Somehow，intheduskylamplight，hersmall，close-sealedfacecameominouslybacktohim。Herubbedhisforeheadandknittedhisbrowsthoughtfully。Afteramomentheshookhisheadandwenton:“Iampositivethatnothingcanbegainedbyhighhandedmethods，James。CaptainGreshamisoneofthemostpopularmeninLondon，andhisfriendswouldtearupTreffinger’sbonesifhewereannoyedbyanyscandalofourmaking——andthisschemeyouproposewouldinevitablyresultinscandal。LadyEllenhas，ofcourse，everylegalrighttosellthepicture。Treffingermadeconsiderableinroadsuponherestate，and，assheisabouttomarryamanwithoutincome，shedoubtlessfeelsthatshehasarighttoreplenishherpatrimony。“
HefoundJamesamenable，thoughdoggedlyskeptical。Hewentdownintothestreet，calledacarriage，andsawJamesandhisburdenintoit。Standinginthedoorway，hewatchedthecarriagerollawaythroughthedrizzlingmist，weaveinandoutamongthewet，blackvehiclesanddartingcablights，untilitwasswallowedupintheglareandconfusionoftheStrand。“Itisratherafinetouchofirony，“hereflected，“thathe，whoissooutofit，shouldbetheonetoreallycare。PoorTreffinger，“
hemurmuredas，witharatherspiritlesssmile，heturnedbackintohishotel。“PoorTreffinger；sictransitgloria。“
ThenextafternoonMacMasterkepthispromise。WhenhearrivedatLadyMaryPercy’shousehesawpreparationsforafunctionofsomesort，buthewentresolutelyupthesteps，tellingthefootmanthathisbusinesswasurgent。LadyEllencamedownalone，excusinghersister。Shewasdressedforreceiving，andMacMasterhadneverseenonesobeautiful。
Thecolorinhercheekssentasofteningglowoverhersmall，delicatelycutfeatures。
MacMasterapologizedforhisintrusionandcameunflinchinglytotheobjectofhiscall。Hehadcome，hesaid，notonlytoofferherhiswarmestcongratulations，buttoexpresshisregretthatagreatworkofartwastoleaveEngland。
LadyTreffingerlookedathiminwide-eyedastonishment。
Surely，shesaid，shehadbeencarefultoselectthebestofthepicturesfortheX——gallery，inaccordancewithSirHughTreffinger’swishes。
“Anddidhe——pardonme，LadyTreffinger，butinmercysetmymindatrest——didheordidhenotexpressanydefinitewishconcerningthisonepicture，whichtomeseemsworthalltheothers，unfinishedasitis？“
LadyTreffingerpaledperceptibly，butitwasnotthepallorofconfusion。Whenshespoketherewasasharptremorinhersmoothvoice，theedgeofaresentmentthattoreherlikepain。
“Ithinkhismanhassomesuchimpression，butIbelieveittobeutterlyunfounded。Icannotfindthatheeverexpressedanywishconcerningthedispositionofthepicturetoanyofhisfriends。
Unfortunately，SirHughwasnotalwaysdiscreetinhisremarkstohisservants。“
“CaptainGresham，LadyEllingham，andMissEllingham，“
announcedaservant，appearingatthedoor。
Therewasamurmurinthehall，andMacMastergreetedthesmilingCaptainandhisauntashebowedhimselfout。
ToallintentsandpurposestheMarriageofPhaedrawasalreadyentombedinavaguecontinentinthePacific，somewhereontheothersideoftheworld。
EndAWagnerMatineeIreceivedonemorningaletter，writteninpaleinkonglassy，blue-linednotepaper，andbearingthepostmarkofalittleNebraskavillage。Thiscommunication，wornandrubbed，lookingasthoughithadbeencarriedforsomedaysinacoatpocketthatwasnonetooclean，wasfrommyUncleHowardandinformedmethathiswifehadbeenleftasmalllegacybyabachelorrelativewhohadrecentlydied，andthatitwouldbenecessaryforhertogotoBostontoattendtothesettlingoftheestate。Herequestedmetomeetheratthestationandrenderherwhateverservicesmightbenecessary。OnexaminingthedateindicatedasthatofherarrivalIfounditnolaterthantomorrow。Hehadcharacteristicallydelayedwritinguntil，hadIbeenawayfromhomeforaday，Imusthavemissedthegoodwomanaltogether。
ThenameofmyAuntGeorgianacalledupnotaloneherownfigure，atoncepatheticandgrotesque，butopenedbeforemyfeetagulfofrecollectionsowideanddeepthat，astheletterdroppedfrommyhand，Ifeltsuddenlyastrangertoallthepresentconditionsofmyexistence，whollyillateaseandoutofplaceamidthefamiliarsurroundingsofmystudy。Ibecame，inshort，theganglingfarmboymyaunthadknown，scourgedwithchilblainsandbashfulness，myhandscrackedandsorefromthecornhusking。Ifelttheknucklesofmythumbtentatively，asthoughtheywererawagain。Isatagainbeforeherparlororgan，fumblingthescaleswithmystiff，redhands，whileshe，besideme，madecanvasmittensforthehuskers。
Thenextmorning，afterpreparingmylandladysomewhat，I
setoutforthestation。WhenthetrainarrivedIhadsomedifficultyinfindingmyaunt。Shewasthelastofthepassengerstoalight，anditwasnotuntilIgotherintothecarriagethatsheseemedreallytorecognizeme。Shehadcomeallthewayinadaycoach；herlinendusterhadbecomeblackwithsoot，andherblackbonnetgraywithdust，duringthejourney。WhenwearrivedatmyboardinghousethelandladyputhertobedatonceandIdidnotseeheragainuntilthenextmorning。
WhatevershockMrs。Springerexperiencedatmyaunt’sappearancesheconsideratelyconcealed。Asformyself，Isawmyaunt’smisshapenfigurewiththatfeelingofaweandrespectwithwhichwebeholdexplorerswhohavelefttheirearsandfingersnorthofFranzJosefLand，ortheirhealthsomewherealongtheUpperCongo。MyAuntGeorgianahadbeenamusicteacherattheBostonConservatory，somewherebackinthelattersixties。Onesummer，whilevisitinginthelittlevillageamongtheGreenMountainswhereherancestorshaddweltforgenerations，shehadkindledthecallowfancyofthemostidleandshiftlessofallthevillagelads，andhadconceivedforthisHowardCarpenteroneofthoseextravagantpassionswhichahandsomecountryboyoftwenty-onesometimesinspiresinanangular，spectacledwomanofthirty。WhenshereturnedtoherdutiesinBoston，Howardfollowedher，andtheupshotofthisinexplicableinfatuationwasthatsheelopedwithhim，eludingthereproachesofherfamilyandthecriticismsofherfriendsbygoingwithhimtotheNebraskafrontier。Carpenter，who，ofcourse，hadnomoney，hadtakenahomesteadinRedWillowCounty，fiftymilesfromtherailroad。Theretheyhadmeasuredofftheirquartersectionthemselvesbydrivingacrosstheprairieinawagon，tothewheelofwhichtheyhadtiedaredcottonhandkerchief，andcountingoffitsrevolutions。Theybuiltadugoutintheredhillside，oneofthosecavedwellingswhoseinmatessooftenrevertedtoprimitiveconditions。Theirwatertheygotfromthelagoonswherethebuffalodrank，andtheirslenderstockofprovisionswasalwaysatthemercyofbandsofrovingIndians。Forthirtyyearsmyaunthadnotbeenfurtherthanfiftymilesfromthehomestead。
ButMrs。Springerknewnothingofallthis，andmusthavebeenconsiderablyshockedatwhatwasleftofmykinswoman。
Beneaththesoiledlinendusterwhich，onherarrival，wasthemostconspicuousfeatureofhercostume，sheworeablackstuffdress，whoseornamentationshowedthatshehadsurrenderedherselfunquestioninglyintothehandsofacountrydressmaker。Mypooraunt’sfigure，however，wouldhavepresentedastonishingdifficultiestoanydressmaker。Originallystooped，hershoulderswerenowalmostbenttogetheroverhersunkenchest。Sheworenostays，andhergown，whichtrailedunevenlybehind，roseinasortofpeakoverherabdomen。Sheworeill-fittingfalseteeth，andherskinwasasyellowasaMongolian’sfromconstantexposuretoapitilesswindandtothealkalinewaterwhichhardensthemosttransparentcuticleintoasortofflexibleleather。
Iowedtothiswomanmostofthegoodthatevercamemywayinmyboyhood，andhadareverentialaffectionforher。DuringtheyearswhenIwasridingherdformyuncle，myaunt，aftercookingthethreemeals——thefirstofwhichwasreadyatsixo’clockinthemorning-andputtingthesixchildrentobed，wouldoftenstanduntilmidnightatherironingboard，withmeatthekitchentablebesideher，hearingmereciteLatindeclensionsandconjugations，gentlyshakingmewhenmydrowsyheadsankdownoverapageofirregularverbs。Itwastoher，atherironingormending，thatIreadmyfirstShakespeare’，andheroldtextbookonmythologywasthefirstthatevercameintomyemptyhands。
Shetaughtmemyscalesandexercises，too——onthelittleparlororgan，whichherhusbandhadboughtherafterfifteenyears，duringwhichshehadnotsomuchasseenanyinstrument，butanaccordionthatbelongedtooneoftheNorwegianfarmhands。Shewouldsitbesidemebythehour，darningandcountingwhileI
struggledwiththe“JoyousFarmer，“butsheseldomtalkedtomeaboutmusic，andIunderstoodwhy。Shewasapiouswoman；shehadtheconsolationsofreligionand，toheratleast，hermartyrdomwasnotwhollysordid。OncewhenIhadbeendoggedlybeatingoutsomeeasypassagesfromanoldscoreofEuryantheIhadfoundamonghermusicbooks，shecameuptomeand，puttingherhandsovermyeyes，gentlydrewmyheadbackuponhershoulder，sayingtremulously，“Don’tloveitsowell，Clark，oritmaybetakenfromyou。Oh，dearboy，praythatwhateveryoursacrificemaybe，itbenotthat。“
Whenmyauntappearedonthemorningafterherarrivalshewasstillinasemi-somnambulantstate。Sheseemednottorealizethatshewasinthecitywhereshehadspentheryouth，theplacelongedforhungrilyhalfalifetime。Shehadbeensowretchedlytrain-sickthroughoutthejourneythatshebadnorecollectionofanythingbutherdiscomfort，and，toallintentsandpurposes，therewerebutafewhoursofnightmarebetweenthefarminRedWillowCountyandmystudyonNewburyStreet。Ihadplannedalittlepleasureforherthatafternoon，torepayherforsomeofthegloriousmomentsshehadgivenmewhenweusedtomilktogetherinthestraw-thatchedcowshedandshe，becauseIwasmorethanusuallytired，orbecauseherhusbandhadspokensharplytome，wouldtellmeofthesplendidperformanceoftheHuguenotsshehadseeninParis，inheryouth。Attwoo’clocktheSymphonyOrchestrawastogiveaWagnerprogram，andI
intendedtotakemyaunt；though，asIconversedwithherIgrewdoubtfulaboutherenjoymentofit。Indeed，forherownsake，I
couldonlywishhertasteforsuchthingsquitedead，andthelongstrugglemercifullyendedatlast。IsuggestedourvisitingtheConservatoryandtheCommonbeforelunch，butsheseemedaltogethertootimidtowishtoventureout。Shequestionedmeabsentlyaboutvariouschangesinthecity，butshewaschieflyconcernedthatshehadforgottentoleaveinstructionsaboutfeedinghalf-skimmedmilktoacertainweaklingcalf，“oldMaggie’scalf，youknow，Clark，“sheexplained，evidentlyhavingforgottenhowlongIhadbeenaway。Shewasfurthertroubledbecauseshehadneglectedtotellherdaughteraboutthefreshlyopenedkitofmackerelinthecellar，whichwouldspoilifitwerenotuseddirectly。