CHAPTERI
ItwasaseasonofunequalledprosperityinDevil’sFord。ThehalfadozencabinsscatteredalongthebanksoftheNorthFork，asifbysomeoverflowofthatcapriciousriver，hadbecomeaugmentedduringaweekoffierceexcitementbytwentyorthirtyothers，thatwerehuddledtogetheronthenarrowgorgeofDevil’sSpur，orcastuponitssteepsides。Sosuddenandviolenthadbeenthechangeoffortune，thatthedwellersintheoldercabinshadnothadtimetochangewithit，butstillkepttheiroldhabits，customs，andeventheiroldclothes。Theflourpaninwhichtheirdailybreadwasmixedstoodontherudetablesidebysidewiththe\"prospectingpans，\"halffullofgoldwashedupfromtheirmorning’swork；thefrontwindowsofthenewertenementslookedupontheonesinglethoroughfare，butthebackdooropenedupontheunclearedwilderness，stillhauntedbythemisshapenbulkofbearorthenightlyglidingofcatamount。
Neitherhadsuccessasyetaffectedtheirboyishsimplicityandthefranknessofoldfrontierhabits；theyplayedwiththeirnew—foundricheswiththenaivedelightofchildren，andrehearsedtheirglowingfuturewiththeimportanceandtrivialityofschool—boys。
\"I’vebinkalklatin’，\"saidDickMattingly，leaningonhislong—
handledshovelwithlazygravity，\"thatwhenIgotoRomethiswinter，I’llgetoneo’themmarblesharpstochiselmeastatooo’
somekindtosetuponthespotwherewemadeourbigstrike。
Suthin’torememberitby，youknow。\"
\"Whatkindo’statoo——WashingtonorWebster？\"askedoneoftheKearneybrothers，withoutlookingupfromhiswork。
\"No——Ireckononeo’themfancygroups——oneo’themLatingoddessesthatFairfaxisalwaysgassin’about，sorterleadin’，directin’andbossin’uswheretodig。\"
\"You’dmakeahealthy—lookin’figgerinagroup，\"respondedKearney，criticallyregardinganenormouspatchinMattingly’strousers。\"Whydon’tyouhaveafountaininstead？\"
\"Where’llyougetthewater？\"demandedthefirstspeaker，inreturn。\"Youknowthereain’tenoughintheNorthForktodoaweek’swashingforthecamp——tosaynothin’ofitscolor。\"
\"Leavethattome，\"saidKearney，withself—possession。\"WhenI’vebuiltthattherereservoironDevil’sSpur，andbringthewaterovertheridgefromUnionDitch，there’llbeenoughtospareforthat。\"
\"Bettermixitup，Ireckon——havesuthin’halfstatoo，halffountain，\"interposedtheelderMattingly，betterknownas\"MarylandJoe，\"\"andsetitupaforetheTownHallandFreeLibraryI’mkalklatin’togive。DoTHAT，andyoucancountonme。\"
Aftersomefurtherdiscussion，itwasgravelysettledthatKearneyshouldfurnishwaterbroughtfromtheUnionDitch，twentymilesaway，atacostoftwohundredthousanddollars，tofeedamemorialfountainerectedbyMattingly，worthahundredthousanddollars，asacrowningfinishtopublicbuildingscontributedbyMarylandJoe，totheextentofhalfamillionmore。Thedispositionofthesevastsumsbygentlemenwearingpatchedbreechesawakenednosenseoftheludicrous，nordidanydoubt，reservation，orcontingencyenterintotheplansofthecharmingenthusiaststhemselves。Thefoundationoftheirairycastleslayalreadybeforetheminthestripofrichalluviumontheriverbank，wheretheNorthFork，sharplycurvingroundthebaseofDevil’sSpur，hadforcenturiessweptthedetritusofgulchandcanyon。Theyhadbarelycrossedthethresholdofthistreasure—house，tofindthemselvesrichmen；
whatpossibilitiesofaffluencemightbetheirswhentheyhadfullyexploitedtheirpossessions？Soconfidentweretheyofthatultimateprospect，thatthewealthalreadythusobtainedwasreligiouslyexpendedinenginesandmachineryfortheboringofwellsandtheconveyanceofthatpreciouswaterwhichtheexhaustedriverhadlongsinceceasedtoyield。Itseemedasifthegoldtheyhadtakenoutwasbysomeironicalcompensationgraduallymakingitswaybacktothesoilagainthroughditchandflumeandreservoir。
SuchwasthepositionofaffairsatDevil’sFordonthe13thofAugust，1860。Itwasnoonofahotday。Whatevermovementtherewasinthestiflingairwasseenratherthanfeltinatremulous，quivering，upward—movingdustalongtheflankofthemountain，throughwhichthespiresofthepineswerefaintlyvisible。Therewasnowaterinthebaredandburningbarsoftherivertoreflecttheverticalsun，butunderitsdirectraysoneortwotinnedroofsandcorrugatedzinccabinsstruckfire，afewcanvastentsbecamedazzlingtotheeye，andthewhitewoodedcorralofthestageofficeandhotelinsupportable。Fortwohoursnooneventuredintheglareoftheopen，oreventocrossthenarrow，unshadowedstreet，whosedullreddustseemedtoglowbetweenthelinesofstragglinghouses。Theheatedshellsofthesegreenunseasonedtenementsgaveoutapungentodorofscorchingwoodandresin。Theusualhurried，feverishtoilintheclaimwassuspended；thepickandshovelwereleftstickingintherichest\"paygravel；\"thetoilingmillionairesthemselves，ragged，dirty，andperspiring，laypantingunderthenearestshade，wherethepipeswentoutlistlessly，andconversationsanktomonosyllables。
\"There’sFairfax，\"saidDickMattingly，atlast，withalazyeffort。Hisfacewasturnedtothehillside，whereamanhadjustemergedfromthewoods，andwashaltingirresolutelybeforetheglaringexpanseofupheavedgravelandglisteningbouldersthatstretchedbetweenhimandtheshadedgroup。\"He’sgoingtomakeabreakforit，\"headded，asthestranger，throwinghislinencoatoverhishead，suddenlystartedintoanIndiantrotthroughthepeltingsunbeamstowardthem。Thisstrangeactwasperfectlyunderstoodbythegroup，whoknewthatinthatintenselydryheatthedangerofexposurewaslessenedbyactiveexerciseandtheprofuseperspirationthatfollowedit。Inanothermomentthestrangerhadreachedtheirside，drippingasifrainedupon，moppinghisdampcurlsandhandsomebeardedfacewithhislinencoat，ashethrewhimselfpantinglyontheground。
\"Istruckoutoverherefirst，boys，togiveyoualittlewarning，\"
hesaid，assoonashehadgainedbreath。\"Thatengineerwillbedownheretotakechargeassoonasthesixo’clockstagecomesin。
He’sanoldishchap，hasgotafamilyoftwodaughters，and——I——am——
d————difheisnotbringingthemdownherewithhim。\"
\"Oh，golong!\"exclaimedthefivemeninonevoice，raisingthemselvesontheirhandsandelbows，andglaringatthespeaker。
\"Fact，boys!SoonasIfounditoutIjustwaltzedintothatJewshopattheCrossingandboughtupalltheclothesthatwouldbelikelytosuityoufellows，beforeanybodyelsegotashow。I
reckonIclearedouttheshop。Thedudsarealittlemixedinstyle，butIreckonthey’recleanandwhole，andamanmightfacealadyin’em。IleftthemroundattheoldBuckeyeSpring，wherethey’rehandywithoutattractingattention。Youboyscangothereforageneralwash—up，rigyourselvesupwithoutsayinganything，andthenmeanderbackcarelessandeasyinyourstoreclothes，justasthestageiscomingin，sabe？\"
\"Whydidn’tyouletusknowearlier？\"askedMattinglyaggrievedly；
\"you’vebeenbackhereatleastanhour。\"
\"I’vebeengettingsomeplacereadyforTHEM，\"returnedthenew—
comer。\"Wemighthavemanagedtoputthemansomewhere，ifhe’dbeenalone，butthesewomenwantfamilyaccommodation。TherewasnothingleftformetodobuttobuyupThompson’ssaloon。\"
\"No？\"interruptedhisaudience，halfinincredulity，halfinprotestation。
\"Fact!Youboyswillhavetotakeyourdrinksundercanvasagain，Ireckon!ButImadeThompsonletthosegold—framedmirrorsthatusedtostandbehindthebargointothebargain，andtheysortoffurnishtheroom。Youknowthesaloonisoneofthempatenthousesyoucantaketopieces，andI’vebeenreckoningyouboyswillhavetopitchinandhelpmetotakethewholeshantyovertothelaurelbushes，andputitupaginKearney’scabin。\"
\"What’sallthat？\"saidtheyoungerKearney，withanoddminglingofastonishmentandbashfulgratification。
\"Yes，Ireckonyoursisthecleanesthouse，becauseit’sthenewest，soyou’lljuststepoutandletusknockinoneo’thegables，andclapitontothesaloon，andmakeONEhouseofit，don’tyousee？There’llbetworooms，oneforthegirlsandtheotherfortheoldman。\"
Theastonishmentandbewildermentofthepartyhadgraduallygivenwaytoaboyishandimpatientinterest。
\"Hadn’twebetterdothejobatonce？\"suggestedDickMattingly。
\"Orthrowourselvesintothosenewclothes，soastobeready，\"
addedtheyoungerKearney，lookingdownathisraggedtrousers。\"I
say，Fairfax，whatarethegirlslike，eh？\"
Alltheothershadbeendyingtoaskthequestion，yetoneandalllaughedattheconsciousmannerandblushingcheekofthequestioner。
\"You’llfindoutquickenough，\"returnedFairfax，whosecurtcarelessnessdidnot，however，preventaslightincreaseofcoloronhisowncheek。\"We’dbettergetthatjoboffourhandsbeforedoinganythingelse。So，ifyou’reready，boys，we’lljustwaltzdowntoThompson’sandpackuptheshanty。He’soutofitbythistime，Ireckon。Youmightaswellbeperspiringtosomepurposeoverthereasgaspin’underthistree。Wewon’tgobacktoworkthisafternoon，butknockoffnow，andcallithalfaday。Come!
Humpyourselves，gentlemen。Areyouready？One，two，three，andaway!\"
Inanotherinstantthetreewasdeserted；thefiguresofthefivemillionairesofDevil’sFord，crossingthefierceglareoftheopenspace，withboyishalacrity，glistenedinthesunlight，andthendisappearedinthenearestfringeofthickets。
CHAPTERII
Sixhourslater，whentheshadowofDevil’sSpurhadcrossedtheriver，andspreadaslightcoolnessovertheflatbeyond，thePioneercoach，leavingthesummit，beganalsotobatheitsheatedbulkinthelongshadowsofthedescent。Conspicuousamongthedustypassengers，thetwoprettyandyouthfulfacesofthedaughtersofPhilipCarr，miningsuperintendentandengineer，lookedfromthewindowswithnolittleanxietytowardstheirfuturehomeinthestragglingsettlementbelow，thatoccasionallycameinviewattheturnsofthelongzigzaggingroad。Aslightlookofcomicaldisappointmentpassedbetweenthemastheygazeduponthesterileflat，dottedwithunsightlyexcrescencesthatstoodequallyforcabinsormoundsofstoneandgravel。Itwassofeebleandinconsistentaculminationtothebeautifulscenerytheyhadpassedthrough，sohopelessandimbecileaconclusiontothepreparationofthatlongpicturesquejourney，withitsglimpsesofsylvanandpastoralgladesandcanyons，that，asthecoachsweptdownthelastincline，andtheremorselessmonotonyofthedeadlevelspreadoutbeforethem，furrowedbyditchesandindentedbypits，undercoverofshieldingtheircheeksfromtheimpalpabledustthatrosebeneaththeplungingwheels，theyburiedtheirfacesintheirhandkerchiefs，tohideafewhalf—hystericaltears。Happily，theirfather，completelyabsorbedinapractical，scientific，andapprovingcontemplationofthetopographyandmaterialresourcesofthesceneofhisfuturelabors，hadnotimetonoticetheirdefection。Itwasnotuntilthestagedrewupbeforearamblingtenementbearingtheinscription，\"HotelandStageOffice，\"thathebecamefullyawareofit。
\"Wecan’tstopHERE，papa，\"saidChristieCarrdecidedly，withashakeofherprettyhead。\"Youcan’texpectthat。\"
Mr。Carrlookedupatthebuilding；itwashalfgrocery，halfsaloon。Whateverotheraccommodationsitcontainedmusthavebeenhiddenintherear，astheflatroofabovewasalmostlevelwiththerafteredceilingoftheshop。
\"Certainly，\"herepliedhurriedly；\"we’llseetothatinamoment。
Idaresayit’sallright。ItoldFairfaxwewerecoming。
Somebodyoughttobehere。\"
\"Butthey’renot，\"saidJessieCarrindignantly；\"andthefewthatwereherescamperedofflikerabbitstotheirburrowsassoonastheysawusgetdown。\"
Itwastrue。Thelittlegroupofloungersbeforethebuildinghadsuddenlydisappeared。Therewastheflashofaredshirtvanishinginanadjacentdoorway；thefadingapparitionofapairofhighbootsandblueoverallsinanother；theabruptwithdrawalofacurlyblondheadfromasashlesswindowovertheway。Eventhesaloonwasdeserted，althoughabackdoorinthedimrecessseemedtocreakmysteriously。Thestage—coach，withtheotherpassengers，hadalreadyrattledaway。
\"IcertainlythinkFairfaxunderstoodthatI——\"beganMr。Carr。
HewasinterruptedbythepressureofChristie’sfingersonhisarmandasubduedexclamationfromJessie，whowasstaringdownthestreet。
\"Whatarethey？\"shewhisperedinhersister’sear。\"Niggerminstrels，acircus，orwhat？\"
ThefivemillionairesofDevil’sFordhadjustturnedthecornerofthestragglingstreet，andwereapproachinginsinglefile。OneglancewassufficienttoshowthattheyhadalreadyavailedthemselvesofthenewclothingboughtbyFairfax，hadwashed，andoneortwohadshaved。Buttheresultwasstartling。
Throughsomefortunatecoincidenceinsize，DickMattinglywastheonlyonewhohadachievedanentirenewsuit。Butitwasoffunerealblackcloth，andalthoughrelievedatoneextremitybyapairofhighridingboots，inwhichhistooshorttrousersweretucked，andattheotherbyatallwhitehat，andcravatofaggressiveyellow，theeffectwasdepressing。Inagreeablecontrast，hisbrother，MarylandJoe，wasattiredinathinfawn—
coloredsummerovercoat，lightlywornopen，soastoshowtheunstarchedbosomofawhiteembroideredshirt，andapairofnankeentrousersandpumps。
TheKearneybrothershaddividedasuitbetweenthem，theelderwearingatightly—fitting，single—breastedbluefrock—coatandapairofpinkstripedcottontrousers，whiletheyoungercandidlydisplayedthetrousersofhisbrother’ssuit，asaharmoniouschangetoashiningblackalpacacoatandcrimsonneckerchief。
Fairfax，whobroughtuptherear，had，withcharacteristicunselfishness，contentedhimselfwithaFrenchworkman’sblueblouseandapairofwhiteducktrousers。Hadtheyshowntheleastconsciousnessoftheirfinery，orofitsabsurdity，theywouldhaveseemeddespicable。Butonlyoneexpressionbeamedonthefivesunburntandshiningfaces——alookofunaffectedboyishgratificationandunrestrictedwelcome。
TheyhaltedbeforeMr。Carrandhisdaughters，simultaneouslyremovedtheirvariousandremarkableheadcoverings，andwaiteduntilFairfaxadvancedandseverallypresentedthem。JessieCarr’shalf—frightenedsmiletookrefugeinthetremblingshadowsofherdarklashes；ChristieCarrstiffenedslightly，andlookedstraightbeforeher。
\"Wereckoned——thatis——weintendedtomeetyouandtheyoungladiesatthegrade，\"saidFairfax，reddeningalittleasheendeavoredtoconcealhistooreadyslang，\"andsaveyoufromtrapesing——fromdraggingyourselvesupgradeagaintoyourhouse。\"
\"ThenthereISahouse？\"saidJessie，withanalarmingfranklaughofrelief，thatwas，however，asfranklyreflectedintheboyishlyappreciativeeyesoftheyoungmen。
\"Suchasitis，\"respondedFairfax，withashadeofanxiety，asheglancedatthefreshandprettycostumesoftheyoungwomen，anddubiouslyregardedthetwoSaratogatrunksrestinghopelesslyontheveranda。\"I’mafraiditisn’tmuch，forwhatyou’reaccustomedto。But，\"headdedmorecheerfully，\"itwilldoforadayortwo，andperhapsyou’llgiveusthepleasureofshowingyouthewaytherenow。\"
Theprocessionwasquicklyformed。Mr。Carr，aliveonlytotheactualbusinessthathadbroughthimthere，atoncetookpossessionofFairfax，andbegantodisclosehisplansfortheworkingofthemine，occasionallyhaltingtolookattheworkalreadydoneintheditches，andtoexaminethefieldofhisfutureoperations。
Fairfax，notdispleasedatbeingthusrelievedofalighterattendanceonMr。Carr’sdaughters，neverthelessfromtimetotimecastapaternalglancebackwardsupontheirescorts，whohadeachseizedahandleofthetwotrunks，andwerecarryingthemincouplesattheyoungladies’side。Theoccupationdidnotoffermuchfreedomforeasygallantry，butnosignofdiscomfitureoruneasinesswasvisibleinthegratefulfacesoftheyoungmen。Thenecessityofchanginghandsattimeswiththeirburdensbroughtacorrespondingchangeofcavalieratthelady’sside，althoughitwasobservedthattheyoungerKearney，forthesakeofcontinuingaconversationwithMissJessie，kepthisgraspofthehandlenearesttheyoungladyuntilhishandwasnearlycutthrough，andhisarmwornoutbyexhaustion。
\"Theonlythingonwheelsinthecampisamulewagon，andthemulesarepackin’gravelfromtheriverthisafternoon，\"explainedDickMattinglyapologeticallytoChristie，\"orwe’dhavetoted——I
meancarried——youandyourbaggageuptotheshant——the——yourhouse。Giveustwoweeksmore，MissCarr——onlytwoweekstowashupourworkandrealize——andwe’llgiveyouapairof2。40steppersandaskeletonbuggytomeetyouatthetopofthehillanddriveyouovertothecabin。Perhapsyou’dpreferaregularcarriage；
someladiesdo。Andaniggerdriver。Butwhat’stheuseofplanninganything？Aforethattimecomeswe’llhaverunyouupahouseonthehill，andyoushallpickoutthespot。Itwouldn’ttakelong——unlessyoupreferredbrick。IsupposewecouldgetbrickoverfromLaGrange，ifyoucaredforit，butitwouldtakelonger。Ifyoucouldputupforatimewithsomethingofstainedglassandamahoganyveranda——\"
Inspiteofhercoldindignation，andthefactthatshecouldunderstandonlyapartofMattingly’sspeech，Christiecomprehendedenoughtomakeherlifthercleareyestothespeaker，assherepliedfreezinglythatshefearedshewouldnottroublethemlongwithhercompany。
\"Oh，you’llgetoverthat，\"respondedMattingly，withanexasperatingconfidencethatdrovehernearlyfrantic，fromthemanifestkindlinessofintentthatmadeitimpossibleforhertoresentit。\"Ifeltthatwaymyselfatfirst。Thingswilllookstrangeandunsociableforawhile，untilyougetthehangofthem。
You’llnaturallystamproundandcussalittle——\"Hestoppedinconsciousconsternation。
Withreadytact，andbeforeChristiecouldreply，MarylandJoehadputdownthetrunkandchangedhandswithhisbrother。
\"Youmustn’tmindDick，orhe’llgooffandkillhimselfwithshame，\"hewhisperedlaughinglyinherear。\"Hemeansallright，buthe’spickedupsomuchslangherethathe’saboutforgottenhowtotalkEnglish，andit’snighontofouryearssincehe’smetayounglady。\"
Christiedidnotreply。YetthelaughterofhersisterinadvancewiththeKearneybrothersseemedtomakethereservewithwhichshetriedtocrushfurtherfamiliarityonlyridiculous。
\"Doyouknowmanyoperas，MissCarr？\"
Shelookedattheboyish，interested，sunburntfacesoneartoherown，andhesitated。Afterall，whyshouldsheaddtoherotherrealdisappointmentsbytakingthisabsurdcreatureseriously？
\"Inwhatway？\"shereturned，withahalfsmile。
\"Toplay。Onthepiano，ofcourse。Thereisn’tonenearerherethanSacramento；butIreckonwecouldgetasmallonebyThursday。
Youcouldn’tdoanythingonabanjo？\"headdeddoubtfully；
\"Kearney’sgotone。\"
\"Iimagineitwouldbeverydifficulttocarryapianooverthosemountains，\"saidChristielaughingly，toavoidthecollateralofthebanjo。
\"Wegotabilliard—tableoverfromStockton，\"halfbashfullyinterruptedDickMattingly，strugglingfromhisendofthetrunktorecoverhiscomposure，\"andithadtobebroughtoverinsectionsonthebackofamule，soIdon’tseewhy——\"Hestoppedshortagaininconfusion，atasignfromhisbrother，andthenadded，\"I
mean，ofcourse，thatapianoisaheapmoredelicate，andvaluable，andallthatsortofthing，butit’sworthtryingfor。\"
\"Fairfaxwasalwayssayinghe’dgetoneforhimself，soIreckonit’spossible，\"saidJoe。
\"Doesheplay？\"askedChristie。
\"Youbet，\"saidJoe，quiteforgettinghimselfinhisenthusiasm。
\"HecansnatchMozartandBeethovenbald—headed。\"
Intheembarrassingsilencethatfollowedthisspeechthefringeofpinewoodnearesttheflatwasreached。Heretherewasarude\"clearing，\"andbeneathanenormouspinestoodthetworecentlyjoinedtenements。TherewasnoattempttoconcealthepointofjunctionbetweenKearney’scabinandthenewly—transportedsaloonfromtheflat——noarchitecturalillusionofthepalpablecollusionofthetwobuildings，whichseemedtobetelescopedintoeachother。ThefrontroomorlivingroomoccupiedthewholeofKearney’scabin。Itcontained，inadditiontothenecessaryarticlesforhousekeeping，a\"bunk\"orberthforMr。Carr，soastoleavethesecondbuildingentirelytotheoccupationofhisdaughtersasbedroomandboudoir。
Therewasahalf—humorous，half—apologeticexhibitionoftherudeutensilsofthelivingroom，andthentheyoungmenturnedawayasthetwogirlsenteredtheopendoorofthesecondroom。NeitherChristienorJessiecouldforamomentunderstandthedelicacywhichkepttheseyoungmenfromaccompanyingthemintotheroomtheyhadbutafewmomentsbeforedecoratedandarrangedwiththeirownhands，anditwasnotuntiltheyturnedtothanktheirstrangeentertainersthattheyfoundthattheyweregone。
Thearrangementofthesecondroomwasrudeandbizarre，butnotwithoutasingularoriginalityandeventastefulnessofconception。
Whathadbeenthecounteror\"bar\"ofthesaloon，gorgeousinwhiteandgold，nowsawnintwoanddivided，wassetuponoppositesidesoftheroomasseparatedressing—tables，decoratedwithhugebunchesofazaleas，thathidtheroughearthenwarebowls，andgaveeachtabletheappearanceofavestalaltar。
Thehugegiltplate—glassmirrorwhichhadhungbehindthebarstilloccupiedonesideoftheroom，butitslengthwasartfullydividedbyanenormousrosetteofred，white，andbluemuslin——oneofthesurvivingFourthofJulydecorationsofThompson’ssaloon。
Oneithersideofthedoortwopathetic—looking，convent—likecots，coveredwithspotlesssheeting，andheapedupinthemiddle，likeasnow—coveredgrave，hadattractedtheirattention。TheywerestillstaringatthemwhenMr。Carranticipatedtheircuriosity。
\"IoughttotellyouthattheyoungmenconfidedtomethefactthattherewasneitherbednormattresstobehadontheFord。
Theyhavefilledsomefloursackswithcleandrymossfromthewoods，andputhalfadozenblanketsonthetop，andtheyhopeyoucangetalonguntilthemessengerwhostartsto—nightforLaGrangecanbringsomebeddingover。\"
Jessieflewwithmischievousdelighttosatisfyherselfofthetruthofthismarvel。\"It’sso，Christie，\"shesaidlaughingly——
\"threeflour—sacksapiece；butI’mjealous：yoursareallmarked’superfine，’andmine’middlings。’\"
Mr。CarrhadremaineduneasilywatchingChristie’sshadowedface。
\"Whatmatters？\"shesaiddrily。\"Theaccommodationisallinkeeping。\"
\"Itwillbebetterinadayortwo，\"hecontinued，castingalonginglooktowardsthedoor——thefirstrefugeofmasculineweaknessinanimpendingdomesticemergency。\"I’llgoandseewhatcanbedone，\"hesaidfeebly，withasidelongimpulsetowardstheopeningandfreedom。\"I’vegottoseeFairfaxagainto—nightanyway。\"
\"Onemoment，father，\"saidChristie，wearily。\"Didyouknowanythingofthisplaceandthese——thesepeople——beforeyoucame？\"
\"Certainly——ofcourseIdid，\"hereturned，withthesuddentestinessofdisturbedabstraction。\"Whatareyouthinkingof？I
knewthegeologicalstrataandthe——thereportofFairfaxandhispartnersbeforeIconsentedtotakechargeoftheworks。AndIcantellyouthatthereisafortunehere。Iintendtomakemyownterms，andshareinit。\"
\"Andnottakeasalaryorsomesumofmoneydown？\"saidChristie，slowlyremovingherbonnetinthesameresignedway。
\"Iamnotahiredman，oraworkman，Christie，\"saidherfathersharply。\"Yououghtnottoobligemetoremindyouofthat。\"
\"Butthehiredmen——thesuperintendentandhisworkmen——weretheonlyoneswhoevergotanythingoutofyourlastexperiencewithColonelWatersatLaGrange，and——andweatleastlivedamongcivilizedpeoplethere。\"
\"Theseyoungmenarenotcommonpeople，Christie；eveniftheyhaveforgottentherestraintsofspeechandmanners，they’regentlemen。\"
\"Whoarewillingtolivelike——likenegroes。\"
\"Youcanmakethemwhatyouplease。\"
Christieraisedhereyes。Therewasacertaincynicalringinherfather’svoicethatwasunlikehisusualhesitatingabstraction。
Itbothpuzzledandpainedher。
\"Imean，\"hesaidhastily，\"thatyouhavethesameopportunitytodirectthelivesoftheseyoungmenintomoreregular，disciplinedchannelsthatIhavetoregulateandcorrecttheirfoolishwasteofindustryandmaterialhere。Itwouldatleastbeguilethetimeforyou。\"
FortunatelyforMr。Carr’sescapeandChristie’suneasiness，Jessie，whohadbeenexaminingthedetailsoftheliving—room，brokeinuponthisconversation。
\"I’msureitwillbeasgoodasaperpetualpicnic。GeorgeKearneysayswecanhaveacooking—stoveunderthetreeoutsideattheback，andastherewillbenorainforthreemonthswecandothecookingthere，andthatwillgiveusmoreroomfor——forthepianowhenitcomes；andthere’sanoldsquawtodothecleaningandwashing—upanyday——and——and——itwillberealfun。\"
Shestoppedbreathlessly，withglowingcheeksandsparklingeyes——acharmingpictureofyouthandtrustfulness。Mr。Carrhadseizedtheopportunitytoescape。
\"Really，now，Christie，\"saidJessieconfidentially，whentheywerealone，andChristiehadbeguntounpackhertrunk，andtomechanicallyputherthingsaway，\"they’renotsobad。\"
\"Who？\"askedChristie。
\"Why，theKearneys，andMattinglys，andFairfax，andthelot，providedyoudon’tlookattheirclothes。Andthinkofit!theytoldme——fortheytelloneEVERYTHINGinthemostalarmingway——
thatthoseclotheswereboughttopleaseUS。AscrambleofthingsboughtatLaGrange，withoutreferencetosizeorstyle。Andtohearthesecreaturestalk，why，you’dthinktheywereAstorsorRothschilds。Thinkofthatlittleonewiththecurls——Idon’tbelieveheisoverseventeen，forallhisbabymoustache——sayshe’sgoingtobuildanassemblyhallforustogiveadanceinnextmonth；andapologizesthenextbreathtotellusthatthereisn’tanymilktobehadnearerthanLaGrange，andwemustdowithoutit，andusesyrupinourteato—morrow。\"
\"Andwhereisallthiswealth？\"saidChristie，forcingherselftosmileathersister’sanimation。
\"Underourveryfeet，mychild，andallalongtheriver。Why，whatwethoughtwaspureandsimplemudiswhattheycall’gold—bearingcement。’\"
\"Isupposethatiswhytheydon’tbrushtheirbootsandtrousers，it’ssoprecious，\"returnedChristiedrily。\"Andhavetheyevertranslatedthispreciousdirtintoactualcoin？\"
\"Blessyou，yes。Why，thatdirtylittlegutter，youknow，thatranalongthesideoftheroadandfollowedusdownthehillallthewayhere，thatcostthem——letmesee——yes，nearlysixtythousanddollars。Andfancy!papa’sjustcondemnedit——saysitwon’tdo；
andthey’vegottobuildanother。\"
AnimpatientsighfromChristiedrewJessie’sattentiontohertroubledeyebrows。
\"Don’tworryaboutourdisappointment，dear。Itisn’tsoverygreat。Idaresaywe’llbeabletogetalonghereinsomeway，untilpapaisrichagain。Youknowtheyintendtomakehimsharewiththem。\"
\"Itstrikesmethatheissharingwiththemalready，\"saidChristie，glancingbitterlyroundthecabin；\"sharingeverything——
ourselves，ourlives，ourtastes。\"
\"Ye—e—s!\"saidJessie，withvaguelyhesitatingassent。\"Yes，eventhese：\"sheshowedtwodiceinthepalmofherlittlehand。\"I
found’eminthedrawerofourdressing—table。\"
\"Throwthemaway，\"saidChristieimpatiently。
ButJessie’ssmallfingersclosedoverthedice。\"I’llgivethemtothelittleKearney。Idaresaytheywerethepoorboy’splaythings。\"
Theappearanceoftheserelicsofwilddissipation，however，hadliftedChristieoutofhersublimeresignation。\"ForHeaven’ssake，Jessie，\"shesaid，\"lookaroundandseeifthereisanythingmore!\"
Tomakesure，theyeachbegantoscrimmage；thebroken—spiritedChristieexhibitingbothalacrityandpenetrationinsearchingobscurecorners。Inthedining—room，behindthedresser，threeorfourbookswerediscovered：anoddvolumeofThackeray，anotherofDickens，amemorandum—bookordiary。\"ThisseemstobeLatin，\"
saidJessie，fishingoutasmallerbook。\"Ican’treadit。\"
\"It’sjustaswellyoushouldn’t，\"saidChristieshortly，whoseideasofageneralclassicalimproprietyhadbeengatheredfrompagesofLempriere’sdictionary。\"Putitbackdirectly。\"
JessiereturnedcertainodesofoneHoratiusFlaccustothecorner，andutteredanexclamation。\"Oh，Christie!herearesomeletterstiedupwitharibbon。\"
Theyweretwoorthreeprettilywrittenletters，exhalingafaintodorofrefinementandofthepressedflowersthatpeepedfrombetweenthelooseleaves。\"Isee，’MydarlingFairfax。’It’sfromsomewoman。\"
\"Idon’tthinkmuchofher，whosoeversheis，\"saidChristie，tossingtheintactpacketbackintothecorner。
\"NorI，\"echoedJessie。
Nevertheless，bysomefeminineinconsistency，evidentlythecircumstancedidmakethemthinkmoreofHIM，foraminutelater，whentheyhadreenteredtheirownroom，Christieremarked，\"Theideaofpettingamanbyhisfamilyname!Thinkofmammaeverhavingcalledpapa’darlingCarr’!\"
\"Oh，buthisfamilynameisn’tFairfax，\"saidJessiehastily；
\"that’shisFIRSTname，hisChristianname。Iforgetwhat’shisothername，butnobodyevercallshimbyit。\"
\"Doyoumean，\"saidChristie，withglisteningeyesandawfuldeliberation——\"doyoumeantosaythatwe’reexpectedtofallinwiththisinsufferablefamiliarity？Isupposethey’llbecallingUSbyourChristiannamesnext。\"
\"Oh，buttheydo!\"saidJessie，mischievously。
\"What!\"
\"TheycallmeMissJessie；andKearney，thelittleone，askedmeifChristieplayed。\"
\"Andwhatdidyousay？\"
\"Isaidthatyoudid，\"answeredJessie，withanaffectationofcherubicsimplicity。\"Youdo，dear；don’tyou？……There，don’tgetangry，darling；Icouldn’tflareupallofasuddeninthefaceofthatpoorlittlecreature；helookedsoabsurd——andso——sohonest。\"
Christieturnedaway，relapsingintoheroldresignedmanner，andassumingherhouseholddutiesinaquiet，temporizingwaythatwas，however，withouthopeorexpectation。
Mr。Carr，whohaddinedwithhisfriendsundertheexcuseofnotaddingtotheawkwardnessofthefirstday’shousekeepingreturnedlateatnightwithamassofpapersanddrawings，intowhichheafterwardswithdrew，butnotuntilhehaddeliveredhimselfofamysteriouspackageentrustedtohimbytheyoungmenforhisdaughters。Itcontainedacontributiontotheirboardintheshapeofasilverspoonandbatteredsilvermug，whichJessiechosetofacetiouslyconsiderasanaffectingreminiscenceoftheyouthfulKearney’schristeningdays——whichitprobablywas。
Theyounggirlsretiredearlytotheirwhitesnow—drifts：Jessienotwithoutsomehilariousstruggleswithhers，inwhichshewas，however，quicklysurprisedbythedeepandrefreshingsleepofyouth；Christietolieawakeandlistentothenightwind，thathadchangedfromthefirstcoolwhispersofsunsettothesturdybreathofthemountain。Attimesthefrailhouseshookandtrembled。
Wanderinggustsladenwiththedeepresinousodorsofthewoodfoundtheirwaythroughtheimperfectjointureofthetwocabins，swepthercheekandevenstirredherlong，wide—openlashes。A
brokensprayofpineneedlesrustledalongtheroof，orapineconedroppedwithaquickreverberatingtap—tapthatforaninstantstartledher。Lyingthus，wideawake，shefellintoadreamyreminiscenceofthepast，hearingsnatchesofoldmelodyinthemovingpines，fragmentsofsentences，oldwords，andfamiliarepithetsinthemurmuringwindatherear，andeventhefaintbreathoflong—forgottenkissesonhercheek。Sherememberedhermother——apallidcreature，whohadslowlyfadedoutofoneofherfather’svaguespeculationsinavaguerspeculationofherown，beyondhisken——whoseplaceshehadpromisedtotakeatherfather’sside。Thewords，\"Watchoverhim，Christie；heneedsawoman’scare，\"againechoedinherears，asifborneonthenightwindfromthelonelygraveintheloneliercemeterybythedistantsea。Shehaddevotedherselftohimwithsomelittlesacrificesofself，onlyrememberednowfortheiruselessnessinsavingherfatherthedisappointmentthatsprangfromhissanguineandone—
idea’dtemperament。Shethoughtofhimlyingasleepintheotherroom，readyonthemorrowtodevotethosefatefulqualitiestothenewenterprisethatwithequallyfatefuldispositionshebelievedwouldendinfailure。Itdidnotoccurtoherthatthedoubtsofherownpracticalnaturewerealmostasdangerousandillogicalashisenthusiasm，andthatforthatreasonshewasfastlosingwhatlittleinfluenceshepossessedoverhim。Withtheexampleofhermother’sweaknessbeforehereyes，shehadbecomeanunsparinganddistrustfulcritic，withthesoleeffectofawakeninghisdistrustandwithdrawinghisconfidencefromher。
Hewasbeginningtodeceiveherashehadneverdeceivedhermother。EvenJessieknewmoreofthislastenterprisethanshedidherself。
Allthatdidnottendtodecreaseherutterrestlessness。Itwasalreadypastmidnightwhenshenoticedthatthewindhadagainabated。Themountainbreezehadbythistimepossessedthestiflingvalleysandheatedbarsoftheriverinitsstrong，coldembraces；theequilibriumofNaturewasrestored，andashadowymistrosefromthehollow。Astillness，moreoppressiveandintolerablethanthepreviouscommotion，begantopervadethehouseandthesurroundingwoods。Shecouldheartheregularbreathingofthesleepers；sheevenfanciedshecoulddetectthefaintimpulsesofthemoredistantlifeinthesettlement。Thefar—offbarkingofadog，alostshout，theindistinctmurmurofsomenearerwatercourse——merephantomsofsound——madethesilencemoreirritating。Withasuddenresolutionshearose，dressedherselfquietlyandcompletely，threwaheavycloakoverherheadandshoulders，andopenedthedoorbetweentheliving—roomandherown。
Herfatherwassleepingsoundlyinhisbunkinthecorner。Shepassednoiselesslythroughtheroom，openedthelightlyfasteneddoor，andsteppedoutintothenight。
Intheirritationanddisgustofherwalkhither，shehadnevernoticedthesituationofthecabin，asitnestledontheslopeatthefringeofthewoods；inthepreoccupationofherdisappointmentandthemechanicalputtingawayofherthings，shehadneverlookedoncefromthewindowofherroom，orglancedbackwardoutofthedoorthatshehadentered。Theviewbeforeherwasarevelation——areproach，asurprisethattookawayherbreath。Overhershouldersthenewlyrisenmoonpouredafloodofsilverylight，stretchingfromherfeetacrosstheshiningbarsoftherivertotheoppositebank，andonuptotheverycrestoftheDevil’sSpur——nolongerahugebulkofcrushingshadow，butthesteadyexaltationofplateau，spur，andterraceclothedwithrepleteandunutterablebeauty。Inthismagicallightthatbeautyseemedtobesustainedandcarriedalongbytheriverwindingatitsbase，liftedagaintothebroadshoulderofthemountain，andlostonlyinthedistantvistaofdeath—like，overcrowningsnow。Behindandabovewhereshestoodthetoweringwoodsseemedtobewaitingwithopenedrankstoabsorbherwiththelittlecabinshehadquitted，dwarfedintoinsignificanceinthevastprospect；butnowherewasthereanothersignorindicationofhumanlifeandhabitation。Shelookedinvainforthesettlement，fortheruggedditches，thescatteredcabins，andtheunsightlyheapsofgravel。Intheglamourofthemoonlighttheyhadvanished；aveilofsilver—grayvaportouchedhereandtherewithebonyshadowsmaskeditssite。Ablackstripbeyondwastheriverbank。Allelsewaschanged。Withasuddensenseofaweandlonelinesssheturnedtothecabinanditssleepinginmates——allthatseemedlefttoherinthevastandstupendousdominationofrockandwoodandsky。
Butinanothermomentthelonelinesspassed。Anewanddelicioussenseofaninfinitehospitalityandfriendlinessintheirsilentpresencebegantopossessher。Thissameslighted，forgotten，uncomprehended，butstillfoolishandforgivingNatureseemedtobebendingoverherfrightenedandlisteningearwithvaguebutthrillingmurmuringsoffreedomandindependence。Shefeltherheartexpandwithitswholesomebreath，hersoulfillwithitssustainingtruth。
Shefelt——
Whatwasthat？
Anunmistakableoutburstofadrunkensongatthefootoftheslope：——
\"Oh，mynameitisJohnnyfromPike，I’mh—llonaspreeorastrike\"……
Shestoppedascrimsonwithshameandindignationasiftheviewlesssingerhadrisenbeforeher。
\"Iknewwhentobet，andgetupandget——\"
\"Hush!D——nitall。Don’tyouhear？\"
Therewasthesoundofhurriedwhispers，a\"No\"and\"Yes，\"andthenadeadsilence。
Christiecreptnearertotheedgeoftheslopeintheshadowofabuckeye。Intheclearerviewshecoulddistinguishastaggeringfigureinthetrailbelowwhohadevidentlybeenstoppedbytwootherexpostulatingshadowsthatwereapproachingfromtheshelterofatree。
\"Sho!——didn’tknow!\"
Thestaggeringfigureendeavoredtostraightenitself，andthenslouchedawayinthedirectionofthesettlement。Thetwomysteriousshadowsretreatedagaintothetree，andwerelostinitsdeepershadow。Christiedartedbacktothecabin，andsoftlyreenteredherroom。
\"IthoughtIheardanoisethatwokeme，andImissedyou，\"saidJessie，rubbinghereyes。\"Didyouseeanything？\"
\"No，\"saidChristie，beginningtoundress。
\"Youweren’tfrightened，dear？\"
\"Notintheleast，\"saidChristie，withastrangelittlelaugh。
\"Gotosleep。\"
CHAPTERIII
ThefiveimpulsivemillionairesofDevil’sFordfulfillednotafewoftheirmostextravagantpromises。InlessthansixweeksMr。
Carrandhisdaughterswereinstalledinanewhouse，builtnearthesiteofthedoublecabin，whichwasagaintransferredtothesettlement，inordertogivegreaterseclusiontothefairguests。
Itwasalong，roomy，one—storiedvilla，withanotunpicturesquecombinationofdeepverandaandtrelliswork，whichrelievedtheflatmonotonyoftheinteriorandthebarrennessofthefreshly—
clearedground。Anuprightpiano，broughtfromSacramento，occupiedthecorneroftheparlor。Asuiteofgorgeousfurniture，whosepronouncedandextravagantgloriestheyounggirlsinstinctivelyhidunderhome—madelinencovers，hadalsobeenspoilsfromafar。Elsewherethehousewasfilledwithornamentsanddecorationsthatintheirincongruityforciblyrecalledthegildedplate—glassmirrorsofthebedroomintheoldcabin。InthehastyfurnishingofthisAladdin’spalace，theslavesoftheringhadevidentlyseizeduponanythingthatwouldaddtoitsglory，withoutreferencealwaystofitness。
\"Iwishitdidn’tlooksocussedlylikearobber’scave，\"saidGeorgeKearney，whentheyweretakingaquietpreliminarysurveyoftheunclassifiedtreasures，beforetheCarrstookpossession。
\"Oragamblinghell，\"saidhisbrotherreflectively。
\"It’saboutthesamething，Ireckon，\"saidDickMattingly，whowassupposed，inhisfieryyouth，tohaveencounteredthesimilarity。
Nevertheless，thetwogirlsmanagedtobestowtheheterogeneouscollectionwithtastefuladaptationtotheirneeds。Acrystalchandelier，whichhadoncelentafascinatingillusiontothegameofMonte，hungunlightedinthebroadhall，whereafewotherbizarreandpublicarticleswererelegated。Alongredsofaorbench，whichhaddonedutybesideabilliard—tablefoundaplaceherealso。Indeed，itistobefearedthatsomeofthemorerusticandbashfulyouthsofDevil’sFord，whohadfeltitincumbentuponthemtopaytheirrespectstothenew—comers，weremoreateaseinthisvestibulethaninthearcanabeyond，whosegloriestheycouldseethroughtheopendoor。Toothers，itrepresentedarecognizedstateofprobationbeforetheirre—entreeintocivilizationagain。
\"Ireckon，ifyoudon’tmind，miss，\"saidthespokesmanofoneparty，\"ezthisisourfirstcall，we’llsorterhangoutinthehallyer，untilyou’rusedtous。\"Onanotheroccasion，oneWhiskeyDick，impelledbyasenseofduty，paidavisittothenewhouseanditsfairoccupants，inafashionfranklyrecountedbyhimafterwardsatthebaroftheTecumsehSaloon。
\"Yousee，boys，Idroppedintheretheothernight，whensomeofyoufellerswasdoin’thehigh—toned’thankee，marm’businessintheparlor。Ijustcametoanchorinthecornerofthesofyinthehall，withoutlettin’ontosaythatIwasthere，andtookupaWebster’sdictionarythatwasonthetableandlaiditopen——
keerlesslike，onmyknees，ezifIwassorterconsultin’it——andkinderdozedoffthere，listenin’toyoufellowsgassin’withtheyoungladies，andthatyerMissChristiejustsnakin’musicouterthatpianner，andIreckonIfellasleep。Anyhow，Iwastherenighontotwohours。It’smightysoothin’，themfashionablecalls；
sorterknockstheoldcampdustouterafellow，andsetshimupagain。\"
ItwouldhavebeenwellifthenewlifeoftheDevil’sFordhadshownnootherirregularitythantheharmlesseccentricitiesofitsoriginallocaters。Butthenewsofitssuddenfortune，magnifiedbyreport，beganpresentlytofloodthesettlementwithanotherclassofadventurers。Atideofwaifs，strays，andmalcontentsofoldcampsalongtheriverbegantosettowardsDevil’sFord，inverymuchthesamefashionasthedebris，drift，andalluviumhadbeencarrieddowninbygonedaysandcastuponitsbanks。Afewimmigrantwagons，divertedfromthehighwaysoftravelbythefameofthenewdiggings，haltedupontheslopesofDevil’sSpurandonthearidflatsoftheFord，anddisgorgedtheirsallowfreightofalkali—poisoned，prematurely—agedwomenandchildrenandmaimedandfever—strickenmen。Againstthisrudeformofdomesticitywereopposedthechromo—tinteddressesandextravagantcomplexionsofafewsingleunattendedwomen——happilyseenmoreoftenatnightbehindgildedbarsthaninthegarishlightofday——andanequalnumberofpale—faced，dark—moustached，well—dressed，andsuspiciouslyidlemen。AdozenrivalsofThompson’sSaloonhadsprungupalongthenarrowmainstreet。Thereweretwonewhotels——
onea\"TemperanceHouse，\"whoseasceticqualitywasconfinedonlytotheabnegationofwhiskey——arivalstageoffice，andasmallone—storiedbuilding，fromwhichthe\"SierranBanner\"flutteredweekly，for\"tendollarsayear，inadvance。\"InsufferableintheglareofaSabbathsun，bleak，windy，andflaringinthegloomofaSabbathnight，andhopelesslydepressingonalldaysoftheweek，theFirstPresbyterianChurchlifteditsbluntsteeplefromthebarrenestareaoftheflats，andwashideous!Thecivicimprovementssoenthusiasticallycontemplatedbythefivemillionairesintheearlierpagesofthisveraciouschronicle——thefountain，reservoir，town—hall，andfreelibrary——hadnotyetbeenerected。Theirsiteshadbeenanticipatedbymoreurgentbuildingsandminingworks，unfortunatelynotconsideredinthesanguinedreamsoftheenthusiasts，and，moresignificantstill，theircostandexpensehadbeenalsoanticipatedbytheenormousoutlayoftheirearningsintheworkuponDevil’sDitch。
Nevertheless，theliberalfulfilmentoftheirpromiseinthenewhouseinthesuburbsblindedtheyounggirls’eyestotheirshortcomingsinthetown。Theirownremotenessandelevationaboveitsfeverishlifekeptthemfromtheknowledgeofmuchthatwasstrange，andperhapsdisturbingtotheirequanimity。Astheydidnotmixwiththeimmigrantwomen——MissJessie’sgood—naturedintrusionintooneoftheirhalf—nomadiccampsonedayhavingbeenmetwithrudenessandsuspicion——theygraduallyfellintothewayoftrustingtheresponsibilityofnewacquaintancestothehandsoftheiroriginalhosts，andofconsultingtheminthematteroflocalrecreation。Itthusoccurredthatonedaythetwogirls，ontheirwaytothemainstreetforanhour’sshoppingattheVilladeParisandVarietyStore，werestoppedbyDickMattinglyafewyardsfromtheirhouse，withtheremarkthat，asthecountyelectionwastheninprogress，itwouldbeadvisableforthemtodefertheirintentionforafewhours。Ashedidnotdeemitnecessarytoaddthattwocitizens，intheexerciseofafreeman’sfranchise，hadbeensupplementingtheirballotswithbullets，infrontofanadmiringcrowd，theyknewnothingofthataccidentthatremovedfromDevil’sFordanentertainingstranger，whohadonlythenightbeforepartakenoftheirhospitality。
Aweekortwolater，returningonemorningfromastrollintheforest，ChristieandJessiewerewaylaidbyGeorgeKearneyandFairfax，and，underpretextofbeingshownanewandromantictrail，weredivertedfromtheregularpath。ThisenabledMattinglyandMarylandJoetocutdownthebodyofamanhangedbytheVigilanceCommitteeafewhoursbeforeontheregulartrail，andtoremonstratewiththecommitteeontheincompatibilityofsuchexhibitionswithamaidenlyworshipofnature。
\"Withthewholecountytohangamanin，\"expostulatedJoe，\"youmightkeepclearofCarr’swoods。\"
Itisneedlesstoaddthattheyounggirlsneverknewofthisactofviolence，orthedelicacythatkepttheminignoranceofit。
Mr。Carrwastooabsorbedinbusinesstogiveheedtowhathelookeduponasaconvulsionofsocietyasnaturalasageologicalupheaval，andtooprudenttoprovokethecriticismofhisdaughtersbycommentintheirpresence。
Anequallyunexpectedconfidence，however，tookitsplace。Mr。
Carrhavingfinishedhiscoffeeonemorning，lingeredamomentoverhisperfunctorypaternalembraces，withtheawkwardnessofapreoccupiedmanendeavoringbytheassumptionofalighterinteresttoveilanotherabstraction。
\"Andwhatarewedoingto—day，Christie？\"heasked，asJessieleftthedining—room。
\"Oh，prettymuchtheusualthing——nothinginparticular。IfGeorgeKearneygetsthehorsesfromthesummit，we’regoingtorideovertoIndianSpringtopicnic。Fairfax——Mr。Munroe——Ialwaysforgetthatman’srealnameinthisdreadfullyfamiliarcountry——well，he’scomingtoescortus，andtakeme，Isuppose——thatis，ifKearneytakesJessie。\"
\"Averynicearrangement，\"returnedherfather，withaslightnervouscontractionofthecornersofhismouthandeyelidstoindicatemischievousness。\"I’venodoubtthey’llbothbehere。
Youknowtheyusuallyare——ha!ha!AndwhataboutthetwoMattinglysandPhilipKearney，eh？\"hecontinued；\"won’ttheybejealous？\"
\"Itisn’ttheirturn，\"saidChristiecarelessly；\"besides，they’llprobablybethere。\"
\"AndIsupposethey’rebeginningtoberesigned，\"saidCarr，smiling。
\"Whatonearthareyoutalkingof，father？\"
Sheturnedherclearbrowneyesuponhim，andwasregardinghimwithsuchmanifestunconsciousnessofthedriftofhisspeech，and，withal，alittlevagueimpatienceofhisarchness，thatMr。Carrwasfeeblyalarmed。Ithadtheeffectofbanishinghisassumedplayfulness，whichmadehisseriousexplanationthemoreirritating。
\"Well，Iratherthoughtthat——thatyoungKearneywaspayingconsiderableattentionto——to——toJessie，\"repliedherfather，withhesitatinggravity。
\"What!thatboy？\"
\"YoungKearneyisoneoftheoriginallocators，andanequalpartnerinthemine。Averyenterprisingyoungfellow。Infact，muchmoreadvancedandbolderinhisconceptionsthantheothers。
Ifindnodifficultywithhim。\"
AtanothertimeChristiewouldhavequestionedtheconvincingqualityofthisproof，butshewastoomuchshockedatherfather’sfirstsuggestion，tothinkofanythingelse。
\"Youdon’tmeantosay，father，thatyouaretalkingseriouslyofthesemen——yourfriends——whomweseeeveryday——andouronlycompany？\"
\"No，no!\"saidMr。Carrhastily；\"youmisunderstand。Idon’tsupposethatJessieoryou——\"
\"OrME!AmIincluded？\"
\"Youdon’tletmespeak，Christie。Imean，Iamnottalkingseriously，\"continuedMr。Carr，withhismostseriousaspect，\"ofyouandJessieinthismatter；butitmaybeaseriousthingtotheseyoungmentobethrowncontinuallyinthecompanyoftwoattractivegirls。\"
\"Iunderstand——youmeanthatweshouldnotseesomuchofthem，\"
