sally dows-第38章

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it　had　partly　dispersed；　sought　refuge　himself　from　the　arctic　air
of　his　bedroom　in　the　drawing…room。　　So　far　the　act　did　not　seem
inconsistent　with　his　sanity；　or　even　intelligence　and　consideration
for　others。　　But　Marie　fixed　upon　him　a　pair　of　black；　audacious
eyes。

〃Did　you　ever　walk　in　your　sleep；　Mr。　Lane？〃

〃No；　but〃thoughtfully　breaking　an　egg〃I　have　ridden；　I　think。〃

〃In　your　sleep？　　Oh；　do　tell　us　all　about　it！〃　said　Cousins　Jane
and　Emma　in　chorus。

Uncle　Sylvester　cast　a　resigned　glance　out　of　the　window。　　〃Oh；
yescertainly；　it　isn't　much。　　You　see　at　one　time　I　was　in　the
habit　of　making　long　monotonous　journeys；　and　they　were　often
exhausting；　and；〃　he　added；　becoming　wearied　as　if　at　the
recollection；　〃always　dreadfully　tiresome。　　As　the　trail　was
sometimes　very　uncertain　and　dangerous；　I　rode　a　very　surefooted
mule　that　could　go　anywhere　where　there　was　space　big　enough　to　set
her　small　hoofs　upon。　　One　night　I　was　coming　down　the　slope　of　a
mountain　towards　a　narrow　valley　and　river　that　were　crossed　by　an
old；　abandoned　flume；　of　which　nothing　was　now　left　but　the　upright
trestle…work　and　long　horizontal　string…piece。　　As　the　trail　was
very　difficult　and　the　mule's　pace　was　slow；　I　found　myself　dozing
at　times；　and　at　last　I　must　have　fallen　asleep。　　I　think　I　must
have　been　awakened　by　a　singular　regularity　in　the　movement　of　the
muleor　else　it　was　the　monotony　of　step　that　had　put　me　to　sleep
and　the　cessation　of　it　awakened　me。　　You　see；　at　first　I　was　not
certain　that　I　wasn't　really　dreaming。　　For　the　trail　seemed　to
have　disappeared；　the　wall　of　rock　on　one　side　had　vanished　also；
and　there　appeared　to　be　nothing　ahead　of　me　but　the　opposite
hillside。〃

Uncle　Sylvester　stopped　to　look　out　of　the　window　at　a　passing
carriage。　　Then　he　went　on。　　〃The　moon　came　out；　and　I　saw　what　had
happened。　　The　mule；　either　of　her　own　free　will；　or　obeying　some
movement　I　had　given　the　reins　in　my　sleep；　had　swerved　from　the
trail；　got　on　top　of　the　flume；　and　was　actually　walking　across　the
valley　on　the　narrow　string…piece；　a　foot　wide；　half　a　mile　long；
and　sixty　feet　from　the　ground。　　I　knew；〃　he　continued；　examining
his　napkin　thoughtfully；　〃that　she　was　perfectly　surefooted；　and
that　if　I　kept　quiet　she　could　make　the　passage；　but　I　suddenly
remembered　that　midway　there　was　a　break　and　gap　of　twenty　feet　in
the　continuous　line；　and　that　the　string…piece　was　too　narrow　to
allow　her　to　turn　round　and　retrace　her　steps。〃

〃Good　heavens！〃　said　Cousin　Jane。

〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester　politely。

〃I　only　said；　'Good　heavens！'　　Well？〃　she　added　impatiently。

〃Well？〃　repeated　Uncle　Sylvester　vaguely。　　〃Oh；　that's　all。　　I　only
wanted　to　explain　what　I　meant　by　saying　I　had　ridden　in　my　sleep。〃

〃But；〃　said　Cousin　Jane；　leaning　across　the　table　with　grim
deliberation　and　emphasizing　each　word　with　the　handle　of　her
knife；　〃howdidyouandthatmule　get　down？〃

〃Oh；　with　slings　and　ropes；　you　knowso；〃　demonstrating　by　placing
his　napkin…ring　in　a　sling　made　of　his　napkin。

〃And　I　suppose　you　carried　the　slings　and　ropes　with　you　in　your
five　trunks！〃　gasped　Cousin　Jane。

〃No。　　Fellows　on　the　river　brought　'em　in　the　morning。　　Mighty　spry
chaps；　those　river　miners。〃

〃Very！〃　said　Cousin　Jane。

Breakfast　over；　they　were　not　surprised　that　their　sybaritic　guest
excused　himself　from　an　inspection　of　the　town　in　the　frigid
morning　air；　and　declined　joining　a　skating　party　to　the　lake
on　the　ground　that　he　could　keep　warmer　indoors　with　half　the
exertion。　　An　hour　later　found　him　standing　before　the　fire　in
Gabriel　Lane's　study；　looking　languidly　down　on　his　elder　brother。

〃Then；　as　far　as　I　can　see；〃　he　said　quietly；　〃you　have　made　ducks
and　drakes　of　your　share　of　the　property；　and　that　virtually　you
are　in　the　hands　of　this　man　Gunn　and　his　father。〃

〃You're　putting　it　too　strongly；〃　said　Gabriel　deprecatingly。　　〃In
the　first　place；　my　investments　with　Gunn's　firm　are　by　no　means
failures；　and　they　only　hold　as　security　a　mortgage　on　the　forest
land　below　the　hill。　　It's　scarcely　worth　the　money。　　I　would　have
sold　it　long　ago；　but　it　had　been　a　fancy　of　father's　to　keep　it
wild　land　for　the　sake　of　old　times　and　the　healthiness　of　the
town。〃

〃There　used　to　be　a　log　cabin　there；　where　the　old　man　had　a　habit
of　camping　out　whenever　he　felt　cramped　by　civilization　up　here；
wasn't　there？〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester　meditatively。

〃Yes；〃　said　Gabriel　impatiently；　〃it's　still　therebut　to　return
to　Mr。　Gunn。　　He　has　taken　a　fancy　to　Kitty；　and　even　if　I　could
not　lift　the　mortgage；　there's　some　possibility　that　the　land　would
still　remain　in　the　family。〃

〃I　think　I'll　drive　over　this　afternoon　and　take　a　look　at　the　old
shanty　if　this　infernal　weather　lets　up。〃

〃Yes；　but　just　now；　my　dear　Sylvester；　let　us　attend　to　business。
I　want　to　show　you　those　investments。〃

〃Oh；　certainly；　trot　'em　out；〃　said　his　brother；　plucking　up　a
simulation　of　interest　as　he　took　a　seat　at　the　table。

From　a　drawer　of　his　desk　Gabriel　brought　out　a　bundle　of
prospectuses　and　laid　them　before　Uncle　Sylvester。

A　languid　smile　of　recognition　lit　up　the　latter's　face。　　〃Ah！
yes；〃　he　said；　glancing　at　them。　　〃The　old　lot：　'Carmelita；'　'Santa
Maria；'　and　'Preciosa！'　　Just　as　I　imaginedand　yet　who'd　have
thought　of　seeing　them　HERE！　　A　good　deal　rouged　and　powdered；　Miss
Carmelita；　since　I　first　knew　you！　　Considerably　bolstered　up　by
miraculous　testimony　to　your　powers；　my　dear　Santa　Maria；　since
the　day　I　found　you　out；　to　my　cost！　　And　you　too；　Preciosa！a
precious　lot　of　money　I　dropped　on　you　in　the　old　days！〃

〃You　are　joking；〃　said　Gabriel；　with　an　uneasy　smile。　　〃You　don't
mean　to　imply　that　this　stock　is　old　and　worthless？〃

〃There　isn't　a　capital　in　America　or　Europe　where　for　the　last　five
years　it　hasn't　been　floated　with　a　new　character　each　time。　　My
dear　Gabriel；　that　stock　isn't　worth　the　paper　it　is　printed　on。〃

〃But　it　is　impossible　that　an　experienced　financier　like　Gunn　could
be　deceived！〃

〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　THAT。〃

〃Come；　Sylvester！　confess　you've　taken　a　prejudice　against　Gunn
from　your　sudden　dislike　of　his　son！　　And　what　have　you　against
him？〃

〃I　couldn't　say　exactly；〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester　reflectively。　　〃It
may　be　his　eyes；　or　only　his　cravat！　　But；〃　rising　cheerfully　and
placing　his　hand　lightly　on　his　brother's　shoulder；　〃don't　YOU
worry　yourself　about　that　stock；　old　man；　I'LL　see　that　somebody
else　has　the　worry　and　you　the　cash。　　And　as　to　the　land　and
Kittywell；　you　hold　on　to　them　both　until　you　find　out　which　the
young　man　is　really　after。〃

〃And　then？〃　said　Gabriel；　with　a　smile。

〃Don't　give　him　either！　　But；　I　say；　haven't　we　had　enough　business
this　morning？　　Let's　talk　of　something　else。　　Who's　the　French
girl？〃

〃Marie？　　She's　the　daughter　of　Jules　du　Pagedon't　you　remember？
father's　friend。　　When　Jules　died；　it　was　always　thought　that
father；　who　had　half　adopted　her　as　a　child；　would　leave　her　some
legacy。　　But　you　know　that　father　died　without　making　a　will；　and
thatrich　as　he　washis　actual　assets　were　far　less　than　we　had
reason　to　expect。　　Kitty；　who　felt　the　disappointment　as　keenly　as
her　friend；　I　believe　would　have　divided　her　own　share　with　her。
It's　odd；　by　the　way；　that　father　could　have　been　so　deceived　in
the　amount　of　his　capital；　or　how　he　got　rid　of　his　money　in　a　way
that　we　knew　nothing　of。　　Do　you　know；　Sylvester；　I've　sometimes
suspected〃

〃What？〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester　suddenly。

The　bored　languor　of　his　face　had　abruptly　vanished。　　Every　muscle
was　alert；　his　gray　eyes　glittered。

〃That　he　advanced　money　to　Du　Page；　who　lost　it；　or　that　they
speculated　together；〃　returned　Gabriel；　who；　following　Uncle
Sylvester's　voice　only；　had　not　noticed　the　change　of　expression。

〃That　would　seem　to　be　a　weakness　of　the　Lane　family；〃　said　Uncle
Sylvester　grimly；　with　a　return　of　his　former　carelessness。　　〃But
that　is　not　YOUR　own　opinionthat's　a　suggestion　of　some　one
else？〃

〃Well；〃　said　Gabriel；　with　a　laugh　and　a　slight　addition　of　color；
〃it　WAS　Gunn's　theory。　　As　a　man　of　the　world　and　a　practical
financier；　you　know。〃

〃A