第13章

\"There，now，Iknowedyouwould，Coonrod。Now，fawther!\"ThisappealwastomaketheoldmansaysomethinginrecognitionofConrad\'ssacrifice。 \"You\'llalwaysfind，\"hesaid，\"thatit\'sthoseofyourownhouseholdthathavethefirstclaimonyou。\" \"That\'sso，Coonrod，\"urgedhismother。\"It\'sBibletruth。Yourfawtherain\'taperfesser，buthealwaysdidreadhisBible。SearchtheScriptures。That\'swhatitmeans。\" \"Laws!\"criedMely，\"abodycansee，easyenoughfrommother，whereConrad\'swantun\'tobeapreachercomesfrom。Ishould\'a\'thoughtshe\'d\'a\'wantedtobeenoneherself。\" \"Letyourwomenkeepsilenceinthechurches，\"saidtheoldwoman，solemnly。 \"Thereyougoagain，mother!Iguessifyouwastosaythattosomeoftheladyministersnowadays，you\'dgityourselfintotrouble。\"Melalookedroundforapproval，andgurgledoutahoarselaugh。 IX。 TheDryfooseswentlatetoMrs。Horn\'smusicale，inspiteofMrs。 Mandel\'sadvice。Christinemadethedelay，bothbecauseshewishedtoshowMissVancethatshewas(not)anxious，andbecauseshehadsomevaguenotionofthedistinctionofarrivinglateatanysortofentertainment。Mrs。Mandelinsisteduponthedifferencebetweenthismusicaleandanordinaryreception；butChristineratherfancieddisturbingacompanythathadgotseated，andperhapsmakingpeopleriseandstand，whileshefoundherwaytoherplace，asshehadseenthem。 doforatardycomeratthetheatre。 Mela，whomshedidnotadmittoherreasonsorfeelingsalways，followedherwiththeservileadmirationshehadforallthatChristinedid；andshetookontrustassomehowsuccessfultheresultofChristine\'sobstinacy，whentheywereallowedtostandagainstthewallatthebackoftheroomthroughthewholeofthelongpiecebegunjustbeforetheycamein。Therehadbeennoonetoreceivethem；afewpeople，intherearrowsofchairsnearthem，turnedtheirheadstoglanceatthem，andthenlookedawayagain。Melahadhermisgivings；butattheendofthepieceMissVancecameuptothematonce，andthenMelaknewthatshehadhereyesonthemallthetime，andthatChristinemusthavebeenright。 Christinesaidnothingabouttheircominglate，andsoMeladidnotmakeanyexcuse，andMissVanceseemedtoexpectnone。SheglancedwithasortofsurpriseatConrad，whenChristineintroducedhim；Meladidnotknowwhethershelikedtheirbringinghim，tillsheshookhandswithhim，andsaid:\"Oh，Iamverygladindeed!Mr。DryfoosandIhavemetbefore。\"Withoutexplainingwhereorwhen，sheledthemtoherauntandpresentedthem，andthensaid，\"I\'mgoingtoputyouwithsomefriendsofyours，\"andquicklyseatedthemnexttheMarches。Melalikedthatwellenough；shethoughtshemighthavesomejokingwithMr。March，forallhiswifewassostiff；butthelookwhichChristineworeseemedtoforbid，provisionallyatleast，anysuchrecreation。Onherpart，ChristinewascoolwiththeMarches。ItwentthroughhermindthattheymusthavetoldMissVancetheyknewher；andperhapstheyhadboastedofherintimacy。SherelaxedalittletowardthemwhenshesawBeatonleaningagainstthewallattheendoftherownextMrs。March。ThensheconjecturedthathemighthavetoldMissVanceofheracquaintancewiththeMarches，andshebentforwardandnoddedtoMrs。MarchacrossConrad，Mela，andMr。March。Sheconceivedofhimasasortofhandofherfather\'s，butshewaswillingtotakethemattheirapparentsocialvaluationforthetime。Sheleanedbackinherchair，anddidnotlookupatBeatonafterthefirstfurtiveglance，thoughshefelthiseyesonher。 Themusicbeganagainalmostatonce，beforeMelahadtimetomakeConradtellherwhereMissVancehadmethimbefore。Shewouldnothavemindedinterruptingthemusic；buteveryoneelseseemedsoattentive，evenChristine，thatshehadnotthecourage。Theconcertwentontoanendwithoutrealizingforhertheidealofpleasurewhichoneoughttofind。 insociety。Shewasnotexacting，butitseemedtohertherewereveryfewyoungmen，andwhenthemusicwasover，andtheiropportunitycametobesociable，theywerenotverysociable。Theywerenotintroduced，foronething；butitappearedtoMelathattheymighthavegotintroduced，iftheyhadanysense；shesawthemlookingather，andshewasgladshehaddressedsomuch；shewasdressedmorethananyotherladythere，andeitherbecauseshewasthemostdressedofanypersonthere，orbecauseithadgotaroundwhoherfatherwas，shefeltthatshehadmadeanimpressionontheyoungmen。Inhersatisfactionwiththis，andfromhergoodnature，shewascontentedtobeservedwithherrefreshmentsaftertheconcertbyMr。March，andtoremainjokingwithhim。Shewasatherease；sheletherhoarsevoiceoutinherlargestlaugh；sheaccusedhim，totheadmirationofthosenear，ofgettingherintoaperfectgale。Itappearedtoher，inherownpleasure，hermissiontoillustratetotherathersubduedpeopleaboutherwhatagoodtimereallywas，sothattheycouldhaveitiftheywantedit。HerjoywascrownedwhenMarchmodestlyprofessedhimselfunworthytomonopolizeher，andexplainedhowselfishhefeltintalkingtoayoungladywhenthereweresomanyyoungmendyingtodoso。 \"Oh，pshaw，dyun\'，yes!\"criedMela，tastingtheirony。\"IguessIseethem!\" Heaskedifhemightreallyintroduceafriendofhistoher，andshesaid，Well，yes，ifbethoughthecouldlivetogettoher；andMarchbroughtupamanwhomhethoughtveryyoungandMelathoughtveryold。 Hewasacontributorto\'EveryOtherWeek，\'andsoMarchknewhim； hebelievedhimselfastudentofhumannatureinbehalfofliterature，andhenowsetaboutstudyingMela。Hetemptedhertoexpressheropiniononallpoints，andhelaughedsoamiablyattheboldnessandhumorousvigorofherideasthatshewasdelightedwithhim。SheaskedhimifhewasaNew-Yorkerbybirth；andshetoldhimshepitiedhim，whenhesaidhehadneverbeenWest。SheprofessedherselfperfectlysickofNewYork，andurgedhimtogotoMoffittifhewantedtoseeareallivetown。Hewonderedifitwoulddotoputherintoliteraturejustasshewas，withallherslangandbrag，buthedecidedthathewouldhavetosubdueheragreatdeal:hedidnotseehowhecouldreconcilethefactsofherconversationwiththefactsofherappearance: herbeauty，hersplendorofdress，herapparentrighttobewhereshewas。Thesethingsperplexedhim；hewasafraidthegreatAmericannovel，iftrue，mustbeincredible。MelasaidheoughttohearhersistergoonaboutNewYorkwhentheyfirstcame；butshereckonedthatChristinewasgettingsoshecouldputupwithitalittlebetter，now。ShelookedsignificantlyacrosstheroomtotheplacewhereChristinewasnowtalkingwithBeaton；andthestudentofhumannatureasked，Wasshehere? and，Wouldsheintroducehim?Melasaidshewould，thefirstchanceshegot；andsheadded，Theywouldbemuchpleasedtohavehimcall。Shefeltherselftobehavingabeautifultime，andshegotdirectlyuponsuchintimatetermswiththestudentofhumannaturethatshelaughedwithhimaboutsomepeculiaritiesofhis，suchashisgoingsofarabouttoaskthingshewantedtoknowfromher；shesaidsheneverdidbelieveinbeatingaboutthebushmuch。ShehadnoticedthesamethinginMissVancewhenshecametocallthatday；andwhentheyoungmanownedthathecameratheragooddealtoMrs。Horn\'shouse，sheaskedhim，Well，whatsortofagirlwasMissVance，anyway，andwheredidhesupposeshehadmetherbrother?Thestudentofhumannaturecouldnotsayastothis，andastoMissVancehejudgeditsafesttotreatofthenon- societysideofhercharacter，heractivityincharity，herspecialdevotiontotheworkamongthepoorontheEastSide，whichshepersonallyengagedin。 \"Oh，that\'swhereConradgoes，too!\"Melainterrupted。\"I\'llbetanythingthat\'swhereshemethim。IwishtIcouldtellChristine! ButIsupposeshewouldwanttokillme，ifIwastospeaktohernow。\" Thestudentofhumannaturesaid，politely，\"Oh，shallItakeyoutoher?\" Melaanswered，\"Iguessyoubetternot!\"withalaughsosignificantthathecouldnothelphisinferencesconcerningbothChristine\'sabsorptioninthepersonshewastalkingwithandthehabitualviolenceofhertemper。HemadenoteofhowMelahelplesslyspokeofallherfamilybytheirnames，asifhewerealreadyintimatewiththem；hefanciedthatifhecouldgetthatinskillfully，itwouldbeavaluablecolorinhisstudy；theEnglishlordwhomsheshouldastonishwithitbegantoformhimselfoutofthedramaticnebulosityinhismind，andtowhirlonadefiniteorbitinAmericansociety。ButhewaspuzzledtodecidewhetherMela\'swillingnesstotakehimintoherconfidenceonshortnoticewastypicalorpersonal:thetraitofadaughterofthenatural-gasmillionaire，orafoibleofherown。 BeatontalkedwithChristinethegreaterpartoftheeveningthatwasleftaftertheconcert。Hewasverygrave，andtookthetoneofafatherlyfriend；hespokeguardedlyofthepeoplepresent，andmoderatedtheseverityofsomeofChristine\'sjudgmentsoftheirlooksandcostumes。HedidthisoutofasortofunreasonedallegiancetoMargaret，whomhewasinthemoodofwishingtopleasebybeingverykindandgood，asshealwayswas。HehadthesensealsoofatoningbythisbehaviorforsomerecklessthingshehadsaidbeforethattoChristine； heputonasad，reprovingairwithher，andgaveherthefeelingofbeingheldincheck。 Shechafedatit，andsaid，glancingatMargaretintalkwithherbrother，\"Idon\'tthinkMissVanceissoverypretty，doyou?\" \"Ineverthinkwhethershe\'sprettyornot，\"saidBecton，withdreamy，affectation。\"Sheismerelyperfect。Doessheknowyourbrother?\" \"Soshesays。Ididn\'tsupposeConradeverwentanywhere，excepttotenement-houses。\" \"Itmighthavebeenthere，\"Bectonsuggested。\"Shegoesamongfriendlesspeopleeverywhere。\" \"Maybethat\'sthereasonshecametoseeus!\"saidChristine。 Bectonlookedatherwithhissmoulderingeyes，andfeltthewishtosay，\"Yes，itwasexactlythat，\"butheonlyallowedhimselftodenythepossibilityofanysuchmotiveinthatcase。Headded:\"Iamsogladyouknowher，MissDryfoos。InevermetMissVancewithoutfeelingmyselfbetterandtruer，somehow；orthewishtobeso。\" \"Andyouthinkwemightbeimproved，too?\"Christineretorted。\"Well，Imustsayyou\'renotveryflattering，Mr。Becton，anyway。\" Bectonwouldhavelikedtoanswerheraccordingtohercattishness，withagoodclawingsarcasmthatwouldleaveitssmartinherpride；buthewasbeinggood，andhecouldnotchangeallatonce。Besides，thegirl\'sattitudeunderthesocialhonordoneherinterestedhim。Hewassureshehadneverbeeninsuchgoodcompanybefore，buthecouldseethatshewasnotintheleastaffectedbytheexperience。Hehadtoldherwhothispersonandthatwas；andhesawshehadunderstoodthatthenameswereofconsequence；butsheseemedtofeelherequalitywiththemall。 HerserenitywasnotobviouslyakintothesavagestoicisminwhichBeatonhidhisownconsciousnessofsocialinferiority；buthavingwonhiswayintheworldsofarbyhistalent，hispersonalquality，hedidnotconceivethesimplefactinhercase。Christinewasself-possessedbecauseshefeltthataknowledgeofherfather\'sfortunehadgotaround，andshehadthepeacewhichmoneygivestoignorance；butBeatonattributedherpoisetoindifferencetosocialvalues。This，whileheinwardlysneeredatit，avengedhimuponhisowntookeensenseofthem，and，togetherwithhistemporaryallegiancetoMargaret\'sgoodness，kepthimfromretaliatingChristine\'svulgarity。Hesaid，\"Idon\'tseehowthatcouldbe，\"andleftthequestionofflatterytosettleitself。 Thepeoplebegantogoaway，followingeachotheruptotakeleaveofMrs。Horn。Christinewatchedthemwithunconcern，andeitherbecauseshewouldnotbegovernedbythegeneralmovement，orbecauseshelikedbeingwithBeaton，gavenosignofgoing。Melawasstilltalkingtothestudentofhumannature，sendingoutherlaughindeepgurglesamidtheunimaginableconfidencesshewasmakinghimaboutherself，herfamily，thestaffof\'EveryOtherWeek，\'Mrs。Mandel，andthekindoflifetheyhadallledbeforeshecametothem。Hewasnotablinddevoteeofartforart\'ssake，andthoughhefeltthatifonecouldportrayMelajustasshewasshewouldbetherichestpossiblematerial，hewasratherashamedtoknowsomeofthethingsshetoldhim；andhekeptlookinganxiouslyaboutforachanceofescape。ThecompanyhadreduceditselftotheDryfoosgroupsandsomefriendsofMrs。Horn\'swhohadtherighttolinger，whenMargaretcrossedtheroomwithConradtoChristineandBeaton。 \"I\'msoglad，MissDryfoos，tofindthatIwasnotquiteastrangertoyouallwhenIventuredtocall，theotherday。YourbrotherandIareratheroldacquaintances，thoughIneverknewwhohewasbefore。Idon\'tknowjusthowtosaywemetwhereheisvaluedsomuch。IsupposeI mustn\'ttrytosayhowmuch，\"sheadded，withalookofdeepregardathim。 Conradblushedandstoodfoldinghisarmstightoverhisbreast，whilehissisterreceivedMargaret\'sconfessionwiththesuspicionwhichwasherfirstfeelinginregardtoanynewthing。Whatsheconcludedwasthatthisgirlwastryingtogetinwiththem，forreasonsofherown。 Shesaid:\"Yes；it\'sthefirstIeverheardofhisknowingyou。He\'ssomuchtakenupwithhismeetings，hedidn\'twanttocometo-night。\" Margaretdrewinherlipbeforesheanswered，withoutapparentresentmentoftheawkwardnessorungraciousness，whichevershefoundit:\"Idon\'twonder!Youbecomesoabsorbedinsuchworkthatyouthinknothingelseisworthwhile。ButI\'mgladMr。Dryfooscouldcomewithyou；I\'msogladyoucouldallcome；Iknewyouwouldenjoythemusic。Dositdown——\" \"No，\"saidChristine，bluntly；\"wemustbegoing。Mela!\"shecalledout，\"come!\" ThelastgroupaboutMrs。Hornlookedround，butChristineadvanceduponthemundismayed，andtookthehandMrs。Hornpromptlygaveher。\"Well，I mustbidyougood-night。\" \"Oh，good-night，\"murmuredtheelderlady。\"Soverykindofyoutocome。\" \"I\'vehadthebestkindofatime，\"saidMela，cordially。\"Ihain\'tlaughedsomuch，Idon\'tknowwhen。\" \"Oh，I\'mgladyouenjoyedit，\"saidMrs。Horn，inthesamepolitemurmurshehadusedwithChristine；butshesaidnothingtoeithersisteraboutanyfuturemeeting。 Theywereapparentlynottroubled。Melasaidoverhershouldertothestudentofhumannature，\"ThenexttimeIseeyouI\'llgiveittoyouforwhatyousaidaboutMoffitt。\" Margaretmadesomeentreatingpacesafterthem，butshedidnotsucceedincoveringtheretreatofthesistersagainstcriticalconjecture。ShecouldonlysaytoConrad，asifrecurringtothesubject，\"Ihopewecangetourfriendstoplayforussomenight。Iknowitisn\'tanyrealhelp，butsuchthingstakethepoorcreaturesoutofthemselvesforthetimebeing，don\'tyouthink?\" \"Ohyes，\"heanswered。\"They\'regoodinthatway。\"HeturnedbackhesitatinglytoMrs。Horn，andsaid，withablush，\"Ithankyouforahappyevening。\" \"Oh，Iamveryglad，\"shereplied，inhermurmur。 Oneoftheoldfriendsofthehousearchedhereyebrowsinsayinggood- night，andofferedthetwoyoungmenremainingseatshomeinhercarriage。Beatongloomilyrefused，andshekeptherselffromaskingthestudentofhumannature，tillshehadgothimintohercarriage，\"WhatisMoffitt，andwhatdidyousayaboutit?\" \"Nowyousee，Margaret，\"saidMrs。Horn，withbatedtriumph，whenthepeoplewereallgone。 \"Yes，Isee，\"thegirlconsented。\"Fromonepointofview，ofcourseit\'sbeenafailure。Idon\'tthinkwe\'vegivenMissDryfoosapleasure，butperhapsnobodycould。Andatleastwe\'vegivenhertheopportunityofenjoyingherself。\" \"Suchpeople，\"saidMrs。Horn，philosophically，\"peoplewiththeirmoney，mustofcoursebereceivedsoonerorlater。Youcan\'tkeepthemout。 Only，IbelieveIwouldratherletsomeoneelsebeginwiththem。TheLeightonsdidn\'tcome?\" \"Isentthemcards。Icouldn\'tcallagain。\" Mrs。Hornsighedalittle。\"IsupposeMr。Dryfoosisoneofyourfellow- philanthropists?\" \"He\'soneoftheworkers，\"saidMargaret。\"ImethimseveraltimesattheHall，butIonlyknewhisfirstname。Ithinkhe\'sagreatfriendofFatherBenedict；heseemsdevotedtothework。Don\'tyouthinkhelooksgood?\" \"Very，\"saidMrs。Horn，withacolorofcensureinherassent。\"Theyoungergirlseemedmoreamiablethanhersister。Butwhatmanners!\" \"Dreadful!\"saidMargaret，withknitbrows，andapursedmouthofhumoroussuffering。\"Butsheappearedtofeelverymuchathome。\" \"Oh，astothat，neitherofthemwasmuchabashed。DoyousupposeMr。Beatongavetheotheronesomehintsforthatquaintdressofhers? Idon\'timaginethatblackandlaceisherowninvention。Sheseemstohavesomesortofstrangefascinationforhim。\" \"She\'sverypicturesque，\"Margaretexplained。\"Andartistsseepointsinpeoplethattherestofusdon\'t。\" \"Coulditbehermoney?\"Mrs。Horninsinuated。\"Hemustbeverypoor。\" \"Butheisn\'tbase，\"retortedthegirl，withagenerousindignationthatmadeherauntsmile。 \"Ohno；butifhefancieshersopicturesque，itdoesn\'tfollowthathewouldobjecttoherbeingrich。\" \"ItwouldwithamanlikeMr。Beaton!\" \"Youareanidealist，Margaret。IsupposeyourMr。MarchhassomedisinterestedmotiveinpayingcourttoMissMela——Pamela，Isuppose，ishername。Hetalkedtoherlongerthanherliteraturewouldhavelasted。\" \"Heseemsaverykindperson，\"saidMargaret。 \"AndMr。Dryfoospayshissalary?\" \"Idon\'tknowanythingaboutthat。Butthatwouldn\'tmakeanydifferencewithhim。\" Mrs。Hornlaughedoutatthissecurity；butshewasnotdispleasedbythenoblenesswhichitcamefrom。ShelikedMargarettobehigh-minded，andwasreallynotdistressedbyanygoodthatwasinher。 TheMarcheswalkedhome，bothbecauseitwasnotfar，andbecausetheymustspareincarriagehireatanyrate。Assoonastheywereoutofthehouse，sheappliedapointofconsciencetohim。 \"Idon\'tseehowyoucouldtalktothatgirlsolong，Basil，andmakeherlaughso。\" \"Why，thereseemednooneelsetodoit，tillIthoughtofKendricks。\" \"Yes，butIkeptthinking，Nowhe\'spleasanttoherbecausehethinksit\'stohisinterest。Ifshehadnorelationto\'EveryOtherWeek，\'hewouldn\'twastehistimeonher。\" \"Isabel，\"Marchcomplained，\"Iwishyouwouldn\'tthinkofmeinhe，him，andhis；Ineverpersonalizeyouinmythoughts:youremainalwaysavagueunindividualizedessence，notquitewithoutformandvoid，butnounlessandpronounless。Icallthatamuchmorebeautifulmentalattitudetowardtheobjectofone\'saffections。Butifyoumustheandhimandhismeinyourthoughts，Iwishyou\'dhavemorekindlythoughtsofme。\" \"Doyoudenythatit\'strue，Basil?\" \"Doyoubelievethatit\'strue，Isabel?\" \"Nomatter。Butcouldyouexcuseitifitwere?\" \"Ah，Iseeyou\'dhavebeencapableofitinmy，place，andyou\'reashamed。\" \"Yes，\"sighedthewife，\"I\'mafraidthatIshould。Buttellmethatyouwouldn\'t，Basil!\" \"IcantellyouthatIwasn\'t。ButIsupposethatinarealexigency，IcouldtruckletotheproprietaryDryfoosesaswellasyou。\" \"Ohno；youmustn\'t，dear!I\'mawoman，andI\'mdreadfullyafraid。Butyoumustalwaysbeaman，especiallywiththathorridoldMr。Dryfoos。 Promisemethatyou\'llneveryieldtheleastpointtohiminamatterofrightandwrong!\" \"Notifhe\'srightandI\'mwrong?\" \"Don\'ttrifle，dear!YouknowwhatImean。Willyoupromise?\" \"I\'llpromisetosubmitthepointtoyou，andletyoudotheyielding。 Asforme，Ishallbeadamant。NothingIlikebetter。\" \"They\'redreadful，eventhatpoor，goodyoungfellow，who\'ssodifferentfromalltherest；he\'sawful，too，becauseyoufeelthathe\'samartyrtothem。\" \"AndIneverdidlikemartyrsagreatdeal，\"Marchinterposed。 \"Iwonderhowtheycametobethere，\"Mrs。Marchpursued，unmindfulofhisjoke。 \"ThatisexactlywhatseemedtobepuzzlingMissMelaaboutus。Sheasked，andIexplainedaswellasIcould；andthenshetoldmethatMissVancehadcometocallonthemandinvitedthem；andfirsttheydidn\'tknowhowtheycouldcometilltheythoughtofmakingConradbringthem。 Butshedidn\'tsaywhyMissVancecalledonthem。Mr。Dryfoosdoesn\'temployheron\'EveryOtherWeek。\'ButIsupposeshehasherownvilelittlemotive。\" \"Itcan\'tbetheirmoney；itcan\'tbe!\"sighedMrs。March。 \"Well，Idon\'tknow。Weallrespectmoney。\" \"Yes，butMissVance\'spositionissosecure。Sheneedn\'tpaycourttothosestupid，vulgarpeople。\" \"Well，let\'sconsoleourselveswiththebeliefthatshewould，ifsheneeded。SuchpeopleastheDryfoosesaretherawmaterialofgoodsociety。Itisn\'tmadeupofrefinedormeritoriouspeople——professorsandlitterateurs，ministersandmusicians，andtheirfamilies。Allthefashionablepeoplethereto-nightwereliketheDryfoosesagenerationortwoago。Idaresaythematerialworksupfasternow，andinaseasonortwoyouwon\'tknowtheDryfoosesfromtheotherplutocrats。THEYwill—— alittlebetterthantheydonow；they\'llseeadifference，butnothingradical，nothingpainful。Peoplewhogetupintheworldbyservicetoothers——throughletters，orart，orscience——mayhavetheirmodestlittlemisgivingsastotheirsocialvalue，butpeoplethatrisebymoney—— especiallyiftheirgainsaresudden——neverhave。Andthat\'sthekindofpeoplethatformournobility；there\'snousepretendingthatwehaven\'tanobility；wemightaswellpretendwehaven\'tfirst-classcarsinthepresenceofavestibuledPullman。Thosegirlshadnomoredoubtoftheirrighttobetherethaniftheyhadbeenduchesses:wethoughtitwasveryniceofMissVancetocomeandaskus，buttheydidn\'t；theyweren\'tafraid，ortheleastembarrassed；theywereperfectlynatural——likebornaristocrats。Andyoumaybesurethatiftheplutocracythatnowownsthecountryeverseesfittotakeontheoutwardsignsofanaristocracy——titles，andarms，andancestors——itwon\'tfalterfromanyinherentquestionofitsworth。Moneyprizesandhonorsitself，andifthereisanythingithasn\'tgot，itbelievesitcanbuyit。\" Well，Basil，\"saidhiswife，\"Ihopeyouwon\'tgetinfectedwithLindau\'sideasofrichpeople。Someofthemareverygoodandkind。\" \"Whodeniesthat?NotevenLindauhimself。It\'sallright。Andthegreatthingisthattheevening\'senjoymentisover。I\'vegotmysocietysmileoff，andI\'mradiantlyhappy。Goonwithyourlittlepessimisticdiatribes，Isabel；youcan\'tspoilmypleasure。\" \"Icouldsee，\"saidMela，assheandChristinedrovehometogether，\"thatshewasasjealousasshecouldbe，allthetimeyouwastalkun\'toMr。 Beaton。Shepretendedtobetalkun\'toConrad，butshekep\'hereyeonyouprettyclose，Icantellyou。Ibetshejustgotustheretoseehowhimandyouwouldacttogether。AndIreckonshewassatisfied。He\'sdeadgoneonyou，Chris。\" ChristinelistenedwithadreamypleasuretotheflatterieswithwhichMelapliedherinthehopeofsomereturninkind，andnotatallbecauseshefeltspitefullytowardMissVance，orinanywisewishedherill。 \"Whowasthatfellowwithyousolong?\"askedChristine。\"Isupposeyouturnedyourselfinsideouttohim，likeyoualwaysdo。\" Melawastransportedbythecruelingratitude。\"It\'salie!Ididn\'ttellhimasinglething。\" Conradwalkedhome，choosingtodosobecausehedidnotwishtohearhissisters\'talkoftheevening，andbecausetherewasatumultinhisspiritwhichhewishedtolethaveitsway。Inhislifewithitssinglepurpose，defeatedbystrongerwillsthanhisown，andnowstrugglingpartiallytofulfilitselfinactsofdevotiontoothers，thethoughtofwomenhadenteredscarcelymorethaninthatofachild。Hisidealswereofavirginalvagueness；faces，voices，gestureshadfilledhisfancyattimes，butalmostpassionately；andthesensationthathenowindulgedwasakindofworship，ardent，butreverentandexalted。Thebrutalexperiencesoftheworldmakeusforgetthattherearesuchnaturesinit，andthattheyseemtocomeupoutofthelowlyearthaswellasdownfromthehighheaven。Intheheartofthismanwellontowardthirtytherehadneverbeenleftthestainofabasethought；notthatsuggestionandconjecturehadnotvisitedhim，butthathehadnotentertainedthem，orinany-wisemadethemhis。InaCatholicageandcountry，hewouldhavebeenoneofthosemonkswhoaresaintedafterdeathfortheangelicpurityoftheirlives，andwhosenamesareinvokedbybelieversinmomentsoftrial，likeSanLuigiGonzaga。Ashenowwalkedalongthinking，withalover\'sbeatifiedsmileonhisface，ofhowMargaretVancehadspokenandlooked，hedramatizedscenesinwhichbeapprovedhimselftoherbyactsofgoodnessandunselfishness，anddiedtopleaseherforthesakeofothers。Hemadeherpraisehimforthem，tohisface，whenhedisclaimedtheirmerit，andafterhisdeath，whenhe Butallthisdidnotadmittheideaofpossession，evenofaspiration。 Atthemosthisworshiponlysetherbeyondtheloveofothermenasfarasbeyondhisown。 EndAHazardofNewFortunesV4 ByWilliamDeanHowellsPARTFOURTH NotlongafterLent，FulkersonsetbeforeDryfoosonedayhisschemeforadinnerincelebrationofthesuccessof\'EveryOtherWeek。\'Dryfooshadnevermeddledinanymannerwiththeconductoftheperiodical； butFulkersoneasilysawthathewasproudofhisrelationtoit，andheproceededuponthetheorythathewouldbewillingtohavethisrelationknown:Onthedayswhenhehadbeenluckyinstocks，hewasapttodropinattheofficeonEleventhStreet，onhiswayup-town，andlistentoFulkerson\'stalk。HewasongoodenoughtermswithMarch，whorevisedhisfirstimpressionsoftheman，buttheyhadnotmuchtosaytoeachother，anditseemedtoMarchthatDryfooswasevenalittleafraidofhim，asofapieceofmechanismhehadacquired，butdidnotquiteunderstand；helefttheworkingofittoFulkerson，whonodoubtbraggedofitsufficiently。Theoldmanseemedtohaveaslittletosaytohisson；heshuthimselfupwithFulkerson，wheretheotherscouldhearthemanagerbeginandgoonwithanunstintedflowoftalkabout\'EveryOtherWeek；\'forFulkersonnevertalkedofanythingelseifhecouldhelpit，andwasalwaysbringingtheconversationbacktoitifitstrayed: Thedayhespokeofthedinnerheroseandcalledfromhisdoor:\"March，Isay，comedownhereaminute，willyou?Conrad，Iwantyou，too。\" Theeditorandthepublisherfoundthemanagerandtheproprietorseatedonoppositesidesofthetable。\"It\'saboutthosefuneralbakedmeats，youknow，\"Fulkersonexplained，\"andIwastryingtogiveMr。Dryfoossomeideaofwhatwewantedtodo。Thatis，whatIwantedtodo，\"hecontinued，turningfromMarchtoDryfoos。\"March，here，isopposedtoit，ofcourse。He\'dliketopublish\'EveryOtherWeek\'onthesly；keepitoutofthepapers，andoffthenewsstands；he\'samodestBostonpetunia，andheshrinksfrompublicity；butIamnotthatkindofherbmyself，andIwantallthepublicitywecanget——beg，borrow，orsteal—— forthisthing。Isaythatyoucan\'tworkthesacredritesofhospitalityinabettercause，andwhatIproposeisalittledinnerforthepurposeofrecognizingthehitwe\'vemadewiththisthing。Myideawastostrikeyouforthenecessaryfunds，anddothethingonahandsomescale。Thetermlittledinnerisamerefigureofspeech。Alittledinnerwouldn\'tmakeabigtalk，andwhatwewantisthebigtalk，atpresent，ifwedon\'tlayupacent。MynotionwasthatprettysoonafterLent，now，wheneverybodyisfeelingjustright，weshouldbegintosendoutourparagraphs，affirmative，negative，andexplanatory，andalongaboutthefirstofMayweshouldsitdownaboutahundredstrong，themostdistinguishedpeopleinthecountry，andsolemnizeourtriumph。 Thereitisinanutshell。ImightexpandandImightexpound，butthat\'sthesumandsubstanceofit。\" Fulkersonstopped，andranhiseyeseagerlyoverthefacesofhisthreelisteners，oneaftertheother。MarchwasalittlesurprisedwhenDryfoosturnedtohim，butthatreferenceofthequestionseemedtogiveFulkersonparticularpleasure:\"Whatdoyouthink，Mr。March?\" Theeditorleanedbackinhischair。\"Idon\'tpretendtohaveMr。 Fulkerson\'sgeniusforadvertising；butitseemstomealittleearlyyet。Wemightcelebratelaterwhenwe\'vegotmoretocelebrate。Atpresentwe\'reapleasingnovelty，ratherthanafixedfact。\" \"Ah，youdon\'tgettheidea!\"saidFulkerson。\"Whatwewanttodowiththisdinneristofixthefact。\" \"AmIgoingtocomeinanywhere?\"theoldmaninterrupted。 \"You\'regoingtocomeinattheheadoftheprocession!Wearegoingtostrikeeverythingthatisimaginativeandromanticinthenewspapersoulwithyouandyourhistoryandyourfancyforgoinginforthisthing。 Icanstartyouinaparagraphthatwilltravelthroughallthenewspapers，fromMainetoTexasandfromAlaskatoFlorida。Wehavehadallsortsofrichmenbackingupliteraryenterprises，butthenatural- gasmaninliteratureisanewthing，andthecombinationofyourpicturesquepastandyouraestheticpresentissomethingthatwillknockoutthesympathiesoftheAmericanpublicthefirstround。Ifeel，\" saidFulkerson，withatremorofpathosinhisvoice，\"that\'EveryOtherWeek\'isatadisadvantagebeforethepublicaslongasit\'ssupposedtobemyenterprise，myidea。AsfarasI\'mknownatall，I\'mknownsimplyasasyndicateman，andnobodyinthepressbelievesthatI\'vegotthemoneytorunthethingonagrandscale；asuspicionofinsolvencymustattachtoitsoonerorlater，andthefellowsonthepresswillworkupthatimpression，soonerorlater，ifwedon\'tgivethemsomethingelsetoworkup。Now，assoonasIbegintogiveitawaytothecorrespondentsthatyou\'reinit，withyouruntoldmillions——that，infact，itwasyourideafromthestart，thatyouoriginatedittogivefullplaytothehumanitariantendenciesofConradhere，who\'salwayshadthesetheoriesofco-operation，andlongedtorealizethemforthebenefitofourstrugglingyoungwritersandartists——\" MarchhadlistenedwithgrowingamusementtothemingledburlesqueandearnestofFulkerson\'sself-sacrificingimpudence，andwithwonderastohowfarDryfooswasconsentingtohispreposterousproposition，whenConradbrokeout:\"Mr。Fulkerson，Icouldnotallowyoutodothat。Itwouldnotbetrue；Ididnotwishtobehere；and——andwhatIthink——whatIwishtodo——thatissomethingIwillnotletanyoneputmeinafalsepositionabout。No!\"Thebloodrushedintotheyoungman\'sgentleface，andhemethisfather\'sglancewithdefiance。 DryfoosturnedfromhimtoFulkersonwithoutspeaking，andFulkersonsaid，caressingly:\"Why，ofcourse，Coonrod!Iknowhowyoufeel，andI shouldn\'tletanythingofthatsortgooutuncontradictedafterward。Butthereisn\'tanythinginthesetimesthatwouldgiveusbetterstandingwiththepublicthansomehintofthewayyoufeelaboutsuchthings。 Thepublicsexpectstobeinterested，andnothingwouldinterestitmorethantobetoldthatthesuccessof\'EveryOtherWeek\'sprangfromthefirstapplicationoftheprincipleofLiveandletLivetoaliteraryenterprise。Itwouldlookparticularlywell，comingfromyouandyourfather，butifyouobject，wecanleavethatpartout；thoughifyouapproveoftheprincipleIdon\'tseewhyyouneedobject。Themainthingistoletthepublicknowthatitowesthisthingtotheliberalandenlightenedspiritofoneoftheforemostcapitalistsofthecountry；andthathispurposesarenotlikelytobebetrayedinthehandsofhisson，Ishouldgetalittlecutmadefromaphotographofyourfather，andsupplyitgratiswiththeparagraphs。\" \"Iguess，\"saidtheoldman，\"wewillgetalongwithoutthecut。\" Fulkersonlaughed。\"Well，well!Haveityourownway，Butthesightofyourfaceinthepatentoutsidesofthecountrypresswouldbeworthhalfadozensubscribersineveryschooldistrictthroughoutthelengthandbreadthofthisfairland。\" Therewasafellow，\"Dryfoosexplained，inanasidetoMarch，\"thatwasgettingupahistoryofMoffitt，andheaskedmetolethimputasteelengravingofmein。Hesaidagoodmanyprominentcitizensweregoingtohavetheirsin，andhispricewasahundredandfiftydollars。ItoldhimIcouldn\'tletminegoforlessthantwohundred，andwhenhesaidhecouldgivemeasplendidplateforthatmoney，IsaidIshouldwantitcash，Youneversawafellowmoreastonishedwhenhegotitthroughhim。 thatIexpectedhimtopaythetwohundred。\" Fulkersonlaughedinkeenappreciationofthejoke。\"Well，sir，Iguess\'EveryOtherWeek\'willpayyouthatmuch。Butifyouwon\'tsellatanyprice，allright；wemusttrytoworryalongwithoutthelightofyourcountenanceon，theposters，butwegottohaveitforthebanquet。\" \"Idon\'tseemtofeelveryhungry，yet，\"saidtheyoldman，dryly。 \"Oh，\'l\'appeitvientenmangeant\'，asourFrenchfriendssay。You\'llbehungryenoughwhenyouseethepreliminaryLittleNeckclam。It\'stoolateforoysters。\" \"Doesn\'tthatfactseemtopointtoapostponementtilltheygetback，sometimeinOctober，\"Marchsuggested，\"No，no!\"saidFulkerson，\"youdon\'tcatchontothebusinessendofthisthing，myfriends。You\'reproceedingonsomethingliketheoldexplodedideathatthedemandcreatesthesupply，wheneverybodyknows，ifhe\'swatchedthecourseofmodernevents，thatit\'sjustasapttobetheotherway。Icontendthatwe\'vegotarealsubstantialsuccesstocelebratenow；butevenifwehadn\'t，thecelebrationwoulddomorethananythingelsetocreatethesuccess，ifwegotitproperlybeforethepublic。Peoplewillsay:Thosefellowsarenotfools；theywouldn\'tgoandrejoiceovertheirmagazineunlesstheyhadgotabigthinginit。 AndthestateoffeelingweshouldproduceinthepublicmindwouldmakeaboomofperfectlyunprecedentedgrandeurforE。O。W。Heigh?\" Helookedsunnilyfromonetotheotherinsuccession。TheelderDryfoossaid，withhischinonthetopofhisstick，\"IreckonthoseLittleNeckclamswillkeep。\" \"Well，justasyousay，\"Fulkersoncheerfullyassented。\"Iunderstandyoutoagreetothegeneralprincipleofalittledinner?\" \"Thesmallerthebetter，\"saidtheoldman。 \"Well，Isayalittledinnerbecausetheideaofthatseemstocoverthecase，evenifwevarytheplanalittle。Ihadthoughtofareception，maybe，thatwouldincludetheladycontributorsandartists，andthewivesanddaughtersoftheothercontributors。Thatwouldgiveusthechancetoringinalotofsocietycorrespondentsandgetthethingwrittenupinfirst-classshape。By-the-way!\"criedFulkerson，slappinghimselfontheleg，\"whynothavethedinnerandthereceptionboth?\" \"Idon\'tunderstand，\"saidDryfoos。 \"Why，haveaselectlittledinnerfortenortwentychoicespiritsofthemalepersuasion，andthen，aboutteno\'clock，throwopenyourpalatialdrawing-roomsandadmitthefemalestochampagne，salads，andices。Itistheverything!Come!\" \"Whatdoyouthinkofit，Mr。March?\"askedDryfoos，onwhosesocialinexperienceFulkerson\'swordsprojectednoveryintelligibleimage，andwhoperhapshopedforsomemorelight。 \"It\'sabeautifulvision，\"saidMarch，\"andifitwilltakemoretimetorealizeitIthinkIapprove。IapproveofanythingthatwilldelayMr。 Fulkerson\'sadvertisingorgie。\" \"Then，\"Fulkersonpursued，\"wecouldhavethepleasureofMissChristineandMissMela\'scompany；andmaybeMrs。Dryfooswouldlookinonusinthecourseoftheevening。There\'snohurry，asMr。Marchsuggests，ifwecangivethethingthisshape。Iwillcheerfullyadopttheideaofmyhonorablecolleague。\" Marchlaughedathisimpudence，butathearthewasashamedofFulkersonforproposingtomakeuseofDryfoosandhishouseinthatway。 Hefanciedsomethingappealinginthelookthattheoldmanturnedonhim，andsomethingindignantinConrad\'sflush；butprobablythiswasonlyhisfancy。Hereflectedthatneitherofthemcouldfeelitaspeopleofmoreworldlyknowledgewould，andheconsoledhimselfwiththefactthatFulkersonwasreallynotsuchacharlatanasheseemed。ButitwentthroughhismindthatthiswasastrangeendforallDryfoos\'smoney-makingtocometo；andhephilosophicallyacceptedthefactofhisownhumblefortuneswhenhereflectedhowlittlehismoneycouldbuyforsuchaman。ItwasanhonorableusethatFulkersonwasputtingittoin\'EveryOtherWeek；\'itmightbefarmorecreditablyspentonsuchanenterprisethanonhorses，orwines，orwomen，theusualresourcesofthebruterich；andifitweretobelost，itmightbetterbelostthatwaythaninstocks。HekeptasmilingfaceturnedtoDryfooswhiletheseirreverentconsiderationsoccupiedhim，andhardenedhisheartagainstfatherandsonandtheirpossibleemotions。 Theoldmanrosetoputanendtotheinterview。Heonlyrepeated，\"Iguessthoseclamswillkeeptillfall。\" ButFulkersonwasapparentlysatisfiedwiththeprogresshehadmade；andwhenhejoinedMarchforthestrollhomewardafterofficehours，hewasabletodetachhismindfromthesubject，asifcontenttoleaveit。 \"ThisisaboutthebestpartoftheyearinNewYork，\"hesaid；Insomeoftheareasthegrasshadsprouted，andthetenderyoungfoliagehadlooseneditselffrozethebudsonasidewalktreehereandthere；thesoftairwasfullofspring，andthedelicatesky，faraloof，hadthelookitneverwearsatanyotherseason。\"Itain\'tatimeofyeartocomplainmuchof，anywhere；butIdon\'twantanythingbetterthanthemonthofMayinNewYork。FartherSouthit\'stoohot，andI\'vebeeninBostoninMaywhenthateastwindofyoursmadeeverynerveinmybodygetupandhowl。Ireckontheweatherhasagooddealtodowiththelocaltemperament。ThereasonaNewYorkmantakeslifesoeasilywithallhisrushisthathisclimatedon\'tworryhim。ButaBostonmanmustberaspedthewholewhilebytheedgeinhisair。Thataccountsforhissharpness；andwhenhe\'slivedthroughtwenty-fiveorthirtyBostonMays，hegetstothinkingthatProvidencehassomeparticularuseforhim，orhewouldn\'thavesurvived，andthatmakeshimconceited。See?\" \"Isee，\"saidMarch。\"ButIdon\'tknowhowyou\'regoingtoworkthatideaintoanadvertisement，exactly。\" \"Oh，pahaw，now，March!Youdon\'tthinkI\'vegotthatonthebrainallthetime?\" \"Youweregraduallyleadingupto\'EveryOtherWeek\'，somehow。\" \"No，sir；Iwasn\'t。IwasjustthinkingwhatadifferentcreatureaMassachusettsmanisfromaVirginian，AndyetIsupposethey\'rebothaspureEnglishstockasyou\'llgetanywhereinAmerica。Marsh，IthinkColonelWoodburn\'spaperisgoingtomakeahit。\" \"You\'vegotthere!Whenitknocksdownthesaleaboutone-half，Ishallknowit\'smadeahit。\" \"I\'mnotafraid，\"saidFulkerson。\"Thatthingisgoingtoattractattention。It\'swellwritten——youcantakethepomposityoutofit，hereandthereandit\'snovel。Ourpeoplelikeaboldstrike，andit\'sgoingtoshakethemuptremendouslytohaveserfdomadvocatedonhighmoralgroundsastheonlysolutionofthelaborproblem。Yousee，inthefirstplace，hegoesfortheirsympathiesbythewayheportraystheactualrelationsofcapitalandlabor；heshowshowthingshavegottogofrombadtoworse，andthenhetrotsouthislittleoldhobby，andprovesthatifslaveryhadnotbeeninterferedwith，itwouldhaveperfecteditselfintheinterestofhumanity。Hemakesaprettystrongpleaforit。\" Marchthrewbackhisheadandlaughed。\"He\'sconvertedyou!Iswear，Fulkerson，ifwehadacceptedandpaidforanarticleadvocatingcannibalismastheonlyresourceforgettingridofthesuperfluouspoor，you\'dbegintobelieveinit。\" Fulkersonsmiledinapprovalofthejoke，andonlysaid:\"Iwishyoucouldmeetthecolonelintheprivacyofthedomesticcircle，March。 You\'dlikehim。He\'sasplendidoldfellow；regulartype。Talkaboutspring! Yououghttoseethewidow\'slittlebackyardthesedays。Youknowthatglassgalleryjustbeyondthedining-room?Thosegirlshavegotthepot- plantsoutofthat，andalotmore，andthey\'veturnedtheedgesofthatbackyard，alongthefence，intoaregularbower；they\'vegotsweetpeasplanted，andnasturtiums，andweshallbeinablazeofgloryaboutthebeginningofJune。Funtosee\'emworkinthegarden，andthebirdbossingthejobinhiscageunderthecherry-tree。Havetokeepthemiddleoftheyardfortheclothesline，butsixdaysintheweekit\'salawn，andIgooveritwithamowermyself。March，thereain\'tanythinglikeahome，isthere?Dearlittlecotofyourown，heigh?Itellyou，March，whenIgettopushingthatmowerround，andthecolonelissmokinghiscigarinthegallery，andthosegirlsarepotteringovertheflowers，oneofthesesofteveningsafterdinner，Ifeellikeahumanbeing。Yes，Ido。IstruckitrichwhenIconcludedtotakemymealsatthewidow\'s。 ForeightdollarsaweekIgetgoodboard，refinedsociety，andalltheadvantagesofaChristianhome。By-the-way，you\'veneverhadmuchtalkwithMissWoodburn，haveyou，March?\" \"NotsomuchaswithMissWoodburn\'sfather。\" \"Well，heisratherapttoscooptheconversation。Imustdrawhisfire，sometime，whenyouandMrs。Marcharearound，andgetyouachancewithMissWoodburn。\" \"Ishouldlikethatbetter，Ibelieve，\"saidMarch。 \"Well，Ishouldn\'twonderifyoudid。Curious，butMissWoodburnisn\'tatallyourideaofaSoutherngirl。She\'sgotlotsofgo；she\'sneveridleaminute；shekeepstheoldgentlemaninfirst-classshape，andshedon\'tbelieveabitintheslaverysolutionofthelaborproblem；saysshe\'sgladit\'sgone，andifit\'sanythingliketheeffectsofit，she\'sgladitwentbeforehertime。No，sir，she\'sasfullofsnapastheliveliestkindofaNortherngirl。NoneofthatsunnySouthernlanguoryoureadabout。\" \"IsupposethetypicalSoutherner，likethetypicalanythingelse，isprettydifficulttofind，\"saidMarch。\"ButperhapsMissWoodburnrepresentsthenewSouth。Themodernconditionsmustbeproducingamoderntype。\" \"Well，that\'swhatsheandthecolonelbothsay。Theysaythereain\'tanythingleftofthatWalterScottdignityandchivalryintherisinggeneration；takestoomuchtime。Yououghttoseehersketchtheold- school，high-and-mightymanners，astheysurviveamongsomeoftheantiquesinCharlottesburg。Ifthatthingcouldbeputuponthestageitwouldbeakillingsuccess。Makestheoldgentlemanlaughinspiteofhimself。Buthe\'sasproudofherasPunch，anyway。Whydon\'tyouandMrs。Marchcomeroundoftener?Lookhere!Howwoulditdotohavealittleexcursion，somewhere，afterthespringfairlygetsinitswork?\" \"Reporterspresent?\" \"No，no!Nothingofthatkind；perfectlysincereanddisinterestedenjoyment。\" \"Oh，afewhandbillstobescatteredaround:\"BuyEveryOtherWeek，\" Lookoutforthenextnumberof\'EveryOtherWeek，\'\'EveryOtherWeekatallthenews-stands。\'Well，I\'lltalkitoverwithMrs。March。I supposethere\'snogreathurry。\" MarchtoldhiswifeoftheidyllicmoodinwhichhehadleftFulkersonatthewidow\'sdoor，andshesaidhemustbeinlove。 \"Why，ofcourse!IwonderIdidn\'tthinkofthat。ButFulkersonissuchanimpartialadmirerofthewholesexthatyoucan\'tthinkofhislikingonemorethananother。Idon\'tknowthatheshowedanyunjustpartiality，though，inhistalkof\'thosegirls，\'ashecalledthem。 AndIalwaysratherfanciedthatMrs。Mandel——he\'sdonesomuchforher，youknow；andsheissuchawell-balanced，well-preservedperson，andsolady-likeandcorrect——\" \"Fulkersonhadthewordforher:academic。She\'severythingthatinstructionanddisciplinecanmakeofawoman；butIshouldn\'tthinktheycouldmakeenoughofhertobeinlovewith。\" \"Well，Idon\'tknow。Theacademichasitscharm。TherearemoodsinwhichIcouldimaginemyselfinlovewithanacademicperson。Thatregularityofline；thatreasonedstrictnessofcontour；thatneatnessofpose；thatslightlyconventionalbutharmoniousgroupingoftheemotionsandmorals——youcanseehowitwouldhaveitscharm，theWedgwoodinhumannature?IwonderwhereMrs。Mandelkeepsherurnandherwillow。\" \"Ishouldthinkshemighthaveusefortheminthatfamily，poorthing!\" saidMrs。March。 \"Ah，thatremindsme，\"saidherhusband，\"thatwehadanothertalkwiththeoldgentleman，thisafternoon，aboutFulkerson\'sliterary，artistic，andadvertisingorgie，andit\'spostponedtillOctober。\" \"Thelaterthebetter，Ishouldthink，\"saidMrs:March，whodidnotreallythinkaboutitatall，butwhomthedatefixedforitcausedtothinkoftheinterveningtime。\"Wehavegottoconsiderwhatwewilldoaboutthesummer，beforelong，Basil。\" \"Oh，notyet，notyet，\"hepleaded；withthatman\'swillingnesstoabideinthepresent，whichissotryingtoawoman。\"It\'sonlytheendofApril。\" \"ItwillbetheendofJunebeforeweknow。AndthesepeoplewantingtheBostonhouseanotheryearcomplicatesit。Wecan\'tspendthesummerthere，asweplanned。\" \"Theyoughtn\'ttohaveofferedusanincreasedrent；theyhavetakenanadvantageofus。\" \"Idon\'tknowthatitmatters，\"saidMrs。March。\"Ihaddecidednottogothere。\" \"Hadyou?Thisisasurprise。\" \"Everythingisasurprisetoyou，Basil，whenithappens。\" \"True；Ikeeptheworldfresh，thatway。\" \"Itwouldn\'thavebeenanychangetogofromonecitytoanotherforthesummer。WemightaswellhavestayedinNewYork。\" \"Yes，Iwishwehadstayed，\"saidMarch，idlyhumoringaconceptionoftheaccomplishedfact。\"Mrs。Greenwouldhaveletushavethegimcrackeryverycheapforthesummermonths；andwecouldhavemadeallsortsofnicelittleexcursionsandtripsoffandbeentwiceaswellasifwehadspentthesummeraway。\" \"Nonsense!Youknowwecouldn\'tspendthesummerinNewYork。\" \"IknowIcould。\" \"Whatstuff!Youcouldn\'tmanage。\" \"Ohyes，Icould。IcouldtakemymealsatFulkerson\'swidow\'s；oratMaroni\'s，withpooroldLindau:he\'sgottodiningthereagain。Or，I couldkeephouse，andhecoulddinewithmehere。\" TherewasateasinglookinMarch\'seyes，andhebrokeintoalaugh，atthefirmnesswithwhichhiswifesaid:\"Ithinkifthereistobeanyhousekeeping，Iwillstay，too；andhelptolookafterit。Iwouldtrynotintrudeuponyouandyourguest。\" \"Oh，weshouldbeonlytoogladtohaveyoujoinus，\"saidMarch，playingwithfire。 \"Verywell，then，IwishyouwouldtakehimofftoMaroni\'s，thenexttimehecomestodinehere!\"criedhiswife。 TheexperimentofmakingMarch\'soldfriendfreeofhishousehadnotgivenherallthepleasurethatsokindathingoughttohaveaffordedsogoodawoman。ShereceivedLindauatfirstwithrobustbenevolence，andthehighresolvenottoletanyofhislittlepeculiaritiesalienateherfromasenseofhisclaimuponhersympathyandgratitude，notonlyasamanwhohadbeensogenerouslyfondofherhusbandinhisyouth，butaherowhohadsufferedforhercountry。Hertheorywasthathismutilationmustnotbeignored，butmustbekeptinmindasamonumentofhissacrifice，andshefortifiedBellawiththisconception，sothatthechildbravelysatnexthismaimedarmattableandhelpedhimtodisheshecouldnotreach，andcutuphismeatforhim。AsforMrs。Marchherself，thethoughtofhismutilationmadeheralittlefaint；shewasnotwithoutabewilderedresentmentofitspresenceasasortofoppression。ShedidnotlikehisdrinkingsomuchofMarch\'sbeer，either；itwasnoharm，butitwassomehowunworthy，outofcharacterwithaheroofthewar。ButwhatshereallycouldnotreconcileherselftowastheviolenceofLindau\'ssentimentsconcerningthewholepoliticalandsocialfabric。Shedidnotfeelsurethatheshouldbeallowedtosaysuchthingsbeforethechildren，whohadbeennurturedinthefaithofBunkerHillandAppomattox，asthebeginningandtheendofallpossibleprogressinhumanrights。Asawomanshewasnaturallyanaristocrat，butasanAmericanshewastheoreticallyademocrat；anditastounded，italarmedher，tohearAmericandemocracydenouncedasashufflingevasion。ShehadnevercaredmuchfortheUnitedStatesSenate，butshedoubtedifsheoughttositbywhenitwasrailedatasarichman\'sclub。Itshockedhertobetoldthattherichandpoorwerenotequalbeforethelawinacountrywherejusticemustbepaidforateverystepinfeesandcosts，orwhereapoormanmustgotowarinhisownperson，andarichmanmighthiresomeonetogoinhis。Mrs。MarchfeltthatthisrebelliousmindinLindaureallysomehowoutlawedhimfromsympathy，andretroactivelyundidhispastsufferingforthecountry:shehadalwaysparticularlyvaluedthatprovisionofthelaw，becauseinforecastingallthepossiblemischancesthatmightbefallherownson，shehadbeencomfortedbythethoughtthatifthereeverwasanotherwar，andTomweredrafted，hisfathercouldbuyhimasubstitute。Comparedwithsuchblasphemyasthis，Lindau\'sdeclarationthattherewasnotequalityofopportunityinAmerica，andthatfullyone-halfthepeopleweredebarredtheirrighttothepursuitofhappinessbythehopelessconditionsoftheirlives，wasflatteringpraise。Shecouldnotlistentosuchthingsinsilence，though，anditdidnothelpmatterswhenLindaumetherargumentswithfactsandreasonswhichshefeltshewasmerelynotsufficientlyinstructedtocombat，andhewasnotquitegentlemanlytourge。\"Iamafraidfortheeffectonthechildren，\"shesaidtoherhusband。\"Suchperfectlydistortedideas——Tomwillberuinedbythem。\"