Tomwasinacoldpanicinamoment。
"Comeback，comeback！"hewailed。"Ididn’tmeanit，Roxy;
Itakeitallback，andI’llneversayitagain！Pleasecomeback，Roxy！"
Thewomanstoodamoment，thenshesaidgravely：
"Dat’sonethingyou’sgottostop，ValetdeChambers。Youcan’tcallme_Roxy_，sameasifyouwasmyequal。Chillendon’tspeaktodeymammieslikedat。You’llcallmemaormammy，dat’swhatyou’llcallme——leastwayswhendeain’tnobodyaroun’。_Say_it！"
ItcostTomastruggle，buthegotitout。
"Dat’sallright。don’tyoueverforgititag’in，ifyouknowswhat’sgoodforyou。Nowden，youhadsaidyouwouldn’tevercallitliesenmoonshineag’in。I’lltellyoudis，forawarnin’：
ifyoueverdoessayitag’in，it’sdeLAS’timeyou’lleversayittome;I’lltrampasstraighttodejudgeasIkinwalk，entellhimwhoyouis，en_prove_it。Doesyoub’lievemewhenIsaysdat？"
"Oh，"groanedTom，"Imorethanbelieveit;I_know_it。"
Roxyknewherconquestwascomplete。Shecouldhaveprovednothingtoanybody，andherthreatofwritingswasalie;butsheknewthepersonshewasdealingwith，andhadmadebothstatementswithoutanydoubtastotheeffecttheywouldproduce。
Shewentandsatdownonhercandlebox，andtheprideandpompofhervictoriousattitudemadeitathrone。Shesaid：
"Nowden，Chambers，we’sgwinetotalkbusiness，endeyain’tgwinetobenomo’foolishness。Indefustplace，yougitsfiftydollahsamonth;you’sgwinetohan’overhalfofittoyo’ma。Plankitout！"
ButTomhadonlysixdollarsintheworld。Hegaveherthat，andpromisedtostartfaironnextmonth’spension。
"Chambers，howmuchisyouindebt？"
Tomshuddered，andsaid：
"Nearlythreehundreddollars。"
"Howisyougwinetopayit？"
Tomgroanedout："Oh，Idon’tknow;don’taskmesuchawfulquestions。"
Butshestucktoherpointuntilsheweariedaconfessionoutofhim：
hehadbeenprowlingaboutindisguise，stealingsmallvaluablesfromprivatehouses;infact，hemadeagooddealofaraidonhisfellowvillagersafortnightbefore，whenhewassupposedtobeinSt。Louis;
buthedoubtedifhehadsentawayenoughstufftorealizetherequiredamount，andwasafraidtomakeafurtherventureinthepresentexcitedstateofthetown。Hismotherapprovedofhisconduct，andofferedtohelp，butthisfrightenedhim。Hetremblinglyventuredtosaythatifshewouldretirefromthetownheshouldfeelbetterandsafer，andcouldholdhisheadhigher——andwasgoingontomakeanargument，butsheinterruptedandsurprisedhimpleasantlybysayingshewasready;itdidn’tmakeanydifferencetoherwhereshestayed，sothatshegothershareofthepensionregularly。Shesaidshewouldnotgofar，andwouldcallatthehauntedhouseonceamonthforhermoney。
Thenshesaid：
"Idon’thateyousomuchnow，butI’vehatedyouamanyayear——
andanybodywould。Didn’tIchangeyouoff，engiveyouagoodfamblyenagoodname，enmadeyouawhitegen’l’manenrich，widstoreclotheson——enwhatdidIgitforit？Youdespisedmealldetime，enwasal’ayssayin’meanhardthingstomebefo’folks，enwouldn’teverletmeforgitI’sanigger——en——en——"
Shefelltosobbing，andbrokedown。Tomsaid："ButyouknowI
didn’tknowyouweremymother;andbesides——"
"Well，nemmine’boutdat，now;letitgo。I’sgwinetofo’gitit。"
Thensheaddedfiercely，"Endon’tevermakemerememberitag’in，oryou’llbesorry，_I_tellyou。"
Whentheywereparting，Tomsaid，inthemostpersuasivewayhecouldcommand：
"Ma，wouldyoumindtellingmewhowasmyfather？"
Hehadsupposedhewasaskinganembarrassingquestion。Hewasmistaken。
Roxydrewherselfupwithaproudtossofherhead，andsaid：
"DoesIminetellin’you？No，datIdon’t！Youain’tgotno’casiontobeshame’o’yo’father，_I_kintellyou。Hewuzdehighestqualityindiswholetown——oleVirginnystock。Fustfamblies，hewuz。
JesasgoodstockasdeDriscollsendeHowards，debes’daydeyeverseed。"Sheputonalittleprouderair，ifpossible，andaddedimpressively："Doesyou’memberCunnelCecilBurleighEssex，datdieddesameyearyo’youngMarseTomDriscoll’spappydied，enalldeMasonsenOddFellersenChurchesturnedoutengivehimdebigges’funeraldistowneverseed？Dat’sdeman。"
Undertheinspirationofhersoaringcomplacencythedepartedgracesofherearlierdaysreturnedtoher，andherbearingtooktoitselfadignityandstatethatmighthavepassedforqueenlyifhersurroundingshadbeenalittlemoreinkeepingwithit。
"Deyain’tanotherniggerindistowndat’sashighbawnasyouis。
Nowden，go’long！Enjesyouholdyo’headupashighasyouwantto——
youhasderight，endatIkinswah。"
CHAPTER10
TheNymphRevealedAllsay，"Howharditisthatwehavetodie"——astrangecomplainttocomefromthemouthsofpeoplewhohavehadtolive。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarWhenangry，countfour;whenveryangry，swear。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarEverynowandthen，afterTomwenttobed，hehadsuddenwakingsoutofhissleep，andhisfirstthoughtwas，"Oh，joy，itwasalladream！"Thenhelaidhimselfheavilydownagain，withagroanandthemutteredwords，"Anigger！Iamanigger！Oh，IwishIwasdead！"
Hewokeatdawnwithonemorerepetitionofthishorror，andthenheresolvedtomeddlenomorewiththattreacheroussleep。
Hebegantothink。Sufficientlybitterthinkingstheywere。
Theywanderedalongsomethingafterthisfashion：
Whywereniggers_and_whitesmade？Whatcrimedidtheuncreatedfirstniggercommitthatthecurseofbirthwasdecreedforhim？
Andwhyisthisawfuldifferencemadebetweenwhiteandblack？……
Howhardthenigger’sfateseems，thismorning！——yetuntillastnightsuchathoughtneverenteredmyhead。"
Hesighedandgroanedanhourormoreaway。Then"Chambers"camehumblyintosaythatbreakfastwasnearlyready。"Tom"blushedscarlettoseethisaristocraticwhiteyouthcringetohim，anigger，andcallhim"YoungMarster。"Hesaidroughly：
"Getoutofmysight！"andwhentheyouthwasgone，hemuttered，"Hehasdonemenoharm，poorwrench，butheisaneyesoretomenow，forheisDriscoll，theyounggentleman，andIama——oh，IwishIwasdead！"
Agiganticeruption，likethatofKrakatoaafewyearsago，withtheaccompanyingearthquakes，tidalwaves，andcloudsofvolcanicdust，changesthefaceofthesurroundinglandscapebeyondrecognition，bringingdownthehighlands，elevatingthelow，makingfairlakeswheredesertshadbeen，anddesertswheregreenprairieshadsmiledbefore。ThetremendouscatastrophewhichhadbefallenTomhadchangedhismorallandscapeinmuchthesameway。
Someofhislowplaceshefoundliftedtoideals，someofhisideashadsunktothevalleys，andlaytherewiththesackclothandashesofpumicestoneandsulphurontheirruinedheads。
Fordayshewanderedinlonelyplaces，thinking，thinking，thinking——
tryingtogethisbearings。Itwasnewwork。Ifhemetafriend，hefoundthatthehabitofalifetimehadinsomemysteriouswayvanished——
hisarmhunglimp，insteadofinvoluntarilyextendingthehandforashake。
Itwasthe"nigger"inhimassertingitshumility，andheblushedandwasabashed。Andthe"nigger"inhimwassurprisedwhenthewhitefriendputouthishandforashakewithhim。Hefoundthe"nigger"
inhiminvoluntarilygivingtheroad，onthesidewalk，toawhiterowdyandloafer。WhenRowena，thedearestthinghisheartknew，theidolofhissecretworship，invitedhimin，the"nigger"inhimmadeanembarrassedexcuseandwasafraidtoenterandsitwiththedreadwhitefolksonequalterms。The"nigger"inhimwentshrinkingandskulkinghereandthereandyonder，andfancyingitsawsuspicionandmaybedetectioninallfaces，tones，andgestures。SostrangeanduncharacteristicwasTom’sconductthatpeoplenoticedit，andturnedtolookafterhimwhenhepassedon;andwhenheglancedback——ashecouldnothelpdoing，inspiteofhisbestresistance——andcaughtthatpuzzledexpressioninaperson’sface，itgavehimasickfeeling，andhetookhimselfoutofviewasquicklyashecould。Hepresentlycametohaveahuntedsenseandahuntedlook，andthenhefledawaytothehilltopsandthesolitudes。
HesaidtohimselfthatthecurseofHamwasuponhim。
Hedreadedhismeals;the"nigger"inhimwasashamedtositatthewhitefolk’stable，andfeareddiscoveryallthetime;andoncewhenJudgeDriscollsaid，"What’sthematterwithyou？Youlookasmeekasanigger，"hefeltassecretmurderersaresaidtofeelwhentheaccusersays，"Thouarttheman！"Tomsaidhewasnotwell，andleftthetable。
Hisostensible"aunt’s"solicitudesandendearmentswerebecomeaterrortohim，andheavoidedthem。
Andallthetime，hatredofhisostensible"uncle"wassteadilygrowinginhisheart;forhesaidtohimself，"Heiswhite;andIamhischattel，hisproperty，hisgoods，andhecansellme，justashecouldhisdog。"
Forasmuchasaweekafterthis，Tomimaginedthathischaracterhadundergoneaprettyradicalchange。Butthatwasbecausehedidnotknowhimself。
Inseveralwayshisopinionsweretotallychanged，andwouldnevergobacktowhattheywerebefore，butthemainstructureofhischaracterwasnotchanged，andcouldnotbechanged。Oneortwoveryimportantfeaturesofitwerealtered，andintimeeffectswouldresultfromthis，ifopportunityoffered——effectsofaquiteseriousnature，too。
Undertheinfluenceofagreatmentalandmoralupheaval，hischaracterandhishabitshadtakenontheappearanceofcompletechange，butafterawhilewiththesubsidenceofthestorm，bothbegantosettletowardtheirformerplaces。Hedroppedgraduallybackintohisoldfrivolousandeasygoingwaysandconditionsoffeelingandmannerofspeech，andnofamiliarofhiscouldhavedetectedanythinginhimthatdifferentiatedhimfromtheweakandcarelessTomofotherdays。
Thetheftraidwhichhehadmadeuponthevillageturnedoutbetterthanhehadventuredtohope。Itproducedthesumnecessarytopayhisgamingdebts，andsavedhimfromexposuretohisuncleandanothersmashingofthewill。Heandhismotherlearnedtolikeeachotherfairlywell。Shecouldn’tlovehim，asyet，becausethere"warn’tnothing_to_him，"assheexpressedit，buthernatureneededsomethingorsomebodytoruleover，andhewasbetterthannothing。HerstrongcharacterandaggressiveandcommandingwayscompelledTom’sadmirationinspiteofthefactthathegotmoreillustrationsofthemthanheneededforhiscomfort。
However，asaruleherconversationwasmadeupofracytaleabouttheprivaciesofthechieffamiliesofthetown（forshewentharvestingamongtheirkitchenseverytimeshecametothevillage），andTomenjoyedthis。Itwasjustinhisline。Shealwayscollectedherhalfofhispensionpunctually，andhewasalwaysatthehauntedhousetohaveachatwithherontheseoccasions。Everynowandthen，shepaidhimavisitthereonbetween—daysalso。
OccasionshewouldrunuptoSt。Louisforafewweeks，andatlasttemptationcaughthimagain。Hewonalotofmoney，butlostit，andwithitadealmorebesides，whichhepromisedtoraiseassoonaspossible。
Forthispurposeheprojectedanewraidonhistown。Henevermeddledwithanyothertown，forhewasafraidtoventureintohouseswhoseinsandoutshedidnotknowandthehabitsofwhosehouseholdshewasnotacquaintedwith。HearrivedatthehauntedhouseindisguiseontheWednesdaybeforetheadventofthetwins——afterwritinghisAuntPrattthathewouldnotarriveuntiltwodaysafter——andlayinginhidingtherewithhismotheruntiltowarddaylightFridaymorning，whenhewenttohisuncle’shouseandenteredbythebackwaywithhisownkey，andslippeduptohisroomwherehecouldhavetheuseofthemirrorandtoiletarticles。Hehadasuitofgirl’sclotheswithhiminabundleasadisguiseforhisraid，andwaswearingasuitofhismother’sclothing，withblackglovesandveil。Bydawnhewastrickedoutforhisraid，buthecaughtaglimpseofPudd’nheadWilsonthroughthewindowovertheway，andknewthatPudd’nheadhadcaughtaglimpseofhim。
SoheentertainedWilsonwithsomeairsandgracesandattitudesforawhile，thensteppedoutofsightandresumedtheotherdisguise，andbyandbywentdownandoutthebackwayandstarteddowntowntoreconnoiterthesceneofhisintendedlabors。
Buthewasillatease。HehadchangedbacktoRoxy’sdress，withthestoopofageaddedtohedisguise，sothatWilsonwouldnotbotherhimselfaboutahumbleoldwomenleavinganeighbor’shousebythebackwayintheearlymorning，incasehewasstillspying。ButsupposingWilsonhadseenhimleave，andhadthoughtitsuspicious，andhadalsofollowedhim？
ThethoughtmadeTomcold。Hegaveuptheraidfortheday，andhurriedbacktothehauntedhousebytheobscurestrouteheknew。
Hismotherwasgone;butshecameback，byandby，withthenewsofthegrandreceptionatPatsyCooper’s，andsoonpersuadedhimthattheopportunitywaslikeaspecialProvidence，itwassoinvitingandperfect。Sohewentraiding，afterall，andmadeanicesuccessofitwhileeverybodywasgonetoPatsyCooper’s。
Successgavehimnerveandevenactualintrepidity;insomuch，indeed，thatafterhehadconveyedhisharvesttohismotherinabackalley，hewenttothereceptionhimself，andaddedseveralofthevaluablesofthathousetohistakings。
AfterthislongdigressionwehavenowarrivedoncemoreatthepointwherePudd’nheadWilson，whilewaitingforthearrivalofthetwinsonthatsameFridayevening，satpuzzlingoverthestrangeapparitionofthatmorning——agirlinyoungTomDriscoll’sbedroom;fretting，andguessing，andpuzzlingoverit，andwonderingwhotheshamelesscreaturemightbe。
CHAPTER11
Pudd’nhead’sThrillingDiscoveryTherearethreeinfalliblewaysofpleasinganauthor，andthethreeformarisingscaleofcompliment：1——totellhimyouhavereadoneofhisbooks;2——totellhimyouhavereadallofhisbooks;
3——toaskhimtoletyoureadthemanuscriptofhisforthcomingbook。
No。1admitsyoutohisrespect;No。2admitsyoutohisadmiration;
No。3carriesyouclearintohisheart。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarAstotheAdjective：whenindoubt，strikeitout。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarThetwinsarrivedpresently，andtalkbegan。Itflowedalongchattilyandsociably，andunderitsinfluencethenewfriendshipgatheredeaseandstrength。WilsongotouthisCalendar，byrequest，andreadapassageortwofromit，whichthetwinspraisedquitecordially。
Thispleasedtheauthorsomuchthathecompliedgladlywhentheaskedhimtolendthemabatchoftheworktoreadathome。Inthecourseoftheirwidetravels，theyhadfoundoutthattherearethreesurewaysofpleasinganauthor;theywerenowworkingthebestofthethree。
Therewasaninterruptionnow。YoungDriscollappeared，andjoinedtheparty。Hepretendedtobeseeingthedistinguishedstrangersforthefirsttimewhentheyrosetoshakehands;butthiswasonlyablind，ashehadalreadyhadaglimpseofthem，atthereception，whilerobbingthehouse。Thetwinsmadementalnotethathewassmooth—facedandratherhandsome，andsmoothandundulatoryinhismovements——graceful，infact。Angelothoughthehadagoodeye;Luigithoughttherewassomethingveiledandslyaboutit。Angelothoughthehadapleasantfree—and—easywayoftalking;Luigithoughtitwasmoresothanwasagreeable。
Angelothoughthewasasufficientlyniceyoungman;Luigireservedhisdecision。Tom’sfirstcontributiontotheconversationwasaquestionwhichhehadputtoWilsonahundredtimesbefore。
Itwasalwayscheerilyandgood—naturedput，andalwaysinflictedalittlepang，forittouchedasecretsore;butthistimethepangwassharp，sincestrangerswerepresent。
"Well，howdoesthelawcomeon？Hadacaseyet？"
Wilsonbithislip，butanswered，"No——notyet，"withasmuchindifferenceashecouldassume。JudgeDriscollhadgenerouslyleftthelawfeatureoutofWilson’sbiographywhichhehadfurnishedtothetwins。YoungTomlaughedpleasantly，andsaid：
"Wilson’salawyer，gentlemen，buthedoesn’tpracticenow。"
Thesarcasmbit，butWilsonkepthimselfundercontrol，andsaidwithoutpassion：
"Idon’tpractice，itistrue。ItistruethatIhaveneverhadacase，andhavehadtoearnapoorlivingfortwentyyearsasanexpertaccountantinatownwhereIcan’tgetaholdofasetofbookstountangleasoftenasIshouldlike。ButitisalsotruethatIdidmyselfwellforthepracticeofthelaw。BythetimeIwasyourage，Tom，Ihadchosenaprofession，andwassooncompetenttoenteruponit。"
Tomwinced。"Inevergotachancetotrymyhandatit，andImaynevergetachance;andyetifIeverdogetit，Ishallbefoundready，forIhavekeptupmylawstudiesalltheseyears。"
"That’sit;that’sgoodgrit！Iliketoseeit。I’veanotiontothrowallmybusinessyourway。Mybusinessandyourlawpracticeoughttomakeaprettygayteam，Dave，"andtheyoungfellowlaughedagain。
"Ifyouwillthrow——"WilsonhadthoughtofthegirlinTom’sbedroom，andwasgoingtosay，"Ifyouwillthrowthesurreptitiousanddisreputablepartofyourbusinessmyway，itmayamounttosomething，"
butthoughtbetterofitandsaid，"However，thismatterdoesn’tfitwellinageneralconversation。"
"Allright，we’llchangethesubject;Iguessyouwereabouttogivemeanotherdig，anyway，soI’mwillingtochange。
How’stheAwfulMysteryflourishingthesedays？Wilson’sgotaschemefordrivingplainwindowglasspanesoutofthemarketbydecoratingitwithgreasyfingermarks，andgettingrichbysellingitatfaminepricestothecrownedheadsoverinEuropetooutfittheirpalaceswith。
Fetchitout，Dave。"
Wilsonbroughtthreeofhisglassstrips，andsaid：
"Igetthesubjecttopassthefingersofhisrightthroughhishair，soastogetalittlecoatingofthenaturaloilonthem，andthenpresstheballsofthemontheglass。Afineandelicateprintofthelinesintheskinresults，andispermanent，ifitdoesn’tcomeincontactwithsomethingabletorubitoff。
Youbegin，Tom。"
"Why，Ithinkyoutookmyfingermarksonceortwicebefore。"
"Yes，butyouwerealittleboythelasttime，onlyabouttwelveyearsold。"
"That’sso。Ofcourse，I’vechangedentirelysincethen，andvarietyiswhatthecrownedheadswant，Iguess。"
Hepassedhisfingersthroughhiscropofshorthair，andpressedthemoneatatimeontheglass。Angelomadeaprintofhisfingersonanotherglass，andLuigifollowedwithathird。Wilsonmarkedtheglasseswithnamesanddates，andputthemaway。Tomgaveoneofhislittlelaughs，andsaid：
"IthoughtIwouldn’tsayanything，butifvarietyiswhatyouareafter，youhavewastedapieceofglass。Thehandprintofonetwinisthesameasthehandprintofthefellowtwin。"
"Well，it’sdonenow，andIliketohavethemboth，anyway，"
saidWilson，returnedtohisplace。
"Butlookhere，Dave，"saidTom，youusedtotellpeople’sfortunes，too，whenyoutooktheirfingermarks。Dave’sjustanall—roundgenius——
ageniusofthefirstwater，gentlemen;agreatscientistrunningtoseedhereinthisvillage，aprophetwiththekindofhonorthatprophetsgenerallygetathome——forheretheydon’tgiveshucksforhisscientifics，andtheycallhisskullanotionfactory——hey，Dave，ain’titso？Butnevermind，he’llmakehismarksomeday——fingermark，youknow，he—he！Butreally，youwanttolethimtakeashyatyourpalmsonce;it’sworthtwicethepriceofadmissionoryourmoney’sreturnedatthedoor。Why，he’llreadyourwrinklesaseasyasabook，andnotonlytellyoufiftyorsixtythingsthat’sgoingtohappentoyou，butfiftyorsixtythousandthatain’t。Come，Dave，showthegentlemenwhataninspiredjack—at—all—sciencewe’vegotinthistown，anddon’tknowit。"
Wilsonwincedunderthisnaggingandnotverycourteouschaff，andthetwinssufferedwithhimandforhim。Theyrightlyjudged，now，thatthebestwaywastorelievehimwouldbetotakethethinginearnestandtreatitwithrespect，ignoringTom’sratheroverdoneraillery;soLuigisaid：
"Wehaveseensomethingofpalmistryinourwanderings，andknowverywellwhatastonishingthingsitcando。Ifitisn’tascience，andoneofthegreatestofthemtoo，Idon’tknowwhatitsothernameoughttobe。IntheOrient——"
Tomlookedsurprisedandincredulous。Hesaid：
"Thatjugglingascience？Butreally，youain’tserious，areyou？"
"Yes，entirelyso。Fouryearsagowehadourhandsreadouttousasifourplanshadbeencoveredwithprint。"
"Well，doyoumeantosaytherewasactuallyanythinginit？"askedTom，hisincredulitybeginningtoweakenalittle。
"Therewasthismuchinit，"saidAngelo："whatwastoldusofourcharacterswasminutelyexact——wecouldhavenothavebettereditourselves。Next，twoorthreememorablethingsthathavehappenedtouswerelaidbare——thingswhichnoonepresentbutourselvescouldhaveknownabout。"
"Why，it’sranksorcery！"exclaimedTom，whowasnowbecomingverymuchinterested。"Andhowdidtheymakeoutwithwhatwasgoingtohappentoyouinthefuture？"
"Onthewhole，quitefairly，"saidLuigi。"Twoorthreeofthemoststrikingthingsforetoldhavehappenedsince;muchthemoststrikingoneofallhappenedwithinthatsameyear。Someoftheminorprophesieshavecometrue;someoftheminorandsomeofthemajoroneshavenotbeenfulfilledyet，andofcoursemayneverbe：still，Ishouldbemoresurprisediftheyfailedtoarrivethaniftheydidn’t。"
Tomwasentirelysobered，andprofoundlyimpressed。Hesaid，apologetically：
"Dave，Iwasn’tmeaningtobelittlethatscience;Iwasonlychaffing——
chattering，IreckonI’dbettersay。Iwishyouwouldlookattheirpalms。
Come，won’tyou？"
"Whycertainly，ifyouwantmeto;butyouknowI’vehadnochancetobecomeanexpert，anddon’tclaimtobeone。Whenapasteventissomewhatprominentlyrecordedinthepalm，Icangenerallydetectthat，butminoronesoftenescapeme——notalways，ofcourse，butoften——
butIhaven’tmuchconfidenceinmyselfwhenitcomestoreadingthefuture。Iamtalkingasifpalmistrywasadailystudywithme，butthatisnotso。Ihaven’texaminedhalfadozenhandsinthelasthalfdozenyears;yousee，thepeoplegottojokingaboutit，andIstoppedtoletthetalkdiedown。I’lltellyouwhatwe’lldo，CountLuigi：I’llmakeatryatyourpast，andifIhaveanysuccessthere——no，onthewhole，I’llletthefuturealone;that’sreallytheaffairofanexpert。"
HetookLuigi’shand。Tomsaid：
"Wait——don’tlookyet，Dave！CountLuigi，here’spaperandpencil。
Setdownthatthingthatyousaidwasthemoststrikingonethatwasforetoldtoyou，andhappenedlessthanayearafterward，andgiveittomesoIcanseeifDavefindsitinyourhand。"
Luigiwrotealineprivately，andfoldedupthepieceofpaper，andhandedittoTom，saying：
"I’lltellyouwhentolookatit，ifhefindsit。"
WilsonbegantostudyLuigi’spalm，tracinglifelines，heartlines，headlines，andsoon，andnotingcarefullytheirrelationswiththecobweboffinerandmoredelicatemarksandlinesthatenmeshedthemonallsides;hefeltofthefleshycushionatthebaseofthethumbandnoteditsshape;hefeltofthefleshysideofthehandbetweenthewristandthebaseofthelittlefingerandnoteditsshapealso;
hepainstakinglyexaminedthefingers，observingtheirform，proportions，andnaturalmannerofdisposingthemselveswheninrepose。
Allthisprocesswaswatchedbythethreespectatorswithabsorbinginterest，theirheadsbenttogetheroverLuigi’spalm，andnobodydisturbingthestillnesswithaword。Wilsonnowentereduponaclosesurveyofthepalmagain，andhisrevelationsbegan。
HemappedoutLuigi’scharacteranddisposition，histastes，aversions，proclivities，ambitions，andeccentricitiesinawaywhichsometimesmadeLuigiwinceandtheotherslaugh，butbothtwinsdeclaredthatthechartwasartisticallydrawnandwascorrect。
Next，WilsontookupLuigi’history。Heproceededcautiouslyandwithhesitationnow，movinghisfingerslowlyalongthegreatlinesofthepalm，andnowandthenhaltingitata"star"orsomesuchlandmark，andexaminingthatneighborhoodminutely。
Heproclaimedoneortwopastevents，Luigiconfirmedhiscorrectness，andthesearchwenton。PresentlyWilsonglancedupsuddenlywithasurprisedexpression。
"Hereisarecordofanincidentwhichyouwouldperhapsnotwishmeto——"
"Bringitout，"saidLuigi，good—naturedly。"Ipromiseyousha’n’tembarrassme。"
ButWilsonstillhesitated，anddidnotseemquitetoknowwhattodo。
Thenhesaid：
"Ithinkitistoodelicateamatterto——to——IbelieveIwouldratherwriteitorwhisperittoyou，andletyoudecideforyourselfwhetheryouwantittalkedoutornot。"
"Thatwillanswer，"saidLuigi。"Writeit。"
WilsonwrotesomethingonaslipofpaperandhandedittoLuigi，whoreadittohimselfandsaidtoTom：
"Unfoldyourslipandreadit，Mr。Driscoll。"
Tomsaid：
"’ITWASPROPHESIEDTHATIWOULDKILLAMAN。ITCAMETRUE
BEFORETHEYEARWASOUT。’"
Tomadded，"GreatScott！"
LuigihandedWilson’spapertoTom，andsaid：
"Nowreadthisone。"
Tomread：
"’YOUHAVEKILLEDSOMEONE，BUTWHETHERMAN，WOMAN，ORCHILD，IDONOTMAKEOUT。’"
"Caesar’sghost！"commentedTom，withastonishment。
"Itbeatsanythingthatwaseverheardof！Why，aman’sownhandishisdeadliestenemy！Justthinkofthat——aman’sownhandkeepsarecordofthedeepestandfatalestsecretsofhislife，andistreacherouslyreadytoexposehimselftoanyblack—magicstrangerthatcomesalong。Butwhatdoyouletapersonlookatyourhandfor，withthatawfulthingprintedonit？"
"Oh，"saidLuigi，reposefully，"Idon’tmindit。Ikilledthemanforgoodreasons，andIdon’tregretit。"
"Whatwerethereasons？"
"Well，heneededkilling。"
"I’lltellyouwhyhedidit，sincehewon’tsayhimself，"saidAngelo，warmly。"Hedidittosavemylife，that’swhathediditfor。
Soitwasanobleact，andnotathingtobehidinthedark。"
"Soitwas，soitwas，"saidWilson。"Todosuchathingtosaveabrother’slifeisagreatandfineaction。"
"Nowcome，"saidLuigi，"itisverypleasanttohearyousaythesethings，butforunselfishness，orheroism，ormagnanimity，thecircumstanceswon’tstandscrutiny。Youoverlookonedetail;
supposeIhadn’tsavedAngelo’slife，whatwouldhavebecomeofmine？
IfIhadletthemankillhim，wouldn’thehavekilledme，too？
Isavedmyownlife，yousee。"
"Yes，thatisyourwayoftalking，"saidAngelo，"butIknowyou——
Idon’tbelieveyouthoughtofyourselfatall。IkeepthatweaponyetthatLuigikilledthemanwith，andI’llshowittoyousometime。
Thatincidentmakesitinteresting，andithadahistorybeforeitcameintoLuigi’shandswhichaddstoitsinterest。ItwasgiventoLuigibyagreatIndianprince，theGaikowarofBaroda，andithadbeeninhisfamilytwoorthreecenturies。Itkilledagoodmanydisagreeablepeoplewhotroubledthehearthstoneatonetimeoranother。Itisn’tmuchtoolookat，exceptitisn’tshapedlikeotherknives，ordirks，orwhateveritmaybecalled——here，I’lldrawitforyou。"Hetookasheetofpaperandmadearapidsketch。"Thereitis——abroadandmurderousblade，withedgeslikearazorforsharpness。
Thedevicesengravedonitaretheciphersornamesofitslonglineofpossessors——IhadLuigi’snameaddedinRomanlettersmyselfwithourcoatofarms，asyousee。Younoticewhatacurioushandlethethinghas。Itissolidivory，polishedlikeamirror，andisfourorfiveincheslong——round，andasthickasalargeman’swrist，withtheendsquaredoffflat，foryourthumbtoreston;foryougraspit，withyourthumbrestingonthebluntend——
so——andliftitalongandstrikedownward。TheGaikowarshowedushowthethingwasdonewhenhegaveittoLuigi，andbeforethatnightwasended，Luigihadusedtheknife，andtheGaikowarwasamanshortbyreasonofit。Thesheathismagnificentlyornamentedwithgemsofgreatvalue。Youwillfindasheathmoreworthlookingatthantheknifeitself，ofcourse。"
Tomsaidtohimself：
"It’sluckyIcamehere。Iwouldhavesoldthatknifeforasong;
Isupposedthejewelswereglass。"
"Butgoon;don’tstop，"saidWilson。"Ourcuriosityisupnow，tohearaboutthehomicide。Tellusaboutthat。"
"Well，briefly，theknifewastoblameforthat，allaround。
Anativeservantslippedintoourroominthepalaceinthenight，tokillusandstealtheknifeonaccountofthefortuneencrustedonitssheath，withoutadoubt。Luigihaditunderhispillow;
wewereinbedtogether。Therewasadimnight—lightburning。
Iwasasleep，butLuigiwasawake，andhethoughthedetectedavagueformnearingthebed。Heslippedtheknifeoutofthesheathandwasreadyandunembarrassedbyhamperingbedclothes，fortheweatherwashotandwehadn’tany。Suddenlythatnativeroseatthebedside，andbentovermewithhisrighthandliftedandadirkinitaimedatmythroat;butLuigigrabbedhiswrist，pulledhimdownward，anddrovehisownknifeintotheman’sneck。
Thatisthewholestory。"
WilsonandTomdrewdeepbreaths，andaftersomegeneralchataboutthetragedy，Pudd’nheadsaid，takingTom’shand：
"Now，Tom，I’veneverhadalookatyourpalms，asithappens;
perhapsyou’vegotsomelittlequestionableprivaciesthatneed——hel—lo！"
Tomhadsnatchedawayhishand，andwaslookingagooddealconfused。
"Why，he’sblushing！"saidLuigi。
Tomdartedanuglylookathim，andsaidsharply：
"Well，ifIam，itain’tbecauseI’mamurderer！"Luigi’sdarkfaceflushed，butbeforehecouldspeakormove，Tomaddedwithanxioushaste："Oh，Ibegathousandpardons。Ididn’tmeanthat;
itwasoutbeforeIthought，andI’mvery，verysorry——youmustforgiveme！"
Wilsoncametotherescue，andsmoothedthingsdownaswellashecould;
andinfactwasentirelysuccessfulasfarasthetwinswereconcerned，fortheyfeltsorrierfortheaffrontputuponhimbyhisguest’soutburstofillmannersthanfortheinsultofferedtoLuigi。
Butthesuccesswasnotsopronouncedwiththeoffender。Tomtriedtoseemathisease，andhewentthroughthemotionsfairlywell，butatbottomhefeltresentfultowardallthethreewitnessesofhisexhibition;infact，hefeltsoannoyedatthemforhavingwitnesseditandnoticeditthathealmostforgottofeelannoyedathimselfforplacingitbeforethem。However，somethingpresentlyhappenedwhichmadehimalmostcomfortable，andbroughthimnearlybacktoastateofcharityandfriendliness。Thiswasalittlespatbetweenthetwins;notmuchofaspat，butstillaspat;andbeforetheygotfarwithit，theywereinadecidedconditionofirritationwhilepretendingtobeactuatedbymorerespectablemotives。Byhishelpthefiregotwarmeduptotheblazingpoint，andhemighthavehadthehappinessofseeingtheflamesshowupinanothermoment，butfortheinterruptionofaknockonthedoor——aninterruptionwhichfrettedhimasmuchasitgratifiedWilson。Wilsonopenedthedoor。
Thevisitorwasagood—natured，ignorant，energeticmiddle—agedIrishmannamedJohnBuckstone，whowasagreatpoliticianinasmallway，andalwaystookalargeshareinpublicmattersofeverysort。Oneofthetown’schiefexcitements，justnow，wasoverthematterofrum。Therewasastrongrumpartyandastronganti—rumparty。Buckstonewastrainingwiththerumparty，andhehadbeensenttohuntupthetwinsandinvitethemtoattendamassmeetingofthatfaction。Hedeliveredhiserrand，andsaidtheclanswerealreadygatheringinthebighalloverthemarkethouse。
Luigiacceptedtheinvitationcordially。Angelolesscordially，sincehedislikedcrowds，anddidnotdrinkthepowerfulintoxicantsofAmerica。Infact，hewasevenateetotalersometimes——
whenitwasjudicioustobeone。
ThetwinsleftwithBuckstone，andTomDriscolljoinedthecompanywiththemuninvited。
Inthedistance，onecouldseealongwaveringlineoftorchesdriftingdownthemainstreet，andcouldhearthethrobbingofthebassdrum，theclashofcymbals，thesqueakingofafifeortwo，andthefaintroarofremotehurrahs。Thetailendofthisprocessionwasclimbingthemarkethousestairswhenthetwinsarrivedinitsneighborhood;whentheyreachedthehall，itwasfullofpeople，torches，smoke，noise，andenthusiasm。
TheywereconductedtotheplatformbyBuckstone——TomDriscollstillfollowing——andweredeliveredtothechairmaninthemidstofaprodigiousexplosionofwelcome。Whenthenoisehadmoderatedalittle，thechairproposedthat"ourillustriousguestsbeatonceelected，bycomplimentaryacclamation，tomembershipinourever—gloriousorganization，theparadiseofthefreeandtheperditionoftheslave。"
Thiseloquentdischargeopenedthefloodgatesofenthusiasmagain，andtheelectionwascarriedwiththunderingunanimity。Thenaroseastormofcries：
"Wetthemdown！Wetthemdown！Givethemadrink！"
Glassesofwhiskywerehandedtothetwins。Luigiwaveshisaloft，thenbroughtittohislips;butAngelosethisdown。
Therewasanotherstormofcries。
"What’sthematterwiththeotherone？""Whatistheblondonegoingbackonusfor？""Explain！Explain！"
Thechairmaninquired，andthenreported：
"Wehavemadeanunfortunatemistake，gentlemen。IfindthattheCountAngeloCapelloisopposedtoourcreed——isateetotaler，infact，andwasnotintendingtoapplyformembershipwithus。Hedesiresthatwereconsiderthevotebywhichhewaselected。Whatisthepleasureofthehouse？"
Therewasageneralburstoflaughter，plentifullyaccentedwithwhistlingsandcatcalls，buttheenergeticuseofthegavelpresentlyrestoredsomethinglikeorder。Thenamanspokefromthecrowd，andsaidthatwhilehewasverysorrythatthemistakehadbeenmade，itwouldnotbepossibletorectifyitatthepresentmeeting。Accordingtothebylaws，itmustgoovertothenextregularmeetingforaction。Hewouldnotofferamotion，asnonewasrequired。Hedesiredtoapologizetothegentlemeninthenameofthehouse，andbeggedtoassurehimthatasfarasitmightlieinthepoweroftheSonsofLiberty，histemporarymembershipintheorderwouldbemadepleasanttohim。
Thisspeechwasreceivedwithgreatapplause，mixedwithcriesof：
"That’sthetalk！"He’sagoodfellow，anyway，ifhe_is_ateetotaler！"
"Drinkhishealth！""Givehimarouser，andnoheeltaps！"
Glasseswerehandedaround，andeverybodyontheplatformdrankAngelo’shealth，whilethehousebellowedforthinsong：
Forhe’sajollygoodfel—low，Forhe’sajollygoodfel—low，Forhe’sajollygoodfe—el—low，Whichnobodycandeny。
TomDriscolldrank。Itwashissecondglass，forhehaddrunkAngelo’sthemomentthatAngelohadsetitdown。Thetwodrinksmadehimverymerry——almostidioticallyso，andhebegantotakeamostlivelyandprominentpartintheproceedings，particularlyinthemusicandcatcallsandsideremarks。
Thechairmanwasstillstandingatthefront，thetwinsathisside。
TheextraordinarilycloseresemblanceofthebrotherstoeachothersuggestedawitticismtoTomDriscoll，andjustasthechairmanbeganaspeechheskippedforwardandsaid，withanairoftipsyconfidence，totheaudience：
"Boys，Imovethathekeepsstillandletsthishumanphilopenasnipyououtaspeech。"
Thedescriptiveaptnessofthephrasecaughtthehouse，andamightyburstoflaughterfollowed。
Luigi’ssouthernbloodleapedtotheboilingpointinamomentunderthesharphumiliationofthisinsultdeliveredinthepresenceoffourhundredstrangers。Itwasnotintheyoungman’snaturetoletthematterpass，ortodelaythesquaringoftheaccount。
Hetookacoupleofstridesandhaltedbehindtheunsuspectingjoker。
ThenhedrewbackanddeliveredakickofsuchtitanicvigorthatitliftedTomclearoverthefootlightsandlandedhimontheheadsofthefrontrowoftheSonsofLiberty。
Evenasoberpersondoesnotliketohaveahumanbeingemptiedonhimwhenheisnotgoinganyharm;apersonwhoisnotsobercannotenduresuchanattentionatall。ThenestofSonsofLibertythatDriscolllandedinhadnotasoberbirdinit;infacttherewasprobablynotanentirelysoberoneintheauditorium。DriscollwaspromptlyandindignantlyflungontheheadsofSonsinthenextrow，andtheseSonspassedhimontowardtherear，andthenimmediatelybegantopummelthefrontrowSonswhohadpassedhimtothem。ThiscoursewasstrictlyfollowedbybenchafterbenchasDriscolltraveledinhistumultuousandairyflighttowardthedoor;soheleftbehindhimanever—lengtheningwakeofragingandplungingandfightingandswearinghumanity。
Downwentgroupaftergroupoftorches，andpresentlyabovethedeafeningclatterofthegavel，roarofangryvoices，andcrashofsuccumbingbenches，rosetheparalyzingcryof"_fire！_"
Thefightingceasedinstantly;thecursingceased;foronedistinctlydefinedmoment，therewasadeadhush，amotionlesscalm，wherethetempesthadbeen;thenwithoneimpulsethemultitudeawoketolifeandenergyagain，andwentsurgingandstrugglingandswaying，thiswayandthat，itsouteredgesmeltingawaythroughwindowsanddoorsandgraduallylesseningthepressureandrelievingthemass。
Thefireboyswereneveronhandsosuddenlybefore;fortherewasnodistancetogothistime，theirquartersbeingintherearendofthemarkethouse，Therewasanenginecompanyandahook—and—laddercompany。Halfofeachwascomposedofrummiesandtheotherhalfofanti—rummies，afterthemoralandpoliticalshare—and—share—alikefashionofthefrontiertownoftheperiod。
Enoughanti—rummieswereloafinginquarterstomantheengineandtheladders。Intwominutestheyhadtheirredshirtsandhelmetson——
theyneverstirredofficiallyinunofficialcostume——andasthemassmeetingoverheadsmashedthroughthelongrowofwindowsandpouredoutupontheroofofthearcade，thedelivererswerereadyforthemwithapowerfulstreamofwater，whichwashedsomeofthemofftheroofandnearlydrownedtherest。Butwaterwaspreferabletofire，andstillthestampedefromthewindowscontinued，andstillthepitilessdrenchingassailedituntilthebuildingwasempty;
thenthefireboysmountedtothehallandfloodeditwithwaterenoughtoannihilatefortytimesasmuchfireastherewasthere;
foravillagefirecompanydoesnotoftengetachancetoshowoff，andsowhenitdoesgetachance，itmakesthemostofit。
Suchcitizensofthatvillageaswereofathoughtfulandjudicioustemperamentdidnotinsureagainstfire;theyinsuredagainstthefirecompany。
CHAPTER12
TheShameofJudgeDriscollCourageisresistancetofear，masteryoffear——notabsenceoffear。
Exceptacreaturebepartcoward，itisnotacomplimenttosayitisbrave;itismerelyaloosemisapplicationoftheword。
Considertheflea！——incomparablythebravestofallthecreaturesofGod，ifignoranceoffearwerecourage。Whetheryouareasleeporawakehewillattackyou，caringnothingforthefactthatinbulkandstrengthyouaretohimasarethemassedarmiesoftheearthtoasuckingchild;
helivesbothdayandnightandalldaysandnightsintheverylapofperilandtheimmediatepresenceofdeath，andyetisnomoreafraidthanisthemanwhowalksthestreetsofacitythatwasthreatenedbyanearthquaketencenturiesbefore。WhenwespeakofClive，Nelson，andPutnamasmenwho"didn’tknowwhatfearwas，"
weoughtalwaystoaddtheflea——andputhimattheheadoftheprocession。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarJudgeDriscollwasinbedandasleepbyteno’clockonFridaynight，andhewasupandgonea—fishingbeforedaylightinthemorningwithhisfriendPembrokeHoward。ThesetwohadbeenboystogetherinVirginiawhenthatstatestillrankedasthechiefandmostimposingmemberoftheUnion，andtheystillcoupledtheproudandaffectionateadjective"old"withhernamewhentheyspokeofher。
InMissouriarecognizedsuperiorityattachedtoanypersonwhohailedfromOldVirginia;andthissuperioritywasexaltedtosupremacywhenapersonofsuchnativitycouldalsoprovedescentfromtheFirstFamiliesofthatgreatcommonwealth。TheHowardsandDriscollswereofthisaristocracy。Intheireyes，itwasanobility。
Ithaditsunwrittenlaws，andtheywereasclearlydefinedandasstrictasanythatcouldbefoundamongtheprintedstatuesoftheland。
TheF。F。V。wasbornagentleman;hishighestdutyinlifewastowatchoverthatgreatinheritanceandkeepitunsmirched。
Hemustkeephishonorspotless。Thoselawswerehischart;
hiscoursewasmarkedoutonit;ifheswervedfromitbysomuchashalfapointofthecompass，itmeantshipwrecktohishonor;
thatistosay，degradationfromhisrankasagentleman。
Theselawsrequiredcertainthingsofhimwhichhisreligionmightforbid：
thenhisreligionmustyield——thelawscouldnotberelaxedtoaccommodatereligionsoranythingelse。Honorstoodfirst;
andthelawsdefinedwhatitwasandwhereinitdifferedincertaindetailsfromhonorasdefinedbychurchcreedsandbythesociallawsandcustomsofsomeoftheminordivisionsoftheglobethathadgotcrowdedoutwhenthesacredboundariesofVirginiawerestakedout。
IfJudgeDriscollwastherecognizedfirstcitizenofDawson’sLanding，PembrokeHowardwaseasilyitsrecognizedsecondcitizen。
Hewascalled"thegreatlawyer"——anearnedtitle。HeandDriscollwereofthesameage——ayearortwopastsixty。
AlthoughDriscollwasafreethinkerandHowardastronganddeterminedPresbyterian，theirwarmintimacysufferednoimpairmentinconsequence。Theyweremenwhoseopinionsweretheirownpropertyandnotsubjecttorevisionandamendment，suggestionorcriticism，byanybody，eventheirfriends。
Theday’sfishingfinished，theycamefloatingdownstreamintheirskiff，talkingnationalpoliticsandotherhighmatters，andpresentlymetaskiffcomingupfromtown，withamaninitwhosaid：
"Ireckonyouknowoneofthenewtwinsgaveyournephewakickinglastnight，Judge？"
"DidWHAT？"
"Gavehimakicking。"
Theoldjudge’slipspaled，andhiseyesbegantoflame。Hechokedwithangerforamoment，thenhegotoutwhathewastryingtosay：
"Well——well——goon！Givemethedetails！"
Themandidit。Atthefinishthejudgewassilentaminute，turningoverinhismindtheshamefulpictureofTom’sflightoverthefootlights;thenhesaid，asifmusingaloud，"H’m——Idon’tunderstandit。Iwasasleepathome。Hedidn’twakeme。
Thoughthewascompetenttomanagehisaffairwithoutmyhelp，Ireckon。"
Hisfacelitupwithprideandpleasureatthatthought，andhesaidwithacheerycomplacency，"Ilikethat——it’sthetrueoldblood——
hey，Pembroke？"
Howardsmiledanironsmile，andnoddedhisheadapprovingly。
Thenthenews—bringerspokeagain。
"ButTombeatthetwinonthetrial。"
Thejudgelookedatthemanwonderingly，andsaid：
"Thetrial？Whattrial？"
"Why，TomhadhimupbeforeJudgeRobinsonforassaultandbattery。"
Theoldmanshranksuddenlytogetherlikeonewhohasreceivedadeathstroke。Howardsprangforhimashesankforwardinaswoon，andtookhiminhisarms，andbeddedhimonhisbackintheboat。
Hesprinkledwaterinhisface，andsaidtothestartledvisitor：
"Go，now——don’tlethimcometoandfindyouhere。Youseewhataneffectyourheedlessspeechhashad;yououghttohavebeenmoreconsideratethantoblurtoutsuchacruelpieceofslanderasthat。"
"I’mrightdownsorryIdiditnow，Mr。Howard，andIwouldn’thavedoneitifIhadthought;butitain’tslander;
it’sperfectlytrue，justasItoldhim。"
Herowedaway。Presentlytheoldjudgecameoutofhisfaintandlookeduppiteouslyintothesympatheticfacethatwasbentoverhim。
"Sayitain’ttrue，Pembroke;tellmeitain’ttrue！"hesaidinaweakvoice。
Therewasnothingweakinthedeeporgantonesthatresponded：
"Youknowit’salieaswellasIdo，oldfriend。HeisofthebestbloodoftheOldDominion。"
"Godblessyouforsayingit！"saidtheoldgentleman，fervently。
"Ah，Pembroke，itwassuchablow！"
Howardstayedbyhisfriend，andsawhimhome，andenteredthehousewithhim。Itwasdark，andpastsupper—time，butthejudgewasnotthinkingofsupper;hewaseagertoheartheslanderrefutedfromheadquarters，andaseagertohaveHowardhearit，too。
Tomwassentfor，andhecameimmediately。Hewasbruisedandlame，andwasnotahappy—lookingobject。Hisunclemadehimsitdown，andsaid：
"Wehavebeenhearingaboutyouradventure，Tom，withahandsomelieaddedforembellishment。Nowpulverizethatlietodust！
Whatmeasureshaveyoutaken？Howdoesthethingstand？"
Tomansweredguilelessly："Itdon’tstandatall;it’sallover。
Ihadhimupincourtandbeathim。Pudd’nheadWilsondefendedhim——
firstcaseheeverhad，andlostit。Thejudgefinedthemiserablehoundfivedollarsfortheassault。"
Howardandthejudgesprangtotheirfeetwiththeopeningsentence——
why，neitherknew;thentheystoodgazingvacantlyateachother。
Howardstoodamoment，thensatmournfullydownwithoutsayinganything。
Thejudge’swrathbegantokindle，andheburstout：
"Youcur！Youscum！Youvermin！Doyoumeantotellmethatbloodofmyracehassufferedablowandcrawledtoacourtoflawaboutit？
Answerme！"
Tom’sheaddrooped，andheansweredwithaneloquentsilence。
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