“Butperhapsyouareofthesameopinionstill？“theJudgeinquired。
“Itisallterribletome，“shesaid。
“Yes；andsoiscapitalpunishmentterrible。Andsoiswar。Andperhapssomedayweshalldowithoutthem。Buttheyarenoneofthemsoterribleasuncheckedtheftandmurderwouldbe。“
AftertheJudgehaddepartedonhiswaytoSunkCreek，noonespoketoMollyuponthissubject。Butherfacedidnotgrowcheerfulatonce。Itwasplainfromherfitsofsilencethatherthoughtswerenotatrest。Andsometimesatnightshewouldstandinfrontofherlover’slikeness，gazinguponitwithbrothloveandshrinking。
XXXIV。TOFITHERFINGER
ItwastworingsthattheVirginianwroteforwhennextIheardfromhim。
AftermydarksightofwhattheCattleLandcouldbe，IsoonhadjourneyedhomebywayofWashakieandRawlins。SteveandShortydidnotleavemymemory，norwilltheyever，Isuppose。
TheVirginianhadtouchedthewholethingthedayIlefthim。Hehadnoticedmelookingasortoffarewellattheplainsandmountains。
“Youwillcomebacktoit，“hesaid。“Iftherewasaheadstoneforeverymanthatoncepleasuredinhisfreedomhere，yu’dseeonemosteverytimeyu’turnedyourhead。It’saheapsadderthanagraveyard——butyu’loveitallthesame。“
Sadnesshadpassedfromhim——fromhisuppermostmood，atleast，whenhewroteabouttherings。Deepinhimwassadnessofcourse，aswellasjoy。ForhehadknownSteve，andhehadcoveredShortywithearth。Hehadlookeduponlifewithamarkseyes，veryclose；andnoone，ifhehaveaheart，canpassthroughthisandnotcarrysadnessinhisspiritwithhimforever。Butheseldomshowsitopenly；itbideswithinhim，enrichinghischeerfulnessandrenderinghimofbetterservicetohisfellow-men。
Itwasacommissionofcheerfulnessthathenowgave，beingdistantfromwhereringsaretobebought。HecouldnotgosofarastheEasttoprocurewhathehadplanned。RingsweretobehadinCheyenne，andastillgreaterchoiceinDenver；andsofaraseitherofthesetownshisaffairswouldhavepermittedhimtotravel。ButhewassetuponhavingringsfromtheEast。Theymustcomefromthebestplaceinthecountry；nothingshortofthatwasgoodenough“tofitherfinger，“ashesaid。Theweddingringwasasimplematter。Letitberight，thatwasall:thepurestgoldthatcouldbeused，withherinitialsandhistogethergravenroundtheinside，withthedayofthemonthandtheyear。
Thedatewasnowset。Ithadcomesofarasthis。Julythirdwastobetheday。Thenforsixtydaysandnightshewastobeabridegroom，freefromhisdutiesatSunkCreek，freetotakehisbridewheresoevershemightchoosetogo。Andshehadchosen。
Thosevoicesoftheworldhadmorethanangeredher；foraftertheangerasetpurposewasleft。Hersistershouldhavethechanceneithertocomenortostayaway。HadhermotherevenansweredtheVirginian’sletter，therecouldhavebeensomerelenting。Butthepoorladyhadbeeninadequateinthis，asinallothersearchingmomentsofherlife:shehadsentmessages，——kindones，tobesure，——butonlymessages。IfthishadhurttheVirginian，nooneknewitintheworld，leastofallthegirlinwhoseheartithadleftacold，frozenspot。Notagoodspiritinwhichtobemarried，youwillsay。No；frozenspotsarenotgoodatanytime。ButMolly’sownnaturegaveherduepunishment。Throughallthesedaysofherwarmhappinessachillcurrentran，likethosewhichinterrupttheswimmer’sperfectjoy。Thegirlwasonlyhalfashappyasherlover；butshehidthisdeepfromhim，——hidituntilthatfinal，fiercehourofreckoningthathernaturehadwithher，——nay，wasboundtohavewithher，beforethepunishmentwaslifted，andthefrozenspotmeltedatlengthfromherheart。
So，meanwhile，shemadeherdecreeagainstBennington。NotVermont，butWyoming，shouldbeherweddingplace。Noworld’svoicesshouldbewhispering，noworld’seyesshouldbelookingon，whenshemadehervowtohimandreceivedhisvow。ThosevoicesshouldbespokenandthatringputoninthiswildCattleLand，wherefirstshehadseenhimrideintothefloodedriver，andliftherashoreuponhishorse。Itwasthisopenskywhichshouldshinedownonthem，andthisfrontiersoiluponwhichtheirfeetshouldtread。Theworldshouldtakeitsturnsecond。
Afteramonthwithhimbystreamandcanyon，amonthfardeeperintothemountainwildsthaneveryethehadbeenfreetotakeher，amonthwithsometimesatentandsometimesthestarsabovethem，andonlytheirhorsesbesidesthemselves——aftersuchamonthasthis，shewouldtakehimtohermotherandtoBennington；andtheoldauntoveratDunbartonwouldlookathim，andbeoncemoreabletodeclarethattheStorkshadalwayspreferredamanwhowasaman。
AndsoJulythirdwastobeengravedinsidetheweddingring。
UpontheotherringtheVirginianhadspentmuchdeliciousmeditation，allinhissecretmind。Hehadevengottherightmeasureofherfingerwithouthersuspectingthereason。Butthisstepwasthefinaloneinhisplan。
Duringthetimethathisthoughtshadbeguntobebusyovertheotherring，byachancehehadlearnedfromMrs。Henryanumberofoldfanciesregardingpreciousstones。Mrs。HenryoftenaccompaniedtheJudgeinventuresomemountainclimbs，andsometimesthesteepnessoftherocksrequiredhertouseherhandsforsafety。OnedaywhentheVirginianwentwiththemtohelpmarkoutcertainboundarycorners，sheremovedherringslesttheyshouldgetscratched；andhe，beingjustbehindher，tookthemduringtheclimb。
“Iseeyou’relookingatmytopaz，“shehadsaid，ashereturnedthem。“IfIcouldhavechosen，itwouldhavebeenaruby。ButI
wasborninNovember。“
Hedidnotunderstandherintheleast，butherwordsawakenedexceedinginterestinhim；andtheyhaddescendedsomefivemilesofmountainbeforehespokeagain。Thenhebecameingenious，forhehadhalfworkedoutwhatMrs。Henry’smeaningmustbe；buthemustmakequitesure。Therefore，accordingtohiswild，shynature，hebecameingenious。
“Menwearrings，“hebegan。“Someofthemenontheranchdo。I
don’tseeanyharminaman’swearin’aring。ButIneverhave。“
“Well，“saidthelady，notyetsuspectingthathewasundertakingtocircumventher，“probablythosemenhavesweethearts。“
“No，ma’am。Notsweetheartsworthwearin’ringsfor——intwocases，anyway。Theywon’ematcyards。Andtheyliketosee’emshine。Ineversawamanwearatopaz。“
Mrs。Henrydidnothaveanyfurtherremarktomake。
“IwasborninJanuarymyself，“pursuedtheVirginian，verythoughtfully。
Thentheladygavehimonelook，andwithoutfurtherprocessofmindperceivedexactlywhathewasdrivingat。
“That’sveryextravagantforrings，“saidshe。“Januaryisdiamonds。“
“Diamonds，“murmuredtheVirginian，moreandmorethoughtfully。
“Well，itdon’tmatter，forI’dnotweararing。AndNovemberis——whatdidyu’say，ma’am？“
“Topaz。“
“Yes。Well，jewelsarecert’nlyprettythings。IntheSpanishMissionsyu’llseelargeonesnowandagain。Andthey’renotglass，Ithink。Andsotheyhavegotsomejewelthatkindofbelongstoeachmonthrightaroundthetwelve？“
“Yes，“saidMrs。Henry，smiling。“Oneforeachmonth。Buttheopaliswhatyouwant。“
Helookedather，andbegantoblush。
“Octoberistheopal，“sheadded，andshelaughedoutright，forMissWood’sbirthdaywasonthefifteenthofthatmonth。
TheVirginiansmiledguiltilyatherthroughhiscrimson。
“I’venodoubtyoucanbeataroundthebushverywellwithmen，“
saidMrs。Henry。“Butit’sperfectlytransparentwithus——inmattersofsentiment，atleast。“
“Well，Iamsorry，“hepresentlysaid。“Idon’twanttogiveheranopal。Ihavenosuperstition，butIdon’twanttogiveheranopal。Ifhermotherdid，oranybodylikethat，why，allright。
Butnotfromme。D’yu’understand，ma’am？“
Mrs。Henrydidunderstandthissubtletraitinthewildman，andsherejoicedtobeabletogivehimimmediatereassuranceconcerningopals。
“Don’tworryaboutthat，“shesaid。“Theopalissaidtobringillluck，butnotwhenitisyourownmonthstone。Thenitissupposedtobenotonlydeprivedofevilinfluence，buttopossesspeculiarlyfortunatepower。Letitbeanopalring。“
Thenheaskedherboldlyvariousquestions，andsheshovedhimherrings，andgavehimadviceaboutthesetting。Therewasnospecialcustom，shetoldhim，rulingsuchringsasthishedesiredtobestow。Thegemmightbethelady’sfavoriteorthelover’sfavorite；andtochoosethelady’smonthstonewasverywellindeed。
Verywellindeed，theVirginianthought。Butnotquitewellenoughforhim。Hismindnowbusieditselfwiththisloreconcerningjewels，andsoonhissentimenthadsuggestedsomethingwhichheforthwithcarriedout。
Whentheringwasachieved，itwasanopal，butsetwithfoursmallembracingdiamonds。Thuswashermonthstonejoinedwithhis，thattheirluckandtheirlovemightbeinseparablyclasped。
Hefoundthesizeofherfingeronedaywhenwinterhaddeparted，andtheearlygrasswasgreen。Hemadearingoftwistedgrassforher，whilesheheldherhandforhimtobindit。Hemadeanotherforhimself。Then，aftereachhadworntheirgrassringforawhile，hebeggedhertoexchange。Hedidnotsendhistokenawayfromhim，butmostcarefullymeasuredit。Thustheringfittedherwell，andthelustrousflamewithintheopalthrilledhishearteachtimehesawit。FornowJunewasnearitsend；andthatotherplaingoldring，which，forsafekeeping，hecherishedsuspendedroundhisneckdayandnight，seemedtoburnwithaninwardglowthatwasdeeperthantheopal’s。
SoinduecoursearrivedthesecondofJuly。Molly’spunishmenthadgotasfarasthis:shelongedforhermothertobenearheratthistime；butitwastoolate。
Townlaytwelvestraightmilesbeforetheloverandhissweetheart，whentheycametothebrowofthelastlonghill。Allbeneaththemwaslikeamap:neithermannorbeastdistinguishable，buttheveinedandtintedimageofacountry，knobsandflatssetoutinorderclearly，shiningextensiveandmotionlessinthesun。Itopenedonthesightoftheloversastheyreachedthesuddenedgeofthetableland，wheresincemorningtheyhadriddenwiththeheadofneitherhorseeverinadvanceoftheother。
Attheviewoftheirjourney’send，theVirginianlookeddownathisgirlbesidehim，hiseyesfilledwithabridegroom’slight，and，hangingsafeuponhisbreast，hecouldfeelthegoldringthathewouldslowlypressuponherfingerto-morrow。Hedrewofftheglovefromherlefthand，andstooping，kissedthejewelinthatotherringwhichhehadgivenher。Thecrimsonfireintheopalseemedtominglewiththatinhisheart，andhisarmliftedherduringamomentfromthesaddleasheheldhertohim。Butinherhearttheloveofhimwastroubledbythatcoldpangoflonelinesswhichhadcreptuponherlikeatideasthedaydrewnear。Noneofherownpeoplewerewaitinginthatdistanttowntoseeherbecomehisbride。Friendlyfacesshemightpassontheway；butallofthemnewfriends，madeinthiswildcountry:notafaceofherchildhoodwouldsmileuponher；anddeepwithinher，avoicecriedforthemotherwhowasfarawayinVermont。
ThatshewouldseeMrs。Taylor’skindfaceatherweddingwasnocomfortnow。
TherelaythetowninthesplendorofWyomingspace。Arounditspreadthewateredfields，westwardforalittleway，eastwardtoagreatdistance，makingsquaresofgreenandyellowcrops；andthetownwasbutapoorraginthemidstofthisquiltedharvest。
Afterthefieldstotheeast，thetawnyplainbegan；andwithonefaintfurrowofriverliningitsundulations，itstretchedbeyondsight。ButwestofthetownrosetheBowLegMountains，coolwiththeirstillunmeltedsnowsandtheirdullbluegulfsofpine。
Fromthreecanyonsflowedthreeclearforkswhichbegantheriver。Theirconfluencewasabovethetownagoodtwomiles；itlookedbutafewpacesfromuphere，whileeachsidetheriverstraggledthemargincottonwoods，likethinbordersalongagardenwalk。Overallthismaphungsilencelikeaharmony，tremendousyetserene。
