第3章

Iknowthatyouaresincereinthinkingso。AndtheringingwelkinisallweshouldhaveheardinMichigan。Butthemoretrulyamanlovesagirl，thelesscanhebeartakingherfromaneasytoahardlife。Iamsurethatallthemenhereagreewithme。"

Therewasamurmurandanodfromthemen，andalsofromMrs。Davenport。

ButtheotherladiesgavenosignofassentingtoRichard"sproposition。

"Inthosedays，"saidhe，"Iwaswhatinthecurtparlanceofthestreetistermedasix-hundred-dollarclerk。Andthoughmyearshadgrownaccustomedtothisappellation，Inevercametofeelthatitcompletelydescribedme。InpassingTiffany"swindowtwiceeachday（formyhabitwastowalktoandfromNassauStreet）Irememberthatseeingathousand-dollarclockexposedforsalecausedmeannoyance。Ofcoursemysalaryasaclerkbroughtmeintonounfavourablecomparisonwiththeclock；andIdoubtifIcouldmakeyouunderstandmysometimesfeelingwhenIpassedTiffany"swindowthatIshouldliketosmashtheclock。"

"ImetEthelfrequentlyinsociety，dancingwithher，andsittingnextheratdinners。AndbythetimeIhaddinedatherownhouse，andwalkedseveralafternoonswithher，mylotasasix-hundred-dollarclerkbegantoseemverysadtome。Iwroteversesaboutit，andaboutothersubjectsalso。FromaneveningpassedwithEthel，Iwouldgonextmorningtotheofficeandlookattheotherclerks。Oneofthemwasfifty-five，andhestillreceivedsixhundreddollarshiswagesforthelastthirtyyears。I

wasthentwenty-one；andthoughIneverdespairedtotheextentofbelievingthatyearswouldfailtoincreasemyvaluetothefirmbyasinglecent，still，forwhatcouldIhope？Ifmysalarywerethereandthentobedoubled，whatkindofsupportwastwelvehundreddollarstoofferEthel，withherdresses，andherdinners，andherfather"scarriage？FortwoyearsIwaswretchedlyunhappybeneaththemanyhoursofgaietythatcametome，astoeveryyoungman。"

"ThosetwoyearswecouldhavebeeninMichigan，"saidEthel，"hadyouunderstood。"

"Iknow。Butunderstanding，IbelievethatIshoulddothesameagain。Attheoffice，whennotbusy，Iwrotemorepoetry，andbeganalsotowriteprose，whichIfoundattheoutsetlesseasy。Whenmyfirstwritingswereaccepted（theywerefoursetsofversesupontheSummerResort）IfeltthatIcouldsoonaddressEthel；forIhadmadetendollarsoutsidemysalary。HadshenotbeeninEuropethatJuly，IbelievethatIshouldhavespokentoheratonce。ButIsentherthepaper；andIhavetheletterthatshewroteinreply。"

"I"beganEthel。Butshestopped。

"Yes，Iknownowthatyoukepttheverses，"saidRichard。"Mynextmanuscript，however，wasrejected。Indeed，IwentonofferingmyliteraryproductionsnearlyeveryweekuntilthefollowingJanuarybeforeasecondacceptancecame。Itwastwentyfivedollarsthistime，andalmostmademefeelagainthatIcouldhandsomelysupportEthel。Butnotquite。Afterthefirstcharmingelationatearningmoneywithmypen，thoseweeksofrefusalhadcausedmetothinkmoresoberly。AndthoughIwasnowbentuponbecominganauthorandleavingNassauStreet，Iburnednobridgesbehindme，butmerelyfilledmysparehourswithwritingandwithshowingittoEthel。"

"Itwasnowthatthesecondareaofperturbationofmylifecametome。I

saythesecond，becausethefirsthadbeentherecentdawningbeliefthatEthelthoughtaboutmewhenIwasnottheretoremindherofmyself。Thisideahadstirredbutyouwillunderstand。Andnow，whatwasmyproper，myhonourablecourse？ItwasapositivereliefthatatthiscrisisshewenttoFlorida。Icouldthinkmorequietly。Mywritinghadcometobequiteoftenaccepted，sometimesevensolicited。ShouldIspeaktoher，andaskhertowaituntilIcouldputadecentroofoverherhead，orshouldIkeepawayfromheruntilIcouldoffersucharoof？Herfather，Isupposed，coulddosomethingforus。ButIwasnotwillingtobeapensioner。Hisbusinesswerehegenerouswouldbetoprovidecakeandbutter；butthebreadwastobemineandbreadwasstillalongwayoff，accordingtoNewYorkstandards。ThesethingsIthoughtoverwhileshewasinFlorida；yetwhenonceIshouldIfindmyselfwithheragain，I

begantofearthatIcouldnotholdmyselffrombutthesearecircumstanceswhichuniversalknowledgerendersitneedlesstomention，andIwillpasstothesecondperturbation。"

"Asumofmoneywassuddenlyleftme。ThenforthefirsttimeIunderstoodwhyIhadduringmyboyhoodbeensoperiodicallysenttoseeacrossoldbrotherofmymother"s，wholivednearColdSpringontheHudson，andwhomwecalledUncleSnaggletoothwhennoonecouldhearus。UncleGodfrey（forIhavecalledhimbyhisrightnameeversince）diedandleftmewhatinthoseolddayssixyearsagowasstillalargeamount。To-dayweunderstandwhattruerichesmean。Butinthosebygonetimessixyearsago，amilliondollarswasasumconsiderableenoughtobestillseen，asitwere，withthenakedeye。ThatwasmybequestfromUncleGodfrey，andIfeltmyselftobethepossessorofafortune。"

AtthispointinRichard"snarrative，asighescapedfromEthel。

"Iknow，"heimmediatelysaid，"thatmoneyisalwayswelcome。Butitiscertainlysomeconsolationtoreflecthowslightalossamilliondollarsiscountedto-dayinNewYork。AndIdidnotloseallofit。"

"ImetEthelatthetrainonherreturnfromFlorida，andcrossedwithherontheferryfromJerseyCitytoDesbrossesStreet。ThereIwasobligedtoseeherdriveawayinthecarriagewithherfather。"

"Mr。Field，"saidMrs。Davenport，"whathourdidthattrainarriveatJerseyCity？"

Richardlookedsurprised。"Why，seven-fifteenP。M。，"hereplied。"ThetenthofMarch。"

"Dark！"Mrs。Davenportexclaimed。"Mr。Field，youandEthelwereengagedbeforetheferryboatlandedatDesbrossesStreet。"

RichardandEthelbothsatstraightup，butremainedspeechless。

"Pardonmyinterruption，"saidMrs。Davenport，smiling。"Ididn"twanttomissasinglepointinthisstorydogoon！"

Richardwasobligedtoburstoutlaughing，inwhichEthel，afteramoment，followedhim，thoughperhapslessheartily。Andashecontinued，hisblushsubsided。

"WithmyUncleGodfrey"slegacyIwasnolongerdependentuponmysalary，ormypen，ormyfather"spurse；andIdecidedthatwiththemoneyproperlyinvested，Icouldmaintainamodestestablishmentofmyown。

Ethelagreedwithmeentirely；and，afteralittle，wedisclosedourplanstoourfamilies，andtheymetwithapproval。ThiswasinApril，andwethoughtofOctoberorNovemberforthewedding。Itseemedlongtowait；butitcamenearbeingsomuchlonger，thatIgrowchillynowtothinkofit。"

"Ofcourse，IwentsteadilyonwithmyworkattheofficeinNassauStreet，nordidIneglectmywritingentirely。Myattention，however，wasnowturnedtothequestionofinvestingmyfortune。JustroundthecornerfromourofficewasthefirmofBlakeandBeverly，StocksandBonds。

Thithermystepsbeganfrequentlytoturn。Mr。Beverlyhadbusinesswhichbroughthimeveryweektotheroomofourpresident；andsohavingasortofacquaintancewithhim，Ifeltiteasiertoconsulthimthantoseekanyotheramongthebrokers，towhichclassIwasawellnightotalstranger。Heverykindlyconsentedtobemyadviser。IwaswellpleasedtofindhowmuchIhadunderratedtheinterest-bearingcapacityofmywindfall。"Fourpercent！"hecried，whenItoldhimthiswastheextentofmyexpectations。"Why，you"retalkinglikeatrustee。"Andthenseeingthathismeaningwasbeyondme，heexplainedinhisbluff，humorousmanner。"Allatrusteecaresforyouknow，ishisreputationforsafety。