第2章
Inthecivilandsatiricalparleywhichfollowed，nooneansweredanother，butyoungMaveringboreasfullapartastheelderladies，andonlyhisfatherandAliceweresilent:hisguestsgotthemselvesoutofhisroom。Theymetatthethresholdayoungfellow，shortanddarkandstout，inanoldtennissuit。Hefellbackatsightofthem，andtookoffhishattoMrs。Saintsbury。
“Why，Mr。Boardman！“
“Don’tbebashful，Boardman？”youngMaveringcalledout。“ComeinandshowthemhowIshalllookinfiveminutes。”
Mr。Boardmantookhisintroductionswithasortofmain-forceself-
possession，andthensaid，“You’llhavetolookitinlessthanfiveminutesnow，Mavering。You’recomefor。”
“What？Aretheyready？”
“Wemustfly。”pantedMrs。Saintsbury，withoutwaitingfortheanswer，whichwaslostintheincoherenciesofallsortsofaurevoirscalledafterandcalledback。
VII。
“Thatisonething。”saidMrs。Saintsbury，lookingswiftlyroundtoseethattheelderMaveringwasnotwithinhearing，asshehurriedaheadwithMrs。Pasmer，“thatIcan’tstandinDanMavering。Whycouldn’thehavewarnedusthatitwasgettingnearthetime？Whyshouldhehavegoneonpretendingthattherewasnohurry？Itisn’tinsincerityexactly，butitisn’tcandour;no，it’suncandid。Oh，Isupposeit’stheartistictemperament——nevercomingstraighttothepoint。”
“Whatdoyoumean？”askedMrs。Pasmereagerly。
“I’lltellyousometime。”ShelookedroundandhaltedalittleforAlice，whowaswalkingdetachedandneglectedbythepreoccupationofthetwoelderlymen。“I’mafraidyou’retired。”shesaidtothegirl。
“Ohno。”
“Ofcoursenot，onClassDay。ButIhopeweshallgetseats。Whatweather！“
Thesunhadnotbeenoppressiveatanytimeduringtheday，thoughthecrowdedbuildinghadbeencloseandwarm，andnowitlaylikeapaintedlightonthegrassandpathsoverwhichtheypassedtotheentranceofthegroundsaroundtheTree。HoldenChapel，whichenclosedthespaceontherightastheywentin，shedbackthesunfromitsbrick-redflank，risingunrelievedinitsvenerableuglinessbyanytouchofthefestivepreparations;buttotheirleftanddiagonallyacrossfromthemhighstagingssupportedtiersofseatsalongtheequallyunlovelyredbulksofHollisandofHarvard。Theseseats，andthewindowsinthestoriesabovethem，weredenselypackedwithpeople，mostlyyounggirlsdressedinathousandenchantingshadesandcolours，andbonnetedandhattedtothelasteffectoffashion。Theywerelikevastterracesofflowerstotheswiftglance，andhereandtheresomebrilliantparasol，spreadtocatchthesunonthehigherranks，waslikeaflauntingpoppy，risingtothelightandlollingoutabovethebloomsoflowerstature。Buttheparasolswerefew，forthetwohallsflungwidecurtainsofshadeoverthegreaterpartofthespectators，andacrosstothefootofthechapel，whileapieceofthecarpentrywhosesimplicityseemspartoftheClassDaytraditionshutouttheglareandtheuninvitedpublic，strivingtopenetratetheenclosurenextthestreet。Infrontofthisyellowpinewall;withitsranksofbenches，stoodtheClassDayTree，girdedattenorfifteenfeetfromthegroundwithawidebandofflowers。
Mrs。PasmerandherfriendsfoundthemselvessolatethatifsomegentlemenwhoknewProfessorSaintsburyhadnotgivenuptheirplacestheycouldhavegotnoseats。Butthishappened，andthethreeladieshadharmoniouslyblendedtheirhueswiththoseoftheothersinthatbankofbloom，andthegentlemenhadsomehowmadeawaywiththeirobstructivenessindifferentcrouchingandstoopingposturesattheirfeet，whentheJuniorClassfiledintothegreenenclosureamidstthe’rahsoftheirfriends;andsankinlongranksonthegrassbesidethechapel。ThentheSophomoresappeared，andwerereceivedwithcheersbytheJuniors，withwhomtheyjoined，assoonastheywereplaced，inheapingignominyuponthefreshmen。TheSeniorscamelast，grotesqueinthevarietyoftheiroldclothes，andafierceuproarof’rahsandyellsmetthemfromthestudentssquatteduponthegrassastheylooselygroupedthemselvesinfrontoftheTree;themenoftheyoungerclassesformedinthreerings，andbegancirclingindifferentdirectionsaroundthem。
Mrs。PasmerbentacrossMrs。Saintsburytoherdaughter:“CanyoumakeoutMr。Maveringamongthem，Alice？”
“No。Hush，mamma！“pleadedthegirl。
Withthesubsidenceofthetumultintheotherclasses，theSeniorshadbrokenfromthestoicalsilencetheykeptthroughit，andwerenowwithanequallyseriousclamourapplaudingthefirstofalonglistofpersonages，beginningwiththePresident，andrangingthroughtheirfavouritesintheFacultydowntoBillythePostman。Theleaderwhoinvitedthemtothisexpressionofgoodfeelingexactedthefulltaleofninecheersforeachpersonhenamed，andbeforehereachedthelastthe’rahscameingaspsfromtheirdrythroats。
Inthemidstofthetumultthemarshalflunghishatattheelm;thentherushuponthetreetookplace，andthescramblefortheflowers。Thefirstwhoswarmedupthetrunkwerepromptlypluckeddownbythelegsandflungupontheground，asiftoformabasetherefortheoperationsoftherest;whosurgedandbuiltthemselvesuparoundtheelminanirregularmass。Fromtimetotimesomeoneappearedclamberingoverheadsandshoulderstomakeadesperatelungeandsnatchattheflowers，andthenfallbackintothefluctuantheapagain。Yells，cries，andclappingsofhandscamefromtheotherstudents，andthespectatorsinthe，seats，involuntarilydyingawayalmosttosilenceassomestrongerorwilfuleraspirantheldhisownontheheadsandshouldersoftheothers，orwasstayedtherebyhisfriendsamongthemtillhecouldmakesureofahandfuloftheflowers。Arushwasmadeuponhimwhenbereachedtheground;ifhecouldkeephisflowersfromthehandsthatsnatchedatthem，hestaggeredawaywiththefragments。Thewreathbegantoshowwidepatchesofthebarkunderit;thesurgingandstrugglingcrowdbelowgrewlessdense;hereandthereonestruggledoutofitandwalkedslowlyabout，pantingpitiably。
“Oh，Iwondertheydon’tkilleachother！“criedMrs。Pasmer。“Isn’titterrible？”Shewouldnothavemisseditonanyaccount;butshelikedtogetallshecouldoutofheremotions。
“Theynevergethurt。”saidMrs。Saintsbury。“Oh，look！There’sDanMavering！“
Thecrowdatthefootofthetreehadcloseddensely，andawilderroarwentupfromallthestudents。Atall，slimyoungfellow，liftedontheshouldersofthemassbelow，andstayinghimselfwithonehandagainstthetree，rapidlystrippedawaytheremnantsofthewreath，andflungthemintothecrowdunderhim。Asingletuftremained;thecrowdwasmeltingawayunderhiminascrambleforthefallenflowers;hemadeacrookedleap，caughtthetuft，andtumbledwithitheadlong。
“Oh！“breathedtheladiesontheBenches，withageneralsuspirationlostinthe’rahsandclappings，asMaveringreappearedwiththebunchofflowersinhishand。Helookeddizzilyabout，asifnotsure，ofhiscourse;thenhisface，flushedandheated，withthehairpulledovertheeyes，brightenedwithrecognition，andheadvanceduponMrs。Saintsbury’spartywithrapidpaces，eachofwhichMrs。Pasmercommentatedwithinwardconjecture。
“IshebringingtheflowerstoAlice？。Isn’titaltogethertooconspicuous？Hashereallytherighttodoit？Whatwillpeoplethink？
Willhegivethemtomeforher，orwillhehandthemdirectlytoher？
WhichshouldIpreferhimtodo？IwonderifIknow？”
Whenshelookedupwiththeairofsurprisemixedwithdeprecationandironicaldisclaimerwhichshehadpreparedwhilethesethingswerepassingthroughhermind，youngMaveringhadreachedthem，andhadpausedinamoment’shesitationbeforehisfather。Withabowofaffectionateburlesque，fromwhichheliftedhisfacetobreakintolaughteratthelookinalltheireyes，hehandedthetatterednosegaytohisfather。
“Oh，howdelightful！howdelicate！howperfect！“Mrs。Pasmerconfidedtoherself。
“Ithinkthismustbeforyou，Mrs。Pasmer。”saidtheelderMavering，offeringherthebouquet，withagravesmileathisson’swhim。
“Ohno，indeed！“saidMrs。Pasmer。“ForMrs。Saintsbury，ofcourse。”
Shegaveittoher，andMrs。SaintsburyatoncetransferredittoMissPasmer。
“Theywishedmetopassthistoyou，Alice;“andatthisconsummationDanMaveringbrokeintoanotherhappylaugh。
“Mrs。Saintsbury，youalwaysdotherightthingatonce。”hecried。
“That’smorethanIcansayofyou，Mr。Mavering。”sheretorted。
“Oh，thankyou，Mr。Mavering！“saidthegirl，receivingtheflowers。Itwasasifshehadbeentoointentuponthemandhimtohavenoticedthelittlecomedythathadconveyedthemtoher。
VIII。
AssoonafterClassDayasMrs。Pasmer’scomplaisantsenseofthedecencieswouldlether，shewentoutfromBostontocallonMrs。
SaintsburyinCambridge，andthankherforherkindnesstoAliceandherself。“ShewillknowwellenoughwhatIcomefor。”shesaidtoherself，andshefeltitthemoreimportanttoignoreMrs。Saintsbury’spenetrationbyeverypolitefutility;thiswasduetothemboth:andshedidnotgotilltheseconddayafter。
Mrs。Saintsburycamedownintothedarkened，syringa-scentedlibrarytofindher，andgiveherafan。
“Youstilllive，Jenny。”shesaid，kissinghergaily。
Theycalledeachotherbytheirgirlnames，asisratherthecustominBostonwithladieswhoareinthesameset，whethertheyaregreatfriendsornot。InthemorechangefulsocietyofCambridge，wheresomanynewpeopleareconstantlycomingandgoinginconnectionwiththecollege，itisnotsomuchthecustom;butMrs。SaintsburywasBostonborn，aswellasMrs。Pasmer，andwasCantabrigianbymarriage——thoughthisisnotsayingthatshewasnotalsothoroughlysobyconvincementandusageshenowrarelywentintoBostonsociety。
“Yes，Etta——just。ButIwasn’tsureofit。”saidMrs。Pasmer，“whenI
wokeyesterday。Iwasamereachingjelly！“
“AndAlice？”
“Oh;Idon’tthinkshehadanyphysicalconsciousness。Shewasamererapturousmemory！“
“Shedidhaveagoodtime，didn’tshe？”saidMrs。Saintsbury，inagenerousretrospect。“Ithinkshewasonherfeeteverymomentintheevening。Itkeptmefromgettingtired，towatchher。”
“Iwasafraidyou’dbequitewornout。I’dnoideaitwassolate。ItmusthavebeennearlyhalfpastsevenbeforewegotawayfromtheBeckHallspread，andthenbythetimewehadwalkedroundthecollegegrounds——howextremelyprettythelanternswere，andhowcharmingthewholeeffectwas！——itmusthavebeenninebeforethedancingbegan。
Well，weoweitalltoyou，Etta。”
“Idon’tknowwhatyoumeanbyowing。I’malwaysgladofanexcuseforClassDay。AnditwasDanMaveringwhoreallymanagedtheaffair。”
“Hewasverykind。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withafeelingwhichwaschieflygratitudetoherfriendforbringinginhisnamesosoon。Nowthatithadbeenspoken，shefeltitdecoroustothrowasidetheouterintegumentofpretense，whichifitcouldhavebeenentirelyexfoliatedwouldhavecausedMrs。Pasmermorallytodisappear，likeanonionstrippedofitssuccessivelaminae。
“Whatdidyoumean。”sheasked，leaningforward，with，herfaceaverted，“abouthishavingtheartistictemperament？Ishegoingtobeanartist？
Ishouldhopenot。”Sherememberedwithoutshamethatshehadstronglyurgedhimtoconsiderhowmuchbetteritwouldbetobeapainterthanalawyer，inthedearthofgreatAmericanpainters。
“Hecouldbeapainterifheliked——uptoacertainpoint。”saidMrs。
Saintsbury。“Orhecouldbeanyoneofhalfsdozenotherthings——hislastcrazewasjournalism;butyouknowwhatImeanbytheartistictemperament:it’sthatinabilitytobeexplicit;thathabitofleavingthingsvagueandundefined，andhopingthey’llsomehowcomeoutasyouwantthemofthemselves;thatwayoftakingthelineofbeautytogetatwhatyouwishtodoorsay，andofbeingveryfinickingaboutlittlethingsandlagaboutessentials。That’swhatImeanbytheartistictemperament。”
“Yes;that’sterrible。”sighedMrs。Pasmer，withtheabstractlysevereyetpersonallypityingperceptionofonewhoseeverywordandactwassincereanddirect。“Iknowjustwhatyoumean。ButhowdoesitapplytoMr。Mavering？”
“Itdoesn’t，exactly。”returnedherfriend。“AndI’malwaysashamedwhenIsay，oreventhink，anythingagainstDanMavering。He’ssweetnessitself。We’veknownhimeversincehecametoHarvard，andImustsaythatamoreconstantandlovelyfollowIneversaw。Itwasn’tmerelywhenhewasaFreshman，andhehadthathomefeelinghangingabouthimstillthatmakesalltheFreshmensoappreciativeofanythingyoudoforthem;butallthroughtheSophomoreandJunioryears，whenthey’resotakenupwiththeirathleticsandtheirsocietiesandtheircollegelifegenerallythattheyhaven’tamomentforpeoplethathavebeenkindtothem，hewasjustasfaithfulasever。”
“Hownice！“criedMrs。Pasmer。
Yes，indeed！AndalltheallurementsofBostonsocietyhaven’ttakenhimfromusaltogether。Youcan’timaginehowmuchthismeanstillyou’vebeenathomeawhileandseenhowthestudentsarepettedandspoilednowadaysintheyoungsociety。”
“Oh，I’veheardofit。”saidMrs。Pasmer。“Andisithisversatilityandbrilliancy，orhisamiability，thatmakeshimsuchauniversalfavourite？”
“Universalfavourite？Idon’tknowthathe’sthat。”
“Well，popular，then。”
“Oh，he’scertainlyverymuchliked。But，Jenny，therearenouniversalfavouritesinHarvardnow，ifthereeverwere:theclassesarealtogethertoobig。Anditwouldn’tbeability，anditwouldn’tbeamiabilityalone，thatwouldgiveamananysortofleadership。”
“Whatintheworldwoulditbe？”
“Thatquestion，morethananythingelse，showshowlongyou’vebeenaway，Jenny。Itwouldbefamily——family，withajudiciousmixtureoftheothers，andwithmoney。”
“Isitpossible？Butofcourse——Iremember！Onlyattheirageonethinksofstudentsasbeingallhail-fellow-well-metwitheachother——“
“Yes;it’shardtorealisehowconventionaltheyare——howverymuchworldlierthantheworld——tilloneseesitasonedoesinCambridge。
Theypiquethemselvesonit。AndMr。Saintsbury“——shewasoneofthosewomenwhomeverythingremindsoftheirhusbands“saysthatitisn’tabadthingaltogether。HesaysthatHarvardisjustliketheworld;andevenifit’salittlemoreso，theseboyshavegottoliveintheworld，andtheyhadbetterknowwhatitis。YoumaynotapproveoftheHarvardspirit，andMr。Saintsburydoesn’tsympathisewithit;heonlysaysit’stheworld’sspirit。Harvardmen——theswells——arefarmoreexclusivethanOxfordmen。Astudent，’commeilfaut’，wouldn’tatallliketobesupposedtoknowanotherstudentwhomwevaluedforhisbrilliancy，unlesshewaspopularandwellknownincollege。”
“Dearme！“criedMrs。Pasmer。“Butofcourse！It’sperfectlynatural，withyoungpeople。Andit’swellenoughthattheyshouldbegintounderstandhowthingsreallyareintheworldearly;itwillsavethemfromagreatmanydisappointments。”
“IassureyouwehaveverylittletoteachHarvardmeninthosematters。
Theycouldgiveanyofuspoints。Thosewhoareofgoodfamilyandstationknowhowtoprotectthemselvesbyreservesthattheotherswouldn’tdaretotransgress。Butamerelyrichmancouldn’triseintheirsetanymorethanamerelygiftedman。Hecouldgetontoacertainpointbytoadying，andsomedo;buthewouldnevergettobepopular，likeDanMavering。”
“Andwhatmakeshimpopular？——togobacktothepointwestartedfrom。”
saidMrs。Pasmer。
“Ah，that’shardtosay。It’s——quality，Isuppose。Idon’tmeansocialquality，exactly;butpersonalcharm。Heneverhadameanthought;ofcoursewe’reallfullofmeanthoughts，andDanistoo;buthisfirstimpulseisalwaysgenerousandsweet，andathisagepeopleactagreatdealfromimpulse。Idon’tsupposeheevermetahumanbeingwithoutwantingtomakehimlikehim，andtryingtodoit。”
“Yes，hecertainlymakesyoulikehim。”sighedMrs。Pasmer。“ButI
understandthathecan’tmakepeoplelikehimwithoutfamilyormoney;
andIdon’tunderstandthathe’soneofthose’nouveauxriches’whoaregivingHarvardsuchareputationforextravagancenowadays。”
TherewasaninquiringnoteinMrs。Pasmer’svoice;andinthesyringa-
scentedobscurity，whichprotectedtheladiesfromtheexpressionofeachother’sfaces，Mrs。Saintsburygavealittlelaughofintelligence，towhichMrs。Pasmerrespondedbyamurmurofhumorousenjoymentatbeingunderstood。
“Ohno！Heisn’toneofthose。ButtheMaveringshaveplentyofmoney。”
saidMrs。Saintsbury，“andDan’sbeenveryfreewithit，thoughnotlavish。Andhecameherewithareputationforpopularityfromaverygoodschool，andthatalwaysgoesaverygreatwayincollege。”
“Yes？”saidMrs。Pasmer，feelingherselfgettinghopelesslyadriftintheseunknownwaters;butreposingapiousconfidenceinherpilot。
“Yes;ifasufficientnumberofhisclasssaidhewasthebestfellowintheworld，hewouldbeprettysuretobechosenoneoftheFirstTeninthe’Dickey’。”
“Whatmysteries！“gaspedMrs。Pasmer，disposedtomakefunofthem，butalittleoverawedallthesame。“Whatintheworldisthe’Dickey’？”
“It’sthesocietythattheFreshmenarethemosteagertogetinto。
They’rechosen，tenatatime，bytheoldmembers，andtobeoneofthefirstten——theonlyFreshmenchosen——issomethingquiteineffable。”
“Isee。”Mrs。Pasmerfannedherself，aftertakingalongbreath。“Andwhenhehadgotintothe——“
“Thenitwoulddependuponhimself，howhespenthismoney，andallthat，andwhatsortofsocietysuccesshewasinBoston。Thathasagreatdealtodowithitfromthefirst。Thenanotherthingiscaution——
discreetness;notsayinganythingcensoriousorcriticalofothermen，nomatterwhattheydo。AndDanMaveringistheperfectionofprudence，becausehe’stheperfectionofgood-nature。”
Mrs。Pasmerhadapparentlygotallofthesefactsthatshecoulddigest。
“AndwhoaretheMaverings？”
“Why，it’sanoldBostonname——“
“It’stooold，isn’tit？LikePasmer。TherearenoMaveringsinBostonthatIeverheardof。”
“No;thename’squitediedoutjusthere，Ibelieve:butit’sold，anditbidsfairtobereplatedatPonkwassetFalls。”
“AtPonk——“
“That’swheretheyhavetheirmills，orfactories，orshops，orwhateverinstitutiontheymakewall-paperin。”
“Wall-paper！“criedMrs。Pasmer，austerely。Afteramomentsheasked:
“Andiswall-paperthe’thing’now？Imean——“Shetriedtothinkofsomewayofmodifyingthecommonnessofherphrase，butdidnot。Afterall，itexpressedhermeaning。
“Itisn’ttheextremeoffashion，ofcourse。Butit’smanufacturing，anditisn’tdisgraceful。AndtheMaveringpapersareverypretty，andyoucanlivewiththemwithoutbecominganaemic，orhavingyourfacetwitch。”
“Facetwitch？”echoedMrs。Pasmer。
“Yes;arsenicalpoisoning。”
“Oh！Conscientiousaswellasaesthetic。Isee。AnddoesMr。Maveringputhisartistictemperamentintothem？”
“Hisfatherdoes。He’saveryinterestingman。Hehasthebesttasteincertainthings——heknowsmoreaboutetchings，Isuppose，thananyoneelseinBoston。”
“Isitpossible！AnddoesheliveatPonkwassetFalls？It’sinRhodeIsland，isn’tit？”
“NewHampshire。Yes;thewholefamilylivethere。”
“Thewholefamily？Aretheremanyofthem？I’dfancied，somehow，thatMr。Maveringwastheonly——Dotellmeaboutthem，Etta。”saidMrs。
Pasmer，leaningbackinherchair，andfanningherselfwithaneffectofimpartialinterest，towhichthedimlightoftheroomlentitself。
“He’stheonlyson。Buttherearedaughters，ofcourse——verycultivatedgirls。”
“Andishe——istheelderMr。Maveringa——Idon’tknowwhatmademethinkso——awidower？”
“Well，no——notexactly。”
“Notexactly！He’snotagrass-widower，Ihope？”
“No，indeed。Buthiswife’sahelplessinvalid，andalwayshasbeen。
He’sperfectlydevotedtoher;andhehurriedhomeyesterday，thoughhewantedverymuchtostayforCommencement。He’sneverawayfromherlongerthanhecanhelp。She’sbedridden;andyoucanseefromthemomentyouenteritthatit’saman’shouse。Daughterscan’tchangethat，youknow。”
“Haveyoubeenthere？”askedMrs。Pasmer，surprisedthatshewasgettingsomuchinformation，buteagerformore。“Why，howlonghaveyouknownthem，Etta？”
“OnlysinceDancametoHarvard。Mr。Saintsburytookafancytohimfromthestart，andtheboywassofondofhimthattheywerealwaysinsistinguponavisit;andlastsummerwestoppedthereonourwaytothemountains。”
“Andthesisters——dotheystaytherethewholeyearround？Aretheycountrified？”
“Onedoesn’tliveinthecountrywithoutbeingcountrified。”saidMrs。
Saintsbury。“They’reratherquietgirls，thoughthey’vebeenaboutagooddeal——toEuropewithfriends，andtoNewYorkinthewinter。
They’reolderthanDan;they’remoreliketheirfather。Areyouafraidofthatdraughtatthewindows？”
“Ohno;it’sdelicious。Andhe’slikethemother？”
“Yes。”
“Thenit’sthefatherwhohastheartistictaste——hegetsthatfromhim;
andthemotherwhohasthe——“
“Temperament——yes。”
“Howextremelyinteresting！Andsohe’sgoingtobealawyer。Whylawyer，ifhe’sgotthetalentandthetemperamentofanartist？Doeshisfatherwishhimtobealawyer？”
“Hisfatherwisheshimtobeawall-papermaker。”
“Andtheyoungmancompromisesonthelaw。Isee。”saidMrs。Pasmer。
“Andyousayhe’sbeengoingintoBostonagreatdeal？Wheredoeshego？”
Theladiesenteredintothissocialinquirywithazestwhichitwouldbehardtomakethereadershare，orperhapstofeeltheimportanceof。
ItisenoughthatitendedinthesocialvindicationofDanMavering。
ItwouldnothavebeenenoughforMrsPasmerthathewasacceptedinthebestCambridgehouses;sheknewofoldhowpeoplewereacceptedinCambridgefortheirintellectualbrilliancyorsolidity，theirpersonalworth，andallsortsofthings，withoutconsiderationofthemysticalsomethingwhichgivesvogueinBoston。
“HowsuperbAlicewas！“Mrs。Saintsburybrokeoffabruptly。“Shehassuchabeautifulmanner。Suchrepose。”
“Repose！Yes。”saidhermother，thoughtfully。“Butshe’sveryintense。
AndIdon’tseewhereshegetsit。Herfatherhasreposeenough，buthehasnointensity;andI’mallintensity，andnorepose。ButI’mnomorelikemymotherthanAliceislikeme。”
“IthinkshehastheHibbinsface。”saidMrs。Saintsbury。
“Oh！she’sgottheHibbinsface。”saidMrsPasmer，withadisdainoftonewhichshedidnotatallfeel;thetonewasmereabsent-mindedness。
ShewasabouttoreverttothequestionofMavering’sfamily，whenthedoor-bellrang，andanothervisitorinterruptedhertalkwithMrs。
Saintsbury。
IX。
Mrs。Pasmer’shusbandlookedagreatdealolderthanherself，and，byoperationofawell-knownlawofcompensation，hewasleanandsilent，whileshewasplumpandvoluble。Hehadthickeyebrows，whichremainedblackafterhishairandbeardhadbecomewhite，andwhichgavehimanaspectoffierceness，expressiveofnothinginhischaracter。Itwasfromhimthattheirdaughtergotherheight，and，asMrs。Pasmerfreelyowned，herdistinction。
SoonaftertheirmarriagethePasmershadgonetoliveinParis，wheretheyremainedfaithfultothefortunesoftheSecondEmpiretillitsfall，withintervalsofreturntotheirowncountryofayearortwoyearsatatime。AfterthefalloftheEmpiretheymadetheirsojourninEngland，wheretheylivedupontheedgesandsurfacesofthings，asAmericansmustinEuropeeverywhere，buthadmorepermanencyoffeelingthantheyhadknowninFrance，andsomethinglikearealsocialstatus。
Atonetimeitseemedasiftheymightendtheirdaysthere;butthatwhichmakesAmericansdifferentfromallotherpeoples，andwhichfinallyclaimstheirallegiancefortheirownland，madethemwishtocomebacktoAmerica，andtocomebacktoBoston。Afterall，theirplaceinEnglandwasstrictlyinferior，andmustbe。Theyknewtitles，andconsortedwiththem，buttheyhadnonethemselves，andtheEnglishconstancywhichkepttheirfriendsfaithfultothemaftertheyhadbecomeanoldstory，wascorrelatedwiththeEnglishhonestywhichneverpermittedthemtomistakethemselvesforeventhelowestofthenobility。
Theywentoutlast，andtheydidnotcomeinfirst，ever。
Theinvitations，upontheseconditions，mighthavegoneonindefinitely，buttheydidnotimplyafuturefortheyounggirlinwhomtheinterestsofherparentscentred。Afterbeingsolongalittlegirl，shehadbecomeagreatgirl，andthenallatonceshehadbecomeayounglady。
Theyhadtoaskthemselves，themotherdefinitelyandthefatherformlessly，whethertheywishedtheirdaughtertomarryanEnglishman，andtheirheartsansweredthem，liketrueRepublicanhearts，NotanuntitledEnglishman，whiletheysawnoprospectofhergettinganyother。
Mrs。Pasmerphilosophisedthecasewithaclearnessandacouragewhichgaveherhusbandaseriesoftwingesanalogoustothetoothache，foramannaturallyshrinksfromsuchboldrealisations。ShesaidAlicehadthebeautyofabeauty，andshehadthedistinctionofabeauty，butshehadnottheprinciplesofabeauty;therewasnousepretendingthatshehad。ForthisreasonthePrinceofWales’sset，soaccessibletoAmericanlovelinesswiththecourageofitsconvictions，wasbeyondher;
andthequestionwaswhethertherewasmoneyenoughforayoungerson，orwhether，iftherewas，ayoungersonwasworthit。
Howeverthismightbe，therewasnoquestionbuttherewasnowlessmoneythantherehadbeen，andagreatdealless。Theinvestmentshadnotturnedoutastheypromised;notonlyhaddividendsbeenpassed，buttherehadbeenpermanentshrinkages。Whatwasonceanamiablecompetencyfromthepoolingoftheirjointresourceshaddwindledtoasumthatneededacarefuleyebothtotheincomeandtheoutgo。Alice’sbecomingayoungladyhadincreasedtheirexpensesbythesuddenlymountingcostofherdresses，andofthedresseswhichhermothermustnowbuyforthedifferentroleshehadtosustaininsociety。Theybegantoaskthemselveswhatitwasfor，andtoquestionwhether，ifshecouldnotmarryanobleEnglishman，AlicehadnotbettermarryagoodAmerican。
EvenwithMrs。Pasmerthisquestionwastacit，anditneednotbeexplainedtoanyonewhoknowsourlifethatinhermostworldlydreamssheintendedatthebottomofherheartthatherdaughtershouldmarryforlove。ItistherulethatAmericansmarryforlove，andtheveryrareexceptionthattheymarryforanythingelse;andifourdivorcecourtsaresobusyinspiteofthisfact，itisperhapsbecausetheAmericansalsounmarryforlove，orperhapsbecauseloveisnotsosufficientinmattersoftheheartashasbeenrepresentedintheliteratureofpeoplewhohavenotbeenabletogiveitsofairatrial。
Butwhetheritisallinallinmarriage，oronlyaverymarkedessential，itiscertainthatMrs。Pasmerexpectedherdaughter’smarriagetoinvolveit。Shewouldhaveshrunkfromintimatinganythingelsetoherasfromagrossindecency;andshecouldnotpossibly，byanyfinestinsinuation，havemadeherapartnerinherdesignforherhappiness。That，sofarasAlicewasconcerned，wasathingwhichwastofalltoherasfromheaven;forthisalsoispartoftheAmericanplan。
Wearethechildrenofthepoets，thedevoteesoftheromancers，sofarasthatgoes;andhowevermaterialandpracticalweareinotherthings，inthiswearearepublicofshepherdsandshepherdesses，andweliveinagoldenage;whichifitsometimesseemsanageofinconvertiblepaper，iscertainlysothroughnowantoffaithinus。
ThoughthePasmerssaidthattheyoughttogohomeforAlice’ssake，theybothunderstoodthattheyweregoinghomeexperimentally，andnotwiththeintentionoflayingtheirbonesintheirnativesoil，unlesstheylikedit，orfoundtheycouldaffordit。Mrs。Pasmerhadnoillusionsinregardtoit。Shehadlearnedfromherformervisitshomethatitwasfrightfullyexpensive;and，duringthefifteenyearswhichtheyhadspentchieflyabroad，shehadobservedthedecayofthatdistinctionwhichformerlyattendedreturningsojournersfromEurope。Shehadseenthemceasegraduallyfromtheromanticreverencewhichonceclothedthem，anddeclinethroughagatheringindifferenceintosomethinglikeslightandcompassion，aspeoplewhohavenotbeenabletomaketheirplaceorholdtheirownathome;andshehadtaughtherselfsowellhowtopocketthesuperioritynaturaltotheEuropeanisedAmericanbeforearrivingatconsciousnessofthisdisesteem，thatshepaidareadytributetopeoplewhohadalwaysstayedathome。
InfactMrs。Pasmerwasaflatterer，anditcannotbeclaimedforherthatsheflatteredadroitlyalways。Butadroitnessinflatteryisnotnecessaryforitssuccessfuluse。Thereisnomorselofittoogrossforthecondorgulletandtheostrichstomachofhumanvanity;thereisnosocietyinwhichitdoesnotgivetheuttererinstanthonourandacceptanceingreaterorlessdegree。Mrs。Pasmer，whowasverygood-
natured，employeditbecauseshelikeditherself，andknowinghowabsolutelyworthlessitwasfromherowntongue，prizeditfromothers。
Shecouldhaverestedperfectlysafewithoutitinhersocialposition，whichshefoundunchangedbyyearsofabsence。ShehadnotbeenaHibbinsfornothing，andshewasnotaPasmerfornothing，thoughwhysheshouldhavebeeneitherforsomethingitwouldnotbeeasytosay。
ButwhileconfessingthefoiblesofMrs。Pasmer，itwouldnotbefairtoomitfromthetaleofhermanyvirtuesthefinalconscientiousnessofheropenlyinvolutedcharacter。Nottomentionotherthings，sheinstitutedandpractisedeconomiesasalientohernatureastoherhusband’s，andintheirnarrowingaffairsshekepthimoutofdebt。Shewasprudent;
shewasalert;andwhilepresentingtotheworldalltheoutwardeffectofabutterfly，shepossessedsomeofthebestqualitiesofthebee。
Withhissenatorialpresence，hisdistinctionofpersonandmanner，Mr。
Pasmerwasinveteratelyselfishinthatprovinceofsmallpersonalthingswherehiswifelefthimunmolested。Inwhatrelatedtohisowncomfortandconveniencehewasundisputedlordofhimself。Itwasshewhoorderedtheircomingsandgoings，anddecidedinwhichhemispheretheyshouldsojournfromtimetotime，andinwhatcity，street，andhouse，butalwayswiththeunderstandingthatthekitchenandallthedomesticappointmentsweretoherhusband’smind。Hewassensitivetodegreesofheatandcold，andluxuriousinthematteroflighting，andhehadafinenoseforplumbing。Ifhehadnotoccupiedhimselfsomuchwiththesedetails，hewasthesortofmantohavethoughtMrs。Pasmer，withherbuzzofactivitiesandpretences，ratheratediouslittlewoman。Hehadsomedelicatetastes，ifnotrefinedinterests，andwasexpensivelyfondofcertainsortsofbric-a-brac:hespentagreatdealoftimeinpackingandunpackingit，andhehadcasesstoredinRomeandLondonandParis;
ithadbeenoneofhismotivesinconsentingtocomehomethathemightgetthemout，andsetupthevariousobjectsofbronzeandporcelainincabinets。Hehadnovices，unlessabsoluteidlenessensuinguninterruptedlyuponaremotelydemonstratedunfitnessforbusinesscanbecalledavice。Likeotherpeoplewhohavealwaysbeenidle，hedidnotconsiderhisidlenessavice。Heratherplumedhimselfuponit，forthemanwhohasdonenothingallhislifenaturallylooksdownuponpeoplewhohavedoneoraredoingsomething。InEuropehehadnotalltheadvantageofthissuperioritywhichsuchamanhashere;hewasoftenthrownwithotheridlepeople，whohadbeenuselessforsomanygenerationsthattheyhadalmostceasedtohaveanyconsciousnessofit。
IntheirpresencePasmerfeltthathisuselessnesshadnotthatpassiveelegancewhichonlyancestraluselessnesscangive;thatitwaspositive，andtothatdegreevulgar。
Alifelikethiswasnotonewhichwouldprobablyinvolvegreatpassionsoraffections，anditwouldbehardtodescribeexactlythefeelingwithwhichheregardedhisdaughter。Helikedher，ofcourse，andhehadnaturallyexpectedcertainthingsofher，asaladylikeintelligence，behaviour，andappearance;buthehadnevershownanygreattendernessforher，orevenprideinher。Shehadnevergivenhimanydispleasure，however，andhehadnotsharedhiswife’squestionofmindatatemporaryphaseofAlice’sdevelopmentwhensheshowedadecidedinclinationforareligiouslife。Hehadapparentlynotobservedthatthegirlhadapensivetemperamentinspiteoftheeffectofworldlysplendourwhichhermothercontrivedforher，andthatthispensivenessoccasionallydeepenedtogloom。Hehadcertainlyneverseenthatinawayofherownshewasveryromantic。Mrs。Pasmerhadseenit，withamusementsometimes，andsometimeswithanxiety，butalwayswiththecouragetobelievethatshecouldcopewithitwhenitwasnecessary。
Wheneveritwasnecessaryshehadallthemoralcourageshewanted;itseemedasifshecouldhaveitornotassheliked;andincominghomeshehadtakenaflatinsteadofahouse，thoughshehadnottalkedwithherfriendsthreeminuteswithoutperceivingthatthemomentwhenflatshadpromisedtoasserttheirsocialequalitywithhousesinBostonwaspastforever。Therewere，ofcourse，casesinwhichtherecouldbenoquestionofthem;butforthemostparttheywereplainlyregardedasmakeshifts，theresortsofpeopleofsmallmeans，orthedefiancesorerrorsofpeoplewhohadlivedtoomuchabroad。Theystampedtheiroccupantsasoftransitoryandfluctuantcharacter;goodpeoplemightliveinthem，anddid，asgoodpeoplesometimesboarded;buttheycouldnotberegardedasformingasocialbase，exceptinrareinstances。Theypresentedpeculiardifficultiesincalling，andforanysortofentertainmenttheyweretoo——notpublic，perhaps，but——evident。
InspiteoftheseobjectionsMrs。PasmertookaflatintheCavendish，andshetookitfurnishedfrompeoplewhoweregoingabroadforayear。
X。
Mrs。Pasmerstoodatthedrawing-roomwindowofthisapartment，themorningafterhercalluponMrs。Saintsbury，lookingoutonthepassageofanexpress-wagonloadoftrunksthroughCavendishSquare，andcommentingthefactwiththetacitreflectionthatitwasquitetimesheshouldbegettingawayfromBostontoo，whenherdaughter，whowaslookingoutoftheotherwindow，startedsignificantlyback。
“Whatisit，Alice？”
“Nothing！Mr。Mavering，Ithink，andthatfriendofhis——“
“Whichfriend？Butwhere？Don’tlook！Theywillthinkwewerewatchingthem。Ican’tseethematall。Whichwayweretheygoing？”Mrs。Pasmerdramatisedacarelessunconsciousnesstothesquare，whilevividlybetrayingthisanxietytoherdaughter。
Alicewalkedawaytothefurthestpartoftheroom。“Theyarecomingthisway。”shesaidindifferently。
BeforeMrs。Pasmerhadtimetoprepareaconditionalmood，adaptedeithertotheircomingthatwayorgoingsomeother，sheheardthejanitorbelowincolloquywithhermaidinthekitchen，andthenthemaidcameintoaskifsheshouldsaytheladieswereathome。“Oh，certainly。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withacaressingpolitenessthatanticipatedthetoneshemeanttousewithMaveringandhisfriend。“Wereyougoing，Alice？
Betterstay。Itwouldbeawkwardsendingoutforyou。Youlookwellenough。”
“Well！“
Theyoungmencamein，Maveringwithhisnervouslaughfirst，andthenBoardmanwithhistwinklingblackeyes，andhismain-forceself-
possession。
“Wecouldn’tgoawayasfarasNewLondonwithoutcomingtoseewhetheryouhadreallysurvivedClassDay。”saidtheformer，addressinghissolicitudetoMrs。Pasmer。“Itriedtofindoutfrom，Mrs。Saintsbury，butshewasverynoncommittal。”Helaughedagain，andshookhandswithAlice，whomhenowincludedinhisinquiry。
“I’mgladshewas。”saidMrs。Pasmer——inwardlywonderingwhathemeantbygoingtoNewLondon——“ifitsentyoutoaskinperson。”Shemadethemsitdown;andshemadeaslittleaspossibleoftheyoungceremonytheythrewintothetransaction。Tobecosy，tobeateaseinstantly，wasMrs。Pasmer’sway。“We’venotonlysurvived，we’vetakenanewleaseoflifefromClassDay。I’dforgottenhowcharmingitalwayswas。Orperhapsitdidn’tusetobesocharming？Idon’tbelievetheyhaveanythinglikeitinEurope。Isitalwayssobrilliant？”
“Idon’tknow。”saidMavering。“Ireallybelieveitwasratheraniceone。”
“Oh，wewerebothenraptured。”criedMrs。Pasmer。
Aliceaddedaquiet“Yes，indeed。”andhermotherwenton——
“AndwethoughttheBeckHallspreadwasthecrowninggloryofthewholeaffair。Weoweeversomuchtoyourkindness。”
“Oh，notatall。”saidMavering。
“Butweweretalkingafterward，AliceandI，aboutthesuddentransformationofallthatdisheveledcrewaroundtheTreeintotheimposingswells——mayIsayhowlingswells？——“
“Yes，dosay’howling，’Mrs。Pasmer！“imploredtheyoungman。
“——whomwemetafterwardatthespread。”sheconcluded。“Howdidyoumanageitall？Mr。Irvinginthe’LyonsMail’wasnothingtoit。WethoughtwehadwalkeddirectlyoverfromtheTree;andthereyouwere，allreadytoreceiveus，inimmaculateeveningdress。”
“Itwasprettyquickwork。”modestlyadmittedtheyoungman。“Couldyourecogniseanyoneinthathurly-burlyroundtheTree？”
“Wedidn’ttillyourose，likeastatueofVictory，andbegangrabbingforthespoilsfromtheheadsandshouldersofyourfriends。Whowasyourpedestal？”
Maveringputhishandonhisfriend’sbroadshoulder，andgavehimaplayfulpush。
Boardmanturneduphislittleblackeyesathim，withafunnygleaminthem。
“PoorMr。Boardman！“saidMrs。Pasmer。
“Itdidn’thurthimabit。”saidMavering，pushinghim。“Helikedit。”
“Ofcoursehedid。”saidMrs。Pasmer，implying，inflatteryofMavering，thatBoardmanmightbegladofthedistinction;andnowBoardmanlookedasifhewerenot。Shebegantogetawayinadding，“ButIwonderyoudon’tkilleachother。”
“Oh，we’renotsoeasilykilled。”saidMavering。
“Andwhatafairysceneitwasatthespread！“saidMrs。Pasmer，turningtoBoardman。ShehadalreadytalkeditssplendoursoverwithMaveringthesameevening。“IthoughtweshouldnevergetoutoftheHall;butwhenwedidgetoutofthewindowuponthattapestriedplatform，anddownonthetennis-ground，withTurkeyrugstohidethebarespotsinit——“Shestoppedaspeopledowhenitisbettertoleavetheeffecttothelistener’simagination。
“Yes，Ithinkitwasrathernice。”saidBoardman。
“Nice？”repeatedMrs。Pasmer;andshelookedatMavering。“IsthatthefamousHarvardIndifferentism？”
“No，no，Mrs。Pasmer！It’sjusthispersonalenvy。Hewasn’tinthespread，andofcoursehedoesn’tliketohearanyonepraiseit。Goon！“
Theyalllaughed。
“Well，evenMr。Boardmanwilladmit。”saidMrs。Pasmer;“thatnothingcouldhavebeenprettierthanthatpavilionatthebottomofthelawn，andthelittletablesscatteredaboutoverit，andallthosecharmingyoungcreaturesunderthatlovelyeveningsky。”
“Ah！EvenBoardmancan’tdenythat。Wedidhavethenicestcrowd;
didn’twe？”
“Well。”saidMrs。Pasmer，playfullycheckingherselfinareadyadhesion，“thatdependsagooddealuponwhereMr。Boardman’sspreadwas。”
“Thankyou。”saidBoardman。
“Hewasn’tspreadinganywhere。”criedhisfriend。“Excepthimself——hewasspreadinghimselfeverywhere。”
“ThenIthinkIshouldprefertoremainneutral。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withamockprudencewhichpleasedtheyoungmen。Inthemidstofthepleasurethewasgivingandfeelingshewasallthetimeawarethatherdaughterhadcontributedbutoneremarktotheconversation，andthatshemustbeseemingverystiffandcold。Shewonderedwhatthatmeant，andwhethershedislikedthislittleMr。Boardman，orwhethershewasagaintryingtopunishMr:Maveringforsomething，and，ifso，whatitwas。
Hadheoffendedherinsomewaytheotherday？Atanyrate，shehadnorighttoshowit。Shelongedforsomechancetoscoldthegirl，andtellherthatitwouldnotdo，andmakehertalk。Mr。Maveringwasmerelyafriendlyacquaintance，andtherecouldbenoquestionofanythingpersonal。Sheforgotthatbetweenyoungpeoplethesocialaffairisalwaystremblingtothepersonalaffair。
Inthelittlepausewhichthesereflectionsgavehermother，thegirlstruckin，withthecoolnessthatalwaysastonishedMrs。Pasmer，andasifshehadbeenmerelywaitingtillsomephaseofthetalkinterestedher。
“Aremanyofthestudentsgoingtotherace？”sheaskedBoardman。
“Yes;nearlyeverybody。Thatis——“
“Therace？”queriedMrs。Pasmer。
Yes，atNewLondon。”Maveringbrokein。“Don’tyouknow？TheUniversityrace——HarvardandYale。”
“Oh——ohyes。”criedMrs。Pasmer，wonderinghowherdaughtershouldknowabouttherace，andshenot。“HadtheytalkeditovertogetheronClassDay？”sheaskedherself。Shefeltherself，inspiteofhereffortstokeepevenwiththem;leftbehindandleftout，aslateragemustbedistancedandexcludedbyyouth。“Areyougentlemengoingtorow？”sheaskedMavering。
“No;they’veruledthetubsoutthistime;andweshouldsendanythingelsetothebottom。”
Mrs。Pasmerperceivedthathewasjoking，butalsothattheywerenotofthecrew;andshesaidthatifthatwasthecasetheshouldnotgo。
“Oh，don’tletthatkeepyouaway！Aren’tyougoing？Ihopedyouweregoing。”continuedtheyoungman，speakingwithhiseyesonMrs。Pasmer，butwithhismind，asshecouldseebyhiseyes，onherdaughter。
“No，no。”
“Oh，dogo，Mrs。Pasmer！“heurged:“Iwishyou’dgoalongtochaperonus。”
Mrs。Pasmeracceptedthenotionwithamusement。“Ishouldthinkyoumightlookaftereachother。Atanyrate，IthinkImusttrustyoutoMr。Boardmanthistime。”
“Yes;buthe’sgoingonbusiness。”persistedMavering，asifforthepleasurehefoundinfencingwiththeair，“andhecan’tlookafterme。”
“Onbusiness？”saidMrs。Pasmer，droppingheroutspreadfanonherlap，incredulously。
“Yes;he’sgoingintojournalism——he’sgoneintoit。”laughedMavering;
“andhe’sgoingdowntoreporttheraceforthe’Events’。”
“Really！“askedMrs。Pasmer，withaglanceatBoardman，whosedrollembarrassmentdidnotcontradicthisfriend’swords。“Howsplendid！“shecried。“Ihad，heardthatagreatmanyHarvardmenweretakingupjournalism。I’msogladofit！Itwilldoeverythingtoelevateitstone。”
Boardmanseemedtosufferundertheseexpectationsalittle，andhestoleaglanceofcomicalmenaceathisfriend。
“Yes。”saidMavering;“you’llseeaverydifferenttoneaboutthefires，andthefights，andthedistressingaccidents，inthe’Events’afterthis。”
“Whatdoeshemean？”sheaskedBoardman，givinghimunavoidablytheadvantageofthecaressingmannerwhichwasinhermindforMavering。
“Well，yousee。”saidBoardman，“wehavetobeginprettylowdown。”
“Oh，butalldepartmentsofourpressneedreforming，don’tthey？”sheinquiredconsolingly。“Onehearssuchshockingthingsaboutourpapersabroad。I’msurethatthemoreHarvardmengointothemthebetter。Andhowsplendiditistohavethemgoingintopoliticsthewaytheyare！
They’regoingintopoliticstoo，aren’tthey？”Shelookedfromoneyoungmantotheotherwithanideathatshewasperhapsshootingratherwild，andanamiablewillingnesstobelaughedatifshewere。“Whydon’tyougointopolitics，Mr。Mavering？”
“Well，thefactis——“
“SomanyoftheyoungUniversitymendoinEngland。”saidMrs。Pasmer，fortifyingherposition。
“Well，yousee，theyhaven’tgotsuchacompletemachineinEngland——“
“Ohyes，thatdreadfulmachine！“sighedMrs。Pasmer，whohadheardofit，butdidnotknowintheleastwhatitwas。
“DoyouthinktheHarvardcrewwillbeatthistime？”AliceaskedofBoardman。
“Well，totellyouthetruth——“
“Oh，butyoumustneverbelievehimwhenhebeginsthatway！“criedMavering。“Tobesuretheywillbeat。Andyououghttobetheretoseeit。Now，whywon’tyoucome，Mrs。Pasmer？”hepleaded，turningtohermother。
“Oh，I’mafraidwemustbegettingawayfromBostonbythattime。It’sverytiresome，butthereseemstobenobodyleft;andonecan’tstayquitealone，evenifyou’resickofmovingabout。Haveyoueverbeen——
wethinkofgoingthere——toCampobello？”
“No;butIhearthatit’scharming，there。Ihadafriendwhowastherelastyear，andhesaiditwascharming。Theonlytroubleisit’ssofar。
You’reprettywellonthewaytoEuropewhenyougetthere。Youknowit’sallhotellife？”
“Yes。It’squiteanewplace，isn’tit？”
“Well，it’sbeenopenedupseveralyears。Andtheysayitisn’tlikethehotellifeanywhereelse;it’scharming。Andthere’stheverynicestclassofpeople。”
“VerynicePhiladelphiapeople，Ihear。”saidMrs。Pasmer;“andBaltimore。Don’tyouthinkit’swell;“sheaskeddeferentially，andundercorrection，ifshewerehazardingtoomuch，“toseesomebodybesidesBostonpeoplesometimes——ifthey’renice？Thatseemstobeoneofthegreatadvantagesoflivingabroad。”
“Oh，Ithinktherearenicepeopleeverywhere。”saidtheyoungman，withtheboldexpansionofyouth。
“Yes。”sighedMrs。Pasmer。“WesawtwosuchdelightfulyoungpeoplecominginandoutofthehotelinRome。WeweresuretheywereEnglish。
AndtheywerefromChicago！ButtherearenotmanyWesternpeopleatCampobello，arethere？”
“Ireallydon’tknow。”saidMavering。“Howisit，Boardman？Domanyofyourpeoplegothere？”
“Youknowyoudomakeitsofrightfullyexpensivewithyourmoney。”saidMrs。Pasmer，explainingwithaprompteffectofhavingknownallalongthatBoardmanwasfromtheWest，“Youdriveuspoorpeopleallaway。”
“Idon’tthinkmymoneywoulddoit。”saidBoardmanquietly。
“Oh，youwaittillyou’reaSyndicateCorrespondent。”said，Mavering，puttinghishandonhisfriend’sshoulder，andrisingbyaidofit。HeleftMrs。PasmertofillthechasmthathadsosuddenlyyawnedbetweenherandBoardman;andwhileshetumbledintoeverysortoffloweryfriendlinessandcompliment，tellinghimsheshouldlookoutforhisaccountoftheracewiththegreatestinterest，andexpressingthehopethathewouldgetasfarasCampobelloduringthesummer，MaveringfoundsomeminutesfortalkwithAlice。Hewasgraverwithher——fargraverthanwithhermother——notonlybecauseshewasamoreseriousnature，butbecausetheywerebothyoung，andyouthisnotfreewithyouthexceptbyslowandcautiousdegrees。Inthatlittlespaceoftimetheytalkedofpictures，’apropos’ofsomeonthewall，andofbooks，becauseofthoseonthetable。
“Ohyes。”saidMrs。Pasmerwhentheypaused，andshefeltthatherpieceofdifficultengineeringhadbeenquitesuccessful，“Mrs。Saintsburywastellingmewhatawonderfulconnoisseurofetchingsyourfatheris。”
“Ibelievehedoesknowsomethingaboutthem。”saidtheyoungmanmodestly。
“Andhe’sgonebackalready？”
“Ohyes。Heneverstayslongawayfrommymother。IshallbegoinghomemyselfassoonasIgetbackfromtherace。”
“Andshallyouspendthesummerthere？”
“Partofit。Ialwaysliketodothat。”
“Perhapswhenyougetawayyou’llcomeasfarasCampobello——withMr。
Boardman。”sheadded。
“HasBoardmanpromisedtogo？”laughedMavering。“Hewillpromiseanything。Well，I’llcometoCampobelloifyou’llcometoNewLondon。
Docome，Mrs。Pasmer！“
Themotherstoodwatchingthetwoyoungmenfromthewindowastheymadetheirwayacrossthesquaretogether。Shehadnow，forsomereason;noapparentscrupleinbeingseentodoso。
“HowridiculousthatstoutlittleMr。Boardmaniswithhim！“saidMrs。
Pasmer。“Hehardlycomesuptohisshoulder。Whyintheworldshouldhehavebroughthim？”
“Ithoughthewasverypleasant。”saidthegirl。
“Yes，yes，ofcourse。AndIsupposehe’dhavefeltthatitwasratherpointedcomingalone。”
“Pointed？”
“Youngmenaresoqueer！Didyoulikethatkindofcollarhehadon？”
“Ididn’tnoticeit。”
“Sovery，veryhigh。”
“Isupposehehasratheralongneck。”
“Well，whatdidyouthinkofhisurgingustogototherace？Doyouthinkhemeantit？Doyouthinkheintendeditforaninvitation？”
“Idon’tthinkhemeantanything;or，ifhedid，Ithinkhedidn’tknowwhat。”
“Yes。”saidMrs。Pasmervaguely;“thatmustbewhatMrs。Saintsburymeantbytheartistictemperament。”
“Ilikepeopletobesincere，andnottosaythingstheydon’tmean，ordon’tknowwhethertheymeanornot。”saidAlice。
“Yes，ofcourse，that’sthebestway。”admittedMrs。Pasmer。“It’stheonlyway。”sheadded，asifitwereherowninvariablepractice。Thensheaddedfurther，“Iwonderwhathedidmean？”
Shebegantoyawn，forafterhersimulationofvividinterestinthemthevisitoftheyoungmenhadfatiguedher。Inthemidstofheryawnherdaughterwentoutoftheroom，withanimpatientgesture，andshesuspendedtheyawnlongenoughtosmile，andthenfinishedit。