Nevertheless,AliceforgotaboutWalterforafewminutes。Sheclosedthedoor,wentintothe\"living-room\"absently,andstaredvaguelyatoneoftheoldbrown-plushrocking-chairsthere。Uponherforeheadwerethelittleshadowsofanapprehensivereverie,andherthoughtsoverlappedoneanotherinafretfuljumble。\"Whatwillhethink?Theseoldchairs——they\'rehideous。I\'llscrubthosesoot-streaksonthecolumns:itwon\'tdoanygood,though。Thatlongcrackinthecolumn——nothingcanhelpit。Whatwillhethinkofpapa?Ihopemamawon\'ttalktoomuch。WhenhethinksofMildred\'shouse,orofHenrietta\'s,oranyof\'em,besidethis——Shesaidshe\'dbuyplentyofroses;thatoughttohelpsome。Nothingcouldbedoneaboutthesehorriblechairs:can\'ttake\'emupintheattic——aroom\'sgottohavechairs!Mighthaverentedsome。No;ifheevercomesagainhe\'dseetheyweren\'there。\'Ifheevercomesagain\'——oh,itwon\'tbeTHATbad!Butitwon\'tbewhatheexpects。I\'mresponsibleforwhatheexpects:heexpectsjustwhattheairsI\'veputonhavemadehimexpect。WhatdidIwanttoposesotohimfor——asifpapawereawealthymanandallthat?WhatWILLhethink?ThephotographoftheColosseum\'sarathergoodthing,though。Ithelpssome——asifwe\'dboughtitinRomeperhaps。Ihopehe\'llthinkso;hebelievesI\'vebeenabroad,ofcourse。Theothernighthesaid,\'YourememberthefeelingyougetintheSainte-Chapelle\'——There\'sanotherlieofmine,notsayingIdidn\'trememberbecauseI\'dneverbeenthere。
Whatmakesmedoit?PapaMUSTwearhiseveningclothes。ButWalter——\"
Withthatsherecalledhermother\'sadmonition,andwentupstairstoWalter\'sdoor。Shetappeduponitwithherfingers。
\"Timetogetup,Walter。Therestofushadbreakfastoverhalfanhourago,andit\'snearlyeighto\'clock。You\'llbelate。
HurrydownandI\'llhavesomecoffeeandtoastreadyforyou。\"
Therecamenosoundfromwithintheroom,sosherappedlouder。
\"Wakeup,Walter!\"
Shecalledandrappedagain,withoutgettinganyresponse,andthen,findingthatthedooryieldedtoher,openeditandwentin。Walterwasnotthere。
Hehadbeenthere,however;hadsleptuponthebed,thoughnotinsidethecovers;andAlicesupposedhemusthavecomehomesolatethathehadbeentoosleepytotakeoffhisclothes。Nearthefootofthebedwasashallowclosetwherehekepthis\"othersuit\"andhiseveningclothes;andthedoorstoodopen,showingabarewall。Nothingwhateverwasinthecloset,andAlicewasrathersurprisedatthisforamoment。\"That\'squeer,\"shemurmured;andthenshedecidedthatwhenhewokehefoundtheclotheshehadsleptin\"somussy\"hehadputonhis\"othersuit,\"andhadgoneoutbeforebreakfastwiththemussedclothestohavethempressed,takinghiseveningthingswiththem。
Satisfiedwiththisexplanation,andfailingtoobservethatitdidnotaccountfortheabsenceofshoesfromtheclosetfloor,shenoddedabsently,\"Yes,thatmustbeit\";and,whenhermotherreturned,toldherthatWalterhadprobablybreakfasteddown-town。Theydidnotdelayoverthis;thecolouredwomanhadarrived,andthebasket\'sdisclosureswereimportant。
\"IstoppedatWorlig\'sonthewayback,\"saidMrs。Adams,flushedwithhurryandexcitement。\"Iboughtacanofcaviarthere。Ithoughtwe\'dhavelittlesandwichesbroughtintothe\'living-room\'beforedinner,thewayyousaidtheydidwhenyouwenttothatdinneratthe——\"
\"ButIthinkthatwastogowithcocktails,mama,andofcoursewehaven\'t——\"
\"No,\"Mrs。Adamssaid。\"Still,Ithinkitwouldbenice。Wecanmakethemlookverydainty,onatray,andthewaitresscanbringthemin。Ithoughtwe\'dhavethesoupalreadyonthetable;andwecanwalkrightoutassoonaswehavethesandwiches,soitwon\'tgetcold。Then,afterthesoup,Malenasaysshecanmakesweetbreadpateswithmushrooms:andforthemeatcoursewe\'llhavelardedfillet。Malena\'sreallyafancycook,youknow,andshesaysshecandoanythinglikethattoperfection。We\'llhavepeaswiththefillet,andpotatoballsandBrusselssprouts。Brusselssproutsarefashionablenow,theytoldmeatmarket。Thenwillcomethechickensalad,andafterthattheice-cream——she\'sgoingtomakeanangel-foodcaketogowithit——andthencoffeeandcrackersandanewkindofcheeseI
gotatWorlig\'s,hesaysisveryfine。\"
Alicewasalarmed。\"Don\'tyouthinkperhapsit\'stoomuch,mama?\"
\"It\'sbettertohavetoomuchthantoolittle,\"hermothersaid,cheerfully。\"Wedon\'twanthimtothinkwe\'rethekindthatskimp。Lordknowswehavetoenough,though,mostofthetime!
Gettheflowersinwater,child。Ibought\'ematmarketbecausethey\'resomuchcheaperthere,butthey\'llkeepfreshandnice。
Youfix\'emanywayyouwant。Hurry!It\'sgottobeabusyday。\"
Shehadboughtthreedozenlittleroses。Alicetookthemandbegantoarrangetheminvases,keepingthestemsseparatedasfaraspossiblesothattheclumpswouldlooklarger。Sheputhalfadozenineachofthreevasesinthe\"living-room,\"placingonevaseonthetableinthecenteroftheroom,andoneateachendofthemantelpiece。Thenshetooktherestoftherosestothedining-room;butshepostponedthearrangementofthemuntilthetableshouldbeset,justbeforedinner。Shewasthoughtful;
planningtodrythestemsandlaythemonthetableclothlikeavineofrosesrunninginadelicatedesign,ifshefoundthatthedozenandahalfshehadleftwereenoughforthat。Iftheyweren\'tshewouldarrangetheminavase。
Shelookedalongtimeatthelittlerosesinthebasinofwater,whereshehadputthem;thenshesighed,andwentawaytoheaviertasks,whilehermotherworkedinthekitchenwithMalena。Alicedustedthe\"living-room\"andthedining-roomvigorously,thoughallthetimewithalookthatgrewmoreandmorepensive;andhavingdustedeverything,shewipedthefurniture;rubbedithard。Afterthat,shewashedthefloorsandthewoodwork。
Emergingfromthekitchenatnoon,Mrs。Adamsfoundherdaughteronhandsandknees,scrubbingthebasesofthecolumnsbetweenthehallandthe\"living-room。\"
\"Now,dearie,\"shesaid,\"youmustn\'ttireyourselfout,andyou\'dbettercomeandeatsomething。Yourfathersaidhe\'dgetabitedown-townto-day——hewasgoingdowntothebank——andWaltereatsdown-townallthetimelately,soIthoughtwewouldn\'tbothertosetthetableforlunch。Comeonandwe\'llhavesomethinginthekitchen。\"
\"No,\"Alicesaid,dully,asshewentonwithhework。\"Idon\'twantanything。\"
Hermothercameclosertoher。\"Why,what\'sthematter?\"sheasked,briskly。\"Youseemkindofpale,tome;andyoudon\'tlook——youdon\'tlookHAPPY。\"
\"Well——\"Alicebegan,uncertainly,butsaidnomore。
\"Seehere!\"Mrs。Adamsexclaimed。\"Thisisalljustforyou!
YououghttobeENJOYINGit。Why,it\'sthefirsttimewe\'ve——we\'veentertainedinIdon\'tknowhowlong!Iguessit\'salmostsincewehadthatlittlepartywhenyouwereeighteen。
What\'sthematterwithyou?\"
\"Nothing。Idon\'tknow。\"
\"But,dearie,aren\'tyoulookingFORWARDtothisevening?\"
Thegirllookedup,showingapallidandsolemnface。\"Oh,yes,ofcourse,\"shesaid,andtriedtosmile。\"Ofcoursewehadtodoit——Idothinkit\'llbenice。OfcourseI\'mlookingforwardtoit。\"
CHAPTERXX
Shewasindeed\"lookingforward\"tothatevening,butinacloudofapprehension;and,althoughshecouldneverhaveguessedit,thiswasthesimultaneousconditionofanotherperson——noneotherthantheguestforwhosepleasuresomuchcookingandscrubbingseemedtobenecessary。Moreover,Mr。ArthurRussell\'spremonitionswerenoproductofmerecoincidence;neitherhadanymagicalsympathyproducedthem。Hisstateofmindwasrathertheresultofrougherundercurrentswhichhadallthetimebeenrunningbeneaththesurfaceofaromanticfriendship。
Nevershrewderthanwhensheanalyzedthegentlemen,Alicedidnotlibelhimwhenshesaidhewasoneofthosequietmenwhoareabitflirtatious,bywhichshemeantthathewasabit\"susceptible,\"thesamething——andhehadprovedhimselfsusceptibletoAliceuponhisfirstsightofher。\"There!\"hesaidtohimself。\"Who\'sthat?\"Andinthecrowdofgirlsathiscousin\'sdance,allstrangerstohim,shewastheonehewantedtoknow。
Sincethen,hissummereveningswithherhadbeenassecludedasif,forthreehoursafterthefallingofdusk,theytwohaddrawnapartfromtheworldtosomedearboweroftheirown。Thelittleverandawasthatglamorousnook,withafaintgoldenlightfallingthroughtheglassofthecloseddooruponAlice,anddarknesselsewhere,exceptfortheoneroundglobeofthestreetlampatthecorner。Thepeoplewhopassedalongthesidewalk,nowandthen,wereonlyshadowswithvoices,movingvaguelyunderthemapletreesthatloomedinobscurecontoursagainstthestars。So,asthetwosattogether,thebackoftheworldwasthewallandcloseddoorbehindthem;andRussell,whenhewasawayfromAlice,alwaysthoughtofherassittingtherebeforethecloseddoor。Aglamourwasaboutherthus,andaspelluponhim;buthehadaformlessanxietyneverputintowords:allthepicturesofherinhismindstoppedatthecloseddoor。
Hehadanotheranxiety;and,forthegreaterpart,thiswasofherowncreating。Shehadtoooftenaskedhimnomatterhowgailywhatheheardabouther,toooftenbeggedhimnottohearanything。Then,hopingtoforestallwhateverhemighthear,shehadbeenattoogreatpainstoaccountforit,todiscreditandmockit;and,thoughhelaughedatherforthis,tellinghertruthfullyhedidnotevenhearhermentioned,theeverlastingironythatdealswithallsuchhumanforefendingsprevailed。
Lately,hehadhalfconfessedtoherwhatanervousnessshehadproduced。\"YoumakemedreadthedaywhenI\'llhearsomebodyspeakingofyou。You\'regettingmesoupsetaboutitthatifI
everhearanybodysomuchassaythename\'AliceAdams,\'I\'llrun!\"Theconfessionwasbuthalfofonebecausehelaughed;andshetookitforanassuranceofloyaltyintheformofburlesque。
Shemisunderstood:helaughed,buthisnervousnesswasgenuine。
Afteranystrokeofevents,whetherahappyoneoracatastrophe,weseethatthematerialsforitwerealongtimegathering,andtheonlymarvelisthatthestrokewasnotprophesied。Whatboretheairoffatalcoincidencemayremainfatalindeed,tothislaterview;but,withthehaphazardaspectdispelled,thereisleftforscrutinythesameancienthintfromtheInfinitetotheeffectthatsinceeventshaveneveryetfailedtobelaw-abiding,perhapsitwerewellforustodeducethattheywillcontinuetobesountilfurthernotice……OnthedaythatwastoopenthecloseddoorinthebackgroundofhispicturesofAlice,Russelllunchedwithhisrelatives。Therewerebutthefourpeople,RussellandMildredandhermotherandfather,inthegreat,cooldining-room。
ArchedFrenchwindows,shadedbyawnings,admittedamellowlightandlookedoutuponagreenlawnendinginalongconservatory,whichrevealedthroughitsglasspanesacarnivalofplantsinluxuriantblossom。Fromhisseatatthetable,Russellglancedoutatthisprettydisplay,andinformedhiscousinsthathewassurprised。\"Youhavesuchagloriousspreadofflowersalloverthehouse,\"hesaid,\"Ididn\'tsupposeyou\'dhaveanyleftoutyonder。Infact,Ididn\'tknowthereweresomanysplendidflowersintheworld。\"
Mrs。Palmer,large,calm,fair,likeherdaughter,respondedwithamildreproach:\"That\'sbecauseyouhaven\'tbeencousinlyenoughtogetusedtothem,Arthur。You\'vealmosttaughtustoforgetwhatyoulooklike。\"
IndefenseRussellwavedahandtowardherhusband。\"Yousee,he\'sbeguntokeepmesohardatwork——\"
ButMr。Palmerdeclinedtheresponsibility。\"Uptofourorfiveintheafternoon,perhaps,\"hesaid。\"Afterthat,theyounggentlemanisasmuchastrangertomeasheistomyfamily。
I\'vebeenwonderingwhoshecouldbe。\"
\"Whenaman\'spreoccupiedtheremustbealadythen?\"Russellinquired。
\"Thatseemstobetheviewofyoursex,\"Mrs;Palmersuggested。
\"Itwasmyhusbandwhosaidit,notMildredorI。\"
Mildredsmiledfaintly。\"Papamaybesingularinhisideas;theymaycomeentirelyfromhisownexperience,andhavenothingtodowithArthur。\"
\"Thankyou,Mildred,\"hercousinsaid,bowingtohergratefully。
\"Youseemtounderstandmycharacter——andyourfather\'squiteaswell!\"
However,Mildredremainedgraveinthefaceofthiscustomarypleasantry,notbecausetheoldjest,wornround,likewhatprecededit,rolledinanoldgroove,butbecauseofsomepreoccupationofherown。Herfaintsmilehaddisappeared,and,ashercousin\'sglancemethers,shelookeddown;yetnotbeforehehadseeninhereyestheflickerofsomethinglikeaquestion——aquestionbothpoignantanddismayed。Hemayhaveunderstoodit;forhisownsmilevanishedatonceinfavourofareciprocalsolemnity。
\"Yousee,Arthur,\"Mrs。Palmersaid,\"Mildredisalwaysagoodcousin。SheandIstandbyyou,evenifyoudostayawayfromusforweeksandweeks。\"Then,observingthatheappearedtobesooccupiedwithabunchoficedgrapesuponhisplatethathehadnotheardher,shebegantotalktoherhusband,askinghimwhatwas\"goingondown-town。\"
Arthurcontinuedtoeathisgrapes,butheventuredtolookagainatMildredafterafewmoments。She,also,appearedtobeoccupiedwithabunchofgrapesthoughsheatenone,andonlypulledthemfromtheirstems。Shesatstraight,herfeaturesascomposedandpureasthoseofanewmarblesaintinacathedralniche;yetherdowncasteyesseemedtoconcealmanythoughts;andhercousin,againsthiswill,wasmoreawareofwhatthesethoughtsmightbethanoftheleisurelyconversationbetweenherfatherandmother。Allatonce,however,heheardsomethingthatstartledhim,andhelistened——andherewastheeffectofallAlice\'sforefendings;helistenedfromthefirstwithasinkingheart。
Mr。Palmer,mildlyamusedbywhathewastellinghiswife,hadjustspokenthewords,\"thisVirgilAdams。\"Whathehadsaidwas,\"thisVirgilAdams——that\'stheman\'sname。Queercase。\"
\"Whotoldyou?\"Mrs。Palmerinquired,notmuchinterested。
\"AlfredLamb,\"herhusbandanswered。\"Hewaslaughingabouthisfather,attheclub。Youseetheoldgentlemantakesagreatprideinhisjudgmentofmen,andalwaysboastedtohissonsthathe\'dneverinhislifemadeamistakeintrustingthewrongman。
NowAlfredandJamesAlbert,Junior,thinktheyhaveagreatjokeonhim;andthey\'vetwittedhimsomuchaboutithe\'llscarcelyspeaktothem。Fromthefirst,Alfredsays,theoldchap\'sonlyreparteewas,\'Youwaitandyou\'llsee!\'Andthey\'veaskedhimsooftentoshowthemwhatthey\'regoingtoseethathewon\'tsayanythingatall!\"
\"He\'safunnyoldfellow,\"Mrs。Palmerobserved。\"Buthe\'ssoshrewdIcan\'timaginehisbeingdeceivedforsuchalongtime。
Twentyyears,yousaid?\"
\"Yes,longerthanthat,Iunderstand。Itappearswhenthisman——thisAdams——wasayoungclerk,theoldgentlemantrustedhimwithoneofhisbusinesssecrets,aglueprocessthatMr。Lambhadspentsomemoneytogetholdof。TheoldchapthoughtthisAdamswasgoingtohavequiteafuturewiththeLambconcern,andofcourseneverdreamedhewasdishonest。AlfredsaysthisAdamshasn\'tbeenofanyrealuseforyears,andtheyshouldhavelethimgoasdeadwood,buttheoldgentlemanwouldn\'thearofit,andinsistedonhisbeingkeptonthepayroll;sotheyjustdecidedtolookonitasasortofpension。Well,onemorninglastMarchthemanhadanattackofsomesortdownthere,andMr。
Lambgothisowncaroutandwenthomewithhim,himself,andworriedabouthimandwenttoseehimnoend,allthetimehewasill。\"
\"Hewould,\"Mrs。Palmersaid,approvingly。\"He\'sakind-heartedcreature,thatoldman。\"
Herhusbandlaughed。\"Alfredsayshethinkshiskind-heartednessisaboutcured!Itseemsthatassoonasthemangotwellagainhedeliberatelywalkedoffwiththeoldgentleman\'sgluesecret。
Justcalmlystoleit!Alfredsayshebelievesthatifhehadastrokeintheofficenow,himself,hisfatherwouldn\'tliftafingertohelphim!\"
Mrs。Palmerrepeatedthenametoherselfthoughtfully。
\"\'Adams\'——\'VirgilAdams。\'YousaidhisnamewasVirgilAdams?\"
\"Yes。\"
Shelookedatherdaughter。\"Why,youknowwhothatis,Mildred,\"shesaid,casually。\"It\'sthatAliceAdams\'sfather,isn\'tit?Wasn\'thisnameVirgilAdams?\"
\"Ithinkitis,\"Mildredsaid。
Mrs。Palmerturnedtowardherhusband。\"You\'veseenthisAliceAdamshere。Mr。Lamb\'spetswindlermustbeherfather。\"
Mr。Palmerpassedasmoothhandoverhisneatgrayhair,whichwasnotdisturbedbythisefforttostimulaterecollection。\"Oh,yes,\"hesaid。\"Ofcourse——certainly。Quiteagood-lookinggirl——oneofMildred\'sfriends。Howqueer!\"
Mildredlookedup,asifinalittlealarm,butdidnotspeak。
Hermothersetmattersstraight。\"FathersAREamusing,\"shesaidsmilinglytoRussell,whowaslookingather,thoughhowfixedlyshedidnotnotice;forsheturnedfromhimatoncetoenlightenherhusband。\"EverygirlwhomeetsMildred,andtriestopushtheacquaintancebycominghereuntilthepoorchildhastohide,isn\'taFRIENDofhers,mydear!\"
Mildred\'seyesweredowncastagain,andafaintcolourroseinhercheeks。\"Oh,Ishouldn\'tputitquitethatwayaboutAliceAdams,\"shesaid,inalowvoice。\"Isawsomethingofherforatime。She\'snotunattractiveinaway。\"
Mrs。PalmersettledthewholecaseofAlicecarelessly。\"A
pushingsortofgirl,\"shesaid。\"Averypushinglittleperson。\"
\"I——\"Mildredbegan;and,afterhesitating,concluded,\"I
ratherdroppedher。\"
\"Fortunateyou\'vedoneso,\"herfatherremarked,cheerfully。
\"EspeciallysincevariousmembersoftheLambconnectionareherefrequently。Theymightn\'tthinkyou\'dshowgreattactinhavingherabouttheplace。\"Helaughed,andturnedtohiscousin。
\"Allthisisn\'tveryinterestingtopoorArthur。Howterriblepeoplearewithanewcomerinatown;theytalkasifheknewallabouteverybody!\"
\"Butwedon\'tknowanythingaboutthesequeerpeople,ourselves,\"
saidMrs。Palmer。\"Weknowsomethingaboutthegirl,ofcourse——sheusedtobeabittooconspicuous,infact!However,asyousay,wemightfindasubjectmoreinterestingforArthur。\"
Shesmiledwhimsicallyupontheyoungman。\"Tellthetruth,\"shesaid。\"Don\'tyoufairlydetestgoingintobusinesswiththattyrantyonder?\"
\"What?Yes——Ibegyourpardon!\"hestammered。
\"Youwereright,\"Mrs。Palmersaidtoherhusband。\"You\'veboredhimso,talkingaboutthievishclerks,hecan\'tevenansweranhonestquestion。\"
ButRussellwasbeginningtorecoverhisoutwardcomposure。\"Trymeagain,\"hesaid。\"I\'mafraidIwasthinkingofsomethingelse。\"
Thiswasthebesthefoundtosay。Therewasapartofhimthatwantedtoprotestanddeny,buthehadnotheatenough,inthechillthathadcomeuponhim。Herewasthefirst\"mention\"ofAlice,andwithitthereasonwhyitwasthefirst:Mr。Palmerhaddifficultyinrecallingher,andshehappenedtobespokenof,onlybecauseherfather\'sbetrayalofabenefactor\'strusthadbeensopeculiarlyatrociousthat,intheviewofthebenefactor\'sfamily,itcontainedenoughoftheelementofhumourtowarrantamildlaughataclub。Therewasthedeadlinessofthestory:itslackofmalice,evenofresentment。DeadlierstillwereMrs。Palmer\'sphrases:\"apushingsortofgirl,\"\"averypushinglittleperson,\"and\"usedtobeabitTOO
conspicuous,infact。\"Butshespokeplacidlyandbychance;
beingasobviouslywithoutunkindlymotiveasMr。PalmerwaswhenherelatedthecauseofAlfredLamb\'samusement。Heropinionoftheobscureyoungladymomentarilyhertopichadbeenexpressed,moreover,toherhusband,andatherowntable。Shesatthere,large,kind,serene——aprotestmightastonishbutcouldnotchangeher;andRussell,crumplinginhisstrainedfingersthelace-edgedlittlewebofanapkinonhisknee,foundheartenoughtogrowred,butnotenoughtochallengeher。
Shenoticedhiscolour,andattributedittotheembarrassmentofascrupulouslygallantgentlemancaughtinalapseofattentiontoalady。\"Don\'tbedisturbed,\"shesaid,benevolently。
\"Peoplearen\'texpectedtolistenallthetimetotheirrelatives。Ahighcolour\'sverybecomingtoyou,Arthur;butitreallyisn\'tnecessarybetweencousins。Youcanalwaysbeinformalenoughwithustolistenonlywhenyoucareto。\"
Hiscomplexioncontinuedtoberuddierthanusual,however,throughoutthemeal,andwasstillsomewhattintedwhenMrs。
Palmerrose。\"Theman\'sbringingyoucigaretteshere,\"shesaid,noddingtothetwogentlemen。\"We\'llgiveyouachancetodothesordidkindoftalkingweknowyoureallylike。Afterwhile,Mildredwillshowyouwhat\'sinbloominthehothouse,ifyouwish,Arthur。\"
Mildredfollowedher,and,whentheywerealoneinanotherofthespaciousrooms,wenttoawindowandlookedout,whilehermotherseatedherselfnearthecenteroftheroominagiltarmchair,mellowedwitholdAubussontapestry。Mrs。Palmerlookedthoughtfullyatherdaughter\'sback,butdidnotspeaktoheruntilcoffeehadbeenbroughtforthem。
\"Thanks,\"Mildredsaid,notturning,\"Idon\'tcareforanycoffee,Ibelieve。\"
\"No?\"Mrs。Palmersaid,gently。\"I\'mafraidourgood-lookingcousinwon\'tthinkyou\'reverytalkative,Mildred。Youspokeonlyabouttwiceatlunch。Ishouldn\'tcareforhimtogettheideayou\'repiquedbecausehe\'scomeheresolittlelately,shouldyou?\"
\"No,Ishouldn\'t,\"Mildredansweredinalowvoice,andwiththatsheturnedquickly,andcametositnearhermother。\"Butit\'swhatIamafraidof!Mama,didyounoticehowredhegot?\"
\"Youmeanwhenhewascaughtnotlisteningtoaquestionofmine?
Yes;it\'sverybecomingtohim。\"
\"Mama,Idon\'tthinkthatwasthereason。Idon\'tthinkitwasbecausehewasn\'tlistening,Imean。\"
\"No?\"
\"Ithinkhiscolourandhisnotlisteningcamefromthesamereason,\"Mildredsaid,andalthoughshehadcometositnearhermother,shedidnotlookather。\"Ithinkithappenedbecauseyouandpapa——\"Shestopped。
\"Yes?\"Mrs。Palmersaid,good-naturedly,toprompther。\"YourfatherandIdidsomethingembarrassing?\"
\"Mama,itwasbecauseofthosethingsthatcameoutaboutAliceAdams。\"
\"HowcouldthatbotherArthur?Doesheknowher?\"
\"Don\'tyouremember?\"thedaughterasked。\"ThedayaftermydanceImentionedhowoddIthoughtitwasinhim——Iwasalittledisappointedinhim。I\'dbeenseeingthathemeteverybody,ofcourse,butshewastheonlygirlHEaskedtomeet;andhediditassoonashenoticedher。Ihadn\'tmeanttohavehimmeether——infact,IwasrathersorryI\'dfeltIhadtoaskher,becausesheoh,well,she\'sthesortthat\'triesforthenewman,\'ifshehashalfachance;andsometimestheyseemquitefascinated——foratime,thatis。IthoughtArthurwasaboveallthat;orattheveryleastIgavehimcreditforbeingtoosophisticated。\"
\"Isee,\"Mrs。Palmersaid,thoughtfully。\"Iremembernowthatyouspokeofit。Yousaiditseemedalittlepeculiar,butofcourseitreallywasn\'t:a\'newman\'hasnothingtogoby,excepthisownfirstimpressions。Youcan\'tblamepoorArthur——she\'squiteapiquantlookinglittleperson。Youthinkhe\'sseensomethingofhersincethen?\"
Mildrednoddedslowly。\"Ineverdreamedsuchathingtillyesterday,andeventhenIratherdoubtedit——tillhegotsored,justnow!Iwassurprisedwhenheaskedtomeether,buthejustdancedwithheronceanddidn\'tmentionherafterward;Iforgotallaboutit——infact,IvirtuallyforgotallaboutHER。I\'dseenquitealittleofher——\"
\"Yes,\"saidMrs。Palmer。\"Shedidkeepcominghere!\"
\"ButI\'djustaboutdecidedthatitreallywouldn\'tdo,\"Mildredwenton。\"Sheisn\'t——well,Ididn\'tadmireher。\"
\"No,\"hermotherassented,andevidentlyfollowedadirectconnectionofthoughtinaspeechapparentlyirrelevant。\"I
understandtheyoungMalonewantstomarryHenrietta。Ihopeshewon\'t;heseemsratheragrosstypeofperson。\"
\"Oh,he\'sjustone,\"Mildredsaid。\"Idon\'tknowthatheandAliceAdamswereeverengaged——shenevertoldmeso。Shemaynothavebeenengagedtoanyofthem;shewasjustenoughamongtheothergirlstogettalkedabout——andoneofthereasonsIfeltalittleinclinedtobenicetoherwasthattheyseemedtoberatheredgingheroutofthecircle。Itwasn\'tlongbeforeIsawtheywereright,though。IhappenedtomentionIwasgoingtogiveadanceandshepretendedtotakeitasamatterofcoursethatImeanttoinviteherbrother——atleast,Ithoughtshepretended;shemayhavereallybelievedit。Atanyrate,Ihadtosendhimacard;butIdidn\'tintendtobeletinforthatsortofthingagain,ofcourse。She\'swhatyousaid,\'pushing\';
thoughI\'mawfullysorryyousaidit。\"
\"Whyshouldn\'tIhavesaidit,mydear?\"
\"OfcourseIdidn\'tsay\'shouldn\'t。\'\"Mildredexplained,gravely。\"ImeantonlythatI\'msorryithappened。\"
\"Yes;butwhy?\"
\"Mama\"——Mildredturnedtoher,leaningforwardandspeakinginaloweredvoice——\"Mama,atfirstthechangewassolittleitseemedasifArthurhardlyknewithimself。He\'dbeenlovelytomealways,andhewasstilllovelytomebut——oh,well,you\'veunderstood——aftermydanceitwasmoreasifitwasjusthisnatureandhistrainingtobelovelytome,ashewouldbetoeveryoneakindofpoliteness。He\'dneversaidheCAREDforme,butafterthatIcouldseehedidn\'t。Itwasclear——afterthat。
Ididn\'tknowwhathadhappened;Icouldn\'tthinkofanythingI\'ddone。Mama——itwasAliceAdams。\"
Mrs。Palmersetherlittlecoffee-cupuponthetablebesideher,calmlyfollowingherownmotionwithhereyes,andnotseemingtorealizewithwhatseriousentreatyherdaughter\'sgazewasfixeduponher。Mildredrepeatedthelastsentenceofherrevelation,andintroducedastressofinsistence。
\"Mama,itWASAliceAdams!\"
ButMrs。Palmerdeclinedtobegreatlyimpressed,sofarasherappearancewent,atleast;andtoemphasizeherrefusal,shesmiledindulgently。\"Whatmakesyouthinkso?\"
\"Henriettatoldmeyesterday。\"
AtthisMrs。Palmerpermittedherselftolaughsoftlyaloud。
\"Goodheavens!IsHenriettaasoothsayer?OrissheArthur\'sparticularconfidante?\"
\"No。EllaDowlingtoldher。\"
Mrs。Palmer\'slaughtercontinued。\"Nowwehaveit!\"sheexclaimed。\"It\'sagameofgossip:ArthurtellsElla,EllatellsHenrietta,andHenriettatells——\"
\"Don\'tlaugh,please,mama,\"Mildredbegged。\"OfcourseArthurdidn\'ttellanybody。It\'sroundaboutenough,butit\'strue。I
knowit!Ihadn\'tquitebelievedit,butIknewitwastruewhenhegotsored。Helooked——oh,forasecondorsohelooked——stricken!HethoughtIdidn\'tnoticeit。Mama,he\'sbeentoseeheralmosteveryeveninglately。Theytakelongwalkstogether。That\'swhyhehasn\'tbeenhere。\"
OfMrs。Palmer\'slaughtertherewasleftonlyherindulgentsmile,whichshehadnotallowedtovanish。\"Well,whatofit?\"
shesaid。
\"Mama!\"
\"Yes,\"saidMrs。Palmer。\"Whatofit?\"
\"Butdon\'tyousee?\"Mildred\'swell-tutoredvoice,thoughmodulatedandrepressedeveninherpresentemotion,neverthelesshadatendencytoquaver。\"It\'strue。FrankDowlingwasgoingtoseeheroneeveningandhesawArthursittingonthestoopwithher,anddidn\'tgoin。AndEllausedtogotoschoolwithagirlwholivesacrossthestreetfromhere。ShetoldElla——\"
\"Oh,Iunderstand,\"Mrs。Palmerinterrupted。\"Supposehedoesgothere。Mydear,Isaid,\'Whatofit?\'\"
\"Idon\'tseewhatyoumean,mama。I\'msoafraidhemightthinkweknewaboutit,andthatyouandpapasaidthosethingsaboutherandherfatheronthataccount——asifweabusedthembecausehegoesthereinsteadofcominghere。\"
\"Nonsense!\"Mrs。Palmerrose,wenttoawindow,and,turningthere,stoodwithherbacktoit,facingherdaughterandlookingathercheerfully。\"Nonsense,mydear!Itwasperfectlyclearthatshewasmentionedbyaccident,andsowasherfather。Whatanextraordinaryman!IfArthurmakesfriendswithpeoplelikethat,hecertainlyknowsbetterthantoexpecttohearfavourableopinionsofthem。Besides,it\'sonlyalittlepassingthingwithhim。\"
\"Mama!Whenhegoestherealmostevery——\"
\"Yes,\"Mrs。Palmersaid,dryly。\"ItseemstomeI\'veheardsomewherethatotheryoungmenhavegonethere\'almostevery!\'
Shedoesn\'tlast,apparently。Arthur\'sgallant,andhe\'simpressionable——buthe\'sfastidious,andfastidiousnessisalwaysthecheckonimpressionableness。Agirlbelongstoherfamily,too——andthisonedoesespecially,itstrikesme!
Arthur\'sverysensible;heseesmorethanyou\'dthink。\"
Mildredlookedatherhopefully。\"Thenyoudon\'tbelievehe\'slikelytoimaginewesaidthosethingsofherinanymeaningway?\"
Atthis,Mrs。Palmerlaughedagain。\"There\'sonethingyouseemnottohavenoticed,Mildred。\"
\"What\'sthat?\"
\"Itseemstohaveescapedyourattentionthatheneversaidaword。\"
\"Mightn\'tthatmean——?\"Mildredbegan,butshestopped。
\"No,itmightn\'t,\"hermotherreplied,comprehendingeasily。\"Onthecontrary,itmightmeanthatinsteadofhisfeelingittoodeeplytospeak,hewasgettingalittleillumination。\"
Mildredroseandcametoher。\"WHYdoyousupposehenevertoldushewentthere?Doyouthinkhe\'s——doyouthinkhe\'spleasedwithher,andyetashamedofit?WHYdoyousupposehe\'sneverspokenofit?\"
\"Ah,that,\"Mrs。Palmersaid,——\"thatmightpossiblybeherowndoing。Ifitis,she\'swellpaidbywhatyourfatherandIsaid,becausewewouldn\'thavesaiditifwe\'dknownthatArthur——\"
Shecheckedherselfquickly。Lookingoverherdaughter\'sshoulder,shesawthetwogentlemencomingfromthecorridortowardthewidedoorwayoftheroom;andshegreetedthemcheerfully。\"Ifyou\'vefinishedwitheachotherforawhile,\"
sheadded,\"Arthurmayfinditarelieftoputhisthoughtsonsomethingprettierthanatrustcompany——andmorefragrant。\"
ArthurcametoMildred。
\"Yourmothersaidatlunchthatperhapsyou\'d——\"
\"Ididn\'tsay\'perhaps,\'Arthur,\"Mrs。Palmerinterrupted,tocorrecthim。\"Isaidshewould。Ifyoucaretoseeandsmellthoselovelythingsoutyonder,she\'llshowthemtoyou。Runalong,children!\"
Halfanhourlater,glancingfromawindow,shesawthemcomefromthehothousesandslowlycrossthelawn。Arthurhadafineroseinhisbuttonholeandlookedprofoundlythoughtful。
CHAPTERXXI
Thatmorningandnoonhadbeenwarm,thoughthestirringsofafeeblebreezemadeweathernotflagrantlyintemperate;butataboutthreeo\'clockintheafternoontherecameoutofthesouthwestaheatlikeanafflictionsentuponanaccursedpeople,andtheairwassoondeadofit。Drippingnegroditch-diggerswhoopedwithsatirespraisinghellandhotweather,asthetossingshovelsflickereduptothestreetlevel,wheresluggishmalepedestrianscarriedcoatsuponhotarms,andfannedthemselveswithstrawhats,or,remainingcovered,woresoakedhandkerchiefsbetweenscalpandstraw。Clerksdroopedinsilent,bigdepartmentstores,stenographersinofficeskeptasclosetoelectricfansastheinterveningbulkoftheiremployerswouldletthem;guestsinhotelsleftthelobbiesandwenttolieuncladupontheirbeds;whileinhospitalsthepatientsmurmuredquerulouslyagainsttheheat,andperhapsagainstsomenoisymotoristwhostrovetofeeltheairbysplittingit,nottroubledbyanyfore-bodingthathe,too,thathournextweek,mightneedquietnearahospital。The\"hotspell\"wasatruespell,oneuponmen\'sspirits;foritwassohotthat,insuburbanoutskirts,golferscreptslowlybackoverthelowundulationsoftheirclublands,abandoningtheirmatchesandreturningtoshelter。
Evenonsuchaday,sizzlingworkhadtobedone,asinwinter。
Therewereglowingfurnacestobestoked,liquidmetalstobepoured;butsuchtasksfoundseasonedmenstandingtothem;andinallthecityprobablynobravesoulchallengedtheheatmoregamelythanMrs。Adamsdid,when,inacornerofhersmallandfierykitchen,wherealldaylongherhiredAfricanimmunecookedfiercely,shepressedherhusband\'seveningclotheswithahotiron。Nodoubtsheriskedherlife,butsheriskeditcheerfullyinsogoodandnecessaryaserviceforhim。Shewouldhavegivenherlifeforhimatanytime,andbothhisandherownforherchildren。
Unconsciousofherownheroism,shewassurprisedtofindherselfratherfaintwhenshefinishedherironing。However,shetookhearttobelievethattheclotheslookedbetter,inspiteofoneortwoscorchedplaces;andshecarriedthemupstairstoherhusband\'sroombeforeincreasingblindnessforcedhertogropeforthenearestchair。Then,tryingtoriseandwalk,withouthavingsufficientlyrecovered,shehadtositdownagain;butafteralittlewhileshewasabletogetuponherfeet;and,keepingherhandagainstthewall,movedsuccessfullytothedoorofherownroom。Hereshewavered;mighthavegonedown,hadshenotbeenstimulatedbythethoughtofhowmuchdependeduponher;——shemadeafinalgreateffort,andflounderedacrosstheroomtoherbureau,whereshekeptsomesimplerestoratives。
Theyservedherneed,orherfaithinthemdid;andshereturnedtoherwork。
Shewentdownthestairs,keepingastilltremuloushandupontherail;butshesmiledbrightlywhenAlicelookedupfrombelow,wherethewoodworkwasagainbeingtormentedwithsuperfluousattentions。
\"Alice,DON\'T!\"hermothersaid,commiseratingly。\"Youdidallthatthismorninganditlookslovely。What\'stheuseofwearingyourselfoutonit?Yououghttobelyingdown,so\'stolookfreshforto-night。\"
\"Hadn\'tyoubetterliedownyourself?\"thedaughterreturned。
\"Areyouill,mama?\"
\"Certainlynot。Whatintheworldmakesyouthinkso?\"
\"Youlookprettypale,\"Alicesaid,andsighedheavily。\"Itmakesmeashamed,havingyouworksohard——forme。\"
\"Howfoolish!Ithinkit\'sfun,gettingreadytoentertainalittleagain,likethis。Ionlywishithadn\'tturnedsohot:
I\'mafraidyourpoorfather\'llsuffer——histhingsareprettyheavy,Inoticed。Well,it\'lldohimgoodtobearsomethingforstyle\'ssakethisonce,anyhow!\"Shelaughed,andcomingtoAlice,bentdownandkissedher。\"Dearie,\"shesaid,tenderly,\"wouldn\'tyoupleaseslipupstairsnowandtakejustalittleteenynaptopleaseyourmother?\"
ButAlicerespondedonlybymovingherheadslowly,intokenofrefusal。
\"Do!\"Mrs。Adamsurged。\"Youdon\'twanttolookwornout,doyou?\"
\"I\'llLOOKallright,\"Alicesaid,huskily。\"DoyoulikethewayI\'vearrangedthefurniturenow?I\'vetriedallthedifferentwaysit\'llgo。\"
\"It\'slovely,\"hermothersaid,admiringly。\"Ithoughtthelastwayyouhaditwaspretty,too。Butyouknowbest;Ineverknewanybodywithsomuchtaste。Ifyou\'donlyjustquitnow,andtakealittlerest——\"
\"There\'dhardlybetime,evenifIwantedto;it\'safterfivebutIcouldn\'t;really,Icouldn\'t。HowdoyouthinkwecanmanageaboutWalter——toseethathewearshiseveningthings,Imean?\"
Mrs。Adamspondered。\"I\'mafraidhe\'llmakealotofobjections,onaccountoftheweatherandeverything。Iwishwe\'dhadachancetotellhimlastnightorthismorning。I\'dhavetelephonedtohimthisafternoonexcept——well,Iscarcelyliketocallhimupatthatplace,sinceyourfather——\"
\"No,ofcoursenot,mama。\"
\"IfWaltergetshomelate,\"Mrs。Adamswenton,\"I\'lljustslipoutandspeaktohim,incaseMr。Russell\'sherebeforehecomes。I\'lljusttellhimhe\'sgottohurryandgethisthingson。\"
\"Maybehewon\'tcomehometodinner,\"Alicesuggested,ratherhopefully。\"Sometimeshedoesn\'t。\"
\"No;Ithinkhe\'llbehere。Whenhedoesn\'tcomeheusuallytelephonesbythistimetosaynottowaitforhim;he\'sverythoughtfulaboutthat。Well,itreallyisgettinglate:Imustgoandtellhersheoughttobepreparingherfillet。Dearie,DO
restalittle。\"
\"You\'dmuchbetterdothatyourself,\"Alicecalledafterher,butMrs。Adamsshookherheadcheerily,notpausingonherwaytothefierykitchen。
Alicecontinuedheruselesslaboursforatime;thencarriedherbuckettotheheadofthecellarstairway,wheresheleftituponthetopstep;and,closingthedoor,returnedtothe\"living-room;\"Againshechangedthepositionsoftheoldplushrocking-chairs,movingthemintothecornerswhereshethoughttheymightbeleastnoticeable;andwhilethusengagedshewasstartledbyaloudringingofthedoor-bell。Foramomentherfacewaspanic-stricken,andshestoodstaring,thensherealizedthatRussellwouldnotarriveforanotherhour,attheearliest,andrecoveringherequipoise,wenttothedoor。
Waitingthere,inalanguidattitude,wasayoungcolouredwoman,withasmallbundleunderherarmandsomethingmalleableinhermouth。\"Listen,\"shesaid。\"Youfolksexpectin\'acolouredlady?\"
\"No,\"saidAlice。\"Especiallynotatthefrontdoor。\"
\"Listen,\"thecolouredwomansaidagain。\"Listen。Say,listen。
Ain\'ttheyanothercolouredladyawreadyherebytheday?
Listen。Ain\'tMizMalenaBurnsherebythedaythisevenin\'?
Say,listen。ThisthenumberhouseshegiveME。\"
\"Areyouthewaitress?\"Aliceasked,dismally。
\"Yes\'m,ifMalenahere。\"
\"Malenaishere,\"Alicesaid,andhesitated;butshedecidednottosendthewaitresstothebackdoor;itmightbearisk。Sheletherin。\"What\'syourname?\"
\"Me?I\'mname\'Gertrude。MissGertrudeCollamus。\"
\"Didyoubringacapandapron?\"
Gertrudetookthelittlebundlefromunderherarm。\"Yes\'m。I\'mallfix\'。\"
\"I\'vealreadysetthetable,\"Alicesaid。\"I\'llshowyouwhatwewantdone。\"
Sheledthewaytothedining-room,and,afterofferingsomeinstructionthere,receivedbyGertrudewithlanguorandaslowlymovingjaw,shetookherintothekitchen,wherethecapandapronwereputon。Theeffectwasnotfortunate;Gertrude\'seyeswerenoticeablybloodshot,anafflictionmademoreapparentbythewhitecap;andAlicedrewhermotherapart,whisperinganxiously,\"Doyousupposeit\'stoolatetogetsomeoneelse?\"
\"I\'mafraiditis,\"Mrs。Adamssaid。\"MalenasaysitwashardenoughtogetHER!Youhavetopaythemsomuchthattheyonlyworkwhentheyfeellikeit。\"
\"Mama,couldyouaskhertowearhercapstraighter?Everytimeshemovesherheadshegetsitononeside,andherskirt\'stoolongbehindandtooshortinfront——andoh,I\'veNEVERseensuchFEET!\"Alicelaugheddesolately。\"AndsheMUSTquitthatterriblechewing!\"
\"Nevermind;I\'llgettoworkwithher。I\'llstraightenheroutallIcan,dearie;don\'tworry。\"Mrs。Adamspattedherdaughter\'sshoulderencouragingly。\"NowYOUcan\'tdoanotherthing,andifyoudon\'trunandbegindressingyouwon\'tbeready。It\'llonlytakemeaminutetodress,myself,andI\'llbedownlongbeforeyouwill。Run,darling!I\'lllookaftereverything。\"
Alicenoddedvaguely,wentuptoherroom,and,afteronlyamomentwithhermirror,broughtfromherclosetthedressofwhiteorgandieshehadwornthenightwhenshemetRussellforthefirsttime。Shelaiditcarefullyuponherbed,andbegantomakereadytoputiton。Hermothercamein,halfanhourlater,to\"fasten\"her。
\"I\'Malldressed,\"Mrs。Adamssaid,briskly。\"Ofcourseitdoesn\'tmatter。Hewon\'tknowwhattherestofusevenlooklike:Howcouldhe?IknowI\'manoldSIGHT,butallIwantistolookrespectable。DoI?\"
\"Youlooklikethebestwomanintheworld;that\'sall!\"Alicesaid,withalittlegulp。
Hermotherlaughedandgaveherafinalscrutiny。\"Youmightusejustatinybitmorecolour,dearie——I\'mafraidtheexcitement\'smadeyoualittlepale。AndyouMUSTbrightenup!There\'ssortofalookinyoureyesasifyou\'dgotinatranceandcouldn\'tgetout。You\'vehaditallday。Imustrun:yourfatherwantsmetohelphimwithhisstuds。Walterhasn\'tcomeyet,butI\'lllookafterhim;don\'tworry,AndyoubetterHURRY,dearie,ifyou\'regoingtotakeanytimefixingtheflowersonthetable。\"
Shedeparted,whileAlicesatatthemirroragain,tofollowheradviceconcerninga\"tinybitmorecolour。\"Beforeshehadfinished,herfatherknockedatthedoor,and,whensheresponded,camein。Hewasdressedintheclotheshiswifehadpressed;buthehadlostsubstantiallyinweightsincetheyweremadeforhim;noonewouldhavethoughtthattheyhadbeenpressed。Theyhungfromhimvoluminously,seemingtobetheclothesofalargerman。
\"Yourmother\'sgonedownstairs,\"hesaid,inavoiceofdistress。
\"OneofthebuttonholesinmyshirtistoolargeandIcan\'tkeepthedangthingfastened。_I_don\'tknowwhattodoaboutit!I
onlygotoneotherwhiteshirt,andit\'skindofruined:ItrieditbeforeIdidthisone。Doyous\'poseyoucoulddoanything?\"
\"I\'llsee,\"shesaid。
\"Mycollar\'sgotafrayededge,\"hecomplained,assheexaminedhistroublesomeshirt。\"It\'sagooddeallikewearingasaw;butIexpectit\'llwiltdownflatprettysoon,andnotbothermelong。I\'mliabletowiltdownflat,myself,Iexpect;Idon\'tknowasIrememberanysuchhotnightinthelasttenortwelveyears。\"Heliftedhisheadandsniffedtheflaccidair,whichwasladenwithaheavyodour。\"My,butthatsmellisprettystrong!\"hesaid。
\"Standstill,please,papa,\"Alicebeggedhim。\"Ican\'tseewhat\'sthematterifyoumovearound。Howabsurdyouareaboutyouroldgluesmell,papa!Thereisn\'tavestigeofit,ofcourse。\"
\"Ididn\'tmeanglue,\"heinformedher。\"Imeancabbage。Isthatfashionablenow,tohavecabbagewhenthere\'scompanyfordinner?\"
\"Thatisn\'tcabbage,papa。It\'sBrusselssprouts。\"
\"Oh,isit?Idon\'tminditmuch,becauseitkeepsthatgluesmelloffme,butit\'sfairlystrong。Iexpectyoudon\'tnoticeitsomuchbecauseyoubeeninthehousewithitallalong,andgotusedtoitwhileitwasgrowing。\"
\"Itisprettydreadful,\"Alicesaid。\"Areallthewindowsopendownstairs?\"
\"I\'llgodownandsee,ifyou\'lljustfixthatholeupforme。\"
\"I\'mafraidIcan\'t,\"shesaid。\"Notunlessyoutakeyourshirtoffandbringittome。I\'llhavetosewtheholesmaller。\"
\"Oh,well,I\'llgoaskyourmotherto——\"
\"No,\"saidAlice。\"She\'sgoteverythingonherhands。Runandtakeitoff。Hurry,papa;I\'vegottoarrangetheflowersonthetablebeforehecomes。\"
Hewentaway,andcamebackpresently,halfundressed,bringingtheshirt。\"There\'sONEcomfort,\"heremarked,pensively,assheworked。\"I\'vegotthatcollaroff——forawhile,anyway。IwishIcouldgototablelikethis;Icouldstanditagooddealbetter。Doyouseemtobemakinganyheadwaywiththedangthing?\"
\"IthinkprobablyIcan——\"
Downstairsthedoor-bellrang,andAlice\'sarmsjerkedwiththeshock。
\"Golly!\"herfathersaid。\"Didyoustickyourfingerwiththatfoolneedle?\"
Shegavehimablankstare。\"He\'scome!\"
Shewasnotmistaken,for,uponthelittleveranda,Russellstoodfacingthecloseddooratlast。However,itremainedclosedforaconsiderabletimeafterherang。Insidethehousethewarningsummonsofthebellwasimmediatelyfollowedbyanothersound,audibletoAliceandherfatherasacrashprecedingaseriesofmuffledfalls。Thencameadistantvoice,bitterincomplaint。
\"Oh,Lord!\"saidAdams。\"What\'sthat?\"
Alicewenttothetopofthefrontstairs,andhermotherappearedinthehallbelow。