UponpressurehewouldalsohaveconfessedtothePhineasC。Buthedidnotconsideritgoodpracticetovolunteerinformation。\"Ididnotreceiveyourcard，\"hecontinued，bywayofrebuke，\"soI——\"
\"Iknowyoudidn\'t，\"remarkedthevisitor，coolly；
\"Andyouwon\'tjustyet。Lightup？\"Hethrewalegoveranarmofhischair，andtossedahandfulofrich-
huedcigarsuponthetable。LawyerGoochknewthebrand。Hethawedjustenoughtoaccepttheinvitationtosmoke。
\"Youareadivorcelawyer，\"saidthecardlessvisitor。
Thistimetherewasnointerrogationinhisvoice。Nordidhiswordsconstituteasimpleassertion。Theyformedacharge——adenunciation——asonewouldsaytoadog:
\"Youareadog。\"LawyerGoochwassilentundertheimputation。
\"Youhandle，\"continuedthevisitor，\"allthevariousramificationsofbusted-upconnubiality。Youareasurgeon，wemightsaw，whoextractsCupid\'sdartswhenheshoots\'emintothewrongparties。Youfurnishpatent，incandescentlightsforpremiseswherethetorchofHymenhasburnedsolowyoucan\'tlightacigaratit。
AmIright，Mr。Gooch？\"
\"Ihaveundertakencases，\"saidthelawyer，guardedly，\"inthelinetowhichyourfigurativespeechseemstorefer。
Doyouwishtoconsultmeprofessionally，Mr——\"
Thelawyerpaused，withsignificance。
\"Notyet，\"saidtheother，withanarchwaveofhiscigar，\"notjustyet。Letusapproachthesubjectwiththecautionthatshouldhavebeenusedintheoriginalactthatmakesthispow-wownecessary。Thereexistsamatrimonialjumbletobestraightenedout。ButbeforeIgiveyounamesIwantyourhonest——well，anyhow，yourprofessionalopiniononthemeritsofthemix-up。
Iwantyoutosizeupthecatastrophe——abstractly——youunderstand？I\'mMr。Nobody；andI\'vegotastorytotellyou。Thenyousaywhat\'swhat。Doyougetmywireless？\"
\"Youwanttostateahypotheticalcase？\"suggestedLawyerGooch。
\"That\'sthewordIwasafter。\'Apothecary\'wasthebestshotIcouldmakeatitinmymind。Thehypo-
theticalgoes。I\'llstatethecase。Supposethere\'sawoman——adeucedfine-lookingwoman——whohasrunawayfromherhusbandandhome？She\'sbadlymashedonanothermanwhowenttohertowntoworkupsomerealestatebusiness。Now，wemayaswellcallthiswoman\'shusbandThomasR。Billings，forthat\'shisname。I\'mgivingyoustraighttipsonthecognomens。
TheLothariochapisHenryK。Jessup。TheBillingseslivedinalittletowncalledSusanville——agoodmanymilesfromhere。Now，JessupleavesSusanvilletwoweeksago。ThenextdayMrs。Billingsfollowshim。
She\'sdeadgoneonthismanJessup；youcanbetyourlawlibraryonthat。\"
LawyerGooch\'sclientsaidthiswithsuchunctuoussatisfactionthateventhecallouslawyerexperiencedaslightrippleofrepulsion。Henowsawclearlyinhisfatuousvisitortheconceitofthelady-killer，theegoisticcomplacencyofthesuccessfultrifler。
\"Now，\"continuedthevisitor，\"supposethisMrs。
Billingswasn\'thappyathome？We\'llsaysheandherhusbanddidn\'tgeeworthacent。They\'vegotincom-
patibilitytoburn。Thethingsshelikes，Billingswouldn\'thaveasagiftwithtrading-stamps。It\'sTabbyandRoverwiththemallthetime。She\'saneducatedwomaninscienceandculture，andshereadsthingsoutloudatmeetings。Billingsisnoton。Hedon\'tappreciatepro-
gressandobelisksandethics，andthingsofthatsort。OldBillingsissimplyablinkwhenitcomestosuchthings。
Theladyisoutandoutabovehisclass。Now，lawyer，don\'titlooklikeafairequalizationofrightsandwrongsthatawomanlikethatshouldbeallowedtothrowdownBillingsandtakethemanthatcanappreciateher？
\"Incompatibility，\"saidLawyerGooch，\"isundoubt-
edlythesourceofmuchmaritaldiscordandunhappiness。
Whereitispositivelyproved，divorcewouldseemtobetheequitableremedy。Areyou——excuseme——isthismanJessuponetowhomtheladymaysafelytrustherfuture？\"
\"Oh，youcanbetonJessup，\"saidtheclient，withaconfidentwagofhishead。\"Jessup\'sallright。He\'lldothesquarething。Why，heleftSusanvillejusttokeeppwplefromtalkingaboutMrs。Billings。Butshefol-
lowedhimup，andnow，ofcourse，he\'llsticktoher。
Whenshegetsadivorce，alllegalandproper，Jessuptheproperthing。\"
\"Andnow，\"saidLawyerGooch，\"continuingthehypo-
ifyouprefer，andsupposingthatmyservicesshouldiredinthecase，what——\"
Theclientroseimpulsivelytohisfeet。
\"Oh，dangthehypotheticalbusiness，\"heexclaimed，impatiently。\"Let\'sletherdrop，andgetdowntostraighttalk。YououghttoknowwhoIambythistime。
Iwantthatwomantohaveherdivorce。I\'llpayforit。ThedayyousetMrs。BillingsfreeI\'llpayyoufivehundreddollars。\"
LawyerGooch\'sclientbangedhisfistuponthetabletopunctuatehisgenerosity。
\"Ifthatisthecase——\"beganthelawyer。
\"Ladytoseeyou，sir，\"bawledArchibald，bouncinginfromhisanteroom。Hehadorderstoalwaysannounceimmediatelyanyclientthatmightcome。Therewasnosenseinturningbusinessaway。
LawyerGoochtookclientnumberonebythearmandledhimsuavelyintooneoftheadjoiningrooms。\"Favourmebyremaininghereafewminutes，sir，\"saidhe。\"I
willreturnandresumeourconsultationwiththeleastpossibledelay。Iamratherexpectingavisitfromaverywealthyoldladyinconnectionwithawill。Iwillnotkeepyouwaitinglong。\"
Thebreezygentlemanseatedhimselfwithobligingacquiescence，audtookupamagazine。Thelawyerreturnedtothemiddleoffice，carefullyclosingbehindhimtheconnectingdoor。
\"Showtheladyin，Archibald，\"hesaidtotheofficeboy，whowasawaitingtheorder。
Atalllady，ofcommandingpresenceandsternlyhand-
some，enteredtheroom。Sheworerobes——robes；notclothes——ampleandfluent。Inhereyecouldbeper-
ceivedthelambentflameofgeniusandsoul。Inherhandwasagreenbagofthecapacityofabushel，andanumbrellathatalsoseemedtoweararobe，ampleandfluent。Sheacceptedachair。
\"AreyouMr。PhineasC。Gooch，thelawyer？\"sheasked，informalandunconciliatorytones。
\"Iam，\"answeredLawyerGooch，withoutcircum-
locution。Henevercircumlocutedwhendealingwithawoman。Womencircumlocute。Timeiswastedwhenbothsidesindebateemploythesametactics。
\"Asalawyer，sir，\"beganthelady，\"youmayhaveacquiredsomeknowledgeofthehumanheart。Doyoubelievethatthepusillanimousandpettyconventionsofourartificialsociallifeshouldstandasanobstacleinthewayofanobleandaffectionateheartwhenitfindsitstruemateamongthemiserableandworthlesswretchesintheworldthatarecalledmen？\"
\"Madam，\"saidLawyerGooch，inthetonethatheusedincurbinghisfemaleclients，\"thisisanofficeforconductingthepracticeoflaw。Iamalawyer，notaphilosopher，northeeditorofan\'AnswerstotheLovelorn\'columnofanewspaper。Ihaveotherclientswaiting。Iwillaskyoukindlytocometothepoint。\"
\"Well，youneedn\'tgetsostiffaroundthegillsaboutit，\"saidthelady，withasnapofherluminousevesandastartlinggyrationofherumbrella。\"BusinessiswhatI\'vecomefor。Iwantyouropinioninthematterofasuitfordivorce，asthevulgarwouldcallit，butwhichisreallyonlythereadjustmentofthefalseandignoblecon-
ditionsthattheshort-sihhtedlawsofmanhaveinterposedbetweenaloving——\"
\"Ibegyourpardon，madam，\"interruptedLawyerGooch，withsomeimpatience，\"forremindingyouagainthatthisisalawoffice。PerhapsMrs。Wilcox——\"
\"Mrs。Wilcoxisallright，\"cutinthelady，withahintofasperity。\"AndsoareTolstoi，andMrs。GertrudeAtherton，andOmarKhayyam，andMr。EdwardBok。
I\'veread\'emall。Iwouldliketodiscusswithyouthedivinerightofthesoulasopposedtothefreedom-destroy-
ingrestrictionsofabigotedandnarrow-mindedsociety。
ButIwillproceedtobusiness。Iwouldprefertolaythematterbeforeyouinanimpersonalwayuntilvoupassuponitsmerits。Thatistodescribeitasasup-
posableinstance，without——\"
\"Youwishtostateahypotheticalcase？\"saidLawyerGooch。
\"Iwasgoingtosaythat，\"saidthelady，sharply。
\"Now，supposethereisawomanwhoisallsoulandheartandaspirationsforacompleteexistence。Thiswomanhasahusbandwhoisfarbelowherinintellect，intaste——ineverything。Bah!heisabrute。Hedespisesliterature。Hesneersattheloftythoughtsoftheworld\'sgreatthinkers。Hethinksonlyofrealestateandsuchsordidthings。Heisnomateforawomanwithsoul。
Wewillsaythatthisunfortunatewifeonedaymeetswithherideal-amanwithbrainandheartandforce。
Sheloveshim。Althoughthismanfeelsthethrillofanew-foundaffinityheistoonoble，toohonourabletodeclarehimself。Hefliesfromthepresenceofhisbeloved。Shefliesafterhim，trampling，withsuperbindifference，uponthefetterswithwhichanunenlightenedsocialsystemwouldbindher。Now，whatwilladivorcecost？ElizaAnnTimmins，thepoetessofSycamoreGap，gotoneforthreehundredandfortydollars。CanI——
ImeancanthisladyIspeakofgetonethatcheap？\"
\"Madam，\"saidLawyerGooch，\"yourlasttwoorthreesentencesdelightmewiththeirintelligenceandclearness。Canwenotnowabandonthehypotheticalandcomedowntonamesandbusiness？\"
\"Ishouldsayso，\"exclaimedthelady，adoptingthepracticalwithadmirablereadiness。\"ThomasR。Bil-
lingsisthenameofthelowbrutewhostandsbetweenthehappinessofhislegal——hislegal，butnothisspiri-
tual——wifeandHenryK。Jessup，thenoblemanwhomnatureintendedforhermate。I，\"concludedtheclient，withanairofdramaticrevelation，\"amMrs。Billings!\"
\"Gentlementoseeyou，sir，\"shoutedArchibald，invad-
ingtheroomalmostatahandspring。LawyerGoocharosefromhischair。
\"Mrs。Billings，\"hesaidcourteously，\"allowmetoconductyouintotheadjoiningofficeapartmentforafewminutes。Iamexpectingaverywealthyoldgentlemanonbusinesconnectedwithawill。InaveryshortwhileIwilljoinyou，andcontinueourconsultation。\"
Withhisaccustomedchivalrousmanner，LawyerGoochusheredhissoulfulclientintotheremainingunoccupiedroom，andcameout，closingthedoorwithcircumspection。
ThenextvisitorintroducedbyArchibaldwasathin，nervous，irritable-lookingmanofmiddleage，withaworriedandapprehensiveexpressionofcountenance。
Hecarriedinonehandasmallsatchel，whichhesetdownuponthefloorbesidethechairwhichthelawyerplacedforhim。Hisclothingwasofgoodquality，butitwaswornwithoutregardtoneatnessorstyle，andappearedtobecoveredwiththedustoftravel。
\"Youmakeaspecialtyofdivorcecases，\"hesaid，in，anagitatedbutbusiness-liketone。
\"Imaysay，\"beganLawyerGooch，\"thatmyprac-
ticehasnotaltogetheravoided——\"
\"Iknowyoudo，\"interruptedclientnumberthree。
\"Youneedn\'ttellme。I\'veheardallaboutyou。IhaveacasetolaybeforeyouwithoutnecessarilydisclosinganyconnectionthatImighthavewithit——thatis——\"
\"Youwish，\"saidLawyerGooch，\"tostateahvpo-
theticalcase。
\"Youmaycallitthat。Iamaplainmanofbusiness。
Iwillbeasbriefaspossible。Wewillfirsttakeuphypotheticalwoman。Wewillsaysheismarrieduncon-
genially。Inmanywayssheisasuperiorwoman。Phys-
icallysheisconsideredtobehandsome。Sheisdevotedtowhatshecallsliterature——poetryandprose，andsuchstuff。Herhusbandisaplainmaninthebusinesswalksoflife。Theirhomehasnotbeenhappy，althoughthehusbandhastriedtomakeitso。Sometimeagoaman——astranger——cametothepeacefultowninwhichtheylivedandengagedinsomerealestateoperations。
Thiswomanmethim，andbecameunaccountablyinfatu-
atedwithhim。Herattentionsbecamesoopenthatthemanfeltthecommunitytobenosafeplaceforhim，soheleftit。Sheabandonedhusbandandhome，andfollowedhim。Sheforsook-herhome，whereshewasprovidedwitheverycomfort，tofollowthismanwhohadinspiredherwithsuchastrangeaffection。Isthereany-
thingmoretobedeplored，\"concludedtheclient，inatremblingvoice，\"thanthewreckingofahomebyawoman\'suncalculatingfolly？\"
LawyerGoochdeliveredthecautiousopinionthattherewasnot。
\"Thismanshehasgonetojoin，\"resumedthevisitor，\"isnotthemantomakeherhappy。Itisawildandfoolishself-deceptionthatmakesherthinkhewill。Herhusband，inspiteoftheirmanydisagreements，istheonlyonecapableofdealingwithhersensitiveandpeculiarnature。Butthisshedoesnotrealizenow。\"
\"Wouldyouconsideradivorcethelogicalcureinthecaseyoupresent？\"askedLawyerGooch，whofeltthattheconversationwaswanderingtoofarfromthefieldofbusiness。
\"Adivorce!\"exclaimedtheclient，feelingly-almosttearfully。\"No，no-notthat。Ihaveread，Mr。Gooch，ofmanyinstanceswhereyoursympathyandkindlyinter-
estledyoutoactasamediatorbetweenestrangedhus-
bandandwife，andbroughtthemtogetheragain。Letusdropthehypotheticalcase——IneedconcealnolongerthatitisIwhoamthesuffererinthissadaffair——thenamesyoushallhave——ThomasR。Billingsandwife——
andHenryK。Jessup，themanwithwhomsheisinfatuated。\"
ClientnumberthreelaidhishanduponMr。Gooch\'sarm。Deepemotionwaswrittenuponhiscarewornface。\"ForHeaven\'ssake\"，hesaidfervently，\"helpmeinthishouroftrouble。Seek，outMrs。Billings，andpersuadehertoabandonthisdistressingpursuitofherlamentablefolly。Tellher，Mr。Gooch，thatherhusbandiswillingtoreceiveherbacktohisheartandhome——
promiseheranythingthatwillinducehertoreturn。I
haveheardofyoursuccessinthesematters。Mrs。Bil-
lingscannotbeveryfaraway。Iamwornoutwithtravelandweariness。TwiceduringthepursuitIsawher，butvariouscircumstancespreventedourhavinganinter-
view。Willyouundertakethismissionforme，Mr。
Gooch，andearnmyeverlastinggratitude？\"
\"Itistrue，\"saidLawverGooch，frowningslightlyattheother\'slastwords，butimmediatelycallingupanexpressionofvirtuousbenevolence，\"thatonanumberofoccasionsIhavebeensuccessfulinpersuadingcoupleswhosoughttheseveringoftheirmatrimonialbondstothinkbetteroftheirrashintentionsandreturntotheirhomesreconciled。ButIassureyouthattheworkisoftenexceedinglydifficult。Theamountofargument，perseverance，and，ifImaybeallowedtosayit，eloquencethatitrequireswouldastonishyou。Butthisisacaseinwhichmysympathieswouldbewhollyenlisted。I
feeldeeplyforyousir，andIwouldbemosthappytoseehusbandandwifereunited。Butmytime，\"concludedthelawyer，lookingathiswatchasifsuddenlyremindedofthefact，\"isvaluable。\"
\"Iamawareofthat，\"saidtheclient，\"andifyouwilltakethecaseandpersuadeMrs。Billingstoreturnhomeandleavethemanalonethatsheisfollowing——
onthatdayIwillpayyouthesumofonethousanddollars。IhavemadealittlemoneyinrealestateduringtherecentboominSusanville，andIwillnotbegrudgethatamount。\"
\"Retainyourseatforafewmoments，please，\"saidLawyerGooch，arising，andagainconsultinghiswatch。
\"IhaveanotherclientwaitinginanadjoiningroomwhomIhadverynearlyforgotten。Iwillreturninthebriefestpossiblespace。\"
ThesituationwasnowonethatfullysatisfiedLawyerGooch\'sloveofintricacyandcomplication。Herevelledincasesthatpresentedsuchsubtleproblemsandpossi-
bilities。Itpleasedhimtothinkthathewasmasterofthehappinessandfateofthethreeindividualswhosat，uncon-
ciousofoneanother\'spresence，withinhisreach。Hisoldfigureoftheshipglidedintohismind。Butnowthefigurefailed，fortohavefilledeverycompartmentofanactualvesselwouldhavebeentoendangerhersafety；
withhiscompartmentsfull，hisshipofaffairscouldbutsailontotheadvantageousportofafine，fatfee。Thethingforhimtodo，ofcourse，wastowringthebestbargainhecouldfromsomeoneofhisanxiouscargo。
Firsthecalledtotheofficeboy:\"Locktheouterdoor，Archibald，andadmitnoone。\"Thenhemoved，withlong，silentstridesintotheroominwhichclientnumberonewaited。Thatgentlemansat，patientlyscanningthepicturesinthemagazine，withacigarinhismouthandhisfeetuponatable。
\"Well，\"heremarked，cheerfully，asthelawyerentered，\"haveyoumadeupyourmind？Doesfivehundreddollarsgoforgettingthefairladyadivorce？\"
\"Youmeanthatasaretainer？\"askedLawyerGooch，softlyinterrogative。
\"Hey？No；forthewholejob。It\'senough，ain\'tit？\"
\"Myfee，\"saidLawyerGooch，\"wouldbeonethousandfivehundreddollars。Fivehundreddollarsdown，andtheremainderuponissuanceofthedivorce。\"
Aloudwhistlecamefromclientnumberone。Hisfeetdescendedtothefloor。
\"Guesswecan\'tclosethedeal，\"hesaid，arising，\"I
cleanedupfivehunderddollarsinalittlerealestatedickerdowninSusanville。I\'ddoanythingIcouldtofreethelady，butitout-sizesmypile。\"
\"Couldyoustandonethousandtwohundreddollars？\"
askedthelawyer，insinuatingly。
\"Fivehundredismylimit，Itellyou。GuessI\'llhavetohuntupacheaperlawyer。\"Theclientputonhishat。
\"Outthisway，please，\"saidLawyerGooch，openingthedoorthatledintothehallway。
Asthegentlemanflowedoutofthecompartmentanddownthestairs，LawyerGoochsmiledtohimself。\"ExitMr。Jessup，\"hemurmured，ashefingeredtheHenryClaytuftofhairathisear。\"Andnowfortheforsakenhusband。\"Hereturnedtothemiddleoffice，andassumedabusinesslikemanner。
\"Iunderstand，\"hesaidtoclientnumberthree，\"thatyouagreetopayonethousanddollarsifIbringabout，oraminstrumentalinbringingabout，thereturnofMrs。
Billingstoherhome，andherabandonmentofherinfatu-
atedpursuitofthemanforwhomshehasconceivedsuchaviolentfancy。Alsothatthecaseisnowunreservedlyinmyhandsonthatbasis。Isthatcorrect？\"
\"Entirely\"，saidtheother，eagerly。AndIcanproducethecashanytimeattwohours\'notice。\"
LawyerGoochstoodupathisfullheight。Histhinfigureseemedtoexpand。Histhumbssoughtthearm-
holesofhisvest。Uponhisfacewasalookofsym-
patheticbenignitythathealwaysworeduringsuchundertakings。
\"Then，sir，\"hesaid，inkindlytones，\"IthinkIcanpromiseyouanearlyrelieffromyourtroubles。Ihavethatmuchconfidenceinmypowersofargumentandpersuasion，inthenaturalimpulsesofthehumanhearttowardgood，andinthestronginfluenceofahusband\'sunfalteringlove。Mrs。Billinos，sir，ishere——inthatroom——thelawyer\'slongarmpointedtothedoor。
\"Iwillcallherinatonce；andourunitedpleadings——\"
LawyerGoochpaused，forclientnumberthreehadleapedfromhischairasifpropelledbysteelsprings，andclutchedhissatchel。
\"Whatthedevil，\"heexclaimed，harshly，\"dovoumean？Thatwomaninthere!IthoughtIshookherofffortymilesback。\"
Herantotheopenwindow，lookedoutbelow，andthrewonelegoverthesill。
\"Stop!\"criedLawyerGooch，inamazement。\"Whatwouldyoudo？Come，Mr。Billings，andfaceyourerringbutinnocentwife。Ourcombinedentreatiescannotfailto——\"
\"Billings!\"shoutedthenowthoroughlymovedclient。
\"I\'llBillingsyou，youoldidiot!\"
Turning，hehurledhissatchelwithfuryatthelawyer\'shead。Itstruckthatastoundedpeacemakerbetweentheeyes，causinghimtostaggerbackwardapaceortwo。
WhenLawyerGoochrecoveredhiswitshesawthathisclienthaddisappeared。Rushingtothewindow，heleanedout，andsawtherecreantgatheringhimselfupfromthetopofasheduponwhichhehaddroppedfromthesecond-storywindow。Withoutstoppingtocollecthishathethenplungeddownwardtheremainingtenfeettothealley，upwhichheflewwithprodigiouscelerityuntilthesurroundingbuildingswallowedhimupfromview。
LawyerGoochpassedhishandtremblinglyacrosshisbrow。Itwasahabitualactwithhim，servingtoclearhisthoughts。Perhapsalsoitnowseemedtosoothethespotwhereaveryhardalligator-hidesatchelhadstruck。
Thesatchellayuponthefloor，wideopen，withitscon-
tentsspilledabout。Mechanically，LawyerGoochstoopedtogatherupthearticles。Thefirstwasacollar；andtheomniscienteyeofthemanoflawperceived，wonder-
ingly，theinitialsH。K。J。markeduponit。Thencameacomb，abrush，afoldedmap，andapieceofsoap。
lastly，ahandfulofoldbusinessletters，addressed——
everyoneofthem——to\"HenryK。Jessup，Esq。\"
LawyerGoochclosedthesatchel，andsetituponthetable。Hehesitatedforamoment，andthenputonhishatandwalkedintotheofficeboy\'santeroom。
\"Archibald，\"hesaidmildly，asheopenedthehalldoor，\"IamgoingaroundtotheSupremeCourtrooms。Infiveminutesyoumaystepintotheinneroffice，andinformtheladywhoiswaitingtherethat\"——hereLawyerGoochmadeuseofthevernacular——\"thatthere\'snothingdoing。\"
CALLOWAY\'SCODE
TheNewYorkEnterprisesentH。B。CallowayasspecialcorrespondenttotheRusso-Japanese-Portsmouthwar。
FortwomonthsCallowayhungaboutYokohamaandTokio，shakingdicewiththeothercorrespondentsfordrinksof\'rickshaws——oh，no，that\'ssomethingtoridein；anyhow，hewasn\'tearningthesalarythathispaperwaspayinghim。ButthatwasnotCalloway\'sfault。ThelittlebrownmenwhoheldthestringsofFatebetweentheirfingerswerenotreadyforthereadersoftheEnterprisetoseasontheirbreakfastbaconandeggswiththebattlesofthedescendantsofthegods。
ButsoonthecolumnofcorrespondentsthatweretogooutwiththeFirstArmytightenedtheirfield-glassbeltsandwentdowntotheYaluwithKuroki。Callowaywasoneofthese。
Now，thisisnohistoryofthebattleoftheYaluRiver。
Thathasbeentoldindetailbythecorrespondentswhogazedattheshrapnelsmokeringsfromadistanceofthreemiles。But，forjustice\'ssake，letitbeunderstoodthattheJapanesecommanderprohibitedanearerview。
Calloway\'sfeatwasaccomplishedbeforethebattle。
WhathedidwastofurnishtheEnterprisewiththebiggestbeatofthewar。Thatpaperpublishedexclu-
sivelyandindetailthenewsoftheattackonthelinesoftheRussianGeneralonthesamedaythatitwasmade。Nootherpaperprintedawordaboutitfortwodaysafterward，exceptaLondonpaper，whoseaccountwasabsolutelyincorrectanduntrue。
CallowaydidthisinfaceofthefactthatGeneralKurokiwasmaking，hismovesandlivinghisplanswiththepro-
foundestsecrecy，asfarastheworldoutsidehiscampswasconcerned。Thecorrespondentswereforbiddentosendoutanynewswhateverofhisplans；andeverymessagethatwasallowedonthewireswascensored——withrigidseverity。
ThecorrespondentfortheLondonpaperhandedinacablegramdescribing，Kuroki\'splans；butasitwaswrongfrombeginningtoendthecensorgrinnedandletitgothrough。
So，theretheywere——KurokiononesideoftheYaluwithforty-twothousandinfantry，fivethousandcavalry，andonehundredandtwenty-fourguns。Ontheotherside，Zassulitchwaitedforhimwithonlytwenty-threethousandmen，andwithalongstretchofrivertoguard。
AndCallowayhadgotholdofsomeimportantinsideinformationthatheknewwouldbringtheEnterprisestaffaroundacablegramasthickasfliesaroundaParkRowlemonadestand。Ifhecouldonlygetthatmessagepastthecensor——thenewcensorwhohadarrivedandtakenhispostthatday!
Callowaydidtheobviouslyproperthing。Helithispipeandsatdownonaguncarriagetothinkitover。Andtherewemustleavehim；fortherestofthestorybelongstoVesey，asixteen-dollar-a-weekreporterontheEnterprise。
Calloway\'scablegramwashandedtothemanagingeditoratfouro\'clockintheafternoon。Hereaditthreetimes；andthendrewapocketmirrorfromapigeon-holeinhisdesk，andlookedathisreflectioncarefully。ThenhewentovertothedeskofBoyd，hisassistant(heusuallycalledBoydwhenhewantedhim)，andlaidthecablegrambeforehim。
\"It\'sfromCalloway，\"hesaid。\"Seewhatyoumakeofit。\"
ThemessagewasdatedatWi-ju，andthesewerethewordsofit:
Foregonepreconcertedrashwitchinggoesmuffledrumourminedarksilentunfortunaterichmondexistinggreathotlybruteselectmootedparlousbeggarsyeangelincontrovertible。
Boydreadittwice。
\"It\'seitheracipherorasunstroke，\"saidhe。
\"Everhearofanythinglikeacodeintheoffice——asecretcode？\"askedthem。e。，whohadheldhisdeskforonlytwoyears。Managingeditorscomeandgo。
\"Noneexceptthevernacularthattheladyspecialswritein，\"saidBoyd。\"Couldn\'tbeanacrostic，couldit？\"
\"Ithoughtofthat，\"saidthem。e。，\"butthebeginningletterscontainonlyfourvowels。Itmustbeacodeofsomesort。\"
\"Tryemingroups，\"suggestedBoyd。\"Let\'ssee——\'Rashwitchinggoes\'——notwithmeitdoesn\'t。\'Muf-
fledrumourmine\'——musthaveanundergroundwire。
\'Darksilentunfortunaterichmond\'——noreasonwhyheshouldknockthattownsohard。\'Existinggreathotly\'——
noitdoesn\'tpanoutI\'llcallScott。\"
Thecityeditorcameinahurry，andtriedhisluck。
Acityeditormustknowsomethingabouteverything；
soScottknewalittleaboutcipher-writing。
\"Itmaybewhatiscalledaninvertedalphabetcipher，\"
saidhe。\"I\'lltrythat。\'R\'seemstobetheoftenestusedinitialletter，withtheexceptionof\'m。\'Assuming\'r\'tomean\'e\'，themostfrequentlyusedvowel，wetransposetheletters——so。\"
Scottworkedrapidlywithhispencilfortwominutes；
andthenshowedthefirstwordaccordingtohisreading——theword\"Scejtzez。\"
\"Great!\"criedBoyd。\"It\'sacharade。MyfirstisaRussiangeneral。Goon，Scott。\"
\"No，thatwon\'twork，\"saidthecityeditor。\"It\'sundoubtedlyacode。It\'simpossibletoreaditwithoutthekey。Hastheofficeeverusedaciphercode？\"
\"JustwhatIwasasking，\"saidthem。e。\"Hustleeverybodyupthatoughttoknow。Wemustgetatitsomeway。Callowayhasevidentlygotholdofsome-
thingbig，andthecensorhasputthescrewson，orhewouldn\'thavecabledinalotofchopsueylikethis。\"
ThroughouttheofficeoftheEnterpriseadragnetwassent，haulinginsuchmembersofthestaffaswouldbelikelytoknowofacode，pastorpresent，byreasonoftheirwisdom，information，naturalintelligence，orlengthofservitude。Theygottogetherinagroupinthecityroom，withthem。e。inthecentre。Noonehadheardofacode。Allbegantoexplaintotheheadinvesti-
gatorthatnewspapersneveruseacode，anyhow——thatis，aciphercode。OfcoursetheAssociatedPressstuffisasortofcode——anabbreviation，rather——but——
Them。e。knewallthat，andsaidso。Heaskedeachmanhowlonghehadworkedonthepaper。NotoneofthemhaddrawnpayfromanEnterpriseenvelopeforlongerthansixyears。Callowayhadbeenonthepapertwelveyears。
\"TryoldHeffelbauer，\"saidthem。e。\"HewasherewhenParkRowwasapotatopatch。\"
Heffelbauerwasaninstitution。Hewashalfjanitor，halfhandy-manabouttheoffice，andhalfwatchman——
thusbecomingthepeerofthirteenandone-halftailors。
Sentfor，hecame，radiatinghisnationality。
\"Heffelbauer，\"saidthem。e。，\"didyoueverhearofacodebelongingtotheofficealongtimeago-aprivatecode？Youknowwhatacodeis，don\'tyou？\"
\"Yah，\"saidHeffelbauer。\"SureIknowvatacodeis。
Yah，apoutdwelforfifteenyearagoderofficehadacode。
Derrebortersindercity-roomhafithere。\"
\"Ah!\"saidthem。e。\"We\'regettingonthetrailnow。
Wherewasitkept，Heffelbauer？Whatdoyouknowaboutit？\"
\"Somedimes，\"saidtheretainer，\"deykeepitinderlittleroombehindderlibraryroom。\"
\"Canyoufinditaskedthem。e。eagerly。\"Doyouknowwhereitis？\"
\"MeinGott!\"saidHeffelbauer。\"Howlongyoudinkacodelive？Derreborterscallhimamaskeet。
Butvondayhebuttmithisheaddereditor，und——\"
\"Oh，he\'stalkingaboutagoat，\"saidBoyd。\"Getout，Heffelbauer。\"
Againdiscomfited，theconcertedwitandresourceoftheEnterprisehuddledaroundCalloway\'spuzzle，con-
sideringitsmysteriouswordsinvain。
ThenVeseycamein。
Veseywastheyoungestreporter。Hehadathirty-
two-inchchestandworeanumberfourteencollar；buthisbrightScotchplaidsuitgavehimpresenceandcon-
ferrednoobscurityuponhiswhereabouts。Heworehishatinsuchapositionthatpeoplefollowedhimabouttoseehimtakeitoff，convincedthatitmustbehunguponapegdrivenintothebackofhishead。Hewasneverwithoutanimmense，knotted，hard-woodcanewithaGerman-silvertiponitscrookedhandle。Veseywasthebestphotographhustlerintheoffice。Scottsaiditwasbecausenolivinghumanbeingcouldresisttheper-
sonaltriumphitwastohandhispictureovertoVesey。
Veseyalwayswrotehisownnewsstories，exceptthebigones，whichweresenttotherewritemen。Addtothisfactthatamongalltheinhabitants，temples，andgrovesoftheearthnothingexistedthatcouldabashVesey，andhisdimsketchisconcluded。
VeseybuttedintothecircleofcipherreadersverymuchasHeffelbauer\'s\"code\"wouldhavedone，andaskedwhatwasup。Someoneexplained，withthetouchofhalf-familiarcondescensionthattheyalwaysusedtowardhim。Veseyreachedoutandtookthecablegramfromthem。e。\'shand。UndertheprotectionofsomespecialProvidence，hewasalwaysdoingappallingthingslikethat，andcoming，offunscathed。
\"It\'sacode，\"saidVesey。\"Anybodygotthekey？\"
\"Theofficehasnocode，\"saidBoyd，reachingforthemessage。Veseyheldtoit。
\"ThenoldCallowavexpectsustoreadit，anyhow，\"
saidhe。\"He\'supatree，orsomething，andhe\'smadethisupsoastogetitby，thecensor。It\'suptous。Gee!
Iwishtheyhadsell，me，too。Say——wecan\'taffordtofalldownonourendofit。\'Foregone，preconcertedrash，witching\'——h\'m。\"
Veseysatdownonatablecornerandbegantowhistlesoftly，frowningatthecablegram。
\"Let\'shaveit，please，\"saidthem。e。\"We\'vegottogettoworkonit。\"
\"IbelieveI\'vegotalineonit，\"saidVesey。\"Givemetenminutes。\"
Hewalkedtohisdesk，threwhishatintoawaste-basket，spreadoutflatonhischestlikeagorgeouslizard，andstartedhispencilgoing。ThewitandwisdomoftheEnterpriseremainedinaloosegroup，andsmiledatoneanother，noddingtheirheadstowardVesey。Thentheybegantoexchangetheirtheoriesaboutthecipher。
IttookVeseyexactlyfifteenminutes。Hebroughttothem。e。apadwiththecode-keywrittenonit。
\"IfelttheswingofitassoonasIsawit，\"saidVesey。
\"HurrahforoldCalloway!He\'sdonetheJapsandeverypaperintownthatprintsliteratureinsteadofnews。
Takealookatthat。\"
ThushadVeseysetforththereadingofthecode:
Foregone-conclusionPreconcerted-arrangementRash-actWitching-hourofmidnightGoes-withoutsayingMuffled-reportRumour-hathitMine-hostDark-horseSilent-majorityUnfortunate-pedestriansRichmond-inthefieldExisting-conditionsGreat-WhiteWayHotly-contestedBrute-forceSelect-fewMooted-questionParlous-timesBeggars-descriptionYe-correspondentAngel-unawaresIncontrovertible-fact——
*Mr。Veseyafterwardexplainedthatthelogicaljournalisticcomplementoftheword\"unfortunate\"wasoncetheword\"victim。\"But，sincetheautomobilebe-
camesopopular，thecorrectfollowingwordisnowpedestrians。Ofcourse，inCalloway\'scodeitmeantinfantry。
\"It\'ssimplynewspaperEnglish，\"explainedVesey。
\"I\'vebeenreportingontheEnterpriselongenoughtoknowitbyheart。OldCallowaygivesusthecueword，andweusethewordthatnaturallyfollowsitjustasweeminthepaper。Readitover，andyou\'llseehowpattheydropintotheirplaces。Now，here\'sthemessageheintendedustoget。\"
Veseyhandedoutanothersheetofpaper。
Concludedarrangementtoactathourofmidnightwithoutsaying。Reporthathitthatalargebodyofcavalryandanoverwhelmingforceofinfantrywillbethrownintothefield。Conditionswhite。Waycon-
testedbyonlyasmallforce。QuestiontheTimesdescrip-
tion。Itscorrespondentisunawareofthefacts。
\"Greatstuff!\"criedBoydexcitedly。\"KurokicrossestheYaluto-nightandattacks。Oh，wewon\'tdoathingtothesheetsthatmakeupwithAddison\'sessays，realestatetransfers，andbowlingscores!\"
\"Mr。Vesey，\"saidthem。e。，withhisjollying-which-
you-should-regard-as-a-favourmanner，\"youhavecastaseriousreflectionupontheliterarystandardsofthepaperthatemploysyou。Youhavealsoassistedmateriallyingivingusthebiggest\'beat\'oftheyear。I
willletyouknowinadayortwowhetheryouaretobedischargedorretainedatalargersalary。SomebodysendAmestome。\"
Ameswastheking-pin，thesnowy-petalledMarguerite，thestar-brightlooloooftherewritemen。Hesawattemptedmurderinthepainsofgreen-applecolic，cyclonesinthesummerzephyr，lostchildrenineverytop-
spinningurchin，anuprisingofthedown-troddenmassesineveryhurlingofaderelictpotatoatapassingautomobile。
Whennotrewriting，AmessatontheporchofhisBrooklynvillaplayingcheckerswithhisten-year-oldson。
Amesandthe\"wareditor\"shutthemselvesinaroom。
Therewasamapintherestuckfulloflittlepinsthatrepresentedarmiesanddivisions。TheirfingershadbeenitchingfordaystomovethosepinsalongthecrookedlineoftheYalu。Theydidsonow；andinwordsoffireAmestranslatedCalloway\'sbriefmessageintoafrontpagemasterpiecethatsettheworldtalking。HetoldofthesecretcouncilsoftheJapaneseofficers；gaveKuroki\'sflamingspeechesinfull；countedthecavalryandinfantrytoamanandahorse；describedthequickandsilentbuilding，ofthebridgeatStuikauchen，acrosswhichtheMikado\'slegionswerehurleduponthesurprisedZas-
sulitch，whosetroopswerewidelyscatteredalongtheriver。
Andthebattle!——well，youknowwhatAmescandowithabattleifyougivehimjustonesmellofsmokeforafoundation。Andinthesamestory，withseeminglysupernaturalknowledge，hegleefullyscoredthemostprofoundandponderouspaperinEnglandforthefalseandmisleadingaccountoftheintendedmovementsoftheJapaneseFirstArmyprintedinitsissueofthesamedate。
Onlyoneerrorwasmade；andthatwasthefaultofthecableoperatoratWi-ju。Callowaypointeditoutafterhecameback。Theword\"great\"inhiscodeshouldhavebeen\"gage，\"anditscomplementalwords\"ofbattle。\"ButitwenttoAmes\"conditionswhite，\"
andofcoursehetookthattomeansnow。HisdescriptionoftheJapanesearmystrum，strugglingthroughthesnowstorm，blindedbythewhirling，flakes，wasthrillinglyvivid。Theartiststurnedoutsomeeffectiveillustrationsthatmadeahitaspicturesoftheartillerydraggingtheirgunsthroughthedrifts。But，astheattackwasmadeonthefirstdayofMay，\"conditionswhite\"excitedsomeamusement。
ButitinmadenodifferencetotheEnterprise，anyway。
Itwaswonderful。AndCallowaywaswonderfulinhavingmadethenewcensorbelievethathisjargonofwordsmeantnomorethanacomplaintofthedearthofnewsandapetitionformoreexpensemoney。AndVeseywaswonderful。Andmostwonderfulofallarewords，andhowtheymakefriendsonewithanother，beingoftassociated，untilnotevenobituarynoticesthemdopart。
Ontheseconddayfollowing，thecityeditorhaltedatVesey\'sdeskwherethereporterwaswritingthestoryofamanwhohadbrokenhislegbyfallingintoacoal-hole——Ameshavingfailedtofindamurdermotiveinit。
\"Theoldmansaysyoursalaryistoberaisedtotwentyaweek，\"saidScott。
\"Allright，\"saidVesey。\"Everylittlehelps。Say——Mr。Scott，whichwouldyousay——\'Wecanstatewithoutfearofsuccessfulcontradiction，\'or，\'Onthewholeitcanbesafelyasserted\'？\"
AMATTEROFMEANELEVATION
ONEwintertheAlcazarOperaCompanyofNewOrleansmadeaspeculativetripalongtheMexican，CentralAmericanandSouthAmericancoasts。Theventureprovedamostsuccessfulone。Themusic-
loving，impressionableSpanish-Americansdelugedthecompanywithdollarsand\"vivas。\"Themanagerwaxedplumpandamiable。Butfortheprohibitiveclimatehewouldhaveputforththedistinctiveflowerofhisprosperity——theovercoatoffur，braided，froggedandopulent。Almostwashepersuadedtoraisethesalariesofhiscompany。Butwithamightyeffortheconqueredtheimpulsetowardsuchanunprofitableeffervescenceofjoy。
AtMacuto，onthecoastofVenezuela，thecompanyscoreditsgreatestsuccess。ImagineConeyIslandtranslatedintoSpanishandyouwillcomprehendMacuto。
ThefashionableseasonisfromNovembertoMarch。
DownfromLaGuayraandCaracasandValenciaandotherinteriortownsflockthepeoplefortheirholidaysea-
son。Therearebathingandfiestasandbullfightsandscandal。Andthenthepeoplehaveapassionformusicthatthebandsintheplazaandontheseabeachstirbutdonotsatisfy。ThecomingoftheAlcazarOperaCom-
panyarousedtheutmostardourandzealamongthepleasureseekers。
TheillustriousGuzmanBlanco，PresidentandDic-
tatorofVenezuela，sojournedinMacutowithhiscourtfortheseason。Thatpotentruler——whohimselfpaidasubsidyof40，000pesoseachyeartograndoperainCaracas——orderedoneoftheGovernmentwarehousestobeclearedforatemporarytheatre。Astagewasquicklyconstructedandroughwoodenbenchesmadefortheaudience。PrivateboxeswereaddedfortheuseofthePresidentandthenotablesofthearmyandGovernment。
ThecompanyremainedinMacutofortwoweeks。
Eachperformancefilledthehouseascloselyasitcouldbepacked。Thenthemusic-madpeoplefoughtforroomintheopendoorsandwindows，andcrowdedabout，hundredsdeep，ontheoutside。Thoseaudiencesformedabrilliantlydiversifiedpatchofcolour。Thehueoftheirfacesrangedfromtheclearoliveofthepure-bloodSpan-
iardsdownthroughtheyellowandbrownshadesoftheMestizostothecoal-blackCaribandtheJamaicaNegro。
ScatteredamongthemwerelittlegroupsofIndianswithfaceslikestoneidols，wrappedingaudyfibre-wovenblankets——IndiansdownfromthemountainstatesofZamoraandLosAndesandMirandatotradetheirgolddustinthecoasttowns。
Thespellcastuponthesedenizensoftheinteriorfastnesseswasremarkable。Theysatinpetrifiedecstasy，conspicuousamongtheexcitableMacutians，whowildlystrovewithtongueandhandtogiveevidenceoftheirdelight。Onlyoncedidthesombreraptureoftheseaboriginalsfindexpression。Duringtherenditionof\"Faust，\"GuzmanBlanco，extravagantlypleasedbythe\"JewelSong，\"castuponthestageapurseofgoldpieces。
Otherdistinguishedcitizensfollowedhisleadtotheextentofwhateverloosecointheyhadconvenient，whilesomeofthefairandfashionablese駉rasweremoved，inimita-
tion，toflingajeweloraringortwoatthefeetoftheMarguerite——whowas，accordingtothebills，Mlle。
NinaGiraud。Then，fromdifferentpartsofthehouserosesundryofthestolidhillmenandcastuponthestagelittlebrownanddunbagsthatfellwithsoft\"thumps\"
anddidnotrebound。Itwas，nodoubt，pleasureatthetributetoherartthatcausedMlle。Giraud\'seyestoshinesobrightlywhensheopenedtheselittledeerskinbagsinherdressingroomandfoundthemtocontainpuregolddust。Ifso，thepleasurewasrightlyhers，forhervoiceinsong，pure，strongandthrillingwiththefeelingoftheemotionalartist，deservedthetributethatitearned。
ButthetriumphoftheAlcazarOperaCompanyisnotthetheme——itbutleansuponandcoloursit。TherehappenedinMacutoatragicthing，anunsolvablemystery，thatsoberedforatimethegaietyofthehappyseason。
OneeveningbetweentheshorttwilightandthetimewhensheshouldhavewhirleduponthestageintheredandblackoftheardentCarmen，Mlle。NinaGirauddis-
appearedfromthesightandkenof6，000pairsofeyesandasmanymindsinMacuto。Therewastheusualturmoilandhurryingtoseekher。MessengersflewtothelittleFrench-kepthotelwhereshestayed；othersofthecompanyhastenedhereortherewhereshemightbelingeringinsometiendaorundulyprolongingherbathuponthebeach。Allsearchwasfruitless。Mademoi-
sellehadvanished。
Halfanhourpassedandshedidnotappear。Thedictator，unusedtothecapricesofprimedonne，becameimpatient。Hesentanaidefromhisboxtosaytothemanagerthatifthecurtaindidnotatoncerisehewouldimmediatelyhaletheentirecompanytothecalabosa，thoughitwoulddesolatehisheart，indeed，tobecom-
pelledtosuchanact。BirdsinMacutocouldbemadetosing。
ThemanagerabandonedhopeforthetimeofMlle。
Giraud。Amemberofthechorus，whohaddreamedhopelesslyforyearsoftheblessedopportunity，quicklyCarmenizedherselfandtheoperawenton。
Afterward，whenthelostcantatriceappearednot，theaidoftheauthoritieswasinvoked。ThePresidentatoncesetthearmy，thepoliceandallcitizenstothesearch。
NotonecluetoMlle。Giraud\'sdisappearancewasfound。
TheAlcazarlefttofillengagementsfartherdownthecoast。
OnthewaybackthesteamerstoppedatMacutoandthemanagermadeanxiousinquiry。Notatraceoftheladyhadbeendiscovered。TheAlcazarcoulddonomore。ThepersonalbelongingsofthemissingladywerestoredinthehotelagainstherpossiblelaterreappearanceandtheoperacompanycontinueduponitshomewardvoyagetoNewOrleans。
OnthecaminorealalongthebeachthetwosaddlemulesandthefourpackmulesofDonSe駉rJohnnyArmstrongstood，patientlyawaitingthecrackofthewhipofthearriero，Luis。Thatwouldbethesignalforthestartonanotherlongjourneyintothemountains。Thepackmuleswereloadedwithavariedassortmentofhard-
wareandcutlery。ThesearticlesDonJohnnytradedtotheinteriorIndiansforthegolddustthattheywashedfromtheAndeanstreamsandstoredinquillsandbagsagainsthiscoming。Itwasaprofitablebusiness，andSe駉rArmstrongexpectedsoontobeabletopurchasethecoffeeplantationthathecoveted。
Armstrongstoodonthenarrowsidewalk，exchanginggarbledSpanishwitholdPeralto，therichnativemerchantwhohadjustchargedhimfourpricesforhalfagrossofpot-metalhatchets，andabridgedEnglishwithRucker，thelittleGermanwhowasConsulfortheUnitedStates。
\"Takewithyou，se駉r，\"saidPeralto，\"theblessingsofthesaintsuponyourjourney。\"
\"Bettertryquinine，\"growledRuckerthroughhispipe。
\"Taketwograinseverynight。Anddon\'tmakeyourtriptoolong，Johnny，becausewehafneedsofyou。ItiseinvillainousgamedotMelvilleplayofwhist，anddereisnoodersubstitute。Aufwiedersehen，undkeepyoureyesdotmule\'searsbetweenwhenyouonderedgeofderbrecipicesride。\"
ThebellsofLuis\'smulejingledandthepacktrainfiledafterthewarningnote。Armstrong，wavedagood-
byeandtookhisplaceatthetailoftheprocession。Upthenarrowstreettheyturned，andpassedthetwo-storywoodenHotelIngles，whereIvesandDawsonandRich-
ardsandtherestofthechapsweredawdlingonthebroadpiazza，readingweek-oldnewspapers。Theycrowdedtotherailingandshoutedmanyfriendlyandwiseandfoolishfarewellsafterhim。AcrosstheplazatheytrottedslowlypastthebronzestatueofGuzmanBlanco，withinitsfenceofbayonetedriflescapturedfromrevolutionists，andoutofthetownbetweentherowsofthatchedhutsswarmingwiththeunclothedyouthofMacuto。Theyplungedintothedampcoolnessofbananagrovesatlengthtoemergeuponabrightstream，wherebrownwomeninscantraimentlaunderedclothesdestructivelyupontherocks。Thenthepacktrain，fordingthestream，attackedthesuddenascent，andbadeadieutosuchcivilizationasthecoastafforded。
ForweeksArmstrong，guidedbyLuis，followedhisregularrouteamongthemountains。Afterhehadcol-
lectedanarrobaofthepreciousmetal，winningaprofitofnearly$5，000，theheadsofthelightenedmuleswereturneddown-trailagain。WheretheheadoftheGuaricoRiverspringsfromagreatgashinthemountain-side，Luishaltedthetrain。
\"Halfaday\'sjourneyfromhere，Se駉r，\"saidhe，\"isthevillageofTacuzama，whichwehavenevervisited。
Ithinkmanyouncesofgoldmaybeprocuredthere。Itisworththetrial。\"
Armstrongconcurred，andtheyturnedagainupwardtowardTacuzama。Thetrailwasabruptandprecipi-
tousmountingthroughadenseforest。Asnightfell，darkandgloomy，Luisoncemorehalted。Beforethemwasablackchasm，bisectingthepathasfarastheycouldsee。
Luisdismounted。\"Thereshouldbeabridge，\"hecalled，andranalongthecleftadistance。\"Itishere，\"
hecried，andremounting，ledtheway。InafewmomentsArmstrong，heardasoundasthoughathunderousdrumwerebeatingsomewhereinthedark。Itwasthefallingofthemules\'hoofsuponthebridgemadeofstronghideslashedtopolesandstretchedacrossthechasm。HalfamilefurtherwasTacuzama。Thevillagewasacongre-
gationofrockandmudhutssetintheprofundityofanobscurewood。Astheyrodeinasoundinconsistentwiththatbroodingsolitudemettheirears。Fromalong，lowmudhutthattheywerenearingrosethegloriousvoiceofawomaninsong。ThewordswereEnglish，theairfamiliartoArmstrong\'smemory，butnottohismusicalknowledge。
Heslippedfromhismuleandstoletoanarrowwindowinoneendofthehouse。Peeringcautiouslyinside，hesaw，withinthreefeetofhim，awomanofmarvellous，imposingbeauty，clothedinasplendidlooserobeofleopardskins。ThehutwaspackedclosetothesmallspaceinwhichshestoodwiththesquattingfiguresofIndians。
Thewomanfinishedhersongandseatedherselfclosetothelittlewindow，asifgratefulfortheunpollutedairthatenteredit。Whenshehadceasedseveraloftheaudienceroseandcastlittlesoftly-fallingbagsatherfeet。
Aharshmurmur——nodoubtabarbarouskindofapplauseandcomment——wentthroughthegrimassembly。
Armstrong，wasusedtoseizingopportunitiespromptly。
Takingadvantageofthenoisehecalledtothewomaninalowbutdistinctvoice:\"Donotturnyourheadthisway，butlisten。IamanAmerican。IfyouneedassistancetellmehowIcanrenderit。Answerasbrieflyasyoucan。\"
Thewomanwasworthyofhisboldness。Onlybyasuddenflushofherpalecheekdidsheacknowledgeunderstandingofhiswords。Thenshespoke，scarcelymovingherlips。
\"IamheldaprisonerbytheseIndians。GodknowsIneedhelp。IntwohourscometothelittlehuttwentyyardstowardtheMountainside。Therewillbealightandaredcurtaininthewindow。Thereisalwaysaguardatthedoor，whomyouwillhavetoovercome。Fortheloveofheaven，donotfailtocome。\"
Thestoryseemstoshrinkfromadventureandrescueandmystery。Thethemeisonetoogentleforthosebraveandquickeningtones。Andyetitreachesasfarbackastimeitself。Ithasbeennamed\"environment，\"
whichisasweakawordasanytoexpresstheunnameablekinshipofmantonature，thatqueerfraternitythatcausesstonesandtreesandsaltwaterandcloudstoplayuponouremotions。Whyarewemadeseriousandsolemnandsublimebymountainheights，graveandcontempla-
tivebyanabundanceofoverhangingtrees，reducedtoinconstancyandmonkeycapersbytheripplesonasandybeach？Didtheprotoplasm——butenough。Thechem-
istsarelookingintothematter，andbeforelongtheywillhavealllifeinthetableofthesymbols。
Briefly，then，inordertoconfinethestorywithinscientificbounds，JohnArmstrong，wenttothehut，chokedtheIndianguardandcarriedawayMlle。Giraud。Withherwasalsoconveyedanumberofpoundsofgolddustshehadcollectedduringhersixmonths\'forcedengage-
mentinTacuzama。TheCaraboboIndiansareeasilythemostenthusiasticloversofmusicbetweentheequatorandtheFrenchOperaHouseinNewOrleans。TheyarealsostrongbelieversthattheadviceofEmersonwasgoodwhenhesaid:\"Thethingthouwantest，0discon-
tentedman——takeit，andpaytheprice。\"AnumberofthemhadattendedtheperformanceoftheAlcazarOperaCompanyinMacuto，andfoundMlle。Giraud\'sstyleandtechniquesatisfactory。Theywantedher，sotheytookheroneeveningsuddenlyandwithoutanyfuss。
Theytreatedherwithmuchconsideration，exactingonlyonesongrecitaleachday。ShewasquitepleasedatbeingrescuedbyMr。Armstrong。Somuchformysteryandadventure。Nowtoresumethetheoryoftheproto-
plasm。
JohnArmstrongandMlle。GiraudrodeamongtheAndeanpeaks，envelopedintheirgreatnessandsublimity。
Themightiestcousins，furthestremoved，innature\'sgreatfamilybecomeconsciousofthetie。Amongthosehugepilesofprimordialupheaval，amidthosegiganticsilencesandelongatedfieldsofdistancethelittlenessesofmenareprecipitatedasonechemicalthrowsdownasedimentfromanother。Theymovedreverently，asinatemple。Theirsoulswereupliftedinunisonwiththestatelyheights。Theytravelledinazoneofmajestyandpeace。
ToArmstrongthewomanseemedalmostaholything。
Yetbathedinthewhite，stilldignityofhermartyrdomthatpurifiedherearthlybeautyandgaveout，itseemed，anauraoftranscendentloveliness，inthosefirsthoursofcompanionshipshedrewfromhimanadorationthatwashalfhumanlove，halftheworshipofadescendedgoddess。
Neveryetsinceherrescuehadshesmiled。Overherdressshestillworetherobeofleopardskins，formountainairwascold。Shelookedtobesomesplendidprincessbelongingtothosewildandawesomealtitudes。
Thespiritoftheregionchimedwithhers。Hereyeswerealwaysturneduponthesombrecliffs，thebluegorgesandthesnow-cladturrets，lookingasublimemelancholyequaltotheirown。Attimesonthejourneyshesangthrillingtedeumsandmisereresthatstruckthetruenoteofthehills，andmadetheirrouteseemlikeasolemnmarchdownacathedralaisle。Therescuedonespokebutseldom，hermoodpartakingofthehushofnaturethatsurroundedthem。Armstronglookeduponherasanangel。Hecouldnotbringhimselftothesacrilegeofattemptingtowooherasotherwomenmaybewooed。
Onthethirddaytheyhaddescendedasfarasthetierratemplada，thezonaofthetablelandsandfoothills。
Themountainswererecedingintheirrear，butstilltowered，exhibitingyetimpressivelytheirformidableheads。Heretheymetsignsofman。Theysawthewhitehousesofcoffeeplantationsgleamacrosstheclear-
ings。Theystruckintoaroadwheretheymettravellersandpack-mules。Cattleweregrazingontheslopes。
Theypassedalittlevillagewheretheround-eyedni駉sshriekedandcalledatsightofthem。
Mlle。Giraudlaidasideherleopard-skinrobe。Itseemedtobeatrifleincongruousnow。Inthemoun-
tainsithadappearedfittingandnatural。AndifArm-
strongwasnotmistakenshelaidasidewithitsomethingofthehighdignityofherdemeanour。Asthecountrybecamemorepopulousandsignificantofcomfortablelifehesaw，withafeelingofjoy，thattheexaltedprincessandpriestessoftheAndeanpeakswaschangingtoawoman——anearthwomanbutnolessenticing。A
littlecolourcrepttothesurfaceofhermarblecheek。
Shearrangedtheconventionaldressthattheremovaloftherobenowdisclosedwiththesolicitoustouchofonewhoisconsciousoftheeyesofothers。Shesmoothedthecarelesssweepofherhair。Amundaneinterest，longlatentinthechillingatmosphereoftheasceticpeaks，showedinhereyes。
