Her_pastwouldnotbeaneasymatter——ifitshouldeverrisetofaceherpublicly。ThereforeitmustnotrisetillFreddieandshewerewithinthewallsoftheworldtheypurposedtoenterbystealth，andhadgotthemselveswellintrenched。
ThenshewouldbeSusanLenoxofSutherland，Indiana，whohadcometoNewYorktostudyforthestageand，aftermanytrialsfromallofwhichshehademergedwithunspottedvirtue，whateverviciouscalumnymightinenvysay，hadcapturedtheheartandthenameofthehandsome，richyoungcontractor。
Therewouldbenastyrumors，dreadfulstories，perhaps。Butintheselooseandcynicaldays，withthewomenmoreandmoreaudaciousandindependent，withtheuniversalcravingforluxurybeyondthereachoflaboriouslyearnedincomes，withmarriagedecayingincitylifeamongthebetterclasses——intheseeasy-goingdays，whowasnotsuspected，hintedabout，attacked？Andtheveryatrociousnessofthestorieswouldpreventtheirbeingbelieved。OneglanceatSusanwouldbeenoughtomakedoubterslaughattheirdoubts。
Thefamiliartypesoffastwomenofalldegreescomefromthepoorestkindsoffarmsandfromthetenements。InAmerica，practicallynotuntilthepanicsandcollapsesofrecentyearswhichhavetumbledanotherandbettersectionofthemiddleclassintotheabyssoftheunderworld——notuntilthendidthereappearinthecitystreetsandhousesofillreputeanyconsiderablenumberofgirlsfromgoodearlysurroundings。
Beforethattime，theclamorforluxury——theluxurythatcivilizationmakesasmuchanecessityasfood——hadbeensatisfiedmoreorlessbytheincomesofthemiddleclass；andanygirlofthatclass，withphysicalcharmandshrewdnessenoughtogainalivingasoutcastwoman，waseithersupportedathomeorgotahusbandabletogiveheratleastenoughofwhathertastescravedtokeepherintheranksofthereputable。ThusSusan”sbeautyofrefinement，herspeechandmannerofthelady，madeabsurdanysuggestionthatshecouldeverhavebeenafallenwoman。Thecrimsonsplashofherrougedlipsdidnotsuggestthe_cocotte_，buttheladywithadashofgayetyinhertemperament。This，becauseofthesweet，sensitiveseriousnessofhersmall，pallidfacewithitsearnestviolet-grayeyesanditsframeofabundantdarkhair，simplyandgracefullyarranged。Shewasoftheadvanceguardofatypewhichtheswiftdownfallofthemiddleclass，theincreasingintelligenceandrestlessnessandloveofluxuryamongwomen，andthedecayofformalreligionwithitsexactionsofchastityaswoman”sonediamond-finejewel，arenowmakingfamiliarineverycity。Thedemandfortheluxuriouscomfortwhichtheeducatedregardasmerelydecentexistenceisfaroutstrippingthedemandfor，andtheeducationof，womeninlucrativeoccupationsotherthanprostitution。
LuckilySusanhadnotbeenarrestedunderherownname；thereexistednocourtrecordwhichcouldbebroughtforwardasproofbysomenosingnewspaper。
Susanherselfmarveledthattherewasnotmoretraceofherunderworldexperienceinherfaceandinhermind。Shecouldnotaccountforit。Yetthematterwassimpleenoughtooneviewingitfromtheoutside。Itiswhatwethink，whatwefeelaboutourselves，thatmakesupourexpressionofbodyandsoul。Andneverinherlowesthourhadhersoulstruckitsflagandsurrenderedtotheideathatshewasafallencreature。Shehadatemperamentthatestimatedheractsnotasrightandwrongbutasnecessity。Men，alltherestoftheworld，mightregardherasnothingbutsexsymbol；sheregardedherselfasanintelligence。Andthefilthslippedfromherandcouldnotsoakintochangethetextureofherbeing。Shehadnomorethefeelingorairofthe_cocotte_
thanhasthemarriedwomanwholiveswithherhusbandforaliving。Herexpression，herwayoflookingatherfellowbeingsandofmeetingtheirlooks，wasthatofthewomanoftheworldwhoisforwhateverreasonabovethatslaverytoopinion，thatfearofbeingthoughtboldorforwardwhichcauseswomenoftheusualruntobesensitiveaboutstaringorbeingstaredat。Sometimes——in_cocottes_，instagewomen，infashionablewomen——thisexpressionisself-conscious，orsupercilious。ItwasnotsowithSusan，forshehadlittleself-consciousnessandnosnobbishnessatall。Itmerelygavethecharmofworldlyexperienceandexpertnesstoabeautywhich，withoutit，mighthavebeentoomelancholy。
Susan，becomebysheercompulsionphilosopheraboutthevagariesoffat，didnotfretoverpossiblefuturedangers。
Shedismissedthemandputallherintelligenceandenergytothebusinessinhand——tolearningandtohelpingPalmerlearnthewaysofthatworldwhichincludesallworlds。
Towardtheendofthevoyageshesaidtohim：
“Aboutmysalary——orallowance——orwhateveritis——I”vebeenthinkingthingsover。I”vemadeupmymindtosavesomemoney。Myonlychanceisthatsalary。Haveyouanyobjectiontomysavingit——asmuchofitasIcan？“
Helaughed。“Tuckawayanythingandeverythingyoucanlayyourhandson，“saidhe。“I”mnotoneofthosefoolswhotrytoholdwomenbybeingcloseandsmallwiththem。
I”dnotwantyouaboutifyouwereofthesortthatcouldbeheldthatway。”
“No——I”llputbyonlyfrommysalary，“saidshe。“IadmitI”venorighttodothat。ButI”vebecomesensibleenoughtorealizethatImustn”teverriskbeingoutagainwithnomoney。IthasgotonmymindsothatI”dnotbeabletothinkofmuchelseforworrying——unlessIhadatleastalittle。”
“Doyouwantmetomakeyouindependent？“
“No，“repliedshe。“WhateveryougavemeI”dhavetogivebackifweseparated。”
“_That_isn”tthewaytogeton，mydear，“saidhe。
“It”sthebestIcando——asyet，“repliedshe。“Andit”squiteanadvanceonwhatIwas。Yes，I_am_learning——slowly。”
“Saveallyoursalary，then，“saidFreddie。“Whenyoubuyanythingchargeit，andI”llattendtothebill。”
Herexpressiontoldhimthathehadnevermadeashrewdermoveinhislife。Heknewhehadmadehimselfsecureagainstlosingher；forheknewwhataforcegratitudewasinhercharacter。
Hermindwasnowfree——freefortheeducationalbusinessinhand。Sheappreciatedthathehadlesstolearnthanshe。
Civilization，thescienceandartofliving，ofextractingallpossiblegoodfromthefewswiftyearsoflife，hasbeen——sincethedownfallofwomanfromhardship，tenorfifteenthousandyearsago——thecreationofthemanalmostentirely。Untilrecentlyamongthehigherracessuchsmalldevelopmentoftheintelligenceofwomanasherseclusionandservitudepermittedwassporadicandexotic。Nothingintelligentwasexpectedofher——anditisonlyunderthecompulsionofperemptorydemandthatanyhumanbeingeverisrousedfromthenaturalsluggishness。Butcivilization，created_by_man，wascreated_for_woman。Womanhastolearnhowtobethecivilizedbeingwhichmanhasordainedthatsheshallbe——howtouseforman”scomfortandpleasuretheingenuitiesandthegraceshehasinvented。
Itiseasyforamantopickupthehabits，tastes，mannersanddressofmalecitizensoftheworld，ifhehasaskeeneyesandasdiscriminatingtasteashadPalmer，cleverdescendantofthesuppleItalian。Buttobecomeafemalecitizenoftheworldisnotsoeasy。ForSusantolearntobeanexampleofthehighestcivilization，fromherinmostthoughtstotheoutermostpenumbraofhersurroundings——thatwouldbeforheralaboroflove，butstillalabor。Ashervanitywasofthekindthatcentersontheadvantagessheactuallyhad，insteadofbeingthemorefamiliarkindthatcentersuponnon-existentcharmsofmindandperson，hertaskwaspossibleofaccomplishment——forthosewhoaresincerelywillingtolearn，whosincerelyknowwhereintheylack，canlearn，canbetaught。Asshehadgiventhesemattersofcivilizationintelligentthoughtsheknewwheretobegin——atthehumble，materialfoundation，despisedandneglectedbythosewhotalkmostloudlyaboutcivilization，art，culture，andsoon。Theyaspiretothecloudsandthestarsatonce——andarrivenowhereexceptintalkandpretenseandflauntingofill-fittingborrowedplumage。Theyflaptheirgaudyartificialwings；thereismotion，butnoascent。Susanwishedtobuild——andbuildsolidly。Shebeganwiththeso-calledtrifles。
WhentheyhadbeenatNaplesaweekPalmersaid：
“Don”tyouthinkwe”dbetterpushontoParis？“
“Ican”tgobeforeSaturday，“repliedshe。“I”vegotseveralfittingsyet。”
“It”sprettydullhereforme——withyouspendingsomuchtimeintheshops。Isupposethewomen”sshopsaregood“——hesitatingly”butI”veheardthoseinParisarebetter。”
“Theshopsherearerotten。Italianwomenhavenotasteindress。AndtheParisshopsarethebestintheworld。”
“Thenlet”sclearout，“criedhe。“I”mboredtodeath。ButIdidn”tliketosayanything，youseemedsobusy。”
“Iambusy。And——canyoustanditthreedaysmore？“
“Butyou”llonlyhavetothrowawaythestuffyoubuyhere。
Whybuysomuch？“
“I”mnotbuyingmuch。Twoready-to-wearParisdresses——modelstheycallthem——andtwohats。”
Palmerlookedalarmed。“Why，atthatrate，“protestedhe，“it”lltakeyouallwintertogettogetheryourwinterclothes，andnotimelefttowear”em。”
“Youdon”tunderstand，“saidshe。“Ifyouwanttobetreatedrightinashop——beshownthebestthings——haveyourordersattendedto，you”vegottocomelookingasifyouknewwhatthebestis。I”mgettingreadytomakeagoodfirstimpressiononthedressmakersandmillinersinParis。”
“Oh，you”llhavethemoney，andthat”llmake”emstepround。”
“Don”tyoubelieveit，“repliedshe。“Allthemoneyintheworldwon”tgetyou_fashionable_clothes。atthemostfashionableplace。It”llonlygetyou_costly_clothes。”
“Maybethat”ssoforwomen”sthings。Itisn”tformen”s。”
“I”mnotsureofthat。WhenwegettoParis，we”llsee。Butcertainlyit”strueforwomen。IfIwenttotheplacesintheruedelaPaixdressedasIamnow，it”dtakeseveralyearstoconvincethemthatIknewwhatIwantedandwouldn”tbesatisfiedwithanythingbutthelatestandbest。SoI”mhavingthesemiserabledressmakersfitthosedressesonmeuntilthey”reabsolutelyperfect。It”swearingmeout，butI”llbegladIdidit。”
Palmerhadprofoundrespectforherasawomanwhoknewwhatshewasabout。SohesettledhimselfpatientlyandpassedthetimeinvestigatingthefamousNeapolitanpoliticalmachinewiththeaidofaninterpreterguidewhomhehiredbytheday。
HewasenthusiasticoverthedressesandthehatswhenSusanatlasthadthematthehotelandshowedherselftohiminthem。Theycertainlydidworkanamazingchangeinher。TheywerethefirstrealParismodelsshehadeverworn。
“Maybeit”sbecauseIneverthoughtmuchaboutwomen”sclothesbefore，“saidFreddie，“butthosethingsseemtobethebestever。Howtheydoshowupyourcomplexionandyourfigure！
AndIhadn”tanyideayourhairwasasgrandasallthat。I”malittleafraidofyou。We”vegottogetacquaintedalloveragain。Theseclothesofminelookprettypoor，don”tthey？
YetIpaidallkindsofmoneyfor”ematthebestplaceinFifthAvenue。”
Heexaminedherfromallpointsofview，goingroundandroundher，gettinghertowalkupanddowntogivehimthefulleffectofherslenderyetvoluptuousfigureinthatbeautifullyfittedcoatandskirt。Hefeltthathisdreamswerebeginningtocometrue。
“We”lldothetrick！“criedhe。“Don”tyouthinkaboutmoneywhenyou”rebuyingclothes。It”sajoytogiveupforclothesforyou。Youmake”emlooklikesomething。”
“WaittillI”veshoppedafewweeksinParis，“saidSusan。
“Let”sstarttonight，“criedhe。“I”lltelegraphtotheRitzforrooms。”
Whenshebegantodressinheroldclothesforthejourney，heprotested。“Throwallthesethingsaway，“heurged。“Wearoneofthenewdressesandhats。”
“Butthey”renotexactlysuitablefortraveling。”
“People”llthinkyoulostyourbaggage。Idon”twantevertoseeyouagainlookinganywayexceptasyououghttolook。”
“No，Imusttakecareofthoseclothes，“saidshefirmly。
“It”llbeweeksbeforeIcangetanythinginParis，andImustkeepupagoodfront。”
Hecontinuedtoarguewithheruntilitoccurredtohimthatashisownclotheswerenotwhattheyshouldbe，heandshewouldlookmuchbettermatchedifshedressedasshewished。
Hehadnotbeensomuchinjestashethoughtwhenhesaidtoherthattheywouldhavetogetacquaintedalloveragain。
Thosenewclothesofhersbroughtoutstartlingly——soclearlythatevenhisvanitywasmadeuneasy——thesubtleyetprofounddifferenceofclassbetweenthem。Hehadalwaysfeltthisdifference，andintheolddaysithadgivenhimmanyasavageimpulsetodegradeher，toputherbeneathhimasapunishmentforhisfeelingthatshewasabovehim。Nowhehadhisambitiontoocloseathearttowishtorobherofherchiefdistinction；hewasdisturbedaboutit，though，andlookedforwardtoPariswithuneasiness。
“Youmusthelpmegetmythings，“saidhe。
“I”dbegladto，“saidshe。“Andyoumustbefrankwithme，andtellmewhereIfallshortofthebestofthewomenwesee。”
Helaughed。Theideathathecouldhelpherseemedfantastic。
Hecouldnotunderstandit——howthisgirlwhohadbeenbroughtupinajaytownawayoutWest，whohadneverhadwhatmightbecalledarealchancetogetintheknowinNewYork，couldsoquicklypasshimwhohadbeenbornandbredinNewYork，hadspentthelasttenyearsincultivatingstyleandalltheotherluxurioustastes。Hedidnotliketolingeronthispuzzle；themoreheworkedatit，thefartherawayfromhimSusanseemedtoget。Yetthepuzzlewouldnotlethimdropit。
TheycameinattheGaredeLyoninthemiddleofabeautifulOctoberafternoon。Usually，fromlateSeptemberorearlieruntilMayorlater，Parishasaboutthevilestclimatethatcursesacivilizedcity。Itisoneofthebitterestironiesoffatethatapeoplesopassionatelyfondofthesun，oftheoutdoors，shouldbedoomedfortwo-thirdsoftheyeartoliveunderleaden，icilyleakingskieswithrarelyarayofrealsunshine。Andnothingsowellillustratestheexuberantvitality，thedauntlessspiritoftheFrenchpeople，asthewaytheyhavebuiltinpreparationfortheenjoymentofeverybitofthelightandwarmthofanychancerayofsunshine。
Thatyearitsofellthatthewinterrainsdidnotcloseinuntillate，andParisreveledinalongautumnofalmostNewYorkperfection。SusanandPalmerdrovetotheRitzthroughParis，thelovely，thegay。
“Thisistherealthing——isn”tit？“saidhe，thrilledintospeechbythatspectaclesoinspiringtoallwhohavethejoyoflifeintheirveins——thePlacedel”Operalateonabrightafternoon。
“It”sthefirstthingI”veeverseenthatwasequaltowhatI
haddreamedaboutit，“repliedshe。
TheyhadchosentheRitzastheircampaignheadquartersbecausetheyhadlearnedthatitwasthemostfashionablehotelinParis——whichmeantintheworld。Therewerehotelsmoregrand，theinterpreter-guideatNapleshadsaid；therewerehotelsmoreexclusive。Therewereevenhotelsmorecomfortable。“Butforfashion，“saidhe，“itisthesummit。
Thereyouseethemostbeautifulladies，mostbeautifullydressed。Thereyouseetheelegantworldatteaandatdinner。”
Atfirstglancetheyweresomewhatdisappointedinthequiet，unostentatiousgeneralrooms。Thesuiteassignedthem——atahundredandtwentyfrancsaday——wascomfortable，wasthemostcomfortableassemblageofroomseitherhadeverseen。Buttherewasnothingimposing。Thisimpressiondidnotlastlong，however。TheyhadbeenmisledbytheirAmericanpassionforlooks。TheysoondiscoveredthattheguideatNapleshadtoldtheliteraltruth。Theywentdownforteainthegarden，whichwasfilledasthedaywassummerwarm。Neitherspokeastheysatunderastripedawningumbrella，shewithteauntastedbeforeher，hewithaglassofwhiskeyandsodahedidnotliftfromthelittletable。Theireyesandtheirthoughtsweretoobusyforspeech；onecannottalkwhenoneisthinking。Aboutthemwerepeopleoftheworldofwhichneitherhadbeforehadanybutadistantglimpse。TheyheardEnglish，American，French，Italian。Theysawmenandwomenwiththatairwhichnoonecandefineyeteveryoneknowsonsight——theassurancewithoutimpertinence，thepolitenesswithoutformality，thesimplicitythatismorecomplexthanthemostelaborateornamentationofdressorspeechormanner。
SusanandFreddielingereduntilthedepartureofthelastcouple——aplainlydressedmanwhoseclothesoninspectionrevealedmarvelsoffinenessandharmoniouscolor；aquietlydressedwomanwhosecostumefromtipofplumetotipofsuedeslipperwasarevelationofhowfineafineartthetoiletcanbemade。
“Well——we”rerightinit，forsure，“saidFreddie，droppingtoasofaintheirsuiteandlightingacigarette。
“Yes，“saidSusan，withasigh。“Init——butnotofit。”
“IalmostlostmynerveasIsatthere。AndforthelifeofmeIcan”ttellwhy。”
“Thosepeopleknowhow，“repliedSusan。“Well——whatthey”velearnedwecanlearn。”
“Sure，“saidheenergetically。“It”sgoingtotakealotofpractice——alotoftime。ButI”mgame。”Hisexpression，itssuggestionofhelplessnessandappeal，wasaclearconfessionofafeelingthatshewashissuperior。
“We”rebothofusignorant，“shehastenedtosay。“Butwhenwegetourbearings——inadayortwo——we”llbeallright。”
“Let”shavedinneruphereinthesitting-room。Ihaven”tgotthenervetofacethatgangagaintoday“
“Nonsense！“laughedshe。“Wemustn”tgivewaytoourfeelings——notforaminute。There”llbealotofpeopleasbadlyoffasweare。Isawsomethisafternoon——andfromthewaythewaiterstreatedthem，Iknowtheyhadmoneyorsomething。Putonyoureveningsuit，andyou”llbeallright。
I”mtheonethathasn”tanythingtowear。ButI”vegottogoandstudythestyles。Imustbegintolearnwhattowearandnowtowearit。We”vecometotherightplace，Freddie。
Cheerup！“
Hefeltbetterwhenhewasineveningclotheswhichmadehimhandsomeindeed，bringingoutallhisrefinementoffeatureandcoloring。HewasalmostcheerfulwhenSusancameintothesitting-roominthepalegrayofhertwonewtoilettes。Itmightbe，assheinsisted，thatshewasnotdressedproperlyforfashionabledining；buttherewouldbenomoredelicate，nomorelady-likeloveliness。Hequiterecoveredhisnervewhentheyfacedthecompanythathadterrifiedhiminprospect。Hesawmanycommonplacelookingpeople，notafewwhoweredownrightdowdy。AndpresentlyhehadthesatisfactionofrealizingthatnotonlySusanbuthealsowasgettingadmiringattention。Henolongerflounderedpanic-stricken；hisfeettouchedbottomandhefeltfoolishabouthissensationsofafewminutesbefore。
Afterall，theworldover，dininginarestaurantisnothingbutdininginarestaurant。ThewaiterandtheheadwaiterspokeEnglish，weregracefully，tactfully，polite；andasheorderedhefoundhisself-confidencereturningwiththesurgingrushofaturnedtideonalowshore。Thefoodwaswonderful，andthechampagne，“Englishtaste，“wasthebesthehadeverdrunk。HalfwaythroughdinnerbothheandSusanwereinthehappiestframeofmind。Theotherpeopleweredrinkingtoo，wereemergingfromcasteintohumanness。WomengazedlanguorouslyandlonginglyatthehandsomeyoungAmerican；mensentstealthyoropensmilesofadorationatSusanwheneverFreddie”seyesweresafelyaverted。ButSusanwasmorecarefulthanawomanoftheworldtowhichsheaspiredwouldhavebeen；sheignoredtheglancesandwithoutdifficultyassumedtheairofwife。
“Idon”tbelievewe”llhaveanytroublegettingacquaintedwiththesepeople，“saidFreddie。
“Wedon”twantto，yet，“repliedshe。
“Oh，Ifeelwe”llsoonbereadyforthem，“saidhe。
“Yes——that，“saidshe。“Butthatamountstonothing。Thisisn”ttobemerelyamatterofclothesandacquaintances——atleast，notwithme。”
“Whatthen？“inquiredhe。
“Oh——we”llseeaswegetourbearings。”Shecouldnothaveputintowordstheplansshewasforming——plansforeducatingandineverywaydevelopinghimandherself。Shewasnotsureatwhatshewasaiming，butonlyofthedirection。Shehadnoideahowfarshecouldgoherself——orhowfarhewouldconsenttogo。Thewisecoursewasjusttoworkalongfromdaytoday——keepingthedirection。
“Allright。I”lldoasyousay。You”vegotthisgamesizedupbetterthanI。”
IsthereanyotherpeoplethatworksashardasdotheParisians？Otherpeoplesworkwiththeirbodies；buttheParisians，allclassesandmassestoo，pressbothmindandbodyintoservice。Otherpeoples，iftheythinkatall，thinkhowtoavoidwork；theParisiansthinkincessantly，always，howtoprovidethemselveswithmoretodo。Otherpeoplesdrinktostupefythemselveslestperadventureinaleisuremomenttheymightbeseizedofathought；Parisiansdrinktostimulatethemselves，totrytothinkmorerapidly，toattractideasthatmightnotenterandengageasoberandthereforesomewhatsluggishbrain。Otherpeoplesmeetanewideaasifitwereamortalfoe；theParisiansasifitwerealong-lostfriend。Otherpeoplesareagitatedchiefly，eachmanorwoman，aboutthemselves；theParisiansarefulloftheirwork，theirsurroundings，botherlittleaboutthemselvesexceptasmeanstowhattheyregardastheendandaimoflife——tomaketheworldeachmomentasdifferentaspossiblefromwhatitwasthemomentbefore，totransformthecrassandsordiduniverseofthingswiththemagicofideas。Beingintelligent，theyprefergoodtoevil；buttheyhaveGod”sownhorrorofthatwhichisneithergoodnorevil，andspewitoutoftheirmouths。
AtthemomentofthearrivalofSusanandPalmertheworldthatlaborsatamusingitselfwaspausinginParisonitswayfromthepleasuresofseaandmountainstothepleasuresoftheRivieraandEgypt。Andastheweatherheldfine，dayafterdaythestreets，thecafes，therestaurants，offeredtheyoungadventurersanincessantdazzlingpanoramaofalltheyhadcomeabroadtoseek。AweekpassedbeforeSusanpermittedherselftoenteranyoftheshopswheresheintendedtobuydresses，hatsandtheotherandlesserparaphernaliaofthewomanoffashion。
“Imustn”tgountilI”veseen，“saidshe。“I”dyieldtothetemptationtobuyandwouldregretit。”
AndFreddie，seeingherpoint，restrainedhisimpatienceformakingradicalchangesinhimselfandinher。ThefourthdayoftheirstayatParisherealizedthathewouldbuy，andwouldwishtobuy，noneofthethingsthathadtemptedhimthefirstandseconddays。Secureintheobscurityofthecrowdofstrangers，hewaslosinghisextremenervousnessabouthimself。ThatsortofemotionismostcharacteristicofAmericansandgetsthemthereputationforprofoundsnobbishness。Infact，itisnotsnobbishnessatall。InnocountryonearthisignoranceinsuchuniversaldisreputeasinAmerica。TheAmerican，eagertolearn，eagertobeabreastoftheforemost，isterrifiedintoembarrassmentandawewhenhefindshimselfinsurroundingswherearethingsthathefeelsheoughttoknowabout——whileastupidfellow，insuchcircumstances，iscalmlycontentwithhimself，whollyunawareofhisowndeficiencies。
Susanletfulltwoweekspassbeforeshe，withmuchhesitation，gaveherfirstordertowardtheoutfitonwhichPalmerinsisteduponherspendingnotlessthanfivethousanddollars。Palmerhadbeengoingtotheshopswithher。Shewarnedhimitwouldmakepriceshigherifsheappearedwithaprosperouslookingman；buthewantedoccupationandeverythingconcerningherfascinatedhimnow。Hisignoranceofthedetailsoffemininedresswasgivingplacerapidlytoaknowledgewhichhethoughtprofound——anditwasprofound，foraman。Shewouldnotpermithimtogowithhertoorder，however，ortofittings。Allshewouldtellhiminadvanceaboutthisfirstdresswasthatitwasforeveningwearandthatitscolorwasgreen。“Butnotagreenygreen，“saidshe。
“Iunderstand。Agreensomethinglikethetintinyourskinatthenapeofyourneck。”
“Perhaps，“admittedshe。“Yes。”
“We”llgototheoperatheeveningitcomeshome。I”llhavemyneweveningoutfitfromCharvet”sbythattime。”
Itwasabouttendaysafterthisconversationthatshetoldhimshehadhadafinalfitting，hadorderedthedresssenthome。Hewasinstantlyallexcitementandrushedawaytoengageagoodboxfortheopera。Withherassistancehehadgoteveningclothesthatsentthroughhiswholebeingaglowofself-confidence——forheknewthatinthoseclothes，helookedwhathewasstrivingtobe。Theyweretodineatseven。Hedressedearlyandwentintotheirsitting-room。
Hewasafraidhewouldspoilhispleasureofcompletesurprisebycatchingaglimpseofthe_grandetoilette_beforeitwasfinished。AtaquarterpastsevenSusanputherheadintothesitting-room——onlyherhead。Atsightofhisanxiousface，histensemanner，sheburstoutlaughing。Itseemed，andwas，grotesquethatonesoimperturbableofsurfaceshouldbesoupset。
“Canyoustandthestrainanotherquarterofanhour？“saidshe。
“Don”thurry，“heurged。“Takeallthetimeyouwant。Dothethingupright。”Heroseandcametowardherwithonehandbehindhim。“Yousaidthedresswasgreen，didn”tyou？“
“Yes。”
“Well——here”ssomethingyoumaybeabletofitinsomewhere。”
Andhebroughttheconcealedhandintoviewandheldajewelboxtowardher。
Shereachedabarearmthroughthecrackinthedoorandtookit。Thebox，thearm，theheaddisappeared。Presentlytherewasalowcryofdelightthatthrilledhim。Thefacereappeared。“Oh——Freddie！“sheexclaimed，radiant。“Youmusthavespentafortuneonthem。”
“No。Twelvethousand——that”sall。Itwasabargain。Goondressing。We”lltalkaboutitafterward。”Andhegentlypushedherheadback——gettingakissinthepalmofhishand——anddrewthedoorto。
Tenminuteslaterthedooropenedpartwayagain。“Braceyourself，“shecalledlaughingly。“I”mcoming。”
Abreathlesspauseandthedoorswungwide。Hestaredwitheyesamazedandbewitched。Thereisnomoredescribingtheeffectsofaharmoniouscombinationofexquisitedressandexquisitewomanthanthereisreproducinginwordsthemagicandthethrillofsunriseorsunset，ofmoonlight”sfancifulamorousplay，orofstarrysky。Asthegirlstoodthere，hereyesstarlikewithexcitement，herlipscrimsonandsensuousagainsttheclearold-ivorypallorofhersmallfaceinitsframeofgloriousdarkhair，itseemedtohimthathersoul，morebeautifulcounterpartofherself，hadcomefromitsdwellingplacewithinandwashoveringaboutherbodylikeanaureole。Roundherlovelythroatwasthestringofemeralds。
Hershoulderswerebareandalsoherbosom，overnearlyhalfitssoft，girlishswell。Anddrapedinlightandclinginggraceaboutherslender，sensuousformwasthemostwonderfulgarmenthehadeverseen。ThegreatFrenchdesignersofdressesandhatsandmaterialshaveageniusfortakinganidea——apurepoeticalabstraction——andmaterializingit，makingitvisibleandtangiblewithoutdestroyingitsspirituality。ThisdressofSusan”sdidnotsuggestmatteranymorethanthebarofmusicsuggeststherosinedstringthathasgivenbirthtoit。Shewascarryingthetrainandapairoflongglovesinonehand。Theskirt，thusdrawnback，revealedherslim，narrowfoot，aslenderslipperofpalegreensatin，acharminginstepwitharosinessshimmeringthroughthegossamerwebofpalegreensilk，theoutlineofalong，slenderlegwhoseperfectionwasguaranteedbythebeautyofherbarearm。
Hisexpressionchangedslowlyfrombedazzlementtothenearestapproachtotheoldslumbrous，smilingwickednessshehadseensincetheystarted。Andhersensitiveinstinctunderstood；itwasthemenaceofaninsanejealousy，sprungfromfear——fearoflosingher。Thelookvanished，andonceagainhewasFreddiePalmerthedelighted，thegenerousandalmostromanticallyconsiderate，becauseeverythingwasgoingashewished。
“NowonderIwentcrazyaboutyou，“hesaid。
“Thenyou”renotdisappointed？“
Hecametoher，unclaspedtheemeralds，stoodoffandviewedheragain。“No——youmustn”twearthem，“saidhe。
“Oh！“shecried，protesting。“They”rethebestofall。”
“Nottonight，“saidhe。“Theylookcheap。Theyspoiltheeffectofyourneckandshoulders。Anothertime，whenyou”renotquitesowonderful，butnottonight。”
Asshecouldnotseeherselfashesawher，shepleadedforthejewels。Shelovedjewelsandthesewerethefirstshehadeverhad，excepttwomodestlittlebirthdayringsshehadleftinSutherland。Butheledhertothelongmirrorandconvincedherthathewasright。Whentheydescendedtothedining-room，theycausedastir。Itdoesnottakemuchtomakefashionablepeoplestare；butitdoestakesomethingtomakeawholeroomfullofthemquietsofartowardsilencethatthediscreetandrefinedhandlingofdishesinarestaurantliketheRitzsoundslikeavulgarclatter。SusanandPalmercongratulatedthemselvesthattheyhadbeenatthehotellongenoughtobecomeacclimatedandsocouldactasiftheywereunconsciousofthesensationtheywerecreating。
Whentheyfinisheddinner，theyfoundallthelittletablesinthelongcorridorbetweentherestaurantandtheentrancetakenbypeoplelingeringovercoffeetogetanotherandcloserview。Andthemenwholookedathersweetdreamingviolet-grayeyessaidshewasinnocent；thosewholookedathercrimsonlipssaidshewasgay；thosewhosawbotheyesandlipssaidshewasinnocent——asyet。Afewverydim-sighted，andverywise，retainedtheirreasonsufficientlytosaythatnothingcouldbetoldaboutawomanfromherlooks——especiallyanAmericanwoman。Sheputonthemagnificentcloak，whitesilk，erminelined，whichhehadseenatPaquin”sandhadinsistedonbuying。Andtheywereofffortheoperainthearistocraticlookingautohewastakingbytheweek。
Shehadasecondtriumphattheopera——wasthecenterthatdrewallglassestheinstantthelightswentupfortheintermission。Therewereafewminuteswhenherheadwasquiteturned，whenitseemedtoherthatshehadarrivedveryneartothehighestgoalofhumanambition——saidgoalbeingtheoneachievedandsoself-complacentlyoccupiedbytheseluxurious，fashionablepeoplewhowerepayingherthetributeofinterestandadmiration。Werenotthesepeopleatthetopoftheheap？Wasshenotamongthem，ofthem，byrightofexcellenceinthethingsthatmadethem，distinguishedthem？
Ambition，drunkandheavywithluxury，fliessluggishlyandlow。
Andherambitionwas——forthemoment——indangerofthatfate。
Duringthelastintermissionthedooroftheirboxopened。AtoncePalmersprangupandadvancedwithbeamingfaceandextendedhandtowelcomethecaller。
“Hello，Brent，I_am_gladtoseeyou！IwanttointroduceyoutoMrs。Palmer“——thatnamepronouncedwiththeunconsciousprideofthepossessorof_the_jewel。
Brentbowed。Susanforcedasmile。
“We，“Palmerhastenedon，“areonasortofpostponedhoneymoon。Ididn”tannouncethemarriage——didn”twanttohavemyfriendsoutofpocketforpresents。Besides，they”dhavesentusstufffitonlytofurnishoutasaloonorahotel——andwe”dhavehadtouseitorhurttheirfeelings。Mywife”saWesterngirl——fromIndiana。Shecameontostudyforthestage。But“——helaugheddelightedly”Ipersuadedhertochangehermind。”
“YouarefromtheWest？“saidBrentintheformaltoneoneusesinaddressinganewacquaintance。“SoamI。Butthat”smoreyearsagothanyoucouldcount。IliveinNewYork——whenIdon”tlivehereorintheRiviera。”
ThemomenthadpassedwhenSusancould，withoutcreatinganimpossiblescene，admitandcompelBrenttoadmitthattheykneweachother。Whatdiditmatter？Wasitnotbesttoignorethepast？ProbablyBrenthaddonethisdeliberately，assumingthatshewasbeginninganewlifewithacleanslate。
“Beenherelong？“saidBrenttoPalmer。
AsheandPalmertalked，shecontrastedthetwomen。Palmerwasmuchtheyounger，muchthehandsomer。YetinthecomparisonBrenthadtheadvantage。Helookedasifheamountedtoagreatdeal，asifhehadlivedandhadunderstoodlifeastheothermancouldnot。Thephysicaldifferencebetweenthemwassomewhatthedifferencebetweenlookoflionandlookoftiger。Brentlookedstrong；Palmer，dangerous。Shecouldnotimagineeithermanfailingofapurposehehadsethisheartupon。ShecouldnotimagineBrentreachingforitinanybutanopen，direct，daringway。
SheknewthatthedescendantofthesuppleItalians，thegraduateofthestreetschoolsofstealthandfraud，wouldnotcaretohaveanythingunlesshegotitbyskillatsubtlety。
Shenotedtheirdress。BrentwaswearinghisclothesinthatelegantlycarelesswaywhichitwasoneofFreddie”sdreams——oneofthevainones——toattain。Brent”svoicewasmuchmorevirile，wasalmostharsh，andinpronouncingsomewordsmadethenervestinglewithasensationofmingledirritationandpleasure。Freddie”svoicewasmanlyenough，butsoftanddangerous，suggestiveofhiddendanger。Shecomparedthetwomen，assheknewthem。Shewonderedhowtheywouldseemtoacompletestranger。Palmer，shethought，wouldbeabletoattractalmostanywomanhemightwant；itseemedtoherthatawomanBrentwantedwouldfeelratherhelplessbeforetheonsethewouldmake。
Itirritatedher，thisuntimelyintrusionofBrentwhohadthecuriousqualityofmakingallothermenseemlessinthecomparison。Notthatheassumedanything，orforcedcomparisons；onthecontrary，nomancouldhaveinsistedlessuponhimself。Notthathecompelledorcausedthetransferofallinteresttohimself。Simplythat，withhimthere，shefeltlesshopefulofPalmer，lessconfidentofhisabilitytobecomewhatheseemed——andgobeyondit。ThereareoccasionalmenwhohavethissamequalitythatSusanwasjustthenfeelinginBrent——menwhomwomenneverloveyetwhomakeitimpossibleforthemtobegintoloveortocontinuetolovetheothermenwithintheirrange。
Shewasnotgladtoseehim。Shedidnotconcealit。Yetsheknewthathewouldlinger——andthatshewouldnotoppose。Shewouldhavelikedtosaytohim：“Youlostbeliefinmeanddroppedme。Ihavebeguntomakealifeformyself。Letmealone。Donotupsetme——donotforcemetoseewhatImustnotseeifIamtobehappy。Goaway，andgivemeachance。”
Butwedonotsaythesefrank，childlikethingsexceptinmomentsofclosestintimacy——andcertainlytherewasnosuggestionofintimacy，noinvitationtoit，butthereverse，inthemanfacingheratthefrontofthebox。
“ThenyouaretobeinParissometime？“saidBrent，addressingher。
“Ithinkso，“saidSusan。
“Sure，“criedPalmer。“Thisisthetowntheworldrevolvesround。Ifeltlikesinging`Home，SweetHome”aswedrovefromthestation。”
“Ilikeitbetterthananyplaceonearth，“saidBrent。
“BettereventhanNewYork。I”veneverbeenquiteabletoforgiveNewYorkforsomeofthethingsitmademesufferbeforeitgavemewhatIwanted。”
“I，too，“saidFreddie。“Mywifecan”tunderstandthat。Shedoesn”tknowthesideoflifeweknow。I”mgoingtosmokeacigarette。I”llleaveyouhere，oldman，toentertainher。”
Whenhedisappeared，Susanlookedoutoverthehousewithanexpressionofapparentabstraction。Brent——shewasconscious——studiedherwiththoseseeingeyes——hazeleyeswithnotabitofthesentimentalityandweaknessofbrowninthem。“YouandPalmerknownoonehere？“
“Notasoul。”
“I”llbegladtointroducesomeofmyacquaintancestoyou——Frenchpeopleoftheartisticset。TheyspeakEnglish。
Andyou”llsoonbelearningFrench。”
“IintendtolearnassoonasI”vefinishedmyfallshopping。”
“YouarenotcomingbacktoAmerica？“
“Notforalongtime。”
“Thenyouwillfindmyfriendsuseful。”
Sheturnedhereyesuponhis。“Youareverykind，“saidshe。
“ButI”drather——we”drather——notmeetanyonejustyet。”
Hiseyesmetherscalmly。Itwasimpossibletotellwhetherheunderstoodornot。Afterafewsecondsheglancedoutoverthehouse。“Thatisabeautifuldress，“saidhe。“Youhaverealtaste，ifyou”llpermitmetosayso。IwasoneofthosewhowerestruckdumbwithadmirationattheRitztonight。”
“It”sthefirstgranddressIeverpossessed，“saidshe。
“Youlovedresses——andjewels——andluxury？“
“Asastarvingmanlovesfood。”
“Thenyouarehappy？“
“Perfectlyso——forthefirsttimeinmylife。”
“Itisakindofecstasy——isn”tit？Irememberhowitwaswithme。Ihadalwaysbeenpoor——Iworkedmywaythroughprepschoolandcollege。AndIwanted_all_theluxuries。ThemoreIhadtoendure——theworsefoodandclothingandlodgings——themadderIbecameaboutthem，untilIcouldn”tthinkofanythingbutgettingthemoneytobuythem。WhenIgotit，Igorgedmyself……It”sapitythestarvingmancan”tkeeponlovingfood——keeponbeingalwaysstarvingandalwayshavinghishungersatisfied。”
“Ah，buthecan。”
Hesmiledmysteriously。“Youthinkso，now。Waittillyouaregorged。”
Shelaughed。“Youdon”tknow！Icouldnevergetenough——never！“
Hissmilebecameevenmoremysterious。Ashelookedaway，hisprofilepresenteditselftoherview——anoutlineofsheerstrength，oftragicsadness——theprofileofthosewhohavedreamedanddaredandsuffered。Butthesmile，sayingnotoherconfidentassertion，stilllingered。
“Never！“sherepeated。Shemustcompelthatsmiletotakeawayitsdisquietingnegation，itsrelentlessprophecyoftheendofherhappiness。Shemustconvincehimthathehadcomebackinvain，thathecouldnotdisturbher。
“Youdon”tsuggesttomethewomanwhocanbecontentwithjustpeopleandjustthings。Youwillalwaysinsistonluxury。Butyouwilldemandmore。”Helookedatheragain。
“Andyouwillgetit，“headded，inatonethatsentawavethroughhernerves。
Herglancefell。Palmercamein，bringinganodorofcologneandoffreshcigarettefumes。Brentrose。Palmerlaidadetaininghandonhisshoulder。“Dostayon，Brent，andgotosupperwithus。”
“Iwasabouttoaskyoutosupperwithme。HaveyoubeentotheAbbaye？“
“No。Wehaven”tgotroundtothatyet。Isitlively？“
“Andthefood”sthebestinParis。You”llcome？“
BrentwaslookingatSusan。Palmer，notyeteducatedinthesmaller——andimportant——refinementsofpoliteness，didnotwaitforherreplyorthinkthatsheshouldbeconsulted。
“Certainly，“saidhe。“Onconditionthatyoudinewithustomorrownight。”
“Verywell，“agreedBrent。Andheexcusedhimselftotakeleaveofhisfriends。“JusttellyourchauffeurtogototheAbbaye——he”llknow，“hesaidashebowedoverSusan”shand。
“I”llbewaiting。Iwishtobethereaheadandmakesureofatable。”
AsthedooroftheboxcloseduponhimFreddieburstoutwiththatenthusiasmwefeelforonewhoisinapositiontorenderusgoodserviceandisshowingadispositiontodoso。“I”veknownhimforyears，“saidhe，“andhe”stherealthing。HeusedtospendalotoftimeinasaloonIusedtokeepinAllenStreet。”
“AllenStreet？“ejaculatedSusan，shivering。
“Iwastwenty-twothen。Heusedtowanttostudytypes，ashecalledit。AndIgatheredintypesforhim——thoughreallymyplacewasfortheswellcrooksandtheirladies。Howlongagothatseems——andhowfaraway！“
“Anotherlife，“saidSusan。
“That”safact。Thisismysecondtimeonearth。_Our_secondtime。
Itellyouit”sfightingforafootholdthatmakesmenandwomenthewretchestheyare。Nowadays，Icouldn”thurtafly——couldyou？
Butthenyouneverwerecruel。That”swhyyoustayeddownsolong。”
Susansmiledintothedarknessoftheauditorium——thecurtainwasup，andtheyweretalkinginundertones。Shesaid，asshesmiled：
“I”llnevergodownandstaydownforthatreasonagain。”
Hertonearrestedhisattention；buthecouldmakenothingofitorofherexpression，thoughherfacewasclearenoughinthereflectionfromthefootlights。
“Anyhow，BrentandIareoldpals，“continuedhe，“thoughwehaven”tseensomuchofeachothersincehemadeahitwiththeplays。HealwaysusedtopredictI”dgettothetopandberespectable。Nowthatit”scometrue，he”llhelpme。
He”llintroduceus，ifweworkitright。”
“Butwedon”twantthatyet，“protestedSusan。
“You”rereadyandsoamI，“declaredPalmerinthetonesheknewhadthefullstrengthofhiswillbackofit。
Faintangryhissingfromthestallssilencedthem，butassoonastheywereintheautoSusanresumed。“IhavetoldMr。
Brentwedon”twanttomeethisfriendsyet。”
“Nowwhatthehelldidyoudothatfor？“demandedFreddie。Itwasthefirsttimeshehadcrossedhim；itwasthefirsttimehehadbeenreminiscentoftheFreddiesheusedtoknow。
“Because，“saidsheevenly，“Iwillnotmeetpeopleunderfalsepretenses。”
“Whatrot！“
“Iwillnotdoit，“repliedsheinthesamequietway。
Heassumedthatshemeantonlyoneofthefalsepretenses——theonethatseemedtheleasttoher。Hesaid：
“Thenwe”lldrawupandsignamarriagecontractanddateitacoupleofyearsago，beforethenewmarriagelawwaspassedtosaverichmen”sdrunkensonsfromcommonlawwives。”
“Iamalreadymarried，“saidSusan。“ToafarmeroutinIndiana。”
Freddielaughed。“Well，I”llbedamned！You！You！“Helookedatherermine-linedcloakandlaughedagain。“AnIndianafarmer！“Thenhesuddenlysobered。“Cometothinkofit，“saidhe，“that”sthefirstthingyouevertoldmeaboutyourpast。”
“Oranybodyelse，“saidSusan。Herbodywasquivering，forwerememberthepasteventswiththesensationstheymadeuponusatthetime。Shecouldsmellthatlittleroominthefarmhouse。AllenStreetandalltherestofherlifeintheunderworldhadforhersomethingofthevaguenessofdreams——notonlynowbutalsowhileshewaslivingthatlife。
ButnotFerguson，notthenightwhenherinnocentsoulwasravishedasawolfripsupandmunchesableatinglamb。Novaguenessofdreamsaboutthat，butarealitytomakehershudderandreelwhenevershethoughtofit——arealityvividernowthatshewasawomangrowninexperiencesandunderstanding。
“He”sprobablydead——ordivorcedyoulongago。”
“Idonotknow。”
“Icanfindout——withoutstirringthingsup。Whatwashisname？“
“Ferguson。”
“Whatwashisfirstname？“
Shetriedtorecall。“Ithink——itwasJim。Yes，itwasJim。”
Shefanciedshecouldhearthevoiceofthatferocioussistersnappingoutthatnameinthemiserablelittlecoopofageneralroominthathot，foul，farmcottage。
“Wheredidhelive？“
“HisfarmwasattheedgeofZekeWarham”splace——notfarfromBeecamp，inJeffersonCounty。”
Shelapsedintosilence，seemedtobewatchingthegaynightstreetsoftheMontmartredistrict——thecafes，themusichalls，thesidewalkshows，thethrongsofpeopleeverymanandwomanofthemwithhisorherownindividualvariationuponthefascinating，covertlyterriblefaceoftheParismob。
“Whatareyouthinkingabout？“heasked，whenaremarkbroughtnoanswer。
“Thepast，“saidshe。“Andthefuture。”
“Well——we”llfindoutinafewdaysthatyourfarmer”sgotnoclaimonyou——andwe”llattendtothatmarriagecontractandeverything”llbeallright。”
“Doyouwanttomarryme？“sheasked，turningonhimsuddenly。
“We”reasgoodasmarriedalready，“repliedhe。“Yourtonesoundsasif_you_didn”twanttomarry_me_。”Andhelaughedattheabsurdityofsuchanidea。
“Idon”tknowwhetherIdoornot，“saidsheslowly。
Helaidagentlestronghandonherknee。Gentlethoughitwas，shefeltitsstrengththroughthethicknessofhercloak。
“Whenthetimecomes，“saidheinthesoftvoicewiththemenacehiddeninit，“you”llknowwhetheryoudoordon”t。
You”llknowyou_do_——Queenie。”
TheautowasatthecurbbeforetheAbbaye。Andonthesteps，infursandatophat，stoodthetall，experiencedlooking，cynicallookingplaywright。Susan”seyesmethis，heliftedhishat，formal，polite。
“I”llbethe”sgotthebesttableintheplace，“saidPalmer，beforeopeningthedoor，“andI”llbetitcosthimabunch。”XXI
BRENThadanapartmentintheruedeRivoli，neartheHotelMeuriceandhighenoughtocommandthewholeTuileriesgarden。
FromhisbalconyhecouldseetotheeasttheancientcourtsoftheLouvre，tothesouththevaried，harmoniousfacadesoftheQuayd”OrsaywiththedomesandspiresoftheLeftBankbehind，tothewesttheObelisque，thelongbroadreachesoftheChampsElyseeswiththeArcdeTriompheattheboundaryofthehorizon。Onthatbalcony，withthetidesoftrafficfarbelow，onehadasenseofbeingattheheartoftheworld，past，present，andtocome。Brentlikedtofeelathomewhereverhewas；itenabledhimtogotranquillytoworkwithinafewminutesafterhisarrival，nomatterhowfarhehadjourneyedorhowlonghehadbeenaway。Soheregardeditasaneconomy，anessentialtogoodwork，tokeepupthehouseinNewYork，avillainPetiteAfrique，withtheMediterraneanwashingitsgardenwall，thisapartmentatParis；andatelegramaweekinadvancewouldreservehimthesamequartersinthequietestpartofhotelsatLuzerne，atSt。MoritzandatBiarritz。
Susanadmired，asheexplainedhisschemeoflifetoherandPalmerwhentheyvisitedhisapartment。Alwaysprofoundtranquillityinthemidstofintenseactivity。Hecouldshuthisdoorandheasinadesert；hecouldopenit，andthemostinterestingofthesensationscreatedbytheactionsandreactionsofthewholehumanracewerestraightwaybeatinguponhissenses。Asshelistened，shelookedabout，hereyestakinginimpressionstobestudiedatleisure。ThesequartersofhisinPariswerefundamentallydifferentfromthoseinNewYork，weretheexpressionofadifferentsideofhispersonality。Itwasplainthathelovedthem，thattheycamenearertoexpressinghisreal——thatis，hisinmost——self。
“ThoughIworkharderinParisthaninNewYork，“heexplained，“Ihavemoreleisurebecauseitisallonekindofwork——writing——atwhichI”mneverinterrupted。SoIhavetimetomakesurroundingsformyself。NoonehastimeforsurroundingsinNewYork。”
Sheobservedthatofthescoresofpicturesonthewalls，tables，shelvesofthethreeroomstheywereshown，everyonewasaface——facesofallnationalities，allages，allconditions——faceshappyandfacestragic，faceshomely，facesbeautiful，facesirradiatingthefascinationofthoseabnormaldevelopmentsofcharacter，goodandbad，whichgivethecompositecountenanceofthehumanraceitsdistinction，asthecharacteristicsthemselvesgiveitintensitiesoflightandshade。Shesawangels，beautifulandugly，devilsbeautifulandugly。
Whenshebegantonoticethispeculiarityofthoserooms，shewassimplyinterested。Whatanamazingcollection！Howmuchtimeandthoughtitmusthavetaken！Howhemusthavesearched——andwhataninstincthehadforfindingtheunusual，thesignificant！Asshesatthereandthenstrolledaboutandthensatagain，herinterestroseintoafeverishexcitement。
Itwasasiftheghostsofallthesepersonalities，notoneofthemcommonplace，weremovingthroughtherooms，werepressinguponher。SheunderstoodwhyBrenthadthemthere——thattheywereasnecessarytohimascadaversandskeletonsandphysiologicalchartstoananatomist。Buttheyoppressed，suffocatedher；shewentoutonthebalconyandwatchedtheeffectsofthelightfromthesettingsunuponandaroundtheenormouslymagnifiedArc。
“Youdon”tlikemyrooms，“saidBrent。
“Theyfascinateme，“repliedshe。“ButI”dhavetogetusedtothesefriendsofyours。Youmadetheiracquaintanceoneorafewatatime。It”sveryupsetting，beingintroducedtoallatonce。”
ShefeltBrent”sgazeuponher——thatunfathomablelookwhichmadeheruneasy，yetwassomehowsatisfying，too。Hesaid，afterawhile，“Palmeristogivemehisphotograph。Willyougivemeyours？“Hewassmiling。“Bothofyoubelonginmygallery。”
“Ofcourseshewill，“saidPalmer，comingoutonthebalconyandstandingbesideher。“Iwanthertohavesometakenrightaway——intheeveningdresssheworetotheOperalastweek。
Andshemusthaveherportraitpainted。”
“Whenwearesettled，“saidSusan。“I”venotimeforanythingnowbutshopping。”
TheyhadcometoinspecttheapartmentaboveBrent”s，andhaddecidedtotakeit；Susansawpossibilitiesofmakingitoverintothesortofenvironmentofwhichshehaddreamed。Innovelsthedescriptionsofinteriors，whichwearymostreaders，interestedhermorethanstoryorcharacters。Inherdaysofabjectpovertysheusedthesewordpaintingstoconstructforherselfaroom，suitesofrooms，awholehouse，toreplace，whenherphysicaleyesclosedandhereyesoffancyopenedwide，thesqualidandnauseouscelltowhichpovertycondemnedher。Inthestreetsshewouldsometimespausebeforeashopwindowdisplayofinteriorfurnishings；abeautifultableorchair，adesigninwallorfloorcoveringhadcaughthereyes，hadsethertodreaming——dreamingonandon——sheindingyskirtandleakyshoes。Now——thechancetorealizeherdreamshadcome。Palmerhadgotacquaintedwithsomehigh-classsports，American，FrenchandEnglish，atanAmericanbarintherueVolney。Hewasspendinghisafternoonsandsomeofhiseveningswiththem——intheeveningswinninglargesumsfromthematcardsatwhichhewasnowasluckyasateverythingelse。Palmer，pleasedbyBrent”smannertowardSusan——formalpoliteness，indifferencetosex——wasgladtohavehimgoaboutwithher。AlsoPalmerwasoneofthosemenwhonotmerelyimaginetheyreadhumannaturebutactuallycanreadit。He_knew_hecouldtrustSusan。Andithadbeenhishabit——asitisthehabitofallsuccessfulmen——totrusthumanbeings，eachoneuptohiscapacityforresistingtemptationtotreachery。
“Brentdoesn”tcareforwomen——aswomen，“saidhe。“Heneverdid。Don”tyouthinkhe”squeer？“
“He”sdifferent，“repliedSusan。“Hedoesn”tcaremuchforpeople——tohavethemasintimates。Iunderstandwhy。Loveandfriendshipboreone——orfailone——andareunsatisfactory——anddisturbing。Butifonecentersone”slifeaboutthings——books，pictures，art，acareer——why，oneisneverboredorbetrayed。Hehassolvedthesecretofhappiness，Ithink。”
“Doyouthinkawomancouldfallinlovewithhim？“heasked，withanairoftheaccidentalandcasual。
“Ifyoumean，couldIfallinlovewithhim，“saidshe，“I
shouldsayno。Ithinkitwouldeitheramuseorannoyhimtofindthatawomancaredabouthim。”
“Amusehimmostofall，“saidPalmer。“Heknowstheladies——thattheyloveusmenforwhatwecangivethem。”
“Didyoueverhearofanyone，manorwoman，whocaredaboutapersonwhocouldn”tgivethemanything？“
Freddie”slaughwasadmissionthathethoughtherright。“Thewaytogetoninpolitics，“observedhe，“istoshowmenthatit”stotheirbestinteresttosupportyou。Andthat”sthewaytogetonineverythingelse——includinglove。”
Susanknewthatthiswasthetruthaboutlife，asitappearedtoheralso。Butshecouldnotdivestherselfofthehumanaversiontohearingthecold，practicaltruth。Shewantedsugarcoatingonthepill，eventhoughsheknewthesugarmadethemedicinemuchlesseffective，oftenneutralizeditaltogether。ThusPalmer”sbrutallyfrankcynicismgotuponhernerves，whereasBrent”sequallyfrankcynicismattractedherbecauseitwasnotbrutal。Bothmensawthatlifewasacoarsepracticaljoke。Palmerputthestressonthecoarseness，Brentuponthehumor。
Brentrecommendedandintroducedtoherafriendofhis，ayoungFrenchJewnamedGourdain，anarchitectonthewayuptocelebrity。“Youwilllikehisideasandhewilllikeyours，“
saidBrent。
ShehadacquiescedinhisinsistentfriendshipforPalmerandher，butshehadnotloweredbyaninchthebarrierofherreservetowardhim。Hisspeechandactionsatalltimes，whetherPalmerwasthereornot；suggestedthatherespectedthebarrier，regardeditasevenhigherandthickerthanitwas。Neverthelessshefeltthathereallyregardedthebarrierasnon-existent。Shesaid：
“ButI”venevertoldyoumyideas。”
“Icanguesswhattheyare。Yoursurroundingswillsimplybeanextensionofyourdress。”
Shewouldnothavelethimsee——shewouldnothaveadmittedtoherself——howprofoundlythesubtlecomplimentpleasedher。
Becauseaman”sorawoman”sintimatepersonaltasteisgooditbynomeansfollowsthatheorshewillbuildordecorateorfurnishahousewell。Inmattersoftaste，thegreaterdoesnotnecessarilyincludetheless，nordoesthelessimplythegreater。PerhapsSusanwouldhaveshownshedidnotdeserveBrent”scompliment，wouldhavefailedignominiouslyinthatfirstessayofhers，hadshenotfoundaGourdain，sympathetic，abletoputintotheconcretetherathervagueideasshehadevolvedinherdreaming。Anarchitectislikeamillineroradressmaker。Hesuppliesthemodel，productofhisownindividualtaste。Thepersonwhoemployshimmustremoldthatformintoanexpressionofhisownpersonality——forpeoplewhodeliberatelyliveinsurroundingsthatarenotpartofthemselvesareonthesamelowlevelwiththosewhoutteronlyborrowedideas。Thatistheobjectandtheaimofcivilization——toencourageandtocompeleachindividualtobefranklyhimself——herself。Thatistheprofoundmeaningoffreedom。Theworldowesmoretobadmoralsandtobadtastethatarespontaneousthantoallthedocileconformitytothestandardsofmoralsandoftaste，howevergood。Truth——whichsimplymeansanincreaseofharmony，adecreaseofdiscord，betweentheinternalmanandhisenvironment——truthisaproduct，usuallyabyproduct，ofafermentofaction。
Gourdain——chiefly，nodoubt，becauseSusan”sbeautyoffaceandfigureanddressfascinatedhim——wasmoreeagertobringoutherindividualitythantoshowoffhisowntalents。Hetookendlesspainswithher，taughtherthetechnicalknowledgeandvocabularythatwouldenablehertoexpressherself，thencarriedoutherideasreligiously。“Youareright，_monami_，“saidhetoBrent。“Sheisanorchid，andofararespecies。Shehasagloriousimagination，likeabirdofparadisebalancingitselfintoanazuresky，witheveryplumerainingcolorandbrilliancy。”
“Somewhatexaggerated，“wasSusan”spleased，laughingcommentwhenBrenttoldher。
“Somewhat，“saidBrent。“ButmyfriendGourdainisstarkmadaboutwomen”sdressingwell。Thatlilacdressyouhadonyesterdaydidforhim。He_was_yourservant；he_is_yourslave。”
Abruptly——fornoapparentcause，aswasoftenthecase——Susanhadthatsickeningsenseoftheunrealityofherluxuriouspresent，ofbeingabouttoawakeninVineStreetwithEtta——orinthefilthybedwitholdMrs。Tucker。Absentlysheglanceddownatherfoot，holdingitoutasifforinspection。ShesawBrent”slookofamusementatherseemingvanity。
“Iwaslookingtoseeifmyshoeswereleaky，“sheexplained。
Asubtlechangecameoverhisface。Heunderstoodinstantly。
“Haveyoueverbeen——cold？“sheasked，lookingathimstrangely。
“OnecoldFebruary——coldanddamp——Ihadnounderclothes——andnoovercoat。”
“Anddirtybeds——filthyrooms——filthypeople？“
“Aten-centlodginghousewithatrampforbedfellow。”
Theywerelookingateachother，withtheperfectunderstandingandsympathythatcancomeonlytotwopeopleofthesamefiberwhohavebravedthesamestorms。Eachglancedhastilyaway。
Herenthusiasmfordoingtheapartmentwasduefullasmuchtothefactthatitgaveherdefinitelydirectedoccupationastoitscongeniality。ThatearlytrainingofhersfromAuntFannyWarhamhadmadeitforeverimpossibleforherinanycircumstancestobecomethetypicalluxuriouslyshelteredwoman，whetherlegallyorillegallykept——thelie-abedwoman，thewomanwhodressesonlytogooutandshowoff，thewomanwhowastesherlifeinpetty，pifflingtrifles——withoutpurpose，withoutorderorsystem，withoutmoralsorpersonalself-respect。Shehadneverlostthesystematicinstinct——theinstincttousetimeinsteadofwastingit——thatFannyWarhamhadimplantedinherduringtheyearsthatdeterminecharacter。Notforamoment，evenwithoutdistinctlydefiniteaim，wassheindangerofthecreepingparalysisthatisepidemicamongtherich，enfeeblingandslowingdownmentalandphysicalactivity。Shehadaregularlife；sheread，shewalkedintheBois；shemadethebestofeachday。Andwhenthisdefinitethingtoaccomplishoffered，shedidnothavetolearnhowtoworkbeforeshecouldbegintheworkitself。
AllthiswasnothingnewtoGourdain。Hewasbornandbredinacountrywhereintelligentdisciplineistheruleandthelackofittherareexception——amongallclasses——evenamongthewomenofthewell-to-doclasses。
ThefinishedapartmentwasadisappointmenttoPalmer。Itseffectsweretooquiet，toorestrained。Withincertainsmalllimits，thoseofthemanofunusualintelligencebutnomarkedoriginality，hehadexcellenttaste——or，perhaps，excellentabilitytorecognizegoodtaste。Butinthelargeheyearnedforthegrandiose。Helovedthegaudywithwhichtherichsurroundthemselvesbecausegoodtasteforbidsthemtotalkoftheirwealthandsuchsurroundingsdothetalkingforthemanddoitmoreeffectively。Hewouldhavepreferredevenavulgarglittertotheunobtrusivenessofthoserooms。ButheknewthatSusanwasright，andhewasaveryhumanarrantcowardaboutadmittingthathehadbadtaste。
“Thisisbeautiful——exquisite，“saidhe，withfeignedenthusiasm。“I”mafraid，though，it”llbeabovetheirheads。”
“Whatdoyoumean？“inquiredSusan。
Palmerfeltherrestrainedirritation，hastenedtoexplain。
“Imeanthepeoplewho”llcomehere。Theycan”tappreciateit。Youhavetolooktwicetoappreciatethis——andpeople，thebestof”em，lookonlyonceandamightyblindlookitis。”
ButSusanwasnotdeceived。“Youmusttellmewhatchangesyouwant，“saidshe。Hermomentaryirritationhadvanished。
SinceFreddiewaspaying，Freddiemusthavewhatsuitedhim。
“Oh，I”vegotnothingtosuggest。NowthatI”vebeenstudyingitout，Icouldn”tallowyoutomakeanychanges。Itdoesgrowonone，doesn”tit，Brent？“
“ItwillbethetalkofParis，“repliedBrent。
Theplaywright”stonesettledthematterforPalmer。Hewascontent。Saidhe：
“ThankGodshehasn”tputinanyofthosedirtyoldtapestryrags——andthebangedup，brokenfurnitureandthepatchedcrockery。”
Atthesametimeshehadproducedaneffectoflongtenancy。
Therewasnothingthatglittered，nothingwiththeoffensivesheenofthebrandnew。Therewasinthatdelicatelytonedatmosphereonesuggestionwhichgavethesameimpressionastheartificialcrimsonofherlipsincontrastwiththepallorofherskinandthesweetthoughtfulmelancholyofhereyes。
Thissuggestioncamefromanall-pervadingodorofaheavy，languorouslysweet，sensuousperfume——thesamethatSusanherselfused。Shehaditmadeataperfumer”sinthefaubourgSt。Honorebymixinginacertainproportionseveraloftheheaviestandmostclingingofthefamiliarperfumes。
“Youdon”tlikemyperfume？“shesaidtoBrentoneday。
Hewasinthelibrary，wasinspectingher_selections_ofbooks。Insteadofansweringherquestion，hesaid：
“Howdidyoufindoutsomuchaboutbooks？Howdidyoufindtimetoreadsomany？“
“Onealwaysfindstimeforwhatonelikes。”
“Notalways，“saidhe。“Ihadahardstretchonce——justafterIstruckNewYork。Iwasawaiterfortwomonths。Workingpeopledon”tfindtimeforreading——andsuchthings。”
“ThatwasonereasonwhyIgaveupwork，“saidshe。
“That——andthedirt——andthepoorwages——andthehopelessness——andafewotherreasons，“saidhe。
“Whydon”tyouliketheperfumeIuse？“
“Whydoyousaythat？“
“Youmadeaqueerfaceasyoucameintothedrawing-room。”
“Do_you_likeit？“
“Whataqueerquestion！“shesaid。“Noothermanwouldhaveaskedit。”
“Theobvious，“saidhe，shrugginghisshoulders。
“Icouldn”thelpknowingyoudidn”tlikeit。”
“ThenwhyshouldIuseit？“
Hisglancedriftedslowlyawayfromhers。Helitacigarettewithmuchattentiontodetail。
“WhyshouldIuseperfumeIdon”tlike？“persistedshe。
“What”stheuseofgoingintothat？“saidhe。
“ButIdolikeit——inaway，“shewentonafterapause。“Itis——itseemstometheodorofmyself。”
“Yes——itis，“headmitted。
Shelaughed。“Yetyoumadeawryface。”
“Idid。”
“Attheodor？“
“Attheodor。”
“DoyouthinkIoughttochangetoanotherperfume？“
“YouknowIdonot。It”stheodorofyoursoul。Itisdifferentatdifferenttimes——sometimesinspiringlysweetastheincenseofheaven，asmymetaphoricfriendGourdainwouldsay——sometimesasdeadlysweetastheodorsofthedrugsmentaketodragthemtohell——sometimesrepulsivelysweet，makingoneheartsickforpure，cleansmell-lessairyetwithoutthecouragetoseekit。Yourperfumeismanythings，butalways——alwaysstrongandtenaciousandindividual。”
Aflushhadoverspreadthepallorofherskin；herlongdarklasheshidhereyes。
“Youhaveneverbeeninlove，“hewenton。
“Soyoutoldmeoncebefore。”ItwasthefirsttimeeitherhadreferredtotheirNewYorkacquaintance。
“Youdidnotbelievemethen。Butyoudonow？“
“Formethereisnosuchthingaslove，“repliedshe。“I
understandaffection——Ihavefeltit。Iunderstandpassion。
Itisastrongforceinmylife——perhapsthestrongest。”
“No，“saidhe，quietbutpositive。
“Perhapsnot，“repliedshecarelessly，andwenton，withhermorethanmanlikecandor，andinhermannerofsayingthemoststartlingthingsinthecalmestway：
“Iunderstandwhatiscalledlove——feeblenesslookinguptostrengthorstrengthpityingfeebleness。IunderstandbecauseI”vefeltboththosethings。Butlove——twoequalpeopleunitedperfectly，mergedintoathirdpersonwhoisneitheryetisboth——thatIhavenotfelt。I”vedreamedit。I”veimaginedit——insomemomentsofpassion。But“——shelaughedandshruggedhershouldersandwavedthehandwiththecigarettebetweenitsfingers”IhavenotfeltitandIshallnotfeelit。IremainI。”Shepaused，considered，added，“AndI
preferthat。”
“Youarestrong，“saidhe，absentandreflective。“Yes，youarestrong。”
“Idon”tknow，“repliedshe。“SometimesIthinkso。
Again——”Sheshookherheaddoubtfully。
“Youwouldbedeadifyouwerenot。Asstronginsoulasinbody。”
“Probably，“admittedshe。“Anyhow，IamsureIshallalwaysbe——alone。Ishallvisit——Ishalllingeronmythresholdandtalk。PerhapsIshallwanderinperfumedgardensanddreamofcomradeship。ButIshallreturn_chezmoi_。”
Herose——sighed——laughed——atherandathimself。“Don”tdelaytoolong，“saidhe。
“Delay？“
“Yourcareer。”
“Mycareer？Why，Iaminthefullswingofit。I”matworkintheonlyprofessionI”mfitfor。”
“Theprofessionofwoman？“
“Yes——theprofessionoffemale。”
Hewinced——andatthissign，ifshedidnotaskherselfwhatpleasedher，shedidnotaskherselfwhy。Hesaidsharply，“I
don”tlikethat。”
“But_you_haveonlyto_hear_it。Thinkofpoormewhohaveto_live_it。”
“Haveto？No，“saidhe。
“Surelyyou”renotsuggestingthatIdropbackintothelaboringclasses！No，thankyou。Ifyouknew，you”dnotsayanythingsostupid。”
“Idoknow，andIwasnotsuggestingthat。Underthiscapitalisticsystemthewholeworkingclassisdegraded。
Theycallwhattheydo`work”butthatwordoughttobereservedforwhatamandoeswhenheexercisesmindandbodyusefully。Whattheworkingclassiscondemnedtobycapitalismisnotworkbuttoil。”
“Thetoilofaslave，“saidSusan。
“It”sshallowtwaddleorsheerwanttotalkaboutthedignityandbeautyoflaborunderthissystem，“hewenton。“Itisuglyanddegrading。Thefoolsorhypocriteswhotalkthatwayoughttobeforcedtojointhegangsofslavesattheirtasksinfactoryandmineandshop，inthefieldsandthestreets。
Andeventheeasierandbetterpaidtasks，evenwhatthecapitaliststhemselvesdo——thosethingsaren”tdignifiedandbeautiful。Capitalismdividesallmenexceptthoseofoneclass——theclasstowhichIluckilybelong——dividesallothermenintothreeunlovelyclasses——slaveowners，slavedriversandslaves。Butyou”renotinterestedinthosequestions。”
“Inwageslavery？No。Iwishtoforgetaboutit。Anyalternativetobeingawageslaveoraslavedriver——oraslaveowner。Anyalternative。”
“Youdon”tappreciateyourowngoodfortune，“saidhe。“Mosthumanbeings——allbutaveryfew——havetobeintheslaveclasses，inonewayoranother。Theyhavetosubmittotherepulsivedrudgery，withnoadvancementexcepttoslavedriver。Asforwomen——iftheyhavetowork，whatcantheydobutsellthemselvesintoslaverytothemachines，tothecapitalists？Butyou——youneedn”tdothat。Natureendowedyouwithtalent——unusualtalent，Ibelieve。Howluckyyouare！Howsuperiortothegreatmassofyourfellowbeingswhomustslaveorstarve，becausetheyhavenotalent！“
“Talent？——I？“saidSusan。“Forwhat，pray？“
“Forthestage。”
Shelookedamused。“Youevidentlydon”tthinkmevain——oryou”dnotventurethatjest。”
“Forthestage，“herepeated。
“Thanks，“saidshedrily，“butI”llnotappealfromyourverdict。”
“Myverdict？Whatdoyoumean？“
“Iprefertotalkofsomethingelse，“saidshecoldly，offendedbyhisunaccountabledisregardofherfeelings。
“Thisisbewildering，“saidhe。Andhismannercertainlyfittedthewords。
“ThatIshouldhaveunderstood？PerhapsIshouldn”t——atleast，notsoquickly——ifIhadn”theardhowoftenyouhavebeendisappointed，andhowhardithasbeenforyoutogetridofsomeofthoseyoutriedandfoundwanting。”
“Believeme——Iwasnotdisappointedinyou。”Hespokeearnestly，apparentlywithsincerity。“Thecontrary。Yourthrowingitallupwasoneoftheshocksofmylife。”
Shelaughedmockingly——tohidehersensitiveness。
“Oneoftheshocksofmylife，“herepeated。
Shewaslookingathimcuriously——wonderingwhyhewasthusuncandid。
“Itpuzzledme，“hewenton。“I”vebeenlingeringonhere，tryingtosolvethepuzzle。AndthemoreI”veseenofyouthelessIunderstand。Whydidyoudoit？Howcould_you_doit？“