The Spectre of Nevada [pp. 437-445]

THE SPECTRE OF NEVADA.
selves in the army and other professions;
some were even now retired with princely fortunes; some were leading a life of
poverty and indigence, and others, of
infamy and disgrace!
One evening we sat up later than
usual, discussing matters of graver moment-deliberating, in fact, on circumstances personal to myself-when the
door suddenly opened, and Mrs. Reynolds, pale and trembling, entered the
room. She looked significantly at her
husband as she approached us.
"MAy dear?'?" said Mr. Reynolds, inquiringly, and in a husky voice.
"It is there agai/" she replied,
sinking into a chair.
"Mrs. Reynolds," I said, hastily approaching her, "you are unwell; allow
me to assist you."
"Thank you," she said; "it is nothing-it xvill soon be over-pray be
seated."
"Mydearfriend," interposed Mr. Reynolds, "don't be disturbed: Mrs. Reynolds' illness is but temporary. We're
getting more and more accustomed to
this sort of thing lately, I'm sorry to
say. Some other time I may explain;
at present, permit me to attend to Mrs.
Reynolds." So saying, he went and sat
by the side of his wife, took her hand in
his, talked to her affectionately for some
time, and succeeded by degrees in restoring her, in some sort, to her usual
composure.
The incident put an end, for the present, to our conversation; for the lady,
as was natural after her recent illness,
or frighlt, or whatever it may be termed,
would not retire without her husband,
and, for my ownv part, it had so affected
my spirits - I knew not for what reason-that I longed to retire to my room,
and seek relief in slumber from the dullness which had imperceptibly come over
me.
We soon retired. Once in my room,
the incident just related was soon for
gotten, for your confirmned old bachelor
is seldom long affected by the matrimonial troubles even of his friends; and in
a few minutes I was once more centered in myself, and as completely absorbed with my own affdirs as if Mrs. Reynolds, dear soul, were in heaven. If the
incident had left a trace of recollection
at all, indeed, on my mind, it was one
very much akin to chagrin at having been
interrupted in a conversation, which, as
it related to my own private affairs, had
for me an absorbing interest. I had
come up to Nevada to speculate in mining stock, in the hope of retrieving my
shattered fortunes. My friend had extensive experience, and a large circle of
acquaintance in the district. We had
just been talking the matter over, and
my friend had been holding out some
encouragement, and even promises of
substantial assistance, when the lady's
appearance put an end to the conversation, and upset the structure of my hopes
in an instant. Mr. Reynolds might never
again be in the same propitious humor;
and yet my lady must get a nervous
headache, or some such dreadful malady,
just as a favorable turn in my affairs
seemed inevitable. Not the only time,
thought I, that the cup of Prosperity has
been rudely dashed from my lips! And
here I began to enumerate, in the solitude of my heart, the number of times
I had been disappointed through life
in the same sudden, rude manner, and
had been made the sport of a cruel destiny.
So having carefully locked my bedroom-door, I tumbled vexatiously into
bed. To escape my own reflections the
more effectually, I covered up my head
and persuaded myself, or tried at least
to do so, that I was just going off to
sleep. But sleep had deserted my pillow. At last, after rolling and tossing
about for hours, I thought I felt, first,
the bedstead, and then the bed itself;
moving under me. Had I, then, I asked
438
[MAY,