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lie　down。　　He　tried　to　rise；　but　the　deep　blue　chasm　before　the

window　seemed　to　be　swelling　up　to　meet　him；　the　bed　slowly　sinking

into　its　oblivious　profundity。　　He　knew　no　more。



He　came　to　with　the　smell　and　taste　of　some　powerful　volatile

spirit；　and　the　vague　vision　of　Mr。　Bradley　still　standing　at　the

window　of　the　mill　and　vibrating　with　the　machinery；　this　changed

presently　to　a　pleasant　lassitude　and　lazy　curiosity　as　he

perceived　Mr。　Bradley　smile　and　apparently　slip　from　the　window　of

the　mill　to　his　bedside。　　〃You're　all　right　now；〃　said　Bradley；

cheerfully。



He　was　feeling　Mainwaring's　pulse。　　Had　he　really　been　ill　and　was

Bradley　a　doctor？



Bradley　evidently　saw　what　was　passing　in　his　mind。　　〃Don't　be

alarmed；〃　he　said　gayly。　　〃I'm　not　a　doctor；　but　I　practise　a

little　medicine　and　surgery　on　account　of　the　men　at　the　mill；　and

accidents；　you　know。　　You're　all　right　now；　you've　lost　a　little

blood：　but　in　a　couple　of　weeks　in　this　air　we'll　have　that

tubercle　healed；　and　you'll　be　as　right　as　a　trivet。〃



〃In　a　couple　of　weeks！〃　echoed　Mainwaring；　in　faint　astonishment。

〃Why；　I　leave　here　to…morrow。〃



〃You'll　do　nothing　of　the　kind〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　with　smiling

peremptoriness；　suddenly　slipping　out　from　behind　her　husband。

〃Everything　is　all　perfectly　arranged。　　Jim　has　sent　off　messengers

to　your　friends；　so　that　if　you　can't　come　to　them；　they　can　come

to　you。　　You　see　you　can't　help　yourself！　　If　you　WILL　walk　fifteen

miles　with　such　lungs；　and　then　frighten　people　to　death；　you　must

abide　by　the　consequences。〃



〃You　see　the　old　lady　has　fixed　you；〃　said　Bradley；　smiling；　〃and

she's　the　master　here。　　Come；　Mainwaring；　you　can　send　any　other

message　you　like；　and　have　who　and　what　you　want　here；　but　HERE　you

must　stop　for　a　while。〃



〃But　did　I　frighten　you　really？〃　stammered　Mainwaring；　faintly；　to

Mrs。　Bradley。



〃Frighten　us！〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley。　　〃Well；　look　there！〃



She　pointed　to　the　window；　which　commanded　a　view　of　the　veranda。

Miss　Macy　had　dropped　into　the　vacant　chair；　with　her　little　feet

stretched　out　before　her；　her　cheeks　burning　with　heat　and　fire；

her　eyes　partly　closed；　her　straw　hat　hanging　by　a　ribbon　round　her

neck；　her　brown　hair　clinging　to　her　ears　and　forehead　in　damp

tendrils；　and　an　enormous　palm…leaf　fan　in　each　hand　violently

playing　upon　this　charming　picture　of　exhaustion　and　abandonment。



〃She　came　tearing　down　to　the　mill；　bare…backed　on　our　half…broken

mustang；　about　half　an　hour　ago；　to　call　me　'to　help　you；'〃

explained　Bradley。　　〃Heaven　knows　how　she　managed　to　do　it！〃





CHAPTER　II。





The　medication　of　the　woods　was　not　overestimated　by　Bradley。

There　was　surely　some　occult　healing　property　in　that　vast

reservoir　of　balmy　and　resinous　odors　over　which　The　Lookout

beetled　and　clung；　and　from　which　at　times　the　pure　exhalations　of

the　terraced　valley　seemed　to　rise。　　Under　its　remedial　influence

and　a　conscientious　adherence　to　the　rules　of　absolute　rest　and

repose　laid　down　for　him；　Mainwaring　had　no　return　of　the

hemorrhage。　　The　nearest　professional　medical　authority；　hastily

summoned；　saw　no　reason　for　changing　or　for　supplementing　Bradley's

intelligent　and　simple　treatment；　although　astounded　that　the

patient　had　been　under　no　more　radical　or　systematic　cure　than

travel　and　exercise。　　The　women　especially　were　amazed　that

Mainwaring　had　taken　〃nothing　for　it；〃　in　their　habitual　experience

of　an　unfettered　pill…and…elixir…consuming　democracy。　　In　their

knowledge　of　the　thousand　〃panaceas〃　that　filled　the　shelves　of　the

general　store；　this　singular　abstention　of　their　guest　seemed　to

indicate　a　national　peculiarity。



His　bed　was　moved　beside　the　low　window；　from　which　he　could　not

only　view　the　veranda　but　converse　at　times　with　its　occupants；　and

even　listen　to　the　book　which　Miss　Macy；　seated　without；　read　aloud

to　him。　　In　the　evening　Bradley　would　linger　by　his　couch　until

late；　beguiling　the　tedium　of　his　convalescence　with　characteristic

stories　and　information　which　he　thought　might　please　the　invalid。

For　Mainwaring；　who　had　been　early　struck　with　Bradley's　ready　and

cultivated　intelligence；　ended　by　shyly　avoiding　the　discussion　of

more　serious　topics；　partly　because　Bradley　impressed　him　with　a

suspicion　of　his　own　inferiority；　and　partly　because　Mainwaring

questioned　the　taste　of　Bradley's　apparent　exhibition　of　his

manifest　superiority。　　He　learned　accidentally　that　this　mill…owner

and　backwoodsman　was　a　college…bred　man；　but　the　practical

application　of　that　education　to　the　ordinary　affairs　of　life　was

new　to　the　young　Englishman's　traditions；　and　grated　a　little

harshly　on　his　feelings。　　He　would　have　been　quite　content　if

Bradley　had；　like　himself　and　fellows　he　knew；　undervalued　his

training；　and　kept　his　gifts　conservatively　impractical。　　The

knowledge　also　that　his　host's　education　naturally　came　from　some

provincial　institution　unlike　Oxford　and　Cambridge　may　have

unconsciously　affected　his　general　estimate。　　I　say　unconsciously；

for　his　strict　conscientiousness　would　have　rejected　any　such

formal　proposition。



Another　trifle　annoyed　him。　　He　could　not　help　noticing　also　that

although　Bradley's　manner　and　sympathy　were　confidential　and　almost

brotherly；　he　never　made　any　allusion　to　Mainwaring's　own　family　or

connections；　and；　in　fact；　gave　no　indication　of　what　he　believed

was　the　national　curiosity　in　regard　to　strangers。　　Somewhat

embarrassed　by　this　indifference；　Mainwaring　made　the　occasion　of

writing　some　letters　home　an　opportunity　for　laughingly　alluding　to

the　fact　that　he　had　made　his　mother　and　his　sisters　fully　aware　of

the　great　debt　they　owed　the　household　of　The　Lookout。



〃They'll　probably　all　send　you　a　round　robin　of　thanks；　except；

perhaps；　my　next　brother；　Bob。〃



Bradley　contented　himself　with　a　gesture　of　general　deprecation；

and　did　not　ask　WHY　Mainwaring's　young　brother　should　contemplate

his　death　with　satisfaction。　　Nevertheless；　some　time　afterwards

Miss　Macy　remarked　that　it　seemed　hard　that　the　happiness　of　one

member　of　a　family　should　depend　upon　a　calamity　to　another。　　〃As

for　instance？〃　asked　Mainwaring；　who　had　already　forgotten　the

circumstance。　　〃Why；　if　you　had　died　and　your　younger　brother

succeeded　to　the　baronetcy；　and　become　Sir　Robert　Mainwaring；〃

responded　Miss　Macy；　with　precision。　　This　was　the　first　and　only

allusion　to　his　family　and　prospective　rank。　　On　the　other　hand；　he

hadthrough　naive　and　boyish　inquiries；　which　seemed　to　amuse　his

entertainersacquired；　as　he　believed；　a　full　knowledge　of　the

history　and　antecedents　of　the　Bradley　household。　　He　knew　how

Bradley　had　brought　his　young　wife　and　her　cousin　to　California

and　abandoned　a　lucrative　law　practice　in　San　Francisco　to　take

possession　of　this　mountain　mill　and　woodland；　which　he　had

acquired　through　some　professional　service。



〃Then　you　are　a　barrister　really？〃　said　Mainwaring；　gravely。



Bradley　laughed。　　〃I'm　afraid　I've　had　more　practicethough　not　as

lucrative　a　oneas　surgeon　or　doctor。〃



〃But　you're　regularly　on　the　rolls；　you　know；　you're　entered　as

Counsel；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing？〃　continued　Mainwaring；　with

great　seriousness。



〃Well；　yes；〃　replied　Bradley；　much　amused。　　〃I'm　afraid　I　must

plead　guilty　to　that。〃



〃It's　not　a　bad　sort　of　thing；〃　said　Mainwaring；　naively；　ignoring

Bradley's　amusement。　　〃I've　got　a　cousin　who's　gone　in　for　the　law。

Got　out　of　the　army　to　do　ittoo。　　He's　a　sharp　fellow。〃



〃Then　you　DO　allow　a　man　to　try　many　tradesover　there；〃　said　Miss

Macy；　demurely。



〃Yes；　sometimes；〃　said　Mainwaring；　graciously；　but　by　no　means

certain　that　the　case　was　at　all　analogous。



Nevertheless；　as　if　relieved　of　certain　doubts　of　the　conventional

quality　of　his　host's　attainments；　he　now　gave　himself　up　to　a　very

hearty　and　honest　admiration　of　Bradley。　　〃You　know　it's　awfully

kind　of　him　to　talk　to　a　fellow　like　me　who　just　pulled　through；

and　never　got　any　prizes　at　Oxford；　and　don't　understand　the　half

of　these　things；〃　he　remarked　confidentially　to　Mrs。　Bradley。　　〃He

knows　more　about　the　things　we　used　to　go　in　for　at　Oxford　than

lots　of　our　men；　and　he's　never　been　there。　　He's　uncommonly

clever。〃



〃Jim　was　always　very　brilliant；〃　returned　Mrs。　Bradley；

indifferently；　and　with　more　than　even　conventionally　polite　wifely

deprecation；　〃I　wish　he　were　more　practical。〃



〃Practical！　　Oh；　I　say；　Mrs。　Bradley！　　Why；　a　fellow　that　can　go　in

among　a　lot　of　workmen　and　tell　them　just　what　to　doan　all…round

chap　that　can　be　independent　of　his　valet；　his　doctor；　and　his

banker！　　By　JoveTHAT'S　practical！〃



〃I　mean；〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　coldly；　〃that　there　are　some　things

that　a　gentleman　ought　not　to　be　practical　about　nor　independent

of。　　Mr。　Bradley　would　have　done　better　to　have　used　his　talents　in

some　more　legitimate　and　estab