ThefineoldgentlemanrevealedwhensheopenedthedoorwasprobablythelastgreatmerchantinAmericatowearthechinbeard。Whiteaswhitefrost,itwastrimmedshortwithexquisiteprecision,whilehisupperlipandthelowerexpansesofhischeekswerecleanandrosyfromfreshshaving。Withthistrimwhitechinbeard,thewhitewaistcoat,thewhitetie,thesuitoffinegraycloth,thebroadandbrilliantlypolishedblackshoes,andthewide-brimmedgrayfelthat,herewasamanwhohadfoundhisstyleintheseventiesofthelastcentury,andthenceforthkeptit。Filesofoldmagazinesofthatperiodmightshowhim,inwoodcut,as,\"TypeofBostonMerchant\";Nastmighthavedrawnhimasanhoneststatesman。Hewaseighty,haleandsturdy,notaged;andhisquickblueeyes,stillunflecked,andasbriskasaboy\'s,saweverything。
\"Well,well,well!\"hesaid,heartily。\"Youhaven\'tlostanyofyourgoodlookssincelastweek,Isee,MissAlice,soIguessI\'mtotakeityouhaven\'tbeenworryingoveryourdaddy。Theyoungfeller\'sgettingalongallright,ishe?\"
\"He\'smuchbetter;he\'ssittingup,Mr。Lamb。Won\'tyoucomein?\"
\"Well,Idon\'tknowbutImight。\"Heturnedtocalltowardtwindisksoflightatthecurb,\"Beoutinaminute,Billy\";andthesilhouetteofachauffeurstandingbesideacarcouldbeseentosaluteinresponse,astheoldgentlemansteppedintothehall。
\"Youdon\'tsupposeyourdaddy\'sreceivingcallersyet,ishe?\"
\"He\'sagooddealstrongerthanhewaswhenyouwereherelastweek,butI\'mafraidhe\'snotverypresentable,though。\"
\"\'Presentable?\'\"Theoldmanechoedherjovially。\"Pshaw!I\'veseenlotsofsickfolks。_I_knowwhattheylooklikeandhowtheylovetokindofnestinamongapileofoldblanketsandwrappers。Don\'tyouworryaboutTHAT,MissAlice,ifyouthinkhe\'dliketoseeme。\"
\"Ofcoursehewould——if——\"Alicehesitated;thensaidquickly,\"
Ofcoursehe\'dlovetoseeyouandhe\'squiteableto,ifyoucaretocomeup。\"
Sheranupthestairsaheadofhim,andhadtimetosnatchthecrochetedwrapfromherfather\'sshoulders。Swathedasusual,hewassittingbesideatable,readingtheeveningpaper;butwhenhisemployerappearedinthedoorwayhehalfroseasiftocomeforwardingreeting。
\"Sitstill!\"theoldgentlemanshouted。\"Whatdoyoumean?
Don\'tyouknowyou\'reweakasacat?D\'youthinkamancanbesickaslongasyouhaveandNOTbeweakasacat?WhatyoutryingtodothepolitewithMEfor?\"
Adamsgratefullyprotractedthehandshakethataccompaniedtheseinquiries。\"Thisiscertainlymightyfineofyou,Mr。Lamb,\"hesaid。\"IguessAlicehastoldyouhowmuchourwholefamilyappreciateyourcomingheresoregularlytoseehowthisoldbago\'boneswasgettingalong。Haven\'tyou,Alice?\"
\"Yes,papa,\"shesaid;andturnedtogoout,butLambcheckedher。
\"Stayrighthere,MissAlice;I\'mnotevengoingtositdown。I
knowhowitupsetssickfolkswhenpeopleoutsidethefamilycomeinforthefirsttime。\"
\"Youdon\'tupsetme,\"Adamssaid。\"I\'llfeelalotbetterforgettingaglimpseofyou,Mr。Lamb。\"
Thevisitor\'slaughwashusky,butheartyandre-assuring,likehisvoiceinspeaking。\"That\'sthewayallmyboysblarneyme,MissAlice,\"hesaid。\"TheythinkI\'llmaketheworklighteron\'emiftheycangetmekindofflatteredup。Youjusttellyourdaddyit\'snouse;hedoesn\'tgetonMYsoftside,pretendinghelikestoseemeevenwhenhe\'ssick。\"
\"Oh,I\'mnotsosickanymore,\"Adamssaid。\"Iexpecttobebackinmyplacetendaysfromnowatthelongest。\"
\"Well,now,don\'thurryit,Virgil;don\'thurryit。Youtakeyourtime;takeyourtime。\"
ThisbroughttoAdams\'slipsafeeblesmilenotlackinginakindofvanity,asfeeble。\"Why?\"heasked。\"Isupposeyouthinkmydepartmentrunsitselfdownthere,doyou?\"
Hisemployer\'sresponsewasanotherhuskylaugh。\"Well,well,well!\"hecried,andpattedAdams\'sshoulderwithastrongpinkhand。\"Listentothisyoungfeller,MissAlice,willyou!Hethinkswecan\'tgetalongwithouthimaminute!Yes,sir,thisdaddyofyoursbelievesthewholeworks\'lljusttakeandrundownifheisn\'ttheretokeep\'emwoundup。Ialwayssuspectedhethoughtagooddealofhimself,andnowIknowhedoes!\"
Adamslookedtroubled。\"Well,Idon\'tliketofeelthatmysalary\'sgoingonwithmenotearningit。\"
\"Listentohim,MissAlice!Wouldn\'tyouthink,now,he\'dletmebetheonetoworryaboutthat?Why,onmyword。ifyourdaddyhadhisway,_I_wouldn\'tbeanywhere。He\'dtakeallmyworryingandeverythingelseoffmyshouldersandshovemerightoutofLambandCompany!Hewould!\"
\"ItseemstomeI\'vebeensoldieringonyouaprettylongwhile,Mr。Lamb,\"theconvalescentsaid,querulously。\"Idon\'tfeelrightaboutit;butI\'llbebackintendays。You\'llsee。\"
Theoldmantookhishandinparting。\"Allright;we\'llsee,Virgil。Ofcoursewedoneedyou,seriouslyspeaking;butwedon\'tneedyousobadwe\'llletyoucomedowntherebeforeyou\'refullyfitandable。\"Hewenttothedoor。\"Youhear,MissAlice?That\'swhatIwantedtomaketheoldfellerunderstand,andwhatIwantyoutokindofenforceonhim。Theoldplaceistherewaitingforhim,andit\'dwaittenyearsifittookhimthatlongtogetgoodandwell。Youseethatheremembersit,MissAlice!\"
Shewentdownthestairswithhim,andhecontinuedtoimpressthisuponheruntilhehadgoneoutofthefrontdoor。Andevenafterthat,thehuskyvoicecalledbackfromthedarkness,ashewenttohiscar,\"Don\'tforget,MissAlice;lethimtakehisowntime。Wealwayswanthim,butwewanthimtogetgoodandwellfirst。Good-night,good-night,younglady!\"
Whensheclosedthedoorhermothercamefromthefartherendofthe\"living-room,\"wheretherewasnolight;andAliceturnedtoher。
\"Ican\'thelplikingthatoldman,mama,\"shesaid。\"Healwayssoundsso——well,sosolidandhonestandfriendly!Idolikehim。\"
ButMrs。Adamsfailedinsympathyuponthispoint。\"Hedidn\'tsayanythingaboutraisingyourfather\'ssalary,didhe?\"sheasked,dryly。
\"No。\"
\"No。Ithoughtnot。\"
Shewouldhavesaidmore,butAlice,indisposedtolisten,begantowhistle,ranupthestairs,andwenttositwithherfather。
Shefoundhimbright-eyedwiththeexcitementafirstcallerbringsintoaslowconvalescence:hischeeksshowedactualhintsofcolour;andhewassmilingtremulouslyashefilledandlithispipe。Shebroughtthecrochetedscarfandputitabouthisshouldersagain,thentookachairnearhim。
\"IbelieveseeingMr。Lambdiddoyougood。papa,\"shesaid。
\"Isortofthoughtitmight,andthat\'swhyIlethimcomeup。
Youreallylookalittlelikeyouroldselfagain。\"
Adamsexhaledabreathy\"Ha!\"withthesmokefromhispipeashewavedthematchtoextinguishit。\"That\'sfine,\"hesaid。\"ThesmokeIhadbeforedinnerdidn\'ttastethewayitusedto,andI
kindofwonderedifI\'dlostmylikingfortobacco,butthisoneseemstobeallright。YoubetitdidmegoodtoseeJ。A。
Lamb!He\'sthebiggestmanthat\'severlivedinthistownoreverwilllivehere;andyoucantakealltheGovernorsandSenatorsoranythingthey\'veraisedhere,andput\'eminapotwithhim,andtheywon\'tcomeoutone-two-threealongsideo\'him!
Andtothinkasbigamanasthat,withallhisinterestsandeverythinghe\'sgotonhismind——tothinkhe\'dneverletanythingpreventhimfromcominghereonceeveryweektoaskhowIwasgettingalong,andthenwalkrightupstairsandkindofCALLonme,asitwerewell,itmakesmesortoffeelasifIwasn\'tsomuchofanobody,sotospeak,asyourmotherseemstoliketomakeoutsometimes。\"
\"Howfoolish,papa!OfCOURSEyou\'renot\'anobody。\'\"
Adamschuckledfaintlyuponhispipe-stem,whatvanityhehadseemingtobefurtherstimulatedbyhisdaughter\'sapplause。\"I
guesstherearen\'tawholelotofpeopleinthistownthatcouldclaimJ。A。showedthatmuchinterestin\'em,\"hesaid。\"OfcourseIdon\'tsetuptobelieveit\'sallbecauseofmerit,oranythinglikethat。He\'ddothesameforanybodyelsethat\'dbeenwiththecompanyaslongasIhave,butstillitIS
somethingtobewiththecompanythatlongandhavehimshowheappreciatesit。\"
\"Yes,indeed,itis,papa。\"
\"Yes,sir,\"Adamssaid,reflectively。\"Yes,sir,Iguessthat\'sso。Andbesides,itallgoestoshowthekindofamanheis。
Simonpure,that\'swhatthatmanis,Alice。Simonpure!There\'sneverbeenanybodyworkforhimthatdidn\'trespecthimmorethantheydidanyothermanintheworld,Iguess。Andwhenyouworkforhimyouknowherespectsyou,too。RightfromthestartyougetthefeelingthatJ。A。putsabsoluteconfidenceinyou;andthat\'smightystimulating:itmakesyouwanttoshowhimhehasn\'tmisplacedit。There\'sgreatbigmoralvaluestothewayamanlikehimgetsyoutofeelingaboutyourrelationswiththebusiness:itain\'talljustdollarsandcents——notbyanymeans!\"
Hewassilentforatime,thenreturnedwithincreasingenthusiasmtothistheme,andAlicewasgladtoseesomuchrenewaloflifeinhim;hehadnotspokenwithalikecheerfulvigoursincebeforehisillness。Thevisitofhisidolizedgreatmanhadindeedbeengoodforhim,puttingnewspiritintohim;
andlivelinessofthebodyfollowedthatofthespirit。Hisimprovementcarriedoverthenight:hesleptwellandawokelate,declaringthathewas\"prettynearawellmanandreadyforbusinessrightnow。\"Moreover,havingsleptagainintheafternoon,hedressedandwentdowntodinner,leaningbutlightlyonAlice,whoconductedhim。
\"My!butyouandyourmotherhavebeenatitwithyourscrubbinganddusting!\"hesaid,astheycamethroughthe\"living-room。\"
\"Idon\'tknowIeverdidseethehousesospickandspanbefore!\"
Hisglancefelluponafewcarnationsinavase,andhechuckledadmiringly。\"Flowers,too!SoTHAT\'Swhatyoucoaxedthatdollarandahalfouto\'mefor,thismorning!\"
Otherembellishmentsbroughtforthhiscommentwhenhehadtakenhisoldseatattheheadofthesmalldinner-table。\"Why,I
declare,Alice!\"heexclaimed。\"Ibeensobusylookingatallthespick-and-spanishnessafterthehouse-cleaning,andtheflowersoutintheparlour——\'living-room\'Isupposeyouwantmetocallit,ifIjustGOTtobefashionable——Ibeensobusystudyingoverallthisso-and-so,IdeclareInevernoticedYOU
tillthisminute!My,butyouAREalldressedup!What\'sgoin\'
on?What\'sitabout:yousoalldressedup,andflowersintheparlourandeverything?\"
\"Don\'tyousee,papa?It\'sinhonourofyourcomingdownstairsagain,ofcourse。\"
\"Oh,sothat\'sit,\"hesaid。\"Ineverwould\'a\'thoughtofthat,Iguess。\"
ButWalterlookedsidelongathisfather,andgaveforthhisslyandknowinglaugh。\"NeitherwouldI!\"hesaid。
Adamsliftedhiseyebrowsjocosely。\"You\'rejealous,areyou,sonny?Youdon\'twanttheoldmantothinkouryounglady\'dmakesomuchfussoverhim,doyou?\"
\"Goonthinkin\'it\'soveryou,\"Walterretorted,amused。\"Goonandthinkit。It\'lldoyougood。\"
\"OfcourseI\'llthinkit,\"Adamssaid。\"Itisn\'tanybody\'sbirthday。Certainlythedecorationsareonaccountofmecomingdownstairs。Didn\'tyouhearAlicesayso?\"
\"Sure,Iheardhersayso。\"
\"Well,then——\"
Walterinterruptedhimwithalittlemusic。LookingshrewdlyatAlice,hesang:
\"Iwaswalkin\'outonMondaywithmysweetthing。
She\'smyneatthing,Mysweetthing:
I\'llgoroundonTuesdaynighttoseeher。
Oh,howwe\'llspoon——\"
\"Walter!\"hismothercried。\"WHEREdoyoulearnsuchvulgarsongs?\"However,sheseemednotgreatlydispleasedwithhim,andlaughedasshespoke。
\"Sothat\'sit,Alice!\"saidAdams。\"Playingthehypocritewithyouroldman,areyou?It\'ssomenewbeau,isit?\"
\"Ionlywishitwere,\"shesaid,calmly。\"No。It\'sjustwhatI
said:it\'sallforyou。dear。\"
\"Don\'tletherconyou,\"Walteradvisedhisfather。\"She\'sgotexpectations。Youhangarounddownstairsawhileafterdinnerandyou\'llsee。\"
Buttheprophecyfailed,thoughAdamswenttohisownroomwithoutwaitingtotestit。Noonecame。
Alicestayedinthe\"living-room\"untilhalf-pastnine,whenshewentslowlyupstairs。Hermother,almosttearful,metheratthetop,andwhispered,\"Youmustn\'tmind,dearie。\"
\"Mustn\'tmindwhat?\"Aliceasked,andthen,asshewentonherway,laughedscornfully。\"Whatutternonsense!\"shesaid。
Nextdayshecutthestemsoftheratherscantshowofcarnationsandrefreshedthemwithnewwater。Atdinner,herfather,stillinhighspirits,observedthatshehadagain\"dressedup\"inhonourofhisseconddescentofthestairs;andWalterrepeatedhisfragmentofobjectionablesong;butthesejocularitieswererenderedpointlessbytheeventlesseveningthatfollowed;andinthemorningthecarnationsbegantoappeartarnishedandflaccid。
Alicegavethemalonglook,thenthrewthemaway;andneitherWalternorherfatherwasinspiredtoanyrallyingbyherplaincostumeforthatevening。Mrs。Adamswasvisiblydepressed。
WhenAlicefinishedhelpinghermotherwiththedishes,shewentoutdoorsandsatuponthestepsofthelittlefrontveranda。Thenight,gentlewithwarmairfromthesouth,surroundedherpleasantly,andtheperpetualsmokewasthinner。Nowthatthefurnacesofdwelling-houseswerenolongerfired,lifeinthatcityhadbeguntobelesslikelifeinarailwaytunnel;peoplewereawareofsummerintheair,andinthethickenedfoliageoftheshade-trees,andinthesky。Starswereunveiledbythepassingofthedensersmokefogs,andto-nighttheycouldbeseenclearly;theylookedwarmandnear。OthergirlssatuponverandasandstoopsinAlice\'sstreet,cheerfulasyoungfishermenalongthebanksofastream。
Alicecouldhearthemfromtimetotime;thinsopranospersistentinlaughterthatfelldismallyuponherears。Shehadsetnolinesornetsherself,andwhatshehadof\"expectations,\"asWaltercalledthem,werevanished。ForAlicewasexperienced;
andoneoftheconclusionsshedrewfromherexperiencewasthatwhenamansays,\"I\'dtakeyouforanythingyouwantedmeto,\"hemaymeanitor,hemaynot;but,ifhedoes,hewillnotpostponethefirstopportunitytosaysomethingmore。Littleaffairs,oncebegun,mustbewarmedquickly;foriftheycooltheyaredead。
ButAlicewasnotthinkingofArthurRussell。Whenshetossedawaythecarnationsshelikewisetossedawayherthoughtsofthatyoungman。Shehadbeenlikeaboywhoseesuponthestreet,somedistancebeforehim,abitofsomethingroundandglittering,apossibledime。Hehopesitisadime,and,untilhecomesnearenoughtomakesure,heplaysthatitisadime。
Inhismindhehasanadventurewithit:hebuyssomethingdelightful。Ifhepicksitup,discoveringonlysometin-foilwhichhashappeneduponaroundshape,hefeelsasinking。A
dulnessfallsuponhim。
SoAlicewasdullwiththelossofanadventure;andwhenthelaughterofothergirlsreachedher,intermittently,shehadnotsprightlinessenoughleftinhertobeenviousoftheirgaiety。
Besides,theseneighbourswereineligibleevenforherenvy,beingofanothercaste;theycouldneverknowadanceatthePalmers\',exceptremotely,throughanewspaper。Theirlaughterwasfortheencouragementofsnappyyoungmenofthestoresandofficesdown-town,clerks,bookkeepers,whatnot——someofthemprobablygraduatesofFrincke\'sBusinessCollege。
Then,assherecalledthatdarkportal,withitsdustystairwaymountingbetweenclosewallstodisappearintheuppershadows,herminddrewbackasfromadoorwaytoPurgatory。Nevertheless,itwasapictureofteninherreverie;andsometimesitcamesuddenly,withoutsequence,intothemidstofherotherthoughts,asifitleapedupamongthemfromalowerdarkness;andwhenitarriveditwantedtostay。Soatraveller,stillroamingtheworldafar,sometimesbroodswithoutapparentreasonuponhisfamilyburiallot:\"IwonderifIshallendthere。\"
Theforebodingpassedabruptly,withajerkofherbreath,asthestreet-lamprevealedatallandeasyfigureapproachingfromthenorth,swingingastickintimetoitsstride。ShehadgivenRussellup——andhecame。
\"Whatluckforme!\"heexclaimed。\"Tofindyoualone!\"
Alicegavehimherhandforaninstant,nototherwisemoving。
\"I\'mgladithappenedso,\"shesaid。\"Let\'sstayouthere,shallwe?Doyouthinkit\'stooprovincialtositonagirl\'sfrontstepswithher?\"
\"\'Provincial?\'Why,it\'stheverybestofourinstitutions,\"hereturned,takinghisplacebesideher。\"Atleast,Ithinksoto-night。\"
\"Thanks!Isthatpracticeforothernightssomewhereelse?\"
\"No,\"helaughed。\"Thepracticingallleduptothis。DidI
cometoosoon?\"
\"No,\"shereplied,gravely。\"Justintime!\"
\"I\'mgladtobesoaccurate;I\'vespenttwoeveningswantingtocome,MissAdams,insteadofdoingwhatIwasdoing。\"
\"Whatwasthat?\"
\"Dinners。Largeandlongdinners。Yourfellow-citizensareimmenselyhospitabletoanewcomer。\"
\"Oh,no,\"Alicesaid。\"Wedon\'tdoitforeverybody。Didn\'tyoufindyourselfcharmed?\"
\"Onewasamen\'sdinner,\"heexplained。\"Mr。PalmerseemedtothinkIoughttobeshowntotheprincipalbusinessmen。\"
\"Whatwastheotherdinner?\"
\"MycousinMildredgaveit。\"
\"Oh,DIDshe!\"Alicesaid,sharply,butsherecoveredherselfinthesameinstant,andlaughed。\"Shewantedtoshowyoutotheprincipalbusinesswomen,Isuppose。\"
\"Idon\'tknow。Atallevents,Ishouldn\'tgivemyselfouttobesomuchfetedbyyour\'fellow-citizens,\'afterall,seeingthesewerebothdonebymyrelatives,thePalmers。However,thereareotherstofollow,I\'mafraid。Iwaswondering——Ihopedmaybeyou\'dbecomingtosomeofthem。Aren\'tyou?\"
\"Iratherdoubtit,\"Alicesaid,slowly。\"Mildred\'sdancewasalmosttheonlyeveningI\'vegoneoutsincemyfather\'sillnessbegan。Heseemedbetterthatday;soIwent。Hewasbettertheotherdaywhenhewantedthosecigars。He\'sverymuchupanddown。\"Shepaused。\"I\'dalmostforgottenthatMildredisyourcousin。\"
\"Notaverynearone,\"heexplained。\"Mr。Palmer\'sfatherwasmygreat-uncle。\"
\"Still,ofcourseyouarerelated。\"
\"Yes;thatdistantly。\"
Alicesaidplacidly,\"It\'squiteanadvantage。\"
Heagreed。\"Yes。Itis。\"
\"No,\"shesaid,inthesameplacidtone。\"ImeanforMildred。\"
\"Idon\'tsee——\"
Shelaughed。\"No。Youwouldn\'t。Imeanit\'sanadvantageovertherestofuswhomightliketocompeteforsomeofyourtime;
andtheworstofitiswecan\'taccuseherofbeingunfairaboutit。Wecan\'tprovesheshowedanytrickinessinhavingyouforacousin。Whateverelseshemightplantodowithyou,shedidn\'tplanthat。Sotherestofusmustjustbearit!\"
\"The\'restofyou!\'\"helaughed。\"It\'sgoingtomeanagreatdealofsuffering!\"
Aliceresumedherplacidtone。\"You\'restayingatthePalmers\',aren\'tyou?\"
\"No,notnow。I\'vetakenanapartment。I\'mgoingtolivehere;
I\'mpermanent。Didn\'tItellyou?\"
\"IthinkI\'dheardsomewherethatyouwere,\"shesaid。\"Doyouthinkyou\'lllikelivinghere?\"
\"Howcanonetell?\"
\"IfIwereinyourplaceIthinkIshouldbeabletotell,Mr。
Russell。\"
\"How?\"
\"Why,goodgracious!\"shecried。\"Haven\'tyougotthemostperfectcreatureintownforyour——yourcousin?SHEexpectstomakeyoulikelivinghere,doesn\'tshe?Howcouldyoukeepfromlikingit,evenifyoutriednotto,underthecircumstances?\"
\"Well,yousee,there\'ssuchalotofcircumstances,\"heexplained;\"I\'mnotsureI\'lllikegettingbackintoabusinessagain。Isupposemostofthemenofmyageinthecountryhavebeengoingthroughthesameexperience:theWarleftuswithaconsiderablerestlessnessofspirit。\"
\"YouwereintheWar?\"sheasked,quickly,andasquicklyansweredherself,\"Ofcourseyouwere!\'
\"Iwasaleft-over;theyonlyletmeoutaboutfourmonthsago,\"
hesaid。\"It\'squiteashake-uptryingtosettledownagain。\"
\"YouwereinFrance,then?\"
\"Oh,yes;butIdidn\'tgetuptothefrontmuch——onlytwoorthreetimes,andthenjustforadayorso。Iwasinthetransportationservice。\"
\"Youwereanofficer,ofcourse。\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid。\"TheyletmeplayIwasamajor。\"
\"Iguessedamajor,\"shesaid。\"You\'dalwaysbeprettygrand,ofcourse。\"
Russellwasamused。\"Well,yousee,\"heinformedher,\"asithappened,wehadatleastseveralothermajorsinourarmy。WhywouldIalwaysbesomething\'prettygrand?\'\"
\"You\'rerelatedtothePalmers。Don\'tyounoticetheyalwaysaffecttheprettygrand?\"
\"ThenyouthinkI\'monlyoneoftheiraffectations,Itakeit。\"
\"Yes,youseemtobethemostsuccessfulonethey\'vegot!\"Alicesaid,lightly。\"Youcertainlydobelongtothem。\"Andshelaughedasifatsomethinghiddenfromhim。\"Don\'tyou?\"
\"Butyou\'vejustexcusedmeforthat,\"heprotested。\"Yousaidnobodycouldbeblamedformybeingtheirthirdcousin。Whatacontradictorygirlyouare!\"
Aliceshookherhead。\"Let\'skeepawayfromthekindofgirlI
am。\"
\"No,\"hesaid。\"That\'sjustwhatIcameheretotalkabout。\"
Sheshookherheadagain。\"Let\'skeepfirsttothekindofmanyouare。I\'mgladyouwereintheWar。\"
\"Why?\"
\"Oh,Idon\'tknow。\"Shewasquietamoment,forshewasthinkingthathereshespokethetruth:hisserviceputabouthimalittleglamourthathelpedtopleaseherwithhim。Shehadbeenpleasedwithhimduringtheirwalk;pleasedwithhimonhisownaccount;
andnowthatpleasurewasgrowingkeener。Shelookedathim,andthoughthelightinwhichshesawhimwaslittlemorethanstarlight,shesawthathewaslookingsteadilyatherwithakindlyandsmilingseriousness。Allatonceitseemedtoherthatthenightairwassweetertobreathe,asifadistantfragranceofnewblossomshadbeenblowntoher。Shesmiledbacktohim,andsaid,\"Well,whatkindofmanareyou?\"
\"Idon\'tknow;I\'veoftenwondered,\"hereplied。\"Whatkindofgirlareyou?\"
\"Don\'tyouremember?Itoldyoutheotherday。I\'mjustme!\"
\"Butwhoisthat?\"
\"Youforgeteverything;\"saidAlice。\"YoutoldmewhatkindofagirlIam。Youseemedtothinkyou\'dtakenquiteafancytomefromtheveryfirst。\"
\"SoIdid,\"heagreed,heartily。
\"Buthowquicklyyouforgotit!\"
\"Oh,no。IonlywantYOUtosaywhatkindofagirlyouare。\"
Shemockedhim。\"\'Idon\'tknow;I\'veoftenwondered!\'WhatkindofagirldoesMildredtellyouIam?WhathasshesaidaboutmesinceshetoldyouIwas\'aMissAdams?\'\"
\"Idon\'tknow;Ihaven\'taskedher。\"
\"ThenDON\'Taskher,\"Alicesaid,quickly。
\"Why?\"
\"Becauseshe\'ssuchaperfectcreatureandI\'msuchanimperfectone。Perfectcreatureshavethemostperfectwayofruiningtheimperfectones。\"
\"Butthentheywouldn\'tbeperfect。Notifthey——\"
\"Oh,yes,theyremainperfectlyperfect,\"sheassuredhim。
\"That\'sbecausetheynevergointodetails。They\'renotsovulgarastocomerightoutandTELLthatyou\'vebeeninjailforstealingchickens。Theyjustlookabsent-mindedandsayinalowvoice,\'Oh,very;butIscarcelythinkyou\'dlikeherparticularly\';andthenbegintotalkofsomethingelserightaway。\"
Hissmilehaddisappeared。\"Yes,\"hesaid,somewhatruefully。
\"ThatdoessoundlikeMildred。Youcertainlydoseemtoknowher!Doyouknoweverybodyaswellasthat?\"
\"Notmyself,\"Alicesaid。\"Idon\'tknowmyselfatall。Igottowonderingaboutthat——aboutwhoIwas——theotherdayafteryouwalkedhomewithme。\"
Heutteredanexclamation,andadded,explainingit,\"Youdogiveamanachancetobefatuous,though!Asifitwerewalkinghomewithmethatmadeyouwonderaboutyourself!\"
\"Itwas,\"Aliceinformedhim,coolly。\"IwaswonderingwhatI
wantedtomakeyouthinkofme,incaseIshouldeverhappentoseeyouagain。\"
Thisaudacityappearedtotakehisbreath。\"ByGeorge!\"hecried。
\"Youmustn\'tbeastonished,\"shesaid。\"WhatIdecidedthenwasthatIwouldprobablyneverdaretobejustmyselfwithyou——notifIcaredtohaveyouwanttoseemeagain——andyethereIam,justbeingmyselfafterall!\"
\"YouAREthecheeriestseriesofshocks,\"Russellexclaimed,whereuponAliceaddedtotheseries。
\"Tellme:Isitagoodpolicyformetofollowwithyou?\"sheasked,andhefoundthemockeryinhervoicedelightful。\"Wouldyouadvisemetoofferyoushocksasasortofvacationfromsuavity?\"
\"Suavity\"wasyetanothersketchofMildred;arecognizableone,oritwouldnothavebeenhumorous。InAlice\'shands,sodexterousinthiswork,herstatuesquefriendwasbecomingasridiculousasafinefigureofwaxlefttothemerciesofasatirist。
Butthelivelyyoungsculptressknewbetterthantooverdo:whatshedidmustappeartospringallfrommirth;soshelaughedasifunwillingly,andsaid,\"IMUSTN\'TlaughatMildred!Inthefirstplace,she\'syour——yourcousin。Andinthesecondplace,she\'snotmeanttobefunny;itisn\'trighttolaughatreallysplendidpeoplewhotakethemselvesseriously。Inthethirdplace,youwon\'tcomeagainifIdo。\"
\"Don\'tbesureofthat,\"Russellsaid,\"whateveryoudo。\"
\"\'WhateverIdo?\'\"sheechoed。\"ThatsoundsasifyouthoughtI
COULDbeterrific!Becareful;there\'sonethingIcoulddothatwouldkeepyouaway。\"
\"What\'sthat?\"
\"Icouldtellyounottocome,\"shesaid。\"IwonderifIoughtto。\"
\"Whydoyouwonderifyou\'oughtto?\'\"
\"Don\'tyouguess?\"
\"No。\"
\"Thenlet\'sbothbemysteriestoeachother,\"shesuggested。\"I
mystifyyoubecauseIwonder,andyoumystifymebecauseyoudon\'tguesswhyIwonder。We\'llletitgoatthat,shallwe?\"
\"Verywell;solongasit\'scertainthatyouDON\'Ttellmenottocomeagain。\"
\"I\'llnottellyouthat——yet,\"shesaid。\"Infact——\"Shepaused,reflecting,withherheadtooneside。\"Infact,Iwon\'ttellyounottocome,probably,untilIseethat\'swhatyouwantmetotellyou。I\'llletyououteasily——andI\'llbesuretoseeit。Evenbeforeyoudo,perhaps。\"
\"Thatarrangementsuitsme,\"Russellreturned,andhisvoiceheldnotraceofjocularity:hehadbecomeserious。\"Itsuitsmebetterifyou\'reenoughinearnesttomeanthatIcancome——oh,notwheneverIwantto;Idon\'texpectsomuch!——butifyoumeanthatIcanseeyouprettyoften。\"
\"OfcourseI\'minearnest,\"shesaid。\"ButbeforeIsayyoucancome\'prettyoften,\'I\'dliketoknowhowmuchofmytimeyou\'dneedifyoudidcome\'wheneveryouwantto\';andofcourseyouwouldn\'tdaremakeanyanswertothatquestionexceptone。
Wouldn\'tyouletmehaveThursdaysout?\"
\"No,no,\"heprotested。\"Iwanttoknow。Willyouletmecomeprettyoften?\"
\"Leantowardmealittle,\"Alicesaid。\"Iwantyoutounderstand。\"Andasheobedientlybenthisheadnearhers,sheinclinedtowardhimasiftowhisper;then,inahalf-shout,shecried,\"YES!\"
Heclappedhishands。\"ByGeorge!\"hesaid。\"Whatagirlyouare!\"
\"Why?\"
\"Well,forthefirstreason,becauseyouhavesuchgaietiesasthatone。Ishouldthinkyourfatherwouldactuallylikebeingill,justtobeinthehousewithyouallthetime。\"
\"Youmeanbythat,\"Aliceinquired,\"Ikeepmyfamilycheerfulwithmyamusinglittleways?\"
\"Yes。Don\'tyou?\"
\"Therewereonlyboysinyourfamily,weren\'tthere,Mr。
Russell?\"
\"Iwasanonlychild,unfortunately。\"
\"Yes,\"shesaid。\"Iseeyouhadn\'tanysisters。\"
Foramomenthepuzzledoverhermeaning,thensawit,andwasmoredelightedwithherthanever。\"Icanansweraquestionofyours,now,thatIcouldn\'tawhileago。\"
\"Yes,Iknow,\"shereturned,quietly。
\"Buthowcouldyouknow?\"
\"It\'sthequestionIaskedyouaboutwhetheryouweregoingtolikelivinghere,\"shesaid。\"You\'reabouttotellmethatnowyouknowyouWILLlikeit。\"
\"Moretelepathy!\"heexclaimed。\"Yes,thatwasit,precisely。I
supposethesamething\'sbeensaidtoyousomanytimesthatyou——\"
\"No,ithasn\'t,\"Alicesaid,alittleconfusedforthemoment。
\"Notatall。Imeant——\"Shepaused,thenaskedinagentlevoice,\"Wouldyoureallyliketoknow?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Well,then,Iwasonlyafraidyoudidn\'tmeanit。\"
\"Seehere,\"hesaid。\"Ididmeanit。Itoldyouitwasbeingprettydifficultformetosettledowntothingsagain。Well,it\'smoredifficultthanyouknow,butIthinkIcanpullthroughinfairspiritsifIcanseeagirllikeyou\'prettyoften。\'\"
\"Allright,\"shesaid,inabusiness-liketone。\"I\'vetoldyouthatyoucanifyouwantto。\"
\"Idowantto,\"heassuredher。\"Ido,indeed!\"
\"Howoftenis\'prettyoften,\'Mr。Russell?\"
\"Wouldyouwalkwithmesometimes?To-morrow?\"
\"Sometimes。Notto-morrow。Thedayafter。\"
\"That\'ssplendid!\"hesaid。\"You\'llwalkwithmedayafterto-morrow,andthenightafterthatI\'llseeyouatMissLamb\'sdance,won\'tI?\"
ButthisfellratherchillinglyuponAlice。\"MissLamb\'sdance?
WhichMissLamb?\"sheasked。
\"Idon\'tknow——it\'stheonethat\'sjustcomingoutofmourning。\"
\"Oh,Henrietta——yes。Isherdancesosoon?I\'dforgotten。\"
\"You\'llbethere,won\'tyou?\"heasked。\"Pleasesayyou\'regoing。\"
Alicedidnotrespondatonce,andheurgedheragain:\"Pleasedopromiseyou\'llbethere。\"
\"No,Ican\'tpromiseanything,\"shesaid,slowly。\"Yousee,foronething,papamightnotbewellenough。\"
\"Butifheis?\"saidRussell。\"Ifheisyou\'llsurelycome,won\'tyou?Or,perhaps——\"Hehesitated,thenwentonquickly,\"Idon\'tknowtherulesinthisplaceyet,anddifferentplaceshavedifferentrules;butdoyouhavetohaveachaperone,ordon\'tgirlsjustgotodanceswiththemensometimes?Iftheydo,wouldyou——wouldyouletmetakeyou?\"
Alicewasstartled。\"Goodgracious!\"
\"What\'sthematter?\"
\"Don\'tyouthinkyourrelatives——Aren\'tyouexpectedtogowithMildred——andMrs。Palmer?\"
\"Notnecessarily。Itdoesn\'tmatterwhatImightbeexpectedtodo,\"hesaid。\"Willyougowithme?\"
\"I——No;Icouldn\'t。\"
\"Whynot?\"
\"Ican\'t。I\'mnotgoing。\"
\"Butwhy?\"
\"Papa\'snotreallyanybetter,\"Alicesaid,huskily。\"I\'mtooworriedabouthimtogotoadance。\"Hervoicesoundedemotional,genuinelyenough;therewassomethingalmostlikeasobinit。\"Let\'stalkofotherthings,please。\"
Heacquiescedgently;butMrs。Adams,whohadbeenlisteningtotheconversationattheopenwindow,justoverhead,didnothearhim。ShehadcorrectlyinterpretedthesobinAlice\'svoice,and,tremblingwithsuddenanger,sherosefromherknees,andwentfiercelytoherhusband\'sroom。