"This was a dirty job, as we had to dismantle the tin chimney to move the stove back and forth, and we were both rained down in black soot; but when we were finished I could not imagine a soul would ever find our treasure, for no one would think to look in so remote a spot.The rough estimate of these riches was set at fifteen thousand dollars; my take of this more than tripled my savings, and as we left the musty basement, heading up the stairs and into the light, I felt two things at once: A gladness at this turn of fortune, but also an emptiness that I did not feel more glad; or rather, a fear that my gladness was forced or false. I thought, Perhaps a man is never meant to be truly happy. Perhaps there is no such a thing in our world, after all. As we walked the halls of the hotel the whores were abuzz with the news of Mayfield's head-wounded departure, and the disappearance of the trappers. I spied Charlie's whore, looking only slightly less green than before, and took her to the side, asking where the bookkeeper was. "They ran her up to the doc's." 'Is she all right?' 'I imagine. They're always running her up there' I pressed a hundred dollars into her hand. 'I want you to give this to her when she comes back.' She stared at the money. 'Jesus Christ on a cloud.' 'I will return in two weeks' time. If I find she has not received it, there will be a price to pay, do you understand me?' 'Mister, I was just standing in the hall, here.' I held up a double eagle. 'This is for you.' She dropped the coin into her pocket. Peering down the hall in the direction Charlie had gone she asked, 'I don't suppose your brother'll be leaving me a hundred.' 'No I don't suppose he will.' 'You got all the romantic blood, is that it?' 'Our blood is the same, we just use it differently.' I turned and walked away. A half-dozen steps, and she asked. 'You want to tell me what she did for this?' I stopped and thought. I told her, 'She was pretty, and kind to me.' And the poor whore's face, she just did not know what to think about that. She went back into her room, slammed the door shut, and shrieked two times."
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