history from first to last, and ending it with the following summary and deductions:
"You see, Droopy, all my troubles have come out of my believing in the religious rubbish which my parents taught me, and out of the sneaking, soulless way in which they used me. As a result, I married a woman whom, but for my parents and the false training which they gave me, I never would have even seen. Then they let me come West and lose my wife by a worse means than death. Why did they let me come? Clearly, since they are rich, was it not their duty to keep me and my wife near them, instead of sending us out here, like so much baggage? They made me exactly what I was, at that time, and the job didn't suit them: so, to get rid of me, I was allowed to come West, without their ever having given me, as a defence and safeguard against mistakes and errors, the least practical knowledge of life."
"Maybe," interposed Droopy, "they didn't give it because they didn't have it ter give. Ye can't get no blood outen a stun."
"Nonsense," continued Mark: "their desire was to make me as artificial as the kind of life for which they designed me. Because I was born with natural impulses, and could not, for lack of genius, change them for unnatural ones, they hated me. Now my life is a wreck. It is worse than useless, so far as my ever doing any good is concerned. You might better have let me go over the cliff. It would have saved you trouble,—and disaster too, if I stayed here much longer. You see, I have only to get fond of a person to have some calamity befall them. It robbed my wife of what she held dearest; it deprived Dubb of his money; it would bring some similar thing on you, if I was not going away. As it is, half of the camp looks on you as a fool for doing so much for me. If I go, you may regain caste again."
"I ain't got no idee what yer means by caste, but don't yer go ter gettin' yer vittals riled up with any notion 'bout me an' the boys. If yer goin', I'm right smart sorry, 'cause I likes yer, an' I'll miss yer, a heap. Ye've got a kinder pizen way o' talkin,' sometimes, but I s'pose yer can't help it. I'm powerful sorry ye ain't had better luck a-minin', but I hopes ye'll jest strike it rich in Frisky. Like's not ye'll be guv'nor o' Californy yet."
"If I am, it will come to me from the devil," said Mark, savagely: "nothing like success ever comes to me from any other source. Whatever I try to do right, only goes wrong and gets me in trouble. It was so when I got married; when I came West; when I tried to find my lost wife; when, after giving up the search, I decided to go back and try it again; and, also, when I tried to earn a competence, honestly, here. Every other man in camp was making money, by the fistful, at my very side, every day; I, as you well know, couldn't earn my salt. But for your charity I would have starved. Now I am going to make money, by no matter what means. As to that, henceforth, I shall be indifferent. If riches come tome honestly, all right; if dishonestly, all right; but come they shall."
"Oh, pard, pard," exclaimed Droopy, "that's ag'in' all sense and reason. I ain't eddicated, an' can't rattle off things glib, like you;
