\"Don\'tspeakofit，madam，\"saidthegentleman，\"ifyoucanoverlookthetroubleweawegivingyouatsuchanunseasonablehouah。\"
\"Ah\'mahoasekeepahmahself，\"MissWoodburnjoinedin，\"andAhknowho\'
toaccyoantfo\'everything。\"
Mrs。Leightonledthewayup-stairs，andtheyoungladydecideduponthelargefrontroomandsmallsideroomonthethirdstory。Shesaidshecouldtakethesmallone，andtheotherwassolargethatherfathercouldbothsleepandworkinit。SheseemednotashamedtoaskifMrs。
Leighton\'spricewasinflexible，butgavewaylaughingwhenherfatherrefusedtohaveanybargaining，withahaughtyself-respectwhichhesoftenedtodeferenceforMrs。Leighton。Hisimpulsivenessopenedthewayforsomeconfidencefromher，andbeforetheaffairwasarrangedshewasenjoyinginherqualityofclericalwidowthebalmoftheVirginians\'
reverentsympathy。Theysaidtheywerechurchpeoplethemselves。
\"Ahdon\'tknowwhatyo\'mothahmeansbyyo\'hoasenotbeinginoddah，\"
theyoungladysaidtoAlmaastheywentdown-stairstogether。\"Ah\'magreathoasekeepahmahself，andAhmeanwhatAhsay。\"
TheyhadallturnedmechanicallyintotheroomwheretheLeightonsweresittingwhentheWoodburnsrang:Mr。Woodburnconsentedtositdown，andheremainedlisteningtoMrs。LeightonwhilehisdaughterbustleduptothesketchespinnedroundtheroomandquestionedAlmaaboutthem。
\"Ahsupposeyouawegoingtobeagreatawtust?\"shesaid，infriendlybanter，whenAlmaownedtohavingdonethethings。\"Ah\'veagreatnotiontotakeafewlessonsmahself。Who\'syo\'teachah?\"
AlmasaidshewasdrawinginMr。Wetmore\'sclass，andMissWoodburnsaid:
\"Well，it\'sjustbeautiful，MissLeighton；it\'sgrand。Ahsupposeit\'sraghtexpensive，now?Mahgoodness!wehavetocyoantthecoastsomuchnowadays；itseemstomewedonothingbutcyoantit。Ah\'dliketohahsomethingoncewithoutaskin\'theprice。\"
\"Well，ifyoudidn\'taskit，\"saidAlma，\"Idon\'tbelieveMr。Wetmorewouldeverknowwhatthepriceofhislessonswas。Hehastothink，whenyouaskhim。\"
\"Why，hemostbechomming，\"saidMissWoodburn。\"PerhapsAhmaghtgetthelessonsfornothingfromhim。Well，AhbelieveinmysoulAh\'lltrah。Nowho\'didyoubegin?andho\'doyouexpecttogetanythingoatofit?\"SheturnedonAlmaeyesbrimmingwithashrewdmixtureoffunandearnest，andAlmamadenoteofthefactthatshehadanearlynineteenth-centuryface，round，arch，alittlecoquettish，butextremelysensibleandunspoiled-looking，suchasusedtobepaintedagooddealinminiatureatthatperiod；atendencyofherbrownhairtotwineandtwistatthetempleshelpedtheeffect；ahighcombwouldhavecompletedit，Almafelt，ifshehadherbonnetoff。ItwasalmostaYankeecountry-
girltype；butperhapsitappearedsotoAlmabecauseitwas，likethat，pureAnglo-Saxon。Almaherself，withherdull，darkskin，slenderinfigure，slowinspeech，witharistocraticformsinherlonghands，andtheovalofherfinefacepointedtoalongchin，feltherselfmuchmoreSoutherninstylethanthisblooming，bubbling，bustlingVirginian。
\"Idon\'tknow，\"sheanswered，slowly。
\"Goingtotakepo\'traits，\"suggestedMissWoodburn，\"orjustpainttheahdeal?\"Ademureburlesquelurkedinhertone。
\"IsupposeIdon\'texpecttopaintatall，\"saidAlma。\"I\'mgoingtoillustratebooks——ifanybodywillletme。\"
\"Ahshouldthinkthey\'djustjoampatyou，\"saidMissWoodburn。\"Ah\'lltellyouwhatlet\'sdo，MissLeighton:youmakesomepictures，andAh\'llwrahteabookfo\'them。Ah\'vegottodosomething。Alimaghtaswellwrahteabook。YouknowweSouthernershaveallhadtogotowoak。ButAhdon\'tmandit。ItellpapaIshouldn\'tca\'fo\'thedisgraceofbein\'
poo\'ifitwasn\'tfo\'theinconvenience。\"
\"Yes，it\'sinconvenient，\"saidAlma；\"butyouforgetitwhenyou\'reatwork，don\'tyouthink?\"
\"Mah，yes!Perhapsthat\'sonereasonwhypoo\'peoplehavetowoaksohawd-tokeeptheirwandsofftheirpoverty。\"
Thegirlsbothtittered，andturnedfromtalkinginalowtonewiththeirbackstowardtheirelders，andfacedthem。
\"Well，Madison，\"saidMr。Woodburn，\"itistimeweshouldgo。Ibidyougood-night，madam，\"hebowedtoMrs。Leighton。\"Good-night，\"hebowedagaintoAlma。
Hisdaughtertookleaveoftheminformalphrase，butwithajollycordialityofmannerthatdeformalizedit。\"Weshallberoandraghtsooninthemawning，then，\"shethreatenedatthedoor。
\"Weshallbeallreadyforyou，\"Almacalledafterherdownthesteps。
\"Well，Alma?\"hermotherasked，whenthedoorcloseduponthem。
\"Shedoesn\'tknowanymoreaboutart，\"saidAlma，\"than——nothingatall。
Butshe\'sjollyandgood-hearted。Shepraisedeverythingthatwasbadinmysketches，andsaidshewasgoingtotakelessonsherself。Whenapersontalksabouttakinglessons，asiftheycouldlearnit，youknowwheretheybelongartistically。\"
Mrs。Leightonshookherheadwithasigh。\"IwishIknewwheretheybelongedfinancially。Weshallhavetogetintwogirlsatonce。I
shallhavetogooutthefirstthinginthemorning，andthenourtroubleswillbegin。\"
\"Well，didn\'tyouwantthemtobegin?Iwillstayhomeandhelpyougetready。Ourprosperitycouldn\'tbeginwithoutthetroubles，ifyoumeanboarders，andboardersmeanservants。Ishallbeverygladtobeafflictedwithacookforawhilemyself。\"
\"Yes；butwedon\'tknowanythingaboutthesepeople，orwhethertheywillbeabletopayus。Didshetalkasiftheywerewelloff?\"
\"Shetalkedasiftheywerepoor；poo\'shecalledit。\"
\"Yes，howqueerlyshepronounced，\"saidMrs。Leighton。\"Well，IoughttohavetoldthemthatIrequiredthefirstweekinadvance。\"
\"Mamma!Ifthat\'sthewayyou\'regoingtoact!\"
\"Oh，ofcourse，Icouldn\'t，afterhewouldn\'tletherbargainfortherooms。Ididn\'tlikethat。\"
\"Idid。Andyoucanseethattheywereperfectladies；oratleastoneofthem。\"Almalaughedatherself，buthermotherdidnotnotice。
\"Theirbeingladieswon\'thelpifthey\'vegotnomoney。It\'llmakeitalltheworse。\"
\"Verywell，then；wehavenomoney，either。We\'reamatchforthemanydaythere。Wecanshowthemthattwocanplayatthatgame。\"
III。
ArnusBeaton\'sstudiolookedatfirstglancelikemanyotherpainters\'
studios。Agraywallquadrangularlyvaultedtoalargenorthlight；
castsoffeet，hands，faceshungtonailsabout；prints，sketchesinoilandwater-colorstuckhereandtherelowerdown；aricketytable，withpaintandpalettesandbottlesofvarnishandsiccativetossedcomfortlesslyonit；aneasel，withastripofsomefadedmediaevalsilktrailingfromit；alayfiguresimperinginincompletenakedness，withitsheadononeside，andastockingononeleg，andaJapanesedressdroppedbeforeit；dustyrugsandskinskickingoverthevarnishedfloor；
canvasesfacedtothemop-board；anopentrunkoverflowingwithcostumes:
thesefeaturesonemightnoticeanywhere。But，besides，therewasabookcasewithanunusualnumberofbooksinit，andtherewasanopencolonialwriting-desk，claw-footed，brass-handled，andscutcheoned，withforeignperiodicals——FrenchandEnglish——litteringitsleaf，andsomepagesofmanuscriptscatteredamongthem。Aboveall，therewasasculptor\'srevolvingstand，supportingabustwhichBeatonwasmodelling，withaneyefixedassimultaneouslyaspossibleontheclayandontheheadoftheoldmanwhosatontheplatformbesideit。
Fewmenhavebeenabletogetthroughtheworldwithseveralgiftstoadvantageinall；andmostmenseemhandicappedfortheraceiftheyhavemorethanone。Buttheyareapparentlyimmenselyinterestedaswellasdistractedbythem。WhenBeatonwaswriting，hewouldhaveagreed，uptoacertainpoint，withanyonewhosaidliteraturewashisproperexpression；but，then，whenhewaspainting，uptoacertainpoint，hewouldhavemaintainedagainsttheworldthathewasacolorist，andsupremelyacolorist。Atthecertainpointineitherarthewasapttobreakawayinafrenzyofdisgustandwreakhimselfuponsomeother。
Inthesemoodshesometimesdesignedelevationsofbuildings，verystriking，veryoriginal，verychic，veryeverythingbuthabitable。
Itwasinthiswaythathehadtriedhishandonsculpture，whichhehadatfirstapproachedratherslightinglyasameredecorativeaccessoryofarchitecture。Butithadgrowninhisrespecttillhemaintainedthattheaccessorybusinessoughttobealltheotherway:thattemplesshouldberaisedtoenshrinestatues，notstatuesmadetoornamenttemples；thatwasputtingthecartbeforethehorsewithavengeance。ThiswaswhenhehadcarriedaplasticstudysofarthatthesculptorswhosawitsaidthatBeatonmighthavebeenanarchitect，butwouldcertainlyneverbeasculptor。Atthesametimehedidsomehurried，nervousthingsthathadapopularcharm，andthatsoldinplasterreproductions，totheprofitofanother。Beatonjustlydespisedthepopularcharminthese，aswellasinthepaintingshesoldfromtimetotime；hesaiditwasflatburglarytohavetakenmoneyforthem，andhewouldhavebeenlivingalmostwhollyuponthebountyoftheoldtombstone-cutterinSyracuseifithadnotbeenforthesyndicateletterswhichhesuppliedtoFulkersonfortendollarsaweek。
Theywereverywelldone，buthehateddoingthemafterthefirsttwoorthree，andhadtobepunchedupforthembyFulkerson，whodidnotceasetoprizethem，andwhoneverfailedtopunchhimup。Beatonbeingwhathewas，Fulkersonwashiscreditoraswellaspatron；andFulkersonbeingwhathewas，hadanenthusiasticpatiencewiththeelusive，facile，adaptable，unpracticalnatureofBeaton。Hewasveryproudofhisart-
letters，ashecalledthem；butthenFulkersonwasproudofeverythinghesecuredforhissyndicate。Thefactthathehadsecureditgaveitvalue；hefeltasifhehadwrittenithimself。
Onearttroduponanother\'sheelswithBeaton。Thedaybeforehehadrusheduponcanvastheconceptionofapicturewhichhesaidtohimselfwasglorious，andtoothersatthetabled\'hoteofMaroniwasnotbad。
Hehadworkedatitinafurytillthelightfailedhim，andheexecratedthedyingday。ButhelithislampandtransferredtheprocessofhisthinkingfromthecanvastotheopeningofthesyndicateletterwhichbeknewFulkersonwouldbecomingforinthemorning。Heremainedtalkingsolongafterdinnerinthesamestrainashehadpaintedandwritteninthathecouldnotfinishhisletterthatnight。Thenextmorning，whilehewasmakinghisteaforbreakfast，thepostmanbroughthimaletterfromhisfatherenclosingalittlecheck，andbegginghimwithtender，almostdeferential，urgencetocomeaslightlyuponhimaspossible，forjustnowhisexpenseswereveryheavy。ItbroughttearsofshameintoBeaton\'seyes——thefine，smouldering，floatingeyesthatmanyladiesadmired，underthethickbang——andhesaidtohimselfthatifhewerehalfamanhewouldgohomeandgotoworkcuttinggravestonesinhisfather\'sshop。Buthewouldwait，atleast，tofinishhispicture；andasasoptohisconscience，tostayitsimmediateravening，heresolvedtofinishthatsyndicateletterfirst，andborrowenoughmoneyfromFulkersontobeabletosendhisfather\'scheckback；or，ifnotthat，thentoreturnthesumofitpartlyinFulkerson\'scheck。WhilehestillteemedwithbothofthesegoodintentionstheoldmanfromwhomhewasmodellinghisheadofJudascame，andBeatonsawthathemustgetthroughwithhimbeforehefinishedeitherthepictureortheletter；hewouldhavetopayhimforthetime，anyway。HeutilizedtheremorsewithwhichhewastinglingtogivehisJudasanexpressionwhichhefoundnovelinthetreatmentofthatcharacter——alookofsuchtouching，appealingself-
abhorrencethatBeaton\'sartisticjoyinitamountedtorapture；betweenthebreathlessmomentswhenheworkedindeadsilenceforaneffectthatwastryingtoescapehim，hesangandwhistledfragmentsofcomicopera。
InoneofthehushestherecameablowontheoutsideofthedoorthatmadeBeatonjump，andswearwithamodifiedprofanitythatmergeditselfinapostrophicprayer。HeknewitmustbeFulkerson，andafterroaring\"Comein!\"hesaidtothemodel，\"That\'lldothismorning，Lindau。\"
FulkersonsquaredhisfeetinfrontofthebustandcompareditbyfleetingglanceswiththeoldmanashegotstifflyupandsufferedBeatontohelphimonwithhisthin，shabbyovercoat。
\"Canyoucometo-morrow，Lindau?\"
\"No，notto-morrow，Mr。Peaton。Ihaftozitfortheyoungladties。\"
\"Oh!\"saidBeaton。\"Wet-more\'sclass?IsMissLeightondoingyou?\"
\"Idon\'tknowtheirnamess，\"Lindaubegan，whenFulkersonsaid:
\"Hopeyouhaven\'tforgottenmine，Mr。Lindau?ImetyouwithMr。MarchatMaroni\'sonenight。\"Fulkersonofferedhimauniversallyshakablehand。
\"Ohyes!Iamgladttozeeyouagain，Mr。Vulkerson。AndMr。Marge——hedon\'tzeemtogomeanymore?\"
\"Uptohiseyesinwork。BeenmovingonfromBostonandgettingsettled，andstartinginonourenterprise。Beatonherehasn\'tgotaveryflatteringlikenessofyou，hey?Well，good-morning，\"hesaid，forLindauappearednottohaveheardhimandwasescapingwithabowthroughthedoor。
Beatonlitacigarettewhichhepinchednervouslybetweenhislipsbeforehespoke。\"You\'vecomeforthatletter，Isuppose，Fulkerson?Itisn\'tdone。\"
Fulkersonturnedfromstaringatthebusttowhichhehadmounted。\"Whatyoufrettingaboutthatletterfor?Idon\'twantyourletter。\"
Beatonstoppedbitinghiscigaretteandlookedathim。\"Don\'twantmyletter?Oh，verygood!\"hebristledup。Hetookhiscigarettefromhislips，andblewthesmokethroughhisnostrils，andthenlookedatFulkerson。
\"No；Idon\'twantyourletter；Iwantyou。\"
Beacondisdainedtoaskanexplanation，butheinternallyloweredhiscrest，whilehecontinuedtolookatFulkersonwithoutchanginghisdefiantcountenance。ThissuitedFulkersonwellenough，andhewentonwithrelish，\"I\'mgoingoutofthesyndicatebusiness，oldman，andI\'monanewthing。\"Heputhislegoverthebackofachairandrestedhisfootonitsseat，and，withonehandinhispocket，helaidtheschemeof\'EveryOtherWeek\'beforeBeatonwiththehelpoftheother。Theartistwentabouttheroom，meanwhile，withaneffectofindifferencewhichbynomeansoffendedFulkerson。Hetooksomewaterintohismouthfromatumbler，whichheblewinafinemistovertheheadofJudasbeforeswathingitinadirtycottoncloth；hewashedhisbrushesandsethispalette；heputuponhiseaselthepicturehehadblockedonthedaybefore，andstaredatitwithagloomyface；thenhegatheredthesheetsofhisunfinishedlettertogetherandslidthemintoadrawerofhiswriting-desk。BythetimehehadfinishedandturnedagaintoFulkerson，Fulkersonwassaying:\"IdidthinkwecouldhavethefirstnumberoutbyNew-Year\'s；butitwilltakelongerthanthat——amonthlonger；butI\'mnotsorry，fortheholidayskilleverything；andbyFebruary，orthemiddleofFebruary，peoplewillgettheirbreathagainandbegintolookroundandaskwhat\'snew。Thenwe\'llreplyinthelanguageofShakespeareandMilton，\'EveryOtherWeek；anddon\'tyouforgetit。\'\"
Hetookdownhislegandasked，\"Gotapipeof\'baccyanywhere?\"
BeatonnoddedataclaystemstickingoutofaJapanesevaseofbronzeonhismantel。\"There\'syours，\"hesaid；andFulkersonsaid，\"Thanks，\"andfilledthepipeandsatdownandbegantosmoketranquilly。
Beatonsawthathewouldhavetospeaknow。\"Andwhatdoyouwantwithme?\"
\"You?Ohyes，\"Fulkersonhumorouslydramatizedareturntohimselffromapensiveabsence。\"Wantyoufortheartdepartment。\"
Beatonshookhishead。\"I\'mnotyourman，Fulkerson，\"hesaid，compassionately。\"Youwantamorepracticalhand，onethat\'sintouchwithwhat\'sgoing。I\'mgettingfurtherandfurtherawayfromthiscenturyanditsclaptrap。Idon\'tbelieveinyourenterprise；Idon\'trespectit，andIwon\'thaveanythingtodowithit。Itwould-chokeme，thatkindofthing。\"
\"That\'sallright，\"saidFulkerson。Heesteemedamanwhowasnotgoingtolethimselfgocheap。\"Orifitisn\'t，wecanmakeit。YouandMarchwillpulltogetherfirst-rate。Idon\'tcarehowmuchidealyouputintothething；themorethebetter。Icanlookaftertheotherendoftheschoonermyself。\"
\"Youdon\'tunderstandme，\"saidBeaton。\"I\'mnottryingtogetariseoutofyou。I\'minearnest。Whatyouwantissomemanwhocanhavepatiencewithmediocrityputtingonthestyleofgenius，andwithgeniusturningmediocrityonhishands。Ihaven\'tanyluckwithmen；Idon\'tgetonwiththem；I\'mnotpopular。\"Beatonrecognizedthefactwiththesatisfactionwhichitsomehowalwaysbringstohumanpride。
\"Somuchthebetter!\"Fulkersonwasreadyforhimatthispoint。
\"Idon\'twantyoutoworktheold-establishedracketthereputations。
WhenIwantthemI\'llgotothemwithapocketfulofrocks——knock-downargument。Butmyideaistodealwiththevolunteermaterial。Lookatthewaytheperiodicalsarecarriedonnow!Names!names!names!Inacountrythat\'sjustboilingoverwithliteraryandartisticabilityofeverykindthenewfellowshavenochance。Theeditorsallengagetheirmaterial。Idon\'tbelievetherearefiftyvolunteercontributionsprintedinayearinalltheNewYorkmagazines。It\'sallwrong；it\'ssuicidal。\'EveryOtherWeek\'isgoingbacktothegoodoldanonymoussystem，theonlyfairsystem。It\'sworkedwellinliterature，anditwillworkwellinart。\"
\"Itwon\'tworkwellinart，\"saidBeaton。\"Thereyouhaveatotallydifferentsetofconditions。Whatyou\'llgetbyinvitingvolunteerillustrationswillbealotofamateurtrash。Andhowareyougoingtosubmityourliteratureforillustration?Itcan\'tbedone。Atanyrate，Iwon\'tundertaketodoit。\"
\"We\'llgetupaSchoolofIllustration，\"saidFulkerson，withcynicalsecurity。\"Youcanreadthethingsandexplain\'em，andyourpupilscanmaketheirsketchesunderyoureye。Theywouldn\'tbemuchfurtheroutthanmostillustrationsareiftheyneverknewwhattheywereillustrating。Youmightselectfromwhatcomesinandmakeupasortofpictorialvariationstotheliteraturewithoutanyparticularreferencetoit。Well，Iunderstandyoutoaccept?\"
\"No，youdon\'t。\"
\"Thatis，toconsenttohelpuswithyouradviceandcriticism。That\'sallIwant。Itwon\'tcommityoutoanything；andyoucanbeasanonymousasanybody。\"AtthedoorFulkersonadded:\"By-the-way，thenewman——thefellowthat\'stakenmyoldsyndicatebusiness——willwantyoutokeepon；
butIguesshe\'sgoingtotrytobeatyoudownonthepriceoftheletters。He\'sgoinginforretrenchment。Ibroughtalongacheckforthisone；I\'mtopayforthat。\"HeofferedBeatonanenvelope。
\"Ican\'ttakeit，Fulkerson。Theletter\'spaidforalready。\"Fulkersonsteppedforwardandlaidtheenvelopeonthetableamongthetubesofpaint。
\"Itisn\'tthelettermerely。Ithoughtyouwouldn\'tobjecttoalittleadvanceonyour\'EveryOtherWeek\'worktillyoukindofgotstarted。\"
Beatonremainedinflexible。\"Itcan\'tbedone，Fulkerson。Don\'tItellyouIcan\'tsellmyselfouttoathingIdon\'tbelievein?Can\'tyouunderstandthat?\"
\"Ohyes；Icanunderstandthatfirst-rate。Idon\'twanttobuyyou；I
wanttoborrowyou。It\'sallright。See?Comeroundwhenyoucan；I\'dliketointroduceyoutooldMarch。That\'sgoingtobeouraddress。\"Heputacardonthetablebesidetheenvelope，andBeatonallowedhimtogowithoutmakinghimtakethecheckback。Hehadrememberedhisfather\'splea；thatunnervedhim，andhepromisedhimselfagaintoreturnhisfather\'spoorlittlecheckandtoworkonthatpictureandgiveittoFulkersonforthecheckhehadleftandforhisbackdebts。Heresolvedtogotoworkonthepictureatonce；hehadsethispaletteforit；butfirsthelookedatFulkerson\'scheck。Itwasforonlyfiftydollars，andthecannyScotchbloodinBeatonrebelled；hecouldnotletthispicturegoforanysuchmoney；hefeltalittlelikeamanwhosegenerosityhasbeentrifledwith。Theconflictofemotionsbrokehimup，andhecouldnotwork。
IV
ThedaywastedawayinBeaton\'shands；athalf-pastfouro\'clockhewentouttoteaatthehouseofaladywhowasAtHomethatafternoonfromfourtillseven。BythistimeBeatonwasinpossessionofoneofthoseotherselvesofwhichweeachhaveseveralaboutus，andwasagainthelaconic，staccato，ratherworldlifiedyoungartistwhosemomentsofacontrolledutteranceandacertaindistinctionofmannerhadcommendedhimtoMrs。Horn\'sfancyinthesummeratSt。Barnaby。
Mrs。Horn\'sroomswerelarge，andtheyneverseemedveryfull，thoughthisperhapswasbecausepeoplewerealwayssoquiet。Theladies，whooutnumberedthemententoone，astheyalwaysdoataNewYorktea，weredressedinsympathywiththelowtoneeveryonespokein，andwiththesubduedlightwhichgaveacrepuscularuncertaintytothefewobjects，thedimpictures，theunexcitedupholstery，oftherooms。Onebreathedfreeofbric-a-bracthere，andthenew-comerbreathedsoftlyasonedoesongoingintochurchafterservicehasbegun。Thismightbeasuggestionfromthevoicelessbehavioroftheman-servantwholetyouin，butitwasalsobecauseMrs。Horn\'sAtHomewasaceremony，adecorum，andnotfestival。Atfargreaterhousestherewasmoregayety，atricherhousestherewasmorefreedom；thesuppressionatMrs。Horn\'swasapersonal，notasocial，effect；itwasaneffluxofhercharacter，demure，silentious，vague，butverycorrect。
Beatoneasilyfoundhiswaytoheraroundthegroupedskirtsandamongthedetachedfigures，andreceivedapressureofwelcomefromthehandwhichshemomentarilyrelaxedfromthetea-pot。Shesatbehindatableputcrosswiseofaremotecorner，andofferedteatopeoplewhomanieceofhersreceivedprovisionallyorspedfinallyintheouterroom。Theydidnotusuallytaketea，andwhentheydidtheydidnotusuallydrinkit；butBeatonwas，feverishlygladofhiscup；hetookrumandlemoninit，andstoodtalkingatMrs。Horn\'ssidetillthenextarrivalshoulddisplacehim:hetalkedinhisFrenchmanner。
\"Ihavebeenhopingtoseeyou，\"shesaid。\"IwantedtoaskyouabouttheLeightons。Didtheyreallycome?\"
\"Ibelieveso。Theyareintown——yes。Ihaven\'tseenthem。\"
\"Thenyoudon\'tknowhowthey\'regettingon——thatprettycreature，withhercleverness，andpoorMrs。Leighton?Iwasafraidtheywereventuringonarashexperiment。Doyouknowwheretheyare?\"
\"InWestEleventhStreetsomewhere。MissLeightonisinMr。Wetmore\'sclass。\"
\"Imustlookthemup。Doyouknowtheirnumber?\"
\"Notatthemoment。Icanfindout。\"
\"Do，\"saidMrs。Horn。\"Whatcouragetheymusthave，toplungeintoNewYorkasthey\'vedone!Ireallydidn\'tthinktheywould。Iwonderifthey\'vesucceededingettinganybodyintotheirhouseyet?\"
\"Idon\'tknow，\"saidBeaton。
\"IdiscouragedtheircomingallIcould，\"shesighed，\"andIsupposeyoudid，too。Butit\'squiteuselesstryingtomakepeopleinaplacelikeSt。Barnabyunderstandhowitisintown。\"
\"Yes，\"saidBeaton。Hestirredhistea，whileinwardlyhetriedtobelievethathehadreallydiscouragedtheLeightonsfromcomingtoNewYork。PerhapsthevexationofhisfailuremadehimcallMrs。Horninhisheartafraud。
\"Yes，\"shewenton，\"itisvery，veryhard。Andwhentheywon\'tunderstand，andrushontheirdoom，youfeelthattheyaregoingtoholdyourespons——\"
Mrs。Horn\'seyeswanderedfromBeaton；hervoicefalteredinthefadedinterestofherremark，andthenrosewithrenewedvigoringreetingaladywhocameupandstretchedhergloveacrossthetea-cups。
Beatongothimselfawayandoutofthehousewithamuchbrieferadieutotheniecethanhehadmeanttomake。ThepatronizingcompassionofMrs。
HornfortheLeightonsfilledhimwithindignationtowardher，towardhimself。Therewasnoreasonwhyheshouldnothaveignoredthemashehaddone；buttherewasafeeling。Itwashisnaturetobecareless，andhehadbeenspoiledintorecklessness；heneglectedeverybody，andonlyrememberedthemwhenitsuitedhiswhimorhisconvenience；buthefiercelyresentedtheinattentionsofotherstowardhimself。Hehadnoscrupleaboutbreakinganengagementorfailingtokeepanappointment；
hemadepromiseswithoutthinkingoftheirfulfilment，andnotbecausehewasafaithlessperson，butbecausehewasimaginative，andexpectedatthetimetodowhathesaid，butwasfickle，andsodidnot。Asmostofhisshortcomingswereofasocietysort，nogreatharmwasdonetoanybodyelse。Hehadcontractedsomewhatthecircleofhisacquaintancebywhatsomepeoplecalledhisrudeness，butmostpeopletreateditashisoddity，andwerepatientwithit。Oneladysaidshevaluedhiscomingwhenhesaidhewouldcomebecauseithadthecharmoftheunexpected。\"Onlyitshowsthatitisn\'talwaystheunexpectedthathappens，\"sheexplained。
Itdidnotoccurtohimthathisbehaviorwasimmoral；hedidnotrealizethatitwascreatingareputationifnotacharacterforhim。Whilewearestillyoungwedonotrealizethatouractionshavethiseffect。Itseemstousthatpeoplewilljudgeusfromwhatwethinkandfeel。Laterwefindoutthatthisisimpossible；perhapswefinditouttoolate；
someofusneverfinditoutatall。
InspiteofhisshameabouttheLeightons，BeatonhadnopresentintentionoflookingthemuporsendingMrs。Horntheiraddress。Asamatteroffact，heneverdidsendit；buthehappenedtomeetMr。Wetmoreandhiswifeattherestaurantwherehedined，andhegotitofthepainterforhimself。HedidnotaskhimhowMissLeightonwasgettingon；butWetmorelaunchedout，withAlmaforatacittext，onthefutilityofwomengenerallygoinginforart。\"Evenwhentheyhavetalentthey\'vegottoomuchagainstthem。Whereagirldoesn\'tseemverystrong，likeMissLeighton，noamountofchicisgoingtohelp。\"
Hiswifedisputedhimonbehalfofhersex，aswomenalwaysdo。
\"No，Dolly，\"hepersisted；\"she\'dbetterbehomemilkingthecowsandleadingthehorsetowater。\"
Doyouthinkshe\'dbetterbeuptilltwointhemorningatballsandgoingalldaytoreceptionsandluncheons?\"
\"Oh，guessitisn\'taquestionofthat，evenifsheweren\'tdrawing。
Youknewthemathome，\"hesaidtoBeaton。
\"Yes。\"
\"Iremember。Hermothersaidyousuggestedme。Well，thegirlhassomenotionofit；there\'snodoubtaboutthat。But——she\'sawoman。Thetroublewiththesetalentedgirlsisthatthey\'reallwoman。Iftheyweren\'t，therewouldn\'tbemuchchanceforthemen，Beaton。Butwe\'vegotProvidenceonourownsidefromthestart。I\'mabletowatchalltheirinspirationswithperfectcomposure。Iknowjusthowsoonit\'sgoingtoendinnervousbreakdown。Somebodyoughttomarrythemallandputthemoutoftheirmisery。\"
\"Andwhatwillyoudowithyourstudentswhoaremarriedalready?\"hiswifesaid。Shefeltthatshehadlethimgoonlongenough。
\"Oh，theyoughttogetdivorced。\"
\"Yououghttobeashamedtotaketheirmoneyifthat\'swhatyouthinkofthem。\"
\"Mydear，Ihaveawifetosupport。\"
Beatonintervenedwithaquestion。\"DoyoumeanthatMissLeightonisn\'tstandingitverywell?\"
\"HowdoIknow?Sheisn\'tthekindthatbends；she\'sthekindthatbreaks。\"
AfteralittlesilenceMrs。Wetmoreasked，\"Won\'tyoucomehomewithus，Mr。Beaton?\"
\"Thankyou；no。Ihaveanengagement。\"
\"Idon\'tseewhythatshouldpreventyou，\"saidWetmore。\"Butyoualwayswereapunctiliouscuss。Well!\"
Beatonlingeredoverhiscigar；butnooneelsewhomheknewcamein，andheyieldedtothethreefoldimpulseofconscience，ofcuriosity，ofinclination，ingoingtocallattheLeightons\'。Heaskedfortheladies，andthemaidshowedhimintotheparlor，wherehefoundMrs。
LeightonandMissWoodburn。
Thewidowmethimwithawelcomeneatlymarkedbyresentment；shemeanthimtofeelthathisnotcomingsoonerhadbeennoticed。MissWoodburnbubbledandgurgledon，anddidwhatshecouldtomitigatehispunishment，butshedidnotfeelauthorizedtostayit，tillMrs。
Leighton，bystudiedavoidanceofherdaughter\'sname，obligedBeatontoaskforher。ThenMissWoodburncaughtupherwork，andsaid，\"Ah\'llgoandtellher，Mrs。Leighton。\"AtthetopofthestairsshefoundAlma，andAlmatriedtomakeitseemasifshehadnotbeenstandingthere。
\"Mahgoodness，chald!there\'sthehandsomestyoungmanaskingforyoudownthereyouevahsaw。Alhtoldyou\'mothahAhwouldcomeupfo\'you。\"
\"What——whoisit?\"
\"Don\'tyouknow?Butbo\'couldyou?He\'sgotthemostbeautifuleyes，andhewea\'shishai\'inabang，andhetalksEnglishlikeitwassomethingelse，andhisname\'sMr。Beaton。\"
\"Didhe-askforme?\"saidAlma，withadreamytone。Sheputherhandonthestairsrail，andalittleshiverranoverher。
\"Didn\'tItellyou?Ofcoasehedid!Andyououghttogoraghtdownifyouwanttosavethepoo\'fellah\'slahfe；you\'mothah\'sjustfreezin\'himtodeath。\"
V。
\"Sheis?\"criedAlma。\"Tchk!\"Sheflewdownstairs，andflittedswiftlyintotheroom，andfluttereduptoBeaton，andgavehimacrushinghand-
shake。
\"Howverykind，ofyoutocomeandseeus，Mr。Beaton!WhendidyoucometoNewYork?Don\'tyoufinditwarmhere?We\'veonlyjustlightedthefurnace，butwiththismildweatheritseemstooearly。Mammadoeskeepitsohot!\"Sherushedaboutopeningdoorsandshuttingregisters，andthencamebackandsatfacinghimfromthesofawithamaskofradiantcordiality。\"Howhaveyoubeensincewesawyou?\"
\"Verywell，\"saidBeaton。\"Ihopeyou\'rewell，MissLeighton?\"
\"Oh，perfectly!IthinkNewYorkagreeswithusbothwonderfully。I
neverknewsuchair。Andtothinkofournothavingsnowyet!Ishouldthinkeverybodywouldwanttocomehere!Whydon\'tyoucome，Mr。Beaton?\"
Beatonliftedhiseyesandlookedather。\"I——IliveinNewYork，\"hefaltered。
\"InNewYorkCity!\"sheexclaimed。
\"Surely，Alma，\"saidhermother，\"yourememberMr。Beaton\'stellingushelivedinNewYork。\"
\"ButIthoughtyoucamefromRochester；orwasitSyracuse?。Ialwaysgetthoseplacesmixedup。\"
\"ProbablyItoldyoumyfatherlivedatSyracuse。I\'vebeeninNewYorkeversinceIcamehomefromParis，\"saidBeaton，withtheconfusionofamanwhofeelshimselfplayeduponbyawoman。
\"FromParis!\"Almaechoed，leaningforward，withhersmilingmasktighton。\"Wasn\'titMunichwhereyoustudied?\"
\"IwasatMunich，too。ImetWetmorethere。\"
\"Oh，doyouknowMr。Wetmore?\"
\"Why，Alma，\"hermotherinterposedagain，\"itwasMr。BeatonwhotoldyouofMr。Wetmore。\"
\"Wasit?Why，yes，tobesure。ItwasMrs。HornwhosuggestedMr。
Ilcomb。Iremembernow。Ican\'tthankyouenoughforhavingsentmetoMr。Wetmore，Mr。Beaton。Isn\'thedelightful?Ohyes，I\'maperfectWetmorian，Icanassureyou。Thewholeclassisthesameway。\"
\"IjustmethimandMrs。Wetmoreatdinner，\"saidBeaton，attemptingtherecoveryofsomethingthathehadlostthroughthegirl\'sshiningeaseandsteelysprightliness。Sheseemedtohimsosmoothandhard，witharepellentelasticityfromwhichhewasflungoff。\"Ihopeyou\'renotworkingtoohard，MissLeighton?\"
\"Ohno!Ienjoyeveryminuteofit，andgrowstrongeronit。DoIlookverymuchwastedaway?\"Shelookedhimfullintheface，brilliantlysmiling，andintentionallybeautiful。
\"No，\"hesaid，withaslowsadness；\"Ineversawyoulookingbetter。\"
\"PoorMr。Beaton!\"shesaid，inrecognitionofhisdolefultune。\"Itseemstobequiteablow。\"
\"Ohno——\"
\"Irememberallthegoodadviceyouusedtogivemeaboutnotworkingtoohard，andprobablyit\'sthatthat\'ssavedmylife——thatandthehouse-
hunting。Hasmammatoldyouofouradventuresingettingsettled?
Sometimewemust。Itwassuchfun!Anddidn\'tyouthinkwewerefortunatetogetsuchaprettyhouse?Youmustseebothourparlors。\"
Shejumpedup，andhermotherfollowedherwithabewilderedlookassheranintothebackparlorandflashedupthegas。
\"Comeinhere，Mr。Beaton。Iwanttoshowyouthegreatfeatureofthehouse。\"Sheopenedthelowwindowsthatgaveuponaglazedverandastretchingacrosstheendoftheroom。\"JustthinkofthisinNewYork!
Youcan\'tseeitverywellatnight，butwhenthesouthernsunpoursinherealltheafternoon——\"
\"Yes，Icanimagineit，\"hesaid。Heglancedupatthebird-cagehangingfromtheroof。\"IsupposeGypsyenjoysit。\"
\"YourememberGypsy?\"shesaid；andshemadeacooing，kissinglittlenoiseupatthebird，whorespondeddrowsily。\"PooroldGypsum!Well，hesha\'n\'tbedisturbed。Yes，it\'sGyp\'sdelight，andColonelWoodburnlikestowritehereinthemorning。Thinkofushavingarealliveauthorinthehouse!AndMissWoodburn:I\'msogladyou\'veseenher!
They\'reSouthernpeople。\"
\"Yes，thatwasobviousinhercase。\"
\"Fromheraccent?Isn\'titfascinating?Ididn\'tbelieveIcouldeverendureSoutherners，butwe\'relikeonefamilywiththeWoodburns。I
shouldthinkyou\'dwanttopaintMissWoodburn。Don\'tyouthinkhercoloringisdelicious?Andsuchaquaintkindofeighteenth-centurytypeofbeauty!Butshe\'sperfectlylovelyeveryway，andeverythingshesaysissofunny。TheSouthernersseemtobesuchgreattalkers；betterthanweare，don\'tyouthink?\"
\"Idon\'tknow，\"saidBeaton，inpensivediscouragement。Hewassensibleofbeingmanipulated，operated，buthewashelplesstoescapefromtheperformerortofathomhermotives。Hispensivenesspassedintogloom，andwasdegeneratingintosulkyresentmentwhenhewentaway，afterseveralfailurestogetbacktotheoldgroundhehadheldinrelationtoAlma。HeretrievedsomethingofitwithMrs。Leighton；butAlmaglittereduponhimtothelastwithakeenimpenetrablecandor，achild-
likesinglenessofglance，coveringunfathomablereserve。
\"Well，Alma，\"saidhermother，whenthedoorhadcloseduponhim。
\"Well，mother。\"Then，afteramoment，shesaid，witharush:\"DidyouthinkIwasgoingtolethimsupposewewerepiquedathisnotcoming?
DidyousupposeIwasgoingtolethimpatronizeus，orthinkthatwewereintheleastdependentonhisfavororfriendship?\"
Hermotherdidnotattempttoanswerher。Shemerelysaid，\"Ishouldn\'tthinkhewouldcomeanymore。\"
\"Well，wehavegotonsofarwithouthim；perhapswecanlivethroughtherestofthewinter。\"
\"Icouldn\'thelpfeelingsorryforhim。Hewasquitestupefied。Icouldseethathedidn\'tknowwhattomakeofyou。\"
\"He\'snotrequiredtomakeanythingofme，\"saidAlma。
\"Doyouthinkhereallybelievedyouhadforgottenallthosethings?\"
\"Impossibletosay，mamma。\"
\"Well，Idon\'tthinkitwasquiteright，Alma。\"
\"I\'llleavehimtoyouthenexttime。MissWoodburnsaidyouwerefreezinghimtodeathwhenIcamedown。\"
\"Thatwasquitedifferent。But，therewon\'tbeanynexttime，I\'mafraid，\"sighedMrs。Leighton。
Beatonwenthomefeelingsuretherewouldnot。Hetriedtoreadwhenhegottohisroom；butAlma\'slooks，tones，gestures，whirredthroughandthroughthewoofofthestorylikeshuttles；hecouldnotkeepthemout，andhefellasleepatlast，notbecauseheforgotthem，butbecauseheforgavethem。Hewasabletosaytohimselfthathehadbeenjustlycutofffromkindnesswhichheknewhowtovalueinlosingit。HedidnotexpectevertorighthimselfinAlma\'sesteem，buthehopedsomedaytoletherknowthathehadunderstood。Itseemedtohimthatitwouldbeagoodthingifsheshouldfinditoutafterhisdeath。Heimaginedherbeingtouchedbyitunderthosecircumstances。
VI。
InthemorningitseemedtoBeatonthathehaddonehimselfinjustice。
WhenheuncoveredhisJudasandlookedatit，hecouldnotbelievethatthemanwhowascapableofsuchworkdeservedthepunishmentMissLeightonhadinflicteduponhim。Hestillforgaveher，butinthepresenceofathinglikethathecouldnothelprespectinghimself；hebelievedthatifshecouldseeitshewouldbesorrythatshehadcutherselfofffromhisacquaintance。Hecarriedthisstrainofconvictionallthroughhissyndicateletter，whichhenowtookoutofhisdeskandfinished，withanincreasingsecurityofhisopinionsandamountingseverityinhisjudgments。Heretaliateduponthegeneralconditionofartamongusthepangsofwoundedvanity，whichAlmahadmadehimfeel，andhefoldeduphismanuscriptandputitinhispocket，almosthealedofhishumiliation。Hehadbeenabletoescapefromitsstingsoentirelywhilehewaswritingthatthenotionofmakinghislifemoreandmoreliterarycommendeditselftohim。Asitwasnowevidentthatthefuturewastobeoneofrenunciation，ofself-forgetting，anobliviontingedwithbitterness，heformlesslyreasonedinfavorofreconsideringhisresolutionagainstFulkerson\'soffer。Onemustcallitreasoning，butitwasratherthatswiftinternaldramatizationwhichconstantlygoesoninpersonsofexcitablesensibilities，andwhichnowseemedtosweepBeatonphysicallyalongtowardthe\'EveryOtherWeek\'office，andcarriedhismindwithlightningcelerityontoatimewhenheshouldhavegiventhatjournalsuchqualityandauthorityinmattersofartashadneverbeenenjoyedbyanyinAmericabefore。Withtheprosperitywhichhemadeattendhisworkhechangedthecharacteroftheenterprise，andwithFulkerson\'senthusiasticsupporthegavethepublicanartjournalofashighgradeas\'LesLettresetlesArts\'，andverymuchthatsortofthing。AllthisinvolvednowtheunavailingregretofAlmaLeighton，andnowhisreconciliationwithhertheyweremarriedinGraceChurch，becauseBeatonhadonceseenamarriagethere，andhadintendedtopaintapictureofitsometime。