第5章

类别:其他 作者:Jack London字数:24711更新时间:19/01/05 14:25:53
Canadian—born,city—bredScots,inafoolishmomenttheyhadresignedtheircounting—housedesks,drawnupontheirsavings,andgoneKlondiking。Andnowtheywerefeelingtheroughedgeofthecountry。Grubless,spiritless,withalustforhomeintheirhearts,theyhadbeenstakedbytheP。C。Companytocutwoodforitssteamers,withthepromiseattheendofapassagehome。 Disregardingthepossibilitiesoftheice—run,theyhadfittinglydemonstratedtheirinefficiencybytheirchoiceoftheislandonwhichtheylocated。MontanaKid,thoughpossessinglittleknowledgeofthebreak—upofagreatriver,lookedabouthimdubiously,andcastyearningglancesatthedistantbankwherethetoweringbluffspromisedimmunityfromalltheiceoftheNorthland。 Afterfeedinghimselfanddogs,helightedhispipeandstrolledouttogetabetterideaofthesituation。Theisland,likeallitsriverbrethren,stoodhigherattheupperend,anditwasherethatDonaldandDavyhadbuilttheircabinandpiledmanycordsofwood。Thefarshorewasafullmileaway,whilebetweentheislandandthenearshorelayaback—channelperhapsahundredyardsacross。Atfirstsightofthis,MontanaKidwastemptedtotakehisdogsandescapetothemainland,butoncloserinspectionhediscoveredarapidcurrentfloodingontop。Below,therivertwistedsharplytothewest,andinthisturnitsbreastwasstuddedbyamazeoftinyislands。 \"That’swhereshe’lljam,\"heremarkedtohimself。 Halfadozensleds,evidentlyboundup—streamtoDawson,weresplashingthroughthechillwatertothetailoftheisland。 Travelontheriverwaspassingfromtheprecarioustotheimpossible,anditwasnipandtuckwiththemtilltheygainedtheislandandcameupthepathofthewood—chopperstowardthecabin。 Oneofthem,snow—blind,towedhelplesslyattherearofasled。 Huskyyoungfellowstheywere,rough—garmentedandtrail—worn,yetMontanaKidhadmetthebreedbeforeandknewatoncethatitwasnothiskind。 \"Hello!How’sthingsupDawson—way?\"queriedtheforemost,passinghiseyeoverDonaldandDavyandsettlingitupontheKid。 Afirstmeetinginthewildernessisnotcharacterizedbyformality。Thetalkquicklybecamegeneral,andthenewsoftheUpperandLowerCountrieswasswappedequitablybackandforth。 Butthelittlethenewcomershadwassoonoverwith,fortheyhadwinteredatMinook,athousandmilesbelow,wherenothingwasdoing。MontanaKid,however,wasfreshfromSaltWater,andtheyannexedhimwhiletheypitchedcamp,swampinghimwithquestionsconcerningtheoutside,fromwhichtheyhadbeencutoffforatwelvemonth。 Ashriekingsplit,suddenlyliftingitselfabovethegeneraluproarontheriver,dreweverybodytothebank。Thesurfacewaterhadincreasedindepth,andtheice,assailedfromaboveandbelow,wasstrugglingtotearitselffromthegripoftheshores。 Fissuresreverberatedintolifebeforetheireyes,andtheairwasfilledwithmultitudinouscrackling,crispandsharp,likethesoundthatgoesuponacleardayfromthefiringline。 Fromuptherivertwomenwereracingadogteamtowardthemonanuncoveredstretchofice。Butevenastheylooked,thepairstruckthewaterandbegantoflounderthrough。Behind,wheretheirfeethadspedthemomentbefore,theicebrokeupandturnedturtle。Throughthisopeningtheriverrushedoutuponthemtotheirwaists,buryingthesledandswingingthedogsoffatrightanglesinadrowningtangle。Butthemenstoppedtheirflighttogivetheanimalsafightingchance,andtheygropedhurriedlyinthecoldconfusion,slashingatthedetainingtraceswiththeirsheath—knives。Thentheyfoughttheirwaytothebankthroughswirlingwaterandgrindingice,where,foremostinleapingtotherescueamongthejarringfragments,wastheKid。 \"Why,blimeme,ifitain’tMontanaKid!\"exclaimedoneofthemenwhomtheKidwasjustplacinguponhisfeetatthetopofthebank。HeworethescarlettunicoftheMountedPoliceandjocularlyraisedhisrighthandinsalute。 \"Gotawarrantforyou,Kid,\"hecontinued,drawingabedraggledpaperfromhisbreastpocket,\"an’I’opeasyou’llcomealongpeaceable。\" MontanaKidlookedatthechaoticriverandshruggedhisshoulders,andthepoliceman,followinghisglance,smiled。 \"Wherearethedogs?\"hiscompanionasked。 \"Gentlemen,\"interruptedthepoliceman,\"this’eremateo’mineisJackSutherland,ownerofTwenty—TwoEldorado——\" \"NotSutherlandof’92?\"brokeinthesnow—blindedMinookman,gropingfeeblytowardhim。 \"Thesame。\"Sutherlandgrippedhishand。 \"Andyou?\" \"Oh,I’mafteryourtime,butIrememberyouinmyfreshmanyear,— —youweredoingP。G。workthen。Boys,\"hecalled,turninghalfabout,\"thisisSutherland,JackSutherland,erstwhilefull—backonthe’Varsity。Comeup,yougold—chasers,andfalluponhim! Sutherland,thisisGreenwich,——playedquartertwoseasonsback。\" \"Yes,Ireadofthegame,\"Sutherlandsaid,shakinghands。\"AndI rememberthatbigrunofyoursforthefirsttouchdown。\" Greenwichflusheddarklyunderhistannedskinandawkwardlymaderoomforanother。 \"Andhere’sMatthews,——Berkeleyman。Andwe’vegotsomeEasterncracksknockingabout,too。Comeup,youPrincetonmen!Comeup! ThisisSutherland,JackSutherland!\" Thentheyfelluponhimheavily,carriedhimintocamp,andsuppliedhimwithdryclothesandnumerousmugsofblacktea。 DonaldandDavy,overlooked,hadretiredtotheirnightlygameofcrib。MontanaKidfollowedthemwiththepoliceman。 \"Here,getintosomedrytogs,\"hesaid,pullingthemfromouthisscantykit。\"Guessyou’llhavetobunkwithme,too。\" \"Well,Isay,you’reagood’un,\"thepolicemanremarkedashepulledontheotherman’ssocks。\"SorryI’vegottotakeyoubacktoDawson,butIonly’opetheywon’tbe’ardonyou。\" \"Notsofast。\"TheKidsmiledcuriously。\"Weain’tunderwayyet。WhenIgoI’mgoingdownriver,andIguessthechancesareyou’llgoalong。\" \"NotifIknowmyself——\" \"Comeonoutside,andI’llshowyou,then。Thesedamnfools,\" thrustingathumboverhisshoulderatthetwoScots,\"playedsmashwhentheylocatedhere。Fillyourpipe,first——thisisprettygoodplug——andenjoyyourselfwhileyoucan。Youhaven’tmanysmokesbeforeyou。\" Thepolicemanwentwithhimwonderingly,whileDonaldandDavydroppedtheircardsandfollowed。TheMinookmennoticedMontanaKidpointingnowuptheriver,nowdown,andcameover。 \"What’sup?\"Sutherlanddemanded。 \"Nothingmuch。\"NonchalancesatwellupontheKid。\"Justacaseofraisinghellandputtingachunkunder。Seethatbenddownthere?That’swhereshe’lljammillionsoftonsofice。Thenshe’lljaminthebendsupabove,millionsoftons。Upperjambreaksfirst,lowerjamholds,pouf!\"Hedramaticallyswepttheislandwithhishand。\"Millionsoftons,\"headdedreflectively。 \"Andwhatofthewoodpiles?\"Davyquestioned。 TheKidrepeatedhissweepinggesturesandDavywailed,\"Thelaborofmonths!Itcannabe!Na,na,lad,itcannabe。Idootnotit’sajowk。Ay,saythatitis,\"heappealed。 ButwhentheKidlaughedharshlyandturnedonhisheel,Davyflunghimselfuponthepilesandbeganfranticallytotossthecordwoodbackfromthebank。 \"Lendahand,Donald!\"hecried。\"Canyenolendahand?’Tisthelaborofmonthsandthepassagehome!\" Donaldcaughthimbythearmandshookhim,buthetorefree。 \"Didyenohear,man?Millionsoftons,andtheislandshallbesweepitclean。\" \"Straightenyersel’up,man,\"saidDonald。\"It’sabitfashedyeare。\" ButDavyfelluponthecordwood。Donaldstalkedbacktothecabin,buckledonhismoneybeltandDavy’s,andwentouttothepointoftheislandwherethegroundwashighestandwhereahugepinetoweredaboveitsfellows。 Themenbeforethecabinheardtheringingofhisaxeandsmiled。 Greenwichreturnedfromacrosstheislandwiththewordthattheywerepennedin。Itwasimpossibletocrosstheback—channel。TheblindMinookmanbegantosing,andtherestjoinedinwith— \"Wonderifit’strue? Doesitseemsotoyou? Seemstomehe’slying— Oh,Iwonderifit’strue?\" \"It’saysinfu’,\"Davymoaned,liftinghisheadandwatchingthemdanceintheslantingraysofthesun。\"Andmyguidwooda’goingtowaste。\" \"Oh,Iwonderifit’strue,\" wasflauntedback。 Thenoiseoftheriverceasedsuddenly。Astrangecalmwrappedaboutthem。Theicehadrippedfromtheshoresandwasfloatinghigheronthesurfaceoftheriver,whichwasrising。Upitcame,swiftandsilent,fortwentyfeet,tillthehugecakesrubbedsoftlyagainstthecrestofthebank。Thetailoftheisland,beinglower,wasoverrun。Then,withouteffort,thewhitefloodstarteddown—stream。Butthesoundincreasedwiththemomentum,andsoonthewholeislandwasshakingandquiveringwiththeshockofthegrindingbergs。Underpressure,themightycakes,weighinghundredsoftons,wereshotintotheairlikepeas。Thefrigidanarchyincreaseditsriot,andthemenhadtoshoutintooneanother’searstobeheard。Occasionallytheracketfromthebackchannelcouldbeheardabovethetumult。Theislandshudderedwiththeimpactofanenormouscakewhichdroveinsquarelyuponitspoint。Itrippedascoreofpinesoutbytheroots,thenswingingaroundandover,lifteditsmuddybasefromthebottomoftheriverandboredownuponthecabin,slicingthebankandtreesawaylikeagiganticknife。Itseemedbarelytograzethecornerofthecabin,butthecribbedlogstilteduplikematches,andthestructure,likeatoyhouse,fellbackwardinruin。 \"Thelaborofmonths!Thelaborofmonths,andthepassagehome!\" Davywailed,whileMontanaKidandthepolicemandraggedhimbackwardfromthewoodpiles。 \"You’ll’aveplentyo’hoppertunityallingoodtimeforyerpassage’ome,\"thepolicemangrowled,cloutinghimalongsidetheheadandsendinghimflyingintosafety。 Donald,fromthetopofthepine,sawthedevastatingbergsweepawaythecordwoodanddisappeardown—stream。Asthoughsatisfiedwiththisdamage,theice—floodquicklydroppedtoitsoldlevelandbegantoslackenitspace。Thenoiselikewiseeaseddown,andtheotherscouldhearDonaldshoutingfromhiseyrietolookdown— stream。Asforecast,thejamhadcomeamongtheislandsinthebend,andtheicewaspilingupinagreatbarrierwhichstretchedfromshoretoshore。Therivercametoastandstill,andthewaterfindingnooutletbegantorise。Itrusheduptilltheislandwasawash,themensplashingarounduptotheirknees,andthedogsswimmingtotheruinsofthecabin。Atthisstageitabruptlybecamestationary,withnoperceptibleriseorfall。 MontanaKidshookhishead。\"It’sjammedabove,andnomore’scomingdown。\" \"Andthegambleis,whichjamwillbreakfirst,\"Sutherlandadded。 \"Exactly,\"theKidaffirmed。\"Iftheupperjambreaksfirst,wehaven’tachance。Nothingwillstandbeforeit。\" TheMinookmenturnedawayinsilence,butsoon\"RumskyHo\" floateduponthequietair,followedby\"TheOrangeandtheBlack。\"RoomwasmadeinthecircleforMontanaKidandthepoliceman,andtheyquicklycaughttheringingrhythmofthechorusesastheydriftedonfromsongtosong。 \"Oh,Donald,willyenolendahand?\"Davysobbedatthefootofthetreeintowhichhiscomradehadclimbed。\"Oh,Donald,man,willyenolendahand?\"hesobbedagain,hishandsbleedingfromvainattemptstoscaletheslipperytrunk。 ButDonaldhadfixedhisgazeupriver,andnowhisvoicerangout,vibrantwithfear:— \"GodAlmichty,hereshecomes!\" Standingknee—deepintheicywater,theMinookmen,withMontanaKidandthepoliceman,grippedhandsandraisedtheirvoicesintheterrible,\"BattleHymnoftheRepublic。\"Butthewordsweredrownedintheadvancingroar。 AndtoDonaldwasvouchsafedasightsuchasnomanmayseeandlive。Agreatwallofwhiteflungitselfupontheisland。Trees,dogs,men,wereblottedout,asthoughthehandofGodhadwipedthefaceofnatureclean。Thismuchhesaw,thenswayedaninstantlongerinhisloftyperchandhurtledfaroutintothefrozenhell。 THESCORNOFWOMEN OnceFredaandMrs。Eppingwellclashed。 NowFredawasaGreekgirlandadancer。AtleastshepurportedtobeGreek;butthiswasdoubtedbymany,forherclassicfacehadover—muchstrengthinit,andthetidesofhellwhichroseinhereyesmadeatraremomentsherethnologythemoredubious。Toafew——men——thissighthadbeenvouchsafed,andthoughlongyearsmayhavepassed,theyhavenotforgotten,norwilltheyeverforget。Shenevertalkedofherself,sothatitwerewelltoletitgodownthatwheninrepose,expurgated,Greekshecertainlywas。HerfurswerethemostmagnificentinallthecountryfromChilcoottoSt。Michael’s,andhernamewascommononthelipsofmen。ButMrs。Eppingwellwasthewifeofacaptain;alsoasocialconstellationofthefirstmagnitude,thepathofherorbitmarkingthemostselectcoterieinDawson,——acoteriecaptionedbytheprofaneasthe\"officialclique。\"SitkaCharleyhadtravelledtrailwithheronce,whenfaminedrewtightandaman’slifewaslessthanacupofflour,andhisjudgmentplacedheraboveallwomen。SitkaCharleywasanIndian;hiscriteriawereprimitive; buthiswordwasflat,andhisverdictahall—markineverycampunderthecircle。 Thesetwowomenwereman—conquering,man—subduingmachines,eachinherownway,andtheirwaysweredifferent。Mrs。Eppingwellruledinherownhouse,andattheBarracks,wherewereyoungersonsgalore,tosaynothingofthechiefsofthepolice,theexecutive,andthejudiciary。Fredaruleddowninthetown;butthemensheruledwerethesamewhofunctionedsociallyattheBarracksorwerefedteaandcannedpreservesatthehandofMrs。 Eppingwellinherhillsidecabinofrough—hewnlogs。Eachknewtheotherexisted;buttheirliveswereapartasthePoles,andwhiletheymusthaveheardstraybitsofnewsandwerecurious,theywereneverknowntoaskaquestion。Andtherewouldhavebeennotroublehadnotafreelanceintheshapeofthemodel— womancomeintothelandonthefirstice,withaspankingdog— teamandacosmopolitanreputation。LoraineLisznayi—— alliterative,dramatic,andHungarian——precipitatedthestrife,andbecauseofherMrs。EppingwellleftherhillsideandinvadedFreda’sdomain,andFredalikewisewentupfromthetowntospreadconfusionandembarrassmentattheGovernor’sball。 AllofwhichmaybeancienthistorysofarastheKlondikeisconcerned,butveryfew,eveninDawson,knowtheinnertruthofthematter;norbeyondthosefewarethereanyfittomeasurethewifeofthecaptainortheGreekdancer。Andthatallarenowpermittedtounderstand,lethonorbeaccordedSitkaCharley。 Fromhislipsfellthemainfactsinthescreedherewithpresented。ItillbefitsthatFredaherselfshouldhavewaxedconfidentialtoamerescribblerofwords,orthatMrs。Eppingwellmadementionofthethingswhichhappened。Theymayhavespoken,butitisunlikely。 II FloydVanderlipwasastrongman,apparently。Hardworkandhardgrubhadnoterrorsforhim,ashisearlyhistoryinthecountryattested。Indangerhewasalion,andwhenheheldincheckhalfathousandstarvingmen,asheoncedid,itwasremarkedthatnocoolereyeevertooktheglintofsunshineonarifle—sight。Hehadbutoneweakness,andeventhat,risingfromouthisstrength,wasofanegativesort。Hispartswerestrong,buttheylackedco—ordination。Nowithappenedthatwhilehiscentreofamativenesswaspronounced,ithadlainmuteandpassiveduringtheyearshelivedonmooseandsalmonandchasedglowingEldoradosoverchilldivides。Butwhenhefinallyblazedthecorner—postandcentre—stakesononeoftherichestKlondikeclaims,itbegantoquicken;andwhenhetookhisplaceinsociety,afull—fledgedBonanzaKing,itawokeandtookchargeofhim。HesuddenlyrecollectedagirlintheStates,anditcametohimquiteforcibly,notonlythatshemightbewaitingforhim,butthatawifewasaverypleasantacquisitionforamanwholivedsomeseveraldegreesnorthof53。Sohewroteanappropriatenote,enclosedaletterofcreditgenerousenoughtocoverallexpenses,includingtrousseauandchaperon,andaddressedittooneFlossie。Flossie?Onecouldimaginetherest。However,afterthathebuiltacomfortablecabinonhisclaim,boughtanotherinDawson,andbrokethenewstohisfriends。 Andjusthereiswherethelackofco—ordinationcameintoplay。 Thewaitingwastedious,andhavingbeenlongdenied,theamativeelementcouldnotbrookfurtherdelay。Flossiewascoming;butLoraineLisznayiwashere。AndnotonlywasLoraineLisznayihere,buthercosmopolitanreputationwassomewhattheworseforwear,andshewasnotexactlysoyoungaswhensheposedinthestudiosofartistqueensandreceivedatherdoorthecardsofcardinalsandprinces。Also,herfinanceswereunhealthy。Havingrunthegamutinhertime,shewasnownotaversetotryingconclusionswithaBonanzaKingwhosewealthwassuchthathecouldnotguessitwithinsixfigures。Likeawisesoldiercastingaboutafteryearsofserviceforacomfortablebillet,shehadcomeintotheNorthlandtobemarried。So,oneday,hereyesflashedupintoFloydVanderlip’sashewasbuyingtablelinenforFlossieintheP。C。Company’sstore,andthethingwassettledoutofhand。 Whenamanisfreemuchmaygounquestioned,which,shouldheberashenoughtocumberhimselfwithdomesticties,societywillinstantlychallenge。ThusitwaswithFloydVanderlip。Flossiewascoming,andalowbuzzwentupwhenLoraineLisznayirodedownthemainstreetbehindhiswolf—dogs。Sheaccompaniedtheladyreporterofthe\"KansasCityStar\"whenphotographsweretakenofhisBonanzaproperties,andwatchedthegenesisofasix—columnarticle。AtthattimetheyweredinedroyallyinFlossie’scabin,onFlossie’stablelinen。Likewisetherewerecomingsandgoings,andjunketings,allperfectlyproper,bytheway,whichcausedthementosaysharpthingsandthewomentobespiteful。OnlyMrs。 Eppingwelldidnothear。Thedistanthumofwaggingtonguesrosefaintly,butshewaspronetobelievegoodofpeopleandtocloseherearstoevil;soshepaidnoheed。 NotsowithFreda。Shehadnocausetolovemen,but,bysomestrangealchemyofhernature,herheartwentouttowomen,——towomenwhomshehadlesscausetolove。AndherheartwentouttoFlossie,eventhentravellingtheLongTrailandfacingintothebitterNorthtomeetamanwhomightnotwaitforher。A shrinking,clingingsortofagirl,Fredapicturedher,withweakmouthandprettypoutinglips,blow—awaysun—kissedhair,andeyesfullofthemerryshallowsandthelesserjoysoflife。ButshealsopicturedFlossie,facenose—strappedandfrost—rimed,stumblingwearilybehindthedogs。Whereforeshesmiled,dancingonenight,uponFloydVanderlip。 FewmenaresoconstitutedthattheymayreceivethesmileofFredaunmoved;noramongthemcanFloydVanderlipbeaccounted。 Thegracehehadfoundwiththemodel—womanhadcausedhimtore— measurehimself,andbythefavorinwhichhenowstoodwiththeGreekdancerhefelthimselfdoublyaman。Therewereunknownqualitiesanddepthsinhim,evidently,whichtheyperceived。Hedidnotknowexactlywhatthosequalitiesanddepthswere,buthehadahazyideathattheyweretheresomewhere,andofthemwasbredagreatprideinhimself。Amanwhocouldforcetwowomensuchasthesetolookuponhimasecondtime,wascertainlyamostremarkableman。Someday,whenhehadthetime,hewouldsitdownandanalyzehisstrength;butnow,justnow,hewouldtakewhatthegodshadgivenhim。Andathinlittlethoughtbegantoliftitself,andhefelltowonderingwhateverunderthesunhehadseeninFlossie,andtoregretexceedinglythathehadsentforher。Ofcourse,Fredawasoutoftherunning。HisdumpsweretherichestonBonanzaCreek,andtheyweremany,whilehewasamanofresponsibilityandposition。ButLoraineLisznayi——shewasjustthewoman。Herlifehadbeenlarge;shecoulddothehonorsofhisestablishmentandgivetonetohisdollars。 ButFredasmiled,andcontinuedtosmile,tillhecametospendmuchtimewithher。Whenshe,too,rodedownthestreetbehindhiswolf—dogs,themodel—womanfoundfoodforthought,andthenexttimetheyweretogetherdazzledhimwithherprincesandcardinalsandpersonallittleanecdotesofcourtsandkings。Shealsoshowedhimdaintymissives,superscribed,\"MydearLoraine,\" andended\"Mostaffectionatelyyours,\"andsignedbythegivennameofareallivequeenonathrone。Andhemarvelledinhisheartthatthegreatwomanshoulddeigntowastesomuchasamomentuponhim。Butsheplayedhimcleverly,makingflatteringcontrastsandcomparisonsbetweenhimandthenoblephantomsshedrewmainlyfromherfancy,tillhewentawaydizzywithself— delightandsorrowingfortheworldwhichhadbeendeniedhimsolong。Fredawasamoremasterfulwoman。Ifsheflattered,nooneknewit。Shouldshestoop,thestoopwereunobserved。Ifamanfeltshethoughtwellofhim,sosubtlywasthefeelingconveyedthathecouldnotforthelifeofhimsaywhyorhow。SoshetightenedhergripuponFloydVanderlipandrodedailybehindhisdogs。 Andjusthereiswherethemistakeoccurred。Thebuzzroseloudlyandmoredefinitely,couplednowwiththenameofthedancer,andMrs。Eppingwellheard。She,too,thoughtofFlossieliftinghermoccasinedfeetthroughtheendlesshours,andFloydVanderlipwasinvitedupthehillsidetotea,andinvitedoften。Thisquitetookhisbreathaway,andhebecamedrunkenwithappreciationofhimself。Neverwasmansomaltreated。Hissoulhadbecomeathingforwhichthreewomenstruggled,whileafourthwasonthewaytoclaimit。Andthreesuchwomen! ButMrs。Eppingwellandthemistakeshemade。Shespokeoftheaffair,tentatively,toSitkaCharley,whohadsolddogstotheGreekgirl。Butnonameswerementioned。ThenearestapproachtoitwaswhenMrs。Eppingwellsaid,\"This——er——horridwoman,\"andSitkaCharley,withthemodel—womanstronginhisthoughts,hadechoed,\"——er——horridwoman。\"Andheagreedwithher,thatitwasawickedthingforawomantocomebetweenamanandthegirlhewastomarry。\"Ameregirl,Charley,\"shesaid,\"Iamsuresheis。Andsheiscomingintoastrangecountrywithoutafriendwhenshegetshere。Wemustdosomething。\"SitkaCharleypromisedhishelp,andwentawaythinkingwhatawickedwomanthisLoraineLisznayimustbe,alsowhatnoblewomenMrs。EppingwellandFredaweretointerestthemselvesinthewelfareoftheunknownFlossie。 NowMrs。Eppingwellwasopenastheday。ToSitkaCharley,whotookheroncepasttheHillsofSilence,belongsthegloryofhavingmemorializedherclear—searchingeyes,herclear—ringingvoice,andherutterdownrightfrankness。Herlipshadawayofstiffeningtocommand,andshewasusedtocomingstraighttothepoint。HavingtakenFloydVanderlip’smeasurement,shedidnotdarethiswithhim;butshewasnotafraidtogodownintothetowntoFreda。Anddownshewent,inthebrightlightofday,tothehouseofthedancer。Shewasabovesillytongues,aswasherhusband,thecaptain。Shewishedtoseethiswomanandtospeakwithher,norwassheawareofanyreasonwhysheshouldnot。SoshestoodinthesnowattheGreekgirl’sdoor,withthefrostatsixtybelow,andparleyedwiththewaiting—maidforafullfiveminutes。Shehadalsothepleasureofbeingturnedawayfromthatdoor,andofgoingbackupthehill,wrothatheartfortheindignitywhichhadbeenputuponher。\"Whowasthiswomanthatsheshouldrefusetoseeher?\"sheaskedherself。Onewouldthinkittheotherwayaround,andsheherselfbutadancinggirldeniedatthedoorofthewifeofacaptain。Asitwas,sheknew,hadFredacomeupthehilltoher,——nomatterwhattheerrand,——shewouldhavemadeherwelcomeatherfire,andtheywouldhavesatthereastwowomen,andtalked,merelyastwowomen。Shehadoversteppedconventionandloweredherself,butshehadthoughtitdifferentwiththewomendowninthetown。Andshewasashamedthatshehadlaidherselfopentosuchdishonor,andherthoughtsofFredawereunkind。 NotthatFredadeservedthis。Mrs。Eppingwellhaddescendedtomeetherwhowaswithoutcaste,whileshe,stronginthetraditionsofherownearlierstatus,hadnotpermittedit。Shecouldworshipsuchawoman,andshewouldhaveaskednogreaterjoythantohavehadherintothecabinandsatwithher,justsatwithher,foranhour。ButherrespectforMrs。Eppingwell,andherrespectforherself,whowasbeyondrespect,hadpreventedherdoingthatwhichshemostdesired。ThoughnotquiterecoveredfromtherecentvisitofMrs。McFee,thewifeoftheminister,whohaddescendeduponherinawhirlwindofexhortationandbrimstone,shecouldnotimaginewhathadpromptedthepresentvisit。Shewasnotawareofanyparticularwrongshehaddone,andsurelythiswomanwhowaitedatthedoorwasnotconcernedwiththewelfareofhersoul。Whyhadshecome?Forallthecuriosityshecouldnothelpbutfeel,shesteeledherselfintheprideofthosewhoarewithoutpride,andtrembledintheinnerroomlikeamaidonthefirstcaressofalover。IfMrs。 Eppingwellsufferedgoingupthehill,shetoosuffered,lyingfacedownwardonthebed,dry—eyed,dry—mouthed,dumb。 Mrs。Eppingwell’sknowledgeofhumannaturewasgreat。Sheaimedatuniversality。Shehadfounditeasytostepfromthecivilizedandcontemplatethingsfromthebarbaricaspect。Shecouldcomprehendcertainprimalandanalogouscharacteristicsinahungrywolf—dogorastarvingman,andpredicatelinesofactiontobepursuedbyeitherunderlikeconditions。Toher,awomanwasawoman,whethergarbedinpurpleortheragsofthegutter; Fredawasawoman。Shewouldnothavebeensurprisedhadshebeentakenintothedancer’scabinandencounteredoncommonground; norsurprisedhadshebeentakeninandflauntedinpridelessarrogance。Buttobetreatedasshehadbeentreated,wasunexpectedanddisappointing。Ergo,shehadnotcaughtFreda’spointofview。Andthiswasgood。Therearesomepointsofviewwhichcannotbegainedsavethroughmuchtravailandpersonalcrucifixion,anditwerewellfortheworldthatitsMrs。 Eppingwellsshould,incertainways,fallshortofuniversality。 Onecannotunderstanddefilementwithoutlayinghandstopitch,whichisverysticky,whiletherebeplentywillingtoundertaketheexperiment。Allofwhichisofsmallconcern,beyondthefactthatitgaveMrs。Eppingwellgroundforgrievance,andbredforheragreaterloveintheGreekgirl’sheart。 III Andinthiswaythingswentalongforamonth,——Mrs。EppingwellstrivingtowithholdthemanfromtheGreekdancer’sblandishmentsagainstthetimeofFlossie’scoming;Flossielesseningthemileseachdayonthedrearytrail;Fredapittingherstrengthagainstthemodel—woman;themodel—womanstrainingeverynervetolandtheprize;andthemanmovingthroughitalllikeaflyingshuttle,veryproudofhimself,whomhebelievedtobeasecondDonJuan。 Itwasnobody’sfaultexcepttheman’sthatLoraineLisznayiatlastlandedhim。Thewayofamanwithamaidmaybetoowonderfultoknow,butthewayofawomanwithamanpassethallconception;whencetheprophetwereindeedunwisewhowoulddareforecastFloydVanderlip’scoursetwenty—fourhoursinadvance。 Perhapsthemodel—woman’sattractionlayinthattotheeyeshewasahandsomeanimal;perhapsshefascinatedhimwithherold— worldtalkofpalacesandprinces;leastwiseshedazzledhimwhoselifehadbeenworkedoutinunculturedroughness,andheatlastagreedtohersuggestionofarundowntheriverandamarriageatFortyMile。IntokenofhisintentionheboughtdogsfromSitkaCharley,——morethanonesledisnecessarywhenawomanlikeLoraineLisznayitakestothetrail,andthenwentupthecreektogiveordersforthesuperintendenceofhisBonanzaminesduringhisabsence。 Hehadgivenitout,rathervaguely,thatheneededtheanimalsforsleddinglumberfromthemilltohissluices,andrighthereiswhereSitkaCharleydemonstratedhisfitness。Heagreedtofurnishdogsonagivendate,butnosoonerhadFloydVanderlipturnedhistoesup—creek,thanCharleyhiedhimselfawayinperturbationtoLoraineLisznayi。DidsheknowwhereMr。 Vanderliphadgone?Hehadagreedtosupplythatgentlemanwithabigstringofdogsbyacertaintime;butthatshamelessone,theGermantraderMeyers,hadbeenbuyingupthebrutesandskimpedthemarket。ItwasverynecessaryheshouldseeMr。Vanderlip,becauseoftheshamelessonehewouldbeallofaweekbehindhandinfillingthecontract。Shedidknowwherehehadgone?Up— creek?Good!Hewouldstrikeoutafterhimatonceandinformhimoftheunhappydelay。DidheunderstandhertosaythatMr。 VanderlipneededthedogsonFridaynight?thathemusthavethembythattime?Itwastoobad,butitwasthefaultoftheshamelessonewhohadbiduptheprices。Theyhadjumpedfiftydollarsperhead,andshouldhebuyontherisingmarkethewouldlosebythecontract。HewonderedifMr。Vanderlipwouldbewillingtomeettheadvance。Sheknewhewould?BeingMr。 Vanderlip’sfriend,shewouldevenmeetthedifferenceherself? Andhewastosaynothingaboutit?Shewaskindtosolooktohisinterests。Fridaynight,didshesay?Good!Thedogswouldbeonhand。 Anhourlater,FredaknewtheelopementwastobepulledoffonFridaynight;also,thatFloydVanderliphadgoneup—creek,andherhandsweretied。OnFridaymorning,Devereaux,theofficialcourier,bearingdespatchesfromtheGovernor,arrivedovertheice。Besidesthedespatches,hebroughtnewsofFlossie。HehadpassedhercampatSixtyMile;humansanddogswereingoodcondition;andshewoulddoubtlessbeinonthemorrow。Mrs。 Eppingwellexperiencedagreatreliefonhearingthis;FloydVanderlipwassafeup—creek,anderetheGreekgirlcouldagainlayhandsuponhim,hisbridewouldbeontheground。ButthatafternoonherbigSt。Bernard,valiantlydefendingherfrontstoop,wasdownedbyaforagingpartyoftrail—starvedMalemutes。 Hewasburiedbeneaththehirsutemassforaboutthirtyseconds,whenrescuedbyacoupleofaxesandasmanystoutmen。Hadheremaineddowntwominutes,thechanceswerelargethathewouldhavebeenroughlyapportionedandcarriedawayintherespectivebelliesoftheattackingparty;butasitwas,itwasamerecaseofneatandexpeditiousmangling。SitkaCharleycametorepairthedamages,especiallyarightfore—pawwhichhadinadvertentlybeenleftafractionofasecondtoolonginsomeotherdog’smouth。Asheputonhismittenstogo,thetalkturneduponFlossieandinnaturalsequencepassedontothe——\"erhorridwoman。\"SitkaCharleyremarkedincidentallythatsheintendedjumpingoutdownriverthatnightwithFloydVanderlip,andfurtherventuredtheinformationthataccidentswereverylikelyatthattimeofyear。 SoMrs。Eppingwell’sthoughtsofFredawereunkinderthanever。 Shewroteanote,addressedittothemaninquestion,andintrustedittoamessengerwholayinwaitatthemouthofBonanzaCreek。Anotherman,bearinganotefromFreda,alsowaitedatthatstrategicpoint。SoithappenedthatFloydVanderlip,ridinghissledmerrilydownwiththelastdaylight,receivedthenotestogether。HetoreFreda’sacross。No,hewouldnotgotoseeher。Thereweregreaterthingsafootthatnight。Besides,shewasoutoftherunning。ButMrs。Eppingwell! Hewouldobserveherlastwish,——orrather,thelastwishitwouldbepossibleforhimtoobserve,——andmeetherattheGovernor’sballtohearwhatshehadtosay。Fromthetoneofthewritingitwasevidentlyimportant;perhaps——Hesmiledfondly,butfailedtoshapethethought。Confounditall,whataluckyfellowhewaswiththewomenanyway!Scatteringherlettertothefrost,hemushedthedogsintoaswinginglopeandheadedforhiscabin。Itwastobeamasquerade,andhehadtodigupthecostumeusedattheOperaHouseacoupleofmonthsbefore。Also,hehadtoshaveandtoeat。Thusitwasthathe,aloneofallinterested,wasunawareofFlossie’sproximity。 \"Havethemdowntothewater—holeoffthehospital,atmidnight,sharp。Don’tfailme,\"hesaidtoSitkaCharley,whodroppedinwiththeadvicethatonlyonedogwaslackingtofillthebill,andthatthatonewouldbeforthcominginanhourorso。\"Here’sthesack。There’sthescales。Weighoutyourowndustanddon’tbotherme。I’vegottogetreadyfortheball。\" SitkaCharleyweighedouthispayanddeparted,carryingwithhimalettertoLoraineLisznayi,thecontentsofwhichhecorrectlyimaginedtorefertoameetingatthewater—holeofthehospital,atmidnight,sharp。 IV TwiceFredasentmessengersuptotheBarracks,wherethedancewasinfullswing,andasoftentheycamebackwithoutanswers。 ThenshedidwhatonlyFredacoulddo——putonherfurs,maskedherface,andwentupherselftotheGovernor’sball。Nowtherehappenedtobeacustom——notanoriginalonebyanymeans——towhichtheofficialcliquehadlongsincebecomeaddicted。Itwasaverywisecustom,foritfurnishedprotectiontothewomankindoftheofficialsandgavegreaterselectnesstotheirrevels。 Wheneveramasqueradewasgiven,acommitteewaschosen,thesolefunctionofwhichwastostandbythedoorandpeepbeneatheachandeverymask。Mostmendidnotclamortobeplaceduponthiscommittee,whiletheveryoneswholeastdesiredthehonorweretheoneswhoseservicesweremostrequired。Thechaplainwasnotwellenoughacquaintedwiththefacesandplacesofthetownspeopletoknowwhomtoadmitandwhomtoturnaway。Inlikeconditionweretheseveralotherworthygentlemenwhowouldhaveaskednothingbetterthantososerve。Tofillthecovetedplace,Mrs。McFeewouldhaveriskedherchanceofsalvation,anddid,onenight,whenacertaintriopassedinunderhergunsandmuddledthingsconsiderablybeforetheiridentitywasdiscovered。 Thereafteronlythefitwerechosen,andveryungracefullydidtheyrespond。 OnthisparticularnightPrincewasatthedoor。Pressurehadbeenbroughttobear,andhehadnotyetrecoveredfromamazeathishavingconsentedtoundertakeataskwhichbidfairtolosehimhalfhisfriends,merelyforthesakeofpleasingtheotherhalf。Threeorfourofthemenhehadrefusedweremenwhomhehadknownoncreekandtrail,——goodcomrades,butnotexactlyeligibleforsoselectanaffair。Hewascanvassingtheexpediencyofresigningthepostthereandthen,whenawomantrippedinunderthelight。Freda!Hecouldswearitbythefurs,didhenotknowthatpoiseofheadsowell。Thelastonetoexpectinalltheworld。Hehadgivenherbetterjudgmentthantothusventuretheignominyofrefusal,or,ifshepassed,thescornofwomen。Heshookhishead,withoutscrutiny;heknewhertoowelltobemistaken。Butshepressedcloser。Sheliftedtheblacksilkribbonandasquicklylowereditagain。Foroneflashing,eternalsecondhelookeduponherface。Itwasnotfornothing,thesayingwhichhadariseninthecountry,thatFredaplayedwithmenasachildwithbubbles。Notawordwasspoken。 Princesteppedaside,andafewmomentslatermighthavebeenseenresigning,withwarmincoherence,theposttowhichhehadbeenunfaithful。 Awoman,flexibleofform,slender,yetrhythmicofstrengthineverymovement,nowpausingwiththisgroup,nowscanningthat,urgedarestlessanddeviouscourseamongtherevellers。Menrecognizedthefurs,andmarvelled,——menwhoshouldhaveserveduponthedoorcommittee;buttheywerenotpronetospeech。Notsowiththewomen。Theyhadbettereyesforthelinesoffigureandtricksofcarriage,andtheyknewthisformtobeonewithwhichtheywereunfamiliar;likewisethefurs。Mrs。McFee,emergingfromthesupper—roomwhereallwasinreadiness,caughtoneflashoftheblazing,questingeyesthroughthesilkenmask— slits,andreceivedastart。Shetriedtorecollectwhereshehadseenthelike,andavividpicturewasrecalledofacertainproudandrebellioussinnerwhomshehadonceencounteredonafruitlesserrandfortheLord。 Soitwasthatthegoodwomantookthetrailinhotandrighteouswrath,atrailwhichbroughtherultimatelyintothecompanyofMrs。EppingwellandFloydVanderlip。Mrs。Eppingwellhadjustfoundtheopportunitytotalkwiththeman。Shehaddetermined,nowthatFlossiewassonearathand,toproceeddirectlytothepoint,andanincisivelittleethicaldiscoursewastitillatingontheendofhertongue,whenthecouplebecamethree。Shenoted,andpleasurably,thefaintlyforeignaccentofthe\"Begpardon\" withwhichthefurredwomanprefacedherimmediateappropriationofFloydVanderlip;andshecourteouslybowedherpermissionforthemtodrawalittleapart。 ThenitwasthatMrs。McFee’srighteoushanddescended,andaccompanyingitinitsdescentwasablackmasktornfromastartledwoman。Awonderfulfaceandbrillianteyeswereexposedtothequietcuriosityofthosewholookedthatway,andtheywereeverybody。FloydVanderlipwasratherconfused。Thesituationdemandedinstantactiononthepartofamanwhowasnotbeyondhisdepth,whileHEhardlyknewwherehewas。Hestaredhelplesslyabouthim。Mrs。Eppingwellwasperplexed。Shecouldnotcomprehend。Anexplanationwasforthcoming,somewhere,andMrs。McFeewasequaltoit。 \"Mrs。Eppingwell,\"andherCelticvoiceroseshrilly,\"itiswithgreatpleasureImakeyouacquaintedwithFredaMoloof,MISSFredaMoloof,asIunderstand。\" Fredainvoluntarilyturned。Withherownfacebared,shefeltasinadream,naked,uponherturnedtheclothedfeaturesandgleamingeyesofthemaskedcircle。Itseemed,almost,asthoughahungrywolf—packgirdledher,readytodragherdown。Itmightchancethatsomefeltpityforher,shethought,andatthethought,hardened。Shewouldbyfarprefertheirscorn。Strongofheartwasshe,thiswoman,andthoughshehadhuntedthepreyintothemidstofthepack,Mrs。EppingwellornoMrs。Eppingwell,shecouldnotforegothekill。 ButhereMrs。Eppingwelldidastrangething。Sothis,atlast,wasFreda,shemused,thedancerandthedestroyerofmen;thewomanfromwhosedoorshehadbeenturned。Andshe,too,felttheimperiouscreature’snakednessasthoughitwereherown。Perhapsitwasthis,herSaxondisinclinationtomeetadisadvantagedfoe,perhaps,forsooth,thatitmightgivehergreaterstrengthinthestrugglefortheman,anditmighthavebeenalittleofboth;butbethatasitmay,shediddothisstrangething。WhenMrs。 McFee’sthinvoice,vibrantwithmalice,hadraised,andFredaturnedinvoluntarily,Mrs。Eppingwellalsoturned,removedhermask,andinclinedherheadinacknowledgment。 Itwasanotherflashing,eternalsecond,duringwhichthesetwowomenregardedeachother。Theone,eyesblazing,meteoric;atbay,aggressive;sufferinginadvanceandresentinginadvancethescornandridiculeandinsultshehadthrownherselfopento;abeautiful,burning,bubblinglavaconeoffleshandspirit。Andtheother,calm—eyed,cool—browed,serene;stronginherownintegrity,withfaithinherself,thoroughlyatease; dispassionate,imperturbable;afigurechiselledfromsomecoldmarblequarry。Whatevergulftheremightexist,sherecognizeditnot。Nobridging,nodescending;herattitudewasthatofperfectequality。Shestoodtranquillyonthegroundoftheircommonwomanhood。AndthismaddenedFreda。Notso,hadshebeenoflesserbreed;buthersoul’splummetknewnotthebottomless,andshecouldfollowtheotherintothedeepsofherdeepestdepthsandreadheraright。\"Whydoyounotdrawbackyourgarment’shem?\"shewasfaintocryout,allinthatflashing,dazzlingsecond。\"Spituponme,revileme,anditweregreatermercythanthis!\"Shetrembled。Hernostrilsdistendedandquivered。Butshedrewherselfincheck,returnedtheinclinationofhead,andturnedtotheman。 \"Comewithme,Floyd,\"shesaidsimply。\"Iwantyounow。\" \"Whatthe——\"hebeganexplosively,andquitassuddenly,discreetenoughtonotrounditoff。Wherethedeucehadhiswitsgone,anyway?Waseveramanmorefoolishlyplaced?Hegurgleddeepdowninhisthroatandhighupintheroofofhismouth,heavedasonehisbigshouldersandhisindecision,andglaredappealinglyatthetwowomen。 \"Ibegpardon,justamoment,butmayIspeakfirstwithMr。 Vanderlip?\"Mrs。Eppingwell’svoice,thoughflute—likeandlow,predicatedwillinitseverycadence。 Themanlookedhisgratitude。He,atleast,waswillingenough。 \"I’mverysorry,\"fromFreda。\"Thereisn’ttime。Hemustcomeatonce。\"Theconventionalphrasesdroppedeasilyfromherlips,butshecouldnotforbeartosmileinwardlyattheirinadequacyandweakness。Shewouldmuchratherhaveshrieked。 \"But,MissMoloof,whoareyouthatyoumaypossessyourselfofMr。Vanderlipandcommandhisactions?\" Whereuponreliefbrightenedhisface,andthemanbeamedhisapproval。TrustMrs。Eppingwelltodraghimclear。Fredahadmethermatchthistime。 \"I——I——\"Fredahesitated,andthenherfemininemindputtingonitsharness——\"andwhoareyoutoaskthisquestion?\" \"I?IamMrs。Eppingwell,and——\" \"There!\"theotherbrokeinsharply。\"Youarethewifeofacaptain,whoisthereforeyourhusband。Iamonlyadancinggirl。 Whatdoyouwiththisman?\" \"Suchunprecedentedbehavior!\"Mrs。McFeeruffledherselfandclearedforaction,butMrs。Eppingwellshuthermouthwithalookanddevelopedanewattack。 \"SinceMissMoloofappearstoholdclaimsuponyou,Mr。Vanderlip,andisintoogreathastetograntmeafewsecondsofyourtime,Iamforcedtoappealdirectlytoyou。MayIspeakwithyou,alone,andnow?\" Mrs。McFee’sjawsbroughttogetherwithasnap。Thatsettledthedisgracefulsituation。 \"Why,er——thatis,certainly,\"themanstammered。\"Ofcourse,ofcourse,\"growingmoreeffusiveattheprospectofdeliverance。 Menareonlygregariousvertebrates,domesticatedandevolved,andthechancesarelargethatitwasbecausetheGreekgirlhadinhertimedealtwithwildermasculinebeastsofthehumansort;forsheturneduponthemanwithhell’stidesafloodinherblazingeyes,muchasabespangledladyuponalionwhichhassuddenlyimbibedthepernicioustheorythatheisafreeagent。Thebeastinhimfawnedtothelash。 \"Thatistosay,ah,afterward。To—morrow,Mrs。Eppingwell;yes,to—morrow。ThatiswhatImeant。\"Hesolacedhimselfwiththefact,shouldheremain,thatmoreembarrassmentawaited。Also,hehadanengagementwhichhemustkeepshortly,downbythewater— holeoffthehospital。Yegods!hehadnevergivenFredacredit! Wasn’tshemagnificent! \"I’llthankyouformymask,Mrs。McFee。\" Thatlady,forthenoncespeechless,turnedoverthearticleinquestion。 \"Good—night,MissMoloof。\"Mrs。Eppingwellwasroyalevenindefeat。 Fredareciprocated,thoughbarelydowningtheimpulsetoclasptheother’skneesandbegforgiveness,——no,notforgiveness,butsomething,sheknewnotwhat,butwhichshenonethelessgreatlydesired。 Themanwasforhertakinghisarm;butshehadmadeherkillinthemidstofthepack,andthatwhichledkingstodragtheirvanquishedatthechariot—tail,ledhertowardthedooralone,FloydVanderlipcloseatheelandstrivingtore—establishhismentalequilibrium。 V Itwasbittercold。Asthetrailwound,aquarterofamilebroughtthemtothedancer’scabin,bywhichtimehermoistbreathhadcoatedherfacefrostily,whilehishadmassedhisheavymustachetillconversationwaspainful。Bythegreenishlightoftheauroraborealis,thequicksilvershoweditselffrozenhardinthebulbofthethermometerwhichhungoutsidethedoor。A thousanddogs,inpitifulchorus,wailedtheirancientwrongsandclaimedmercyfromtheunheedingstars。Notabreathofairwasmoving。Forthemtherewasnoshelterfromthecold,noshrewdcrawlingtoleewardinsnugnooks。Thefrostwaseverywhere,andtheylayintheopen,everandanonstretchingtheirtrail— stiffenedmusclesandliftingthelongwolf—howl。 Theydidnottalkatfirst,themanandthewoman。WhilethemaidhelpedFredaoffwithherwraps,FloydVanderlipreplenishedthefire;andbythetimethemaidhadwithdrawntoaninnerroom,hisheadoverthestove,hewasbusilythawingouthisburdenedupperlip。Afterthatherolledacigaretteandwatchedherlazilythroughthefragranteddies。Shestoleaglanceattheclock。Itlackedhalfanhourofmidnight。Howwasshetoholdhim?Washeangryforthatwhichshehaddone?Whatwashismood?Whatmoodofherscouldmeethisbest?Notthatshedoubtedherself。No,no。Holdhimshecould,ifneedbeatpistolpoint,tillSitkaCharley’sworkwasdone,andDevereaux’stoo。 Thereweremanyways,andwithherknowledgeofthishercontemptforthemanincreased。Assheleanedherheadonherhand,afleetingvisionofherowngirlhood,withitsmournfulclimactericandtragicebb,wasvouchsafedher,andforthemomentshewasmindedtoreadhimalessonfromit。God!itmustbelessthanhumanbrutewhocouldnotbeheldbysuchatale,toldasshecouldtellit,but——bah!Hewasnotworthit,norworththepaintoher。Thecandlewaspositionedjustright,andevenasshethoughtofthesethingssacredlyshamefultoher,hewaspleasuringinthetransparentpinkinessofherear。Shenotedhiseye,tookthecue,andturnedherheadtillthecleanprofileofthefacewaspresented。Nottheleastwasthatprofileamonghervirtues。Shecouldnothelpthelinesuponwhichshehadbeenbuilded,andtheywereverygood;butshehadlongsincelearnedthoselines,andthoughlittletheyneeded,wasnotaboveadvantagingthemtothebestofherability。Thecandlebegantoflicker。Shecouldnotdoanythingungracefully,butthatdidnotpreventherimprovinguponnatureabit,whenshereachedforthanddeftlysnuffedtheredwickfromthemidstoftheyellowflame。Againsherestedheadonhand,thistimeregardingthemanthoughtfully,andanymanispleasedwhenthusregardedbyaprettywoman。 Shewasinlittlehastetobegin。Ifdallianceweretohisliking,itwastohers。Tohimitwasverycomfortable,soothinghislungswithnicotineandgazinguponher。Itwassnugandwarmhere,whiledownbythewater—holebeganatrailwhichhewouldsoonbehittingthroughthechillyhours。HefeltheoughttobeangrywithFredaforthesceneshehadcreated,butsomehowhedidn’tfeelabitwrathful。Likeasnottherewouldn’thavebeenanysceneifithadn’tbeenforthatMcFeewoman。IfheweretheGovernor,hewouldputapolltaxofahundredouncesaquarteruponherandherkindandallgospelsharksandskypilots。AndcertainlyFredahadbehavedveryladylike,heldherownwithMrs。 Eppingwellbesides。Nevergavethegirlcreditforthegrit。Helookedlingeringlyoverher,comingbacknowandagaintotheeyes,behindthedeepearnestnessofwhichhecouldnotguesslayconcealedadeepersneer。And,Jove,wasn’tshewellputup! Wonderwhyshelookedathimso?Didshewanttomarryhim,too? Likeasnot;butshewasn’ttheonlyone。Herlookswereinherfavor,weren’tthey?Andyoung——youngerthanLoraineLisznayi。 Shecouldn’tbemorethantwenty—threeorfour,twenty—fiveatmost。Andshe’dnevergetstout。Anybodycouldguessthatthefirsttime。Hecouldn’tsayitofLoraine,though。SHEcertainlyhadputonfleshsincethedaysheservedasmodel。Huh!oncehegotherontrailhe’dtakeitoff。Putheronthesnowshoestobreakaheadofthedogs。Neverknewittofail,yet。ButhisthoughtleapedaheadtothepalaceunderthelazyMediterraneansky——andhowwoulditbewithLorainethen?Nofrost,notrail,nofaminenowandagaintocheerthemonotony,andshegettingolderandpilingitonwitheverysunrise。WhilethisgirlFreda— —hesighedhisunconsciousregretthathehadmissedbeingbornundertheflagoftheTurk,andcamebacktoAlaska。 \"Well?\"Bothhandsoftheclockpointedperpendicularlytomidnight,anditwashightimehewasgettingdowntothewater— hole。 \"Oh!\"Fredastarted,andshediditprettily,delightinghimashisfellowshaveeverbeendelightedbytheirwomankind。Whenamanismadetobelievethatawoman,lookinguponhimthoughtfully,haslostherselfinmeditationoverhim,thatmanneedsbeanextremelycold—bloodedindividualinordertotrimhissheets,setalookout,andsteerclear。 \"Iwasjustwonderingwhatyouwantedtoseemeabout,\"heexplained,drawinghischairuptohersbythetable。 \"Floyd,\"shelookedhimsteadilyintheeyes,\"Iamtiredofthewholebusiness。Iwanttogoaway。Ican’tliveitoutheretilltheriverbreaks。IfItry,I’lldie。Iamsureofit。Iwanttoquititallandgoaway,andIwanttodoitatonce。\" Shelaidherhandinmuteappealuponthebackofhis,whichturnedoverandbecameaprison。Anotherone,hethought,justthrowingherselfathim。Guessitwouldn’thurtLorainetocoolherfeetbythewater—holealittlelonger。 \"Well?\"ThistimefromFreda,butsoftlyandanxiously。 \"Idon’tknowwhattosay,\"hehastenedtoanswer,addingtohimselfthatitwascomingalongquickerthanhehadexpected。 \"NothingI’dlikebetter,Freda。Youknowthatwellenough。\"Hepressedherhand,palmtopalm。Shenodded。Couldshewonderthatshedespisedthebreed? \"Butyousee,I——I’mengaged。Ofcourseyouknowthat。Andthegirl’scomingintothecountrytomarryme。Don’tknowwhatwasupwithmewhenIaskedher,butitwasalongwhileback,andI wasall—firedyoung——\" \"Iwanttogoaway,outoftheland,anywhere,\"shewenton,disregardingtheobstaclehehadrearedupandapologizedfor。\"I havebeenrunningoverthemenIknowandreachedtheconclusionthat——that——\" \"Iwasthelikeliestofthelot?\" Shesmiledhergratitudeforhishavingsavedhertheembarrassmentofconfession。Hedrewherheadagainsthisshoulderwiththefreehand,andsomehowthescentofherhairgotintohisnostrils。Thenhediscoveredthatacommonpulsethrobbed,throbbed,throbbed,wheretheirpalmswereincontact。 Thisphenomenoniseasilycomprehensiblefromaphysiologicalstandpoint,buttothemanwhomakesthediscoveryforthefirsttime,itisamostwonderfulthing。FloydVanderliphadcaressedmoreshovel—handlesthanwomen’shandsinhistime,sothiswasanexperiencequitenewanddelightfullystrange。AndwhenFredaturnedherheadagainsthisshoulder,herhairbrushinghischeektillhiseyesmethers,fullandatcloserange,luminouslysoft,ay,andtender——why,whosefaultwasitthathelosthisgriputterly?FalsetoFlossie,whynottoLoraine?Evenifthewomendidkeepbotheringhim,thatwasnoreasonheshouldmakeuphismindinahurry。Why,hehadslathersofmoney,andFredawasjustthegirltograceit。Awifeshe’dmakehimforothermentoenvy。Butgoslow。Hemustbecautious。 \"Youdon’thappentocareforpalaces,doyou?\"heasked。 Sheshookherhead。 \"Well,Ihadahankeringafterthemmyself,tillIgottothinking,awhileback,andI’veaboutsizeditupthatone’dgetfatlivinginpalaces,andsoftandlazy。\" \"Yes,it’sniceforatime,butyousoongrowtiredofit,I imagine,\"shehastenedtoreassurehim。\"Theworldisgood,butlifeshouldbemany—sided。Roughandknockaboutforawhile,andthenrestupsomewhere。OfftotheSouthSeasonayacht,thenanibbleofParis;awinterinSouthAmericaandasummerinNorway; afewmonthsinEngland——\" \"Goodsociety?\" \"Mostcertainly——thebest;andthen,heigho!forthedogsandsledsandtheHudsonBayCountry。Change,youknow。Astrongmanlikeyou,fullofvitalityandgo,couldnotpossiblystandapalaceforayear。Itisallverywellforeffeminatemen,butyouweren’tmadeforsuchalife。Youaremasculine,intenselymasculine。\" \"Thinkso?\" \"Itdoesnotrequirethinking。Iknow。Haveyouevernoticedthatitwaseasytomakewomencareforyou?\" Hisdubiousinnocencewassuperb。 \"Itisveryeasy。Andwhy?Becauseyouaremasculine。Youstrikethedeepestchordsofawoman’sheart。Youaresomethingtoclingto,——big—muscled,strong,andbrave。Inshort,becauseyouAREaman。\" Sheshotaglanceattheclock。Itwashalfafterthehour。ShehadgivenamarginofthirtyminutestoSitkaCharley;anditdidnotmatter,now,whenDevereauxarrived。Herworkwasdone。Sheliftedherhead,laughedhergenuinemirth,slippedherhandclear,andrisingtoherfeetcalledthemaid。 \"Alice,helpMr。Vanderliponwithhisparka。Hismittensareonthesillbythestove。\" Themancouldnotunderstand。 \"Letmethankyouforyourkindness,Floyd。Yourtimewasinvaluabletome,anditwasindeedgoodofyou。Theturningtotheleft,asyouleavethecabin,leadsthequickesttothewater— hole。Good—night。Iamgoingtobed。\" FloydVanderlipemployedstrongwordstoexpresshisperplexityanddisappointment。Alicedidnotliketohearmenswear,sodroppedhisparkaonthefloorandtossedhismittensontopofit。ThenhemadeabreakforFreda,andsheruinedherretreattotheinnerroombytrippingovertheparka。Hebroughtherupstandingwitharudegriponthewrist。Butsheonlylaughed。 Shewasnotafraidofmen。Hadtheynotwroughttheirworstwithher,anddidshenotstillendure? \"Don’tberough,\"shesaidfinally。\"Onsecondthought,\"hereshelookedathisdetaininghand,\"I’vedecidednottogotobedyetawhile。Dositdownandbecomfortableinsteadofridiculous。Anyquestions?\" \"Yes,mylady,andreckoning,too。\"Hestillkepthishold。 \"Whatdoyouknowaboutthewater—hole?Whatdidyoumeanby——no,nevermind。Onequestionatatime。\" \"Oh,nothingmuch。SitkaCharleyhadanappointmenttherewithsomebodyyoumayknow,andnotbeinganxiousforamanofyourknowncharmtobepresent,fellbackuponmetokindlyhelphim。 That’sall。They’reoffnow,andagoodhalfhourago。\" \"Where?Downriverandwithoutme?AndheanIndian!\" \"There’snoaccountingfortaste,youknow,especiallyinawoman。\" \"ButhowdoIstandinthisdeal?I’velostfourthousanddollars’worthofdogsandatidybitofawoman,andnothingtoshowforit。Exceptyou,\"headdedasanafterthought,\"andcheapyouareattheprice。\" Fredashruggedhershoulders。 \"Youmightaswellgetready。I’mgoingouttoborrowacoupleofteamsofdogs,andwe’llstartinasmanyhours。\" \"Iamverysorry,butI’mgoingtobed。\" \"You’llpackifyouknowwhat’sgoodforyou。Gotobed,ornot,whenIgetmydogsoutside,sohelpme,ontothesledyougo。 Mebbeyoufooledwithme,butI’lljustseeyourbluffandtakeyouinearnest。Hearme?\" Heclosedonherwristtillithurt,butonherlipsasmilewasgrowing,andsheseemedtolistenintentlytosomeoutsidesound。 Therewasajingleofdogbells,andaman’svoicecrying\"Haw!\" asasledtooktheturninganddrewupatthecabin。 \"NOWwillyouletmegotobed?\" AsFredaspokeshethrewopenthedoor。Intothewarmroomrushedthefrost,andonthethreshold,garbedintrail—wornfurs,knee— deepintheswirlingvapor,againstabackgroundofflamingborealis,awomanhesitated。Sheremovedhernose—trapandstoodblinkingblindlyinthewhitecandlelight。FloydVanderlipstumbledforward。 \"Floyd!\"shecried,relievedandglad,andmethimwithatiredbound。 Whatcouldhebutkissthearmfuloffurs?Andaprettyarmfulitwas,nestlingagainsthimwearily,buthappy。 \"Itwasgoodofyou,\"spokethearmful,\"tosendMr。Devereauxwithfreshdogsafterme,elseIwouldnothavebeenintillto— morrow。\" ThemanlookedblanklyacrossatFreda,thenthelightbreakinginuponhim,\"Andwasn’titgoodofDevereauxtogo?\" \"Couldn’twaitabitlonger,couldyou,dear?\"Flossiesnuggledcloser。 \"Well,Iwasgettingsortofimpatient,\"heconfessedglibly,atthesametimedrawingheruptillherfeetleftthefloor,andgettingoutsidethedoor。 ThatsamenightaninexplicablethinghappenedtotheReverendJamesBrown,missionary,wholivedamongthenativesseveralmilesdowntheYukonandsawtoitthatthetrailstheytrodledtothewhiteman’sparadise。HewasrousedfromhissleepbyastrangeIndian,whogaveintohischargenotonlythesoulbutthebodyofawoman,andhavingdonethisdrovequicklyaway。Thiswomanwasheavy,andhandsome,andangry,andinherwrathuncleanwordsfellfromhermouth。Thisshockedtheworthyman,buthewasyetyoungandherpresencewouldhavebeenpernicious(inthesimpleeyesofhisflock),hadshenotstruckoutonfootforDawsonwiththefirstgrayofdawn。 TheshocktoDawsoncamemanydayslater,whenthesummerhadcomeandthepopulationhonoredacertainroyalladyatWindsorbyliningtheYukon’sbankandwatchingSitkaCharleyriseupwithflashingpaddleanddrivethefirstcanoeacrosstheline。Onthisdayoftheraces,Mrs。Eppingwell,whohadlearnedandunlearnednumerousthings,sawFredaforthefirsttimesincethenightoftheball。\"Publicly,mindyou,\"asMrs。McFeeexpressedit,\"withoutregardorrespectforthemoralsofthecommunity,\" shewentuptothedancerandheldoutherhand。Atfirst,itisrememberedbythosewhosaw,thegirlshrankback,thenwordspassedbetweenthetwo,andFreda,greatFreda,brokedownandweptontheshoulderofthecaptain’swife。ItwasnotgiventoDawsontoknowwhyMrs。EppingwellshouldcraveforgivenessofaGreekdancinggirl,butshediditpublicly,anditwasunseemly。 ItwerewellnottoforgetMrs。McFee。Shetookacabinpassageonthefirststeamergoingout。Shealsotookwithheratheorywhichshehadachievedinthesilentwatchesofthelongdarknights;anditisherconvictionthattheNorthlandisunregeneratebecauseitissocoldthere。Fearofhell—firecannotbebredinanice—box。Thismayappeardogmatic,butitisMrs。McFee’stheory。