“Youdid？Why，UncleShad！“
“Yes。Itold’RastusI’dcredithisaccountwithit，butIdon’tknow’sIhadn’toughttogiveitbacktothesummerfeller。Anyhow，gettin’itwasashock，sameasIsaidatthebeginnin’。’Rastussayshe’sgoin’tosueme。ItoldhimI’dhavesuedHIMlongagoifI’dsupposedhecouldSTEALadollar，letaloneborrowone。“
CHAPTERXXII
ItwaslateinAugustwhenMaryreceivedtheletterfromCrawfordinwhichhetoldofhisdeterminationtowaitnolongerbuttotellhisfatherofhisloveforher。EdwinSmithwasmuchbetter。Bywayofproof，hissoninclosedaphotographwhichhehadtakenofhisfathersittingbeneathatreeonthelawnoftheirhome。ThepictureshowedMr。Smithwithouthisbeard，whichhadbeenshavedoffduringhisillness。Eitherthisortheillnessitselfhadchangedhimagreatdeal。Helookedthinnerand，whichwasoddunderthecircumstances，younger。Mary，lookingatthisphotograph，feltmorethanevertheimpossibleconvictionthatsomewhereorotheratsometimeinherlifeshemusthavemetMr。EdwinSmith。
So，inmynextletter[wroteCrawford]，Ishallhavenewstotell。
AndIamsureitwillbegoodnews。“Askyourfatherfirst，“yousaid。Ofcourseyourememberthat，andIhaverememberediteverymomentsince。NowIamgoingtoaskhim。Afterthatyouwillgivemeyouranswer，won’tyou？Anditcan’tbeanythingbutyes，becauseIwon’tletitbe。
WhatMary’sfeelingswerewhenshereceivedthisletter，whetherornotshesleptassoundlythatnightandothernightsimmediatelyfollowing，whetherornotthesightofIsaiahreturningfromthepost-officeatmailtimescausedherbreathtocomealittlequickerandhernervestothrill——thesearequestionstheanswerstowhichmustbeguessed。SufficeittosaythatshemanifestednomarkedsymptomsofimpatienceandanxietyduringthatweekandwhenatlastIsaiahhandedheranotherletterpostmarkedCarsonCitythetremblingofthehandwhichreceiveditwassoslightastobeunnoticedbyMr。Chase。
Sheputasidetheletteruntilthatnightwhenshewasaloneinherroom。ThensheopeneditandreadwhatCrawfordhadwritten。Hisfatherhadnotonlyrefusedconsenttohisson’scontemplatedmarriagebuthadmanifestedsuchextraordinaryagitationandsuchsavageandunreasonableobstinacythatCrawfordwasalmostinclinedtobelievehisparent’srecentillnesshadaffectedhismind。
ThatistheonlyexplanationIcanthinkof[hewrote]。Itseemsasifhemustbeinsane。Andyetheseemedrationalenoughatthebeginningofourfirstinterviewandduringmostofthesecond。
EvenwhenIhadbrokenthenewsthattherewasagirlinwhomIfeltanespecialinteresthedidnotshowanysignoftheoutbreakthatcameafterward。Itwasn’tuntilIbegantotellhowIfirstmetyouthereatSouthHarniss，whoyouwere，andaboutCaptainGouldandMr。Hamilton，thatInoticedhewasactingqueerly。Iwasheadoverheelsinmystory，tryingtomakeplainhowdesperatemycasewasanddoingmybesttomakehimappreciatehowtremendouslyluckyhissonwastohaveevenaglimmerofachancetogetagirllikeyouforawife，whenIheardhimmakeanoddnoiseinhisthroat。I
lookedup——Idon’tknowwhereIhadbeenlookingbefore——certainlynotathim——andtherehewas，leaningbackinhischair，hisfaceaswhiteashiscollar，andwavingahandatme。Ithoughthewaschoking，orwasdesperatelyillorsomething，andIsprangtowardhim，buthewavedmeback。“Stop！Wait！“hesaid，orstammered，orchoked；itwasmorelikeacroakthanahumanvoice。“Don’tcomehere！Letmebe！Whatareyoutryingtotellme？Who——whoisthisgirl？“Iaskedhimwhatwasthematter——hismannerandhislookfrightenedme——buthewouldn’tanswer，keptorderingmetotellhimagainwhoyouwere。SoIdidtellhimthatyouwerethedaughteroftheReverendCharlesLathropandAugustaLathrop，andofyourmother’ssecondmarriagetoCaptainMarcellusHall。“Buthediedwhenshewassevenyearsold，“Iwenton，“andsincethattimeshehasbeenlivingwithherguardians，thetwofineoldfellowswhoadoptedher，CaptainShadrachGouldandZoethHamilton。TheyliveatSouthHarnissonCapeCod。“Ihadgottennofurtherthanthiswhenheinterruptedme。“She——shehasbeenlivingwithZoethHamilton？“hecried。“WithZoethHamilton！Oh，myGod！Did——didZoethHamiltonsendyoutome？“Yes，thatisexactlywhathesaid：
“DidZoethHamiltonsendyoutome？“Istaredathim。“Why，no，Dad，“Isaid，assoonasIcouldsayanything。“Ofcoursehedidn’t。IhavemetMr。Hamiltonbutonceinmylife。WhatISthematter？Sitdownagain。Don’tyouthinkIhadbettercallthedoctor？“Ithoughtsurelyhisbrainwasgoing。Butno，hewouldn’tanswerorlisten。Insteadhelookedatmewiththewildest，craziestexpressionandsaid：“DidZoethHamiltontellyou？““Hetoldmenothing，Dad，“Isaid，asgentlyasIcould。“Ofcoursehedidn’t。Iamalmostastrangertohim。Besides，whatintheworldwastheretotell？IcametoyoubecauseIhadsomethingtotell。
ImeantomarryMaryLathrop，ifshewillhaveme——“Igotnofurtherthanthat。“No！“hefairlyscreamed。“No！No！No！Oh，myGod，no！“Andthenthedoctorcamerunningin，wegotDadtobed，anditwasalloverforthatday，exceptthatInaturallywastremendouslyupsetandconscience-stricken。IcouldseethatthedoctorthoughtIwastoblame，thatIhadconfessedsomethingorother——somethingcriminal，Iimaginehesurmised——toDadandthatithadknockedthepooroldchapover。AndIcouldn’texplain，becausewhatIhadtoldhimwasnotforoutsiderstohear。
Well，afteraterriblyanxiousnightandaworrisomeforenoonthedoctortoldmethatfatherwashimselfagainandwantedtoseemeatonce。“I’vesaidallIcanagainstit，“saidthedoctor。“Idon’tknowwhatsortofrumpusyoutwohadyesterday，butitcamedangerouslynearbeingthefinishforhim。Anditmustnotberepeated；I’mmakingthatasemphaticasIcan。“IassuredhimthatsofarasIwasconcernedtherewouldnotbeascene，andthenwentintoDad’sroom。Helookedwhiteenoughandsickenoughbuthewasrationalandhismindwaskeenandclear。Hegotmetotellthewholestoryaboutyoualloveragainandheaskedalotofquestions；infact，hecross-examinedmeprettythoroughly。WhenI
hadfinishedhistonewascalm，butInoticedthathishandwasshakingandheseemedtobeholdinghimselfin。“Andsoyouthinkyouwanttomarrythisdown-eastcountrygirl，doyou？“hesaid。“I
certainlydo，“saidI。Helaughed，aforcedlaugh——didn’tsoundlikehisatall——andhesaid：“Well，myboy，you’llgetoverit。
It’sawholelotbettertogetoveritnowthantodosobyandbywhenit’stoolate。It’sagoodthingIcalledyouhomewhenIdid。
YoustayhereandkeeponwithyourstudiesandI’llkeepongettingintoshapeagain。Bynextsummer，whenwegoonourfishingtrip，you’llhaveforgottenallaboutyourDown-Easter。“Well，THATwasastaggerer，comingfromhim。Itdidn’tsoundlikehimatall，andagainIhadthatfeelingthathismindwasgoing。Yousee，Mary，I
neveraskedDadforanythingIdidn’tget——never。Now，Iwasn’tasking，IwasjusttellinghimwhatIhadmadeupmymindtohave，andhetreatedmethisway。Iansweredhimcalmlyandquietly，tellinghimIwasseriousandwhatyoumeanttome。Hewouldn’tlistenatfirst；thenwhenhedid，hewouldn’tagree。Pleadedwithme——hewaslonesome，Iwashisonlyson，heneededme，hecouldn’tsharemewithanyoneelse，andsoon。Thereisnousegoingintoallthedetails。Wedidn’tgetanyneareranagreement，wedidgetnearerandnearertobadtemperonmypartandshoutsandhystericsonhis。SoIlefthim，Mary。Thatwaslastnight。IknewDadwasinclinedtobestubborn，andIknewhehadstrongprejudices，butI
neverimaginedhecouldbehavelikethistome。AndIamsurehewouldnotifhewerehimself。SoIshallsaynomoretohimonthesubjectforadayortwo。Then，whenheisbetter，asIamhopinghemaybesoon，heandIwillhaveanothertalk。Butunderstand，Marydear，mymindwasmadeupbeforeIspoketohimatall。Whathesaysorwhathedoeswillmakenodifference，sofarasyouandI
areconcerned。Iknowyouareabelieverinduty；well，soamI。I
wouldstickbyDadthroughthickandthin。IfIknewhewasrightinaskingmetodoornottodoathing，evenifIknewhehadbeenwronginaskingotherthings，Iwouldstickbyhimandtrytodoasheasked。Butnotthis。IloveDad，GodknowsIdo，butIloveyou，Mary，andasIhavevowedtomyselfeverydaysinceIlastsawyou，Iamgoingtomarryyouifyouwillonlyhaveme。AsforDad——
well，we’llhopewithinadayortwoImayhavebetternewstowrite。
Maryreadandrereadthelongletter。Thensheleanedbackinherchairandwiththeletterinherlapsatthere——thinking。Shehadbeenrightinherforebodings；itwasasshehadexpected，hadforeseen：EdwinSmith，manofaffairs，wealthy，arbitrary，eccentric，accustomedtohavinghisownwayandhisprejudices，howeverabsurd，respected——amanwithanonlysonforwhom，doubtless，plansdefiniteandambitioushadbeenmade，couldnotbeexpectedcalmlytopermittheupsettingofthoseplansbyhisboy’smarriagetoapoor“Down-Easter。“Somuchshehadforeseenfromthefirst，andshehadneversharedCrawford’sabsoluteconfidenceinhisparent’sacquiescence。Shehadbeenprepared，therefore，toreadthatMr。Smithhadrefusedhisconsent。
Buttobepreparedforaprobabilityandtofaceacertaintyarequitedifferent。Itwasthecertaintyshewasfacingnow。UnlessMr。Smithchangedhismind，andthechancesweretentooneagainstthat，heandhissonwouldquarrel。Crawfordhadinheritedaportionofhisfather’sstubbornness；hewasdetermined，sheknew。
Helovedherandhemeantwhathesaid——ifshewouldhavehimhewouldmarryherinspiteofhisfather。Itmadeherproudandhappytoknowthat。Butshe，too，wasresoluteandhadmeantwhatshesaid。Shewouldnotbethecauseofaseparationbetweenfatherandson。And，besides，marriagehadbecomeforheramatterofthedistantfuture；forthepresenthertaskwassetthereatSouthHarniss。
Whatshouldshedo？ItwashardforCrawford，poorfellow。Yes，butitwashardforher，too。Noonebutsheknewhowhard。Hewouldwriteheragaintellingherthathisdecisionwasunchanged，begginghertosayshelovedhim，pleadingwithhertowaitforhim。
Andshewouldwait——Oh，howgladly，howjoyfullyshecouldwait——forhim！——ifsheknewshewasdoingrightinpermittinghimtowaitforher。Ifshewassurethatinpermittinghimtogiveuphisfather’sloveandhishomeandmoneyandallthatmoneycouldbuyshewasjustified。Thereisalovewhichasksandalovewhichgiveswithoutaskingreturn；thelatteristhegreaterloveanditwashers。ShehadwrittenCrawfordthatperhapsshewasnotsureofherfeelingtowardhim。Thatwasnottrue。Shewassure；butbecauseshewasfearfulthathisknowledgemightbethemeansofentailingagreatsacrificeonhispart，shewouldnottellhim。
Whatshouldshedo？Sheconsidered，asthelittleMary-’Gustausedtoconsiderhersmallproblemsinthatveryroom。Andtheresultofherconsiderationswasratherunsatisfactory。Therewasnothingshecoulddonow，nothingbutwaituntilsheheardagainfromCrawford。
Thenshewouldwrite。
Shebrushedhereyeswithherhandkerchiefandreadtheletteragain。Therewerepartsofitwhichshecouldnotunderstand。ShewasalmostinclinedtoadoptCrawford’ssuggestionthathisfather’smindmighthavebeenaffectedbyhisillness。Whyhadhereceivedsopassivelythenewsthathissonhadfalleninloveandyetbecomesoviolentwhentoldtheobjectofthatlove？Hedidnotknowher，MaryLathrop；therecouldbenopersonalqualityinhisobjection。
AndwhatcouldhehavemeantbyaskingifZoethHamiltonhadsentCrawfordtohim？Thatwasabsolutelyabsurd。Zoeth，andShadrach，too，hadtalkedwithMaryofCrawford’speopleintheWest，butmerelycasually，asofcompletestrangers，which，ofcourse，theywere。Itwasallstrange，butexplainableifoneconsideredthatMr。Smithwasweakandilland，perhaps，flighty。Shemustnotthinkanymoreaboutitnow——thatis，shemusttrynottothink。
Shemustnotgiveway，andaboveallshemustnotpermitherunclestosuspectthatshewastroubled。ShemusttryhardtoputitfromherminduntilCrawford’snextlettercame。