第13章

MissAliciahadfromnecessityacquiredthehabitofearlyrisingatRowcroftvicarage，andasthenextmorningwasbright，shewasclippingrosesonaterracebeforebreakfastwhenPearsonbroughtherthenote。

“Mr。TempleBarholmreceivedatelegramfromLondonlastnight，ma”am，“heexplained，“andhewasobligedtotakethemidnighttrain。

Hehadn”ttimetodoanymorethanleaveafewlinesforyou，butheaskedmetotellyouthatnothingdisturbinghadoccurred。Hespeciallymentionedthateverythingwasallright。”

“Buthowverysudden！“exclaimedMissAlicia，openinghernoteandbeginningtoreadit。Plainlyithadbeenwrittenhurriedlyindeed。Itreadasthoughhehadbeeninsuchhastethathehadn”thadtimetobeclear。

DearlittleMissAlicia：

I”vegottolightoutofhereasquickasIcanmakeit。Ican”tevenstoptotellyouwhy。There”sjustonething——don”tgetrattled，MissAlicia。Whateveranyonesaysordoes，justdon”tletyourselfgetrattled。

Yoursaffectionately，T。TEMBAROM。

“Pearson，“MissAliciaexclaimed，againlookingup，“areyousureeverythingisallright？“

“Thatwaswhathesaid，ma”am。`Allright”ma”am。”

“Thankyou，Pearson。Iamgladtohearit。”

Shewalkedtoandfrointhesunshine，readingthenoteandrereadingit。

“Ofcourseifhesaiditwasallright，itwasallright，“shemurmured。“Itisonlythephrasingthatmakesmeslightlynervous。Whyshouldheaskmenottogetrattled？“ThetermwasbythistimeasfamiliartoherasanyinDr。Johnson”sdictionary。“OfcourseheknowsIdogetrattledmuchtooeasily；butwhyshouldIbeindangerofgettingrattlednowifnothinghashappened？“Shegaveaverysmallstartassherememberedsomething。“CoulditbethatCaptainPalliser——

Buthowcouldhe？ThoughIdonotlikeCaptainPalliser。”

CaptainPalliser，herdistasteforwhomatthemomentquiteagitatedher，wasthismorninganearlyriseralso，andassheturnedinherwalkshefoundhimcomingtowardher。

“IfindIamobligedtotakeanearlytraintoLondonthismorning，“

hesaid，aftertheirexchangeofgreetings。“Itisquiteunexpected。I

spoketoMr。TempleBarholmaboutitlastnight。”

Perhapstheunexpectedness，perhapsacertainsuggestionofcoincidence，causedMissAlicia”ssideringletstoappearmomentarilytremulous。

“Thenperhapswehadbettergointobreakfastatonce，“shesaid。

“IsMr。TempleBarholmdown？“heinquiredastheyseatedthemselvesatthebreakfast-table。

“Heisnothere，“sheanswered。“He，too，wascalledawayunexpectedly。HewenttoLondonbythemidnighttrain。”

ShehadneverbeensoawareofherunchristianlackoflikingforCaptainPalliserasshewaswhenhepausedamomentbeforehemadeanycomment。Hispausewasasmarkedasastart，andthesmileheindulgedinwas，shefelt，mostsingularlydisagreeable。Itwasasmileoftheorderwhichconcealsanunpleasantexplanationofitself。

“Oh，“heremarked，“hehasgonefirst，hashe？“

“Yes，“sheanswered，pouringouthiscoffeeforhim。“Heevidentlyhadbusinessofimportance。”

Theywerequitealone，andshewasnotoneofthewomenoneneeddisturboneselfabout。Shehadbeenbrowbeatenintohypersensitivetimidityearlyinlife，anddidnotknowhowtoresentcleverlymanagedpolitebullying。Shewouldalwaysfeelherselfatfaultifshewastemptedtocriticizeanyone。Shewasinnocentandnervousenoughtobetrayherselftoanyextent，becauseshewouldfeelitrudetorefusetoanswerquestions，howsoeverfartheyexceededthelimitsofpolitecuriosity。Hehadlearnedagooddealfromherinthepast。Whynottrywhatcouldbestartledoutofhernow？ThusCaptainPallisersaid：

“Idaresayyoufeelalittleanxiousatsuchanextraordinarilysuddendeparture，“hesuggestedamiably。“Boltingoffinthemiddleofthenightwassudden，ifhedidnotexplainhimself。”

“Hehadnotimetoexplain，“sheanswered。

“Thatmakesitappearallthemoresudden。Butnodoubtheleftyouamessage。IsawyouwerereadinganotewhenIjoinedyouontheterrace。”

Lightlycasualashechosetomakethewordssound，theywereanaudacityhewouldhaveknownbetterthantoallowhimselfwithanyonebutatimidearly-Victorianspinsterwhosepolitenesswashypersensitiveinitsquality。

“HeparticularlydesiredthatIshouldnotbeanxious，“shesaid。“Heisalwaysconsiderate。”

“Hewould，ofcourse，haveexplainedeverythingifhehadnotbeensohurried？“

“Ofcourse，ifithadbeennecessary，“answeredMissAlicia，nervouslysippinghertea。

“Naturally，“saidCaptainPalliser。“HisnotenodoubtmentionedthathewentawayonbusinessconnectedwithhisfriendMr。Strangeways？“

Therewasnoquestionofthefactthatshewasstartled。

“Hehadnottimeenough，“shesaid。“Hecouldonlywriteafewlines。

Mr。Strangeways？“

“Wehadalongtalkabouthimlastnight。Hetoldmearemarkablestory，“CaptainPalliserwenton。“Isupposeyouarequitefamiliarwithallthedetailsofit？“

“IknowhowhefoundhiminNewYork，andIknowhowgeneroushehasbeentohim。”

“Haveyoubeentoldnothingmore？“

“Therewasnothingmoretotell。Iftherewasanything，Iamsurehehadsomegoodreasonfornottellingme，“saidMissAlicia，loyally。

“Hisreasonsarealwaysgood。”

Palliser”sairoflosingashadeorsoofdiscretionasaresultofastonishmentwasreallywelldone。

“DoyoumeantosaythathehasnotevenhintedthateversincehearrivedatTempleBarholmhehasstronglysuspectedStrangeways”

identity——thathehasevenknownwhoheis？“heexclaimed。

MissAlicia”ssmallhandsclungtothetable-cloth。

“Hehasnotknownatall。Hehasbeenmostanxioustodiscover。Hehasusedeveryendeavor，“shebroughtoutwithsomedifficulty。

“Yousayhehasbeentryingtofindout？“Palliserinterposed。

“Hehasbeenmorethananxious，“sheprotested。“HehasbeentoLondonagainandagain；hehasgonetogreatexpense；hehasevenseenpeoplefromScotlandYard。Ihavesometimesalmostthoughthewasassumingmoreresponsibilitythanwasjusttohimself。Inthecaseofarelativeoranoldfriend，butforanentirestranger——Oh，really，I

oughtnottoseemtocriticize。Idonotpresumetocriticizehiswonderfulgenerosityanddeterminationandgoodness。Nooneshouldpresumetoquestionhim。”

“Ifheknowsthatyoufeellikethis”Palliserbegan。

“HeknowsallthatIfeel，“MissAliciatookhimupwithapretty，risingspirit。“HeknowsthatIamfullofunspeakablegratitudetohimforhisbeautifulkindnesstome；heknowsthatIadmireandrespectandlovehiminawayIcouldneverexpress，andthatIwoulddoanythingintheworldhecouldwishmetodo。”

“Naturally，“saidCaptainPalliser。“IwasonlyabouttoexpressmysurprisethatsinceheisawareofallthishehasnottoldyouwhohehasprovedStrangewaystobe。Itisalittleodd，youknow。”

“Ithink“——MissAliciawasevengentlyfirminherreply”thatyouarealittlemistakeninbelievingMr。TempleBarholmhasprovedMr。

Strangewaystobeanybody。Whenhehasproof，hewillnodoubtthinkpropertotellmeaboutit。UntilthenIshouldprefer”

Palliserlaughedashefinishedhersentence。

“Nottoknow。Iwasnotgoingtobetrayhim，MissAlicia。Heevidentlyhasoneofhisexcellentreasonsforkeepingthingstohimself。Imaymention，however，thatitisnotsomuchhewhohasproofasI

myself。”

“You！“Howcouldshehelpquitestartinginherseatwhenhisgrayeyesfixedthemselvesonherwithsuchatouchoffinelyamusedmalice？

“Iofferedhimtheprooflastnight，anditratherupsethim，“hesaid。“Hethoughtnooneknewbuthimself，andhewasnotinclinedtotelltheworld。HewasupsetbecauseIsaidIhadseenthemanandcouldsweartohisidentity。Thatwaswhyhewentawaysohurriedly。

HenodoubtwenttoseeStrangewaysandtalkitover。”

“SeeMr。Strangeways？ButMr。Strangeways”MissAliciaroseandrangthebell。

“TellPearsonIwishtoseehimatonce，“shesaidtothefootman。

Pallisertookinhermoodwithoutcomment。HehadnoobjectiontobeingpresentwhenshemadeinquiriesofPearson。

“Ihearthewheelsofthedog-cart，“heremarked。“Yousee，Imustcatchmytrain。”

Pearsonstoodatthedoor。

“IsnotMr。Strangewaysinhisroom，Pearson？“MissAliciaasked。

“Mr。TempleBarholmtookhimtoLondonwhenhelastwent，ma”am，“

answeredPearson。“Yourememberhewentatnight。Thedoctorthoughtitbest。”

“Hedidnottellyouthat，either？“saidPalliser，casually。

“Thedog-cartisatthedoor，sir，“announcedPearson。

MissAlicia”shandwasunsteadywhenthedepartingguesttookit。

“Don”tbedisturbed，“hesaidconsiderately，“butamostsingularthinghashappened。WhenIaskedsomanyquestionsaboutTempleBarholm”sManwiththeIronMaskIaskedthemforcuriousreasons。

Thatmustbemyapology。Youwillhearallaboutitlater，probablyfromPalford&Grimby。”

WhenhehadlefttheroomMissAliciastooduponthehearth-rugasthedog-cartdroveaway，andshewaspale。Hersimpleandeasilydisturbedbrainwasinawhirl。Shecouldscarcelyrememberwhatshehadheard，andcouldnotintheleastcomprehendwhatithadseemedintendedtoimply，exceptthattherehadbeenconcealedinthesuggestionssomedisparagementofherbestbeloved。

SingularasitwasthatPearsonshouldreturnwithoutbeingsummoned，whensheturnedandfoundthathemysteriouslystoodinsidethethresholdagain，asifshehadcalledhim，shefeltagreatsenseofrelief。

“Pearson，“shefaltered，“IamratherupsetbycertainthingswhichCaptainPalliserhassaid。IamafraidIdonotunderstand。”

Shelookedathimhelplessly，notknowingwhatmoretosay。Shewishedextremelythatshecouldthinkofsomethingdefinite。

ThemasterlyfinishofPearson”sreplylayinitsneatlyrestrainedhintofunobtrusivelyperceptivesympathy。

“Yes，Miss。Iwasafraidso。WhichiswhyItookthelibertyofsteppingintotheroomagain。Imyselfdonotunderstand，butofcourseIdonotexpectto。IfImaybesoboldastosayit，Miss，whateverwedon”tunderstand，webothunderstandMr。TempleBarholm。

Myinstructionsweretoremindyou，Miss，thateverythingwouldbeallright。”

MissAliciatookupherletterfromthetablewhereshehadlaiditdown。

“Thankyou，Pearson，“shesaid，herforeheadbeginningtoclearitselfalittle。“Ofcourse，ofcourse。Ioughtnotto——Hetoldmenotto——

getrattled，“sheaddedwithplaintiveingenuousness，“andIoughtnotto，aboveallthings。”

“Yes，Miss。Itismostimportantthatyoushouldnot。”

CHAPTERXXXV

Thestoryoftheadventures，experiences，andjourneyingsofMr。

JosephHutchinson，hisdaughter，andtheinvention，ifrelatedindetail，wouldprovereadingofinterest；butasthisismerelyastudyofthemannerinwhichtheuntrainedcharacteristicsandvariedlimitationsofonemanadjustedorfailedtoadjustthemselvestoincongruoussurroundingsandtotallyunprepared-forcircumstances，suchdetails，whatsoevertheirpotentialpicturesqueness，canbetoucheduponbutlightly。Nonewideaofvaluetotheworldofpracticalrequirementsispresentedtothepublicatlargewithoutthewakingofmanysleepingdogs，andthestirringofmanysnappingfish，floatingwithopenearsandeyesinmanypools。Anuneducated，blustering，obstinatemanofoneidea，havingresentfullybornediscouragementandwoundedegotismforyears，andsuddenlyconfrontingimmensepromiseofsuccess，isnotunlikelytobepreyeasilyharpooned。JosephHutchinson”sreboundfromdespairtohighandwell-

foundedhopemadeofhimexactlywhatsuchamanisalwaysmadebysuchrebound。Thetestimonytohisgeniusandjudgmentwhichacknowledgmentofthevalueofhisworkimpliedwasnaturally，inhisopinion，onlyapropertributewhichthepublichadbeenabull-headedfoolnottolayathisfeetyearsbefore。Somuchtimelost，andsomuchmoneyforit，aswellasforhim，andserved”emalldamnedwellright，hesaid。IfTempleBarholmhadn”tcomeintohismoney，andhadn”thadmoresensethantherestofthem，wherewouldtheyallhavebeen？Perhapsthey”dneverhavehadthebenefitofthethinghe”dbeentellingthemaboutforyears。Hepridedhimselfimmenselyonthepossessionofabusinessshrewdnesswhichwasanabsolutedefenseagainstanydesireonthepartoftheiniquitoustooverreachhim。HebelievedittobeapeculiarlyLancashirecharacteristic，andkeptitinviewconstantly。

“Lancashire”snoteasytodo，“hewouldsayhilariously，“ThemthatcandoaLancashirechaphasgottolookoutthattheygetupearlyinthemorninganddon”tgotobedtilllate。”

Smooth-manneredandastutemenofbusinesswhoknewhowtomakeamantalkweregivendiffuseandloud-voicedexplanationsofhismethodsandlong-acknowledgedmeritsandcharacteristics。Hislife，hismorals，andhistraining，orratherlackotit，werelaidbeforethemasexamplesofwhatamanmightworkhimselfuptoif“hehaditinhim。”Educationdidn”tdoit。Hehadneverbeentonaughtbutavillageschool，wherehe”dpickeduppreciouslittlebutthethreeR”s。Ithadtobeborninaman。Lookathim！Hisinventionpromisedtobringhiminafortunelikeaduke”s，ifhemanageditrightandkepthiseyesopenforsharpers。Thiscompanyandthatcompanywereafterhim，butLancashiredidn”tsnapupthingswithoutgoinginto”em，andunder”em，andthrough”em，forthematterofthat。

Thewell-manneredgentlemenofbusinessstimulatedhimgreatlybytheirappreciativeattention。Hesometimeslosthisheadatrifleandalmostbulliedthem，buttheydidnotseemtomindit。Theirapparentlyold-timeknowledgeofandrespectforLancashirebusinesssagacityseemedinvariablyamarkedthing。Menofgeniusandpowerfulcharactercombinedwithpracticalshrewdnessofoutlooktheyintimated，wereofenormousvaluetothebusinessworld。Theyweretobecounteduponasimportantfactors。Theycouldseeanddealwithbothsidesofaproposalasthoseofweakermindcouldnot。

“Thattheycan，“Hutchinsonwouldadmit，rollingaboutinhischairandthrustinghishandsinhispockets。“They”vegotsomebottomtostandon。”Andhewouldfeelamenabletoreason。

LittleAnnfoundherdutiesandresponsibilitiesincreasingdaily。

Manypersonsseemedtothinkitnecessarytocomeandtalkbusiness，andfatherhadsomuchtothinkofandreasonout，sothathecouldbesurethathedidn”tmakeanymistakes。Inaquiet，remote，anddarkenedcornerofhermind，inwhichwerestoredallsuchthingsasitwaswelltosaylittleornothingabout，therewasdiscreetlykeptforreferencethesecretlyacquiredknowledgethatfatherdidnotknowsomuchaboutbusinesswaysandbusinesspeopleashethoughthedid。

Motherhadlearnedthissomewhatimportantfact，andhadsecludeditinherownprivatementalstore-roomwithmuchaffectionatedelicacy。

“Father”sagreatmanandagoodman，Annlove，“shehadconfidedtoher，choosinganoccasionwhenherhusbandwasahundredmilesaway，“andheISright-downLancashireinhiscleverwayofseeingthroughpeoplethatthinkthemselvessharp；butwhenamanisageniusandnoble-mindedhesometimescan”tseetherightpeople”sfaultsandwickedness。Hethinkstheymeanashonestashedoes。Andthere”stimeswhenhemaygettakeninifsomeone，perhapsnothalfascleverasheis，doesn”tlookafterhim。Whentheinvention”stakenup，andeverybody”srunningafterhimtotrytocheathimoutofhisrights，ifI”mnotthere，Ann，youmustjustkeepwithhimandwatcheveryminute。I”veseenthesesharp，trickyonesright-downflinchandquailwhentherewasanice，quiet-behavedwomanintheroom，andshejustfixedhereyesteadyandclear-likeonthemandshowedshe”dtookineverywordandwasliketoremember。YouknowwhatImean，Ann；you”vegotthatlookinyourowneye。”

Shehad。ThevariouspersonswhointerviewedMr。Hutchinsonbecamefamiliarwiththefactthathehadanunusualintimacywithandaffectionforhisdaughter。Shewaspresentonalloccasions。Ifshehadnotbeensuchaquietandentirelyunobtrusivelittlething，shemighthavebeenanobstacletofreedomofexpression。Butsheseemedachildish，unsophisticatedcreature，whoalwayshadabookwithherwhenshewaitedinanoffice，andatrifleofsewingtooccupyherselfwithwhenshewasathome。Atfirstshesoobliteratedherselfthatshewasscarcelynoticed；butincourseoftimeitbecameobservedbysomethatshewascuriouslypretty。Thefaceusuallybentoverherbookorworkwastintedlikeaflower，andshehadquitemagnificentredhair。Astoutoldfinancierfirstremarkedhereyes。Hefoundonedaythatshehadquietlylaidherbookonherlap，andthattheywererestinguponhimlikeunflinchingcrystalsashetalkedtoherfather。

Theirserenitymadehimfeelannoyedanduncomfortable。Itwasasortofrecordingserenity。Hefeltasthoughshewouldsoclearlyremembereverywordhehadsaidthatshewouldbeabletowriteitdownwhenshewenthome；andhedidnotcaretohaveitwrittendown。Sohebegantowandersomewhatinhisargument，anddidnotreachhisconclusions。

“Iwasglad，Father，toseehowyoumanagedthatgentlemanthisafternoon，“LittleAnnsaidthatnightwhenHutchinsonhadsettledhimselfwithhispipeafteranexcellentdinner。

“Eh？“heexclaimed。“Eh？“

“Theone，“sheexclaimed，“thatthoughthewassosurehewasgoingtopersuadeyoutosignthatpaper。Idowonderhecouldthinkyou”dlistentosuchapooroffer，andtieupsomuch。Why，evenIcouldseehewastryingtotakeadvantage，andIknownothingintheworldaboutbusiness。”

Thefinancierinquestionhadbeenabrilliantandlaudatoryconversationalist，andhadsosoothedandexhilaratedMr。Hutchinsonthatsuchperilshadbesethimashismostluridimaginingscouldneverhaveconceivedinhisdarkestmomentsofbelievingthattheentireuniversehadceasedallotheroccupationtoengageinthatofdefraudinghimofhisrightsanddues。Hehadbeensoupliftedbytheadmirationofhisgeniussoproperlyexhibited，andthefluencywithwhichhisfuturefortuneshadbeendescribed，thathehadbeenhuffedwhentheargumentsseemedtodwindleaway。LittleAnnstartledhim，butitwasnothewhowouldshowsignsofdismayatthetotallyunexpectedexpressionofadverseopinion。Hehadgotintothehabitofalwayslistening，thoughinadvertently，asitwere，toAnnashehadinadvertentlylistenedtohermother。

“Rosenthal？“hesaid。“Areyoutalkingabouthim？“

“Yes，Iam，“LittleAnnansweered，smilingapprovinglyoverherbitofsewing。“Father，Iwishyou”dtryandteachmesomeofthethingsyouknowaboutbusiness。I”velearnedalittlebyjustlisteningtoyoutalk；butIshouldsoliketofeelasifIcouldfollowyouwhenyouargue。Idosoenjoyhearingyouargue。It”sjustaneducation。”

“Womenarenotuptomuchatbusiness，“reflectedHutchinson。“Ifyou”dbeenaboy，I”dhavetrainedyousameasI”vetrainedmyself。

You”reasharplittlething，Ann，butyou”reawoman。Notbutwhatawoman”sthebestthingonearth，“headdedalmostseverelyinhisconviction”thebestthingonearthinherplace。Idon”tknowwhatI”deverhavedonewithoutyou，Ann，inthebadtimes。”

Helovedher，blunderingoldegotist，justashehadlovedhermother。

Annalwaysknewit，andherownloveforhimwarmedalltheworldaboutthemboth。Shegotupandwenttohimtokisshim，andpathim，andstuffacushionbehindhisstoutback。

“Andnowthegoodtimeshavecome，“shesaid，bestowingonhimtwoorthreespeciallittlepatswhichwerecaressesofherowninvention，“andpeopleseewhatyouareandalwayshavebeen，astheyoughttohaveseenlongago，Idon”twanttofeelasifIcouldn”tkeepupwithyouandunderstandyourplans。PerhapsI”vegotalittlebitofyourcleverness，andyoumightteachmetouseitinsmallways。I”vegotagoodmemoryyouknow，Fatherlove，andImightrecollectthingspeoplesayandmakebitsofnotesofthemtosaveyoutrouble。AndIcancalculate。IoncegotacopyofBunyan”s`Pilgrim”sProgress”foraprizeatthevillageschooljustforsums。”

ThebaldbutunacknowledgedfactthatMr。Hutchinsonhadneverexhibitedgiftslikelytoentitlehimtoreceiveaprizefor“sums“

causedthissuggestiontobeoneofsomepracticalvalue。Whenbusinessmentalkedtohimofpercents。，andtenthsharesornetreceipts，andexpectedhimtocomprehendtheirproportionsuponthespotwithoutrecoursetopencilandpaper，hefelthimselfgrowhotandnervousandred，andwassecretlyterrifiedlestthepartyofthesecondpartshoulddetectthathewastosseduponseasofhorribleuncertainty。T。Tembarominthesamesituationwouldprobablyhavesaid，“ThisistheplacewhereT。T。sitsdownawhiletotakebreathandcountthingsuponhisfingers。Iamnotasharponarithmetic，andIneedtime——lotsofit。”

Mr。Hutchinson”swaywastoblusterirritatedly。

“Aye，aye，Iseethat，ofcourse，plainenough。Iseethat。”Andfeelhimselfbreakingintoacoldperspiration。“Eh，thisEnglishclimateisadampun，“hewouldaddwhenitbecamenecessarytomophisredforeheadsomewhatwithhisbigcleanhandkerchief。

ThereforehefounditeasytoreceiveLittleAnn”spropositionwithfavor。

“There”ssummati”that，“heacknowledgedgraciously，droppingintoLancashire。“That”soneofthelittlethingsawomancandoifshe”ssharpatfigures。Yourmothertaughtmethatmuch。Shealwayssaidwomenoughttolookafterthebitsofthingsaswastoosmallforamantobotherwith。”

“Menhavethebigthingstolookafter。That”senoughforanybody，“

saidLittleAnn。“Andtheyoughttoleavesomethingforwomentodo。

Ifyou”lljustletmekeepnotesforyouandrememberthingsandansweryourletters，andjustmakecalculationsyou”retoobusytoattendto，Ishouldfeelright-downhappy，Father。”

“Eh！“hesaidrelievedly，“thaartlikethymother。”

“Thatwouldmakemehappyiftherewasnothingelsetodoit，“saidAnn，smoothinghisshoulder。

“You”rehergirl，“hesaid，warmedandsupported。

“Yes，I”mhergirl，andI”myours。Now，isn”ttheresomelittlethingIcouldbeginwith？WouldyoumindtellingmeifIwasrightinwhatI

thoughtyouthoughtaboutMr。Rosenthal”soffer？“

“WhatdidyouthinkIthoughtaboutit？“Hewasabletoputaffectionatecondescensionintothequestion。

Shewenttoherwork-basketandtookoutasheetofpaper。Shecamebackandsatcozilyonthearmofhischair。

“IhadtoputitalldownwhenIcamehome，“shesaid。“IwantedtomakesureIhadn”tforgotten。IdohopeIdidn”tmakemistakes。”

Shegaveittohimtolookat，andashesettledhimselfdowntoitscarefulexamination，shekeptherblueeyesuponhim。Sheherselfdidnotknowthatitwasawonderfullittledocumentinitsneatlyjotteddownnotesoftheexactdetailmostimportanttohisinterests。

Therewerefigures，therewerecalculationsofprofits，therewererecordsofthegistofhisreplies，therewerethingsHutchinsonhimselfcouldnotpossiblyhavefishedoutofthejumbledrag-bagofhisuncertainrecollections。

“DidIsaythat？“heexclaimedonce。

“Yes，Fatherlove，andIcouldseeitupsethim。Iwaswatchinghisfacebecauseitwasn”tafaceItookto。”

JosephHutchinsonbegantochuckle——thechuckleofarelievedandgratifiedstoutman。

“Thakeptthyeyesopen，LittleAnn，“hesaid。“Andthewaytha”sputitdownisacredittothee。AndI”lllayasovereignthatthamadenomistakesinwhatthathoughtIwasthinking。”

Hewasalittleanxioustohearwhatithadbeen。Thememorandumhadbroughthimupwithaslightshock，becauseitshowedhimthathehadnotrememberedcertainpoints，andhadpassedoverotherswhichwereofdangerousimportance。Annslippedherwarmarmabouthisneck，asshenearlyalwaysdidwhenshesatonthearmofhischairandtalkedthingsoverwithhim。Shehadneverthought，infactshewasnotevenaware，thathersoftlittleinstinctsmadehertreathimasthebig，good，conceited，blunderingchildnaturehadcreatedhim。

“WhatIwasseeingallthetimewasthewayyouweretakinginhistrickofputtingwholelotsofthingsinthatdidn”treallymatter，andleavingoutthingsthatdid，“sheexplained。“HekepttalkingaboutwhattheinventionwouldmakeinEngland，andhowitwouldmakeit，andaddingupfiguresandpercents。androyaltiesuntilmyheadwasbuzzinginside。Andwhenhethoughthe”dgotyourmindfixedonEnglandsothatyou”dalmostforgettherewasanyothercountrytothinkof，hereadouttheagreementthatsaid`Allrights”andhewassillyenoughtothinkhecouldgetyoutosignitwithoutreadingitoverandoveryourself，andshowingittoacleverlawyerthatwouldknowthatasmanytrickscanbeplayedbythingsbeingleftoutofapaperasbythingsbeingputin。”

SmallbeadsofmoisturebrokeoutonthebaldpartofJosephHutchinson”shead。Hehadbeenfirstsoflatteredandexhilaratedbythequotingoflargefigures，andthensoflustratedandembarrassedbyhisinabilitytocalculateandfollowargument，andagainsosoothedandelatedandthrilledbyhisownimportanceintheschemeandthehonorswhichhispositionincertaincompanieswouldheapuponhim，thatanabysshadyawnedbeforehimofwhichhehadbeenwhollyunaware。Hewasnotunawareofitnow。Hewasavainglorious，ignorantman，whoselifehadbeenspentincommonworkdoneunderthesupervisionofthosewhoknewwhathedidnotknow。Hehadfedhimselfuponthecomfortingbeliefthathehadlearnedallthetricksofanytrade。Hehadbeenopenlyboastfulofhisastutenessandexperience，andyet，asAnn”ssoftlittlevoicewenton，andshepraisedhisclevernessinseeingonepointafteranother，hebegantoquakewithinhimselfbeforethedawningrealizationthathehadseennoneofthem，thathehadbeencarriedalongexactlyasRosenthalhadintendedthatheshouldbe，andthatifluckhadnotintervened，hehadbeenonthebrinkofsigninghisnametoanagreementthatwouldhaveimpliedascoreofconcessionshewouldhavebellowedlikeabullatthethoughtofmakingifhehadknownwhathewasdoing。

“Aye，lass，“hegulpedoutwhenhecouldspeak”aye，lass，thawertrightenow。I”mgladthawertthereandheardit，andsawwhatIwasthinking。Ididn”tsaymuch。Iletthechaphaveropeenowtohanghimselfwith。WhenhecomesbackI”llgivehimabito”mymindas”llstartlehim。Itwasright-downcleveroftheetoseejustwhatIhadi”myheadaboutallthattheregababoutthingsasdidn”tmatter，an”

theleavin”outthemasdid——thinkingIwouldn”tnotice。Many”sthetimeI”vesaid，`Itisnasomuchwhat”sputintoacontractaswhat”sleftout。”I”llwarranttha”stheardmesayitthysen。”

“IdaresayIhave，“answeredAnn，“andIdaresaythatwaswhyitcameintomymind。”

“Thatwasit，“heanswered。“Thymotherwasalwaystellin”meofthingsI”dsaidthatI”dcleanforgotmyself。”

Hewasbeginningtorecoverhisbalanceandself-respect。ItwouldhavebeensolikeaLancashirechaptohaveseenanddealtshrewdlywithabusinessschemerwhotriedtooutwithimthathewasgraduallyconvincedthathehadthoughtallthathadbeensuggested，andhadcomportedhimselfwithtriumphantthoughsilentastuteness。Heevenbegantorubhishands。

“I”llshowhim，“hesaid，“I”llsendhimoffwithafleainhisear。”

“Ifyou”llhelpme，I”llstudyoutthethingsI”vewrittendownonthispaper，“Annsaid，“andthenI”llwritedownforyoujustthethingsyoumakeupyourmindtosay。Itwillbesuchagoodlessonforme，ifyoudon”tmind，Father。Itwon”tbemuchtowriteitoutthewayyou”llsayit。Youknowhowyoualwaysfeelthatinbusinessthefewerwordsthebetter，andthat，howevermuchapersondeservesit，callingnamesandshowingyou”reangryisonlywastingtime。Oneofthecleverestthingsyoueverthoughtwasthatathiefdoesn”tmindbeingcalledoneifhe”sgotwhathewantedoutofyou；he”llonlylaughtoseeyouinaragewhenyoucan”thelpyourself。Andifhehasn”tgotwhathewanted，it”sonlywasteofstrengthtoworkyourselfup。It”syoubeingwhatyouarethatmakesyouknowthattemperisn”tbusiness。”

“Well，“saidHutchinson，drawingalonganddeepbreath，“Iwasalmosthotenoughtohaveforgotthat，andI”mgladyou”veremindedme。We”llgooverthatpapernow，Ann。I”dliketogiveyouyourlessonwhilewe”vegotabito”timetoourselvesandwhatI”vesaidisfreshinyourmind。Thetrickisalwaystogetatthingswhilethey”refreshinyourmind。”

ThelittledaughterwiththeredhairwaspresentduringRosenthal”snextinterviewwiththeowneroftheinvention。Thefellow，hetoldhimself，hadbeenthinkingmattersover，hadperhapsconsultedalawyer；andhavinghadtimeforreflection，hedidnotpresentamassofmereinflatedandblunderingvanityasatargetforadroitaim。Heseemedatriflesulky，buthedidnottalkabouthimselfdiffusely，andlosehisheadwhenhewassmoothedtherightway。Hehadasetofcuriouslyconcisenotestowhichhereferred，andhestucktohispointswithabulldogobstinacywhichwasnottobeshaken。Somethinghadsethimonanewtack。Thetrickswhichcouldbeusedonlywithatotallyignorantandreadilyflatteredandinfluencedbusinessamateurwerenolongerinorder。Thiswasbafflingandirritating。

Theworstfeatureofthesituationwasthatthedaughterdidnotreadabook，ashadseemedherhabitatothertimes。Shesatwithatabletandpencilonherknee，and，stillasunobtrusivelyasever，jotteddownnotes。

“Putthatdown，Ann，“herfathersaidtohermorethanonce。“There”snoobjectionstohavingthingswrittendown，Isuppose？“heputitbluntlytoRosenthal。“I”vegottohavenotesmadewhenI”mdoingbusiness。Memory”sallwellenough，butblackandwhite”sbetter。Noonecangobackofblackandwhite。Notessavetime。”

Therewasbutoneattitudepossible。Nomanofbusinesscouldresenttherecordingofhisconsideredwords，butthetabletandpencilandthequietlybentredheadwereextraordinaryobstaclestothefluidityofeloquence。Rosenthalfoundhisargumentslessreadyandhismethodsmodifyingthemselves。Theoutlooknarroweditself。Whenhereturnedtohisofficeandtalkedthesituationoverwithhispartner，hesatandbithisnailsinrestlessirritation。

“Ridiculousasitseems，outrageouslyridiculous，I”veanidea，“hesaid，“I”vemorethananideathatwehavetocountwiththegirl。”

“Girl？Whatgirl？“

“Daughter。Well-behaved，quietbitofathing，whositsinacornerandlistenswhileshepretendstoseworread。I”mcertainofit。

She”stakentomakingnotesnow，andHutchinson”sturnedstubborn。Youneednotlaugh，Lewis。She”sinit。We”vegottocountwiththatgirl，littlefemalemouseasshelooks。”

Thisview，whichwasfirsttakenbyRosenthalandpassedontohispartner，wasincourseoftimepassedontoothersandgraduallyaccepted，sometimesreluctantlyandwithmuchprivateprotest，sometimeswithamusement。Thewell-behaveddaughterwentwithHutchinsonwheresoeverhisaffairscalledhim。Shewaschangelessintheunobtrusivenessofherdemeanor，whichwasalwaysthatofadutifulandobedientyoungpersonwhoattendedherparentbecausehemightdesireherhumblelittleassistanceinsmallmatters。

“She”smysecretary，“Hutchinsonbegantoexplain，withatouchofswagger。“I”vegottohaveasecretary，andI”drathertrustmyprivatebusinesstomyowndaughterthantoanyoneelse。It”ssafewithher。”

ItwassosafewithhersteadydemurenessthatHutchinsonfoundhimselfbecomingsteadyhimself。The“lessons“hegavetoLittleAnn，andthenotesmadeasaresult，alwaysostensiblyforherownsecurityandinstruction，begantoformasingularlyfirmfoundationforstatementandargument。Hebegantotellhimselfthathismemorywasimproving。Factswerenolongerjumbledtogetherinhismind。Hecouldbetterfollowalineoflogicalreasoning。Helessoftengrewredandhotandflustered。

“That”sthethingI”vesaidsooften——thattemper”sgotnaughttodowi”business，andonlyupsetsamanwhenhewantsallhiswitsabouthim。It”sthetruestthingIeverworkedout，“henotinfrequentlycongratulatedhimself。“Ifachapcankeephistemper，he”llbeliketokeephisheadanddrivehisbargain。Iseeitplainereverydayo”

mylife。”

CHAPTERXXXVI

Itwasinthecourseofthe“lessons“thatherealizedthathehadalwaysarguedthatthebestwaytodobusinesswastodoitfacetofacewithpeople。TostayinEngland，andletanotherchapmakeyourbargainsforyouinFranceorGermanyorsomeotheroutlandishplace，wherefrog-eatingforeignersranloose，wasafool”strick。

He”dsaiditoftenenough。“Getyoureyeon”em，andletthemknowyou”vegotitonthem，andthey”dsoonfindouttheyweredealingwithLancashire，andnotwithforeignknavesandnincompoops。”So，whenitbecamenecessarytodealwithFrance，LittleAnnpackedhimupneatly，sotospeak，andintheroleofobedientsecretarialcompaniontookhimtothatcountry，havingforweeksbeforehandmentallyconfrontedtheendlesscomplicationsattendingthestep。Sheknew，inthefirstplace，whattheeffectoftheFrenchlanguagewouldbeuponhistemper：thatitwouldpresentitselftohimasawalldeliberatelybuiltbytheentirenationasameansofconcealingadeepduplicitythesoleobjectofwhichwasthebaffling，thwarting，andundoingofEnglishmen，fromwhomitwishedtowresttheirhonestrights。Apoplexybecomingimminent，asaresultofhisimpotentrageduringtheirfirstfewdaysinParis，shepaidaprivatevisittoatraveler”sagency，andaftercarefulinquirydiscoveredthatitwasnotimpossibletosecuretheattendanceandserviceofawell-manneredyoungmanwhospokemostofthelanguagesemployedbymostoftheinhabitantsoftheglobe。Sheevenfoundthatshemightchoosefromanumberofsuchpersons，andshethereforeselectedwithgreatcare。

“Onethat”sgotagoodtemper，andisn”teasyirritated，“shesaidtoherself，insumminguptheaspirants，“butnotonethat”seasy-

temperedbecausehe”ssilly。Hemusthaveplentyofcommonsenseaswellasbewillingtodowhathe”stold。”

Whenherfatherdiscoveredthathehimselfhadbeenconsideringthedesirabilityofengagingtheservicesofsuchaperson，andhad，indeedalready，inaway，expressedhisintentionofsendingherto“theagencychap“tolookhimup，shewasgreatlyrelieved。

“Icantrytoteachhimwhatyou”vetaughtme，Father，“shesaid，“andofcoursehe”lllearnjustbybeingwithyou。”

Theassistantengagedwasahungryyoungstudentwhohadforweeks，throughillluck，beenendeavoringtoreturnwithsomecouragethegazeofstarvation，whichhadbeenstaringhimintheface。

HisnamewasDudevant，andwithdesperatestruggleshehadeducatedhimselfhighly，havingcherishedliteraryambitionsfromhisinfancy。

Atthisjunctureithadbecomeimperativethatheshould，forafewmonthsatleast，obtainfood。Annhadchosenwellbyinstinct。Hisspeechhadtoldherthathewasintelligent，hiseyeshadtoldherthathewoulddoanythingonearthtoearnhisliving。

Fromthetimeofhisadvent，JosephHutchinsonhadbecomecalmerandhadceasedtobeinperilofapoplecticseizure。Foreignnationsbecamelessiniquitousanddangerous，foreignlanguageswerelessofabarrier，easiertounderstand。ApleasingimpressionthatthroughgreatfacilityhehadgainedafairpracticalknowledgeofFrench，German，andItalian，supportedandexhilaratedhimimmensely。

“It”sright-downwonderfulhowachapgetstounderstandthesefellows”lingoafterhe”slistenedtoitabit，“heannouncedtoAnn。

“Iwouldn”thavebelieveditofmyselfthatIcouldseeintoitasquickasIhave。Icouldn”tsayasIunderstandeverythingtheysayjustwhenthey”resayingit；butIunderstanditrightenoughwhenI”vehadtimetotranslatelike。Ifforeignersdidn”ttalksofastandruntheirwordsoneintoanother，andjabberasiftheirmouthswasfullofpuddin”，it”dbeeasierforthemasisEnglish。Now，there”s`wee”and`nong。”Iknow”emwheneverIhear”em，andthat”sagoodbitofhelp。”

“Yes，“answeredAnn，“ofcoursethat”sthechiefthingyouwanttoknowinbusiness，whetherapersonisgoingtosay`yes”or`no。”“

Hebegantosay“wee“and“nong“atmeals，andoncebrokeforth“Passymorleburr“inatonesocasuallyParisianthatAnnwasfrightened，becauseshedidnotunderstandimmediately，andalsobecauseshesawloomingupbeforeherafuturemadeperilousbythesuddeninterjectionofunexpectedforeignphrasesitwouldbeincumbentuponherandDudevanttocomprehendinstantaneouslywithoutinvidioushesitation。

“Don”tyouunderstand？Passthebutter。Don”tyouunderstandabito”

Frenchlikethat？“heexclaimedirritatedly。“Buyyourselfoneo”

thesebooksfullofeasysentencesandlearnsomeof”em，lass。Yououghtn”ttobetravelin”aboutwithyourfatherinforeigncountriesandlearnin”nothin”。It”snoteverylassthat”sgettin”youradvantages。”

Annhadnotmentionedthefactthatshespentmostofherrareleisuremomentsinprofoundstudyofphrase-booksandgrammars，whichshekeptinhertrunkandgaveherattentiontobeforeshegotupinthemorning，aftershewenttoherroomatnight，andusuallywhileshewasdressing。Youcankeepabookopenbeforeyouwhenyouarebrushingyourhair。Dudevantgaveheralessonorsowhenevertimeallowed。Shewasasquicktolearnasherfatherthoughthewas，andshewasdesperatelydetermined。Itwasreallynotlongbeforesheunderstoodmuchmorethan“weeandnong“whenshewaspresentatabusinessinterview。

“Youareawonderfulyounglady，“Dudevantsaid，withthatwell-knownyearninginhiseyes。“Youaremostwonderful。”

“She”sjustawonder，“Mrs。Bowseandherboardershadsaid。AndtherespectfulyearningintheyoungFrenchman”seyesandvoicewerewellknowntoherbecauseshehadseenitoftenbefore，andrememberedit，inJemBowlesandJuliusSteinberger。Thatthisyoungmanhadwithoutanhourofdelayfallenabjectlyinlovewithherwasacircumstancewithwhichshedealtafterherowninimitablykindandundeleteriousmethod，whichinitselfwasaneducationtoanyamorousyouth。

“Icanunderstandallyoutellme，“shesaidwhenhereachedthepointofconfidinghishardpasttoher。“IcanunderstanditbecauseIknewsomeonewhohadtofightforhimselfjustthatway，onlyperhapsitwasharderbecausehewasn”teducatedasyouare。”

“Didhe——confideinyou？“Dudevantventured，withdelicatehesitation。

“YouaresokindIamsurehedid，Mademoiselle。”

“HetoldmeaboutitbecauseheknewIwantedtohear，“sheanswered。

“Iwasveryfondofhim，“sheadded，andherkindgravitywasquiteunshadedbyanyembarrassment。“Iwasright-downfondofhim。”

Hisemotionrenderedhimforamomentindiscreet，toherimmediaterealizationandregret，aswasevidentbyhisbreakingoffinthemidstofhisquestion。

“Andnow——areyou？“

“Yes，Ialwaysshallbe，Mr。Dudevant。”

Hisadorationnaturallyonlydeepeneditselfasallhopeatoncereceded，asitcouldnotbutrecedebeforetheabsolutepellucidtruthofher。

“Howevermuchhelikesme，hewillgetoveritintime。Peopledo，whentheyknowhowthingsstand，“shewasthinking，withmaternalsympathy。

Itdidhimnobitterharmtohelpherwithhereffortsatlearningwhatshemostneeded，andhefoundherintelligenceandmodestpowerofconcentrationremarkable。Asingularlyclearknowledgeofherownspecializedrequirementswasapracticalbackgroundtothemboth。Shehadnodesiretoshine；shewasmerelysteadilybentonacquiringasimmediatelyaspossibleacomprehensionofnouns，verbs，andphrasesthatwouldbeusefultoherfather。Themannerinwhichsheappliedherself，andassimilatedwhatitwasherquietlyfixedintentiontoassimilate，bespokeherpossessionofabrainthepowersofwhichbeingconcentratedonlargeaffairsmighthaveaccomplishedalmoststartlingresults。Therewas，however，nothingstartlinginherintentions，andambitiondidnottouchher。Yet，asshewentwithHutchinsonfromonecountrytoanother，morethanonemanofaffairshaditborneinuponhimthatheryoungslimnessandhersilencerepresentedanunanticipatedknowledgeofpointsunderdiscussionwhichmightwiselybeconsideredasafactorinalldecisionsfororagainst。Torealizethatasoft-cheeked，child-eyedgirlwasanelementtoregardprivatelyindiscussionsconnectedwiththesaleof，ortheroyaltiespaidon，avaluablepatentappearedinsomemindstobeasituationnotwithoutflavor。Shewasthekindoflittlepersonamannaturallymadeloveto，andagirlwhowasmadelovetoinaclevermannerfrequentlybecameamenabletoreason，andmightbepersuadedtouseherinfluenceinthedirectionmostdesired。Butsuchmalefinanciersasbeganwiththisideadiscoveredthattheyhadbeenledintoerrorsofjudgmentthroughlackoffamiliaritywiththevariationsoftype。Onepersonableyoungmanoftitle，whohadjustbeendisappointedinadesirablemarriagewithafortune，beingmadeawarethattheinventionwaslikelytoarriveatamazingresults，wassufficientlyrashtoapproachMr。Hutchinsonwithformalproposals。

HavingatrulyBritishrespectfortheloftyinplace，andnotbeingsufficientlyfamiliarwithtitledpersonagestodiscriminateswiftlybetweenthelargeandthesmall，JosephHutchinsonwassomewhatundulyelated。

“Thechap”sacount，lass，“hesaid。“Tha”u”dgobacktoManchesteracountess。”

“I”veheardthey”renearlyallcountsinthesecountries，“commentedAnn。“Andthere”scountessesthathavetodotheirownwashing，inamannerofspeaking。Yousendhimtome，Father。”

Whentheyoungmancame，andcomparedthefinelittlenoseofMissHutchinsonwiththelargeandbonystructuredominatingthecountenanceoftheGermanheiresshehadlost，alsowhenhegazedintotheclearnessoftheinfantileblueeyes，hisspiritsrose。Hefelthimselfenveine；hewasequaltoattackingthesituation。Hefeltthatheapproacheditwithalluringandchivalricdelicacy。Healmostbelievedallthathesaid。

Butthepellucidbluenessofthegazethatmethiswasconfusinglyunstirredbyanyshadeofsuitabletimidityoremotion。Therewassomethinginthelovely，sedatelittlecreature，somethingsoundisturbedandmatteroffact，thatitfrightenedhim，becausehesuddenlyfeltlikeafoolwhosefollyhadbeenfoundout。

“That”sdownrightsilly，“remarkedLittleAnn，notallowinghimtoescapefromherglance，whichunhesitatinglysummeduphimandhissituation。“Andyouknowitis。Youdon”tknowanythingaboutme，andyouwouldn”tlikemeifyoudid。AndIshouldn”tlikeyou。We”retoodifferent。Pleasegoaway，anddon”tsayanythingmoreaboutit。I

shouldn”thavepatiencetotalkitover。”

“Father，“shesaidthatnight，“ifeverIgetmarriedatall，there”sonlyonepersonI”mgoingtomarry。Youknowthat。”Andshewouldsaynomore。

BythetimetheyreturnedtoEngland，theplacingoftheinventionindiverscountrieshadbeenarrangedinamannerwhichgaveassuranceofafortuneforitsownersonafoundationnotlikelytohaveestablisheditselfinmoreadversecircumstances。Mr。Hutchinsonhadreallydrivensomeadmirablebargains，andhadsecuredadvantageswhichtohislasthourhewouldbelievecouldhavebeenachievedonlybyLancashireshrewdnessandLancashireabilityto“seeasfarthroughamile-stoneasmostchaps，an”abitfarther。”Thewayinwhichhehadneverallowedhimselftobe“done“causedhimattimestochucklehimselfalmostpurplewithself-congratulation。

“Theygottoknowwhattheywasdealingwith，themchaps。Theywassharp，butJoewasabitsharper，“hewouldsay。

TheyfoundletterswaitingforthemwhentheyreachedLondon。

“There”sonefro”thygrandmother，“Hutchinsonsaid，indealingoutthepackage。“She”swrittentotheeprettysteadyforanoldun。”

Thiswastrue。Lettersfromherhadfollowedthemfromoneplacetoanother。Thiswasathickoneinanenvelopofgoodsize。

“Aren”tthagoingtoreadit？“heasked。

“Nottillyou”vehadyourdinner，Father。You”vehadalongdayofitwiththatchannelattheend。Iwanttoseeyoucomfortablewithyourpipe。”

Thehotelwasagoodone，andthedinnerwasgood。JosephHutchinsonenjoyeditwiththeappetiteofarobustmanwhohashadtimetogetoveranottoopleasantcrossing。Whenhehadsettleddownintoastouteasy-chairwiththepipe，hedrewalongandcomfortablebreathashelookedabouttheroom。

“Eh，Ann，lass，“hesaid，“thymother”dbefinean”setupifshecouldseeawthis。Ushavingthebestthat”stobehad，an”knowin”wecanhaveittotheendofourlives，that”swhatit”scometo，thaknows。Nomorethird-classrailway-carriagesforyouandme。Nomore`commercial”an”`temperance”hotels。Th”firstcut”swhatwecanhave——th”uppercut。Eh，eh，butit”sagooddayforamanwhenhe”sbeguntobeappreciatedasheshouldbe。”

“It”sagooddayforthosethatlovehim，“saidLittleAnn。“AndI

daresaymotherknowseverybitaboutit。”

“Idaresayshedoes，“admittedHutchinson，withtenderlenience。“Shewasoneo”themasbelievedthatway。AndIneverknowedhertobewronginaughtelse，soI”mreadytogiveinasshewasreetaboutthat。Goodlassshewas，goodlass。”

HehadfallenintoacontentedandutterlycomfortabledozeinhischairwhenAnnsatdowntoreadhergrandmother”sletter。Theoldwomanalwayswroteatlength，givingmanydetailsandrecordingvillageeventswithshrewdrealistictouches。Throughouttheirjourneyings，AnnhadbeenfollowedbyarecordoftheestateandneighborhoodofTempleBarholmwhichhadlackednothingofatmosphere。

Shehadknownwhatthenewlordofthemanordid，whatpeoplesaid，whattheattitudeofthegentryhadbecome；thatthevisitoftheCountessofMalloweandherdaughterhadextendeditselfuntilcuriosityandamusementhadceasedtocomment，andpassivelyawaitedresults。ShehadheardofMissAliciaandherreincarnation，andknewmuchofthestoryoftheDukeofStone，whosereputationasa“dommedcleverowdchap“hadearnedforhimasortofawedpopularity。Therehadbeenmany“ladies。”ThenewTempleBarholmhadboldlysoughtthemoutandfacedthemintheirstrongholdswiththemannerofonewhowouldconfronttheworstandwhorevealednotendencytoflinch。TheoneatStoneHoverwiththe“prettycolor“andtheonewiththedimpleshadappearedfrequentlyuponthescene。ThentherehadbeenLadyJoanFayre，whohadlivedathiselbow，sittingathistable，drivinginhiscarriageswiththeairofcoldaloofnesswhichthecottagers“couldnaabidean”hadnopatiencewi”。”Shehadsometimessatandwonderedandwonderedaboutthings，andsometimeshadflusheddaisy-redinsteadofdaisy-pink；andsometimesshehadturnedratherpaleandclosedhersoftmouthfirmly。But，thoughshehadwrittentwiceaweektohergrandmother，shehadrecordedprincipallythesuccessesandcomplexitiesoftheinvention，andhadaskedveryfewquestions。OldMrs。Hutchinsonwouldtellherallshemustknow，andherchoiceofrevelationwouldbemadewithafar-sightednesswhichneedednostimulusofquestioning。Thelettershehadfoundawaitingherhadbeenlongonitsway，havingmissedheratpointafterpointandfollowedheratlasttoLondon。Itlookedandfeltthickandsolidinitsenvelop。LittleAnnopenedit，stirredbythesuggestionofquickenedpulse-beatswithwhichshehadbecomefamiliar。Asshebentoveritshelookedsweetlyflushedandwarmed。

JosephHutchinson”sdozehadalmostdeepenedintosleepwhenhewasawakenedbythetouchofherhandonhisshoulder。Shewasstandingbyhim，holdingsomesheetsofhergrandmother”sletter，andseveralothersheetswerelyingonthetable。Somethinghadoccurredwhichhadchangedherquietlook。

“Hasaughthappenedtoyourgrandmother？“heasked。

“No，Father，butthisletterthat”sbeenfollowingmefromoneplacetoanotherhasgotsomequeernewsinit。”

“What”sup，lass？Thalooksasifsummatwasup。”

“Thethingthat”shappenedhasgivenmeagreatdealtothinkof，“washeranswer。“It”saboutMr。TempleBarholmandMr。Strangeways。”

Hebecamewide-awakeatonce，sittingupandturninginhischairintestyanxiety。

“Now，now，“heexclaimed，“Ihopethatcrackedchap”snotgoneoutan”

outmadan”donesomemischief。ItowdTempleBarholmitwasafoolishthingtodo，takingallthattroubleabouthim。Hashesetfiretoth”

houseorhasheknockedth”poorladonth”head？“

“No，hehasn”t，Father。He”sdisappeared，andMr。TempleBarholm”sdisappeared，too。”

“Disappeared？“Hutchinsonalmostshouted。“Whatfor，i”theLord”sname？“

“Nobodyknowsforcertain，andpeoplearetalkingwild。Thevillageisallupset，andallsortsofsillythingsarebeingsaid。”

“Whatsorto”things？“

“Youknowwhatservantsatbighousesare——howtheyhearbitsoftalkandmakemuchofit，“sheexplained。“They”vebeencuriousandchatteringamongthemselvesaboutMr。Strangewaysfromthefirst。ItwasBurrillthatsaidhebelievedhewassomerelationthatwasbeinghidawayforsomegoodreason。OnenightMr。TempleBarholmandCaptainPalliserwerehavingalongtalktogether，andBurrillwasabout”

“Aye，he”dbeaboutifhethoughttherewasachanceofhimhearingsummataswasnoneofhisbusiness，“jerkedoutHutchinson，irately。

“TheyweretalkingaboutMr。Strangeways，andBurrillheardCaptainPallisergettingangry；andashesteppednearthedoorheheardhimsayoutloudthathecouldswearinanycourtofjusticethatthemanhehadseenatthewestroomwindow——it”sastartlingthing，Father——

wasMr。JamesTempleBarholm。”Forthemomentherfacewaspale。

HereuponHutchinsonsprangup。

“What！“Hissecondshoutwaslouderthanhisfirst。“Th”liar！Th”

chap”sdead，an”heknowsit。Th”dommedmischief-makin”liar！“

Hereyeswereclearandspeculativelythoughtful，notwithstandingherlackofcolor。

“Therehavebeenpeoplethathavebeenthoughtdeadthathavecomebacktotheirfriendsalive。It”shappenedmanyatime，“shesaid。“Itwouldn”tbesostrangeforamanthathadnofriendstobelostinawild，far-offplacewheretherewasneitherlawnororder，andwhereeverymanwasfightingforhisownlifeandthegoldhewasmadafter。

Particularlyamanthatwasshamedanddesperateandwantedtohidehimself。And，mostofall，itwouldbeeasy，ifhewaslikeMr。

Strangeways，andcouldn”tremember，andhadlosthimself。”

Asherfatherlistened，theangryrednessofhiscountenancemoderateditshue。Hiseyesgraduallybegantoquestionandhisunderjawfellslightly。

“Si”thee，lass，“hebrokeouthuskily，“doesthatmeantosaythabelievesit？“

“It”snotoftenyoucanbelievewhatyoudon”tknow，“sheanswered。“I

don”tknowanythingaboutit。There”sjustonethingIbelieve，becauseIknowit。Ibelievewhatgrandmotherdoes。Readthat。”

ShehandedhimthefinalsheetofoldMrs。Hutchinson”sletter。Itwaswrittenwithveryblackinkandinanastonishinglyboldandclearhand。Itwaseasytoreadthesentenceswithwhichsheended。

There”salotsaid。There”salwaysmoresayingthandoing。Butit”sright-downfunnytoseehowtheladhasmadehardandfastfriendsjustgoingaboutinhisqueerway，andnooneknowinghowhedidit。I

likehimmyself。He”soneofthoseyouneedn”taskquestionsabout。Ifthere”sanythingsaidthatisn”ttohiscredit，it”snottrue。There”snoifs，buts，orandsaboutthat，Ann。

LittleAnnherselfreadthewordsasherfatherreadthem。

“That”sthethingIbelieve，becauseIknowit，“wasallshesaid。

“It”sthethingI”dsweartomysel”，“herfatheransweredbluffly。

“But，byJudd”

ShegavehimalittlepushandspoketohiminhomelyLancashirephrasing，andwithsomesoftunsteadinessofvoice。

“Sittheedown，Fatherlove，“shesaid，“andletmesitonthyknee。”

Hesatdownwithemotionalreadiness，andshesatonhisstoutkneelikeachild。Itwasathingshedidintenderortroubledmomentsasmuchinthesedaysasshehaddonewhenshewassixorseven。Herlittlelightnessandsoftyoungwaysmadeitthemostnaturalthingintheworld，aswellastheprettiest。Shehadalwayssatonhiskneeinthehourswhenhehadbeenmostdiscouragedovertheinvention。Shehadknownitmadehimfeelasthoughheweretakingcareofher，andasthoughshedependedutterlyonhimtosteadythefoundationsofherworld。Whatcouldsuchalittlebitofalassdowithout“afather“？

“It”supsetthee，lass，“hesaid。“It”supsetthee。”

Hesawherslimhandscurlthemselvesintosmall，firmfistsastheyrestedonherlap。

“Ican”tbeartothinkthatillcanbesaidofhim，evenbyawastrellikeCaptainPalliser，“shesaid。“He”sMINE。”

Itmadehimfumblecaressinglyatherbigknotofsoftredhair。

“Thine，ishe？“hesaid。“Thine！Eh，butthadidsaythatjustlikethymotherwouldha”saidit；thabringsthehearti”mythroatnowandagain。Thatchap”si”luck，Icantellhim——sameasIwasonce。”

“He”sminenow，whateverhappens，“shewenton，withafirmnesswhichnoskepticwouldhavesquanderedtimeinthefollyofhopingtoshake。

“He”sdonewhatItoldhimtodo，andit”sMEhewants。He”sfoundoutforhimself，andsohaveI。Hecanhavemetheminutehewantsme——theveryminute。”

“Hecan？“saidHutchinson。“Thatsettlesit。Ibelievetha”drathertakehimwhenhewasi”troublethanwhenhewasoutofit。Sameastha”drathertakehimi”aflatinHarlemonfifteendollaraweekthanonfifteenhundred。”

“Yes，Father，Iwould。It”dgivememoretodoforhim。”

“Eh，eh，“hegruntedtenderly，“thymotheragain。IusedtotellherastheonlythingshehadagenmewasthatInevergoti”jailsoshecouldgetmeoutan”standupformeafterit。There”sonlyonethingworritsmeabit：Iwishtheladhadn”tgoneaway。”

“I”vethoughtthatout，thoughI”venothadmuchtimetoreasonaboutthings，“saidLittleAnn。“Ifhe”sgoneaway，he”sgonetogetsomething；andwhateverithappenstobe，he”llbelikelytobringitbackwithhim，Father。”

CHAPTERXXXVII

OldMrs。Hutchinson”sletterhadsuppliedmuchdetail，butwhenhersonandgrand-daughterarrivedinthevillageofTempleBarholmtheyheardmuchmore，thegreaterpartofitnotintheleasttobereliedupon。

“Themostofit”slies，asfolksenjoystheirselspretendin”tobelieve，“thegrand-mothercommented。“It”sservants”-halltalkandcottagegossip，andplentymadeitselfupouto”beerdrunkinth”

tap-roomatth”WoolPark。Inaplacewherenaughtmuchhappens，peoplegetintoth”way”ospringin”onabito”news，andshakin”andworryin”itlikeaterrierdoesarat。It”snature。Thatlad”sgiven”emlotstotalkabouteversincehecoom。He”sbeenablessin”to”em。Ifhe”dbeengentry，he”dnotha”beennighaslively。Th”

villageladstriestotalkthroughtheirnoseslikehim。LittleTummasHibblethwaitedoesiti”broadLancashire。”

Theonlyfactsfairlyauthenticatedwerethatthemysteriousstrangerhadbeentakenawayverylateonenight，sometimebeforetheinterviewbetweenMr。TempleBarholmandCaptainPalliser，ofwhichBurrillknewsomuchbecausehehad“happenedtobeabout。”WhenadomesticmagnateofBurrill”stype“happenstobeabout“atacrisis，heisnotunlikelytohearagreatdeal。Burrill，itwasbelieved，knewmuchmorethanhedeignedtomakepublic。TheentiretruthwasthatCaptainPalliserhimself，inoneofhishastyappearancesintheneighborhoodofTempleBarholm，hadbestowedafewwordsofcoldcautiononhim。

“Don”ttalktoomuch，“hehadsaid。“Proofisrequiredbeforetalkissafe。TheAmericanwassharpenoughtosaythattomehimself。Hewassharpenough，too，tokeephismanhidden。Iwastheonlypersonthatsawhimwhocouldhaverecognizedhim，andIsawhimbychance。

Palford&Grimbyrequireproof。Weareinsearchofit。Servantswilltalk；butifyoudon”twanttoruntheriskofgettingyourselfintotrouble，don”tmakeabsolutestatements。”

ThishadbeenadisappointmenttoBurrill，whohadseenhimselfdevelopinginmagnitude；buthewasatimidman，andthereforefeltitwisetoconveyhisknowledgemerelythroughtheconvictioncarriedbyadignifiedsilenceafterhisfirstindiscreetrevelationofhaving“happenedtobeabout“hadbeenmade。ItwouldhavebeensomesolacetohimtointimatetoMissAliciabyhisbearingandthemannerofhisservicesthatshehadbeendiscovered，sotospeak，inthecharacterofasortofaccomplice；thatherpositionwasaperilouslyuncertainone，whichwouldprobablyendinutterdownfall，leavingherinheroldandproperplaceasanelderly，insignificant，andunattractivepoorrelation，withoutafeaturetorecommendher。Butbeing，asbeforeremarked，atimidman，andrecallingtheinterviewbetweenhimselfandhisemployerheldoutsidethedining-roomdoor，andhavingalsoadisturbingmemoryofthesharp，cool，boyisheyeandthetoneofthecasualremarkthathehad“aheadonhisshoulders“andthatitwas“uptohimtomaketheothersunderstand，“itseemedaswelltorestrainhisinclinationsuntiltheproofPalford&Grimbyrequiredwasforthcoming。

ItwasperhapsthemoderateandprecautionaryattitudeofPalford&

Grimby，duringtheirfirstsomewhatstartledthoughreservedinterviewwithCaptainPalliser，whichhadpreventedthevaguelywildrumorsfrombeingregardedasmorethanvillagers”exaggeratedtalkamongthemselves。The“gentry，“indeed，knewmuchlessofthecottagersthanthecottagersknewofthegentry；consequentlyeventsfurnishingmuchexcitementamongthevillagepeoplenotinfrequentlyremainedunheard-

ofbythoseintheclassabovethem。Astorylessincrediblemighthavebeenmoreconsidered；butthehighlycoloredreasonsgivenfortheabsenceoftheownerofTempleBarholmwould，ifheardof，havebeenmorethanlikelytobereceivedandpassedoverwithasmile。

ThemannerofMr。PalfordandalsoofMr。GrimbyduringthedeliberatelyunmelodramaticandcarefullyconnectedrelationofCaptainPalliser”ssingularstory，wasthatofprofessionalgentlemenwhoforreasonsofgoodbreedingwereengagedinrestrainingoutwardexpressionofconvictionthattheywerelisteningtoutternonsense。

Palliserhimselfwasawareofthis，anduponthewholedidnotwonderatitinentirelyunimaginativepersonsofextremelysoberlives。Infact，hehadbegunbygivingthemsomewarningastowhattheymightexpectinthewayofunusualness。

“Youwill，nodoubt，thinkwhatIamabouttotellyouabsurdandincredible，“hehadprefacedhisstatements。“Ithoughtthesamemyselfwhenmyfirstsuspicionswerearoused。Iwas，infact，inclinedtolaughatmyownideauntilonelinkconnecteditselfwithanother。”

NeitherMr。GrimbynorMr。Palfordwasinclinedtolaugh。Onthecontrary，theywereextremelygrave，andcontinuedtofinditnecessarytorestraintheirunitedtendencytoindicatefaciallythatthethingmustbenonsense。Ittranscendedallbounds，asitwere。Thedelicacywithwhichtheymanagedtoconveythisdidthemmuchcredit。

ThisdelicacywasequaledbythemoderationwithwhichCaptainPalliserdrewtheirattentiontothefactthatitwasnotthethinglikely-to-happenonwhichwerefoundedthecelebratedcriminalcasesoflegalhistory；itwastheincredibleandalmostimpossibleevents，theordinarilyunbelievableduplicities，moralobliquitiesandcoincidences，whichmadethemwhattheywereandattractedtheattentionoftheworld。This，Mr。Palfordandhispartnerwereobviouslyobligedtoadmit。Whattheydidnotadmitwasthatsuchthingsneverhavingoccurredinone”sownworld，theyhadbeenmentallyrelegatedtotheworldofnewspaperandcriminalrecordasthingsthatcouldnothappentooneself。Mr。Palfordclearedhisthroatinaseriouslycautionaryway。

“Thisis，ofcourse，amattersuggestingtooseriousanaccusationnottobeapproachedinthemostconservativemanner，“heremarked。

“Mostseriousconsequenceshaveresultedincasesimplyinglibelousassertionswhichhavebeenmaderashly，“addedMr。Grimby。“AsMr。

TempleBarholmintimatedtoyou，amanofalmostunlimitedmeanshascommandofresourceswhichitmightnotbeeasytocontendwithifhehadreasontofeelhimselfinjured。”

ThefactthatCaptainPalliserhadinabitterlyfrustratedmomentallowedhimselftobegoadedintolosinghistemper，and“givingaway“

toTembaromthediscoveryonwhichhehadfeltthathecouldrelyasalever，didnotarguethatalikeweaknesswouldleadhimintomoredangerousindiscretion。Hehadalwaysregardedhimselfasacarefulmanwhosedefenseswerewellbuiltabouthimatsuchcrisesinhiscareerasrenderedentrenchmentnecessary。Therewould，ofcourse，besomepleasureinfollowingthematterupandgettingmorethanevenwithamanwhohadbeeninsolenttohim；butamorepracticalfeatureofthecasewasthatif，throughhisalertobservationandshrewdaid，JemTempleBarholmwasrestoredtohismuch-to-be-enviedplaceintheworld，afarfromunnaturalresultwouldbethathemightfeelsuitablegratitudeandindebted-nesstothemanwho，notfromactualpersonallikingbutfromameresenseofjustice，hadrescuedhim。AsforthefearsofMessrs。Palford&Grimby，hehadputhimselfonrecordwithBurrillbycommandinghimtoholdhistongueandstatingclearlythatproofwasbothnecessaryandlacking。Nomancouldberegardedastakingriskswhoseattitudewassowhollyconservativeandnon-accusing。Servantswillgossip。Asuperiorwhoreprovessuchgossipholdsanunattackableposition。IntheprivateroomofPalford&Grimby，however，hecouldconfidentlyexpresshisopinionswithoutrisk。

“Therecognitionofamanlostsightofforyears，andseenonlyforamomentthroughawindow，isnotsubstantialevidence，“Mr。Grimbyhadproceeded。“Theincidentwasstartling，butnotgreatlytobereliedupon。”

“Iknewhim。”Palliserwasslightlygriminhisairoffinality。“Hewasamanmostmeneitherlikedorhated。Ididn”tlikehim。I

detestedatrickhehadofstaringatyouunderhisdroopinglids。Bytheway，doyouremembertheportraitofMilesHugowhichwassolikehim？“

Mr。PalfordrememberedhavingheardthattherewasacertainportraitinthegallerywhichMr。JamesTempleBarholmhadbeensaidtoresemble。Hehadnodistinctrecollectionoftheancestoritrepresented。

“ItwasacertainyoungsterwhowasapageinthecourtofCharlestheSecondandwhodiedyoung。MilesHugoCharlesJameswashisname。Heismystrongestclue。TheAmericanseemedratherkeenthefirsttimewetalkedtogether。HewasequallykeenaboutJemTempleBarholm。Hewantedtoknowwhathelookedlike，andwhetheritwastruethathewasliketheportrait。”

“Indeed！“exclaimedPalfordandGrimby，simultaneously。

“Itstruckmethattherewassomethingmorethanmerecuriosityinhismanner，“Palliserenlarged。“Icouldn”tmakehimoutthen。Later，I

begantoseethathewasremarkablyanxioustokeepeveryonefromStrangeways。ItwasasortofManintheIronMaskaffair。Strangewayswasapparentlynotonlytooexcitabletobelookedatorspokento，buttooexcitabletobespokenof。Hewouldn”ttalkabouthim。”

“Thatisexceedinglycurious，“remarkedMr。Palford，butitwasnotinresponsetoPalliser。Afewmomentsbeforehehadsuddenlylookedthoughtful。HeworenowtheaspectofamantryingtorecallsomethingasPallisercontinued。

“Oneday，afterIhadbeentolookatasunsetthroughaparticularwindowinthewingwhereStrangewayswaskept，Ipassedthedoorofhissitting-room，andheardtheAmericanarguingwithhim。Hewasevidentlytellinghimhewastobetakenelsewhere，andthepoordevilwasterrified。IheardhimbeghimforGod”ssakenottosendhimaway。Therewaspanicinhisvoice。Inconnectionwiththefactthathehasgothimawaysecretly——atmidnight-it”sanuglythingtorecall。”

“Itwouldseemtohavesignificance。”Grimbysaidituneasily。

“Itsetmethinkingandlookingintothings，“Palliserwenton。

“Pearsonwassecretive，buttheheadman，Burrill，madecasualenlighteningremarks。Igatheredsomecuriousdetails，whichmightormightnothavemeantagooddeal。WhenStrangewayssuddenlyappearedathiswindowoneeveninganumberofthingsfittedthemselvestogether。MytheoryisthattheAmerican——Tembarom，asheusedtocallhimself——maynothavebeencertainoftheidentityatfirst，buthewouldn”thavebroughtStrangewayswithhimifhehadnothadsomereasontosuspectwhohewas。Hedaren”tlosesightofhim，andhewantedtimetomakesureandtolayhisplans。TheportraitofMilesHugowasacluewhichalarmedhim，andnodoubthehasbeenfollowingit。Ifhefounditledtonothing，hecouldeasilyturnStrangewaysovertothepublicchargeandlethimbeputintoalunaticasylum。Ifhefounditledtoarevelationwhichwouldmakehimapauperagain，itwouldbeeasytodisposeofhim。”

“Come！Come！CaptainPalliser！Wemustn”tgotoofar！“ejaculatedMr。

Grimby，alarmedly。Itshockedhimtothinkofthefirmbeingdraggedintoacasedealingwithcapitalcrimeandpossiblehangmen！Thatwasnotitslineoftheprofession。

CaptainPalliser”sslightlaughcontainednohintofbeingshockedbyanypossibilitieswhatever。

“Thereareextremelyprivateasylumsandso-calledsanatoriumswherethedisciplineisstrict，andnoquestionsareasked。Onesometimesreadsinthepapersofcasesinwhichmild-manneredkeepersindefendingthemselvesagainsttheattacksofviolentpatientsareobligedtouseforce——withdisastrousresults。Itisinsuchplacesthatourinvestigationsshouldbegin。”

“Dearme！Dearme！“Mr。Grimbybrokeout。“Isn”tthatgoingratherfar？Yousurelydon”tthink”

“Mr。Tembarom”schiefcharacteristicwasthathewasapracticalanddirectperson。Hewoulddowhathehadtodoinexactlythatbusinesslikemanner。TheinquiriesIhavebeenmakinghavebeenastothewhereaboutsofplacesinwhichasuperfluousrelativemightbeplacedwithoutattractingattention。”

“Thatisreallyastute，but——but——whatdoyouthink，Palford？“Mr。

Grimbyturnedtohispartner，stillwearingtheshockedanddisturbedexpression。

“Ihavebeenrecallingtomindacircumstancewhichprobablybearsuponthecase，“saidMr。Palford。“CaptainPalliser”smentionoftheportraitremindedmeofit。IremembernowthatonMr。TempleBarholm”sfirstvisittothepicture-galleryheseemedmuchattractedbytheportraitofMilesHugo。Hestoppedandexamineditcuriously。

Hesaidhefeltasifhehadseenitbefore。Heturnedtoitonceortwice；andfinallyremarkedthathemighthaveseensomeonelikeitatagreatfancy-dressballwhichhadtakenplaceinNewYork。”

“Hadhebeeninvitedtotheball？“laughedPalliser。

“Ididnotgatherthat，“repliedMr。Palfordgravely。“Hehadapparentlywatchedthearrivingguestsfromsomerailingsnearby——orperhapsitwasalamp-post——withothernews-boys。”

“HerecognizedthelikenesstoStrangeways，nodoubt，anditgavehimwhathecallsa”jolt”“saidCaptainPalliser。“Hemusthaveexperiencedanumberofjoltsduringthelastfewmonths。”

Palford&Grimby”sviewofthemattercontinuedtobemarkedbyextremedistasteforthewholesituationanditsdisturbingandirritatingpossibilities。ThecomingoftheAmericanheirtotheestateofTempleBarholmhadbeentryingtothevergeofextremepainfulness；but，sufficienttimehavinglapsedandtheirclienthavingtroubledthembutlittle，theyhadoutlivedtheshockofhisfirstappearanceandsettledoncemoreintothecalmoftheiraccustomedatmosphereandroutine。Thatheshouldsuddenlyreappearupontheirdignifiedhorizonasaprobablemelodramaticcriminalwasafaultoftasteandalackofconsiderationbeyondexpression。Tobedragged-intovulgardetectivework，tobereferredtoinnews-papersinaconnectionwhichwouldleadtoconfusingthefirmwiththerepresentativesofsuchbranchesoftheprofessionasdealtwithpersonswhohadcommittedactsforwhichinvulgarparlancetheymightpossibly“swing，“iftheirlegaldefendersdidnot“getthemoff，“toafirmwhosesoleaffairshadbeenthedealingwithnobleandancientestates，withadvisingandsupportingpersonagesofstatelyname，andwithprivateandweightyfamilyconfidences。Iftheworstcametotheworst，theaffairwouldsurelyendinthemostglaringandodiousnotoriety：inhead-linesanddailyreportseveninLondon，inappallingpicturesofeveryoneconcernedineveryNewYorknewspaper，eveninbaffledstrugglestokeepabominablewoodcutsofthemselves——

Mr。EdwardJamesPalfordandMr。JamesMatthewGrimby——frombeingpublishedinsensationaljournalisticsheets！Professionaldutydemandedthatthesituationshouldbedealtwith，thatinvestigationshouldbeenteredinto，thatthemostseriousevenifconservativestepsshouldbetakenatonce。WithregardtotheacceptedreportofMr。JamesTempleBarholm”stragicdeath，itcouldnotbedeniedthatCaptainPalliser”sviewofthenaturalnessoftheoriginofthemistakethathadbeenmadehadalogicalair。

“Inaregionfullofriotingderelictscrazedwiththelawlessexcitementoftheirdashaftergold，“hehadsaid，“identitiesandnamesareeasilylost。TempleBarholmhimselfwasaderelictandinadesperatestate。Hewasinnomoodtospeakofhimselfortrytomakefriends。Henodoubtcameandwenttosuchworkashedidscarcelyspeakingtoanyone。Amassofearthanddebrisofallsortssuddenlygivesway，buryinghalf-a-dozenmen。Twoorthreearedugoutdead，theothersnotreached。Therewasnotimetosparetodigfordeadmen。SomeonehadseenTempleBarholmneartheplace；hewasseennomore。Ergo，hewasburiedwiththerest。Atthattime，thosewhoknewhiminEnglandfeltitwasthebestthingthatcouldhavehappenedtohim。Itwouldhavebeenifhisvalethadnotconfessedhistrick，andoldTempleBarholmhadnotdied。Mytheoryisthathemayhavelefttheplacedaysbeforetheaccidentwithoutbeingmissed。Hismentaltormentcausedsomementalillness，itdoesnotmatterwhat。Helosthismemoryandwanderedabout——theLordknowshoworwherehelived；

heprobablyneverknewhimself。TheAmericanpickedhimupandfoundthathehadmoney。Forreasonsofhisown，heprofessedtotakecareofhim。Hemusthavecomeonsomecluejustwhenheheardofhisnewfortune。Hewasnaturallypanic-stricken；itmusthavebeenabigblowatthatparticularmoment。Hewassharpenoughtoseewhatitmightmean，andheldontothepoorchaplikegrimdeath，andhasbeenholdingoneversince。”

“Wemustbegintotakesteps，“decidedPalford&Grimby。“Wemustofcoursetakestepsatonce，butwemustbeginwithdiscretion。”

Aftergraveprivatediscussion，theybegantotakethestepsinquestionandwiththecautionthatitseemednecessarytoobserveuntiltheyfeltsolidgroundundertheirfeet。CaptainPalliserwaswillingtoassistthem。Hehadbeengoingintothematterhimself。HewentdowntotheneighborhoodofTempleBarholmandquietlylookedupdatawhichmightproveilluminatingwhenregardedfromonepointoranother。ItwasonthefirstoftheseoccasionsthathesawandwarnedBurrill。ItwasfromBurrillheheardofTummasHibblethwaite。

“There”sanimpidentlittlevagabondinthevillage，sir，“hesaid，“thatMr。TempleBarholmusedtogoandseeandtakeNewYorknewspapersto。Acrippletheladis，andhe”sgotakindofcrazefortalkingaboutMr。JamesTempleBarholm。Hehadamapoftheplacewherehewassaidtobekilled。IfImaypresumetomentionit，sir，“

headdedwithgreatdignity，“itismyopinionthatthetwohadagooddealoftalktogetheronthesubject。”

“Idaresay，“CaptainPalliseradmittedindifferently，andmadenofurtherinquiryorremark。

HesaunteredintotheHibblethwaitecottage，however，latethenextafternoon。

Tummaswasinabadtemper，forreasonsquitesufficientforhimself，andheregardedhimsourly。

“Whathasthacoomfor？“hedemanded。“Ididnaaskthee。”

“Don”tbecheeky！“saidCaptainPalliser。“Iwillgiveyouasovereignifyou”llletmeseethemapyouandMr。TempleBarholmusedtolookatandtalksomuchabout。”

HelaidthesovereigndownonthesmalltablebyTummas”ssofa，butTummasdidnotpickitup。

“Iknowwhothaart。Tha”rtPalliser，an”thawastth”oneassaidashimaswaskilledinth”Klondikehadcoombackalive。”

“You”vebeenlisteningtothatservants”story，haveyou？“remarkedPalliser。“Youhadbetterbecarefulastowhatyousay。Isupposeyouneverheardoflibelsuits。WherewouldyoufindyourselfifyouwerecalledupontopayMr。TempleBarholmtenthousandpounds”damages？

You”dbeobligedtosellyouratlas。”

“Burrilltowdasheheardtheesaytha”dswearincourtasitwasth”

oneaswaskilledastha”dseen。”

“That”sBurrill”sstory，notmine。AndBurrillhadbetterkeephismouthshut，“saidPalliser。“Ifitweretrue，howwouldyoulikeit？

I”veheardyouwereinterestedin”th”oneaswaskilled。”“