Hathaway，"explainedCaptainStidger，naivelyobliviousofanydiscourtesyontheirpart，ashefollowedHathaway'sglanceandtookhisarmastheymovedaway。"Nottheleastofourtreasures，sir。Mostofthemdaughtersofpioneers——andallCalifornianbredandeducated。Connoisseurshaveawardedthemthepalm，anddeclarethatforGrace，Intelligence，andWoman'sHighestCharmstheEastcannotfurnishtheirequal!"HavingdeliveredthisParthiancomplimentinanoratoricalpassagethroughthedoorway，thecaptaindescended，outside，intofamiliarspeech。"ButIsupposeyouwillfindthatoutforyourselfifyoustayherelong。SanFranciscomightfurnishafittingbridetoCalifornia'syoungestsenator。"
　　"Iamafraidthatmystayheremustbebrief，andlimitedtobusiness，"saidHathaway，whohadmerelynoticedthattheprincipalgirlwashandsomeandoriginal-looking。"Infact，Iamherepartlytoseeanoldacquaintance——ColonelPendleton。"
　　Thethreemenlookedateachothercuriously。"Oh!HarryPendleton，"saidMr。Hoskins，incredulously"Youdon'tknowHIM?"
　　"Anoldpioneer——ofcourse，"interposedShear，explanatorilyandapologetically。"Why，inPaul'stimethecolonelwasabigmanhere。"
　　"Iunderstandthecolonelhasbeenunfortunate，"saidHathaway，gravely；"butinMYtimehewasPresidentoftheElDoradoBank。"
　　"Andthebankhasn'tgotthroughitssettlementyet，"saidHoskins"IhopeYOUain'texpectingtogetanythingoutofit?"
　　"No，"saidHathaway，smiling；"Iwasaboyatthattime，andliveduptomysalary。Iknownothingofhisbankdifficulties，butitalwaysstruckmethatColonelPendletonwashimselfanhonorableman。"
　　"Itain'tthat，"saidCaptainStidgerenergetically，"butthetroublewithHarryPendletonisthathehasn'tgrownwiththeState，andneveradjustedhimselftoit。Andhewon't。HethinkstheMillenniumwasbetweenthefallof'49andthespringof'50，andafterthateverythingdropped。Hebelongstotheolddays，whenaman'ssimpleWORDwasgoodforanyamountifyouknewhim；
　　andtheysaythattheoldbankhadn'tascrapofpaperforhalfthatwasowingtoit。Thatwasallverywell，sir，in'49and'50，and——Luck；butitwon'tdofor'59and'60，and——Business!Andtheoldmancan'tseeit。"
　　"Butheisreadytofightforitnow，asintheoldtime，"saidMr。
　　Slate，"andthat'sanothertroublewithhischronology。He'sdonemoretokeepupduelingthananyothermanintheState，anddon'tknowthewholespiritofprogressandcivilizationisagainstit。"
　　ItwasimpossibletotellfromPaulHathaway'sfacewhetherhissympathywithColonelPendleton'sfoiblesorhisassenttothecriticismsofhisvisitorswasthetruer。Bothwerenodoubtequallysincere。Butthepartywaspresentlyengagedintheabsorptionofrefreshment，which，beingofapurely，spirituousandexhilaratingquality，tendedtoincreasetheirgoodhumorwiththehosttilltheyparted。Eventhenagratuitousadvertisementofhisvirtuesandtheirownintentionsincallinguponhimwasoratoricallyvoicedfromavailableplatformsandlandings，inthehallsandstairways，untilitwasprettywellknownthroughouttheGoldenGateHotelthattheHon。Mr。PaulHathawayhadarrivedfromSacramentoandhadreceiveda"spontaneousovation。"
　　Meantimetheobjectofithaddroppedintoaneasy-chairbythewindowofhisroom，andwasendeavoringtorecallalessprofitablememory。Theprocessofhumanforgetfulnessisnotadifficultonebetweentheagesofeighteenandtwenty-six，andPaulHathawayhadnotonlyfulfilledtheMayor'srequestbyforgettingtheparticularsofacertaintransferthathehadwitnessedintheMayor'soffice，butintheyearsucceedingthatrequest，beingabouttotryhisfortunesinthemountains，hehadformallyconstitutedColonelPendletontoactashisproxyintheadministrationofMrs。Howard'ssingularTrust，inwhich，however，hehadneverparticipatedexceptyearlytosignhisname。Hewas，consequently，somewhatastonishedtohavereceivedaletterafewdaysbeforefromColonelPendleton，askinghimtocallandseehimregardingit。
　　Hevaguelyrememberedthatitwaseightyearsago，andeightyearshadworkedconsiderablechangeintheoriginaltrustees，greatestofallinhissuperiorofficer，theMayor，whohaddiedtheyearfollowing，leavinghistrusteeshiptohissuccessorinoffice，whomPaulHathawayhadneverseen。TheBankofElDorado，despiteMrs。
　　Howard'ssanguinebelief，hadlongbeeninbankruptcy，and，althoughColonelPendletonstillsurvivedit，itwascertainthatnootherpresidentwouldsucceedtohisofficeastrustee，andthatthefunctionwouldlapsewithhim。Paulhimself，asoldieroffortune，althoughhabituallylucky，hadonlylatelysucceededtoaprofession——ifhispoliticalfunctionscouldbesodescribed。Evenwithhisluck，energy，andambition，whileeverythingwaspossible，nothingwassecure。Itseemed，therefore，asifthesoullessofficialmusteventuallyassumethedutiesofthetwosympathizingfriendswhohadoriginatedthem，andhadstoodinlocoparentistotheconstructiveorphan。Themother，Mrs。Howard，haddisappearedayearaftertheTrusthadbeenmade——itwascharitablypresumedinordertopreventanycomplicationsthatmightarisefromherpresenceinthecountry。Withthesefactsbeforehim，PaulHathawaywasmoreconcernedinwonderingwhatPendletoncouldwantwithhimthan，Ifear，anydirectsympathywiththesituation。Onthecontrary，itappearedtohimmorefavorableforkeepingthesecretofMrs。Howard'srelationship，whichwouldnowdiewithColonelPendletonandhimself；andtherewasnodangerofanyemotionalbetrayalofitinthecoldofficialadministrationofamanwhohadreceivedtheTrustthroughtheformalhandsofsuccessivepredecessors。Hehadforgottenthetimelimitedfortheguardianship，butthegirlmustsoonbeofageandofftheirhands。
　　Iftherehadeverbeenanyromanticorchivalrousimpressionleftuponhismemorybythesceneinthemayor'soffice，Ifearhehadputitawaywithvariousotherfoolishillusionsofhisyouth，towhichhenowbelievedhewassuperior。
　　Nevertheless，hewouldseethecolonel，andatonce，andsettlethequestion。Helookedattheaddress，"St。CharlesHotel。"Herememberedanoldhostelryofthatname，nearthePlaza。Coulditbepossiblethatithadsurvivedthealterationsandimprovementsofthecity?Itwasaneasywalkthroughrememberedstreets，yetwithchangedshopsandhousesandfaces。WhenhereachedthePlaza，scarcerecognizableinitslaterfrontagesofbrickandstone，hefoundtheoldwoodenbuildingstillintact，withitsvilla-likegalleriesandverandasincongruouslyandostentatiouslyoverlookedbytwonewandaspiringerectionsoneitherside。Foraninstanthetriedtorecalltheglamourofolddays。Herememberedwhenhisboyisheyesregardeditasthecrowningworkofopulenceanddistinction；herememberedaballgiventhereonsomepublicoccasion，whichwastohimtheacmeofsocialbrilliancyanddisplay。Howtawdryandtrivialitlookedbesidethoselaterandmoresolidstructures!Howinconsistentwerethoselonglatticedverandasandbalconies，patheticrecordofthatfirstillusionofthepioneersthattheirclimatewasatropicalone!Arestaurantandbilliard-saloonhadaggrandizedallofthelowerstory；buttherewasstillthefanlight，overwhichtherememberedtitleof"St。Charles，"ingildedletters，wasnowreinforcedbythetoodemonstrativelegend，"ApartmentsandBoard，bytheDayorWeek。"
　　Wasitpossiblethatthisnarrow，creakingstaircasehadonceseemedtohimthebroadstepsofFameandFortune?Onthefirstlanding，apreoccupiedIrishservant-girl，withamop，directedhimtoadoorattheendofthepassage，atwhichheknocked。Thedoorwasopenedbyagrizzlednegroservant，whowasstillholdingapieceofoilychamois-leatherinhishand；andthecontentsofadueling-case，scattereduponatableinthecentreoftheroom，showedwhathadbeenhisoccupation。AdmittingHathawaywithgreatcourtesy，hesaid:——
　　"MarseHarrybinhavin'hisoletrubble，sah，andbinengagedjustdismomen'onhistoylet；efyo'llaccommodateyo'selfondesofa，Iinformhimyo'isheah。"
　　Asthenegropassedintothenextroom，Paulcastahastyglancearoundtheapartment。Thefurniture，originallyrichandelegant，wasnowwornthreadbareandlustreless。Abook-case，containing，amongothervolumes，afewlawbooks——therebeingavaguetradition，asPaulremembered，thatColonelPendletonhadoncebeenconnectedwiththelaw——afewFrenchchairsoftarnishedgilt，arifleinthecorner，apresentationswordinamahoganycase，afewclassicalprintsonthewalls，andoneortwoirondeed-boxesmarked"ElDoradoBank，"weretheprincipalobjects。Amildflavorofdrydecayandmethylatedspiritspervadedtheapartment。Yetitwasscrupulouslycleanandwellkept，andafewclothesneatlybrushedandfoldedonachairborewitnesstotheservant'scare。
　　AsPaul，however，glancedbehindthesofa，hewasconcernedtoseeacoat，whichhadevidentlybeenthrusthurriedlyinacorner，withthesleevelininginsideout，andaneedleandthreadstillstickingintheseam。Itstruckhiminstantlythatthishadbeenthenegro'soccupation，andthatthepistol-cleaningwasapolitefiction。
　　"Yo''llhavetoskuseMarseHarryseein'yoinbed，buthislaig'spow'fulbadto-day，andhecan'tstand，"saidtheservantreenteringtheroom。"Skuseme，sah，"headdedinadignifiedconfidentialwhisper，halfclosingthedoorwithhishand，"butifyo'wouldn'tmindavoidin''xcitin'orcontroversicaltopicsinyo'
　　conversation，itwouldbedebetterfo'him。"
　　Paulsmilinglyassented，andtheblackretainer，withevenmorethantheusualsolemnceremoniousexaggerationofhisrace，usheredhimintothebedroom。Itwasfurnishedinthesamefadedgloryasthesitting-room，withtheexceptionofalow，ironcamp-bedstead，inwhichthetall，soldierlyfigureofColonelPendleton，cladinthreadbaresilkdressing-gown，wasstretched。Hehadchangedineightyears:hishairhadbecomegray，andwasthinnedoverthesunkentemples，buthisiron-graymoustachewasstillparticularlylongandwellpointed。Hisfaceboremarksofillnessandcare；
　　thereweredeeplinesdowntheangleofthenostrilthatspokeofalternatesavageoutbreakandrepression，andgavehissmileasardonicrigidity。Hisdarkeyes，thatshonewiththeexaltationoffever，fixedPaul'sonentering，andwiththetyrannyofaninvalidneverleftthem。
　　"Well，Hathaway?"
　　WiththesoundofthatvoicePaulfelttheyearsslipaway，andhewasagainaboy，lookingupadmiringlytothestrongman，whonowlayhelplessbeforehim。Hehadenteredtheroomwithafaintsenseofsympathizingsuperiorityandaconsciousnessofhavinghadexperienceincontrollingmen。ButallthisfledbeforeColonelPendleton'sauthoritativevoice；evenitsbrokentonescarriedtheolddominantspiritoftheman，andPaulfoundhimselfadmiringaqualityinhisoldacquaintancethathemissedinhisnewerfriends。
　　"Ihaven'tseenyouforeightyears，Hathaway。Comehereandletmelookatyou。"
　　Paulapproachedthebedsidewithboyishobedience。Pendletontookhishandandgazedathimcritically。
　　"Ishouldhaverecognizedyou，sir，forallyourmoustacheandyourinches。ThelasttimeIsawyouwasinJackHammersley'soffice。
　　Well，Jack'sdead，andhereIam，littlebetter，Ireckon。YourememberHammersley'shouse?"
　　"Yes，"saidPaul，albeitwonderingatthequestion。
　　"Somethinglikethis，Swissvillastyle。IrememberwhenJackputitup。Well，thelasttimeIwasout，Ipassedthere。Andwhatdoyouthinkthey'vedonetoit?"
　　Paulcouldnotimagine。
　　"Well，sir，"saidthecolonelgravely，"they'vechangeditintoachurchmissionaryshopandyoungmen'sChristianreading-room!Butthat's'progress'and'improvement'!"Hepaused，and，slowlywithdrawinghishandfromPaul's，addedwithgrimapology，"You'reyoung，andbelongtothenewschool，perhaps。Well，sir，I'vereadyourspeech；Idon'tbelongtoyourparty——minediedtenyearsago——
　　butIcongratulateyou。George!Confounditwhere'sthatboygone?"
　　Thenegroindicatedbythisyouthfultitle，althoughhemusthavebeentenyearsolderthanhismaster，afterahurriedshufflinginthesitting-roomeventuallyappearedatthedoor。
　　"George，champagneandmaterialsforcocktailsforthegentleman。
　　TheBEST，youunderstand。Nonew-fanglednotionsfromthatnewbarkeeper。"
　　Paul，whothoughtheobservedatroubledblinkinginGeorge'seyelid，andreferredittoafearofpossibleexcitementforhispatient，herebeggedhishostnottotroublehimself——thatheseldomtookanythinginthemorning。
　　"Possiblynot，sir；possiblynot，"returnedthecolonel，hastily。
　　"Iknowthenewideasareprohibitive，andsomeotherblankthing，butyou'resafeherefromyourconstituents，andbygad，sir，I
　　shan'tforceyoutotakeit!It'sMYcustom，Hathaway——anoldone——
　　playedout，perhaps，likealltheothers，butacustomnevertheless，andI'monlysurprisedthatGeorge，whoknowsit，shouldhaveforgottenit。"
　　"Fackis，MarseHarry，"saidGeorge，withfeverishapology，"itbingone'scapedmyminddismo'nin'indeprerogationobbusiness，butI'mgoin'now，shuah!"andhedisappeared。
　　"Agoodboy，sir，butbeginningtobecontaminated。BroughthimherefromNashvilleovertenyearsago。Eightyearsagotheyprovedtohimthathewasnolongeraslave，andmadehimd——dunhappyuntilIpromisedhimitshouldmakenodifferencetohimandhecouldstay。Ihadtosendforhiswifeandchild——ofcourse，adeadlossofeighteenhundreddollarswhentheysetfootintheState——butI'mblankedifheisn'tjustasmiserablewiththemhere，forhehastotaketwohoursinthemorningandthreeintheafternooneverydaytobewith'em。Itriedtogethimtotakehisfamilytotheminesandmakehisfortune，likethosefellowstheycallbankersandoperatorsandstockbrokersnowadays；ortogotoOregonwherethey'llmakehimsomekindofamayororsheriff——
　　buthewon't。HecollectsmyrentsonsomelittlepropertyIhaveleft，andpaysmybills，sir，and，ifthisblankcivilizationwouldonlyleavehimalone，he'dbeagoodenoughboy。"
　　Paulcouldn'thelpthinkingthattherentsGeorgecollectedweresomewhatinconsistentwiththosehewasevidentlymendingwhenhearrived，butatthatmomentthejingleofglasseswasheardinthesitting-room，andtheoldnegroreappearedatthedoor。Drawinghimselfupwithceremoniouscourtesy，headdressedPaul。"Wo'dyo'
　　mind，sah，takingaglanceatdewineforyo'choice?"Paulrose，andfollowedhimintothesitting-room，whenGeorgecarefullyclosedthedoor。TohissurpriseHathawaybeheldatraywithtwoglassesofwhiskeyandbitters，butnowine。"Skuseme，sah，"saidtheoldmanwithdignifiedapology，"butdeKernelwon'thaveanybutdebestchampagneforhono'blegemmenlikeyo'self，andI'sedespairedtosayitcan'tbegotindehouseordesubburbs。DebestchampagnedatwegivesvisitorsisdeWidderGlencoe。Wo'dyo'mind，sah，fordesakeo'not'xcitin'deKernelwidtriflin'
　　culinarymatter，tosaydatyo'don'takebutdeonebrand?"
　　"Certainly，"saidPaul，smiling。"Ireallydon'tcareforanythingsoearly；"then，returningtothebedroom，hesaidcarelessly，"You'llexcusemetakingtheliberty，colonel，ofsendingawaythechampagneandcontentingmyselfwithwhiskey。Eventhebestbrand——
　　theWidowCliquot"——withaglanceatthegratifiedGeorge——"Ifindrathertryingsoearlyinthemorning。"
　　"Asyouplease，Hathaway，"saidthecolonel，somewhatstiffly。"I
　　daresaythere'sanewfashionindrinksnow，andagentleman'sstomachisathingofthepast。Then，Isuppose，wecansparetheboy，asthisishistimeforgoinghome。PutthattinboxwiththeTrustpapersonthebed，George，andMr。Hathawaywillexcuseyourwaiting。"Astheoldservantmadeanexaggeratedobeisancetoeach，Paulremarked，asthedoorcloseduponhim，"Georgecertainlykeepshisstyle，colonel，inthefaceoftheprogressyoudeplore。"
　　"Hewasalwaysa'dandynigger，'"returnedPendleton，hisfaceslightlyrelaxingasheglancedafterhisgrizzledhenchman，"buthisexaggerationofcourtesyisablanksightmorenaturalandmanlythantheexaggerationofdiscourtesywhichyoursuperiorcivilized'helps'thinkisself-respect。Theexcuseofservitudeofanykindisitsspontaneityandaffection。Whenyouknowamanhatesyouandservesyoufrominterest，youknowhe'sacurandyou'reatyrant。It'syourblankprogressthat'smademenialservicedegradingbyteachingmentoavoidit。Why，sir，whenI
　　firstarrivedhere，JackHammersleyandmyselftookturnsascooktotheparty。Ididn'tconsidermyselfanytheworsemasterforit。Butenoughofthis。"Hepaused，and，raisinghimselfonhiselbow，gazedforsomesecondshalfcautiously，halfdoubtfully，uponhiscompanion。"I'vegotsomethingtotellyou，Hathaway，"hesaid，slowly。"You'vehadaneasytimewiththisTrust；yourshareoftheworkhasn'tworriedyou，keptyouawakenights，orinterferedwithyourcareer。Iunderstandperfectly，"hecontinued，inreplytoHathaway'sdeprecatinggesture。"Iacceptedtoactasyourproxy，andIHAVE。I'mnotcomplaining。ButitistimethatyoushouldknowwhatI'vedone，andwhatyoumaystillhavetodo。Hereistherecord。OnthedayafterthatinterviewintheMayor'soffice，theElDoradoBank，ofwhichIwas，andstillam，president，receivedseventy-fivethousanddollarsintrustfromMrs。Howard。Twoyearsafterwards，onthatsameday，thebankhad，byluckyspeculations，increasedthatsumtothecreditofthetrustonehundredandfiftythousanddollars，ordoubletheoriginalcapital。Inthefollowingyearthebanksuspendedpayment。"
　　CHAPTERII。
　　InaninstantthewholesituationandhisrelationstoitflasheduponPaulwithaterrible，butalmostgrotesque，completeness。
　　Herehewas，attheoutsetofhiscareer，responsibleforthewastedfortuneofthedaughterofasocialoutcast，andsaddledwithhersupport!HenowknewwhyColonelPendletonhadwishedtoseehim；foroneshamefulmomenthebelievedhealsoknewwhyhehadbeencontenttotakehisproxy!Thequestionablecharacterofthewholetransaction，hisowncarelessness，whichsprangfromthatveryconfidenceandtrustthatPendletonhadlatelyextolled——whatWOULD，whatCOULDnotbemadeofit!Healreadyheardhimselfabusedbyhisopponents——perhaps，moreterriblestill，faintlyexcusedbyhisfriends。Allthiswasvisibleinhispalefaceandflashingeyesasheturnedthemonthehelplessinvalid。
　　ColonelPendletonreceivedhislookwiththesamecritical，half-
　　curiousscrutinythathadaccompaniedhisspeech。Atlasthisfacechangedslightly，afaintlookofdisappointmentcrossedhiseyes，andasardonicsmiledeepenedthelinesofhismouth。
　　"There，sir，"hesaidhurriedly，asifdismissinganunpleasantrevelation；"don'talarmyourself!Takeadrinkofthatwhiskey。
　　Youlookpale。Well；turnyoureyesonthosewalls。Youdon'tseeanyofthatmoneylaidouthere——doyou?Lookatme。Idon'tlooklikeamanenrichedwithotherpeople'smoney——doI?Well，letthatcontentyou。EverydollarofthatTrustfund，Hathaway，withalltheinterestsandprofitsthathaveaccruedtoit，isSAFE!
　　EverycentofitislockedupingovernmentbondswithRothschild'sagent。Therearethereceipts，datedaweekbeforethebanksuspended。ButenoughofTHAT——THATisn'twhatIaskedyoutocomeandseemefor。"
　　ThebloodhadrushedbacktoPaul'scheeksuncomfortably。Hesawnow，asimpulsivelyashehadpreviouslysuspectedhisco-trustee，thatthemanhadprobablyruinedhimselftosavetheTrust。Hestammeredthathehadnotquestionedthemanagementofthefundnoraskedtowithdrawhisproxy。
　　"Nomatter，sir，"saidthecolonel，impatiently；"youhadtheright，andIsuppose，"headdedwithhalf-concealedscorn，"itwasyourduty。Butletthatpass。Themoneyissafeenough；but，Mr。
　　Hathaway，——andthisisthepointIwanttodiscusswithyou，——itbeginstolookasiftheSECRETwassafenolonger!"HehadraisedhimselfwithsomepainanddifficultytodrawnearertoPaul，andhadagainfixedhiseyeseagerlyuponhim。ButPaul'sresponsiveglancewassovaguethatheaddedquickly，"Youunderstand，sir；I
　　believethattherearehounds——Isayhounds!——whowouldbeabletoblurtoutatanymomentthatthatgirlatSantaClaraisKateHoward'sdaughter。"
　　AtanyothermomentPaulmighthavequestionedthegravityofanysuchcontingency，buttheterribleearnestnessofthespeaker，hisdominanttone，andacertainrespectwhichhadlatelysprungupinhisbreastforhim，checkedhim，andheonlyaskedwithasmuchconcernashecouldmasterforthemoment:——
　　"Whatmakesyouthinkso?"
　　"That'swhatIwanttotellyou，Hathaway，andhowI，andIalone，amresponsibleforit。WhenthebankwasindifficultyandImadeupmymindtoguardtheTrustwithmyownpersonalandprivatecapital，Iknewthattheremightbesomecommentonmyaction。Itwasadelicatemattertoshowanypreferenceorexclusionatsuchamoment，andItooktwoorthreeofmybrotherdirectorswhomI
　　thoughtIcouldtrustintomyconfidence。Itoldthemthewholestory，andhowtheTrustwassacred。Imadeamistake，sir，"
　　continuedPendletonsardonically，"agravemistake。Ididnottakeintoaccountthateveninthreeyearscivilizationandreligionhadgainedgroundhere。Therewasahoundthere——ablankJudasintheTrust。Well；hedidn'tseeit。IthinkhetalkedScriptureandmorality。Hesaidsomethingaboutthewagesofsinbeinginfamous，andonlyworthyofconfiscation。Hetalkedaboutthesinsofthefatherbeingvisiteduponthechildren，andjustly。Istoppedhim。
　　Well!Doyouknowwhat'sthematterwithmyankle?Look!"Hestoppedand，withsomedifficultyandinvinciblegravity，throwingasidehisdressing-gown，turneddownhisstocking，andexposedtoPaul'sgazethehealedcicatrixofanoldbullet-wound。"Troubledmedamnablynearayear。WhereIhitHIM——hasn'ttroubledhimatallsince!
　　"Ithink，"continuedthecolonel，fallingbackuponthepillowwithanairofrelief，"thathetoldothers——ofhisownkidney，sir，——
　　thoughitwasasecretamonggentlemen。Buttheyhavepreferredtobesilentnow——thanAFTERWARDS。TheyknowthatI'mready。ButI
　　can'tkeepthisuplong；sometime，youknow，they'reboundtoimproveinpracticeandhithigherup!AsfarasI'mconcerned，"
　　headded，withagrimglancearoundthefadedwallsandthreadbarefurniture，"itdon'tmind；butmineisn'tthemouthtobestopped。"
　　Hepaused，andthenabruptly，yetwithasuddenandpatheticdroppingofhisdominantnote，said:"Hathaway，you'reyoung，andHammersleylikedyou——what'stobedone?Ithoughtofpassingovermytoolstoyou。Youcanshoot，andIhearyouHAVE。Buttheh——lofitisthatifyoudroppedamanortwopeoplewouldaskWHY，andwanttoknowwhatitwasabout；while，whenIdo，nobodyherethinksitanythingbutMYWAY!Idon'tmeanthatitwouldhurtyouwiththecrowdtowipeoutoneortwoofthesehoundsduringthecanvass，butthetroubleisthattheybelongtoYOURPARTY，and，"
　　headdedgrimly，"thatwouldn'thelpyourcareer。"
　　"But，"saidPaul，ignoringthesarcasm，areyounotmagnifyingtheeffectofadisclosure?Thegirlisanheiress，excellentlybroughtup。Whowillbotherabouttheantecedentsofthemother，whohasdisappeared，whomsheneverknew，andwhoislegallydeadtoher?"
　　"Inmyday，sir，noonewhoknewthecircumstances，"returnedthecolonel，quickly。"ButwearelivinginablessederaofChristianretributionandcivilizedpropriety，andIbelievetherearealotofmenandwomenaboutwhohavenootherwayofshowingtheirownvirtuethanbyshowingupanother'svice。We'reinareactionofreform。It'stheolddrunkardswhoarealwaysmoreclamorousfortotalabstinencethanthemoderatelytemperate。Itellyou，Hathaway，therecouldn'tbeanunluckiermomentforoursecretcomingout。"
　　"Butshewillbeofagesoon。"
　　"Intwomonths。"
　　"Andsuretomarry。"
　　"Marry!"repeatedPendleton，withgrimirony。"WouldYOUmarryher?"
　　"That'sanotherquestion，"saidtheyoungman，promptly，"andoneofindividualtaste；butitdoesnotaffectmygeneralbeliefthatshecouldeasilyfindahusbandasgoodandbetter。"
　　"SupposeshefoundoneBEFOREthesecretisout。Oughthebetold?"
　　"Certainly。"
　　"AndthatwouldimplytellingHER?"
　　"Yes，"saidPaul，butnotsopromptly。"AndyouconsiderTHAT
　　fulfillingthepromiseoftheTrust——thepledgesexchangedwiththatwoman?"continuedPendleton，withglitteringeyesandareturntohisowndominanttone。
　　"Mydearcolonel，"saidPaul，somewhatlesspositively，butstillsmiling，"youhavemadearomantic，almostimpossiblecompactwithMrs。Howardthat，youyourselfarenowobligedtoadmit，circumstancesmaypreventyourcarryingoutsubstantially。Youforget，also，thatyouhavejusttoldmethatyouhavealreadybrokenyourpledge——undercircumstances，itistrue，thatdoyouhonor——andthatnowyourdesperateattemptstoretrieveithavefailed。Now，Ireallyseenothingwronginyourtellingtoapresumptivewell-wisherofthegirlwhatyouhavetoldtoherenemy。"
　　Therewasadeadsilence。Theprostratemanutteredaslightgroan，asifinpain，anddrewuphislegtochangehisposition。
　　Afterapause，hesaid，inarestrainedvoice，"Idifferfromyou，Mr。Hathaway；butenoughofthisforthepresent。Ihavesomethingelsetosay。ItwillbenecessaryforoneofustogoatoncetoSantaClaraandseeMissYerbaBuena。"
　　"Goodheavens!"saidPaul，quickly。"DoyoucallherTHAT?"
　　"Certainly，sir。Yougaveherthename。Haveyouforgotten?"
　　"Ionlysuggestedit，"returnedPaul，hopelessly；"butnomatter——
　　goon。"
　　"Icannotgothere，asyousee，"continuedPendleton，withawearygesturetowardshiscrippledankle；"andIshouldparticularlylikeyoutoseeherbeforewemakethejointdispositionofheraffairswiththeMayor，twomonthshence。Ihavesomepapersyoucanshowher，andIhavealreadywrittenaletterintroducingyoutotheLadySuperiorattheconvent，andtoher。Youhaveneverseenher?"
　　"No，"saidPaul。"Butofcourseyouhave?"
　　"Notforthreeyears。"
　　Paul'seyesevidentlyexpressedsomewonder，foramomentafterthecoloneladded，"Ibelieve，Hathaway，Iamlookeduponasaqueersurvivalofaratherlawlessandimproperpast。Atleast，Ihavethoughtitbetternotsociallytocompromiseherbymypresence。
　　TheMayorgoesthere——attheexaminationsandexercises，Ibelieve，sir；theymakeasortofreceptionforhim——witha——a——banquet——
　　lemonadeandspeeches。"
　　"IhadintendedtoleaveforSacramentoto-morrownight，"saidPaul，glancingcuriouslyatthehelplessman；"butIwillgothereifyouwish。"
　　"Thankyou。Itwillbebetter。"
　　Therewereafewwordsoffurtherexplanationofthepapers，andPendletonplacedthepacketinhisvisitor'shands。Paulrose。
　　Somehow，itappearedtohimthattheroomlookedmorefadedandforgottenthanwhenheenteredit，andthefigureofthemanbeforehimmorelonely，helpless，andabandoned。Withoneofhissympatheticimpulseshesaid:——
　　"Idon'tliketoleaveyouherealone。AreyousureyoucanhelpyourselfwithoutGeorge?CanIdoanythingbeforeIgo?"
　　"Iamquiteaccustomedtoit，"saidPendleton，quietly。"Ithappensonceortwiceayear，andwhenIgoout——well——ImissmorethanIdohere。"
　　HetookPaul'sprofferedhandmechanically，withaslightreturnofthecritical，doubtinglookhehadcastuponhimwhenheentered。
　　hisvoice，too，hadquiterecovereditsolddominance，ashesaid，withhalf-patronizingconventionality，"You'llhavetofindyourwayoutalone。LetmeknowhowyouhavespedatSantaClara，willyou?Good-by。"
　　ThestaircaseandpassageseemedtohavegrownshabbierandmeanerasPaul，slowlyandhesitatingly，descendedtothestreet。Atthefootofthestairshepausedirresolutely，andloiteredwithavagueideaofturningbackonsomepretense，onlythathemightrelievehimselfofthesenseofdesertion。Hehadalreadydetermineduponmakingthatinquiryintothecolonel'spersonalandpecuniaryaffairswhichhehadnotdaredtoofferpersonally，andhadahalf-formedplanoftestinghisownpowerandpopularityinacertainlineofreliefthatatoncesatisfiedhissympathiesandambitions。Nevertheless，afterreachingthestreet，helingeredamoment，whenanoddideaoftemporizingwithhisinclinationsstruckhim。Atthefartherendofthehotel——oneoftheparasiteslivingonitsdecayedfortunes——wasasmallbarber'sshop。Byhavinghishairtrimmedandhisclothesbrushedhecouldlingeralittlelongerbeneaththesameroofwiththehelplesssolitary，andperhapscometosomeconclusion。Heenteredthecleanbutscantilyfurnishedshop，andthrewhimselfintooneofthenearestchairs，hardlynotingthattherewerenoothercustomers，andthatasingleassistant，stroppingarazorbehindaglassdoor，wastheonlyoccupant。Buttherewasafamiliarnoteofexaggeratedpolitenessaboutthevoiceofthismanasheopenedthedoorandcametowardsthebackofthechairwiththeformula:——
　　"Mo'nin'，sah!Shallwehabdepleshureofshavin'orhah-cuttin'
　　dismo'nin'?"Paulraisedhiseyesquicklytothemirrorbeforehim。ItreflectedtheblackfaceandgrizzledhairofGeorge。
　　Morerelievedatfindingtheoldservantstillnearhismasterthancaringtocomprehendthereason，Hathawaysaidpleasantly，"Well，George，isthisthewayyoulookafteryourfamily?"
　　Theoldmanstarted；foraninstanthisfullredlipsseemedtobecomedryandashen，thewhitesofhiseyesweresuffusedandstaring，ashemetPaul'ssmilingfaceintheglass。Butalmostasquicklyherecoveredhimself，and，withapolitebutdeprecatingbow，said，——"ForGodsake，sah!Iadmitdesarkumstancesisaginme，butdesimplefackisdatI'mtemper'lyoccupyin'deplaceofanolefrien'，sah，whoiscalledrounddecornah。"
　　"AndI'mdevilishgladofanyfact，George，thatgivesmeachanceofhavingmyhaircutbyColonelPendleton'sright-handman。Sofireaway!"
　　Thegratifiedsmilewhichnowsuddenlyoverspreadthewholeoftheoldman'sface，andseemedtoquicklystiffentheruggedandwrinkledfingersthathadatfirsttrembledindrawingapairofshearsfromaraggedpocket，appearedtosatisfyPaul'scuriosityforthepresent。Butafterafewmoments'silentsnipping，duringwhichhecoulddetectinthemirrorsometracesofagitationstilltwitchingthenegro'sface，hesaidwithanairofconviction:——
　　"Lookhere，George——whydon'tyouregularlyuseyourleisuremomentsinthistrade?You'dmakeyourfortunebyyourtasteandskillatit。"
　　Forthenexthalfminutetheoldman'sframeshookwithsilentchildlikelaughterbehindPaul'schair。"Well，MarseHathaway，yo'sanolefrien'o'mymassa，andagemmanyo'self，sah，andasenetah，andIdo'anmindtellin'yo'——dat'sjesswhatIbingonedone!Itmakesalittlereadymoneyfordeolewomananddechilleren。ButdeKerneldon'no'。Ah，sah!deKernelkillmeorhisselfifhesomuchas'spicionedme。DeKernelishigh-toned，sah!——bein'agemmanyo'self，yo'understand。Hewouldn'theahobhisniggahworken'fortwomassas——forallhe'swillen'tolemmegoandhelpmyse'f。But，Lordblessyo'，sah，datain'tindecategory!DeKernelcouldn'tgetalongwidoutme。"
　　"Youcollecthisrents，don'tyou?"saidPaul，quietly。
　　"Yes，sah。"
　　"Much?"
　　"Well，no，sah；notsomuchasfom'ly，sah!Yo'see，deKernel'sprop'tyliesindeolepartsobdetown，wheredepo'whitefolkslib，anddeyain'treg'lar。DeKerneldatsof'inhisheart，hedaren'press'em；someof'emisolefo'ty-niners，likehisself，sah；andsomeisSpanish，sah，anddeyissof'too，andain'tnomoregumptiondanchilleren，andtinkit'soletimecomeag'in，anddey'sindeoleplaceslikeafo'deMexicanwah!anddeydon'binpayin'noffin'。Butwegetsalong，sah，——wegetsalong，——notindeprimafaciestyle，sah!mebbenotindemoddenwaydutdeKerneldon'tlike；butwekeepsourse'f，sah，andhaswinefo'ourfriends。Whenyo'comeagain，sah，yo''llfinddeWidderGlencoeondesideboard。"
　　"Hasthecolonelmanyfriendshere?"
　　"Mos'deoleonesbindonegone，sah，anddeKerneldon'cottontodenew。Hedon'mixmuchinsassietytilldebanksettlementsbingonedone。Skuseme，sah!——butyoudon'happentoknowwhendatis?Itwouldbeapow'fulheapoffdeKernel'smindifitwasdone。Bein'ahighandmightymanincommitteesupdahinSacramento，sah，Ididn'tknowbutwhatyo'mightknowasitmightcomebefo'yo'。"
　　"I'llseeaboutit，"saidPaul，withanodd，abstractedsmile。
　　"Shampoodismornen'，sah?"
　　"Nothingmoreinthisline，"saidPaul，risingfromhischair，"butsomethingmore，perhaps，inthelineofyourotherduties。You'reagoodbarberforthepublic，George，andIdon'ttakebackwhatI
　　saidaboutyourfuture；butJUSTNOWIthinkthecolonelwantsallyourservice。He'snotatallwell。Takethis，"hesaid，puttingatwenty-dollargoldpieceintheastonishedservant'shand，"andforthenextthreeorfourdaysdroptheshop，andundersomepretextoranotherarrangetobewithhim。Thatmoneywillcoverwhatyoulosehere，andassoonasthecolonel'sallrightagainyoucancomebacktowork。Butareyounotafraidofbeingrecognizedbysomeone?"
　　"No，sah，dat'sjustit。On'ystrangersdatdon'tknownobettercomeyere。"
　　"Butsupposeyourmastershoulddropin?It'squiteconvenienttohisrooms。"
　　"MarseHarryinabarber-shop!"saidtheoldmanwithasilentlaugh。"Skuseme，sah，"headded，withanapologeticmixtureofrespectanddignity，"butfo'twentyyearsnomanheztoucheddeKernel'schinbutmyself。WhenMarseHarryheztogotoabarber'sshop，itwon'tmakenomatterwho'sdar。"
　　"Let'shopehewillnot，"saidPaulgayly；then，anxioustoevadethegratitudewhich，sincehismunificence，hehadseenbeamingintheoldnegro'seyeandevidentlytryingtofindpolysyllabicandelevatedexpressiononhislips，hesaidhurriedly，"IshallexpecttofindyouwiththecolonelwhenIcallagaininadayortwo，"
　　andsmilinglydeparted。