\"AsadprospectforpoorSteve,unlessIgivehimahinttolookwelltohisways。\"
\"Oh,mydearchild,I\'msureofhim,formyexperiencehasmademeverysharpandI\'mconvincedIcanmanagehimwithoutabitoftrouble。We\'veknowneachotherforages\"StevewastwentyandKittyeighteen\"andalwaysbeenthebestoffriends。Besides,heisquitemyidealman。Inevercouldbearbighandsandfeet,andhisaresimplyadorable。Thenhe\'sthebestdancerIknowanddressesinperfecttaste。IreallydobelieveI
fellinlovewithhispockethandkerchiefsfirst,theyweresoenchantingIcouldn\'tresist,\"laughedKitty,pullingalargeoneoutofherpocketandburyingherlittlenoseinthefolds,whichshedadeliciousfragranceupontheair。
\"Now,thatlookspromising,andIbegintothinkyouhavegotalittlesentimentafterall,\"saidRose,wellpleased,forthemerrybrowneyeshadsoftenedsuddenlyandaquickcolorcameupinKitty\'scheekassheanswered,stillhalfhidingherfaceinthebelovedhandkerchief:\"OfcourseIhave,lotsofit,onlyI\'mashamedtoshowittomostpeople,becauseit\'sthestyletotakeeverythinginthemostnonchalantway。Mygracious,Rose,you\'dhavethoughtmearomanticgooselastnightwhileSteveproposedinthebackparlor,forIactuallycried,hewassodreadfullyinearnestwhenIpretendedthatIdidn\'tcareforhim,andsoverydearandnicewhenItoldthetruth。Ididn\'tknowhehaditinhim,buthecameoutdelightfullyandnevercaredaparticle,thoughIdroppedtearsalloverhislovelyshirtfront。Wasn\'tthatgoodofhim？Foryouknowhehateshisthingstobemussed。\"
\"He\'satrueCampbell,andhasgotagoodwarmheartofhisownunderthosefinefrontsofhis。AuntJanedoesn\'tbelieveinsentiment,sohehasbeentrainednevertoshowany,butitisthere,andyoumustencouragehimtoletitout,notfoolishly,butinawaytomakehimmoremanlyandserious。\"
\"IwillifIcan,forthoughIwouldn\'townthistoeverybody,IlikeitinhimverymuchandfeelasifSteveandIshouldgetonbeautifully。
Herewearenow,besurenottobreatheawordifwemeetanyone。I
wantittobeaprofoundsecretforaweekatleast,\"addedKitty,whiskingherhandkerchiefoutofsightasthecarriagestoppedbeforethefashionablestoretheywereabouttovisit。
Rosepromisedwithasmile,forKitty\'sfacebetrayedherwithoutwords,sofullwasitofthehappinesswhichfeweyesfailtounderstandwhenevertheyseeit。
\"Justaglanceatthesilks。Youaskmyopinionaboutwhiteones,andI\'lllookatthecolors。Mamasayssatin,butthatisoutnow,andI\'vesetmyheartontheheaviestcordedthingIcanfind,\"whisperedKittyastheywentrustlingbythelongcountersstrewnwithallthatcoulddelightthefeminineeyeandtemptthefemininepocket。
\"Isn\'tthatopaltheloveliestthingyoueversaw？I\'mafraidI\'mtoodarktowearit,butitwouldjustsuityou。You\'llneedavariety,youknow,\"addedKittyinasignificantasideasRosestoodamongthewhitesilkswhilehercompanionaffectedgreatinterestinthedelicatehueslaidbeforeher。
\"ButIhaveavarietynow,anddon\'tneedanewdressofanysort。\"
\"Nomatter,getit,elseitwillbegone。You\'vewornallyoursseveraltimesalreadyandmusthaveanewonewhetheryouneeditornot。
Dearme！IfIhadasmuchpocketmoneyasyouhave,I\'dcomeoutinafreshtoiletateverypartyIwentto,\"answeredKitty,castinganenviouseyeupontherainbowpilesbeforeher。
Thequick—wittedshopmansawthataweddingwasafoot,forwhentwoprettygirlswhisper,smile,andblushovertheirshopping,clerksscentbridalfineryandatransientgleamofinterestbrightenstheirimperturbablecountenancesandlendsabriefenergytolanguidvoiceswearywithcrying,\"Cash！\"Gatheringbothsilkswithapracticedturnofthehand,heheldthemupforinspection,detectingataglancewhichwasthebride—electandwhichthefriend,forKittyfellbacktostudytheeffectofsilverywhitefoldswithanabsorbinginterestimpossibletomistakewhileRosesatlookingattheopalasifshescarcelyheardablandvoicesaying,withtherustleofsilksodeartogirlishears:\"Asuperbthing,justopened;alltherageinParis;veryrareshade;tryingtomost,astheladysays,butquiteperfectforablonde。\"
RosewasnotlisteningtothosewordsbuttootherswhichAuntClarahadlatelyuttered,laughedatthen,butthoughtovermorethanoncesince。
\"I\'mtiredofhearingpeoplewonderwhyMissCampbelldoesnotdressmore。Simplicityisallverywellforschoolgirlsandwomenwhocan\'taffordanythingbetter,butyoucan,andyoureallyought。Yourthingsareprettyenoughintheirway,andIratherlikeyoutohaveastyleofyourown,butitlooksoddandpeoplewillthinkyouaremeanifyoudon\'tmakemoreshow。Besides,youdon\'tdojusticetoyourbeauty,whichwouldbebothpeculiarandstrikingifyou\'ddevoteyourmindtogettingupravishingcostumes。\"
Muchmoretothesameeffectdidherauntsay,discussingthesubjectquiteartisticallyandunconsciouslyappealingtoseveralofRose\'srulingpassions。Onewasaloveforthedelicatefabrics,colors,andornamentswhichrefinedtastesenjoyandwhosecostlinesskeepsthemfromevergrowingcommon;another,herstrongdesiretopleasetheeyesofthoseshecaredforandgratifytheirwishesinthesmallestmatterifshecould。Andlast,butnotleast,thenaturaldesireofayoungandprettywomantoenhancethebeautywhichshesosoondiscoverstobehermostpotentcharmfortheothersex,herpassporttoahighplaceamonghermaidenpeers。
Shehadthoughtseriouslyofsurprisinganddelightingeveryonebyappearinginacostumewhichshoulddojusticetothelovelinesswhichwassomodestthatitwasapttoforgetitselfinadmiringotherswhatgirlscalla\"ravishing\"dress,suchasshecouldimagineandeasilyprocurebythemagicoftheFortunatus\'purseinherpocket。Shehadplanneditall,theshimmerofpalesilkthroughlacelikewovenfrostwork,ornamentsofsomeclassicpattern,andallthedaintyaccessoriesasperfectastime,taste,andmoneycouldmakethem。
SheknewthatUncleAlec\'shealthfultraininghadgivenherafigurethatcouldventureonanyfashionandNatureblessedherwithacomplexionthatdefiedallhues。Soitwaslittlewonderthatshefeltastrongdesiretousethesegifts,notforthepleasureofdisplay,buttoseemfairintheeyesthatseldomlookedatherwithoutatendersortofadmiration,allthemorewinningwhennowordsmarredtheinvoluntaryhomagewomenlove。
ThesethoughtswerebusyinRose\'smindasshesatlookingatthelovelysilkandwonderingwhatCharliewouldsayifsheshouldsomenightburstuponhiminapalerosycloud,liketheAuroratowhomheoftenlikenedher。Sheknewitwouldpleasehimverymuchandshelongedtodoallshehonestlycouldtogratifythepoorfellow,forhertenderheartalreadyfeltsomeremorsefulpangs,rememberinghowsevereshehadbeenthenightbefore。Shecouldnotrevokeherwords,becauseshemeantthemeveryone,butshemightbekindandshowthatshedidnotwhollyshuthimoutfromherregardbyaskinghimtogowithhertoKitty\'sballandgratifyhisartistictastebyalovelycostume。Averygirlishbutkindlyplan,forthatballwastobethelastofherfrivolities,soshewantedittobeapleasantoneandfeltthat\"beingfriends\"withCharliewouldaddmuchtoherenjoyment。
Thisideamadeherfingerstightenonthegleamingfabricsotemptinglyupheld,andshewasabouttotakeitwhen,\"Ifyeplease,sir,wouldyekindlytellmewhereI\'dbefindingtheflannelplace？\"saidavoicebehindher,and,glancingup,shesawameeklittleIrishwomanlookingquitelostandoutofplaceamongtheluxuriesaroundher。
\"Downstairs,turntotheleft,\"wastheclerk\'shastyreply,withavaguewaveofthehandwhichlefttheinquirermoreinthedarkthanever。
Rosesawthewoman\'sperplexityandsaidkindly,\"I\'llshowyouthisway。\"
\"I\'mashamedtobethroublin\'ye,miss,butit\'sstrangeIaminit,andwouldn\'tbecomin\'hereatall,atall,barrin\'theytouldmeI\'dgetthebitI\'mwantin\'chaperinthisbigshopthanthelittleonesmorebecomin\'
thelikeo\'me,\"explainedthelittlewomanhumbly。
Roselookedagainassheledthewaythroughawell—dressedcrowdofbusyshoppers,andsomethingintheanxious,tiredfaceundertheoldwoolenhoodthebare,purplehandsholdingfastameagerwalletandafadedscrapofthedottedflannellittlechildren\'sfrocksaresooftenmadeoftouchedthegenerousheartthatnevercouldseewantwithoutanimpulsetorelieveit。Shehadmeantonlytopointtheway,but,followinganewimpulse,shewenton,listeningtothepoorsoul\'smotherlyprattleabout\"mebaby\"andthe\"throuble\"itwasto\"findclothesforthegrowin\'
childerwhenmemanisoutavworkandthebitandsupinconvaynientthesehardtimes\"astheydescendedtothatdarksomelowerworldwherenecessitiestakerefugewhenluxuriescrowdthemoutfromthegayerplaceabove。
ThepresenceofaladymadeMrs。Sullivan\'sshoppingveryeasynow,andheronepoor\"bit\"offlannelgrewmiraculouslyintoyardsofseveralcolors,sincetheshabbypursewasnolighterwhenshewentaway,wipinghereyesonthecornerofabig,brownbundle。Averylittlething,andnoonesawitbutawooden—facedclerk,whonevertold,yetitdidRosegoodandsentherupintothelightagainwithasoberface,thinkingself—reproachfully,\"WhatrighthaveItomoregaygownswhensomepoorbabieshavenone,ortospendtimemakingmyselffinewhilethereissomuchbitterwantintheworld？\"
Neverthelesstheprettythingswerejustastemptingasever,andsheyearnedfortheopalsilkwitharenewedyearningwhenshegotback。Itisnotcertainthatitwouldnothavebeenboughtinspiteofherbetterselfifagoodangelinthelikenessofastoutladywithsilverycurlsaboutthebenevolentface,enshrinedinaplainbonnet,hadnotaccostedherasshejoinedKitty,stillbroodingovertheweddinggowns。
\"Iwaitedamomentforyou,mydear,becauseI\'minhaste,andverygladtosavemyselfajourneyoranote,\"beganthenewcomerinalowtoneasRoseshookhandswiththemostaffectionaterespect。\"Youknowthegreatboxfactorywasburnedadayortwoagoandoverahundredgirlsthrownoutofwork。Somewerehurtandareinthehospital,manyhavenohomestogoto,andnearlyallneedtemporaryhelpofsomesort。We\'vehadsomanycallsthiswinterIhardlyknowwhichwaytoturn,forwantispressing,andI\'vehadmyfingerinsomanypursesI\'malmostashamedtoaskagain。
Anylittlecontributionah,thankyou,Iwassureyouwouldn\'tfailme,mygoodchild,\"andMrs。Gardenerwarmlypressedthehandthatwentsoquicklyintothelittleporte—monnaieandcameoutsogenerouslyfilled。
\"LetmeknowhowelseIcanhelp,andthankyouverymuchforallowingmetohaveashareinyourgoodworks,\"saidRose,forgettingallaboutgaygownsasshewatchedtheblackbonnetgobrisklyawaywithanapprovingsmileonthefineoldfaceinsideit。
\"Youextravagantthing！Howcouldyougivesomuch？\"whisperedKitty,whosecuriouseyehadseenthreefiguresonthesinglebillwhichhadsorapidlychangedhands。
\"IbelieveifMrs。GardeneraskedmeformyheadIshouldgiveittoher,\"answeredRoselightly,then,turningtothesilks,sheasked,\"Whichhaveyoudecidedupon,theyellowwhiteortheblue,thecordedorthestriped？\"
\"I\'vedecidednothing;exceptthatyouaretohavethepinkandwearitatmyahem！ball,\"saidKitty,whohadmadeuphermind,butcouldnotgiveherorderstillMamahadbeenconsulted。
\"No,Ican\'tafforditjustyet。Ineveroverstepmyallowance,andIshallhavetoifIgetanymorefinery。Come,weoughtnottowastetimehereifyouhaveallthepatternsyouwant。\"AndRosewalkedquicklyaway,gladthatitwasoutofherpowertobreakthroughtworesolutionswhichhithertohadbeenfaithfullykeptonetodresssimplyforexample\'ssake,theothernottobeextravagantforcharity\'ssake。
AsRosamondhadherdayofmisfortunes,sothisseemedtobeoneofsmalltemptationstoRose。AftershehadsetKittydownathomeandbeentoseehernewhouses,shedroveaboutdoingvariouserrandsfortheauntsand,whilewaitinginthecarriagefortheexecutionofanorder,youngPembertoncameby。
AsStevesaid,thisgentlemanhadbeen\"hardhit\"andstillhoveredmothlikeabouttheforbiddenlight。Beingthemosteligiblepartioftheseason,hisregardwasconsideredadistinctiontobeproudof,andRosehadbeenwellscoldedbyAuntClaraforrefusingsohonorableamate。Thegirllikedhim,andhewasthesuitorofwhomshehadspokensorespectfullytoDr。AlecbecausehehadnoneedoftheheiressandhadsincerelylovedRose。Hehadbeenaway,andshehopedhadgottenoverhisdisappointmentashappilyastherest,butnowwhenhesawher,andcamehurryingupsohungryforaword,shefeltthathehadnotforgottenandwastookindtochillhimwiththebowwhichplainlysays\"Don\'tstop。\"
ApersonableyouthwasPemberton,andhadbroughtwithhimfromthewildsofCanadaasable—linedovercoatwhichwastheenvyofeverymasculineandtheadmirationofeveryfemininefriendhehad,andashestoodathercarriagewindowRoseknewthatthisluxuriousgarmentanditsstalwartwearerwereobjectsofinteresttothepassersby。Itchancedthatthetideofshoppersflowedinthatdirectionand,asshechatted,familiarfacesoftenpassedwithglances,smiles,andnodsofvaryingcuriosity,significance,andwonder。
Shecouldnothelpfeelingacertainsatisfactioningivinghimamoment\'spleasure,sinceshecoulddonomore,butitwasnotthatamiabledesirealonewhichmadeherignoretheneatwhiteparcelswhichthedruggist\'sboydepositedonthefrontseatandkeptherlingeringalittlelongertoenjoyoneofthesmalltriumphswhichgirlsoftenriskmorethanacoldintheheadtodisplay。Thesightofseveralsnowflakesonthebroadshoulderswhichpartiallyobstructedherview,aswellastherapidlyincreasinganimationofPemberton\'schat,remindedherthatitwashightimetogo。
\"Imustn\'tkeepyouitisbeginningtostorm,\"shesaid,takinguphermuff,muchtooldJacob\'ssatisfaction,forsmalltalkisnotexcitingtoahungrymanwhosenosefeelslikeanicicle。
\"Isit？Ithoughtthesunwasshining。\"Andtheabsorbedgentlemanturnedtotheouterworldwithvisiblereluctance,foritlookedverywarmandcozyinthered—linedcarriage。
\"Wisepeoplesaywemustcarryoursunshinewithus,\"answeredRose,takingrefugeincommonplaces,forthefaceatthewindowgrewpensivesuddenlyasheanswered,withalonginglook,\"IwishIcould。\"Then,smilinggratefully,headded,\"Thankyouforgivingmealittleofyours。\"
\"Youareverywelcome。\"AndRoseofferedhimherhandwhilehereyesmutelyaskedpardonforwithholdingherleavetokeepit。
Hepresseditsilentlyand,shoulderingtheumbrellawhichheforgottoopen,turnedawaywithan\"upagainandtakeanother\"expression,whichcausedthesofteyestofollowhimadmiringly。
\"IoughtnottohavekepthimaminutelongerthanIcouldhelp,foritwasn\'tallpity;itwasmyfoolishwishtoshowoffanddoasIlikedforaminute,topayforbeinggoodaboutthegown。Oh,me！HowweakandsillyIaminspiteofallmytrying！\"AndMissCampbellfellintoaremorsefulreverie,whichlastedtillshegothome。
\"Now,youngman,whatbroughtyououtinthisdrivingstorm？\"askedRoseasJamiecamestampinginthatsameafternoon。
\"Mamasentyouanewbookthoughtyou\'dlikeit。Idon\'tmindyouroldstorms！\"repliedtheboy,wrestlinghiswayoutofhiscoatandpresentingafaceasroundandredandshinyasawell—polishedBaldwinapple。
\"MuchobligeditisjustthedaytoenjoyitandIwaslongingforsomethingnicetoread,\"saidRoseasJamiesatdownuponthelowerstairforaprotractedstrugglewithhisrubberboots。
\"Hereyouare,thennoyesIdobelieveI\'veforgottenit,afterall！\"criedJamie,slappinghispocketsoneaftertheotherwithadismayedexpressionofcountenance。
\"Nevermind,I\'llhuntupsomethingelse。Letmehelpyouwiththoseyourhandsaresocold。\"AndRosegood—naturedlygaveatugatthebootswhileJamieclutchedthebanisters,murmuringsomewhatincoherentlyashislegsflewupanddown:\"I\'llgobackifyouwantmeto。I\'msosorry！It\'sverygoodofyou,I\'msure。Gettingthesehorridthingsonmademeforget。Motherwouldmakemewear\'em,thoughItoldherthey\'dsticklikelikegumdrops,\"
headded,inspiredbyrecollectionsofcertaindiredisappointmentswhentheabove—mentionedsweetmeatmeltedinhispocketsandrefusedtocomeout。
\"Nowwhatshallwedo？\"askedRosewhenhewasfinallyextricated。\"SinceI\'venothingtoread,Imayaswellplay。\"
\"I\'llteachyoutopitchandtoss。Youcatchverywellforagirl,butyoucan\'tthrowworthacent,\"repliedJamie,gambolingdownthehallinhisslippersandproducingaballfromsomeofthemysteriousreceptaclesinwhichboyshavetheartofstoringrubbishenoughtofillapeckmeasure。
OfcourseRoseagreedandcheerfullyriskedgettinghereyesblackenedandherfingersbruisedtillheryoungreceptorgratefullyobservedthat\"itwasnofunplayingwhereyouhadtolookoutforwindowsandjarsandthings,soI\'dlikethatjollybookaboutCaptainNemoandtheNautilus,please。\"
Beinggratified,hespreadhimselfuponthecouch,crossedhislegsintheair,andwithoutanotherworddivedTwentyThousandLeaguesUndertheSea,whereheremainedfortwomortalhours,tothegeneralsatisfactionofhisrelatives。
Bereftbothofherunexpectedplayfellowandthemuchdesiredbook,Rosewentintotheparlor,theretodiscoveraFrenchnovelwhichKittyhadtakenfromalibraryandleftinthecarriageamongthebundles。Settlingherselfinherfavoriteloungingchair,shereadasdiligentlyasJamiewhilethewindhowledandsnowfellfastwithout。
ForanhournothingdisturbedthecozyquietofthehouseforAuntPlentywasnappingupstairsandDr。Alecwritinginhisownsanctum;atleastRosethoughtso,tillhisstepmadeherhastilydropthebookandlookupwithverymuchtheexpressionsheusedtowearwhencaughtinmischiefyearsago。
\"DidIstartleyou？Haveascreenyouareburningyourfacebeforethishotfire。\"AndDr。Alecpulledoneforward。
\"Thankyou,Uncle。Ididn\'tfeelit。\"Andthecolorseemedtodeepeninspiteofthescreenwhiletheuneasyeyesfelluponthebookinherlap。
\"HaveyougottheQuarterlythere？Iwanttoglanceatanarticleinitifyoucanspareitforamoment,\"hesaid,leaningtowardherwithaninquiringglance。
\"No,sir,Iamreading\"And,withoutmentioningthename,Roseputthebookintohishand。
Theinstanthiseyefellonthetitleheunderstoodthelooksheworeandknewwhat\"mischief\"shehadbeenin。Heknithisbrows,thensmiled,becauseitwasimpossibletohelpitRoselookedsoconscience—strickeninspiteofhertwentyyears。
\"Howdoyoufindit？Interesting？\"
\"Oh,very！IfeltasifIwasinanotherworldandforgotallaboutthis。\"
\"Notaverygoodworld,Ifancy,ifyouwereafraidorashamedtobefoundinit。Wheredidthiscomefrom？\"askedDr。Alec,surveyingthebookwithgreatdisfavor。Rosetoldhim,andaddedslowly,\"Iparticularlywantedtoreadit,andfanciedImight,becauseyoudidwhenitwassomuchtalkedaboutthewinterwewereinRome。\"
\"Ididreadittoseeifitwasfitforyou。\"
\"Anddecidedthatitwasnot,Isuppose,sinceyounevergaveittome！\"
\"Yes。\"
\"ThenIwon\'tfinishit。But,Uncle,Idon\'tseewhyIshouldnot,\"
addedRosewistfully,forshehadreachedtheheartoftheromanceandfounditwonderfullyfascinating。
\"Youmaynotsee,butdon\'tyoufeelwhynot？\"askedDr。
Alecgravely。
Roseleanedherflushedcheekonherhandandthoughtaminute,thenlookedupandansweredhonestly,\"Yes,Ido,butcan\'texplainit,exceptthatIknowsomethingmustbewrong,becauseIblushedandstartedwhenyoucamein。\"
\"Exactly。\"Andthedoctorgaveanemphaticnod,asifthesymptomspleasedhim。
\"ButIreallydon\'tseeanyharminthebooksofar。Itisbyafamousauthor,wonderfullywellwritten,asyouknow,andthecharacterssolifelikethatIfeelasifIshouldreallymeetthemsomewhere。\"
\"Ihopenot！\"ejaculatedthedoctor,shuttingthebookquickly,asiftokeeptheobjectionablebeingsfromescaping。
Roselaughed,butpersistedinherdefense,forshedidwanttofinishtheabsorbingstory,yetwouldnotwithoutleave。
\"IhavereadFrenchnovelsbefore,andyougavethemtome。Notmany,tobesure,butthebest,soIthinkIknowwhatisgoodandshouldn\'tlikethisifitwasharmful。\"
Heruncle\'sanswerwastoreopenthevolumeandturntheleavesaninstantasiftofindaparticularplace。Thenheputitintoherhand,sayingquietly:\"Readapageortwoaloud,translatingasyougo。Youusedtolikethattryitagain。\"
Roseobeyedandwentgliblydownapage,doingherbesttogivethesenseinherpurestEnglish。Presentlyshewentmoreslowly,thenskippedasentencehereandthere,andfinallystoppedshort,lookingasifsheneededascreenagain。
\"What\'sthematter？\"askedheruncle,whohadbeenwatchingherwithaseriouseye。
\"Somephrasesareuntranslatable,anditonlyspoilsthemtotry。TheyarenotamissinFrench,butsoundcoarseandbadinourbluntEnglish,\"
shesaidalittlepettishly,forshefeltannoyedbyherfailuretoprovethecontestedpoint。
\"Ah,mydear,ifthefinephraseswon\'tbearputtingintohonestEnglish,thethoughtstheyexpresswon\'tbearputtingintoyourinnocentmind！Thatchapteristhekeytothewholebook,andifyouhadbeenledup,orratherdown,toitartfullyandartistically,youmighthavereadittoyourselfwithoutseeinghowbaditis。Alltheworsefortheundeniabletalentwhichhidestheevilsosubtlyandmakesthedangersodelightful。\"
Hepausedamoment,thenaddedwithananxiousglanceatthebook,overwhichshewasstillbending,\"Finishitifyouchooseonlyremember,mygirl,thatonemayreadatfortywhatisunsafeattwenty,andthatwenevercanbetoocarefulwhatfoodwegivethatpreciousyetperilousthingcalledimagination。\"
AndtakinghisReview,hewentawaytolookoveralearnedarticlewhichinterestedhimmuchlessthantheworkingsofayoungmindnearby。
Anotherlongsilence,brokenonlybyanoccasionalexcitedbouncefromJamiewhenthesociablecuttlefishlookedinatthewindowsortheNautilusscuttledashiportwoinitsterrificcourse。Abellrang,andthedoctorpoppedhisheadouttoseeifhewaswanted。ItwasonlyamessageforAuntPlenty,andhewasabouttopopinagainwhenhiseyewascaughtbyasquareparcelontheslab。
\"What\'sthis？\"heasked,takingitup。
\"RosewantsmetoleaveitatKittyVan\'swhenIgo。IforgottobringherbookfromMama,soIshallgoandgetitassoonaseverI\'vedonethis,\"repliedJamiefromhisnest。
Asthevolumeinhishandswasacorpulentone,andJamieonlyathirdofthewaythrough,Dr。AlecthoughtRose\'sprospectratherdoubtfuland,slippingtheparcelintohispocket,hewalkedaway,sayingwithasatisfiedair:\"Virtuedoesn\'talwaysgetrewarded,butitshallbethistimeifIcandoit。\"
Morethanhalfanhourafterward,Rosewokefromalittlenapandfoundthevariousoldfavoriteswithwhichshehadtriedtosolaceherselfreplacedbythesimple,wholesomestorypromisedbyAuntJessie。
\"Goodboy！I\'llgoandthankhim,\"shesaidhalfaloud,jumpingup,wideawakeandmuchpleased。
Butshedidnotgo,forjustthenshespiedherunclestandingontherugwarminghishandswithagenerallyfreshandbreezylookabouthimwhichsuggestedarecentstrugglewiththeelements。
\"Howdidthiscome？\"sheaskedsuspiciously。
\"Amanbroughtit。\"
\"Thisman？Oh,Uncle！Whydidyoutakesomuchtroublejusttogratifyawishofmine？\"shecried,takingboththecoldhandsinherswithatenderlyreproachfulglancefromthestormwithouttotheruddyfaceaboveher。
\"Because,havingtakenawayyourFrenchbonbonswiththepoisonouscoloronthem,Iwantedtogetyousomethingbetter。Hereitis,allpuresugar,thesortthatsweetenstheheartaswellasthetongueandleavesnobadtastebehind。\"
\"Howgoodyouaretome！Idon\'tdeserveit,forIdidn\'tresisttemptation,thoughItried。Uncle,afterI\'dputthebookaway,IthoughtImustjustseehowitended,andI\'mafraidIshouldhavereaditallifithadnotbeengone,\"saidRose,layingherfacedownonthehandssheheldashumblyasarepentantchild。
ButUncleAlecliftedupthebentheadand,lookingintotheeyesthatmethisfrankly,thougheitherheldatear,hesaid,withtheenergythatalwaysmadehiswordsremembered:\"Mylittlegirl,Iwouldfaceadozenstormsfarworsethanthistokeepyoursoulasstainlessassnow,foritisthesmalltemptationswhichundermineintegrityunlesswewatchandprayandneverthinkthemtootrivialtoberesisted。\"
SomepeoplewouldconsiderDr。Alecanovercarefulman,butRosefeltthathewasright,andwhenshesaidherprayersthatnight,addedameekpetitiontobekeptfromyieldingtothreeofthesmalltemptationswhichbesetarich,pretty,andromanticgirlextravagance,coquetry,andnovelreading。Chapter12。Chapter12。12ATKITTY\'SBALLRosehadnonewgowntowearonthisfestiveoccasion,andgaveonelittlesighofregretassheputonthepalebluesilkrefreshedwithcloudsofgazedeChambéry。Butasmilefollowed,verybrightandsweet,assheaddedtheclustersofforget—me—notwhichCharliehadconjuredupthroughtheagencyofanoldGermanflorist,foronepartofherplanhadbeencarriedout,andPrincewasinvitedtobeherescort,muchtohisdelight,thoughhewiselymadenoprotestationsofanysortandshowedhisgratitudebybeingamodelgentleman。ThispleasedRose,forthelatehumiliationandaverysinceredesiretoatoneforitgavehimanairofpensivedignitywhichwasveryeffective。
AuntClaracouldnotgo,foracertainnewcosmetic,privatelyusedtoimprovetheoncefinecomplexion,whichhadbeenherpridetilllatehoursimpairedit,hadbroughtoutanunsightlyeruption,reducinghertothedepthsofwoeandleavinghernosolaceforherdisappointmentbutthesightoftheelegantvelvetdressspreadforthuponherbedinmelancholystate。
SoAuntJessiewaschaperon,toRose\'sgreatsatisfaction,andlookedas\"prettyasapink,\"Archiethought,inhermatronlypearl—coloredgownwithadaintytrifleofrichlaceonherstillabundanthair。Hewasveryproudofhislittlemama,andasdevotedasalover,\"tokeephishandinagainstPhebe\'sreturn,\"shesaidlaughinglywhenhebroughtheranosegayofblushrosestolightupherquietcostume。
AhappiermotherdidnotlivethanMrs。JessieasshesatcontentedlybesideSisterJane（whogracedthefrivoloussceneinaseriousblackgownwithadiademofpurpleastersnoddingaboveherseverebrow）,bothwatchingtheirboyswiththematernalconvictionthatnootherparentcouldshowsuchremarkablespecimensasthese。Eachhaddoneherbestaccordingtoherlight,andyearsoffaithfulcarewerenowbeginningtobearfruitinthepromiseofgoodlymen,sodeartotheheartsoftruemothers。
Mrs。Jessiewatchedherthreetallsonswithsomethinglikewonder,forArchiewasafinefellow,graveandratherstately,butfullofthecordialcourtesyandrespectweseesolittleofnowadaysandwhichisthesuresignofgoodhometraining。\"Thecadets,\"asWillandGeordiecalledthemselves,werethereasgorgeousasyouplease,andtheagoniestheysufferedthatnightwithtightbootsandstiffcollarsnopencanfitlytell。Butonlytooneanotherdidtheyconfidethesesufferingsandtheraremomentsofreposewhentheycouldstandononeachingfootwithheadscomfortablysunkeninsidetheexcruciatingcollars,whichraspedtheirearsandmadethelobesthereofapleasingscarlet。Briefwerethesemoments,however,andtheSpartanboysdancedonwithsmilingfaces,undauntedbythehiddenanguishwhichpreyeduponthem\"foreandaft,\"asWillexpressedit。
Mrs。Jane\'spairwereanoddcontrast,andeventhesterndisciplinarianherselfcouldnothelpsmilingasshewatchedthem。Stevewassuperb,andmighthavebeenmarriedonthespot,sosuperfinewashisbroad—cloth,glossyhislinen,andperfectthefitofhisgloves。Whileprideandhappinesssofermentedinhisyouthfulbosom,therewouldhavebeendangerofspontaneouscombustionifdancinghadnotprovedasafetyvalve,forhisstrongsenseoftheproprietieswouldnotpermithimtoventhisemotionsinanyotherway。
Kittyfeltnosuchrestraint,andlookedlikeablissfullittlegypsy,withherbrunetprettinesssetoffbyadashingcostumeofcardinalandcreamcolorandeveryhaironherheadcurledinaMerryPecksniffiancrop,foryouthwasherstrongpoint,andshemuchenjoyedthefactthatshehadbeenengagedthreetimesbeforeshewasnineteen。
ToseeherandStevespinaroundtheroomwasasighttobringasmiletothelipsofthecrustiestbachelororsaddestspinster,forhappyloversarealwaysapleasingspectacle,andtwosuchmerrylittlegrigsastheseareseldomseen。
