Hisfatherlefthimthenextafternoon，andDan，whohadspentthedaywithhimlookingintobusinessforthefirsttime，witharunningaccompanimentofAliceinallthedetails，remainedtouninterruptedmisery。Hespenttheeveninginhisroom，toowretchedevenforthetheatre。ItistruethathetriedtofindBoardman，butBoardmanwasagainoffonsomenewspaperduty;andaftertryingatseveralhousesinthehope，whichheknewwasvain，offindinganyoneintownyet，heshuthimselfupwithhisthoughts。Theydidnotdifferfromthethoughtsofthenightbefore，andthenightbeforethat，buttheywerecalmer，andtheyportendedmoredistinctlyalifeofself-abnegationandsolitudefromthattimeforth。Hetestedhisfeelings，andfoundthatitwasnothurtvanitythathewassufferingfrom:itwasreallywoundedaffection。
HedidnotresentAlice’scruelty;hewishedthatshemightbehappy;hecouldenduretoseeherhappy。
HewrotealettertothemarriedoneofthetwoladieshehadspentthedaywithinPortland，andthankedthemformakingpasspleasantlyadaywhichhewouldnototherwisehaveknownhowtogetthrough。Heletasoft，mysteriousmelancholypervadehisletter;hehinteddarklyattroubleandsorrowofwhichhecouldnotdefinitelyspeak。Hehadthegoodsensetotearhisletterupwhenhehadfinishedit，andtosendashort，sprightlynoteinstead，sayingthatifMrs。FrobisherandhersistercametoBostonattheendofthemonth，astheyhadspokenofdoing，theymustbesuretolethimknow。Upontheimpulsegivenhimbythisletterhewentmorecheerfullytobed，andfellinstantlyasleep。
Duringthenextthreeweekshebenthimselffaithfullytotheschemesofworkhisfatherhadoutlinedforhim。HevisitedNewYorkandPhiladelphia，andlookedintothebusinessandtheprocessesthere;andhereturnedtoPonkwassetFallstoreportandcomparehisfactsintelligentlywiththosewhichhenowexaminedinhisfather’smanufactoryforthefirsttime。Hebegantounderstandhowhisfather，whowasamanofintellectualandartisticinterests，shouldbefondofthework。
Hespentagooddealoftimewithhismother，andreadtoher，andgotuponbettertermswithherthantheyusuallywere。Theywereverymuchalike，andsheobjectedtohimthathewastoolightandfrivolous。Hesatwithhissisters，andtookaninterestintheirpursuits。Hedrovethemaboutwithhisfather’ssorrels，andresumedsomethingoftheoldrelationswiththemwhichtheselfishyearsofhiscollegelifehadbrokenoff。AsyethecouldnotspeakofCampobelloorofwhathadhappenedthere;andhismotherandsisters，whatevertheythought，madenomoreallusiontoitthanhisfatherhaddone。
Theymercifullytookitforgrantedthatmattersmusthavegonewrongthere，orelsehewouldspeakaboutthem，fortherehadbeensomegaybanteramongthemconcerningtheobjectsofhisexpeditionbeforehelefthome。TheyhadheardoftheheroineofhisClassDay，andtheyhadtheirdoubtsofher，suchasgirlshaveoftheirbrothers’heroines。Theywerenotinconsolablysorrytohaveherproveunkind;andtheirmotherfoundintheprobableeventanotherproofoftheirfather’stotalwantofdiscernmentwherewomenwereconcerned，fortheelderMaveringhadcomehomefromClassDayaboutasmuchsmittenwiththismysteriousMissPasmerasDanwas。Shetalkeditoverindignantlywithherdaughters;
theyweregladofDan’sescape，buttheywereincensedwiththegirlwhocouldlethimescape，andtheyinculpatedherinahighdegreeofheartlessflirtation。TheyknewhowsweetDanwas，andtheybelievedhimmostsincereandgood。Hehadbeenbrilliantlypopularincollege，andhewasasbrightashecouldbe。Whatwasitshechosenottolikeinhim？Theyvexedthemselveswithaskinghoworinwhatwayshethoughtherselfbetter。TheywouldnothavehadherloveDan，buttheywerehotagainstherfornotlovinghim。
Theydidnotquestionhim，buttheytriedineverywaytofindouthowmuchhewashurt，andtheywatchedhimineverywordandlookforsignsofchangetobetterorworse，withagrowingbeliefthathewasnotverymuchhurt。
ItcouldnotbesaidthatinthreeweeksheforgotAlice，orhadbeguntoforgether;buthehadbeguntoreconcilehimselftohisfate，aspeopledointheirbereavementsbydeath。Hisconsciousnesshabituateditselftothefactsassomethingirretrievable。Henolongerframedinhismindsituationsinwhichthepastwasrestored。Heknewthatheshouldneverloveagain，buthehadmoments，andmoreandmoreofthem，inwhichheexperiencedthatlifehadobjectsbesideslove。Thereweretimeswhenhetingledwithalltheanguishofthefirstmomentofhisrejection，whenhestoppedinwhateverhewasdoing，orstoodstock-still，asamandoeswhenarrestedbyaphysicalpang，breathless，waiting。Therewereothertimeswhenhewentaboutsteepedingloomsoblackthatalltheworlddarkenedwithit，andsomemorningswhenhewokehewishedthatthenighthadlastedforever，andfeltasifthedaylighthaduncoveredhismiseryandhisshametoeveryone。Heneverknewwhenheshouldhavethesemoods，andhethoughtheshouldhavethemaslongashelived。Hethoughtthiswouldbesomethingratherfine。Hehadstillothermoods，inwhichhesawanoldmanwithagreymoustache，likeColonelNewcome，meetingabeautifulwhite-hairedlady;themanhadnevermarried，andhehadnotseenthisladyforfiftyyears。Hebentover，andkissedherhand。
“Youidiot！“saidMaveringtohimself。Throughouthekeptagoodappetite。Infact，afterthatfirstmorninginPortland，hehadbeenhungrythreetimesadaywithperfectregularity。Helosttheideaofbeingsick;hehadnotevenafurredtongue。Hefellasleepprettyearly，andhesleptthroughthenightwithoutabreak。Hehadtolaughagreatdealwithhismotherandsisters，sincehecouldnotverywellmopewithoutexpectingthemtoaskwhy，andhedidnotwishtosaywhy。ButthereweresomelaughswhichhereallyenjoyedwiththeYankeeforemanoftheworks，whowasadroll，afteracommonAmericanpattern，andsaidthingsthatwerekillinglyfunny，especiallyaboutwomen，ofwhomhisopinionsweresarcastic。
DanMaveringsuffered，butnotsolidly。Hissufferingwasshort，andcrossedwithmanygleamsofrespiteandevenjoy。Hisdisappointmentmadehimreallyunhappy，butnotwhollyso;itwasagenuinesorrow，butasorrowtowhichhebegantoresignhimselfeveninthemonotonyofPonkwassetFalls，andwhichadmittedthethoughtofMrs。Frobisher’ssisterbythetimebusinesscalledhimtoBoston。
XXIV。
BeforetheendofthefirstweekafterDancamebacktotown，thatwhichwaslikelytohappenwheneverchancebroughthimandAlicetogetherhadtakenplace。
ItwasoneofthesoftdaysthatfallinlateOctober，whentheimpendingwinterseemsstayed，andthewarmbreathofthelanddrawsseawardandoverathousandmilesofIndiansummer。Thebloomcameandwentinquickpulsesoverthegirl’stemplesasshesatwithherheadthrownbackinthecornerofthecar，andfrommomenttomomentshestirredslightlyasifsomestressofrapturemadeithardforhertogetherbreath;alittlegleamoflightfellfromunderherfalleneyelidsintotheeyesoftheyoungmanbesideher，wholeanedforwardslightlyandslantedhisfaceupwardtomeetherglances。Theysaidsomewords，nowandthen，indistinguishabletotheothers;inspeakingtheysmiledslightly。
Sometimesherhandwaveredacrossherlap;inboththeirfacestherewassomethingbeyondhappiness——atransport，apassion，thebriefsplendourofasuprememoment。
TheyleftthecarattheArlingtonStreetcornerofthePublicGarden，andfollowedthewindingpathsdiagonallytothefurthercorneronCharlesStreet。
“Howstupidweweretogetintothatridiculoushorse-car！“shesaid。
“Whatintheworldpossessedustodoit？”
“Ican’timagine。”heanswered。“Whatawasteoftimeitwas！Ifwehadwalked，wemighthavebeentwiceaslongcoming。Andnowyou’regoingtosendmeoffsosoon！“
“Idon’tsendyou。”shemurmured。
“Butyouwantmetogo。”
“Ohno！Butyou’dbetter。”
“Ican’tdoanythingagainstyourwish。”
“Iwishit——foryourowngood。”
“Ah，doletmegohomewithyou，Alice？”
“Don’taskit，orImustsayyes。”
“Partoftheway，then？”
“No;notastep！YoumusttakethefirstcarforCambridge。Whattimeisitnow？”
“YoucanseebytheclockontheProvidenceDepot。”
“ButIwishyoutogobyyourwatch，now。Look！“
“Alice！“hecried，inpurerapture。
“Look！“
“It’saquarterofone。”
“Andwe’vebeenthreehourstogetheralready！Nowyoumustsimplyfly。
IfyoucamehomewithmeIshouldbesuretoletyoucomein，andifI
don’tseemammaalonefirst，Ishalldie。Can’tyouunderstand？”
“No;butIcandothenextbestthing:Icanmisunderstand。Youwanttoberidofme。”
“Shallyouberidofmewhenwe’veparted？”sheasked，withaninnerthrillofearnestnessinhergaytone。
“Alice！“
“YouknowIdidn’tmeanit，Dan。”
“Sayitagain。”
“What？”
“Dan。”
“Dan，love！Dan，dearest！“
“Willthatcarofyoursnevercome？I’vepromisedmyselfnottoleaveyoutillitdoes，andifIstayhereanylongerIshallgowild。Ican’tbelieveit’shappened。Sayitagain！“
“Saywhat？”
“That——“
“ThatIloveyou？Thatwe’reengaged？”
“Idon’tbelieveit。Ican’t。”Shelookedimpatientlyupthestreet。
“Oh，therecomesyourcar！Run！Stopit！“
“Idon’truntostopcars。”Hemadeasign，whichtheconductorobeyed，andthecarhaltedatthefurthercrossing。
Sheseemedtohaveforgottenit，andmadenomovementtodismisshim。
“Oh，doesn’titseemtoogoodtobestandingheretalkinginthisway，andpeoplethinkit’sabouttheweather，orsociety？”Shesetherheadalittleononeside，andtwirledtheopenparasolonhershoulder。
“Yes，itdoes。Tellmeit’strue，love！“
“It’strue。Howsplendidyouare！“Shesaiditwithaneffectfortheworldoutsideofsayingitwasalovelyday。
Heretorted，withthesameapparentnonchalance，“Howbeautifulyouare！
Howgood！Howdivine！“
Theconductor，seeinghimselfapparentlyforgotten，gavehisbellavicioussnap，andhiscarjoltedaway。
Shestartednervously。“There！you’velostyourcar，Dan。”
“HaveI？”askedMavering，withouttroublinghimselftolookafterit。
Shelaughednow，withafaintsuggestionofunwillingnessinherlaugh。
“Whatareyougoingtodo？”
“Walkhomewithyou。”
“No，indeed;youknowIcan’tletyou。”
“Andareyougoingtoleavemeherealoneonthestreetcorner，toberunoverbythefirstbicyclethatcomesalong？”
“YoucansitdownintheGarden，andwaitforthenextcar。”
“No;IwouldrathergobacktotheArtMuseum，andmakeafreshstart。”
“TotheArtMuseum？”shemurmured，tenderly。
“Yes。Wouldn’tyouliketoseeitagain？”
“Again？Ishouldliketopassmywholelifeinit！“
“Well，walkbackwithmealittleway。There’snohurryaboutthecar。”
“Dan！“shesaid，inahelplesscompliance，andtheypacedvery，veryslowlyalongtheBeaconStreetpathintheGarden。“Thisisridiculous。”
“Yes，butit’sdelightful。”
“Yes，that’swhatImeant。Doyousupposeanyoneever——ever——“
“Madelovetherebefore？”
“Howcanyousaysuchthings？Yes。Ialwayssupposeditwouldbe——
somewhereelse。”
Itwassomewhereelse——once。”
“Oh，Imeant——thesecondtime。”
“Thenyoudidthinktherewasgoingtobeasecondtime？”
“HowdoIknow？Iwishedit。Doyoulikemetosaythat？”
“Iwishyouwouldneversayanythingelse。”
“Yes;therecan’tbeanyharminitnow。Ithoughtthatifyouhadever——
likedme，youwouldstill——“
“SodidI;butIcouldn’tbelievethatyou——“
“Oh，Icould。”
“Alice！“
“Don’tyoulikemyconfessingit！Youaskedmeto。”
“Likeit！“
“Howsillyweare！“
“Nothalfsosillyaswe’vebeenforthelasttwomonths。Ithinkwe’vejustcometooursenses。AtleastIhave。”
“Twomonths！“shesighed。“Hasitreallybeensolongasthat？”
“Twoyears！Twocenturies！ItwasbackintheDarkAgeswhenyourefusedme。”
“DarkAges！Ishouldthinkso！Butdon’tsayrefused。Itwasn’trefusing，exactly。”
“Whatwasit，then？”
“Oh，Idon’tknow。Don’tspeakofitnow。”
“But，Alice，whydidyourefuseme？”
“Oh，Idon’tknow。Youmustn’taskmenow。I’lltellyousometime。”
“Well，cometothinkofit。”saidMavering，laughingitalllightlyaway，“there’snohurry。Tellmewhyyouacceptedmeto-day。”
“I——Icouldn’thelpit。WhenIsawyouIwantedtofallatyourfeet。”
“Whatanidea！Ididn’twanttofallatyours。Iwasawfullymad。I
shouldn’thavespokentoyouifyouhadn’tstoppedmeandheldoutyourhand。”
“Really？Didyoureallyhateme，Dan？”
“Well，Ihaven’texactlydotedonyousincewelastmet。”
Shedidnotseemoffendedatthis。“Yes，Isupposeso。AndI’vegoneonbeingfonderandfonderofyoueveryminutesincethatday。Iwantedtocallyoubackwhenyouhadgothalf-waytoEastport。”
“Iwouldn’thavecome。It’sbadlucktoturnback。”
Shelaughedathisdrolling。“Howfunnyyouare！NowI’mofratheragloomytemperament。Did，youknowit？”
“Youdon’tlookit。”
“Oh，butIam。JustnowI’mratherexcitedand——happy。”
“Soglad！“
“Goon！goon！Ilikeyoutomakefunofme。”
Thebenchesoneithersidewerefilledwithnursemaidsinchargeofbaby-
carriages，andofyoungchildrenwhoweredigginginthesandwiththeirlittlebeachshovels，andplayingtheirgamesbackandforthacrossthewalkunrebukedbytheindulgentpolicemen。Anumberofthemhadenclosedasquareinthemiddleofthepathwithfourofthebenches，whichtheymadebelievewasafort。Thelovershadtowalkroundit;andthechildren，chasingoneanother，dashedintothemheadlong，or，backingofffrompursuit，bumpedupagainstthem。Theydidnotseemtoknowit，butwalkedslowlyonwithoutnoticing:theywerenotawareofanoccasionalbenchfulofrathershabbyyoungfellowswhostaredhardatthestylishgirlandwell-dressedyoungmantalkingtogetherinsuchintenselowtones，withrapidinterchangeofradiantglances。
“Oh，astomakingfunofyou，Iwasgoingtosay——“Maveringbegan，andafterapausehebrokeoffwithalaugh。“IforgetwhatIwasgoingtosay。”
“Trytoremember。”
“Ican’t。”
HowstrangethatweshouldhavebothhappenedtogototheMuseumthismorning！“shesighed。Then，“Dan。”shebrokein，“doyousupposethatheavenisanydifferentfromthis？”
“Ihopenot——ifI’mtogothere。”
“Hush，dear;youmustn’ttalkso。”
“Why，youprovokedmetoit。”
“DidI？DidIreally？DoyouthinkItemptedyoutodoit？ThenImustbewicked，whetherIknewIwasdoingitornot。Yes。”
Thebreakinhervoicemadehimlookmorekeenlyather，andhesawthetearsglimmerinhereyes。“Alice！“
“No;I’mnotgoodenoughforyou。Ialwayssaidthat。”
“Thendon’tsayitanymore。That’stheonlythingIwon’tletyousay。”
“Doyouforbidit，really？Won’tyouletmeeventhinkit？”
“No，noteventhinkit。”
“Howlovelyyouare！Oh！Iliketobecommandedbyyou。”
“Doyou？You’llhavelotsoffun，then。I’manawfullycommandingspirit。”
“Ididn’tsupposeyouweresohumorous——always。I’mafraidyouwon’tlikeme。I’venosenseoffun。”
“AndI’malittletoofunnysometimes，I’mafraid。”
“No，youneverare。When？”
“ThatnightattheTrevors’。Youdidn’tlikeit。”
“IthoughtMissAndersonwasratherridiculous。”saidAlice。“Idon’tlikebuffooneryinwomen。”
“NorIinmen。”saidMavering，smiling。“I’vedroppedit。”
“Well，nowwemustpart。Imustgohomeatonce。”saidAlice。“It’sperfectlyinsane。”
“Ohno，notyet;nottillwe’vesaidsomethingelse;nottillwe’vechangedthesubject。”
“Whatsubject？”
“MissAnderson。”
Alicelaughedandblushed，butshewasnotvexed。Shelikedtohavehimunderstandher。“Well，now。”shesaid，asifthatwerethenextthing，“I’mgoingtocrosshereatonceandwalkuptheotherpavement，andyoumustgobackthroughtheGarden;orelseIshallnevergetawayfromyou。”
MayIlookoveratyou？”
Youmayglance，butyouneedn’texpectmetoreturnyourglance。”
“Ohno。”
“AndIwantyoutotaketheveryfirstCambridgecarthatcomesalong。I
commandyouto。”
“Ithoughtyouwantedmetodothecommanding。”
“SoIdo——inessentials。IfyoucommandmenottocrywhenIgethome，I
won’t。”
Shelookedathimwithanecstasyofself-sacrificeinhereyes。
“Ah，Isha’n’tdothat。Ican’ttellwhatwouldopen。But——Alice！“
“Well，what？”Shedriftedcloselytohim，andlookedfondlyupintohisface。Inwalkingtheyhadinsensiblydrawnnearertogether，andshehadbeenobligedconstantlytoputspacebetweenthem。Now，standingatthecornerofArlingtonStreet，andlookingtentativelyacrossBeacon，sheabandonedallprecautions。
“What！Iforget。Ohyes！Iloveyou！“
“Butyousaidthatbefore，dearest！“
“Yes;butjustnowitstruckmeasaverynovelidea。Whatifyourmothershouldn’tliketheidea？”
“Nonsense！youknowsheperfectlyidolisesyou。Shedidfromthefirst。
Anddoesn’tsheknowhowI’vebeginbehavingaboutyoueversinceI——lostyou？”
“Howhaveyoubehaved？Dotellme，Alice？”
“Sometime;notnow。”shesaid;andwithsomethingthatwaslikeagasp，andthreatenedtobeasob，shesuddenlywhippedacrosstheroad。HewalkedbacktoCharlesStreetbytheGardenpath，keepingabreastofher，andnotlosingsightofherforamoment，exceptwhenthebulkofastringteamwateringatthetroughbesidethepavementintervened。Hehurriedby，andwhenhehadpassedithefoundhimselfexactlyabreastofheragain。Herfacewasturnedtowardhim;theyexchangedasmile，lostinspace。AtthecornerofCharlesStreethedeliberatelycrossedovertoher。
“Odearestlove！whydidyoucome？”sheimplored。
“Becauseyousignedtome。”
“Ihopedyouwouldn’tseeit。Ifwe’rebothtobesoweakasthis，whatarewegoingtodo？”ButI’mgladyoucame。Yes:Iwasfrightened。
Theymusthaveoverheardustherewhenweweretalking。”
“Well，Ididn’tsayanythingI’mashamedof。Besides，Ishouldn’tcaremuchfortheopinionofthosenursesandbabies。”
“Ofcoursenot。Butpeoplemusthaveseenus。Don’tstandheretalking，Dan！Docomeon！“Shehurriedhimacrossthestreet，andwalkedhimswiftlyuptheinclineofBeaconStreet。There，inhernewfallsuit，withhim，glossy-hatted，faultlesslygloved，atafitdistancefromherside，shefeltmoreinkeepingwiththesocialframeofthingsthanintheGardenpath，whichwasreallyonlyashadebetterthantheBeaconStreetMalloftheCommon。“Doyousupposeanybodysawusthatknewus？”
“Ihopeso！Don’tyouwantpeopletoknowit？”
“Yes，ofcourse。Theywillhavetoknowit——intherightway。Canyoubelievethatit’sonlyhalfayearsincewemet？Itwon’tbeayeartillClassDay。”
“Idon’tbelieveit，Alice。Ican’trecollectanythingbeforeIknewyou。”
“Well，now，astimeissoconfused，wemusttrytoliveforeternity。Wemusttrytohelpeachothertobegood。Oh，whenIthinkwhatahappygirlIam，IfeelthatIshouldbethemostungratefulpersonunderthesunnottobegood。Let’strytomakeourlivesperfect——perfect！Theycanbe。Andwemustn’tliveforeachotheralone。Wemusttrytodogoodaswellasbegood。Wemustbekindandforbearingwitheveryone。”
Heanswered，withtenderseriousness，“Mylife’sinyourhands，Alice。
Itshallbewhateveryouwish。”
Theywerebothsilentintheirdeepbeliefofthis。Whentheyspokeagain，shebegangaily:“Ishallnevergetoverthewonderofit。HowstrangethatweshouldmeetattheMuseum！“Theyhadbothsaidthisalready，butthatdidnotmatter;theyhadsaidnearlyeverythingtwoorthreetimes。“Howdidyouhappentobethere？”sheasked，andthequestionwassonovelthatsheadded，“Ihaven’taskedyoubefore。”
Hestopped，withalookofdismaythatbrokeupinahopelesslaugh。
“Why，Iwenttheretomeetsomepeople——someladies。AndwhenIsawyouIforgotallaboutthem。”
Alicelaughedto;thiswasapartoftheirjoy，theirtriumph。
“Whoarethey？”sheaskedindifferently，andonlytoheightentheabsurditybyrealisingthepersons。
“Youdon’tknowthem。”hesaid。“Mrs。Frobisherandhersister，ofPortland。IpromisedtomeetthemthereandgoouttoCambridgewiththem。”
“Whatwilltheythink？”askedAlice。“It’stooamusing。”
“They’llthinkIdidn’tcome。”saidMavering，withtheeasyconscienceofyouthandlove;andagaintheylaughedattheridiculouspositiontogether。“IremembernowIwastobeatthedoor，andtheyweretotakemeupintheircarriage。Iwonderhowlongtheywaited？Youputeverythingelseoutofmyhead。”
“DoyouthinkI’llkeepitout？”sheaskedarchly。
“Ohyes;thereisnothingelsebutyounow。”
Theeyesthatshedropped，afteraglanceathim，glistenedwithtears。
Alumpcameintohisthroat。“Doyousuppose。”heaskedhuskily，“thatwecanevermisunderstandeachotheragain？”
“Never。Iseeeverythingclearlynow。Weshalltrusteachotherimplicitly，andattheleastthingthatisn’tclearwecanspeak。
Promisemethatyou’llspeak。”
“Iwill，Alice。Butafterthisallwillbeclear。Weshalldealwitheachotheraswedowithourselves。”
“Yes;thatwillbetheway。”
“Andwemustn’twaitforquestionfromeachother。Weshallknow——weshallfeel——whenthere’sanymisgiving，andthentheonethat’scauseditwillspeak。”
“Yes。”shesighedemphatically。“Howperfectlyyousayit？Butthat’sbecauseyoufeelit，becauseyouaregood。”
Theywalkedon，treadingtheairinatransportoffondnessforeachother。Suddenlyhestopped。
“MissPasmer，Ifeelitmydutytowarnyouthatyou’relettingmegohomewithyou。”
“AmI？Hownobleofyoutotellme，Dan;forIknowyoudon’twanttotell。Well，Imightaswell。ButIsha’n’tletyoucomein。Youwon’ttry，willyou？Promisemeyouwon’ttry。”
“Ishallonlywanttocomeinthefirstdoor。”
“Whatfor？”
“Whatfor？Oh，forhalfasecond。”
Sheturnedawayherface。
Hewenton。“Thisengagementhasbeensuchaverypublicaffair，sofar，thatIthinkI’dliketoseemyfianceealoneforamoment。”
“Idon’tknowwhatintheworldyoucanhavetosaymore。”
Hewentintothefirstdoorwithher，andthenhewentwithherupstairstothedoorofMrs。Pasmer’sapartment。ThepassagesoftheCavendishwerenotwelllighted;thelittlelaneoralleythatleddowntothisdoorfromthestairslandingwasverydim。
“Sodarkhere！“murmuredAlice，inalowvoice，somewhattremulous。
“Butnottoodark。”
XXV。
Sheburstintotheroomwherehermothersatlookingoversomehousekeepingaccounts。Hiskissandhisnamewereuponherlips;hersoulwasfullofhim。
“Mamma！“shepanted。
Hermotherdidnotlookround。Shecouldhavehadnopremonitionofthevitalnewsthatherdaughterwasbringing，andshewentoncomparingthefirstautumnmonth’sprovisionbillwiththatofthelastspringmonth，andtryingtoaccountforthedifference。
Thesilence，brokenbytherattlingofthetwobillsinhermother’shandsassheglancedfromonetotheotherthroughherglasses，seemedsuddenlyimpenetrable，andtheprismaticworldofthegirl’sraptureburstlikeabubbleagainstit。Thereisnoexplanationoftheeffectoutsideoftemperamentandoverwroughtsensibilities。Shestaredacrosstheroomathermother，whohadnotheardher，andthenshebrokeintoastormoftears。
“Alice！“criedhermother，withthatsanativeangerwhichcomestorescuewomenfromtheterrorofanysuddenshock。“Whatisthematterwithyou？——whatdoyoumean？”Shedroppedbothoftheprovisionbillstothefloor，andstartedtowardherdaughter。
“Nothing——nothing！Letmego。Iwanttogotomyroom。”Shetriedtoreachthedoorbeyondhermother。
“Indeedyoushallnot！“criedMrs。Pasmer。“Iwillnothaveyoubehavingso！Whathashappenedtoyou？”Tellme。Youhavefrightenedmehalfoutofmysenses。”
Thegirlgaveuphereffortstoescape，andflungherselfonthesofa，withherfaceinthepillow，whereshecontinuedtosob。Hermotherbegantorelentatthesightofherpassion。Asawomanandasamothersheknewherdaughter，andsheknewthatthispassion，whateveritwas，musthaveventbeforetherecouldbeanythingintelligiblebetweenthem。
Shedidnotpressherwithfurtherquestion，butsetaboutmakingheralittlemorecomfortableonthesofa;shepulledthepillowstraight，anddroppedalightshawloverthegirl’sshoulders，sothatsheshouldnottakecold。
ThenMrs。PasmerhadmadeuphermindthatAlicehadmetMaveringsomewhere，andthatthisoutburstwastheretardedeffectofseeinghim。
Duringthelastsixweeksshehadassistedatmanyphasesoffeelinginregardtohim，andknewmoreclearlythanAliceherselfthemeaningofthemall。Shehadbeenpatientandkind，withtheresourcesthateverywomanfindsinherselfwhenitisthequestionofadaughter’sordealinanaffairoftheheartwhichshehasfavoured。
Thestormpassedasquicklyasitcame，andAlicesatuprightcastingoffthewraps。Butoncecheckedwiththefactonhertongue，shefoundithardtoutterit。
“Whatisit，Alice？——whatisit？”urgedhermother。
“Nothing。I——Mr。Mavering——wemet——ImethimattheMuseum，and——we’reengaged！It’sreallyso。Itseemslikeraving，butit’strue。Hecamewithmetothedoor;Iwouldn’tlethimcomein。Don’tyoubelieveit？
Oh，weare！indeedweare！Areyouglad，mamma？”YouknowIcouldn’thavelivedwithouthim。”
Shetrembledonthevergeofanotheroutbreak。
Mrs。Pasmersacrificedherastonishmentintheinterestofsanity，andreturnedquietly:“Glad，Alice！YouknowthatIthinkhe’sthesweetestandbestfellowintheworld。”
“Omamma！“
“Butareyousure——“
“Yes，Yes。I’mnotcrazy;itisn’tadream。hewasthere——andImethim——
Icouldn’trunaway——Iputoutmyhand;Icouldn’thelpit——IthoughtI
shouldgiveway;andhetookit;andthen——thenwewereengaged。Idon’tknowwhatwesaid:Iwentintolookatthe’JoanofArc’again，andtherewasnooneelsethere。HeseemedtofeeljustasIdid。Idon’tknowwhethereitherofusspoke。Butwe，knewwewereengaged，andwebegantotalk。”
Mrs。Pasmerbegantolaugh。Toherirreverentsoulonlythedrollsideofthestatementappeared。
“Don’t，mamma！“pleadedAlicepiteously。
“No，no;Iwon’t。ButIhopeDanMaveringwillbealittlemoredefiniteaboutitwhenI’mallowedtoseehim。Whycouldn’thehavecomeinwithyou？”
“Itwouldhavekilledme。Icouldn’tlethimseemecry，andIknewI
shouldbreakdown。”
“He’llhavetoseeyoucryagreatmanytimes，Alice。”saidhermother，withalmostunexampledseriousness。
“Yes，butnotyet——notsosoon。HemustthinkI’mverygloomy，andIwanttobealwaysbrightandcheerfulwithhim。HeknowswhyIwouldn’tlethimcomein;heknewIwasgoingtohaveacry。”
Mrs。Pasmercontinuedtolaugh。
Don’t，mamma！“pleadedAlice。
“No，Iwon’t。”repliedhermother，asbefore。“Isupposehewasmystified。Butnow，ifit’sreallysettledbetweenyou，he’llbecomingheresoontoseeyourpapaandme。”
“Yes——to-night。”
“Well，it’sverysudden。”saidMrs。Pasmer。“ThoughIsupposethesethingsalwaysseemso。”
“Isittoosudden？”askedAlice，withmisgiving。“Itseemedsotomewhenitwasgoingon，butIcouldn’tstopit。”
Hermotherlaughedathersimplicity。“No，whenitbeginsonce，nothingcanstopit。Butyou’vereallyknowneachotheragoodwhile，andforthelastsixweeksatleastyou’veknownyouownmindabouthimprettyclearly。It’sapityyoucouldn’thaveknownitbefore。”
“Yes，that’swhathesays。Hesaysitwassuchawasteoftime。Oh，everythinghesaysisperfectlyfascinating！“
Hermotherlaughedandlaughedagain。
“Whatisit，mamma？Areyoulaughingatme？”
“Ohno。Whatanidea！“
“Hecouldn’tseemtounderstandwhyIdidn’tsayYesthefirsttime，ifI
meantit。”Shelookeddowndreamilyatherhandsinherlap，andthenshesaid，withablushandastart，“They’reveryqueer，don’tyouthink？”
“Who？”
“Youngmen。”
“Oh，very。”
“Yes。”Alicewentonmusingly。“Theirmindsaresodifferent。Everythingtheysayanddoissounexpected，andyetitseemstobejustright。”
Mrs。Pasmeraskedherselfifthissingle-mindednesswastogoonforever，butshehadnotthehearttotreatitwithhernaturallevity。ProbablyitwaswhatcharmedMaveringwiththechild。Mrs。PasmerhadthefirmbeliefthatMaveringwasnotsingle-minded，andsherespectedhimforit。
Shewouldnotspoilherdaughter’sperfecttrustandhopebyanyofthecynicalsuggestionsofherowndarkwisdom，butenteredintohermood，assuchwomenareabletodo，andflatteredoutofhereverydetailofthemorning’shistory。ThiswasafeatwhichMrs。Pasmerenjoyedforitsownsake，anditfullysatisfiedthecuriositywhichshenaturallyfelttoknowall。Shedidnotcommentuponmanyoftheparticulars;sheopenedhereyesalittleatthenotionofherdaughtersittingfortwoorthreehoursandtalkingwithayoungmaninthegalleriesoftheMuseum，andsheaskedifanybodytheyknewhadcomein。Whensheheardthattherewereonlystrangers，andveryfewofthem，shesaidnothing;andshehadthesameconsolationinregardtothewalkingbackandforthintheGarden。
Shewassofullofpotentialescapadesherself，soapttoletherselfgoattimes，thatthefactofAlice’sinnocentself-forgetfulnessrathersatisfiedaneedofhermother’snature;sheexultedinitwhenshelearnedthattherewereonlynursesandchildrenintheGarden。
“Andsoyouthinkyouwon’ttakeupartthiswinter？”shesaid，when，intheprocessofhercross-examination，Alicehadleftthesofaandgotasfarasthedoor，withherhatinherhandandhersacqueonherarm。
“No。”
“AndtheSistersofSt。James——youwon’tjointhemeither？”
Thegirlescapedfromtheroom。
“Alice！Alice！“hermothercalledafterher;shecameback。Youhaven’ttoldmehowhehappenedtobethere。”
“Oh，thatwasthemostamusingpartofit。HehadgonetheretokeepanappointmentwithtwoladiesfromPortland。TheyweretotakehimupintheircarriageanddriveouttoCambridge，andwhenhesawmeheforgotallaboutthem。”
“Andwhatbecameofthem？”
“Wedon’tknow。Isn’titridiculous？”
IfitappearedotherormorethanthistoMrs。Pasmer，shedidnotsay。
Shemerelysaid，afteramoment，“Well，itwascertainlydevoted，Alice。”
andlethergo。
XXVI。
Maveringcameintheevening，ratherexcessivelywelldressed，andwithahotfaceandcoldhands。Whilehewaited，nominallyalone，inthelittledrawingroomforMr。Pasmer，Aliceflewinuponhimforaswiftembrace，whichprolongeditselftillthefather’sstepwasheardoutsidethedoor，andthenshestillhadtimetovanishbyanother:theaffairwassonicelyadjustedthatifMaveringhadbeeninhisusualmindhemighthavefanciedtheconnivanceofMrs。Pasmer。
HedidnotsaywhathehadmeanttosaytoAlice’sfather，butitseemedtoservethepurpose，forheemergedpresentlyfromthesoundofhisownvoice，unnaturallyclamorous，andfoundMr。Pasmersayingsomeverycivilthingstohimabouthischaracteranddisposition，sofarastheyhadbeenabletoobserveit，andtheirbeliefandtrustinhim。Thereseemedtobesomethingprovisionalorprobationalintended，butDancouldnotmakeoutwhatitwas，andfinallyitprovedofnopracticaleffect。Hemerelyinferredthattheapprovalofhisfamilywasrespectfullyexpected，andhehastenedtosay，“Oh，that’sallright，sir。”Mr。Pasmerwentonwithmorecivilities，andlosthimselfindumbconjectureastowhetherMavering’sfatherhadbeenintheclassbeforehimortheclassafterhiminHarvard。Heusedhisblackeyebrowsagooddealduringtheinterview，andMaveringconceivedanaweofhimgreaterthanhehadfeltatCampobello，yetnotunmixedwiththeaffectioninwhichthenewlyacceptedloverembraceseventherelationsofhisbetrothed。FromtimetotimeMr。
Pasmerlookedaboutwiththevagueglanceofamanunusedtobeingsolonglefttohisownguidance;andoneoftheseappealsseemedatlasttobringMrs。Pasmerthroughthedoor，tothereliefofboththemen，fortheyhadimprovidentlydespatchedtheirbusiness，andweregettingoutoftalk。
Mr。Pasmerhad，infact，alreadyaskedDanabouttheweatheroutsidewhenhiswifeappeared。
Dandidnotknowwhetherheoughttokissherornot，butMrs。Pasmerdidnotintheabstractseemlikeaverykissingkindofperson，andhelethimselfbeguidedbythisimpression，intheabsenceofanyfixedprincipleapplyingtothecase。Shemadesomeneatremarkconcerningtheprobablesettlementoftheaffairwithherhusband，andbegantolaughandjokeaboutitinamannerthatwasverywelcometoDan;itdidnotseemtohimthatitoughttobetreatedsosolemnly。
ButthoughMrs。Pasmerlaughedandjoked;hewasawareofhermeaningbusiness——businessinthenicestsortofaway，butbusinessafterall，andhelikedherforit。Hewasgladtobeexplicitabouthishopesandplans，andtoldwhathiscircumstancesweresofullythatMrs。Pasmer，whomhisfranknessgratifiedandamused，feltobligedtosaythatshehadnotmeanttoasksomuchabouthisaffairs，andhemustexcuseherifshehadseemedtodoso。ShehadherownbeliefthatMaveringwouldunderstand，butshedidnotmindthat。Shesaidthat，ofcourse，tillhisownfamilyhadbeenconsulted，itmustnotbeconsideredseriously——thatMr。Pasmerinsisteduponthatpoint;andwhenDanvehementlyassertedtheacquiescenceofhisfamilybeforehand，andurgedhisfather’sadmirationforAliceinproof，sheremindedhimthathismotherwastobeconsidered，andputMr。Pasmer’sscruplesforwardasherownreasonforobduracy。Inherhusband’spresencesheattributedtohim，withhissilentassent，allsortsofreluctancesanddelicatecompunctions;shegavehimtheimportancewhichwouldhavebeennaturallyahusband’sdueinsuchanaffair，andingratiatedherselfmoreandmorewiththeyoungman。SheignoredMr。Pasmer’swithdrawalwhenittookplace，afteracertainlapseoftime，andasthemomenthadcomeforthat，shebegantoletherselfgo。
SheespeciallyapprovedoftheideaofgoingabroadandconfessedherdisappointmentwithherpresentexperimentofAmerica，whereitappearedtherewasnoleisureclassofmensufficientlylargetosatisfythesocialneedsofMr。Pasmer’snature，andshetoldDanthathemightexpecttheminEuropebeforelong。Perhapstheymightallthreemeethimthere。AtthishebetrayedsoclearlythathenowintendedhisgoingtoEuropemerelyasasequeltohismarryingAlice，whileheaffectedtofallinwithallMrs。Pasmersaid，thatshegrewfonderthaneverofhimforhisardourandhisfutileduplicity。IfithadbeeninDan’smindtotakepartintherite，Mrs。Pasmerwasquitereadyatthispointtoembracehimwithmotherlytenderness。HertoughlittleheartwasreallyinherthroatwithsympathywhenshemadeanerrandforthephotographofanEnglishvicarage，whichtheyhadhiredthesummeroftheyearbefore，andshesentAlicebackwithitalone。
ItseemedsolongsincetheyhadmetthatthechangeinAlicedidnotstrikehimasstrangeorastoorapidlyoperated。Theymetwiththefervournaturalaftersuchaseparation，andshedidnotsomuchassumeasresumepossessionofhim。Itwascharmingtohaveherdoit，tohaveheractasiftheyhadalwaysbeenengaged，tohavehertrytopressdownthecowlickthatstartedcapriciouslyacrosshiscrown，andtostraightenhisnecktie，andthentodropbesidehimonthesofa;itthrilledandawedhim;andhesilentlyworshippedthesuperiorcomposurewhichhersexhasinsuchmatters。Whateverwastheprovisionalinterpretationwhichherfatherandmotherpretendedtoputupontheaffair，sheapparentlyhadnoreservations，andtheytalkedoftheirfutureasathingassured。TheDarkAges，astheyagreedtocalltheperiodofdespairforeverclosedthatmorning，hadmaturedtheirlovetillnowitwasaraptureofpuretrust。Theytalkedasifnothingcouldpreventitsfulfilment，andtheydidnotevenaffecttoconsiderthequestionofhisfamily’slikingitornotlikingit。Shesaidthatshethoughthisfatherwasdelightful，andhetoldherthathisfatherhadtakenthegreatestfancytoheratthebeginning，andknewthatDanwasinlovewithher。Sheaskedhimabouthismother，andshesaidjustwhathecouldhavewishedhertosayabouthismother’ssufferings，andthewaysheborethem。TheytalkedaboutAlice’sgoingtoseeher。
“Ofcourseyourfatherwillbringyoursisterstoseemefirst。”
“Isthattheway？”heasked:“Youmaydependuponhisdoingtherightthing，whateveritis。”
“Well，that’stherightthing。”shesaid。“I’vethoughtitout;andthatremindsmeofadutyofours，Dan！“
“Aduty？”“herepeated，withanoteofreluctanceforitsuntimeliness。
“Yes。Can’tyouthinkwhat？”
“No;Ididn’tknowtherewasadutyleftintheworld。”
“It’sfullofthem。”
“Oh，don’tsaythat，Alice！“Hedidnotlikethismoodsowellasthatofthemorning，buthisdislikewasonlyavaguediscomfort——nothingformulatedordistinct。
“Yes。”shepersisted;“andwemustdothem。Youmustgotothoseladiesyoudisappointedsothismorning，andapologise——explain。”
Danlaughed。“Why，itwasn’tsuchaveryironcladengagementasallthat，Alice。TheysaidtheyweregoingtodriveouttoCambridgeovertheMilldam，andIsaidIwasgoingouttheretogetsomeofmytrapstogether，andtheycouldpickmeupattheArtMuseumiftheyliked。
Besides，howcouldIexplain？”
Shelaughedconsciouslywithhim。“Ofcourse。But。”sheaddedruefully，“Iwishyouhadn’tdisappointedthem。”
“Oh，they’llgetoverit。IfIhadn’tdisappointedthem，Ishouldn’tbehere，andIshouldn’tlikethat。Shouldyou？”
“No;butIwishithadn’thappened。It’sablot，andIdidn’twantablotonthisday。”
“Oh，well，itisn’tverymuchofablot，andIcaneasilywipeitoff。
I’lltellyouwhat，Alice！IcanwritetoMrs。Frobisher，whenourengagementcomesout，andtellherhowitwas。She’llenjoythejoke，andsowillMissWrayne。They’rejollyandeasygoing;theywon’tmind。”
“Howlonghaveyouknownthem？”
“ImetthemonClassDay，andthenIsawthem——thedayafterIleftCampobello。”Danlaughedalittle。
“How，sawthem？”
“Well，Iwenttoayachtracewiththem。Ihappenedtomeettheminthestreet，andtheywantedmetogo;andIwasallbrokenup，and——IWent。”
“Oh！“saidAlice。“ThedayafterI——youleftCampobello？”
“Well——yes。”
“AndIwasthinkingofyouallthatdayas——AndIcouldn’tbeartolookatanybodythatday，orspeak！“
“Well，thefactis，I——Iwasdistracted，andIdidn’tknowwhatIwasdoing。Iwasdesperate;Ididn’tcare。”
“Howdidyoufindoutabouttheyachtrace？”
“Boardmantoldme。Boardmanwasthere。”
“Didheknowtheladies？Didhegotoo？”
“No。HewastheretoreporttheracefortheEvents。Hewentonthepressboat。”
“Oh！“saidAlice。“Wastherealargeparty？”
“No，no。Notvery。Justourselves，infact。Theywereawfullykind。
Andtheymademegohometodinnerwiththem。”
“Theymusthavebeenratherpeculiarpeople。”saidAlice。“AndIdon’tseehow——sosoon——“ShecouldnotrealisethatMaveringwasthenarejectedman，onwhomshehadvoluntarilyrenouncedallclaim。A
retroactiveresentmentwhichshecouldnotcontrolpossessedherwiththewishtopunishthoseboldwomenforbeingagreeabletoonewhohadsincebecomeeverythingtoher，thoughthenhewasostensiblynothing。
Inavagueway，Danfeltherdispleasurewiththatpassageofhishistory，butnomancouldhavefullyimaginedit。
“Icouldn’ttellhalfthetimewhatIwassayingoreating。Italkedatrandomandateatrandom。Iguesstheythoughtsomethingwaswrong;theyaskedmewhowasatCampobello。”
“Indeed！“
“ButyoumaybesureIdidn’tgivemyselfaway。Iwasawfullybrokenup。”
heconcludedinconsequently。
Shelikedhisbeingbrokenup，butshedidnotliketherest。Shewouldnotpressthequestionfurthernow。Sheonlysaidrathergravely，“Ifit’ssuchashortacquaintance，canyouwritetotheminthatfamiliarway？”
“Ohyes，！Mrs。Frobisherisoneofthatkind。”
Alicewassilentamomentbeforeshesaid，“Ithinkyou’dbetternotwrite。Letitgo。”shesighed。
“Yes，that’swhatIthink。”saidDan。“Betterletitgo。Iguessitwillexplainitselfinthecourseoftime。ButIdon’twantanyblotsaround。”
Heleanedoverandlookedhersmilinglyintheface。
“Ohno。”shemurmured;andthensuddenlyshecaughthimroundtheneck，cryingandsobbing。“It’sonly——becauseIwantedittobe——perfect。Oh，IwonderifI’vedoneright？PerhapsIoughtn’ttohavetakenyou，afterall;butIdoloveyou——dearly，dearly！AndIwassounhappywhenI’dlostyou。AndnowI’mafraidIshallbeatrialtoyou——nothingbutatrial。”
Thefirsttearsthatayoungmanseesawomanshedforloveofhimareinexpressiblysweeterthanhersmiles。Danchokedwithtenderprideandpity。Whenhefoundhisvoice，heravedoutwithincoherentendearmentsthatsheonlymadehimmoreandmorehappybyherwishtohavetheaffairperfect，andthathewishedheralwaystobeexactingwithhim，forthatwouldgivehimachancetodosomethingforher，andallthathedesired，aslongashelived，wastodojustwhatshewished。
Attheendofhisvowsandentreaties，sheliftedherfaceradiantly，andbentasmileuponhimassunnyasthatwithwhichtheskyafterasummerstormdeniesthattherehaseverbeenrainintheworld。
“Ah！you——“Hecouldsaynomore。Hecouldnotbemoreenrapturedthanhewas。Hecouldonlypassfromsurprisetosurprise，fromdelighttodelight。Itwasherloveofhimwhichwroughtthesemiracles。Itwasallamiracle，andnopartmorewonderfulthananother。Thatshe，whohadseemedasdistantasastar，anddivinelysacredfromhumantouch，shouldbethereinhisarms，withherheadonhisshoulder，wherehiskisscouldreachherlips，notonlyunforbidden，buteagerlywelcome，wasimpossible，andyetitwastrue……Butitwasnomoreimpossibleandnotruer，thanthatabeingsopoised，soperfectlyself-centredasshe，shouldalreadybesohelplesslydependentuponhimforherhappiness。Inthedepthsofhissoulheinvokedawfulpenaltiesuponhimselfifeverheshouldbetrayhertrust，ifeverheshouldgrievethattenderheartintheslightestthing，iffromthatmomenthedidnotmakehiswholelifeasacrificeandanexpiation。
Heutteredsomeoftheseexaltedthoughts，andtheydidnotseemtoappearcrazytoher。Shesaidyes，theymustmaketheirseparatelivesofferingstoeachother，andtheirjointlivesanofferingtoGod。Thetearscameintohiseyesatthesewordsofhers:theyweresobeautifulandholyandwise。Heagreedthatoneoughtalwaystogotochurch，andthatnowheshouldnevermissaservice。Heownedthathehadbeenculpableinthepast。Hedrewherclosertohim——ifthatwerepossible——andsealedhiswordswithakiss。
Buthecouldnotrealisehishappinessthen，orafterward，whenhewalkedthestreetsunderthethinlymistedmoonofthatIndiansummernight。
HewentdowntotheEventsofficewhenheleftAlice，andfoundBoardman，andtoldhimthathewasengaged，andtriedtoworkBoardmanuptosomesenseofthegreatnessofthefact。Boardmanshovedhisfinewhiteteethunderhissparemoustache，andmadeacceptablejokes，buthedidnotaskindiscreetquestions，。andDan’sstatementofthefactdidnotseemtogiveitanymoreveritythanithadbefore。HetriedtogetBoardmantocomeandwalkwithhimandtalkitover;butBoardmansaidhehadjustbeendetailedtogoandworkupthecaseofaChinamanwhohadsuicidedalittleearlierintheevening。
“Verywell，then;I’llgowithyou。”saidMavering。“Howcanyouliveinsuchadenasthis？”heasked，lookingaboutthelittleroombeforeBoardmanturneddownhisincandescentelectric。“Thereisn’tanythingbigenoughtoholdmebutalloutdoors。”
Inthestreethelinkedhisarmthroughhisfriend’s，andsaidhefeltthathehadarighttoknowallaboutthehappyendingoftheaffair，sincehehadbeentoldofthatmiserablephaseofitatPortland。Butwhenhecametothefactshefoundhimselfunabletogivethemwiththefulnesshehadpromised。Heonlyimpartedasuccinctstatementastothewhereandwhenofthewholematter，leavingthehowofituntold。
ThesketchwasapparentlyenoughforBoardman。Forallcomment，heremindedMaveringthathehadtoldhimatPortlanditwouldcomeoutallright。
“Yes，youdid，Boardman;that’safact。”saidDan;andheconceivedahigherrespectforthepenetrationofBoardmanthanhehadbefore。
TheystoppedatadoorinapoorcourtwhichtheyhadsomehowreachedwithoutMavering’sprivity。“Willyoucomein？”askedBoardman。
“Whatfor？”
“Chinaman。”
“Chinaman？”ThenMaveringremembered。“Goodheavens！no。WhathaveI
gottodowithhim？”
“Bothmortal。”suggestedthereporter。
Theabsurdityofthisidea，thoughalittlegrisly，struckDanasagoodjoke。HehitthecompanionableBoardmanontheshoulder，andthengavehimalittlehug，andremountedhispathofair，andwalkedoffinit。
XXVII。
MaveringfirstwokeinthemorningwiththemechanicalrecurrenceofthatshameandgriefwhicheachdayhadbroughthimsinceAlicerefusedhim。
Thenwithaleapoftheheartcametherecollectionofallthathadhappenedyesterday。Yetlurkingwithinhisrapturewasamysteryofregret:areasonlesssenseofloss，asiftheoldfeelinghadbeensomethinghewouldhavekept。Thenthisfaded，andhehadonlythelongingtoseeher，torealiseinherpresenceandwithherhelpthefactthatshewashis。Anunspeakablepridefilledhim，andajoyinherlove。
Hetriedtoseesomeoutwardvisionofhisblissintheglass;but，likethemirrorwhichhadrefusedtointerprethistragedyinthePortlandrestaurant，itgavebacknoimageofhistransport:hisfacelookedasitalwaysdid，andheandtherefectionlaughedateachother:
Heaskedhimselfhowsoonhecouldgoandseeher。Itwasnowseveno’clock:eightwouldbetooearly，ofcourse——itwouldberidiculous;andnine——hewonderedifhemightgotoseeheratnine。Wouldtheyhavedonebreakfast？Hadheanyrighttocallbeforeten？Hewasmiserableatthethoughtofwaitingtillten:itwouldbethreehours。Hethoughtofpretexts——ofinvitinghertogosomewhere，butthatwasabsurd，forhecouldseeherathomealldayifheliked;ofcarryingherabook，buttherecouldbenosuchhasteaboutabook;ofgoingtoaskifhehadlefthiscane，butwhyshouldhebeinsuchahurryforhiscane？Allatoncehethoughthecouldtakehersomeflowers——abouquettolaybesideherplateatbreakfast。Hedramatisedhimselfchargingtheservantwhoshouldtakeitfromhimatthedoornottosaywholeftit;butAlicewouldknow，ofcourse，andtheywouldallknow;itwouldbeverypretty。HemadeMrs。
Pasmersaysomeflatteringthingsofhim;andhemadeAliceblushdeliciouslytohearthem。HecouldnotmanageMr。Pasmerverywell，andhelefthimoutofthescene:heimaginedhimshavinginanotherroom;