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not come here to buy a knowledge of that。 So now about the child？〃
she ended abruptly； leaning forward again with the same look of
eager solicitude in her eyes。
〃Well； about the childour childthough； perhaps； I prefer to say
MY child；〃 he began； with a certain brutal frankness。 〃I'll tell
you。 But first； I don't want you to talk about BUYING your
information of me。 If I haven't told you anything before； it's
because I didn't think you oughter know。 If I didn't trust the
child to YOU； it's because I didn't think you could go shashaying
about with a child that was three years old when I〃he stopped and
wiped his mouth with the back of his hand〃made an honest woman of
youI think that's what they call it。〃
〃But；〃 she said eagerly； ignoring the insult； 〃I could have hidden
it where no one but myself would have known it。 I could have sent
it to school and visited it as a relation。〃
〃Yes；〃 he said curtly； 〃like all women； and then blurted it out
some day and made it worse。〃
〃But；〃 she said desperately； 〃even THEN； suppose I had been willing
to take the shame of it！ I have taken more！〃
〃But I didn't intend that you should；〃 he said roughly。
〃You are very careful of my reputation；〃 she returned scornfully。
〃Not by a dd sight；〃 he burst out； 〃but I care for HIS！ I'm
not goin' to let any man call him a bastard！〃
Callous as she had become even under this last cruel blow； she
could not but see something in his coarse eyes she had never seen
before； could not but hear something in his brutal voice she had
never heard before！ Was it possible that somewhere in the depths
of his sordid nature he had his own contemptible sense of honor？ A
hysterical feeling came over her hitherto passive disgust and
scorn； but it disappeared with his next sentence in a haze of
anxiety。 〃No！〃 he said hoarsely； 〃he had enough wrong done him
already。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 she said imploringly。 〃Or are you again lying？
You said； four years ago； that he had 'got into trouble；' that was
your excuse for keeping him from me。 Or was that a lie； too？〃
His manner changed and softened； but not for any pity for his
companion； but rather from some change in his own feelings。 〃Oh；
that；〃 he said； with a rough laugh； 〃that was only a kind o'
trouble any sassy kid like him was likely to get into。 You ain't
got no call to hear that； for；〃 he added； with a momentary return
to his previous manner； 〃the wrong that was done him is MY lookout！
You want to know what I did with him； how he's been looked arter；
and where he is？ You want the worth of your money。 That's square
enough。 But first I want you to know； though you mayn't believe
it； that every red cent you've given me to…night goes to HIM。 And
don't you forget it。〃
For all his vulgar frankness she knew he had lied to her many times
before；maliciously； wantonly； complacently； but never evasively；
yet there was again that something in his manner which told her he
was now telling the truth。
〃Well；〃 he began； settling himself back in his chair； 〃I told you I
brought him to Heavy Tree Hill。 After I left you I wasn't going to
trust him to no school； he knew enough for me； but when I left
those parts where nobody knew you； and got a little nearer 'Frisco；
where people might have known us both； I thought it better not to
travel round with a kid o' that size as his FATHER。 So I got a
young fellow here to pass him off as HIS little brother； and look
after him and board him； and I paid him a big price for it； too；
you bet！ You wouldn't think it was a man who's now swelling around
here； the top o' the pile； that ever took money from a brute like
me； and for such schoolmaster work； too； but he did； and his name
was Van Loo； a clerk of the Ditch Company。〃
〃Van Loo！〃 said the woman； with a movement of disgust； 〃THAT man！〃
〃What's the matter with Van Loo？〃 he said； with a coarse laugh；
enjoying his wife's discomfiture。 〃He speaks French and Spanish；
and you oughter hear the kid roll off the lingo he's got from him。
He's got style； and knows how to dress； and you ought to see the
kid bow and scrape； and how he carries himself。 Now； Van Loo
wasn't exactly my style； and I reckon I don't hanker after him
much； but he served my purpose。〃
〃And this man knows〃she said； with a shudder。
〃He knows Steptoe and the boy； but he don't know Horncastle nor
YOU。 Don't you be skeert。 He's the last man in the world who
would hanker to see me or the kid again； or would dare to say that
he ever had！ Lord！ I'd like to see his fastidious mug if me and
Eddy walked in upon him and his high…toned mother and sister some
arternoon。〃 He threw himself back and laughed a derisive；
spasmodic； choking laugh； which was so far from being genial that
it even seemed to indicate a lively appreciation of pain in others
rather than of pleasure in himself。 He had often laughed at her in
the same way。
〃And where is he now？〃 she said； with a compressed lip。
〃At school。 Where； I don't tell you。 You know why。 But he's
looked after by me； and dd well looked after； too。〃
She hesitated； composed her face with an effort； parted her lips；
and looked out of the window into the gathering darkness。 Then
after a moment she said slowly； yet with a certain precision：
〃And his mother？ Do you ever talk to him of HER？ Doesdoes he
ever speak of ME？〃
〃What do you think？〃 he said comfortably； changing his position in
the chair； and trying to read her face in the shadow。 〃Come； now。
You don't know； eh？ Wellno！ NO！ You understand。 No！ He's MY
friendMINE！ He's stood by me through thick and thin。 Run at my
heels when everybody else fled me。 Dodged vigilance committees
with me； laid out in the brush with me with his hand in mine when
the sheriff's deputies were huntin' me； shut his jaw close when； if
he squealed； he'd have been called another victim of the brute
Horncastle； and been as petted and canoodled as you。〃
It would have been difficult for any one but the woman who knew the
man before her to have separated his brutish delight in paining her
from another feeling she had never dreamt him capable of；an
intense and fierce pride in his affection for his child。 And it
was the more hopeless to her that it was not the mere sentiment of
reciprocation； but the material instinct of paternity in its most
animal form。 And it seemed horrible to her that the only outcome
of what had been her own wild； youthful passion for this brute was
this love for the flesh of her flesh； for she was more and more
conscious as he spoke that her yearning for the boy was the
yearning of an equally dumb and unreasoning maternity。 They had
met again as animalsin fear； contempt； and anger of each other；
but the animal had triumphed in both。
When she spoke again it was as the woman of the world；the woman
who had laughed two years ago at the irrepressible Barker。 〃It's a