my　daughter　that　he　went　away　about　ten　minutes　after；at　least；
  not　more　than　fifteen。〃　　Like　all　unprofessional　humanity；　Mr。
  Harkutt　had　an　exaggerated　conception　of　the　majesty　of　unimportant
  detail　in　the　eye　of　the　law。　　〃I'd　go　with　you　myself；〃　he　added
  quickly；　〃but　I've　got　companystrangershere。〃
  〃How　did　he　look　when　he　left；kinder　wild？〃　suggested　Peters。
  Harkutt　had　begun　to　feel　the　prudence　of　present　reticence。
  〃Well；〃　he　said；　cautiously；　〃YOU　saw　how　he　looked。〃
  〃You　wasn't　rough　with　him？that　might　have　sent　him　off；　you
  know；〃　said　Peters。
  〃No；〃　said　Harkutt；　forgetting　himself　in　a　quick　indignation；　〃no；
  I　not　only　treated　him　to　another　drink；　but　gave　him〃he　stopped
  suddenly　and　awkwardly。
  〃Eh？〃　said　Peters。
  〃Some　good　advice；you　know；〃　said　Harkutt；　hastily。　　〃But　come；
  you'd　better　hurry　over　to　the　squire's。　　You　know　YOU'VE　made　the
  discovery；　YOUR　evidence　is　important；　and　there's　a　law　that
  obliges　you　to　give　information　at　once。〃
  The　excitement　of　discovery　and　the　triumph　over　his　disputants
  being　spent；　Peters；　after　the　Sidon　fashion；　evidently　did　not
  relish　activity　as　a　duty。　　〃You　know；〃　he　said　dubiously；　〃he
  mightn't　be　dead；　after　all。〃
  Harkutt　became　a　trifle　distant。　　〃You　know　your　own　opinion　of　the
  thing；〃　he　replied　after　a　pause。　　〃You've　circumstantial　evidence
  enough　to　see　the　squire；　and　set　others　to　work　on　it；　and；〃　he
  added　significantly；　〃you've　done　your　share　then；　and　can　wipe
  your　hands　of　it；　eh？〃
  〃That's　so；〃　said　Peters；　eagerly。　　〃I'll　just　run　over　to　the
  squire。〃
  〃And　on　account　of　the　women　folks；　you　know；　and　the　strangers
  here；　I'll　say　nothin'　about　it　to…night；〃　added　Harkutt。
  Peters　nodded　his　head；　and　taking　up　the　hat　of　the　unfortunate
  Elijah　with　a　certain　hesitation；　as　if　he　feared　it　had　already
  lost　its　dramatic　intensity　as　a　witness；　disappeared　into　the
  storm　and　darkness　again。　　A　lurking　gust　of　wind　lying　in　ambush
  somewhere　seemed　to　swoop　down　on　him　as　if　to　prevent　further
  indecision　and　whirl　him　away　in　the　direction　of　the　justice's
  house；　and　Mr。　Harkutt　shut　the　door；　bolted　it；　and　walked
  aimlessly　back　to　the　counter。
  From　a　slow；　deliberate　and　cautious　man；　he　seemed　to　have　changed
  within　an　hour　to　an　irresolute　and　capricious　one。　　He　took　the
  paper　from　his　pocket；　and；　unlocking　the　money　drawer　of　his
  counter；　folded　into　a　small　compass　that　which　now　seemed　to　be
  the　last　testament　of　Elijah　Curtis；　and　placed　it　in　a　recess。
  Then　he　went　to　the　back　door　and　paused；　then　returned；　reopened
  the　money　drawer；　took　out　the　paper　and　again　buttoned　it　in　his
  hip　pocket；　standing　by　the　stove　and　staring　abstractedly　at　the
  dull　glow　of　the　fire。　　He　even　went　through　the　mechanical　process
  of　raking　down　the　ashes；solely　to　gain　time　and　as　an　excuse　for
  delaying　some　other　necessary　action。
  He　was　thinking　what　he　should　do。　　Had　the　question　of　his　right
  to　retain　and　make　use　of　that　paper　been　squarely　offered　to　him
  an　hour　ago；　he　would　without　doubt　have　decided　that　he　ought　not
  to　keep　it。　　Even　now；　looking　at　it　as　an　abstract　principle；　he
  did　not　deceive　himself　in　the　least。　　But　Nature　has　the
  reprehensible　habit　of　not　presenting　these　questions　to　us
  squarely　and　fairly；　and　it　is　remarkable　that　in　most　of　our
  offending　the　abstract　principle　is　never　the　direct　issue。　　Mr。
  Harkutt　was　conscious　of　having　been　unwillingly　led　step　by　step
  into　a　difficult；　not　to　say　dishonest；　situation；　and　against　his
  own　seeking。　　He　had　never　asked　Elijah　to　sell　him　the　property；
  he　had　distinctly　declined　it；　it　had　even　been　forced　upon　him　as
  security　for　the　pittance　he　so　freely　gave　him。　　This　proved　（to
  himself）　that　he　himself　was　honest；　it　was　only　the　circumstances
  that　were　queer。　　Of　course　if　Elijah　had　lived；　he；　Harkutt；　might
  have　tried　to　drive　some　bargain　with　him　before　the　news　of　the
  railroad　survey　came　outfor　THAT　was　only　business。　　But　now　that
  Elijah　was　dead；　who　would　be　a　penny　the　worse　or　better　but
  himself　if　he　chose　to　consider　the　whole　thing　as　a　lucky
  speculation；　and　his　gift　of　five　dollars　as　the　price　he　paid　for
  it？　　Nobody　could　think　that　he　had　calculated　upon　'Lige's
  suicide；　any　more　than　that　the　property　would　become　valuable。　　In
  fact　if　it　came　to　that；　if　'Lige　had　really　contemplated　killing
  himself　as　a　hopeless　bankrupt　after　taking　Harkutt's　money　as　a
  loan；　it　was　a　swindle　on　hisHarkutt'sgood…nature。　　He　worked
  himself　into　a　rage；　which　he　felt　was　innately　virtuous；　at　this
  tyranny　of　cold　principle　over　his　own　warm…hearted　instincts；　but
  if　it　came　to　the　LAW；　he'd　stand　by　law　and　not　sentiment。　　He'd
  just　let　themby　which　he　vaguely　meant　the　world；　Tasajara；　and
  possibly　his　own　consciencesee　that　he　wasn't　a　sentimental　fool；
  and　he'd　freeze　on　to　that　paper　and　that　property！
  Only　he　ought　to　have　spoken　out　before。　　He　ought　to　have　told　the
  surveyor　at　once　that　he　owned　the　land。　　He　ought　to　have　said：
  〃Why；　that's　my　land。　　I　bought　it　of　that　drunken　'Lige　Curtis　for
  a　song　and　out　of　charity。〃　　Yes；　that　was　the　only　real　trouble；
  and　that　came　from　his　own　goodness；　his　own　extravagant　sense　of
  justice　and　right；his　own　cursed　good…nature。　　Yet；　on　second
  thoughts；　he　didn't　know　why　he　was　obliged　to　tell　the　surveyor。
  Time　enough　when　the　company　wanted　to　buy　the　land。　　As　soon　as　it
  was　settled　that　'Lige　was　dead　he'd　openly　claim　the　property。
  But　what　if　he　wasn't　dead？　or　they　couldn't　find　his　body？　or　he
  had　only　disappeared？　　His　plain；　matter…of…fact　face　contracted
  and　darkened。　　Of　course　he　couldn't　ask　the　company　to　wait　for
  him　to　settle　that　point。　　He　had　the　power　to　dispose　of　the
  property　under　that　paper；　andhe　should　do　it。　　If　'Lige　turned
  up；　that　was　another　matter；　and　he　and　'Lige　could　arrange　it
  between　them。　　He　was　quite　firm　here；　and　oddly　enough　quite
  relieved　in　getting　rid　of　what　appeared　only　a　simple　question　of
  detail。　　He　never　suspected　that　he　was　contemplating　the　one
  irretrievable　step；　and　summarily　dismissing　the　whole　ethical
  question。
  He　turned　away　from　the　stove；　opened　the　back　door；　and　walked
  with　a　more　determined　step　through　the　passage　to　the　sitting…
  room。　　But　here　he　halted　again　on　the　threshold　with　a　quick
  return　of　his　old　habits　of　caution。　　The　door　was　slightly　open；
  apparently　his　angry　outbreak　of　an　hour　ago　had　not　affected　the
  spirits　of　his　daughters；　for　he　could　hear　their　hilarious　voices
  mingling　with　those　of　the　strangers。　　They　were　evidently　still
  fortune…telling；　but　this　time　it　was　the　prophetic　and　divining
  accents　of　Mr。　Rice　addressed　to　Clementina　which　were　now　plainly
  audible。
  〃I　see　heaps　of　money　and　a　great　many　friends　in　the　change　that
  is　coming　to　you。　　Dear　me！　how　many　suitors！　　But　I　cannot　promise
  you　any　marriage　as　brilliant　as　my　friend　has　just　offered　your
  sister。　　You　may　be　certain；　however；　that　you'll　have　your　own
  choice　in　this；　as　you　have　in　all　things。〃
  〃Thank　you　for　nothing；〃　said　Clementina's　voice。　　〃But　what　are
  those　horrid　black　cards　beside　them？that's　trouble；　I'm　sure。〃
  〃Not　for　you；　though　near　you。　　Perhaps　some　one　you　don't　care
  much　for　and　don't　understand　will　have　a　heap　of　trouble　on　your
  account；yes；　on　account　of　these　very　riches；　see；　he　follows　the
  ten　of　diamonds。　　It　may　be　a　suitor；　it　may　be　some　one　now　in　the
  house；　perhaps。〃
  〃He　means　himself；　Miss　Clementina；〃　struck　in　Grant's　voice
  laughingly。
  〃You're　not　listening；　Miss　Harkutt；〃　said　Rice　with　half…serious
  reproach。　　〃Perhaps　you　know　who　it　is？〃
  But　Miss　Clementina's　reply　was　simply　a　hurried　recognition　of　her
  father's　pale　face　that　here　suddenly　confronted　her　with　the
  opening　door。
  〃Why；　it's　father！〃
  CHAPTER　III。
  In　his　strange　mental　condition　even　the　change　from　Harkutt's
  feeble　candle　to　the　outer　darkness　for　a　moment　blinded　Elijah
  Curtis；　yet　it　was　part　of　that　mental　condition　that　he　kept
  moving　steadily　forward　as　in　a　trance　or　dream；　though　at　first
  purposelessly。　　Then　it　occurred　to　him　that　he　was　really　looking
  for　his　horse；　and　that　the　animal　was　not　there。　　This　for　a
  moment　confused　and　frightened　him；　first　with　the　supposition　that
  he　had　not　brought　him　at　all；　but　that　it　was　part　of　his
  delusion；　secondly；　with　the　conviction　that　without　his　horse　he
  could　neither　proceed　on　the　course　suggested　by　Harkutt；　nor　take
  another　more　vague　one　that　was　dimly　in　his　mind。　　Yet　in　his
  hopeless　vacillation　it　seemed　a　relief　that　now　neither　was
  practicable；　and　that　he　need　do　nothing。　　Perhaps　it　was　a
  mysterious　providence！
  The　explanation；　however；　was　much　simpler。　　The　horse　had　been
  taken　by　the　luxurious　and　indolent　Billings　unknown　to　his
  companions。　　Overcome　at　the　d