Thepatient,anold-fashionedman,thoughtthenursemadeamistakeinkeepingbothofthewindowsopen,andhersprightlydisregardofhisprotestsaddedsomethingtohishatredofher。
Everyeveninghetoldherthatanybodywithordinarygumptionoughttorealizethatnightairwasbadforthehumanframe。
\"Thehumanframewon\'tstandeverything,MissPerry,\"hewarnedher,resentfully。\"Evenachild,ifithadjustordinarygumption,oughttoknowenoughnottoletthenightairblowonsickpeopleyes,norwellpeople,either!\'Keepoutofthenightair,nomatterhowwellyoufeel。\'That\'swhatmymotherusedtotellmewhenIwasaboy。\'Keepoutofthenightair,Virgil,\'
she\'dsay。\'Keepoutofthenightair。\'\"
\"Iexpectprobablyhermothertoldherthesamething,\"thenursesuggested。
\"Ofcourseshedid。Mygrandmother——\"
\"Oh,IguessyourGRANDmotherthoughtso,Mr。Adams!Thatwaswhenallthisflatcentralcountrywasswampishandhadn\'tbeendrainedoffyet。Iguessthetruthmustbeentheswampmosquitoesbitpeopleandgave\'emmalaria,especiallybeforetheybegantoputscreensintheirwindows。Well,wegotscreensinthesewindows,andnomosquitoesaregoin\'tobiteus;sojustyoubeagoodboyandrestyourmindandgotosleeplikeyouneedto。\"
\"Sleep?\"hesaid。\"Likely!\"
HethoughtthenightairworstofallinApril;hehadn\'tadoubtitwouldkillhim,hedeclared。\"It\'smiraculouswhatthehumanframeWILLsurvive,\"headmittedonthelasteveningofthatmonth。\"Butyouandthedoctoroughttobothbetaughtitwon\'tstandtoodangmuch!YoupoisonamanandpoisonandpoisonhimwiththisAprilnightair——\"
\"Can\'tpoisonyouwithmuchmoreofit,\"MissPerryinterruptedhim,indulgently。\"To-morrowit\'llbeMaynightair,andI
expectthat\'llbealotbetterforyou,don\'tyou?Nowlet\'sjustsoberdownandbeagoodboyandgetsomenicesoundsleep。\"
Shegavehimhismedicine,and,havingsettheglassuponthecentertable,returnedtohercot,where,afterastillinterval,shesnoredfaintly。Uponthis,hisexpressionbecamethatofamangoadedoutofoverpoweringwearinessintoirony。
\"Sleep?Oh,CERTAINLY,thankyou!\"
However,hedidsleepintermittently,drowsedbetweentimes,andevendreamed;but,forgettinghisdreamsbeforeheopenedhiseyes,andhavingsomepartofhimallthewhileawareofhisdiscomfort,hebelieved,asusual,thathelayawakethewholenightlong。Hewasconsciousofthecityasofsomesinglegreatcreaturerestingfitfullyinthedarkoutsidehiswindows。Itlayallroundabout,inthedampcoverofitsnightcloudofsmoke,andtriedtokeepquietforafewhoursaftermidnight,butwastoopowerfulagrowingthingevertoliealtogetherstill。Evenwhileitstrovetosleepitmutteredwithdigestionsofthedaybefore,andthesealreadymergedwithrumblingsofthemorrow。\"Owl\"cars,bringinginlastpassengersoverdistanttrolley-lines,nowandthenhowledonacurve;farawaymetallicstirringscouldbeheardfromfactoriesinthesootysuburbsontheplainoutsidethecity;east,west,andsouth,switch-engineschuggedandsnortedonsidings;
andeverywhereintheairthereseemedtobeafaint,voluminoushumasofinnumerablewirestremblingoverheadtovibrationofmachineryunderground。
InhisyouthAdamsmighthavebeenlessresentfulofsoundssuchasthesewhentheyinterferedwithhisnight\'ssleep:evenduringanillnesshemighthavetakensomeprideinthemasproofofhiscitizenshipina\"livetown\";butatfifty-fivehemerelyhatedthembecausetheykepthimawake。They\"pressedonhisnerves,\"
asheputit;andsodidalmosteverythingelse,forthatmatter。
Heheardthemilk-wagondriveintothecross-streetbeneathhiswindowsandstopateachhouse。Themilkmancarriedhisjarsroundtothe\"backporch,\"whilethehorsemovedslowlyaheadtothegateofthenextcustomerandwaitedthere。\"He\'sgoneintoPollocks\',\"Adamsthought,followingthisprogress。\"Ihopeit\'llsouron\'embeforebreakfast。DeliveredtheAndersons\'。
Nowhe\'sgettingoutours。Listentothedarnbrute!What\'sHE
carewhowantstosleep!\"Hiscomplaintwasofthehorse,whocasuallyshiftedweightwithaclinkofsteelshoesonthewornbrickpavementofthestreet,andthenheartilyshookhimselfinhisharness,perhapstodislodgeaflyfaraheadofitsseason。
Lighthadjustfilmedthewindows;andwiththatthefirstsparrowwoke,chirpedinstantly,androusedneighboursinthetreesofthesmallyard,includingaloud-voicedrobin。
Vociferationsbeganirregularly,butweresoonunanimous。
\"Sleep?Danglikelynow,ain\'tit!\"
Nightsoundswerebecomingdaysounds;thefar-awayhootingoffreight-enginesseemedbriskerthananhouragointhedark。A
cheerfulwhistlerpassedthehouse,evenmorecarelessofsleepersthanthemilkman\'shorsehadbeen;thenagroupofcolouredworkmencameby,andalthoughitwasimpossibletobesurewhethertheywerehomewardboundfromnight-workorontheirwaytoday-work,atleastitwascertainthattheywerejocose。
Loose,aboriginallaughterprecededthemafar,andbeatontheairlongaftertheyhadgoneby。
Thesick-roomnight-light,shieldedfromhiseyesbyanewspaperproppedagainstawater-pitcher,stillshowedathinglimmeringthathadgrownoffensivetoAdams。Inhiswanderingandenfeebledthoughts,whichweremuchmoreoftenimaginingsthanreasonings,theattemptofthenight-lighttoresistthedawnremindedhimofsomethingunpleasant,thoughhecouldnotdiscoverjustwhattheunpleasantthingwas。Herewasapuzzlethatirritatedhimthemorebecausehecouldnotsolveit,yetalwaysseemedjustonthepointofasolution。However,hemayhavelostnothingcheerfulbyremaininginthedarkuponthematter;forifhehadbeenalittlesharperinthisintrospectionhemighthaveconcludedthatthesqualorofthenight-light,initsseemingefforttoshowagainsttheforerunningofthesunitself,hadstimulatedsomehalf-buriedperceptionwithinhimtosketchthepainfullittlesynopsisofanautobiography。
Inspiteofnoiseswithout,hedrowsedagain,notknowingthathedid;andwhenheopenedhiseyesthenursewasjustrisingfromhercot。Hetooknopleasureinthesight,itmaybesaid。Sheexhibitedtohimafacemismodelledbysleep,andsetlikeaclayfaceleftonitscheekinahotanddrystudio。Shewasstillonlyinpartawake,however,andbythetimeshehadextinguishedthenight-lightandgivenherpatienthistonic,shehadrecoveredenoughplasticity。\"Well,isn\'tthatgrand!We\'vehadanothergoodnight,\"shesaidasshedepartedtodressinthebathroom。
\"Yes,youhadanother!\"heretorted,thoughnotuntilaftershehadclosedthedoor。
Presentlyheheardhisdaughtermovingaboutinherroomacrossthenarrowhall,andsoknewthatshehadrisen。Hehopedshewouldcomeintoseehimsoon,forshewastheonethingthatdidn\'tpressonhisnerves,hefelt;thoughthethoughtofherhurthim,as,indeed,everythoughthurthim。Butitwashiswifewhocamefirst。
Sheworealankcottonwrapper,andacrescentofgrayhairescapedtoonetemplefrombeneaththehandkerchiefshehadwornuponherheadforthenightandstillretained;butshedideverythingpossibletomakeherexpressioncheering。
\"Oh,you\'rebetteragain!Icanseethat,assoonasIlookatyou,\"shesaid。\"MissPerrytellsmeyou\'vehadanothersplendidnight。\"
Hemadeasoundofirony,whichseemedtodisposeunfavourablyofMissPerry,andthen,inordertobemorecertainlyintelligible,headded,\"Shesleptwell,asusual!\"
Buthiswife\'ssmilepersisted。\"It\'sagoodsigntobecross;
itmeansyou\'repracticallyconvalescentrightnow。\"
\"Oh,Iam,amI?\"
\"Nodoubtintheworld!\"sheexclaimed。\"Why,you\'repracticallyawellman,Virgil——allexceptgettingyourstrengthback,ofcourse,andthatisn\'tgoingtotakelong。You\'llberightonyourfeetinacoupleofweeksfromnow。\"
\"Oh,Iwill?\"
\"Ofcourseyouwill!\"Shelaughedbriskly,and,goingtothetableinthecenteroftheroom,movedhisglassofmedicineaninchortwo,turnedabookoversothatitlayuponitsotherside,andforafewmomentsoccupiedherselfwithsimilarfutilities,havingtakenontheairofapersonwhomakesthingsneat,thoughsheproducednosuchactualeffectuponthem。\"Ofcourseyouwill,\"sherepeated,absently。\"You\'llbeasstrongasyoueverwere;maybestronger。\"Shepausedforamoment,notlookingathim,thenadded,cheerfully,\"Sothatyoucanflyaroundandfindsomethingreallygoodtogetinto。\"
Somethingimportantbetweenthemcamenearthesurfacehere,forthoughshespokewithwhatseemedbutacasualcheerfulness,therewasalittlebetrayingbreakinhervoice,atremblingjustperceptibleintheutteranceofthefinalword。Andshestillkeptuptheaffectationofbeinghelpfullypreoccupiedwiththetable,anddidnotlookatherhusband——perhapsbecausetheyhadbeenmarriedsomanyyearsthatwithoutlookingsheknewjustwhathisexpressionwouldbe,andpreferredtoavoidtheactualsightofitaslongaspossible。Meanwhile,hestaredhardather,hislipsbeginningtomovewithlittledistortionsnotlackinginthepathosofasickman\'sagitation。
\"Sothat\'sit,\"hesaid。\"That\'swhatyou\'rehintingat。\"
\"\'Hinting?\'\"Mrs。Adamslookedsurprisedandindulgent。\"Why,I\'mnotdoinganyhinting,Virgil。\"
\"Whatdidyousayaboutmyfinding\'somethinggoodtogetinto?\'\"
heasked,sharply。\"Don\'tyoucallthathinting?\"
Mrs。Adamsturnedtowardhimnow;shecametothebedsideandwouldhavetakenhishand,buthequicklymoveditawayfromher。
\"Youmustn\'tletyourselfgetnervous,\"shesaid。\"Butofcoursewhenyougetwellthere\'sonlyonethingtodo。Youmustn\'tgobacktothatoldholeagain。\"
\"\'Oldhole?\'That\'swhatyoucallit,isit?\"Inspiteofhisweakness,angermadehisvoicestrident,anduponthisstimulationshespokemoreurgently。
\"Youjustmustn\'tgobacktoit,Virgil。It\'snotfairtoanyofus,andyouknowitisn\'t。\"
\"Don\'ttellmewhatIknow,please!\"
Sheclaspedherhands,suddenlycarryingherurgencytoplaintiveentreaty。\"Virgil,youWON\'Tgobacktothathole?\"
\"That\'sanicewordtousetome!\"hesaid。\"Callaman\'sbusinessahole!\"
\"Virgil,ifyoudon\'toweittometolookforsomethingdifferent,don\'tyouoweittoyourchildren?Don\'ttellmeyouwon\'tdowhatweallwantyouto,andwhatyouknowinyourheartyououghtto!AndifyouHAVEgotintooneofyourstubbornfitsandareboundtogobacktherefornootherreasonexcepttohaveyourownway,don\'ttellmeso,forIcan\'tbearit!\"
Helookedupatherfiercely。\"You\'vegotafinewaytocureasickman!\"hesaid;butshehadconcludedherappeal——forthattime——andinsteadofmakinganymorewordsinthematter,lethimseethatthereweretearsinhereyes,shookherhead,andlefttheroom。
Alone,helaybreathingrapidly,hisemaciatedchestprovingitselfequaltothedemandshisemotionputuponit。\"Fine!\"herepeated,withhuskyindignation。\"Finewaytocureasickman!
Fine!\"Then,afterasilence,hegaveforthwhisperingsoundsasoflaughter,hisexpressionthewhileremainingsoreandfarfromhumour。
\"Andgiveusourdailybread!\"headded,meaningthathiswife\'slittleperformancewasnonovelty。
CHAPTERII
Infact,theagitationofMrs。Adamswasgenuine,butsowellunderhercontrolthatitstracesvanishedduringthethreeshortstepsshetooktocrossthenarrowhallbetweenherhusband\'sdoorandtheoneopposite。Herexpressionwasmatter-of-course,ratherthanpathetic,assheenteredtheprettyroomwhereherdaughter,halfdressed,satbeforeadressing-tableandplayedwiththereflectionsofathree-leafedmirrorframedinblueenamel。Thatis,justbeforethemomentofhermother\'sentrance,Alicehadbeenplayingwiththemirror\'sreflections——posturingherarmsandherexpressions,claspingherhandsbehindherneck,andtiltingbackherheadtoforeshortenthefaceinatableauconceivedtorepresentsauciness,thenoneofsmilingweariness,thenoneofscornfultoleration,andallverypiquant;butasthedooropenedshehurriedlyresumedthepractical,andoccupiedherhandsinthearrangementofherplentifulbrownishhair。
Theywereprettyhands,ofashapelinessdelicateandfine。\"Thebestthingsshe\'sgot!\"acold-bloodedgirlfriendsaidofthem,andmeanttoincludeAlice\'smindandcharacterintheimpliedlistofpossessionssurpassedbythenotablehands。Howeverthatmayhavebeen,therestofherwaswellenough。Shewasoftencalled\"arightprettygirl\"——temperatepraisemeaningagirlratherprettythanotherwise,andthisshedeserved,tosaytheleast。Eveninreposeshedeservedit,thoughreposewasanythingbutherhabit,beingseldomseenuponherexceptathome。Onexhibitionsheledalifeofgestures,theunkindsaidtomakeherlovelyhandsmorememorable;butallofherusuallyaccompaniedthegesturesofthehands,theshouldersevergivingthemtheirimpulsesfirst,andevenherfeetbeingcalledupon,atthesametime,foreloquence。
Somuchlivelinesstookproperplaceasonlyaccessorytothatoftheface,wherehervivacityreacheditsclimax;anditwasunfortunatethatanungiftedyoungman,newinthetown,shouldhaveattemptedtodefinetheeffectuponhimofallthisgenerosityofemphasis。Hesaidthat\"thewaysheusedhercutehazeleyesandthewonderfulglowofherfacialexpressiongaveheramightyspiritualquality。\"Hisactualrenditionofthewordwas\"spirichul\";butitwasnothispronunciationthatembalmedthisoutburstintheperenniallaughterofAlice\'sgirlfriends;theymadethemisfortunefarlesshisthanhers。
Hermothercomfortedhertooheartily,insistingthatAlicehad\"plentyenoughspiritualqualities,\"certainlymorethanpossessedbytheothergirlswhoflungthephraseather,woodenthings,jealousofeverythingtheywereincapableofthemselves;
andthenAlice,gettingmorechampionshipthanshesought,grewuneasylestMrs。Adamsshouldrepeatsuchdefenses\"outsidethefamily\";andMrs。Adamsendedbyweepingbecausethedaughtersodistrustedherintelligence。Alicefrequentlythoughtitnecessarytoinstructhermother。
Hermorninggreetingwasaninstructionto-day;or,rather,itwasanadmonitioninthestyleofanentreaty,themorepetulantasAlicethoughtthatMrs。Adamsmighthavehadaglimpseoftheposturingstothemirror。Thiswasaneedlessworry;themotherhadcaughtathousandsuchglimpses,withAliceunaware,andshethoughtnothingoftheonejustflitted。
\"Forheaven\'ssake,mama,comeclearinsidetheroomandshutthedoor!PLEASEdon\'tleaveitopenforeverybodytolookatme!\"
\"Thereisn\'tanybodytoseeyou,\"Mrs。Adamsexplained,obeying。
\"MissPerry\'sgonedownstairs,and——\"
\"Mama,Iheardyouinpapa\'sroom,\"Alicesaid,notdroppingthenoteofcomplaint。\"Icouldhearbothofyou,andIdon\'tthinkyououghttogetpooroldpapasoupset——notinhispresentcondition,anyhow。\"
Mrs。Adamsseatedherselfontheedgeofthebed。\"He\'sbetterallthetime,\"shesaid,notdisturbed。\"He\'salmostwell。ThedoctorsayssoandMissPerrysaysso;andifwedon\'tgethimintotherightframeofmindnowweneverwill。Thefirstdayhe\'soutdoorshe\'llgobacktothatoldhole——you\'llsee!Andifheoncedoesthat,he\'llsettledownthereandit\'llbetoolateandwe\'llnevergethimout。\"
\"Well,anyhow,Ithinkyoucouldusealittlemoretactwithhim。\"
\"Idotryto,\"themothersighed。\"Itneverwasmuchusewithhim。Idon\'tthinkyouunderstandhimaswellasIdo,Alice。\"
\"There\'sonethingIdon\'tunderstandabouteitherofyou,\"Alicereturned,crisply。\"Beforepeoplegetmarriedtheycandoanythingtheywanttowitheachother。Whycan\'ttheydothesamethingafterthey\'remarried?Whenyouandpapawereyoungpeopleandengaged,he\'dhavedoneanythingyouwantedhimto。
Thatmusthavebeenbecauseyouknewhowtomanagehimthen。Whycan\'tyougoathimthesamewaynow?\"
Mrs。Adamssighedagain,andlaughedalittle,makingnootherresponse;butAlicepersisted。\"Well,WHYcan\'tyou?Whycan\'tyouaskhimtodothingsthewayyouusedtoaskhimwhenyouwerejustinlovewitheachother?Whydon\'tyouanyhowtryit,mama,insteadofding-dongingathim?\"
\"\'Ding-dongingathim,\'Alice?\"Mrs。Adamssaid,withapathossomewhatemphasized。\"IsthathowmytryingtodowhatIcanforyoustrikesyou?\"
\"Nevermindthat;it\'snothingtohurtyourfeelings。\"Alicedisposedofthepathosbriskly。\"Whydon\'tyouanswermyquestion?What\'sthematterwithusingalittlemoretactonpapa?Whycan\'tyoutreathimthewayyouprobablydidwhenyouwereyoungpeople,beforeyouweremarried?Ineverhaveunderstoodwhypeoplecan\'tdothat。\"
\"PerhapsyouWILLunderstandsomeday,\"hermothersaid,gently。
\"Maybeyouwillwhenyou\'vebeenmarriedtwenty-fiveyears。\"
\"Youkeepevading。Whydon\'tyouanswermyquestionrightstraightout?\"
\"Therearequestionsyoucan\'tanswertoyoungpeople,Alice。\"
\"Youmeanbecausewe\'retooyoungtounderstandtheanswer?I
don\'tseethatatall。Attwenty-twoagirl\'ssupposedtohavesomeintelligence,isn\'tshe?Andintelligenceistheabilitytounderstand,isn\'tit?WhydoIhavetowaittillI\'velivedwithamantwenty-fiveyearstounderstandwhyyoucan\'tbetactfulwithpapa?\"
\"Youmayunderstandsomethingsbeforethat,\"Mrs。Adamssaid,tremulously。\"Youmayunderstandhowyouhurtmesometimes。
Youthcan\'tknoweverythingbybeingintelligent,andbythetimeyoucouldunderstandtheansweryou\'reaskingforyou\'dknowit,andwouldn\'tneedtoask。Youdon\'tunderstandyourfather,Alice;youdon\'tknowwhatittakestochangehimwhenhe\'smadeuphismindtobestubborn。\"
Aliceroseandbegantogetherselfintoaskirt。\"Well,Idon\'tthinkmakingsceneseverchangesanybody,\"shegrumbled。\"I
thinkalittlejollypersuasiongoestwiceasfar,myself。\"
\"\'Alittlejollypersuasion!\'\"Hermotherturnedtheechoofthisphraseintoanironiclament。\"Yes,therewasatimewhenI
thoughtthat,too!Itdidn\'twork;that\'sall。\"
\"Perhapsyouleftthe\'jolly\'partofitout,mama。\"
Forthesecondtimethatmorning——itwasnowalittleafterseveno\'clock——tearsseemedabouttooffertheirsolacetoMrs。Adams。
\"Imighthaveexpectedyoutosaythat,Alice;youneverdomissachance,\"shesaid,gently。\"Itseemsqueeryoudon\'tsometimemissjustONEchance!\"
ButAlice,progressingwithhertoilet,appearedtobelittleconcerned。\"Oh,well,Ithinktherearebetterwaysofmanagingamanthanjusthammeringathim。\"
Mrs。Adamsutteredalittlecryofpain。\"\'Hammering,\'Alice?\"
\"Ifyou\'dleftitentirelytome,\"herdaughterwenton,briskly,\"Ibelievepapa\'dalreadybewillingtodoanythingwewanthimto。\"
\"That\'sit;tellmeIspoileverything。Well,Iwon\'tinterferefromnowon,youcanbesureofit。\"
\"Pleasedon\'ttalklikethat,\"Alicesaid,quickly。\"I\'moldenoughtorealizethatpapamayneedpressureofallsorts;I
onlythinkitmakeshimmoreobstinatetogethimcross。Youprobablydounderstandhimbetter,butthat\'sonethingI\'vefoundoutandyouhaven\'t。There!\"Shegavehermotherafriendlytapontheshoulderandwenttothedoor。\"I\'llhopinandsayhellotohimnow。\"
Asshewent,shecontinuedthefasteningofherblouse,andappearedinherfather\'sroomwithonehandstillthusengaged,butshepattedhisforeheadwiththeother。
\"Pooroldpapa-daddy!\"shesaid,gaily。\"Everytimehe\'sbettersomebodytalkshimintogettingsomadhehasarelapse。It\'sashame!\"
Herfather\'seyes,beneaththeirmelancholybrows,lookedupatherwistfully。\"Isupposeyouheardyourmothergoingforme,\"
hesaid。
\"Iheardyougoingforher,too!\"Alicelaughed。\"Whatwasitallabout?\"
\"Oh,thesamedangedoldstory!\"
\"Youmeanshewantsyoutotrysomethingnewwhenyougetwell?\"
Aliceasked,withcheerfulinnocence。\"Sowecouldallhavealotmoremoney?\"
Atthishissorrowfulforeheadwasmoresorrowfulthanever。Thedeephorizontallinesmovedupwardtoapatternofsufferingsofamiliartohisdaughterthatitmeantnothingtoher;buthespokequietly。\"Yes;sowewouldn\'thaveanymoneyatall,mostlikely。\"
\"Oh,no!\"shelaughed,and,finishingwithherblouse,pattedhischeekswithbothhands。\"Justthinkhowmanygrandopeningstheremustbeforamanthatknowsasmuchasyoudo!Ialwaysdidbelieveyoucouldgetrichifyouonlycaredto,papa。\"
Butuponhisforeheadthepainfulpatternstilldeepened。\"Don\'tyouthinkwe\'vealwayshadenough,thewaythingsare,Alice?\"
\"NotthewaythingsARE!\"Shepattedhischeeksagain;laughedagain。\"Itusedtobeenough,maybeanywaywedidskimpalongonit——butthewaythingsarenowIexpectmama\'sreallyprettypracticalinherideas,though,Ithinkit\'sashameforhertobotheryouaboutitwhileyou\'resoweak。Don\'tyouworryaboutit,though;justthinkaboutotherthingstillyougetstrong。\"
\"Youknow,\"hesaid;\"youknowitisn\'texactlytheeasiestthingintheworldforamanofmyagetofindthesegrandopeningsyouspeakof。Andwhenyou\'vepassedhalf-wayfromfiftytosixtyyou\'reapttoseesomeriskingivingupwhatyouknowhowtodoandtryingsomethingnew。\"
\"My,whatafrown!\"shecried,blithely。\"Didn\'tItellyoutostopthinkingaboutittillyougetALLwell?\"Shebentoverhim,givinghimagaylittlekissonthebridgeofhisnose。\"There!
Imustruntobreakfast。Cheerupnow!Au\'voir!\"Andwithherprettyhandshewavedfurtherencouragementfromtheclosingdoorasshedeparted。
Lightsomelydescendingthenarrowstairway,shewhistledasshewent,herfingersdrummingtimeontherail;and,stillwhistling,shecameintothedining-room,wherehermotherandherbrotherwerealreadyatthetable。Thebrother,athinandsallowboyoftwenty,greetedherwithoutmuchapprovalasshetookherplace。
\"Nothingseemstotroubleyou!\"hesaid。
\"No;nothingmuch,\"shemadeairyresponse。\"What\'stroublingyourself,Walter?\"
\"Don\'tletthatworryyou!\"hereturned,seemingtoconsiderthistobereparteeofaneffectivesort;forhefurnishedashortlaughtogowithit,andturnedtohiscoffeewiththemannerofonewhohassatisfactorilyclosedanepisode。
\"Walteralwaysseemstohavesomanysecrets!\"Alicesaid,studyinghimshrewdly,butwithafriendlyenoughamusementinherscrutiny。\"Everythinghedoesorsaysseemstobeactedforthebenefitofsomemysteriousaudienceinsidehimself,andhealwaysgetsitsapplause。Takewhathesaidjustnow:heseemstothinkitmeanssomething,butifitdoes,why,that\'sjustanothersecretbetweenhimandthesecretaudienceinsideofhim!
Wedon\'treallyknowanythingaboutWalteratall,dowe,mama?\"
Walterlaughedagain,inamannerthatsustainedhertheorywellenough;thenafterfinishinghiscoffee,hetookfromhispocketaflattenedpacketinglazedbluepaper;extractedwithstainedfingersabentandwrinkledlittlecigarette,lightedit,hitcheduphisbeltedtrouserswiththeairofapersonwhoturnsfromtriflestothingsbetterworthhisattention,andlefttheroom。
Alicelaughedasthedoorclosed。\"He\'sALLsecrets,\"shesaid。
\"Don\'tyouthinkyoureallyoughttoknowmoreabouthim,mama?\"
\"I\'msurehe\'sagoodboy,\"Mrs。Adamsreturned,thoughtfully。
\"He\'sbeenverybraveaboutnotbeingabletohavetheadvantagesthatareenjoyedbytheboyshe\'sgrownupwith。I\'veneverheardawordofcomplaintfromhim。\"
\"Abouthisnotbeingsenttocollege?\"Alicecried。\"Ishouldthinkyouwouldn\'t!Hedidn\'tevenhaveenoughambitiontofinishhighschool!\"
Mrs。Adamssighed。\"ItseemedtomeWalterlosthisambitionwhennearlyalltheboyshe\'dgrownupwithwenttoEasternschoolstoprepareforcollege,andwecouldn\'taffordtosendhim。Ifonlyyourfatherwouldhavelistened——\"
Aliceinterrupted:\"Whatnonsense!Walterhatedbooksandstudying,andathletics,too,forthatmatter。Hedoesn\'tcareforanythingnicethatIeverheardof。Whatdoyousupposehedoeslike,mama?Hemustlikesomethingorothersomewhere,butwhatdoyousupposeitis?Whatdoeshedowithhistime?\"
\"Why,thepoorboy\'satLambandCompany\'sallday。Hedoesn\'tgetthroughuntilfiveintheafternoon;hedoesn\'tHAVEmuchtime。\"
\"Well,weneverhavedinneruntilaboutseven,andhe\'salwayslatefordinner,andgoesout,heavenknowswhere,rightafterward!\"Aliceshookherhead。\"Heusedtogowithourfriends\'boys,butIdon\'tthinkhedoesnow。\"
\"Why,howcouldhe?\"Mrs。Adamsprotested。\"Thatisn\'thisfault,poorchild!Theboysheknewwhenhewasyoungerarenearlyallawayatcollege。\"
\"Yes,buthedoesn\'tseeanythingof\'emwhenthey\'rehereatholiday-timeorvacation。Noneof\'emcometothehouseanymore。\"
\"Isupposehe\'smadeotherfriends。It\'snaturalforhimtowantcompanions,athisage。\"
\"Yes,\"Alicesaid,withdisapprovingemphasis。\"Butwhoarethey?I\'vegotanideaheplayspoolatsomeroughplacedown-town。\"
\"Oh,no;I\'msurehe\'sasteadyboy,\"Mrs。Adamsprotested,buthertonewasnotthatofthoroughgoingconviction,andsheadded,\"Lifemightbeaverydifferentthingforhimifonlyyourfathercanbebroughttosee——\"
\"Nevermind,mama!Itisn\'tmethathastobeconvinced,youknow;andwecandoalotmorewithpapaifwejustlethimaloneaboutitforadayortwo。Promisemeyouwon\'tsayanymoretohimuntil——well,untilhe\'sabletocomedownstairstotable。
Willyou?\"
Mrs。Adamsbitherlip,whichhadbeguntotremble。\"IthinkyoucantrustmetoknowaFEWthings,Alice,\"shesaid。\"I\'malittleolderthanyou,youknow。\"
\"That\'sagoodgirl!\"Alicejumpedup,laughing。\"Don\'tforgetit\'sthesameasapromise,anddojustcheerhimupalittle。
I\'llsaygood-byetohimbeforeIgoout。\"
\"Whereareyougoing?\"
\"Oh,I\'vegotlotstodo。IthoughtI\'drunouttoMildred\'stoseewhatshe\'sgoingtowearto-night,andthenIwanttogodownandbuyayardofchiffonandsomenarrowribbontomakenewbowsformyslippers——you\'llhavetogivemesomemoney——\"
\"Ifhe\'llgiveittome!\"hermotherlamented,astheywenttowardthefrontstairstogether;butanhourlatershecameintoAlice\'sroomwithabillinherhand。
\"Hehassomemoneyinhisbureaudrawer,\"shesaid。\"Hefinallytoldmewhereitwas。\"
Thereweretracesofemotioninhervoice,andAlice,lookingshrewdlyather,sawmoistureinhereyes。
\"Mama!\"shecried。\"Youdidn\'tdowhatyoupromisedmeyouwouldn\'t,didyou——NOTbeforeMissPerry!\"
\"MissPerry\'sgettinghimsomebroth,\"Mrs。Adamsreturned,calmly。\"Besides,you\'remistakeninsayingIpromisedyouanything;IsaidIthoughtyoucouldtrustmetoknowwhatisright。\"
\"Soyoudidbringitupagain!\"AndAliceswungawayfromher,strodetoherfather\'sdoor,flungitopen,wenttohim,andputalighthandsoothinglyoverhisunrelaxedforehead。
\"Pooroldpapa!\"shesaid。\"It\'sashamehoweverybodywantstotroublehim。Heshan\'tbebotheredanymoreatall!Hedoesn\'tneedtohaveeverybodytellinghimhowtogetawayfromthatoldholehe\'sworkedinsolongandbegintomakeusallniceandrich。HEknowshow!\"
Thereuponshekissedhimaconsolinggood-bye,andmadeanothergaydeparture,thecharminghandagainflutteringlikeawhitebutterflyintheshadowoftheclosingdoor。
CHAPTERIII
Mrs。AdamshadremainedinAlice\'sroom,buthermoodseemedtohavechanged,duringherdaughter\'slittlemorethanmomentaryabsence。
\"WhatdidheSAY?\"sheasked,quickly,andhertonewashopeful。
\"\'Say?\'\"Alicerepeated,impatiently。\"Why,nothing。Ididn\'tlethim。Really,mama,Ithinkthebestthingforyoutodowouldbetojustkeepoutofhisroom,becauseIdon\'tbelieveyoucangointhereandnottalktohimaboutit,andifyoudotalkwe\'llnevergethimtodotherightthing。Never!\"
Themother\'sresponsewasagrievingsilence;sheturnedfromherdaughterandwalkedtothedoor。
\"Now,forgoodness\'sake!\"Alicecried。\"Don\'tgomakingtragedyoutofmyofferingyoualittlepracticaladvice!\"
\"I\'mnot,\"Mrs。Adamsgulped,halting。\"I\'mjust——justgoingtodustthedownstairs,Alice。\"Andwithherfacestillaverted,shewentoutintothelittlehallway,closingthedoorbehindher。Amomentlatershecouldbehearddescendingthestairs,thesoundofherfootstepscarryingsomehowaneffectofresignation。
Alicelistened,sighed,and,breathingthewords,\"Oh,murder!\"
turnedtocheeriermatters。Sheputonalittleapple-greenturbanwithadimgoldbandroundit,andthen,havingshroudedtheturbaninawhiteveil,whichshekeptpushedupaboveherforehead,shegotherselfintoatancoatofsoftclothfashionedwithrakishseverity。Afterthat,havingstudiedherselfgravelyinalongglass,shetookfromoneofthedrawersofherdressing-tableablackleathercard-casecorneredinsilverfiligree,butfounditempty。
Sheopenedanotherdrawerwhereinweretwowhitepasteboardboxesofcards,theonesetshowingsimply\"MissAdams,\"theotherengravedinGothiccharacters,\"MissAlysTuttleAdams。\"ThelatterbelongedtoAlice\'s\"Alys\"period——mostgirlsgothroughit;andAlicemusthavefeltthatshehadgraduated,for,afterfrowningthoughtfullyattheexhibitthismorning,shetooktheboxwithitscontents,andletthewhiteshowerfallfromherfingersintothewaste-basketbesidehersmalldesk。Shereplenishedthecard-casefromthe\"MissAdams\"box;then,havingfoundapairoffreshwhitegloves,shetuckedanivory-toppedMalaccawalking-stickunderherarmandsetforth。
Shewentdownthestairs,buttoningherglovesandstillwearingthefrownwithwhichshehadput\"Alys\"finallyoutofherlife。
Shedescendedslowly,andpausedontheloweststep,lookingaboutherwithanexpressionthatneededbutaslightdeepeningtobetokenbitterness。Itsconnectionwithherdropping\"Alys\"
foreverwasslight,however。
Thesmallframehouse,aboutfifteenyearsold,wasalreadyincliningtobecomeanewColonialrelic。TheAdamseshadbuiltit,movingintoitfromthe\"QueenAnne\"housetheyhadrenteduntiltheytookthisstepinfashion。Butfifteenyearsisalongtimetostandstillinthemidlandcountry,evenforahouse,andthisonewaslightlymade,thoughtheAdamseshadnotrealizedhowflimsilyuntiltheyhadlivedinitforsometime。
\"Solid,compact,andconvenient\"weretheinstructionstothearchitect,andhehadmadeitcompactsuccessfully。Alice,pausingatthefootofthestairway,wasatthesametimefairlyinthe\"living-room,\"fortheonlyseparationbetweenthe\"livingroom\"andthehallwasademarcationsuggestedtowillingimaginationsbyapairofwoodencolumnspaintedwhite。Thesecolumns,pineunderthepaint,werebruisedandchippedatthebase;oneofthemshowedacrackthatthreatenedtobecomeasplit;the\"hard-wood\"floorhadbecomeuneven;andinacornerthewallsapparentlyfailedofsolidity,wherethewall-paperhaddeclinedtoaccompanysomestaggeringsoftheplasterbeneathit。
Thefurniturewasingreatpartanaccumulationbegunwiththeweddinggifts;thoughsomeofitwasolder,twolargepatentrocking-chairsandafootstoolhavingbelongedtoMrs。Adams\'smotherinthedaysofhardbrownplushandveneer。Fordecorationtherewerepicturesandvases。Mrs。Adamshadalwaysbeenfondofvases,shesaid,andeveryyearherhusband\'sChristmaspresenttoherwasavaseofonesortoranother——whatevertheclerkshowedhim,markedatabouttwelveorfourteendollars。Thepicturesweresomeofthemetchingsframedingilt:Rheims,Canterbury,schoonersgroupedagainstawharf;
andAlicecouldrememberhow,inherchildhood,herfathersometimespointedoutthewateryreflectionsinthislastasveryfine。Butitwasalongtimesincehehadshowninterestinsuchthings——\"orinanythingmuch,\"asshethought。
Otherpicturesweretwowater-coloursinbaroqueframes;onebeingtheAmalfimonkonapergolawall,whilethesecondwasayard-widedisplayofirisblossoms,paintedbyAliceherselfatfourteen,asabirthdaygifttohermother。Alice\'sglancepauseduponitnowwithnogreatpride,butshowedmoreapprovalofanenormousphotographoftheColosseum。Thisshethoughtofas\"theonlygoodthingintheroom\";itpossessedandbestoweddistinction,shefelt;andshedidnotregrethavingwonherstruggletogetithunginitsconspicuousplaceofhonouroverthemantelpiece。Formerlythatplacehadbeenheldforyearsbyasteel-engraving,anaccuraterepresentationoftheSuspensionBridgeatNiagaraFalls。Itwasalmostaslargeasitssuccessor,the\"Colosseum,\"andithadbeenpresentedtoMr。