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。