ThereinsslackenedinCharleyGaylord’shandastheydrewupbeforeashowilypaintedhousewithmanygablesandaroundtower。“Hereweare，“hesaid，turningtoEverett，“andIguessweunderstandeachother。“
Theyweremetatthedoorbyathin，colorlesswoman，whomGaylordintroducedas“mysister，Maggie。“SheaskedherbrothertoshowMr。Hilgardeintothemusicroom，whereKatharinewishedtoseehimalone。
WhenEverettenteredthemusicroomhegavealittlestartofsurprise，feelingthathehadsteppedfromtheglaringWyomingsunlightintosomeNewYorkstudiothathehadalwaysknown。Hewonderedwhichitwasofthosecountlessstudios，highupundertheroofs，overbanksandshopsandwholesalehouses，thatthisroomresembled，andhelookedincredulouslyoutofthewindowatthegrayplainthatendedinthegreatupheavaloftheRockies。
Thehauntingairoffamiliarityabouttheroomperplexedhim。Wasitacopyofsomeparticularstudioheknew，orwasitmerelythestudioatmospherethatseemedsoindividualandpoignantlyreminiscenthereinWyoming？Hesatdowninareadingchairandlookedkeenlyabouthim。Suddenlyhiseyefelluponalargephotographofhisbrotherabovethepiano。Thenitallbecamecleartohim:thiswasveritablyhisbrother’sroom。IfitwerenotanexactcopyofoneofthemanystudiosthatAdriancehadfittedupinvariouspartsoftheworld，wearyingofthemandleavingalmostbeforetherenovator’svarnishhaddried，itwasatleastinthesametone。IneverydetailAdriance’stastewassomanifestthattheroomseemedtoexhalehispersonality。
AmongthephotographsonthewalltherewasoneofKatharineGaylord，takeninthedayswhenEveretthadknownher，andwhentheflashofhereyeortheflutterofherskirtwasenoughtosethisboyishheartinatumult。Evennow，hestoodbeforetheportraitwithacertaindegreeofembarrassment。Itwasthefaceofawomanalreadyoldinherfirstyouth，thoroughlysophisticatedandatriflehard，andittoldofwhatherbrotherhadcalledherfight。Thecamaraderieofherfrank，confidenteyeswasqualifiedbythedeeplinesabouthermouthandthecurveofthelips，whichwasbothsadandcynical。Certainlyshehadmoregoodwillthanconfidencetowardtheworld，andthebravadoofhersmilecouldnotconcealtheshadowofanunrestthatwasalmostdiscontent。Thechiefcharmofthewoman，asEveretthadknownher，layinhersuperbfigureandinhereyes，whichpossessedawarm，lifegivingqualitylikethesunlight；
eyeswhichglowedwithasortofperpetualsalutattotheworld。Herhead，Everettrememberedaspeculiarlywell-shapedandproudlypoised。Therehadbeenalwaysalittleoftheimperatrixabouther，andherposeinthephotographrevivedallhisoldimpressionsofherunattachedness，ofhowabsolutelyandvaliantlyshestoodalone。
Everettwasstillstandingbeforethepicture，hishandsbehindhimandhisheadinclined，whenheheardthedooropen。Averytallwomanadvancedtowardhim，holdingoutherhand。Asshestartedtospeak，shecoughedslightly；then，laughing，said，inalow，richvoice，atriflehusky:“YouseeImakethetraditionalCamilleentrance——withthecough。Howgoodofyoutocome，Mr。Hilgarde。“
Everettwasacutelyconsciousthatwhileaddressinghimshewasnotlookingathimatall，and，asheassuredherofhispleasureincoming，hewasgladtohaveanopportunitytocollecthimself。Hehadnotreckonedupontheravagesofalongillness。
Thelong，loosefoldsofherwhitegownhadbeenespeciallydesignedtoconcealthesharpoutlinesofheremaciatedbody，butthestampofherdiseasewasthere；simpleanduglyandobtrusive，apitilessfactthatcouldnotbedisguisedorevaded。Thesplendidshoulderswerestooped，therewasaswayingunevennessinhergait，herarmsseemeddisproportionatelylong，andherhandsweretransparentlywhiteandcoldtothetouch。Thechangesinherfacewerelessobvious；theproudcarriageofthehead，thewarm，cleareyes，eventhedelicateflushofcolorinhercheeks，alldefiantlyremained，thoughtheywereallinalowerkey——older，sadder，softer。
Shesatdownuponthedivanandbegannervouslytoarrangethepillows。“IknowI’mnotaninspiringobjecttolookupon，butyoumustbequitefrankandsensibleaboutthatandgetusedtoitatonce，forwe’venotimetolose。AndifI’matrifleirritableyouwon’tmind？——forI’mmorethanusuallynervous。“
“Don’tbotherwithmethismorning，ifyouaretired，“urgedEverett。“Icancomequiteaswelltomorrow。“
“Gracious，no！“sheprotested，withaflashofthatquick，keenhumorthatherememberedasapartofher。“It’ssolitudethatI’mtiredtodeathof——solitudeandthewrongkindofpeople。
Yousee，theminister，notcontentwithreadingtheprayersforthesick，calledonmethismorning。Hehappenedtoberidingbyonhisbicycleandfeltithisdutytostop。Ofcourse，hedisapprovesofmyprofession，andIthinkhetakesitforgrantedthatIhaveadarkpast。Thefunniestfeatureofhisconversationisthatheisalwaysexcusingmyownvocationtome——condoningit，youknow——andtryingtopatchupmypeacewithmyconsciencebysuggestingpossiblenobleusesforwhathekindlycallsmytalent。“
Everettlaughed。“Oh！I’mafraidI’mnotthepersontocallaftersuchaseriousgentleman——Ican’tsustainthesituation。
AtmybestIdon’treachhigherthanlowcomedy。Haveyoudecidedtowhichoneofthenobleusesyouwilldevoteyourself？“
Katharineliftedherhandsinagestureofrenunciationandexclaimed:“I’mnotequaltoanyofthem，noteventheleastnoble。Ididn’tstudythatmethod。“
Shelaughedandwentonnervously:“Theparson’snotsobad。
HisEnglishneveroffendsme，andhehasreadGibbon’sDeclineandFall，allfivevolumes，andthat’ssomething。Then，hehasbeentoNewYork，andthat’sagreatdeal。Buthowwearelosingtime！DotellmeaboutNewYork；Charleysaysyou’rejustonfromthere。Howdoesitlookandtasteandsmelljustnow？IthinkawhiffoftheJerseyferrywouldbeasflagonsofcod-liveroiltome。WhoconspicuouslywalkstheRialtonow，andwhatdoesheorshewear？ArethetreesstillgreeninMadisonSquare，orhavetheygrownbrownanddusty？DoesthechasteDianaontheGardenTheatrestillkeephervestalvowsthroughalltheexasperatingchangesofweather？Whohasyourbrother’soldstudionow，andwhatmisguidedaspirantspracticetheirscalesintherookeriesaboutCarnegieHall？Whatdopeoplegotoseeatthetheaters，andwhatdotheyeatanddrinkthereintheworldnowadays？Yousee，I’mhomesickforitall，fromtheBatterytoRiverside。Oh，letmedieinHarlem！“Shewasinterruptedbyaviolentattackofcoughing，andEverett，embarrassedbyherdiscomfort，plungedintogossipabouttheprofessionalpeoplehehadmetintownduringthesummerandthemusicaloutlookforthewinter。Hewasdiagramingwithhispencil，onthebackofanoldenvelopehefoundinhispocket，somenewmechanicaldevicetobeusedattheMetropolitanintheproductionoftheRheingold，whenhebecameconsciousthatshewaslookingathimintently，andthathewastalkingtothefourwalls。
Katharinewaslyingbackamongthepillows，watchinghimthroughhalf-closedeyes，asapainterlooksatapicture。Hefinishedhisexplanationvaguelyenoughandputtheenvelopebackinhispocket。Ashedidsoshesaid，quietly:“HowwonderfullylikeAdrianceyouare！“andhefeltasthoughacrisisofsomesorthadbeenmetandtidedover。
Helaughed，lookingupatherwithatouchofprideinhiseyesthatmadethemseemquiteboyish。“Yes，isn’titabsurd？
It’salmostasawkwardaslookinglikeNapoleon——but，afterall，therearesomeadvantages。Ithasmadesomeofhisfriendslikeme，andIhopeitwillmakeyou。“
Katharinesmiledandgavehimaquick，meaningglancefromunderherlashes。“Oh，itdidthatlongago。Whatahaughty，reservedyouthyouwerethen，andhowyouusedtostareatpeopleandthenblushandlookcrossiftheypaidyoubackinyourowncoin。Doyourememberthatnightwhenyoutookmehomefromarehearsalandscarcelyspokeawordtome？“
“Itwasthesilenceofadmiration，“protestedEverett，“verycrudeandboyish，butverysincereandnotalittlepainful。
Perhapsyoususpectedsomethingofthesort？Irememberyousawfittobeverygrown-upandworldly。
“IbelieveIsuspectedapose；theonethatcollegeboysusuallyaffectwithsingers——’anearthenvesselinlovewithastar，’youknow。Butitrathersurprisedmeinyou，foryoumusthaveseenagooddealofyourbrother’spupils。Orhadyouanomnivorouscapacity，andelasticitythatalwaysmettheoccasion？“
“Don’taskamantoconfessthefolliesofhisyouth，“saidEverett，smilingalittlesadly；“Iamsensitiveaboutsomeofthemevennow。ButIwasnotsosophisticatedasyouimagined。
Isawmybrother’spupilscomeandgo，butthatwasaboutall。
SometimesIwascalledontoplayaccompaniments，ortofilloutavacancyatarehearsal，ortoorderacarriageforaninfuriatedsopranowhohadthrownupherpart。Buttheyneverspentanytimeonme，unlessitwastonoticetheresemblanceyouspeakof。“
“Yes“，observedKatharine，thoughtfully，“Inoticeditthen，too；butithasgrownasyouhavegrownolder。Thatisratherstrange，whenyouhavelivedsuchdifferentlives。It’snotmerelyanordinaryfamilylikenessoffeature，youknow，butasortofinterchangeableindividuality；thesuggestionoftheotherman’spersonalityinyourfacelikeanairtransposedtoanotherkey。ButI’mnotattemptingtodefineit；it’sbeyondme；somethingaltogetherunusualandatrifle——well，uncanny，“
shefinished，laughing。
“Iremember，“Everettsaidseriously，twirlingthepencilbetweenhisfingersandlooking，ashesatwithhisheadthrownback，outundertheredwindowblindwhichwasraisedjustalittle，andasitswungbackandforthinthewindrevealedtheglaringpanoramaofthedesert——ablindingstretchofyellow，flatastheseaindeadcalm，splotchedhereandtherewithdeeppurpleshadows；and，beyond，theragged-blueoutlineofthemountainsandthepeaksofsnow，whiteasthewhiteclouds——“I
remember，whenIwasalittlefellowIusedtobeverysensitiveaboutit。Idon’tthinkitexactlydispleasedme，orthatIwouldhavehaditotherwiseifIcould，butitseemedtomelikeabirthmark，orsomethingnottobelightlyspokenof。PeoplewerenaturallyalwaysfonderofAdthanofme，andIusedtofeelthechillofreflectedlightprettyoften。Itcameintoevenmyrelationswithmymother。Adwentabroadtostudywhenhewasabsurdlyyoung，youknow，andmotherwasallbrokenupoverit。
Shedidherwholedutybyeachofus，butitwassortofgenerallyunderstoodamongusthatshe’dhavemadeburntofferingsofusallforAdanyday。Iwasalittlefellowthen，andwhenshesataloneontheporchinthesummerdusksheusedsometimestocallmetoherandturnmyfaceupinthelightthatstreamedoutthroughtheshuttersandkissme，andthenIalwaysknewshewasthinkingofAdriance。“