第8章

\"Ididn\'tseefather，\"hesaidhappily，\"butIlefthimanoteonhisdeskattheoffice。\" Then，somehow，thesurchargedatmospherepenetratedhisconsciousness，andhelookedaround，toseehisfatherstandinggrimlyoppositehim。Buttherewasnochangeinhisexpressionbeyondamoreradiantsmile。 \"Hello，Dad!\"hecried，joyously。\"Thenyougotmynote？\" Thevoiceoftheoldermancamewithasinisterforceandsaturnine。 \"No，Dick，Ihaven\'thadanynote。\" \"Then，why？\"Theyoungmanbrokeoffsuddenly。Hewasbecomeawarethatherewassomethingmalignant，withameaningbeyondhispresentunderstanding，forhesawtheInspectorandDemarest，andheknewthetwoofthemforwhattheywereofficially。 \"Whataretheydoinghere？\"hedemandedsuspiciously，staringatthetwo。 \"Oh，nevermindthem，\"Marysaid。Therewasamalevolentgleaminhervioleteyes。Thiswastherecompenseofwhichshehaddreamedthroughsoul-tearingages。\"Justtellyourfatheryournews，Dick。\" Theyoungmanhadnocomprehensionofthefactthathewasonlyapawninthegame。Hespokewithsimplepride。 \"Dad，we\'remarried。MaryandIweremarriedthismorning。\" Always，Marystaredwithhereyessteadfastonthefather。Therewastriumphinhergaze。Thiswasthevengeanceforwhichshehadlonged，forwhichshehadplotted，thevengeanceshehadatlastachieved。Herewasherfruition，theperiodofhersupremacy。 Gilderhimselfseemeddazedbythebriefsentence。 \"Saythatagain，\"hecommanded。 Maryrejoicedtomaketheknowledgesure。 \"Imarriedyoursonthismorning，\"shesaidinamatter-of-facttone。\"Imarriedhim。Doyouquiteunderstand，Mr。Gilder？I marriedhim。\"Inthatinsistencelayherultimatecompensationforuntoldmisery。Thefatherstoodtherewordless，unabletofindspeechagainstthiscalamitythathadbefallenhim。 ItwasBurkewhoofferedadiversion，acrudeinterruptionafterhisownfashion。 \"It\'saframe-up，\"heroared。Heglaredattheyoungman。\"Tellyourfatheritain\'ttrue。Why，doyouknowwhatsheis？She\'sdonetime。\"Hepausedforaninstant，thenspokeinavoicethatwasbrutallymenacing。\"And，byGod，she\'lldoitagain!\" Theyoungmanturnedtowardhisbride。Therewasdisbelief，hope，despair，inhisface，whichhadgrownolderbyyearswiththepassingoftheseconds。 \"It\'salie，Mary，\"hesaid。\"Sayit\'salie!\"Heseizedherhandpassionately。 Therewasnoquiverinhervoiceassheanswered。Shedrewherhandfromhisclasp，andspokeevenly。 \"It\'sthetruth。\" \"It\'sthetruth!\"theyoungmanrepeated，incredulously。 \"Itisthetruth，\"Marysaid，firmly。\"Ihaveservedthreeyearsinprison。\" Therewasasilenceofaminutethatwaslikeyears。Itwasthefatherwhobrokeit，andnowhisvoicewasbecometremulous。 \"Iwantedtosaveyou，Dick。That\'swhyIcame。\" Thesoninterruptedhimviolently。 \"There\'samistake——theremustbe。\" ItwasDemarestwhogaveanofficialtouchtothetragedyofthemoment。 \"There\'snomistake，\"hesaid。Therewasauthorityinhisstatement。 \"Thereis，Itellyou!\"Dickcried，horrifiedbythisconspiracyofdefamation。Heturnedhistorturedfacetohisbrideofaday。 \"Mary，\"hesaidhuskily，\"thereisamistake。\" Somethinginherfaceappalledhim。Hewasvoicelessforafewterribleinstants。Thenhespokeagain，morebeseechingly。 \"Saythere\'samistake。\" Marypreservedherpoise。Yes——shemustnotforget!Thiswasthehourofhertriumph。Whatmattereditthatthehoneyofitwasasashesinhermouth？Shespokewithasimplicitythatadmittednodenial。 \"It\'sallquitetrue。\" Themanwhohadsolovedher，sotrustedher，wasoverwhelmedbytherevelation。Hestoodtremblingforamoment，tottered，almostitseemedwouldhavefallen，butpresentlysteadiedhimselfandsanksupinelyintoachair，wherehesatinimpotentsuffering。 ThefatherlookedatMarywithareproachthatwaspathetic。 \"See，\"hesaid，andhisheavyvoicewasforoncethinwithpassion，\"seewhatyou\'vedonetomyboy!\" MaryhadheldhereyesonDick。Therehadbeeninhergazeaconflictofemotions，strongandbaffling。Now，however，whenthefatherspoke，herfacegrewmorecomposed，andhereyesmethiscoldly。Hervoicewaslevelandvaguelydangerousassheansweredhisaccusation。 \"Whatisthatcomparedtowhatyouhavedonetome？\" Gilderstaredatherinhonestamazement。Hehadnosuspicionastothetragedythatlaybetweenhimandher。 \"WhathaveIdonetoyou？\"hequestioned，uncomprehending。 Marymovedforward，passingbeyondthedesk，andcontinuedheradvancetowardhimuntilthetwostoodclosetogether，facetoface。Shespokesoftly，butwithanintensityofsupremefeelinginhervoice。 \"DoyourememberwhatIsaidtoyouthedayyouhadmesentaway？\" Themerchantregardedherwithstarklackofunderstanding。 \"Idon\'trememberyouatall，\"hesaid。 Thewomanlookedathimintentlyforamoment，thenspokeinacolorlessvoice。 \"PerhapsyourememberMaryTurner，whowasarrestedfouryearsagoforrobbingyourstore。Andperhapsyourememberthatsheaskedtospeaktoyoubeforetheytookhertoprison。\" Theheavy-jowledmangaveastart。 \"Oh，youbegintoremember。Yes!Therewasagirlwhosworeshewasinnocent——yes，shesworethatshewasinnocent。Andshewouldhavegotoff——only，youaskedthejudgetomakeanexampleofher。\" Themantowhomshespokehadgonegrayalittle。Hebegantounderstand，forhewasnotlackinginintelligence。Somehow，itwasborneinonhimthatthiswomanhadagrievancebeyondtheusualrunofinjuries。 \"Youarethatgirl？\"hesaid。Itwasnotaquestion，ratheranaffirmation。 Maryspokewiththedignityoflongsuffering——morethanthat，withtheconfidentdignityofavengeancelongdelayed，nowatlastachieved。Herwordsweresimpleenough，buttheytouchedtotheheartofthemanaccusedbythem。 \"Iamthatgirl。\" Therewasalittleintervalofsilence。Then，Maryspokeagain，remorselessly。 \"Youtookawaymygoodname。Yousmashedmylife。Youputmebehindthebars。Youoweforallthat……Well\'I\'vebeguntocollect。\" Themanoppositeher，themanofvigorousform，ofstrongfaceandkeeneyes，stoodgazingintentlyforlongmoments。Inthattime，hewaslearningmanythings。Finally，hespoke。 \"Andthatiswhyyoumarriedmyboy。\" \"Itis。\"Marygavetheanswercoldly，convincingly。 Convincingly，savetoone——herhusband。Dicksuddenlyaroused，andspokewiththeviolenceofonesure。 \"Itisnot!\" Burkeshoutedawarning。Demarest，morediplomatic，madearestraininggesturetowardthepoliceofficial，thenstartedtoaddresstheyoungmansoothingly。 ButDickwouldhavenoneoftheirinterference。 \"Thisismyaffair，\"hesaid，andtheothersfellsilent。HestoodupandwenttoMary，andtookhertwohandsinhis，verygently，yetveryfirmly。 \"Mary，\"hesaidsoftly，yetwithastrengthofconviction，\"youmarriedmebecauseyouloveme。\" Thewifeshuddered，butshestrovetodeny。 \"No，\"shesaidgravely，\"no，Ididnot!\" \"Andyoulovemenow!\"hewentoninsistingly。 \"No，no!\"Mary\'sdenialcamelikeacryforescape。 \"Youlovemenow!\"Therewasamasterfulqualityinhisdeclaration，whichseemedtoignorehernegation。 \"Idon\'t，\"sherepeatedbitterly。 Buthewasinexorable。 \"Lookmeintheface，andsaythat。\" Hetookherfaceinhishands，liftedit，andhiseyesmetherssearchingly。 \"Lookmeintheface，andsaythat，\"herepeated。 Therewasasilencethatseemedlong，thoughitwasmeasuredinthepassingofseconds。Thethreewatchersdarednotinterruptthisdramaofemotions，but，atlast，Mary，whohadplannedsolongforthishour，gatheredherforcesandspokevaliantly。Hervoicewaslow，butwithoutanyweaknessofdoubt。 \"Idonotloveyou。\" Intheinstantofreply，DickGilder，bysomeinspirationoflove，changedhisattitude。\"Justthesame，\"hesaidcheerfully，\"youaremywife，andI\'mgoingtokeepyouandmakeyouloveme。\" Maryfeltathrilloffearthroughherverysoul。 \"Youcan\'t!\"shecriedharshly。\"Youarehisson!\" \"She\'sacrook!\"Burkesaid。 \"Idon\'tcareadamnwhatyou\'vebeen!\"Dickexclaimed。\"Fromnowonyou\'llgostraight。You\'llwalkthestraightestlineawomaneverwalked。You\'llputallthoughtsofvengeanceoutofyourheart，becauseI\'llfillitwithsomethingbigger——I\'mgoingtomakeyouloveme。\" Burke，withhisrousingvoice，spokeagain: \"Itellyou，she\'sacrook!\" Marymovedalittle，andthenturnedherfacetowardGilder。 \"And，ifIam，whomademeone？Youcan\'tsendagirltoprison，andhavehercomeoutanythingelse。\" Burkeswunghimselfaroundinamovementofcompletedisgust。 \"Shedidn\'tgethertimeforgoodbehavior。\" Maryraisedherhead，haughtily，withagestureofhighdisdain。 \"AndI\'mproudofit!\"cameherinstantretort。\"Doyouknowwhatgoesontherebehindthosestonewalls？Doyou，Mr。 DistrictAttorney，whosebusinessitistosendgirlsthere？Doyouknowwhatagirlisexpectedtodo，togettimeoffforgoodbehavior？Ifyoudon\'t，askthekeepers。\" Gildermovedfussily。 \"Andyou——\" Maryswayedalittle，standingtherebeforeherquestioner。 \"Iservedeveryminuteofmytime——everyminuteofit，threefull，wholeyears。DoyouwonderthatIwanttogeteven，thatsomeonehasgottopay？Fouryearsago，youtookawaymyname——andgavemeanumber……Now，I\'vegivenupthenumber——andI\'vegotyourname。\" CHAPTERXV。AFTERMATHOFTRAGEDY。 TheGilders，bothfatherandson，enduredmuchsufferingthroughoutthenightanddaythatfollowedthesceneinMaryTurner\'sapartment，whenshehadmadeknowntheaccomplishmentofherrevengeontheoldermanbyherensnaringoftheyounger。 Dickhadfollowedtheothersoutofherpresenceathercommand，emphasizedbyherleavinghimalonewhenhewouldhavepleadedfurtherwithher。Sincethen，hehadstriventoobtainanotherinterviewwithhisbride，butshehadrefusedhim。Hewasdeniedadmissiontotheapartment。Onlythemaidansweredtheringingofthetelephone，andhisnoteswereseeminglyunheeded。 Distraughtbythisviolentinterjectionoftormentintoalifethathithertohadknownnoimportantsuffering，DickGildershowedwhatmettleofmanlaybeneathhisdebonairappearance。 Andthatmettlewasofakindworthwhile。Inthesehoursofgrief，thesoulofhimputoutitsstrength。Helearnedbeyondperadventureofdoubtthatthewomanwhomhehadmarriedwasintruthanex-convict，evenasBurkeandDemaresthaddeclared。 Nevertheless，hedidnotforaninstantbelievethatshewasguiltyofthecrimewithwhichshehadbeenoriginallychargedandforwhichshehadservedasentenceinprison。Fortherest，hecouldunderstandinsomedegreehowthevenomofthewronginflictedonherhadpoisonedhernaturethroughtheyears，tillshehadworkedoutitsevilthroughtheschemeofwhichhewastheinnocentvictim。Hecaredlittleforthefactthatrecentlyshehaddevotedherselftodeviousdevicesformakingmoney，toingeniousschemesforlegalplunder。Inhissummingofher，hesetasmorethananoffsettoherunrighteousnessinthisregardthedesperatestruggleshehadmadeafterleavingprisontokeepstraight，which，ashelearned，hadendedinherattemptatsuicide。Heknewtheintelligenceofthiswomanwhomheloved，andinhisheartwasnothoughtofherfaultsasvitalflaws。Itseemedtohimratherthatcircumstanceshadcompelledher，andthatthroughallthesufferingofherlifeshehadretainedthemorebeautifulqualitiesofherwomanliness，forwhichhereverencedher。Intheclosenessoftheirassociation，shortasithadbeen，hehadlearnedtoknowsomethingofthetendererdepthswithinher，thekindlinessofher，thewholesomeness。 Swayedashewasbythelovelinessofher，hewasyetmoreenthralledbythoseinnerqualitiesofwhichtheouterbeautywasonlythefittingsymbol。 So，inthefaceofthiscatastrophe，wherealesslovemusthavebeendestroyedutterly，Dickremainedloyal。Hispassionateregarddidnotfalterforamoment。Itneverevenoccurredtohimthathemightcastheroff，mightyieldtohisfather\'sprayers，andabandonher。Onthecontrary，hisonlypurposewastogainherforhimself，tocherishandguardheragainsteveryill，toprotectwithhislovefromeveryattackofshameorinjury。Hewouldnotbelievethatthegirldidnotcareforhim。 Whateverhadbeenherfirstpurposeofusinghimonlyasaninstrumentthroughwhichtostrikeagainsthisfather，whatevermightbeherpresentplanofeliminatinghimfromherlifeinthefuture，hestillwassurethatshehadgrowntoknowarealandlastingaffectionforhimself。Herememberedstartledglancesfromthevioleteyes，caughtunawares，andthemusicofhervoiceinrareinstants，andthesetoldhimthatloveforhimstirred，eventhoughitmightasyetbebutfaintly，inherheart。 Outofthatfact，hedrewanimmediatecomfortinthisperiodofhismisery。Nevertheless，hisanguishwasarackingone。Hegrewoldervisiblyinthenightandtheday。Therecreptsuddenlylinesofnewfeelingintohisface，and，too，linesofnewstrength。Theboydiedinthattime；themanwasborn，cameforthinthefullofhissteadfastnessandhiscourage，andhislove。 Thefathersufferedwiththeson。Hewasaproudman，intenselygratifiedoverthecommandingpositiontowhichhehadachievedinthecommercialworld，proudofhisbusinessintegrity，ofhisstandinginthecommunityasaleader，proudofhissocialposition，proudmostofallofthesonwhomhesoloved。Now，thishideousdisasterthreatenedhisprideateveryturn——worse，itthreatenedtheonepersonintheworldwhomhereallyloved。 Mostfatherswouldhavestormedattheboywhenpleadingfailed，wouldhavegivencommandswithharshness，wouldhavemenacedtherecalcitrantwithdisinheritance。EdwardGilderdidnoneofthesethings，thoughhisheartwassorelywounded。Helovedhissontoomuchtocontemplatemakingmoreevilfortheladbyanyestrangementbetweenthem。YethefeltthatthemattercouldnotsafelybeleftinthehandsofDickhimself。Herealizedthathissonlovedthewoman——norcouldhewondermuchatthat。HiskeeneyeshadperceivedMaryTurner\'sgracesofform，herlovelinessofface。Hehadapprehended，too，insomemeasureatleast，thefinenessofhermentalfiberandthecapacitiesofherheart。Deepwithinhim，deniedanyoutlet，heknewtherelurkedacurious，subtlesympathyforthegirlinherschemeofrevengeagainsthimself。Herpersistentstrivingtowardtheobjectofherambitionwassomethinghecouldunderstand，sincethelikethingindifferentguisehadbeenbackofhisownbusinesssuccess。Hewouldnotlettheidearisetothesurfaceofconsciousness，forhestillrefusedtobelievethatMaryTurnerhadsufferedathishandunjustly。Hewouldthinkofherasnothingelsethanavilecreature，whohadcaughthissoninthetoilsofherbeautyandcharm，forthepurposeofeventuallymakingmoneyoutoftheintrigue。 Gilder，inhislibrarythisnight，waspacingimpatientlytoandfro，eagerlylisteningforthesoundofhisson\'sreturntothehouse。HehadbeentheguestofhonorthatnightatanimportantmeetingoftheCivicCommittee，andhehadspokenwithhisusualclarityandearnestnessinspiteofthetroublethatbesethim。 Now，however，theregenerationofthecitywasfarfromhisthought，andhissoleconcernwaswiththeregenerationofalife，thatofhisson，whichbadefairtoberuinedbythewilesofawickedwoman。HewasanxiousforthecomingofDick，towhomhewouldmakeonemoreappeal。Ifthatshouldfail——well，hemustusetheinfluencesathiscommandtosecuretheforciblepartingoftheadventuressfromhisson。 Theroominwhichhepacedtoandfrowasofasoliddignity，wellfittedtoserveasanenvironmentforitsowner。Itwasverylarge，andlofty。Therewasmassivenessinthedeskthatstoodoppositethehalldoor，nearawindow。Thisparticularwindowitselfwashuge，high，juttinginoctagonal，withleadedpanes。Inaddition，therewasagreatfireplacesetwithtiles，aroundwhichwaswoodworkelaboratelycarved，thefruitofpatientquestingabroad。Onthewallswerehungsomepiecesoftapestry，wheretherewerenotbookcases。Overtheoctagonalwindow，too，suchdraperiesfellinstatelylines。Now，asthemagnatepacedbackandforth，therewasonlyagentlelightintheroom，fromareading-lamponhisdesk。Thehugechandelierwasunlighted……ItwasevenasGilder，inanincreasingirritationoverthedelay，hadthrownhimselfdownonacouchwhichstoodjustalittlewaywithinanalcove，thatheheardtheouterdooropenandshut。Hesprangupwithanejaculationofsatisfaction。 \"Dick，atlast!\"hemuttered。 Itwas，intruth，theson。Amomentlater，heenteredtheroom，andwentatoncetohisfather，whowasstandingwaiting，facingthedoor。 \"I\'mawfullysorryI\'msolate，Dad，\"hesaidsimply。 \"Wherehaveyoubeen？\"thefatherdemandedgravely。Buttherewasgreataffectionintheflashofhisgrayeyesashescannedtheyoungman\'sface，andthetouchofthehandthatheputonDick\'sshoulderwasverytender。\"Withthatwomanagain？\" Theboy\'svoicewasdisconsolateashereplied: \"No，father，notwithher。Shewon\'tseeme。\" Theoldermansnortedawrathfulappreciation。 \"Naturally!\"heexclaimedwithexceedingbitternessintheheavyvoice。\"She\'sgotallshewantedfromyou——myname!\"Herepeatedthewordswithagrimaceofexasperation:\"Myname!\" Therewasanoveldignityintheson\'stoneashespoke。 \"It\'smine，too，youknow，sir，\"hesaidquietly。 Thefatherwasimpressedofasuddenwiththefactthat，whilethisaffairwasofsupremeimporttohimself，itwas，afterall，ofstillgreatersignificancetohisson。Tohimself，thechiefconcernswereoftheworldlykind。Tothisboy，thevitalthingwassomethingdeeper，somethingoftheheart:for，howeverabsurdhisfeeling，thetruthremainedthathelovedthewoman。Yes，itwastheson\'snamethatMaryTurnerhadtaken，aswellasthatofhisfather。Inthecaseoftheson，shehadtakennotonlyhisname，buthisverylife。Yes，itwas，indeed，Dick\'stragedy。 Whateverhe，thefather，mightfeel，thesonwas，afterall，moreaffected。Hemustsuffermore，mustlosemore，mustpaymorewithhappinessforhisfolly。 Gilderlookedathissonwithastrange，newrespect，buthecouldnotletthesituationgowithoutprotest，protestofthemostvehement。 \"Dick，\"hecried，andhisbigvoicewasshakenalittlebytheforceofhisemotion；\"boy，youareallIhaveintheworld。Youwillhavetofreeyourselffromthiswomansomehow。\"Hestoodveryerect，staringsteadfastlyoutofhiscleargrayeyesintothoseofhisson。Hisheavyfacewasrigidwithfeeling；thecoarsemouthbentslightlyinasmileoftroubledfondness，asheaddedmoresoftly:\"Youowemethatmuch。\" Theson\'seyesmethisfather\'sfreely。Therewasrespectinthem，andaffection，buttherewassomethingelse，too，somethingtheoldermanrecognizedasbeyondhiscontrol。Hespokegravely，withadeliberateconviction。 \"Iowesomethingtoher，too，Dad。\" ButGilderwouldnotletthestatementgounchallenged。Hisheavyvoicerangoutrebukingly，overtonedwithprotest。 \"Whatcanyouoweher？\"hedemandedindignantly。\"Shetrickedyouintothemarriage。Why，legally，it\'snoteventhat。 There\'sbeennothingmorethanaweddingceremony。Thecourtsholdthatthatisonlyapartofthemarriageactually。Thefactthatshedoesn\'treceiveyoumakesitsimpler，too。Itcanbearranged。Wemustgetyououtofthescrape。\" Heturnedandwenttothedesk，asiftosit，buthewashaltedbyhisson\'sanswer，givenverygently，yetwithanoteoffinalitythattothefather\'searranglikethecrackofdoom。 \"I\'mnotsurethatIwanttogetoutofit，father。\" Thatwasall，butthoseplainwordssummedthesituation，madetheissueamatternotofadvice，butoftheheart。 Gilderpersisted，however，intryingtoevadetheintegralfactofhisson\'sfeeling。Stillhetriedtofixtheissueontheknownunsavoryreputationofthewoman。 \"Youwanttostaymarriedtothisjail-bird!\"hestormed。 Agustoffuryswepttheboy。Helovedthewoman，inspiteofall；herespectedher，evenreverencedher。Tohearherthusnamedmovedhimtoaragealmostbeyondhiscontrol。Buthemasteredhimself。Herememberedthatthemanwhospokelovedhim；heremembered，too，thatthewordofopprobriumwasnomorethanthetruth，howeveroffensiveitmightbetohissensitiveness。Hewaitedamomentuntilhecouldholdhisvoiceeven。Thenhiswordswerethesternestprotestthatcouldhavebeenuttered，thoughtheycamefromnoexerciseofthought，onlyoutofthedeepsofhisheart。 \"I\'mveryfondofher。\" Thatwasall。Butthesimplesincerityofthesayinggripedthefather\'smood，asnoargumentcouldhavedone。Therewasalittlesilence。Afterall，whatcouldmeetsuchlovingloyalty？ Whenatlasthespoke，Gilder\'svoicewassubdued，alittlehusky。 \"Now，thatyouknow？\"hequestioned。 Therewasnofalteringintheanswer。 \"Now，thatIknow，\"Dicksaiddistinctly。Thenabruptly，theyoungmanspokewiththeenergyofperfectfaithinthewoman。 \"Don\'tyousee，father？Why，sheisjustifiedinaway，inherownmindanyhow，Imean。Shewasinnocentwhenshewassenttoprison。Shefeelsthattheworldowesher——\" Buttheoldermanwouldnotpermittheassertiontogouncontradicted。Thatreferencetothewoman\'sinnocencewasanarraignmentofhimself，forithadbeenhewhosenthertothetermofimprisonment。 \"Don\'ttalktomeaboutherinnocence!\"hesaid，andhisvoicewasominous。\"Isupposenextyouwillarguethat，becauseshe\'sbeencleverenoughtokeepwithinthelaw，sinceshe\'sgotoutofStatePrison，she\'snotacriminal。Butletmetellyou——crimeiscrime，whetherthelawtouchesitintheparticularcase，orwhetheritdoesn\'t。\" Gilderfacedhissonsternlyforamoment，andthenpresentlyspokeagainwithdeeperearnestness。 \"There\'sonlyonecourseopentoyou，myboy。Youmustgivethisgirlup。\" Thesonmethisfather\'sgazewithalevellookinwhichtherewasnoweakness。 \"I\'vetoldyou，Dad——\"hebegan。 \"Youmust，Itellyou，\"thefatherinsisted。Thenhewentonquickly，withatoneofutmostpositiveness。\"Ifyoudon\'t，whatareyougoingtodothedayyourwifeisthrownintoapatrolwagonandcarriedtoPoliceHeadquarters——forit\'ssuretohappen？Thecleverestofpeoplemakemistakes，andsomedayshe\'llmakeone。\" Dickthrewouthishandsinagestureofsupremedenial。Hewasfuriousatthissuppositionthatshewouldcontinueinherirregularpractices。 Butthefatherwentonremorselessly。 \"Theywillstandherupwherethedetectiveswillwalkpastherwithmasksontheirfaces。Herpicture，ofcourse，isalreadyintheRogues\'Gallery，buttheywilltakeanother。Yes，andtheimprintsofherfingers，andthemeasurementsofherbody。\" Thesonwaswrithingunderthewords。Thewomanofwhomthesethingsweresaidwasthewomanwhomheloved。Itwasblasphemytothinkofherinsuchcase，subjectedtothedegradationoftheseprocesses。Yet，everywordhadinitthepiercing，horriblestingoftruth。Hisfacewhitened。Heraisedasupplicatinghand。 \"Father!\" \"That\'swhattheywilldotoyourwife，\"Gilderwentonharshly； \"tothewomanwhobearsyournameandmine。\"Therewasalittlepause，andthefatherstoodrigid，menacing。Thefinalquestioncamerasping。\"Whatareyougoingtodoaboutit？\" Dickwentforwarduntilhewasclosetohisfather。Thenhespokewithprofoundconviction。 \"Itwillneverhappen。Shewillgostraight，Dad。ThatIknow。 YouwouldknowitifyouonlyknewherasIdo。\" Gilderonceagainputhishandtenderlyonhisson\'sshoulder。 Hisvoicewasmodulatedtoanunaccustomedmildnessashespoke。 \"Besensible，boy，\"hepleadedsoftly。\"Besensible!\" Dickdroppeddownonthecouch，andmadehisanswerverygently，hiseyesunseeingashedweltonthethingsheknewofthewomanheloved。 \"Why，Dad，\"hesaid，\"sheisyoung。She\'sjustlikeachildinahundredways。Shelovesthetreesandthegrassandtheflowers——andeverythingthat\'ssimpleandreal!Andasforherheart——\"Hisvoicewaslowandverytender:\"Why，herheartisthebiggestI\'veeverknown。It\'sjustoverflowingwithsweetnessandkindness。I\'veseenherpickupababythathadfalleninthestreet，andmotheritinawaythat——well，noonecoulddoitasshedidit，unlesshersoulwasclean。\" Thefatherwassilent，alittleawed。Hemadeanefforttoshakeoffthefeeling，andspokewithasneer。 \"Youheardwhatshesaidyesterday，andyoustillaresuchafoolastothinkthat。\" Theanswerofthesoncamewithanimmutablefinality，thesublimefaithoflove。 \"Idon\'tthink——Iknow!\" Gilderwasindespair。Whatargumentcouldavailhim？Hecriedoutsharplyindesperation。 \"Doyourealizewhatyou\'redoing？Don\'tgotosmash，Dick，justatthebeginningofyourlife。Oh，Ibegyou，boy，stop!Putthisgirloutofyourthoughtsandstartfresh。\" Thereplywasofthesimplest，anditwastheendofargument。 \"Father，\"Dicksaid，verygently，\"Ican\'t。\" Therefollowedalittleperiodofquietbetweenthetwo。Thefather，fromhisdesk，stoodfacinghisson，whothusdeniedhiminallhonestybecausetheheartsocommanded。Thesonrestedmotionlessandlookedwithunflinchingeyesintohisfather\'sface。Inthegazeofeachwasagreataffection。 \"You\'reallIhave，myboy，\"theoldermansaidatlast。Andnowthebigvoicewasamildestwhisperoflove。 \"Yes，Dad，\"cametheanswer——anotherwhisper，sinceitishardtovoicethetruthoffeelingsuchasthis。\"IfIcouldavoidit，I wouldn\'thurtyouforanythingintheworld。I\'msorry，Dad，awfullysorry——\"Hehesitated，thenhisvoicerangoutclearly。 Therewasinhistone，whenhespokeagain，arecognitionofthatlonelinesswhichisthecurseandthecrownofbeing: \"But，\"heended，\"Imustfightthisoutbymyself——fightitoutinmyownway……AndI\'mgoingtodoit!\" CHAPTERXVI。BURKEPLOTS。 Thebutlerentered。 \"Amantoseeyou，sir，\"hesaid。 Gildermadeagestureofirritation，ashesankintothechairathisdesk。 \"Ican\'tseeanyoneto-night，Thomas，\"heexclaimed，sharply。 \"Buthesaiditwasmostimportant，sir，\"theservantwenton。 Heheldoutthetrayinsistently。 Themastertookthecardgrudgingly。Ashiseyescaughtthename，hisexpressionchangedslightly。 \"Verywell，\"hesaid，\"showhimup。\"Hisglancemetthewonderinggazeofhisson。 \"It\'sBurke，\"heexplained。 \"Whatonearthcanhewant——atthistimeofnight？\"Dickexclaimed。 Thefathersmiledgrimly。 \"Youmayaswellgetusedtovisitsfromthepolice。\"Therewassomethingghastlyintheefforttowardplayfulness。 Amomentlater，InspectorBurkeenteredtheroom。 \"Oh，you\'rehere，too，\"hesaid，ashiseyesfellonDick。 \"That\'sgood。Iwantedtoseeyou，too。\" InspectorBurkewas，infact，muchconcernedoverthesituationthathaddeveloped。Hewasamanofundoubtedability，andhetookakeenprofessionalprideinhiswork。Hepossessedthefaultsofhisclass，wasnottooscrupulouswherehesawasafeopportunitytomakeasnugsumofmoneythroughtheemploymentofhisofficialauthority，wasreadytobuckletothosewhoseinfluencecouldhelporhinderhisambition。But，inspiteoftheseordinarydefects，hewasfondofhisworkandwishfultoexcelinit。Thus，MaryTurnerhadcometobeathorninhisside。Shefloutedhisauthorityandsustainedherincredibleeffronterybyarestrainingorderfromthecourt。Thethingwasoutrageoustohim，andhesethimselftomatchhercunning。ThefactthatshehadinvolvedDickGilderwithinhertoilsmadehimthemoreanxioustoovercomeherinthestrifeofresourcesbetweenthem。Aftermuchstudying，hehadatlastplannedsomethingthat，whileitwouldnotdirectlytouchMaryherself，wouldatleastservetointimidateher，andaswellmakefurtheractioneasieragainsther。ItwasinpursuitofthisschemethathenowcametoGilder\'shouse，andthepresenceoftheyoungmanabruptlygavehimanotherideathatmightbenefithimwell。So，hedisregardedGilder\'sgreeting，andwentonspeakingtotheson。 \"She\'sskipped!\"hesaid，triumphantly。 Dickmadeastepforward。Hiseyesflashed，andtherewasangerinhisvoiceashereplied: \"Idon\'tbelieveit。\" TheInspectorsmiled，unperturbed。 \"SheleftthismorningforChicago，\"hesaid，lyingwithamannerthatlonghabitrenderedaltogetherconvincing。\"Itoldyoushe\'dgo。\"Heturnedtothefather，andspokewithanairofboastfulgoodnature。\"Now，allyouhavetodoistogetthisboyoutofthescrapeandyou\'llbeallright。\" \"Ifweonlycould!\"ThecrycamewithdeepestearnestnessfromthelipsofGilder，buttherewaslittlehopeinhisvoice。 TheInspector，however，wasconfidentofsuccess，andhistonesrangcheerfullyasheanswered: \"Iguesswecanfindawaytohavethemarriageannulled，orwhatevertheydotomarriagesthatdon\'ttake。\" Thebrutalassuranceofthemaninthusreferringtothingsthatweresacred，movedDicktowrath。 \"Don\'tyouinterfere，\"hesaid。Hiswordswerespokensoftly，buttensely。 Nevertheless，Burkeheldtothetopic，butanindefinablechangeinhismannerrendereditlessoffensivetotheyoungman。 \"Interfere!Huh!\"heejaculated，grinningbroadly。\"Why，that\'swhatI\'mpaidtodo。Listentome，son。Theminuteyoubeginmixingupwithcrooks，youain\'tinapositiontogiveorderstoanyone。Thecrookshavegotnorightsintheeyesofthepolice。Justrememberthat。\" TheInspectorspokethesimpletruthasheknewitfromyearsofexperience。Thetheoryofthelawisthatapresumptionofinnocenceexistsuntiltheaccusedisprovenguilty。Butthepoliceareoutofsympathywithsuchfinicalmethods。Withthem，thecrookispresumedguiltyattheoutsetofwhatevermaybechargedagainsthim。Ifneedbe，therewillbeproofa-plentyagainsthim——ofthesortthattheunderworldknowstoitssorrow。 ButDickwasnotlistening。Histhoughtswereagainwhollywiththewomanheloved，who，astheInspectordeclared，hadfledfromhim。 \"Where\'sshegoneinChicago？\" Burkeansweredinhisusualgrufffashion，butwithanoteofkindlinessthatwasnotwithoutitseffectonDick。 \"I\'mnomind-reader，\"hesaid。\"Butshe\'saswelllittlegirl，allright。I\'vegottohandittoherforthat。So，she\'llprobablystopattheBlackstone——thatis，untiltheChicagopolicearetippedoffthatsheisintown。\" Ofasudden，thefaceoftheyoungmantookonatotallydifferentexpression。Wherebeforehadbeenanger，nowwasavivideagerness。HewentclosetotheInspector，andspokewithintenseseriousness。 \"Burke，\"hesaid，pleadingly，\"givemeachance。I\'llleaveforChicagointhemorning。Givemetwenty-fourhoursstartbeforeyoubeginhoundingher。\"