“Itain”tmuch，“saidMrs。Tucker。“Butusuallyroomsliketheserentsforfiveaweek。”
Thesunhadheatedtheroofscorchinghot；theairofthisroom，immediatelyunderneath，waslikethatofacellarwhereafurnaceisinfullblast。ButSusanknewshewasindeedinluck。“It”scleanandnicehere，“saidshetoMrs。Tucker，“andI”mmuchobligedtoyouforbeingsoreasonablewithme。”
Andtoclinchthebargainshethenandtherepaidhalfamonth”srent。“I”llgiveyoutherestwhenmyweekatthestore”sup。”
“Nohurry，“saidMrs。Tuckerwhowashandlingthemoneyandlookingatitwithglisteninggratefuleyes。“Uspoorfolksoughtn”ttobehardoneachother——though，Lordknows，ifwewas，Ireckonwe”dnotbequitesopoor。It”sthemthathasthestreakofhardin”emwhatgetson。ButtheBibleteachesusthat”swhattoexpectinaworldofsin。Isupposeyouwanttogonowandhaveyourtrunksent？“
“ThisisallI”vegot，“saidSusan，indicatingherbagonthetable。
IntoMrs。Tucker”sfacecamealookofterrorthatmadeSusanrealizeinaninstanthowhard-pressedshemustbe。Itwasthekindoflookthatcomesintotheeyesofthedeerbroughtdownbythedogswhenitseesthehuntercomingup。
“ButI”veagoodplace，“Susanhastenedtosay。“Igettenaweek。
AndasItoldyoubefore，whenIcan”tpayI”llgorightaway。”
“I”velostsomuchinbaddebts，“explainedthelandladyhumbly。“Idon”tseemtoseewhichwaytoturn。”Thenshebrightened。“It”llallcomeoutforthebest。IworkhardandItrytodorightbyeverybody。”
“I”msureitwill，“saidSusanbelievingly。
Oftenherconfidenceinthemoralidealstrainedintoherfromchildhoodhadbeensorelytried。Butneverhadshepermittedherselfmorethanahasty，ashameddoubtthattheonlywaytogetonwastoworkandtopracticetheGoldenRule。Everyonewhowasprosperousattributedhisprosperitytothesteadfastfollowingofthatway；asforthosewhowerenotprosperous，theywereeitherlazyorbad-hearted，orwouldhavebeenevenworseoffhadtheybeenlessfaithfultothecreedthatwasbestpolicyaswellasbestforpeaceofmindandheart。
IntryingtobeasinexpensivetoSpenserasshecouldcontrive，andalsobecauseofherpassionforimprovingherself，Susanhadexploredfarintothealmostunknownartofliving，onitsshamefullyneglectedmaterialside。Shehadcultivatedthehabitofspendingmuchtimeaboutherpurchasesofeverykind——hadspenttimeintelligentlyinsavingmoneyintelligently。Shehadgonefromshoptoshop，comparingvaluesandprices。Shehadstudiedqualityinfoodandinclothing，andthusshehaddiscoveredwhatenormoussumsarewastedthroughignorance——wastedbypoorevenmorelavishlythanbyrichorwell-to-do，becausetheshopswherethepoordealthadabsolutelynocheckontheirrapacitythroughtheoccasionalcannycustomer。Shehadlearnedthefundamentaltruthofthematerialartofliving；onlywhenagoodthinghappenstobecheapisacheapthinggood。Spenser，cross-examiningherastohowshepassedthedays，foundoutaboutthiseducationshewasacquiring。Itamusedhim。“A
wasteoftime！“heusedtosay。“Paywhattheyask，anddon”tbotheryourheadwithsuchpettymatters。”Hemighthavesuspectedandaccusedherofbeingstingyhadnothergenerositybeenaboutthemostobviousandincessanttraitofhercharacter。
Shewasnowreducedtoanincomebelowwhatlifecanbedecentlymaintainedupon——thelifeofacity-dwellerwithnormaltastesforcleanlinessandhealthfulness。Sheproceededwithoutdelaytoputherinvaluableeducationintouse。Shemustfillhermindwiththepresentandwiththefuture。Shemustnotglanceback。Shemustignoreherwounds——theiraches，theirclamorousthrobs。Shetookoffherclothes，assoonasMrs。Tuckerleftheralone，brushedthemandhungthemup，putonthethinwrappershehadbroughtinherbag。Thefierceheatofthelittlepacking-caseofaroombecamelessunendurable；also，shewassavingtheclothesfromuselesswear。Shesatdownatthetableandwithpencilandpaperplannedherbudget。
Ofthetendollarsaweek，threedollarsandthirtycentsmustbesubtractedforrent——forshelter。Thisleftsixdollarsandseventycentsfortheothertwonecessaries，foodandclothing——theremustbenoincidentalexpensessincetherewasnomoneytomeetthem。Shecouldnotaffordtoprovideforcarfareonstormydays；araincoat，overshoesandumbrella，moreexpensiveattheoutset，wereincomparablycheaperinthelongrun。HerwashingandironingshewouldofcoursedoforherselfintheeveningsandonSundays。Ofthetwoitemswhichthesixdollarsandseventycentsmustcover，foodcamefirstinimportance。Howlittlecouldsheliveon？
Thatstiflinghotroom！Shewasaswetasifshehadcomeundriedfromabath。ShehadthoughtshecouldneverfeelanythingbutloveforthesunofherCityoftheSun。Butthisundreamed-ofheat——likethecruelcaressesofatooimpetuouslover——
Howlittlecouldsheliveon？“
Dividinghertotalofsixdollarsandseventycentsbyseven，shefoundthatshehadninety-fivecentsaday。Shewouldsoonhavetobuyclothes，howeverscrupulouscareshemighttakeofthoseshepossessed。ItwasmodestindeedtoestimatefifteendollarsforclothesbeforeOctober。ThatmeantshemustsavefifteendollarsintheremainingthreeweeksofJune，inJuly，AugustandSeptember——inonehundredandtendays。Shemustsaveaboutfifteencentsaday。Andoutofthatshemustbuysoapandtoothpowder，outerandunderclothes，perhapsahatandapairofshoes。Thusshecouldspendforfoodnotmorethaneightycentsaday，asmuchlessaswasconsistentwithbuyingthebestquality——forshehadlearnedbybitterexperiencetheravagespoorqualityfoodmakesinhealthandlooks，hadlearnedwhygirlsoftheworkingclassgotopiecesswiftlyaftereighteen。Shemustfighttokeephealth——sickshedidnotdarebe。Shemustfighttokeeplooks——herfigurewasherincome。
Eightycentsaday。Theoutlookwasnotsogloomy。Acupofcocoainthemorning——madeathomeofthebestcocoa，thekindthatdidnotoverheatthebloodanddisordertheskin——itwouldcostherlessthantencents。Shewouldcarrylunchwithhertothestore。Intheeveningshewouldcookachoporsomethingofthatkindonthegasstoveshewouldbuy。Somedaysshewouldbeabletosavetwentyoreventwenty-fivecentstowardclothingandthelike。Whateverelsehappened，shewasresolvedneveragaintosinktodirtandrags。Neveragain！——never！Shehadpassedthroughthatexperienceoncewithoutlossofself-respectonlybecauseitwasbywayofeducation。Togothroughitagainwouldbeyieldinggroundinthefight——thefightforadestinyworthwhilewhichsomelatentbutmightyinstinctwithinherneverpermittedhertoforget。
Shesatatthetable，withtheshuttersclosedagainstthefierylightofthesummerafternoonsun。Thathideousunacceptableheat！Witheyelidsdrooped——deepanddarkwerethecirclesroundthem——shelistenedtotheroarofthecity，asavagesoundliketheclamorofamultitudeoffamishedwildbeasts。AcityliketheCityofDestructionin“Pilgrim”sProgress“——acitywhereofallthemillions，butafewthousandsweremovingtowardorkeepinginthesunlightofcivilization。Therest，theswarmsofthecheapboardinghouses，cheaplodginghouses，tenements——thesemyriadsweresquirmingindarknessandsqualor，ignorantandnevertobelessignorant，illfedandnevertobebetterfed，clothedinpitifulabsurdragsorshoddyvulgarattemptsatfinery，andnevertobebetterclothed。Shewouldnotbeofthose！Shewouldstruggleon，wouldsinkonlytomount。Shewouldwork；
shewouldtrytodoasnearlyrightasshecould。Andintheendshemusttriumph。Shewouldgetatleastagoodpartofwhathersoulcraved，ofwhathermindcraved，ofwhatherheartcraved。
Theheatofthistenementroom！Theheattowhichpovertywasexposednakedandbound！Wouldnotanyonebejustifiedindoinganything——yes，_anything_——toescapefromthisfiend？II
ELLEN，themaid，sleptacrossthehallfromSusan，inaclosetsodirtythatnoonecouldhaveriskedinitanyarticleofclothingwiththeleastpretensiontocleanness。Itwasnobetter，noworsethanthelodgingsofmorethantwohundredthousandNewYorkers。Itsonenarrowopening，besidethedoor，gaveuponashaftwhoseodorsweresofoulthatshekeptthewindowclosed，preferringheatliketheinsideofasteamingpantotheonlyavailable“outsideair。”Thisinacivilizedcitywherehundredsofdogswithjeweledcollarssleptinluxuriousroomsondowniestbedsandhadservantstowaituponthem！ThemorningafterSusan”scoming，Ellenwokeher，astheyhadarranged，ataquarterbeforefive。Thenightbefore，Susanhadbroughtupfromthebasementalargebucketofwater；
forshehadmadeuphermind，totakeabatheveryday，atleastuntilthecoldweathersetinandrenderedsuchaluxuryimpossible。Withthiswaterandwhatshehadinherlittlepitcher，Susancontrivedtofreshenherselfup。ShehadboughtagasstoveandsomeindispensableutensilsforthreedollarsandseventeencentsinaFourteenthStreetstore，apoundofcocoaforseventycentsandtencents”worthofrolls——threerolls，wellbaked，offirstqualityflourandwithaboutasgoodbutterandotherthingsputintothedoughasonecanexpectinbreadnotmadeathome。Thesepurchaseshadreducedhercashtoforty-threecents——andsheoughttobuywithoutdelayaclockwithanalarmattachment。Andpayday——Saturday——wastwodaysaway。
Shemadeacupofcocoa，drankitslowly，eatingoneoftherolls——allinthesamemethodicalwaylikeamachinethatcontinuestorevolveafterthepowerhasbeenshutoff。Itwasthen，evenmorethanduringherfirsteveningalone，evenmorethanwhenshefromtimetotimestartledoutoftroubledsleep——itwasthen，assheforceddownherlonelybreakfast，thatshemostmissedRod。Whenshehadfinished，shecompletedhertoilet。Thefinalglanceatherselfinthelittlemirrorwasdepressing。Shelookedfreshforhernewsurroundingsandforhernewclass。Butincomparisonwithwhatsheusuallylooked，alreadytherewasadistinct，anominousfallingoff。
“I”mgladRodneversawmelookinglikethis，“shesaidalouddrearily。Takingarollforlunch，sheissuedforthathalf-pastsix。Thehourandthree-quartersshehadallowedfordressingandbreakfastinghadbeennonetoomuch。InthecoolnessandcomparativequietshewentdownUniversityPlaceandacrossWashingtonSquareundertheoldtrees，allalivewithsongandbreezeandflashesofearlymorninglight。ShewassooninBroadway”sdeepcanyon，wasdriftingabsentlyalonginthestreamofcross，mussy-lookingworkerspushingsouthward。Herheartached，herbrainthrobbed。Itwashorrible，thisloneliness；andeveryoneofthewoundswhereshehadseveredthetieswithSpenserwasbleeding。ShewasastonishedtofindherselfbeforethebuildingwhoseupperfloorswereoccupiedbyJeffriesandJonas。Howhadshegotthere？WherehadshecrossedBroadway？
“Goodmorning，MissSackville。”ItwasMissHinkle，justarriving。Hereyeswereheavy，andtherewerethecrisscrosslinesunderthemthattellastorytotheexpertinthedifferenteffectsofdifferentkindsofdissipation。MissHinklewasshowingherage——andshewas“nospringchicken。”
Susanreturnedhergreeting，gazingatherwiththedazedeyesandpuzzledsmileofanawakeningsleeper。
“I”llshowyoutheropes，“saidMissHinkle，astheyclimbedthetwoflightsofstairs。“You”llfindthejobdeadeasy。
They”remightynicepeopletoworkfor，Mr。Jeffriesespecially。Noteasyfruit，ofcourse，butniceforpeoplethathavegoton。Youdidn”tsleepwell？“
“Yes——Ithinkso。”
“Ididn”thaveachancetodroproundlastnight。Iwasoutwithoneofthebuyers。HowdoyoulikeMrs。Tucker？“
“She”sverygood，isn”tshe？“
“She”llnevergetalong。Sheworkshard，too——butnotforherself。InthisworldyouhavetolookoutforNumberOne。
Ihadaswelldinnerlastnight。Lobster——Ilovelobster——andelegantchampagne——uptoMurray”s——sucharefinedplace——allfountainsandmirrors——reallyquiteartistic。Andmygentlemanfriendwassoniceandrespectful。Youknow，wehavetogooutwiththebuyerswhentheyaskus。Ithelpsthehousesellgoods。Andwehavetobecarefulnottooffendthem。”
MissHinkle”stoneinthelastremarkwassosignificantthatSusanlookedather——and，looking，understood。
“Sometimes，“pursuedMissHinkle，eyescarefullyaverted，“sometimesanewgirlgoesoutwithanimportantcustomerandhegetsfreshandshekicksandcomplainstoMr。Jeffries——orMr。Jonas——orMr。Ratney，theheadman。Theyalwayssympathizewithher——but——well，I”venoticedthatsomehowshesoonlosesherjob。”
“Whatdoyoudowhen——whenacustomerannoysyou？“
“I！“MissHinklelaughedwithsomeembarrassment。“Oh，IdothebestIcan。”Aswiftglanceofthecynical，laughing，“fast“eyesatSusanandaway。“ThebestIcan——forthehouse——andformyself……ItalktoyoubecauseIknowyou”realadyandbecauseIdon”twanttoseeyouthrowndown。
Awomanthat”slivingquietlyathome——likealady——shecanbesqueamish。Butoutintheworldawomancan”taffordtobe——no，noraman，neither。Youdon”tfindthissetdowninthebooks，andtheydon”tpreachitinthechurches——leastwaystheydidn”twhenIusedtogotochurch。Butit”strue，allthesame。”
Theywereafewminutesearly；soMissHinklecontinuedtheconversationwhiletheywaitedfortheopeningoftheroomwhereSusanwouldbeoutfittedforherwork。“IcalledyouMissSackville，“saidshe，“butyou”vebeenmarried——haven”tyou？“
“Yes。”
“Icanalwaystell——oratleastIcanseewhetherawoman”shadexperienceornot。Well，I”veneverbeenregularlymarried，andIdon”texpectto，unlesssomethingprettygoodoffers。
ThinkI”dmarryoneoftheserottenlittleclerks？“MissHinkleansweredherownquestionwithascornfulsniff。“Theycanhardlymakealivingforthemselves。Andamanwhoamountstoanything，hewantsarefinedladytohelphimonup，notaworkinggirl。Ofcourse，there”reexceptions。Butasaruleagirlinourpositioneitherhastostaysingleormarrybeneathher——marrysomemechanicorsuchlike。Well，Iain”tsolazy，orsocrazyaboutbeingsupported，thatI”dsinktobecookandslop-carrier——andworse——foracarpenterorabricklayer。Goingoutwiththebuyers——thegentlemanlyones——hasspoiledmytaste。Ican”tstandacoarseman——coarsedressandhandsandmanners。Canyou？“
Susanturnedhastilyaway，sothatherfacewashiddenfromMissHinkle。
“I”llbetyouwasn”tmarriedtoacoarseman。”
“I”drathernottalkaboutmyself，“saidSusanwithaneffort。
“It”snotpleasant。”
HermannerofcheckingMissHinkle”sfriendlycuriositydidnotgiveoffense；itexcitedtheexperiencedworkingwoman”ssympathy。Shewenton：
“Well，Ifeelsorryforanywomanthathastowork。Ofcoursemostwomendo——andatworsethananythinginthestoresandfactories。Asbetweenbeingadrudgetosomedirtycommonlaborerlikemostwomenare，andworkinginafactoryeven，givemethefactory。Yes，givemeajobasapotslingereven，lowasthatis。Oh，I_hate_workingpeople！Iloverefinement。UptoMurray”slastnightIsatthere，eatingmylobsteranddrinkingmywine，andIpretendedIwasalady——and，my，howhappyIwas！“
Thestockroomnowopened。Susan，withthehelpofMissHinkleandthestockkeeper，dressedinoneofthetight-fittingsatinslipsthatrevealedeverycurveandlineofherform，madeeverymotionhoweverslight，everybreathshedrew，agestureofsensuousness。Asshelookedatherselfinalongglassinoneoftheshow-parlors，herfacedidnotreflecttheadmirationfranklydisplayeduponthefacesofthetwootherwomen。Thatsatinslipseemedtohaveamoralquality，animmoralcharacter。Itmadeherfeelnaked——no，asifshewerenakedandbeingpeepedatthroughacrackorkeyhole。
“You”llsoongetusedtoit，“MissHinkleassuredher。“Andyou”lllearntoshowoffthedressesandcloakstothebestadvantage。”Shelaughedherinsinuatinglittlelaughagain，amused，cynical，reckless。“Youknow，thebuyersaremen。
Gee，whatawfuljaythingsweworkoffonthem，sometimes！
Theycan”tseethedressforthefigure。Andyou”vegotsucharefinedfigure，MissSackville——thekindI”dbecrazyaboutifIwasaman。ButImustsay——”heresheeyedherselfintheglasscomplacently”mostmenpreferafigurelikemine。
Don”tthey，MissSimmons？“
Thestockkeepershookherfatshouldersinagestureofindifferentdisdain。“Theytakewhatever”shandiest——that”s_my_experience。”
Abouthalf-pastninethefirstcustomerappeared——Mr。Gideon，ithappenedtobe。HewasmakingtheroundsofthebigwholesalehousesinsearchofstockforthehugeChicagodepartmentstorethatpaidhimfifteenthousandayearandexpenses。HehadbeencontemptuousoftheofferingsofJeffriesandJonasforthewinterseason，hadpraisedwithenthusiasmthemodelsoftheirprincipalrival，Icklemeier，SchwartzandCompany。Theywereundecidedwhetherhewasreallythinkingofdesertingthemorwasfeelingforlowerprices。Mr。JeffriesbustledintotheroomwhereSusanstoodwaiting；hisflatfacequiveredwithexcitement。“Gid”scome！“
hesaidinahoarsewhisper。“Everybodygetbusy。We”lltryMissSackvilleonhim。”
AndhehimselfassistedwhiletheytrickedoutSusaninanafternooncostumeofpalegray，puttingonherheadabigpalegrayhatwithharmonizingfeathers。Themodelwasofferedinallcolorsandalsoinamodifiedformthatpermitteditsuseforeitherafternoonorevening。Susanhadreceivedherinstructions，sowhenshewasdressed，shewasreadytosweepintoGideon”spresencewithlanguidmajesty。Jeffries”eyesglistenedashenotedherwalk。“Shelooksasifshereallywasalady！“exclaimedhe。“IwishIcouldmakemydaughtersmovearoundontheirtrotterslikethat。”
Gideonwasenthronedinaneasychair，smokingacigar。Hewasasparemanofperhapsforty-five，withnointentionofabandoningthepretensionstoyouthformanyayear。Indresshewasasspickandspanasatailoratthetrade”sannualconvention。Buthehadevidentlybeen“goingsome“forseveraldays；thesour，worn，haggardfacerisingabovehiselegantlyfittingcollarsuggestedamoth-eatenjaguarthathasbeenforweeksonshortrationsornone。
“What”sthematter？“hesnapped，asthedoorbegantoopen。
“Idon”tliketohekeptwaiting。”
InsweptSusan；andJeffries，rubbinghisthickhands，saidfawningly，“ButIthink，Mr。Gideon，you”llsayitwasworthwaitingfor。”
Gideon”sangry，arroganteyessoftenedatfirstglimpseofSusan。“Um！“hegrunted，somesuchsoundasthejaguaraforesaidwouldmakewhenthefirstchunkoffoodhurtledthroughthebarsandlandedonhispaws。HesatwithcigarpoisedbetweenhislongwhitefingerswhileSusanwalkedupanddownbeforehim，displayingthedressatallangles，Jeffriesexpatiatinguponitthewhile。
“Don”ttalksodamnmuch，Jeff！“hecommandedwiththeinsolenceofacustomercontainingpossibilitiesoflargeprofit。“Ijudgeformyself。I”mnotadamnfool。”
“Ishouldsaynot，“criedJeffries，laughingthemerchant”slaughforacustomer”spleasantry。“ButIcan”thelptalkingaboutit，Gid，it”ssolovely！“
Jeffries”shrewdeyesleapedforjoywhenGideongotupfromhischairand，underpretenseofexaminingthegarment，investigatedSusan”sfigure。Ashisgentle，insinuatinghandstraveledoverher，hiseyessoughthers。“Excuseme，“saidJeffries。“I”llseethattheygettheotherthingsready。”
Andouthewent，winkingatMaryHinkletofollowhim——anunnecessarygestureasshewasalreadyonherwaytothedoor。
Gideonunderstoodaswellasdidtheywhytheyleft。“Idon”tthinkI”veseenyoubefore，mydear，“saidhetoSusan。
“Icameonlythismorning，“repliedshe。
“IliketoknoweverybodyIdealwith。Wemustgetbetteracquainted。You”vegotthebestfigureinthebusiness——theverybest。”
“Thankyou，“saidSusanwithagrave，distantsmile。
“Gotadatefordinnertonight？“inquiredhe；and，assumingthateverythingwouldyieldprecedencetohim，hedidnotwaitforareply，butwenton，“Tellmeyouraddress。I”llsendacabforyouatseveno”clock。”
“Thankyou，“saidSusan，“butIcan”tgo。”
Gideonsmiled。“Oh，don”tbeshy。Ofcourseyou”llgo。AskJeffries。He”lltellyouit”sallright。”
“TherearereasonswhyI”drathernotbeseenintherestaurants。”
“That”sevenbetter。I”llcomeinthecabmyselfandwe”llgotoaquietplace。”
Hiseyessmiledinsinuatinglyather。Nowthatshelookedathimmorecarefullyhewasunusuallyattractiveforamanofhistype——hadstrengthandintelligenceinhisfeatures，hadasuggestionofmastery，ofoneusedtoobedience，inhisvoice。
Histeethwereevenandsound，hislipsfirmyetnottoothin。
“Come，“saidhepersuasively。“I”llnoteatyouup”withagayandgracioussmile”atleastI”lltrynotto。”
SusanrememberedwhatMissHinklehadtoldher。Shesawthatshemusteitheraccepttheinvitationorgiveupherposition。
Shesaid：
“Verywell，“andgavehimheraddress。
BackcameJeffriesandMissHinklecarryingthefirstofthewraps。Gideonwavedthemaway。“You”veshown”emtomebefore，“saidhe。“Idon”twanttosee”emagain。Givemetheeveninggowns。”
Susanwithdrew，soontoappearinadressthatleftherarmsandneckbare。Gideoncouldnotgetenoughofthis。Jeffrieskeptherwalkingupanddownuntilshewasreadytodropwithwearinessofthemonotony，ofthedistastefulplayofGideon”sfieryglanceuponherarmsandshouldersandthroat。Gideontriedtodrawherintoconversation，butshewould——indeedcould——gonofurtherthandirectanswerstohisdirectquestions。“Nevermind，“saidhetoherinanundertone。
“I”llcheeryouupthisevening。IthinkIknowhowtoorderadinner。”
HerinstantconquestofthedifficultandvaluableGideonsoelatedJeffriesthathepiledtheworkonher。Heusedherwitheveryimportantbuyerwhocamethatday。Thetemperaturewasupinthehighnineties，thehotmoistairstoodstagnantasabarnyardpool；thewintermodelswerecruellyhotandheavy。Alldaylong，withapauseofhalfanhourtoeatherrollanddrinkaglassofwater，Susanwalkedupanddowntheshowparlorsweightedwithdressesandcloaks，fursforarcticweather。Theothergirls，eventhosedoingalmostnothing，wereallbutprostrated。Itwaslittleshortofintolerable，thisstruggletogainthe“honest，self-respectinglivingbyhonestwork“thattherewassomuchtalkabout。Towardfiveo”clockhernervesabruptlyandcompletelygaveway，andshefainted——forthefirsttimeinherlife。Atoncethewholeestablishmentwasinanuproar。Jeffriescursedhimselfloudlyforhisshortsightedness，forhisoverestimatingheryoungstrength。“She”lllooklikehellthisevening，“hewailed，wringinghishandslikeadistractedpeasantwoman。“Maybeshewon”tbeabletogooutatall。”
Shesooncameround。Theybroughtherwhiskey，andafterwardteaandsandwiches。Andwiththepowerofquickrecuperationthatisthemostfascinatingmiracleofhealthyyouth，shenotonlyshowednosignofherbreakdownbutlookedmuchbetter。
Andshefeltbetter。Weshallsomedayunderstandwhyitisthatifaseverephysicalblowfollowsuponamentalblow，recoveryfromthephysicalblowisalwaysaccompaniedbyareliefofthementalstrain。Susancameoutofherfitoffaintnessandexhaustionwithadifferentpointofview——asiftimehadbeenlongatworksofteningher，grief。Spenserseemedpartofthepresentnolonger，butofthepast——apastfarmoreremotethanyesterday。
MaryHinklesatwithherasshedrankthetea。“DidyoumakeadatewithGid？“inquiredshe。HertoneletSusanknowthatthequestionhadbeenpromptedbyJeffries。
“Heaskedmetodinewithhim，andIsaidIwould。”
“Haveyougotanicedress——dinnerdress，Imean？“
“ThelinenoneI”mwearingisall。Myotherdressisforcoolerweather。”
“ThenI”llgiveyouoneoutofstock——ImeanI”llborrowoneforyou。Thisdinner”sahouseaffair，youknow——togetGid”sorder。It”llbeworththousandstothem。”
“Therewouldn”tbeanythingtofitmeonsuchshortnotice，“
saidSusan，castingaboutforanexcusefornotwearingborrowedfinery。
“Why，you”vegotamodelfigure。I”llpickyououtawhitedress——andablackandwhitehat。Iknow”emall，andIknowonethat”llmakeyoulooksimplylovely。”
Susandidnotprotest。Shewasprofoundlyindifferenttowhathappenedtoher。Lifeseemedashowinwhichshehadnopart，andatwhichshesatalistlessspectator。Afewminutes，andinpuffedJeffries，solicitousasafussyoldbirdwithanewfamily。
“You”realotbetter，ain”tyou？“criedhe，beforehehadlookedather。“Oh，yes，you”llbeallright。Andyou”llhavealovelytimewithMr。Gideon。He”saperfectgentleman——knowshowtotreatalady……TheminuteIlaideyesonyouI
saidtomyself，saidI，`Jeffries，she”samascot。”Andyouare，mydear。You”llgetustheorder。Butyoumustn”ttalkbusinesswithhim，youunderstand？“
“Yes，“saidSusan，wearily。
“He”sagentleman，youknow，anditdon”tdotomixbusinessandsocialpleasures。Youstringhimalongquietandladylikeandelegant，asiftherewasn”tanysuchthingsascloaksordressesintheworld。He”llunderstandallright……Ifyoulandtheorder，mydear，I”llseethatyougetanicepresent。Anicedress——theonewe”regoingtolendyou——ifhegivesusaslice。Thedressandtwenty-fiveincash，ifhegivesusall。How”sthat？“
“Thankyou，“saidSusan。“I”lldomybest。”
“You”lllandit。You”lllandit。IfeelasifwehaditwithhisO。K。onit。”
Susanshivered。“Don”t——don”tcountonmetoomuch，“shesaidhesitatingly。“I”mnotinverygoodspirits，I”msorrytosay。”
“Alittlepressedformoney？“Jeffrieshesitated，madeaneffort，blurtedoutwhatwasforhim，thebusinessman，agiddygenerosity。“Onyourwayout，stopatthecashier”s。He”llgiveyouthisweek”spayinadvance。”Jeffrieshesitated，decidedagainstdangerousliberality。“Notten，youunderstand，butsaysix。Yousee，youwon”thavebeenwithusafullweek。”Andhehurriedaway，frightenedbyhisprodigality，bythesehystericalimpulsesthatwererushinghimfarfromthecourseofsoundbusinesssense。“AsJonessays，I”magenerousoldfool，“hemuttered。“Mysoftheart”llruinmeyet。”
JeffriessentMaryHinklehomewithSusantocarrythedressandhat，tohelphermakeatoiletandto“startheroffright。”Inthehourbeforetheyleftthestoretherewasofferedatypicalillustrationofwhyandhow“business“isabletosuspendthenormalmoralsenseandtosubstituteforitahighlyingeniouscounterfeitofsuprememoralobligationtoit。ThehystericalJeffrieshadinfectedtheentirepersonnelwithhisexcitement，withthesensethatagreatbattlewasimpendingandthatthecauseofthehouse，whichwasthecauseofeveryonewhodrewpayfromit，hadbeenintrustedtotheyoungrecruitwiththefascinatingfigureandthesweet，sadface。AndSusan”ssensitivenaturewassoonvibratinginresponsetothisfeeling。Itterrifiedherthatshe，theinexperienced，hadsuchgraveresponsibility。Itmadeherheartheavytothinkofprobablefailure，whenthehousehadbeensogoodtoher，hadtakenherin，hadgivenherunusualwages，hadmadeitpossibleforhertogetastartinlife，hadintrustedtoheritscause，itschancetoretrieveabadseasonandtoprotectitsemployeesinsteadofdischargingalotofthem。
“Haveyougotlongwhitegloves？“askedMaryHinkle，astheywalkedupBroadway，shecarryingthedressandSusanthehatbox。
“Onlyafewpairsofshortones。”
“Youmusthavelongwhitegloves——andapairofwhitestockings。”
“Ican”taffordthem。”
“Oh，Jeffriestoldmetoaskyou——andtogotoworkandbuythemifyouhadn”t。”
TheystoppedatWanamaker”s。Susanwasabouttopay，whenMarystoppedher。“Ifyoupay，“saidshe，“maybeyou”llgetyourmoneybackfromthehouse，andmaybeyouwon”t。IfIpay，they”llnotmakeakickongivingitbacktome。”
ThedressMaryhadselectedwasasimplewhitebatiste，cutoutattheneckprettily，andwiththeelbowsleevesthatwerethenthefashion。“Yourarmsandthroatarelovely，“saidMary。
“Andyourhandsaremightynice，too——that”swhyI”msureyou”veneverbeenarealworkinggirl——leastways，notforalongtime。Whenyougettotherestaurantanddrawoffyourglovesinaslow，careless，ladylikekindofway，andputyourelbowsonthetable——my，howhewilltakeon！“Marylookedatherwithanintensebutnotatallmalignantenvy。“Ifyoudon”tlandhigh，it”llbebecauseyou”reafool。Andyouain”tthat。”
“I”mafraidIam，“repliedSusan。“Yes，IguessI”mwhat”scalledafool——whatprobablyisafool。”
“Youwanttolookoutthen，“warnedMissHinkle。“Youwanttogotoworkandgetoverthat。Beautydon”tcount，unlessagirl”sgotshrewdness。Thestreetsarefullofbeautiessellin”outforabareliving。Theythoughttheycouldn”thelpwinning，andtheygotleft，andtheplaingirlswhohadtohustleandmanagehavepassedthem。GotoDel”sorRector”sortheWaldorfortheMadridoranyofthosehigh-tonedplaces，andseethewomenwiththeswellclothesandjewelry！Themarriedones，andtheotherkind，both。Aretheyravingtearingbeauties？Notoften……ThetroublewithmeisI”vebeentoogood-heartedandtoosoftaboutbeingflattered。
Iwastoogoodlooking，andasmalleasylivingcametooeasy。
You——I”dsayyouwere——thatyouhadbrainsbutwereshyaboutusingthem。What”sthegoodofhavingthem？Mightaswellbeaboob。Then，too，you”vegottogotoworkandlookoutaboutbeingtoorefined。Therefined，niceonesgoesthelowest——iftheygetpushed——andthisisapushingworld。You”llgetpushedjustasfarasyou”lllet”em。Takeitfromme。I”vebeendowntheline。”
Susan”slowspiritssanklower。Thesedisagreeabletruths——forobservationandexperiencemadeherfeartheyweretruths——filledherwithdespondency。Whatwasthematterwithlife？Asbetweenthemoralityshehadbeentaughtandthepracticalmoralityofthisworlduponwhichshehadbeencast，whichwastheright？How“takehold“？Howaverttheimpendingdisaster？Whatofthe“good“should——_must_——shethrowaway？Whatshould——_must_——sheclingto？
MaryHinklewasshockedbythepoorlittleroom。“Thisisnoplaceforalady！“criedshe。“Butitwon”tlastlong——notaftertonight，ifyouplayyourcardshalfwayright。”
“I”mverywellsatisfied，“saidSusan。“IfIcanonlykeepthis！“
Shefeltnointerestinthetoiletuntilthedressandhatwereunpackedandlaidoutuponthebed。Atsightofthemhereyesbecameakeenandlivelygray——nevervioletforthatkindofemotion——andtheresurgeduptheloveoffinerythatdwellsineverynormalwoman——andineverynormalman——thatisputtherebyahereditydatingbackthroughtheagestotheverybeginningofconsciouslife——anddoesnotleavethemuntillifegivesupthebattleandpreparestovacatebeforedeath。
Ellen，themaid，passingthedoor，sawandenteredtoaddherecstaticexclamationstotheexcitement。DownsherantobringMrs。Tucker，whonosoonerbeheldtheglorydisplayeduponthehumblebedthanshetoowasinaturmoil。Susandressedwiththeaidofthreemaidsasinterestedandeageraseverrobedaqueenforcoronation。Ellenbroughthotwaterandalargerbowl。Mrs。Tuckerwishedtolendahighlyscentedtoiletsoapsheusedwhensheputongalaattire；butSusaninsisteduponherownplainsoap。Theyallhelpedherbathe；theyhelpedherselectthebestunderclothesfromhersmallstore。Susanwouldputonherownstockings；butEllengotonefootintooneoftheslippersandMrs。Tuckerlookedaftertheotherfoot。
“Ain”ttheylovely？“saidEllentoMrs。Tucker，astheyknelttogetherattheirtask。“Ineverseesuchfeet。Notalumpon”em，butlikefeetinapicture。”
“Ittakesamightygoodlegtolookgoodinawhitestocking，“
observedMary。“Butyoursissoniceandlongandslimthatthey”dstandmostanything。”
Mrs。TuckerandEllenstoodbywithnointerferencesavesuggestionandcomment，whileMary，whoatonetimeworkedforahairdresser，didSusan”sthickdarkhair。Susanwouldpermitnoelaborations，muchtoMissHinkle”sregret。Butthethreeagreedthatshewasrightwhenthesimplesweepofthevitalblue-blackhairwasfinishedinalooseandgracefulknotattheback，andSusan”ssmall，healthilypallidfacelookeditsloveliest，withtheviolet-grayeyessoftandsweetandserious。Mrs。Tuckerbroughtthehatfromthebed，andSusanputiton——alargeblackstrawofamostbecomingshapewithtwopurewhiteplumescurlingroundthecrownandathird，notsolong，risinggracefullyfromthebigbucklewherethethreeplumesmet。Andnowcametheputtingonofthedress。Withasmuchcareasiftheywerehandlingarareandfragilevase，MaryandMrs。TuckerheldthedressforSusantostepintoit。
EllenkeptherpetticoatinplacewhiletheothertwoescortedthedressupSusan”sform。
Thenthethreeworkedtogetherathookingandsmoothing。Susanwashedherhandsagain，refusedtoletMrs。Tuckerrunandbringpowder，producedfromadrawersomepreparedchalkandwithitsafeguardedhernoseagainstshine；shetuckedthepowderragintoherstocking。Lastofallthegloveswentonandasmallhandkerchiefwasthrustintothepalmoftheleftglove。
“HowdoIlook？“askedSusan。“Lovely“”Fine“”Justgrand，“
exclaimedthethreemaids。
“Ifeelawfullydressedup，“saidshe。“Andit”ssohot！“
“Youmustgorightdownstairswhereit”scoolandyouwon”tgetwilted，“criedMrs。Tucker。“Holdyourskirtscloseontheway。Thestepsandwallsain”tnonetooclean。”
Inthebathroomdownstairstherewasalongmirrorbuiltintothewall，arelicoftheoldhouse”slongdepartedyouthofgrandeur。Asthetenant——Mr。Jessop——wasout，Mrs。Tuckerledthewayintoit。ThereSusanhadthefirstsatisfactorylookatherself。Sheknewshewasaprettywoman；shewouldhavebeenweak-mindedhadshenotknownit。Butshewasamazedatherself。Atouchhereandthere，asinuousshiftingofthebodywithinthegarments，andthesuggestionof“dressedup“
vanishedbeforethereflectedeyesofheragitatedassistants，whodidnotknowwhathadhappenedbutonlysawtheresults。
Shehardlyknewthetallbeautifulwomanoffashiongazingatherfromthemirror。Coulditbethatthiswasherhair？——theseeyeshers——andthemouthandnoseandtheskin？
Wasthislongslenderfigureherveryown？Whatanastoundingdifferenceclothesdidmake！NeverbeforehadSusanwornanythingnearlysofine。“ThisisthewayIoughttolookallthetime，“thoughtshe。“AndthisisthewayI_will_look！“
Onlybetter——muchbetter。Alreadyhertrueeyewasseeingthedefects，thechancesforimprovement——howthehatcouldbere-bentandre-trimmedtoadaptittoherfeatures，howthedresscouldbealteredtomakeitmoretasteful，moreeffectiveinsubtlyattractingattentiontoherfigure。
“Howmuchdoyousupposethedresscost，MissHinkle？“askedEllen——thequestionMrs。Tuckerhadbeendyingtoputbuthadrefrainedfromputtinglestitshouldsoundunrefined。
“Itcostsninetywholesale，“saidMissHinkle。“That”dmeanahundredandtwenty-five——ahundredandfifty，maybeifyouwastotrytobuyitinadepartmentstore。Andthehat——well，Lichtenstein”daskfiftyorsixtyforitandneverturnahair。”
“Gosh——ee？“exclaimedEllen。“Didyoueverhearthelike？“
“I”mnotsurprised，“saidMrs。Tucker，whoinfactwasflabbergasted。“Well——it”sworththemoneytothemthatcanaffordtobuyit。ThegoodLordputeverythingonearthtobeused，Ireckon。AndMissSackvilleisthebuildforthingslikethat。Nowit”dbefoolishonme，withastomachandsitterthatwon”tletnoskirthangfittolookat。”
Thebellrang。TheexcitementdiedfromSusan”sface，leavingitpaleandcold。Awaveofnauseasweptthroughher。Ellenpeepedout，Mrs。TuckerandMissHinklelisteningwithanxiousfaces。“It”shim！“whisperedEllen，“andthere”sataxi，too。”
ItwasdecidedthatEllenshouldgotothedoor，thatassheopeneditSusanshouldcomecarelesslyfromthebackroomandadvancealongthehall。AndthisprogramwascarriedoutwiththeresultthatasGideonsaid，“IsMissSackvillehere？“MissSackvilleappearedbeforehiswidening，wondering，admiringeyes。Hewasdressedintheextremeoffashionandcostlinessingoodtaste；whileitwouldhavebeenimpossibleforhimtolookdistinguished，hedidlookwhathewas——aprosperousbusinessmanwithprospects。Hecameperfumedandrustling。
Buthefeltcompletelyoutclassed——untilheremindedhimselfthatforallherbraveshowoffashionableladyshewasonlyamodelwhilehewasafifteen-thousand-a-yearmanonthewaytoapartnership。
“Don”tyouthinkwemightdineontheverandaatSherry”s？“
suggestedhe。“It”dbecoolthere。”
Atsightofhimshehadnervedherself，hadkeyedherselfuptowardrecklessness。Shewasinforit。Shewouldputitthrough。Nofutilecowardlyshrinkingandwhimpering！Whynottrytogetwhateverpleasuretherewasachancefor？
But——Sherry”s——wasitsafe？Yes，almostanyoftheFifthAvenueplaces——excepttheWaldorf，possibly——wassafeenough。
ThecircuitofSpenserandhisfriendslayinthemoreBohemianBroadwaydistrict。HehadtakenhertoSherry”sonlyonce，toseeaspartofaNewYorkeducationtheSundaynightcrowdoffashionablepeople。“Ifyoulike，“saidshe。
Gideonbeamed。Hewouldbeabletoshowoffhisprize！AstheydroveawaySusanglancedatthefrontparlorwindows，sawthecurtainsagitated，feltthethreefriendly，excitedfacespalpitating。Sheleanedfromthecabwindow，wavedherhand，smiled。ThethreefacesinstantlyappearedandimmediatelyhidagainlestGideonshouldsee。
ButGideonwastoobusyplanningconversation。HeknewMissSackvillewas“ascommonastherestof”em——andanoldhandatthebusiness，nodoubt。”Buthesimplycouldnotabruptlybreakthroughthebarrier；hemustsquirmthroughgradually。
“That”saswelloutfityou”vegoton，“hebegan。
“Yes，“repliedSusanwithherusualcandor。“MissHinkleborroweditoutofthestockformetowear。”
Gideonwasconfused。Heknewhowshehadgotthehatanddress，butheexpectedhertomakeapretense。Hecouldn”tunderstandhernotdoingit。Suchcandor——anykindofcandor——wasn”tinthegameofmenandwomenaswomenhadplayeditinhisexperience。Thewomen——allsortsofwomen——liedandfakedattheirbusinessjustasmendidinthebusinessofbuyingandsellinggoods。Andhervoice——andherwayofspeaking——theymadehimfeelmorethaneveroutofhisclass。
Hemustgetsomethingtodrinkassoonasitcouldbeserved；
thatwouldputhimathisease。Yes——adrink——thatwouldsethimupagain。Andadrinkforher——thatwouldbringherdownfromthisqueernewkindofhighhorse。“Iguessshemustbeatopnotcher——therealthing，comedownintheworld——andnotoutofthenearsilks。Butshe”llbeallrightafteradrink。
Onedrinkofliquormakesthewholeworldkin。”Thatlastthoughtremindedhimofhisownclevernessandheattackedthesituationafresh。Buttheconversationastheydroveuptheavenuewasonthewholeconstrainedandintermittent——chieflyabouttheweather。Susanwasobserving——andfeeling——andenjoying。Upbubbledheryoungspiritsperpetuallyrenewedbyherhealthy，vitalyouthofbody。ShewasseeingherbelovedCityoftheSunagain。AstheyturnedoutoftheavenueforSherry”smainentranceSusanrealizedthatshewasinForty-fourthStreet。ThestreetwheresheandSpenserhadlived！——hadlivedonlyyesterday。No——notyesterday——impossible！
Hereyesclosedandsheleanedbackinthecab。
Gideonwaswaitingtohelpheralight。Hesawthatsomethingwaswrong；itstoodoutobviouslyinherghastlyface。Hefearedthecarriagemenroundtheentrancewould“catchon“tothefactthathewasescortingagirlsounusedtoswellsurroundingsthatshewasreadytofaintwithfright。“Don”tbefoolish，“hesaidsharply。Susanrevivedherself，descended，andwithheadbentlowandtremblingbodyenteredtherestaurant。IntheagitationofgettingatableandsettlingatitGideonforgotforthemomenthersicklypallor。
Hebegantoorderatonce，notconsultingher——forhepridedhimselfonhisknowledgeofcookeryandassumedthatsheknewnothingaboutit。“Haveacocktail？“askedhe。“Yes，ofcourseyouwill。Youneeditbadandyouneeditquick。”
Shesaidshepreferredsherry。Shehadintendedtodrinknothing，butshemusthaveaidinconqueringherfaintnessandoverwhelmingdepression。Gideontookadrymartini；orderedasecondforhimselfwhenthefirstcame，andhadthembothdownbeforeshefinishedhersherry。“I”veorderedchampagne，“saidhe。“Isupposeyoulikesweetchampagne。Mostladiesdo，butIcan”tstandseeingitservedeven。”
“No——Ilikeitverydry，“saidSusan。
Gideonglintedhiseyesgaylyather，showedhiswhitejaguarteeth。“Soyou”reacquaintedwithfizz，areyou？“Hewasfeelinghisabsurdnotionofinequalityinherfavordissipateasthefumesofthecocktailsrosestraightandstrongfromhisemptystomachtohisbrain。“Doyouknow，I”veasortoffeelingthatwe”regoingtolikeeachotheralot。Ithinkwemakeahandsomecouple——eh——what”syourfirstname？“
“Lorna。”
“Lorna，then。Myname”sEd，buteverybodycallsmeGid。”
Assoonasthemelonwasserved，heorderedthechampagneopened。“Toourbetteracquaintance，“saidhe，liftinghisglasstowardher。
“Thankyou，“saidshe，inasuffocatedvoice，touchingherglasstoherlips。
Hewastoopolitetospeak，eveninbanter，ofwhathethoughtwastherealcauseofherpolitenessandsilence。Buthemustendthisstateofoverwhelmednessatgrandsurroundings。Saidhe：
“You”rekindo”shy，aren”tyou，Lorna？Oristhatyourgame？“
“Idon”tknow。You”vehadaveryinterestinglife，haven”tyou？Won”tyoutellmeaboutit？“
“Oh——justordinary，“repliedhe，withapropershowofmodesty。
Andstraightway，asSusanhadhoped，helaunchedintoaminuteaccountofhimself——thefamiliarstoryoftheenergetic，aggressivemantwistingandkickinghiswayupfromtwoorthreedollarsaweek。Susanseemedinterested，buthermindrefusedtooccupyitselfwithanarrativesocommonplace。
AfterRodandhisfriendsthisboastfulbusinessmanwasdullandtedious。Wheneverhelaughedatanaccountofhissuperiorcraft——howhehadbluffedthisman，howhehadeucheredthatone——shesmiled。Andsoinonemorecasethecommonmasculinedelusionthatwomenlistentothemonthesubjectofthemselves，withinterestandadmirationasprofoundastheirown，wasnotimpaired。
“But，“hewoundup，“I”vestayedplainEdGideon。Ineverhaveletprosperityswell_my_head。Andanyonethatknowsme”lltellyouI”maregularfoolforgenerositywiththosethatcomeatmeright……I”vealwaysbeenafavoritewiththeladies。”
Ashewaspausingforcommentfromher，shesaid，“Icanbelieveit。”Theword“generosity“keptechoinginhermind。
Generosity——generosity。Howmuchtalktherewasaboutit！
Everyonewasforeverpraisinghimselfforhisgenerosity，wasrecitingactsofthemostobviousselfishnessinproof。Wasthereanysuchthinginthewholeworldasrealgenerosity？
“Theylikeagenerousman，“pursuedGid。“I”mtightinbusiness——Icanseeadollarasfarasthenextmanandchaseitashardandgrabitastight。Butwhenitcomestotheladies，why，I”mopen-handed。Iftheytreatmeright，Itreatthemright。”Then，fearingthathehadtactlesslyraisedadoubtofhisinvincibility，hehastilyadded，“Buttheyalwaysdotreatmeright。”
Whilehehadbeentalkingonandon，Susanhadbeenappealingtothechampagnetohelpherquietherachingheart。Sheresolutelysetherthoughtstowanderingamongthecouplesattheothertablesinthatsubduedsofteninglight——thebeautifullydressedwomenlisteningtotheirmalecompanionswithcloseattention——weretheytoobeingboredbysuchtrashbywayoftalk？Weretheytoosimplylisteningbecauseitisthemanwhopays，becauseitisthemanwhomustbeconciliatedandputinagoodhumorwithhimself，ifdinnersanddressesandjewelsaretobebought？Thattenementattic——thathotmoistworkroom——poverty——privation”honestwork”s“dreadrewards——
“Now，whatkindofamanwouldyousayIwas？“Gideonwasinquiring。
“Howdoyoumean？“repliedSusan，withthedexterityatvaguenessthathabituallyself-veilingpeopleacquireasaninstinct。
“Why，asaman。HowdoIcomparewiththeothermenyou”veknown？“Andhe“shot“hiscuffswithagestureofcarelesselegancethathiscufflinksmightassistinthepictureofthe“swelldresser“hefelthewasposing。
“Oh——you——you”re——verydifferent。”
“I_am_different，“swelledGideon。“Yousee，it”sthisway——”Andhewasoffagainintoanothereulogyofhimself；
itcarriedthemthroughthedinnerandtwoquartsofchampagne。
Hewasmuchannoyedthatshedidnottakeadvantageofthepointedopportunityhegavehertonotethetotalofthebill；
hewasevenuncertainwhethershehadnotedthathegavethewaiteradollar。Herustledandsnappeditbeforelayingituponthetray，buthereyeslookedvague。
“Well，“saidhe，afteracomfortablepullatanexpensive-lookingcigar，“sixteenseventy-fiveisquitealivelylittlepeel-offforadinnerforonlytwo。Butitwasworthit，don”tyouthink？“
“Itwasasplendiddinner，“saidSusantruthfully。
Gideonbeamedinintoxicatedgoodhumor。“Iknewyou”dlikeit。Nothingpleasesmebetterthantotakeanicegirlwhoisn”taswelloffasIamoutandblowherofftoacrackerjackdinner。Now，youmayhavethoughtadollarwastoomuchtotipthewaiter？“
“Adollaris——adollar，isn”tit？“saidSusan。
Gideonlaughed。“Iusedtothinkso。Andmostmenwouldn”tgivethatmuchtoawaiter。ButIfeelsorryforpoordevilswhodon”thappentobeasluckyorasbrainyasIam。WhatdoyousaytoaturninthePark？We”lltakeahansom，andkindofjogalong。Andwe”llstopattheCasinoandatGabe”sforadrink。”
“Ihavetogetupsoearly“beganSusan。
“Oh，that”sallright。”Heslowlywinkedather。“You”llnothavetobumpthebumpsforbeinglatetomorrow——ifyoutreat_me_right。”
Hecarriedhisliquoreasily。Onlyinhiseyesandinhisevermoreslipperysmilethatwouldslideabouthisfacedidheshowthathehadbeendrinking。Hehelpedherintoahansomwithaflourishand，overrulingherprotests，badethedrivergototheCasino。Onceunderwayshewasglad；herhotskinandherwearyheartweregratefulfortheairblowingdowntheavenuefromthePark”sexpanseofgreen。WhenGideonattemptedtoputhisarmaroundher，shemovedcloseintothecornerandwentontalkingsocalmlyaboutcalmsubjectsthathedidnotinsist。
ButwhenhehadtosseddownadrinkofwhiskeyattheCasinoandtheyresumedthedrivealongthemoonlit，shadyroads，hetriedagain。
“Please，“saidshe，“don”tspoiladelightfulevening。”
“Nowlookhere，mydear——haven”tItreatedyouright？“
“Indeedyouhave，Mr。Gideon。”
“Oh，don”tbesodamnedformal。Forgetthedifferencebetweenourpositions。TomorrowI”mgoingtoplaceabigorderwithyourhouse，ifyoutreatmeright。I”mdeadstuckonyou——andthat”saGod”sfact。You”vetakenmecleanoffmyfeet。I”mthinkingofdoingalotforyou。”
Susanwassilent。
“WhatdoyousaytothrowingupyourjobandcomingtoChicagowithme？Howmuchdoyouget？“
“Ten。”
“Why，_you_can”tliveonthat。”
“I”velivedonless——muchless。”
“Doyoulikeit？“
“Naturallynot。”
“Youwanttogeton——don”tyou？“
“Imust。”
“You”redownintheheartaboutsomething。Love？“
Susanwassilent。
“Cutloveout。Cutitout，mydear。Thatain”tthewaytogeton。Love”sagoodconsolationprize，ifyouain”tgoingtogetanywhere，andknowyouain”t。Andit”sagoodfirstprizeafteryou”vearrivedandcanaffordtheluxuriesoflife。Butforaman——orawoman——that”spushingup，it”ssheerruination！
Cutitout！“
“Iamcuttingitout，“saidSusan。“Butthattakestime。”
“Notifyou”vegotsense。Thewaytocutanythingoutis——cutitout！——aquickslash——justcut。Ifyoumakeadozenlittleslashes，eachofthemhurtsasmuchastheonebigslash——andthedozenhurttwelvetimesasmuch——bleedtwelvetimesasmuch——putoffthecurealotmorethantwelvetimesaslong。”
HehadSusan”sattentionforthefirsttime。
“Doyouknowwhywomendon”tgeton？“
“Tellme，“saidshe。“That”swhatIwanttohear。”
“Becausetheydon”tplaythegameundertherules。Now，whatdoesamando？Why，hestakeseverythinghe”sgot——doeswhatever”snecessary，don”tstopat_nothing_tohelphimgetthere。Howisitwithwomen？Sometrytobevirtuous——whentheirbodiesaretheirbestassets。God！IwishI”d”a”hadyourlooksandyouradvantagesasawomantohelpme。I”dbeamillionairethisminute，withahousefacingthisParkandayachtandalltherestofit。Awomanthat”ssqueamishabouthervirtuecan”thopetowin——unlessshe”sinapositiontomakeagoodmarriage。Asforthelooseones，theyareasbigfoolsasthevirtuousones。Thevirtuousoneslockawaytheirbestasset；thelooseonesthrowitaway。Neitherone_use_it。
Doyoufollowme？“
“Ithinkso。”Susanwaslisteningwithamindmadeabnormallyacutebythechampagneshehadfreelydrunk。Thecoarsebluntnessanddirectnessofthemandidnotoffendher。Itmadewhathesaidthemoreeffective，producingarudearrestingeffectuponhernerves。Itmadethemanhimselfseemmoreofaperson。Susanwasbeginningtohaveakindofrespectforhim，tochangeherfirstopinionthathewasmerelyavulgar，pushingcommonplace。
“Neverthoughtofthatbefore？“
“Yes——I”vethoughtofit。But——”Shepaused。
“But——what？“
“Oh，nothing。”
“Nevermind。Somewomanishheartnonsense，Isuppose。DoyouseetheapplicationofwhatI”vesaidtoyouandme？“
“Goon。”Shewasleaningforward，herelbowsonthecloseddoorsofthehansom，hereyesgazingdreamilyintothemoonlitdimnessofthecoolwoodsthroughwhichtheyweredriving。
“Youdon”twanttostickattenper？“
“No。”
“It”llbelessinalittlewhile。Modelsdon”tlast。Thework”stoohard。”
“Icanseethat。”
“Andanyhowitmeanstenementhouse。”
“Yes。Tenementhouse。”
“Well——whatthen？What”syourplan？“
“Ihaven”tany。”
“Haven”taplan——yetwanttogeton！Isthatgoodsense？
Dideveranybodygetanywherewithoutaplan？“
“I”mwillingtowork。I”mgoingtowork。I_am_working。”
“Work，ofcourse。Nobodycankeepalivewithoutworking。Youmightaswellsayyou”regoingtobreatheandeat——Workdon”tamounttoanything，forgettingon。It”sthekindofwork——workinginacertaindirection——workingwithaplan。”
“I”vegotaplan。ButIcan”tbeginatitjustyet。”
“Willittakemoney？“
“Some。”
“Haveyougotit？“
“No，“repliedSusan。“I”llhavetogetit。”
“Asanhonestworkinggirl？“saidhewithgood-humoredirony。
Susanlaughed。“Itdoessoundridiculous，doesn”tit？“saidshe。
“Here”sanotherthingthatmaybeyouhaven”tcountedin。
Lookingasyoudo，doyousupposementhatrunthings”llletyougetpastwithoutpayingtoll？Notonyourlife，mydear。
Ifyouwasugly，youmightafterseveralyearsgettwentyortwenty-fivebyworkinghard——unlessyoulostyourfigurefirst。
Butthemenwon”tletagoodlookerrisethatway。Doyoufollowme？“
“Yes。”
“I”mnottalkingtheory。I”mtalkinglife。Takeyouandmeforexample。Icanhelpyou——helpyoualot。InfactIcanputyouonyourfeet。AndI”mwilling。IfyouwasamanandIlikedyouandwantedtohelpyou，I”dmakeyouhelpme，too。
I”dmakeyoudoalotofthingsforme——maybesomeof”emnotsoverynice——maybesomeof”emdownrightdirty。Andyou”ddo”em，asallyoungfellows，strugglingup，haveto。Butyou”reawoman。SoI”mwillingtomakeeasierterms。ButIcan”thelpyouwithyounotshowinganyappreciation。Thatwouldn”tbegoodbusiness——wouldit？——togetnoreturnbut，`Oh，thankyousomuch，Mr。Gideon。Sosweetofyou。I”llrememberyouinmyprayers。”Wouldthatbesensible？“
“No，“saidSusan。
“Well，then！IfIdoyouagoodturn，you”vegottodomeagoodturn——notonethatIdon”twantdone，butoneIdowantdone。Ain”tIright？Doyoufollowme？“
“Ifollowyou。”
SomevagueaccentinSusan”svoicemadehimfeeldissatisfiedwithherresponse。“Ihopeyoudo，“hesaidsharply。“WhatI”msayingisdressesonyourbackanddollarsinyourpocket——andgettingonintheworld——ifyouworkitright。”
“Gettingonintheworld，“saidSusan，pensively。
“Isupposethat”sasneer。”
“Oh，no。Iwasonlythinking。”
“Aboutlovebeingallawomanneedstomakeherhappy，Isuppose？“
“No。Loveis——Well，itisn”thappiness。”
“Becauseyouletitrunyou，insteadofyourunningit。Eh？“
“Perhaps。”
“Sure！Now，letmetellyou，Lornadear。Comfortandluxury，moneyinbank，property，agoodsolidposition——_that”s_thefoundation。Buildon_that_andyou”llbuildsolid。Buildonloveandsentimentandyou”rebuildingupsidedown。You”reputtingthegingerbreadwheretherockoughttobe。Followme？“
“Iseewhatyoumean。”
Hetriedtofindherhand。“Whatdoyousay？“
“I”llthinkofit。”
“Well，thinkquick，mydear。Opportunitydoesn”twaitroundinanybody”soutsideoffice……Maybeyoudon”ttrustme——don”tthinkI”lldeliverthegoods？“
“No。Ithinkyou”rehonest。”
“You”rerightIam。IdowhatIsayI”lldo。That”swhyI”vegoton。That”swhyI”llkeepongettingon。Let”sdrivetoahotel。”
Sheturnedherheadandlookedathimforthefirsttimesincehebeganhisdiscourseonmakingone”swayintheworld。Herlookwascalm，inquiring——wouldhavebeenchillingtoamanofsensibility——thatis，ofsensibilitytowardanunconqueredwoman。
“Iwanttogiveyourpeoplethatorder，andIwanttohelpyou。”
“Iwantthemtogettheorder。Idon”tcareabouttherest，“
shereplieddully。
“Putitanywayyoulike。”
Againhetriedtoembraceher。Sheresistedfirmly。“Wait，“
saidshe。“Letmethink。”
TheydrovetherestofthewaytotheupperendoftheParkinsilence。
Heorderedthedrivertoturn。Hesaidtoher；“Well，doyougetthesackordoesthehousegettheorder？“
Shewassilent。
“ShallIdriveyouhomeorshallwestopatGabe”sforadrink？“
“CouldIhavechampagne？“saidshe。
“Anythingyoulikeifyouchooseright。”
“Ihaven”tanychoice，“saidshe。
Helaughed，puthisarmaroundher，kissedherunresponsivebutunresistinglips。“You”reright，youhaven”t，“saidhe。“It”safinesignthatyouhavethesensetoseeit。Oh，you”llgeton。Youdon”tlettriflesstandinyourway。”III
ATthelunchhourthenextdayMaryHinkleknockedatthegarretinClintonPlace。Gettingnoanswer，sheopenedthedoor。AtthetableclosetothewindowwasSusaninanightgown，herhairindisorderasifshehadbeguntoarrangeitandhadstoppedhalfway。HereyesturnedlistlesslyinMary”sdirection——dulleyes，gray，heavilycircled。
“Youdidn”tanswer，MissSackville。SoIthoughtI”dcomeinandleaveanote，“explainedMary。HerglancewasavoidingSusan”s。
“Comeforthedressandhat？“saidSusan。“Theretheyare。”
Andsheindicatedtheundisturbedbedwhereonhatanddresswerecarelesslyflung。
“My，butit”shotinthisroom！“exclaimedMary。“Youmustmoveuptomyplace。There”saroomandbathvacant——onlysevenper。”
Susanseemednottohear。Shewaslookingdullyatherhandsuponthetablebeforeher。
“Mr。Jeffriessentmetoaskyouhowyouwere。Hewasworriedbecauseyoudidn”tcome。”Withachangeofvoice，“Mr。Gideontelephoneddowntheorderawhileago。Mr。Jeffriessaysyouaretokeepthedressandhat。”
“No，“saidSusan。“Takethemawaywithyou。”
“Aren”tyoucomingdownthisafternoon？“
“No，“repliedSusan。“I”vequit。”
“Quit？“criedMissHinkle。Herexpressiongraduallyshiftedfromastonishmenttopleasedunderstanding。“Oh，Isee！
You”vegotsomethingbetter。”
“No。ButI”llfindsomething。”
Marystudiedthesituation，usingSusan”sexpressionlessfaceasaguide。Afteratimesheseemedtogetfromitaclew。
Withtheairoffriendlyexperiencebentonaidinghelplessinexperienceshepushedasidethedressandmaderoomforherselfonthebed。“Don”tbeafool，MissSackville，“saidshe。“Ifyoudon”tlikethatsortofthing——youknowwhatI
mean——why，youcanlivesixmonths——maybeayear——onthereputationofwhatyou”vedoneandtheirhopethatyou”llweakendownanddoitagain。That”llgiveyoutimetolookroundandfindsomethingelse。Forpity”ssake，don”tturnyourselfloosewithoutajob。Yougotyourplacesoeasythatyouthinkyoucangetoneanyoldtime。There”swhereyou”rewrong。Believeme，youplayedinluck——andluckdon”tcomeroundoften。IknowwhatI”mtalkingabout。SoIsay，don”tbeafool！“
“Iamafool，“saidSusan。
“Well——getoverit。Anddon”twasteanytimeaboutit，either。”
“Ican”tgoback，“saidSusanstolidly。“Ican”tfacethem。”
“Facewho？“criedMary。“Businessisbusiness。Everybodyunderstandsthat。Allthepeopledowntherearecrazyaboutyounow。Yougotthehouseahundred-thousand-dollarorder。
Youdon”t_suppose_anybodyinbusinessbothersabouthowanorder”sgot——doyou？“
“It”stheway__I__feel——nottheway_they_feel。”
“Asforthewomendownthere——ofcourse，there”ssomethatpretendtheywon”tdothatsortofthing。Lookat”em——attheirfacesandfigures——andyou”llseewhytheydon”t。Ofcourseagirlkeepsstraightwhenthere”snothinginnotbeingstraight——leastways，unlessshe”safool。Sheknowsthatifthebestshecandoismarryafellowofherownclass，whyshe”donlygetleftifsheplayedanytrickswiththemcheapskatesthathavetogetmarriedorgowithoutbecausethey”retoopoortopayforanything——andbymarryingcangetthatandacookandawashwomanandmenderbesides——andmaybe，too，somebodywhocangooutandworkifthey”relaidupsick。Butifagirlseesachancetogeton——don”tbeafool，MissSackville。”
Susanlistenedwithasmilethatbarelydisturbedthestolidcalmofherfeatures。“I”mnotgoingback，“shesaid。
MaryHinklewassilencedbythequietfinalityofhervoice。
Studyingthatdelicateface，shefelt，behinditspallidimpassiveness，behindtherefusaltoreturn，areasonshecouldnotcomprehend。Shedimlyrealizedthatshewouldrespectitifshecouldunderstandit；forshesuspectedithaditsoriginsomewhereinSusan”s“refinedladylikenature。”Sheknewthatonceinawhileamongthewomenshewasacquaintedwiththeredidhappenonewhopreferreddeathinanyformofmiserytoleadingalaxlife——andindisputablefactshadconvincedherthatnotalwayswerethesewomen“juststupidignorantfools。”
Sheherselfpossessednosuchrefinementofnervesorofwhateveritwas。Shehadbeenbroughtupinaloosefamilyandinalooseneighborhood。Shewasinthehabitofmakingallsortsofpretenses，becausethatwasthecustom，whilebeingcandidaboutsuchmatterswasregardedasbadform。Shewasnotfooledbythesepretensesinothergirls，thoughtheyoftendidfooleachother。InSusan，sheinstinctivelyfelt，itwasnotpretense。Itwassomethingorotherelse——itwasadangerousreality。ShelikedSusan；inherintelligenceandphysicalcharmwerethepossibilitiesofgettingfarupintheworld；itseemedapitythatshewasthushandicapped。Still，perhapsSusanwouldstumbleuponsomeworthwhilemanwho，attemptingtopossessherwithoutmarriageandfailing，wouldpaytheheavyprice。Therewasalwaysthatchance——asmallchance，smallereventhanfindingbylooselivingaworthwhilemanwhowouldmarryyoubecauseyouhappenedexactlytosuithim——togivehimenoughonlytomakehimfeelthathewantedmore。Still，Susanwasunusuallyattractive，andlucksometimesdidcomeapoorperson”sway——sometimes。
“I”moverdueback，“saidMary。“Youwantmetotell”emthat？“
“Yes。”
“You”llhavehardworkfindingajobatanythinglikeasmuchastenper。I”vegottwotrades，andIcouldn”tateitherone。”
“Idon”texpecttofindit。”
“Thenwhatareyougoingtodo？“
“TakewhatIcanget——untilI”vebeenmadehardenough——orstrongenough——orwhateveritis——tostopbeingafool。”
ThisindicationoflatentgoodsenserelievedMissHinkle。
“I”lltell”emyoumaybedowntomorrow。Thinkitoverforanotherday。”
Susanshookherhead。“They”llhavetogetsomebodyelse。”
And，asMissHinklereachedthethreshold，“WaittillIdothedressup。You”lltakeitforme？“
“Whysendthethingsback？“urgedMary。“Theybelongtoyou。
Godknowsyouearned”em。”
Susan，standingnow，lookeddownatthefinery。“SoIdid。
I”llkeepthem，“saidshe。“They”dpawnforsomething。”
“Withyourlooksthey”dwearforaheapmore。Butkeep”em，anyhow。AndI”llnottellJeffriesyou”vequit。It”lldonoharmtoholdyourjobopenadayorso。”
“Asyoulike，“saidSusan，toendthediscussion。“ButIhavequit。”
“Nomatter。Afteryou”vehadsomethingtoeat，you”llfeeldifferent。”
AndMissHinklenoddedbrightlyanddeparted。Susanresumedherseatatthebarewobblylittletable，resumedherlistlessattitude。ShedidnotmoveuntilEllencamein，holdingoutanoteandsaying，“Aboyfromyourstorebrungthis——here。”
“Thankyou，“saidSusan，takingthenote。Initshefoundatwenty-dollarbillandafive。Onthesheetofpaperrounditwasscrawled：
Takethedayoff。Here”syourcommission。We”llraiseyourpayinafewweeks，L。L。J。
SoMaryHinklehadtoldthemeitherthatshewasquittingorthatshewasthinkingofquitting，andtheywishedhertostay，hadusedthemeanstheybelievedshecouldnotresist。Inadrearywaythisamusedher。Asifshecaredwhetherornotlifewaskeptinthisworthlessbodyofhers，inhertiredheart，inherdisgustedmind！Thenshedroppedbackintolistlessness。WhenshewasarousedagainitwasbyGideon，completelyfillingthesmalldoorway。“Hello，mydear！“criedhecheerfully。“Mindmysmoking？“
Susanslowlyturnedherheadtowardhim，surveyedhimwithanexpressionbutoneremovedfromtheblanklookshewouldhavehadiftherehadbeennoonebeforeher。
“I”mfeelingfinetoday，“pursuedGideon，advancingastepandsobringinghimselfabouthalfwaytothetable。“Hadacoupleofpick-me-upsandafatbreakfast。Howareyou？“
“I”malwayswell。”
“Thoughtyouseemedalittleseedy。“Hisshrewdsensualeyeswereexploringtheopeningsinhernightdress。“You”llbemightygladtogetoutofthishole。Gosh！It”shot。Don”tseehowyoustandit。I”malawabidingcitizenbutImustsayI”dturncriminalbeforeI”dputupwiththis。”
IntheunderworldfromwhichGideonhadsprung——theunderworldwherewelterstheoverwhelmingmassofthehumanrace——therearethreemaintypes。Therearethehopelessandspiritless——themass——whowelterpassivelyon，breedinganddying。Therearethespiritedwhoalsopossessbothshrewdnessandcalculation；theypushupwardbyhookandbycrook，alwaysmindfulofthefutilityofthestruggleofthepettycriminaloftheslumsagainstthepoliceandthelaw；theyarriveandfoundthearistocraciesofthefuture。Thethirdisthecriminalclass。Itisalsomadeupofthespirited——butthespiritedwho，havinglittleshrewdnessandnocalculation——thatis，noabilitytoforeseeandmeasureconsequences——wageclumsywaruponsocietyandpaythepenaltyoftheirfatuityinlivesofwretchednessevenmorewretchedthanthecommonlot。Gideonbelongedtothesecondclass——theclassthatpushesupwardwithoutgettingintojail；hewasafairrepresentativeofthistype，neitheritsbestnoritsworst，butaboutmidwayofitsrangebetweenarrogant，all-dominatingplutocratandshysteringmerchantorlawyerorpoliticianwhobarelyescapesthecriminalclass。
“Youdon”taskmetositdown，dearie，“hewentonfacetiously。
“ButI”mnotsomadthatIwon”tdoit。”
HetooktheseatMissHinklehadclearedonthebed。Hisglancewandereddisgustedlyfromobjecttoobjectinthecrowdedyetbareattic。Hecaughtawhiffoftheodorfromacrossthehall——fromthefresh-airshaft——andhastilygaveseveralpuffsathiscigartosaturatehissurroundingswithitsperfume。Susanactedasifshewerealoneintheroom。
Shehadnotevendrawntogetherhernightgown。
“Iphonedyourstoreaboutyou，“resumedGideon。“Theysaidyouhadn”tshowedup——wouldn”ttilltomorrow。SoIcameroundhereandyourlandladysentmeup。Iwanttotakeyouforadrivethisafternoon。WecandineuptoClaremontorfarther，ifyoulike。”
“No，thanks，“saidSusan。“Ican”tgo。”
“Upty-tupty！“criedGideon。“What”stheladysosourabout？“
“I”mnotsour。”
“Thenwhywon”tyougo？“
“Ican”t。”
“Butwe”llhaveachancetotalkoverwhatI”mgoingtodoforyou。”
“You”vekeptyourword，“saidSusan。
“Thatwasonlypart。Besides，I”dhavegivenyourhousetheorder，anyhow。”
Susan”seyessuddenlylightedup。“Youwould？“shecried。
“Well——apartofit。Notsomuch，ofcourse。ButIneverletpleasureinterferewithbusiness。Nobodythatdoesevergetsveryfar。”
Herexpressionmadehimhastentoexplain——withoutbeingconsciouswhy。“Isaid——_part_oftheorder，mydear。Theyowetoyouabouthalfofwhatthey”llmakeoffme……What”sthatmoneyonthetable？Yourcommission？“
“Yes。”