Therealizationwastheresultofthesquare-shoulderedswingwithwhichT。Tembaromturnedround，andtheexpressionofhiseyesastheyranoverhim。
“Admit！“hesaid。“Admithell！He”sup-stairs，“withaslightjerkofhisheadinthedirectionoftheceiling。
Thedukealonedidnotgasp。Helaughedslightly。
“We”vejustgothere。HecamedownfromLondonwithme，andSirOrmsbyGalloway。”AndhesaiditnottoPalliserbuttoPalfordandGrimby。
“TheSirOrmsbyGalloway？“ItwasanejaculationfromMr。Palfordhimself。
T。Tembaromstoodsquareandgavehisexplanationtothelotofthem，sotospeak，withoutdistinction。
“He”sthebignervespecialist。I”vehadhimlookingafterthecasefromthefirst——beforeIbegantosuspectanything。Itookorders，andordersweretokeephimquietandnotletanyfoolbuttinandexcitehim。That”swhatI”vebeengivingmymindto。ThegreatstuntwastogethimtogoandstayatSirOrmsby”splace。”Hestoppedamomentandsuddenlyflaredforthasifhehadhadaboutenoughofit。Healmostshoutedattheminexasperation。“AllI”mgoingtotellyouisthatforaboutsixmonthsI”vebeentryingtoprovethatJemTempleBarholmwasJemTempleBarholm，andthehardestthingIhadtodowastogethimsothathecouldproveithimself。”Hestrodeovertothehearthandrangabell。“It”snotmyplacetogiveordersherenow，“hesaid，“butJemcommissionedmetoseethisthingthrough。SirOrmsby”lltellyouallyouwanttohear。”
Heturnedandspokesolelytotheduke。
“Thisiswhathappened，“hesaid。“Idaresayyou”lllaughwhenyouhearit。Ialmostlaughedmyself。WhatdoesJemdo，whenhethinksthingsover，butgetsomefoolnotioninhisheadaboutnotcomingbackhereandpushingmeout。Andhelightsoutandleavesthecountry——leavesit——togettimetothinkitoversomemore。”
Thedukedidnotlaugh。Hemerelysmiled——asmilewhichhadashadeofcuriousself-questioninginit。
“Romanticandemotional——andquiteridiculous，“hecommentedslowly。
“He”dhaveawakenedtothatwhenhehadthoughtitout`somemore。”
Thethingcouldn”tbedone。”
Burrillhadpresentedhimselfinanswertothebell，andawaitedorders。HisGracecalledTembarom”sattentiontohim，andTembaromincludedPalliserwithPalfordandGrimbywhenhegavehisgestureofinstruction。
“TakethesegentlementoSirOrmsbyGalloway，andthenaskMr。TempleBarholmifhe”llcomedown-stairs，“hesaid。
ItispossiblethatCaptainPalliserfelthimselfmoreirritatinglyinfoldedintheswathingrealizationthatsomeonewasinaridiculousposition，anditiscertainthatMr。Palfordfeltitnecessarytopreserveanoutwardlyflawlessdignityasthedukesurprisinglylefthischairandjoinedthem。
“Letmego，too，“hesuggested；“Imaybeabletoassistinthrowinglight。”HisincludingmovementinMissAlicia”sdirectionwasdelightfullygraciousandfriendly。ItwasinclusiveofMr。Hutchinsonalso。
“Willyoucomewithus，MissTempleBarholm？“hesaid。“Andyoutoo，Mr。Hutchinson。Weshallgooveritallinitsmostinterestingdetail，andyoumustbeeageraboutit。Iammyself。”
HishappyandentirelycorrectideawasthattheimpendingentranceofMr。JamesTempleBarholmwould“comeoff“betterintheabsenceofaudience。
Hutchinsonalmostbouncedfromhischairinhisreadiness。MissAlicialookedatTembarom。
“Yes，MissAlicia，“heansweredherinquiringglance。“Yougo，too。
You”llgetitalloverquicker。”
RigidproprietyforbadethatMr。Palfordshouldexpressannoyance，buttheefforttorestraintheexpressionofitwasinhiscountenance。
WasitpossiblethattheAmericanhabitofbeingjocularhadactuallyhelditsowninamatterasseriousasthis？Andcouldeventhemostcynicalandlight-mindedofducalpersonageshavebeeninvolvedinitsunworthyfrivolities？Butnoonelookedjocular——Tembarom”sjawwassetinitshardline，andtheduke，takingupthebroadribbonofhisrimlessmonocletofixtheglassinhiseye，woretheexpressionofamanwhosesenseofhumorwastemporarilyinabeyance。
“ArewetounderstandthatyourGrace——？“
“Yes，“saidhisGraceatriflecurtly，“Ihaveknownaboutitforsometime。”
“Butwhywasnobodytold？“putinPalliser。
“Whyshouldpeoplebetold？Therewasnothingsufficientlydefinitetotell。Itwasawaitinggame。”HisGracewastednowords。“Iwastold。
Mr。TempleBarholmdidnotknowEnglandorEnglishmethods。Hisidea——
perhapsamistakenone——wasthatanEnglishdukeoughttobeabletoadvisehim。Hecametomeandmadeacleanbreastofit。Hegoesstraightatthings，thatyoungfellow。Makeswhathecallsa`beeline。”Oh！I”vebeeninit——I”vebeeninit，Iassureyou。”
ItwasastheycrossedthehallthathisGraceslightlylaughed。
“Itstruckmeasasortofwild-goosechaseatfirst。Hehadonlyaghostofaclue——amereresemblancetoaportrait。Buthebelievedinit，andhehadaninstinct。”Helaughedagain。“ThedullestandmostunmelodramaticneighborhoodinEnglandhasbeentakingpartinamelodrama——buttherehasbeennovillaininit——onlyamatter-of-factyoungman，workingoutaqueerthinginhisownqueer，matter-of-factway。”
Whenthedoorclosedbehindthem，TembaromwenttoLadyJoan。Shehadrisenandwasstandingbeforethewindow，herbacktotheroom。Shelookedtallandstraightandtenselybracedwhensheturnedround，buttherewasendurance，notfiercenessinhereyes。
“DidheleavethecountryknowingIwashere——waiting？“sheasked。Hervoicewaslowandfatigued。Shehadrememberedthatyearshadpassed，andthatitwasperhapsafterallonlyhumanthatlonganguishshouldblotthingsout，anddullahopelessman”smemory。
“No，“answeredTembaromsharply。“Hedidn”t。Youweren”tinitthen。
Hebelievedyou”dmarriedthatDukeofMerthshirefellow。Thisisthewayitwas：Letmetellittoyouquick。Aletterthathadbeenwanderingroundcametohimthenightbeforethecave-in，whentheythoughthewaskilled。IttoldhimoldTempleBarholmwasdead。Hestartedoutbeforedaylight，andyoucanbethewasstrunguptillhewasnearcrazywithexcitement。HebelievedthatifhewasinEnglandwithplentyofmoneyhecouldtrackdownthatcardsharplie。Hebelievedyou”dhelphim。Somewhere，whilehewastravelinghecameacrossanoldpaperwithalotofdopeaboutyourbeingengaged。”
Joanrememberedwellhowhermotherhadworkedtosetthestoryafloat——howtheyhadgonethroughthemostawfuloftheirscenes——
almostravingateachother，shutuptogetherintheboudoirinHillStreet。
“That”sallheremembers，exceptthathethoughtsomeonehadhithimacrackonthehead。Nothinghadhithim。He”dhadtoomuchtostandupunderandsomethinggavewayinhisbrain。Hedoesn”tknowwhathappenedafterthat。He”dwakeupsometimesjustenoughtoknowhewaswanderingabouttryingtogethome。It”sbeenthelimittotrytotrackhim。Ifhe”dnotcometohimselfwecouldneverhavebeenquitesure。That”swhyIstuckatit。ButheDIDcometohimself。Allofasudden。SirOrmsbywilltellyouthat”swhatnearlyalwayshappens。
Theywakeupallofasudden。It”sallright；it”sallright。Iusedtopromisehimitwouldbe——whenIwasn”tsurethatIwasn”tlying。”
Andforthefirsttimehebrokeintothefriendlygrin——butitwasmorevaliantthanspontaneous。Hewantedhertoknowthatitwas“allright。”
“Oh！“shecried，“oh！you”
Shestoppedbecausethedoorwasopening。
“It”sJem，“hesaidsharply。“Ann，let”sgo。”AndthatinstantLittleAnnwasnearhim。
“No！no！don”tgo，“criedLadyJoan。
JemTempleBarholmcameinthroughthedoorway。Lifeandsoundandbreathstoppedforasecond，andthenthetwowhirledintoeachother”sarmsasifastormhadsweptthemthere。
“Jem！“shewailed。“Oh，Jem！Myman！Wherehaveyoubeen？“
“I”vebeeninhell，Joan——inhell！“heanswered，choking，”andthiswonderfulfellowhasdraggedmeoutofit。”
ButTembaromwouldhavenoneofit。Hecouldnotstandit。Thissortofthingfilleduphisthroatandputhimatanoverwhelmingdisadvantage。HejustlaidahandonJemTempleBarholm”sshoulderandgavehimanawkwardlyfriendlypush。
“Say，cutmeoutofit！“hesaid。“Yougetbusy，“hisvoiceratherbreaking。“You”vegotalottosaytoher。Itwasuptomebefore；——
now，it”suptoyou。”
LittleAnnwentwithhimintothenextroom。
Theroomtheywentintowasasmallerone，quiet，anditsorielwindowsmuchovershadowedbytrees。BythetimetheystoodtogetherinthecenterofitTembaromhadswallowedsomethingtwiceorthrice，andhadrecoveredhimself。Evenhisoldsmilehadcomebackashetookoneofherhandsineachofhis，andholdingthemwideapartstoodandlookeddownather。
“Godblessyou，LittleAnn，“hesaid。“IjustknewIshouldfindyouhere。I”dhavebetmylastdollaronit。”
Thehandsheheldweretremblingjustalittle，andthedimplesquiveredinandout。Buthereyesweresteady，andalovelyincreasingintensityglowedinthem。
“Youwentafterhimandbroughthimback。Hewasallwroughtup，andheneededsomeonewithgoodcommonsensetostophimintimetomakehimthinkstraightbeforehedidanythingsilly，“shesaid。
“Isaystohim，“T。Tembarommadethematterclear；“`Say，you”veleftsomethingbehindthatbelongstoyou！Comebackandgetit。”ImeantLadyJoan。AndIsays，`GoodLord，man，you”reactinglikeafellowinaplay。Thatplacedoesn”tbelongtome。Itbelongstoyou。Ifitwasmine，fairandsquare，LittleWillie”dhangontoit。There”dbenonoblesacrificeinhis。Yougetabraceon。”“
“Whentheyweretalkinginthatsillywayaboutyou，andsayingyou”drunaway，“saidLittleAnn，herfaceupliftedadoringlyasshetalked，“Isaidtofather，`Ifhe”sgone，he”sgonetogetsomething。Andhe”llbelikelytobringitback。”“
Healmostdroppedherhandsandcaughthertohimthen。Buthesavedhimselfintime。
“Nowthisgreatchangehascome，“hesaid，“everythingwillbedifferent。Themenyou”llknowwilllooklikethepicturesintheadvertisementsatthebacksofmagazines——thosefellowswithchinsandsmoothhair。Ishalllooklikeachauffeuramongthem。”
Butshedidnotblenchintheleast，thoughsherememberedwhosewordshewasquoting。Theintenseandlovelyfemininityinhereyesonlyincreased。Shecameclosertohim，andsobecauseofhisheighthadtolookupmore。
“Youwillalwaysmakejokes——butIdon”tcare。Idon”tcareforanythingbutyou，“shesaid。“Iloveyourjokes；Iloveeverythingaboutyou：Iloveyoureyes——andyourvoice——andyourlaugh。Iloveyourveryclothes。”Hervoicequiveredasherdimplesdid。“TheselastmonthsI”vesometimesfeltasifIshoulddieoflovingyou。”
Itwasawonderfulthing——wonderful。Hiseyes——hiswholeyoungbeinghadkindledashelookeddowndrinkingineveryword。
“Isthatthekindofquietlittlethingyouare？“hesaid。
“Yes，itis，“sheansweredfirmly。
“Andyou”resatisfied——youknow，whoitisIwant？——You”rereadytodowhatyousaidyouwouldthatlastnightatMrs。Bowse”s？“
“Whatdoyouthink？“shesaidinherclearlittlevoice。
Hecaughthertheninastrong，hearty，young，joyousclutch。
“Youcometome，LittleAnn。Youcomerighttome，“hesaid。
CHAPTERXL
Manyanhonestpennywasturned，withtheassistanceoftheromanticTempleBarholmcase，bywritersofparagraphsfornewspaperspublishedintheUnitedStates。ItwasnotmerelyaromancewhichbelongedtoEnglandbutwasexcitinglylinkedtoAmericabythefactthatitsheroregardedhimselfasanAmerican，andhadpassedthroughallthepicturesqueepisodesofamostdesirablystrugglingyouthintheverystreetsofNewYorkitself，andhad“workedhiswayup“totheproudpositionofsocietyreporter“on“ahugeSundaypaper。Itwasgenerallyconsideredtoredoundlargelytohiscreditthatrefusing“inspiteofalltemptationstobelongtoothernations，“hehadbeenborninBrooklyn，thathehadwornraggedclothesandshoeswithholesinthem，thathehadblackedotherpeople”sshoes，runerrands，andsoldnewspapersthere。IfhehadbeenamereEnglishyoungman，onerecountingofhisromancewouldhavedisposedofhim；butashewaspresentedtothenewspaperpubliceverycharacteristiclentitselftoelaboration。Hewas，infact，flaringlyanecdotal。AsanewlyelectedPresidentwhohasmadebootsordrivenacanal-boatinhisunconsideredyouthendearshimselfindescribablytobothparagraphreaderandparagraphpurveyor，sodidT。Tembaromendearhimself。Forweeks，hewasaperennialfount。Whatquitecrediblestorycannotberelatedofahungryladwhoiswildlyflungbychanceintoimmensefortuneandthelapsofdukes，sotospeak？Thefeeblestimaginationmustbestirredbythehighcolorofsuchanepisode，andstimulatedtosuperbeffort。Untilthepublichadbecomesatedwithreadinganecdotesdepictingtheextentofhisearlyprivations，anddwellingonillustrationswhichpresentedlumber-yardsinwhichhehadslept，andthefacadesoftumble-downtenementsinwhichhehadfirstbeheldthelightofday，hewasamodestsourceofincome。Anylumber-yardoranytenementsufficientlydilapidatedwouldserveasamodel；andthefactthatintheshiftingarchitecturallifeofNewYorktheactualoriginalscenesoftheincidentshadbeendemolishedandbuiltuponbynewapartment-houses，ornewrailroadstations，ornewfactoriesseventy-fivestorieshigh，wasanunobstructingtriviality。AccountsofhismannerofconductinghimselfinEuropeancourtstowhichhehadsupposedlybeenbidden，ofhisimmensepopularityinglitteringcircles，ofhisfinelydemocraticbearingwhenconfrontedbyemperorssurroundedbytheirguiltysplendors，werethejoyofremotevillagesandtowns。Athriftyandyoungminornovelisthastilyincorporatedhiminaserial，andsyndicatedituponthespotunderthetitleof“LivingorDead。”Amongitsespecialpublicitwasasuccessofsuchanatureasbetrayeditsauthorintoashastilywritingasecondromance，whichnotbeingrenderedstimulatingbyafoundationoffactfailedtorepeathistriumph。
T。Tembarom，readinginthelibraryatTempleBarholmthefirstnewspaperssentfromNewYork，smiledwidely。
“Youseethey”vegottosaysomething，Jem，“heexplained。“It”stoobigascooptobepassedover。Something”sgottobeturnedin。Anditmeansmoneytothefellows，too。It”sgoodcopy。”
“Suppose，“suggestedJem，watchinghimwithinterest，“youweretowritethefactsyourselfandpassthemontosomedecentchapwho”dbegladtogetthem。”
“Glad！“Tembaromflushedwithdelight。“Anychapwouldbe”wayupintheairatthechance。It”sthebestkindofstuff。Wouldn”tyoumind？
Areyousureyouwouldn”t？“Hewasthewarhorsesnuffingbattlefromafar。
JemTempleBarholmlaughedoutrightatthegleaminhiseyes。
“No，Ishouldn”tcareahang，dearfellow。AndthefactthatI
objectedwouldnotstopthestory。”
“No，itwouldn”t，bygee！Say，I”llgetAnntohelpme，andwe”llsendittothemanwhotookmyplaceontheEarth。It”llmeanboardandbootstohimforamonthifheworksitright。Andit”llbedoingagoodturntoGalton，too。IshallbegladtoseeoldGaltonwhenIgoback。”
“Youarequitesureyouwanttogoback？“inquiredJem。AcertainglowoffeelingwasalwaysinhiseyeswhenheturnedthemonT。Tembarom。
“Goback！Ishouldsmile！OfcourseIshallgoback。I”vegottogetbusyforHutchinsonandI”vegottogetbusyformyself。Iguessthere”llbeworktodothat”lltakemehalfovertheworld；butI”mgoingbackfirst。Ann”sgoingwithme。”
ButtherewasnoreferencetoareturntoNewYorkwhentheSundayEarthandotherwidelycirculatedweeklysheetsgaveprominencetothemarriageofMr。TempleTempleBarholmandMissHutchinson，onlychildandheiressofMr。JosephHutchinson，thecelebratedinventor。Fromanewspaperpointofview，theweddinghadbeenratherunfairlyquiet，anditwasnecessarytofillspacewitharevivaloftherenownedstory，withpicturesofbrideandbridegroom，andofTempleBarholmsurroundedbyancestraloaks。Athrivingbusinesswouldhavebeendonebythereportersifanoceangreyhoundhadlandedthepairatthedocksomemorning，andsnap-shotscouldhavebeentakenastheycrossedthegangway，andwearingappareldescribed。Buthopeofsuchfortunewassweptawaybytheclosingparagraph，whichstatedthatMr。andMrs。
TempleBarholmwould“spendthenexttwomonthsinmotoringthroughItalyandSpainintheir90h。p。Panhard。”
ItwasT。TembaromwhosentthislastitemprivatelytoGalton。
“It”snottrue，“hisletteradded，“butwhatI”mgoingtodoisnobody”sbusinessbutmineandmywife”s，andthiswillsuitpeoplejustaswell。”AndthenheconfidedtoGaltonthethingwhichwasthetruth。
TheSt。Francescaapartment-housewasaverynewone，situatedonacornerofanasyetsparselybuiltbutrapidlyspreadingavenueabovethe“100thStreets“——manynumbersabovethem。Therewasafranklyunfinishedairabouttheneighborhood，buthereandtherea“store“
hadbrokenforthandvaliantlydisplayednecessities，andevenarticlesvergingupontheeconomicallyornamental。Itwasplainlyimperativethattheideashouldbesuggestedthattherewereonthespotsourcesofsupplynotrequiringtheimmediateemploymentoftheservicesoftheelevatedrailroadintheachievementofpurchase，andalsothatenterpriserightlyencouragedmightdevelopintobeingequaltoalldemands。Hereandthereanexceedinglyfreshandclean“marketstore，“brilliantwiththehighlycoloredlabelsadorningtinnedsoupsandmeatsandediblesinglassjars，alluringlypresenteditselftothepasser-by。Theelevatedrailroadpercheduponironsupports，andwithironstairwayssotallthattheylookedalmostperilous，wasaprominentfeatureofthelandscape。Therewerestretchesofwasteground，andhighbackgroundsofbitsofcountryandwoodlandtobeseen。TherushofNewYorktraffichadnotyetreachedthestreets，andtheavenuewasofanagreeablesuburbancleanlinessandcalm。
Peoplewholivedinupperstoriescouldpridethemselvesonhaving“viewsoftheriver。”Thesetheylaidstressuponwhenitwashintedthatthey“livedalongwayuptown。”
TheSt。Francescawasbuiltoflight-brownstoneanddecoratedwithmuchornatemolding。Itwasfourteenstorieshigh，andwassuppliedwithornamentalfire-escapes。Itwas“noslouchofabuilding。”
Everythingdecorativewhichcouldbedoneforithadbeendone。Theentrancewasalmostimposing，andagenerouslavishnessinthewayofcementmosaicflooringandnewandthickredcarpetstrucktheeyeatonce。Thegrill-workoftheelevatorwasoffresh，brightblackness，pickedoutwithgold，andthecoloredelevator-boyworeablueliverywithbrassbuttons。Personsoflimitedmeanswhowerewillingtodiscardtheexcitementsof“downtown“gotagooddealfortheirmoney，andfrequentlyfoundthemselvessecretlysurprisedandupliftedbytheatmosphereofluxurywhichgreetedthemwhentheyenteredtheirred-
carpetedhall。Itwaswonderful，theysaid，congratulatingoneanotherprivately，howmuchcomfortandstyleyougotinaNewYorkapartment-
houseafteryoupassedthe“150ths。”
OnacertainafternoonT。Tembarom，withhishatonthebackofhisheadandhisarmsfullofparcels，havingleapedoffthe“L“whenitstoppedattheneareststation，dartedupanddowntheironstairwaysuntilhereachedtheground，andthenhurriedacrosstheavenuetotheSt。Francesca。Hemadelongstrides，andtwoorthreetimesgrinnedasifthinkingofsomethinghighlyamusing；andonceortwicehebegantowhistleandcheckedhimself。Helookedapprovinglyatthetallbuildinganditssolidlybalustradedentrance-stepsasheapproachedit，andwhenheenteredthered-carpetedhallhegavegreetingtoasmallmulattoboyinlivery。
“Hello，Tom！How”severything？“heinquired，hilariously。“Youtakinggoodcareofthisbuilding？Letanymoreeight-roomapartments？You”vegottokeeprightonthejob，youknow。Can”thaveyouloafingbecauseyou”vegotthosebrassbuttons。”
Thesmallpageshowedhisteethingleefulappreciationoftheirfriendlyintimacy。
“Yassir。That”sso，“heanswered。“Mis”Baromshe”swaitin”foryou。
Themcarpetsiscome，sir。Tracy”swagonbrought”em”boutanhourago。ItoldherI”dhelpherlay”emifshewantedmeto，butshesaidyouwascomin”withthehammeran”tacks。”Twarn”tthatshethoughtI
wastoolittle。Itwasjestthattherewasn”tnotacks。Itol”herjestcallmeinanytimetodoanythin”shewantdone，an”shesaidshewould。”
“She”lldoit，“saidT。Tembarom。“Youjustkeepontap。I”mjustcountingonyouandLighthere，“takingintheelevator-boyashesteppedintotheelevator，“tolookafterherwhenI”mout。”
Theelevator-boygrinnedalso，andtheelevatorshotuptheshaft，thenumbersofthefloorspassingalmosttoorapidlytobedistinguished。
Theelevatorwasnewandsowastheboy，anditwastheprideofhissoultolandeachpassengerathisownparticularfloor，asifhehadbeenpropelledupwardfromacatapult。Buthedidnotgotoorapidlyforthispassenger，atleast，thoughapaperparcelorsowasdroppedinthetransitandhadtobepickedupwhenhestoppedatfloorfourteen。
Theredcarpetswereonthecorridortherealso，andfreshpaintandpaperwereonthewalls。Afewyardsfromtheelevatorhestoppedatadoorandopeneditwithalatch-key，beamingwithinordinatedelight。
Thedooropenedintoanarrowcorridorleadingintoasmallapartment，thefurnitureofwhichwasnotyetsetinorder。Arollofcarpetandsomematsstoodinacorner，chairsandtableswithburlapsroundtheirlegswaitedhereandthere，acotwithamattressonit，evidentlytobetransformedintoa“couch，“heldpackagesofbafflinglyirregularshapesandsizes。Inthetinykitchennewpotsandpansandkettles，somestillwrappedinpaper，tiltedthemselvesatvariousanglesonthegleamingnewrangeorontheclosedlidsofthedoll-sizedstationarywash-tubs。
LittleAnnhadbeenverybusy，andsomeofthethingswereunpacked。
Shehadbeensweepingandmoppingfloorsandpolishingupremotecorners，andshehadonabigwhitepinafore-apronwithlongsleeves，whichtransformedherintoasortofsmallfemalechorister。Shecameintothenarrowcorridorwithabroominherhand，herperiwinkle-bluegazeasthrilledasanexcitedchild”swhenitattacksthearrangementofitsfirstdoll”shouse。Herhairwasalittleruffledwhereitshowedbelowthewhitekerchiefshehadtiedoverherhead。Thewarm，daisypinknessofhercheekswasamazing。
“Hello！“calledoutTembaromatsightofher。“Areyouthereyet？I
don”tbelieveit。”
“Yes，I”mhere，“sheanswered，dimplingathim。
“Notyou！“hesaid。“Youcouldn”tbe！You”vemeltedaway。Let”ssee。”
Andheslidhisparcelsdownonthecotandliftedherupintheairasifshehadbeenababy。“HowcanItell，anyhow？“helaughedout。
“Youdon”tweighanything，andwhenafellowsqueezesyouhe”sgottolookoutwhathe”sdoing。”
Hedidnotseemto“lookout“particularlywhenhecaughthertohiminahugintowhichsheappearedcharminglytomelt。Shemadeherselfpartofit，withsoftarmswhichwentatonceroundhisneckandheldhim。
“Say！“hebrokeforthwhenhesetherdown。“DoyouthinkI”mnotgladtogetback？“
“No，Idon”t，Tem，“sheanswered，“IknowhowgladyouarebythewayI”mgladmyself。”
“Youknowjusteverything！“heejaculated，lookingherover，“justeverydarnedthing——Godblessyou！Butdon”tyoumeltaway，willyou？
That”swhatI”mafraidof。I”lldoanyoldthingonearthifyou”lljuststay。”
Thatwashisgreatjoke，——thoughsheknewitwasnotsogreatajokeasitseemed，——thathewouldnotbelievethatshewasreal，andbelievedthatshemightdisappearatanymoment。Theyhadbeenmarriedthreeweeks，andshestillknewwhenshesawhimpausetolookatherthathewouldsuddenlyseizeandholdherfast，tryingtolaugh，sometimesnotwithentiresuccess。
“Doyouknowhowlongitwas？Doyouknowhowfarawaythatbigplacewasfromeverythingintheworld？“hehadsaidonce。“Andmeholdingonandgrittingmyteeth？Andnotasoultoopenmymouthto！Theolddukewastheonlyonewhounderstood，anyhow。He”dbeenthere。”
“I”llstay，“sheanswerednow，standingbeforehimashesatdownontheendofthe“couch。”Sheputafirm，warm-palmedlittlehandoneachsideofhisface，andhelditbetweenthemasshelookeddeepintohiseyes。“Youlookatme，Tem——andsee。”
“Ibelieveitnow，“hesaid，“butIshan”tinfifteenminutes。”
“We”rebothright-downsilly，“shesaid，hersoft，cosylaughbreakingout。“Lookroundthisroomandseewhatwe”vegottodo。Let”sbeginthisminute。Didyougetthegroceries？“
Hesprangupandbegantogooverhispackagestriumphantly。
“Tea，coffee，sugar，pepper，salt，beefsteak，“hecalledout。
“Wecan”thavebeefsteakoften，“shesaid，soberly，“ifwe”regoingtodoitonfifteenaweek。”
“GoodLord，no！“hegavebacktoher，hilariously。“ButthisisaFifthAvenuefeed。”
“Let”stakethemintothekitchenandputthemintothecupboard，anduntiethepotsandpans。”Shewassuddenlyquiteabsorbedandbusinesslike。“Wemustmaketheroomtidyandtackdownthecarpet，andthencookthedinner。”
Hefollowedherandobeyedherlikeanenrapturedboy。Thewonderofherwasthat，despiteitsunarrangedair，thetinyplacewasalreadyclearedandsetforaction。Shehaddoneitallbeforeshehadsweptouttheundiscoveredcorners。Everythingwasnearthespottowhichitbelonged。Therewasnothingtomoveordragoutoftheway。
“Igotitallreadytoputstraight，“shesaid，“butIwantedyoutofinishitwithme。Itwouldn”thaveseemedrightifI”ddoneitwithoutyou。Itwouldn”thavebeenasmuchOURS。”
Thencameactiveservice。Shewaslikeasmallgeneralcommandinganarmyofone。Theyputthingsonshelves；theyhungthingsonhooks；
theyfoundplacesinwhichthingsbelonged；theysetchairsandtablesstraight；andthen，afterdustingandpolishingthem，setthematamoreimposingangle；theyunrolledthelittlegreencarpetandtackeddownitscorners；andtransformedthecotintoa“couch“bycoveringitwithwhatTracy”sknewasa“throw“andadorningoneendofitwithcotton-stuffedcushions。Theyhunglittlephotogravuresonthewallsandstrungupsomecurtainsbeforethegood-sizedwindow，whichlookeddownfromanenormousheightatthetopoffour-storiedhouses，andtookinbeyondthemtheriverandtheshorebeyond。BecausetherewasnofireplaceTembaromknockedupashelf，and，coveringitwithascarffromTracy”s，setupsomeinoffensiveornamentsonitandflankedthemwithphotographsofJemTempleBarholm，LadyJoanincourtdress，MissAliciainherprettiestcap，andthegreathousewithitshugeterraceandthegriffins。
“Ain”tshealooker？“TembaromsaidofLadyJoan。“Andain”tJemalooker，too？Gee！they”reapair。Jemthinksthishoneymoonstuntofoursisthebestthingheeverheardof——usfixingourselvesupherejustlikewewouldhavedoneifnothinghadeverhappened，andwe”dHADtodoitonfifteenper。Say，“throwinganarmabouther，“areyougettingasmuchfunoutofitasifweHADto，asifImightlosemyjobanyminute，andwemightgetfiredoutofherebecausewecouldn”tpaytherent？Ibelieveyou”dratherliketothinkImightringyouintosomesortoftrouble，sothatyoucouldhelpmetogetyououtofit。”
That”snonsense，“sheanswered，withasweet，untruthfullittleface。
“Ishouldn”tbeverysensibleifIwasn”tgladyouCOULDN”Tloseyourjob。FatherandIareyourjobnow。”
Helaughedaloud。Thiswastheinnocent，fantastictruthofit。Theyhadchosentodothisthing——tospendtheirhoney-mooninthisparticularway，andtherewasnoreasonwhytheyshouldnot。ThelittledreamwhichhadbeenofsuchunattainableproportionsinthedaysofMrs。Bowse”sboarding-housecouldberealizedtoitsfullest。
NooneintheSt。Francescaapartmentsknewthattheyounghoney-
moonersinthefive-roomedapartmentwereotherthanMr。andMrs。T。
Barholm，asrecordedonthetabletofnamesintheentrance。
Hutchinsonknew，andMissAliciaknew，andJemTempleBarholm，andLadyJoan。TheDukeofStoneknew，andthoughttheold-fashionednessoftheideaquitethelasttouchofmodernity。
“Didyouseeanyonewhoknewyouwhenyouwereout？“LittleAnnasked。
“No，andifIhadtheywouldn”thavebelievedthey”dseenme，becausethepaperstoldthemthatMr。andMrs。TempleBarholmarespendingtheirhoneymoonmotoringthroughSpainintheirninety-horse-powerPanhard。”
“Let”sgoandgetdinner，“saidLittleAnn。
Theywentintothedoll”s-housekitchenandcookedthedinner。LittleAnnbroiledsteakandfriedpotatochips，andT。Tembaromproducedawonderfulcustardpiehehadboughtataconfectioner”s。Hesetthetable，andputabunchofyellowdaisiesinthemiddleofit。
“Wecouldn”tdoiteverydayonfifteenperweek，“hesaid。“Ifwewantedflowersweshouldhavetogrowtheminoldtomato-cans。”
LittleAnntookoffherchorister”s-gownapronandherkerchief，andpattedandtouchedupherhair。Shewaspinktoherears，andhadseveralnewdimples；andwhenshesatdownoppositehim，asshehadsatthatfirstnightatMrs。Bowse”sboarding-housesupper，Tembaromstaredatherandcaughthisbreath。
“YouAREthere？“hesaid，“ain”tyou？“
“Yes，Iam，“sheanswered。
Whentheyhadclearedthetableandwashedthedishes，andhadleftthetoykitchenspickandspan，thetenmillionlightsinNewYorkwerelightedandcastingtheirglowabovethecity。TembaromsatdownontheAdamschairbeforethewindowandtookLittleAnnonhisknee。
Shewasofthebuildwhichsettlescomfortablyandwitheaseintosoftcurveswhosenearnessisacaress。LookeddownatfromthefourteenthstoryoftheSt。Francescaapartments，thelightsstrungthemselvesalonglinesofstreets，crossingandrecrossingoneanother；theyglowedandblazedagainstmassesofbuildings，andtheyhungatenormousheightsinmid-airhereandthere，apparentlywithoutanysupport。Everywherewastheglowanddazzleoftheirbrilliancyoflight，withthedistantbeehumofanearingelevatedtrain，atintervalsgraduallydeepeningintoaroar。Theriverlookedmilesbelowthem，andcraftwithsparksorblazeoflightwentslowlyorswiftlytoandfro。
“It”slikeadream，“saidLittleAnn，afteralongsilence。“Andweareupherelikebirdsinanest。”
Hegaveheraclosergrip。
“MissAliciaoncesaidthatwhenIwasalmostdownandout，“hesaid。
“Itgavemeajolt。Shesaidaplacelikethiswouldbelikeanest。
Whereverwego，——andwe”llhavetogotolotsofplacesandliveinlotsofdifferentways，——we”llkeepthisplace，andsometimewe”llbringherhereandlethertryit。I”vejustgottoshowherNewYork。”
“Yes，letuskeepit，“saidLittleAnn，drowsily，“justforanest。”
Therewasanothersilence，andthelightsontheriverfarbelowstilltwinkledorblazedastheydriftedtoandfro。
“Youarethere，ain”tyou？“saidTembarominahalf-whisper。
“Yes——Iam，“murmuredLittleAnn。
Butshehadhadabusyday，andwhenhelookeddownather，shehungsoftlyagainsthisshoulder，fastasleep。
End