第2章

类别:其他 作者:Richard Harding Davis字数:17648更新时间:18/12/14 15:38:30
\"Sheisafairwoman;aboutforty-five。Sheisspeaking。Shecallstoyou,Brother,brother。\"Vera\'svoiceroseexcitedly。 \"Itisthewomaninthepicture;yoursister!Catherine!Iseeitwrittenaboveherhead——Catherine。Inlettersoflight。\" Sheturnedsuddenlyandfiercely。\"Askheryourquestion!\"shecommanded。\"Askheryourquestion,now!\" BythesuddenswayingforwardofVanceandRainey,intheintentlookintheireyes,itwasevidentthatacrisishadapproached。 ButMr。Hallowell,terrifiedandtrembling,shrankback。Hisvoicebrokehysterically。\"No,no!\"hepleaded。BothangeranddisappointmentshowedinthefaceofVanceandRainey;butthegirl,asthoughdetachedfromanyhumanconcerns,continuedunmoved。\"Iseeanotherfigure,\"sherecited。\"Ayounggirl,butsheisofthisworld。IseemtogetanH。Yes。Helen,inlettersoffire。\" \"Myniece,Helen!\"Hallowellwhisperedhoarsely。 \"Yes,yourniece,\"chantedthegirl。Hervoiceroseandthrilled。\"AndIseemuchgold,\"shecried。\"Betweenthetwowomen,heapsofgold。EverywhereIlookIseegold。And,now,theotherwoman,yoursister,istryingtospeaktoyou。Listen! Shecallstoyou,Brother!\" Socenteredwastheinterestofthoseintheroom,socompellingthesoundofthegirl\'svoice,that,unnoticed,theslidingdoorstothelibrarywereslippedapart。Unobserved,JudgeGaylorandWinthrophaltedinthedoorway。TotheJudgethemeaningofthescenewasinstantlyapparent。Hisfaceflushedfuriously。Winthrop,uncomprehending,gazedunconcernedoverGaylor\'sshoulder。ThevoiceofVerarosehystericallytoherclimax。 \"Shebidsmetellyou,\"Veracried;\"Tellmybrother——\" Gaylorswepttowardher。 \"Whatdamnedfarceisthis?\"heshouted。 Theeffectoftheinterruptionwasinstantandstartling。Mr。 Hallowell,who,inthelastfewminutes,hadbelievedhewaslisteningtoavoicefromthedead,collapsedupontheshoulderofRainey,whosprangtosupporthim。Likeasomnambulistwrenchedfromsleep,Veragaveascreamoffright,halfgenuine,halfassumed,andswayedasthoughabouttofall。Vancecaughtherinhisarms。HeturnedonGaylor,hiscunningredeyesflashingevilly。 \"Youbrute!\"hecried,\"youmighthavekilledher。\" Betweenhersobs,Vera,herheadupontheshoulderofVance,whisperedaquestion。Asquickly,undercoverofmutteredsympathy,Vanceanswered:\"Gaylor。TheJudge。\" Stillslightlyswaying,Verastoodupright。Shepassedherhandvaguelybeforehereyes。\"WhereamI?\"sheaskedfeebly。\"WhereamI?\" Gaylorshookhisfistatthegirl。 \"Youknowwhereyouare!\"hethundered;\"andyouknowwhereyou\'regoing——you\'regoingtojail!\" InthehushthatfollowedVeradrewherselftoherfullheight。 SheregardedGaylorwonderingly,haughtily,asthoughheweresomedrunkenintruderfromthestreet。 \"Areyouspeakingtome?\"sheasked。 \"Yes,toyou,\"shoutedthelawyer。\"You\'reanimposter,andaswindler,and——and——\" Winthroppushedbetweenthem。 \"Yes,andshe\'sawoman,\"hesaidbriskly。\"Ifyouwantarow,talktotheman。\" TothispointthescenehadbroughttoVeranoemotionsavetheexcitementthatisfeltbytheonewhoisstrugglingtoescape。 Theappearanceofachampionaddedanewinterest。Throughnofaultofherown,shehadlearnedbyexperiencethattotheonemanwhoannoyedhertherealwaysweresixtospringtoherprotection。SotheglanceshecovertlyturneduponWinthropwasonelessofgratitudethancuriosity。 Butatthefirstsightofhimthegirlstarted,hereyeslitwithrecognition,herfaceflushed。Andthen,althoughthemanwasinnowayregardingher,hereyesfilled,andinmortificationanddismaysheblushedcrimson。 Hisangerstillunsatisfied,GaylorturneduponVance。 \"Andyou,\"hecried;\"you\'regoingtojailtoo。I\'lldrive——\" ThevoiceofMr。Hallowell,shakenwithpainanddistress,rosefeebly,beseechingly。\"Henry!\"hebegged。\"Ican\'tstandit!\" \"JudgeGaylor!\"thunderedRainey,\"Iwon\'tberesponsibleifyoukeepthisup。\" Withanexclamationofremorse,Verarantothesideoftheoldman。WithRaineyonhisotherhand,sheraisedhimuprightuponhisfeet。 \"Leanonme,\"beggedthegirlbreathlessly。\"I\'mverystrong。 Leanonme。\" Mr。Hallowellshookhishead。\"No,child,\"heprotested,\"notyou。\"Heturnedtohisoldfriend。\"Youhelpme,Henry,\"hebegged。 Withtheauthorityofthemedicalman,RaineywavedVanceintothebedroom。\"Closethosewindows,\"heordered。\"Youhelpme!\" hecommandedofGaylor。\"Putyourarmunderhim。\" Mr。Hallowell,protestingfeeblyandleaningheavilyuponthetwomen,stumbledintothebedroom,andthedoorwasshutbehindhim。 Foramomentthegirlandthemanstoodinsilence,andthen,asthoughsuddenlyconsciousofherpresence,Winthropturnedandsmiled。 Thegirldidnotanswerhissmile。Fromundertheshadowofthepicturehatandtheostrichfeathershereyesregardedhimsearchingly,watchfully。 Forthefirsttime,Winthrophadthechancetoobserveher。Hesawthatshewasveryyoung,thatherclothescruellydisguisedher,thatshewasonlyachildmasqueradingasabrigand,thatherfacewasdistractinglylovely。Havingnotedthis,thefactthatshehaddrivenseveralgrownmentoabuseandvituperationstruckhimasbeingextremelyhumorous;nordidhetrytoconcealhisamusement。Butthewatchfulnessintheeyesofthegirldidnotrelax。 \"I\'mafraidIinterferedwithyourseance,\"saidtheDistrictAttorney。 Thegirlregardedhimwarily,likeafencerfixinghereyesonthoseofheropponent。Therewasapausewhichlastedsolongthathadthesilencecontinueditwouldhavebeenrude。\"Well,\" thegirlreturnedatlast,timidly,\"that\'swhatthecityexpectsyoutodo,isitnot?\" Winthroplaughed。\"HowdidyouknowwhoIwas?\"heasked,andthenaddedquickly,\"Ofcourse,you\'reamindreader。\" Forthefirsttimethegirlsmiled。Winthropfounditacharmingsmile,wistfulandconfiding。 \"Idon\'thavetoaskthespiritworld,\"shesaid,\"totellmewhoisDistrictAttorneyofNewYork。\" \"Yes,\"saidtheDistrictAttorney;\"yes,Isupposeyouhavetobeprettywellacquaintedwithsomeofthelaws——thoseaboutmediums?\" \"Ifyouknewasmuchaboutotherlaws,\"beganVera,\"asIdoaboutthelaw——\"Shebrokeoffandagainsmileduponhim。 \"Thenyouprobablyknow,\"saidWinthrop,\"thatwhatourexcitedfriendsaidtoyoujustnowislegallyquitetrue?\" Thesmilepassedfromthefaceofthegirl。Shelookedattheyoungmanwithfinedisdain,asagreatladymightreprovewithaglancethemanwhosnappedacameraather。\"Yes?\"sheasked。 \"Well,whatareyougoingtodoaboutit——arrestme?\"Mockinghim,inaburlesqueofmelodrama,sheheldoutherarms。\"Don\'tputthehandcuffsonme,\"shebegged。 Winthropfoundherimpudenceamusing;and,withthecharmofhernovelty,hewasconsciousofagrowingconvictionthat,somewhere,theyhadmetbefore;thatalreadyatacrisisshehadcomeintohislife。 \"Iwon\'tarrestyou,\"hesaidwithapuzzledsmile,\"ononecondition。\" \"Ah!\"mockedVera;\"heisgenerous。\" \"Andtheconditionis,\"Winthropwentonseriously,\"thatyoutellmewherewemetbefore?\" Thegirl\'sexpressionbecameinstantlymask-like。Tolearnifhesuspectedwhereitwasthattheyhadmet,shesearchedhisfacequickly。Shewasreassuredthatoftheeventhehadnorealrecollection。 \"That\'sratherdifficult,isn\'tit,\"shecontinuedlightly,\"whenyouconsiderI\'vebeengivingexhibitionsofmindreadingsforthelastsixweeksonBroadway,andinthehomesofpeopleyouprobablyknow?\" \"No,\"Winthropexclaimedeagerly,\"itwasn\'tinatheatre,anditwasn\'tinaprivatehouse。Itwas——\"heshookhisheadhelplessly,andlookedatherforassistance。\"Youdon\'tknow,doyou?\" Thegirlregardedhimsteadily。\"HowshouldI?\"shesaid。Andthen,asthoughdecideduponacourseofactionofthewisdomofwhichshewasuncertain,shelaugheduneasily。 \"Butthespiritswouldknow,\"shesaid。\"Imightaskthem。\" \"Do!\"criedWinthrop,delightedly。\"Howmuchwouldthatbe?\" Asthoughtoreprovehisflippancy,thegirlfrowned。Withanervoustremor,whichthistimeseemedgenuineenough,shethrewbackherhead,closedhereyes,andlaidherarmacrossherforehead。 Winthrop,unobserved,watchedherwithasmile,partlyofamusement,partlyonaccountofherbeauty,ofadmiration。 \"Isee——acourtroom,\"saidthegirl。\"Itisverymeanandbare。ItissomewhereuptheState;inasmalltown。Outside,therearetrees,andthesunisshining,andpeoplearewalkinginapublicpark。Inside,intheprisoner\'sdock,thereisagirl。Shehasbeenarrested——fortheft。Shehaspleadedguilty!AndIsee——thatshehasbeenveryill——thatsheisfaintfromshame——andfear——andlackoffood。Andthereisayounglawyer。Heisdefendingher;heisaskingthejudgetobemerciful,becausethisisherfirstoffence,becauseshestolethecloaktogetmoneytotakeherwhereshehadbeenpromisedwork。Becausethisishisfirstcase。\" Winthropgaveagaspofdisbelief。 \"Youdon\'tmeantotellme——\"hecried。 \"Hush!\"commandedthegirl。\"Andhepersuadesthejudgetolethergo,\"shecontinuedquickly,hervoiceshaking,\"andheandthegirlwalkoutofthecourthousetogether。Andhetalkstoherkindly,andgiveshermoneytopayherwaytothepeoplewhohavepromisedherwork。\" Veradroppedherarm,andsteppingback,facedWinthrop。Throughhertearshereyeswereflashingproudly,gratefully;thefeelingthatshookhermadehervoicevibrate。Thegirlseemedproudofhertears,proudofherdebtofgratitude。 \"AndI\'veneverforgottenyou,\"shesaid,hervoiceeagerandtrembling,\"andwhatyoudidforme。AndI\'vewatchedyoucometothiscity,andfightit,andfightit,untilyoumadethemputyouwhereyouare。\"Shestoppedtocontrolhervoice,andsmiledathim。\"Andthat\'swhyIknewyouwereDistrictAttorney,\"shesaid;\"andplease——\"shefumbledinthemeshpurseatherwaistandtakingabillfromit,threwituponthetable。\"Andplease,there\'sthemoneyIoweyou,and——and——I thankyou——andgoodbye。\"Sheturnedandalmostranfromhimtowardthedoortothehall。 \"Stop!\"criedWinthrop。 Poisedforflight,thegirlhalted,andlookedback。 \"WhencanIseeyouagain?\"saidtheman。Thetonemadeitlessaquestionthanacommand。 Inamannerasdeterminedashisown,thegirlshookherhead。 \"No!\"shesaid。 \"Imust!\"returnedtheman。 Againthegirlshookherhead,definitely,finally。 \"Itwon\'thelpyouinyourwork,\"shepleaded,\"tocometoseeme。\" \"Imust!\"repeatedWinthropsimply。 Theeyesofthegirlmethis,appealingly,defiantly。 \"You\'llbesorry,\"saidthegirl。 Winthroplaughedaneager,boyishlaugh。Whenhespokethetensenessinhisvoicehadgone。Histonewasconfident,bantering。 \"ThenIwillnotcometoseeyou,\"hesaid。 Uncertain,puzzled,Veralookedathimindistress。Shethoughthewasmockingher。 \"No?\"shequestioned。 \"I\'llcometoseeVera,themedium,\"heexplained。 Verafrowned,andthen,inhappyembarrassment,smiledwistfully。 \"Oh,well,\"shestammered;\"ofcourse,ifyou\'recomingtoconsultmeprofessionally——myhoursarefromfourtosix。\" \"I\'llbethere,\"criedtheDistrictAttorney。 Veraleanedforwardeagerly。 \"Whatdaywillyoucome?\"shedemanded。 \"Whatday!\"exclaimedtheyoungmanindignantly。\"Why,thisday!\" Veragaveaguilty,frightenedlaugh。 \"Oh,willyou?\"sheexclaimeddelightedly。Sheclaspedherfingersinagestureofdismay。\"Oh,Ihopeyouwon\'tbesorry!\" shecried。 ForsomemomentstheDistrictAttorneyofNewYorkstoodlookingatthedoorthroughwhichshehaddisappeared。 PartII ThehomeoftheVanceswasinThirty-fifthStreet,nearlyoppositetheGarrickTheatre。Itwasoneofarowofold- fashionedbrickhouseswithhighsteps。Astheseekeraftertruthenteredthefronthall,hesawbeforehimthestairstothesecondstory;onhisright,thefoldingdoorsofthe\"frontparlor,\"andatthefarendofthehall,asingledoorthatledtowhatwas,intheolddays,beforethisrowofhouseshadbeenconvertedintooffices,thefamilydiningroom。ToVeratheVanceshadgiventheuseofthisroomasa\"receptionparlor。\" Thevisitorfirstenteredtheroomonhisright,fromitpassedthroughanotherpairoffoldingdoorstothereceptionparlor,andthen,whenhisaudiencewasatanend,departedbythesingledoortothehall,andso,tothestreet。 Thereceptionparlorborebutlittlelikenesstoacaveofmystery。Therewerenoshadedlights,nostuffedalligator,noIndiandraperies,noblackcat。Onatable,inthecentre,underaheavyandhideouschandelierwithbronzegasjets,wasagreenvelvetcushion。Onthisnestledaninnocentballofcrystal。 BesideitlaytheivoryknittingneedlewithwhichVerapointedout,inthehandofthevisitor,thoselinesthatshowedhewouldbetwicemarried,wasofanambitioustemperament,andwouldmakeasuccessuponthestage。Inacornerstoodawoodencabinetthatresembledasentryboxonwheels。Itwasfromthis,oncertainevenings,beforeaselectcircleofspiritualists,thatVeraprojectedtheghostsofthedeparted。Hanginginsidethecabinetwasasilver-giltcrownandacloakofblackvelvet,linedwithpurplesilkandcoveredingoldthreadwithsignsofthezodiac。 SavethatthesestagepropertiesillustratedthetasteofMabelVance,theroomwasofnointerest。Itheldarubberplant,aredvelvetrockingchair,acrossthebackofwhichMrs。VancehaddrapedaNeapolitanscarf;anuprightpiano,uponwhichEmmanuelDay,or,ashewasknowntothecross-roadsofBroadwayandForty-secondstreet,\"Mannie\"Day,provokedthemostmarvelousrag-time,anenlargedphotographincrayon,ofProfessorVance,inafrockcoatandlawntie,achinabulldog,coquettishlydecoratedwithabluebow,and,onthemantelpiece,twotallbeersteinsandahandtelephone。FromthelongwindowsoneobtainedaviewoftheironshuttersofthenewdepartmentstoreinThirty-fourthStreet,andofagarden,justlargeenoughtocontainasumachtree,arefrigerator,andthepacking-caseinwhichthepianohadarrived。 AfterleavingWinthrop,withoutwaitingforVance,VerahadreturneddirectlytothehouseinThirty-fifthStreet,andlockedherselfinherroom。Andalthough\"Mannie\"Dayhadalreadyusheredtwovisitorsintothefrontroom,Verahadnotyetcomedownstairs。Inconsequence,MabelVancewasinpossessionofthereceptionparlor。 Mrs。Vancewasplump,pink-and-blonde,credulousandvulgar,butatalltimesoftheutmostgoodhumor。HeradmirationforVerawasequaledonlybyheraweofher。Onthisparticularafternoon,althoughitalreadywasafterfiveo\'clock,Mrs。 Vancestillworeashortdressingsack,openatthethroat,andheavywithsomewhatsoiledlace。Butherblondehairwasfreshly\"marcelled,\"andhernailspinkandshining。IntheabsenceofVera,shewasmakingasurreptitiousandguiltyuseofthetelephone。Fromthefactthatinherlefthandsheheldthemorningtelegraphopenatthe\"previousperformances\"ofthehorses,andthatthepagehadbeencruellylaceratedbyahatpin,itwasfairtosupposethatwhoeverwasattheotherendofthewire,wastemptingherwiththeclosingoddsattheraces。 Inherspeculations,shewasinterruptedby\"Mannie\"Day,whoenteredsoftythroughthedoorfromthehall。 \"Mannie\"Daywasayouthoftwenty-four。Itwashisheart\'sdesiretobea\"Broadwayard。\"Hewantedtoknowallofthose,andtobeknownonlybythose,whomovedbetweenthegiantpillarsthatNewYorkthrewintotheskytomarkherprogressNorth。 HeknewthesoiledWhiteWayastheoldestinhabitantknowsthesinglestreetofthevillage。HeknewitfromtheRathskellersunderground,totheroofgardensinthesky;inhisfirmamentthestarsweretheelectricadvertisementsoverLongAcreSquare,hismotherearthwasasphalt,thebreathofhisnostrilsgasolene,thetelegraphwashisBible。HisgriefwasthatnooneintheTenderloinwouldtakehimseriously;wouldbelievehimwicked,wise,predatory。Theymightlovehim,theymightlaughwithhim,theymightclamorforhiscompany,innoflatthatcouldboastapiano,washenot,onhisentrance,greetedwithashout;buttherealKnightsoftheHighwaytreatedhimalwaysasthequestioning,wide-eyedchild。Inspiteofhisafter-midnightpallor,inspiteofhishonorablescarsofdissipation,itwashismisfortunetobecursedwithasmilethatwasaperpetualpleaof\"notguilty。\" \"Whatcanyouexpect?\"anoutspokenfriend,whomadealivingasawirelesswiretapper,hadoncepointedouttohim。\"Thatsmileofyourscouldopenasafe。Itcouldmakeashowgirlgiveupmoney!It\'sanalibiforeverythingfromoverspeedingtomurder。\" Mannie,ashelistened,flushedwithmortification。Fromthatmomenthedeterminedthathislifeshouldbedevotedtogivingthelietothatsmile,tothatoutwardandvisiblesignofkindness,goodwill,andinnateinnocence。Asyet,hehadnotsucceeded。 HeinterruptedMabelatthetelephonetoinquirethewhereaboutsofVera。\"There\'stwogirlsinthere,now,\"hesaid,\"waitingtohavetheirfortunesdoped。\" \"Let\'emwait!\"exclaimedMabel。\"Vera\'supstairsdressing。\"Inhereyeswasthebalefulglareoftheplunger。\"Whatwasthatyougivemeinthethirdrace?\" Atthefirsttouchoftherulingpassion,whatinterestManniemayhavefeltfortheimpatientvisitorsvanished。\"Notinthethird,\"hecorrectedbriskly。\"Keeneentrywinthethird。\" Mabelappealedbreathlesslytothetelephone。\"WhatpricetheKeeneentryinthethird?\"SheturnedtoManniewithreproachfuleyes。\"Evenmoney!\"shecomplained。 \"That\'swhatItoldyou,\"retortedMannie。Heloweredhisvoice,andgazedapprehensivelytowardthefrontparlor。\"Ifyouwantareallygoodthing,\"hewhisperedhoarsely,\"askJoewhatPompadourisinthefifth!\"Mabellaughedscornfully,disappointedly。 \"Pompadour!\"shemocked。 \"That\'sright!\"criedtheexpert。\"That\'stheonedailyhintfromParistoday。Joewillgiveyouthirtytoone。\" Uponthedefenselesswomanheturnedthefullforceofhisaccursedsmile。\"Putfiveonforme,Mabel?\"hebegged。 WithunexpecteddeterminationofcharacterMabeldeclaredsharplythatshewoulddonothingofthesort。 \"Two,then?\"entreatedtheboy。 \"Where,\"demandedMabelunfeelingly,\"isthetwentyyouowemenow?\" TheabruptnessofthisunsportsmanlikeblowbelowthebeltcausedMannietowince。 \"HowdoIknowwhereitis?\"heprotested。\"Aslongasyouhaven\'tgotit,whydoyoucarewhereitis?\"Heheardthedoorfromthehallopenand,turning,sawVera。Heappealedtoher。 \"Vera,\"hecried,\"You\'llloanmetwodollars?Istandtowinsixty。I\'llgiveyouthirty。\" VeralookedinquiringlyatMabel。\"Whatisit,Mabel,:\"sheasked,\"ahandbook?\" Mrs。Vancenoddedguiltily。 \"Mannie!\"exclaimedVeragentlybutreproachfully,\"ItoldyouI wouldn\'tloanyouanymoremoneytillyoupaidMabelwhatyou\'veborrowed。\" \"HowcanIpayMabelwhatIborrowed,\"demandedMannie,ifI can\'tborrowthemoneyfromyoutopayher?Onlytwodollars,Vera!\" VeranoddedtoMabel。 Mabel,atthephone,called,\"TwodollarsonPompadour——to—— win——forMannieDay,\"andrangoff。 \"Thatmakesthirtyforyou,\"exclaimedMannieenthusiastically,\"andtwentyIowetoMabel,andthatleavesmeten。\" Mrs。Vance,nolongeroccupiedinthewhirlpoolofspeculation,forthefirsttimeobservedthatVerahadchangedhermatronlyrobeofblacklaceforashortwhiteskirtandawhiteshirtwaist。ShenotedalsothattherewasachangeinVera\'sfaceandmanner。Shegaveanimpressionofnervouseagerness,ofunrest。Hersmileseemedmoreappealing,wistful,girlish。Shelookedlikeachildoffourteen。 ButMabelwasconcernedmoreespeciallywiththerobeofvirginwhite。 Forthemonth,whichwasJuly,thecostumewasappropriate,but,intheopinionofMabel,innowaysuitedtothepriestessoftheoccultandthemysterious。 \"Why,Vera!\"exclaimedMrs。Vance,\"whateverhaveyougoton? Ain\'tyougoingtoreceivevisitors?There\'stendollarswaitingintherenow。\" Insuddenapprehension,Veralookeddownatherspotlessgarments。 \"Don\'tIlooknice?\"shebegged。 \"Ofcourseyoulooknice,dearie,\"Mabelassuredher,\"butyoudon\'tlooklikenofortuneteller。\" \"Ifyouwanttoknowwhatyoulooklike,\"saidManniesternly,\"youlooklikeoneofthewaitergirlsatChilds\'s——that\'swhatyoulooklike。\" \"Andyourcrown!\"exclaimedMabel,\"andyourkimono。Ain\'tyougoingtowearyourkimono?\" Shehastenedtothecabinetandproducedthecloakofblackvelvetandspangles,andthesilver-giltcrown。 \"No,Iamnot!\"declaredVera。Sheworethefrightenedlookofamutinouschild。\"I——Ilookso——foolishinthem!\" SuchheresycausedMannietogaspaloud;\"Youlookgrandinthem,\"heprotested;\"don\'tshe,Mabel?\" \"Sureshedoes,\"assentedthatlady。 \"Andyourjunk?\"demandedMannie,referringtothejadenecklaceandthegold-platedbracelets。Hiseyesopenedinsympathy。 \"Youhaven\'tpawnedthem,haveyou?\" \"Pawnedthem?\"laughedVera;\"Icouldn\'tgetanythingonthem!\" Astheonlymasculinepointofviewavailable,sheappealedtoManniewistfully。\"Don\'tyoulikemebetterthisway,Mannie?\" shebegged。 Butthatcriticprotestedviolently。 \"Notabitlikeit,\"hecried。\"Now,inthegoldtiaraandthespangledoperacloak,\"hedifferentiated,\"youlooklikeapicturepostalcard!YougotLottaFaust\'sblueskirtbacktoLevey\'s。Butnotinthewhitegoods!\"Heshookhisheadsadly,firmly。\"Youlook,now,likeyouwasmadeupforaMay-daypicnicintheBronx,andthey\'dpickedonyoutobeQueenoftheMay。\" Mabelcarriedthemuch-admiredoperacloaktoVera,andhelditout,temptingher。\"You\'llwearit,justtopleasemeandMannie,won\'tyou,dearie?\"shebegged。Veraretreatedbeforeitasthoughitheldthegermsofcontagion。 \"Iwillnot,\"sherebelled。\"Ihateit!WhenIhavethaton,I feel——mean。IfeelasmeanasthoughIwerepickingpenniesoutofablindman\'shat。\"Mannieroaredwithdelight。 \"Gee!\"heshouted,\"butthat\'sahotone。\" \"Besides,\"saidVeraconsciously,\"I\'m——I\'mexpectingsomeone。\" ThemannermorethanthewordsthrilledMabelwiththemostjoyfulexpectations。 Sheexclaimedexcitedly。\"Agentlemanfriend,Vera?\"sheasked。 ThatVerashunnedallyoungmenhadbeentoMabelasourceofwonderandofpride。Evenwhentheyoungmenwerethefriendsofherhusbandandofherself,thepreoccupiedmannerwithwhichVerareceivedthemdidnotprovokeinMabelanyresentment。Itratherincreasedherapprobation。Althoughhorrifiedattherecklessnessofthegirl,shehadapprovedevenwhenVerarejectedanofferofmarriagefromawineagent。 Secretly,foraproperallianceforher,Mabelreadthesocietycolumnsinsearchofeligible,richyoungmen。Findingthattheyinvariablymarriedeligible,richyoungwomen,shehadlatelydeterminedthatVera\'sdestinymustbeanEnglishduke。 Stillif,asshehoped,Verahadchosenforherself,Mabelfeltassuredthatthemanwouldproveworthy,andagoodmatch。A goodmatchmeantonewhoownednotonlyarunabout,butatouringcar。 \"It\'samanfromhome,\"saidVera。\"Home?\"queriedMannie。 \"FromuptheState,\"explainedVera,\"fromGeneva。It\'s——Mr。 Winthrop。\" Withanexclamationofalarm,Manniestartedupright。 \"Winthrop!\"hecried;thenwithalaughofreliefhesankback。 \"Gee!Yougivemeascare,\"hecried。\"IthoughtyoumeanttheDistrictAttorney。\" Mabellaughedsympathetically。 \"Ithoughtsotoo,\"sheadmitted。 \"IdomeantheDistrictAttorney,\"saidthegirl。 \"Vera!\"criedMabel。 \"Winthrop——cominghere?\"demandedMannie。 \"ImethimatMr。Hallowell\'sthismorning,\"saidVera。\"Didn\'tPaultellyou?\" \"Paulain\'tbackyet,\"saidMannie。\"Iwishhewas!\"Hislowerjawdroppedindazedbewilderment。\"Winthrop——cominghere?\"herepeated。\"Andthey\'reallcominghere!\"heexclaimedexcitedly。 \"Pauljustphonedme。They\'vetakenGaylorinwiththem,andwe\'reallworkingtogethernowonsomegamefortonight。AndWinthrop\'scominghere!\"Heshookhisheaddecidedly,importantly。Astheonlymanofthefamilypresent,hefelthemustmeetthiscrisis。\"Paulwon\'tstandforit!\"hedeclared。 \"Well,Paulwilljusthavetostandforit!\"retortedMrs。 Vance。 WithamurmurofsympathyshecrossedtoVera。\"I\'mnotgoingtoseeourVeradisappointed,\"sheannounced。\"Sheneverseesnocompany。Vera,ifMr。Winthropcomeswhenthatbunchishere,I\'llshowhimintothefrontparlor。\" Verasatdowninfrontofthepianoandletherfingersdropuponthekeys。Thelookofeagernessandanticipationhadlefthereyes。 \"Oh,Idon\'tknow,\"shesaid,\"thatIwanttoseehim——now。\" Withcompletemisunderstanding,Manniedemandedtruculently,\"Whynot?\"HisloyaltytoVeragavehimcourage,inherbehalf,tofaceevenaDistrictAttorney。\"Hedoesn\'tthinkhe\'scomingheretomaketroubleforyou,doeshe?\" Verashookherheadand,bendingoverthepiano,struckafewdetachedchords。 \"Oh,no,\"shesaidconsciously;\"justtoseeme—— professionally——likeeverybodyelse。\" Mabelcouldnolongerwithholdherindignationattheobtusenessofthemasculineintellect。 \"Mygracious,Mannie!\"sheexclaimed,\"can\'tyouunderstandhe\'scomingheretomakeacallonVera——likeagentleman——notlikenoDistrictAttorney。\" Mannieprecipitatelyretreatedfromhispositionaschampion。 \"Sure,Iunderstand,\"heprotested。 Withthejoythatamatch-makingmothertakesinthehunt,Mabelsankintotheplushrockingchairand,rockingviolently,turneduponVeraaneagerandexcitedsmile。 \"ThinkofourVeraknowingMr。Winthropsocially?\"sheexclaimed。\"It\'sgrand!Andtheysayhissistersareelegantladies。LastwinterIreadaboutthemattheopera,anditalwaysprintedwhattheyhadon。Whydidn\'tyoutellmeyouknowedhim,Vera?\"shecriedreproachfully。\"Itellyoueverything!\" \"Idon\'tknowhim,\"protestedthegirl。\"Iusedtoseehimwhenhelivedinthesametown。\" Mabel,invitingfurtherconfidences,ceasedrockingandnoddedencouragingly。\"UpinGeneva?\"sheprompted。 \"Yes,\"saidVera,\"Iusedtoseehimeveryafternoonthen,whenheplayedballonthecollegenine——\" \"Who?\"demandedMannieincredulously。 \"Winthrop,\"saidVera。 \"Didhe?\"exclaimedMannie。Histonesuggestedthathemightstillbepersuadedthattherewasgoodintheman。 \"What\'dheplay?\"hedemandedsuspiciously。 \"First,\"saidVera。 \"Didhe!\"exclaimedMannie。Histonenowwasofopenapprobation。 Verahadraisedhereyesandturnedthemtowardthewindows。 Beyondthesoot-stainedsumachtree,thefireescapesofthedepartmentstore,shesawthesun-drenchedcampus,thebuttressedchapel,theancient,droopingelms;andonacanvasbag,poisedlikeawingedMercury,atallstraightfigureingray,dustyflannels。 \"Hewasawfullygood-looking,\"murmuredthegirl,\"andawfullytall。Hecouldstopaballashighas——that!\"Sheraisedherarmintheair,andthen,suddenlyconscious,flushed,andturnedtothepiano。 \"Goon,tellus,\"urgedMabel。\"SoyoufirstmethiminGeneva,didyou?\" \"No,\"correctedVera,\"sawhimthere。I——onlymethimonce。\" Mannieinterruptedhilariously。 \"Ionlysawhimonce,too,\"hecried,\"thatwasenoughforme。\" Veraswiftlyspunthepianostoolsothatshefacedhim。Hereyeswerefilledwithconcern。 \"You,Mannie!\"shedemandedanxiously。\"Whathadyoudone?\" \"Done!\"exclaimedMannieindignantly,\"nothing!What\'dyouthinkI\'ddone?DidyouthinkIwasacrook?\" Verabowedhershouldersandshiveredasthoughtheboyhadcursedather。Sheshookherheadvehementlyandagainswungbacktothepiano。Stumblingawkwardly,herfingersranoverthekeysinaswiftclatterofbrokenchords。\"No,\"shewhispered,\"no,Mannie,no。\" Withalaughofdelightedrecollection,MannieturnedtoMabel。 \"HeraidedapoolroomIwasworkingat,\"heexplained。\"HepickedmeoutasasheetwriterbecauseIhadmycoatoff,see? ItoldhimIhaditoffbecauseitwastoohotforme,andhesays,Youngman,ifyoulietome,I\'llmakeIadamnsighthotter!\"Manniethrewbackhisheadandshouteduproariously。 \"He\'sallright,Winthrop!\"hedeclared。 Mabel,havingalreadymarriedWinthroptoVerainGraceChurch,withherselfinthefrontpew,inabluesilkdress,receivedthisunexpectedevidenceofhisrarewitwithdelight。Inecstasyofappreciationsheslappedherknees。 \"Didhesaythat,Mannie?\"shecried。\"Wasn\'tthatquickofhim! DidyouhearwhathesaidtoMannie,Vera?\"shedemanded。 Theirmirthwasinterruptedbytheopeningandclosingofthefrontdoorand,inthehall,themurmurofmen\'svoices。 Vanceopenedthedoorfromthehallandentered,followedbyJudgeGaylorandRainey。Withevidentprideinherappearance,Vanceintroducedthetwomentohiswife,andthensentherandManniefromtheroom——thelatterwithorderstodismissthevisitorsinthefrontparlorandtoadmitnoothers。 AtthedoorMrs。VanceturnedtoVeraandnoddedmysteriously。 \"Ifthatpartycalls,\"shesaidwithsignificance,\"I\'llputhiminthefrontparlor。\"Withalookofdismay,Veravehementlyshookherheadbut,toforestallanyopposition,Mrs。Vancehastilyslammedthedoorbehindher。 InhismostcourteousmannerJudgeGaylorofferedthechairattheheadofthecentretabletoVera,andatthesametableseatedhimself。Vancetookaplaceonthepianostool;Raineystoodwithhisbacktothemantelpiece。 \"MissVera,\"Gaylorbeganimpressively,\"Idesiretoapologizeformylanguagethismorning。AsRaineynodoubthastoldyou,I haveopposedyouandProfessorVance。ButI——IknowwhenI\'mbeaten。YourinfluencewithMr。Hallowelltoday——isgreaterthanmine。Itisparamount。Icongratulateyou。\"Hesmiledingratiatingly。\"Andnow,\"headded,\"weareallworkinginunison。\" \"You\'vegivenupyourideaofsendingmetojail,\"saidVera。 \"Vera!\"exclaimedVancereprovingly。JudgeGaylorhasapologized。We\'reallinharmonynow。\" \"Isthatdoorlocked?\"askedGaylor。Vancetoldhim,saveMrs。 Vance,Mannie,andthemselves,therewasnoneinthehouse;andthathemightspeakfreely。 \"MissVera,\"begantheJudge,\"weleftMr。Hallowellverymuchimpressedwiththemessageyougavehimthismorning。Themessagefromhisdeadsister。Hewantsanothermessagefromher。 Hewantshertodecidehowheshalldisposeofaverylargesumofmoney——hisentirefortune。\" \"Hisentirefortune!\"exclaimedVera。\"Doyouimagine,\"sheasked,\"thatMr。Hallowellwilltakeadvicefromthespiritworldaboutthat?Idon\'t!\" \"Ido,\"Gayloransweredstoutly,\"IknowIwould。\" \"You?\"askedVeraincredulously。 \"IfIcouldbelievemysistercamefromthedeadtotellmewhattodo,\"saidthelawyer,\"ofcourse,I\'ddoit。I\'dbeafraidnotto。ButIdon\'tbelievehedoes。Andhebelievesyoucanbringhissisterherselfbeforehim。Heinsiststhattonightyouholdaseanceinhishouse,andthatyoumaterializethespiritofhisdeadsister。Sothathecanseehissister,andtalkwithhissister。Vancesaysyoucandothat。Canyou?\" FromVera\'sfacethelookofgirlishness,ofhappyanticipation,hadalreadydisappeared。 \"Itismybusinesstodothat,\"thegirlanswered。SheturnedtoVanceand,inamatter-of-factvoice,inquired,\"Whatdoeshissisterlooklike——thatphotographweusedthismorning。?\" \"No,\"Vanceanswered。\"I\'veabetterone,Raineygaveme。Takenwhenshewasolder。Haswhitehairandacapandakerchiefcrossed——so。\"Hedrewhishandsacrosshisshoulders。\"Rainey,showMissVerathatpicture。\" \"Notnow,\"Gaylorcommanded。\"TheimportantthingnowisthatMissVeraunderstandsthemessageMr。Hallowellistoreceivefromhissister。\" Thetwoothermennoddedquicklyinassent。GaylorturnedtoVera。Hespokeslowly,earnestly。 \"MissVera,\"hesaid,\"Mr。Hallowell\'spresentwillleaveshisfortunetohisniece。Hehasmadeanotherwill,whichhehasnotsigned,leavinghisfortunetotheHallowellInstitute。Hewillaskhissistertowhichoftheseheshouldleavehismoney。Youwilltellhim——\"hecorrectedhimselfinstantly。\"Shewilltellhimtogiveitwhereitwillbeofthegreatestgoodtothemostpeople——totheInstitute。\"Therewasapause。\"Doyouunderstand?\"heasked。 \"TotheInstitute。Nottotheniece,\"Veraanswered。Gaylornoddedgravely。 \"What,\"askedVera,\"arethefewestwordsinwhichthatmessagecouldbedelivered?Imean——shouldshesay,YouaretoendowtheHallowellInstitute,orBrother,youaretogive——Signthenewwill?\"Withsatisfactionthegirlgaveasharpshakeofherhead,andnoddedtoVance。\"Destroytheoldwill。Signthenewwill。Thatisthebest,\"shesaid。 \"That\'sitexactly,\"Gaylorexclaimedeagerly;\"that\'sexcellent!\"Thenhisfaceclouded。\"Ithink,\"hesaidinatroubledvoice,\"weshouldwarnMissVera,thattoguardhimselffromanytrickery,Mr。Hallowellinsistsonsubjectinghertothemostseveretests。He——\" \"Thatwillbeallright,\"saidthegirl。SheturnedtoVanceand,inalowertonebutwithoutinterest,asked:\"What,forinstance?\"Vancemerelylaughedandshruggedhisshoulders。Thegirlsmiled。Nettled,andalarmedatwhatappearedtobetheiroverconfidence,Gaylorobjectedwarmly。 \"That\'sallverywell,\"hecried,\"butforinstance,heinsiststhattheentiretimeyouareinthecabinet,youholdahandfulofflourinonehandandofshotintheother\"——heillustratedwithclenchedfists——\"whichmakesitimpossible,\"heprotested,\"foryoutouseyourhands。\" Thefaceofthegirlshowedcompleteindifference。 \"Notnecessarily,\"shesaid。 \"Butyouaretobetiedhandandfoot,\"criedtheJudge。\"Andontopofthat,\"heburstforthindignantly,pointingaggrievedlyatVance,\"hehimselfproposedthisflour-and-shottest。Itwassilly,senselessbravado!\" \"Notnecessarily,\"repeatedthegirl。\"HeknewthatIinventedit。\"Raineylaughed。Gaylorgaveanexclamationofenlightenment。 \"Ifitwillbeofanycomforttoyou,Judge,\"saidVance,\"I\'lltellyouonething;everytestthateverwasputtoamedium—— wasinventedbyamedium。\" Verarose。\"Ifthereisnothingmore,\"shesaid,\"Iwillgoandgetthethingsreadyforthisevening。Destroytheoldwill。 Signthenewwill。\"sherepeated。SheturnedsuddenlytoVance,herbrowdrawninconsideration。\"Isupposebythisnewwill,\" sheasked,\"thegirlgetsnothing?\"\"Notatall!\"exclaimedGayloremphatically。\"Wedon\'twanthertofightthewill。Shegetsamillion。\" \"Amilliondollars?\"demandedVera。Foraninstant,asthoughtryingtograspthepossibilitiesofsuchasum,shestoodstaringaheadofher。Withdoubtinhereyes,andshakingherhead,sheturnedtoVance。 \"Howcanonewomanspendamilliondollars?\"sheprotested。 \"Well,yousee,wedon\'tintendtostarveher,\"exclaimedGayloreagerly,\"andatthesametimetheInstitutewillbebenefitingallhumanity。Doinggoodto——\" Verainterruptedhimwithasharp,peremptorymovementofthehand。 \"Wewon\'tgointothat,please,\"shebegged。 TheJudgeinclinedhishead。\"Ionlymeanttopointout,\"hesaidstiffly,\"thatyouaregivingMr。Hallowellthebestadvice,anddoinggreatgood。\" Foramomentthegirllookedathimsteadily。Onherlipswasafaintsmileofdisdain,butwhetherforhimorforherself,theJudgecouldnotdetermine。 \"Idon\'tknowthat,\"thegirlsaidfinally。\"Idon\'task。\"SheturnedtoRainey。\"Haveyouthatphotograph?\"Hegaveheraphotographandafter,foraninstant,studyingitinsilence,shereturnedittohim。 \"Itwillbequiteeasy,\"shesaidtoVance。Shewalkedtothedoor,andinstinctivelythetwomen,whowereseated,rose。 \"IwillseeyoutonightatMr。Hallowell\'s,\"shesaid,and,withanod,leftthem。 \"Well,\"exclaimedRainey,\"youdidn\'ttellher!\" \"Iknow,\"Vanceanswered。\"Idecidedwe\'dbewisertotakeadvicefrommywife。SheunderstandsVerabetterthanIdo。\"Heopenedthedoortothehall,andcalled\"Mannie!TellMabel——Oh,Mabel,\"hecorrected,\"comehereaminute。\"Hereturnedtohisseatonthepianostool。\"Shecantellus,\"hesaid。 InexpectationofthearrivalofWinthrop,Mrs。Vancehadarrayedherselfinalightbluefrock,and,asthoughshehadjustcomeinfromthestreet,insuchahatassheconsideredwoulddocreditnotonlytoVerabuttoherself。 \"Mabel,\"herhusbandbegan,\"we\'reupagainstahardproposition。HallowellinsiststhatWinthropandMissCoatesmustcometotheseancetonight。\" \"WinthropandMissCoates!\"criedMabel。InastonishmentsheglancedfromherhusbandtoRaineyandGaylor。\"Then,it\'salloff!\"sheexclaimed。 \"That\'swhatIsay,\"growledRainey。 \"Wewantyoutotellus,\"continuedVance,unmoved,\"whetherVerashouldknowthatnow,orwaituntiltonight?\" \"PaulVance!\"almostshriekedhiswife,\"doyoumeantotellmeyou\'rethinkingofgivingamaterializationinfrontoftheDistrictAttorney!You\'recrazy!\" \"That\'swhatItellthem,\"chorusedRainey。 Gaylorraisedhishandforsilence。 \"No,Mrs。Vance,\"hesaidwearily。\"Wearenotcrazy,but,\"headdedbitterly,\"wecan\'thelpourselves。YoumediumshavegotMr。Hallowellinsuchastatethathe\'llonlydowhathissister\'sspirittellshim。Hesays,ifhe\'srobbinghisniece,hissisterwilltellhimso;ifhe\'stogivethemoneytotheInstitute,hissisterwilltellhimthat。Hesays,ifVanceisfairandabove-board,heshouldn\'tbeafraidtohavehisnieceandanyfriendsofherspresent。Wecan\'thelpourselves。\" \"Ihelpedalittle,\"saidVance,\"byinsistingonhavingourownfriendsthere——toldhimthespiritcouldnotmaterializeunlesstherewerebelieverspresent。\" \"Didhestandforthat?\"askedMabel。 \"Gladtohavethem,\"herhusbandassuredher。\"Theyliketothinkthereareothersasfoolishastheyare。AndI\'mgoingtoplaceMr。DistrictAttorney,\"hebrokeoutsuddenlyandfiercely,\"betweentwomediums。They\'llholdhishands!\" Alreadyfrightenedbythepossibleresultoftheplot,Rainey,withavehemencebornoffear,retortedsharply:\"Holdhishands!How\'reyougoingtomakehimholdhistongue,afterward?\" Gaylorturneduponhimsavagely。 \"MyGod,man!\"hecried,\"we\'renottryingtopersuadetheDistrictAttorneythathe\'sseenaghost。IfyourfriendscanpersuadeStephenHallowellthathe\'sseenone,theDistrictAttorneycangotothedevil!\" \"Well,hewon\'t!\"returnedRainey,\"he\'llgotolaw!\" \"Lethim!\"criedGaylordefiantly。\"GetHallowelltosignthatwill,andI\'llgointocourtwithhim。\" Hisbravadowassuddenlyattackedfromanunexpectedsource。 \"You\'llgointocourtwithhim,allright,\"declaredMrs。Vance,\"allofyou!Andifyoudon\'twanthimtocatchyou,\"shecried,\"you\'llclearout,now!He\'scominghereanyminute。\" \"Who\'scominghere?\"demandedherhusband。 \"Winthrop,\"returnedhiswife,\"toseeVera。\" \"ToseeVera!\"criedVanceeagerly。\"Whatabout?Aboutthismorning?\" \"No,\"protestedMabel,\"tocallonher。He\'sanoldfriend——\" InalarmRaineypushedintothegroupofnowthoroughlyexcitedpeople。\"Don\'tyoubelieveit!\"hecried。\"Ifhe\'scominghere,he\'scomingtogiveherthethirddegree——\" Thedoorfromthehallsuddenlyopened,wasassuddenlyclosed,andMannieslippedintotheroom。Onehandheheldupforsilence;withtheotherhepointedatthefoldingdoors。 \"Hush!\"hewarnedthem。\"He\'sinthere!Hesayshe\'scometocallonVera。Shesayshe\'scomeprofessionally,andImustbringhiminhere。I\'veshutthedoorintotheparlor,andyoucanslipupstairswithouthisseeingyou。\" \"Upstairs!\"gaspedRainey,\"notforme!\"HeappealedtoGaylorinaccentsofrealalarm。\"Wemustgetawayfromthishouse,\"hedeclared。\"Ifhefindsushere——\"Withagestureofdismayhetossedhishandsintheair。Gaylornodded。Insilenceall,saveMannie,movedintothehall,andhaltedbetweentheouterandinnerdoorsofthevestibule。GaylorturnedtoVance。\"Areyougoingtotellher,\"heasked,\"thatheistobetheretonight?\" \"He\'lltellherhimself,now!\" \"No,\"correctedRainey,\"hedoesn\'tknowyetthere\'stobeaseance。Hallowellwaswritingthenotewhenheleft。\" \"Then,\"instructedGaylor,\"donotletherknowuntilshearrives——untilitwillbetoolateforhertobackout。\" Vancenoddedand,waitinguntilfromthebackroomheheardthevoicesofMannieandWinthrop,heopenedthefrontdoorandthetwomenrandownthestepsintothestreet。 Whiletheconspiratorswerehiddeninthevestibule,Manniehadopenedthefoldingdoors,andinvitedWinthroptoenterthereceptionparlor。 \"MissVerawillbedowninaminute,\"hesaid。\"Ifyouwantyourhandread,\"headded,pointing,\"yousitoverthere。\" AsWinthropapproachedthecentretable,Manniebackedagainstthepiano。ThepresenceoftheDistrictAttorneyatsuchshortrangearousedinhimmanyemotions。Alternatelyhewastornwithalarm,withadmiration,withcuriosity。Heregardedhimapprehensively,withanervousandunhappysmile。 AboutthesmiletherewassomethingthatWinthropfoundfamiliar,and,withonealmostasattractive,heansweredit。 \"Ithinkwe\'vemetbefore,haven\'twe?\"heaskedpleasantly。 Mannienodded。\"Yes,sir,\"heansweredpromptly。\"AtSamHepner\'soldplace,onWestForty-fourthstreet。\" \"Why,ofcourse!\"exclaimedtheDistrictAttorney。 \"Don\'tyou——don\'tyouremember?\"stammeredMannieeagerly。Hewasdeeplyconcernedlestthedistinguishedcross-examinershouldthink,thatfromhimofhisluridpasthecouldwithholdanything。\"Ihadmycoatoff——andyousaidyou\'dmakeithotforme。\" \"DidI?\"askedWinthropwithaneffortatrecollection。 \"No,youdidn\'t!\"Manniehastenedtoreassurehim。\"Imean,youdidn\'tmakeithotforme。\" Winthroplaughed,andseatedhimselfcomfortablybesidethecentretable。WellI\'mgladofthat,\"hesaid。\"Soourrelationsarestillpleasant,then?\"heasked。 \"Sure!\"exclaimedMannieheartily。\"Imean——yes,sir。\" Winthropmechanicallyreachedforhiscigarettecase,andthen,recollecting,withdrewhishand。 \"Andhowaretheponiesrunning?\'heasked。