第3章
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点击下载App,搜索"Dr.Breen’s Practice",免费读到尾

  I’veapatientnearthere。\"Hesmileduponherwithfrankcuriosity,andseemedwillingtodetainher,butatalosshowtodoso。\"IfIhadn’tbeenstupidfrommynapIshouldhaveinferredascientifictrainingfromyourstatementofyourfriend’scase。\"Shestillbelievedthathewaslaughingather,andthatthiswasamockbutshewasstillhelplesstoresentit,exceptbyanassumptionofyetcolderstate。ThishadapparentlynoeffectuponDr。Mulbridge。Hecontinuedtolookatherwithhardlyconcealedamusement,andvisiblytogrowmoreandmoreconsciousofhereleganceandstyle,nowthatshestoodbeforehim。

  Therehadbeenatimewhen,inplanninghercareer,shehadimaginedherselfstudyingamasculinesimplicityanddirectnessofaddress;buttheover-successofsomeyoungwomen,herfellowsattheschool,inthisdirectionhaddisgustedherwithit,andshehadperceivedthatafterallthereisnothingbetterforagirl,evenagirlwhoisadoctorofmedicine,thanaladylikemanner。Now,however,shewishedthatshecoulddoorsaysomethingaggressivelymannish,forshefeltherselfdwindlingawaytothemerestfemininity,underascrutinywhichhaditsfascination,whetheragreeableordisagreeable。\"Youmust,\"hesaid,withreallyunwarrantablepatronage,\"havefoundthatthestudyofmedicinehasitsdifficulties,——youmusthavebeenverystronglydrawntoit。\"

  \"Ohno,notatall;Ihadratheranaversionatfirst,\"shereplied,withtheinstantsuperiorityofawomanwherethemansuffersanytopictobecomepersonal。\"WhydidyouthinkIwasdrawntoit?\"

  \"Idon’tknow——Idon’tknowthatIthoughtso,\"hestammered。\"IbelieveIintendedtoask,\"headdedbluntly;butshehadthesatisfactionofseeinghimredden,andshedidnotvolunteeranythinginhisrelief。

  Shedivinedthatitwouldleavehimwithanawkwardsenseofdefeatifhequittedthesubjectthere;andinfacthehaddeterminedthathewouldnot。\"Someofourladiestakeupthestudyabroad,\"hesaid;andhewentontospeak,witharealdeference,oftheeminentwomanwhodidtheAmericannamehonorbythedistinctionsheachievedintheschoolsofParis。

  \"Ihaveneverbeenabroad,\"saidGrace。

  \"No?\"heexclaimed。\"IthoughtallAmericanladieshadbeenabroad\";andnowhesaid,witheasyrecognitionofherresolutionnottohelphimout,\"IsupposeyouhaveyourdiplomafromthePhiladelphiaschool。\"

  \"No,\"shereturned,\"fromtheNewYorkschool,——thehomoeopathicschoolofNewYork。\"

  Dr。Mulbridgeinstantlysobered,andeventurnedalittlepale,buthedidnotsayanything。Heremainedlookingatherasifshehadsuddenlychangedfromapiquantmysterytoaterribledilemma。

  Shemovedtowardthedoor。\"ThenImayexpectyou,\"shesaid,\"aboutthemiddleoftheafternoon。\"

  Hedidnotreply;hestumbleduponthechairsinfollowingherapaceortwo,withafaceofacutedistress。Thenhebrokeoutwith\"Ican’tcome!Ican’tconsultwithyou!\"

  Sheturnedandlookedathimwithastonishment,whichhedidhisbesttomeet。Herastonishmentcongealedintohauteur,andthendissolvedintothehelplessnessofaladywhohasbeenofferedarudeness;butstillshedidnotspeak。Shemerelylookedathim,whilehehaltedandstammeredon。

  \"Personally,I——I——shouldbe——obliged——Ishouldfeelhonored——I——I——Ithasnothingtodowithyour——your——beinga——a——a——womanlady。Ishouldnotcareforthat。No。Butsurelyyoumustknowthereasons——theobstacles——whichdeterme?\"

  \"No,Idon’t,\"shesaid,calmwiththeadvantageofhisperturbation。

  \"Butifyourefuse,thatissufficient。Iwillnotinquireyourreasons。

  Iwillsimplywithdrawmyrequest。\"

  \"Thankyou。ButIbegyoutounderstandthattheyhavenoreferencewhatevertoyouin——yourown——capacity——character——individualquality。

  Theyarepurelyprofessional——thatis,technical——Ishouldsaydisciplinary,——entirelydisciplinary。Yes,disciplinary。\"ThewordseemedtoaffordDr。Mulbridgethedegreeofreliefwhichcancomeonlyfromanexactlysignificantandluminouslyexegeticword。

  \"Idon’tatallknowwhatyoumean,\"saidGrace。\"ButitisnotnecessarythatIshouldknow。Willyouallowme?\"sheasked,forDr。

  Mulbridgehadgotbetweenherandthedoor,andstoodwithhishandonthelatch。

  Hisfaceflushed,anddropsstoodonhisforehead。\"Surely,Miss——I

  meanDoctor——Breen,youmustknowwhyIcan’tconsultwithyou!Webelongtotwodiametricallyoppositeschools——theories——ofmedicine。Itwouldbeimpracticable——impossibleforustoconsult。Wecouldfindnocommonground。Haveyouneverheardthatthe——ahregularpracticecannotmeethomoeopathistsinthisway?Ifyouhadtoldme——ifIhadknown——youwereahomoeopathist,Icouldn’thaveconsideredthematteratall。I

  can’tnowexpressanyopinionastoyourmanagementofthecase,butI

  havenodoubtthatyouwillknowwhattodo——fromyourpointofview——andthatyouwillprefertocallinsomeoneofyourown——persuasion。Ihopethatyoudon’tholdmepersonallyresponsibleforthisresult!\"

  \"Oh,no!\"repliedthegirl,withacertaindreamyabstraction。\"Ihadheardthatyoumadesomesuchdistinction——Iremember,now。ButIcouldn’trealizeanythingsoridiculous。\"

  Dr。Mulbridgecolored。\"Excuseme,\"hesaid,\"if,evenunderthecircumstances,Ican’tagreewithyouthatthepositiontakenbytheregularpracticeisridiculous。\"

  Shedidnotmakeanydirectreply。\"ButIsupposedthatyouonlymadethisdistinction,asyoucallit,incaseswherethereisnoimmediatedanger;thatinamatteroflifeanddeathyouwouldwaiveit。Mrs。

  Maynardisreally——\"

  \"TherearenoconditionsunderwhichIcouldnotconscientiouslyrefusetowaiveit。\"

  \"Then,\"criedGrace,\"Iwithdrawtheword!Itisnotridiculous。Itismonstrous,atrocious,inhuman!\"

  AlightofhumorousironyglimmeredinDr。Mulbridge’seye。\"Imustsubmittoyourcondemnation。\"

  \"Oh,itisn’tapersonalcondemnation!\"sheretorted。\"Ihavenodoubtthatpersonallyyouarenotresponsible。Wecanlayasideourdistinctionsasallopathistandhomoeopathist,andyoucanadvisewithme\"——

  \"It’squiteimpossible,\"saidDr。Mulbridge。\"IfIadvisedwithyou,Imightbe——AlittlewhileagooneofourschoolinConnecticutwasexpelledfromtheStateMedicalAssociationforconsultingwith\"——hebegantohesitate,asifhehadnothituponafortunateorappropriateillustration,buthepushedon——\"withhisownwife,whowasaphysicianofyourschool。\"

  Shehaughtilyignoredhisembarrassment。\"Icanappreciateyourdifficulty,andpityanyliberal-mindedpersonwhoisplacedasyouare,anddisapprovesofsuchwretchedbigotry。\"

  \"Iamobligedtotellyou,\"saidDr。Mulbridge,\"thatIdon’tdisapproveofit。\"

  \"Iamdetainingyou,\"saidGrace。\"Ibegyourpardon。Iwascurioustoknowhowfarsuperstitionandpersecutioncangoinourday。\"Iftheepithetswerenotveryaccurate,sheusedthemwithawoman’seffectiveness,andherintentionmadethemdescriptive。\"Good-day,\"sheadded,andshemadeamovementtowardthedoor,fromwhichDr。Mulbridgeretired。Butshedidnotopenthedoor。Instead,shesankintothechairwhichstoodinthecorner,andpassedherhandoverherforehead,asifsheweregiddy。

  Dr。Mulbridge’sfingerwasinstantlyonherwrist。\"Areyoufaint?\"

  \"No,no!\"shegasped,pullingherhandaway。\"Iamperfectlywell。\"

  Thenshewassilentforatimebeforesheaddedbyasupremeeffort,\"I

  havenorighttoendangeranother’slife,throughanymiserablepride,andIneverwill。Mrs。Maynardneedsgreaterexperiencethanmine,andshemusthaveit。Ican’tjustifymyselfinthedelayanduncertaintyofsendingtoBoston。Irelinquishthecase。Igiveittoyou。AndIwillnurseherunderyourdirection,obediently,conscientiously。Oh!\"shecried,athisfailuretomakeanyimmediateresponse,\"surelyyouwon’trefusetotakethecase!\"

  \"Iwon’trefuse,\"hesaid,withaneffectofdifficultconcession。

  \"Iwillcome。Iwilldriveoveratonce,afterdinner。\"

  Sherosenow,andputherhandonthedoor-latch。\"Doyouobjecttomynursingyourpatient?Sheisanoldschoolfriend。ButIcouldyieldthatpointtoo,if\"——

  \"Oh,no,no!Ishallbeonlytoogladofyourhelp,andyour\"——hewasgoingtosayadvice,buthestoppedhimself,andrepeated——\"help。\"

  Theystoodinconclusivelyamoment,asiftheywouldbothbegladofsomethingmoretosay。Thenshesaidtentatively,\"Good-morning,\"andberespondedexperimentally,\"Good-morning\";andwiththattheyinvoluntarilyparted,andshewentoutofthedoor,whichhestoodholdingopenevenaftershehadgotoutofthegate。

  Hismothercamedownthestairs。\"Whatintheworldwereyouquarrellingwiththatgirlabout,Rufus?\"

  \"Wewerenotquarrelling,mother。\"

  \"Well,itsoundedlikeit。Whowasshe?

  \"Who?\"repeatedhersonabsently。\"Dr。Breen。\"

  \"DoctorBreen?Thatgirladoctor?\"

  \"Yes。\"

  \"Ithoughtshewassomesaucything。Well,uponmyword!\"exclaimedMrs。

  Mulbridge。\"Sothatisafemaledoctor,isit?Wasshesick?\"

  \"No,\"saidherson,withwhatsheknewtobeprofessionalfinality。\"

  Mother,ifyoucanhurrydinneralittle,Ishallbeglad。IhavetodriveovertoJocelyn’s,andIshouldliketostartassoonaspossible。\"

  \"Whowastheyoungmanwithher?Herbeau,Iguess。\"

  \"Wasthereayoungmanwithher?\"askedDr。Mulbridge。

  Hismotherwentoutwithout’speaking。Shecouldbeunsatisfactory,too。

  VI。

  NoonebutMrs。Breenknewofherdaughter’serrand,andwhenGracecamebackshealightedfromMr。Libby’sbuggywithanexpressionofthanksthatgavenoclewastothedirectionorpurposeofit。Hetouchedhishattoherwithequalsuccinctness,anddroveaway,includingalltheladiesonthepiazzainacursoryobeisance。

  \"Wemustaskyou,MissGleason,\"saidMrs。Alger。\"YouradmirationofDr。Breenclothesyouwithauthorityandresponsibility。\"

  \"Ican’tunderstanditatall,\"MissGleasonconfessed。\"ButI’msurethere’snothinginit。Heisn’therequal。Shewouldfeelthatitwasn’tright——underthecircumstances。\"

  \"ButifMrs。Maynardwaswellitwouldbeafairgame,youmean,\"saidMrs。Alger。

  \"No,\"returnedMissGleason,withthegreatestairofcandor,\"Ican’tadmitthatImeantthat。\"

  \"Well,\"saidtheelderlady,\"thepresumptionisagainstthem。Everyyoungcoupleseentogethermustbeconsideredinlovetilltheyprovethecontrary。\"

  \"Ilikeitinher,\"saidMrs。Frost。\"Itshowsthatsheishuman,afterall。Itshowsthatsheislikeothergirls。It’sarelief。\"

  \"Sheisn’tlikeothergirls,\"contendedMissGleasondarkly。

  \"IwouldratherhaveMr。Libby’sopinion,\"saidMrs。Merritt。

  GracewenttoMrs。Maynard’sroom,andtoldherthatDr。Mulbridgewascomingdirectlyafterdinner。

  \"Iknewyouwoulddoit!\"criedMrs。Maynard,throwingherrightarmroundGrace’sneck,whilethelatterbentovertofeelthepulseinherleft。\"IknewwhereyouhadgoneassoonasyourmothertoldmeyouhaddrivenoffwithWalterLibby。I’msogladthatyou’vegotsomebodytoconsult!YourtheoriesareperfectlyrightandI’msurethatDr。

  Mulbridgewilljusttellyoutokeeponasyou’vebeendoing。\"

  Gracewithdrewfromhercaress。\"Dr。Mulbridgeisnotcomingforaconsultation。Herefusedtoconsultwithme。\"

  \"Refusedtoconsult?Why,howperfectlyungentlemanly!Whydidherefuse?\"

  \"BecauseheisanallopathistandIamahomoeopathist。\"

  \"Then,whatishecomingfor,Ishouldliketoknow!\"

  \"Ihavegivenupthecasetohim,\"saidGracewearily。

  \"Verywell,then!\"criedMrs。Maynard,\"Iwon’tbegivenup。Iwillsimplydie!Notapill,notapowder,ofhiswillItouch!Ifhethinkshimselftoogoodtoconsultwithanotherdoctor,andaladyatthat,merelybecauseshedoesn’thappentobeallopathist,hecangoalong!

  Ineverheardofanythingsoconceited,sodisgustinglymean,inmylife。

  No,Grace!Why,it’shorrid!\"Shewassilent,andthen,\"Why,ofcourse,\"sheadded,\"ifhecomes,Ishallhavetoseehim。Ilooklikeafright,Isuppose。\"

  \"Iwilldoyourhair,\"saidGrace,withindifferencetothesevowsandprotests;andwithoutdeigningfurtherexplanationorargumentshemadetheinvalid’stoiletforher。Ifgiventime,Mrs。Maynardwouldtalkherselfintoanynecessaryframeofmind,andGracemerelysuppliedthemonosyllabicpromptingsrequisiteforhertransitionfrommoodtomood。

  ItwasherfinalresolutionthatwhenDr。Mulbridgedidcomesheshouldgivehimapieceofhermind;andshereceivedhimwithanxioussubmissiveness,andhunguponallhislooksandwordswithquakingandwithaninclinationtoattributeherunfavorablesymptomstothetreatmentofherformerphysician。Shedidnotsparehimcertainapologiesforthedisorderlyappearanceofherpersonandherroom。

  Gracesatbyandwatchedhimwithperfectlyquiescentobservance。Thelarge,somewhatuncouthmangaveevidencetoherintelligencethathewasallphysician——thathehadnotchosenhisprofessionfromanytheoryormotive,howevergood,buthadbeenasmuchchosenbyitasifhehadbeenbornaPhysician。Hewasincrediblygentleandsoftinallhismovements,andperfectlykind,withoutbeingatanymomentunprofitablysympathetic。Heknewwhentolistenandwhennottolisten,——tolearneverythingfromthequiveringbundleofnervesbeforehimwithoutseemingtohavelearntanythingalarming;hesmiledwhenitwoulddohergoodtobelaughedat,andtreatedherwithsuchgraverespectthatshecouldnotfeelherselftrifledwith,norrememberafterwardsanypointofneglect。

  Whenheroseandleftsomemedicines,withdirectionstoGraceforgivingthemandinstructionsforcontingencies,shefollowedhimfromtheroom。

  \"Well?\"shesaidanxiously。

  \"Mrs。Maynardisthreatenedwithpneumonia。Or,Idon’tknowwhyI

  shouldsaythreatened,\"headded;\"shehaspneumonia。\"

  \"Isupposed——Iwasafraidso,\"falteredthegirl。

  \"Yes。\"Helookedintohereyeswithevenmoreseriousnessthanhespoke。

  \"Hasshefriendshere?\"heasked。

  \"No;herhusbandisinCheyenne,outontheplains。\"

  \"Heoughttoknow,\"saidDr。Mulbridge。\"Agreatdealwilldependuponhernursing——Miss——ah——Dr。Breen。\"

  \"Youneedn’tcallmeDr。Breen,\"saidGrace。\"Atpresent,IamMrs。

  Maynard’snurse。\"

  Heignoredthisashehadignoredeverypointconnectedwiththeinterviewofthemorning。Herepeatedthedirectionshehadalreadygivenwithstillgreaterdistinctness,and,sayingthatheshouldcomeinthemorning,droveaway。ShewentbacktoLouise:inquisitionforinquisition,itwaseasiertomeetthatofherlatepatientthanthatofhermother,andforoncethegirlsparedherself。

  \"IknowhethoughtIwasverybad,\"whimperedMrs。Maynard,forabeginning。\"Whatisthematterwithme?\"

  \"Yourcoldhastakenanacuteform;youwillhavetogotobed。\"

  \"ThenI’mgoingtobedownsick!IknewIwas!Iknewit!AndwhatamIgoingtodo,offinsuchaplaceasthis?Noonetonurseme,orlookafterBella!Ishouldthinkyouwouldbesatisfiednow,Grace,withtheresultofyourconscientiousness:youweresoverysurethatMr。Libbywaswantingtoflirtwithmethatyoudroveustoourdeath,becauseyouthoughthefeltguiltyandwastryingtofiboutofit。\"

  \"Willyouletmehelptoundressyou?\"askedGracegently。\"Bellashallbewelltakencareof,andIamgoingtonurseyoumyself,underDr。

  Mulbridge’sdirection。Andonceforall,Louise,IwishtosaythatI

  holdmyselftoblameforall\"——

  \"Oh,yes!Muchgoodthatdoesnow!\"Beinggotintobed,withthesheetsmoothedunderherchin,shesaid,withtheeffectofdrawingastrictlylogicalconclusionfromthepremises,\"Well,IshouldthinkGeorgeMaynardwouldwanttobewithhisfamily!\"

  Spentwiththisordeal,Graceleftheratlast,andwentoutonthepiazza,whereshefoundLibbyreturned。Infact,hehad,uponsecondthoughts,drivenback,andputuphishorseatJocelyn’s,thathemightbeofservicethereincasehewereneeded。Theladies,withwhomhehadbeenmakingfriends,discreetlylefthimtoGrace,whensheappeared,andshefranklywalkedapartwithhim,andaskedhimifhecouldgoovertoNewLeyden,andtelegraphtoMr。Maynard。

  \"Hassheaskedforhim?\"heinquired,laughing。\"Iknewitwouldcometothat。\"

  \"Shehasnotasked;shehassaidthatshethoughtheoughttobewithhisfamily,\"repeatedGracefaithfully。

  \"Oh,Iknowhowshesaidit:asifhehadgoneawaywilfully,andkeptawayagainstherwishesandalltheclaimsofhonorandduty。Itwouldn’ttakeherlongtogetroundtothatifshethoughtshewasverysick。Isshesobad?\"heinquired,withlightscepticism。

  \"She’sthreatenedwithpneumonia。Wecan’ttellhowbadshemaybe。\"

  \"Why,ofcourseI’lltelegraph。ButIdon’tthinkanythingseriouscanbethematterwithMrs。Maynard。\"

  \"Dr。MulbridgesaidthatMr。Maynardoughttoknow。\"

  \"Isthatso?\"askedLibby,inquiteadifferenttone。Ifsherecognizedthedifference,shewasmeeklyfarfromresentingit;he,however,musthavewishedtorepairhisblunder。\"Ithinkyouneedn’thavegivenupthecasetohim。Ithinkyou’retooconscientiousaboutit。\"

  \"Pleasedon’tspeakofthatnow,\"sheinterposed。

  \"Well,Iwon’t,\"heconsented。\"CanIbeofanyusehereto-night?\"

  \"No,weshallneednothingmore。Thedoctorwillbehereagaininthemorning。\"

  \"Libbydidnotcomeinthemorningtillafterthedoctorhadgone,andthenheexplainedthathehadwaitedtohearinreplytohistelegram,sothattheymighttellMrs。Maynardherhusbandhadstarted;andhehadonlyjustnowheard。

  \"Andhashestarted?\"Graceasked。

  \"Iheardfromhispartner。Maynardwasattheranch。Hispartnerhadgoneforhim。\"

  \"Thenhewillsoonbehere,\"shesaid。

  \"Hewill,iftelegraphingcanbringhim。Isatuphalfthenightwiththeoperator。Shewasveryobligingwhensheunderstoodthecase。\"

  \"She?\"reputedGrace,withaslightfrown。

  \"Theoperatorsarenearlyallwomeninthecountry。\"

  \"Oh!\"Shelookedgrave。\"Cantheytrustyounggirlswithsuchimportantduties?\"

  \"Theydidn’tinthisinstance,\"reliedLibby。\"Shewasaprettyoldgirl。Whatmadeyouthinkshewasyoung?\"

  \"Idon’tknow。Ithoughtyousaidshewasyoung。\"Sheblushed,andseemedabouttosaymore,butshedidnot。

  Hewaited,andthenhesaid,\"YoucantellMrs。MaynardthatI

  telegraphedonmyownresponsibility,ifyouthinkit’sgoingtoalarmher。\"

  \"Well,\"saidGrace,withahelplesssigh。

  \"Youdon’tliketotellherthat,\"hesuggested,afteramoment,inwhichhehadwatchedher。

  \"Howdoyouknow?\"

  \"Oh,Iknow。AndsomedayIwilltellyouhow——ifyouwillletme。\"

  Itseemedaquestion;andshedidnotknowwhatitwasthatkepther——

  silentandbreathlessandhotinthethroat。\"Idon’tliketodoit,\"

  shesaidatlast。\"IhatemyselfwheneverIhavetofeignanything。I

  knewperfectlywellthatyoudidn’tsayshewasyoung,\"shebrokeoutdesperately。

  \"SayMrs。Maynardwasyoung?\"heaskedstupidly。

  \"No!\"shecried。Sherosehastilyfromthebenchwhereshehadbeensittingwithhim。\"Imustgobacktohernow。\"

  Hemountedtohisbuggy,anddrovethoughtfullyawayatawalk。

  Theladies,whoseexcitedsympathiesforMrs。Maynardhadkeptthemfromthebeachtillnow,watchedhimquiteoutofsightbeforetheybegantotalkofGrace。

  \"IhopeDr。Breen’snewpatientwillbemoretractable,\"saidMrs。

  Merritt。\"Itwouldbeapityifshehadtogivehimup,too,toDr。

  Mulbridge。\"

  Mrs。Scottfailedofthepoint。\"Why,isMr。Libbysick?\"

  \"Notvery,\"answeredMrs。Merritt,withatitterofself-applause。

  \"Ishouldbesorry,\"interposedMrs。Algerauthoritatively,\"ifwehadsaidanythingtoinfluencethepoorthinginwhatshehasdone。\"

  \"Oh,Idon’tthinkweneeddistressourselvesaboutundueinfluence!\"

  Mrs。Merrittexclaimed。

  Mrs。Algerchosetoignorethesuggestion。\"Shehadaverydifficultpart;andIthinkshehasactedcourageously。Ialwaysfeelsorryforgirlswhoattemptanythingofthatkind。It’safearfulordeal。\"

  \"ButtheysayMissBreenwasn’tobligedtodoitforaliving,\"Mrs。

  Scottsuggested。

  \"Somuchtheworse,\"saidMrs。Merritt。

  \"No,somuchthebetter,\"returnedMrs。Alger。

  Mrs。Merritt,sittingontheedgeofthepiazza,stoopedoverwithdifficultyandpluckedaglass-straw,whichshebitasshelookedrebelliouslyaway。

  Mrs。FrosthadinstalledherselfasfavoritesinceMrs。Algerhadpraisedherhair。Shenowcameforward,and,droppingfondlyatherknee,lookeduptoherforinstruction。\"Don’tyouthinkthatsheshowedhersenseingivingupattheverybeginning,ifshefoundshewasn’tequaltoit?\"

  Shegaveherheadalittlemovementfromsidetoside,andputthemassofherbackhairmoreonshow。

  \"Perhaps,\"saidMrs。Alger,lookingatthefavoritenotveryfavorably。

  \"Oh,Idon’tthinkshe’sgivenup,\"MissGleasoninterposed,inherbreathlessmanner。Shewaitedtobeaskedwhy,andthensheadded,\"Ithinkshe’sactinginconsultationwithDr。Mulbridge。Hemayhaveacertaininfluenceoverher,——Ithinkhehas;butIknowtheyareactinginunison。\"

  Mrs。Merrittflunghergrass-strawaway。\"PerhapsitistobeDr。

  Mulbridge,afterall,andnotMr。Libby。\"

  \"Ihavethoughtofthat,\"MissGleasonassentedcandidly。\"Yes,Ihavethoughtofthat。Ihavethoughtoftheirbeingconstantlythrowntogether,inthisway。Itwouldnotdiscourageme。Shecouldbequiteastruetohervocationasifsheremainedsingle。Truer。\"

  \"Talkingoftrue,\"saidMrs。Scott,\"alwaysdoesmakemethinkofblue。

  Theysaythatyellowwillbewornoneverythingthiswinter。\"

  \"Oldgold?\"askedMrs。Frost。Yes,morethanever。\"

  \"Dear!\"criedtheotherlady。\"Idon’tknowwhatIshalldo。Itperfectlykillsmyhair。\"

  \"Oh,MissGleason!\"exclaimedtheyounggirl。

  \"Doyoubelieveincharactercomingoutincolor?\"

  \"Yes,certainly。Ihavealwaysbelievedthat。\"

  \"Well,I’vegotafriend,andshewouldn’thaveanythingtodowithagirlthatworemagentamorethanshewouldfly。\"

  \"Ishouldsuppose,\"explainedMissGleason,\"thatallthoseanilinedyesimpliedsomethingcoarseinpeople。\"

  \"Isn’titcurious,\"askedMrs。Frost,\"howred-hairedpeoplehavecomeinfashion?Icanrecollect,whenIwasalittlegirl,thateverybodylaughedatredhair。TherewasonegirlatthefirstschoolIeverwentto,——theboysusedtopretendtoburntheirfingersatherhair。\"

  \"IthinkDr。Breen’shairisaveryprettyshadeofbrown,\"saidtheyounggirl。

  Mrs。Merrittrosefromtheedgeofthepiazza。\"Ithinkthatifshehasn’tgivenuptohimentirelyshe’sthemostsubmissiveconsultingphysicianIeversaw,\"shesaid,andwalkedoutoverthegrasstowardsthecliff。

  Theladieslookedafterher。\"IsMrs。Merrittmorepudgywhenshe’ssittingdownorwhenshe’sstandingup?\"askedMrs。Scott。

  MissGleasonseizedherfirstchanceofspeakingwithGracealone。

  \"Oh,doyouknowhowmuchyouaredoingforusall?\"

  \"Doingforyou,all?Howdoing?\"falteredGrace,whomshehadwhisperinglyhaltedinacornerofthehallleadingfromthedining-room。

  \"Byactinginunison,——bysolvingthemostperplexingprobleminwomen’spractisingyourprofession。Shepassedtheedgeofherfanoverherlipsbeforelettingitfallfurleduponherlefthand,andlookedluminouslyintoGrace’seyes。

  \"Idon’tatallknowwhatyoumean,MissGleason,\"saidtheother。

  MissGleasonkickedouttheskirtofherdress,soastoleaveherselfperfectlyfreefortheexplanation。\"Practisinginharmonywithaphysicianoftheothersex。Ihavealwaysfeltthattherewasthegreatdifficulty,——howtobringthatabout。IhavealwaysfeltthattheTRUE

  physicianmustbeDUAL,——haveboththewoman’snatureandtheman’s;thewoman’stendertouch,theman’sfirmgrasp。Youhaveshownhowthemedicaleducationofwomencanmeetthiswant。Thephysiciancanactuallybedual,——betwo,infact。Hereafter,Ihavenodoubtweshallalwayscallaphysicianofeachsex。Butit’swonderfulhowyoucouldeverbringitabout,thoughyoucandoanything!Hasn’titwornuponyou?\"MissGleasondartedouthersentencesinquick,shortbreaths,fixingGracewithhereyes,andateachclausenervouslytappingherchestwithherreopenedfan。

  \"Ifyousuppose,\"saidGrace,\"thatDr。MulbridgeandIareactingprofessionallyinunison,asyoucallit,youaremistaken。Hehasentirechargeofthecase;Igaveituptohim,andIammerelynursingMrs。Maynardunderhisdirection。\"

  \"Howsplendid!\"MissGleasonexclaimed。\"DoyouknowthatIadmireyouforgivingup,——forknowingwhentogiveup?Sofewwomendothat!

  Isn’themagnificent?\"

  \"Magnificent?\"

  \"Imeanpsychically。HeiswhatIshouldcallastrongsoulYoumusthavefelthismasterfulness;youmusthaveenjoyedit!Don’tyouliketobedominated?\"

  \"No,\"saidGrace,\"Ishouldn’tatalllikeit。\"

  \"Oh,Ido!Iliketomeetoneofthoseforcefulmasculinenaturesthatsimplybidyouobey。It’sdelicious。Suchasenseofself-surrender,\"

  MissGleasonexplained。\"Itisn’tbecausetheyaremen,\"sheadded。

  \"Ihavefeltthesameinfluencefromsomewomen。Ifeltit,inacertaindegree,onfirstmeetingyou。\"

  \"Iamverysorry,\"saidGracecoldly。\"Ishoulddislikebeingcontrolledmyself,andIshoulddislikestillmoretocontrolothers。\"

  \"You’redoingitnow!\"criedMissGleason,withdelight。\"Icouldnotdoathingtoresistyourputtingmedown!Ofcourseyoudon’tknowthatyou’redoingit;it’spurelyinvoluntary。Andyouwouldn’tknowthathewasdominatingyou。Andhewouldn’t。\"

  VeryprobablyDr。Mulbridgewouldnothaverecognizedhimselfinthecharacterofall-compellinglady’s-novelhero,whichMissGleasonimaginedforhim。Lifepresenteditselfrathersimplytohim,asitdoestomostmen,andheeasilydismisseditssubtlerproblemsfromamindpreoccupiedwithactivecares。AsfarasGracewasconcerned,shehadcertainlyrousedinhimanunusualcuriosity;nothinglessthanherhomoeopathywouldhavemadehimwithdrawhisconsenttoaconsultationwithher,andhisfearhadbeenthatinhisrefusalsheshouldescapefromhisdesiretoknowmoreabouther,hermotives,herpurposes。Hehadacceptedwithoutscruplethesacrificeofprideshehadmadetohim;

  buthehadknownhowtoappreciateherscientifictraining,whichhefoundasrespectableasthatofanyclever,youngmanoftheirprofession。Hepraised,inhisway,theperfectionwithwhichsheinterpretedhisactionsandintentionsinregardtothepatient。

  \"Ifthereweresuchnursesasyou,MissBreen,therewouldbeverylittleneedofdoctors,\"hesaid,withasortofinterogativefashionoflaughingpeculiartohim。

  \"Ithoughtofbeinganurseonce;\"sheanswered。\"PerhapsImaystillbeone。Thescientifictrainingwon’tbelost。\"

  \"Oh,no?It’sapitythatmoreofthemhaven’tit。ButIsupposetheythinknursingisrathertoohumbleanambition。\"

  \"Idon’tthinkitso,\"saidGracebriefly。

  \"Thenyoudidn’tcareformedicaldistinction。\"

  \"No。\"

  Helookedatherquizzically,asifthisweremuchdrollerthanifshehadcared。\"Idon’tunderstandwhyyoushouldhavegoneintoit。

  Youtoldme,Ithink,thatitwasrepugnanttoyou;andit’shardworkforawoman,andveryuncertainworkforanyone。Youmusthavehadatremendousdesiretobenefityourrace。\"

  Hischaracterizationofhermotivewassodistastefulthatshemadenoreply,andlefthimtohisconjectures,inwhichhedidnotappearunhappy。\"HowdoyoufindMrs。Maynardto-day?\"sheasked。

  Helookedatherwithaninstantcoldness,asifhedidnotlikeherasking,andwerehesitatingwhethertoanswer。Buthesaidatlast,\"Sheisnobetter。Shewillbeworsebeforesheisbetter。Yousee,\"headded,\"thatIhaven’tbeenabletoarrestthedisorderinitsfirststage。Wemusthopeforwhatcanbedonenow,inthesecond。\"

  ShehadgatheredfromthehalfjocoseeasewithwhichhehadlistenedtoMrs。Maynard’saccountofherself,andtoherownreport,anencouragementwhichnowfelltotheground\"Yes,\"sheassented,inherdespair,\"thatistheonlyhope。\"

  Hesatbesidethetableinthehotelparlor,wheretheyfoundthemselvesaloneforthemoment,anddrubbeduponitwithanabsentlook。\"Haveyousentforherhusband?\"heinquired,returningtohimself。

  \"Yes;Mr。Libbytelegraphedtheeveningwesawyou。\"

  \"That’sgood,\"saidDr。Mulbridge,withcomfortableapproval;andherosetogoaway。

  Graceimpulsivelydetainedhim。\"I——won’t——askyouwhetheryouconsiderMrs。Maynard’scaseaseriousone,ifyouobjecttomydoingso。\"

  \"Idon’tknowthatIobject,\"hesaidslowly,withateasingsmile,suchasonemightusewithapersistentchildwhomonechosetobaffleinthatway。

  Shedisdainedtoavailherselfoftheimpliedpermission。\"WhatImean——

  whatIwishtotellyouis——thatIfeelmyselfresponsibleforhersickness,andthatifshedies,Ishallbeguiltyofherdeath。\"

  \"Ah?\"saidDr。Mulbridge,withmoreinterest,butthesamesmile。

  \"Whatdoyoumean?\"

  \"Shedidn’twishtogothatdaywhenshewascaughtinthestorm。ButI

  insisted;Iforcedhertogo。\"Shestoodpantingwiththeintensityofthefeelingwhichhadimpelledherutterance。

  \"Whatdoyoumeanbyforcinghertogo?\"

  \"Idon’tknow。I——I——persuadedher。\"

  Dr。Mulbridgesmiled,asifheperceivedherintentionnottotellhimsomethingshewishedtotellhim。Helookeddownintohishat,whichhecarriedinhishand。

  \"Didyoubelievethestormwascoming?\"

  \"No!\"

  \"Andyoudidn’tmakeitcome?\"

  \"Ofcoursenot!\"

  Helookedatherandlaughed。

  \"Oh,youdon’tatallunderstand!\"shecried。

  \"I’mnotadoctorofdivinity,\"hesaid。\"Goodmorning。\"

  \"Wait,wait!\"sheimplored,\"I’mafraid——Idon’tknow——Perhapsmybeingnearherisinjurioustoher;perhapsIoughttoletsomeoneelsenurseher。Iwishedtoaskyouthis\"——Shestoppedbreathlessly。

  \"Idon’tthinkyouhavedoneheranyharmasyet,\"heansweredlightly。

  \"However,\"hesaid,afteramoment’sconsideration,\"whydon’tyoutakeaholiday?Someoftheotherladiesmightlookafterherawhile。\"

  \"Doyoureallythink,\"shepalpitated,\"thatImight?DoyouthinkI

  ought?I’mafraidIoughtn’t\"——

  \"Notifyourdevotionishurtfultoher?\"heasked。\"Sendsomeoneelsetoherforawhile。Anyonecantakecareofherforafewhours。\"

  \"Icouldn’tleaveher——feelingasIdoabouther。\"

  \"Idon’tknowhowyoufeelabouther,\"saidDr。Mulbridge。\"Butyoucan’tgoonatthisrate。Ishallwantyourhelpbyandby,andMrs。

  Maynarddoesn’tneedyounow。Don’tgobacktoher。\"

  \"ButifsheshouldgetworsewhileIamaway\"——

  \"Youthinkyourstayingandfeelingbadwouldmakeherbetter?Don’tgoback,\"herepeated;andhewentouttohisuglyrawbonedhorse,and,mountinghisshabbywagon,rattledaway。Shelingered,indescribablyputtoshamebythebrutalcommonsensewhichshecouldnotimpeach,butwhichshestillfeltwasnomeasureofthecase。Itwastruethatshehadnottoldhimeverything,andshecouldnotcomplainthathehadmockedherappealforsympathyifshehadtrifledwithhimbyapartialconfession。Butsheindignantlydeniedtoherselfthatshehadwishedtoappealtohimforsympathy。

  Shewanderedoutonthepiazza,whichshefoundempty,andstoodgazingattheseainareveryofpassionatehumiliation。Shewasinthatmood,familiartousall,whenwelongtobeconsoledandevenflatteredforhavingbeensilly。Inawomanthismoodisneartotears;atatouchofkindnessthetearscome,andmomentousquestionsaredecided。Whatwasperhapsuppermostinthegirl’sheartwasadetestationofthemantowhomshehadseemedasimpleton;herthoughtspursuedhim,anddivinedthecontemptwithwhichhemustbethinkingofherandherpretensions。

  Sheheardstepsonthesand,andLibbycameroundthecornerofthehousefromthestable。

  VII。

  Libby’sfriendshadbrokenuptheircamponthebeach,andhadgonetoalakeintheheartofthewoodsforthefishing。HehadtakenaroomattheLongBeachHouse,buthespentmostofhistimeatJocelyn’s,wherehekepthismareforuseingoinguponerrandsforMrs。Maynard。Gracesawhimconstantly,andhewasalwaysdoinglittlethingsforherwithadivinationofherunexpresseddesireswhichwomenfindtoorarelyinmen。

  Hebroughtherflowers,which,afterrefusingthemforMrs。Maynardthefirsttime,sheacceptedforherself。Hesometimesbroughtherbooks,thelightsortwhichformthesentimentalcurrencyofyoungpeople,andshelentthemroundamongtheotherladies,whowereinsatiableofthem。

  Shetookapleasureintheseattentions,asiftheyhadbeenforsomeoneelse。Inthisaliensenseshelikedtobefollowedupwithachairtothepointwhereshewishedtosit;tohaveherhatfetched,orhershawl;

  todropherworkorherhandkerchief,securethatitwouldbepickedupforher。

  Itallinterestedher,anditwasarelieffromthecircumstancesthatwouldhaveforbiddenhertorecognizeitasgallantry,evenifherownmindhadnotbeensofarfromallthoughtofthat。Hiskindnessfollowedoftenuponsomeapplicationofhersforhisadviceorhelp,forshehadfallenintothehabitofgoingtohimwithdifficulties。Hehadapromptcommonsensethatmadehimveryusefulinemergencies,andasympathyoraninsightthatwasquickinsuggestionsandexpedients。Perhapssheoverratedotherqualitiesofhisinheradmirationofthepracticalreadinesswhichkepthisamiabilityfromseemingweak。Butthepracticalhadsooftenbeentheunattainablewithherthatitwasnotstrangesheshouldoverrateit,andthatsheshouldrestuponitinhimwithatrustthatincludedallhechosetodoinherbehalf。

  \"Whatisthematter,Mr。Libby?\"sheasked,ashecametowardher。

  \"Isanythingthematter?\"hedemandedinturn。

  \"Yes;youarelookingdowncast,\"shecriedreproachfully。

  \"Ididn’tknowthatImustn’tlookdowncast。Ididn’tsupposeitwouldbeverypolite,underthecircumstances,togoroundlookingasbobbishasIfeel。\"

  \"It’sthebestthingyoucouldpossiblydo。Butyou’renotfeelingverybobbishnow。\"Awomanrespectsthewordamanuses,notbecauseshewouldhavechosenit,butbecauseshethinksthathehasanexactintentioninit,whichcouldnotbereconveyedinamorefemininephrase。

  Inthiswayslangarises。\"Isn’tittimeforMr。Maynardtobehere?\"

  \"Yes,\"heanswered。Then,\"HowdidyouknowIwasthinkingofthat?\"

  \"Ididn’t。Ionlyhappenedtothinkitwastime。Whatareyoukeepingback,Mr。Libby?\"shepursuedtremulously。

  \"Nothing,uponmyhonor。Ialmostwishthereweresomethingtokeepback。Butthereisn’tanything。Therehaven’tbeenanyaccidentsreported。AndIshouldn’tkeepanythingbackfromyou。\"

  \"Why?\"

  \"Becauseyouwouldbeequaltoit,whateveritwas。\"

  \"Idon’tseewhyyousaythat。\"Sheweaklyfoundcomfortinthepraisewhichshemightoncehaveresentedaspatronage。

  \"Idon’tseewhyIshouldn’t,\"heretorted:

  \"BecauseIamnotfittobetrustedatall。\"

  \"Doyoumean\"——

  \"Oh,Ihaven’tthestrength,tomeananything,\"shesaid。\"ButIthankyou,thankyouverymuch,\"sheadded。Sheturnedherheadaway。

  \"ConfoundMaynard!\"criedtheyoungman。\"Idon’tseewhyhedoesn’tcome。Hemusthavestartedfourdaysago。Heoughttohave’hadsenseenoughtotelegraphwhenhedidstart。Ididn’ttellhispartnertoaskhim。Youcan’tthinkofeverything。I’vebeentryingtofindoutsomething。I’mgoingovertoLeyden,now,totrytowakeupsomebodyinCheyennewhoknowsMaynard。\"HelookedruefullyatGrace,wholistenedwithanxiousunintelligence。\"You’regettingwornout,MissBreen,\"hesaid。\"IwishIcouldaskyoutogowithmetoLeyden。Itwoulddoyougood。Butmymare’sfallenlame;I’vejustbeentoseeher。IsthereanythingIcandoforyouoverthere?\"

  \"Why,howareyougoing?\"sheasked。

  \"Inmyboat,\"heansweredconsciously。

  \"Thesameboat?\"

  \"Yes。I’vehadherputtorights。Shewasn’tmuchdamaged。\"

  Shewassilentamoment,whilehestoodlookingdownatherinthechairintowhichshehadsunk。\"Doesittakeyoulong?\"

  \"Oh,no。It’sshorterthanitisbyland。Ishallhavethetidewithmebothways。Icanmaketherunthereandbackinacoupleofhours。\"

  \"Twohours?\"

  \"Yes。\"

  Asuddenimpulse,unreasonedandunreasonable,inwhichthereseemedhopeofsomesuchatonement,orexpiation,asthesameasceticnaturewouldoncehavefoundinfastingorthescourge,prevailedwithher。Sherose。

  \"Mr。Libby,\"shepanted,\"ifyouwillletme,Ishouldliketogowithyouinyourboat。Doyouthinkitwillberough?\"

  \"No,it’salightbreeze;justright。Youneedn’tbeafraid。\"

  \"I’mnotafraid。Ishouldnotcareifitwererough!Ishouldnotcareifitstormed!Ihopeit——IwillaskmothertostaywithMrs。Maynard。\"

  Mrs。BreenhadnotbeenpleasedtohaveherdaughterinchargeofMrs。

  Maynard’scase,butshehadnotlikedhergivingitup。ShehadsaidmorethanoncethatshehadnofaithinDr。Mulbridge。ShewillinglyconsentedtoGrace’sprayer,andwentdownintoMrs。Maynard’sroom,andinsinuatedmisgivingsinwhichthesickwomanfoundsomuchreasonthattheybeganforthefirsttimetorecognizeeachother’sgoodqualities。

  Theydecidedthatthetreatmentwasnotsufficientlyactive,andthatsheshouldeitherhavesomethingthatwouldbemorelooseningtothecough,orsomeapplication——likemustardplasters——toherfeet,soastotakeawaythatstuffedfeelingaboutthehead。

  Atthathouroftheafternoon,whenmostoftheladieswerelyingdownintheirrooms,GracemetnooneonthebeachbutMissGleasonandMrs。

  Alger,whorosefromtheirbedsofsandunderthecliffatherpassagewithMr。Libbytohisdory。

  \"Don’tyouwanttogotoLeyden?\"heaskedjocoselyoverhisshoulder。

  \"Youdon’tmeantosayyou’regoing?\"MissGleasondemandedofGrace。

  \"Yes,certainly。Whynot?\"

  \"Well,youarebrave!\"

  Sheshuthernoveluponherthumb,thatshemighthavenothingtodobutadmireGrace’scourage,asthegirlwalkedaway。

  \"Itwilldohergood,poorthing,\"saidtheelderwoman。\"Shelookswretchedly。\"

  \"Icanunderstandjustwhyshedoesit,\"murmuredMissGleasoninadoringrapture。

  \"Ihopeshedoesitforpleasure,\"saidMrs。Alger。

  \"Itisn’tthat,\"returnedMissGleasonmysteriously。

  \"Atanyrate,Mr。Libbyseemedpleased。\"

  \"Oh,shewouldnevermarryHIM!\"saidMissGleason。

  Theotherlaughed,andatthatmomentGracealsolaughed。Thestrong~currentofherpurpose,thesenseofescapefromthebitterservitudeofthepastweek,andthewildhopeoffinalexpiationthroughthechancesshewastemptinggaveherabuoyancylongunfelt。Shelaughedingayetyofheartasshehelpedtheyoungmandrawhisdorydownthesand,andthentookherplaceatoneendwhilehegaveitthelastpushandthenleapedinattheother。Hepulledouttowheretheboatlaytiltingatanchor,andheldthedoryalongsidebythegunwalethatshemightstepaboard。Butafterrisingshefaltered,lookingintentlyattheboatasifshemissedsomethingthere。

  \"Ithoughtyouhadamantosailyourboat\"

  \"Ihad。ButIlethimgolastweek。PerhapsIoughttohavetoldyou,\"

  hesaid,lookingupatheraslant。\"Areyouafraidtotrustmyseamanship?Adamswasamereform。Hebehavedlikeafoolthatday。\"

  \"Oh,I’mnotafraid,\"saidGrace。Shesteppedfromthedoryintotheboat,andheflungoutthedory’sanchorandfollowed。Thesailwentupwithapleasantcluckingofthetackle,andthelightwindfilledit。

  Libbymadethesheetfast,and,sittingdowninthesternontheotherside,tookthetillerandheadedtheboattowardthetownthatshimmeredinthedistance。Thewaterhissedatthebow,andseethedandsparkledfromthestern;thelandbreezethatbenttheirsailblewcooluponhercheekandfresheneditwithatingeofcolor。

  \"Thiswilldoyougood,\"hesaid,lookingintoherswithhiskind,gayeyes。

  Thecolorinhercheeksdeepenedalittle。\"Oh,IambetterthanIlook。

  Ididn’tcomefor\"——

  \"Formedicinalpurposes。Well,Iamgladofit。We’veagoodhourbetweenusandnewsornonewsfromMaynard,andIshouldliketothinkwewereoutforpleasure。Youdon’tobject?\"

  \"No。Youcanevensmoke,ifthatwillheightentheillusion。\"

  \"Itwillmakeitreality。Butyoudon’tmeanit?\"

  \"Yes;whynot?\"

  \"Idon’tknow。ButIcouldn’thavedreamtofsmokinginyourpresence。

  Andwetakethelibertytodreamverystrangethings。\"

  \"Yes,\"shesaid,\"it’sshockingwhatthingswedodreamofpeople。ButamIsoforbidding?\"sheasked,alittlesadly。

  \"Notnow,\"saidLibby。Hegotoutapouchoftobaccoandsomecigarettepapers,andputtingthetillerunderhisarm,hemadehimselfacigarette。

  \"Youseeminterested,\"hesaid,asheliftedhiseyesfromhiswork,onwhichhefoundherintent,andstruckhisfusee。

  \"Iwasadmiringyourskill,\"sheanswered。

  \"DoyouthinkitwasworthavoyagetoSouthAmerica?\"

  \"Ishouldn’thavethoughtthevoyagewasnecessary。\"

  \"Oh,perhapsyouthinkyoucandoit,\"hesaid,handingherthetobaccoandpapers。Shetookthemandmadeacigarette。\"Ittookmeawholedaytolearntomakebadones,andthis,isbeautiful。ButIwillneversmokeit。Iwillkeepthisalways。\"

  \"Youhadbettersmokeit,ifyouwantmore,\"shesaid。

  \"Willyoumakesomemore?Ican’tsmokethefirstone!\"

  \"Thensmokethelast,\"shesaid,offeringhimthethingsback。

  \"No,goon。I’llsmokeit。\"

  Shelentherselftotheidlehumorofthetime,andwentonmakingcigarettestilltherewerenomorepapers。Fromtimetotimeshelookedupfromthislabor,andscannedthebeautifulbay,whichtheyhadalmostwhollytothemselves。Theypassedacollierlagginginthedeepchannel,andsignallingforapilottotakeheruptothetown。Ayacht,trimandswift,cutacrosstheircourse;theladiesonboardwavedasalutationwiththeirhandkerchiefs,andLibbyresponded。

  \"Doyouknowthem?\"askedGrace。

  \"No!\"helaughed。\"Butladiesliketotaketheselibertiesatasafedistance。\"

  \"Yes,that’saspecimenofwoman’sdaring,\"shesaid,withaself-

  scornfulcurlofthelip,whichpresentlysoftenedintoawistfulsmile。

  \"Howlovelyitallis!\"shesighed。

  \"Yes,there’snothingbetterinalltheworldthanasail。Itisalltheworldwhileitlasts。Aboat’slikeyourownfiresideforsnugness。\"

  Adreamierlightcameintohereye,whichwandered,withaturnoftheheadgivinghimthetendercurveofhercheek,overthelevelsofthebay,roughenedeverywherebythebreeze,butyellowishgreeninthechannelsanddarkwiththethickgrowthofeel-grassintheshallows;

  thensheliftedherfacetothepaleblueheavensinaneffortthatslantedtowardshimthesoftroundofherchin,andshowedherfullthroat。

  \"Thisisthekindofafternoon,\"shesaid,stilllookingatthesky,\"thatyouthinkwillneverend。\"

  \"Iwishitwouldn’t,\"heanswered。

  Sheloweredhereyestohis,andasked:\"Doyouhavetimeswhenyouaresorrythatyouevertriedtodoanything——whenitseemsfoolishtohavetried?\"

  \"Ihavetheotherkindoftimes,——whenIwishthatIhadtriedtodosomething。\"

  \"Ohyes,Ihavethose,too。It’swholesometobeashamedofnothavingtriedtodoanything;buttobeashamedofhavingtried——it’slikedeath。

  Thereseemsnorecoveryfromthat。\"

  Hedidnottakeadvantageofherconfession,ortrytotempthertofurtherconfidence;andwomenlikemenwhohavethiswisdom,orthisinstinctivegenerosity,andtrustthemfurther。

  \"Andtheworstofitisthatyoucan’tgobackandbelikethosethathavenevertriedatall。Ifyoucould,thatwouldbesomeconsolationforhavingfailed。Thereisnothingleftofyoubutyourmistake。\"

  \"Well,\"hesaid,\"somepeoplearenotevenmistakes。Isupposethatalmostanysortofsuccesslooksagooddeallikefailurefromtheinside。Itmustbeapoorcreaturethatcomesuptohisownmark。Thebestwayisnottohaveanymark,andthenyou’reinnodangerofnotcominguptoit。\"Helaughed,butshesmiledsadly。

  \"Youdon’tbelieveinthinkingaboutyourself,\"shesaid。

  \"Oh,Itryalittleintrospection,nowandthen。ButIsoongetthrough:

  thereisn’tmuchofmetothinkabout。\"

  \"No,don’ttalkinthatway,\"shepleaded,andshewasverycharminginherearnestness:itwastherethathercharmlay。\"Iwantyoutobeseriouswithme,andtellme——tellmehowmenfeelwhen。\"——

  Asuddensplashingstartledher,andlookingroundshesawamultitudeofcurious,great-eyed,blackheads,somethingliketheheadsofboys,andsomethingliketheheadsofdogs,thrustingfromthewater,andflashingunderitagainatsightofthemwithaswishthatsentthesprayintotheair。Shesprangtoherfeet。\"Oh,lookatthosethings!Lookatthem!

  Lookatthem!\"Shelaidvehementhandsupontheyoungman,andpushedhiminthedirectioninwhichshewishedhimtolook,atsomeriskofpushinghimoverboard,whilehelaughedatherecstasy。

  \"They’reseals。Thebay’sfullofthem。DidyouneverseethemonthereefatJocelyn’s?\"

  \"Ineversawthembefore!\"shecried。\"Howwonderfultheyare!Oh!\"sheshouted;asoneofthemglancedsadlyatheroveritsshoulder,andthenvanishedwithawhirlofthehead。\"TheBeatriceCenciattitude!\"

  \"They’realwaystryingthat,\"saidLibby。\"Lookyonder。\"Hepointedtoabankofmudwhichthetidehadnotyetcovered,andwhereaherdofsealslaybaskinginthesun。Theystartedathisvoice,andwrigglingandtwistingandbumpingthemselvesovertheearthtothewater’sedge,theyplungedin。\"Theirwalkisn’tsogracefulastheirswim。Wouldyoulikeoneforapet,MissBreen?That’sallthey’regoodforsincekerosenecamein。Theycan’tcompetewiththat,andthey’renotthekindthatwearthecloaks。\"

  Shewasstandingwithherhandpressedharduponhisshoulder。

  \"Didtheyeverkillthem?\"

  \"Theyusedtotakethatprecaution。\"

  \"Withthoseeyes?Itwasmurder!\"Shewithdrewherhandandsatdown。

  \"Well,theyonlycatchthem,now。Itrieditmyselfonce。Isetoutatlowtide,aboutteno’clock,onenight,andgotbetweenthewaterandthebiggestsealonthebank。Wefoughtitoutonthatlinetilldaylight。\"

  \"Anddidyougetit?\"shedemanded,absurdlyinterested。

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