“It’sworsethanKenby。”shesaidwithasigh。“YouknowItoldyouatCarlsbadIthoughtthatric1icnlousoldthingwasmakinguptoMrs。
Adding。”
“Kenby？Whyofco——“
“Don’tbestupid，mydear！No，notKenby：GeneralTriscoe。Iwishyoucouldhavebeenheretoseehimpayingherallsort；ofsillyattentions，andhearhimmakinghercompliments。”
“Thankyou。IthinkI’mjustaswellwithoutit。Didshepayhimsillyattentionsandcompliments，too？”
“That’stheonlythingthatcanmakemeforgiveherforhiswantingher。
Shewaskeepinghimatarm’s-lengththewholetime，andshewasdoingitsoasnottomakehimcontemptiblebeforehisdaughter。”
“Itmusthavebeenhard。AndRose？”
“Rosedidn’tseemverywell。Helooksthinandpale；buthe’ssweeterthanever。She’scertainlycommonerclaythanRose。No，Iwon’tsaythat！It’sreallynothingbutGeneralTriscoe’sbeinganoldgooseaboutherthatmakesherseemso，anditisn’tfair。”
MarchwentdowntohiscoffeeinthemorningwiththedelicatedutyoftellingKenbythatMrs。Addingwasintown。Kenbyseemedtothinkitquitenaturalsheshouldwishtoseethemanoeuvres，andnotatallstrangethatsheshouldcometothemwithGeneralTriscoeandhisdaughter。HeaskedifMarchwouldnotgowithhimtocalluponherafterbreakfast，andasthiswasinthelineofhisowninstructionsfromMrs。
March，hewent。
TheyfoundMrs。AddingwiththeTriscoes，andMarchsawnothingthatwasnotmerelyfriendly，oratthemostfatherly，inthegeneral’sbehaviortowardher。IfMrs。AddingorMissTriscoesawmore，theyhiditinaguiseofsisterlyaffectionforeachother。Atthemostthegeneralshowedagayetywhichonewouldnothaveexpectedofhimunderanyconditions，andwhichthefactthatheandRosehadkepteachotherawakeagooddealthenightbeforeseemedsolittleadaptedtocallout。HejokedwithRoseabouttheirroomandtheirbeds，andputonacomraderywithhimthatwasnotaperfectfit，andthatsufferedbycontrastwiththepleasureoftheboyandKenbyinmeeting。TherewasacertainquestionintheattitudeofMrs。AddingtillMarchhelpedKenbytoaccountforhispresence；thensherelaxedinaneffectofsecuritysotacitthatwordsoverstateit，andbegantomakefunofRose。
MarchcouldnotfindthatMissTriscoelookedunhappy，ashiswifehadsaid；hethoughtsimplythatshehadgrownplainer；butwhenhereportedthis，shelostherpatiencewithhim。Inagirl，shesaid，plainnesswasunhappiness；andshewishedtoknowwhenhewouldeverlearntolookaninchbelowthesurface：ShewassurethatAgathaTriscoehadnotheardfromBurnamysincetheEmperor’sbirthday；thatshewasatswords’-pointswithherfather，andsodesperatethatshedidnotcarewhatbecameofher。
HehadleftKenbywiththeothers，andnow，afterhiswifehadtalkedherselftiredofthemall，heproposedgoingoutagaintolookaboutthecity，wheretherewasnothingforthemomenttoremindthemofthepresenceoftheirfriendsorevenoftheirexistence。Sheansweredthatshewasworryingaboutallthosepeople，andtryingtoworkouttheirproblemforthem。Heaskedwhyshedidnotletthemworkitoutthemselvesastheywouldhavetodo，afterallherworry，andshesaidthatwherehersympathyhadbeenexcitedshecouldnotstopworrying，whetheritdidanygoodornot，andshecouldnotrespectanyonewhocoulddropthingssocompletelyoutofhismindashecould；shehadneverbeenabletorespectthatinhim。
“Iknow，mydear。”heassented。“ButIdon’tthinkit’saquestionofmoralresponsibility；it’saquestionofmentalstructure，isn’tit？
Yourconsciousnessisn’tbuiltinthought-tightcompartments，andoneemotiongoesallthroughit，andsinksyou；butIsimplyclosethedoorsandshuttheemotionin，andkeepon。”
Thefancypleasedhimsomuchthatheworkeditoutinallitsimplications，andcouldnot，aftertheirlongexperienceofeachother，realizethatshewasnotenjoyingthejoketoo，tillshesaidshesawthathemerelywishedtotease。Then，toolate，hetriedtoshareherworry；butsheprotestedthatshewasnotworryingatall；thatshecarednothingaboutthosepeople：thatshewasnervous，shewastired；andshewishedhewouldleaveher，andgooutalone。
Hefoundhimselfinthestreetagain，andheperceivedthathemustbewalkingfastwhenavoicecalledhimbyname，andaskedhimwhathishurrywas。ThevoicewasStoller’s，whogotintostepwithhimandfollowedthefirstwithasecondquestion。
“Madeupyourmindtogotothemanoeuvreswithme？”
HisbluntnessmadeiteasyforMarchtoanswer：“I’mafraidmywifecouldn’tstandthedrivebackandforth。”
“Comewithouther。”
“Thankyou。It’sverykindofyon。I’mnotcertainthatIshallgoatall。IfIdo，Ishallrunoutbytrain，andtakemychanceswiththecrowd。”
Stollerinsistednofurther。Hefeltnooffenceattherefusalofhisoffer，orchosetoshownone。Hesaid，withthesameuncouthabruptnessasbefore：“HeardanythingofthatfellowsinceheleftCarlsbad？”
“Burnamy？”
“Mm。”
“No。”
“Knowwhereheis？”
“Idon’tintheleast。”
Stollerletanothersilenceelapsewhiletheyhurriedon，beforehesaid，“Igottothinkingwhathedone-afterwards。Hewasn’tboundtolookoutforme；hemightsupposeIknewwhatIwasabout。”
MarchturnedhisfaceandstaredinStoller’s，whichhewaslettinghangforwardashestampedheavilyon。Hadthedisasterprovedlessthanhehadfeared，anddidhestillwantBurnamy’shelpinpatchingupthebrokenpieces；ordidhereallywishtodoBurnamyjusticetohisfriend？
InanycaseMarch’sdutywasclear。“IthinkBurnamywasboundtolookoutforyou；Mr。Stoller，andIamgladtoknowthathesawitinthesamelight。”
“Iknowhedid。”saidStokerwithablazeasfromalong-smoulderingfury，“anddamnhim，I’mnotgoingtohaveit。I’mnotgoingto，pleadthebabyactwithhim，orwithanyman。Youtellhimso，whenyougetthechance。YoutellhimIdon’tholdhimaccountableforanythingI
madehimdo。Thatain’tbusiness；Idon’twanthimaroundme，anymore；
butifhewantstogobacktothepaperhecanhavehisplace。YoutellhimIstandbywhatIdone；andit’sallrightbetweenhimandme。
Ihain’tdoneanythingaboutit，thewayIwantedhimtohelpmeto；I’veletitlay，andI’ma-goingto。Iguessitain’tgoingtodomeanyharm，afterall；ourpeoplehain’tgotverylongmemories；butifitis，letit。Youtellhimit’sallright。”
“Idon’tknowwhereheis，Mr。Stoller，andIdon’tknowthatIcaretobethebearerofyourmessage。”saidMarch。
“Whynot？”
“Why，foronething，Idon’tagreewithyouthatit’sallright。YourchoosingtostandbytheconsequencesofBurnamy’swrongdoesn’tundoit。
AsIunderstand，youdon’tpardonit——“
Stollergulpedanddidnotansweratonce。Thenhesaid，“IstandbywhatIdone。I’mnotgoingtolethimsayIturnedhimdownfordoingwhatItoldhimto，becauseIhadn’tthesensetoknowwhatIwasabout。”
“Ah，Idon’tthinkit’sathinghe’llliketospeakofinanycase。”saidMarch。
Stollerlefthim，atthecornertheyhadreached，asabruptlyashehadjoinedhim，andMarchhurriedbacktohiswife，andtoldherwhathadjustpassedbetweenhimandStoller。
Shebrokeout，“Well，Iamsurprisedatyou，mydear！Youhavealwaysaccusedmeofsuspectingpeople，andattributingbadmotives；andhereyou’verefusedeventogivethepoormanthebenefitofthedoubt。Hemerelywantedtosavehissavagepridewithyou，andthat’sallhewantstodowithBurnamy。HowcouldithurtthepoorboytoknowthatStollerdoesn’tblamehim？WhyshouldyourefusetogivehismessagetoBurnamy？
Idon’twantyoutoridiculemeformyconscienceanymore，Basil；you’retwiceasbadasIeverwas。Don’tyouthinkthatapersoncaneverexpiateanoffence？I’veoftenheardyousaythatifanyoneownedhisfault，heputitfromhim，anditwasthesameasifithadn’tbeen；andhasn’tBurnamyownedupoverandoveragain？I’mastonishedatyou，dearest。”
Marchwasinfactsomewhatastonishedathimselfinthelightofherreasoning；butshewentonwithsomesophistriesthatrestoredhimtohisself-righteousness。
“IsupposeyouthinkhehasinterferedwithStoller’spoliticalambition，andinjuredhiminthatway。Well，whatifhehas？Woulditbeagoodthingtohaveamanlikethatsucceedinpolitics？You’realwayssayingthatthelowcharacterofourpoliticiansistheruinofthecountry；andI’msure。”sheadded，withaprodigiousleapoverallthesequences，“thatMr。Stollerisactingnobly；andit’syourdutytohelphimrelieveBurnamy’smind。”Atthelaughhebrokeintoshehastenedtosay，“Orifyouwon’t，Ihopeyou’llnotobjecttomydoingso，forIshall，anyway！”
Sheroseasifsheweregoingtobeginatonce，inspiteofhislaughing；