althoughthelatterIbelieveshewouldreadilychange，\"saidMrs。
Randolph，severely。\"ButwhenyouspeakofMYalreadythinkingof\'suchthings，\'doyousupposethatyourfriend，Mr。Mallory，didn\'tconsiderallthatwhenhesentthatgirlhere?\"
\"Never，\"saidthemajor，vehemently，\"andifitenteredhisheadnow，byJove，he\'dtakeherawayto-morrow——alwayssupposingI
didn\'tanticipatehimbysendingheroffmyself。\"
Mrs。Randolphutteredhermirthlesslaugh。\"Andyousupposethegirlwouldgo?Really，major，youdon\'tseemtounderstandthisboastedlibertyofyourowncountrywoman。Whatdoesshecareforherfather\'scontrol?Why，she\'dmakehimdojustwhatSHEwanted。
But，\"sheaddedwithanexpressionofdignity，\"perhapswehadbetternotdiscussthisuntilweknowsomethingofEmile\'sfeelingsinthematter。Thatistheonlyquestionthatconcernsus。\"Withthisshesweptoutoftheroom，leavingthemajoratfirstspeechlesswithhonestindignation，andthenafterthefashionofallguilelessnatures，alittleuneasyandsuspiciousofhisownguilelessness。Foradayortwoafter，hefoundhimself，notwithoutasensationofmeanness，watchingRosewheninEmile\'spresence，buthecoulddistinguishnothingmorethanthefranksatisfactionsheshowedequallytotheothers。Yethefoundhimselfregrettingeventhat，sosubtlewasthecontagionofhiswife\'ssuspicions。
CHAPTERIII
Ithadbeenawarmmorning；anunusualmist，whichthesunhadnotdissipated，hadcreptonfromthegreatgrain-fieldsbeyond，andhungaroundthehousechargedwithadry，dustyclosenessthatseemedtobequiteindependentofthesun\'srays，andmorelikeaheatedexhalationoremanationofthesoilitself。InitsacridirritationRosethoughtshecoulddetectthebreathofthewheatasonthedayshehadplungedintoitspale，greenshadows。Bytheafternoonthismisthaddisappeared，apparentlyinthesamemysteriousmanner，butnotscatteredbytheusualtrade-wind，which——anotherunusualcircumstance——thatdaywasnotforthcoming。
Therewasabreathlessnessintheairlikethehushoflisteningexpectancy，whichfilledtheyounggirlwithavaguerestlessness，andseemedtoevenaffectascatteredcompanyofcrowsinthefieldbeyondthehouse，whichrosesuddenlywithstartledbutaimlesswings，andthendroppedvacantlyamongthegrainagain。
MajorRandolphwasinspectingadistantpartoftheranch，Mrs。
Randolphwaspresumablyengagedinherboudoir，andRosewassittingbetweenAdeleandEmilebeforethepianointhedrawing-
room，listlesslyturningovertheleavesofsomemusic。Therehadbeenanoddminglingofeagernessandabstractionintheusualattentionsoftheyoungmanthatmorning，andacertainnervousaffectationinhismanneroftwistingtheendsofasmallblackmoustache，whichresembledhismother\'seyebrows，thathadaffectedRosewithahalf-amused，half-uneasyconsciousness，butwhichshehad，however，referredtotherestlessnessproducedbytheweather。
ItoccurredtoheralsothatthevacuouslyamiableAdelehadonceortwiceregardedherwiththesameprecocious，childlikecuriosityandinfantinecunningshehadoncebeforeexhibited。Allthisdidnot，however，abateheradmirationforboth——perhapsparticularlyforthispicturesquelygentlemanlyyoungfellow，withhisgentleaudacitiesofcompliment，hiscaressingattentions，andhisunfailingandequaladdress。Andwhen，discoveringthatshehadmislaidherfanforthefifthtimethatmorning，hestartedupwithequalandundiminishedfiretogoagainandfetchit，thelookofgratefulpleasureandpleadingperplexityinherprettyeyesmighthaveturnedalessconceitedbrainthanhis。
\"Butyoudon\'tknowwhereitis!\"
\"Ishallfinditbyinstinct。\"
\"Youarespoilingme——youtwo。\"Theparenthesiswasahesitatingaddition，butshecontinued，withfreshsincerity，\"IshallbequitehelplesswhenIleavehere——ifIameverabletogobymyself。\"
\"Don\'tevergo，then。\"
\"ButjustnowIwantmyfan；itissocloseeverywhereto-day。\"
\"Ifly，mademoiselle。\"
Hestartedtothedoor。
Shecalledafterhim:——
\"Letmehelpyourinstinct，then；Ihaditlastinthemajor\'sstudy。\"
\"ThatwaswhereIwasgoing。\"
Hedisappeared。Rosegotupandmoveduneasilytowardsthewindow。
\"Howqueerandquietitlooksoutside。It\'sreallytoobadthatheshouldbesentafterthatfanagain。He\'llneverfindit。\"Sheresumedherplaceatthepiano，Adelefollowingherwithround，expectanteyes。Afterapauseshestartedupagain。\"I\'llgoandfetchitmyself，\"shesaid，withahalf-embarrassedlaugh，andrantothedoor。
Scarcelyunderstandingherownnervousness，butfindingreliefinrapidmovement，Roseflewlightlyupthestaircase。Themajor\'sstudy，whereshehadbeenwritingletters，duringhisabsence，thatmorning，wasatthefurtherendofalongpassage，andnearherownbedroom，thedoorofwhich，asshepassed，shenoticed，half-
abstractedly，wasopen，butshecontinuedonandhurriedlyenteredthestudy。AtthesamemomentEmile，withasmileonhisface，turnedtowardsherwiththefaninhishand。
\"Oh，you\'vefoundit，\"shesaid，withnervouseagerness。\"Iwassoafraidyou\'dhaveallyourtroublefornothing。\"
Sheextendedherhand，withahalf-breathlesssmile，forthefan，buthecaughtheroutstretchedlittlepalminhisown，andheldit。
\"Ah!butyouarenotgoingtoleaveus，areyou?\"
Inaflashofconsciousnesssheunderstoodhim，and，asitseemedtoher，herownnervousness，andall，andeverything。Andwithitcameaswiftappreciationofallitmeanttoherandherfuture。
Tobealwayswithhimandlikehim，apartofthisrefinedandrestfulseclusion——akintoallthathadsoattractedherinthishouse；nottobeobligedtoeducateherselfuptoit，buttobeinitonequaltermsatonce；toknowthatitwasnowild，foolishyouthfulfancy，butawise，thoughtful，andprudentresolve，thatherfatherwouldunderstandandherfriendsrespect:thesewerethethoughtsthatcrowdedquicklyuponher，morelikeanexplanationofherfeelingsthanarevelation，inthebriefsecondthatheheldherhand。Itwasnot，perhaps，loveasshehaddreamedit，andevenBELIEVEDit，before。Shewasnotashamedorembarrassed；sheevenfelt，withaslightpride，thatshewasnotblushing。Sheraisedhereyesfrankly。WhatsheWOULDhavesaidshedidnotknow，forthedoor，whichhehadclosedbehindher，begantoshakeviolently。
Itwasnotthefearofsomeangryintrusionorinterferencesurelythatmadehimdropherhandinstantly。Itwasnot——hersecondthought——theideathatsomeonehadfalleninafitagainstitthatblanchedhisfacewithabjectandunreasoningterror!Itmusthavebeensomethingelsethatcausedhimtoutteraninarticulatecryanddashoutoftheroomanddownthestairslikeamadman!Whathadhappened?
Inherownself-possessionsheknewthatallthiswaspassingrapidly，thatitwasnotthedoornowthatwasstillshaking，forithadswungalmostshutagain——butitwasthewindows，thebook-
shelves，thefloorbeneathherfeet，thatwereallshaking。Sheheardahurriedscrambling，thetramplingoffeetbelow，andthequickrustlingofaskirtinthepassage，asifsomeonehadprecipitatelyfledfromherroom。Yetnoonehadcalledtoher——
evenHEhadsaidnothing。Whateverhadhappenedtheyclearlyhadnotcaredforhertoknow。
Thejarringandrattlingceasedassuddenly，butthehouseseemedsilentandempty。Shemovedtothedoor，whichhadnowswungopenafewinches，buttoherastonishmentitwasfixedinthatposition，andshecouldnotpass。Asyetshehadbeenfreefromanypersonalfear，andevennowitwaswithahalfsmileatherimprisonmentinthemajor\'sstudy，thatsherangthebellandturnedtothewindow。Aman，whomsherecognizedasoneoftheranchlaborers，wasstandingahundredfeetawayinthegarden，lookingcuriouslyatthehouse。Hesawherfaceasshetriedtoraisethesash，utteredanexclamation，andranforward。Butbeforeshecouldunderstandwhathesaid，thesashbegantorattleinherhand，thejarringrecommenced，thefloorshookbeneathherfeet，ahideoussoundofgrindingseemedtocomefromthewalls，athinseamofdust-likesmokebrokefromtheceiling，andwiththenoiseoffallingplasteradozenbooksfollowedeachotherfromtheshelves，inwhatinthefrantichurryofthatmomentseemedagrimlydeliberatesuccession；apicturehangingagainstthewall，toherdazedwonder，swungforward，andappearedtostandatrightanglesfromit；shefeltherselfreelingagainstthefurniture；adeadlynauseaovertookher；assheglanceddespairinglytowardsthewindow，theoutlyingfieldsbeyondthegardenseemedtobeundulatinglikeasea。Forthefirsttimesheraisedhervoice，notinfear，butinapatheticlittlecryofapologyforherawkwardnessintumblingaboutandnotbeingabletograpplethisnewexperience，andthenshefoundherselfnearthedoor，whichhadoncemoreswungfree。Shegraspediteagerly，anddartedoutofthestudyintothedesertedpassage。Heresomeinstinctmadeherfollowthelineofthewall，ratherthantheshakingbalustersofthecorridorandstaircase，butbeforeshereachedthebottomsheheardashout，andthefarmlaborershehadseencomingtowardsherseizedherbythearm，draggedhertotheopendoorwayofthedrawing-room，andhaltedbeneathitsarchinthewall。Anotherthrill，butlighterthanbefore，passedthroughthebuilding，thenallwasstillagain。
\"It\'sover；Ireckonthat\'salljustnow，\"saidtheman，coolly。
\"It\'squitesafetocutandrunforthegardennow，throughthiswindow。\"Hehalfled，halfliftedherthroughtheFrenchwindowtotheverandaandtheground，andlockingherarminhis，ranquicklyforwardahundredfeetfromthehouse，stoppingatlastbeneathalargepostoakwheretherewasarusticseatintowhichshesank。
\"You\'resafenow，Ireckon，\"hesaidgrimly。
Shelookedtowardsthehouse；thesunwasshiningbrightly；acoolbreezeseemedtohavesprungupastheyran。Shecouldseeaquantityofrubbishlyingontherooffromwhichadozenyardsofzincgutterwereperilouslyhanging；thebrokenshaftsofthefurtherclusterofchimneys，apileofbricksscattereduponthegroundandamongthebattereddownbeamsoftheendoftheveranda——
butthatwasall。Sheliftedhernowwhitenedfacetotheman，andwiththeapologeticsmilestilllingeringonherlips，asked:——
\"Whatdoesitallmean?Whathashappened?\"
Themanstaredather。\"D\'yemeantosayyedon\'tknow?\"
\"HowcouldI?Theymusthaveallleftthehouseassoonasitbegan。Iwastalkingto——toM。l\'Hommadieu，andhesuddenlyleft。\"
Themanbroughthisfaceangrilydownwithinaninchofherown。
\"D\'yemeantosaythatthemd——dFrenchhalf-breedsstampededandleftyertherealone?\"
Shewasstilltoomuchstupefiedbythereactiontofullycomprehendhismeaning，andrepeatedfeeblywithhersmilestillfaintlylingering:\"Butyoudon\'ttellmeWHATitwas?\"
\"Anearthquake，\"saidtheman，roughly，\"andifithadlastedtensecondslongeritwouldhaveshookthewholeshantydownandleftyouunderit。Yerkintellthattothem，iftheydon\'tknowit，butfromthewaytheymadetrackstothefields，Ireckontheydid。
They\'recomingnow。\"
Withoutanotherwordheturnedawayhalfsurlily，halfdefiantly，passingscarcefiftyyardsawayMrs。Randolphandherdaughter，whowerehasteningtowardstheirguest。
\"Oh，hereyouare!\"saidMrs。Randolph，withthenearestapproachtoeffusionthatRosehadyetseeninhermanner。\"Wewerewonderingwhereyouhadrunto，andweregettingquiteconcerned。
Emilewaslookingforyoueverywhere。\"
Therecollectionofhisblankandabjectface，hisvagueoutcryandblindfright，camebacktoRosewithashockthatsentaflashofsympatheticshametoherface。TheingeniousAdelenoticedit，anddutifullypinchedhermother\'sarm。
\"Emile?\"echoedRosefaintly——\"lookingforME?\"
Motheranddaughterexchangedglances。
\"Yes，\"saidMrs。Randolph，cheerfully，\"hesayshestartedtorunwithyou，butyougotaheadandslippedoutofthegardendoor——orsomethingofthekind，\"sheadded，withtheairofmakinglightofRose\'sgirlishfears。\"Youknowonescarcelyknowswhatonedoesatsuchtimes，anditmusthavebeenfrightfullystrangetoYOU——
andhe\'sbeenquitedistracted，lestyoushouldhavewanderedaway。
Adele，runandtellhimMissMalloryhasbeenhereundertheoakallthetime。\"
Rosestarted——andthenfellhopelesslybackinherseat。PerhapsitWAStrue!Perhapshehadnotrushedoffwiththatawfulfaceandwithoutaword。Perhapssheherselfhadbeenhalf-frightenedoutofherreason。Inthesimple，weakkindnessofhernatureitseemedlessdreadfultobelievethatthefaultwaspartlyherown。
\"Andyouwentbackintothehousetolookforuswhenallwasover，\"saidMrs。Randolph，fixingherblack，beady，magneticeyesonRose，\"andthatstupidyokelZakebroughtyououtagain。Heneedn\'thaveclutchedyourarmsoclosely，mydear，——Imustspeaktothemajorabouthisexcessivefamiliarity——butIsupposeIshallbetoldthatthatisAmericanfreedom。Icallit\'aliberty。\'\"
ItstruckRosethatshehadnoteventhankedtheman——inthesameflashthatsherememberedsomethingdreadfulthathehadsaid。Shecoveredherfacewithherhandsandtriedtorecallherself。
Mrs。Randolphgentlytappedhershoulderwithamixtureofmaternalphilosophyanddiscipline，andcontinued:\"Ofcourse，it\'sanupset——andyou\'reconfusedstill。That\'snothing。Theysay，dear，it\'sperfectlywellknownthatnotwopeople\'srecollectionsofthesethingseverarethesame。It\'sreallyridiculousthecontradictorystoriesonehears。Isn\'tit，Emile?\"
Rosefeltthattheyoungmanhadjoinedthemandwaslookingather。Inthefearthatsheshouldstillseesometraceofthestartled，selfishanimalinhisface，shedidnotdaretoraisehereyestohis，butlookedathismother。Mrs。Randolphwasstandingthen，collectedbutimpatient。
\"It\'sallovernow，\"saidEmile，inhisusualvoice，\"andexceptthechimneysandsomefallenplasterthere\'sreallynodamagedone。
ButI\'mafraidtheyhavecaughtitprettybadlyatthemission，andatSanFranciscointhosetall，flashy，rattle-trapbuildingsthey\'reputtingup。I\'vejustsentoffoneofthemenfornews。\"
HerfatherwasinSanFranciscobythattime；andshehadneverthoughtofhim!Inherquickremorseshenowforgotallelseandrosetoherfeet。
\"Imusttelegraphtomyfatheratonce，\"shesaidhurriedly；\"heisthere。\"
\"Youhadbetterwaituntilthemessengerreturnsandhearhisnews，\"saidEmile。\"IftheshockwasonlyaslightoneinSanFrancisco，yourfathermightnotunderstandyou，andwouldbealarmed。\"
Shecouldseehisfacenow——therewasnorecordofthepastexpressionuponit，buthewaswatchinghereagerly。Mrs。RandolphandAdelehadmovedawaytospeaktotheservants。Emiledrewnearer。
\"Yousurelywillnotdesertusnow?\"hesaidinalowvoice。
\"Pleasedon\'t，\"shesaidvaguely。\"I\'msoworried，\"and，pushingquicklypasthim，shehurriedlyrejoinedthetwowomen。
Theyweresuperintendingtheerectionofalongtentormarqueeinthegarden，hastilyextemporizedfromtheawningsoftheverandaandothercloth。Mrs。Randolphexplainedthat，althoughalldangerwasover，therewasthepossibilityoftherecurrenceoflightershocksduringthedayandnight，andthattheywouldallfeelmuchmoresecureandcomfortabletocampoutforthenexttwenty-fourhoursintheopenair。
\"Onlyimagineyou\'repicnicking，andyou\'llenjoyitasmostpeopleusuallyenjoythosehorridalfrescoentertainments。Idon\'tbelievethere\'stheslightestrealnecessityforit，but，\"sheaddedinalowervoice，\"theIrishandChineseservantsaresodemoralizednow，theywouldn\'tstayindoorswithus。It\'sacommonpracticehere，Ibelieve，foradayortwoaftertheshock，anditgivestimetoputthingsrightagainandclearup。Theold，one-
storied，Spanishhouseswithwallsthreefeetthick，andbuiltroundacourtyardorpatio，weremuchsafer。It\'sonlywhentheAmericanstrytoimproveupontheoldorderofthingswiththeirpinchbeckshamsandstuccothatProvidenceinterfereslikethistopunishthem。\"
Itwasthefact，however，thatRosewasmoreimpressedbywhatseemedtohertheabsoluteindifferenceofProvidenceinthematter，andthecoolresumptionbyNatureofherordinaryconditions。Theskyabovetheirheadswasasrigidlyblueasever，andassmilinglymonotonous；thedistantprospect，withitsclear，well-knownsilhouettes，hadnotchanged；thecrowsswungonlazy，deliberatewingsoverthegrainasbefore；andthetrade-windwasagainblowinginitsquietpersistency。Andyetsheknewthatsomethinghadhappenedthatwouldneveragainmakeherenjoymentoftheprospectthesame——thatnothingwouldeverbeasitwasyesterday。Ithinkatfirstshereferredonlytothematerialandlargerphenomena，anddidnotconfoundthisrevelationoftheinsecurityoftheuniversewithherexperienceofman。Yetthefactalsoremainedthattotheconservative，correct，and，asshebelieved，secureconditiontowhichshehadbeenapproximating，allherrelationswererudelyshakenandupset。Itreallyseemedtothissimple-mindedyoungwomanthattherevolutionarydisturbanceofsettledconditionsmighthaveasProvidentialanoriginasthe\"DivineRight\"ofwhichshehadheardsomuch。
CHAPTERIV
InherdesiretobealoneandtoevadethenowsignificantattentionsofEmile，shetookadvantageofthebustlethatfollowedthehurriedtransferoffurnitureandarticlesfromthehousetoescapethroughthegardentotheoutlyingfields。Strikingintooneofthedustylanesthatsheremembered，shewanderedonforhalfanhouruntilherprogressandmeditationweresuddenlyarrested。Shehadcomeuponalongchasmorcrackinthesoil，fulltwentyfeetwideandasmanyindepth，crossingherpathatrightangles。Shedidnotrememberhavingseenitbefore；thetrackofwheelswentuptoitsprecipitousedge；shecouldseethetrackontheotherside，butthehiatusremained，unbridgedanduncovered。Itwasnotthereyesterday。Sheglancedrightandleft；thefissureseemedtoextend，likeamoatorditch，fromthedistantroadtotheuplandbetweenherandthegreatwheatvalleybelow，fromwhichshewasshutoff。Anoddsenseofbeinginsomewayaprisonerconfrontedher。Shedrewbackwithanimpatientstart，andperhapsherfirstrealsenseofindignation。Avoicebehindher，whichsheatoncerecognized，scarcelyrestoredhercalmness。
\"Youcan\'tgetacrossthere，miss。\"
Sheturned。Itwastheyounginventorfromthewheatranch，onhorsebackandwithacleanface。Hehadjustriddenoutofthegrainonthesamesideofthechasmasherself。
\"Butyouseemtohavegotover，\"shesaidbluntly。
\"Yes，butitwasfurtherupthefield。Ireckonedthatthesplitmightbedeeperbutnotsobroadintherockoutcropovertherethanintheadobehere。Ifounditsoandjumpedit。\"
Helookedasifhemight——alert，intelligent，andself-contained。
Helingeredamoment，andthencontinued:——
\"I\'mafraidyoumusthavebeenbadlyshakenandalittlefrighteneduptherebeforethechimneyscamedown?\"
\"No，\"shewasgladtosaybriefly，andshebelievedtruthfully，I
wasn\'tfrightened。Ididn\'tevenknowitwasanearthquake。\"
\"Ah!\"hereflected，\"thatwasbecauseyouwereastranger。It\'sodd——they\'realllikethat。Isupposeit\'sbecausenobodyreallyexpectsorbelievesintheunlooked-forthing，andyetthat\'sthethingthatalwayshappens。Andthen，ofcourse，thatotheraffair，whichreallyisserious，startledyouthemore。\"
Shefeltherselfridiculouslyandangrilyblushing。\"Idon\'tknowwhatyoumean，\"shesaidicily。\"Whatotheraffair?\"
\"Why，thewell。\"
\"Thewell?\"sherepeatedvacantly。
\"Yes；theartesianwellhasstopped。Didn\'tthemajortellyou?\"
\"No，\"saidthegirl。\"Hewasaway；Ihaven\'tseenhimyet。\"
\"Well，theflowofwaterhasceasedcompletely。That\'swhatI\'mherefor。Themajorsentforme，andI\'vebeentoexamineit。\"
\"Andisthatstoppagesoveryimportant?\"shesaiddubiously。
Itwashisturntolookatherwonderingly。
\"Ifit\'sLOSTentirely，itmeansruinfortheranch，\"hesaidsharply。Hewheeledhishorse，noddedgravely，andtrottedoff。
MajorRandolph\'sfigureofthe\"life-bloodoftheranch\"flashedacrosshersuddenly。SheknewnothingofirrigationorthecostlyappliancesbywhichtheCalifornianagriculturistopposedthelongsummerdroughts。Sheonlyvaguelyguessedthatthedreadfulearthquakehadstruckattheprosperityofthosepeoplewhomonlyafewhoursagoshehadbeenproudtocallherfriends。Theunderlyinggoodnessofhernaturewastouched。Shouldsheletamomentaryfault——ifitwerenotreally，afterall，onlyamisunderstanding——risebetweenherandthematsuchamoment?
Sheturnedandhurriedquicklytowardsthehouse。
Hasteningonward，shefoundtime，however，towonderalsowhythesecommonmen——shenowincludedeventheyounginventorinthatcategory——wereallsorudeandunciviltoHER!Shehadneverbeforebeentreatedinthisway；shehadalwaysbeenratherembarrassedbytheadmiringattentionsofyoungmen(clerksandcollegians)inherAtlantichome，and，ofprofessionalmen(merchantsandstockbrokers)inSanFrancisco。ItwastruethattheywerenotascontinuallydevotedtoherandtotheniceartandetiquetteofpleasingasEmile，——theyhadotherthingstothinkabout，beinginbusinessandnotbeingGENTLEMEN，——butthentheyweregreatlysuperiortotheseclowns，whotooknonoticeofher，androdeoffwithoutlingeringorformalleave-takingwhentheirselfishaffairswereconcluded。Itmustbethecontactofthevulgarearth——thiswretched，cracking，material，andyetungovernableandlawlessearth——thatsodepravedthem。Shefeltshewouldliketosaythistosomeone——notherfather，forhewouldn\'tlistentoher，nortothemajor，whowouldlaughinglyarguewithher，buttoMrs。Randolph，whowouldunderstandher，andperhapssayitsomedayinherownsharp，sneeringwaytotheseveryclowns。Withthosegentlesentimentsirradiatingherblueeyes，andputtingapinkflushuponherfaircheeks，RosereachedthegardenwiththeintentionofrushingsympatheticallyintoMrs。
Randolph\'sarms。Butitsuddenlyoccurredtoherthatshewouldbeobligedtostatehowshebecameawareofthismisfortune，andwithitcameaninstinctiveaversiontospeakofhermeetingwiththeinventor。ShewouldwaituntilMrs。Randolphtoldher。Butalthoughthatladywasengagedinalow-voiceddiscussioninFrenchwithEmileandAdele，whichinstantlyceasedatherapproach，therewasnoallusionmadetothenewcalamity。\"Youneednottelegraphtoyourfather，\"shesaidasRoseapproached，\"hehasalreadytelegraphedtoyoufornews；asyouwereout，andthemessengerwaswaitingananswer，weopenedthedispatch，andsentone，tellinghimthatyouwereallright，andthatheneednothurryhereonyouraccount。Soyouaresatisfied，Ihope。\"Afewhoursagothiswouldhavebeentrue，andRosewouldhaveprobablyseenintheactionofherhostessonlyaflatteringmotherlysupervision；therewas，infact，stillalingeringtraceoftrustinhermindyetshewasconsciousthatshewouldhavepreferredtoanswerthedispatchherself，andtohaveletherfathercome。Toagirlbroughtupwithabeliefintherightofindividualindependenceofthoughtandaction，therewassomethinginMrs。Randolph\'spracticalignoringofthatrightwhichstartledherinspiteofhernewconservatism，while，asthedaughterofabusinessman，herinstinctsrevoltedagainstMrs。Randolph\'sunbusiness-likeactionwiththetelegram，howevervulgarandunrefinedshemayhavebeguntoconsideralifeofbusiness。Theresultwasacertainconstraintandembarrassmentinhermanner，which，however，hadthelaudableeffectoflimitingEmile\'sattentiontosignificantglances，andwasnodoubtvariouslyinterpretedbytheothers。Butshesatisfiedherconsciencebydeterminingtomakeaconfidenceofhersympathytothemajoronthefirstopportunity。
Thisshepresentlyfoundwhentheotherswerepreoccupied；themajorgreetingherwithasomewhatcarewornface，butavoicewhosehabitualkindnesswasunchanged。Whenhehadcondoledwithherontheterrifyingphenomenonthathadmarredhervisittotheranch，——
andshecouldnothelpimpatientlynoticingthathetooseemedtohaveacceptedhiswife\'stheorythatshehadbeenhalfdeliriouslyfrightened，——heregrettedthatherfatherhadnotconcludedtocomedowntotheranch，ashispracticaladvicewouldhavebeeninvaluableinthisemergency。Shewasabouttoeagerlyexplainwhy，whenitoccurredtoherthatMrs。Randolphhadonlygivenhimasuppressedversionofthetelegram，andthatshewouldbebetrayingher，oragaintakingsidesinthispartisandividedhome。
Withsomehesitationsheatlastalludedtotheaccidenttotheartesianwell。Themajordidnotaskherhowshehadheardofit；
itwasabadbusiness，hethought，butitmightnotbeatotalloss。Thewatermayhavebeenonlydivertedbytheshockandmightbefoundagainatthelowerlevel，orinsomelateralfissure。HehadsenthurriedlyforTomBent——thatcleveryoungengineeratthewheatranch，whowasalwaysstudyingupthesethingswithhisinventions——andthatwashisopinion。No，Tomwasnotawell-
digger，butitwasgenerallyknownthathehad\"located\"oneortwo，andhadlongagoadvisedthetappingofthatflowbyasecondboring，incaseofjustsuchanemergency。Hewascomingagainto-
morrow。Bytheway，hehadaskedhowtheyoungladyvisitorwas，andhopedshehadnotbeenalarmedbytheearthquake!
Rosefeltherselfagainblushing，and，whatwasmoresingular，withanunexpectedanditseemedtoherridiculouspleasure，althoughoutwardlysheappearedtoignorethecivilitycompletely。Andshehadnointentionofbeingsoeasilyplacated。IfthisyoungmanthoughtbymereperfunctorycivilitiestoherHOSTtomakeupforhisclownishnesstoHER，hewasmistaken。Shewouldlethimseeitwhenhecalledto-morrow。Shequicklyturnedthesubjectbyassuringthemajorofhersympathyandherintentionofsendingforherfather。FortherestoftheafternoonandduringtheiralfrescodinnershesolvedthedifficultyofherstrainedrelationswithMrs。RandolphandEmilebyconversingchieflywiththemajor，tacitlyavoiding，however，anyallusiontothisMr。Bent。ButMrs。
Randolphwaslesscareful。
\"Youdon\'treallymeantosay，major，\"shebeganinherdryest，grittiestmanner，\"thatinsteadofsendingtoSanFranciscoforsomeskilledmaster-mechanic，youaregoingtolistentothevagariesofaconceited，half-educatedfarm-laborer，andemployhim?Youmightaswellcallinsomeofthosewizardsorwater-
witchesatonce。\"Butthemajor，likemanyotherwell-managedhusbandswhoaregood-humoredlycontenttosufferinthesunshineofprosperity，hadnoideaofdoingsoinadversity，andtheprospectofbeingobligedtogobacktoyouthfulstruggleshadrecalledsomeoftheindependenceofthatperiod。Helookedupquietly，andsaid:——
\"Ifhisconclusionsareasclearandsatisfactoryto-morrowastheywereto-day，Ishallcertainlytrytosecurehisservices。\"
\"ThenIcanonlysayIwouldpreferthewater-witch。Heatleastwouldnotrepresentaclassofneighborswhohavemadethemselvessystematicallyuncivilanddisagreeabletous。\"
\"Iamafraid，Josephine，wehavenottriedtomakeourselvesparticularlyagreeabletoTHEM，\"saidthemajor。
\"Ifthatcanonlybedonebyadmittingtheirequality，Iprefertheyshouldremainuncivil。Onlyletitbeunderstood，major，thatifyouchoosetotakethisTom-the-ploughboytomendyourwell，youwillatleastkeephimtherewhileheisontheproperty。\"
Withwhatretortthemajorwouldhavekeptupthisconjugaldiscussion，alreadybeginningtobeawkwardtothediscreetvisitor，isnotknown，asitwassuddenlystoppedbyabulletfromtherosebudlipsoftheingenuousAdele。
\"Why，he\'sveryhandsomewhenhisfaceisclean，andhishandsaresmallandnotatallhard。Andhedoesn\'ttalktheleastbitqueerorcommon。\"
Therewasadeadsilence。\"AndpraywheredidYOUseehim，andwhatdoyouknowabouthishands?\"askedMrs。Randolph，inhermostdesiccatedvoice。\"Orhasthemajoralreadypresentedyoutohim?
Ishouldn\'tbesurprised。\"
\"No，but\"——hesitatedtheyounggirl，withacertainmouse-likeaudacity，——\"whenyousentmetolookafterMissMallory，Icameuptohimjustafterhehadspokentoher，andhestoppedtoaskmehowweallwere，andifMissMallorywasreallyfrightenedbytheearthquake，andheshookhandsforgoodafternoon——that\'sall。\"
\"Andwhotaughtyoutoconversewithcommonstrangersandshakehandswiththem?\"continuedMrs。Randolph，withnarrowinglips。
\"Nobody，mamma；butIthoughtifMissMallory，whoisayounglady，couldspeaktohim，socouldI，whoamnotoutyet。\"
\"Wewon\'tdiscussthisanyfurtheratpresent，\"saidMrs。Randolph，stiffly，asthemajorsmiledgrimlyatRose。\"Theearthquakeseemstohaveshakendowninthishousemorethanthechimneys。\"
ItcertainlyhadshakenallpowerofsleepfromtheeyesofRosewhenthehouseholdatlastdispersedtoliedownintheirclothesonthemattresseswhichhadbeenarrangedundertheawnings。Shewascontinuallystartingupfromconfuseddreamsofthegroundshakingunderher，orsheseemedtobestandingonthebrinkofsomedreadfulabysslikethegreatchasmonthegrain-field，whenitbegantotrembleandcrumblebeneathherfeet。Itwasnearmorningwhen，unabletoendureitanylonger，shemanagedwithoutdisturbingthesleepingAdele，whooccupiedthesamecurtainedrecesswithher，toslipoutfromtheawning。Wrappedinathickshawl，shemadeherwaythroughtheencompassingtreesandbushesofthegardenthathadseemedtoimprisonandsuffocateher，totheedgeofthegrain-field，whereshecouldbreathethefreshairbeneathanopen，starlitsky。Therewasnomoonandthedarknessfavoredher；shehadnofearsthatweighedagainstthehorrorofseclusionwithherownfancies。Besides，theywerecampingOUTofthehouse，andifshechosetosituporwalkabout，noonecouldthinkitstrange。Shewishedherfatherwereherethatshemighthavesomeoneofherownkintotalkto，yetsheknewnotwhattosaytohimifhehadcome。Shewantedsomebodytosympathizewithherfeelings，——orrather，perhaps，someonetocombatandevenridiculetheuneasinessthathadlatelycomeoverher。Sheknewwhatherfatherwouldsay，——\"Doyouwanttogo，ordoyouwanttostayhere?Doyoulikethesepeople，ordoyounot?\"Sherememberedtheoneortwoglowingandenthusiasticaccountsshehadwrittenhimofhervisithere，andfeltherselfblushingagain。
WhatwouldhethinkofMrs。Randolph\'sopeningandansweringthetelegram?Wouldn\'thefindoutfromthemajorifshehadgarbledthesenseofhisdispatch?
Awaytotheright，inthemidstofthedistantandinvisiblewheat-
field，therewasthesameintermittentstar，whichlikealiving，breathingthingseemedtodilateinglowingrespiration，asshehadseenitthefirstnightofhervisit。Mr。Bent\'sforge!Itmustbenearlydaylightnow；thepoorfellowhadbeenupallnight，orelsewasstealingthisearlymarchontheday。SherecalledAdele\'ssuddeneulogiumofhim。Thefirstnaturalsmilethathadcometoherlipssincetheearthquakebrokeuphernervousrestraint，andsentherbackmorelikeheroldselftohercouch。
Butshehadnotproceededfartowardsthetent，whensheheardthesoundoflowvoicesapproachingher。Itwasthemajorandhiswife，who，likeherself，hadevidentlybeenunabletosleep，andwereupbetimes。Anewinstinctofsecretiveness，whichshefeltwaspartlytheeffectofherartificialsurrounding，checkedherfirstnaturalinstincttocalltothem，andshedrewbackdeeperintheshadowtoletthempass。Buttohergreatdiscomfiturethemajorinaconversationalemphasisstoppeddirectlyinfrontofher。
