第4章

Theopinionofthecynicalbystanderonthewharfprovedtobeacorrectone。Thecoroner’sjurybroughtintheusualverdictof“Founddrowned，“whichwasfollowedbytheusualnewspapercommentupontheinsecurityofthewharvesandtheinadequateprotectionofthepolice。 RandolphTrentreaditwithconflictingemotions。Thepossibilityhehadconceivedofthecorpsebeingthatofhisbenefactorwasdismissedwhenhehadseenitsface，althoughhewassometimestorturedwithdoubt，andawonderifhemightnothavelearnedmorebyattendingtheinquest。Andtherewasstillthesuggestionthatthemysteriousdisappearancemighthavebeenaccomplishedbyviolencelikethis。Hewassatisfiedthatifhehadattemptedpubliclytoidentifythecorpseashismissingfriendhewouldhavelaidhimselfopentosuspicionwithastoryhecouldhardlycorroborate。 HehadoncethoughtofconfidinghisdoubtstoMr。Revelstoke，thebankpresident，buthehadadreadofthatgentleman’scurtconclusionsandrememberedhisinjunctionto“hangontohistrust。“Sincehisinstallation，Mr。Revelstokehadmerelyacknowledgedhispresencebyagood-humorednodnowandthen，althoughRandolphhadaninstinctivefeelingthathewasperfectlyinformedastohisprogress。ItwaswiserforRandolphtoconfinehimselfstrictlytohisdutyandkeephisowncounsel。 Yethewasyoung，anditwasnotstrangethatinhisidlemomentshisthoughtssometimesrevertedtotheprettygirlhehadseenonthenightofhisarrival，northatheshouldwishtoparadehisbetterfortunebeforehercuriouseyes。Neitherwasitstrangethatinthiscity，whoseday-longsunshinebroughteveryoneintothepublicstreets，heshouldpresentlyhavethatopportunity。Itchancedthatoneafternoon，beingintheresidentialquarter，henoticedawell-dressedyounggirlwalkingbeforehimincompanywithadelicatelookingboyofsevenoreightyears。Somethinginthecarriageofhergracefulfigure，somethinginacertainconsciousnessandostentationofcoquetrytowardheryouthfulescort，attractedhisattention。Yetitstruckhimthatshewasneitherrelatedtothechildnoraccustomedtochildren’sways，andthatshesomewhatundulyemphasizedthistothepassers-by，particularlythoseofhisownsex，whoseemedtobegreatlyattractedbyherevidentbeauty。Presentlysheascendedthestepsofahandsomedwelling，evidentlytheirhome，andassheturnedhesawherface。Itwasthegirlheremembered。Ashereyecaughthis，heblushedwiththeconsciousnessoftheirformermeeting； yet，intheveryembarrassmentofthemoment，heliftedhishatinrecognition。Butthesalutationwasmetonlybyacold，criticalstare。Randolphbithislipandpassedon。Hisreasontoldhimshewasright，hisinstincttoldhimshewasunfair；thecontradictionfascinatedhim。 Yethewasdestinedtoseeheragain。Amonthlater，whileseatedathisdesk，whichoverlookedtheteller’scounter，hewasstartledtoseeherenterthebankandapproachthecounter。Shewasalreadywithdrawingaglovefromherlittlehand，readytoaffixhersignaturetothereceiptedformtobeprofferedbytheteller。 Asshereceivedthegoldinexchange，hecouldsee，bytheincreasedpolitenessofthatofficial，hisevidentdesiretoprolongthetransaction，andthesidelongglancesofhisfellowclerks，thatshewasapparentlynostrangerbutarecognizedobjectofadmiration。Althoughherfacewasslightlyflushedatthemoment，Randolphobservedthatsheworeacertainproudreserve，whichhehalfhopedwasintendedasachecktotheseattentions。 Hereyeswerefixeduponthecounter，andthisgavehimabriefopportunitytostudyherdelicatebeauty。Forinafewmomentsshewasgone；whethershehadinherturnobservedhimhecouldnotsay。Presentlyheroseandsauntered，withwhathebelievedwasacarelessair，towardthepayingteller’scounterandthereceipt，which，beingthelast，wasplainlyexposedonthefileofthatday’s“taking。“Hewasstartledbyatitteroflaughterfromtheclerksandbythetellerironicallyliftingthefileandplacingitbeforehim。 “That’shername，sonny，butIdidn’tthinkthatyou’dtumbletoitquiteasquickastheothers。Everynewmanmanagestosaunterroundheretogetasightofthatreceipt，andI’veseenhoaryolddepositorsoutsideedgearoundinside，pretendin’theywantedtoseethedep，jesttofeasttheireyesonthatgirl’sname。Takeagoodlookatitandpasteacopyinyourhat，forthat’sallyou’llknowofher，youbet。Perhapsyouthinkshe’sputheraddressandher’athome’daysonthereceipt。Lookhardandmaybeyou’llsee’em。“ TheinstinctofyouthfulretaliationtosayheknewheraddressalreadystirredRandolph，butheshuthislipsintime，andmovedaway。Hisdeskneighborinformedhimthattheyoungladycamethereonceamonthanddrewahundreddollarsfromsomedeposittohercredit，butthatwasalltheyknew。HernamewasCarolineAvondale，yettherewasnooneofthatnameintheSanFranciscoDirectory。 ButRandolph’sromanticcuriositywouldnotallowtheincidenttorestthere。AfavorableimpressionhehadproducedonMr。Dingwallenabledhimtolearnmore，andprecipitatedwhatseemedtohimasingulardiscovery。“Youwillfind，“saidthedeputymanager，“thestatementofthefirstdeposittoMissAvondale’screditinlettersinyourowndepartment。TheaccountwasopenedtwoyearsagothroughaSouthAmericanbanker。ButIamafraiditwillnotsatisfyyourcuriosity。“Nevertheless，Randolphremainedafterofficehoursandspentsometimeinexaminingthecorrespondenceoftwoyearsago。Hewasrewardedatlastbyabanker’sletterfromCallaoadvisingtheremittanceofonethousanddollarstothecreditofMissAvondaleofSanFrancisco。TheletterwaswritteninSpanish，ofwhichRandolphhadafairknowledge，butitwasmadeplainerbyaspacehavingbeenleftintheformalletterfortheEnglishname，whichwaswritteninanotherhand，togetherwithacopyofMissAvondale’ssignatureforidentification——theusualproceedinginthoseearlydays，whenpersonalidentificationwasdifficulttotravelers，emigrants，andvisitorsinalandofstrangers。 Butherehewasstruckbyasingularresemblancewhichheatfirstputdowntomerecoincidenceofnames。Thechild’sphotographwhichhehadfoundintheportmanteauwastakenatCallao。Thatwasamerecoincidence，butitsuggestedtohismindamoresingularone——thatthehandwritingoftheaddresswas，insomeoddfashion，familiartohim。Thatnightwhenhewenthomeheopenedtheportmanteauandtookfromthepursethescrapofpaperwiththewrittenaddressofthebank，andoncomparingitwiththebanker’sletterthenextdayhewasstartledtofindthatthehandwritingofthebank’saddressandthatinwhichthegirl’snamewasintroducedinthebanker’sletterwereapparentlythesame。Thelettersinthewords“Caroline“and“California“appearedasifformedbythesamehand。Howthismighthavestruckachirographicalexperthedidnotknow。Hecouldnotconsultthepayingteller，whowassupposedtobefamiliarwithsignatures，withoutexposinghissecretandhimselftoridicule。And，afterall，whatdiditprove？ Nothing。EvenifthisgirlwerecognizantofthemanwhosuppliedheraddresstotheCallaobankertwoyearsago，andhewasreallythemissingowneroftheportmanteau，wouldsheknowwherehewasnow？Itmightmakeanopeningforconversationifheevermetherfamiliarly，butnothingmore。YetIamafraidanotherideaoccasionallytookpossessionofRandolph’sromanticfancy。Itwaspleasanttothinkthatthepatronofhisownfortunesmightbeinsomemysteriouswaythecustodianofhers。Themoneywasplacedtohercredit——aliberalsumforagirlsoyoung。ThelargehouseinwhichshelivedwassufficienttoprovetotheoptimisticRandolphthatthisincomewassomethingpersonalanddistinctfromherfamily。Thathisunknownbenefactorwasinthehabitofmysteriouslyrewardingdeservingmeritafterthefashionofamarinefairygodmother，Ifeardidnotstrikehimasbeingridiculous。 Butanunfortunatequeryinthatdirection，addressedtoacynicalfellowclerk，whohadtheexhaustiveexperiencewiththeimmaturemustachesoftwenty-three，elicitedareplywhichshockedhim。Tohisindignantprotesttheyoungmancontinued:—— “Lookhere；agirllikethatwhodrawsmoneyregularlyfromsomemanwhodoesn’tshowupbyname，whocomesforitherself，andhasn’tanyaddress，andcallsherself’Avondale’——onlyaninnocentfromDutchFlat，likeyou，wouldswallow。“ “Impossible，“saidRandolphindignantly。“Anybodycouldseeshe’saladybyherdressandbearing。“ “Dressandbearing！“echoedtheclerk，withthederisionofblaseyouth。“Ifthat’syourtest，yououghttoseeFlorry。“ ButhereonemaysafelyleavetheyounggentlemanasabruptlyasRandolphdid。Yetadropofthiscorrosivecriticismirritatedhissensitiveness，anditwasnotuntilherecalledhislastmeetingwithherandherinnocentescortthathewashimselfagain。 Fortunately，hedidnotrelateittothecritic，whowouldinallprobabilityhaveaddedaprecociousmotherhoodtotheyounglady’spossiblequalities。 Hecouldnowonlylookforwardtoherreappearanceatthebank，andherehewasdestinedtoamoreseriousdisappointment。Forwhenshemadehercustomaryappearanceatthecounter，henoticedacertainbusinesslikegravityinthepayingteller’sreceptionofher，andthathewasconsultingasmallregisterbeforehiminsteadofhandinghertheusualreceiptform。“Perhapsyouareunaware，MissAvondale，thatyouraccountisoverdrawn，“Randolphdistinctlyheardhimsay，althoughinapolitelyloweredvoice。 Theyounggirlstoppedintakingoffherglove；herdelicatefaceexpressedherwonder，andpaledslightly；shecastaquickandapparentlyinvoluntaryglanceinthedirectionofRandolph，butsaidquietly，—— “Idon’tthinkIunderstand。“ “Ithoughtyoudidnot——ladiessoseldomdo，“continuedthepayingtellersuavely。“Buttherearenofundstoyourcredit。Hasnotyourbankerorcorrespondentadvisedyou？“ Thegirlevidentlydidnotcomprehend。“Ihavenocorrespondentorbanker，“shesaid。“Imean——Ihaveheardnothing。“ “TheoriginalcreditwasopenedfromCallao，“continuedtheofficial，“butsincethenithasbeenaddedtobydraftsfromMelbourne。Theremaybeonenearlyduenow。“ Theyounggirlseemedscarcelytocomprehend，yetherfaceremainedpaleandthoughtful。Itwasnotuntilthepayingtellerresumedwithsuggestivepolitenessthatsherousedherself:“Ifyouwouldliketoseethepresident，hemightobligeyouuntilyouhearfromyourfriends。Ofcourse，mydutyissimplyto“—— “Idon’tthinkIrequireyoutoexceedit，“returnedtheyounggirlquietly，“orthatIwishtoseethepresident。“Herdelicatelittlefacewasquitesetwithresolutionandamaturedignity，albeititwasstillpale，asshedrewawayfromthecounter。