第11章
Nevertheless，AliceforgotaboutWalterforafewminutes。Sheclosedthedoor，wentintothe"living-room"absently，andstaredvaguelyatoneoftheoldbrown-plushrocking-chairsthere。Uponherforeheadwerethelittleshadowsofanapprehensivereverie，andherthoughtsoverlappedoneanotherinafretfuljumble。"Whatwillhethink？Theseoldchairs——they"rehideous。I"llscrubthosesoot-streaksonthecolumns:itwon"tdoanygood，though。Thatlongcrackinthecolumn——nothingcanhelpit。Whatwillhethinkofpapa？Ihopemamawon"ttalktoomuch。WhenhethinksofMildred"shouse，orofHenrietta"s，oranyof"em，besidethis——Shesaidshe"dbuyplentyofroses；thatoughttohelpsome。Nothingcouldbedoneaboutthesehorriblechairs:can"ttake"emupintheattic——aroom"sgottohavechairs!Mighthaverentedsome。No；ifheevercomesagainhe"dseetheyweren"there。"Ifheevercomesagain"——oh，itwon"tbeTHATbad!Butitwon"tbewhatheexpects。I"mresponsibleforwhatheexpects:heexpectsjustwhattheairsI"veputonhavemadehimexpect。WhatdidIwanttoposesotohimfor——asifpapawereawealthymanandallthat？WhatWILLhethink？ThephotographoftheColosseum"sarathergoodthing，though。Ithelpssome——asifwe"dboughtitinRomeperhaps。Ihopehe"llthinkso；hebelievesI"vebeenabroad，ofcourse。Theothernighthesaid，"YourememberthefeelingyougetintheSainte-Chapelle"——There"sanotherlieofmine，notsayingIdidn"trememberbecauseI"dneverbeenthere。
Whatmakesmedoit？PapaMUSTwearhiseveningclothes。ButWalter——"
Withthatsherecalledhermother"sadmonition，andwentupstairstoWalter"sdoor。Shetappeduponitwithherfingers。
"Timetogetup，Walter。Therestofushadbreakfastoverhalfanhourago，andit"snearlyeighto"clock。You"llbelate。
HurrydownandI"llhavesomecoffeeandtoastreadyforyou。"
Therecamenosoundfromwithintheroom，sosherappedlouder。
"Wakeup，Walter!"
Shecalledandrappedagain，withoutgettinganyresponse，andthen，findingthatthedooryieldedtoher，openeditandwentin。Walterwasnotthere。
Hehadbeenthere，however；hadsleptuponthebed，thoughnotinsidethecovers；andAlicesupposedhemusthavecomehomesolatethathehadbeentoosleepytotakeoffhisclothes。Nearthefootofthebedwasashallowclosetwherehekepthis"othersuit"andhiseveningclothes；andthedoorstoodopen，showingabarewall。Nothingwhateverwasinthecloset，andAlicewasrathersurprisedatthisforamoment。"That"squeer，"shemurmured；andthenshedecidedthatwhenhewokehefoundtheclotheshehadsleptin"somussy"hehadputonhis"othersuit，"andhadgoneoutbeforebreakfastwiththemussedclothestohavethempressed，takinghiseveningthingswiththem。
Satisfiedwiththisexplanation，andfailingtoobservethatitdidnotaccountfortheabsenceofshoesfromtheclosetfloor，shenoddedabsently，"Yes，thatmustbeit"；and，whenhermotherreturned，toldherthatWalterhadprobablybreakfasteddown-town。Theydidnotdelayoverthis；thecolouredwomanhadarrived，andthebasket"sdisclosureswereimportant。
"IstoppedatWorlig"sonthewayback，"saidMrs。Adams，flushedwithhurryandexcitement。"Iboughtacanofcaviarthere。Ithoughtwe"dhavelittlesandwichesbroughtintothe"living-room"beforedinner，thewayyousaidtheydidwhenyouwenttothatdinneratthe——"
"ButIthinkthatwastogowithcocktails，mama，andofcoursewehaven"t——"
"No，"Mrs。Adamssaid。"Still，Ithinkitwouldbenice。Wecanmakethemlookverydainty，onatray，andthewaitresscanbringthemin。Ithoughtwe"dhavethesoupalreadyonthetable；andwecanwalkrightoutassoonaswehavethesandwiches，soitwon"tgetcold。Then，afterthesoup，Malenasaysshecanmakesweetbreadpateswithmushrooms:andforthemeatcoursewe"llhavelardedfillet。Malena"sreallyafancycook，youknow，andshesaysshecandoanythinglikethattoperfection。We"llhavepeaswiththefillet，andpotatoballsandBrusselssprouts。Brusselssproutsarefashionablenow，theytoldmeatmarket。Thenwillcomethechickensalad，andafterthattheice-cream——she"sgoingtomakeanangel-foodcaketogowithit——andthencoffeeandcrackersandanewkindofcheeseI
gotatWorlig"s，hesaysisveryfine。"
Alicewasalarmed。"Don"tyouthinkperhapsit"stoomuch，mama？"
"It"sbettertohavetoomuchthantoolittle，"hermothersaid，cheerfully。"Wedon"twanthimtothinkwe"rethekindthatskimp。Lordknowswehavetoenough，though，mostofthetime!
Gettheflowersinwater，child。Ibought"ematmarketbecausethey"resomuchcheaperthere，butthey"llkeepfreshandnice。
Youfix"emanywayyouwant。Hurry!It"sgottobeabusyday。"
Shehadboughtthreedozenlittleroses。Alicetookthemandbegantoarrangetheminvases，keepingthestemsseparatedasfaraspossiblesothattheclumpswouldlooklarger。Sheputhalfadozenineachofthreevasesinthe"living-room，"placingonevaseonthetableinthecenteroftheroom，andoneateachendofthemantelpiece。Thenshetooktherestoftherosestothedining-room；butshepostponedthearrangementofthemuntilthetableshouldbeset，justbeforedinner。Shewasthoughtful；
planningtodrythestemsandlaythemonthetableclothlikeavineofrosesrunninginadelicatedesign，ifshefoundthatthedozenandahalfshehadleftwereenoughforthat。Iftheyweren"tshewouldarrangetheminavase。
Shelookedalongtimeatthelittlerosesinthebasinofwater，whereshehadputthem；thenshesighed，andwentawaytoheaviertasks，whilehermotherworkedinthekitchenwithMalena。Alicedustedthe"living-room"andthedining-roomvigorously，thoughallthetimewithalookthatgrewmoreandmorepensive；andhavingdustedeverything，shewipedthefurniture；rubbedithard。Afterthat，shewashedthefloorsandthewoodwork。
Emergingfromthekitchenatnoon，Mrs。Adamsfoundherdaughteronhandsandknees，scrubbingthebasesofthecolumnsbetweenthehallandthe"living-room。"
"Now，dearie，"shesaid，"youmustn"ttireyourselfout，andyou"dbettercomeandeatsomething。Yourfathersaidhe"dgetabitedown-townto-day——hewasgoingdowntothebank——andWaltereatsdown-townallthetimelately，soIthoughtwewouldn"tbothertosetthetableforlunch。Comeonandwe"llhavesomethinginthekitchen。"
"No，"Alicesaid，dully，asshewentonwithhework。"Idon"twantanything。"
Hermothercameclosertoher。"Why，what"sthematter？"sheasked，briskly。"Youseemkindofpale，tome；andyoudon"tlook——youdon"tlookHAPPY。"
"Well——"Alicebegan，uncertainly，butsaidnomore。
"Seehere!"Mrs。Adamsexclaimed。"Thisisalljustforyou!
YououghttobeENJOYINGit。Why，it"sthefirsttimewe"ve——we"veentertainedinIdon"tknowhowlong!Iguessit"salmostsincewehadthatlittlepartywhenyouwereeighteen。
What"sthematterwithyou？"
"Nothing。Idon"tknow。"
"But，dearie，aren"tyoulookingFORWARDtothisevening？"
Thegirllookedup，showingapallidandsolemnface。"Oh，yes，ofcourse，"shesaid，andtriedtosmile。"Ofcoursewehadtodoit——Idothinkit"llbenice。OfcourseI"mlookingforwardtoit。"
CHAPTERXX
Shewasindeed"lookingforward"tothatevening，butinacloudofapprehension；and，althoughshecouldneverhaveguessedit，thiswasthesimultaneousconditionofanotherperson——noneotherthantheguestforwhosepleasuresomuchcookingandscrubbingseemedtobenecessary。Moreover，Mr。ArthurRussell"spremonitionswerenoproductofmerecoincidence；neitherhadanymagicalsympathyproducedthem。Hisstateofmindwasrathertheresultofrougherundercurrentswhichhadallthetimebeenrunningbeneaththesurfaceofaromanticfriendship。
Nevershrewderthanwhensheanalyzedthegentlemen，Alicedidnotlibelhimwhenshesaidhewasoneofthosequietmenwhoareabitflirtatious，bywhichshemeantthathewasabit"susceptible，"thesamething——andhehadprovedhimselfsusceptibletoAliceuponhisfirstsightofher。"There!"hesaidtohimself。"Who"sthat？"Andinthecrowdofgirlsathiscousin"sdance，allstrangerstohim，shewastheonehewantedtoknow。
Sincethen，hissummereveningswithherhadbeenassecludedasif，forthreehoursafterthefallingofdusk，theytwohaddrawnapartfromtheworldtosomedearboweroftheirown。Thelittleverandawasthatglamorousnook，withafaintgoldenlightfallingthroughtheglassofthecloseddooruponAlice，anddarknesselsewhere，exceptfortheoneroundglobeofthestreetlampatthecorner。Thepeoplewhopassedalongthesidewalk，nowandthen，wereonlyshadowswithvoices，movingvaguelyunderthemapletreesthatloomedinobscurecontoursagainstthestars。So，asthetwosattogether，thebackoftheworldwasthewallandcloseddoorbehindthem；andRussell，whenhewasawayfromAlice，alwaysthoughtofherassittingtherebeforethecloseddoor。Aglamourwasaboutherthus，andaspelluponhim；buthehadaformlessanxietyneverputintowords:allthepicturesofherinhismindstoppedatthecloseddoor。
Hehadanotheranxiety；and，forthegreaterpart，thiswasofherowncreating。Shehadtoooftenaskedhim(nomatterhowgaily)whatheheardabouther，toooftenbeggedhimnottohearanything。Then，hopingtoforestallwhateverhemighthear，shehadbeenattoogreatpainstoaccountforit，todiscreditandmockit；and，thoughhelaughedatherforthis，tellinghertruthfullyhedidnotevenhearhermentioned，theeverlastingironythatdealswithallsuchhumanforefendingsprevailed。
Lately，hehadhalfconfessedtoherwhatanervousnessshehadproduced。"YoumakemedreadthedaywhenI"llhearsomebodyspeakingofyou。You"regettingmesoupsetaboutitthatifI
everhearanybodysomuchassaythename"AliceAdams，"I"llrun!"Theconfessionwasbuthalfofonebecausehelaughed；andshetookitforanassuranceofloyaltyintheformofburlesque。
Shemisunderstood:helaughed，buthisnervousnesswasgenuine。
Afteranystrokeofevents，whetherahappyoneoracatastrophe，weseethatthematerialsforitwerealongtimegathering，andtheonlymarvelisthatthestrokewasnotprophesied。Whatboretheairoffatalcoincidencemayremainfatalindeed，tothislaterview；but，withthehaphazardaspectdispelled，thereisleftforscrutinythesameancienthintfromtheInfinitetotheeffectthatsinceeventshaveneveryetfailedtobelaw-abiding，perhapsitwerewellforustodeducethattheywillcontinuetobesountilfurthernotice……OnthedaythatwastoopenthecloseddoorinthebackgroundofhispicturesofAlice，Russelllunchedwithhisrelatives。Therewerebutthefourpeople，RussellandMildredandhermotherandfather，inthegreat，cooldining-room。
ArchedFrenchwindows，shadedbyawnings，admittedamellowlightandlookedoutuponagreenlawnendinginalongconservatory，whichrevealedthroughitsglasspanesacarnivalofplantsinluxuriantblossom。Fromhisseatatthetable，Russellglancedoutatthisprettydisplay，andinformedhiscousinsthathewassurprised。"Youhavesuchagloriousspreadofflowersalloverthehouse，"hesaid，"Ididn"tsupposeyou"dhaveanyleftoutyonder。Infact，Ididn"tknowthereweresomanysplendidflowersintheworld。"
Mrs。Palmer，large，calm，fair，likeherdaughter，respondedwithamildreproach:"That"sbecauseyouhaven"tbeencousinlyenoughtogetusedtothem，Arthur。You"vealmosttaughtustoforgetwhatyoulooklike。"
IndefenseRussellwavedahandtowardherhusband。"Yousee，he"sbeguntokeepmesohardatwork——"
ButMr。Palmerdeclinedtheresponsibility。"Uptofourorfiveintheafternoon，perhaps，"hesaid。"Afterthat，theyounggentlemanisasmuchastrangertomeasheistomyfamily。
I"vebeenwonderingwhoshecouldbe。"
"Whenaman"spreoccupiedtheremustbealadythen？"Russellinquired。
"Thatseemstobetheviewofyoursex，"Mrs；Palmersuggested。
"Itwasmyhusbandwhosaidit，notMildredorI。"
Mildredsmiledfaintly。"Papamaybesingularinhisideas；theymaycomeentirelyfromhisownexperience，andhavenothingtodowithArthur。"
"Thankyou，Mildred，"hercousinsaid，bowingtohergratefully。
"Youseemtounderstandmycharacter——andyourfather"squiteaswell!"
However，Mildredremainedgraveinthefaceofthiscustomarypleasantry，notbecausetheoldjest，wornround，likewhatprecededit，rolledinanoldgroove，butbecauseofsomepreoccupationofherown。Herfaintsmilehaddisappeared，and，ashercousin"sglancemethers，shelookeddown；yetnotbeforehehadseeninhereyestheflickerofsomethinglikeaquestion——aquestionbothpoignantanddismayed。Hemayhaveunderstoodit；forhisownsmilevanishedatonceinfavourofareciprocalsolemnity。
"Yousee，Arthur，"Mrs。Palmersaid，"Mildredisalwaysagoodcousin。SheandIstandbyyou，evenifyoudostayawayfromusforweeksandweeks。"Then，observingthatheappearedtobesooccupiedwithabunchoficedgrapesuponhisplatethathehadnotheardher，shebegantotalktoherhusband，askinghimwhatwas"goingondown-town。"
Arthurcontinuedtoeathisgrapes，butheventuredtolookagainatMildredafterafewmoments。She，also，appearedtobeoccupiedwithabunchofgrapesthoughsheatenone，andonlypulledthemfromtheirstems。Shesatstraight，herfeaturesascomposedandpureasthoseofanewmarblesaintinacathedralniche；yetherdowncasteyesseemedtoconcealmanythoughts；andhercousin，againsthiswill，wasmoreawareofwhatthesethoughtsmightbethanoftheleisurelyconversationbetweenherfatherandmother。Allatonce，however，heheardsomethingthatstartledhim，andhelistened——andherewastheeffectofallAlice"sforefendings；helistenedfromthefirstwithasinkingheart。
Mr。Palmer，mildlyamusedbywhathewastellinghiswife，hadjustspokenthewords，"thisVirgilAdams。"Whathehadsaidwas，"thisVirgilAdams——that"stheman"sname。Queercase。"
"Whotoldyou？"Mrs。Palmerinquired，notmuchinterested。
"AlfredLamb，"herhusbandanswered。"Hewaslaughingabouthisfather，attheclub。Youseetheoldgentlemantakesagreatprideinhisjudgmentofmen，andalwaysboastedtohissonsthathe"dneverinhislifemadeamistakeintrustingthewrongman。
NowAlfredandJamesAlbert，Junior，thinktheyhaveagreatjokeonhim；andthey"vetwittedhimsomuchaboutithe"llscarcelyspeaktothem。Fromthefirst，Alfredsays，theoldchap"sonlyreparteewas，"Youwaitandyou"llsee!"Andthey"veaskedhimsooftentoshowthemwhatthey"regoingtoseethathewon"tsayanythingatall!"
"He"safunnyoldfellow，"Mrs。Palmerobserved。"Buthe"ssoshrewdIcan"timaginehisbeingdeceivedforsuchalongtime。
Twentyyears，yousaid？"
"Yes，longerthanthat，Iunderstand。Itappearswhenthisman——thisAdams——wasayoungclerk，theoldgentlemantrustedhimwithoneofhisbusinesssecrets，aglueprocessthatMr。Lambhadspentsomemoneytogetholdof。TheoldchapthoughtthisAdamswasgoingtohavequiteafuturewiththeLambconcern，andofcourseneverdreamedhewasdishonest。AlfredsaysthisAdamshasn"tbeenofanyrealuseforyears，andtheyshouldhavelethimgoasdeadwood，buttheoldgentlemanwouldn"thearofit，andinsistedonhisbeingkeptonthepayroll；sotheyjustdecidedtolookonitasasortofpension。Well，onemorninglastMarchthemanhadanattackofsomesortdownthere，andMr。
Lambgothisowncaroutandwenthomewithhim，himself，andworriedabouthimandwenttoseehimnoend，allthetimehewasill。"
"Hewould，"Mrs。Palmersaid，approvingly。"He"sakind-heartedcreature，thatoldman。"
Herhusbandlaughed。"Alfredsayshethinkshiskind-heartednessisaboutcured!Itseemsthatassoonasthemangotwellagainhedeliberatelywalkedoffwiththeoldgentleman"sgluesecret。
Justcalmlystoleit!Alfredsayshebelievesthatifhehadastrokeintheofficenow，himself，hisfatherwouldn"tliftafingertohelphim!"
Mrs。Palmerrepeatedthenametoherselfthoughtfully。
""Adams"——"VirgilAdams。"YousaidhisnamewasVirgilAdams？"
"Yes。"
Shelookedatherdaughter。"Why，youknowwhothatis，Mildred，"shesaid，casually。"It"sthatAliceAdams"sfather，isn"tit？Wasn"thisnameVirgilAdams？"
"Ithinkitis，"Mildredsaid。
Mrs。Palmerturnedtowardherhusband。"You"veseenthisAliceAdamshere。Mr。Lamb"spetswindlermustbeherfather。"
Mr。Palmerpassedasmoothhandoverhisneatgrayhair，whichwasnotdisturbedbythisefforttostimulaterecollection。"Oh，yes，"hesaid。"Ofcourse——certainly。Quiteagood-lookinggirl——oneofMildred"sfriends。Howqueer!"
Mildredlookedup，asifinalittlealarm，butdidnotspeak。
Hermothersetmattersstraight。"FathersAREamusing，"shesaidsmilinglytoRussell，whowaslookingather，thoughhowfixedlyshedidnotnotice；forsheturnedfromhimatoncetoenlightenherhusband。"EverygirlwhomeetsMildred，andtriestopushtheacquaintancebycominghereuntilthepoorchildhastohide，isn"taFRIENDofhers，mydear!"
Mildred"seyesweredowncastagain，andafaintcolourroseinhercheeks。"Oh，Ishouldn"tputitquitethatwayaboutAliceAdams，"shesaid，inalowvoice。"Isawsomethingofherforatime。She"snotunattractiveinaway。"
Mrs。PalmersettledthewholecaseofAlicecarelessly。"A
pushingsortofgirl，"shesaid。"Averypushinglittleperson。"
"I——"Mildredbegan；and，afterhesitating，concluded，"I
ratherdroppedher。"
"Fortunateyou"vedoneso，"herfatherremarked，cheerfully。
"EspeciallysincevariousmembersoftheLambconnectionareherefrequently。Theymightn"tthinkyou"dshowgreattactinhavingherabouttheplace。"Helaughed，andturnedtohiscousin。
"Allthisisn"tveryinterestingtopoorArthur。Howterriblepeoplearewithanewcomerinatown；theytalkasifheknewallabouteverybody!"
"Butwedon"tknowanythingaboutthesequeerpeople，ourselves，"
saidMrs。Palmer。"Weknowsomethingaboutthegirl，ofcourse——sheusedtobeabittooconspicuous，infact!However，asyousay，wemightfindasubjectmoreinterestingforArthur。"
Shesmiledwhimsicallyupontheyoungman。"Tellthetruth，"shesaid。"Don"tyoufairlydetestgoingintobusinesswiththattyrantyonder？"
"What？Yes——Ibegyourpardon!"hestammered。
"Youwereright，"Mrs。Palmersaidtoherhusband。"You"veboredhimso，talkingaboutthievishclerks，hecan"tevenansweranhonestquestion。"
ButRussellwasbeginningtorecoverhisoutwardcomposure。"Trymeagain，"hesaid。"I"mafraidIwasthinkingofsomethingelse。"
Thiswasthebesthefoundtosay。Therewasapartofhimthatwantedtoprotestanddeny，buthehadnotheatenough，inthechillthathadcomeuponhim。Herewasthefirst"mention"ofAlice，andwithitthereasonwhyitwasthefirst:Mr。Palmerhaddifficultyinrecallingher，andshehappenedtobespokenof，onlybecauseherfather"sbetrayalofabenefactor"strusthadbeensopeculiarlyatrociousthat，intheviewofthebenefactor"sfamily，itcontainedenoughoftheelementofhumourtowarrantamildlaughataclub。Therewasthedeadlinessofthestory:itslackofmalice，evenofresentment。DeadlierstillwereMrs。Palmer"sphrases:"apushingsortofgirl，""averypushinglittleperson，"and"usedtobeabitTOO
conspicuous，infact。"Butshespokeplacidlyandbychance；
beingasobviouslywithoutunkindlymotiveasMr。PalmerwaswhenherelatedthecauseofAlfredLamb"samusement。Heropinionoftheobscureyoungladymomentarilyhertopichadbeenexpressed，moreover，toherhusband，andatherowntable。Shesatthere，large，kind，serene——aprotestmightastonishbutcouldnotchangeher；andRussell，crumplinginhisstrainedfingersthelace-edgedlittlewebofanapkinonhisknee，foundheartenoughtogrowred，butnotenoughtochallengeher。
Shenoticedhiscolour，andattributedittotheembarrassmentofascrupulouslygallantgentlemancaughtinalapseofattentiontoalady。"Don"tbedisturbed，"shesaid，benevolently。
"Peoplearen"texpectedtolistenallthetimetotheirrelatives。Ahighcolour"sverybecomingtoyou，Arthur；butitreallyisn"tnecessarybetweencousins。Youcanalwaysbeinformalenoughwithustolistenonlywhenyoucareto。"
Hiscomplexioncontinuedtoberuddierthanusual，however，throughoutthemeal，andwasstillsomewhattintedwhenMrs。
Palmerrose。"Theman"sbringingyoucigaretteshere，"shesaid，noddingtothetwogentlemen。"We"llgiveyouachancetodothesordidkindoftalkingweknowyoureallylike。Afterwhile，Mildredwillshowyouwhat"sinbloominthehothouse，ifyouwish，Arthur。"
Mildredfollowedher，and，whentheywerealoneinanotherofthespaciousrooms，wenttoawindowandlookedout，whilehermotherseatedherselfnearthecenteroftheroominagiltarmchair，mellowedwitholdAubussontapestry。Mrs。Palmerlookedthoughtfullyatherdaughter"sback，butdidnotspeaktoheruntilcoffeehadbeenbroughtforthem。
"Thanks，"Mildredsaid，notturning，"Idon"tcareforanycoffee，Ibelieve。"
"No？"Mrs。Palmersaid，gently。"I"mafraidourgood-lookingcousinwon"tthinkyou"reverytalkative，Mildred。Youspokeonlyabouttwiceatlunch。Ishouldn"tcareforhimtogettheideayou"repiquedbecausehe"scomeheresolittlelately，shouldyou？"
"No，Ishouldn"t，"Mildredansweredinalowvoice，andwiththatsheturnedquickly，andcametositnearhermother。"Butit"swhatIamafraidof!Mama，didyounoticehowredhegot？"
"Youmeanwhenhewascaughtnotlisteningtoaquestionofmine？
Yes；it"sverybecomingtohim。"
"Mama，Idon"tthinkthatwasthereason。Idon"tthinkitwasbecausehewasn"tlistening，Imean。"
"No？"
"Ithinkhiscolourandhisnotlisteningcamefromthesamereason，"Mildredsaid，andalthoughshehadcometositnearhermother，shedidnotlookather。"Ithinkithappenedbecauseyouandpapa——"Shestopped。
"Yes？"Mrs。Palmersaid，good-naturedly，toprompther。"YourfatherandIdidsomethingembarrassing？"
"Mama，itwasbecauseofthosethingsthatcameoutaboutAliceAdams。"
"HowcouldthatbotherArthur？Doesheknowher？"
"Don"tyouremember？"thedaughterasked。"ThedayaftermydanceImentionedhowoddIthoughtitwasinhim——Iwasalittledisappointedinhim。I"dbeenseeingthathemeteverybody，ofcourse，butshewastheonlygirlHEaskedtomeet；andhediditassoonashenoticedher。Ihadn"tmeanttohavehimmeether——infact，IwasrathersorryI"dfeltIhadtoaskher，becausesheoh，well，she"sthesortthat"triesforthenewman，"ifshehashalfachance；andsometimestheyseemquitefascinated——foratime，thatis。IthoughtArthurwasaboveallthat；orattheveryleastIgavehimcreditforbeingtoosophisticated。"
"Isee，"Mrs。Palmersaid，thoughtfully。"Iremembernowthatyouspokeofit。Yousaiditseemedalittlepeculiar，butofcourseitreallywasn"t:a"newman"hasnothingtogoby，excepthisownfirstimpressions。Youcan"tblamepoorArthur——she"squiteapiquantlookinglittleperson。Youthinkhe"sseensomethingofhersincethen？"
Mildrednoddedslowly。"Ineverdreamedsuchathingtillyesterday，andeventhenIratherdoubtedit——tillhegotsored，justnow!Iwassurprisedwhenheaskedtomeether，buthejustdancedwithheronceanddidn"tmentionherafterward；Iforgotallaboutit——infact，IvirtuallyforgotallaboutHER。I"dseenquitealittleofher——"
"Yes，"saidMrs。Palmer。"Shedidkeepcominghere!"
"ButI"djustaboutdecidedthatitreallywouldn"tdo，"Mildredwenton。"Sheisn"t——well，Ididn"tadmireher。"
"No，"hermotherassented，andevidentlyfollowedadirectconnectionofthoughtinaspeechapparentlyirrelevant。"I
understandtheyoungMalonewantstomarryHenrietta。Ihopeshewon"t；heseemsratheragrosstypeofperson。"
"Oh，he"sjustone，"Mildredsaid。"Idon"tknowthatheandAliceAdamswereeverengaged——shenevertoldmeso。Shemaynothavebeenengagedtoanyofthem；shewasjustenoughamongtheothergirlstogettalkedabout——andoneofthereasonsIfeltalittleinclinedtobenicetoherwasthattheyseemedtoberatheredgingheroutofthecircle。Itwasn"tlongbeforeIsawtheywereright，though。IhappenedtomentionIwasgoingtogiveadanceandshepretendedtotakeitasamatterofcoursethatImeanttoinviteherbrother——atleast，Ithoughtshepretended；shemayhavereallybelievedit。Atanyrate，Ihadtosendhimacard；butIdidn"tintendtobeletinforthatsortofthingagain，ofcourse。She"swhatyousaid，"pushing"；
thoughI"mawfullysorryyousaidit。"
"Whyshouldn"tIhavesaidit，mydear？"
"OfcourseIdidn"tsay"shouldn"t。""Mildredexplained，gravely。"ImeantonlythatI"msorryithappened。"
"Yes；butwhy？"
"Mama"——Mildredturnedtoher，leaningforwardandspeakinginaloweredvoice——"Mama，atfirstthechangewassolittleitseemedasifArthurhardlyknewithimself。He"dbeenlovelytomealways，andhewasstilllovelytomebut——oh，well，you"veunderstood——aftermydanceitwasmoreasifitwasjusthisnatureandhistrainingtobelovelytome，ashewouldbetoeveryoneakindofpoliteness。He"dneversaidheCAREDforme，butafterthatIcouldseehedidn"t。Itwasclear——afterthat。
Ididn"tknowwhathadhappened；Icouldn"tthinkofanythingI"ddone。Mama——itwasAliceAdams。"
Mrs。Palmersetherlittlecoffee-cupuponthetablebesideher，calmlyfollowingherownmotionwithhereyes，andnotseemingtorealizewithwhatseriousentreatyherdaughter"sgazewasfixeduponher。Mildredrepeatedthelastsentenceofherrevelation，andintroducedastressofinsistence。
"Mama，itWASAliceAdams!"
ButMrs。Palmerdeclinedtobegreatlyimpressed，sofarasherappearancewent，atleast；andtoemphasizeherrefusal，shesmiledindulgently。"Whatmakesyouthinkso？"
"Henriettatoldmeyesterday。"
AtthisMrs。Palmerpermittedherselftolaughsoftlyaloud。
"Goodheavens!IsHenriettaasoothsayer？OrissheArthur"sparticularconfidante？"
"No。EllaDowlingtoldher。"
Mrs。Palmer"slaughtercontinued。"Nowwehaveit!"sheexclaimed。"It"sagameofgossip:ArthurtellsElla，EllatellsHenrietta，andHenriettatells——"
"Don"tlaugh，please，mama，"Mildredbegged。"OfcourseArthurdidn"ttellanybody。It"sroundaboutenough，butit"strue。I
knowit!Ihadn"tquitebelievedit，butIknewitwastruewhenhegotsored。Helooked——oh，forasecondorsohelooked——stricken!HethoughtIdidn"tnoticeit。Mama，he"sbeentoseeheralmosteveryeveninglately。Theytakelongwalkstogether。That"swhyhehasn"tbeenhere。"
OfMrs。Palmer"slaughtertherewasleftonlyherindulgentsmile，whichshehadnotallowedtovanish。"Well，whatofit？"
shesaid。
"Mama!"
"Yes，"saidMrs。Palmer。"Whatofit？"
"Butdon"tyousee？"Mildred"swell-tutoredvoice，thoughmodulatedandrepressedeveninherpresentemotion，neverthelesshadatendencytoquaver。"It"strue。FrankDowlingwasgoingtoseeheroneeveningandhesawArthursittingonthestoopwithher，anddidn"tgoin。AndEllausedtogotoschoolwithagirlwholivesacrossthestreetfromhere。ShetoldElla——"
"Oh，Iunderstand，"Mrs。Palmerinterrupted。"Supposehedoesgothere。Mydear，Isaid，"Whatofit？""
"Idon"tseewhatyoumean，mama。I"msoafraidhemightthinkweknewaboutit，andthatyouandpapasaidthosethingsaboutherandherfatheronthataccount——asifweabusedthembecausehegoesthereinsteadofcominghere。"
"Nonsense!"Mrs。Palmerrose，wenttoawindow，and，turningthere，stoodwithherbacktoit，facingherdaughterandlookingathercheerfully。"Nonsense，mydear!Itwasperfectlyclearthatshewasmentionedbyaccident，andsowasherfather。Whatanextraordinaryman!IfArthurmakesfriendswithpeoplelikethat，hecertainlyknowsbetterthantoexpecttohearfavourableopinionsofthem。Besides，it"sonlyalittlepassingthingwithhim。"
"Mama!Whenhegoestherealmostevery——"
"Yes，"Mrs。Palmersaid，dryly。"ItseemstomeI"veheardsomewherethatotheryoungmenhavegonethere"almostevery!"
Shedoesn"tlast，apparently。Arthur"sgallant，andhe"simpressionable——buthe"sfastidious，andfastidiousnessisalwaysthecheckonimpressionableness。Agirlbelongstoherfamily，too——andthisonedoesespecially，itstrikesme!
Arthur"sverysensible；heseesmorethanyou"dthink。"
Mildredlookedatherhopefully。"Thenyoudon"tbelievehe"slikelytoimaginewesaidthosethingsofherinanymeaningway？"
Atthis，Mrs。Palmerlaughedagain。"There"sonethingyouseemnottohavenoticed，Mildred。"
"What"sthat？"
"Itseemstohaveescapedyourattentionthatheneversaidaword。"
"Mightn"tthatmean——？"Mildredbegan，butshestopped。
"No，itmightn"t，"hermotherreplied，comprehendingeasily。"Onthecontrary，itmightmeanthatinsteadofhisfeelingittoodeeplytospeak，hewasgettingalittleillumination。"
Mildredroseandcametoher。"WHYdoyousupposehenevertoldushewentthere？Doyouthinkhe"s——doyouthinkhe"spleasedwithher，andyetashamedofit？WHYdoyousupposehe"sneverspokenofit？"
"Ah，that，"Mrs。Palmersaid，——"thatmightpossiblybeherowndoing。Ifitis，she"swellpaidbywhatyourfatherandIsaid，becausewewouldn"thavesaiditifwe"dknownthatArthur——"
Shecheckedherselfquickly。Lookingoverherdaughter"sshoulder，shesawthetwogentlemencomingfromthecorridortowardthewidedoorwayoftheroom；andshegreetedthemcheerfully。"Ifyou"vefinishedwitheachotherforawhile，"
sheadded，"Arthurmayfinditarelieftoputhisthoughtsonsomethingprettierthanatrustcompany——andmorefragrant。"
ArthurcametoMildred。
"Yourmothersaidatlunchthatperhapsyou"d——"
"Ididn"tsay"perhaps，"Arthur，"Mrs。Palmerinterrupted，tocorrecthim。"Isaidshewould。Ifyoucaretoseeandsmellthoselovelythingsoutyonder，she"llshowthemtoyou。Runalong，children!"
Halfanhourlater，glancingfromawindow，shesawthemcomefromthehothousesandslowlycrossthelawn。Arthurhadafineroseinhisbuttonholeandlookedprofoundlythoughtful。
CHAPTERXXI
Thatmorningandnoonhadbeenwarm，thoughthestirringsofafeeblebreezemadeweathernotflagrantlyintemperate；butataboutthreeo"clockintheafternoontherecameoutofthesouthwestaheatlikeanafflictionsentuponanaccursedpeople，andtheairwassoondeadofit。Drippingnegroditch-diggerswhoopedwithsatirespraisinghellandhotweather，asthetossingshovelsflickereduptothestreetlevel，wheresluggishmalepedestrianscarriedcoatsuponhotarms，andfannedthemselveswithstrawhats，or，remainingcovered，woresoakedhandkerchiefsbetweenscalpandstraw。Clerksdroopedinsilent，bigdepartmentstores，stenographersinofficeskeptasclosetoelectricfansastheinterveningbulkoftheiremployerswouldletthem；guestsinhotelsleftthelobbiesandwenttolieuncladupontheirbeds；whileinhospitalsthepatientsmurmuredquerulouslyagainsttheheat，andperhapsagainstsomenoisymotoristwhostrovetofeeltheairbysplittingit，nottroubledbyanyfore-bodingthathe，too，thathournextweek，mightneedquietnearahospital。The"hotspell"wasatruespell，oneuponmen"sspirits；foritwassohotthat，insuburbanoutskirts，golferscreptslowlybackoverthelowundulationsoftheirclublands，abandoningtheirmatchesandreturningtoshelter。
Evenonsuchaday，sizzlingworkhadtobedone，asinwinter。
Therewereglowingfurnacestobestoked，liquidmetalstobepoured；butsuchtasksfoundseasonedmenstandingtothem；andinallthecityprobablynobravesoulchallengedtheheatmoregamelythanMrs。Adamsdid，when，inacornerofhersmallandfierykitchen，wherealldaylongherhiredAfricanimmunecookedfiercely，shepressedherhusband"seveningclotheswithahotiron。Nodoubtsheriskedherlife，butsheriskeditcheerfullyinsogoodandnecessaryaserviceforhim。Shewouldhavegivenherlifeforhimatanytime，andbothhisandherownforherchildren。
Unconsciousofherownheroism，shewassurprisedtofindherselfratherfaintwhenshefinishedherironing。However，shetookhearttobelievethattheclotheslookedbetter，inspiteofoneortwoscorchedplaces；andshecarriedthemupstairstoherhusband"sroombeforeincreasingblindnessforcedhertogropeforthenearestchair。Then，tryingtoriseandwalk，withouthavingsufficientlyrecovered，shehadtositdownagain；butafteralittlewhileshewasabletogetuponherfeet；and，keepingherhandagainstthewall，movedsuccessfullytothedoorofherownroom。Hereshewavered；mighthavegonedown，hadshenotbeenstimulatedbythethoughtofhowmuchdependeduponher；——shemadeafinalgreateffort，andflounderedacrosstheroomtoherbureau，whereshekeptsomesimplerestoratives。
Theyservedherneed，orherfaithinthemdid；andshereturnedtoherwork。
Shewentdownthestairs，keepingastilltremuloushandupontherail；butshesmiledbrightlywhenAlicelookedupfrombelow，wherethewoodworkwasagainbeingtormentedwithsuperfluousattentions。
"Alice，DON"T!"hermothersaid，commiseratingly。"Youdidallthatthismorninganditlookslovely。What"stheuseofwearingyourselfoutonit？Yououghttobelyingdown，so"stolookfreshforto-night。"
"Hadn"tyoubetterliedownyourself？"thedaughterreturned。
"Areyouill，mama？"
"Certainlynot。Whatintheworldmakesyouthinkso？"
"Youlookprettypale，"Alicesaid，andsighedheavily。"Itmakesmeashamed，havingyouworksohard——forme。"
"Howfoolish!Ithinkit"sfun，gettingreadytoentertainalittleagain，likethis。Ionlywishithadn"tturnedsohot:
I"mafraidyourpoorfather"llsuffer——histhingsareprettyheavy，Inoticed。Well，it"lldohimgoodtobearsomethingforstyle"ssakethisonce，anyhow!"Shelaughed，andcomingtoAlice，bentdownandkissedher。"Dearie，"shesaid，tenderly，"wouldn"tyoupleaseslipupstairsnowandtakejustalittleteenynaptopleaseyourmother？"
ButAlicerespondedonlybymovingherheadslowly，intokenofrefusal。
"Do!"Mrs。Adamsurged。"Youdon"twanttolookwornout，doyou？"
"I"llLOOKallright，"Alicesaid，huskily。"DoyoulikethewayI"vearrangedthefurniturenow？I"vetriedallthedifferentwaysit"llgo。"
"It"slovely，"hermothersaid，admiringly。"Ithoughtthelastwayyouhaditwaspretty，too。Butyouknowbest；Ineverknewanybodywithsomuchtaste。Ifyou"donlyjustquitnow，andtakealittlerest——"
"There"dhardlybetime，evenifIwantedto；it"safterfivebutIcouldn"t；really，Icouldn"t。HowdoyouthinkwecanmanageaboutWalter——toseethathewearshiseveningthings，Imean？"
Mrs。Adamspondered。"I"mafraidhe"llmakealotofobjections，onaccountoftheweatherandeverything。Iwishwe"dhadachancetotellhimlastnightorthismorning。I"dhavetelephonedtohimthisafternoonexcept——well，Iscarcelyliketocallhimupatthatplace，sinceyourfather——"
"No，ofcoursenot，mama。"
"IfWaltergetshomelate，"Mrs。Adamswenton，"I"lljustslipoutandspeaktohim，incaseMr。Russell"sherebeforehecomes。I"lljusttellhimhe"sgottohurryandgethisthingson。"
"Maybehewon"tcomehometodinner，"Alicesuggested，ratherhopefully。"Sometimeshedoesn"t。"
"No；Ithinkhe"llbehere。Whenhedoesn"tcomeheusuallytelephonesbythistimetosaynottowaitforhim；he"sverythoughtfulaboutthat。Well，itreallyisgettinglate:Imustgoandtellhersheoughttobepreparingherfillet。Dearie，DO
restalittle。"
"You"dmuchbetterdothatyourself，"Alicecalledafterher，butMrs。Adamsshookherheadcheerily，notpausingonherwaytothefierykitchen。
Alicecontinuedheruselesslaboursforatime；thencarriedherbuckettotheheadofthecellarstairway，wheresheleftituponthetopstep；and，closingthedoor，returnedtothe"living-room；"Againshechangedthepositionsoftheoldplushrocking-chairs，movingthemintothecornerswhereshethoughttheymightbeleastnoticeable；andwhilethusengagedshewasstartledbyaloudringingofthedoor-bell。Foramomentherfacewaspanic-stricken，andshestoodstaring，thensherealizedthatRussellwouldnotarriveforanotherhour，attheearliest，andrecoveringherequipoise，wenttothedoor。
Waitingthere，inalanguidattitude，wasayoungcolouredwoman，withasmallbundleunderherarmandsomethingmalleableinhermouth。"Listen，"shesaid。"Youfolksexpectin"acolouredlady？"
"No，"saidAlice。"Especiallynotatthefrontdoor。"
"Listen，"thecolouredwomansaidagain。"Listen。Say，listen。
Ain"ttheyanothercolouredladyawreadyherebytheday？
Listen。Ain"tMizMalenaBurnsherebythedaythisevenin"？
Say，listen。ThisthenumberhouseshegiveME。"
"Areyouthewaitress？"Aliceasked，dismally。
"Yes"m，ifMalenahere。"
"Malenaishere，"Alicesaid，andhesitated；butshedecidednottosendthewaitresstothebackdoor；itmightbearisk。Sheletherin。"What"syourname？"
"Me？I"mname"Gertrude。MissGertrudeCollamus。"
"Didyoubringacapandapron？"
Gertrudetookthelittlebundlefromunderherarm。"Yes"m。I"mallfix"。"
"I"vealreadysetthetable，"Alicesaid。"I"llshowyouwhatwewantdone。"
Sheledthewaytothedining-room，and，afterofferingsomeinstructionthere，receivedbyGertrudewithlanguorandaslowlymovingjaw，shetookherintothekitchen，wherethecapandapronwereputon。Theeffectwasnotfortunate；Gertrude"seyeswerenoticeablybloodshot，anafflictionmademoreapparentbythewhitecap；andAlicedrewhermotherapart，whisperinganxiously，"Doyousupposeit"stoolatetogetsomeoneelse？"
"I"mafraiditis，"Mrs。Adamssaid。"MalenasaysitwashardenoughtogetHER!Youhavetopaythemsomuchthattheyonlyworkwhentheyfeellikeit。"
"Mama，couldyouaskhertowearhercapstraighter？Everytimeshemovesherheadshegetsitononeside，andherskirt"stoolongbehindandtooshortinfront——andoh，I"veNEVERseensuchFEET!"Alicelaugheddesolately。"AndsheMUSTquitthatterriblechewing!"
"Nevermind；I"llgettoworkwithher。I"llstraightenheroutallIcan，dearie；don"tworry。"Mrs。Adamspattedherdaughter"sshoulderencouragingly。"NowYOUcan"tdoanotherthing，andifyoudon"trunandbegindressingyouwon"tbeready。It"llonlytakemeaminutetodress，myself，andI"llbedownlongbeforeyouwill。Run，darling!I"lllookaftereverything。"
Alicenoddedvaguely，wentuptoherroom，and，afteronlyamomentwithhermirror，broughtfromherclosetthedressofwhiteorgandieshehadwornthenightwhenshemetRussellforthefirsttime。Shelaiditcarefullyuponherbed，andbegantomakereadytoputiton。Hermothercamein，halfanhourlater，to"fasten"her。
"I"Malldressed，"Mrs。Adamssaid，briskly。"Ofcourseitdoesn"tmatter。Hewon"tknowwhattherestofusevenlooklike:Howcouldhe？IknowI"manoldSIGHT，butallIwantistolookrespectable。DoI？"
"Youlooklikethebestwomanintheworld；that"sall!"Alicesaid，withalittlegulp。
Hermotherlaughedandgaveherafinalscrutiny。"Youmightusejustatinybitmorecolour，dearie——I"mafraidtheexcitement"smadeyoualittlepale。AndyouMUSTbrightenup!There"ssortofalookinyoureyesasifyou"dgotinatranceandcouldn"tgetout。You"vehaditallday。Imustrun:yourfatherwantsmetohelphimwithhisstuds。Walterhasn"tcomeyet，butI"lllookafterhim；don"tworry，AndyoubetterHURRY，dearie，ifyou"regoingtotakeanytimefixingtheflowersonthetable。"
Shedeparted，whileAlicesatatthemirroragain，tofollowheradviceconcerninga"tinybitmorecolour。"Beforeshehadfinished，herfatherknockedatthedoor，and，whensheresponded，camein。Hewasdressedintheclotheshiswifehadpressed；buthehadlostsubstantiallyinweightsincetheyweremadeforhim；noonewouldhavethoughtthattheyhadbeenpressed。Theyhungfromhimvoluminously，seemingtobetheclothesofalargerman。
"Yourmother"sgonedownstairs，"hesaid，inavoiceofdistress。
"OneofthebuttonholesinmyshirtistoolargeandIcan"tkeepthedangthingfastened。_I_don"tknowwhattodoaboutit!I
onlygotoneotherwhiteshirt，andit"skindofruined:ItrieditbeforeIdidthisone。Doyous"poseyoucoulddoanything？"
"I"llsee，"shesaid。
"Mycollar"sgotafrayededge，"hecomplained，assheexaminedhistroublesomeshirt。"It"sagooddeallikewearingasaw；butIexpectit"llwiltdownflatprettysoon，andnotbothermelong。I"mliabletowiltdownflat，myself，Iexpect；Idon"tknowasIrememberanysuchhotnightinthelasttenortwelveyears。"Heliftedhisheadandsniffedtheflaccidair，whichwasladenwithaheavyodour。"My，butthatsmellisprettystrong!"hesaid。
"Standstill，please，papa，"Alicebeggedhim。"Ican"tseewhat"sthematterifyoumovearound。Howabsurdyouareaboutyouroldgluesmell，papa!Thereisn"tavestigeofit，ofcourse。"
"Ididn"tmeanglue，"heinformedher。"Imeancabbage。Isthatfashionablenow，tohavecabbagewhenthere"scompanyfordinner？"
"Thatisn"tcabbage，papa。It"sBrusselssprouts。"
"Oh，isit？Idon"tminditmuch，becauseitkeepsthatgluesmelloffme，butit"sfairlystrong。Iexpectyoudon"tnoticeitsomuchbecauseyoubeeninthehousewithitallalong，andgotusedtoitwhileitwasgrowing。"
"Itisprettydreadful，"Alicesaid。"Areallthewindowsopendownstairs？"
"I"llgodownandsee，ifyou"lljustfixthatholeupforme。"
"I"mafraidIcan"t，"shesaid。"Notunlessyoutakeyourshirtoffandbringittome。I"llhavetosewtheholesmaller。"
"Oh，well，I"llgoaskyourmotherto——"
"No，"saidAlice。"She"sgoteverythingonherhands。Runandtakeitoff。Hurry，papa；I"vegottoarrangetheflowersonthetablebeforehecomes。"
Hewentaway，andcamebackpresently，halfundressed，bringingtheshirt。"There"sONEcomfort，"heremarked，pensively，assheworked。"I"vegotthatcollaroff——forawhile，anyway。IwishIcouldgototablelikethis；Icouldstanditagooddealbetter。Doyouseemtobemakinganyheadwaywiththedangthing？"
"IthinkprobablyIcan——"
Downstairsthedoor-bellrang，andAlice"sarmsjerkedwiththeshock。
"Golly!"herfathersaid。"Didyoustickyourfingerwiththatfoolneedle？"
Shegavehimablankstare。"He"scome!"
Shewasnotmistaken，for，uponthelittleveranda，Russellstoodfacingthecloseddooratlast。However，itremainedclosedforaconsiderabletimeafterherang。Insidethehousethewarningsummonsofthebellwasimmediatelyfollowedbyanothersound，audibletoAliceandherfatherasacrashprecedingaseriesofmuffledfalls。Thencameadistantvoice，bitterincomplaint。
"Oh，Lord!"saidAdams。"What"sthat？"
Alicewenttothetopofthefrontstairs，andhermotherappearedinthehallbelow。