AT THE SIGN OF THE EAGLE By Gilbert Parker "Life in her creaking shoes Goes, and more formal grows, A round of calls and cues: Love blows as the wind blows. Blows!. .. " "Well, what do you think of them, Molly?" said Sir Duke Lawless to hiswife, his eyes resting with some amusement on a big man and a little onetalking to Lord Hampstead. "The little man is affected, gauche, and servile. The big onepicturesque and superior in a raw kind of way. He wishes to be rudeto some one, and is disappointed because, just at the moment, LordHampstead is too polite to give him his cue. A dangerous person in adrawing-room, I should think; but interesting. You are a bold man tobring them here, Duke. Is it not awkward for our host?" "Hampstead did it with his eyes open. Besides, there is business behindit--railways, mines, and all that; and Hampstead's nephew is going tothe States fortune-hunting. Do you see?" Lady Lawless lifted her eyebrows. "'To what base uses are we come, Horatio!' You invite me to dinner and--'I'll fix things up right. ' Thatis the proper phrase, for I have heard you use it. Status for dollars. Isn't it low? I know you do not mean what you say, Duke. " Sir Duke's eyes were playing on the men with a puzzled expression, asthough trying to read the subject of their conversation; and he did notreply immediately. Soon, however, he turned and looked down at his wifegenially, and said: "Well, that's about it, I suppose. But really thereis nothing unusual in this, so far as Mr. John Vandewaters is concerned, for in his own country he travels 'the parlours of the Four Hundred, 'and is considered 'a very elegant gentleman. ' We must respect a manaccording to the place he holds in his own community. Besides, as yousuggest, Mr. Vandewaters is interesting. I might go further, and saythat he is a very good fellow indeed. " "You will be asking him down to Craigruie next, " said Lady Lawless, inquisition in her look. "That is exactly what I mean to do, with your permission, my dear. Ihope to see him laying about among the grouse in due season. " "My dear Duke, you are painfully Bohemian. I can remember when you wereperfectly precise and exclusive, and--" "What an awful prig I must have been!" "Don't interrupt. That was before you went aroving in savage countries, and picked up all sorts of acquaintances, making friends with the mostimpossible folk. I should never be surprised to see you drive ShonMcGann--and his wife, of course--and Pretty Pierre--with some otherman's wife--up to the door in a dogcart; their clothes in a saddle-bag, or something less reputable, to stay a month. Duke, you have lost yourdecorum; you are a gipsy. " "I fear Shon McGann and Pierre wouldn't enjoy being with us as I shouldenjoy having them. You can never understand what a life that is out inPierre's country. If it weren't for you and the bairn, I should beoff there now. There is something of primeval man in me. I am never sohealthy and happy, when away from you, as in prowling round the outpostsof civilisation, and living on beans and bear's meat. " He stretched to his feet, and his wife rose with him. There was a finecolour on his cheek, and his eye had a pleasant fiery energy. His wifetapped him on the arm with her fan. She understood him very well, thoughpretending otherwise. "Duke, you are incorrigible. I am in daily dreadof your starting off in the middle of the night, leaving me--" "Watering your couch with your tears?" "--and hearing nothing more from you till a cable from Quebec orWinnipeg tells me that you are on your way to the Arctic Circle withPierre or some other heathen. But, seriously, where did you meet Mr. Vandewaters--Heavens, what a name!--and that other person? And what isthe other person's name?" "The other person carries the contradictory name of Stephen Pride. " "Why does he continually finger his face, and show his emotions so? Heassents to everything said to him by an appreciative exercise of hisfeatures. " "My dear, you ask a great and solemn question. Let me introduce theyoung man, that you may get your answer at the fountain-head. " "Wait a moment, Duke. Sit down and tell me when and where you met thesemen, and why you have continued the acquaintance. " "Molly, " he said, obeying her, "you are a terrible inquisitor, and theprivacy of one's chamber were the kinder place to call one to account. But I bend to your implacability. .. . Mr. Vandewaters, like myself, hasa taste for roving, though our aims are not identical. He has afine faculty for uniting business and pleasure. He is not a thoroughsportsman--there is always a certain amount of enthusiasm, even in theunrewarded patience of the true hunter; but he sufficeth. Well, Mr. Vandewaters had been hunting in the far north, and looking after apromising mine at the same time. He was on his way south at one angle, I at another angle, bound for the same point. Shon McGann was with me;Pierre with Vandewaters. McGann left me, at a certain point, to join hiswife at a Barracks of the Riders of the Plains. I had about a hundredmiles to travel alone. Well, I got along the first fifty all right. Then came trouble. In a bad place of the hills I fell and broke an anklebone. I had an Eskimo dog of the right sort with me. I wrote a line ona bit of birch bark, tied it round his neck, and started him away, trusting my luck that he would pull up somewhere. He did. He ran intoVandewaters's camp that evening. Vandewaters and Pierre started away atonce. They had dogs, and reached me soon. "It was the first time I had seen Pierre for years. They fixed me up, and we started south. And that's as it was in the beginning with Mr. John Vandewaters and me. " Lady Lawless had been watching the two strangers during the talk, thoughonce or twice she turned and looked at her husband admiringly. When hehad finished she said: "That is very striking. What a pity it is thatmen we want to like spoil all by their lack of form!" "Don't be so sure about Vandewaters. Does he look flurried by thesesurroundings?" "No. He certainly has an air of contentment. It is, I suppose, the usualair of self-made Americans. " "Go to London, E. C. , and you will find the same, plus smugness. Now, Mr. Vandewaters has real power--and taste too, as you will see. Would youthink Mr. Stephen Pride a self-made man?" "I cannot think of any one else who would be proud of the patent. Pleaseto consider the seals about his waistcoat, and the lady-like droop ofhis shoulders. " "Yet he is thought to be a young man of parts. He has money, made byhis ancestors; he has been round the world; he belongs to societies forculture and--" "And he will rave of the Poet's Corner, ask if one likes Pippa Passes, and expect to be introduced to every woman in the room at a tea-party, to say nothing of proposing impossible things, such as taking one's girlfriends to the opera alone, sending them boxes of confectionery, andwriting them dreadfully reverential notes at the same time. Duke, thecreature is impossible, believe me. Never, never, if you love me, invitehim to Craigruie. I met one of his tribe at Lady Macintyre's when I wasjust out of school; and at the dinner-table, when the wine went round, he lifted his voice and asked for a cup of tea, saying he never 'drank. 'Actually he did, Duke. " Her husband laughed quietly. He had a man's enjoyment of a woman'sdislike of bad form. "A common criminal man, Molly. Tell me, which isthe greater crime: to rob a bank or use a fish-knife for asparagus?" Lady Lawless fanned herself. "Duke, you make me hot. But if you willhave the truth: the fish-knife business by all means. Nobody need feeluncomfortable about the burglary, except the burglar; but see what aposition for the other person's hostess. " "My dear, women have no civic virtues. Their credo is, 'I believe inbeauty and fine linen, and the thing that is not gauche. '" His wife was smiling. "Well, have it your own way. It is a creed ofcomfort, at any rate. And now, Duke, if I must meet the man of mines andrailways and the spare person making faces at Lord Hampstead, let it besoon, that it may be done with; and pray don't invite them to Craigruietill I have a chance to speak with you again. I will not have impossiblepeople at a house-party. " "What a difficult fellow your husband is, Molly!" "Difficult; but perfectly possible. His one fault is a universalsympathy which shines alike on the elect--and the others. " "So. Well, this is our dance. After it is over, prepare for theAmericanos. " Half-an-hour later Mr. Vandewaters was standing in a conspicuous cornertalking to Lady Lawless. "It is, then, your first visit to England?" she asked. He had a dry, deliberate voice, unlike the smooth, conventional voices round him. "Yes, Lady Lawless, " he replied: "it's the first time I've put my footin London town, and--perhaps you won't believe it of an American--I findit doesn't take up a very conspicuous place. " The humour was slightly accentuated, and Lady Lawless shrank a little, as if she feared the depths of divertisement to which this speech mightlead; but a quick look at the man assured her of his common-sense, andshe answered: "It is of the joys of London that no one is so importantbut finds the space he fills a small one, which may be filled acceptablyby some one else at any moment. It is easy for kings and princeseven--we have secluded princes here now--to get lost and forgotten inLondon. " "Well, that leaves little chance for ordinary Americans, whodon't bank on titles. " She looked up, puzzled in spite of herself. But she presently said, withfrankness and naivete: "What does 'bank on titles' mean?" He stroked his beard, smiling quaintly, and said: "I don't know how toput the thing better-it seems to fill the bill. But, anyway, Americansare republicans; and don't believe in titles, and--" "O, pardon me, " she interrupted: "of course, I see. " "We've got little ways of talking not the same as yours. You don't seemto have the snap to conversation that we have in the States. But I'llsay here that I think you have got a better style of talking. It isn'texhausting. " "Mr. Pride said to me a moment ago that they spoke better English inBoston than any other place in the world. " "Did he, though, Lady Lawless? That's good. Well, I guess he was onlytalking through his hat. " She was greatly amused. Her first impressions were correct. The man wasinteresting. He had a quaint, practical mind. He had been thrown uponhis own resources, since infancy almost, in a new country; and hehad seen with his own eyes, nakedly, and without predisposition orinstruction. From childhood thoroughly adaptable, he could get intotouch with things quickly, and instantly like or dislike them. He hadbeen used to approach great concerns with fearlessness and competency. He respected a thing only for its real value, and its intrinsic valuewas as clear to him as the market value. He had, perhaps, an exaggeratedbelief in the greatness of his own country, because he liked eagernessand energy and daring. The friction and hurry of American life added tohis enjoyment. They acted on him like a stimulating air, in which hewas always bold, collected, and steady. He felt an exhilaration in beingsuperior to the rustle of forces round him. It had been his habit toplay the great game of business with decision and adroitness. He hadnot spared his opponent in the fight; he had crushed where his interestswere in peril and the sport played into his hands; comforting himself, if he thought of the thing, with the knowledge that he himself wouldhave been crushed if the other man had not. He had never been wilfullyunfair, nor had he used dishonourable means to secure his ends: his namestood high in his own country for commercial integrity; men said: he"played square. " He had, maybe, too keen a contempt for dulness andincompetency in enterprise, and he loathed red-tape; but thiswas racial. His mind was as open as his manners. He was utterlyapproachable. He was a millionaire, and yet in his own offices in NewYork he was as accessible as a President. He handled things withoutgloves, and this was not a good thing for any that came to him with aweak case. He had a penetrating intelligence; and few men attempted, after their first sophistical statements, to impose upon him: he sentthem away unhappy. He did not like England altogether: first, because itlacked, as he said, enterprise; and because the formality, decorum andexcessive convention fretted him. He saw that in many things the oldland was backward, and he thought that precious time was being wasted. Still, he could see that there were things, purely social, in whichthe Londoners were at advantage; and he acknowledged this when he said, concerning Stephen Pride's fond boast, that he was "talking through hishat. " Lady Lawless smiled, and after a moment rejoined: "Does it mean that he was mumming, as it were, like a conjurer?" "Exactly. You are pretty smart, Lady Lawless; for I can see that, fromyour stand-point, it isn't always easy to catch the meaning of sayingslike that. But they do hit the case, don't they?" "They give a good deal of individuality to conversation, " was the vaguereply. "What, do you think, is the chief lack in England?" "Nerve and enterprise. But I'm not going to say you ought to have thesame kind of nerve as ours. We are a different tribe, with differentsurroundings, and we don't sit in the same kind of saddle. We ride forall we're worth all the time. You sit back and take it easy. We arenever satisfied unless we are behind a fast trotter; you arecontent with a good cob that steps high, tosses its head, and has anaristocratic stride. " "Have you been in the country much?" she asked, without any seemingrelevancy. He was keen enough. He saw the veiled point of her question. "No: I'venever been in the country here, " he said. "I suppose you mean that Idon't see or know England till I've lived there. " "Quite so, Mr. Vandewaters. " She smiled to think what an undistinguishedname it was. It suggested pumpkins in the front garden. Yet here itsowner was perfectly at his ease, watching the scene before himwith good-natured superiority. "London is English; but it is verycosmopolitan, you know, " she added; "and I fancy you can see it is not aplace for fast trotters. The Park would be too crowded for that--even ifone wished to drive a Maud S. " He turned his slow keen eyes on her, and a smile broadened into a lowlaugh, out of which he said: "What do you know of Maud S? I didn't think you would be up in racingmatters. " "You forget that my husband is a traveller, and an admirer of Americansand things American. " "That's so, " he answered; "and a staving good traveller he is. You don'tcatch him asleep, I can tell you, Lady Lawless. He has stuff in him. " "The stuff to make a good American?" "Yes; with something over. He's the kind of Englishman that can keepcool when things are ticklish, and look as if he was in a parlour allthe time. Americans keep cool, but look cheeky. O, I know that. Wesquare our shoulders and turn out our toes, and push our hands intoour pockets, and act as if we owned the world. Hello--by Jingo!" Then, apologetically: "I beg your pardon, Lady Lawless; it slipped. " Lady Lawless followed Mr. Vandewaters's glance, and saw, passing onher husband's arm, a tall, fascinating girl. She smiled meaningly toherself, as she sent a quick quizzical look at the American, and said, purposely misinterpreting his exclamation: "I am not envious, Mr. Vandewaters. " "Of course not. That's a commoner thing with us than with you. Americangirls get more notice and attention from their cradles up, and theywant it all along the line. You see, we've mostly got the idea that anEnglishman expects from his wife what an American woman expects from herhusband. " "How do Americans get these impressions about us?" "From our newspapers, I guess; and the newspapers take as theground-work of their belief the Bow Street cases where Englishmen arecornered for beating their wives. " "Suppose we were to judge of American Society by the cases in a ChicagoDivorce Court?" "There you have me on toast. That's what comes of having a husband whotakes American papers. Mind you, I haven't any idea that the Americanpapers are right. I've had a lot to do with newspapers, and they arepretty ignorant, I can tell you--cheap all round. What's a newspaper, anyway, but an editor, more or less smart and overworked, with an ownerbehind him who has got some game on hand? I know: I've been there. " "How have you 'been there'?" "I've owned four big papers all at once, and had fifty others under mythumb. " Lady Lawless caught her breath; but she believed him. "You must be veryrich. " "Owning newspapers doesn't mean riches. It's a lever, though, fortipping the dollars your way. " "I suppose they have--tipped your way?" "Yes: pretty well. But, don't follow this lead any farther, LadyLawless, or you may come across something that will give you a start. Ishould like to keep on speaking terms with you. " "You mean that a man cannot hold fifty newspapers under his thumb, andlive in the glare of a search-light also?" "Exactly. You can't make millions without pulling wires. " She saw him watching the girl on her husband's arm. She had theinstinct of her sex. She glanced at the stately girl again; then atMr. Vandewaters critically, and rejoined, quizzically: "Did you--makemillions?" His eyes still watching, he replied abstractedly. "Yes: a few handfuls, and lost a few--'that's why I'm here. '" "To get them back on the London market?" "That's why I am here. " "You have not come in vain?" "I could tell you better in a month or so from now. In any case, I don'tstand to lose. I've come to take things away from England. " "I hope you will take away a good opinion of it. " "If there'd been any doubt of it half an hour ago, it would be all gonethis minute. " "Which is nice of you; and not in your usual vein, I should think. But, Mr. Vandewaters, we want you to come to Craigruie, our country place, tospend a week. Then you will have a chance to judge us better, or rathermore broadly and effectively. " She was looking at the girl, and at thatmoment she caught Sir Duke's eye. She telegraphed to him to come. "Thank you, Lady Lawless, I'm glad you have asked me. But--" He glancedto where Mr. Pride was being introduced to the young lady on Sir Duke'sarm, and paused. "We are hoping, " she added, interpreting his thought, and speaking alittle dryly, "that your friend, Mr. Stephen Pride"--the name sounded soludicrous--"will join us. " "He'll be proud enough, you may be sure. It's a singular combination, Pride and myself, isn't it? But, you see, he has a fortune which, asyet, he has never been able to handle for himself; and I do it for him. We are partners, and, though you mightn't think it, he has got moremoney now than when he put his dollars at my disposal to help me make afew millions at a critical time. " Lady Lawless let her fan touch Mr. Vandewaters's arm. "I am going todo you a great favour. You see that young lady coming to us withmy husband? Well, I am going to introduce you to her. It is such asshe--such women--who will convince you--" "Yes?" "--that you have yet to make your--what shall I call it?--Ah, I have it:your 'biggest deal, '--and, in truth, your best. " "Is that so?" rejoined Vandewaters musingly. "Is that so? I alwaysthought I'd make my biggest deal in the States. Who is she? She ishandsome. " "She is more than handsome, and she is the Honourable Gracia Raglan. " "I don't understand about 'The Honourable. '" "I will explain that another time. " A moment later Miss Raglan, in a gentle bewilderment, walked down theballroom on the arm of the millionaire, half afraid that somethinggauche would happen; but by the time she had got to the other end wasreassured, and became interested. Sir Duke said to his wife in an aside, before he left her with Mr. Vandewaters's financial partner: "What is your pretty conspiracy, Molly?" "Do talk English, Duke, and do not interfere. " A few hours later, on the way home, Sir Duke said: "You asked Mr. Pridetoo?" "Yes; I grieve to say. " "Why grieve?" "Because his experiences with us seem to make him dizzy. He will beterribly in earnest with every woman in the house, if--" "If you do not keep him in line yourself?" "Quite so. And the creature is not even interesting. " "Cast your eye about. He has millions; you have cousins. " "You do not mean that, Duke? I would see them in their graves first. Hesays 'My lady' every other sentence, and wants to send me flowers, and abox for the opera, and to drive me in the Park. " Her husband laughed. "I'll stake my life he can't ride. You will havehim about the place like a tame cat. " Then, seeing that his wife wasannoyed: "Never mind, Molly, I will help you all I can. I want to bekind to them. " "I know you do. But what is your 'pretty conspiracy, ' Duke?" "A well-stocked ranche in Colorado. " He did not mean it. And she knewit. "How can you be so mercenary?" she replied. Then they both laughed, and said that they were like the rest of theworld. II Lady Lawless was an admirable hostess, and she never appeared to betteradvantage in the character than during the time when Miss Gracia Raglan, Mr. John Vandewaters, and Mr. Stephen Pride were guests at Craigruie. The men accepted Mr. Vandewaters at once as a good fellow and a verysensible man. He was a heavy-weight for riding; but it was not thehunting season, and, when they did ride, a big horse carried him verywell. At grouse-shooting he showed to advantage. Mr. Pride never rode. He went shooting only once, and then, as Mr. Vandewaters told him, hegot "rattled. " He was then advised by his friend to remain at homeand cultivate his finer faculties. At the same time, Mr. Vandewatersparenthetically remarked to Sir Duke Lawless that Mr. Pride knew thepoets backwards, and was smart at French. He insisted on bringing outthe good qualities of his comrade; but he gave him much strong adviceprivately. He would have done it just the same at the risk of losinga fortune, were it his whim--he would have won the fortune back in duecourse. At the present time Mr. Vandewaters was in the heat of some largecommercial movements. No one would have supposed it, save for the factthat telegrams and cablegrams were brought to him day and night. He hadliberally salaried the telegraph-clerk to work after hours, simply tobe at his service. The contents of these messages never shook hisequanimity. He was quiet, urbane, dry-mannered, at all times. Mr. Pride, however, was naturally excitable. He said of himself earnestly that hehad a sensitive nature. He said it to Mrs. Gregory Thorne, whose replywas: "Dear me, and when things are irritating and painful to you do younever think of suicide?" Then she turned away to speak to some one, asif she had been interrupted, and intended to take up the subject again;but she never did. This remark caused Mr. Pride some nervous moments. He was not quite sure how she meant it. But it did not depress him as itmight otherwise have done, for his thoughts were running much in anotherchannel with a foolish sort of elation. As Lady Lawless had predicted, he was assiduously attentive to her, andit needed all her tact and cheerful frankness to keep him in line. Shemanaged it very well: Mr. Pride's devotion was not too noticeable tothe other guests. She tried to turn his attentions to some pretty girls;but, although there were one or two who might, in some weak moments, have compromised with his millions, he did no more than saunter withthem on the terrace and oppress them with his lisping egotism. Every onehinted that he seemed an estimable, but trying, young man; and, as SirDuke said to his wife, the men would not have him at any price. As for Mr. Vandewaters and Gracia Raglan, Lady Lawless was not very surethat her delicate sympathy was certain of reward. The two were naturallythrown together a good deal; but Miss Raglan was a girl of singularindividuality and high-mindedness, and she was keen enough to see fromthe start what Lady Lawless suspected might happen. She did not resentthis, --she was a woman; but it roused in her a spirit of criticism, andshe threw up a barrier of fine reserve, which puzzled Mr. Vandewaters. He did not see that Lady Lawless was making a possible courtship easyfor him. If he had, it would have made no difference: he would havelooked at it as at most things, broadly. He was not blind to the factthat his money might be a "factor", but, as he said to himself, hismillions were a part of him--they represented, like whist-counters, somuch pluck and mother-wit. He liked the general appreciation of them: heknew very well that people saw him in them and them in him. Miss Raglanattracted him from the moment of meeting. She was the first woman of herclass that he had ever met closely; and the possibility of having as hisown so adorable a comrade was inspiring. He sat down sometimes as thedays went on--it was generally when he was shaving--and thought upon hisintention regarding Miss Raglan, in relation to his humble past; forhe had fully made up his mind to marry her, if she would have him. He wondered what she would think when he told her of his life; and helaughed at the humour of the situation. He had been into Debrett, and heknew that she could trace her family back to the Crusades. He determined to make a clean breast of it. One day he was obliged toremain at the house in expectation of receiving important telegrams, andthe only people who appeared at lunch were Lady Lawless, Mrs. GregoryThorne (who was expecting her husband), Miss Raglan; Pride, and himself. While at luncheon he made up his mind to have a talk with Miss Raglan. In the library after luncheon the opportunity was given. It was a warm, pleasant day, and delightful in the grounds. After one or two vain efforts to escape, Mrs. Gregory Thorne and LadyLawless resigned themselves to the attentions of Mr. Pride; and foronce Lady Lawless did not check Mrs. Thorne's irony. It was almost asatisfaction to see Mr. Pride's bewildered looks, and his inabilityto know whether or not he should resent (whether it would be proper toresent) this softly-showered satire. Mr. Vandewaters and Gracia Raglan talked more freely than they had everdone before. "Do you really like England?" she said to him; then, waving her handlightly to the beeches and the clean-cropped grass through the window, "I mean do you like our 'trim parterres, ' our devotion to mere living, pleasure, sport, squiring, and that sort of thing?" He raised his head, glanced out, drew in a deep breath, thrust his handsdown in the pockets of his coat, and looking at her with respectful goodhumour, said: "Like it? Yes, right down to the ground. Why shouldn'tI! It's the kind of place I should like to come to in my old days. Youneedn't die in a hurry here. See?" "Are you sure you would not be like the old sailors who must live wherethey can scent the brine? You have been used to an active, adventurous, hurried life. Do you think you could endure this humdrum of enjoyment?" It would be hard to tell quite what was running in Gracia Raglan's mind, and, for the moment, she herself hardly knew; but she had a sudden, overmastering wish to make the man talk: to explore and, maybe, findsurprising--even trying--things. She was astonished that she enjoyed hissociety so keenly. Even now, as she spoke, she remembered a day and anight since his coming, when he was absent in London; also how the partyseemed to have lost its character and life, and how, when Mr. Pridecondescended, for a few moments, to decline from Lady Lawless uponherself, she was even pleasant to him, making him talk about Mr. Vandewaters, and relishing the enthusiastic loyalty of the supine youngman. She, like Lady Lawless, had learned to see behind the firm boldexterior, not merely a notable energy, force, self-reliance, andmasterfulness, but a native courtesy, simplicity, and refinementwhich surprised her. Of all the men she knew not a half-dozen had anappreciation of nature or of art. They affected art, and some of themwent to the Academy or the private views in Bond Street; but they hadlittle feeling for the business. They did it in a well-bred way, withtaste, but not with warmth. Mr. Vandewaters now startled her by quoting suddenly lines from anEnglish poet unknown to her. By chance she was turning over the Academypictures of the year, and came at last to one called "A Japanese Beautyof Old Days"--an exquisite thing. "Is it not fascinating?" she said. "So piquant and fresh. " He gave a silent laugh, as was his custom when he enjoyed anything, andthen replied: "I came across a little book of verses one day in the States. A friendof mine, the president of a big railway, gave it to me. He does somepainting himself when he travels in his Pullman in the Rockies. Well, ithad some verses on just such a picture as that. Hits it off right, MissRaglan. " "Verses?" she remarked, lifting her eyebrows. She expected something outof the "poet's corner" of a country newspaper. "What are they?" "Well, one's enough to show the style. This is it: "'Was I a Samurai renowned, Two-sworded, fierce, immense of bow? A histrion angular and profound? A priest? or porter? Child, although I have forgotten clean, I know That in the shade of Fujisan, What time the cherry-orchards blow, I loved you once in old Japan. '" The verse on the lips of Mr. Vandewaters struck her strangely. He wasnot like any man she had known. Most self-made Englishmen, with such aburly exterior and energy, and engaged in such pursuits, could not, tosave themselves from hanging, have impressed her as Mr. Vandewaters did. There was a big round sympathy in the tone, a timbre in the voice, whichmade the words entirely fitting. Besides, he said them without any kindof affectation, and with a certain turn of dry humour, as if he wereinwardly laughing at the idea of the poem. "The verses are charming, " she said, musingly; "and the idea put thatway is charming also. But do you think there would be much amusementin living half-a-dozen times, or even twice, unless you were quite surethat you remembered everything? This gentleman was peculiarly fortunateto recall Fujisan, and the orange orchards--and the girl. " "I believe you are right. One life is about enough for most of us. Memory is all very fine; but you'd want a life set apart for rememberingthe others after awhile. " "Why do you not add, 'And that would bore one?' Most of the men I knowwould say so. " "Well, I never used the word that way in my life. When I don't like athing, that ends it--it has got to go. " "You cannot do that with everything. " "Pretty much, if I set my mind to it. It is astonishing how things'llcome round your way if you keep on thinking and willing them so. " "Have you always got everything you wanted?" He had been looking offinto the grounds through the open window. Now he turned slowly upon her. "So far I have got everything I set my mind to get. Little things don'tcount. You lose them sometimes because you want to work at somethingelse; sometimes because, as in cards, you are throwing a few away tosave the whole game. " He looked at her, as she thought, curiously. In his mind he waswondering if she knew that he had made up his mind to marry her. She wassuddenly made aware of the masterfulness of his spirit, which might, sheknew, be applied to herself. "Let us go into the grounds, " he added, all at once. Soon after, inthe shade of the trees, she broke in upon the thread of their casualconversation. "A few moments ago, " she murmured, "you said: 'One life isabout enough for most of us. ' Then you added a disparaging remark aboutmemory. Well, that doesn't seem like your usual point of view--more likethat of Mr. Pride; but not so plaintive, of course. Pray do smoke, "she added, as, throwing back his coat, he exposed some cigars in hiswaistcoat pocket. "I am sure you always smoke after lunch. " He took out a cigar, cut off the end, and put it in his mouth. But hedid not light it. Then he glanced up at her with a grave quizzical lookas though wondering what would be the effect of his next words, and asmile played at his lips. "What I meant was this. I think we get enough out of our life to lastus for centuries. It's all worth doing from the start, no matter whatit is: working, fighting, marching and countermarching, plotting andcounterplotting, backing your friends and hating your foes, playingbig games and giving others a chance to, standing with your hand on thelynch-pin, or pulling your head safe out of the hot-pot. But I don'tthink it is worth doing twice. The interest wouldn't be fresh. For menand women and life, with a little different dress, are the same as theyalways were; and there's only the same number of passions working now, as at the beginning. I want to live life up to the hilt; because it isall new as I go on; but never twice. " "Indeed?" She looked at him earnestly for a moment, and then added: "Ishould think you would have seen lost chances; and doing things a secondtime might do them better. " "I never missed chances, " he replied, simply: "never except twice, andthen--" "And then?" "Then it was to give the other fellow a chance. " "Oh!" There was a kind of dubiousness in her tone. He noticed it. "Youcan hardly understand, Miss Raglan. Fact is, it was one of those dealswhen you can make a million, in a straight enough game; but it comes outof another man--one, maybe, that you don't know; who is playing just thesame as you are. I have had a lot of sport; but I've never crippled anyone man, when my engine has been dead on him. I have played more againstorganisations than single men. " "What was the most remarkable chance you ever had to make a million, anddid not?" He threw back his head, smiling shrewdly. "When by accident my enemy gothold of a telegram meant for me. I was standing behind a frosted glassdoor, and through the narrow bevel of clear glass I watched him readit. I never saw a struggle like that. At last he got up, snatchedan envelope, put the telegram inside, wrote my name, and called amessenger. I knew what was in the message. I let the messenger go, andwatched that man for ten minutes. It was a splendid sight. The telegramhad given him a big chance to make a million or two, as he thought. Buthe backed himself against the temptation, and won. That day I could haveput the ball into his wicket; but I didn't. That's a funny case of thekind. " "Did he ever know?" "He didn't. We are fighting yet. He is richer than I am now, and at thismoment he's playing a hard game straight at several interests of mine. But I reckon I can stop him. " "You must get a great deal out of life, " she said. "Have you alwaysenjoyed it so?" She was thinking it would be strange to live in contactwith such events very closely. It was so like adventure. "Always--from the start. " "Tell me something of it all, won't you?" He did not hesitate. "I was born in a little place in Maine. My mother was a good woman, theysaid--straight as a die all her life. I can only remember her in akind of dream, when she used to gather us children about the bigrocking-chair, and pray for us, and for my father, who was away mostof the time, working in the timber-shanties in the winter, and atodd things in the summer. My father wasn't much of a man. He waskind-hearted, but shiftless, but pretty handsome for a man from Maine. "My mother died when I was six years old. Things got bad. I was theyoungest. The oldest was only ten years old. She was the head of thehouse. She had the pluck of a woman. We got along somehow, until oneday, when she and I were scrubbing the floor, she caught cold. She diedin three days. " Here he paused; and, without glancing at Miss Raglan, who sat verystill, but looking at him, he lighted his cigar. "Then things got worse. My father took to drinking hard, and we hadmighty little to eat. I chored around, doing odd things in the village. I have often wondered that people didn't see the stuff that was in me, and give me a chance. They didn't, though. As for my relatives: one wasa harness-maker. He sent me out in the dead of winter to post bills formiles about, and gave me ten cents for it. Didn't even give me a meal. Twenty years after he came to me and wanted to borrow a hundred dollars. I gave him five hundred on condition that he'd not come near me for therest of his natural life. "The next thing I did was to leave home--'run away, ' I suppose, is theway to put it. I got to Boston, and went for a cabin-boy on a steamer;travelled down to Panama, and from there to Brazil. At Brazil I got onanother ship, and came round to San Francisco. I got into trouble in SanFrancisco with the chief mate of the Flying Polly, because I tried toteach him his business. One of the first things I learned in life wasnot to interfere with people who had a trade and didn't understandit. In San Francisco I got out of the situation. I took to sellingnewspapers in the streets. "There wasn't enough money in it. I went for a cabin-boy again, andtravelled to Australia. There, once more, I resigned my position, chiefly because I wouldn't cheerfully let the Mate bang me about thequarter-deck. I expect I was a precocious youth, and wasn't exactlythe kind for Sunday-school prizes. In Melbourne I began to speculate. I found a ticket for the theatre where an American actor--our biggestactor today--was playing, and I tried to sell it outside the door of thetheatre where they were crowding to see him. The man who bought it wasthe actor himself. He gave me two dollars more than the regular price. I expect he knew from my voice I was an American. Is there anythingpeculiar about my voice, Miss Raglan?" She looked at him quickly, smiled, and said in a low tone: "Yes, something peculiar. Please go on. " "Well, anyway, he said to me: 'Look here, where did you come from, my boy?' I told him the State of Maine. 'What are you doing here?' heasked. 'Speculating, said I, and seeing things. ' He looked me up anddown. 'How are you getting on?' 'Well. I've made four dollars to-day, 'I answered. 'Out of this ticket?' I expect I grinned. He suddenly caughtme by the arm and whisked me inside the theatre--the first time I'd everbeen in a theatre in my life. I shall never forget it. He took me aroundto his dressing-room, stuck me in a corner, and prodded me with hisforefinger. 'Look here, ' he said, 'I guess I'll hire you to speculatefor me. ' And that's how I came to get twenty-five dollars a month andmy living from a great American actor. When I got back to America--withhim--I had two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and good clothes. I started a peanut-stand, and sold papers and books, and became aspeculator. I heard two men talking one day at my stall about a railwaythat was going to run through a certain village, and how they intendedto buy up the whole place. I had four hundred and fifty dollars then. I went down to that village, and bought some lots myself. I made fourthousand dollars. Then I sold more books, and went on speculating. " He paused, blew his cigar-smoke slowly from him a moment; then turnedwith a quick look to Miss Raglan, and smiled as at some incongruousthing. He was wondering what would be the effect of his next words. "When I was about twenty-two, and had ten thousand dollars, I fellin love. She was a bright-faced, smart girl. Her mother kept aboarding-house in New York; not an up-town boarding-house. She waited ontable. I suppose a man can be clever in making money, and knowing howto handle men, and not know much about women. I thought she was wortha good deal more to me than the ten thousand dollars. She didn't knowI had that money. A drummer--that's a commercial traveller--came along, who had a salary of, maybe, a thousand dollars a year. She jilted me. She made a mistake. That year I made twenty-five thousand dollars. I sawher a couple of years ago. She was keeping a boarding-house too, and herdaughter was waiting on table. I'm sorry for that girl: it isn't any funbeing poor. I didn't take much interest in women after that. I put mysurplus affections into stocks and shares, and bulling and bearing. .. Well, that is the way the thing has gone till now. " "What became of your father and your brother?" she asked in a neutraltone. "I don't know anything about my father. He disappeared after I left, andnever turned up again. And Jim--poor Jim!--he was shiftless. Jim was atanner. It was no good setting him up in business. Steady income was thecheapest way. But Jim died of too much time on his hands. His son isin Mexico somewhere. I sent him there, and I hope he'll stay. If hedoesn't, his salary stops: he is shiftless too. That is not the kind ofthing, and they are not the kind of people you know best, Miss Raglan. " He looked at her, eyes full-front, bravely, honestly, ready to face theworst. Her head was turned away. He nodded to himself. It was as he feared. At that moment a boy came running along the walk towards them, andhanded Mr. Vandewaters a telegram. He gave the lad a few pence, then, with an apology, opened the telegram. Presently he whistled softly, ina quick surprised way. Then he stuffed the paper into his waistcoatpocket, threw away his cigar, and turned to Gracia Raglan, whose face asyet was only half towards him. "I hope your news is good, " she said veryquietly. "Pretty bad, in a way, " he answered. "I have lost a couple ofmillions--maybe a little more. " She gasped, and turned an astonished face on him. He saw her startledlook, and laughed. "Does it not worry you?" she asked. "I have got more important things on hand just now, " he answered. "Verymuch more important, " he added, and there was that in his voice whichmade her turn away her head again. "I suppose, " he went on, "that the story you have just heard is notthe kind of an autobiography you would care to have told in yourdrawing-room?" Still she did not reply; but her hands were clasped tightly in front ofher. "No: I suppose not, " he went on--"I--I suppose not. And yet, do youknow, Miss Raglan, I don't feel a bit ashamed of it, after all: whichmay be evidence of my lost condition. " Now she turned to him with a wonderful light in her eyes, her sweet, strong face rich with feeling. She put out her hand to his arm, andtouched it quickly, nervously. "Your story has touched me inexpressibly, " she said. "I did not knowthat men could be so strong and frank and courageous as you. I did notknow that men could be so great; that any man could think more of whata woman thought of--of his life's story--than of"--she paused, and thengave a trembling little laugh--"of two millions or more. " He got to his feet, and faced her. "You--you are a woman, by heaven!" hesaid. "You are finer even than I thought you. I am not worthy to ask youwhat I had in my mind to ask you; but there is no man in God's universewho would prize you as I do. I may be a poor man before sundown. Ifthat happens, though, I shall remember the place where I had the biggestmoment of my life, and the woman who made that moment possible. " Now she also rose. There was a brave high look in her face; but hervoice shook a little as she said: "You have never been a coward, why bea coward now?" Smiling, he slowly answered: "I wouldn't if I were sure about mydollars. " She did not reply, but glanced down, not with coquetry, but because shecould not stand the furnace of his eyes. "You said a moment ago, " she ventured, "that you have had one big momentin your life. Oughtn't it to bring you good fortune?" "It will--it will, " he said, reaching his hand towards hers. "No, no, " she rejoined archly. "I am going. Please do not follow me. "Then, over her shoulder, as she left him: "If you have luck, I shallwant a subscription for my hospital. " "As many thousands as you like, " he answered: then, as she sped away: "Iwill have her, and the millions too!" adding reminiscently: "Yes, LadyLawless, this is my biggest deal. " He tramped to the stables, asked for and got a horse, and rode away tothe railway station. It was dinner time when he got back. He came downto dinner late, apologising to Lady Lawless as he did so. Glancingacross the table at Mr. Pride, he saw a peculiar excited look in theyoung man's face. "The baby fool!" he said to himself. "He's getting into mischief. I'llstartle him. If he knows that an army of his dollars is playing atfox-and-geese, he'll not make eyes at Lady Lawless this way--littleass. " Lady Lawless appeared oblivious of the young man's devotional exercises. She was engaged on a more congenial theme. In spite of Miss Raglan'sexcellent acting, she saw that something had occurred. Mr. Vandewaterswas much the same as usual, save that his voice had an added ring. Shewas not sure that all was right; but she was determined to know. SirDuke was amused generally. He led a pretty by-play with Mrs. GregoryThorne, of whom he asked the details of the day, much to theconfusion, not admirably hid, of Mr. Pride; lamenting now and then Mr. Vandewaters's absence from the shooting. Mr. Vandewaters was cool enough. He said that he had been playing atnine-pins with railways, which was good enough sport for him. Soon afterdinner, he was handed two telegrams. He glanced slowly up at Pride, asif debating whether to tell him something. He evidently decided againstit, and, excusing himself by saying he was off to take a little walk inWall Street, went away to the telegraph office, where he stayed threehours. The magnitude of the concerns, the admirable stoicism with whichhe received alarming news, his dry humour while they waited betweenmessages--all were so unlike anything the telegraph-clerk had ever seen, or imagined, that the thing was like a preposterous dream. Even when, at last, a telegram came which the clerk vaguely felt was, somehow, likethe fall of an empire, Mr. Vandewaters remained unmoved. Then he sentone more telegram, gave the clerk a pound, asked that the reply be sentto him as soon as it came, and went away, calmly smoking his cigar. It was a mild night. When he got to the house he found some of theguests walking on the veranda. He joined them; but Miss Raglan was notwith them; nor were Lady Lawless and Mr. Pride. He wanted to seeall three, and so he went into the house. There was no one in thedrawing-room. He reached the library in time to hear Lady Lawless sayto Mr. Pride, who was disappearing through another door: "You had betterask advice of Mr. Vandewaters. " The door closed. Mr. Vandewaters stepped forward. He understood the situation. "I guess I know how to advise him, LadyLawless, " he said. She turned on him quietly, traces of hauteur in her manner. Herself-pride had been hurt. "You have heard?" she asked. "Only your last words, Lady Lawless. They were enough. I feel guilty inhaving brought him here. " "You need not. I was glad to have your friend. He is young and effusive. Let us say no more about it. "He is tragically repentant; which is a pity. There is no reason why heshould not stay, and be sensible. Why should young men lose their heads, and be so absurdly earnest?" "Another poser, Lady Lawless. " "In all your life you never misunderstood things so, I am sure. " "Well, there is no virtue in keeping your head steady. I have spent mostof my life wooing Madame Fortune; I find that makes a man canny. " "She has been very kind to you. " "Perhaps it would surprise you if I told you that at this moment I amnot worth ten thousand dollars. " She looked greatly astonished. "I donot understand, " she said. She was thinking of what this might mean toGracia Raglan. "You see I've been playing games at a disadvantage with some ruffiansat New York. They have combined and got me into a corner. I have made mylast move. If it comes out right I shall be richer than ever; if not Imust begin all over again. " Lady Lawless looked at him curiously. She had never met a man like himbefore. His power seemed almost Napoleonic; his imperturbability wasabsolute. Yet she noticed something new in him. On one side a kind ofgrim forcefulness; on the other, a quiet sort of human sympathy. Theone, no doubt, had to do with the momentous circumstances amid which hewas placed; the other, with an event which she had, perhaps prematurely, anticipated. "I wonder--I wonder at you, " she said. "How do you keep so cool whilesuch tremendous things are happening?" "Because I believe in myself, Lady Lawless. I have had to take mymeasure a good many times in this world. I never was defeated through myown stupidity. It has been the sheer luck of the game. " "You do not look like a gamester, " she said. "I guess it's all pretty much a game in life, if you look at it right. It is only a case of playing fair or foul. " "I never heard any Englishmen talk as you do. " "Very likely not, " he responded. "I don't want to be unpleasant; butmost Englishmen work things out by the rule their fathers taught them, and not by native ingenuity. It is native wit that tells in the end, I'mthinking. " "Perhaps you are right, " she rejoined. "There must be a kind of geniusin it. " Here her voice dropped a little lower. "I do not believe thereare many Englishmen, even if they had your dollars--" "The dollars I had this morning, " he interposed. "--who could have so strongly impressed Gracia Raglan. " He looked thoughtfully on the ground; then raised his eyes to LadyLawless, and said in a low, ringing tone: "Yes, I am going to do more than 'impress': I am going to convince her. " "When?" she asked. "To-morrow morning, I hope, " was the reply. "I believe I shall have mymillions again. " "If you do, " she said slowly, "do you not think that you ought to run nomore risks--for her sake?" "That is just what I mean to do, Lady Lawless. I'll settle millionswhere they ought to be settled, drop Wall Street, and--go intotraining. " "Into training?" she asked. "Yes, for a house on the Hudson, a villa at Cannes, a residence inGrosvenor Square, and a place in Devonshire--or somewhere else. Then, "he added, with a twinkle in his eye, "I shall need a good deal of timeto cultivate accent. " "Don't!" she said. "You are much more charming as you are. " They passed into the drawing-room. "Are these things to be told?" she asked, with a little suggestion inher voice. "I can trust your discretion. " "Even in such circumstances?" she asked. She paused, with a motion ofher fan back towards the room they had left. "You have taught him a lesson, Lady Lawless. It is rough on him; but heneeds it. " "I hope he will do nothing rash, " she said. "Perhaps he'll write some poetry, and refuse to consider his naturalappetite. " "Will you go and see him now?" she asked. "Immediately. Good night, LadyLawless. " His big hand swallowed hers in a firm, friendly clasp, andhe shook it once or twice before he parted from her. He met Sir DukeLawless in the doorway. They greeted cheerfully, and then Lawless cameup to his wife. "Well, my dear, " he said, with an amused look in his face, "well, whatnews?" She lifted her eyebrows at him. "Something has happened, Molly, I can see it in your face. " She was very brief. "Gracia Raglan has been conquered; the young manfrom Boston has been foolish; and Mr. Vandewaters has lost millions. " "Eh? That's awkward, " said Sir Duke. "Which?" asked his wife. Vandewaters found Mr. Pride in his bedroom, a waif of melancholy. Hedrew a chair up, lighted a cigar, eyed the young man from head to foot, and then said: "Pride, have you got any backbone? If you have, brace up. You are ruined. That's about as mild as I can put it. " "You know all?"--said the young man helplessly, his hands claspedbetween his knees in aesthetic agony. "Yes; I know more than you do, as you will find out. You're a nice sortof man, to come into a man's house, in a strange land, and make loveto his wife. Now, what do you think of yourself? You're a nicerepresentative of the American, aren't you?" "I--I didn't mean any harm--I--couldn't help it, " replied the strickenboy. "O, for God's sake, drop that bib-and-tucker twaddle! Couldn't help it!Every scoundrel, too weak to face the consequences of his sin, says hecouldn't help it. So help me, Joseph, I'd like to thrash you. Couldn'thelp it! Now, sit up in your chair, take this cigar, drink this glass ofwhiskey I'm pouring for you, and make up your mind that you're going tobe a man and not a nincompoop--sit still! Don't fly up. I mean what Isay. I've got business to talk to you. And make up your mind that, foronce, you have got to take life seriously. " "What right have you to speak to me like this?" demanded the young manwith an attempt at dignity. Vandewaters laughed loudly. "Right? Great Scott! The right of a man who thinks a damned sight moreof your reputation than you do yourself, and of your fortune than youwould ever have wits to do. I am the best friend you've got, and not theless your friend because I feel like breaking your ribs. Now, enough ofthat. This is what I have to say, Pride: to-night you and I are beggars. You understand? Beggars. Out in the cold world, out in the street. Now, what do you think of that?" The shock to Mr. Pride was great. Mr. Vandewaters had exaggerated thedisaster; but he had done it with a purpose. The youth gasped "My God!"and dropped his glass. Vandewaters picked it up, and regarded him amoment in silence. Then he began to explain their financial position. Hedid not explain the one bold stroke which he was playing to redeem theirfortunes: if possible. When he had finished the story, he said, "I guessthat's a bit more serious than the little affair in the library half anhour ago?" He rose to his feet. "Look here, Pride, be a man. You've never triedit yet. Let me teach you how to face the world without a dollar; how tomake a fortune. Then, when you've made it, you'll get what you've neverhad yet--the pleasure of spending money dug out of your own wits. " He carried conviction into a mind not yet all destroyed by effeminacyand indulgence of the emotions. Something of the iron of his own braingot into the brain of the young man, who came to his feet trembling alittle, and said: "I don't mind it so much, if you only stick to me, Vandewaters. " A smile flickered about the corners of Vandewaters's mouth. "Take a little more whiskey, " he said; "then get into bed, and go tosleep. No nonsense, remember; go to sleep. To-morrow morning we willtalk. And see here, my boy, "--he caught him by both arms and fastenedhis eyes, --"you have had a lesson: learn it backwards. Good night. " Next morning Mr. Vandewaters was early in the grounds. He chatted withthe gardener, and discussed the merits of the horses with the groom, apparently at peace with the world. Yet he was watching vigilantlythe carriage-drive from the public-road. Just before breakfast-time atelegraph messenger appeared. Vandewaters was standing with Sir DukeLawless when the message was handed to him. He read it, put it into hispocket, and went on talking. Presently he said: "My agent is comingfrom town this morning, Sir Duke. I may have to leave to-night. " Then heturned, and went to his room. Lady Lawless had heard his last words. "What about your ranche in Colorado, Duke?" "About as sure, I fancy, as your millionaire for Gracia. " Miss Raglan did not appear at breakfast with the rest. Neither did Mr. Pride, who slept late that morning. About ten o'clock Mr. Vandewaters'sagent arrived. About twelve o'clock Mr. Vandewaters saw Miss Raglansitting alone in the library. He was evidently looking for her. He cameup to her quietly, and put a piece of paper in her lap. "What is this?" she asked, a little startled. "A thousand for your hospital, " was the meaning reply. She flushed, and came to her feet. "I have won, " he said. And then he reached out and took both her hands. ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: But I don't think it is worth doing twice He wishes to be rude to some one, and is disappointed I--couldn't help it Interfere with people who had a trade and didn't understand it Lose their heads, and be so absurdly earnest Scoundrel, too weak to face the consequences of his sin