Thedrum—beatoftherainfollowedhimdownthestaircase,butheshutitoutwithhisotherthoughts,whenheagainclosedthedoorofhisoffice。Hesetdiligentlytoworkbythedecliningwinterlight,untilhewasinterruptedbytheentranceofhisChinesewaitertotellhimthatsupper——whichwasthemealthatMulradyreligiouslyadheredtoinplaceofthelatedinnerofcivilization——
wasreadyinthedining—room。Mulradymechanicallyobeyedthesummons;butonenteringtheroomtheoasisofafewplatesinadesertofwhitetable—clothwhichawaitedhimmadehimhesitate。
Initsbestaspect,thehighdarkGothicmahoganyecclesiasticalsideboardandchairsofthisroom,whichlookedliketheappointmentsofamortuarychapel,werenotexhilarating;andto—
day,inthelightoftherain—filmedwindowsandthefeebleraysofalamphalf—obscuredbythedarkshiningwalls,itwasmostdepressing。
"Youkintakeupsupperintomyoffice,"saidMulrady,withasuddeninspiration。"I’lleatitthere。"
Heateitthere,withhisusualhealthyappetite,whichdidnotrequireeventhestimulationofcompany。Hehadjustfinished,whenhisIrishcook——theonefemaleservantofthehouse——cametoaskpermissiontobeabsentthateveningandthenextday。
"Isupposethelikesofyourhonorwon’tbeathomeontheChristmasDay?Andit’smecousinsfromtheoldcounthryatRough—
and—Readythatareinvitin’me。"
"Whydon’tyouaskthemoverhere?"saidMulrady,withanothervagueinspiration。"I’llstandtreat。"
"Lordpreserveyouforajinerousgintleman!Butit’sthelikesofthemandmyselfthatwouldn’tbeathomehereonsuchaday。"
TherewassomuchtruthinthisthatMulradycheckedasighashegavetherequiredpermission,withoutsayingthathehadintendedtoremain。Hecouldcookhisownbreakfast:hehaddoneitbefore;
anditwouldbesomethingtooccupyhim。Astohisdinner,perhapshecouldgotothehotelatRough—and—Ready。Heworkedonuntilthenighthadwelladvanced。Then,overcomewithacertainrestlessnessthatdisturbedhim,hewasforcedtoputhisbooksandpapersaway。Ithadbeguntoblowinfitfulgusts,andoccasionallytherainwasdrivensoftlyacrossthepaneslikethepassingofchildishfingers。Thisdisturbedhimmorethanthemonotonyofsilence,forhewasnotanervousman。Heseldomreadabook,andthecountypaperfurnishedhimonlythefinancialandmercantilenewswhichwaspartofhisbusiness。Heknewhecouldnotsleepifhewenttobed。Atlastherose,openedthewindow,andlookedoutfrompureidlenessofoccupation。Asplashofwheelsinthedistantmuddyroadandfragmentsofadrunkensongshowedsignsofanearlywanderingreveller。Therewerenolightstobeseenattheclosedworks;aprofounddarknessencompassedthehouse,asifthedistantpinesinthehollowhadmovedupandroundit。Thesilencewasbrokennowonlybytheoccasionalsighingofwindandrain。Itwasnotaninvitingnightforaperfunctorywalk;butanideastruckhim——hewouldcallupontheSlinns,andanticipatehisnextday’svisit!Theywouldprobablyhavecompany,andbegladtoseehim:hecouldtellthegirlsofMamieandhersuccess。Thathehadnotthoughtofthisbeforewasaproofofhisusualself—containedisolation,thathethoughtofitnowwasanequalproofthathewasbecomingatlastaccessibletoloneliness。
Hewasangrywithhimselfforwhatseemedtohimaselfishweakness。
Hereturnedtohisoffice,and,puttingtheenvelopethathadbeenlyingonSlinn’sdeskinhispocket,threwaserapeoverhisshoulders,andlockedthefrontdoorofthehousebehindhim。Itwaswellthatthewaywasafamiliaronetohim,andthathisfeetinstinctivelyfoundthetrail,forthenightwasverydark。Attimeshewaswarnedonlybythegurglingofwateroflittlerivuletsthatdescendedthehillandcrossedhispath。Withouttheslightestfear,andwithneitherimaginationnorsensitiveness,herecalledhow,thewinterbefore,oneofDonCaesar’svaqueros,crossingthishillatnight,hadfallendownthechasmofalandslipcausedbytherain,andwasfoundthenextmorningwithhisneckbrokeninthegully。DonCaesarhadtotakecareoftheman’sfamily。Supposesuchanaccidentshouldhappentohim?
Well,hehadmadehiswill。Hiswifeandchildrenwouldbeprovidedfor,andtheworkoftheminewouldgoonallthesame;hehadarrangedforthat。Wouldanybodymisshim?Wouldhiswife,orhisson,orhisdaughter?No。Hefeltsuchasuddenandoverwhelmingconvictionofthetruthofthisthathestoppedassuddenlyasifthechasmhadopenedbeforehim。No!Itwasthetruth。IfheweretodisappearforeverinthedarknessoftheChristmasnighttherewasnonetofeelhisloss。HiswifewouldtakecareofMamie;hissonwouldtakecareofhimself,ashehadbefore——relievedofeventhescantpaternalauthorityherebelledagainst。AmoreimaginativemanthanMulradywouldhavecombatedorhavefollowedoutthisidea,andthendismissedit;tothemillionaire’smatter—of—factminditwasadeductionthat,havingoncepresenteditselftohisperception,wasalreadyarecognizedfact。Forthefirsttimeinhislifehefeltasuddeninstinctofsomethinglikeaversiontowardshisfamily,afeelingthatevenhisson’sdissipationandcriminalityhadneverprovoked。Hehurriedonangrilythroughthedarkness。
Itwasverystrange;theoldhouseshouldbealmostbeforehimnow,acrossthehollow,yettherewerenoindicationsoflight!Itwasnotuntilheactuallyreachedthegardenfence,andtheblackbulkofshadowroseoutagainstthesky,thathesawafaintrayoflightfromoneofthelean—towindows。Hewenttothefrontdoorandknocked。Afterwaitinginvainforareply,heknockedagain。
Thesecondknockprovingequallyfutile,hetriedthedoor;itwasunlocked,and,pushingitopen,hewalkedin。Thenarrowpassagewasquitedark,butfromhisknowledgeofthehouseheknewthe"lean—to"wasnexttothekitchen,and,passingthroughthedining—
roomintoit,heopenedthedoorofthelittleroomfromwhichthelightproceeded。Itcamefromasinglecandleonasmalltable,andbesideit,withhiseyesmoodilyfixedonthedyingembersofthefire,satoldSlinn。Therewasnootherlightnoranotherhumanbeinginthewholehouse。
FortheinstantMulrady,forgettinghisownfeelingsinthemutepictureoftheutterdesolationofthehelplessman,remainedspeechlessonthethreshold。Then,recallinghimself,hesteppedforwardandlaidhishandgaylyonthebowedshoulders。
"Rouseupouto’this,oldman!Come!thiswon’tdo。Look!I’verunoverhereintherain,jisttohaveasociabletimewithyouall。"
"Iknewit,"saidtheoldman,withoutlookingup;"Iknewyou’dcome。"
"YouknewI’dcome?"echoedMulrady,withanuneasyreturnofthestrangefeelingofawewithwhichheregardedSlinn’sabstraction。
"Yes;youwerealone——likemyself——allalone!"
"Then,whyinthunderdidn’tyouopenthedoororsingoutjustnow?"hesaid,withanaffectedbrusquerietocoverhisuneasiness。
"Where’syourdaughters?"
"GonetoRough—and—Readytoaparty。"
"Andyourson?"
"Henevercomesherewhenhecanamusehimselfelsewhere。"
"YourchildrenmighthavestayedhomeonChristmasEve。"
"Somightyours。"
Hedidn’tsaythisimpatiently,butwithacertainabstractedconvictionfarbeyondanysuggestionofitsbeingaretort。
Mulradydidnotappeartonoticeit。
"Well,Idon’tseewhyusoldfolkscan’tenjoyourselveswithoutthem,"saidMulrady,withaffectedcheerfulness。"Let’shaveagoodtime,youandme。Let’ssee——youhaven’tanyoneyoucansendtomyhouse,hevyou?"
"Theytooktheservantwiththem,"saidSlinn,briefly。"Thereisnoonehere。"
"Allright,"saidthemillionaire,briskly。"I’llgomyself。Doyouthinkyoucanmanagetolightupalittlemore,andbuildafireinthekitchenwhileI’mgone?Itusedtobemightycomfortableintheoldtimes。"
Hehelpedtheoldmantorisefromhischair,andseemedtohaveinfusedintohimsomeofhisownenergy。Hethenadded,"Now,don’tyougetyourselfdownagainintothatchairuntilIcomeback,"anddartedoutintothenightoncemore。
Inaquarterofanhourhereturnedwithabagonhisbroadshoulders,whichoneofhisporterswouldhaveshrunkfromlifting,andlaiditbeforetheblazinghearthofthenowlightedkitchen。
"It’ssomethingtheoldwomangotforherparty,thatdidn’tcomeoff,"hesaid,apologetically。"Ireckonwecanpickoutenoughforaspread。ThatdarnedChinamanwouldn’tcomewithme,"headded,withalaugh,"because,hesaid,he’dknockedoffwork’alleesame,Mellicanman!’Lookhere,Slinn,"hesaid,withasuddendecisiveness,"mypay—rollofthemenaroundheredon’trunshortofahundredandfiftydollarsaday,andyetIcouldn’tgetahandtohelpmebringthistruckoverformyChristmasdinner。"
"Ofcourse,"saidSlinn,gloomily。
"Ofcourse;soitoughterbe,"returnedMulrady,shortly。"Why,it’sonlytheironedayoutof364;andIcanhave363daysoff,asIamtheirboss。Idon’tmindaman’sbeingindependent,"hecontinued,takingoffhiscoatandbeginningtounpackhissack——acommon"gunnybag"——usedforpotatoes。"We’reindependentourselves,ain’twe,Slinn?"
Hisgoodspirits,whichhadbeenatfirstlaboredandaffected,hadbecomenatural。Slinn,lookingathisbrightenedeyeandfreshercolor,couldnothelpthinkinghewasmorelikehisownrealselfatthismomentthaninhiscounting—houseandoffices——withallhissimplicityasacapitalist。AlessabstractedandmoreobservantcriticthanSlinnwouldhaveseeninthispatientaptitudeforrealwork,andtherecognitionoftheforceofpettydetail,thedominanceoftheoldmarket—gardenerinhisformerhumble,aswellashislatermoreambitious,successes。
"Heavenkeepusfrombeingdependentuponourchildren!"saidSlinn,darkly。
"Lettheyoungonesaloneto—night;wecangetalongwithoutthem,astheycanwithoutus,"saidMulrady,withaslighttwingeashethoughtofhisreflectionsonthehillside。"Butlookhere,there’ssomechampagneandthemsweetcordialsthatwomenlike;
there’sjelliesandsuchlikestuff,aboutasgoodastheymake’em,Ireckon;andpreserves,andtongues,andspicedbeef——takeyourpick!Stop,let’sspreadthemout。"Hedraggedthetabletothemiddleofthefloor,andpiledtheprovisionsuponit。Theycertainlywerenotdeficientinqualityorquantity。"Now,Slinn,wadein。"
"Idon’tfeelhungry,"saidtheinvalid,whohadlapsedagainintoachairbeforethefire。
"NomoredoI,"saidMulrady;"butIreckonit’stherightthingtodoaboutthistime。Somefolksthinktheycan’tbehappywithoutthey’regettingoutsideo’suthin’,andmydirectorsdownat’Friscocan’tdoanybusinesswithoutadinner。Takesomechampagne,tobeginwith。"
Heopenedabottle,andfilledtwotumblers。"It’spasttwelveo’clock,oldman,sohere’samerryChristmastoyou,andbothofusezishere。Andhere’sanothertoourfamilies——ezisn’t。"
Theybothdranktheirwinestolidly。Therainbeatagainstthewindowssharply,butwithoutthehollowechoesofthehouseonthehill。"ImustwritetotheoldwomanandMamie,andsaythatyouandmehadahigholdtimeonChristmasEve。"
"Byourselves,"addedtheinvalid。
Mr。Mulradycoughed。"Nat’rally——byourselves。Andherprovisions,"headded,withalaugh。"We’rereallybeholdentoHER
for’em。Ifshehadn’tthoughtofhavingthem——"
"Forsomebodyelse,youwouldn’thavehadthem——wouldyou?"saidSlinn,slowly,gazingatthefire。
"No,"saidMulrady,dubiously。Afterapausehebeganmorevivaciously,andasiftoshakeoffsomedisagreeablethoughtthatwasimpressinghim,"ButImustn’tforgettogiveyouYOUR
Christmas,oldman,andI’vegotitrightherewithme。"Hetookthefoldedenvelopefromhispocket,and,holdingitinhishandwithhiselbowonthetable,continued,"Idon’tmindtellingyouwhatideaIhadingivingyouwhatI’mgoin’togiveyounow。I’vebeenthinkingaboutitforadayortwo。Amanlikeyoudon’twantmoney——youwouldn’tspendit。Amanlikeyoudon’twantstocksorfancyinvestments,foryoucouldn’tlookafterthem。Amanlikeyoudon’twantdiamondsandjewellery,noragold—headedcane,whenit’sgottobeusedasacrutch。No,sir。Whatyouwantissuthin’thatwon’trunawayfromyou;thatisalwaystherebeforeyouandwon’twearout,andwilllastafteryou’regone。That’sland!Andifitwasn’tthatIhaveswornnevertosellorgiveawaythishouseandthatgarden,ifitwasn’tthatI’veheldoutagintheoldwomanandMamieonthatpoint,youshouldhaveTHIS
houseandTHATgarden。But,mebbee,forthesamereasonthatI’vetoldyou,Iwantthatlandtokeepformyself。ButI’veselectedfouracresofthehillthissideofmyshaft,andhere’sthedeedofit。Assoonasyou’reready,I’llputyouupahouseasbigasthis——thatshallbeyours,withtheland,aslongasyoulive,oldman;andafterthatyourchildren’s。"
"No;nottheirs!"brokeintheoldman,passionately。"Never!"
Mulradyrecoiledforaninstantinalarmatthesuddenandunexpectedvehemenceofhismanner,"Goslow,oldman;goslow,"hesaid,soothingly。"Ofcourse,you’lldowithyourownasyoulike。"Then,asifchangingthesubject,hewentoncheerfully:
"Perhapsyou’llwonderwhyIpickedoutthatspotonthehillside。
Well,first,becauseIreserveditaftermystrikeincasetheleadshouldrunthatway,butitdidn’t。Next,becausewhenyoufirstcamehereyouseemedtoliketheprospect。Youusedtosittherelookingatit,asifitremindedyouofsomething。Youneversaiditdid。Theysayyouwassittingonthatbouldertherewhenyouhadthatlastattack,youknow;but,"headded,gently,"you’veforgottenallaboutit。"
"Ihaveforgottennothing,"saidSlinn,rising,withachokingvoice。"IwishtoGodIhad;IwishtoGodIcould!"
Hewasonhisfeetnow,supportinghimselfbythetable。Thesubtlegenerousliquorhehaddrunkhadevidentlyshakenhisself—
control,andburstthosevoluntarybondshehadputuponhimselfforthelastsixmonths;theinsidiousstimulanthadalsoputastrangevigorintohisbloodandnerves。Hisfacewasflushed,butnotdistorted;hiseyeswerebrilliant,butnotfixed;helookedashemighthavelookedtoMastersinhisstrengththreeyearsbeforeonthatveryhillside。
"Listentome,AlvinMulrady,"hesaid,leaningoverhimwithburningeyes。"Listen,whileIhavebraintothinkandstrengthtoutter,whyIhavelearnttodistrust,fear,andhatethem!Youthinkyouknowmystory。Well,hearthetruthfromMEto—night,AlvinMulrady,anddonotwonderifIhavecause。"
Hestopped,and,withpatheticinefficiency,passedthefingersandinward—turnedthumbofhisparalyzedhandacrosshismouth,asiftocalmhimself。"ThreeyearsagoIwasaminer,butnotaminerlikeyou!Ihadexperience,Ihadscientificknowledge,Ihadatheory,andthepatienceandenergytocarryitout。Iselectedaspotthathadalltheindications,madeatunnel,and,withoutaid,counselorassistanceofanykind,workeditforsixmonths,withoutrestorcessation,andwithscarcelyfoodenoughtosustainmybody。Well,Imadeastrike;notlikeyou,Mulrady,notablunderofgoodluck,afool’sfortune——there,Idon’tblameyouforit——butinperfectdemonstrationofmytheory,therewardofmylabor。Itwasnopocket,butavein,alead,thatIhadregularlyhunteddownandfound——afortune!
"IneverknewhowhardIhadworkeduntilthatmorning;IneverknewwhatprivationsIhadundergoneuntilthatmomentofmysuccess,whenIfoundIcouldscarcelythinkormove!Istaggeredoutintotheopenair。Theonlyhumansoulnearmewasadisappointedprospector,amannamedMasters,whohadatunnelnotfaraway。Imanagedtoconcealfromhimmygoodfortuneandmyfeeblestate,forIwassuspiciousofhim——ofanyone;andashewasgoingawaythatdayIthoughtIcouldkeepmysecretuntilhewasgone。Iwasdizzyandconfused,butIrememberthatImanagedtowritealettertomywife,tellingherofmygoodfortune,andbegginghertocometome;andIrememberthatIsawMastersgo。I
don’trememberanythingelse。Theypickedmeupontheroad,nearthatboulder,asyouknow。"
"Iknow,"saidMulrady,withaswiftrecollectionofthestage—
driver’saccountofhisdiscovery。
"Theysay,"continuedSlinn,tremblingly,"thatIneverrecoveredmysensesorconsciousnessfornearlythreeyears;theysayIlostmymemorycompletelyduringmyillness,andthatbyGod’smercy,whileIlayinthathospital,Iknewnomorethanababe;theysay,becauseIcouldnotspeakormove,andonlyhadmyfoodasnaturerequiredit,thatIwasanimbecile,andthatIneverreallycametomysensesuntilaftermysonfoundmeinthehospital。TheySAY
that——butItellyouto—night,AlvinMulrady,"hesaid,raisinghisvoicetoahoarseoutcry,"Itellyouthatitisalie!IcametomysensesaweekafterIlayonthathospitalcot;IkeptmysensesandmemoryeverafterduringthethreeyearsthatIwasthere,untilHarrybroughthiscold,hypocriticalfacetomybedsideandrecognizedme。Doyouunderstand?I,thepossessorofmillions,laythereapauper。Desertedbywifeandchildren——aspectacleforthecurious,asportforthedoctors——ANDIKNEWIT!Iheardthemspeculateonthecauseofmyhelplessness。Iheardthemtalkofexcessesandindulgences——I,thatneverknewwineorwoman!I
heardapreacherspeakofthefingerofGod,andpointtome。MayGodcursehim!"
"Goslow,oldman;goslow,"saidMulrady,gently。
"Iheardthemspeakofmeasafriendlessman,anoutcast,acriminal——abeingwhomnoonewouldclaim。Theywereright;nooneclaimedme。Thefriendsofothersvisitedthem;relationscameandtookawaytheirkindred;afewluckyonesgotwell;afew,equallylucky,died!Ialonelivedon,uncaredfor,deserted。
"Thefirstyear,"hewentonmorerapidly,"Iprayedfortheircoming。Ilookedforthemeveryday。Ineverlosthope。Isaidtomyself,’Shehasnotgotmyletter;butwhenthetimepassesshewillbealarmedbymysilence,andthenshewillcomeorsendsomeonetoseekme。’Ayoungstudentgotinterestedinmycase,and,bystudyingmyeyes,thoughtthatIwasnotentirelyimbecileandunconscious。Withtheaidofanalphabet,hegotmetospellmynameandtowninIllinois,andpromisedbysignstowritetomyfamily。ButinanevilmomentItoldhimofmycursedfortune,andinthatmomentIsawthathethoughtmeafoolandanidiot。Hewentaway,andIsawhimnomore。YetIstillhoped。Idreamedoftheirjoyatfindingme,andtherewardthatmywealthwouldgivethem。PerhapsIwasalittleweakstill,perhapsalittleflighty,too,attimes;butIwasquitehappythatyear,eveninmydisappointment,forIhadstillhope!"
Hepaused,andagaincomposedhisfacewithhisparalyzedhand;buthismannerhadbecomelessexcited,andhisvoicewasstronger。
"Achangemusthavecomeovermethesecondyear,forIonlydreadedtheircomingnowandfindingmesoaltered。Ahorribleideathattheymight,likethestudent,believemecrazyifIspokeofmyfortunemademepraytoGodthattheymightnotreachmeuntilafterIhadregainedmyhealthandstrength——andfoundmyfortune。Whenthethirdyearfoundmestillthere——Inolongerprayedforthem——Icursedthem!Isworetomyselfthattheyshouldneverenjoymywealth;butIwantedtolive,andletthemknowI
hadit。Ifoundmyselfgettingstronger;butasIhadnomoney,nofriends,andnowheretogo,Iconcealedmyrealconditionfromthedoctors,excepttogivethemmyname,andtotrytogetsomelittleworktodotoenablemetoleavethehospitalandseekmylosttreasure。OnedayIfoundoutbyaccidentthatithadbeendiscovered!Youunderstand——mytreasure!——thathadcostmeyearsoflaborandmyreason;hadleftmeahelpless,forgottenpauper。
ThatgoldIhadneverenjoyedhadbeenfoundandtakenpossessionofbyanother!"
HecheckedanexclamationfromMulradywithhishand。"Theysaytheypickedmeupsenselessfromthefloor,whereImusthavefallenwhenIheardthenews——Idon’tremember——IrecallnothinguntilIwasconfronted,nearlythreeweeksafter,bymyson,whohadcalledatthehospital,asareporterforapaper,andhadaccidentallydiscoveredmethroughmynameandappearance。Hethoughtmecrazy,orafool。Ididn’tundeceivehim。Ididnottellhimthestoryoftheminetoexcitehisdoubtsandderision,or,worse(ifIcouldbringprooftoclaimit),haveitperhapspassintohisungratefulhands。No;Isaidnothing。Ilethimbringmehere。Hecoulddonoless,andcommondecencyobligedhimtodothat。"
"Andwhatproofcouldyoushowofyourclaim?"askedMulrady,gravely。
"IfIhadthatletter——ifIcouldfindMasters,"beganSlinn,vaguely。
"Haveyouanyideawheretheletteris,orwhathasbecomeofMasters?"continuedMulrady,withamatter—of—factgravity,thatseemedtoincreaseSlinn’svaguenessandexcitehisirritability。
"Idon’tknow——Isometimesthink——"Hestopped,satdownagain,andpassedhishandsacrosshisforehead。"Ihaveseenthelettersomewheresince。Yes,"hewenton,withsuddenvehemence,"Iknowit,Ihaveseenit!I——"Hisbrowsknitted,hisfeaturesbegantoworkconvulsively;hesuddenlybroughthisparalyzedhanddown,partlyopened,uponthetable。"IWILLrememberwhere。"
"Goslow,oldman;goslow。"
"Youaskedmeonceaboutmyvisions。Well,thatisoneofthem。I
rememberamansomewhereshowingmethatletter。Ihavetakenitfromhishandsandopenedit,andknewitwasminebythespecimensofgoldthatwereinit。Butwhere——orwhen——orwhatbecameofit,Icannottell。Itwillcometome——itMUSTcometomesoon。"
HeturnedhiseyesuponMulrady,whowasregardinghimwithanexpressionofgravecuriosity,andsaidbitterly,"Youthinkmecrazy。Iknowit。Itneededonlythis。"
"Whereisthismine,"askedMulrady,withoutheedinghim。
Theoldman’seyesswiftlysoughttheground。
"Itisasecret,then?"
"No。"
"Youhavespokenofittoanyone?"
"No。"
"Nottothemanwhopossessesit?"
"No。"
"Why?"
"BecauseIwouldn’ttakeitfromhim。"
"Whywouldn’tyou?"
"Becausethatmanisyourself!"
Intheinstantofcompletesilencethatfollowedtheycouldhearthatthemonotonouspatterofrainontheroofhadceased。
"ThenallthiswasinMYshaft,andtheveinIthoughtIstrucktherewasYOURlead,foundthreeyearsagoinYOURtunnel。Isthatyouridea?"
"Yes。"
"ThenIdon’tsabewhyyoudon’twanttoclaimit。"
"IhavetoldyouwhyIdon’twantitformychildren。Igofurther,now,andItellyou,AlvinMulrady,thatIwaswillingthatyourchildrenshouldsquanderit,astheyweredoing。Ithasonlybeenacursetome;itcouldonlybeacursetothem;butI
thoughtyouwerehappyinseeingitfeedselfishnessandvanity。
Youthinkmebitterandhard。Well,Ishouldhaveleftyouinyourfool’sparadise,butthatIsawto—night,whenyoucamehere,thatyoureyeshadbeenopenedlikemine。You,thepossessorofmywealth,mytreasure,couldnotbuyyourchildren’slovingcareandcompanywithyourmillions,anymorethanIcouldkeepmineinmypoverty。Youwereto—nightlonelyandforsaken,asIwas。Wewereequal,forthefirsttimeinourlives。Ifthatcursedgoldhaddroppeddowntheshaftbetweenusintothehellfromwhichitsprang,wemighthaveclaspedhandslikebrothersacrossthechasm。"
Mulrady,whoinafriendlyshowofbeingathiseasehadnotyetresumedhiscoat,roseinhisshirt—sleeves,and,standingbeforethehearth,straightenedhissquarefigurebydrawingdownhiswaistcoatoneachsidewithtwopowerfulthumbs。Afteramoment’scontemplativesurveyofthefloorbetweenhimandthespeaker,heraisedhiseyestoSlinn。Theyweresmallandcolorless;theforeheadabovethemwaslow,andcrownedwithashockoftawnyreddishhair;eventherudestrengthofhislowerfeatureswasenfeebledbyalong,straggling,goat—likebeard;butforthefirsttimeinhislifethewholefacewasimpressedandtransformedwithastrongandsimpledignity。
"EzfarezIkinsee,Slinn,"hesaid,gravely,"thepintbetweenyouandmeain’ttobesettledbyourchildren,orwotweallowisdooandrightfromthemtous。Aforewepreachatthemforplayingintheslumgullion,andgettin’themselvessplashed,perhapswemoutezwellrememberthatthattharslumgullioncomesfromourownsluice—boxes,wherewewashourgold。Sowe’lljustputTHEM
behindus,so,"hecontinued,withabackwardsweepofhispowerfulhandtowardsthechimney,"andgoeson。Thenextthingthatcropsupaheadofusisyourthreeyearsinthehospital,andwotyouwentthroughatthattime。Iain’tsayin’itwasn’troughonyou,andthatyoudidn’thaveitaboutasbigasit’smade;butezyou’llallowthatyou’dhevhadthatforthreeyears,whetherI’dfoundyourmineorwhetherIhadn’t,IthinkwecanputTHATbehindus,too。There’snothin’nowlefttoprospectbutyourstoryofyourstrike。Well,takeyourownproofs。Mastersisnothere;andifhewas,accordin’toyourownstory,heknowsnothin’ofyourstrikethatday,andcouldonlyproveyouwereadisappointedprospectorinatunnel;yourletter——thatthepersonyouwrotetonevergot——YOUcan’tproduce;andifyoudid,wouldbeonlyyourownstorywithoutproof!Thereisnotabusinessmanezwouldlookatyourclaim;thereisn’tafriendofyoursthatwouldn’tbelieveyouwerecrazy,anddreameditall;thereisn’tarivalofyoursezwouldn’tsayezyou’dinventedit。Slinn,I’mabusinessman——Iamyourfriend——Iamyourrival——butIdon’tthinkyou’relyin’——I
don’tthinkyou’recrazy——andI’mnotsureyourclaimain’tagoodone!
"EfyoureckonfromthatthatI’mgoin’tohandyouoverthemineto—morrow,"hewenton,afterapause,raisinghishandwithadeprecatinggesture,"you’remistaken。Foryourownsake,andthesakeofmywifeandchildren,you’vegottoproveitmoreclearlythanyouhev;butIpromiseyouthatfromthisnightforwardIwillspareneithertimenormoneytohelpyoutodoit。Ihavemorethandoubledtheamountthatyouwouldhavehad,hadyoutakentheminethedayyoucamefromthehospital。Whenyouprovetomethatyourstoryistrue——andwewillfindsomewaytoproveit,ifitIS
true——thatamountwillbeyoursatonce,withouttheneedofawordfromlaworlawyers。Ifyouwantmynametothatinblackandwhite,cometotheofficeto—morrow,andyoushallhaveit。"
"AndyouthinkI’lltakeitnow?"saidtheoldmanpassionately。
"Doyouthinkthatyourcharitywillbringbackmydeadwife,thethreeyearsofmylostlife,theloveandrespectofmychildren?
Ordoyouthinkthatyourownwifeandchildren,whodesertedyouinyourwealth,willcomebacktoyouinyourpoverty?No!Lettheminestay,withitscurse,whereitis——I’llhavenoneofit!"
"Goslow,oldman;goslow,"saidMulrady,quietly,puttingonhiscoat。"Youwilltakethemineifitisyours;ifitisn’t,I’llkeepit。Ifitisyours,youwillgiveyourchildrenachancetoshowhattheycandoforyouinyoursuddenprosperity,asIshallgivemineachancetoshowhowtheycanstandreverseanddisappointment。Ifmyheadislevel——andIreckonitis——they’llbothpanoutallright。"
Heturnedandopenedthedoor。Withaquickrevulsionoffeeling,SlinnsuddenlyseizedMulrady’shandbetweenbothofhisown,andraisedittohislips。Mulradysmiled,disengagedhishandgently,andsayingsoothingly,"Goslow,oldman;goslow,"closedthedoorbehindhim,andpassedoutintotheclearChristmasdawn。
Forthestars,withtheexceptionofonethatseemedtosparklebrightlyovertheshaftofhisformerfortunes,wereslowlypaling。
Aburdenseemedtohavefallenfromhissquareshouldersashesteppedoutsturdilyintothemorningair。Hehadalreadyforgottenthelonelymanbehindhim,forhewasthinkingonlyofhiswifeanddaughter。Andatthesamemomenttheywerethinkingofhim;andintheirelaboratevillaoverlookingtheblueMediterraneanatCanneswerediscussing,intheeventofMamie’smarriagewithPrinceRossoeNegro,thepossibilityofMr。
Mulrady’spayingtwohundredandfiftythousanddollars,thegamblingdebtsofthatunfortunatebutdeeplyconscientiousnobleman。
CHAPTERVI
WhenAlvinMulradyreenteredhisownhouse,henolongernoticeditsloneliness。Whethertheeventsofthelastfewhourshaddrivenitfromhismind,orwhetherhislatereflectionshadrepeopleditwithhisfamilyunderpleasanterauspices,itwouldbedifficulttodetermine。Destituteashewasofimagination,andmatter—of—factinhisjudgments,herealizedhisnewsituationascalmlyashewouldhaveconsideredanybusinessproposition。Whilehewasdecidedtoactuponhismoralconvictionspurely,hewaspreparedtosubmitthefactsofSlinn’sclaimtotheusualpatientandlaboriousinvestigationofhispracticalmind。ItwastheleasthecoulddotojustifythereadyandalmostsuperstitiousassenthehadgiventoSlinn’sstory。
Whenhehadmadeafewmemorandaathisdeskbythegrowinglight,heagaintookthekeyoftheattic,andascendedtotheloftthatheldthetangiblememoriesofhispastlife。Ifhewasstillundertheinfluenceofhisreflections,itwaswithverydifferentsensationsthathenowregardedthem。Wasitpossiblethattheseashesmightbewarmedagain,andthesescatteredembersrekindled?
HispracticalsensesaidNo!whateverhiswishmighthavebeen。A
suddenchillcameoverhim;hebegantorealizetheterriblechangethatwasprobable,morebytheimpossibilityofhisacceptingtheoldorderofthingsthanbyhisvoluntarilyabandoningthenew。
Hiswifeandchildrenwouldneversubmit。Theywouldgoawayfromthisplace,faraway,wherenoreminiscenceofeitherformerwealthorformerpovertycouldobtrudeitselfuponthem。Mamie——hisMamie——shouldnevergobacktothecabin,sincedesecratedbySlinn’sdaughters,andtaketheirplaces。No!Whyshouldshe?——
becauseofthehalf—sick,half—crazydreamsofanoldvindictiveman?
Hestoppedsuddenly。Inmoodilyturningoveraheapofminingclothing,blankets,andindia—rubberboots,hehadcomeuponanoldpickaxe——theonehehadfoundintheshaft;theonehehadcarefullypreservedforayear,andthenforgotten!Whyhadhenotremembereditbefore?Hewasfrightened,notonlyatthissuddenresurrectionoftheproofhewasseeking,butathisownfatefulforgetfulness。WhyhadheneverthoughtofthiswhenSlinnwasspeaking?Asenseofshame,asifhehadvoluntarilywithhelditfromthewrongedman,sweptoverhim。Hewasturningaway,whenhewasagainstartled。
Thistimeitwasbyavoicefrombelow——avoicecallinghim——
Slinn’svoice。Howhadthecrippledmangotheresosoon,andwhatdidhewant?Hehurriedlylaidasidethepick,which,inhisfirstimpulse,hehadtakentothedooroftheloftwithhim,anddescendedthestairs。Theoldmanwasstandingatthedoorofhisofficeawaitinghim。
AsMulradyapproached,hetrembledviolently,andclungtothedoorpostforsupport。
"Ihadtocomeover,Mulrady,"hesaid,inachokedvoice;"Icouldstandittherenolonger。I’vecometobegyoutoforgetallthatIhavesaid;todriveallthoughtofwhatpassedbetweenuslastnightoutofyourheadandmineforever!I’vecometoaskyoutoswearwithmethatneitherofuswilleverspeakofthisagainforever。ItisnotworththehappinessIhavehadinyourfriendshipforthelasthalf—year;itisnotworththeagonyIhavesufferedinitslossinthelasthalf—hour。"
Mulradygraspedhisoutstretchedhand。"P’raps,"hesaid,gravely,"theremayn’tbeanyuseforanotherword,ifyoucanansweronenow。Comewithme。Nomatter,"headded,asSlinnmovedwithdifficulty;"Iwillhelpyou。"
Hehalfsupported,halfliftedtheparalyzedmanupthethreeflightsofstairs,andopenedthedooroftheloft。Thepickwasleaningagainstthewall,wherehehadleftit。"Lookaround,andseeifyourecognizeanything。"
Theoldman’seyesfellupontheimplementinahalf—frightenedway,andthenliftedthemselvesinterrogativelytoMulrady’sface。
"Doyouknowthatpick?"
Slinnraiseditinhistremblinghands。"IthinkIdo;andyet——"
"Slinn!isityours?"
"No,"hesaidhurriedly。
"Thenwhatmakesyouthinkyouknowit?"
"IthasashorthandlelikeoneI’veseen。"
"Andisisn’tyours?"
"No。Thehandleofminewasbrokenandspliced。Iwastoopoortobuyanewone。"
"ThenyousaythatthispickwhichIfoundinmyshaftisnotyours?"
"Yes。"
"Slinn!"
Theoldmanpassedhishandacrosshisforehead,lookedatMulrady,anddroppedhiseyes。"Itisnotmine,"hesaidsimply。
"Thatwilldo,"saidMulrady,gravely。
"Andyouwillnotspeakofthisagain?"saidtheoldman,timidly。
"Ipromiseyou——notuntilIhavesomemoreevidence。"
Hekepthisword,butnotbeforehehadextortedfromSlinnasfulladescriptionofMastersashisimperfectmemoryandstillmoreimperfectknowledgeofhisformerneighborcouldfurnish。Heplacedthis,withalargesumofmoneyandthepromiseofastilllargerreward,inthehandsofatrustworthyagent。WhenthiswasdoneheresumedhisoldrelationswithSlinn,withtheexceptionthatthedomesticlettersofMrs。MulradyandMamiewerenolongerasubjectofcomment,andtheirbillsnolongerpassedthroughhisprivatesecretary’shands。
Threemonthspassed;therainyseasonhadceased,thehillsidesaroundMulrady’sshaftwerebridal—likewithflowers;indeed,therewererumorsofanapproachingfashionablemarriageintheair,andvaguehintsinthe"Record"thatthepresenceofadistinguishedcapitalistmightsoonberequiredabroad。Thefaceofthatdistinguishedmandidnot,however,reflectthegayetyofnaturenortheanticipationofhappiness;onthecontrary,forthepastfewweeks,hehadappeareddisturbedandanxious,andthatrudetranquillitywhichhadcharacterizedhimwaswanting。Peopleshooktheirheads;afewsuggestedspeculations;allagreedonextravagance。
Onemorning,afterofficehours,Slinn,whohadbeenwatchingthecarewornfaceofhisemployer,suddenlyroseandlimpedtohisside。
"Wepromisedeachother,"hesaid,inavoicetremblingwithemotion;"nevertoalludetoourtalkofChristmasEveagainunlesswehadotherproofsofwhatItoldyouthen。Wehavenone;Idon’tbelievewe’lleverhaveanymore。Idon’tcareifweeverdo,andIbreakthatpromisenowbecauseIcannotbeartoseeyouunhappyandknowthatthisisthecause。"
Mulradymadeamotionofdeprecation,buttheoldmancontinued——
"Youareunhappy,AlvinMulrady。Youareunhappybecauseyouwanttogiveyourdaughteradowryoftwohundredandfiftythousanddollars,andyouwillnotusethefortunethatyouthinkmaybemine。"
"Who’sbeentalkingaboutadowry?"askedMulrady,withanangryflush。
"DonCaesarAlvaradotoldmydaughter。"
"Thenthatiswhyhehasthrownoffonmesincehereturned,"saidMulrady,withsuddensmallmalevolence,"justthathemightunloadhisgossipbecauseMamiewouldn’thavehim。Theoldwomanwasrightinwarnin’meaginhim。"
Theoutburstwassounlikehim,andsodwarfedhislargethoughcommonnaturewithitslittleness,thatitwaseasytodetectitsfeminineorigin,althoughitfilledSlinnwithvaguealarm。
"Nevermindhim,"saidtheoldman,hastily;"whatIwantedtosaynowisthatIabandoneverythingtoyouandyours。Therearenoproofs;thereneverwillbeanymorethanwhatweknow,thanwhatwehavetestedandfoundwanting。Isweartoyouthat,excepttoshowyouthatIhavenotliedandamnotcrazy,Iwoulddestroythemontheirwaytoyourhands。Keepthemoney,andspenditasyouwill。Makeyourdaughterhappy,and,throughher,yourself。
Youhavemademehappythroughyourliberality;don’tmakemesufferthroughyourprivation。"
"Itellyouwhat,oldman,"saidMulrady,risingtohisfeet,withanawkwardminglingoffranknessandshameinhismannerandaccent,"IshouldliketopaythatmoneyforMamie,andletherbeaprincess,ifitwouldmakeherhappy。IshouldliketoshutthelanternjawsofthatDonCaesar,who’dbetoogladifanythinghappenedtobreakoffMamie’smatch。ButIshouldn’ttouchthatcapital——unlessyou’dlendittome。Ifyou’lltakeanotefromme,payableifthepropertyeverbecomesyours,I’dthankyou。A
mortgageontheoldhouseandgarden,andthelandsIboughtofDonCaesar,outsidethemine,willscreenyou。"
"Ifthatpleasesyou,"saidtheoldman,withasmile,"haveyourway;andifItearupthenote,itdoesnotconcernyou。"
ItdidpleasethedistinguishedcapitalistofRough—and—Ready;forthenextfewdayshisfaceworeabrightenedexpression,andheseemedtohaverecoveredhisoldtranquillity。Therewas,infact,aslighttouchofconsequenceinhismanner,thefirstostentationhehadeverindulgedin,whenhewasinformedonemorningathisprivateofficethatDonCaesarAlvaradowasinthecounting—house,desiringafewmoments’conference。"Tellhimtocomein,"saidMulrady,shortly。ThedooropeneduponDonCaesar——erect,sallow,andgrave。MulradyhadnotseenhimsincehisreturnfromEurope,andevenhisinexperiencedeyeswerestruckwiththeundeniableeaseandgracewithwhichtheyoungSpanish—Americanhadassimilatedthestyleandfashionofanoldercivilization。Itseemedratherasifhehadreturnedtoafamiliarconditionthanadoptedanewone。
"Takeacheer,"saidMulrady。
TheyoungmanlookedatSlinnwithquietlypersistentsignificance。
"Youcantalkallthesame,"saidMulrady,acceptingthesignificance。"He’smyprivatesecretary。"
"Itseemsthatforthatreasonwemightchooseanothermomentforourconversation,"returnedDonCaesar,haughtily。"DoI
understandyoucannotseemenow?"
Mulradyhesitated,hehadalwaysreveredandrecognizedacertainsocialsuperiorityinDonRamonAlvarado;somehowhisson——ayoungmanofhalfhisage,andonceapossibleson—in—law——appearedtoclaimthatrecognitionalso。Herose,withoutaword,andprecededDonCaesarup—stairsintothedrawing—room。ThealienportraitonthewallseemedtoevidentlytakesideswithDonCaesar,asagainstthecommonintruder,Mulrady。
"IhopedtheSenoraMulradymighthavesavedmethisinterview,"
saidtheyoungman,stiffly;"oratleasthavegivenyousomeintimationofthereasonwhyIseekit。AsyoujustnowproposedmytalkingtoyouinthepresenceoftheunfortunateSenorEsslinnhimself,itappearsshehasnot。"
"Idon’tknowwhatyou’redrivingat,orwhatMrs。Mulrady’sgottodowithSlinnoryou,"saidMulrady,inangryuneasiness。
"DoIunderstand,"saidDonCaesar,sternly,"thatSenoraMulradyhasnottoldyouthatIentrustedtoheranimportantletter,belongingtoSenorEsslinn,whichIhadthehonortodiscoverinthewoodsixmonthsago,andwhichshesaidshewouldrefertoyou?"
"Letter?"echoedMulrady,slowly;"mywifehadaletterofSlinn’s?"
DonCaesarregardedthemillionaireattentively。"ItisasI
feared,"hesaid,gravely。"Youdonotknoworyouwouldnothaveremainedsilent。"HethenbrieflyrecountedthestoryofhisfindingSlinn’sletter,hisexhibitionofittotheinvalid,itsdisastrouseffectuponhim,andhisinnocentdiscoveryofthecontents。"Ibelievedmyselfatthattimeontheeveofbeingalliedwithyourfamily,SenorMulrady,"hesaid,haughtily;"andwhenIfoundmyselfinthepossessionofasecretwhichaffecteditsintegrityandgoodname,Ididnotchoosetoleaveitinthehelplesshandsofitsimbecileowner,orhissillierchildren,butproposedtotrustittothecareoftheSenora,thatsheandyoumightdealwithitasbecameyourhonorandmine。IfollowedhertoParis,andgavehertheletterthere。Sheaffectedtolaughatanypretensionofthewriter,oranyclaimhemighthaveonyourbounty;butshekepttheletter,and,Ifear,destroyedit。Youwillunderstand,SenorMulrady,thatwhenIfoundthatmyattentionswerenolongeragreeabletoyourdaughter,Ihadnolongertherighttospeaktoyouonthesubject,norcouldI,withoutmisapprehension,forcehertoreturnit。Ishouldhavestillkeptthesecrettomyself,ifIhadnotsincemyreturnheremadetheneareracquaintanceofSenorEsslinn’sdaughters。I
cannotpresentmyselfathishouse,asasuitorforthehandoftheSenoritaVashti,untilIhaveaskedhisabsolutionformycomplicityinthewrongthathasbeendonetohim。Icannot,asacaballero,dothatwithoutyourpermission。ItisforthatpurposeIamhere。"
ItneededonlythislastblowtocompletethehumiliationthatwhitenedMulrady’sface。ButhiseyewasnonethelessclearandhisvoicenonethelesssteadyasheturnedtoDonCaesar。
"Youknowperfectlythecontentsofthatletter?"
"Ihavekeptacopyofit。"
"Comewithme。"
Heprecededhisvisitordownthestaircaseandbackintohisprivateoffice。Slinnlookedupathisemployer’sfaceinunrestrainedanxiety。Mulradysatdownathisdesk,wroteafewhurriedlines,andrangabell。Amanagerappearedfromthecounting—room。
"Sendthattothebank。"
Hewipedhispenasmethodicallyasifhehadnotatthatmomentcountermandedtheordertopayhisdaughter’sdowry,andturnedquietlytoSlinn。
"DonCaesarAlvaradohasfoundtheletteryouwroteyourwifeonthedayyoumadeyourstrikeinthetunnelthatisnowmyshaft。
HegavethelettertoMrs。Mulrady;buthehaskeptacopy。"
UnheedingthefrightenedgestureofentreatyfromSlinn,equallywiththeunfeignedastonishmentofDonCaesar,whowasentirelyunpreparedforthisrevelationofMulrady’sandSlinn’sconfidences,hecontinued,"Hehasbroughtthecopywithhim。I
reckonitwouldbeonlysquareforyoutocompareitwithwhatyourememberoftheoriginal。"
InobediencetoagesturefromMulrady,DonCaesarmechanicallytookfromhispocketafoldedpaper,andhandedittotheparalytic。ButSlinn’stremblingfingerscouldscarcelyunfoldthepaper;andashiseyesfelluponitscontents,hisconvulsivelipscouldnotarticulateaword。
"P’rapsI’dbetterreaditforyou,"saidMulrady,gently。"YoukinfollowmeandstopmewhenIgowrong。"
Hetookthepaper,and,indeadsilence,readasfollows:——
"DEARWIFE,——I’vejuststruckgoldinmytunnel,andyoumustgetreadytocomeherewiththechildren,atonce。Itwasaftersixmonths’hardwork;andI’msoweakI……It’safortuneforusall。Weshouldberichevenifitwereonlyabranchveindippingwesttowardsthenexttunnel,insteadofdippingeast,accordingtomytheory——"
"Stop!"saidSlinn,inavoicethatshooktheroom。
Mulradylookedup。
"It’swrong,ain’tit?"heasked,anxiously;"itshouldbeEAST
towardsthenexttunnel。"
"No!IT’SRIGHT!Iamwrong!We’reallwrong!"
Slinnhadrisentohisfeet,erectandinspired。"Don’tyousee,"
healmostscreamed,withpassionatevehemence,"it’sMASTERS’
ABANDONEDTUNNELyourshafthasstruck?Notmine!ItwasMasters’
pickyoufound!Iknowitnow!"
"Andyourowntunnel?"saidMulrady,springingtohisfeetinexcitement。"AndYOURstrike?"
"Isstillthere!"
Thenextinstant,andbeforeanotherquestioncouldbeasked,Slinnhaddartedfromtheroom。Intheexaltationofthatsupremediscoveryheregainedthefullcontrolofhismindandbody。
MulradyandDonCaesar,nolessexcited,followedhimprecipitately,andwithdifficultykeptupwithhisfeverishspeed。TheirwaylayalongthebaseofthehillbelowMulrady’sshaft,andonalinewithMasters’abandonedtunnel。OnlyoncehestoppedtosnatchapickfromthehandofanastonishedChinamanatworkinaditch,ashestillkeptonhisway,aquarterofamilebeyondtheshaft。Herehestoppedbeforeajaggedholeinthehillside。Baredtotheskyandair,theveryopennessofitsabandonment,itsunpropitiousposition,anddistancefromthestrikeinMulrady’sshafthadnodoubtpreserveditsintegrityfromwayfarerorprospector。
"Youcan’tgointherealone,andwithoutalight,"saidMulrady,layinghishandonthearmoftheexcitedman。"Letmegetmorehelpandpropertools。"
"Iknoweverystepinthedarkasinthedaylight,"returnedSlinn,struggling。"Letmego,whileIhaveyetstrengthandreason!
Standaside!"
Hebrokefromthem,andthenextmomentwasswallowedupintheyawningblackness。Theywaitedwithbatedbreathuntil,afteraseemingeternityofnightandsilence,theyheardhisreturningfootsteps,andranforwardtomeethim。Ashewascarryingsomethingclaspedtohisbreast,theysupportedhimtotheopening。
Butatthesamemomenttheobjectofhissearchandhisburden,amisshapenwedgeofgoldandquartz,droppedwithhim,andbothfelltogetherwithequalimmobilitytotheground。HehadstillstrengthtoturnhisfadingeyestotheothermillionaireofRough—
and—Ready,wholeanedoverhim。
"You——see,"hegasped,brokenly,"Iwasnot——crazy!"
No。Hewasdead!