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.
Why did Marshall plant a seed of misunderstanding in the lady’s heart? How does this gesture speak highly of him? State the Irony at the end of the story.
Answers
Answer:
1) The marshal does not want to humiliate Easton in front of an old friend by showing Miss Fairchild that Easton is the true convict.
Explanation:
What happens is, 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 recognized him and started talking to him.
Before he can say much else, the glum faced man 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.”
2) We come to know that he is kind towards others and beleives in evereryone's self respect.
3) In an ironical twist the other passenger in the end reveals the true identities of Mr. Easton and the marshal when he says that a marshal always cuff’s prisoners to their left hand. The passenger says, ‘did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand.’ Thus we realize that Easton is not the marshal, he is the criminal.
Hope it helps!!!
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