Hathaway，\"explainedCaptainStidger，naivelyobliviousofanydiscourtesyontheirpart，ashefollowedHathaway\'sglanceandtookhisarmastheymovedaway。\"Nottheleastofourtreasures，sir。Mostofthemdaughtersofpioneers——andallCalifornianbredandeducated。Connoisseurshaveawardedthemthepalm，anddeclarethatforGrace，Intelligence，andWoman\'sHighestCharmstheEastcannotfurnishtheirequal!\"HavingdeliveredthisParthiancomplimentinanoratoricalpassagethroughthedoorway，thecaptaindescended，outside，intofamiliarspeech。\"ButIsupposeyouwillfindthatoutforyourselfifyoustayherelong。SanFranciscomightfurnishafittingbridetoCalifornia\'syoungestsenator。\"
\"Iamafraidthatmystayheremustbebrief，andlimitedtobusiness，\"saidHathaway，whohadmerelynoticedthattheprincipalgirlwashandsomeandoriginal-looking。\"Infact，Iamherepartlytoseeanoldacquaintance——ColonelPendleton。\"
Thethreemenlookedateachothercuriously。\"Oh!HarryPendleton，\"saidMr。Hoskins，incredulously\"Youdon\'tknowHIM?\"
\"Anoldpioneer——ofcourse，\"interposedShear，explanatorilyandapologetically。\"Why，inPaul\'stimethecolonelwasabigmanhere。\"
\"Iunderstandthecolonelhasbeenunfortunate，\"saidHathaway，gravely；\"butinMYtimehewasPresidentoftheElDoradoBank。\"
\"Andthebankhasn\'tgotthroughitssettlementyet，\"saidHoskins\"IhopeYOUain\'texpectingtogetanythingoutofit?\"
\"No，\"saidHathaway，smiling；\"Iwasaboyatthattime，andliveduptomysalary。Iknownothingofhisbankdifficulties，butitalwaysstruckmethatColonelPendletonwashimselfanhonorableman。\"
\"Itain\'tthat，\"saidCaptainStidgerenergetically，\"butthetroublewithHarryPendletonisthathehasn\'tgrownwiththeState，andneveradjustedhimselftoit。Andhewon\'t。HethinkstheMillenniumwasbetweenthefallof\'49andthespringof\'50，andafterthateverythingdropped。Hebelongstotheolddays，whenaman\'ssimpleWORDwasgoodforanyamountifyouknewhim；
andtheysaythattheoldbankhadn\'tascrapofpaperforhalfthatwasowingtoit。Thatwasallverywell，sir，in\'49and\'50，and——Luck；butitwon\'tdofor\'59and\'60，and——Business!Andtheoldmancan\'tseeit。\"
\"Butheisreadytofightforitnow，asintheoldtime，\"saidMr。
Slate，\"andthat\'sanothertroublewithhischronology。He\'sdonemoretokeepupduelingthananyothermanintheState，anddon\'tknowthewholespiritofprogressandcivilizationisagainstit。\"
ItwasimpossibletotellfromPaulHathaway\'sfacewhetherhissympathywithColonelPendleton\'sfoiblesorhisassenttothecriticismsofhisvisitorswasthetruer。Bothwerenodoubtequallysincere。Butthepartywaspresentlyengagedintheabsorptionofrefreshment，which，beingofapurely，spirituousandexhilaratingquality，tendedtoincreasetheirgoodhumorwiththehosttilltheyparted。Eventhenagratuitousadvertisementofhisvirtuesandtheirownintentionsincallinguponhimwasoratoricallyvoicedfromavailableplatformsandlandings，inthehallsandstairways，untilitwasprettywellknownthroughouttheGoldenGateHotelthattheHon。Mr。PaulHathawayhadarrivedfromSacramentoandhadreceiveda\"spontaneousovation。\"
Meantimetheobjectofithaddroppedintoaneasy-chairbythewindowofhisroom，andwasendeavoringtorecallalessprofitablememory。Theprocessofhumanforgetfulnessisnotadifficultonebetweentheagesofeighteenandtwenty-six，andPaulHathawayhadnotonlyfulfilledtheMayor\'srequestbyforgettingtheparticularsofacertaintransferthathehadwitnessedintheMayor\'soffice，butintheyearsucceedingthatrequest，beingabouttotryhisfortunesinthemountains，hehadformallyconstitutedColonelPendletontoactashisproxyintheadministrationofMrs。Howard\'ssingularTrust，inwhich，however，hehadneverparticipatedexceptyearlytosignhisname。Hewas，consequently，somewhatastonishedtohavereceivedaletterafewdaysbeforefromColonelPendleton，askinghimtocallandseehimregardingit。
Hevaguelyrememberedthatitwaseightyearsago，andeightyearshadworkedconsiderablechangeintheoriginaltrustees，greatestofallinhissuperiorofficer，theMayor，whohaddiedtheyearfollowing，leavinghistrusteeshiptohissuccessorinoffice，whomPaulHathawayhadneverseen。TheBankofElDorado，despiteMrs。
Howard\'ssanguinebelief，hadlongbeeninbankruptcy，and，althoughColonelPendletonstillsurvivedit，itwascertainthatnootherpresidentwouldsucceedtohisofficeastrustee，andthatthefunctionwouldlapsewithhim。Paulhimself，asoldieroffortune，althoughhabituallylucky，hadonlylatelysucceededtoaprofession——ifhispoliticalfunctionscouldbesodescribed。Evenwithhisluck，energy，andambition，whileeverythingwaspossible，nothingwassecure。Itseemed，therefore，asifthesoullessofficialmusteventuallyassumethedutiesofthetwosympathizingfriendswhohadoriginatedthem，andhadstoodinlocoparentistotheconstructiveorphan。Themother，Mrs。Howard，haddisappearedayearaftertheTrusthadbeenmade——itwascharitablypresumedinordertopreventanycomplicationsthatmightarisefromherpresenceinthecountry。Withthesefactsbeforehim，PaulHathawaywasmoreconcernedinwonderingwhatPendletoncouldwantwithhimthan，Ifear，anydirectsympathywiththesituation。Onthecontrary，itappearedtohimmorefavorableforkeepingthesecretofMrs。Howard\'srelationship，whichwouldnowdiewithColonelPendletonandhimself；andtherewasnodangerofanyemotionalbetrayalofitinthecoldofficialadministrationofamanwhohadreceivedtheTrustthroughtheformalhandsofsuccessivepredecessors。Hehadforgottenthetimelimitedfortheguardianship，butthegirlmustsoonbeofageandofftheirhands。
Iftherehadeverbeenanyromanticorchivalrousimpressionleftuponhismemorybythesceneinthemayor\'soffice，Ifearhehadputitawaywithvariousotherfoolishillusionsofhisyouth，towhichhenowbelievedhewassuperior。
Nevertheless，hewouldseethecolonel，andatonce，andsettlethequestion。Helookedattheaddress，\"St。CharlesHotel。\"Herememberedanoldhostelryofthatname，nearthePlaza。Coulditbepossiblethatithadsurvivedthealterationsandimprovementsofthecity?Itwasaneasywalkthroughrememberedstreets，yetwithchangedshopsandhousesandfaces。WhenhereachedthePlaza，scarcerecognizableinitslaterfrontagesofbrickandstone，hefoundtheoldwoodenbuildingstillintact，withitsvilla-likegalleriesandverandasincongruouslyandostentatiouslyoverlookedbytwonewandaspiringerectionsoneitherside。Foraninstanthetriedtorecalltheglamourofolddays。Herememberedwhenhisboyisheyesregardeditasthecrowningworkofopulenceanddistinction；herememberedaballgiventhereonsomepublicoccasion，whichwastohimtheacmeofsocialbrilliancyanddisplay。Howtawdryandtrivialitlookedbesidethoselaterandmoresolidstructures!Howinconsistentwerethoselonglatticedverandasandbalconies，patheticrecordofthatfirstillusionofthepioneersthattheirclimatewasatropicalone!Arestaurantandbilliard-saloonhadaggrandizedallofthelowerstory；buttherewasstillthefanlight，overwhichtherememberedtitleof\"St。Charles，\"ingildedletters，wasnowreinforcedbythetoodemonstrativelegend，\"ApartmentsandBoard，bytheDayorWeek。\"
Wasitpossiblethatthisnarrow，creakingstaircasehadonceseemedtohimthebroadstepsofFameandFortune?Onthefirstlanding，apreoccupiedIrishservant-girl，withamop，directedhimtoadoorattheendofthepassage，atwhichheknocked。Thedoorwasopenedbyagrizzlednegroservant，whowasstillholdingapieceofoilychamois-leatherinhishand；andthecontentsofadueling-case，scattereduponatableinthecentreoftheroom，showedwhathadbeenhisoccupation。AdmittingHathawaywithgreatcourtesy，hesaid:——
\"MarseHarrybinhavin\'hisoletrubble，sah，andbinengagedjustdismomen\'onhistoylet；efyo\'llaccommodateyo\'selfondesofa，Iinformhimyo\'isheah。\"
Asthenegropassedintothenextroom，Paulcastahastyglancearoundtheapartment。Thefurniture，originallyrichandelegant，wasnowwornthreadbareandlustreless。Abook-case，containing，amongothervolumes，afewlawbooks——therebeingavaguetradition，asPaulremembered，thatColonelPendletonhadoncebeenconnectedwiththelaw——afewFrenchchairsoftarnishedgilt，arifleinthecorner，apresentationswordinamahoganycase，afewclassicalprintsonthewalls，andoneortwoirondeed-boxesmarked\"ElDoradoBank，\"weretheprincipalobjects。Amildflavorofdrydecayandmethylatedspiritspervadedtheapartment。Yetitwasscrupulouslycleanandwellkept，andafewclothesneatlybrushedandfoldedonachairborewitnesstotheservant\'scare。
AsPaul，however，glancedbehindthesofa，hewasconcernedtoseeacoat，whichhadevidentlybeenthrusthurriedlyinacorner，withthesleevelininginsideout，andaneedleandthreadstillstickingintheseam。Itstruckhiminstantlythatthishadbeenthenegro\'soccupation，andthatthepistol-cleaningwasapolitefiction。
\"Yo\'\'llhavetoskuseMarseHarryseein\'yoinbed，buthislaig\'spow\'fulbadto-day，andhecan\'tstand，\"saidtheservantreenteringtheroom。\"Skuseme，sah，\"headdedinadignifiedconfidentialwhisper，halfclosingthedoorwithhishand，\"butifyo\'wouldn\'tmindavoidin\'\'xcitin\'orcontroversicaltopicsinyo\'
conversation，itwouldbedebetterfo\'him。\"
Paulsmilinglyassented，andtheblackretainer，withevenmorethantheusualsolemnceremoniousexaggerationofhisrace，usheredhimintothebedroom。Itwasfurnishedinthesamefadedgloryasthesitting-room，withtheexceptionofalow，ironcamp-bedstead，inwhichthetall，soldierlyfigureofColonelPendleton，cladinthreadbaresilkdressing-gown，wasstretched。Hehadchangedineightyears:hishairhadbecomegray，andwasthinnedoverthesunkentemples，buthisiron-graymoustachewasstillparticularlylongandwellpointed。Hisfaceboremarksofillnessandcare；
thereweredeeplinesdowntheangleofthenostrilthatspokeofalternatesavageoutbreakandrepression，andgavehissmileasardonicrigidity。Hisdarkeyes，thatshonewiththeexaltationoffever，fixedPaul\'sonentering，andwiththetyrannyofaninvalidneverleftthem。
\"Well，Hathaway?\"
WiththesoundofthatvoicePaulfelttheyearsslipaway，andhewasagainaboy，lookingupadmiringlytothestrongman，whonowlayhelplessbeforehim。Hehadenteredtheroomwithafaintsenseofsympathizingsuperiorityandaconsciousnessofhavinghadexperienceincontrollingmen。ButallthisfledbeforeColonelPendleton\'sauthoritativevoice；evenitsbrokentonescarriedtheolddominantspiritoftheman，andPaulfoundhimselfadmiringaqualityinhisoldacquaintancethathemissedinhisnewerfriends。
\"Ihaven\'tseenyouforeightyears，Hathaway。Comehereandletmelookatyou。\"
Paulapproachedthebedsidewithboyishobedience。Pendletontookhishandandgazedathimcritically。
\"Ishouldhaverecognizedyou，sir，forallyourmoustacheandyourinches。ThelasttimeIsawyouwasinJackHammersley\'soffice。
Well，Jack\'sdead，andhereIam，littlebetter，Ireckon。YourememberHammersley\'shouse?\"
\"Yes，\"saidPaul，albeitwonderingatthequestion。
\"Somethinglikethis，Swissvillastyle。IrememberwhenJackputitup。Well，thelasttimeIwasout，Ipassedthere。Andwhatdoyouthinkthey\'vedonetoit?\"
Paulcouldnotimagine。
\"Well，sir，\"saidthecolonelgravely，\"they\'vechangeditintoachurchmissionaryshopandyoungmen\'sChristianreading-room!Butthat\'s\'progress\'and\'improvement\'!\"Hepaused，and，slowlywithdrawinghishandfromPaul\'s，addedwithgrimapology，\"You\'reyoung，andbelongtothenewschool，perhaps。Well，sir，I\'vereadyourspeech；Idon\'tbelongtoyourparty——minediedtenyearsago——
butIcongratulateyou。George!Confounditwhere\'sthatboygone?\"
Thenegroindicatedbythisyouthfultitle，althoughhemusthavebeentenyearsolderthanhismaster，afterahurriedshufflinginthesitting-roomeventuallyappearedatthedoor。
\"George，champagneandmaterialsforcocktailsforthegentleman。
TheBEST，youunderstand。Nonew-fanglednotionsfromthatnewbarkeeper。\"
Paul，whothoughtheobservedatroubledblinkinginGeorge\'seyelid，andreferredittoafearofpossibleexcitementforhispatient，herebeggedhishostnottotroublehimself——thatheseldomtookanythinginthemorning。
\"Possiblynot，sir；possiblynot，\"returnedthecolonel，hastily。
\"Iknowthenewideasareprohibitive，andsomeotherblankthing，butyou\'resafeherefromyourconstituents，andbygad，sir，I
shan\'tforceyoutotakeit!It\'sMYcustom，Hathaway——anoldone——
playedout，perhaps，likealltheothers，butacustomnevertheless，andI\'monlysurprisedthatGeorge，whoknowsit，shouldhaveforgottenit。\"
\"Fackis，MarseHarry，\"saidGeorge，withfeverishapology，\"itbingone\'scapedmyminddismo\'nin\'indeprerogationobbusiness，butI\'mgoin\'now，shuah!\"andhedisappeared。
\"Agoodboy，sir，butbeginningtobecontaminated。BroughthimherefromNashvilleovertenyearsago。Eightyearsagotheyprovedtohimthathewasnolongeraslave，andmadehimd——dunhappyuntilIpromisedhimitshouldmakenodifferencetohimandhecouldstay。Ihadtosendforhiswifeandchild——ofcourse，adeadlossofeighteenhundreddollarswhentheysetfootintheState——butI\'mblankedifheisn\'tjustasmiserablewiththemhere，forhehastotaketwohoursinthemorningandthreeintheafternooneverydaytobewith\'em。Itriedtogethimtotakehisfamilytotheminesandmakehisfortune，likethosefellowstheycallbankersandoperatorsandstockbrokersnowadays；ortogotoOregonwherethey\'llmakehimsomekindofamayororsheriff——
buthewon\'t。HecollectsmyrentsonsomelittlepropertyIhaveleft，andpaysmybills，sir，and，ifthisblankcivilizationwouldonlyleavehimalone，he\'dbeagoodenoughboy。\"
Paulcouldn\'thelpthinkingthattherentsGeorgecollectedweresomewhatinconsistentwiththosehewasevidentlymendingwhenhearrived，butatthatmomentthejingleofglasseswasheardinthesitting-room，andtheoldnegroreappearedatthedoor。Drawinghimselfupwithceremoniouscourtesy，headdressedPaul。\"Wo\'dyo\'
mind，sah，takingaglanceatdewineforyo\'choice?\"Paulrose，andfollowedhimintothesitting-room，whenGeorgecarefullyclosedthedoor。TohissurpriseHathawaybeheldatraywithtwoglassesofwhiskeyandbitters，butnowine。\"Skuseme，sah，\"saidtheoldmanwithdignifiedapology，\"butdeKernelwon\'thaveanybutdebestchampagneforhono\'blegemmenlikeyo\'self，andI\'sedespairedtosayitcan\'tbegotindehouseordesubburbs。DebestchampagnedatwegivesvisitorsisdeWidderGlencoe。Wo\'dyo\'mind，sah，fordesakeo\'not\'xcitin\'deKernelwidtriflin\'
culinarymatter，tosaydatyo\'don\'takebutdeonebrand?\"
\"Certainly，\"saidPaul，smiling。\"Ireallydon\'tcareforanythingsoearly；\"then，returningtothebedroom，hesaidcarelessly，\"You\'llexcusemetakingtheliberty，colonel，ofsendingawaythechampagneandcontentingmyselfwithwhiskey。Eventhebestbrand——
theWidowCliquot\"——withaglanceatthegratifiedGeorge——\"Ifindrathertryingsoearlyinthemorning。\"
\"Asyouplease，Hathaway，\"saidthecolonel，somewhatstiffly。\"I
daresaythere\'sanewfashionindrinksnow，andagentleman\'sstomachisathingofthepast。Then，Isuppose，wecansparetheboy，asthisishistimeforgoinghome。PutthattinboxwiththeTrustpapersonthebed，George，andMr。Hathawaywillexcuseyourwaiting。\"Astheoldservantmadeanexaggeratedobeisancetoeach，Paulremarked，asthedoorcloseduponhim，\"Georgecertainlykeepshisstyle，colonel，inthefaceoftheprogressyoudeplore。\"
\"Hewasalwaysa\'dandynigger，\'\"returnedPendleton，hisfaceslightlyrelaxingasheglancedafterhisgrizzledhenchman，\"buthisexaggerationofcourtesyisablanksightmorenaturalandmanlythantheexaggerationofdiscourtesywhichyoursuperiorcivilized\'helps\'thinkisself-respect。Theexcuseofservitudeofanykindisitsspontaneityandaffection。Whenyouknowamanhatesyouandservesyoufrominterest，youknowhe\'sacurandyou\'reatyrant。It\'syourblankprogressthat\'smademenialservicedegradingbyteachingmentoavoidit。Why，sir，whenI
firstarrivedhere，JackHammersleyandmyselftookturnsascooktotheparty。Ididn\'tconsidermyselfanytheworsemasterforit。Butenoughofthis。\"Hepaused，and，raisinghimselfonhiselbow，gazedforsomesecondshalfcautiously，halfdoubtfully，uponhiscompanion。\"I\'vegotsomethingtotellyou，Hathaway，\"hesaid，slowly。\"You\'vehadaneasytimewiththisTrust；yourshareoftheworkhasn\'tworriedyou，keptyouawakenights，orinterferedwithyourcareer。Iunderstandperfectly，\"hecontinued，inreplytoHathaway\'sdeprecatinggesture。\"Iacceptedtoactasyourproxy，andIHAVE。I\'mnotcomplaining。ButitistimethatyoushouldknowwhatI\'vedone，andwhatyoumaystillhavetodo。Hereistherecord。OnthedayafterthatinterviewintheMayor\'soffice，theElDoradoBank，ofwhichIwas，andstillam，president，receivedseventy-fivethousanddollarsintrustfromMrs。Howard。Twoyearsafterwards，onthatsameday，thebankhad，byluckyspeculations，increasedthatsumtothecreditofthetrustonehundredandfiftythousanddollars，ordoubletheoriginalcapital。Inthefollowingyearthebanksuspendedpayment。\"
CHAPTERII。
InaninstantthewholesituationandhisrelationstoitflasheduponPaulwithaterrible，butalmostgrotesque，completeness。
Herehewas，attheoutsetofhiscareer，responsibleforthewastedfortuneofthedaughterofasocialoutcast，andsaddledwithhersupport!HenowknewwhyColonelPendletonhadwishedtoseehim；foroneshamefulmomenthebelievedhealsoknewwhyhehadbeencontenttotakehisproxy!Thequestionablecharacterofthewholetransaction，hisowncarelessness，whichsprangfromthatveryconfidenceandtrustthatPendletonhadlatelyextolled——whatWOULD，whatCOULDnotbemadeofit!Healreadyheardhimselfabusedbyhisopponents——perhaps，moreterriblestill，faintlyexcusedbyhisfriends。Allthiswasvisibleinhispalefaceandflashingeyesasheturnedthemonthehelplessinvalid。
ColonelPendletonreceivedhislookwiththesamecritical，half-
curiousscrutinythathadaccompaniedhisspeech。Atlasthisfacechangedslightly，afaintlookofdisappointmentcrossedhiseyes，andasardonicsmiledeepenedthelinesofhismouth。
\"There，sir，\"hesaidhurriedly，asifdismissinganunpleasantrevelation；\"don\'talarmyourself!Takeadrinkofthatwhiskey。
Youlookpale。Well；turnyoureyesonthosewalls。Youdon\'tseeanyofthatmoneylaidouthere——doyou?Lookatme。Idon\'tlooklikeamanenrichedwithotherpeople\'smoney——doI?Well，letthatcontentyou。EverydollarofthatTrustfund，Hathaway，withalltheinterestsandprofitsthathaveaccruedtoit，isSAFE!
EverycentofitislockedupingovernmentbondswithRothschild\'sagent。Therearethereceipts，datedaweekbeforethebanksuspended。ButenoughofTHAT——THATisn\'twhatIaskedyoutocomeandseemefor。\"
ThebloodhadrushedbacktoPaul\'scheeksuncomfortably。Hesawnow，asimpulsivelyashehadpreviouslysuspectedhisco-trustee，thatthemanhadprobablyruinedhimselftosavetheTrust。Hestammeredthathehadnotquestionedthemanagementofthefundnoraskedtowithdrawhisproxy。
\"Nomatter，sir，\"saidthecolonel，impatiently；\"youhadtheright，andIsuppose，\"headdedwithhalf-concealedscorn，\"itwasyourduty。Butletthatpass。Themoneyissafeenough；but，Mr。
Hathaway，——andthisisthepointIwanttodiscusswithyou，——itbeginstolookasiftheSECRETwassafenolonger!\"HehadraisedhimselfwithsomepainanddifficultytodrawnearertoPaul，andhadagainfixedhiseyeseagerlyuponhim。ButPaul\'sresponsiveglancewassovaguethatheaddedquickly，\"Youunderstand，sir；I
believethattherearehounds——Isayhounds!——whowouldbeabletoblurtoutatanymomentthatthatgirlatSantaClaraisKateHoward\'sdaughter。\"
AtanyothermomentPaulmighthavequestionedthegravityofanysuchcontingency，buttheterribleearnestnessofthespeaker，hisdominanttone，andacertainrespectwhichhadlatelysprungupinhisbreastforhim，checkedhim，andheonlyaskedwithasmuchconcernashecouldmasterforthemoment:——
\"Whatmakesyouthinkso?\"
\"That\'swhatIwanttotellyou，Hathaway，andhowI，andIalone，amresponsibleforit。WhenthebankwasindifficultyandImadeupmymindtoguardtheTrustwithmyownpersonalandprivatecapital，Iknewthattheremightbesomecommentonmyaction。Itwasadelicatemattertoshowanypreferenceorexclusionatsuchamoment，andItooktwoorthreeofmybrotherdirectorswhomI
thoughtIcouldtrustintomyconfidence。Itoldthemthewholestory，andhowtheTrustwassacred。Imadeamistake，sir，\"
continuedPendletonsardonically，\"agravemistake。Ididnottakeintoaccountthateveninthreeyearscivilizationandreligionhadgainedgroundhere。Therewasahoundthere——ablankJudasintheTrust。Well；hedidn\'tseeit。IthinkhetalkedScriptureandmorality。Hesaidsomethingaboutthewagesofsinbeinginfamous，andonlyworthyofconfiscation。Hetalkedaboutthesinsofthefatherbeingvisiteduponthechildren，andjustly。Istoppedhim。
Well!Doyouknowwhat\'sthematterwithmyankle?Look!\"Hestoppedand，withsomedifficultyandinvinciblegravity，throwingasidehisdressing-gown，turneddownhisstocking，andexposedtoPaul\'sgazethehealedcicatrixofanoldbullet-wound。\"Troubledmedamnablynearayear。WhereIhitHIM——hasn\'ttroubledhimatallsince!
\"Ithink，\"continuedthecolonel，fallingbackuponthepillowwithanairofrelief，\"thathetoldothers——ofhisownkidney，sir，——
thoughitwasasecretamonggentlemen。Buttheyhavepreferredtobesilentnow——thanAFTERWARDS。TheyknowthatI\'mready。ButI
can\'tkeepthisuplong；sometime，youknow，they\'reboundtoimproveinpracticeandhithigherup!AsfarasI\'mconcerned，\"
headded，withagrimglancearoundthefadedwallsandthreadbarefurniture，\"itdon\'tmind；butmineisn\'tthemouthtobestopped。\"
Hepaused，andthenabruptly，yetwithasuddenandpatheticdroppingofhisdominantnote，said:\"Hathaway，you\'reyoung，andHammersleylikedyou——what\'stobedone?Ithoughtofpassingovermytoolstoyou。Youcanshoot，andIhearyouHAVE。Buttheh——lofitisthatifyoudroppedamanortwopeoplewouldaskWHY，andwanttoknowwhatitwasabout；while，whenIdo，nobodyherethinksitanythingbutMYWAY!Idon\'tmeanthatitwouldhurtyouwiththecrowdtowipeoutoneortwoofthesehoundsduringthecanvass，butthetroubleisthattheybelongtoYOURPARTY，and，\"
headdedgrimly，\"thatwouldn\'thelpyourcareer。\"
\"But，\"saidPaul，ignoringthesarcasm，areyounotmagnifyingtheeffectofadisclosure?Thegirlisanheiress，excellentlybroughtup。Whowillbotherabouttheantecedentsofthemother，whohasdisappeared，whomsheneverknew，andwhoislegallydeadtoher?\"
\"Inmyday，sir，noonewhoknewthecircumstances，\"returnedthecolonel，quickly。\"ButwearelivinginablessederaofChristianretributionandcivilizedpropriety，andIbelievetherearealotofmenandwomenaboutwhohavenootherwayofshowingtheirownvirtuethanbyshowingupanother\'svice。We\'reinareactionofreform。It\'stheolddrunkardswhoarealwaysmoreclamorousfortotalabstinencethanthemoderatelytemperate。Itellyou，Hathaway，therecouldn\'tbeanunluckiermomentforoursecretcomingout。\"
\"Butshewillbeofagesoon。\"
\"Intwomonths。\"
\"Andsuretomarry。\"
\"Marry!\"repeatedPendleton，withgrimirony。\"WouldYOUmarryher?\"
\"That\'sanotherquestion，\"saidtheyoungman，promptly，\"andoneofindividualtaste；butitdoesnotaffectmygeneralbeliefthatshecouldeasilyfindahusbandasgoodandbetter。\"
\"SupposeshefoundoneBEFOREthesecretisout。Oughthebetold?\"
\"Certainly。\"
\"AndthatwouldimplytellingHER?\"
\"Yes，\"saidPaul，butnotsopromptly。\"AndyouconsiderTHAT
fulfillingthepromiseoftheTrust——thepledgesexchangedwiththatwoman?\"continuedPendleton，withglitteringeyesandareturntohisowndominanttone。
\"Mydearcolonel，\"saidPaul，somewhatlesspositively，butstillsmiling，\"youhavemadearomantic，almostimpossiblecompactwithMrs。Howardthat，youyourselfarenowobligedtoadmit，circumstancesmaypreventyourcarryingoutsubstantially。Youforget，also，thatyouhavejusttoldmethatyouhavealreadybrokenyourpledge——undercircumstances，itistrue，thatdoyouhonor——andthatnowyourdesperateattemptstoretrieveithavefailed。Now，Ireallyseenothingwronginyourtellingtoapresumptivewell-wisherofthegirlwhatyouhavetoldtoherenemy。\"
Therewasadeadsilence。Theprostratemanutteredaslightgroan，asifinpain，anddrewuphislegtochangehisposition。
Afterapause，hesaid，inarestrainedvoice，\"Idifferfromyou，Mr。Hathaway；butenoughofthisforthepresent。Ihavesomethingelsetosay。ItwillbenecessaryforoneofustogoatoncetoSantaClaraandseeMissYerbaBuena。\"
\"Goodheavens!\"saidPaul，quickly。\"DoyoucallherTHAT?\"
\"Certainly，sir。Yougaveherthename。Haveyouforgotten?\"
\"Ionlysuggestedit，\"returnedPaul，hopelessly；\"butnomatter——
goon。\"
\"Icannotgothere，asyousee，\"continuedPendleton，withawearygesturetowardshiscrippledankle；\"andIshouldparticularlylikeyoutoseeherbeforewemakethejointdispositionofheraffairswiththeMayor，twomonthshence。Ihavesomepapersyoucanshowher，andIhavealreadywrittenaletterintroducingyoutotheLadySuperiorattheconvent，andtoher。Youhaveneverseenher?\"
\"No，\"saidPaul。\"Butofcourseyouhave?\"
\"Notforthreeyears。\"
Paul\'seyesevidentlyexpressedsomewonder，foramomentafterthecoloneladded，\"Ibelieve，Hathaway，Iamlookeduponasaqueersurvivalofaratherlawlessandimproperpast。Atleast，Ihavethoughtitbetternotsociallytocompromiseherbymypresence。
TheMayorgoesthere——attheexaminationsandexercises，Ibelieve，sir；theymakeasortofreceptionforhim——witha——a——banquet——
lemonadeandspeeches。\"
\"IhadintendedtoleaveforSacramentoto-morrownight，\"saidPaul，glancingcuriouslyatthehelplessman；\"butIwillgothereifyouwish。\"
\"Thankyou。Itwillbebetter。\"
Therewereafewwordsoffurtherexplanationofthepapers，andPendletonplacedthepacketinhisvisitor\'shands。Paulrose。
Somehow，itappearedtohimthattheroomlookedmorefadedandforgottenthanwhenheenteredit，andthefigureofthemanbeforehimmorelonely，helpless，andabandoned。Withoneofhissympatheticimpulseshesaid:——
\"Idon\'tliketoleaveyouherealone。AreyousureyoucanhelpyourselfwithoutGeorge?CanIdoanythingbeforeIgo?\"
\"Iamquiteaccustomedtoit，\"saidPendleton，quietly。\"Ithappensonceortwiceayear，andwhenIgoout——well——ImissmorethanIdohere。\"
HetookPaul\'sprofferedhandmechanically，withaslightreturnofthecritical，doubtinglookhehadcastuponhimwhenheentered。
hisvoice，too，hadquiterecovereditsolddominance，ashesaid，withhalf-patronizingconventionality，\"You\'llhavetofindyourwayoutalone。LetmeknowhowyouhavespedatSantaClara，willyou?Good-by。\"
ThestaircaseandpassageseemedtohavegrownshabbierandmeanerasPaul，slowlyandhesitatingly，descendedtothestreet。Atthefootofthestairshepausedirresolutely，andloiteredwithavagueideaofturningbackonsomepretense，onlythathemightrelievehimselfofthesenseofdesertion。Hehadalreadydetermineduponmakingthatinquiryintothecolonel\'spersonalandpecuniaryaffairswhichhehadnotdaredtoofferpersonally，andhadahalf-formedplanoftestinghisownpowerandpopularityinacertainlineofreliefthatatoncesatisfiedhissympathiesandambitions。Nevertheless，afterreachingthestreet，helingeredamoment，whenanoddideaoftemporizingwithhisinclinationsstruckhim。Atthefartherendofthehotel——oneoftheparasiteslivingonitsdecayedfortunes——wasasmallbarber\'sshop。Byhavinghishairtrimmedandhisclothesbrushedhecouldlingeralittlelongerbeneaththesameroofwiththehelplesssolitary，andperhapscometosomeconclusion。Heenteredthecleanbutscantilyfurnishedshop，andthrewhimselfintooneofthenearestchairs，hardlynotingthattherewerenoothercustomers，andthatasingleassistant，stroppingarazorbehindaglassdoor，wastheonlyoccupant。Buttherewasafamiliarnoteofexaggeratedpolitenessaboutthevoiceofthismanasheopenedthedoorandcametowardsthebackofthechairwiththeformula:——
\"Mo\'nin\'，sah!Shallwehabdepleshureofshavin\'orhah-cuttin\'
dismo\'nin\'?\"Paulraisedhiseyesquicklytothemirrorbeforehim。ItreflectedtheblackfaceandgrizzledhairofGeorge。
Morerelievedatfindingtheoldservantstillnearhismasterthancaringtocomprehendthereason，Hathawaysaidpleasantly，\"Well，George，isthisthewayyoulookafteryourfamily?\"
Theoldmanstarted；foraninstanthisfullredlipsseemedtobecomedryandashen，thewhitesofhiseyesweresuffusedandstaring，ashemetPaul\'ssmilingfaceintheglass。Butalmostasquicklyherecoveredhimself，and，withapolitebutdeprecatingbow，said，——\"ForGodsake，sah!Iadmitdesarkumstancesisaginme，butdesimplefackisdatI\'mtemper\'lyoccupyin\'deplaceofanolefrien\'，sah，whoiscalledrounddecornah。\"
\"AndI\'mdevilishgladofanyfact，George，thatgivesmeachanceofhavingmyhaircutbyColonelPendleton\'sright-handman。Sofireaway!\"
Thegratifiedsmilewhichnowsuddenlyoverspreadthewholeoftheoldman\'sface，andseemedtoquicklystiffentheruggedandwrinkledfingersthathadatfirsttrembledindrawingapairofshearsfromaraggedpocket，appearedtosatisfyPaul\'scuriosityforthepresent。Butafterafewmoments\'silentsnipping，duringwhichhecoulddetectinthemirrorsometracesofagitationstilltwitchingthenegro\'sface，hesaidwithanairofconviction:——
\"Lookhere，George——whydon\'tyouregularlyuseyourleisuremomentsinthistrade?You\'dmakeyourfortunebyyourtasteandskillatit。\"
Forthenexthalfminutetheoldman\'sframeshookwithsilentchildlikelaughterbehindPaul\'schair。\"Well，MarseHathaway，yo\'sanolefrien\'o\'mymassa，andagemmanyo\'self，sah，andasenetah，andIdo\'anmindtellin\'yo\'——dat\'sjesswhatIbingonedone!Itmakesalittlereadymoneyfordeolewomananddechilleren。ButdeKerneldon\'no\'。Ah，sah!deKernelkillmeorhisselfifhesomuchas\'spicionedme。DeKernelishigh-toned，sah!——bein\'agemmanyo\'self，yo\'understand。Hewouldn\'theahobhisniggahworken\'fortwomassas——forallhe\'swillen\'tolemmegoandhelpmyse\'f。But，Lordblessyo\'，sah，datain\'tindecategory!DeKernelcouldn\'tgetalongwidoutme。\"
\"Youcollecthisrents，don\'tyou?\"saidPaul，quietly。
\"Yes，sah。\"
\"Much?\"
\"Well，no，sah；notsomuchasfom\'ly，sah!Yo\'see，deKernel\'sprop\'tyliesindeolepartsobdetown，wheredepo\'whitefolkslib，anddeyain\'treg\'lar。DeKerneldatsof\'inhisheart，hedaren\'press\'em；someof\'emisolefo\'ty-niners，likehisself，sah；andsomeisSpanish，sah，anddeyissof\'too，andain\'tnomoregumptiondanchilleren，andtinkit\'soletimecomeag\'in，anddey\'sindeoleplaceslikeafo\'deMexicanwah!anddeydon\'binpayin\'noffin\'。Butwegetsalong，sah，——wegetsalong，——notindeprimafaciestyle，sah!mebbenotindemoddenwaydutdeKerneldon\'tlike；butwekeepsourse\'f，sah，andhaswinefo\'ourfriends。Whenyo\'comeagain，sah，yo\'\'llfinddeWidderGlencoeondesideboard。\"
\"Hasthecolonelmanyfriendshere?\"
\"Mos\'deoleonesbindonegone，sah，anddeKerneldon\'cottontodenew。Hedon\'mixmuchinsassietytilldebanksettlementsbingonedone。Skuseme，sah!——butyoudon\'happentoknowwhendatis?Itwouldbeapow\'fulheapoffdeKernel\'smindifitwasdone。Bein\'ahighandmightymanincommitteesupdahinSacramento，sah，Ididn\'tknowbutwhatyo\'mightknowasitmightcomebefo\'yo\'。\"
\"I\'llseeaboutit，\"saidPaul，withanodd，abstractedsmile。
\"Shampoodismornen\'，sah?\"
\"Nothingmoreinthisline，\"saidPaul，risingfromhischair，\"butsomethingmore，perhaps，inthelineofyourotherduties。You\'reagoodbarberforthepublic，George，andIdon\'ttakebackwhatI
saidaboutyourfuture；butJUSTNOWIthinkthecolonelwantsallyourservice。He\'snotatallwell。Takethis，\"hesaid，puttingatwenty-dollargoldpieceintheastonishedservant\'shand，\"andforthenextthreeorfourdaysdroptheshop，andundersomepretextoranotherarrangetobewithhim。Thatmoneywillcoverwhatyoulosehere，andassoonasthecolonel\'sallrightagainyoucancomebacktowork。Butareyounotafraidofbeingrecognizedbysomeone?\"
\"No，sah，dat\'sjustit。On\'ystrangersdatdon\'tknownobettercomeyere。\"
\"Butsupposeyourmastershoulddropin?It\'squiteconvenienttohisrooms。\"
\"MarseHarryinabarber-shop!\"saidtheoldmanwithasilentlaugh。\"Skuseme，sah，\"headded，withanapologeticmixtureofrespectanddignity，\"butfo\'twentyyearsnomanheztoucheddeKernel\'schinbutmyself。WhenMarseHarryheztogotoabarber\'sshop，itwon\'tmakenomatterwho\'sdar。\"
\"Let\'shopehewillnot，\"saidPaulgayly；then，anxioustoevadethegratitudewhich，sincehismunificence，hehadseenbeamingintheoldnegro\'seyeandevidentlytryingtofindpolysyllabicandelevatedexpressiononhislips，hesaidhurriedly，\"IshallexpecttofindyouwiththecolonelwhenIcallagaininadayortwo，\"
andsmilinglydeparted。
