第5章

Ofcourse，shecouldnotwastetendernessonthisman，forshehaddeliberatelysetouttomakehimtheinstrumentofhervengeanceagainsthisfather。Forthatveryreason，shesufferedmuchfromaconsciencenewlyclamorous。Neverforaninstantdidshehesitateinherlong-cherishedplanofrevengeagainsttheonewhohadbroughtruinonherlife，yet，throughallhersatisfactionbeforetheprospectoffinalvictoryaftercontinueddelay，thereranthesecret，inescapablesorrowoverthefactthatshemustemploythismeanstoattainherend。Shehadnothoughtofweakening，butthebetterspiritwithinherwarredagainstthelusttorepayaneyeforaneye。ItwasthenewGospelagainsttheoldLaw，andthefiercenessofthestrugglerenther。Justnow，thedoingofthekindlyactseemedsomehowtogratifynotonlyhermaternalinstincttowardserviceoflove，but，too，tomuffleforalittletherebukingvoiceofherinmostsoul。 Soshewentherwaymoreatease，morenearlycontentagainwithherselfandwithhersystemofliving。Indeed，asshewasshownintotheprivateofficeoftheingeniousinterpreterofthelaw，therewasnotahintofanytroublebeneaththebrightmaskofherbeauty，radiantlysmiling。 Harrisregardedhisclientwithanappreciativeeye，ashebowedingreeting，andinvitedhertoaseat。Thelawyerwasamanoffinephysique，withasplendidfaceofthebestSemitictype，inwhichwerelarge，dark，sparklingeyes——eyesaLombrosoperhapsmighthavejudgedrathertoocloselyset。Asamatteroffact，Harrishadsufferedaflagrantinjusticeinhisownlifefromasuspicionofwrong-doingwhichhehadnotmeritedbyanyact。 Thishadcausedhimalossofprestigeinhisprofession。Hepresentlyadoptedthewilysuggestionoftheadage，thatitiswelltohavethegameifyouhavethename，andheresolutelysethimselftothetaskofmakingasmuchmoneyaspossiblebyanymeansconvenient。MaryTurnerasaclientdelightedhisheart，bothbecauseofthenoveltyofherideasandforthemunificenceofthefeeswhichsheungrudginglypaidwithneveraprotest。 So，ashebeamedonhernow，andspokeacompliment，itwasratherthelawyerthanthemanthatwasmovedtoadmiration。 \"Why，MissTurner，howcharming!\"hedeclared，smiling。\"Really，mydearyounglady，youlookpositivelybridal。\" \"Oh，doyouthinkso？\"Maryrejoined，withawhimsicalpout，assheseatedherself。Forthemomentherairbecamedistrait，butshequicklyregainedherpoise，asthelawyer，whohaddroppedbackintohischairbehindthedesk，wentonspeaking。Histonenowwascrisplybusiness-like。 \"Isentyourcousin，MissAgnesLynch，thereleasewhichsheistosign，\"heexplained，\"whenshegetsthatmoneyfromGeneralHastings。Iwishyou\'dlookitover，whenyouhavetimetospare。It\'sallright，I\'msure，butIconfessthatIappreciateyouropinionofthings，MissTurner，evenoflegaldocuments——yes，indeed，Ido!——perhapsparticularlyoflegaldocuments。\" \"Thankyou，\"Marysaid，evidentlyalittlegratifiedbythefrankpraiseofthelearnedgentlemanforherabilities。\"Andhaveyouheardfromthemyet？\"sheinquired。 \"No，\"thelawyerreplied。\"Igavethemuntilto-morrow。IfI don\'thearthen，Ishallstartsuitatonce。\"Thenthelawyer\'smannerbecameunusuallyblandandself-satisfiedasheopenedadrawerofthedeskandbroughtfortharatherformidable-appearingdocument，bearingamostimpressiveseal。 \"Youwillbegladtoknow，\"hewentonunctuously，\"thatIwasentirelysuccessfulincarryingoutthatideaofyoursastotheinjunction。MydearMissTurner，\"hewentonwithfloridcompliment，\"Portiawasasquawkingbaby，comparedwithyou。\" \"Thankyouagain，\"Maryanswered，asshetookthelegalpaperwhichheheldoutstretchedtowardher。Herscarletlipswerecurvedhappily，andtheclearovalofhercheeksblossomedtoadeeperrose。Foramoment，herglanceranoverthewordsofthepage。Thenshelookedupatthelawyer，andtherewerenewlustersinthevioleteyes。 \"It\'ssplendid，\"shedeclared。\"Didyouhavemuchtroubleingettingit？\" Harrispermittedhimselftheindulgenceofanunprofessionalchuckleofkeenestamusementbeforeheanswered。 \"Why，no!\"hedeclared，withreminiscentenjoymentinhismanner。 \"Thatis，notreally!\"Therewasanenormouscomplacencyinhisairovertheevent。\"But，attheoutset，whenImadetherequest，thejudgejustnaturallynearlyfelloffthebench。 Then，IshowedhimthatDetroitcase，towhichyouhaddrawnmyattention，andtheupshotofitallwasthathegavemewhatI wantedwithoutawhimper。Hecouldn\'thelphimself，youknow。 That\'sthelongandtheshortofit。\" Thatmysteriousdocumentwiththeimposingseal，therequestforwhichhadnearlycausedajudgetofalloffthebench，reposedsafelyinMary\'sbagwhenshe，returnedtotheapartmentafterthevisittothelawyer\'soffice。 CHAPTERX。MARKEDMONEY。 MaryhadscarcelyreceivedfromAggieanaccountofCassidy\'sthreateninginvasion，whenthemaidannouncedthatMr。Irwinhadcalled。 \"Showhimin，injusttwominutes，\"Marydirected。 \"Who\'sthegink？\"Aggiedemanded，withthatslangydictionwhichwasherhabit。 \"Yououghttoknow，\"Maryreturned，smilingalittle。\"He\'sthelawyerretainedbyGeneralHastingsinthematterofacertainbreach-of-promisesuit。\" \"Oh，youmeanyourstruly，\"Aggieexclaimed，notintheleastabashedbyherforgetfulnessinanaffairthatconcernedherselfsoclosely。\"Hopehe\'sbroughtthemoney。Whataboutit？\" \"Leavetheroomnow，\"Maryordered，crisply。\"WhenIcalltoyou，comein，butbesureandleaveeverythingtome。Merelyfollowmylead。And，Agnes——beveryingenue。\" \"Oh，I\'mwise——I\'mwise，\"Aggienodded，asshehurriedouttowardherbedroom。\"I\'llbeasquab——surestthingyouknow!\" Nextmoment，Marygaveaformalgreetingtothelawyerwhorepresentedthemansheplannedtomulcteffectively，andinvitedhimtoachairnearher，whilesheherselfretainedherplaceatthedesk，withinadrawerofwhichshehadjustlockedtheformidable-appearingdocumentreceivedfromHarris。 Irwinlostnotimeincomingtothepoint。 \"Icalledinreferencetothissuit，whichMissAgnesLynchthreatenstobringagainstmyclient，GeneralHastings。\" Maryregardedtheattorneywithalevelglance，serenelyexpressionlessasfarascouldbeachievedbyeyessoclearandshining，andhervoicewascoldassherepliedwithsignificantbrusqueness。 \"It\'snotathreat，Mr。Irwin。Thesuitwillbebrought。\" Thelawyerfrowned，andtherewasastridentnoteinhisvoicewhenheanswered，meetingherglancewithanuncompromisingstareofhostility。 \"Yourealize，ofcourse，\"hesaidfinally，\"thatthisismerelyplainblackmail。\" Therewasnotthechangeofafeatureinthefaceofthewomanwholistenedtotheaccusation。Hereyessteadfastlyretainedtheircleargazeintohis；hervoicewasstillcoldlyformal，asbefore。 \"Ifit\'sblackmail，Mr。Irwin，whydon\'tyouconsultthepolice？\" sheinquired，withmanifestdisdain。Maryturnedtothemaid，whonowenteredinresponsetothebellshehadsoundedaminutebefore。\"Fanny，willyouaskMissLynchtocomein，please？\" Thenshefacedthelawyeragain，withanaloofnessofmannerthatwascontemptuous。\"Really，Mr。Irwin，\"shedrawled，\"whydon\'tyoutakethismattertothepolice？\" Thereplywasutteredwithconspicuousexasperation。 \"Youknowperfectlywell，\"thelawyersaidbitterly，\"thatGeneralHastingscannotaffordsuchpublicity。Hispositionwouldbejeopardized。\" \"Oh，asforthat，\"Marysuggestedevenly，andnowtherewasatraceofflippancyinherfashionofspeaking，\"I\'msurethepolicewouldkeepyourcomplaintasecret。Really，youknow，Mr。 Irwin，Ithinkyouhadbettertakeyourtroublestothepolice，ratherthantome。Youwillgetmuchmoresympathyfromthem。\" Thelawyersprangup，withanairofsuddendetermination。 \"Verywell，Iwillthen，\"hedeclared，sternly。\"Iwill!\" Mary，fromhervantagepointatthedeskacrossfromhim，smiledasmilethatwouldhavebeenveryengagingtoanymanundermorefavorablecircumstances，andshepushedinhisdirectionthetelephonethatstoodthere。 \"3100，Spring，\"sheremarked，encouragingly，\"willbringanofficeralmostimmediately。\"Sheleanedbackinherchair，andsurveyedthebaffledmanamusedly。 Thelawyerwasfuriousoverthefailureofhisefforttointimidatethisextraordinarilyself-possessedyoungwoman，whomadeamockofhiseverythrust。Buthewasbynomeansattheendofhisresources。 \"Nevertheless，\"herejoined，\"youknowperfectlywellthatGeneralHastingsneverpromisedtomarrythisgirl。Youknow——\"HebrokeoffasAggieenteredthedrawing-room，Now，thegirlwasdemureinseemingalmostbeyondbelief，achildishcreature，veryfairanddainty，guilelesssurely，withthoseuntroubledeyesofblue，thosesoftlycurvinglipsofwarmestredandthemoredelicatebloomintheroundedcheeks。 Therewerethecharmsofinnocenceandsimplicityinthemannerofherasshestoppedjustwithinthedoorway，whencesheregardedMarywithatimid，pleadinggaze，herslenderlittleformpoisedlightlyasifforflight\"Didyouwantme，dear？\"sheasked。Therewassomethinghalf-plaintiveinthemodulatedcadencesofthequery。 \"Agnes，\"Maryansweredaffectionately，\"thisisMr。Irwin，whohascometoseeyouinbehalfofGeneralHastings。\" \"Oh!\"thegirlmurmured，hervoicequiveringalittle，asthelawyer，afterashortnod，droppedagainintohisseat；\"oh，I\'msofrightened!\"Shehurried，fluttering，toalowstoolbehindthedesk，besideMary\'schair，andthereshesankdown，droopingslightly，andcatchingholdofoneofMary\'shandsasifinmutepleadingforprotectionagainstthefearthatbesetherchastesoul。 \"Nonsense!\"Maryexclaimed，soothingly。\"There\'sreallynothingatalltobefrightenedabout，mydearchild。\"Hervoicewasthatwithwhichoneseekstocajoleaterrifiedinfant。\"Youmustn\'tbeafraid，Agnes。Mr。IrwinsaysthatGeneralHastingsdidnotpromisetomarryyou。Ofcourse，youunderstand，mydear，thatundernocircumstancesmustyousayanythingthatisn\'tstrictlytrue，andthat，ifhedidnotpromisetomarryyou，youhavenocase——noneatall。Now，Agnes，tellme:didGeneralHastingspromisetomarryyou？\" \"Oh，yes——oh，yes，indeed!\"Aggiecried，falteringly。\"AndIwishhewould。He\'ssuchadelightfuloldgentleman!\"Asshespoke，thegirlletgoMary\'shandandclaspedherowntogetherecstatically。 Thelegalrepresentativeofthedelightfuloldgentlemanscowleddisgustedlyatthisoutburst。Hisvoicewasportentous，asheputaquestion。 \"Wasthatpromisemadeinwriting？\" \"No，\"Aggieanswered，gushingly。\"Butallhisletterswereinwriting，youknow。Suchwonderfulletters!\"Sheraisedherblueeyestowardtheceilinginanaiverapture。\"Sotender，andso——er——interesting!\"Somehow，theinflectiononthelastworddidnotaltogethersuggesttheingenuous。 \"Yes，yes，Idaresay，\"Irwinagreed，hastily，withsomeevidencesofchagrin。Hehadnointentionofdwellingonthatfeatureoftheletters，concerningwhichhehadnodoubtwhatsoever，sinceheknewtheamorousGeneralverywellindeed。 Theywouldbeinteresting，beyondshadowofquestioning，horriblyinteresting。Suchwastheconfessedopinionoftheswainhimselfwhohadwrittentheminhisfolly——horriblyinterestingtoallthereadingpublicofthecountry，sincetheGeneralwasaconspicuousfigure。 Maryintervenedwithasuavitythatinfuriatedthelawyeralmostbeyondendurance。 \"Butyou\'requitesure，Agnes，\"shequestionedgently，\"thatGeneralHastingsdidpromisetomarryyou？\"Thecandorofhermannerwasperfect。 AndtheanswerofAggiewasgivenwithalikeconvincingemphasis。 \"Oh，yes!\"shedeclared，tensely。\"Why，Iwouldsweartoit。\" Thelimpideyes，soappealingintheirsoftlusters，wentfirsttoMary，thengazedtrustinglyintothoseoftheroutedattorney。 \"Yousee，Mr。Irwin，shewouldsweartothat，\"emphasizedMary。 \"We\'rebeaten，\"heconfessed，dejectedly，turninghisglancetowardMary，whom，plainly，heregardedashisrealadversaryinthecombatonhisclient\'sbehalf。\"I\'mgoingtobequitefrankwithyou，MissTurner，quitefrank，\"hestatedwithmoregeniality，thoughwithaverycrestfallenair。Somehow，indeed，therewasjustashadetoomuchofthecrestfalleninthefashionofhisutterance，andthewomanwhomheaddressedwatchedwarilyashecontinued。\"Wecan\'taffordanyscandal，sowe\'regoingtosettleatyourownterms。\"Hepausedexpectantly，butMaryofferednocomment；onlymaintainedheralertscrutinyoftheman。Thelawyer，therefore，leanedforwardwithasemblanceoffrankeagerness。Instantly，Aggiehadbecomeagogwithgreedilyblissfulanticipations，andsheutteredaslightejaculationofjoy；butIrwinpaidnoheedtoher。Hewasoccupiedintakingfromhispocketathickbill-case，andfromthispresentlyasheafofbanknotes，whichhelaidonthedeskbeforeMary，withalittlelaughofdiscomfitureoverhavingbeenbeateninthecontest。 Ashedidso，Aggiethrustforthanavaricioushand，butitwascaughtandheldbyMarybeforeitreachedabovethetopofthedesk，andtheavariciousgesturepassedunobservedbytheattorney。 \"Wecan\'tfightwhereladiesareconcerned，\"hewenton，assuming，asbesthemightcontrive，achivalroustone。\"So，ifyouwilljusthandoverGeneralHastings\'letters，why，here\'syourmoney。\" Muchtothespeaker\'ssurprise，therefollowedanintervalofsilence，andhispuzzlementshowedintheknittingofhisbrows。 \"Youhavetheletters，haven\'tyou？\"hedemanded，abruptly。 Aggiecoylytookathickbundlefromitsrestingplaceonherroundedbosom。 \"Theyneverleaveme，\"shemurmured，withdulcetpassion。Therewasinhervoiceasuggestionofdesolation——adesolationthatwastheblightingeffectoflettingthecherishedmissivesgofromher。 \"Well，theycanleaveyounow，allright，\"thelawyerremarkedunsympathetically，butwithreturningcheerfulness，sincehesawtheendofhisquestinvisibleformbeforehim。Hereachedquicklyforwardforthepacket，whichAggieextendedwillinglyenough。ButitwasMarywho，withaswiftmovement，caughtandheldit。 \"Notquiteyet，Mr。Irwin，I\'mafraid，\"shesaid，calmly。 Thelawyerbarelysuppressedaviolentejaculationofannoyance。 \"Butthere\'sthemoneywaitingforyou，\"heprotested，indignantly。 TherejoinderfromMarywasspokenwithgreatdeliberation，yetwithanoteofdeterminationthatcausedaquickandacuteanxietytotheGeneral\'srepresentative。 \"Ithink，\"Maryexplainedtranquilly，\"thatyouhadbetterseeourlawyer，Mr。Harris，inreferencetothis。Wewomenknownothingofsuchdetailsofbusinesssettlement。\" \"Oh，there\'snoneedforallthatformality，\"Irwinurged，withagreatappearanceofblandfriendliness。 \"Justthesame，\"Marypersisted，unimpressed，\"I\'mquitesureyouwouldbetterseeMr。Harrisfirst。\"Therewasacadenceofinsistenceinhervoicethatassuredthelawyerastothefutilityoffurtherpretenseonhispart。 \"Oh，Isee，\"hesaiddisagreeably，withafrowntoindicatehiscompletesagacityinthepremises。 \"Ithoughtyouwould，Mr。Irwin，\"Maryreturned，andnowshesmiledinakindlymanner，which，nevertheless，gavenopleasuretothechagrinedmanbeforeher。Asherose，shewentoncrisply:\"Ifyou\'lltakethemoneytoMr。Harris，MissLynchwillmeetyouinhisofficeatfouro\'clockthisafternoon，and，whenhersuitfordamagesforbreachofpromisehasbeenlegallysettledoutofcourt，youwillgettheletters…… Good-afternoon，Mr。Irwin。\" Thelawyermadeahurriedbowwhichtookinbothofthewomen，andwalkedquicklytowardthedoor。ButhewasarrestedbeforehereacheditbythevoiceofMary，speakingagain，stillinthatimperturbableevennesswhichsoraspedhisnerves，forallitsmellowresonance。Butthistimetherewasasting，ofthesharpest，inthewordsthemselves。 \"Oh，youforgotyourmarkedmoney，Mr。Irwin，\"Marysaid。 Thelawyerwheeled，andstoodstaringatthespeakerwithacertainsheepishnessofexpressionthatborewitnesstothecompletenessofhisdiscomfiture。Withoutaword，afteralongmomentinwhichheperceivedintentlythedelicate，yetsubtlyenergetic，lovelinessofthisslenderwoman，hewalkedbacktothedesk，pickedupthemoney，andrestoredittothebill-case。 Thisdone，atlasthespoke，withanewrespectinhisvoice，aquizzicalsmileonhisratherthinlips。 \"Youngwoman，\"hesaidemphatically，\"yououghttohavebeenalawyer。\"Andwiththatlaudatoryconfessionofherskill，hefinallytookhisdeparture，whileMarysmiledinatriumphshewasatnopainstoconceal，andAggiesatgapingastonishmentoverthesurprisingturnofevents。 Itwasthelattervolatilepersonwhoendedthesilencethatfollowedonthelawyer\'sgoing。 \"You\'vedarnnearbrokemyheart，\"shecried，bouncingupviolently，\"lettingallthatmoneygooutofthehouse……Say，howdidyouknowitwasmarked？\" \"Ididn\'t，\"Maryreplied，blandly；\"butitwasaprettygoodguess，wasn\'tit？Couldn\'tyouseethatallhewantedwastogettheletters，andhaveustakethemarkedmoney？Then，mysimpleyoungfriend，wewouldhavebeenarrestedveryneatlyindeed——forblackmail。\" Aggie\'sinnocenteyesroundedinanamazedconsternation，whichwasnotatallassumed。 \"Gee!\"shecried。\"Thatwouldhavebeenfierce!Andnow？\"shequestioned，apprehensively。 Mary\'sanswerrepudiatedanypossibilityoffear。 \"Andnow，\"sheexplainedcontentedly，\"hereallywillgotoourlawyer。There，hewillpayoverthatsamemarkedmoney。Then，hewillgetthelettershewantssomuch。And，justbecauseit\'sastrictlybusinesstransactionbetweentwolawyers，witheverythingdoneaccordingtolegalethics——\" \"What\'slegalethics？\"Aggiedemanded，impetuously。\"Theysoundsometasty!\"Withthecomment，shedroppedweaklyintoachair。 Marylaughedincare-freeenjoyment，aswellshemightafterwinningthevictoryinsuchabattleofwits。 \"Oh，\"shesaid，happily，\"youjustgetitlegally，andyougettwiceasmuch!\" \"Andit\'sactuallythesameoldgame!\"Aggiemused。Shewasdoingherbesttogetaclearunderstandingofthematter，thoughtoheritwasallamysterymostesoteric。 Maryreviewedthecasesuccinctlyfortheother\'senlightenment。 \"Yes，it\'sthesamegameprecisely，\"sheaffirmed。\"Ashamelessoldrouemakeslovetoyou，andhewritesyouastackofsillyletters。\" Thepoutinglipsofthelistenertookonapatheticdroop，andhervoicequiveredasshespokewithaneffectivesemblanceofvirginalterror。 \"Hemighthaveruinedmylife!\" Marycontinuedwithoutgivingmuchattentiontothesehistrionics。 \"Ifyouhadaskedhimforallthismoneyforthereturnofhisletters，itwouldhavebeenblackmail，andwe\'dhavegonetojailinallhumanprobability。Butwedidnosuchthing——no，indeed! Whatwedidwasn\'tanythinglikethatintheeyesofthelaw。 Whatwedidwasmerelytohaveyourlawyertakestepstowardasuitfordamagesforbreachofpromiseofmarriageforthesumoftenthousanddollars。Then，hislawyerappearsinbehalfofGeneralHastings，andtherefollowanumberofconferencesbetweenthelegalrepresentativesoftheopposingparties。Bymeansoftheseconferences，thetwolegalgentlemenrunupveryrespectablebillsofexpenses。Intheend，wegetourtenthousanddollars，andtheflightyoldGeneralgetsbackhisletters……Mydear，\"Maryconcludedvaingloriously，\"we\'reinsidethelaw，andsowe\'reperfectlysafe。Andthereyouare!\" CHAPTERXI。THETHIEF。 Maryremainedinjoyousspiritsafterhervictoriousmatchingofbrainsagainstalawyerofhighstandinginhisprofession。Forthetimebeing，consciencewasmutedbygratifiedambition。Herthoughtsjustthenwerefarfromthemiseriesofthepast，withtheireviltrainofconsequencesinthepresent。Butthatpastwassoontoberecalledtoherwithavividnessmostterrible。 Shehadenteredthetelephone-booth，whichshehadcausedtobeinstalledoutofanextraclosetofherbedroomforthesakeofgreaterprivacyonoccasion，anditwasduringherabsencefromthedrawing-roomthatGarsonagaincameintotheapartment，seekingher。OnbeingtoldbyAggieastoMary\'swhereabouts，hesatdowntoawaitherreturn，listeningwithoutmuchinteresttothechatteroftheadventuress……Itwasjustthenthatthemaidappeared。 \"There\'sagirlwantstoseeMissTurner，\"sheexplained。 TheirrepressibleAggieputonhermostfinicallyelegantair。 \"Hassheacard？\"sheinquiredhaughtily，whilethemaidtitteredappreciation。 \"No，\"wastheanswer。\"Butshesaysit\'simportant。Iguessthepoorthing\'sinhardluck，fromthelookofher，\"thekindlyFannieadded。 \"Oh，thenshe\'llbewelcome，ofcourse，\"Aggiedeclared，andGarsonnoddedinacquiescence。\"Tellhertocomeinandwait，Fannie。MissTurnerwillbehererightaway。\"SheturnedtoGarsonasthemaidlefttheroom。\"Marysureisaneasyboob，\" sheremarked，cheerfully。\"Blesshersoftheart!\" Acuriouslygentlesmileofappreciationsoftenedtheimmobilityoftheforger\'sfaceasheagainnoddedassent。 \"WemightjustaswellpipeofftheskirtbeforeMarygetshere，\" Aggiesuggested，witheagerness。 Aminutelater，agirlperhapstwentyyearsofagesteppedjustwithinthedoorway，andstoodtherewitheyesdowncast，afteroneswift，furtiveglanceabouther。Herwholeappearancewasthatofdejection。Hersoiledblackgown，thecringingposture，thepallorofherface，proclaimedtheabjectmiseryofherstate。 Aggie，whowasnotexuberantinhersympathiesforanyoneotherthanherself，addressedthenewcomerwithapatronizinginflection，modulatedinherbestmanner。 \"Won\'tyoucomein，please？\"sherequested。 Theshrinkinggirlshotanotherveiledlookinthedirectionofthespeaker。 \"AreyouMissTurner？\"sheasked，inavoicebrokenbynervousdismay。 \"Really，Iamverysorry，\"Aggiereplied，primly；\"butIamonlyhercousin，MissAgnesLynch。ButMissTurnerislikelytobebackanyminutenow。\" \"CanIwait？\"camethetimidquestion。 \"Certainly，\"Aggieanswered，hospitably。\"Pleasesitdown。\" Asthegirlobedientlysankdownonthenearestchair，Garsonaddressedhersharply，sothatthevisitorstarteduneasilyattheunexpectedsound。 \"Youdon\'tknowMissTurner？\" \"No，\"camethefaintreply。 \"Then，whatdoyouwanttoseeherabout？\" Therewasabriefpausebeforethegirlcouldpluckupcourageenoughforananswer。Then，itwasspokenconfusedly，almostinawhisper。 \"Sheoncehelpedagirlfriendofmine，andIthought——I thought——\" \"Youthoughtshemighthelpyou，\"Garsoninterrupted。 ButAggie，too，possessedsomeperceptivepowers，despitethefactthatshepreferredtousethemlittleinordinaryaffairs。 \"Youhavebeeninstir——prison，Imean。\"Shehastilycorrectedthelapseintounderworldslang。 Cameadistressedmutteringofassentfromthegirl。 \"Howsad!\"Aggieremarked，inavoiceofshockedpityforonesoinconceivablyunfortunate。\"Howvery，verysad!\" ThisingenuousmethodofdiversionwasputtoanendbytheentranceofMary，whostoppedshortonseeingthelimpfigurehuddledinthechair。 \"Avisitor，Agnes？\"sheinquired。 Atthesoundofhervoice，andbeforeAggiecouldhitonafittinglyelegantformofreply，thegirllookedup。Andnow，forthefirsttime，shespokewithsomedegreeofenergy，albeittherewasasinisterundertoneinthehuskyvoice。 \"You\'reMissTurner？\"shequestioned。 \"Yes，\"Marysaid，simply。Herwordsrangkindly；andshesmiledencouragement。 Agaspburstfromthewhitelipsofthegirl，andshecoweredasonestrickenphysically。 \"MaryTurner!Oh，myGod!I——\"Shehidherfacewithinherarmsandsatbentuntilherheadrestedonherkneesinanabasementofmisery。 Vaguelystartledbythehystericaloutburstfromthegirl，Mary\'simmediatethoughtwasthatherewasapitifulinstanceofonesufferingfromstarvation。 \"Joe，\"shedirectedrapidly，\"haveFanniebringaglassofmilkwithaneggandalittlebrandyinit，rightaway。\" Thegirlinthechairwasshakingsoundlesslyunderthestressofheremotions。Afewdisjointedphrasesfellfromherquiveringlips。 \"Ididn\'tknow——oh，Icouldn\'t!\" \"Don\'ttrytotalkjustnow，\"Marywarned，reassuringly。\"Waituntilyou\'vehadsomethingtoeat。\" Aggie，whohadobserveddevelopmentsclosely，nowliftedhervoiceintardylamentationsoverherownstupidity。Therewasnoaffectationofthefineladyinherself-reproach。 \"Why，thepoorgawk\'shungry!\"sheexclaimed!\"AndInevergotthedopeonher。Ain\'tIthesimp!\" Thegirlregainedadegreeofself-control，andshowedsomethingofforlorndignity。 \"Yes，\"shesaiddully，\"I\'mstarving。\" Maryregardedtheafflictedcreaturewiththatsympathybornonlyofexperience。 \"Yes，\"shesaidsoftly，\"Iunderstand。\"ThenshespoketoAggie。 \"Takehertomyroom，andletherrestthereforawhile。Haveherdrinktheeggandmilkslowly，andthenliedownforafewminutesanyhow。\" Aggieobeyedwithanairofbustlingactivity。 \"Sure，Iwill!\"shedeclared。Shewenttothegirlandhelpedhertostandup。\"We\'llfixyououtallright，\"shesaid，comfortingly。\"Comealongwithme……Hungry!Gee，butthat\'stough!\" Halfanhourafterward，whileMarywasatherdesk，givingpartofherattentiontoJoeGarson，whosatnear，andparttoaratherformidablepileofneatlyarrangedpapers，Aggiereportedwithhercharge，who，thoughstillshamblingofgait，andstooping，showedbysomefaintcolorinherfaceandanincreasedsteadinessofbearingthatthefoodhadalreadystrengthenedhermuch。 \"Shewouldcome，\"Aggieexplained。\"Ithoughtsheoughttorestforawhilelongeranyhow。\"Shehalf-shovedthegirlintoachairoppositethedesk，inanabsurdtravestyonthematernalmanner。 \"I\'mallright，Itellyou，\"camethequerulousprotest。 Whereupon，Aggiegaveovertheuncongenialtaskofmothering，andsettledherselfcomfortablyinachair，withherlegsmerelycrossedasacompromisebetweeneaseandpropriety。 \"Areyouquitesure？\"Marysaidtothegirl。Andthen，astheothernoddedinassent，shespokewithacompellingkindliness。 \"Thenyoumusttellusallaboutit——thistroubleofyours，youknow。Whatisyourname？\" Onceagainthegirlhadrecoursetotheswift，searching，furtiveglance，buthervoicewascolorlessasshereplied，listlessly: \"HelenMorris。\" Maryregardedthegirlwithanexpressionthatwasinscrutablewhenshespokeagain。 \"Idon\'thavetoaskifyouhavebeeninprison，\"shesaidgravely。\"Yourfaceshowsit。\" \"I——Icameout——threemonthsago，\"wasthehaltingadmission。 Marywatchedtheshrinkingfigurereflectivelyforalongminutebeforeshespokeagain。Thentherewasadeeperresonanceinhervoice。 \"Andyou\'dmadeupyourmindtogostraight？\" \"Yes。\"Thewordwasawhisper。 \"Youweregoingtodowhatthechaplainhadtoldyou，\"Marywentoninavoicevibrantwithvariedemotions。\"Youweregoingtostartalloveragain，weren\'tyou？Youweregoingtobeginanewlife，weren\'tyou？\"Thebentheadofthegirlbentstilllowerinassent。TherecameacynicalnoteintoMary\'sutterancenow。 \"Itdoesn\'tworkverywell，doesit？\"sheasked，bitterly。 Thegirlgavesullenagreement。 \"No，\"shesaiddully；\"I\'mwhipped。\" Mary\'smannerchangedontheinstant。Shespokecheerfullyforthefirsttime。 \"Well，then，\"shequestioned，\"howwouldyouliketoworkwithus？\" Thegirllookedupforasecondwithanotherofherfleeting，stealthyglances。 \"You——youmeanthat——？\" Maryexplainedherintentioninthematterveryexplicitly。Hervoicegrewboastful。 \"Ourkindofworkpayswellwhenyouknowhow。Lookatus。\" Aggiewelcomedtheopportunityforspeech，toolongdelayed。 \"HatsfromJoseph\'s，gownsfromLucile\'s，andcrackedicefromTiffany\'s。Butitain\'tladyliketowearit，\"sheconcludedwithareproachfulglanceathermentor。 Marydisregardedthefrivolousinterruption，andwentonspeakingtothegirl，andnowtherewassomethingpleasantlycajolinginhermanner。 \"SupposeIshouldstakeyouforthepresent，andputyouinwithagoodcrowd。Allyouwouldhavetodowouldbetoansweradvertisementsforservantgirls。Iwillseethatyouhavethebestofreferences。Then，whenyougetinwiththerightpeople，youwillopenthefrontdoorsomenightandletinthegang。Ofcourse，youwillmakeaget-awaywhentheydo，andgetyourbitaswell。\" Thereflashedstillanotheroftheswift，slyglances，andthelipsofthegirlpartedasifshewouldspeak。Butshedidnot； only，herheadsaggedevenloweronherbreast，andtheshrunkenformgrewyetmoreshrunken。Mary，watchingclosely，sawthesesigns，andinthesameinstantachangecameoverher。Wherebeforetherehadbeenanunderlyingsuggestionofhardness，therewasnowawomanlywarmthofgenuinesympathy。 \"Itdoesn\'tsuityou？\"shesaid，verysoftly。\"Good!Iwasinhopesitwouldn\'t。So，here\'sanotherplan。\"Hervoicehadbecomeverywinning。\"SupposeyoucouldgoWest——someplacewhereyouwouldhaveafairchance，withmoneyenoughsoyoucouldlivelikeahumanbeingtillyougotastart？\" Therecameatensingoftherelaxedform，andtheheadliftedalittlesothatthegirlcouldlookatherquestioner。And，thistime，theglance，thoughofthebriefest，waslessfurtive。 \"Iwillgiveyouthatchance，\"Marysaidsimply，\"ifyoureallywantit。\" Thatspeechwaslikeacurrentofstrengthtothewretchedgirl。 Shesatsuddenlyerect，andherwordscameeagerly。 \"Oh，Ido!\"Andnowherhungrygazeremainedfastonthefaceofthewomanwhoofferedhersalvation。 Marysprangupandmovedasteptowardthegirlwhocontinuedtostareather，fascinated。Shewasnowallwholesome。Thememoryofherownwrongssurgedinherduringthismomentonlytomakehermoreappreciativeoftheblessednessofseemlylife。Shewasmovedtoadivinecompassionoverthiswaifforwhomshemightproveabeneficentprovidence。Therewasprofoundconvictionintheemphasiswithwhichshespokeherwarning。 \"ThenIhavejustonethingtosaytoyoufirst。Ifyouaregoingtolivestraight，startstraight，andthengothroughwithit。Doyouknowwhatthatmeans？\" \"Youmean，keepstraightallthetime？\"Thegirlspokewithaforcedrawnfromtheother\'sstrength。 \"Imeanmorethanthat，\"Marywentonearnestly。\"Imean，forgetthatyouwereeverinprison。Idon\'tknowwhatyouhavedone——I don\'tthinkIcare。Butwhateveritwas，youhavepaidforit——aprettybigprice，too。\"Intotheselastwordstherecreptthepathosofonewhoknew。Thesympathyofitstirredthelistenertofearfulmemories。 \"Ihave，Ihave!\"Thethinvoicebroke，wailing。 \"Well，then，\"Marywenton，\"justbeginalloveragain，andbesureyoustandupforyourrights。Don\'tletthemmakeyoupayasecondtime。Gowherenooneknowsyou，anddon\'ttellthefirstpeoplewhoarekindtoyouthatyouhavebeencrooked。Iftheythinkyouarestraight，why，beit。Thennobodywillhaveanyrighttocomplain。\"Hertonegrewsuddenlypleading。\"Willyoupromisemethis？\" \"Yes，Ipromise，\"cametheanswer，verygravely，quickenedwithhope。 \"Good!\"Maryexclaimed，withasmileofapproval。\"Waitaminute，\"sheadded，andlefttheroom。 \"Huh!Prettysoftforsomepeople，\"AggieremarkedtoGarson，withasniff。Shefeltnoalarmlestshewoundthesensibilitiesofthegirl。Sheherselfhadneverletdelicacyinterferebetweenherselfandmoney。Itwasreallystrangerthattheforger，whopossessedamoresympatheticnature，didnotscrupletospeakanassentopenly。Somehow，hefeltaninexplicableprejudiceagainstthisabjectrecipientofMary\'sbounty，thoughnotfortheworldwouldhehavecheckedthegenerousimpulseonthepartofthewomanhesorevered。Itwashisinstinctonherbehalfthatmadehimnowvaguelyuneasy，asifhesensedsomemaligninfluenceagainsthertherepresentwiththem。 Maryreturnedsoon。Inherhandshecarriedarollofbills。 Shewenttothegirlandheldoutthemoney。Hervoicewasbusiness-likenow，butverykind。 \"Takethis。ItwillpayyourfareWest，andkeepyouquiteawhileifyouarecareful。\"