UponpressurehewouldalsohaveconfessedtothePhineasC。Buthedidnotconsideritgoodpracticetovolunteerinformation。"Ididnotreceiveyourcard，"hecontinued，bywayofrebuke，"soI——"
"Iknowyoudidn't，"remarkedthevisitor，coolly；
"Andyouwon'tjustyet。Lightup？"Hethrewalegoveranarmofhischair，andtossedahandfulofrich-
huedcigarsuponthetable。LawyerGoochknewthebrand。Hethawedjustenoughtoaccepttheinvitationtosmoke。
"Youareadivorcelawyer，"saidthecardlessvisitor。
Thistimetherewasnointerrogationinhisvoice。Nordidhiswordsconstituteasimpleassertion。Theyformedacharge——adenunciation——asonewouldsaytoadog:
"Youareadog。"LawyerGoochwassilentundertheimputation。
"Youhandle，"continuedthevisitor，"allthevariousramificationsofbusted-upconnubiality。Youareasurgeon，wemightsaw，whoextractsCupid'sdartswhenheshoots'emintothewrongparties。Youfurnishpatent，incandescentlightsforpremiseswherethetorchofHymenhasburnedsolowyoucan'tlightacigaratit。
AmIright，Mr。Gooch？"
"Ihaveundertakencases，"saidthelawyer，guardedly，"inthelinetowhichyourfigurativespeechseemstorefer。
Doyouwishtoconsultmeprofessionally，Mr——"
Thelawyerpaused，withsignificance。
"Notyet，"saidtheother，withanarchwaveofhiscigar，"notjustyet。Letusapproachthesubjectwiththecautionthatshouldhavebeenusedintheoriginalactthatmakesthispow-wownecessary。Thereexistsamatrimonialjumbletobestraightenedout。ButbeforeIgiveyounamesIwantyourhonest——well，anyhow，yourprofessionalopiniononthemeritsofthemix-up。
Iwantyoutosizeupthecatastrophe——abstractly——youunderstand？I'mMr。Nobody；andI'vegotastorytotellyou。Thenyousaywhat'swhat。Doyougetmywireless？"
"Youwanttostateahypotheticalcase？"suggestedLawyerGooch。
"That'sthewordIwasafter。'Apothecary'wasthebestshotIcouldmakeatitinmymind。Thehypo-
theticalgoes。I'llstatethecase。Supposethere'sawoman——adeucedfine-lookingwoman——whohasrunawayfromherhusbandandhome？She'sbadlymashedonanothermanwhowenttohertowntoworkupsomerealestatebusiness。Now，wemayaswellcallthiswoman'shusbandThomasR。Billings，forthat'shisname。I'mgivingyoustraighttipsonthecognomens。
TheLothariochapisHenryK。Jessup。TheBillingseslivedinalittletowncalledSusanville——agoodmanymilesfromhere。Now，JessupleavesSusanvilletwoweeksago。ThenextdayMrs。Billingsfollowshim。
She'sdeadgoneonthismanJessup；youcanbetyourlawlibraryonthat。"
LawyerGooch'sclientsaidthiswithsuchunctuoussatisfactionthateventhecallouslawyerexperiencedaslightrippleofrepulsion。Henowsawclearlyinhisfatuousvisitortheconceitofthelady-killer，theegoisticcomplacencyofthesuccessfultrifler。
"Now，"continuedthevisitor，"supposethisMrs。
Billingswasn'thappyathome？We'llsaysheandherhusbanddidn'tgeeworthacent。They'vegotincom-
patibilitytoburn。Thethingsshelikes，Billingswouldn'thaveasagiftwithtrading-stamps。It'sTabbyandRoverwiththemallthetime。She'saneducatedwomaninscienceandculture，andshereadsthingsoutloudatmeetings。Billingsisnoton。Hedon'tappreciatepro-
gressandobelisksandethics，andthingsofthatsort。OldBillingsissimplyablinkwhenitcomestosuchthings。
Theladyisoutandoutabovehisclass。Now，lawyer，don'titlooklikeafairequalizationofrightsandwrongsthatawomanlikethatshouldbeallowedtothrowdownBillingsandtakethemanthatcanappreciateher？
"Incompatibility，"saidLawyerGooch，"isundoubt-
edlythesourceofmuchmaritaldiscordandunhappiness。
Whereitispositivelyproved，divorcewouldseemtobetheequitableremedy。Areyou——excuseme——isthismanJessuponetowhomtheladymaysafelytrustherfuture？"
"Oh，youcanbetonJessup，"saidtheclient，withaconfidentwagofhishead。"Jessup'sallright。He'lldothesquarething。Why，heleftSusanvillejusttokeeppwplefromtalkingaboutMrs。Billings。Butshefol-
lowedhimup，andnow，ofcourse，he'llsticktoher。
Whenshegetsadivorce，alllegalandproper，Jessuptheproperthing。"
"Andnow，"saidLawyerGooch，"continuingthehypo-
ifyouprefer，andsupposingthatmyservicesshouldiredinthecase，what——"
Theclientroseimpulsivelytohisfeet。
"Oh，dangthehypotheticalbusiness，"heexclaimed，impatiently。"Let'sletherdrop，andgetdowntostraighttalk。YououghttoknowwhoIambythistime。
Iwantthatwomantohaveherdivorce。I'llpayforit。ThedayyousetMrs。BillingsfreeI'llpayyoufivehundreddollars。"
LawyerGooch'sclientbangedhisfistuponthetabletopunctuatehisgenerosity。
"Ifthatisthecase——"beganthelawyer。
"Ladytoseeyou，sir，"bawledArchibald，bouncinginfromhisanteroom。Hehadorderstoalwaysannounceimmediatelyanyclientthatmightcome。Therewasnosenseinturningbusinessaway。
LawyerGoochtookclientnumberonebythearmandledhimsuavelyintooneoftheadjoiningrooms。"Favourmebyremaininghereafewminutes，sir，"saidhe。"I
willreturnandresumeourconsultationwiththeleastpossibledelay。Iamratherexpectingavisitfromaverywealthyoldladyinconnectionwithawill。Iwillnotkeepyouwaitinglong。"
Thebreezygentlemanseatedhimselfwithobligingacquiescence，audtookupamagazine。Thelawyerreturnedtothemiddleoffice，carefullyclosingbehindhimtheconnectingdoor。
"Showtheladyin，Archibald，"hesaidtotheofficeboy，whowasawaitingtheorder。
Atalllady，ofcommandingpresenceandsternlyhand-
some，enteredtheroom。Sheworerobes——robes；notclothes——ampleandfluent。Inhereyecouldbeper-
ceivedthelambentflameofgeniusandsoul。Inherhandwasagreenbagofthecapacityofabushel，andanumbrellathatalsoseemedtoweararobe，ampleandfluent。Sheacceptedachair。
"AreyouMr。PhineasC。Gooch，thelawyer？"sheasked，informalandunconciliatorytones。
"Iam，"answeredLawyerGooch，withoutcircum-
locution。Henevercircumlocutedwhendealingwithawoman。Womencircumlocute。Timeiswastedwhenbothsidesindebateemploythesametactics。
"Asalawyer，sir，"beganthelady，"youmayhaveacquiredsomeknowledgeofthehumanheart。Doyoubelievethatthepusillanimousandpettyconventionsofourartificialsociallifeshouldstandasanobstacleinthewayofanobleandaffectionateheartwhenitfindsitstruemateamongthemiserableandworthlesswretchesintheworldthatarecalledmen？"
"Madam，"saidLawyerGooch，inthetonethatheusedincurbinghisfemaleclients，"thisisanofficeforconductingthepracticeoflaw。Iamalawyer，notaphilosopher，northeeditorofan'AnswerstotheLovelorn'columnofanewspaper。Ihaveotherclientswaiting。Iwillaskyoukindlytocometothepoint。"
"Well，youneedn'tgetsostiffaroundthegillsaboutit，"saidthelady，withasnapofherluminousevesandastartlinggyrationofherumbrella。"BusinessiswhatI'vecomefor。Iwantyouropinioninthematterofasuitfordivorce，asthevulgarwouldcallit，butwhichisreallyonlythereadjustmentofthefalseandignoblecon-
ditionsthattheshort-sihhtedlawsofmanhaveinterposedbetweenaloving——"
"Ibegyourpardon，madam，"interruptedLawyerGooch，withsomeimpatience，"forremindingyouagainthatthisisalawoffice。PerhapsMrs。Wilcox——"
"Mrs。Wilcoxisallright，"cutinthelady，withahintofasperity。"AndsoareTolstoi，andMrs。GertrudeAtherton，andOmarKhayyam，andMr。EdwardBok。
I'veread'emall。Iwouldliketodiscusswithyouthedivinerightofthesoulasopposedtothefreedom-destroy-
ingrestrictionsofabigotedandnarrow-mindedsociety。
ButIwillproceedtobusiness。Iwouldprefertolaythematterbeforeyouinanimpersonalwayuntilvoupassuponitsmerits。Thatistodescribeitasasup-
posableinstance，without——"
"Youwishtostateahypotheticalcase？"saidLawyerGooch。
"Iwasgoingtosaythat，"saidthelady，sharply。
"Now，supposethereisawomanwhoisallsoulandheartandaspirationsforacompleteexistence。Thiswomanhasahusbandwhoisfarbelowherinintellect，intaste——ineverything。Bah!heisabrute。Hedespisesliterature。Hesneersattheloftythoughtsoftheworld'sgreatthinkers。Hethinksonlyofrealestateandsuchsordidthings。Heisnomateforawomanwithsoul。
Wewillsaythatthisunfortunatewifeonedaymeetswithherideal-amanwithbrainandheartandforce。
Sheloveshim。Althoughthismanfeelsthethrillofanew-foundaffinityheistoonoble，toohonourabletodeclarehimself。Hefliesfromthepresenceofhisbeloved。Shefliesafterhim，trampling，withsuperbindifference，uponthefetterswithwhichanunenlightenedsocialsystemwouldbindher。Now，whatwilladivorcecost？ElizaAnnTimmins，thepoetessofSycamoreGap，gotoneforthreehundredandfortydollars。CanI——
ImeancanthisladyIspeakofgetonethatcheap？"
"Madam，"saidLawyerGooch，"yourlasttwoorthreesentencesdelightmewiththeirintelligenceandclearness。Canwenotnowabandonthehypotheticalandcomedowntonamesandbusiness？"
"Ishouldsayso，"exclaimedthelady，adoptingthepracticalwithadmirablereadiness。"ThomasR。Bil-
lingsisthenameofthelowbrutewhostandsbetweenthehappinessofhislegal——hislegal，butnothisspiri-
tual——wifeandHenryK。Jessup，thenoblemanwhomnatureintendedforhermate。I，"concludedtheclient，withanairofdramaticrevelation，"amMrs。Billings!"
"Gentlementoseeyou，sir，"shoutedArchibald，invad-
ingtheroomalmostatahandspring。LawyerGoocharosefromhischair。
"Mrs。Billings，"hesaidcourteously，"allowmetoconductyouintotheadjoiningofficeapartmentforafewminutes。Iamexpectingaverywealthyoldgentlemanonbusinesconnectedwithawill。InaveryshortwhileIwilljoinyou，andcontinueourconsultation。"
Withhisaccustomedchivalrousmanner，LawyerGoochusheredhissoulfulclientintotheremainingunoccupiedroom，andcameout，closingthedoorwithcircumspection。
ThenextvisitorintroducedbyArchibaldwasathin，nervous，irritable-lookingmanofmiddleage，withaworriedandapprehensiveexpressionofcountenance。
Hecarriedinonehandasmallsatchel，whichhesetdownuponthefloorbesidethechairwhichthelawyerplacedforhim。Hisclothingwasofgoodquality，butitwaswornwithoutregardtoneatnessorstyle，andappearedtobecoveredwiththedustoftravel。
"Youmakeaspecialtyofdivorcecases，"hesaid，in，anagitatedbutbusiness-liketone。
"Imaysay，"beganLawyerGooch，"thatmyprac-
ticehasnotaltogetheravoided——"
"Iknowyoudo，"interruptedclientnumberthree。
"Youneedn'ttellme。I'veheardallaboutyou。IhaveacasetolaybeforeyouwithoutnecessarilydisclosinganyconnectionthatImighthavewithit——thatis——"
"Youwish，"saidLawyerGooch，"tostateahvpo-
theticalcase。
"Youmaycallitthat。Iamaplainmanofbusiness。
Iwillbeasbriefaspossible。Wewillfirsttakeuphypotheticalwoman。Wewillsaysheismarrieduncon-
genially。Inmanywayssheisasuperiorwoman。Phys-
icallysheisconsideredtobehandsome。Sheisdevotedtowhatshecallsliterature——poetryandprose，andsuchstuff。Herhusbandisaplainmaninthebusinesswalksoflife。Theirhomehasnotbeenhappy，althoughthehusbandhastriedtomakeitso。Sometimeagoaman——astranger——cametothepeacefultowninwhichtheylivedandengagedinsomerealestateoperations。
Thiswomanmethim，andbecameunaccountablyinfatu-
atedwithhim。Herattentionsbecamesoopenthatthemanfeltthecommunitytobenosafeplaceforhim，soheleftit。Sheabandonedhusbandandhome，andfollowedhim。Sheforsook-herhome，whereshewasprovidedwitheverycomfort，tofollowthismanwhohadinspiredherwithsuchastrangeaffection。Isthereany-
thingmoretobedeplored，"concludedtheclient，inatremblingvoice，"thanthewreckingofahomebyawoman'suncalculatingfolly？"
LawyerGoochdeliveredthecautiousopinionthattherewasnot。
"Thismanshehasgonetojoin，"resumedthevisitor，"isnotthemantomakeherhappy。Itisawildandfoolishself-deceptionthatmakesherthinkhewill。Herhusband，inspiteoftheirmanydisagreements，istheonlyonecapableofdealingwithhersensitiveandpeculiarnature。Butthisshedoesnotrealizenow。"
"Wouldyouconsideradivorcethelogicalcureinthecaseyoupresent？"askedLawyerGooch，whofeltthattheconversationwaswanderingtoofarfromthefieldofbusiness。
"Adivorce!"exclaimedtheclient，feelingly-almosttearfully。"No，no-notthat。Ihaveread，Mr。Gooch，ofmanyinstanceswhereyoursympathyandkindlyinter-
estledyoutoactasamediatorbetweenestrangedhus-
bandandwife，andbroughtthemtogetheragain。Letusdropthehypotheticalcase——IneedconcealnolongerthatitisIwhoamthesuffererinthissadaffair——thenamesyoushallhave——ThomasR。Billingsandwife——
andHenryK。Jessup，themanwithwhomsheisinfatuated。"
ClientnumberthreelaidhishanduponMr。Gooch'sarm。Deepemotionwaswrittenuponhiscarewornface。"ForHeaven'ssake"，hesaidfervently，"helpmeinthishouroftrouble。Seek，outMrs。Billings，andpersuadehertoabandonthisdistressingpursuitofherlamentablefolly。Tellher，Mr。Gooch，thatherhusbandiswillingtoreceiveherbacktohisheartandhome——
promiseheranythingthatwillinducehertoreturn。I
haveheardofyoursuccessinthesematters。Mrs。Bil-
lingscannotbeveryfaraway。Iamwornoutwithtravelandweariness。TwiceduringthepursuitIsawher，butvariouscircumstancespreventedourhavinganinter-
view。Willyouundertakethismissionforme，Mr。
Gooch，andearnmyeverlastinggratitude？"
"Itistrue，"saidLawverGooch，frowningslightlyattheother'slastwords，butimmediatelycallingupanexpressionofvirtuousbenevolence，"thatonanumberofoccasionsIhavebeensuccessfulinpersuadingcoupleswhosoughttheseveringoftheirmatrimonialbondstothinkbetteroftheirrashintentionsandreturntotheirhomesreconciled。ButIassureyouthattheworkisoftenexceedinglydifficult。Theamountofargument，perseverance，and，ifImaybeallowedtosayit，eloquencethatitrequireswouldastonishyou。Butthisisacaseinwhichmysympathieswouldbewhollyenlisted。I
feeldeeplyforyousir，andIwouldbemosthappytoseehusbandandwifereunited。Butmytime，"concludedthelawyer，lookingathiswatchasifsuddenlyremindedofthefact，"isvaluable。"
"Iamawareofthat，"saidtheclient，"andifyouwilltakethecaseandpersuadeMrs。Billingstoreturnhomeandleavethemanalonethatsheisfollowing——
onthatdayIwillpayyouthesumofonethousanddollars。IhavemadealittlemoneyinrealestateduringtherecentboominSusanville，andIwillnotbegrudgethatamount。"
"Retainyourseatforafewmoments，please，"saidLawyerGooch，arising，andagainconsultinghiswatch。
"IhaveanotherclientwaitinginanadjoiningroomwhomIhadverynearlyforgotten。Iwillreturninthebriefestpossiblespace。"
ThesituationwasnowonethatfullysatisfiedLawyerGooch'sloveofintricacyandcomplication。Herevelledincasesthatpresentedsuchsubtleproblemsandpossi-
bilities。Itpleasedhimtothinkthathewasmasterofthehappinessandfateofthethreeindividualswhosat，uncon-
ciousofoneanother'spresence，withinhisreach。Hisoldfigureoftheshipglidedintohismind。Butnowthefigurefailed，fortohavefilledeverycompartmentofanactualvesselwouldhavebeentoendangerhersafety；
withhiscompartmentsfull，hisshipofaffairscouldbutsailontotheadvantageousportofafine，fatfee。Thethingforhimtodo，ofcourse，wastowringthebestbargainhecouldfromsomeoneofhisanxiouscargo。
Firsthecalledtotheofficeboy:"Locktheouterdoor，Archibald，andadmitnoone。"Thenhemoved，withlong，silentstridesintotheroominwhichclientnumberonewaited。Thatgentlemansat，patientlyscanningthepicturesinthemagazine，withacigarinhismouthandhisfeetuponatable。
"Well，"heremarked，cheerfully，asthelawyerentered，"haveyoumadeupyourmind？Doesfivehundreddollarsgoforgettingthefairladyadivorce？"
"Youmeanthatasaretainer？"askedLawyerGooch，softlyinterrogative。
"Hey？No；forthewholejob。It'senough，ain'tit？"
"Myfee，"saidLawyerGooch，"wouldbeonethousandfivehundreddollars。Fivehundreddollarsdown，andtheremainderuponissuanceofthedivorce。"
Aloudwhistlecamefromclientnumberone。Hisfeetdescendedtothefloor。
"Guesswecan'tclosethedeal，"hesaid，arising，"I
cleanedupfivehunderddollarsinalittlerealestatedickerdowninSusanville。I'ddoanythingIcouldtofreethelady，butitout-sizesmypile。"
"Couldyoustandonethousandtwohundreddollars？"
askedthelawyer，insinuatingly。
"Fivehundredismylimit，Itellyou。GuessI'llhavetohuntupacheaperlawyer。"Theclientputonhishat。
"Outthisway，please，"saidLawyerGooch，openingthedoorthatledintothehallway。
Asthegentlemanflowedoutofthecompartmentanddownthestairs，LawyerGoochsmiledtohimself。"ExitMr。Jessup，"hemurmured，ashefingeredtheHenryClaytuftofhairathisear。"Andnowfortheforsakenhusband。"Hereturnedtothemiddleoffice，andassumedabusinesslikemanner。
"Iunderstand，"hesaidtoclientnumberthree，"thatyouagreetopayonethousanddollarsifIbringabout，oraminstrumentalinbringingabout，thereturnofMrs。
Billingstoherhome，andherabandonmentofherinfatu-
atedpursuitofthemanforwhomshehasconceivedsuchaviolentfancy。Alsothatthecaseisnowunreservedlyinmyhandsonthatbasis。Isthatcorrect？"
"Entirely"，saidtheother，eagerly。AndIcanproducethecashanytimeattwohours'notice。"
LawyerGoochstoodupathisfullheight。Histhinfigureseemedtoexpand。Histhumbssoughtthearm-
holesofhisvest。Uponhisfacewasalookofsym-
patheticbenignitythathealwaysworeduringsuchundertakings。
"Then，sir，"hesaid，inkindlytones，"IthinkIcanpromiseyouanearlyrelieffromyourtroubles。Ihavethatmuchconfidenceinmypowersofargumentandpersuasion，inthenaturalimpulsesofthehumanhearttowardgood，andinthestronginfluenceofahusband'sunfalteringlove。Mrs。Billinos，sir，ishere——inthatroom——thelawyer'slongarmpointedtothedoor。
"Iwillcallherinatonce；andourunitedpleadings——"
LawyerGoochpaused，forclientnumberthreehadleapedfromhischairasifpropelledbysteelsprings，andclutchedhissatchel。
"Whatthedevil，"heexclaimed，harshly，"dovoumean？Thatwomaninthere!IthoughtIshookherofffortymilesback。"
Herantotheopenwindow，lookedoutbelow，andthrewonelegoverthesill。
"Stop!"criedLawyerGooch，inamazement。"Whatwouldyoudo？Come，Mr。Billings，andfaceyourerringbutinnocentwife。Ourcombinedentreatiescannotfailto——"
"Billings!"shoutedthenowthoroughlymovedclient。
"I'llBillingsyou，youoldidiot!"
Turning，hehurledhissatchelwithfuryatthelawyer'shead。Itstruckthatastoundedpeacemakerbetweentheeyes，causinghimtostaggerbackwardapaceortwo。
WhenLawyerGoochrecoveredhiswitshesawthathisclienthaddisappeared。Rushingtothewindow，heleanedout，andsawtherecreantgatheringhimselfupfromthetopofasheduponwhichhehaddroppedfromthesecond-storywindow。Withoutstoppingtocollecthishathethenplungeddownwardtheremainingtenfeettothealley，upwhichheflewwithprodigiouscelerityuntilthesurroundingbuildingswallowedhimupfromview。
LawyerGoochpassedhishandtremblinglyacrosshisbrow。Itwasahabitualactwithhim，servingtoclearhisthoughts。Perhapsalsoitnowseemedtosoothethespotwhereaveryhardalligator-hidesatchelhadstruck。
Thesatchellayuponthefloor，wideopen，withitscon-
tentsspilledabout。Mechanically，LawyerGoochstoopedtogatherupthearticles。Thefirstwasacollar；andtheomniscienteyeofthemanoflawperceived，wonder-
ingly，theinitialsH。K。J。markeduponit。Thencameacomb，abrush，afoldedmap，andapieceofsoap。
lastly，ahandfulofoldbusinessletters，addressed——
everyoneofthem——to"HenryK。Jessup，Esq。"
LawyerGoochclosedthesatchel，andsetituponthetable。Hehesitatedforamoment，andthenputonhishatandwalkedintotheofficeboy'santeroom。
"Archibald，"hesaidmildly，asheopenedthehalldoor，"IamgoingaroundtotheSupremeCourtrooms。Infiveminutesyoumaystepintotheinneroffice，andinformtheladywhoiswaitingtherethat"——hereLawyerGoochmadeuseofthevernacular——"thatthere'snothingdoing。"
CALLOWAY'SCODE
TheNewYorkEnterprisesentH。B。CallowayasspecialcorrespondenttotheRusso-Japanese-Portsmouthwar。
FortwomonthsCallowayhungaboutYokohamaandTokio，shakingdicewiththeothercorrespondentsfordrinksof'rickshaws——oh，no，that'ssomethingtoridein；anyhow，hewasn'tearningthesalarythathispaperwaspayinghim。ButthatwasnotCalloway'sfault。ThelittlebrownmenwhoheldthestringsofFatebetweentheirfingerswerenotreadyforthereadersoftheEnterprisetoseasontheirbreakfastbaconandeggswiththebattlesofthedescendantsofthegods。
ButsoonthecolumnofcorrespondentsthatweretogooutwiththeFirstArmytightenedtheirfield-glassbeltsandwentdowntotheYaluwithKuroki。Callowaywasoneofthese。
Now，thisisnohistoryofthebattleoftheYaluRiver。
Thathasbeentoldindetailbythecorrespondentswhogazedattheshrapnelsmokeringsfromadistanceofthreemiles。But，forjustice'ssake，letitbeunderstoodthattheJapanesecommanderprohibitedanearerview。
Calloway'sfeatwasaccomplishedbeforethebattle。
WhathedidwastofurnishtheEnterprisewiththebiggestbeatofthewar。Thatpaperpublishedexclu-
sivelyandindetailthenewsoftheattackonthelinesoftheRussianGeneralonthesamedaythatitwasmade。Nootherpaperprintedawordaboutitfortwodaysafterward，exceptaLondonpaper，whoseaccountwasabsolutelyincorrectanduntrue。
CallowaydidthisinfaceofthefactthatGeneralKurokiwasmaking，hismovesandlivinghisplanswiththepro-
foundestsecrecy，asfarastheworldoutsidehiscampswasconcerned。Thecorrespondentswereforbiddentosendoutanynewswhateverofhisplans；andeverymessagethatwasallowedonthewireswascensored——withrigidseverity。
ThecorrespondentfortheLondonpaperhandedinacablegramdescribing，Kuroki'splans；butasitwaswrongfrombeginningtoendthecensorgrinnedandletitgothrough。
So，theretheywere——KurokiononesideoftheYaluwithforty-twothousandinfantry，fivethousandcavalry，andonehundredandtwenty-fourguns。Ontheotherside，Zassulitchwaitedforhimwithonlytwenty-threethousandmen，andwithalongstretchofrivertoguard。
AndCallowayhadgotholdofsomeimportantinsideinformationthatheknewwouldbringtheEnterprisestaffaroundacablegramasthickasfliesaroundaParkRowlemonadestand。Ifhecouldonlygetthatmessagepastthecensor——thenewcensorwhohadarrivedandtakenhispostthatday!
Callowaydidtheobviouslyproperthing。Helithispipeandsatdownonaguncarriagetothinkitover。Andtherewemustleavehim；fortherestofthestorybelongstoVesey，asixteen-dollar-a-weekreporterontheEnterprise。
Calloway'scablegramwashandedtothemanagingeditoratfouro'clockintheafternoon。Hereaditthreetimes；andthendrewapocketmirrorfromapigeon-holeinhisdesk，andlookedathisreflectioncarefully。ThenhewentovertothedeskofBoyd，hisassistantheusuallycalledBoydwhenhewantedhim，andlaidthecablegrambeforehim。
"It'sfromCalloway，"hesaid。"Seewhatyoumakeofit。"
ThemessagewasdatedatWi-ju，andthesewerethewordsofit:
Foregonepreconcertedrashwitchinggoesmuffledrumourminedarksilentunfortunaterichmondexistinggreathotlybruteselectmootedparlousbeggarsyeangelincontrovertible。
Boydreadittwice。
"It'seitheracipherorasunstroke，"saidhe。
"Everhearofanythinglikeacodeintheoffice——asecretcode？"askedthem。e。，whohadheldhisdeskforonlytwoyears。Managingeditorscomeandgo。
"Noneexceptthevernacularthattheladyspecialswritein，"saidBoyd。"Couldn'tbeanacrostic，couldit？"
"Ithoughtofthat，"saidthem。e。，"butthebeginningletterscontainonlyfourvowels。Itmustbeacodeofsomesort。"
"Tryemingroups，"suggestedBoyd。"Let'ssee——'Rashwitchinggoes'——notwithmeitdoesn't。'Muf-
fledrumourmine'——musthaveanundergroundwire。
'Darksilentunfortunaterichmond'——noreasonwhyheshouldknockthattownsohard。'Existinggreathotly'——
noitdoesn'tpanoutI'llcallScott。"
Thecityeditorcameinahurry，andtriedhisluck。
Acityeditormustknowsomethingabouteverything；
soScottknewalittleaboutcipher-writing。
"Itmaybewhatiscalledaninvertedalphabetcipher，"
saidhe。"I'lltrythat。'R'seemstobetheoftenestusedinitialletter，withtheexceptionof'm。'Assuming'r'tomean'e'，themostfrequentlyusedvowel，wetransposetheletters——so。"
Scottworkedrapidlywithhispencilfortwominutes；
andthenshowedthefirstwordaccordingtohisreading——theword"Scejtzez。"
"Great!"criedBoyd。"It'sacharade。MyfirstisaRussiangeneral。Goon，Scott。"
"No，thatwon'twork，"saidthecityeditor。"It'sundoubtedlyacode。It'simpossibletoreaditwithoutthekey。Hastheofficeeverusedaciphercode？"
"JustwhatIwasasking，"saidthem。e。"Hustleeverybodyupthatoughttoknow。Wemustgetatitsomeway。Callowayhasevidentlygotholdofsome-
thingbig，andthecensorhasputthescrewson，orhewouldn'thavecabledinalotofchopsueylikethis。"
ThroughouttheofficeoftheEnterpriseadragnetwassent，haulinginsuchmembersofthestaffaswouldbelikelytoknowofacode，pastorpresent，byreasonoftheirwisdom，information，naturalintelligence，orlengthofservitude。Theygottogetherinagroupinthecityroom，withthem。e。inthecentre。Noonehadheardofacode。Allbegantoexplaintotheheadinvesti-
gatorthatnewspapersneveruseacode，anyhow——thatis，aciphercode。OfcoursetheAssociatedPressstuffisasortofcode——anabbreviation，rather——but——
Them。e。knewallthat，andsaidso。Heaskedeachmanhowlonghehadworkedonthepaper。NotoneofthemhaddrawnpayfromanEnterpriseenvelopeforlongerthansixyears。Callowayhadbeenonthepapertwelveyears。
"TryoldHeffelbauer，"saidthem。e。"HewasherewhenParkRowwasapotatopatch。"
Heffelbauerwasaninstitution。Hewashalfjanitor，halfhandy-manabouttheoffice，andhalfwatchman——
thusbecomingthepeerofthirteenandone-halftailors。
Sentfor，hecame，radiatinghisnationality。
"Heffelbauer，"saidthem。e。，"didyoueverhearofacodebelongingtotheofficealongtimeago-aprivatecode？Youknowwhatacodeis，don'tyou？"
"Yah，"saidHeffelbauer。"SureIknowvatacodeis。
Yah，apoutdwelforfifteenyearagoderofficehadacode。
Derrebortersindercity-roomhafithere。"
"Ah!"saidthem。e。"We'regettingonthetrailnow。
Wherewasitkept，Heffelbauer？Whatdoyouknowaboutit？"
"Somedimes，"saidtheretainer，"deykeepitinderlittleroombehindderlibraryroom。"
"Canyoufinditaskedthem。e。eagerly。"Doyouknowwhereitis？"
"MeinGott!"saidHeffelbauer。"Howlongyoudinkacodelive？Derreborterscallhimamaskeet。
Butvondayhebuttmithisheaddereditor，und——"
"Oh，he'stalkingaboutagoat，"saidBoyd。"Getout，Heffelbauer。"
Againdiscomfited，theconcertedwitandresourceoftheEnterprisehuddledaroundCalloway'spuzzle，con-
sideringitsmysteriouswordsinvain。
ThenVeseycamein。
Veseywastheyoungestreporter。Hehadathirty-
two-inchchestandworeanumberfourteencollar；buthisbrightScotchplaidsuitgavehimpresenceandcon-
ferrednoobscurityuponhiswhereabouts。Heworehishatinsuchapositionthatpeoplefollowedhimabouttoseehimtakeitoff，convincedthatitmustbehunguponapegdrivenintothebackofhishead。Hewasneverwithoutanimmense，knotted，hard-woodcanewithaGerman-silvertiponitscrookedhandle。Veseywasthebestphotographhustlerintheoffice。Scottsaiditwasbecausenolivinghumanbeingcouldresisttheper-
sonaltriumphitwastohandhispictureovertoVesey。
Veseyalwayswrotehisownnewsstories，exceptthebigones，whichweresenttotherewritemen。Addtothisfactthatamongalltheinhabitants，temples，andgrovesoftheearthnothingexistedthatcouldabashVesey，andhisdimsketchisconcluded。
VeseybuttedintothecircleofcipherreadersverymuchasHeffelbauer's"code"wouldhavedone，andaskedwhatwasup。Someoneexplained，withthetouchofhalf-familiarcondescensionthattheyalwaysusedtowardhim。Veseyreachedoutandtookthecablegramfromthem。e。'shand。UndertheprotectionofsomespecialProvidence，hewasalwaysdoingappallingthingslikethat，andcoming，offunscathed。
"It'sacode，"saidVesey。"Anybodygotthekey？"
"Theofficehasnocode，"saidBoyd，reachingforthemessage。Veseyheldtoit。
"ThenoldCallowavexpectsustoreadit，anyhow，"
saidhe。"He'supatree，orsomething，andhe'smadethisupsoastogetitby，thecensor。It'suptous。Gee!
Iwishtheyhadsell，me，too。Say——wecan'taffordtofalldownonourendofit。'Foregone，preconcertedrash，witching'——h'm。"
Veseysatdownonatablecornerandbegantowhistlesoftly，frowningatthecablegram。
"Let'shaveit，please，"saidthem。e。"We'vegottogettoworkonit。"
"IbelieveI'vegotalineonit，"saidVesey。"Givemetenminutes。"
Hewalkedtohisdesk，threwhishatintoawaste-basket，spreadoutflatonhischestlikeagorgeouslizard，andstartedhispencilgoing。ThewitandwisdomoftheEnterpriseremainedinaloosegroup，andsmiledatoneanother，noddingtheirheadstowardVesey。Thentheybegantoexchangetheirtheoriesaboutthecipher。
IttookVeseyexactlyfifteenminutes。Hebroughttothem。e。apadwiththecode-keywrittenonit。
"IfelttheswingofitassoonasIsawit，"saidVesey。
"HurrahforoldCalloway!He'sdonetheJapsandeverypaperintownthatprintsliteratureinsteadofnews。
Takealookatthat。"
ThushadVeseysetforththereadingofthecode:
Foregone-conclusionPreconcerted-arrangementRash-actWitching-hourofmidnightGoes-withoutsayingMuffled-reportRumour-hathitMine-hostDark-horseSilent-majorityUnfortunate-pedestriansRichmond-inthefieldExisting-conditionsGreat-WhiteWayHotly-contestedBrute-forceSelect-fewMooted-questionParlous-timesBeggars-descriptionYe-correspondentAngel-unawaresIncontrovertible-fact——
*Mr。Veseyafterwardexplainedthatthelogicaljournalisticcomplementoftheword"unfortunate"wasoncetheword"victim。"But，sincetheautomobilebe-
camesopopular，thecorrectfollowingwordisnowpedestrians。Ofcourse，inCalloway'scodeitmeantinfantry。
"It'ssimplynewspaperEnglish，"explainedVesey。
"I'vebeenreportingontheEnterpriselongenoughtoknowitbyheart。OldCallowaygivesusthecueword，andweusethewordthatnaturallyfollowsitjustasweeminthepaper。Readitover，andyou'llseehowpattheydropintotheirplaces。Now，here'sthemessageheintendedustoget。"
Veseyhandedoutanothersheetofpaper。
Concludedarrangementtoactathourofmidnightwithoutsaying。Reporthathitthatalargebodyofcavalryandanoverwhelmingforceofinfantrywillbethrownintothefield。Conditionswhite。Waycon-
testedbyonlyasmallforce。QuestiontheTimesdescrip-
tion。Itscorrespondentisunawareofthefacts。
"Greatstuff!"criedBoydexcitedly。"KurokicrossestheYaluto-nightandattacks。Oh，wewon'tdoathingtothesheetsthatmakeupwithAddison'sessays，realestatetransfers，andbowlingscores!"
"Mr。Vesey，"saidthem。e。，withhisjollying-which-
you-should-regard-as-a-favourmanner，"youhavecastaseriousreflectionupontheliterarystandardsofthepaperthatemploysyou。Youhavealsoassistedmateriallyingivingusthebiggest'beat'oftheyear。I
willletyouknowinadayortwowhetheryouaretobedischargedorretainedatalargersalary。SomebodysendAmestome。"
Ameswastheking-pin，thesnowy-petalledMarguerite，thestar-brightlooloooftherewritemen。Hesawattemptedmurderinthepainsofgreen-applecolic，cyclonesinthesummerzephyr，lostchildrenineverytop-
spinningurchin，anuprisingofthedown-troddenmassesineveryhurlingofaderelictpotatoatapassingautomobile。
Whennotrewriting，AmessatontheporchofhisBrooklynvillaplayingcheckerswithhisten-year-oldson。
Amesandthe"wareditor"shutthemselvesinaroom。
Therewasamapintherestuckfulloflittlepinsthatrepresentedarmiesanddivisions。TheirfingershadbeenitchingfordaystomovethosepinsalongthecrookedlineoftheYalu。Theydidsonow；andinwordsoffireAmestranslatedCalloway'sbriefmessageintoafrontpagemasterpiecethatsettheworldtalking。HetoldofthesecretcouncilsoftheJapaneseofficers；gaveKuroki'sflamingspeechesinfull；countedthecavalryandinfantrytoamanandahorse；describedthequickandsilentbuilding，ofthebridgeatStuikauchen，acrosswhichtheMikado'slegionswerehurleduponthesurprisedZas-
sulitch，whosetroopswerewidelyscatteredalongtheriver。
Andthebattle!——well，youknowwhatAmescandowithabattleifyougivehimjustonesmellofsmokeforafoundation。Andinthesamestory，withseeminglysupernaturalknowledge，hegleefullyscoredthemostprofoundandponderouspaperinEnglandforthefalseandmisleadingaccountoftheintendedmovementsoftheJapaneseFirstArmyprintedinitsissueofthesamedate。
Onlyoneerrorwasmade；andthatwasthefaultofthecableoperatoratWi-ju。Callowaypointeditoutafterhecameback。Theword"great"inhiscodeshouldhavebeen"gage，"anditscomplementalwords"ofbattle。"ButitwenttoAmes"conditionswhite，"
andofcoursehetookthattomeansnow。HisdescriptionoftheJapanesearmystrum，strugglingthroughthesnowstorm，blindedbythewhirling，flakes，wasthrillinglyvivid。Theartiststurnedoutsomeeffectiveillustrationsthatmadeahitaspicturesoftheartillerydraggingtheirgunsthroughthedrifts。But，astheattackwasmadeonthefirstdayofMay，"conditionswhite"excitedsomeamusement。
ButitinmadenodifferencetotheEnterprise，anyway。
Itwaswonderful。AndCallowaywaswonderfulinhavingmadethenewcensorbelievethathisjargonofwordsmeantnomorethanacomplaintofthedearthofnewsandapetitionformoreexpensemoney。AndVeseywaswonderful。Andmostwonderfulofallarewords，andhowtheymakefriendsonewithanother，beingoftassociated，untilnotevenobituarynoticesthemdopart。
Ontheseconddayfollowing，thecityeditorhaltedatVesey'sdeskwherethereporterwaswritingthestoryofamanwhohadbrokenhislegbyfallingintoacoal-hole——Ameshavingfailedtofindamurdermotiveinit。
"Theoldmansaysyoursalaryistoberaisedtotwentyaweek，"saidScott。
"Allright，"saidVesey。"Everylittlehelps。Say——Mr。Scott，whichwouldyousay——'Wecanstatewithoutfearofsuccessfulcontradiction，'or，'Onthewholeitcanbesafelyasserted'？"
AMATTEROFMEANELEVATION
ONEwintertheAlcazarOperaCompanyofNewOrleansmadeaspeculativetripalongtheMexican，CentralAmericanandSouthAmericancoasts。Theventureprovedamostsuccessfulone。Themusic-
loving，impressionableSpanish-Americansdelugedthecompanywithdollarsand"vivas。"Themanagerwaxedplumpandamiable。Butfortheprohibitiveclimatehewouldhaveputforththedistinctiveflowerofhisprosperity——theovercoatoffur，braided，froggedandopulent。Almostwashepersuadedtoraisethesalariesofhiscompany。Butwithamightyeffortheconqueredtheimpulsetowardsuchanunprofitableeffervescenceofjoy。
AtMacuto，onthecoastofVenezuela，thecompanyscoreditsgreatestsuccess。ImagineConeyIslandtranslatedintoSpanishandyouwillcomprehendMacuto。
ThefashionableseasonisfromNovembertoMarch。
DownfromLaGuayraandCaracasandValenciaandotherinteriortownsflockthepeoplefortheirholidaysea-
son。Therearebathingandfiestasandbullfightsandscandal。Andthenthepeoplehaveapassionformusicthatthebandsintheplazaandontheseabeachstirbutdonotsatisfy。ThecomingoftheAlcazarOperaCom-
panyarousedtheutmostardourandzealamongthepleasureseekers。
TheillustriousGuzmanBlanco，PresidentandDic-
tatorofVenezuela，sojournedinMacutowithhiscourtfortheseason。Thatpotentruler——whohimselfpaidasubsidyof40，000pesoseachyeartograndoperainCaracas——orderedoneoftheGovernmentwarehousestobeclearedforatemporarytheatre。Astagewasquicklyconstructedandroughwoodenbenchesmadefortheaudience。PrivateboxeswereaddedfortheuseofthePresidentandthenotablesofthearmyandGovernment。
ThecompanyremainedinMacutofortwoweeks。
Eachperformancefilledthehouseascloselyasitcouldbepacked。Thenthemusic-madpeoplefoughtforroomintheopendoorsandwindows，andcrowdedabout，hundredsdeep，ontheoutside。Thoseaudiencesformedabrilliantlydiversifiedpatchofcolour。Thehueoftheirfacesrangedfromtheclearoliveofthepure-bloodSpan-
iardsdownthroughtheyellowandbrownshadesoftheMestizostothecoal-blackCaribandtheJamaicaNegro。
ScatteredamongthemwerelittlegroupsofIndianswithfaceslikestoneidols，wrappedingaudyfibre-wovenblankets——IndiansdownfromthemountainstatesofZamoraandLosAndesandMirandatotradetheirgolddustinthecoasttowns。
Thespellcastuponthesedenizensoftheinteriorfastnesseswasremarkable。Theysatinpetrifiedecstasy，conspicuousamongtheexcitableMacutians，whowildlystrovewithtongueandhandtogiveevidenceoftheirdelight。Onlyoncedidthesombreraptureoftheseaboriginalsfindexpression。Duringtherenditionof"Faust，"GuzmanBlanco，extravagantlypleasedbythe"JewelSong，"castuponthestageapurseofgoldpieces。
Otherdistinguishedcitizensfollowedhisleadtotheextentofwhateverloosecointheyhadconvenient，whilesomeofthefairandfashionablese駉rasweremoved，inimita-
tion，toflingajeweloraringortwoatthefeetoftheMarguerite——whowas，accordingtothebills，Mlle。
NinaGiraud。Then，fromdifferentpartsofthehouserosesundryofthestolidhillmenandcastuponthestagelittlebrownanddunbagsthatfellwithsoft"thumps"
anddidnotrebound。Itwas，nodoubt，pleasureatthetributetoherartthatcausedMlle。Giraud'seyestoshinesobrightlywhensheopenedtheselittledeerskinbagsinherdressingroomandfoundthemtocontainpuregolddust。Ifso，thepleasurewasrightlyhers，forhervoiceinsong，pure，strongandthrillingwiththefeelingoftheemotionalartist，deservedthetributethatitearned。
ButthetriumphoftheAlcazarOperaCompanyisnotthetheme——itbutleansuponandcoloursit。TherehappenedinMacutoatragicthing，anunsolvablemystery，thatsoberedforatimethegaietyofthehappyseason。
OneeveningbetweentheshorttwilightandthetimewhensheshouldhavewhirleduponthestageintheredandblackoftheardentCarmen，Mlle。NinaGirauddis-
appearedfromthesightandkenof6，000pairsofeyesandasmanymindsinMacuto。Therewastheusualturmoilandhurryingtoseekher。MessengersflewtothelittleFrench-kepthotelwhereshestayed；othersofthecompanyhastenedhereortherewhereshemightbelingeringinsometiendaorundulyprolongingherbathuponthebeach。Allsearchwasfruitless。Mademoi-
sellehadvanished。
Halfanhourpassedandshedidnotappear。Thedictator，unusedtothecapricesofprimedonne，becameimpatient。Hesentanaidefromhisboxtosaytothemanagerthatifthecurtaindidnotatoncerisehewouldimmediatelyhaletheentirecompanytothecalabosa，thoughitwoulddesolatehisheart，indeed，tobecom-
pelledtosuchanact。BirdsinMacutocouldbemadetosing。
ThemanagerabandonedhopeforthetimeofMlle。
Giraud。Amemberofthechorus，whohaddreamedhopelesslyforyearsoftheblessedopportunity，quicklyCarmenizedherselfandtheoperawenton。
Afterward，whenthelostcantatriceappearednot，theaidoftheauthoritieswasinvoked。ThePresidentatoncesetthearmy，thepoliceandallcitizenstothesearch。
NotonecluetoMlle。Giraud'sdisappearancewasfound。
TheAlcazarlefttofillengagementsfartherdownthecoast。
OnthewaybackthesteamerstoppedatMacutoandthemanagermadeanxiousinquiry。Notatraceoftheladyhadbeendiscovered。TheAlcazarcoulddonomore。ThepersonalbelongingsofthemissingladywerestoredinthehotelagainstherpossiblelaterreappearanceandtheoperacompanycontinueduponitshomewardvoyagetoNewOrleans。
OnthecaminorealalongthebeachthetwosaddlemulesandthefourpackmulesofDonSe駉rJohnnyArmstrongstood，patientlyawaitingthecrackofthewhipofthearriero，Luis。Thatwouldbethesignalforthestartonanotherlongjourneyintothemountains。Thepackmuleswereloadedwithavariedassortmentofhard-
wareandcutlery。ThesearticlesDonJohnnytradedtotheinteriorIndiansforthegolddustthattheywashedfromtheAndeanstreamsandstoredinquillsandbagsagainsthiscoming。Itwasaprofitablebusiness，andSe駉rArmstrongexpectedsoontobeabletopurchasethecoffeeplantationthathecoveted。
Armstrongstoodonthenarrowsidewalk，exchanginggarbledSpanishwitholdPeralto，therichnativemerchantwhohadjustchargedhimfourpricesforhalfagrossofpot-metalhatchets，andabridgedEnglishwithRucker，thelittleGermanwhowasConsulfortheUnitedStates。
"Takewithyou，se駉r，"saidPeralto，"theblessingsofthesaintsuponyourjourney。"
"Bettertryquinine，"growledRuckerthroughhispipe。
"Taketwograinseverynight。Anddon'tmakeyourtriptoolong，Johnny，becausewehafneedsofyou。ItiseinvillainousgamedotMelvilleplayofwhist，anddereisnoodersubstitute。Aufwiedersehen，undkeepyoureyesdotmule'searsbetweenwhenyouonderedgeofderbrecipicesride。"
ThebellsofLuis'smulejingledandthepacktrainfiledafterthewarningnote。Armstrong，wavedagood-
byeandtookhisplaceatthetailoftheprocession。Upthenarrowstreettheyturned，andpassedthetwo-storywoodenHotelIngles，whereIvesandDawsonandRich-
ardsandtherestofthechapsweredawdlingonthebroadpiazza，readingweek-oldnewspapers。Theycrowdedtotherailingandshoutedmanyfriendlyandwiseandfoolishfarewellsafterhim。AcrosstheplazatheytrottedslowlypastthebronzestatueofGuzmanBlanco，withinitsfenceofbayonetedriflescapturedfromrevolutionists，andoutofthetownbetweentherowsofthatchedhutsswarmingwiththeunclothedyouthofMacuto。Theyplungedintothedampcoolnessofbananagrovesatlengthtoemergeuponabrightstream，wherebrownwomeninscantraimentlaunderedclothesdestructivelyupontherocks。Thenthepacktrain，fordingthestream，attackedthesuddenascent，andbadeadieutosuchcivilizationasthecoastafforded。
ForweeksArmstrong，guidedbyLuis，followedhisregularrouteamongthemountains。Afterhehadcol-
lectedanarrobaofthepreciousmetal，winningaprofitofnearly$5，000，theheadsofthelightenedmuleswereturneddown-trailagain。WheretheheadoftheGuaricoRiverspringsfromagreatgashinthemountain-side，Luishaltedthetrain。
"Halfaday'sjourneyfromhere，Se駉r，"saidhe，"isthevillageofTacuzama，whichwehavenevervisited。
Ithinkmanyouncesofgoldmaybeprocuredthere。Itisworththetrial。"
Armstrongconcurred，andtheyturnedagainupwardtowardTacuzama。Thetrailwasabruptandprecipi-
tousmountingthroughadenseforest。Asnightfell，darkandgloomy，Luisoncemorehalted。Beforethemwasablackchasm，bisectingthepathasfarastheycouldsee。
Luisdismounted。"Thereshouldbeabridge，"hecalled，andranalongthecleftadistance。"Itishere，"
hecried，andremounting，ledtheway。InafewmomentsArmstrong，heardasoundasthoughathunderousdrumwerebeatingsomewhereinthedark。Itwasthefallingofthemules'hoofsuponthebridgemadeofstronghideslashedtopolesandstretchedacrossthechasm。HalfamilefurtherwasTacuzama。Thevillagewasacongre-
gationofrockandmudhutssetintheprofundityofanobscurewood。Astheyrodeinasoundinconsistentwiththatbroodingsolitudemettheirears。Fromalong，lowmudhutthattheywerenearingrosethegloriousvoiceofawomaninsong。ThewordswereEnglish，theairfamiliartoArmstrong'smemory，butnottohismusicalknowledge。
Heslippedfromhismuleandstoletoanarrowwindowinoneendofthehouse。Peeringcautiouslyinside，hesaw，withinthreefeetofhim，awomanofmarvellous，imposingbeauty，clothedinasplendidlooserobeofleopardskins。ThehutwaspackedclosetothesmallspaceinwhichshestoodwiththesquattingfiguresofIndians。
Thewomanfinishedhersongandseatedherselfclosetothelittlewindow，asifgratefulfortheunpollutedairthatenteredit。Whenshehadceasedseveraloftheaudienceroseandcastlittlesoftly-fallingbagsatherfeet。
Aharshmurmur——nodoubtabarbarouskindofapplauseandcomment——wentthroughthegrimassembly。
Armstrong，wasusedtoseizingopportunitiespromptly。
Takingadvantageofthenoisehecalledtothewomaninalowbutdistinctvoice:"Donotturnyourheadthisway，butlisten。IamanAmerican。IfyouneedassistancetellmehowIcanrenderit。Answerasbrieflyasyoucan。"
Thewomanwasworthyofhisboldness。Onlybyasuddenflushofherpalecheekdidsheacknowledgeunderstandingofhiswords。Thenshespoke，scarcelymovingherlips。
"IamheldaprisonerbytheseIndians。GodknowsIneedhelp。IntwohourscometothelittlehuttwentyyardstowardtheMountainside。Therewillbealightandaredcurtaininthewindow。Thereisalwaysaguardatthedoor，whomyouwillhavetoovercome。Fortheloveofheaven，donotfailtocome。"
Thestoryseemstoshrinkfromadventureandrescueandmystery。Thethemeisonetoogentleforthosebraveandquickeningtones。Andyetitreachesasfarbackastimeitself。Ithasbeennamed"environment，"
whichisasweakawordasanytoexpresstheunnameablekinshipofmantonature，thatqueerfraternitythatcausesstonesandtreesandsaltwaterandcloudstoplayuponouremotions。Whyarewemadeseriousandsolemnandsublimebymountainheights，graveandcontempla-
tivebyanabundanceofoverhangingtrees，reducedtoinconstancyandmonkeycapersbytheripplesonasandybeach？Didtheprotoplasm——butenough。Thechem-
istsarelookingintothematter，andbeforelongtheywillhavealllifeinthetableofthesymbols。
Briefly，then，inordertoconfinethestorywithinscientificbounds，JohnArmstrong，wenttothehut，chokedtheIndianguardandcarriedawayMlle。Giraud。Withherwasalsoconveyedanumberofpoundsofgolddustshehadcollectedduringhersixmonths'forcedengage-
mentinTacuzama。TheCaraboboIndiansareeasilythemostenthusiasticloversofmusicbetweentheequatorandtheFrenchOperaHouseinNewOrleans。TheyarealsostrongbelieversthattheadviceofEmersonwasgoodwhenhesaid:"Thethingthouwantest，0discon-
tentedman——takeit，andpaytheprice。"AnumberofthemhadattendedtheperformanceoftheAlcazarOperaCompanyinMacuto，andfoundMlle。Giraud'sstyleandtechniquesatisfactory。Theywantedher，sotheytookheroneeveningsuddenlyandwithoutanyfuss。
Theytreatedherwithmuchconsideration，exactingonlyonesongrecitaleachday。ShewasquitepleasedatbeingrescuedbyMr。Armstrong。Somuchformysteryandadventure。Nowtoresumethetheoryoftheproto-
plasm。
JohnArmstrongandMlle。GiraudrodeamongtheAndeanpeaks，envelopedintheirgreatnessandsublimity。
Themightiestcousins，furthestremoved，innature'sgreatfamilybecomeconsciousofthetie。Amongthosehugepilesofprimordialupheaval，amidthosegiganticsilencesandelongatedfieldsofdistancethelittlenessesofmenareprecipitatedasonechemicalthrowsdownasedimentfromanother。Theymovedreverently，asinatemple。Theirsoulswereupliftedinunisonwiththestatelyheights。Theytravelledinazoneofmajestyandpeace。
ToArmstrongthewomanseemedalmostaholything。
Yetbathedinthewhite，stilldignityofhermartyrdomthatpurifiedherearthlybeautyandgaveout，itseemed，anauraoftranscendentloveliness，inthosefirsthoursofcompanionshipshedrewfromhimanadorationthatwashalfhumanlove，halftheworshipofadescendedgoddess。
Neveryetsinceherrescuehadshesmiled。Overherdressshestillworetherobeofleopardskins，formountainairwascold。Shelookedtobesomesplendidprincessbelongingtothosewildandawesomealtitudes。
Thespiritoftheregionchimedwithhers。Hereyeswerealwaysturneduponthesombrecliffs，thebluegorgesandthesnow-cladturrets，lookingasublimemelancholyequaltotheirown。Attimesonthejourneyshesangthrillingtedeumsandmisereresthatstruckthetruenoteofthehills，andmadetheirrouteseemlikeasolemnmarchdownacathedralaisle。Therescuedonespokebutseldom，hermoodpartakingofthehushofnaturethatsurroundedthem。Armstronglookeduponherasanangel。Hecouldnotbringhimselftothesacrilegeofattemptingtowooherasotherwomenmaybewooed。
Onthethirddaytheyhaddescendedasfarasthetierratemplada，thezonaofthetablelandsandfoothills。
Themountainswererecedingintheirrear，butstilltowered，exhibitingyetimpressivelytheirformidableheads。Heretheymetsignsofman。Theysawthewhitehousesofcoffeeplantationsgleamacrosstheclear-
ings。Theystruckintoaroadwheretheymettravellersandpack-mules。Cattleweregrazingontheslopes。
Theypassedalittlevillagewheretheround-eyedni駉sshriekedandcalledatsightofthem。
Mlle。Giraudlaidasideherleopard-skinrobe。Itseemedtobeatrifleincongruousnow。Inthemoun-
tainsithadappearedfittingandnatural。AndifArm-
strongwasnotmistakenshelaidasidewithitsomethingofthehighdignityofherdemeanour。Asthecountrybecamemorepopulousandsignificantofcomfortablelifehesaw，withafeelingofjoy，thattheexaltedprincessandpriestessoftheAndeanpeakswaschangingtoawoman——anearthwomanbutnolessenticing。A
littlecolourcrepttothesurfaceofhermarblecheek。
Shearrangedtheconventionaldressthattheremovaloftherobenowdisclosedwiththesolicitoustouchofonewhoisconsciousoftheeyesofothers。Shesmoothedthecarelesssweepofherhair。Amundaneinterest，longlatentinthechillingatmosphereoftheasceticpeaks，showedinhereyes。