseemtoknowit。"

V。

WhenHerbertfinallyreachedthebankthatmorninghewasstillinastateofdoubtandperplexity。Hehadpartedwithhisgratefulvisitor，whosesafetyinafewhoursseemedassured，butwithouttheleastfurtherrevelationoractualallusiontoanythingantecedenttohisselectingTappington’sroomasrefuge。Morethanthat，HerbertwasconvincedfromhismannerthathehadnointentionofmakingaconfidantofMrs。Brooks，andthisconvincedhimthatDornton’spreviousrelationswithTappingtonwerenotonlyutterlyinconsistentwiththatyoungman’sdecorousreputation，butwereunsuspectedbythefamily。Thestranger’sfamiliarknowledgeoftheroom，hismysteriousallusionstothe"risks"Tappingtonhadtaken，andhissuddensilenceonthediscoveryofBly’signoranceofthewholeaffairallpointedtosomesecretthat，innocentornot，wasmoreorlessperilous，notonlytothesonbuttothemotherandsister。Ofthelatter’signorancehehadnodoubt——buthadheanyrighttoenlightenthem？AdmittingthatTappingtonhaddeceivedthemwiththeothers，wouldtheythankhimforopeningtheireyestoit？Iftheyhadalreadyasuspicion，wouldtheycaretoknowthatitwassharedbyhim？Haltingbetweenhisfranknessandhisdelicacy，thefinalthoughtthatinhisbuddingrelationswiththedaughteritmightseemacruelbidforherconfidence，orarevengefortheirdistrustofhim，inclinedhimtosilence。Butanunforeseenoccurrencetookthematterfromhishands。AtnoonhewastoldthatMr。Carstonewishedtoseehiminhisprivateroom！

SatisfiedthathiscomplicitywithDornton’sescapewasdiscovered，theunfortunateHerbertpresentedhimself，palebutself—possessed，beforehisemployer。Thatbriefmanofbusinessbadehimbeseated，andstandinghimselfbeforethefireplace，lookeddowncuriously，butnotunkindly，uponhisemployee。

"Mr。Bly，thebankdoesnotusuallyinterferewiththeprivateaffairsofitsemployees，butforcertainreasonswhichIprefertoexplaintoyoulater，Imustaskyoutogivemeastraightforwardanswertooneortwoquestions。Imaysaythattheyhavenothingtodowithyourrelationstothebank，whicharetousperfectlysatisfactory。"

MorethaneverconvincedthatMr。Carstonewasabouttospeakofhisvisitor，Herbertsignifiedhiswillingnesstoreply。

"YouhavebeenseenagreatdealwithMissBrookslately——onthestreetandelsewhere——actingasherescort，andevidentlyontermsofintimacy。Todoyoubothjustice，neitherofyouseemedtohavemadeitasecretoravoidedobservation;butImustaskyoudirectlyifitiswithhermother’spermission？"

Considerablyrelieved，butwonderingwhatwascoming，Herbertanswered，withboyishfrankness，thatitwas。

"Areyou——engagedtotheyounglady？"

"No，sir。"

"Areyou——well，Mr。Bly——briefly，areyouwhatiscalled’inlove’

withher？"askedthebanker，withacertainbrusquehurryingoverofasentimentevidentlyincompatiblewiththeirpresentbusinesssurroundings。

Herbertblushed。Itwasthefirsttimehehadheardthequestionvoiced，evenbyhimself。

"Iam，"hesaidresolutely。

"Andyouwishtomarryher？"

"IfIdaredaskhertoacceptayoungmanwithnopositionasyet，"

stammeredHerbert。

"Peopledon’tusuallyconsiderayoungmaninCarstone’sBankofnoposition，"saidthebankerdryly;"andIwishforyoursakeTHAT

weretheonlyimpediment。ForIamcompelledtorevealtoyouasecret。"Hepaused，andfoldinghisarms，lookedfixedlydownuponhisclerk。"Mr。Bly，TappingtonBrooks，thebrotherofyoursweetheart，wasadefaulterandembezzlerfromthisbank！"

Herbertsatdumfoundedandmotionless。

"Understandtwothings，"continuedMr。Carstonequickly。"First，thatnopurerorbetterwomenexistthanMissBrooksandhermother。Secondly，thattheyknownothingofthis，andthatonlymyselfandoneothermanareinpossessionofthesecret。"

Heslightlychangedhisposition，andwentonmoredeliberately。

"SixweeksagoTappingtonsatinthatchairwhereyouaresittingnow，aconvictedhypocriteandthief。Luckilyforhim，althoughhisguiltwasplain，andthewholesecretofhisdoubleliferevealedtome，asumofmoneyadvancedinpitybyoneofhisgamblingconfederateshadmadehisaccountsgoodandsavedhimfromsuspicionintheeyesofhisfellow—clerksandmypartners。Atfirsthetriedtofightmeonthatpoint;thenheblusteredandsaidhismothercouldhaverefundedthemoney;andaskedmewhatwasapaltryfivethousanddollars！Itoldhim，Mr。Bly，thatitmightbefiveyearsofhisyouthinstateprison;thatitmightbefiveyearsofsorrowandshameforhismotherandsister;thatitmightbeaneverlastingstainonthenameofhisdeadfather——myfriend。Hetalkedofkillinghimself：Itoldhimhewasacowardlyfool。Heaskedmetogivehimuptotheauthorities：ItoldhimI

intendedtotakethelawinmyownhandsandgivehimanotherchance;andthenhebrokedown。Itransferredhimthatveryday，withoutgivinghimtimetocommunicatewithanybody，toourbranchofficeatPortland，withaletterexplaininghispositiontoouragent，andtheinjunctionthatforsixmonthsheshouldbeunderstrictsurveillance。ImyselfundertooktoexplainhissuddendeparturetoMrs。Brooks，andobligedhimtowritetoherfromtimetotime。"Hepaused，andthencontinued："SofarIbelievemyplanhasbeensuccessful：thesecrethasbeenkept;hehasbrokenwiththeevilassociatesthatruinedhimhere——tothebestofmyknowledgehehashadnocommunicationwiththemsince;evenacertainwomanherewhosharedhisvicioushiddenlifehasabandonedhim。"

"Areyousure？"askedHerbertinvoluntarily，asherecalledhismysteriousvisitor。

"IbelievetheVigilanceCommitteehasconsidereditapublicdutytodeportherandherconfederatesbeyondtheState，"returnedCarstonedryly。

AnotherideaflasheduponHerbert。"AndthegamblerwhoadvancedthemoneytosaveTappington？"hesaidbreathlessly。

"Wasn’tsuchahoundastherestofhiskind，ifreportsaystrue，"

answeredCarstone。"HewaswellknownhereasGeorgeDornton——

GentlemanGeorge——amancapableofbetterthings。Buthewasbeforeyourtime，Mr。Bly——YOUdon’tknowhim。"

Herbertdidn’tdeemitafelicitousmomenttocorrecthisemployer，andMr。Carstonecontinued："IhavenowtoldyouwhatIthoughtitwasmydutytotellyou。ImustleaveYOUtojudgehowfaritaffectsyourrelationswithMissBrooks。"

Herbertdidnothesitate。"Ishouldbeverysorry，sir，toseemtoundervalueyourconsiderationordisregardyourwarning;butIamafraidthatevenifyouhadbeenlessmercifultoTappington，andhewerenowaconvictedfelon，Ishouldchangeneithermyfeelingsnormyintentionstohissister。"

"Andyouwouldstillmarryher？"saidCarstonesternly;"YOU，anemployeeofthebank，wouldsettheexampleofallyingyourselfwithonewhohadrobbedit？"

"I——amafraidIwould，sir，"saidHerbertslowly。

"Evenifitwereaquestionofyourremaininghere？"saidCarstonegrimly。

PoorHerbertalreadysawhimselfdismissedandagaintakinguphiswearyquestforemployment;but，nevertheless，heansweredstoutly：

"Yes，sir。"

"AndnothingwillpreventyoumarryingMissBrooks？"

"Nothing——savemyinabilitytosupporther。"

"Then，"saidMr。Carstone，withapeculiarlightinhiseyes，"itonlyremainsforthebanktomarkitsopinionofyourconductbyINCREASINGYOURSALARYTOENABLEYOUTODOSO！Shakehands，Mr。

Bly，"hesaid，laughing。"Ithinkyou’lldototieto——andI

believetheyoungladywillbeofthesameopinion。Butnotawordtoeitherherorhermotherinregardtowhatyouhaveheard。AndnowImaytellyousomethingmore。IamnotwithouthopeofTappington’sfuture，nor——d——nit！——withoutsomeexcuseforhisfault，sir。Hewasartificiallybroughtup。Whenmyoldfrienddied，Mrs。Brooks，stillahandsomewoman，likeallhersexwouldn’trestuntilshehadanotherdevotion，andwrappedherselfandherchildrenupintheChurch。Theologymaybeallrightforgrownpeople，butit’sapttomakechildrenartificial;andTappingtonwaspiousbeforehewasfairlygood。Hedrewonareligiouscreditbeforehehadamoralcapitalbehindit。Hewasbroughtupwithnoknowledgeoftheworld，andwhenhewentintoit——itcapturedhim。Idon’tsaytherearenotsaintsbornintotheworldoccasionally;butforeveryoneyou’llfindalotofpromiscuoushumannature。MyoldfriendJoshBrookshadaheapofit，anditwouldn’tbestrangeifsomewasleftinhischildren，andburstthroughtheirstraight—lacinginaqueerway。That’sall！Good—morning，Mr。Bly。ForgetwhatI’vetoldyouforsixmonths，andthenIshouldn’twonderifTappingtonwasonhandtogivehissisteraway。