第21章

"Ifyouhadbeenaboy，andIownIamgladyouwerenot——amanwantsadaughter——IshouldhavebeenquitewillingtoallowyouyourflutteronWallStreet，oryourtryatanythingyoufeltyouwouldliketohandle。Itwouldhaveinterestedmetolookonandseewhatyouweremadeof，whatyouwanted，andhowyousetabouttryingtogetit。It’sanewkindofdealyouhaveundertaken。It’smoreromanticthanWallStreet，butIthinkIdoseewhatyouseeinit。EvenapartfromRosyandtheboy，itwouldinterestmetoseewhatyouwoulddowithit。Thisisyour`flutter。’Ilikethewayyoufaceit。Ifyouwereasoninsteadofadaughter，IshouldseeImighthaveconfidenceinyou。IcouldnotconfidetoWallStreetwhatIwilltellyou——whichisthatinthemidstofthedriveandswirlandtumultofmylifehere，Ilikewhatyouseeinthething，Ilikeyourideaofthelordoftheland，whoshouldlovethelandandthesoulsbornonit，andbethefriendandstrengthofthemandgivethebestandgetitbackinfairexchange。There’sasteadinessinthethoughtofsuchalifeamongone’skindwhichhasattractionsforamanwhohasspentyearsinamaelstrom，snatchingatwhatwhirlsamongtheeddiesofit。Yournotesandsketchesandsummingupofprobablecostsdidusbothcredit——Isay`both’becauseyourbusinesseducationistheresultofourlongtalksandjourneyingstogether。Youbegantotrainforthiswhenyoubegangoingtovisitminesandrailroadswithmeattwelveyearsold。

Ileavethewholethinginyourhands，mygirl，IleaveRosyinyourhands，andinleavingRosytoyou，youknowhowIamtrustingyouwithyourmother。Yourletterstohertellheronlywhatisgoodforher。Sheisbeginningtolookhappierandyoungeralready，andislookingforwardtothedaywhenRosyandtheboywillcomehometovisitus，andwhenweshallgoinstatetoStornhamCourt。Godblessher，sheismadeupofaffectionandsimpletrust，andthatmakesiteasytokeepthingsfromher。Shehasneverbeenill—treated，andsheknowsIloveher，sowhenItellherthatthingsarecomingright，sheneverdoubtsme。

"WhileyouarerebuildingtheplaceyouwillrebuildRosysothatthesightofhermaynotbeapainwhenhermotherseesheragain，whichiswhatsheislivingfor。"

CHAPTERXXIII

INTRODUCINGG。SELDEN

Abirdwaspercheduponaswayingbranchofaslimyoungsaplingnearthefence—supportedhedgewhichboundedthepark，andMountDunstanhadstoppedtolookatitandlisten。Asoftshowerhadfallen，andafteritspassing，thesuncomingthroughthelightclouds，therehadbrokenforthagaininthetreesbrieftrillsandcallsandflutingofbirdnotes。

Theswardandfernsglitteredfreshgreenundertheraindrops；

theyoungleavesontreesandhedgeseemedvisiblytouncurl，theuncoveredearthlookedrichlydarkandmoist，andsentforththefragrancefromitsdeeps，which，risingtoaman’snostrils，stirsandthrillshimbecauseitisthescentoflife’sself。

Thebirduponthesaplingwasarobin，thetinyroundbodypercheduponhisdelicatelegs，plumpandbrightplumagedformating。Hetouchedhiswarmredbreastwithhisbeak，fluffedoutandshookhisfeathers，and，swellinghisthroat，pouredforthhissmall，entrancedsong。Itwasagay，brief，jauntything，butpure，joyous，gallant，liquidmelody。Therewasdaintybravadoinit，saucydemandandallurement。Itwasaddressedtosomeinvisiblehearerofthetendersex，andwheresoevershemightbehidden——whetheringreatbranchorlowthicketorhedge——therewashintednodoubtinhersmallwooer’snotethatshewouldhearitandinduetimerespond。MountDunstan，listening，evenlaughedatitsconfidentmusic。ThetinythingutteringitsCalloftheWorld——jubilantinthesuretyofanswer！

Havingflungitforth，hepausedamomentandwaited，hissmallheadturnedsideways，hisbig，round，dew—brightblackeyeroguishlyattentive。Thenwithmoreswellingofthethroathetrilledandrippledgaylyanew，undisturbedandundoubting，butwithatrifleofinsistence。Thenhelistened，triedagaintwoorthreetimes，withbravechirpsandexultantlittleroulades。"HereamI，thebright—breasted，theliquid—eyed，theslender—legged，thejoyousandconquering！Listentome——listentome。ListenandanswerinthecallofGod’sworld。"

Itwasthejoyandtriumphantfaithinthetinynoteofthetinything——Lifeashehimselfwas，thoughLifewhosemysteryhisman’shandcouldhavecrushed——which，whilehelaughed，setMountDunstanthinking。Springwarmthandspringscentsandspringnotessetaman’sbeingintunewithinfinitethings。

Thebrightrouladebeganagain，prolongeditselfwithrenewedeffort，rosetoitsheight，andended。Fromabushinthethicketfartheruptheroadaliquidanswercame。AndMountDunstan’slaughatthesoundofitwasechoedbyanotherwhichcameapparentlyfromthebankrisingfromtheroadontheothersideofthehedge，andaccompanyingthelaughwasagood—naturednasalvoice。

"She’scaughton。There’snomistakeaboutthat。Iguessit’stimeforyoutohustle，Mr。Rob。"

MountDunstanlaughedagain。JemSalterhadheardvoiceslikeit，andcheerfulslangphrasesofthesameorderinhisranchdays。Ontheothersideofhisparkfencetherewasevidentlysitting，throughsomeoddchance，anAmericanofthecheery，casualorder，notsufficientlypolishedbytraveltohavelosthispicturesquenationalcharacteristics。

MountDunstanputahandonabrokenpaneloffenceandleapedoverintotheroad。

Abicyclewaslyingupontheroadsidegrass，andonthebank，lookingasthoughhehadbeenshelteringhimselfunderthehedgefromtherain，satayoungmaninacheapbicyclingsuit。Hisfeaturesweresharplycutandkeen，hiscapwaspushedbackfromhisforehead，andhehadapairofshrewdlycarelessboyisheves。

MountDunstanlikedthelookofhim，andseeinghisnaturalstartattheunheraldedleapoverthegap，whichwasquiteclosetohim，hespoke。

"Good—morning，"hesaid。"IamafraidIstartledyou。"

"Good—morning，"wastheresponse。"Itwasabitofajoltseeingyoujumpalmostovermyshoulder。Wheredidyoucomefrom？Youmusthavebeenjustbehindme。"

"Iwas，"explainedMountDunstan。"Standingintheparklisteningtotherobin。"

Theyoungfellowlaughedoutright。

"Say，"hesaid，"thatwasprettyfine，wasn’tit？Wasn’thegettingitoffhischest！HewasanEnglishrobin，Iguess。

Americanrobinsarethreeorfourtimesasbig。Ilikedthatlittlechap。Hewasawinner。"

"YouareanAmerican？"

"Sure，"nodding。"GoodoldStarsandStripesformine。

FirsttimeI’vebeenhere。Camepartforbusinessandpartforpleasure。Havingthetimeofmylife。"

MountDunstansatdownbesidehim。Hewantedtohearhimtalk。Hehadlikedtoheartheranchmentalk。Thisonewasofthecitytype，buthisgenialconversationalwanderingswouldbefullofquaintslangandgoodspirits。Hewasquitereadytoconverse，aswasmademanifestbyhisnextspeech。

"I’mbikingthroughthecountrybecauseIoncehadanoldgrandmotherthatwasEnglish，andshewasalwaystalkingaboutEnglishcountry，andhowgreenthingswas，andhowtherewashedgesinsteadofrailfences。ShethoughttherewasnothinglikelittleoldEngland。Well，asfarasroadsandhedgesgo，I’mwithher。They’reallright。IwantedafellowI

metcrossing，tocomewithme，buthetookaCook’striptoParis。He’sagaysortofboy。Saidhedidn’twantanygreenlanesinhis。HewantedBoolyvard。"Helaughedagainandpushedhiscapfartherbackonhisforehead。"SaidI

wasn’tmuchofasport。ItellYOU，achapthat’sgottoearnhisfifteenper，andliveonit，can’tbeTOOmuchofasport。"

"Fifteenper？"MountDunstanrepeateddoubtfully。

Hiscompanionchuckled。

"IforgotIwastalkingtoanEnglishman。Fifteendollarsperweek——that’swhat`fifteenper’means。That’swhathetoldmehegetsatLobenstien’sbreweryinNewYork。Fifteenper。Notmuch，isit？"

"HowdoeshemanageContinentaltravelonfifteenper？"

MountDunstaninquired。

"He’satypewrite

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