Itwasmanyyearsago。Hadleyburgwasthemosthonestanduprighttowninalltheregionroundabout。Ithadkeptthatreputationunsmirchedduringthreegenerations，andwasprouderofitthanofanyotherofitspossessions。Itwassoproudofit，andsoanxioustoinsureitsperpetuation，thatitbegantoteachtheprinciplesofhonestdealingtoitsbabiesinthecradle，andmadetheliketeachingsthestapleoftheirculturethenceforwardthroughalltheyearsdevotedtotheireducation。Also，throughouttheformativeyearstemptationswerekeptoutofthewayoftheyoungpeople，sothattheirhonestycouldhaveeverychancetohardenandsolidify，andbecomeapartoftheirverybone。Theneighbouringtownswerejealousofthishonourablesupremacy，andaffectedtosneeratHadleyburg'sprideinitandcallitvanity；butallthesametheywereobligedtoacknowledgethatHadleyburgwasinrealityanincorruptibletown；andifpressedtheywouldalsoacknowledgethatthemerefactthatayoungmanhailedfromHadleyburgwasalltherecommendationheneededwhenhewentforthfromhisnataltowntoseekforresponsibleemployment。
Butatlast，inthedriftoftime，Hadleyburghadtheilllucktooffendapassingstranger——possiblywithoutknowingit，certainlywithoutcaring，forHadleyburgwassufficientuntoitself，andcarednotarapforstrangersortheiropinions。Still，itwouldhavebeenwelltomakeanexceptioninthisone'scase，forhewasabitterman，andrevengeful。Allthroughhiswanderingsduringawholeyearhekepthisinjuryinmind，andgaveallhisleisuremomentstotryingtoinventacompensatingsatisfactionforit。Hecontrivedmanyplans，andallofthemweregood，butnoneofthemwasquitesweepingenough：thepoorestofthemwouldhurtagreatmanyindividuals，butwhathewantedwasaplanwhichwouldcomprehendtheentiretown，andnotletsomuchasonepersonescapeunhurt。Atlasthehadafortunateidea，andwhenitfellintohisbrainitlituphiswholeheadwithaneviljoy。Hebegantoformaplanatonce，sayingtohimself"Thatisthethingtodo——Iwillcorruptthetown。"
SixmonthslaterhewenttoHadleyburg，andarrivedinabuggyatthehouseoftheoldcashierofthebankabouttenatnight。Hegotasackoutofthebuggy，shoulderedit，andstaggeredwithitthroughthecottageyard，andknockedatthedoor。Awoman'svoicesaid"Comein，"andheentered，andsethissackbehindthestoveintheparlour，sayingpolitelytotheoldladywhosatreadingthe"MissionaryHerald"bythelamp：
"Praykeepyourseat，madam，Iwillnotdisturbyou。There——nowitisprettywellconcealed；onewouldhardlyknowitwasthere。CanI
seeyourhusbandamoment，madam？"
No，hewasgonetoBrixton，andmightnotreturnbeforemorning。
"Verywell，madam，itisnomatter。Imerelywantedtoleavethatsackinhiscare，tobedeliveredtotherightfulownerwhenheshallbefound。Iamastranger；hedoesnotknowme；Iammerelypassingthroughthetownto-nighttodischargeamatterwhichhasbeenlonginmymind。Myerrandisnowcompleted，andIgopleasedandalittleproud，andyouwillneverseemeagain。Thereisapaperattachedtothesackwhichwillexplaineverything。Good-
night，madam。"
Theoldladywasafraidofthemysteriousbigstranger，andwasgladtoseehimgo。Buthercuriositywasroused，andshewentstraighttothesackandbroughtawaythepaper。Itbeganasfollows：
"TOBEPUBLISHED，or，therightmansoughtoutbyprivateinquiry——
eitherwillanswer。Thissackcontainsgoldcoinweighingahundredandsixtypoundsfourounces——"
"Mercyonus，andthedoornotlocked！"
Mrs。Richardsflewtoitallinatrembleandlockedit，thenpulleddownthewindow-shadesandstoodfrightened，worried，andwonderingiftherewasanythingelseshecoulddotowardmakingherselfandthemoneymoresafe。Shelistenedawhileforburglars，thensurrenderedtocuriosity，andwentbacktothelampandfinishedreadingthepaper：
"Iamaforeigner，andampresentlygoingbacktomyowncountry，toremaintherepermanently。IamgratefultoAmericaforwhatIhavereceivedatherhandsduringmylongstayunderherflag；andtooneofhercitizens——acitizenofHadleyburg——Iamespeciallygratefulforagreatkindnessdonemeayearortwoago。Twogreatkindnessesinfact。Iwillexplain。Iwasagambler。IsayIWAS。
Iwasaruinedgambler。Iarrivedinthisvillageatnight，hungryandwithoutapenny。Iaskedforhelp——inthedark；Iwasashamedtobeginthelight。Ibeggedoftherightman。Hegavemetwentydollars——thatistosay，hegavemelife，asIconsideredit。Healsogavemefortune；foroutofthatmoneyIhavemademyselfrichatthegaming-table。Andfinally，aremarkwhichhemadetomehasremainedwithmetothisday，andhasatlastconqueredme；andinconqueringhassavedtheremnantofmymorals：Ishallgamblenomore。NowIhavenoideawhothatmanwas，butIwanthimfound，andIwanthimtohavethismoney，togiveaway，throwaway，orkeep，ashepleases。Itismerelymywayoftestifyingmygratitudetohim。IfIcouldstay，Iwouldfindhimmyself；butnomatter，hewillbefound。Thisisanhonesttown，anincorruptibletown，andI
knowIcantrustitwithoutfear。Thismancanbeidentifiedbytheremarkwhichhemadetome；Ifeelpersuadedthathewillrememberit。
"Andnowmyplanisthis：Ifyouprefertoconducttheinquiryprivately，doso。Tellthecontentsofthispresentwritingtoanyonewhoislikelytobetherightman。Ifheshallanswer，'Iamtheman；theremarkImadewasso-and-so，'applythetest——towit：
openthesack，andinityouwillfindasealedenvelopecontainingthatremark。Iftheremarkmentionedbythecandidatetallieswithit，givehimthemoney，andasknofurtherquestions，forheiscertainlytherightman。
"Butifyoushallpreferapublicinquiry，thenpublishthispresentwritinginthelocalpaper——withtheseinstructionsadded，towit：
Thirtydaysfromnow，letthecandidateappearatthetown-hallateightintheeveningFriday，andhandhisremark，inasealedenvelope，totheRev。Mr。Burgessifhewillbekindenoughtoact；andletMr。Burgessthereandthendestroythesealsofthesack，openit，andseeiftheremarkiscorrect：ifcorrect，letthemoneybedelivered，withmysinceregratitude，tomybenefactorthusidentified。"
Mrs。Richardssatdown，gentlyquiveringwithexcitement，andwassoonlostinthinkings——afterthispattern："Whatastrangethingitis！……Andwhatafortuneforthatkindmanwhosethisbreadafloatuponthewaters！……Ifithadonlybeenmyhusbandthatdidit！——forwearesopoor，sooldandpoor！……"Then，withasigh——"ButitwasnotmyEdward；no，itwasnothethatgaveastrangertwentydollars。Itisapitytoo；Iseeitnow……"
Then，withashudder——"ButitisGAMBLERS'money！thewagesofsin；
wecouldn'ttakeit；wecouldn'ttouchit。Idon'tliketobenearit；itseemsadefilement。"Shemovedtoafartherchair……"I
wishEdwardwouldcome，andtakeittothebank；aburglarmightcomeatanymoment；itisdreadfultobehereallalonewithit。"
AtelevenMr。Richardsarrived，andwhilehiswifewassaying"IamSOgladyou'vecome！"hewassaying，"Iamsotired——tiredclearout；itisdreadfultobepoor，andhavetomakethesedismaljourneysatmytimeoflife。Alwaysatthegrind，grind，grind，onasalary——anotherman'sslave，andhesittingathomeinhisslippers，richandcomfortable。"
"Iamsosorryforyou，Edward，youknowthat；butbecomforted；wehaveourlivelihood；wehaveourgoodname——"
"Yes，Mary，andthatiseverything。Don'tmindmytalk——it'sjustamoment'sirritationanddoesn'tmeananything。Kissme——there，it'sallgonenow，andIamnotcomplaininganymore。Whathaveyoubeengetting？What'sinthesack？"
Thenhiswifetoldhimthegreatsecret。Itdazedhimforamoment；
thenhesaid：
"Itweighsahundredandsixtypounds？Why，Mary，it'sfor-tythou-
sanddollars——thinkofit——awholefortune！Nottenmeninthisvillageareworththatmuch。Givemethepaper。"
Heskimmedthroughitandsaid：
"Isn'titanadventure！Why，it'saromance；it'sliketheimpossiblethingsonereadsaboutinbooks，andneverseesinlife。"
Hewaswellstirredupnow；cheerful，evengleeful。Hetappedhisoldwifeonthecheek，andsaidhumorously，"Why，we'rerich，Mary，rich；allwe'vegottodoistoburythemoneyandburnthepapers。
Ifthegamblerevercomestoinquire，we'llmerelylookcoldlyuponhimandsay：'Whatisthisnonsenseyouaretalking？Wehaveneverheardofyouandyoursackofgoldbefore；'andthenhewouldlookfoolish，and——"
"Andinthemeantime，whileyouarerunningonwithyourjokes，themoneyisstillhere，anditisfastgettingalongtowardburglar-
time。"
"True。Verywell，whatshallwedo——maketheinquiryprivate？No，notthat；itwouldspoiltheromance。Thepublicmethodisbetter。
Thinkwhatanoiseitwillmake！Anditwillmakealltheothertownsjealous；fornostrangerwouldtrustsuchathingtoanytownbutHadleyburg，andtheyknowit。It'sagreatcardforus。Imustgettotheprinting-officenow，orIshallbetoolate。"
"Butstop——stop——don'tleavemeherealonewithit，Edward！"
Buthewasgone。Foronlyalittlewhile，however。Notfarfromhisownhousehemettheeditor——proprietorofthepaper，andgavehimthedocument，andsaid"Hereisagoodthingforyou，Cox——putitin。"
"Itmaybetoolate，Mr。Richards，butI'llsee。"
Athomeagain，heandhiswifesatdowntotalkthecharmingmysteryover；theywereinnoconditionforsleep。Thefirstquestionwas，Whocouldthecitizenhavebeenwhogavethestrangerthetwentydollars？Itseemedasimpleone；bothanswereditinthesamebreath——
"BarclayGoodson。"
"Yes，"saidRichards，"hecouldhavedoneit，anditwouldhavebeenlikehim，butthere'snotanotherinthetown。"
"Everybodywillgrantthat，Edward——grantitprivately，anyway。Forsixmonths，now，thevillagehasbeenitsownproperselfoncemore——
honest，narrow，self-righteous，andstingy。"
"Itiswhathealwayscalledit，tothedayofhisdeath——saiditrightoutpublicly，too。"
"Yes，andhewashatedforit。"
"Oh，ofcourse；buthedidn'tcare。Ireckonhewasthebest-hatedmanamongus，excepttheReverendBurgess。"
"Well，Burgessdeservesit——hewillnevergetanothercongregationhere。Meanasthetownis，itknowshowtoestimateHIM。Edward，doesn'titseemoddthatthestrangershouldappointBurgesstodeliverthemoney？"
"Well，yes——itdoes。Thatis——thatis——"
"Whysomuchthat-IS-ing？WouldYOUselecthim？"
"Mary，maybethestrangerknowshimbetterthanthisvillagedoes。"
"MuchTHATwouldhelpBurgess！"
Thehusbandseemedperplexedforananswer；thewifekeptasteadyeyeuponhim，andwaited。FinallyRichardssaid，withthehesitancyofonewhoismakingastatementwhichislikelytoencounterdoubt，"Mary，Burgessisnotabadman。"
Hiswifewascertainlysurprised。
"Nonsense！"sheexclaimed。
"Heisnotabadman。Iknow。Thewholeofhisunpopularityhaditsfoundationinthatonething——thethingthatmadesomuchnoise。"
"That'onething，'indeed！Asifthat'onething'wasn'tenough，allbyitself。"
"Plenty。Plenty。Onlyhewasn'tguiltyofit。"
"Howyoutalk！Notguiltyofit！EverybodyknowsheWASguilty。"
"Mary，Igiveyoumyword——hewasinnocent。"
"Ican'tbelieveitandIdon't。Howdoyouknow？"
"Itisaconfession。Iamashamed，butIwillmakeit。Iwastheonlymanwhoknewhewasinnocent。Icouldhavesavedhim，and——
and——well，youknowhowthetownwaswroughtup——Ihadn'ttheplucktodoit。Itwouldhaveturnedeverybodyagainstme。Ifeltmean，eversomean；utIdidn'tdare；Ihadn'tthemanlinesstofacethat。"
Marylookedtroubled，andforawhilewassilent。Thenshesaidstammeringly：
"I——Idon'tthinkitwouldhavedoneforyouto——to——Onemustn't——
er——publicopinion——onehastobesocareful——so——"Itwasadifficultroad，andshegotmired；butafteralittleshegotstartedagain。"Itwasagreatpity，but——Why，wecouldn'taffordit，Edward——wecouldn'tindeed。Oh，Iwouldn'thavehadyoudoitforanything！"
"Itwouldhavelostusthegood-willofsomanypeople，Mary；andthen——andthen——"
"Whattroublesmenowis，whatHEthinksofus，Edward。"
"He？HEdoesn'tsuspectthatIcouldhavesavedhim。"
"Oh，"exclaimedthewife，inatoneofrelief，"Iamgladofthat。
Aslongashedoesn'tknowthatyoucouldhavesavedhim，he——he——
wellthatmakesitagreatdealbetter。Why，Imighthaveknownhedidn'tknow，becauseheisalwaystryingtobefriendlywithus，aslittleencouragementaswegivehim。Morethanoncepeoplehavetwittedmewithit。There'stheWilsons，andtheWilcoxes，andtheHarknesses，theytakeameanpleasureinsaying'YOURFRIEND
Burgess，'becausetheyknowitpestersme。Iwishhewouldn'tpersistinlikingusso；Ican'tthinkwhyhekeepsitup。"
"Icanexplainit。It'sanotherconfession。Whenthethingwasnewandhot，andthetownmadeaplantoridehimonarail，myconsciencehurtmesothatIcouldn'tstandit，andIwentprivatelyandgavehimnotice，andhegotoutofthetownandstayedouttillitwassafetocomeback。"
"Edward！Ifthetownhadfounditout——"
"DON'T！Itscaresmeyet，tothinkofit。Irepentedofittheminuteitwasdone；andIwasevenafraidtotellyoulestyourfacemightbetrayittosomebody。Ididn'tsleepanythatnight，forworrying。ButafterafewdaysIsawthatnoonewasgoingtosuspectme，andafterthatIgottofeelinggladIdidit。AndI
feelgladyet，Mary——gladthroughandthrough。"
"SodoI，now，foritwouldhavebeenadreadfulwaytotreathim。
Yes，I'mglad；forreallyyoudidowehimthat，youknow。But，Edward，supposeitshouldcomeoutyet，someday！"
"Itwon't。"
"Why？"
"BecauseeverybodythinksitwasGoodson。"
"Ofcoursetheywould！"
"Certainly。AndofcourseHEdidn'tcare。TheypersuadedpooroldSawlsberrytogoandchargeitonhim，andhewentblusteringoverthereanddidit。Goodsonlookedhimover，likeasifhewashuntingforaplaceonhimthathecoulddespisethemost；thenhesays，'SoyouaretheCommitteeofInquiry，areyou？'Sawlsberrysaidthatwasaboutwhathewas。'H'm。Dotheyrequireparticulars，ordoyoureckonakindofaGENERALanswerwilldo？'
'Iftheyrequireparticulars，Iwillcomeback，Mr。Goodson；Iwilltakethegeneralanswerfirst。''Verywell，then，tellthemtogotohell——Ireckonthat'sgeneralenough。AndI'llgiveyousomeadvice，Sawlsberry；whenyoucomebackfortheparticulars，fetchabaskettocarrywhatisleftofyourselfhomein。'"
"JustlikeGoodson；it'sgotallthemarks。Hehadonlyonevanity；
hethoughthecouldgiveadvicebetterthananyotherperson。"
"Itsettledthebusiness，andsavedus，Mary。Thesubjectwasdropped。"
"Blessyou，I'mnotdoubtingTHAT。"
Thentheytookupthegold-sackmysteryagain，withstronginterest。
Soontheconversationbegantosufferbreaks——interruptionscausedbyabsorbedthinkings。Thebreaksgrewmoreandmorefrequent。AtlastRichardslosthimselfwhollyinthought。Hesatlong，gazingvacantlyatthefloor，andby-and-byhebegantopunctuatehisthoughtswithlittlenervousmovementsofhishandsthatseemedtoindicatevexation。Meantimehiswifetoohadrelapsedintoathoughtfulsilence，andhermovementswerebeginningtoshowatroubleddiscomfort。FinallyRichardsgotupandstrodeaimlesslyabouttheroom，ploughinghishandsthroughhishair，muchasasomnambulistmightdowhowashavingabaddream。Thenheseemedtoarriveatadefinitepurpose；andwithoutawordheputonhishatandpassedquicklyoutofthehouse。Hiswifesatbrooding，withadrawnface，anddidnotseemtobeawarethatshewasalone。Nowandthenshemurmured，"Leadusnotintot……but——but——wearesopoor，sopoor！……Leadusnotinto……Ah，whowouldbehurtbyit？——andnoonewouldeverknow……Leadus……"Thevoicediedoutinmumblings。Afteralittlesheglancedupandmutteredinahalf-frightened，half-gladway——
"Heisgone！But，ohdear，hemaybetoolate——toolate……Maybenot——maybethereisstilltime。"Sheroseandstoodthinking，nervouslyclaspingandunclaspingherhands。Aslightshuddershookherframe，andshesaid，outofadrythroat，"Godforgiveme——it'sawfultothinksuchthings——but……Lord，howwearemade——howstrangelywearemade！"
Sheturnedthelightlow，andslippedstealthilyoverandkneltdownbythesackandfeltofitsridgysideswithherhands，andfondledthemlovingly；andtherewasagloatinglightinherpooroldeyes。
Shefellintofitsofabsence；andcamehalfoutofthemattimestomutter"Ifwehadonlywaited！——oh，ifwehadonlywaitedalittle，andnotbeeninsuchahurry！"
MeantimeCoxhadgonehomefromhisofficeandtoldhiswifeallaboutthestrangethingthathadhappened，andtheyhadtalkeditovereagerly，andguessedthatthelateGoodsonwastheonlymaninthetownwhocouldhavehelpedasufferingstrangerwithsonobleasumastwentydollars。Thentherewasapause，andthetwobecamethoughtfulandsilent。Andby-and-bynervousandfidgety。Atlastthewifesaid，asiftoherself，"NobodyknowsthissecretbuttheRichardses……andus……
nobody。"
Thehusbandcameoutofhisthinkingswithaslightstart，andgazedwistfullyathiswife，whosefacewasbecomeverypale；thenhehesitatinglyrose，andglancedfurtivelyathishat，thenathiswife——asortofmuteinquiry。Mrs。Coxswallowedonceortwice，withherhandatherthroat，theninplaceofspeechshenoddedherhead。Inamomentshewasalone，andmumblingtoherself。
AndnowRichardsandCoxwerehurryingthroughthedesertedstreets，fromoppositedirections。Theymet，panting，atthefootoftheprinting-officestairs；bythenight-lighttheretheyreadeachother'sface。Coxwhispered：
"Nobodyknowsaboutthisbutus？"
Thewhisperedanswerwas：
"Notasoul——onhonour，notasoul！"
"Ifitisn'ttoolateto——"
Themenwerestartingup-stairs；atthismomenttheywereovertakenbyaboy，andCoxasked，"Isthatyou，Johnny？"
"Yes，sir。"
"Youneedn'tshiptheearlymail——norANYmail；waittillItellyou。"
"It'salreadygone，sir。"
"GONE？"Ithadthesoundofanunspeakabledisappointmentinit。
"Yes，sir。Time-tableforBrixtonandallthetownsbeyondchangedto-day，sir——hadtogetthepapersintwentyminutesearlierthancommon。Ihadtorush；ifIhadbeentwominuteslater——"
Thementurnedandwalkedslowlyaway，notwaitingtoheartherest。
Neitherofthemspokeduringtenminutes；thenCoxsaid，inavexedtone，"Whatpossessedyoutobeinsuchahurry，Ican'tmakeout。"
Theanswerwashumbleenough：
"Iseeitnow，butsomehowIneverthought，youknow，untilitwastoolate。Butthenexttime——"
"Nexttimebehanged！Itwon'tcomeinathousandyears。"
Thenthefriendsseparatedwithoutagood-night，anddraggedthemselveshomewiththegaitofmortallystrickenmen。Attheirhomestheirwivessprangupwithaneager"Well？"——thensawtheanswerwiththeireyesandsankdownsorrowing，withoutwaitingforittocomeinwords。Inbothhousesadiscussionfollowedofaheatedsort——anewthing；therehadbeendiscussionsbefore，butnotheatedones，notungentleones。Thediscussionsto-nightwereasortofseemingplagiarismsofeachother。Mrs。Richardssaid：
"Ifyouhadonlywaited，Edward——ifyouhadonlystoppedtothink；
butno，youmustrunstraighttotheprinting-officeandspreaditallovertheworld。"
"ItSAIDpublishit。"
"Thatisnothing；italsosaiddoitprivately，ifyouliked。
There，now——isthattrue，ornot？"
"Why，yes——yes，itistrue；butwhenIthoughtwhatastiritwouldmake，andwhatacomplimentitwastoHadleyburgthatastrangershouldtrustitso——"
"Oh，certainly，Iknowallthat；butifyouhadonlystoppedtothink，youwouldhaveseenthatyouCOULDN'Tfindtherightman，becauseheisinhisgrave，andhasn'tleftchicknorchildnorrelationbehindhim；andaslongasthemoneywenttosomebodythatawfullyneededit，andnobodywouldbehurtbyit，and——and——"
Shebrokedown，crying。Herhusbandtriedtothinkofsomecomfortingthingtosay，andpresentlycameoutwiththis：
"Butafterall，Mary，itmustbeforthebest——itmustbe；weknowthat。Andwemustrememberthatitwassoordered——"
"Ordered！Oh，everything'sORDERED，whenapersonhastofindsomewayoutwhenhehasbeenstupid。Justthesame，itwasORDEREDthatthemoneyshouldcometousinthisspecialway，anditwasyouthatmusttakeitonyourselftogomeddlingwiththedesignsofProvidence——andwhogaveyoutheright？Itwaswicked，thatiswhatitwas——justblasphemouspresumption，andnomorebecomingtoameekandhumbleprofessorof——"
"But，Mary，youknowhowwehavebeentrainedallourliveslong，likethewholevillage，tillitisabsolutelysecondnaturetoustostopnotasinglemomenttothinkwhenthere'sanhonestthingtobedone——"
"Oh，Iknowit，Iknowit——it'sbeenoneeverlastingtrainingandtrainingandtraininginhonesty——honestyshielded，fromtheverycradle，againsteverypossibletemptation，andsoit'sARTIFICIAL
honesty，andweakaswaterwhentemptationcomes，aswehaveseenthisnight。GodknowsIneverhadshadenorshadowofadoubtofmypetrifiedandindestructiblehonestyuntilnow——andnow，undertheveryfirstbigandrealtemptation，I——Edward，itismybeliefthatthistown'shonestyisasrottenasmineis；asrottenasyours。Itisameantown，ahard，stingytown，andhasn'tavirtueintheworldbutthishonestyitissocelebratedforandsoconceitedabout；andsohelpme，Idobelievethatifeverthedaycomesthatitshonestyfallsundergreattemptation，itsgrandreputationwillgotoruinlikeahouseofcards。There，now，I'vemadeconfession，andIfeelbetter；Iamahumbug，andI'vebeenoneallmylife，withoutknowingit。Letnomancallmehonestagain——Iwillnothaveit。"
"I——Well，Mary，Ifeelagooddealasyoudo：Icertainlydo。Itseemsstrange，too，sostrange。Inevercouldhavebelievedit——
never。"
Alongsilencefollowed；bothweresunkinthought。Atlastthewifelookedupandsaid：
"Iknowwhatyouarethinking，Edward。"
Richardshadtheembarrassedlookofapersonwhoiscaught。
"Iamashamedtoconfessit，Mary，but——"
"It'snomatter，Edward，Iwasthinkingthesamequestionmyself。"
"Ihopeso。Stateit。"
"Youwerethinking，ifabodycouldonlyguessoutWHATTHEREMARK
WASthatGoodsonmadetothestranger。"
"It'sperfectlytrue。Ifeelguiltyandashamed。Andyou？"
"I'mpastit。Letusmakeapallethere；we'vegottostandwatchtillthebankvaultopensinthemorningandadmitsthesack……Ohdear，ohdear——ifwehadn'tmadethemistake！"
Thepalletwasmade，andMarysaid：
"Theopensesame——whatcouldithavebeen？Idowonderwhatthatremarkcouldhavebeen。Butcome；wewillgettobednow。"
"Andsleep？"
"No；think。"
"Yes；think。"
BythistimetheCoxestoohadcompletedtheirspatandtheirreconciliation，andwereturningin——tothink，tothink，andtoss，andfret，andworryoverwhattheremarkcouldpossiblyhavebeenwhichGoodsonmadetothestrandedderelict；thatgoldenremark；
thatremarkworthfortythousanddollars，cash。
Thereasonthatthevillagetelegraph-officewasopenlaterthanusualthatnightwasthis：TheforemanofCox'spaperwasthelocalrepresentativeoftheAssociatedPress。Onemightsayitshonoraryrepresentative，foritwasn'tfourtimesayearthathecouldfurnishthirtywordsthatwouldbeaccepted。Butthistimeitwasdifferent。Hisdespatchstatingwhathehadcaughtgotaninstantanswer：
"Sendthewholething——allthedetails——twelvehundredwords。"
Acolossalorder！Theforemanfilledthebill；andhewastheproudestmanintheState。Bybreakfast-timethenextmorningthenameofHadleyburgtheIncorruptiblewasoneverylipinAmerica，fromMontrealtotheGulf，fromtheglaciersofAlaskatotheorange-grovesofFlorida；andmillionsandmillionsofpeoplewerediscussingthestrangerandhismoney-sack，andwonderingiftherightmanwouldbefound，andhopingsomemorenewsaboutthematterwouldcomesoon——rightaway。
II
Hadleyburgvillagewokeupworld-celebrated——astonished——happy——
vain。Vainbeyondimagination。Itsnineteenprincipalcitizensandtheirwiveswentaboutshakinghandswitheachother，andbeaming，andsmiling，andcongratulating，andsayingTHISthingaddsanewwordtothedictionary——HADLEYBURG，synonymforINCORRUPTIBLE——
destinedtoliveindictionariesforever！Andtheminorandunimportantcitizensandtheirwiveswentaroundactinginmuchthesameway。Everybodyrantothebanktoseethegold-sack；andbeforenoongrievedandenviouscrowdsbegantoflockinfromBrixtonandallneighbouringtowns；andthatafternoonandnextdayreportersbegantoarrivefromeverywheretoverifythesackanditshistoryandwritethewholethingupanew，andmakedashingfree-
handpicturesofthesack，andofRichards'shouse，andthebank，andthePresbyterianchurch，andtheBaptistchurch，andthepublicsquare，andthetown-hallwherethetestwouldbeappliedandthemoneydelivered；anddamnableportraitsoftheRichardses，andPinkertonthebanker，andCox，andtheforeman，andReverendBurgess，andthepostmaster——andevenofJackHalliday，whowastheloafing，good-natured，no-account，irreverentfisherman，hunter，boys'friend，stray-dogs'friend，typical"SamLawson"ofthetown。
Thelittlemean，smirking，oilyPinkertonshowedthesacktoallcomers，andrubbedhissleekpalmstogetherpleasantly，andenlargeduponthetown'sfineoldreputationforhonestyanduponthiswonderfulendorsementofit，andhopedandbelievedthattheexamplewouldnowspreadfarandwideovertheAmericanworld，andbeepoch-
makinginthematterofmoralregeneration。Andsoon，andsoon。
Bytheendofaweekthingshadquieteddownagain；thewildintoxicationofprideandjoyhadsoberedtoasoft，sweet，silentdelight——asortofdeep，nameless，unutterablecontent。Allfacesborealookofpeaceful，holyhappiness。
Thenachangecame。Itwasagradualchange；sogradualthatitsbeginningswerehardlynoticed；maybewerenotnoticedatall，exceptbyJackHalliday，whoalwaysnoticedeverything；andalwaysmadefunofit，too，nomatterwhatitwas。Hebegantothrowoutchaffingremarksaboutpeoplenotlookingquitesohappyastheydidadayortwoago；andnextheclaimedthatthenewaspectwasdeepeningtopositivesadness；next，thatitwastakingonasicklook；andfinallyhesaidthateverybodywasbecomesomoody，thoughtful，andabsent-mindedthathecouldrobthemeanestmanintownofacentoutofthebottomofhisbreechespocketandnotdisturbhisreverie。
Atthisstage——orataboutthisstage——asayinglikethiswasdroppedatbedtime——withasigh，usually——bytheheadofeachofthenineteenprincipalhouseholds：
"Ah，whatCOULDhavebeentheremarkthatGoodsonmade？"
Andstraightway——withashudder——camethis，fromtheman'swife：
"Oh，DON'T！Whathorriblethingareyoumullinginyourmind？Putitawayfromyou，forGod'ssake！"
Butthatquestionwaswrungfromthosemenagainthenextnight——andgotthesameretort。Butweaker。
Andthethirdnightthemenutteredthequestionyetagain——withanguish，andabsently。Thistime——andthefollowingnight——thewivesfidgetedfeebly，andtriedtosaysomething。Butdidn't。
Andthenightafterthattheyfoundtheirtonguesandresponded——
longingly：
"Oh，ifweCOULDonlyguess！"
Halliday'scommentsgrewdailymoreandmoresparklinglydisagreeableanddisparaging。Hewentdiligentlyabout，laughingatthetown，individuallyandinmass。Buthislaughwastheonlyoneleftinthevillage：itfelluponahollowandmournfulvacancyandemptiness。Notevenasmilewasfindableanywhere。Hallidaycarriedacigar-boxaroundonatripod，playingthatitwasacamera，andhaltedallpassersandaimedthethingandsaid"Ready！——
nowlookpleasant，please，"butnoteventhiscapitaljokecouldsurprisethedrearyfacesintoanysoftening。
Sothreeweekspassed——oneweekwasleft。ItwasSaturdayeveningaftersupper。InsteadoftheaforetimeSaturday-eveningflutterandbustleandshoppingandlarking，thestreetswereemptyanddesolate。Richardsandhisoldwifesatapartintheirlittleparlour——miserableandthinking。Thiswasbecometheireveninghabitnow：thelife-longhabitwhichhadprecededit，ofreading，knitting，andcontentedchat，orreceivingorpayingneighbourlycalls，wasdeadandgoneandforgotten，agesago——twoorthreeweeksago；nobodytalkednow，nobodyread，nobodyvisited——thewholevillagesatathome，sighing，worrying，silent。Tryingtoguessoutthatremark。
Thepostmanleftaletter。Richardsglancedlistlesslyatthesuperscriptionandthepost-mark——unfamiliar，both——andtossedtheletteronthetableandresumedhismight-have-beensandhishopelessdullmiserieswherehehadleftthemoff。Twoorthreehourslaterhiswifegotwearilyupandwasgoingawaytobedwithoutagood-night——customnow——butshestoppedneartheletterandeyeditawhilewithadeadinterest，thenbrokeitopen，andbegantoskimitover。Richards，sittingtherewithhischairtiltedbackagainstthewallandhischinbetweenhisknees，heardsomethingfall。Itwashiswife。Hesprangtoherside，butshecriedout：
"Leavemealone，Iamtoohappy。Readtheletter——readit！"
Hedid。Hedevouredit，hisbrainreeling。TheletterwasfromadistantState，anditsaid：
"Iamastrangertoyou，butnomatter：Ihavesomethingtotell。
IhavejustarrivedhomefromMexico，andlearnedaboutthatepisode。Ofcourseyoudonotknowwhomadethatremark，butI
know，andIamtheonlypersonlivingwhodoesknow。ItwasGOODSON。Iknewhimwell，manyyearsago。Ipassedthroughyourvillagethatverynight，andwashisguesttillthemidnighttraincamealong。Ioverheardhimmakethatremarktothestrangerinthedark——itwasinHaleAlley。HeandItalkedofittherestofthewayhome，andwhilesmokinginhishouse。Hementionedmanyofyourvillagersinthecourseofhistalk——mostoftheminaveryuncomplimentaryway，buttwoorthreefavourably：amongtheselatteryourself。Isay'favourably'——nothingstronger。IrememberhissayinghedidnotactuallyLIKEanypersoninthetown——notone；
butthatyou——ITHINKhesaidyou——amalmostsure——haddonehimaverygreatserviceonce，possiblywithoutknowingthefullvalueofit，andhewishedhehadafortune，hewouldleaveittoyouwhenhedied，andacurseapiecefortherestofthecitizens。Now，then，ifitwasyouthatdidhimthatservice，youarehislegitimateheir，andentitledtothesackofgold。IknowthatIcantrusttoyourhonourandhonesty，forinacitizenofHadleyburgthesevirtuesareanunfailinginheritance，andsoIamgoingtorevealtoyoutheremark，wellsatisfiedthatifyouarenottherightmanyouwillseekandfindtherightoneandseethatpoorGoodson'sdebtofgratitudefortheservicereferredtoispaid。Thisistheremark'YOUAREFARFROMBEINGABADMAN：GO，ANDREFORM。'
"HOWARDL。STEPHENSON。"
"Oh，Edward，themoneyisours，andIamsograteful，OH，sograteful，——kissme，dear，it'sforeversincewekissed——andweneededitso——themoney——andnowyouarefreeofPinkertonandhisbank，andnobody'sslaveanymore；itseemstomeIcouldflyforjoy。"
Itwasahappyhalf-hourthatthecouplespentthereonthesetteecaressingeachother；itwastheolddayscomeagain——daysthathadbegunwiththeircourtshipandlastedwithoutabreaktillthestrangerbroughtthedeadlymoney。By-and-bythewifesaid：
"Oh，Edward，howluckyitwasyoudidhimthatgrandservice，poorGoodson！Ineverlikedhim，butIlovehimnow。Anditwasfineandbeautifulofyounevertomentionitorbragaboutit。"Then，withatouchofreproach，"ButyououghttohavetoldME，Edward，yououghttohavetoldyourwife，youknow。"
"Well，I——er——well，Mary，yousee——"
"Nowstophemmingandhawing，andtellmeaboutit，Edward。I
alwayslovedyou，andnowI'mproudofyou。Everybodybelievestherewasonlyonegoodgeneroussoulinthisvillage，andnowitturnsoutthatyou——Edward，whydon'tyoutellme？"
"Well——er——er——Why，Mary，Ican't！"
"YouCAN'T？WHYcan'tyou？"
"Yousee，he——well，he——hemademepromiseIwouldn't。"
Thewifelookedhimover，andsaid，veryslowly：
"Made——you——promise？Edward，whatdoyoutellmethatfor？"
"Mary，doyouthinkIwouldlie？"
Shewastroubledandsilentforamoment，thenshelaidherhandwithinhisandsaid：
"No……no。Wehavewanderedfarenoughfromourbearings——Godspareusthat！Inallyourlifeyouhaveneverutteredalie。Butnow——nowthatthefoundationsofthingsseemtobecrumblingfromunderus，we——we——"Shelosthervoiceforamoment，thensaid，brokenly，"Leadusnotintotemptation……Ithinkyoumadethepromise，Edward。Letitrestso。Letuskeepawayfromthatground。Now——thatisallgoneby；letushehappyagain；itisnotimeforclouds。"
Edwardfounditsomethingofanefforttocomply，forhismindkeptwandering——tryingtorememberwhattheservicewasthathehaddoneGoodson。
Thecouplelayawakethemostofthenight，Maryhappyandbusy，Edwardbusy，butnotsohappy。Marywasplanningwhatshewoulddowiththemoney。Edwardwastryingtorecallthatservice。AtfirsthisconsciencewassoreonaccountoftheliehehadtoldMary——ifitwasalie。Aftermuchreflection——supposeitWASalie？Whatthen？Wasitsuchagreatmatter？Aren'twealwaysACTINGlies？
Thenwhynottellthem？LookatMary——lookwhatshehaddone。
Whilehewashurryingoffonhishonesterrand，whatwasshedoing？
Lamentingbecausethepapershadn'tbeendestroyedandthemoneykept。Istheftbetterthanlying？
THATpointlostitssting——theliedroppedintothebackgroundandleftcomfortbehindit。Thenextpointcametothefront：HADherenderedthatservice？Well，herewasGoodson'sownevidenceasreportedinStephenson'sletter；therecouldbenobetterevidencethanthat——itwasevenPROOFthathehadrenderedit。Ofcourse。
Sothatpointwassettled……No，notquite。HerecalledwithawincethatthisunknownMr。StephensonwasjustatrifleunsureastowhethertheperformerofitwasRichardsorsomeother——and，ohdear，hehadputRichardsonhishonour！Hemusthimselfdecidewhitherthatmoneymustgo——andMr。Stephensonwasnotdoubtingthatifhewasthewrongmanhewouldgohonourablyandfindtherightone。Oh，itwasodioustoputamaninsuchasituation——ah，whycouldn'tStephensonhaveleftoutthatdoubt？Whatdidhewanttointrudethatfor？
Furtherreflection。HowdidithappenthatRICHARDS'SnameremainedinStephenson'smindasindicatingtherightman，andnotsomeotherman'sname？Thatlookedgood。Yes，thatlookedverygood。Infactitwentonlookingbetterandbetter，straightalong——untilby-and-
byitgrewintopositivePROOF。AndthenRichardsputthematteratonceoutofhismind，forhehadaprivateinstinctthataproofonceestablishedisbetterleftso。
Hewasfeelingreasonablycomfortablenow，buttherewasstilloneotherdetailthatkeptpushingitselfonhisnotice：ofcoursehehaddonethatservice——thatwassettled；butwhatWASthatservice？
Hemustrecallit——hewouldnotgotosleeptillhehadrecalledit；
itwouldmakehispeaceofmindperfect。Andsohethoughtandthought。Hethoughtofadozenthings——possibleservices，evenprobableservices——butnoneofthemseemedadequate，noneofthemseemedlargeenough，noneofthemseemedworththemoney——worththefortuneGoodsonhadwishedhecouldleaveinhiswill。Andbesides，hecouldn'trememberhavingdonethem，anyway。Now，then——now，then——whatKINDofaservicewoulditbethatwouldmakeamansoinordinatelygrateful？Ah——thesavingofhissoul！Thatmustbeit。Yes，hecouldremember，now，howheoncesethimselfthetaskofconvertingGoodson，andlabouredatitasmuchas——hewasgoingtosaythreemonths；butuponcloserexaminationitshrunktoamonth，thentoaweek，thentoaday，thentonothing。Yes，herememberednow，andwithunwelcomevividness，thatGoodsonhadtoldhimtogotothunderandmindhisownbusiness——HEwasn'thankeringtofollowHadleyburgtoheaven！
Sothatsolutionwasafailure——hehadn'tsavedGoodson'ssoul。
Richardswasdiscouraged。Thenafteralittlecameanotheridea：
hadhesavedGoodson'sproperty？No，thatwouldn'tdo——hehadn'tany。Hislife？Thatisit！Ofcourse。Why，hemighthavethoughtofitbefore。Thistimehewasontherighttrack，sure。Hisimagination-millwashardatworkinaminute，now。
Thereafter，duringastretchoftwoexhaustinghours，hewasbusysavingGoodson'slife。Hesaveditinallkindsofdifficultandperilousways。Ineverycasehegotitsavedsatisfactorilyuptoacertainpoint；then，justashewasbeginningtogetwellpersuadedthatithadreallyhappened，atroublesomedetailwouldturnupwhichmadethewholethingimpossible。Asinthematterofdrowning，forinstance。InthatcasehehadswumoutandtuggedGoodsonashoreinanunconsciousstatewithagreatcrowdlookingonandapplauding，butwhenhehadgotitallthoughtoutandwasjustbeginningtorememberallaboutit，awholeswarmofdisqualifyingdetailsarrivedontheground：thetownwouldhaveknownofthecircumstance，Marywouldhaveknownofit，itwouldglarelikealimelightinhisownmemoryinsteadofbeinganinconspicuousservicewhichhehadpossiblyrendered"withoutknowingitsfullvalue。"Andatthispointherememberedthathecouldn'tswimanyway。
Ah——THEREwasapointwhichhehadbeenoverlookingfromthestart：
ithadtobeaservicewhichhehadrendered"possiblywithoutknowingthefullvalueofit。"Why，really，thatoughttobeaneasyhunt——mucheasierthanthoseothers。Andsureenough，by-and-
byhefoundit。Goodson，yearsandyearsago，camenearmarryingaverysweetandprettygirl，namedNancyHewitt，butinsomewayorotherthematchhadbeenbrokenoff；thegirldied，Goodsonremainedabachelor，andby-and-bybecameasouredoneandafrankdespiserofthehumanspecies。Soonafterthegirl'sdeaththevillagefoundout，orthoughtithadfoundout，thatshecarriedaspoonfulofnegrobloodinherveins。Richardsworkedatthesedetailsagoodwhile，andintheendhethoughtherememberedthingsconcerningthemwhichmusthavegottenmislaidinhismemorythroughlongneglect。HeseemedtodimlyrememberthatitwasHEthatfoundoutaboutthenegroblood；thatitwashethattoldthevillage；thatthevillagetoldGoodsonwheretheygotit；thathethussavedGoodsonfrommarryingthetaintedgirl；thathehaddonehimthisgreatservice"withoutknowingthefullvalueofit，"infactwithoutknowingthatheWASdoingit；butthatGoodsonknewthevalueofit，andwhatanarrowescapehehadhad，andsowenttohisgravegratefultohisbenefactorandwishinghehadafortunetoleavehim。Itwasallclearandsimple，now，andthemorehewentoveritthemoreluminousandcertainitgrew；andatlast，whenhenestledtosleep，satisfiedandhappy，herememberedthewholethingjustasifithadbeenyesterday。Infact，hedimlyrememberedGoodson'sTELLINGhimhisgratitudeonce。MeantimeMaryhadspentsixthousanddollarsonanewhouseforherselfandapairofslippersforherpastor，andthenhadfallenpeacefullytorest。
ThatsameSaturdayeveningthepostmanhaddeliveredalettertoeachoftheotherprincipalcitizens——nineteenlettersinall。Notwooftheenvelopeswerealike，andnotwoofthesuperscriptionswereinthesamehand，butthelettersinsidewerejustlikeeachotherineverydetailbutone。TheywereexactcopiesoftheletterreceivedbyRichards——handwritingandall——andwereallsignedbyStephenson，butinplaceofRichards'snameeachreceiver'sownnameappeared。
Allnightlongeighteenprincipalcitizensdidwhattheircaste-
brotherRichardswasdoingatthesametime——theyputintheirenergiestryingtorememberwhatnotableserviceitwasthattheyhadunconsciouslydoneBarclayGoodson。Innocasewasitaholidayjob；stilltheysucceeded。
Andwhiletheywereatthiswork，whichwasdifficult，theirwivesputinthenightspendingthemoney，whichwaseasy。Duringthatonenightthenineteenwivesspentanaverageofseventhousanddollarseachoutofthefortythousandinthesack——ahundredandthirty-threethousandaltogether。
NextdaytherewasasurpriseforJackHalliday。Henoticedthatthefacesofthenineteenchiefcitizensandtheirwivesborethatexpressionofpeacefulandholyhappinessagain。Hecouldnotunderstandit，neitherwasheabletoinventanyremarksaboutitthatcoulddamageitordisturbit。Andsoitwashisturntobedissatisfiedwithlife。Hisprivateguessesatthereasonsforthehappinessfailedinallinstances，uponexamination。WhenhemetMrs。Wilcoxandnoticedtheplacidecstasyinherface，hesaidtohimself，"Hercathashadkittens"——andwentandaskedthecook；itwasnotso，thecookhaddetectedthehappiness，butdidnotknowthecause。WhenHallidayfoundtheduplicateecstasyinthefaceof"Shadbelly"Billsonvillagenickname，hewassuresomeneighbourofBillson'shadbrokenhisleg，butinquiryshowedthatthishadnothappened。ThesubduedecstasyinGregoryYates'sfacecouldmeanbutonething——hewasamother-in-lawshort；itwasanothermistake。"AndPinkerton——Pinkerton——hehascollectedtencentsthathethoughthewasgoingtolose。"Andsoon，andsoon。Insomecasestheguesseshadtoremainindoubt，intheotherstheyproveddistincterrors。IntheendHallidaysaidtohimself，"Anywayitrootsupthatthere'snineteenHadleyburgfamiliestemporarilyinheaven：Idon'tknowhowithappened；IonlyknowProvidenceisoffdutyto-day。"
AnarchitectandbuilderfromthenextStatehadlatelyventuredtosetupasmallbusinessinthisunpromisingvillage，andhissignhadnowbeenhangingoutaweek。Notacustomeryet；hewasadiscouragedman，andsorryhehadcome。Buthisweatherchangedsuddenlynow。Firstoneandthenanotherchiefcitizen'swifesaidtohimprivately：
"CometomyhouseMondayweek——butsaynothingaboutitforthepresent。Wethinkofbuilding。"
Hegoteleveninvitationsthatday。Thatnighthewrotehisdaughterandbrokeoffhermatchwithherstudent。Hesaidshecouldmarryamilehigherthanthat。
Pinkertonthebankerandtwoorthreeotherwell-to-domenplannedcountry-seats——butwaited。Thatkinddon'tcounttheirchickensuntiltheyarehatched。
TheWilsonsdevisedagrandnewthing——afancy-dressball。Theymadenoactualpromises，buttoldalltheiracquaintanceshipinconfidencethattheywerethinkingthematteroverandthoughttheyshouldgiveit——"andifwedo，youwillbeinvited，ofcourse。"
Peopleweresurprised，andsaid，onetoanother，"Why，theyarecrazy，thosepoorWilsons，theycan'taffordit。"Severalamongthenineteensaidprivatelytotheirhusbands，"Itisagoodidea，wewillkeepstilltilltheircheapthingisover，thenWEwillgiveonethatwillmakeitsick。"
Thedaysdriftedalong，andthebilloffuturesquanderingsrosehigherandhigher，wilderandwilder，moreandmorefoolishandreckless。Itbegantolookasifeverymemberofthenineteenwouldnotonlyspendhiswholefortythousanddollarsbeforereceiving-
day，butbeactuallyindebtbythetimehegotthemoney。Insomecaseslight-headedpeopledidnotstopwithplanningtospend，theyreallyspent——oncredit。Theyboughtland，mortgages，farms，speculativestocks，fineclothes，horses，andvariousotherthings，paiddownthebonus，andmadethemselvesliablefortherest——attendays。Presentlythesobersecondthoughtcame，andHallidaynoticedthataghastlyanxietywasbeginningtoshowupinagoodmanyfaces。Againhewaspuzzled，anddidn'tknowwhattomakeofit。
"TheWilcoxkittensaren'tdead，fortheyweren'tborn；nobody'sbrokenaleg；there'snoshrinkageinmother-in-laws；NOTHINGhashappened——itisaninsolvablemystery。"
Therewasanotherpuzzledman，too——theRev。Mr。Burgess。Fordays，whereverhewent，peopleseemedtofollowhimortobewatchingoutforhim；andifheeverfoundhimselfinaretiredspot，amemberofthenineteenwouldbesuretoappear，thrustanenvelopeprivatelyintohishand，whisper"Tobeopenedatthetown-hallFridayevening，"thenvanishawaylikeaguiltything。Hewasexpectingthattheremightbeoneclaimantforthesack——doubtful，however，Goodsonbeingdead——butitneveroccurredtohimthatallthiscrowdmightbeclaimants。WhenthegreatFridaycameatlast，hefoundthathehadnineteenenvelopes。
III
Thetown-hallhadneverlookedfiner。Theplatformattheendofitwasbackedbyashowydrapingofflags；atintervalsalongthewallswerefestoonsofflags；thegalleryfrontswereclothedinflags；
thesupportingcolumnswereswathedinflags；allthiswastoimpressthestranger，forhewouldbethereinconsiderableforce，andinalargedegreehewouldbeconnectedwiththepress。Thehousewasfull。The412fixedseatswereoccupied；alsothe68
extrachairswhichhadbeenpackedintotheaisles；thestepsoftheplatformwereoccupied；somedistinguishedstrangersweregivenseatsontheplatform；atthehorseshoeoftableswhichfencedthefrontandsidesoftheplatformsatastrongforceofspecialcorrespondentswhohadcomefromeverywhere。Itwasthebest-
dressedhousethetownhadeverproduced。Thereweresometolerablyexpensivetoiletsthere，andinseveralcasestheladieswhoworethemhadthelookofbeingunfamiliarwiththatkindofclothes。Atleastthetownthoughttheyhadthatlook，butthenotioncouldhavearisenfromthetown'sknowledgeofthefactthattheseladieshadneverinhabitedsuchclothesbefore。
Thegold-sackstoodonalittletableatthefrontoftheplatformwhereallthehousecouldseeit。Thebulkofthehousegazedatitwithaburninginterest，amouth-wateringinterest，awistfulandpatheticinterest；aminorityofnineteencouplesgazedatittenderly，lovingly，proprietarily，andthemalehalfofthisminoritykeptsayingovertothemselvesthemovinglittleimpromptuspeechesofthankfulnessfortheaudience'sapplauseandcongratulationswhichtheywerepresentlygoingtogetupanddeliver。Everynowandthenoneofthesegotapieceofpaperoutofhisvestpocketandprivatelyglancedatittorefreshhismemory。
Ofcoursetherewasabuzzofconversationgoingon——therealwaysis；butatlast，whentheRev。Mr。Burgessroseandlaidhishandonthesack，hecouldhearhismicrobesgnaw，theplacewassostill。
Herelatedthecurioushistoryofthesack，thenwentontospeakinwarmtermsofHadleyburg'soldandwell-earnedreputationforspotlesshonesty，andofthetown'sjustprideinthisreputation。
Hesaidthatthisreputationwasatreasureofpricelessvalue；thatunderProvidenceitsvaluehadnowbecomeinestimablyenhanced，fortherecentepisodehadspreadthisfamefarandwide，andthushadfocussedtheeyesoftheAmericanworlduponthisvillage，andmadeitsnameforalltime，ashehopedandbelieved，asynonymforcommercialincorruptibility。[Applause。]"Andwhoistobetheguardianofthisnoblefame——thecommunityasawhole？No！Theresponsibilityisindividual，notcommunal。Fromthisdayfortheachandeveryoneofyouisinhisownpersonitsspecialguardian，andindividuallyresponsiblethatnoharmshallcometoit。Doyou——doeseachofyou——acceptthisgreattrust？[Tumultuousassent。]
Thenalliswell。Transmitittoyourchildrenandtoyourchildren'schildren。To-dayyourpurityisbeyondreproach——seetoitthatitshallremainso。To-daythereisnotapersoninyourcommunitywhocouldbebeguiledtotouchapennynothisown——seetoitthatyouabideinthisgrace。["Wewill！wewill！"]Thisisnottheplacetomakecomparisonsbetweenourselvesandothercommunities——someofthemungracioustowardsus；theyhavetheirways，wehaveours；letusbecontent。[Applause。]Iamdone。
Undermyhand，myfriends，restsastranger'seloquentrecognitionofwhatweare；throughhimtheworldwillalwayshenceforthknowwhatweare。Wedonotknowwhoheis，butinyournameIutteryourgratitude，andaskyoutoraiseyourvoicesinindorsement。"
Thehouseroseinabodyandmadethewallsquakewiththethundersofitsthankfulnessforthespaceofalongminute。Thenitsatdown，andMr。Burgesstookanenvelopeoutofhispocket。Thehousehelditsbreathwhileheslittheenvelopeopenandtookfromitaslipofpaper。Hereaditscontents——slowlyandimpressively——theaudiencelisteningwithtrancedattentiontothismagicdocument，eachofwhosewordsstoodforaningotofgold：
"'TheremarkwhichImadetothedistressedstrangerwasthis："Youareveryfarfrombeingabadman；go，andreform。"'"Thenhecontinued：-"Weshallknowinamomentnowwhethertheremarkherequotedcorrespondswiththeoneconcealedinthesack；andifthatshallprovetobeso——anditundoubtedlywill——thissackofgoldbelongstoafellow-citizenwhowillhenceforthstandbeforethenationasthesymbolofthespecialvirtuewhichhasmadeourtownfamousthroughouttheland——Mr。Billson！"
Thehousehadgottenitselfallreadytoburstintothepropertornadoofapplause；butinsteadofdoingit，itseemedstrickenwithaparalysis；therewasadeephushforamomentortwo，thenawaveofwhisperedmurmursswepttheplace——ofaboutthistenor：
"BILLSON！oh，come，thisisTOOthin！Twentydollarstoastranger——orANYBODY——BILLSON！Tellittothemarines！"Andnowatthispointthehousecaughtitsbreathallofasuddeninanewaccessofastonishment，foritdiscoveredthatwhereasinonepartofthehallDeaconBillsonwasstandingupwithhisheadweeklybowed，inanotherpartofitLawyerWilsonwasdoingthesame。Therewasawonderingsilencenowforawhile。Everybodywaspuzzled，andnineteencouplesweresurprisedandindignant。
BillsonandWilsonturnedandstaredateachother。Billsonasked，bitingly：
"WhydoYOUrise，Mr。Wilson？"
"BecauseIhavearightto。PerhapsyouwillbegoodenoughtoexplaintothehousewhyYOUrise。"
"Withgreatpleasure。BecauseIwrotethatpaper。"
"Itisanimpudentfalsity！Iwroteitmyself。"
ItwasBurgess'sturntobeparalysed。Hestoodlookingvacantlyatfirstoneofthemenandthentheother，anddidnotseemtoknowwhattodo。Thehousewasstupefied。LawyerWilsonspokeupnow，andsaid：
"IasktheChairtoreadthenamesignedtothatpaper。"
ThatbroughttheChairtoitself，anditreadoutthename：
"JohnWhartonBILLSON。"
"There！"shoutedBillson，"whathaveyougottosayforyourselfnow？Andwhatkindofapologyareyougoingtomaketomeandtothisinsultedhousefortheimposturewhichyouhaveattemptedtoplayhere？"
"Noapologiesaredue，sir；andasfortherestofit，IpubliclychargeyouwithpilferingmynotefromMr。Burgessandsubstitutingacopyofitsignedwithyourownname。Thereisnootherwaybywhichyoucouldhavegottenholdofthetest-remark；Ialone，oflivingmen，possessedthesecretofitswording。"
Therewaslikelytobeascandalousstateofthingsifthiswenton；
everybodynoticedwithdistressthattheshorthandscribeswerescribblinglikemad；manypeoplewerecrying"Chair，chair！Order！
order！"Burgessrappedwithhisgavel，andsaid：
"Letusnotforgettheproprietiesdue。Therehasevidentlybeenamistakesomewhere，butsurelythatisall。IfMr。Wilsongavemeanenvelope——andIremembernowthathedid——Istillhaveit。"
Hetookoneoutofhispocket，openedit，glancedatit，lookedsurprisedandworried，andstoodsilentafewmoments。Thenhewavedhishandinawanderingandmechanicalway，andmadeaneffortortwotosaysomething，thengaveitup，despondently。Severalvoicescriedout：
"Readit！readit！Whatisit？"
Sohebegan，inadazedandsleep-walkerfashion：
"'TheremarkwhichImadetotheunhappystrangerwasthis："Youarefarfrombeingabadman。[Thehousegazedathimmarvelling。]
Go，andreform。"'[Murmurs："Amazing！whatcanthismean？"]Thisone，"saidtheChair，"issignedThurlowG。Wilson。"
"There！"criedWilson，"Ireckonthatsettlesit！Iknewperfectlywellmynotewaspurloined。"
"Purloined！"retortedBillson。"I'llletyouknowthatneitheryounoranymanofyourkidneymustventureto——"
TheChair："Order，gentlemen，order！Takeyourseats，bothofyou，please。"
Theyobeyed，shakingtheirheadsandgrumblingangrily。Thehousewasprofoundlypuzzled；itdidnotknowwhattodowiththiscuriousemergency。PresentlyThompsongotup。Thompsonwasthehatter。HewouldhavelikedtobeaNineteener；butsuchwasnotforhim；hisstockofhatswasnotconsiderableenoughfortheposition。Hesaid：
"Mr。Chairman，ifImaybepermittedtomakeasuggestion，canbothofthesegentlemenberight？Iputittoyou，sir，canbothhavehappenedtosaytheverysamewordstothestranger？Itseemstome——"
Thetannergotupandinterruptedhim。Thetannerwasadisgruntledman；hebelievedhimselfentitledtobeaNineteener，buthecouldn'tgetrecognition。Itmadehimalittleunpleasantinhiswaysandspeech。Saidhe：
"Sho，THAT'Snotthepoint！THATcouldhappen——twiceinahundredyears——butnottheotherthing。NEITHERofthemgavethetwentydollars！"[Arippleofapplause。]
Billson。"Idid！"
Wilson。"Idid！"
Theneachaccusedtheotherofpilfering。
TheChair。"Order！Sitdown，ifyouplease——bothofyou。Neitherofthenoteshasbeenoutofmypossessionatanymoment。"
AVoice。"Good——thatsettlesTHAT！"
TheTanner。"Mr。Chairman，onethingisnowplain：oneofthesemenhasbeeneavesdroppingundertheotherone'sbed，andfilchingfamilysecrets。Ifitisnotunparliamentarytosuggestit，Iwillremarkthatbothareequaltoit。[TheChair。"Order！order！"]I
withdrawtheremark，sir，andwillconfinemyselftosuggestingthatIFoneofthemhasoverheardtheotherrevealthetest-remarktohiswife，weshallcatchhimnow。"
AVoice。"How？"