RubyfeltacrossthetableuntilCork”sfirmhandcloseduponhers。
“Areyouafraid，Eddie？“shewhispered。“Areyouafraidyou”llgetafreeride？“
“Nothin”doin”intheteeth-chatterin”line，“saidCork。“IguessRooney”sbeenslowwithhisenvelope。Don”tyouworry，girly；I”lllookoutforyouallright。”
YetMr。McManus”seasewasonlyskin-andmuscle-deep。WiththepolicelookingeverywhereforBuckMalone”sassailant，andwithCorriganstillontheoceanwave，hefeltthattobecaughtinapoliceraidwouldmeananendedcareerforhim。HewishedhehadremainedinthehighrearroomofthetrueCapuletreadingthepinkextras。
Rooneyseemedtohaveopenedthefrontdoorbelowandengagedthepoliceinconferenceinthedarkhall。Thewordlesslowgrowloftheirvoicescameupthestairway。Frankmadeawirelessnewsstationofhimselfattheupperdoor。Suddenlyheclosedthedoor，hurriedtotheextremerearoftheroomandlightedadimgasjet。
“Thisway，everybody！“hecalledsharply。“Inahurry；butnonoise，please！“
Theguestscrowdedinconfusiontotherear。Rooney”slieutenantswungopenapanelinthewall，overlookingthebackyard，revealingaladderalreadyplacedfortheescape。
“Downandout，everybody！“hecommanded。“Ladiesfirst！Lesstalking，please！Don”tcrowd！There”snodanger。”
Amongthelast，CorkandRubywaitedtheirturnattheopenpanel。
Suddenlysheswepthimasideandclungtohisarmfiercely。
“Beforewegoout，“shewhisperedinhisear”beforeanythinghappens，tellmeagain，Eddie，doyoul——doyoureallylikeme？“
“Onthedeadlevel，“saidCork，holdingherclosewithonearm，“whenitcomestoyou，I”mallin。”
Whentheyturnedtheyfoundtheywerelostandindarkness。Thelastofthefleeingcustomershaddescended。Halfwayacrosstheyardtheyboretheladder，stumbling，giggling，hurryingtoplaceitagainstadjoininglowbuildingovertheroofofwhichtheironlyroutetosafety。
“Wemayaswellsitdown，“saidCorkgrimly。“MaybeRooneywillstandthecopsoff，anyhow。”
Theysatatatable；andtheirhandscametogetheragain。
Anumberofmenthenenteredthedarkroom，feelingtheirwayabout。
Oneofthem，Rooneyhimself，foundtheswitchandturnedontheelectriclight。Theothermanwasacopoftheoldregime——abigcop，athickcop，afuming，abruptcop——notaprettycop。Hewentuptothepairatthetableandsneeredfamiliarlyatthegirl。
“Whatareyousedoin”inhere？“heasked。
“Droppedinforasmoke，“saidCorkmildly。
“Hadanydrinks？“
“Notlaterthanoneo”clock。”
“Getout——quick！“orderedthecop。Then，“Sitdown！“hecountermanded。
HetookoffCork”shatroughlyandscrutinizedhimshrewdly。
“Yourname”sMcManus。”
“Badguess，“saidCork。“It”sPeterson。”
“CorkMcManus，orsomethinglikethat，“saidthecop。“YouputaknifeintoamaninDutchMike”ssaloonaweekago。”
“Aw，forgetit！“saidCork，whoperceivedashadeofdoubtintheofficer”stones。“You”vegotmymugmixedwithsomebodyelse”s。”
“HaveI？Well，you”llcometothestationwithme，anyhow，andbelookedover。Thedescriptionfitsyouallright。”ThecoptwistedhisfingersunderCork”scollar。“Comeon！“heorderedroughly。
CorkglancedatRuby。Shewaspale，andherthinnostrilsquivered。Herquickeyedancedfromoneman”sfacetotheotherastheyspokeormoved。Whathardluck！Corkwasthinking——
Corriganonthebriny；andRubymetandlostalmostwithinanhour！Somebodyatthepolicestationwouldrecognizehim，withoutadoubt。Hardluck！
Butsuddenlythegirlsprangupandhurledherselfwithbotharmsextendedagainstthecop。HisholdonCork”scollarwasloosenedandhestumbledbacktwoorthreepaces。
“Don”tgosofast，Maguire！“shecriedinshrillfury。“Keepyourhandsoffmyman！Youknowme，andyouknowI”mgivin”yougoodadvice。Don”tyoutouchhimagain！He”snottheguyyouarelookin”for——I”llstandforthat。”
“Seehere，Fanny，“saidtheCop，redandangry，“I”lltakeyou，too，ifyoudon”tlookout！Howdoyouknowthisain”tthemanIwant？
Whatareyoudoinginherewithhim？“
“HowdoIknow？“saidthegirl，flamingredandwhitebyturns。
“BecauseI”veknownhimayear。He”smine。Oughtn”tItoknow？
AndwhatamIdoin”herewithhim？That”seasy。”
Shestoopedlowandreacheddownsomewhereintoaswirlofflirteddraperies，heliotropeandblack。Anelasticsnapped，shethrewonthetabletowardCorkafoldedwadofbills。Themoneyslowlystraighteneditselfwithlittleleisurelyjerks。
“Takethat，Jimmy，andlet”sgo，“saidthegirl。“I”mdeclarin”
theusualdividends，Maguire，“shesaidtotheofficer。“Youhadyourusualfive-dollargraftattheusualcorneratten。”
“Alie！“saidthecop，turningpurple。“YougoonmybeatagainandI”llarrestyoueverytimeIseeyou。”
“No，youwon”t，“saidthegirl。“AndI”lltellyouwhy。Witnessessawmegiveyouthemoneyto-night，andlastweek，too。I”vebeengettingfixedforyou。”
Corkputthewadofmoneycarefulyintohispocket，andsaid：“Comeon，Fanny；let”shavesomechopsueybeforewegohome。”
“Clearout，quick，bothofyou，orI”ll”
Thecop”sblustertrailedawayintoinconsequentiality。
Atthecornerofthestreetthetwohalted。Corkhandedbackthemoneywithoutaword。Thegirltookitandslippeditslowlyintoherhand-bag。HerexpressionwasthesameshehadwornwhensheenteredRooney”sthatnight——shelookedupontheworldwithdefiance，suspicionandsullenwonder。
“IguessImightaswellsaygood-byehere，“shesaiddully。“Youwon”twanttoseemeagain，ofcourse。Willyou——shakehands——
Mr。McManus。”
“Imightn”thavegotwiseifyouhadn”tgivethesnapaway，“saidCork。“Whydidyoudoit？“
“You”dhavebeenpinchedifIhadn”t。That”swhy。Ain”tthatreasonenough？“Thenshebegantocry。“Honest，Eddie，Iwasgoin”tobethebestgirlintheworld。IhatedtobewhatIam；
Ihatedmen；IwasreadyalmosttodiewhenIsawyou。Andyouseemeddifferentfromeverybodyelse。AndwhenIfoundyoulikedme，too，why，IthoughtI”dmakeyoubelieveIwasgood，andIwasgoin”tobegood。Whenyouaskedtocometomyhouseandseeme，why，I”dhavediedratherthandoanythingwrongafterthat。Butwhat”stheuseoftalkingaboutit？I”llsaygood-by，ifyouwill，Mr。McManus。”
Corkwaspullingathisear。“IknifedMalone，“saidhe。“Iwastheonethecopwanted。”
“Oh，that”sallright，“saidthegirllistlessly。“Itdidn”tmakeanydifferenceaboutthat。”
“ThatwasallhotairaboutWallStreet。Idon”tdonothin”buthangoutwithatoughgangontheEastSide。”
“Thatwasallright，too，“repeatedthegirl。“Itdidn”tmakeanydifference。”
Corkstraightenedhimself，andpulledhishatdownlow。“IcouldgetajobatO”Brien”s，“hesaidaloud，buttohimself。
“Good-by，“saidthegirl。
“Comeon，“saidCork，takingherarm。“Iknowaplace。”
Twoblocksawayheturnedwithherupthestepsofaredbrickhousefacingalittlepark。
“Whathouseisthis？“sheasked，drawingback。“Whyareyougoinginthere？“
Astreetlampshonebrightlyinfront。Therewasabrassnameplateatonesideoftheclosedfrontdoors。Corkdrewherfirmlyupthesteps。“Readthat，“saidhe。
Shelookedatthenameontheplate，andgaveacrybetweenamoanandascream。“No，no，no，Eddie！Oh，myGod，no！Iwon”tletyoudothat——notnow！Letmego！Youshan”tdothat！Youcan”t——youmus”n”t！Notafteryouknow！No，no！Comeawayquick！Oh，myGod！
Please，Eddie，come！“
Halffainting，shereeled，andwascaughtinthebendofhisarm。
Cork”srighthandfeltfortheelectricbuttonandpresseditlong。
Anothercop——howquicklytheyscenttroublewhentroubleisonthewing！——camealong，sawthem，andranupthesteps。“Here！Whatareyoudoingwiththatgirl？“hecalledgruffly。
“She”llbeallrightinaminute，“saidCork。“It”sastraightdeal。”
“ReverendJeremiahJones，“readthecopfromthedoor-platewithtruedetectivecunning。
“Correct，“saidCork。“Onthedeadlevel，we”regoin”togetmarried。”
XXI
THEVENTURERS
Letthestorywreckitselfonthespreadingrailsofthe_NonSequitur_
Limited，ifitwill；firstyoumusttakeyourseatintheobservationcar“_Raisond”^etre_“foronemoment。Itisfornolongerthantoconsiderabriefessayonthesubject——letuscallit：“What”sAroundtheCorner。”
_Omnemundusinduaspartesdivisumest_——menwhowearrubbersandpaypoll-taxes，andmenwhodiscovernewcontinents。Therearenomorecontinentstodiscover；butbythetimeovershoesareoutofdateandthepollhasdevelopedintoanincometax，theotherhalfwillbeparallelingthecanalsofMarswithradiumrailways。
Fortune，Chance，andAdventurearegivenassynonymousinthedictionaries。Totheknowingeachhasadifferentmeaning。
Fortuneisaprizetobewon。Adventureistheroadtoit。Chanceiswhatmaylurkintheshadowsattheroadside。ThefaceofFortuneisradiantandalluring；thatofAdventureisflushedandheroic。ThefaceofChanceisthebeautifulcountenance——perfectbecausevagueanddream-born——thatweseeinourtea-cupsatbreakfastwhilewegrowloverourchopsandtoast。
TheVENTURERisonewhokeepshiseyeonthehedgerowsandwaysidegrovesandmeadowswhilehetravelstheroadtoFortune。ThatisthedifferencebetweenhimandtheAdventurer。EatingtheforbiddenfruitwasthebestrecordevermadebyaVenturer。TryingtoprovethatithappenedisthehighestworkoftheAdventuresome。Tobeeitherisdisturbingtothecosmogonyofcreation。So，asbracket-
sawedandcity-directoriedcitizens，letuslightourpipes，chidethechildrenandthecat，arrangeourselvesinthewillowrockerundertheflickeringgasjetatthecoolestwindowandscanthislittletaleoftwomodernfollowersofChance。
“DidyoueverhearthatstoryaboutthemanfromtheWest？“askedBillinger，inthelittledark-oakroomtoyourleftasyoupenetratetheinteriorofthePowhatanClub。
“Doubtless，“saidJohnReginaldForster，risingandleavingtheroom。
Forstergothisstrawhatstrawswillbeinandmaybeoutagainlongbeforethisisprintedfromthecheckroomboy，andwalkedoutoftheairasHamletsays。Billingerwasusedtohavinghisstoriesinsultedandwouldnotmind。Forsterwasinhisfavoritemoodandwantedtogoawayfromanywhere。Aman，inordertogetongoodtermswithhimself，musthavehisopinionscorroboratedandhismoodsmatchedbysomeoneelse。Ihadwrittenthat“somebody“；butanA。D。T。boywhooncetookatelegramformepointedoutthatIcouldsavemoneybyusingthecompoundword。
Thisisaviceversacase。
Forster”sfavoritemoodwasthatofgreatlydesiringtobeafollowerofChance。HewasaVenturerbynature，butconvention，birth，traditionandthenarrowinginfluencesofthetribeofManhattanhaddeniedhimfullprivilege。Hehadtroddenallthemain-traveledthoroughfaresandmanyofthesideroadsthataresupposedtorelievethetediumoflife。Butnonehadsufficed。Thereasonwasthatheknewwhatwastobefoundattheendofeverystreet。Heknewfromexperienceandlogicalmostpreciselytowhatendeachdigressionfromroutinemustlead。Hefoundadepressingmonotonyinallthevariationsthatthemusicofhisspherehadgrafteduponthetuneoflife。Hehadnotlearnedthat，althoughtheworldwasmaderound，thecirclehasbeensquared，andthatit”strueinterestistobein“What”sAroundtheCorner。”
ForsterwalkedabroadaimlesslyfromthePowhatan，tryingnottotaxeitherhisjudgmentorhisdesireastowhatstreetshetraveled。
Hewouldhavebeengladtolosehiswayifitwerepossible；buthehadnohopeofthat。AdventureandFortunemoveatyourbeckandcallintheGreaterCity；butChanceisoriental。Sheisaveiledladyinasedanchair，protectedbyaspecialtrafficsquadofdragonians。Crosstown，uptown，anddowntownyoumaymovewithoutseeingher。
Attheendofanhour”sstroll，Forsterstoodonacornerofabroad，smoothavenue，lookingdisconsolatelyacrossitatapicturesqueoldhotelsoftlybutbrilliantlylit。Disconsolately，becauseheknewthathemustdine；anddininginthathotelwasnoventure。Itwasoneofhisfavoritecaravansaries，andsosilentandswiftwouldbetheserviceandsodelicatelychoicethefood，thatheregrettedthehungerthatmustbeappeasedbythe“deadperfection“oftheplace”scuisine。Eventhemusicthereseemedtobealwaysplaying_dacapo_。
Fancycametohimthathewoulddineatsomecheap，evendubious，restaurantlowerdowninthecity，wheretheerraticchefsfromallcountriesoftheworldspreadtheirnationalcookeryfortheomnivorousAmerican。Somethingmighthappenthereoutoftheroutine——hemightcomeuponasubjectwithoutapredicate，aroadwithoutanend，aquestionwithoutananswer，acausewithoutaneffect，agulfstreaminlife”ssaltocean。Hehadnotdressedforevening；heworeadarkbusinesssuitthatwouldnotbequestionedevenwherethewaitersservedthespaghettiintheirshirtsleeves。
SoJohnReginaldForsterbegantosearchhisclothesformoney；
becausethemorecheaplyyoudine，themoresurelymustyoupay。
Allofthethirteenpockets，largeandsmall，ofhisbusinesssuitheexploredcarefullyandfoundnotapenny。HisbankbookshowedabalanceoffivefigurestohiscreditintheOldIronsidesTrustCompany，but——
Forsterbecameawareofamannearbyathislefthandwhowasreallyregardinghimwithsomeamusement。helookedlikeanybusinessmanofthirtyorso，neatlydressedandstandingintheattitudeofonewaitingforastreetcar。Buttherewasnocarlineonthatavenue。
SohisproximityandunconcealedcuriosityseemedtoForstertopartakeofthenatureofapersonalintrusion。But，ashewasaconsistentseekerafter“What”sAroundtheCorner，“insteadofmanifestingresentmentheonlyturnedahalf-embarrassedsmileupontheother”sgrinofamusement。
“Allin？“askedtheintruder，drawingnearer。
“Seemsso，“saidForster。“Now，Ithoughttherewasadollarin”
“Oh，Iknow，“saidtheotherman，withalaugh。“Buttherewasn”t。
I”vejustbeenthroughthesameprocessmyself，asIwascomingaroundthecorner。Ifoundinanuppervestpocket——Idon”tknowhowtheygotthere——exactlytwopennies。Youknowwhatkindofadinnerexactlytwopennieswillbuy！“
“Youhaven”tdined，then？“askedForster。
“Ihavenot。ButIwouldliketo。Now，I”llmakeyouaproposition。
Youlooklikeamanwhowouldtakeupone。Yourclotheslookneatandrespectable。Excusepersonalities。Ithinkminewillpassthescrutinyofaheadwaiter，also。Supposewegoovertothathotelanddinetogether。Wewillchoosefromthemenulikemillionaires——or，ifyouprefer，likegentlemeninmoderatecircumstancesdiningextravagantlyforonce。Whenwehavefinishedwewillmatchwithmytwopenniestoseewhichofuswillstandthebruntofthehouse”sdispleasureandvengeance。MynameisIves。Ithinkwehavelivedinthesamestationoflife——beforeourmoneytookwings。”
“You”reon，“saidForster，joyfully。
HerewasaventureatleastwithinthebordersofthemysteriouscountryofChange——anyhow，itpromisedsomethingbetterthanthestaleinfestivityofatabled”h^ote。
Thetwoweresoonseatedatacornertableinthehoteldiningroom。IveschuckedoneofhispenniesacrossthetabletoForster。
“Matchforwhichofusgivestheorder，“hesaid。
Forsterlost。
Iveslaughedandbegantonameliquidsandviandstothewaiterwiththeabsorbedbutcalmdeliberationofonewhowastothemenuborn。Forster，listening，gavehisadmiringapprovaloftheorder。
“Iamaman，“saidIves，duringtheoysters，“Whohasmadealifetimesearchaftertheto-be-continued-in-our-next。Iamnotliketheordinaryadventurerwhostrikesforacovetedprize。NoryetamIlikeagamblerwhoknowsheiseithertowinorloseacertainsetstake。WhatIwantistoencounteranadventuretowhichIcanpredictnoconclusion。ItisthebreathofexistencetometodareFateinitsblindestmanifestations。Theworldhascometorunsomuchbyroteandgravitationthatyoucanenteruponhardlyanyfootpathofchanceinwhichyoudonotfindsignboardsinformingyouofwhatyoumayexpectatitsend。IamliketheclerkintheCircumlocutionOfficewhoalwayscomplainedbitterlywhenanyonecameintoaskinformation。”Hewantedto_know_，youknow！”wasthekickhemadetohisfellow-clerks。Well，Idon”twanttoknow，Idon”twanttoreason，Idon”twanttoguess——Iwanttobetmyhandwithoutseeingit。”
“Iunderstand，“saidForsterdelightedly。“I”veoftenwantedthewayIfeelputintowords。You”vedoneit。Iwanttotakechancesonwhat”scoming。SupposewehaveabottleofMosellewiththenextcourse。”
“Agreed，“saidIves。“I”mgladyoucatchmyidea。Itwillincreasetheanimosityofthehousetowardtheloser。Ifitdoesnotwearyyou，wewillpursuethetheme。OnlyafewtimeshaveImetatrueventurer——onewhodoesnotaskascheduleandmapfromFatewhenhebeginsajourney。But，astheworldbecomesmorecivilizedandwiser，themoredifficultitistocomeuponanadventuretheendofwhichyoucannotforesee。IntheElizabethandaysyoucouldassaultthewatch，wringknockersfromdoorsandhaveajollyset-towiththebladesinanyconvenientangleofawalland”getawaywithit。”
Nowadays，ifyouspeakdisrespectfullytoapoliceman，allthatislefttothemostromanticfancyistoconjectureinwhatparticularpolicestationhewilllandyou。”
“Iknow——Iknow，“saidForster，noddingapproval。
“IreturnedtoNewYorkto-day，“continuedIves，“fromathreeyears”
ramblearoundtheglobe。Thingsarenotmuchbetterabroadthantheyareathome。Thewholeworldseemstobeoverrunbyconclusions。Theonlythingthatinterestsmegreatlyisapremise。I”vetriedshootingbiggameinAfrica。Iknowwhatanexpressriflewilldoatsomanyyards；andwhenanelephantorarhinocerosfallstothebullet，I
enjoyitaboutasmuchasIdidwhenIwaskeptinafterschooltodoasuminlongdivisionontheblackboard。”
“Iknow——Iknow，“saidForster。
“Theremightbesomethinginaeroplanes，“wentonIves，reflectively。
“I”vetriedballooning；butitseemstobemerelyacut-and-driedaffairofwindandballast。”
“Women，“suggestedForster，withasmile。
“Threemonthsago，“saidIves。“IwaspotteringaroundinoneofthebazaarsinConstantinople。Inoticedalady，veiled，ofcourse，butwithapairofespeciallyfineeyesvisible，whowasexaminingsomeamberandpearlornamentsatoneofthebooths。Withherwasanattendant——abigNubian，asblackascoal。Afterawhiletheattendantdrewnearertomebydegreesandslippedascrapofpaperintomyhand。IlookedatitwhenIgotachance。Onitwasscrawledhastilyinpencil：”ThearchedgateoftheNghtingaleGardenatnineto-night。”Doesthatappeartoyoutobeaninterestingpremise，Mr。Forster？“
“ImadeinquiriesandlearnedthattheNightingaleGardenwasthepropertyofanoldTurk——agrandvizier，orsomethingofthesort。
OfcourseIprospectedforthearchedgateandwasthereatnine。
ThesameNubianattendantopenedthegatepromptlyontime，andIwentinsideandsatonabenchbyaperfumedfountainwiththeveiledlady。Wehadquiteanextendedchat。ShewasMyrtleThompson，aladyjournalist，whowaswritinguptheTurkishharemsforaChicagonewspaper。ShesaidshenoticedtheNewYorkcutofmyclothesinthebazaarandwonderedifIcouldn”tworksomethingintothemetropolitanpapersaboutit。”
“Isee，“saidForster。“Isee。”
“I”vecanoedthroughCanada，“saidIves，“downmanyrapidsandovermanyfalls。ButIdidn”tseemtogetwhatIwantedoutofitbecauseIknewtherewereonlytwopossibleoutcomes——Iwouldeithergotothebottomorarriveatthesealevel。I”veplayedallgamesatcards；butthemathematicianshavespoiledthatsportbycomputingthepercentages。I”vemadeacquaintancesontrains，I”veansweredadvertisements，I”verungstrangedoor-bells，I”vetakeneverychancethatpresenteditself；buttherehasalwaysbeentheconventionalending——thelogicalconclusiontothepremise。”
“Iknow，“repeatedForster。“I”vefeltitall。ButI”vehadfewchancestotakemychanceatchances。Isthereanylifesodevoidofimpossibilitiesaslifeinthiscity？Thereseemstobeamyriadofopportunitiesfortestingtheundeterminable；butnotoneinathousandfailstolandyouwhereyouexpectedittostop。Iwishthesubwaysandstreetcarsdisappointedoneasseldom。”
“Thesunhasrisen，“saidIves，“ontheArabiannights。Therearenomorecaliphs。Thefisherman”svaseisturnedtoavacuumbottle，warrantedtokeepanygenieboilingorfrozenforforty-eighthours。
Lifemovesbyrote。Sciencehaskilledadventure。TherearenomoreopportunitiessuchasColumbusandthemanwhoatethefirstoysterhad。Theonlycertainthingisthatthereisnothinguncertain。”
“Well，“saidForster，“myexperiencehasbeenthelimitedoneofacityman。Ihaven”tseentheworldasyouhave；butitseemsthatweviewitwiththesameopinion。But，ItellyouIamgratefulforeventhislittleventureofoursintothebordersofthehaphazard。
Theremaybeatleastonebreathlessmomentwhenthebillforthedinnerispresented。Perhaps，afterall，thepilgrimswhotraveledwithoutscriporpursefoundakeenertastetolifethandidtheknightsoftheRoundTablewhorodeabroadwitharetinueandKingArthur”scertifiedchecksintheliningoftheirhelmets。Andnow，ifyou”vefinishedyourcoffee，supposewematchoneofyourinsufficientcoinsfortheimpendingblowofFate。WhathaveI
up？“
“Heads，“calledIves。
“Headsitis，“saidForster，liftinghishand。“Ilose。Weforgottoagreeuponaplanforthewinnertoescape。Isuggestthatwhenthewaitercomesyoumakearemarkabouttelephoningtoafriend。
Iwillholdthefortandthedinnerchecklongenoughforyoutogetyourhatandbeoff。Ithankyouforaneveningoutoftheordinary，Mr。Ives，andwishwemighthaveothers。”
“Ifmymemoryisnotatfault，“saidIves，laughing，“thenearestpolicestationisinMacDougalStreet。Ihaveenjoyedthedinner，too，letmeassureyou。”
Forstercrookedhisfingerforthewaiter。Victor，withalocomotiveeffortthatseemedtoowemoretopneumaticsthantopedestrianism，glidedtothetableandlaidthecard，facedownward，bytheloser”scup。Forstertookitupandaddedthefigureswithdeliberatecare。
Ivesleanedbackcomfortablyinhischair。
“Escuseme，“saidForster；“butIthoughyouweregoingtoringGrimesaboutthattheatrepartyforThursdaynight。Hadyouforgottenaboutit？“
“Oh，“saidIves，settlinghimselfmorecomfortably，“Icandothatlateron。Getmeaglassofwater，waiter。”
“Wanttobeinatthedeath，doyou？“askedForster。
“Ihopeyoudon”tobject，“saidIves，pleadingly。“NeverinmylifehaveIseenagentlemanarrestedinapublicrestaurantforswindlingitoutofadinner。”
“Allright，“saidForster，calmly。“YouareentitledtoseeaChristiandieinthearenaasyour_pousse-caf”e_。”
Victorcamewiththeglassofwaterandremained，withthedisengagedairofaninexorablecollector。
Forsterhesitatedforfifteenseconds，andthentookapencilfromhispocketandscribbledhisnameonthedinnercheck。Thewaiterbowedandtookitaway。
“Thefactis，“saidForster，withalittleembarrassedlaugh，“IdoubtwhetherI”mwhattheycalla”gamesport”whichmeansthesameasa”soldierofFortune。”I”llhavetomakeaconfession。I”vebeendiningatthishoteltwoorthreetimesaweekformorethanayear。
Ialwayssignmychecks。”Andthen，withanoteofappreciationinhisvoice：“Itwasfirst-rateofyoutostaytoseemethroughwithitwhenyouknewIhadnomoney，andthatyoumightbescoopedin，too。”
“IguessI”llconfess，too，“saidIves，withagrin。“Iownthehotel。
Idon”trunit，ofcourse，butIalwayskeepasuiteonthethirdfloorformyusewhenIhappentostrayintotown。”
Hecalledawaiterandsaid：“IsMr。Gilmorestillbehindthedesk？
Allright。TellhimthatMr。Ivesishere，andaskhimtohavemyroomsmadereadyandaired。”
“Anotherventurecutshortbytheinevitable，“saidForster。“Isthereaconundrumwithoutananswerinthenextnumber？Butlet”sholdtooursubjectjustforaminuteortwo，ifyouwill。Itisn”toftenthatImeetamanwhounderstandstheflawsIpickinexistence。
Iamengagedtobemarriedamonthfromto-day。”
“Ireservecomment，“saidIves。
“Right；Iamgoingtoaddtotheassertion。Iamdevotedlyfondofthelady；butIcan”tdecidewhethertoshowupatthechurchormakeasneakforAlaska。It”sthesameidea，youknow，thatwewerediscussing——itdoesforafellowasfaraspossibilitiesareconcerned。Everybodyknowstheroutine——yougetakissflavoredwithCeylonteaafterbreakfast；yougototheoffice；youcomebackhomeanddressfordinner——theatretwiceaweek——bills——mopingaroundmosteveningstryingtomakeconversation——alittlequarreloccasionally——maybesometimesabigone，andaseparation——orelseasettlingdownintoamiddle-agedcontentment，whichisworstofall。”
“Iknow，“saidIves，noddingwisely。
“It”sthedeadcertaintyofthething，“wentonForster，“thatkeepsmeindoubt。There”llnevermorebeanythingaroundthecorner。”
“Nothingafterthe”LittleChurch”“saidIves。“Iknow。”
“Understand，“saidForster，“thatIaminnodoubtastomyfeelingstowardthelady。ImaysaythatIlovehertrulyanddeeply。Butthereissomethinginthecurrentthatrunsthroughmyveinsthatcriesoutagainstanyformofthecalculable。IdonotknowwhatIwant；butIknowthatIwantit。I”mtalkinglikeanidiot，I
suppose，butI”msureofwhatImean。”
“Iunderstandyou，“saidIves，withaslowsmile。“Well，IthinkI
willbegoinguptomyroomsnow。Ifyouwoulddinewithmehereoneeveningsoon，Mr。Forster，I”dbeglad。”
“Thursday？“suggestedForster。
“Atseven，ifit”sconvenient，“answeredIves。
“Sevengoes，“assentedForster。
Athalft-pasteightIvesgotintoacabandwasdriventoanumberinoneofthecorrectWestSeventies。Hiscardadmittedhimtothereceptionroomofanold-fashionedhouseintowhichthespiritsofFortune，ChanceandAdventurehadneverdaredtoenter。OnthewallsweretheWhistleretchings，thesteelengravingsbyOh-what”s-
his-name？，thestill-lifepaintingsofthegrapesandgardentruckwiththewatermelonseedsspilledonthetableasnaturalaslife，andtheGreuzehead。Itwasahousehold。Therewasevenbrassandirons。Onatablewasanalbum，half-morocco，withoxidized-
silverprotectionsonthecornersofthelids。Aclockonthemanteltickedloudly，withawarningclickatfiveminutestonine。Iveslookedatitcuriously，rememberingatime-pieceinhisgrandmother”shomethatgavesuchawarning。
AndthendownthestairsandintotheroomcameMaryMarsden。Shewastwenty-four，andIleavehertoyourimagination。ButImustsaythismuch——youthandhealthandsimplicityandcourageandgreenish-violeteyesarebeautiful，andshehadallthese。ShegaveIvesherhandwiththesweetcordialityofanoldfriendship。
“Youcan”tthinkwhatapleasureitis，“shesaid，“tohaveyoudropinonceeverythreeyearsorso。”
Forhalfanhourtheytalked。IconfessthatIcannotrepeattheconversation。Youwillfinditinbooksinthecirculatinglibrary。
Whenthatpartofitwasover，Marysaid：
“Anddidyoufindwhatyouwantedwhileyouwereabroad？“
“WhatIwanted？“saidIves。
“Yes。Youknowyouwerealwaysqueer。Evenasaboyyouwouldn”tplaymarblesorbaseballoranygamewithrules。Youwantedtodiveinwaterwhereyoudidn”tknowwhetheritwasteninchesortenfeetdeep。Andwhenyougrewupyouwerejustthesame。We”veoftentalkedaboutyourpeculiarways。”
“IsupposeIamanincorrigible，“saidIves。“Iamopposedtothedoctrineofpredestination，totheruleofthree，gravitation，taxation，andeverythingofthekind。Lifehasalwaysseemedtomesomethinglikeaserialstorywouldbeiftheyprintedaboveeachinstalmentasynopsisof_succeeding_chapters。”
Marylaughedmerrily。
“BobAmestoldusonce，“shesaid，“ofafunnythingyoudid。ItwaswhenyouandhewereonatrainintheSouth，andyougotoffatatownwhereyouhadn”tintendedtostopjustbecausethebrakemanhungupasignintheendofthecarwiththenameofthenextstationonit。”
“Iremember，“saidIves。“That”nextstation”hasbeenthethingI”vealwaystriedtogetawayfrom。”
“Iknowit，“saidMary。“Andyou”vebeenveryfoolish。Ihopeyoudidn”tfindwhatyouwantednottofind，orgetoffatthestationwheretherewasn”tany，orwhateveritwasyouexpectedwouldn”thappentoyouduringthethreeyearsyou”vebeenaway。”
“TherewassomethingIwantedbeforeIwentaway，“saidIves。
Marylookedinhiseyesclearly，withaslight，butperfectlysweetsmile。
“Therewas，“shesaid。“Youwantedme。Andyoucouldhavehadme，asyouverywellknow。”
Withoutreplying，Iveslethisgazewanderslowlyabouttheroom。
Therehadbeennochangeinitsincelasthehadbeeninit，threeyearsbefore。Hevividlyrecalledthethoughtsthathadbeeninhismindthen。Thecontentsofthatroomwereasfixedintheirway，astheeverlastinghills。Nochangewouldevercomethereexcepttheinevitableoneswroughtbytimeanddecay。Thatsilver-mountedalbumwouldoccupythatcornerofthattable，thosepictureswouldhangonthewalls，thosechairsbefoundintheirsameplaceseverymornandnoonandnightwhilethehouseholdhungtogether。Thebrassandironsweremonumentstoorderandstability。Herreandtherewererelicsofahundredyearsagowhichwerestilllivingmementosandwouldbeformanyyearstocome。Onegoingfromandcomingbacktothathousewouldneverneedtoforecastordoubt。Hewouldfindwhatheleft，andleavewhathefound。Theveiledlady，Chance，wouldneverliftherhandtotheknockerontheouterdoor。
Andbeforehimsattheladywhobelongedintheroom。Coolandsweetandunchangeableshewas。Sheofferednosurprises。Ifoneshouldpasshislifewithher，thoughshemightgrowwhite-hairedandwrinkled，hewouldneverperceivethechange。Threeyearshehadbeenawayfromher，andshewasstillwaitingforhimasestablishedandconstantasthehouseitself。Hewassurethatshehadoncecaredforhim。Itwastheknowledgethatshewouldalwaysdosothathaddrivenhimaway。Thushisthoughtsran。
“Iamgoingtobemarriedsoon，“saidMary。
OnthenextThursdayafternoonForstercamehurriedlytoIve”shotel。
“Oldman，“saidhe，“we”llhavetoputthatdinneroffforayearorso；I”mgoingabroad。Thesteamersailsatfour。Thatwasagreattalkwehadtheothernight，anditdecidedme。I”mgoingtoknockaroundtheworldandgetridofthatincubusthathasbeenweighingonbothyouandme——theterribledreadofknowingwhat”sgoingtohappen。I”vedoneonethingthathurtsmyconsciencealittle；butIknowit”sbestforbothofus。I”vewrittentotheladytowhomIwasengagedandexplainedeverything——toldherplainlywhyIwasleaving——thatthemonotonyofmatrimonywouldneverdoforme。Don”tyouthinkIwasright？“
“Itisnotformetosay，“answeredIves。“Goaheadandshootelephantsifyouthinkitwillbringtheelementofchanceintoyourlife。We”vegottodecidethesethingsforourselves。ButItellyouonething，Forster，I”vefoundtheway。I”vefoundoutthebiggesthazardintheworld——agameofchancethatneverisconcluded，aventurethatmayendinthehighestheavenortheblackestpit。Itwillkeepamanonedgeuntiltheclodsfallonhiscoffin，becausehewillneverknow——notuntilhislastday，andnotthenwillheknow。Itisavoaygewithoutarudderorcompass，andyoumustbecaptainandcrewandkeepwatch，everydayandnight，yourself，withnoonetorelieveyou。IhavefoundtheVENTURE。Don”tbotheryourselfaboutleavingMaryMarsden，Forster。Imarriedheryesterdayatnoon。”
XXII
THEDUEL
Thegods，lyingbesidetheirnectaron”Lympusandpeepingovertheedgeofthecliff，perceiveadifferenceincities。Althoughitwouldseemthattotheirvisiontownsmustappearaslargeorsmallant-hillswithoutspecialcharacteristics，yetitisnotso。
Studyingthehabitsofantsfrmsogreataheightshouldbebutamilddiversionwhencoupledwiththesoftdrinkthatmythologytellsusistheironlysolace。Butdoubtlesstheyhaveamusedthemselvesbythecomparisonofvillagesandtowns；anditwillbenonewstothemnor，perhaps，tomanymortals，thatinoneparticularityNewYorkstandsuniqueamongthecitiesoftheworld。ThisshallbethethemeofalittlestoryaddressedtothemanwhositssmokingwithhisSabbath-slipperedfeetonanotherchair，andtothewomanwhosnatchesthepaperforamomentwhileboilinggreensoranarcotizedbabyleavesherfree。WiththeseIlovetosituponthegroundandtellsadstoriesofthedeathofKings。
NewYorkCityisinhabitedby4，000，000mysteriousstrangers；thusbeatingBirdCentrebythreemillionsandhalfadozennine”s。Theycamehereinvariouswaysandformanyreasons——HendrikHudson，theartschools，greengoods，thestork，theannualdressmakers”
convention，thePennsylvaniaRailroad，loveofmoney，thestage，cheapexcursionrates，brains，personalcolumnads。，heavywalkingshoes，ambition，freighttrains——allthesehavehadahandinmakingupthepopulation。
ButeverymanJackwhenhefirstsetsfootonthestonesofManhattanhasgottofight。Hehasgottofightatonceuntileitherheorhisadversarywins。Thereisnorestingbetweenrounds，fortherearenorounds。Itissluggingfromthefirst。Itisafighttoafinish。
YouropponentistheCity。Youmustdobattlewithitfromthetimetheferry-boatlandsyouontheislanduntileitheritisyoursorithasconqueredyou。Itisthesamewhetheryouhaveamillioninyourpocketoronlythepriceofaweek”slodging。
ThebattleistodecidewhetheryoushallbecomeaNewYorkerorturntherankestoutlanderandPhilistine。Youmustbeoneortheother。Youcannotremainneutral。Youmustbefororagainst——
loverorenemy——bosomfriendoroutcast。And，oh，thecityisageneralinthering。Notonlybyblowsdoesitseektosubdueyou。
Itwoosyoutoitsheartwiththesubtletyofasiren。ItisacombinationofDelilah，greenChartreuse，Beethoven，chloralandJohnL。inhisbestdays。
Inothercitiesyoumaywanderandabideasastrangermanaslongasyouplease。YoumayliveinChicagountilyourhairwhitens，andbeacitizenandstillprateofbeansifBostonmotheredyou，andwithoutrebuke。YoumaybecomeacivicpillarinanyothertownbutKnickerbocker”s，andallthetimepubliclysneeringatitsbuildings，comparingthemwiththearchitectureofColonelTelfair”sresidenceinJackson，Miss。，whenceyouhail，andyouwillnotbesetupon。ButinNewYorkyoumustbeeitheraNewYorkeroraninvaderofamodernTroy，concealedinthewoodenhorseofyourconceitedprovincialism。AndthisdrearypreambleisonlytointroducetoyoutheunimportantfiguresofWilliamandJack。
TheycameoutoftheWesttogether，wheretheyhadbeenfriends。
Theycametodigtheirfortunesoutofthebigcity。
FatherKnickerbockermetthemattheferry，givingonearight-
handeronthenoseandtheotheranupper-cutwithhisleft，justtoletthemknowthatthefightwason。
Williamwasforbusiness；JackwasforArt。Bothwereyoungandambitious；sotheycounteredandclinched。IthinktheywerefromNebraskaorpossiblyMissouriorMinnesota。Anyhow，theywereoutforsuccessandscrapsandscads，andtheytackledthecityliketwoLochinvarswithbrassknucksandapullattheCityHall。
FouryearsafterwardWilliamandJackmetatluncheon。ThebusinessmanblewinlikeaMarchwind，hurledhissilkhatatawaiter，droppedintothechairthatwaspushedunderhim，seizedthebilloffare，andhadorderedasfarascheesebeforetheartisthadtimetodomorethannod。Afterthenodahumoroussmilecameintohiseyes。
“Billy，“hesaid，“you”redonefor。Thecityhasgobbledyouup。
Ithastakenyouandcutyoutoitspatternandstampedyouwithitsbrand。YouaresonearlyliketenthousandmenIhaveseento-daythatyoucouldn”tbepickedoutfromthemifitweren”tforyourlaundrymarks。”
“Camembert，“finishedWilliam。“What”sthat？Oh，you”vestillgotyourhammeroutforNewYork，haveyou？Well，littleoldNoisyville-on-the-Subwayisgoodenoughforme。It”sgivingmemine。And，say，IusedtothinktheWestwasthewholeroundworld——onlyslightlyflattenedatthepoleswheneverBryanran。
Iusedtoyellmyselfhoarseaboutthefreeexpense，andhangmyhatonthehorizon，andsaycuttingthingsinthegrocerytolittlesoapdrummersfromtheEast。ButI”dneverseenNewYork，then，Jack。Meforitfromtherathskellersup。SixthAvenueistheWesttomenow。HaveyouheardthisfellowCrusoesing？Thedesertisleforhim，Isay，butmywifemademego。GivemeMayIrwinorE。S。
Willardanytime。”
“PoorBilly，“saidtheartist，delicatelyfingeringacigarette。
“Youremember，whenwewereonourwaytotheEasthowwetalkedaboutthisgreat，wonderfulcity，andhowwemeanttoconqueritandneverletitgetthebestofus？Weweregoingtobejustthesamefellowswehadalwaysbeen，andneverletitmasterus。Ithasdownedyou，oldman。Youhavechangedfromamaverickintoabutterick。”
“Don”tseeexactlywhatyouaredrivingat，“saidWilliam。“Idon”twearanalpacacoatwithbluetrousersandaseersuckervestondressoccasions，likeIusedtodoathome。Youtalkaboutbeingcuttoapattern——well，ain”tthepatternallright？Whenyou”reinRomeyou”vegottodoastheDagoesdo。Thistownseemstometohaveotherallegedmetropolisesskinnedtoflagstations。AccordingtotherailroadscheduleI”vegotinmind，ChicagoandSaintJoandParis，France，areasteriskstops——whichmeansyouwavearedflagandgetoneveryotherTuesday。IlikethislittlesuburbofTarrytown-on-the-Hudson。There”ssomethingorsomebodydoingallthetime。I”mclearing$8，000ayearsellingautomaticpumps，andI”mlivinglikekings-up。Why，yesterday，IwasintroducedtoJohnW。Gates。Itookanautoridewithawineagent”ssister。
Isawtwomenrunoverbyastreetcar，andIseenEdnaMayplayintheevening。TalkabouttheWest，why，theothernightIwokeeverybodyupinthehotelhollaring。IdreamedIwaswalkingonaboardsidewalkinOshkosh。Whathaveyougotagainstthistown，Jack？There”sonlyonethinginitthatIdon”tcarefor，andthat”saferryboat。”
Theartistgazeddreamilyatthecartridgepaperonthewall。“Thistown，“saidhe，“isaleech。Itdrainsthebloodofthecountry。
Whoevercomestoitacceptsachallengetoaduel。Abandoningthefigureoftheleech，itisajuggernaut，aMoloch，amonstertowhichtheinnocence，thegenius，andthebeautyofthelandmustpaytribute。Handtohandeverynewcomermuststrugglewiththeleviathan。You”velost，Billy。Itshallneverconquerme。Ihateitasonehatessinorpestilenceor——thecolorworkinaten-centmagazine。Idespiseitsveryvastnessandpower。Ithasthepoorestmillionaires，thelittlestgreatmen，thelowestskyscrapers，thedolefulestpleasuresofanytownIeversaw。Ithascaughtyou，oldman，butIwillneverrunbesideitschariotwheels。ItglossesitselfastheChinamanglosseshiscollars。Givemethedomesticfinish。Icouldstandatownruledbywealthoroneruledbyanaristocracy；butthisisonecontrolledbyitslowestingredients。
Claimingculture，itisthecrudest；asseveratingitspre-eminence，itisthebasest；denyingalloutsidevaluesandvirtue，itisthenarrowest。GivemethepureandtheopenheartoftheWestcountry。
Iwouldgobackthereto-morrowifIcould。”
“Don”tyoulikethis_filetmgnon_？“saidWilliam。“Shucks，now，what”stheusetoknockthetown！It”sthegreatestever。I
couldn”tselloneautomaticpumpbetweenHarrisburgandTommyO”Keefe”ssaloon，inSacramento，whereIselltwentyhere。AndhaveyouseenSaraBernardtin”AndrewMack”yet？“
“Thetown”sgotyou，Billy，“saidJack。
“Allright，“saidWilliam。“I”mgoingtobuyacottageonLakeRonkonkomanextsummer。”
AtmidnightJackraisedhiswindowandsatclosetoit。Hecaughthisbreathatwhathesaw，thoughhehadseenandfeltitahundredtimes。
Farbelowandaroundlaythecitylikearaggedpurpledream。Theirregularhouseswerelikethebrokenexteriorsofcliffsliningdeepgulchesandwindingstreams。Someweremountainous；somelayinlong，desertca~nons。Suchwasthebackgroundofthewonderful，cruel，enchanting，bewildering，fatal，greatcity。Butintothisbackgroundwerecutmyriadsofbrilliantparallelogramsandcirclesandsquaresthroughwhichglowedmanycoloredlights。Andoutofthevioletandpurpledepthsascendedlikethecity”ssoulsoundsandodorsandthrillsthatmakeupthecivicbody。Therearosethebreathofgaietyunrestrained，oflove，ofhate，ofallthepassionsthatmancanknow。Therebelowhimlayallthings，goodorbad，thatcanbebroughtfromthefourcornersoftheearthtoinstruct，please，thrill，enrich，despoil，elevate，castdown，nurtureorkill。Thustheflavorofitcameuptohimandwentintohisblood。
Therewasaknockonhisdoor。Atelegramhadcomeforhim。ItcamefromtheWest，andthesewereitswords：
“Comebackandtheanswerwillbeyes。
“DOLLY。”
Hekepttheboywaitingtenminutes，andthenwrotethereply：
“Impossibletoleavehereatpresent。”Thenhesatatthewindowagainandletthecityputitscupofmandragoratohislipsagain。
Afterallitisn”tastory；butIwantedtoknowwhichoneoftheheroeswonthebattleagainstthecity。SoIwenttoaverylearnedfriendandlaidthecasebeforehim。Whathesaidwas：“Pleasedon”tbotherme；IhaveChristmaspresentstobuy。”
Sothereitrests；andyouwillhavetodecideforyourself。
XXIII
“WHATYOUWANT“
NighthadfallenonthatgreatandbeautifulcityknownasBagdad-
on-the-Subway。AndwiththenightcametheenchantedglamourthatbelongsnottoArabiaalone。Indifferentmasqueradethestreets，bazaarsandwalledhousesoftheoccidentalcityofromancewerefilledwiththesamekindoffolkthatsomuchinterestedourinterestingoldfriend，thelateMr。H。A。Rashid。
TheyworeclotheselevenhundredyearsnearertothelateststylesthanH。A。sawinoldBagdad；buttheywereaboutthesamepeopleunderneath。Withtheeyeoffaith，youcouldhaveseentheLittleHunchback，SinbadtheSailor，FitbadtheTailor，theBeautifulPersian，theone-eyedCalenders，AliBabaandFortyRobbersoneveryblock，andtheBarberandhisSixBrothers，andalltheoldArabiangangeasily。
Butletusrevenuetoourlambchops。
OldTomCrowleywasacaliph。Hehad$42，000，000inpreferredstocksandbondswithsolidgoldedges。Inthesetimes，tobecalledacaliphyoumusthavemoney。Theold-stylecaliphbusinessasconductedbyMr。Rashidisnotsafe。IfyouholdupapersonnowadaysinabazaaroraTurkishbathorasidestreet，andinquireintohisprivateandpersonalaffairs，thepolicecourt”llgetyou。
OldTomwastiredofclubs，theatres，dinners，friends，music，moneyandeverything。That”swhatmakesacaliph——youmustgettodespiseeverythingthatmoneycanbuy，andthengooutandtrytowantsomethingthatyoucan”tpayfor。
“I”lltakealittletrotaroundtownallbymyself，“thoughtoldTom，“andtryifIcanstirupanythingnew。Let”ssee——itseemsI”vereadaboutakingoraCardiffgiantorsomethinginoldtimeswhousedtogoaboutwithfalsewhiskerson，makingPersiandateswithfolkshehadn”tbeenintroducedto。Thatdon”tlistenlikeabadidea。IcertainlyhavegotacaseofhumdrumnessandfatigueonfortheonesIdoknow。ThatoldCardiffusedtopickupcasesoftroubleasheranupon”emandgive”emgold——sequins，Ithinkitwas——andmake”emmarryorgot”emgoodGovernmentjobs。Now，I”dlikesomethingofthatsort。MymoneyisasgoodashiswasevenifthemagazinesdoaskmeeverymonthwhereIgotit。Yes，IguessI”lldoalittleCardiffbusinessto-night，andseehowitgoes。”
Plainlydressed，oldTomCrowleylefthisMadisonAvenuepalace，andwalkedwestwardandthensouth。Ashesteppedtothesidewalk，Fate，whoholdstheendsofthestringsinthecentralofficesofalltheenchantedcitiespulledathread，andayoungmantwentyblocksawaylookedatawallclock，andthenputonhiscoat。
JamesTurnerworkedinoneofthoselittlehat-cleaningestablishmentsonSixthAvenueinwhichafirealarmsringswhenyoupushthedooropen，andwheretheycleanyourhatwhileyouwait——twodays。Jamesstoodalldayatanelectricmachinethatturnedhatsaroundfasterthanthebestbrandsofchampagneevercouldhavedone。Overlookingyourmildimpertinenceinfeelingacuriosityaboutthepersonalappearanceofastranger，Iwillgiveyouamodifieddescriptionofhim。Weight，118；complexion，hairandbrain，light；height，fivefeetsix；age，abouttwenty-three；
dressedina$10suitofgreenish-blueserge；pocketscontainingtwokeysandsixty-threecentsinchange。
ButdonotmisconjecturebecausethisdescriptionsoundslikeaGeneralAlarmthatJameswaseitherlostoradeadone。
_Allons！_
Jamesstoodalldayathiswork。Hisfeetweretenderandextremelysusceptibletoimpositionsbeingputuponorbelowthem。Alldaylongtheyburnedandsmarted，causinghimmuchsufferingandinconvenience。Buthewasearningtwelvedollarsperweek，whichheneededtosupporthisfeetwhetherhisfeetwouldsupporthimornot。
JamesTurnerhadhisownconceptionofwhathappinesswas，justasyouandIhaveours。Yourdelightistogadabouttheworldinyachtsandmotor-carsandtohurlducatsatwildfowl。Mineistosmokeapipeatevenfallandwatchabadger，arattlesnake，andanowlgointotheircommonprairiehomeonebyone。
JamesTurner”sideaofblisswasdifferent；butitwashis。Hewouldgodirectlytohisboarding-housewhenhisday”sworkwasdone。Afterhissupperofsmallsteak，Bessemerpotatoes，stooednotstewedapplesandinfusionofchicory，hewouldascendtohisfifth-floor-backhallroom。Thenhewouldtakeoffhisshoesandsocks，placethesolesofhisburningfeetagainstthecoldbarsofhisironbed，andreadClarkRussell”sseayarns。Thedeliciousreliefofthecoolmetalappliedtohissmartingsoleswashisnightlyjoy。Hisfavoritenovelsneverpalleduponhim；theseaandtheadventuresofitsnavigatorswerehissoleintellectualpassion。NomillionairewaseverhappierthanJamesTurnertakinghisease。
WhenJamesleftthehat-cleaningshophewalkedthreeblocksoutofhiswayhometolookoverthegoodsofasecond-handbookstall。Onthesidewalkstandshehadmorethanoncepickedupapaper-coveredvolumeofClarkRussellathalfprice。
Whilehewasbendingwithascholarlystoopoverthemarked-downmiscellanyofcast-offliterature，oldTomthecaliphsaunteredby。
Hisdiscerningeye，madekeenbytwentyyears”experienceinthemanufactureoflaundrysoapsavethewrappers！recognizedinstantlythepooranddiscerningscholar，aworthyobjectofhiscaliphanousmood。Hedescendedthetwoshallowstonestepsthatledfromthesidewalk，andaddressedwithouthesitationtheobjectofhisdesignedmunificence。Hisfirstwordswerenoworsethansalutatoryandtentative。
JamesTurnerlookedupcoldly，with“SartorResartus“inonehandand“AMadMarriage“intheother。
“Beatit，“saidhe。“Idon”twanttobuyanycoathangersortownlotsinHankipoo，NewJersey。Runalong，now，andplaywithyourTeddybear。”
“Youngman，“saidthecaliph，ignoringtheflippancyofthehatcleaner，“Iobservethatyouareofastudiousdisposition。Learningisoneofthefinestthingsintheworld。Ineverhadanyofitworthmentioning，butIadmiretoseeitinothers。IcomefromtheWest，whereweimaginenothingbutfacts。MaybeIcouldn”tunderstandthepoetryandallusionsinthembooksyouarepickingover，butI
liketoseesomebodyelseseemtoknowwhattheymean。I”mworthabout$40，000，000，andI”mgettingrichereveryday。ImadetheheightofitmanufacturingAuntPatty”sSilverSoap。Iinventedtheartofmakingit。IexperimentedforthreeyearsbeforeIgotjusttherightquantityofchlorideofsodiumsolutionandcausticpotashmixturetocurdleproperly。AndafterIhadtakensome$9，000，000outofthesoapbusinessImadetherestincornandwheatfutures。Now，youseemtohavetheliteraryandscholarlyturnofcharacter；andI”lltellyouwhatI”lldo。I”llpayforyoureducationatthefinestcollegeintheworld。I”llpaytheexpenseofyourrummagingoverEuropeandtheartgalleries，andfinallysetyouupinagoodbusiness。Youneedn”tmakeitsoapifyouhaveanyobjections。Iseebyyourclothesandfrazzlednecktiethatyouaremightypoor；andyoucan”taffordtoturndowntheoffer。Well，whendoyouwanttobegin？“
ThehatcleanerturneduponoldTomtheeyeoftheBigCity，whichisaneyeexpressiveofcoldandjustifiablesuspicion，ofjudgmentsuspendedashighasHamanwashung，ofself-preservation，ofchallenge，curiosity，defiance，cynicism，and，strangeasyoumaythinkit，ofachildlikeyearningforfriendlinessandfellowshipthatmustbehiddenwhenonewalksamongthe“strangerbands。”
ForinNewBagdadone，inordertosurvive，mustsuspectwhosoeversits，dwells，drinks，rides，walksorsleepsintheadjacentchair，house，booth，seat，pathorroom。
“Say，Mike，“saidJamesTurner，“what”syourline，anyway——shoelaces？I”mnotbuyinganything。Youbetterputanegginyourshoeandbeatitbeforeincidentsoccurtoyou。Youcan”tworkoffanyfountainpens，goldspectaclesyoufoundonthestreet，ortrustcompanycertificatehouseclearingsonme。Say，doIlooklikeI”dclimbeddownoneofthemmissingfire-escapesatHeliconHall？
What”svitiatingyou，anyhow？“
“Son，“saidthecaliph，inhismostHarunishtones，“asIsaid，I”mworth$40，000，000。Idon”twanttohaveitallputinmycoffinwhenIdie。Iwanttodosomegoodwithit。Iseenyouhandlingovertheseherevolumesofliterature，andIthoughtI”dkeepyou。
I”vegivethemissionarysocieties$2，000，000，butwhatdidIgetoutofit？Nothingbutareceiptfromthesecretary。Now，youarejustthekindofyoungmanI”dliketotakeupandseewhatmoneycouldmakeofhim。”
VolumesofClarkRussellwerehardtofindthateveningattheOldBookShop。AndJamesTurner”ssmartingandachingfeetdidnottendtoimprovehistemper。Humblehatcleanerthoughhewas，hehadaspiritequaltoanycaliph”s。
“Say，youoldfaker，“hesaid，angrily，“beonyourway。Idon”tknowwhatyourgameis，unlessyouwantchangeforabogus$40，000，000bill。Well，Idon”tcarrythatmucharoundwithme。
ButIdocarryaprettyfairleft-handedpunchthatyou”llgetifyoudon”tmoveon。”
“Youareablamedimpudentlittlegutterpup，“saidthecaliph。
ThenJamesdeliveredhisself-praisedpunch；oldTomseizedhimbythecollarandkickedhimthrice；thehatcleanerralliedandclinched；twobookstandswereoverturned，andthebookssentflying。Acopycameup，tookanarmofeach，andmarchedthemtotheneareststationhouse。“Fightinganddisorderlyconduct，“
saidthecoptothesergeant。
“Threehundreddollarsbail，“saidthesergeantatonce，asseveratinglyandinquiringly。
“Sixty-threecents，“saidJamesTurnerwithaharshlaugh。
Thecaliphsearchedhispocketsandcollectedsmallbillsandchangeamountingtofourdollars。
“Iamworth，“hesaid，“fortymilliondollars，but”
“Lock”emup，“orderedthesergeant。
Inhiscell，JamesTurnerlaidhimselfonhiscot，ruminating。“Maybehe”sgotthemoney，andmaybeheain”t。Butifhehasorheain”t，whatdoeshewanttogo”roundbuttingintootherfolks”sbusinessfor？
Whenamanknowswhathewants，andcangetit，it”sthesameas$40，000，000tohim。”
Thenanideacametohimthatbroughtapleasedlooktohisface。
Heremovedhissocks，drewhiscotclosetothedoor，stretchedhimselfoutluxuriously，andplacedhistorturedfeetagainstthecoldbarsofthecelldoor。Somethinghardandbulkyundertheblanketsofhiscotgaveoneshoulderdiscomfort。Hereachedunder，anddrewoutapaper-coveredvolumebyClarkRussellcalled“ASailor”sSweetheart。”Hegaveagreatsighofcontentment。
Presently，tohiscellcamethedoormanandsaid：
“Say，kid，thatoldgazabothatwaspinchedwithyouforscrappingseemstohavebeenthegoodsafterall。He”phonedtohisfriends，andhe”soutatthedesknowwitharollofyellowbacksasbigasaPullmancarpillow。Hewantstobailyou，andforyoutocomeoutandseehim。”
“TellhimIain”tin，“saidJamesTurner。
End