the twins of table mountain-第13节

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and　hand　it　over　to　the　first　short…card　sharp　you'll　meet。
There's　a　thousand；enough　for　you　to　fling　away；take　it　and
get！'　　Suppose　what　I'd　said　to　you　was　the　frozen　truth；　and　you
know'd　it；　would　that　have　been　the　square　thing　to　play　on　you？〃
But　here　Wethersbee　quickly　pointed　out　the　inefficiency　of　the
comparison　by　stating　that　HE　had　won　the　money　fairly　with　a
STAKE。　　〃And　how　do　you　know；〃　demanded　Hamlin　savagely；　bending
his　black　eyes　on　the　astounded　casuist；〃how　do　you　know　that　the
gal　hezn't　put　down　a　stake？〃　　The　man　stammered　an　unintelligible
reply。　　The　gambler　laid　his　white　hand　on　Wethersbee's　shoulder。
〃Look　yer；　old　man；〃　he　said；　〃every　gal　stakes　her　WHOLE　pile；
you　can　bet　your　life　on　that；whatever's　her　little　game。　　If　she
took　to　keerds　instead　of　her　feelings；　if　she'd　put　up　'chips'
instead　o'　body　and　soul；　she'd　bust　every　bank　'twixt　this　and
'Frisco！　　You　hear　me？〃

Somewhat　of　this　idea　was　conveyed；　I　fear　not　quite　as
sentimentally；　to　Peggy　Moffat　herself。　　The　best　legal　wisdom　of
San　Francisco；　retained　by　the　widow　and　relatives；　took　occasion；
in　a　private　interview　with　Peggy；　to　point　out　that　she　stood　in
the　quasi…criminal　attitude　of　having　unlawfully　practised　upon　the
affections　of　an　insane　elderly　gentleman；　with　a　view　of　getting
possession　of　his　property；　and　suggested　to　her　that　no　vestige　of
her　moral　character　would　remain　after　the　trial；　if　she　persisted
in　forcing　her　claims　to　that　issue。　　It　is　said　that　Peggy；　on
hearing　this；　stopped　washing　the　plate　she　had　in　her　hands；　and；
twisting　the　towel　around　her　fingers；　fixed　her　small　pale　blue
eyes　at　the　lawyer。

〃And　ez　that　the　kind　o'　chirpin　these　critters　keep　up？〃

〃I　regret　to　say；　my　dear　young　lady；〃　responded　the　lawyer；　〃that
the　world　is　censorious。　　I　must　add；〃　he　continued；　with　engaging
frankness；　〃that　we　professional　lawyers　are　apt　to　study　the
opinion　of　the　world；　and　that　such　will　be　the　theory　ofour
side。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Peggy　stoutly；　〃ez　I　allow　I've　got　to　go　into　court
to　defend　my　character；　I　might　as　well　pack　in　them　three　millions
too。〃

There　is　hearsay　evidence　that　Peg　added　to　this　speech　a　wish　and
desire　to　〃bust　the　crust〃　of　her　traducers；　and；　remarking　that
〃that　was　the　kind　of　hairpin〃　she　was；　closed　the　conversation
with　an　unfortunate　accident　to　the　plate；　that　left　a　severe
contusion　on　the　legal　brow　of　her　companion。　　But　this　story；
popular　in　the　bar…rooms　and　gulches；　lacked　confirmation　in　higher
circles。　　Better　authenticated　was　the　legend　related　of　an
interview　with　her　own　lawyer。　　That　gentleman　had　pointed　out　to
her　the　advantage　of　being　able　to　show　some　reasonable　cause　for
the　singular　generosity　of　the　testator。

〃Although；〃　he　continued；　〃the　law　does　not　go　back　of　the　will　for
reason　or　cause　for　its　provisions；　it　would　be　a　strong　point　with
the　judge　and　juryparticularly　if　the　theory　of　insanity　were　set
upfor　us　to　show　that　the　act　was　logical　and　natural。　　Of　course
you　haveI　speak　confidently；　Miss　Moffatcertain　ideas　of　your
own　why　the　late　Mr。　Byways　was　so　singularly　generous　to　you。〃

〃No；　I　haven't；〃　said　Peg　decidedly。

〃Think　again。　　Had　he　not　expressed　to　youyou　understand　that
this　is　confidential　between　us；　although　I　protest；　my　dear　young
lady；　that　I　see　no　reason　why　it　should　not　be　made　publichad　he
not　given　utterance　to　sentiments　of　a　nature　consistent　with　some
future　matrimonial　relations？〃　　But　here　Miss　Peg's　large　mouth；
which　had　been　slowly　relaxing　over　her　irregular　teeth；　stopped
him。

〃If　you　mean　he　wanted　to　marry　me　　No！〃

〃I　see。　　But　were　there　any　conditionsof　course　you　know　the　law
takes　no　cognizance　of　any　not　expressed　in　the　will；　but　still；
for　the　sake　of　mere　corroboration　of　the　bequestdo　you　know　of
any　conditions　on　which　he　gave　you　the　property？〃

〃You　mean　did　he　want　anything　in　return？〃

〃Exactly；　my　dear　young　lady。〃

Peg's　face　on　one　side　turned　a　deep　magenta　color；　on　the　other　a
lighter　cherry；　while　her　nose　was　purple；　and　her　forehead　an
Indian　red。　　To　add　to　the　effect　of　this　awkward　and　discomposing
dramatic　exhibition　of　embarrassment；　she　began　to　wipe　her　hands
on　her　dress；　and　sat　silent。

〃I　understand；〃　said　the　lawyer　hastily。　　〃No　matterthe
conditions　WERE　fulfilled。〃

〃No！〃　said　Peg　amazedly。　　〃How　could　they　be　until　he　was　dead？〃

It　was　the　lawyer's　turn　to　color　and　grow　embarrassed。

〃He　DID　say　something；　and　make　some　conditions；〃　continued　Peg；
with　a　certain　firmness　through　her　awkwardness；　〃but　that's
nobody's　business　but　mine　and　his'n。　　And　it's　no　call　o'　yours　or
theirs。〃

〃But；　my　dear　Miss　Moffat；　if　these　very　conditions　were　proofs　of
his　right　mind；　you　surely　would　not　object　to　make　them　known；　if
only　to　enable　you　to　put　yourself　in　a　condition　to　carry　them
out。〃

〃But；〃　said　Peg　cunningly；　〃s'pose　you　and　the　Court　didn't　think
'em　satisfactory？　　S'pose　you　thought　'em　QUEER？　　Eh？〃

With　this　helpless　limitation　on　the　part　of　the　defence；　the　case
came　to　trial。　　Everybody　remembers　it；how　for　six　weeks　it　was
the　daily　food　of　Calaveras　County；　how　for　six　weeks　the
intellectual　and　moral　and　spiritual　competency　of　Mr。　James　Byways
to　dispose　of　his　property　was　discussed　with　learned　and　formal
obscurity　in　the　court；　and　with　unlettered　and　independent
prejudice　by　camp…fires　and　in　bar…rooms。　　At　the　end　of　that　time；
when　it　was　logically　established　that　at　least　nine…tenths　of　the
population　of　Calaveras　were　harmless　lunatics；　and　everybody
else's　reason　seemed　to　totter　on　its　throne；　an　exhausted　jury
succumbed　one　day　to　the　presence　of　Peg　in　the　court…room。　　It　was
not　a　prepossessing　presence　at　any　time；　but　the　excitement；　and
an　injudicious　attempt　to　ornament　herself；　brought　her　defects
into　a　glaring　relief　that　was　almost　unreal。　　Every　freckle　on　her
face　stood　out　and　asserted　itself　singly；　her　pale　blue　eyes；　that
gave　no　indication　of　her　force　of　character；　were　weak　and
wandering；　or　stared　blankly　at　the　judge；　her　over…sized　head；
broad　at　the　base；　terminating　in　the　scantiest　possible　light…
colored　braid　in　the　middle　of　her　narrow　shoulders；　was　as　hard
and　uninteresting　as　the　wooden　spheres　that　topped　the　railing
against　which　she　sat。

The　jury；　who　for　six　weeks　had　had　her　described　to　them　by　the
plaintiffs　as　an　arch；　wily　enchantress；　who　had　sapped　the　failing
reason　of　Jim　Byways；　revolted　to　a　man。　　There　was　something　so
appallingly　gratuitous　in　her　plainness；　that　it　was　felt　that
three　millions　was　scarcely　a　compensation　for　it。　　〃Ef　that　money
was　give　to　her；　she　earned　it　SURE；　boys：　it　wasn't　no　softness　of
the　old　man；〃　said　the　foreman。　　When　the　jury　retired；　it　was　felt
that　she　had　cleared　her　character：　when　they　re…entered　the　room
with　their　verdict；　it　was　known　that　she　had　been　awarded　three
millions　damages　for　its　defamation。

She　got　the　money。　　But　those　who　had　confidently　expected　to　see
her　squander　it　were　disappointed：　on　the　contrary；　it　was
presently　whispered　that　she　was　exceedingly　penurious。　　That
admirable　woman；　Mrs。　Stiver　of　Red　Dog；　who　accompanied　her　to　San
Francisco　to　assist　her　in　making　purchases；　was　loud　in　her
indignation。　　〃She　cares　more　for　two　bits　than　I　do　for　five
dollars。　　She　wouldn't　buy　anything　at　the　'City　of　Paris；'　because
it　was　'too　expensive；'　and　at　last　rigged　herself　out；　a　perfect
guy；　at　some　cheap　slop…shops　in　Market　Street。　　And　after　all　the
care　Jane　and　me　took　of　her；　giving　up　our　time　and　experience　to
her；　she　never　so　much　as　made　Jane　a　single　present。〃　　Popular
opinion；　which　regarded　Mrs。　Stiver's　attention　as　purely
speculative；　was　not　shocked　at　this　unprofitable　denouement；　but
when　Peg　refused　to　give　anything　to　clear　the　mortgage　off　the　new
Presbyterian　Church；　and　even　declined　to　take　shares　in　the　Union
Ditch；　considered　by　many　as　an　equally　sacred　and　safe　investment；
she　began　to　lose　favor。　　Nevertheless；　she　seemed　to　be　as
regardless　of　public　opinion　as　she　had　been　before　the　trial；　took
a　small　house；　in　which　she　lived　with　an　old　woman　who　had　once
been　a　fellow…servant；　on　apparently　terms　of　perfect　equality；　and
looked　after　her　money。　　I　wish　I　could　say　that　she　did　this
discreetly；　but　the　fact　is；　she　blundered。　　The　same　dogged
persistency　she　had　displayed　in　claiming　her　rights　was　visible　in
her　unsuccessful　ventures。　　She　sunk　two　hundred　thousand　dollars
in　a　worn…out　shaft　originally　projected　by　the　deceased　testator；
she　prolonged　the　miserable　existence　of　〃The　Rockville　Vanguard〃
long　after　it　had　ceased　to　interest　even　its　enemies；　she　kept　the
doors　of　the　Rockville　Hotel　open　when　its　custom　had　departed；　she
lost　the　co…operation　and　favor　of　a　fellow…capitalist　through　a
trifling　misunderstanding　in　which　she　was　derelict　and　impenitent；
she　had　three　lawsuits　on　her　hands　that　could　have　been　settled
for　a　trifle。　　I　note　these　defects　to　show　that　she　was　by　no
means　a　heroine。　　I　quote　her　affair　with　Jack　Folinsbee　to　show
she　was　scarcely　the　average　woman。

That　handsome；　gracele