CHAPTERI
ItwasaseasonofunequalledprosperityinDevil’sFord。ThehalfadozencabinsscatteredalongthebanksoftheNorthFork，asifbysomeoverflowofthatcapriciousriver，hadbecomeaugmentedduringaweekoffierceexcitementbytwentyorthirtyothers，thatwerehuddledtogetheronthenarrowgorgeofDevil’sSpur，orcastuponitssteepsides。Sosuddenandviolenthadbeenthechangeoffortune，thatthedwellersintheoldercabinshadnothadtimetochangewithit，butstillkepttheiroldhabits，customs，andeventheiroldclothes。Theflourpaninwhichtheirdailybreadwasmixedstoodontherudetablesidebysidewiththe"prospectingpans，"halffullofgoldwashedupfromtheirmorning’swork；thefrontwindowsofthenewertenementslookedupontheonesinglethoroughfare，butthebackdooropenedupontheunclearedwilderness，stillhauntedbythemisshapenbulkofbearorthenightlyglidingofcatamount。
Neitherhadsuccessasyetaffectedtheirboyishsimplicityandthefranknessofoldfrontierhabits；theyplayedwiththeirnew—foundricheswiththenaivedelightofchildren，andrehearsedtheirglowingfuturewiththeimportanceandtrivialityofschool—boys。
"I’vebinkalklatin’，"saidDickMattingly，leaningonhislong—
handledshovelwithlazygravity，"thatwhenIgotoRomethiswinter，I’llgetoneo’themmarblesharpstochiselmeastatooo’
somekindtosetuponthespotwherewemadeourbigstrike。
Suthin’torememberitby，youknow。"
"Whatkindo’statoo——WashingtonorWebster？"askedoneoftheKearneybrothers，withoutlookingupfromhiswork。
"No——Ireckononeo’themfancygroups——oneo’themLatingoddessesthatFairfaxisalwaysgassin’about，sorterleadin’，directin’andbossin’uswheretodig。"
"You’dmakeahealthy—lookin’figgerinagroup，"respondedKearney，criticallyregardinganenormouspatchinMattingly’strousers。"Whydon’tyouhaveafountaininstead？"
"Where’llyougetthewater？"demandedthefirstspeaker，inreturn。"Youknowthereain’tenoughintheNorthForktodoaweek’swashingforthecamp——tosaynothin’ofitscolor。"
"Leavethattome，"saidKearney，withself—possession。"WhenI’vebuiltthattherereservoironDevil’sSpur，andbringthewaterovertheridgefromUnionDitch，there’llbeenoughtospareforthat。"
"Bettermixitup，Ireckon——havesuthin’halfstatoo，halffountain，"interposedtheelderMattingly，betterknownas"MarylandJoe，""andsetitupaforetheTownHallandFreeLibraryI’mkalklatin’togive。DoTHAT，andyoucancountonme。"
Aftersomefurtherdiscussion，itwasgravelysettledthatKearneyshouldfurnishwaterbroughtfromtheUnionDitch，twentymilesaway，atacostoftwohundredthousanddollars，tofeedamemorialfountainerectedbyMattingly，worthahundredthousanddollars，asacrowningfinishtopublicbuildingscontributedbyMarylandJoe，totheextentofhalfamillionmore。Thedispositionofthesevastsumsbygentlemenwearingpatchedbreechesawakenednosenseoftheludicrous，nordidanydoubt，reservation，orcontingencyenterintotheplansofthecharmingenthusiaststhemselves。Thefoundationoftheirairycastleslayalreadybeforetheminthestripofrichalluviumontheriverbank，wheretheNorthFork，sharplycurvingroundthebaseofDevil’sSpur，hadforcenturiessweptthedetritusofgulchandcanyon。Theyhadbarelycrossedthethresholdofthistreasure—house，tofindthemselvesrichmen；
whatpossibilitiesofaffluencemightbetheirswhentheyhadfullyexploitedtheirpossessions？Soconfidentweretheyofthatultimateprospect，thatthewealthalreadythusobtainedwasreligiouslyexpendedinenginesandmachineryfortheboringofwellsandtheconveyanceofthatpreciouswaterwhichtheexhaustedriverhadlongsinceceasedtoyield。Itseemedasifthegoldtheyhadtakenoutwasbysomeironicalcompensationgraduallymakingitswaybacktothesoilagainthroughditchandflumeandreservoir。
SuchwasthepositionofaffairsatDevil’sFordonthe13thofAugust，1860。Itwasnoonofahotday。Whatevermovementtherewasinthestiflingairwasseenratherthanfeltinatremulous，quivering，upward—movingdustalongtheflankofthemountain，throughwhichthespiresofthepineswerefaintlyvisible。Therewasnowaterinthebaredandburningbarsoftherivertoreflecttheverticalsun，butunderitsdirectraysoneortwotinnedroofsandcorrugatedzinccabinsstruckfire，afewcanvastentsbecamedazzlingtotheeye，andthewhitewoodedcorralofthestageofficeandhotelinsupportable。Fortwohoursnooneventuredintheglareoftheopen，oreventocrossthenarrow，unshadowedstreet，whosedullreddustseemedtoglowbetweenthelinesofstragglinghouses。Theheatedshellsofthesegreenunseasonedtenementsgaveoutapungentodorofscorchingwoodandresin。Theusualhurried，feverishtoilintheclaimwassuspended；thepickandshovelwereleftstickingintherichest"paygravel；"thetoilingmillionairesthemselves，ragged，dirty，andperspiring，laypantingunderthenearestshade，wherethepipeswentoutlistlessly，andconversationsanktomonosyllables。
"There’sFairfax，"saidDickMattingly，atlast，withalazyeffort。Hisfacewasturnedtothehillside，whereamanhadjustemergedfromthewoods，andwashaltingirresolutelybeforetheglaringexpanseofupheavedgravelandglisteningbouldersthatstretchedbetweenhimandtheshadedgroup。"He’sgoingtomakeabreakforit，"headded，asthestranger，throwinghislinencoatoverhishead，suddenlystartedintoanIndiantrotthroughthepeltingsunbeamstowardthem。Thisstrangeactwasperfectlyunderstoodbythegroup，whoknewthatinthatintenselydryheatthedangerofexposurewaslessenedbyactiveexerciseandtheprofuseperspirationthatfollowedit。Inanothermomentthestrangerhadreachedtheirside，drippingasifrainedupon，moppinghisdampcurlsandhandsomebeardedfacewithhislinencoat，ashethrewhimselfpantinglyontheground。
"Istruckoutoverherefirst，boys，togiveyoualittlewarning，"
hesaid，assoonashehadgainedbreath。"Thatengineerwillbedownheretotakechargeassoonasthesixo’clockstagecomesin。
He’sanoldishchap，hasgotafamilyoftwodaughters，and——I——am——
d————difheisnotbringingthemdownherewithhim。"
"Oh，golong!"exclaimedthefivemeninonevoice，raisingthemselvesontheirhandsandelbows，andglaringatthespeaker。
"Fact，boys!SoonasIfounditoutIjustwaltzedintothatJewshopattheCrossingandboughtupalltheclothesthatwouldbelikelytosuityoufellows，beforeanybodyelsegotashow。I
reckonIclearedouttheshop。Thedudsarealittlemixedinstyle，butIreckonthey’recleanandwhole，andamanmightfacealadyin’em。IleftthemroundattheoldBuckeyeSpring，wherethey’rehandywithoutattractingattention。Youboyscangothereforageneralwash—up，rigyourselvesupwithoutsayinganything，andthenmeanderbackcarelessandeasyinyourstoreclothes，justasthestageiscomingin，sabe？"
"Whydidn’tyouletusknowearlier？"askedMattinglyaggrievedly；
"you’vebeenbackhereatleastanhour。"
"I’vebeengettingsomeplacereadyforTHEM，"returnedthenew—
comer。"Wemighthavemanagedtoputthemansomewhere，ifhe’dbeenalone，butthesewomenwantfamilyaccommodation。TherewasnothingleftformetodobuttobuyupThompson’ssaloon。"
"No？"interruptedhisaudience，halfinincredulity，halfinprotestation。
"Fact!Youboyswillhavetotakeyourdrinksundercanvasagain，Ireckon!ButImadeThompsonletthosegold—framedmirrorsthatusedtostandbehindthebargointothebargain，andtheysortoffurnishtheroom。Youknowthesaloonisoneofthempatenthousesyoucantaketopieces，andI’vebeenreckoningyouboyswillhavetopitchinandhelpmetotakethewholeshantyovertothelaurelbushes，andputitupaginKearney’scabin。"
"What’sallthat？"saidtheyoungerKearney，withanoddminglingofastonishmentandbashfulgratification。
"Yes，Ireckonyoursisthecleanesthouse，becauseit’sthenewest，soyou’lljuststepoutandletusknockinoneo’thegables，andclapitontothesaloon，andmakeONEhouseofit，don’tyousee？There’llbetworooms，oneforthegirlsandtheotherfortheoldman。"
Theastonishmentandbewildermentofthepartyhadgraduallygivenwaytoaboyishandimpatientinterest。
"Hadn’twebetterdothejobatonce？"suggestedDickMattingly。
"Orthrowourselvesintothosenewclothes，soastobeready，"
addedtheyoungerKearney，lookingdownathisraggedtrousers。"I
say，Fairfax，whatarethegirlslike，eh？"
Alltheothershadbeendyingtoaskthequestion，yetoneandalllaughedattheconsciousmannerandblushingcheekofthequestioner。
"You’llfindoutquickenough，"returnedFairfax，whosecurtcarelessnessdidnot，however，preventaslightincreaseofcoloronhisowncheek。"We’dbettergetthatjoboffourhandsbeforedoinganythingelse。So，ifyou’reready，boys，we’lljustwaltzdowntoThompson’sandpackuptheshanty。He’soutofitbythistime，Ireckon。Youmightaswellbeperspiringtosomepurposeoverthereasgaspin’underthistree。Wewon’tgobacktoworkthisafternoon，butknockoffnow，andcallithalfaday。Come!
Humpyourselves，gentlemen。Areyouready？One，two，three，andaway!"
Inanotherinstantthetreewasdeserted；thefiguresofthefivemillionairesofDevil’sFord，crossingthefierceglareoftheopenspace，withboyishalacrity，glistenedinthesunlight，andthendisappearedinthenearestfringeofthickets。
CHAPTERII
Sixhourslater，whentheshadowofDevil’sSpurhadcrossedtheriver，andspreadaslightcoolnessovertheflatbeyond，thePioneercoach，leavingthesummit，beganalsotobatheitsheatedbulkinthelongshadowsofthedescent。Conspicuousamongthedustypassengers，thetwoprettyandyouthfulfacesofthedaughtersofPhilipCarr，miningsuperintendentandengineer，lookedfromthewindowswithnolittleanxietytowardstheirfuturehomeinthestragglingsettlementbelow，thatoccasionallycameinviewattheturnsofthelongzigzaggingroad。Aslightlookofcomicaldisappointmentpassedbetweenthemastheygazeduponthesterileflat，dottedwithunsightlyexcrescencesthatstoodequallyforcabinsormoundsofstoneandgravel。Itwassofeebleandinconsistentaculminationtothebeautifulscenerytheyhadpassedthrough，sohopelessandimbecileaconclusiontothepreparationofthatlongpicturesquejourney，withitsglimpsesofsylvanandpastoralgladesandcanyons，that，asthecoachsweptdownthelastincline，andtheremorselessmonotonyofthedeadlevelspreadoutbeforethem，furrowedbyditchesandindentedbypits，undercoverofshieldingtheircheeksfromtheimpalpabledustthatrosebeneaththeplungingwheels，theyburiedtheirfacesintheirhandkerchiefs，tohideafewhalf—hystericaltears。Happily，theirfather，completelyabsorbedinapractical，scientific，andapprovingcontemplationofthetopographyandmaterialresourcesofthesceneofhisfuturelabors，hadnotimetonoticetheirdefection。Itwasnotuntilthestagedrewupbeforearamblingtenementbearingtheinscription，"HotelandStageOffice，"thathebecamefullyawareofit。
"Wecan’tstopHERE，papa，"saidChristieCarrdecidedly，withashakeofherprettyhead。"Youcan’texpectthat。"
Mr。Carrlookedupatthebuilding；itwashalfgrocery，halfsaloon。Whateverotheraccommodationsitcontainedmusthavebeenhiddenintherear，astheflatroofabovewasalmostlevelwiththerafteredceilingoftheshop。
"Certainly，"herepliedhurriedly；"we’llseetothatinamoment。
Idaresayit’sallright。ItoldFairfaxwewerecoming。
Somebodyoughttobehere。"
"Butthey’renot，"saidJessieCarrindignantly；"andthefewthatwereherescamperedofflikerabbitstotheirburrowsassoonastheysawusgetdown。"
Itwastrue。Thelittlegroupofloungersbeforethebuildinghadsuddenlydisappeared。Therewastheflashofaredshirtvanishinginanadjacentdoorway；thefadingapparitionofapairofhighbootsandblueoverallsinanother；theabruptwithdrawalofacurlyblondheadfromasashlesswindowovertheway。Eventhesaloonwasdeserted，althoughabackdoorinthedimrecessseemedtocreakmysteriously。Thestage—coach，withtheotherpassengers，hadalreadyrattledaway。
"IcertainlythinkFairfaxunderstoodthatI——"beganMr。Carr。
HewasinterruptedbythepressureofChristie’sfingersonhisarmandasubduedexclamationfromJessie，whowasstaringdownthestreet。
"Whatarethey？"shewhisperedinhersister’sear。"Niggerminstrels，acircus，orwhat？"
ThefivemillionairesofDevil’sFordhadjustturnedthecornerofthestragglingstreet，andwereapproachinginsinglefile。OneglancewassufficienttoshowthattheyhadalreadyavailedthemselvesofthenewclothingboughtbyFairfax，hadwashed，andoneortwohadshaved。Buttheresultwasstartling。
Throughsomefortunatecoincidenceinsize，DickMattinglywastheonlyonewhohadachievedanentirenewsuit。Butitwasoffunerealblackcloth，andalthoughrelievedatoneextremitybyapairofhighridingboots，inwhichhistooshorttrousersweretucked，andattheotherbyatallwhitehat，andcravatofaggressiveyellow，theeffectwasdepressing。Inagreeablecontrast，hisbrother，MarylandJoe，wasattiredinathinfawn—
coloredsummerovercoat，lightlywornopen，soastoshowtheunstarchedbosomofawhiteembroideredshirt，andapairofnankeentrousersandpumps。
TheKearneybrothershaddividedasuitbetweenthem，theelderwearingatightly—fitting，single—breastedbluefrock—coatandapairofpinkstripedcottontrousers，whiletheyoungercandidlydisplayedthetrousersofhisbrother’ssuit，asaharmoniouschangetoashiningblackalpacacoatandcrimsonneckerchief。
Fairfax，whobroughtuptherear，had，withcharacteristicunselfishness，contentedhimselfwithaFrenchworkman’sblueblouseandapairofwhiteducktrousers。Hadtheyshowntheleastconsciousnessoftheirfinery，orofitsabsurdity，theywouldhaveseemeddespicable。Butonlyoneexpressionbeamedonthefivesunburntandshiningfaces——alookofunaffectedboyishgratificationandunrestrictedwelcome。
TheyhaltedbeforeMr。Carrandhisdaughters，simultaneouslyremovedtheirvariousandremarkableheadcoverings，andwaiteduntilFairfaxadvancedandseverallypresentedthem。JessieCarr’shalf—frightenedsmiletookrefugeinthetremblingshadowsofherdarklashes；ChristieCarrstiffenedslightly，andlookedstraightbeforeher。
"Wereckoned——thatis——weintendedtomeetyouandtheyoungladiesatthegrade，"saidFairfax，reddeningalittleasheendeavoredtoconcealhistooreadyslang，"andsaveyoufromtrapesing——fromdraggingyourselvesupgradeagaintoyourhouse。"
"ThenthereISahouse？"saidJessie，withanalarmingfranklaughofrelief，thatwas，however，asfranklyreflectedintheboyishlyappreciativeeyesoftheyoungmen。
"Suchasitis，"respondedFairfax，withashadeofanxiety，asheglancedatthefreshandprettycostumesoftheyoungwomen，anddubiouslyregardedthetwoSaratogatrunksrestinghopelesslyontheveranda。"I’mafraiditisn’tmuch，forwhatyou’reaccustomedto。But，"headdedmorecheerfully，"itwilldoforadayortwo，andperhapsyou’llgiveusthepleasureofshowingyouthewaytherenow。"
Theprocessionwasquicklyformed。Mr。Carr，aliveonlytotheactualbusinessthathadbroughthimthere，atoncetookpossessionofFairfax，andbegantodisclosehisplansfortheworkingofthemine，occasionallyhaltingtolookattheworkalreadydoneintheditches，andtoexaminethefieldofhisfutureoperations。
Fairfax，notdispleasedatbeingthusrelievedofalighterattendanceonMr。Carr’sdaughters，neverthelessfromtimetotimecastapaternalglancebackwardsupontheirescorts，whohadeachseizedahandleofthetwotrunks，andwerecarryingthemincouplesattheyoungladies’side。Theoccupationdidnotoffermuchfreedomforeasygallantry，butnosignofdiscomfitureoruneasinesswasvisibleinthegratefulfacesoftheyoungmen。Thenecessityofchanginghandsattimeswiththeirburdensbroughtacorrespondingchangeofcavalieratthelady’sside，althoughitwasobservedthattheyoungerKearney，forthesakeofcontinuingaconversationwithMissJessie，kepthisgraspofthehandlenearesttheyoungladyuntilhishandwasnearlycutthrough，andhisarmwornoutbyexhaustion。
"Theonlythingonwheelsinthecampisamulewagon，andthemulesarepackin’gravelfromtheriverthisafternoon，"explainedDickMattinglyapologeticallytoChristie，"orwe’dhavetoted——I
meancarried——youandyourbaggageuptotheshant——the——yourhouse。Giveustwoweeksmore，MissCarr——onlytwoweekstowashupourworkandrealize——andwe’llgiveyouapairof2。40steppersandaskeletonbuggytomeetyouatthetopofthehillanddriveyouovertothecabin。Perhapsyou’dpreferaregularcarriage；
someladiesdo。Andaniggerdriver。Butwhat’stheuseofplanninganything？Aforethattimecomeswe’llhaverunyouupahouseonthehill，andyoushallpickoutthespot。Itwouldn’ttakelong——unlessyoupreferredbrick。IsupposewecouldgetbrickoverfromLaGrange，ifyoucaredforit，butitwouldtakelonger。Ifyoucouldputupforatimewithsomethingofstainedglassandamahoganyveranda——"
Inspiteofhercoldindignation，andthefactthatshecouldunderstandonlyapartofMattingly’sspeech，Christiecomprehendedenoughtomakeherlifthercleareyestothespeaker，assherepliedfreezinglythatshefearedshewouldnottroublethemlongwithhercompany。
"Oh，you’llgetoverthat，"respondedMattingly，withanexasperatingconfidencethatdrovehernearlyfrantic，fromthemanifestkindlinessofintentthatmadeitimpossibleforhertoresentit。"Ifeltthatwaymyselfatfirst。Thingswilllookstrangeandunsociableforawhile，untilyougetthehangofthem。
You’llnaturallystamproundandcussalittle——"Hestoppedinconsciousconsternation。
Withreadytact，andbeforeChristiecouldreply，MarylandJoehadputdownthetrunkandchangedhandswithhisbrother。
"Youmustn’tmindDick，orhe’llgooffandkillhimselfwithshame，"hewhisperedlaughinglyinherear。"Hemeansallright，buthe’spickedupsomuchslangherethathe’saboutforgottenhowtotalkEnglish，andit’snighontofouryearssincehe’smetayounglady。"
Christiedidnotreply。YetthelaughterofhersisterinadvancewiththeKearneybrothersseemedtomakethereservewithwhichshetriedtocrushfurtherfamiliarityonlyridiculous。
"Doyouknowmanyoperas，MissCarr？"
Shelookedattheboyish，interested，sunburntfacesoneartoherown，andhesitated。Afterall，whyshouldsheaddtoherotherrealdisappointmentsbytakingthisabsurdcreatureseriously？
"Inwhatway？"shereturned，withahalfsmile。
"Toplay。Onthepiano，ofcourse。Thereisn’tonenearerherethanSacramento；butIreckonwecouldgetasmallonebyThursday。
Youcouldn’tdoanythingonabanjo？"headdeddoubtfully；
"Kearney’sgotone。"
"Iimagineitwouldbeverydifficulttocarryapianooverthosemountains，"saidChristielaughingly，toavoidthecollateralofthebanjo。
"Wegotabilliard—tableoverfromStockton，"halfbashfullyinterruptedDickMattingly，strugglingfromhisendofthetrunktorecoverhiscomposure，"andithadtobebroughtoverinsectionsonthebackofamule，soIdon’tseewhy——"Hestoppedshortagaininconfusion，atasignfromhisbrother，andthenadded，"I
mean，ofcourse，thatapianoisaheapmoredelicate，andvaluable，andallthatsortofthing，butit’sworthtryingfor。"
"Fairfaxwasalwayssayinghe’dgetoneforhimself，soIreckonit’spossible，"saidJoe。
"Doesheplay？"askedChristie。
"Youbet，"saidJoe，quiteforgettinghimselfinhisenthusiasm。
"HecansnatchMozartandBeethovenbald—headed。"
Intheembarrassingsilencethatfollowedthisspeechthefringeofpinewoodnearesttheflatwasreached。Heretherewasarude"clearing，"andbeneathanenormouspinestoodthetworecentlyjoinedtenements。TherewasnoattempttoconcealthepointofjunctionbetweenKearney’scabinandthenewly—transportedsaloonfromtheflat——noarchitecturalillusionofthepalpablecollusionofthetwobuildings，whichseemedtobetelescopedintoeachother。ThefrontroomorlivingroomoccupiedthewholeofKearney’scabin。Itcontained，inadditiontothenecessaryarticlesforhousekeeping，a"bunk"orberthforMr。Carr，soastoleavethesecondbuildingentirelytotheoccupationofhisdaughtersasbedroomandboudoir。
Therewasahalf—humorous，half—apologeticexhibitionoftherudeutensilsofthelivingroom，andthentheyoungmenturnedawayasthetwogirlsenteredtheopendoorofthesecondroom。NeitherChristienorJessiecouldforamomentunderstandthedelicacywhichkepttheseyoungmenfromaccompanyingthemintotheroomtheyhadbutafewmomentsbeforedecoratedandarrangedwiththeirownhands，anditwasnotuntiltheyturnedtothanktheirstrangeentertainersthattheyfoundthattheyweregone。
Thearrangementofthesecondroomwasrudeandbizarre，butnotwithoutasingularoriginalityandeventastefulnessofconception。
Whathadbeenthecounteror"bar"ofthesaloon，gorgeousinwhiteandgold，nowsawnintwoanddivided，wassetuponoppositesidesoftheroomasseparatedressing—tables，decoratedwithhugebunchesofazaleas，thathidtheroughearthenwarebowls，andgaveeachtabletheappearanceofavestalaltar。
Thehugegiltplate—glassmirrorwhichhadhungbehindthebarstilloccupiedonesideoftheroom，butitslengthwasartfullydividedbyanenormousrosetteofred，white，andbluemuslin——oneofthesurvivingFourthofJulydecorationsofThompson’ssaloon。
Oneithersideofthedoortwopathetic—looking，convent—likecots，coveredwithspotlesssheeting，andheapedupinthemiddle，likeasnow—coveredgrave，hadattractedtheirattention。TheywerestillstaringatthemwhenMr。Carranticipatedtheircuriosity。
"IoughttotellyouthattheyoungmenconfidedtomethefactthattherewasneitherbednormattresstobehadontheFord。
Theyhavefilledsomefloursackswithcleandrymossfromthewoods，andputhalfadozenblanketsonthetop，andtheyhopeyoucangetalonguntilthemessengerwhostartsto—nightforLaGrangecanbringsomebeddingover。"
Jessieflewwithmischievousdelighttosatisfyherselfofthetruthofthismarvel。"It’sso，Christie，"shesaidlaughingly——
"threeflour—sacksapiece；butI’mjealous：yoursareallmarked’superfine，’andmine’middlings。’"
Mr。CarrhadremaineduneasilywatchingChristie’sshadowedface。
"Whatmatters？"shesaiddrily。"Theaccommodationisallinkeeping。"
"Itwillbebetterinadayortwo，"hecontinued，castingalonginglooktowardsthedoor——thefirstrefugeofmasculineweaknessinanimpendingdomesticemergency。"I’llgoandseewhatcanbedone，"hesaidfeebly，withasidelongimpulsetowardstheopeningandfreedom。"I’vegottoseeFairfaxagainto—nightanyway。"
"Onemoment，father，"saidChristie，wearily。"Didyouknowanythingofthisplaceandthese——thesepeople——beforeyoucame？"
"Certainly——ofcourseIdid，"hereturned，withthesuddentestinessofdisturbedabstraction。"Whatareyouthinkingof？I
knewthegeologicalstrataandthe——thereportofFairfaxandhispartnersbeforeIconsentedtotakechargeoftheworks。AndIcantellyouthatthereisafortunehere。Iintendtomakemyownterms，andshareinit。"
"Andnottakeasalaryorsomesumofmoneydown？"saidChristie，slowlyremovingherbonnetinthesameresignedway。
"Iamnotahiredman，oraworkman，Christie，"saidherfathersharply。"Yououghtnottoobligemetoremindyouofthat。"
"Butthehiredmen——thesuperintendentandhisworkmen——weretheonlyoneswhoevergotanythingoutofyourlastexperiencewithColonelWatersatLaGrange，and——andweatleastlivedamongcivilizedpeoplethere。"
"Theseyoungmenarenotcommonpeople，Christie；eveniftheyhaveforgottentherestraintsofspeechandmanners，they’regentlemen。"
"Whoarewillingtolivelike——likenegroes。"
"Youcanmakethemwhatyouplease。"
Christieraisedhereyes。Therewasacertaincynicalringinherfather’svoicethatwasunlikehisusualhesitatingabstraction。
Itbothpuzzledandpainedher。
"Imean，"hesaidhastily，"thatyouhavethesameopportunitytodirectthelivesoftheseyoungmenintomoreregular，disciplinedchannelsthatIhavetoregulateandcorrecttheirfoolishwasteofindustryandmaterialhere。Itwouldatleastbeguilethetimeforyou。"
FortunatelyforMr。Carr’sescapeandChristie’suneasiness，Jessie，whohadbeenexaminingthedetailsoftheliving—room，brokeinuponthisconversation。
"I’msureitwillbeasgoodasaperpetualpicnic。GeorgeKearneysayswecanhaveacooking—stoveunderthetreeoutsideattheback，andastherewillbenorainforthreemonthswecandothecookingthere，andthatwillgiveusmoreroomfor——forthepianowhenitcomes；andthere’sanoldsquawtodothecleaningandwashing—upanyday——and——and——itwillberealfun。"
Shestoppedbreathlessly，withglowingcheeksandsparklingeyes——acharmingpictureofyouthandtrustfulness。Mr。Carrhadseizedtheopportunitytoescape。
"Really，now，Christie，"saidJessieconfidentially，whentheywerealone，andChristiehadbeguntounpackhertrunk，andtomechanicallyputherthingsaway，"they’renotsobad。"
"Who？"askedChristie。
"Why，theKearneys，andMattinglys，andFairfax，andthelot，providedyoudon’tlookattheirclothes。Andthinkofit!theytoldme——fortheytelloneEVERYTHINGinthemostalarmingway——
thatthoseclotheswereboughttopleaseUS。AscrambleofthingsboughtatLaGrange，withoutreferencetosizeorstyle。Andtohearthesecreaturestalk，why，you’dthinktheywereAstorsorRothschilds。Thinkofthatlittleonewiththecurls——Idon’tbelieveheisoverseventeen，forallhisbabymoustache——sayshe’sgoingtobuildanassemblyhallforustogiveadanceinnextmonth；andapologizesthenextbreathtotellusthatthereisn’tanymilktobehadnearerthanLaGrange，andwemustdowithoutit，andusesyrupinourteato—morrow。"
"Andwhereisallthiswealth？"saidChristie，forcingherselftosmileathersister’sanimation。
"Underourveryfeet，mychild，andallalongtheriver。Why，whatwethoughtwaspureandsimplemudiswhattheycall’gold—bearingcement。’"
"Isupposethatiswhytheydon’tbrushtheirbootsandtrousers，it’ssoprecious，"returnedChristiedrily。"Andhavetheyevertranslatedthispreciousdirtintoactualcoin？"
"Blessyou，yes。Why，thatdirtylittlegutter，youknow，thatranalongthesideoftheroadandfollowedusdownthehillallthewayhere，thatcostthem——letmesee——yes，nearlysixtythousanddollars。Andfancy!papa’sjustcondemnedit——saysitwon’tdo；
andthey’vegottobuildanother。"
AnimpatientsighfromChristiedrewJessie’sattentiontohertroubledeyebrows。
"Don’tworryaboutourdisappointment，dear。Itisn’tsoverygreat。Idaresaywe’llbeabletogetalonghereinsomeway，untilpapaisrichagain。Youknowtheyintendtomakehimsharewiththem。"
"Itstrikesmethatheissharingwiththemalready，"saidChristie，glancingbitterlyroundthecabin；"sharingeverything——
ourselves，ourlives，ourtastes。"
"Ye—e—s!"saidJessie，withvaguelyhesitatingassent。"Yes，eventhese："sheshowedtwodiceinthepalmofherlittlehand。"I
found’eminthedrawerofourdressing—table。"
"Throwthemaway，"saidChristieimpatiently。
ButJessie’ssmallfingersclosedoverthedice。"I’llgivethemtothelittleKearney。Idaresaytheywerethepoorboy’splaythings。"
Theappearanceoftheserelicsofwilddissipation，however，hadliftedChristieoutofhersublimeresignation。"ForHeaven’ssake，Jessie，"shesaid，"lookaroundandseeifthereisanythingmore!"
Tomakesure，theyeachbegantoscrimmage；thebroken—spiritedChristieexhibitingbothalacrityandpenetrationinsearchingobscurecorners。Inthedining—room，behindthedresser，threeorfourbookswerediscovered：anoddvolumeofThackeray，anotherofDickens，amemorandum—bookordiary。"ThisseemstobeLatin，"
saidJessie，fishingoutasmallerbook。"Ican’treadit。"
"It’sjustaswellyoushouldn’t，"saidChristieshortly，whoseideasofageneralclassicalimproprietyhadbeengatheredfrompagesofLempriere’sdictionary。"Putitbackdirectly。"
JessiereturnedcertainodesofoneHoratiusFlaccustothecorner，andutteredanexclamation。"Oh，Christie!herearesomeletterstiedupwitharibbon。"
Theyweretwoorthreeprettilywrittenletters，exhalingafaintodorofrefinementandofthepressedflowersthatpeepedfrombetweenthelooseleaves。"Isee，’MydarlingFairfax。’It’sfromsomewoman。"
"Idon’tthinkmuchofher，whosoeversheis，"saidChristie，tossingtheintactpacketbackintothecorner。
"NorI，"echoedJessie。
Nevertheless，bysomefeminineinconsistency，evidentlythecircumstancedidmakethemthinkmoreofHIM，foraminutelater，whentheyhadreenteredtheirownroom，Christieremarked，"Theideaofpettingamanbyhisfamilyname!Thinkofmammaeverhavingcalledpapa’darlingCarr’!"
"Oh，buthisfamilynameisn’tFairfax，"saidJessiehastily；
"that’shisFIRSTname，hisChristianname。Iforgetwhat’shisothername，butnobodyevercallshimbyit。"
"Doyoumean，"saidChristie，withglisteningeyesandawfuldeliberation——"doyoumeantosaythatwe’reexpectedtofallinwiththisinsufferablefamiliarity？Isupposethey’llbecallingUSbyourChristiannamesnext。"
"Oh，buttheydo!"saidJessie，mischievously。
"What!"
"TheycallmeMissJessie；andKearney，thelittleone，askedmeifChristieplayed。"
"Andwhatdidyousay？"
"Isaidthatyoudid，"answeredJessie，withanaffectationofcherubicsimplicity。"Youdo，dear；don’tyou？……There，don’tgetangry，darling；Icouldn’tflareupallofasuddeninthefaceofthatpoorlittlecreature；helookedsoabsurd——andso——sohonest。"
Christieturnedaway，relapsingintoheroldresignedmanner，andassumingherhouseholddutiesinaquiet，temporizingwaythatwas，however，withouthopeorexpectation。
Mr。Carr，whohaddinedwithhisfriendsundertheexcuseofnotaddingtotheawkwardnessofthefirstday’shousekeepingreturnedlateatnightwithamassofpapersanddrawings，intowhichheafterwardswithdrew，butnotuntilhehaddeliveredhimselfofamysteriouspackageentrustedtohimbytheyoungmenforhisdaughters。Itcontainedacontributiontotheirboardintheshapeofasilverspoonandbatteredsilvermug，whichJessiechosetofacetiouslyconsiderasanaffectingreminiscenceoftheyouthfulKearney’schristeningdays——whichitprobablywas。
Theyounggirlsretiredearlytotheirwhitesnow—drifts：Jessienotwithoutsomehilariousstruggleswithhers，inwhichshewas，however，quicklysurprisedbythedeepandrefreshingsleepofyouth；Christietolieawakeandlistentothenightwind，thathadchangedfromthefirstcoolwhispersofsunsettothesturdybreathofthemountain。Attimesthefrailhouseshookandtrembled。
Wanderinggustsladenwiththedeepresinousodorsofthewoodfoundtheirwaythroughtheimperfectjointureofthetwocabins，swepthercheekandevenstirredherlong，wide—openlashes。A
brokensprayofpineneedlesrustledalongtheroof，orapineconedroppedwithaquickreverberatingtap—tapthatforaninstantstartledher。Lyingthus，wideawake，shefellintoadreamyreminiscenceofthepast，hearingsnatchesofoldmelodyinthemovingpines，fragmentsofsentences，oldwords，andfamiliarepithetsinthemurmuringwindatherear，andeventhefaintbreathoflong—forgottenkissesonhercheek。Sherememberedhermother——apallidcreature，whohadslowlyfadedoutofoneofherfather’svaguespeculationsinavaguerspeculationofherown，beyondhisken——whoseplaceshehadpromisedtotakeatherfather’sside。Thewords，"Watchoverhim，Christie；heneedsawoman’scare，"againechoedinherears，asifborneonthenightwindfromthelonelygraveintheloneliercemeterybythedistantsea。Shehaddevotedherselftohimwithsomelittlesacrificesofself，onlyrememberednowfortheiruselessnessinsavingherfatherthedisappointmentthatsprangfromhissanguineandone—
idea’dtemperament。Shethoughtofhimlyingasleepintheotherroom，readyonthemorrowtodevotethosefatefulqualitiestothenewenterprisethatwithequallyfatefuldispositionshebelievedwouldendinfailure。Itdidnotoccurtoherthatthedoubtsofherownpracticalnaturewerealmostasdangerousandillogicalashisenthusiasm，andthatforthatreasonshewasfastlosingwhatlittleinfluenceshepossessedoverhim。Withtheexampleofhermother’sweaknessbeforehereyes，shehadbecomeanunsparinganddistrustfulcritic，withthesoleeffectofawakeninghisdistrustandwithdrawinghisconfidencefromher。
Hewasbeginningtodeceiveherashehadneverdeceivedhermother。EvenJessieknewmoreofthislastenterprisethanshedidherself。
Allthatdidnottendtodecreaseherutterrestlessness。Itwasalreadypastmidnightwhenshenoticedthatthewindhadagainabated。Themountainbreezehadbythistimepossessedthestiflingvalleysandheatedbarsoftheriverinitsstrong，coldembraces；theequilibriumofNaturewasrestored，andashadowymistrosefromthehollow。Astillness，moreoppressiveandintolerablethanthepreviouscommotion，begantopervadethehouseandthesurroundingwoods。Shecouldheartheregularbreathingofthesleepers；sheevenfanciedshecoulddetectthefaintimpulsesofthemoredistantlifeinthesettlement。Thefar—offbarkingofadog，alostshout，theindistinctmurmurofsomenearerwatercourse——merephantomsofsound——madethesilencemoreirritating。Withasuddenresolutionshearose，dressedherselfquietlyandcompletely，threwaheavycloakoverherheadandshoulders，andopenedthedoorbetweentheliving—roomandherown。
Herfatherwassleepingsoundlyinhisbunkinthecorner。Shepassednoiselesslythroughtheroom，openedthelightlyfasteneddoor，andsteppedoutintothenight。
Intheirritationanddisgustofherwalkhither，shehadnevernoticedthesituationofthecabin，asitnestledontheslopeatthefringeofthewoods；inthepreoccupationofherdisappointmentandthemechanicalputtingawayofherthings，shehadneverlookedoncefromthewindowofherroom，orglancedbackwardoutofthedoorthatshehadentered。Theviewbeforeherwasarevelation——areproach，asurprisethattookawayherbreath。Overhershouldersthenewlyrisenmoonpouredafloodofsilverylight，stretchingfromherfeetacrosstheshiningbarsoftherivertotheoppositebank，andonuptotheverycrestoftheDevil’sSpur——nolongerahugebulkofcrushingshadow，butthesteadyexaltationofplateau，spur，andterraceclothedwithrepleteandunutterablebeauty。Inthismagicallightthatbeautyseemedtobesustainedandcarriedalongbytheriverwindingatitsbase，liftedagaintothebroadshoulderofthemountain，andlostonlyinthedistantvistaofdeath—like，overcrowningsnow。Behindandabovewhereshestoodthetoweringwoodsseemedtobewaitingwithopenedrankstoabsorbherwiththelittlecabinshehadquitted，dwarfedintoinsignificanceinthevastprospect；butnowherewasthereanothersignorindicationofhumanlifeandhabitation。Shelookedinvainforthesettlement，fortheruggedditches，thescatteredcabins，andtheunsightlyheapsofgravel。Intheglamourofthemoonlighttheyhadvanished；aveilofsilver—grayvaportouchedhereandtherewithebonyshadowsmaskeditssite。Ablackstripbeyondwastheriverbank。Allelsewaschanged。Withasuddensenseofaweandlonelinesssheturnedtothecabinanditssleepinginmates——allthatseemedlefttoherinthevastandstupendousdominationofrockandwoodandsky。
Butinanothermomentthelonelinesspassed。Anewanddelicioussenseofaninfinitehospitalityandfriendlinessintheirsilentpresencebegantopossessher。Thissameslighted，forgotten，uncomprehended，butstillfoolishandforgivingNatureseemedtobebendingoverherfrightenedandlisteningearwithvaguebutthrillingmurmuringsoffreedomandindependence。Shefeltherheartexpandwithitswholesomebreath，hersoulfillwithitssustainingtruth。
Shefelt——
Whatwasthat？
Anunmistakableoutburstofadrunkensongatthefootoftheslope：——
"Oh，mynameitisJohnnyfromPike，I’mh—llonaspreeorastrike"……
Shestoppedascrimsonwithshameandindignationasiftheviewlesssingerhadrisenbeforeher。
"Iknewwhentobet，andgetupandget——"
"Hush!D——nitall。Don’tyouhear？"
Therewasthesoundofhurriedwhispers，a"No"and"Yes，"andthenadeadsilence。
Christiecreptnearertotheedgeoftheslopeintheshadowofabuckeye。Intheclearerviewshecoulddistinguishastaggeringfigureinthetrailbelowwhohadevidentlybeenstoppedbytwootherexpostulatingshadowsthatwereapproachingfromtheshelterofatree。
"Sho!——didn’tknow!"
Thestaggeringfigureendeavoredtostraightenitself，andthenslouchedawayinthedirectionofthesettlement。Thetwomysteriousshadowsretreatedagaintothetree，andwerelostinitsdeepershadow。Christiedartedbacktothecabin，andsoftlyreenteredherroom。
"IthoughtIheardanoisethatwokeme，andImissedyou，"saidJessie，rubbinghereyes。"Didyouseeanything？"
"No，"saidChristie，beginningtoundress。
"Youweren’tfrightened，dear？"
"Notintheleast，"saidChristie，withastrangelittlelaugh。
"Gotosleep。"
CHAPTERIII
ThefiveimpulsivemillionairesofDevil’sFordfulfillednotafewoftheirmostextravagantpromises。InlessthansixweeksMr。
Carrandhisdaughterswereinstalledinanewhouse，builtnearthesiteofthedoublecabin，whichwasagaintransferredtothesettlement，inordertogivegreaterseclusiontothefairguests。
Itwasalong，roomy，one—storiedvilla，withanotunpicturesquecombinationofdeepverandaandtrelliswork，whichrelievedtheflatmonotonyoftheinteriorandthebarrennessofthefreshly—
clearedground。Anuprightpiano，broughtfromSacramento，occupiedthecorneroftheparlor。Asuiteofgorgeousfurniture，whosepronouncedandextravagantgloriestheyounggirlsinstinctivelyhidunderhome—madelinencovers，hadalsobeenspoilsfromafar。Elsewherethehousewasfilledwithornamentsanddecorationsthatintheirincongruityforciblyrecalledthegildedplate—glassmirrorsofthebedroomintheoldcabin。InthehastyfurnishingofthisAladdin’spalace，theslavesoftheringhadevidentlyseizeduponanythingthatwouldaddtoitsglory，withoutreferencealwaystofitness。
"Iwishitdidn’tlooksocussedlylikearobber’scave，"saidGeorgeKearney，whentheyweretakingaquietpreliminarysurveyoftheunclassifiedtreasures，beforetheCarrstookpossession。
"Oragamblinghell，"saidhisbrotherreflectively。
"It’saboutthesamething，Ireckon，"saidDickMattingly，whowassupposed，inhisfieryyouth，tohaveencounteredthesimilarity。
Nevertheless，thetwogirlsmanagedtobestowtheheterogeneouscollectionwithtastefuladaptationtotheirneeds。Acrystalchandelier，whichhadoncelentafascinatingillusiontothegameofMonte，hungunlightedinthebroadhall，whereafewotherbizarreandpublicarticleswererelegated。Alongredsofaorbench，whichhaddonedutybesideabilliard—tablefoundaplaceherealso。Indeed，itistobefearedthatsomeofthemorerusticandbashfulyouthsofDevil’sFord，whohadfeltitincumbentuponthemtopaytheirrespectstothenew—comers，weremoreateaseinthisvestibulethaninthearcanabeyond，whosegloriestheycouldseethroughtheopendoor。Toothers，itrepresentedarecognizedstateofprobationbeforetheirre—entreeintocivilizationagain。
"Ireckon，ifyoudon’tmind，miss，"saidthespokesmanofoneparty，"ezthisisourfirstcall，we’llsorterhangoutinthehallyer，untilyou’rusedtous。"Onanotheroccasion，oneWhiskeyDick，impelledbyasenseofduty，paidavisittothenewhouseanditsfairoccupants，inafashionfranklyrecountedbyhimafterwardsatthebaroftheTecumsehSaloon。
"Yousee，boys，Idroppedintheretheothernight，whensomeofyoufellerswasdoin’thehigh—toned’thankee，marm’businessintheparlor。Ijustcametoanchorinthecornerofthesofyinthehall，withoutlettin’ontosaythatIwasthere，andtookupaWebster’sdictionarythatwasonthetableandlaiditopen——
keerlesslike，onmyknees，ezifIwassorterconsultin’it——andkinderdozedoffthere，listenin’toyoufellowsgassin’withtheyoungladies，andthatyerMissChristiejustsnakin’musicouterthatpianner，andIreckonIfellasleep。Anyhow，Iwastherenighontotwohours。It’smightysoothin’，themfashionablecalls；
sorterknockstheoldcampdustouterafellow，andsetshimupagain。"
ItwouldhavebeenwellifthenewlifeoftheDevil’sFordhadshownnootherirregularitythantheharmlesseccentricitiesofitsoriginallocaters。Butthenewsofitssuddenfortune，magnifiedbyreport，beganpresentlytofloodthesettlementwithanotherclassofadventurers。Atideofwaifs，strays，andmalcontentsofoldcampsalongtheriverbegantosettowardsDevil’sFord，inverymuchthesamefashionasthedebris，drift，andalluviumhadbeencarrieddowninbygonedaysandcastuponitsbanks。Afewimmigrantwagons，divertedfromthehighwaysoftravelbythefameofthenewdiggings，haltedupontheslopesofDevil’sSpurandonthearidflatsoftheFord，anddisgorgedtheirsallowfreightofalkali—poisoned，prematurely—agedwomenandchildrenandmaimedandfever—strickenmen。Againstthisrudeformofdomesticitywereopposedthechromo—tinteddressesandextravagantcomplexionsofafewsingleunattendedwomen——happilyseenmoreoftenatnightbehindgildedbarsthaninthegarishlightofday——andanequalnumberofpale—faced，dark—moustached，well—dressed，andsuspiciouslyidlemen。AdozenrivalsofThompson’sSaloonhadsprungupalongthenarrowmainstreet。Thereweretwonewhotels——
onea"TemperanceHouse，"whoseasceticqualitywasconfinedonlytotheabnegationofwhiskey——arivalstageoffice，andasmallone—storiedbuilding，fromwhichthe"SierranBanner"flutteredweekly，for"tendollarsayear，inadvance。"InsufferableintheglareofaSabbathsun，bleak，windy，andflaringinthegloomofaSabbathnight，andhopelesslydepressingonalldaysoftheweek，theFirstPresbyterianChurchlifteditsbluntsteeplefromthebarrenestareaoftheflats，andwashideous!Thecivicimprovementssoenthusiasticallycontemplatedbythefivemillionairesintheearlierpagesofthisveraciouschronicle——thefountain，reservoir，town—hall，andfreelibrary——hadnotyetbeenerected。Theirsiteshadbeenanticipatedbymoreurgentbuildingsandminingworks，unfortunatelynotconsideredinthesanguinedreamsoftheenthusiasts，and，moresignificantstill，theircostandexpensehadbeenalsoanticipatedbytheenormousoutlayoftheirearningsintheworkuponDevil’sDitch。
Nevertheless，theliberalfulfilmentoftheirpromiseinthenewhouseinthesuburbsblindedtheyounggirls’eyestotheirshortcomingsinthetown。Theirownremotenessandelevationaboveitsfeverishlifekeptthemfromtheknowledgeofmuchthatwasstrange，andperhapsdisturbingtotheirequanimity。Astheydidnotmixwiththeimmigrantwomen——MissJessie’sgood—naturedintrusionintooneoftheirhalf—nomadiccampsonedayhavingbeenmetwithrudenessandsuspicion——theygraduallyfellintothewayoftrustingtheresponsibilityofnewacquaintancestothehandsoftheiroriginalhosts，andofconsultingtheminthematteroflocalrecreation。Itthusoccurredthatonedaythetwogirls，ontheirwaytothemainstreetforanhour’sshoppingattheVilladeParisandVarietyStore，werestoppedbyDickMattinglyafewyardsfromtheirhouse，withtheremarkthat，asthecountyelectionwastheninprogress，itwouldbeadvisableforthemtodefertheirintentionforafewhours。Ashedidnotdeemitnecessarytoaddthattwocitizens，intheexerciseofafreeman’sfranchise，hadbeensupplementingtheirballotswithbullets，infrontofanadmiringcrowd，theyknewnothingofthataccidentthatremovedfromDevil’sFordanentertainingstranger，whohadonlythenightbeforepartakenoftheirhospitality。
Aweekortwolater，returningonemorningfromastrollintheforest，ChristieandJessiewerewaylaidbyGeorgeKearneyandFairfax，and，underpretextofbeingshownanewandromantictrail，weredivertedfromtheregularpath。ThisenabledMattinglyandMarylandJoetocutdownthebodyofamanhangedbytheVigilanceCommitteeafewhoursbeforeontheregulartrail，andtoremonstratewiththecommitteeontheincompatibilityofsuchexhibitionswithamaidenlyworshipofnature。
"Withthewholecountytohangamanin，"expostulatedJoe，"youmightkeepclearofCarr’swoods。"
Itisneedlesstoaddthattheyounggirlsneverknewofthisactofviolence，orthedelicacythatkepttheminignoranceofit。
Mr。Carrwastooabsorbedinbusinesstogiveheedtowhathelookeduponasaconvulsionofsocietyasnaturalasageologicalupheaval，andtooprudenttoprovokethecriticismofhisdaughtersbycommentintheirpresence。
Anequallyunexpectedconfidence，however，tookitsplace。Mr。
Carrhavingfinishedhiscoffeeonemorning，lingeredamomentoverhisperfunctorypaternalembraces，withtheawkwardnessofapreoccupiedmanendeavoringbytheassumptionofalighterinteresttoveilanotherabstraction。
"Andwhatarewedoingto—day，Christie？"heasked，asJessieleftthedining—room。
"Oh，prettymuchtheusualthing——nothinginparticular。IfGeorgeKearneygetsthehorsesfromthesummit，we’regoingtorideovertoIndianSpringtopicnic。Fairfax——Mr。Munroe——Ialwaysforgetthatman’srealnameinthisdreadfullyfamiliarcountry——well，he’scomingtoescortus，andtakeme，Isuppose——thatis，ifKearneytakesJessie。"
"Averynicearrangement，"returnedherfather，withaslightnervouscontractionofthecornersofhismouthandeyelidstoindicatemischievousness。"I’venodoubtthey’llbothbehere。
Youknowtheyusuallyare——ha!ha!AndwhataboutthetwoMattinglysandPhilipKearney，eh？"hecontinued；"won’ttheybejealous？"
"Itisn’ttheirturn，"saidChristiecarelessly；"besides，they’llprobablybethere。"
"AndIsupposethey’rebeginningtoberesigned，"saidCarr，smiling。
"Whatonearthareyoutalkingof，father？"
Sheturnedherclearbrowneyesuponhim，andwasregardinghimwithsuchmanifestunconsciousnessofthedriftofhisspeech，and，withal，alittlevagueimpatienceofhisarchness，thatMr。Carrwasfeeblyalarmed。Ithadtheeffectofbanishinghisassumedplayfulness，whichmadehisseriousexplanationthemoreirritating。
"Well，Iratherthoughtthat——thatyoungKearneywaspayingconsiderableattentionto——to——toJessie，"repliedherfather，withhesitatinggravity。
"What!thatboy？"
"YoungKearneyisoneoftheoriginallocators，andanequalpartnerinthemine。Averyenterprisingyoungfellow。Infact，muchmoreadvancedandbolderinhisconceptionsthantheothers。
Ifindnodifficultywithhim。"
AtanothertimeChristiewouldhavequestionedtheconvincingqualityofthisproof，butshewastoomuchshockedatherfather’sfirstsuggestion，tothinkofanythingelse。
"Youdon’tmeantosay，father，thatyouaretalkingseriouslyofthesemen——yourfriends——whomweseeeveryday——andouronlycompany？"
"No，no!"saidMr。Carrhastily；"youmisunderstand。Idon’tsupposethatJessieoryou——"
"OrME!AmIincluded？"
"Youdon’tletmespeak，Christie。Imean，Iamnottalkingseriously，"continuedMr。Carr，withhismostseriousaspect，"ofyouandJessieinthismatter；butitmaybeaseriousthingtotheseyoungmentobethrowncontinuallyinthecompanyoftwoattractivegirls。"
"Iunderstand——youmeanthatweshouldnotseesomuchofthem，"