Treasure Trove Short Storie Workbook Answers Hearts and Hands
Hearts and Hands Questions and Answers Extract Based
Question 1.
In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveller. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank countenance and manner; the other a ruffled, glumfaced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed together.
As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only vacant seat offered was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman’s glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was accustomed to speak and be heard.
(a) Where is the story set ? Where is the entire action of the story confined ? Who board the train ?
Answer:
The story is set in a train, B.M. Express to Denver. The entire action of the story is confined to one of the coaches in the train. A handsome young man with a bold, frank countenance and manner and a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed, board the train.
(b) Who was already sitting in the coach ? Where did the two persons take their seat ? What was the relationship between Mr. Easton and Miss. Fairchild ?
Answer:
An elegantly dressed woman named Miss Fairchild was already sitting in the coach. The two persons took their seat in front of the beautiful lady. Mr. Easton and Miss Fairchild were old friends who had not seen each other for a while.
(c) Which coach has been referred to in the extract ? How can you conclude that the coach was crowded ?
Answer:
The coach of the eastbound train, B.M. Express has been referred to. The only vacant seat left was a reversed one facing the attractive young lady. This clearly tells us that the coach was crowded.
(d) Why are the two passengers called ‘the linked couple’ ?
Answer:
The two passengers are called ‘the linked couple’ because they were handcuffed together. They occupied the same seat in front of Miss Fairchild as they were not able to sit separately because of being handcuffed together.
(e) In what manner did the young lady look at the two persons initially.
Answer:
In the beginning, the young lady threw a glance at the two persons with an indifferent attitude and showed no interest in them. But after a while, she found that one of them was Mr. Easton whom she knew. She smiled and started conversing.
(f) How did the young lady start conversation with Mr. Easton ? In what tone did she speak ?
Answer:
Having recognised Mr. Easton, the young lady began conversation with Mr. Easton by calling him by his name and asking him if he did not ever recognise his old friends when they met in the west. While conversing with him, her tone was sweet and friendly.
Question 2.
“It’s Miss Fairchild,” he said, with a smile. “I’ll ask you to excuse the other hand; “it’s otherwise engaged just at present.”
He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining “bracelet” to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl’s eyes slowly changed to a bewildered horror. The glow faded from her cheeks. Her lips parted in a vague, relaxing distress. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other forestalled him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl’s countenance with veiled glances from his keen, shrewd eyes.
(a) What is situational irony ? Describe it in the context of the story.
Answer:
Situational irony happens when a contrast is there between what is expected to occur and what actually happens. At the beginning of the story when the two men enter the train, there is mismatch between their appearances and the reality. Of the two men the handsome-looking mem appeared to be a marshal whereas the other man who was fat, rough and glum-faced appeared to be a prisoner. But in reality the handsome bold man i.e., Mr. Easton was a counterfeiter whereas the other man was a marshal.
(b) How did Mr. Easton react to the young lady’s voice.
Answer:
The young man, Mr. Easton roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice. He seemed to be struggling with a slight embarrassment which he threw instantly and then clasped her fingers with his left hand.
(c) Which hand of Easton was engaged and why ? What did Easton do to show his right hand ?
Answer:
Easton’s right hand was engaged as it was handcuffed to the left hand of the marshal. Easton slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining bracelet to the left one of his companion.
(d) How did the lady feel to see Easton’s right hand handcuffed to another man ? What changes were seen in the lady ?
Answer:
The lady felt great surprise to discover that Mr. Easton was handcuffed to the man seated beside him. She became tensed and felt embarrassed. The glow faded from her cheeks and the glad look in her eyes changed to bewildered horror. She was unable to reconcile with the situation and stared at him in disbelief.
(e) Who came forward to console the lady in her distressing moments and what did he reveal ?
Answer:
The real marshal came forward to ease the lady’s bewilderment and embarrassment. He revealed that Mr. Easton was a marshal and he was a convict and he was being taken to Leavenworth prison for counterfeiting. To hear this, the young lady was slightly relieved.
(f) What do the following lines show about the marshal ?
‘The glum-faced man had been watching the girl’s countenance with veiled glances from his keen, shrewd eye. ’
Answer:
For the time, Miss Fairchild kept on talking to Mr. Easton, the marshal continued to listen calmly to their conversation, while at the same time kept on watching the lady and her behaviour. It seemed he was evaluating thp situation as a marshal would do. He was a keen observer and a good judge of human behaviour. He observed Miss Fairchild’s expression and could make out the reason for her horrified look after seeing the handcuffs. He realised that Miss Fairchild was a person given to social images rather than to reality. So the moment, Mr. Easton was about to reply to Miss Fairchild, the marshal interevened and said that Mr. Easton was the marshal who was taking him (the marshal) to the prison for counterfeiting.
3. “Oh!” said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color. “So that is what you are doing out here? A marshal!”
“My dear Miss Fairchild, ” said Easton, calmly, “I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening in the West, and —well, a marshalship isn’t quite as high a position as that of ambassador, but-”.
(a) What was contrary to the revelation made by the glum-faced man ? What was the reality of the two persons ?
Answer:
In reality, the glum-faced man was the marshal who was taking the convict Mr. Easton to the prison. The marshal presented himself as the convict to save Mr. Easton from embarrassment in front of Miss Fairchild.
(b) Why did Miss Fairchild call Easton, a marshal ? Why did she not suspect at Easton.
Answer:
Miss Fairchild called Easton, a marshal because she was told so by the real marshal. She did not suspect at Mr. Easton’s being marshal as she was wholly blinded by social images and fantasies. Moreover she believed in outward appearances.
(c) What is foreshadowing ? Give two instances in the earlier context of the story.
Answer:
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. There are two instances-
- At the very beginning of the story, Miss Fairchild recognises one of her old friends, Mr. Easton on the train, who at first shows some embarrassment and nervousness on being recognised by her.
- Miss Fairchild gets disturbed on seeing that his friend, Mr. Easton’s hands are handcuffed with another person.
(d) Explain the following :
‘Money has a way of taking wings into itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. ’
Answer:
Money has the ability to make one feel respected and dignified. Money can make one fly and soar high. It makes one enable to compete with the crowd or to feel one with the high class society in Washington.
(e) What would have forced to Mr. Easton to take the way of counterfeiting ?
Answer:
Mr. Easton seemed to have migrated from the East to the West for better prospects. Since life in the West was expensive and required more money, it seemed that Mr. Easton had taken recourse to counterfeiting. Counterfeiting was an easy recourse to make money. He had been counterfeiting before he was caught and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
(f) What kind of irony has been used in the following sentence : I had to do something’ ? Explain it clearly.
Answer:
The above sentence is an example of verbal irony, since Mr. Easton does not mean for Miss Fairchild to understand what the ‘something’ truly was.
Question 4.
“The ambassador, ” said the girl, warmly, “doesn’t call any more. He needn’t ever have done so. You ought to know that. And so now you are one of these dashing Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That’s different from the Washington life. You have been missed from the old crowd.”
The girl’s eyes, fascinated, went back, widening a little, to rest upon the glittering handcuffs.
“Don’t you worry about them, miss,” said the other man. “Ml marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business.”
(a) How do you know that Miss Fairchild was a flirtatious lady ?
Answer:
The moment Miss Fairchild saw Mr. Easton, there appeared a glow on her face and a shine in her eyes. When Mr. Easton said that he had taken up the job of a marshal and it was not as high a position as that of an ambassador, Miss Fairchild reacted immediately with a warm reply that she liked him more than she liked the ambassador and that she was no longer in touch with the ambassador.
(b) Why was Miss Fairchild not likely to see Easton in Washington soon ? What did she say about Easton’s life in Washington ?
Answer:
Miss Fairchild was not likely to see Easton in Washington soon, because he was to be confined in Leavenworth prison. She assumed that he would be extremely busy in his new job as the marshal.
(c) Who were handcuffed ? Why ? How did the marshal look like ? What kind of nature did he have ?
Answer:
Easton was handcuffed to the marshal because he was being taken to the Leavenworth prison for counterfeiting. The marshal was a ruffled and glum-faced person. He was heavily built and roughly dressed, but he was kind and sympathetic by nature. He was ever willing to give helping hand to those who were found in distress.
(d) How did the marshal ease Miss Fairchild’s concern when she continued to stare at the handcuffs during conversation ?
Answer:
When Miss Fairchild continued to stare at the handcuffs during conversation, the marshal eased her concern saying that she need not worry about them as all the marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away.
(e) How do we come to know that the marshal was a keen observer ?
Answer:
Indeed the marshal was a keen observer. He observed Mr. Easton’s
hesitation in recognising Miss Fairchild and also Miss Fairchild’s bewildered horror’ on seeing Easton being handcuffed. The marshal thus understood the gravity of the situation and saved Mr. Easton from the humiliation of being recognised as convict in front of an old friend.
(f) Which irony has been used in the following line :
‘Mr. Easton knows his business’.
Answer:
In the above sentence, the verbal irony has been used. The business Mr. Easton knows is not the business of being a marshal but of being a counterfeiter.
Question 5.
“Will we see you again soon in Washington?” asked the girl.
“Not soon, 1 think,” said Easton. “My butterfly days are over, I fear.”
“I love the West,” said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner: “Mamma and I spent the
summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid—”
(a) Why won’t Easton be in Washington in near future ? What does Easton mean when he says, ‘my butterfly days are over* ? What does Miss Fairchild think about this ?
Answer:
Mr. Easton would be imprisoned in Leavenworth prison on the charges of counterfeiting. When Easton says ‘my butterfly days are over, he means that his good and adventurous days of making money by deceiving people are over. In other words his freedom has been curtailed because of his being sentenced to prison. But Miss Fairchild thinks that Mr. Easton is referring to his social days and assumes that since Mr. Easton has taken a job with the criminal justice, he won’t have freedom to do whatever he used to do earlier.
(b) In the earlier extract why did the glum-faced man say, *Mr. Easton knows his business’ ?
Answer:
During conversation with Mr. Easton, Miss Fairchild kept staring at the handcuffs. The marshal at once knew the situation hence, he asked her not to worry as it was Mr. Easton’s business as a marshal to handcuff the convict to keep from getting away.
(c) Do you think that the lady possesses a fair heart as her name suggests ?
Answer:
Miss Fairchild had a fair name and face, but her heart was not so fair. She was emotionless and unsympathetic. When her father was ill, she
did not go home to take care of him. She continued her journey despite knowing of her father’s illness.
(d) How do you come to know that Miss Fairchild seems to be interested in Easton and looks him as her future life partner ?
Answer:
Miss Fairchild may be interested in Mr. Easton as a potential suitor, for she asks questions about his plans to return to Washington. Once she becomes convinced that Easton is the marshal, she thinks that she can be happy in the West where the air agrees with her. Moreover, she indicates to Easton that she is no longer seeing her former suitor, the ambassador.
(e) Do you think that Miss Fairchild in gullible ?
Answer:
It takes very little information for Miss Fairchild to believe that one person on the coach whom she knows is a respectable man. Perhaps she associates her own class and respectability with her old friend, or perhaps she is very gullible. She does not think twice to question the word of the rough-looking man to whom her friend, Mr. Easton is handcuffed.
(f) Clearly explain dramatic irony in the following lines :
‘Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid.
Answer:
Dramatic irony happens when the reader perceives something that a character in the story does not know. In the lines given above, Miss Fairchild says that people misunderstand things, whereas she herself does not understand who the real prisoner is. Her statement that ‘money isn’t everything” is also ironic since it is the desire for money that has led to Mr. Easton’s unpleasant situation.
Question 6.
“Say, Mr. Marshal,”growled the glum-faced man. “This isn’t quite fair. I’m needing a drink, and haven’t had a smoke all day. Haven’t you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won’t you? I’m half dead for a pipe. ”
The hound travellers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face.
“I can’t deny a petition for tobacco,” he said, lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know.”He held out his hand for a farewell.
(a) In the title of the story ‘Hearts and Hands’, what does the word ‘Hands’ signify ?
Answer:
The story begins with two people, Mr. Easton and the glum-faced man handcuffed together. It is the handcuffing that lends to the ‘Hands’ part of the title. In fact, it is the hands (handcuffs which are significant for revealing the true identities of the two men). It was an astute passenger in the coach who discovered that a marshal would not handcuff his own right hand with that convict as was the case with Mr. Easton and the marshal.
(b) What is contradictory about the personality of the marshal ?
Answer:
Outwardly, the marshal seems to be a strict, cruel, ugly and grim looking man, but inwardly, he seems to be possessing a golden heart i.e., he is kind, sympathetic and generous for his fellow being who is a convict. He comes forward to help the convict named Mr. Easton and saves him from being humiliated by telling a lie to the lady.
(c) How many times did the marshal tell a lie to save Mr. Easton from embarrassing situation ?
Answer:
At first the marshal told a lie when Mr. Easton encountered the lady and felt greatly embarrassed and humiliated before her. He told the lady that Mr. Easton was a marshal and taking him (the real marshal) to Leavenworth prison. Second time, the marshal told a lie to the lady when she constantly stared at the handcuffs during conversation. He (the marshal) consoled the lady saying that all the marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Third time, he saved Easton by telling a lie that he needed to smoke and therefore needed to leave the coach.
(d) Why did the marshal request Easton to be taken him (the marshal) to the smoker room ?
Answer:
As the lady continued talking to Mr. Easton, marshal kept quiet, listening carefully to the content of their conversation. When she enquired about Mr. Easton’s plans of returning to the west, the marshal felt that Mr. Easton might reveal something about himself. So he interrupted and requested him that he should be taken to the smoker room.
(e) What reason did the glum-faced man give for his going for a smoke ? Give an example of figure of speech hyperbole in the extract.
Answer:
The glum-faced man said that he was in need of drink and a smoke, he had not taken a drink and smoke for a long time, he felt great restlessness. Hence he asked Mr. Easton to accompany him to the smoker car. We find the figure of speech hyperbole in the line : ‘I’m half dead for a pipe.’
(f) What did Mr. Easton tell the lady before saying good-bye to her ? What did he try.
Answer:
Before saying good-bye to the lady, Mr. Easton told her that he could not deny a petition for tobacco his unfortunate friend demanded and it was his duty as a marshal which should be fulfilled. He tried to show how sincere and honest he was for his duty.
Question 7.
The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker.
The two passengers in a seat nearby had heard most of the conversa-tion. Said one of them: “That marshal’s a good sort of chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right. ”
“Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he1?” asked the other. “Young!” exclaimed the first speaker, “why—Oh! Didn’t you catch on? Say—did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?”
(a) What did the glum-faced man do to cut short the conversation between Easton and Miss Fairchild ? What could be the reason for his action ?
Answer:
The glum-faced man interrupted the conversation between Easton and Miss Fairchild and requested Easton that he should be taken to the smoker room. By doing so, he wanted to prevent Mr. Easton from revealing that he was a convict.
(b) What conflict can be seen in the story ‘Hearts and Hands’ ?
Answer:
In O’Henry’s ‘Hearts and Hands’, the conflict seems to be between Easton and Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild recognises Easton while on the train; however, Easten is handcuffed to another man at the moment and he does not want to draw her attention to it. When Miss Fairchild becomes insistent that Easton should acknowledge her, the other man quickly jumps in to state that Easton is the marshal who is bringing him to the Leavenworth prison for counterfeiting.
(c) When and where does the twist come in the story ?
Answer:
The first twist comes at the end when we learn that the unnamed man is, infact, the true marshal and that Easton is the one heading to prison. The marshal does not want to humiliate Easton in front of an old friend by showing Miss Fairchild that Easton is the true convict. Second twist comes at the very end when passengers who overheard the conversation recognise that a marshal would never handcuff a man to his right hand.
(d) Do you think that Mr. Easton is an opportunist ?
Answer:
Yes, Mr. Easton is an opportunist. He does not flinch to lie and continues to lie to Miss Fairchild once the marshal saves him from being humiliated by calling him, marshal. Then he lays out an explanation as to why he has moved to the west and why he won’t be able to see her in the future. He even picks up the hint from the marshal when he asks to go to the smoke room quickly. He immediately accept the request claiming that he cannot deny a man asking for a smoke.
(e) How does the word ‘hearts’ relate to the title ?
Answer:
The glum-faced man was kind to Mr. Easton by pretending to be the prisoner. His heart went out to him. He was also moved by the look of horror on Miss Fairchild’s face. Miss Fairchild seemed romatically interested in Mr. Easton. The romance between them might have grown. Mr. Easton’s heart-felt desire to fit in with crowd in Washington might have led to counterfeiting.
(f) What did the other passengers seated nearby, observe and react about Mr. Easton and the marshal ?
Answer:
The two other passengers seated nearby, were listening to their conversation. One of them remarked that from his appearance Mr. Easton appeared to be too young to be a marshal. The other eaves dropping passanger correcting the mistake saying Mr. Easton was not the marshal; he was the convict because no marshal would handcuff his own right hand.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
What is the conflict and twist in the story ‘Hearts and Hands9 ?
Answer:
O. Henry is a short story writer famous for his ironic twirt at the end of his stories. In ‘Hearts and Hands’, the conflict and twist revolve around two men who are handcuffed to one another on a train in Denver. One of them is young and handsome, the other is older and glum-looking. They sit across from a pretty young lady dressed very elegantly. Her name is Miss Fairchild. She recognises the younger man as someone who used to run in the same social circles, Mr. Easton. Miss Fairchild implies that she used to have romantic feelings or attraction to Mr. Easton. There is a hint that Mr. Easton feels uncomfortable and embarrassed that she has recognised him and started talking to him.
Before he can say much else, the glum faced may stops him and tells the girl that Mr. Easton is a United States’ marshal who is taking the glum faced man to prison at Leavenworth. He has been sentenced to seven years for counterfeiting. Miss Fairchild seems to be impressed by Mr. Easton’s new job because he is now a ‘dashing western hero’.
The lady starts talking about irrelevant and fluffy things and Mr. Easton seems to be becoming more and more uncomfortable. The glum faced man asks Mr. Easton to take him out to the smoker car for a smoke, which he complies with. The excuse allows the men to leave Miss Fairchild.
When they leave, the point of view shifts to two different passengers who had been listening to the conversation between Miss Fairchild, Mr. Easton and the glum faced man. One of them remarks on how young the marshal is, and the other corrects the mistake. It was actually the glum faced man who was the marshal and Mr. Easton was going to prison for seven years for counterfeiting money. The detail was that Mr. Easton’s right hand was cuffed to the marshal’s left hand, when both men were right handed.
Question 2.
Justify the litle ‘Hearts and Hands’.
Answer:
The story Hearts and Hands’ deals with how two handcuffed men befool a beautiful young lady to avoid some embarrassing situation. The story begins in a simple way, but the entire situation turns ironic as Miss Fairchild is deliberately misguided and duped. In a compartment of a train Miss Fairchild meets Easton accidentally.
She recognises Mr. Easton as her old friend from among the passengers. She is very glad to see him first, but she immediately becomes shocked at the discovery that her friend is in handcuff. Easton is also utterly embarassed. Both of them at that time find themselves in an awkward position. Just at that time Easton’s companion comes to his rescue. He indirectly introduces Easton as the marshal. Then he tells her that he (real marshal) is being taken to Leavenworth prison.
After knowing that Mr. Easton is a marshal, she feels relieved and happy to think that her old friend is leading an adventurous and prosperous life. She then starts talking in a free and frank manner and at one stage she becomes emotional and amorous. The situation is ironic here as the pretty lady cannot realise that what has gone wrong with Easton. Rather she becomes happy to know his marshalship and feels romantic. As she cannot become aware of the real fact she becomes close to Mr. Easton and tells about herself. In this way, the situation takes another turn.
The real marshal observes that both the lady and Mr. Easton are having a very close relationship and he feels that Mr. Easton may reveal truth during conversation with the lady and may create trouble for him and the . lady. The real marshal does not want to see them falling into horrible situation again. He again saves the lady and Mr. Easton from being humiliated.
He thinks of taking leave of the compartment and going out of sight of the young woman. The lady wishes Mr. Easton to come back soon from Levenworth and meet her again. But he is then taken to smoker by his companion (the real marshal) to get rid of the odd situation. When the marshal asks Mr. Easton to accompany him (the marshal) to the smoker car, the hearts of both of them (Mr. Easton and the lady) were going to very close.
But then comes the climax. The right hand of the convict should be handcuffed with the left hand of the marshal. But it is contrary in the case of Easton and his companion marshal. The right hand of Easton is handcuffed with the left hand of the marshal. One passenger can understand this and says that Mr. Easten is not the marshal; he is the counterfeiter. The story thus unexpectedly comes to an end. When the two hearts were coming close to each other, the hands prevented them from becoming more intimate. Romantic hopes turn into frustration and funny situation takes pathetic turn. Thus the title of the story is appropriate.
Question 3.
Describe the theme in the story ‘Hearts and Hands’ by O. Henry.
Answer:
In the story Hearts and Hands, we have the theme of appearance, freedom, imitation, honesty, identity and paralysis. The story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Henry may be exploring the theme of appearance. Easton is not who he seems to be. Rather than being the marshal he is infact the prisoner, a rather charming prisoner too. Apart from the couple at the end of the story nobody else suspects that Easton is the prisoner.
It suggests that Easton is good at fooling people. Just as he is going to prison for counterfeiting. Easton is also an imitation which may be the point that Henry is attempting to make. Throughout the story Easton is not only charming to Miss Fairchild but he is polite too. Both these traits would not exactly be traits that one would associate with a criminal. It is Easton’s purpose to fool people (counterfeit money) in life.
Something he nearly manages to do with everybody on-board the train. It is also clear to the reader that Easton was once a suitor to Miss Fairchild though it appears whatever occupation he had at the time was not as good as Miss Fairchild’s other suitor an ambassador. This may be important as though the reader is aware that Easton is a counterfeiter he also appears to be playing with his identity. He may not have been a criminal when he was attempting to court Miss Fairchild in Washington.
Henry also appears to be exploring the theme of freedom. II is clear that Easton has or is about to lose his freedom for seven years but what isn’t as obvious is the fact that Miss Fairchild too has lost her freedom. She much prefers the west to Washington. It is as though she feels stifled in Washington. The setting of the story is also interesting as a train cabin would be a confined space and in many ways the cabin acts as foreshadowing.
Easton is to spend seven years in a confined space, a prison cell. It may also be important that the real marshal does not embarrass Easton by telling Miss Fairchild that Easton is infact a prisoner and not a marshal. By doing so Henry manages to allow Easton that last bit of freedom to express himself as he would like to express himself.
Question 4.
Where did Miss Fairchild meet Mr. Easton and in what circumstances ? How did Mr. Easton and the lady feel and react ?
Answer:
A lady named Miss Fairchild was travelling in a train to Denver. She was sitting in one of the coaches of the train. The two men arrived and took the seat in front of the lady. One of them was young and handsome and looked bold and frank whereas the other was a ruffled, glum-faced, heavily built £?*d roughly dressed. The two people were handcuffed together. The young man of charming personality was the convict. His name was Mr. Easton and he was sentenced of seven years of imprisoment for counterfeiting. The other man who was gloomy faced and heavily built was the marshal.
He was taking Mr. Ehston to Leavenworth prison. When the lady was observing the surroundings around her, her eyes fell on the two people who were handcuffed together. At first she saw at them without showing any interest, but suddenly she recalled something. She had recognised one of them whose name was Mr. Easton. She spoke to him:
‘Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose, I must. Don’t you ever recognise old friends when you meet them in the west ?’
Mr. Easton roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice. Then, overcoming his embarrassment, he clasped her fingers with his left hand and said with a smile :
‘It’s Miss Fairchild. I’ll ask you to excuse the other hand; it’s otherwise engaged just at present.’
When Mr. Easton slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining ‘bracelet’ to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl’s eyes slowly changed to a bewildered horror.
Question 5.
How did Mr. Easton ease himself while encountering the lady ? What do you think of Mr. Easton’s being a convict ?
Answer:
As soon as Mr. Easton with his fellow being entered the coach, he encountered a lady of his old acquaintance. The lady recognised him and got interested in talking to him. Mr. Easton, initially felt a little nervous and embarrassed because of his handcuffs, but anyhow he eased himself and maintained composure and greeted the lady by putting a smile on his face and clasping Miss Fairchild’s fingers with his left hand. On seeing the expressions of horror and distress on Miss Fairchild’s face, he immediately changed his expressions.
Mr. Easton seemed to have migrated from the East to the West for better prospects. Since life in the west was expensive and required more money, it seemed that Mr. Easton had taken recourse to counterfeiting. As he told Miss Fairchild:
‘I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening in the west ’
Mr. Easton had taken an easy recourse to make money and had been counterfeiting before he was caught and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Question 6.
Why could the lady not suspect at the other man’s revelation about Mr. Easton ?
Answer:
As the lady was passing a life of materialism and was greatly dazzled by social images and fantasies, she was highly fascinated to the outward appearance of the things and persons. She did not have an observing eye to know the reality. On seeing the young and handsome Mr. Easton she was attracted to him and her heart seemed to be filled with images of her happy past with him.
But when she saw that Mr. Easton was handcuffed with another man, she appeared to be horrified. The real marshal at once judged the situation and came forward to explain the things. He told the lady that she considered the things wrong. What she was seeing, was not truth. Mr. Easton was a marshal and he was convict. He also told her that Mr. Easton was taking him to Leavenworth prison :
‘You’ll excuse me for speaking, miss, but I see you’re acquainted with the marshal here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen he’ll do it and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for counterfeiting.’
The lady easily believed on the words of real marshal without knowing the truth and reality. She was happy to know that Mr. Easton was marshal. She was so much blinded by the appearances that even she did not think for a moment that how a young person like Mr. Easton could be a marshal and how a marshal’s right hand could be bound to the left hand of the convict. She was so much overwhelmed with the feelings of social images that she could not be aware of this fact.
Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers