TheFrenchwordimpliedalongeveningofgeneraltalkamongtheguests,crownedwithalittlechickenatsupper,endingatcock-crow。Herewastea,withmilkorwithlemon-bathsofitandclaret-cupforthehardierspiritsthroughouttheevening。Itwasverynice,verypleasant,butitwasnotthelittlechicken——notthesalon。Infact,heaffirmed,thesalondescendedfromabove,outofthegreatworld,andincludedtheaestheticworldinit。Butourgreatworld——therichpeople,werestupid,withnowishtobeotherwise;theywerenotevencuriousaboutauthorsandartists。Beatonfanciedhimselfspeakingimpartially,andsoheallowedhimselftospeakbitterly;hesaidthatinnoothercityintheworld,exceptVienna,perhaps,weresuchpeoplesolittleapartofsociety。
\"Itisn\'taltogethertherichpeople\'sfault,\"saidMargaret;andshespokeimpartially,too。\"Idon\'tbelievethattheliterarymenandtheartistswouldlikeasalonthatdescendedtothem。MadameGeoffrin,youknow,wasveryplebeian;herhusbandwasabusinessmanofsomesort。\"
\"HewouldhavebeenahowlingswellinNewYork,\"saidBeaton,stillimpartially。
Wetmorecameuptotheircorner,withascrollofbreadandbutterinonehandandacupofteaintheother。Largeandfat,andclean-shaven,helookedlikeamonkineveningdress。
\"Weweretalkingaboutsalons,\"saidMargaret。
\"Whydon\'tyouopenasalonyourself?\"askedWetmore,breathingthicklyfromtheanxietyofgettingthroughthecrowdwithoutspillinghistea。
\"LikepoorLadyBarberinaLemon?\"saidthegirl,withalaugh。\"Whatagoodstory!Thatideaofawomanwhocouldn\'tbeinterestedinanyoftheartsbecauseshewassociallyandtraditionallythematerialofthem!
Wecan,neverreachthatheightofnonchalanceinthiscountry。\"
\"Notifwetriedseriously?\"suggestedthepainter。\"I\'veanideathatiftheAmericansevergavetheirmindstothatsortofthing,theycouldtakethepalm——orthecake,asBeatonherewouldsay——justastheydoineverythingelse。Whenwedohaveanaristocracy,itwillbeanaristocracythatwillgoaheadofanythingtheworldhaseverseen。
Whydon\'tsomebodymakeabeginning,andgoinopenlyforanancestry,andalowermiddleclass,andanhereditarylegislature,andalltherest?We\'vegotliveries,andcrests,andpalaces,andcastefeeling。
We\'reallrightasfaraswe\'vegone,andwe\'vegotthemoneytogoanylength。\"
\"Likeyournatural-gasman,Mr。Beaton,\"saidthegirl,withasmilingglanceroundathim。
\"Ah!\"saidWetmore,stirringhistea,\"hasBeatongotanatural-gasman?\"
\"Mynatural-gasman,\"saidBeaton,ignoringWetmore\'squestion,\"doesn\'tknowhowtoliveinhispalaceyet,andIdoubtifhehasanycastefeeling。Ifancyhisfamilybelievethemselvesvictimsofit。Theysay——oneoftheyoungladiesdoes——thatsheneversawsuchanunsociableplaceasNewYork;nobodycalls。\"
\"That\'sgood!\"saidWetmore。\"Isupposethey\'reallreadyforcompany,too:goodcook,furniture,servants,carriages?\"
\"Galore,\"saidBeaton。
\"Well,that\'stoobad。There\'sachanceforyou,MissVance。Doesn\'tyourphilanthropyembracethesociallydestituteaswellasthefinancially?Justthinkofafamilylikethat,withoutafriend,inagreatcity!Ishouldthinkcommoncharityhadadutythere——nottomentiontheuncommon。\"
HedistinguishedthatkindasMargaret\'sbyaglanceofironicaldeference。Shehadareputeforgoodworkswhichwasoutofproportiontotheworks,asitalwaysis,butshewasreallyactiveinthatway,underthevagueobligation,whichwenowallfeel,tobehelpful。ShewasofthechurchwhichseemstohavefoundareversiontotheimposingritualofthepastthewaybacktotheearlyidealsofChristianbrotherhood。
\"Oh,theyseemtohaveMr。Beaton,\"Margaretanswered,andBeatonfeltobscurelyflatteredbyherreferencetohispatronageoftheDryfooses。
HeexplainedtoWetmore:\"Theyhavemebecausetheypartlyownme。
DryfoosisFulkerson\'sfinancialbackerin\'EveryOtherWeek\'。\"
\"Isthatso?Well,that\'sinteresting,too。Aren\'tyouratherastonished,MissVance,toseewhatapettythingBeatonismakingofthatmagazineofhis?\"
\"Oh,\"saidMargaret,\"it\'ssoverynice,everyway;itmakesyoufeelasifyoudidhaveacountry,afterall。It\'saschic——thatdetestablelittleword!——asthosenewFrenchbooks。\"
\"Beatonmodelleditonthem。Butyoumustn\'tsupposehedoeseverythingabout\'EveryOtherWeek\';he\'dlikeyouto。Beaton,youhaven\'tcomeuptothatcoverofyourfirstnumber,since。Thatwasthedesignofoneofmypupils,MissVance——alittlegirlthatBeatondiscovereddowninNewHampshirelastsummer。\"
\"Ohyes。Andhaveyougreathopesofher,Mr。Wetmore?\"
\"SheseemstohavemoreloveofitandknackforitthananyoneofhersexI\'veseenyet。Itreallylookslikeacaseofartforart\'ssake,attimes。Butyoucan\'ttell。They\'reliabletogetmarriedatanymoment,youknow。Lookhere,Beaton,whenyournatural-gasmangetstothepicture-buyingstageinhisdevelopment,justrememberyouroldfriends,willyou?Youknow,MissVance,thosenewfellowshavetheirregularstages。Theyneverknowwhattodowiththeirmoney,buttheyfindoutthatpeoplebuypictures,atonepoint。Theyshutyourthingsupintheirhouseswherenobodycomes,andafterawhiletheyovereatthemselves——theydon\'tknowwhat,elsetodo——anddieofapoplexy,andleaveyourpicturestoagallery,andthentheyseethelight。It\'sslow,butit\'sprettysure。Well,IseeBeatonisn\'tgoingtomoveon,asheoughttodo;andsoImust。Healwayswasanunconventionalcreature。\"
Wetmorewentaway,butBeatonremained,andheoutstayedseveralotherpeoplewhocameuptospeaktoMissVance。Shewasinterestedineverybody,andshelikedthetalkofthesecleverliterary,artistic,clerical,eventheatricalpeople,andshelikedthesortofcourtwithwhichtheyrecognizedherfashionaswellashercleverness;itwasverypleasanttobetreatedintellectuallyasifshewereoneofthemselves,andsociallyasifshewasnothabituallythesame,butasortofguestinBohemia,adistinguishedstranger。IfitwasArcadiaratherthanBohemia,stillshefeltherqualityofdistinguishedstranger。Theflatteryofittouchedherfancy,andnothervanity;shehadverylittlevanity。Beaton\'sdevotionmadethesamesortofappeal;itwasnotsomuchthatshelikedhimasshelikedbeingtheobjectofhisadmiration。
Shewasagirlofgenuinesympathies,intellectualratherthansentimental。Infact,shewasanintellectualperson,whomqualitiesoftheheartsavedfrombeingdisagreeable,astheysavedherontheotherhandfrombeingworldlyorcruelinherfashionableness。Shehadreadagreatmanybooks,andhadideasaboutthem,quitecourageousandoriginalideas;sheknewaboutpictures——shehadbeeninWetmore\'sclass;shewasfondofmusic;shewaswillingtounderstandevenpolitics;inBostonshemighthavebeenagnostic,butinNewYorkshewassincerelyreligious;
shewasveryaccomplished;andperhapsitwashergoodnessthatpreventedherfeelingwhatwasnotbestinBeaton。
\"Doyouthink,\"shesaid,aftertheretreatofoneofthecomersandgoersleftheralonewithhimagain,\"thatthoseyoungladieswouldlikemetocallonthem?\"
\"Thoseyoungladies?\"Beatonechoed。\"MissLeightonand——\"
\"No;Ihavebeentherewithmyaunt\'scardsalready。\"
\"Ohyes,\"saidBeaton,asifhehadknownofit;headmiredthepluckandpridewithwhichAlmahadrefrainedfromevermentioningthefacttohim,andhadkepthermotherfrommentioningit,whichmusthavebeendifficult。
\"ImeantheMissDryfooses。Itseemsreallybarbarous,ifnobodygoesnearthem。Wedoallkindsofthings,andhelpallkindsofpeopleinsomeways,butweletstrangersremainstrangersunlesstheyknowhowtomaketheirwayamongus。\"
\"TheDryfoosescertainlywouldn\'tknowhowtomaketheirwayamongyou,\"
saidBeaton,withasortofdreamyabsenceinhistone。
MissVancewenton,speakingouttheprocessofreasoninginhermind,ratherthananyconclusionsshehadreached。\"Wedefendourselvesbytryingtobelievethattheymusthavefriendsoftheirown,orthattheywouldthinkuspatronizing,andwouldn\'tlikebeingmadetheobjectsofsocialcharity;buttheyneedn\'treallysupposeanythingofthekind。\"
\"Idon\'timaginetheywould,\"saidBeaton。\"Ithinkthey\'dbeonlytoohappytohaveyoucome。Butyouwouldn\'tknowwhattodowitheachother,indeed,MissVance。\"
\"Perhapsweshalllikeeachother,\"saidthegirl,bravely,\"andthenweshallknow。WhatChurcharetheyof?\"
\"Idon\'tbelievethey\'reofany,\"saidBeaton。\"ThemotherwasbroughtupaDunkard。\"
\"ADunkard?\"
Beatontoldwhatheknewoftheprimitivesect,withitsearlyChristianpolity,itsliteralinterpretationofChrist\'sethics,anditsquaintceremonialoffoot-washing;hemadesomethingpicturesqueofthat。
\"ThefatherisaMammon-worshipper,pureandsimple。Isupposetheyoungladiesgotochurch,butIdon\'tknowwhere。Theyhaven\'ttriedtoconvertme。\"
\"I\'lltellthemnottodespair——afterI\'veconvertedthem,\"saidMissVance。\"Willyouletmeuseyouasa\'pointd\'appui\',Mr。Beaton?\"
\"Anywayyoulike。Ifyou\'rereallygoingtoseethem,perhapsI\'dbettermakeaconfession。Ileftyourbanjowiththem,afterIgotitputinorder。\"
\"Howverynice!Thenwehaveacommoninterestalready。\"
\"Doyoumeanthebanjo,or——\"
\"Thebanjo,decidedly。Whichofthemplays?\"
\"Neither。Buttheeldestheardthatthebanjowas\'alltherage,\'astheyoungestsays。Perhapsyoucanpersuadethemthatgoodworksaretherage,too。\"
BeatonhadnoverylivelybeliefthatMargaretwouldgotoseetheDryfooses;hedidsofewofthethingsheproposedthathewentuponthetheorythatothersmustbeasfaithless。Still,hehadacruelamusementinfiguringthepossibleencounterbetweenMargaretVance,withherintellectualelegance,hereagersympathiesandgenerousideals,andthosegirlswiththeirrudepast,theirfalseanddistortedperspective,theirsordidandhungryselfishness,andtheirfaithintheomnipotenceoftheirfather\'swealthwoundedbytheirexperienceofitspresentsocialimpotence。Atthebottomofhishearthesympathizedwiththemratherthanwithher;hewasmorelikethem。
Peoplehadceasedcoming,andsomeofthemweregoing。MissVancesaidshemustgo,too,andshewasabouttorise,whenthehostcameupwithMarch;Beatonturnedaway。
\"MissVance,IwanttointroduceMr。March,theeditorof\'EveryOtherWeek。\'Yououghtn\'ttoberestrictedtotheartdepartment。Weliteraryfellowsthinkthatarmoftheservicegetstoomuchoftheglorynowadays。\"HisbanterwasforBeaton,buthewasalreadybeyondear-
shot,andthehostwenton:
Mr。MarchcantalkwithyouaboutyourfavoriteBoston。He\'sjustturnedhisbackonit。\"
\"Oh,Ihopenot!\"saidMissVance。\"Ican\'timagineanybodyvoluntarilyleavingBoston。\"
\"Idon\'tsayhe\'ssobadasthat,\"saidthehost,committingMarchtoher。\"HecametoNewYorkbecausehecouldn\'thelpit——liketherestofus。Ineverknowwhetherthat\'sacomplimenttoNewYorkornot。\"
TheytalkedBostonalittlewhile,withoutfindingthattheyhadcommonacquaintancethere;MissVancemusthaveconcludedthatsocietywasmuchlargerinBostonthanshehadsupposedfromhervisitsthere,orelsethatMarchdidnotknowmanypeopleinit。Butshewasnotagirltocaremuchfortheinferencesthatmightbedrawnfromsuchconclusions;
sheratherpridedherselfupondespisingthem;andshegaveherselftothepleasureofbeingtalkedtoasifshewereofMarch\'sownage。
Intheglowofhersympatheticbeautyandelegancehetalkedhisbest,andtriedtoamuseherwithhisjokes,whichhehadtheartoftingeingwithalittleseriousnessononeside。Hemadeherlaugh;andheflatteredherbymakingherthink;inherturnshecharmedhimsomuchbyenjoyingwhathesaidthathebegantobragofhiswife,asagoodhusbandalwaysdoeswhenanotherwomancharmshim;andsheasked,OhwasMrs。Marchthere;andwouldheintroduceher?
SheaskedMrs。Marchforheraddress,andwhethershehadaday;andshesaidshewouldcometoseeher,ifshewouldlether。Mrs。MarchcouldnotbesoenthusiasticaboutherasMarchwas,butastheywalkedhometogethertheytalkedthegirlover,andagreedaboutherbeautyandheramiability。Mrs。Marchsaidsheseemedveryunspoiledforapersonwhomusthavebeensomuchspoiled。Theytriedtoanalyzehercharm,andtheysucceededinformulatingitasacombinationofintellectualfashionablenessandworldlyinnocence。\"Ithink,\"saidMrs。March,\"thatcitygirls,broughtupasshemusthavebeen,areoftenthemostinnocentofall。Theyneverimaginethewickednessoftheworld,andiftheymarryhappilytheygothroughlifeasinnocentaschildren。
Everythingcombinestokeepthemso;theveryhollownessofsocietyshieldsthem。Theyaretheloveliestofthehumanrace。Butperhapstheresthavetopaytoomuchforthem。\"
\"ForsuchanexquisitecreatureasMissVance,\"saidMarch,\"wecouldn\'tpaytoomuch。\"
Awildlaughingcrysuddenlybrokeupontheairatthestreet-crossinginfrontofthem。Agirl\'svoicecalledout:\"Run,run,Jen!Thecopperisafteryou。\"Awoman\'sfigurerushedstumblingacrossthewayandintotheshadowofthehouses,pursuedbyaburlypoliceman。
\"Ah,butifthat\'spartoftheprice?\"
Theywentalongfallenfromthegayspiritoftheirtalkintoasilencewhichhebrokewithasigh。\"Canthatpoorwretchandtheradiantgirlweleftyonderreallybelongtothesamesystemofthings?Howimpossibleeachmakestheotherseem!\"
VI。
Mrs。Hornbelievedintheworldandinsocietyanditsunwrittenconstitutiondevoutly,andshetoleratedherniece\'sbenevolentactivitiesasshetoleratedheraestheticsympathiesbecausethesethings,howeveroddly,weretolerated——evenencouraged——bysociety;
andtheygaveMargaretacharm。Theymadeheroriginalityinteresting。
Mrs。Horndidnotintendthattheyshouldevergosofarastomakehertroublesome;anditwaswithasenseofthisabeyantauthorityofheraunt\'sthatthegirlaskedherapprovalofherproposedcallupontheDryfooses。Sheexplainedaswellasshecouldthesocialdestitutionoftheseopulentpeople,andshehadofcoursetonameBeatonasthesourceofherknowledgeconcerningthem。
\"DidMr。Beatonsuggestyourcallingonthem?\"
\"No;heratherdiscouragedit。\"
\"Andwhydoyouthinkyououghttogointhisparticularinstance?NewYorkisfullofpeoplewhodon\'tknowanybody。\"
Margaretlaughed。\"Isupposeit\'slikeanyothercharity:youreachthecasesyouknowof。Theothersyousayyoucan\'thelp,andyoutrytoignorethem。\"
\"It\'sveryromantic,\"saidMrs。Horn。\"Ihopeyou\'vecountedthecost;
allthepossibleconsequences。\"
MargaretknewthatheraunthadinmindtheircommonexperiencewiththeLeightons,whom,togivetheircommonconsciencepeace,shehadcalleduponwithheraunt\'scardsandexcuses,andaninvitationforherThursdays,somewhattoolatetomakethevisitseemawelcometoNewYork。Shewassocoldlyreceived,notsomuchforherselfasinherqualityofenvoy,thatherauntexperiencedallthecomfortwhichvicariouspenancebrings。Shedidnotperhapsconsidersufficientlyherniece\'sguiltlessnessintheexpiation。MargaretwasnotwithheratSt。Barnabyinthefatalfortnightshepassedthere,andneversawtheLeightonstillshewenttocalluponthem。Shenevercomplained:thestrainofasceticism,whichmysteriouslyexistsinusall,andmakesusputpeas,boiledorunboiled,inourshoes,gaveherpatiencewiththesnubwhichtheLeightonspresentedherforheraunt。Butnowshesaid,withthisinmind:\"Nothingseemssimplerthantogetridofpeopleifyoudon\'twantthem。Youmerelyhavetoletthemalone。\"
\"Itisn\'tsopleasant,lettingthemalone,\"saidMrs。Horn。
\"Orhavingthemletyoualone,\"saidMargaret;forneitherMrs。LeightonnorAlmahadevercometoenjoythebelatedhospitalityofMrs。Horn\'sThursdays。
\"Yes,orhavingthemletyoualone,\"Mrs。Horncourageouslyconsented。
\"AndallthatIaskyou,Margaret,istobesurethatyoureallywanttoknowthesepeople。\"
\"Idon\'t,\"saidthegirl,seriously,\"intheusualway。\"
\"Thenthequestioniswhetheryoudointheunusualway。Theywillbuildagreatdealuponyou,\"saidMrs。Horn,realizinghowmuchtheLeightonsmusthavebuiltuponher,andhowmuchoutofproportiontoherdeserttheymustnowdislikeher;forsheseemedtohavehadthemonhermindfromthetimetheycame,andhadalwaysmeanttorecognizeanyreasonableclaimtheyhaduponher。
\"Itseemsveryodd,verysad,\"Margaretreturned,\"thatyounevercouldactunselfishlyinsocietyaffairs。IfIwishedtogoandseethosegirlsjusttodothemapleasure,andperhapsbecauseifthey\'restrangeandlonely,Imightdothemgood,even——itwouldbeimpossible。\"
\"Quite,\"saidheraunt。\"Suchathingwouldbequixotic。Societydoesn\'trestuponanysuchbasis。Itcan\'t;itwouldgotopieces,ifpeopleactedfromunselfishmotives。\"
\"Thenit\'sapaintedsavage!\"saidthegirl。\"Allitsfavorsarereallybargains。It\'sgiftsareforgiftsbackagain。\"
\"Yes,thatistrue,\"saidMrs。Horn,withnomoresenseofwronginthefactthanthepoliticaleconomisthasinthefactthatwagesarethemeasureofnecessityandnotofmerit。\"Yougetwhatyoupayfor。It\'samatterofbusiness。\"Shesatisfiedherselfwiththisformula,whichshedidnotinvent,asfullyasifitwereareason;butshedidnotdislikeherniece\'srevoltagainstit。ThatwaspartofMargaret\'soriginality,whichpleasedherauntinproportiontoherownconventionality;shewasreallyatimidperson,andshelikedtheshowofcouragewhichMargaret\'smagnanimityoftenreflecteduponher。Shehadthroughherarepute,withpeoplewhodidnotknowherwell,forintellectualandmoralqualities;shewassupposedtobeliteraryandcharitable;shealmosthadopinionsandideals,butreallyfellshortoftheirpossession。Shethoughtthatshesetboundstothegirl\'soriginalitybecausesherecognizedthem。Margaretunderstoodthisbetterthanheraunt,andknewthatshehadconsultedheraboutgoingtoseetheDryfoosesoutofdeference,andwithnoexpectationofluminousinstruction。Shewasusedtobeingalawtoherself,butsheknewwhatshemightandmightnotdo,sothatshewasratheraby-law。Shewasthekindofgirlthatmighthavefanciesforartistsandpoets,butmightendbymarryingaprosperousbroker,andleaveningavastlumpofmoneyedandfashionablelifewithherculture,generosity,andgood-will。Theintellectualinterestswerefirstwithher,butshemightbeequaltosacrificingthem;shehadthebestheart,butshemightknowhowtohardenit;ifshewaseccentric,hersocialorbitwasdefined;cometsthemselvestraversespaceonfixedlines。Shewaslikeeveryoneelse,acongeriesofcontradictionsandinconsistencies,butobedienttothegeneralexpectationofwhatagirlofherpositionmustandmustnotfinallybe。Provisionally,shewasverymuchwhatshelikedtobe。
VII
MargaretVancetriedtogiveherselfsomereasonforgoingtocallupontheDryfooses,butshecouldfindnonebetterthanthewishtodoakindthing。Thisseemedqueererandlessandlesssufficientassheexaminedit,andsheevenadmittedalittlecuriosityasaharmlesselementinhermotive,withoutbeingverywellsatisfiedwithit。Shetriedtoaddaslightsenseofsocialduty,andthenshedecidedtohavenomotiveatall,butsimplytopayhervisitasshewouldtoanyothereligiblestrangersshesawfittocallupon。Sheperceivedthatshemustbeverycarefulnottoletthemseethatanyotherimpulsehadgovernedher;shedetermined,ifpossible,toletthempatronizeher;tobeverymodestandsincereanddiffident,and,aboveall,nottoplayapart。Thiswaseasy,comparedwiththechoiceofamannerthatshouldconveytothemthefactthatshewasnotplayingapart。WhenthehesitatingIrishserving-
manhadacknowledgedthattheladieswereathome,andhadtakenhercardtothem,shesatwaitingfortheminthedrawing-room。Herstudyofitsappointments,withtheirimpersonalcostliness,gavehernosuggestionhowtoproceed;thetwosisterswereuponherbeforeshehadreallydecided,andsherosetomeetthemwiththeconvictionthatshewasgoingtoplayapartforwantofsomechosenmeansofnotdoingso。Shefoundherself,beforesheknewit,makingherbanjoapropertyinthelittlecomedy,andprofessingsomuchpleasureinthefactthatMissDryfooswastakingitup;shehadherselfbeensomuchinterestedbyit。Anything,shesaid,wasarelieffromthepiano;andthen,betweentheguitarandthebanjo,onemustreallychoosethebanjo,unlessonewantedtodevoteone\'swholenaturallifetotheviolin。Ofcourse,therewasthemandolin;butMargaretaskediftheydidnotfeelthatthebitofshellyoustruckitwithinterposedadistancebetweenyouandtherealsouloftheinstrument;andthenitdidhavesuchafaint,mosquitoylittletone!
Shemademuchofthequestion,whichtheylefthertodebatealonewhiletheygazedsolemnlyathertillshecharacterizedthetoneofthemandolin,whenMelabrokeintoalarge,coarselaugh。
\"Well,that\'sjustwhatitdoessoundlike,\"sheexplaineddefiantlytohersister。\"Ialwaysfeellikeitwasgoingtosettlesomewhere,andI
wanttohitmyselfaslapbeforeitbeginstobite。Idon\'tseewhateverbroughtsuchathingintofashion。\"
Margarethadnotexpectedtobesopowerfullyseconded,andsheasked,aftergatheringherselftogether,\"Andyouarebothlearningthebanjo?\"
\"My,no!\"saidMela,\"I\'vegonethroughenoughwiththepiano。Christineislearnun\'it。\"
\"I\'msogladyouaremakingmybanjousefulattheoutset,MissDryfoos。\"
Bothgirlsstaredather,butfoundithardtocopewiththefactthatthiswastheladyfriendwhosebanjoBeatonhadlentthem。\"Mr。Beatonmentionedthathehadleftithere。Ihopeyou\'llkeepitaslongasyoufindituseful。\"
AtthisamiablespeechevenChristinecouldnothelpthankingher。
\"Ofcourse,\"shesaid,\"Iexpecttogetanother,rightoff。Mr。Beatonisgoingtochooseitforme。\"
\"Youareveryfortunate。Ifyouhaven\'tateacheryetIshouldsoliketorecommendmine。\"
Melabrokeoutinherlaughagain。\"Oh,IguessChristine\'sprettywellsuitedwiththeoneshe\'sgot,\"shesaid,withinsinuation。Hersistergaveherafrowningglance,andMargaretdidnottempthertoexplain。
\"Thenthat\'smuchbetter,\"shesaid。\"Ihaveakindofsuperstitioninsuchmatters;Idon\'tliketomakeasecondchoice。InashopIliketotakethefirstthingofthekindI\'mlookingfor,andevenifIchoosefurtherIcomebacktotheoriginal。\"
\"Howfunny!\"saidMela。\"Well,now,I\'mjusttheotherway。Ialwaystakethelastthing,afterI\'vepickedoveralltherest。Myluckalwaysseemstobeatthebottomoftheheap。Now,Christine,she\'smorelikeyou。Ibelieveshecouldwalkrightupblindfoldedandputherhandonthethingshewantseverytime。\"
\"I\'mlikefather,\"saidChristine,softenedalittlebythecelebrationofherpeculiarity。\"Hesaysthereasonsomanypeopledon\'tgetwhattheywantisthattheydon\'twantitbadenough。Now,whenIwantathing,itseemstomethatIwantitallthrough。\"
\"Well,that\'sjustlikefather,too,\"saidMela。\"That\'sthewayhedonewhenhegotthateighty-acrepiecenexttoMoffittthathekeptwhenhesoldthefarm,andthat\'sgotsomeofthebestgas-wellsonitnowthatthereisanywhere。\"Sheaddressedtheexplanationtohersister,totheexclusionofMargaret,who,nevertheless,listenedwithasmilingfaceandaresolutelypoliteairofbeingapartytotheconversation。Melarewardedheramiabilitybysayingtoher,finally,\"You\'veneverbeeninthenatural-gascountry,haveyou?\"
\"Ohno!AndIshouldsomuchliketoseeit!\"saidMargaret,withafervorthatwaspartly,voluntary。
\"Wouldyou?Well,we\'rekindofsickofit,butIsupposeitwouldstrikeastranger。\"
\"Inevergottiredoflookingatthebigwellswhentheylitthemup,\"
saidChristine。\"Itseemsasiftheworldwasonfire。\"
\"Yes,andwhenyouseethesurface-gasburnun\'downinthewoods,likeitusedtobyourspring-house-sostill,andneverspreadun\'any,justlikeabedofsomekindofwildflowerswhenyouketchsightofitapieceoff。\"
Theybegantotellofthewondersoftheirstrangelandinanantiphonyofreminiscencesanddescriptions;theyunconsciouslyimputedamerittothemselvesfromthenumberandviolenceofthewellsontheirfather\'sproperty;theybraggedofthehighcivilizationofMoffitt,whichtheycomparedtoitsadvantagewiththatofNewYork。TheybecameexcitedbyMargaret\'sinterestinnaturalgas,andforgottobesuspiciousandenvious。
Shesaid,assherose,\"Oh,howmuchIshouldliketoseeitall!\"Thenshemadealittlepause,andadded:
\"I\'msosorrymyaunt\'sThursdaysareover;sheneverhasthemafterLent,butwe\'retohavesomepeopleTuesdayeveningatalittleconcertwhichamusicalfriendisgoingtogivewithsomeotherartists。Therewon\'tbeanybanjos,I\'mafraid,butthere\'llbesomeverygoodsinging,andmyauntwouldbesogladifyoucouldcomewithyourmother。\"
Sheputdownheraunt\'scardonthetablenearher,whileMelagurgled,asifitwerethebestjoke:\"Oh,my!Mothernevergoesanywhere;youcouldn\'tgetheroutforloveormoney。\"ButshewasherselfoverwhelmedwithasimplejoyatMargaret\'spoliteness,andshoweditinasensuousway,likeachild,asifshehadbeentickled。ShecameclosertoMargaretandseemedabouttofawnphysicallyuponher。
\"Ain\'tshejustaslovelyasshecanlive?\"shedemandedofhersisterwhenMargaretwasgone。
\"Idon\'tknow,\"saidChristine。\"IguessshewantedtoknowwhoMr。Beatonhadbeenlendingherbanjoto。\"
\"Pshaw!Doyousupposeshe\'sinlovewithhim?\"askedMela,andthenshebrokeintoherhoarselaughatthelookhersistergaveher。\"Well,don\'teatme,Christine!Iwonderwhosheis,anyway?I\'mgoun\'togititoutofMr。Beatonthenexttimehecalls。Iguessshe\'ssomebody。
Mrs。Mandelcantell。Iwishthatoldfriendofherswouldhurryupandgitwell——orsomething。ButIguessweappearedaboutaswellasshedid。Icouldseeshewasafraidofyou,Christine。Ireckonit\'sgittun\'aroundalittleaboutfather;andwhenitdoesIdon\'tbelieveweshallwantforcallers。Say,areyougoun\'?Tothatconcertoftheirs?\"
\"Idon\'tknow。NottillIknowwhotheyarefirst。\"
\"Well,we\'vegottohumpourselvesifwe\'regoun\'tofindoutbeforeTuesday。\"
AsshewenthomeMargaretfeltwroughtinherthatmostincredibleofthemiracles,which,nevertheless,anyonemaymakehisexperience。Shefeltkindlytothesegirlsbecauseshehadtriedtomakethemhappy,andshehopedthatintheinterestshehadshowntherehadbeennoneofthepoisonofflattery。Shewasawarethatthiswasarisksheraninsuchanattempttodogood。IfshehadescapedthiseffectshewaswillingtoleavetherestwithProvidence。
VIII。
ThenotionthatagirlofMargaretVance\'straditionswouldnaturallyformofgirlslikeChristineandMelaDryfooswouldbethattheywereabashedinthepresenceofthenewconditionsoftheirlives,andthattheymustreceivetheadvanceshehadmadethemwithacertaingratefulhumility。Howevertheyreceivedit,shehadmadeituponprinciple,fromaromanticconceptionofduty;butthiswasthewaysheimaginedtheywouldreceiveit,becauseshethoughtthatshewouldhavedonesoifshehadbeenasignorantandunbredasthey。Hererrorwasinarguingtheirattitudefromherowntemperament,andendowingthem,forthepurposesofargument,withherperspective。Theyhadnotthemeans,intellectualormoral,offeelingasshefancied。Iftheyhadremainedathomeonthefarmwheretheywereborn,Christinewouldhavegrownupthatembodimentofimpassionedsuspicionwhichwefindoftenestinthenarrowestspheres,andMelawouldalwayshavebeenagood-naturedsimpleton;buttheywouldneverhavedoubtedtheirequalitywiththewisestandthefinest。Asitwas,theyhadnotlearnedenoughatschooltodoubtit,andthesplendoroftheirfather\'ssuccessinmakingmoneyhadblindedthemforevertoanypossibledifferenceagainstthem。TheyhadnoquestionofthemselvesinthesocialabeyancetowhichtheyhadbeenleftinNewYork。Theyhadbeensurprised,mystified;itwasnotwhattheyhadexpected;theremustbesomemistake。
Theywerethevictimsofanaccident,whichwouldberepairedassoonasthefactoftheirfather\'swealthhadgotaround。Theyhadbeensteadfastintheirfaith,throughalltheirdisappointment,thattheywerenotonlybetterthanmostpeoplebyvirtueofhismoney,butasgoodasany;andtheytookMargaret\'svisit,sofarasthey,investigateditsmotive,forasignthatatlastitwasbeginningtogetaround;ofcourse,athingcouldnotgetaroundinNewYorksoquickasitcouldinasmallplace。TheywereconfirmedintheirbeliefbythesensationofMrs。Mandelwhenshereturnedtodutythatafternoon,andtheyconsultedheraboutgoingtoMrs。Horn\'smusicale。IfshehadfeltanydoubtatthenamefortherewereHornsandHorns——theaddressonthecardputthematterbeyondquestion;andshetriedtomakeherchargesunderstandwhatapreciouschancehadbefallenthem。Shedidnotsucceed;theyhadnotthepremises,theexperience,forasufficientimpression;andsheundidherworkinpartbytheefforttoexplainthatMrs。Horn\'sstandingwasindependentofmoney;thatthoughshewaspositivelyrich,shewascomparativelypoor。ChristineinferredthatMissVancehadcalledbecauseshewishedtobethefirsttogetinwiththemsinceithadbeguntogetaround。ThisviewcommendeditselftoMela,too,butwithoutwarpingherfromheropinionthatMissVancewasallthesametoosweetforanything。Shehadnotsovividaconsciousnessofherfather\'smoneyasChristinehad;butshereposedperhapsallthemoreconfidentlyuponitspower。Shewasfarfromthinkingmeanlyofanyonewhothoughthighlyofherforit;thatseemedsonaturalaresultastobeamiable,evenadmirable;shewaswillingthatanysuchpersonshouldgetallthegoodtherewasinsuchanattitudetowardher。
Theydiscussedthematterthatnightatdinnerbeforetheirfatherandmother,whomostlysatsilentattheirmeals;thefatherfrowningabsentlyoverhisplate,withhisheadclosetoit,andmakingplayintohismouthwiththebackofhisknifehehadgotsofartowardtheuseofhisforkastodespisethosewhostillatefromtheedgeoftheirknives,andthemotherpartlymissinghersattimesinthenervoustremorthatshookherfacefromsidetoside。
AfterawhilethesubjectofMela\'shoarsebabbleandofChristine\'shigh-pitched,thin,sharpforaysofassertionanddenialinthefieldwhichhersister\'svoiceseemedtocover,madeitswayintotheoldman\'sconsciousness,andheperceivedthattheyweretalkingwithMrs。Mandelaboutit,andthathiswifewasfromtimetotimeofferinganirrelevantandmistakencomment。HeagreedwithChristine,andsilentlytookherviewoftheaffairsometimebeforehemadeanysignofhavinglistened。
Therehadbeenatimeinhislifewhenotherthingsbesideshismoneyseemedadmirabletohim。Hehadoncerespectedhimselfforthehard-
headed,practicalcommonsensewhichfirstgavehimstandingamonghiscountryneighbors;whichmadehimsupervisor,schooltrustee,justiceofthepeace,countycommissioner,secretaryoftheMoffittCountyAgriculturalSociety。Inthosedayshehadservedthepublicwithdisinterestedzealandproudability;heusedtowritetotheLakeShoreFarmeronagriculturaltopics;hetookpartinopposing,throughtheMoffittpapers,thelegislativewasteofthepeople\'smoney;onthequestionofsellingalocalcanaltotherailroadcompany,whichkilledthatfineoldStatework,andletthedryditchgrowuptograss,hemighthavegonetotheLegislature,buthecontentedhimselfwithdefeatingtheMoffittmemberwhohadvotedforthejob。Ifheopposedsomemeasuresforthegeneralgood,likehighschoolsandschoollibraries,itwasbecausehelackedperspective,inhisintenseindividualism,andsuspectedallexpenseofbeingspendthrift。Hebelievedingooddistrictschools,andhehadafondness,crudebutgenuine,forsomekindsofreading——history,andforensicsofanelementarysort。
Withhisgoodheadforfigureshedoubteddoctorsanddespisedpreachers;
hethoughtlawyerswereallrascals,butherespectedthemfortheirability;hewasnothimselflitigious,butheenjoyedtheintellectualencountersofadifficultlawsuit,andheoftenattendedasittingofthefalltermofcourt,whenhewenttotown,forthepleasureofhearingthespeeches。Hewasagoodcitizen,andagoodhusband。Asagoodfather,hewasratherseverewithhischildren,andusedtowhipthem,especiallythegentleConrad,whosomehowcrossedhimmost,tillthetwinsdied。
Afterthatheneverstruckanyofthem;andfromthesightofablowdealtahorseheturnedasifsick。Itwasalongtimebeforeheliftedhimselfupfromhissorrow,andthenthewillofthemanseemedtohavebeenbreachedthroughhisaffections。Heletthegirlsdoastheypleased——thetwinshadbeengirls;heletthemgoawaytoschool,andgotthemapiano。Itwastheywhomadehimsellthefarm。IfConradhadonlyhadtheirspirithecouldhavemadehimkeepit,hefelt;andheresentedthewantofsupporthemighthavefoundinalessyieldingspiritthanhisson\'s。
Hismoraldecaybeganwithhisperceptionoftheopportunityofmakingmoneyquicklyandabundantly,whichoffereditselftohimafterhesoldhisfarm。Heawoketoitslowly,fromadesolationinwhichhetastedthelastbitterofhomesickness,theuttermiseryofidlenessandlistlessness。Whenhebrokedownandcriedforthehard-working,wholesomelifehehadlost,hewasneartheendofthisseasonofdespair,buthewasalsoneartheendofwhatwasbestinhimself。
Hedevolveduponameaneridealthanthatofconservativegoodcitizenship,whichhadbeenhischiefmoralexperience:themoneyhehadalreadymadewithouteffortandwithoutmeritbreditsunholyself-loveinhim;hebegantohonormoney,especiallymoneythathadbeenwonsuddenlyandinlargesums;formoneythathadbeenearnedpainfully,slowly,andinlittleamounts,hehadonlypityandcontempt。Thepoisonofthatambitiontogosomewhereandbesomebodywhichthelocalspeculatorshadinstilledintohimbegantoworkinthevanitywhichhadsucceededhissomewhatscornfulself-respect;herejectedEuropeastheproperfieldforhisexpansion;herejectedWashington;hepreferredNewYork,whitherthemenwhohavemademoneyanddonotyetknowthatmoneyhasmadethem,allinstinctivelyturn。Hecamewherehecouldwatchhismoneybreedmoremoney,andbringgreaterincreaseofitskindinanhourofluckthanthetoilofhundredsofmencouldearninayear。Hecalleditspeculation,stocks,theStreet;andhispride,hisfaithinhimself,mountedwithhisluck。Heexpected,whenhehadsatedhisgreed,tobegintospend,andhehadformulatedanintentiontobuildagreathouse,toaddanothertothepalacesofthecountry-bredmillionaireswhohavecometoadornthegreatcity。Inthemeantimehemadelittleaccountofthethingsthatoccupiedhischildren,excepttofretattheungratefulindifferenceofhissontotheintereststhatcouldalonemakeamanofhim。Hedidnotknowwhetherhisdaughterswereinsocietyornot;withpeoplecomingandgoinginthehousehewouldhavesupposedtheymustbeso,nomatterwhothepeoplewere;insomevaguewayhefeltthathehadhiredsocietyinMrs。Mandel,atsomuchayear。Henevermetasuperiorhimselfexceptnowandthenamanoftwentyorthirtymillionstohisoneortwo,andthenhefelthissoulcreepwithinhim,withoutasenseofsocialinferiority;itwasaquestionoffinancialinferiority;andthoughDryfoos\'ssoulboweditselfandcrawled,itwaswithagambler\'sadmirationofwonderfulluck。Othermensaidthesemany-millionedmillionairesweresmart,andgottheirmoneybysharppracticestowhichlessermencouldnotattain;butDryfoosbelievedthathecouldcompassthesameends,bythesamemeans,withthesamechances;
herespectedtheirmoney,notthem。
WhenhenowheardMrs。Mandelandhisdaughterstalkingofthatperson,whoevershewas,thatMrs。Mandelseemedtothinkhadhonoredhisgirlsbycomingtoseethem,hiscuriositywasprickedasmuchashispridewasgalled。
\"Well,anyway,\"saidMela,\"Idon\'tcarewhetherChristine\'sgoon\'ornot;Iam。Andyougottogowithme,Mrs。Mandel。\"
\"Well,there\'salittledifficulty,\"saidMrs。Mandel,withherunfailingdignityandpoliteness。\"Ihaven\'tbeenasked,youknow。\"
\"Thenwhatarewegoun\'todo?\"demandedMela,almostcrossly。Shewasphysicallytooamiable,shefelttoowellcorporeally,evertobequitecross。\"Shemight\'a\'knowed——wellknown——wecouldn\'t\'a\'comealone,inNewYork。Idon\'tseewhy,wecouldn\'t。Idon\'tcallitmuchofaninvitation。\"
\"Isupposeshethoughtyoucouldcomewithyourmother,\"Mrs。Mandelsuggested。
\"Shedidn\'tsayanythingaboutmother:Didshe,Christine?Or,yes,shedid,too。AndItoldhershecouldn\'tgitmotherout。Don\'tyouremember?\"
\"Ididn\'tpaymuchattention,\"saidChristine。\"Iwasn\'tcertainwewantedtogo。\"
\"Ireckonyouwasn\'tgoun\'toletherseethatwecaredmuch,\"saidMela,halfreproachful,halfproudofthisattitudeofChristine。\"Well,Idon\'tseebutwhatwegottostayathome。\"Shelaughedatthislameconclusionofthematter。
\"PerhapsMr。Conrad——youcouldveryproperlytakehimwithoutanexpressinvitation——\"Mrs。Mandelbegan。
Conradlookedupinalarmandprotest。\"I——Idon\'tthinkIcouldgothatevening——\"
\"What\'sthereason?\"hisfatherbrokein,harshly。\"You\'renotsuchasheepthatyou\'reafraidtogointocompanywithyoursisters?Orareyoutoogoodtogowiththem?\"
\"Ifit\'stobeanythinglikethatnightwhenthemhussiescomeoutanddancedthatway,\"saidMrs。Dryfoos,\"Idon\'tblameCoonrodfornotwantun\'togo。Ineversawthebeatofit。\"
Melasentayellinglaughacrossthetabletohermother。\"Well,IwishMissVancecould\'a\'heardthat!Why,mother,didyouthinkitliketheballet?\"
\"Well,Ididn\'tknow,Mely,child,\"saidtheoldwoman。\"Ididn\'tknowwhatitwaslike。Ihain\'tneverbeentoone,andyoucan\'tbetookeerfulwhereyougo,inaplacelikeNewYork。\"
\"What\'sthereasonyoucan\'tgo?\"Dryfoosignoredthepassagebetweenhiswifeanddaughterinmakingthisdemandofhisson,withasourface。
\"Ihaveanengagementthatnight——it\'soneofourmeetings。\"
\"Ireckonyoucanletyourmeetinggoforonenight,\"saidDryfoos。
\"Itcan\'tbesoimportantasallthat,thatyoumustdisappointyoursisters。\"
\"Idon\'tliketodisappointthosepoorcreatures。Theydependsomuchuponthemeetings——\"
\"Ireckontheycanstanditforonenight,\"saidtheoldman。Headded,\"Thepooryehavewithyoualways。\"
\"That\'sso,Coonrod,\"saidhismother。\"It\'stheSaviour\'sownwords。\"
\"Yes,mother。Butthey\'renotmeantjustasfatherusedthem。\"
\"Howdoyouknowhowtheyweremeant?OrhowIusedthem?\"criedthefather。\"Nowyoujustmakeyourplanstogowiththegirls,Tuesdaynight。Theycan\'tgoalone,andMrs。Mandelcan\'tgowiththem。\"
\"Pshaw!\"saidMela。\"Wedon\'twanttotakeConradawayfromhismeetun\',dowe,Chris?\"
\"Idon\'tknow,\"saidChristine,inherhigh,finevoice。\"Theycouldgetalongwithouthimforonenight,asfathersays。\"
\"Well,I\'mnota-goun\'totakehim,\"saidMela。\"Now,Mrs。Mandel,justthinkoutsomeotherway。Say!What\'sthereasonwecouldn\'tgetsomebodyelsetotakeusjustaswell?Ain\'tthatrulable?\"
\"Itwouldbeallowable——\"
\"Allowable,Imean,\"Melacorrectedherself。
\"Butitmightlookalittlesignificant,unlessitwassomeoldfamilyfriend。\"
\"Well,let\'sgetMr。Fulkersontotakeus。He\'stheoldestfamilyfriendwegot。\"
\"Iwon\'tgowithMr。Fulkerson,\"saidChristine,serenely。
\"Why,I\'msure,Christine,\"hermotherpleaded,\"Mr。Fulkersonisaverygoodyoungman,andveryniceappearun\'。\"
Melashouted,\"He\'stentimesaspleasantasthatoldMr。BeatonofChristine\'s!\"
Christinemadenoefforttobreaktheconstraintthatfelluponthetableatthissally,butherfathersaid:\"Christineisright,Mela。Itwouldn\'tdoforyoutogowithanyotheryoungman。Conradwillgowithyou。\"
\"I\'mnotcertainIwanttogo,yet,\"saidChristine。
\"Well,settlethatamongyourselves。Butifyouwanttogo,yourbrotherwillgowithyou。\"
\"Ofcourse,Coonrod\'llgo,ifhissisterswantshimto,\"theoldwomanpleaded。\"Ireckonitain\'tagoun\'tobeanythingverybad;andifitis,Coonrod,whyyoucanjustgitrightupandcomeout。\"
\"Itwillbeallright,mother。AndIwillgo,ofcourse。\"