confidential, his manner wholly void of animation, all his features below
the forehead protruding–particularly the apple of his throat–hair
without a kink in it, a hand with no grip, a meek, hang-dog countenance.
a falsehood done in flesh and blood; for while every visible sign about
him proclaimed him a poor, witless, useless weakling, the truth was that
he had the brains to plan great enterprises and the pluck to carry them
through. That was his reputation, and it was a deserved one. He softly
said:
“I called to see you on business, Miss Hawkins. You have my card?”
Laura bowed.
Mr. Griller continued to purr, as softly as before.
“I will proceed to business. I am a business man. I am a lecture-agent,
Miss Hawkins, and as soon as I saw that you were acquitted, it occurred
to me that an early interview would be mutually beneficial.”
“I don’t understand you, sir,” said Laura coldly.
“No? You see, Miss Hawkins, this is your opportunity. If you will enter
the lecture field under good auspices, you will carry everything before
you.”
“But, sir, I never lectured, I haven’t any lecture, I don’t know anything
about it.”
“Ah, madam, that makes no difference–no real difference. It is not
necessary to be able to lecture in order to go into the lecture tour.
If ones name is celebrated all over the land, especially, and, if she is
also beautiful, she is certain to draw large audiences.”
“But what should I lecture about?” asked Laura, beginning in spite of
herself to be a little interested as well as amused.
“Oh, why; woman–something about woman, I should say; the marriage
relation, woman’s fate, anything of that sort. Call it The Revelations
of a Woman’s Life; now, there’s a good title. I wouldn’t want any better
title than that. I’m prepared to make you an offer, Miss Hawkins,
a liberal offer,–twelve thousand dollars for thirty nights.”
Laura thought. She hesitated. Why not? It would give her employment,
money. She must do something.
“I will think of it, and let you know soon. But still, there is very
little likelihood that I–however, we will not discuss it further now.”
“Remember, that the sooner we get to work the better, Miss Hawkins,
public curiosity is so fickle. Good day, madam.”
The close of the trial released Mr. Harry Brierly and left him free to
depart upon his long talked of Pacific-coast mission. He was very
mysterious about it, even to Philip.
“It’s confidential, old boy,” he said, ” a little scheme we have hatched
up. I don’t mind telling you that it’s a good deal bigger thing than
that in Missouri, and a sure thing. I wouldn’t take a half a million
just for my share. And it will open something for you, Phil. You will
hear from me.”
Philip did hear, from Harry a few months afterward. Everything promised
splendidly, but there was a little delay. Could Phil let him have a
hundred, say, for ninety days?
Philip himself hastened to Philadelphia, and, as soon as the spring
opened, to the mine at Ilium, and began transforming the loan he had
received from Squire Montague into laborers’ wages. He was haunted with
many anxieties; in the first place, Ruth was overtaxing her strength in
her hospital labors, and Philip felt as if he must move heaven and earth
to save her from such toil and suffering. His increased pecuniary
obligation oppressed him. It seemed to him also that he had been one
cause of the misfortune to the Bolton family, and that he was dragging
into loss and ruin everybody who associated with him. He worked on day
after day and week after week, with a feverish anxiety.
It would be wicked, thought Philip, and impious, to pray for luck; he
felt that perhaps he ought not to ask a blessing upon the sort of labor
that was only a venture; but yet in that daily petition, which this very
faulty and not very consistent young Christian gentleman put up, he
prayed earnestly enough for Ruth and for the Boltons and for those whom
he loved and who trusted in him, and that his life might not be a