第4章

Alicelaughedwithanundercurrentofprotest，perhapsbecauseshehadseenherparents’wholelife，sofarassheknewit，passedinthissortofstruggle。“ImeanthatIhatemyownlifebecausethereseemsnothingformetodowithit。Iliketohavepeopledosomething。”

“Doyoureally？”askedMaveringsoberly，asifstruckbythenoveltyoftheidea。

“Yes！“shesaid，withexaltation。“IfIwereaman——“

Heburstintoaringinglaugh。“Ohno;don’t！“

“Why？”shedemanded，withprovisionalindignation。

“Becausethentherewouldn’tbeanyMissPasmer。”

ItseemedtoAlicethatthisjokingwasratheranunwarrantedliberty。

Againshecouldnothelpjoininginhislight-heartedness;butshecheckedherselfsoabruptly，andputonalooksoaustere，thathewasquelledbyit。

“Imean。”hebegan——“thatistosay——ImeanthatIdon’tunderstandwhyladiesarealwayssayingthat。Iamsuretheycandowhattheylike，asitis。”

“Doyoumeanthateverythingisopentothemnow？”sheasked，disentanglingaclusteroftheberriesfromthoseinherlap，andbeginningafreshbunch。

“Yes。”saidMavering。“Somethinglikethat——yes。Theycandoanythingtheylike。Lotsofthemdo。”

“Ohyes，Iknow。”saidthegirl。“Butpeopledon’tlikethemto。”

“Why，whatwouldyouliketobe？”heasked。

Shedidnotanswer，butsortedovertheclustersinherlap。“We’vegotenoughnow，haven’twe？”shesaid。

“Oh，nothalf。”hesaid。“Butifyou’retiredyoumustletmemakeupsomeofthebunches。”

“No，no！Iwanttodothemallmyself。”shesaid，gesturinghisofferedhandsaway，withalittlenetherappealinherlaughingrefusal“Soastofeelthatyou’vebeenofsomeuseintheworld？”hesaid，droppingcontentedlyonthegroundnearher，andwatchingherindustry。

“Doyouthinkthatwouldbeverywrong？”sheasked。“Whatmadethatfriendofyours——Mr。Boardman——gointojournalism？”

“Oh，virtuouspoverty。You’renotthinkingofbecominganewspaperwoman，MissPasmer！“

“Whynot？”Sheputthefinalclusterintothebunchinhand，andbegantowindawitheofsweet-grassaroundthestems。Hedroppedforwardonhiskneestohelpher，andtogethertheymanagedtheknot。Theywerebothflushedalittlewhenitwastied，andwereserious。

“Whyshouldn’tonebeanewspaperwoman，ifHarvardgraduatesaretobejournalists？”

“Well，youknow，onlyacertainkindare。”

“Whatkind？”

“Well，notexactlywhatyou’dcallthegentlemanlysort。”

“IthoughtMr。Boardmanwasagreatfriendofyours？”

“Heis。Heisoneofthebestfellowsintheworld。Butyoumusthaveseenthathewasn’taswell。”

“Ishouldthinkhe’dbegladhewasdoingsomethingatonce。IfIwerea——“Shestopped，andtheylaughedtogether。“ImeanthatIshouldhatetobesolonggettingreadytodosomethingasmenare。”

“Thenyou’dratherbeginmakingwall-paperatoncethanstudyinglaw？”

“Oh，Idon’tsaythat。I’mnotcompetenttoadvise。ButIshouldliketofeelthatIwasdoingsomething。Isupposeit’shereditary。”

Maveringstaredalittle。“Oneofmyfather’ssistershasgoneintoasisterhood。She’sinEngland。”

“Isshea——Catholic？”askedMavering。

“Sheisn’taRomanCatholic。”

“Ohyes！“Hedroppedforwardonhiskneesagaintohelphertiethebunchshehadfinished。Itwasnotsoeasyasthefirst。

“Oh，thankyou！“shesaid，withunnecessaryfervour。

“Butyoushouldn’tliketogointoasisterhood，Isuppose？”saidMavering，readytolaugh。

“Oh，Idon’tknow。Whynot？”Shelookedathimwithaflyingglance，anddroppedhereyes。

“Oh，noreason，ifyouhaveafancyforthatkindofthing。”

“Thatkindofthing？”repeatedAliceseverely。

“Oh，Idon’tmeananythingdisrespectfultoit。”saidMavering，throwinghisanxietyoffinthelaughhehadbeenholdingback。“AndIbegyourpardon。ButIdon’tsupposeyou’reinearnest。”

“Ohno，I’mnotinearnest。”saidthegirl，lettingherwristsfalluponherknees，andtheclustersdropfromherhands。“I’mnotinearnestaboutanything;that’sthetruth——that’stheshame。Wouldn’tyoulike。”

shebrokeoff，“tobeapriest，andgoroundamongthesepeopleuphereontheirfrozenislandsinthewinter？”

“No。”shoutedMavering，“Icertainlyshouldn’t。Idon’tseehowanybodystandsit。PonkwassetFallsisbadenoughinthewinter，andcomparedtothisregionPonkwassetFallsisametropolis。Ibelieveingettingallthegoodyoucanoutoftheworldyouwerebornin——ofcoursewithouthurtinganybodyelse。”Hestretchedhislegsoutonthebedofsweet-

fern，wherehehadthrownhimself，andrestedhisheadonhishandliftedonhiselbow。“Ithinkthisiswhatthisplaceisfitfor——apicnic;andIwisheveryonewelloutofitforninemonthsoftheyear。”

“Idon’t。”saidthegirl，withapassionateregretinhervoice。“Itwouldbeheavenlyherewith——Butyou——no，you’redifferent。Youalwayswanttoshareyourhappiness。”

“Ishouldn’tcallthathappiness。Butdon’tyou？”askedMavering。

“No。I’mselfish。”

“Youdon’texpectmetobebelievethat，Isuppose。”

“Yes。”shewenton，“itmustbeselfishness。Youdon’tbelieveI’mso，becauseyoucan’timagineit。Butit’strue。IfIweretobehappy，I

shouldbeverygreedyaboutit;Icouldn’tenduretoletanyoneelsehaveapartinit。Soit’sbestformetobewretched，don’tyousee——togivemyselfupentirelytodoingforothers，andnotexpectanyonetodoanythingforme;thenIcanbeofsomeuseintheworld。That’swhyI

shouldliketogointoasisterhood。”

Maveringtreateditasthebestkindofjoke，andhewasconfirmedinthisviewofitbyherlaughingwithhim，afterafirstglanceofwhathethoughtmockpiteousness。

XVI。

ThecloudssailedacrosstheirregularspaceofpaleblueNorthernskywhichthebreakinthewoodsopenedforthemoverhead。Itwassostillthattheyheard，andsmiledtohear，thebrokenvoicesoftheothers，whohadgonetogetberriesinanotherdirection——MissAnderson’shoarsemurmurandMunt’sartificialbass。Somewordscamefromthepartyontherocks。

“Isn’titperfect？”criedtheyoungfellowinuttercontent。

“Yes，tooperfect。”answeredthegirl，rousingherselffromthereverieinwhichtheyhadbothlostthemselves，shedidnotknowhowlong。

“Shallyougatheranymore？”

“No;Iguessthere’senough。Let’scountthem。”Hestoopedoveronhishand’sandknees，andmadeasmuchofcountingthebunchesashecould。

“There’saboutonebunchandahalfapiece。Howshallwecarrythem？

Weoughttocomeintocampasimpressivelyaspossible。”

“Yes。”saidAlice，lookingintohisfacewithdreamyabsence。Itwasgoingthroughhermind，fromsomeromanceshehadread，Whatifheweresomesylvancreature，withthatgaiety，thatnaturalgladnessandsweetnessofhis，sofarfromanyhappinessthatwaspossibletoher？

Oughtnotshetobeafraidofhim？Shewasthinkingshewasnotafraid。

“I’lltellyou。”hesaid。“Tiethestemsofallthebunchestogether，andswingthemoverapole，likegrapesofEshcol。Don’tyouknowthepicture？”

“Ohyes。”

“Holdon！I’llgetthepole。”Hecutawhitebirchsapling，andsweptoffitstwigsandleaves，thenhetiedthebunchestogether，andslungthemoverthemiddleofthepole。

“Well？”sheasked。

“Nowwemustresttheendsonourshoulders。”

“Doyouthinkso？”sheasked，withthereluctancethatcomplies。

“Yes，butnotrightaway。I’llcarrythemoutofthewoods，andwe’llformtheprocessionjustbeforewecomeinsight。”

Everyoneontheledgerecognisedthetableauwhenitappeared，andsaluteditwithcheersandhand-clapping。Mrs。Pasmerbentalookonherdaughterwhichshefacedimpenetrably。

“Wherehaveyoubeen？”“Wethoughtyouwerelost！““Wewerejustorganisingasearchexpedition！“differentonesshoutedatthem。

Theladywiththecoffee-potwaskneelingoveritwithherhandonit。

“Havesomecoffee，youpoorthings！Youmustbealmoststarved。”

“Welookedaboutforyoueverywhere。”saidMunt，“andshoutedourselvesdumb。”

MissAndersonpassednearAlice。“Iknewwhereyouwereallthetime！“

Thenthewholepartyfelltopraisingthenovelconceptionofthebouquetsofblueberries，andthetalkbegantoflowawayfromAliceandMaveringinvariouschannels。

Allthathadhappenedafewminutesagointheblueberrypatchseemedafar-offdream;therealityhaddiedoutofthelooksandwords。

Heranaboutfromonetoanother，servingeveryone;inalittlewhilethewholeaffairwasinhishospitablehands，andhislaughinterspersedandbrightenedthetalk。

Shegotalittlebackoftheothers，andsatlookingwistfullyoutoverthebay，withherhandsinherlap。

“Holdonjusthalfaminute，MissPasmer！don’tmove！“exclaimedtheamateurphotographer，whoisnowofallexcursions;hejumpedtohisfeet，andranforhisapparatus。Shesatstill，topleasehim;butwhenhehaddevelopedhispicture，inadarkcorneroftherocks，roofedwithawaterproof，heaccusedherofhavingchangedherposition。“Butit’sgoingtobesplendid。”hesaid，withanotherlookatit。

Hetookseveralpicturesofthewholeparty，forwhichtheyfellintovariousattitudesofconsciousness。Thenheshoutedtoaboat-loadofsailorswhohadbeachedtheircraftwhiletheygatheredsomedriftfortheirgalleyfire。Theyhadflungtheirarm-loadsintotheboat，andhadbentthemselvestoshoveitintothewater。

“Keepstill！don’tmove！“heyelledatthem，withtheimperiousnessoftheamateurphotographer，andtheyobeyedwiththehelplessnessofhisvictims。Buttheylookedround。

“Oh，idiots！“groanedtheartist。

“Ialwayswonderwhatthatkindofpeoplethinkofuskindofpeople。”

saidMrs。Brinkley，withhereyeonthephotographer’ssubjects。

“Yes，Iwonderwhattheydo？”saidMissCotton，pleasedwiththespeculativeturnwhichthetalkmighttakefromthis。“Isupposetheyenvyus？”shesuggested。

“Well，notallofthem;andthosethatdo，notrespectfully。Theyview，usasthepossessorsofill-gottengains，whowouldbeinaverydifferentplaceifwehadourdeserts。”

“Doyoureallythinkso？”

“Yes，Ithinkso;butIdon’tknowthatIreallythinkso。That’sanothermatter。”saidMrs。Brinkley，withthewhimsicalresentmentwhichMissCotton’sconscientiouspursuitseemedalwaystorouseinher。

“Isupposed。”continuedMissCotton，“thatitwasonlyamongthepoorinthecities，whohavebeginmisledbyagitators，thatthe-well-to-doclasseswereregardedwithsuspicion。”

“Itseemstohavebegunagreatwhileago。”saidMrs。Brinkley，“andnotexactlywithagitators。Itwasconsideredverydifficultforustogetintothekingdomofheaven，youknow。”

“Yes，Iknow。”assentedMissCotton。

“Andtherecertainlyaresomethingsagainstus。Evenwhenthechancewasgivenustosellallwehadandgiveittothepoor，wecouldn’tbringourmindstoit，andwentawayexceedingsorrowful。”

“Iwonder。”saidMissCotton，“whetherthosethingswereeverintendedtobetakenliterally？”

“Let’shopenot。”saidJohnMunt，seeinghischancetomakealaugh。

Mrs。Stamwellsaid，“Well，Ishalltakeanothercupofcoffee，atanyrate。”andherhardihoodraisedanotherlaugh。

“ThatalwaysseemstomethemostpitifulthinginthewholeBible。”saidAlice，fromherplace。“Toseetherightsoclearly，andnottobestrongenoughtodoit。”

“Mydear，ithappenseveryday。”saidMrs。Brinkley。

“Ialwaysfeltsorryforthatpoorfellow，too。”saidMavering。“Heseemedtobeagoodfellow，anditwasprettyhardlinesforhim。”

Alicelookedroundathimwithdeepeninggravity。

“Confoundthosefellows！“saidthephotographer，glancingathishastilydevelopedplate。“Theymoved。”

XVII。

Thepicnicpartygathereditselfupafterthelunch，andwhilesomeofthemen，emulousofMavering’spublicspirit，helpedsomeoftheladiestopackthedishesandbasketsawayunderthewagonseats，othersthrewacorkedbottleintothewater，andthrewstonesatit。Afewoftheladiesjoinedthem，butnobodyhitthebottle，whichwasfinallyleftbobbingaboutonthetide。

Mrs。Brinkleyaddressedthedefeatedgroup，ofwhomherhusbandwasone，astheycameupthebeachtowardthewagons。“Doyouthinkthatdisplaywascalculatedtoinspirethelowermiddleclasseswithrespectfulenvy？”

Herhusbandmadehimselfspokesmanfortherest:“No;butyoucan’ttellhowthey’dhavefeltifwe’dhitit。”

Theyallnowclimbedtoahigherlevel，grassyandsmooth，onthebluff，fromwhichtherewasaparticularview;andMaveringcame，carryingthewrapsofMrs。PasmerandAlice，withwhichheassociatedhisovercoat。A

bookfelloutofoneofthepocketswhenhethrewitdown。

MissAndersonpickedthevolumeup。“Browning！HereadsBrowning！

Superioryoungman！“

“Oh，don’tsaythat！“pleadedMavering。

“Oh，readsomethingaloud！“criedanotheroftheyoungladies。

“Isn’tBrowningratherseriousforapicnic？”heasked，withaglanceatAlice;hestillhadadoubtoftheeffectoftherheumaticuncle’sdanceuponher，andwouldhavebeengladtogivehersomeotheraestheticimpressionofhim。

“Ohno！“saidMrs。Brinkley，“nothingismoreappropriatetoapicnicthanconundrums;theyalwayshavethem。Chooseagoodtoughone。”

“Idon’tknowanythingtougherthanthe’LegendofPernik’——orlovelier。”

hesaid，andhebegantoread，simply，andwithapassionatepleasureinthesubtlestudy，feelingitscontroloverhishearers。

Thegentlemenlaysmokingaboutattheirease;attheendadeepsighwentupfromtheladies，cutshortbythequestionwhichtheyimmediatelyfellinto。

Theycouldnotagree，buttheysaid，oneafteranother:“Butyoureadbeautifully，Mr。Mavering！““Beautifully！““Yes，indeed！“

“Well，I’mgladthereisonepointclear。”hesaid，puttingthebookaway，and“I’mafraidyou’llthinkI’mrathersentimental。”headded，inalowvoicetoAlice，“carryingpoetryaroundwithme。”

“Ohno！“sherepliedintensely;“Ithankyou。”

“Ithankyou。”heretorted，andtheireyesmetinadeeplook。

Oneoftheoutercircleofsmokerscameupwithhiswatchinhishand，andaddressedthecompany，“Doyouknowwhattimeit’sgottobe？It’sfouro’clock。”

Theyallsprangupwithaclamourofsurprise。

Mrs。Pasmer，undercoverofthenoise，said，inalowtone，toherdaughter，“Alice，Ithinkyou’dbetterkeepalittlemorewithmenow。”

“Yes。”saidthegirl，inasympathywithhermotherinwhichshedidnotalwaysfindherself。

ButwhenMavering，whomtheirtacittreatyconcerned，turnedtowardthem，andputhimselfinchargeofAlice，Mrs。Pasmerfoundherselfdispossessedbythecharmofhisconfidence，andrelinquishedhertohim。

TheyweregoingtowalktotheCastleRocksbythepaththatnowlosesandnowfindsitselfamongthefastnessesoftheforest，stretchingtotheloftiestoutlookonthebay。Thesavagewoodlandispenetratedonlybythisforgetfulpath，thatpassesnowandthenaverthebridgeofaravine，andofferstotheeyeoneitherhandthemysterydeepeningintowilderandweirdertractsofsolitude。Thepartyresolveditselfintotwosandthrees，andthesestraggledfarapart，outofconversationalreachofoneanother。Mrs。PasmerfoundherselfwalkingandtalkingwithJohnMunt。

“Mr。Pasmerhasn’tmuchinterestintheseexcursions。”hesuggested。

“No;henevergoes。”sheanswered，and，byoneoftheagileintellectualprocessesnaturaltowomen，shearrivedatthequestion，“YouandtheMaveringsareoldfriends，Mr。Munt？”

“Ican’tsayabouttheson，butI’mhisfather’sfriend，andIsupposethatI’mhisfriendtoo。Everybodyseemstobeso。”suggestedMunt。

“OhYes。”Mrs。Pasmerassented;“heappearstobeauniversalfavourite。”

“WeusedtoexpectgreatthingsofElbridgeMaveringincollege。WewererathermoreromanticthantheHarvardmenarenowadays，andwebelievedinoneanothermorethantheydo。Perhapsweidealisedoneanother。

But，anyway，ourclassthoughtMaveringcoulddoanything。Youknowabouthistasteforetchings？”

“Yes。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withasighofdeepappreciation。“Whatgiftedpeople！“

“Iunderstandthatthesoninheritsallhisfather’stalent。”

“Hesketchesdelightfully。”

“AndMaveringwrote。Why，hewasourclasspoet！“criedMunt，rememberingthefactwithsurpriseandgratificationtohimself。“Hewasatremendoussatirist。”

“Really？Andheseemssoamiablenow。”

“Oh，itwasonlyonpaper。”

“Perhapshestillkeepsitup——onwall-paper？”suggestedMrs。Pasmer。

Muntlaughedatthelittlejokewithagood-willthatflatteredtheveteranflatterer。“Ishouldliketoaskhimthatsometime。Willyoulendittome？”

“Yes，ifsuchasayerofgoodthingswilldeigntoborrow——“

“Oh，Mrs。Pasmer！“criedMunt，otherwisespeechless。

“Andthemother？DoyouknowMrs。Mavering？”

“Mrs。MaveringI’veneverseen。”

“Oh！“saidMrs。Pasmer，withadisappointmentforwhichMunttriedtoconsoleher。

“I’veneverevenbeenattheirplace。Heaskedmeonceagreatwhileago;butyouknowhowthosethingsare。I’veheardthatsheusedtobeveryprettyandverygay。Theywentaboutagreatdeal，toSaratogaandCapeMayandsuchplaces——ratheroutofourbeat。”

“Andnow？”

“Andnowshe’sbeenaninvalidforagreatmanyyears。Bedridden，I

believe。Paralysis，Ithink。”

Yes;Mrs。Saintsburysaidsomethingofthekind。”

“Well。”saidMunt，anxioustoaddtothestoreofknowledgewhichthisremarklethimunderstandhehadnotmateriallyincreased，“IthinkMrs。

Maveringwastheoriginofthewall-paper——orhermoney。Maveringwaspoor;herfatherhadstartedit，andMaveringturnedinhistalent。”

“Howveryinteresting！Andisthatthereason——itsbeingancestral——thatMr。Maveringwisheshissontogointoit？”

“Ishegoingintoit？”askedMunt。

“He’scomeupheretothinkaboutit。”

“Ishouldsupposeitwouldbeaverygoodthing。”saidMunt。

“Whataveryremarkableforest！“saidMrs。Pasmer，examiningitoneitherside，andturningquiteround。Thisgaveher，fromherplaceinthevanofthestragglingprocession，aglimpseofAliceandDanMaveringfarintherear。

“Don’tyouknow。”hewassayingtothegirlatthesamemoment，“it’slikesomeofthoseDoreillustrationstotheInferno，ortheWanderingJew。”

“Ohyes。IwastryingtothinkwhatitwasmademethinkIhadseenitbefore。”sheanswered。“Itmustbethat。Buthowstrangeitis！“sheexclaimed，“thatsensationofhavingbeentherebefore——insomeplacebeforewhereyoucan’tpossiblyhavebeen。”

“Anddoyoufeelithere？”heasked，asvividlyinterestedasiftheytwohadbeenthefirsttonoticethephenomenonwhichhasbeenapsychicalconsolationtosomanyyoungobservers。

“Yes。”shecried。

“IhopeIwaswithyou。”hesaid，withasuddenturnoflevity，whichdidnotdispleaseher，forthereseemedtobeatenderearnestnesslurkinginit。“Icouldn’tbeartothinkofyourbeingaloneinsuchahowlingwilderness。”

“Oh，Iwaswithalargepicnic。”sheretortedgaily。“Youmighthavebeenamongtherest。Ididn’tnotice。”

“Well，thenexttime，Iwishyou’dlookcloser。Idon’tlikebeingleftout。”Theyweresofarbehindtherestthathedevotedhimselfentirelytoher，andtheyhadgrownmoreandmoreconfidential。

Theycametoanarrowfoot-bridgeoveradeepgorge。Thehand-railhadfallenaway。Hesprangforwardandgaveherhishandforthepassage。

“Whohelpedyouoverhere？”hedemanded。“Don’tsayIdidn’t。”

“Perhapsitwasyou。”shemurmured，lettinghimkeepthefingerstowhichheclungamomentaftertheyhadcrossedthebridge。Thenshetookthemaway，andsaid:“ButIcan’tbesure。Thereweresomanyothers。”

“Otherfellows？”hedemanded，placinghimselfbeforeheronthenarrowpath，sothatshecouldnotgetby。“Trytoremember，MissPasmer。Thisisveryimportant。Itwouldbreakmyheartifitwasreallysomeoneelse。”Shestoleaglanceathisface，butitwassmiling，thoughhisvoicewassoearnest。“Iwanttohelpyouoverallthebadplaces，andI

don’twantanyoneelsetohaveahandinit。”

Thevoiceandthefacestillbeliedeachother，andbetweenthemthegirlchosetofeelherselftrifledwithbytheartistictemperament。“Ifyou’llpleasestepoutoftheway，Mr。Mavering。”shesaidseverely，“I

shallnotneedanybody’shelpjusthere。”

Heinstantlymovedaside，andtheywerebothsilent，tillshesaid，asshequickenedherpacetoovertaketheothersinfront，“Idon’tseehowyoucanhelplikingnatureinsuchaplaceasthis。”

“Ican’t——humannature。”hesaid。Itwasmerefolly;andanabstractfollyatthat;butthefacethatshehelddownandawayfromhimflushedwithsweetconsciousnessasshelaughed。

Onthecliffbeetlingabovethebay，whereshesattolookoutoverthesadnorthernsea，litwiththefishingsailtheyhadseenbefore，andthesurgewashedintotherockycovesfarbeneaththem，hethrewhimselfatherfeet，andmadeheraloneinthecompanythatcameandwentandtriedthisviewandthatfromthedifferentpointswherethepicnichostessinsistedtheyshouldenjoyit。Shelefttheyoungcoupletothemselves，andMrs。PasmerseemedtohaveforgottenthatshehadbiddenAlicetobealittlemorewithher。

Alicehadforgottenittoo。ShesatlisteningtoMavering’stalkwithacertainfascination，butnotsomuchapparentlybecausethemeaningofthewordspleasedherasthesoundofhisvoice，themotionofhislipsinspeaking，charmedher。Atfirsthewasserious，andevenmelancholy，asifhewereafraidhehadoffendedher;butapparentlyhesoonbelievedthathehadbeenforgiven，andbegantoburlesquehisownmood，butstillwithadeferenceandawatchfulobservanceofherchangesoffeelingwhichwasdelicatelyflatteringinitsway。Nowandthenwhensheansweredsomethingitwasnotalwaystothepurpose;heaccusedherofnothearingwhathesaid，butshewouldhaveitthatshedid，andthenhetriedtotestherbyproofsandquestions。Itdidnotmatterforanythingthatwasspokenordone;speechandactionofwhateversortweremeremasksoftheiryoungjoyineachother，sothatwhenhesaid，afterhehadquotedsomelinesbefittingthescenetheylookedouton;“NowwasthatfromTennysonorfromTupper？”andsheanswered，“Neither;itwasfromShakespeare。”theyjoined，inthesamehappylaugh，andtheylaughednowandthenwithoutsayinganything。Neitherthisnorthatmadethemmoregladorless;theywereinatrance，vulnerabletonothingbutthesummonswhichmustcometoleavetheirdreambehind，andissueintothewakingworld。

Inhopeorinexperiencesuchamomenthascometoall，anditissoprettytothosewhorecogniseitfromtheoutsidethatnoonehasthehearttohurryitawaywhileitcanbehelped。TheaffairbetweenAliceandMaveringhadevidentlyhermother’ssanction，andalltherestwereeagertohelpiton。Whenthepartyhadstartedtoreturn，theycalledtothem，andletthemcomebehindtogether。AtthecarriagestheyhadwhatMissAndersoncalledanewdeal，andAliceandMaveringfoundthemselvestogetherintherearseatofthelast。

Thefogbegantocomeinfromthesea，andfollowedthemthroughthewoods。Whentheyemergeduponthehighwayitwrappedthemdenselyround，andformedalittleworld，cosy，intimate，wheretheytwodweltalonewiththesefriendsoftheirs，eachofwhomtheypraisedfordelightfulqualities。Thehorsesbeatalongthroughthemist，inwhichthereseemednoprogress，andtheylivedinablissfularrestoftime。MissAndersoncalledbackfromthefrontseat，“Myearbuyns;you’retalkin’aboutme。”

“Whichear？”criedMavering。

“Oh，theleft，ofcouyse。”

“Thenit’smerelyhabit，Julie。Yououghttohaveheardthenicethingsweweresayingaboutyou。”Alicecalled。

“I’dliketohearallthenicethingsyou’vebeensaying。”

Thisseemedthelasteffectofsubtlewit。Maveringbrokeoutinhislaugh，andAlice’slaughrangaboveit。

Mrs。Pasmerlookedinvoluntarilyroundfromthecarriageahead。

“Theyseemtobehavingagoodtime。”saidMrs。Brinkleyatherside。

“Yes;IhopeAliceisn’toverdoing。”

“I’mafraidyou’redreadfullytired。”saidMaveringtothegirl，inalowvoice，asheliftedherfromherplacewhentheyreachedthehotelthroughtheprovisionaldarkness，andfoundthatafterallitwasonlydinner-time。

“Ohno。Ifeelasifthepicnicwerejustbeginning。”

“Thenyouwillcometo-night？”

“Iwillseewhatmammasays。”

“ShallIaskher？”

“Oh，perhapsnot。”saidthegirl，repressinghisardour，butnotseverely。

XVIII。

Theyweregoingtohavesometheatricalsatoneofthecottages，andtheladyatwhosehousetheyweretobegivenmadehastetoinviteallthepicnicpartybeforeitdispersed。Mrs。Pasmeracceptedwithamentalreservation，meaningtosendanexcuselaterifshechose;andbeforeshedecidedthepointshekeptherhusbandfromgoingafterdinnerintothereading-room，wherehespentnearlyallhistimeoverapaperandacigar，orinsittingabsolutelysilentandunoccupied，andmadehimgototheirownroomwithher。

“ThereissomethingthatImustspeaktoyouabout。”shesaid，closingthedoor，“andyoumustdecideforyourselfwhetheryouwishtoletitgoanyfurther。”

“Whatgoanyfurther？”askedMr。Pasmer，sittingdownandputtinghishandtothepocketthatheldhiscigar-casewiththesameseriesofmotions。

“No，don’tsmoke。”shesaid，stayinghishandimpatiently。“Iwantyoutothink。”

“HowcanIthinkifIdon’tsmoke？”

“Verywell;smoke，then。DoyouwantthisaffairwithyoungMaveringtogoanyfarther？”

“Oh！“saidPasmer，“Ithoughtyouhadbeenlookingafterthat。”Hehadinfactrelegatedthattothecompanyofthegreatquestionsexteriortohispersonalcomfortwhichshealwaysdecided。

“Ihavebeenlookingafterit，butnowthetimehascomewhenyoumust，asafather，takesomeinterestinit。”

Pasmer’snoblemaskofaface，fromthepointofhisfullwhitebeardtohisfineforehead，crossedbyhisimpressiveblackeyebrows，expressedallthedignifiedconcernwhichafatheroughttofeelinsuchanaffair;

butwhathewasreallyfeelingwasagravereluctancetohavetointerveneinanyway。“Whatdoyouwantmetosaytohim？”heasked。

“Why，Idon’tknowthathe’sgoingtoaskyouanything。Idon’tknowwhetherhe’ssaidanythingtoAliceyet。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withsomeexasperation。

Herhusbandwassilent，buthissilenceinsinuatedadegreeofwonderthatsheshouldapproachhimprematurelyonsuchapoint。

“Theyhavebeenthrowntogetherallday，andthereisnousetoconcealfromourselvesthattheyareverymuchtakenwitheachother？”

“Ithought。”Pasmersaid，“thatyousaidthatfromthebeginning。Didn’tyouwantthemtobetakenwitheachother？”

“Thatiswhatyouaretodecide。”

Pasmersilentlyrefusedtoassumetheresponsibility。

“Well？”demandedhiswife，afterwaitingforhimtospeak。

“Wellwhat？”

“Whatdoyoudecide？”

“Whatistheuseofdecidingathingwhenitisallover？”

“Itisn’toveratall。Itcanbebrokenoffatanymoment。”

“Well，breakitoff，then，ifyoulike。”

Mrs。Pasmerresumedtheresponsibilitywithasigh。Shefelttheburden，thepenalty，ofpower，afterhavingsolongenjoyeditssweets，andshewouldwillinglyhaveabdicatedthesovereigntywhichshehadspentherwholemarriedlifeinestablishing。Buttherewasnoonetotakeitup。

“No，Ishallnotbreakitoff。”shesaidresentfully;“Ishallletitgoon。”Thenseeingthatherhusbandwasnotshakenbyherthreatfromhislong-confirmedsubjection，sheadded:“Itisn’tanidealaffair，butI

thinkitwillbeaverygoodthingforAlice。HeisnotwhatIexpected，butheisthoroughlynice，andIshouldthinkhisfamilywasnice。I’vebeentalkingwithMr。Muntaboutthemto-day，andheconfirmsallthatEttaSaintsburysaid。Idon’tthinktherecanbeanydoubtofhisintentionsincominghere。Heisn’taparticularlyartlessyoungman，buthe’sbeensufficientlyfrankaboutAlicesincehe’sbeenhere。”Herhusbandsmokedon。“Hisfatherseemstohavetakenupthebusinessfromtheartisticside，andMr。Maveringwon’tbeexpectedtoenterintothecommercialpartatonce。Ifitwasn’tforAlice，Idon’tbelievehewouldthinkofthebusinessforamoment;hewouldstudylaw。Ofcourseit’salittleembarrassingtohaveherengagedatoncebeforeshe’sseenanythingofsocietyhere，butperhapsit’sallforthebest，afterall:

themainthingisthatsheshouldbesatisfied，andIcanseethatshe’sonlytoomuchso。Yes，she’sverymuchtakenwithhim;andIdon’twonder。Heischarming。”

ItwasnotthefirsttimethatMrs。Pasmerhadreasonedinthisround;

buttheutteranceofherthoughtsseemedtothrowanewlightonthem，andshetookacouragefromthemthattheydidnotalwaysimpart。Shearrivedatthefinalopinionexpressed，withathroboftendernessfortheyoungfellowwhomshebelievedeagertotakeherdaughterfromher，andnowforthefirsttimesheexperiencedadesolationintheprospect，asifitwereanaccomplishedfact。Shewasmorallyabundleoffinesses，butatthebottomofherheartherdaughterwasalltheworldtoher。Shehadmadethegirlheridol，andif，likesomeotherheathen，shehadnotalwaysusedheridolwiththegreatestdeference，ifshehadoftenexpectedtheimpossiblefromit，andmadeitpayforherdisappointment，stillshehadneverswervedfromherworshipofit。Shesuddenlyaskedherself，Whatifthisyoungfellow，socharmingandsogood，shouldsowhollymonopoliseherchildthatsheshouldnolongerhaveanyshareinher？WhatifAlice，whohadsolongformedherfirstcareandchiefobjectinlife，shouldcontentedlyloseherselfintheloveandcareofanother，andbothshouldignoreherrighttoher？SheansweredherselfwithapangthatthismighthappenwithanyoneAlicemarried，andthatitwouldbenoworse，attheworst，withDanMaveringthanwithanother，whileherhusbandremainedimpartiallysilent。Alwayskeepingwithinthelinestowhichhiswife’ssupremacyhaddrivenhim，hefeltsafethere，andwasnottobeeasilycoaxedoutofthem。

Mrs。Pasmerroseandlefthim，withhisperfectacquiescence，andwentintoherdaughter’sroom。ShefoundAlicethere，withaprettyeveningdresslaidoutonherbed。Mrs。Pasmerwasveryfondofthatdress，andatthethoughtofAliceinitherspiritsroseagain。

“Oh，areyougoing，Alice？”

“Why，yes。”answeredthegirl。“Didn’tyouaccept？”

“Why，yes。”Mrs。Pasmeradmitted。“Butaren’tyoutired？”

“Oh，notintheleast。IfeelasfreshasIdidthismorning。Don’tyouwantmetogo？”

“Ohyes，certainly，Iwantyoutogo——ifyouthinkyou’llenjoyit。”

“Enjoyit？Why，whyshouldn’tIenjoyit，mamma！“Whatareyouthinkingabout？It’sgoingtobethegreatestkindoffun。”

“Butdoyouthinkyououghttolookateverythingsimplyasfun？”askedthemother，withunwonteddidacticism。

“Howeverything？Whatareyouthinkingabout，mamma？”

“Oh，nothing！I’msogladyou’regoingtowearthatdress。”

“Why，ofcourse！It’smybest。Butwhatarcyoudrivingat，mamma？”

Mrs。Pasmerwasreallyseekinginherdaughterthatcomfortofadistinctvolitionwhichshehadfailedtofindinherhusband，andshewishedtoassureherselfofitmoreandmore，thatshemightsharewithsomeonetheresponsibilitywhichhehadrefusedanypartin。

“Nothing。ButI’mgladyouwishsomuchtogo。”Thegirldroppedherhandsandstared。“Youmusthaveenjoyedyourselfto-day。”sheadded，asifthatwereanexplanation。

“OfcourseIenjoyedmyself！Butwhathasthattodowithmywantingtogoto-night？”

“Oh，nothing。ButIhope，Alice，thatthereisonethingyouhavelookedfullyintheface。”

“Whatthing？”falteredthegirl，andnowshowedherselfunabletoconfrontitbydroppinghereyes。

“Well，whateveryoumayhaveheardorseen，nobodyelseisindoubtaboutit。WhatdoyousupposehasbroughtMr。Maveringhere！“

“Idon’tknow。”Thedenialnotonlyconfessedthatshedidknow，butitinformedhermotherthatallwasasyettacitbetweentheyoungpeople。

“Verywell，then，Iknow。”saidMrs。Pasmer;“andthereisonethingthatyoumustknowbeforelong，Alice。”

“What？”sheaskedfaintly。

“Yourownmind。”saidhermother。“Idon’taskyouwhatitis，andI

shallwaittillyoutellme。OfcourseIshouldn’thavelethimstayhereifIhadobjected——“

“Omamma！“murmuredthegirl，dyedwithshametohavethefactssoboldlytouched，butnot，probably，toodeeplydispleased。

“Yes。AndIknowthathewouldneverhavethoughtofgoingintothatbusinessifhehadnotexpected——hoped——“

“Mamma！“

“Andyououghttoconsider——“

“Oh，don’t！don’t！don’t！“imploredthegirl。

“That’sall。”saidhermother，turningfromAlice，whohadhiddenherfaceinherhands，toinspectthecostumeonthebed。Sheliftedonepieceofitafteranother，turneditover，lookedatit，andlaiditdown。“Youcannevergetsuchadressinthiscountry。”

Shewentoutoftheroom，asthegirldroppedherfaceinthepillow。Anhourlatertheymetequippedfortheevening’spleasure。Tothekeenglancethathermothergaveher，thedaughter’seyeshadthebrightnessofeyesthathavebeenweeping，buttheywerealsobrightwiththatknowledgeofherownmindwhichMrs。Pasmerhaddesiredforher。Shemethermother’sglancefearlessly，evenproudly，andshecarriedherstylishcostumewithasplendourtowhichonlyoccasionscouldstimulateher。

Theydramatisedaperfectunconsciousnesstoeachother，butMrs。Pasmerwasbynomeanssatisfiedwiththedecisionwhichshehadreadinherdaughter’slooks。Somehowitdidnotrelieveheroftheresponsibility，anditdidnotchangethenatureofthecase。Itwasgratifying，ofcourse，toseeAlicetheobjectofapassionsosincereandsoardent;sofarthetriumphwascomplete，andtherewasreallynothingobjectionableintheyoungmanandhiscircumstances，thoughtherewasnothingverydistinguished。ButtheaffairwasaltogetherdifferentfromanythingthatMrs。Pasmerhadimagined。ShehadsupposedandintendedthatAliceshouldmeetsomeoneinBoston，andgothroughacourseofsocietybeforereachinganydecisivestep。Therewastobeawholeseasoninwhichtolookthegroundcarefullyover，andthegroundwastobeallwithincertainwell-ascertainedandguardedprecincts。Butthisthathadhappenedwasoutsideoftheseprecincts，ofatleastontheirmereoutskirts。ClassDay，ofcourse，wasallright;andshecouldnotsaythatthesummercolonyatCampobellowasnotthoroughlyandessentiallyBoston;andyetshefeltthatcertaininfluences，certainsanctions，wereabsent。Totellthetruth，shewouldnothavecaredforthefeelingsofMavering’sfamilyinregardtothematter，exceptastheymightafterwardconcernAlice，andthetimehadnotcomewhenshecouldrecognisetheirexistenceinregardtotheaffair;andyetshecouldhavewishedthatevenasitwashisfamilycouldhaveseenandapproveditfromthestart。

Itwouldhavebeenmoreregular。

WithAliceitwasasimplermatter，andofcoursedeeper。Forheritwasonlyaquestionofhimselfandherself;nooneelseexistedtothesublimeegotismofherlove。Shedidnotcallitbythatname;shedidnotpermitittoassertitselfbyanyname;itwasamereformlessjoyinhersoul，atrustfulandblissfulexpectance，whichshenownomorebelievedhecoulddisappointthanthatshecoulddiewithinthathour。

Alltherebellionthatshehadsometimesfeltattheanomalousattitudeexactedofhersexinregardtosuchmatterswasgone。Shenolongerthoughtitstrangethatagirlshouldbeexpectedtoignoretheadmirationofayoungmantillheexplicitlydeclaredit，andshouldthenbefullypossessedofallthematerialsofadecisiononthemostmomentousquestioninlife;forsheknewthatthisstateofignorancecouldneverreallyexist;shehadknownfromthefirstmomentthathehadthoughtherbeautiful。To-nightshewasradiantforhim。Hereyesshonewiththelookinwhichtheyshouldmeetandgivethemselvestoeachotherbeforetheyspoke——thelookinwhichtheyhadmetalready，inwhichtheyhadlivedthatwholeday。

XIX。

Theevening’sentertainmentwassomethingthatmustfailbeforeanaudiencewhichwasnotverykind。Theyweretopresentaburlesqueofclassicfable，andtheparts，withtheirgeneralintention，hadbeendistributedtothedifferentactors;butnothinghadbeenwrittendown，and，beyondthesituationsandafewpointsofdialogue，allhadtobeimprovised。Thecostumesandpropertieshadbeeninventedfromsuchthingsascametohand。Sheetssculpturesquelydrapedthedeitieswhotookpart;afox-peltfromthehearthdiddutyastheleopardskinofBacchus;afeatherdusterservedNeptuneforatrident;thelyreofApollowasadust-pan;agull’sbreastfurnishedJovewithhisgreybeard。

Thefablewasadaptedtomodernlife，andthescenehadbeenlaidinCampobello，thepeculiaritiesofwhichweretobesatirisedthroughout。

TheprincipalsituationwastobeapassagebetweenJupiter，representedbyMavering，andJuno，whomMissAndersonpersonated;itwastobeasceneofconjugalreproachesandreprisals，andtoendinreconciliation，inwhichthefatherofthegodssacrificedhimselfonthealtarofdomesticpeacebypromisingtobringhisfamilytoCampobelloeveryyear。

ThiswastobefollowedbyasketchoftheJudgmentofParis，inwhichJunoandPallasweretobepersonatedbytwoyoungmen，andMissAndersontookthepartofVenus。

Theprettydrawing-roomoftheTrevors——youngpeoplefromAlbany，andcousinsofMissAnderson——wascurtainedoffatoneendforastage，andbeyondtheslidingdoorswhichdivideditinhalfweresetchairsforthespectators。Peoplehadcomeinwhateverdresstheyliked;themenweremostlyinmorningcoats;theladieshadgenerallymadesomeattemptateveningtoilet，buttheyjoinedinadmiringAlicePasmer’scostume，andoneofthemsaidthattheywouldletitrepresentthemall，andexpresswhateachmighthavedoneifshewould。Therewasnotmuchtimefortheirtributes;allthelampswerepresentlytakenawayandsetalongthefloorinfrontofthecurtainasfoot-lights，leavingthecompanyinadarknesswhichMrs。Brinkleypronouncedsepulchral。Shemadeherreproachestothemasterofthehouse，whohadeffectedthistranspositionofthelamps。“Iwasjustthinkingsomeveryprettyandvaluablethingsaboutyourcharmingcottage，Mr。Trevor:arugonabarefloor，atrimofvarnishedpine，awallwithhalfadozensimpleetchingsonit，anopenfire，andamantelpiecewithoutbric-a-brac，howentirelysatisfyingitallis！Andhowitupbraidsusforheapingupupholsteryaswedointown！“

“Goon。”saidthehost。“Thosearebeautifulthoughts。”

“ButIcan’tgooninthedark。”retortedMrs。Brinkley。“Youcan’tthinkinthedark，muchlesstalk！Canyou，Mrs。Pasmer？”Mrs。Pasmer，withAlicenexttoher，satjustinfrontofMrs。Brinkley。

“No。”sheassented;“butifIcould——YOUcanthickanywhere，Mrs。

Brinkley——Mrs。Trevor’slovelyhousewouldinspiremetoit。”

“Twobirdswithonestone——thankyou，Mrs。Pasmer，formypartofthecompliment。Pickyourselfup，Mr。Trevor。”

“Oh，thankyou，I’mallright。”saidTrevor，pantingaftertheladies’

meanings，asamanmust。“Isupposethinkingandtalkinginthedarkisagooddeallikesmokinginthedark。”

“No;thinkingandtalkingarenotatalllikesmokingunderanyconditions。Whyintheworldshouldtheybe？”

“Oh，Ican’tgetanyfunoutofacigarunlessIcanseethesmoke。”thehostexplained。

“Doyoufollowhim，Mrs。Pasmer？”

“Yes，perfectly。”

“Thankyou，Mrs。Pasmer。”saidTrevor。

“I’llgetyoutotellmehowyoudiditsometime。”saidMrs。Brinkley。

“Butyourhouseisagem，Mr。Trevor。”

“Isn’tit？”criedTrevor。“Iwantmywifetoliveheretheyearround。”

ItwastheTrevors’firstsummerintheircottage，andtheexperiencedreaderwilleasilyrecognisehismood。“Butshe’ssuchaworldlyspirit，shewon’t。”

“Oh，Idon’tknowabouttheyearround。Doyou，Mrs。Pasmer？”

“Ishould。”saidAlice，withthesuddennessofyouth，breakingintothetalkwhichshehadnotbeensupposedtotakeanyinterestin。

“Isitpropertokissayounglady’shand？”saidTrevorgratefully，appealingtoMrs。Brinkley。

“Itisn’tverycustomaryinthenineteenthcentury。”saidMrs。Brinkley。

“Butyoumightkissherfan。Hemightkissherfan，mightn’the，Mrs。

Pasmer？”

“Certainly。Alice，holdoutyourfaninstantly。”

Thegirlhumouredthejoke，laughing。

Trevorpressedhislipstotheperfumedsticks。“IwilltellMrs。

Trevor。”hesaid，“andthatwilldecideher。”

“Itwilldecidehernottocomehereatallnextyearifyoutellherall。”

“Henevertellsmeall。”saidMrs。Trevor，catchingsomuchofthetalkasshecameinfromsomehospitablecaresinthedining-room。“They’reincapableofit。Whathashebeendoingnow？”

“Nothing。OrIwilltellyouwhenwearealone，Mrs。Trevor。”saidMrs。

Brinkley，withburlesquesympathy。“Weoughtn’ttohaveasceneonbothsidesofthefoot-lights。”

Aboyishface，allexcitement，wasthrustoutbetweenthecurtainsformingtheprosceniumofthelittletheatre。“Allready，Mrs。Trevor？”

“Yes，allready，Jim。”

Hedashedthecurtainsapart，andmarredtheeffectofhisowndisappearancefromthescenebytrippingoverthelonglegsofJove，stretchedouttothefront，wherehesatonMrs。Trevor’srichestrug，proppedwithsofacushionsoneitherhand。

“Soperishalltheimpiousraceoftitans，enemiesofthegods！“saidMaveringsolemnly，astheboyfellsprawling。“Picktheearth-borngiantup，Vulcan，myson。”

Theboywasverysmallforhisage;everyonesawthattheaccidenthadnotbeenpremeditated，andwhenVulcanappeared，withanexaggeratedlimp，andcarriedtheboyoff，aburstoflaughterwentupfromthecompany。

Itdidnotmatterwhattheplaywastohavebeenafterthat;itallturnedupontheaccident。Junocameon，andbegantoreproachJupiterforhiscarelessness。“I’vesentMercuryupstairsfortheaynica;buthesaysit’snouse:thatboywon’tbeabletopassballforaweek。HowoftenhaveItoldyounottositwithyourfeetoutthatway！Iknewyou’dhurtsomebody。”

“Ididn’thavemyfeetout。”retortedJupiter。“Besides。”headded，withdignity，andaburlesqueofmaritalspecialpleadingwhicheverywifeandhusbandrecognised，“Ialwayssitwithmyfeetoutso，andIalwayswill，solongasI’vethespiritofagod。”

“Isn’thedelicious？”buzzedMrs。Pasmer，leaningbackwardtowhispertoMrs。Brinkley;itwasnotthatshethoughtwhatDanhadjustsaidwassoveryfanny，butpeopleareimmoderatelyapplausiveofamateurdramatics，andshewasfeelingveryfondoftheyoungfellow。

Theimprovisationwentwildlyandadventurouslyon，andthecurtainsdroppedtogetheramidstthefacileacclaimoftheaudience:

“It’sverywellforJupiterthathehappenedtothinkofthecurtain。”

saidMrs。Brinkley。“Theycouldn’thavekeptitupatthatlevelmuchlonger。”

“Oh，doyouthinkso？”softlymurmuredMrs。Pasmer。“Itseemedasiftheycouldhavekeptitupallnightiftheyliked。”

“Idoubtit。Mr。Trevor。”saidMrs。Brinkleytothehost，whohadcomeupforhercongratulations，“doyoualwayshavesuchbrilliantperformances？”

“Well，wehavesofar。”heansweredmodestly;andMrs。Brinkleylaughedwithhim。ThiswasthefirstentertainmentatTrevorcottage。

“’Sh！“wentupallroundthem，andMrs。Trevorcalledacrosstheroom，inareproachfulwhisperloudenoughforeveryonetohear，“Mydear！——

enjoyingyourself！“whileMaveringstoodbetweenthepartedcurtainswaitingfortheattentionofthecompany。

“Onaccountofanaccidenttothecall-boyandthementalexhaustionofsomeofthedeities，thenextpiecewillbeomitted，andtheperformancewillbeginwiththeoneafter。Whiletheaudienceiswaiting，Mercurywillgoroundandtakeupacollectionforthevictimoftherecentaccident，whowillprobablybeindisposedforlife。Thecollectorwillbeaccompaniedbyapoliceman，andmaybesafelytrusted。”

HedisappearedbehindthecurtainwithapasandrswirlofhisdraperiesliketheLordChancellorinIolanthe，andtheaudienceagainabandoneditselftoapplause。

“Howverywittyheis！“saidMissCotton，whosatnearJohnMunt。“Don’tyouthinkhe’sreallywitty？”

“Yes。”Muntassentedcritically。“Butyoushouldhaveknownhisfather。”

“Oh，doyouknowhisfather？”

“Iwasincollegewithhim。”

“Oh，dotellmeabouthim，andallMr。Mavering’sfamily。We’resointerested，youknow，onaccountof——Isn’titprettytohavethatlittleloveidylgoingonhere？Iwonder——I’vebeenwonderingallthetime——

whatshethinksofallthis。Doyousupposeshequitelikesit？”Hiscostumeissoveryremarkable！“MissCotton，intheabsenceofanyladyofherintimatecircle，wasappealingconfidentiallytoJohnMunt。

“Why，doyouthinkthere’sanythingseriousbetweenthem？”heasked，droppinghisheadforwardaspeopledoinchurchwhentheywishtowhispertosomeoneinthesamepew。

“Why，yes，itseemsso。”murmuredMissCotton。“Hisadmirationisquiteundisguised，isn’tit？”

“Amannevercantell。”saidMunt。“Wehavetoleavethosethingstoyouladies。”

“Oh，everyone’stalkingofit，Iassureyou。Andyouknowhisfamily？”

“Iknewhisfatheronceratherbetterthananybodyelse。”

“Indeed！“

“Yes。”MuntsketchedratheraflatteredportraitoftheelderMavering，hisability，hisgoodness，hisshyness，whichhehadalwayshadtomakesuchahardfightwith。MuntwassensibleofanaccessofpopularityinknowingDanMavering’speople，andhedidnotsparehiscolours。

“Thenitisn’tfromhisfatherthathegetseverything。Heisn’tintheleastshy。”saidMissCotton。

“Thatmustbethemother。”

“Andthemother？”

“ThemotherIdon’tknow。”

MissCottonsighed。“SometimesIwishthathedidshowalittlemoretrepidation。ItwouldseemasifheweremorealivetothegreatdifferencethatthereisbetweenAlicePasmerandothergirls。”

Muntlaughedaman’slaugh。“Iguesshe’sprettywellalivetothat，ifhe’sinlovewithher。”

“Oh，inacertainway，ofcourse，butnotinthehighestway。Now，forinstance，ifhefeltallherfinenessas——aswedo，Idon’tbelievehe’dbewillingtoappearbeforeherjustlikethat。”Thefatherofthegodsworeadamasktableclothofapalegoldenhueandaclassicpattern;hisarmswerebare，andratherabsurdlywhite;onhisfeetapairoflawn-

tennisshoeshadaverystrikingeffectofsandals。

“Itseemstome。”MissCottonpursued;“thatifhereallyappreciatedherinthehighestway，hewouldwishnevertodoanundignifiedortrivialthinginherpresence。”

“Oh，perhapsit’sthatthatpleasesherinhim。Theysaywe’realwaystakenwithopposites。”

“Yes——doyouthinkso？”askedMissCotton。

Thecurtainswereflungapart，andtheJudgmentofParisfollowedrathertamelyuponwhathadgonebefore，thoughthetwoyoungfellowswhodidJunoandMinervawereveryamusing，andthedialoguewasfullofhits。

Someoftheaudience，anappreciativeminority，wereofopinionthatMaveringandMissAndersonsurpassedthemselvesinit;shepromisedhimthemostbeautifulandculturedwifeinGreece。“Thatsettlesit。”heanswered。Theycameoutarminarm，andParis，havingputonastripedtenniscoatoverhisshort-sleevedGreektunic，movedroundamongthecompanyfortheircongratulations，Venusostentatiouslyshowingtheappleshehadwon。

“Icanhaydlykeepfromeatingit。”sheexplainedtoAlice;beforewhomshedroppedMavering’sarm。“I’mawfullyhungry。It’shaydwoyk。”

Alicestoodwithherheaddrawnback，lookingattheexcitedgirlwithasmile，inwhichseemedtohoversomewherealatentbitterness。

Mavering，withaflushedfaceandaflyingtongue，wasexchangingsallieswithhermother，whosmotheredhiminflatteries。

Mrs。Trevorcametowardthegroup，andannouncedsupper。“Mr。Paris，willyoutakeMissAphroditeout？”

MissAndersonsweptalowbowofrenunciation，andtacitlyrelinquishedMaveringtoAlice。

“Oh，no，no！“saidAlice，shrinkingbackfromhim，withanintensificationofheruncertainsmile。“Ameremortal？”

“Oh，howverygood！“saidMrs。Trevor。

Therebegantobe，withoutanyone’sintendingit，thatsortoftacitmisunderstandingwhichisalltheworsebecauseitcanonlyfollowuponatacitunderstandinglikethatwhichhadestablisheditselfbetweenAliceandMavering。Theylaughedandjokedtogethergailyaboutallthatwenton;theywereperfectlygoodfriends;hesawthatsheandhermotherwerepromptlyserved;hebroughtthemsaladandice-creamandcoffeehimself，onlywaitingofficiallyuponMissAndersonfirst，andAlicethankedhim，withthepolitestdeprecationofhisdevotion;butiftheireyesmet，itwasdefensively，andthesecuritybetweenthemwasgone。Maveringvaguelyfelttheloss，withoutknowinghowtoretrieveit，anditmadehimgoonmoredesperatelywithMissAnderson。Helaughedandjokedrecklessly，andAlicebegantomarkamoreexplicitdispleasurewithher。

Shemadehermothergoratherearly。

Onherpart，MissAndersonseemedtofindreasonforresentmentinAlice’sbearingtowardher。Asifshehadsaidtoherselfthatherfrankloyaltyhadbeenthrownawayuponacoldandunresponsivenature，andthatherharmlessfolliesintheplayhadbeenmetwithunjustsuspicions，shebegantomakereprisals，shebeganindeadearnesttoflirtwithMavering。Beforetheeveningpassedshehadmadehimseemtakenwithher;buthowjustlyshehaddonethis，andwithhowmuchfaultofhis，noonecouldhavesaid。Thereweresomewhodidnotnoticeitatall，butthesewerenotpeoplewhoknewMavering，orknewAliceverywell。

XX。

ThenextmorningAlicewaswalkingslowlyalongtheroadtowardthefishingvillage，whensheheardrapid，plungingstridesdownthewoodedhillsideonherright。SheknewthemforMavering’s，andshedidnotaffectsurprisewhenhemadeafinalleapintotheroad，andshortenedhispacebesideher。

“MayIjoinyou，MissPasmer？”

“Iamonlygoingdowntotheherring-houses。”shebegan。

“Andyou’llletmegowithyou？”saidtheyoungfellow。“Thefactis——

you’realwayssofrankthatyoumakeeverythingelseseemsilly——I’vebeenwaitingupthereinthewoodsforyoutocomeby。Mrs。Pasmertoldmeyouhadstartedthisway，andIcutacrosslotstoovertakeyou，andthen，whenyoucameinsight，IhadtoletyoupassbeforeIcouldscrewmycourageuptothepointofrunningafteryou。Howisthatforopen-

mindedness？”