第2章

EllaMarchmill，sittingdownaloneafewminuteslater，thoughtwithinterestedsurpriseofRobertTrewe。Herownlatterhistorywillbestexplainthatinterest。Herselftheonlydaughterofastrugglingmanofletters，shehadduringthelastyearortwotakentowritingpoems，inanendeavourtofindacongenialchannelinwhichtoletflowherpainfullyembayedemotions，whoseformerlimpidityandsparkleseemeddepartinginthestagnationcausedbytheroutineofapracticalhouseholdandthegloomofbearingchildrentoacommonplacefather。Thesepoems，subscribedwithamasculinepseudonym，hadappearedinvariousobscuremagazines，andintwocasesinratherprominentones。Inthesecondofthelatterthepagewhichborehereffusionatthebottom，insmallishprint，boreatthetop，inlargeprint，afewversesonthesamesubjectbythisveryman，RobertTrewe。Bothofthemhad，infact，beenstruckbyatragicincidentreportedinthedailypapers，andhaduseditsimultaneouslyasaninspiration，theeditorremarkinginanoteuponthecoincidence，andthattheexcellenceofbothpoemspromptedhimtogivethemtogether。

AfterthateventElla，otherwise’JohnIvy，’hadwatchedwithmuchattentiontheappearanceanywhereinprintofversebearingthesignatureofRobertTrewe，who，withaman’sunsusceptibilityonthequestionofsex，hadneveroncethoughtofpassinghimselfoffasawoman。Tobesure，Mrs。Marchmillhadsatisfiedherselfwithasortofreasonfordoingthecontraryinhercase；thatnobodymightbelieveinherinspirationiftheyfoundthatthesentimentscamefromapushingtradesman’swife，fromthemotherofthreechildrenbyamatter-of-factsmall-armsmanufacturer。

Trewe’sversecontrastedwiththatoftherankandfileofrecentminorpoetsinbeingimpassionedratherthaningenious，luxuriantratherthanfinished。Neithersymbolistenordecadent，hewasapessimistinsofarasthatcharacterappliestoamanwholooksattheworstcontingenciesaswellasthebestinthehumancondition。

Beinglittleattractedbyexcellencesofformandrhythmapartfromcontent，hesometimes，whenfeelingoutranhisartisticspeed，perpetratedsonnetsinthelooselyrhymedElizabethanfashion，whicheveryright-mindedreviewersaidheoughtnottohavedone。

Withsadandhopelessenvy，EllaMarchmillhadoftenandoftenscannedtherivalpoet’swork，somuchstrongerasitalwayswasthanherownfeeblelines。Shehadimitatedhim，andherinabilitytotouchhislevelwouldsendherintofitsofdespondency。Monthspassedawaythus，tillsheobservedfromthepublishers’listthatTrewehadcollectedhisfugitivepiecesintoavolume，whichwasdulyissued，andwasmuchorlittlepraisedaccordingtochance，andhadasalequitesufficienttopayfortheprinting。

ThissteponwardhadsuggestedtoJohnIvytheideaofcollectingherpiecesalso，oratanyrateofmakingupabookofherrhymesbyaddingmanyinmanuscripttothefewthathadseenthelight，forshehadbeenabletogetnogreatnumberintoprint。Aruinouschargewasmadeforcostsofpublication；afewreviewsnoticedherpoorlittlevolume；butnobodytalkedofit，nobodyboughtit，anditfelldeadinafortnight——ifithadeverbeenalive。

Theauthor’sthoughtsweredivertedtoanothergroovejustthenbythediscoverythatshewasgoingtohaveathirdchild，andthecollapseofherpoeticalventurehadperhapslesseffectuponhermindthanitmighthavedoneifshehadbeendomesticallyunoccupied。Herhusbandhadpaidthepublisher’sbillwiththedoctor’s，andthereitallhadendedforthetime。But，thoughlessthanapoetofhercentury，Ellawasmorethanameremultiplierofherkind，andlatterlyshehadbeguntofeeltheoldafflatusoncemore。AndnowbyanoddconjunctionshefoundherselfintheroomsofRobertTrewe。

Shethoughtfullyrosefromherchairandsearchedtheapartmentwiththeinterestofafellow-tradesman。Yes，thevolumeofhisownversewasamongtherest。Thoughquitefamiliarwithitscontents，shereadithereasifitspokealoudtoher，thencalledupMrs。

Hooper，thelandlady，forsometrivialservice，andinquiredagainabouttheyoungman。

’Well，I’msureyou’dbeinterestedinhim，ma’am，ifyoucouldseehim，onlyhe’ssoshythatIdon’tsupposeyouwill。’Mrs。Hooperseemednothinglothtoministertohertenant’scuriosityaboutherpredecessor。’Livedherelong？Yes，nearlytwoyears。Hekeepsonhisroomsevenwhenhe’snothere:thesoftairofthisplacesuitshischest，andhelikestobeabletocomebackatanytime。Heismostlywritingorreading，anddoesn’tseemanypeople，though，forthematterofthat，heissuchagood，kindyoungfellowthatfolkswouldonlybetoogladtobefriendlywithhimiftheyknewhim。

Youdon’tmeetkind-heartedpeopleeveryday。’

’Ah，he’skind-hearted……andgood。’

’Yes；he’llobligemeinanythingifIaskhim。“Mr。Trewe，“Isaytohimsometimes，“youareratheroutofspirits。““Well，Iam，Mrs。Hooper，“he’llsay，“thoughIdon’tknowhowyoushouldfinditout。““Whynottakealittlechange？“Iask。Theninadayortwohe’llsaythathewilltakeatriptoParis，orNorway，orsomewhere；andIassureyouhecomesbackallthebetterforit。’

’Ah，indeed！Hisisasensitivenature，nodoubt。’

’Yes。Stillhe’soddinsomethings。Oncewhenhehadfinishedapoemofhiscompositionlateatnighthewalkedupanddowntheroomrehearsingit；andthefloorsbeingsothin——jerry-builthouses，youknow，thoughIsayitmyself——hekeptmeawakeupabovehimtillI

wishedhimfurther……Butwegetonverywell。’

Thiswasbutthebeginningofaseriesofconversationsabouttherisingpoetasthedayswenton。OnoneoftheseoccasionsMrs。

HooperdrewElla’sattentiontowhatshehadnotnoticedbefore:

minutescribblingsinpencilonthewall-paperbehindthecurtainsattheheadofthebed。

’O！letmelook，’saidMrs。Marchmill，unabletoconcealarushoftendercuriosityasshebentherprettyfaceclosetothewall。

’These，’saidMrs。Hooper，withthemannerofawomanwhoknewthings，’aretheverybeginningsandfirstthoughtsofhisverses。

Hehastriedtorubmostofthemout，butyoucanreadthemstill。

Mybeliefisthathewakesupinthenight，youknow，withsomerhymeinhishead，andjotsitdownthereonthewalllestheshouldforgetitbythemorning。SomeoftheseverylinesyouseehereI

haveseenafterwardsinprintinthemagazines。Somearenewer；

indeed，Ihavenotseenthatonebefore。Itmusthavebeendoneonlyafewdaysago。’

’Oyes！……’

EllaMarchmillflushedwithoutknowingwhy，andsuddenlywishedhercompanionwouldgoaway，nowthattheinformationwasimparted。Anindescribableconsciousnessofpersonalinterestratherthanliterarymadeheranxioustoreadtheinscriptionalone；andsheaccordinglywaitedtillshecoulddoso，withasensethatagreatstoreofemotionwouldbeenjoyedintheact。

PerhapsbecausetheseawaschoppyoutsidetheIsland，Ella’shusbandfounditmuchpleasantertogosailingandsteamingaboutwithouthiswife，whowasabadsailor，thanwithher。Hedidnotdisdaintogothusaloneonboardthesteamboatsofthecheap-

trippers，wheretherewasdancingbymoonlight，andwherethecoupleswouldcomesuddenlydownwithalurchintoeachother’sarms；for，asheblandlytoldher，thecompanywastoomixedforhimtotakeheramidsuchscenes。Thus，whilethisthrivingmanufacturergotagreatdealofchangeandsea-airoutofhissojournhere，thelife，externalatleast，ofEllawasmonotonousenough，andmainlyconsistedinpassingacertainnumberofhourseachdayinbathingandwalkingupanddownastretchofshore。Butthepoeticimpulsehavingagainwaxedstrong，shewaspossessedbyaninnerflamewhichleftherhardlyconsciousofwhatwasproceedingaroundher。

ShehadreadtillsheknewbyheartTrewe’slastlittlevolumeofverses，andspentagreatdealoftimeinvainlyattemptingtorivalsomeofthem，till，inherfailure，sheburstintotears。Thepersonalelementinthemagneticattractionexercisedbythiscircumambient，unapproachablemasterofherswassomuchstrongerthantheintellectualandabstractthatshecouldnotunderstandit。

Tobesure，shewassurroundednoonandnightbyhiscustomaryenvironment，whichliterallywhisperedofhimtoherateverymoment；buthewasamanshehadneverseen，andthatallthatmovedherwastheinstincttospecializeawaitingemotiononthefirstfitthingthatcametohanddidnot，ofcourse，suggestitselftoElla。

Inthenaturalwayofpassionunderthetoopracticalconditionswhichcivilizationhasdevisedforitsfruition，herhusband’sloveforherhadnotsurvived，exceptintheformoffitfulfriendship，anymorethan，orevensomuchas，herownforhim；and，beingawomanofverylivingardours，thatrequiredsustenanceofsomesort，theywerebeginningtofeedonthischancingmaterial，whichwas，indeed，ofaqualityfarbetterthanchanceusuallyoffers。

Onedaythechildrenhadbeenplayinghide-and-seekinacloset，whence，intheirexcitement，theypulledoutsomeclothing。Mrs。

HooperexplainedthatitbelongedtoMr。Trewe，andhungitupintheclosetagain。Possessedofherfantasy，Ellawentlaterintheafternoon，whennobodywasinthatpartofthehouse，openedthecloset，unhitchedoneofthearticles，amackintosh，andputiton，withthewaterproofcapbelongingtoit。

’ThemantleofElijah！’shesaid。’Woulditmightinspiremetorivalhim，gloriousgeniusthatheis！’

Hereyesalwaysgrewwetwhenshethoughtlikethat，andsheturnedtolookatherselfintheglass。HIShearthadbeatinsidethatcoat，andHISbrainhadworkedunderthathatatlevelsofthoughtshewouldneverreach。Theconsciousnessofherweaknessbesidehimmadeherfeelquitesick。Beforeshehadgotthethingsoffherthedooropened，andherhusbandenteredtheroom。

’Whatthedevil——’

Sheblushed，andremovedthem’Ifoundthemintheclosethere，’shesaid，’andputthemoninafreak。WhathaveIelsetodo？Youarealwaysaway！’

’Alwaysaway？Well……’

Thateveningshehadafurthertalkwiththelandlady，whomightherselfhavenourishedahalf-tenderregardforthepoet，soreadywasshetodiscourseardentlyabouthim。