\"Mama!\"
Mrs。Adamslookedup。\"It\'sallright,\"shesaid,inaloudwhisper。\"Gertrudefelldownthecellarstairs。Somebodyleftabucketthere,and——\"ShewasinterruptedbyagaspfromAlice,andhastenedtoreassureher。\"Don\'tworry,dearie。Shemaylimpalittle,but——\"
Adamsleanedoverthebanisters。\"Didshebreakanything?\"heasked。
\"Hush!\"hiswifewhispered。\"No。Sheseemsupsetandangryaboutit,morethananythingelse;butshe\'srubbingherself,andshe\'llbeallrightintimetobringinthelittlesandwiches。
Alice!Thoseflowers!\"
\"Iknow,mama。But——\"
\"Hurry!\"Mrs。Adamswarnedher。\"Bothofyouhurry!IMUSTlethimin!\"
Sheturnedtothedoor,smilingcordially,evenbeforesheopenedit。\"Docomerightin,Mr。Russell,\"shesaid,loudly,liftinghervoiceforadditionalwarningtothoseabove。\"I\'mSOgladtoreceiveyouinformally,thisway,inourownlittlehome。
There\'sahat-rackhereunderthestairway,\"shecontinued,asRussell,murmuringsomeresponse,cameintothehall。\"I\'mafraidyou\'llthinkit\'salmostTOOinformal,mycomingtothedoor,butunfortunatelyourhousemaid\'sjusthadalittleaccident——oh,nothingtomention!Ijustthoughtwebetternotkeepyouwaitinganylonger。Willyoustepintoourliving-room,please?\"
Sheledthewaybetweenthetwosmallcolumns,andseatedherselfinoneoftheplushrocking-chairs,selectingitbecauseAlicehadoncepointedoutthatthechairs,themselves,werelessnoticeablewhentheyhadpeoplesittinginthem。\"Dositdown,Mr。Russell;it\'ssoverywarmit\'sreallyquiteatrialjusttostandup!\"
\"Thankyou,\"hesaid,ashetookaseat。\"Yes。Itisquitewarm。\"Andthisseemedtobetheextentofhisresponsivenessforthemoment。Hewasgrave,ratherpale;andMrs。Adams\'simpressionofhim,assheformeditthen,wasof\"adistinguished-lookingyoungman,reallyelegantinthebestsenseoftheword,buttimidandformalwhenhefirstmeetsyou。\"Shebeameduponhim,andusedwitheverythingshesaidacontinuousaccompanimentoflaughter,meaninglessexceptthatitwasmeanttoconveycordiality。\"OfcourseweDOhaveagreatdealofwarmweather,\"sheinformedhim。\"I\'mgladit\'ssomuchcoolerinthehousethanitisoutdoors。\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid。\"Itispleasanterindoors。\"And,stoppingwiththissingleuntruth,hepermittedhimselfthebriefestglanceabouttheroom;thenhiseyesreturnedtohissmilinghostess。
\"Mostpeoplemakeagreatfussabouthotweather,\"shesaid。
\"TheonlypersonIknowwhodoesn\'tmindtheheatthewayotherpeopledoisAlice。Shealwaysseemsascoolasifwehadabreezeblowing,nomatterhowhotitis。Butthenshe\'ssoamiableshenevermindsanything。It\'sjusthercharacter。
She\'salwaysbeenthatwaysinceshewasalittlechild;alwaysthesametoeverybody,highandlow。Ithinkcharacter\'sthemostimportantthingintheworld,afterall,don\'tyou,Mr。
Russell?\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid,solemnly;andtouchedhisbedewedwhiteforeheadwithahandkerchief。
\"Indeeditis,\"sheagreedwithherself,neverfailingtocontinuehermurmuroflaughter。\"That\'swhatI\'vealwaystoldAlice;butsheneverseesanythinggoodinherself,andshejustlaughsatmewhenIpraiseher。SheseesgoodineverybodyELSE
intheworld,nomatterhowunworthytheyare,orhowtheybehavetowardHER;butshealwaysunderestimatesherself。Fromthetimeshewasalittlechildshewasalwaysthatway。Whensomeotherlittlegirlwouldbehaveselfishlyormeanlytowardher,doyouthinkshe\'dcomeandtellme?Neverawordtoanybody!Thelittlethingwastooproud!Shewasthesamewayaboutschool。
Theteachershadtotellmewhenshetookaprize;she\'dbringithomeandkeepitinherroomwithoutawordaboutittoherfatherandmother。Now,Walterwasjusttheotherway。Walterwould——\"ButhereMrs。Adamscheckedherself,thoughsheincreasedthevolumeofherlaughter。\"Howsillyofme!\"sheexclaimed。\"IexpectyouknowhowmothersARE,though,Mr。
Russell。Giveusachanceandwe\'lltalkaboutourchildrenforever!AlicewouldfeelterriblyifsheknewhowI\'vebeengoingonabouthertoyou。\"
InthisMrs。Adamswasright,thoughshedidnotherselfsuspectit,anduponanalmostinaudiblewordortwofromhimshewentonwithhertopic。\"OfcoursemyexcuseisthatfewmothershaveadaughterlikeAlice。Isupposeweallthinkthesamewayaboutourchildren,butSOMEofusmustberightwhenwefeelwe\'vegotthebest。Don\'tyouthinkso?\"
\"Yes。Yes,indeed。\"
\"I\'msure_I_am!\"shelaughed。\"I\'lllettheothersspeakforthemselves。\"Shepausedreflectively。\"No;Ithinkamotherknowswhenshe\'sgotatreasureinherfamily。IfsheHASN\'Tgotone,she\'llpretendshehas,maybe;butifshehas,sheknowsit。
Icertainlyknow_I_have。She\'salwaysbeenwhatpeoplecall\'thejoyofthehousehold\'——alwayscheerful,nomatterwhatwentwrong,andalwaysreadytosmooththingsoverwithsomebright,wittysaying。YoumustbesurenottoTELLwe\'vehadthislittlechatabouther——she\'djustbefuriouswithme——butsheISsuchadearchild!Youwon\'ttellher,willyou?\"
\"No,\"hesaid,andagainappliedthehandkerchieftohisforeheadforaninstant。\"No,I\'ll——\"Hepaused,andfinishedlamely:
\"I\'ll——nottellher。\"
Thusreassured,Mrs。Adamssetbeforehimsomedetailsofherdaughter\'spopularityatsixteen,dwellinguponAlice\'simpartialityamongheryoungsuitors:\"ShenevercouldBEARtohurttheirfeelings,andalwaystreatedallofthemjustalike。
AbouthalfadozenofthemwerejustBOUNDtomarryher!
Naturally,herfatherandIconsideredanysuchidearidiculous;
shewastooyoung,ofcourse。\"
Thusthemotherwentonwithherbiographicalsketches,whilethepaleyoungmansatfacingherunderthehardoverheadlightofawhiteglobe,settotheceiling;andlistenedwithoutinterrupting。ShewasgladtohavethechancetotellhimafewthingsaboutAlicehemightnothaveguessedforhimself,and,indeed,shehadplannedtofindsuchanopportunity,ifshecould;butthiswasgettingtobealtogethertoomuchofone,shefelt。Astimepassed,shewaslikeanactorwhomustimprovisetokeeptheaudiencefromperceivingthathisfellow-playershavemissedtheircues;butheranxietywasnotbetrayedtothestilllistener;shehadavaliantsoul。
Alice,meanwhile,hadarrangedherlittlerosesonthetableinasmanyways,probably,astherewereblossoms;andshewasstillatitwhenherfatherarrivedinthedining-roombywayofthebackstairsandthekitchen。
\"It\'spulledoutagain,\"hesaid。\"ButIguessthere\'snohelpforitnow;it\'stoolate,andanywayitletssomeairintomewhenitbulges。Icansitso\'sitwon\'tbenoticedmuch,I
expect。Isn\'tittimeyouquitbotheringaboutthelooksofthetable?Yourmother\'sbeentalkingtohimabouthalfanhournow,andIhadtheideahecameonyouraccount,nothers。Hadn\'tyoubettergoand——\"
\"Justaminute。\"Alicesaid,piteously。\"DoYOUthinkitlooksallright?\"
\"Theflowers?Fine!Hadn\'tyoubetterleave\'emthewaytheyare,though?\"
\"Justaminute,\"shebeggedagain。\"JustONEminute,papa!\"AndsheexchangedaroseinfrontofRussell\'splateforonethatseemedtoheralittlelarger。
\"Youbettercomeon,\"Adamssaid,movingtothedoor。
\"JustONEmoresecond,papa。\"Sheshookherhead,lamenting。
\"Oh,Iwishwe\'drentedsomesilver!\"
\"Why?\"
\"Becausesomuchoftheplatinghasrubbedoffalotofit。JUST
asecond,papa。\"Andasshespokeshehastilywentroundthetable,gatheringtheknivesandforksandspoonsthatshethoughthadtheirplatingbestpreserved,andexchangingthemformoredamagedpiecesatRussell\'splace。\"There!\"shesighed,finally。
\"NowI\'llcome。\"Butatthedoorshepausedtolookbackdubiously,overhershoulder。
\"What\'sthematternow?\"
\"Theroses。IbelieveafterallIshouldn\'thavetriedthatvineeffect;Ioughttohavekepttheminwater,inthevase。It\'ssohot,theyalreadybegintolookalittlewilted,outonthedrytableclothlikethat。IbelieveI\'ll——\"
\"Why,lookhere,Alice!\"heremonstrated,assheseemeddisposedtoturnback。\"Everything\'llburnuponthestoveifyoukeepon——\"
\"Oh,well,\"shesaid,\"thevasewasterriblyugly;Ican\'tdoanybetter。We\'llgoin。\"Butwithherhandonthedoor-knobshepaused。\"No,papa。Wemustn\'tgoinbythisdoor。Itmightlookasif——\"
\"Asifwhat?\"
\"Nevermind,\"shesaid。\"Let\'sgotheotherway。\"
\"Idon\'tseewhatdifferenceitmakes,\"hegrumbled,butneverthelessfollowedherthroughthekitchen,andupthebackstairsthenthroughtheupperhallway。Atthetopofthefrontstairsshepausedforamoment,drawingadeepbreath;andthen,beforeherfather\'spuzzledeyes,atransformationcameuponher。
Hershoulders,likehereyelids,hadbeendrooping,butnowshethrewherheadback:theshouldersstraightened,andthelashesliftedoversparklingeyes;vivacitycametoherwholebodyinaflash;andshetrippeddownthesteps,withherprettyhandsrisingintimetotheliltinglittletuneshehadbeguntohum。
Atthefootofthestairs,oneofthoseprettyhandsextendeditselfatfullarm\'slengthtowardRussell,andcontinuedtobeextendeduntilitreachedhisownhandashecametomeether。
\"Howterribleofme!\"sheexclaimed。\"Tobesolatecomingdown!
Andpapa,too——Ithinkyouknoweachother。\"
Herfatherwasadvancingtowardtheyoungman,expectingtoshakehandswithhim,butAlicestoodbetweenthem,andRussell,alittleflushed,bowedtohimgravelyoverhershoulder,withoutlookingathim;whereuponAdams,slightlydisconcerted,puthishandsinhispocketsandturnedtohiswife。
\"Iguessdinner\'smore\'nready,\"hesaid。\"Webettergositdown。\"
Butsheshookherheadathimfiercely,\"Wait!\"shewhispered。
\"Whatfor?ForWalter?\"
\"No;hecan\'tbecoming,\"shereturned,hurriedly,andagainwarnedhimbyashakeofherhead。\"Bequiet!\"
\"Oh,well——\"hemuttered。
\"Sitdown!\"
Hewasthoroughlymystified,butobeyedhergestureandwenttotherocking-chairintheoppositecorner,wherehesatdown,and,withanexpressionofmeekinquiry,awaitedevents。
Meanwhile,Aliceprattledon:\"It\'sreallynotafaultofmine,beingtardy。TheshamefultruthisIwastryingtohurrypapa。
He\'sincorrigible:hestayssolateathisterribleoldfactory——terriblenewfactory,Ishouldsay。Ihopeyoudon\'tHATEusformakingyoudinewithusinsuchfearfulweather!I\'mnearlydyingoftheheat,myself,soyouhaveafellow-sufferer,ifthatpleasesyou。Whyisitwealwaysbearthingsbetterifwethinkotherpeoplehavetostandthem,too?\"Andsheadded,withanexcitedlaugh:\"SILLYofus,don\'tyouthink?\"
Gertrudehadjustmadeherentrancefromthedining-room,bearingatray。Shecameslowly,withanairofresentment;andherskirtstillneededadjusting,whileherlowerjawmovedatintervals,thoughnotnowuponanysubstance,butreminiscently,ofhabit。ShehaltedbeforeAdams,facinghim。
Helookedplaintive。\"Whatyouwanto\'me?\"heasked。
Forresponse,sheextendedthetraytowardhimwithagestureofindifference;buthestillappearedtobepuzzled。\"Whatintheworld——?\"hebegan,thencaughthiswife\'seye,andhadpresenceofmindenoughtotakeadampandplasticsandwichfromthetray。\"Well,I\'llTRYone,\"hesaid,butamomentlater,ashefulfilledthispromise,anexpressionofintensedislikecameuponhisfeatures,andhewouldhavereturnedthesandwichtoGertrude。However,asshehadcrossedtheroomtoMrs。Adamshecheckedthegesture,andsathelplessly,withthesandwichinhishand。Hemadeanotherefforttogetridofitasthewaitresspassedhim,onherwaybacktothedining-room,butsheappearednottoobservehim,andhecontinuedtobetroubledbyit。
Alicewasaloyaldaughter。\"Thesearedelicious,mama,\"shesaid;andturningtoRussell,\"Youmissedit;youshouldhavetakenone。Toobadwecouldn\'thaveofferedyouwhatoughttogowithit,ofcourse,but——\"
ShewasinterruptedbythesecondentranceofGertrude,whoannounced,\"Dinnerserve\',\"andretiredfromview。
\"Well,well!\"Adamssaid,risingfromhischair,withrelief。
\"That\'sgood!Let\'sgoseeifwecaneatit。\"Andasthelittlegroupmovedtowardtheopendoorofthedining-roomhedisposedofhissandwichbydroppingitintheemptyfireplace。
Alice,glancingbackoverhershoulder,wastheonlyonewhosawhim,andsheshudderedinspiteofherself。Then,seeingthathelookedatherentreatingly,asifhewantedtoexplainthathewasdoingthebesthecould,shesmileduponhimsunnily,andbegantochattertoRussellagain。
CHAPTERXXII
Alicekepthersprightlychattergoingwhentheysatdown,thoughthetemperatureoftheroomandthesightofhotsoupmighthavediscouragedalessdeterminedgayety。Moreover,thereweredetailsasunpropitiousastheheat:theexpiringrosesexpressednotbeautybutpathos,andwhatfaintodourtheyexhaledwasnorivaltothelustyemanationsoftheBrusselssprouts;attheheadofthetable,Adams,sittinglowinhischair,appearedtobeunabletoflattentheuprisingwaveofhisstarchedbosom;andGertrude\'smannerandexpressionwereofarecognizablehostilityduringthelongperiodofvainwaitingforthecupsofsouptobeemptied。OnlyMrs。Adamsmadeanyprogressinthisdirection;
theothersmerelyfeinting,nowandthenliftingtheirspoonsasiftheyintendedtodosomethingwiththem。
Alice\'stalkwaslittlemorethancheerfulsound,but,tofilladesolateinterval,serveditspurpose;andhermothersupportedherwithever-faithfulcooingsofapplausivelaughter。\"Whatafunnythingweatheris!\"thegirlranon。\"Yesterdayitwascool——angelshadchargeofit——andto-daytheyhadanengagementsomewhereelse,sothedevilsawhischanceandstartedtomovetheequatortotheNorthPole;butbythetimehegothalf-way,hethoughtofsomethingelsehewantedtodo,andwentoff;andlefttheequatorhere,rightontopofUS!Iwishhe\'dcomebackandgetit!\"
\"Why,Alicedear!\"hermothercried,fondly。\"Whatanimagination!Notaverypiousone,I\'mafraidMr。Russellmightthink,though!\"HereshegaveGertrudeahiddensignaltoremovethesoup;but,astherewasnoresponse,shehadtomakethesignalmoreconspicuous。Gertrudewasleaningagainstthewall,herchinmovinglikeaslowpendulum,herstreakedeyesfixedmutinouslyuponRussell。Mrs。Adamsnoddedseveraltimes,increasingtheemphasisofhergesture,whileAlicetalkedbriskly;butthebroodingwaitresscontinuedtobrood。Afaintsnapofthefingersfailedtodisturbher;norwasacoverthissingwhisperofavail,andMrs。Adamswasbeginningtoshowsignsofstrainwhenherdaughterrelievedher。
\"Imagineourtryingtoeatanythingsohotassouponanightlikethis!\"Alicelaughed。\"WhatCOULDhavebeeninthecook\'smindnottogiveussomethingicedandjelliedinstead?Ofcourseit\'sbecauseshe\'sequatorial,herself,originally,andonlyfeelsathomewhenMr。Satanmovesitnorth。\"ShelookedroundatGertrude,whostoodbehindher。\"Dotakethisdreadfulsoupaway!\"
Thusdirectlyaddressed,Gertrudeyieldedherattention,thoughunwillingly,andasifshedecidedonlybyahair\'sweightnottorevolt,instead。However,shefinallysetherselfinslowmotion;butoverlookedthesupposedheadofthetable,seemingtobeunawareoftheswelteringlittlemanwhosatthere。Asshedisappearedtowardthekitchenwithbutthreeofthecupsuponhertrayheturnedtolookplaintivelyafterher,andventuredanattempttorecallher。
\"Here!\"hesaid,inalowvoice。\"Here,you!\"
\"Whatisit,Virgil?\"hiswifeasked。
\"What\'shername?\"
Mrs。Adamsgavehimaglanceofsuddenpanic,and,seeingthattheguestoftheeveningwasnotlookingather,butdownatthewhiteclothbeforehim,shefrownedhard,andshookherhead。
UnfortunatelyAlicewasnotobservinghermother,andasked,innocently:\"What\'swhosename,papa?\"
\"Why,thisyoungdarkywoman,\"heexplained。\"Sheleftmine。\"
\"Nevermind,\"Alicelaughed。\"There\'shopeforyou,papa。Shehasn\'tgoneforever!\"
\"Idon\'tknowaboutthat,\"hesaid,notcontentwiththisimpulsiveassurance。\"SheLOOKEDlikesheis。\"Andhisremark,consideredasaprediction,hadbeguntoseemwarrantedbeforeGertrude\'sreturnwithchinapreliminarytothenextstageofthebanquet。
Aliceprovedherselfequaltothelonggap,andrattledonthroughitwithaspiritrichlyjustifyinghermother\'spraiseofheras\"alwaysreadytosmooththingsover\";forherewasmorethanlongdelaytobesmoothedover。ShesmoothedoverherfatherandmotherforRussell;andshesmoothedoverhimforthem,thoughhedidnotknowit,andremainedunawareofwhatheowedher。Withallthis,throughoutherprattlings,thegirl\'sbrighteyeskeptseekinghiswithaneagergayety,whichbutlittleveiledbothinterrogationandentreaty——asifsheasked:
\"Isittoomuchforyou?Can\'tyoubearit?Won\'tyouPLEASE
bearit?Iwouldforyou。Won\'tyougivemeasignthatit\'sallright?\"
Helookedatherbutfleetingly,andseemedtosufferfromtheheat,inspiteofeverymanlyeffortnottowipehisbrowtoooften。Hiscolour,afterrisingwhenhegreetedAliceandherfather,haddeparted,leavinghimagainmoistlypallid;aconditionarisingfromdiscomfort,nodoubt,but,consideredasadecoration,almostpoeticallybecomingtohim。Notlessbecomingwasthefaint,kindlysmile,whichshowedhiswishtoexpressamusementandapproval;andyetitwasasmileratherstrainedandplaintive,asifhe,likeAdams,couldonlydothebesthecould。
HepleasedAdams,whothoughthimafineyoungman,anddecidedlythequietestthatAlicehadevershowntoherfamily。Inherfather\'sopinionthiswasnosmallmerit;anditwastoRussell\'scredit,too,thatheshowedembarrassmentuponthisfirstintimatepresentation;herewasanapplicantwithbothreserveandmodesty。\"Sofar,heseemstobefirstrateamightyfineyoungman,\"Adamsthought;and,promptedbynowishtopartfromAlicebutbyreminiscencesofapparentcandidateslesspleasing,headded,\"Atlast!\"
Alice\'slivelinessneverflagged。Hersmoothingoverofthingswasanalmostcontinuousperformance,andhadtobe。Yet,whileshechatteredthroughthehotandheavycourses,thequestionssheaskedherselfwereascontinuousastheperformance,andaspoignantaswhathereyesseemedtobeaskingRussell。Whyhadshenotprevailedoverhermother\'sfearofbeing\"skimpy?\"Hadshebeen,indeed,ashermothersaidshelooked,\"inatrance?\"
Butaboveall:WhatwasthematterwithHIM?Whathadhappened?
Forshetoldherselfwithpainfulhumourthatsomethingevenworsethanthisdinnermustbe\"thematterwithhim。\"
Thesmallroom,suffocatedwiththeodourofboiledsprouts,grewhotterandhotterasmoreandmorefoodappeared,slowlybornein,betweendeathlylongwaits,bytheresentful,loud-breathingGertrude。AndwhileAlicestillsoughtRussell\'sglance,andreadthelookuponhisfaceadozendifferentways,fearingallofthem;andwhilethestragglinglittleflowersdieduponthestainedcloth,shefeltherheartgrowasheavyasthefood,andwonderedthatitdidnotdieliketheroses。
Withthearrivalofcoffee,thehostbestirredhimselftomakeknownahospitableregret,\"ByGeorge!\"hesaid。\"Imeanttobuysomecigars。\"Headdressedhimselfapologeticallytotheguest。
\"Idon\'tknowwhatIwasthinkingabout,toforgettobringsomehomewithme。Idon\'tuse\'emmyself——unlesssomebodyhandsmeone,youmightsay。I\'vealwaysbeenapipe-smoker,pureandsimple,butIoughttorememberedforkindofanoccasionlikethis。\"
\"Notatall,\"Russellsaid。\"I\'mnotsmokingatalllately;butwhenIdo,I\'mlikeyou,andsmokeapipe。\"
Alicestarted,rememberingwhatshehadtoldhimwhenheovertookheronherwayfromthetobacconist\'s;but,afteramoment,lookingathim,shedecidedthathemusthaveforgottenit。Ifhehadremembered,shethought,hecouldnothavehelpedglancingather。Onthecontrary,heseemedmoreatease,justthen,thanhehadsincetheysatdown,forhewasfavouringherfatherwithathoughtfulattentionasAdamsrespondedtotheintroductionofaman\'stopicintotheconversationatlast。\"Well,Mr。
Russell,Iguessyou\'reright,atthat。Idon\'tsaybutwhatcigarsmaybeallrightforamanthatcanafford\'em,ifhelikes\'embetterthanapipe,butyoutakeagoodoldpipenow——\"
Hecontinued,andwasgettingwellintotheeulogiumcustomarilyprovokedbythistheme,whentherecameaninterruption:thedoor-bellrang,andhepausedinquiringly,rathersurprised。
Mrs。AdamsspoketoGertrudeinanundertone:
\"Justsay,\'Notathome。\'\"
\"What?\"
\"Ifit\'scallers,justsaywe\'renotathome。\"
Gertrudespokeoutfreely:\"Youmeanyouastin\'meto\'tendyou\'
frontdo\'feryou?\"
Sheseemedbothincredulousandaffronted,butMrs。Adamspersisted,thoughsomewhatapprehensively。\"Yes。
Hurry——uh——please。Justsaywe\'renotathomeifyouplease。\"
AgainGertrudeobviouslyhesitatedbetweencomplianceandrevolt,andagainthemeekercoursefortunatelyprevailedwithher。ShegaveMrs。Adamsastare,grimlyderisive,thendeparted。Whenshecamebackshesaid:
\"Hesayhewait。\"
\"ButItoldyoutotellanybodywewerenotathome,\"MrsAdamsreturned。\"Whoisit?\"
\"SayhenameMr。Law。\"
\"Wedon\'tknowanyMr。Law。\"
\"Yes\'m;heknowyou。SayheanxioustospeakMr。Adams。Sayhewait。\"
\"TellhimMr。Adamsisengaged。\"
\"Holdonaminute,\"Adamsintervened。\"Law?No。Idon\'tknowanyMr。Law。Yousureyougotthenameright?\"
\"SayhenameLaw,\"Gertrudereplied,lookingattheceilingtoexpressherfatigue。\"Law。\'Sallhetellme;\'sallIknow。\"
Adamsfrowned。\"Law,\"hesaid。\"Wasn\'titmaybe\'Lohr?\'\"
\"Law,\"Gertruderepeated。\'Sallhetellme;\'sallIknow。\"
\"What\'shelooklike?\"
\"Heain\'tmuch,\"shesaid。\"\'Boutyou\'age;gotbrustlywhitemoustache,niceeye-glasses。\"
\"It\'sCharleyLohr!\"Adamsexclaimed。\"I\'llgoseewhathewants。\"
\"But,Virgil,\"hiswiferemonstrated,\"dofinishyourcoffee;hemightstayallevening。Maybehe\'scometocall。\"
Adamslaughed。\"Heisn\'tmuchofacaller,Iexpect。Don\'tworry:I\'lltakehimuptomyroom。\"AndturningtowardRussell,\"Ah——ifyou\'lljustexcuseme,\"hesaid;andwentouttohisvisitor。
Whenhehadgone,Mrs。Adamsfinishedhercoffee,and,havingglancedintelligentlyfromherguesttoherdaughter,sherose。
\"IthinkperhapsIoughttogoandshakehandswithMr。Lohr,myself,\"shesaid,addinginexplanationtoRussell,asshereachedthedoor,\"He\'sanoldfriendofmyhusband\'sandit\'saverylongtimesincehe\'sbeenhere。\"
Alicenoddedandsmiledtoherbrightly,butupontheclosingofthedoor,thesmilevanished;allherlivelinessdisappeared;andwiththischangeofexpressionhercomplexionitselfappearedtochange,sothatherrougebecameobvious,forshewaspalebeneathit。However,Russelldidnotseethealteration,forhedidnotlookather;anditwasbutamomentarylapsethevacationofatiredgirl,whofortensecondsletsherselflookasshefeels。Thensheshothervivacitybackintoplaceasbysomepowerfulspring。
\"Pennyforyourthoughts!\"shecried,andtossedoneofthewiltedrosesathim,acrossthetable。\"I\'llbidmorethanapenny;I\'llbidtuppence——no,apoorlittledeadrosearoseforyourthoughts,Mr。ArthurRussell!Whatarethey?\"
Heshookhishead。\"I\'mafraidIhaven\'tany。\"
\"No,ofcoursenot,\"shesaid。\"Whocouldhavethoughtsinweatherlikethis?WillyouEVERforgiveus?\"
\"Whatfor?\"
\"Makingyoueatsuchaheavydinner——ImeanLOOKatsuchaheavydinner,becauseyoucertainlydidn\'tdomorethanlookatit——onsuchanight!Butthecrimedrawstoaclose,andyoucanbegintocheerup!\"Shelaughedgaily,and,rising,movedtothedoor。
\"Let\'sgointheotherroom;yourfearfuldutyisalmostdone,andyoucanrunhomeassoonasyouwantto。That\'swhatyou\'redyingtodo。\"
\"Notatall,\"hesaidinavoicesofeeblethatshelaughedaloud。
\"Goodgracious!\"shecried。\"Ihadn\'trealizeditwasTHATbad!\"
Forthis,thoughhecontrivedtolaugh,heseemedtohavenoverbalretortwhatever;butfollowedherintothe\"living-room,\"
whereshestoppedandturned,facinghim。
\"Hasitreallybeensofrightful?\"sheasked。
\"Why,ofcoursenot。Notatall。\"
\"Ofcourseyes,though,youmean!\"
\"Notatall。It\'sbeenmostkindofyourmotherandfatherandyou。\"
\"Doyouknow,\"shesaid,\"you\'veneveroncelookedatmeformorethanasecondatatimethewholeevening?AnditseemedtomeI
lookedratherniceto-night,too!\"
\"Youalwaysdo,\"hemurmured。
\"Idon\'tseehowyouknow,\"shereturned;andthensteppingclosertohim,spokewithgentlesolicitude:\"Tellme:you\'rereallyfeelingwretchedly,aren\'tyou?Iknowyou\'vegotafearfulheadache,orsomething。Tellme!\"
\"Notatall。\"
\"Youareill——I\'msureofit。\"
\"Notatall。\"
\"Onyourword?\"
\"I\'mreallyquiteallright。\"
\"Butifyouare——\"shebegan;andthen,lookingathimwithadesperatesweetness,asifthiswereherlastresourcetorousehim,\"What\'sthematter,littleboy?\"shesaidwithlispingtenderness。\"Tellauntie!\"
Itwasamistake,forheseemedtoflinch,andtoleanbackward,however,slightly。Sheturnedawayinstantly,withaflippantliftanddropofbothhands。\"Oh,mydear!\"shelaughed。\"I
won\'teatyou!\"
Andasthediscomfitedyoungmanwatchedher,seemingabletolifthiseyes,nowthatherbackwasturned,shewenttothefrontdoorandpushedopenthescreen。\"Let\'sgooutontheporch,\"shesaid。\"Wherewebelong!\"
Then,whenhehadfollowedherout,andtheywereseated,\"Isn\'tthisbetter?\"sheasked。\"Don\'tyoufeelmorelikeyourselfouthere?\"
Hebeganamurmur:\"Notat——\"
Butshecuthimoffsharply:\"Pleasedon\'tsay\'Notatall\'
again!\"
\"I\'msorry。\"
\"Youdoseemsorryaboutsomething,\"shesaid。\"Whatisit?
Isn\'tittimeyouweretellingmewhat\'sthematter?\"
\"Nothing。Indeednothing\'sthematter。OfcourseoneISratheraffectedbysuchweatherasthis。Itmaymakeonealittlequieterthanusual,ofcourse。\"
Shesighed,andletthetiredmusclesofherfacerest。Underthehardlights,indoors,theyhadservedheruntiltheyached,anditwasaluxurytofeelthatinthedarknessnogrimacingsneedcalluponthem。
\"Ofcourse,ifyouwon\'ttellme——\"shesaid。
\"Icanonlyassureyouthere\'snothingtotell。\"
\"Iknowwhatanuglylittlehouseitis,\"shesaid。\"Maybeitwasthefurniture——ormama\'svasesthatupsetyou。Orwasitmamaherself——orpapa?\"
\"Nothing\'upset\'me。\"
Atthatsheutteredamonosyllableofdoubtinglaughter。\"I
wonderwhyyousaythat。\"
\"Becauseit\'sso。\"
\"No。It\'sbecauseyou\'retookind,ortooconscientious,ortooembarrassed——anyhowtoosomething——totellme。\"Sheleanedforward,elbowsonkneesandchininhands,inthereflectiveattitudesheknewhowtomakegraceful。\"Ihaveafeelingthatyou\'renotgoingtotellme,\"shesaid,slowly。\"Yes——eventhatyou\'renevergoingtotellme。Iwonder——Iwonder——\"
\"Yes?Whatdoyouwonder?\"
\"Iwasjustthinking——Iwonderiftheyhaven\'tdoneit,afterall。\"
\"Idon\'tunderstand。\"
\"Iwonder,\"shewenton,stillslowly,andinavoiceofreflection,\"IwonderwhoHASbeentalkingaboutmetoyou,afterall?Isn\'tthatit?\"
\"Notat——\"hebegan,butcheckedhimselfandsubstitutedanotherformofdenial。\"Nothingis\'it。\'\"
\"Areyousure?\"
\"Why,yes。\"
\"Howcurious!\"shesaid。
\"Why?\"
\"Becausealleveningyou\'vebeensoutterlydifferent。\"
\"Butinthisweather——\"
\"No。Thatwouldn\'tmakeyouafraidtolookatmeallevening!\"
\"ButIdidlookatyou。Often。\"
\"No。NotreallyaLOOK。\"
\"ButI\'mlookingatyounow。\"
\"Yes——inthedark!\"shesaid。\"No——theweathermightmakeyouevenquieterthanusual,butitwouldn\'tstrikeyousonearlydumb。No——anditwouldn\'tmakeyouseemtobeundersuchastrain——asifyouthoughtonlyofescape!\"
\"ButIhaven\'t——\"
\"Youshouldn\'t,\"sheinterrupted,gently。\"There\'snothingyouhavetoescapefrom,youknow。Youaren\'tcommittedto——tothisfriendship。\"
\"I\'msorryyouthink——\"hebegan,butdidnotcompletethefragment。
Shetookitup。\"You\'resorryIthinkyou\'resodifferent,youmeantosay,don\'tyou?Nevermind:that\'swhatyoudidmeantosay,butyoucouldn\'tfinishitbecauseyou\'renotgoodatdeceiving。\"
\"Oh,no,\"heprotested,feebly。\"I\'mnotdeceiving。\"I\'m——\"
\"Nevermind,\"shesaidagain。\"You\'resorryIthinkyou\'resodifferent——andallinoneday——sincelastnight。Yes,yourvoiceSOUNDSsorry,too。Itsoundssorrierthanitwouldjustbecauseofmythinkingsomethingyoucouldchangemymindaboutinaminutesoitmeansyou\'resorryyouAREdifferent。\"
\"No——I——\"
Butdisregardingthefaintdenial,\"Nevermind,\"shesaid。\"Doyourememberonenightwhenyoutoldmethatnothinganybodyelsecoulddowouldeverkeepyoufromcominghere?Thatifyou——ifyouleftmeitwouldbebecauseIdroveyouawaymyself?\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid,huskily。\"Itwastrue。\"
\"Areyousure?\"
\"IndeedIam,\"heansweredinalowvoice,butwithconviction。
\"Then——\"Shepaused。\"Well——butIhaven\'tdrivenyouaway。\"
\"No。\"
\"Andyetyou\'vegone,\"shesaid,quietly。
\"DoIseemsostupidasallthat?\"
\"YouknowwhatImean。\"Sheleanedbackinherchairagain,andherhands,inactiveforonce,laymotionlessinherlap。Whenshespokeitwasinaruefulwhisper:
\"IwonderifIHAVEdrivenyouaway?\"
\"You\'vedonenothing——nothingatall,\"hesaid。
\"Iwonder——\"shesaidoncemore,butshestopped。Inhermindshewasgoingbackovertheirtimetogethersincethefirstmeeting——fragmentsoftalk,momentsofsilence,littlethingsofnoimportance,littlethingsthatmightbeimportant;moonshine,sunshine,starlight;andherthoughtszigzaggedamongthejumblingmemories;but,asifshemadeforherselfapictureofallthesefragments,throwingthemuponthecanvashaphazard,shesawthemalljusttouchedwiththeonetaintingqualitythatgavethemcoherence,thefaint,falsehazeshehadputoverthisfriendshipbyherownpretendings。And,ifthisterribledinner,oranything,oreverything,hadshownthatsaffrontintinitstruecolourtothemanatherside,lastnightalmostalover,thenshehadindeedofherselfdrivenhimaway,andmightwellfeelthatshewaslost。
\"Doyouknow?\"shesaid,suddenly,inaclear,loudvoice。\"I
havethestrangestfeeling。IfeelasifIweregoingtobewithyouonlyaboutfiveminutesmoreinalltherestofmylife!\"
\"Why,no,\"hesaid。\"OfcourseI\'mcomingtoseeyou——often。
I——\"
\"No,\"sheinterrupted。\"I\'veneverhadafeelinglikethisbefore。It\'s——it\'sjustSO;that\'sall!You\'reGOING——why,you\'renevercominghereagain!\"Shestoodup,abruptly,beginningtotrembleallover。\"Why,it\'sFINISHED,isn\'tit?\"
shesaid,andhertremblingwasmanifestnowinhervoice。\"Why,it\'sallOVER,isn\'tit?Why,yes!\"
Hehadrisenasshedid。\"I\'mafraidyou\'reawfullytiredandnervous,\"hesaid。\"Ireallyoughttobegoing。\"
\"Yes,ofCOURSEyouought,\"shecried,despairingly。\"There\'snothingelseforyoutodo。Whenanything\'sspoiled,peopleCAN\'Tdoanythingbutrunawayfromit。Sogood-bye!\"
\"Atleast,\"hereturned,huskily,\"we\'llonly——onlysaygood-night。\"
Then,asmovingtogo,hestumbledupontheverandasteps,\"YourHAT!\"shecried。\"I\'dliketokeepitforasouvenir,butI\'mafraidyouneedit!\"
Sheranintothehallandbroughthisstrawhatfromthechairwherehehadleftit。\"Youpoorthing!\"shesaid,withquaveringlaughter。\"Don\'tyouknowyoucan\'tgowithoutyourhat?\"
Then,astheyfacedeachotherfortheshortmomentwhichbothofthemknewwouldbethelastofalltheirverandamoments,Alice\'sbrokenlaughtergrewlouder。\"Whatathingtosay!\"shecried。
\"Whataromanticparting——talkingaboutHATS!\"
Herlaughtercontinuedasheturnedaway,butothersoundscamefromwithinthehouse,clearlyaudiblewiththeopeningofadoorupstairs——alongandwailingcryoflamentationinthevoiceofMrs。Adams。Russellpausedatthesteps,uncertain,butAlicewavedtohimtogoon。
\"Oh,don\'tbother,\"shesaid。\"Wehavelotsofthatinthisfunnylittleoldhouse!Good-bye!\"
Andashewentdownthesteps,sheranbackintothehouseandclosedthedoorheavilybehindher。
CHAPTERXXIII
Hermother\'swailingcouldstillbeheardfromoverhead,thoughmorefaintly;andoldCharleyLohrwascomingdownthestairsalone。
HelookedatAlicecompassionately。\"Iwasjustcomin\'tosuggestmaybeyou\'dexcuseyourselffromyourcompany,\"hesaid。
\"Yourmotherwasboundnottodisturbyou,andtriedherbesttokeepyoufromhearin\'howshe\'stakin\'on,butIthoughtprobablyyoubetterseetoher。\"
\"Yes,I\'llcome。What\'sthematter?\"
\"Well,\"hesaid,\"_I_onlysteppedovertooffermysympathyandservices,asitwere。_I_thoughtofcourseyoufolksknewallaboutit。Factis,itwasintheeveningpaper——justalittlebitofanitemonthebackpage,ofcourse。\"
\"Whatisit?\"
Hecoughed。\"Well,itain\'tanythingsoterrible,\"hesaid。
\"Factis,yourbrotherWalter\'sgotinalittletrouble——well,I
supposeyoumightcallitquiteagooddealoftrouble。Factis,he\'squiteconsiderableshortinhisaccountsdownatLambandCompany。\"
Aliceranupthestairsandintoherfather\'sroom,whereMrs。
Adamsthrewherselfintoherdaughter\'sarms。\"Ishegone?\"shesobbed。\"Hedidn\'thearme,didhe?Itriedsohard——\"
Alicepattedtheheavingshouldersherarmsenclosed。\"No,no,\"
shesaid。\"Hedidn\'thearyou——itwouldn\'thavemattered——hedoesn\'tmatteranyway。\"
\"Oh,POORWalter!\"Themothercried。\"Oh,thePOORboy!Poor,poorWalter!Poor,poor,poor,POOR——\"
\"Hush,dear,hush!\"Alicetriedtosootheher,butthelamentcouldnotbeabated,andfromtheothersideoftheroomarepetitioninadifferentspiritwasascontinuous。Adamspacedfuriouslythere,poundinghisfistintohisleftpalmashestrode。\"Thedangboy!\"hesaid。\"Danglittlefool!Dangidiot!Dangfool!Whyn\'theTELLme,thedanglittlefool?\"
\"HeDID!\"Mrs。Adamssobbed。\"HeDIDtellyou,andyouwouldn\'tGIVEittohim。\"
\"HeDID,didhe?\"Adamsshoutedather。\"Whathebeggedmeforwasmoneytorunawaywith!Heneverdreamedofputtingbackwhathetook。Whatthedangnationyoutalkingabout——accusingme!\"
\"HeNEEDEDit,\"shesaid。\"Heneededittorunawaywith!HowcouldheexpecttoLIVE,afterhegotaway,ifhedidn\'thavealittlemoney?Oh,poor,poor,POORWalter!Poor,poor,poor——\"
Shewentbacktothisrepetition;andAdamswentbacktohisown,thenpaused,seeinghisoldfriendstandinginthehallwayoutsidetheopendoor。
\"Ah——I\'lljustbegoin\',Iguess,Virgil,\"Lohrsaid。\"Idon\'tseeasthere\'sanyusemytryin\'tosayanymore。I\'lldoanythingyouwantmeto,youunderstand。\"
\"Waitaminute,\"Adamssaid,and,groaning,cameandwentdownthestairswithhim。\"Yousayyoudidn\'tseetheoldmanatall?\"
\"No,Idon\'tknowathingaboutwhathe\'sgoingtodo,\"Lohrsaid,astheyreachedthelowerfloor。\"Notathing。Butlookhere,Virgil,Idon\'tseeasthiscallsforyouandyourwifetotakeonsohardabout——anyhownotashardasthewayyou\'vestarted。\"
\"No,\"Adamsgulped。\"Italwaysseemsthatwaytotheotherpartythat\'sonlylookingon!\"
\"Oh,well,Iknowthat,ofcourse,\"oldCharleyreturned,soothingly。\"Butlookhere,Virgil:theymaynotcatchtheboy;
theydidn\'tevenseemtobesurewhattrainhemade,andiftheydogethim,why,theolemanmightdecidenottoprosecuteif——\"
\"HIM?\"Adamscried,interrupting。\"Himnotprosecute?Why,that\'swhathe\'sbeenwaitingfor,allalong!Hethinksmyboyandmebothcheatedhim!Why,hewasjustlettingWalterwalkintoatrap!Didn\'tyousaythey\'dbeensuspectinghimforsometimeback?Didn\'tyousaythey\'dbeenwatchinghimandwerejustaboutfixingtoarresthim?\"
\"Yes,Iknow,\"saidLohr;\"butyoucan\'ttell,especiallyifyouraisethemoneyandpayitback。\"
\"Everycent!\"Adamsvociferated。\"Everylastpenny!Icanraiseit——IGOTtoraiseit!I\'mgoingtoputaloanonmyfactoryto-morrow。Oh,I\'llgetitforhim,youtellhim!Everylastpenny!\"
\"Well,olefeller,youjusttryandgetquieteddownsomenow。\"
Charleyheldouthishandinparting。\"Youandyourwifejustquietdownsome。YouAIN\'Tthehealthiestmanintheworld,youknow,andyoualreadybeenunderquitesomestrainbeforethishappened。Youwanttotakecareofyourselfforthesakeofyourwifeandthatsweetlittlegirlupstairs,youknow。Now,good-night,\"hefinished,steppingoutupontheveranda。\"Yousendformeifthere\'sanythingIcando。\"
\"Do?\"Adamsechoed。\"Thereain\'tanythingANYBODYcando!\"Andthen,ashisoldfriendwentdownthepathtothesidewalk,hecalledafterhim,\"YoutellhimI\'llpayhimeverylastcent!
Everylast,dang,dirtyPENNY!\"
Heslammedthedoorandwentrapidlyupthestairs,talkingloudlytohimself。\"Everydang,last,dirtypenny!ThinksEVERYBODYinthisfamilywantstostealfromhim,doeshe?
Thinkswe\'reALLyellow,doeshe?I\'llshowhim!\"Andhecameintohisownroomvociferating,\"Everylast,dang,dirtypenny!\"
Mrs。Adamshadcollapsed,andAlicehadputheruponhisbed,whereshelaytossingconvulsivelyandsobbing,\"Oh,POOR
Walter!\"overandover,butafteratimeshevariedthesorrytune。\"Oh,poorAlice!\"shemoaned,clingingtoherdaughter\'shand。\"Oh,poor,POORAlicetohaveTHIScomeonthenightofyourdinner——justwheneverythingseemedtobegoingsowell——atlast——oh,poor,poor,POOR——\"
\"Hush!\"Alicesaid,sharply。\"Don\'tsay\'poorAlice!\'I\'mallright。\"
\"YouMUSTbe!\"hermothercried,clutchingher。\"You\'vejustGOT
tobe!ONEofushasgottobeallright——surelyGodwouldn\'tmindjustONEofusbeingallright——thatwouldn\'thurtHim——\"
\"Hush,hush,mother!Hush!\"
ButMrs。Adamsonlyclutchedherthemoretightly。\"HeseemedSUCHaniceyoungman,dearie!Hemaynotseethisinthepaper——Mr。Lohrsaiditwasjustalittlebitofanitem——heMAY
notseeit,dearie——\"