第4章

"Iwasthinkingthat，asyoucan\'tdomuchwiththosehandsofyours，diggingandshoveling，andnotmuchwithyourfeeteither，overploughedground，youmightdosomeinsidework，thatwouldpayyoubetter，too。Youmighthelpinthediningroom，settingtableandwashingup，helpingmaandme——thoughIdon\'tdomuchexceptoverseeing。Icouldshowyouwhattodoatfirst，andyou\'dlearnquickenough。Ifyousay\'yes，\'I\'llspeaktopato-night。He\'lldowhateverIsay。”

Therageandshamethatfilledhisbreastchokedeventhebitterlaughthatfirstrosetohislips。Ifhecouldhaveturnedonhisheelandleftherwithmarkedindignation，hewouldhavedoneso，buttheywerescarcelyhalfwayacrossthefield；hisstumblingretreatwouldhaveonlyappearedridiculous，andhewasbynomeanssurethatshewouldnothavelookeduponitasmerelyaconfessionofhisinabilitytokeepupwithher。Andyettherewassomethingpeculiarlyfascinatingandtantalizinginthesituation。Shedidnotseethesardonicglitterinhiseyeashesaidbrutally:——

"Ha!andthatwouldgivemetheexquisitepleasureofbeingnearyou。”

Sheseemedalittleconfused，evenunderherenwrappings，andinsteppingdownherfootslipped。Reddyinstantlyscrambleduptoherandcaughtherasshewaspitchingforwardintothefurrow。

Yetinthestruggletokeephisownfootholdhewasawarethatshewasassistinghim，andalthoughhehadpassedhisarmaroundherwaist，asifforherbettersecurity，itwasonlythroughHERfirmgraspofhiswriststhatheregainedhisownfooting。The"cloud"

hadfallenbackfromherheadandshoulders，herheavyhairhadbrushedhischeekandleftitsfaintodorinhisnostrils；theroundedoutlineofherfigurehadbeenslightlydrawnagainsthisown。Hismeanresentmentwavered；herproposition，whichatfirstseemedonlyinsulting，nowtookavagueformofsatisfaction；hisironicalsuggestionseemedanaturalexpression。"Well，Isay\'yes\'then，"hesaid，withanaffectedlaugh。"Thatis，ifyouthinkIcanmanagetodothework；itisnotexactlyinmyline，youknow。”Yethesomehowfeltthathislaughwasfeebleandunconvincing。

"Oh，it\'seasyenough，"saidthegirlquietly。"You\'veonlygottobeclean——andthat\'sinyourline，Ishouldsay。”

"AndifIthoughtitwouldpleaseyou，"headded，withanotherattemptatgallantry。

Shedidnotreply，butmovedsteadilyon，hefanciedalittlemorerapidly。Theywerenearingthehouse；hefelthewaslosingtimeandopportunity。Theunevennatureofthegroundkepthimfromwalkingimmediatelybesideher，unlessheheldherhandorarm。

Yetanoddtimiditywasovertakinghim。Surelythiswasthesamegirlwhoseconsciousnessandsusceptibilityweresoapparentamomentago；yetherspeechhadbeeninconsistent，unsympathetic，andcoldlypractical。"It\'sverykindofyou，"hebeganagain，scramblinguponesideofthefurrowasshedescendedontheother，"to——to——takesuchaninterestin——inastranger，andIwishyouknewhow"(shehadmountedtheridgeagain，andstoodbalancingherselfasifwaitingforhimtofinishhissentence)"how——howdeeply——I——I"——Shedroppedquicklydownagainwiththesamemovementofuneasyconsciousness，andheleftthesentenceunfinished。Thehousewasnowonlyafewyardsaway；hehurriedforward，butshereachedthewoodenplatformandstoopuponitfirst。He，however，atthesamemomentcaughtherhand。

"Iwanttothankyou，"hesaid，"andsaygood-night。”

"Good-night。”Hervoicewasindistinctagain，andshewastrembling。Emboldenedandreckless，hesprangupontheplatform，andencirclingherwithonearm，withhisotherhandheunloosedthewoolencloudaroundherheadandbaredherfaintlyflushedcheekandhalf-open，hurriedlybreathinglips。Butthenextmomentshethrewherheadbackwithasinglepowerfulmovement，and，asitseemedtohim，withscarcelyaneffortcasthimoffwithbothhands，andsenthimtopplingfromtheplatformtotheground。

Hescrambledquicklytohisfeetagain，flushed，angry，and——

frightened!Perhapsshewouldcallherfather；hewouldbeinsulted，orworse，——laughedat!Hehadlosteventhispitifulchanceofbetteringhiscondition。Buthewasasrelievedashewassurprisedtoseethatshewasstandingquietlyontheedgeoftheplatform，apparentlywaitingforhimtorise。Herfacewasstilluncovered，stillslightlyflushed，butbearingnotraceofeitherinsultoranger。Whenhestooderectagain，shelookedathimgravelyanddrewthewoolencloudoverherhead，asshesaidcalmly，"ThenI\'lltellpayou\'lltaketheplace，andIreckonyou\'llbeginto-morrowmorning。”

II。

Angered，discomfited，andphysicallyandmorallybeaten，JamesReddystumbledandclamberedbackacrossthefield。Thebeamoflightthathadstreamedoutoverthedarkfieldasthedooropenedandshutonthegirllefthimdoublyconfusedandbewildered。Inhisdullangerandmortification，thereseemedonlyonecourseforhimtopursue。Hewoulddemandhiswagesinthemorning，andcutthewholeconcern。HewouldgobacktoSanFranciscoandworkthere，whereheatleasthadfriendswhorespectedhisstation。

Yet，heoughttohaverefusedthegirl\'sofferbeforeshehadrepulsedhim；hisretreatnowmeantnothing，andmighteventempther，inhervulgarpique，torevealherrebuffofhim。Heraisedhiseyesmechanically，andlookedgloomilyacrossthedarkwasteanddistantbaytotheoppositeshore。Butthefoghadalreadyhiddentheglowofthecity\'slights，and，thickeningaroundthehorizon，seemedtobeslowlyhemminghiminwiththedrearyrancho。

Inhispresentframeofmindtherewasacertainfatefulnessinthisthatprecludedhisoncefreeagency，andtothatextentrelievedandabsolvedHIMofanychoice。Hereachedthedormitoryanditsturned-downlightsinastateoftiredanddulluncertainty，forwhichsleepseemedtooffertheonlyrelief。Herolledhimselfinhisblanketswithananimalinstinctofcomfortandshuthiseyes，buttheirsenseappearedtoopenuponNellyWoodridgeasshestoodlookingdownuponhimfromtheplatform。Eventhroughthedullpainofhisbruisedsusceptibilitieshewasconsciousofastrangesatisfactionhehadnotfeltbefore。Hefellasleepatlast，towakenonlytothesunlightstreamingthroughthecurtainlesswindowsonhisface。Tohissurprisethelongshedwasemptyanddeserted，exceptforasingleChinamanwhowassweepingtheflooratthefartherend。AsReddystartedup，themanturnedandapproachedhimwithacharacteristic，vague，andpatientsmile。

"Alllity，John，yousleepeeheap!MistelWoodlidgehesayyounogowolkeefieldalleesameMellikanman。YoustoppeeinsidehouseealleesameME。Shabbee？Youcometoglubbee[grub]now"(pointingtothedistantdining-shed)，"andthenyouwasheedish。”

ThefullextentofhisnewdegradationflasheduponReddywiththisaddedinsultofhisbrothermenial\'simplicitequality。Heunderstooditall。Hehadbeendetachedfromthefield-workersandwastocometoalaterbreakfast，perhapsthebrokenvictualsofthefirstrepast，andwashthedishes。Herememberedhisnewbargain。Verywell!hewouldrefusepositively，takehisdismissal，andleavethatmorning!Hehurriedlydressedhimself，andfollowedtheChinamanintotheopenair。

Thefogstillhunguponthedistantbayandhidtheoppositepoint。

ButthesunshonewithdryCalifornianbrilliancyovertheleague-

longfieldaroundhim，revealingeverydetailoftheranchowithsharp，matteroffactdirectness，andwithouttheleastillusionofdistanceorromance。Therough，unplaned，unpaintedwallsofthedinner-shedstoodoutclearlybeforehim；thehalf-filledbucketsofwateronthenearplatform，andtheimmensetubspiledwithdirtydishes。Hescowleddarklyashewalkedforward，conscious，nevertheless，oftheinvigoratingdisciplineofthemorningairandthewholesomewhipintheskyabovehim。Heenteredsharplyandaggressively。Tohisrelief，theroomatfirstsightseemed，likethedormitoryhehadjustleft，tobeempty。Butavoice，clear，dry，direct，andpracticalasthemorningitself，spokeinhisear:

"Mornin\'，Reddy!Mydaughtersaysyou\'rewillin\'totakeanindoorjob，andIreckon，speakin\'square，asmantoman，it\'smoreinyourlinethanwhatyou\'vebindoin\'。Itmayn\'tbehigh-tonedwork，butwork\'sWORKanyhowyoucanfixit；andtheonlydifferenceIkinseeisintheworkthatamandoessquarely，andtheworkthatheshirks。”

"But，"saidReddyhurriedly，"there\'samistake。Icamehereonlyto"——

"Workliketheothers，Iunderstand。Well，youseeyouCAN\'T。Youdoyourbest，Iknow。Iain\'tfindin\'fault，butitain\'tinyourline。THISis，andthepayisbetter。”

"But，"stammeredReddy，"MissWoodridgedidn\'tunderstand"——

"Yes，shedid，"returnedWoodridgeimpatiently，"andshetoldme。

Shesaysshe\'llshowyouroundatfirst。You\'llcatchonallright。Sitdownandeatyourbreakfast，andshe\'llbealongbeforeyou\'rethrough。EzforME，Imustgetupandget。Solong!"andbeforeReddyhadanopportunitytocontinuehisprotest，heturnedaway。

Theyoungmanglancedvexatiouslyaroundhim。Abreakfastmuchbetterinserviceandqualitythantheonehehadbeenaccustomedtosmokedonthetable。Therewasnooneelseintheroom。HecouldhearthevoicesoftheChinesewaitersinthekitchenbeyond。

Hewashealthilyhungry，andafteramoment\'shesitationsatdownandbeganhismeal。Hecouldexpostulatewithherafterward，andwithdrawhispromise。Hewasentitledtohisbreakfast，anyway!

Onceortwice，whilethusengaged，heheardthedoorofthekitchenopenandtheclippingtreadoftheChinesewaiters，whodepositedsomerattlingburdenontheadjacenttables，buthethoughtitprudentnottoseemtonoticethem。Whenhehadfinished，thepleasant，hesitating，boyishcontraltoofMissWoodridgefelluponhisear。

"Whenyou\'reready，I\'llshowyouhowtobeginyourwork。”

Heturnedquickly，withaflushofmortificationatbeingdiscoveredathisrepast，andhisangerreturned。Butashiseyesfelluponherdelicatelycoloredbuttranquilface，herwell-shapedfigure，coquettishlyandspotlesslycuffed，collared，andaproned，andherclearbluebuthalf-avertedeyes，heagainunderwentachange。Shecertainlywasverypretty——thatmostseductiveprettinesswhichseemedtobewarmedintolifebyherconsciousnessofhimself。Whyshouldhetakeherorhimselfsoseriously？Whynotplayoutthefarce，andletthosewhowouldcriticisehimandthinkhisacceptanceoftheworkdegradingunderstandthatitwasonlyanaffairofgallantry。HecouldaffordtoserveWoodridgeatleastafewweeksforthefavorofthisRachel!Forgetfulofhisrebuffofthenightbefore，hefixedhisbrowneyesonherswithanaudaciouslevity。

"Ohyes——thework!Letusseeit。I\'mreadyinnameandnatureforanythingthatMissWoodridgewantsofme。I\'mjustdyingtobegin。”

Hisvoicewasraisedslightly，withahighcomedyjauntiness，forthebenefitoftheChinesewaiterswhomightbelingeringtoseethe"Mellicanman"assumetheirfunctions。Butitfailedineffect。Withtheircharacteristiccalmacceptanceofanyeccentricityina"foreigndevil，"theyscarcelyliftedtheireyes。

Theyounggirlpointedtoadeepbasketfilledwithdisheswhichhadbeenplacedonthelargertable，andsaid，withoutlookingatReddy:——

"Youhadbetterbeginby\'checking\'thecrockery。Thatis，countingthepiecesseparatelyandthenarrangingtheminsetsastheycomebackfromwashing。There\'sthebooktocomparethemwithandtosetdownwhatisbroken，missing，orchipped。You\'llhaveacleantowelwithyoutowipethepiecesthathavenotbeencleanedenough；or，iftheyaretoodirty，you\'llsendthembacktothekitchen。”

"Couldn\'tIwashthemmyself？"saidReddy，continuinghisostentatiouslevity。

"Notyet，"saidthegirl，withgravehesitation；"you\'dbreakthem。”

Shestoodwatchinghim，aswithaffectedhilarityhebegantotakethedishesfromthebasket。Butshenoticedthatinspiteofthisjocularsimulationhisgraspwasfirmanddelicate，andthattherewasnoclatter——whichwouldhaveaffectedhersensitiveear——asheputthemdown。Shelaidapencilandaccountbookbesidehimandturnedaway。

"Butyouarenotgoing？"hesaid，ingenuinesurprise。

"Yes，"shesaidquietly，"untilyougetthrough\'checking。\'ThenI\'llcomebackandshowyouwhatyouhavetodonext。You\'regettingonverywell。”

"Butthatwasbecauseyouwerewithme。”

Shecoloredslightlyand，withoutlookingathim，movedslowlytothedooranddisappeared。

Reddywentbacktohiswork，disappointedbutnotdiscomfited。Hewasgettingaccustomedtothegirl\'seccentricities。Whetheritwasthefreshnessofthemorningairandsunlightstreaminginattheopenwindows，theunlooked-forsolitudeandsecurityoftheemptyroom，orthattherewasnothingreallyunpleasantinhisoccupation，hewentoncheerfully"checking"thedishes，narrowlyexaminingthemforchipsandcracks，andnotingtheminthebook。

Againdiscoveringthatafewwereimperfectlycleanedandwiped，herepairedthedefectwithcoldwaterandatowelwithouttheleastthoughtoftheoperationbeingdegrading。Hehadfinishedhistaskinhalfanhour；shehadnotreturned；whyshouldhenotgoonandsetthetable？Ashestraightenedandturnedthecoarsetable-

cloth，hemadethediscoverythatthelongtablewasreallycomposedofhalfadozensmallerones，andthatthehideousparallelogramwhichhadalwayssooffendedhimwasmerelytheoutcomeofcarelessnessandwantoftaste。Withoutamoment\'shesitationhesetatworktobreakupthemonotonouslineandrearrangedthetableslaterally，withsmallopenspacesbetweenthem。Thetaskwasnolightone，evenforastrongerman，butheperseveredinitwithanew-foundenergyuntilhehadchangedthewholeaspectoftheroom。Itlookedlarger，wider，andlesscrowded；itshardpractical，workhouse-likeformalityhaddisappeared。Hehadpausedtosurveyit，pantingstillwithhisunusualexertion，whenavoicebrokeuponhissolitude。

"Well，Iwanterknow!"

ThevoicewasnotNelly\'s，butthatofhermother，——alarge-boned，angularwomanoffifty，——whohadenteredtheroomunperceived。Theaccentsweresimplythoseofsurprise，butonJamesReddy\'spresentsensitivemood，coupledwiththefeelingthatherewasanewwitnesstohisdegradation，hemighthaveresentedit；buthedetectedthehandsome，reservedfigureofthedaughterafewstepsbehindher。Theireyesmet；wonderfultorelate，theyounggirl\'snolongerevadedhim，butlookedsquarelyintohiswithabrightexpressionofpleasurehehadnotseenbefore。Hecheckedhimselfwithasuddenthrillofgratification。

"Well，Ideclare，"continuedMrs。Woodridge；"isthatYOURidea——oryours，Helen？"

HereReddysimplypointedouttheadvantagesforservingaffordedbythenewarrangement；thatallthetableswereequallyandquicklyaccessiblefromtheserving-tableandsideboard，andthatitwasnolongernecessarytogothewholelengthoftheroomtoservetheuppertable。Hetactfullydidnotrefertotheimprovedappearanceoftheroom。

"Well，aslongasitain\'tmerefinikin，"saidtheladygraciously，"andseemstobringthefolksandtheirvittlesnearertogether——

we\'lltryitto-day。ItdoeslookkinderCITYFIED——andIreckonedthatwasallthegooditwas。ButIcalkilatedyouweregoin\'tocheckthecrockerythismorning。”

"It\'sdone，"saidReddy，smilinglyhandinghertheaccount-book。

Mrs。Woodridgeglancedoverit，andthensurveyedhernewassistant。

"Andyoudidn\'tfindanyplatesthatweredirtyandthathadtobesentback？"

"Yes，twoorthree，butIcleanedthemmyself。”

Mrs。Woodridgeglancedathimwithalookofapprovingcuriosity，buthiseyeswerejustthenseekingherdaughter\'sforamoregratefulsympathy。Allofwhichthegoodladynoted，andasitapparentlyansweredtheunaskedquestioninherownmind，sheonlyutteredthesingleexclamation，"Humph!"

Buttheapprobationhereceivedlateratdinner，inthesatisfactionofhisoldcompanionswiththenewarrangement，hadalsotheeffectofdivertingfromhimthecriticismhehadfearedtheywouldmakeinfindinghiminstalledasanassistanttoMrs。

Woodridge。Onthecontrary，theyappearedonlytorecognizeinhimsomeespecialandsuperiorfacultyutilizedfortheircomfort，andwhenthesuperintendent，equallypleased，saiditwas"allReddy\'sownidea，"noonedoubtedthatitwasthisparticularstrokeofgeniuswhichgainedhimtheobviouspromotion。IfhehadstillthoughtofofferinghisflirtationwithNellyasanexcuse，therewasnownonecessityforany。Havingshowntohisemployershiscapacityforthehighestandlowestwork，theynaturallypreferredtousehisbestabilities——andhewaskeptfromanymenialservice。

Hisaccountsweresocarefullyandintelligentlyrenderedthattheentirecareofthebuildinganditsappointmentswasintrustedtohim。AttheendoftheweekMr。Woodridgetookhimaside。

"Isay，youain\'tgotanyjobinviewarteryoufinishuphere，hevye？"

Reddystarted。Scarcelytendaysagohehadahundredprojects，schemes，andspeculations，moreorlesswildandextravagant，wherewithhewastoavengeandrecouphimselfinSanFrancisco。

Nowtheyweregoneheknewnotwhereandhow。Hebrieflysaidhehadnot。

"Because，"continuedWoodridge，"I\'vegotanideaofstartin\'ahotelintheOakGrove，justontheslopebacko\'therancho。Thecompany\'sboundtomakesomesorto\'settlementtherefortheregularhands，andtheplaceispootyenoughfor\'Friscopeoplewhowanttorunoverhereandgetsetupforadayortwo。Thar\'splentyofwoodandwaterupthar，andthecompany\'ssuretohaveawharfdownontheshore。I\'llprovidethecapital，ifyouwillputinyourtime。Youcanslinginezmuchstyleasyoulikethere"

(thiswasanallusiontoReddy\'sattempttoenliventheblankwallswithcoloredpicturesfromtheillustratedpapersandgreenceanothusspraysfromtheslope)；"infact，themorestylethebetterforthemcityfolks。Well，youthinkitover。”

Hedid。Butmeantimeheseemedtomakelittleprogressinhiscourtofthesuperintendent\'sdaughter。Hetriedtothinkitwasbecausehehadallowedhimselftobedivertedbyhiswork，butalthoughshealwaysbetrayedthesameoddphysicalconsciousnessofhispresence，itwascertainthatsheneverencouragedhim。Shegavehimthefewdirectionsthathisnewoccupationstillmadenecessary，andlookedherapprovalofhissuccess。Butnothingmore。Hewasforcedtoadmitthatthiswasexactlywhatshemighthavedoneasthesuperintendent\'sdaughtertoadeservingemployee。

Whereat，forafewdaysheassumedanairofcoldandceremoniouspoliteness，untilperceivingthat，farfrompiquingthegirl，itseemedtogratifyher，andeventorenderherlesssensitiveinhiscompany，hesulkedingoodearnest。Thisprovingineffectivealso，——excepttoproduceakindofcompassionatecuriosity，——hisformerdullragereturned。Theplantingoftheranchowasnearlyover；hisservicewouldbeendednextweek；hehadnotyetgivenhisanswertoWoodridge\'sproposition；hewoulddeclineitandcutthewholeconcern!

ItwasacrispSundaymorning。Thebreakfasthourwaslateronthatdaytoallowthemenmoretimefortheirholiday，which，however，theygenerallyspentincards，gossip，orreadingintheirsleepingsheds。ItusuallydelayedReddy\'swork，butashecaredlittleforthecompanionshipofhisfellows，itenabledhim，withoutashowofunsociability，tosecludehimselfinthedining-

room。Andthismorninghewasearlyapproachedbyhisemployer。

"I\'mgoin\'totakethewomenfolksovertoOakdaletochurch，"saidMr。Woodridge；"efyekeertojoinusthar\'saseatinthewagon，andI\'llturnonacoupleofChinamentodotheworkforyou，justnow；andNellyortheoldwomanwillgiveyoualiftthisafternoonwiththecountingup。”

Reddyfeltinstinctivelythattheinvitationhadbeeninstigatedbytheyounggirl。Aweekbeforehewouldhaverejoicedatit；amonthagohewouldhaveaccepteditifonlyasarelieftohisdegradedposition，butinthepiqueofthisnewpassionhealmostrudelydeclinedit。AnhourlaterhesawNelly，becominglyandeventastefullydressed，——withtheAmericangirl\'striumphantsuperioritytoherconditionandsurroundings，——ridepastinherfather\'ssmart"carryall。”Hewasstartledtoseethatshelookedsolikealady。Then，withanewandjealousinconsistency，significantoftheprogressofhispassion，heresolvedtogotochurchtoo。Sheshouldseethathewasnotgoingtoremainbehindlikeamereslave。Herememberedthathehadstillcertainremnantsofhispastfineryinhistrunk；hewouldarrayhimselfinthem，walktoOakdale，andmakeoneofthecongregation。Hemanagedtochangehisclotheswithoutattractingtheattentionofhisfellows，andsetout。

Theairwaspurebutkeen，withnoneofthelanguorofspringinitsbreath，althoughafewflowerswerebeginningtostartheweedywagon-trackedlane，andtherewasanawakeningspiceinthewaysidesouthernwoodandmyrtle。Hefeltinvigorated，althoughitseemedonlytowhethisjealouspique。Hehurriedonwithoutevenglancingtowardthedistantcoast-lineofSanFranciscooreventhinkingofit。Thebittermemoriesofthepasthadbeenobliteratedbythebitternessofthepresent。Henolongerthoughtof"thatwoman；"evenwhenhehadthreatenedtohimselftoreturntoSanFrancisco，hewasvaguelyconsciousthatitwasnotSHEwhowasagaindrawinghimthere，butNellywhowasdrivinghimaway。

Theservicewasnearlyoverwhenhearrivedatthechillylittlecorrugated-zincchurchatOakdale，butheslippedintooneofthebackseats。Afewworshipersturnedroundtolookathim。Amongthemwerethedaughtersofaneighboringmiller，whowereslightlyexercisedovertheunusualadventofagood-lookingstrangerwithcertainexteriorsignsofelegance。Theirexcitementwascommunicatedbysomemysteriousinstincttotheirneighbor，NellyWoodridge。Shealsoturnedandcaughthiseye。Buttoallappearancesshenotonlyshowednosignsofherusualagitationathispresence，butdidnotseemtoevenrecognizehim。Intheacerbityofhispiquehewasforamomentgratifiedatwhathebelievedtobetheexpressionofherwoundedpride，buthisuneasinessquicklyreturned，andattheconclusionoftheserviceheslippedoutofthechurchwithoneortwoofthemorerestlessinthecongregation。Ashepassedthroughtheaisleheheardtheescortofthemiller\'sdaughters，inresponsetoawhisperedinquiry，saydistinctly:"Onlythehead-waiteroveratthecompany\'srancho。”WhateverhesitatingideaReddymighthavehadofwaitingatthechurchdoorfortheappearanceofNellyvanishedbeforethebrutaltruth。Hisbrowdarkened，andwithflushedcheeksheturnedhisbackuponthebuildingandplungedintothewoods。Thistimetherewasnohesitationinhisresolve；hewouldleavetheranchoattheexpirationofhisengagement。Eveninahigheroccupationhefelthecouldneverlivedownhisreputationthere。

Inhismoroseabstractionhedidnotknowhowlongorhowaimlesslyhehadwanderedamongthemossylive-oaks，hisheadandshouldersoftenimperiledbythedowncurvingofsomehugeknottedlimb；hisfeetstrayingblindlyfromthefainttrackoverthethicklymattedcarpetofchickweedwhichhidtheirroots。Butitwasnearlyanhourbeforeheemergeduponawide，open，woodedslope，and，fromthedistantviewoffieldandshore，knewthathewasatOakGrove，thesiteofWoodridge\'sprojectedhotel。Andthere，surely，atalittledistance，wastheWoodridges\'wagonandteamtieduptoasapling，whilethesuperintendentandhiswifewereslowlyclimbingtheslope，andapparentlyexaminingtheprospect。WithoutwaitingtoseeifNellywaswiththem，Reddyinstantlyturnedtoavoidmeetingthem。Buthehadnotproceededahundredyardsbeforehecameuponthatyounglady，whohadevidentlystrayedfromtheparty，andwhowasnowunconsciouslyadvancingtowardhim。A

rencontrewasinevitable。

Shestartedslightly，andthenstopped，withallheroldagitationandembarrassment。But，tohisownsurprise，hewasalsoembarrassedandeventongue-tied。

Shespokefirst。

"Youwereatchurch。Ididn\'tquiteknowyouin——in——theseclothes。”

InherownfineryshehadundergonesuchachangetoReddy\'sconsciousnessthathe，forthefirsttimeintheiracquaintance，nowaddressedherasonhisownlevel，andasifshehadnounderstandingofhisownfeelings。

"Oh，"hesaid，witheasybitterness，"OTHERSdid，ifyoudidnot。

Theyalldetectedthe\'head-waiter\'attheUnionCompany\'srancho。

EvenifIhadacceptedyourkindnessinofferingmeaseatinyourwagonitwouldhavemadenodifference。”Hewasgladtoputthisconstructiononhispreviousrefusal，forinthenewrelationswhichseemedtobeestablishedbytheirSundayclotheshewasobligedtosoftenthechurlishnessofthatrefusalalso。

"Idon\'tthinkyou\'dlooknicesettingthetableinkidgloves，"

shesaid，glancingquicklyathisfineryasifacceptingitastherealissue；"butyoucanwearwhatyoulikeatothertimes。I

neverfoundfaultwithyourworkingclothes。”

Therewassuchapleasantsuggestioninheremphasisthathisill-

humorsoftened。Hereyeswanderedovertheoppositegrove，whereherunconsciousparentshadjustdisappeared。

"Papa\'sverykeenaboutthehotel，"shecontinued，"andisgoingtohavetheworkmenbreakgroundto-morrow。Hesayshe\'llhaveitupintwomonthsandreadytoopen，ifhehastomakethemenworkdoubletime。Whenyou\'remanager，youwon\'tmindwhatfolkssay。”

Therewasnoexcuseforhisfurtherhesitation。Hemustspeakout，buthediditinahalf-heartedway。

"ButifIsimplygoaway——WITHOUTbeingmanager——Iwon\'theartheircriticismeither。”

"Whatdoyoumean？"shesaidquickly。

"I\'ve——I\'vebeenthinkingof——ofgoingbacktoSanFrancisco，"

hestammeredawkwardly。

Aslightflushofcontemptuousindignationpassedoverherface，andgaveitastrengthandexpressionhehadneverseentherebefore。"Oh，you\'venotreformedyet，then？"shesaid，underherscornfullashes。

"Idon\'tunderstandyou，"hesaid，flushing。

"Fatheroughttohavetoldyou，"shewentondryly，"thatthatwomanhasgoneofftotheSpringswithherhusband，andyouwon\'tseeHERatSanFrancisco。”

"Idon\'tknowwhatyoumean——andyourfatherseemstotakeanunwarrantableinterestinmyaffairs，"saidReddy，withanangerthathewasconscious，however，washalfsimulated。

"Nomorethanheoughtto，ifheexpectstotrustyouwithallHIS

affairs，"saidthegirlshortly；"butyouhadbettertellhimyouhavechangedyourmindatonce，beforehemakesanyfurthercalculationsonyourstaying。He\'sjustoverthehillthere，withmother。”

Sheturnedawaycoldlyasshespoke，butmovedslowlyandinthedirectionofthehill，althoughshetookalessdirecttrailthantheoneshehadpointedtohim。Buthefollowedher，albeitstillembarrassedly，andwiththatnewsenseofrespectwhichhadcheckedhisformersurliness。Therewasherstrong，healthy，well-

developedfiguremovingbeforehim，butthemodishgraydressseemedtogiveitspronouncedoutlinessomethingofthedignityofagoddess。Eventhefirmhandshadthedistinguishmentofcharacter。

"Youunderstand，"hesaidapologetically，"thatImeannodiscourtesytoyourfatherorhisoffer。And"——hehesitated——

"neitherismyreasonwhatyouwouldinfer。”

"Thenwhatisit？"sheasked，turningtohimabruptly。"Youknowyouhavenootherplacewhenyouleavehere，noranychanceasgoodastheonefatheroffersyou。Youarenotfitforanyotherwork，andyouknowit。Youhavenomoneytospeculatewith，norcanyougetany。Ifyoucould，youwouldhaveneverstayedhere。”

Hecouldnotevadetheappallingtruthfulnessofhercleareyes。

Heknewitwasnousetolietoher；shehadevidentlythoroughlyinformedherselfregardinghispast；morethanthat，sheseemedtoreadhispresentthoughts。Butnotallofthem!No!hecouldstartleherstill!Itwasdesperate，buthehadnothingnowtolose。Andshelikedthetruth，——sheshouldhaveit!

"Youareright，"hesaidshortly；"thesearenotmyreasons。”

"Thenwhatreasonhaveyou？"

"You!"

"Me？"sherepeatedincredulously，yetwitharisingcolor。

"Yes，YOU!Icannotstayhere，andhaveyoulookdownuponme。”

"Idon\'tlookdownonyou，"shesaidsimply，yetwithoutthehasteofrepellinganunjustaccusation。"WhyshouldI？MotherandI

havedonethesameworkthatyouaredoing，——ifthat\'swhatyoumean；andfather，whoisamanlikeyourself，helpedusatfirst，untilhecoulddootherthingsbetter。”Shepaused。"PerhapsyouthinksobecauseYOUlookeddownonuswhenyoufirstcamehere。”

"ButIdidn\'t，"saidReddyquickly。

"Youdid，"saidtheyounggirlquietly。"That\'swhyyouactedtowardmeasyoudidthenightyouwalkedhomewithme。YouwouldnothavebehavedinthatwaytoanySanFranciscoyounglady——andI\'mnotoneofyour——fast——MARRIEDWOMEN。”

Reddyfeltthehotbloodmounttohischeek，andlookedaway。"I

wasfoolishandrude——andIthinkyoupunishedmeatthetime，"hestammered。"ButyouseeIwasrightinsayingyoulookeddownonme，"heconcludedtriumphantly。

Thiswasatbestafeeblesequitur，buttheargumentoftheaffectionsisnotalwayslogical。Andithaditseffectonthegirl。

"Iwasn\'tthinkingofTHAT，"shesaid。"It\'sthatyoudon\'tknowyourownmind。”

"IfIsaidthatIwouldstayandacceptyourfather\'soffer，wouldyouthinkthatIdid？"heaskedquickly。

"IshouldwaitandseewhatyouactuallyDIDdo，"shereplied。

"ButifIstayed——and——and——ifItoldyouthatIstayedonYOUR

account——tobewithyouandnearyouonly——wouldyouthinkthataproof？"Hespokehesitatingly，forhislipsweredrywithanervousnesshehadnotknownbefore。

"Imight，ifyoutoldfatheryouexpectedtobeengagedonthoseterms。ForitconcernsHIMasmuchasme。AndHEengagesyou，andnotI。OtherwiseI\'dthinkitwasonlyyourtalk。”

Reddylookedatherinastonishment。Therewasnottheslightesttraceofcoyness，coquetry，orevenrailleryinherclear，honesteyes，andyetitwouldseemasifshehadtakenhispropositioninitsfullestsenseasamatrimonialdeclaration，andactuallyreferredhimtoherfather。Hewaspleased，frightened，andutterlyunprepared。

"ButwhatwouldYOUsay，Nelly？"Hedrewclosertoherandheldoutbothhishands。Butsheretreatedastepandslippedherownbehindher。

"Betterseewhatfathersaysfirst，"shesaidquietly。"YoumaychangeyourmindagainandgobacktoSanFrancisco。”

Hewasconfused，andreddenedagain。Buthehadbecomeaccustomedtoherways；rather，perhaps，hehadbeguntorecognizethequaintjusticethatunderlaidthem，or，possibly，somebetterselfofhisown，thathadbeenburiedunderbitternessandslothandstruggledintolife。"Butwhateverhesays，"hereturnedeagerly，"cannotaltermyfeelingstoYOU。Itcanonlyaltermypositionhere，andyousayyouareabovebeinginfluencedbythat。Tellme，Nelly——

dearNelly!haveyounothingtosaytome，ASIAM，orisitonlytoyourfather\'smanagerthatyouwouldspeak？"Hisvoicehadanunmistakableringofsincerityinit，andevenstartledhim——halfrascalashewas!

Theyounggirl\'sclear，scrutinizingeyessoftened；herredresolutelipstrembledslightlyandthenparted，theupperonehoveringalittletoonesideoverherwhiteteeth。ItwasNelly\'sownpeculiarsmile，anditsseriouspiquancyalwaysthrilledhim。

Butshedrewalittlefartherbackfromhisbrighteningeyes，herhandsstillcurledbehindher，andsaid，withthefaintestcoquettishtossofherheadtowardthehill:"Ifyouwanttoseefather，you\'dbetterhurryup。”

Withasuddendeterminationasnewtohimasitwasincomprehensible，Reddyturnedfromherandstruckforwardinthedirectionofthehill。Hewasnotquitesurewhathewasgoingfor。Yetthathe，whohadonlyamomentbeforefullydeterminedtoleavetheranchoandher，wasnowgoingtoherfathertodemandherhandasacontingencyofhisremainingdidnotstrikehimassoextravagantandunexpectedadenouementasitwasadifficultone。HewasonlyconcernedHOW，andinwhatway，heshouldapproachhim。Inamomentofembarrassmenthehesitated，turned，andlookedbehindhim。

Shewasstandingwherehehadlefther，gazingafterhim，leaningforwardwithherhandsstillheldbehindher。Suddenly，aswithaninspiration，sheraisedthemboth，carriedthemimpetuouslytoherlips，blewhimadozenriotouskisses，andthen，loweringherheadlikeacolt，whiskedherskirtbehindher，andvanishedinthecover。

III。

ItwasonlyMay，butthefreshnessofearlysummeralreadyclothedthegreatfieldsoftherancho。Theoldresemblancetoaseawasstillthere，moreaccented，perhaps，bytheundulationsofbluish-

greengrainthatrolledfromtheactualshore-linetothefoothills。Thefarmbuildingswerehalfsubmergedinthisglowingtideofcolorandlosttheiruncouthangularitywiththeirhiddenrudefoundations。Thesamesea-breezeblewchillyandsteadilyfromthebay，yetsoftenedandsubduedbythefreshodorsofleafandflower。Theoutlyingfringeofoakswerestarredthroughtheirunderbrushwithanemonesanddog-roses；therewerelupinesgrowingranklyintheopenspaces，andalongthegentleslopesofOakGrovedaisieswerealreadyscattered。And，asifitwerepartofthisvernalefflorescence，theeminenceitselfwascrownedwiththatlatestflowerofprogressandimprovement，——thenewOakGroveHotel!

Long，low，dazzlingwithwhitecolonnades，verandas，andbalconieswhichretained，however，enoughofthedampnessofrecentcreationtomakethemtoocoolforloungers，exceptathighnoon，thehotelneverthelesshadthecharmsoffreshness，youth，andcleanliness。

Reddy\'sfastidiousneatnessshoweditselfinalltheappointments，fromthemirroredandmarbledbarroom，gildedparlors，andsnowydining-room，tothechintzandmaplefurnishingofthebedroomsabove。Reddy\'staste，too，hadselectedtheprettysite；hisgoodfortunehadafterwarddiscoveredinanadjoiningthicketaspringofblandlytherapeuticqualities。AcomplaisantmedicalfacultyofSanFranciscoattestedtoitsmerits；asympatheticpressadvertisedtheexcellenceofthehotel；anovelty-seeking，fashionablecircle——asyetwithoutlawsandblindlyimitative——

foundthenewhotelanadmirablevariationtothevulgarordinary"acrossthebay"excursion，andanacceptedexcuseforanovelsocialdissipation。Anumberofdistinguishedpeoplehadalreadyvisitedit；certainexclusivefamilieshadsecuredthebestrooms；

therewereascoreofprettywomentobeseeninitsparlors；therehadalreadybeenaslightscandal。Nothingseemedwantingtoinsureitssuccess。

ReddywaspassingthroughthelittlewoodwherefourmonthsbeforehehadpartedfromKellyWoodridgetolearnhisfatefromherfather。HerememberedthatinterviewtowhichNelly\'swaftedkisshadinspiredhim。Herecalledto-day，ashehadmanytimesbefore，thesingularcomplacencywithwhichMr。Woodridgehadreceivedhissuit，asifitwereaslightandunimportantdetailofthebusinessinhand，andhowhehadtoldhimthatKellyandhermotherweregoingtothe"States"forathreemonths\'visit，butthatafterherreturn，iftheywereboth"stillagreed，"he，Woodridge，wouldmakenoobjection。HerememberedtheslightshockwhichthisannouncementofKelly\'sseparationfromhimduringhisprobationarylaborshadgivenhim，andhissuddensuspicionthathehadbeenpartlytrickedofhispreliminaryintenttosecurehercompanytosolacehim。Buthehadlatersatisfiedhimselfthatsheknewnothingofherfather\'sintentionsatthetime，andhewasfaintocontenthimselfwithawalkthroughthefieldsathersidethedayshedeparted，andasinglekiss——whichlefthimcold。Andnowinafewdaysshewouldreturntowitnessthesuccessfulfufillmentofhislabors，and——

rewardhim!

Itwascertainlyacomplacentprospect。Hecouldlookforwardtoasensible，prosperous，respectablefuture。Hehadwonbackhisgoodname，hisfortune，andposition，——notperhapsexactlyinthewayhehadexpected，——andhehadstilledthewanton，foolishcravingsofhispassionatenatureinthecalm，virginalloveofanhonest，handsomegirlwhowouldmakehimapracticalhelpmeet，andacomfortable，trustworthywife。Heoughttobeveryhappy。Hehadneverknownsuchperfecthealthbefore；hehadlosthisrecklesshabits；hishandsome，nervousfacehadgrownmoreplacidandcontented；hislongcurlshadbeenconventionallyclipped；hehadgainedfleshunmistakably，andthelowerbuttonsoftheslimwaistcoathehadworntochurchthatmemorableSundayweretootightforcomfortorlooks。HEWAShappy；yetasheglancedoverthematerialspringlandscape，fullofpracticalhealth，blossom，andpromiseoffruition，itstruckhimthatthebreezethatblewoveritwaschilly，evenifhealthful；andheshiveredslightly。

Hereachedthehotel，enteredtheoffice，glancedattheregister，andpassedthroughintohisprivateroom。Hehadbeenawayfortwodays，andnoticedwithgratificationthattheinfluxofvisitorswasstillincreasing。Hisclerkfollowedintotheroom。

"There\'saladyin56whowantedtoseeyouwhenyoureturned。Sheaskedparticularlyforthemanager。”

"Whoisshe？"

"Don\'tknow。It\'saMrs。Merrydew，fromSacramento。Expectingherhusbandonthenextsteamer。”

"Humph!You\'llhavetoberathercarefulaboutthesesolitarymarriedwomen。Wedon\'twantanotherscandal，youknow。”

"Sheaskedforyoubyname，sir，andIthoughtyoumightknowher，"

returnedtheclerk。

"Verywell。I\'llgoup。”

Hesentawaiteraheadtoannouncehim，andleisurelymountedthestairs。No。56wasthesitting-roomofaprivatesuiteonthefirstfloor。Thewaiterwasholdingthedooropen。Asheapproacheditafaintperfumefromtheinteriormadehimturnpale。

Butherecoveredhispresenceofmindsufficientlytoclosethedoorsharplyuponthewaiterbehindhim。

"Jim，"saidavoicewhichthrilledhim。

Helookedupandbeheldwhatanyastutereaderofromancewillhavealreadysuspected——thewomantowhomhebelievedheowedhisruininSanFrancisco。Shewasasbeautifulandalluringasever，albeitshewasthinnerandmorespiritualthanhehadeverseenher。Shewastastefullydressed，asshehadalwaysbeen，acertainstyleoflanguoroussilkendeshabillewhichshewaswonttoaffectinbetterhealthnowbecameherpalercheekandfeverishlybrillianteyes。Therewasthesameopulenceoflaceandornament，and，whetherbyaccidentordesign，claspedaroundtheslightwristofherextendedhandwasabraceletwhichherememberedhadsweptawaythelastdregsofhisfortune。

Hetookherhandmechanically，yetknowingwhateverragewasinhishearthehadnotthestrengthtorefuseit。

"TheytoldmeitwasMrs。Merrydew，"hestammered。

"Thatwasmymother\'sname，"shesaid，withalittlelaugh。"I

thoughtyouknewit。Butperhapsyoudidn\'t。WhenIgotmydivorcefromDick——youdidn\'tknowthateither，Isuppose；it\'sthreemonthsago，——Ididn\'tcaretotakemymaidennameagain；toomanypeoplerememberedit。SoafterthedecreewasmadeIcalledmyselfMrs。Merrydew。Youhaddisappeared。TheysaidyouhadgoneEast。”

"ButtheclerksaysyouareexpectingyourHUSBANDonthesteamer。

Whatdoesthismean？Whydidyoutellhimthat？"Hehadsofarcollectedhimselfthattherewasaringofinquisitioninhisvoice。