“Mygreatestpleasure。There！And，please，Iwantthemtogoonso。“
　　“Goonso！Idon’treckonyu’knowwhatyou’resayin’。Yu’mightaswellaskfruittostaygreen。Ifthewaywearenowcankeepbein’enoughforyou，itcan’tforme。Apleasuretoyou，isit？
　　Well，tomeitis——Idon’tknowwhattocallit。Icometoyu’
　　andIhateit，andIcomeagainandIhateit，andIacheandgrievealloverwhenIgo。No！Youwillhavetothinkofsomeotherwaythanjustinvitin’metokeepgreen。“
　　“IfIamtoseeyou——“beganthegirl。
　　“You’renottoseeme。Notlikethis。IcanstayawayeasierthanwhatIamJoin’。“
　　“Willyoudomeafavor，agreatone？“saidshe，now。
　　“Makeitasimpossibleasyouplease！“hecried。Hethoughtitwastobesomeaction。
　　“Gooncoming。Butdon’ttalktomeabout——don’ttalkinthatway——ifyoucanhelpit“
　　Helaughedout，notpermittinghimselftoswear。
　　“But，“shecontinued，“ifyoucan’thelptalkingthatway——sometimes——IpromiseIwilllisten。ThatistheonlypromiseImake。“
　　“Thatisabargain，“hesaid。
　　Thenhehelpedhermountherhorse，restraininghimselflikeaSpartan，andtheyrodehometohercabin。
　　“Youhavemadeitprettynearimpossible，“hesaid，ashetookhisleave。“Butyou’vebeensquareto-day，andI’llshowyouI
　　canbesquarewhenIcomeback。I’llnotdomorethanaskyouifyourmind’sthesame。AndnowI’llnotseeyouforquiteawhile。
　　Iamgoingalongway。ButI’llbeverybusy。Andbein’busyalwayskeepsmefromgrievin’toomuchaboutyou。“
　　Strangeiswoman！Shewouldratherhaveheardsomeotherlastremarkthanthis。
　　“Oh，verywell！“shesaid。“I’llnotmissyoueither。“
　　Hesmiledather。“Idoubtifyu’canhelpmissin’me，“heremarked。Andhewasgoneatonce，gallopingonhisMontehorse。
　　Whichofthetwowonavictorythisday？
　　XIII。THEGAMEANDTHENATION——ACTFIRST
　　Therecanbenodoubtofthis:AllAmericaisdividedintotwoclasses，——thequalifyandtheequality。
　　Thelatterwillalwaysrecognizetheformerwhenmistakenforit。
　　Bothwillbewithusuntilourwomenbearnothingbuthangs。
　　ItwasthroughtheDeclarationofIndependencethatweAmericansacknowledgedtheETERNALEQUALITYofman。Forbyitweabolishedacut-and-driedaristocracy。Wehadseenlittlemereartificiallyheldupinhighplaces，andgreatmenartificiallyhelddowninlowplaces，andourownjustice-lovingheartsabhorredthisviolencetohumannature。Therefore，wedecreedthateverymanshouldthenceforthhaveequallibertytofindhisownlevel。Bythisverydecreeweacknowledgedandgavefreedomtotruearistocracy，saying，“Letthebestmanwin，whoeverheis。“Letthebestmanwin！ThatisAmerica’sword。Thatistruedemocracy。
　　Andtruedemocracyandtruearistocracyareoneandthesamething。Ifanybodycannotseethis，somuchtheworseforhiseyesight。
　　TheabovereflectionsoccurredtomebeforereachingBillings，Montana，somethreeweeksafterIhadunexpectedlymettheVirginianatOmaha，Nebraska。IhadnotknownofthattrustgiventohimbyJudgeHenry，whichwastakinghimEast。IwaslookingtoridewithhimbeforelongamongthecleanhillsofSunkCreek。
　　Isupposedhewasthere。ButIcameuponhimonemorninginColonelCyrusJones’seatingpalace。
　　Didyouknowthepalace？ItstoodinOmaha，nearthetrains，anditwastenyearsoldwhichismiddle-agedinOmahawhenIfirstsawit。Itwasashellofwood，paintedwithgoldenemblems，——thesteamboat，theeagle，theYosemite，——andalivebearategratuitiesatitsentrance。Weatherpermitting，itopenedupontheworldasastageupontheaudience。YousatinOmaha’swholesightanddined，whileOmaha’sdustcameandsettledupontherefreshments。ItisgonethewayoftheIndianandthebuffalo，fortheWestisgrowingold。Youshouldhaveseenthepalaceandsatthere。Infrontofyoupassedrainbowsofmen，——Chinese，Indianchiefs，Africans，GeneralMiles，youngersons，Austriannobility，widefemalesinpink。OurcontinentdrainedprismaticallythroughOmahaonce。
　　SoIwaspassingthatwayalso，walkingforthesakeofventilationfromasleeping-cartowardabath，whenthelanguageofColonelCyrusJonescameouttome。TheactualcolonelIhadneverseenbefore。HestoodattherearofhispalaceingrayflowerymustachesandaConfederateuniform，tellingthewishesofhisgueststothecookthroughahole。Youalwaysboughtmealticketsatonce，elseyoubecameunwelcome。Guestsherehadfoiblesattimes，andarapidexitwastooeasy。ThereforeI
　　boughtaticket。ItwasspringandsummersinceIhadheardanythinglikethecolonel。TheMissourihadnotyetflowedintoNewYorkdialectfreely，andhisvocabularymetmelikethebreezeoftheplains。SoIwentintobefannedbyit，andtheresattheVirginianatatable，alone。
　　Hisgreetingwasuptothecodeofindifferenceproperontheplains；buthepresentlyremarked，“I’mrightgladtoseesomebody，“whichwasagooddealtosay。“Themthatcomeshyeh，“
　　heobservednext，“don’teat。Theyfeed。“Andheconsideredtheguestswithasombreattention。“D’yu’reckontheyfindjoyfuldigestioninthisswallo’-an’-get-outtrough？“
　　“Whatareyoudoinghere，then？“saidI。
　　“Oh，pshaw！Whenyu’can’thavewhatyouchoose，yu’justchoosewhatyouhave。“Andhetookthebill-of-fare。Ibegantoknowthathehadsomethingonhismind，soIdidnottroublehimfurther。
　　Meanwhilehesatstudyingthebill-of-fare。
　　“Everheardo’them？“heinquired，shovingmethespotteddocument。
　　Mostimprobabledisheswerethere，——salmis，canapes，supremes，——allperfectlyspeltandabsolutelytransparent。Itwastheoldtrickofcopyingsomemetropolitanmenutocatchtravellersofthethirdandlastdimensionofinnocence；andwheneverthisisdonethefoodisofthethirdandlastdimensionofawfulness，whichthecow-puncherknewaswellasanybody。
　　“Sotheykeepthatupherestill，“Isaid。
　　“Butwhataboutthem？“herepeated。Hisfingerwasataspecialitem，FROGS’LEGSALADELMONICO。“Aretheytrueanywheres？“heaskedAndItoldhim，certainly。IalsoexplainedtohimalmostDelmonicoofNewYorkandaboutAugustinofPhiladelphia。
　　“There’snotalittlebito’useinlyin’tomethismawnin’，“hesaid，withhisengagingsmile。“Iain’tgoin’toawdehanything’slaigs。“
　　“Well，I’llseehowhegetsoutofit，“Isaid，rememberingtheoddTexaslegend。Thetravellerreadthebill-of-fare，youknow，andcalledforavol-au-vent。Andtheproprietorlookedatthetraveller，andrunningapistolintohisear，observed，“You’lltakehash。“Iwasthinkingofthisandwonderingwhatwouldhappentome。SoItookthestep。
　　“Wantsfrogs’legs，doeshe？“shoutedColonelCyrusJones。Hefixedhiseyeuponme，anditnarrowedtoaslit。“Toomanybrainworkersbreakfastingbeforeyu’camein，professor，“saidhe。
　　“Missionaryatethelastlegoffmejustnow。Brownthewheat！“
　　hecommanded，throughtheholetothecook，forsomeonehadorderedhotcakes。
　　“I’llhavefriedaiggs，“saidtheVirginian。“Cookedbothsides。“
　　“Whitewings！“sangthecolonelthroughthehole。“Let’emflyupanddown。“
　　“Coffeean’nomilk，“saidtheVirginian。
　　“Drawoneinthedark！“thecolonelroared。
　　“Andbeefsteak，rare。“
　　“Oneslaughterinthepan，andlettheblooddrip！“
　　“Ishouldlikeaglassofwater，please，“saidI。Thecolonelthrewmealookofpity。
　　“OneMissouriandicefortheprofessor！“hesaid。
　　“Thatfello’sarightliveman，“commentedtheVirginian。Butheseemedthoughtful。Presentlyheinquired，“Yu’sayhewasaforeigner，an’learnedfancycookin’toNewYawk？“
　　Thatwasthiscow-puncher’sway。Scarcelyeverwouldheletdropathingnewtohimuntilhehadgotfromyouyourwholeinformationaboutit。SoItoldhimthehistoryofLorenzoDelmonicoandhispioneerwork，asmuchasIknew，andtheSouthernerlistenedintently。
　　“Mightyinter-estin’，“hesaid——“mighty。Hecouldjusttakelittleoldo’rn’ryfrawgs，anddandy’emuptosuitthebloods。
　　Mightyinter-estin’。Iexpaict，though，hiscookin’wouldgiveanoutraigedstomachtoaplain-raisedman。“
　　“Ifyouwanttofollowitup，“saidI，bywayofasuddenexperiment，“MissMollyWoodmighthavesomebookaboutFrenchdishes。“
　　ButtheVirginiandidnotturnahair。“Ireckonshewouldn’t，“
　　heanswered。“ShewasraisedinVermont。Theydon’tbotheroverlyabouttheireatin’upinVermont。Hyeh’swhatMissWoodrecommendedthelas’timeIwasseein’her，“thecow-puncheradded，bringingKenilworthfromhispocket。“Rightfinestory。
　　ThatQueenElizabethmusthavecert’nlybeenacompetentwoman。“
　　“Shewas，“saidI。Buttalkcametoanendhere。Adustycrew，mostevidentlyfromtheplains，nowenteredanddriftedtoatable；andeachmanofthemgavetheVirginianaboutaquarterofaslouchynod。Hisgreetingtothemwasveryserene。Only，Kenilworthwentbackintohispocket，andhebreakfastedinsilence。AmongthosewhohadgreetedhimInowrecognizedaface。
　　“Why，that’sthemanyouplayedcardswithatMedicineBow！“I
　　said。
　　“Yes。Trampas。He’sgotajobattheranchnow。“TheVirginiansaidnomore，butwentonwithhisbreakfast。
　　Hisappearancewaschanged。AgedIwouldscarcelysay，forthiswouldseemasifhedidnotlookyoung。ButIthinkthattheboywasaltogethergonefromhisface——theboywhosefreakwithStevehadturnedMedicineBowupsidedown，whoseotherfreakwiththebabieshadoutragedBearCreek，theboywhohadlovedtojinglehisspurs。Butmanhoodhadonlytrained，notbroken，hisyouth。
　　Itwasallthere，onlyobedienttothereinandcurb。
　　Presentlywewenttogethertotherailwayyard。
　　“TheJudgeisdoingarightsmarto’businessthisyear，“hebegan，verycasuallyindeed，sothatIknewthiswasimportant。
　　Besidesbellsandcoalsmoke，thesmellandcrowdedsoundsofcattleroseintheairaroundus。“Hyeh’sourfirstgathero’
　　beevesontheranch，“continuedtheVirginian。“Thewholelot’sshippedthroughtoChicagointwosectionsovertheBurlington。
　　TheJudgeisfightingtheElkhornroad。“Wepassedslowlyalongthetwotrains，——twentycars，eachcarpackedwithhuddled，round-eyed，gazingsteers。Heexaminedtoseeifanyanimalsweredown。“Theyain’tateordrankanythingtospeakof，“hesaid，whiletheterrifiedbrutesstaredatusthroughtheirslats。“Notsincetheystrucktherailroadthey’venotdrank。Yu’mightsupposethenceknowsomehowwhatthey’retravellin’toChicagofor。“Andcasually，alwayscasually，hetoldmetherest。JudgeHenrycouldnotsparehisforemanawayfromthesecondgatherofbeeves。Thereforethesetwoten-cartrainswiththeirdoublecrewofcow-boyshadbeengiventotheVirginian’scharge。AfterChicago，hewastoreturnbySt。PaulovertheNorthernPacific；
　　fortheJudgehadwishedhimtoseecertainoftheroad’sdirectorsandexplaintothempersuasivelyhowgoodathingitwouldbeforthemtoallowespeciallycheapratestotheSunkCreekoutfithenceforth。ThiswasalltheVirginiantoldme；anditcontainedthewholematter，tobesure。
　　“Soyou’reactingforeman，“saidI。
　　“Why，somebodyhastohavethesay，Ireckon。“
　　“Andofcourseyouhatedthepromotion？“