“Ifyouwouldleaveyouraddress，“continuedtheofficialwithpersistentpoliteness，“wecouldadviseyouofanylaterdeposittoyourcredit。“
　　“Itishardlynecessary，“returnedtheyounglady。“Ishouldlearnitmyself，andcallagain。Thankyou。Good-morning。“Andsettlingherveiloverherface，shequietlypassedout。
　　ThepainandindignationwithwhichRandolphoverheardthiscolloquyhecouldwiththegreatestdifficultyconceal。ForonewildmomenthehadthoughtofcallingherbackwhilehemadeapersonalappealtoRevelstoke；buttheconvictionborneinuponhimbyherresolutebearingthatshewouldrefuseit，andhewouldonlylayhimselfopentoanotherrebuff，heldhimtohisseat。Yethecouldnotentirelyrepresshisyouthfulindignation。
　　“WhereIcomefrom，“hesaidinanaudiblevoicetohisneighbor，“ayoungladylikethatwouldhavebeensparedthispublicdisappointment。Adozenmenwouldhavemadeupthatsumandlethergowithoutknowinganythingaboutheraccountbeingoverdrawn。“
　　Andhereallybelievedit。
　　“Nice，comf’ablewayofdoingbankingbusinessinDutchFlat，“
　　returnedthecynic。“AndIsupposeyou’dhavekeptitupeverymonth？Ratheratallpricetopayforlookingataprettygirlonceamonth！ButIsupposethey’rescarceruptherethanhere。
　　Allthesame，itain’ttoolatenow。Startupyoursubscriptionrighthere，sonny，andwe’llallanteup。“
　　ButRandolph，whoseldomfollowedhisheroicstotheirultimateprosaicconclusions，regrettedhehadspoken，althoughstillunconvinced。Happilyforhistemper，hedidnothearthecommentofthetwotellers。
　　“Won’tseeHERagain，oldboy，“saidone。
　　“Ireckonnot，“returnedtheother，“nowthatshe’sbeenchuckedbyherfancyman——untilshegetsanother。Butcheerup；agirllikethatwon’twantfriendslong。“
　　Itisnotprobablethateitheroftheseyounggentlemenbelievedwhattheysaid，orwouldhavebeenpersonallydisrespectfulorunciviltoanywoman；theywerefairlydecentyoungfellows，buttherigorsofbusinessdemandedthisappearanceofworldlywisdombetweenthemselves。Meantime，foraweekafter，Randolphindulgedinwildfanciesoftakinghisbenefactor’scapitalofseventydollars，addingthirtytoitfromhisownhard-earnedsavings，buyingadraftwithitfromthebankforonehundreddollars，andinsomemysteriouswaygettingittoMissAvondaleasthedelayedremittance。
　　Thebriefwetwinterwasnearlyspent；thelongdryseasonwasdue，althoughtherewasstilltherarebeautyofcloudsceneryinthesteel-bluesky，andthesuddenreturnofquickbuttransientshowers。ItwasonaSundayofweatherlikethisthatthenature-
　　lovingRandolphextendedhisusualholidayexcursionasfarasContraCostabythesteamerafterhisdutifulroundofthewharvesandshipping。Itwaswithagayetybornequallyofhisyouthandtheweatherthatheovercamehisconstitutionalshyness，andnotonlymingledwithoutrestraintamongthepleasure-seekersthatthrongedthecrowdedboat，but，intheconsciousnessofhisgoodlooksandanewsuitofclothes，evenpenetratedintothearistocraticseclusionofthe“ladies’cabin“——sacredtothefairsexandtheirattendantswainsorchaperones。
　　Buthefoundeveryseatoccupied，andwasturningaway，whenhesuddenlyrecognizedMissAvondalesittingbesideherlittleescort。
　　Sheappeared，however，inasomewhatconstrainedattitude，sustainingwithonehandtheboy，whohadclamberedontheseat。
　　Hewaslookingoutofthecabinwindow，whichshewasalsotryingtodo，withgreaterdifficultyonaccountofherposition。Hecouldseeherprofilepresentedwithsuchmarkedpersistencythathewassatisfiedshehadseenhimandwasavoidinghim。Heturnedandleftthecabin。
　　Yet，onceonthedeckagain，herepentedhishaste。Perhapsshehadnotactuallyrecognizedhim；perhapsshewishedtoavoidhimonlybecauseshewasinplainerclothes——acircumstancethat，withhisknowledgeofherchangedfortunes，struckhimtotheheart。Itseemedtohimthatevenasahumbleemployeeofthebankhewasinsomewayresponsibleforit，andwonderedifsheassociatedhimwithherhumiliation。Helongedtospeakwithherandassureherofhissympathy，andyethewasequallyconsciousthatshewouldrejectit。
　　WhentheboatreachedtheAlamedawharfsheslippedawaywiththeotherpassengers。Hewanderedaboutthehotelgardenandthemainstreetinthehopeofmeetingheragain，althoughhewasinstinctivelyconsciousthatshewouldnotfollowthelinesoftheusualSundaysight-seers，buthadherowndestination。HepenetratedthedepthsoftheAlameda，andlosthimselfamongitslow，trailingoaks，tonopurpose。Thehopeofthemorninghaddiedwithinhim；thefireofadventurewasquenched，andwhenthecloudsgatheredwitharisingwindhefeltthatthepromiseofthatdaywasgone。Heturnedtogobacktotheferry，butonconsultinghiswatchhefoundthathehadalreadylostsomuchtimeinhisdeviouswanderingsthathemustruntocatchthelastboat。Thefewdropsthatspatteredthroughthetreespresentlyincreasedtoashower；heputuphisumbrellawithoutlesseninghisspeed，andfinallydashedintothemainstreetasthelastbellwasringing。
　　Butatthesamemomentaslight，gracefulfigureslippedoutofthewoodsjustaheadofhim，withnootherprotectionfromthepeltingstormthanahandkerchieftiedoverherhat，andranasswiftlytowardthewharf。ItneededonlyoneglanceforRandolphtorecognizeMissAvondale。Themomenthadcome，theopportunitywashere，andthenextinstanthewaspantingatherside，withtheumbrellaoverherhead。
　　Thegirlliftedherheadquickly，gaveaswiftlookofrecognition，abriefsmileofgratitude，andcontinuedherpace。Shehadnottakenhisarm，buthadgraspedthehandleoftheumbrella，whichlinkedthemtogether。Notawordwasspoken。Twopeoplecannotbeconversationalorsentimentalflyingatthetopoftheirspeedbeneathasingleumbrella，withacrowdofimpatientpassengerswatchingandwaitingforthem。AndIgrievetosaythat，beingahappyAmericancrowd，therewassomeirreverenthumor。“Goit，sis！He’sgainin’onyou！““Keepitup！““Steady，sonny！Don’tprance！““Nofancylicks！Youwerenearlyoverthetracesthattime！““Keepuptothepole！“i。e。theumbrella。“Don’tcrowdheroffthetrack！Justswingontogether；you’lldoit。“
　　Randolphhadglancedquicklyathiscompanion。Shewaslaughing，yetlookingathimshylyasifwonderinghowHEwastakingit。Thepaddlewheelswerebeginningtorevolve。Anotherrush，andtheywereonboardastheplankwasdrawnin。
　　Buttheywereonlyontheedgeofapackedandseethingcrowd。
　　Randolphmanaged，however，toforceawayforhertoanangleofthepaddlebox，wheretheywerecomparativelyalonealthoughstillexposedtotherain。Sherecognizedtheirenforcedcompanionshipbydroppinghergraspoftheumbrella，whichshehadhithertobeenholdingoverhimwithasingularkindofmaturesuperiorityverylike——asRandolphfelt——hermannertotheboy。
　　“Youhaveleftyourlittlefriend？“hesaid，graspingattheideaforaconversationalopening。
　　“Mylittlecousin？Yes，“shesaid。“Ilefthimwithfriends。I
　　couldnotbeartomakehimrunanyriskinthisweather。But，“shehesitatedhalfapologetically，halfmischievously，“perhapsI
　　hurriedyou。“
　　“Oh，no，“saidRandolphquickly。“Thisisthelastboat，andI
　　mustbeatthebankto-morrowmorningatnine。“
　　“AndImustbeattheshopateight，“shesaid。Shedidnotspeakbitterlyorpointedly，noryetwiththeentirefamiliarityofcustom。Henoticedthatherdresswasindeedplainer，andyetsheseemedquiteconcernedoverthewater-soakedstateofthatcheapthinsilkpelerineandmerinoskirt。Abiglumpwasinhisthroat。
　　“Doyouknow，“hesaiddesperately，yettryingtolaugh，“thatthisisnotthefirsttimeyouhaveseenmedripping？“
　　“Yes，“shereturned，lookingathiminterestedly；“itwasoutsideofthedruggist’sinMontgomeryStreet，aboutfourmonthsago。Youwerewettertheneventhanyouarenow。“
　　“Iwashungry，friendless，andpenniless，MissAvondale。“Hehadspokenthusabruptlyinthefainthopethattherevelationmightequalizetheirpresentcondition；butsomehowhisconfession，nowthatitwasuttered，seemedexceedinglyweakandimpotent。Thenheblunderedinadifferentdirection。“YoureyesweretheonlykindonesIhadseensinceIlanded。“Heflushedalittle，feelinghimselfoninsecureground，andendeddesperately:“Why，whenI
　　leftyou，Ithoughtofcommittingsuicide。“
　　“Oh，dear，notsobadasthat，Ihope！“shesaidquickly，smilingkindly，yetwithacertainairofmaturetoleration，asifshewereaddressingherlittlecousin。“Youonlyfanciedit。Anditisn’tverycomplimentarytomyeyesiftheirkindnessdroveyoutosuchhorridthoughts。Andthenwhathappened？“shepursuedsmilingly。
　　“Ihadajobtocarryaman’sbag，anditgotmeanight’slodgingandameal，“saidRandolph，almostbrusquely，feelingtheuttercollapseofhisstory。
　　“Andthen？“shesaidencouragingly。
　　“Igotasituationatthebank。“
　　“When？“
　　“Thenextday，“falteredRandolph，expectingtohearherlaugh。
　　ButMissAvondaleheavedthefaintestsigh。
　　“Youareverylucky，“shesaid。
　　“Notsovery，“returnedRandolphquickly，“forthenexttimeyousawmeyoucutmedead。“
　　“IbelieveIdid，“shesaidsmilingly。
　　“Wouldyoumindtellingmewhy？“
　　“Areyousureyouwon’tbeangry？“
　　“Imaybepained，“saidRandolphprudently。