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。