Standishhadfollowedhiscareerwithanadmirationandajoythatwaswithouttaintofenvyordetraction。HegloriedinAintree，hedelightedtoknowthearmyheldsuchaman。HewasgratefultoAintreeforupholdingthetraditionsofaprofessiontowhichhehimselfgaveallthedevotionofafanatic。Hemadeagodofhim。ThiswastheattitudeofmindtowardAintreebeforehecametotheIsthmus。Uptothattimehehadneverseenhisidol。Aintreehadbeenonlyanamesignedtobrilliantarticlesintheservicemagazines，amanofwhomthosewhohadservedwithhimorunderhim，whenaskedconcerninghim，spokewithloyaltyandawe，themanthenewspaperscalled"theheroofBatangas。"
Andwhenatlasthesawhishero，hebelievedhisworshipwasjustified。ForAintreelookedthepart。Hewasbuiltlikeagreyhoundwiththeshouldersofastevedore。Hischinwasasprojecting，andashard，asthepointedendofaflat-iron。Hiseverymovementshowedphysicalfitness，andhiseveryglanceandtoneaconfidenceinhimselfthatapproachedinsolence。Hewasthirty-
eight，twelveyearsolderthantheyouthwhohadfailedtomakehiscommission，andwho，asAintreestrodepast，lookedafterhimwithwistful，hero-worshippingeyes。Therevulsion，whenitcame，wasextreme。Thehero-worshipgavewaytocontempt，toindignantcondemnation，inwhichtherewasnopity，noexcuse。Thatoneuponwhomsomuchhadbeenlavished，whoforhimselfhadaccomplishedsuchgoodthings，shouldbringdisgraceuponhisprofession，shouldbyhisexampledemoralizehismen，shouldrisklosingallhehadattained，allthathadbeengiven，wasintolerable。WhenStandishlearnedhisherowasadrunkard，whendayafterdayAintreefurnishedvisibleevidencesofthatfact，StandishfeltAintreehadbetrayedhimandthearmyandthegovernmentthathadeducated，trained，clothed，andfedhim。HeregardedAintreeasworsethanBenedictArnold，becauseArnoldhadturnedtraitorforpowerandmoney；Aintreewasatraitorthroughmereweakness，becausehecouldnotsay"no"toabottle。
OnlyinsecretStandishrailedagainstAintree。Whenhisbrotherpolicemengossipedandjestedabouthim，outofloyaltytothearmyheremainedsilent。Butinhishearthecouldnotforgive。
Themanhehadsogenerouslyenvied，themanafterwhosecareerhehadwishedtomodelhisown，hadvoluntarilysteppedfromhispedestalandmadeaswineofhimself。Andnotonlycouldhenotforgive，butasdayafterdayAintreefurnishedfreshfoodforhisindignationhefeltafiercedesiretopunish。
Meanwhile，oftheconductofAintree，menolderandwiser，iflessintolerantthanStandish，werebeginningtotakenotice。ItwasafteradinneronAnconHill，andthewomenhadleftthementothemselves。TheywerethemenwhowereplacingthePanamaCanalonthemap。Theywereofficersofthearmywhoforfiveyearshadnotwornauniform。Butforfiveyearstheyhadbeenatwarwithanenemythatneverslept。Dailytheyhadengagedinbattlewithmountains，rivers，swamps，twooceans，anddisease。WhereAintreecommandedfivehundredsoldiers，theycommandedabodyofmenbetterdrilled，betterdisciplined，andinnumberhalfasmanyasthosewhoformedtheentirearmyoftheUnitedStates。Themindofeachwasoccupiedwithaworldproblem。Theythoughtandtalkedinmillions——ofmillionsofcubicyardsofdirt，ofmillionsofbarrelsofcement，ofmillionsoftonsofsteel，ofhundredsofmillionsofdollars，ofwhichlattereachreceivedenoughtokeephimselfandhisfamilyjustbeyondthereachofnecessity。Tothesemenwiththeworldwaitingupontheoutcomeoftheirendeavor，withresponsibilitiesthatneverrelaxed，Aintree'sbehaviorwasanincident，anannoyanceoflessimportancethananoverturneddirttrainthatforfiveminutesdaredtoblockthecompletionoftheirwork。Buttheywerehumanandloyaltothearmy，andinsuchaninfrequentmomentasthis，overthecoffeeandcigars，theycouldaffordtorememberthejuniorofficer，tofeelsorryforhim，forthesakeofthearmy，tosavehimfromhimself。
"HetakeshisordersdirectfromtheWarDepartment，"saidthechief。"I'venoauthorityoverhim。Ifhe'dbeenoneofmyworkmenI'dhaveshippedhimnorththreemonthsago。"
"That'sit，"saidthesurgeon，"he'snotaworkman。Hehasnothingtodo，andidlenessisthecurseofthearmy。Andinthisclimate——"
"Nothingtodo！"snortedtheciviladministrator。"Keepinghismeninhandiswhathehastodo！They'rerunningamuckalloverPanama，gettingintofightswiththeSpiggotypolice，bringingtheuniformintocontempt。Asfortheclimate，it'sthesameclimateforallofus。LookatButler'smarinesandBarber'sZonepolice。Theclimatehasn'thurtthem。They'reassmartmenaseverworekhaki。It'snottheclimateorlackofworkthatailstheThirty-third，it'stheircommandingofficer。'Sothecolonel，sotheregiment。'That'sasoldasthehills。UntilAintreetakesabrace，hismenwon't。Someoneoughttotalktohim。It'sashametoseeafinefellowlikethatgoingtothedogsbecausenoonehasthecouragetotellhimthetruth。"
Thechiefsmiledmockingly。
"Thenwhydon'tyou？"heasked。
"I'macivilian，"protestedtheadministrator。"IfItoldhimhewasgoingtothedogshe'dtellmetogotothedevil。No，oneofyouarmymenmustdoit。He'lllistentoyou。"
YoungCaptainHaldaneofthecavalrywasatthetable；hewasvisitingPanamaonleaveasatourist。Thechiefturnedtohim。
"Haldane'stheman，"hesaid。"You'rehisfriendandyou'rehisjuniorinrank，sowhatyousaywon'tsoundofficial。Tellhimpeoplearetalking；tellhimitwon'tbelongbeforethey'llbetalkinginWashington。Scarehim！"
Thecaptainofcavalrysmileddubiously。
"Aintree'sahardmantoscare，"hesaid。"Butifit'sasbadasyouallseemtothink，I'llriskit。But，whyisit，"hecomplained，"thatwheneveramanhastobetoldanythingparticularlyunpleasanttheyalwayspickonhisbestfriendtotellhim？Itmakesthembothmiserable。Whynotlethisbitterestenemytryit？Theenemyatleastwouldhaveafinetime。"
"Because，"saidthechief，"Aintreehasn'tanenemyintheworld-
exceptAintree。"
Thenextmorning，ashehadpromised，Haldanecalleduponhisfriend。WhenhearrivedatLasPalmas，althoughthemorningwaswelladvancedtowardnoon，hefoundAintreestillunderhismosquitobarsandawakeonlytocommandadrink。ThesituationfurnishedHaldanewithhistext。Heexpressedhisopinionofanyindividual，friendornofriend，officerorcivilian，whoontheZone，whereallmenbeginworkatsunrise，couldbefoundatnoonstillinhispajamasandpreparingtofacethedutiesofthedayonanabsinthcocktail。HesaidfurtherthatsincehehadarrivedontheisthmushehadheardonlyofAintree'smisconduct，thatsoontheWarDepartmentwouldhearofit，thatAintreewouldlosehiscommission，wouldbreakthebackboneofasplendidcareer。
"It'safriendtalking，"continuedHaldane，"andyouknowit！It'sbecauseIamyourfriendthatI'veriskedlosingyourfriendship！
And，whetheryoulikeitornot，it'sthetruth。You'regoingdown-hill，goingfast，goinglikeamotor-busrunningaway，andunlessyouputonthebrakesyou'llsmash！"
Aintreewasnotevenannoyed。
"That'sgoodadvicefortherightman，"hegranted，"butwhywasteitonme？Icandothingsothermencan't。Icanstopdrinkingthisminute，anditwillmeansolittletomethatIwon'tknowI'vestopped。"
"Thenstop，"saidHaldane。
"Why？"demandedAintree。"Ilikeit。WhyshouldIstopanythingIlike？Becausealotofoldwomenaregossiping？Becauseoldmenwhocan'tdrinkgreenmintwithoutdancingturkey-trotsthinkI'mgoingtothedevilbecauseIcandrinkwhiskey？I'mnotafraidofwhiskey，"helaughedtolerantly。"Itamusesme，that'sallitdoestome；itamusesme。"Hepulledbackthecoatofhispajamasandshowedhisgiantchestandshoulder。Withhisfisthestruckhisbarefleshanditglowedinstantlyahealthy，splendidpink。
"Seethat！"commandedAintree。"Ifthere'samanontheisthmusinanybetterphysicalshapethanIam，I'll——"Heinterruptedhimselftobeginagaineagerly。"I'llmakeyouasportingproposition，"
heannounced"I'llfightanymanontheisthmustenrounds——
nomatterwhoheis，awoplaborer，shovelman，Barbadiannigger，marine，anybody——andifhecanknockmeoutI'llstopdrinking。Yousee，"heexplainedpatiently，"I'mnomollycoddleorjelly-fish。Icanaffordaheadache。Andbesides，it'smyownhead。IfIdon'tgiveanybodyelseaheadache，Idon'tseethatit'sanybodyelse'sdamnedbusiness。"
"Butyoudo，"retortedHaldanesteadily。"You'regivingyourownmenworsethanaheadache，you'resettingthemarottenexample，you'regivingtheThirty-thirdabadname-"
Aintreevaultedoffhiscotandshookhisfistathisfriend。
"Youcan'tsaythattome，"hecried。
"Idosayit，"protestedHaldane。"WhenyouwereinManilayourmenweremodels；herethey'reunshaven，sloppy，undisciplined。
Theylooklikebell-hops。Andit'syourfault。Andeverybodythinksso。"
SlowlyandcarefullyAintreesnappedhisfingers。
"Andyoucantelleverybody，fromme，"hecried，"that'sallIcarewhattheythink！Andnow，"hecontinued，smilinghospitably，"letmecongratulateyouonyoursuccessasamissionary，and，toshowyouthere'snotatraceofhardfeeling，wewillhaveadrink。"
InformallyHaldanereportedbacktothecommission，andthewifeofoneofthemmusthavetalked，foritwassoonknownthatabrotherofficerhadappealedtoAintreetoreform，andAintreehadrefusedtolisten。
Whensheheardthis，GraceCarter，thewifeofMajorCarter，oneofthesurgeonsattheAnconHospital，wasgreatlyperturbed。
AintreewasengagedtobemarriedtoHelenScott，whowasherbestfriendandwhowasarrivingbythenextsteamertospendthewinter。WhenshehadHelensafelyunderherroof，Mrs。Carterhadplannedtomarryofftheyoungcoupleoutofhandontheisthmus。
Butshehadbeguntowonderifitwouldnotbebettertheyshoulddelay，orbestthattheyshouldnevermarry。
"TheawakeningisgoingtobeaterribleblowtoHelen，"shesaidtoherhusband。"Sheissoproudofhim。"
"Onthecontrary，"heprotested，"itwillbetheawakeningofAintree——ifHelenwillstandforthewayhe'sacting，sheisnotthegirlIknow。Andwhenhefindsshewon't，andthathemayloseher，he'llpullupshort。He'stalkedHelentomenightafternightuntilhe'sboredmesoIcouldstranglehim。Hecaresmoreforherthanhedoesforanything，forthearmy，orforhimself，andthat'ssayingagreatdeal。Onewordfromherwillbeenough。"
Helenspokethewordthreeweeksaftershearrived。Ithadnotbeennecessarytotellherofthemannerinwhichherloverwasmisconductinghimself。Atvariousdinnersgivenintheirhonorhehadmadeanuisanceofhimself；onanotheroccasion，whileinuniform，hehadcreatedasceneinthedining-roomoftheTivoliunderthepryingeyesofthreehundredseeing-the-Canaltourists；
andonenighthehadsobadlybeatenupacabmanwhohadlaughedathisconditionthatthemanwenttothehospital。MajorCarter，largelywithmoney，hadhealedtheinjuriesofthecabman，butHelen，whohadwitnessedtheassault，hadsufferedaninjurythatmoneycouldnotheal。
ShesentforAintree，andatthehomeofherfrienddeliveredherultimatum。
"Ihithimbecausehewasoffensivetoyou，"saidAintree。"That'swhyIhithim。IfI'dnothadadrinkinayear，I'dhavehithimjustasquickandjustashard。"
"Can'tyousee，"saidthegirl，"thatinbeingnotyourselfwhenIwasinyourcareyouweremuchmoreinsultingtomethananycabmancouldpossiblybe？Whenyouarelikethatyouhavenorespectforme，orforyourself。Partofmyprideinyouisthatyouaresostrong，thatyoucontrolyourself，thatcommonpleasuresnevergetaholdonyou。Ifyoucouldn'tcontrolyourtemperIwouldn'tblameyou，becauseyou'veavillainoustemperandyouwerebornwithit。Butyouweren'tbornwithatasteforliquor。Noneofyourpeopledrank。Youneverdrankuntilyouwentintothearmy。IfIwereaman，"declaredthegirl，"I'dbeashamedtoadmitanythingwasstrongerthanIwas。Youneverletpainbeatyou。I'veseenyouplaypolowithabrokenarm，butinthisyougivepaintoothers，youshameandhumiliatetheoneyoupretendtolove，justbecauseyouareweak，justbecauseyoucan'tsay'no。'"
Aintreelaughedangrily。
"Drinkhasnoholdonme，"heprotested。"Itaffectsmeasmuchasthelightsandthemusicaffectagirlatherfirstdance，andnomore。But，ifyouaskmetostop——"
"Idonot！"saidthegirl。"Ifyoustop，you'llstopnotbecauseIhaveanyinfluenceoveryou，butbecauseyoudon'tneedmyinfluence。Ifit'swrong，ifit'shurtingyou，ifit'stakingawayyourusefulnessandyourpowerforgood，that'swhyyou'llstop。
Notbecauseagirlbegsyou。Oryou'renotthemanIthinkyou。"
Aintreeretortedwarmly。"I'menoughofamanforthis，"heprotested："I'menoughofamannottoconfessIcan'tdrinkwithoutmakingabeastofmyself。It'seasynottodrinkatall。
Buttostopaltogetherisaconfessionofweakness。I'dlookonmydoingthatascowardly。Igiveyoumyword——notthatI'llswearoff，thatI'llneverdo——butIpromiseyouyou'llhavenofurtherreasontobewhatyoucallhumiliated，orashamed。Youhavemywordforit。"
AweeklaterAintreerodehisponyintoarailwaycuttingandrolledwithittothetracksbelow，and，ifatthetimehehadnotbeenextremelydrunk，wouldhavebeenkilled。Thepony，beingquitesober，brokealegandwasdestroyed。
WhenwordofthiscametoHelenshewastoosickathearttoseeAintree，andbyothersitwasmadeknowntohimthatonthefirststeamerMissScottwouldreturnNorth。Aintreeknewwhyshewasgoing，knewshehadlostfaithandpatience，knewthewomanhelovedhadbrokenwithhimandputhimoutofherlife。Appalledatthiscalamity，heproceededtogetdrunkinearnest。
Thenightwasveryhotandthehumidityveryheavy，andatLasPalmasinsidethebungalowthatservedasapolice-stationthelampsoneithersideofthelieutenant'sdeskburnedliketinyfurnaces。Betweenthem，pantinginthemoistheatandwiththesweatfromhisforeheadandhanddrippinguponanotherwiseimmaculatereport，satStandish。Twoweeksbefore，thechiefhadmadehimoneofhissixlieutenants。Withtheforcethepromotionhadbeenmostpopular。
SincehispromotionStandishhadbeeninchargeofthepolice-
stationatLasPalmasanddailyhadseenAintreeas，onhiswaydownthehillfromthebarrackstotherailroad，theheroofBatangaspassedthedoorofthestation-house。Also，onthemorningAintreehadjumpedhishorseovertheembankment，Standishhadseenhimcarriedupthehillonastretcher。Atthesightthelieutenantofpolicehadtakenfromhispocketanotebook，andonaflyleafmadeacross。Ontheflyleafweremanyotherdatesandoppositeeachacross。ItwasAintree'srecordandasthenumberofblackcrossesgrew，thegreaterhadgrowntheresentmentofStandish，themoregreatlyithadincreasedhisangeragainstthemanwhohadputthisaffrontuponthearmy，thegreaterbecamehisdesiretopunish。
Inpolicecirclesthenighthadbeenquiet，thecellsintheyardwereempty，thetelephoneathiselbowhadremainedsilent，andStandish，aloneinthestation-house，hademployedhimselfincramming"Moss'sManualforSubalterns。"Hefounditafascinatingexercise。Thehopethatsoonhemighthimselfbeasubalternalwaysburnedbrightly，andtobepreparedseemedtomakethecomingofthatdaymorecertain。Itwasteno'clockandLasPalmaslaysunkinslumber，andafterthedowntrainwhichwasnowduehadpassed，therewasnothinglikelytodisturbherslumberuntilatsunrisethegreatarmyofdirt-diggerswithshrieksofwhistles，withroarsofdynamite，withtherumblingofdirt-trainsandsteam-shovels，againsprangtotheattack。Downthehill，ahundredyardsbelowStandish，thenighttrainhaltedatthestation，withcreakingsandgroaningscontinuedtowardColon，andagainLasPalmasreturnedtosleep。
And，then，quicklyandviciously，likethecrackofamule-whip，camethereportsofapistol；andoncemorethehotanddrippingsilence。
Onpostattherailroad-station，whencetheshotscame，wasMeehan，oneoftheZonepolice，anex-sergeantofmarines。Ontopofthehill，outsidetheinfantrybarracks，wasanotherpoliceman，Bullard，onceacowboy。
StandishrantotheverandaandheardthepebblesscatteringasBullardleapeddownthehill，andwhen，inthelightfromtheopendoor，hepassed，thelieutenantshoutedathimtofindMeehanandreportback。Thenthedesktelephonerang，andStandishreturnedtohischair。
"ThisisMeehan，"saidavoice。"ThoseshotsjustnowwerefiredbyMajorAintree。Hecamedownonthenighttrainandjumpedoffafterthetrainwaspullingoutandstumbledintoanegro，andfell。He'sbeendrinkingandhesworetheniggerpushedhim；andthemancalledAintreealiar。Aintreepulledhisgunandtheniggerran。Aintreefiredtwice；thenIgottohimandknockedthegunoutofhishandwithmynightstick。"
Therewasapause。Untilhewassurehisvoicewouldbesteadyandofficial，theboylieutenantdidnotspeak。
"Didhehitthenegro？"heasked。
"Idon'tknow，"Meehananswered。"Themanjumpedforthedarkestspothecouldfind。"ThevoiceofMeehanlostitsprofessionalcalmandbecamepersonalandaggrieved。
"Aintree'sonhiswaytoseeyounow，lieutenant。He'sgoingtoreportme。"
"Forwhat？"
Thevoiceoverthetelephoneroseindignantly。
"Forknockingthegunoutofhishand。Hesaysit'sanassault。
He'sgoingtobreakme！"
Standishmadenocomment。
"Reporthere，"heordered。
HeheardBullardhurryingupthehillandmethimatthefootofthesteps。
"There'sanigger，"beganBullard，"lyingundersomebushes——"
"Hush！"commandedStandish。
Fromthepathbelowcamethesoundoffootstepsapproachingunsteadily，andthevoiceofamanswearingandmutteringtohimself。Standishpulledtheex-cowboyintotheshadowofthedarknessandspokeineagerwhispers。
"Youunderstand，"heconcluded，"youwillnotreportuntilyouseemepickupacigarfromthedeskandlightit。Youwillwaitouthereinthedarkness。Whenyouseemelightthecigar，youwillcomeinandreport。"
Thecowboypolicemannodded，butwithoutenthusiasm。"I
understand，lieutenant，"hesaid，"but，"heshookhisheaddoubtfully，"itsizesuptomelikewhatthosepoliceupinNewYorkcalla'frame-up。'"
Standishexclaimedimpatiently。
"It'snotmyframe-up！"hesaid。"Theman'sframedhimselfup。
AllI'mgoingtodoistonailhimtothewall！"
StandishhadonlytimetoreturntohisdeskwhenAintreestumbledupthepathandintothestation-house。Hewas"fightingdrunk，"
ugly，offensive，allbutincoherentwithanger。
"Youincharge？"hedemanded。Hedidnotwaitforananswer。
"I'vebeen'saulted！"heshouted。"'Saultedbyoneofyourdamnedpolicemen。Hestruckme——struckmewhenIwasprotectingmyself。
Hehadaniggerwithhim。Firsttheniggertrippedme；then，whenItriedtoprotectmyself，thisthugofyourshitsme，clubsme，youunnerstan'，clubsme！Iwanthim——"
HewasinterruptedbytheentranceofMeehan，whomovedintothelightfromthelampsandsalutedhislieutenant。
"That'stheman！"roaredAintree。ThesightofMeehanwhippedhimintogreaterfury。
"Iwantthatmanbroke。Iwanttoseeyoustriphisshieldoffhim——now，youunnerstan'，now——for'saultingme，for'saultinganofficerintheUnitedStatesarmy。And，ifyoudon't，"hethrewhimselfintoapositionoftheprize-ring，"I'llbeathimupandyou，too。"Throughwantofbreath，hestopped，andpanted。Againhisvoicebrokeforthhysterically。"I'mnotafraidofyourdamnednight-sticks，"hetaunted。"Igotfivehundredmenontopthishill，allI'vegottodoistosaytheword，andthey'llrough-housethisplaceandthrowitintothecut——andyouwithit。"
Standishrosetohisfeet，andacrossthedesklookedsteadilyatAintree。ToAintreethesteadinessofhiseyesandthequietnessofhisvoicewereanaddedaggravation。
"Supposeyoudid，"saidStandish，"thatwouldnotsaveyou。"
"Fromwhat？"roaredAintree。"ThinkI'mafraidofyournight-
sticks？"
"Fromarrest！"
"Arrestme！"yelledAintree。"Doyouknowwho'stalkingtoyou？
DoyouknowwhoIam？I'mMajorAintree，damnyou，commandingtheinfantry。An'I'mheretochargethatthug——"
"Youareherebecauseyouareunderarrest，"saidStandish。"Youarearrestedforthreateningthepolice，drunkenness，andassaultingacitizenwithintenttokill——"Thevoiceoftheyoungmanturnedshrillandrasping。"Andifthemanshoulddie——"
Aintreeburstintoabellowofmockinglaughter。
Standishstruckthedeskwithhisopenpalm。
"Silence！"hecommanded。
"Silencetome！"roaredAintree，"youimpertinentpup！"Heflunghimselfforward，shakinghisfist。"I'mMajorAintree。I'myoursuperiorofficer。I'manofficeran'agentleman——"
"Youarenot！"repliedStandish。"Youareadrunkenloafer！"
Aintreecouldnotbreakthesilence。Amazement，rage，stupefactionheldhiminincredulouswonder。EvenMeehanmoveduneasily。
Betweentheofficercommandingtheinfantryandanofficerofpolice，hefearedthelieutenantwouldnotsurvive。
Butheheardthevoiceofhislieutenantcontinuing，evenly，coldly，likethevoiceofajudgedeliveringsentence。
"Youareadrunkenloafer，"repeatedtheboy。"Andyouknowit。
AndImeanthatto-morrowmorningeveryoneontheZoneshallknowit。AndImeanto-morrownighteveryoneintheStatesshallknowit。You'vekilledaman，ortriedto，andI'mgoingtobreakyou。"
WithhisarmhepointedtoMeehan。"Breakthatman？"hedemanded。
"Fordoinghisduty，fortryingtostopamurder？Striphimofhisshield？"Theboylaughedsavagely。"It'syouIamgoingtostrip，Aintree，"hecried，"you'heroofBatangas'；I'mgoingtostripyounaked。I'mgoingto'cutthebuttonsoffyourcoat，andtearthestripesaway。'I'mgoingtodegradeyouanddisgraceyou，anddriveyououtofthearmy！"Hethrewhisnote-bookonthetable。"There'syourdossier，Aintree，"hesaid。"Forthreemonthsyou'vebeendrunk，andthere'syourrecord。Thepolicegotitforme；it'swrittentherewithdatesandthenamesofwitnesses。I'llsweartoit。I'vebeenafteryoutogetyou，andI'vegotyou。
Withthatbook，withwhatyoudidto-night，you'llleavethearmy。Youmayresign，youmaybecourt-martialled，youmaybehung。Idon'tgiveadamnwhattheydotoyou，butyouwillleavethearmy！"
HeturnedtoMeehan，andwithajerkofthehandsignifiedAintree。
"Puthiminacell，"hesaid。"Ifheresists——"
Aintreegavenosignofresisting。Hestoodmotionless，hisarmshanginglimp，hiseyesprotruding。Theliquorhaddiedinhim，andhisangerhadturnedchill。Hetriedtomoistenhislipstospeak，buthisthroatwasbaked，andnosoundissued。Hetriedtofocushiseyesuponthemenacinglittlefigurebehindthedesk，butbetweenthetwolampsitswayed，andshrankandswelled。Ofonethingonlywashesure，thatsomegravedisasterhadovertakenhim，somethingthatwhenhecamefullytohissensesstillwouldoverwhelmhim，somethinghecouldnotconquerwithhisfists。
Hisbrain，evenbefuddledasitwas，toldhimhehadbeencaughtbytheheels，thathewasinatrap，thatsmashingthisboywhothreatenedhimcouldnotsethimfree。Herecognized，anditwasthisknowledgethatstirredhimwithalarm，thatthiswasnoordinaryofficerofjustice，butapersonalenemy，anavengingspiritwho，forsomeunknownreason，hadspreadatrap；who，forsomeprivatepurposeofrevenge，woulddraghimdown。
Frowningpainfully，hewavedMeehanfromhim。
"Wait，"hecommanded。"Idon'unnerstan'。Whatgood'sitgoin'todoyoutolockmeupan'disgraceme？WhatharmhaveIdoneyou？
Whoaskedyoutorunthearmy，anyway？Whoareyou？"
"MynameisStandish，"saidthelieutenant。"MyfatherwascoloneloftheThirty-thirdwhenyoufirstjoineditfromtheAcademy。"
Aintreeexclaimedwithsurpriseandenlightenment。Hebrokeintohurriedspeech，butStandishcuthimshort。
"AndGeneralStandishoftheMexicanWar，"hecontinued，"wasmygrandfather。SinceWashingtonallmypeoplehavebeenofficersoftheregulararmy，andI'dbeenone，too，ifI'dbeenbrightenough。
That'swhyIrespectthearmy。That'swhyI'mgoingtothrowyououtofit。You'vedoneharmfiftymenasgoodasyoucan'tundo。
You'vemadedrunkardsofawholebattalion。You'vetaughtboyswholookeduptoyou，asIlookeduptoyouonce，tolaughatdiscipline，tomakeswineofthemselves。You'vesetthemanexample。
I'mgoingtomakeanexampleofyou。That'sallthereistothis。I'vegotnogrudgeagainstyou。I'mnotvindictive；I'msorryforyou。But，"
hepausedandpointedhishandatAintreeasthoughitheldagun，"youaregoingtoleavethearmy！"
Likeamancomingoutofanuglydream，Aintreeopenedandshuthiseyes，shivered，andstretchedhisgreatmuscles。Theywatchedhimwithaneffortofthewillforcehimselfbacktoconsciousness。
Whenagainhespoke，histonewassane。
"Seehere，Standish，"hebegan，"I'llnotbegofyouoranyman。
Ionlyaskyoutothinkwhatyou'redoing。Thismeansmyfinish。
Ifyouforcethisthroughto-nightitmeanscourt-martial，itmeansIlosemycommission，Ilose——losethingsyouknownothingabout。
And，ifI'vegotarecordfordrinking，I'vegotarecordforotherthings，too。Don'tforgetthat！"
Standishshookhishead。"Ididn'tforgetit，"hesaid。
"Well，supposeIdid，"demandedAintree。"SupposeIdidgoontheloose，justtopassthetime，justbecauseI'msickofthisdamnedditch？Isitfairtowipeoutallthatwentbefore，forthat？I'mtheyoungestmajorinthearmy，Iservedinthreecampaigns，I'mamedal-of-honorman，I'vegotacareeraheadofme，and——andI'mgoingtobemarried。Ifyougivemeachance-"
Standishstruckthetablewithhisfist。
"Iwillgiveyouachance，"hecried。"Ifyou'llgiveyourwordtothismanandtome，that，sohelpyouGod，you'llneverdrinkagain——I'llletyougo。"
IfwhatStandishproposedhadbeensomethingbase，Aintreecouldnothaveaccepteditwithmorecontempt。
"I'llseeyouinhellfirst，"hesaid。
Asthoughtheinterviewwasatanend，Standishdroppedintohischairandleaningforward，fromthetablepickedupacigar。Ashelitit，hemotionedMeehantowardhisprisoner，butbeforethepolicemancouldadvancethesoundoffootstepshaltedhim。
Bullard，hiseyesfilledwithconcern，leapedupthesteps，andrantothedesk。
"Lieutenant！"hestammered，"thatman——theniggerthatofficershot——he'sdead！"
Aintreegaveagaspthatwaspartlyagroan，partlyacryofprotest，andBullard，asthoughforthefirsttimeawareofhispresence，sprangbacktotheopendoorandplacedhimselfbetweenitandAintree。
"It'smurder！"hesaid。
Noneofthethreemenspoke；andwhenMeehancrossedtowhereAintreestood，staringfearfullyatnothing，hehadonlytotouchhissleeve，andAintree，stillstaring，fellintostepbesidehim。
FromtheyardoutsideStandishheardtheirondoorofthecellswingshut，heardthekeygrateinthelock，andthefootstepsofMeehanreturning。
Meehanlaidthekeyuponthedesk，andwithBullardstoodatattention，waiting。
"Givehimtime，"whisperedStandish。"Letitsinkin！"
AttheendofhalfanhourStandishheardAintreecalling，and，withMeehancarryingalantern，steppedintotheyardandstoppedatthecelldoor。
Aintreewasquitesober。Hisfacewassetandwhite，hisvoicewasdullwithsuffering。Hestooderect，claspingthebarsinhishands。
"Standish，"hesaid，"yougavemeachanceawhileago，andI
refusedit。Iwasroughaboutit。I'msorry。ItmademehotbecauseIthoughtyouwereforcingmyhand，blackmailingmeintodoingsomethingIoughttodoasafreeagent。Now，Iamafreeagent。Youcouldn'tgivemeachancenow，youcouldn'tletmegonow，notifIsworeonathousandBibles。Idon'tknowwhatthey'llgiveme——Leavenworthforlife，orhanging，orjustdismissal。
But，you'vegotwhatyouwanted——I'mleavingthearmy！"BetweenthebarshestretchedouthisarmsandheldahandtowardMeehanandStandish。Inthesamedull，numbedvoicehecontinued。
"So，now，"hewenton，"thatI'venothingtogainbyit，Iwanttosweartoyouandtothismanhere，thatwhetherIhang，orgotojail，oramturnedloose，Iwillnever，sohelpmeGod，takeanotherdrink。"
Standishwasholdingthehandofthemanwhooncehadbeenhishero。Heclutchedittight。
"Aintree，"hecried，"supposeIcouldworkamiracle；supposeI'veplayedatrickonyou，toshowyouyourdanger，toshowyouwhatmightcometoyouanyday——doesthatoathstillstand？"
Thehandthatheldhisgroundthebonestogether。
"I'vegivenmyword！"criedAintree。"FortheloveofGod，don'ttortureme。Isthemanalive？"
AsStandishswungopenthecelldoor，theheroofBatangas，hewhocouldthrashanymanontheisthmus，crumpleduplikeachilduponhisshoulder。
AndMeehan，asheranforwater，shoutedjoyfully。
"Thatnigger，"hecalledtoBullard，"cangohomenow。Thelieutenantdon'twanthimnomore。
"
EVILTOHIMWHOEVILTHINKS
Asarule，theinstanttheseasonclosedAlineProctorsailedonthefirststeamerforLondon，whereawaitedhermanyfriends，bothEnglishandAmerican——andtoParis，wheresheselectedthosegownsthatonandoffthestagehelpedtomakeherfamous。ButthisparticularsummershehadspentwiththeEndicottsatBarHarbor，anditwasattheirhouseHerbertNelsonmether。AfterHerbertmetherveryfewothermenenjoyedthatprivilege。Thiswasherwishaswellashis。
Theybehaveddisgracefully。Everymorningafterbreakfasttheydisappearedandspentthedayatoppositeendsofacanoe。She，knowingnothingofacanoe，washappyinstabbingthewaterswithherpaddlewhilehetoldherhowhelovedherandatthesametime，withanxiouseyesonhisownpaddle，skilfullyfrustratedhereffortstodrownthemboth。Whiletheaffairlasteditwasidealandbeautiful，butunfortunatelyitlastedonlytwomonths。
ThenLordAlbany，temporarilyinAmericaashonoraryattachetotheBritishembassy，hisadoringglances，hisaccent，andthewayhebrushedhishair，provedtoomuchforthesusceptibleheartofAline，andshechuckedHerbertandaskedherselfhowawomanofheragecouldhaveseriouslyconsideredmarryingayouthjustoutofHarvard！Atthattimeshewasawomanofnineteen；but，asshehadbeenbeforethepubliceversinceshewaseleven，thewomendeclaredshewasnotadayundertwenty-six；andthemenknewshecouldnotpossiblybeoversixteen！
Aline'sownideaofherselfwasthatwithoutsomeoneinlovewithhershecouldnotexist——that，unlesssheknewsomemancaredforherandforheralone，shewouldwitheranddie。Asamatteroffact，whetheranyonelovedherornotdidnotintheleastinteresther。Therewereseveraldozenmenwhocouldtestifytothat。Theyknew！Whatshereallywantedwastobeheadoverearsinlove——toadoresomeone，toworshiphim，toimagineherselfstarvingforhimandmakingsacrificehitsforhim；butwhenthemomentcametomakethesacrificehitandmarrytheman，sheinvariablyfoundthatagreater，truerlovehadarisen——forsomeoneelse。
Thisgreaterandtruerlovealwaysmadeherbehaveabominablytotheyouthshehadjustjilted。Shewastednotimeonpost-mortems。
Shewassoeagertoshowherabsoluteloyaltytothenewmonarchthatshegrudgedeverythoughtsheeverhadgiventheoneshehadcastintoexile。Sheresentedhimbitterly。Shecouldnotforgivehimforhavingallowedhertobedesperatelyinlovewithhim。Heshouldhaveknownhewasnotworthyofsuchaloveashers。Heshouldhaveknownthattherealprincewaswaitingonlyjustroundthecorner。
Asaruletherejectedonesbehavedwell。EachdecidedAlinewasmuchtoowonderfulacreatureforhim，andcontinuedtolovehercautiouslyandfromadistance。Noneofthemeverspokeorthoughtillofherandwouldgladlyhavepunchedanyonewhodid。ItwasonlythewomenwhoseyoungmenAlinehadtemporarilyconfiscated，andthenreturnedsaddenedandchastened，whowerespiteful。AndtheydaredsaynomorethanthatAlinewouldprobablyhaveknownhermindbetterifshehadhadamothertolookafterher。This，comingtotheearsofAline，causedhertoreplythatagirlwhocouldnotkeepstraightherself，butneededamothertohelpher，wouldnotkeepstraighthadsheadozenmothers。Assheputitcheerfully，agirlwhogoeswrongandthenpleads"nomothertoguideher"islikeajockeywhopullsaraceandthenblamesthehorse。
EachoftheyoungmenAlinerejectedmarriedsomeoneelseand，exceptwhenthenameofAlineProctorinthetheatricaladvertisementsorinelectriclightsonBroadwaygavehimastart，forgotthatforamonthhernameandhisownhadbeenlinkedtogetherfromPortlandtoSanFrancisco。Butthegirlhemarrieddidnotforget。SheneverunderstoodwhatthepublicsawinAlineProctor。ThatAlinewasthequeenofmusicalcomedysheattributedtothefactthatAlineknewtherightpeopleandgotherselfwrittenaboutintherightway。Butthatshecouldsing，dance，act；thatshepossessedcompellingcharm；thatshe"gotacross"notonlytothetiredbusinessman，thewineagent，thecollegeboy，butalsotothechildrenandtheoldladies，wastoherneverapparent。
JustasAlinecouldnotforgivetherejectedsuitorforallowinghertolovehim，sothegirlhemarriedneverforgaveAlineforhavinglovedherhusband。LeastofallcouldSallyWinthrop，whotwoyearsafterthesummeratBarHarbormarriedHerbertNelson，forgiveher。AndsheletHerbertknowit。HerbertwasproperlyinlovewithSallyWinthrop，buthelikedtothinkthathisengagementtoAline，thoughbriefandabruptlyterminated，hadprovedhimtobeamanfatallyattractivetoallwomen。AndthoughhewashypnotizinghimselfintobelievingthathisfeelingforAlinehadbeenthegrandpassion，thetruthwasthatallthatkeptherinhisthoughtswashisownvanity。Hewasnotdiscontentedwithhislot——hislotbeingSallyWinthrop，hermillions，andherestateofthreehundredacresnearWestbury。
NorwashestilllongingforAline。Itwasonlythathisvanitywasflatteredbytherecollectionthatoneoftheyoungwomenmostbelovedbythepublichadoncelovedhim。
"IoncewasakinginBabylon，"heusedtomisquotetohimself，"andshewasaChristianslave。"
Hewasasyoungasthat。
Hadhebeencontentinsecrettoassurehimselfthatheoncehadbeenareigningmonarch，hisvanitywouldhaveharmednoone；
but，unfortunately，hepossessedcertaindocumentaryevidencetothatfact。Andhewassufficientlyfoolishnottowishtodestroyit。TheevidenceconsistedofadozenphotographshehadsnappedofAlineduringthehappydaysatBarHarbor，andonwhichshehadwrittenphrasessomewhatexuberantandsentimental。
FromthesephotographsNelsonwasloathtopart——especiallywithonethatshowedAlineseatedonarockthatranintothewatersoftheharbor，andonwhichshehadwritten："Aslongasthisrocklasts！"EachtimeshewasinloveAlinebelieveditwouldlast。
Thatinthepastitneverhadlasteddidnotdiscourageher。
WhattodowiththesephotographsthatsovividlyrecalledthemosttumultuousperiodofhislifeNelsoncouldnotdecide。IfhehidthemawayandSallyfoundthem，heknewshewouldmakehislifemiserable。IfhediedandSallythenfoundthem，whenhenolongerwasabletoexplainthattheymeantnothingtohim，shewouldbelievehealwayshadlovedtheotherwoman，anditwouldmakehermiserable。Hefelthecouldnotsafelykeeptheminhisownhouse；hisvanitydidnotpermithimtoburnthem，and，accordingly，hedecidedtounloadthemonsomeoneelse。
TheyoungmantowhomheconfidedhiscollectionwasCharlesCochran。CochranwasacharmingpersonfromtheWest。HehadstudiedintheBeauxArtsandonfoothadtravelledoverEnglandandEurope，preparinghimselftotryhisfortuneinNewYorkasanarchitect。HewasnowintheofficeofthearchitectsPost&
Constant，andlivedaloneinatinyfarmhousehehadmadeoverforhimselfnearHerbertNelson，atWestbury，LongIsland。
Post&ConstantwereafashionablefirmandwereresponsibleformanyoftheFrenchchateauxandEnglishcountryhousesthatwererisingnearWestbury，Hempstead，andRoslyn；anditwasCochran'sdutytodriveoverthatterritoryinhisrunabout，keepaneyeonthecontractors，anddissuadeclientsfromgraftingmansardroofsonItalianvillas。HehadbuiltthesummerhomeoftheHerbertNelsons，andHerbertandCharleswereverywarmfriends。CharleswasofthesamelackofyearsaswasHerbert，ofanenthusiasticandsentimentalnature；and，likemanyotheryoungmen，thestoryofhislifealsowasthelovelyandmuch-desiredAlineProctor。
ItwasthiscoincidencethathadmadethemfriendsandthathadledHerberttoselectCharlesasthecustodianofhistreasure。
AsacustodianandconfidantCharlesespeciallyappealedtohisnewfriend，because，exceptuponthestageandinrestaurants，CharleshadneverseenAlineProctor，didnotknowher——andconsideredhersofarabovehim，sounattainable，thathehadnowishtoseekherout。Unknown，hepreferredtoworshipatadistance。InthisdeterminationHerbertstronglyencouragedhim。
WhenheturnedoverthepicturestoCharles，Herbertcouldnotresistshowingthemtohim。Theywereinmanywayscharming。
Theypresentedthequeenofmusicalcomedyinseveralnewroles。
Inoneshewasinasailorsuit，givinganimitationofagirlpaddlingacanoe。Inanothershewasinariding-habitmounteduponaponyofwhichsheseemedverymuchafraid。
Insomeshesatlikeasirenamongtherockswiththewavesandseaweedsnatchingatherfeet，andinanothershecrouchedbeneaththewheelofHerbert'stouringcar。Allofthephotographswereunprofessionalandintimate，andthelegendsscrawledacrossthemwereevenmoreintimate。
"'Aslongasthisrocklasts！'"readHerbert。Atarm'slengthheheldthepictureforCochrantosee，andlaughedbitterlyandunmirthfullyashehadheardleadingmenlaughinproblemplays。
"Thatiswhatshewrote，"hemocked——"buthowlongdiditlast？
Untilshesawthatlittlered-headedAlbanyplayingpolo。Thatlasteduntilhismotherheardofit。Shethoughtherpreciouslambwasintheclutchesofadesigningactress，andmadetheForeignOfficecablehimhome。ThenAlinetookuponeofthosearmyaviators，andchuckedhimforthatfellowwhopaintedherportrait，andthrewhimoverforthelawn-tennischampion。Nowshe'sengagedtoChesterGriswold，andHeavenpityher！Ofcoursehe'sthegreatestcatchinAmerica；buthe'saprigandasnob，andhe'ssogenerouswithhismoneythathe'llgiveyoufivepenniesforanickelanytimeyouaskhim。He'sgotaheartlikethemetreofataxicab，andhe'sjealousasacat。AlinewillhaveafinetimewithChester！IknewhimatSt。Paul'sandatHarvard，andhe'sgotasmuchredbloodinhimasaneel！"
Cochransprangtothedefenseoftheladyofhisdreams。
"Theremustbesomegoodintheman，"heprotested，"orMissProctor-"
"Oh，thosesolemnsnobs，"declaredHerbert，"impresswomenbyjustkeepingstill。Griswoldpretendsthereasonhedoesn'tspeaktoyouisbecausehe'stoosuperior，buttherealreasonisthatheknowswheneverheopenshismouthheshowsheisanass。"
ReluctantlyHerbertturnedovertoCharlesthepreciouspictures。
"Itwouldbeasintodestroythem，wouldn'tit？"heprompted。
Cochranagreedheartily。
"Youmighteven，"suggestedHerbert，"leaveoneortwoofthemabout。YouhavesomanyofAlinealreadythatonemorewouldn'tbenoticed。ThenwhenIdropinIcouldseeit。"Hesmiledingratiatingly。
"ButthoseIhaveIbought，"Cochranpointedout。"Anybodycanbuythem，butyoursarepersonal。Andthey'resigned。"
"Noonewillnoticethatbutme，"protestedHerbert。"Justoneortwo，"hecoaxed-"stuckroundamongtheothers。They'dgivemeaheapofmelancholypleasure。"
Charlesshookhisheaddoubtfully。
"Yourwifeoftencomesherewithyou，"hesaid。"Idon'tbelievethey'dgivehermelancholypleasure。Thequestionis，areyoumarriedtoSallyortoAlineProctor？"
"Oh，ofcourse，"exclaimedHerbert——"ifyourefuse！"
WithsuspicioushasteCharlessurrendered。
"Idon'trefuse，"heexplained；"Ionlyaskifit'swise。SallyknowsyouwereonceveryfondofMissProctor——knowsyouwereengagedtoher。"
"But，"protestedHerbert，"SallyseesyourphotographsofAline。
Whatdifferencecanafewmoremake？Aftershe'sseenadozenshegetsusedtothem。"
NosoonerhadHerbertlefthimthanthecustodianofthetreasurehimselfselectedthephotographshewoulddisplay。Inthemtheyoungwomanhehad——fromthefrontrowoftheorchestra——soardentlyadmiredappearedinanewlight。ToCochrantheyseemedatoncetorenderhermorekindly，moreapproachable；toshowherasshereallywas，thesortofgirlanyyouthwouldfinditextremelydifficultnottolove。Cochranfounditextremelyeasy。Thephotographsgavehisimaginationalltheroomitwanted。Hebelievedtheyalsogavehimaninsightintoherrealcharacterthatwasdeniedtoanybodyelse。
Hehadalwayscreditedherwithallthevirtues；henowendowedherwitheverycharmofmindandbody。InaweektothetwophotographshehadselectedfromtheloancollectionforpurposesofdisplayandtogiveHerbertmelancholypleasurehehadaddedthreemore。Intwoweekstherewerehalfadozen。Inamonth，noblyframedinsilver，inleatherofred，green，andblue，theentirecollectionsmileduponhimfromeverypartofhisbedroom。Forhenowkeptthemwherenoonebuthimselfcouldseethem。Nolongerwasheofamindtosharehisborrowedtreasurewithothers——notevenwiththerightfulowner。
ChesterGriswold，spurredonbyAlineProctor，whowantedtobuildasummerhomeonLongIsland，wasmotoringwithPost，ofPost&Constant，intheneighborhoodofWestbury。Posthadpointedoutseveralhousesdesignedbyhisfirm，whichhehopedmightassistGriswoldinmakinguphismindastothekindofhousehewanted；butnonetheyhadseenhadsatisfiedhisclient。
"WhatIwantisacheaphouse，"explainedtheyoungmillionaire。
"Idon'treallywantahouseatall，"hecomplained。"It'sMissProctor'sidea。WhenwearemarriedIintendtomoveintomymother'stownhouse，butMissProctorwantsoneforherselfinthecountry。I'veagreedtothat；butitmustbesmallanditmustbecheap。"
"Cheap"wasawordthattheclientsofPost&Constantneverused；butPostknewtheweaknessesofsomeofthetrulyrich，andheknewalsothatnohouseeverbuiltcostonlywhatthearchitectsaiditwouldcost。
"Iknowtheveryhouseyouwant！"heexclaimed。"Oneofouryoungmenownsit。Hemadeitoverfromanoldfarmhouse。It'sverywellarranged；we'veusedhisground-planseveraltimesanditworksoutsplendidly。Ifhe'snotathome，I'11showyouovertheplacemyself。Andifyoulikethehousehe'sthemantobuildyouone。"
WhentheyreachedCochran'shomehewasatGardenCityplayinggolf，buttheservantknewMr。Post，andtohimandhisclientthrewopeneveryroominthehouse。
"Now，this，"exclaimedthearchitectenthusiastically，"isthemaster'sbedroom。Inyourcaseitwouldprobablybeyourwife'sroomandyouwouldoccupytheoneadjoining，whichCochrannowusesasaguest-room。Asyousee，theyareentirelycutofffrom-"
Mr。Griswolddidnotsee。Uptothatmomenthehadgiveneveryappearanceofbeingbothboredandsulky。Nowhisattentionwasentirelyengaged——butnotupontheadmirablesimplicityofMr。
Cochran'sground-plan，asMr。Posthadhoped。Instead，theeyesofthegreatestcatchinAmericawereintentlyregardingadisplayofphotographsthatsmiledbackathimfromeverycorneroftheroom。Notonlydidheregardthesephotographswithasavageglare，butheapproachedthemandcarefullystudiedtheinscriptionsscrawledacrossthefaceofeach。
Posthimselfcastaglanceatthenearestphotographs，andthenhastilymanoeuvredhisclientintothehallandclosedthedoor。
"Wewillnow，"heexclaimed，"visitthebutler'spantry，whichopensuponthedining-roomandkitchen，thussaving——"
ButGriswolddidnothearhim。Withoutgivinganotherglanceatthehousehestampedoutofitand，plumpinghimselfdowninthemotor-car，bangedthedoor。NotuntilPosthaddrivenhimwellintoNewYorkdidhemakeanycomment。
"Whatdidyousay，"hethendemanded，"isthenameofthemanwhoownsthatlasthousewesaw？"
Posttoldhim。
"Ineverheardofhim！"saidGriswoldasthoughheweredeliveringyoungCochran'sdeathsentence。"Whoishe？"
"He'sanarchitectinouroffice，"saidPost。"Wethinkalotofhim。He'llleaveussoon，ofcourse。Thebestonesalwaysdo。Hisworkisverypopular。Soishe。"
"Ineverheardofhim，"repeatedGriswold。Then，withsuddenheat，headdedsavagely："ButImeantoto-night。"
WhenGriswoldhadfirstpersuadedAlineProctortoengageherselftohimhehadsuggestedthat，toavoidembarrassment，sheshouldtellhimthenamesoftheothermentowhomshehadbeenengaged。
"Whatkindofembarrassmentwouldthatavoid？"
"IfIamtalkingtoaman，"saidGriswold，"andheknowsthewomanI'mgoingtomarrywasengagedtohimandIdon'tknowthat，hehasmeatadisadvantage。"
"Idon'tseethathehas，"saidAline。"Ifwesuppose，forthesakeofargument，thattomarrymeisdesirable，IwouldsaythatthemanwhowasgoingtomarrymehadtheadvantageovertheoneIhaddeclinedtomarry。"
"Iwanttoknowwhothosemenare，"explainedGriswold，"becauseIwanttoavoidthem。Idon'twanttotalktothem。Idon'twanteventoknowthem。"
"Idon'tseehowIcanhelpyou，"saidAline。"Ihaven'ttheslightestobjectiontotellingyouthenamesofthemenIhavecaredfor，ifIcanrememberthem，butIcertainlydonotintendtotellyouthenameofanymanwhocaredformeenoughtoaskmetomarryhim。That'shissecret，notmine——certainlynotyours。"
Griswoldthoughthewasveryproud。Hereallywasveryvain；andasjealousyisonlyvanityinitsnastiestdevelopmenthewasextremelyjealous。Sohepersisted。
"Willyoudothis？"hedemanded。"IfIeveraskyou，'Isthatoneofthemenyoucaredfor？'willyoutellme？"
"Ifyouwishit，"saidAline；"butIcan'tseeanyhealthinit。
Itwillonlymakeyouuncomfortable。SolongasyouknowIhavegivenyouthegreatestandtruestloveIamcapableof，whyshouldyouconcernyourselfwithmymistakes？"
"SothatIcanavoidmeetingwhatyoucallyourmistakes，"saidGriswold——"andbeingfriendlywiththem。"
"Iassureyou，"laughedAline，"itwouldn'thurtyouabittobeasfriendlywiththemasthey'dletyou。Maybetheyweren'tasproudoftheirfamiliesasyouare，buttheymadeupforthatbybeingadarnedsightprouderofme！"
Later，undismayedbythisandunashamed，ontwooccasionsGriswoldactuallydiddemandofAlineifagenialyouthshehadjustgreetedjoyfullywasoneofthoseforwhomsheoncehadcared。
AndAlinehadrepliedpromptlyandtruthfullythathewas。ButinthecaseofCharlesCochran，GriswolddidnotaskAlineifhewasoneofthoseforwhomsheoncehadcared。HeconsideredtheaffairwithCochransoseriousthat，inregardtothatman，headoptedadifferentcourse。
Indiggingrivalsoutofthepasthisjealousyhadmadehimindefatigable，butinallhisresearchesheneverhadheardthenameofCharlesCochran。ThatfactandtheaddedcircumstancethatAlineherselfneverhadmentionedthemanwasinhiseyessosuspiciousastobealmostadamningevidenceofdeception。AndhearguedthatifinthepastAlinehaddeceivedhimastoCharlesCochranshewouldcontinuetodoso。Accordingly，insteadofaskingherfranklyforthetruthheproceededtolaytrapsforit。AndifthereisonethingTruthcannotabide，itisbeinghuntedbytraps。
ThateveningAlineandhewereinvitedtoasupperinherhonor，andashedroveherfromthetheatretothehomeoftheirhostesshetoldherofhissearchearlierintheday。
TheelectriclightinthelimousineshowedAline'sfaceasclearlyasthoughitwereheldinaspotlight，andashepreparedhistrapGriswoldregardedherjealously。
"Posttellsme，"hesaid，"hehastheverymanyouwantforyourarchitect。He'ssureyou'llfindhimmostunderstandingand——and——
sympathetic。He'sayoungmanwhoisjustcomingtothefront，andhe'sverypopular，especiallywithwomen。"
"What'shisbeingpopularwithwomen，"askedAline，"gottodowithhiscarryingoutmyideasofahouse？"
"That'sjustit，"saidGriswold——"it'sthewomanwhogenerallyhasthemosttosayastohowherhouseshallbebuilt，andthismanunderstandswoman。Ihavereasonsforbelievinghewillcertainlyunderstandyou！"
"Ifheunderstandsmewellenoughtogivemeallthelinen-closetsIwant，"saidAline，"hewillbeperfectlysatisfactory。"
BeforedeliveringhisblowGriswoldsankbackintohiscornerofthecar，drewhishatbrimoverhisforehead，andfixedspyingeyesupontheverylovelyfaceofthegirlhehadaskedtomarryhim。
"Hisname，"hesaidinfatefultones，"isCharlesCochran！"
Itwassupposedtobeabodyblow；but，tohisdistress，Alineneitherstartednorturnedpale。Neither，fortryingtotrickher，didsheturnuponhiminreproofandanger。Instead，withalerteyes，shecontinuedtopeeroutofthewindowattheelectric-lightadvertisementsandherbelovedBroadway。
"Well？"demandedGriswold；histonewashoarseandheavywithmeaning。
"Wellwhat？"askedAlinepleasantly。
"How，"demandedGriswold，"doyoulikeCharlesCochranforanarchitect？"
"HowshouldIknow？"askedAline。"I'venotmethimyet！"
Shehadsaidit！Andshehadsaiditwithoutthewaverofoneofherlovelyeyelashes。Nowonderthepublicalreadyhailedherasafinishedactress！Griswoldfeltthathisworstfearswerejustified。Shehadliedtohim。And，asheknewshehadneverbeforeliedtohim，thatnowshedidsoprovedbeyondhopeofdoubtthatthereasonforitwasvital，imperative，andcompelling。
ButofhissuspicionsGriswoldgavenosign。Hewouldnotatonceexposeher。Hehadtrappedher，butasyetshemustnotknowthat。Hewouldwaituntilhehadstillfurtherentangledher——untilshecouldnotescape；andthen，withcompleteproofofherdeceit，hewouldconfrontandoverwhelmher。
WiththisamiablepurposeinmindhecalledearlythenextmorninguponPost&ConstantandaskedtoseeMr。Cochran。Hewished，hesaid，toconsulthimaboutthenewhouse。Posthadnotyetreachedtheoffice，andofGriswold'svisitwithPosttohishouseCochranwasstillignorant。HereceivedGriswoldmostcourteously。
Hefeltthatthemanwhowaslovedbythegirlhealsohadlongandhopelesslyworshippedwasdeservingofthehighestconsideration。
Griswoldwaslessmagnanimous。Whenhefoundhisrival——forassuchhebeheldhim——wasofcharmingmannersandgallantappearanceheconsideredthatfactanadditionalinjury；butheconcealedhisresentment，forhewasgoingtotrapCochran，too。
Hefoundthearchitectatworkleaningoveradrawing-board，andastheytalkedCochrancontinuedtostand。Hewasinhisshirt-sleeves，whichwererolledtohisshoulders；andthebreadthofthoseshouldersandthemusclesofhissunburnedarmsweremuchinevidence。
Griswoldconsidereditavulgarexhibition。
Forovertenminutestheytalkedsolelyoftheproposedhouse，butnotoncedidGriswoldexposethefactthathehadseenanymoreofitthananyonemightseefromthepublicroad。Whenherosetotakehisleavehesaid：
"HowwoulditdoifImotoredoutSundayandshowedyourhousetoMissProctor？Sundayistheonlydayshehasoff，andifitwouldnotinconvenienceyou——"
ThetenderheartofCochranleapedinwildtumult；hecouldnotconcealhisdelight，nordidheattempttodoso；andhisexpressionmadeitentirelyunnecessaryforhimtoassureGriswoldthatsuchavisitwouldbeentirelywelcomeandthattheymightcountonfindinghimathome。Asthoughitwereanafterthought，Griswoldhaltedatthedoorandsaid：
"IbelieveyouarealreadyacquaintedwithMissProctor。"
Cochran，consciousoffiveyearsofdevotion，foundthathewasblushing，andlongedtostranglehimself。NorwastheblushlostuponGriswold。
"I'msorry，"saidCochran，"butI'venothadthathonor。Onthestage，ofcourse——"
Heshruggedthebroadshouldersdeprecatingly，asthoughtosuggestthatnottoknowMissProctorasanartistarguesoneselfunknown。
Griswoldpretendedtobepuzzled。Asthoughendeavoringtorecallapastconversationhefrowned。
"ButAline，"hesaid，"toldmeshehadmetyou-metyouatBarHarbor。"InthefatalphotographsthefamiliarlandfallsofBarHarborhadbeeneasilyrecognized。
Theyoungarchitectshookhishead。
"ItmustbeanotherCochran，"hesuggested。"IhaveneverbeeninBarHarbor。"
Withtheevidenceofthephotographsbeforehimthislaststatementwasaverdictofguilty，andGriswold，notwiththeideaofgivingCochranalastchancetobehonest，buttocausehimtodigthepitstilldeeper，continuedtoleadhimon。"MaybeshemeantYorkHarbor？"
AgainCochranshookhisheadandlaughed。
"Believeme，"hesaid，"ifI'devermetMissProctoranywhereI
wouldn'tforgetit！"
TenminuteslaterGriswoldwastalkingtoAlineoverthetelephone。
Heintendedtoforcematters。HewouldshowAlineshecouldneithertriflewithnordeceiveChesterGriswold；butthethoughtthathehadbeendeceivedwasnotwhatmosthurthim。WhathurthimwastothinkthatAlinehadpreferredamanwholookedlikeanadvertisementforready-madeclothesandwhoworkedinhisshirt-sleeves。
Griswoldtookitforgrantedthatanywomanwouldbegladtomarryhim。
Somanyhadbeenwillingtodosothathewasconvinced，whenoneofthemwasnot，itwasnotbecausetherewasanythingwrongwithhim，butbecausethegirlherselflackedtasteandperception。
Thattheothershadbeeninanydegreemovedbyhismanymillionshadneversuggesteditself。Hewasconvincedeachhadlovedhimforhimselfalone；andifAline，aftermeetinghim，wouldstillconsideranyoneelse，itwasevidentsomethingwasverywrongwithAline。Hewasdeterminedthatshemustbechastened——mustbebroughttoaproperappreciationofhergoodfortuneandofhiscondescension。
Onbeingcalledtothetelephoneatteninthemorning，AlinedemandedtoknowwhatcouldexcuseGriswoldforrousingherinthemiddleofthenight！
Griswoldrepliedthat，thoughthedaywasyoung，italsowascharming；thatonSundaytheremightberain；andthatifshedesiredtoseethehouseheandPostthoughtwouldmostsuither，heandhiscarwouldbedelightedtoconveyhertoit。Theycouldmaketheruninanhour，lunchwithfriendsatWestbury，andreturninplentyoftimeforthetheatre。AlinewasdelightedatthesuddeninterestGriswoldwasshowinginthenewhouse。
Withoutamoment'shesitationshewalkedintothetrap。Shewouldgo，shedeclared，withpleasure。Inanhourheshouldcallforher。
ExactlyanhourlaterPostarrivedathisoffice。HewentdirectlytoCochran。
"Charles，"hesaid，"I'mafraidIgotyouintotroubleyesterday。
Itookaclienttoseeyourhouse。Youhaveoftenletusdoitbefore；
butsinceIwastherelastyou'vemadesomechanges。Inyourbedroom——"
Poststopped。
Cochran'snaivehabitofblushingtoldhimitwasnotnecessarytoproceed。IntonesofrageandmortificationCochransworeexplosively；Postwasrelievedtofindhewasswearingathimself。
"Ioughttobehorsewhipped！"roaredCochran。"I'llneverforgivemyself！Who，"hedemanded，"sawthepictures？Wasitamanorawoman？"
Postlaughedunhappily。
"ItwasChesterGriswold。"
AremarkablechangecameoverCochran。Insteadofsoberinghim，asPostsupposeditwould，theinformationmadehimevenmoreangry——onlynowhisangerwastransferredfromhimselftoGriswold。
"Theblankety-blankbounder！"yelledCochran。"Thatwaswhathewanted！That'swhyhecamehere！"
"Here！"demandedPost。
"Notanhourago，"criedCochran。"HeaskedmeaboutBarHarbor。
HesawthosepicturesweretakenatBarHarbor！"
"Ithink，"saidPostsoothingly，"he'darighttoaskquestions。
Thereweresomanypictures，andtheywerevery——well——very！"
"I'dhaveansweredhisquestions，"roaredCochran，"ifhe'daskedthemlikeaman，buthecamesnoopingdownheretospyonme。
Hetriedtotrickme。Heinsultedme！Heinsultedher！"Heemittedahowlofdismay。"AndItoldhimI'dneverbeentoBarHarbor——
thatI'dnevermetAlineProctor！"
Cochranseizedhiscoatandhat。Heshoutedtooneoftheofficeboystotelephonethegarageforhiscar。
"Whatareyou——whereareyougoing？"demandedPost。
"I'mgoinghomefirst，"criedCochran，"toputthosepicturesinasafe，asIshouldhavedonethreemonthsago。AndthenI'mgoingtofindChesterGriswoldandtellhimhe'sanassandapuppy！"
"Ifyoudothat，"protestedPost，"you'relikelytoloseusaveryvaluableclient。"
"Andyourclient，"roaredCharles，"islikelytolosesomeveryvaluableteeth！"
AsCharleswhirledintothecountryroadinwhichstoodhishousehesawdrawnupinfrontofitthelonggraycarinwhich，thatmorning，ChesterGriswoldhadcalledattheoffice。Cochranemittedahowlofanger。Washishomeagaintobeinvaded？Andagainwhilehewasabsent？TowhatextremewouldGriswold'sjealousynextleadhim？
Hefelloutofhisowncarwhileitstillmoved，andleapedupthegardenwalk。Thefrontroomsofthehousewereempty，butfromhisbedroomheheard，raisedinexcitedtones，thevoiceofGriswold。Theaudacityofthemanwassosurprising，andhisowndelightatcatchinghimred-handedsosatisfying，thatnolongerwasCochranangry。TheLordhaddeliveredhisenemyintohishands！And，asheadvancedtowardhisbedroom，notonlywashecalm，but，atthethoughtofhisrevenge，distinctlyjubilant。Inthepassagewayafrightenedmaidservant，who，athisunexpectedarrival，wasnowevenmorefrightened，endeavoredtogivehimanexplanation；buthewavedherintosilence，and，stridingbeforeher，enteredhisbedroom。
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