NothinginthesefervidfantasiespreventedhisrespondingwithduedrynesstoFulkerson\'scheery\"Hello，oldman!\"whenhefoundhimselfinthebuildingfittedupforthe\'EveryOtherWeek\'office。Fulkerson\'sroomwasbackofthesmalleroneoccupiedbythebookkeeper；theyhadbeenrespectivelythereception-roomanddining-roomofthelittleplaceinitsdwelling-housedays，andtheyhadbeensimplyandtastefullytreatedintheirtransformationintobusinesspurposes。Thenarrowoldtrimofthedoorsandwindowshadbeenkept，andthequaintlyuglymarblemantels。Thearchitecthadsaid，Betterletthemstaytheyexpressedepoch，ifnotcharacter。
\"Well，haveyoucomeroundtogotowork?Justhangupyourcoatontheflooranywhere，\"Fulkersonwenton。
\"I\'vecometobringyouthatletter，\"saidBeaton，allthemorehaughtilybecausehefoundthatFulkersonwasnotalonewhenhewelcomedhiminthesefreeandeasyterms。Therewasaquiet-lookingman，ratherstout，andalittleabovethemiddleheight，withafull，close-croppediron-
graybeard，seatedbeyondthetablewhereFulkersontiltedhimselfback，withhiskneessetagainstit；andleaningagainstthemanteltherewasayoungmanwithasingularlygentleface，inwhichthelookofgoodnessqualifiedandtransfiguredacertainsimplicity。Hislargeblueeyesweresomewhatprominent；andhisrathernarrowfacewasdrawnforwardinanosealittletoolongperhaps，ifithadnotbeenforthefullchindeeplycutbelowthelip，andjuttingfirmlyforward。
\"IntroduceyoutoMr。March，oureditor，Mr。Beaton，\"Fulkersonsaid，rollinghisheadinthedirectionoftheelderman；andthennoddingittowardtheyounger，hesaid，\"Mr。Dryfoos，Mr。Beaton。\"BeatonshookhandswithMarch，andthenwithMr。Dryfoos，andFulkersonwenton，gayly:\"Wewerejusttalkingofyou，Beaton——well，youknowtheoldsaying。Mr。March，asItoldyou，isoureditor，andMr。Dryfooshaschargeofthepublishingdepartment——he\'sthecounting-roomincarnate，thesourceofpower，thefountainofcorruption，theelementthatpreventsjournalismbeingthehighandholythingthatitwouldbeiftherewerenomoneyinit。\"Mr。Dryfoosturnedhislarge，mildeyesuponBeaton，andlaughedwiththeuneasyconcessionwhichpeoplemaketoacharacterwhentheydonotquiteapproveofthecharacter\'slanguage。
\"WhatMr。MarchandIaretryingtodoistocarryonthisthingsothattherewon\'tbeanymoneyinit——orverylittle；andwe\'replanningtogivethepublicabetterarticleforthepricethanit\'severhadbefore。
Nowhere\'sadummywe\'vehadmadeupfor\'EveryOtherWeek\'，andaswe\'vedecidedtoadoptit，wewouldnaturallylikeyouropinionofit，so\'stoknowwhatopiniontohaveofyou。\"HereachedforwardandpushedtowardBeatonavolumealittleabovethesizeoftheordinaryduodecimobook；
itsivory-whitepebbledpapercoverwasprettilyillustratedwithawater-coloreddesignirregularlywashedoverthegreaterpartofitssurface:
quiteacrossthepageattop，andnarrowingfromrighttoleftasitdescended。Inthetriangularspaceleftblankthetitleoftheperiodicalandthepublisher\'simprintweretastefullyletteredsoastobepartlycoveredbythebackgroundofcolor。
\"It\'slikesomeofthoseTartarinbooksofDaudet\'s，\"saidBeacon，lookingatitwithmoreinterestthanhesufferedtobeseen。\"Butit\'sabook，notamagazine。\"Heopeneditspagesofthick，mellowwhitepaper，withuncutleaves，thefirstfewpagesexperimentallyprintedinthetypeintendedtobeused，andillustratedwithsomesketchesdrawnintoandoverthetext，forthesakeoftheeffect。
\"ADaniel——aDanielcometojudgment!Sitdown，Dan\'el，andtakeiteasy。\"FulkersonpushedachairtowardBeaton，whodroppedintoit。
\"You\'reright，Dan\'el；it\'sabook，toallpracticalintentsandpurposes。AndwhatweproposetodowiththeAmericanpublicistogiveittwenty-fourbookslikethisayear——acompletelibrary——fortheabsurdsumofsixdollars。Wedon\'tintendtosell\'em——it\'snonameforthetransaction——buttogive\'em。Andwhatwewanttogetoutofyou——beg，borrow，buy，orstealfromyouisanopinionwhetherweshallmaketheAmericanpublicthisprincelypresentinpapercoverslikethis，orinsomesortofflexibleboards，sotheycansetthemontheshelfandsaynomoreaboutit。Now，Dan\'el，cometojudgment，asourrespectedfriendShylockremarked。\"
Beaconhadgotdonelookingatthedummy，andhedroppeditonthetablebeforeFulkerson，whopusheditaway，apparentlytofreehimselffrompartiality。\"Idon\'tknowanythingaboutthebusinessside，andIcan\'ttellabouttheeffectofeitherstyleonthesales；butyou\'llspoilthewholecharacterofthecoverifyouuseanythingthickerthanthatthickishpaper。\"
\"Allright；verygood；first-rate。Theayeshaveit。Paperitis。I
don\'tmindtellingyouthatwehaddecidedforthatpaperbeforeyoucamein。Mr。Marchwantedit，becausehefeltinhisbonesjustthewayyoudoaboutit，andMr。Dryfooswantedit，becausehe\'sthecounting-roomincarnate，andit\'scheaper；andI\'wantedit，becauseIalwaysliketogowiththemajority。Nowwhatdoyouthinkofthatlittledesignitself?\"
\"Thesketch?\"Beatonpulledthebooktowardhimagainandlookedatitagain。\"Ratherdecorative。Drawing\'snotremarkable。Graceful；rathernice。\"Hepushedthebookawayagain，andFulkersonpulledittohisaideofthetable。
\"Well，that\'sapieceofthatamateurtrashyoudespisesomuch。IwenttoapainterIknow-by-the-way，hewasguiltyofsuggestingyouforthisthing，butItoldhimIwasaheadofhim——andIgothimtosubmitmyideatooneofhisclass，andthat\'stheresult。Well，now，thereain\'tanythinginthisworldthatsellsabooklikeaprettycover，andwe\'regoingtohaveaprettycoverfor\'EveryOtherWeek\'everytime。We\'vecutloosefromtheoldtraditionalquartoliterarynewspapersize，andwe\'vecutloosefromtheoldtwo-columnbigpagemagazinesize；we\'regoingtohaveaduodecimopage，clearblackprint，andpaperthat\'llmakeyourmouthwater；andwe\'regoingtohaveafreshillustrationforthecoverofeachnumber，andweain\'tagoingtogivethepublicanyrestatall。Sometimeswe\'regoingtohaveadelicatelittlelandscapelikethis，andsometimeswe\'regoingtohaveanindelicatelittlefigure，orasmuchsoasthelawwillallow。\"
Theyoungmanleaningagainstthemantelpieceblushedasortofprotest。
Marchsmiledandsaid，dryly，\"ThosearethenumbersthatMr。Fulkersonisgoingtoedithimself。\"
\"Exactly。AndMr。Beaton，here，isgoingtosupplythefloatingfemales，gracefullyairingthemselvesagainstasunsetorsomethingofthatkind。\"
Beatonfrownedinembarrassment，whileFulkersonwentonphilosophically；
\"It\'sastonishinghowyoufellowscankeepitupatthisstageoftheproceedings；youcanpaintthingsthatyourharshestcriticwouldbeashamedtodescribeaccurately；you\'reasfreeasthetheatre。Butthat\'sneitherherenorthere。WhatI\'mafteristhefactthatwe\'regoingtohavevarietyinourtitle-pages，andwearegoingtohavenoveltyintheillustrationsofthebodyofthebook。March，here，ifhehadhisownway，wouldn\'thaveanyillustrationsatall。\"
\"NotbecauseIdon\'tlikethem，Mr。Beacon，\"Marchinterposed，\"butbecauseIlikethemtoomuch。IfindthatIlookatthepicturesinanillustratedarticle，butIdon\'treadthearticleverymuch，andIfancythat\'sthecasewithmostotherpeople。You\'vegottodoingthemsoprettilythatyoutakeoureyesofftheliterature，ifyoudon\'ttakeourmindsoff。\"
\"Likethesocietybeautiesonthestage:peoplegoinforthebeautysomuchthattheydon\'tknowwhattheplayis。Butthebox-officegetsthereallthesame，andthat\'swhatMr。Dryfooswants。\"FulkersonlookedupgaylyatMr。Dryfoos，whosmileddeprecatingly。
\"Itwasdifferent，\"Marchwenton，\"whentheillustrationsusedtobebad。Thenthetexthadsomechance。\"
\"Oldlegitimatedramadays，whenuglinessandgeniuscombinedtostormthegalleries，\"saidFulkerson。
\"Wecanstillmakethembadenough，\"saidBeaton，ignoringFulkersoninhisremarktoMarch。
Fulkersontookthereplyuponhimself。\"Well，youneedn\'tmake\'emsobadastheold-stylecuts；butyoucanmakethemunobtrusive，modestlyretiring。We\'vegotholdofaprocesssomethinglikethatthoseFrenchfellowsgaveDaudetthirty-fivethousanddollarstowriteanoveltousewith；kindofthingthatbeginsatoneside；oronecorner，andspreadsinasortofdimreligiousstyleovertheprinttillyoucan\'ttellwhichiswhich。Thenwe\'vegotanotionthatwherethepicturesdon\'tbehavequitesosociably，theycanbedroppedintothetext，likealittlecasualremark，don\'tyouknow，oracommentthathassomeconnection，ormaybenoneatall，withwhat\'sgoingoninthestory。Somethinglikethis。\"Fulkersontookawayonekneefromthetablelongenoughtoopenthedrawer，andpullfromitabookthatheshovedtowardBeacon。
\"That\'saSpanishbookIhappenedtoseeatBrentano\'s，andIfrozetoitonaccountofthepictures。Iguessthey\'reprettygood。\"
\"Doyouexpecttogetsuchdrawingsinthiscountry?\"askedBeaton，afteraglanceatthebook。\"uchcharacter——suchdrama?Youwon\'t。\"
\"Well，I\'mnotsosure，\"saidFulkerson，\"cometogetouramateurswarmeduptothework。ButwhatIwantistogetthephysicaleffect，sotospeak-getthatsizedpictureintoourpage，andsetthefashionofit。
Ishouldn\'tcareiftheillustrationwassometimesconfinedtoaninitialletterandatail-piece。\"
\"Couldn\'tbedonehere。Wehaven\'tthetouch。We\'regoodinsomethings，butthisisn\'tinourway，\"saidBeaton，stubbornly。\"Ican\'tthinkofamanwhocoulddoit；thatis，amongthosethatwould。\"
\"Well，thinkofsomewoman，then，\"saidFulkerson，easily。\"I\'vegotanotionthatthewomencouldhelpusoutonthisthing，cometoget\'eminterested。Thereain\'tanythingsopopularasfemalefiction；whynottryfemaleart?\"
\"Thefemalesthemselveshavebeensupposedtohavebeentryingitforagoodwhile，\"Marchsuggested；andMr。Dryfooslaughednervously；Beatonremainedsolemnlysilent。
\"Yes，Iknow，\"Fulkersonassented。\"ButIdon\'tmeanthatkindexactly。
Whatwewanttodoistoworkthe\'ewigWeibliche\'inthisconcern。Wewanttomakeamagazinethatwillgoforthewomen\'sfancyeverytime。
Idon\'tmeanwithrecipesforcookingandfashionsandpersonalgossipaboutauthorsandsociety，butrealhigh-toneliteraturethatwillshowwomentriumphinginallthestories，orelsesufferingtremendously。
We\'vegottorecognizethatwomenformthree-fourthsofthereadingpublicinthiscountry，andgofortheirtastesandtheirsensibilitiesandtheirsex-pietyalongthewholeline。Theydoliketothinkthatwomencandothingsbetterthanmen；andifwecanletitleakoutandgetaroundinthepapersthatthemanagersof\'EveryOtherWeek\'couldn\'tstirapeginthelineoftheillustrationstheywantedtilltheygotalotofGod-giftedgirlstohelpthem，it\'llmakethefortuneofthething。See?\"
Helookedsunnilyroundattheothermen，andMarchsaid:\"YououghttobeinchargeofaSiamesewhiteelephant，Fulkerson。It\'sadisgracetobeconnectedwithyou。\"
\"Itseemstome，\"saidBecton，\"thatyou\'dbettergetaGod-giftedgirlforyourarteditor。\"
Fulkersonleanedalertlyforward，andtouchedhimontheshoulder，withacompassionatesmile。\"Mydearboy，theyhaven\'tgotthegeniusoforganization。Ittakesaverymasculinemanforthat——amanwhocombinesthemostsubtleandrefinedsympathieswiththemostforcefulpurposesandthemostferruginouswill-power。WhichhisnameisAngusBeaton，andherehesets!\"
TheotherslaughedwithFulkersonathisgrossburlesqueofflattery，andBectonfrownedsheepishly。\"Isupposeyouunderstandthisman\'sstyle，\"
hegrowledtowardMarch。
\"Hedoes，myson，\"saidFulkerson。\"HeknowsthatIcannottellalie。\"
Hepulledouthiswatch，andthengotsuddenlyuponhisfeet。
\"It\'squarteroftwelve，andI\'vegotanappointment。\"Beatonrosetoo，andFulkersonputthetwobooksinhislaxhands。\"Takethesealong，MichelangeloDaVinci，myfriend，andputyourmultitudinousmindonthemforaboutanhour，andletushearfromyouto-morrow。Wehanguponyourdecision。\"
\"There\'snodecidingtobedone，\"saidBeaton。\"Youcan\'tcombinethetwostyles。They\'dkilleachother。\"
\"ADan\'el，aDan\'elcometojudgment!Iknewyoucouldhelpusout!
Take\'emalong，andtelluswhichwillgothefurthestwiththe\'ewigWeibliche。\'Dryfoos，Iwantawordwithyou。\"Heledthewayintothefrontroom，flirtinganairyfarewelltoBeatonwithhishandashewent。
VII。
MarchandBeatonremainedalonetogetherforamoment，andMarchsaid:
\"Ihopeyouwillthinkitworthwhiletotakeholdwithus，Mr。Beaton。
Mr。Fulkersonputsitinhisownway，ofcourse；butwereallywanttomakeanicethingofthemagazine。\"Hehadthattimidityoftheelderinthepresenceoftheyoungermanwhichtheyounger，preoccupiedwithhisowntimidityinthepresenceoftheelder，cannotimagine。Besides，MarchwasawareofthegulfthatdividedhimasaliterarymanfromBeatonasanartist，andheonlyventuredtofeelhiswaytowardsympathywithhim。\"Wewanttomakeitgood；wewanttomakeithigh。Fulkersonisrightaboutaimingtopleasethewomen，butofcoursehecaricaturesthewayofgoingaboutit。\"
Foranswer，Beatonflungout，\"Ican\'tgoinforathingIdon\'tunderstandtheplanof。\"
Marchtookitforgrantedthathehadwoundedsomeexposedsensibility，ofBeaton\'s。Hecontinuedstillmoredeferentially:\"Mr。Fulkerson\'snotion——Imustsaythenotionishis，evolvedfromhissyndicateexperience——isthatweshalldobestinfictiontoconfineourselvestoshortstories，andmakeeachnumbercompleteinitself。Hefoundthatthemostsuccessfulthingshecouldfurnishhisnewspaperswereshortstories；weAmericansaresupposedtoexcelinwritingthem；andmostpeoplebeginwiththeminfiction；andit\'sMr。Fulkerson\'sideatoworkunknowntalent，ashesays，andsohethinkshecannotonlygetthemeasily，butcangraduallyformaschoolofshort-storywriters。Ican\'tsayIfollowhimaltogether，butIrespecthisexperience。Weshallnotdespisetranslationsofshortstories，butotherwisethematterwillallbeoriginal，and，ofcourse，itwon\'tallbeshortstories。Weshallusesketchesoftravel，andessays，andlittledramaticstudies，andbitsofbiographyandhistory；butallverylight，andalwaysshortenoughtobecompletedinasinglenumber。Mr。Fulkersonbelievesinpictures，andmostofthethingswouldbecapableofillustration。\"
\"Isee，\"saidBeaton。
\"Idon\'tknowbutthisisthewholeaffair，\"saidMarch，beginningtostiffenalittleattheyoungman\'sreticence。
\"Iunderstand。Thankyoufortakingthetroubletoexplain。Good-
morning。\"Beatonbowedhimselfoff，withoutofferingtoshakehands。
Fulkersoncameinafterawhilefromtheouteroffice，andMr。Dryfoosfollowedhim。\"Well，whatdoyouthinkofourarteditor?\"
\"Isheourarteditor?\"askedMarch。\"Iwasn\'tquitecertainwhenheleft。\"
\"Didhetakethebooks?\"
\"Yes，hetookthebooks。\"
\"Iguesshe\'sallright，then。\"Fulkersonadded，inconcessiontotheumbragehedetectedinMarch。
\"Beatonhashistimesofbeingthegreatestassinthesolarsystem，butheusuallytakesitoutinpersonalconduct。Whenitcomestowork，he\'saregularhorse。\"
\"Heappearstohavecompromisedforthepresentbybeingaperfectmule，\"
saidMarch。
\"Well，he\'sinatransitionstate，\"Fulkersonallowed。\"He\'sthemanforus。Hereallyunderstandswhatwewant。You\'llsee；he\'llcatchon。
Thatluridglareofhiswillwearoffinthecourseoftime。He\'sreallyagoodfellowwhenyoutakehimoffhisguard；andhe\'sfullofideas。
He\'sspreadoutoveragooddealofgroundatpresent，andsohe\'sprettythin；butcometogatherhimupintoalump，there\'sagooddealofsubstancetohim。Yes，thereis。He\'safirst-ratecritic，andhe\'sanicefellowwiththeotherartists。Theylaughathisuniversality，buttheyalllikehim。He\'sthebestkindofateacherwhenhecondescendstoit；andhe\'sjustthemantodealwithourvolunteerwork。Yes，sir，he\'saprize。Well，Imustgonow。\"
Fulkersonwentoutofthestreetdoor，andthencamequicklyback。\"By-
the-bye，March，IsawthatolddynamiterofyoursroundatBeaton\'sroomyesterday。\"
\"Whatolddynamiterofmine?\"
\"Thatoldone-handedDutchman——friendofyouryouth——theonewesawatMaroni\'s——\"
\"Oh-Lindau!\"saidMarch，withavaguepangofselfreproachforhavingthoughtofLindausolittleafterthefirstfloodofhistenderfeelingtowardhimwaspast。
\"Yes，ourversatilefriendwasmodellinghimasJudasIscariot。Lindaumakesafirst-rateJudas，andBeatonhasgotabigthinginthatheadifheworksthereligiouspeopleright。ButwhatIwasthinkingofwasthis——itstruckmejustasIwasgoingoutofthedoor:Didn\'tyoutellmeLindauknewfortyorfifty，differentlanguages?\"
\"Fourorfive，yes。\"
\"Well，wewon\'tquarrelaboutthenumber。Thequestionis，Whynotworkhiminthefieldofforeignliterature?Youcan\'tgooveralltheirreviewsandmagazines，andhecoulddothesmellingforyou，ifyoucouldtrusthisnose。Wouldheknowagoodthing?\"
\"Ithinkhewould，\"saidMarch，onwhomthescopeofFulkerson\'ssuggestiongraduallyopened。\"Heusedtohavegoodtaste，andhemustknowtheground。Why，it\'sacapitalidea，Fulkerson!LindauwroteveryfairEnglish，andhecouldtranslate，withalittlerevision。\"
\"Andhewouldprobablyworkcheap。Well，hadn\'tyoubetterseehimaboutit?Iguessit\'llbequiteawindfallforhim。\"
\"Yes，itwill。I\'lllookhimup。Thankyouforthesuggestion，Fulkerson。\"
\"Oh，don\'tmentionit!Idon\'tminddoing\'EveryOtherWeek\'agoodturnnowandthenwhenitcomesinmyway。\"Fulkersonwentoutagain，andthistimeMarchwasfinallyleftwithMr。Dryfoos。
\"Mrs。Marchwasverysorrynottobeathomewhenyoursisterscalledtheotherday。Shewishedmetoaskiftheyhadanyafternooninparticular。
Therewasnoneonyourmother\'scard。\"
\"No，sir，\"saidtheyoungman，withaflushofembarrassmentthatseemedhabitualwithhim。\"Shehasnoday。She\'sathomealmosteveryday。
Shehardlyevergoesout。\"
\"Mightwecomesomeevening?\"Marchasked。\"Weshouldbeverygladtodothat，ifshewouldexcusetheinformality。ThenIcouldcomewithMrs。March。\"
\"Motherisn\'tveryformal，\"saidtheyoungman。\"Shewouldbeverygladtoseeyou。\"
\"Thenwe\'llcomesomenightthisweek，ifyouwillletus。Whendoyouexpectyourfatherback?\"
\"NotmuchbeforeChristmas。He\'stryingtosettleupsomethingsatMoffitt。\"
\"Andwhatdoyouthinkofourarteditor?\"askedMarch，withasmile，forthechangeofsubject。
\"Oh，Idon\'tknowmuchaboutsuchthings，\"saidtheyoungman，withanotherofhisembarrassedflushes。\"Mr。Fulkersonseemstofeelsurethatheistheoneforus。\"
\"Mr。FulkersonseemedtothinkthatIwastheoneforyou，too，\"saidMarch；andhelaughed。\"That\'swhatmakesmedoubthisinfallibility。
Buthecouldn\'tdoworsewithMr。Beaton。\"
Mr。Dryfoosreddenedandlookeddown，asifunableorunwillingtocopewiththedifficultyofmakingapoliteprotestagainstMarch\'sself-
depreciation。Hesaid，afteramoment:\"It\'snewbusinesstoallofusexceptMr。Fulkerson。ButIthinkitwillsucceed。Ithinkwecandosomegoodinit。\"
Marchaskedratherabsently，\"Somegood?\"Thenheadded:\"Ohyes；
Ithinkwecan。Whatdoyoumeanbygood?Improvethepublictaste?
Elevatethestandardofliterature?Giveyoungauthorsandartistsachance?\"
ThiswastheonlygoodthathadeverbeeninMarch\'smind，exceptthegoodthatwastocomeinamaterialwayfromhissuccess，tohimselfandtohisfamily。
\"Idon\'tknow，\"saidtheyoungman；andhelookeddowninashamefacedfashion。HeliftedhisheadandlookedintoMarch\'sface。\"IsupposeI
wasthinkingthatsometimewemighthelpalong。IfweweretohavethosesketchesofyoursaboutlifeineverypartofNewYork——\"
March\'sauthorialvanitywastickled。\"Fulkersonhasbeentalkingtoyouaboutthem?Heseemedtothinktheywouldbeacard。Hebelievesthatthere\'snosubjectsofascinatingtothegeneralaverageofpeoplethroughoutthecountryaslifeinNewYorkCity；andhelikedmynotionofdoingthesethings。\"MarchhopedthatDryfooswouldanswerthatFulkersonwasperfectlyenthusiasticabouthisnotion；buthedidnotneedthisstimulus，and，atanyrate，hewentonwithoutit。\"Thefactis，it\'ssomethingthatstruckmyfancythemomentIcamehere；Ifoundmyselfintenselyinterestedintheplace，andIbegantomakenotes，consciouslyandunconsciously，atonce。Yes，IbelieveIcangetsomethingquiteattractiveoutofit。Idon\'tintheleastknowwhatitwillbeyet，exceptthatitwillbeverydesultory；andIcouldn\'tatallsaywhenIcangetatit。IfwepostponethefirstnumbertillFebruaryImightgetalittlepaperintothat。Yes，Ithinkitmightbeagoodthingforus，\"Marchsaid，withmodestself-appreciation。
\"Ifyoucanmakethecomfortablepeopleunderstandhowtheuncomfortablepeoplelive，itwillbeaverygoodthing，Mr。March。Sometimesitseemstomethattheonlytroubleisthatwedon\'tknowoneanotherwellenough；andthatthefirstthingistodothis。\"Theyoungfellowspokewiththeseriousnessinwhichthebeautyofhisfaceresided。Wheneverhelaughedhisfacelookedweak，evensilly。Itseemedtobeasenseofthisthatmadehimhanghisheadorturnitawayatsuchtimes。
\"That\'strue，\"saidMarch，fromthesurfaceonly。\"Andthen，thosephasesoflowlifeareimmenselypicturesque。Ofcourse，wemusttrytogetthecontrastsofluxuryforthesakeofthefulleffect。Thatwon\'tbesoeasy。Youcan\'tpenetratetothedinner-partyofamillionaireunderthewingofadetectiveasyoucouldtoacarouseinMulberryStreet，ortohischildren\'snurserywithaphilanthropistasyoucantoastreet-boy\'slodging-house。\"Marchlaughed，andagaintheyoungmanturnedhisheadaway。\"Still，somethingcanbedoneinthatwaybytactandpatience。\"
VII。
ThateveningMarchwentwithhiswifetoreturnthecalloftheDryfoosladies。Ontheirwayup-townintheElevatedhetoldherofhistalkwithyoungDryfoos。\"IconfessIwasalittleashamedbeforehimafterwardforhavinglookedatthemattersoentirelyfromtheaestheticpointofview。Butofcourse，youknow，ifIwenttoworkatthosethingswithanethicalintentionexplicitlyinmind，Ishouldspoilthem。\"
\"Ofcourse，\"saidhiswife。Shehadalwaysheardhimsaysomethingofthiskindaboutsuchthings。
Hewenton:\"ButIsupposethat\'sjustthepointthatsuchanatureasyoungDryfoos\'scan\'tgetholdof，orkeepholdof。We\'reaqueerlot，downthere，Isabel——perfectmenagerie。Ifithadn\'tbeenthatFulkersongotustogether，andreallyseemstoknowwhathediditfor，Ishouldsayhewastheoddeststickamongus。ButwhenIthinkofmyselfandmyowncrankinessfortheliterarydepartment；andyoungDryfoos，whooughtreallytobeinthepulpit，oramonastery，orsomething，forpublisher；
andthatyoungBeaton，whoprobablyhasn\'tamoralfibreinhiscomposition，fortheartman，Idon\'tknowbutwecouldgiveFulkersonoddsandstillbeathiminoddity。\"
Hiswifeheavedadeepsighofapprehension，ofrenunciation，ofmonition。\"Well，I\'mgladyoucanfeelsolightaboutit，Basil。\"
\"Light?Ifeelgay!WithFulkersonatthehelm，Itellyoutherocksandtheleeshorehadbetterkeepoutoftheway。\"Helaughedwithpleasureinhismetaphor。\"JustwhenyouthinkFulkersonhastakenleaveofhissenseshesaysordoessomethingthatshowsheisonthemostintimateandinalienabletermswiththemallthetime。YouknowhowI\'vebeenworryingoverthoseforeignperiodicals，andtryingtogetsometranslationsfromthemforthefirstnumber?Well，Fulkersonhasbroughthiscentipedalmindtobearonthesubject，andhe\'ssuggestedthatoldGermanfriendofmineIwastellingyouof——theoneImetintherestaurant——thefriendofmyyouth。\"
\"Doyouthinkhecoulddoit?\"askedMrs。March，sceptically。
\"He\'saperfectBabelofstrangetongues；andhe\'stheverymanforthework，andIwasashamedIhadn\'tthoughtofhimmyself，forIsuspectheneedsthework。\"
\"Well，becarefulhowyougetmixedupwithhim，then，Basil，\"saidhiswife，whohadthenaturalmisgivingconcerningthefriendsofherhusband\'syouththatallwiveshave。\"YouknowtheGermansaresounscrupulouslydependent。Youdon\'tknowanythingabouthimnow。\"
\"I\'mnotafraidofLindau，\"saidMarch。\"HewasthebestandkindestmanIeversaw，themosthigh-minded，themostgenerous。Helostahandinthewarthathelpedtosaveusandkeepuspossible，andthatstumpofhisischaracterenoughforme。\"
\"Oh，youdon\'tthinkIcouldhavemeantanythingagainsthim!\"saidMrs。
March，withthetenderfervorthateverywomanwholivedinthetimeofthewarmustfeelforthosewhosufferedinit。\"AllthatImeantwasthatIhopedyouwouldnotgetmixedupwithhimtoomuch。You\'resoapttobecarriedawaybyyourimpulses。\"
\"Theydidn\'tcarrymeveryfarawayinthedirectionofpooroldLindau，I\'mashamedtothink，\"saidMarch。\"ImeantallsortsoffinethingsbyhimafterImethim；andthenIforgothim，andIhadtoberemindedofhimbyFulkerson。\"
Shedidnotanswerhim，andhefellintoaremorsefulreverie，inwhichherehabilitatedLindauanew，andprovidedhandsomelyforhisoldage。
Hegothimburiedwithmilitaryhonors，andhadashaftraisedoverhim，withamedallionlikenessbyBeatonandanepitaphbyhimself，bythetimetheyreachedForty-secondStreet；therewasnotimetowriteLindau\'slife，howeverbriefly，beforethetrainstopped。
TheyhadtowalkupfourblocksandthenhalfablockacrossbeforetheycametotheindistinctivebrownstonehousewheretheDryfooseslived。
Itwaslargerthansomeinthesameblock，butthenextneighborhoodofahugeapartment-housedwarfeditagain。Marchthoughtherecognizedtheveryflatinwhichhehaddisciplinedthesurlyjanitor，buthedidnottellhiswife；hemadehernoticethetransitioncharacterofthestreet，whichhadbeenmostlybuiltupinapartment-houses，withhereandthereasingledwellingdroppedfardownbeneathandbesidethem，tothatjag-
toothedeffectonthesky-linesooftenobservableinsuchNewYorkstreets。\"Idon\'tknowexactlywhattheoldgentlemanboughtherefor，\"
hesaid，astheywaitedonthestepsafterringing，\"unlessheexpectstoturnitintoflatsby-and-by。Otherwise，Idon\'tbelievehe\'llgethismoneyback。\"
AnIrishserving-man，withacertainsurprisethatdelayedhim，saidtheladieswereathome，andlettheMarchesin，andthencarriedtheircardsup-stairs。Thedrawing-room，wherehesaidtheycouldsitdownwhilehewentonthiserrand，wasdelicately，decoratedinwhiteandgold，andfurnishedwithasortofextravagantgoodtaste；therewasnothingtoobjecttointhesatinfurniture，thepale，soft，richcarpet，thepictures，andthebronzeandchinabric-a-brac，exceptthattheircostlinesswastooevident；everythingintheroommeantmoneytooplainly，andtoomuchofit。TheMarchesrecognizedthisinthehoarsewhisperswhichpeoplecannotgettheirvoicesabovewhentheytrytotalkawaytheintervalofwaitinginsuchcircumstances；theyconjecturedfromwhattheyhadheardoftheDryfoosesthatthistastefulluxuryinnowiseexpressedtheircivilization。\"Thoughwhenyoucometothat，\"saidMarch，\"Idon\'tknowthatMrs。Green\'sgimcrackeryexpressesours。\"
\"Well，Basil，Ididn\'ttakethegimcrackery。Thatwasyour——\"
TherustleofskirtsonthestairswithoutarrestedMrs。Marchinthewell-meritedpunishmentwhichsheneverfailedtoinflictuponherhusbandwhenthequestionofthegimcrackery——theyalwayscalleditthat——
cameup。Sheroseattheentranceofabright-looking，pretty-looking，mature，youngishlady，inblacksilkofaneutralimplication，whoputoutherhandtoher，andsaid，withaverycheery，veryladylikeaccent，\"Mrs。March?\"andthenaddedtobothofthem，whilesheshookhandswithMarch，andbeforetheycouldgetthenameoutoftheirmonths:\"No，notMissDryfoos!Neitherofthem；norMrs。Dryfoos。Mrs。Mandel。Theladieswillbedowninamoment。Won\'tyouthrowoffyoursacque，Mrs。
March?I\'mafraidit\'sratherwarmhere，comingfromtheoutside。\"
\"Iwillthrowitback，ifyou\'llallowme，\"saidMrs。March，withasortofprovisionality，asif，pendingsomeuncertaintyastoMrs。Mandel\'squalityandauthority，shedidnotfeelherselfjustifiedingoingfurther。
ButifshedidnotknowaboutMrs。Mandel，Mrs。Mandelseemedtoknowabouther。\"Oh，well，do!\"shesaid，withasortofrecognitionoftheproprietyofhercaution。\"IhopeyouarefeelingalittleathomeinNewYork。Weheardsomuchofyourtroubleingettingaflat，fromMr。
Fulkerson。\"
\"Well，atrueBostoniandoesn\'tgiveupquitesosoon，\"saidMrs。March。
\"ButIwillsayNewYorkdoesn\'tseemsofaraway，nowwe\'rehere。\"
\"I\'msureyou\'lllikeit。Everyonedoes。\"Mrs。MandeladdedtoMarch，\"It\'sverysharpout，isn\'tit?\"
\"Rathersharp。ButafterourBostonwintersIdon\'tknowbutIoughttorepudiatetheword。\"
\"Ah，waittillyouhavebeenherethroughMarch!\"saidMrs。Mandel。Shebeganwithhim，butskillfullytransferredthecloseofherremark，andthelittlesmileofmenacethatwentwithit，tohiswife。
\"Yes，\"saidMrs。March，\"orApril，either:Talkaboutoureastwinds!\"
\"Oh，I\'msuretheycan\'tbeworsethanourwinds，\"Mrs。Mandelreturned，caressingly。
\"IfweescapeNewYorkpneumonia，\"Marchlaughed，\"itwillonlybetofallapreytoNewYorkmalariaassoonasthefrostisoutoftheground。\"
\"Oh，butyouknow，\"saidMrs。Mandel，\"Ithinkourmalariahasreallybeenslanderedalittle。It\'smoreamatterofdrainage——ofplumbing。
Idon\'tbelieveitwouldbepossibleformalariatogetintothishouse，we\'vehaditgoneoversothoroughly。\"
Mrs。Marchsaid，whileshetriedtodivineMrs。Mandel\'spositionfromthisstatement，\"It\'scertainlythefirstduty。\"
\"IfMrs。Marchcouldhavehadherway，weshouldhavehadthedrainageofourwholewardputinorder，\"saidherhusband，\"beforeweventuredtotakeafurnishedapartmentforthewinter。\"
Mrs。MandellookeddiscreetlyatMrs。Marchforpermissiontolaughatthis，butatthesamemomentbothladiesbecamepreoccupiedwithasecondrustlingonthestairs。
Twotall，well-dressedyounggirlscamein，andMrs。Mandelintroduced，\"MissDryfoos，Mrs。March；andMissMelaDryfoos，Mr。March，\"sheadded，andthegirlsshookhandsintheirseveralwayswiththeMarches。
MissDryfooshadkeenblackeyes，andherhairwasintenselyblack。Herface，butfortheslightinwardcurveofthenose，wasregular，andthesmallnessofhernoseandofhermouthdidnotweakenherface，butgaveitacuriouseffectoffierceness，ofchallenge。Shehadalargeblackfaninherhand，whichshewavedintalking，withaslow，watchfulnervousness。Hersisterwasblonde，andhadaprofilelikeherbrother\'s；butherchinwasnotsosalient，andtheweaklookofthemouthwasnotcorrectedbythespiritualityorthefervorofhiseyes，thoughherswereofthesamemottledblue。ShedroppedintothelowseatbesideMrs。Mandel，andintertwinedherfingerswiththoseofthehandwhichMrs。Mandelletherhave。ShesmiledupontheMarches，whileMissDryfooswatchedthemintensely，withhereyesfirstononeandthenontheother，asifshedidnotmeantoletanyexpressionoftheirsescapeher。
\"Mymotherwillbedowninaminute，\"shesaidtoMrs。March。
\"Ihopewe\'renotdisturbingher。Itissogoodofyoutoletuscomeintheevening，\"Mrs。Marchreplied。
\"Oh，notatall，\"saidthegirl。\"Wereceiveintheevening。\"
\"Whenwedoreceive，\"MissMelaputin。\"Wedon\'talwaysgetthechanceto。\"Shebeganalaugh，whichshecheckedatasmilefromMrs。Mandel，whichnoonecouldhaveseentobereproving。
MissDryfooslookeddownatherfan，andlookedupdefiantlyatMrs。
March。\"Isupposeyouhavehardlygotsettled。Wewereafraidwewoulddisturbyouwhenwecalled。\"
\"Ohno!Wewereverysorrytomissyourvisit。Wearequitesettledinournewquarters。Ofcourse，it\'sallverydifferentfromBoston。\"
\"Ihopeit\'smoreofasociableplacethere，\"MissMelabrokeinagain。
\"IneversawsuchanunsociableplaceasNewYork。We\'vebeeninthishousethreemonths，andIdon\'tbelievethatifwestayedthreeyearsanyoftheneighborswouldcall。\"
\"Ifancyproximitydoesn\'tcountformuchinNewYork，\"Marchsuggested。
Mrs。Mandelsaid:\"That\'swhatItellMissMela。Butsheisaverysocialnature，andcan\'treconcileherselftothefact。\"
\"No，Ican\'t，\"thegirlpouted。\"IthinkitwastwiceasmuchfuninMoffitt。IwishIwastherenow。\"
\"Yes，\"saidMarch，\"Ithinkthere\'sagreatdealmoreenjoymentinthosesmallerplaces。There\'snotsomuchgoingoninthewayofpublicamusements，andsopeoplemakemoreofoneanother。Therearenotsomanyconcerts，theatres，operas——\"
\"Oh，they\'vegotasplendidopera-houseinMoffitt。It\'sjustgrand，\"
saidMissMela。
\"Haveyoubeentotheoperahere，thiswinter?\"Mrs。Marchaskedoftheeldergirl。
Shewasglaringwithafrownathersister，anddetachedhereyesfromherwithaneffort。\"Whatdidyousay?\"shedemanded，withanabsentbluntness。\"Ohyes。Yes!Wewentonce。FathertookaboxattheMetropolitan。\"
\"ThenyougotagooddoseofWagner，Isuppose?\"saidMarch。
\"What?\"askedthegirl。
\"Idon\'tthinkMissDryfoosisveryfondofWagner\'smusic，\"Mrs。Mandelsaid。\"IbelieveyouareallgreatWagneritesinBoston?\"
\"I\'maverybadBostonian，Mrs。Mandel。IsuspectmyselfofpreferringVerdi，\"Marchanswered。
MissDryfooslookeddownatherfanagain，andsaid，\"Ilike\'Trovatore\'
thebest。\"
\"It\'sanoperaInevergettiredof，\"saidMarch，andMrs。MarchandMrs:
Mandelexchangedasmileofcompassionforhissimplicity。Hedetectedit，andadded:\"ButIdaresayIshallcomedownwiththeWagnerfeverintime。I\'vebeenexposedtosomemalignantcasesofit。\"
\"Thatnightwewerethere，\"saidMissMela，\"theyhadtoturnthegasdownallthroughonepartofit，andthepaperssaidtheladieswereawfulmadbecausetheycouldn\'tshowtheirdiamonds。Idon\'twonder，iftheyallhadtopayasmuchfortheirboxesaswedid。Wehadtopaysixtydollars。\"ShelookedattheMarchesfortheirsensationatthisexpense。
Marchsaid:\"Well，IthinkIshalltakemyboxbythemonth，then。Itmustcomecheaper，wholesale。\"
\"Ohno，itdon\'t，\"saidthegirl，gladtoinformhim。\"Thepeoplethatowntheirboxes，andthathadtogivefifteenortwentythousanddollarsapieceforthem，havetopaysixtydollarsanightwheneverthere\'saperformance，whethertheygoornot。\"
\"ThenIshouldgoeverynight，\"Marchsaid。
\"Mostoftheladieswerelowneck——\"
Marchinterposed，\"Well，Ishouldn\'tgolow-neck。\"
Thegirlbrokeintoafondlyapprovinglaughathisdrolling。\"Oh，I
guessyoulovetotrain!Usgirlswantedtogolowneck，too；butfathersaidweshouldn\'t，andmothersaidifwedidshewouldn\'tcometothefrontoftheboxonce。Well，shedidn\'t，anyway。Wemightjustaswell\'a\'gonelowneck。Shestayedbackthewholetime，andwhentheyhadthatdance——theballet，youknow——shejustshuthereyes。Well，Conraddidn\'tlikethatpartmuch，either；butusgirlsandMrs。Mandel，webrazeneditoutrightinthefrontofthebox。Wewereabouttheonlyonestherethatwenthighneck。Conradhadtowearaswallow-tail；
butfatherhadn\'tany，andhehadtopatchoutwithawhitecravat。
Youcouldn\'tseewhathehadoninthebacko\'thebox，anyway。\"
Mrs。MarchlookedatMissDryfoos，whowaswavingherfanmoreandmoreslowlyupanddown，andwho，whenshefeltherselflookedat，returnedMrs。March\'ssmile，whichshemeanttobeingratiatingandperhapssympathetic，withaflashthatmadeherstart，andthenranherfierceeyesoverMarch\'sface。\"Herecomesmother，\"shesaid，withasortofbreathlessness，asifspeakingherthoughtaloud，andthroughtheopendoortheMarchescouldseetheoldladyonthestairs。
Shepausedhalf-waydown，andturning，calledup:\"Coonrod!Coonrod!
Youbringmyshawldownwithyou。\"
HerdaughterMelacalledouttoher，\"Now，mother，Christine\'llgiveittoyoufornotsendingMike。\"
\"Well，Idon\'tknowwhereheis，Mely，child，\"themotheransweredback。
\"Heain\'tneveraroundwhenhe\'swanted，andwhenheain\'t，itseemslikeabodycouldn\'tgitshetofhim，nohow。\"
\"Well，yououghttoringforhim!\"criedMissMela，enjoyingthejoke。
Hermothercameinwithaslowstep；herheadshookslightlyasshelookedabouttheroom，perhapsfromnervousness，perhapsfromatouchofpalsy。IneithercasethefacthadapathoswhichMrs。Marchconfessedintheaffectionwithwhichshetookherhard，dry，large，oldhandwhenshewasintroducedtoher，andinthesinceritywhichsheputintothehopethatshewaswell。
\"I\'mjustmiddlin\'，\"Mrs。Dryfoosreplied。\"Iain\'tneversowell，nowadays。ItellfawtherIdon\'tbelieveitagreeswithmeverywellhere，buthesaysI\'llgitusedtoit。He\'sawaynow，outatMoffitt，\"
shesaidtoMarch，andwaveredonfootamomentbeforeshesankintoachair。Shewasatallwoman，whohadbeenabeautifulgirl，andhergrayhairhadamemoryofblondenessinitlikeLindau\'s，Marchnoticed。Sheworeasimplesilkgown，ofaQuakerlygray，andsheheldahandkerchieffoldedsquare，asithadcomefromthelaundress。SomethingliketheSabbathquietofalittlewoodenmeeting-houseinthickWesternwoodsexpresseditselftohimfromherpresence。
\"Laws，mother!\"saidMissMela；\"whatyougotthatoldthingonfor?IfI\'d\'a\'knownyou\'d\'a\'comedowninthat!\"
\"Coonrodsaiditwasallright，Mely，\"saidhermother。
MissMelaexplainedtotheMarches:\"MotherwasraisedamongtheDunkards，andshethinksit\'swickedtowearanythingbutagraysilkevenfordress-up。\"
\"Youhain\'tneverhearedo\'theDunkards，Ireckon，\"theoldwomansaidtoMrs。March。\"Somefolkscalls\'emtheBeardyMen，becausetheydon\'tnevershave；andtheywashfeetliketheydointheTestament。Myunclewasone。Heraisedme。\"
\"Iguessprettymucheverybody\'saBeardyMannowadays，ifheain\'taDunkard!\"
MissMelalookedroundforapplauseofhersally，butMarchwassayingtohiswife:\"It\'saPennsylvaniaGermansect，Ibelieve——somethingliketheQuakers。IusedtoseethemwhenIwasaboy。\"
\"Aren\'ttheysomethingliketheMennists?\"askedMrs。Mandel。
\"They\'regoodpeople，\"saidtheoldwoman，\"andtheworld\'dbeaheapbetteroffiftherewasmorelike\'em。\"
Hersoncameinandlaidasoftshawloverhershouldersbeforeheshookhandswiththevisitors。\"Iamgladyoufoundyourwayhere，\"hesaidtothem。
Christine，whohadbeenbendingforwardoverherfan，nowliftedherselfupwithasighandleanedbackinherchair。
\"I\'msorrymyfatherisn\'there，\"saidtheyoungmantoMrs。March。
\"He\'snevermetyouyet?\"
\"No；andIshouldliketoseehim。Wehearagreatdealaboutyourfather，youknow，fromMr。Fulkerson。\"
\"Oh，Ihopeyoudon\'tbelieveeverythingMr。Fulkersonsaysaboutpeople，\"Melacried。\"He\'sthegreatestpersonforcarryingonwhenhegetsgoingIeversaw。ItmakesChristinejustasmadwhenhimandmothergetstotalkingaboutreligion；shesayssheknowshedon\'tcareanythingmoreaboutitthanthemaninthemoon。Ireckonhedon\'ttryitonmuchwithfather。\"
\"Yourfawtherain\'teverbeenaperfessor，\"hermotherinterposed；\"buthe\'salwaysbeenagoodchurch-goin\'man。\"
\"NotsincewecometoNewYork，\"retortedthegirl。
\"He\'sbeenallbrokeupsincehecometoNewYork，\"saidtheoldwoman，withanaggrievedlook。