\"Yes,butheislikeotheryoungmen,whileyouareadearoldbookworm。
Noonewouldevermindwhatyoudid,soyoumaygotopartieswithmeeverynightandnotawordwouldbesaidor,iftherewas,Ishouldn\'tmindsinceitis\'onlyMac,\'\"answeredRose,smilingasshequotedahouseholdphraseoftenusedtoexcusehisvagaries。
\"ThenIamnobody？\"hesaid,liftinghisbrowsasifthediscoverysurprisedandrathernettledhim。
\"Nobodyinsocietyasyet,butmyverybestcousininprivate,andI\'vejustprovedmyregardbymakingyoumyconfidantandchoosingyouformyknight,\"saidRose,hasteningtosoothethefeelingshercarelesswordsseemedtohaveruffledslightly。
\"Muchgoodthatislikelytodome,\"grumbledMac。
\"Youungratefulboy,nottoappreciatethehonorI\'veconferreduponyou！Iknowadozenwhowouldbeproudoftheplace,butyouonlycareforcompoundfractures,soIwon\'tdetainyouanylonger,excepttoaskifImayconsidermyselfprovidedwithanescortfortomorrownight？\"saidRose,atriflehurtathisindifference,forshewasnotusedtorefusals。
\"IfImayhopeforthehonor。\"And,rising,hemadeherabowwhichwassuchacapitalimitationofCharlie\'sgrandmannerthatsheforgavehimatonce,exclaimingwithamusedsurprise:\"Why,Mac！Ididn\'tknowyoucouldbesoelegant！\"
\"Afellowcanbealmostanythinghelikesifhetrieshardenough,\"
heanswered,standingverystraightandlookingsotallanddignifiedthatRosewasquiteimpressed,andwithastatelycourtesysheretired,sayinggraciously:\"Iacceptwiththanks。Goodmorning,Dr。AlexanderMackenzieCampbell。\"
WhenFridayeveningcameandwordwassentupthatherescorthadarrived,Roserandown,devoutlyhopingthathehadnotcomeinavelveteenjacket,top—boots,blackgloves,ormadeanytriflingmistakeofthatsort。Ayounggentlemanwasstandingbeforethelongmirror,apparentlyintentuponthearrangementofhishair,andRosepausedsuddenlyashereyewentfromtheglossybroadclothtothewhite—glovedhands,busywithanunrulylockthatwouldnotstayinplace。
\"Why,Charlie,Ithought\"shebeganwithanaccentofsurpriseinhervoice,butgotnofurther,forthegentlemanturnedandshebeheldMacinimmaculateeveningcostume,withhishairpartedsweetlyonhisbrow,asuperiorposyathisbuttonhole,andtheexpressionofamartyronhisface。
\"Ah,don\'tyouwishitwas？Noonebutyourselftothankthatitisn\'the。AmIright？Dandygotmeup,andheoughttoknowwhatiswhat,\"demandedMac,foldinghishandsandstandingasstiffasaramrod。
\"YouaresoregularlysplendidthatIdon\'tknowyou。\"
\"NeitherdoI。\"
\"Ireallyhadnoideayoucouldlooksolikeagentleman,\"addedRose,surveyinghimwithgreatapproval。
\"NorthatIcouldfeelsolikeafool。\"
\"Poorboy！Hedoeslookrathermiserable。WhatcanIdotocheerhimupinreturnforthesacrificeheismaking？\"
\"Stopcallingmeaboy。Itwillsoothemyagonyimmenselyandgivemecouragetoappearinalow—neckedcoatandcurlonmyforehead,forI\'mnotusedtosucheleganciesandIfindthemnoendofatrial。\"
Macspokeinsuchapathetictone,andgavesuchagloomyglareattheaforesaidcurl,thatRoselaughedinhisfaceandaddedtohiswoebyhandinghimhercloak。Hesurveyeditgravelyforaminute,thencarefullyputitonwrongsideoutandgavetheswan\'s—downhoodagoodpulloverthehead,totheutterdestructionofallsmoothnesstothecurlsinside。
Roseutteredacryandcastoffthecloak,biddinghimlearntodoitproperly,whichhemeeklydidandthenledherdownthehallwithoutwalkingonherskirtsmorethanthreetimesontheway。ButatthedoorshediscoveredthatshehadforgottenherfurredovershoesandbadeMacgetthem。
\"Nevermindit\'snotwet,\"hesaid,pullinghiscapoverhiseyesandplungingintohiscoat,regardlessofthe\"elegancies\"thatafflictedhim。
\"ButIcan\'twalkoncoldstoneswiththinslippers,canI？\"beganRose,showinghimalittlewhitefoot。
\"Youneedn\'t,forthereyouare,mylady。\"And,unceremoniouslypickingherup,Maclandedherinthecarriagebeforeshecouldsayaword。
\"Whatanescort！\"sheexclaimedincomicdismay,assherescuedherdelicatedressfromaruginwhichhewasabouttotuckheruplikeamummy。
\"It\'s\'onlyMac,\'sodon\'tmind,\"andhecasthimselfintoanoppositecornerwiththeairofamanwhohadnervedhimselftotheaccomplishmentofmanypainfuldutiesandwasboundtodothemordie。
\"Butgentlemendon\'tcatchupladieslikebagsofmealandpokethemintocarriagesinthisway。Itisevidentthatyouneedlookingafter,anditishightimeIundertookyoursocietymanners。Now,domindwhatyouareaboutanddon\'tgetyourselformeintoascrapeifyoucanhelpit,\"besoughtRose,feelingthatonmanyaccountsshehadgonefurtherandfaredworse。
\"I\'llbehavelikeaTurveydropseeifIdon\'t。\"
Mac\'sideaoftheimmortalTurveydrop\'sbehaviorseemedtobeapeculiarone;for,afterdancingoncewithhiscousin,helefthertoherowndevicesandsoonforgotallaboutherinalongconversationwithProfessorStumph,thelearnedgeologist。Rosedidnotcare,foronedanceprovedtoherthatthatbranchofMac\'seducationhadbeensadlyneglected,andshewasgladtoglidesmoothlyaboutwithSteve,thoughhewasonlyaninchortwotallerthanherself。Shehadplentyofpartners,however,andplentyofchaperons,foralltheyoungmenwerehermostdevoted,andallthematronsbeameduponherwithmaternalbenignity。
Charliewasnotthere,forwhenhefoundthatRosestoodfirm,andhadmoreoverengagedMacasapermanency,hewouldnotgoatallandretiredinhighdudgeontoconsolehimselfwithmoredangerouspastimes。Rosefeareditwouldbeso,andeveninthemidstofthegaietyaboutherananxiousmoodcameoverhernowandthenandmadeherthoughtfulforamoment。Shefeltherpowerandwantedtouseitwisely,butdidnotknowhowtobekindtoCharliewithoutbeinguntruetoherselfandgivinghimfalsehopes。
\"Iwishwewereallchildrenagain,withnoheartstoperplexusandnogreattemptationstotryus,\"shesaidtoherselfassherestedaminuteinaquietnookwhileherpartnerwenttogetaglassofwater。Rightinthemidstofthishalf—sad,half—sentimentalreverie,sheheardafamiliarvoicebehindhersayearnestly:\"Andallophiteisthenewhydroussilicateofaluminaandmagnesia,muchresemblingpseudophite,whichWebskyfoundinSilesia。\"
\"WhatisMactalkingabout！\"shethought,and,peepingbehindagreatazaleainfullbloom,shesawhercousinindeepconversationwiththeprofessor,evidentlyhavingacapitaltime,forhisfacehadlostitsmelancholyexpressionandwasallalivewithinterest,whiletheeldermanwaslisteningasifhisremarkswerebothintelligentandagreeable。
\"Whatisit？\"askedSteve,comingupwiththewaterandseeingasmileonRose\'sface。
Shepointedoutthescientifictête—à—têtegoingonbehindtheazalea,andStevegrinnedashepeeped,thengrewsoberandsaidinatoneofdespair:\"IfyouhadseenthepainsItookwiththatfellow,thepatiencewithwhichIbrushedhiswig,thetimeIspenttryingtoconvincehimthathemustwearthinboots,andthefightIhadtogethimintothatcoat,you\'dunderstandmyfeelingswhenIseehimnow。\"
\"Why,what\'sthematterwithhim？\"askedRose。
\"Willyoutakealookandseewhataspectaclehehasmadeofhimself。
He\'dbetterbesenthomeatonceorhewilldisgracethefamilybylookingasifhe\'dbeeninarow。\"
StevespokeinsuchatragictonethatRosetookanotherpeepanddidsympathizewithDandy,forMac\'selegancewasquitegone。Histiewasunderoneear,hisposyhungupsidedown,hisgloveswererolledintoaball,whichheabsentlysqueezedandpoundedashetalked,andhishairlookedasifawhirlwindhadpassedoverit,forhistenfingerssetitonendnowandthen,astheyhadahabitofdoingwhenhestudiedortalkedearnestly。
Buthelookedsohappyandwideawake,inspiteofhisdishevelment,thatRosegaveanapprovingnodandsaidbehindherfan:\"Itisatryingspectacle,Steveyet,onthewhole,IthinkhisownoddwayssuithimbestandIfancyweshallbeproudofhim,forheknowsmorethanalltherestofusputtogether。Hearthatnow。\"AndRosepausedthattheymightlistentothefollowingburstofeloquencefromMac\'slips:\"YouknowFrenzalhasshownthattheglobularformsofsilicateofbismuthatSchneeburgandJohanngeorgenstadtarenotisometric,butmonoclinicincrystallineform,andconsequentlyheseparatesthemfromtheoldeulytiteandgivesthemthenewnameAgricolite。\"
\"Isn\'titawful？Letusgetoutofthisbeforethere\'sanotheravalancheorweshallbeglobularsilicatesandisometriccrystalsinspiteofourselves,\"
whisperedStevewithapanic—strickenair,andtheyfledfromthehailstormofhardwordsthatrattledabouttheirears,leavingMactoenjoyhimselfinhisownway。
ButwhenRosewasreadytogohomeandlookedaboutforherescort,hewasnowheretobeseen,fortheprofessorhaddeparted,andMacwithhim,soabsorbedinsomenewtopicthatheentirelyforgothiscousinandwentplacidlyhome,stillponderingonthecharmsofgeology。WhenthispleasingfactdawneduponRoseherfeelingsmaybeimagined。ShewasbothangryandamuseditwassolikeMactogomooningoffandleavehertoherfate。Notahardone,however;for,thoughStevewasgonewithKittybeforeherplightwasdiscovered,Mrs。Blisswasonlytoogladtotakethedeserteddamselunderherwingandbearhersafelyhome。
RosewaswarmingherfeetandsippingthechocolatewhichPhebealwayshadreadyforher,assheneveratesupper,whenahurriedtapcameatthelongwindowwhencethelightstreamedandMac\'svoicewasheardsoftlyaskingtobeletin\"justforoneminute。\"
Curioustoknowwhathadbefallenhim,RosebadePhebeobeyhiscallandthedelinquentcavalierappeared,breathless,anxious,andmoredilapidatedthanever,forhehadforgottenhisovercoat;histiewasatthebackofhisnecknow;andhishairasrampantlyerectasifallthewindsofheavenhadbeenblowingfreelythroughit,astheyhad,forhehadbeentearingtoandfrothelasthalfhour,tryingtoundothedreadfuldeedhehadsoinnocentlycommitted。
\"Don\'ttakeanynoticeofme,forIdon\'tdeserveit。Ionlycametoseethatyouweresafe,Cousin,andthengohangmyself,asSteveadvised,\"
hebeganinaremorsefultonethatwouldhavebeenveryeffectiveifhehadnotbeenobligedtocatchhisbreathwithacomicalgaspnowandthen。
\"Ineverthoughtyouwouldbetheonetodesertme,\"saidRosewithareproachfullook,thinkingitbestnottorelenttoosoon,thoughshewasquitereadytodoitwhenshesawhowsincerelydistressedhewas。
\"Itwasthatconfoundedman！Hewasaregularwalkingencyclopedia,and,findingIcouldgetagooddealoutofhim,Iwentinforgeneralinformation,asthetimewasshort。YouknowIalwaysforgeteverythingelsewhenIgetholdofsuchafellow。\"
\"Thatisevident。Iwonderhowyoucametoremembermeatall,\"answeredRose,onthebrinkofalaughitwassoabsurd。
\"Ididn\'ttillStevesaidsomethingthatremindedmethenitburstuponme,inoneawfulshock,thatI\'dgoneandleftyou,andyoumighthaveknockedmedownwithafeather,\"saidhonestMac,hidingnoneofhisiniquity。
\"Whatdidyoudothen？\"
\"Do！IwentofflikeashotandneverstoppedtillIreachedtheHopes\'\"
\"Youdidn\'twalkalltheway？\"criedRose。
\"Blessyou,noIran。ButyouweregonewithMrs。Bliss,soIpeltedbackagaintoseewithmyowneyesthatyouweresafeathome,\"answeredMacwithasighofrelief,wipinghishotforehead。
\"Butitisthreemilesatleasteachway,andtwelveo\'clock,anddarkandcold。Oh,Mac！Howcouldyou！\"exclaimedRose,suddenlyrealizingwhathehaddoneassheheardhislaboredbreathing,sawthestateofthethinboots,anddetectedtheabsenceofanovercoat。
\"Couldn\'tdoless,couldI？\"askedMac,leaningupagainstthedoorandtryingnottopant。
\"Therewasnoneedofhalfkillingyourselfforsuchatrifle。YoumighthaveknownIcouldtakecareofmyselfforonce,atleast,withsomanyfriendsabout。Sitdownthisminute。Bringanothercup,please,Phebethisboyisn\'tgoinghometillheisrestedandrefreshedaftersucharunasthat,\"commandedRose。
\"Don\'tbegoodtomeI\'drathertakeascoldingthanachair,anddrinkhemlockinsteadofchocolateifyouhappentohaveanyready,\"answeredMacwithapatheticpuffashesubsidedontothesofaandmeeklytookthedraftPhebebroughthim。
\"Ifyouhadanythingthematterwithyourheart,sir,araceofthissortmightbethedeathofyousoneverdoitagain,\"saidRose,offeringherfantocoolhisheatedcountenance。
\"Haven\'tgotanyheart。\"
\"Yes,youhave,forIhearitbeatinglikeatrip—hammer,anditismyfaultIoughttohavestoppedaswewentbyandtoldyouIwasallright。\"
\"It\'sthemortification,notthemiles,thatupsetsme。IoftentakethatrunforexerciseandthinknothingofitbuttonightIwassomadImadeextra—goodtime,Ifancy。Nowdon\'tyouworry,butcomposeyourmindand\'sipyourdishoftea,\'asEvelinasays,\"answeredMac,artfullyturningtheconversationfromhimself。
\"WhatdoyouknowaboutEvelina？\"
askedRoseingreatsurprise。
\"Allabouther。DoyousupposeIneverreadanovel？\"
\"IthoughtyoureadnothingbutGreekandLatin,withanoccasionalglanceatWebsky\'spseudophitesandthemonoclinicsofJohanngeorgenstadt。\"
Macopenedhiseyeswideatthisreply,thenseemedtoseethejokeandjoinedinthelaughwithsuchheartinessthatAuntPlenty\'svoicewashearddemandingfromabovewithsleepyanxiety:\"Isthehouseafire？\"
\"No,ma\'am,everythingissafe,andI\'monlysayinggoodnight,\"answeredMac,divingforhiscap。
\"Thengoatonceandletthatchildhavehersleep,\"addedtheoldlady,retiringtoherbed。
Roseranintothehall,andcatchingupheruncle\'sfurcoat,metMacashecameoutofthestudy,absentlylookingaboutforhisown。
\"Youhaven\'tany,youbenightedboy！Sotakethis,andhaveyourwitsaboutyounexttimeorIwon\'tletyouoffsoeasily,\"shesaid,holdinguptheheavygarmentandpeepingoverit,withnosignofdispleasureinherlaughingeyes。
\"Nexttime！Thenyoudoforgiveme？Youwilltrymeagain,andgivemeachancetoprovethatI\'mnotafool？\"criedMac,embracingthebigcoatwithemotion。
\"OfcourseIwill,and,sofarfromthinkingyouafool,IwasmuchimpressedwithyourlearningtonightandtoldStevethatweoughttobeproudofourphilosopher。\"
\"Learningbehanged！I\'llshowyouthatI\'mnotabookwormbutasmuchamanasanyofthem,andthenyoumaybeproudornot,asyoulike！\"criedMacwithadefiantnodthatcausedtheglassestoleapwildlyoffhisnoseashecaughtuphishatanddepartedashecame。
AdayortwolaterRosewenttocalluponAuntJane,asshedutifullydidonceortwiceaweek。Onherwayupstairssheheardasingularsoundinthedrawingroomandinvoluntarilystoppedtolisten。
\"One,two,three,slide！One,two,three,turn！Now,then,comeon！\"
saidonevoiceimpatiently。
\"It\'sveryeasytosay\'comeon,\'butwhatthedickensdoIdowithmyleftlegwhileI\'mturningandslidingwithmyright？\"demandedanothervoiceinabreathlessandmournfultone。
Thenthewhistlingandthumpingwentonmorevigorouslythanbefore,andRose,recognizingthevoices,peepedthroughthehalf—opendoortobeholdasightwhichmadehershakewithsuppressedlaughter。Steve,witharedtableclothtiedaroundhiswaist,languisheduponMac\'sshoulder,dancinginperfecttimetotheairhewhistled,forDandywasproficientinthegracefulartandplumedhimselfuponhisskill。Mac,withaflushedfaceanddizzyeye,clutchedhisbrotherbythesmallofhisback,vainlyendeavoringtosteerhimdownthelongroomwithoutentanglinghisownlegsinthetablecloth,treadingonhispartner\'stoes,orcollidingwiththefurniture。Itwasverydroll,andRoseenjoyedthespectacletillMac,inafranticattempttoswingaround,dashedhimselfagainstthewallandlandedSteveuponthefloor。Thenitwasimpossibletorestrainherlaughteranylongerandshewalkedinuponthem,sayingmerrily:\"Itwassplendid！
Doitagain,andI\'llplayforyou。\"
Stevesprangupandtoreoffthetableclothingreatconfusion,whileMac,stillrubbinghishead,droppedintoachair,tryingtolookquitecalmandcheerfulashegaspedout:\"Howareyou,Cousin？Whendidyoucome？Johnshouldhavetoldus。\"
\"I\'mgladhedidn\'t,forthenIshouldhavemissedthistouchingtableauofcousinlydevotionandbrotherlylove。Gettingreadyforournextparty,Isee。\"
\"Tryingto,buttherearesomanythingstorememberallatoncekeeptime,steerstraight,dodgethepetticoats,andmanagemyconfoundedlegsthatitisn\'teasytogetonatfirst,\"answeredMacwithasighofexhaustion,wipinghishotforehead。
\"HardestjobIeverundertookand,asI\'mnotabatteringram,Ideclinetobeknockedroundanylonger,\"growledSteve,dustinghiskneesandruefullysurveyingthefeetthathadbeentrampledontilltheytingled,forhisbootsandbroadclothweredeartotheheartofthedapperyouth。
\"Verygoodofyou,andI\'mmuchobliged。I\'vegotthepace,Ithink,andcanpracticewithachairtokeepmyhandin,\"saidMacwithsuchacomicmixtureofgratitudeandresignationthatRosewentoffagainsoirresistiblythathercousinsjoinedherwithaheartyroar。
\"Asyouaremakingamartyrofyourselfinmyservice,theleastIcandoislendahand。Playforus,Steve,andI\'llgiveMacalesson,unlessheprefersthechair。\"And,throwingoffherhatandcloak,Rosebeckonedsoinvitinglythatthegravestphilosopherwouldhaveyielded。
\"Athousandthanks,butI\'mafraidIshallhurtyou,\"beganMac,muchgratified,butmindfulofpastmishaps。
\"I\'mnot。Stevedidn\'tmanagehistrainwell,forgooddancersalwayslooptheirsup。Ihavenoneatall,sothattroubleisgoneandthemusicwillmakeitmucheasiertokeepstep。JustdoasItellyou,andyou\'llgobeautifullyafterafewturns。\"
\"Iwill,Iwill！Pipeup,Steve！Now,Rose！\"And,brushinghishairoutofhiseyeswithanairofsterndetermination,MacgraspedRoseandreturnedtothechargebentondistinguishinghimselfifhediedintheattempt。
Thesecondlessonprospered,forStevemarkedthetimebyaseriesofemphaticbangs;Macobeyedordersaspromptlyasifhislifedependedonit;and,afterseveralnarrowescapesatexcitingmoments,Rosehadthesatisfactionofbeingsteeredsafelydowntheroomandlandedwithagrandpirouetteatthebottom。Steveapplauded,andMac,muchelated,exclaimedwithartlesscandor:\"Therereallyisasortofinspirationaboutyou,Rose。Ialwaysdetesteddancingbefore,butnow,doyouknow,Iratherlikeit。\"
\"Iknewyouwould,onlyyoumustn\'tstandwithyourarmroundyourpartnerinthiswaywhenyouaredone。Youmustseatandfanher,ifshelikesit,\"saidRose,anxioustoperfectapupilwhoseemedsolamentablyinneedofateacher。
\"Yes,ofcourse,Iknowhowtheydoit。\"And,releasinghiscousin,Macraisedasmallwhirlwindaroundherwithafoldednewspaper,sofullofzealthatshehadnotthehearttochidehimagain。
\"Welldone,oldfellow。Ibegintohavehopesofyouandwillorderyouanewdresscoatatonce,sinceyouarereallygoinginfortheproprietiesoflife,\"saidStevefromthemusicstool,withtheapprovingnodofonewhowasajudgeofsaidproprieties。\"Now,Rose,ifyouwilljustcoachhimalittleinhissmalltalk,hewon\'tmakealaughingstockofhimselfashedidtheothernight,\"addedSteve。\"Idon\'tmeanhisgeologicalgabblethatwasbadenough,buthischatwithEmmaCurtiswasmuchworse。Tellher,Mac,andseeifshedoesn\'tthinkpoorEmmahadarighttothinkyouafirst—classbore。\"
\"Idon\'tseewhy,whenImerelytriedtohavealittlesensibleconversation,\"
beganMacwithreluctance,forhehadbeenunmercifullychaffedbyhiscousins,towhomhisbrotherhadbetrayedhim。
\"Whatdidyousay？Iwon\'tlaughifIcanhelpit,\"saidRose,curioustohear,forSteve\'seyesweretwinklingwithfun。
\"Well,Iknewshewasfondoftheaters,soItriedthatfirstandgotonprettywelltillIbegantotellherhowtheymanagedthosethingsinGreece。Mostinterestingsubject,youknow？\"
\"Very。DidyougiveheroneofthechorusesorabitofAgamemnon,asyoudidwhenyoudescribedittome？\"askedRose,keepingsoberwithdifficultyassherecalledthatserio—comicscene。
\"Ofcoursenot,butIwasadvisinghertoreadPrometheuswhenshegapedbehindherfanandbegantotalkaboutPhebe。Whata\'nicecreature\'
shewas,\'keptherplace,\'dressedaccordingtoherstation,andthatsortoftwaddle。Isupposeitwasratherrude,butbeingpulledupsoshortconfusedmeabit,andIsaidthefirstthingthatcameintomyhead,whichwasthatIthoughtPhebethebest—dressedwomanintheroombecauseshewasn\'tallfussandfeatherslikemostofthegirls。\"
\"Oh,Mac！ThattoEmma,whomakesitthelaborofherlifetobealwaysintheheightoffashionandwasparticularlysplendidthatnight。Whatdidshesay？\"criedRose,fullofsympathyforbothparties。
\"Shebridledandlookeddaggersatme。\"
\"Andwhatdidyoudo？\"
\"Ibitmytongueandtumbledoutofonescrapeintoanother。Followingherexample,Ichangedthesubjectbytalkingaboutthecharityconcertfortheorphans,andwhenshegushedaboutthe\'littledarlings,\'Iadvisedhertoadoptoneandwonderedwhyyoungladiesdidn\'tdothatsortofthing,insteadofcuddlingcatsandlapdogs。\"
\"Unhappyboy！Herpugistheidolofherlife,andshehatesbabies,\"
saidRose。
\"Morefoolshe！Well,shegotmyopiniononthesubject,anyway,andshe\'sverywelcome,forIwentontosaythatIthoughtitwouldnotonlybealovelycharity,butexcellenttrainingforthetimewhentheyhadlittledarlingsoftheirown。Noendofpoorthingsdiethroughtheignoranceofmothers,youknow,\"addedMac,soseriouslythatRosedarednotsmileatwhatwentbefore。
\"ImagineEmmatrottingroundwithapauperbabyunderherarminsteadofhercherishedToto,\"saidStevewithanecstatictwirlonthestool。
\"Didsheseemtolikeyouradvice,MonsieurMalapropos？\"askedRose,wishingshehadbeenthere。
\"No,shegavealittleshriekandsaid,\'Goodgracious,Mr。Campbell,howdrollyouare！TakemetoMama,please,\'whichIdidwithathankfulheart。Catchmesettingherpug\'slegagain,\"endedMacwithagrimshakeofthehead。
\"Nevermind。Youwereunfortunateinyourlistenerthattime。Don\'tthinkallgirlsaresofoolish。IcanshowyouadozensensibleoneswhowoulddiscussdressreformandcharitywithyouandenjoyGreektragedyifyoudidthechorusforthemasyoudidforme,\"saidRoseconsolingly,forStevewouldonlyjeer。
\"Givemealistofthem,please,andI\'llcultivatetheiracquaintance。
Afellowmusthavesomerewardformakingateetotumofhimself。\"
\"Iwillwithpleasure;andifyoudancewelltheywillmakeitverypleasantforyou,andyou\'llenjoypartiesinspiteofyourself。\"
\"Icannotbea\'glassoffashionandamoldofform\'likeDandyhere,butI\'lldomybest:only,ifIhadmychoice,I\'dmuchrathergoroundthestreetswithanorganandamonkey,\"answeredMacdespondently。
\"Thankyoukindlyforthecompliment,\"andRosemadehimalowcourtesy,whileStevecried,\"Nowyouhavedoneit！\"inatoneofreproachwhichremindedtheculprit,alltoolate,thathewasRose\'schosenescort。
\"Bythegods,soIhave！\"Andcastingawaythenewspaperwithagestureofcomicdespair,Macstrodefromtheroom,chantingtragicallythewordsofCassandra,\"\'Woe！woe！OEarth！OApollo！Iwilldaretodie;IwillaccostthegatesofHades,andmakemyprayerthatImayreceiveamortalblow！\'\"Chapter7。Chapter7。7PHEBEWhileRosewasmakingdiscoveriesandhavingexperiences,Phebewasdoingthesameinaquieterway,butthoughtheyusuallycomparednotesduringthebedtimetête—à—têtewhichalwaysendedtheirday,certaintopicswerenevermentioned,soeachhadalittleworldofherownintowhicheventheeyeoffriendshipdidnotpeep。
Rose\'slifejustnowwasthegaiestbutPhebe\'sthehappiest。Bothwentoutagooddeal,forthebeautifulvoicewaswelcomedeverywhere,andmanywerereadytopatronizethesingerwhowouldhavebeenslowtorecognizethewoman。Phebeknewthisandmadenoattempttoassertherself,contenttoknowthatthosewhoseregardshevaluedfeltherworthandhopefulofatimewhenshecouldgracefullytaketheplaceshewasmeanttofill。
ProudasaprincesswasPhebeaboutsomethings,thoughinmostashumbleasachild;therefore,wheneachyearlessenedtheserviceshelovedtogiveandincreasedtheobligationsshewouldhaverefusedfromanyothersource,dependencebecameaburdenwhicheventhemostferventgratitudecouldnotlighten。Hithertothechildrenhadgoneontogether,findingnoobstaclestotheircompanionshipinthesecludedworldinwhichtheylived。Nowthattheywerewomentheirpathsinevitablydiverged,andbothreluctantlyfeltthattheymustpartbeforelong。
Ithadbeensettled,whentheywereabroad,thatontheirreturnPhebeshouldtakeheronegiftinherhandandtryherfortunes。Onnoothertermswouldsheaccepttheteachingwhichwastofitherfortheindependenceshedesired。Faithfullyhadsheusedthefacilitiessogenerouslyaffordedbothathomeandabroadandnowwasreadytoprovethattheyhadnotbeeninvain。Muchencouragedbythesmallsuccessesshewonindrawingrooms,andthepraisebestowedbyinterestedfriends,shebegantofeelthatshemightventureonalargerfieldandbeginhercareerasaconcertsinger,forsheaimednohigher。
Justatthistimemuchinterestwasfeltinanewasylumfororphangirls,whichcouldnotbecompletedforwantoffunds。TheCampbellswellhadbornetheirpartandstilllaboredtoaccomplishthemuch—neededcharity。
Severalfairshadbeengivenforthispurpose,followedbyaseriesofconcerts。RosehadthrownherselfintotheworkwithallherheartandnowproposedthatPhebeshouldmakeherdebutatthelastconcert,whichwastobeapeculiarlyinterestingone,asalltheorphansweretobepresentandwereexpectedtopleadtheirowncausebythesightoftheirinnocenthelplessnessaswellastouchheartsbythesimpleairstheyweretosing。
SomeofthefamilythoughtPhebewouldobjecttosohumbleabeginning,butRoseknewherbetterandwasnotdisappointed,forwhenshemadeherproposalPhebeansweredreadily:\"WherecouldIfindafittertimeandplacetocomebeforethepublicthanhereamongmylittlesistersinmisfortune？
I\'llsingforthemwithallmyheartonlyImustbeoneofthemandhavenoflourishmadeaboutme。\"
\"Youshallarrangeitasyoulike,andasthereistobelittlevocalmusicbutyoursandthechildren\'s,I\'llseethatyouhaveeverythingasyouplease,\"promisedRose。
Itwaswellshedid,forthefamilygotmuchexcitedovertheprospectof\"ourPhebe\'sdebut\"andwouldhavemadeaflourishifthegirlshadnotresisted。AuntClarawasindespairaboutthedressbecausePhebedecidedtowearaplainclaret—coloredmerinowithfrillsatneckandwristssothatshemightlook,asmuchaspossible,liketheotherorphansintheirstuffgownsandwhiteaprons。AuntPlentywantedtohavealittlesupperafterwardinhonoroftheoccasion,butPhebebeggedhertochangeittoaChristmasdinnerforthepoorchildren。Theboysplannedtothrowbushelsofflowers,andCharlieclaimedthehonorofleadingthesingerin。ButPhebe,withtearsinhereyes,declinedtheirkindlyoffers,sayingearnestly:\"IhadbetterbeginasIamtogoonanddependuponmyselfentirely。Indeed,Mr。Charlie,I\'dratherwalkinalone,foryou\'dbeoutofplaceamongusandspoilthepatheticeffectwewishtoproduce。\"AndasmilesparkledthroughthetearsasPhebelookedatthepieceofelegancebeforeherandthoughtofthebrowngownsandpinafores。
