\"Vicar，\"saysoldBenny，\"hecan’trefusetomarrynoman。Lawwon’tlethim。\"Suchrefusal，heintimates，mightdrivehimtowildandriotousliving。RememberinghislastviewofoldBennytotteringdownthevillagestreetinhiswhitesmock，hisnut—crackerfacelikeawitheredrosyapple，hisgnarledhandgraspingtheknottedstaffhisbentbodyleanedon，MountDunstangrinnedalittle。HedidnotsmilewhenPenzancepassedtotherestorationoftheancientchurchatMellowdene。\"Restoration\"usuallymeantthetearingawayofancientoaken，high—backedpews，andtheinstalmentofsmugnewbenches，suggestingsuburbanDissentingchapels，suchasthefeudalsoulrevoltsat。NeitherdidhesmileatareferencetothegatheringatDunholmCastle，whichwastwelvemilesaway。Dunholmwasthepossessionofamanwhostoodforallthatwasfirstandhighestintheland，dignity，learning，exaltedcharacter，generosity，honour。HeandthelateLordMountDunstanhadbeenborninthesameyear，andhadsucceededtotheirtitlesalmostatthesametime。
Therehadarrivedaperiodwhentheyhadceasedtoknoweachother。Allthattheonemanintrinsicallywas，theothermanwasnot。Allthattheoneestate，itscastle，itsvillage，itstenantry，represented，wastheantipodesofthatwhichtheotherstoodfor。Theonepossessionhelditsplaceasilent，andperhaps，unconsciousreproachtotheother。Amongtheguests，formingthelargehousepartywhichLondonsocialnewshadalreadyrecordedinitscolumns，weregreatandhonourablepersons，andinterestingones，menandwomenwhocountedasfactorsinallgoodanddignifiedthingsaccomplished。EveninthepresentMountDunstan’schildhood，peopleoftheirworldhadceasedtocrosshisfather’sthreshold。Asoneortwoofthemostnoticeablenameswerementioned，mentallyherecalledthis，andPenzance，quicktoseethethoughtinhiseyes，changedthesubject。
\"AtStornhamvillageanunexpectedthinghashappened，\"
hesaid。\"OneoftherelativesofLadyAnstruthershassuddenlyappeared——asister。YoumayrememberthatthepoorwomanwassaidtobethedaughterofsomerichAmerican，anditseemedunexplainablethatnoneofherfamilyeverappeared，andthingswereallowedtogofrombadtoworse。Asitwasunderstoodthattherewassomuchmoneypeopleweremystifiedbytheconditionofthings。\"
\"Anstruthershashadmoneytosquander，\"saidMountDunstan。\"Tenhamandhewereintimates。Themoneyhespendsisnodoubthiswife’s。Asherfamilydesertedhershehasnoonetodefendher。\"
\"Certainlyherfamilyhasseemedtoneglectherforyears。
Perhapstheyweredisappointedinhisposition。ManyAmericansareextremelyambitious。Theseinternationalmarriagesareoftensingularthings。Now——apparentlywithouthavingbeenexpected——thesisterappears。Vanderpoelisthename——
MissVanderpoel。\"
\"IcrossedtheAtlanticwithherintheMeridiana，\"saidMountDunstan。
\"Indeed！Thatisinteresting。Youdidnot，ofcourse，knowthatshewascominghere。\"
\"Iknewnothingofherbutthatshewasasaloonpassengerwithasuiteofstaterooms，andIwasinthesecondcabin。
Nothing？Thatisnotquitetrue，perhaps。Stewardsandpassengersgossip，andonecannotcloseone’sears。Ofcourseoneheardconstantreiterationofthenumberofmillionsherfatherpossessed，andthenumberofcabinsshemanagedtooccupy。Duringtheconfusionandalarmofthecollision，wespoketoeachother。\"
Hedidnotmentiontheotheroccasiononwhichhehadseenher。
Thereseemed，onthewhole，nospecialreasonwhyheshould。
\"Thenyouwouldrecogniseher，ifyousawher。Iheardto—daythatsheseemsanunusualyoungwoman，andhasbeauty。\"
\"Hereyesandlashesareremarkable。Sheistall。TheAmericansaresettingupanewtype。\"
\"Yes，theyusedtosendoverslender，fragilelittlewomen。
LadyAnstrutherswasthetype。Iconfesstoaninterestinthesister。\"
\"Why？\"
\"Shehasmadeacuriousimpression。Shehasbeguntodothings。
Stornhamvillagehaslostitsbreath。\"Helaughedalittle。
\"Shehasbeengoingovertheplaceanddiscussingrepairs。\"
MountDunstanlaughedalso。Herememberedwhatshehadsaid。Andshehadactuallybegun。
\"Thatispractical，\"hecommented。
\"Itisreallyinteresting。Whyshouldayoungwomanturnherattentiontorepairs？Ifithadbeenherfather——theomnipotentMr。Vanderpoel——whohadappeared，onewouldnothavewonderedatsuchpracticalactivity。Butayounglady——withremarkableeyelashes！\"
Hiselbowswereonthearmofhischair，andhehadplacedthetipsofhisfingerstogether，wearinganexpressionofsuchabsorbedcontemplationthatMountDunstanlaughedagain。
\"Youlookquitedreamyoverit，\"hesaid。
\"Italluresme。Unknownquantitiesincharacteralwaysallureme。Ishouldliketoknowher。Acommunitylikethisismadeupoftheabsolutelyknownquantity——oftypesrepeatingthemselvesthroughcenturies。Anewoneisalmostastartlingthing。Gossipoverteacupsisnotusuallyentertainingtome，butIfoundmyselflisteningtolittleMissLauraBrunelthisafternoonwithrathermarkedattention。I
confesstohavinggonesofarastomakeaninquiryorso。SirNigelAnstruthersisnotoftenatStornham。Heisawaynow。
Itisplainlynothewhoisinterestedinrepairs。\"
\"HeisontheRiviera，inretreat，inaplaceheisfondof，\"MountDunstansaiddrily。\"Hetookacompanionwithhim。Anewinfatuation。Hewillnotreturnsoon。\"
CHAPTERXIX
SPRINGINBONDSTREET
ThevisittoLondonwaspartofanevolutionofbothbodyandmindtoRosalieAnstruthers。Inoneofthewonderfulmodernhotelsasuiteofroomswasengagedforthem。TheluxurywhichsurroundedthemwasnotoftheorderRosaliehadvaguelyconnectedwithhotels。Hotel—keepershadapparentlylearnedmanythingsduringtheyearsofherseclusion。
Vanderpoels，atleast，couldsoestablishthemselvesasnottogreatlyfeelthehotelatmosphere。Carefullychosencolourstextures，andappointmentsformedthebackgroundoftheirdays，thefoodtheyatewasathingproducedbyart，theservantswhoattendedthemwerecompletely—trainedmechanisms。
Tositbyawindowandwatchthekaleidoscopichumantidepassingbyonitswaytoitspleasure，toreachitswork，tospenditsmoneyinunendingshops，toshowitselfanditsequipageinthepark，wasawonderfulthingtoLadyAnstruthers。
ItallseemedtobeapartofthelifeandqualityofBetty，littleBetty，whomshehadrememberedonlyasachild，andwhohadcometoheratall，strongyoungbeauty，whohad——itwasresplendentlyclear——neverknownafearinherlife，andwhosemerepersonalityhadtheeffectofmakingfearsseemunreal。
Shewastakenoutinaluxuriouslittlebroughamtoshopswhosevariedallurementswereplacedeagerlyatherdisposal。
Respectfulpersons，obedienttohermostfaintly—expresseddesire，displayedgarmentsaswonderfulasthosetheNewYorktrunkshadrevealed。Shewasbesoughttoconsiderthefitnessofarticleswhoseexquisitenessshewasalmostafraidtolookat。
Herthinlittlebodywaswonderfullyfitted，managed，encouragedtomakethemostofitslong—ignoredoutlines。
\"Herladyship’sslendernessisagreatadvantage，\"saidthewiselyincitingones。\"Thereisnosuchadvantageasdelicacyofline。\"
Summingupthecharacteroftheircustomerwiththesales—
woman’seye，theyrealisedthediscretionofturningtoMissVanderpoelforencouragement，thoughshewastheyoungerofthetwo，andborenotitle。Theywereawareoftheexistenceofpersonsofrankwhowerenotlavishpatrons，butthenameofVanderpoelheldmostpromisingsuggestions。ToanEnglishshopkeepertheAmericanhas，oflateyears，representedthespender——thetypewhich，whatsoeveritsrankandresources，has，mysteriously，alwaysmoneytohandovercountersinexchangeforthingsitchancestodesiretopossess。EachyearsurgesacrosstheAtlanticahordeofthesefortunatepersons，who，tothesober，commercialBritishmind，appeartobefreetodevotetheirexistencestotravelandexpenditure。Thiscontingentappearsshoppinginthevariousshoppingthoroughfares；itbuysclothes，jewels，miscellaneousattractivethings，makingitspurchasesofarticlesusefulordecorativewithafreedomfromanxietyinitsenjoymentwhichdoesnotmarkthemoodoftheordinaryshopper。Intheeverydaypurchaseroneisaccustomedtotakeforgranted，asafactorinhisexpenditure，acertaindeliberationanduncertainty；tothetravellingAmericaninEurope，shoppingappearstobepartoftheholidaywhichisbeingmadethemostof。Surely，alltheneat，smartyoungpersonswhobuyfrocksandblouses，hatsandcoats，hosieryandchains，cannotbethepossessorsoflargeincomes；
theremustbe，eveninAmerica，amiddleclassofmiddle—classresources，yettheseyoungpersons，maleandfemale，andmostfrequentlyunaccompaniedbyolderpersons——seeingwhattheywant，greetitwithexpressionsofpleasure，wastenotimeinappropriatingandpayingforit，andgoawayasinreliefandtriumph——notasinthatsoberjoywhichiscloudedbyafterthought。Thesalespeoplearesometimesevenvaguelycheeredbytheirgaylackofanydoubtastothewisdomoftheirgettingwhattheyadmire，andrejoicinginit。IfAmericaalwaysbuysinthisholidaymood，itmustbeanenviablethingtobeashopkeeperintheirNewYorkorBostonorSanFrancisco。Whowouldnotmakeafortuneamongthem？Theywantwhattheywant，andnotsomethingwhichseemstothemlessdesirable，buttheyopentheirpursesand——frequentlywithsomeamuseduncertaintyastothedifferencesbetweensovereignsandhalf—sovereigns，florinsandhalf—crowns——theypaytheirbillswithsomethingalmostlikeglee。Theyareremarkablypromptaboutbills——whichisanexcellentthing，astheyarenearlyalwaysjustgoingsomewhereelse，toFranceorGermanyorItalyorScotlandorSiberia。Thoseofuswhoareshopkeepers，ortheirsalesmen，donotdreamthatsomeofthemhaveincomesnolargerthanourown，thattheyworkfortheirlivings，thattheyareteachersjournalists，smallwritersorillustratorsofpapersormagazinesthattheyareunimportantsoldiersoffortune，but，withtheirqueerAmericaninsistenceonexploration，andtheignoringoflimitations，theyhave，somehow，managedtomakethisexultantdashforafewdaringweeksormonthsoffreedomandnewexperience。Ifweknewthis，weshouldregardthemfromourconservativestandpointofprovidentdecorumasimprovidentlunatics，beingourselvesunabletocalculatewiththeiroddcourageandtheircheerfulbeliefinthemselves。Whatwedoknowisthattheyspend，andwearefarfromdisdainingtheirpatronage，thoughmostofthemhaveanoddlittlefamiliarityofaddressandarenotstampedwiththatdistinctionwhichcausesustorealisetheenormousdifferencebetweenthepatronandthetradesman，andmakesusfeelthewormweremotelyliketofeelourselves，thoughwewouldnotforworldsacknowledgethefact。Mentally，andinourspeech，bothamongourequalsandoursuperiors，wecondescendtoandpatronisethemalittle，thoughthat，ofcourse，isthefineoldinsularattitudeitwouldbeun—Britishtodiscourage。But，ifwearenotintheleastdefiniteconcerningthepositionandresourcesofthesespendersasamass，wearequitesureofaselectnumber。Thereismentionoftheminthenewspapers，ofthetownhouses，thecastles，moors，andsalmonfishingstheyrent，oftheiryachts，theirpresentationsactuallyatourowncourts，oftheirpresenceatgreatballs，atAscotandGoodwood，attheoperaongalanights。Onestaggerssometimesbeforethepublicsumming—upoftheamountoftheirfortunes。Thesepeoplewhohaveneitherbloodnorrank，thesemenwholabourintheirbusinessoffices，arericherthanourgreatdukes，attherealisingofwhosewealthandpossessionswehaveattimesalmostturnedpale。
\"Them！\"chaffedacostermongeroverhisbarrow。\"Blimme，ifsomeo’themblokeswon’tbuyBuckin’amPallisan’the’oleR’yalFamblysomemornin’whenthey’reoutshoppin’。\"
ThesubservientattendantsinmorethanonefashionableshopBettyandhersistervisit，knowthatMissVanderpoelisofthecircle，thoughherfatherhasnotasyetboughtorhiredanygreatestate，andhisdaughterhasnotbeenseeninLondon。
\"Itsqueerwe’veneverheardofherbeingpresented，\"oneshopgirlsaystoanother。\"Justyoulookather。\"
Sheevidentlyknowswhatherladyshipoughttobuy——whatcanbetrustednottooverpowerherfadedfragility。Thesaleswomen，eveniftheyhadnotbeendevouredbyalertcuriosity，couldnothaveavoidedseeingthatherladyshipdidnotseemtoknowwhatshouldbebought，andthatMissVanderpoeldid，thoughshedidnotdirecthersister’sselection，butmerelyseemedtosuggestwithdelicaterestraint。Hertastewaswonderfullyperceptive。Thethingsboughtwereexquisite，butalittlecolourlesswomancouldwearthemallwithadvantagetoherrestrictionsoftype。
AsthebroughamdrovedownBondStreet，BettycalledLadyAnstruthers’attentiontomorethanonepasser—by。
\"Look，Rosy，\"shesaid。\"ThereisMrs。TreatHilyarinthesecondcarriagetotheright。YourememberJosieTreatHilyarmarriedLordVarick’sson。\"
Inthelandaudesignatedanelderlywomanwithwonderfully—
dressedwhitehairsatsmilingandbowingtofriendswhowerewalking。LadyAnstruthers，despitehereagerness，shrankbackalittle，hopingtoescapebeingseen。
\"Oh，itistheLowssheisspeakingto——TomandAlice——I
didnotknowtheyhadsailedyet。\"
Thetall，well—groomedyoungman，withthenice，uglyface，wasshowingwhiteteethinagaysmileofrecognition，andhisprettywifewaslightlywavingaslimhandinagreysuedeglove。
\"Howcheerfulandnice—temperedtheylook，\"saidRosy。
\"TomwasonlytwentywhenIsawhimlast。Whomdidhemarry？\"
\"AnEnglishgirl。Suchalove。ADevonshiregentleman’sdaughter。InNewYorkhisfriendscalledherDevonshireCreamandRoses。Sheisoneofthepretty，flushy，pinkones。\"
\"HowniceBondStreetisonaspringmorninglikethis，\"
saidLadyAnstruthers。\"Youmaylaughatmeforsayingit，Betty，butsomehowitseemstomemorespring—likethanthecountry。\"
\"Howcleverofyou！\"laughedBetty。\"Thereissomuchtruthinit。\"Thepeoplewalkinginthesunshinewereallfullofspringthoughtsandplans。Thecolourstheywore，theflowersinthewomen’shatsandthemen’sbuttonholesbelongedtotheseason。Thecheerfulcrowdsofpeopleandcarriageshadasortofrushingstirofmovementwhichsuggestedfreshness。
Laterintheyeareverythinglooksmoretired。Nowthingswerebeginningandeveryonewasratherinclinedtobelievethatthisyearwouldbebetterthanlast。\"Lookattheshopwindows，saidBetty，\"fullofwhitesandpinksandyellowsandblues——thecoloursofhyacinthanddaffodilbeds。Itseemsasiftheyinsistthatthereneverhasbeenawinterandneverwillbeone。Theyinsistthatthereneverwasandneverwillbeanythingbutspring。\"
\"It’sintheair。\"LadyAnstruthers’sighwasactuallyahappyone。\"ItisjustwhatIusedtofeelinAprilwhenwedrovedownFifthAvenue。\"
Amongthecrowdsoffreshly—dressedpassers—by，womenwithfloweryhatsandlightfrocksandparasols，menwithtouchesofflower—colouronthelapelsoftheircoats，andtheholidaylookintheirfaces，shenotedsomanyofafamiliartypethatshebegantolookforandtrytopickthemoutwithquiteexcitedinterest。
\"IbelievethatwomanisanAmerican，\"shewouldsay。
\"ThatgirllooksasifshewereaNewYorker，\"again。\"Thatman’sfacelooksasifitbelongedtoBroadway。Oh，Betty！doyouthinkIamright？IshouldsaythosegirlsgettingoutofthehansomtogointoBurnham&Staples’camefromoutWestandaregoingtobuythousandsofthings。Don’ttheylooklikeit？\"
ShebegantoleanforwardandlookonatthingswithaninterestsounlikeherStornhamlistlessnessthatBetty’sheartwasmoved。
Herfacelookedalive，andlittlewavesofcolourroseunderherskin。Severaltimesshelaughedthenaturallittlelaughofhergirlhoodwhichithadseemedalmosttoomuchtoexpecttohearagain。ThefirstoftheselaughscamewhenshecountedhertenthAmerican，atallWesternerofthecartoontype，saunteringalongwithanexpressionofspeculativeenjoymentonhisoddface，andevidently，thoughfurtively，chewingtobacco。
\"Iabsolutelylovehim，Betty，\"shecried。\"Youcouldn’tmistakehimforanythingelse。\"
\"No，\"answeredBetty，feelingthatshelovedhimherself，\"notifyoufoundhimembalmedinthePyramids。\"
Theypleasedthemselvesimmensely，tryingtoguesswhathewouldbuyandtakehometohiswifeandgirlsinhisWesterntown——thoughWesterntownswereverygrandandamazinginthesedays，Bettyexplained，andknewtheycouldgivepointstoNewYork。Hewouldnotbuythethingshewouldhaveboughtfifteenyearsago。Perhaps，infact，hiswifeanddaughtershadcomewithhimtoLondonandstayedattheMetropoleortheSavoy，andwereatthismomentbeingfittedbytailorsandmodistespatronisedbyRoyalty。
\"Rosy，look！Doyouseewhothatis？Doyourecogniseher？ItisMrs。Bellingham。ShewaslittleMinaThalberg。
ShemarriedCaptainBellingham。Hewasquitepoor，butverywellborn——anephewofLordDunholm’s。Hecouldnothavemarriedapoorgirl——buttheyhavebeensohappytogetherthatMinaisgrowingfat，andspendsherdaysintakingreducingtreatments。Shesaysshewouldn’tcareintheleast，butDickyfellinlovewithherwaistandshoulderline。\"
Theplump，prettyyoungwomangettingoutofhervictoriabeforeafashionablehairdresser’slookedradiantenough。Shehadnotyetlostthewaistandshoulderline，thoughherpinkfrockfittedherwithdiscreettightness。Shepausedamomenttopatandfussprettilyoverthetwoblooming，curlychildrenwhoweretoremainunderthecareofthenurse，whosatonthebackseat，holdingthebabyonherlap。
\"Ishouldnothaveknownher，\"saidRosy。\"Shehasgrownpretty。Shewasn’taprettychild。\"
\"It’shappiness——andtheEnglishclimate——andCaptainDicky。Theyadoreeachother，andlaughateverythinglikeapairofchildren。TheywereimmenselypopularinNewYorklastwinter，whentheyvisitedMina’speople。\"
TheeffectofthemorninguponLadyAnstrutherswaswhatBettyhadhopeditmightbe。Thecuriousdrawingnearofthetwonationsbegantodawnuponherasatruth。Immuredinthecountry，notsufficientlyinterestedinlifetoreadnewspapers，shehadheardrumoursofsomeofthemoreimportantmarriages，buthadknownnothingofthethousandsmalldetailswhichmadefortheweavingoftheweb。Mrs。TreatHilyardrivinginaleisurely，accustomedfashiondownBondStreet，andsmilingcasuallyathercompatriots，whose\"sailing\"wasasmuchpartofthenaturalorderoftheirluxuriouslivesastheircarriages，gaveadefinitenesstothesituation。MinaThalberg，pullingdowntheembroideredfrocksovertheroundlegsofherEnglish—lookingchildren，seemedtonarrowthewidthoftheAtlanticOceanbetweenLiverpoolandthedocksontheHudsonRiver。
ShereturnedtothehotelwithanappetiteforlunchandanewexpressioninhereyeswhichmadeUghtredstareather。
\"Mother，\"hesaid，\"youlookdifferent。Youlookwell。
Itisn’tonlyyournewdressandyourhair。\"
Thenewstyleofherattirehadcertainlydonemuch，andthemaidwhohadbeenengagedtoattendherwasawomanwhoknewherduties。Shehadbeencalleduponinhertimetomakethemostofhairofferingmuchlessassistancetoherskillthanwassuppliedbythefine，faircolourlessnessshehadfounddraggedbackfromhernewmistress’sforehead。Itwasnotdraggedbacknow，buthadreallybeendonewonderswith。
Rosaliehadsmiledalittlewhenshehadlookedatherselfintheglassafterthefirsttimeitwassodressed。
\"YouaretryingtomakemelookasIdidwhenmothersawmelast，Betty，\"shesaid。\"Iwonderifyoupossiblycould。\"
\"Letusbelievewecan，\"laughedBetty。\"Andwaitandsee。\"
Itseemedwiseneithertomakenorreceivevisits。Thetimeforsuchthingshadevidentlynotyetcome。EventhementionoftheWorthingtonsledtotherevelationthatRosalieshrankfromimmediatecontactwithpeople。Whenshefeltstronger，whenshebecamemoreaccustomedtothethought，shemightfeeldifferently，butjustnow，tobeluxuriouslyonewiththeenviablepartofLondon，tolookon，todrinkin，todrivehereandthere，doingthethingsshelikedtodo，orderingwhatwasrequiredatStornham，waslikethecreatingforherofanewheavenandanewearth。
When，onenight，BettytookherwithUghtredtothetheatre，itwastoseeaplaywrittenbyanAmerican，playedbyAmericanactors，producedbyanAmericanmanager。Theyhadevenengagedintheatricalenterprise，itseemed，theiractorsplayedbeforeLondonaudiences，LondonactorsplayedinAmericantheatres，vibratingalmostyearlybetweenthetwocontinentsandreapingrichharvests。Hearingrumoursofthisinthepast，LadyAnstruthershadscarcelybelieveditentirelytrue。Nowthepracticalrealitywasbroughtbeforeher。TheFrench，whowereonlyseparatedfromtheEnglishmetropolisbyamerefewmilesofChannel，didnotexchangetheiractorsyearafteryearinincreasingnumbers，makingamerefriendlybarterofeachother’sterritory，asthougheachlandwascommongroundandnotdividedbyleaguesofoceantravel。
\"Itseemssowonderful，\"LadyAnstruthersargued。\"I
havealwaysfeltasiftheyhatedeachother。\"
\"Theydidonce——buthowcoulditlastbetweenthoseofthesameblood——ofthesametongue？Ifwewerereallyalienswemightbeamenace。Butweareoftheirown。\"Bettyleanedforwardontheedgeofthebox，lookingoutoverthecrowdedhouse，filledwithalmostasmanyAmericansasEnglishfaces。Shesmiled，reflecting。\"Wewerechildrenputouttonurseandbreathenewairinthecountry，andnowwearecominghome，vigorous，andfull—grown。\"
Shestudiedtheaudienceforsomeminutes，and，asherglancewanderedoverthestalls，ittookinmorethanonemarkedvarietyoftype。Suddenlyitfellonafaceshedelightedlyrecognised。
Itwasthatofthenice，speculative—eyedWesternertheyhadseenenjoyinghimselfinBondStreet。
\"Rosy，\"shesaid，\"thereistheWesternmanwelove。Neartheendofthefourthrow。\"
LadyAnstrutherslookedforhimwitheagerness。
\"Oh，Iseehim！Nexttothebigonewiththereddishhair。\"
Bettyturnedherattentiontothemaninquestion，whomshehadnotchancedtonotice。Sheutteredanexclamationofsurpriseandinterest。
\"Thebigmanwiththeredhair。Howlovelythattheyshouldchancetositsidebyside——thebigoneisLordMountDunstan！\"
Thenecessityofseeinghissolicitors，whohappenedtobeMessrs。Townlinson&Sheppard，hadbroughtLordMountDunstantotown。Afteradaydevotedtobusinessaffairs，hehadbeenattractedbytheideaofgoingtothetheatretoseeagainaplayhehadalreadyseeninNewYork。ItwouldinteresthimtoobserveitsexacteffectuponaLondonaudience。
WhilehehadbeeninNewYork，hehadgonewithsomethingofthesamefeelingtoseeagreatEnglishactorplaytoacrowdedhouse。Thegreatactorhadbeenonewhohadreturnedtothecountryforathirdorfourthtime，and，intheenthusiasmhehadfeltintheatmosphereabouthim，MountDunstanhadseennotonlypleasureandappreciationoftheman’sperfectart，but——atcertaintumultuousoutbursts——analmostemotionalwelcome。TheAmericans，hehadsaidtohimself，werecreaturesofwarmerbloodthantheEnglish。Theaudienceonthatoccasionhadbeen，inmass，American。Theaudiencehemadeoneofnow，wasmadeupofbothnationalities，and，inglancingoverit，herealisedhowlargewasthenumberofAmericanswhocameyearlytoLondon。AsLadyAnstruthershaddone，hefoundhimselfselectingfromtheassemblagethetypeswhichweremanifestlyAmerican，andthoseobviouslyEnglish。IntheseatnexttohimselfsatamanofatypehefelthehadlearnedbyheartinthedaysofhislifeasJemSalter。AtashortdistanceflutteredbrilliantlyanEnglishprofessionalbeauty，withhermaleandfemalecourtabouther。
Inthestagebox，madesumptuouswithflowers，wasaroyalparty。
Asthispartyhadentered，\"GodsavetheQueen\"hadbeenplayed，and，inrisingwiththeaudienceduringtheentry，hehadrecalledthatthetunewasidenticalwiththatofanAmericannationalair。Howunconsciouslyinseparable——inspiteofthelightnesswithwhichtheyregardedthecurioustiebetweenthem——thetwocountrieswere。Thepeopleuponthestagewereactingasiftheyknewtheirpublic，theirbearingsuggestingnosenseofanybarrierbeyondthefootlights。Itwastheunconsciousnessandlightnessofthemutualattitudewhichhadstruckhimoflate。Punchhadlongjestedabout\"FairAmericans，\"who，intheirfirstintroductiontoitspages，usedexoticandcrypticlanguage，beginningeverysentenceeitherwith\"Iguess，\"or\"Say，Stranger\"；itsmaleAmericanhadbeenoftheUncleSamorderandhadinvariablyworna\"goatee。\"AmericanwitticismshadrepresentedtheEnglishmaninplaidtrousers，openinghisremarkswith\"Chawley，deahfellah，\"andunfailinglymissingthepointofanyjoke。Eachcountryhadcherisheditstypeandgood—naturedlyderidedit。Intimethishadmodifieditselfandthejokehadchangedinkind。Manyotherthingshadchanged，butthelightnessoftreatmentstillremained。AndyettheirbloodwasminglingitselfwiththatofEngland’snoblestandoldestofname，theirwealthwasmakingsolidagaintowersandhallswhichhadthreatenedtocrumble。
Ancientfamilyjewelsglitteredonslender，youngAmericannecks，andabove——sometimessomewhatcareless——youngAmericanbrows。Andyet，sofar，onewascasualinone’sthoughtofitall，still。OnhisownparthewasobstinateBritonenoughtorebelagainstandresentit。Theywereintruders。Heresentedthemashehadresentedinhisboyhoodthehistoricalfactthat，afterall，anEnglishmanwasaGerman——asavagewho，fivehundredyearsafterthebirthofChrist，hadswoopeduponEarlyBritonfromhisEnglelandandJutland，andravagingwithfireandsword，hadconqueredandmadethelandhispossession，ravishingitsverynamefromitandgivingithisown。Thesepeopledidnotcomewithfireandsword，butwithcableandtelephone，andbribesofgoldandfairwomen，buttheywereencroachinglikethesea，which，incertainpartsofthecoast，gainedafewinchesorsoeachyear。Heshookhisshouldersimpatiently，andstiffened，feelingillogicallyantagonistictowardsthegood—natured，lantern—jawedmanathisside。
Thelantern—jawedmanlookedgood—naturedbecausehewassmiling，andhewassmilingbecausehesawsomethingwhichpleasedhiminoneoftheboxes。
HisexpressionofunqualifiedapprovalnaturallydirectedMountDunstan’seyetothepointinquestion，whereitremainedforsomemoments。ThiswasbecausehefounditrestinguponMissVanderpoel，whosatbeforehiminluminouswhitegarments，andwithabrilliantsparkofornamentinthedenseshadowofherhair。Hissensationattheunexpectedsightofherwould，ifithadexpresseditselfphysically，havetakentheformofaslightstart。Theluminousqualitydidnotconfineitselftothewhitenessofhergarments。Hewasawareoffeelingthatshelookedluminousherself——hereyes，hercheek，thesmileshebentuponthelittlewomanwhowashercompanion。
Shewasabeautifullylivingthing。
Naturally，shewasbeinglookedatbyothersthanhimself。
Shewasoneofthosetowardswhomglassesinatheatreturnthemselvesinevitably。Thesweepandliftofherblackhairwouldhavedrawnthem，evenifshehadofferednoothercharm。
Yes，hethought，herewasanotherofthem。Towhomwasshebringinghergoodlooksandhermillions？Thereweremenenoughwhoneededmoney，eveniftheymustacceptitunderlessalluringconditions。Intheboxnexttotheoneoccupiedbytheroyalpartywasamanwhowasknowntobewaitingfortheadventofsomesuchopportunity。Hiswasacaseofdire，ifoutwardlystately，need。Hewasyoung，butafool，andnotnotedforpersonalcharms，yethehad，inonesense，greatthingstooffer。Therewere，ofcourse，manychancesthathemightofferthemtoher。Ifthishappened，wouldsheacceptthem？Therewasreallynoobjectiontohimbuthisdulness，consequentlythereseemedmanychancesthatshemight。Therewassomethingakintothepompofroyaltyinthepowerherfather’swealthimplied。Shecouldscarcelymakeanordinarymarriage。Itwouldnaturallybeasortofstateaffair。TherewerefewmenwhohadenoughtoofferinexchangeforVanderpoelmillions，andofthefewnonehadspecialattractions。Theoneintheboxnexttotheroyalpartywasadecentenoughfellow。Asyoungprincesseswerenotinfrequentlycalledupon，bythemereexclusionofroyalblood，tobecomeunitedtoyoungormatureprinceswithoutcharm，soAmericanyoungpersonswhowereofroyalpossessionsmustfindthemselveslimited。IfyoufeltfreetopickandchoosefromamongyoungmenintheGuardsoryoungattachesintheDiplomaticServicewithtwopenceayear，youmightgetbeautyorwitortemperamentorallthreebygoodluck，butifyouwereofaroyalhouseofNewYorkorChicago，youwouldprobablyfeelyoumustdrawlinesandchooseonlysuchsplendoursasaccordedwith，evenwhiledifferingfrom，yourown。
Anypossibleconnectionofhimselfwithsuchacasedidnotpresentitselftohim。Ifithaddoneso，hewouldhavecountedhimself，haughtily，asbeyondthepale。Itwasforothermentodothingsofthesort；aremoteantagonismofhiswholebeingwarredagainstthemereidea。Itwasbigotedprejudice，perhaps，butitwasastrongthing。
Alovelyshoulderandabrilliantheadsetonalongandslenderneckhavenonationalitywhichcanpreventaman’sglanceturningnaturallytowardsthem。Histurnedagainduringthelastactoftheplay，andatamomentwhenhesawsomethingratherlikethethinghehadseenwhentheMeridianamovedawayfromthedockandtheexaltedMissVanderpoelleaningupontherailhadheldoutherarmstowardsthechildwhohadbroughthistoytoherasafarewelloffering。
Sittingbyherto—nightwasaboywithacrookedback——
MountDunstanrememberedhearingthattheAnstruthershadadeformedson——andshewasleaningtowardshim，herhandrestingonhisshoulder，explainingsomethinghehadnotquitegraspedintheactionoftheplay。Theabsoluteadorationintheboy’supliftedeyeswasaninterestingthingtotakein，andtheradiantwarmthofherbrightlookwasasunconsciousofonlookersasithadbeenwhenhehadseenityearningtowardsthechildonthewharf。Herswasthetemperamentwhichgave——whichgave。HefoundhimselfrestrainingasmilebecauseherlookbroughtbacktohimtheactualsoundoftheNewYorkyoungster’svoice。
\"Iwantedtokissyou，Betty，oh，Ididsowanttokissyou！\"
Anstruthers’boy——poorlittlebeggar——lookedasifhe，too，inthefaceofactorsandaudience，andbrillianceoflight，wantedtokissher。
CHAPTERXX
THINGSOCCURINSTORNHAMVILLAGE
ItwouldnothavebeenpossibleforMissVanderpoeltoremainlonginsocialseclusioninLondon，and，beforemanydayshadpassed，StornhamvillagewasenlivenedbytheknowledgethatherladyshipandhersisterhadreturnedtotheCourt。ItwasalsoevidentthattheirvisittoLondonhadnotbeenmadetonopurpose。Thestagnationofthewatersofvillagelifethreatenedtobecomeawhirlpool。Arespectableperson，whowastobeherladyship’smaid，hadcomewiththem，andherladyshiphadnotbeenservedbyapersonalattendantforyears。
Herladyshiphadalsoappearedatthedinner—tableinnewgarments，andwithherhairdoneasotherladiesworetheirs。
Shelookedlikeadifferentwoman，andactuallyhadabitofcolour，andwasbeginningtoloseherfrightenedway。Nowitdawneduponeventhedullestandleastactivemindthatsomethinghadbeguntostir。