第4章

\"No；we\'venotimetowaste。I\'vegotaplacenearThirdAvenue，onanicecrossstreet，andIwanthimtotakeusthere。\"Itprovedthatshehadseveraladdressesneartogether，anditseemedbesttodismisstheircoupeanddotherestoftheirafternoon\'sworkonfoot。Itcametonothing；shewasnothumbledintheleastbywhatshehadseeninthetenement-housestreet；sheyieldednopointinheridealofaflat，andtheflatspersistentlyrefusedtolendthemselvestoit。Shelostallpatiencewiththem。 \"Oh，Idon\'tsaytheflatsareintherightofit，\"saidherhusband，whenshedenouncedtheirstupidinadequacytothepurposesofaChristianhome。\"ButI\'mnotsosurethatweare，either。I\'vebeenthinkingaboutthathomebusinesseversincemysensibilitiesweredragged——inacoupe——throughthattenement-housestreet。Ofcourse，nochildbornandbroughtupinsuchaplaceasthatcouldhaveanyconceptionofhome。 Butthat\'sbecausethosepoorpeoplecan\'tgivecharactertotheirhabitations。Theyhavetotakewhattheycanget。Butpeoplelikeus—— thatis，ofourmeans——dogivecharactertotheaverageflat。It\'smadetomeettheirtastes，ortheirsupposedtastes；andsoit\'smadeforsocialshow，notforfamilylifeatall。Thinkofababyinaflat! It\'sacontradictioninterms；theflatisthenegationofmotherhood。 Theflatmeanssocietylife；thatis，thepretenceofsociallife。It\'smadetogiveartificialpeopleasocietybasisonalittlemoney——toomuchmoney，ofcourse，forwhattheyget。Sothecostofthebuildingisputintomarblehallsandidioticdecorationofallkinds。Idon\'t。 objecttotheconveniences，butnoneoftheseflatshasaliving-room。 Theyhavedrawing-roomstofostersocialpretence，andtheyhavedining- roomsandbedrooms；buttheyhavenoroomwherethefamilycanallcometogetherandfeelthesweetnessofbeingafamily。Thebedroomsareblack-holesmostly，withasinfulwasteofspaceineach。Ifitwerenotforthemarblehalls，andthedecorations，andthefoolishlyexpensivefinish，thehousescouldbebuiltroundacourt，andtheflatscouldbeshapedsomethinglikeaPompeiianhouse，withsmallsleeping-closets—— onlylitfromtheoutside——andtherestofthefloorthrownintotwoorthreelargecheerfulhalls，whereallthefamilylifecouldgoon，andsocietycouldbetransactedunpretentiously。Why，thosetenementsarebetterandhumanerthanthoseflats!Therethewholefamilylivesinthekitchen，andhasitsconsciousnessofbeing；buttheflatabolishesthefamilyconsciousness。It\'sconfinementwithoutcoziness；it\'sclutteredwithoutbeingsnug。Youcouldn\'tkeepaself-respectingcatinaflat； youcouldn\'tgodowncellartogetcider。No!theAnglo-Saxonhome，asweknowitintheAnglo-Saxonhouse，issimplyimpossibleintheFranco- Americanflat，notbecauseit\'shumble，butbecauseit\'sfalse。\" \"Well，then，\"saidMrs。March，\"let\'slookathouses。\" Hehadbeendenouncingtheflatintheabstract，andhehadnotexpectedthisconcreteresult。Buthesaid，\"Wewilllookathouses，then。\" X。 Nothingmystifiesamanmorethanawoman\'saberrationsfromsomepointatwhichhe，supposesherfixedasastar。Intheseunfurnishedhouses，withoutsteamorelevator，Marchfollowedhiswifeaboutwithpatientwonder。Sheratherlikedtheworstofthembest:butshemadehimgodownintothecellarsandlookatthefurnaces；sheexactedfromhimarigidinquestoftheplumbing。Shefollowedhimintooneofthecellarsbythefitfulglareofsuccessivelylightedmatches，andtheyenjoyedamomentinwhichtheanomalyoftheirpresencethereonthaterrand，soremotefromallthefactsoftheirlong-establishedlifeinBoston，realizeditselfforthem。 \"Thinkhoweasilywemighthavebeenmurderedandnobodybeenanythewiser!\"shesaidwhentheywerecomfortablyoutdoorsagain。 \"Yes，ormadewaywithourselvesinanaccessofemotionalinsanity，supposedtohavebeeninducedbyunavailingflat-hunting，\"hesuggested。 Shefellinwiththenotion。\"I\'mbeginningtofeelcrazy。ButIdon\'twantyoutoloseyourhead，Basil。AndIdon\'twantyoutosentimentalizeanyofthethingsyouseeinNewYork。Ithinkyouweredisposedtodoitinthatstreetwedrovethrough。Idon\'tbelievethere\'sanyrealsuffering——notrealsuffering——amongthosepeople；thatis，itwouldbesufferingfromourpointofview，butthey\'vebeenusedtoitalltheirlives，andtheydon\'tfeeltheir\'discomfortsomuch。\" \"Ofcourse，Iunderstandthat，andIdon\'tproposetosentimentalizethem。Ithinkwhenpeoplegetusedtoabadstateofthingstheyhadbettersticktoit；infact，theydon\'tusuallylikeabetterstatesowell，andIshallkeepthatfirmlyinmind。\" Shelaughedwithhim，andtheywalkedalongtheLbestriddenavenue，exhilaratedbytheirescapefrommurderandsuicideinthatcellar，towardthenearestcrosstowntrack，whichtheymeanttotakehometotheirhotel。\"Nowto-nightwewillgotothetheatre，\"shesaid，\"andgetthiswholehousebusinessoutofourminds，andbeperfectlyfreshforanewstartinthemorning。\"Suddenlysheclutchedhisarm。\"Why，didyouseethatman?\"andshesignedwithherheadtowardadecentlydressedpersonwhowalkedbesidethem，nextthegutter，stoopingoverasiftoexamineit，andhalfhaltingattimes。 \"No。What?\" \"Why，Isawhimpickupadirtybitofcrackerfromthepavementandcramitintohismouthandeatitdownasifhewerefamished。Andlook!he\'sactuallyhuntingformoreinthosegarbageheaps!\" Thiswaswhatthedecent-lookingmanwiththehardhandsandbrokennailsofaworkmanwasdoing-likeahungrydog。Theykeptupwithhim，inthefascinationofthesight，tothenextcorner，whereheturneddownthesidestreetstillsearchingthegutter。 Theywalkedonafewpaces。ThenMarchsaid，\"Imustgoafterhim，\"andlefthiswifestanding。 \"Areyouinwant——hungry?\"heaskedtheman。 ThemansaidhecouldnotspeakEnglish，Monsieur。 MarchaskedhisquestioninFrench。 Themanshruggedapitiful，desperateshrug，\"Mais，Monsieur——\" Marchputacoininhishand，andthensuddenlytheman\'sfacetwistedup；hecaughtthehandofthisalms-giverinbothofhisandclungtoit。 \"Monsieur!Monsieur!\"hegasped，andthetearsraineddownhisface。 Hisbenefactorpulledhimselfaway，shockedandashamed，asoneisbysuchachance，andgotbacktohiswife，andthemanlapsedbackintothemysteryofmiseryoutofwhichhehademerged。 Marchfeltitlaiduponhimtoconsolehiswifeforwhathadhappened。 \"Ofcourse，wemightlivehereforyearsandnotseeanothercaselikethat；and，ofcourse，therearetwentyplaceswherehecouldhavegoneforhelpifhehadknownwheretofindthem。\" \"Ah，butit\'sthepossibilityofhisneedingthehelpsobadlyasthat，\" sheanswered。\"That\'swhatIcan\'tbear，andIshallnotcometoaplacewheresuchthingsarepossible，andwemayaswellstopourhouse-huntinghereatonce。\" \"Yes?AndwhatpartofChristendomwillyoulivein?Suchthingsarepossibleeverywhereinourconditions。\" \"Thenwemustchangetheconditions——\" \"Ohno；wemustgotothetheatreandforgetthem。WecanstopatBrentano\'sforourticketsaswepassthroughUnionSquare。\" \"Iamnotgoingtothetheatre，Basil。IamgoinghometoBostonto- night。Youcanstayandfindaflat。\" Heconvincedheroftheabsurdityofherposition，andevenofitsselfishness；butshesaidthathermindwasquitemadeupirrespectiveofwhathadhappened，thatshehadbeenawayfromthechildrenlongenough； thatsheoughttobeathometofinishuptheworkofleavingit。Thewordbroughtasigh。\"Ah，Idon\'tknowwhyweshouldseenothingbutsadanduglythingsnow。Whenwewereyoung——\" \"Younger，\"heputin。\"We\'restillyoung。\" \"That\'swhatwepretend，butweknowbetter。ButIwasthinkinghowprettyandpleasantthingsusedtobeturningupallthetimeonourtravelsintheolddays。Why，whenwewereinNewYorkhereonourweddingjourneytheplacedidn\'tseemhalfsodirtyasitdoesnow，andnoneofthesedismalthingshappened。\" \"Itwasagooddealdirtier，\"heanswered；\"andIfancyworseineveryway-hungrier，raggeder，morewretchedlyhoused。Butthatwasn\'ttheperiodoflifeforustonoticeit。Don\'tyouremember，whenwestartedtoNiagarathelasttime，howeverybodyseemedmiddle-agedandcommonplace；andwhenwegottheretherewerenoevidentbrides；nothingbutelderlymarriedpeople?\" \"Atleasttheyweren\'tstarving，\"sherebelled。 \"No，youdon\'tstarveinparlor-carsandfirst-classhotels；butifyoustepoutofthemyourunyourchanceofseeingthosewhodo，ifyou\'regettingonprettywellintheforties。Ifit\'stheunhappywhoseeunhappiness，thinkwhatmiserymustberevealedtopeoplewhopasstheirlivesinthereallysqualidtenement-housestreets——Idon\'tmeanpicturesqueavenueslikethatwepassedthrough。\" \"Butwearenotunhappy，\"sheprotested，bringingthetalkbacktothepersonalbaseagain，aswomenmusttogetanygoodoutoftalk。\"We\'rereallynounhappierthanwewerewhenwewereyoung。\" \"We\'remoreserious。\" \"Well，Ihateit；andIwishyouwouldn\'tbesoserious，ifthat\'swhatitbringsusto。\" \"Iwillbetrivialfromthison，\"saidMarch。\"ShallwegototheHoleintheGroundto-night?\" \"IamgoingtoBoston。\" \"It\'smuchthesamething。Howdoyoulikethatfortriviality?It\'salittleblasphemous，I\'llallow。\" \"It\'sverysilly，\"shesaid。 AtthehoteltheyfoundaletterfromtheagentwhohadsentthemthepermittoseeMrs。GrosvenorGreen\'sapartment。Hewrotethatshehadheardtheywerepleasedwithherapartment，andthatshethoughtshecouldmakethetermstosuit。ShehadtakenherpassageforEurope，andwasveryanxioustolettheflatbeforeshesailed。Shewouldcallthateveningatseven。 \"Mrs。GrosvenorGreen!\"saidMrs。March。\"Whichofthetenthousandflatsisit，Basil?\" \"Thegimcrackery，\"heanswered。\"IntheXenophon，youknow。\" \"Well，shemaysaveherselfthetrouble。Ishallnotseeher。Oryes—— Imust。Icouldn\'tgoawaywithoutseeingwhatsortofcreaturecouldhaveplannedthatfly-awayflat。Shemustbeaperfect——\" \"Parachute，\"Marchsuggested。 \"No!anybodysolightasthatcouldn\'tcomedown。\" \"Well，toyballoon。\" \"Toyballoonwilldoforthepresent，\"Mrs。Marchadmitted。\"ButIfeelthatnaughtbutherselfcanbeherparallelforvolatility。\" WhenMrs。Grosvenor-Green\'scardcameuptheybothdescendedtothehotelparlor，whichMarchsaidlookedlikethesaloonofaMoorishday-boat； notthatheknewofanysuchcraft，butthedecorationsweresoSaracenicandthearchitecturesoHudsonRiverish。Theyfoundthereonthegrandcentraldivanalargeladywhosevastsmoothness，placidity，andplumpnesssetatdefiancealltheirpreconceptionsofMrs。GrosvenorGreen，sothatMrs。Marchdistinctlypausedwithhercardinherhandbeforeventuringevententativelytoaddressher。Thenshewasastonishedatthelow，calmvoiceinwhichMrs。Greenacknowledgedherself，andslowlyproceededtoapologizeforcalling。ItwasnotquitetruethatshehadtakenherpassageforEurope，butshehopedsoontodoso，andsheconfessedthatinthemeantimeshewasanxioustoletherflat。Shewasalittlewornoutwiththecareofhousekeeping—— Mrs。Marchbreathed，\"Ohyes!\"inthesighwithwhichladiesrecognizeoneanother\'smartyrdom——andMrs。Greenhadbusinessabroad，andshewasgoingtopursueherartstudiesinParis；shedrewinMr。Ilcomb\'sclassnow，buttheinstructionwassomuchbetterinParis；andasthesuperintendentseemedtothinkthepricewastheonlyobjection，shehadventuredtocall。 \"Thenwedidn\'tdeceivehimintheleast，\"thoughtMrs。March，whilesheanswered，sweetly:\"No；wewereonlyafraidthatitwouldbetoosmallforourfamily。Werequireagoodmanyrooms。\"Shecouldnotforegotheopportunityofsaying，\"MyhusbandiscomingtoNewYorktotakechargeofaliteraryperiodical，andhewillhavetohavearoomtowritein，\" whichmadeMrs。GreenbowtoMarch，andmadeMarchlooksheepish。\"Butwedidthinktheapartmentverycharming\"，(Itwasarchitecturallycharming，sheprotestedtoherconscience)，\"andweshouldhavebeensogladifwecouldhavegotintoit。\"Shefollowedthiswithsomeaccountoftheirhouse-hunting，amidsoftmurmursofsympathyfromMrs。Green，whosaidthatshehadbeenthroughallthat，andthatifshecouldhaveshownherapartmenttothemshefeltsurethatshecouldhaveexplaineditsothattheywouldhaveseenitscapabilitiesbetter，Mrs。Marchassentedtothis，andMrs。Greenaddedthatiftheyfoundnothingexactlysuitableshewouldbegladtohavethemlookatitagain；andthenMrs。 MarchsaidthatshewasgoingbacktoBostonherself，butshewasleavingMr。Marchtocontinuethesearch；andshehadnodoubthewouldbeonlytoogladtoseetheapartmentbydaylight。\"Butifyoutakeit，Basil，\" shewarnedhim，whentheywerealone，\"Ishallsimplyrenounceyou。I wouldn\'tliveinthatjunk-shopifyougaveittome。Butwhowouldhavethoughtshewasthatkindoflookingperson?ThoughofcourseImighthaveknownifIhadstoppedtothinkonce。It\'sbecausetheplacedoesn\'texpressheratallthatit\'ssounlikeher。Itcouldn\'tbelikeanybody，oranythingthatfliesintheair，orcreepsupontheearth，orswimsinthewatersundertheearth。Iwonderwhereintheworldshe\'sfrom；she\'snoNew-Yorker；evenwecanseethat；andshe\'snotquiteacountryperson，either；sheseemslikeapersonfromsomelargetown，whereshe\'sbeenanaestheticauthority。Andshecan\'tfindgoodenoughartinstructioninNewYork，andhastogotoParisforit!Well，it\'spathetic，afterall，Basil。Ican\'thelpfeelingsorryforapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。\" \"Ican\'thelpfeelingsorryforthehusbandofapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。WhatisMr。GrosvenorGreengoingtodoinPariswhileshe\'sworkingherwayintotheSalon?\" \"Well，youkeepawayfromherapartment，Basil；that\'sallI\'vegottosaytoyou。AndyetIdolikesomethingsabouther。\" \"Ilikeeverythingaboutherbutherapartment，\"saidMarch。 \"Ilikehergoingtobeoutofthecountry，\"saidhiswife。\"Weshouldn\'tbeoverlooked。Andtheplacewasprettilyshaped，youcan\'tdenyit。Andtherewasanelevatorandsteamheat。Andthelocationisveryconvenient。Andtherewasahall-boytobringupcards。Thehallsandstairswerekeptverycleanandnice。Butitwouldn\'tdo。Icouldputyouafoldingbedintheroomwhereyouwrote，andwecouldevenhaveoneintheparlor\" \"Behindaportiere?Icouldn\'tstandanymoreportieres!\" \"Andwecouldsqueezethetwogirlsintooneroom，orperhapsonlybringMargaret，andputoutthewholeofthewash。Basil!\"shealmostshrieked，\"itisn\'ttobethoughtof!\" Heretorted，\"I\'mnotthinkingofit，mydear。\" FulkersoncameinjustbeforetheystartedforMrs。March\'strain，tofindoutwhathadbecomeofthem，hesaid，andtoseewhethertheyhadgotanythingtoliveinyet。 \"Notathing，\"shesaid。\"AndI\'mjustgoingbacktoBoston，andleavingMr。Marchheretodoanythinghepleasesaboutit。Hehas\'carteblanche。\'\" \"Butfreedombringsresponsibility，youknow，Fulkerson，andit\'sthesameasifI\'dnochoice。I\'mstayingbehindbecauseI\'mleft，notbecauseIexpecttodoanything。\" \"Isthatso?\"askedFulkerson。\"Well，wemustseewhatcanbedone。I supposedyouwouldbeallsettledbythistime，orIshouldhavehumpedmyselftofindyousomething。NoneofthoseplacesIgaveyouamountstoanything?\" \"Asmuchasfortythousandotherswe\'velookedat，\"saidMrs。March。 \"Yes，oneofthemdoesamounttosomething。ItcomessonearbeingwhatwewantthatI\'vegivenMr。Marchparticularinstructionsnottogonearit。\" ShetoldhimaboutMrs。GrosvenorGreenandherflats，andattheendhesaid: \"Well，well，wemustlookoutforthat。I\'llkeepaneyeonhim，Mrs。 March，andseethathedoesn\'tdoanythingrash，andIwon\'tleavehimtillhe\'sfoundjusttherightthing。Itexists，ofcourse；itmustinacityofeighteenhundredthousandpeople，andtheonlyquestioniswheretofindit。Youleavehimtome，Mrs。March；I\'llwatchoutforhim。\" Fulkersonshowedsomesignsofgoingtothestationwhenhefoundtheywerenotdriving，butshebadehimaperemptorygood-byeatthehoteldoor。 \"He\'sverynice，Basil，andhiswaywithyouisperfectlycharming。 It\'sverysweettoseehowreallyfondofyouheis。ButIdidn\'twanthimstringingalongwithusuptoForty-secondStreetandspoilingourlastmomentstogether。\" AtThirdAvenuetheytooktheElevatedforwhichsheconfessedaninfatuation。Shedeclareditthemostidealwayofgettingaboutintheworld，andwasnotashamedwhenheremindedherofhowsheusedtosaythatnothingunderthesuncouldinducehertotravelonit。Shenowsaidthatthenighttransitwasevenmoreinterestingthantheday，andthatthefleeingintimacyyouformedwithpeopleinsecondandthirdfloorinteriors，whilealltheusualstreetlifewentonunderneath，hadadomesticintensitymixedwithaperfectreposethatwasthelasteffectofgoodsocietywithallitssecurityandexclusiveness。Hesaiditwasbetterthanthetheatre，ofwhichitremindedhim，toseethosepeoplethroughtheirwindows:afamilypartyofwork-folkatalatetea，someofthemenintheirshirt-sleeves；awomansewingbyalamp；amotherlayingherchildinitscradle；amanwithhisheadfallenonhishandsuponatable；agirlandherloverleaningoverthewindow-silltogether。Whatsuggestion!whatdrama?whatinfiniteinterest!AttheForty-secondStreetstationtheystoppedaminuteonthebridgethatcrossesthetracktothebranchroadfortheCentralDepot，andlookedupanddownthelongstretchoftheElevatedtonorthandsouth。Thetrackthatfoundandlostitselfathousandtimesintheflareandtremoroftheinnumerablelights；themoonysheenoftheelectricsmixingwiththereddishpointsandblotsofgasfarandnear；thearchitecturalshapesofhousesandchurchesandtowers，rescuedbytheobscurityfromallthatwasignobleinthem，andthecomingandgoingofthetrainsmarkingthestationswithvividerorfainterplumesofflame-shotsteam-formedanincomparableperspective。Theyoftentalkedafterwardofthesuperbspectacle，whichinacityfullofpaintersnightlyworksitsunrecordedmiracles；andtheywerejusttotheArachneroofspuninironoverthecrossstreetonwhichtheyrantothedepot；butforthepresenttheyweremostlyinarticulatebeforeit。TheyhadanothermomentofrichsilencewhentheypausedinthegallerythatleadsfromtheElevatedstationtothewaiting-roomsintheCentralDepotandlookeddownuponthegreatnighttrainslyingonthetracksdimundertherainofgas-lightsthatstarredwithoutdispersingthevastdarknessoftheplace。Whatforces，whatfates，sleptinthesebulkswhichwouldsoonbehurlingthemselvesnorthandsouthandwestthroughthenight!NowtheywaitedtherelikefabledmonstersofArabstoryreadyforthemagician\'stouch，tractable，reckless，will-less——organizedlifelessnessfullofastrangesemblanceoflife。 TheMarchesadmiredtheimpressivesightwithathrillofpatrioticprideinthefactthatthewholeworldperhapscouldnotaffordjustthelike。 Thentheyhurrieddowntotheticket-offices，andhegotheralowerberthintheBostonsleeper，andwentwithhertothecar。Theymadethemostofthefactthatherberthwasintheverymiddleofthecar；andshepromisedtowriteassoonasshereachedhome。Shepromisedalsothat，havingseenthelimitationsofNewYorkinrespecttoflats，shewouldnotbehardonhimifhetooksomethingnotquiteideal。OnlyhemustrememberthatitwasnottobeaboveTwentiethStreetnorbelowWashingtonSquare；itmustnotbehigherthanthethirdfloor；itmusthaveanelevator，steamheat，hail-boys，andapleasantjanitor。Thesewereessentials；ifhecouldnotgetthem，thentheymustdowithout。 Buthemustgetthem。 XI。 Mrs。Marchwasoneofthosewiveswhoexactamorerigidadherencetotheiridealsfromtheirhusbandsthanfromthemselves。Earlyintheirmarriedlifeshehadtakenchargeofhiminallmatterswhichsheconsideredpractical。Shedidnotincludethebusinessofbread-winninginthese；thatwasanaffairthatmightsafelybelefttohisabsent- minded，dreamyinefficiency，andshedidnotinterferewithhimthere。 Butinsuchthingsasrehangingthepictures，decidingonasummerboarding-place，takingaseasidecottage，repaperingrooms，choosingseatsatthetheatre，seeingwhatthechildrenatewhenshewasnotattable，shuttingthecatoutatnight，keepingrunofcallsandinvitations，andseeingifthefurnacewasdampered，hehadfailedhersooftenthatshefeltshecouldnotleavehimtheslightestdiscretioninregardtoaflat。Hertotaldistrustofhisjudgmentinthematterscitedandotherslikethemconsistedwiththegreatestadmirationofhismindandrespectforhischaracter。Sheoftensaidthatifhewouldonlybringthesetobearinsuchexigencieshewouldbesimplyperfect；butshehadlonggivenuphiseverdoingso。Shesubjectedhim，therefore，toanironcode，butafterproclaimingitshewasapttoabandonhimtothenativelawlessnessofhistemperament。Sheexpectedhiminthiseventtodoashepleased，andsheresignedherselftoitwithconsiderablecomfortinholdinghimaccountable。Helearnedtoexpectthis，andaftersufferingkeenlyfromherdisappointmentwithwhateverhedidhewaitedpatientlytillsheforgothergrievanceandbegantoextractwhatconsolationlurksintheirreparable。Shewouldalmostadmitatmomentsthatwhathehaddonewasaverygoodthing，butshereservedtherighttoreturninfullforcetoheroriginalcondemnationofit；andsheaccumulatedeachactofindependentvolitioninwitnessandwarningagainsthim。Theirmassoppressedbutneverdeterredhim。 Heexpectedtodothewrongthingwhenlefttohisowndevices，andhediditwithoutanyapparentrecollectionofhisformermisdeedsandtheirconsequences。Therewasagooddealofcomedyinitall，andsometragedy。 Henowexperiencedacertainexpansion，suchashusbandsofhiskindwillimagine，ongoingbacktohishotelalone。Itwas，perhaps，arevulsionfromthepainofparting；andhetoyedwiththeideaofMrs。GrosvenorGreen\'sapartment，which，initspreposterousunsuitability，hadastrangeattraction。Hefeltthathecouldtakeitwithlessriskthananythingelsetheyhadseen，buthesaidhewouldlookatalltheotherplacesintownfirst。Hereallyspentthegreaterpartofthenextdayinhuntinguptheownerofanapartmentthathadneithersteamheatnoranelevator，butwasotherwiseperfect，andtryingtogethimtotakelessthantheagentasked。Byacuriouspsychicaloperationhewasable，inthetransaction，toworkhimselfintoquiteapassionatedesirefortheapartment，whileheheldtheGrosvenorGreenapartmentinthebackgroundofhismindassomethingthathecouldreturntoasaltogethermoresuitable。Heconductedsomesimultaneousnegotiationforafurnishedhouse，whichenhancedstillmorethedesirabilityoftheGrosvenorGreenapartment。Towardeveninghewentoffatatangentfarup-town，soastobeabletotellhiswifehowutterlypreposterousthebesttherewouldbeascomparedevenwiththisridiculousGrosvenorGreengimcrackery。Itishardtoreporttheprocessesofhissophistication； perhapsthis，again，maybestbelefttothemaritalimagination。 Herangatthelastoftheseup-townapartmentsasitwasfallingdusk，anditwaslongbeforethejanitorappeared。Thenthemanwasverysurly，andsaidifhelookedattheflatnowhewouldsayitwastoodark，likealltherest。HisreluctanceirritatedMarchinproportiontohisinsincerityinproposingtolookatitatall。Heknewhedidnotmeantotakeitunderanycircumstances；thathewasgoingtousehisinspectionofitindishonestjustificationofhisdisobediencetohiswife；butheputonanairofoffendeddignity。\"Ifyoudon\'twishtoshowtheapartment，\"hesaid，\"Idon\'tcaretoseeit。\" Themangroaned，forhewasheavy，andnodoubtdreadedthestairs。Hescratchedamatchonhisthigh，andledthewayup。Marchwassorryforhim，andheputhisfingersonaquarterinhiswaistcoat-pockettogivehimatparting。Atthesametime，behadtotrumpupanobjectiontotheflat。Thiswaseasy，foritwasadvertisedascontainingtenrooms，andhefoundthenumberekedoutwiththebath-roomandtwolargeclosets。 \"It\'slightenough，\"saidMarch，\"butIdon\'tseehowyoumakeouttenrooms\" \"There\'stenrooms，\"saidtheman，deigningnoproof。 Marchtookhisfingersoffthequarter，andwentdown-stairsandoutofthedoorwithoutanotherword。Itwouldbewrong，itwouldbeimpossible，togivethemananythingaftersuchinsolence。Hereflected，withshame，thatitwasalsocheapertopunishthanforgivehim。 Hereturnedtohishotelpreparedforanydesperatemeasure，andconvincednowthattheGrosvenorGreenapartmentwasnotmerelytheonlythingleftforhim，butwas，onitsownmerits，thebestthinginNewYork。 Fulkersonwaswaitingforhiminthereading-room，anditgaveMarchthecuriousthrillwithwhichamancloseswithtemptationwhenhesaid: \"Lookhere!Whydon\'tyoutakethatwoman\'sflatintheXenophon?She\'sbeenattheagentsagain，andthey\'vebeenatme。Shelikesyourlook—— orMrs。March\'s——andIguessyoucanhaveitataprettyheavydiscountfromtheoriginalprice。I\'mauthorizedtosayyoucanhaveitforoneseventy-fiveamonth，andIdon\'tbelieveitwouldbesafeforyoutoofferonefifty。\" Marchshookhishead，anddroppedamaskofvirtuousrejectionoverhiscorruptacquiescence。\"It\'stoosmallforus——wecouldn\'tsqueezeintoit。\" \"Why，lookhere!\"Fulkersonpersisted。\"Howmanyroomsdoyoupeoplewant?\" \"I\'vegottohaveaplacetowork——\" \"Ofcourse!Andyou\'vegottohaveitattheFifthWheeloffice。\" \"Ihadn\'tthoughtofthat，\"Marchbegan。\"IsupposeIcoulddomyworkattheoffice，asthere\'snotmuchwriting——\" \"Why，ofcourseyoucan\'tdoyourworkathome。Youjustcomeroundwithmenow，andlookatthatagain。\" \"No；Ican\'tdoit。\" \"Why?\" \"I——I\'vegottodine。\" \"Allright，\"saidFulkerson。\"Dinewithme。IwanttotakeyouroundtoalittleItalianplacethatIknow。\" OnemaytracethesuccessivestepsofMarch\'sdescentinthissimplematterwiththesameedificationthatwouldattendthestudyoftheself- delusionsandobfuscationsofamantemptedtocrime。Theprocessisprobablynotatalldifferent，andtothephilosophicalmindthekindofresultisunimportant；theprocessiseverything。 Fulkersonledhimdownoneblockandhalfacrossanothertothestepsofasmalldwelling-house，transformed，likemanyothers，intoarestaurantoftheLatinideal，withlittleornostructuralchangefromthepatternofthelowermiddle-classNewYorkhome。Therewerethecorrodedbrownstonesteps，themeanlittlefrontdoor，andthecrampedentrywithitsnarrowstairsbywhichladiescouldgouptoadining-roomappointedforthemonthesecondfloor；theparlorsonthefirstweresetaboutwithtables，wheremensmokedcigarettesbetweenthecourses，andasinglewaiterranswiftlytoandfrowithplatesanddishes，and，exchangedunintelligibleoutcrieswithacookbeyondaslideinthebackparlor。Herushedatthenew-comers，brushedthesoiledtable-clothbeforethemwithatowelonhisarm，covereditsworststainswithanapkin，andbroughtthem，intheirorder，thevermicellisoup，thefriedfish，thecheese-strewnspaghetti，thevealcutlets，thetepidroastfowlandsalad，andthewizenedpearandcoffeewhichformthedinneratsuchplaces。 \"Ah，thisisnice!\"saidFulkerson，afterthelayingofthecharitablenapkin，andhebegantorecognizeacquaintances，someofwhomhedescribedtoMarchasyoungliterarymenandartistswithwhomtheyshouldprobablyhavetodo；othersweresimplyfrequentersoftheplace，andwereofallnationalitiesandreligionsapparently——atleast，severalwereHebrewsandCubans。\"YougetaprettygoodsliceofNewYorkhere，\" hesaid，\"allexceptthefrostingontop。Thatyouwon\'tfindmuchatMaroni\'s，thoughyouwilloccasionally。Idon\'tmeantheladiesever，ofcourse。\"Theladiespresentseemedharmlessandreputable-lookingpeopleenough，butcertainlytheywerenotofthefirstfashion，and，exceptinafewinstances，notAmericans。\"It\'slikecuttingstraightdownthroughafruitcake，\"Fulkersonwenton，\"oramince-pie，whenyoudon\'tknowwhomadethepie；yougetalittleofeverything。\"HeorderedasmallflaskofChiantiwiththedinner，anditcameinitsprettywickerjacket。Marchsmileduponitwithtenderreminiscence，andFulkersonlaughed。\"Lightsyouupalittle。IbroughtoldDryfooshereoneday，andhethoughtitwassweet-oil；that\'sthekindofbottletheyusedtohaveitinatthecountrydrug-stores。\" \"Yes，Iremembernow；butI\'dtotallyforgottenit，\"saidMarch。 \"Howfarbackthatgoes!Who\'sDryfoos?\" \"Dryfoos?\"Fulkerson，stillsmiling，toreoffapieceofthehalf-yardofFrenchloafwhichhadbeensuppliedthem，withtwopale，thindisksofbutter，andfeditintohimself。\"OldDryfoos?Well，ofcourse!Icallhimold，butheain\'tsovery。Aboutfifty，oralongthere。\" \"No，\"saidMarch，\"thatisn\'tveryold——ornotsooldasitusedtobe。\" \"Well，Isupposeyou\'vegottoknowabouthim，anyway，\"saidFulkerson，thoughtfully。\"AndI\'vebeenwonderingjusthowIshouldtellyou。 Can\'talwaysmakeoutexactlyhowmuchofaBostonianyoureallyare! Everbeenoutinthenatural-gascountry?\" \"No，\"saidMarch。\"I\'vehadagooddealofcuriosityaboutit，butI\'veneverbeenabletogetawayexceptinsummer，andthenwealwayspreferredtogoovertheoldground，outtoNiagaraandbackthroughCanada，theroutewetookonourweddingjourney。Thechildrenlikeitasmuchaswedo。\" \"Yes，yes，\"saidFulkerson。\"Well，thenatural-gascountryisworthseeing。Idon\'tmeanthePittsburggas-fields，butoutinNorthernOhioandIndianaaroundMoffitt——that\'stheplaceintheheartofthegasregionthatthey\'vebeenboomingso。Yes，yououghttoseethatcountry。 Ifyouhaven\'tbeenWestforagoodmanyyears，youhaven\'tgotanyideahowoldthecountrylooks。Yourememberhowthefieldsusedtobeallfullofstumps?\" \"Ishouldthinkso。\" \"Well，youwon\'tseeanystumpsnow。AllthatcountryoutaroundMoffittisjustassmoothasachecker-board，andlooksasoldasEngland。Youknowhowweusedtoburnthestumpsout；andthensomebodyinventedastump-extractor，andwepulledthemoutwithayokeofoxen。Nowtheyjusttouch\'emoffwithalittledynamite，andthey\'vegotacellardugandfilledupwithkindlingreadyforhousekeepingwheneveryouwantit。 Onlytheyhaven\'tgotanyuseforkindlinginthatcountry——allgas。 Irodealongonthecarsthroughthoselevelblackfieldsatcorn- plantingtime，andeveryonceinawhileI\'dcometoaplacewithapieceofraggedoldstove-pipestickin\'upoutoftheground，andblazingawaylikeforty，andafellowploughingallrounditandnotmindingitanymorethanifitwasspringviolets。Horsesdidn\'tnoticeit，either。 Well，they\'vealwaysknownaboutthegasoutthere；theysaythereareplacesinthewoodswhereit\'sbeenburningeversincethecountrywassettled。 \"ButwhenyoucomeinsightofMoffitt——my，oh，my!Well，youcomeinsmellofitaboutassoon。Thatgasoutthereain\'todorless，likethePittsburggas，andsoit\'sperfectlysafe；butthesmellisn\'tbad——aboutasbadasthefinestkindofbenzine。Well，thefirstthingthatstrikesyouwhenyoucometoMoffittisthenotionthattherehasbeenagoodwarm，growingrain，andthetown\'scomeupovernight。That\'sinthesuburbs，theannexes，andadditions。Butitain\'tshabby——noshanty-farmbusiness；nicebrickandframehouses，someof\'emQueenAnnestyle，andallof\'emlookingasiftheyhadcometostay。Andwhenyoudriveupfromthedepotyouthinkeverybody\'smoving。Everythingseemstobepiledintothestreet；oldhousesmadeover，andnewonesgoingupeverywhere。YouknowthekindofstreetMainStreetalwaysusedtobeinoursection——halfplank-roadandturnpike，andtherestmud-hole，andalotofstoresanddoggeriesstrungalongwithfalsefrontsastoryhigherthantheback，andhereandthereadecentbuildingwiththegableendtothepublic；andacourt-houseandjailandtwotavernsandthreeorfourchurches。Well，they\'reallthereinMoffittyet，butarchitecturehasstruckithard，andthey\'vegotalotofnewbuildingsthatneedn\'tbeashamedofthemselvesanywhere；thenewcourt-houseisasbigasSt。 Peter\'s，andtheGrandOpera-houseisinthehigheststyleoftheart。 Youcan\'tbuyalotonthatstreetformuchlessthanyoucanbuyalotinNewYork——oryoucouldn\'twhentheboomwason；Isawtheplacejustwhentheboomwasinitsprime。lwentouttheretoworkthenewspapersinthesyndicatebusiness，andIgotoneoftheirmentowritemearealbright，snappyaccountofthegas；andtheyjusttookmeintheirarmsandshowedmeeverything。Well，itwaswonderful，anditwasbeautiful，too!Toseeawholecommunitystirreduplikethatwas——justlikeabigboy，allhopeandhighspirits，andnodiscountontheremotestfuture； nothingbutperpetualboomtotheendoftime——Itellyouitwarmedyourblood。Why，thereweresomethingsaboutitthatmadeyouthinkwhatanicekindofworldthiswouldbeifpeopleevertookholdtogether，insteadofeachfellowfightingitoutonhisownhook，anddeviltakethehindmost。TheymadeuptheirmindsatMoffittthatiftheywantedtheirtowntogrowthey\'dgottokeeptheirgaspublicproperty。Sotheyextendedtheircorporationlinesoastotakeinprettymuchthewholegasregionroundthere；andthenthecitytookpossessionofeverywellthatwasputdown，andhelditforthecommongood。Anybodythat\'samindtocometoMoffittandstartanykindofmanufacturecanhaveallthegashewantsfree；andforfifteendollarsayearyoucanhaveallthegasyouwanttoheatandlightyourprivatehouse。Thepeopleholdontoitforthemselves，and，asIsay，it\'sagrandsighttoseeawholecommunityhangingtogetherandworkingforthegoodofall，insteadofsplittingupintoasmanydifferentcut-throatsasthereareable-bodiedcitizens。Seethatfellow?\"Fulkersonbrokeoff，andindicatedwithatwirlofhisheadashort，dark，foreign-lookingmangoingoutofthedoor。\"Theysaythatfellow\'saSocialist。Ithinkit\'sashamethey\'reallowedtocomehere。Iftheydon\'tlikethewaywemanageouraffairslet\'emstayathome，\"Fulkersoncontinued。\"Theydoalotofmischief，shootingofftheirmouthsroundhere。Ibelieveinfreespeechandallthat；butI\'dliketoseethesefellowsshutupinjailandlefttojawoneanothertodeath。Wedon\'twantanyoftheirpoison。\" MarchdidnotnoticethevanishingSocialist。Hewaswatching，withateasingsenseoffamiliarity，atall，shabbilydressed，elderlyman，whohadjustcomein。HehadtheaquilineprofileuncommonamongGermans，andyetMarchrecognizedhimatonceasGerman。Hislong，softbeardandmustachehadoncebeenfair，andtheykeptsometoneoftheiryellowinthegraytowhichtheyhadturned。Hiseyeswerefull，andhislipsandchinshapedthebeardtothenobleoutlinewhichshowsinthebeardstheItalianmasterslikedtopaintfortheirLastSuppers。Hiscarriagewaserectandsoldierly，andMarchpresentlysawthathehadlosthislefthand。Hetookhisplaceatatablewheretheoverworkedwaiterfoundtimetocutuphismeatandputeverythingineasyreachofhisrighthand。 \"Well，\"Fulkersonresumed，\"theytookmeroundeverywhereinMoffitt，andshowedmetheirbigwells——lit\'emupforaprivateview，andletmehearthempurrwiththesoftaccentsofamass-meetingoflocomotives。Why，whentheyletoneofthesewellslooseinameadowthatthey\'dpipeditintotemporarily，itdrovetheflameawayfortyfeetfromthemouthofthepipeandblewitoverhalfanacreofground。Theysaywhentheyletoneoftheirbigwellsburnawayallwinterbeforetheyhadlearnedhowtocontrolit，thatwellkeptupalittlesummerallaroundit；thegrassstayedgreen，andtheflowersbloomedallthroughthewinter。Idon\'tknowwhetherit\'ssoornot。ButIcanbelieveanythingofnaturalgas。 My!butitwasbeautifulwhentheyturnedonthefullforceofthatwellandshotaromancandleintothegas——that\'sthewaytheylightit——andaplumeoffireabouttwentyfeetwideandseventy-fivefeethigh，allredandyellowandviolet，jumpedintothesky，andthatbigroarshookthegroundunderyourfeet!Youfeltlikesaying: \'Don\'ttroubleyourself；I\'mperfectlyconvinced。IbelieveinMoffitt。\' We-e-e-ll!\"drawledFulkerson，withalongbreath，\"that\'swhereImetoldDryfoos。\" \"Ohyes!——Dryfoos，\"saidMarch。Heobservedthatthewaiterhadbroughttheoldone-handedGermanatoweringglassofbeer。 \"Yes，\"Fulkersonlaughed。\"We\'vegotroundtoDryfoosagain。IthoughtIcouldcutalongstoryshort，butIseemtobecuttingashortstorylong。Ifyou\'renotinahurry，though——\" \"Notintheleast。Goonaslongasyoulike。\" \"Imethimthereintheofficeofareal-estateman——speculator，ofcourse；everybodywas，inMoffitt；butafirst-ratefellow，andpublic- spiritedasallget-out；andwhenDryfooslefthetoldmeabouthim。 DryfooswasanoldPennsylvaniaDutchfarmer，aboutthreeorfourmilesoutofMoffitt，andhe\'dlivedthereprettymuchallhislife；fatherwasoneofthefirstsettlers。Everybodyknewhehadtherightstuffinhim，buthewasslowerthanmolassesinJanuary，likethosePennsylvaniaDutch。He\'dgottogetherthelargestandhandsomestfarmanywherearoundthere；andhewasmakingmoneyonit，justlikehewasinsomebusinesssomewhere；hewasaveryintelligentman；hetookthepapersandkepthimselfposted；buthewasawfullyold-fashionedinhisideas。Hehungontothedoctrinesaswellasthedollarsofthedads；itwasarealthingwithhim。Well，whentheboombegantocomehehateditawfully，andhefoughtit。HeusedtowritecommunicationstotheweeklynewspaperinMoffitt——they\'vegotthreedailiestherenow——andthrowcoldwaterontheboom。Hecouldn\'tcatchonnoway。Itmadehimsicktoheartheclackthatwentonaboutthegasthewholewhile，andthatstirreduptheneighborhoodandgotintohisfamily。Wheneverhe\'dhearofamanthathadbeenofferedabigpriceforhislandandwasgoingtoselloutandmoveintotown，he\'dgoandlaborwithhimandtrytotalkhimoutofit，andtellhimhowlonghisfifteenortwentythousandwouldlasthimtoliveon，andshaketheStandardOilCompanybeforehim，andtrytomakehimbelieveitwouldn\'tbefiveyearsbeforetheStandardownedthewholeregion。 \"Ofcourse，hecouldn\'tdoanythingwiththem。Whenaman\'sofferedabigpriceforhisfarm，hedon\'tcarewhetherit\'sbyasecretemissaryfromtheStandardOilornot；he\'sgoingtosellandgetthebetteroftheotherfellowifhecan。Dryfooscouldn\'tkeeptheboomoutofhasownfamilyeven。Hiswifewaswithhim。ShethoughtwhateverhesaidanddidwasjustasrightasifithadbeenthundereddownfromSinai。 Buttheyoungfolksweresceptical，especiallythegirlsthathadbeenawaytoschool。Theboythathadbeenkeptathomebecausehecouldn\'tbesparedfromhelpinghisfathermanagethefarmwasmorelikehim，buttheycontrivedtostirtheboyup——withthehotendoftheboom，too。 SowhenafellowcamealongonedayandofferedoldDryfoosacoolhundredthousandforhisfarm，itwasallupwithDryfoos。He\'d\'a\' likedto\'a\'kepttheoffertohimselfandnotdoneanythingaboutit，buthisvanitywouldn\'tlethimdothat；andwhenheletitoutinhisfamilythegirlsoutvotedhim。Theyjustmadehimsell。 \"Hewouldn\'tsellall。Hekeptabouteightyacresthatwasoffinsomepiecebyitself，butthethreehundredthathadtheoldbrickhouseonit，andthebigbarn——thatwent，andDryfoosboughthimaplaceinMoffittandmovedintotowntoliveontheinterestofhismoney。JustWhathehadscoldedandridiculedeverybodyelsefordoing。Well，theysaythatatfirstheseemedlikehewouldgocrazy。Hehadn\'tanythingtodo。Hetookafancytothatland-agent，andheusedtogoandsetinhisofficeandaskhimwhatheshoulddo。\'Ihain\'tgotanyhorses，I hain\'tgotanycows，Ihain\'tgotanypigs，Ihain\'tgotanychickens。 Ihain\'tgotanythingtodofromsun-uptosun-down。\'Thefellowsaidthetearsusedtorundowntheoldfellow\'scheeks，andifhehadn\'tbeensobusyhimselfhebelievedheshould\'a\'cried，too。Butmosto\'peoplethoughtoldDryfooswasdowninthemouthbecausehehadn\'taskedmoreforhisfarm，whenhewantedtobuyitbackandfoundtheyhelditatahundredandfiftythousand。Peoplecouldn\'tbelievehewasjusthomesickandheartsickfortheoldplace。Well，perhapshewassorryhehadn\'taskedmore；that\'shumannature，too。 \"Afterawhilesomethinghappened。Thatland-agentusedtotellDryfoostogetouttoEuropewithhismoneyandseelifealittle，orgoandliveinWashington，wherehecouldbesomebody；butDryfooswouldn\'t，andhekeptlisteningtothetalkthere，andallofasuddenhecaughton。Hecameintothatfellow\'sonedaywithaplanforcuttinguptheeightyacreshe\'dkeptintotownlots；andhe\'dgotitallplottedoutso-well，andhadsomanypracticalideasaboutit，thatthefellowwasastonished。 Hewentrightinwithhim，asfarasDryfooswouldlethim，andgladofthechance；andtheywereworkingthethingforallitwasworthwhenI struckMoffitt。OldDryfooswantedmetogooutandseetheDryfoos& HendryAddition——guesshethoughtmaybeI\'dwriteitup；andhedrovemeouttherehimself。Well，itwasfunnytoseeatownmade:streetsdriventhrough；tworowsofshadetrees，hardandsoft，planted；cellarsdugandhousesputup-regularQueenAnnestyle，too，withstainedglass-allatonce。Dryfoosapologizedforthestreetsbecausetheywerehand-made； saidtheyexpectedtheirstreet-makingmachineTuesday，andthentheyintendedtopushthings。\" FulkersonenjoyedtheeffectofhispictureonMarchforamoment，andthenwenton:\"Hewasmightyintelligent，too，andhequestionedmeupaboutmybusinessassharpasIeverwasquestioned；seemedtokindofstrikehisfancy；Iguesshewantedtofindoutiftherewasanymoneyinit。Hewasmakingmoney，handoverhand，then；andheneverstoppedspeculatingandimprovingtillhe\'dscrapedtogetherthreeorfourhundredthousanddollars，theysaidamillion，buttheylikeroundnumbersatMoffitt，andIguesshalfamillionwouldlayoveritcomfortablyandleaveafewthousandstospare，probably。ThenhecameontoNewYork。\" Fulkersonstruckamatchagainsttheribbedsideoftheporcelaincupthatheldthematchesinthecentreofthetable，andlitacigarette，whichhebegantosmoke，throwinghisheadbackwithaleisurelyeffect，asifhehadgottotheendofatleastasmuchofhisstoryashemeanttotellwithoutprompting。 Marchaskedhimthedesiredquestion。\"Whatintheworldfor?\" Fulkersontookouthiscigaretteandsaid，withasmile:\"Tospendhismoney，andgethisdaughtersintotheoldKnickerbockersociety。MaybehethoughttheywereallthesamekindofDutch。\" \"Andhashesucceeded?\" \"Well，they\'renotsocialleadersyet。Butit\'sonlyaquestionoftime——generationortwo——especiallyiftime\'smoney，andifEveryOtherWeekisthesuccessit\'sboundtobe。\" \"Youdon\'tmeantosay，Fulkerson，\"saidMarch，withahalf-doubting，half-dauntedlaugh，\"thathe\'syourAngel?\" \"That\'swhatImeantosay，\"returnedFulkerson。\"IranontohiminBroadwayonedaylastsummer。Ifyoueversawanybodyinyourlife； you\'resuretomeethiminBroadwayagain，soonerorlater。That\'sthephilosophyofthebuncobusiness；countrypeoplefromthesameneighborhoodaresuretorunupagainsteachotherthefirsttimetheycometoNewYork。Iputoutmyhand，andIsaid，\'Isn\'tthisMr。DryfoosfromMoffitt?\'Hedidn\'tseemtohaveanyuseformyhand；heletmekeepit，andhesquaredthoseoldlipsofhistillhisimperialstuckstraightout。EverseeBernhardtin\'L\'Etrangere\'?Well，theAmericanhusbandisoldDryfoosallover；nomustache；andhay-coloredchin- whiskerscutslantingfrozethecornersofhismouth。Hecockedhislittlegrayeyesatme，andsayshe:\'Yes，youngman；mynameisDryfoos，andI\'mfromMoffitt。ButIdon\'twantnopresentofLongfellow\'sWorks，illustrated；andIdon\'twanttotastenofineteas；butIknowapolicemanthatdoes；andifyou\'rethesonofmyoldfriendSquireStrohfeldt，you\'dbettergetout。\'\'Well，then，\'saidI，\'howwouldyouliketogointothenewspapersyndicatebusiness?\'Hegaveanotherlookatme，andthenheburstoutlaughing，andhegrabbedmyhand，andhejustfrozetoit。Ineversawanybodysoglad。 \"Well，thelongandtheshortofitwasthatIaskedhimroundheretoMaroni\'stodinner；andbeforewebrokeupforthenightwehadsettledthefinancialsideoftheplanthat\'sbroughtyoutoNewYork。Icansee，\'tsaidFulkerson，whohadkepthiseyesfastonMarch\'sface，\"thatyoudon\'tmorethanhalfliketheideaofDryfoos。Itoughttogiveyoumoreconfidenceinthethingthanyoueverhad。Youneedn\'tbeafraid，\" headded，withsomefeeling，\"thatItalkedDryfoosintothethingformyownadvantage。\" \"Oh，mydearFulkerson!\"Marchprotested，allthemoreferventlybecausehewasreallyalittleguilty。