HerformallittlewayofsayinghisnamewaslikeAnn”s。
“DoI？I”mtickledtodeath。MymotherdiedwhenIwasten，andI”veneverhadanywomenkin-folks。”
“Poorbo”Shehadnearlysaid“Poorboy！“andonlycheckedthefamiliarityjustintime”PoorMr。TempleBarholm！“
“Say，whatarewetwotoeachother，anyhow？“Heputittoherwithgreatinterest。
“Itisaverydistantrelationship，ifitisoneatall，“sheanswered。“Yousee，IwasonlyasecondcousintothelateMr。TempleBarholm，andIhadnotreallytheSLIGHTESTclaimuponhim。”Sheplacedpatheticemphasisonthefact。“Itwasmostgenerousofhimtobesokindtome。WhenmypoorfatherdiedandIwasleftquitepenniless，hegavemea——asortofhomehere。”
“Asortofhome？“Tembaromrepeated。
“MyfatherwasaclergymaninVERYstraitenedcircumstances。Wehadbarelyenoughtoliveupon——barely。Hecouldleavemenothing。ItactuallyseemedasifIshouldhavetostarve——itdid，indeed。”Therewasadelicatequiverinhervoice。“AndthoughthelateMr。TempleBarholmhadagreatantipathytoladies，hewasso——sonobleastosendwordtomethattherewereahundredandfiftyroomsinhishouse，andthatifIwouldkeepoutofhiswayImightliveinoneofthem。”
“Thatwasnoble，“commentedherdistantrelative。
“Oh，yes，indeed，especiallywhenoneconsidershowhedislikedtheoppositesexandwhatareclusehewas。Hecouldnotendureladies。I
scarcelyeversawhim。Myroomwasinquitearemotewingofthehouse，andIneverwentoutifIknewhewasinthepark。Iwasmostcareful。AndwhenhediedofcourseIknewImustgoaway。”
Tembaromwaswatchingheralmosttenderly。
“Wheredidyougo？“
“ToakindclergymaninShropshirewhothoughthemighthelpme。”
“Howwashegoingtodoit？“
Sheansweredwithanefforttosteadyasomewhatloweredandhesitatingvoice。
“Therewasnearhisparishaverynice——charity，“——herbreathcaughtitselfpathetically”somemostcomfortablealmshousesfordecayedgentlewomen。Hethoughthemightbeabletousehisinfluencetogetmeintoone。”Shepausedandsmiled，buthersmall，wrinkledhandsheldeachotherclosely。
Tembaromlookedaway。Hespokeasthoughtohimself，andwithoutknowingthathewasthinkingaloud。
“Almshouses！“hesaid。“Wouldn”tthatjoltyou！“Heturnedonheragainwithachangetocheerfulconcern。“Say，thatcushionofyoursain”tcomfortable。I”mgoingtogetyouanotherone。”Hejumpedupand，takingonefromasofa，begantoarrangeitbehindherdexterously。
“ButImustn”ttroubleyouanylonger。Imustgo，really，“shesaid，halfrisingnervously。Heputahandonhershoulderandmadehersitagain。
“Gowhere？“hesaid。“Justleanbackonthatcushion，MissAlicia。ForthenextfewminutesthisisgoingtobeMYfuneral。”
Shewasatoncestartledanduncomprehending。Whatanextraordinaryexpression！WhatCOULDitmean？
“F——funeral？“shestammered。
Suddenlyheseemedsomehowtohavechanged。Helookedasseriousasthoughhewasbeginningtothinkoutsomethingallatonce。Whatwashegoingtosay？
“That”sNewYorkslang，“heanswered。“ItmeansthatIwanttoexplainmyselftoyouandaskafewquestions。”
“Certainly，certainly，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
Heleanedhisbackagainstthemantel，andwentintothematterpractically。
“Firstoff，haven”tyouANYfolks？“Then，answeringherpuzzledlook，added，“Imeanrelations。”
MissAliciagentlyshookherhead。
“Nosistersorbrothersorunclesorauntsorcousins？“
Sheshookherheadagain。
Hehesitatedamoment，puttinghishandsinhispocketsandtakingthemoutagainawkwardlyashelookeddownather。
“Nowhere”swhereI”mupagainstit，“hewenton。“Idon”twanttobetoofreshortobuttin，but——didn”toldTempleBarholmleaveyouANY
money？“
“Oh，no！“sheexclaimed。“Dearme！no！Icouldn”tpossiblyEXPECTsuchathing。”
Hegazedatherasthoughconsideringthesituation。“Couldn”tyou？“
hesaid。
Therewasanoddreflectioninhiseyes，andheseemedtoconsiderherandthesituationagain。
“Well，“hebeganafterhispause，“whatIwanttoknowiswhatyouexpectMEtodo。”
Therewasnounkindnessinhismanner，infact，quitethecontrary，evenwhenheutteredwhatseemedtoMissAliciatheseawful，unwarrantedwords。Asthoughshehadforcedherselfintohispresencetomakedemandsuponhischarity！Theymadehertrembleandturnpaleasshegotupquickly，shockedandalarmed。
“Oh，nothing！nothing！nothingWHATEVER，Mr。TempleBarholm！“sheexclaimed，heragitationdoingitsbesttohideitselfbehindafinelittledignity。Hesawinaninstantthathisstyleofputtingithadbeen“”wayoff，“thathisignorancehadbetrayedhim，thatshehadmisunderstoodhimaltogether。Healmostjumpedather。
“Oh，say，Ididn”tmeanTHAT！“hecriedout。“FortheLord”ssake！
don”tthinkI”msuchaTenderlointoughastomakeabreaklikethat！
Notonyourlife！“
NeversinceherbirthhadamalecreaturelookedatMissAliciawiththeappealwhichshoweditselfinhiseyesasheactuallyputhisarmhalfaroundhershoulders，likeaboybeggingafavorfromhismotherorhisaunt。
“WhatImeantwas”Hebrokeoffandbeganagainquiteanxiously，“say，justasafavor，willyousitdownagainandletmetellyouwhatIdidmean？“
Itwasthatnatural，warm，boyishwaywhichovercameherutterly。Itremindedheroftheonlyboyshehadeverreallyknown，theonemalecreaturewhohadallowedhertobefondofhim。Therewasmoistureinhereyesasshelethimputherbackintoherchair。Whenhehaddoneit，hesatdownontheottomanagainandpouredhimselfforth。
“YouknowwhatkindofachapIam。No，youdon”t，either。Youmayn”tknowathingaboutme；andIwanttotellyou。I”msodifferentfromeverythingyou”veeverknownthatIscareyou。Andnowonder。It”sthewayI”velived。Ifyouknew，you”dunderstandwhatIwasthinkingofwhenIspokejustnow。I”vebeencold，I”vebeenhungry，I”vewalkedthewetstreetsonmyuppers。IknowallaboutGOINGWITHOUT。AnddoyouexpectthatIamgoingtoleta——alittlethinglikeyou——goawayfromherewithoutfriendsandwithoutmoneyonthechanceofgettingintoanalmshousethatisn”tvacant？Doyouexpectthatofme？Notonyourlife！ThatwaswhatImeant。”
MissAliciaquivered；thepale-purpleribbonsonherlittlelacecapquivered。
“Ihaven”t，“shesaid，andthefinelittledignitywaspiteous，“aSHADOWofaclaimuponyou。”Itwasnecessaryforhertoproduceapocket-handkerchief。Hetookitfromher，andtouchedhereyesassoftlyasthoughshewereababy。
“Claimnothing！“hesaid。“I”vegotaclaimonYOU。I”mgoingtostakeoneoutrightnow。”Hegotupandgesticulated，takinginthebigroomanditsbigfurniture。“Lookatallthis！Itfellonmelikeathunderbolt。It”snearlyknockedthelifeoutofme。I”mlikealostcatonBroadway。Youcan”tgoawayandleaveme，MissAlicia；it”syourdutytostay。You”vejustGOTtostaytotakecareofme。”Hecameovertoherwithawheedlingsmile。“Ineverwastakencareofinmylife。JustbeasnobletomeasoldTempleBarholmwastoyou：givemeasortofhome。”
Ifalittlegentlewomancouldstare，itmightbesaidthatMissAliciastaredathim。Shetrembledwithamazedemotion。
“Doyoumean”Despiteallhehadsaid，shescarcelydaredtoutterthewordslest，afterall，shemightbetakingforgrantedmorethanitwascrediblecouldbetrue。“CanyoumeanthatifIstayedherewithyouitwouldmakeTempleBarholmseemmorelikeHOME？Isitpossibleyou——youmeanTHAT？“
“Imeanjustthatverything。”
Itwastoomuchforher。Finelyrestrainedlittleelderlygentlewomanasshewas，sheopenlybrokedownunderit。
“Itcan”tbetrue！“sheejaculatedshakily。“Itisn”tpossible。Itistoo——toobeautifulandkind。Doforgiveme！Ic-a-n”thelpit。”Sheburstintotears。
Sheknewitwasmoststupidlywrong。Sheknewgentlemendidnotliketears。Herfatherhadtoldherthatmenneverreallyforgavewomenwhocriedatthem。Andhere，whenherfatehunginthebalance，shewasnotabletobehaveherselfwithfemininedecorum。
YetthenewMr。TempleBarholmtookitinasmatter-of-factamannerasheseemedtotakeeverything。HestoodbyherchairandsoothedherinhisdearNewYorkvoice。
“That”sallright，MissAlicia，“hecommented。“Youcryasmuchasyouwantto，justsothatyoudon”tsayno。You”vebeenworriedandyou”retired。I”lltellyouthere”sbeentwoorthreetimeslatelywhenI
shouldliketohavecriedmyselfifI”dknownhow。Say，“headdedwithasuddenoutburstofimagination，“Ibetanythingit”sabouttimeyouhadtea。”
Thesuggestionwassoentirelywithinthenormalorderofthingsthatitmadeherfeelsteadier，andshewasabletoglanceattheclock。
“Acupofteawouldberefreshing，“shesaid。“Theywillbringitinverysoon，butbeforetheservantscomeImusttrytoexpress”
Butbeforeshecouldexpressanythingfurthertheteaappeared。
Burrillandafootmanbroughtitonsplendidsalvers，inmassiveurnandtea-pot，withchaste，sacrificialflameflickering，andwonderful，hotbutteredandtoastedthingsandwafersofbreadandbutterattendant。Astheycrossedthethreshold，thesightofMissAlicia”ssmallformenthronedintheiremployer”schairwasonesoobviouslyunanticipatedthatBurrillmadeastepbackwardandthefootmanalmostlostthefirmnessofhisholdonthesmallertray。Eachrecoveredhimselfintime，however，andnotuntiltheteawasarrangeduponthetablenearthefirewasanyoutwardrecognitionofMissAlicia”spresencemade。ThenBurrill，pausing，madeanannouncemententirelywithoutprejudice：
“Ibegpardon，sir，butHiggins”scarthascomeforMissTempleBarholm”sbox；heisaskingwhenshewantsthetrap。”
“Shedoesn”twantitatall，“answeredTembarom。“Carryhertrunkup-
stairsagain。She”snotgoingaway。”
ThelackofproperknowledgecontainedinthesuggestionthatBurrillshouldcarrytrunksupstairscausedMissAliciatoquailinsecret，butshespokewithoutwardcalm。
“No，Burrill，“shesaid。“Iamnotgoingaway。”
“Verygood，Miss，“Burrillreplied，andwithimpressivecivilityhepreparedtoleavetheroom。Tembaromglancedatthetea-things。
“There”sonlyonecuphere，“hesaid。“Bringoneforme。”
Burrill”sexpressionmightperhapshavebeensaidtostartslightly。
“Verygood，sir，“hesaid，andmadehisexit。MissAliciawasflutteringagain。
“Thatcupwasreallyforyou，Mr。TempleBarholm，“sheventured。
“Well，nowit”sforyou，andI”velethimknowit，“repliedTembarom。
“Oh，PLEASE，“shesaidinanoutburstoffeeling”PLEASEletmetellyouhowGRATEFUL——howgratefulIam！“
Buthewouldnotlether。
“Ifyoudo，“hesaid，“I”lltellyouhowgrateful_I_am，andthat”llbeworse。No，that”sallfixedupbetweenus。Itgoes。Wewon”tsayanymoreaboutit。”
Hetookthewholesituationinthatway，asthoughhewasassumingnoresponsibilitywhichwasnotthesimple，inevitableresultoftheirdriftingacrosseachother——asthoughitwasonlywhatanymanwouldhavedone，evenasthoughshewasasortofdelightful，unexpectedhappening。Heturnedtothetray。
“Say，thatlooksallright，doesn”tit？“hesaid。“Nowyouarehere，I
likethewayitlooks。Ididn”tyesterday。”
Burrillhimselfbroughttheextracupandsaucerandplate。Hewishedtomakesurethathissenseshadnotdeceivedhim。Butthereshesatwhothroughyearshadexisteddiscreetlyinthemostunconsideredroomsinanuninhabitedwing，knowingbetterthantopresumeuponherprivileges——thereshesatwithanawedandraptfacegazingupatthisnewoutbreakintoTempleBarholm”sand“himjokingandgrinningasthoughhewasaspleasedasPunch。”
CHAPTERXV
ToemploythefigureofBurrill，Tembaromwasindeed“aspleasedasPunch。”Hewasoneofthelargenumberofmenwho，apartfromallsentimentalrelations，aremadeparticularlyhappybythekindlysocietyofwomen；whoexpandwithquiteunconsciousrejoicingwhenawomanbeginstotakecareoftheminonewayoranother。Theunconsciousnessisatouchingpartofthecondition。Thefemininenearnesssuppliesaprimevalhumanneed。Themostcompleteofmen，aswellastheweaklings，feelit。Itisasurvivalofdayswhenwarmarmsheldandprotected，warmhandsserved，andaffectionatevoicessoothed。Anaccomplishedmaleservantmayperformeverydomesticserviceperfectly，butthefactthathecannotbeawomanleavesasenseoflack。Anaccustomedfemininewarmthinthesurroundingdailyatmospherehascausedmanyamantomarryhishousekeeperorevenhiscook，ascircumstancesprompted。
TembaromhadknownnowomanwelluntilhehadmetLittleAnn。HisfeelingforMrs。Bowseherselfhadvergedonaffection，becausehewouldhavebeenfondofanywomanofdecenttemperandkindliness，especiallyifshegavehimopportunitiestodofriendlyservice。
LittleAnnhadseemedtheapotheosisofthefeminine，thewarmlyhelpful，thesubtlysupporting，thekind。Shehadbeentohimanamazementandarevelation。Shehadcontinuallysurprisedhimbyrevealingnewcharacteristicswhichseemedtohimnicerthingsthanhehadeverknownbefore，butwhich，ifhehadbeenawareofit，werenotreallysurprisingatall。Theywereonlythecharacteristicsofaveryniceyoungfemininecreature。
ThepresenceofMissAlicia，withthelong-belatedfashionofherringletsandherlittlecap，wasdelightfultohim。Hefeltasthoughhewouldliketotakeherinhisarmsandhugher。HethoughtperhapsitwaspartlybecauseshewasalittlelikeAnn，andkeptrepeatinghisnameinAnn”sformallittleway。Herdelicateterrorofpresumingorintrudinghefeltinitseveryshade。Mentallyshetouchedhimenormously。Hewantedtomakeherfeelthatsheneednotbeafraidofhimintheleast，thathelikedher，thatinhisopinionshehadmorerightinthehousethanhehad。Hewasalittlefrightenedlestthroughignoranceheshouldsaythingsthewrongway，ashehadsaidthatthingaboutwantingtoknowwhatsheexpectedhimtodo。Whatheoughttohavesaidwas，“You”renotexpectingmetoletthatsortofthinggoon。”Ithadmadehimsickwhenhesawwhatabreakhe”dmadeandthatshethoughthewassortofinsultingher。Theroomseemedallrightnowthatshewasinit。Smallandunassumingasshewas，sheseemedtomakeitlessover-sized。Hedidn”tsomuchmindtheloftinessoftheceiling，thedepthandsizeofthewindows，andthewallscoveredwiththousandsofbooksheknewnothingwhateverabout。
Theinnumerablebookshadbeenanoppressingfeature。Ifhehadbeenoneofthose“collegeguys“whonevercouldgetenoughofbooks，whata“cinch“theplacewouldhavebeenforhim——goodastheAstorLibrary！Hehadn”tawordtosayagainstbooks，——goodLord！no；——butevenifhe”dhadtheeducationandthetimetoread，hedidn”tbelievehewasnaturallythatkind，anyhow。Youhadtobe“thatkind“toknowaboutbooks。Hedidn”tsupposeshe——meaningMissAlicia——waslearnedenoughtomakeyouthrowafit。Shedidn”tlookthatway，andhewasmightygladofit，becauseperhapsshewouldn”tlikehimmuchifshewas。Itwouldworryherwhenshetriedtotalktohimandfoundouthedidn”tknowadarnedthingheoughtto。
They”dgetontogethereasieriftheycouldjustchinaboutcommonsortofevery-daythings。Butthoughshedidn”tlookliketheVassarsort，heguessedthatshewasnotlikehimself：shehadlivedinlibrariesbefore，andbooksdidn”tfrightenher。She”dbeenbornamongpeoplewhoreadlotsofthemandmaybecouldtalkaboutthem。Thatwaswhyshesomehowseemedtofitintotheroom。Hewasawarethat，timidasshewasandshabbyasherneatdresslooked，shefittedintothewholeplace，ashedidnot。She”dbeenapoorrelativeandhadbeenafraidtodeathofoldTempleBarholm，butshe”dnotbeenafraidofhimbecauseshewasn”thissort。Shewasalady；thatwaswhatwasthematterwithher。Itwaswhatmadethingsharderforher，too。Itwaswhatmadehervoicetremblewhenshe”dtriedtoseemsocontentedandpolitewhenshe”dtalkedaboutgoingintooneofthose“decayedalms-
houses。”Asiftheoldladieswerevegetablesthathadgonewrong，bygee！hethought。
Helikedherlittle，modest，delicateoldfaceandhercurlsandherlittlecapwiththeribbonssomuchthathesmiledwithatwinklingeyeeverytimehelookedather。Hewantedtosuggestsomethinghethoughtwouldbemightycomfortable，buthewashalfafraidhemightbeaskinghertodosomethingwhichwasn”t“herjob，“anditmighthurtherfeelings。Butheventuredtohintatit。
“HasBurrillgottocomebackandpourthatout？“heasked，withanawkwardgesturetowardthetea-tray。“HashejustGOTto？“
“Oh，no，unlessyouwishit，“sheanswered。“Shall——mayIgiveittoyou？“
“Willyou？“heexclaimeddelightedly。“Thatwouldbefine。IshallfeellikearegularClarence。”
Shewasgoingtositatthetableinastraight-backedchair，buthesprangather。
“Thisbigoneismorecomfortable，“hesaid，andhedraggeditforwardandmadehersitinit。“Yououghttohaveafootstool，“headded，andhegotoneandputitunderherfeet。“There，that”sallright。”
Afootstool，asthoughshewerearoyalpersonageandhewereagentlemaninwaiting，onlyprobablygentlemeninwaitingdidnotjumpaboutandlooksopleased。Thecheerfulcontentofhisboyishfacewhenhehimselfsatdownnearthetablewasdelightful。
“Now，“hesaid，“wecanringupforthefirstact。”
Shefilledthetea-potandhelditforamoment，andthensetitdownasthoughherfeelingsweretoomuchforher。
“IfeelasifIwereinadream，“shequaveredhappily。“Idoindeed。”
“Butit”saniceone，ain”tit？“heanswered。“IfeelasifIwasintwo。Sittinghereinthisbigroomwithallthesefinethingsaboutme，andhavingafternoonteawitharelation！Itjustaboutsuitsme。
Itdidn”tfeellikethisyesterday，youbetyourlife！“
“Doesitseem——nicerthanyesterday？“sheventured。“Really，Mr。
TempleBarholm？“
“Nicer！“heejaculated。“It”sgotyesterdaybeatentoafrazzle。”
Itwasbeyondallbelief。Hewasspeakingasthoughtheadvantage，therelief，thehappiness，wereallonhisside。Shelongedtoenlightenhim。
“Butyoucan”trealizewhatitistome，“shesaidgratefully，“tosithere，notterrifiedandhomelessand——abeggaranymore，withyourkindfacebeforeme。Doforgivemeforsayingit。Youhavesuchakindyoungface，Mr。TempleBarholm。Andtohaveaneasy-chairandcushions，andactuallyabuffetbroughtformyfeet！“Shesuddenlyrecollectedherself。“Oh，Imustn”tletyourteagetcold，“sheadded，takingupthetea-potapologetically。“Doyoutakecreamandsugar，andisittobeonelumportwo？“
“Itakeeverythinginsight，“herepliedjoyously，“andtwolumps，please。”
Shepreparedthecupofteawithasdelicateacareasthoughithadbeenasacramentalchalice，andwhenshehandedittohimshesmiledwistfully。
“Noonebutyoueverthoughtofsuchathingasbringingabuffetformyfeet——nooneexceptpoorlittleJem，“shesaid，andhervoicewaswistfulaswellashersmile。
Shewasobviouslyunawarethatshewasintroducinganentirelynewacquaintancetohim。PoorlittleJemwassupposedtobesomeonewhosewholehistoryheknew。
“Jem？“herepeated，carefullytransferringapieceofhotbutteredcrumpettohisplate。
“JemTempleBarholm，“sheanswered。“IsaylittleJembecauseI
rememberhimonlyasachild。Ineversawhimafterhewaselevenyearsold。”
“Whowashe？“heasked。Thetoneofhervoice，andhermannerofspeakingmadehimfeelthathewantedtohearsomethingmore。
Shelookedratherstartledbyhisignorance。“Haveyou——haveyouneverheardofhim？“sheinquired。
“No。Isheanotherdistantrelation？“
Herhesitationcausedhimtoneglecthiscrumpet，tolookupather。
Hesawatoncethatsheworetheairofasensitiveandbeautifullymanneredelderlyladywhowasafraidshehadmadeamistakeandsaidsomethingawkward。
“Iamsosorry，“sheapologized。“PerhapsIoughtnottohavementionedhim。”
“Whyshouldn”thebementioned？“
Shewasembarrassed。Sheevidentlywishedshehadnotspoken，butbreedingdemandedthatsheshouldignoretheawkwardnessofthesituation，ifawkwardnessexisted。
“Ofcourse——Ihopeyourteaisquiteasyoulikeit——ofcoursethereisnorealreason。But——shallIgiveyousomemorecream？No？Yousee，ifhehadn”tdied，he——hewouldhaveinheritedTempleBarholm。”
Nowhewasinterested。Thiswastheotherchap。
“Insteadofme？“heasked，tomakesure。Sheendeavorednottoshowembarrassmentandtoldherselfitdidn”treallymatter——toathoroughlyniceperson。But——
“Hewasthenextofkin——beforeyou。I”msosorryIdidn”tknowyouhadn”theardofhim。ItseemednaturalthatMr。Palfordshouldhavementionedhim。”
“Hedidsaythattherewasayoungfellowwhohaddied，buthedidn”ttellmeabouthim。IguessIdidn”task。Thereweresuchalotofotherthings。I”dliketohearabouthim。Yousayyouknewhim？“
“Onlywhenhewasalittlefellow。Neverafterhegrewup。Somethinghappenedwhichdispleasedmyfather。I”mafraidpapawasveryeasilydispleased。Mr。TempleBarholmdislikedhim，too。HewouldnothavehimatTempleBarholm。”
“Hehadn”tmuchluckwithhisfolks，hadhe？“remarkedTembarom。
“Hehadnoluckwithanyone。Iseemedtobetheonlypersonwhowasfondofhim，andofcourseIdidn”tcount。”
“Ibetyoucountedwithhim，“saidTembarom。
“IdothinkIdid。Bothhisparentsdiedquitesoonafterhewasborn，andpeoplewhooughttohavecaredforhimwereratherjealousbecausehestoodsoneartoTempleBarholm。IfMr。TempleBarholmhadnotbeensoeccentricandbitter，everythingwouldhavebeendoneforhim；butasitwas，heseemedtobelongtonoone。Whenhecametothevicarageitusedtomakemesohappy。HeusedtocallmeAuntAlicia，andhehadsuchprettyways。”Shehesitatedandlookedquitetenderlyatthetea-pot，asortofshynessinherface。“Iamsure，“sheburstforth，“Ifeelquitesurethatyouwillunderstandandwon”tthinkitindelicate；butIhadthoughtsooftenthatIshouldliketohavealittleboy——ifIhadmarried，“sheaddedinhastytributetopropriety。
Tembarom”seyesrestedonherinathoughtfulnessopenlytouchedwithaffection。Heputouthishandandpattedherstwoorthreetimesinencouragingsympathy。
“Say，“hesaidfrankly，“Ijustbelieveeverywomanthat”stherealthing”dliketohavealittleboy——oralittlegirl——oralittlesomethingorother。That”swhypetcatsanddogshavesuchacinchofit。Andthere”smenthat”sthesameway。It”ssortofnature。”
“Hehadsuchahighspiritandsuchprettyways，“shesaidagain。“Oneofhisprettywayswasrememberingtodolittlethingstomakeonecomfortable，likethinkingofgivingoneacushionorabuffetforone”sfeet。InoticeditsomuchbecauseIhadneverseenboysormenwaituponwomen。Myowndearpapawasusedtohavingwomenwaituponhim——bringhisslippers，youknow，andgivehimthebestchair。Hedidn”tlikeJem”sways。Hesaidhelikedaboywhowasaboyandnotanaffectednincompoop。Hewasn”treallyquitejust。”Shepausedregretfullyandsighedasshelookedbackintoapastdoubtlesslyenrichedwithmanysimilarmemoriesof“dearpapa。”“PoorJem！PoorJem！“shebreathedsoftly。
Tembaromthoughtthatshemusthavefelttheboy”slossverymuch，almostasmuchasthoughshehadreallybeenhismother；perhapsmorepatheticallybecauseshehadnotbeenhismotheroranybody”smother。
Hecouldseewhatagoodlittlemothershewouldhavemade，lookingafterherchildrenanddoingeverythingonearthtomakethemhappyandcomfortable，justthekindofmotherAnnwouldmake，thoughshehadnotAnn”ssteadywonderofalittleheadorhershrewdfarsightedness。Jemwouldhavebeeninluckifhehadbeenherson。Itwasadarnedpityhehadn”tbeen。Ifhehad，perhapshewouldnothavediedyoung。
“Yes，“heansweredsympathetically，“it”shardforayoungfellowtodie。Howoldwashe，anyhow？Idon”tknow。”
“Notmucholderthanyouarenow。Itwassevenyearsago。Andifhehadonlydied，poordear！Therearethingssomuchworsethandeath。”
“Worse！“
“Awfuldisgraceisworse，“shefaltered。Shewasplainlytryingtokeepmoistureoutofhereyes。
“Didhegetintosomebadmix-up，poorfellow？“Iftherehadbeenanythinglikethat，nowonderitbrokeheruptothinkofhim。
Itsurelydidbreakherup。Sheflushedemotionally。
“Thecruelthingwasthathedidn”treallydowhathewasaccusedof，“
shesaid。
“Hedidn”t？“
“No；buthewasaruinedman，andhewentawaytotheKlondikebecausehecouldnotstayinEngland。Andhewaskilled——killed，poorboy！Andafterwarditwasfoundoutthathewasinnocent——toolate。”
“Gee！“Tembaromgasped，feelinghotandcold。“Couldyoubeatthatforrottenluck！Whatwasheaccusedof？“
MissAlicialeanedforwardandspokeinawhisper。Itwastoodreadfultospeakofaloud。
“Cheatingatcards——agentlemanplayingwithgentlemen。Youknowwhatthatmeans。”
Tembaromgrewhotterandcolder。Nowondershelookedthatway，poorlittlething！
“But，“——hehesitatedbeforehespoke”buthewasn”tthatkind，washe？Ofcoursehewasn”t。”
“No，no。But，yousee，“——shehesitatedherselfhere”everythinglookedsomuchagainsthim。Hehadbeenratherwild。”Shedroppedhervoiceevenlowerinmakingtheadmission。
Tembaromwonderedhowmuchshemeantbythat。
“Hewassomuchindebt。Heknewhewastoberichinthefuture，andhewaspoorjustinthoserecklessyoungdayswhenitseemedunfair。
Andhehadplayedagreatdealandhadbeenverylucky。Hewassoluckythatsometimeshisluckseemeduncanny。Menwhohadplayedwithhimwerehorribleaboutitafterward。”
“Theywouldbe，“putinTembarom。“They”dbesoreaboutit，andbringitup。”
Theybothforgottheirtea。MissAliciaforgoteverythingasshepouredforthherstoryinthemannerofawomanwhohadbeenforcedtokeepsilentandwasgladtoputhercaseintowords。Itwashercase。
TotellthetruthofthisforgottenwrongwasagaintoofferjustificationofpoorhandsomeJemwhomeverybodyseemedtohavedroppedtalkof，andevenpreferrednottohearmentioned。
“Thereweresuchpiteouslycruelthingsaboutit，“shewenton。“Hehadfallenverymuchinlove，andhemeanttomarryandsettledown。
Thoughwehadnotseeneachotherforyears，heactuallywrotetomeandtoldmeaboutit。Hislettermademecry。HesaidIwouldunderstandandcareaboutthethingwhichseemedtohavechangedeverythingandmadehimanewman。Hewassosorrythathehadnotbeenbetterandmorecareful。Hewasgoingtotryalloveragain。Hewasnotgoingtoplayatallafterthisoneeveningwhenhewasobligedtokeepanengagementhehadmademonthsbeforetogivehisrevengetoamanhehadwonagreatdealofmoneyfrom。TheverynighttheawfulthinghappenedhehadtoldLadyJoan，beforehewentintothecard-room，thatthiswastobehislastgame。”
Tembaromhadlookeddeeplyinterestedfromthefirst，butatherlastwordsanewalertnessaddeditself。
“DidyousayLadyJoan？“heasked。“WhowasLadyJoan？“
“Shewasthegirlhewassomuchinlovewith。HernamewasLadyJoanFayre。”
“WasshethedaughteroftheCountessofMallowe？“
“Yes。Haveyouheardofher？“
HerecalledAnn”sreflectiveconsiderationofhimbeforeshehadsaid，“She”llcomeafteryou。”Herepliednow：“Someonespokeofhertomethismorning。Theysayshe”sabeautyandasproudasLucifer。”
“Shewas，andsheisyet，Ibelieve。PoorLadyJoan——aswellaspoorJem！“
“Shedidn”tbelieveit，didshe？“heputinhastily。“Shedidn”tthrowhimdown？“
“Nooneknewwhathappenedbetweenthemafterward。Shewasinthecard-room，lookingon，whentheawfulthingtookplace。”
Shestopped，asthoughtogoonwasalmostunbearable。Shehadbeensooverwhelmedbythepastshameofitthatevenafterthepassingofyearstheanguishwasalivingthing。Hersmallhandsclunghardtogetherastheyrestedontheedgeofthetable。Tembaromwaitedinthrilledsuspense。Shespokeinawhisperagain：
“Hewonagreatdealofmoney——agreatdeal。Hehadthatuncannyluckagain，andofcoursepeopleintheotherroomsheardwhatwasgoingon，andanumberdriftedintolookon。Themanhehadpromisedtogivehisrevengetoalmostshowedsignsofhavingtomakeanefforttoconcealhisirritationanddisappointment。Ofcourse，ashewasagentleman，hewasascoolaspossible；butjustatthemostexcitingmoment，theheightofthegame，Jemmadeaquickmovement，and——andsomethingfelloutofhissleeve。”
“Something，“gaspedTembarom，“felloutofhissleeve！“
MissAlicia”seyesoverflowedasshenoddedherberibbonedlittlecap。
“It“——hervoicewasasobofwoe”itwasamarkedcard。Themanhewasplayingagainstsnatcheditandhelditup。Andhelaughedoutloud。”
“Holycats！“burstfromTembarom；buttheremarkableexclamationwasoneofgenuinehorror，andheturnedpale，gotupfromhisseat，andtooktwoorthreestridesacrosstheroom，asthoughhecouldnotsitstill。
“Yes，helaughed——quiteloudly，“repeatedMissAlicia，“asifhehadguesseditallthetime。Papaheardthewholestoryfromsomeonewhowaspresent。”
Tembaromcamebacktoherratherbreathless。
“Whatinthunderdidhedo——Jem？“heasked。
Sheactuallywrungherpoorlittlehands。
“Whatcouldhedo？Therewasadeadsilence。Peoplemovedjustalittlenearertothetableandstoodandstared，merelywaiting。Theysayitwasawfultoseehisface——awful。Hesprangupandstoodstill，andslowlybecameaswhiteasifheweredyingbeforetheireyes。SomeonethoughtLadyJoanFayretookasteptowardhim，butnoonewasquitesure。Heneverutteredoneword，butwalkedoutoftheroomanddownthestairsandoutofthehouse。”
“Butdidn”thespeaktothegirl？“
“Hedidn”tevenlookather。Hepassedherbyasifshewerestone。”
“Whathappenednext？“
“Hedisappeared。Nooneknewwhereatfirst，andthentherewasarumorthathehadgonetotheKlondikeandhadbeenkilledthere。Andayearlater——onlyayear！Oh，ifhehadonlywaitedinEngland！——aworthlessvillainofavalethehaddischargedforstealingmetwithanaccident，andbecausehethoughthewasgoingtodie，gothorriblyfrightened，andconfessedtotheclergymanthathehadtuckedthecardinpoorJem”ssleevehimselfjusttopayhimoff。Hesaidhediditonthechancethatitwoulddropoutwheresomeonewouldseeit，andamarkedcarddroppingoutofaman”ssleeveanywherewouldlookblackenough，whetherhewasplayingornot。ButpoorJemwasinhisgrave，andnooneseemedtocare，thougheveryonehadbeeninterestedenoughinthescandal。Peopletalkedaboutthatforweeks。”
Tembarompulledathiscollarexcitedly。
“Itmakesmesortofstrangle，“hesaid。“You”vegottostandyourownbadluck，buttohearofachapthat”shadtoliedownandtaketheworstthatcouldcometohimandknowitwasn”this——justKNOWit！Anddiebeforehe”scleared！Thatknocksmeout。”
AlmosteverysentenceheutteredhadamysticalsoundtoMissAlicia，butsheknewhowhewastakingit，withwhathot，younghumansympathyandindignation。Shelovedthewayhetookit，andshelovedthefeelinginhisnextwords“Andthegirl——goodLord！——thegirl？“
“Inevermether，andIknowverylittleofher；butshehasnevermarried。”
“I”mgladofthat，“hesaid。“I”mdarnedgladofit。Howcouldshe？“
Annwouldn”t，heknew。Annwouldhavegonetohergraveunmarried。Butshewouldhavedonethingsfirsttoclearherman”sname。Somehowshewouldhaveclearedhim，ifshe”dhadtofighttoothandnailtillshewaseighty。
“Theysayshehasgrownverybitterandhaughtyinhermanner。I”mafraidLadyMalloweisaveryworldlywoman。Onehearstheydon”tgetontogether，andthatsheisbitterlydisappointedbecauseherdaughterhasnotmadeagoodmatch。Itappearsthatshemighthavemadeseveral，butsheissohardandcynicalthatmenareafraidofher。IwishIhadknownheralittle——ifshereallylovedJem。”
Tembaromhadthrusthishandsintohispockets，andwasstandingdeepinthought，lookingatthehugebankofredcoalsinthefire-grate。
MissAliciahastilywipedhereyes。
“Doexcuseme，“shesaid。
“I”llexcuseyouallright，“hereplied，stilllookingintothecoals。
“IguessIshouldn”texcuseyouasmuchifyoudidn”t“Helethercryinhergentlewaywhilehestared，lostinreflection。
“Andifhehadn”tfiredthatvaletchap，hewouldbeherewithyounow——insteadofme。Insteadofme，“herepeated。
AndMissAliciadidnotknowwhattosayinreply。Thereseemedtobenothingwhich，withproprietyandnaturalfeeling，onecouldsay。
“ItmakesmefeeljustfinetoknowI”mnotgoingtohavemydinnerallbymyself，“hesaidtoherbeforesheleftthelibrary。
Shehadawayofblushingaboutthingshenoticed，whenshewasshyormovedordidn”tknowexactlywhattosay。Thoughshemusthavebeensixty，shediditasthoughsheweresixteen。Andshediditwhenhesaidthis，andlookedasthoughsuddenlyshewasinsomesortoftrouble。
“Youaregoingtohavedinnerwithme，“hesaid，seeingthatshehesitated”dinnerandbreakfastandlunchandteaandsupperandeveryoldthingthatgoes。Youcan”tturnmedownaftermestakingoutthatclaim。”
“I”mafraid”shesaid。“Yousee，Ihavelivedsuchasecludedlife。
Iscarcelyeverleftmyroomsexcepttotakeawalk。I”msureyouunderstand。ItwouldnothavebeennecessaryevenifIcouldhaveaffordedit，whichIreallycouldn”t——I”mafraidIhavenothing——
quitesuitable——foreveningwear。”
“Youhaven”t！“heexclaimedgleefully。“Idon”tknowwhatissuitableforeveningwear，butIhaven”tgotiteither。Pearsontoldmesowithtearsinhiseyes。Itneverwasnecessaryformeeither。I”vegottogetsomethingstoquietPearsondown，butuntilIdoI”vegottoeatmydinnerinatweedcutaway；andwhatI”vecaughtontoisthatit”sunsuitableenoughtothrowamanintojail。Thatlittleblackdressyou”vegotonandthatlittlecaparejust”wayoutofsight，they”resobecoming。Comedownjustlikeyouare。”
ShefeltalittleasPearsonhadfeltwhenconfrontinghisnewemployer”sentirecheerfulnessinfaceofasituationasexoticallyhopelessasthetweedcutaway，andnothingelsebywayofresource。
Buttherewassomethingsoniceabouthim，somethingwhichwasalmostasthoughhewasactuallyagentleman，somethingwhichabsolutely，ifonecouldgosofar，stoodintheplaceofhisbeingagentleman。Itwasimpossibletohelplikinghimmoreandmoreateveryqueerspeechhemade。Still，therewereofcoursethingshedidnotrealize，andperhapsoneoughtinkindnesstogivehimadelicatehint。
“I”mafraid，“shebeganquiteapologetically。“I”mafraidthattheservants，Burrillandthefootmen，youknow，willbe——willthink”
“Say，“hetookherup，“let”sgiveBurrillandthefootmentheWilliesoutandout。Iftheycan”tstandit，theycanwritehometotheirmothersandtell”emthey”vegottotake”emaway。Burrillandthefootmenneedn”tworry。They”resuitableenough，andit”snoneoftheirfuneral，anyhow。”
Hewasn”tupsetintheleast。MissAlicia，who，asatimiddependenteitherupon“poordearpapa“orMr。TempleBarholm，hadbeensecretly，inhersensitive，ladylikelittleway，afraidofsuperiorservantsallherlife，knowingthattheyrealizedherutterlyinsignificanthelplessness，andresentedgivingherattentionbecauseshewasnotabletoshowherappreciationoftheirservicesinthepropermanner——
MissAliciasawthatithadnotoccurredtohimtoendeavortopropitiatethemintheleast，becausesomehowitallseemedajoketohim，andhedidn”tcare。Afterthefirstmomentofbeingstartled，sheregardedhimwithanovelfeeling，almostakindofadmiration。
Tentativelyshedaredtowonderiftherewasnotsomethingevenrather——ratherARISTOCRATICinhisutterindifference。
Ifbehadbeenaduke，hewouldnothaveregardedtheservants”pointofview；itwouldn”thavematteredwhattheythought。Perhaps，shehastilydecided，hewaslikethisbecause，thoughhewasnotaduke，boot-blackinginNewYorknotwithstandinghewasaTempleBarholm。
TherewerefewdukesasoldofbloodasaTempleBarholm。Thatmustbeit。Shewasrelieved。
Whatsoeverlayattherootofhisbeingwhathewasandashewas，hesomehowchangedtheaspectofthingsforher，andwithoutdoinganythingbutbehimself，clearedtheatmosphereofherdreadofthesurpriseandmentalreservationsofthefootmenandBurrillwhenshecamedowntodinnerinherhigh-necked，much-cleaned，andmuch-
repairedblacksilk，andwithnomoredistinguishingchangeinhertoiletthanawhitelacecapinsteadofablackone，andwith“poordearmamma”s“hairbraceletwiththegoldclasponherwrist，andaweeping-willowmadeof“poordearpapa”s“hairinabroochathercollar。
Itwassocurious，thoughstill“nice，“buthedidnotofferherhisarmwhentheyweregoingintothedining-room，andhetookholdofherswithhishandandaffectionatelyhalfled，halfpushed，heralongwithhimastheywent。Andhehimselfdrewbackherchairforherattheendofthetableoppositehisown。Hedidnotletafootmandoit，andhestoodbehindit，talkinginhischeerfulwayallthetime，andhemovedittoexactlytherightplace，andthenactuallybentdownandlookedunderthetable。
“Here，“hesaidtothenearestman-servant，“where”sthereafootstool？Getone，please，“inthatodd，simple，almostaristocraticway。Itwasnotarudedictatorialway，butacasualway，asthoughheknewthemanwastheretodothings，andhedidn”texpectanytimetobewasted。
Anditwashehimselfwhoarrangedthefootstool，makingitcomfortableforher，andthenhewenttohisownchairattheheadofthetableandsatdown，smilingatherjoyfullyacrosstheglassandsilverandflowers。
“Pushthatthinginthemiddleononeside，Burrill，“hesaid。“It”stoohigh。Ican”tseeMissAlicia。”
Burrillfounditdifficulttobelievetheevidenceofhishearing。
“Theepergne，sir？“heinquired。
“Isthatwhatit”scalled，anapern？That”sanewoneonme。Yes，that”swhatImean。Pushtheapernover。”
“ShallIremoveitfromthetable，sir？“Burrillsteeledhimselftoexactcivility。Ofwhatusetobehaveotherwise？Therealwaysremainedthelibertytogivenoticeiftheworstcametotheworst，thoughwhattheworstmighteventuallyprovetobeitrequiredaluridimaginationtodepict。Theepergnewasabeautifulthingofcrystalandgold，acelebratedworkofart，regardedasanexquisitepossession。ItwasalmostremarkablethatMr。TempleBarholmhadnotsaid，“Shoveitononeside，“butBurrillhadbeensparedthepoignantindignityofbeingrequiredto“shove。”
“Yes，supposeyoudo。It”safineenoughthingwhenitisn”tintheway，butI”vegottoseeyouwhileItalk，MissAlicia，“saidMr。
TempleBarholm。Theepisodeoftheepergne——Burrill”sexpression，andtherigidlyrestrainedmouthsofHenryandJamesasthedecorationwasremoved，leavingapainfullyblankspaceoftable-clothuntilBurrillsilentlyfilleditwithflowersinalowbowl——thesethingstemporarilyflurriedMissAliciasomewhat，butthepleasedsmileattheheadofthetablecalmedeventhattryingmoment。
Thenwhatadelightfulmealitwas，tobesure！Howentertainingandcheerfulandfullofinterestingconversation！MissAliciahadalwaysadmiredwhatshereverentlytermed“conversation。”Shehadreadofthehousesofbrilliantpeoplewheretheyhaditattable，atdinnerandsupperparties，andindrawing-rooms。TheFrench，especiallytheFrenchladies，werebrilliantconversationalists。Theyheld“salons“
inwhichtheconversationwaswonderful——Mme。deStaelandMme。
Roland，forinstance；andinEngland，LadyMaryWortleyMontague，SydneySmith，andHoraceWalpole，andsurelyMissFannyBurney，andnodoubtL。E。L。，whoserealnamewasMissLetitiaElizabethLandon——
whatconversationtheymusthavedelightedtheirfriendswithandhowinstructiveitmusthavebeeneventositinthemostobscurecornerandlisten！
SuchgiftedpersonsseemedtohavebeenchosenbyProvidencetodelightandinspireeveryoneprivilegedtohearthem。SuchprivilegeshadbeenomittedfromtheschemeofMissAlicia”sexistence。Shedidnotknow，shewouldhavefeltitsacrilegioustoadmititevenifthefacthaddawneduponher，that“dearpapa“hadbeenaheartlesslyarrogant，utterlyselfish，andtyrannicaloldblackguardofthemostpronouncedtype。Hehadbeenofanabsolutemoralityasfarassociallawswereconcerned。Hehadwrittenanddeliveredadenunciatorysermonaweek，andhadmadeunbearablebyhisministrationsthesufferinghoursandthelastmomentsofhisparishionersduringthelongyearsofhispastorate。WhenMissAlicia，inreadingrecordsofthehelpfulrelationshipofthemaleprogenitorsoftheBrontes，JaneAusten，FannyBurney，andMrs。Browning，wasfrequentlyremindedofhim，sherevealedaperceptionofwhichshewasnotaware。Hehadcombinedthevirilequalitiesofallofthem。Consequently，brilliancyofconversationattablehadnotbeentheattractivehabitofthehousehold；“poordearpapa“hadconfinedhimselftoscathingcriticismoftheincompetenceoffemaleswhocouldnotteachtheirmenialsto“cookadinnerwhichwasnotadisgracetoanydecenthousehold。”Whennotvirulentlyaspersingthemutton，hewasexpressinghisopinionofmuddle-headedweaknesswhichwouldpermithouseholdbillstomountinamannerwhichcouldonlybringruinanddisasteruponaministerofthegospelwhothroughoutaprotractedcareerofusefulnesshadsappedhisintellectualmanhoodintheuselessefforttosupportinsillyidlenessafamilyofbrainlessandmaddeningfools。MissAliciahadheardhercharacter，herunsuccessfulphysicalappearance，hermind，andherpitifuleffortsattable-talk，describedindetailwithachoiceofadjectiveandadverbwhichhadbrokenintoterrifiedfragmentseveryatomofcourageandwillwithwhichshehadbeensparselydowered。
So，nothavingherselfbeengiftedwithconversationalpowerstobeginwith，andneverhavingenjoyedtheexhibitionofsuchpowersinothers，heridealshadbeenhigh。ShewasnotsurethatMr。TempleBarholm”sfluentandcheerfultalkcouldbewithexactnesstermed“conversation。”Itwasperhapsnotsufficientlyloftyandintellectual，anddidnotconfineitselfrigorouslytooneexaltedsubject。Buthowitdidraiseone”sspiritsandopenupcuriousvistas！Andhowgoodtemperedandhumorousitwas，eventhoughsometimesthehumorwasalittlebewildering！Duringthewholedinnerthereneveroccurredevenoneofthosedreadfulpausesinwhichdeadsilencefell，andonetried，likeafrightenedhenflyingfromsidetosideofacoop，tothinkofsomethingtosaywhichwouldnotsoundsilly，butperhapsmightdivertattentionfromdangeroustopics。ShehadoftenthoughtitwouldbesointerestingtohearaSpaniardoranativeHindutalkabouthimselfandhisowncountryinEnglish。
TembaromtalkedaboutNewYorkanditspeopleandatmosphere，andhedidnotknowhowforeignitallwas。Hedescribedthestreets——FifthAvenueandBroadwayandSixthAvenue——andthestreet-carsandtheelevatedrailroad，andtheway“fellows“hadto“hustle““toputitover。”Hespokeofaboarding-housekeptbyacertainMrs。Bowse，andapresidentialcampaign，andtheelectionofamayor，andaquick-
lunchcounter，andwhenPresidentGarfieldhadbeenassassinated，andadepartmentstore；andtheelectriclights，andthewayhehadofmakingasortofpictureofeverythingwasreallyinstructiveand，well，fascinating。Shefeltasthoughshehadbeentakenaboutthecityinoneofthevehiclestheconductorofwhichdescribedthingsthroughamegaphone。
NotthatMr。TempleBarholmsuggestedamegaphone，whatsoeverthatmightbe，buthemerelymadeyoufeelasifyouhadseenthings。Neverhadshebeensoentertainedandenlightened。Ifshehadbeenabeautifulgirl，hecouldnothaveseemedmoreasthoughinamusingherhewasalsoreallypleasinghimself。Hewassoveryfunnysometimesthatshecouldnothelplaughinginawaywhichwasalmostunladylike，becauseshecouldnotstop，andwasobligedtoputherhandkerchiefuptoherfaceandwipeawayactualtearsofmirth。
Fancylaughinguntilyoucried，andtheservantslookingon！
OnceBurrillhimselfwasobligedtoturnhastilyaway，andtwicesheheardhimseverelyreproveanoverpoweredyoungfootmaninarapidundertone。
TembaromatleastfeltthattheunliftingheavinessofatmospherewhichhadsurroundedhimwhileenjoyingthecompanionshipofMr。
Palfordwasathingofthepast。
Thethrilledinterest，thesurpriseanddelightofMissAliciawouldhavestimulatedamaninacomatosecondition，itseemedtohim。Thelittlethingjustlovedeverybitofit——shejust“eatitup。”Sheaskedquestionafterquestion，sometimesquestionswhichwouldhavemadehimshoutwithlaughterifhehadnotbeenafraidofhurtingherfeelings。SheknewaslittleofNewYorkasheknewofTempleBarholm，andwas，itmadehimgrintosee，alluredbyitasbysomeillicitfascination。Shedidnotknowwhattomakeofit，andsometimesshewasobligedhastilytoconcealafearthatitwasasortofSodomandGomorrah；butshewantedtohearmoreaboutit，andstillmore。
Andshebrightenedupuntilsheactuallydidnotlookfrightened，andateherdinnerwithanexcellentappetite。
“Ireallyneverenjoyedadinnersomuchinmylife，“shesaidwhentheywentintothedrawing-roomtohavetheircoffee。“Itwastheconversationwhichmadeitsodelightful。Conversationissuchastimulatingthing！“
Shehadalmostdecidedthatitwas“conversation，“oratleastawonderfulsubstitute。
Whenshesaidgoodnighttohimandwentbeamingtobed，lookingforwardimmenselytobreakfastnextmorning，hewatchedhergoupthestaircase，feelingwonderfullynormalandhappy。
“Someofthesenights，whenshe”susedtome，“hesaidashestuffedtobaccointohislastpipeinthelibrary”someofthesenightsI”mdarnedifIsha”n”tcatchholdofthesweet，littleoldthingandhugherinspiteofmyself。Isha”n”tbeabletohelpit。”Helithispipe，andpuffeditevenexcitedly。“Lord！“hesaid，“there”ssomeblame”foolgoingabouttheworldrightnowthatmighthavemarriedher。Andhe”llneverknowwhatabreakhemadewhenhedidn”t。”
CHAPTERXVI
Afugitivefinedaywhichhadstrayedintothemonthfromtheapproachingspringappearedthenextmorning，andMissAliciawasupliftedbytheenrapturingsuggestionthatsheshouldjoinhernewrelativeintakingawalk，infactthatitshouldbeshewhotookhimtowalkandshowedhimsomeofhispossessions。This，ithadrevealeditselftohim，shecoulddoinaspecialwayofherown，becauseduringherlifeatTempleBarholmshehadfeltitherdutyto“trytodoalittlegood“amongthevillagers。Sheandherlong-deadmotherandsisterhadofcoursebeenworkingadjunctsofthevicarage，andhadnumeroussomewhattryingtaskstoperforminthewayofimprovingupon“dearpapa”s“harryingthemintoattendingchurch，chivyingthemothersintosendingtheirchildrentoSunday-school，andbeingunsparinginseverityofanyconductwhichmightbeconstruedintoimplyinglackofappreciationofthevicarorrespectforhiseloquence。
Ithadbeennecessaryforthemasmembersofthevicar”sfamily——
always，ofcourse，withoutaddingasixpencetothehouseholdbills——
tosupplybowlsofnourishingbrothandarrowroottoinvalidsandtobestowtheaidandencouragementwhichresultinamanofGod”sbeingregardedwithaffectionandgratitudebyhisparishioners。Manyaman”scareerinthechurch，“dearpapa“hadfrequentlyobserved，hadbeenruinedbylackofintelligenceandeffortonthepartofthefemalemembersofhisfamily。
“Nomancouldachieveproperresults，“hehadsaid，“ifhewashamperedbytheselfishinfluenceandfoolishnessofhiswomenkind。
Successinthechurchdependsinonesenseverymuchupontheconductofaman”sfemalerelatives。”
Afterthedeathsofhermotherandsister，MissAliciahadtoiledonpatiently，fadingdaybydayfromaslim，plain，sweet-facedgirltoaslim，evenplainerandsweeter-facedmiddle-agedandatlastelderlywoman。ShehadbythattimereadaloudbybedsidesagreatmanychaptersintheBible，hadgivenagoodmanytracts，andbestowedasmucharrowroot，barley-water，andbeef-teaasshecouldpossiblyencompasswithoutdomesticdisaster。Shehadgivenalargeamountofconscientious，ifnottoointelligent，advice，andhadneverfailedtopresideoverherSunday-schoolclassoratmothers”meetings。Buthertimidunimpressivenesshadnotarousedenthusiasmorawakenedcomprehension。“MissAlicia，“thecottagewomensaid，“she”swellmeanin”，butshe”snotonewithahead。”“Sheremindsme，“oneofthemhadsummedherup，“ofahenthatlaysa”eggeveryday，butit”stoosmallforameal，and”u”dneverhatchintoanythin”。”
DuringherstayatTempleBarholmshehadtentativelytriedtodoalittle“parishwork，“butshehadhadnothingtogive，andshewasalwaysafraidthatifMr。TempleBarholmfoundherout，hewouldbeangry，becausehewouldthinkshewaspresuming。Shewasawarethatthevillagersknewthatshewasanobjectofcharityherself，andapersonwhowas“alady“andyetanobjectofcharitywas，sotospeak，poachingupontheirownlegitimatepreserves。Therectorandhiswifewererathergrandpeople，andcondescendedtohergreatlyonthefewoccasionsoftheiraccidentalmeetings。Shewasneithersmartnorinfluentialenoughtobeconsideredasanasset。
Itwasshewho“conversed“duringtheirwalk，andwhileshetrottedbyTembarom”ssidelookingmoreearly-Victorianthaneverinaneat，fringedmantleandasmallblackbonnetofafashionlongdecentlyinterredbyachangingworld，TembaromhadneverseenanythingresemblingitinNewYork；buthelikeditandherincreasinglyateverymoment。
Itwashewhomadeherconverse。Heledheronbyaskingherquestionsandbeinggreatlyinterestedineveryresponseshemade。Infact，thoughhewasquiteunawareofthesituation，shewascreatingforhimsuchanatmosphereashemighthavefoundinabook，ifhehadhadthehabitofbooks。Everythingshetoldhimwasnewandquaintandveryoftenrathertouching。Sherelatedanecdotesaboutherselfandherpoorlittlepastwithoutknowingshewasdoingit。Beforetheyhadtalkedanhourhehadanastonishingclearideaof“poordearpapa“
and“dearestEmily“and“poordarlingmama“andexistenceatRowcroftVicarage。He“caughtonto“thefactthatthoughshewasverymuchgiventotheword“dear，“——peoplewere“dear，“andsowerethingsandplaces，——sheneverevenbychanceslippedintosaying“dearRowcroft，“
whichshewouldcertainlyhavedoneifshehadeverspentahappymomentinit。
AsshetalkedtohimherealizedthathersimpleaccustomednesstoEnglishvillagelifeandallitsaccompanimentsofcountysurroundingswouldteachhimanythingandeverythinghemightwanttoknow。Herobscurityhadbeensurroundedbystatelymagnificence，withwhichshehadbecomefamiliarwithouttouchingthemerestoutskirtsofitsprivileges。Sheknewnamesandcustomsandfamiliesandthingstobecultivatedoravoided，andthoughshewouldbealittlestartledandmuchmystifiedbyhistotalignoranceofallshehadbreathedinsinceherbirth，hefeltsurethatshewouldnotregardhimeitherwithprivatecontemptorwithalessenedlikingbecausehewasavandalpureandsimple。
Andshehadsuchanice，little，oldpolitewayofsayingthings。
When，inpassingagroupofchildren，hefailedtounderstandthattheirhastybobbingupanddownmeantthattheyweredoingobeisancetohimaslordofthemanor，shespokewiththeprettiestapologeticcourtesy。
“I”msureyouwon”tmindtouchingyourhatwhentheymaketheirlittlecurtsies，orwhenavillagertoucheshisforehead，“shesaid。
“GoodLord！no，“hesaid，starting。“OughtI？Ididn”tknowtheyweredoingitatme。”Andheturnedroundandmadeahandsomebowandgrinnedalmostaffectionatelyatthesmall，amazedparty，firstpuzzling，andthendelighting，them，becausehelookedsoextraordinarilyfriendly。Agentlemanwholaughedatyoulikethatoughttobeequaltoamiscellaneousdistributionofpenniesinthefuture，ifnotonthespot。Theythemselvesgrinnedandchuckledandnudgedoneanother，withstaresandgiggles。
“Iamsorrytosaythatinagreatmanyplacesthevillagersarenotnearlysorespectfulastheyusedtobe，“MissAliciaexplained。“InRowcroftthechildrenwereveryremissaboutcurtseying。It”squitesad。ButMr。TempleBarholmwasverystrictindeedinthematterofdemandingproperrespectfulness。Hehasturnedmenofftheirfarmsforincivility。ThevillagersofTempleBarholmhavemuchbettermannersthansomeevenafewmilesaway。”
“MustItipmyhattoallofthem？“heasked。
“Ifyouplease。Itreallyseemskinder。You——youneedn”tquiteliftit，asyoudidtothechildrenjustnow。Ifyoujusttouchthebrimlightlywithyourhandinasortofmilitarysalute——thatiswhattheyareaccustomedto。”
Aftertheyhadpassedthroughthevillagestreetshepausedattheendofashortlaneandlookedupathimdoubtfully。
“Wouldyou——Iwonderifyouwouldliketogointoacottage，“shesaid。
“Gointoacottage？“heasked。“Whatcottage？Whatfor？“
Hehadnottheremotestideaofanyreasonwhyheshouldgointoacottageinhabitedbypeoplewhowereentirestrangerstohim，andMissAliciafeltatrifleawkwardathavingtoexplainanythingsowhollynatural。
“Yousee，theyareyourcottages，andthepeopleareyourtenants，and”
“Butperhapstheymightn”tlikeit。Itmightmake”emmad，“heargued。
“Iftheirwater-pipeshadbusted，andthey”daskedmetocomeandlookatthemoranything；buttheydon”tknowmeyet。TheymightthinkI
wasMr。Buttinski。”
“Idon”tquite”shebegan。“Buttinskiisaforeignname；itsoundsRussianorPolish。I”mafraidIdon”tquiteunderstandwhytheyshouldmistakeyouforhim。”
Thenhelaughed——aboyishshoutoflaughterwhichbroughtacottagertothenearestwindowtopeepoverthepotsoffuchsiasandgeraniumsbloomingprofuselyagainstthediamondpanes。
“Say，“heapologized，“don”tbemadbecauseIlaughed。I”mlaughingatmyselfasmuchasatanything。It”sawayofsayingthattheymightthinkIwas”buttingin”toomuch——pushinginwhereIwasn”tasked。
See？IsaidtheymightthinkIwasMr。Butt-in-ski！It”sjustabitoffoolslang。You”renotmad，areyou？“
“Oh，no！“shesaid。“Dearme！no。Itisveryfunny，ofcourse。I”mafraidI”mextremelyignorantabout——aboutforeignhumor“Itseemedmoredelicatetosay“foreign“thanmerely“American。”Buthergentlelittlecountenanceforafewsecondsworeabaffledexpression，andshesaidsoftlytoherself，“Mr。Buttinski，Butt-in——tointrude。ItsoundsquitePolish；IthinkevenmorePolishthanRussian。”
Hewasafraidhewouldyellwithglee，buthedidnot。Herculeaneffortenabledhimtorestrainhisfeelings，andpresenttoheronlyanordinary-sizedsmile。
“Ishouldn”tknowonefromtheother，“hesaid；“butifyousayitsoundsmorePolish，Ibetitdoes。”
“Wouldyouliketogointoacottage？“sheinquired。“Ithinkitmightbeaswell。Theywillliketheattention。”
“Willthey？OfcourseI”llgoifyouthinkthat。WhatshallIsay？“heaskedsomewhatanxiously。
“Ifyouthinkthecottagelooksclean，youmighttellthemso，andaskafewquestionsaboutthings。AndyoumustbesuretoinquireaboutSusanHibblethwaite”slegs。”
“What？“ejaculatedTembarom。
“SusanHibblethwaite”slegs，“sherepliedinmildexplanation。“SusanisMr。Hibblethwaite”sunmarriedsister，andshehasverybadlegs。Itisathingonenoticescontinuallyamongvillagepeople，moreespeciallythewomen，thattheycomplainofwhattheycall`badlegs。”
Ineverquiteknowwhattheymean，whetheritisrheumatismorsomethingdifferent，butthetroubleisalwaysspokenofas`badlegs”
Andtheylikeyoutoinquireaboutthem，sothattheycantellyoutheirsymptoms。”
“Whydon”ttheygetthemcured？“
“Idon”tknow，I”msure。Theytakeagooddealofmedicinewhentheycanaffordit。Ithinktheyliketotakeit。They”reverypleasedwhenthedoctorgivesthem`abottleo”summat”astheycallit。Oh，I
mustn”tforgettotellyouthatmostofthemspeakratherbroadLancashire。”
“ShallIunderstandthem？“Tembaromasked，anxiousagain。“IsitasortofDagotalk？“
“ItistheEnglishtheworking-classesspeakinLancashire。”Summat”
means”something。””Whoam”means”home。”ButIshouldthinkyouwouldbeverycleveratunderstandingthings。”
“I”mscaredstiff，“saidTembarom，notintheleastuncourageously；
“butIwanttogointoacottageandhearsomeofit。Whichoneshallwegointo？“
Therewereseveralwhitewashedcottagesinthelane，eachinitsownbitofgardenandbehinditsownhawthornhedge，nowbareandwhollyunsuggestiveofwhiteblossomsandalmondscenttotheuninitiated。
MissAliciahesitatedamoment。
“Wewillgointothisone，wheretheHibblethwaiteslive，“shedecided。“Theyarequiteclean，civilpeople。Theyhaveanaughty，queer，littlecrippledboy，butIsupposetheycan”tkeephiminorderbecauseheisaninvalid。He”sratherrude，I”msorrytosay，buthe”srathersharpandclever，too。Heseemstolieonhissofaandcollectallthegossipofthevillage。”
Theywenttogetherupthebrickedpath，andMissAliciaknockedatthelowdoorwithherknuckles。Astout，apple-facedwomanopenedit，lookingashadenervous。
“Goodmorning，Mrs。Hibblethwaite，“saidMissAliciainakindbutremotemanner。“ThenewMr。TempleBarholmhasbeenkindenoughtocometoseeyou。It”sverygoodofhimtocomesosoon，isn”tit？“
“Itisthat，“Mrs。Hibblethwaiteansweredrespectfully，lookinghimover。“Wiltthacoomin，sir？“
Tembaromacceptedtheinvitation，feelingextremelyawkwardbecauseMissAlicia”sinitiatorycommentuponhisgoodnessinshowinghimselfhad“rattled“him。Ithadmadehimfeelthathemustappearcondescending，andhehadnevercondescendedtoanyoneinthewholecourseofhisexistence。Hehad，indeed，notevenbeencondescendedto。Hehadmetwithslangingandbullying，indifferenceandbrutalityofmanner，buthehadnotmetwithcondescension。
“Ihopeyou”rewell，Mrs。Hibblethwaite，“heanswered。“Youlookit。”
“Ideceivemalooksagoodbit，sir，“sheanswered。“MonyadaymalegsisnighasbadasSusan”s。”
“Tha”rtjealouso”Susan”slegs，“barkedoutasharpvoicefromacornerbythefire。
Theroomhadaflaggedfloor，cleanwithrecentscrubbingwithsandstone；thewhitewashedwallsweredecoratedwithpicturescutfromillustratedpapers；therewasabigfireplace，andbyitwasahard-
lookingsofacoveredwithblue-and-whitecheckedcottonstuff。Aboyofabouttenwaslyingonit，proppedupwithapillow。Hehadabigheadandakeen，ferret-eyedface，andjustnowwaslookingroundtheendofhissofaatthevisitors。“Howdthatongue，Tummas！“saidhismother。“Iwunnothowdit，“Tummasanswered。“Matongue”sth”on”ythingaboutmeasworksright，an”I”mnoangoin”tostopit。”
“He”sayoungnowt，“hismotherexplained；“but，he”sacripple，an”
weconnadoowtwi”him。”
“Donotberude，Thomas，“saidMissAlicia，withdignity。
“Dunnotberudethysen，“repliedTummas。“I”mnoano”thylad。”
Tembaromwalkedovertothesofa。
“Say，“hebeganwithjocularintent，“you”vegotagrouchon，ain”tyou？“
Tummasturnedonhimeyeswhichbored。Ananalyticalobserverorapaintermighthaveseenthathehadaburningcuriousnessoflook，asortofinvestigatoryfeverofexpression。
“Idunnotknowwhatthameans，“hesaid。“Happentha”rttalkin””Merican？“
“That”sjustwhatitis，“admittedTembarom。“Whatareyoutalking？“
“Lancashire，“saidTummas。“Theer”ssomesensei”that。”
Tembaromsatdownnearhim。Theboyturnedoveragainsthispillowandputhischininthehollowofhispalmandstared。
“I”vewantedtoseethee，“heremarked。“I”vemademotheran”AuntSusanan”feythertellmeeverybitthey”vehearedabouttheeinthevillage。Theerwasalotofit。Thacoomfro””Meriker？“
“Yes。”Tembarombeganvaguelytofeelthedemandintheburningcuriosity。
“Gi”methattheerbook，“theboysaid，pointingtoasmalltableheapedwithamiscellaneousjumbleofthingsandstandingnotfarfromhim。“It”sa”atlas，“headdedasTembaromgaveittohim。“Yo”confindplacesinit。”Heturnedtheleavesuntilhefoundamapoftheworld。“Theer”s”Meriker，“hesaid，pointingtotheUnitedStates。
“Thattheer”snorthandthattheer”ssouth。Allth”real”MerikenscomesfromtheNorth，wheerNewYorkis。”
“IcomefromNewYork，“saidTembarom。
“Thawertborni”th”workhouse，tharunaboutth”streetsi”rags，thaprettynighclemmedtodeath，thablackedboots，thasoldnewspapers，thafeytherwasacommonworkin”-mon——andnowtha”scoomintoTempleBarholman”sixtythousandayear。”
“Thelastpart”strueallright，“Tembaromowned，“butthere”ssomemistakesinthefirstpart。Iwasn”tbornintheworkhouse，andthoughI”vebeenhungryenough，Ineverstarvedtodeath——ifthat”swhat`clemmed”means。”
Tummaslookedatoncedisappointedandsomewhatincredulous。
“That”sth”roadtheytelliti”th”village，“heargued。
“Well，letthemtellitthatwayiftheylikeitbest。That”snotgoingtoworryme，“Tembaromreplieduncombatively。
Tummas”seyesboreddeeperintohim。
“Doesnathacare？“hedemanded。
“WhatshouldIcarefor？Leteveryfellowenjoyhimselfhisownway。”
“Tha”rtnotabitlikeoneo”th”gentry，“saidTummas。“Tha”rtquiteacommonchap。Tha”rtascommonasme，forawthafoineclothes。”
“Peoplearecommonenough，anyhow，“saidTembarom。“There”snothingmuchcommoner，isthere？There”smillionsof”emeverywhere——
billionsof”em。Noneofusneedputonairs。”
“Tha”rtascommonasme，“saidTummas，reflectively。“An”yetthaownsTempleBarholman”awthatbrass。Iconnamak”outhowth”loikehappens。”
“NeithercanI；butitdoesallsamee。”
“Itdoesnahappeni””Meriker，“exultedTummas。“Everybody”sequaltheer。”
“Rats！“ejaculatedTembarom。“Whataboutmultimillionaires？“
HeforgotthattheageofTummaswasten。Itwasimpossiblenottoforgetit。Hewas，infact，tenhundred，ifthoseofhisgenerationhadbeenawareofthetruth。Buttherehesat，havingspentonlyadecadeofhismostrecentincarnationinawhitewashedcottage，deprivedoftheuseofhislegs。
MissAlicia，seeingthatTembaromwasinterestedintheboy，enteredintodomesticconversationwithMrs。Hibblethwaiteattheothersideoftheroom。Mrs。HibblethwaitewassoonexplainingtheuncertaintyofSusan”stemperonwash-days，whenitwasnecessarytodependonherlegs。
“Can”tyouwalkatall？“Tembaromasked。Tummasshookhishead。“Howlonghaveyoubeenlame？“
“EversinceIwurborn。It”ssummatlikerickets。I”vebeenlyin”hereawmydays。Ilookonatfoakan”think”emover。I”vegottodosummat。That”swhyIloiketh”atlas。LittleAnnHutchinsongaveittomeonctwhenshecometoseehergrandmother。”
Tembaromsatupright。
“Doyouknowher？“heexclaimed。
“Iknowherbesto”onybodyinth”world。An”Iloikeherbest。”
“SodoI，“rashlyadmittedTembarom。
“Thadoes？“Tummasaskedsuspiciously。“Doessheloikethee？“
“Shesaysshedoes。”Hetriedtosayitwithpropermodesty。
“Well，ifshesaysshedoes，shedoes。An”ifshedoes，thenyoan”
me”llbefriends。”Hestoppedamoment，andseemedtobetakingTembarominwiththoroughness。“Icouldgetalotouto”thee，“hesaidaftertheinspection。
“Alotofwhat？“Tembaromfeltasthoughhewouldreallyliketohear。
“Aloto”thingsIwanttoknowabout。IwishI”dlivedth”lifetha”slived，clemmin”ornoclemmin”。Tha”sseenthingsgoin”oneverydayo”thyloife。”
“Well，yes，there”sbeenplentygoingon，plenty，“Tembaromadmitted。
“I”vebeenlyingherefortenyear”，“saidTummas，savagely。“An”I”vehadnowti”th”worldtodoan”nowttothinkonbutwhatIcouldmak”
foaktellmeaboutth”village。Butnowthappensbutthischapgettin”
drunkan”thatchapdeein”orlosin”hisplace，orwenchesgettin”
marriedorhavin”childer。Iknoweverythingthathappens，butit”snowtbutaloto”womenclackin”。IfI”dnotbeenacripple，I”dha”
beenatworkformonyayearbynow，”arnin”moneytosavebyan”goto”Meriker。”
“YouseemtobesortofstuckonAmerica。How”sthat？“
“Whatdostmean？“
“Imeanyouseemtolikeit。”
“Idunnotloikeitnoryetnotloikeit，butI”veheardabitmoreaboutitthanIhaveaboutth”otherplacesonth”map。Foakgoestheretoseektheirfortune，an”itseemsloikethere”sagoodbitdoin”。”
“Doyouliketoreadnewspapers？“saidTembarom，inspiredtohisquerybyarecollectionofthevisionofthings“doin”“intheSundayEarth。
“Wheer”dIgetpapersfrom？“theboyaskedtestily。“Foaklikeushasn”tgotth”brassfor”em。”
“I”llbringyousomeNewYorkpapers，“promisedTembarom，grinningalittleinanticipation。“Andwe”lltalkaboutthenewsthat”sinthem。
TheSundayEarthisfullofpictures。Iusedtoworkonthatpapermyself。”
“Thadid？“Tummascriedexcitedly。“Didthahelptoprintit，orwasitth”onethasoldi”th”streets？“
“Iwrotesomeofthestuffinit。”
“Wrotesomeofth”stuffinit？Wroteitthaself？Howcouldtha，acommonchaplikethee？“heasked，moreexcitedstill，hisferreteyessnapping。
“Idon”tknowhowIdidit，“Tembaromanswered，withincreasedcheerandinterestinthesituation。“Itwasn”thigh-browsortofwork。”
Tummasleanedforwardinhisincredulouseagerness。
“Doesthameanthattheypaidtheeforwritin”it——paidthee？“
“Iguesstheywouldn”thavedoneitifthey”dbeenLancashire，“Tembaromanswered。”Buttheyhadn”tmuchmoresensethanIhad。Theypaidmetwenty-fivedollarsaweek——that”sfivepounds。”
“Idunnotbelievethee，“saidTummas，andleanedbackonhispillowshortofbreath。
“Ididn”tbelieveitmyselftillI”dpaidmyboardtwoweeksandboughtasuitofclotheswithit，“wasTembarom”sanswer，andhechuckledashemadeit。
ButTummasdidbelieveit。This，afterhehadrecoveredfromtheshock，becameevident。Thecuriosityinhisfaceintensifieditself；
hiseagernesswasevenvaguelytingedwithsomethingremotelyresemblingrespect。Itwasnot，however，respectforthemoneywhichhadbeenearned，butforthestoreofthings“doin”“whichmusthavebeenrequired。Itwasimpossiblethatthischapknewthingsundreamedof。
“Hasthaeverbeentoth”Klondike？“heaskedafteralongpause。
“No。I”veneverbeenoutofNewYork。”
Tummasseemedfrettedanddepressed。
“Eh，I”msorryforthat。Iwishedtha”dbeentoth”Klondike。Iwanttobetowdaboutit，“hesighed。Hepulledtheatlastowardhimandfoundaplaceinit。
“Thattheer”sDawson，“heannounced。TembaromsawthattheregionoftheKlondikehadbeenmuchstudied。Itwasevenratherfadedwiththefrequentpassageofsearchingfingers，asthoughithadbeenporedoverwithspecialcuriosity。
“There”sgowd-moinestheer，“revealedTummas。“An”theer”swellynewtelsebutsnowan”ice。Ayoungchapassetoutfro”heretogettheerfrozetodeathonth”way。”
“Howdidyougettohearaboutit？“
“Annshebrowtmeapaperonet。”Hedugunderhispillow，andbroughtoutapieceofnewspaper，wornandfrayedandcutwithageandusage。
“Thisheer”swhat”sleftofit。”TembaromsawthatitwasafragmentfromanoldAmericansheetandthatacolumnwasheaded“TheRushfortheKlondike。”
“Whydidnathagotheer？“demandedTummas。Helookedupfromhisfragmentandaskedhisquestionwithasuddenreflectiveness，asthoughanewandinterestingaspectofthingshadpresenteditselftohim。