第5章

\"Well，ofcoursenot!Ididn\'tmeanyouwere。ButIjusthappenedtotellhimwhatIwantedtogointowhenIcouldseemywaytoit，andhecaughtonofhisownaccord。Thefactis，\"saidFulkerson，\"IguessI\'dbettermakeacleanbreastofit，nowI\'matit，Dryfooswantedtogetsomethingforthatboyofhistodo。He\'sinrailroadshimself，andhe\'sinminesandotherthings，andhekeepsbusy，andhecan\'tbeartohavehisboyhangingroundthehousedoingnothing，likeasifhewasagirl。 Itoldhimthatthegreatobjectofarichmanwastogethissonintojustthatfix，buthecouldn\'tseemtoseeit，andtheboyhatedithimself。He\'sgotagoodhead，andhewantedtostudyfortheministrywhentheywerealllivingtogetheroutonthefarm；buthisfatherhadtheold-fashionedideasaboutthat。Youknowtheyusedtothinkthatanysortofstuffwasgoodenoughtomakeapreacheroutof；buttheywantedthegoodtimberforbusiness；andsotheoldmanwouldn\'tlethim。 You\'llseethefellow；you\'lllikehim；he\'snofool，Icantellyou；andhe\'sgoingtobeourpublisher，nominallyatfirstandactuallywhenI\'vetaughthimtheropesalittle。\" XII。 FulkersonstoppedandlookedatMarch，whomhesawlapsingintoaserioussilence。Doubtlesshedivinedhisuneasinesswiththefactsthathadbeengivenhimtodigest。Hepulledouthiswatchandglancedatit。 \"Seehere，howwouldyouliketogouptoForty-sixthstreetwithme，anddropinonoldDryfoos?Now\'syourchance。He\'sgoingWesttomorrow，andwon\'tbebackforamonthorso。They\'llallbegladtoseeyou，andyou\'llunderstandthingsbetterwhenyou\'veseenhimandhisfamily。I can\'texplain。\" Marchreflectedamoment。Thenhesaid，withawisdomthatsurprisedhim，forhewouldhavelikedtoyieldtotheimpulseofhiscuriosity: \"Perhapswe\'dbetterwaittillMrs。Marchcomesdown，andletthingstaketheusualcourse。TheDryfoosladieswillwanttocallonherasthelast-comer，andifItreatedmyself\'engarcon\'now，andpaidthefirstvisit，itmightcomplicatematters。\" \"Well，perhapsyou\'reright，\"saidFulkerson。\"Idon\'tknowmuchaboutthesethings，andIdon\'tbelieveMaDryfoosdoes，either。\"Hewasonhislegslightinganothercigarette。\"Isupposethegirlsaregettingthemselvesupinetiquette，though。Well，then，let\'shavealookatthe\'EveryOtherWeek\'building，andthen，ifyoulikeyourquartersthere，youcangoroundandcloseforMrs。Green\'sflat。\" March\'sdormantallegiancetohiswife\'swisheshadbeenrousedbyhisdecisioninfavorofgoodsocialusage。\"Idon\'tthinkIshalltaketheflat，\"hesaid。 \"Well，don\'trejectitwithoutgivingitanotherlook，anyway。Comeon!\" HehelpedMarchonwithhislightovercoat，andthelittlestirtheymadefortheirdeparturecaughtthenoticeoftheoldGerman；helookedupfromhisbeeratthem。Marchwasmorethaneverimpressedwithsomethingfamiliarinhisface。IncompensationforhisprudenceinregardtotheDryfooseshenowindulgedanimpulse。Hesteppedacrosstowheretheoldmansat，withhisbaldheadshininglikeivoryunderthegas-jet，andhisfinepatriarchallengthofbeardedmasktakingpicturesquelightsandshadows，andputouthishandtohim。 \"Lindau!Isn\'tthisMr。Lindau?\" Theoldmanliftedhimselfslowlytohisfeetwithmechanicalpoliteness，andcautiouslytookMarch\'shand。\"Yes，mynameisLindau，\"hesaid，slowly，whilehescannedMarch\'sface。Thenhebrokeintoalongcry。 \"Ah-h-h-h-h，mydearpoy!mygongfriendt!my-my——IdtisPassilMarge，notzo?Ah，ha，ha，ha!HowgladtIamtozeeyou!Why，Iamgladt!Andyourememberdtme?YourememberSchiller，andGoethe，andUhland?AndIndianapolis?YoustilllifinIndianapolis?Itsheersmyhardttozeeyou。Butyouarelidtleoldt，too?Tventy-fiveyearsmakesadifference。Ah，Iamgladt!Dellme，idtisPassilMarge，notzo?\" HelookedanxiouslyintoMarch\'sface，withagentlesmileofmixedhopeanddoubt，andMarchsaid:\"Assureasit\'sBertholdLindau，andIguessit\'syou。Andyouremembertheoldtimes?YouwereasmuchofaboyasIwas，Lindau。AreyoulivinginNewYork?Doyourecollecthowyoutriedtoteachmetofence?Idon\'tknowhowtothisday，Lindau。Howgoodyouwere，andhowpatient!Doyourememberhowweusedtositupinthelittleparlorbackofyourprinting-office，andreadDieRauberandDieTheilungderErdeandDieGlocke?AndMrs。Lindau?Isshewith——\" \"Deadt——deadtlongago。RightafterIgothomefromthewar——tventyyearsago。Buttellme，youaremarried?Children?Yes!Goodt!Andhowoldtareyounow?\" \"Itmakesmeseventeentoseeyou，Lindau，butI\'vegotasonnearlyasold。\" \"Ah，ha，ha!Goodt!Andwheredoyoulif?\" \"Well，I\'mjustcomingtoliveinNewYork，\"Marchsaid，lookingoveratFulkerson，whohadbeenwatchinghisinterviewwiththeperfunctorysmileofsympathythatpeopleputonatthemeetingofoldfriends。\"IwanttointroduceyoutomyfriendMr。Fulkerson。HeandIaregoingintoaliteraryenterprisehere。\" \"Ah!zo?\"saidtheoldman，withpoliteinterest。HetookFulkerson\'sprofferedhand，andtheyallstoodtalkingafewmomentstogether。 ThenFulkersonsaid，withanotherlookathiswatch，\"Well，March，we\'rekeepingMr。Lindaufromhisdinner。\" \"Dinner!\"criedtheoldman。\"Idt\'sbetterthanbreadtandmeadttoseeMr。Marge!\" \"Imustbegoing，anyway，\"saidMarch。\"ButImustseeyouagainsoon，Lindau。Wheredoyoulive?Iwantalongtalk。\" \"AndI。Youwillfindmehereatdinner-time。\"saidtheoldman。\"Itisthebestplace\"；andMarchfanciedhimreluctanttogiveanotheraddress。 Tocoverhisconsciousnessheanswered，gayly:\"Then，it\'s\'aufwiedersehen\'withus。Well!\" \"Also!\"Theoldmantookhishand，andmadeamechanicalmovementwithhismutilatedarm，asifhewouldhavetakenitinadoubleclasp。Helaughedathimself。\"Iwantedtogifyoutheotherhandt，too，butI gafeittoyourgountryagoodtwhileago。\" Tomycountry?\"askedMarch，withasenseofpain，andyetlightly，asifitwereajokeoftheoldman\'s。\"Yourcountry，too，Lindau?\" Theoldmanturnedverygrave，andsaid，almostcoldly，\"Whatgountryhassapoormangot，Mr。Marge?\" \"Well，yououghttohaveashareintheoneyouhelpedtosaveforusrichmen，Lindau，\"Marchreturned，stillhumoringthejoke。 Theoldmansmiledsadly，butmadenoanswerashesatdownagain。 \"Seemstobealittlesoured，\"saidFulkerson，astheywentdownthesteps。HewasoneofthoseAmericanswhosehabitualconceptionoflifeisunalloyedprosperity。Whenanyexperienceorobservationofhiswentcountertoithesuffered——somethinglikephysicalpain。HeeagerlyshruggedawaytheimpressionleftuponhisbuoyancybyLindau，andaddedtoMarch\'scontinuedsilence，\"WhatdidItellyouaboutmeetingeverymaninNewYorkthatyoueverknewbefore?\" IneverexpectedtomeatLindauintheworldagain，\"saidMarch，moretohimselfthantoFulkerson。\"Ihadanimpressionthathehadbeenkilledinthewar。Ialmostwishhehadbeen。\" \"Oh，hello，now!\"criedFulkerson。 Marchlaughed，butwentonsoberly:\"Hewasamanpredestinedtoadversity，though。WhenIfirstknewhimoutinIndianapolishewasstarvingalongwithasickwifeandasicknewspaper。ItwasbeforetheGermanshadcomeovertotheRepublicansgenerally，butLindauwasfightingtheanti-slaverybattlejustasnaturallyatIndianapolisin1858ashefoughtbehindthebarricadesatBerlinin1848。Andyethewasalwayssuchagentlesoul!Andsogenerous!HetaughtmeGermanfortheloveofit；hewouldn\'tspoilhispleasurebytakingacentfromme； heseemedtogetenoughoutofmybeingyoungandenthusiastic，andoutofprophesyinggreatthingsforme。Iwonderwhatthepooroldfellowisdoinghere，withthatonehandofhis?\" \"Notamassingavery\'handsomepittance，\'Iguess，asArtemusWardwouldsay，\"saidFulkerson，gettingbacksomeofhislightness。\"Therearelotsoftwo-handedfellowsinNewYorkthatarenotdoingmuchbetter，I guess。MaybehegetssomewritingontheGermanpapers。\" \"Ihopeso。He\'soneofthemostaccomplishedmen!Heusedtobeasplendidmusician——pianist——andknowseightortenlanguages。\" \"Well，it\'sastonishing，\"saidFulkerson，\"howmuchlumberthoseGermanscancarryaroundintheirheadsalltheirlives，andneverworkitupintoanything。It\'sapitytheycouldn\'tdotheacquiring，andletouttheuseoftheirlearningtoafewbrightAmericans。Wecouldmakethingshum，ifwecouldarrange\'emthatway。\" Hetalkedon，unheededbyMarch，whowentalonghalf-consciouslytormentedbyhislightnessinthepensivememoriesthemeetingwithLindauhadcalledup。Wasthisallthatsweet，unselfishnaturecouldcometo?WhatahomelessoldageatthatmeagreItaliantabled\'hote，withthattallglassofbeerforahalf-hour\'soblivion!Thatshabbydress，thatpatheticmutilation!Hemusthaveapension，twelvedollarsamonth，oreighteen，fromagratefulcountry。Butwhatelsedidheekeoutwith? \"Well，hereweare，\"saidFulkerson，cheerily。HeranupthestepsbeforeMarch，andopenedthecarpenter\'stemporaryvalveinthedoorframe，andledthewayintoadarknesssmellingsweetlyofunpaintedwood-workandnewlydriedplaster；theirfeatslippedonshavingsandgratedonsand。Hescratchedamatch，andfoundacandle，andthenwalkedaboutupanddownstairs，andlecturedontheadvantagesoftheplace。Hehadfittedupbachelorapartmentsforhimselfinthehouse，andsaidthathewasgoingtohaveaflattoletonthetopfloor。 \"Ididn\'tofferittoyoubecauseIsupposedyou\'dbetooproudtoliveoveryourshop；andit\'stoosmall，anyway；onlyfiverooms。\" \"Yes，that\'stoosmall，\"saidMarch，shirkingtheotherpoint。 \"Well，then，here\'stheroomIintendforyouroffice，\"saidFulkerson，showinghimintoalargebackparloroneflightup。\"You\'llhaveitquietfromthestreetnoiseshere，andyoucanbeathomeornot，asyouplease。There\'llbeaboyonthestairstofindout。Now，yousee，thismakestheGrosvenorGreenflatpracticable，ifyouwantit。\" Marchfelttheforcesoffateclosingabouthimandpushinghimtoadecision。Hefeeblyfoughtthemofftillhecouldhaveanotherlookattheflat。Then，bakedandsubduedstillmorebytheunexpectedpresenceofMrs。GrosvenorGreenherself，whowasoccupyingitsoastobeabletoshowiteffectively，hetookit。Hewasawaremorethaneverofitsabsurdities；heknewthathiswifewouldneverceasetohateit；buthehadsufferedoneofthoseeclipsesoftheimaginationtowhichmenofhistemperamentaresubject，andintowhichhecouldseenofutureforhisdesires。Hefeltacomfortinirretrievablycommittinghimself，andexchangingtheburdenofindecisionfortheburdenofresponsibility。 \"Idon\'tknow，\"saidFulkerson，astheywalkedbacktohishoteltogether，\"butyoumightfixitupwiththatlonewidowandherprettydaughtertotakepartoftheirhousehere。\"Heseemedtoberemindedofitbythefactofpassingthehouse，andMarchlookedupatitsdarkfront。Hecouldnothavetoldexactlywhybefeltapangofremorseatthesight，anddoubtlessitwasmoreregretforhavingtakentheGrosvenorGreenflatthanfornothavingtakenthewidow\'srooms。Still，hecouldnotforgetherwistfulnesswhenhiswifeandhewerelookingatthem，andherdisappointmentwhentheydecidedagainstthem。Hehadtoyed，in，hisafter-talktoMrs。March，withasortofhypotheticalobligationtheyhadtomodifytheirplanssoastomeetthewidow\'swantofjustsuchafamilyastheirs；theyhadbothsaidwhatablessingitwouldbetoher，andwhatapitytheycouldnotdoit；buttheyhaddecidedverydistinctlythattheycouldnot。Nowitseemedtohimthattheymight；andheaskedhimselfwhetherhehadnotactuallydepartedasmuchfromtheiridealasifhehadtakenboardwiththewidow。Suddenlyitseemedtohimthathiswifeaskedhimthis，too。 \"Ireckon，\"saidFulkerson，\"thatshecouldhavearrangedtogiveyouyourmealsinyourrooms，anditwouldhavecometoaboutthesamethingashousekeeping。\" \"Nosortofboardingcanbethesameashouse-keeping，\"saidMarch。 \"Iwantmylittlegirltohavetherunofakitchen，andIwantthewholefamilytohavethemoraleffectofhousekeeping。It\'sdemoralizingtoboard，ineveryway；itisn\'tahome，ifanybodyelsetakesthecareofitoffyourhands。\" \"Well，Isupposeso，\"Fulkersonassented；butMarch\'swordshadahollowringtohimself，andinhisownmindhebegantoretaliatehisdissatisfactionuponFulkerson。 Hepartedfromhimontheusualtermsoutwardly，buthefeltobscurelyabusedbyFulkersoninregardtotheDryfooses，fatherandson。HedidnotknowbutFulkersonhadtakenanadvantageofhiminallowinghimtocommithimselftotheirenterprisewithoutfullyandfranklytellinghimwhoandwhathisbackerwas；heperceivedthatwithyoungDryfoosasthepublisherandFulkersonasthegeneraldirectorofthepapertheremightbeverylittleplayforhisownideasofitsconduct。Perhapsitwasthehurttohisvanityinvolvedbytherecognitionofthisfactthatmadehimforgethowlittlechoicehereallyhadinthematter，andhow，sincehehadnotacceptedtheoffertoedittheinsurancepaper，nothingremainedforhimbuttoclosewithFulkerson。InthismomentofsuspicionandresentmentheaccusedFulkersonofhasteninghisdecisioninregardtotheGrosvenorGreenapartment；henowrefusedtoconsideritadecision，andsaidtohimselfthatifhefeltdisposedtodosohewouldsendMrs。 Greenanotereversingitinthemorning。Butheputitallofftillmorningwithhisclothes，whenhewenttobed，heputoffeventhinkingwhathiswifewouldsay；hecastFulkersonandhisconstructivetreacheryoutofhismind，too，andinvitedintoitsomepensivereveriesofthepast，whenhestillstoodatthepartingoftheways，andcouldtakethispathorthat。Inhismiddlelifethiswasnotpossible；hemustfollowthepathchosenlong，ago，wherever，itled。Hewasnotmasterofhimself，asheonceseemed，buttheservantofthoseheloved；ifhecoulddowhatheliked，perhapshemightrenouncethiswholeNewYorkenterprise，andgooffsomewhereoutofthereachofcare；buthecouldnotdowhatheliked，thatwasveryclear。InthepathosofthisconvictionhedweltcompassionatelyuponthethoughtofpooroldLindau； heresolvedtomakehimacceptahandsomesumofmoney——morethanhecouldspare，somethingthathewouldfeelthelossof——inpaymentofthelessonsinGermanandfencinggivensolongago。Attheusualrateforsuchlessons，hisdebt，withinterestfortwenty-oddyears，wouldrunveryfarintothehundreds。Toofar，heperceived，forhiswife\'sjoyousapproval；hedeterminednottoaddtheinterest；orhebelievedthatLindauwouldrefusetheinterest；heputafinespeechinhismouth，makinghimdoso；andafterthathegotLindauemploymenton\'EveryOtherWeek，\'andtookcareofhimtillhedied。 ThroughallhismelancholyandmunificencehewasawareofsordidanxietiesforhavingtakentheGrosvenorGreenapartment。Thesebegantoassumevisible，tangibleshapesashedrowsed，andtobecamepersonalentities，fromwhichhewoke，withlittlestarts，toarealizationoftheirtruenature，andthensuddenlyfellfastasleep。 Intheaccomplishmentoftheeventswhichhisreverieplayedwith，therewasmuchthatretroactivelystampeditwithprophecy，butmuchalsothatwasbetterthanheforboded。HefoundthatwithregardtotheGrosvenorGreenapartmenthehadnotallowedforhiswife\'swillingnesstogetanysortofroofoverherheadagainaftertheremovalfromtheiroldhome，orforthealleviationsthatgrowupthroughmerecustom。Thepracticalworkingsoftheapartmentwerenotsobad；ithaditsgoodpoints，andafterthefirstsensationofoppressioninittheybegantofeeltheconvenienceofitsarrangement。Theywereatthattimeoflifewhenpeoplefirstturntotheirchildren\'sopinionwithdeference，and，inthelossofkeennessintheirownlikesanddislikes，consulttheyoungpreferenceswhicharestillsosensitive。ItwentfartoreconcileMrs。 Marchtotheapartmentthatherchildrenwerepleasedwithitsnovelty； whenthisworeoffforthem，shehadherselfbeguntofinditmuchmoreeasilymanageablethanahouse。Aftershehadputawayseveralbarrelsofgimcracks，andfoldedupscreensandrugsandskins，andcarriedthemallofftothelittledarkstore-roomwhichtheflatdeveloped，sheperceivedatoncearoominessandcozinessinitunsuspectedbefore。 Then，whenpeoplebegantocall，shehadapleasure，asuperiority，insayingthatitwasafurnishedapartment，andindisclaimingallresponsibilityfortheupholsteryanddecoration。IfMarchwasby，shealwaysexplainedthatitwasMr。March\'sfancy，andamiablylaugheditoffwithhercallersasamannisheccentricity。Nobodyreallyseemedtothinkitotherwisethanpretty；andthisagainwasatriumphforMrs。 March，becauseitshowedhowinferiortheNewYorktastewastotheBostontasteinsuchmatters。 Marchsubmittedsilentlytohispunishment，andlaughedwithherbeforecompanyathisowneccentricity。Shehadbeensopreoccupiedwiththeadjustmentofthefamilytoitsnewquartersandcircumstancesthatthetimepassedforlayinghismisgivings，iftheyweremisgivings，aboutFulkersonbeforeher，andwhenanoccasioncameforexpressingthemtheyhadthemselvespassedintheanxietiesofgettingforwardthefirstnumberof\'EveryOtherWeek。\'Hekeptthesefromher，too，andthebusinessthatbroughtthemtoNewYorkhadapparentlydroppedintoabeyancebeforethequestionsofdomesticeconomythatpresentedandabsentedthemselves。Marchknewhiswifetobeawomanofgoodmindandinperfectsympathywithhim，butheunderstoodthelimitationsofherperspective；andifhewasnottoowise，hewastooexperiencedtointrudeuponitanyaffairsofhistillherownwerereducedtotherightorderandproportion。ItwouldhavebeenfollytotalktoherofFulkerson\'sconjecturableuncandorwhileshewasindoubtwhetherhercookwouldlikethekitchen，orhertwoservantswouldconsenttoroomtogether；andtillitwasdecidedwhatschoolTomshouldgoto，andwhetherBellashouldhavelessonsathomeornot，therelationwhichMarchwastobeartotheDryfooses，asownerandpublisher，wasnottobediscussedwithhiswife。Hemightdragitin，buthewasawarethatwithherminddistractedbymoreimmediateinterestshecouldnotgetfromherthatjudgment，thatreasoneddivination，whichherelieduponsomuch。 Shewouldtry，shewoulddoherbest，buttheresultwouldbeaviewcloudedanddiscoloredbytheeffortshemustmake。 Heputthewholematterby，andgavehimselftothedetailsoftheworkbeforehim。Inthishefoundnotonlyescape，butreassurance，foritbecamemoreandmoreapparentthatwhateverwasnominallythestructureofthebusiness，amanofhisqualificationsandhisinstinctscouldnothaveaninsignificantplaceinit。Hehadalsotheconsolationoflikinghiswork，andofgettinganinstantgraspofitthatgrewconstantlyfirmerandcloser。Thejoyofknowingthathehadnotmadeamistakewasgreat。Ingivingreintoambitionslongforborneheseemedtogetbacktotheyouthwhenhehadindulgedthemfirst；andafterhalfalifetimepassedinpursuitsalientohisnature，hewasfeelingtheserenehappinessofbeingmatedthroughhisworktohisearlylove。Fromtheoutsidethespectaclemighthavehaditspathos，anditisnoteasytojustifysuchanexperimentashehadmadeathistimeoflife，exceptuponthegroundwhereherestedfromitsconsideration——thegroundofnecessity。 Hisworkwasmoreinhisthoughtsthanhimself，however；andasthetimeforthepublicationofthefirstnumberofhisperiodicalcamenearer，hiscaresallcentreduponit。Withoutfixinganydate，Fulkersonhadannouncedit，andpushedhisannouncementswiththeshamelessvigorofabornadvertiser。Heworkedhisinterestwiththepresstotheutmost，andparagraphsofavarietythatdidcredittohisingenuitywereafloateverywhere。Someofthemwerespeciouslyunfavorableintone；theycriticisedandevenridiculedtheprinciplesonwhichthenewdepartureinliteraryjournalismwasbased。Othersdefendedit；othersyetdeniedthatthisrumoredprinciplewasreallytheprinciple。Allcontributedtomaketalk。Allproceededfromthesamefertileinvention。 MarchobservedwithadegreeofmortificationthatthetalkwasverylittleofitintheNewYorkpress；therethereferencestothenovelenterprisewereslightandcold。ButFulkersonsaid:\"Don\'tmindthat，oldman。It\'sthewholecountrythatmakesorbreaksathinglikethis； NewYorkhasverylittletodowithit。Nowifitwereaplay，itwouldbedifferent。NewYorkdoesmakeorbreakaplay；butitdoesn\'tmakeorbreakabook；itdoesn\'tmakeorbreakamagazine。ThegreatmassofthereadersareoutsideofNewYork，andtheruraldistrictsarewhatwehavegottogofor。Theydon\'treadmuchinNewYork；theywrite，andtalkaboutwhatthey\'vewritten。Don\'tyouworry。\" TherumorofFulkerson\'sconnectionwiththeenterpriseaccompaniedmanyoftheparagraphs，andhewasabletostayMarch\'sthirstforemploymentbyturningovertohimfromdaytodayheapsofthemanuscriptswhichbegantopourinfromhisoldsyndicatewriters，aswellasfromadventurousvolunteersalloverthecountry。WiththeseinhandMarchbeganpracticallytoplanthefirstnumber，andtoconcreteageneralschemefromthematerialandtheexperiencetheyfurnished。Theyhadintendedtoissuethefirstnumberwiththenewyear，andifithadbeenanaffairofliteraturealone，itwouldhavebeenveryeasy；butitwastheartlegtheylimpedon，asFulkersonphrasedit。Theyhadnotmerelytodealwiththequestionofspecificillustrationsforthisarticleorthat，buttodecidethewholecharacteroftheirillustrations，andfirstofalltogetadesignforacoverwhichshouldbothensnaretheheedlessandcaptivatethefastidious。ThesethingsdidnotcomeproperlywithinMarch\'sprovince——thathadbeenclearlyunderstood——andforawhileFulkersontriedtoruntheartleghimself。Thephrasewasagainhis，butitwassimplertomakethephrasethantoruntheleg。Thedifficultgeneration，atoncestiff-backedandslippery，withwhichhehadtodointhisendeavor，reducedevensobuoyantanoptimisttodespair，andafterwastingsomevaluableweeksintryingtoworktheartistshimself，hedeterminedtogetanartisttoworkthem。Butwhatartist?Itcouldnotbeamanwithfixedreputationandafollowing:hewouldbetoocostly，andwouldhavetoomanyenemiesamonghisbrethren，evenifhewouldconsenttoundertakethejob。Fulkersonhadamaninmind，anartist，too，whowouldhavebeentheverythingifhehadbeenthethingatall。 Hehadtalentenough，andhissortoftalentwouldreachroundthewholesituation，but，asFulkersonsaid，hewasasmanykindsofanassashewaskindsofanartist。 EndAHazardofNewFortunesV2 ByWilliamDeanHowellsPARTSECOND I。 TheeveningwhenMarchclosedwithMrs。Green\'sreducedoffer，anddecidedtotakeherapartment，thewidowwhoselodgingshehadrejectedsatwithherdaughterinanupperroomatthebackofherhouse。Intheshadedglowofthedrop-lightshewassewing，andthegirlwasdrawingatthesametable。Fromtimetotime，astheytalked，thegirlliftedherheadandtilteditalittleononesidesoastogetsomedesiredeffectofherwork。 \"It\'samercythecoldweatherholdsoff，\"saidthemother。\"Weshouldhavetolightthefurnace，unlesswewantedtoscareeverybodyawaywithacoldhouse；andIdon\'tknowwhowouldtakecareofit，orwhatwouldbecomeofus，everyway。\" \"Theyseemtohavebeenscaredawayfromahousethatwasn\'tcold，\"saidthegirl。\"Perhapstheymightlikeacoldone。Butit\'stooearlyforcoldyet。It\'sonlyjustinthebeginningofNovember。\" \"TheMessengersaysthey\'vehadasprinklingofsnow。\" \"Ohyes，atSt。Barnaby!Idon\'tknowwhentheydon\'thavesprinklingsofsnowthere。I\'mawfullygladwehaven\'tgotthatwinterbeforeus。\" Thewidowsighedasmothersdowhofeelthecontrasttheirexperienceopposestothehopefulrecklessnessofsuchtalkasthis。\"Wemayhaveaworsewinterhere，\"shesaid，darkly。 \"ThenIcouldn\'tstandit，\"saidthegirl，\"andIshouldgoinforlightingouttoFloridadouble-quick。\" \"AndhowwouldyougettoFlorida?\"demandedhermother，severely。 \"Oh，bytheusualconveyancePullmanvestibuledtrain，Isuppose。Whatmakesyousoblue，mamma?\"Thegirlwasallthetimesketchingaway，rubbingout，liftingherheadfortheeffect，andthenbendingitoverherworkagainwithoutlookingathermother。 \"Iamnotblue，Alma。ButIcannotendurethis——thishopefulnessofyours。\" \"Why?Whatharmdoesitdo?\" \"Harm?\"echoedthemother。 Pendingtheeffortshemustmakeinsaying，thegirlcutin:\"Yes，harm。 You\'vekeptyourdespairdustedoffandreadyforuseataninstant\'snoticeeversincewecame，andwhatgoodhasitdone?I\'mgoingtokeeponhopingtothebitterend。That\'swhatpapadid。\" ItwaswhattheRev。ArchibaldLeightonhaddonewithalltheconsumptive\'sbuoyancy。Themorninghediedhetoldthemthatnowhehadturnedthepointandwasreallygoingtogetwell。Thecheerfulnesswasnotonlyinhisdisease，butinhistemperament。Itsexcesswasalwaysalittleagainsthiminhischurchwork，andMrs。Leightonwasrightenoughinfeelingthatifithadnotbeenfortheballastofherinstinctivedespondencyhewouldhavemadeshipwreckofsuchsmallchancesofprosperityasbefellhiminlife。Itwasnotfromhimthathisdaughtergothertalent，thoughhehadleftherhistemperamentintactofhiswidow\'slegalthirds。Hewasoneofthosemenofwhomthecountrypeoplesaywhenheisgonethatthewomangetsalongbetterwithouthim。Mrs。 Leightonhadlongekedouttheirincomebytakingasummerboarderortwo，asagreatfavor，intoherfamily；andwhenthegreaterneedcame，shefranklygaveupherhousetothesummer-folks(astheycalltheminthecountry)，andmanageditfortheircomfortfromthesmallquarterofitinwhichsheshutherselfupwithherdaughter。 Thenotionofshuttingupisanexigencyoftheroundedperiod。Thefactis，ofcourse，thatAlmaLeightonwasnotshutupinanysensewhatever。 Shewasthepervadinglight，ifnotforce，ofthehouse。Shewasagoodcook，andshemanagedthekitchenwiththehelpofanIrishgirl，whilehermotherlookedaftertherestofthehousekeeping。Butshewasnotsystematic；shehadinspirationbutnotdiscipline，andhermothermournedmoreoverthedayswhenAlmaleftthewholedinnertotheIrishgirlthansherejoicedinthosewhenoneofAlma\'sgreatthoughtstookforminachicken-pieofincomparablesavororinamatchlesspudding。 Theoff-dayscamewhenherartisticnaturewasexpressingitselfincharcoal，forshedrewtotheadmirationofallamongtheladyboarderswhocouldnotdraw。Theothershadtheirreserves；theyreadilyconcededthatAlmahadgenius，buttheyweresuresheneededinstruction。Ontheotherhand，theywerenotsoradicalastoagreewiththeoldpainterwhocameeverysummertopainttheelmsoftheSt。Barnabymeadows。Hecontendedthatsheneededtobeamaninordertoamounttoanything；butinthistheoryhewasopposedbyanauthority，ofhisownsex，whomtheladysketchersbelievedtospeakwithmoreimpartialityinamatterconcerningthemasmuchasAlmaLeighton。Hesaidthatinstructionwoulddo，andhewasnotonly，youngerandhandsomer，buthewasfresherfromtheschoolsthanoldHarrington，who，eventheladysketcherscouldsee，paintedinanobsolescentmanner。HisnamewasBeaton——AngusBeaton；buthewasnotScotch，ornotmoreScotchthanMaryQueenofScotswas。HisfatherwasaScotchman，butBeatonwasborninSyracuse，NewYork，andithadtakenonlythreeyearsinParistoobliteratemanytracesofnativeandancestralmannerinhim。Heworehisblackbeardcutshorterthanhismustache，andalittlepointed；hestoodwithhisshoulderswellthrownbackandwithalateralcurveofhispersonwhenhetalkedaboutart，whichwouldalonehavecarriedconvictionevenifhehadnothadathick，darkbangcomingalmosttothebrowsofhismobilegrayeyes，andhadnotspokenEnglishwithquick，staccatoimpulses，soastogiveittheeffectofepigrammaticandsententiousFrench。OneoftheladiessaidthatyoualwaysthoughtofhimashavingspokenFrenchafteritwasover，andaccusedherselfofwronginnotbeingabletofeelafraidofhim。Noneoftheladieswasafraidofhim，thoughtheycouldnotbelievethathewasreallysodeferentialtotheirworkasheseemed；andtheyknew，whenhewouldnotcriticiseMr。Harrington\'swork，thathewasjustactingfromprinciple。 TheymayormaynothaveknownthedeferencewithwhichhetreatedAlma\'swork；butthegirlherselffeltthathisabrupt，impersonalcommentrecognizedherasarealsisterinart。HetoldhersheoughttocometoNewYork，anddrawintheLeague，orgetintosomepainter\'sprivateclass；anditwasthesenseofdutythusappealedtowhichfinallyresultedinthehazardousexperimentsheandhermotherwerenowmaking。 TherewerenologicalbreaksinthechainoftheirreasoningfrompastsuccesswithboardersinSt。BarnabytofuturesuccesswithboardersinNewYork。Ofcoursetheoutlaywasmuchgreater。Therentofthefurnishedhousetheyhadtakenwassuchthatiftheyfailedtheirexperimentwouldbelittlelessthanruinous。 Buttheywerenotgoingtofail；thatwaswhatAlmacontended，withahardycouragethathermothersometimesfeltalmostinvitedfailure，ifitdidnotdeserveit。Shewasoneofthosepeoplewhobelievethatifyoudreadharmenoughitislesslikelytohappen。Sheactedonthissuperstitionasifitwereareligion。 \"Ifithadnotbeenformydespair，asyoucallit，Alma，\"sheanswered，\"Idon\'tknowwhereweshouldhavebeennow。\" \"IsupposeweshouldhavebeeninSt。Barnaby，\"saidthegirl。\"Andifit\'sworsetobeinNewYork，youseewhatyourdespair\'sdone，mamma。 Butwhat\'stheuse?Youmeantwell，andIdon\'tblameyou。Youcan\'texpectevendespairtocomeoutalwaysjustthewayyouwantit。Perhapsyou\'veusedtoomuchofit。\"Thegirllaughed，andMrs。Leightonlaughed，too。Likeeveryoneelse，shewasnotmerelyaprevailingmood，aspeopleareapttobeinbooks，butwasanirregularlyspheroidalcharacter，withsurfacesthatcaughtthedifferentlightsofcircumstanceandreflectedthem。Almagotupandtookaposebeforethemirror，whichshethentransferredtohersketch。Theroomwaspinnedaboutwithothersketches，whichshowedwithfantasticindistinctnessintheshadedgaslight。Almaheldupthedrawing。\"Howdoyoulikeit?\" Mrs。Leightonbentforwardoverhersewingtolookatit。\"You\'vegottheman\'sfaceratherweak。\" \"Yes，that\'sso。EitherIseeallthehiddenweaknessthat\'sinmen\'snatures，andbringittothesurfaceintheirfigures，orelseIputmyownweaknessintothem。Eitherway，it\'sadrawbacktotheirpresentingatrulymanlyappearance。AslongasIhaveoneofthemiserableobjectsbeforeme，Icandrawhim；butassoonashisback\'sturnedIgettoputtingladiesintomen\'sclothes。Ishouldthinkyou\'dbescandalized，mamma，ifyouwereareallyfeminineperson。Itmustbeyourdespairthathelpsyoutobearup。Butwhat\'sthematterwiththeyoungladyinyounglady\'sclothes?Anydustonher?\" \"Whatexpressions!\"saidMrs。Leighton。\"Really，Alma，forarefinedgirlyouarethemostunrefined!\" \"Goon——aboutthegirlinthepicture!\"saidAlma，slightlyknockinghermotherontheshoulder，asshestoodoverher。 \"Idon\'tseeanythingtoher。What\'sshedoing?\" \"Oh，justbeingmadeloveto，Isuppose。\" \"She\'sperfectlyinsipid!\" \"You\'reawfullyarticulate，mamma!Now，ifMr。Wetmoreweretocriticisethatpicturehe\'ddrawacirclerounditintheair，andlookatitthroughthat，andtilthisheadfirstononesideandthenontheother，andthenlookatyou，asifyouwereafigureinit，andthencollapseawhile，andmoanalittleandgasp，\'Isn\'tyouryoungladyalittletoo- too——\'andthenhe\'dtrytogetthewordoutofyou，andgroanandsuffersomemore；andyou\'dsay，\'Sheis，rather，\'andthatwouldgivehimcourage，andhe\'dsay，\'Idon\'tmeanthatshe\'ssovery——\'\'Ofcoursenot。\'\'Youunderstand?\'\'Perfectly。Iseeitmyself，now。\'\'Well，then\'—— andhe\'dtakeyourpencilandbegintodraw——\'Ishouldgiveheralittlemore——Ah?\'\'Yes，Iseethedifference。\'\'Youseethedifference?\' Andhe\'dgoofftosomeoneelse，andyou\'dknowthatyou\'dbeendoingthewishy-washiestthingintheworld，thoughhehadn\'tspokenawordofcriticism，andcouldn\'t。Buthewouldn\'thavenoticedtheexpressionatall；he\'dhaveshownyouwhereyourdrawingwasbad。Hedoesn\'tcareforwhathecallstheliteratureofathing；hesaysthatwilltakecareofitselfifthedrawing\'sgood。Hedoesn\'tlikemydoingthesechicthings；butI\'mgoingtokeepitup，forIthinkit\'sthenearestwaytoillustrating。\" Shetookhersketchandpinnedituponthedoor。 \"AndhasMr。Beatonbeenabout，yet?\"askedhermother。 \"No，\"saidthegirl，withherbackstillturned；andsheadded，\"Ibelievehe\'sinNewYork；Mr。Wetmore\'sseenhim。\" \"It\'salittlestrangehedoesn\'tcall。\" \"Itwouldbeifhewerenotanartist。Butartistsneverdoanythinglikeotherpeople。Hewasonhisgoodbehaviorwhilehewaswithus，andhe\'sagreatdealmoreconventionalthanmostofthem；butevenhecan\'tkeepitup。That\'swhatmakesmereallythinkthatwomencanneveramounttoanythinginart。Theykeepalltheirappointments，andfulfilalltheirdutiesjustasiftheydidn\'tknowanythingaboutart。Well，mostofthemdon\'t。We\'vegotthatnewmodelto-day。\" \"Whatnewmodel?\" \"TheoneMr。WetmorewastellingusabouttheoldGerman；he\'ssplendid。 He\'sgotthemostbeautifulhead；justliketheoldmasters\'things。HeusedtobeHumphreyWilliams\'smodelforhisBiblical-pieces；butsincehe\'sdead，theoldmanhardlygetsanythingtodo。Mr。Wetmoresaysthereisn\'tanybodyintheBiblethatWilliamsdidn\'tpainthimas。 He\'stheLawandtheProphetsinallhisOldTestamentpictures，andhe\'sJoseph，Peter，JudasIscariot，andtheScribesandPhariseesintheNew。\" \"It\'sagoodthingpeopledon\'tknowhowartistswork，orsomeofthemostsacredpictureswouldhavenoinfluence，\"saidMrs。Leighton。 \"Why，ofcoursenot!\"criedthegirl。\"Andtheinfluenceisthelastthingapainterthinksof——orsupposeshethinksof。Whatheknowshe\'sanxiousaboutisthedrawingandthecolor。Butpeoplewillneverunderstandhowsimpleartistsare。WhenIreflectwhatacomplexandsophisticatedbeingIam，I\'mafraidIcannevercometoanythinginart。 OrIshouldbeifIhadn\'tgenius。\" \"DoyouthinkMr。Beatonisverysimple?\"askedMrs。Leighton。 \"Mr。Wetmoredoesn\'tthinkhe\'sverymuchofanartist。Hethinkshetalkstoowell。Theybelievethatifamancanexpresshimselfclearlyhecan\'tpaint。\" \"Andwhatdoyoubelieve?\" \"Oh，Icanexpressmyself，too。\" Themotherseemedtobesatisfiedwiththisevasion。Afterawhileshesaid，\"Ipresumehewillcallwhenhegetssettled。\" Thegirlmadenoanswertothis。\"Oneofthegirlssaysthatoldmodelisaneducatedman。Hewasinthewar，andlostahand。Doesn\'titseemapityforsuchamantohavetosittoaclassofaffectedgeeselikeusasamodel?Ideclareitmakesmesick。Andweshallkeephimaweek，andpayhimsixorsevendollarsfortheuseofhisgrandoldhead，andthenwhatwillhedo?ThelasttimehewasregularlyemployedwaswhenMr。MacewasworkingathisDamascusMassacre。ThenhewantedsomanyArabsheiksandChristianeldersthathekeptoldMr。Lindausteadilyemployedforsixmonths。Nowhehastopickupoddjobswherehecan。\" \"Isupposehehashispension，\"saidMrs。Leighton。 \"No；oneofthegirls\"——thatwasthewayAlmaalwaysdescribedherfellow-students——\"sayshehasnopension。Hedidn\'tapplyforitforalongtime，andthentherewasahitchaboutit，anditwassomethinged——vetoed，Ibelieveshesaid。\" \"Whovetoedit?\"askedMrs。Leighton，withsomecuriosityabouttheprocess，whichsheheldinreserve。 \"Idon\'tknow-whoevervetoesthings。IwonderwhatMr。Wetmoredoesthinkofus——hisclass。Wemustseemperfectlycrazy。Thereisn\'toneofusreallyknowswhatshe\'sdoingitfor，orwhatsheexpectstohappenwhenshe\'sdoneit。Isupposeeveryonethinksshehasgenius。IknowtheNebraskawidowdoes，forshesaysthatunlessyouhavegeniusitisn\'ttheleastuse。Everybody\'spuzzledtoknowwhatshedoeswithherbabywhenshe\'satwork——whethershegivesitsoothingsyrup。IwonderhowMr。Wetmorecankeepfromlaughinginourfaces。Iknowhedoesbehindourbacks。\" Mrs。Leighton\'smindwanderedbacktoanotherpoint。\"ThenifhesaysMr。Beatoncan\'tpaint，Ipresumehedoesn\'trespecthimverymuch。\" \"Oh，heneversaidhecouldn\'tpaint。ButIknowhethinksso。Hesayshe\'sanexcellentcritic。\" \"Alma，\"hermothersaid，withtheeffectofbreakingoff，\"whatdoyousupposeisthereasonhehasn\'tbeennearus?\" \"Why，Idon\'tknow，mamma，exceptthatitwouldhavebeennaturalforanotherpersontocome，andhe\'sanartistatleast，artistenoughforthat。\" \"Thatdoesn\'taccountforitaltogether。HewasveryniceatSt。 Barnaby，andseemedsointerestedinyou——yourwork。\" \"PlentyofpeoplewereniceatSt。Barnaby。ThatrichMrs。Horncouldn\'tcontainherjoywhensheheardwewerecomingtoNewYork，butshehasn\'tpouredinuponusagreatdealsincewegothere。\" \"Butthat\'sdifferent。She\'sveryfashionable，andshe\'stakenupwithherownset。ButMr。Beaton\'soneofourkind。\" \"Thankyou。Papawasn\'tquiteatombstone-cutter，mamma。\" \"Thatmakesitallthehardertobear。Hecan\'tbeashamedofus。 Perhapshedoesn\'tknowwhereweare。\" \"Doyouwishtosendhimyourcard，mamma?\"Thegirlflushedandtoweredinscornoftheidea。 \"Why，no，Alma，\"returnedhermother。 \"Well，then，\"saidAlma。 ButMrs。Leightonwasnotsoeasilyquelled。ShehadgothermindonMr。 Beaton，andshecouldnotdetachitatonce。Besides，shewasoneofthosewomen(theyarecommonerthanthesamesortofmen)whomitdoesnotpaintotakeouttheirmostintimatethoughtsandexaminetheminthelightofotherpeople\'sopinions。\"ButIdon\'tseehowhecanbehaveso。 Hemustknowthat——\" \"Thatwhat，mamma?\"demandedthegirl。 \"Thatheinfluencedusagreatdealincoming——\" \"Hedidn\'t。Ifhedaredtopresumetothinksuchathing——\" \"Now，Alma，\"saidhermother，withtheclingingpersistenceofsuchnatures，\"youknowhedid。Andit\'snouseforyoutopretendthatwedidn\'tcountuponhimin——ineveryway。Youmaynothavenoticedhisattentions，andIdon\'tsayyoudid，butotherscertainlydid；andImustsaythatIdidn\'texpecthewoulddropusso。\" \"Dropus!\"criedAlma，inafury。\"Oh!\" \"Yes，dropus，Alma。Hemustknowwhereweare。Ofcourse，Mr。 Wetmore\'sspokentohimaboutyou，andit\'sashamethathehasn\'tbeennearus。Ishouldhavethoughtcommongratitude，commondecency，wouldhavebroughthimafter——afterallwedidforhim。\" \"Wedidnothingforhim——nothing!Hepaidhisboard，andthatendedit。\" \"No，itdidn\'t，Alma。Youknowwhatheusedtosay——aboutitsbeinglikehome，andallthat；andImustsaythatafterhisattentionstoyou，andallthethingsyoutoldmehesaid，Iexpectedsomethingverydif——\" Asharppealofthedoor-bellthrilledthroughthehouse，andasifthepullofthebell-wirehadtwitchedhertoherfeet，Mrs。Leightonsprangupandgrappledwithherdaughterintheircommonterror。 Theybothglaredattheclockandmadesurethatitwasfiveminutesafternine。Thentheyabandonedthemselvessomemomentstotheunrestrictedplayoftheirapprehensions。 II。 \"Why，Alma，\"whisperedthemother，\"whointheworldcanitbeatthistimeofnight?Youdon\'tsupposehe——\" \"Well，I\'mnotgoingtothedoor，anyhow，mother，Idon\'tcarewhoitis； and，ofcourse，hewouldn\'tbesuchagooseastocomeatthishour。\" Sheputonalookofmiserabletrepidation，andshrankbackfromthedoor，whilethehumofthebelldiedaway，inthehall。 \"Whatshallwedo?\"askedMrs。Leighton，helplessly。 \"Lethimgoaway——whoevertheyare，\"saidAlma。 Anotherandmoreperemptoryringforbadethemrefugeinthissimpleexpedient。 \"Oh，dear!whatshallwedo?Perhapsit\'sadespatch。\" TheconjecturemovedAlmatonomorethanarigidstare。\"Ishallnotgo，\"shesaid。Athirdringmoreinsistentthantheothersfollowed，andshesaid:\"Yougoahead，mamma，andI\'llcomebehindtoscreamifit\'sanybody。Wecanlookthroughtheside-lightsatthedoorfirst。\" Mrs。Leightonfearfullyledthewayfromthebackchamberwheretheybadbeensitting，andslowlydescendedthestairs。Almacamebehindandturnedupthehallgas-jetwithasuddenflashthatmadethembothjumpalittle。Thegasinsiderendereditmoredifficulttotellwhowasonthethreshold，butMrs。Leightondecidedfromatimorouspeepthroughthescrimsthatitwasaladyandgentleman。Somethinginthisdistributionofsexemboldenedher；shetookherlifeinherhand，andopenedthedoor。 Theladyspoke。\"DoesMrs。Leightonliveheah?\"shesaid，inarich，throatyvoice；andshefeignedareferencetotheagent\'spermitsheheldinherhand。 \"Yes，\"saidMrs。Leighton；shemechanicallyoccupiedthedoorway，whileAlmaalreadyquiveredbehindherwithimpatienceofherimpoliteness。 \"Oh，\"saidthelady，whobegantoappearmoreandmoreayounglady，\"Ahdidn\'tknowbutAhhadmistakenthehoase。Ahsupposeit\'sratherlatetoseetheapawtments，andAhmostaskyoutopawdonus。\"Sheputthistentatively，withadelicatelygrowingrecognitionofMrs。Leightonastheladyofthehouse，andahumorousintelligenceofthesituationintheglanceshethrewAlmaoverhermother\'sshoulder。\"Ah\'mafraidwemosthavefrightenedyou。\" \"Oh，notatall，\"saidAlma；andatthesametimehermothersaid，\"Willyouwalkin，please?\" ThegentlemanpromptlyremovedhishatandmadetheLeightonsaninclusivebow。\"Youaweverykind，madam，andIamsorryforthetroubleweawegivingyou。\"Hewastallandsevere-looking，withagray，trooperishmustacheandiron-grayhair，and，asAlmadecided，iron-grayeyes。Hisdaughterwasshort，plump，andfresh-colored，withaneffectoflivelinessthatdidnotallexpressitselfinherbroad-vowelled，ratherformalspeech，withitsoddvaluationsofsomeoftheauxiliaryverbs，anditstotalelisionofthecanineletter。 \"WeawefromtheSoath，\"shesaid，\"andwearrivedthismawning，butwegotthiscyahdfromthebrokahjustbefo\'dinnah，andsoweawerathahlate。\" \"Notatall；it\'sonlynineo\'clock，\"saidMrs。Leighton。Shelookedupfromthecardtheyoungladyhadgivenher，andexplained，\"Wehaven\'tgotinourservantsyet，andwehadtoanswerthebellourselves，and——\" \"Youwerefrightened，ofcoase，\"saidtheyounglady，caressingly。 Thegentlemansaidtheyoughtnottohavecomesolate，andheofferedsomeformalapologies。 \"Weshouldhavebeenjustasmuchscaredanytimeafterfiveo\'clock，\" Almasaidtothesympatheticintelligenceinthegirl\'sface。 Shelaughedout。\"Ofcoase!Ahwouldhavemyhawtinmymoathalldaylong，too，ifAhwaslivinginabighoasealone。\" Amomentofstiffnessfollowed；Mrs。Leightonwouldhavelikedtowithdrawfromtheintimacyofthesituation，butshedidnotknowhow。 Itwasverywellforthesepeopletoassumetobewhattheypretended； but，shereflectedtoolate，shehadnoproofofitexcepttheagent\'spermit。Theywereallstandinginthehalltogether，andsheprolongedtheawkwardpausewhilesheexaminedthepermit。\"YouareMr。Woodburn?\" sheasked，inawaythatAlmafeltimpliedhemightnotbe。 \"Yes，madam；fromCharlottesboag，Virginia，\"heanswered，withtheslightumbrageamanshowswhenthestrangecashierturnshischeckoverandquestionshimbeforecashingit。 Almawrithedinternally，butoutwardlyremainedsubordinate；sheexaminedtheothergirl\'sdress，anddecidedinasuperficialconsciousnessthatshehadmadeherownbonnet。 \"Ishallbegladtoshowyoumyrooms，\"saidMrs。Leighton，withanirrelevantsigh。\"YoumustexcusetheirbeingnotjustasIshouldwishthem。We\'rehardlysettledyet。\"