PROLOGUE
Therewasnomistakethistime：hehadstruckgoldatlast!
Ithadlaintherebeforehimamomentago——amisshapenpieceofbrown—stainedquartz，interspersedwithdullyellowmetal；yieldingenoughtohaveallowedthepointsofhispicktopenetrateitshoneycombedrecesses，yetheavyenoughtodropfromthepointofhispickasheendeavoredtoliftitfromtheredearth。
Hewasseeingallthisplainly，althoughhefoundhimself，heknewnotwhy，atsomedistancefromthesceneofhisdiscovery，hisheartfoolishlybeating，hisbreathimpotentlyhurried。Yethewaswalkingslowlyandvaguely；consciousofstoppingandstaringatthelandscape，whichnolongerlookedfamiliartohim。Hewashopingforsomeinstinctorforceofhabittorecallhimtohimself；yetwhenhesawaneighboratworkinanadjacentclaim，hehesitated，andthenturnedhisbackuponhim。Yetonlyamomentbeforehehadthoughtofrunningtohim，saying，"ByJingo!I’vestruckit，"or"D——nit，oldman，I’vegotit"；butthatmomenthadpassed，andnowitseemedtohimthathecouldscarceraisehisvoice，or，ifhedid，theejaculationwouldappearforcedandartificial。Neithercouldhegoovertohimcoollyandtellhisgoodfortune；and，partlyfromthisstrangeshyness，andpartlywithahopethatanothersurveyofthetreasuremightrestorehimtonaturalexpression，hewalkedbacktohistunnel。
Yes；itwasthere!Nomere"pocket"or"deposit，"butapartoftheactualveinhehadbeensolongseeking。Itwasthere，sureenough，lyingbesidethepickandthedebrisofthe"face"oftheveinthathehadexposedsufficiently，afterthefirstshockofdiscovery，toassurehimselfofthefactandthepermanenceofhisfortune。Itwasthere，andwithittherefutationofhisenemies’
sneers，thecorroborationofhisfriends’belief，thepracticaldemonstrationofhisowntheories，therewardofhispatientlabors。Itwasthere，sureenough。But，somehow，henotonlyfailedtorecallthefirstjoyofdiscovery，butwasconsciousofavaguesenseofresponsibilityandunrest。Itwas，nodoubt，anenormousfortunetoamaninhiscircumstances：perhapsitmeantacoupleofhundredthousanddollars，ormore，judgingfromthevalueoftheoldMartinlead，whichwasnotasrichasthis，butitrequiredtobeworkedconstantlyandjudiciously。Itwaswithadecidedsenseofuneasinessthatheagainsoughttheopensunlightofthehillside。Hisneighborwasstillvisibleontheadjacentclaim；buthehadapparentlystoppedworking，andwascontemplativelysmokingapipeunderalargepine—tree。Foraninstantheenviedhimhisapparentcontentment。Hehadasuddenfierceandinexplicabledesiretogoovertohimandexasperatehiseasypovertybyarevelationofhisownnew—foundtreasure。Buteventhatsensationquicklypassed，andlefthimstaringblanklyatthelandscapeagain。
Assoonashehadmadehisdiscoveryknown，andsettleditsvalue，hewouldsendforhiswifeandherchildrenintheStates。Hewouldbuildafinehouseontheoppositehillside，ifshewouldconsenttoit，unlessshepreferred，forthechildren’ssake，toliveinSanFrancisco。Asenseofalossofindependence——ofachangeofcircumstancesthatlefthimnolongerhisownmaster——
begantoperplexhim，inthemidstofhisbrightestprojects。
Certainotherrelationswithothermembersofhisfamily，whichhadlapsedbyabsenceandhisinsignificance，mustnowbetakenupanew。HemustdosomethingforhissisterJane，forhisbrotherWilliam，forhiswife’spoorconnections。Itwouldbeunfairtohimtosaythathecontemplatedthosethingswithanyotherinstinctthanthatofgenerosity；yethewasconsciousofbeingalreadyperplexedandpuzzled。
Meantime，however，theneighborhadapparentlyfinishedhispipe，and，knockingtheashesoutofit，rosesuddenly，andendedanyfurtheruncertaintyoftheirmeetingbywalkingoverdirectlytowardshim。Thetreasure—finderadvancedafewstepsonhisside，andthenstoppedirresolutely。
"Hollo，Slinn!"saidtheneighbor，confidently。
"Hollo，Masters，"respondedSlinn，faintly。Fromthesoundofthetwovoicesastrangermighthavemistakentheirrelativecondition。
"Whatinthunderareyoumooningaboutfor？What’sup？"Then，catchingsightofSlinn’spaleandanxiousface，headdedabruptly，"Areyousick？"
Slinnwasonthepointoftellinghimhisgoodfortune，butstopped。Theunluckyquestionconfirmedhisconsciousnessofhisphysicalandmentaldisturbance，andhedreadedthereadyridiculeofhiscompanion。Hewouldtellhimlater；MastersneednotknowWHENhehadmadethestrike。Besides，inhispresentvagueness，heshrankfromthebrusque，practicalquestioningthatwouldbesuretofollowtherevelationtoamanofMasters’temperament。
"I’malittlegiddyhere，"heanswered，puttinghishandtohishead，"andIthoughtI’dknockoffuntilIwasbetter。"
Mastersexaminedhimwithtwoverycriticalgrayeyes。"Tellyewhat，oldman!——ifyoudon’tquitthisdog—gonedfoolin’ofyoursinthatGod—forsakentunnelyou’llgetloony!Timesyougetsotangledupinfollerin’thatblindleado’yoursyouain’tsensible!"
Herewastheopportunitytotellhimall，andvindicatethejusticeofhistheories!Butheshrankfromitagain；andnow，addingtotheconfusion，wasasingularsenseofdreadatthementallaborofexplanation。Heonlysmiledpainfully，andbegantomoveaway。
"Lookyou!"saidMasters，peremptorily，"yewantaboutthreefingersofstraightwhiskeytosetyouright，andyou’vegottotakeitwithme。D——nit，man，itmaybethelastdrinkwetaketogether!Don’tlooksoskeered!Imean——Imadeupmymindabouttenminutesagotocutthewholed——dthing，andlightoutforfreshdiggings。I’msickofgettingonlygrubwagesouto’thisbill。Sothat’swhatImeanbysayingit’sthelastdrinkyouandme’lltaketogether。Youknowmyways：sayin’anddoin’withme’sthesamething。"
Itwastrue。SlinnhadoftenenviedMasters’promptnessofdecisionandresolution。Butheonlylookedatthegrimfaceofhisinterlocutorwithafeeblesenseofrelief。HewasGOING。Andhe，Slinn，wouldnothavetoexplainanything!
Hemurmuredsomethingabouthavingtogoovertothesettlementonbusiness。HedreadedlestMastersshouldinsistupongoingintothetunnel。
"Isupposeyouwanttomailthatletter，"saidMasters，drily。
"Themaildon’tgotillto—morrow，soyou’vegottimetofinishit，andputitinanenvelope。"
FollowingthedirectionofMasters’eyes，Slinnlookeddownandsaw，tohisuttersurprise，thathewasholdinganunfinishedpencillednoteinhishand。Howitcamethere，whenhehadwrittenit，hecouldnottell；hedimlyrememberedthatoneofhisfirstimpulseswastowritetohiswife，butthathehadalreadydonesohehadforgotten。Hehastilyconcealedthenoteinhisbreast—
pocket，withavacantsmile。Masterseyedhimhalfcontemptuously，halfcompassionately。
"Don’tforgetyourselfanddropitinsomehollowtreeforaletter—box，"besaid。"Well——solong!——sinceyouwon’tdrink。
Takecareofyourself，"and，turningonhisheel，Masterswalkedaway。
Slinnwatchedhimashecrossedovertohisabandonedclaim，sawhimgatherhisfewminingutensils，straphisblanketoverhisback，lifthishatonhislong—handledshovelasatokenoffarewell，andthenstridelight—heartedlyovertheridge。
Hewasalonenowwithhissecretandhistreasure。Theonlymanintheworldwhoknewoftheexactpositionofhistunnelhadgoneawayforever。Itwasnotlikelythatthischancecompanionofafewweekswouldeverrememberhimorthelocalityagain；hewouldnowleavehistreasurealone——forevenadayperhaps——untilhehadthoughtoutsomeplanandsoughtoutsomefriendinwhomtoconfide。Hissecludedlife，thesingularhabitsofconcentrationwhichhadatlastprovedsosuccessfulhad，atthesametime，lefthimfewacquaintancesandnoassociates。Andinallhiswell—laidplansandpatiently—digestedtheoriesforfindingthetreasure，themeansandmethodsofworkingitanddisposingofithadneverentered。
Andnow，atthehourwhenhemostneededhisfaculties，whatwasthemeaningofthisstrangebenumbingofthem!
Patience!Heonlywantedalittlerest——alittletimetorecoverhimself。Therewasalargeboulderunderatreeinthehighwayofthesettlement——ashelteredspotwherehehadoftenwaitedforthecomingofthestage—coach。Hewouldgothere，andwhenhewassufficientlyrestedandcomposedhewouldgoon。
Nevertheless，onhiswayhedivergedandturnedintothewoods，fornootherapparentpurposethantofindahollowtree。"Ahollowtree。"Yes!thatwaswhatMastershadsaid；heremembereditdistinctly；andsomethingwastobedonethere，butwhatitwas，orwhyitshouldbedone，hecouldnottell。However，itwasdone，andveryluckily，forhislimbscouldscarcelysupporthimfurther，andreachingthatboulderhedroppeduponitlikeanotherstone。
Andnow，strangetosay，theuneasinessandperplexitywhichhadpossessedhimeversincehehadstoodbeforehisrevealedwealthdroppedfromhimlikeaburdenlaiduponthewayside。A
measurelesspeacestoleoverhim，inwhichvisionsofhisnew—foundfortune，nolongeratroubleandperplexity，butcrownedwithhappinessandblessingtoallaroundhim，assumedproportionsfarbeyondhisownweak，selfishplans。Initseven—handedbenefaction，hiswifeandchildren，hisfriendsandrelations，evenhislatepoorcompanionofthehillside，metandmovedharmoniouslytogether；initsfar—reachingconsequencestherewasonlytheinfluenceofgood。Itwasnotstrangethatthispoorfinitemindshouldneverhaveconceivedthemeaningofthewealthextendedtohim；orthatconceivingitheshouldfaintandfalterundertherevelation。Enoughthatforafewminuteshemusthavetastedajoyofperfectanticipationthatyearsofactualpossessionmightneverbring。
Thesunseemedtogodowninarosydreamofhisownhappiness，ashestillsatthere。Later，theshadowsofthetreesthickenedandsurroundedhim，andstilllaterfellthecalmofaquieteveningskywithfar—spacedpassionlessstars，thatseemedaslittletroubledbywhattheylookeduponashewasbythestealthycreepinglifeinthegrassesandunderbrushathisfeet。Thedullpatterofsoftlittlefeetinthesoftdustoftheroad，thegentlegleamofmoistandwonderinglittleeyesonthebranchesandinthemossyedgesoftheboulder，didnotdisturbhim。Hesatpatientlythroughitall，asifhehadnotyetmadeuphismind。
Butwhenthestagecamewiththeflashingsunthenextmorning，andtheirresistibleclamoroflifeandaction，thedriversuddenlylaidhisfourspiritedhorsesontheirhaunchesbeforethequietspot。Theexpressmessengerclambereddownfromthebox，andapproachedwhatseemedtobeaheapofcast—offclothesupontheboulder。
"Hedon’tseemtobedrunk，"hesaid，inreplytoaquerulousinterrogationfromthepassengers。"Ican’tmakehimout。Hiseyesareopen，buthecannotspeakormove。Takealookathim，Doc。"
Aroughunprofessional—lookingmanheredescendedfromtheinsideofthecoach，and，carelesslythrustingasidetheothercuriouspassengers，suddenlyleantovertheheapofclothesinaprofessionalattitude。
"Heisdead，"saidoneofthepassengers。
Theroughmanletthepassiveheadsinksoftlydownagain。"Nosuchluckforhim，"hesaidcurtly，butnotunkindly。"It’sastrokeofparalysis——andaboutasbigastheymake’em。It’satoss—upifheeverspeaksormovesagainaslongashelives。"
CHAPTERI
WhenAlvinMulradyannouncedhisintentionofgrowingpotatoesandgarden"truck"onthegreenslopesofLosGatos，theminingcommunityofthatregion，andtheadjacenthamletof"Rough—and—
Ready，"regardeditwiththecontemptuousindifferenceusuallyshownbythoseadventurerstowardsallbucolicpursuits。Therewascertainlynoactiveobjectiontotheoccupationoftwohillsides，whichgavesolittlepromisetotheprospectorforgoldthatitwascurrentlyreportedthatasingleprospector，called"Slinn，"hadoncegonemadorimbecilethroughrepeatedfailures。Theonlyoppositioncame，incongruouslyenough，fromtheoriginalpastoralownerofthesoil，oneDonRamonAlvarado，whoseclaimforsevenleaguesofhillandvalley，includingthenowprosperoustownsofRough—and—ReadyandRedDog，wasmetwithsimplederisionfromthesquattersandminers。"Looksezefwewozgoin’totravelthreethousandmilestoopenuphisd——doldwilderness，andthenpayfortheincreasedvaloowegiveit——don’tit？Oh，yes，certainly!"wastheirironicalcommentary。Mulradymighthavebeenpardonedforadoptingthispopularopinion；butbyanequallyincongruoussentiment，peculiar，however，totheman，hecalleduponDonRamon，andactuallyofferedtopurchasetheland，or"goshares"withhimintheagriculturalprofits。ItwasallegedthattheDonwassostruckwiththisconcessionthathenotonlygrantedtheland，butstruckupaquaintreservedfriendshipforthesimple—mindedagriculturistandhisfamily。Itisscarcelynecessarytoaddthatthisintimacywasviewedbytheminerswiththecontemptthatitdeserved。Theywouldhavebeenmorecontemptuous，however，hadtheyknowntheopinionthatDonRamonentertainedoftheirparticularvocation，andwhichheearlyconfidedtoMulrady。
"Theyaresavageswhoexpecttoreapwheretheyhavenotsown；totakeoutoftheearthwithoutreturninganythingtoitbuttheirpreciouscarcasses；heathens，whoworshipthemerestonestheydigup。""AndwastherenoSpaniardwhoeverduggold？"askedMulrady，simply。"Ah，thereareSpaniardsandMoors，"respondedDonRamon，sententiously。"Goldhasbeendug，andbycaballeros；butnogoodevercameofit。TherewereAlvaradosinSonora，lookyou，whohadminesofSILVER，andworkedthemwithpeonsandmules，andlosttheirmoney——agoldminetoworkasilverone——likegentlemen!Butthisgrubbinginthedirtwithone’sfingers，thatalittlegoldmaysticktothem，isnotforcaballeros。Andthen，onesaysnothingofthecurse。"
"Thecurse!"echoedMaryMulrady，withyouthfulfemininesuperstition。"Whatisthat？"
"Youknewnot，friendMulrady，thatwhentheselandsweregiventomyancestorsbyCharlesV。，theBishopofMontereylaidacurseuponanywhoshoulddesecratethem。Good!Letussee!OfthethreeAmericanoswhofoundedyondertown，onewasshot，anotherdiedofafever——poisoned，youunderstand，bythesoil——andthelastgothimselfcrazyofaguardiente。Eventhescientifico，*whocamehereyearsagoandspiedintothetreesandtheherbs：hewasafterwardspunishedforhisprofanation，anddiedofanaccidentinotherlands。But，"addedDonRamon，withgravecourtesy，"thistouchesnotyourself。Throughme，YOUareofthesoil。"
*DonRamonprobablyalludedtotheeminentnaturalistDouglas，whovisitedCaliforniabeforethegoldexcitement，anddiedofanaccidentintheSandwichIslands。
Indeed，itwouldseemasifasecureifnotarapidprosperitywastheresultofDonRamon’smanorialpatronage。Thepotatopatchandmarketgardenflourishedexceedingly；therichsoilrespondedwithmagnificentvagariesofgrowth；theevensunshinesettheseasonsatdefiancewithextraordinaryandprematurecrops。ThesaltporkandbiscuitconsumingsettlersdidnotallowtheircontemptofMulrady’soccupationtopreventtheirprofitingbythisopportunityforchangingtheirdiet。Thegoldtheyhadtakenfromthesoilpresentlybegantoflowintohispocketsinexchangeforhismoremodesttreasures。Thelittlecabin，whichbarelyshelteredhisfamily——awife，son，anddaughter——wasenlarged，extended，andrefitted，butinturnabandonedforamorepretentioushouseontheoppositehill。Awhitewashedfencereplacedtherudely—splitrails，whichhadkeptoutthewilderness。Bydegrees，thefirstevidencesofcultivation——thegashesofredsoil，thepilesofbrushandundergrowth，thebaredboulders，andheapsofstone——
meltedaway，andwerelostunderacarpetoflightergreen，whichmadeanoasisinthetawnydesertofwildoatsonthehillside。
WaterwastheonlyfreeboondeniedthisGardenofEden；whatwasnecessaryforirrigationhadtobebroughtfromaminingditchatgreatexpense，andwasofinsufficientquantity。InthisemergencyMulradythoughtofsinkinganartesianwellonthesunnyslopebesidehishouse；not，however，withoutseriousconsultationandmuchobjectionfromhisSpanishpatron。WithgreatausterityDonRamonpointedoutthatthistriflingwiththeentrailsoftheearthwasnotonlyanindignitytoNaturealmostequaltoshaft—sinkingandtunneling，butwasadisturbanceofvestedinterests。"Iandmyfathers，SanDiegorestthem!"saidDonRamon，crossinghimself，"werecontentwithwellsandcisterns，filledbyHeavenatitsappointedseasons；thecattle，dumbbrutesthoughtheywere，knewwheretofindwaterwhentheywantedit。Butthousayesttruly，"
headded，withasigh，"thatwasbeforestreamsandrainwerechokedwithhellishengines，andpoisonedwiththeirspume。Goon，friendMulrady，digandboreifthouwilt，butinaseemlyfashion，andnotwithimpiousearthquakesofdevilishgunpowder。"
WiththisconcessionAlvinMulradybegantosinkhisfirstartesianshaft。Beingdebarredtheauxiliariesofsteamandgunpowder，theworkwentonslowly。Themarketgardendidnotsuffermeantime，asMulradyhademployedtwoChinamentotakechargeoftherudertillage，whilehesuperintendedtheengineeringworkofthewell。
Thistriflingincidentmarkedanepochinthesocialconditionofthefamily。Mrs。Mulradyatonceassumedaconsciousimportanceamongherneighbors。Shespokeofherhusband’s"men"；shealludedtothewellas"theworks"；shecheckedtheeasyfrontierfamiliarityofhercustomerswithprettyMaryMulrady，herseventeen—year—olddaughter。SimpleAlvinMulradylookedwithastonishmentatthissuddendevelopmentofthegermplantedinallfemininenaturetoexpandintheslightestsunshineofprosperity。
"Lookyer，Malviny；ain’tyeratherputtin’onairswiththeboysthatwanttobeciviltoMamie？Likeasnotoneof’emmaybemakin’uptoheralready。""Youdon’tmeantosay，AlvinMulrady，"
respondedMrs。Mulrady，withsuddenseverity，"thatyoueverthoughtofgivin’yourdaughtertoacommonminer，orthatI’mgoin’toallowhertomarryoutofourownset？""Ourownset!"
echoedMulradyfeebly，blinkingatherinastonishment，andthenglancinghurriedlyacrossathisfreckle—facedsonandthetwoChinamenatworkinthecabbages。"Oh，youknowwhatImean，"saidMrs。Mulradysharply；"thesetthatwemovein。TheAlvaradosandtheirfriends!Doesn’ttheoldDoncomehereeveryday，andain’thissontherightageforMamie？Andain’ttheytherealfirstfamilieshere——allthesameasiftheywerenoblemen？No，leaveMamietome，andkeeptoyourshaft；thereneverwasamanyethadtheleastsabeaboutthesethings，orknewwhatwasduetohisfamily。"Likemostofhislargerminded，butfeeblerequippedsex，Mulradywastoogladtoacceptthetruthofthelatterproposition，whichleftthemeannessesoflifetofemininemanipulation，andwentofftohisshaftonthehillside。Butduringthatafternoonhewasperplexedandtroubled。Hewastooloyalahusbandnottobepleasedwiththisproofofanunexpectedandsuperiorforesightinhiswife，althoughhewas，likeallhusbands，alittlestartledbyit。Hetriedtodismissitfromhismind。Butlookingdownfromthehillsideuponhislittleventure，wheregradualincreaseandprosperityhadnotbeenbeyondhisfacultiestocontrolandunderstand，hefoundhimselfhauntedbythemoreambitiousprojectsofhishelpmate。Fromhisownknowledgeofmen，hedoubtedifDonRamon，anymorethanhimself，hadeverthoughtofthepossibilityofamatrimonialconnectionbetweenthefamilies。Hedoubtedifhewouldconsenttoit。Andunfortunatelyitwasthisverydoubtthat，touchinghisownprideasaself—mademan，madehimfirstseriouslyconsiderhiswife’sproposition。HewasasgoodasDonRamon，anyday!Withthissubtlefemininepoisoninstilledinhisveins，carriedcompletelyawaybythelogicofhiswife’sillogicalpremises，healmosthatedhisoldbenefactor。HelookeddownuponthelittleGardenofEden，wherehisEvehadjusttemptedhimwiththefatalfruit，andfeltacuriousconsciousnessthathewaslosingitssimpleandinnocentenjoymentforever。
Happily，aboutthistimeDonRamondied。ItisnotprobablethatheeverknewtheamiableintentionsofMrs。Mulradyinregardtohisson，whonowsucceededtothepaternalestate，sadlypartitionedbyrelativesandlawsuits。ThefeminineMulradysattendedthefuneral，inexpensivemourningfromSacramento；eventhegentleAlvinwasforcedintoready—madebroadcloth，whichaccentedhisgood—naturedbutunmistakablycommonpresence。Mrs。
Mulradyspokeopenlyofher"loss"；declaredthattheoldfamiliesweredyingout；andimpressedthewivesofafewnewarrivalsatRedDogwiththebeliefthatherownfamilywascontemporarywiththeAlvarados，andthatherhusband’shealthwasfarfromperfect。
SheextendedamotherlysympathytotheorphanedDonCaesar。
Reserved，likehisfather，innaturaldisposition，hewasstillmoregravelyceremoniousfromhisloss；and，perhapsfromtheshynessofanevidentpartialityforMamieMulrady，herarelyavailedhimselfofhermother’ssympathizinghospitality。ButhecarriedouttheintentionsofhisfatherbyconsentingtoselltoMulrady，forasmallsum，thepropertyhehadleased。TheideaofpurchasinghadoriginatedwithMrs。Mulrady。
"It’llbeallinthefamily，"hadobservedthatastutelady，"andit’sbetterforthelooksofthethingsthatweshouldn’thehistenants。"
Itwasonlyafewweekslaterthatshewasstartledbyhearingherhusband’svoicecallingherfromthehillsideasherapidlyapproachedthehouse。Mamiewasinherroomputtingonanewpinkcottongown，inhonorofanexpectedvisitfromyoungDonCaesar，andMrs。Mulradywastidyingthehouseinviewofthesameevent。
Somethinginthetoneofhergoodman’svoice，andtheunusualcircumstanceofhisreturntothehousebeforeworkwasdone，causedher，however，todropherdustingcloth，andruntothekitchendoortomeethim。Shesawhimrunningthroughtherowsofcabbages，hisfaceshiningwithperspirationandexcitement，alightinhiseyeswhichshehadnotseenforyears。Sherecalled，withoutsentiment，thathelookedlikethatwhenshehadcalledhim——apoorfarmhandofherfather’s——outofthebrushheapatthebackoftheirformerhome，inIllinois，tolearntheconsentofherparents。Therecollectionwasthemoreembarrassingashethrewhisarmsaroundher，andpressedaresoundingkissuponhersallowcheek。
"Sakesalive!Mulrady!"shesaid，exorcisingtheghostofablushthathadalsobeenrecalledfromthepastwithherhousewife’sapron，"whatareyoudoin’，andcompanyexpectedeveryminit？"
"Malviny，I’vestruckit；andstruckitrich!"
Shedisengagedherselffromhisarms，withoutexcitement，andlookedathimwithbrightbutshrewdlyobservanteyes。
"I’vestruckitinthewell——theregularveinthattheboyshavebeenlookingfer。There’safortin’feryouandMamie：thousandsandtensofthousands!"
"Waitaminit。"
Shelefthimquickly，andwenttothefootofthestairs。Hecouldhearherwonderinglyanddistinctly。"Yecantakeoffthatnewfrock，Mamie，"shecalledout。
TherewasasoundofundisguisedexpostulationfromMamie。
"I’mspeaking，"saidMrs。Mulrady，emphatically。
Themurmuringceased。Mrs。Mulradyreturnedtoherhusband。Theinterruptionseemedtohavetakenoffthekeenedgeofhisenjoyment。Heatonceabdicatedhismomentaryelevationasadiscoverer，andwaitedforhertospeak。
"Yehaven’ttoldanyoneyet？"sheasked。
"No。Iwasalone，downintheshaft。Yesee，Malviny，Iwasn’texpectin’ofanything。"Hebegan，withanattemptatfreshenjoyment，"Iwasjustclearin’out，andhadn’treckonedonanythin’。"
"Yousee，IwasrightwhenIadvisedyoutakingtheland，"shesaid，withoutheedinghim。
Mulrady’sfacefell。"IhopeDonCaesarwon’tthink"——hebegan，hesitatingly。"Ireckon，perhaps，Ioughtermakesomesortercompensation——youknow。"
"Stuff!"saidMrs。Mulrady，decidedly。"Don’tbeafool。Anygolddiscovery，anyhow，wouldhavebeenyours——that’sthelaw。Andyouboughtthelandwithoutanyrestrictions。Besides，youneverhadanyideaofthis!"——shestopped，andlookedhimsuddenlyintheface——"hadyou？"
Mulradyopenedhishonest，pale—grayeyeswidely。
"Why，Malviny!YouknowIhadn’t。Icouldswear!"
"Don’tswear，anddon’tletontoanybodybutwhatyouDIDknowitwasthere。Now，AlvinMulrady，listentome。"Hervoiceheretookthestridentformofaction。"Knockoffworkattheshaft，andsendyourmanawayatonce。Putonyourthings，catchthenextstagetoSacramentoatfouro’clock，andtakeMamiewithyou。"
"Mamie!"echoedMulrady，feebly。
"YouwanttoseeLawyerColeandmybrotherJimatonce，"shewenton，withoutheedinghim，"andMamiewantsachangeandsomeproper。
clothes。LeavetheresttomeandAbner。I’llbreakittoMamie，andgetherready。"
Mulradypassedhishandsthroughhistangledhair，wetwithperspiration。Hewasproudofhiswife’senergyandaction；hedidnotdreamofopposingher，butsomehowhewasdisappointed。Thecharmingglamourandjoyofhisdiscoveryhadvanishedbeforehecouldfairlydazzleherwithit；or，rather，shewasnotdazzledwithitatall。Ithadbecomelikebusiness，andtheexpression"breakingit"toMamiejarreduponhim。Hewouldhavepreferredtotellherhimself；towatchthecolorcomeintoherdelicateovalface，tohaveseenhersofteyeslightwithaninnocentjoyhehadnotseeninhiswife’s；andhefeltasinkingconvictionthathiswifewasthelastonetoawakenit。
"Youain’tgotanytimetolose，"shesaid，impatiently，ashehesitated。
Perhapsitwasherimpatiencethatstruckharshlyuponhim；
perhaps，ifshehadnotacceptedhergoodfortunesoconfidently，hewouldnothavespokenwhatwasinhismindatthetime；buthesaidgravely，"Waitaminit，Malviny；I’vesuthin’totellyou’boutthisfindofminethat’ssing’lar。"
"Goon，"shesaid，quickly。
"Lyin’amongtherottenquartzoftheveinwasapick，"hesaid，constrainedly；"andthefaceoftheveinsorterlookedezifithadbeenworkedat。Folleringthelineoutsidetothebaseofthehilltherewassignsoftherehavingbeenanoldtunnel；butithadfallenin，andwasblockedup。"
"Well？"saidMrs。Mulrady，contemptuously。
"Well，"returnedherhusband，somewhatdisconnectedly，"itkinderlookedasifsomefellermighthavediscovereditbefore。"
"Andwentaway，andleftitforothers!That’slikely——ain’tit？"
interruptedhiswife，withill—disguisedintolerance。"Everybodyknowsthehillwasn’tworththatforprospectin’；anditwasabandonedwhenwecamehere。It’syourpropertyandyou’vepaidforit。Areyougoin’towaittoadvertisefortheowner，AlvinMulrady，orareyougoingtoSacramentoatfouro’clockto—day？"
Mulradystarted。Hehadneverseriouslybelievedinthepossibilityofapreviousdiscovery；buthisconscientiousnaturehadpromptedhimtogiveitafairconsideration。Shewasprobablyright。Whathemighthavethoughthadshetreateditwithequalconscientiousnesshedidnotconsider。"Allright，"hesaidsimply。"Ireckonwe’llgoatonce。"
"AndwhenyoutalktoLawyerColeandJim，keepthatsillystuffaboutthepicktoyourself。There’snouseofputtingqueerideasintootherpeople’sheadsbecauseyouhappentohave’emyourself。"
Whenthehurriedarrangementswereatlastcompleted，andMr。
MulradyandMamie，accompaniedbyataciturnanddiscreetChinaman，carryingtheirscantluggage，wereontheirwaytothehighroadtomeettheupstage，thefathergazedsomewhatanxiouslyandwistfullyintohisdaughter’sface。HehadlookedforwardtothosefewmomentstoenjoythefreshnessandnaiveteofMamie’syouthfuldelightandenthusiasmasarelieftohiswife’spractical，far—
sightedrealism。Therewasaprettypinksuffusioninherdelicatecheek，thebreathlesshappinessofachildinherhalf—openedlittlemouth，andabeautifulabsorptioninherlargegrayeyesthatauguredwellforhim。
"Well，Mamie，howdowelikebein’anheiress？Howdowelikelayin’overallthegalsbetweenthisand’Frisco？"
"Eh？"
Shehadnotheardhim。Thetenderbeautifuleyeswereengagedinananticipatoryexaminationoftherememberedshelvesinthe"FancyEmporium"atSacramento；inreadingtheadmirationoftheclerks；
inglancingdownalittlecriticisinglyatthebroadcowhidebroguesthatstrodeatherside；inlookinguptheroadforthestage—coach；inregardingthefitofhernewgloves——everywherebutinthelovingeyesofthemanbesideher。
He，however，repeatedthequestion，touchedwithhercharmingpreoccupation，andpassinghisarmaroundherlittlewaist。
"Ilikeitwellenough，pa，youknow!"shesaid，slightlydisengaginghisarm，butaddingaperfunctorylittlesqueezetohiselbowtosoftentheseparation。"IalwayshadanideaSOMETHING
wouldhappen。IsupposeI’mlookinglikeafright，"sheadded；
"butmamademehurrytogetawaybeforeDonCaesarcame。"
"Andyoudidn’twanttogowithoutseeinghim？"headded，archly。
"Ididn’twanthimtoseemeinthisfrock，"saidMamie，simply。
"Ireckonthat’swhymamademechange，"sheadded，withaslightlaugh。
"WellIreckonyou’reallusgoodenoughforhiminanydress，"saidMulrady，watchingherattentively；"andmorethanamatchforhimNOW，"headded，triumphantly。
"Idon’tknowaboutthat，"saidMamie。"He’sbeenrichallthetime，andhisfatherandgrandfatherbeforehim；whilewe’vebeenpoorandhistenants。"
Hisfacechanged；thelookofbewilderment，withwhichhehadfollowedherwords，gavewaytooneofpain，andthenofanger。
"Didhegetoffsuchstuffasthat？"heasked，quickly。
"No。I’dliketocatchhimatit，"respondedMamie，promptly。
"There’sbetternorhimtobehadfortheaskingnow。"
Theyhadwalkedonafewmomentsinaggrievedsilence，andtheChinamanmighthaveimaginedsomemisfortunehadjustbefallenthem。ButMamie’steethshoneagainbetweenherpartedlips。"La，pa!itain’tthat!Hecareseverythingforme，andIdoforhim；
andifmahadn’tgotnewideas——"Shestoppedsuddenly。
"Whatnewideas？"queriedherfather，anxiously。
"Oh，nothing!Iwish，pa，you’dputonyourotherboots!
Everybodycanseethesearemadeforthefarrows。Andyouain’tamarketgardeneranymore。"
"WhatamI，then？"askedMulrady，withahalf—pleased，half—uneasylaugh。
"You’reacapitalist，Isay；butmasaysalandedproprietor。"
Nevertheless，thelandedproprietor，whenhereachedtheboulderontheRedDoghighway，satdowninsomewhatmoodycontemplation，withhisheadbowedoverthebroadcowhidebrogues，thatseemedtohavealreadygatheredenoughofthesoiltoindicatehisrighttothattitle。Mamie，whohadrecoveredherspirits，buthadnotlostherpreoccupation，wanderedoffbyherselfinthemeadow，orascendedthehillside，asheroccasionalimpatienceatthedelayofthecoach，orthefollowingofsomeambitiousfancy，alternatelypromptedher。Shewassofarawayatonetimethatthestage—
coach，whichfinallydrewupbeforeMulrady，wasobligedtowaitforher。
Whenshewasdepositedsafelyinside，andMulradyhadclimbedtotheboxbesidethedriver，thelatterremarked，curtly，——
"Yegavemearightsmartskeer，aminitago，stranger。"
"Ezhow？"
"Well，aboutthreeyearsago，Iwascomin’downthisyergrade，atjustthistime，andsittin’rightonthatstone，injustyourattitude，wasamanaboutyourbuildandyears。Ipulleduptolethimin，when，darnmyskin!ifheevermoved，butsorterlookedatmewithoutspeakin’。Icalledtohim，andheneveranswered，’ceptwiththatidioticstare。Ithenlethimhavemyopinionofhim，inmightystrongEnglish，anddroveoff，leavin’himthere。Thenextmorning，whenIcamebyontheup—trip，darnmyskin!ifhewasn’tthar，butlyin’allofaheapontheboulder。Jimdropsdownandpickshimup。DoctorDuchesne，ezwasalong，allowstitwasaplayed—outprospector，withabigcaseofparalysis，andweexpressedhimthroughtotheCountyHospital，likesomuchdeadfreight。I’veallusbeenkindersuperstitiousaboutpassin’thatrock，andwhenIsawyoujistnow，sittin’thar，dazedlike，withyourheaddownliketheotherchap，itratherthrewmeoffmycentre。"
Intheinexplicableandhalf—superstitiousuneasinessthatthiscoincidenceawakenedinMulrady’sunimaginativemind，hewasalmostonthepointofdisclosinghisgoodfortunetothedriver，inordertoprovehowpreposterouswastheparallel，butcheckedhimselfintime。
"Didyoufindoutwhohewas？"brokeinarashpassenger。"Didyouevergetoverit？"addedanotherunfortunate。
Withapauseofinsultingscornattheinterruption，thedriverresumed，pointedly，toMulrady："Thepintofthewholethingwasmycussin’ahelplessman，ezcouldneithercussbacknorshoot；andthenafterwardstakin’youforhisghostlayin’formetogeteven。"Hepausedagain，andthenadded，carelessly，"Theysayheneverkemtoenufftoletonwhohewasorwharhekemfrom；andhewaseventooallytakentoa’SylumforDodderingIdjitsandGin’ralandPermiskusImbecilesatSacramento。I’veheerdit’sconsideredafirst—classinstitooshun，notonlyforthemezisparalyzedandcan’ttalk，asforthemezisthereverseandistoochipper。
Now，"headded，languidlyturningforthefirsttimetohismiserablequestioners，"howdidYOUfindit？"
CHAPTERII
WhenthenewsofthediscoveryofgoldinMulradyshaftwasfinallymadepublic，itcreatedanexcitementhithertounknowninthehistoryofthecountry。HalfofRedDogandallRough—and—ReadywereemptiedupontheyellowhillssurroundingMulrady’s，untiltheircirclingcampfireslookedlikeabesiegingarmythathadinvestedhispeacefulpastoralhome，preparatorytocarryingitbyassault。Unfortunatelyforthem，theyfoundthevariouspointsofvantagealreadygarrisonedwithnoticesof"preemption"forminingpurposesinthenameofthevariousmembersoftheAlvaradofamily。
ThisstrokeofbusinesswasduetoMrs。Mulrady，asameansofmollifyingtheconscientiousscruplesofherhusbandandofplacatingtheAlvarados，inviewofsomeremotecontingency。Itisbutfairtosaythatthisdegradationofhisfather’sCastilianprincipleswasopposedbyDonCaesar。"Youneedn’tworkthemyourself，butsellouttothemthatwill；it’stheonlywaytokeeptheprospectorsfromtakingitwithoutpayingforitatall，"
arguedMrs。Mulrady。DonCaesarfinallyassented；perhapslesstothebusinessargumentsofMulrady’swifethantothesimplesuggestionofMamie’smother。Enoughthatherealizedasuminmoneyforafewacresthatexceededthelasttenyears’incomeofDonRamon’ssevenleagues。
EquallyunprecedentedandextravagantwastherealizationofthediscoveryinMulrady’sshaft。Itwasallegedthatacompany，hastilyformedinSacramento，paidhimamillionofdollarsdown，leavinghimstillacontrollingtwo—thirdsinterestinthemine。
Withanobstinacy，however，thatamountedalmosttoamoralconviction，herefusedtoincludethehouseandpotato—patchintheproperty。Whenthecompanyhadyieldedthepoint，hedeclined，withequaltenacity，topartwithittooutsidespeculatorsoneventhemostextravagantoffers。InvainMrs。Mulradyprotested；invainshepointedouttohimthattheretentionoftheevidenceofhisformerhumbleoccupationwasagreenblotupontheirsocialescutcheon。
"Ifyouwillkeeptheland，buildonit，androotupthegarden。"
ButMulradywasadamant。
"It’stheonlythingIevermademyself，andgotoutofthesoilwithmyownhands；it’sthebeginningofmyfortune，anditmaybetheendofit。MebbeeI’llbegladenoughtohaveittocomebacktosomeday，andbethankfulforthesquaremealIcandigoutofit。"
Byrepeatedpressure，however，Mulradyyieldedthecompromisethataportionofitshouldbemadeintoavineyardandflower—garden，andbyasuitablecoloringofornamentandluxuryobliterateitsvulgarpart。Lesssuccessful，however，wasthatenergeticwomaninanotherefforttomitigatetheausteritiesoftheirearlierstate。
ItoccurredtohertoutilizethesofteraccentsofDonCaesarinthepronunciationoftheirfamilyname，andprivatelyhad"Mulrade"
taketheplaceofMulradyonhervisitingcard。"ItmightbeSpanish，"shearguedwithherhusband。"LawyerColesaysmostAmericannamesarecorrupted，andhowdoyouknowthatyoursain’t？"Mulrady，whowouldnotswearthathisancestorscamefromIrelandtotheCarolinasin’98，washelplesstorefutetheassertion。ButtheterribleNemesisofanun—Spanish，Americanprovincialspeechavengedtheorthographicaloutrageatonce。WhenMrs。Mulradybegantobeaddressedorally，aswellasbyletter，as"Mrs。Mulraid，"andwhensimpleamatoryeffusionstoherdaughterrhymedwith"lovelymaid，"shepromptlyrefusedtheoriginalvowel。
ButshefondlyclungtotheSpanishcourtesywhichtransformedherhusband’sbaptismalname，andusuallyspokeofhim——inhisabsence——
as"DonAlvino。"Butinthepresenceofhisshort，squarefigure，hisorangetawnyhair，histwinklinggrayeyes，andretroussenose，eventhatdominantwomanwithheldhistitle。ItwascurrentlyreportedatRedDogthatadistinguishedforeignerhadonedayapproachedMulradywiththeformula，"IbelieveIhavethehonorofaddressingDonAlvinoMulrady？""Youkinbetyourboots，stranger，that’sme，"hadreturnedthatsimplehidalgo。
AlthoughMrs。MulradywouldhavepreferredthatMamieshouldremainatSacramentountilshecouldjoinher，preparatorytoatripto"theStates"andEurope，sheyieldedtoherdaughter’sdesiretoastonishRough—and—Ready，beforesheleft，withhernewwardrobe，andunfoldintheparentnestthedelicateandpaintedwingswithwhichshewastoflyfromthemforever。"Idon’twantthemtoremembermeafterwardsinthosespottedprints，ma，andlikeasnotsayIneverhadadecentfrockuntilIwentaway。"Therewassomethingsolikethedaughterofhermotherinthisdelicateforesightthatthetouchedandgratifiedparentkissedher，andassented。Theresultwasgratifyingbeyondherexpectation。Inthatfewweeks’sojournatSacramento，theyounggirlseemedtohaveadaptedandassimilatedherselftothelatestmodesoffashionwithevenmorethantheusualAmericangirl’spliancyandtaste。
Equaltoallemergenciesofstyleandmaterial，sheseemedtosupply，fromsomehithertounknownqualityshepossessed，thegraceandmannerpeculiartoeach。Untrammeledbytradition，education，orprecedent，shehadtheWesterngirl’sconfidenceinallthingsbeingpossible，whichmadethemsooftenprobable。Mr。Mulradylookedathisdaughterwithmingledsentimentsofprideandawe。
Wasitpossiblethatthisdelicatecreature，sosuperiortohimthatheseemedlikeadegeneratescionofherremoterrace，washisownfleshandblood？Wasshethedaughterofhermother，whoeveninherrememberedyouthwasneverequippedlikethis？Ifthethoughtbroughtnopleasuretohissimple，lovingnature，itatleastsparedhimthepainofwhatmighthaveseemedingratitudeinonemoreakintohimself。"Thefactis，weain’tquiteuptoherstyle，"washisexplanationandapology。Avaguebeliefthatinanotherandabetterworldthanthishemightapproximateandunderstandthisperfectionsomewhatsoothedandsustainedhim。
Itwasquiteconsistent，therefore，thattheembroideredcambricdresswhichMamieMulradyworeonesummerafternoononthehillsideatLosGatos，whiletothecriticalfeminineeyeatonceartisticandexpensive，shouldnotseemincongruoustohersurroundingsortoherselfintheeyesofageneralaudience。Itcertainlydidnotseemsotoonepairoffrank，humorousonesthatglancedatherfromtimetotime，astheirowner，ayoungfellowoffive—and—
twenty，walkedatherside。Hewastheneweditorofthe"Rough—
and—ReadyRecord，"and，havingbeenherfellow—passengerfromSacramento，hadalreadyonceortwiceavailedhimselfofherfather’sinvitationtocalluponthem。Mrs。Mulradyhadnotdiscouragedthismildflirtation。WhethershewishedtodisconcertDonCaesarforsomeoccultpurpose，orwhether，liketherestofhersex，shehadanoverweeningconfidenceintheunheroic，unseductive，andpurelyplatoniccharacterofmasculinehumor，didnotappear。
"WhenIsayI’msorryyouaregoingtoleaveus，MissMulrady，"
saidtheyoungfellow，lightly，"youwillcomprehendmyunselfishness，sinceIfranklyadmityourdeparturewouldbeapositiverelieftomeasaneditorandaman。ThepressureinthePoet’sCornerofthe’Record’sinceitwasmistakinglydiscoveredthatapersonofyournamemightbeinducedtoseekthe’glade’and’shade’withoutbeing’afraid，’’dismayed，’or’betrayed，’hasbeensomethingenormous，and，unfortunately，Iamdebarredfromrejectinganything，onthejustgroundthatIammyselfaninterestedadmirer。"
"It’sdreadfultobeplacardedaroundthecountrybyone’sownfullname，isn’tit？"saidMamie，without，however，expressingmuchhorrorinherface。
"Theythinkitmuchmorerespectfulthantocallyou’Mamie，’"heresponded，lightly；"andmanyofyouradmirersaremiddle—agedmen，withamediaevalstyleofcompliment。I’vediscoveredthatamatoryversifyingwasn’tentirelyayouthfulpassion。ColonelCashisaboutasfatalwithacoupletaswithadouble—barreledgun，andscattersasterribly。JudgeButtsandDr。WilsonhavebothdiscernedtheresemblanceofyourgiftstothoseofVenus，andtheirowntoApollo。Butdon’tundervaluethosetributes，MissMulrady，"headded，moreseriously。"You’llhavethousandsofadmirerswhereyouaregoing；butyou’llbewillingtoadmitintheend，Ithink，thatnoneweremorehonestandrespectfulthanyoursubjectsatRough—and—ReadyandRedDog。"Hestopped，andaddedinagravertone，"DoesDonCaesarwritepoetry？"
"Hehassomethingbettertodo，"saidtheyounglady，pertly。
"Icaneasilyimaginethat，"hereturned，mischievously；"itmustbeapallidsubstituteforotheropportunities。"
"Whatdidyoucomeherefor？"sheasked，suddenly。
"Toseeyou。"
"Nonsense!YouknowwhatImean。WhydidyoueverleaveSacramentotocomehere？Ishouldthinkitwouldsuityousomuchbetterthanthisplace。"
"IsupposeIwasfiredbyyourfather’sexample，andwishedtofindagoldmine。"
"Menlikeyouneverdo，"shesaid，simply。
"Isthatacompliment，MissMulrady？"
"Idon’tknow。ButIthinkthatyouthinkthatitis。"
Hegaveherthepleasedlookofonewhohadunexpectedlyfoundasympatheticintelligence。"DoI？Thisisinteresting。Let’ssitdown。"Intheirdesultoryramblingtheyhadreached，quiteunconsciously，thelargeboulderattheroadside。Mamiehesitatedamoment，lookedupanddowntheroad，andthen，withanalreadyopulentindifferencetothedamagingofherspotlessskirt，satherselfuponit，withherfurledparasolheldbyhertwolittlehandsthrownoverherhalf—drawn—upknee。Theyoungeditor，halfsitting，halfleaning，againstthestone，begantodrawfiguresinthesandwithhiscane。
"Onthecontrary，MissMulrady，Ihopetomakesomemoneyhere。
YouareleavingRough—and—Readybecauseyouarerich。Wearecomingtoitbecausewearepoor。"
"We？"echoedMamie，lazily，lookinguptheroad。
"Yes。Myfatherandtwosisters。"
"Iamsorry。ImighthaveknownthemifIhadn’tbeengoingaway。"
Atthesamemoment，itflashedacrosshermindthat，iftheywerelikethemanbeforeher，theymightprovedisagreeablyindependentandcritical。"Isyourfatherinbusiness？"sheasked。
Heshookhishead。Afterapause，hesaid，punctuatinghissentenceswiththepointofhisstickinthesoftdust，"Heisparalyzed，andoutofhismind，MissMulrady。IcametoCaliforniatoseekhim，asallnewsofhimceasedthreeyearssince；andI
foundhimonlytwoweeksago，alone，friendless——anunrecognizedpauperinthecountyhospital。"
"Twoweeksago？ThatwaswhenIwenttoSacramento。"
"Veryprobably。"
"Itmusthavebeenveryshockingtoyou？"
"Itwas。"
"Ishouldthinkyou’dfeelrealbad？"
"Ido，attimes。"Hesmiled，andlaidhisstickonthestone。
"Younowsee，MissMulrady，hownecessarytomeisthisgoodfortunethatyoudon’tthinkmeworthyof。MeantimeImusttrytomakeahomeforthematRough—and—Ready。"
MissMulradyputdownherkneeandherparasol。"Wemustn’tstayheremuchlonger，youknow。"
"Why？"
"Why，thestage—coachcomesbyataboutthistime。"
"Andyouthinkthepassengerswillobserveussittinghere？"
"Ofcoursetheywill。"
"MissMulrady，Iimploreyoutostay。"
Hewasleaningoverherwithsuchapparentearnestnessofvoiceandgesturethatthecolorcameintohercheek。Foramomentshescarcelydaredtoliftherconsciouseyestohis。Whenshedidso，shesuddenlyglancedherownasidewithaflashofanger。Hewaslaughing。
"Ifyouhaveanypityforme，donotleavemenow，"herepeated。
"Stayamomentlonger，andmyfortuneismade。ThepassengerswillreportusalloverRedDogasengaged。Ishallbesupposedtobeinyourfather’ssecrets，andshallbesoughtafterasadirectorofallthenewcompanies。The’Record’willdoubleitscirculation；poetrywilldropoutofitscolumns，advertisingrushtofillitsplace，andIshallreceivefivedollarsaweekmoresalary，ifnotsevenandahalf。Nevermindtheconsequencestoyourselfatsuchamoment。Iassureyoutherewillbenone。Youcandenyitthenextday——Iwilldenyit——nay，more，the’Record’
itselfwilldenyitinanextraeditionofonethousandcopies，attencentseach。Lingeramomentlonger，MissMulrady。Fly，ohflynotyet。They’recoming——hark!oh!ByJove，it’sonlyDonCaesar!"
Itwas，indeed，onlytheyoungscionofthehouseofAlvarado，blue—eyed，sallow—skinned，andhigh—shouldered，comingtowardsthemonafiery，half—brokenmustang，whoseveryspontaneouslawlessnessseemedtoaccentuateandbringoutthegraveanddecorouseaseofhisrider。Eveninhisburlesquepreoccupationtheeditorofthe"Record"didnotwithholdhisadmirationofthisperfecthorsemanship。Mamie，who，inherwoundedamourpropre，wouldliketohavemademuchofittoannoyhercompanion，wasthusestoppedanyostentatiouscompliment。