第3章

AttheendoftwohoursGeorge\'sbarber-employerreturnedtorelievehisassistant，and，onreceivingfromhimanaccountandacertainpercentageoftheafternoon\'sfees(minusthegiftfromPaul)，wasinformedbyGeorgethatheshouldpretermithisattendanceforafewdays。"Udderprivateandpersonalaffairs，"

explainedtheoldnegro，whomadenosocialdistinctioninhisvocabulary，"peroccupyin\'disniggah\'stime。"Theheadbarber，unwillingtoloseareallygoodassistant，endeavoredtodissuadehimbytheofferofincreasedemolument，butGeorgewasfirm。

Asheenteredthesitting-roomthecoloneldetectedhisstep，andcalledhimin。

"Anothertime，George，neverallowaguestofminetosendawaywine。Ifhedon\'tcareforit，putitonthesideboard。"

"Yes，sah；butasyo\'didn\'tlikeityo\'self，MarseHarry，anddewinewasdemost\'xpensivequalityobGlencoe"——

"D——ntheexpense!"Hepaused，andgazedsearchinglyathisoldretainer。

"George，"hesaidsuddenly，yetinagentlevoice，"don\'tlietome，or"——inastillkindervoice——"I\'llflogtheblackskinoffyou!Listentome。HAVEyougotanymoneyleft?"

"\'Deed，sah，dereIS，"saidthenegroearnestly。"I\'lljistfetchitwiddeaccounts。"

"Holdon!I\'vebeenthinking，lyinghere，thatiftheWidowMolloycan\'tpaybecauseshesoldout，andthattobacconistisruined，andwe\'vehadtopaythewatertaxforoldBillSoames，therentlastweekdon\'tamounttomuch，whilethere\'sthemonth\'sbillfortherestaurantandthatblankdruggist\'saccountforlotionsandmedicinestocomeoutofit。Itstrikesmewe\'reprettyneartouchingbottom。I\'veeverythingIwanthere，but，byGod，sir，ifIfindYOUskimpingyourselforlyingtomeorborrowingmoney"——

"Yes，MarseHarry，buttheWidderMolloydonegoneandpaidupdisafernoon。I\'llbringdebooksandmoneytoproveit；"andhehurriedlyreenteredthesitting-room。

Thenwithtremblinghandsheemptiedhispocketsonthetable，includingPaul\'sgiftandthefeeshehadjustreceived，andopeningadesk-drawertookfromitastripedcottonhandkerchief，suchasnegrowomenwearontheirheads，containingasmallquantityofsilvertiedupinahardknot，andaboy\'spurse。Thisheemptiedonthetablewithhisownmoney。

TheyweretheonlyrentsofColonelHenryPendleton!Theywerecontributedby"GeorgeWashingtonThomson；"hiswife，otherwiseknownas"AuntDinah，"washerwoman；and"ScipioThomson，"theirson，agedfourteen，bootblack。Itdidnotamounttomuch。Butinthathappymoisturethatdimmedtheoldman\'seyes，Godknowsitlookedlargeenough。

CHAPTERIII。

AlthoughtheraysofanuncloudedsunwerehotintheSantaClararoadsandbyways，andthedry，bleacheddusthadbecomeanimpalpablepowder，theperspiringandparchedpedestrianwhorashlysoughtreliefintheshadeofthewaysideoakwasspeedilychilledtothebonebythenorthwesttrade-windsthatonthoseAugustafternoonssweptthroughthedefilesoftheCoastRange，andevenpenetratedthepastoralvalleyofSanJose。Theanomalyofstrawhatsandovercoatswiththeoccupantsofbuggiesandstationwagonswasthusaccountedfor，andevenintheshelteredgardenof"ElRosario"twoyounggirlsinlightsummerdresseshadthrownwrapsovertheirshouldersastheyloungeddownabroadrose-alleyatrightangleswiththedeep，longverandaofthecasa。Yet，inspiteofthechill，theoldSpanishhouseandgardenspresentedaluxurious，almosttropical，picturefromtheroadside。Banks，beds，andbowersofroseslenttheirnameandcolortothegrounds；

tree-likeclustersofhangingfuchsias，mound-likemassesofvariegatedverbena，andtangledthicketsofceanothusandspreadingheliotropeweresetinboundariesofvenerableolive，fig，andpeartrees。Theoldhouseitself，apicturesquerelieftotheglaringnewnessofthepaintedvillasalongtheroad，hadbeentastefullymodifiedtosuittheneedsandhabitsofalatercivilization；thegalleriesoftheinnercourtyard，orpatio，hadbeentransferredtotheoutsidewallsintheformofdeepverandas，whiletheoldadobewallsthemselveswerehiddenbeneathflowingCapejessamineorbestarredpassionvines，andtoppedbyroofsofcylindricalredtiles。

"MissYerba!"saidadry，masculinevoicefromtheveranda。

Thetalleryounggirlstarted，anddrewherselfsuddenlybehindalargeCastilianrose-tree，dragginghercompanionwithher，andputtingherfingerimperativelyuponaprettybutsomewhatpassionatemouth。Theothergirlcheckedalaugh，andremainedwatchingherfriend\'swickedlyleveledbrowsinamusedsurprise。

Thecallwasrepeatedfromtheveranda。Afteramoment\'spausetherewasthesoundofretreatingfootsteps，andallwasquietagain。

"Why，forgoodness\'sake，didn\'tyouanswer，Yerba?"askedtheshortergirl。

"Oh，Ihatehim!"respondedYerba。"Heonlywantedtoboremewithhisstupid，formal，sham-parentaltalk。Becausehe\'smyofficialguardianhethinksitnecessarytoassumethismannertowardsmewhenwemeet，andtreatsmeasifIweresomethingbetweenhisstepdaughterandanalmshouseorphanorapoliceboard。It\'sperfectlyridiculous，forit\'sonlyputonwhileheisinoffice，andheknowsit，andIknowit，andI\'mtiredofmakingbelieve。

Why，mydear，theychangeeveryelection；I\'vehadsevenofthem，allmoreorlessofthiskind，sinceIcanremember。"

"ButIthoughtthereweretwoothers，dear，thatwerenotofficial，"saidhercompanion，coaxingly。

Yerbasighed。"No；therewasanother，whowaspresidentofabank，butthatwasalsotobeofficialifhedied。Iusedtolikehim，heseemedtobetheonlygentlemanamongthem；butitappearsthatheisdreadfullyimproper；shootspeoplenowandthenfornothingatall，andburstuphisbank——and，ofcourse，he\'simpossible，and，asthere\'snomorebank，whenhediesthere\'llbenomoretrustee。"

"Andthere\'sthethird，youknow——astranger，whoneverappears?"

suggestedtheyoungergirl。

"AndwhodoyousupposeHEturnsouttobe?Doyourememberthatconceitedlittlewretch——that\'BabySenator，\'Ithinktheycalledhim——whowasintheparloroftheGoldenGatetheothermorningsurroundedbyhisidioticworshipersandtoadiesandballot-boxstuffers?Well，ifyouplease，THAT\'SMr。PaulHathaway——theHonorablePaulHathaway，whowashedhishandsofme，mydear，atthebeginning!"

"Butreally，Yerba，Ithoughtthathelookedandacted"——

"Youthoughtofnothingatall，Milly，"returnedYerba，withauthority。"Itellyouhe\'samassofconceit。WhatelsecanyouexpectofaMan——toadiedandfawnedupontothatextent?Itmademesick!Icouldhavejustshakenthem!"

Asiftoemphasizeherstatement，shegraspedoneofthelongwillowybranchesoftheenormousrose-bushwhereshestood，andshookitlightly。Theactiondetachedafewofthematurerblossoms，andsentdownashoweroffadedpinkpetalsonherdarkhairandyellowdress。"Ican\'tbearconceit，"sheadded。

"Oh，Yerba，juststandasyouare!Idowishthegirlscouldseeyou。YoumaketheLOVELIESTpicture!"

Shecertainlydidlookveryprettyasshestoodthere——afewleaveslodgedinherhair，clingingtoherdress，andsuggestingbyreflectionthecolorthatherdelicatesatinskinwouldhaveresentedinitsowntexture。Butsheturnedimpatientlyaway——

perhapsnotbeforeshehadallowedthispassingvisiontoimpressthemindofherdevotedadherent——andsaid，"Comealong，orthatdreadfulmanwillbeoutontheverandaagain。"

"But，ifyoudislikehimso，whydidyouaccepttheinvitationtomeethimhereatluncheon?"saidthecuriousMilly。

"Ididn\'taccept；theMotherSuperiordidforme，becausehe\'stheMayorofSanFranciscovisitingyouruncle，andshe\'salwaysanxioustoplacatethepowersthatbe。AndIthoughthemighthavesomeinformationthatIcouldgetoutofhim。Anditwasbetterthanbeingintheconventallday。AndIthoughtIcouldstandHIM

ifyouwerehere。"

Millygratefullyacceptedthisdoubtfulproofofaffectionbysqueezinghercompanion\'sarm。"Andyoudidn\'tgetanyinformation，dear?"

"Ofcoursenot!Theidiotknowsonlytheoldtraditionofhisoffice——thatIwasamysteriousTrustleftinMayorHammersley\'shands。Heactuallyinformedmethat\'Buena\'meant\'Good\'；thatitwaslikelythenameofthecaptainofsomewhaler，thatputintoSanFranciscointheearlydays，whosechildIwas，andthat，ifI

chosetocallmyself\'MissGood，\'hewouldallowit，andgetabillpassedintheLegislaturetolegalizeit。Thinkofit，mydear!

\'MissGood，\'likeoneofMrs。Barbauld\'sstories，oramoralgovernessinthe\'PrimaryReader。\'"

"\'MissGood，\'"repeatedMilly，innocently。"Yes，youmightputaneattheend——G-double-o-d-e。ThereareGoodesinPhiladelphia。

Andthenyouwon\'thavetosacrificethatsweetpretty\'Yerba，\'

that\'ssostylishandmusical，foryou\'dstillbe\'YerbaGood。\'

But，"sheadded，asYerbamadeanimpatientgesture，"whydoyouworryyourselfaboutTHAT?Youwouldn\'tkeepyourownnamelong，whateveritwas。Anheiresslikeyou，dear，——lovelyandaccomplished，——wouldhavethebestnamesaswellasthebestmeninAmericatochoosefrom。"

"Nowpleasedon\'trepeatthatidiot\'swords。That\'swhatHEsays；

that\'swhattheyALLsay!"returnedYerba，pettishly。"Onewouldreallythinkitwasnecessaryformetogetmarriedtobecomeanybodyatall，orhaveanystandingwhatever。And，whateveryoudo，don\'tgotalkingofmeasifIwerenamedafteravegetable。

\'YerbaBuena\'isthenameofanislandinthebayjustoffSanFrancisco。I\'mnamedafterthat。"

"ButIdon\'tseethedifference，dear。Theislandwasnamedafterthevinethatgrowsonit。"

"YOUdon\'tseethedifference?"saidYerba，darkly。"Well，Ido。

Butwhatareyoulookingat?"

Hercompanionhadcaughtherarm，andwasgazingintentlyatthehouse。

"Yerba，"shesaidquickly，"there\'stheMayor，anduncle，andastrangegentlemancomingdownthewalk。They\'relookingforus。

And，asIlive，Yerb!thestrangegentlemanisthatyoungsenator，Mr。Hathaway!"

"Mr。Hathaway?Nonsense!"

"Lookforyourself。"

Yerbaglancedatthethreegentlemen，who，ahundredyardsdistant，wereslowlyadvancinginthedirectionoftheceanothus-hedge，behindwhichthegirlshadinstinctivelystrayedduringtheirconversation。

"Whatareyougoingtodo?"saidMilly，eagerly。"They\'recomingstraightthisway。Shallwestayhereandletthempass，ormakearunforthehouse?"

"No，"saidYerba，toMilly\'sgreatsurprise。"Thatwouldlookasifwecared。Besides，Idon\'tknowthatMr。HathawayhascometoseeME。We\'llstrolloutandmeetthemaccidentally。"

Millywasstillmoreastonished。However，shesaid，"Waitamoment，dear!"and，withtheinstinctivedeftnessofhersex，inthreesmalltugsandagentlehitch，shookYerba\'sgownintoperfectfolds，passedherfingersacrossherforeheadandoverherears，securing，however，withahairpinontheirpassagethreeoftherosepetalswheretheyhadfallen。Then，dischargingtheirfacesofanypreviousexpression，thesetwocharminghypocritessalliedoutinnocentlyintothewalk。Nothingcouldbemorenaturalthantheirmanner:ifacriticismmightbeventuredupon，itwasthattheirelbowswereslightlydrawninwardsandbeforethem，leavingtheirhandsgracefullyadvancedinthelineoftheirfigures，anattitudeacceptedthroughoutthecivilizedworldofdeportmentasindicatingfastidiousrefinementnotunmingledwithpermissiblehauteur。

Thethreegentlemenliftedtheirhatsatthisravishingapparition，andhalted。TheMayoradvancedwithgreatpoliteness。

"Ifearedyoudidn\'thearmecallyou，MissYerba，soweventuredtoseekyou。Asthetwogirlsexchangedalmostinfantileglancesofsurprise，hecontinued:"Mr。PaulHathawayhasdoneusthehonorofseekingyouhere，ashedidnotfindyouattheconvent。YoumayhaveforgottenthatMr。Hathawayisthethirdoneofyourtrustees。"

"AndsoinefficientandworthlessthatIfearhedoesn\'tcount，"

saidPaul，"but，"raisinghiseyestoYerba\'s，"IfancythatIhavealreadyhadthepleasureofseeingyou，and，Ifear，themortificationofhavingdisturbedyouandyourfriendsintheparloroftheGoldenGateHotelyesterday。"

Thetwogirlslookedateachotherwiththesamechildlikesurprise。YerbabrokethesilencebysuddenlyturningtoMilly。

"Certainly，yourememberhowgreatlyinterestedwewereintheconversationofapartyofgentlemenwhoweretherewhenwecamein。IamafraidourfoolishprattlemusthavedisturbedYOU。I

knowthatwewerestruckwiththeintelligentandeloquentdevotionofyourfriends。"

"Oh，perfectly，"chimedintheloyalbutsomewhatinfelixMilly，"anditwassokindandthoughtfulofMr。Hathawaytotakethemawayashedid。"

"Ifeltthemoreembarrassed，"continuedHathaway，smiling，butstillcriticallyexaminingYerbaforanindicationofsomethingcharacteristic，beyondthispalpableconventionality，"asI

unfortunatelymustpresentmycredentialsfromagentlemanasmuchofastrangerasmyself——ColonelPendleton。"

Thetrade-windwasevidentlymakingitselffelteveninthispastoralretreat，forthetwogentlemenappearedtoshrinkslightlywithinthemselves，andachillseemedtohavepassedoverthegroup。TheMayorcoughed。TheavuncularWoodsgazedabstractedlyatalargecactus。EvenPaul，preparedbypreviousexperience，stoppedshort。

"ColonelPendleton!Oh，dotellmeallabouthim!"flashedoutYerba，suddenly，withclaspedhandsandeagergirlishbreath。

Paulcastaquickgratefulglanceatthegirl。Whetherassumedornot，herenthusiasticoutburstwaseffective。TheMayorlookeduneasilyatWoods，andturnedtoPaul。

"Ah，yes!Youandheareoriginalco-trustees。IbelievePendletonisinreducedcircumstances。Neverquitegotoverthatbanktrouble。"

"Thatisonlyaquestionoflegislativeinvestigationandrelief，"

saidPaullightly，yetwithpurposelyvagueofficialmysteryofmanner。Then，turningquicklytoYerba，asifreplyingtotheonlyrealquestionatissue，hecontinuedpointedly，"Iamsorrytosaythecolonel\'shealthissopoorthatitkeepshimquitearecluse。

Ihavealetterfromhimandamessageforyou。"Hisbrighteyesaddedplainly——"assoonaswecangetridofthosepeople。"

"Thenyouthinkthatabill"——begantheMayor，eagerly。

"Ithink，mydearsir，"saidPaulplaintively，"thatIandmyfriendshavealreadytriedthepatienceofthesetwoyoungladiesquiteenoughyesterdaywithpoliticsandlaw-making。Ihavetocatchthesix-o\'clocktraintoSanFranciscothisevening，andhavealreadylostthetimeIhopedtospendwithMissYerbabymissingherattheconvent。Letmestrollonhere，ifyoulike，andifI

venturetomonopolizetheattentionofthisyoungladyforhalfanhour，you，mydearMr。Mayor，whohavemorefrequentaccesstoher，Iknow，willnotbegrudgeittome。"

HeplacedhimselfbesideYerbaandMilly，andbegananentertaining，although，Ifear，slightlyexaggerated，accountofhisreceptionbytheLadySuperior，andherevidentdoubtsofhisidentitywiththetrusteementionedinPendleton\'sletterofintroduction。"Iconfessshefrightenedme，"hecontinued，"whensheremarkedthat，accordingtomystatement，IcouldhavebeenonlyeighteenyearsoldwhenIbecameyourguardian，andasmuchinwantofoneasyouwere。IthinkthatonlyherbeliefthatMr。

WoodsandtheMayorwoulddetectmeasanimpostorprovokedheratlasttotellmeyourwhereabouts。"

"ButwhyDIDtheyevermakeyouatrustee，forgoodness\'sake?"

saidMilly，naively。"Wastherenoonegrownupatthattimethattheycouldhavecalledupon?"

"ThoseweretheEARLYdaysofCalifornia，"respondedPaul，withgreatgravity，althoughhewasconsciousthatYerbawasregardinghimnarrowly，"andIprobablylookedolderandmoreintelligentthanIreallywas。For，candidly，"withtheconsciousnessofYerba\'seyesstilluponhim，"Irememberverylittleaboutit。I

daresayIwasselected，asyoukindlysuggest，\'forgoodness\'

sake。\'"

"Afterall，"saidthevolatileMilly，whoseemedinclined，aschaperone，todirecttheconversation，"therewassomethingprettyandromanticaboutit。Youtwopooryoungthingstakingcareofeachother，forofcoursetherewerenowomenhereinthosedays。"

"OfcoursethereWEREwomenhere"interruptedYerba，quickly，withahalf-meaning，half-interrogativeglanceatPaulthatmadehiminstinctivelyuneasy。"Youlatercomers"——toMilly——"alwaysseemtothinkthattherewasnothingherebeforeyou!"Shepaused，andthenadded，withanaivemixtureofreproachandcoquetrythatwasascharmingasitwasunexpected，"Astotakingcareofeachother，Mr。Hathawayveryquicklygotridofme，Ibelieve。"

"ButIleftyouinbetterhands，MissYerba；andletmethankyounow，"headdedinalowertone，"forrecognizingitasyoudidamomentago。I\'mgladthatyouinstinctivelylikedColonelPendleton。Hadyouknownhimbetter，youwouldhaveseenhowtruthfulthatinstinctwas。Hischieffaultintheeyesofourworthyfriendsisthatheremindsthemofagreatdealtheycan\'tperpetuateandmuchtheywouldliketoforget。"Hecheckedhimselfabruptly。"Buthereisyourletter，"heresumed，drawingColonelPendleton\'smissivefromhispocket，"perhapsyouwouldliketoreaditnow，incaseyouhaveanymessagetoreturnbyme。MissWoodsandIwillexcuseyou。"

Theyhadreachedtheendoftherose-alley，whereasummer-housethatwasinitselfarose-bowerpartlydiscloseditself。Theothergentlemenhadlaggedbehind。"IwillamuseMYSELF，andconsoleyourotherguardian，dear，"saidthevivaciousMilly，witharapidexchangeofglanceswithYerba，"untilthishorridbusinessisover。Besides，"sheaddedwithcheerfulvagueness，"aftersolongaseparationyoumusthaveagreatdealtosaytoeachother。"

Paulsmiledassherustledaway，andYerba，enteringthesummer-

house，satdownandopenedtheletter。Theyoungmanremainedleaningagainsttherusticarchway，occasionallyglancingatherandatthemovingfiguresinthegardens。Hewasconsciousofanoddexcitementwhichhecouldtracetonoparticularcause。Itwastruethathehadbeenannoyedatnotfindingtheyounggirlattheconvent，andathavingtojustifyhimselftotheLadySuperiorforwhatheconceivedtobeanactofgratuitouskindness；norwasheblindtothefactthathispersistenceinfollowingherwasmoreanactofaggressionagainsttheenemiesofPendletonthanofconcernforYerba。Shewascertainlypretty，hecouldnotrememberhermothersufficientlytotraceanylikeness，andhehadneveradmiredthemother\'spronouncedbeauty。Shehadflashedoutforaninstantintowhatseemedoriginalityandfeeling。Butithadpassed，andshehadaskednofurtherquestionsinregardtothecolonel。

Shehadhurriedlyskimmedthroughtheletter，whichseemedtobecomposedofcertainfiguresandaccounts。"Isupposeit\'sallright，"shesaid；"atleastyoucansaysoifheasksyou。It\'sonlyanexplanationwhyhehastransferredmymoneyfromthebanktoRothschild\'sagentyearsago。Idon\'tseewhyitshouldinterestmeNOW。"

Paulmadenodoubtthatitwasthesametransferthathadshipwreckedthecolonel\'sfortuneandalienatedhisfriends，andcouldnothelpreplyingsomewhatpointedly，"ButIthinkitshould，MissYerba。Idon\'tknowwhatthecolonelexplainedtoyou——

doubtless，notthewholetruth，forheisnotamantopraisehimself；but，thefactis，thebankwasindifficultiesatthetimeofthattransfer，and，tomakeit，hesacrificedhispersonalfortune，and，Ithink，awakenedsomeofthatill-feelingyouhavejustnoticed。"Hecheckedhimselftoolate:hehadagainlostnotonlyhistactandself-control，buthadnearlybetrayedhimself。

Hewassurprisedthatthegirl\'sjustifiableignoranceshouldhaveirritatedhim。Yetshehadevidentlynotnoticed，ormisunderstoodit，forshesaid，withacertainprecisionthatwasalmoststudied:——

"Yes，IsupposeitwouldhavebeenaterriblethingtohimtohavebeensuspectedofmisappropriatingaTrustconfidedtohimbypartieswhohadalreadypaidhimthehighcomplimentofconfidingtohiscareasecretandafortune。"

Paulglancedatherquicklywithastonishment。Wasthisignorance，orsuspicion?Hermanner，however，suddenlychanged，withthecharmingcapriciousnessofyouthandconsciousbeauty。"Hespeaksofyouinthisletter，"shesaid，lettingherdarkeyesrestonhimprovokingly。

"Thataccountsforyourlackofinterestthen，"saidPaulgayly，relievedtoturnaconversationfraughtwithsomuchdanger。

"Buthespeaksveryflatteringly，"shewenton。"Heseemstobeanotheroneofyouradmirers。I\'msure，Mr。Hathaway，afterthatsceneinthehotelparloryesterday，YOU，atleast，cannotcomplainofhavingbeenmisrepresentedbeforeME。Totellyouthetruth，I

thinkIhatedyoualittleforit。"

"Youwerequiteright，"returnedPaul。"Imusthavebeeninsufferable!AndIadmitthatIwasslightlypiquedagainstYOU

fortheidolatriesshowereduponyouatthesamemomentbyyourfriends。"

Usually，whentwoyoungpeoplehavereachedthepointofconfidinglyexchangingtheirfirstimpressionsofeachother，someprogresshasbeenmadeinfirstacquaintance。ButitdidnotstrikePaulinthatway，andYerba\'snextremarkwasdiscouraging。

"ButI\'mratherdisappointed，forallthat。ColonelPendletontellsmeyouknownothingofmyfamilyorofthesecret。"

Paulwasthistimequiteprepared，andwithstoodthegirl\'sscrutinycalmly。"Doyouthink，"heaskedlightly，"thatevenHE

knows?"

"Ofcoursehedoes，"shereturnedquickly。"Doyousupposehewouldhavetakenallthattroubleyouhavejusttalkedaboutifhedidn\'tknowit?Andfearedtheconsequences，perhaps?"sheadded，withaslightreturnofherpreviousexpressivemanner。

AgainPaulwaspuzzledandirritated，heknewnotwhy。Butheonlysaidpleasantly，"Idifferfromyouthere。IamafraidthatsuchathingasfearneverenteredintoColonelPendleton\'scalculationsonanysubject。Ithinkhewouldactthesametowardsthehighestandthelowest，thepowerfulorthemostweak。"Assheglancedathimquicklyandmischievously，headded，"Iamquitewillingtobelievethathisknowledgeofyoumadehisdutypleasanter。"

Hewasagainquitesincere，andhisslightsympathyhadthatirresistiblequalityoftoneandlookwhichmadehimsodangerous。

Forhewasstruckwiththepretty，soothedself-complacencythathadshoneinherfacesincehehadspokenofPendleton\'sequaldisinterestedness。Itseemed，too，asifwhathehadtakenforpassionorpetulanceinhermannerhadbeenonlyaresistancetosomecontinualaggressionofcondition。Withthatremainderheldincheck，acertainlatentnobilitywasapparent，asofhertrueself。Inthismomentofpleasedabstractionshehaddrawnthroughthelattice-workofoneofthewindowsasprayofrosesclingingtothevine，andwithhergracefulheadalittleononeside，wassoftlycaressinghercheekwithit。Shecertainlywasverypretty。

Fromthecrownofherdarklittleheadtothenarrowrosettedslippersthathadbeenidlytappingtheground，butnowseemedtopressitmoreproudly，witharchedinstepsandsmallankles，shewaspleasanttolookupon。

"Butyousurelyhavesomethingelsetothinkabout，MissYerba?"

saidtheyoungman，withconviction。"Inafewmonthsyouwillbeofage，andridofthosedreadfullystupidguardians；withyour"——

Theloosenedrose-sprayflewfromherhandoutofthewindowasshemadeagesture，halfreal，halfassumed，ofimploringsupplication。

"Oh，please，Mr。Hathaway，forHeaven\'ssakedon\'tYOUbegintoo!

Youaregoingtosaythat，withmywealth，myaccomplishments，mybeauty，myfriends，whatmorecanIwant?WhatdoIcareaboutasecretthatcanneitheraddtothemnortakethemaway?Yes，youwere!It\'stheregularthingtosay——everybodysaysit。Why，I

shouldhavethought\'theyoungestsenator\'couldaffordtohavebeenmoreoriginal。"

"IpleadguiltytoALLtheweaknessesofhumanity，"saidPaul，warmly，againbeginningtobelievethathehadbeenmostunjusttoherindependence。

"Well，Iforgiveyou，becauseyouhaveforgottentosaythat，ifI

don\'tlikethenameofYerbaBuena，IcouldSOeasilychangethattoo。"

"ButyouDOlikeit，"saidPaul，touchedwiththisfirsthearingofhernameinherownmusicalaccents，"orwouldlikeitifyouheardyourselfpronounceit。"Itsuddenlyrecurredtohim，withastrangethrillofpleasure，thathehimselfhadgivenittoher。

Itwasasifhehadcreatedsomemusicalinstrumenttowhichshehadjustgivenvoice。Inhisenthusiasmhehadthrownhimselfonthebenchbesideherinanattitudethat，Ifear，wasnotasdignifiedasbecamehiselderlyoffice。

"Butyoudon\'tthinkthatismyNAME，"saidthegirl，quickly。

"Ibegyourpardon?"saidPaul，hesitatingly。

"Youdon\'tthinkthatanybodywouldhavebeensoutterlyidioticastocallmeafteraground-vine——avegetable?"shecontinuedpetulantly。

"Eh?"stammeredPaul。

"Anamethatcouldbesoeasilytranslated，"shewenton，halfscornfully，"andwhentranslated，wasnopossibletitleforanybody?Thinkofit——MissGoodHerb!Itistooridiculousforanything。"

Paulwasnotusuallywantinginself-possessioninanemergency，orinskilltomeetattack。Buthewassoconvincedofthetruthofthegirl\'saccusation，andnowrecalledsovividlyhisownconsternationonhearingtheresultofhisyouthfulandromanticsponsorshipforthefirsttimefromPendleton，thathewasstruckwithconfusion。

"Butwhatdoyousupposeitwasintendedfor?"hesaidatlast，vaguely。"Itwascertainly\'YerbaBuena\'intheTrust。Atleast，Isupposeso，"hecorrectedhimselfhurriedly。

"Itisonlyasupposition，"shesaidquietly，"foryouknowitcannotbeproved。TheTrustwasneverrecorded，andtheonlycopycouldnotbefoundamongMr。Hammersley\'spapers。Itisonlypartofthename，ofwhichthefirstislost。"

"Partofthename?"repeatedPaul，uneasily。

"Partofit。ItisacorruptionofdelaYerbaBuena，——oftheYerbaBuena，——andreferstotheislandofYerbaBuenainthebay，andnottotheplant。Thatislandwaspartofthepropertyofmyfamily——theArguellos——youwillfinditsorecordedintheSpanishgrants。MynameisArguellodelaYerbaBuena。"

Itisimpossibletodescribethetimidyettriumphant，thehalf-

appealingyetcomplacent，convictionofthegirl\'sutterance。A

momentbefore，Paulwouldhavebelieveditimpossibleforhimtohavekepthisgravityandhisrespectforhiscompanionunderthisegregiousillusion。Buthekeptboth。Forasuddenconvictionthatshesuspectedthetruth，andhadtakenthisaudaciousandoriginalplanofcrushingit，overpoweredallothersense。TheArguellos，itflasheduponhim，wereanoldSpanishfamily，formerownersofYerbaBuenaIsland，whohadinthelastyearsbecomeextinct。TherehadbeenastorythatoneofthemhadelopedwithanAmericanshipcaptain\'swifeatMonterey。ThelegendaryhistoryofearlySpanishCaliforniawasfilledwithmoreremarkableincidents，corroboratedwithlittledifficultyfromSpanishauthorities，who，itwasalleged，lentthemselvesreadilytoanyfabricationorforgery。Therewasnoracialpride:onthecontrary，theyhadshownaneageralacritytoallythemselveswiththeirconquerors。ThefriendsoftheArguelloswouldbeproudtorecognizeandrememberintheAmericanheiressthedescendantoftheircountrymen。Allthispassedrapidlythroughhismindafterthefirstmomentofsurprise；allthismusthavebeenthedeliberatereasoningofthisgirlofseventeen，whosedarkeyeswerebentuponhim。Whethershewasseekingcorroborationorcomplicityhecouldnottell。

"Haveyoufoundthisoutyourself?"heasked，afterapause。

"Yes。OneofmyfriendsattheconventwasJositaCastro；sheknewallthehistoryoftheArguellos。Sheisperfectlysatisfied。"

ForaninstantPaulwonderedifitwasajointconceptionofthetwoschoolgirls。But，onreflection，hewaspersuadedthatYerbawouldcommitherselftonoaccomplice——ofherownsex。Shemighthavedominatedthegirl，andwouldmakeherafirmpartisan，whilethegirlwouldbeconvincedofitherself，andbelieveherselfafreeagent。Hehadhadsuchexperiencewithmenhimself。

"Butwhyhaveyounotspokenofitbefore——andtoColonelPendleton?"

"HedidnotchoosetotellME，"saidYerba，withfemininedexterity。"IhavepreferredtokeepitmyselfasecrettillIamofage。"

"WhenColonelPendletonandsomeoftheothertrusteeshavenorighttosayanything，"thoughtPaulquickly。Shehadevidentlytrustedhim。Yet，fascinatedashehadbeenbyheraudacity，hedidnotknowwhethertobepleased，orthereverse。HewouldhavepreferredtobeplacedonanequalfootingwithJositaCastro。Sheanticipatedhisthoughtsbysaying，withhalf-raisedeyelids:——

"WhatdoYOUthinkofit?"

"ItseemstobesonaturalandobviousanexplanationofthemysterythatIonlywonderitwasnotthoughtofbefore，"saidPaul，withthatperfectsinceritythatmadehissympathysoeffective。

"Yousee，"——stillunderherprettyeyelids，andthetenderpromiseofasmilepartingherlittlemouth，——"I\'mbelievingthatyoutellthetruthwhenyousayyoudon\'tknowanythingaboutit。"

ItwasadesperatemomentwithPaul，buthissympatheticinstincts，andpossiblyhisluck，triumphed。Hismomentaryhesitationeasilysimulatedthecautionofaconscientiousman；hiskniteyebrowsandbrighteyes，loweredinaneffortofmemory，didtherest。"I

rememberitallsoindistinctly，"hesaid，withliteraltruthfulness；"therewasaveiledladypresent，tallanddark，towhomMayorHammersleyandthecolonelshowedasingular，and，itstruckme，asanalmostsuperstitious，respect。Iremembernow，distinctly，Iwasimpressedwiththereverentialwaytheybothaccompaniedhertothedoorattheendoftheinterview。"Heraisedhiseyesslightly；theyounggirl\'sredlipswereparted；

thatilluminationoftheskin，whichwashernearestapproachtocolor，hadquitetransfiguredherface。Hefelt，suddenly，thatshebelievedit，yethehadnosenseofremorse。Hehalfbelievedithimself；atleast，herememberedthenobilityofthemother\'sself-renunciationanditseffectuponthetwomen。Whyshouldnotthedaughterpreservethistruthfulpictureofhermother\'smomentaryexaltation?Whichwasthemosttruthful——that，orthedegradingfacts?"Youspeakofasecret，"headded。"IcanrememberlittlemorethanthattheMayoraskedmetoforgetfromthatmomentthewholeoccurrence。IdidnotknowatthetimehowcompletelyIshouldfulfillhisrequest。Youmustremember，MissYerba，asyourLadySuperiorhas，thatIwasabsurdlyyoungatthetime。Idon\'tknowbutthatImayhavethought，inmyyouthfulinexperience，thatthissortofthingwasofcommonoccurrence。

Andthen，Ihadmyownfuturetomake——andyouthisbrutallyselfish。IwasquitefriendlessandunknownwhenIleftSanFranciscoforthemines，atthetimeyouenteredtheconventasYerbaBuena。"

Shesmiled，andmadeaslightimpulsivegesture，asifshewouldhavedrawnnearertohim，butcheckedherself，stillsmiling，andwithoutembarrassment。Itmayhavebeenamovementofyouthfulcamaraderie，andthatoccasionalmaternalratherthansisterlyinstinctwhichsometimesinfluencesayounggirl\'smasculinefriendship，andelevatesthefavoredfriendtotheplaneofthedollshehasoutgrown。Asheturnedtowardsher，however，sherose，shookoutheryellowdress，andsaidwithprettypetulance:——

"Thenyoumustgososoon——andthisyourfirstandlastvisitasmyguardian?"

"NoonecouldregretthatmorethanI，"lookingatherwithundefinedmeaning。

"Yes，"shesaid，withatantalizingcoquetrythatmighthavesuggestedanunderlyingseriousness。"IthinkyouHAVElostagooddeal。Perhaps，sohaveI。Wemighthavebeengoodfriendsinalltheseyears。Butthatispast。"

"Why?Surely，Ihope，myshortcomingswithMissYerbaBuenawillnotberememberedbyMissArguello?"sailPaul，earnestly。

"Ah!SHEmaybeaverydifferentperson。"

"Ihopenot，"saidtheyoungman，warmly。"ButHOWdifferent?"

"Well，shemaynotputherselfinthewayofreceivingsuchpoint-

blankcomplimentsasthat，"saidtheyounggirl，demurely。

"Notfromherguardian?"

"Shewillhavenoguardianthen。"Shesaidthisgravely，butalmostatthesamemomentturnedandsatdownagain，throwingherlinkedhandsoverherknee，andlookedathimmischievously。"Youseewhatyouhavelost，sir。"

"Isee，"saidPaul，butwithallthegravitythatshehaddropped。

"No；butyoudon\'tseeall。Ihadnobrother——nofriend。Youmighthavebeenboth。Youmighthavemademewhatyouliked。Youmighthaveeducatedmefarbetterthantheseteachers，or，atleastgivenmesomeprideinmystudies。ThereweresomanythingsI

wantedtoknowthattheycouldn\'tteachme；somanytimesIwantedadvicefromsomeonethatIcouldtrust。ColonelPendletonwasverygoodtomewhenhecame；healwaystreatedmelikeaprincessevenwhenIworeshortfrocks。Itwashismannerthatfirstmademethinkheknewmyfamily；butIneverfeltasifIcouldtellhimanything，andIdon\'tthink，withallhischivalrousrespect，heeverunderstoodme。Astotheothers——theMayors——well，youmayjudgefromMr。Henderson。ItisawonderthatIdidnotrunawayordosomethingdesperate。Now，areyounotaLITTLEsorry?"

Hervoice，whichhadasmanycapriciouschangesashermanner，hadbeenalternatelycoquettish，petulant，andserious，hadnowbecomeplayfulagain。But，liketherestofhersex，shewasevidentlymorealerttohersurroundingsatsuchamomentthanhercompanion，forbeforehecouldmakeanyreply，shesaid，withoutapparentlylooking，"Butthereisadeputationcomingforyou，Mr。Hathaway。

Yousee，thecaseishopeless。Youneverwouldbeabletogivetoonewhatisclaimedbythemany。"

Paulglanceddowntherose-alley，andsawthatthedeputationinquestionwascomposedoftheMayor，Mr。Woods，athin，delicate-