within hailin' distance of woman, an' that's gettin'
close; but you want to remember this, no animal never tells the truth
to an outsider. The principle part o' their life is spent in throwin'
folks off their trail, an' they allus make their lairs in the most
secret places. If a feller ever gets to know 'em even a little he has
to be mighty patient an' mighty careful, an' above all things, he
mustn't never get the idee that he knows every last thing about 'em
the' is to know, 'cause no man never knows that. Some men try to
estimate a woman by their own earthy way o' doin' things. 'T would be
just as reasonable for a man who was purty wise to the ways of a
pug-dog to get inflated with the idee that he had a natural talent for
hivin' grizzly bears.

But to get back to my tale: this Englishman had fallen on his feet all
right, even if the connection to one of 'em was busted up a bit. I was
around 'em a good bit, bein' forced to consult with Barbie about
things, an' I was able to piece out the method he was usin'. He wasn't
such a fool as he looked, by consid'able many rods. He talked a heap
about the sacrifice he had made for the girl back in England, an' how
much he had loved her an' how much Barbie had comforted him, although
even yet he could not forget her. Once Barbie asked him what her name
was. For a moment he didn't answer, an' then he sez in a low voice,
Alice LeMoyne. I lifted my face quick an' gave him a look, but he
wasn't noticin' me. I didn't say anything; but I couldn't help
wonderin' if this Alice LeMoyne had anything to do with the dancer what
had married into the Clarenden family, an' then died. It was an odd
name, but still I didn't reckon the' was a patent on it.

Finally I could tell by their talk that Barbie had told him about Dick,
an' then I knew the jig was about up. He allus spoke o' Dick in a
gentle, soothin' way, makin' every excuse for him; an' this made her
think him a noble-minded feller! an' the most natural outcome was for
'm to just bunch their woes an' cling together for comfort. She allus
used to sit by his side in the twilight, singin' sorrowful love songs
to him, an' once I caught him holdin' her hand. You see she was just
naturally hungry for somethin' to pet an' care for; luck offered a
spavined Englishman, an' she was tryin' to make the best of it.

Jabez savvied this to the queen's taste, an' he got gentle an' lovin'
to Barbie, an' did all he could to square himself; so that poor