An Heiress from Redhorse by Ambrose Bierce
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an heiress from Redhorse

by Ambrose Bierce

CORONADO, June 20th .

I_find myself more and more interested in him . it_is_not, I_am_sure, his-- do_you_know any noun corresponding to_the adjective " handsome" ? one does_not like to_say " beauty" when speaking of a man . he_is handsome enough, heaven knows; I should_not even care to trust you with_him-- faithful of all possible wives that you_are-- when he looks his best, as he always does . nor do i_think the fascination of_his manner has much to_do with it . you recollect that_the charm of art inheres in_that which_is undefinable, and to_you and me, my dear Irene, I fancy there_is rather less of_that in_the branch of art under consideration than to girls in their first season .I fancy I_know how my fine gentleman produces many of_his effects, and could, perhaps, give him a pointer on heightening them . nevertheless, his manner is something truly delightful .I suppose what interests me chiefly is_the man's brains . his conversation is_the best I_have ever heard, and altogether unlike anyone's else . he seems to_know everything, as, indeed, he ought, for he has_been everywhere, read everything, seen all there_is to_see--sometimes i_think rather more than is good for him-- and had acquaintance with_the queerest people . and then his voice--Irene, when I hear it I actually feel as_if I ought_to_have paid at_the door, though, of_course, it_is my own door .

July 3d .

I_fear my remarks about Dr .Barritz must_have been, being thoughtless, very silly, or you_would_not_have written of him with_such levity, not to_say disrespect . believe me, dearest, he has more dignity and seriousness ( of_the kind, I mean, which_is not inconsistent with a manner sometimes playful and always charming) than any of_the men that you and I ever met . and young Raynor-- you_knew Raynor at Monterey--tells me that_the men all like him, and_that he_is treated with something like deference everywhere . there_is a mystery, too-- something about his connection with_the Blavatsky people in northern India .Raynor either would_not or could_not tell me the particulars .I infer that Dr .Barritz is thought--don't you dare to laugh at me--a magician ! could anything be finer than that ? an ordinary mystery is_not, of_course, as good as a scandal, but when it relates to dark and dreadful practices-- to_the exercise of unearthly powers-- could anything be more piquant ? it explains, too, the singular influence the man has upon me . it_is_the undefinable in_his art-- black art . seriously, dear, I quite tremble when he looks me full in_the eyes with those unfathomable orbs of_his, which I_have already vainly attempted to describe to_you . how dreadful if_we_have the power to_make one fall in love ! do_you_know if_the Blavatsky crowd have that power-- outside of sepoy ?

July 1

the strangest thing ! last evening while Auntie was attending one_of_the hotel hops (I hate them) Dr .Barritz called . it_was scandalously late--I actually believe he had talked with Auntie in_the ballroom, and learned from her that i_was alone .I had_been all the evening contriving how to worm out of him the truth about his connection with_the Thugs in sepoy, and all of_that black business, but the moment he fixed his eyes on me ( for I admitted him, I'm ashamed to_say) i_was helpless, I trembled, I blushed, I-- O Irene, Irene, I love the man beyond expression, and you_know how it_is yourself !

fancy ! I, an ugly duckling from Redhorse-- daughter ( they say) of old calamity Jim-- certainly his heiress, with no living relation but an absurd old aunt, who spoils me a thousand and fifty ways-- absolutely destitute of everything but a million dollars and a hope in Paris--I daring to love a god like him ! my dear, if I had you here, I_could tear your hair out with mortification .

I_am convinced that he_is aware of_my feeling, for he stayed but a few_moments, said nothing but what another man might_have said half as_well, and pretending that he had an engagement went away .I learned to- day (a little bird told me-- the bell bird) that he went straight to bed . how does that strike you as evidence of exemplary habits ?

July 17th .

that little wretch, Raynor, called yesterday, and_his babble set me almost wild . he never runs down-- that_is_to_say, when he exterminates a score of reputations, more or less, he_does_not pause between one reputation and_the next .( by_the_way, he inquired about you, and_his manifestations of interest in you had, I confess, a good_deal of vraisemblance .)

Mr Raynor observes no game laws; like death ( which he_would inflict if slander were fatal) he has all seasons for_his own . but I like him, for we_knew one another at Redhorse when we were young and true-hearted and barefooted . he_was known in those far fair days as "Giggles," and I--O Irene, can_you ever forgive me ? -- i_was called " gunny ." god knows why; perhaps in allusion to_the material of_my pinafores; perhaps because the name is in alliteration with "Giggles," for gig and I were inseparable playmates, and_the miners may_have thought it a delicate compliment to recognize some kind of relationship between_us .

later, we took in a third-- another of adversity's brood, who, like Garrick between tragedy and comedy, had a chronic inability to adjudicate the rival claims ( to himself) of frost and famine . between him and_the grave there_was seldom anything more than a single suspender and_the hope of a meal which would at_the same time support life and make it insupportable . he literally picked up a precarious living for himself and an aged mother by "chloriding the dumps," that_is_to_say, the miners permitted him to search the heaps of waste rock for such pieces of " pay ore" as had_been overlooked; and these he sacked up and sold at_the syndicate mill . he became a member of_our firm--" gunny, Giggles, and Dumps," thenceforth-- through my favor; for I_could_not then, nor can I now, be indifferent to_his courage and prowess in defending against Giggles the immemorial right of_his sex to insult a strange and unprotected female-- myself . after old Jim struck it in_the calamity, and I began to wear shoes and go to school, and in emulation Giggles took to washing his face, and became jack Raynor, of Wells, Fargo & Co ., and old Mrs Barts was herself chlorided to her fathers, Dumps drifted over to San Juan smith and turned stage driver, and was killed by road agents, and so forth .

why do I tell you all this, dear ? because it_is heavy on my heart . because I walk the valley of humility . because I_am subduing myself to permanent consciousness of_my unworthiness to unloose the latchet of Dr .Barritz's shoe . because-oh, dear, oh, dear-- there's a cousin of Dumps at_this hotel ! I haven't spoken to him .I never had any acquaintance with_him, but-- do_you suppose he has recognized me ? do, please, give_me in your next your candid, sure- enough opinion about_it, and say you don't think so . do_you_think he_knows about me already and_that is why he left me last evening when he_saw that I blushed and trembled like a fool under his eyes ? you_know I_can't bribe all the newspapers, and I_can't go back on anybody who was good to gunny at Redhorse-- not if I'm pitched out of society into_the sea . so the skeleton sometimes rattles behind the door .I never cared much before, as_you_know, but now-- now it_is_not the same . jack Raynor I_am_sure of-- he_will_not tell him . he seems, indeed, to hold him in_such respect as hardly to dare speak to him at all, and I'm a good_deal that way myself . dear, dear ! i_wish I had something besides a million dollars ! if jack were three inches taller I'd marry him alive and go back to Redhorse and wear sackcloth again to_the end of_my miserable days .

July 25th .

we had a perfectly splendid sunset last evening, and I_must tell you all about_it .I ran away from Auntie and everybody, and was walking alone on_the beach .I expect you to_believe, you infidel ! that I had_not looked out of_my window on_the seaward side of_the hotel and seen him walking alone on_the beach . if you_are_not lost to every feeling of womanly delicacy you_will accept my statement without question .I soon established myself under my sunshade and had for some_time been gazing out dreamily over the sea, when he approached, walking close to_the edge of_the water-- it_was ebb tide .I assure you the wet sand actually brightened about his feet ! as he approached me, he lifted his hat, saying: " miss Dement, may I sit with_you ? -- or will_you walk with me ? "

the possibility that neither might_be agreeable seems not to_have occurred to him . did you ever know such assurance ? assurance ? my dear, it_was gall, downright gall ! well, I didn't find it wormwood, and replied, with my untutored Redhorse heart in my throat: "I-- I_shall_be pleased to_do anything ." could words have_been more stupid ? there_are depths of fatuity in me, friend o' my soul, which are simply bottomless !

he extended his hand, smiling, and I delivered mine into_it without a moment's hesitation, and when his fingers closed about_it to assist me to my feet, the consciousness that_it trembled made me blush worse than_the red west .I got up, however, and after a while, observing that he had_not let go my hand, I pulled on_it a little, but unsuccessfully . he simply held on, saying nothing, but looking down into my face with some kind of a smile--I didn't know-- how could I ? -- whether it_was affectionate, derisive, or what, for I_did_not look at him . how beautiful he_was ! -- with_the red fires of_the sunset burning in_the depths of_his eyes . do_you_know, dear, if_the Thugs and Experts of_the Blavatsky region have any special kind of eyes ? Ah, you_should_have seen his superb attitude, the godlike inclination of_his head as he stood over me after I had got upon my feet ! it_was a noble picture, but I soon destroyed it, for I began at once to sink again to_the earth . there_was only one_thing for him to_do, and he_did it; he supported me with an arm about_my waist .

" miss Dement, are_you ill ? " he_said .

it_was not an exclamation; there_was neither alarm nor solicitude in_it . if he had added: "I suppose that_is about what I_am expected to_say," he_would hardly have expressed his sense of_the situation more clearly . his manner filled me with shame and indignation, for i_was suffering acutely .I wrenched my hand out of_his, grasped the arm supporting me, and, pushing myself free, fell plump into_the sand and sat helpless . my hat had fallen off in_the struggle, and my hair tumbled about_my face and shoulders in_the most mortifying way .

" go away from me," I cried, half choking ."Oh, please go away, you-- you thug ! how dare you_think that when my leg is asleep ? "

I actually said those identical words ! and then I broke down and sobbed .Irene, I BLUBBERED !

his manner altered in an instant--I could_see that much through my fingers and hair . he dropped on one knee beside me, parted the tangle of hair, and said, in_the tenderest way: my poor girl, god knows I_have_not intended to pain you . how should I ? --I who love you--I who_have loved you for-- for years and years ! "

he had pulled my wet hands away from my face and was covering them with kisses . my cheeks were like two coals, my whole face was flaming and, i_think, steaming . what could I_do ? I hid it on_his shoulder-- there_was no other place . and, oh, my dear friend, how my leg tingled and thrilled, and how i_wanted to kick !

we sat so for_a_long_time . he had released one of_my hands to_pass his arm about me again, and I possessed myself of_my handkerchief and was drying my eyes and my nose . i_would_not look up until that was_done; he tried in vain to push me a little away and gaze into my eyes . presently, when it_was all right, and it had grown a bit dark, I lifted my head, looked him straight in_the eyes, and smiled my best-- my level best, dear .

" what do_you_mean," I_said, " by 'years and years' ? "

" dearest," he replied, very gravely, very earnestly, " in_the absence of_the sunken cheeks, the hollow eyes, the lank hair, the slouching gait, the rags, dirt, and youth, can_you not-- will_you not understand ? gunny, I'm Dumps ! "

in a moment i_was upon my feet and he upon his .I seized him by_the lapels of_his coat and peered into his handsome face in_the deepening darkness . i_was breathless with excitement .

" and you_are_not dead ? " I asked, hardly knowing what I_said .

" only dead in love, dear .I recovered from_the road agent's bullet, but this, I_fear, is fatal ."

" but about jack-- Mr Raynor ? Don't you_know--"

" I_am ashamed to_say, darling, that_it_was through_that unworthy person's invitation that I_came here from Vienna ."

Irene, they_have played it upon your affectionate friend,

MARY JANE DEMENT .

P .S .-- the worst of it_is that_there_is no mystery . that was an invention of jack to arouse my curiosity and interest .James is_not a thug . he solemnly assures me that in all his wanderings he has never set foot in sepoy .

the man and_the snake

I

it_is of veritabyll report, and attested of so_many that there be nowe of wyse and learned none to gaynsaye it, that ye serpente hys eye hath amagnetick propertie that whosoe falleth into its svasion is drawn forwards in despyte of_his wille, and perisheth miserabyll by ye creature hys byte .

stretched at ease upon a sofa, in gown and slippers, Harker Brayton smiled as he read the foregoing sentence in old Morryster's "Marvells of science ." " the only marvel in_the matter," he_said to himself, " is that_the wise and

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