-Monsieur，doyouwanttoseethoseletters?”askedthegirl，withagulp。Evidentlyhisappearancefrightenedher-orhadheractingreachedthispointofextremefinish?”Ihadnevairethechancetoputthemback。And-andtheybelongtomonsieur。Theyarehis-allhis-andsobeautiful！Ah，justlikepoetry。””Idon’tconsiderthemmine。Ihaven’taparticleofconfidenceinyouorinyourstory。Youareathief-self-convicted；oryou’reanagentofthepolicewhosemotivesIneitherunderstandnorcaretoinvestigate。Takeupyourbagandgo。Ihaven’tacent’sworthofinterestinitscontents。”
Shestartedtoherfeet。Sweetwaterheardherchairgrateonthepaintedfloor，asshepusheditbackinrising。Thebrotherrosetoo，butmorecalmly。Brothersondidnotstir。Sweetwaterfelthishopesrapidlydyingdown-downintoashes，whensuddenlyhervoicebrokeforthinpants：”AndMariesaid-everybodysaid-thatyoulovedourgreatlady；
thatyou，ofthepeople，common，common，workingwiththehands，livingwithmenandwomenworkingwiththehands，thatyouhadsoul，sentiment-whatyouwillofthegoodandthegreat，andthatyouwouldgiveyoureyesforherwords，sifines，sispirituelles，solikedesversdepoete。False！false！allfalse！Shewasanangel。Youare-readthat！”shevehementlybrokein，openingherbagandwhiskingapaperdownbeforehim。”Readandunderstandmyproudandlovelylady。Shedidrighttodie。Youarehard-hard。Youwouldhavekilledherifshehadnot-””Silence，woman！Iwillreadnothing！”camehissingfromthestrongman’steeth，setinalmostungovernableanger。”Takebackthisletter，asyoucallit，andleavemyroom。””Nevaire！Youwillnotread?Butyoushall，youshall。Beholdanother！One，two，three，four！”Madlytheyflewfromherhand。
Madlyshecontinuedhervituperativeattack。”Beast！beast！Thatsheshouldpouroutherinnocenthearttoyou，you！Idonotwantyourmoney，Monsieurofthecommonstreet，ofthecommonhouse。Itwouldbedirt。Pierre，itwouldbedirt。Ah，bah！jem’oublietoutafait。Pierre，ilestbete。Ilrefusedelestoucher。Maisilfautqu’illestouche，sijeleslaissesurleplancher。Va-t’en！
Jememoquedelui。Canaille！L’hommedupeuple，toutafaitdupeuple！”
Aloudslam-theskurryingoffeetthroughthehall，accompaniedbytheslowerandheaviertreadoftheso-calledbrother，thensilence，andsuchsilencethatSweetwaterfanciedhecouldcatchthesoundofBrotherson’sheavybreathing。Hisownwassilencedtoagasp。Whatatreasureofagirl！Hownaturalherindignation！
Whataninstinctsheshowedandwhatcomprehension！Thishighandmightyhandlingofamostdifficultsituationandamostdifficultman，hadimposedonBrotherson，hadalmostimposeduponhimself。
Thoseletterssobeautiful，sospirituelle！Yet，theoddswerethatshehadneverreadthem，muchlessabstractedthem。Theminx！theready，resourceful，wily，daringminx！
ButhadsheimposedonBrotherson?Asthesilencecontinued，Sweetwaterbegantodoubt。Heunderstoodquitewelltheimportanceofhisneighbour’sfirstmovement。Werehetotearthoselettersintoshreds！Hemightbethustempted。Alldependedonthestrengthofhispresentmoodandtherealnatureofthesecretwhichlayburiedinhisheart。
Wasthatheartasflintyasitseemed?Wastherenoplacefordoubtorevenforcuriosity，initsimpenetrabledepths?Seemingly，hehadnotmovedfootorhandsincehisunwelcomevisitorshadleft。
Hewasdoubtlessstillstaringatthescatteredsheetslyingbeforehim；possiblybattlingwithunaccustomedimpulses；possiblyweighingdeedsandconsequencesinthoseslowmovingscalesofhisinwhichnomancouldcastaweightwithanycertaintyhowfaritsevenbalancewouldbedisturbed。
Therewasasoundasofsettlingcoal。Onlyatnightwouldoneexpecttohearsoslightasoundasthatinatenementfullofnoisychildren。Butthemomentchancedtobepropitious，anditnotonlyattractedtheattentionofSweetwateronhissideofthewall，butitstrucktheearofBrothersonalso。Withanejaculationasbitterasitwasimpatient，herousedhimselfandgathereduptheletters。
Sweetwatercouldhearthesuccessiverustlingsashebundledthemupinhishand。Thencameanothersilence-thentheliftingofastovelid。
Sweetwaterhadnotbeenwronginhissecretapprehension。Hisidentificationwithhisunimpressionableneighbour’smoodhadshownhimwhattoexpect。Theseletters-theseinnocentandpreciousoutpouringsofarareandwomanlysoul-theonlyconceivableopensesametothehard-lockednaturehefoundhimselfpittedagainst，wouldsoonberesolvedintoavanishingpuffofsmoke。
Butthelidwasthrustback，andthelettersremainedinhand。
Mortalstrengthhasitslimits。EvenBrothersoncouldnotshutdownthatlidonwordswhichmighthavebeenmeantforhim，harshlyashehadrepelledtheidea。
Thepausewhichfollowedtoldlittle；butwhenSweetwaterheardthemanwithinmovewithcharacteristicenergytothedoor，turnthekeyandstepbackagaintohisplaceatthetable，heknewthatthedangermomenthadpassedandthatthoseletterswereabouttoberead，notcasually，butseriously，asindeedtheircontentsmerited。
ThiscausedSweetwatertofeelserioushimself。Uponwhatresultmighthecalculate?Whatwouldhappentothishardysoul，whenthefacthesoscornfullyrepudiated，wasborneinuponhim，andhesawthatthedisdainwhichhadantagonisedhimwasameredevice-acloaktohidethesecretheartofloveandeagerwomanlydevotion?
Herdeath-littleasBrothersonwouldbelieveituptillnow-hadbeenhispersonallossthegreatestwhichcanbefallaman。Whenhecametoseethis-whenthemodestfervourofherunusualnaturebegantodawnuponhimintheseself-revelations，wouldtheresultberemorse，orjustthedeadeningandfinalextinctionofwhatevertendernesshemayhaveretainedforhermemory?
Impossibletotell。Thebalanceofprobabilityhungeven。
Sweetwaterrecognisedthis，andclung，breathless，tohisloop-hole。
Fainwouldhehaveseen，aswellasheard。
Mr。Brothersonreadthefirstletter，standing。Asitsoonbecamepublicproperty，Iwillgiveithere，justasitafterwardsappearedinthecolumnsofthegreedyjournals：”Beloved：”WhenIsit，asIoftendo，inperfectquietunderthestars，anddreamthatyouarelookingatthemtoo，notforhoursasI
do，butforonefullmomentinwhichyourthoughtsarewithmeaswhollyasminearewithyou，Ifeelthatthebondbetweenus，unseenbytheworld，andpossiblynotwhollyrecognisedbyourselves，isinstinctwiththesamepowerwhichlinkstogethertheeternities。”Itseemstohavealwaysbeen；tohaveknownnobeginning，onlyabudding，anefflorescence，thevisibleproductofahiddenbutalwayspresentreality。AmonthagoandIwasignorant，even，ofyourname。Now，youseemthebestknowntome，thebestunderstood，ofGod’screatures。Oneafternoonofperfectcompanionship-oneflashofstrongemotion，withitsdeep，trueinsightintoeachother’ssoul，andthemiraclewaswrought。Wehadmet，andhenceforth，partingwouldmeanseparationonly，andnottheseveringofamutualbond。Onehand，andoneonly，coulddothatnow。Iwillnotnamethathand。Forusthereisnoughtaheadbutlife。”ThusdoIeasemyheartinthesilencewhichconditionsimposeuponus。SomedayIshallhearyourvoiceagain，andthen-”
Thepaperdroppedfromthereader’shand。Itwasseveralminutesbeforehetookupanother。
Thisone，asithappened，antedatedtheother，aswillappearonreadingit：”Myfriend：”IsaidthatIcouldnotwritetoyou-thatwemustwait。Youwerewilling；butthereismuchtobeaccomplished，andthesilencemaybelong。Myfatherisnotaneasymantoplease，buthedesiresmyhappinessandwilllistentomypleawhentherighthourcomes。Whenyouhavewonyourplace-whenyouhaveshownyourselftobethemanIfeelyoutobe，thenmyfatherwillrecogniseyourworth，andthewaywillbecleared，despitetheobstacleswhichnowintervene。”Butmeantime！Ah，youwillnotknowit，butwordswillrise-theheartmustfindutterance。Whatthelipcannotutter，northelooksreveal，thesepagesshallholdinsacredtrustforyoutillthedaywhenmyfatherwillplacemyhandinyours，withheart-feltapproval。”Isitafolly?Awoman’sweakevasionofthestrongsilenceofman?Youmaysaysosomeday；butsomehow，Idoubtit-Idoubtit。”
Thecreakingofachair；-themanwithinhadseatedhimself。Therewasnoothersound；asoulinturmoilwakensnoechoes。Sweetwaterenviedthewallssurroundingtheunsympatheticreader。Theycouldsee。Hecouldonlylisten。
Alittlewhile；thenthatslightrustlingagainoftheunfoldingsheet。Thefollowingwasread，andthenthefourthandlast：”Dearest：”DidyouthinkIhadneverseenyoutillthatdaywemetinLenox?
Iamgoingtotellyouasecret-agreat，greatsecret-suchaoneasawomanhardlywhisperstoherownheart。”Oneday，inearlysummer，IwassittinginSt。Bartholomew’sChurchonFifthAvenue，waitingfortheservicestobegin。Itwasearlyandthecongregationwasassembling。Whileidlywatchingthepeoplecomingin，Isawagentlemanpassbymeuptheaisle，whomademeforgetalltheothers。HehadnottheairofaNewYorker；hewasnotevendressedincitystyle，butasInotedhisfaceandexpression，Isaidwaydowninmyheart，’ThatisthekindofmanIcouldlove；theonlymanIhaveeverseenwhocouldmakemeforgetmyownworldandmyownpeople。’
Itwasapassingthought，soon~forgotten。ButwheninthathourofembarrassmentandperilonGreylockMountain，Ilookedupintothefaceofmyrescuerandsawagainthatcountenancewhichsoshortatimebeforehadcalledintolifeimpulsestillthenutterlyunknown，Iknewthatmyhourwascome。Andthatwaswhymyconfidencewassospontaneousandmybeliefinthefuturesoabsolute。”Itrustyourlovewhichwillworkwonders；andItrustmyown，whichsprangatalookbutonlygatheredstrengthandpermanencewhenIfoundthatthesoulofthemanIlovedbetteredhisoutwardattractions，makingtheidealofmyfoolishgirlhoodseemasunsubstantialandevanescentasadreamintheglowingnoontide。””MyOwn：”Icansaysonow；foryouhavewrittentome，andIhavethedancingwordswithwhichtosilenceanyunsoughtdoubtwhichmightsubduetheexuberanceofthesesecretoutpourings。”Ididnotexpectthis。Ithoughtthatyouwouldremainassilentasmyself。Butmen’swaysarenotourways。Theycannotexhaustlonginginpurposelesswordsonscrapsofsoullesspaper，andIamgladthattheycannot。Iloveyouforyourimpatience；foryourpurpose，andforthemanlinesswhichwillwinforyouyetallthatyoucovetoffame，accomplishmentandlove。Youexpectnoreply，buttherearewaysinwhichonecankeepsilentandyetspeak。
Won’tyoubesurprisedwhenyouranswercomesinamanneryouhaveneverthoughtof?”