第5章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"A Hazard of New Fortunes",免费读到尾

  \"Well,ofcoursenot!Ididn\'tmeanyouwere。ButIjusthappenedtotellhimwhatIwantedtogointowhenIcouldseemywaytoit,andhecaughtonofhisownaccord。Thefactis,\"saidFulkerson,\"IguessI\'dbettermakeacleanbreastofit,nowI\'matit,Dryfooswantedtogetsomethingforthatboyofhistodo。He\'sinrailroadshimself,andhe\'sinminesandotherthings,andhekeepsbusy,andhecan\'tbeartohavehisboyhangingroundthehousedoingnothing,likeasifhewasagirl。

  Itoldhimthatthegreatobjectofarichmanwastogethissonintojustthatfix,buthecouldn\'tseemtoseeit,andtheboyhatedithimself。He\'sgotagoodhead,andhewantedtostudyfortheministrywhentheywerealllivingtogetheroutonthefarm;buthisfatherhadtheold-fashionedideasaboutthat。Youknowtheyusedtothinkthatanysortofstuffwasgoodenoughtomakeapreacheroutof;buttheywantedthegoodtimberforbusiness;andsotheoldmanwouldn\'tlethim。

  You\'llseethefellow;you\'lllikehim;he\'snofool,Icantellyou;andhe\'sgoingtobeourpublisher,nominallyatfirstandactuallywhenI\'vetaughthimtheropesalittle。\"

  XII。

  FulkersonstoppedandlookedatMarch,whomhesawlapsingintoaserioussilence。Doubtlesshedivinedhisuneasinesswiththefactsthathadbeengivenhimtodigest。Hepulledouthiswatchandglancedatit。

  \"Seehere,howwouldyouliketogouptoForty-sixthstreetwithme,anddropinonoldDryfoos?Now\'syourchance。He\'sgoingWesttomorrow,andwon\'tbebackforamonthorso。They\'llallbegladtoseeyou,andyou\'llunderstandthingsbetterwhenyou\'veseenhimandhisfamily。I

  can\'texplain。\"

  Marchreflectedamoment。Thenhesaid,withawisdomthatsurprisedhim,forhewouldhavelikedtoyieldtotheimpulseofhiscuriosity:

  \"Perhapswe\'dbetterwaittillMrs。Marchcomesdown,andletthingstaketheusualcourse。TheDryfoosladieswillwanttocallonherasthelast-comer,andifItreatedmyself\'engarcon\'now,andpaidthefirstvisit,itmightcomplicatematters。\"

  \"Well,perhapsyou\'reright,\"saidFulkerson。\"Idon\'tknowmuchaboutthesethings,andIdon\'tbelieveMaDryfoosdoes,either。\"Hewasonhislegslightinganothercigarette。\"Isupposethegirlsaregettingthemselvesupinetiquette,though。Well,then,let\'shavealookatthe\'EveryOtherWeek\'building,andthen,ifyoulikeyourquartersthere,youcangoroundandcloseforMrs。Green\'sflat。\"

  March\'sdormantallegiancetohiswife\'swisheshadbeenrousedbyhisdecisioninfavorofgoodsocialusage。\"Idon\'tthinkIshalltaketheflat,\"hesaid。

  \"Well,don\'trejectitwithoutgivingitanotherlook,anyway。Comeon!\"

  HehelpedMarchonwithhislightovercoat,andthelittlestirtheymadefortheirdeparturecaughtthenoticeoftheoldGerman;helookedupfromhisbeeratthem。Marchwasmorethaneverimpressedwithsomethingfamiliarinhisface。IncompensationforhisprudenceinregardtotheDryfooseshenowindulgedanimpulse。Hesteppedacrosstowheretheoldmansat,withhisbaldheadshininglikeivoryunderthegas-jet,andhisfinepatriarchallengthofbeardedmasktakingpicturesquelightsandshadows,andputouthishandtohim。

  \"Lindau!Isn\'tthisMr。Lindau?\"

  Theoldmanliftedhimselfslowlytohisfeetwithmechanicalpoliteness,andcautiouslytookMarch\'shand。\"Yes,mynameisLindau,\"hesaid,slowly,whilehescannedMarch\'sface。Thenhebrokeintoalongcry。

  \"Ah-h-h-h-h,mydearpoy!mygongfriendt!my-my——IdtisPassilMarge,notzo?Ah,ha,ha,ha!HowgladtIamtozeeyou!Why,Iamgladt!Andyourememberdtme?YourememberSchiller,andGoethe,andUhland?AndIndianapolis?YoustilllifinIndianapolis?Itsheersmyhardttozeeyou。Butyouarelidtleoldt,too?Tventy-fiveyearsmakesadifference。Ah,Iamgladt!Dellme,idtisPassilMarge,notzo?\"

  HelookedanxiouslyintoMarch\'sface,withagentlesmileofmixedhopeanddoubt,andMarchsaid:\"Assureasit\'sBertholdLindau,andIguessit\'syou。Andyouremembertheoldtimes?YouwereasmuchofaboyasIwas,Lindau。AreyoulivinginNewYork?Doyourecollecthowyoutriedtoteachmetofence?Idon\'tknowhowtothisday,Lindau。Howgoodyouwere,andhowpatient!Doyourememberhowweusedtositupinthelittleparlorbackofyourprinting-office,andreadDieRauberandDieTheilungderErdeandDieGlocke?AndMrs。Lindau?Isshewith——\"

  \"Deadt——deadtlongago。RightafterIgothomefromthewar——tventyyearsago。Buttellme,youaremarried?Children?Yes!Goodt!Andhowoldtareyounow?\"

  \"Itmakesmeseventeentoseeyou,Lindau,butI\'vegotasonnearlyasold。\"

  \"Ah,ha,ha!Goodt!Andwheredoyoulif?\"

  \"Well,I\'mjustcomingtoliveinNewYork,\"Marchsaid,lookingoveratFulkerson,whohadbeenwatchinghisinterviewwiththeperfunctorysmileofsympathythatpeopleputonatthemeetingofoldfriends。\"IwanttointroduceyoutomyfriendMr。Fulkerson。HeandIaregoingintoaliteraryenterprisehere。\"

  \"Ah!zo?\"saidtheoldman,withpoliteinterest。HetookFulkerson\'sprofferedhand,andtheyallstoodtalkingafewmomentstogether。

  ThenFulkersonsaid,withanotherlookathiswatch,\"Well,March,we\'rekeepingMr。Lindaufromhisdinner。\"

  \"Dinner!\"criedtheoldman。\"Idt\'sbetterthanbreadtandmeadttoseeMr。Marge!\"

  \"Imustbegoing,anyway,\"saidMarch。\"ButImustseeyouagainsoon,Lindau。Wheredoyoulive?Iwantalongtalk。\"

  \"AndI。Youwillfindmehereatdinner-time。\"saidtheoldman。\"Itisthebestplace\";andMarchfanciedhimreluctanttogiveanotheraddress。

  Tocoverhisconsciousnessheanswered,gayly:\"Then,it\'s\'aufwiedersehen\'withus。Well!\"

  \"Also!\"Theoldmantookhishand,andmadeamechanicalmovementwithhismutilatedarm,asifhewouldhavetakenitinadoubleclasp。Helaughedathimself。\"Iwantedtogifyoutheotherhandt,too,butI

  gafeittoyourgountryagoodtwhileago。\"

  Tomycountry?\"askedMarch,withasenseofpain,andyetlightly,asifitwereajokeoftheoldman\'s。\"Yourcountry,too,Lindau?\"

  Theoldmanturnedverygrave,andsaid,almostcoldly,\"Whatgountryhassapoormangot,Mr。Marge?\"

  \"Well,yououghttohaveashareintheoneyouhelpedtosaveforusrichmen,Lindau,\"Marchreturned,stillhumoringthejoke。

  Theoldmansmiledsadly,butmadenoanswerashesatdownagain。

  \"Seemstobealittlesoured,\"saidFulkerson,astheywentdownthesteps。HewasoneofthoseAmericanswhosehabitualconceptionoflifeisunalloyedprosperity。Whenanyexperienceorobservationofhiswentcountertoithesuffered——somethinglikephysicalpain。HeeagerlyshruggedawaytheimpressionleftuponhisbuoyancybyLindau,andaddedtoMarch\'scontinuedsilence,\"WhatdidItellyouaboutmeetingeverymaninNewYorkthatyoueverknewbefore?\"

  IneverexpectedtomeatLindauintheworldagain,\"saidMarch,moretohimselfthantoFulkerson。\"Ihadanimpressionthathehadbeenkilledinthewar。Ialmostwishhehadbeen。\"

  \"Oh,hello,now!\"criedFulkerson。

  Marchlaughed,butwentonsoberly:\"Hewasamanpredestinedtoadversity,though。WhenIfirstknewhimoutinIndianapolishewasstarvingalongwithasickwifeandasicknewspaper。ItwasbeforetheGermanshadcomeovertotheRepublicansgenerally,butLindauwasfightingtheanti-slaverybattlejustasnaturallyatIndianapolisin1858ashefoughtbehindthebarricadesatBerlinin1848。Andyethewasalwayssuchagentlesoul!Andsogenerous!HetaughtmeGermanfortheloveofit;hewouldn\'tspoilhispleasurebytakingacentfromme;

  heseemedtogetenoughoutofmybeingyoungandenthusiastic,andoutofprophesyinggreatthingsforme。Iwonderwhatthepooroldfellowisdoinghere,withthatonehandofhis?\"

  \"Notamassingavery\'handsomepittance,\'Iguess,asArtemusWardwouldsay,\"saidFulkerson,gettingbacksomeofhislightness。\"Therearelotsoftwo-handedfellowsinNewYorkthatarenotdoingmuchbetter,I

  guess。MaybehegetssomewritingontheGermanpapers。\"

  \"Ihopeso。He\'soneofthemostaccomplishedmen!Heusedtobeasplendidmusician——pianist——andknowseightortenlanguages。\"

  \"Well,it\'sastonishing,\"saidFulkerson,\"howmuchlumberthoseGermanscancarryaroundintheirheadsalltheirlives,andneverworkitupintoanything。It\'sapitytheycouldn\'tdotheacquiring,andletouttheuseoftheirlearningtoafewbrightAmericans。Wecouldmakethingshum,ifwecouldarrange\'emthatway。\"

  Hetalkedon,unheededbyMarch,whowentalonghalf-consciouslytormentedbyhislightnessinthepensivememoriesthemeetingwithLindauhadcalledup。Wasthisallthatsweet,unselfishnaturecouldcometo?WhatahomelessoldageatthatmeagreItaliantabled\'hote,withthattallglassofbeerforahalf-hour\'soblivion!Thatshabbydress,thatpatheticmutilation!Hemusthaveapension,twelvedollarsamonth,oreighteen,fromagratefulcountry。Butwhatelsedidheekeoutwith?

  \"Well,hereweare,\"saidFulkerson,cheerily。HeranupthestepsbeforeMarch,andopenedthecarpenter\'stemporaryvalveinthedoorframe,andledthewayintoadarknesssmellingsweetlyofunpaintedwood-workandnewlydriedplaster;theirfeatslippedonshavingsandgratedonsand。Hescratchedamatch,andfoundacandle,andthenwalkedaboutupanddownstairs,andlecturedontheadvantagesoftheplace。Hehadfittedupbachelorapartmentsforhimselfinthehouse,andsaidthathewasgoingtohaveaflattoletonthetopfloor。

  \"Ididn\'tofferittoyoubecauseIsupposedyou\'dbetooproudtoliveoveryourshop;andit\'stoosmall,anyway;onlyfiverooms。\"

  \"Yes,that\'stoosmall,\"saidMarch,shirkingtheotherpoint。

  \"Well,then,here\'stheroomIintendforyouroffice,\"saidFulkerson,showinghimintoalargebackparloroneflightup。\"You\'llhaveitquietfromthestreetnoiseshere,andyoucanbeathomeornot,asyouplease。There\'llbeaboyonthestairstofindout。Now,yousee,thismakestheGrosvenorGreenflatpracticable,ifyouwantit。\"

  Marchfelttheforcesoffateclosingabouthimandpushinghimtoadecision。Hefeeblyfoughtthemofftillhecouldhaveanotherlookattheflat。Then,bakedandsubduedstillmorebytheunexpectedpresenceofMrs。GrosvenorGreenherself,whowasoccupyingitsoastobeabletoshowiteffectively,hetookit。Hewasawaremorethaneverofitsabsurdities;heknewthathiswifewouldneverceasetohateit;buthehadsufferedoneofthoseeclipsesoftheimaginationtowhichmenofhistemperamentaresubject,andintowhichhecouldseenofutureforhisdesires。Hefeltacomfortinirretrievablycommittinghimself,andexchangingtheburdenofindecisionfortheburdenofresponsibility。

  \"Idon\'tknow,\"saidFulkerson,astheywalkedbacktohishoteltogether,\"butyoumightfixitupwiththatlonewidowandherprettydaughtertotakepartoftheirhousehere。\"Heseemedtoberemindedofitbythefactofpassingthehouse,andMarchlookedupatitsdarkfront。Hecouldnothavetoldexactlywhybefeltapangofremorseatthesight,anddoubtlessitwasmoreregretforhavingtakentheGrosvenorGreenflatthanfornothavingtakenthewidow\'srooms。Still,hecouldnotforgetherwistfulnesswhenhiswifeandhewerelookingatthem,andherdisappointmentwhentheydecidedagainstthem。Hehadtoyed,in,hisafter-talktoMrs。March,withasortofhypotheticalobligationtheyhadtomodifytheirplanssoastomeetthewidow\'swantofjustsuchafamilyastheirs;theyhadbothsaidwhatablessingitwouldbetoher,andwhatapitytheycouldnotdoit;buttheyhaddecidedverydistinctlythattheycouldnot。Nowitseemedtohimthattheymight;andheaskedhimselfwhetherhehadnotactuallydepartedasmuchfromtheiridealasifhehadtakenboardwiththewidow。Suddenlyitseemedtohimthathiswifeaskedhimthis,too。

  \"Ireckon,\"saidFulkerson,\"thatshecouldhavearrangedtogiveyouyourmealsinyourrooms,anditwouldhavecometoaboutthesamethingashousekeeping。\"

  \"Nosortofboardingcanbethesameashouse-keeping,\"saidMarch。

  \"Iwantmylittlegirltohavetherunofakitchen,andIwantthewholefamilytohavethemoraleffectofhousekeeping。It\'sdemoralizingtoboard,ineveryway;itisn\'tahome,ifanybodyelsetakesthecareofitoffyourhands。\"

  \"Well,Isupposeso,\"Fulkersonassented;butMarch\'swordshadahollowringtohimself,andinhisownmindhebegantoretaliatehisdissatisfactionuponFulkerson。

  Hepartedfromhimontheusualtermsoutwardly,buthefeltobscurelyabusedbyFulkersoninregardtotheDryfooses,fatherandson。HedidnotknowbutFulkersonhadtakenanadvantageofhiminallowinghimtocommithimselftotheirenterprisewithoutfullyandfranklytellinghimwhoandwhathisbackerwas;heperceivedthatwithyoungDryfoosasthepublisherandFulkersonasthegeneraldirectorofthepapertheremightbeverylittleplayforhisownideasofitsconduct。Perhapsitwasthehurttohisvanityinvolvedbytherecognitionofthisfactthatmadehimforgethowlittlechoicehereallyhadinthematter,andhow,sincehehadnotacceptedtheoffertoedittheinsurancepaper,nothingremainedforhimbuttoclosewithFulkerson。InthismomentofsuspicionandresentmentheaccusedFulkersonofhasteninghisdecisioninregardtotheGrosvenorGreenapartment;henowrefusedtoconsideritadecision,andsaidtohimselfthatifhefeltdisposedtodosohewouldsendMrs。

  Greenanotereversingitinthemorning。Butheputitallofftillmorningwithhisclothes,whenhewenttobed,heputoffeventhinkingwhathiswifewouldsay;hecastFulkersonandhisconstructivetreacheryoutofhismind,too,andinvitedintoitsomepensivereveriesofthepast,whenhestillstoodatthepartingoftheways,andcouldtakethispathorthat。Inhismiddlelifethiswasnotpossible;hemustfollowthepathchosenlong,ago,wherever,itled。Hewasnotmasterofhimself,asheonceseemed,buttheservantofthoseheloved;ifhecoulddowhatheliked,perhapshemightrenouncethiswholeNewYorkenterprise,andgooffsomewhereoutofthereachofcare;buthecouldnotdowhatheliked,thatwasveryclear。InthepathosofthisconvictionhedweltcompassionatelyuponthethoughtofpooroldLindau;

  heresolvedtomakehimacceptahandsomesumofmoney——morethanhecouldspare,somethingthathewouldfeelthelossof——inpaymentofthelessonsinGermanandfencinggivensolongago。Attheusualrateforsuchlessons,hisdebt,withinterestfortwenty-oddyears,wouldrunveryfarintothehundreds。Toofar,heperceived,forhiswife\'sjoyousapproval;hedeterminednottoaddtheinterest;orhebelievedthatLindauwouldrefusetheinterest;heputafinespeechinhismouth,makinghimdoso;andafterthathegotLindauemploymenton\'EveryOtherWeek,\'andtookcareofhimtillhedied。

  ThroughallhismelancholyandmunificencehewasawareofsordidanxietiesforhavingtakentheGrosvenorGreenapartment。Thesebegantoassumevisible,tangibleshapesashedrowsed,andtobecamepersonalentities,fromwhichhewoke,withlittlestarts,toarealizationoftheirtruenature,andthensuddenlyfellfastasleep。

  Intheaccomplishmentoftheeventswhichhisreverieplayedwith,therewasmuchthatretroactivelystampeditwithprophecy,butmuchalsothatwasbetterthanheforboded。HefoundthatwithregardtotheGrosvenorGreenapartmenthehadnotallowedforhiswife\'swillingnesstogetanysortofroofoverherheadagainaftertheremovalfromtheiroldhome,orforthealleviationsthatgrowupthroughmerecustom。Thepracticalworkingsoftheapartmentwerenotsobad;ithaditsgoodpoints,andafterthefirstsensationofoppressioninittheybegantofeeltheconvenienceofitsarrangement。Theywereatthattimeoflifewhenpeoplefirstturntotheirchildren\'sopinionwithdeference,and,inthelossofkeennessintheirownlikesanddislikes,consulttheyoungpreferenceswhicharestillsosensitive。ItwentfartoreconcileMrs。

  Marchtotheapartmentthatherchildrenwerepleasedwithitsnovelty;

  whenthisworeoffforthem,shehadherselfbeguntofinditmuchmoreeasilymanageablethanahouse。Aftershehadputawayseveralbarrelsofgimcracks,andfoldedupscreensandrugsandskins,andcarriedthemallofftothelittledarkstore-roomwhichtheflatdeveloped,sheperceivedatoncearoominessandcozinessinitunsuspectedbefore。

  Then,whenpeoplebegantocall,shehadapleasure,asuperiority,insayingthatitwasafurnishedapartment,andindisclaimingallresponsibilityfortheupholsteryanddecoration。IfMarchwasby,shealwaysexplainedthatitwasMr。March\'sfancy,andamiablylaugheditoffwithhercallersasamannisheccentricity。Nobodyreallyseemedtothinkitotherwisethanpretty;andthisagainwasatriumphforMrs。

  March,becauseitshowedhowinferiortheNewYorktastewastotheBostontasteinsuchmatters。

  Marchsubmittedsilentlytohispunishment,andlaughedwithherbeforecompanyathisowneccentricity。Shehadbeensopreoccupiedwiththeadjustmentofthefamilytoitsnewquartersandcircumstancesthatthetimepassedforlayinghismisgivings,iftheyweremisgivings,aboutFulkersonbeforeher,andwhenanoccasioncameforexpressingthemtheyhadthemselvespassedintheanxietiesofgettingforwardthefirstnumberof\'EveryOtherWeek。\'Hekeptthesefromher,too,andthebusinessthatbroughtthemtoNewYorkhadapparentlydroppedintoabeyancebeforethequestionsofdomesticeconomythatpresentedandabsentedthemselves。Marchknewhiswifetobeawomanofgoodmindandinperfectsympathywithhim,butheunderstoodthelimitationsofherperspective;andifhewasnottoowise,hewastooexperiencedtointrudeuponitanyaffairsofhistillherownwerereducedtotherightorderandproportion。ItwouldhavebeenfollytotalktoherofFulkerson\'sconjecturableuncandorwhileshewasindoubtwhetherhercookwouldlikethekitchen,orhertwoservantswouldconsenttoroomtogether;andtillitwasdecidedwhatschoolTomshouldgoto,andwhetherBellashouldhavelessonsathomeornot,therelationwhichMarchwastobeartotheDryfooses,asownerandpublisher,wasnottobediscussedwithhiswife。Hemightdragitin,buthewasawarethatwithherminddistractedbymoreimmediateinterestshecouldnotgetfromherthatjudgment,thatreasoneddivination,whichherelieduponsomuch。

  Shewouldtry,shewoulddoherbest,buttheresultwouldbeaviewcloudedanddiscoloredbytheeffortshemustmake。

  Heputthewholematterby,andgavehimselftothedetailsoftheworkbeforehim。Inthishefoundnotonlyescape,butreassurance,foritbecamemoreandmoreapparentthatwhateverwasnominallythestructureofthebusiness,amanofhisqualificationsandhisinstinctscouldnothaveaninsignificantplaceinit。Hehadalsotheconsolationoflikinghiswork,andofgettinganinstantgraspofitthatgrewconstantlyfirmerandcloser。Thejoyofknowingthathehadnotmadeamistakewasgreat。Ingivingreintoambitionslongforborneheseemedtogetbacktotheyouthwhenhehadindulgedthemfirst;andafterhalfalifetimepassedinpursuitsalientohisnature,hewasfeelingtheserenehappinessofbeingmatedthroughhisworktohisearlylove。Fromtheoutsidethespectaclemighthavehaditspathos,anditisnoteasytojustifysuchanexperimentashehadmadeathistimeoflife,exceptuponthegroundwhereherestedfromitsconsideration——thegroundofnecessity。

  Hisworkwasmoreinhisthoughtsthanhimself,however;andasthetimeforthepublicationofthefirstnumberofhisperiodicalcamenearer,hiscaresallcentreduponit。Withoutfixinganydate,Fulkersonhadannouncedit,andpushedhisannouncementswiththeshamelessvigorofabornadvertiser。Heworkedhisinterestwiththepresstotheutmost,andparagraphsofavarietythatdidcredittohisingenuitywereafloateverywhere。Someofthemwerespeciouslyunfavorableintone;theycriticisedandevenridiculedtheprinciplesonwhichthenewdepartureinliteraryjournalismwasbased。Othersdefendedit;othersyetdeniedthatthisrumoredprinciplewasreallytheprinciple。Allcontributedtomaketalk。Allproceededfromthesamefertileinvention。

  MarchobservedwithadegreeofmortificationthatthetalkwasverylittleofitintheNewYorkpress;therethereferencestothenovelenterprisewereslightandcold。ButFulkersonsaid:\"Don\'tmindthat,oldman。It\'sthewholecountrythatmakesorbreaksathinglikethis;

  NewYorkhasverylittletodowithit。Nowifitwereaplay,itwouldbedifferent。NewYorkdoesmakeorbreakaplay;butitdoesn\'tmakeorbreakabook;itdoesn\'tmakeorbreakamagazine。ThegreatmassofthereadersareoutsideofNewYork,andtheruraldistrictsarewhatwehavegottogofor。Theydon\'treadmuchinNewYork;theywrite,andtalkaboutwhatthey\'vewritten。Don\'tyouworry。\"

  TherumorofFulkerson\'sconnectionwiththeenterpriseaccompaniedmanyoftheparagraphs,andhewasabletostayMarch\'sthirstforemploymentbyturningovertohimfromdaytodayheapsofthemanuscriptswhichbegantopourinfromhisoldsyndicatewriters,aswellasfromadventurousvolunteersalloverthecountry。WiththeseinhandMarchbeganpracticallytoplanthefirstnumber,andtoconcreteageneralschemefromthematerialandtheexperiencetheyfurnished。Theyhadintendedtoissuethefirstnumberwiththenewyear,andifithadbeenanaffairofliteraturealone,itwouldhavebeenveryeasy;butitwastheartlegtheylimpedon,asFulkersonphrasedit。Theyhadnotmerelytodealwiththequestionofspecificillustrationsforthisarticleorthat,buttodecidethewholecharacteroftheirillustrations,andfirstofalltogetadesignforacoverwhichshouldbothensnaretheheedlessandcaptivatethefastidious。ThesethingsdidnotcomeproperlywithinMarch\'sprovince——thathadbeenclearlyunderstood——andforawhileFulkersontriedtoruntheartleghimself。Thephrasewasagainhis,butitwassimplertomakethephrasethantoruntheleg。Thedifficultgeneration,atoncestiff-backedandslippery,withwhichhehadtodointhisendeavor,reducedevensobuoyantanoptimisttodespair,andafterwastingsomevaluableweeksintryingtoworktheartistshimself,hedeterminedtogetanartisttoworkthem。Butwhatartist?Itcouldnotbeamanwithfixedreputationandafollowing:hewouldbetoocostly,andwouldhavetoomanyenemiesamonghisbrethren,evenifhewouldconsenttoundertakethejob。Fulkersonhadamaninmind,anartist,too,whowouldhavebeentheverythingifhehadbeenthethingatall。

  Hehadtalentenough,andhissortoftalentwouldreachroundthewholesituation,but,asFulkersonsaid,hewasasmanykindsofanassashewaskindsofanartist。

  EndAHazardofNewFortunesV2

  ByWilliamDeanHowellsPARTSECOND

  I。

  TheeveningwhenMarchclosedwithMrs。Green\'sreducedoffer,anddecidedtotakeherapartment,thewidowwhoselodgingshehadrejectedsatwithherdaughterinanupperroomatthebackofherhouse。Intheshadedglowofthedrop-lightshewassewing,andthegirlwasdrawingatthesametable。Fromtimetotime,astheytalked,thegirlliftedherheadandtilteditalittleononesidesoastogetsomedesiredeffectofherwork。

  \"It\'samercythecoldweatherholdsoff,\"saidthemother。\"Weshouldhavetolightthefurnace,unlesswewantedtoscareeverybodyawaywithacoldhouse;andIdon\'tknowwhowouldtakecareofit,orwhatwouldbecomeofus,everyway。\"

  \"Theyseemtohavebeenscaredawayfromahousethatwasn\'tcold,\"saidthegirl。\"Perhapstheymightlikeacoldone。Butit\'stooearlyforcoldyet。It\'sonlyjustinthebeginningofNovember。\"

  \"TheMessengersaysthey\'vehadasprinklingofsnow。\"

  \"Ohyes,atSt。Barnaby!Idon\'tknowwhentheydon\'thavesprinklingsofsnowthere。I\'mawfullygladwehaven\'tgotthatwinterbeforeus。\"

  Thewidowsighedasmothersdowhofeelthecontrasttheirexperienceopposestothehopefulrecklessnessofsuchtalkasthis。\"Wemayhaveaworsewinterhere,\"shesaid,darkly。

  \"ThenIcouldn\'tstandit,\"saidthegirl,\"andIshouldgoinforlightingouttoFloridadouble-quick。\"

  \"AndhowwouldyougettoFlorida?\"demandedhermother,severely。

  \"Oh,bytheusualconveyancePullmanvestibuledtrain,Isuppose。Whatmakesyousoblue,mamma?\"Thegirlwasallthetimesketchingaway,rubbingout,liftingherheadfortheeffect,andthenbendingitoverherworkagainwithoutlookingathermother。

  \"Iamnotblue,Alma。ButIcannotendurethis——thishopefulnessofyours。\"

  \"Why?Whatharmdoesitdo?\"

  \"Harm?\"echoedthemother。

  Pendingtheeffortshemustmakeinsaying,thegirlcutin:\"Yes,harm。

  You\'vekeptyourdespairdustedoffandreadyforuseataninstant\'snoticeeversincewecame,andwhatgoodhasitdone?I\'mgoingtokeeponhopingtothebitterend。That\'swhatpapadid。\"

  ItwaswhattheRev。ArchibaldLeightonhaddonewithalltheconsumptive\'sbuoyancy。Themorninghediedhetoldthemthatnowhehadturnedthepointandwasreallygoingtogetwell。Thecheerfulnesswasnotonlyinhisdisease,butinhistemperament。Itsexcesswasalwaysalittleagainsthiminhischurchwork,andMrs。Leightonwasrightenoughinfeelingthatifithadnotbeenfortheballastofherinstinctivedespondencyhewouldhavemadeshipwreckofsuchsmallchancesofprosperityasbefellhiminlife。Itwasnotfromhimthathisdaughtergothertalent,thoughhehadleftherhistemperamentintactofhiswidow\'slegalthirds。Hewasoneofthosemenofwhomthecountrypeoplesaywhenheisgonethatthewomangetsalongbetterwithouthim。Mrs。

  Leightonhadlongekedouttheirincomebytakingasummerboarderortwo,asagreatfavor,intoherfamily;andwhenthegreaterneedcame,shefranklygaveupherhousetothesummer-folksastheycalltheminthecountry,andmanageditfortheircomfortfromthesmallquarterofitinwhichsheshutherselfupwithherdaughter。

  Thenotionofshuttingupisanexigencyoftheroundedperiod。Thefactis,ofcourse,thatAlmaLeightonwasnotshutupinanysensewhatever。

  Shewasthepervadinglight,ifnotforce,ofthehouse。Shewasagoodcook,andshemanagedthekitchenwiththehelpofanIrishgirl,whilehermotherlookedaftertherestofthehousekeeping。Butshewasnotsystematic;shehadinspirationbutnotdiscipline,andhermothermournedmoreoverthedayswhenAlmaleftthewholedinnertotheIrishgirlthansherejoicedinthosewhenoneofAlma\'sgreatthoughtstookforminachicken-pieofincomparablesavororinamatchlesspudding。

  Theoff-dayscamewhenherartisticnaturewasexpressingitselfincharcoal,forshedrewtotheadmirationofallamongtheladyboarderswhocouldnotdraw。Theothershadtheirreserves;theyreadilyconcededthatAlmahadgenius,buttheyweresuresheneededinstruction。Ontheotherhand,theywerenotsoradicalastoagreewiththeoldpainterwhocameeverysummertopainttheelmsoftheSt。Barnabymeadows。Hecontendedthatsheneededtobeamaninordertoamounttoanything;butinthistheoryhewasopposedbyanauthority,ofhisownsex,whomtheladysketchersbelievedtospeakwithmoreimpartialityinamatterconcerningthemasmuchasAlmaLeighton。Hesaidthatinstructionwoulddo,andhewasnotonly,youngerandhandsomer,buthewasfresherfromtheschoolsthanoldHarrington,who,eventheladysketcherscouldsee,paintedinanobsolescentmanner。HisnamewasBeaton——AngusBeaton;buthewasnotScotch,ornotmoreScotchthanMaryQueenofScotswas。HisfatherwasaScotchman,butBeatonwasborninSyracuse,NewYork,andithadtakenonlythreeyearsinParistoobliteratemanytracesofnativeandancestralmannerinhim。Heworehisblackbeardcutshorterthanhismustache,andalittlepointed;hestoodwithhisshoulderswellthrownbackandwithalateralcurveofhispersonwhenhetalkedaboutart,whichwouldalonehavecarriedconvictionevenifhehadnothadathick,darkbangcomingalmosttothebrowsofhismobilegrayeyes,andhadnotspokenEnglishwithquick,staccatoimpulses,soastogiveittheeffectofepigrammaticandsententiousFrench。OneoftheladiessaidthatyoualwaysthoughtofhimashavingspokenFrenchafteritwasover,andaccusedherselfofwronginnotbeingabletofeelafraidofhim。Noneoftheladieswasafraidofhim,thoughtheycouldnotbelievethathewasreallysodeferentialtotheirworkasheseemed;andtheyknew,whenhewouldnotcriticiseMr。Harrington\'swork,thathewasjustactingfromprinciple。

  TheymayormaynothaveknownthedeferencewithwhichhetreatedAlma\'swork;butthegirlherselffeltthathisabrupt,impersonalcommentrecognizedherasarealsisterinart。HetoldhersheoughttocometoNewYork,anddrawintheLeague,orgetintosomepainter\'sprivateclass;anditwasthesenseofdutythusappealedtowhichfinallyresultedinthehazardousexperimentsheandhermotherwerenowmaking。

  TherewerenologicalbreaksinthechainoftheirreasoningfrompastsuccesswithboardersinSt。BarnabytofuturesuccesswithboardersinNewYork。Ofcoursetheoutlaywasmuchgreater。Therentofthefurnishedhousetheyhadtakenwassuchthatiftheyfailedtheirexperimentwouldbelittlelessthanruinous。

  Buttheywerenotgoingtofail;thatwaswhatAlmacontended,withahardycouragethathermothersometimesfeltalmostinvitedfailure,ifitdidnotdeserveit。Shewasoneofthosepeoplewhobelievethatifyoudreadharmenoughitislesslikelytohappen。Sheactedonthissuperstitionasifitwereareligion。

  \"Ifithadnotbeenformydespair,asyoucallit,Alma,\"sheanswered,\"Idon\'tknowwhereweshouldhavebeennow。\"

  \"IsupposeweshouldhavebeeninSt。Barnaby,\"saidthegirl。\"Andifit\'sworsetobeinNewYork,youseewhatyourdespair\'sdone,mamma。

  Butwhat\'stheuse?Youmeantwell,andIdon\'tblameyou。Youcan\'texpectevendespairtocomeoutalwaysjustthewayyouwantit。Perhapsyou\'veusedtoomuchofit。\"Thegirllaughed,andMrs。Leightonlaughed,too。Likeeveryoneelse,shewasnotmerelyaprevailingmood,aspeopleareapttobeinbooks,butwasanirregularlyspheroidalcharacter,withsurfacesthatcaughtthedifferentlightsofcircumstanceandreflectedthem。Almagotupandtookaposebeforethemirror,whichshethentransferredtohersketch。Theroomwaspinnedaboutwithothersketches,whichshowedwithfantasticindistinctnessintheshadedgaslight。Almaheldupthedrawing。\"Howdoyoulikeit?\"

  Mrs。Leightonbentforwardoverhersewingtolookatit。\"You\'vegottheman\'sfaceratherweak。\"

  \"Yes,that\'sso。EitherIseeallthehiddenweaknessthat\'sinmen\'snatures,andbringittothesurfaceintheirfigures,orelseIputmyownweaknessintothem。Eitherway,it\'sadrawbacktotheirpresentingatrulymanlyappearance。AslongasIhaveoneofthemiserableobjectsbeforeme,Icandrawhim;butassoonashisback\'sturnedIgettoputtingladiesintomen\'sclothes。Ishouldthinkyou\'dbescandalized,mamma,ifyouwereareallyfeminineperson。Itmustbeyourdespairthathelpsyoutobearup。Butwhat\'sthematterwiththeyoungladyinyounglady\'sclothes?Anydustonher?\"

  \"Whatexpressions!\"saidMrs。Leighton。\"Really,Alma,forarefinedgirlyouarethemostunrefined!\"

  \"Goon——aboutthegirlinthepicture!\"saidAlma,slightlyknockinghermotherontheshoulder,asshestoodoverher。

  \"Idon\'tseeanythingtoher。What\'sshedoing?\"

  \"Oh,justbeingmadeloveto,Isuppose。\"

  \"She\'sperfectlyinsipid!\"

  \"You\'reawfullyarticulate,mamma!Now,ifMr。Wetmoreweretocriticisethatpicturehe\'ddrawacirclerounditintheair,andlookatitthroughthat,andtilthisheadfirstononesideandthenontheother,andthenlookatyou,asifyouwereafigureinit,andthencollapseawhile,andmoanalittleandgasp,\'Isn\'tyouryoungladyalittletoo-

  too——\'andthenhe\'dtrytogetthewordoutofyou,andgroanandsuffersomemore;andyou\'dsay,\'Sheis,rather,\'andthatwouldgivehimcourage,andhe\'dsay,\'Idon\'tmeanthatshe\'ssovery——\'\'Ofcoursenot。\'\'Youunderstand?\'\'Perfectly。Iseeitmyself,now。\'\'Well,then\'——

  andhe\'dtakeyourpencilandbegintodraw——\'Ishouldgiveheralittlemore——Ah?\'\'Yes,Iseethedifference。\'\'Youseethedifference?\'

  Andhe\'dgoofftosomeoneelse,andyou\'dknowthatyou\'dbeendoingthewishy-washiestthingintheworld,thoughhehadn\'tspokenawordofcriticism,andcouldn\'t。Buthewouldn\'thavenoticedtheexpressionatall;he\'dhaveshownyouwhereyourdrawingwasbad。Hedoesn\'tcareforwhathecallstheliteratureofathing;hesaysthatwilltakecareofitselfifthedrawing\'sgood。Hedoesn\'tlikemydoingthesechicthings;butI\'mgoingtokeepitup,forIthinkit\'sthenearestwaytoillustrating。\"

  Shetookhersketchandpinnedituponthedoor。

  \"AndhasMr。Beatonbeenabout,yet?\"askedhermother。

  \"No,\"saidthegirl,withherbackstillturned;andsheadded,\"Ibelievehe\'sinNewYork;Mr。Wetmore\'sseenhim。\"

  \"It\'salittlestrangehedoesn\'tcall。\"

  \"Itwouldbeifhewerenotanartist。Butartistsneverdoanythinglikeotherpeople。Hewasonhisgoodbehaviorwhilehewaswithus,andhe\'sagreatdealmoreconventionalthanmostofthem;butevenhecan\'tkeepitup。That\'swhatmakesmereallythinkthatwomencanneveramounttoanythinginart。Theykeepalltheirappointments,andfulfilalltheirdutiesjustasiftheydidn\'tknowanythingaboutart。Well,mostofthemdon\'t。We\'vegotthatnewmodelto-day。\"

  \"Whatnewmodel?\"

  \"TheoneMr。WetmorewastellingusabouttheoldGerman;he\'ssplendid。

  He\'sgotthemostbeautifulhead;justliketheoldmasters\'things。HeusedtobeHumphreyWilliams\'smodelforhisBiblical-pieces;butsincehe\'sdead,theoldmanhardlygetsanythingtodo。Mr。Wetmoresaysthereisn\'tanybodyintheBiblethatWilliamsdidn\'tpainthimas。

  He\'stheLawandtheProphetsinallhisOldTestamentpictures,andhe\'sJoseph,Peter,JudasIscariot,andtheScribesandPhariseesintheNew。\"

  \"It\'sagoodthingpeopledon\'tknowhowartistswork,orsomeofthemostsacredpictureswouldhavenoinfluence,\"saidMrs。Leighton。

  \"Why,ofcoursenot!\"criedthegirl。\"Andtheinfluenceisthelastthingapainterthinksof——orsupposeshethinksof。Whatheknowshe\'sanxiousaboutisthedrawingandthecolor。Butpeoplewillneverunderstandhowsimpleartistsare。WhenIreflectwhatacomplexandsophisticatedbeingIam,I\'mafraidIcannevercometoanythinginart。

  OrIshouldbeifIhadn\'tgenius。\"

  \"DoyouthinkMr。Beatonisverysimple?\"askedMrs。Leighton。

  \"Mr。Wetmoredoesn\'tthinkhe\'sverymuchofanartist。Hethinkshetalkstoowell。Theybelievethatifamancanexpresshimselfclearlyhecan\'tpaint。\"

  \"Andwhatdoyoubelieve?\"

  \"Oh,Icanexpressmyself,too。\"

  Themotherseemedtobesatisfiedwiththisevasion。Afterawhileshesaid,\"Ipresumehewillcallwhenhegetssettled。\"

  Thegirlmadenoanswertothis。\"Oneofthegirlssaysthatoldmodelisaneducatedman。Hewasinthewar,andlostahand。Doesn\'titseemapityforsuchamantohavetosittoaclassofaffectedgeeselikeusasamodel?Ideclareitmakesmesick。Andweshallkeephimaweek,andpayhimsixorsevendollarsfortheuseofhisgrandoldhead,andthenwhatwillhedo?ThelasttimehewasregularlyemployedwaswhenMr。MacewasworkingathisDamascusMassacre。ThenhewantedsomanyArabsheiksandChristianeldersthathekeptoldMr。Lindausteadilyemployedforsixmonths。Nowhehastopickupoddjobswherehecan。\"

  \"Isupposehehashispension,\"saidMrs。Leighton。

  \"No;oneofthegirls\"——thatwasthewayAlmaalwaysdescribedherfellow-students——\"sayshehasnopension。Hedidn\'tapplyforitforalongtime,andthentherewasahitchaboutit,anditwassomethinged——vetoed,Ibelieveshesaid。\"

  \"Whovetoedit?\"askedMrs。Leighton,withsomecuriosityabouttheprocess,whichsheheldinreserve。

  \"Idon\'tknow-whoevervetoesthings。IwonderwhatMr。Wetmoredoesthinkofus——hisclass。Wemustseemperfectlycrazy。Thereisn\'toneofusreallyknowswhatshe\'sdoingitfor,orwhatsheexpectstohappenwhenshe\'sdoneit。Isupposeeveryonethinksshehasgenius。IknowtheNebraskawidowdoes,forshesaysthatunlessyouhavegeniusitisn\'ttheleastuse。Everybody\'spuzzledtoknowwhatshedoeswithherbabywhenshe\'satwork——whethershegivesitsoothingsyrup。IwonderhowMr。Wetmorecankeepfromlaughinginourfaces。Iknowhedoesbehindourbacks。\"

  Mrs。Leighton\'smindwanderedbacktoanotherpoint。\"ThenifhesaysMr。Beatoncan\'tpaint,Ipresumehedoesn\'trespecthimverymuch。\"

  \"Oh,heneversaidhecouldn\'tpaint。ButIknowhethinksso。Hesayshe\'sanexcellentcritic。\"

  \"Alma,\"hermothersaid,withtheeffectofbreakingoff,\"whatdoyousupposeisthereasonhehasn\'tbeennearus?\"

  \"Why,Idon\'tknow,mamma,exceptthatitwouldhavebeennaturalforanotherpersontocome,andhe\'sanartistatleast,artistenoughforthat。\"

  \"Thatdoesn\'taccountforitaltogether。HewasveryniceatSt。

  Barnaby,andseemedsointerestedinyou——yourwork。\"

  \"PlentyofpeoplewereniceatSt。Barnaby。ThatrichMrs。Horncouldn\'tcontainherjoywhensheheardwewerecomingtoNewYork,butshehasn\'tpouredinuponusagreatdealsincewegothere。\"

  \"Butthat\'sdifferent。She\'sveryfashionable,andshe\'stakenupwithherownset。ButMr。Beaton\'soneofourkind。\"

  \"Thankyou。Papawasn\'tquiteatombstone-cutter,mamma。\"

  \"Thatmakesitallthehardertobear。Hecan\'tbeashamedofus。

  Perhapshedoesn\'tknowwhereweare。\"

  \"Doyouwishtosendhimyourcard,mamma?\"Thegirlflushedandtoweredinscornoftheidea。

  \"Why,no,Alma,\"returnedhermother。

  \"Well,then,\"saidAlma。

  ButMrs。Leightonwasnotsoeasilyquelled。ShehadgothermindonMr。

  Beaton,andshecouldnotdetachitatonce。Besides,shewasoneofthosewomentheyarecommonerthanthesamesortofmenwhomitdoesnotpaintotakeouttheirmostintimatethoughtsandexaminetheminthelightofotherpeople\'sopinions。\"ButIdon\'tseehowhecanbehaveso。

  Hemustknowthat——\"

  \"Thatwhat,mamma?\"demandedthegirl。

  \"Thatheinfluencedusagreatdealincoming——\"

  \"Hedidn\'t。Ifhedaredtopresumetothinksuchathing——\"

  \"Now,Alma,\"saidhermother,withtheclingingpersistenceofsuchnatures,\"youknowhedid。Andit\'snouseforyoutopretendthatwedidn\'tcountuponhimin——ineveryway。Youmaynothavenoticedhisattentions,andIdon\'tsayyoudid,butotherscertainlydid;andImustsaythatIdidn\'texpecthewoulddropusso。\"

  \"Dropus!\"criedAlma,inafury。\"Oh!\"

  \"Yes,dropus,Alma。Hemustknowwhereweare。Ofcourse,Mr。

  Wetmore\'sspokentohimaboutyou,andit\'sashamethathehasn\'tbeennearus。Ishouldhavethoughtcommongratitude,commondecency,wouldhavebroughthimafter——afterallwedidforhim。\"

  \"Wedidnothingforhim——nothing!Hepaidhisboard,andthatendedit。\"

  \"No,itdidn\'t,Alma。Youknowwhatheusedtosay——aboutitsbeinglikehome,andallthat;andImustsaythatafterhisattentionstoyou,andallthethingsyoutoldmehesaid,Iexpectedsomethingverydif——\"

  Asharppealofthedoor-bellthrilledthroughthehouse,andasifthepullofthebell-wirehadtwitchedhertoherfeet,Mrs。Leightonsprangupandgrappledwithherdaughterintheircommonterror。

  Theybothglaredattheclockandmadesurethatitwasfiveminutesafternine。Thentheyabandonedthemselvessomemomentstotheunrestrictedplayoftheirapprehensions。

  II。

  \"Why,Alma,\"whisperedthemother,\"whointheworldcanitbeatthistimeofnight?Youdon\'tsupposehe——\"

  \"Well,I\'mnotgoingtothedoor,anyhow,mother,Idon\'tcarewhoitis;

  and,ofcourse,hewouldn\'tbesuchagooseastocomeatthishour。\"

  Sheputonalookofmiserabletrepidation,andshrankbackfromthedoor,whilethehumofthebelldiedaway,inthehall。

  \"Whatshallwedo?\"askedMrs。Leighton,helplessly。

  \"Lethimgoaway——whoevertheyare,\"saidAlma。

  Anotherandmoreperemptoryringforbadethemrefugeinthissimpleexpedient。

  \"Oh,dear!whatshallwedo?Perhapsit\'sadespatch。\"

  TheconjecturemovedAlmatonomorethanarigidstare。\"Ishallnotgo,\"shesaid。Athirdringmoreinsistentthantheothersfollowed,andshesaid:\"Yougoahead,mamma,andI\'llcomebehindtoscreamifit\'sanybody。Wecanlookthroughtheside-lightsatthedoorfirst。\"

  Mrs。Leightonfearfullyledthewayfromthebackchamberwheretheybadbeensitting,andslowlydescendedthestairs。Almacamebehindandturnedupthehallgas-jetwithasuddenflashthatmadethembothjumpalittle。Thegasinsiderendereditmoredifficulttotellwhowasonthethreshold,butMrs。Leightondecidedfromatimorouspeepthroughthescrimsthatitwasaladyandgentleman。Somethinginthisdistributionofsexemboldenedher;shetookherlifeinherhand,andopenedthedoor。

  Theladyspoke。\"DoesMrs。Leightonliveheah?\"shesaid,inarich,throatyvoice;andshefeignedareferencetotheagent\'spermitsheheldinherhand。

  \"Yes,\"saidMrs。Leighton;shemechanicallyoccupiedthedoorway,whileAlmaalreadyquiveredbehindherwithimpatienceofherimpoliteness。

  \"Oh,\"saidthelady,whobegantoappearmoreandmoreayounglady,\"Ahdidn\'tknowbutAhhadmistakenthehoase。Ahsupposeit\'sratherlatetoseetheapawtments,andAhmostaskyoutopawdonus。\"Sheputthistentatively,withadelicatelygrowingrecognitionofMrs。Leightonastheladyofthehouse,andahumorousintelligenceofthesituationintheglanceshethrewAlmaoverhermother\'sshoulder。\"Ah\'mafraidwemosthavefrightenedyou。\"

  \"Oh,notatall,\"saidAlma;andatthesametimehermothersaid,\"Willyouwalkin,please?\"

  ThegentlemanpromptlyremovedhishatandmadetheLeightonsaninclusivebow。\"Youaweverykind,madam,andIamsorryforthetroubleweawegivingyou。\"Hewastallandsevere-looking,withagray,trooperishmustacheandiron-grayhair,and,asAlmadecided,iron-grayeyes。Hisdaughterwasshort,plump,andfresh-colored,withaneffectoflivelinessthatdidnotallexpressitselfinherbroad-vowelled,ratherformalspeech,withitsoddvaluationsofsomeoftheauxiliaryverbs,anditstotalelisionofthecanineletter。

  \"WeawefromtheSoath,\"shesaid,\"andwearrivedthismawning,butwegotthiscyahdfromthebrokahjustbefo\'dinnah,andsoweawerathahlate。\"

  \"Notatall;it\'sonlynineo\'clock,\"saidMrs。Leighton。Shelookedupfromthecardtheyoungladyhadgivenher,andexplained,\"Wehaven\'tgotinourservantsyet,andwehadtoanswerthebellourselves,and——\"

  \"Youwerefrightened,ofcoase,\"saidtheyounglady,caressingly。

  Thegentlemansaidtheyoughtnottohavecomesolate,andheofferedsomeformalapologies。

  \"Weshouldhavebeenjustasmuchscaredanytimeafterfiveo\'clock,\"

  Almasaidtothesympatheticintelligenceinthegirl\'sface。

  Shelaughedout。\"Ofcoase!Ahwouldhavemyhawtinmymoathalldaylong,too,ifAhwaslivinginabighoasealone。\"

  Amomentofstiffnessfollowed;Mrs。Leightonwouldhavelikedtowithdrawfromtheintimacyofthesituation,butshedidnotknowhow。

  Itwasverywellforthesepeopletoassumetobewhattheypretended;

  but,shereflectedtoolate,shehadnoproofofitexcepttheagent\'spermit。Theywereallstandinginthehalltogether,andsheprolongedtheawkwardpausewhilesheexaminedthepermit。\"YouareMr。Woodburn?\"

  sheasked,inawaythatAlmafeltimpliedhemightnotbe。

  \"Yes,madam;fromCharlottesboag,Virginia,\"heanswered,withtheslightumbrageamanshowswhenthestrangecashierturnshischeckoverandquestionshimbeforecashingit。

  Almawrithedinternally,butoutwardlyremainedsubordinate;sheexaminedtheothergirl\'sdress,anddecidedinasuperficialconsciousnessthatshehadmadeherownbonnet。

  \"Ishallbegladtoshowyoumyrooms,\"saidMrs。Leighton,withanirrelevantsigh。\"YoumustexcusetheirbeingnotjustasIshouldwishthem。We\'rehardlysettledyet。\"

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