第3章

"Idonotconsideryouanythingofthesort。Ineversomuchasassociatedyouwithanythingresemblinganidea。Imerelyaskedaquestion，"shesaid。"Irepeatit。Doyouordoyounotexist？AreyouabitofthereallyrealorabitofMr。Harley’srealism？Inshort，areyouhereatProfileLake，walkingandtalkingwithme，orareyounot？"

Arealizingsenseofmytruepositioncreptoverme。InrealityI

wasnottheretalkingtoher，butinmydeninNewYorkwritingabouther。Imaynotbearealist，butIamtruthful。Icouldnotdeceiveher，soIreplied，hesitatingly：

"Well，MissAndrews，Iam——no，Iamnothere，exceptinspirit。"

"That’swhatIthought，"shesaid，demurely。"Anddoyouexistsomewhere，oristhisa’situation’calculatedtodelighttheAmericangirl——withpin—moneytospendonMessrs。Herring，Beemer，&

Chadwick’spublications？"

"Idoexist，"Ireplied，meekly；for，Imustconfessit，IrealizedmorethaneverthatMissAndrewswastoomuchforme，andIheartilywishedIwaswelloutofit。"AndIaloneamresponsibleforthis。

HarleyisofffishingatBarnegat——anddoyouknowwhy？"

"Ipresumehehasgonetheretorecuperate，"shesaid。

"Precisely，"saidI。

"Afterhisungentlemanly，discourteous，andwhollyuncalled—forinterferencewithmycomfortatNewport，"shesaid，herfaceflushingandtearscomingintohereyes，"Idon’twonderhe’sprostrated。"

"Idonotknowtowhatyourefer，"saidI。

"Irefertotheepisodeoftherunawayhorse，"shesaid，inwrathfulremembranceoftheincident。"BecauseIrefusetofollowblindlyhiswill，heabuseshispower，placesmeinafalseandperiloussituation，fromwhichI，adefencelesswoman，mustrescuemyselfaloneandunaided。Itwasunmanlyofhim——andIwillpayhimthecomplimentofsayingwhollyunlikehim。"

Istoodaghast。PoorStuartwasbeingblamedformyact。Hemustbesetrightatonce，howeverunpleasantitmightbeforme。

"He——hedidn’tdothat，"Isaid，slowly；"itwasI。Iwrotethatbitofnonsense；andhe——well，hewasmadbecauseIdidit，andsaidhe’dliketokillanymanwhoill—treatedyou；andhemademepromisenevertotouchuponyourlifeagain。"

"MayIaskwhyyoudidthat？"sheasked，andIwasgladtonotethattherewasnodispleasureinhervoice——infact，sheseemedtocheerupwonderfullywhenItoldherthatitwasI，andnotStuart，whohadsubjectedhertothemisadventure。

"BecauseIwasangrywithyou，"Ianswered。"Youwereruiningmyfriendwithyourcontinuedactsofrebellion：hewassuccessful；nowheisruined。Hethinksofyoudayandnight——hewantsyouforhisheroine；hewantstomakeyouhappy，buthewantsyoutobehappyinyourownway；andwhenhethinkshehasdiscoveredyourway，heworksalongthatline，andallofasudden，bysomeactwhollyunforeseen，and，ifImaysayso，unforeseeable，youtreathimandhisworkwithcontempt，drawyourselfoutofit——andhehastobeginagain。"

"Andwhyhaveyouventuredtobreakyourwordtoyourfriend？"sheasked，calmly。"Surelyyouaretouchinguponmylifenow，inspiteofyourpromise。"

"BecauseIamwillingtosacrificemywordtohiswelfare，"I

retorted；"totrytomakeyouunderstandhowyouareblockingthepathofamightyfine—mindedmanbyyourdevotiontowhatyoucallyourindependence。Hewillneveraskyoutodoanythingthatheknowswillberevoltingtoyou，anduntilhehassucceededinpleasingyoutothelastpageofhisbookhewillneverwriteagain。

Ihavedonethisinthehopeofpersuadingyou，atthecostevenofsomepersonaldiscomfort，nottorebelagainsthisgentleleadership—

—tofallinwithhisideasuntilhecanfulfilthistaskofhis，whetheritberealismorpurespeculationonhispart。Ifyoudothis，Stuartissaved。Ifyoudonot，literaturewillbecalledupontomournonewhopromisestobeoneofitsbrightestornaments。"

Istoppedshort。MissAndrewswasgazingpensivelyoutoverthemirror—likesurfaceoftheLake。Finallyshespoke。

"YoumaytellMr。Harley，"shesaid，withasigh，"thatIwilltroublehimnomore。Hecandowithmeashepleasesinallsaveoneparticular。HeshallnotmarrymetoamanIdonotlove。IfhetakesthemanIloveformyhero，thenwillIfollowhimtothedeath。"

"AndmayIaskwhothatmanis？"

"Youmayaskifyouplease，"shereplied，withalittlesmile。"ButIwon’tansweryou，excepttosaythatitisn’tyou。"

"AndamIforgivenformyrunawaystory？"Iasked。

"Yes，"shesaid。"Youwouldn’texpectmetocondemnamanforloyaltytohisfriend，wouldyou？"

WithwhichunderstandingMissAndrewsandIcontinuedourwalk，andwhenwepartedIfoundthatthelittleinterviewIhadstartedtowritehadturnedintothesuggestionofaromance，whichIwasindutyboundtodestroy——butIbegantohaveaglimmeringofanideaastowhothemanwasthatMargueriteAndrewswishedforahero，andI

regrettedalsotofindmyselfconvincedofthetruthofherstatementthatthatmandidnotbearmyname。

CHAPTERVIII：HARLEYRETURNSTOTHEFRAY

"Iwillbemasterofwhatismineown：

Sheismygoods，mychattels。"

—"TamingoftheShrew。"

AttheendoftendaysHarleyreturnedfromBarnegat，brownasaberryandreadyforwar，ifwaritwasstilltobe。Theoutinghaddonehimaworldofgood，andthefishstorieshetoldaswesatatdinnershowedthat，realistthoughhemightbe，hehadyetnotfailedtocultivatehisimaginationincertaindirections。Imayobserveinpassing，andinthisconnection，thatifIhadasonwhomitwasmyambitiontoseemakinghismarkintheworldasawriterofromance，asdistinguishedfromthereal，Ishould，asthefirststepinhisdevelopment，takecarethathebecameafisherman。Thetellingoftalesofthefishhecaughtwhennooneelsewasneartoseewouldgivehim，asithasgivenmanyanother，agoodschoolingintherealmsoftheimagination。

IwasgladtonotethatHarley’swontedcheerfulnesshadreturned，andthathehadbecomemorelikehimselfthanhehadbeenatanytimesincehisfirstfailurewithMissAndrews。

"Youradvicewasexcellent，"hesaid，aswesippedourcoffeeattheclubthenightofhisreturn。"Ihaveacleartwoweeksinwhichtotacklethatstory，andIfeelconfidentnowthatIshallgetitdone。

Furthermore，IshallsendthechapterstoHerring，Beemer，&ChadwickasIwritethem，sothattheremustbenofailure。Ishallbecompelledtofinishthetale，whatevermayhappen，andMissAndrewsshallgothroughtothebitterend，willy—nilly。"

"Don’tberash，Harley，"Isaid；foritseemedtomethatMissAndrews，havingconsentedatmysolicitationtobeadocileheroineforjustsolongasHarleydidnotinsistuponhermarryingthemanshedidnotlove，itwasnotimeforhimtobreakawayfromtheprincipleshehadsosteadfastlyadheredtohithertoandbecomeamartinet。Hestruckmeasbeingmorethanlikelytocrackthewhiplikearing—masterinhispresentmoodthantoplaytheindulgentauthor，andIfeltprettyconfidentthattheinstantthesnapofthelashreachedtheearsofMargueriteAndrewshistroubleswouldbeginagaintenfold，bothinqualityandinquantity，withnopossiblehopeforafuturereconciliationbetweenthem。

"I’mnotgoingtoberash，"saidHarley。"Ineverwasrash，andI’mnotgoingtobeginnow，butIshallusemynerve。Thathasbeenthetroublewithmeinthepast。Ihaven’tbeenfirm。Ihaveletthatgirlhaveherownwayineverything，andI’mverymuchafraidIhavespoiledher。Shebehaveslikeachildwithindulgentparents。Inthelastinstance，theParkerproposal，shesimplyranherindependenceintotheground。Shewasnotonlyrebellioustome，butshewasimpertinenttohim。Herattitudetowardhimwasnotnatureatall；itwasnotrealism，becausesheisawomanofgoodbreeding，andwouldnaturallybethelasttotreatanyman，distastefulornot，withsuchexcessiverudeness。Icompelledhimtogoonandproposetoher，thoughafterhehadbeenatitforfiveminutesIcouldseethathewishedhewaswelloutofit。Ishouldhavetakenherinhandandcontrolledherwithequalfirmness，decliningtopermithertospeaksoopenly。Franknessisgoodenough，especiallyinwomen，amongwhomyourarelyfindit；butfranknessofthesortsheindulgedinhasnoplaceinthepolitecircleinwhichshemoves。"

"Nevertheless，shespokethatway——yousaidyourselfshedid，"I

said，seeingthathewaswrathfulwithMarguerite，andwishingtoassuagehisangerbeforeitcarriedhimtolengthshemightregret。

"Andyou’vegottotakeherassheisordropheraltogether。"

"Shedid——Irepeatthatshedidspeakthatway，butthatwasnoreasonwhyIshouldsubmittoit，"Harleyanswered。"Itwasthefaultofhermood。Shewasnervous，almosthysterical——thankstoherrebelliousspirit。ThemomentIdiscoveredhowthingsweregoingI

shouldhavegonebackandstartedafresh，andkeptondoingsountilIhadhersubmissive。Ahuntermaybalkatahighfence，buttheridermustnotgiveintohimunlesshewishestolettheanimalgetthebetterofhim。Ifheiswisehewillgobackandputthehorsetoitagainandagain，untilhefinallyclearsthetopmostbar。ThatIshouldhavedoneinthisinstance，andthatInowintendtodo，untilthatbookcomesoutasIwantit。"

Ihadtolaughinmysleeve。Onthewhole，Harleywasverylikemostotherrealists，whopretendthattheymerelyputdownlifeasitis，andwhogothroughtheirprofessionalcareersserenelyunconsciousofthetruththattheirfancies，afterall，servethemwhentheirfactsarelacking。EventhatmosteminentdiscipleoftheRealisticCult，Mr。Darrow，hasbeenknowntokilloffaheroinarailroadaccidentthatoweditsbeingtonothingshortofhisownimagination，inorderthattheunhappywightmightnotoffendthereadersofthehighlymoralmagazine，inwhichthestoryfirstappeared，bymarryingawidowwhomhehadbeenforcedbyMr。Darrowtolovebeforeherhusbanddied。Mr。Darrowmanufactured，withfivestrokesofhispen，anengineandatunneltocrushthelifeoutofthepoorfellow，whomanimmoralromancerwouldhaveallowedtoliveonandmarrythelady，andwithperfectproprietytoo，sincetheheroandtheheroinewerebothofthemtheverymodelsofvirtue，inspiteofthelovewhichtheydidnotseek，andwhichMr。Darrowdeliberatelyandalmostbrutallythrustintotheirotherwisehappylives。Ofcoursetherailwayaccidentwasneededtogivetheclimaxtothestory，whichwithoutitmighthaverunthroughsixmorenumbersofthemagazine，totheexclusionofmoreexcitingmaterial；butthatwillnotrelieveMr。Darrow’ssoulofthestainhehasputuponitbydesertingDameRealismforamomenttoflirtwithRomance，whenitcomestotheJudgmentDay。

"AsIwantittobe，somustitbe，"quothHarley。

"Good，"thoughtI。"Itwillnodoubtbeexcellent；butbehonest，anddon’tinsistthatyou’vetakendownlifeasitis；foryoumayhaveanastigmatism，forallyouknow，andlifemaynotbeatallwhatithasseemedtoyouwhileyouwereputtingitdown。"

"Yes，sir，"saidHarley，leaningbackinhischairanddrawingalongbreath，whichshowedhisdetermination，"tothebitterendsheshallgo，throughsuchcomplicationsasIchoosetohaveher，encounteringwhatevervillainsImayhappentofindmostconvenient，andtocompleteherstorysheshallmarrythemanIselectformyhero，ifheisascommonplaceastheaveragesalesmaninaBrooklynuniversaldry—goodsemporium。"

Imaginemyfeelingsifyoucan!Havinggoneasaself—appointedambassadortotheenemytosecuretermsofpeace，toreturntofindmyprincipaldonninghisarmoranddaubinghisfacewithpaintforarenewalofthecombat，wascertainlynotpleasant。WhatcouldIsaytoMargueriteAndrewsifIevermetherinreallife？HowcouldI

lookherintheeye？Thesituationoverpoweredme，andIhardlyknewwhattosay。Icouldn’tbegHarleytosticktohisrealismandnotindulgeincompulsion，becauseIhadoftenjeeredathimfornotinfusingalittlemoreofthedramaticintohisstories，evenifithadtobe"luggedinbytheears，"asheputit。Norwasheinanymoodformetotellhimofmybreachoffaith——themereknowledgethatshehadpromisedtobedocileoutofcharitywouldhavestunghispride，andIthoughtitwouldbebetter，forthetime，atleast，toletmyinterviewremainasecret。Fortunefavoredme，however。

KellyandtheProfessorenteredthediningroomatthismoment，andtheProfessorheldinhishandacopyofthecurrentissueofTheLiteraryMan，Messrs。Herring，Beemer，&Chadwick’sfortnightlypublication，aperiodicalhavingtodowhollywiththingsbookish。

"Whosatforthis，Stuart？"calledouttheProfessor，tappingthefrontispieceofthemagazine。

"Whosatforwhat？"repliedStuart，lookingup。

"Thispicture，"saidtheProfessor。

"It’sapictureofafinelyintellectual—lookingpersonwithyournameunderit，Harley，"putintheDoctor。

"Oh——that，"saidHarley。"Itdoesflattermeabit。"

"Sodoesthearticlewithit，"saidKelly。"Saysyouareagreatman——manwithanidea，andallthat。Isthattrue，orisitjustplainlibel？Haveyouanidea？"

Harleylaughedgood—naturedly。"Ihadoneonce，butit’slost，"hesaid。"Astothatpicture，they’rebringingoutabookforme，"headded，modestly。"Goodad。，youknow。"

"Whenyouarethroughwiththat，Professor，"Iputin，"letmehaveit，willyou？IwanttoseewhatitsaysaboutHarley。"

"It’safirst—ratescreed，"repliedtheProfessor，handingoverthepublication。"IthitsHarleyrightonthehead。"

"Idon’tknowasthat’spleasant，"saidHarley。

"WhatImean，mydearboy，"saidtheProfessor，"isthatitdoesyoujustice。"

AnditreallydiddoHarleyjustice，although，ashehadsuggested，itwaswrittenlargelytoadvertisetheforthcomingwork。ItspokenicelyofHarley’spreviousefforts，andjudiciously，asitseemedtome。Hehadnotgottothetopoftheladderyet，buthewasgettingtherebyaslow，steadydevelopment，andlargelybecausehewasamanwithafixedideaastowhatliteratureoughttobe。

"Mr。Harleyhasseenclearlyfromtheoutsetwhatitwasthathewishedtoaccomplishandhowtoaccomplishit，"thewriterobserved。

"Hehasswervedneithertotherightnortotheleft，buthasprogressedundeviatinglyalongthelineshehasmappedoutforhimself，andkeepingconstantlyinmindtheprincipleswhichseemedtohimatthebeginningofhiscareertoberight。IthasbeenthispersistentandconsistentadherencetoprinciplethathasgainedforMr。Harleyhishearing，andwhichisconstantlyrenderingmorecertainandpermanenthispositionintheworldliterary。Othersmaybeledhitherandyonbythefadsandfolliesofthescatter—brained，butRealismwilleverhaveonesteadfastchampioninStuartHarley。"

"Readthat，"Isaid，tossingthejournalacrossthetable。

Hereadit，andblushedtotherootsofhisears。

"Thisisnotimetodeserttheflag，Harley，"saidI，asheread。

"Sticktoyourcolors，andlethersticktohers。You’dbetterbecarefulhowyouforceyourheroine。"

"Ha，ha!"helaughed。"Ishouldthinkso，andformorereasonsthanone。Ineverreallyintendedtodohorriblethingswithher，myboy。

Trustme，ifIdoleadher，toleadhergently。Mypersuasionwillbesuggestiveratherthanmandatory。"

"Andthathero——fromtheBrooklyndry—goodsshop？"Iasked，withasmile。

"I’dliketoseehimsomuchas——tellherthepriceofanything，"

criedHarley。"AmanlikethathasnobusinesstoliveinthesamehemispherewithawomanlikeMargueriteAndrews。WhenIthreatenedherwithhimIwasconversingthroughalargeandelegantthoughwhollyinvisiblehat。"

Ibreathedmorefreely。Shewasstillsacredandsafeinhishands。

Shortlyafter，dinnerover，weleftthetable，andwenttothetheatre，wherewesawwhattheprogrammecalledthe"latestLondonrealisticsuccess，"inwhichthreeofthefouractsofanintenselyexcitingmelodramadependeduponawoman’snotseeingalargenavyrevolver，whichlayonthetabledirectlybeforehereyesinthefirst。Theplaywasfullofbloodandrepletewiththunder，andwetrulyenjoyedit，onlyHarleywouldnottalkmuchbetweentheacts。

Hewasunusuallymoody。Aftertheplaywasoverhistongueloosened，however，andwewenttothePlayersforasupper，andthereheburstforthintospeech。

"IfMargueriteAndrewshadbeentheheroineofthatplayshe’dhaveseenthatgun，andtheaudiencewouldhavehadtogohomeinsideoftenminutes，"hesaid。Lateronheburstoutwith，"IfmyMissAndrewshadbeentheheroineofthatplay，themanwhofallsovertheprecipiceinthesecondactwouldhavebeenaliveatthismoment。"

Andfinallyhedemanded："DoyousupposeaheroinelikeMargueriteAndrewswouldhaveoverlookedthecommaonthepostalcardthatwomanreadinthethirdact，andsomadethefourthactpossible？Notshe。

She’sawomanwithamind。AndyettheycallthatthelatestLondonrealisticsuccess!Realistic!TheseLondonersdonotseemtounderstandtheirownlanguage。Ifthatplaywasrealism，whatsortofanightmaredoyousupposearomanticdramawouldbe？"

"Well，maybeLondonwomeninreallifehaven’tanyminds，"Isaid，growingratherwearyofthesubject。IadmiredMissAndrewsmyself，buttherewereotherthingsIcouldtalkabout——"likelemonadeandelephants，"asthesmallboysaid。"Letitgoatthat。Itwasaninterestingplay，andthat’sallplaysoughttobe。Realisminplaysisnottobeencouraged。Amangoestothetheatretobeamusedandentertained，nottoberemindedofhomediscomforts。"

Stuartlookedatmereproachfully，orderedafreshcigar，andsuggestedturninginforthenight。IwalkedhomewithhimandtriedtogethiminterestedinafarceIwasatworkon，butitwasofnouse。Hehadbecomeamonomaniac，andhismonomaniawashisrebelliousheroine。FinallyIblurtedout：

"Well，forHeaven’ssake，Stuart，getthewomancaged，willyou？

For，candidly，I’dliketotalkaboutsomethingelse，anduntilMargueriteAndrewsisdisposedofIdon’tbelieveyou’llbeableto。"

"I’llhavehalftheworkdonebythistimeto—morrownight，"saidhe。

"I’vegottenthousandwordsofitinmymindnow。"

"I’llbetyouthereareonlytwowordsdowninyourmind，"saidI。

"Whatarethey？"heasked。

"MargueriteandAndrews，"saidI。

Stuartlaughed。"They’retheonlyonesI’msureof，"saidhe。Andthenweparted。

Buthewasrightaboutwhathewouldhaveaccomplishedbythattimethenextnight；forbeforesundownhehadhalfthestorywritten，and，whatismore，thechaptershadcomeaseasilyasanywritingheeverdid。Fordocility，Margueritewasaperfectwonder。Notonlydidshefollowouthiswishes；sheoftenanticipatedthem，andincertainpartsgavehimaleadinanewdirection，which，Stuartsaid，gavethestoryahundredpercent。morecharacter。

Inshort，MargueriteAndrewswaskeepingherpromisetomenobly。

TheonlythingIregrettedaboutit，nowthatallseemedplainsailing，wasitseffectonStuart。Heramiabilitywasprovingagreatattractiontohissusceptiblesoul，andIwasbeginningtofearthatStuartwasslowlybutsurelyfallinginlovewithhisrebelliousheroine，whichwouldneverdo，unlessshewerereallyreal，onwhichpointIwasmostuncertain。

"Itwouldbeaterriblething，"saidIconfidentiallytomyself，"ifStuartHarleyweretofallinlovewithacreationofhisownrealism。"

CHAPTERIX：ASUMMONSNORTH

"PORTIA。Aquarrel，ho，already？What’sthematter？

"GRATIANO。Aboutahoopofgold，apaltryring。"

—"MerchantofVenice。"

Theeventsjustnarratedtookplaceonthe15thofAugust，andasHarley’stimetofulfilhiscontractwithMessrs。Herring，Beemer，&

Chadwickwasgrowingveryshort——twoweeksisshortshriftforanauthorwithabooktowriteforwaitingpresses，evenwithawillingandhelpfulcastofcharacters——soIresolvednottointrudeuponhimuntilhehimselfshouldsummonme。Iknewmyself，frombitterexperience，howunwelcomethemostwelcomeofone’sfriendscanbeatbusyhours，havinghadmanyabeautifulsketchabsolutelyruinedbytheuntimelyintrusionofthosewhowishedmewell，soIresolutelykeptmyselfawayfromhisden，althoughIwasburningwithcuriositytoknowhowhewasgettingon。

Onoccasionsmycuriositywouldgetthebetterofmyjudgment，andI

wouldendeavor，withtheaidofmyownmuses，toholdamoment’schatwithMissAndrews；butsheeludedme。Icouldn’tfindheratall——

as，indeed，howshouldI，sinceHarleyhadnottakenmeintohisconfidenceastohisintentionsinthenewstory？HemighthavelaidthesceneofitinSingapore，foraughtIknew，and，wanderwhereI

wouldinmyfancy，Iwasutterlyunabletodiscoverherwhereabouts，untiloneeveningaveryweirdthinghappened——athingsoweirdthatIhavebeenpinchingmyselfwithgreatassiduityeversinceinordertoreassuremyselfofmyownexistence。Ihadcomehomefromahardday’seditorialwork，haddinedaloneandcomfortably，andwasstretchedoutatfulllengthuponthelowdivanthatstandsattheendofmyworkshop——thedelightofmywearybonesandtheenvyofmyfriends，whohaveneverbeenabletofindanywhereanotherexactlylikeit。Mycigarwasbetweenmylips，andabovemyhead，risinginacurlingcloudtotheceiling，wasamassofsmoke。IamsureIwasnotdreaming，althoughhowelsetoaccountforitIdonotknow。

Whathappened，toputitbriefly，wasmysuddentransportationtoalittlemountainhotelnotfarfromLakeGeorge，whereIfoundmyselfsittingandtalkingtothewomanIhadsofutilelysought。

"Howdoyoudo？"saidshe，pleasantly，asImaterializedatherside。

"Iamaswellasapersoncanbe，"Ireplied，rubbingmyeyesinconfusion，"whosuddenlyfindshimselftwohundredandfiftymilesawayfromthespotwhere，ahalf—hourbefore，hehadlaindowntorest。"

MissAndrewslaughed。"Youseehowitisyourself，"shesaid。

"Seehowwhatismyself？"Iqueried。

"Tobethepuppetofapersonwho——writes，"sheanswered。

"AndhaveIbecomethat？"Iasked。

"Youhave，"shesmiled。"That’swhyyouarehere。"

Theideamademenervous，andIpinchedmyarmtoseewhetherIwasthereornot。Theresultwasnotaltogetherreassuring。Ineverfeltthepinch，and，tryasIwould，Icouldn’tmakemyselffeelit。

"Excuseme，"Isaid，"fordeviatingamomentfromthematterinhand，buthaveyouahat—pin？"

"No，"sheanswered；"butIhaveabrooch，ifthatwillserveyourpurpose。Whatdoyouwantitfor？"

"Iwishtorunitintomyarmforamoment，"Iexplained。

"Itwon’thelpyouany，"sheanswered，smilingdivinely。"Imusthaveawordwithyou；allthehat—pinsintheworldshallnotpreventme，nowthatyouarehere。"

"Well，waitaminute，Ibegofyou，"Iimplored。"YouintimatedamomentagothatIwasapuppetinthehandsofsomeauthor。Whose？

I’veareputationtosustain，andshallnotgivemyselfupwillingly，unlessIamsurethatthatpersonwillnottriflewithmycharacter。"

"Exactlymyposition，"saidshe。"AsIsaid，youcannowunderstandhowitisyourself。ButIwilltellyouinwhosehandsyouarenow——

youareinmine。SurelyifyouhadtherighttosendmetearingdownBellevueAvenueatNewportbehindarunawayhorse，andthenpursuemeinspirittotheProfileHouse，Ihavetherighttobringyouhere，andIhaveaccordinglydoneso。"

Forawoman’s，herlogicwassurprisinglyconvincing。ShecertainlyhadasmuchrighttotriflewithmycomfortasIhadtotriflewithhers。

"Youareright，MissAndrews，"Imurmured，meekly。"Praycommandmeasyouwill——anddealgentlywiththeerring。"

"Iwilltreatyoufarbetterthanyoutreatedme，"shesaid。"Sohavenofear——althoughIhavebeenhalfmindedattimestorevengemyselfuponyouforthatrunaway。Icouldmakeyoudreadfullyuncomfortable，forwhenItakemypeninhandmyimaginationinthedirectionofthehorribleissomethingawful。Ishallbemerciful，however，forIbelieveintherealisticidea，andIwillmerelymakeuseofthepowermypenpossessesoveryoutohaveyouactpreciselyasyouwouldifyouwereactuallyhere。"

"ThenIamnothere？"Iqueried。

"Whatdoyouthink？’sheasked，archly。

IwasabouttosaythatifIweren’t，IwishedmostheartilythatI

were；butIrememberedfortunatelythatitwouldneverdoformetoflirtwithStuartHarley’sheroine，soIcontentedmyselfwithsaying，boldly，"Idon’tknowwhattothink。"

MissAndrewslookedatmeforamoment，andthen，reachingoutherhand，tookmine，pressedit，andrelinquishedit，saying，"Youarealoyalfriendindeed。"

Therewasnothingflirtatiousabouttheact；itwasasimpleandhighlypleasingacknowledgmentofmyforbearance，anditmademesomewhatmorecomfortablethanIhadbeenatanytimesincemysuddentransportationthroughtheair。

"YourememberwhatIsaidtoyou？"sheresumed。"ThatIwouldceasetorebel，whatsoeverMr。Harleyaskedmetodo，unlessheinsisteduponmarryingmetoamanIdidnotlove？"

"Ido，"Ireplied。"And，asfarasIamaware，youhavestuckbyyouragreement。Stuart，Idoubtnot，hasbythistimegotreadyforhisfinishing—touches。"

"Yoursurmiseiscorrect，"sheanswered，sadly；andthen，withsomespirit，sheadded："Andtheyarefinishing—toucheswithavengeance。

Ihavebeenloyaltomyword，inspiteofmuchdiscomfort。Ihavetravelledfrompillartopostasmeeklyasalamb，becauseitfittedinwithStuartHarley’sconveniencethatIshoulddoso。HehastakenmeandmyfriendMrs。Willardtoandthroughfivedifferentsummerresorts，whereIhavecutthefigurehewishedmetocutwithoutregardtomyownfeelings。Ihavediscussedallsortsoftopics，ofwhichinrealityIknownothing，tolenddepthtohisbook。IhavesnubbedmenIreallyliked，andappearedtolikemenI

profoundlyhated，forhissake。Ihavewittinglyenduredperilforhissake，knowingofcoursethatultimatelyhewouldgetmeoutofdanger；butperilisperiljustthesame，andtothatextentdistractingtothenerves。IhavebeenupsetinacanoeatBarHarbor，andlostonamountaininVermont。IhavesprainedmyankleatSaratoga，andfaintedatadanceatLenox；butnocomplainthaveI

uttered——noteventhesuggestionofarebellionhaveIgiven。Once，Iadmit，IwasdisposedtoresenthisdesirethatIshouldwearacertaincostume，whichhe，manasheis，couldnotseewouldbewofullyunbecoming。Authorshavenobusinesstotouchonsuchthings。ButIovercamethetemptationtorebel，andtopleasehimworeablueandpinkshirt—waistwithafloralsilkskirtatagarden—party——Isupposehethoughtfloralsilkwasappropriatetothegarden；nordidIevenshowmymortificationtothoseaboutme。

NothingwassaidinthebookaboutitsbeingStuartHarley’staste；

itmustneedsbesetdownasmine；andwhilethepagesofHarley’sbookcontainnocriticismofmycostume，Iknowwellenoughwhatalltheotherwomenthoughtaboutit。Still，Istoodit。Ienduredalsowithoutamurmurthecourtshipanddeclarationofloveofaperfectboobyofaman；thatistosay，hewasaboobyintheeyesofawoman——menmightlikehim。IpresumethatasMr。Harleyhaschosenhimtostandfortheheroofhisbook，hemustadmirehim；butI

don’t，andhaven’t，andsha’n’t。YetIhavepretendedtodoso；andfinally，whenheproposedmarriagetomeImeeklyanswered’yes，’

weepinginthebitternessofmyspiritthatmypromiseboundmetodoso；andStuartHarley，notingthosetears，callsthemtearsofjoy!"

"Youneedn’thaveacceptedhim，"Isaid，softly。"Thatwasn’tpartofthebargain。"

"Yes，itwas，"shereturned，positively；"thatis，Iregardeditso，andImustactaccordingtomyviewsofthings。WhatIpromisedwastofollowhiswishesinallthingssaveinmarriagetoamanIdidn’tlove。Gettingengagedisnotgettingmarried，andashewishedmetogetengaged，soIdid，expectingofcoursethatthebookwouldendthere，asitoughttohavedone，andthatthereforenomarriagewouldevercomeoftheengagement。"

"Certainlythebookshouldendthere，then，"saidI。"Youhavekepttotheletterofyouragreement，andnobly，"Iadded，withenthusiasm，forInowsawwhatthepoorgirlmusthavesuffered。

"Harleydidn’ttrytogofurther，didhe？"

"Hedid，"shesaid，hervoicetremblingwithemotion。"Hesetthetimeandplaceforthewedding，issuedthecards，providedmewithatrousseau——atrousseaubaseduponhisintuitionsofwhatatrousseauoughttobe，andthereforeaboutassatisfactorytoawomanoftasteasthatfloralsilkcostumeofthegarden—party；heengagedtheorganist，chosemybridesmaids——girlsIdetested——andfinallyassembledtheguests。Thegroomwasthereatthechancelrail；Mr。

Willard，whomhehadselectedtogivemeaway，waswaitingoutsideinthelobby，cladinhisfrock—coat，aflowerinhisbutton—hole，andhisarmreadyforthebridetoleanon；theministerwasbehindtherail；thewedding—marchwassounding——"

"Andyou？"Icried，utterlyunabletocontainmyselflonger。

"IwasspeedingpastYonkersonthethree—o’clockSaratogaexpress——

boundhither，"sheanswered，withasignificanttossofherhead。

"NoonebutyourselfknowswhereIam，andIhavesummonedyoutoexplainmyactionbeforeyouhearofitfromhim。Idonotwishtobemisjudged。StuartHarleyhadhiswarning，buthechosetoignoreit，andhecangetoutofthedifficultyhehasbroughtuponhimselfinhisownway——possiblyhewilldestroythewholebook；butIwantedyoutoknowthatwhilehedidnotkeepthefaith，Idid。"

Isuddenlyrealizedtheappallingtruth。Myownweaknesswasresponsibleforitall。IhadnottoldHarleyofmyinterviewandherpromise，feelingthatitwasnotnecessary，andfearingitseffectuponhispride。

"Imayadd，"shesaid，quietly，"thatIambitterlydisappointedinyourfriend。Iwasinterestedinhim，andbelievedinhim。Mostofmyactsofrebellion——ifyoucancallmerebellious——werepromptedbymydesiretokeephimtruetohiscreed；andIwilltellyouwhatI

havenevertoldtoanother：IregardedStuartHarleyalmostasanidealman，butthishaschangeditall。IfhewaswhatIthoughthim，hecouldnothaveactedwithsolittleconscienceastotrytoforcethismatchuponme，whenhemusthaveknownthatIdidnotloveHenryDunning。"

"Hedidn’tknow，"Isaid。

"Heshouldhavebeensurebeforeprovidingfortheceremony，afterhearingwhatIhadpromisedyouIwouldandwouldnotdo，"saidMarguerite。

"But——Inevertoldhimanythingaboutyourpromise!"Ishouted，desperately。"Hehasdoneallthisunwittingly。"

"Isthattrue？Didn’tyoutellhim？"shecried，eagerlygraspingmyhand。

Hermannerleftnodoubtinmymindastowhotheheroofherchoicewouldbe——andagainIsighedtothinkthatitwasnotI。

"AstrueasthatIstandhere，"Isaid。"Inevertoldhim。"

Sheshruggedhershoulders。

"Oh，well，youknowwhatImean!"Isaid，excitedly。"WhereverIdostand，it’sastrueasthatIstandthere。"

Thephrasewasawkward，butitfulfilleditspurpose。

"Whydidn’tyoutellhim？"sheasked。

"BecauseIdidn’tthinkitnecessary。Factis，"Iadded，"IhadasortofnotionthatifyoumarriedanybodyinoneofHarley’sbooks，ifHarleyhadhisownwayitwouldbetothemanwho——whotellsthesto——"

AloudnoiseinterruptedmyremarkandIstartedupinalarm，andinaninstantIfoundmyselfbackinmyroomsintownoncemore。ThelittlemountainhousenearLakeGeorge，withitsinterestingandbeautifulguest，hadfadedfromsight，andIrealizedthatsomebodywashammeringwithastickuponmydoor。

"Hellothere!"Icried。"What’swanted？"

"It’sI——Harley，"cameStuart’svoice。"Letmein。"

Iunlockedthedoorandheentered。ThebrownofBarnegathadgone，andhewashisbrokenselfagain。

"Well，"Isaid，tryingtoignorehisappearance，whichreallyshockedme，"how’sthebook？Gotitdone？"

Hesankintoachairwithagroan。

"Hangthebook!——it’sallupwiththat；I’mgoingtoChadwickto—

morrowandcallthethingoff，"hesaid。"Shewon’twork——twoweeks’

steadyapplicationgonefornothing。"

"Oh，come!"Isaid；"notasbadasthat。"

"Preciselyasbadasthat，"heretorted。"Whatcanafellowdoifhisheroinedisappearsascompletelyasiftheearthhadopenedandswallowedherup？"

"Gone？"Icried，withdifficultyrepressingmydesiretolaugh。

"Completely——searchedhighandlowforher——noearthlyuse，"heanswered。"Ican’tevenimaginewheresheis。"

"Allofwhich，mydearStuart，"Isaid，adoptingasuperiortoneforthemoment，"showsthatanimaginationthatisworthsomethingwouldn’tbeabadpossessionforarealist，afterall。Iknowwhereyourheroineis。SheisatalittlemountainhousenearLakeGeorge，andshehasfledtheretoescapeyourboobyofahero，whomyoushouldhaveknownbetterthantoforceuponagirllikeMargueriteAndrews。You’regettinginartistic，mydearboy。SacrificesomethingtotheAmericangirl，butdon’tsacrificeyourart。Justbecausetheaforesaidgirllikesherstoriestoendupwithaweddingisnoreasonwhyyoushouldtrytocondemnyourheroinetolife—longmisery。"

Stuartlookedatmewithapuzzledexpressionforafullminute。

"Howthedeucedoyouknowanythingaboutit？"heasked。

Iimmediatelyenlightenedhim。Itoldhimeverycircumstance——evenmysuspicionastotheheroofherheart，anditseemedtopleasehim。

"Won’tthestorygoifyoustopitwiththeengagement？"Iasked，afteritwasallover。

"Yes，"hesaid，thoughtfully。"ButIshallnotpublishit。Ifitwasallsodistastefultoherasyousay，I’dratherdestroyit。"

"Don’tdothat，"Isaid。"Changetheheroine’sname，andnobodybutourselveswilleverbethewiser。"

"Ineverthoughtofthat，"saidhe。

"That’sbecauseyou’venoimagination，"Iretorted。

Stuartsmiled。"It’sagoodidea，andI’lldoit；itwon’tbethetruestrealism，butIthinkIamentitledtotheleewayononelapse，"hesaid。

"Youare，"Irejoined。"Lapseforthesakeofrealism。Themanwhoneverlapsesisnotreal。Thereneverwassuchaman。Youmightchangethatgarden—partycostumetoo。Ifyoucan’tthinkofabettercombinationthanthat，leaveittome。I’llwritetomysisterandaskhertodesignadecentdressforthatoccasion。"

"Thanks，"saidStuart，withalaugh。"Iacceptyouroffer；but，I

say，whatwasthenameofthelittlemountainhousewhereyoufoundher？"

"Idon’tknow，"Ireplied。"YoumadesuchaninfernalrowbatteringdownmydoorthatIcameawayinahurryandforgottoask。"

"Thatisunfortunate，"saidStuart。"Ishouldhavelikedtogoupthereforawhile——shemighthelpmecorrecttheproofs，youknow。"

That’swhathesaid，buthedidn’tdeceiveme。Helovedher，andI

beganagaintohopetograciousthatHarleyhadnotdeceivedhimselfandme，andthatMargueriteAndrewswasabitofreallife，andnotaworkoftheimagination。

Atanyrate，Harleyhadanabidingfaithinherexistence，forthefollowingMondaynighthepackedhiscaseandsetoutforLakeGeorge。Hewasgoingtoexplore，hesaid。

CHAPTERX：BYWAYOFEPILOGUE

"Let，downthecurtain，thefarceisdone。"

—RABELAIS。

Isupposemystoryoughttoendhere，sinceHarley’srebelliousheroinehasfinallybeensubduedfortheuseofhispublishersandtheconsequentdeclarationofdividendsfortheHarleyexchequer；buttherewasanepiloguetothelittlefarce，whichnearlyturneditintotragedy，fromwhichtheprincipalsweresavedbynothingshortofmyowningenuity。HarleyhadfallendesperatelyinlovewithMargueriteAndrews，andMargueriteAndrewshadfalleninlovewithStuartHarley，andHarleycouldn’tfindher。Sheeludedhiseveryeffort，andhebegantodoubtthathehaddrawnherfromreallife，afterall。ShehadbecomeaMarjorieDawtohim，andthenotionthathemustgothroughlifecherishingahopelesspassionwasdistractingtohim。Hisbookwasthegreatestofhissuccesses，whichwasanadditionalcauseofdiscomforttohim，since，knowingashenowdidthathisstudywasnotafaithfulportrayaloftheinnerlifeofhisheroine，hefeltthatthelaurelsthatwerebeingplaceduponhisbrowhadbeenobtainedunderfalsepretences。

"Ifeellikeahypocrite，"hesaid，ashereadanenthusiasticreviewofhislittleworkfromthepenofnolessapersonthanMr。Darrow，thehigh—priestoftherealisticsect。"IamafraidIshallnotbeabletolookDarrowintheeyewhenImeethimattheclub。"

"Neverfearforthat，Stuart，"Isaid，laughinginwardlyathisplight。"Brazenitout；keepastiffupperlip，andDarrowwillneverknow。Hehasinsight，ofcourse，buthecan’tseeasfarinasyouandhethink。"

"It’sadevilishsituation，"hecried，impatientlystridingupanddowntheroom，"thatamanofmyageshouldbesohopelesslyinlovewithawomanhecan’tfind；andthathecan’tfindherissuchacruelsarcasmuponhisliterarycreed!Whatcursedidiosyncrasyoffateisitthathasbroughtthisthinguponme？"

"It’sthepunishmentthatfitsyourcrime，Harley，"Isaid。"You’vebeenrathernarrowmindedinyourliteraryideas。Possiblyitwillmakeamoretolerantcriticofyouhereafter，whenyoucometoflayfellowslikeBalderstoneforventuringtothinkdifferentlyfromyouastothesortofbooksitispropertowrite。Hehasasmuchrighttotheprofitshecanderivefromhisfancyasyouhavetotheemolumentsofyourinsight。"

"I’dtakesomecomfortifIthoughtthatshereallylovedme，"hesaid，mournfully。

"Havenodoubtonthatscore，Stuart，"Isaid。"Shedoesloveyou。

Iknowthat。Iwishshedidn’t。"

"Thenwhycan’tIfindher？Whydoesshehidefromme？"hecried，fortunatelyignoringmydevoutlyexpressedwish，whichslippedoutbeforeIknewit。

"Becausesheisawoman，"Ireplied。"Hasn’tyouranalyticalmindtoldyouyetthatthemoreawomanlovesaman，theharderhe’sgottoworktofinditoutand——andclinchthebargain？"

"Isupposeyouareright，"hesaid，gloomily。"ButifIwereawoman，andknewIwaskillingamanbykeepingmyselfinhiding，I’dcomeoutandshowmyselfatanycost，especiallyifIlovedhim。"

"Nowyouaredealinginimagination，Harley，"Isaid；"andthatneverwasyourstrongpoint。"

Nevertheless，hewasrightononepoint。ThehopelessnessofhisquestwaskillingHarley——notphysicallyexactly，butemotionally，asitwere。Itwastakingalltheheartoutofhim，andhispresentstateofmindwasfarmoredeplorablethanwhenhewasstrugglingwiththebook，andconstantlygrowingworse。Hetriedeverydevicetofindher——theWillardswereconjuredup，andknewnothing；Mrs。

CorwinandthetwinswerebroughtbackfromEurope，andrefusedtoyieldupthesecret；allthepowersofarealisticpenwerebroughttobearuponher，andyetsherefusedutterlytomaterialize。

Finally，Ifounditnecessarytoactmyself。IcouldnotstandthesightofHarleybeinggraduallyeatenupbythelongingofhisownsoul，andItriedmyhandatexploration。Ihadnobettersuccessforseveralweeks；andthen，likeaninspiration，thewholethingcametome。"Shewon’tcomewhenhesummonsher，becausesheloveshim。Shewon’tsummonhimtocometoher，forthesamereason。Whynotsummonbothofthemyourselftoacommonground？Embalmtheminalittleromanceofyourown。Forcethemifneedbe，butgetthemthere，andsobringthemtogether，andletthemworkouttheirownhappiness，"saidItomyself。TheonlydifficultythatpresenteditselfwasastowhetherornotMargueritewouldallowherselftobeforced。Itwasworththetrial，however，andfortunefavoredme。I

foundherfarfromrebellious。Mypenhadhardlytouchedpaperwhenshematerialized，morebewilderinglybeautifulthanever。IlaidthesceneofmylittleessayatLake—wood，andIfoundhersittingdownbythewater，dreamilygazingoutoverthelake。InherlapwasStuartHarley’sbook，anddaintilypastedonthefly—leafofthiswastheportraitwhichhadappearedintheAugustissueofTheLiteraryMan，whichshehadcutoutandpreserved。

Havingprovidedtheheroinewithaspotconducivetohercomfort，I

hastenedtotransportHarleytothescene。Itwaseasytodo，seeinghowdeeplyinterestedIwasinmyplotandhowwillinghewas。IgothimtherelookinglikeaGreekgod，onlyatriflemoreinteresting，becauseofhissympathy—arousingpallor——thepallorwhichcomesfromanundeservedbuffetingatthehandsofamischievousCupid。Iknowitwell，forIhaveobserveditseveraltimesuponmyowncountenance。ThemomentHarleyappeareduponthesceneIchosetohaveMargueritehastilyclaspthebookinherhands，raiseittoherlips，andkissthepicture——anditmusthavebeenintenselytruetolife，forshediditwithoutamoment’shesitation，almostanticipatingmyconvenience，throwinganamountofpassionintotheactwhichmademypenfairlyhissasIdippeditintotheink。OfcourseHarleycouldnotfailtoseeit——Ihadtakencaretoarrangeallthat——andequallyofcoursehecouldnotfailtocomprehendwhatthatkissmeant；couldnotfailtostopshort，withaconvulsiveefforttocontrolhimself——heroesalwaysdothat；couldnotfailtherebytoattractherattention。Afterthisnothingwasmorenaturalthanthatsheshouldspringtoherfeet，"theblushesofasurprisedlovemantlinghercheeks"；itwasequallynaturalthatsheshouldtrytorun，shouldslip，havehimcatchherarmandsaveherfromfalling，and——well，Iamnotgoingtotellthewholestory。I

haveneitherthetime，theinclination，northetalenttolaybaretotheworldthelove—affairsofmyfriend。Furthermore，havinggotthemtogether，Idiscreetlywithdrew，sothatevenifIweretotrytowriteuptherestofthecourtship，itwouldmerelyresultinmytellingyouhowIimagineditprogressed，andIfancymyreadersareaswellupinmattersofthatsortasIam。Sufficeittosay，therefore，thatinthiswayIbroughtStuartHarleyandMargueriteAndrewstogether，andthattheeventjustifiedthemeans：andthattheotherday，whenMr。andMrs。Harleyreturnedfromtheirhoneymoon，theytoldmetheythoughtIoughttogiveuphumorandtaketowritinglove—stories。

"Thatkissingthepictureepisode，"saidStuart，lookinggratefullyatme，"wasaninspiration。Tomymind，itwasthemostsatisfactorythingyou’veeverdone。"

"Ilikethat!"criedhiswife，withamischievoustwinkleinhereye。

"Hedidn’tdoit。ItwasIwhokissedthepicture。Hecouldn’thavemademedoanythingelsetosavehislife。"

"Rebellioustothelast!"saidI，withasightothinkthatImustnowwritetheword"Finis"tomylittlefarce。

"Yes，"sheanswered。"Rebellioustothelast。Ishallneverconsenttobetheheroineofabookagain，until——"

ShepausedandlookedatStuart。

"Untilwhat？"heasked，tenderly。

"Untilyouwriteyourautobiography，"saidshe。"Ihavealwayswantedofbetheheroineofthat。"

Andthrowingdownmypen，IdiscoveredIwasalone。