WherethegreathighwayoftheSierrasnearsthesummit，andthepinesbegintoshowsterilereachesofrockandwasteintheirdrawn-upfiles，therearesignsofoccasionaldeparturesfromthemainroad，asifthewearytravellerhadattimessuccumbedtothelongascent，andturnedasideforrestandbreathagain。Thetiredeyesofmanyadustypassengerontheoldoverlandcoachhavegazedwistfullyonthosesylvanopenings，andimaginedrecessesofprimevalshadeandvirginwildernessintheirdimperspectives。
Hadhedescended，however，andfollowedoneofthesedivergingpaths，hewouldhavecomeuponsomerudewagontrack，or\"logslide，\"
leadingfromaclearingontheslope，ortheominoussaw-mill，halfhiddenintheforestitwasslowlydecimating。Thewoodlandhushmighthavebeenbrokenbythesoundofwaterpassingoversomeunseendaminthehollow，orthehissofescapingsteamandthrobofaninvisibleengineinthecovert。
Such，atleast，wastheexperienceofayoungfellowoffive-and-
twenty，who，knapsackonbackandstickinhand，hadturnedasidefromthehighwayandenteredthewoodsonepleasantafternooninJuly。Buthewasevidentlyadeliberatepedestrian，andnotarecentdepositoftheproceedingstage-coach；andalthoughhisstoutwalking-shoeswerecoveredwithdust，hehadneitherthehabitualslouchandslovenlinessofthetramp，northehurriedfatigueandgrowingnegligenceofaninvoluntarywayfarer。Hisclothes，whichwerestrongandserviceable，werebetterfittedfortheirpresentusagethantheordinarygarmentsoftheCaliforniantravellers，whichweretooapttobeeitheraboveorbelowtheirrequirements。Butperhapsthestranger\'sgreatestclaimtooriginalitywas
theabsenceofanyweaponinhisequipment。Hecarriedneitherriflenorguninhishand，andhisnarrowleathernbeltwasemptyofeitherknifeorrevolver。
Ahalf-milefromthemainroad，whichseemedtohimtohavedroppedoutofsightthemomenthehadleftit，hecameuponahalf-clearedarea，wherethehastily-cutstumpsofpines，ofirregularheight，boreanoddresemblancetothebrokencolumnsofsomevastandruinedtemple。Afewfallenshafts，denudedoftheirbarkandtessellatedbranches，sawnintosymmetricalcylinders，laybesidethestumps，andlentthemselvestotheillusion。Butthefreshly-
cutchips，sodampthattheystillclunginlayerstoeachotherastheyhadfallenfromtheaxe，andthestumpsthemselves，stillwetandviscousfromtheirdrainedlife-blood，wereredolentofanodorofyouthandfreshness。
Theyoungmanseatedhimselfononeofthelogsanddeeplyinhaledthesharpbalsamicfragrance——albeitwithaslightcoughandalaterhurriedrespiration。This，andacertaindrawnlookabouthisupperlip，seemedtoindicate，inspiteofhisstrengthandcolor，somepulmonaryweakness。He，however，roseafteramoment\'srestwithundiminishedenergyandcheerfulness，readjustedhisknapsack，andbegantolightlypickhiswayacrossthefallentimber。Afewpaceson，themuffledwhirofmachinerybecamemoreaudible，withthelazy，monotonouscommandof\"Geethar，\"fromsomeunseenox-driver。Presently，theslow，deliberately-swayingheadsofateamofoxenemergedfromthebushes，followedbytheclankingchainofthe\"skids\"ofsawnplanks，whichtheywereponderouslydraggingwiththatostentatioussubmissivenesspeculiartotheirspecies。Theyhadnearlypassedhimwhentherewasasuddenhitchintheprocession。Fromwherehestoodhecouldseethataprojectingplankhadstruckapileofchipsandbecomepartlyimbeddedinit。Toruntotheobstructionand，withafewdexterousstrokesandtheleverageofhisstoutstick，dislodgetheplankwastheworknotonlyofthemomentbutofanevidentlyenergetichand。Theteamsterlookedbackandmerelynoddedhisappreciation，andwitha\"Geeup!Outofthat，now!\"theskidsmovedon。
\"Muchobliged，there!\"saidaheartyvoice，asifsupplementingtheteamster\'simperfectacknowledgment。
Thestrangerlookedup。Thevoicecamefromtheopen，sashless，shutterlesswindowofarudebuilding——amereshellofboardsandbeamshalfhiddeninthestillleafycovertbeforehim。Hehadcompletelyoverlookeditinhisapproach，evenashehadignoredthenearerthrobbingofthemachinery，whichwassoviolentastoimpartadecidedtremortotheslightedifice，andtoshakethespeakersostronglythathewasobligedwhilespeakingtosteadyhimselfbythesashlessframeofthewindowatwhichhestood。Hehadafaceofgood-naturedandalertintelligence，amaster\'sindependenceandauthorityofmanner，inspiteofhisbluejeanoverallsandflannelshirt。
\"Don\'tmentionit，\"saidthestranger，smilingwithequalbutmoredeliberategood-humor。Then，seeingthathisinterlocutorstilllingeredahospitablemomentinspiteofhisquickeyesandthejarringimpatienceofthemachinery，headdedhesitatingly，\"I
fancyI\'vewanderedoffthetrackabit。DoyouknowaMr。
Bradley——somewherehere？\"
Thestranger\'shesitationseemedtobemorefromsomehabitualconscientiousnessofstatementthanawkwardness。Themaninthewindowreplied，\"I\'mBradley。”
\"Ah!Thankyou:I\'vealetterforyou——somewhere。Hereitis。”Heproducedanotefromhisbreast-pocket。Bradleystoopedtoasittingpostureinthewindow。\"Pitchitup。”Itwasthrownandcaughtcleverly。Bradleyopenedit，readithastily，smiledandnodded，glancedbehindhimasiftoimplorefurtherdelayfromtheimpatientmachinery，leanedperilouslyfromthewindow，andsaid，——
\"Lookhere!Doyouseethatsilver-firstraightahead？\"
\"Yes。”
\"Alittletotheleftthere\'satrail。Followitandskirtalongtheedgeofthecanyonuntilyouseemyhouse。Askformywife——
that\'sMrs。Bradley——andgiveheryourletter。Stop!\"Hedrewacarpenter\'spencilfromhispocket，scrawledtwoorthreewordsacrosstheopensheetandtosseditbacktothestranger。\"Seeyouattea!Excuseme——Mr。Mainwaring——we\'reshort-handed——and——theengine——\"Butherehedisappearedsuddenly。
Withoutglancingatthenoteagain，thestrangerquietlyreplaceditinhispocket，andstruckoutacrossthefallentrunkstowardsthesilver-fir。HequicklyfoundthetrailindicatedbyBradley，althoughitwasfaintandapparentlywornbyasinglepairoffeetasashorterandprivatecutfromsomemoretravelledpath。Itwaswellforthestrangerthathehadakeeneyeorhewouldhavelostit；itwasequallyfortunatethathehadamountaineeringinstinct，forasuddenprofounddeepeningofthebluemistseendimlythroughtheleavesbeforehimcausedhimtoslackenhissteps。Thetrailbentabruptlytotheright；agulffullytwothousandfeetdeepwasathisfeet!ItwastheGreatCanyon。
Atthefirstglanceitseemedsonarrowthatarifle-shotcouldhavecrosseditstranquildepths；butasecondlookatthecomparativesizeofthetreesontheoppositemountainconvincedhimofhiserror。Anearersurveyoftheabyssalsoshowedhimthatinsteadofitswallsbeingperpendiculartheyweremadeofsuccessiveledgesorterracestothevalleybelow。Yettheairwassostill，andtheoutlinessoclearlycut，thattheymighthavebeenonlythereflectionsofthemountainsaroundhimcastupontheplacidmirrorofalake。Thespectaclearrestedhim，asitarrestedallmen，bysomeoccultpowerbeyondthemereattractionofbeautyormagnitude；eventheteamsterneverpasseditwithoutthetributeofastoneorbrokentwigtossedintoitsimmeasurableprofundity。
Reluctantlyleavingthespot，thestrangerturnedwiththetrailthatnowbegantoskirtitsedge。Thiswasnoeasymatter，astheundergrowthwasverythick，andthefoliagedensetotheperilousbrinkoftheprecipice。Hewalkedon，however，wonderingwhyBradleyhadchosensocircuitousanddangerousaroutetohishouse，whichnaturallywouldbesomedistancebackfromthecanyon。
Attheendoftenminutes\'strugglingthroughthe\"brush，\"thetrailbecamevague，and，toallappearances，ended。Hadhearrived？Thethicketwasasdenseasbefore；throughtheintersticesofleafandsprayhecouldseethebluevoidofthecanyonathisside，andheevenfanciedthatthefoliageaheadofhimwasmoresymmetricalandlessirregular，andwastouchedhereandtherewithfaintbitsofcolor。Tocompletehisuttermystification，awoman\'svoice，veryfresh，veryyouthful，andbynomeansunmusical，roseapparentlyfromthecircumambientair。Helookedhurriedlytotherightandleft，andevenhopelesslyintothetreesabovehim。
\"Yes，\"saidthevoice，asifrenewingasuspendedconversation，\"itwastoofunnyforanything。TherewerethetwoMissourigirlsfromSkinner\'s，withtheirauburnhairringleted，mydear，liketheold\'BooksofBeauty\'——inwhitefrocksandsashesofanunripegreenishyellow，thatpuckeredupyourmouthlikepersimmons。Oneofthemwasspeechlessfromgoodbehavior，andtheother——well!theotherwassoenergeticshecalledoutthefiguresbeforethefiddlerdid，andshriekedtomyvis-a-vistodanceuptotheentirestranger——
meaningME，ifyouplease。”
Thevoiceappearedtocomefromthefoliagethatoverhungthecanyon，andthestrangerevenfanciedhecoulddetectthroughtheshimmeringleafyveilsomethingthatmovedmonotonouslytoandfro。
Mystifiedandimpatient，hemadeahurriedstrideforward，hisfootstruckawoodenstep，andthenextmomentthemysterywasmadeclear。Hehadalmoststumbledupontheendofalongverandathatprojectedovertheabyssbeforealow，moderndwelling，tilltheninvisible，nestlingonitsverybrink。Thesymmetrically-trimmedfoliagehehadnoticedweretheluxuriantMadeiravinesthathidtherudepillarsoftheveranda；themovingobjectwasarocking-
chair，withitsbacktowardstheintruder，thatdisclosedonlythebrownhairabove，andthewhiteskirtsandsmallslipperedfeetbelow，ofaseatedfemalefigure。Inthemeantime，asecondvoicefromtheinteriorofthehousehadrepliedtothefigureinthechair，whowasevidentlythefirstspeaker:——
\"Itmusthavebeenveryfunny；butaslongasJimisalwaysbringingsomebodyoverfromthemill，Idon\'tseehowIcangotothoseplaces。Youwerelucky，mydear，toescapefromthenewDivisionSuperintendentlastnight；hewasinsufferabletoJimwithhistalkofhisfriendtheSanFranciscomillionaire，andtomewithhischeapsocietyairs。Idohateaprovincialfinegentleman。”
Thesituationwasbecomingembarrassingtotheintruder。Attheapparitionofthewoman，theunaffectedandsimpledirectnesshehadpreviouslyshowninhisequallyabruptcontactwithBradleyhadfledutterly；confusedbytheawkwardnessofhisarrival，andshockedattheideaofoverhearingaprivateconversation，hesteppedhurriedlyontheveranda。
\"Well？goon!\"saidthesecondvoiceimpatiently。\"Well，whoelsewasthere？WHATdidyousay？Idon\'thearyou。What\'sthematter？\"
Theseatedfigurehadrisenfromherchair，andturnedayoungandprettyfacesomewhatsuperciliouslytowardsthestranger，asshesaidinalowtonetoherunseenauditor，\"Hush!thereissomebodyhere。”
Theyoungmancameforwardwithanawkwardnessthatwasmoreboyishthanrustic。Hisembarrassmentwasnotlessenedbythesimultaneousentrancefromtheopendoorofasecondwoman，apparentlyasyoungasandprettierthanthefirst。
\"Itrustyou\'llexcusemefor——for——beingsowretchedlystupid，\"hestammered，\"butIreallythought，youknow，that——that——Iwasfollowingthetrailto——to——thefrontofthehouse，whenIstumbledin——inhere。”
Longbeforehehadfinished，bothwomen，bysomesimplefeminineintuition，wererelievedandevenprepossessedbyhisvoiceandmanner。Theysmiledgraciously。Thelater-comerpointedtotheemptychair。Butwithhishabitofpertinaciousconscientiousnessthestrangercontinued，\"Itwasregularlystupid，wasn\'tit？——andI
oughttohaveknownbetter。IshouldhaveturnedbackandgoneawaywhenIfoundoutwhatanassIwaslikelytobe，butIwas——
afraid——youknow，ofalarmingyoubythenoise。”
\"Won\'tyousitdown？\"saidthesecondlady，pleasantly。
\"Oh，thanks!I\'vealetterhere——I\"——hetransferredhisstickandhattohislefthandashefeltinhisbreast-pocketwithhisright。
Buttheactionwassoawkwardthatthestickdroppedontheveranda。
Bothwomenmadeamovementtorestoreittoitsembarrassedowner，who，however，quicklyanticipatedthem。\"Praydon\'tmindit，\"hecontinued，withacceleratedbreathandheightenedcolor。\"Ah，here\'stheletter!\"HeproducedthenoteBradleyhadreturnedtohim。\"It\'smine，infact——thatis，IbroughtittoMr。Bradley。HesaidIwastogiveitto——to——to——Mrs。Bradley。”Hepaused，glancingembarrassedlyfromtheonetotheother。
\"I\'mMrs。Bradley，\"saidtheprettiestone，withalaugh。Hehandedhertheletter。Itranasfollows:——
\"DEARBRADLEY——PutMr。Mainwaringthroughasfarashewantstogo，orhanghimupatTheLookout，justashelikes。TheBank\'sbehindhim，andhishat\'schalkedallovertheRoad；buthedon\'tcaremuchaboutbeingonvelvet。Thatain\'thisstyle——andyou\'lllikehim。He\'ssomebody\'ssoninEngland。B。”
Mrs。Bradleyglancedsimplyatthefirstsentence。\"Praysitdown，Mr。Mainwaring，\"shesaidgently；\"or，rather，letmefirstintroducemycousin——MissMacy。”
\"Thanks，\"saidMainwaring，withabowtoMissMacy，\"butI——I——I——
think，\"headdedconscientiously，\"youdidnotnoticethatyourhusbandhadwrittensomethingacrossthepaper。”
Mrs。Bradleysmiled，andglancedatherhusband\'sindorsement——\"Allright。Wadein。”\"It\'snothingbutJim\'sslang，\"shesaid，withalaughandaslightlyheightenedcolor。\"Heoughtnottohavesentyoubythatshortcut；it\'sabother，andevendangerousforastranger。IfyouhadcomedirectlytoUSbytheroad，withoutmakingyourfirstcallatthemill，\"sheadded，withatouchofcoquetry，\"youwouldhavehadapleasanterwalk，andseenUS
sooner。Isuppose，however，yougotoffthestageatthemill？\"
\"Iwasnotonthecoach，\"saidMainwaring，unfasteningthestrapofhisknapsack。\"IwalkedoverfromLonePineFlat。”
\"Walked!\"echoedbothwomeninsimultaneousastonishment。
\"Yes，\"returnedMainwaringsimply，layingasidehisburdenandtakingtheprofferedseat。\"It\'saveryfinebitofcountry。”
\"Why，it\'sfifteenmiles，\"saidMrs。Bradley，glancinghorror-
strickenathercousin。\"Howdreadful!AndtothinkJimcouldhavesentyouahorsetoLonePine。Why，youmustbedead!\"
\"Thanks，I\'mallright!Iratherenjoyedit，youknow。”
\"But，\"saidMissMacy，glancingwonderinglyathisknapsack，\"youmustwantsomething，achange——orsomerefreshment——afterfifteenmiles。”
\"Praydon\'tdisturbyourself，\"saidMainwaring，risinghastily，butnotquicklyenoughtopreventtheyounggirlfromslippingpasthimintothehouse，whencesherapidlyreturnedwithadecanterandglasses。
\"PerhapsMr。MainwaringwouldprefertogointoJim\'sroomandwashhishandsandputonapairofslippers？\"saidMrs。Bradley，withgentleconcern。
\"Thanks，no。Ireallyamnottired。IsentsomeluggageyesterdaybythecoachtotheSummitHotel，\"hesaid，observingthewomen\'seyesstillfixeduponhisknapsack。\"IdaresayIcangetthemifIwantthem。I\'vegotachangehere，\"hecontinued，liftingtheknapsackasifwithasuddensenseofitsincongruitywithitssurroundings，anddepositingitontheendoftheveranda。
\"Doletitremainwhereitis，\"saidMrs。Bradley，greatlyamused，\"andpraysitstillandtakesomerefreshment。You\'llmakeyourselfillafteryourexertions，\"sheadded，withacharmingassumptionofmatronlysolicitude。
\"ButI\'mnotatalldeservingofyoursympathy，\"saidMainwaring，withalaugh。\"I\'mawfullyfondofwalking，andmyusualconstitutionalisn\'tmuchunderthis。”
\"Perhapsyouwerestrongerthanyouarenow，\"saidMrs。Bradley，gazingathimwithafrankcuriositythat，however，broughtafaintdeepeningofcolortohischeek。
\"Idaresayyou\'reright，\"hesaidsuddenly，withanapologeticsmile。\"IquiteforgotthatI\'masortofaninvalid，youknow，travellingformyhealth。I\'mnotverystronghere，\"headded，lightlytappinghischest，thatnow，relievedofthebandsofhisknapsack，appearedsomewhatthinandhollowinspiteofhisbroadshoulders。Hisvoice，too，hadbecomelessclearanddistinct。
Mrs。Bradley，whowasstillwatchinghim，hererosepotentially。
\"Yououghttotakemorecareofyourself，\"shesaid。\"Youshouldbeginbyeatingthisbiscuit，drinkingthatglassofwhiskey，andmakingyourselfmorecomfortableinJim\'sroomuntilwecangetthespareroomfixedalittle。”
\"ButIamnottobesenttobed——amI？\"askedMainwaring，inhalf-
real，half-amusedconsternation。
\"I\'mnotsosureofthat，\"saidMrs。Bradley，withplayfulprecision。
\"Butforthepresentwe\'llletyouoffwithagoodwashandanapafterwardsinthatrocking-chair，whilemycousinandImakesomelittledomesticpreparations。Yousee，\"sheaddedwithacertainproudhumility，\"we\'vegotonlyoneservant——aChinaman，andtherearemanythingswecan\'tleavetohim。”
ThecoloragainroseinMainwaring\'scheek，buthehadtactenoughtoreflectthatanyprotestorhesitationonhispartatthatmomentwouldonlyincreasethedifficultiesofhisgentleentertainers。HeallowedhimselftobeusheredintothehousebyMrs。Bradley，andshowntoherhusband\'sroom，withoutperceivingthatMissMacyhadavailedherselfofhisabsencetoruntotheendoftheveranda，mischievouslytrytoliftthediscardedknapsacktoherownprettyshoulder，but，failing，heroicallystaggerwithitintothepassageandsoftlydeposititathisdoor。Thisdone，shepantinglyrejoinedhercousininthekitchen。
\"Well，\"saidMrs。Bradley，emphatically。\"DIDyouever？Walkingfifteenmilesforpleasure——andwithsuchlungs!\"
\"Andthatknapsack!\"addedLouiseMacy，pointingtothemarkinherlittlepalmwherethestraphadimbeddeditselfinthesoftflesh。
\"He\'snice，though；isn\'the？\"saidMrs。Bradley，tentatively。
\"Yes，\"saidMissMacy，\"heisn\'t，certainly，oneofthoseprovincialfinegentlemenyouobjectto。ButDIDyouseehisshoes？Isupposetheymakethemilesgoquickly，orseemtomeasurelessbycomparison。”
\"They\'reprobablymoreserviceablethanthosehigh-heeledthingsthatCaptainGreysonhopsaboutin。”
\"ButtheCaptainalwaysrides——andridesverywell——youknow，\"saidLouise，reflectively。Therewasamoment\'spause。
\"IsupposeJimwilltellusallabouthim，\"saidMrs。Bradley，dismissingthesubject，assheturnedhersleevesbackoverherwhitearms，preparatorytograpplingcertainculinarydifficulties。
\"Jim，\"observedMissMacy，shortly，\"inmyopinion，knowsnothingmorethanhisnotesays。That\'slikeJim。”
\"There\'snothingmoretoknow，really，\"saidMrs。Bradley，withasuperiorair。\"He\'sundoubtedlythesonofsomeEnglishmanoffortune，sentouthereforhishealth。”
\"Hush!\"
MissMacyhadheardastepinthepassage。Ithaltedatlast，halfirresolutely，beforetheopendoorofthekitchen，andthestrangerappearedwithanembarrassedair。
Butinhisbriefabsenceheseemedtohavecompletelygroomedhimself，andstoodthere，theimpersonationofclose-cropped，clean，andwholesomeEnglishyoungmanhood。Thetwowomenappreciateditwithcat-likefastidiousness。
\"Ibegyourpardon；butreallyyou\'regoingtoletafellowdosomethingforyou，\"hesaid，\"justtokeephimfromlookinglikeafool。Ireallycandonoendofthings，youknow，ifyou\'lltryme。I\'vedonesomecamping-out，andcancookaswellasthenextman。
Thetwowomenmadeamovementofsmilingremonstrance，halfcoquettish，andhalfsuperior，untilMrs。Bradley，becomingconsciousofherbarearmsandthestranger\'swanderingeyes，coloredfaintly，andsaidwithmoredecision:——
\"Certainlynot。You\'donlybeintheway。Besides，youneedrestmorethanwedo。Putyourselfintherocking-chairintheveranda，andgotosleepuntilMr。Bradleycomes。”
Mainwaringsawthatshewasserious，andwithdrew，alittleashamedathisfamiliarityintowhichhisboyishnesshadbetrayedhim。Buthehadscarcelyseatedhimselfintherocking-chairbeforeMissMacyappeared，carryingwithbothhandsalargetinbasinofunshelledpeas。
\"There，\"shesaidpantingly，placingherburdeninhislap，\"ifyoureallywanttohelp，there\'ssomethingtodothatisn\'tveryfatiguing。Youmayshellthesepeas。”
\"SHELLthem——Ibegpardon，buthow？\"heasked，withsmilingearnestness。
\"How？Why，I\'llshowyou——look。”
Shefranklysteppedbesidehim，soclosethatherfull-skirteddresshalfencompassedhimandthebasininadeliciousconfusion，and，leaningoverhislap，withherlefthandpickedupapea-cod，which，withasinglemovementofhercharminglittlerightthumb，shebrokeattheend，andstrippedthegreenshallowofitstinytreasures。
Hewatchedherwithsmilingeyes；herown，lookingdownonhim，wereverybrightandluminous。\"There；that\'seasyenough，\"shesaid，andturnedaway。
\"But——onemoment，Miss——Miss——？\"
\"Macy，\"saidlouise。
\"WhereamItoputtheshells？\"
\"Oh!throwthemdownthere——there\'sroomenough。”
Shewaspointingtothecanyonbelow。Theverandaactuallyprojectedoveritsbrink，andseemedtohanginmidairaboveit。
Mainwaringalmostmechanicallythrewhisarmouttocatchtheincautiousgirl，whohadsteppedheedlesslytoitsextremeedge。
\"Howodd!Don\'tyoufinditratherdangeroushere？\"hecouldnothelpsaying。\"Imean——youmighthavehadarailingthatwouldn\'tintercepttheviewandyetbesafe？\"
\"It\'safancyofMr。Bradley\'s，\"returnedtheyounggirlcarelessly。\"It\'salllikethis。Thehousewasbuiltonaledgeagainstthesideoftheprecipice，andtheroadsuddenlydropsdowntoit。”
\"It\'stremendouslypretty，allthesame，youknow，\"saidtheyoungmanthoughtfully，gazing，however，atthegirl\'sroundedchinabovehim。
\"Yes，\"sherepliedcurtly。\"Butthisisn\'tworking。ImustgobacktoJenny。YoucanshellthepeasuntilMr。Bradleycomeshome。Hewon\'tbelong。”
Sheturnedaway，andre-enteredthehouse。Withoutknowingwhy，hethoughtherwithdrawalabrupt，andhewasagainfeelinghisreadycolorrisewiththesuspicionofeitherhavingbeenbetrayedbytheyounggirl\'sinnocentfearlessnessintosomeunpardonablefamiliarity，whichshehadquietlyresented，oroffeelinganeaseandfreedominthecompanyofthesetwowomenthatwereinconsistentwithrespect，andshouldberestrained。
He，however，begantoapplyhimselftothetaskgiventohimwithhisusualconscientiousnessofduty，andpresentlyacquiredacertainmanualdexterityintheoperation。Itwas\"goodfun\"tothrowthecast-offhusksintothemightyunfathomablevoidbeforehim，andwatchthemlingerwithsuspendedgravityinmidairforamoment——apparentlymotionless——untiltheyeitherlostthemselves，amerevanishingblackspotinthethinether，orslidsuddenlyatasharpangleintounknownshadow。Howdeucedoddforhimtobesittinghereinthisfashion!Itwouldbesomethingtotalkofhereafter，andyet，——hestopped——itwasnotatallinthelineofthatcharacteristicadventure，uncivilizednovelty，andbarbarousfreedomwhichforthelastmonthhehadsoughtandexperienced。Itwasnotatalllikehismeetingwiththegrizzlylastweekwhilewanderinginalonelycanyon；notabitinthelineofhischanceacquaintancewiththatnotoriousruffian，SpanishJack，orhiswitnessingwithhisowneyesthatactuallynchingaffairatAngels。
No!Norwasitatallcharacteristic，accordingtohispreviousideasoffrontierruralseclusion——asforinstancethePikeCountycabinofthefamilywherehestayedonenight，andwherethehandsomedaughteraskedhimwhathisChristiannamewas。No!
Thesetwoyoungwomenwereveryunlikeher；theyseemedreallyquitetheequalsofhisfamilyandfriendsinEngland，——perhapsmoreattractive，——andyet，yes，itwasthisveryattractivenessthatalarmedhisinbredsocialconservatismregardingwomen。Withamanitwasverydifferent；thatalert，active，intelligenthusband，instinctwiththethrobbinglifeofhissaw-mill，creatorandworkerinone，challengedhisunqualifiedtrustandadmiration。
Hehadbecomeconsciousforthelastminuteortwoofthinkingrapidlyandbecomingfeverishlyexcited；ofbreathingwithgreaterdifficulty，andarenewedtendencytocough。Thetendencyincreaseduntilheinstinctivelyputasidethepanfromhislapandhalfrose。Buteventhatslightexertionbroughtonanaccessionofcoughing。Heputhishandkerchieftohislips，partlytokeepthesoundfromdisturbingthewomeninthekitchen，partlybecauseofacertainsignificanttasteinhismouthwhichheunpleasantlyremembered。Whenheremovedthehandkerchiefitwas，asheexpected，spottedwithblood。Heturnedquicklyandre-enteredthehousesoftly，regainingthebedroomwithoutattractingattention。
Anincreasingfaintnesshereobligedhimtoliedownonthebeduntilitshouldpass。
Everythingwasquiet。Hehopedtheywouldnotdiscoverhisabsencefromtheverandauntilhewasbetter；itwasdeucedlyawkwardthatheshouldhavehadthisattackjustnow——andafterhehadmadesolightofhispreviousexertions。Theywouldthinkhimaneffeminatefraud，thesetwobright，activewomenandthatalert，energeticman。Afaintcolorcameintohischeekattheidea，andanuneasysensethathehadbeeninsomewayfoolishlyimprudentabouthishealth。Again，theymightbealarmedatmissinghimfromtheveranda；perhapshehadbetterhaveremainedthere；perhapsheoughttotellthemthathehadconcludedtotaketheiradviceandliedown。Hetriedtorise，butthedeepbluechasmbeforethewindowseemedtobeswellinguptomeethim，thebedslowlysinkingintoitsobliviousprofundity。Heknewnomore。
Hecametowiththesmellandtasteofsomepowerfulvolatilespirit，andthevaguevisionofMr。Bradleystillstandingatthewindowofthemillandvibratingwiththemachinery；thischangedpresentlytoapleasantlassitudeandlazycuriosityasheperceivedMr。Bradleysmileandapparentlyslipfromthewindowofthemilltohisbedside。\"You\'reallrightnow，\"saidBradley，cheerfully。
HewasfeelingMainwaring\'spulse。HadhereallybeenillandwasBradleyadoctor？
Bradleyevidentlysawwhatwaspassinginhismind。\"Don\'tbealarmed，\"hesaidgayly。\"I\'mnotadoctor，butIpractisealittlemedicineandsurgeryonaccountofthemenatthemill，andaccidents，youknow。You\'reallrightnow；you\'velostalittleblood:butinacoupleofweeksinthisairwe\'llhavethattuberclehealed，andyou\'llbeasrightasatrivet。”
\"Inacoupleofweeks!\"echoedMainwaring，infaintastonishment。
\"Why，Ileavehereto-morrow。”
\"You\'lldonothingofthekind\"saidMrs。Bradley，withsmilingperemptoriness，suddenlyslippingoutfrombehindherhusband。
\"Everythingisallperfectlyarranged。Jimhassentoffmessengerstoyourfriends，sothatifyoucan\'tcometothem，theycancometoyou。Youseeyoucan\'thelpyourself!IfyouWILLwalkfifteenmileswithsuchlungs，andthenfrightenpeopletodeath，youmustabidebytheconsequences。”
\"Youseetheoldladyhasfixedyou，\"saidBradley，smiling；\"andshe\'sthemasterhere。Come，Mainwaring，youcansendanyothermessageyoulike，andhavewhoandwhatyouwanthere；butHEREyoumuststopforawhile。”
\"ButdidIfrightenyoureally？\"stammeredMainwaring，faintly，toMrs。Bradley。
\"Frightenus!\"saidMrs。Bradley。\"Well，lookthere!\"
Shepointedtothewindow，whichcommandedaviewoftheveranda。
MissMacyhaddroppedintothevacantchair，withherlittlefeetstretchedoutbeforeher，hercheeksburningwithheatandfire，hereyespartlyclosed，herstrawhathangingbyaribbonroundherneck，herbrownhairclingingtoherearsandforeheadindamptendrils，andanenormouspalm-leaffanineachhandviolentlyplayinguponthischarmingpictureofexhaustionandabandonment。
\"Shecametearingdowntothemill，bare-backedonourhalf-brokenmustang，abouthalfanhourago，tocallme\'tohelpyou，\'\"
explainedBradley。\"Heavenknowshowshemanagedtodoit!\"
CHAPTERII。
ThemedicationofthewoodswasnotoverestimatedbyBradley。
TherewassurelysomeocculthealingpropertyinthatvastreservoirofbalmyandresinousodorsoverwhichTheLookoutbeetledandclung，andfromwhichattimesthepureexhalationsoftheterracedvalleyseemedtorise。Underitsremedialinfluenceandaconscientiousadherencetotherulesofabsoluterestandreposelaiddownforhim，Mainwaringhadnoreturnofthehemorrhage。Thenearestprofessionalmedicalauthority，hastilysummoned，sawnoreasonforchangingorforsupplementingBradley\'sintelligentandsimpletreatment，althoughastoundedthatthepatienthadbeenundernomoreradicalorsystematiccurethantravelandexercise。ThewomenespeciallywereamazedthatMainwaringhadtaken\"nothingforit，\"intheirhabitualexperienceofanunfetteredpill-and-elixir-consumingdemocracy。Intheirknowledgeofthethousand\"panaceas\"thatfilledtheshelvesofthegeneralstore，thissingularabstentionoftheirguestseemedtoindicateanationalpeculiarity。
Hisbedwasmovedbesidethelowwindow，fromwhichhecouldnotonlyviewtheverandabutconverseattimeswithitsoccupants，andevenlistentothebookwhichMissMacy，seatedwithout，readaloudtohim。IntheeveningBradleywouldlingerbyhiscouchuntillate，beguilingthetediumofhisconvalescencewithcharacteristicstoriesandinformationwhichhethoughtmightpleasetheinvalid。
ForMainwaring，whohadbeenearlystruckwithBradley\'sreadyandcultivatedintelligence，endedbyshylyavoidingthediscussionofmoreserioustopics，partlybecauseBradleyimpressedhimwithasuspicionofhisowninferiority，andpartlybecauseMainwaringquestionedthetasteofBradley\'sapparentexhibitionofhismanifestsuperiority。Helearnedaccidentallythatthismill-ownerandbackwoodsmanwasacollege-bredman；butthepracticalapplicationofthateducationtotheordinaryaffairsoflifewasnewtotheyoungEnglishman\'straditions，andgratedalittleharshlyonhisfeelings。HewouldhavebeenquitecontentifBradleyhad，likehimselfandfellowsheknew，undervaluedhistraining，andkepthisgiftsconservativelyimpractical。Theknowledgealsothathishost\'seducationnaturallycamefromsomeprovincialinstitutionunlikeOxfordandCambridgemayhaveunconsciouslyaffectedhisgeneralestimate。Isayunconsciously，forhisstrictconscientiousnesswouldhaverejectedanysuchformalproposition。
Anothertrifleannoyedhim。HecouldnothelpnoticingalsothatalthoughBradley\'smannerandsympathywereconfidentialandalmostbrotherly，henevermadeanyallusiontoMainwaring\'sownfamilyorconnections，and，infact，gavenoindicationofwhathebelievedwasthenationalcuriosityinregardtostrangers。Somewhatembarrassedbythisindifference，MainwaringmadetheoccasionofwritingsomelettershomeanopportunityforlaughinglyalludingtothefactthathehadmadehismotherandhissistersfullyawareofthegreatdebttheyowedthehouseholdofTheLookout。
\"They\'llprobablyallsendyouaroundrobinofthanks，except，perhaps，mynextbrother，Bob。”
Bradleycontentedhimselfwithagestureofgeneraldeprecation，anddidnotaskWHYMainwaring\'syoungbrothershouldcontemplatehisdeathwithsatisfaction。Nevertheless，sometimeafterwardsMissMacyremarkedthatitseemedhardthatthehappinessofonememberofafamilyshoulddependuponacalamitytoanother。\"Asforinstance？\"askedMainwaring，whohadalreadyforgottenthecircumstance。\"Why，ifyouhaddiedandyouryoungerbrothersucceededtothebaronetcy，andbecomeSirRobertMainwaring，\"
respondedMissMacy，withprecision。Thiswasthefirstandonlyallusiontohisfamilyandprospectiverank。Ontheotherhand，hehad——throughnaiveandboyishinquiries，whichseemedtoamusehisentertainers——acquired，ashebelieved，afullknowledgeofthehistoryandantecedentsoftheBradleyhousehold。HeknewhowBradleyhadbroughthisyoungwifeandhercousintoCaliforniaandabandonedalucrativelawpracticeinSanFranciscototakepossessionofthismountainmillandwoodland，whichhehadacquiredthroughsomeprofessionalservice。
\"Thenyouareabarristerreally？\"saidMainwaring，gravely。
Bradleylaughed。\"I\'mafraidI\'vehadmorepractice——thoughnotaslucrativeaone——assurgeonordoctor。”
\"Butyou\'reregularlyontherolls，youknow；you\'reenteredasCounsel，andallthatsortofthing？\"continuedMainwaring，withgreatseriousness。
\"Well，yes，\"repliedBradley，muchamused。\"I\'mafraidImustpleadguiltytothat。”
\"It\'snotabadsortofthing，\"saidMainwaring，naively，ignoringBradley\'samusement。\"I\'vegotacousinwho\'sgoneinforthelaw。
Gotoutofthearmytodoit——too。He\'sasharpfellow。”
\"ThenyouDOallowamantotrymanytrades——overthere，\"saidMissMacy，demurely。
\"Yes，sometimes，\"saidMainwaring，graciously，butbynomeanscertainthatthecasewasatallanalogous。
Nevertheless，asifrelievedofcertaindoubtsoftheconventionalqualityofhishost\'sattainments，henowgavehimselfuptoaveryheartyandhonestadmirationofBradley。\"Youknowit\'sawfullykindofhimtotalktoafellowlikemewhojustpulledthrough，andnevergotanyprizesatOxford，anddon\'tunderstandthehalfofthesethings，\"heremarkedconfidentiallytoMrs。Bradley。\"HeknowsmoreaboutthethingsweusedtogoinforatOxfordthanlotsofourmen，andhe\'sneverbeenthere。He\'suncommonlyclever。”
\"Jimwasalwaysverybrilliant，\"returnedMrs。Bradley，indifferently，andwithmorethanevenconventionallypolitewifelydeprecation；\"Iwishheweremorepractical。”
\"Practical!Oh，Isay，Mrs。Bradley!Why，afellowthatcangoinamongalotofworkmenandtellthemjustwhattodo——anall-roundchapthatcanbeindependentofhisvalet，hisdoctor，andhis——
banker!ByJove——THAT\'Spractical!\"
\"Imean，\"saidMrs。Bradley，coldly，\"thattherearesomethingsthatagentlemanoughtnottobepracticalaboutnorindependentof。Mr。Bradleywouldhavedonebettertohaveusedhistalentsinsomemorelegitimateandestablishedway。”
Mainwaringlookedatheringenuinesurprise。TohisinexperiencedobservationBradley\'sintelligentenergyand，aboveall，hisoriginality，oughttohavebeenpricelessintheeyesofhiswife——
theAmericanfemaleofhisspecies。Hefeltthatslightshockwhichmostloyalorlogicalmenfeelwhenfirstbroughtfacetofacewiththeeasydisloyaltyandincomprehensiblelogicofthefeminineaffections。Herewasafellow，byJove，thatanywomanoughttobeproudof，and——and——hestoppedblankly。HewonderedifMissMacysympathizedwithhercousin。
Howbeit，thisdidnotaffectthecharmoftheiridylliclifeatTheLookout。Theprecipiceoverwhichtheyhungwasascharmingaseverinitspoeticillusionsofspaceanddepthandcolor；theisolationoftheircomfortableexistenceinthetastefulyetaudacioushabitation，thepleasantroutineofdailytasksandamusements，alltendedtomaketheenforcedquietandinactionofhisconvalescencealazyrecreation。Hewasreallyimproving；morethanthat，hewasconsciousofacertainsatisfactioninthispassiveobservationofnoveltythatwashealthierandperhapsTRUER
thanhispreviouspassionforadventureandthatfebriledesireforchangeandexcitementwhichhenowfeltwasapartofhisdisease。
Norwereincidentandvarietyentirelyabsentfromthistranquilexperience。HewasonedayastonishedatbeingpresentedbyBradleywithcopiesofthelatestEnglishnewspapers，procuredfromSacramento，andheequallyastonishedhishost，afterprofuselythankinghim，byonlylistlesslyglancingattheircolumns。Heestoppedaproposedvisitfromoneofhisinfluentialcountrymen；
intheabsenceofhisfairentertainersattheirdomesticduties，heextractedinfinitesatisfactionfromFoo-Yup，theChineseservant，whowasparticularlydetachedforhisservice。Fromhisinvalidcoignofvantageatthewindowhewasobservantofallthatpassedupontheveranda，thatal-frescoaudience-roomofTheLookout，andhewasgood-humoredlyconsciousthatagreatmanyeccentricandpeculiarvisitorswereinvariablydraggedthitherbyMissMacy，andgoadedintocharacteristicexhibitionwithinsightandhearingofherguest，withatooevidentview，undertheostentatiousexcuseofextendinghisknowledgeofnationalcharacterormischievouslyshockinghim。
\"WhenyouarestrongenoughtostandCaptainGashweiler\'sopinionsoftheEstablishedChurchandChinamen，\"saidMissMacy，afteroneoftheserevelations，\"I\'llgetJimtobringhimhere，forreallyheswearssooutrageouslythateveninthebroadestinterestsofinternationalunderstandingandgood-willneitherMrs。Bradleynormyselfcouldbepresent。”
Onanotheroccasionsheprovokinglylingeredbeforehiswindowforamomentwitharifleslungjauntilyoverhershoulder。\"Ifyouhearashotortwodon\'texciteyourself，andbelievewe\'rehavingalynchingcaseinthewoods。Itwillbeonlyme。There\'ssomecreature——confess，youexpectedmetosay\'critter\'——hangingroundthebarn。Itmaybeabear。Good-by。”Shemissedthecreature，——
whichhappenedtobereallyabear，——muchtoMainwaring\'sillogicalsatisfaction。\"Iwonderwhy，\"hereflected，withvagueuneasiness，\"shedoesn\'tleaveallthatsortofthingtogirlslikethattow-
headedgirlattheblacksmith\'s。”
Itchanced，however，thatthisblacksmith\'stow-headeddaughter，who，itmaybeincidentallyremarked，hadtheadditionaleccentricitiesoflargeblackeyesandlargewhiteteeth，cametotheforeinquiteanotherfashion。Shortlyafterthis，Mainwaringbeingabletoleavehisroomandjointhefamilyboard，Mrs。
Bradleyfounditnecessarytoenlargeherdomesticservice，andarrangedwithhernearestneighbor，theblacksmith，toallowhisdaughtertocometoTheLookoutforafewdaysto\"dothechores\"
andassistinthehousekeeping，asshehadonpreviousoccasions。
ThedayofheradventBradleyenteredMainwaring\'sroom，and，closingthedoormysteriously，fixedhisblueeyes，kindlingwithmischief，ontheyoungEnglishman。
\"Youareaware，mydearboy，\"hebeganwithaffectedgravity，\"thatyouarenowlivinginalandofliberty，wheremereartificialdistinctionsarenotknown，andwhereFreedomfromhermountainheightsgenerallylevelsallsocialpositions。Ithinkyouhavegraciouslyadmittedthatfact。”
\"IknowI\'vebeentakingatremendouslotoffreedomwithyouandyours，oldman，andit\'sadeucedshame，\"interruptedMainwaring，withafaintsmile。
\"Andthatnowhere，\"continuedBradley，withimmovablefeatures，\"doesequalityexistasperfectlyasaboveyonderunfathomableabyss，whereyouhavealso，doubtless，observedtheAmericaneagleproudlysoarsandscreamsdefiance。”
\"Thenthatwasthefellowthatkeptmeawakethismorning，andmademewonderifIwasstrongenoughtoholdagunagain。”
\"Thatwouldn\'thavesettledthematter，\"continuedBradley，imperturbably。\"Thecaseissimplythis:MissMintySharpe，thatblacksmith\'sdaughter，hasonceortwiceconsented，foraslightemolument，toassistinourdomesticserviceforadayortwo，andshecomesbackagainto-day。Now，undertheaegisofthatnoblebirdwhomyournationalinstinctstemptyoutodestroy，shehasonallpreviousoccasionstakenhermealswithus，atthesametable，ontermsofperfectequality。Shewillnaturallyexpecttodothesamenow。Mrs。Bradleythoughtitproper，therefore，towarnyou，that，incaseyourhealthwasnotquiteequaltothisdemocraticsimplicity，youcouldstilldineinyourroom。”
\"Itwouldbegreatfun——ifMissSharpewon\'tobjecttomypresence。”
\"Butitmustnotbe\'greatfun，\'\"returnedBradley，moreseriously；
\"forMissMinty\'sperceptionofhumorisprobablyaskeenasyours，andshewouldbequicktonoticeit。And，sofarfromhavinganyobjectiontoyou，Iaminclinedtothinkthatweoweherconsenttocometoherdesireofmakingyouracquaintance。”
\"Shewillfindmyconductmostexemplary，\"saidMainwaring，earnestly。
\"Letushopeso，\"concludedBradley，withunabatedgravity。\"And，nowthatyouhaveconsented，letmeaddfrommyownexperiencethatMissMinty\'slemon-piesaloneareworthyofanyconcession。
Thedinner-hourcame。Mainwaring，alittlepaleandinteresting，leaningonthearmofBradley，crossedthehall，andforthefirsttimeenteredthedining-roomofthehousewherehehadlodgedforthreeweeks。Itwasabright，cheerfulapartment，givinguponthelaurelsoftherockyhillside，andpermeated，liketherestofthehouse，withthewholesomespiceofthevalley——anodorthat，initspuredesiccatingproperty，seemedtoobliterateallflavorofalienhumanhabitation，andeventodominateandetherealizetheappetizingsmelloftheviandsbeforethem。Thebare，shining，planed，boardedwallsappearedtoresentanydecorationthatmighthavesavoredofdust，decay，ormoisture。Thefourlargewindowsandlong，opendoor，setinscantystripsoftheplainestspotlessmuslin，framedinthemselvespicturesofwoodsandrockandskyoflimitlessdepth，color，anddistance，thatmadeallotheradornmentimpertinent。Nature，invadingtheroomateveryopening，hadbanishedArtfromthoseneutralwalls。
\"It\'slikeapicnic，withcomfort，\"saidMainwaring，glancingroundhimwithboyishappreciation。MissMintywasnotyetthere；theChinamanwasaloneinattendance。Mainwaringcouldnothelpwhispering，halfmischievously，toLouise，\"YoudrawthelineatChinamen，Isuppose？\"
