Danstartedatthistouchonthequick，buthecontrolledhimself，andsaid，withdignity，“Ihavemyownplans。”
“Well，youknowwhatmother’sare。”returnedEuniceeasily。“YouseemsocheerfulthatIsupposeyoursarequitethesame，andyou’rejustkeepingthemforasurprise。”Shelaughedprovokingly，andDanburstforthagain——
“Youseemtolivetogivepeoplepain。Youtakeafiendishdelightintorturingothers。Butifyouthinkyoucaninfluencemeintheslightestdegree，you’reverymuchmistaken。”
“Well，well，there！Itsha’n’tbeteasedanymore，soitsha’n’t！Itshallhaveitsownway，itshall，andnobodyshallsayawordagainstitslittlegirly’smother。”Eunicerosefromherchair，andpattedDanontheheadasshepassedtotheadjoiningroom。Hecaughtherhand，andflungitviolentlyaway;sheshriekedwithdelightinhischildishresentment，andlefthimsulking。Shewasgonetwoorthreeminutes，andwhenshecamebackitwasinquiteadifferentmood，asoftenhappenswithwomeninalittlelapseoftime。
“Dan，IthinkMissPasmerisabeautifulgirl，andIknowweshallalllikeher，ifyoudon’tsetusagainstherbyyourarrogance。Ofcoursewedon’tknowanythingaboutheryet，andyoudon’t，really;butsheseemsaverylovablelittlething，andifshe’srathersilentandundemonstrative，why，she’llbeallthebetterforyou:you’vegotdemonstrationenoughfortwenty。AndIthinkthefamilyarewellenough。Mrs。Pasmeristhoroughlyharmless;andMr。Pasmerisamostdignifiedpersonage;hiseyebrowsaloneareworththepriceofadmission。”Dancouldnothelpsmiling。“Allthatthereisaboutitis，youmustn’texpecttodrivepeopleintorapturesaboutthem，andexpectthemtogogrovellingroundontheirkneesbecauseyoudo。”
“Oh，IknowI’maninfernalidiot。”saidDan，yieldingtothemingledsarcasmandflattery。“It’sbecauseI’msoanxious;andyouallseemsoconfoundedlyprovisionalaboutit。Eunice，whatdoyousupposefatherreallythinks？”
Euniceseemedtemptedtoarelapseintoherteasing，butshedidnotyield。“Oh，father’sallright——fromyourpointofview。He’sbeenridiculousfromthefirst;perhapsthat’sthereasonhedoesn’tfeelobligedtoexpatiateandexpandagreatdealatpresent。”
“Doyouthinkso？”criedDan，instantlyadoptingherasanally。
“Well，ifIsadso，oughtn’tittobeenough？”
“Itdependsuponwhatelseyousay。Lookhere，now，Eunice！“Dansaid，withalaughingmixtureoffunandearnest，“whatareyougoingtosaytomother？It’snouse，beingdisagreeable，isit？Ofcourse，Idon’tcontendforidealperfectionanywhere，andIdon’texpectit。Butthereisn’tanythingexperimentalaboutthisthing，anddon’tyouthinkwehadbetterallmakethebestofit？”
“Thatsoundsveryimpartial。”
“Itisimpartial。I’mapurelydisinterestedspectator。”
“Oh，quite。”
“Anddon’tyousupposeIunderstandMr。andMrs。Pasmerquiteaswellasyoudo？AllIsayisthatAliceissimplythenoblestgirlthateverbreathed，and——“
“Nowyou’retalkingsense，Dan！“
“Well，whatareyougoingtosaywhenyougethome，Eunice？Come！“
“Thatwehadbettermakethebestofit。”
“Andwhatelse？”
“Thatyou’rehopelesslyinfatuated;andthatshewilltwistyouroundherfinger。”
“Well？”
“Butthatyou’vehadyourownwaysomuch，itwilldoyougoodtohavesomebodyelse’sawhile。”
“Iguessyou’reprettysolid。”saidDan，afterthinkingitoverforamoment。“Idon’tbelieveyou’regoingtomakeithardforme，andIknowyoucanmakeitjustwhatyouplease。ButIwantyoutobefrankwithmother。OfcourseIwishyoufeltaboutthewholeaffairjustasIdo，butifyou’rerightonthemainquestion，Idon’tcarefortherest。I’drathermotherwouldknowjusthowyoufeelaboutit。”saidDan，withasighforthehonestywhichhefelttobenotimmediatelyattainableinhisowncase。
“Well，I’llseewhatcanbedone。”Eunicefinallyassented。
Whateverherfeelingswereinregardtothematter，shemusthavesatisfiedherselfthatthesituationwasnottobechangedbyherdislikingit，andshebegantotalksosympatheticallywithDanthatshesoonhadthewholestoryofhisloveoutofhim。Theylaughedagooddealtogetheratit，butitconvincedherthathehadnotbeenhoodwinkedintotheengagement。Itisalwaysthebeliefofayoungman’sfamily，especiallyhismotherandsisters，thatunfairmeanshavebeenusedtowinhim，ifthefamilyofhisbetrothedareunknowntothem;anditwasarelief，ifnotexactlyacomfort，forEuniceMaveringtofindthatAlicewasasgreatasimpletonasDan，andperhapsasincerersimpleton。
XXXII。
Aweeklater，infulfilmentofthearrangementmadebyMrs。PasmerandEuniceMavering，AliceandhermotherreturnedtheformalvisitofDan’speople。
WhileAlicestoodbeforethemirrorinoneofthesumptuouslyfurnishedroomsassignedthem，arrangingaribbonfortheeffectuponDan’smotherafterdinner，andregardingitsrelationtoherseriousbeauty，Mrs。
Pasmercameoutofherchamberadjoining，andbegantoinspecttheformalsplendouroftheplace。
“Whataperfectman’shouse！“shesaid，peeringabout。“Youcanseethateverythinghasbeendonetoorder。Theyhavetheirowntaste;they’reartisticenoughforthat——orthefatheris——andthey’vegivenorderstohavethingsdonesoandso，andtheNewYorkupholstererhascomeupandtakenthemeasureoftheroomsanddoneit。Butitisn’tlikeNewYork，anditisn’tindividual。Thewholehouseisjustlikethosegirls’
tailor-madecostumesincharacter。TheyweremadeinNewYork，buttheydon’twearthemwiththeNewYorkstyle;there’snomoreatmosphereaboutthemthaniftheywereyoungmendressedup。Thereisn’tathinglackinginthehousehere;there’sanawfulcompleteness;buteventheornamentsseemlaidon，likethehotandcoldwater。Ineversawahandsomer，moreuninvitingroomthanthatdrawingroom。Isupposetheetchingwillcomesometimeaftersupper。Whatdoyouthinkofitall，Alice？”
“Oh，Idon’tknow。Theymustbeveryrich。”saidthegirlindifferently。
“Youcan’ttell。Countrypeopleofacertainkindareapttoputeverythingontheirbacksandtheirwallsandfloors。Ofcoursesuchahouseheredoesn’tmeanwhatitwouldintown。”Sheexaminedthetextureofthecarpetmorecritically，andthecurtains;shehadnoshameaboutacuriositythatmadeherdaughtershrink。
“Don’t，mamma！“pleadedthegirl。“Whatiftheyshouldcome？”
“Theywon’tcome。”saidMrs。Pasmer;andhernoticebeingcalledtoAlice，shemadehertakeofftheribbon。“You’rebetterwithoutit。”
“I’msonervousIdon’tknowwhatI’mdoing。”saidAlice，removingit，withawhimper。
“Well，Ican’thaveyoubreakingdown！“criedhermotherwarningly:shereallywishedtoshakeher，asaculminationofherownconflictingemotions。“Alice，stopthisinstant！Stopit，Isay！“
“ButifIdon’tlikeher？”whimperedAlice。
You’renotgoingtomarryher。Nowstop！Here，batheyoureyes;they’reallred。ThoughIdon’tknowthatitmatters。Yes，they’llexpectyoutohavebeencrying。”saidMrs。Pasmer，seeingthesituationmoreandmoreclearly。“It’sperfectlynatural。”Butshetooksomecologneonahandkerchief，andrecomposedAlice’scountenanceforher。“There，thecolourbecomesyou，andIneversawyoureyeslooksobright。”
TherewasapathosintheirbrilliancywhichofcoursebetrayedhertotheMaveringgirls。ItsoftenedEunice，andencouragedMinnie，whohadbeenalittleafraidofthePasmers。TheybothkissedAlicewithsisterlyaffection。Theirfathermerelysawhowhandsomeshelooked，andDan’sheartseemedtomeltinhisbreastwithtenderness。
Inrecognitionofthedifferenthabitsoftheirguests，theyhaddinnerinsteadoftea。ThePortuguesecookhadoutdonehimself，andcoursefollowedcourseintriumphalsuccession。Mrs。Pasmerpraiseditallwithasinceritythattookawayalittleofthezestshefeltinmakingflatteringspeeches。
Everythingaboutthetablewasperfect，butinaman’sfashion，liketherestofthehouse。Itlackedtheatmosphericcharm，theotherwiseindefinablegrace，whichawoman’stastegives。ItwasinfactElbridgeMavering’stastewhichhadcharacterisedthewhole;thedaughterssimplyacceptedandapproved。
“Yes。”saidEunice，“wehaven’tmuchelsetodo;soweeat。AndJoedoeshisbesttospoilus。”
“Joe？”
“Joe’sthecook。AllPortuguesecooksareJoe。”
“Howveryamusing！“saidMrs。Pasmer。“Youmustletmespeakofyourgrapes。Ineversawanythingso——well！——exceptyourroses。”
“Thereyoutouchedfatherintwotenderspots。Hecultivatesboth。”
“Really？Alice，didyoueverseeanythingliketheseroses？”
AlicelookedawayfromDanamoment，andblushedtofindthatshehadbeenlookingsolongathim。
“Ah，Ihave。”saidMaveringgallantly。
“Doesheoftendoit？”askedMrs。Pasmer，inanobviousasidetoEunice。
Danansweredforhim。“Heneverhadsuchachancebefore。”
Betweencoffee，whichtheydrankattable，andtea，whichtheyweretotakeinMrs。Mavering’sroom，theyacteduponasuggestionfromEunicethatherfathershouldshowMrs。Pasmerhisrose-house。Atoneendofthedining-roomwasalittleapseofglassfulloffloweringplantsgrowingoutoftheground，andwithadelicatefountaintinklingintheirmidst。
Danranbeforetherest，andopenedtwoglassdoorsinthefurthersideofthishalf-bubble，andatthesametimewithatouchflashedupasuccessionofbrilliantlightsinsomespacebeyond，fromwhichtheregushedinawaveofhothousefragrance，warm，heavy，humid。Itwasaprettylittleeffectforguestsnewtothehouse，andwaspartofElbridgeMavering’spleasureinthisfeatureofhisplace。Mrs。Pasmerrespondedwithgeneroussympathy，forifshereallylikedanythingwithherwholeheart，itwasaneffect，andshetraversedthehalf-bubblebyitspebbledpath，showeringpraisesrightandleftwithafulnessandaccuracythatmissednodetail，whileAlicefollowedsilently，herhandinMinnieMavering’s，andcoldwithsuppressedexcitement。Therose-housewasdividedbyawall，piercedwithfrequentdoorways，overwhichthetreesweretrainedandtheroseshung;andoneithersidewereranksofrareandcostlykinds，weigheddownwithbudandbloom。Theairwasthickwiththeirbreathandthepungentodoursoftherichsoilfromwhichtheygrew，andtheglassroofwasmistedwiththemingledexhalations。
Mr。MaveringwalkedbesideAlice，modestlyexplainingthedifficultiesofroseculture，andhismethodofdealingwiththeredspider。Hehadastoutknifeinhishand，andhecroppedlong，heavy-ladenstemsofrosesfromthewallsandthebeds，casuallygivinghertheirdifferentnames，andlayingthemalonghisarminamassivesheaf。
Mrs。PasmerandEunicehadgoneforwardwithDan，andwerewaitingforthematthethitherendoftherose-house。
“Alice！justimagine:thegraperyisbeyondthis。”criedthegirl’smother。
“It’sacoldgrapery。”saidMr。Mavering。“Ihopeyou’llseeitto-
morrow。”
“Oh，whynotto-night？”shoutedDan。
“Becauseit’sacoldgrapery。”saidEunice;“andafterthisrose-house，it’sanArcticgrapery。You’recrazy，Dan。”
“Well，IwantAlicetoseeitanyway。”hepersistedwilfully。“There’snothinglikeacoldgraperybystarlight。I’llgetsomewraps。”Theyallknewthathewishedtobealonewithheramoment，andthethreewomen，consentingwiththeirhearts，protestedwiththeirtongues，followinghiminhisflightwiththeirchorus，andgreetinghisreturn。Hemuffledhertothechininafur-linedovercoat，whichhehadlaidhandsonthefirstthing;andhermother，stillprotesting，helpedtotieascarfoverherhairsoasnottodisarrangeit。“Here。”hepointed，“wecanrunthroughit，andit’sworthseeing。Bettercome。”hesaidtotheothersasheopenedthedoor，andhurriedAlicedownthepathunderthekeensparkleofthecrystalroof，blotchedwiththeleavesandbunchesofthevines。
Comingoutofthedense，sensuous，vaporousairoftherose-houseintothisclear，thinatmosphere，delicatelypenetratedwiththefragrance，pureandcold，ofthefruit，itwasasiftheyhadenteredanotherworld。
Hisarmcreptroundherintheodorousobscurity。
“Lookup！Seethestarsthroughthevines！Butwhensheliftedherfacehebenthisuponitforawildkiss。
“Don’t！don’t！“shemurmured。“Iwanttothink;Idon’tknowwhatI’mdoing。”
“NeitherdoI。IfeelasifIwereablessedghost。”
Perhapsitisonlyintheseecstasiesofthesensesthatthesouleverreachesself-consciousnessonearth;anditseemstobeonlytheman-soulwhichfindsitselfeveninthisabandon。Thewoman-soulhasalwayssomethingelsetothinkof。
“Whatshallwedo。”saidthegirl，“ifwe——Oh，Idreadtomeetyourmother！Isshelikeeitherofyoursisters？”
“No。”hecriedjoyously;“she’slikeme。Ifyou’renotafraidofme，andyoudon’tseemtobe“
“You’reallIhave——you’reallIhaveintheworld。Doyouthinkshe’lllikeme？Oh，doyouloveme，Dan？
“Youdarling！youdivine——“Therestwasamadembrace。“Ifyou’renotafraidofme，youwon’tmindmother。Iwantedyouherealoneforjustalastword，totellyouyouneedn’tbeafraid;totellyouto——ButI
needn’ttellyouhowtoact。Youmustn’ttreatherasaninvalid——youmusttreatherlikeanyoneelse;that’swhatshelikes。Butyou’llknowwhat’sbest，Alice。Beyourself，andshe’lllikeyouwellenough。I’mnotafraid。”
XXXIII:
WhensheenteredMrs。Mavering’sroomAlicefirstsawthepictures，thebric-a-brac，theflowers，thedazzleoflights，andthentheinvalidproppedamongherpillows，andvividlyexpectantofher。Sheseemedalleagereyestothegirl，awarenextofthestrongresemblancetoDaninherfeatures，andofthecarefultoiletthesickwomanhadmadeforher。Toyouthallformsofsufferingareabhorrent，andAlicehadtohidearepugnanceatsightofthisspectreofwhathadoncebeenaprettywoman。
Throughtheegotismwithwhichsomanyyearsofflatteringsubjectioninherlittleworldhadarmedher，Mrs。Maveringprobablydidnotfeelthegirl’sshrinking，or，ifshedid，tookitforthenaturalembarrassmentwhichshewouldfeel。Shehadsatisfiedherselfthatshewaslookingherbest，andthathercapandthelacejacketsheworewereverybecoming，andsoftenedherworstpoints;thehangingsofherbedandtherichlyembroideredcrimsonsilkcoverletwerepartofthecoquetryofhercostume，fromwhichhabithadtakenallsenseofghastliness;shewasproudofthem，andshewasnotawareofthescentofdrugsthatinsistedthroughtheodouroftheflowers。
SheliftedherselfonherelbowasDanapproachedwithAlice，andthegirlfeltasifanintenselighthadbeenthrownuponherfromheadtofootinthemomentofsearchingscrutinythatfollowed。Theinvalid’ssetlookbrokeintoasmile，andsheputoutherhand，neitherhotnorcold，butofadryneutral，spiritualtemperature，andpulledAlicedownandkissedher。
“Why，child，yourhand’slikeice！“sheexclaimedwithoutpreamble。“Weusedtosaythatcamefromawarmheart。”
“Iguessitcomesfromacoldgraperyinthiscase，mother。”saidDan，withhislaugh。“I’vejustbeenrunningAlicethroughit。Andperhapsalittleexcitement——“
“Excitement？”echoedhismother。“Coldgrapery，Idaresay，andverysillyofyou，Dan;butthere’snooccasionforexcitement，asifwewerestrangers。Sitdowninthatchair，mydear。And，Dan，yougoroundtotheothersideofthebed;IwantAlicealltomyself。Isawyourphotographaweekago，andI’vethoughtaboutyouforagessince，andwonderedwhetheryouwouldapproveofyouroldfriend。”
“Ohyes。”whisperedthegirl，suppressingatremor;andDan’seyesweresuffusedwithgratefultearsathismother’sgraciousness。
Alice’sreticenceseemedtopleasetheinvalid。“Ihopeyou’lllikeallyouroldfriendshere;you’vebegunwiththeworstamongus，butperhapsyoulikehimthebestbecauseheistheworst;Ido。”
“Youmaybelievejusthalfofthat，Alice。”criedDan。
“Thenbelievethebesthalf，orthehalfyoulikebest。”saidMrs。
Mavering。“Theremustbesomethinggoodinhimifyoulikehim。Havetheywelcomedyouhome，mydear？”
We’veallmadeastaggeratit。”saidDan，whileAlicewasfalteringoverthewordswhichweresoslowtocome。
“Don’ttrytoanswermyformalstupidities。Youarewelcome，andthat’senough，andmorethanenoughofspeeches。Didyouhaveacomfortablejourneyup？”
“Oh，very。”
“Wasitcold？”
“Notatall。Thecarswereveryhot。”
“HaveyouhadanysnowyetatBoston？”
“No，noneatallyet。”
“NowIfeelthatwe’retalkingsense。Ihopeyoufoundeverythinginyourroom？”Ican’tlookafterthingsasIwouldlike，andsoIinquire。”
“There’severything。”saidAlice。“We’reverycomfortable。”
“I’mveryglad。IhadDanlook，he’smyhousekeeper;heunderstandsmebetterthanmygirls;he’slikeme，more。That’swhatmakesussofondofeachother;it’sakindofpersonalvanity。Buthehashisgoodpoints，Danhas。He’sveryamiable，andIwastoo，athisage——andtillIcamehere。ButI’mnotgoingtotellyouofhisgoodpoints;Idaresayyou’vefoundthemout。I’lltellyouabouthisbadones。Hesaysyou’reveryserious。Areyou？”Shepressedthegirl’shand，whichshehadkeptinhers，andregardedherkeenly。
Alicedroppedhereyesattheoddquestion。“Idon’tknow。”shefaltered。
“Sometimes。”
“Well，that’sgood。Dan’sfrivolous。”
“Oh，sometimes——onlysometimes！“heinterposed。
“He’sfrivolous，andhe’sverylight-minded;buthe’snonetheworseforthat。”
“Oh，thankyou。”saidDan;andAlice，stillpuzzled，laughedprovisionally。
“No;Iwantyoutounderstandthat。He’slight-heartedtoo，andthat’sagreatthinginthisworld。Ifyou’reseriousyou’llbeapttobeheavyhearted，andthenyou’llfindDanofuse。AndIhopehe’llknowhow，toturnyourseriousnesstoaccounttoo。heneedssomethingtokeephimdown——tokeephimfromblowingaway。“Yes，it’sverywellforpeopletobeopposites。Onlytheymustunderstandeachother，Iftheydothat，thentheygetalong。Light-heartednessorheavy-heartednesscomestothesamethingiftheyknowhowtouseitforeachother。Yousee，I’vegottobeagreatphilosopherlyinghere;nobodydarescontradictmeorinterruptmewhenI’mconstructingmytheories，andsoIgetthemperfect。”
“IwishIcouldhearthemall。”saidAlice，withsinceritythatmadeMrs。
Maveringlaughaslight-heartedlyasDanhimself，andthatseemedtosuggestthenestthingtoher。
“Youcanfortheasking，almostanytime。Areyouaverytruthfulperson，mydear？Don’ttakethetroubletodenyitifyouare。”sheadded，atAlice’sstare。“Yousee，I’mnotatallconventionalandyouneedn’tbe。
Come！tellthetruthforonce，atanyrate。Areyouhabituallytruthful？”
“Yes，IthinkIam。”saidAlice，stillstaring。
“Dan’snot。”saidhismotherquietly。
“Oh，seehere，now，mother！Don’tgivemeaway！“
“He’lltellthetruthinextremity，ofcourse，andhe’lltellitifit’spleasant，always;butifyoudon’texpectmuchmoreofhimyouwon’tbedisappointed;andyoucanmakehimofgreatuse。”
“YouseewhereIgotit，anyway，Alice。”saidDan，laughingacrossthebedather。
“Yes，yougotitfromme:Iownit。Agreatpartofmylifewasmadeupofmakinglifepleasanttoothersbyfibbing。IstoppeditwhenIcamehere。”
“Oh，notaltogether，mother！“urgedherson。“Youmustn’tbetoohardonyourself。”
Sheignoredhisinterruption:“You’llfindDanagreatconveniencewiththatagreeablehabitofhis。Youcangethimtomakeallyourverbalexcusesforyouhe’ll，doitbeautifully，anddictateallthethousandandonelittlelyingnotesyou’llhavetowrite;hewon’tminditintheleast，anditwillsaveyouagreatwear-and-tearofconscience。”
“Goon，mother，goon。”saidDan，withdelightedeyes，thataskedofAliceifitwerenotallperfectlycharming。
“AndyoucancomeinwithyourhabitualtruthfulnesswhereDanwouldn’tknowwhattodo，poorfellow。You’llhavethemoralcouragetocomerighttothepointwhenhewouldliketoshillyshally，andyoucanbefrankwhilehe’stryingtothinkhowtomakey-e-sspellno。”
“Anyotherlittlecompliments，mother？”suggestedDan。
“No。”saidMrs。Mavering;“that’sall。IthoughtI’dbetterhaveitoffmymind;Iknewyou’dnevergetitoffyours，andAlicehadbetterknowtheworst。Itistheworst，mydear，andifItalkedofhimtilldoomsdayIcouldn’tsayanymoreharmofhim。Ineedn’ttellyouhowsweetheis;
youknowthat，I’msure;butyoucan’tknowyethowgentleandforbearingheis，howpatient，howfullofkindnesstoeverylivingsoul，howunselfish，how——“
Shelosthervoice。“Oh，comenow，mother。”Danprotestedhuskily。
Alicedidnotsayanything;shebentover，withoutrepugnance，andgatheredtheshadowyshapeintoherstrongyoungarms，andkissedthewastedfacewhoseunearthlycoolnesswasliketheleafofafloweragainstherlips。“Henevergavemeamoment’strouble。”saidthemother，“andI’msurehe’llmakeyouhappy。Howkindofyounottobeafraidofme——“
“Afraid！“criedthegirl，withpassionatesolemnity。“Ishallneverfeelsafeawayfromyou！“
Thedooropeneduponthesoundofvoices，andtheotherscamein。
Mrs。Pasmerdidnotwaitforanintroduction，butwithanaffectationofimpulsewhichshefeltMrs。Maveringwouldpenetrateandrespect，shewentuptothebedandpresentedherself。Dan’smothersmiledhospitablyuponher，andtheyhadsomeplayfulwordsabouttheirchildren。Mrs。Pasmerneatlyconveyedtheregretsofherhusband，whohadhopeduptothelastmomentthattheheavycoldhehadtakenwouldlethimcomewithher;andtheinvalidmadeherguestsitdownontherighthandofherbed，whichseemedtobetheplaceofhonour，whileherhusbandtookDan’splaceontheleft，andadmiredhiswife’sskillinfence。AttheendofherencounterwithMrs。Pasmershecalledoutwithherstrongvoice，“Whydon’tyougetyourbanjo，Molly，andplaysomething？”
“Abanjo？Oh，do！“criedMrs。Pasmer。“It’ssopicturesqueandinteresting！Iheardthatyoungladieshadtakenitup，andIshouldsoliketohearit！“ShehadturnedtoMrs。Maveringagain，andshenowbeamedwinninglyuponher。
Aliceregardedthegirlwithapuzzledfrownasshebroughtherbanjoinfromanotherroomandsatdownwithit。SherelaxedtheseverityofherstarealittleasMollyplayedonewildairafteranother，singingsomeofthemwithanevidenceoftraininginhernaiveeffectiveness。ThereweresomeMexicansongswhichshehadlearnedinalatevisittotheircountry，andsomeCreolemelodiescaughtupinawinter’ssojourntoLouisiana。
Theeldersisteraccompaniedheronthepiano，notwiththehard，resoluteproficiencywhichonemighthaveexpectedofEuniceMavering，butwithasympathywhichwasperhapstheexpressionofhershareofthefamilykindliness。
“Yourchildrenseemtohavebeeneverywhere。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withasighofflatteringenvy。“Oh，you’renotgoingtostop！“shepleaded，turningfromMrs。MaveringtoMolly。
“IthinkDanhadbetterdotherheumaticunclenow。”saidEunice，fromthepiano。
“Ohyes！therheumaticuncle——do。”saidMrs。Pasmer。“Weknowtherheumaticuncle。”sheadded，withaglanceatAlice。Danlookedathertoo，asifdoubtfulofherapproval;andthenhetoldincharacteraYankeestorywhichhehadworkedupfromthetalkofhisfriendtheforeman。Itmadethemalllaugh。
Mrs。Pasmerwasthegayest;sheletherselfgo，andthroughouttheeveningsheflatteredrightandleft，andsaid，inhergood-nighttoMrs。
Mavering，thatshehadneverimaginedsodelightfulatime。“0Mrs。
Mavering，Idon’twonderyourchildrenlovetheirhome。It’sarevelation。”
XXXIV。
“She’sacat，Dan。”saidhismotherquietly，andnotwithoutliking，whenhelookedinforhisgoodnightkissaftertherestweregone;“aperfecttabby。ButyourAliceissublime。”
“Omother——“
“She’salittletoosublimeforme。Butyou’reyoung，andyoucanstandit。”
Danlaughedwithdelight。“Yes，IthinkIcan，mother。AllIaskisthechance。”
“Oh，you’reverymuchinlove，bothofyou;there’snodoubtaboutthat。
WhatImeanisthatshe’sveryhighstrung，veryintense。Shehasideals——
anyonecanseethat。”
Dantookitallforpraise。“Yes。”hesaideagerly，“that’swhatItoldyou。Andthatwillbethebestthingaboutitforme。Ihavenoideals。”
“Well，youmustfindoutwhathersare，andliveuptothem。”
“Oh，therewon’tbeanytroubleaboutthat。”saidDanbuoyantly。
“Youmusthelphertofindthemouttoo。”Helookedpuzzled。“Youmustn’texpectthechildtobetoodefiniteatfirst，nortobealwaysright，evenwhenshe’sfullofideals。Youmustbeverypatientwithher，Dan。”
“Oh，Iwill，mother！Youknowthat。HowcouldIeverbeimpatientwithAlice？”
“Veryforbearing，andverykind，andindefatigablyforgiving。Askyourfatherhowtobehave。”
Danpromisedtodoso，withalaughatthejoke。Ithadneveroccurredtohimthathisfatherwasparticularlyexemplaryinthesethings，orthathismotheridolisedhimforwhatseemedtoDansimplyamatter-of-courseenduranceofhersickwhimsandfreaksandmoods。Hebrokeforthintoavehementprotestofhisgoodintentions，towhichhismotherdidnotseemveryattentive。Afterawhilesheasked——
“Isshealwayssosilent，Dan？”
“Well，notwithme，mother。Ofcourseshewasalittleembarrassed;shedidn’tknowexactlywhattosay，Isuppose——“
“Oh，Iratherlikedthat。Atleastsheisn’tarattle-pate。Andweshallgetacquainted;weshalllikeeachother。Shewillunderstandmewhenyoubringherhomeheretolivewithus，and——“
“Yes。”saidDan，risingratherhastily，andstoopingovertohismother。
“I’mnotgoingtoletyoutalkanymorenow，orweshallhavetosufferforitto-morrownight。”
Hegotgailyawaybeforehismothercouldamplifyasuggestionwhichspoiledalittleofhispleasureinthepraises——hethoughttheywereunqualifiedandenthusiasticpraises——shehadbeenheapinguponAlice。Hewishedtogotobedwiththemallsweetandunalloyedinhisthought，tosleep，todreamuponhisperfecttriumph。
Mrs。Pasmerwasalongtimeinundressing，andincalmingdownafterthedemandswhichthedifferenteventsoftheeveninghadmadeuponherresources。
“Ithascertainlybeenaverymixedevening，Alice。”shesaid，asshetookthepinsoutofherbackhairandletitfall;andshecontinuedtotalkasshewentbackandforthbetweentheirrooms。“Whatdoyouthinkofbanjo-playingforyoungladies？Isn’titratherrowdy？Decidedlyrowdy，Ithink。AndDan’sYankeestory！Iexpectedtoseetheoldgentlemangetupandperformsometrick。”
“IsupposetheydoittoamuseMrs。Mavering。”saidAlice，withcolddispleasure。
“Oh，it’squiteright。”titteredMrs。Pasmer。“Itwouldbeasmuchastheirlivesareworthiftheydidn’t。Youcanseethatsherulesthemwitharodofiron。Whatawill！I’mgladyou’renotgoingtocomeunderhersway;Ireallythinkyoucouldn’tbesafefromherinthesamehemisphere;it’swellyou’regoingabroadatonce。They’reaveryself-
concentratedfamily，don’tyouthink——veryself-satisfied？Ofcoursethat’sthedangeroflivingoffbythemselvesastheydo:theygettothinkingthere’snobodyelseintheworld。Youwouldsimplybeabsorbedbythem:it’sahair-breadthescape。
HowsplendidlyDancontrastswiththeothers！Oh，he’sdelightful;he’samanoftheworld。Givemetheworld，afterall！Andhe’ssoconsiderateoftheirrusticconceit！Whatahouse！It’sperfectlybaronial——andridiculous。Inanyothercountryitwouldmeansomething——society，entertainments，troopsofguests;buthereitdoesn’tmeananythingbutmoney。Notthatmoneyisn’taverygoodthing;Iwishwehadmoreofit。
Butnowyouseehowverylittleitcandobyitself。Youlookedverywell，Alice，andbehavedwithgreatdignity;perhapstoomuch。Yououghttoenteralittlemoreintothespiritofthings，evenifyoudon’trespectthem。Thatoldestgirlisn’tparticularlypleased，Ifancy，thoughitdoesn’tmatterreally。”
AlicerepliedtohermotherfromtimetotimewithabsentYesesandNoes;
shesatbythewindowlookingoutonthehillsidelawnbeforethehouse;
themoonhadrisen，andpouredafloodofsnowylightoverit，inwhichthecoldstatuesdimlyshone，andthefirs，inclumpsandsingly，blackenedwithaninkysolidity。Beyondwanderedthehills，theirbarepasturagebrokenhereandtherebyblotchesofwoodland。
Afterhermotherhadgonetobedsheturnedherlightdownandresumedherseatbythewindow，pressingherhotforeheadagainstthepane，andlosingallsenseofthescenewithoutinthewhirlofherthoughts。
Afterthis，eveningofgaywelcomeinDan’sfamily，andthosemomentsoftendernesswithhim，herheartwastroubled。Shenowrealisedherengagementassomethingexteriortoherselfandherownfamily，andconfrontedforthefirsttimeitsresponsibilities，itsties，anditsclaims。ItwasnotenoughtobeeverythingtoDan;shecouldnotbethatunlesssheweresomethingtohisfamily。Shedidnotrealisethisvividly，butwiththeremotenesswhichallveritiesexceptthoseofsensationhaveforyouth。
Heruneasinesswasfullofexultation，oftriumph;sheknewshehadbeenadmiredbyDan’sfamily，andsheexperiencedthesweetnessofhavingpleasedthemforhissake;hishappyeyesshonebeforeher;butshewastouchedinherself-lovebywhathermotherhadcoarselycharacterisedinthem。Theyhadregardedherlikingthemasamatterofcourse;hismotherhadignoredhereveninpretendingtodecryDantoher。Butagainthiswasveryremote，verymomentary。Itwasnonearer，nomorelastingonthesurfaceofherhappiness，thantheflyingwhiff’softhincloudthatchasedacrossthemoonandlostthemselvesinthevastbluearoundit。
XXXV。
PeoplecametothefirstofMrs。JamesBellingham’sreceptionswiththeexpectationofpleasurewhichtheearlierreceptionsoftheseasonawakenevenintheoldestandwisest。Buttheytriedtodissembletheireagernessinafashionabletardiness。“Wegetlaterandlater。”saidMrs。
]BrinkleytoJohnMunt，asshesatwatchingtheslowgatheringofthecrowd。Byhalf-pastelevenithadnotyethiddenMrs。Bellingham，whereshestoodnearthemiddleoftheroom，fromthepleasantcornertheyhadfoundafteraccidentallyarrivingtogether。Mr。Brinkleyhadnotcome;hesaidhemightnotbetoooldforreceptions，buthewastoogood;ineithercasehepreferredtostayathome。“Weusedtocomeatnineo’clock，andnowwecomeatI’mgettingintoaquotationfromMotherGoose，Ithink。”
“IthoughtitwasBrowning。”saidMunt，withhiswitticismmanner。
NeitherhenorMrs。Brinkleywasparticularlygladtobetogether，butatMrs。JamesBellingham’sitwaswellnottoflinganycompanionshipawaytillyouweresureofsomethingelse。Besides，Mrs。Brinkleywasindolentandgood-natured，andMuntwasactiveandgood-natured，andtheywerewellfittedtogetonfortenorfifteenminutes。Whiletheytalkedshekeptaneyeoutforotheracquaintance，andhestoodalerttoescapeatthefirstchance。“Howisitweareheresoearly——orratheryouare？”shepursuedirrelevantly。
“Oh，Idon’tknow。”saidMunt，acceptingtheimplicationofhissuperiorfashionwithpleasure。“Inevermindbeingamongthefirst。It’sratherinterestingtoseepeoplecomein——don’tyouthink？”
“Thatdependsagooddealonthepeople。Idon’tfindagreatvarietyintheirsmirksandsmilestoMrs。Bellingham;Iseemtobedoingthemallmyself。Andthere’samonotonyabouttheirapprehensionandhelplessnesswhenthey’returnedadriftthat’saltogethertoomuchlikemyown。No，Mr。Munt，Ican’tagreewithyouthatit’sinterestingtoseepeoplecomein。It’saltogethertooautobiographical。Whatelsehaveyoutosuggest？”
“I’mafraidI’mattheendofmystring。”saidMunt。“IsupposeweshallseethePasmersandyoungMaveringhereto-night。”
Mrs。Brinkleyturnedandlookedsharplyathim。
“You’veheardoftheengagement？”heasked。
“No，decidedly，Ihaven’t。AndafterhisflightfromCampobelloit’sthelastthingIexpectedtohearof。Whendiditcomeout？”
“Onlywithinafewdays。They’vebeenkeepingitratherquiet。Mrs。
Pasmertoldmeherself。”
Mrs。Brinkleygaveherselfamomentforreflection。“Well，ifhecanstandit，IsupposeIcan。”
“Thatisn’texactlywhatpeoplearesayingtoMrs。Pasmer，Mrs。Brinkley。”
suggestedMunt，withhishumorousmanner。
“Idaresaythey’retryingtomakeherbelievethatherdaughterissacrificed。That’stheway。Butsheknowsbetter。”
“There’snodoubtbutshe’sinformedherself。SheputmethroughmycatechismabouttheMaveringsthedayofthepicnicdownthere。”
“Doyouknowthem？”
“BridgeMaveringandIwereatHarvardtogether。”
“Tellmeaboutthem。”Mrs。BrinkleylistenedtoMunt’spraisesofhisoldfriendwithanattentionsuperficiallydividedwiththepeopletowhomshebowedandsmiled。Theroomwasfillingup。“Well。”shesaidattheend，“he’sasweetyoungfellow。IhopehelikeshisPasmers。”
“Iguessthere’snodoubtabouthislikingoneofthem——theprincipalone。”
“Yes，ifsheistheprincipalone。”TherewasanimplicationineverythingshesaidthatDanMaveringhadbeenhoodwinkedbyMrs。Pasmer。
Matureladiesalwaysliketoimplysomethingofthesortinthesecases。
Theyliketoignoretheprimeagencyofyouthandlove，andpretendthatmarriageisagamethatparentsplayatwithus，asifwewereinanoldcomedy;itisatradition。“Willhetakeherhometolive？”
“No。Iheardthatthey’reallgoingabroad——forayear，ortwoatleast。”
“Ah！Ithoughtso。”criedMrs。Brinkley。Shelookedupwithwhimsicalpleasureintheuncertaintyofanoldgentlemanwhoisstaringhardatherthroughhisglasses。“Well。”shesaidwithapleasantsharpness，“doyoumakemeout？”
“Asnearlyasmybeliefinyourwisdomwillallow。”saidtheoldgentleman，asdistinctlyashislongwhitemoustacheandanapparentabsenceofteethbehinditwouldlethim。JohnMunthadeagerlyabandonedtheseathewaskeepingatMrs。Brinkley’sside，andhadlaunchedhimselfintothethickeningcrowd。Theoldgentleman，whowaslankandtall，foldedhimselfdownintoit，HecontinuedastranquillyasifseatedquitealonewithMrs。Brinkley，andnotmindingthathisvoice，withthesenilecrowinit，madeitselfheardbyothers。“I’malwayssurprisedtofindsensiblepeopleatthesethingsofJane’s。They’remostextraordinarythings。Jane’sideaofsocietyistoturnaherdofhumanbeingslooseinherhouse，andseewhatwillcomeofit。ShehasnomoresenseofhospitalityorresponsibilitythantheElementsorDivineProvidence。Youmaycomehereandhaveagoodtime——ifyoucangetit;shewon’tobject;
oryoumaydieofsolitudeandinanition;she’dneverknowit。Idon’tknowbutit’srathersublimeinher。It’sliketheindifferenceoffate;
butit’sratherroughonthosewhodon’tunderstandit。Shelikestoseeherroomsfilledwithprettydresses，butshehasnosocialinstinctsandnosocialinspirationwhatever。Shelightsandheatsandfeedsherguests，andthensheleavesthemtothemselves。She’sakindwoman——Janeisaverygood-naturedwoman，andIreallythinkshe’dbegrievedifshethoughtanyonewentawayunhappy，butshedoesnothingtomakethemathomeinherhouse——absolutelynothing。”
“Perhapsshedoesalltheydeserveforthem。Idon’tknowthatanyoneacquiresmeritbycomingtoaneveningparty;andit’simpossibletobepersonallyhospitabletoeverybodyinsuchacrowd。”
Yes，I’vesometimestakenthatviewofit。Andyetifyouaskastrangertoyourhouse，youestablishatacitunderstandingwithhimthatyouwon’tforgethimafteryouhavehimthere。Iliketogoaboutandnotethemystificationofstrangerswho’vecomeherewithsomenotionofalittleattention。It’sdelightfullypoignant;Isufferwiththem;it’sacheapluxuryofwoe;Ifollowthemthroughalltheturnsandwindingsoftheirexperience。Ofcoursethetheoryisthat，beingturnedlooseherewiththerest，theymayspeaktoanybody;butthefactis，theycan’t。
SometimesIshouldliketohailsomeoftheseunfriendedspirits，butI
haven’tthecourage。I’mnotindividuallybashful，butIhaveathousandyearsofAnglo-Saxoncivilisationbehindme。Thereoughttobepolicemen，toshowstrangersaboutandbekindtothem。I’vejustseentwoprettywomencastawayinacorner，andclingingtoasmallwater-colouronthewallwithashowofinterestthatwouldmeltaheartofstone。Whydoyoucome，Mrs。Brinkley？Ishouldliketoknow。You’renotobligedto。”
“No。”saidMrs。Brinkley，loweringhervoiceinstinctively，asiftobringhisdown。“IsupposeIcomefromforceofhabitI’vebeencomingalongtime，youknow。Whydoyoucome？”
“BecauseIcan’tsleep。IfIcouldsleep，Ishouldbeathomeinbed。”A
wearinesscameintohisthinfaceanddimeyesthatwaspathetic，andpassedintoawhimsicalsarcasm。“I’mnotoneofthegreatleisureclass，youknow，thatvoluntarilyturnsnightintoday。DoyouknowwhatIgoaboutsayingnow？”
“Somethingamusing，Isuppose。”
“You’dbetternotbesosureofthat。I’vediscoveredafact，orratherI’veformulatedanoldone。I’vealwaysbeentroubledhowtoclassifypeoplehere，therearesomanyexceptions;andI’veendedbybroadlygeneralisingthemaswomenandmen。”
Mrs。Brinkleywascertainlyamusedatthis。“Itseemstomethatthereyou’vebeenanticipatedbynature——nottomentionart。”
“Oh，notinmyparticularview。ThewomeninAmericarepresentthearistocracywhichexistseverywhereelseinbothsexes。Youareborntothepatricianleisure;youhavetheaccomplishmentsandtheclothesandmannersandideals;andwemenareanaturalcommonalty，borntobusiness，tonewspapers，tocigars，andhorses。Thisnaturalfemalearistocracyofoursestablishestheforms，usages，places，andtimesofsociety。Theepicenearistocraciesofothercountriesturnnightintodayintheirsocialpleasures，andournoblessesympatheticallyfollowstheirexample。
Youladies，whocanlietillnoonnextday，cometoJane’sreceptionateleveno’clock，andyoudragalongwithyouaherdofusbrokers，bankers，merchants，lawyers，anddoctors，whomustbeatourofficesandcounting-
roomsbeforenineinthemorning。Thehoursofuswork-peopleareregulatedbythewholesomeindustriesofthegreatdemocracywhichwe’reapartof;andthehoursofourwivesanddaughtersbythedeleteriouspleasuresoftheOldWorldaristocracy。That’sthereasonwe’renotallathomeinbed。”
“Ithoughtyouwerenotathomeinbedbecauseyoucouldn’tsleep。”
“Iknowit。Andyou’venoideahowhorribleabedisthatyoucan’tsleepin。”Theoldman’svoicebrokeinatremor。“Ah，it’sabedoftorture！
Ispendmanyawickedhourinmine，envyingSt。Lawrencehisgridiron。
Butwhatdoyouthinkofmytheory？”
“It’saveryprettytheory。Myonlyobjectiontoitisthatit’stooflattering。YouknowIratherprefertoabusemysex;andtobesetupasanaturalaristocracy——Idon’tknowthatIcanquiteagreetothat，eventoaccountsatisfactorilyforbeingatyoursister-in-law’sreception。”
“You’retoomodest，Mrs。Brinkley。”
“No，really。Thereoughttobesomemenamongus——menwithoutmorrows。
Now，whydon’tyouandmyhusbandsetanexampletoyoursex？Whydon’tyourelaxyourseveresenseofduty？Whyneedyouinsistuponbeingatyourofficeseverymorningatnine？Whydon’tyouflingoffthesehabitsoflifelongindustry，andbegracefullyindolentintheinterestofthehighercivilisation？”
BromfieldCoreylookedroundatherwithasmileofrelishforhersatire。
Herhusbandwasanotoriouslylazyman，whohadchosentoliverestrictedlyuponaninheritedpropertyratherthanincreaseitbythesmallestexertion。
“DoyouthinkwecouldgetAndyPasmertojoinus？”
“No，Ican’tencourageyouwiththatidea。YoumustgetonwithoutMr。
Pasmer;he’sgoingbacktoEuropewithhisson-in-law。”
“Doyoumeanthattheirgirl’smarried？”
“No-engaged。It’sjustout。”
“Well，ImustsayMrs。Pasmerhasmadeuseofhertime。”Hetoolikedtoimplythatitwasallaneffectofhermanoeuvring，andthattheyoungpeoplehadnothingtodowithit;thissurvivalfromEuropeanfictiondieshard。“Whoistheyoungman？”
Mrs。BrinkleygavehimanaccountofDanMaveringasshehadseenhimatCampobello，andofhisfamilyasshejustheardofthem。“Mr。Muntwastellingmeaboutthemasyoucameup。”
“Why，wasthatJohnMunt？”
“Yes;didn’tyouknowhim？”
“No。”saidCoreysadly。“Idon’tknowanybodynowadays。Iseemtobegoingtopieceseveryway。Idon’tcallsixty-ninesuchaverygreatage。”
“Notatall！“criedMrs。Brinkley。“I’mfifty-fourmyself，andBrinkley’ssixty。”
“ButIfeelathousandyearsold。Idon’tseepeople，andwhenIdoI
don’tknow’em。Myhead’sinacloud。”Heletithangheavily;thenheliftedit，andsaid:“He’sanice，comfortablefellow，Muntis。Whydidn’thestopandtalkabit？”
“Well，Munt’smodest，youknow;andIsupposehethoughthemightbethethirdthatmakescompanyacrowd。Besides，nobodystopsandtalksabitatthesethings。They’reafraidofboringorbeingbored。”
“Yes，they’reallinasunnaturalamoodasiftheywereposingforaphotograph。Iwonderwhoinventedthissortofthing？Doyouknow。”saidtheoldman，“thatIthinkit’sratherworsewithusthanwithanyotherpeople？We’reasimple，sincerefolk，domesticinourinstincts，notgregariousorfrivolousinanyway;andwhenwe’rewrenchedawayfromourfiresides，andpackedinourbestclothesintoJane’sgildedsaloons，wefeelvindictive;wefeelwicked。WhentheBostonbeingabandonshimself——
orherself——tofashion，shesuffersadepravationintosomethingquitelurid。Shehasabadconscience，andshehardensherheartwithtalkthat’stremendouslycynical。It’samusing。”saidCorey，staringroundhimpurblindlyatthegroupsandfilesofpeoplesurgingandeddyingpastthecornerwherehesatwithMrs。Brinkley。
“No;it’sshocking。”saidhiscompanion。“Atanyrate，youmustn’tsaysuchthings，evenifyouthinkthem。Ican’tletyougotoofar，youknow。Theseyoungpeoplethinkitheavenly，here。”
Shetookwithhimthetonethatelderlypeopleusewiththoseolderthanthemselveswhohavebeguntobreak;therewereauthorityandpatronageinit。AtthebottomofherheartshethoughtthatBromfieldCoreyshouldnothavebeenallowedtocome;butshedeterminedtokeephimsafeandharmlessasfarasshecould。
Fromtimetotimethecrowdwasastationarymassinfrontofthem;thenitdissolvedandflowedaway，togatheranew;thereweremomentswhenthefloornearthemwasquitevacant;thenitwasinundatedagainwithsilkentrains。Fromanotherpartofthehousecamethesoundofmusic，andmostoftheyoungpeoplewhopassedwenttwoandtwo，asiftheywerepartnersinthedance，andhadcomeoutoftheball-roombetweendances。Therewasagooddealofnervoustalk，politelysubduedamongthem;butitwasnotthenoteofunearthlyrapturewhichMrs。Brinkley’sconventionalclaimhadimplied;itwasself-interested，eager，anxious;andwasprobablynotdifferentfromthevoiceofgoodsocietyanywhere。
XXXVI。
“Why，there’sDanMaveringnow！“saidMrs。Brinkley，rathertoherselfthantohercompanion。“Andalone！“
Dan’sfaceshowedabovemostoftheheadsandshouldersabouthim;itwasflushed，andlookedtroubledandexcited。HecaughtsightofMrs。
Brinkley，andhiseyesbrightenedjoyfully。Heslippedquicklythroughthecrowd，andbowedoverherhand，whilehestammeredout，withoutgivingherachanceforreplytilltheend:“0Mrs。Brinkley，I’msogladtoseeyou！I’mgoing——Iwanttoaskagreatfavourofyou，Mrs。Brinkley。I
wanttobring——Iwanttointroducesomefriendsofminetoyou——someladies，Mrs。Brinkley;verynicepeopleImetlastsummeratPortland。
Theirfather——GeneralWrayne——hasbeenbuildingsomerailroadsdownEast，andthey’reverynicepeople;buttheydon’tknowanyone——anyladies——andthey’vebeenlookingatthepictureseversincetheycame。They’reverygoodpictures;butitisn’tanexhibition！“Hebrokedownwithalaugh。
“Why，ofcourse，Mr。Mavering;Ishallbedelighted。”saidMrs。Brinkley，withahospitalityrenderedrecklessbyhersympathywiththeyoungfellow。“Byallmeans！“
“Oh;thanks！——thankyouaversomuch！“saidDan。“I’llbringthemtoyou——they’llunderstand！“Heslippedintothecrowdagain。
Coreymadeanofferofgoing。Mrs。Brinkleystoppedhimwithherfan。
“No——stay，Mr。Corey。Unlessyouwishtogo。Ifancyit’sthepeopleyouweretalkingabout，andyoumusthelpmethroughwiththem。”
“Iasknothingbetter。”saidtheoldman，unresentfulofDan’shavingnotevenseemedtoseehim，inhisgenerouspreoccupation。“Ishouldliketoseehowyou’llgeton，andperhapsIcanbeofuse。”
“Ofcourseyoucan——thegreatest。”
“Butwhyhasn’theintroducedthemtohisPasmers？What？Eh？Oh！“
CoreymadetheseutterancesinresponsetoasharperpressureofMrs。
Brinkley’sfanonhisarm。
Danwasopeningawaythroughthecrowdbeforethemfortwoladies，whomhenowintroduced。“Mrs。Frobisher，Mrs。Brinkley;andMissWrayne。”
Mrs。Brinkleycordiallygaveherhandtotheladies，andsaid，“MayI
introduceMr。Corey？Mr。Mavering，letmeintroduceyoutoMr。Corey。”
Theoldmanroseandstoodwiththelittlegroup。
Dan’sfaceshonewithflatteredprideandjoyoustriumph。Hebubbledoutsomehappyincoherenciesaboutthehonourandpleasure，whileatthesametimehebeamedwithtendergratitudeuponMrs。Brinkley，whowasbehavingwithagracious，humorouskindlinesstothealienscastuponhermercies。
Mrs。Frobisher，afterahalf-hourofBostonsociety，wasnotthatpresenceofeasygaietywhichcrossedDan’spathonthePortlandpavementthemorningofhisarrivalfromCampobello;butshewasstillahandsome，effectivewoman，ofwhomyouwouldhavehesitatedtosaywhethershewasshowyordistinguished。Perhapsshewasalittleofboth，withanairofcommandbredofsupremacyinfrontiergarrisons;hersisterwaslikeherinthewaythatayounggirlmaybelikeayoungmatron。TheyblossomedalikeinthegenialatmosphereofMrs。BrinkleyandofMr。Corey。Hebeganatoncetomakebanteringspeecheswiththemboth。Thefriendlinessofanoldmanandastoutelderlywomanmightnothavebeentheiridealofsuccessataneveningparty，usedastheyweretotheunstintedhomageofyoungcaptainsandlieutenants，butabriefexperienceofMrs。
Bellingham’shospitalitymusthavetaughtthemhumility;andwhenastout，elderlygentleman，whosebaldnesswasstilltryingtobeblond，joinedthegroup，thespectaclewasnotwithoutitspointsofresemblancetoasocialovation。PerhapsitwasaBostonsocialovation。
“Hallo，Corey！“saidthisstoutgentleman，whomMrs。BrinkleyatonceintroducedasMr。Bellingham，andwhosesalutationCoreyreturnedwith“Hallo，Charles！“ofequalintimacy。
Mr。BellinghamcaughtatthenameofFrobisher。“Mrs。MajorDickFrobisher？”
“Mrs。Colonelnow，butDickalways。”saidthelady，withimmediatecomradery。“Doyouknowmyhusband？”
“Ishouldthinkso！“saidBellingham;andatalkofcommoninterestandmutualreminiscencesprangupbetweenthem。BellinghamgraphicallydepictedhismeetingwithColonelFrobisherthelasttimehewasoutonthePlains，andMrs。FrobisherandMissWraynediscoveredtotheirgreatsatisfactionthathewasthebrotherofMrs。StephenBlake，ofOmaba，whohadcomeouttothefortoncewithherhusband，andcapturedthegarrison，astheysaid。Mrs。Frobisheraccountedforherpresentseparationfromherhusband，andsaidshehadcomeonforawhiletobewithherfatherandsister，whobothneededmorelookingafterthantheIndians。Herfatherhadleftthearmy，andwasbuildingrailroads。
MissWrayne，whenshewasnotappealedtoforconfirmationorrecollectionbyhersister，washavingalivelytalkwithCoreyandMrs。Brinkley;sheseemedtoenterintotheirhumour;andnoonepaidmuchattentiontoDanMavering。Hehungupontheoutskirtsofthelittlegroup;profferingunrequitedsympathyandapplause;andatlasthemurmuredsomethingabouthavingtogobacktosomefriends，andtookhimselfoff。Mrs。FrobisherandMissWraynelethimgowithacertainshade——thelightest，andyetevident——ofnotwhollysatisfiedpique:womenknowhowtoacceptareparationonaccount，andwithoutgivingareceiptinfull。
Mrs。BrinkleygavehimherhandwithaneffectofcompassionateintelligenceandappreciationofthesacrificehemusthavemadeinleavingAlice。“MayIcongratulateyou？”shemurmured。
“Ohyes，indeed;thankyou，Mrs。Brinkley。”hegushedtremulously;andhepressedherhandhard，andclungtoit，asifhewouldliketotakeherwithhim。
Neitheroftheoldermennoticedhisgoing。Theywerebothtakenintheirelderlywaywiththesetwohandsomeyoungwomen，andtheyprofessedregret——Bellinghamthathismotherwasnotthere，andCoreythatneitherhiswifenordaughtershadcome，whomtheymightotherwisehaveintroduced。
Theydidnotoffertosharetheiracquaintancewithanyoneelse，buttheymadethemostofitthemselves，asifknowingagoodthingwhentheyhadit。TheirdevotiontoMrs。Frobisherandhersisterheightenedthecuriosityofsuchpeopleasnoticedit，butitwouldbewrongtosaythatitmovedanyinthatself-limitedcompanywithastrongwishtoknowtheladies。Thetimecomestoeveryman，nomatterhowgreatapowerhemaybeinsociety，whenthegeneralsocialopinionretireshimforsenility，andthistimehadcomeforBromfieldCorey。Hecouldnolongermakeormaranysuccess;andCharlesBellinghamwassonotoriouslyamiable，sodeeplycompromisedbyhisinveteratehabitoflikingnearlyeveryone，thathisnoticecouldnotdistinguishoradvantageanewcomer。
HeandCoreytooktheladiesdowntosupper。Mrs。Brinkleysawthemtheretogether，andalittlelatershesawoldCoreywanderoff;forgetfulofMissWrayne。ShesawDanMavering，butnotthePasmers，andthen，whenCoreyforgotMissWrayne，shesawDan，forlornandbewilderedlooking，approachthegirl，andofferherhisarmforthereturntothedrawing-
room;shetookitwithabright，coldsmile，makingwhiteringsofironicaldeprecationaroundthepupilsofhereyes。
“Whatisthatpoorboydoing，Iwonder？”saidMrs。Brinkleytoherself。
XXXVII。
ThenextmorningDanMaveringknockedatBoardman’sdoorbeforethereporterwasup。Thismighthavebeenanytimebeforeoneo’clock，butitwasreallyathalf-pastnine。Boardmanwantedtoknowwhowasthere，andwhenMaveringhadsaiditwashe，BoardmanseemedtoponderthefactawhilebeforeMaveringheardhimgettingoutofbedandcomingbarefootedtothedoor。Heunlockedit，andgotbackintobed;thenhecalledout，“Comein。”andMaveringpushedthedooropenimpatiently。Buthestoodblankandsilent，lookinghelplesslyathisfriend。Astrongglareofwinterlightcameinthroughthenakedsash——forBoardmanapparentlynotonlydidnotclosehiswindow-blinds，butdidnotpulldownhiscurtains，whenhewenttobed——andshoneuponhisgay，shrewdfacewherehelay，showinghispop-cornteethinasmileatMavering。
“Prefertostand？”heaskedbyandby，afterMaveringhadremainedstandinginsilence，withnosignsofproposingtositdownorspeak。
Maveringglancedattheonlychairintheroom:Boardman’sclothesdrippedanddangledoverit。“Throw’emonthebed。”hesaid，followingMavering’sglance。
“I’lltakethebedmyself。”saidMavering;andhesatdownonthesideofit，andwasagainsuggestivelysilent。
Boardmanmovedhisheadonthepillow，ashewatchedMavering’sface，withtheagreeablesenseofpersonalsecuritywhichweallfeelinviewingtroublefromtheoutside:“Youseemballedupaboutsomething。”
Maveringsighedheavily。“Balledup？It’snowordforit。Boardman，I’mdonefor。YesterdayIwasthehappiestfellowintheworld，andnow——Yes，it’salloverwithme，andit’smyownfault，asusual。Look;atthat！“
HejerkedBoardmananotewhichhehadbeenholdingfastinhisband，andgotupandwenttolookhimselfatthewiderangeofchimney-potsandslatedroofswhichBoardman’sdormer-windowcommanded。
“Wantmetoreadit？”Boardmanasked;andMaveringnoddedwithoutglancinground。ItdispersedthroughtheairofBoardman’sroom，asheunfoldedit，athin，electperfume，likeafemininepresence，refinedandstrict;
andBoardmaninvoluntarilypassedhishandoverhisrumpledhair，asiftomakehimselfalittlemorepersonablebeforereadingtheletter。
“DEARMR。MAVERING，——Ienclosetheringyougavemetheotherday，andI
releaseyoufromthepromiseyougavewithit。Iamconvincedthatyouwrongedyourselfinofferingeitherwithoutyourwholeheart，andIcaretoomuchforyourhappinesstoletyoupersistinyoursacrifice。
“Inbeggingthatyouwillnotuselesslyattempttoseeme，butthatyouwillconsiderthisnotefinal，Iknowyouwilldomethejusticenottoattributeanungenerousmotivetome。Ishallrejoicetohearofanygoodthatmaybefallyou;andIshalltrynottoenvyanyonethroughwhomitcomes——Yourssincerely。”“ALICEPASMER。”
“P。S——Isaynothingofcircumstancesorofpersons;Ifeelthatanycommentofmineuponthemwouldbeidle。”
MaveringlookedupatthesoundBoardmanmadeinrefoldingtheletter。
Boardmangrinned，withsparklingeyes。“Prettyneat。”hesaid。
“Prettyinfernallyneat。”roaredMavering。
“Doyousupposeshemeansbusiness？”
“Ofcourseshemeansbusiness。Whyshouldn’tshe？”
“Idon’tknow。Whyshouldshe？”
“Well，I’lltellyou，Boardman。IsupposeIshallhavetotellyouifI’mgoingtogetanygoodoutofyou;butit’sadose。”Hecameawayfromthewindow，andsweptBoardman’sclothesoffthechairpreparatorytotakingit。
Boardmanliftedhisheadnervouslyfromthepillow。
“Oh;I’llputthemonthebed，ifyou’resopunctilious！“criedMavering。
“Idon’tmindtheclothes。”saidBoardman。“IthoughtIheardmywatchknockonthefloorinmyvestpocket。Justtakeitout，willyou，andseeifyou’vestoppedit？”
“Oh，confoundyouroldWaterbury！Alltheworld’sstopped;whyshouldn’tyourwatchstoptoo？”Maveringtuggeditoutofthepocket，andthenshoveditbackdisdainfully。“Youcouldn’tstopthatthingwithanythingshortofasledgehammer;it’srattlingawaylikeamowing-machine。YouknowthosePortlandwomen——thoseladiesIspentthedaywithwhenyouweredownthereattheregatta——thedayIcamefromCampobello——Mrs。Frobisherandhersister？”HeagglutinatedonequerytoanothertillhesawalightofintelligencedawninBoardman’seye。“Well，they’reatthebottomofit，Isuppose。IwasintroducedtothemonClassDay，andIoughttohaveshownthemsomeattentionthere;butthemomentIsawAlice——MissPasmer——
Iforgotallabout’em。Buttheydidn’tseemtohavenoticeditmuch，andImadeitallrightwith’emthatdayatPortland;andtheycameupinthefall，andImadeanappointmentwiththemtodriveouttoCambridgeandshowthemtheplace。TheyweretotakemeupattheArtMuseum;butthatwasthedayImetMissPasmer，andI——Iforgotaboutthosewomenagain。”