第6章

“Iapologizeforthatbeforehand。Well，thatfirstnightIsawayoungmanlookingveryanxious，veryuncomfortable，andveryweak。 Thesecondtime——andnotverylongafter——Isawhimwelldressed，lounginglikeanyotheryoungmanonaSundayafternoon，andI believedthathetookthelibertyofbowingtomethenbecauseI hadoncelookedathimunderamisapprehension。“ “Oh，MissAvondale！“ “ThenItookamorecharitableview，andcametotheconclusionthatthefirstnighthehadbeendrinking。But，“sheadded，withafaintsmileatRandolph’slugubriousface，“Iapologize。Andyouhavehadyourrevenge；forifIcutyouonaccountofyoursmartclothes，youhavetriedtodomeakindnessonaccountofmyplainones。“ “Oh，MissAvondale，“burstoutRandolph，“ifyouonlyknewhowsorryandindignantIwasatthebank——when——youknow——theotherday“——hestammered。“IwantedtogowithyoutoMr。Revelstoke，youknow，whohadbeensogeneroustome，andIknowhewouldhavebeenproudtobefriendyouuntilyouheardfromyourfriends。“ “AndIamverygladyoudidnothingsofoolish，“saidtheyoungladyseriously，“or“——withasmile——“Ishouldhavebeenstillmoreaggravatingtoyouwhenwemet。Thebankwasquiteright。NorhaveIanypatheticstorylikeyours。Someyearsagomylittlehalf-cousinwhomyousawlosthismotherandwasputinmychargebyhisfather，withacertainsumtomycredit，tobeexpendedformyselfandthechild。Ilivedwithanuncle，withwhom，forsomefamilyreasons，thechild’sfatherwasnotongoodterms，andthismoneyandthechargeofthechildwerethereforeintrustedentirelytome；perhaps，also，becauseBobbyandIwerefondofeachotherandIwasafriendofhismother。Thefatherwasashipmaster，alwaysawayonlongvoyages，andhasbeenhomebutonceinthethreeyearsIhavehadchargeofhisson。Ihavenotheardfromhimsince。Heisagood-heartedman，butofarestless，rovingdisposition，withnodomestictastes。Whyheshouldsuddenlyceasetoprovideformylittlecousin——ifhehasdoneso——orifhisomissionmeansonlysometemporarydisastertohimselforhisfortunes，Idonotknow。Myanxietywasmoreforthepoorboy’ssakethanformyself，foraslongasIliveIcanprovideforhim。“ Shesaidthiswithouttheleastdisplayofemotion，andwiththesamematureairofalsorepressinganyemotiononthepartofRandolph。Butforhersizeandgirlishfigure，butforthedrippingtanglesofherhairandhersofteyes，hewouldhavebelievedhewastalkingtoahard，middle-agedmatron。 “Thenyou——he——hasnofriendshere？“askedRandolph。 “No。WeareallfromCallao，whereBobbywasborn。Myunclewasamerchantthere，whocameherelatelytoestablishanagency。WelivedwithhiminSutterStreet——whereyourememberIwassohatefultoyou，“sheinterpolated，withamischievoussmile——“untilhisenterprisefailedandhewasobligedtoreturn；butIstayedherewithBobby，thathemightbeeducatedinhisfather’sowntongue。Itwasunfortunate，perhaps，“shesaid，withalittleknittingofherprettybrows，“thattheremittancesceasedanduncleleftaboutthesametime；but，likeyou，Iwaslucky，andI managedtogetaplaceintheEmporium。“ “TheEmporium！“repeatedRandolphinsurprise。Itwasapopular“magasinoffashion“inMontgomeryStreet。Toconnectthisrefinedgirlwithitsgarishdisplayandvulgarattendantsseemedimpossible。 “TheEmporium，“reiteratedMissAvondalesimply。“Yousee，weusedtodressagooddealinCallaoandhadtheParisfashions，andthatexperiencewasofgreatservicetome。Iamnowattheheadofwhattheycallthe’mantledepartment，’ifyouplease，andamlookeduptoasanauthority。“Shemadehimamischievousbow，whichhadtheeffectofcausingatricklefromtheumbrellatofallacrosshisbuddingmustache，andanotherdownherownstraightlittlenose——adiversionthatmadethemlaughtogether，althoughRandolphsecretlyfeltthattheyounggirl’squietheroismwasmakinghisowntrialsappearridiculous。ButherallusiontoCallaoandtheboy’snamehadagainexcitedhisfancyandrevivedhisromanticdreamoftheircommonbenefactor。Assoonastheycouldgetamoreperfectshelterandfurltheumbrella，heplungedintothefullstoryofthemysteriousportmanteauanditsmissingowner，withthestrangediscoverythathehadmadeofthesimilarityofthetwohandwritings。Theyoungladylistenedintently，eagerly，checkingherselfwithwhatmighthavebeenahalfsmileathisenthusiasm。 “Irememberthebanker’sletter，certainly，“shesaid，“andCaptainDornton——thatwasthenameofBobby’sfather——askedmetosignmynameinthebodyofitwhereHEhadalsowrittenitwithmyaddress。Butthelikenessofthehandwritingtoyourslipofpapermaybeonlyafanciedone。Haveyoushownittoanyone，“shesaidquickly——“Imean，“shecorrectedherselfasquickly，“anyonewhoisanexpert？“ “Notthetwotogether，“saidRandolph，explaininghowhehadshownthepapertoMr。Revelstoke。 ButMissAvondalehadrecoveredherself，andlaughed。“Thatthatbitofpapershouldhavebeenthemeansofgettingyouasituationseemstomethemorewonderfuloccurrence。Ofcourseitisquiteacoincidencethatthereshouldbeachild’sphotographandalettersigned’Bobby’intheportmanteau。But“——shestoppedsuddenlyandfixedherdarkeyesonhis——“youhaveseenBobby。Surelyyoucansayifitwashislikeness？“ Randolphwasembarrassed。ThefactwashehadalwaysbeensoabsorbedinHERthathehadhardlyglancedatthechild。Heventuredtosaythis，andaddedalittleawkwardly，andcoloring，thathehadseenBobbyonlytwice。 “Andyoustillhavethisremarkablephotographandletter？“shesaid，perhapsalittletoocarelessly。 “Yes。Wouldyouliketoseethem？“ “Verymuch，“shereturnedquickly；andthenadded，withalaugh，“youaremakingmequitecurious。“ “Ifyouwouldallowmetoseeyouhome，“saidRandolph，“wehavetopassthestreetwheremyroomis，and，“headdedtimidly，“Icouldshowthemtoyou。“ “Certainly，“shereplied，withsublimeunconsciousnessofthecauseofhishesitation；“thatwillbeverynice？“ Randolphwashappy，albeithecouldnothelpthinkingthatshewastreatinghimliketheabsentBobby。 “It’sonlyonCommercialStreet，justaboveMontgomery，“hewenton。“Wegostraightupfromthewharf“——hestoppedshorthere，forthebulkofabystander，aroughlycladminer，waspressinghimsocloselythathewasobligedtoresistindignantly——partlyfromdiscomfort，andpartlyfromasensethatthemanwasoverhearinghim。Thestrangermutteredakindofapology，andmovedaway。 “Heseemstobeperpetuallyinyourway，“saidMissAvondale，smiling。“Hewasrightbehindyou，andyounearlytrodonhistoes，whenyouboltedoutofthecabinthismorning。“ “Ah，thenyouDIDseeme！“saidRandolph，forgettingallelseinhisdelightattheadmission。 ButMissAvondalewasnotdisconcerted。“Thankstoyourcollision，Isawyouboth。“ Itwasstillrainingwhentheydisembarkedatthewharf，alittlebehindtheotherPassengers，whohadcrowdedonthebowofthesteamboat。ItwasonlyablockortwobeyondtheplacewhereRandolphhadlandedthateventfulnight。Hehadtopassitnow； butwithMissAvondaleclingingtohisarm，withwhatdifferentfeelings！Therainstillfell，thedaywasfading，buthewalkedinanenchanteddream，ofwhichtheprosaicumbrellawasthemystictentandmagicpavilion。Hemustneedsevenstopatthecornerofthewharf，andshowhertheexactspotwherehisunknownbenefactorappeared。 “Comingoutoftheshadowlikethatmanthere，“sheaddedbrightly，pointingtoafigurejustemergingfromtheobscurityofanoverhangingwarehouse。“Why，it’syourfriendtheminer！“ Randolphlooked。Itwasindeedthesameman，whohadprobablyreachedthewharfbyacrossstreet。 “Letusgoon，do！“saidMissAvondale，suddenlytighteningherholdofRandolph’sarminsomeinstinctivefemininealarm。“I don’tlikethisplace。“ ButRandolph，withtheyounggirl’sarmclingingtohis，feltsupremelydaring。Indeed，Ifearhewassomewhatdisappointedwhenthestrangerpeacefullyturnedintothejunkshopatthecornerandleftthemtopursuetheirway。 Theyatlaststoppedbeforesomebusinessofficesonacentralthoroughfare，whereRandolphhadaroomonthethirdstory。Whentheyhadclimbedtheflightofstairsheunlockedadooranddisclosedagood-sizedapartmentwhichhadbeenintendedforanoffice，butwhichwasnowneatlyfurnishedasastudyandbedroom。 MissAvondalesmiledatthesingularcombination。 “Ishouldfancy，“shesaid，“youwouldneverfeelasifyouhadquiteleftthebankbehindyou。“Yet，withherairofprotectionandmatureexperience，sheatoncebegantomoveoneortwoarticlesoffurnitureintoamoretastefulposition，whileRandolph，neverthelessalittleembarrassedathisaudacityinaskingthisgoddessintohishumbleabode，hurriedlyunlockedacloset，broughtouttheportmanteau，andhandedhertheletterandphotograph。 Woman-like，MissAvondalelookedatthepicturefirst。Ifsheexperiencedanysurprise，sherepressedit。“ItisLIKEBobby，“ shesaidmeditatively，“buthewasstouterthen；andhe’schangedsadlysincehehasbeeninthisclimate。Idon’twonderyoudidn’trecognizehim。Hisfathermayhavehadittakensomedaywhentheywerealonetogether。Ididn’tknowofit，thoughIknowthephotographer。“Shethenlookedattheletter，knitherprettybrows，andwithanabstractedairsatdownontheedgeofRandolph’sbed，crossedherlittlefeet，andlookedpuzzled。Buthewasunabletodetecttheleastemotion。 “Yousee，“shesaid，“thehandwritingofmostchildrenwhoarelearningtowriteisverymuchalike，forthisisthestageofdevelopmentwhenthey’print。’Andtheircompositionisthesame: