“Myimpressionofutternoveltyseemedsomehowenhancedbythisunexpectedrefinementintheheartofthesolitudesandinsucharuggedshell，andyet，whenIcametoreflect，itwasonlycharacteristicofmycosmopolitanhost。Butanothersurprisewasinstoreforme。
“WhenIhadrecoveredbodilywarmthandmentalequilibriuminmydownyarmchair，beforetheroaringlogs，andduringthedeliciousabsorptionofmysecondglassoftea，IturnedmyattentiontotheFrenchvalet，evidentlythebaron’sownman，whowasdeftlyunpackingmyportmanteau，andwho，unlessmypracticedeyedeceivedme，askedfornothingbetterthantoentertainmewithagreeableconversationthewhile。
“’Yourmasterisout，then？’quothI，knowingthatthemosttrivialremarkwouldsufficetostarthim。
“True，Monseigneurwasout；hewasdesolatedindespairthiswiththenationalamiableandimaginativeinstinct；’butitwasdoubtlessimportantbusiness。M。leBaronhadthevisitofhisfactorduringthemiddaymeal；hadleftthetablehurriedly，andhadnotbeenseensince。MadamelaBaronnehadbeenalittlesuffering，butshewouldreceivemonsieur！’
“’Madame！’exclaimedI，astounded，’isyourmasterthenmarried？——
sincewhen？’——visionsofafairTartar，fitmateformybaron，immediatelyspringingsomewhatalluringlybeforemymentalvision。
Buttheanswerdispelledthepicturesquefancy。
“’Oh，yes，’saidtheman，withasomewhatpeculiarexpression。
Yes，Monseigneurismarried。DidMonsieurnotknow？AndyetitwasfromEnglandthatMonseigneurbroughtbackhiswife。’
“’AnEnglishwoman！’
“Myfirstthoughtwasoneofpity；anEnglishwomanaloneinthiswilderness——twodays’drivefromevenarailwaystation——andatthemercyofKossowski！ButthenextminuteIreversedmyjudgment。
Probablysheadoredherrufouslord，tookhisveneerofcourtesy——aveneerofthemostexquisitepolish，Igrantyou，butperilouslythin——fortheveryperfectionofchivalry。Orperchanceitwashisinnersavagenessitselfthatcharmedher；themostrefinedwomenoftenamazeonebythefascinationwhichthepreponderanceofthebruteintheoppositesexseemstohaveforthem。
“Iwasanxioustohearmore。
“’Isitnotdullfortheladyhereatthistimeoftheyear？’
“Thevaletraisedhisshoulderswithagestureofdespairthatwasalmostpassionate。
“Dull！Ah，monsieurcouldnotconceivetohimselfthedullnessofit。ThatpoorMadamelaBaronne！notevenalittlechildtokeephercompanyonthelong，longdayswhentherewasnothingbutsnowintheheavenandontheearthandthehowlingofthewindandthedogstocheerher。Atthebeginning，indeed，ithadbeendifferent；whenthemasterfirstbroughthomehisbridethehousewasgayenough。Itwasallredecoratedandrefurnishedtoreceivehermonsieurshouldhaveseenitbefore，amererendezvous-de-
chasse——forthematterofthatsowereallthecountryhousesintheseparts。Ah，thatwasthegoodtime！Therewerevisitsmonthaftermonth；parties，sleighing，dancing，tripstoSt。PetersburgandVienna。Butthisyearitseemedtheyweretohavenothingbutboarsandwolves。Howmadamecouldstandit——well，itwasnotforhimtospeak——andheavingadeepsighhedelicatelyinsertedmywhitetieroundmycollar，andwithaflourishtwisteditintoanirreproachablebowbeneathmychin。Ididnotthinkitrighttocross-examinethewillingtalkeranyfurther，especiallyas，despitehislastasseveration，therewereevidentlyvolumeshestillwishedtopourforth；butIconfessthat，asImademywayslowlyoutofmyroomalongthenoiselesslengthofpassage，Iwasconsciousofanunwonted，nottosayvulgar，curiosityconcerningthewomanwhohadcaptivatedsuchamanastheBaronKossowski。
“InafitofspeculativeabstractionImusthavetakenthewrongturning，forIpresentlyfoundmyselfinalong，narrowpassage。I
didnotremember。Iwasretracingmystepswhentherecamethesoundofrapidfootfallsuponstoneflags；alittledoorflewopeninthewallclosetome，andasmall，thick-setman，huddledintheroughsheepskinoftheGalicianpeasant，withamangyfurcaponhishead，nearlyranheadlongintomyarms。IwasaboutcondescendinglytointerpellatehiminmybestPolish，whenI
caughtthegleamofanangryyelloweyeandnotedthebristleofaredbeard——Kossowski！
“Amazed，Ifellbackastepinsilence。Withagrowllikeanuncouthanimaldisturbed，hedrewhisfilthycapoverhisbrowwithasavagegestureandpursuedhiswaydownthecorridoratasortofwild-boartrot。
“Thisfirstmeetingbetweenhostandguestwassoodd，soincongruous，thatitaffordedmeplentyoffoodforafreshlineofconjectureasItracedmywaybacktothepicturegallery，andfromthencesuccessfullytothedrawing-room，which，asthedoorwasajar，Icouldnotthistimemistake。
“Itwaslargeandloftyanddimlylitbyshadedlamps；throughtherosygloomIcouldatfirstonlyjustmakeoutaslenderfigurebythehearth；butasIadvanced，thiswasresolvedintoasingularlygracefulwomaninclinging，fur-trimmedvelvetgown，who，withonehandrestingonthehighmantelpiece，theotherbanginglistlesslybyherside，stoodgazingdownatthecrumblingwoodfireasifinadream。
“MyfriendsarekindenoughtosaythatIhaveacatliketread；I
knownothowthatmaybe；atanyratethecarpetIwaswalkinguponwasthickenoughtosmotheraheavierfootfall:notuntilIwasquiteclosetoherdidmyhostessbecomeawareofmypresence。
Thenshestartedviolentlyandlookedoverhershoulderatmewithdilatingeyes。Evidentlyanervouscreature，Isawthepulseinherthroat，strainedbyherattitude，flutterlikeaterrifiedbird。
“ThenextinstantshehadstretchedoutherhandwithsweetEnglishwordsofwelcome，andtheface，whichIhadbeencomparinginmymindtothatofGuido’sCenci，becametransformedbythearchandexquisitesmileofaGreuse。FormorethantwoyearsIhadhadnointercoursewithanyofmynationality。Icouldconceivethesoundofhisnativetongueundersuchcircumstancesmovingamaninacuriousunexpectedfashion。
“Ibabbledsomecommonplacereply，afterwhichtherewassilencewhilewestoodoppositeeachother，shelookingatmeexpectantly。
Atlength，withasighcheckedbyasmileandanovertoneofsadnessinavoicethatyettriedtobesprightly:
“’AmIthensochanged，Mr。Marshfield？’sheasked。AndallatonceIknewher:thegirlwhosenightingalethroathadredeemedthedesolationoftheeveningsatRathdrum，whosesunnybeautyhadseemedeventomycelebratedcold-bloodedaestheticismworthytohauntaman’sdreams。Yes，therewasthesubtlecurveofthewaist，thewarmlineofthroat，thedaintyfoot，theslendertip-
tiltedfingers——wittyfingers，asIhadclassifiedthem——whichI
nowshooklikeatrueBriton，insteadofavailingmyselfoftheprivilegethecountrygaveme，andkissingherslenderwrist。
“Butshewaschanged；andItoldhersowithunconventionalfrankness，studyinghercloselyasIspoke。
“’Iamafraid，’Isaidgravely，’thatthisplacedoesnotagreewithyou。’
“Sheshrankfrommyscrutinywithanervousmovementandflushedtotherootsofherred-brownhair。ThensheansweredcoldlythatI
waswrong，thatshewasinexcellenthealth，butthatshecouldnotexpectanymorethanotherpeopletopreserveperennialyouthI
rapidlycalculatedshemightbetwo-and-twenty，though，indeed，withalittleforcedlaugh，itwasscarcelyflatteringtohearonehadalteredoutofallrecognition。Then，withoutallowingmetimetoreply，sheplungedintoageneraltopicofconversationwhich，asIshouldhavebeenobtuseindeednottotakethehint，Ididmybesttokeepup。
“ButwhileshetalkedofViennaandWarsaw，ofherdistantneighbors，andlastyear’svisitors，itwasevidentthathermindwaselsewhere；hereyewandered，shelostthethreadofherdiscourse，answeredmeatrandom，andsmiledherpiteoussmileincongruously。
“Howeverlonelyshemightbeinhersolitarysplendor，thecompanyofacountrymanwasevidentlynosuchwelcomediversion。
“Afteralittlewhilesheseemedtofeelherselfthatshewaslackingincordiality，and，bringingherabsentgazetobearuponmewithapuzzledstrainedlook:’Ifearyouwillfinditverydull，’shesaid，’myhusbandissowrappedupthiswinterinhiscountrylifeandhissport。Youarethefirstvisitorwehavehad。
Thereisnothingbutgunsandhorseshere，andyoudonotcareforthesethings。’
“Thedoorcreakedbehindus；andthebaronentered，infaultlesseveningdress。BeforesheturnedtowardhimIwassharpenoughtocatchagaintheupleapingofaquickdreadinhereyes，notevensomuchdreadperhaps，Ithoughtafterwards，ashorror——thehorrorwenoticeinsomeanimalsatthenearingofabeastofprey。Itwasgoneinasecond，andshewassmiling。Butitwasarevelation。
“PerhapshebeatherinRussianfashion，andshe，asanEnglishwoman，wasnarrow-mindedenoughtoresentthis；orperhaps，merely，Ihadthemisfortunetoarriveduringamatrimonialmisunderstanding。
“Thebaronwouldnotgivemeleisuretoreflect；hewassoveryeffusiveinhisgreeting——notahintofourpreviousmeeting——
unlikemyhostess，allinalltome；eagertolisten，toreply；
almostaffectionate，fullofreferencestooldtimesandgenialallusions。Nodoubtwhenhechosehecouldbethemostcharmingofmen；thereweremomentswhen，lookingathiminhisquietsmileandrestrainedgesture，thealmostexaggeratedpolitenessofhismannertohiswife，whosefingershehadkissedwithpretty，old-fashionedgallantryuponhisentrance，Iaskedmyself，Couldthatencounterinthepassagehavebeenadream？Couldthatsavageinthesheepskinbemycourteousentertainer？
“’JustasIcamein，didIhearmywifesaytherewasnothingforyoutodointhisplace？’hesaidpresentlytome。Then，turningtoher:
“’YoudonotseemtoknowMr。Marshfield。Whereverhecanopenhiseyesthereisforhimsomethingtoseewhichmightnotinterestothermen。HewillfindthingsinmylibrarywhichIhavenonotionof。Hewilldiscoverobjectsforscientificobservationinallthemembersofmyhousehold，notonlyinthegood-lookingmaids——thoughhecould，Ihavenodoubt，telltheirpointsasI
couldthoseofahorse。Wehavemaidenshereofseveraldistinctraces，Marshfield。Wehavealsowitches，andJewleeches，andholydaftpeople。Inanycase，Yany，withallitsdependencies，material，maleandfemale，areatyourdisposal，forwhatyoucanmakeoutofthem。
“’Itisgood，’hewentongayly，’thatyoushouldhappentohavethishappydisposition，forIfearthat，nolaterthanto-morrow，I
mayhavetoabsentmyselffromhome。Ihaveheardthattherearenewsofwolves——theythreatentobeagreaterpestthanusualthiswinter，butIamgoingtodrivethemonquiteanewplan，anditwillgohardwithmeifIdon’tcomeevenwiththem。Wellforyou，bytheway，Marshfield，thatyoudidnotpasswithintheirscenttoday。’Then，musingly:’Ishouldnotgivemuchforthelifeofatravelerwhohappenedtowanderinthesepartsjustnow。’Hereheinterruptedhimselfhastilyandwentovertohiswife，whohadsunkbackonherchair，livid，seeminglyonthepointofswooning。
“Hisgazewasdevouring；somightamanlookatthewomanheadored，inhisanxiety。
“’What！faint，Violet，alarmed！’Hisvoicewassubdued，yettherewasanunmistakablethrillofemotioninit。
“’Pshaw！’thoughtItomyself，’themanisamodelhusband。’
“Sheclinchedherhands，andbysheerforceofwillseemedtopullherselftogether。Thesenervouswomenhaveoftenanunexpectedfundofstrength。
“’Come，thatiswell，’saidthebaronwithaflickeringsmile；’Mr。
MarshfieldwillthinkyoubutbadlyacclimatizedtoPolandifalittlewolfscarecanupsetyou。Mydearwifeissosoft-hearted，’
hewentontome，’thatsheiscapableofmakingherselfquiteilloverthesadfatethatmighthave，buthasnot，overcomeyou。Or，perhaps，’headded，inastillgentlervoice，’herfearisthatI
mayexposemyselftodangerforthepublicweal。’
“Sheturnedherheadaway，butIsawhersetherteethasiftochokeasob。Thebaronchuckledinhisthroatandseemedtoluxuriateinthepleasantthought。