Alicelaughedwithanundercurrentofprotest，perhapsbecauseshehadseenherparents’wholelife，sofarassheknewit，passedinthissortofstruggle。“ImeanthatIhatemyownlifebecausethereseemsnothingformetodowithit。Iliketohavepeopledosomething。”
“Doyoureally？”askedMaveringsoberly，asifstruckbythenoveltyoftheidea。
“Yes！“shesaid，withexaltation。“IfIwereaman——“
Heburstintoaringinglaugh。“Ohno;don’t！“
“Why？”shedemanded，withprovisionalindignation。
“Becausethentherewouldn’tbeanyMissPasmer。”
ItseemedtoAlicethatthisjokingwasratheranunwarrantedliberty。
Againshecouldnothelpjoininginhislight-heartedness;butshecheckedherselfsoabruptly，andputonalooksoaustere，thathewasquelledbyit。
“Imean。”hebegan——“thatistosay——ImeanthatIdon’tunderstandwhyladiesarealwayssayingthat。Iamsuretheycandowhattheylike，asitis。”
“Doyoumeanthateverythingisopentothemnow？”sheasked，disentanglingaclusteroftheberriesfromthoseinherlap，andbeginningafreshbunch。
“Yes。”saidMavering。“Somethinglikethat——yes。Theycandoanythingtheylike。Lotsofthemdo。”
“Ohyes，Iknow。”saidthegirl。“Butpeopledon’tlikethemto。”
“Why，whatwouldyouliketobe？”heasked。
Shedidnotanswer，butsortedovertheclustersinherlap。“We’vegotenoughnow，haven’twe？”shesaid。
“Oh，nothalf。”hesaid。“Butifyou’retiredyoumustletmemakeupsomeofthebunches。”
“No，no！Iwanttodothemallmyself。”shesaid，gesturinghisofferedhandsaway，withalittlenetherappealinherlaughingrefusal“Soastofeelthatyou’vebeenofsomeuseintheworld？”hesaid，droppingcontentedlyonthegroundnearher，andwatchingherindustry。
“Doyouthinkthatwouldbeverywrong？”sheasked。“Whatmadethatfriendofyours——Mr。Boardman——gointojournalism？”
“Oh，virtuouspoverty。You’renotthinkingofbecominganewspaperwoman，MissPasmer！“
“Whynot？”Sheputthefinalclusterintothebunchinhand，andbegantowindawitheofsweet-grassaroundthestems。Hedroppedforwardonhiskneestohelpher，andtogethertheymanagedtheknot。Theywerebothflushedalittlewhenitwastied，andwereserious。
“Whyshouldn’tonebeanewspaperwoman，ifHarvardgraduatesaretobejournalists？”
“Well，youknow，onlyacertainkindare。”
“Whatkind？”
“Well，notexactlywhatyou’dcallthegentlemanlysort。”
“IthoughtMr。Boardmanwasagreatfriendofyours？”
“Heis。Heisoneofthebestfellowsintheworld。Butyoumusthaveseenthathewasn’taswell。”
“Ishouldthinkhe’dbegladhewasdoingsomethingatonce。IfIwerea——“Shestopped，andtheylaughedtogether。“ImeanthatIshouldhatetobesolonggettingreadytodosomethingasmenare。”
“Thenyou’dratherbeginmakingwall-paperatoncethanstudyinglaw？”
“Oh，Idon’tsaythat。I’mnotcompetenttoadvise。ButIshouldliketofeelthatIwasdoingsomething。Isupposeit’shereditary。”
Maveringstaredalittle。“Oneofmyfather’ssistershasgoneintoasisterhood。She’sinEngland。”
“Isshea——Catholic？”askedMavering。
“Sheisn’taRomanCatholic。”
“Ohyes！“Hedroppedforwardonhiskneesagaintohelphertiethebunchshehadfinished。Itwasnotsoeasyasthefirst。
“Oh，thankyou！“shesaid，withunnecessaryfervour。
“Butyoushouldn’tliketogointoasisterhood，Isuppose？”saidMavering，readytolaugh。
“Oh，Idon’tknow。Whynot？”Shelookedathimwithaflyingglance，anddroppedhereyes。
“Oh，noreason，ifyouhaveafancyforthatkindofthing。”
“Thatkindofthing？”repeatedAliceseverely。
“Oh，Idon’tmeananythingdisrespectfultoit。”saidMavering，throwinghisanxietyoffinthelaughhehadbeenholdingback。“AndIbegyourpardon。ButIdon’tsupposeyou’reinearnest。”
“Ohno，I’mnotinearnest。”saidthegirl，lettingherwristsfalluponherknees，andtheclustersdropfromherhands。“I’mnotinearnestaboutanything;that’sthetruth——that’stheshame。Wouldn’tyoulike。”
shebrokeoff，“tobeapriest，andgoroundamongthesepeopleuphereontheirfrozenislandsinthewinter？”
“No。”shoutedMavering，“Icertainlyshouldn’t。Idon’tseehowanybodystandsit。PonkwassetFallsisbadenoughinthewinter，andcomparedtothisregionPonkwassetFallsisametropolis。Ibelieveingettingallthegoodyoucanoutoftheworldyouwerebornin——ofcoursewithouthurtinganybodyelse。”Hestretchedhislegsoutonthebedofsweet-
fern，wherehehadthrownhimself，andrestedhisheadonhishandliftedonhiselbow。“Ithinkthisiswhatthisplaceisfitfor——apicnic;andIwisheveryonewelloutofitforninemonthsoftheyear。”
“Idon’t。”saidthegirl，withapassionateregretinhervoice。“Itwouldbeheavenlyherewith——Butyou——no，you’redifferent。Youalwayswanttoshareyourhappiness。”
“Ishouldn’tcallthathappiness。Butdon’tyou？”askedMavering。
“No。I’mselfish。”
“Youdon’texpectmetobebelievethat，Isuppose。”
“Yes。”shewenton，“itmustbeselfishness。Youdon’tbelieveI’mso，becauseyoucan’timagineit。Butit’strue。IfIweretobehappy，I
shouldbeverygreedyaboutit;Icouldn’tenduretoletanyoneelsehaveapartinit。Soit’sbestformetobewretched，don’tyousee——togivemyselfupentirelytodoingforothers，andnotexpectanyonetodoanythingforme;thenIcanbeofsomeuseintheworld。That’swhyI
shouldliketogointoasisterhood。”
Maveringtreateditasthebestkindofjoke，andhewasconfirmedinthisviewofitbyherlaughingwithhim，afterafirstglanceofwhathethoughtmockpiteousness。
XVI。
ThecloudssailedacrosstheirregularspaceofpaleblueNorthernskywhichthebreakinthewoodsopenedforthemoverhead。Itwassostillthattheyheard，andsmiledtohear，thebrokenvoicesoftheothers，whohadgonetogetberriesinanotherdirection——MissAnderson’shoarsemurmurandMunt’sartificialbass。Somewordscamefromthepartyontherocks。
“Isn’titperfect？”criedtheyoungfellowinuttercontent。
“Yes，tooperfect。”answeredthegirl，rousingherselffromthereverieinwhichtheyhadbothlostthemselves，shedidnotknowhowlong。
“Shallyougatheranymore？”
“No;Iguessthere’senough。Let’scountthem。”Hestoopedoveronhishand’sandknees，andmadeasmuchofcountingthebunchesashecould。
“There’saboutonebunchandahalfapiece。Howshallwecarrythem？
Weoughttocomeintocampasimpressivelyaspossible。”
“Yes。”saidAlice，lookingintohisfacewithdreamyabsence。Itwasgoingthroughhermind，fromsomeromanceshehadread，Whatifheweresomesylvancreature，withthatgaiety，thatnaturalgladnessandsweetnessofhis，sofarfromanyhappinessthatwaspossibletoher？
Oughtnotshetobeafraidofhim？Shewasthinkingshewasnotafraid。
“I’lltellyou。”hesaid。“Tiethestemsofallthebunchestogether，andswingthemoverapole，likegrapesofEshcol。Don’tyouknowthepicture？”
“Ohyes。”
“Holdon！I’llgetthepole。”Hecutawhitebirchsapling，andsweptoffitstwigsandleaves，thenhetiedthebunchestogether，andslungthemoverthemiddleofthepole。
“Well？”sheasked。
“Nowwemustresttheendsonourshoulders。”
“Doyouthinkso？”sheasked，withthereluctancethatcomplies。
“Yes，butnotrightaway。I’llcarrythemoutofthewoods，andwe’llformtheprocessionjustbeforewecomeinsight。”
Everyoneontheledgerecognisedthetableauwhenitappeared，andsaluteditwithcheersandhand-clapping。Mrs。Pasmerbentalookonherdaughterwhichshefacedimpenetrably。
“Wherehaveyoubeen？”“Wethoughtyouwerelost！““Wewerejustorganisingasearchexpedition！“differentonesshoutedatthem。
Theladywiththecoffee-potwaskneelingoveritwithherhandonit。
“Havesomecoffee，youpoorthings！Youmustbealmoststarved。”
“Welookedaboutforyoueverywhere。”saidMunt，“andshoutedourselvesdumb。”
MissAndersonpassednearAlice。“Iknewwhereyouwereallthetime！“
Thenthewholepartyfelltopraisingthenovelconceptionofthebouquetsofblueberries，andthetalkbegantoflowawayfromAliceandMaveringinvariouschannels。
Allthathadhappenedafewminutesagointheblueberrypatchseemedafar-offdream;therealityhaddiedoutofthelooksandwords。
Heranaboutfromonetoanother，servingeveryone;inalittlewhilethewholeaffairwasinhishospitablehands，andhislaughinterspersedandbrightenedthetalk。
Shegotalittlebackoftheothers，andsatlookingwistfullyoutoverthebay，withherhandsinherlap。
“Holdonjusthalfaminute，MissPasmer！don’tmove！“exclaimedtheamateurphotographer，whoisnowofallexcursions;hejumpedtohisfeet，andranforhisapparatus。Shesatstill，topleasehim;butwhenhehaddevelopedhispicture，inadarkcorneroftherocks，roofedwithawaterproof，heaccusedherofhavingchangedherposition。“Butit’sgoingtobesplendid。”hesaid，withanotherlookatit。
Hetookseveralpicturesofthewholeparty，forwhichtheyfellintovariousattitudesofconsciousness。Thenheshoutedtoaboat-loadofsailorswhohadbeachedtheircraftwhiletheygatheredsomedriftfortheirgalleyfire。Theyhadflungtheirarm-loadsintotheboat，andhadbentthemselvestoshoveitintothewater。
“Keepstill！don’tmove！“heyelledatthem，withtheimperiousnessoftheamateurphotographer，andtheyobeyedwiththehelplessnessofhisvictims。Buttheylookedround。
“Oh，idiots！“groanedtheartist。
“Ialwayswonderwhatthatkindofpeoplethinkofuskindofpeople。”
saidMrs。Brinkley，withhereyeonthephotographer’ssubjects。
“Yes，Iwonderwhattheydo？”saidMissCotton，pleasedwiththespeculativeturnwhichthetalkmighttakefromthis。“Isupposetheyenvyus？”shesuggested。
“Well，notallofthem;andthosethatdo，notrespectfully。Theyview，usasthepossessorsofill-gottengains，whowouldbeinaverydifferentplaceifwehadourdeserts。”
“Doyoureallythinkso？”
“Yes，Ithinkso;butIdon’tknowthatIreallythinkso。That’sanothermatter。”saidMrs。Brinkley，withthewhimsicalresentmentwhichMissCotton’sconscientiouspursuitseemedalwaystorouseinher。
“Isupposed。”continuedMissCotton，“thatitwasonlyamongthepoorinthecities，whohavebeginmisledbyagitators，thatthe-well-to-doclasseswereregardedwithsuspicion。”
“Itseemstohavebegunagreatwhileago。”saidMrs。Brinkley，“andnotexactlywithagitators。Itwasconsideredverydifficultforustogetintothekingdomofheaven，youknow。”
“Yes，Iknow。”assentedMissCotton。
“Andtherecertainlyaresomethingsagainstus。Evenwhenthechancewasgivenustosellallwehadandgiveittothepoor，wecouldn’tbringourmindstoit，andwentawayexceedingsorrowful。”
“Iwonder。”saidMissCotton，“whetherthosethingswereeverintendedtobetakenliterally？”
“Let’shopenot。”saidJohnMunt，seeinghischancetomakealaugh。
Mrs。Stamwellsaid，“Well，Ishalltakeanothercupofcoffee，atanyrate。”andherhardihoodraisedanotherlaugh。
“ThatalwaysseemstomethemostpitifulthinginthewholeBible。”saidAlice，fromherplace。“Toseetherightsoclearly，andnottobestrongenoughtodoit。”
“Mydear，ithappenseveryday。”saidMrs。Brinkley。
“Ialwaysfeltsorryforthatpoorfellow，too。”saidMavering。“Heseemedtobeagoodfellow，anditwasprettyhardlinesforhim。”
Alicelookedroundathimwithdeepeninggravity。
“Confoundthosefellows！“saidthephotographer，glancingathishastilydevelopedplate。“Theymoved。”
XVII。
Thepicnicpartygathereditselfupafterthelunch，andwhilesomeofthemen，emulousofMavering’spublicspirit，helpedsomeoftheladiestopackthedishesandbasketsawayunderthewagonseats，othersthrewacorkedbottleintothewater，andthrewstonesatit。Afewoftheladiesjoinedthem，butnobodyhitthebottle，whichwasfinallyleftbobbingaboutonthetide。
Mrs。Brinkleyaddressedthedefeatedgroup，ofwhomherhusbandwasone，astheycameupthebeachtowardthewagons。“Doyouthinkthatdisplaywascalculatedtoinspirethelowermiddleclasseswithrespectfulenvy？”
Herhusbandmadehimselfspokesmanfortherest:“No;butyoucan’ttellhowthey’dhavefeltifwe’dhitit。”
Theyallnowclimbedtoahigherlevel，grassyandsmooth，onthebluff，fromwhichtherewasaparticularview;andMaveringcame，carryingthewrapsofMrs。PasmerandAlice，withwhichheassociatedhisovercoat。A
bookfelloutofoneofthepocketswhenhethrewitdown。
MissAndersonpickedthevolumeup。“Browning！HereadsBrowning！
Superioryoungman！“
“Oh，don’tsaythat！“pleadedMavering。
“Oh，readsomethingaloud！“criedanotheroftheyoungladies。
“Isn’tBrowningratherseriousforapicnic？”heasked，withaglanceatAlice;hestillhadadoubtoftheeffectoftherheumaticuncle’sdanceuponher，andwouldhavebeengladtogivehersomeotheraestheticimpressionofhim。
“Ohno！“saidMrs。Brinkley，“nothingismoreappropriatetoapicnicthanconundrums;theyalwayshavethem。Chooseagoodtoughone。”
“Idon’tknowanythingtougherthanthe’LegendofPernik’——orlovelier。”
hesaid，andhebegantoread，simply，andwithapassionatepleasureinthesubtlestudy，feelingitscontroloverhishearers。
Thegentlemenlaysmokingaboutattheirease;attheendadeepsighwentupfromtheladies，cutshortbythequestionwhichtheyimmediatelyfellinto。
Theycouldnotagree，buttheysaid，oneafteranother:“Butyoureadbeautifully，Mr。Mavering！““Beautifully！““Yes，indeed！“
“Well，I’mgladthereisonepointclear。”hesaid，puttingthebookaway，and“I’mafraidyou’llthinkI’mrathersentimental。”headded，inalowvoicetoAlice，“carryingpoetryaroundwithme。”
“Ohno！“sherepliedintensely;“Ithankyou。”
“Ithankyou。”heretorted，andtheireyesmetinadeeplook。
Oneoftheoutercircleofsmokerscameupwithhiswatchinhishand，andaddressedthecompany，“Doyouknowwhattimeit’sgottobe？It’sfouro’clock。”
Theyallsprangupwithaclamourofsurprise。
Mrs。Pasmer，undercoverofthenoise，said，inalowtone，toherdaughter，“Alice，Ithinkyou’dbetterkeepalittlemorewithmenow。”
“Yes。”saidthegirl，inasympathywithhermotherinwhichshedidnotalwaysfindherself。
ButwhenMavering，whomtheirtacittreatyconcerned，turnedtowardthem，andputhimselfinchargeofAlice，Mrs。Pasmerfoundherselfdispossessedbythecharmofhisconfidence，andrelinquishedhertohim。
TheyweregoingtowalktotheCastleRocksbythepaththatnowlosesandnowfindsitselfamongthefastnessesoftheforest，stretchingtotheloftiestoutlookonthebay。Thesavagewoodlandispenetratedonlybythisforgetfulpath，thatpassesnowandthenaverthebridgeofaravine，andofferstotheeyeoneitherhandthemysterydeepeningintowilderandweirdertractsofsolitude。Thepartyresolveditselfintotwosandthrees，andthesestraggledfarapart，outofconversationalreachofoneanother。Mrs。PasmerfoundherselfwalkingandtalkingwithJohnMunt。
“Mr。Pasmerhasn’tmuchinterestintheseexcursions。”hesuggested。
“No;henevergoes。”sheanswered，and，byoneoftheagileintellectualprocessesnaturaltowomen，shearrivedatthequestion，“YouandtheMaveringsareoldfriends，Mr。Munt？”
“Ican’tsayabouttheson，butI’mhisfather’sfriend，andIsupposethatI’mhisfriendtoo。Everybodyseemstobeso。”suggestedMunt。
“OhYes。”Mrs。Pasmerassented;“heappearstobeauniversalfavourite。”
“WeusedtoexpectgreatthingsofElbridgeMaveringincollege。WewererathermoreromanticthantheHarvardmenarenowadays，andwebelievedinoneanothermorethantheydo。Perhapsweidealisedoneanother。
But，anyway，ourclassthoughtMaveringcoulddoanything。Youknowabouthistasteforetchings？”
“Yes。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withasighofdeepappreciation。“Whatgiftedpeople！“
“Iunderstandthatthesoninheritsallhisfather’stalent。”
“Hesketchesdelightfully。”
“AndMaveringwrote。Why，hewasourclasspoet！“criedMunt，rememberingthefactwithsurpriseandgratificationtohimself。“Hewasatremendoussatirist。”
“Really？Andheseemssoamiablenow。”
“Oh，itwasonlyonpaper。”
“Perhapshestillkeepsitup——onwall-paper？”suggestedMrs。Pasmer。
Muntlaughedatthelittlejokewithagood-willthatflatteredtheveteranflatterer。“Ishouldliketoaskhimthatsometime。Willyoulendittome？”
“Yes，ifsuchasayerofgoodthingswilldeigntoborrow——“
“Oh，Mrs。Pasmer！“criedMunt，otherwisespeechless。
“Andthemother？DoyouknowMrs。Mavering？”
“Mrs。MaveringI’veneverseen。”
“Oh！“saidMrs。Pasmer，withadisappointmentforwhichMunttriedtoconsoleher。
“I’veneverevenbeenattheirplace。Heaskedmeonceagreatwhileago;butyouknowhowthosethingsare。I’veheardthatsheusedtobeveryprettyandverygay。Theywentaboutagreatdeal，toSaratogaandCapeMayandsuchplaces——ratheroutofourbeat。”
“Andnow？”
“Andnowshe’sbeenaninvalidforagreatmanyyears。Bedridden，I
believe。Paralysis，Ithink。”
Yes;Mrs。Saintsburysaidsomethingofthekind。”
“Well。”saidMunt，anxioustoaddtothestoreofknowledgewhichthisremarklethimunderstandhehadnotmateriallyincreased，“IthinkMrs。
Maveringwastheoriginofthewall-paper——orhermoney。Maveringwaspoor;herfatherhadstartedit，andMaveringturnedinhistalent。”
“Howveryinteresting！Andisthatthereason——itsbeingancestral——thatMr。Maveringwisheshissontogointoit？”
“Ishegoingintoit？”askedMunt。
“He’scomeupheretothinkaboutit。”
“Ishouldsupposeitwouldbeaverygoodthing。”saidMunt。
“Whataveryremarkableforest！“saidMrs。Pasmer，examiningitoneitherside，andturningquiteround。Thisgaveher，fromherplaceinthevanofthestragglingprocession，aglimpseofAliceandDanMaveringfarintherear。
“Don’tyouknow。”hewassayingtothegirlatthesamemoment，“it’slikesomeofthoseDoreillustrationstotheInferno，ortheWanderingJew。”
“Ohyes。IwastryingtothinkwhatitwasmademethinkIhadseenitbefore。”sheanswered。“Itmustbethat。Buthowstrangeitis！“sheexclaimed，“thatsensationofhavingbeentherebefore——insomeplacebeforewhereyoucan’tpossiblyhavebeen。”
“Anddoyoufeelithere？”heasked，asvividlyinterestedasiftheytwohadbeenthefirsttonoticethephenomenonwhichhasbeenapsychicalconsolationtosomanyyoungobservers。
“Yes。”shecried。
“IhopeIwaswithyou。”hesaid，withasuddenturnoflevity，whichdidnotdispleaseher，forthereseemedtobeatenderearnestnesslurkinginit。“Icouldn’tbeartothinkofyourbeingaloneinsuchahowlingwilderness。”
“Oh，Iwaswithalargepicnic。”sheretortedgaily。“Youmighthavebeenamongtherest。Ididn’tnotice。”
“Well，thenexttime，Iwishyou’dlookcloser。Idon’tlikebeingleftout。”Theyweresofarbehindtherestthathedevotedhimselfentirelytoher，andtheyhadgrownmoreandmoreconfidential。
Theycametoanarrowfoot-bridgeoveradeepgorge。Thehand-railhadfallenaway。Hesprangforwardandgaveherhishandforthepassage。
“Whohelpedyouoverhere？”hedemanded。“Don’tsayIdidn’t。”
“Perhapsitwasyou。”shemurmured，lettinghimkeepthefingerstowhichheclungamomentaftertheyhadcrossedthebridge。Thenshetookthemaway，andsaid:“ButIcan’tbesure。Thereweresomanyothers。”
“Otherfellows？”hedemanded，placinghimselfbeforeheronthenarrowpath，sothatshecouldnotgetby。“Trytoremember，MissPasmer。Thisisveryimportant。Itwouldbreakmyheartifitwasreallysomeoneelse。”Shestoleaglanceathisface，butitwassmiling，thoughhisvoicewassoearnest。“Iwanttohelpyouoverallthebadplaces，andI
don’twantanyoneelsetohaveahandinit。”
Thevoiceandthefacestillbeliedeachother，andbetweenthemthegirlchosetofeelherselftrifledwithbytheartistictemperament。“Ifyou’llpleasestepoutoftheway，Mr。Mavering。”shesaidseverely，“I
shallnotneedanybody’shelpjusthere。”
Heinstantlymovedaside，andtheywerebothsilent，tillshesaid，asshequickenedherpacetoovertaketheothersinfront，“Idon’tseehowyoucanhelplikingnatureinsuchaplaceasthis。”
“Ican’t——humannature。”hesaid。Itwasmerefolly;andanabstractfollyatthat;butthefacethatshehelddownandawayfromhimflushedwithsweetconsciousnessasshelaughed。
Onthecliffbeetlingabovethebay，whereshesattolookoutoverthesadnorthernsea，litwiththefishingsailtheyhadseenbefore，andthesurgewashedintotherockycovesfarbeneaththem，hethrewhimselfatherfeet，andmadeheraloneinthecompanythatcameandwentandtriedthisviewandthatfromthedifferentpointswherethepicnichostessinsistedtheyshouldenjoyit。Shelefttheyoungcoupletothemselves，andMrs。PasmerseemedtohaveforgottenthatshehadbiddenAlicetobealittlemorewithher。
Alicehadforgottenittoo。ShesatlisteningtoMavering’stalkwithacertainfascination，butnotsomuchapparentlybecausethemeaningofthewordspleasedherasthesoundofhisvoice，themotionofhislipsinspeaking，charmedher。Atfirsthewasserious，andevenmelancholy，asifhewereafraidhehadoffendedher;butapparentlyhesoonbelievedthathehadbeenforgiven，andbegantoburlesquehisownmood，butstillwithadeferenceandawatchfulobservanceofherchangesoffeelingwhichwasdelicatelyflatteringinitsway。Nowandthenwhensheansweredsomethingitwasnotalwaystothepurpose;heaccusedherofnothearingwhathesaid，butshewouldhaveitthatshedid，andthenhetriedtotestherbyproofsandquestions。Itdidnotmatterforanythingthatwasspokenordone;speechandactionofwhateversortweremeremasksoftheiryoungjoyineachother，sothatwhenhesaid，afterhehadquotedsomelinesbefittingthescenetheylookedouton;“NowwasthatfromTennysonorfromTupper？”andsheanswered，“Neither;itwasfromShakespeare。”theyjoined，inthesamehappylaugh，andtheylaughednowandthenwithoutsayinganything。Neitherthisnorthatmadethemmoregladorless;theywereinatrance，vulnerabletonothingbutthesummonswhichmustcometoleavetheirdreambehind，andissueintothewakingworld。
Inhopeorinexperiencesuchamomenthascometoall，anditissoprettytothosewhorecogniseitfromtheoutsidethatnoonehasthehearttohurryitawaywhileitcanbehelped。TheaffairbetweenAliceandMaveringhadevidentlyhermother’ssanction，andalltherestwereeagertohelpiton。Whenthepartyhadstartedtoreturn，theycalledtothem，andletthemcomebehindtogether。AtthecarriagestheyhadwhatMissAndersoncalledanewdeal，andAliceandMaveringfoundthemselvestogetherintherearseatofthelast。
Thefogbegantocomeinfromthesea，andfollowedthemthroughthewoods。Whentheyemergeduponthehighwayitwrappedthemdenselyround，andformedalittleworld，cosy，intimate，wheretheytwodweltalonewiththesefriendsoftheirs，eachofwhomtheypraisedfordelightfulqualities。Thehorsesbeatalongthroughthemist，inwhichthereseemednoprogress，andtheylivedinablissfularrestoftime。MissAndersoncalledbackfromthefrontseat，“Myearbuyns;you’retalkin’aboutme。”
“Whichear？”criedMavering。
“Oh，theleft，ofcouyse。”
“Thenit’smerelyhabit，Julie。Yououghttohaveheardthenicethingsweweresayingaboutyou。”Alicecalled。
“I’dliketohearallthenicethingsyou’vebeensaying。”
Thisseemedthelasteffectofsubtlewit。Maveringbrokeoutinhislaugh，andAlice’slaughrangaboveit。
Mrs。Pasmerlookedinvoluntarilyroundfromthecarriageahead。
“Theyseemtobehavingagoodtime。”saidMrs。Brinkleyatherside。
“Yes;IhopeAliceisn’toverdoing。”
“I’mafraidyou’redreadfullytired。”saidMaveringtothegirl，inalowvoice，asheliftedherfromherplacewhentheyreachedthehotelthroughtheprovisionaldarkness，andfoundthatafterallitwasonlydinner-time。
“Ohno。Ifeelasifthepicnicwerejustbeginning。”
“Thenyouwillcometo-night？”
“Iwillseewhatmammasays。”
“ShallIaskher？”
“Oh，perhapsnot。”saidthegirl，repressinghisardour，butnotseverely。
XVIII。
Theyweregoingtohavesometheatricalsatoneofthecottages，andtheladyatwhosehousetheyweretobegivenmadehastetoinviteallthepicnicpartybeforeitdispersed。Mrs。Pasmeracceptedwithamentalreservation，meaningtosendanexcuselaterifshechose;andbeforeshedecidedthepointshekeptherhusbandfromgoingafterdinnerintothereading-room，wherehespentnearlyallhistimeoverapaperandacigar，orinsittingabsolutelysilentandunoccupied，andmadehimgototheirownroomwithher。
“ThereissomethingthatImustspeaktoyouabout。”shesaid，closingthedoor，“andyoumustdecideforyourselfwhetheryouwishtoletitgoanyfurther。”
“Whatgoanyfurther？”askedMr。Pasmer，sittingdownandputtinghishandtothepocketthatheldhiscigar-casewiththesameseriesofmotions。
“No，don’tsmoke。”shesaid，stayinghishandimpatiently。“Iwantyoutothink。”
“HowcanIthinkifIdon’tsmoke？”
“Verywell;smoke，then。DoyouwantthisaffairwithyoungMaveringtogoanyfarther？”
“Oh！“saidPasmer，“Ithoughtyouhadbeenlookingafterthat。”Hehadinfactrelegatedthattothecompanyofthegreatquestionsexteriortohispersonalcomfortwhichshealwaysdecided。
“Ihavebeenlookingafterit，butnowthetimehascomewhenyoumust，asafather，takesomeinterestinit。”
Pasmer’snoblemaskofaface，fromthepointofhisfullwhitebeardtohisfineforehead，crossedbyhisimpressiveblackeyebrows，expressedallthedignifiedconcernwhichafatheroughttofeelinsuchanaffair;
butwhathewasreallyfeelingwasagravereluctancetohavetointerveneinanyway。“Whatdoyouwantmetosaytohim？”heasked。
“Why，Idon’tknowthathe’sgoingtoaskyouanything。Idon’tknowwhetherhe’ssaidanythingtoAliceyet。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withsomeexasperation。
Herhusbandwassilent，buthissilenceinsinuatedadegreeofwonderthatsheshouldapproachhimprematurelyonsuchapoint。
“Theyhavebeenthrowntogetherallday，andthereisnousetoconcealfromourselvesthattheyareverymuchtakenwitheachother？”
“Ithought。”Pasmersaid，“thatyousaidthatfromthebeginning。Didn’tyouwantthemtobetakenwitheachother？”
“Thatiswhatyouaretodecide。”
Pasmersilentlyrefusedtoassumetheresponsibility。
“Well？”demandedhiswife，afterwaitingforhimtospeak。
“Wellwhat？”
“Whatdoyoudecide？”
“Whatistheuseofdecidingathingwhenitisallover？”
“Itisn’toveratall。Itcanbebrokenoffatanymoment。”
“Well，breakitoff，then，ifyoulike。”
Mrs。Pasmerresumedtheresponsibilitywithasigh。Shefelttheburden，thepenalty，ofpower，afterhavingsolongenjoyeditssweets，andshewouldwillinglyhaveabdicatedthesovereigntywhichshehadspentherwholemarriedlifeinestablishing。Buttherewasnoonetotakeitup。
“No，Ishallnotbreakitoff。”shesaidresentfully;“Ishallletitgoon。”Thenseeingthatherhusbandwasnotshakenbyherthreatfromhislong-confirmedsubjection，sheadded:“Itisn’tanidealaffair，butI
thinkitwillbeaverygoodthingforAlice。HeisnotwhatIexpected，butheisthoroughlynice，andIshouldthinkhisfamilywasnice。I’vebeentalkingwithMr。Muntaboutthemto-day，andheconfirmsallthatEttaSaintsburysaid。Idon’tthinktherecanbeanydoubtofhisintentionsincominghere。Heisn’taparticularlyartlessyoungman，buthe’sbeensufficientlyfrankaboutAlicesincehe’sbeenhere。”Herhusbandsmokedon。“Hisfatherseemstohavetakenupthebusinessfromtheartisticside，andMr。Maveringwon’tbeexpectedtoenterintothecommercialpartatonce。Ifitwasn’tforAlice，Idon’tbelievehewouldthinkofthebusinessforamoment;hewouldstudylaw。Ofcourseit’salittleembarrassingtohaveherengagedatoncebeforeshe’sseenanythingofsocietyhere，butperhapsit’sallforthebest，afterall:
themainthingisthatsheshouldbesatisfied，andIcanseethatshe’sonlytoomuchso。Yes，she’sverymuchtakenwithhim;andIdon’twonder。Heischarming。”
ItwasnotthefirsttimethatMrs。Pasmerhadreasonedinthisround;
buttheutteranceofherthoughtsseemedtothrowanewlightonthem，andshetookacouragefromthemthattheydidnotalwaysimpart。Shearrivedatthefinalopinionexpressed，withathroboftendernessfortheyoungfellowwhomshebelievedeagertotakeherdaughterfromher，andnowforthefirsttimesheexperiencedadesolationintheprospect，asifitwereanaccomplishedfact。Shewasmorallyabundleoffinesses，butatthebottomofherheartherdaughterwasalltheworldtoher。Shehadmadethegirlheridol，andif，likesomeotherheathen，shehadnotalwaysusedheridolwiththegreatestdeference，ifshehadoftenexpectedtheimpossiblefromit，andmadeitpayforherdisappointment，stillshehadneverswervedfromherworshipofit。Shesuddenlyaskedherself，Whatifthisyoungfellow，socharmingandsogood，shouldsowhollymonopoliseherchildthatsheshouldnolongerhaveanyshareinher？WhatifAlice，whohadsolongformedherfirstcareandchiefobjectinlife，shouldcontentedlyloseherselfintheloveandcareofanother，andbothshouldignoreherrighttoher？SheansweredherselfwithapangthatthismighthappenwithanyoneAlicemarried，andthatitwouldbenoworse，attheworst，withDanMaveringthanwithanother，whileherhusbandremainedimpartiallysilent。Alwayskeepingwithinthelinestowhichhiswife’ssupremacyhaddrivenhim，hefeltsafethere，andwasnottobeeasilycoaxedoutofthem。
Mrs。Pasmerroseandlefthim，withhisperfectacquiescence，andwentintoherdaughter’sroom。ShefoundAlicethere，withaprettyeveningdresslaidoutonherbed。Mrs。Pasmerwasveryfondofthatdress，andatthethoughtofAliceinitherspiritsroseagain。
“Oh，areyougoing，Alice？”
“Why，yes。”answeredthegirl。“Didn’tyouaccept？”
“Why，yes。”Mrs。Pasmeradmitted。“Butaren’tyoutired？”
“Oh，notintheleast。IfeelasfreshasIdidthismorning。Don’tyouwantmetogo？”
“Ohyes，certainly，Iwantyoutogo——ifyouthinkyou’llenjoyit。”
“Enjoyit？Why，whyshouldn’tIenjoyit，mamma！“Whatareyouthinkingabout？It’sgoingtobethegreatestkindoffun。”
“Butdoyouthinkyououghttolookateverythingsimplyasfun？”askedthemother，withunwonteddidacticism。
“Howeverything？Whatareyouthinkingabout，mamma？”
“Oh，nothing！I’msogladyou’regoingtowearthatdress。”
“Why，ofcourse！It’smybest。Butwhatarcyoudrivingat，mamma？”
Mrs。Pasmerwasreallyseekinginherdaughterthatcomfortofadistinctvolitionwhichshehadfailedtofindinherhusband，andshewishedtoassureherselfofitmoreandmore，thatshemightsharewithsomeonetheresponsibilitywhichhehadrefusedanypartin。
“Nothing。ButI’mgladyouwishsomuchtogo。”Thegirldroppedherhandsandstared。“Youmusthaveenjoyedyourselfto-day。”sheadded，asifthatwereanexplanation。
“OfcourseIenjoyedmyself！Butwhathasthattodowithmywantingtogoto-night？”
“Oh，nothing。ButIhope，Alice，thatthereisonethingyouhavelookedfullyintheface。”
“Whatthing？”falteredthegirl，andnowshowedherselfunabletoconfrontitbydroppinghereyes。
“Well，whateveryoumayhaveheardorseen，nobodyelseisindoubtaboutit。WhatdoyousupposehasbroughtMr。Maveringhere！“
“Idon’tknow。”Thedenialnotonlyconfessedthatshedidknow，butitinformedhermotherthatallwasasyettacitbetweentheyoungpeople。
“Verywell，then，Iknow。”saidMrs。Pasmer;“andthereisonethingthatyoumustknowbeforelong，Alice。”
“What？”sheaskedfaintly。
“Yourownmind。”saidhermother。“Idon’taskyouwhatitis，andI
shallwaittillyoutellme。OfcourseIshouldn’thavelethimstayhereifIhadobjected——“
“Omamma！“murmuredthegirl，dyedwithshametohavethefactssoboldlytouched，butnot，probably，toodeeplydispleased。
“Yes。AndIknowthathewouldneverhavethoughtofgoingintothatbusinessifhehadnotexpected——hoped——“
“Mamma！“
“Andyououghttoconsider——“
“Oh，don’t！don’t！don’t！“imploredthegirl。
“That’sall。”saidhermother，turningfromAlice，whohadhiddenherfaceinherhands，toinspectthecostumeonthebed。Sheliftedonepieceofitafteranother，turneditover，lookedatit，andlaiditdown。“Youcannevergetsuchadressinthiscountry。”
Shewentoutoftheroom，asthegirldroppedherfaceinthepillow。Anhourlatertheymetequippedfortheevening’spleasure。Tothekeenglancethathermothergaveher，thedaughter’seyeshadthebrightnessofeyesthathavebeenweeping，buttheywerealsobrightwiththatknowledgeofherownmindwhichMrs。Pasmerhaddesiredforher。Shemethermother’sglancefearlessly，evenproudly，andshecarriedherstylishcostumewithasplendourtowhichonlyoccasionscouldstimulateher。
Theydramatisedaperfectunconsciousnesstoeachother，butMrs。Pasmerwasbynomeanssatisfiedwiththedecisionwhichshehadreadinherdaughter’slooks。Somehowitdidnotrelieveheroftheresponsibility，anditdidnotchangethenatureofthecase。Itwasgratifying，ofcourse，toseeAlicetheobjectofapassionsosincereandsoardent;sofarthetriumphwascomplete，andtherewasreallynothingobjectionableintheyoungmanandhiscircumstances，thoughtherewasnothingverydistinguished。ButtheaffairwasaltogetherdifferentfromanythingthatMrs。Pasmerhadimagined。ShehadsupposedandintendedthatAliceshouldmeetsomeoneinBoston，andgothroughacourseofsocietybeforereachinganydecisivestep。Therewastobeawholeseasoninwhichtolookthegroundcarefullyover，andthegroundwastobeallwithincertainwell-ascertainedandguardedprecincts。Butthisthathadhappenedwasoutsideoftheseprecincts，ofatleastontheirmereoutskirts。ClassDay，ofcourse，wasallright;andshecouldnotsaythatthesummercolonyatCampobellowasnotthoroughlyandessentiallyBoston;andyetshefeltthatcertaininfluences，certainsanctions，wereabsent。Totellthetruth，shewouldnothavecaredforthefeelingsofMavering’sfamilyinregardtothematter，exceptastheymightafterwardconcernAlice，andthetimehadnotcomewhenshecouldrecognisetheirexistenceinregardtotheaffair;andyetshecouldhavewishedthatevenasitwashisfamilycouldhaveseenandapproveditfromthestart。
Itwouldhavebeenmoreregular。
WithAliceitwasasimplermatter，andofcoursedeeper。Forheritwasonlyaquestionofhimselfandherself;nooneelseexistedtothesublimeegotismofherlove。Shedidnotcallitbythatname;shedidnotpermitittoassertitselfbyanyname;itwasamereformlessjoyinhersoul，atrustfulandblissfulexpectance，whichshenownomorebelievedhecoulddisappointthanthatshecoulddiewithinthathour。
Alltherebellionthatshehadsometimesfeltattheanomalousattitudeexactedofhersexinregardtosuchmatterswasgone。Shenolongerthoughtitstrangethatagirlshouldbeexpectedtoignoretheadmirationofayoungmantillheexplicitlydeclaredit，andshouldthenbefullypossessedofallthematerialsofadecisiononthemostmomentousquestioninlife;forsheknewthatthisstateofignorancecouldneverreallyexist;shehadknownfromthefirstmomentthathehadthoughtherbeautiful。To-nightshewasradiantforhim。Hereyesshonewiththelookinwhichtheyshouldmeetandgivethemselvestoeachotherbeforetheyspoke——thelookinwhichtheyhadmetalready，inwhichtheyhadlivedthatwholeday。
XIX。
Theevening’sentertainmentwassomethingthatmustfailbeforeanaudiencewhichwasnotverykind。Theyweretopresentaburlesqueofclassicfable，andtheparts，withtheirgeneralintention，hadbeendistributedtothedifferentactors;butnothinghadbeenwrittendown，and，beyondthesituationsandafewpointsofdialogue，allhadtobeimprovised。Thecostumesandpropertieshadbeeninventedfromsuchthingsascametohand。Sheetssculpturesquelydrapedthedeitieswhotookpart;afox-peltfromthehearthdiddutyastheleopardskinofBacchus;afeatherdusterservedNeptuneforatrident;thelyreofApollowasadust-pan;agull’sbreastfurnishedJovewithhisgreybeard。
Thefablewasadaptedtomodernlife，andthescenehadbeenlaidinCampobello，thepeculiaritiesofwhichweretobesatirisedthroughout。
TheprincipalsituationwastobeapassagebetweenJupiter，representedbyMavering，andJuno，whomMissAndersonpersonated;itwastobeasceneofconjugalreproachesandreprisals，andtoendinreconciliation，inwhichthefatherofthegodssacrificedhimselfonthealtarofdomesticpeacebypromisingtobringhisfamilytoCampobelloeveryyear。
ThiswastobefollowedbyasketchoftheJudgmentofParis，inwhichJunoandPallasweretobepersonatedbytwoyoungmen，andMissAndersontookthepartofVenus。
Theprettydrawing-roomoftheTrevors——youngpeoplefromAlbany，andcousinsofMissAnderson——wascurtainedoffatoneendforastage，andbeyondtheslidingdoorswhichdivideditinhalfweresetchairsforthespectators。Peoplehadcomeinwhateverdresstheyliked;themenweremostlyinmorningcoats;theladieshadgenerallymadesomeattemptateveningtoilet，buttheyjoinedinadmiringAlicePasmer’scostume，andoneofthemsaidthattheywouldletitrepresentthemall，andexpresswhateachmighthavedoneifshewould。Therewasnotmuchtimefortheirtributes;allthelampswerepresentlytakenawayandsetalongthefloorinfrontofthecurtainasfoot-lights，leavingthecompanyinadarknesswhichMrs。Brinkleypronouncedsepulchral。Shemadeherreproachestothemasterofthehouse，whohadeffectedthistranspositionofthelamps。“Iwasjustthinkingsomeveryprettyandvaluablethingsaboutyourcharmingcottage，Mr。Trevor:arugonabarefloor，atrimofvarnishedpine，awallwithhalfadozensimpleetchingsonit，anopenfire，andamantelpiecewithoutbric-a-brac，howentirelysatisfyingitallis！Andhowitupbraidsusforheapingupupholsteryaswedointown！“
“Goon。”saidthehost。“Thosearebeautifulthoughts。”
“ButIcan’tgooninthedark。”retortedMrs。Brinkley。“Youcan’tthinkinthedark，muchlesstalk！Canyou，Mrs。Pasmer？”Mrs。Pasmer，withAlicenexttoher，satjustinfrontofMrs。Brinkley。
“No。”sheassented;“butifIcould——YOUcanthickanywhere，Mrs。
Brinkley——Mrs。Trevor’slovelyhousewouldinspiremetoit。”
“Twobirdswithonestone——thankyou，Mrs。Pasmer，formypartofthecompliment。Pickyourselfup，Mr。Trevor。”
“Oh，thankyou，I’mallright。”saidTrevor，pantingaftertheladies’
meanings，asamanmust。“Isupposethinkingandtalkinginthedarkisagooddeallikesmokinginthedark。”
“No;thinkingandtalkingarenotatalllikesmokingunderanyconditions。Whyintheworldshouldtheybe？”
“Oh，Ican’tgetanyfunoutofacigarunlessIcanseethesmoke。”thehostexplained。
“Doyoufollowhim，Mrs。Pasmer？”
“Yes，perfectly。”
“Thankyou，Mrs。Pasmer。”saidTrevor。
“I’llgetyoutotellmehowyoudiditsometime。”saidMrs。Brinkley。
“Butyourhouseisagem，Mr。Trevor。”
“Isn’tit？”criedTrevor。“Iwantmywifetoliveheretheyearround。”
ItwastheTrevors’firstsummerintheircottage，andtheexperiencedreaderwilleasilyrecognisehismood。“Butshe’ssuchaworldlyspirit，shewon’t。”
“Oh，Idon’tknowabouttheyearround。Doyou，Mrs。Pasmer？”
“Ishould。”saidAlice，withthesuddennessofyouth，breakingintothetalkwhichshehadnotbeensupposedtotakeanyinterestin。
“Isitpropertokissayounglady’shand？”saidTrevorgratefully，appealingtoMrs。Brinkley。
“Itisn’tverycustomaryinthenineteenthcentury。”saidMrs。Brinkley。
“Butyoumightkissherfan。Hemightkissherfan，mightn’the，Mrs。
Pasmer？”
“Certainly。Alice，holdoutyourfaninstantly。”
Thegirlhumouredthejoke，laughing。
Trevorpressedhislipstotheperfumedsticks。“IwilltellMrs。
Trevor。”hesaid，“andthatwilldecideher。”
“Itwilldecidehernottocomehereatallnextyearifyoutellherall。”
“Henevertellsmeall。”saidMrs。Trevor，catchingsomuchofthetalkasshecameinfromsomehospitablecaresinthedining-room。“They’reincapableofit。Whathashebeendoingnow？”
“Nothing。OrIwilltellyouwhenwearealone，Mrs。Trevor。”saidMrs。
Brinkley，withburlesquesympathy。“Weoughtn’ttohaveasceneonbothsidesofthefoot-lights。”
Aboyishface，allexcitement，wasthrustoutbetweenthecurtainsformingtheprosceniumofthelittletheatre。“Allready，Mrs。Trevor？”
“Yes，allready，Jim。”
Hedashedthecurtainsapart，andmarredtheeffectofhisowndisappearancefromthescenebytrippingoverthelonglegsofJove，stretchedouttothefront，wherehesatonMrs。Trevor’srichestrug，proppedwithsofacushionsoneitherhand。
“Soperishalltheimpiousraceoftitans，enemiesofthegods！“saidMaveringsolemnly，astheboyfellsprawling。“Picktheearth-borngiantup，Vulcan，myson。”
Theboywasverysmallforhisage;everyonesawthattheaccidenthadnotbeenpremeditated，andwhenVulcanappeared，withanexaggeratedlimp，andcarriedtheboyoff，aburstoflaughterwentupfromthecompany。
Itdidnotmatterwhattheplaywastohavebeenafterthat;itallturnedupontheaccident。Junocameon，andbegantoreproachJupiterforhiscarelessness。“I’vesentMercuryupstairsfortheaynica;buthesaysit’snouse:thatboywon’tbeabletopassballforaweek。HowoftenhaveItoldyounottositwithyourfeetoutthatway！Iknewyou’dhurtsomebody。”
“Ididn’thavemyfeetout。”retortedJupiter。“Besides。”headded，withdignity，andaburlesqueofmaritalspecialpleadingwhicheverywifeandhusbandrecognised，“Ialwayssitwithmyfeetoutso，andIalwayswill，solongasI’vethespiritofagod。”
“Isn’thedelicious？”buzzedMrs。Pasmer，leaningbackwardtowhispertoMrs。Brinkley;itwasnotthatshethoughtwhatDanhadjustsaidwassoveryfanny，butpeopleareimmoderatelyapplausiveofamateurdramatics，andshewasfeelingveryfondoftheyoungfellow。
Theimprovisationwentwildlyandadventurouslyon，andthecurtainsdroppedtogetheramidstthefacileacclaimoftheaudience:
“It’sverywellforJupiterthathehappenedtothinkofthecurtain。”
saidMrs。Brinkley。“Theycouldn’thavekeptitupatthatlevelmuchlonger。”
“Oh，doyouthinkso？”softlymurmuredMrs。Pasmer。“Itseemedasiftheycouldhavekeptitupallnightiftheyliked。”
“Idoubtit。Mr。Trevor。”saidMrs。Brinkleytothehost，whohadcomeupforhercongratulations，“doyoualwayshavesuchbrilliantperformances？”
“Well，wehavesofar。”heansweredmodestly;andMrs。Brinkleylaughedwithhim。ThiswasthefirstentertainmentatTrevorcottage。
“’Sh！“wentupallroundthem，andMrs。Trevorcalledacrosstheroom，inareproachfulwhisperloudenoughforeveryonetohear，“Mydear！——
enjoyingyourself！“whileMaveringstoodbetweenthepartedcurtainswaitingfortheattentionofthecompany。
“Onaccountofanaccidenttothecall-boyandthementalexhaustionofsomeofthedeities，thenextpiecewillbeomitted，andtheperformancewillbeginwiththeoneafter。Whiletheaudienceiswaiting，Mercurywillgoroundandtakeupacollectionforthevictimoftherecentaccident，whowillprobablybeindisposedforlife。Thecollectorwillbeaccompaniedbyapoliceman，andmaybesafelytrusted。”
HedisappearedbehindthecurtainwithapasandrswirlofhisdraperiesliketheLordChancellorinIolanthe，andtheaudienceagainabandoneditselftoapplause。
“Howverywittyheis！“saidMissCotton，whosatnearJohnMunt。“Don’tyouthinkhe’sreallywitty？”
“Yes。”Muntassentedcritically。“Butyoushouldhaveknownhisfather。”
“Oh，doyouknowhisfather？”
“Iwasincollegewithhim。”
“Oh，dotellmeabouthim，andallMr。Mavering’sfamily。We’resointerested，youknow，onaccountof——Isn’titprettytohavethatlittleloveidylgoingonhere？Iwonder——I’vebeenwonderingallthetime——
whatshethinksofallthis。Doyousupposeshequitelikesit？”Hiscostumeissoveryremarkable！“MissCotton，intheabsenceofanyladyofherintimatecircle，wasappealingconfidentiallytoJohnMunt。
“Why，doyouthinkthere’sanythingseriousbetweenthem？”heasked，droppinghisheadforwardaspeopledoinchurchwhentheywishtowhispertosomeoneinthesamepew。
“Why，yes，itseemsso。”murmuredMissCotton。“Hisadmirationisquiteundisguised，isn’tit？”
“Amannevercantell。”saidMunt。“Wehavetoleavethosethingstoyouladies。”
“Oh，everyone’stalkingofit，Iassureyou。Andyouknowhisfamily？”
“Iknewhisfatheronceratherbetterthananybodyelse。”
“Indeed！“
“Yes。”MuntsketchedratheraflatteredportraitoftheelderMavering，hisability，hisgoodness，hisshyness，whichhehadalwayshadtomakesuchahardfightwith。MuntwassensibleofanaccessofpopularityinknowingDanMavering’speople，andhedidnotsparehiscolours。
“Thenitisn’tfromhisfatherthathegetseverything。Heisn’tintheleastshy。”saidMissCotton。
“Thatmustbethemother。”
“Andthemother？”
“ThemotherIdon’tknow。”
MissCottonsighed。“SometimesIwishthathedidshowalittlemoretrepidation。ItwouldseemasifheweremorealivetothegreatdifferencethatthereisbetweenAlicePasmerandothergirls。”
Muntlaughedaman’slaugh。“Iguesshe’sprettywellalivetothat，ifhe’sinlovewithher。”
“Oh，inacertainway，ofcourse，butnotinthehighestway。Now，forinstance，ifhefeltallherfinenessas——aswedo，Idon’tbelievehe’dbewillingtoappearbeforeherjustlikethat。”Thefatherofthegodsworeadamasktableclothofapalegoldenhueandaclassicpattern;hisarmswerebare，andratherabsurdlywhite;onhisfeetapairoflawn-
tennisshoeshadaverystrikingeffectofsandals。
“Itseemstome。”MissCottonpursued;“thatifhereallyappreciatedherinthehighestway，hewouldwishnevertodoanundignifiedortrivialthinginherpresence。”
“Oh，perhapsit’sthatthatpleasesherinhim。Theysaywe’realwaystakenwithopposites。”
“Yes——doyouthinkso？”askedMissCotton。
Thecurtainswereflungapart，andtheJudgmentofParisfollowedrathertamelyuponwhathadgonebefore，thoughthetwoyoungfellowswhodidJunoandMinervawereveryamusing，andthedialoguewasfullofhits。
Someoftheaudience，anappreciativeminority，wereofopinionthatMaveringandMissAndersonsurpassedthemselvesinit;shepromisedhimthemostbeautifulandculturedwifeinGreece。“Thatsettlesit。”heanswered。Theycameoutarminarm，andParis，havingputonastripedtenniscoatoverhisshort-sleevedGreektunic，movedroundamongthecompanyfortheircongratulations，Venusostentatiouslyshowingtheappleshehadwon。
“Icanhaydlykeepfromeatingit。”sheexplainedtoAlice;beforewhomshedroppedMavering’sarm。“I’mawfullyhungry。It’shaydwoyk。”
Alicestoodwithherheaddrawnback，lookingattheexcitedgirlwithasmile，inwhichseemedtohoversomewherealatentbitterness。
Mavering，withaflushedfaceandaflyingtongue，wasexchangingsallieswithhermother，whosmotheredhiminflatteries。
Mrs。Trevorcametowardthegroup，andannouncedsupper。“Mr。Paris，willyoutakeMissAphroditeout？”
MissAndersonsweptalowbowofrenunciation，andtacitlyrelinquishedMaveringtoAlice。
“Oh，no，no！“saidAlice，shrinkingbackfromhim，withanintensificationofheruncertainsmile。“Ameremortal？”
“Oh，howverygood！“saidMrs。Trevor。
Therebegantobe，withoutanyone’sintendingit，thatsortoftacitmisunderstandingwhichisalltheworsebecauseitcanonlyfollowuponatacitunderstandinglikethatwhichhadestablisheditselfbetweenAliceandMavering。Theylaughedandjokedtogethergailyaboutallthatwenton;theywereperfectlygoodfriends;hesawthatsheandhermotherwerepromptlyserved;hebroughtthemsaladandice-creamandcoffeehimself，onlywaitingofficiallyuponMissAndersonfirst，andAlicethankedhim，withthepolitestdeprecationofhisdevotion;butiftheireyesmet，itwasdefensively，andthesecuritybetweenthemwasgone。Maveringvaguelyfelttheloss，withoutknowinghowtoretrieveit，anditmadehimgoonmoredesperatelywithMissAnderson。Helaughedandjokedrecklessly，andAlicebegantomarkamoreexplicitdispleasurewithher。
Shemadehermothergoratherearly。
Onherpart，MissAndersonseemedtofindreasonforresentmentinAlice’sbearingtowardher。Asifshehadsaidtoherselfthatherfrankloyaltyhadbeenthrownawayuponacoldandunresponsivenature，andthatherharmlessfolliesintheplayhadbeenmetwithunjustsuspicions，shebegantomakereprisals，shebeganindeadearnesttoflirtwithMavering。Beforetheeveningpassedshehadmadehimseemtakenwithher;buthowjustlyshehaddonethis，andwithhowmuchfaultofhis，noonecouldhavesaid。Thereweresomewhodidnotnoticeitatall，butthesewerenotpeoplewhoknewMavering，orknewAliceverywell。
XX。
ThenextmorningAlicewaswalkingslowlyalongtheroadtowardthefishingvillage，whensheheardrapid，plungingstridesdownthewoodedhillsideonherright。SheknewthemforMavering’s，andshedidnotaffectsurprisewhenhemadeafinalleapintotheroad，andshortenedhispacebesideher。
“MayIjoinyou，MissPasmer？”
“Iamonlygoingdowntotheherring-houses。”shebegan。
“Andyou’llletmegowithyou？”saidtheyoungfellow。“Thefactis——
you’realwayssofrankthatyoumakeeverythingelseseemsilly——I’vebeenwaitingupthereinthewoodsforyoutocomeby。Mrs。Pasmertoldmeyouhadstartedthisway，andIcutacrosslotstoovertakeyou，andthen，whenyoucameinsight，IhadtoletyoupassbeforeIcouldscrewmycourageuptothepointofrunningafteryou。Howisthatforopen-
mindedness？”