第2章

\"Acourtofjusticehasdecreedherguilty，\"heassertedonceagain，inhisponderousmanner。Hisemphasisindicatedthattheretheaffairended。 Demarestsmiledcynicallyashestrodetoandfro。 \"Nowadays，\"heshotout，\"wedon\'tcallthemcourtsofjustice: wecallthemcourtsoflaw。\" Gilderyieldedonlyaratherdubioussmileoverthequip。Thismuchhefeltthathecouldafford，sincethosesamecourtsservedhispersonalpurposeswellindeed。 \"Anyway，\"hedeclared，becominggenialagain，\"it\'soutofourhands。There\'snothingwecando，now。\" \"Why，astothat，\"thelawyerreplied，withahintofhesitation，\"Iamnotsosure。Yousee，thefactofthematteristhat，thoughIhelpedtoprosecutethecase，Iamnotalittlebitproudoftheverdict。\" Gilderraisedhiseyebrowsinunfeignedastonishment。Evenyet，hewasquitewithoutappreciationoftheattorney\'sfeelinginreferencetotheconductofthecase。 \"Why？\"hequestioned，sharply。 \"Because，\"thelawyersaid，againhaltingdirectlybeforethedesk，\"inspiteofalltheevidenceagainsther，IamnotsurethatMaryTurnerisguilty——farfromit，infact!\" Gilderutteredanejaculationofcontempt，butDemarestwentonresolutely。 \"Anyhow，\"heexplained，\"thegirlwantstoseeyou，andIwishtourgeyoutograntheraninterview。\" Gilderflaredatthissuggestion，andscowledwrathfullyonthelawyer，who，perhapswithprofessionalprudence，hadturnedawayinhisrapidpacingoftheroom。 \"What\'stheuse？\"Gilderstormed。Alatenthardnessrevealeditselfattheprospectofsuchavisitation。Andalongwiththishardnesscameanothersingularrevelationofthenatureoftheman。Fortherewasconsternationinhisvoice，ashecontinuedinvehementexpostulationagainsttheidea。Iftherewasharshnessinhisattitudetherewas，too，afugitivesuggestionoftendernessalarmedovertheprospectofundergoingsuchaninterviewwithawoman。 \"Ican\'thavehercryingallovertheofficeandbeggingformercy，\"heprotested，truculently。Butanoteoffearlayunderthepetulance。 Demarest\'sanswerwasgivenwithassurance\" \"Youaremistakenaboutthat。Thegirldoesn\'tbegformercy。 Infact，that\'sthewholepointofthematter。Shedemandsjustice——strangeasthatmayseem，inacourtoflaw!——andnothingelse。Thetruthis，she\'saveryunusualgirl，alongwaybeyondtheordinarysales-girl，bothinbrainsandineducation。\" \"Thelessreason，then，forherbeingathief，\"Gildergrumbledinhisheaviestvoice。 \"Andperhapsthelessreasonforbelievinghertobeathief，\" thelawyerretorted，suavely。Hepausedforamoment，thenwenton。Therewasatoneofsinceredeterminationinhisvoice。 \"Justbeforethejudgeimposedsentence，heaskedherifshehadanythingtosay。Youknow，it\'sjustausualform——athingthatrarelymeansmuchofanything。Butthiscasewasdifferent，letmetellyou。Shesurprisedusallbyansweringatoncethatshehad。It\'sreallyapity，Gilder，thatyoudidn\'twait。Why，thatpoorgirlmadea——damn——finespeech!\" Thelawyer\'sforensicaspirationsshowedinhishonestappreciationoftheeffectivenessofsuchoratoryfromtheheartashehadheardinthecourtroomthatday。 \"Pooh!pooh!\"camethequerulousobjection。\"Sheseemstohavehypnotizedyou。\"Then，asanewthoughtcametothemagnate，hespokewithatraceofanxiety。Therewerealwaysthereporters，lookingforspacetofillwithfoolishvaporings。 \"Didshesayanythingagainstme，orthestore？\" \"Notaword，\"thelawyerreplied，gravely。Hissmileofappreciationwasdiscreetlysecret。\"Shemerelytoldushowherfatherdiedwhenshewassixteenyearsold。Shewascompelledafterthattoearnherownliving。Thenshetoldhowshehadworkedforyouforfiveyearssteadily，withoutthereeverbeingasinglethingagainsther。Shesaid，too，thatshehadneverseenthethingsfoundinherlocker。Andshesaidmorethanthat!Sheaskedthejudgeifhehimselfunderstoodwhatitmeansforagirltobesentencedtoprisonforsomethingshehadn\'tdone。Somehow，Gilder，thewayshetalkedhaditseffectoneverybodyinthecourtroom。Iknow!It\'smybusinesstounderstandthingslikethat。Andwhatshesaidrangtrue。Whatshesaid，andthewayshesaidit，takebrainsandcourage。Theordinarycrookhasneither。So，Ihadasuspicionthatshemightbespeakingthetruth。Yousee，Gilder，itallrangtrue!Andit\'smybusinesstoknowhowthingsringinthatway。\"Therewasalittlepause，whilethelawyermovedbackandforthnervously。 Then，headded:\"IbelieveLawlorwouldhavesuspendedsentenceifithadn\'tbeenforyourtalkwithhim。\" TherewerenotwantingsignsthatGilderwasimpressed。Butthegentlerfibersofthemanwereatrophiedbythehabitsofalifetime。Whathearthehadoncepossessedhadbeenburiedinthegraveofhisyoungwife，toberesurrectedonlyforhisson。 Inmostthings，hewasconsistentlyahardman。Sincehehadnoimagination，hecouldhavenorealsympathy。 Hewhirledaboutinhisswivelchair，andblewacloudofsmokefromhismouth。Whenhespoke，hisvoicewasdeeplyresonant。 \"Isimplydidmyduty，\"hesaid。\"YouareawarethatIdidnotseekanyconsultationwithJudgeLawlor。Hesentforme，andaskedmewhatIthoughtaboutthecase——whetherIthoughtitwouldberighttoletthegirlgoonasuspendedsentence。I toldhimfranklythatIbelievedthatanexampleshouldbemadeofher，forthesakeofotherswhomightbetemptedtosteal。 Propertyhassomerights，Demarest，althoughitseemstobegettingnowadayssothatanybodyislikelytodenyit。\"Thenthefretful，half-alarmednotesoundedinhisvoiceagain，ashecontinued:\"Ican\'tunderstandwhythegirlwantstoseeme。\" Thelawyersmileddryly，sincehehadhisbackturnedatthemoment。 \"Why，\"hevouchsafed，\"shejustsaidthat，ifyouwouldseeherfortenminutes，shewouldtellyouhowtostopthetheftsinthisstore。\" Gilderdisplayedsignsoftriumph。Hebroughthischairtoalevelandpoundedthedeskwithaweightyfist。 \"There!\"hecried。\"Iknewit。Thegirlwantstoconfess。 Well，it\'sthefirstsignofdecentfeelingshe\'sshown。I supposeitoughttobeencouraged。Probablytherehavebeenothersmixedupinthis。\" Demarestattemptednodenial。 \"Perhaps，\"headmitted，thoughhespokealtogetherwithoutconviction。\"But，\"hecontinuedinsinuatingly，\"atleastitcandonoharmifyouseeher。Ithoughtyouwouldbewilling，soI spoketotheDistrictAttorney，andhehasgivenorderstobringherhereforafewminutesonthewaytotheGrandCentralStation。They\'retakingheruptoBurnsing，youknow。Iwish，Gilder，youwouldhavealittletalkwithher。Noharminthat!\" Withthesaying，thelawyerabruptlywentoutoftheoffice，leavingtheownerofthestorefuming。 CHAPTERIV。KISSESANDKLEPTOMANIA。 \"Hello，Dad!\" Aftertheattorney\'sdeparture，Gilderhadbeenratherfussilygoingoversomeofthepapersonhisdesk。Hewasexperiencingavaguefeelingofinjuryonaccountofthelawyer\'sill-veiledeffortstoarousehissympathyinbehalfoftheaccusedgirl。Intheinstinctofstrengtheninghimselfagainstthepossibilityofyieldingtowhathedeemedweakness，themagnaterehearsedthefactsthatjustifiedhisintolerance，and，indeed，sooncametogloatingovertheadmirablemannerinwhichrighteousnessthrivesintheworld。Anditwasthenthataninterruptioncameintheutteranceoftwowords，wordsofaffection，oflove，criedoutintheonevoicehemostlongedtohear——forthevoicewasthatofhisson。Yet，hedidnotlookup。Thethingwasaltogetherimpossible!Theboywasphilandering，junketing，somewhereontheRiviera。Hisfirstintimationastotheexactplacewouldcomeintheformofacableaskingformoney。Somehow，hisfeelingshadbeenundulystirredthatmorning；hehadgrownsentimental，dreamingofpleasantthings……Allthisinasecond。Then，helookedup。Why，itwastrue!ItwasDick\'sfacethere，smilinginthedoorway。Yes，itwasDick，itwasDickhimself!Gildersprangtohisfeet，hisfacesuddenlygrownyounger，radiant。 \"Dick!\"Thebigvoicewassoftenedtoexquisitetenderness。 Astheeyesofthetwomet，theboyrushedforward，andinthenextmomentthehandsoffatherandsonclaspedfirmly。Theyweresilentinthefirstemotionoftheirgreeting。Presently，Gilderspoke，withanefforttowardharshnessinhisvoicetomaskhowmuchhewasshaken。Butthetonesrangmorekindlythananyhehadusedformanyaday，tremulouswithaffection。 \"Whatbroughtyouback？\"hedemanded。 Dick，too，hadfeltthetensionofanemotionfarbeyondthatoftheusualthings。Hewasforcedtoclearhisthroatbeforeheansweredwiththatassumptionofnonchalancewhichheregardedasbefittingtheoccasion。 \"Why，Ijustwantedtocomebackhome，\"hesaid；lightly。A suddenrecollectioncametogivehimpoiseinthistimeofemotionaldisturbance，andheaddedhastily:\"And，fortheloveofheaven，giveSadiefivedollars。Iborroweditfromhertopaythetaxi\'。Yousee，Dad，I\'mbroke。\" \"Ofcourse!\"Withthesaying，EdwardGilderroaredGargantuanlaughter。Intheburstofmerriment，hispentfeelingsfoundtheirvent。Hewasstillchucklingwhenhespoke，sagefrommuchexperienceofoceantravel。\"Pokerontheship，Isuppose。\" Theyoungman，too，smiledreminiscentlyasheanswered: \"No，notthat，thoughIdidhavealittleruninatMonteCarlo。 Butitwastheshipthatfinishedme，atthat。Yousee，Dad，theyhiredCaptainKiddandabunchofpiratesasstewards，andwhattheydidtolittleRichardwassomethingfierce。Andyet，thatwasn\'ttherealtrouble，either。Thefactis，Ijustnaturallywentbroke。Notahardthingtodoontheotherside。\" \"Noronthis，\"thefatherinterjected，dryly。 \"Anyhow，itdoesn\'tmattermuch，\"Dickreplied，quiteunabashed。 \"Tellme，Dad，howgoesit？\" Gildersettledhimselfagaininhischair，andgazedbenignantlyonhisson。 \"Prettywell，\"hesaidcontentedly；\"prettywell，son。I\'mgladtoseeyouhomeagain，myboy。\"Therewasagreattendernessintheusuallyrathercoldgrayeyes。 Theyoungmanansweredpromptly，withdelightinhismannerofspeech，andasinceritythatrevealedtheunderlyingmeritofhisnature。 \"AndI\'mgladtobehome，Dad，tobe\"——therewasagainthatclearingofthethroat，buthefinishedbravely——\"withyou。\" Thefatheravoidedathreateningdisplayofemotionbyanabruptchangeofsubjecttothetrite。 \"Haveagoodtime？\"heinquiredcasually，whilefumblingwiththepapersonthedesk。 Dick\'sfacebrokeinasmileofreminiscenthappiness。 \"Thetimeofmyyounglife!\"Hepaused，andthesmilebroadened。 Therewasamightyenthusiasminhisvoiceashecontinued:\"I tellyou，Dad，it\'safactthatIdidalmostbreakthebankatMonteCarlo。I\'dhavedoneitsure，ifonlymymoneyhadheldout。\" \"ItseemstomethatI\'veheardsomethingofthesortbefore，\" wasGilder\'scausticcomment。Buthissmilewasstillwhollysympathetic。Hetookacuriousvicariousdelightintheescapadesofhisson，probablybecausehehimselfhadcommittednofolliesinhiscallowdays。\"Whydidn\'tyoucableme？\"heasked，puzzledatsuchrestraintonthepartofhisson。 Dickansweredwithsimplesincerity。 \"Becauseitgavemeacapitalexcuseforcominghome。\" ItwasSarahwhoaffordedadiversion。ShehadknownDickwhilehewasyetachild，hadboughthimcandy，hadfelttowardhimamaternallikingthatincreasedratherthandiminishedashegrewtomanhood。Now，herfacelightedatsightofhim，andshesmiledawelcome。 \"Iseeyouhavefoundhim，\"shesaid，witharippleoflaughter。 Dickwelcomedthisinterruptionofthegravermood。 \"Sadie，\"hesaid，withamanneroftheutmostseriousness，\"youarelookingfinerthanever。Andhowthinyouhavegrown!\" Thegirl，eagerwithfondfanciestowardtheslenderideal，acceptedthecomplimentliterally。 \"Oh，Mr。Dick!\"sheexclaimed，rapturously。\"HowmuchdoyouthinkIhavelost？\" ThewhimsicalheirofthehouseofGildersurveyedhisvictimcritically，thenspokewithjudicialsolemnity。 \"Abouttwoounces，Sadie。\" TherecamealookofdeephurtonSadie\'sfaceattheflippantjest，whichDickhimselfwasquicktonote。 Hehadnotguessedshewasthusacutelysensitiveconcerningherplumpness。Instantly，hewasallcontritionoverhisunwittingoffenseinflictedonherwomanlyvanity。 \"Oh，I\'msorry，Sadie，\"heexclaimedpenitently。\"Pleasedon\'tbereallyangrywithme。Ofcourse，Ididn\'tmean——\" \"Totwitonfacts!\"thesecretaryinterrupted，bitterly。 \"Pooh!\"Dickcried，craftily。\"Youaren\'tplumpenoughtobesensitiveaboutit。Why，you\'rejustright。\"Therewassomethingveryboyishabouthismanner，ashecaughtatthegirl\'sarm。Amemoryofthedayswhenshehadcuddledhimcausedhimtospeakwarmly，forgettingthepresenceofhisfather。 \"Now，don\'tbeangry，Sadie。Justgivemealittlekiss，asyouusedtodo。\"Hesweptherintohisarms，andhislipsmethersinaheartycaress。\"There!\"hecried。\"Justtoshowthere\'snoillfeeling。\" Thegirlwascompletelymollified，thoughinmuchembarrassment。 \"Why，Mr。Dick!\"shestammered，inconfusion。\"Why，Mr。Dick!\" Gilder，whohadwatchedthesceneingreatastonishment，nowinterposedtoendit。 \"Stop，Dick!\"hecommanded，crisply。\"YouareactuallymakingSarahblush。Ithinkthat\'saboutenough，son。\" Butasuddenunaccustomedgustofaffectionswirledinthebreastofthelad。PlainAnglo-Saxonashewas，withallthatimpliesastotheavoidanceofdisplaysofemotion，neverthelesshehadbeenforalongtimeinlandsfarfromhome，wherethehabitsofimpulsiveandaffectionatepeopleswereradicallyunlikeourownaustererforms。Sonow，underthespurofanimpulsesuggestedbythedalliancewiththebuxomsecretary，hegrinnedwidelyandwenttohisfather。 \"Alittlekissneverhurtsanyone，\"hedeclared，blithely。Thenheaddedvivaciously:\"Here，I\'llshowyou!\" Withthewords，heclaspedhisarmsaroundhisfather\'sneck，and，beforethatamazedgentlemancouldunderstandhispurpose，hehadkissedsoundlyfirsttheonecheekandthentheother，eachwithahearty，wholesomesmackoffilialpiety。Thisdone，hestoodback，stillbeaminghappily，whiletheastoundedSarahtitteredbewilderedly。Forhisownpart，Dickwasquiteunashamed。Helovedhisfather。Foronce，hehadexpressedthatfondnessinaprimitivefashion，andhewasglad。 Theoldermanwithdrewastep，andthererestedmotionless，undertheswayofanemotionakintodismay。Hestoodstaringintentlyathissonwithaperplexityinhisexpressionthatwasalmostludicrous。When，atlast，hespoke，hisvoicewasarumbleofstrangelyshypleasure。 \"Godblessmysoul!\"heexclaimed，violently。Thenheraisedahand，andrubbedfirstonecheek，andafterititsfellow，withagentlenessthatwassignificant。Thefeelingprovokedbytheembraceshowedplainlyinhisnextwords。\"Why，that\'sthefirsttimeyouhavekissedme，Dick，sinceyouwerealittleboy。Godblessmysoul!\"herepeated。Andnowtherewasanoteofjubilation。 Theson，somewhatdisturbedbythisemotionhehadaroused，neverthelessansweredfranklywiththeexpressionofhisownfeeling，asheadvancedandlaidahandonhisfather\'sshoulder。 \"Thefactis，Dad，\"hesaidquietly，withasmilethatwasgoodtosee，\"Iamawfullygladtoseeyouagain。\" \"Areyou，son？\"thefathercriedhappily。Then，abruptlyhismannerchanged，forhefelthimselfperilouslyclosetothemaudlininthisnewyieldingtosentimentality。Suchkissesoftenderness，howeveragreeableinthemselves，werehardlyfittingtooneofhisdignity。\"Youclearoutofhere，boy，\"hecommanded，brusquely。\"I\'maworkingman。Buthere，waitaminute，\"headded。Hebroughtforthfromapocketaneatsheafofbanknotes，whichheheldout。\"There\'scarfareforyou，\"hesaidwithachuckle。\"Andnowclearout。I\'llseeyouatdinner。\" Dickbestowedthemoneyinhispocket，andagainturnedtowardthedoor。 \"Youcanalwaysgetridofmeonthesameterms，\"heremarkedslyly。Andthentheyoungmangaveevidencethathe，too，hadsomeofhisfather\'sabilityinthingsfinancial。For，inthedoorwayheturnedwithafinalspeech，whichwasutteredinsplendiddisregardforthepacketofmoneyhehadjustreceived——perhaps，rather，inasplendidregardforit。\"Oh，Dad，pleasedon\'tforgettogiveSadiethatfivedollarsI borrowedfromherforthetaxi\'。\"Andwiththatimpertinentreminderhewasgone。 Theownerofthestorereturnedtohislaborswithanewzest，forthemeetingwithhissonhadputhiminhighspirits。 PerhapsitmighthavebeenbetterforMaryTurnerhadshecometohimjustthen，whilehewasyetinthissoftenedmood。Butfatehadordainedthatothereventsshouldrestorehimtohisusualharderselfbeforetheirinterview。Theeffectwas，indeed，presentlyaccomplishedbytheadventofSmithsonintotheoffice。 Heenteredwithanexpressionofdiscomfitureonhisrathervacuouscountenance。Hewalkedalmostnimblytothedeskandspokewithevidentdistress，ashisemployerlookedupinterrogatively。 \"McCrackenhasdetained——er——a——lady，sir，\"hesaid，feebly。 \"Shehasbeensearched，andwehavefoundaboutahundreddollarsworthoflacesonher。\" \"Well？\"Gilderdemanded，impatiently。Suchaffairsweretoocommoninthestoretomakenecessarythisintrusionofthematteronhim。\"Whydidyoucometomeaboutit？\"Hisstaffknewjustwhattodowithshoplifters。 Atonce，Smithsonbecameapologetic，whilerefusingtoretreat。 \"I\'mverysorry，sir，\"hesaidhaltingly，\"butIthoughtitwiser，sir，to——er——tobringthemattertoyourpersonalattention。\" \"Quiteunnecessary，Smithson，\"Gilderreturned，withasperity。 \"Youknowmyviewsonthesubjectofproperty。TellMcCrackentohavethethiefarrested。\" Smithsonclearedhisthroatdoubtfully，andinhisstressoffeelingheevenrelaxedatriflethatmajesticalerectnessofcarriagethathadmadehimsovaluableasafloor-walker。 \"She\'snotexactlya——er——athief，\"heventured。 \"Youaretrifling，Smithson，\"theownerofthestoreexclaimed，inhighexasperation。\"Notathief!Andyoucaughtherwithahundreddollarsworthoflacesthatshehadn\'tbought。Notathief!Whatinheaven\'snamedoyoucallher，then？\" \"Akleptomaniac，\"Smithsonexplained，retaininghismannerofmildinsistence。\"Yousee，sir，it\'sthisway。TheladyhappenstobethewifeofJ。W。Gaskell，thebanker，youknow。\" Yes，Gilderdidknow。Thementionofthenamewaslikeaspellintheeffectitwroughtontheattitudeoftheirritatedownerofthestore。Instantly，hisexpressionchanged。Whilebeforehisfeatureshadbeensetgrimly，whilehiseyeshadflashedwrathfully，therewasnowonlyannoyanceoveraneventmarkedlyunfortunate。 \"Howextremelyawkward!\"hecried；andtherewasaveryrealconcerninhisvoice。HeregardedSmithsonkindly，whereatthatratherpulinggentlemanonceagainassumedhismartialbearing。 \"Youwerequiterightincomingtome。\"Foramomenthewassilent，plungedinthought。Finallyhespokewiththedecisivenesscharacteristicofhim。\"Ofcourse，there\'snothingwecando。Justputthestuffbackonthecounter，andlethergo。\" ButSmithsonhadnotyetwhollyunburdenedhimself。Insteadofimmediatelyleavingtheroominpursuanceofthesuccinctinstructionsgivenhim，heagainclearedhisthroatnervously，andmadeknownafurtheraggravatingfactorinthesituation。 \"She\'sveryangry，Mr。Gilder，\"heannounced，timidly。 \"She——er——shedemandsan——er——anapology。\" Theownerofthestorehalf-rosefromhischair，thenthrewhimselfbackwithanexclamationofdisgust。Heagainejaculatedthewordswithwhichhehadgreetedhisson\'sunexpectedkisses，butnowtherewasavastdifferenceintheintonation。 \"Godblessmysoul!\"hecried。Fromhisexpression，itwasclearthatapiousaspirationwasfarthestfromhisthought。Onthecontrary!Again，hefellsilent，consideringthesituationwhichSmithsonhadpresented，and，ashereflected，hisfrownbetrayedtheemotionnaturalenoughunderthecircumstances。Atlast，however，hemasteredhisirritationtosomedegree，andspokehiscommandbriefly。\"Well，Smithson，apologizetoher。Itcan\'tbehelped。\"Thenhisfacelightedwithasardonicamusement。\"And，Smithson，\"hewentonwithasortofelephantineplayfulness，\"I shalltakeitasapersonalfavorifyouwilltactfullyadvisetheladythatthegoodsatAltmanandStern\'sarereallyevenfinerthanours。\" WhenSmithsonhadlefttheoffice，Gilderturnedtohissecretary。 \"Takethis，\"hedirected，andheforthwithdictatedthefollowinglettertothehusbandoftheladywhowasnotathief，asSmithsonhadsopainstakinglypointedout: \"J。W。GASKELL，ESQ。，\"CentralNationalBank，NewYork。 \"MYDEARMr。GASKELL:IfeelthatIshouldbedoinglessthanmydutyasamanifIdidnotletyouknowatoncethatMrs。Gaskellisinurgentneedofmedicalattention。Shecameintoourstoreto-day，and——\" Hepausedforamoment。\"No，putitthisway，\"hesaidfinally: \"Wefoundherwanderingaboutourstoreto-dayinaverynervouscondition。Inherexcitement，shecarriedawayaboutonehundreddollars\'worthofrarelaces。Notrecognizingher，ourstoredetectivedetainedherforashorttime。Fortunatelyforusall，Mrs。Gaskellwasabletoexplainwhoshewas，andshehasjustgonetoherhome。HopingforMrs。Gaskell\'sspeedyrecovery，andwithallgoodwishes，Iam，\"Yoursverytruly。\" Yet，thoughhehadcompletedtheletter，Gilderdidnotatoncetakeupanotherdetailofhisbusiness。Instead，heremainedplungedinthought，andnowhisfrownwasoneofsimplebewilderment。Anumberofminutespassedbeforehespoke，andthenhiswordsrevealeddistinctlywhathadbeenhistrainofmeditation。 \"Sadie，\"hesaidinavoiceofentiresincerity，\"Ican\'tunderstandtheft。It\'sathingabsolutelybeyondmycomprehension。\" Ontheheelsofthisingenuousdeclaration，Smithsonenteredtheoffice，andthatexcellentgentlemanappearedevenmoreperturbedthanbefore。 \"Whatonearthisthematternow？\"Gilderspluttered，suspiciously。 \"It\'sMrs。Gaskellstill，\"Smithsonrepliedingreattrepidation。 \"Shewantsyoupersonally，Mr。Gilder，toapologizetoher。Shesaysthattheactiontakenagainstherisanoutrage，andsheisnotsatisfiedwiththeapologiesofalltherestofus。Shesaysyoumustmakeone，too，andthatthestoredetectivemustbedischargedforintolerableinsolence。\" Gilderbouncedupfromhischairangrily。 \"I\'llbedamnedifI\'lldischargeMcCracken，\"hevociferated，glaringonSmithson，whoshrankvisibly。 Butthatmildandmeekmanhadacertainstrengthofpertinacity。 Besides，inthiscase，hehadbeenhavingmultitudinoustroublesofhisown，whichcouldbeendedonlybyhisemployer\'splacatingoftheoffendedkleptomaniac。 \"Butabouttheapology，Mr。Gilder，\"hereminded，speakingverydeferentially，yetwithinsistence。 Businessinstincttriumphedoverthemagnate\'sirritation，andhisfacecleared。 \"Oh，I\'llapologize，\"hesaidwithawrysmileofdiscomfiture。 \"I\'llmakethingsevenupabitwhenIgetanapologyfromGaskell。Ishrewdlysuspectthatthatestimablegentlemanisgoingtoeathumblepie，ofmybaking，fromhiswife\'srecipe。 Andhiswillbeanhonestapology——whichminewon\'t，notbyadamnedsight!\"Withthewords，helefttheroom，inhiswakeahugelyrelievedSmithson。 Aloneintheoffice，Sarahneglectedherworkforafewminutestobroodoverthestartlingcontrastofeventsthathadjustforceditselfonherattention。Shewasnotagirlgiventotheanalysisofeitherpersonsorthings，butinthisinstancethemovementofaffairshadcomeclosetoher，andshewascompelledtosomedepthoffeelingbythetwoaspectsoflifeonwhichto-dayshelooked。Intheonecase，assheknewit，agirlundertheurgeofpovertyhadstolen。Thatthiefhadbeenpromptlyarrested，finallyshehadbeentried，hadbeenconvicted，hadbeensentencedtothreeyearsinprison。Intheothercase，awomanofwealthhadstolen。Therehadbeennopunishment。A euphemismofkleptomaniahadbeenofferedandacceptedassufficientexcuseforhercrime。Apoliteliehadbeenwrittentoherhusband，abankerofpowerinthecity。Toher，theproprietorofthestorewasevennowapologizingincourteousphrasesofregret……AndMaryTurnerhadbeensentencedtothreeyearsinprison。Sadieshookherheadindolorousdoubt，assheagainbentoverthekeysofhertypewriter。Certainly，somehappeningsinthisworldofoursdidnotseemquitefair。 CHAPTERV。THEVICTIMOFTHELAW。 ItwasonthissamedaythatSarah，ononeofhernumeroustripsthroughthestoreinbehalfofGilder，wasaccostedbyasalesgirl，whosename，HelenMorris，shechancedtoknow。Itwasinaspotsomewhereoutofthecrowd，sothatforthemomentthetwowerepracticallyalone。ThesalesgirlshowedsignsofembarrassmentassheventuredtolayadetaininghandonSarah\'sarm，butshemaintainedherposition，despitethesecretary\'smannerofdisapproval。 \"Whatonearthdoyouwant？\"Sarahinquired，snappishly。 Thesalesgirlputherquestionatonce。 \"WhatdidtheydotoMaryTurner？\" \"Oh，that!\"thesecretaryexclaimed，withincreasedimpatienceoverthedelay，forshewasverybusy，asalways。\"Youwillallknowsoonenough。\" \"Tellmenow。\"Thevoiceofthegirlwassingularlycompelling； therewassomethingvividlyimpressiveaboutherjustnow，thoughherpallid，prematurelymaturefaceandthethinfigureintheregulationblackdressandwhiteapronshowedordinarilyonlyinsignificant。\"Tellmenow，\"sherepeated，withamonotonousemphasisthatsomehowmovedSarahtoobedienceagainstherwill，greatlytoherownsurprise。 \"Theysenthertoprisonforthreeyears，\"sheanswered，sharply。 \"Threeyears？\"Thesalesgirlhadrepeatedthewordsinatonethatwasindefinable，yetatonevehementinitsincredulousquestioning。\"Threeyears？\"shesaidagain，asonerefusingtobelieve。 \"Yes，\"Sarahsaid，impressedbythegirl\'searnestness；\"threeyears。\" \"GoodGod!\"Therewasnoirreverenceintheexclamationthatbrokefromthegirl\'slips。Instead，onlyatensehorrorthattouchedtotherootsofemotion。 Sarahregardedthisdisplayoffeelingonthepartoftheyoungwomanbeforeherwithanincreasingastonishment。Itwasnotinherownnaturetobedemonstrative，andsuchstrongexpressionofemotionasthisshedeemedrathersuspicious。Sherecalled，inaddition，thefactthathiswasnotthefirsttimethatHelenMorrishadshownaparticularinterestinthefateofMaryTurner。Sarahwonderedwhy。 \"Say，\"shedemanded，withthedirectnesshabitualtoher，\"whyareyousoanxiousaboutit？ThisisthethirdtimeyouhaveaskedmeaboutMaryTurner。What\'sittoyou，I\'dliketoknow？\" Thesalesgirlstartedviolently，andadeepflushdrovetheaccustomedpallorfromhercheeks。Shewasobviouslymuchdisturbedbythequestion。 \"Whatisittome？\"sherepeatedinanefforttogaintime。 \"Why，nothing——nothingatall!\"Herexpressionofdistresslightenedalittleasshehitonanexcusethatmightservetojustifyherinterest。\"Nothingatall，only——she\'safriendofmine，agreatfriendofmine。Oh，yes!\"Then，inaninstant，thelookofreliefvanished，asonceagaintheterriblerealityhammeredonherconsciousness，andanoverwhelmingdejectionshowedinthedulleyesandinthedroopingcurvesofthewhitelips。Therewasamonotoneofdesolationasshewentonspeakinginawhispermeantfortheearsofnoother。\"It\'sawful——threeyears!Oh，Ididn\'tunderstand!It\'sawful!——awful!\"Withthefinalword，shehurriedoff，herheadbowed。Shewasstillmurmuringbrokenly，incoherently。Herwholeattitudewasofwonderinggrief。 Sarahstaredafterthegirlincompletemystification。Shecouldnotatfirstguessanypossiblecauseforanemotionsopoignant。 Presently，however，hershrewd，thoughveryprosaic，commonsensesuggestedasimpleexplanationofthegirl\'sextraordinarydistress。 \"I\'llbetthatgirlhasbeentemptedtosteal。Butshedidn\'t，becauseshewasafraid。\"Withthissatisfactoryconclusionofherwonderment，thesecretaryhurriedonherway，quitecontent。 Itneveroccurredtoherthatthegirlmighthavebeentemptedtosteal——andhadnotresistedthetemptation。 ItwasonaccountofthisbriefconversationwiththesalesgirlthatSarahwasthinkingintentlyofMaryTurner，afterherreturntotheoffice，fromwhichGilderhimselfhappenedtobeabsentforthemoment。Asthesecretaryglancedupattheopeningofthedoor，shedidnotatfirstrecognizethefigureoutlinedthere。SherememberedMaryTurnerasatall，slendergirl，whoshowedanunderlyingvitalityineverymovement，agirlwithafaceofregularfeatures，inwhichwasacomplexionofblendedmilkandroses，witharadiantjoyoflifeshiningthroughallherarduousandvulgarconditions。Insteadofthis，now，shesawafrailformthatstoodswayingintheopeningofthedoorway，thatbentinasinisterfashionwhichtoldofbodilyimpotence，whilethefacewasquitebloodless。And，too，therewasoverallelseapallofhelplessness——helplessnessthathadenduredmuch，andmuststillendureinfinitelymore。 Asareinforcementofthedreadimportofthatfigureofwo，amanstoodbesideit，andoneofhishandswasclaspedaroundthegirl\'swrist，amanwhoworehisderbyhatsomewhatfarbackonhisbullet-shapedhead，whosefeetwereconspicuousinshoeswithveryheavysolesandverysquaretoes。 Itwasthemanwhonowtookchargeofthesituation。Cassidy，fromHeadquarters，spokeinarough，indifferentvoice，wellsuitedtohisappearanceofstolidstrength。 \"TheDistrictAttorneytoldmetobringthisgirlhereonmywaytotheGrandCentralStationwithher。\" Sarahgottoherfeetmechanically。Somehow，fromtheraucousnotesofthepoliceman\'svoice，sheunderstoodinaflashofilluminationthatthepitifulfigurethereinthedoorwaywasthatofMaryTurner，whomshehadrememberedsodifferent，sofrightfullydifferent。Shespokewithamiserableefforttowardherusualliveliness。 \"Mr。Gilderwillberightback。Comeinandwait。\"Shewishedtosaysomethingmore，somethingofwelcomeorofmourning，tothegirlthere，butshefoundherselfincapableofasinglewordforthemoment，andcouldonlystanddumbwhilethemansteppedforward，withhischargefollowinghelplesslyinhisclutch。 Thetwowentforwardveryslowly，theofficer，carelesslyconsciousofhisduty，walkingwithawkwardstepstosuitthefeeblemovementsofthegirl，thegirllettingherselfbedraggedonward，awareofthefutilityofanyresistancetotheinexorablepowerthatnowhadherinitsgrip，ofwhichthemanwasthepresentagent。Asthepaircamethusfalteringlyintothecenteroftheroom，Sarahatlastfoundhervoiceforanexpressionofsympathy。 \"I\'msorry，Mary，\"shesaid，hesitatingly。\"I\'mterriblysorry，terriblysorry!\" Thegirl，whohadhaltedwhentheofficerhalted，asamatterofcourse，didnotlookup。Shestoodstill，swayingalittleasiffromweakness。Hervoicewaslifeless。 \"Areyou？\"shesaid。\"Ididnotknow。NobodyhasbeennearmethewholetimeIhavebeenintheTombs。\"Therewasinfinitepathosinthetonesassherepeatedthewordssofraughtwithdreadfulness。\"Nobodyhasbeennearme!\" Thesecretaryfeltasuddenglowofshame。Sherealizedthejusticeofthatunconsciousaccusation，for，tillto-day，shehadhadnothoughtofthesufferinggirlthereintheprison。Toassuageremorse，shesoughttogiveevidenceastoaprevalentsympathy。 \"Why，\"sheexclaimed，\"therewasHelenMorristo-day!Shehasbeenaskingaboutyouagainandagain。She\'sallbrokenupoveryourtrouble。\" Buttheeffortonthesecretary\'spartwaswhollywithoutsuccess。 \"WhoisHelenMorris？\"thelifelessvoicedemanded。Therewasnointerestinthequestion。 Sarahexperiencedamomentaryastonishment，forshewasstillrememberingthefeverishexcitementdisplayedbythesalesgirl，whohaddeclaredherselftobeamostintimatefriendoftheconvict。Butthemysterywastoremainunsolved，sinceGildernowenteredtheoffice。Hewalkedwiththequick，bustlingactivitythatwasordinarilyexpressedinhiseverymovement。Hepausedforaninstant，ashebeheldthetwovisitorsinthecenteroftheroom，thenhespokecurtlytothesecretary，whilecrossingtohischairatthedesk。 \"Youmaygo，Sarah。IwillringwhenIwishyouagain。\" Therefollowedanintervalofsilence，whilethesecretarywasleavingtheofficeandthegirlwithherwarderstoodwaitingonhispleasure。Gilderclearedhisthroattwiceinanembarrassmentforeigntohim，beforefinallyhespoketothegirl。Atlast，theproprietorofthestoreexpressedhimselfinavoiceofgenuinesympathy，forthespectacleofwopresentedtherebeforehisveryeyesmovedhimtoarealdistress，sinceitwasindeedactual，somethingthatdidnotdependonanappreciationtobedevelopedoutofimagination。 \"Mygirl，\"Gildersaidgently——hishardvoicewassoftenedbyanhonestregret——\"mygirl，Iamsorryaboutthis。\" \"Youshouldbe!\"cametheinstantanswer。Yet，thewordswereutteredwithatotallackofemotion。Itseemedfromtheirintonationthatthespeakervoicedmerelyastatementconcerningareconditematteroftruth，withwhichsentimenthadnothingwhatevertodo。Buttheeffectontheemployerwasunfortunate。 Itarousedatoncehisantagonismagainstthegirl。Hisinstinctofsympathywithwhichhehadgreetedherattheoutsetwasrepelled，andmadeofnoavail。Worse，itwastransformedintoanemotionhostiletotheonewhothusoffendedhimbyrejectionofthewell-meantkindlinessofhisaddress\"Come，come!\"heexclaimed，testily。\"That\'snotonetotakewithme。\" \"Why？Whatsortoftonedoyouexpectmetotake？\"wastheretortinthelistlessvoice。Yet，now，inthedullnessranafaintsuggestionofsomethingsinister。 \"Iexpectedadecentamountofhumilityfromoneinyourposition，\"wasthetartrejoinderofthemagnate。 Lifequickenedswiftlyinthedroopingformofthegirl。Hermusclestensed。Shestoodsuddenlyerect，inthevigorofheryouthagain。Herfacelostinthesameseconditsbleaknessofpallor。Theeyesopenedwidely，withstartlingabruptness，andlookedstraightintothoseofthemanwhohademployedher。 \"Wouldyoubehumble，\"shedemanded，andnowhervoicewasbecomesoftlymusical，yetforbidding，too，withanoteofpassion，\"wouldyoubehumbleifyouweregoingtoprisonforthreeyears——forsomethingyoudidn\'tdo？\" Therewasanguishinthecrytornfromthegirl\'sthroatinthesuddenaccessofdespair。ThewordsthrilledGilderbeyondanythingthathehadsupposedpossibleinsuchcase。Hefoundhimselfinthisemergencytotallyataloss，andmovedinhischairdoubtfully，wishingtosaysomething，andquiteunable。Hewasstillseekingsomequestion，somecriticism，somerebuke，whenhewasunfeignedlyrelievedtohearthepoliceman\'sharshvoice。 \"Don\'tmindher，sir，\"Cassidysaid。Hemeanttomakehismannerveryreassuring。\"Theyallsaythat。Theyareinnocent，ofcourse!Yep——theyallsayit。Itdon\'tdo\'emanygood，butjustthesametheyallswearthey\'reinnocent。Theykeepituptotheverylast，nomatterhowrightthey\'vebeengot。\" Thevoiceofthegirlrangclear。Therewasanoteofinsistencethatcarriedacuriousdignityofitsown。Theverysimplicityofherstatementmighthavehadapowertoconvinceonewholistenedwithoutprejudice，althoughthewordsthemselveswereofthetritesortthatanyprotestingcriminalmightutter。 \"Itellyou，Ididn\'tdoit!\"