\"Itcangivemeup，too。\"
\"Oh，nonsense!Iguessthere\'snotmuchfearofthat。Now，IwantyoutotelegraphMr。Fulkerson，sothathe\'llfindthedespatchwaitingforhimwhenhegetstoNewYork。I\'lltakethewholeresponsibility，Basil，andI\'llriskalltheconsequences。\"
III。
March\'sfacehadsoberedmoreandmoreasshefollowedonehopefulburstwithanother，andnowitexpressedapositivepain。Butheforcedasmileandsaid:\"There\'salittleconditionattached。Wheredidyousupposeitwastobepublished?\"
\"Why，inBoston，ofcourse。Whereelseshoulditbepublished?\"
Shelookedathimfortheintentionofhisquestionsosearchinglythathequitegaveuptheattempttobegayaboutit。\"No，\"hesaid，gravely，\"it\'stobepublishedinNewYork。\"
Shefellbackinherchair。\"InNewYork?\"Sheleanedforwardoverthetabletowardhim，asiftomakesurethatsheheardaright，andsaid，withallthekeenreproachthathecouldhaveexpected:\"InNewYork，Basil!Oh，howcouldyouhaveletmegoon?\"
Hehadasufficientlyruefulfaceinowning:\"Ioughtn\'ttohavedoneit，butIgotstartedwrong。Icouldn\'thelpputtingthebestfoot，forwardatfirst——oraslongasthewholethingwasintheair。Ididn\'tknowthatyouwouldtakesomuchtothegeneralenterprise，orelseIshouldhavementionedtheNewYorkconditionatonce；but，ofcourse，thatputsanendtoit。\"
\"Oh，ofcourse，\"sheassented，sadly。\"WeCOULDN\'TgotoNewYork。\"
\"No，Iknowthat，\"hesaid；andwiththisaperversedesiretotempthertotheimpossibilityawokeinhim，thoughhewasreallyquitecoldabouttheaffairhimselfnow。\"FulkersonthoughtwecouldgetaniceflatinNewYorkforaboutwhattheinterestandtaxescametohere，andprovisionsarecheaper。ButIshouldrathernotexperimentatmytimeoflife。IfIcouldhavebeencaughtyounger，ImighthavebeeninuredtoNewYork，butIdon\'tbelieveIcouldstanditnow。\"
\"HowIhatetohaveyoutalkthatway，Basil!Youareyoungenoughtotryanything——anywhere；butyouknowIdon\'tlikeNewYork。Idon\'tapproveofit。It\'ssobig，andsohideous!OfcourseIshouldn\'tmindthat；butI\'vealwayslivedinBoston，andthechildrenwerebornandhavealltheirfriendshipsandassociationshere。\"Sheadded，withthehelplessnessthatdiscreditedhergoodsenseanddidherinjustice，\"IhavejustgotthembothintotheFridayafternoonclassatPapanti\'s，andyouknowhowdifficultthatis。\"
Marchcouldnotfailtotakeadvantageofanoccasionlikethis。
\"Well，thataloneoughttosettleit。Underthecircumstances，itwouldbeflyinginthefaceofProvidencetoleaveBoston。Themerefactofabrilliantopeninglikethatofferedmeon\'TheMicrobe，\'andthehalcyonfuturewhichFulkersonpromisesifwe\'llcometoNewYork，isasdustinthebalanceagainsttheadvantagesoftheFridayafternoonclass。\"
\"Basil，\"sheappealed，solemnly，\"haveIeverinterferedwithyourcareer?\"
\"Ineverhadanyforyoutointerferewith，mydear。\"
\"Basil!Haven\'tIalwayshadfaithinyou?Anddon\'tyousupposethatifIthoughtitwouldreallybeforyouradvancementIwouldgotoNewYorkoranywherewithyou?\"
\"No，mydear，Idon\'t，\"heteased。\"Ifitwouldbeformysalvation，yes，perhaps；butnotshortofthat；andIshouldhavetoprovebyacloudofwitnessesthatitwould。Idon\'tblameyou。Iwasn\'tborninBoston，butIunderstandhowyoufeel。Andreally，mydear，\"headded，withoutirony，\"IneverseriouslythoughtofaskingyoutogotoNewYork。IwasdazzledbyFulkerson\'soffer，I\'llownthat；buthischoiceofmeaseditorsappedmyconfidenceinhim。\"
\"Idon\'tliketohearyousaythat，Basil，\"sheentreated。
\"Well，ofcoursethereweremitigatingcircumstances。IcouldseethatFulkersonmeanttokeepthewhip-handhimself，andthatwasreassuring。
And，besides，iftheReciprocityLifeshouldhappennottowantmyservicesanylonger，itwouldn\'tbequitelikegivingupacertainty；
though，asamatterofbusiness，IletFulkersongetthatimpression；I
feltrathersneakingtodoit。Butiftheworstcomestotheworst，I
canlookaboutforsomethingtodoinBoston；and，anyhow，peopledon\'tstarveontwothousandayear，thoughit\'sconvenienttohavefive。Thefactis，I\'mtoooldtochangesoradically。Ifyoudon\'tlikemysayingthat，thenyouare，Isabel，andsoarethechildren。I\'venorighttotakethemfromthehomewe\'vemade，andtochangethewholecourseoftheirlives，unlessIcanassurethemofsomething，andIcan\'tassurethemofanything。Bostonisbigenoughforus，andit\'scertainlyprettierthanNewYork。IalwaysfeelalittleproudofhailingfromBoston；mypleasureintheplacemountsthefartherIgetawayfromit。
ButIdoappreciateit，mydear；I\'venomoredesiretoleaveitthanyouhave。Youmaybesurethatifyoudon\'twanttotakethechildrenoutoftheFridayafternoonclass，Idon\'twanttoleavemylibraryhere，andallthewaysI\'vegotsetin。We\'llkeepon。Verylikelythecompanywon\'tsupplantme，andifitdoes，andWatkinsgetstheplace，he\'llgivemeasubordinatepositionofsomesort。Cheerup，Isabel!IhaveputSatanandhisangel，Fulkerson，behindme，andit\'sallright。Let\'sgointothechildren。\"
HecameroundthetabletoIsabel，whereshesatinagrowingdistraction，andliftedherbythewaistfromherchair。
Shesigheddeeply。\"Shallwetellthechildrenaboutit?\"
\"No。What\'stheuse，now?\"
\"Therewouldn\'tbeany，\"sheassented。Whentheyenteredthefamilyroom，wheretheboyandgirlsatoneithersideofthelampworkingoutthelessonsforMondaywhichtheyhadleftoverfromthedaybefore，sheasked，\"Children，howwouldyouliketoliveinNewYork?\"
Bellamadehastetogetinherwordfirst。\"AndgiveuptheFridayafternoonclass?\"shewailed。
Tomgrowledfromhisbook，withoutliftinghiseyes:\"Ishouldn\'twanttogotoColumbia。Theyhaven\'tgotanydormitories，andyouhavetoboardroundanywhere。AreyougoingtoNewYork?\"Henowdeignedtolookupathisfather。
\"No，Tom。YouandBellahavedecidedmeagainstit。Yourperspectiveshowstheaffairinitstrueproportions。IhadanoffertogotoNewYork，butI\'verefusedit。\"
IV
March\'sironyfellharmlessfromthechildren\'spreoccupationwiththeirownaffairs，butheknewthathiswifefeltit，andthisaddedtothebitternesswhichpromptedit。HeblamedherforlettingherprovincialnarrownesspreventhisacceptingFulkerson\'sofferquiteasmuchasifhehadotherwiseentirelywishedtoacceptit。Hisworld，likemostworlds，hadbeensuperficiallyadisappointment。Hewasnoricherthanatthebeginning，thoughinmarryinghehadgivenupsometastes，somepreferences，someaspirations，inthehopeofindulgingthemlater，withlargermeansandlargerleisure。Hiswifehadnoturgedhimtodoit；infact，herpride，asshesaid，wasinhisfitnessforthelifehehadrenounced；butshehadacquiesced，andtheyhadbeenveryhappytogether。
Thatistosay，theymadeuptheirquarrelsorignoredthem。
Theyoftenaccusedeachotherofbeingselfishandindifferent，butsheknewthathewouldalwayssacrificehimselfforherandthechildren；
andhe，onhispart，withmanygibesandmockeries，whollytrustedinher。Theyhadgrownpracticallytolerantofeachother\'sdisagreeabletraits；andthedangerthatreallythreatenedthemwasthattheyshouldgrowtoowellsatisfiedwiththemselves，ifnotwitheachother。Theywerenotsentimental，theywererathermatter-of-factintheirmotives；
buttheyhadbothasortofhumorousfondnessforsentimentality。Theylikedtoplaywiththeromantic，fromthesafevantage-groundoftheirrealpracticality，andtodivinethepoetryofthecommonplace。Theirpeculiarpointofviewseparatedthemfrommostotherpeople，withwhomtheirmeansofself-comparisonwerenotsogoodsincetheirmarriageasbefore。Thentheyhadtravelledandseenmuchoftheworld，andtheyhadformedtasteswhichtheyhadnotalwaysbeenabletoindulge，butofwhichtheyfeltthatthepossessionreflecteddistinctiononthem。Itenabledthemtolookdownuponthosewhowerewithoutsuchtastes；buttheywerenotill-natured，andsotheydidnotlookdownsomuchwithcontemptaswithamusement。Intheirunfashionableneighborhoodtheyhadthefameofbeingnotexclusiveprecisely，butverymuchwrappedupinthemselvesandtheirchildren。
Mrs。Marchwasreputedtobeverycultivated，andMr。Marchevenmoreso，amongthesimplerfolkaroundthem。Theirhousehadsomegoodpictures，whichheraunthadbroughthomefromEuropeinmoreaffluentdays，anditaboundedinbooksonwhichhespentmorethanheought。Theyhadbeautifieditineveryway，andhadunconsciouslytakencredittothemselvesforit。Theyfelt，withaglowalmostofvirtue，howperfectlyitfittedtheirlivesandtheirchildren\'s，andtheybelievedthatsomehowitexpressedtheircharacters——thatitwaslikethem。Theywentoutverylittle；sheremainedshutupinitsrefinement，workingthegoodofherown；andhewenttohisbusiness，andhurriedbacktoforgetit，anddreamhisdreamofintellectualachievementintheflatteringatmosphereofhersympathy。HecouldnotconcealfromhimselfthathisdividedlifewassomewhatlikeCharlesLamb\'s，andthereweretimeswhen，ashehadexpressedtoFulkerson，hebelievedthatitsdivisionwasfavorabletothefreshnessofhisinterestinliterature。Itcertainlykeptitahighprivilege，asacredrefuge。Nowandthenhewrotesomething，andgotitprintedafterlongdelays，andwhentheymetontheSt。LawrenceFulkersonhadsomeofMarch\'sversesinhispocket-book，whichhehadcutoutofastraynewspaperandcarriedaboutforyears，becausetheypleasedhisfancysomuch；theyformedanimmediatebondofunionbetweenthemenwhentheirauthorshipwastracedandowned，andthisgaveaprettycolorofromancetotheiracquaintance。But，forthemostpart，Marchwassatisfiedtoread。Hewasproudofreadingcritically，andhekeptinthecurrentofliteraryinterestsandcontroversies。Itallseemedtohim，andtohiswifeatsecond-hand，verymeritorious；hecouldnothelpcontrastinghislifeanditsinnerelegancewiththatofothermenwhohadnosuchresources。Hethoughtthathewasnotarrogantaboutit，becausehedidfulljusticetothegoodqualitiesofthoseotherpeople；
hecongratulatedhimselfuponthedemocraticinstinctswhichenabledhimtodothis；andneitherhenorhiswifesupposedthattheywereselfishpersons。Onthecontrary，theywereverysympathetic；therewasnogoodcausethattheydidnotwishwell；theyhadagenerousscornofallkindsofnarrow-heartedness；ifithadevercomeintotheirwaytosacrificethemselvesforothers，theythoughttheywouldhavedoneso，buttheyneveraskedwhyithadnotcomeintheirway。Theywereverygentleandkind，evenwhenmostelusive；andtheytaughttheirchildrentoloatheallmannerofsocialcruelty。Marchwasofsowatchfulaconscienceinsomerespectsthathedeniedhimselfthepensivepleasureoflapsingintothemelancholyofunfulfilledaspirations；buthedidnotseethat，ifhehadabandonedthem，ithadbeenforwhathehelddearer；generallyhefeltasifhehadturnedfromthemwithahigh，altruisticaim。Thepracticalexpressionofhislifewasthatitwasenoughtoprovidewellforhisfamily；tohavecultivatedtastes，andtogratifythemtotheextentofhismeans；toberatherdistinguished，eveninthesimplificationofhisdesires。Hebelieved，andhiswifebelieved，thatifthetimeevercamewhenhereallywishedtomakeasacrificetothefulfilmentoftheaspirationssolongpostponed，shewouldbereadytojoinwithheartandhand。
Whenhewenttoherroomfromhislibrary，whereshelefthimthewholeeveningwiththechildren，hefoundherbeforetheglassthoughtfullyremovingthefirstdismantlingpinfromherbackhair。
\"Ican\'thelpfeeling，\"shegrievedintothemirror，\"thatit\'sIwhokeepyoufromacceptingthatoffer。Iknowitis!IcouldgoWestwithyou，orintoanewcountry——anywhere；butNewYorkterrifiesme。Idon\'tlikeNewYork，Ineverdid；itdisheartensanddistractsme；Ican\'tfindmyselfinit；Ishouldn\'tknowhowtoshop。IknowI\'mfoolishandnarrowandprovincial，\"shewenton，\"butIcouldneverhaveanyinnerquietinNewYork；Icouldn\'tliveinthespiritthere。Isupposepeopledo。Itcan\'t，bethatallthesemillions——\'
\"Oh，notsobadasthat!\"Marchinterposed，laughing。\"Therearen\'tquitetwo。\"
\"Ithoughttherewerefourorfive。Well，nomatter。YouseewhatIam，Basil。I\'mterriblylimited。Icouldn\'tmakemysympathiesgoroundtwomillionpeople；Ishouldbewretched。IsupposeI\'mstandinginthewayofyourhighestinterest，butIcan\'thelpit。Wetookeachotherforbetterorworse，andyoumusttrytobearwithme——\"Shebrokeoffandbegantocry。
\"Stopit!\"shoutedMarch。\"ItellyouInevercaredanythingforFulkerson\'sschemeorentertaineditseriously，andIshouldn\'tifhe\'dproposedtocarryitoutinBoston。\"Thiswasnotquitetrue，butintheretrospectitseemedsufficientlysoforthepurposesofargument。
\"Don\'tsayanotherwordaboutit。Thething\'sovernow，andIdon\'twanttothinkofitanymore。Wecouldn\'tchangeitsnatureifwetalkedallnight。ButIwantyoutounderstandthatitisn\'tyourlimitationsthatareintheway。It\'smine。Ishouldn\'thavethecouragetotakesuchaplace；Idon\'tthinkI\'mfitforit，andthat\'sthelongandshortofit。\"
\"Oh，youdon\'tknowhowithurtsmetohaveyousaythat，Basil。\"
Thenextmorning，astheysattogetheratbreakfast，withoutthechildren，whomtheyletlielateonSunday，Mrs。Marchsaidtoherhusband，silentoverhisfish-ballsandbakedbeans:\"WewillgotoNewYork。I\'vedecidedit。\"
\"Well，ittakestwotodecidethat，\"Marchretorted。\"WearenotgoingtoNewYork。\"
\"Yes，weare。I\'vethoughtitout。Now，listen。\"
\"Oh，I\'mwillingtolisten，\"heconsented，airily。
\"You\'vealwayswantedtogetoutoftheinsurancebusiness，andnowwiththatfearofbeingturnedoutwhichyouhaveyoumustn\'tneglectthisoffer。Isupposeithasitsrisks，butit\'sariskkeepingonasweare；
andperhapsyouwillmakeagreatsuccessofit。Idowantyoutotry，Basil。IfIcouldoncefeelthatyouhadfairlyseenwhatyoucoulddoinliterature，Ishoulddiehappy。\"
\"Notimmediatelyafter，Ihope，\"hesuggested，takingthesecondcupofcoffeeshehadbeenpouringoutforhim。\"AndBoston?\"
\"Weneedn\'tmakeacompletebreak。Wecankeepthisplaceforthepresent，anyway；wecouldletitforthewinter，andcomebackinthesummernextyear。ItwouldbechangeenoughfromNewYork。\"
\"FulkersonandIhadn\'tgotasfarastotalkofavacation。\"
\"Nomatter。ThechildrenandIcouldcome。Andifyoudidn\'tlikeNewYork，ortheenterprisefailed，youcouldgetintosomethinginBostonagain；andwehaveenoughtoliveontillyoudid。Yes，Basil，I\'mgoing。\"
\"Icanseebythewayyourchintremblesthatnothingcouldstopyou。
YoumaygotoNewYorkifyouwish，Isabel，butIshallstayhere。\"
\"Beserious，Basil。I\'minearnest。\"
\"Serious?IfIwereanymoreseriousIshouldshedtears。Come，mydear，Iknowwhatyoumean，andifIhadmyheartsetonthisthing——
Fulkersonalwayscallsit\'thisthing\'Iwouldcheerfullyacceptanysacrificeyoucouldmaketoit。ButI\'drathernotofferyouuponashrineIdon\'tfeelanyparticularfaithin。I\'mverycomfortablewhereIam；thatis，Iknowjustwherethepinchcomes，andifitcomesharder，why，I\'vegotusedtobearingthatkindofpinch。I\'mtoooldtochangepinches。\"
\"Now，thatdoesdecideme。\"
\"Itdecidesme，too。\"
\"Iwilltakealltheresponsibility，Basil，\"shepleaded。
\"Ohyes；butyou\'llhanditbacktomeassoonasyou\'vecarriedyourpointwithit。There\'snothingmeanaboutyou，Isabel，whereresponsibilityisconcerned。No；ifIdothisthing——Fulkersonagain?
Ican\'tgetawayfrom\'thisthing\'；it\'sominous——ImustdoitbecauseI
wanttodoit，andnotbecauseyouwishthatyouwantedmetodoit。
Iunderstandyourposition，Isabel，andthatyou\'rereallyactingfromagenerousimpulse，butthere\'snothingsoprecariousatourtimeoflifeasagenerousimpulse。Whenwewereyoungerwecouldstandit；wecouldgivewaytoitandtaketheconsequences。Butnowwecan\'tbearit。Wemustactfromcoldreasonevenintheardorofself-sacrifice。\"
\"Oh，asifyoudidthat!\"hiswiferetorted。
\"Isthatanycausewhyyoushouldn\'t?\"Shecouldnotsaythatitwas，andhewentontriumphantly:
\"No，Iwon\'ttakeyouawayfromtheonlysafeplaceontheplanetandplungeyouintothemostperilous，andthenhaveyousayinyourrevulsionoffeelingthatyouwereallagainstitfromthefirst，andyougavewaybecauseyousawIhadmyheartsetonit。\"Hesupposedhewastreatingthematterhumorously，butinthissortofbanterbetweenhusbandandwifethereisalwaysmuchmorethanthejoking。Marchhadseensomeprettyfeminineinconsistenciesandtrepidationswhichoncecharmedhiminhiswifehardeningintotraitsofmiddle-agewhichwereverylikethoseoflessinterestingolderwomen。Thesightmovedhimwithakindofpathos，buthefelttheresulthinderingandvexatious。
Shenowretortedthatifhedidnotchoosetotakeheratherwordbeneednot，butthatwhateverhedidsheshouldhavenothingtoreproachherselfwith；and，atleast，hecouldnotsaythatshehadtrappedhimintoanything。
\"Whatdoyoumeanbytrapping?\"hedemanded。
\"Idon\'tknowwhatyoucallit，\"sheanswered；\"butwhenyougetmetocommitmyselftoathingbyleavingoutthemostessentialpoint，Icallittrapping。\"
\"Iwonderyoustopattrapping，ifyouthinkIgotyoutofavorFulkerson\'sschemeandthensprungNewYorkonyou。Idon\'tsupposeyoudo，though。ButIguesswewon\'ttalkaboutitanymore。\"
Hewentoutforalongwalk，andshewenttoherroom。Theylunchedsilentlytogetherinthepresenceoftheirchildren，whoknewthattheyhadbeenquarrelling，butwereeasilyindifferenttothefact，aschildrengettobeinsuchcases；naturedefendstheiryouth，andtheunhappinesswhichtheybeholddoesnotinfectthem。Intheevening，aftertheboyandgirlhadgonetobed，thefatherandmotherresumedtheirtalk。Hewouldhavelikedtotakeitupatthepointfromwhichitwanderedintohostilities，forhefeltitlamentablethatamatterwhichsoseriouslyconcernedthemshouldbeconfusedinthefumesofsenselessanger；andhewaswillingtomakeatacitacknowledgmentofhisownerrorbyrecurringtothequestion，butshewouldnotbecontentwiththis，andhehadtoconcedeexplicitlytoherweaknessthatshereallymeantitwhenshehadaskedhimtoacceptFulkerson\'soffer。Hesaidheknewthat；andhebegansoberlytotalkovertheirprospectsintheeventoftheirgoingtoNewYork。
\"Oh，Iseeyouaregoing!\"shetwitted。
\"I\'mgoingtostay，\"heanswered，\"andletthemturnmeoutofmyagencyhere，\"andinthisbitternesstheirtalkended。
V。
HiswifemadenoattempttorenewtheirtalkbeforeMarchwenttohisbusinessinthemorning，andtheypartedindryoffence。Theirexperiencewasthatthesethingsalwayscamerightofthemselvesatlast，andtheyusuallyletthem。Heknewthatshehadreallytriedtoconsenttoathingthatwasrepugnanttoher，andinhishearthegavehermorecreditfortheeffortthanhehadallowedheropenly。Sheknewthatshehadmadeitwiththereservationheaccusedherof，andthathehadarighttofeelsoreatwhatshecouldnothelp。Buthelefthertobroodoverhisingratitude，andshesufferedhimtogoheavyandunfriendedtomeetthechancesoftheday。HesaidtohimselfthatifshehadassentedcordiallytotheconditionsofFulkerson\'soffer，hewouldhavehadthecouragetotakealltheotherriskshimself，andwouldhavehadthesatisfactionofresigninghisplace。Asitwas，hemustwaittillhewasremoved；andhefiguredwithbitterpleasurethepainshewouldfeelwhenhecamehomesomedayandtoldherhehadbeensupplanted，afteritwastoolatetoclosewithFulkerson。
Hefoundaletteronhisdeskfromthesecretary，\"Dictated，\"intypewriting，whichbrieflyinformedhimthatMr。Hubbell，theInspectorofAgencies，wouldbeinBostononWednesday，andwouldcallathisofficeduringtheforenoon。Theletterwasnotdifferentintonefrommanythathehadformerlyreceived；butthevisitannouncedwasoutoftheusualorder，andMarchbelievedhereadhisfateinit。Duringtheeighteenyearsofhisconnectionwithit——firstasasubordinateintheBostonoffice，andfinallyasitsgeneralagentthere——hehadseenagoodmanychangesintheReciprocity；presidents，vice-presidents，actuaries，andgeneralagentshadcomeandgone，buttherehadalwaysseemedtobearecognitionofhisefficiency，oratleastsufficiency，andtherehadneverbeenanymanneroftrouble，noquestionofaccounts，noapparentdissatisfactionwithhismanagement，untillatterly，whentherehadbeguntocomefromheadquarterssomesuggestionsofenterpriseincertainways，whichgavehimhisfirstsuspicionsofhisclerkWatkins\'swillingnesstosucceedhim；theyembodiedsomeofWatkins\'sideas。ThethingsproposedseemedtoMarchundignified，andevenvulgar；hehadneverthoughthimselfwantinginenergy，thoughprobablyhehadleftthebusinesstotakeitsowncourseintheoldlinesmorethanherealized。Thingshadalwaysgonesosmoothlythathehadsometimesfanciedapeculiarregardforhiminthemanagement，whichhehadtheweaknesstoattributetoanappreciationofwhatheoccasionallydidinliterature，thoughinsanermomentshefelthowimpossiblethiswas。BeyondareferencefromMr。
HubbelltosomepieceofMarch\'swhichhadhappenedtomeethiseye，nooneinthemanagementevergaveasignofconsciousnessthattheirservicewasadornedbyanobscureliteraryman；andMr。HubbellhimselfhadtheeffectofregardingtheexcursionsofMarch\'spenasasortofjoke，andofwinkingatthem；ashemighthavewinkedifonceinawayhehadfoundhimalittlethegayerfordining。
Marchworethroughthedaygloomily，buthehaditonhisconsciencenottoshowanyresentmenttowardWatkins，whomhesuspectedofwishingtosupplanthim，andevenofworkingtodoso。Throughthisself-denialhereachedabettermindconcerninghiswife。Hedeterminednottomakehersufferneedlessly，iftheworstcametotheworst；shewouldsufferenough，atthebest，andtilltheworstcamehewouldspareher，andnotsayanythingabouttheletterhehadgot。
Butwhentheymet，herfirstglancedivinedthatsomethinghadhappened，andherfirstquestionfrustratedhisgenerousintention。Hehadtotellherabouttheletter。Shewouldnotallowthatithadanysignificance，butshewishedhimtomakeanendofhisanxietiesandforestallwhateveritmightportendbyresigninghisplaceatonce。ShesaidshewasquitereadytogotoNewYork；shehadbeenthinkingitallover，andnowshereallywantedtogo。Heanswered，soberly，thathehadthoughtitover，too；andhedidnotwishtoleaveBoston，wherehehadlivedsolong，ortryanewwayoflifeifhecouldhelpit。Heinsistedthathewasquiteselfishinthis；intheirconcessionstheirquarrelvanished；theyagreedthatwhateverhappenedwouldbeforthebest；andthenextdaybewenttohisofficefortifiedforanyevent。
Hisdestiny，iftragical，presenteditselfwithanaspectwhichhemighthavefoundcomicifithadbeenanother\'sdestiny。Mr。HubbellbroughtMarch\'sremoval，softenedintheguiseofapromotion。ThemanagementatNewYork，itappeared，hadacteduponasuggestionofMr。Hubbell\'s，andnowauthorizedhimtoofferMarchtheeditorshipofthemonthlypaperpublishedintheinterestofthecompany；hisofficewouldincludetheauthorshipofcircularsandleafletsinbehalfoflife-insurance，andwouldgiveplaytotheliterarytalentwhichMr。Hubbellhadbroughttotheattentionofthemanagement；hissalarywouldbenearlyasmuchasatpresent，buttheworkwouldnottakehiswholetime，andinaplacelikeNewYorkhecouldgetagreatdealofoutsidewriting，whichtheywouldnotobjecttohisdoing。
Mr。HubbellseemedsosureofhisacceptanceofaplaceineverywaycongenialtoamanofliterarytastesthatMarchwasafterwardsorryhedismissedthepropositionwithobviousirony，andhadneedlesslyhurtHubbell\'sfeelings；butMrs。Marchhadnosuchregrets。Shewasonlyafraidthathehadnotmadehisrejectioncontemptuousenough。
\"Andnow，\"shesaid，\"telegraphMr。Fulkerson，andwewillgoatonce。\"
\"IsupposeIcouldstillgetWatkins\'sformerplace，\"Marchsuggested。
\"Never!\"sheretorted。\"Telegraphinstantly!\"
TheywereonlyafraidnowthatFulkersonmighthavechangedhismind，andtheyhadawretcheddayinwhichtheyheardnothingfromhim。ItendedwithhisansweringMarch\'stelegraminperson。Theyweresogladofhiscoming，andsotouchedbyhissatisfactionwithhisbargain，thattheylaidallthefactsofthecasebeforehim。HeenteredfullyintoMarch\'ssenseofthejokelatentinMr。Hubbell\'sproposition，andhetriedtomakeMrs。Marchbelievethathesharedherresentmentoftheindignityofferedherhusband。
Marchmadeashowofwillingnesstoreleasehiminviewofthechangedsituation，sayingthatheheldhimtonothing。Fulkersonlaughed，andaskedhimhowsoonhethoughthecouldcomeontoNewYork。HerefusedtoreopenthequestionofMarch\'sfitnesswithhim；hesaidthey，hadgoneintothatthoroughly，butherecurredtoitwithMrs。March，andconfirmedherbeliefinhisgoodsenseonallpoints。Shehadbeenfromthefirstmomentdefiantlyconfidentofherhusband\'sability，buttillshehadtalkedthematteroverwithFulkersonshewassecretlynotsureofit；or，atleast，shewasnotsurethatMarchwasnotrightindistrustinghimself。Whensheclearlyunderstood，now，whatFulkersonintended，shehadnolongeradoubt。Heexplainedhowtheenterprisedifferedfromothers，andhowheneededforitsdirectionamanwhocombinedgeneralbusinessexperienceandbusinessideaswithaloveforthethingandanaturalaptnessforit。Hedidnotwantayoungman，andyethewantedyouth——itsfreshness，itszest——suchasMarchwouldfeelinathinghecouldputhiswholeheartinto。Hewouldnotruninruts，likeanoldfellowwhohadgothackneyed；hewouldnothaveanyhobbies；
hewouldnothaveanyfriendsoranyenemies。Besides，hewouldhavetomeetpeople，andMarchwasamanthatpeopletookto；sheknewthatherself；hehadakindofcharm。Theeditorialmanagementwasgoingtobekeptinthebackground，asfarasthepublicwasconcerned；thepublicwastosupposethatthethingranitself。Fulkersondidnotcareforagreatliteraryreputationinhiseditor——heimpliedthatMarchhadaveryprettylittleone。Atthesametimetherelationsbetweenthecontributorsandthemanagementweretobemuchmore，intimatethanusual。Fulkersonfelthispersonaldisqualificationforworkingthethingsocially，andhecounteduponMr。Marchforthat；thatwastosay，hecounteduponMrs。March。
Sheprotestedhemustnotcountuponher；butitbynomeansdisabledFulkerson\'sjudgmentinherviewthatMarchreallyseemedmorethananythingelseafancyofhis。Hehadbeenafancyofhers；andthesortofaffectionaterespectwithwhichFulkersonspokeofhimlaidforeversomedoubtshehadofthefinenessofFulkerson\'smannersandreconciledhertothegraphicslanginessofhisspeech。
Theaffairwasnowirretrievable，butshegaveherapprovaltoitassuperblyasifitweresubmittedinitsinception。Only，Mr。FulkersonmustnotsupposesheshouldeverlikeNewYork。Shewouldnotdeceivehimonthatpoint。Shenevershouldlikeit。Shedidnotconceal，either，thatshedidnotliketakingthechildrenoutoftheFridayafternoonclass；andshedidnotbelievethatTomwouldeverbereconciledtogoingtoColumbia。ShetookcouragefromFulkerson\'ssuggestionthatitwaspossibleforTomtocometoHarvardevenfromNewYork；andsheheapedhimwithquestionsconcerningthedomiciliationofthefamilyinthatcity。Hetriedtoknowsomethingaboutthematter，andhesucceededinseeminginterestedinpointsnecessarilyindifferenttohim。
VI。
Intheuprootingandtransplantingoftheirhomethatfollowed，Mrs。
Marchoftentrembledbeforedistantproblemsandpossiblecontingencies，butshewasnevertroubledbypresentdifficulties。Shekeptupwithtirelessenergy；andinthemomentsofdejectionandmisgivingwhichharassedherhusbandsheremaineddauntless，andputheartintohimwhenhehadlostitaltogether。
Shearrangedtoleavethechildreninthehousewiththeservants，whileshewentonwithMarchtolookupadwellingofsomesortinNewYork。
Itmadehimsicktothinkofit；and，whenitcametothepoint，hewouldratherhavegivenupthewholeenterprise。Shehadtonervehimtoit，torepresentmorethanoncethatnowtheyhadnochoicebuttomakethisexperiment。Everydetailofpartingwasanguishtohim。Hegotconsolationoutofthenotionoflettingthehousefurnishedforthewinter；thatimpliedtheirreturntoit，butitcosthimpangsofthekeenestmiserytoadvertiseit；and，whenatenantwasactuallyfound，itwasallhecoulddotogivehimthelease。Hetriedhiswife\'sloveandpatienceasamanmusttowhomthefutureiseasyinthemassbutterribleasittranslatesitselfpiecemealintothepresent。Heexperiencedremorseinthepresenceofinanimatethingshewasgoingtoleaveasiftheyhadsensiblyreproachedhim，andananticipativehomesicknessthatseemedtostophisheart。Againandagainhiswifehadtomakehimreflectthathisdepressionwasnotprophetic。
Sheconvincedhimofwhathealreadyknew，andpersuadedhimagainsthisknowledgethathecouldbekeepinganeyeoutforsomethingtotakeholdofinBostoniftheycouldnotstandNewYork。Sheendedbytellinghimthatitwastoobadtomakehercomforthiminatrialthatwasreallysomuchmoreatrialtoher。ShehadtosupporthiminalastaccessofdespairontheirwaytotheAlbanydepotthemorningtheystartedtoNewYork；butwhenthefinaldetailshadbeendealtwith，theticketsbought，thetrunkschecked，andthehandbagshungupintheircar，andthefuturehadmasseditselfagainatasafedistanceandwassevenhoursandtwohundredmilesaway，hisspiritsbegantoriseandherstosink。Hewouldhavebeenwillingtocelebratethetaste，thedomesticrefinement，oftheladies\'waiting-roominthedepot，wheretheyhadspentaquarterofanhourbeforethetrainstarted。Hesaidhedidnotbelievetherewasanotherstationintheworldwheremahoganyrocking-chairswereprovided；
thatthedull-redwarmthofthewallswasascozyasaneveninglamp，andthathealwayshopedtoseeafirekindledonthatvasthearthandunderthataestheticmantel，buthesupposednowhenevershould。Hesaiditwasallverydifferentfromthattunnel，theoldAlbanydepot，wheretheyhadwaitedthemorningtheywenttoNewYorkwhentheywerestartingontheirweddingjourney。
\"Themorning，Basil!\"criedhiswife。\"Wewentatnight；andweweregoingtotaketheboat，butitstormedso!\"Shegavehimaglanceofsuchreproachthathecouldnotansweranything，andnowsheaskedhimwhetherhesupposedtheircookandsecondgirlwouldbecontentedwithoneofthosedarkholeswheretheyputgirlstosleepinNewYorkflats，andwhatsheshoulddoifMargaret，especially，lefther。HeventuredtosuggestthatMargaretwouldprobablylikethecity；but，ifsheleft，therewereplentyofothergirlstobehadinNewYork。Sherepliedthattherewerenoneshecouldtrust，andthatsheknewMargaretwouldnotstay。Heaskedherwhyshetookher，then——whyshedidnotgiveherupatonce；andsheansweredthatitwouldbeinhumantogiveherupjustintheedgeofthewinter。Shehadpromisedtokeepher；andMargaretwaspleasedwiththenotionofgoingtoNewYork，whereshehadacousin。
\"Thenperhapsshe\'llbepleasedwiththenotionofstaying，\"hesaid。
\"Oh，muchyouknowaboutit!\"sheretorted；and，inviewofthehypotheticaldifficultyandhiswantofsympathy，shefellintoagloom，fromwhichsherousedherselfatlastbydeclaringthat，iftherewasnothingelseintheflattheytook，thereshouldbealightkitchenandabright，sunnybedroomforMargaret。Heexpressedthebeliefthattheycouldeasilyfindsuchaflatasthat，andshedenouncedhisfataloptimism，whichbuoyedhimupintheabsenceofanundertakingandlethimdropintothedepthsofdespairinitspresence。
Heownedthisdefectoftemperament，buthesaidthatitcompensatedtheoppositeinhercharacter。\"Isupposethat\'soneofthechiefusesofmarriage；peoplesupplementoneanother，andformaprettyfairsortofhumanbeingtogether。Theonlydrawbacktothetheoryisthatunmarriedpeopleseemeachascompleteandwholeasamarriedpair。\"
Sherefusedtobeamused；sheturnedherfacetothewindowandputherhandkerchiefupunderherveil。
Itwasnottillthedining-carwasattachedtotheirtrainthattheywerebothabletoescapeforanhourintothecare-freemoodoftheirearliertravels，whentheyweresoeasilytakenoutofthemselves。Thetimehadbeenwhentheycouldhavefoundenoughintheconjecturalfortunesandcharactersoftheirfellow-passengerstooccupythem。Thisphaseoftheiryouthhadlastedlong，andtheworldwasstillfullofnoveltyandinterestforthem；butitrequiredallthecharmofthedining-carnowtolaytheanxietiesthatbesetthem。Itwassopotentforthemoment，however，thattheycouldtakeanobjectiveviewattheirsittingcozilydowntheretogether，asiftheyhadonlythemselvesintheworld。Theywonderedwhatthechildrenweredoing，thechildrenwhopossessedthemsointenselywhenpresent，andnow，byafantasticoperationofabsence，seemedalmostnon-existents。Theytriedtobehomesickforthem，butfailed；theyrecognizedwithcomfortableself-abhorrencethatthiswasterrible，butownedafascinationinbeingalone；atthesametime，theycouldnotimaginehowpeoplefeltwhoneverhadanychildren。Theycontrastedtheluxuryofdiningthatway，witheveryadvantageexceptabandofmusic，andtheoldwayofrushingouttosnatchafearfuljoyatthelunch-countersoftheWorcesierandSpringfieldandNewHavenstations。TheyhadnotgoneoftentoNewYorksincetheirweddingjourney，buttheyhadgoneoftenenoughtohavenotedthechangefromthelunch-countertothelunch-basketbroughtinthetrain，fromwhichyoucouldsubsistwithmoreeaseanddignity，butseemeddestinedtoasuperabundanceofpickles，whateveryouordered。
Theythoughtwellofthemselvesnowthattheycouldbebothcriticalandtolerantofflavorsnotverysharplydistinguishedfromoneanotherintheirdinner，andtheylingeredovertheircoffeeandwatchedtheautumnlandscapethroughthewindows。
\"Notquitesoloudapatternofcalicothisyear，\"hesaid，withpatronizingforbearancetowardthepaintedwoodlandswhirlingby。
\"Doyouseehowtheforegroundnextthetrainrushesfromusandthebackgroundkeepsaheadofus，whilethemiddledistanceseemsstationary?
Idon\'tthinkIevernoticedthateffectbefore。Thereoughttobesomethingliteraryinit:retreatingpastandadvancingfutureanddeceitfullypermanentpresent——somethinglikethat?\"
Hiswifebrushedsomecrumbsfromherlapbeforerising。\"Yes。Youmustn\'twasteanyoftheseideasnow。\"
\"Ohno；itwouldbemoneyoutofFulkerson\'spocket。\"
VII。
Theywenttoaquiethotelfardown-town，andtookasmallapartmentwhichtheythoughttheycouldeasilyaffordforthedayortwotheyneedspendinlookingupafurnishedflat。TheywereusedtostayingatthishotelwhentheycameonforalittleoutinginNewYork，aftersomerigidwinterinBoston，atthetimeofthespringexhibitions。Theywererememberedtherefromyeartoyear；thecoloredcall-boys，whoneverseemedtogetanyolder，smileduponthem，andtheclerkcalledMarchbynameevenbeforeheregistered。HeaskedifMrs。Marchwerewithhim，andsaidthenhesupposedtheywouldwanttheirusualquarters；andinamomenttheyweredomesticatedinafarinteriorthatseemedtohavebeenwaitingfortheminaclean，quiet，patientdisoccupationeversincetheyleftittwoyearsbefore。Thelittleparlor，withitsgiltpaperandebonizedfurniture，wasthelightestoftherooms，butitwasnotverylightatnoondaywithoutthegas，whichthebell-boynowflaredupforthem。Theuproarofthecitycametoitinasoothingmurmur，andtheytookpossessionofitspeaceandcomfortwithopencelebration。Afterall，theyagreed，therewasnoplaceintheworldsodelightfulasahotelapartmentlikethat；theboastedcharmsofhomewerenothingtoit；
andthenthemagicofitsbeingalwaysthere，readyforanyone，everyone，justasifitwereforsomeonealone:itwasliketheexperienceofanArabianNightsherocometrueforalltherace。
\"Oh，whycan\'twealwaysstayhere，justwetwo!\"Mrs。Marchsighedtoherhusband，ashecameoutofhisroomrubbinghisfaceredwiththetowel，whileshestudiedanewarrangementofherbonnetandhandbagonthemantel。
\"Andignorethepast?I\'mwilling。I\'venodoubtthatthechildrencouldgetonperfectlywellwithoutus，andcouldfindsomelotintheschemeofProvidencethatwouldreallybejustaswellforthem。\"
\"Yes；orcouldcontrivesomehownevertohaveexisted。Ishouldinsistuponthat。Iftheyare，don\'tyouseethatwecouldn\'twishthemnottobe?\"
\"Ohyes；Iseeyourpoint；it\'ssimplyincontrovertible。\"
Shelaughedandsaid:\"Well，atanyrate，ifwecan\'tfindaflattosuituswecanallcrowdintothesethreeroomssomehow，forthewinter，andthenbrowseaboutformeals。Bytheweekwecouldgetthemmuchcheaper；
andwecouldsaveontheeating，astheydoinEurope。Oronsomethingelse。\"
\"Somethingelse，probably，\"saidMarch。\"Butwewon\'ttakethisapartmenttilltheidealfurnishedflatwinksoutaltogether。Weshallnothaveanytrouble。WecaneasilyfindsomeonewhoisgoingSouthforthewinterandwillbegladtogiveuptheirflat\'totherightparty\'atanominalrent。That\'smynotion。That\'swhattheEvansesdidonewinterwhentheycameonhereinFebruary。Allbutthenominalityoftherent。\"
\"Yes，andwecouldpayaverygoodrentandstillsavesomethingonlettingourhouse。YoucansettleyourselvesinahundreddifferentwaysinNewYork，thatisonemeritoftheplace。Butifeverythingelsefails，wecancomebacktothis。Iwantyoutotaketherefusalofit，Basil。Andwe\'llcommencelookingthisveryeveningassoonaswe\'vehaddinner。IcutalotofthingsoutoftheHeraldaswecameon。
Seehere!\"
Shetookalongstripofpaperoutofherhand-bagwithminuteadvertisementspinnedtransverselyuponit，andformingtheeffectofsomeglitteringnondescriptvertebrate。
\"Lookssomethinglikethesea-serpent，\"saidMarch，dryinghishandsonthetowel，whileheglancedupanddownthelist。\"Butwesha\'n\'thaveanytrouble。I\'venodoubttherearehalfadozenthingstherethatwilldo。Youhaven\'tgoneup-town?Becausewemustbenearthe\'EveryOtherWeek\'office。\"
\"No；butIwishMr。Fulkersonhadn\'tcalleditthat!Italwaysmakesonethinkof\'jamyesterdayandjamtomorrow，butneverjamto-day，\'in\'ThroughtheLooking-Glass。\'They\'reallinthisregion。\"
Theywerestillattheirtable，besidealowwindow，wheresomesortofnever-bloomingshrubsymmetricallybalanceditselfinalargepot，withaleaftotherightandaleaftotheleftandaspearupthemiddle，whenFulkersoncamesteppingsquare-footedlyoverthethickdining-roomcarpet。Hewaggedintheairagayhandofsalutationatsightofthem，andofrepressionwhentheyofferedtorisetomeethim；then，withanapparentsimultaneityofactionhegaveahandtoeach，pulledupachairfromthenexttable，puthishatandstickonthefloorbesideit，andseatedhimself。
\"Well，you\'veburnedyourshipsbehindyou，sureenough，\"hesaid，beaminghissatisfactionuponthemfromeyesandteeth。
\"Theshipsareburned，\"saidMarch，\"thoughI\'mnotsurewealonedidit。Buthereweare，lookingforshelter，andalittleanxiousaboutthedispositionofthenatives。\"
\"Oh，they\'reanawfulpeaceablelot，\"saidFulkerson。\"I\'vebeenroundamongthecaciquesalittle，andIthinkI\'vegottwoorthreeplacesthatwilljustsuityou，Mrs。March。Howdidyouleavethechildren?\"
\"Oh，howkindofyou!Verywell，andveryproudtobeleftinchargeofthesmokingwrecks。\"
Fulkersonnaturallypaidnoattentiontowhatshesaid，beingbutsecondarilyinterestedinthechildrenatthebest。\"Herearesomethingsrightinthisneighborhood，withingunshotoftheoffice，andifyouwantyoucangoandlookatthemto-night；theagentsgavemehouseswherethepeoplewouldbein。\"
\"Wewillgoandlookattheminstantly，\"saidMrs。March。\"Or，assoonasyou\'vehadcoffeewithus。\"
\"Neverdo，\"Fulkersonreplied。Hegathereduphishatandstick。\"JustrushedintosayHello，andgottorunrightawayagain。Itellyou，March，thingsarehumming。I\'mafterthosefellowswithasharpstickallthewhiletokeepthemfromloafingonmyhouse，andatthesametimeI\'mjustbubblingoverwithideasabout\'TheLoneHand——wishwecouldcallitthat!——thatIwanttotalkupwithyou。\"
\"Well，cometobreakfast，\"saidMrs。March，cordially。
\"No；theideaswillkeeptillyou\'vesecuredyourlodgeinthisvastwilderness。Good-bye。\"
\"You\'reasniceasyoucanbe，Mr。Fulkerson，\"shesaid，\"tokeepusinmindwhenyouhavesomuchtooccupyyou。\"
\"Iwouldn\'thaveanythingtooccupymeifIhadn\'tkeptyouinmind，Mrs。
March，\"saidFulkerson，goingoffuponasgoodaspeechashecouldapparentlyhopetomake。
\"Why，Basil，\"saidMrs。March，whenhewasgone，\"he\'scharming!。
Butnowwemustn\'tloseaninstant。Let\'sseewheretheplacesare。\"
Sheranoverthehalf-dozenagents\'permits。\"Capital-first-rate-theverything-everyone。Well，Iconsiderourselvessettled!Wecangobacktothechildrento-morrowifwelike，thoughIratherthinkIshouldliketostayoveranotherdayandgetalittlerestedforthefinalpullingupthat\'sgottocome。Butthissimplifieseverythingenormously，andMr。Fulkersonisasthoughtfulandassweetashecanbe。