Shehadbutamomentinwhichtoconsiderwhetherthisglimpseofthefiresidemanmitigatedherrepugnance，orgaveit，rather，amoreconcreteandintimateform；foratsightofherhewasimmediatelyonhisfeetagain，thefloridanddominantRosedaleofMattieGormer’sdrawing-room。
ItwasnosurprisetoLilytofindthathehadbeenselectedasheronlyfellow-guest。Thoughsheandherhostesshadnotmetsincethelatter’stentativediscussionofherfuture，LilyknewthattheacutenesswhichenabledMrs。Fishertolayasafeandpleasantcoursethroughaworldofantagonisticforceswasnotinfrequentlyexercisedforthebenefitofherfriends。Itwas，infact，characteristicofCarrythat，whilesheactivelygleanedherownstoresfromthefieldsofaffluence，herrealsympathieswereontheotherside——withtheunlucky，theunpopular，theunsuccessful，withallherhungryfellow-toilersintheshornstubbleofsuccess。
Mrs。Fisher’sexperienceguardedheragainstthemistakeofexposingLily，forthefirstevening，totheunmitigatedimpressionofRosedale’spersonality。KateCorbyandtwoorthreemendroppedintodinner，andLily，alivetoeverydetailofherfriend’smethod，sawthatsuchopportunitiesashadbeencontrivedforherweretobedeferredtillshehad，asitwere，gainedcouragetomakeeffectualuseofthem。Shehadasenseofacquiescinginthisplanwiththepassivenessofasuffererresignedtothesurgeon’stouch；andthisfeelingofalmostlethargichelplessnesscontinuedwhen，afterthedepartureoftheguests，Mrs。Fisherfollowedherupstairs。
\"MayIcomeinandsmokeacigaretteoveryourfire？Ifwetalkinmyroomweshalldisturbthechild。\"Mrs。Fisherlookedaboutherwiththeeyeofthesolicitoushostess。\"Ihopeyou’vemanagedtomakeyourselfcomfortable，dear？Isn’titajollylittlehouse？It’ssuchablessingtohaveafewquietweekswiththebaby。\"
Carry，inherraremomentsofprosperity，becamesoexpansivelymaternalthatMissBartsometimeswonderedwhether，ifshecouldevergettimeandmoneyenough，shewouldnotendbydevotingthembothtoherdaughter。
It’sawell-earnedrest:I’llsaythatformyself，\"shecontinued，sinkingdownwithasighofcontentonthepillowedloungenearthefire。\"LouisaBryisasterntask-master:IoftenusedtowishmyselfbackwiththeGormers。Talkoflovemakingpeoplejealousandsuspicious——it’snothingtosocialambition！
LouisausedtolieawakeatnightwonderingwhetherthewomenwhocalledonuscalledonMEbecauseIwaswithher，oronHER
becauseshewaswithme；andshewasalwayslayingtrapstofindoutwhatIthought。OfcourseIhadtodisownmyoldestfriends，ratherthanlethersuspectsheowedmethechanceofmakingasingleacquaintance——when，allthewhile，thatwaswhatshehadmetherefor，andwhatshewrotemeahandsomechequeforwhentheseasonwasover！\"
Mrs。Fisherwasnotawomanwhotalkedofherselfwithoutcause，andthepracticeofdirectspeech，farfromprecludinginheranoccasionalresorttocircuitousmethods，servedrather，atcrucialmoments，thepurposeofthejuggler’schatterwhileheshiftsthecontentsofhissleeves。ThroughthehazeofhercigarettesmokeshecontinuedtogazemeditativelyatMissBart，who，havingdismissedhermaid，satbeforethetoilet-tableshakingoutoverhershoulderstheloosenedundulationsofherhair。
\"Yourhair’swonderful，Lily。Thinner——？Whatdoesthatmatter，whenit’ssolightandalive？Somanywomen’sworriesseemtogostraighttotheirhair——butyourslooksasiftherehadneverbeenananxiousthoughtunderit。Ineversawyoulookbetterthanyoudidthisevening。MattieGormertoldmethatMorpethwantedtopaintyou——whydon’tyoulethim？\"
MissBart’simmediateanswerwastoaddressacriticalglancetothereflectionofthecountenanceunderdiscussion。Thenshesaid，withaslighttouchofirritation:\"Idon’tcaretoacceptaportraitfromPaulMorpeth。\"
Mrs。Fishermused。\"N——no。Andjustnow，especially——well，hecandoyouafteryou’remarried。\"Shewaitedamoment，andthenwenton:\"Bytheway，IhadavisitfromMattietheotherday。
SheturnedupherelastSunday——andwithBerthaDorset，ofallpeopleintheworld！\"
Shepausedagaintomeasuretheeffectofthisannouncementonherhearer，butthebrushinMissBart’sliftedhandmaintaineditsunwaveringstrokefrombrowtonape。
\"Ineverwasmoreastonished，\"Mrs。Fisherpursued。\"Idon’tknowtwowomenlesspredestinedtointimacy——fromBertha’sstandpoint，thatis；forofcoursepoorMattiethinksitnaturalenoughthatsheshouldbesingledout——I’venodoubttherabbitalwaysthinksitisfascinatingtheanaconda。Well，youknowI’vealwaystoldyouthatMattiesecretlylongedtoboreherselfwiththereallyfashionable；andnowthatthechancehascome，Iseethatshe’scapableofsacrificingallheroldfriendstoit。\"
Lilylaidasideherbrushandturnedapenetratingglanceuponherfriend。\"IncludingME？\"shesuggested。
\"Ah，mydear，\"murmuredMrs。Fisher，risingtopushbackalogfromthehearth。
\"That’swhatBerthameans，isn’tit？\"MissBartwentonsteadily。
\"Forofcourseshealwaysmeanssomething；andbeforeIleftLongIslandIsawthatshewasbeginningtolayhertoilsforMattie。\"
Mrs。Fishersighedevasively。\"Shehasherfastnow，atanyrate。
TothinkofthatloudindependenceofMattie’sbeingonlyasubtlerformofsnobbishness！Berthacanalreadymakeherbelieveanythingshepleases——andI’mafraidshe’sbegun，mypoorchild，byinsinuatinghorrorsaboutyou。\"
Lilyflushedundertheshadowofherdroopinghair。\"Theworldistoovile，\"shemurmured，avertingherselffromMrs。Fisher’sanxiousscrutiny。
\"It’snotaprettyplace；andtheonlywaytokeepafootinginitistofightitonitsownterms——andaboveall，mydear，notalone！\"Mrs。Fishergatheredupherfloatingimplicationsinaresolutegrasp。\"You’vetoldmesolittlethatIcanonlyguesswhathasbeenhappening；butintherushweallliveinthere’snotimetokeeponhatinganyonewithoutacause，andifBerthaisstillnastyenoughtowanttoinjureyouwithotherpeopleitmustbebecauseshe’sstillafraidofyou。Fromherstandpointthere’sonlyonereasonforbeingafraidofyou；andmyownideaisthat，ifyouwanttopunishher，youholdthemeansinyourhand。IbelieveyoucanmarryGeorgeDorsettomorrow；butifyoudon’tcareforthatparticularformofretaliation，theonlythingtosaveyoufromBerthaistomarrysomebodyelse。\"
ThelightprojectedonthesituationbyMrs。Fisherhadthecheerlessdistinctnessofawinterdawn。Itoutlinedthefactswithacoldprecisionunmodifiedbyshadeorcolour，andrefracted，asitwere，fromtheblankwallsofthesurroundinglimitations:shehadopenedwindowsfromwhichnoskywasevervisible。Buttheidealistsubduedtovulgarnecessitiesmustemployvulgarmindstodrawtheinferencestowhichhecannotstoop；anditwaseasierforLilytoletMrs。Fisherformulatehercasethantoputitplainlytoherself。Onceconfrontedwithit，however，shewentthefulllengthofitsconsequences；andthesehadneverbeenmoreclearlypresenttoherthanwhen，thenextafternoon，shesetoutforawalkwithRosedale。
ItwasoneofthosestillNovemberdayswhentheairishauntedwiththelightofsummer，andsomethinginthelinesofthelandscape，andinthegoldenhazewhichbathedthem，recalledtoMissBarttheSeptemberafternoonwhenshehadclimbedtheslopesofBellomontwithSelden。Theimportunatememorywaskeptbeforeherbyitsironiccontrasttoherpresentsituation，sinceherwalkwithSeldenhadrepresentedanirresistibleflightfromjustsuchaclimaxasthepresentexcursionwasdesignedtobringabout。Butothermemoriesimportunedheralso；therecollectionofsimilarsituations，asskillfullyledupto，butthroughsomemaliceoffortune，orherownunsteadinessofpurpose，alwaysfailingoftheintendedresult。Well，herpurposewassteadyenoughnow。Shesawthatthewholewearyworkofrehabilitationmustbeginagain，andagainstfargreaterodds，ifBerthaDorsetshouldsucceedinbreakingupherfriendshipwiththeGormers；
andherlongingforshelterandsecuritywasintensifiedbythepassionatedesiretotriumphoverBertha，asonlywealthandpredominancecouldtriumphoverher。AsthewifeofRosedale——theRosedaleshefeltitinherpowertocreate——shewouldatleastpresentaninvulnerablefronttoherenemy。
Shehadtodrawuponthisthought，asuponsomefierystimulant，tokeepupherpartinthescenetowardwhichRosedalewastoofranklytending。Asshewalkedbesidehim，shrinkingineverynervefromthewayinwhichhislookandtonemadefreeofher，yettellingherselfthatthismomentaryenduranceofhismoodwasthepriceshemustpayforherultimatepoweroverhim，shetriedtocalculatetheexactpointatwhichconcessionmustturntoresistance，andthepriceHEwouldhavetopaybemadeequallycleartohim。Buthisdapperself-confidenceseemedimpenetrabletosuchhints，andshehadasenseofsomethinghardandself-containedbehindthesuperficialwarmthofhismanner。
Theyhadbeenseatedforsometimeintheseclusionofarockyglenabovethelake，whenshesuddenlycutshorttheculminationofanimpassionedperiodbyturninguponhimthegravelovelinessofhergaze。
\"IDObelievewhatyousay，Mr。Rosedale，\"shesaidquietly；\"andIamreadytomarryyouwheneveryouwish。\"
Rosedale，reddeningtotherootsofhisglossyhair，receivedthisannouncementwitharecoilwhichcarriedhimtohisfeet，wherehehaltedbeforeherinanattitudeofalmostcomicdiscomfiture。
\"ForIsupposethatiswhatyoudowish，\"shecontinued，inthesamequiettone。\"And，thoughIwasunabletoconsentwhenyouspoketomeinthiswaybefore，Iamready，nowthatIknowyousomuchbetter，totrustmyhappinesstoyourhands。\"
Shespokewiththenobledirectnesswhichshecouldcommandonsuchoccasions，andwhichwaslikealargesteadylightthrownacrossthetortuousdarknessofthesituation。InitsinconvenientbrightnessRosedaleseemedtowaveramoment，asthoughconsciousthateveryavenueofescapewasunpleasantlyilluminated。
Thenhegaveashortlaugh，anddrewoutagoldcigarette-case，inwhich，withplumpjewelledfingers，hegropedforagold-tippedcigarette。Selectingone，hepausedtocontemplateitamomentbeforesaying:\"MydearMissLily，I’msorryifthere’sbeenanylittlemisapprehensionbetweenus-butyoumademefeelmysuitwassohopelessthatIhadreallynointentionofrenewingit。\"
Lily’sbloodtingledwiththegrossnessoftherebuff；butshecheckedthefirstleapofheranger，andsaidinatoneofgentledignity:
\"IhavenoonebutmyselftoblameifIgaveyoutheimpressionthatmydecisionwasfinal。\"
Herword-playwasalwaystooquickforhim，andthisreplyheldhiminpuzzledsilencewhilesheextendedherhandandadded，withthefaintestinflectionofsadnessinhervoice:\"Beforewebideachothergoodbye，Iwantatleasttothankyouforhavingoncethoughtofmeasyoudid。\"
Thetouchofherhand，themovingsoftnessofherlook，thrilledavulnerablefibreinRosedale。Itwasherexquisiteinaccessibleness，thesenseofdistanceshecouldconveywithoutahintofdisdain，thatmadeitmostdifficultforhimtogiveherup。
\"Whydoyoutalkofsayinggoodbye？Ain’twegoingtobegoodfriendsallthesame？\"heurged，withoutreleasingherhand。
Shedrewitawayquietly。\"Whatisyourideaofbeinggoodfriends？\"shereturnedwithaslightsmile。\"Makinglovetomewithoutaskingmetomarryyou？\"Rosedalelaughedwitharecoveredsenseofease。
\"Well，that’saboutthesizeofit，Isuppose。Ican’thelpmakinglovetoyou——Idon’tseehowanymancould；butIdon’tmeantoaskyoutomarrymeaslongasIcankeepoutofit。\"
Shecontinuedtosmile。\"Ilikeyourfrankness；butIamafraidourfriendshipcanhardlycontinueonthoseterms。\"Sheturnedaway，asthoughtomarkthatitsfinaltermhadinfactbeenreached，andhefollowedherforafewstepswithabaffledsenseofherhavingafterallkeptthegameinherownhands。
\"MissLily——\"hebeganimpulsively；butshewalkedonwithoutseemingtohearhim。
Heovertookherinafewquickstrides，andlaidanentreatinghandonherarm。\"MissLily——don’thurryawaylikethat。You’rebeastlyhardonafellow；butifyoudon’tmindspeakingthetruthIdon’tseewhyyoushouldn’tallowmetodothesame。\"
Shehadpausedamomentwithraisedbrows，drawingawayinstinctivelyfromhistouch，thoughshemadenoefforttoevadehiswords。
\"Iwasundertheimpression，\"sherejoined，\"thatyouhaddonesowithoutwaitingformypermission。\"
\"Well——whyshouldn’tyouhearmyreasonsfordoingit，then？
We’reneitherofussuchnewhandsthatalittleplainspeakingisgoingtohurtus。I’mallbrokenuponyou:there’snothingnewinthat。I’mmoreinlovewithyouthanIwasthistimelastyear；butI’vegottofacethefactthatthesituationischanged。\"
Shecontinuedtoconfronthimwiththesameairofironiccomposure。\"YoumeantosaythatI’mnotasdesirableamatchasyouthoughtme？\"
\"Yes；that’swhatIdomean，\"heansweredresolutely。\"Iwon’tgointowhat’shappened。Idon’tbelievethestoriesaboutyou——I
don’tWANTtobelievethem。Butthey’rethere，andmynotbelievingthemain’tgoingtoalterthesituation。\"
Sheflushedtohertemples，buttheextremityofherneedcheckedtheretortonherlipandshecontinuedtofacehimcomposedly。
\"Iftheyarenottrue，\"shesaid，\"doesn’tTHATalterthesituation？\"
Hemetthiswithasteadygazeofhissmallstock-takingeyes，whichmadeherfeelherselfnomorethansomesuperfinehumanmerchandise。\"Ibelieveitdoesinnovels；butI’mcertainitdon’tinreallife。YouknowthataswellasIdo:ifwe’respeakingthetruth，let’sspeakthewholetruth。LastyearIwaswildtomarryyou，andyouwouldn’tlookatme:thisyear——well，youappeartobewilling。Now，whathaschangedintheinterval？
Yoursituation，that’sall。Thenyouthoughtyoucoulddobetter；
now——\"
\"Youthinkyoucan？\"brokefromherironically。
\"Why，yes，Ido:inoneway，thatis。\"Hestoodbeforeher，hishandsinhispockets，hischeststurdilyexpandedunderitsvividwaistcoat。\"It’sthisway，yousee:I’vehadaprettysteadygrindofittheselastyears，workingupmysocialposition。
Thinkit’sfunnyIshouldsaythat？WhyshouldImindsayingI
wanttogetintosociety？Amanain’tashamedtosayhewantstoownaracingstableorapicturegallery。Well，atasteforsociety’sjustanotherkindofhobby。PerhapsIwanttogetevenwithsomeofthepeoplewhocold-shoulderedmelastyear——putitthatwayifitsoundsbetter。Anyhow，Iwanttohavetherunofthebesthouses；andI’mgettingittoo，littlebylittle。ButI
knowthequickestwaytoqueeryourselfwiththerightpeopleistobeseenwiththewrongones；andthat’sthereasonI
wanttoavoidmistakes。\"
MissBartcontinuedtostandbeforehiminasilencethatmighthaveexpressedeithermockeryorahalf-reluctantrespectforhiscandour，andafteramoment’spausehewenton:\"Thereitis，yousee。I’mmoreinlovewithyouthanever，butifImarriedyounowI’dqueermyselfforgoodandall，andeverythingI’veworkedforalltheseyearswouldbewasted。\"
Shereceivedthiswithalookfromwhichalltingeofresentmenthadfaded。Afterthetissueofsocialfalsehoodsinwhichshehadsolongmoveditwasrefreshingtostepintotheopendaylightofanavowedexpediency。
\"Iunderstandyou，\"shesaid。\"AyearagoIshouldhavebeenofusetoyou，andnowIshouldbeanencumbrance；andIlikeyoufortellingmesoquitehonestly。\"Sheextendedherhandwithasmile。
AgainthegesturehadadisturbingeffectuponMr。Rosedale’sself-command。\"ByGeorge，you’readeadgamesport，youare！\"heexclaimed；andasshebeganoncemoretomoveaway，hebrokeoutsuddenly——\"MissLily——stop。YouknowIdon’tbelievethosestories——Ibelievetheywereallgotupbyawomanwhodidn’thesitatetosacrificeyoutoherownconvenience——\"
Lilydrewawaywithamovementofquickdisdain:itwaseasiertoendurehisinsolencethanhiscommiseration。
\"Youareverykind；butIdon’tthinkweneeddiscussthematterfarther。\"
ButRosedale’snaturalimperviousnesstohintsmadeiteasyforhimtobrushsuchresistanceaside。\"Idon’twanttodiscussanything；Ijustwanttoputaplaincasebeforeyou，\"hepersisted。
Shepausedinspiteofherself，heldbythenoteofanewpurposeinhislookandtone；andhewenton，keepinghiseyesfirmlyuponher:\"Thewondertomeisthatyou’vewaitedsolongtogetsquarewiththatwoman，whenyou’vehadthepowerinyourhands。\"
Shecontinuedsilentundertherushofastonishmentthathiswordsproduced，andhemovedastepclosertoaskwithlow-toneddirectness:\"Whydon’tyouusethoselettersofhersyouboughtlastyear？\"
Lilystoodspeechlessundertheshockoftheinterrogation。Inthewordsprecedingitshehadconjectured，atmost，anallusiontohersupposedinfluenceoverGeorgeDorset；nordidtheastonishingindelicacyofthereferencediminishthelikelihoodofRosedale’sresortingtoit。Butnowshesawhowfarshortofthemarkshehadfallen；andthesurpriseoflearningthathehaddiscoveredthesecretoftheletterslefther，forthemoment，unconsciousofthespecialusetowhichhewasintheactofputtinghisknowledge。
Hertemporarylossofself-possessiongavehimtimetopresshispoint；andhewentonquickly，asthoughtosecurecompletercontrolofthesituation:\"YouseeIknowwhereyoustand——Iknowhowcompletelyshe’sinyourpower。Thatsoundslikestage-talk，don’tit？——butthere’salotoftruthinsomeofthoseoldgags；
andIdon’tsupposeyouboughtthoseletterssimplybecauseyou’recollectingautographs。\"
Shecontinuedtolookathimwithadeepeningbewilderment:heronlyclearimpressionresolveditselfintoascaredsenseofhispower。
\"You’rewonderinghowIfoundoutabout’em？\"hewenton，answeringherlookwithanoteofconsciouspride。\"Perhapsyou’veforgottenthatI’mtheowneroftheBenedick-butnevermindaboutthatnow。Gettingontothingsisamightyusefulaccomplishmentinbusiness，andI’vesimplyextendedittomyprivateaffairs。ForthisISpartlymyaffair，yousee——atleast，itdependsonyoutomakeitso。Let’slookthesituationstraightintheeye。Mrs。Dorset，forreasonsweneedn’tgointo，didyouabeastlybadturnlastspring。EverybodyknowswhatMrs。
Dorsetis，andherbestfriendswouldn’tbelieveheronoathwheretheirowninterestswereconcerned；butaslongasthey’reoutoftherowit’smucheasiertofollowherleadthantosetthemselvesagainstit，andyou’vesimplybeensacrificedtotheirlazinessandselfishness。Isn’tthataprettyfairstatementofthecase？——Well，somepeoplesayyou’vegottheneatestkindofananswerinyourhands:thatGeorgeDorsetwouldmarryyoutomorrow，ifyou’dtellhimallyouknow，andgivehimthechancetoshowtheladythedoor。Idaresayhewould；butyoudon’tseemtocareforthatparticularformofgettingeven，and，takingapurelybusinessviewofthequestion，Ithinkyou’reright。Inadeallikethat，nobodycomesoutwithperfectlycleanhands，andtheonlywayforyoutostartfreshistogetBerthaDorsettobackyouup，insteadoftryingtofighther。\"
Hepausedlongenoughtodrawbreath，butnottogivehertimefortheexpressionofhergatheringresistance；andashepressedon，expoundingandelucidatinghisideawiththedirectnessofthemanwhohasnodoubtsofhiscause，shefoundtheindignationgraduallyfreezingonherlip，foundherselfheldfastinthegraspofhisargumentbythemerecoldstrengthofitspresentation。Therewasnotimenowtowonderhowhehadheardofherobtainingtheletters:allherworldwasdarkoutsidethemonstrousglareofhisschemeforusingthem。Anditwasnot，afterthefirstmoment，thehorroroftheideathatheldherspell-bound，subduedtohiswill；itwasratheritssubtleaffinitytoherowninmostcravings。HewouldmarryhertomorrowifshecouldregainBerthaDorset’sfriendship；andtoinducetheopenresumptionofthatfriendship，andthetacitretractationofallthathadcauseditswithdrawal，shehadonlytoputtotheladythelatentmenacecontainedinthepacketsomiraculouslydeliveredintoherhands。LilysawinaflashtheadvantageofthiscourseoverthatwhichpoorDorsethadpresseduponher。Theotherplandependedforitssuccessontheinflictionofanopeninjury，whilethisreducedthetransactiontoaprivateunderstanding，ofwhichnothirdpersonneedhavetheremotesthint。PutbyRosedaleintermsofbusiness-likegive-and-take，thisunderstandingtookontheharmlessairofamutualaccommodation，likeatransferofpropertyorarevisionofboundarylines。Itcertainlysimplifiedlifetoviewitasaperpetualadjustment，aplayofpartypolitics，inwhicheveryconcessionhaditsrecognizedequivalent:Lily’stiredmindwasfascinatedbythisescapefromfluctuatingethicalestimatesintoaregionofconcreteweightsandmeasures。
Rosedale，asshelistened，seemedtoreadinhersilencenotonlyagradualacquiescenceinhisplan，butadangerouslyfar-
reachingperceptionofthechancesitoffered；forasshecontinuedtostandbeforehimwithoutspeaking，hebrokeout，withaquickreturnuponhimself:\"Youseehowsimpleitis，don’tyou？Well，don’tbecarriedawaybytheideathatit’sTOOsimple。
Itisn’texactlyasifyou’dstartedinwithacleanbillofhealth。Nowwe’retalkinglet’scallthingsbytheirrightnames，andclearthewholebusinessup。YouknowwellenoughthatBerthaDorsetcouldn’thavetouchedyouiftherehadn’tbeen——well——questionsaskedbefore——littlepointsofinterrogation，eh？Boundtohappentoagood-lookinggirlwithstingyrelatives，Isuppose；anyhow，theyDIDhappen，andshefoundthegroundpreparedforher。DoyouseewhereI’mcomingout？Youdon’twanttheselittlequestionscroppingupagain。
It’sonethingtogetBerthaDorsetintoline——butwhatyouwantistokeepherthere。Youcanfrightenherfastenough——buthowareyougoingtokeepherfrightened？Byshowingherthatyou’reaspowerfulassheis。Allthelettersintheworldwon’tdothatforyouasyouarenow；butwithabigbackingbehindyou，you’llkeepherjustwhereyouwanthertobe。That’sMYshareinthebusiness——that’swhatI’mofferingyou。Youcan’tputthethingthroughwithoutme——don’trunawaywithanyideathatyoucan。Insixmonthsyou’dbebackagainamongyouroldworries，orworseones；andhereIam，readytoliftyououtof’emtomorrowifyousayso。DOyousayso，MissLily？\"headded，movingsuddenlynearer。
Thewords，andthemovementwhichaccompaniedthem，combinedtostartleLilyoutofthestateoftrancedsubservienceintowhichshehadinsensiblyslipped。Lightcomesindeviouswaystothegropingconsciousness，anditcametohernowthroughthedisgustedperceptionthatherwould-beaccompliceassumed，asamatterofcourse，thelikelihoodofherdistrustinghimandperhapstryingtocheathimofhisshareofthespoils。Thisglimpseofhisinnermindseemedtopresentthewholetransactioninanewaspect，andshesawthattheessentialbasenessoftheactlayinitsfreedomfromrisk。
Shedrewbackwithaquickgestureofrejection，saying，inavoicethatwasasurprisetoherownears:\"Youaremistaken——quitemistaken——bothinthefactsandinwhatyouinferfromthem。\"
Rosedalestaredamoment，puzzledbyhersuddendashinadirectionsodifferentfromthattowardwhichshehadappearedtobelettinghimguideher。
\"Nowwhatonearthdoesthatmean？Ithoughtweunderstoodeachother！\"heexclaimed；andtohermurmurof\"Ah，wedoNOW，\"heretortedwithasuddenburstofviolence:\"Isupposeit’sbecausethelettersaretoHIM，then？Well，I’llbedamnedifIseewhatthanksyou’vegotfromhim！\"
Theautumndaysdeclinedtowinter。Oncemoretheleisureworldwasintransitionbetweencountryandtown，andFifthAvenue，stilldesertedattheweek-end，showedfromMondaytoFridayabroadeningstreamofcarriagesbetweenhouse-frontsgraduallyrestoredtoconsciousness。
TheHorseShow，sometwoweeksearlier，hadproducedapassingsemblanceofreanimation，fillingthetheatresandrestaurantswithahumandisplayofthesamecostlyandhigh-steppingkindascircleddailyaboutitsring。InMissBart’sworldtheHorseShow，andthepublicitattracted，hadostensiblycometobeclassedamongthespectaclesdisdainedoftheelect；but，asthefeudallordmightsallyforthtojoininthedanceonhisvillagegreen，sosociety，unofficiallyandincidentally，stillcondescendedtolookinuponthescene。Mrs。Gormer，amongtherest，wasnotaboveseizingsuchanoccasionforthedisplayofherselfandherhorses；andLilywasgivenoneortwoopportunitiesofappearingatherfriend’ssideinthemostconspicuousboxthehouseafforded。ButthislingeringsemblanceofintimacymadeheronlythemoreconsciousofachangeintherelationbetweenMattieandherself，ofadawningdiscrimination，agraduallyformedsocialstandard，emergingfromMrs。Gormer’schaoticviewoflife。ItwasinevitablethatLilyherselfshouldconstitutethefirstsacrificetothisnewideal，andsheknewthat，oncetheGormerswereestablishedintown，thewholedriftoffashionablelifewouldfacilitateMattie’sdetachmentfromher。Shehad，inshort，failedtomakeherselfindispensable；orrather，herattempttodosohadbeenthwartedbyaninfluencestrongerthananyshecouldexert。Thatinfluence，initslastanalysis，wassimplythepowerofmoney:BerthaDorset’ssocialcreditwasbasedonanimpregnablebank-account。
LilyknewthatRosedalehadoverstatedneitherthedifficultyofherownpositionnorthecompletenessofthevindicationheoffered。onceBertha’smatchinmaterialresources，hersuperiorgiftswouldmakeiteasyforhertodominateheradversary。Anunderstandingofwhatsuchdominationwouldmean，andofthedisadvantagesaccruingfromherrejectionofit，wasbroughthometoLilywithincreasingclearnessduringtheearlyweeksofthewinter。Hitherto，shehadkeptupasemblanceofmovementoutsidethemainflowofthesocialcurrent；butwiththereturntotown，andtheconcentratingofscatteredactivities，themerefactofnotslippingbacknaturallyintoheroldhabitsoflifemarkedherasbeingunmistakablyexcludedfromthem。Ifonewerenotapartoftheseason’sfixedroutine，oneswungunspheredinavoidofsocialnon-existence。Lily，forallherdissatisfieddreaming，hadneverreallyconceivedthepossibilityofrevolvingaboutadifferentcentre:itwaseasyenoughtodespisetheworld，butdecidedlydifficulttofindanyotherhabitableregion。Hersenseofironyneverquitedesertedher，andshecouldstillnote，withself-directedderision，theabnormalvaluesuddenlyacquiredbythemosttiresomeandinsignificantdetailsofherformerlife。Itsverydrudgerieshadacharmnowthatshewasinvoluntarilyreleasedfromthem:
card-leaving，note-writing，enforcedcivilitiestothedullandelderly，andthesmilingenduranceoftediousdinners——howpleasantlysuchobligationswouldhavefilledtheemptinessofherdays！Shedidindeedleavecardsinplenty；shekeptherself，withasmilingandvaliantpersistence，wellintheeyeofherworld；nordidshesufferanyofthosegrossrebuffswhichsometimesproduceawholesomereactionofcontemptintheirvictim。Societydidnotturnawayfromher，itsimplydriftedby，preoccupiedandinattentive，lettingherfeel，tothefullmeasureofherhumbledpride，howcompletelyshehadbeenthecreatureofitsfavour。
ShehadrejectedRosedale’ssuggestionwithapromptnessofscornalmostsurprisingtoherself:shehadnotlosthercapacityforhighflashesofindignation。Butshecouldnotbreathelongontheheights；therehadbeennothinginhertrainingtodevelopanycontinuityofmoralstrength:whatshecraved，andreallyfeltherselfentitledto，wasasituationinwhichthenoblestattitudeshouldalsobetheeasiest。Hithertoherintermittentimpulsesofresistancehadsufficedtomaintainherself-respect。
Ifsheslippedsherecoveredherfooting，anditwasonlyafterwardthatshewasawareofhavingrecoverediteachtimeonaslightlylowerlevel。ShehadrejectedRosedale’sofferwithoutconsciouseffort；herwholebeinghadrisenagainstit；
andshedidnotyetperceivethat，bythemereactoflisteningtohim，shehadlearnedtolivewithideaswhichwouldoncehavebeenintolerabletoher。
ToGertyFarish，keepingwatchoverherwithatendereriflessdiscerningeyethanMrs。Fisher’s，theresultsofthestrugglewerealreadydistinctlyvisible。Shedidnot，indeed，knowwhathostagesLilyhadalreadygiventoexpediency；butshesawherpassionatelyandirretrievablypledgedtotheruinouspolicyof\"keepingup。\"Gertycouldsmilenowatherownearlydreamofherfriend’srenovationthroughadversity:sheunderstoodclearlyenoughthatLilywasnotofthosetowhomprivationteachestheunimportanceofwhattheyhavelost。Butthisveryfact，toGerty，madeherfriendthemorepiteouslyinwantofaid，themoreexposedtotheclaimsofatendernessshewassolittleconsciousofneeding。
Lily，sinceherreturntotown，hadnotoftenclimbedMissFarish’sstairs。TherewassomethingirritatingtoherinthemuteinterrogationofGerty’ssympathy:shefelttherealdifficultiesofhersituationtobeincommunicabletoanyonewhosetheoryofvalueswassodifferentfromherown，andtherestrictionsofGerty’slife，whichhadoncehadthecharmofcontrast，nowremindedhertoopainfullyofthelimitstowhichherownexistencewasshrinking。Whenatlength，oneafternoon，sheputintoexecutionthebelatedresolvetovisitherfriend，thissenseofshrunkenopportunitiespossessedherwithunusualintensity。ThewalkupFifthAvenue，unfoldingbeforeher，inthebrillianceofthehardwintersunlight，aninterminableprocessionoffastidiously-equippedcarriages——givingher，throughthelittlesquaresofbrougham-windows，peepsoffamiliarprofilesbentabovevisiting-lists，ofhurriedhandsdispensingnotesandcardstoattendantfootmen——thisglimpseoftheever-revolvingwheelsofthegreatsocialmachinemadeLilymorethaneverconsciousofthesteepnessandnarrownessofGerty’sstairs，andofthecrampedblindalleyoflifetowhichtheyled。
Dullstairsdestinedtobemountedbydullpeople:howmanythousandsofinsignificantfiguresweregoingupanddownsuchstairsallovertheworldatthatverymoment——figuresasshabbyanduninterestingasthatofthemiddle-agedladyinlimpblackwhodescendedGerty’sflightasLilyclimbedtoit！
\"ThatwaspoorMissJaneSilverton——shecametotalkthingsoverwithme:sheandhersisterwanttodosomethingtosupportthemselves，\"Gertyexplained，asLilyfollowedherintothesitting-room。
\"Tosupportthemselves？Aretheysohardup？\"MissBartaskedwithatouchofirritation:shehadnotcometolistentothewoesofotherpeople。
\"I’mafraidtheyhavenothingleft:Ned’sdebtshaveswallowedupeverything。Theyhadsuchhopes，youknow，whenhebrokeawayfromCarryFisher；theythoughtBerthaDorsetwouldbesuchagoodinfluence，becauseshedoesn’tcareforcards，and——well，shetalkedquitebeautifullytopoorMissJaneaboutfeelingasifNedwereheryoungerbrother，andwantingtocarryhimoffontheyacht，sothathemighthaveachancetodropcardsandracing，andtakeuphisliteraryworkagain。\"
MissFarishpausedwithasighwhichreflectedtheperplexityofherdepartingvisitor。\"Butthatisn’tall；itisn’teventheworst。ItseemsthatNedhasquarrelledwiththeDorsets；oratleastBerthawon’tallowhimtoseeher，andheissounhappyaboutitthathehastakentogamblingagain，andgoingaboutwithallsortsofqueerpeople。AndcousinGraceVanOsburghaccuseshimofhavinghadaverybadinfluenceonFreddy，wholeftHarvardlastspring，andhasbeenagreatdealwithNedeversince。ShesentforMissJane，andmadeadreadfulscene；andJackStepneyandHerbertMelson，whoweretheretoo，toldMissJanethatFreddywasthreateningtomarrysomedreadfulwomantowhomNedhadintroducedhim，andthattheycoulddonothingwithhimbecausenowhe’sofagehehashisownmoney。YoucanfancyhowpoorMissJanefelt——shecametomeatonce，andseemedtothinkthatifIcouldgethersomethingtodoshecouldearnenoughtopayNed’sdebtsandsendhimaway——I’mafraidshehasnoideahowlongitwouldtakehertopayforoneofhiseveningsatbridge。Andhewashorriblyindebtwhenhecamebackfromthecruise——Ican’tseewhyheshouldhavespentsomuchmoremoneyunderBertha’sinfluencethanCarry’s:canyou？\"
Lilymetthisquerywithanimpatientgesture。\"MydearGerty，I
alwaysunderstandhowpeoplecanspendmuchmoremoney——neverhowtheycanspendanyless！\"
SheloosenedherfursandsettledherselfinGerty’seasy-chair，whileherfriendbusiedherselfwiththetea-cups。
\"Butwhatcantheydo——theMissSilvertons？Howdotheymeantosupportthemselves？\"sheasked，consciousthatthenoteofirritationstillpersistedinhervoice。Itwastheverylasttopicshehadmeanttodiscuss——itreallydidnotinterestherintheleast——butshewasseizedbyasuddenperversecuriositytoknowhowthetwocolourlessshrinkingvictimsofyoungSilverton’ssentimentalexperimentsmeanttocopewiththegrimnecessitywhichlurkedsoclosetoherownthreshold。
\"Idon’tknow——Iamtryingtofindsomethingforthem。MissJanereadsaloudverynicely——butit’ssohardtofindanyonewhoiswillingtobereadto。AndMissAnniepaintsalittle——\"
\"Oh，Iknow——apple-blossomsonblotting-paper；justthekindofthingIshallbedoingmyselfbeforelong！\"exclaimedLily，startingupwithavehemenceofmovementthatthreateneddestructiontoMissFarish’sfragiletea-table。
Lilybentovertosteadythecups；thenshesankbackintoherseat。\"I’dforgottentherewasnoroomtodashaboutin——howbeautifullyonedoeshavetobehaveinasmallflat！Oh，Gerty，I
wasn’tmeanttobegood，\"shesighedoutincoherently。
Gertyliftedanapprehensivelooktoherpaleface，inwhichtheeyesshonewithapeculiarsleeplesslustre。
\"Youlookhorriblytired，Lily；takeyourtea，andletmegiveyouthiscushiontoleanagainst。\"
MissBartacceptedthecupoftea，butputbackthecushionwithanimpatienthand。
\"Don’tgivemethat！Idon’twanttoleanback——IshallgotosleepifIdo。\"
\"Well，whynot，dear？I’llbeasquietasamouse，\"Gertyurgedaffectionately。
\"No——no；don’tbequiet；talktome——keepmeawake！Idon’tsleepatnight，andintheafternoonadreadfuldrowsinesscreepsoverme。\"
\"Youdon’tsleepatnight？Sincewhen？\"
\"Idon’tknow——Ican’tremember。\"Sheroseandputtheemptycuponthetea-tray。\"Another，andstronger，please；ifIdon’tkeepawakenowIshallseehorrorstonight——perfecthorrors！\"
\"Butthey’llbeworseifyoudrinktoomuchtea。\"
\"No，no——giveittome；anddon’tpreach，please，\"Lilyreturnedimperiously。Hervoicehadadangerousedge，andGertynoticedthatherhandshookasshehelditouttoreceivethesecondcup。
\"Butyoulooksotired:I’msureyoumustbeill——\"
MissBartsetdownhercupwithastart。\"DoIlookill？Doesmyfaceshowit？\"Sheroseandwalkedquicklytowardthelittlemirrorabovethewriting-table。\"Whatahorridlooking-glass——it’sallblotchedanddiscoloured。Anyonewouldlookghastlyinit！\"Sheturnedback，fixingherplaintiveeyesonGerty。\"Youstupiddear，whydoyousaysuchodiousthingstome？It’senoughtomakeoneilltobetoldonelooksso！Andlookingillmeanslookingugly。\"ShecaughtGerty’swrists，anddrewherclosetothewindow。\"Afterall，I’dratherknowthetruth。Lookmestraightintheface，Gerty，andtellme:amI
perfectlyfrightful？\"
\"You’reperfectlybeautifulnow，Lily:youreyesareshining，andyourcheekshavegrownsopinkallofasudden——\"
\"Ah，theyWEREpale，then——ghastlypale，whenIcamein？Whydon’tyoutellmefranklythatI’mawreck？MyeyesarebrightnowbecauseI’msonervous——butinthemorningstheylooklikelead。AndIcanseethelinescominginmyface——thelinesofworryanddisappointmentandfailure！Everysleeplessnightleavesanewone——andhowcanIsleep，whenIhavesuchdreadfulthingstothinkabout？\"
\"Dreadfulthings——whatthings？\"askedGerty，gentlydetachingherwristsfromherfriend’sfeverishfingers。
\"Whatthings？Well，poverty，forone——andIdon’tknowanythat’smoredreadful。\"Lilyturnedawayandsankwithsuddenwearinessintotheeasy-chairnearthetea-table。\"YouaskedmejustnowifIcouldunderstandwhyNedSilvertonspentsomuchmoney。OfcourseIunderstand——hespendsitonlivingwiththerich。YouthinkweliveONtherich，ratherthanwiththem:andsowedo，inasense——butit’saprivi
legewehavetopayfor！Weeattheirdinners，anddrinktheirwine，andsmoketheircigarettes，andusetheircarriagesandtheiropera-boxesandtheirprivatecars——yes，butthere’sataxtopayoneveryoneofthoseluxuries。Themanpaysitbybigtipstotheservants，byplayingcardsbeyondhismeans，byflowersandpresents——and——and——lotsofotherthingsthatcost；thegirlpaysitbytipsandcardstoo——oh，yes，I’vehadtotakeupbridgeagain——andbygoingtothebestdress-makers，andhavingjusttherightdressforeveryoccasion，andalwayskeepingherselffreshandexquisiteandamusing！\"
Sheleanedbackforamoment，closinghereyes，andasshesatthere，herpalelipsslightlyparted，andthelidsdroppedaboveherfaggedbrilliantgaze，Gertyhadastartledperceptionofthechangeinherface——ofthewayinwhichanashendaylightseemedsuddenlytoextinguishitsartificialbrightness。Shelookedup，andthevisionvanished。
\"Itdoesn’tsoundveryamusing，doesit？Anditisn’t——I’msicktodeathofit！Andyetthethoughtofgivingitallupnearlykillsme——it’swhatkeepsmeawakeatnight，andmakesmesocrazyforyourstrongtea。ForIcan’tgooninthiswaymuchlonger，youknow——I’mnearlyattheendofmytether。AndthenwhatcanIdo——howonearthamItokeepmyselfalive？IseemyselfreducedtothefateofthatpoorSilvertonwoman——slinkingabouttoemploymentagencies，andtryingtosellpaintedblotting-padstoWomen’sExchanges！Andtherearethousandsandthousandsofwomentryingtodothesamethingalready，andnotoneofthenumberwhohaslessideahowtoearnadollarthanI
have！\"
Sheroseagainwithahurriedglanceattheclock。\"It’slate，andImustbeoff——IhaveanappointmentwithCarryFisher。Don’tlooksoworried，youdearthing——don’tthinktoomuchaboutthenonsenseI’vebeentalking。\"Shewasbeforethemirroragain，adjustingherhairwithalighthand，drawingdownherveil，andgivingadexteroustouchtoherfurs。\"Ofcourse，youknow，ithasn’tcometotheemploymentagenciesandthepaintedblotting-padsyet；butI’mratherhard-upjustforthemoment，andifIcouldfindsomethingtodo——notestowriteandvisiting-liststomakeup，orthatkindofthing——itwouldtidemeovertillthelegacyispaid。
AndCarryhaspromisedtofindsomebodywhowantsakindofsocialsecretary——youknowshemakesaspecialtyofthehelplessrich。\"
MissBarthadnotrevealedtoGertythefullextentofheranxiety。Shewasinfactinurgentandimmediateneedofmoney:
moneytomeetthevulgarweeklyclaimswhichcouldneitherbedeferrednorevaded。Togiveupherapartment，andshrinktotheobscurityofaboarding-house，ortheprovisionalhospitalityofabedinGertyFarish’ssitting-room，wasanexpedientwhichcouldonlypostponetheproblemconfrontingher；anditseemedwiseraswellasmoreagreeabletoremainwhereshewasandfindsomemeansofearningherliving。Thepossibilityofhavingtodothiswasonewhichshehadneverbeforeseriouslyconsidered，andthediscoverythat，asabread-winner，shewaslikelytoproveashelplessandineffectualaspoorMissSilverton，wasasevereshocktoherself-confidence。
Havingbeenaccustomedtotakeherselfatthepopularvaluation，asapersonofenergyandresource，naturallyfittedtodominateanysituationinwhichshefoundherself，shevaguelyimaginedthatsuchgiftswouldbeofvaluetoseekersaftersocialguidance；buttherewasunfortunatelynospecificheadunderwhichtheartofsayinganddoingtherightthingcouldbeofferedinthemarket，andevenMrs。Fisher’sresourcefulnessfailedbeforethedifficultyofdiscoveringaworkableveininthevaguewealthofLily’sgraces。Mrs。Fisherwasfullofindirectexpedientsforenablingherfriendstoearnaliving，andcouldconscientiouslyassertthatshehadputseveralopportunitiesofthiskindbeforeLily；butmorelegitimatemethodsofbread-winningwereasmuchoutofherlineastheywerebeyondthecapacityofthesufferersshewasgenerallycalledupontoassist。Lily’sfailuretoprofitbythechancesalreadyaffordedhermight，moreover，havejustifiedtheabandonmentoffarthereffortonherbehalf；butMrs。Fisher’sinexhaustiblegood-naturemadeheranadeptatcreatingartificialdemandsinresponsetoanactualsupply。InthepursuanceofthisendsheatoncestartedonavoyageofdiscoveryinMissBart’sbehalf；andastheresultofherexplorationsshenowsummonedthelatterwiththeannouncementthatshehad\"foundsomething。\"
Lefttoherself，Gertymuseddistressfullyuponherfriend’splight，andherowninabilitytorelieveit。ItwascleartoherthatLily，forthepresent，hadnowishforthekindofhelpshecouldgive。MissFarishcouldseenohopeforherfriendbutinalifecompletelyreorganizedanddetachedfromitsoldassociations；whereasallLily’senergieswerecentredinthedeterminedefforttoholdfasttothoseassociations，tokeepherselfvisiblyidentifiedwiththem，aslongastheillusioncouldbemaintained。PitiableassuchanattitudeseemedtoGerty，shecouldnotjudgeitasharshlyasSelden，forinstance，mighthavedone。ShehadnotforgottenthenightofemotionwhensheandLilyhadlainineachother’sarms，andshehadseemedtofeelherveryheart’sbloodpassingintoherfriend。Thesacrificeshehadmadehadseemedunavailingenough；notraceremainedinLilyofthesubduinginfluencesofthathour；butGerty’stenderness，disciplinedbylongyearsofcontactwithobscureandinarticulatesuffering，couldwaitonitsobjectwithasilentforbearancewhichtooknoaccountoftime。Shecouldnot，however，denyherselfthesolaceoftakinganxiouscounselwithLawrenceSelden，withwhom，sincehisreturnfromEurope，shehadrenewedheroldrelationofcousinlyconfidence。
Seldenhimselfhadneverbeenawareofanychangeintheirrelation。HefoundGertyashehadlefther，simple，undemandinganddevoted，butwithaquickenedintelligenceoftheheartwhichherecognizedwithoutseekingtoexplainit。ToGertyherselfitwouldoncehaveseemedimpossiblethatsheshouldeveragaintalkfreelywithhimofLilyBart；butwhathadpassedinthesecrecyofherownbreastseemedtoresolveitself，whenthemistofthestrugglecleared，intoabreakingdownoftheboundsofself，adeflectingofthewastedpersonalemotionintothegeneralcurrentofhumanunderstanding。
ItwasnottillsometwoweeksafterhervisitfromLilythatGertyhadtheopportunityofcommunicatingherfearstoSelden。
Thelatter，havingpresentedhimselfonaSundayafternoon，hadlingeredonthroughthedowdyanimationofhiscousin’stea-hour，consciousofsomethinginhervoiceandeyewhichsolicitedawordapart；andassoonasthelastvisitorwasgoneGertyopenedhercasebyaskinghowlatelyhehadseenMissBart。
Selden’sperceptiblepausegavehertimeforaslightstirofsurprise。
\"Ihaven’tseenheratall——I’veperpetuallymissedseeinghersinceshecameback。\"
ThisunexpectedadmissionmadeGertypausetoo；andshewasstillhesitatingonthebrinkofhersubjectwhenherelievedherbyadding:\"I’vewantedtoseeher——butsheseemstohavebeenabsorbedbytheGormersetsinceherreturnfromEurope。\"
\"That’sallthemorereason:she’sbeenveryunhappy。\"
\"UnhappyatbeingwiththeGormers？\"
\"Oh，Idon’tdefendherintimacywiththeGormers；butthattooisatanendnow，Ithink。YouknowpeoplehavebeenveryunkindsinceBerthaDorsetquarrelledwithher。\"
\"Ah——\"Seldenexclaimed，risingabruptlytowalktothewindow，whereheremainedwithhiseyesonthedarkeningstreetwhilehiscousincontinuedtoexplain:\"JudyTrenorandherownfamilyhavedesertedhertoo——andallbecauseBerthaDorsethassaidsuchhorriblethings。Andsheisverypoor——youknowMrs。Penistoncutheroffwithasmalllegacy，aftergivinghertounderstandthatshewastohaveeverything。\"
\"Yes——Iknow，\"Seldenassentedcurtly，turningbackintotheroom，butonlytostiraboutwithrestlessstepsinthecircumscribedspacebetweendoorandwindow。\"Yes——she’sbeenabominablytreated；butit’sunfortunatelytheprecisethingthatamanwhowantstoshowhissympathycan’tsaytoher。\"
HiswordscausedGertyaslightchillofdisappointment。\"Therewouldbeotherwaysofshowingyoursympathy，\"shesuggested。
Selden，withaslightlaugh，satdownbesideheronthelittlesofawhichprojectedfromthehearth。\"Whatareyouthinkingof，youincorrigiblemissionary？\"heasked。
Gerty’scolourrose，andherblushwasforamomentheronlyanswer。Thenshemadeitmoreexplicitbysaying:\"Iamthinkingofthefactthatyouandsheusedtobegreatfriends——thatsheusedtocareimmenselyforwhatyouthoughtofher——andthat，ifshetakesyourstayingawayasasignofwhatyouthinknow，Icanimagineitsaddingagreatdealtoherunhappiness。\"
\"Mydearchild，don’taddtoitstillmore——atleasttoyourconceptionofit——byattributingtoherallsortsofsusceptibilitiesofyourown。\"Selden，forhislife，couldnotkeepanoteofdrynessoutofhisvoice；buthemetGerty’slookofperplexitybysayingmoremildly:\"But，thoughyouimmenselyexaggeratetheimportanceofanythingIcoulddoforMissBart，youcan’texaggeratemyreadinesstodoit——ifyouaskmeto。\"Helaidhishandforamomentonhers，andtherepassedbetweenthem，onthecurrentoftherarecontact，oneofthoseexchangesofmeaningwhichfillthehiddenreservoirsofaffection。Gertyhadthefeelingthathemeasuredthecostofherrequestasplainlyasshereadthesignificanceofhisreply；andthesenseofallthatwassuddenlyclearbetweenthemmadehernextwordseasiertofind。
\"Idoaskyou，then；Iaskyoubecausesheoncetoldmethatyouhadbeenahelptoher，andbecausesheneedshelpnowasshehasneverneededitbefore。Youknowhowdependentshehasalwaysbeenoneaseandluxury——howshehashatedwhatwasshabbyanduglyanduncomfortable。Shecan’thelpit——shewasbroughtupwiththoseideas，andhasneverbeenabletofindherwayoutofthem。Butnowallthethingsshecaredforhavebeentakenfromher，andthepeoplewhotaughthertocareforthemhaveabandonedhertoo；anditseemstomethatifsomeonecouldreachoutahandandshowhertheotherside——showherhowmuchisleftinlifeandinherself——\"Gertybrokeoff，abashedatthesoundofherowneloquence，andimpededbythedifficultyofgivingpreciseexpressiontohervagueyearningforherfriend’sretrieval。\"Ican’thelphermyself:she’spassedoutofmyreach，\"shecontinued。\"Ithinkshe’safraidofbeingaburdentome。Whenshewaslasthere，twoweeksago，sheseemeddreadfullyworriedaboutherfuture:shesaidCarryFisherwastryingtofindsomethingforhertodo。Afewdayslatershewrotemethatshehadtakenapositionasprivatesecretary，andthatIwasnottobeanxious，foreverythingwasallright，andshewouldcomeinandtellmeaboutitwhenshehadtime；butshehasnevercome，andIdon’tliketogotoher，becauseIamafraidofforcingmyselfonherwhenI’mnotwanted。Once，whenwewerechildren，andIhadrushedupafteralongseparation，andthrownmyarmsabouther，shesaid:’Pleasedon’tkissmeunlessIaskyouto，Gerty’——andsheDIDaskme，aminutelater；butsincethenI’vealwayswaitedtobeasked。\"
Seldenhadlistenedinsilence，withtheconcentratedlookwhichhisthindarkfacecouldassumewhenhewishedtoguarditagainstanyinvoluntarychangeofexpression。Whenhiscousinended，hesaidwithaslightsmile:\"Sinceyou’velearnedthewisdomofwaiting，Idon’tseewhyyouurgemetorushin_nbutthetroubledappealofhereyesmadehimadd，asherosetotakeleave:\"Still，I’lldowhatyouwish，andnotholdyouresponsibleformyfailure。\"Selden’savoidanceofMissBarthadnotbeenasunintentionalashehadallowedhiscousintothink。
Atfirst，indeed，whilethememoryoftheirlasthouratMonteCarlostillheldthefullheatofhisindignation，hehadanxiouslywatchedforherreturn；butshehaddisappointedhimbylingeringinEngland，andwhenshefinallyreappearedithappenedthatbusinesshadcalledhimtotheWest，whencehecamebackonlytolearnthatshewasstartingforAlaskawiththeGormers。
Therevelationofthissuddenly-establishedintimacyeffectuallychilledhisdesiretoseeher。If，atamomentwhenherwholelifeseemedtobebreakingup，shecouldcheerfullycommititsreconstructiontotheGormers，therewasnoreasonwhysuchaccidentsshouldeverstrikeherasirreparable。Everystepshetookseemedinfacttocarryherfartherfromtheregionwhere，onceortwice，heandshehadmetforanilluminedmoment；andtherecognitionofthisfact，whenitsfirstpanghadbeensurmounted，producedinhimasenseofnegativerelief。ItwasmuchsimplerforhimtojudgeMissBartbyherhabitualconductthanbytheraredeviationsfromitwhichhadthrownhersodisturbinglyinhisway；andeveryactofherswhichmadetherecurrenceofsuchdeviationsmoreunlikely，confirmedthesenseofreliefwithwhichhereturnedtotheconventionalviewofher。
ButGertyFarish’swordshadsufficedtomakehimseehowlittlethisviewwasreallyhis，andhowimpossibleitwasforhimtolivequietlywiththethoughtofLilyBart。Tohearthatshewasinneedofhelp——evensuchvaguehelpashecouldoffer——wastobeatoncerepossessedbythatthought；andbythetimehereachedthestreethehadsufficientlyconvincedhimselfoftheurgencyofhiscousin’sappealtoturnhisstepsdirectlytowardLily’shotel。
TherehiszealmetacheckintheunforeseennewsthatMissBarthadmovedaway；but，onhispressinghisenquiries，theclerkrememberedthatshehadleftanaddress，forwhichhepresentlybegantosearchthroughhisbooks。
ItwascertainlystrangethatsheshouldhavetakenthisstepwithoutlettingGertyFarishknowofherdecision；andSeldenwaitedwithavaguesenseofuneasinesswhiletheaddresswassoughtfor。Theprocesslastedlongenoughforuneasinesstoturntoapprehension；butwhenatlengthaslipofpaperwashandedhim，andhereadonit:\"CareofMrs。NormaHatch，EmporiumHotel，\"hisapprehensionpassedintoanincredulousstare，andthisintothegestureofdisgustwithwhichhetorethepaperintwo，andturnedtowalkquicklyhomeward。
WhenLilywokeonthemorningafterhertranslationtotheEmporiumHotel，herfirstfeelingwasoneofpurelyphysicalsatisfaction。Theforceofcontrastgaveanaddedkeennesstotheluxuryoflyingoncemoreinasoft-pillowedbed，andlookingacrossaspacioussunlitroomatabreakfast-tablesetinvitinglynearthefire。Analysisandintrospectionmightcomelater；butforthemomentshewasnoteventroubledbytheexcessesoftheupholsteryortherestlessconvolutionsofthefurniture。Thesenseofbeingoncemorelappedandfoldedinease，asinsomedensemildmediumimpenetrabletodiscomfort，effectuallystilledthefaintestnoteofcriticism。
When，theafternoonbefore，shehadpresentedherselftotheladytowhomCarryFisherhaddirectedher，shehadbeenconsciousofenteringanewworld。Carry’svaguepresentmentofMrs。NormaHatch(whosereversiontoherChristiannamewasexplainedastheresultofherlatestdivorce)，leftherundertheimplicationofcoming\"fromtheWest，\"withthenotunusualextenuationofhavingbroughtagreatdealofmoneywithher。Shewas，inshort，rich，helpless，unplaced:theverysubjectforLily’shand。Mrs。
Fisherhadnotspecifiedthelineherfriendwastotake；sheownedherselfunacquaintedwithMrs。Hatch，whomshe\"knewabout\"
throughMelvilleStancy，alawyerinhisleisuremoments，andtheFalstaffofacertainsectionoffestivedublife。Socially，Mr。
StancymighthavebeensaidtoformaconnectinglinkbetweentheGormerworldandthemoredimly-litregiononwhichMissBartnowfoundherselfentering。Itwas，however，onlyfigurativelythattheilluminationofMrs。Hatch’sworldcouldbedescribedasdim:
inactualfact，Lilyfoundherseatedinablazeofelectriclight，impartiallyprojectedfromvariousornamentalexcrescencesonavastconcavityofpinkdamaskandgilding，fromwhichsheroselikeVenusfromhershell。Theanalogywasjustifiedbytheappearanceofthelady，whoselarge-eyedprettinesshadthefixityofsomethingimpaledandshownunderglass。Thisdidnotprecludetheimmediatediscoverythatshewassomeyearsyoungerthanhervisitor，andthatunderhershowiness，herease，theaggressionofherdressandvoice，therepersistedthatineradicableinnocencewhich，inladiesofhernationality，socuriouslycoexistswithstartlingextremesofexperience。
TheenvironmentinwhichLilyfoundherselfwasasstrangetoherasitsinhabitants。ShewasunacquaintedwiththeworldofthefashionableNewYorkhotel——aworldover-heated，over-upholstered，andover-fittedwithmechanicalappliancesforthegratificationoffantasticrequirements，whilethecomfortsofacivilizedlifewereasunattainableasinadesert。Throughthisatmosphereoftorridsplendourmovedwanbeingsasrichlyupholsteredasthefurniture，beingswithoutdefinitepursuitsorpermanentrelations，whodriftedonalanguidtideofcuriosityfromrestauranttoconcert-hall，frompalm-gardentomusic-room，from\"artexhibit\"todress-maker’sopening。High-steppinghorsesorelaboratelyequippedmotorswaitedtocarrytheseladiesintovaguemetropolitandistances，whencetheyreturned，stillmorewanfromtheweightoftheirsables，tobesuckedbackintothestiflinginertiaofthehotelroutine。Somewherebehindthem，inthebackgroundoftheirlives，therewasdoubtlessarealpast，peopledbyrealhumanactivities:theythemselveswereprobablytheproductofstrongambitions，persistentenergies，diversifiedcontactswiththewholesomeroughnessoflife；yettheyhadnomorerealexistencethanthepoet’sshadesinlimbo。
LilyhadnotbeenlonginthispallidworldwithoutdiscoveringthatMrs。Hatchwasitsmostsubstantialfigure。Thatlady，thoughstillfloatinginthevoid，showedfaintsymptomsofdevelopinganoutline；andinthisendeavourshewasactivelysecondedbyMr。MelvilleStancy。ItwasMr。Stancy，amanoflargeresoundingpresence，suggestiveofconvivialoccasionsandofachivalryfindingexpressionin\"first-night\"boxesandthousanddollarbonbonnieres，whohadtransplantedMrs。Hatchfromthesceneofherfirstdevelopmenttothehigherstageofhotellifeinthemetropolis。ItwashewhohadselectedthehorseswithwhichshehadtakentheblueribbonattheShow，hadintroducedhertothephotographerwhoseportraitsofherformedtherecurringornamentof\"SundaySupplements，\"andhadgottogetherthegroupwhichconstitutedhersocialworld。Itwasasmallgroupstill，withheterogeneousfiguressuspendedinlargeunpeopledspaces；butLilydidnottakelongtolearnthatitsregulationwasnolongerinMr。Stancy’shands。Asoftenhappens，thepupilhadoutstrippedtheteacher，andMrs。HatchwasalreadyawareofheightsofeleganceaswellasdepthsofluxurybeyondtheworldoftheEmporium。Thisdiscoveryatonceproducedinheracravingforhigherguidance，fortheadroitfemininehandwhichshouldgivetherightturntohercorrespondence，theright\"look\"toherhats，therightsuccessiontotheitemsofherMENUS。Itwas，inshort，astheregulatorofagerminatingsociallifethatMissBart’sguidancewasrequired；herostensibledutiesassecretarybeingrestrictedbythefactthatMrs。Hatch，asyet，knewhardlyanyonetowriteto。
ThedailydetailsofMrs。Hatch’sexistencewereasstrangetoLilyasitsgeneraltenor。Thelady’shabitsweremarkedbyanOrientalindolenceanddisorderpeculiarlytryingtohercompanion。Mrs。Hatchandherfriendsseemedtofloattogetheroutsidetheboundsoftimeandspace。Nodefinitehourswerekept；nofixedobligationsexisted:nightanddayflowedintooneanotherinablurofconfusedandretardedengagements，sothatonehadtheimpressionoflunchingatthetea-hour，whiledinnerwasoftenmergedinthenoisyafter-theatresupperwhichprolongedMrs。Hatch’svigiltilldaylight。
Throughthisjumbleoffutileactivitiescameandwentastrangethrongofhangers-on——manicures，beauty-doctors，hair-dressers，teachersofbridge，ofFrench，of\"physicaldevelopment\":figuressometimesindistinguishable，bytheirappearance，orbyMrs。
Hatch’srelationtothem，fromthevisitorsconstitutingherrecognizedsociety。ButstrangestofalltoLilywastheencounter，inthislattergroup，ofseveralofheracquaintances。
Shehadsupposed，andnotwithoutrelief，thatshewaspassing，forthemoment，completelyoutofherowncircle；butshefoundthatMr。Stancy，onesideofwhosesprawlingexistenceoverlappedtheedgeofMrs。Fisher’sworld，haddrawnseveralofitsbrightestornamentsintothecircleoftheEmporium。TofindNedSilvertonamongthehabitualfrequentersofMrs。Hatch’sdrawing-roomwasoneofLily’sfirstastonishments；butshesoondiscoveredthathewasnotMr。Stancy’smostimportantrecruit。ItwasonlittleFreddyVanOsburgh，thesmallslimheiroftheVanOsburghmillions，thattheattentionofMrs。Hatch’sgroupwascentred。Freddy，barelyoutofcollege，hadrisenabovethehorizonsinceLily’seclipse，andshenowsawwithsurprisewhataneffulgenceheshedontheoutertwilightofMrs。Hatch’sexistence。This，then，wasoneofthethingsthatyoungmen\"wentin\"forwhenreleasedfromtheofficialsocialroutine；thiswasthekindof\"previousengagement\"thatsofrequentlycausedthemtodisappointthehopesofanxioushostesses。Lilyhadanoddsenseofbeingbehindthesocialtapestry，onthesidewherethethreadswereknottedandthelooseendshung。Foramomentshefoundacertainamusementintheshow，andinherownshareofit:thesituationhadaneaseandunconventionalitydistinctlyrefreshingafterherexperienceoftheironyofconventions。Buttheseflashesofamusementwerebutbriefreactionsfromthelongdisgustofherdays。ComparedwiththevastgildedvoidofMrs。
Hatch’sexistence，thelifeofLily’sformerfriendsseemedpackedwithorderedactivities。Eventhemostirresponsibleprettywomanofheracquaintancehadherinheritedobligations，herconventionalbenevolences，hershareintheworkingofthegreatcivicmachine；andallhungtogetherinthesolidarityofthesetraditionalfunctions。TheperformanceofspecificdutieswouldhavesimplifiedMissBart’sposition；butthevagueattendanceonMrs。Hatchwasnotwithoutitsperplexities。
Itwasnotheremployerwhocreatedtheseperplexities。Mrs。
HatchshowedfromthefirstanalmosttouchingdesireforLily’sapproval。Farfromassertingthesuperiorityofwealth，herbeautifuleyesseemedtourgethepleaofinexperience:shewantedtodowhatwas\"nice，\"tobetaughthowtobe\"lovely。\"
ThedifficultywastofindanypointofcontactbetweenheridealsandLily’s。
Mrs。Hatchswaminahazeofindeterminateenthusiasms，ofaspirationsculledfromthestage，thenewspapers，thefashionjournals，andagaudyworldofsportstillmorecompletelybeyondhercompanion’sken。Toseparatefromtheseconfusedconceptionsthosemostlikelytoadvancetheladyonherway，wasLily’sobviousduty；butitsperformancewashamperedbyrapidly-growingdoubts。Lilywasinfactbecomingmoreandmoreawareofacertainambiguityinhersituation。Itwasnotthatshehad，intheconventionalsense，anydoubtofMrs。Hatch’sirreproachableness。Thelady’soffenceswerealwaysagainsttasteratherthanconduct；herdivorcerecordseemedduetogeographicalratherthanethicalconditions；andherworstlaxitieswerelikelytoproceedfromawanderingandextravagantgood-nature。ButifLilydidnotmindherdetaininghermanicureforluncheon，orofferingthe\"Beauty-Doctor\"aseatinFreddyVanOsburgh’sboxattheplay，shewasnotequallyateaseinregardtosomelessapparentlapsesfromconvention。NedSilverton’srelationtoStancyseemed，forinstance，closerandlessclearthananynaturalaffinitieswouldwarrant；andbothappearedunitedintheefforttocultivateFreddyVanOsburgh’sgrowingtasteforMrs。Hatch。Therewasasyetnothingdefinableinthesituation，whichmightwellresolveitselfintoahugejokeonthepartoftheothertwo；butLilyhadavaguesensethatthesubjectoftheirexperimentwastooyoung，toorichandtoocredulous。HerembarrassmentwasincreasedbythefactthatFreddyseemedtoregardherascooperatingwithhimselfinthesocialdevelopmentofMrs。Hatch:aviewthatsuggested，onhispart，apermanentinterestinthelady’sfuture。ThereweremomentswhenLilyfoundanironicamusementinthisaspectofthecase。ThethoughtoflaunchingsuchamissileasMrs。Hatchattheperfidiousbosomofsocietywasnotwithoutitscharm:MissBarthadevenbeguiledherleisurewithvisionsofthefairNormaintroducedforthefirsttimetoafamilybanquetattheVanOsburghs’。Butthethoughtofbeingpersonallyconnectedwiththetransactionwaslessagreeable；andhermomentaryflashesofamusementwerefollowedbyincreasingperiodsofdoubt。
Thesenseofthesedoubtswasuppermostwhen，lateoneafternoon，shewassurprisedbyavisitfromLawrenceSelden。Hefoundheraloneinthewildernessofpinkdamask，forinMrs。Hatch’sworldthetea-hourwasnotdedicatedtosocialrites，andtheladywasinthehandsofhermasseuse。
Selden’sentrancehadcausedLilyaninwardstartofembarrassment；buthisairofconstrainthadtheeffectofrestoringherself-possession，andshetookatoncethetoneofsurpriseandpleasure，wonderingfranklythatheshouldhavetracedhertosounlikelyaplace，andaskingwhathadinspiredhimtomakethesearch。
Seldenmetthiswithanunusualseriousness:shehadneverseenhimsolittlemasterofthesituation，soplainlyatthemercyofanyobstructionsshemightputinhisway。\"Iwantedtoseeyou，\"
hesaid；andshecouldnotresistobservinginreplythathehadkepthiswishesunderremarkablecontrol。Shehadintruthfelthislongabsenceasoneofthechiefbitternessesofthelastmonths:hisdesertionhadwoundedsensibilitiesfarbelowthesurfaceofherpride。
Seldenmetthechallengewithdirectness。\"WhyshouldIhavecome，unlessIthoughtIcouldbeofusetoyou？Itismyonlyexcuseforimaginingyoucouldwantme。\"
Thisstruckherasaclumsyevasion，andthethoughtgaveaflashofkeennesstoheranswer。\"Thenyouhavecomenowbecauseyouthinkyoucanbeofusetome？\"
Hehesitatedagain。\"Yes:inthemodestcapacityofapersontotalkthingsoverwith。\"
Foraclevermanitwascertainlyastupidbeginning；andtheideathathisawkwardnesswasduetothefearofherattachingapersonalsignificancetohisvisit，chilledherpleasureinseeinghim。Evenunderthemostadverseconditions，thatpleasurealwaysmadeitselffelt:shemighthatehim，butshehadneverbeenabletowishhimoutoftheroom。Shewasverynearhatinghimnow；yetthesoundofhisvoice，thewaythelightfellonhisthindarkhair，thewayhesatandmovedandworehisclothes——shewasconsciousthateventhesetrivialthingswereinwovenwithherdeepestlife。Inhispresenceasuddenstillnesscameuponher，andtheturmoilofherspiritceased；butanimpulseofresistancetothisstealinginfluencenowpromptedhertosay:\"It’sverygoodofyoutopresentyourselfinthatcapacity；butwhatmakesyouthinkIhaveanythingparticulartotalkabout？\"
Thoughshekepttheeventoneoflightintercourse，thequestionwasframedinawaytoremindhimthathisgoodofficeswereunsought；andforamomentSeldenwascheckedbyit。Thesituationbetweenthemwasonewhichcouldhavebeencleareduponlybyasuddenexplosionoffeeling；andtheirwholetrainingandhabitofmindwereagainstthechancesofsuchanexplosion。Selden’scalmnessseemedrathertohardenintoresistance，andMissBart’sintoasurfaceofglitteringirony，astheyfacedeachotherfromtheoppositecomersofoneofMrs。
Hatch’selephantinesofas。Thesofainquestion，andtheapartmentpeopledbyitsmonstrousmates，servedatlengthtosuggesttheturnofSelden’sreply。
\"GertytoldmethatyouwereactingasMrs。Hatch’ssecretary；
andIknewshewasanxioustohearhowyouweregettingon。\"
MissBartreceivedthisexplanationwithoutperceptiblesoftening。\"Whydidn’tshelookmeupherself，then？\"sheasked。
\"Because，asyoudidn’tsendheryouraddress，shewasafraidofbeingimportunate。\"Seldencontinuedwithasmile:\"Youseenosuchscruplesrestrainedme；butthenIhaven’tasmuchtoriskifIincuryourdispleasure。\"
Lilyansweredhissmile。\"Youhaven’tincurreditasyet；butI
haveanideathatyouaregoingto。\"
\"Thatrestswithyou，doesn’tit？Youseemyinitiativedoesn’tgobeyondputtingmyselfatyourdisposal。\"
\"Butinwhatcapacity？WhatamItodowithyou？\"sheaskedinthesamelighttone。
SeldenagainglancedaboutMrs。Hatch’sdrawing-room；thenhesaid，withadecisionwhichheseemedtohavegatheredfromthisfinalinspection:\"Youaretoletmetakeyouawayfromhere。\"
Lilyflushedatthesuddennessoftheattack；thenshestiffenedunderitandsaidcoldly:\"AndmayIaskwhereyoumeanmetogo？\"
\"BacktoGertyinthefirstplace，ifyouwill；theessentialthingisthatitshouldbeawayfromhere。\"
Theunusualharshnessofhistonemighthaveshownherhowmuchthewordscosthim；butshewasinnostatetomeasurehisfeelingswhileherownwereinaflameofrevolt。Toneglecther，perhapseventoavoidher，atatimewhenshehadmostneedofherfriends，andthensuddenlyandunwarrantablytobreakintoherlifewiththisstrangeassumptionofauthority，wastorouseinhereveryinstinctofprideandself-defence。
\"Iamverymuchobligedtoyou，\"shesaid，\"fortakingsuchaninterestinmyplans；butIamquitecontentedwhereIam，andhavenointentionofleaving。
\"Seldenhadrisen，andwasstandingbeforeherinanattitudeofuncontrollableexpectancy。
\"Thatsimplymeansthatyoudon’tknowwhereyouare！\"heexclaimed。
Lilyrosealso，withaquickflashofanger。\"IfyouhavecomeheretosaydisagreeablethingsaboutMrs。Hatch——\"
\"ItisonlywithyourrelationtoMrs。HatchthatIamconcerned。\"
\"MyrelationtoMrs。HatchisoneIhavenoreasontobeashamedof。Shehashelpedmetoearnalivingwhenmyoldfriendswerequiteresignedtoseeingmestarve。\"
\"Nonsense！Starvationisnottheonlyalternative。YouknowyoucanalwaysfindahomewithGertytillyouareindependentagain。\"
\"YoushowsuchanintimateacquaintancewithmyaffairsthatI
supposeyoumean——tillmyaunt’slegacyispaid？\"
\"Idomeanthat；Gertytoldmeofit，\"Seldenacknowledgedwithoutembarrassment。Hewastoomuchinearnestnowtofeelanyfalseconstraintinspeakinghismind。
\"ButGertydoesnothappentoknow，\"MissBartrejoined，\"thatI
oweeverypennyofthatlegacy。\"
\"GoodGod！\"Seldenexclaimed，startledoutofhiscomposurebytheabruptnessofthestatement。
\"Everypennyofit，andmoretoo，\"Lilyrepeated；\"andyounowperhapsseewhyIprefertoremainwithMrs。HatchratherthantakeadvantageofGerty’skindness。Ihavenomoneyleft，exceptmysmallincome，andImustearnsomethingmoretokeepmyselfalive。\"
Seldenhesitatedamoment；thenherejoinedinaquietertone:
\"ButwithyourincomeandGerty’s——sinceyouallowmetogosofarintothedetailsofthesituation——youandshecouldsurelycontrivealifetogetherwhichwouldputyoubeyondtheneedofhavingtosupportyourself。Gerty，Iknow，iseagertomakesuchanarrangement，andwouldbequitehappyinit——\"
\"ButIshouldnot，\"MissBartinterposed。\"TherearemanyreasonswhyitwouldbeneitherkindtoGertynorwiseformyself。\"Shepausedamoment，andasheseemedtoawaitafartherexplanation，addedwithaquickliftofherhead:\"Youwillperhapsexcusemefromgivingyouthesereasons。\"
\"Ihavenoclaimtoknowthem，\"Seldenanswered，ignoringhertone；\"noclaimtoofferanycommentorsuggestionbeyondtheoneIhavealreadymade。Andmyrighttomakethatissimplytheuniversalrightofamantoenlightenawomanwhenheseesherunconsciouslyplacedinafalseposition。\"
Lilysmiled。\"Isuppose，\"sherejoined，\"thatbyafalsepositionyoumeanoneoutsideofwhatwecallsociety；butyoumustrememberthatIhadbeenexcludedfromthosesacredprecinctslongbeforeImetMrs。Hatch。AsfarasIcansee，thereisverylittlerealdifferenceinbeinginsideorout，andIrememberyouroncetellingmethatitwasonlythoseinsidewhotookthedifferenceseriously。
\"ShehadnotbeenwithoutintentioninmakingthisallusiontotheirmemorabletalkatBellomont，andshewaitedwithanoddtremorofthenervestoseewhatresponseitwouldbring；buttheresultoftheexperimentwasdisappointing。Seldendidnotallowtheallusiontodeflecthimfromhispoint；hemerelysaidwithcompleterfulnessofemphasis:\"Thequestionofbeinginsideoroutis，asyousay，asmallone，andithappenstohavenothingtodowiththecase，exceptinsofarasMrs。Hatch’sdesiretobeinsidemayputyouinthepositionIcallfalse。\"