\"No；we\'venotimetowaste。I\'vegotaplacenearThirdAvenue，onanicecrossstreet，andIwanthimtotakeusthere。\"Itprovedthatshehadseveraladdressesneartogether，anditseemedbesttodismisstheircoupeanddotherestoftheirafternoon\'sworkonfoot。Itcametonothing；shewasnothumbledintheleastbywhatshehadseeninthetenement-housestreet；sheyieldednopointinheridealofaflat，andtheflatspersistentlyrefusedtolendthemselvestoit。Shelostallpatiencewiththem。
\"Oh，Idon\'tsaytheflatsareintherightofit，\"saidherhusband，whenshedenouncedtheirstupidinadequacytothepurposesofaChristianhome。\"ButI\'mnotsosurethatweare，either。I\'vebeenthinkingaboutthathomebusinesseversincemysensibilitiesweredragged——inacoupe——throughthattenement-housestreet。Ofcourse，nochildbornandbroughtupinsuchaplaceasthatcouldhaveanyconceptionofhome。
Butthat\'sbecausethosepoorpeoplecan\'tgivecharactertotheirhabitations。Theyhavetotakewhattheycanget。Butpeoplelikeus——
thatis，ofourmeans——dogivecharactertotheaverageflat。It\'smadetomeettheirtastes，ortheirsupposedtastes；andsoit\'smadeforsocialshow，notforfamilylifeatall。Thinkofababyinaflat!
It\'sacontradictioninterms；theflatisthenegationofmotherhood。
Theflatmeanssocietylife；thatis，thepretenceofsociallife。It\'smadetogiveartificialpeopleasocietybasisonalittlemoney——toomuchmoney，ofcourse，forwhattheyget。Sothecostofthebuildingisputintomarblehallsandidioticdecorationofallkinds。Idon\'t。
objecttotheconveniences，butnoneoftheseflatshasaliving-room。
Theyhavedrawing-roomstofostersocialpretence，andtheyhavedining-
roomsandbedrooms；buttheyhavenoroomwherethefamilycanallcometogetherandfeelthesweetnessofbeingafamily。Thebedroomsareblack-holesmostly，withasinfulwasteofspaceineach。Ifitwerenotforthemarblehalls，andthedecorations，andthefoolishlyexpensivefinish，thehousescouldbebuiltroundacourt，andtheflatscouldbeshapedsomethinglikeaPompeiianhouse，withsmallsleeping-closets——
onlylitfromtheoutside——andtherestofthefloorthrownintotwoorthreelargecheerfulhalls，whereallthefamilylifecouldgoon，andsocietycouldbetransactedunpretentiously。Why，thosetenementsarebetterandhumanerthanthoseflats!Therethewholefamilylivesinthekitchen，andhasitsconsciousnessofbeing；buttheflatabolishesthefamilyconsciousness。It\'sconfinementwithoutcoziness；it\'sclutteredwithoutbeingsnug。Youcouldn\'tkeepaself-respectingcatinaflat；
youcouldn\'tgodowncellartogetcider。No!theAnglo-Saxonhome，asweknowitintheAnglo-Saxonhouse，issimplyimpossibleintheFranco-
Americanflat，notbecauseit\'shumble，butbecauseit\'sfalse。\"
\"Well，then，\"saidMrs。March，\"let\'slookathouses。\"
Hehadbeendenouncingtheflatintheabstract，andhehadnotexpectedthisconcreteresult。Buthesaid，\"Wewilllookathouses，then。\"
X。
Nothingmystifiesamanmorethanawoman\'saberrationsfromsomepointatwhichhe，supposesherfixedasastar。Intheseunfurnishedhouses，withoutsteamorelevator，Marchfollowedhiswifeaboutwithpatientwonder。Sheratherlikedtheworstofthembest:butshemadehimgodownintothecellarsandlookatthefurnaces；sheexactedfromhimarigidinquestoftheplumbing。Shefollowedhimintooneofthecellarsbythefitfulglareofsuccessivelylightedmatches，andtheyenjoyedamomentinwhichtheanomalyoftheirpresencethereonthaterrand，soremotefromallthefactsoftheirlong-establishedlifeinBoston，realizeditselfforthem。
\"Thinkhoweasilywemighthavebeenmurderedandnobodybeenanythewiser!\"shesaidwhentheywerecomfortablyoutdoorsagain。
\"Yes，ormadewaywithourselvesinanaccessofemotionalinsanity，supposedtohavebeeninducedbyunavailingflat-hunting，\"hesuggested。
Shefellinwiththenotion。\"I\'mbeginningtofeelcrazy。ButIdon\'twantyoutoloseyourhead，Basil。AndIdon\'twantyoutosentimentalizeanyofthethingsyouseeinNewYork。Ithinkyouweredisposedtodoitinthatstreetwedrovethrough。Idon\'tbelievethere\'sanyrealsuffering——notrealsuffering——amongthosepeople；thatis，itwouldbesufferingfromourpointofview，butthey\'vebeenusedtoitalltheirlives，andtheydon\'tfeeltheir\'discomfortsomuch。\"
\"Ofcourse，Iunderstandthat，andIdon\'tproposetosentimentalizethem。Ithinkwhenpeoplegetusedtoabadstateofthingstheyhadbettersticktoit；infact，theydon\'tusuallylikeabetterstatesowell，andIshallkeepthatfirmlyinmind。\"
Shelaughedwithhim，andtheywalkedalongtheLbestriddenavenue，exhilaratedbytheirescapefrommurderandsuicideinthatcellar，towardthenearestcrosstowntrack，whichtheymeanttotakehometotheirhotel。\"Nowto-nightwewillgotothetheatre，\"shesaid，\"andgetthiswholehousebusinessoutofourminds，andbeperfectlyfreshforanewstartinthemorning。\"Suddenlysheclutchedhisarm。\"Why，didyouseethatman?\"andshesignedwithherheadtowardadecentlydressedpersonwhowalkedbesidethem，nextthegutter，stoopingoverasiftoexamineit，andhalfhaltingattimes。
\"No。What?\"
\"Why，Isawhimpickupadirtybitofcrackerfromthepavementandcramitintohismouthandeatitdownasifhewerefamished。Andlook!he\'sactuallyhuntingformoreinthosegarbageheaps!\"
Thiswaswhatthedecent-lookingmanwiththehardhandsandbrokennailsofaworkmanwasdoing-likeahungrydog。Theykeptupwithhim，inthefascinationofthesight，tothenextcorner，whereheturneddownthesidestreetstillsearchingthegutter。
Theywalkedonafewpaces。ThenMarchsaid，\"Imustgoafterhim，\"andlefthiswifestanding。
\"Areyouinwant——hungry?\"heaskedtheman。
ThemansaidhecouldnotspeakEnglish，Monsieur。
MarchaskedhisquestioninFrench。
Themanshruggedapitiful，desperateshrug，\"Mais，Monsieur——\"
Marchputacoininhishand，andthensuddenlytheman\'sfacetwistedup；hecaughtthehandofthisalms-giverinbothofhisandclungtoit。
\"Monsieur!Monsieur!\"hegasped，andthetearsraineddownhisface。
Hisbenefactorpulledhimselfaway，shockedandashamed，asoneisbysuchachance，andgotbacktohiswife，andthemanlapsedbackintothemysteryofmiseryoutofwhichhehademerged。
Marchfeltitlaiduponhimtoconsolehiswifeforwhathadhappened。
\"Ofcourse，wemightlivehereforyearsandnotseeanothercaselikethat；and，ofcourse，therearetwentyplaceswherehecouldhavegoneforhelpifhehadknownwheretofindthem。\"
\"Ah，butit\'sthepossibilityofhisneedingthehelpsobadlyasthat，\"
sheanswered。\"That\'swhatIcan\'tbear，andIshallnotcometoaplacewheresuchthingsarepossible，andwemayaswellstopourhouse-huntinghereatonce。\"
\"Yes?AndwhatpartofChristendomwillyoulivein?Suchthingsarepossibleeverywhereinourconditions。\"
\"Thenwemustchangetheconditions——\"
\"Ohno；wemustgotothetheatreandforgetthem。WecanstopatBrentano\'sforourticketsaswepassthroughUnionSquare。\"
\"Iamnotgoingtothetheatre，Basil。IamgoinghometoBostonto-
night。Youcanstayandfindaflat。\"
Heconvincedheroftheabsurdityofherposition，andevenofitsselfishness；butshesaidthathermindwasquitemadeupirrespectiveofwhathadhappened，thatshehadbeenawayfromthechildrenlongenough；
thatsheoughttobeathometofinishuptheworkofleavingit。Thewordbroughtasigh。\"Ah，Idon\'tknowwhyweshouldseenothingbutsadanduglythingsnow。Whenwewereyoung——\"
\"Younger，\"heputin。\"We\'restillyoung。\"
\"That\'swhatwepretend，butweknowbetter。ButIwasthinkinghowprettyandpleasantthingsusedtobeturningupallthetimeonourtravelsintheolddays。Why，whenwewereinNewYorkhereonourweddingjourneytheplacedidn\'tseemhalfsodirtyasitdoesnow，andnoneofthesedismalthingshappened。\"
\"Itwasagooddealdirtier，\"heanswered；\"andIfancyworseineveryway-hungrier，raggeder，morewretchedlyhoused。Butthatwasn\'ttheperiodoflifeforustonoticeit。Don\'tyouremember，whenwestartedtoNiagarathelasttime，howeverybodyseemedmiddle-agedandcommonplace；andwhenwegottheretherewerenoevidentbrides；nothingbutelderlymarriedpeople?\"
\"Atleasttheyweren\'tstarving，\"sherebelled。
\"No，youdon\'tstarveinparlor-carsandfirst-classhotels；butifyoustepoutofthemyourunyourchanceofseeingthosewhodo，ifyou\'regettingonprettywellintheforties。Ifit\'stheunhappywhoseeunhappiness，thinkwhatmiserymustberevealedtopeoplewhopasstheirlivesinthereallysqualidtenement-housestreets——Idon\'tmeanpicturesqueavenueslikethatwepassedthrough。\"
\"Butwearenotunhappy，\"sheprotested，bringingthetalkbacktothepersonalbaseagain，aswomenmusttogetanygoodoutoftalk。\"We\'rereallynounhappierthanwewerewhenwewereyoung。\"
\"We\'remoreserious。\"
\"Well，Ihateit；andIwishyouwouldn\'tbesoserious，ifthat\'swhatitbringsusto。\"
\"Iwillbetrivialfromthison，\"saidMarch。\"ShallwegototheHoleintheGroundto-night?\"
\"IamgoingtoBoston。\"
\"It\'smuchthesamething。Howdoyoulikethatfortriviality?It\'salittleblasphemous，I\'llallow。\"
\"It\'sverysilly，\"shesaid。
AtthehoteltheyfoundaletterfromtheagentwhohadsentthemthepermittoseeMrs。GrosvenorGreen\'sapartment。Hewrotethatshehadheardtheywerepleasedwithherapartment，andthatshethoughtshecouldmakethetermstosuit。ShehadtakenherpassageforEurope，andwasveryanxioustolettheflatbeforeshesailed。Shewouldcallthateveningatseven。
\"Mrs。GrosvenorGreen!\"saidMrs。March。\"Whichofthetenthousandflatsisit，Basil?\"
\"Thegimcrackery，\"heanswered。\"IntheXenophon，youknow。\"
\"Well，shemaysaveherselfthetrouble。Ishallnotseeher。Oryes——
Imust。Icouldn\'tgoawaywithoutseeingwhatsortofcreaturecouldhaveplannedthatfly-awayflat。Shemustbeaperfect——\"
\"Parachute，\"Marchsuggested。
\"No!anybodysolightasthatcouldn\'tcomedown。\"
\"Well，toyballoon。\"
\"Toyballoonwilldoforthepresent，\"Mrs。Marchadmitted。\"ButIfeelthatnaughtbutherselfcanbeherparallelforvolatility。\"
WhenMrs。Grosvenor-Green\'scardcameuptheybothdescendedtothehotelparlor，whichMarchsaidlookedlikethesaloonofaMoorishday-boat；
notthatheknewofanysuchcraft，butthedecorationsweresoSaracenicandthearchitecturesoHudsonRiverish。Theyfoundthereonthegrandcentraldivanalargeladywhosevastsmoothness，placidity，andplumpnesssetatdefiancealltheirpreconceptionsofMrs。GrosvenorGreen，sothatMrs。Marchdistinctlypausedwithhercardinherhandbeforeventuringevententativelytoaddressher。Thenshewasastonishedatthelow，calmvoiceinwhichMrs。Greenacknowledgedherself，andslowlyproceededtoapologizeforcalling。ItwasnotquitetruethatshehadtakenherpassageforEurope，butshehopedsoontodoso，andsheconfessedthatinthemeantimeshewasanxioustoletherflat。Shewasalittlewornoutwiththecareofhousekeeping——
Mrs。Marchbreathed，\"Ohyes!\"inthesighwithwhichladiesrecognizeoneanother\'smartyrdom——andMrs。Greenhadbusinessabroad，andshewasgoingtopursueherartstudiesinParis；shedrewinMr。Ilcomb\'sclassnow，buttheinstructionwassomuchbetterinParis；andasthesuperintendentseemedtothinkthepricewastheonlyobjection，shehadventuredtocall。
\"Thenwedidn\'tdeceivehimintheleast，\"thoughtMrs。March，whilesheanswered，sweetly:\"No；wewereonlyafraidthatitwouldbetoosmallforourfamily。Werequireagoodmanyrooms。\"Shecouldnotforegotheopportunityofsaying，\"MyhusbandiscomingtoNewYorktotakechargeofaliteraryperiodical，andhewillhavetohavearoomtowritein，\"
whichmadeMrs。GreenbowtoMarch，andmadeMarchlooksheepish。\"Butwedidthinktheapartmentverycharming\"，Itwasarchitecturallycharming，sheprotestedtoherconscience，\"andweshouldhavebeensogladifwecouldhavegotintoit。\"Shefollowedthiswithsomeaccountoftheirhouse-hunting，amidsoftmurmursofsympathyfromMrs。Green，whosaidthatshehadbeenthroughallthat，andthatifshecouldhaveshownherapartmenttothemshefeltsurethatshecouldhaveexplaineditsothattheywouldhaveseenitscapabilitiesbetter，Mrs。Marchassentedtothis，andMrs。Greenaddedthatiftheyfoundnothingexactlysuitableshewouldbegladtohavethemlookatitagain；andthenMrs。
MarchsaidthatshewasgoingbacktoBostonherself，butshewasleavingMr。Marchtocontinuethesearch；andshehadnodoubthewouldbeonlytoogladtoseetheapartmentbydaylight。\"Butifyoutakeit，Basil，\"
shewarnedhim，whentheywerealone，\"Ishallsimplyrenounceyou。I
wouldn\'tliveinthatjunk-shopifyougaveittome。Butwhowouldhavethoughtshewasthatkindoflookingperson?ThoughofcourseImighthaveknownifIhadstoppedtothinkonce。It\'sbecausetheplacedoesn\'texpressheratallthatit\'ssounlikeher。Itcouldn\'tbelikeanybody，oranythingthatfliesintheair，orcreepsupontheearth，orswimsinthewatersundertheearth。Iwonderwhereintheworldshe\'sfrom；she\'snoNew-Yorker；evenwecanseethat；andshe\'snotquiteacountryperson，either；sheseemslikeapersonfromsomelargetown，whereshe\'sbeenanaestheticauthority。Andshecan\'tfindgoodenoughartinstructioninNewYork，andhastogotoParisforit!Well，it\'spathetic，afterall，Basil。Ican\'thelpfeelingsorryforapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。\"
\"Ican\'thelpfeelingsorryforthehusbandofapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。WhatisMr。GrosvenorGreengoingtodoinPariswhileshe\'sworkingherwayintotheSalon?\"
\"Well，youkeepawayfromherapartment，Basil；that\'sallI\'vegottosaytoyou。AndyetIdolikesomethingsabouther。\"
\"Ilikeeverythingaboutherbutherapartment，\"saidMarch。
\"Ilikehergoingtobeoutofthecountry，\"saidhiswife。\"Weshouldn\'tbeoverlooked。Andtheplacewasprettilyshaped，youcan\'tdenyit。Andtherewasanelevatorandsteamheat。Andthelocationisveryconvenient。Andtherewasahall-boytobringupcards。Thehallsandstairswerekeptverycleanandnice。Butitwouldn\'tdo。Icouldputyouafoldingbedintheroomwhereyouwrote，andwecouldevenhaveoneintheparlor\"
\"Behindaportiere?Icouldn\'tstandanymoreportieres!\"
\"Andwecouldsqueezethetwogirlsintooneroom，orperhapsonlybringMargaret，andputoutthewholeofthewash。Basil!\"shealmostshrieked，\"itisn\'ttobethoughtof!\"
Heretorted，\"I\'mnotthinkingofit，mydear。\"
FulkersoncameinjustbeforetheystartedforMrs。March\'strain，tofindoutwhathadbecomeofthem，hesaid，andtoseewhethertheyhadgotanythingtoliveinyet。
\"Notathing，\"shesaid。\"AndI\'mjustgoingbacktoBoston，andleavingMr。Marchheretodoanythinghepleasesaboutit。Hehas\'carteblanche。\'\"
\"Butfreedombringsresponsibility，youknow，Fulkerson，andit\'sthesameasifI\'dnochoice。I\'mstayingbehindbecauseI\'mleft，notbecauseIexpecttodoanything。\"
\"Isthatso?\"askedFulkerson。\"Well，wemustseewhatcanbedone。I
supposedyouwouldbeallsettledbythistime，orIshouldhavehumpedmyselftofindyousomething。NoneofthoseplacesIgaveyouamountstoanything?\"
\"Asmuchasfortythousandotherswe\'velookedat，\"saidMrs。March。
\"Yes，oneofthemdoesamounttosomething。ItcomessonearbeingwhatwewantthatI\'vegivenMr。Marchparticularinstructionsnottogonearit。\"
ShetoldhimaboutMrs。GrosvenorGreenandherflats，andattheendhesaid:
\"Well，well，wemustlookoutforthat。I\'llkeepaneyeonhim，Mrs。
March，andseethathedoesn\'tdoanythingrash，andIwon\'tleavehimtillhe\'sfoundjusttherightthing。Itexists，ofcourse；itmustinacityofeighteenhundredthousandpeople，andtheonlyquestioniswheretofindit。Youleavehimtome，Mrs。March；I\'llwatchoutforhim。\"
Fulkersonshowedsomesignsofgoingtothestationwhenhefoundtheywerenotdriving，butshebadehimaperemptorygood-byeatthehoteldoor。
\"He\'sverynice，Basil，andhiswaywithyouisperfectlycharming。
It\'sverysweettoseehowreallyfondofyouheis。ButIdidn\'twanthimstringingalongwithusuptoForty-secondStreetandspoilingourlastmomentstogether。\"
AtThirdAvenuetheytooktheElevatedforwhichsheconfessedaninfatuation。Shedeclareditthemostidealwayofgettingaboutintheworld，andwasnotashamedwhenheremindedherofhowsheusedtosaythatnothingunderthesuncouldinducehertotravelonit。Shenowsaidthatthenighttransitwasevenmoreinterestingthantheday，andthatthefleeingintimacyyouformedwithpeopleinsecondandthirdfloorinteriors，whilealltheusualstreetlifewentonunderneath，hadadomesticintensitymixedwithaperfectreposethatwasthelasteffectofgoodsocietywithallitssecurityandexclusiveness。Hesaiditwasbetterthanthetheatre，ofwhichitremindedhim，toseethosepeoplethroughtheirwindows:afamilypartyofwork-folkatalatetea，someofthemenintheirshirt-sleeves；awomansewingbyalamp；amotherlayingherchildinitscradle；amanwithhisheadfallenonhishandsuponatable；agirlandherloverleaningoverthewindow-silltogether。Whatsuggestion!whatdrama?whatinfiniteinterest!AttheForty-secondStreetstationtheystoppedaminuteonthebridgethatcrossesthetracktothebranchroadfortheCentralDepot，andlookedupanddownthelongstretchoftheElevatedtonorthandsouth。Thetrackthatfoundandlostitselfathousandtimesintheflareandtremoroftheinnumerablelights；themoonysheenoftheelectricsmixingwiththereddishpointsandblotsofgasfarandnear；thearchitecturalshapesofhousesandchurchesandtowers，rescuedbytheobscurityfromallthatwasignobleinthem，andthecomingandgoingofthetrainsmarkingthestationswithvividerorfainterplumesofflame-shotsteam-formedanincomparableperspective。Theyoftentalkedafterwardofthesuperbspectacle，whichinacityfullofpaintersnightlyworksitsunrecordedmiracles；andtheywerejusttotheArachneroofspuninironoverthecrossstreetonwhichtheyrantothedepot；butforthepresenttheyweremostlyinarticulatebeforeit。TheyhadanothermomentofrichsilencewhentheypausedinthegallerythatleadsfromtheElevatedstationtothewaiting-roomsintheCentralDepotandlookeddownuponthegreatnighttrainslyingonthetracksdimundertherainofgas-lightsthatstarredwithoutdispersingthevastdarknessoftheplace。Whatforces，whatfates，sleptinthesebulkswhichwouldsoonbehurlingthemselvesnorthandsouthandwestthroughthenight!NowtheywaitedtherelikefabledmonstersofArabstoryreadyforthemagician\'stouch，tractable，reckless，will-less——organizedlifelessnessfullofastrangesemblanceoflife。
TheMarchesadmiredtheimpressivesightwithathrillofpatrioticprideinthefactthatthewholeworldperhapscouldnotaffordjustthelike。
Thentheyhurrieddowntotheticket-offices，andhegotheralowerberthintheBostonsleeper，andwentwithhertothecar。Theymadethemostofthefactthatherberthwasintheverymiddleofthecar；andshepromisedtowriteassoonasshereachedhome。Shepromisedalsothat，havingseenthelimitationsofNewYorkinrespecttoflats，shewouldnotbehardonhimifhetooksomethingnotquiteideal。OnlyhemustrememberthatitwasnottobeaboveTwentiethStreetnorbelowWashingtonSquare；itmustnotbehigherthanthethirdfloor；itmusthaveanelevator，steamheat，hail-boys，andapleasantjanitor。Thesewereessentials；ifhecouldnotgetthem，thentheymustdowithout。
Buthemustgetthem。
XI。
Mrs。Marchwasoneofthosewiveswhoexactamorerigidadherencetotheiridealsfromtheirhusbandsthanfromthemselves。Earlyintheirmarriedlifeshehadtakenchargeofhiminallmatterswhichsheconsideredpractical。Shedidnotincludethebusinessofbread-winninginthese；thatwasanaffairthatmightsafelybelefttohisabsent-
minded，dreamyinefficiency，andshedidnotinterferewithhimthere。
Butinsuchthingsasrehangingthepictures，decidingonasummerboarding-place，takingaseasidecottage，repaperingrooms，choosingseatsatthetheatre，seeingwhatthechildrenatewhenshewasnotattable，shuttingthecatoutatnight，keepingrunofcallsandinvitations，andseeingifthefurnacewasdampered，hehadfailedhersooftenthatshefeltshecouldnotleavehimtheslightestdiscretioninregardtoaflat。Hertotaldistrustofhisjudgmentinthematterscitedandotherslikethemconsistedwiththegreatestadmirationofhismindandrespectforhischaracter。Sheoftensaidthatifhewouldonlybringthesetobearinsuchexigencieshewouldbesimplyperfect；butshehadlonggivenuphiseverdoingso。Shesubjectedhim，therefore，toanironcode，butafterproclaimingitshewasapttoabandonhimtothenativelawlessnessofhistemperament。Sheexpectedhiminthiseventtodoashepleased，andsheresignedherselftoitwithconsiderablecomfortinholdinghimaccountable。Helearnedtoexpectthis，andaftersufferingkeenlyfromherdisappointmentwithwhateverhedidhewaitedpatientlytillsheforgothergrievanceandbegantoextractwhatconsolationlurksintheirreparable。Shewouldalmostadmitatmomentsthatwhathehaddonewasaverygoodthing，butshereservedtherighttoreturninfullforcetoheroriginalcondemnationofit；andsheaccumulatedeachactofindependentvolitioninwitnessandwarningagainsthim。Theirmassoppressedbutneverdeterredhim。
Heexpectedtodothewrongthingwhenlefttohisowndevices，andhediditwithoutanyapparentrecollectionofhisformermisdeedsandtheirconsequences。Therewasagooddealofcomedyinitall，andsometragedy。
Henowexperiencedacertainexpansion，suchashusbandsofhiskindwillimagine，ongoingbacktohishotelalone。Itwas，perhaps，arevulsionfromthepainofparting；andhetoyedwiththeideaofMrs。GrosvenorGreen\'sapartment，which，initspreposterousunsuitability，hadastrangeattraction。Hefeltthathecouldtakeitwithlessriskthananythingelsetheyhadseen，buthesaidhewouldlookatalltheotherplacesintownfirst。Hereallyspentthegreaterpartofthenextdayinhuntinguptheownerofanapartmentthathadneithersteamheatnoranelevator，butwasotherwiseperfect，andtryingtogethimtotakelessthantheagentasked。Byacuriouspsychicaloperationhewasable，inthetransaction，toworkhimselfintoquiteapassionatedesirefortheapartment，whileheheldtheGrosvenorGreenapartmentinthebackgroundofhismindassomethingthathecouldreturntoasaltogethermoresuitable。Heconductedsomesimultaneousnegotiationforafurnishedhouse，whichenhancedstillmorethedesirabilityoftheGrosvenorGreenapartment。Towardeveninghewentoffatatangentfarup-town，soastobeabletotellhiswifehowutterlypreposterousthebesttherewouldbeascomparedevenwiththisridiculousGrosvenorGreengimcrackery。Itishardtoreporttheprocessesofhissophistication；
perhapsthis，again，maybestbelefttothemaritalimagination。
Herangatthelastoftheseup-townapartmentsasitwasfallingdusk，anditwaslongbeforethejanitorappeared。Thenthemanwasverysurly，andsaidifhelookedattheflatnowhewouldsayitwastoodark，likealltherest。HisreluctanceirritatedMarchinproportiontohisinsincerityinproposingtolookatitatall。Heknewhedidnotmeantotakeitunderanycircumstances；thathewasgoingtousehisinspectionofitindishonestjustificationofhisdisobediencetohiswife；butheputonanairofoffendeddignity。\"Ifyoudon\'twishtoshowtheapartment，\"hesaid，\"Idon\'tcaretoseeit。\"
Themangroaned，forhewasheavy，andnodoubtdreadedthestairs。Hescratchedamatchonhisthigh，andledthewayup。Marchwassorryforhim，andheputhisfingersonaquarterinhiswaistcoat-pockettogivehimatparting。Atthesametime，behadtotrumpupanobjectiontotheflat。Thiswaseasy，foritwasadvertisedascontainingtenrooms，andhefoundthenumberekedoutwiththebath-roomandtwolargeclosets。
\"It\'slightenough，\"saidMarch，\"butIdon\'tseehowyoumakeouttenrooms\"
\"There\'stenrooms，\"saidtheman，deigningnoproof。
Marchtookhisfingersoffthequarter，andwentdown-stairsandoutofthedoorwithoutanotherword。Itwouldbewrong，itwouldbeimpossible，togivethemananythingaftersuchinsolence。Hereflected，withshame，thatitwasalsocheapertopunishthanforgivehim。
Hereturnedtohishotelpreparedforanydesperatemeasure，andconvincednowthattheGrosvenorGreenapartmentwasnotmerelytheonlythingleftforhim，butwas，onitsownmerits，thebestthinginNewYork。
Fulkersonwaswaitingforhiminthereading-room，anditgaveMarchthecuriousthrillwithwhichamancloseswithtemptationwhenhesaid:
\"Lookhere!Whydon\'tyoutakethatwoman\'sflatintheXenophon?She\'sbeenattheagentsagain，andthey\'vebeenatme。Shelikesyourlook——
orMrs。March\'s——andIguessyoucanhaveitataprettyheavydiscountfromtheoriginalprice。I\'mauthorizedtosayyoucanhaveitforoneseventy-fiveamonth，andIdon\'tbelieveitwouldbesafeforyoutoofferonefifty。\"
Marchshookhishead，anddroppedamaskofvirtuousrejectionoverhiscorruptacquiescence。\"It\'stoosmallforus——wecouldn\'tsqueezeintoit。\"
\"Why，lookhere!\"Fulkersonpersisted。\"Howmanyroomsdoyoupeoplewant?\"
\"I\'vegottohaveaplacetowork——\"
\"Ofcourse!Andyou\'vegottohaveitattheFifthWheeloffice。\"
\"Ihadn\'tthoughtofthat，\"Marchbegan。\"IsupposeIcoulddomyworkattheoffice，asthere\'snotmuchwriting——\"
\"Why，ofcourseyoucan\'tdoyourworkathome。Youjustcomeroundwithmenow，andlookatthatagain。\"
\"No；Ican\'tdoit。\"
\"Why?\"
\"I——I\'vegottodine。\"
\"Allright，\"saidFulkerson。\"Dinewithme。IwanttotakeyouroundtoalittleItalianplacethatIknow。\"
OnemaytracethesuccessivestepsofMarch\'sdescentinthissimplematterwiththesameedificationthatwouldattendthestudyoftheself-
delusionsandobfuscationsofamantemptedtocrime。Theprocessisprobablynotatalldifferent，andtothephilosophicalmindthekindofresultisunimportant；theprocessiseverything。
Fulkersonledhimdownoneblockandhalfacrossanothertothestepsofasmalldwelling-house，transformed，likemanyothers，intoarestaurantoftheLatinideal，withlittleornostructuralchangefromthepatternofthelowermiddle-classNewYorkhome。Therewerethecorrodedbrownstonesteps，themeanlittlefrontdoor，andthecrampedentrywithitsnarrowstairsbywhichladiescouldgouptoadining-roomappointedforthemonthesecondfloor；theparlorsonthefirstweresetaboutwithtables，wheremensmokedcigarettesbetweenthecourses，andasinglewaiterranswiftlytoandfrowithplatesanddishes，and，exchangedunintelligibleoutcrieswithacookbeyondaslideinthebackparlor。Herushedatthenew-comers，brushedthesoiledtable-clothbeforethemwithatowelonhisarm，covereditsworststainswithanapkin，andbroughtthem，intheirorder，thevermicellisoup，thefriedfish，thecheese-strewnspaghetti，thevealcutlets，thetepidroastfowlandsalad，andthewizenedpearandcoffeewhichformthedinneratsuchplaces。
\"Ah，thisisnice!\"saidFulkerson，afterthelayingofthecharitablenapkin，andhebegantorecognizeacquaintances，someofwhomhedescribedtoMarchasyoungliterarymenandartistswithwhomtheyshouldprobablyhavetodo；othersweresimplyfrequentersoftheplace，andwereofallnationalitiesandreligionsapparently——atleast，severalwereHebrewsandCubans。\"YougetaprettygoodsliceofNewYorkhere，\"
hesaid，\"allexceptthefrostingontop。Thatyouwon\'tfindmuchatMaroni\'s，thoughyouwilloccasionally。Idon\'tmeantheladiesever，ofcourse。\"Theladiespresentseemedharmlessandreputable-lookingpeopleenough，butcertainlytheywerenotofthefirstfashion，and，exceptinafewinstances，notAmericans。\"It\'slikecuttingstraightdownthroughafruitcake，\"Fulkersonwenton，\"oramince-pie，whenyoudon\'tknowwhomadethepie；yougetalittleofeverything。\"HeorderedasmallflaskofChiantiwiththedinner，anditcameinitsprettywickerjacket。Marchsmileduponitwithtenderreminiscence，andFulkersonlaughed。\"Lightsyouupalittle。IbroughtoldDryfooshereoneday，andhethoughtitwassweet-oil；that\'sthekindofbottletheyusedtohaveitinatthecountrydrug-stores。\"
\"Yes，Iremembernow；butI\'dtotallyforgottenit，\"saidMarch。
\"Howfarbackthatgoes!Who\'sDryfoos?\"
\"Dryfoos?\"Fulkerson，stillsmiling，toreoffapieceofthehalf-yardofFrenchloafwhichhadbeensuppliedthem，withtwopale，thindisksofbutter，andfeditintohimself。\"OldDryfoos?Well，ofcourse!Icallhimold，butheain\'tsovery。Aboutfifty，oralongthere。\"
\"No，\"saidMarch，\"thatisn\'tveryold——ornotsooldasitusedtobe。\"
\"Well，Isupposeyou\'vegottoknowabouthim，anyway，\"saidFulkerson，thoughtfully。\"AndI\'vebeenwonderingjusthowIshouldtellyou。
Can\'talwaysmakeoutexactlyhowmuchofaBostonianyoureallyare!
Everbeenoutinthenatural-gascountry?\"
\"No，\"saidMarch。\"I\'vehadagooddealofcuriosityaboutit，butI\'veneverbeenabletogetawayexceptinsummer，andthenwealwayspreferredtogoovertheoldground，outtoNiagaraandbackthroughCanada，theroutewetookonourweddingjourney。Thechildrenlikeitasmuchaswedo。\"
\"Yes，yes，\"saidFulkerson。\"Well，thenatural-gascountryisworthseeing。Idon\'tmeanthePittsburggas-fields，butoutinNorthernOhioandIndianaaroundMoffitt——that\'stheplaceintheheartofthegasregionthatthey\'vebeenboomingso。Yes，yououghttoseethatcountry。
Ifyouhaven\'tbeenWestforagoodmanyyears，youhaven\'tgotanyideahowoldthecountrylooks。Yourememberhowthefieldsusedtobeallfullofstumps?\"
\"Ishouldthinkso。\"
\"Well，youwon\'tseeanystumpsnow。AllthatcountryoutaroundMoffittisjustassmoothasachecker-board，andlooksasoldasEngland。Youknowhowweusedtoburnthestumpsout；andthensomebodyinventedastump-extractor，andwepulledthemoutwithayokeofoxen。Nowtheyjusttouch\'emoffwithalittledynamite，andthey\'vegotacellardugandfilledupwithkindlingreadyforhousekeepingwheneveryouwantit。
Onlytheyhaven\'tgotanyuseforkindlinginthatcountry——allgas。
Irodealongonthecarsthroughthoselevelblackfieldsatcorn-
plantingtime，andeveryonceinawhileI\'dcometoaplacewithapieceofraggedoldstove-pipestickin\'upoutoftheground，andblazingawaylikeforty，andafellowploughingallrounditandnotmindingitanymorethanifitwasspringviolets。Horsesdidn\'tnoticeit，either。
Well，they\'vealwaysknownaboutthegasoutthere；theysaythereareplacesinthewoodswhereit\'sbeenburningeversincethecountrywassettled。
\"ButwhenyoucomeinsightofMoffitt——my，oh，my!Well，youcomeinsmellofitaboutassoon。Thatgasoutthereain\'todorless，likethePittsburggas，andsoit\'sperfectlysafe；butthesmellisn\'tbad——aboutasbadasthefinestkindofbenzine。Well，thefirstthingthatstrikesyouwhenyoucometoMoffittisthenotionthattherehasbeenagoodwarm，growingrain，andthetown\'scomeupovernight。That\'sinthesuburbs，theannexes，andadditions。Butitain\'tshabby——noshanty-farmbusiness；nicebrickandframehouses，someof\'emQueenAnnestyle，andallof\'emlookingasiftheyhadcometostay。Andwhenyoudriveupfromthedepotyouthinkeverybody\'smoving。Everythingseemstobepiledintothestreet；oldhousesmadeover，andnewonesgoingupeverywhere。YouknowthekindofstreetMainStreetalwaysusedtobeinoursection——halfplank-roadandturnpike，andtherestmud-hole，andalotofstoresanddoggeriesstrungalongwithfalsefrontsastoryhigherthantheback，andhereandthereadecentbuildingwiththegableendtothepublic；andacourt-houseandjailandtwotavernsandthreeorfourchurches。Well，they\'reallthereinMoffittyet，butarchitecturehasstruckithard，andthey\'vegotalotofnewbuildingsthatneedn\'tbeashamedofthemselvesanywhere；thenewcourt-houseisasbigasSt。
Peter\'s，andtheGrandOpera-houseisinthehigheststyleoftheart。
Youcan\'tbuyalotonthatstreetformuchlessthanyoucanbuyalotinNewYork——oryoucouldn\'twhentheboomwason；Isawtheplacejustwhentheboomwasinitsprime。lwentouttheretoworkthenewspapersinthesyndicatebusiness，andIgotoneoftheirmentowritemearealbright，snappyaccountofthegas；andtheyjusttookmeintheirarmsandshowedmeeverything。Well，itwaswonderful，anditwasbeautiful，too!Toseeawholecommunitystirreduplikethatwas——justlikeabigboy，allhopeandhighspirits，andnodiscountontheremotestfuture；
nothingbutperpetualboomtotheendoftime——Itellyouitwarmedyourblood。Why，thereweresomethingsaboutitthatmadeyouthinkwhatanicekindofworldthiswouldbeifpeopleevertookholdtogether，insteadofeachfellowfightingitoutonhisownhook，anddeviltakethehindmost。TheymadeuptheirmindsatMoffittthatiftheywantedtheirtowntogrowthey\'dgottokeeptheirgaspublicproperty。Sotheyextendedtheircorporationlinesoastotakeinprettymuchthewholegasregionroundthere；andthenthecitytookpossessionofeverywellthatwasputdown，andhelditforthecommongood。Anybodythat\'samindtocometoMoffittandstartanykindofmanufacturecanhaveallthegashewantsfree；andforfifteendollarsayearyoucanhaveallthegasyouwanttoheatandlightyourprivatehouse。Thepeopleholdontoitforthemselves，and，asIsay，it\'sagrandsighttoseeawholecommunityhangingtogetherandworkingforthegoodofall，insteadofsplittingupintoasmanydifferentcut-throatsasthereareable-bodiedcitizens。Seethatfellow?\"Fulkersonbrokeoff，andindicatedwithatwirlofhisheadashort，dark，foreign-lookingmangoingoutofthedoor。\"Theysaythatfellow\'saSocialist。Ithinkit\'sashamethey\'reallowedtocomehere。Iftheydon\'tlikethewaywemanageouraffairslet\'emstayathome，\"Fulkersoncontinued。\"Theydoalotofmischief，shootingofftheirmouthsroundhere。Ibelieveinfreespeechandallthat；butI\'dliketoseethesefellowsshutupinjailandlefttojawoneanothertodeath。Wedon\'twantanyoftheirpoison。\"
MarchdidnotnoticethevanishingSocialist。Hewaswatching，withateasingsenseoffamiliarity，atall，shabbilydressed，elderlyman，whohadjustcomein。HehadtheaquilineprofileuncommonamongGermans，andyetMarchrecognizedhimatonceasGerman。Hislong，softbeardandmustachehadoncebeenfair，andtheykeptsometoneoftheiryellowinthegraytowhichtheyhadturned。Hiseyeswerefull，andhislipsandchinshapedthebeardtothenobleoutlinewhichshowsinthebeardstheItalianmasterslikedtopaintfortheirLastSuppers。Hiscarriagewaserectandsoldierly，andMarchpresentlysawthathehadlosthislefthand。Hetookhisplaceatatablewheretheoverworkedwaiterfoundtimetocutuphismeatandputeverythingineasyreachofhisrighthand。
\"Well，\"Fulkersonresumed，\"theytookmeroundeverywhereinMoffitt，andshowedmetheirbigwells——lit\'emupforaprivateview，andletmehearthempurrwiththesoftaccentsofamass-meetingoflocomotives。Why，whentheyletoneofthesewellslooseinameadowthatthey\'dpipeditintotemporarily，itdrovetheflameawayfortyfeetfromthemouthofthepipeandblewitoverhalfanacreofground。Theysaywhentheyletoneoftheirbigwellsburnawayallwinterbeforetheyhadlearnedhowtocontrolit，thatwellkeptupalittlesummerallaroundit；thegrassstayedgreen，andtheflowersbloomedallthroughthewinter。Idon\'tknowwhetherit\'ssoornot。ButIcanbelieveanythingofnaturalgas。
My!butitwasbeautifulwhentheyturnedonthefullforceofthatwellandshotaromancandleintothegas——that\'sthewaytheylightit——andaplumeoffireabouttwentyfeetwideandseventy-fivefeethigh，allredandyellowandviolet，jumpedintothesky，andthatbigroarshookthegroundunderyourfeet!Youfeltlikesaying:
\'Don\'ttroubleyourself；I\'mperfectlyconvinced。IbelieveinMoffitt。\'
We-e-e-ll!\"drawledFulkerson，withalongbreath，\"that\'swhereImetoldDryfoos。\"
\"Ohyes!——Dryfoos，\"saidMarch。Heobservedthatthewaiterhadbroughttheoldone-handedGermanatoweringglassofbeer。
\"Yes，\"Fulkersonlaughed。\"We\'vegotroundtoDryfoosagain。IthoughtIcouldcutalongstoryshort，butIseemtobecuttingashortstorylong。Ifyou\'renotinahurry，though——\"
\"Notintheleast。Goonaslongasyoulike。\"
\"Imethimthereintheofficeofareal-estateman——speculator，ofcourse；everybodywas，inMoffitt；butafirst-ratefellow，andpublic-
spiritedasallget-out；andwhenDryfooslefthetoldmeabouthim。
DryfooswasanoldPennsylvaniaDutchfarmer，aboutthreeorfourmilesoutofMoffitt，andhe\'dlivedthereprettymuchallhislife；fatherwasoneofthefirstsettlers。Everybodyknewhehadtherightstuffinhim，buthewasslowerthanmolassesinJanuary，likethosePennsylvaniaDutch。He\'dgottogetherthelargestandhandsomestfarmanywherearoundthere；andhewasmakingmoneyonit，justlikehewasinsomebusinesssomewhere；hewasaveryintelligentman；hetookthepapersandkepthimselfposted；buthewasawfullyold-fashionedinhisideas。Hehungontothedoctrinesaswellasthedollarsofthedads；itwasarealthingwithhim。Well，whentheboombegantocomehehateditawfully，andhefoughtit。HeusedtowritecommunicationstotheweeklynewspaperinMoffitt——they\'vegotthreedailiestherenow——andthrowcoldwaterontheboom。Hecouldn\'tcatchonnoway。Itmadehimsicktoheartheclackthatwentonaboutthegasthewholewhile，andthatstirreduptheneighborhoodandgotintohisfamily。Wheneverhe\'dhearofamanthathadbeenofferedabigpriceforhislandandwasgoingtoselloutandmoveintotown，he\'dgoandlaborwithhimandtrytotalkhimoutofit，andtellhimhowlonghisfifteenortwentythousandwouldlasthimtoliveon，andshaketheStandardOilCompanybeforehim，andtrytomakehimbelieveitwouldn\'tbefiveyearsbeforetheStandardownedthewholeregion。
\"Ofcourse，hecouldn\'tdoanythingwiththem。Whenaman\'sofferedabigpriceforhisfarm，hedon\'tcarewhetherit\'sbyasecretemissaryfromtheStandardOilornot；he\'sgoingtosellandgetthebetteroftheotherfellowifhecan。Dryfooscouldn\'tkeeptheboomoutofhasownfamilyeven。Hiswifewaswithhim。ShethoughtwhateverhesaidanddidwasjustasrightasifithadbeenthundereddownfromSinai。
Buttheyoungfolksweresceptical，especiallythegirlsthathadbeenawaytoschool。Theboythathadbeenkeptathomebecausehecouldn\'tbesparedfromhelpinghisfathermanagethefarmwasmorelikehim，buttheycontrivedtostirtheboyup——withthehotendoftheboom，too。
SowhenafellowcamealongonedayandofferedoldDryfoosacoolhundredthousandforhisfarm，itwasallupwithDryfoos。He\'d\'a\'
likedto\'a\'kepttheoffertohimselfandnotdoneanythingaboutit，buthisvanitywouldn\'tlethimdothat；andwhenheletitoutinhisfamilythegirlsoutvotedhim。Theyjustmadehimsell。
\"Hewouldn\'tsellall。Hekeptabouteightyacresthatwasoffinsomepiecebyitself，butthethreehundredthathadtheoldbrickhouseonit，andthebigbarn——thatwent，andDryfoosboughthimaplaceinMoffittandmovedintotowntoliveontheinterestofhismoney。JustWhathehadscoldedandridiculedeverybodyelsefordoing。Well，theysaythatatfirstheseemedlikehewouldgocrazy。Hehadn\'tanythingtodo。Hetookafancytothatland-agent，andheusedtogoandsetinhisofficeandaskhimwhatheshoulddo。\'Ihain\'tgotanyhorses，I
hain\'tgotanycows，Ihain\'tgotanypigs，Ihain\'tgotanychickens。
Ihain\'tgotanythingtodofromsun-uptosun-down。\'Thefellowsaidthetearsusedtorundowntheoldfellow\'scheeks，andifhehadn\'tbeensobusyhimselfhebelievedheshould\'a\'cried，too。Butmosto\'peoplethoughtoldDryfooswasdowninthemouthbecausehehadn\'taskedmoreforhisfarm，whenhewantedtobuyitbackandfoundtheyhelditatahundredandfiftythousand。Peoplecouldn\'tbelievehewasjusthomesickandheartsickfortheoldplace。Well，perhapshewassorryhehadn\'taskedmore；that\'shumannature，too。
\"Afterawhilesomethinghappened。Thatland-agentusedtotellDryfoostogetouttoEuropewithhismoneyandseelifealittle，orgoandliveinWashington，wherehecouldbesomebody；butDryfooswouldn\'t，andhekeptlisteningtothetalkthere，andallofasuddenhecaughton。Hecameintothatfellow\'sonedaywithaplanforcuttinguptheeightyacreshe\'dkeptintotownlots；andhe\'dgotitallplottedoutso-well，andhadsomanypracticalideasaboutit，thatthefellowwasastonished。
Hewentrightinwithhim，asfarasDryfooswouldlethim，andgladofthechance；andtheywereworkingthethingforallitwasworthwhenI
struckMoffitt。OldDryfooswantedmetogooutandseetheDryfoos&
HendryAddition——guesshethoughtmaybeI\'dwriteitup；andhedrovemeouttherehimself。Well，itwasfunnytoseeatownmade:streetsdriventhrough；tworowsofshadetrees，hardandsoft，planted；cellarsdugandhousesputup-regularQueenAnnestyle，too，withstainedglass-allatonce。Dryfoosapologizedforthestreetsbecausetheywerehand-made；
saidtheyexpectedtheirstreet-makingmachineTuesday，andthentheyintendedtopushthings。\"
FulkersonenjoyedtheeffectofhispictureonMarchforamoment，andthenwenton:\"Hewasmightyintelligent，too，andhequestionedmeupaboutmybusinessassharpasIeverwasquestioned；seemedtokindofstrikehisfancy；Iguesshewantedtofindoutiftherewasanymoneyinit。Hewasmakingmoney，handoverhand，then；andheneverstoppedspeculatingandimprovingtillhe\'dscrapedtogetherthreeorfourhundredthousanddollars，theysaidamillion，buttheylikeroundnumbersatMoffitt，andIguesshalfamillionwouldlayoveritcomfortablyandleaveafewthousandstospare，probably。ThenhecameontoNewYork。\"
Fulkersonstruckamatchagainsttheribbedsideoftheporcelaincupthatheldthematchesinthecentreofthetable，andlitacigarette，whichhebegantosmoke，throwinghisheadbackwithaleisurelyeffect，asifhehadgottotheendofatleastasmuchofhisstoryashemeanttotellwithoutprompting。
Marchaskedhimthedesiredquestion。\"Whatintheworldfor?\"
Fulkersontookouthiscigaretteandsaid，withasmile:\"Tospendhismoney，andgethisdaughtersintotheoldKnickerbockersociety。MaybehethoughttheywereallthesamekindofDutch。\"
\"Andhashesucceeded?\"
\"Well，they\'renotsocialleadersyet。Butit\'sonlyaquestionoftime——generationortwo——especiallyiftime\'smoney，andifEveryOtherWeekisthesuccessit\'sboundtobe。\"
\"Youdon\'tmeantosay，Fulkerson，\"saidMarch，withahalf-doubting，half-dauntedlaugh，\"thathe\'syourAngel?\"
\"That\'swhatImeantosay，\"returnedFulkerson。\"IranontohiminBroadwayonedaylastsummer。Ifyoueversawanybodyinyourlife；
you\'resuretomeethiminBroadwayagain，soonerorlater。That\'sthephilosophyofthebuncobusiness；countrypeoplefromthesameneighborhoodaresuretorunupagainsteachotherthefirsttimetheycometoNewYork。Iputoutmyhand，andIsaid，\'Isn\'tthisMr。DryfoosfromMoffitt?\'Hedidn\'tseemtohaveanyuseformyhand；heletmekeepit，andhesquaredthoseoldlipsofhistillhisimperialstuckstraightout。EverseeBernhardtin\'L\'Etrangere\'?Well，theAmericanhusbandisoldDryfoosallover；nomustache；andhay-coloredchin-
whiskerscutslantingfrozethecornersofhismouth。Hecockedhislittlegrayeyesatme，andsayshe:\'Yes，youngman；mynameisDryfoos，andI\'mfromMoffitt。ButIdon\'twantnopresentofLongfellow\'sWorks，illustrated；andIdon\'twanttotastenofineteas；butIknowapolicemanthatdoes；andifyou\'rethesonofmyoldfriendSquireStrohfeldt，you\'dbettergetout。\'\'Well，then，\'saidI，\'howwouldyouliketogointothenewspapersyndicatebusiness?\'Hegaveanotherlookatme，andthenheburstoutlaughing，andhegrabbedmyhand，andhejustfrozetoit。Ineversawanybodysoglad。
\"Well，thelongandtheshortofitwasthatIaskedhimroundheretoMaroni\'stodinner；andbeforewebrokeupforthenightwehadsettledthefinancialsideoftheplanthat\'sbroughtyoutoNewYork。Icansee，\'tsaidFulkerson，whohadkepthiseyesfastonMarch\'sface，\"thatyoudon\'tmorethanhalfliketheideaofDryfoos。Itoughttogiveyoumoreconfidenceinthethingthanyoueverhad。Youneedn\'tbeafraid，\"
headded，withsomefeeling，\"thatItalkedDryfoosintothethingformyownadvantage。\"
\"Oh，mydearFulkerson!\"Marchprotested，allthemoreferventlybecausehewasreallyalittleguilty。