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Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Summary

Lorena is awake before dawn, already gone in her mind. She hands Jake Gus's fifty dollars to buy her a horse — a joke Jake enjoys, since the money from Gus's poke will carry her north. No sooner has he left than Xavier Wanz appears at her door in tears, begging her not to go. He offers to sell the saloon, marry her, take a boat from Galveston to California and open a clean restaurant with tablecloths. She refuses, though his mention of the boat lodges with her: why ride to Denver when a ship would be shorter? Xavier threatens to shoot Jake, then produces close to two hundred dollars, and she lets him in against the door rather than risk a shooting. He weeps against her breast, says goodbye with a look she recognises from her dying father, and goes slowly down the stairs. Lorena hides the money — one more secret from Jake.

Analysis

Xavier's proposal is the road not taken, and the novel keeps returning to it — Lorena remembers him later with more warmth than Jake, and his self-immolation closes the book. His mention of a boat from Galveston quietly indicts the entire overland enterprise as unnecessary.

Plates

First red light over the mesquite flats — Lorena awake before dawn at the foot of the bed, Jake still asleep behind her.
00 First red light over the mesquite flats — Lorena awake before dawn at the foot of the bed, Jake still asleep behind her.
Jake raises up on one elbow to look at Lorena in the fresh light, and the urge to talk her out of going leaves him.
01 Jake raises up on one elbow to look at Lorena in the fresh light, and the urge to talk her out of going leaves him.
Lorena gives Jake Gus's fifty dollars to buy her a horse — "don't get one that's too tall."
02 Lorena gives Jake Gus's fifty dollars to buy her a horse — "don't get one that's too tall."
Jake puts his arms around her and sniffs at her shoulder; she doesn't reject it and doesn't encourage it, her mind already up the trail.
03 Jake puts his arms around her and sniffs at her shoulder; she doesn't reject it and doesn't encourage it, her mind already up the trail.
Jake gone off after horses, Lorena counts over the few things she can take — the mother-of-pearl comb Tinkersley bought her, her mother's thin gold ring.
04 Jake gone off after horses, Lorena counts over the few things she can take — the mother-of-pearl comb Tinkersley bought her, her mother's thin gold ring.
The timid knock — Lorena opens the door a peek and finds Xavier on the stairs in tears.
05 The timid knock — Lorena opens the door a peek and finds Xavier on the stairs in tears.
Xavier's offer on the stairs — sell the place, marry, take a boat from Galveston, open a clean restaurant with tablecloths.
06 Xavier's offer on the stairs — sell the place, marry, take a boat from Galveston, open a clean restaurant with tablecloths.
Xavier pulls the money from his pocket and holds it out — well more than fifty dollars, maybe a hundred — and the sight of it makes her tired.
07 Xavier pulls the money from his pocket and holds it out — well more than fifty dollars, maybe a hundred — and the sight of it makes her tired.
Xavier's head against her bosom, weeping, Lorena's back against the shut door — her shift wet through with his tears.
08 Xavier's head against her bosom, weeping, Lorena's back against the shut door — her shift wet through with his tears.
Xavier goes down the stairs slowly, feeling for each tread, with the look her father had when he died — and behind her the money that will be one more secret from Jake.
09 Xavier goes down the stairs slowly, feeling for each tread, with the look her father had when he died — and behind her the money that will be one more secret from Jake.