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and　was　inclined　to　exhibit　a　somewhat　broad　and　ostentatious

gallantry　that　annoyed　Mainwaring。　　When　they　were　seated　alone

on　the　veranda；　which　the　ladies　had　discreetly　left　to　them；

Richardson　said；



〃Odd　I　didn't　hear　of　Bradley's　wife　before。　　She　seems　a　spicy；

pretty；　comfortable　creature。　　Regularly　thrown　away　with　him　up

here。〃



Mainwaring　replied　coldly　that　she　was　〃an　admirable　helpmeet　of　a

very　admirable　man；〃　not；　however；　without　an　uneasy　recollection

of　her　previous　confidences　respecting　her　husband。　　〃They　have

been　most　thoroughly　good　and　kind　to　me；　my　own　brother　and　sister

could　not　have　done　more。　　And　certainly　not　with　better　taste　or

delicacy；〃　he　added；　markedly。



〃Certainly；　certainly；〃　said　Richardson；　hurriedly。　　〃I　wrote　to

Lady　Mainwaring　that　you　were　taken　capital　care　of　by　some　very

honest　people；　and　that〃



〃Lady　Mainwaring　already　knows　what　I　think　of　them；　and　what　she

owes　to　their　kindness；〃　said　Mainwaring；　dryly。



〃True；　true；〃　said　Richardson；　apologetically。　　〃Of　course　you　must

have　seen　a　good　deal　of　them。　　I　only　know　Bradley　in　a　business

way。　　He's　been　trying　to　get　the　Bank　to　help　him　to　put　up　some

new　mills　here；　but　we　didn't　see　it。　　I　dare　say　he　is　good

companyrather　amusing；　eh？〃



Mainwaring　had　the　gift　of　his　class　of　snubbing　by　the　polite　and

forgiving　oblivion　of　silence。　　Richardson　shifted　uneasily　in　his

chair；　but　continued　with　assumed　carelessness：



〃No；　I　only　knew　of　this　cousin；　Miss　Macy。　　I　heard　of　her　when

she　was　visiting　some　friends　in　Menlo　Park　last　year。　　Rather　an

attractive　girl。　　They　say　Colonel　Johnson；　of　Sacramento；　took

quite　a　fancy　to　herit　would　have　been　a　good　match；　I　dare　say；

for　he　is　very　richbut　the　thing　fell　through　in　some　way。　　Then；

they　say；　SHE　wanted　to　marry　that　Spaniard；　young　Pico；　of　the

Amador　Ranche；　but　his　family　wouldn't　hear　of　it。　　Somehow；　she's

deuced　unlucky。　　I　suppose　she'll　make　a　mess　of　it　with　Captain

Greyson　she　was　out　riding　with　this　morning。〃



〃Didn't　the　Bank　think　Bradley's　mills　a　good　investment？〃　asked

Mainwaring　quietly；　when　Richardson　paused。



〃Not　with　him　in　it；　he　is　not　a　business　man；　you　know。〃



〃I　thought　he　was。　　He　seems　to　me　an　energetic　man；　who　knows　his

work；　and　is　not　afraid　to　look　after　it　himself。〃



〃That's　just　it。　　He　has　got　absurd　ideas　of　co…operating　with　his

workmen；　you　know；　and　doing　everything　slowly　and　on　a　limited

scale。　　The　only　thing　to　be　done　is　to　buy　up　all　the　land　on　this

ridge；　run　off　the　settlers；　freeze　out　all　the　other　mills；　and

put　it　into　a　big　San　Francisco　company　on　shares。　　That's　the　only

way　we　would　look　at　it。〃



〃But　you　don't　consider　the　investment　bad；　even　from　HIS　point　of

view？〃



〃Perhaps　not。〃



〃And　you　only　decline　it　because　it　isn't　big　enough　for　the　Bank？〃



〃Exactly。〃



〃Richardson；〃　said　Mainwaring；　slowly　rising；　putting　his　hands　in

his　trousers　pockets；　and　suddenly　looking　down　upon　the　banker

from　the　easy　level　of　habitual　superiority；　〃I　wish　you'd　attend

to　this　thing　for　me。　　I　desire　to　make　some　return　to　Mr。　Bradley

for　his　kindness。　　I　wish　to　give　him　what　help　he　wantsin　his

own　wayyou　understand。　　I　wish　it；　and　I　believe　my　father　wishes

it；　too。　　If　you'd　like　him　to　write　to　you　to　that　effect〃



〃By　no　means；　it's　not　at　all　necessary；〃　said　Richardson；　dropping

with　equal　suddenness　into　his　old…world　obsequiousness。　　〃I　shall

certainly　do　as　you　wish。　　It　is　not　a　bad　investment；　Mr。

Mainwaring；　and　as　you　suggest；　a　very　proper　return　for　their

kindness。　　And；　being　here；　it　will　come　quite　naturally　for　me　to

take　up　the　affair　again。〃



〃AndI　say；　Richardson。〃



〃Yes；　sir？〃



〃As　these　ladies　are　rather　short…handed　in　their　domestic　service；

you　know；　perhaps　you'd　better　not　stay　to　luncheon　or　dinner；　but

go　on　to　the　Summit　Houseit's　only　a　mile　or　two　fartherand

come　back　here　this　evening。　　I　shan't　want　you　until　then。〃



〃Certainly！〃　stammered　Richardson。　　〃I'll　just　take　leave　of　the

ladies！〃



〃It's　not　at　all　necessary；〃　said　Mainwaring；　quietly；　〃you　would

only　disturb　them　in　their　household　duties。　　I'll　tell　them　what

I've　done　with　you；　if　they　ask。　　You'll　find　your　stick　and　hat　in

the　passage；　and　you　can　leave　the　veranda　by　these　steps。　　By　the

way；　you　had　better　manage　at　the　Summit　to　get　some　one　to　bring

my　traps　from　here　to　be　forwarded　to　Sacramento　to…morrow。　　I'll

want　a　conveyance；　or　a　horse　of　some　kind；　myself；　for　I've　given

up　walking　for　a　while；　but　we　can　settle　about　that　to…night。

Come　early。　　Good　morning？〃



He　accompanied　his　thoroughly　subjugated　countrymanwho；　however；

far　from　attempting　to　reassert　himself；　actually　seemed　easier　and

more　cheerful　in　his　submissionto　the　end　of　the　veranda；　and

watched　him　depart。　　As　he　turned　back；　he　saw　the　pretty　figure　of

Louise　Macy　leaning　against　the　doorway。　　How　graceful　and　refined

she　looked　in　that　simple　morning　dress！　　What　wonder　that　she　was

admired　by　Greyson；　by　Johnson；　and　by　that　Spaniard！no；　by　Jove；

it　was　SHE　that　wanted　to　marry　him！



〃What　have　you　sent　away　Mr。　Richardson　for？〃　asked　the　young　girl；

with　a　half…reproachful；　half…mischievous　look　in　her　bright　eyes。



〃I　packed　him　off　because　I　thought　it　was　a　little　too　hard　on　you

and　Mrs。　Bradley　to　entertain　him　without　help。〃



〃But　as　he　was　OUR　guest；　you　might　have　left　that　to　us；〃　said

Miss　Macy。



〃By　Jove！　　I　never　thought　of　that；〃　said　Mainwaring；　coloring　in

consternation。　　〃Pray　forgive　me；　Miss　Macybut　you　see　I　knew　the

man；　and　could　say　it；　and　you　couldn't。〃



〃Well；　I　forgive　you；　for　you　look　really　so　cut　up；〃　said　Louise；

laughing。　　〃But　I　don't　know　what　Jenny　will　say　of　your　disposing

of　her　conquest　so　summarily。〃　　She　stopped　and　regarded　him　more

attentively。　　〃Has　he　brought　you　any　bad　news？　if　so；　it's　a　pity

you　didn't　send　him　away　before。　　He's　quite　spoiling　our　cure。〃



Mainwaring　thought　bitterly　that　he　had。　　〃But　it's　a　cure　for　all

that；　Miss　Macy；〃　he　said；　with　an　attempt　at　cheerfulness；　〃and

being　a　cure；　you　see；　there's　no　longer　an　excuse　for　my　staying

here。　　I　have　been　making　arrangements　for　leaving　here　to…morrow。〃



〃So　soon？〃



〃Do　you　think　it　soon；　Miss　Macy？〃　asked　Mainwaring；　turning　pale

in　spite　of　himself。



〃I　quite　forgotthat　you　were　here　as　an　invalid　only；　and　that　we

owe　our　pleasure　to　the　accident　of　your　pain。〃



She　spoke　a　little　artificially；　he　thought；　yet　her　cheeks　had　not

lost　their　pink　bloom；　nor　her　eyes　their　tranquillity。　　Had　he

heard　Minty's　criticism　he　might　have　believed　that　the　organic

omission　noticed　by　her　was　a　fact。



〃And　now　that　your　good　work　as　Sister　of　Charity　is　completed；

you'll　be　able　to　enter　the　world　of　gayety　again　with　a　clear

conscience；〃　said　Mainwaring；　with　a　smile　that　he　inwardly　felt

was　a　miserable　failure。　　〃You'll　be　able　to　resume　your　morning

rides；　you　know；　which　the　wretched　invalid　interrupted。〃



Louise　raised　her　clear　eyes　to　his；　without　reproach；　indignation；

or　even　wonder。　　He　felt　as　if　he　had　attempted　an　insult　and

failed。



〃Does　my　cousin　know　you　are　going　so　soon？〃　she　asked　finally。



〃No；　I　did　not　know　myself　until　to…day。　　You　see；〃　he　added

hastily；　while　his　honest　blood　blazoned　the　lie　in　his　cheek；

〃I've　heard　of　some　miserable　business　affairs　that　will　bring　me

back　to　England　sooner　that　I　expected。〃



〃I　think　you　should　consider　your　health　more　important　than　any

mere　business；〃　said　Louise。　　〃I　don't　mean　that　you　should　remain

HERE；〃　she　added　with　a　hasty　laugh；　〃but　it　would　be　a　pity；　now

that　you　have　reaped　the　benefit　of　rest　and　taking　care　of

yourself；　that　you　should　not　make　it　your　only　business　to　seek　it

elsewhere。〃



Mainwaring　longed　to　say　that　within　the　last　half　hour；　living　or

dying　had　become　of　little　moment　to　him；　but　he　doubted　the　truth

or　efficacy　of　this　timeworn　heroic　of　passion。　　He　felt；　too；　that

anything　he　said　was　a　mere　subterfuge　for　the　real　reason　of　his

sudden　departure。　　And　how　was　he　to　question　her　as　to　that

reason？　　In　escaping　from　these　subterfugeshe　was　compelled　to

lie　again。　　With　an　assumption　of　changing　the　subject；　he　said

calmly；　〃Richardson　thought　he　had　met　you　beforein　Menlo　Park；　I

think。〃



Amazed　at　the　evident　irrelevance　of　the　remark；　Louise　said

coldly；　that　she　did　not　remember　having　seen　him　before。



〃I　think　it　was　at　a　Mr。　Johnson'sor　WITH　a　Mr。　Johnsonor

perhaps　at　one　of　those　Spanish　ranchesI　think　he　mentioned　some

name　like　Pico！〃



Louise　looked　at　him　wonderingly　for　an　instant；　and　then　gave　way

to　a　frank；　irrepressible　laugh；　which　lent　her　delicate　but　rather

set　little　face　all　the　color　he　had　missed。　　Partially　relieved　by

her　unconcern；　an