Itookitinadream。“Thishasbeenadevilofabusiness。”saidI。
“Don’tthinkhardofMamie。”hepleaded。“It’sthewayshe’smade；it’sherhigh-tonedloyalty。AndofcourseIknowit’sallright。Iknowyoursterlingcharacter；butyoudidn’t，somehow，makeouttogiveusthethingstraight，Loudon。Anybodymighthave——Imeanit——Imean——“
“Nevermindwhatyoumean，mypoorJim。”saidI。“She’sagallantlittlewomanandaloyalwife：andIthoughthersplendid。Mystorywasasfishyasthedevil。I’llneverthinkthelessofeitherheroryou。”
“It’llblowover；itmustblowover。”saidhe。
“Itnevercan。”Ireturned，sighing：“anddon’tyoutrytomakeit！Don’tnameme，unlessit’swithanoath。Andgethometoherrightaway。Goodby，mybestoffriends。Goodby，andGodblessyou。Weshallnevermeetagain。”
“OLoudon，thatweshouldlivetosaysuchwords！”hecried。
Ihadnoviewsonlife，beyondanoccasionalimpulsetocommitsuicide，ortogetdrunk，anddrifteddownthestreet，semi-
conscious，walkingapparentlyonair，inthelight-headednessofgrief。Ihadmoneyinmypocket，whethermineormycreditors’
Ihadnomeansofguessing；and，thePoodleDoglyinginmypath，Iwentmechanicallyinandtookatable。Awaiterattendedme，andIsupposeIgavemyorders；forpresentlyI
foundmyself，withasuddenreturnofconsciousness，beginningdinner。Onthewhiteclothatmyelbowlaytheletter，addressedinaclerk’shand，andbearinganEnglishstampandtheEdinburghpostmark。Abowlofbouillonandaglassofwineawakenedinonecornerofmybrain(wherealltherestwasinmourning，theblindsdownasforafuneral)afaintstirofcuriosity；andwhileIwaitedthenextcourse，wonderingthewhilewhatIhadordered，Iopenedandbegantoreadtheepoch-makingdocument。
“DEARSIR：Iamchargedwiththemelancholydutyofannouncingtoyouthedeathofyourexcellentgrandfather，Mr。
AlexanderLoudon，onthe17thult。OnSundaythe13th，hewenttochurchasusualintheforenoon，andstoppedonhiswayhome，atthecornerofPrincesStreet，inoneofourseasonableeastwinds，totalkwithanoldfriend。Thesameeveningacutebronchitisdeclareditself；fromthefirst，Dr。
M’Combieanticipatedafatalresult，andtheoldgentlemanappearedtohavenoillusionastohisownstate。Herepeatedlyassuredmeitwas’by’withhimnow；’andhightime，too，’heonceaddedwithcharacteristicasperity。Hewasnotintheleastchangedontheapproachofdeath：only(whatIamsuremustbeverygratefultoyourfeelings)heseemedtothinkandspeakevenmorekindlythanusualofyourself：referringtoyouas’Jeannie’syin，’withstrongexpressionsofregard。’HewastheonlyoneIeverliketofthehalejing-bang，’wasoneofhisexpressions；andyouwillbegladtoknowthathedweltparticularlyonthedutifulrespectyouhadalwaysdisplayedinyourrelations。Thesmallcodicil，bywhichhebequeathsyouhisMolesworthandotherprofessionalworks，wasadded(youwillobserve)onthedaybeforehisdeath；sothatyouwereinhisthoughtsuntiltheend。Ishouldsaythat，thoughratheratryingpatient，hewasmosttenderlynursedbyyouruncle，andyourcousin，MissEuphemia。Iencloseacopyofthetestament，bywhichyouwillseethatyoushareequallywithMr。Adam，andthatIholdatyourdisposalasumnearlyapproachingseventeenthousandpounds。Ibegtocongratulateyouonthisconsiderableacquisition，andexpectyourorders，towhichI
shallhastentogivemybestattention。Thinkingthatyoumightdesiretoreturnatoncetothiscountry，andnotknowinghowyoumaybeplaced，Iencloseacreditforsixhundredpounds。
Pleasesigntheaccompanyingslip，andletmehaveitatyourearliestconvenience。
“Iam，dearsir，yourstruly，“W。RUTHERFORDGREGG。”
“Godblesstheoldgentleman！”Ithought；“andforthatmatterGodblessUncleAdam！andmycousinEuphemia！andMr。
Gregg！”Ihadavisionofthatgreyoldlifenowbroughttoanend——“andhightimetoo“——avisionofthoseSabbathstreetsalternatelyvacantandfilledwithsilentpeople；ofthebabelofthebells，thelong-drawnpsalmody，theshrewdstingoftheeastwind，thehollow，echoing，drearyhousetowhich“Ecky“
hadreturnedwiththehandofdeathalreadyonhisshoulder；avision，too，ofthelong，roughcountrylad，perhapsaseriouscourtierofthelassesinthehawthornden，perhapsarusticdanceronthegreen，whohadfirstearnedandansweredtothatharshdiminutive。AndIaskedmyselfif，onthewhole，poorEckyhadsucceededinlife；ifthelaststateofthatmanwerenotonthewholeworsethanthefirst；andthehouseinRandolphCrescentalessadmirabledwellingthanthehamletwherehesawthedayandgrewtomanhood。Herewasaconsolatorythoughtforonewhowashimselfafailure。
Yes，Ideclarethewordcameinmymind；andallthewhile，inanotherpartitionofthebrain，Iwasglowingandsingingformynew-foundopulence。Thepileofgold——fourthousandtwohundredandfiftydoubleeagles，seventeenthousanduglysovereigns，twenty-onethousandtwohundredandfiftyNapoleons——danced，andrangandranmolten，andlituplifewiththeireffulgence，intheeyeoffancy。Herewereallthingsmadeplaintome：Paradise——Paris，Imean——Regained，Carthewprotected，Jimrestored，thecreditors。
“Thecreditors！”Irepeated，andsankbackbenumbed。Itwasalltheirstothelastfarthing：mygrandfatherhaddiedtoosoontosaveme。
Imusthavesomewherearareveinofdecision。Inthatrevolutionarymoment，Ifoundmyselfpreparedforallextremesexcepttheone：readytodoanything，ortogoanywhere，solongasImightsavemymoney。Attheworst，therewasflight，flighttosomeofthoseblestcountrieswheretheserpent，extradition，hasnotyetenteredin。
OnnoconditionisextraditionAllowedinCallao！——
theoldlawlesswordshauntedme；andIsawmyselfhuggingmygoldinthecompanyofsuchmenashadoncemadeandsungthem，intherudeandbloodywharfsidedrinking-shopsofChiliandPeru。Therunofmyill-luck，thebreachofmyoldfriendship，thisbubblefortuneflauntedforamomentinmyeyesandsnatchedagain，hadmademedesperateand(intheexpressivevulgarism)ugly。Todrinkvilespiritsamongvilecompanionsbytheflareofapine-torch；togoburthenedwithmyfurtivetreasureinabelt；tofightforitknifeinhand，rollingonaclayfloor；tofleeperpetuallyinfreshshipsandtobechasedthroughtheseafromisletoisle，seemed，inmythenframeofmind，awelcomeseriesofevents。
Thatwasfortheworst；butitbegantodawnslowlyonmymindthattherewasyetapossiblebetter。Onceescaped，oncesafeinCallao，Imightapproachmycreditorswithagoodgrace；andproperlyhandledbyacunningagent，itwasjustpossibletheymightacceptsomeeasycomposition。Thehoperecalledmetothebankruptcy。Itwasstrange，Ireflected：oftenasIhadquestionedJim，hehadneverobligedmewithananswer。Inhishastefornewsaboutthewreck，myownnolesslegitimatecuriosityhadgonedisappointed。Hatefulasthethoughtwastome，ImustreturnatonceandfindoutwhereI
stood。
Ileftmydinnerstillunfinished，payingforthewhole，ofcourse，andtossingthewaiteragoldpiece。Iwasreckless；I
knewnotwhatwasmineandcarednot：ImusttakewhatI
couldgetandgiveasIwasable；torobandtosquanderseemedthecomplementarypartsofmynewdestiny。IwalkedupBushStreet，whistling，brazeningmyselftoconfrontMamieinthefirstplace，andtheworldatlargeandacertainvisionaryjudgeuponabenchinthesecond。Justoutside，Istoppedandlightedacigartogivemegreatercountenance；andpuffingthisandwearingwhat(Iamsure)wasawretchedassumptionofbraggadocio，Ireappearedonthesceneofmydisgrace。
Myfriendandhiswifewerefinishingapoormeal——ragsofoldmutton，theremaindercakesfrombreakfasteatencold，andastarvelingpotofcoffee。
“Ibegyourpardon，Mrs。Pinkerton。”saidI。“Sorrytoinflictmypresencewhereitcannotbedesired；butthereisapieceofbusinessnecessarytobediscussed。”
“Praydonotconsiderme。”saidMamie，rising，andshesailedintotheadjoiningbedroom。
Jimwatchedhergoandshookhishead；helookedmiserablyoldandill。
“Whatisit，now？”heasked。
“Perhapsyourememberyouanswerednoneofmyquestions。”
saidI。
“Yourquestions？”falteredJim。
“Evenso，Jim。Myquestions。”Irepeated。“Iputquestionsaswellasyourself；andhoweverlittleImayhavesatisfiedMamiewithmyanswers，Ibegtoremindyouthatyougavemenoneatall。”
“Youmeanaboutthebankruptcy？”askedJim。
Inodded。
Hewrithedinhischair。“Thestraighttruthis，Iwasashamed。”
hesaid。“Iwastryingtododgeyou。I’vebeenplayingfastandloosewithyou，Loudon；I’vedeceivedyoufromthefirst，I
blushtoownit。AndhereyoucamehomeandputtheveryquestionIwasfearing。Whydidwebustsosoon？Yourkeenbusinesseyehadnotdeceivedyou。That’sthepoint，that’smyshame；that’swhatkilledmethisafternoonwhenMamiewastreatingyouso，andmyconsciencewastellingmeallthetime，Thouarttheman。”
“Whatwasit，Jim？”Iasked。
“WhatIhadbeenatallthetime，Loudon。”hewailed；“andI
don’tknowhowI’mtolookyouinthefaceandsayit，aftermyduplicity。Itwasstocks。”headdedinawhisper。
“Andyouwereafraidtotellmethat！”Icried。“Youpoor，old，cheerlessdreamer！whatwoulditmatterwhatyoudidordidn’t？
Can’tyouseewe’redoomed？Andanyway，that’snotmypoint。
It’showIstandthatIwanttoknow。Thereisaparticularreason。AmIclear？HaveIacertificate，orwhathaveItodotogetone？Andwhenwillitbedated？Youcan’tthinkwhathangsbyit！”
“That’stheworstofall。”saidJim，likeamaninadream，“I
can’tseehowtotellhim！”
“Whatdoyoumean？”Icried，asmallpangofterroratmyheart。
“I’mafraidIsacrificedyou，Loudon。”hesaid，lookingatmepitifully。
“Sacrificedme？”Irepeated。“How？Whatdoyoumeanbysacrifice？”
“Iknowit’llshockyourdelicateself-respect。”hesaid；“butwhatwasItodo？Thingslookedsobad。Thereceiver——“(asusual，thenamestuckinhisthroat，andhebeganafresh)。
“Therewasalotoftalk；thereporterswereaftermealready；
therewasthetroubleandallabouttheMexicanbusiness；andI
gotscaredrightout，andIguessIlostmyhead。Youweren’tthere，yousee，andthatwasmytemptation。”
Ididnotknowhowlonghemightthusbeataboutthebushwithdreadfulhintings，andIwasalreadybesidemyselfwithterror。Whathadhedone？Isawhehadbeentempted；Iknewfromhislettersthathewasinnoconditiontoresist。Howhadhesacrificedtheabsent？
“Jim。”Isaid，“youmustspeakrightout。I’vegotallthatIcancarry。”
“Well。”hesaid——“Iknowitwasaliberty——Imadeitoutyouwerenobusinessman，onlyastone-brokepainter；thathalfthetimeyoudidn’tknowanythinganyway，particularlymoneyandaccounts。Isaidyounevercouldbegottounderstandwhosewaswhose。Ihadtosaythatbecauseofsomeentriesinthebooks——“
“ForGod’ssake。”Icried，“putmeoutofthisagony！Whatdidyouaccusemeof？”
“Accuseyouof？”repeatedJim。“OfwhatI’mtellingyou。Andtherebeingnodeedofpartnership，ImadeoutyouwereonlyakindofclerkthatIcalledapartnerjusttogiveyoutaffy；andsoIgotyourankedacreditorontheestateforyourwagesandthemoneyyouhadlent。And——“
IbelieveIreeled。“Acreditor！”Iroared；“acreditor！I’mnotinthebankruptcyatall？”
“No。”saidJim。“Iknowitwasaliberty——“
“O，damnyourliberty！readthat。”Icried，dashingtheletterbeforehimonthetable，“andcallinyourwife，andbedonewitheatingthistruck“——asIspoke，Islungthecoldmuttonintheemptygrate——“andlet’sallgoandhaveachampagnesupper。I’vedined——I’msureIdon’trememberwhatIhad；I’ddineagaintenscoresoftimesuponanightlikethis。Readit，youblayingass！I’mnotinsane。Here，Mamie。”Icontinued，openingthebedroomdoor，“comeoutandmakeitupwithme，andgoandkissyourhusband；andI’lltellyouwhat，afterthesupper，let’sgotosomeplacewherethere’saband，andI’llwaltzwithyoutillsunrise。”
“Whatdoesitallmean？”criedJim。
“Itmeanswehaveachampagnesupperto-night，andallgotoNapaValleyortoMontereyto-morrow。”saidI。“Mamie，goandgetyourthingson；andyou，Jim，sitdownrightwhereyouare，takeasheetofpaper，andtellFranklinDodgetogotoTexas。Mamie，youwereright，mydear；Iwasrichallthetime，anddidn’tknowit。”
