第4章

Alicelaughedwithanundercurrentofprotest，perhapsbecauseshehadseenherparents’wholelife，sofarassheknewit，passedinthissortofstruggle。“ImeanthatIhatemyownlifebecausethereseemsnothingformetodowithit。Iliketohavepeopledosomething。” “Doyoureally？”askedMaveringsoberly，asifstruckbythenoveltyoftheidea。 “Yes！“shesaid，withexaltation。“IfIwereaman——“ Heburstintoaringinglaugh。“Ohno;don’t！“ “Why？”shedemanded，withprovisionalindignation。 “Becausethentherewouldn’tbeanyMissPasmer。” ItseemedtoAlicethatthisjokingwasratheranunwarrantedliberty。 Againshecouldnothelpjoininginhislight-heartedness;butshecheckedherselfsoabruptly，andputonalooksoaustere，thathewasquelledbyit。 “Imean。”hebegan——“thatistosay——ImeanthatIdon’tunderstandwhyladiesarealwayssayingthat。Iamsuretheycandowhattheylike，asitis。” “Doyoumeanthateverythingisopentothemnow？”sheasked，disentanglingaclusteroftheberriesfromthoseinherlap，andbeginningafreshbunch。 “Yes。”saidMavering。“Somethinglikethat——yes。Theycandoanythingtheylike。Lotsofthemdo。” “Ohyes，Iknow。”saidthegirl。“Butpeopledon’tlikethemto。” “Why，whatwouldyouliketobe？”heasked。 Shedidnotanswer，butsortedovertheclustersinherlap。“We’vegotenoughnow，haven’twe？”shesaid。 “Oh，nothalf。”hesaid。“Butifyou’retiredyoumustletmemakeupsomeofthebunches。” “No，no！Iwanttodothemallmyself。”shesaid，gesturinghisofferedhandsaway，withalittlenetherappealinherlaughingrefusal“Soastofeelthatyou’vebeenofsomeuseintheworld？”hesaid，droppingcontentedlyonthegroundnearher，andwatchingherindustry。 “Doyouthinkthatwouldbeverywrong？”sheasked。“Whatmadethatfriendofyours——Mr。Boardman——gointojournalism？” “Oh，virtuouspoverty。You’renotthinkingofbecominganewspaperwoman，MissPasmer！“ “Whynot？”Sheputthefinalclusterintothebunchinhand，andbegantowindawitheofsweet-grassaroundthestems。Hedroppedforwardonhiskneestohelpher，andtogethertheymanagedtheknot。Theywerebothflushedalittlewhenitwastied，andwereserious。 “Whyshouldn’tonebeanewspaperwoman，ifHarvardgraduatesaretobejournalists？” “Well，youknow，onlyacertainkindare。” “Whatkind？” “Well，notexactlywhatyou’dcallthegentlemanlysort。” “IthoughtMr。Boardmanwasagreatfriendofyours？” “Heis。Heisoneofthebestfellowsintheworld。Butyoumusthaveseenthathewasn’taswell。” “Ishouldthinkhe’dbegladhewasdoingsomethingatonce。IfIwerea——“Shestopped，andtheylaughedtogether。“ImeanthatIshouldhatetobesolonggettingreadytodosomethingasmenare。” “Thenyou’dratherbeginmakingwall-paperatoncethanstudyinglaw？” “Oh，Idon’tsaythat。I’mnotcompetenttoadvise。ButIshouldliketofeelthatIwasdoingsomething。Isupposeit’shereditary。” Maveringstaredalittle。“Oneofmyfather’ssistershasgoneintoasisterhood。She’sinEngland。” “Isshea——Catholic？”askedMavering。 “Sheisn’taRomanCatholic。” “Ohyes！“Hedroppedforwardonhiskneesagaintohelphertiethebunchshehadfinished。Itwasnotsoeasyasthefirst。 “Oh，thankyou！“shesaid，withunnecessaryfervour。 “Butyoushouldn’tliketogointoasisterhood，Isuppose？”saidMavering，readytolaugh。 “Oh，Idon’tknow。Whynot？”Shelookedathimwithaflyingglance，anddroppedhereyes。 “Oh，noreason，ifyouhaveafancyforthatkindofthing。” “Thatkindofthing？”repeatedAliceseverely。 “Oh，Idon’tmeananythingdisrespectfultoit。”saidMavering，throwinghisanxietyoffinthelaughhehadbeenholdingback。“AndIbegyourpardon。ButIdon’tsupposeyou’reinearnest。” “Ohno，I’mnotinearnest。”saidthegirl，lettingherwristsfalluponherknees，andtheclustersdropfromherhands。“I’mnotinearnestaboutanything;that’sthetruth——that’stheshame。Wouldn’tyoulike。” shebrokeoff，“tobeapriest，andgoroundamongthesepeopleuphereontheirfrozenislandsinthewinter？” “No。”shoutedMavering，“Icertainlyshouldn’t。Idon’tseehowanybodystandsit。PonkwassetFallsisbadenoughinthewinter，andcomparedtothisregionPonkwassetFallsisametropolis。Ibelieveingettingallthegoodyoucanoutoftheworldyouwerebornin——ofcoursewithouthurtinganybodyelse。”Hestretchedhislegsoutonthebedofsweet- fern，wherehehadthrownhimself，andrestedhisheadonhishandliftedonhiselbow。“Ithinkthisiswhatthisplaceisfitfor——apicnic;andIwisheveryonewelloutofitforninemonthsoftheyear。” “Idon’t。”saidthegirl，withapassionateregretinhervoice。“Itwouldbeheavenlyherewith——Butyou——no，you’redifferent。Youalwayswanttoshareyourhappiness。” “Ishouldn’tcallthathappiness。Butdon’tyou？”askedMavering。 “No。I’mselfish。” “Youdon’texpectmetobebelievethat，Isuppose。” “Yes。”shewenton，“itmustbeselfishness。Youdon’tbelieveI’mso，becauseyoucan’timagineit。Butit’strue。IfIweretobehappy，I shouldbeverygreedyaboutit;Icouldn’tenduretoletanyoneelsehaveapartinit。Soit’sbestformetobewretched，don’tyousee——togivemyselfupentirelytodoingforothers，andnotexpectanyonetodoanythingforme;thenIcanbeofsomeuseintheworld。That’swhyI shouldliketogointoasisterhood。” Maveringtreateditasthebestkindofjoke，andhewasconfirmedinthisviewofitbyherlaughingwithhim，afterafirstglanceofwhathethoughtmockpiteousness。 XVI。 ThecloudssailedacrosstheirregularspaceofpaleblueNorthernskywhichthebreakinthewoodsopenedforthemoverhead。Itwassostillthattheyheard，andsmiledtohear，thebrokenvoicesoftheothers，whohadgonetogetberriesinanotherdirection——MissAnderson’shoarsemurmurandMunt’sartificialbass。Somewordscamefromthepartyontherocks。 “Isn’titperfect？”criedtheyoungfellowinuttercontent。 “Yes，tooperfect。”answeredthegirl，rousingherselffromthereverieinwhichtheyhadbothlostthemselves，shedidnotknowhowlong。 “Shallyougatheranymore？” “No;Iguessthere’senough。Let’scountthem。”Hestoopedoveronhishand’sandknees，andmadeasmuchofcountingthebunchesashecould。 “There’saboutonebunchandahalfapiece。Howshallwecarrythem？ Weoughttocomeintocampasimpressivelyaspossible。” “Yes。”saidAlice，lookingintohisfacewithdreamyabsence。Itwasgoingthroughhermind，fromsomeromanceshehadread，Whatifheweresomesylvancreature，withthatgaiety，thatnaturalgladnessandsweetnessofhis，sofarfromanyhappinessthatwaspossibletoher？ Oughtnotshetobeafraidofhim？Shewasthinkingshewasnotafraid。 “I’lltellyou。”hesaid。“Tiethestemsofallthebunchestogether，andswingthemoverapole，likegrapesofEshcol。Don’tyouknowthepicture？” “Ohyes。” “Holdon！I’llgetthepole。”Hecutawhitebirchsapling，andsweptoffitstwigsandleaves，thenhetiedthebunchestogether，andslungthemoverthemiddleofthepole。 “Well？”sheasked。 “Nowwemustresttheendsonourshoulders。” “Doyouthinkso？”sheasked，withthereluctancethatcomplies。 “Yes，butnotrightaway。I’llcarrythemoutofthewoods，andwe’llformtheprocessionjustbeforewecomeinsight。” Everyoneontheledgerecognisedthetableauwhenitappeared，andsaluteditwithcheersandhand-clapping。Mrs。Pasmerbentalookonherdaughterwhichshefacedimpenetrably。 “Wherehaveyoubeen？”“Wethoughtyouwerelost！““Wewerejustorganisingasearchexpedition！“differentonesshoutedatthem。 Theladywiththecoffee-potwaskneelingoveritwithherhandonit。 “Havesomecoffee，youpoorthings！Youmustbealmoststarved。” “Welookedaboutforyoueverywhere。”saidMunt，“andshoutedourselvesdumb。” MissAndersonpassednearAlice。“Iknewwhereyouwereallthetime！“ Thenthewholepartyfelltopraisingthenovelconceptionofthebouquetsofblueberries，andthetalkbegantoflowawayfromAliceandMaveringinvariouschannels。 Allthathadhappenedafewminutesagointheblueberrypatchseemedafar-offdream;therealityhaddiedoutofthelooksandwords。 Heranaboutfromonetoanother，servingeveryone;inalittlewhilethewholeaffairwasinhishospitablehands，andhislaughinterspersedandbrightenedthetalk。 Shegotalittlebackoftheothers，andsatlookingwistfullyoutoverthebay，withherhandsinherlap。 “Holdonjusthalfaminute，MissPasmer！don’tmove！“exclaimedtheamateurphotographer，whoisnowofallexcursions;hejumpedtohisfeet，andranforhisapparatus。Shesatstill，topleasehim;butwhenhehaddevelopedhispicture，inadarkcorneroftherocks，roofedwithawaterproof，heaccusedherofhavingchangedherposition。“Butit’sgoingtobesplendid。”hesaid，withanotherlookatit。 Hetookseveralpicturesofthewholeparty，forwhichtheyfellintovariousattitudesofconsciousness。Thenheshoutedtoaboat-loadofsailorswhohadbeachedtheircraftwhiletheygatheredsomedriftfortheirgalleyfire。Theyhadflungtheirarm-loadsintotheboat，andhadbentthemselvestoshoveitintothewater。 “Keepstill！don’tmove！“heyelledatthem，withtheimperiousnessoftheamateurphotographer，andtheyobeyedwiththehelplessnessofhisvictims。Buttheylookedround。 “Oh，idiots！“groanedtheartist。 “Ialwayswonderwhatthatkindofpeoplethinkofuskindofpeople。” saidMrs。Brinkley，withhereyeonthephotographer’ssubjects。 “Yes，Iwonderwhattheydo？”saidMissCotton，pleasedwiththespeculativeturnwhichthetalkmighttakefromthis。“Isupposetheyenvyus？”shesuggested。 “Well，notallofthem;andthosethatdo，notrespectfully。Theyview，usasthepossessorsofill-gottengains，whowouldbeinaverydifferentplaceifwehadourdeserts。” “Doyoureallythinkso？” “Yes，Ithinkso;butIdon’tknowthatIreallythinkso。That’sanothermatter。”saidMrs。Brinkley，withthewhimsicalresentmentwhichMissCotton’sconscientiouspursuitseemedalwaystorouseinher。 “Isupposed。”continuedMissCotton，“thatitwasonlyamongthepoorinthecities，whohavebeginmisledbyagitators，thatthe-well-to-doclasseswereregardedwithsuspicion。” “Itseemstohavebegunagreatwhileago。”saidMrs。Brinkley，“andnotexactlywithagitators。Itwasconsideredverydifficultforustogetintothekingdomofheaven，youknow。” “Yes，Iknow。”assentedMissCotton。 “Andtherecertainlyaresomethingsagainstus。Evenwhenthechancewasgivenustosellallwehadandgiveittothepoor，wecouldn’tbringourmindstoit，andwentawayexceedingsorrowful。” “Iwonder。”saidMissCotton，“whetherthosethingswereeverintendedtobetakenliterally？” “Let’shopenot。”saidJohnMunt，seeinghischancetomakealaugh。 Mrs。Stamwellsaid，“Well，Ishalltakeanothercupofcoffee，atanyrate。”andherhardihoodraisedanotherlaugh。 “ThatalwaysseemstomethemostpitifulthinginthewholeBible。”saidAlice，fromherplace。“Toseetherightsoclearly，andnottobestrongenoughtodoit。” “Mydear，ithappenseveryday。”saidMrs。Brinkley。 “Ialwaysfeltsorryforthatpoorfellow，too。”saidMavering。“Heseemedtobeagoodfellow，anditwasprettyhardlinesforhim。” Alicelookedroundathimwithdeepeninggravity。 “Confoundthosefellows！“saidthephotographer，glancingathishastilydevelopedplate。“Theymoved。” XVII。 Thepicnicpartygathereditselfupafterthelunch，andwhilesomeofthemen，emulousofMavering’spublicspirit，helpedsomeoftheladiestopackthedishesandbasketsawayunderthewagonseats，othersthrewacorkedbottleintothewater，andthrewstonesatit。Afewoftheladiesjoinedthem，butnobodyhitthebottle，whichwasfinallyleftbobbingaboutonthetide。 Mrs。Brinkleyaddressedthedefeatedgroup，ofwhomherhusbandwasone，astheycameupthebeachtowardthewagons。“Doyouthinkthatdisplaywascalculatedtoinspirethelowermiddleclasseswithrespectfulenvy？” Herhusbandmadehimselfspokesmanfortherest:“No;butyoucan’ttellhowthey’dhavefeltifwe’dhitit。” Theyallnowclimbedtoahigherlevel，grassyandsmooth，onthebluff，fromwhichtherewasaparticularview;andMaveringcame，carryingthewrapsofMrs。PasmerandAlice，withwhichheassociatedhisovercoat。A bookfelloutofoneofthepocketswhenhethrewitdown。 MissAndersonpickedthevolumeup。“Browning！HereadsBrowning！ Superioryoungman！“ “Oh，don’tsaythat！“pleadedMavering。 “Oh，readsomethingaloud！“criedanotheroftheyoungladies。 “Isn’tBrowningratherseriousforapicnic？”heasked，withaglanceatAlice;hestillhadadoubtoftheeffectoftherheumaticuncle’sdanceuponher，andwouldhavebeengladtogivehersomeotheraestheticimpressionofhim。 “Ohno！“saidMrs。Brinkley，“nothingismoreappropriatetoapicnicthanconundrums;theyalwayshavethem。Chooseagoodtoughone。” “Idon’tknowanythingtougherthanthe’LegendofPernik’——orlovelier。” hesaid，andhebegantoread，simply，andwithapassionatepleasureinthesubtlestudy，feelingitscontroloverhishearers。 Thegentlemenlaysmokingaboutattheirease;attheendadeepsighwentupfromtheladies，cutshortbythequestionwhichtheyimmediatelyfellinto。 Theycouldnotagree，buttheysaid，oneafteranother:“Butyoureadbeautifully，Mr。Mavering！““Beautifully！““Yes，indeed！“ “Well，I’mgladthereisonepointclear。”hesaid，puttingthebookaway，and“I’mafraidyou’llthinkI’mrathersentimental。”headded，inalowvoicetoAlice，“carryingpoetryaroundwithme。” “Ohno！“sherepliedintensely;“Ithankyou。” “Ithankyou。”heretorted，andtheireyesmetinadeeplook。 Oneoftheoutercircleofsmokerscameupwithhiswatchinhishand，andaddressedthecompany，“Doyouknowwhattimeit’sgottobe？It’sfouro’clock。” Theyallsprangupwithaclamourofsurprise。 Mrs。Pasmer，undercoverofthenoise，said，inalowtone，toherdaughter，“Alice，Ithinkyou’dbetterkeepalittlemorewithmenow。” “Yes。”saidthegirl，inasympathywithhermotherinwhichshedidnotalwaysfindherself。 ButwhenMavering，whomtheirtacittreatyconcerned，turnedtowardthem，andputhimselfinchargeofAlice，Mrs。Pasmerfoundherselfdispossessedbythecharmofhisconfidence，andrelinquishedhertohim。 TheyweregoingtowalktotheCastleRocksbythepaththatnowlosesandnowfindsitselfamongthefastnessesoftheforest，stretchingtotheloftiestoutlookonthebay。Thesavagewoodlandispenetratedonlybythisforgetfulpath，thatpassesnowandthenaverthebridgeofaravine，andofferstotheeyeoneitherhandthemysterydeepeningintowilderandweirdertractsofsolitude。Thepartyresolveditselfintotwosandthrees，andthesestraggledfarapart，outofconversationalreachofoneanother。Mrs。PasmerfoundherselfwalkingandtalkingwithJohnMunt。 “Mr。Pasmerhasn’tmuchinterestintheseexcursions。”hesuggested。 “No;henevergoes。”sheanswered，and，byoneoftheagileintellectualprocessesnaturaltowomen，shearrivedatthequestion，“YouandtheMaveringsareoldfriends，Mr。Munt？” “Ican’tsayabouttheson，butI’mhisfather’sfriend，andIsupposethatI’mhisfriendtoo。Everybodyseemstobeso。”suggestedMunt。 “OhYes。”Mrs。Pasmerassented;“heappearstobeauniversalfavourite。” “WeusedtoexpectgreatthingsofElbridgeMaveringincollege。WewererathermoreromanticthantheHarvardmenarenowadays，andwebelievedinoneanothermorethantheydo。Perhapsweidealisedoneanother。 But，anyway，ourclassthoughtMaveringcoulddoanything。Youknowabouthistasteforetchings？” “Yes。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withasighofdeepappreciation。“Whatgiftedpeople！“ “Iunderstandthatthesoninheritsallhisfather’stalent。” “Hesketchesdelightfully。” “AndMaveringwrote。Why，hewasourclasspoet！“criedMunt，rememberingthefactwithsurpriseandgratificationtohimself。“Hewasatremendoussatirist。” “Really？Andheseemssoamiablenow。” “Oh，itwasonlyonpaper。” “Perhapshestillkeepsitup——onwall-paper？”suggestedMrs。Pasmer。 Muntlaughedatthelittlejokewithagood-willthatflatteredtheveteranflatterer。“Ishouldliketoaskhimthatsometime。Willyoulendittome？” “Yes，ifsuchasayerofgoodthingswilldeigntoborrow——“ “Oh，Mrs。Pasmer！“criedMunt，otherwisespeechless。 “Andthemother？DoyouknowMrs。Mavering？” “Mrs。MaveringI’veneverseen。” “Oh！“saidMrs。Pasmer，withadisappointmentforwhichMunttriedtoconsoleher。 “I’veneverevenbeenattheirplace。Heaskedmeonceagreatwhileago;butyouknowhowthosethingsare。I’veheardthatsheusedtobeveryprettyandverygay。Theywentaboutagreatdeal，toSaratogaandCapeMayandsuchplaces——ratheroutofourbeat。” “Andnow？” “Andnowshe’sbeenaninvalidforagreatmanyyears。Bedridden，I believe。Paralysis，Ithink。” Yes;Mrs。Saintsburysaidsomethingofthekind。” “Well。”saidMunt，anxioustoaddtothestoreofknowledgewhichthisremarklethimunderstandhehadnotmateriallyincreased，“IthinkMrs。 Maveringwastheoriginofthewall-paper——orhermoney。Maveringwaspoor;herfatherhadstartedit，andMaveringturnedinhistalent。” “Howveryinteresting！Andisthatthereason——itsbeingancestral——thatMr。Maveringwisheshissontogointoit？” “Ishegoingintoit？”askedMunt。 “He’scomeupheretothinkaboutit。” “Ishouldsupposeitwouldbeaverygoodthing。”saidMunt。 “Whataveryremarkableforest！“saidMrs。Pasmer，examiningitoneitherside，andturningquiteround。Thisgaveher，fromherplaceinthevanofthestragglingprocession，aglimpseofAliceandDanMaveringfarintherear。 “Don’tyouknow。”hewassayingtothegirlatthesamemoment，“it’slikesomeofthoseDoreillustrationstotheInferno，ortheWanderingJew。” “Ohyes。IwastryingtothinkwhatitwasmademethinkIhadseenitbefore。”sheanswered。“Itmustbethat。Buthowstrangeitis！“sheexclaimed，“thatsensationofhavingbeentherebefore——insomeplacebeforewhereyoucan’tpossiblyhavebeen。” “Anddoyoufeelithere？”heasked，asvividlyinterestedasiftheytwohadbeenthefirsttonoticethephenomenonwhichhasbeenapsychicalconsolationtosomanyyoungobservers。 “Yes。”shecried。 “IhopeIwaswithyou。”hesaid，withasuddenturnoflevity，whichdidnotdispleaseher，forthereseemedtobeatenderearnestnesslurkinginit。“Icouldn’tbeartothinkofyourbeingaloneinsuchahowlingwilderness。” “Oh，Iwaswithalargepicnic。”sheretortedgaily。“Youmighthavebeenamongtherest。Ididn’tnotice。” “Well，thenexttime，Iwishyou’dlookcloser。Idon’tlikebeingleftout。”Theyweresofarbehindtherestthathedevotedhimselfentirelytoher，andtheyhadgrownmoreandmoreconfidential。 Theycametoanarrowfoot-bridgeoveradeepgorge。Thehand-railhadfallenaway。Hesprangforwardandgaveherhishandforthepassage。 “Whohelpedyouoverhere？”hedemanded。“Don’tsayIdidn’t。” “Perhapsitwasyou。”shemurmured，lettinghimkeepthefingerstowhichheclungamomentaftertheyhadcrossedthebridge。Thenshetookthemaway，andsaid:“ButIcan’tbesure。Thereweresomanyothers。” “Otherfellows？”hedemanded，placinghimselfbeforeheronthenarrowpath，sothatshecouldnotgetby。“Trytoremember，MissPasmer。Thisisveryimportant。Itwouldbreakmyheartifitwasreallysomeoneelse。”Shestoleaglanceathisface，butitwassmiling，thoughhisvoicewassoearnest。“Iwanttohelpyouoverallthebadplaces，andI don’twantanyoneelsetohaveahandinit。” Thevoiceandthefacestillbeliedeachother，andbetweenthemthegirlchosetofeelherselftrifledwithbytheartistictemperament。“Ifyou’llpleasestepoutoftheway，Mr。Mavering。”shesaidseverely，“I shallnotneedanybody’shelpjusthere。” Heinstantlymovedaside，andtheywerebothsilent，tillshesaid，asshequickenedherpacetoovertaketheothersinfront，“Idon’tseehowyoucanhelplikingnatureinsuchaplaceasthis。” “Ican’t——humannature。”hesaid。Itwasmerefolly;andanabstractfollyatthat;butthefacethatshehelddownandawayfromhimflushedwithsweetconsciousnessasshelaughed。 Onthecliffbeetlingabovethebay，whereshesattolookoutoverthesadnorthernsea，litwiththefishingsailtheyhadseenbefore，andthesurgewashedintotherockycovesfarbeneaththem，hethrewhimselfatherfeet，andmadeheraloneinthecompanythatcameandwentandtriedthisviewandthatfromthedifferentpointswherethepicnichostessinsistedtheyshouldenjoyit。Shelefttheyoungcoupletothemselves，andMrs。PasmerseemedtohaveforgottenthatshehadbiddenAlicetobealittlemorewithher。 Alicehadforgottenittoo。ShesatlisteningtoMavering’stalkwithacertainfascination，butnotsomuchapparentlybecausethemeaningofthewordspleasedherasthesoundofhisvoice，themotionofhislipsinspeaking，charmedher。Atfirsthewasserious，andevenmelancholy，asifhewereafraidhehadoffendedher;butapparentlyhesoonbelievedthathehadbeenforgiven，andbegantoburlesquehisownmood，butstillwithadeferenceandawatchfulobservanceofherchangesoffeelingwhichwasdelicatelyflatteringinitsway。Nowandthenwhensheansweredsomethingitwasnotalwaystothepurpose;heaccusedherofnothearingwhathesaid，butshewouldhaveitthatshedid，andthenhetriedtotestherbyproofsandquestions。Itdidnotmatterforanythingthatwasspokenordone;speechandactionofwhateversortweremeremasksoftheiryoungjoyineachother，sothatwhenhesaid，afterhehadquotedsomelinesbefittingthescenetheylookedouton;“NowwasthatfromTennysonorfromTupper？”andsheanswered，“Neither;itwasfromShakespeare。”theyjoined，inthesamehappylaugh，andtheylaughednowandthenwithoutsayinganything。Neitherthisnorthatmadethemmoregladorless;theywereinatrance，vulnerabletonothingbutthesummonswhichmustcometoleavetheirdreambehind，andissueintothewakingworld。 Inhopeorinexperiencesuchamomenthascometoall，anditissoprettytothosewhorecogniseitfromtheoutsidethatnoonehasthehearttohurryitawaywhileitcanbehelped。TheaffairbetweenAliceandMaveringhadevidentlyhermother’ssanction，andalltherestwereeagertohelpiton。Whenthepartyhadstartedtoreturn，theycalledtothem，andletthemcomebehindtogether。AtthecarriagestheyhadwhatMissAndersoncalledanewdeal，andAliceandMaveringfoundthemselvestogetherintherearseatofthelast。 Thefogbegantocomeinfromthesea，andfollowedthemthroughthewoods。Whentheyemergeduponthehighwayitwrappedthemdenselyround，andformedalittleworld，cosy，intimate，wheretheytwodweltalonewiththesefriendsoftheirs，eachofwhomtheypraisedfordelightfulqualities。Thehorsesbeatalongthroughthemist，inwhichthereseemednoprogress，andtheylivedinablissfularrestoftime。MissAndersoncalledbackfromthefrontseat，“Myearbuyns;you’retalkin’aboutme。” “Whichear？”criedMavering。 “Oh，theleft，ofcouyse。” “Thenit’smerelyhabit，Julie。Yououghttohaveheardthenicethingsweweresayingaboutyou。”Alicecalled。 “I’dliketohearallthenicethingsyou’vebeensaying。” Thisseemedthelasteffectofsubtlewit。Maveringbrokeoutinhislaugh，andAlice’slaughrangaboveit。 Mrs。Pasmerlookedinvoluntarilyroundfromthecarriageahead。 “Theyseemtobehavingagoodtime。”saidMrs。Brinkleyatherside。 “Yes;IhopeAliceisn’toverdoing。” “I’mafraidyou’redreadfullytired。”saidMaveringtothegirl，inalowvoice，asheliftedherfromherplacewhentheyreachedthehotelthroughtheprovisionaldarkness，andfoundthatafterallitwasonlydinner-time。 “Ohno。Ifeelasifthepicnicwerejustbeginning。” “Thenyouwillcometo-night？” “Iwillseewhatmammasays。” “ShallIaskher？” “Oh，perhapsnot。”saidthegirl，repressinghisardour，butnotseverely。 XVIII。 Theyweregoingtohavesometheatricalsatoneofthecottages，andtheladyatwhosehousetheyweretobegivenmadehastetoinviteallthepicnicpartybeforeitdispersed。Mrs。Pasmeracceptedwithamentalreservation，meaningtosendanexcuselaterifshechose;andbeforeshedecidedthepointshekeptherhusbandfromgoingafterdinnerintothereading-room，wherehespentnearlyallhistimeoverapaperandacigar，orinsittingabsolutelysilentandunoccupied，andmadehimgototheirownroomwithher。 “ThereissomethingthatImustspeaktoyouabout。”shesaid，closingthedoor，“andyoumustdecideforyourselfwhetheryouwishtoletitgoanyfurther。” “Whatgoanyfurther？”askedMr。Pasmer，sittingdownandputtinghishandtothepocketthatheldhiscigar-casewiththesameseriesofmotions。 “No，don’tsmoke。”shesaid，stayinghishandimpatiently。“Iwantyoutothink。” “HowcanIthinkifIdon’tsmoke？” “Verywell;smoke，then。DoyouwantthisaffairwithyoungMaveringtogoanyfarther？” “Oh！“saidPasmer，“Ithoughtyouhadbeenlookingafterthat。”Hehadinfactrelegatedthattothecompanyofthegreatquestionsexteriortohispersonalcomfortwhichshealwaysdecided。 “Ihavebeenlookingafterit，butnowthetimehascomewhenyoumust，asafather，takesomeinterestinit。” Pasmer’snoblemaskofaface，fromthepointofhisfullwhitebeardtohisfineforehead，crossedbyhisimpressiveblackeyebrows，expressedallthedignifiedconcernwhichafatheroughttofeelinsuchanaffair; butwhathewasreallyfeelingwasagravereluctancetohavetointerveneinanyway。“Whatdoyouwantmetosaytohim？”heasked。 “Why，Idon’tknowthathe’sgoingtoaskyouanything。Idon’tknowwhetherhe’ssaidanythingtoAliceyet。”saidMrs。Pasmer，withsomeexasperation。 Herhusbandwassilent，buthissilenceinsinuatedadegreeofwonderthatsheshouldapproachhimprematurelyonsuchapoint。 “Theyhavebeenthrowntogetherallday，andthereisnousetoconcealfromourselvesthattheyareverymuchtakenwitheachother？” “Ithought。”Pasmersaid，“thatyousaidthatfromthebeginning。Didn’tyouwantthemtobetakenwitheachother？” “Thatiswhatyouaretodecide。” Pasmersilentlyrefusedtoassumetheresponsibility。 “Well？”demandedhiswife，afterwaitingforhimtospeak。 “Wellwhat？” “Whatdoyoudecide？” “Whatistheuseofdecidingathingwhenitisallover？” “Itisn’toveratall。Itcanbebrokenoffatanymoment。” “Well，breakitoff，then，ifyoulike。” Mrs。Pasmerresumedtheresponsibilitywithasigh。Shefelttheburden，thepenalty，ofpower，afterhavingsolongenjoyeditssweets，andshewouldwillinglyhaveabdicatedthesovereigntywhichshehadspentherwholemarriedlifeinestablishing。Buttherewasnoonetotakeitup。 “No，Ishallnotbreakitoff。”shesaidresentfully;“Ishallletitgoon。”Thenseeingthatherhusbandwasnotshakenbyherthreatfromhislong-confirmedsubjection，sheadded:“Itisn’tanidealaffair，butI thinkitwillbeaverygoodthingforAlice。HeisnotwhatIexpected，butheisthoroughlynice，andIshouldthinkhisfamilywasnice。I’vebeentalkingwithMr。Muntaboutthemto-day，andheconfirmsallthatEttaSaintsburysaid。Idon’tthinktherecanbeanydoubtofhisintentionsincominghere。Heisn’taparticularlyartlessyoungman，buthe’sbeensufficientlyfrankaboutAlicesincehe’sbeenhere。”Herhusbandsmokedon。“Hisfatherseemstohavetakenupthebusinessfromtheartisticside，andMr。Maveringwon’tbeexpectedtoenterintothecommercialpartatonce。Ifitwasn’tforAlice，Idon’tbelievehewouldthinkofthebusinessforamoment;hewouldstudylaw。Ofcourseit’salittleembarrassingtohaveherengagedatoncebeforeshe’sseenanythingofsocietyhere，butperhapsit’sallforthebest，afterall: themainthingisthatsheshouldbesatisfied，andIcanseethatshe’sonlytoomuchso。Yes，she’sverymuchtakenwithhim;andIdon’twonder。Heischarming。” ItwasnotthefirsttimethatMrs。Pasmerhadreasonedinthisround; buttheutteranceofherthoughtsseemedtothrowanewlightonthem，andshetookacouragefromthemthattheydidnotalwaysimpart。Shearrivedatthefinalopinionexpressed，withathroboftendernessfortheyoungfellowwhomshebelievedeagertotakeherdaughterfromher，andnowforthefirsttimesheexperiencedadesolationintheprospect，asifitwereanaccomplishedfact。Shewasmorallyabundleoffinesses，butatthebottomofherheartherdaughterwasalltheworldtoher。Shehadmadethegirlheridol，andif，likesomeotherheathen，shehadnotalwaysusedheridolwiththegreatestdeference，ifshehadoftenexpectedtheimpossiblefromit，andmadeitpayforherdisappointment，stillshehadneverswervedfromherworshipofit。Shesuddenlyaskedherself，Whatifthisyoungfellow，socharmingandsogood，shouldsowhollymonopoliseherchildthatsheshouldnolongerhaveanyshareinher？WhatifAlice，whohadsolongformedherfirstcareandchiefobjectinlife，shouldcontentedlyloseherselfintheloveandcareofanother，andbothshouldignoreherrighttoher？SheansweredherselfwithapangthatthismighthappenwithanyoneAlicemarried，andthatitwouldbenoworse，attheworst，withDanMaveringthanwithanother，whileherhusbandremainedimpartiallysilent。Alwayskeepingwithinthelinestowhichhiswife’ssupremacyhaddrivenhim，hefeltsafethere，andwasnottobeeasilycoaxedoutofthem。 Mrs。Pasmerroseandlefthim，withhisperfectacquiescence，andwentintoherdaughter’sroom。ShefoundAlicethere，withaprettyeveningdresslaidoutonherbed。Mrs。Pasmerwasveryfondofthatdress，andatthethoughtofAliceinitherspiritsroseagain。 “Oh，areyougoing，Alice？” “Why，yes。”answeredthegirl。“Didn’tyouaccept？” “Why，yes。”Mrs。Pasmeradmitted。“Butaren’tyoutired？” “Oh，notintheleast。IfeelasfreshasIdidthismorning。Don’tyouwantmetogo？” “Ohyes，certainly，Iwantyoutogo——ifyouthinkyou’llenjoyit。” “Enjoyit？Why，whyshouldn’tIenjoyit，mamma！“Whatareyouthinkingabout？It’sgoingtobethegreatestkindoffun。” “Butdoyouthinkyououghttolookateverythingsimplyasfun？”askedthemother，withunwonteddidacticism。 “Howeverything？Whatareyouthinkingabout，mamma？” “Oh，nothing！I’msogladyou’regoingtowearthatdress。” “Why，ofcourse！It’smybest。Butwhatarcyoudrivingat，mamma？” Mrs。Pasmerwasreallyseekinginherdaughterthatcomfortofadistinctvolitionwhichshehadfailedtofindinherhusband，andshewishedtoassureherselfofitmoreandmore，thatshemightsharewithsomeonetheresponsibilitywhichhehadrefusedanypartin。 “Nothing。ButI’mgladyouwishsomuchtogo。”Thegirldroppedherhandsandstared。“Youmusthaveenjoyedyourselfto-day。”sheadded，asifthatwereanexplanation。 “OfcourseIenjoyedmyself！Butwhathasthattodowithmywantingtogoto-night？” “Oh，nothing。ButIhope，Alice，thatthereisonethingyouhavelookedfullyintheface。” “Whatthing？”falteredthegirl，andnowshowedherselfunabletoconfrontitbydroppinghereyes。 “Well，whateveryoumayhaveheardorseen，nobodyelseisindoubtaboutit。WhatdoyousupposehasbroughtMr。Maveringhere！“ “Idon’tknow。”Thedenialnotonlyconfessedthatshedidknow，butitinformedhermotherthatallwasasyettacitbetweentheyoungpeople。 “Verywell，then，Iknow。”saidMrs。Pasmer;“andthereisonethingthatyoumustknowbeforelong，Alice。” “What？”sheaskedfaintly。 “Yourownmind。”saidhermother。“Idon’taskyouwhatitis，andI shallwaittillyoutellme。OfcourseIshouldn’thavelethimstayhereifIhadobjected——“ “Omamma！“murmuredthegirl，dyedwithshametohavethefactssoboldlytouched，butnot，probably，toodeeplydispleased。 “Yes。AndIknowthathewouldneverhavethoughtofgoingintothatbusinessifhehadnotexpected——hoped——“ “Mamma！“ “Andyououghttoconsider——“ “Oh，don’t！don’t！don’t！“imploredthegirl。 “That’sall。”saidhermother，turningfromAlice，whohadhiddenherfaceinherhands，toinspectthecostumeonthebed。Sheliftedonepieceofitafteranother，turneditover，lookedatit，andlaiditdown。“Youcannevergetsuchadressinthiscountry。” Shewentoutoftheroom，asthegirldroppedherfaceinthepillow。Anhourlatertheymetequippedfortheevening’spleasure。Tothekeenglancethathermothergaveher，thedaughter’seyeshadthebrightnessofeyesthathavebeenweeping，buttheywerealsobrightwiththatknowledgeofherownmindwhichMrs。Pasmerhaddesiredforher。Shemethermother’sglancefearlessly，evenproudly，andshecarriedherstylishcostumewithasplendourtowhichonlyoccasionscouldstimulateher。 Theydramatisedaperfectunconsciousnesstoeachother，butMrs。Pasmerwasbynomeanssatisfiedwiththedecisionwhichshehadreadinherdaughter’slooks。Somehowitdidnotrelieveheroftheresponsibility，anditdidnotchangethenatureofthecase。Itwasgratifying，ofcourse，toseeAlicetheobjectofapassionsosincereandsoardent;sofarthetriumphwascomplete，andtherewasreallynothingobjectionableintheyoungmanandhiscircumstances，thoughtherewasnothingverydistinguished。ButtheaffairwasaltogetherdifferentfromanythingthatMrs。Pasmerhadimagined。ShehadsupposedandintendedthatAliceshouldmeetsomeoneinBoston，andgothroughacourseofsocietybeforereachinganydecisivestep。Therewastobeawholeseasoninwhichtolookthegroundcarefullyover，andthegroundwastobeallwithincertainwell-ascertainedandguardedprecincts。Butthisthathadhappenedwasoutsideoftheseprecincts，ofatleastontheirmereoutskirts。ClassDay，ofcourse，wasallright;andshecouldnotsaythatthesummercolonyatCampobellowasnotthoroughlyandessentiallyBoston;andyetshefeltthatcertaininfluences，certainsanctions，wereabsent。Totellthetruth，shewouldnothavecaredforthefeelingsofMavering’sfamilyinregardtothematter，exceptastheymightafterwardconcernAlice，andthetimehadnotcomewhenshecouldrecognisetheirexistenceinregardtotheaffair;andyetshecouldhavewishedthatevenasitwashisfamilycouldhaveseenandapproveditfromthestart。 Itwouldhavebeenmoreregular。 WithAliceitwasasimplermatter，andofcoursedeeper。Forheritwasonlyaquestionofhimselfandherself;nooneelseexistedtothesublimeegotismofherlove。Shedidnotcallitbythatname;shedidnotpermitittoassertitselfbyanyname;itwasamereformlessjoyinhersoul，atrustfulandblissfulexpectance，whichshenownomorebelievedhecoulddisappointthanthatshecoulddiewithinthathour。 Alltherebellionthatshehadsometimesfeltattheanomalousattitudeexactedofhersexinregardtosuchmatterswasgone。Shenolongerthoughtitstrangethatagirlshouldbeexpectedtoignoretheadmirationofayoungmantillheexplicitlydeclaredit，andshouldthenbefullypossessedofallthematerialsofadecisiononthemostmomentousquestioninlife;forsheknewthatthisstateofignorancecouldneverreallyexist;shehadknownfromthefirstmomentthathehadthoughtherbeautiful。To-nightshewasradiantforhim。Hereyesshonewiththelookinwhichtheyshouldmeetandgivethemselvestoeachotherbeforetheyspoke——thelookinwhichtheyhadmetalready，inwhichtheyhadlivedthatwholeday。 XIX。 Theevening’sentertainmentwassomethingthatmustfailbeforeanaudiencewhichwasnotverykind。Theyweretopresentaburlesqueofclassicfable，andtheparts，withtheirgeneralintention，hadbeendistributedtothedifferentactors;butnothinghadbeenwrittendown，and，beyondthesituationsandafewpointsofdialogue，allhadtobeimprovised。Thecostumesandpropertieshadbeeninventedfromsuchthingsascametohand。Sheetssculpturesquelydrapedthedeitieswhotookpart;afox-peltfromthehearthdiddutyastheleopardskinofBacchus;afeatherdusterservedNeptuneforatrident;thelyreofApollowasadust-pan;agull’sbreastfurnishedJovewithhisgreybeard。 Thefablewasadaptedtomodernlife，andthescenehadbeenlaidinCampobello，thepeculiaritiesofwhichweretobesatirisedthroughout。 TheprincipalsituationwastobeapassagebetweenJupiter，representedbyMavering，andJuno，whomMissAndersonpersonated;itwastobeasceneofconjugalreproachesandreprisals，andtoendinreconciliation，inwhichthefatherofthegodssacrificedhimselfonthealtarofdomesticpeacebypromisingtobringhisfamilytoCampobelloeveryyear。 ThiswastobefollowedbyasketchoftheJudgmentofParis，inwhichJunoandPallasweretobepersonatedbytwoyoungmen，andMissAndersontookthepartofVenus。 Theprettydrawing-roomoftheTrevors——youngpeoplefromAlbany，andcousinsofMissAnderson——wascurtainedoffatoneendforastage，andbeyondtheslidingdoorswhichdivideditinhalfweresetchairsforthespectators。Peoplehadcomeinwhateverdresstheyliked;themenweremostlyinmorningcoats;theladieshadgenerallymadesomeattemptateveningtoilet，buttheyjoinedinadmiringAlicePasmer’scostume，andoneofthemsaidthattheywouldletitrepresentthemall，andexpresswhateachmighthavedoneifshewould。Therewasnotmuchtimefortheirtributes;allthelampswerepresentlytakenawayandsetalongthefloorinfrontofthecurtainasfoot-lights，leavingthecompanyinadarknesswhichMrs。Brinkleypronouncedsepulchral。Shemadeherreproachestothemasterofthehouse，whohadeffectedthistranspositionofthelamps。“Iwasjustthinkingsomeveryprettyandvaluablethingsaboutyourcharmingcottage，Mr。Trevor:arugonabarefloor，atrimofvarnishedpine，awallwithhalfadozensimpleetchingsonit，anopenfire，andamantelpiecewithoutbric-a-brac，howentirelysatisfyingitallis！Andhowitupbraidsusforheapingupupholsteryaswedointown！“ “Goon。”saidthehost。“Thosearebeautifulthoughts。” “ButIcan’tgooninthedark。”retortedMrs。Brinkley。“Youcan’tthinkinthedark，muchlesstalk！Canyou，Mrs。Pasmer？”Mrs。Pasmer，withAlicenexttoher，satjustinfrontofMrs。Brinkley。 “No。”sheassented;“butifIcould——YOUcanthickanywhere，Mrs。 Brinkley——Mrs。Trevor’slovelyhousewouldinspiremetoit。” “Twobirdswithonestone——thankyou，Mrs。Pasmer，formypartofthecompliment。Pickyourselfup，Mr。Trevor。” “Oh，thankyou，I’mallright。”saidTrevor，pantingaftertheladies’ meanings，asamanmust。“Isupposethinkingandtalkinginthedarkisagooddeallikesmokinginthedark。” “No;thinkingandtalkingarenotatalllikesmokingunderanyconditions。Whyintheworldshouldtheybe？” “Oh，Ican’tgetanyfunoutofacigarunlessIcanseethesmoke。”thehostexplained。 “Doyoufollowhim，Mrs。Pasmer？” “Yes，perfectly。” “Thankyou，Mrs。Pasmer。”saidTrevor。 “I’llgetyoutotellmehowyoudiditsometime。”saidMrs。Brinkley。 “Butyourhouseisagem，Mr。Trevor。” “Isn’tit？”criedTrevor。“Iwantmywifetoliveheretheyearround。” ItwastheTrevors’firstsummerintheircottage，andtheexperiencedreaderwilleasilyrecognisehismood。“Butshe’ssuchaworldlyspirit，shewon’t。” “Oh，Idon’tknowabouttheyearround。Doyou，Mrs。Pasmer？” “Ishould。”saidAlice，withthesuddennessofyouth，breakingintothetalkwhichshehadnotbeensupposedtotakeanyinterestin。 “Isitpropertokissayounglady’shand？”saidTrevorgratefully，appealingtoMrs。Brinkley。 “Itisn’tverycustomaryinthenineteenthcentury。”saidMrs。Brinkley。 “Butyoumightkissherfan。Hemightkissherfan，mightn’the，Mrs。 Pasmer？” “Certainly。Alice，holdoutyourfaninstantly。” Thegirlhumouredthejoke，laughing。 Trevorpressedhislipstotheperfumedsticks。“IwilltellMrs。 Trevor。”hesaid，“andthatwilldecideher。” “Itwilldecidehernottocomehereatallnextyearifyoutellherall。” “Henevertellsmeall。”saidMrs。Trevor，catchingsomuchofthetalkasshecameinfromsomehospitablecaresinthedining-room。“They’reincapableofit。Whathashebeendoingnow？” “Nothing。OrIwilltellyouwhenwearealone，Mrs。Trevor。”saidMrs。 Brinkley，withburlesquesympathy。“Weoughtn’ttohaveasceneonbothsidesofthefoot-lights。” Aboyishface，allexcitement，wasthrustoutbetweenthecurtainsformingtheprosceniumofthelittletheatre。“Allready，Mrs。Trevor？” “Yes，allready，Jim。” Hedashedthecurtainsapart，andmarredtheeffectofhisowndisappearancefromthescenebytrippingoverthelonglegsofJove，stretchedouttothefront，wherehesatonMrs。Trevor’srichestrug，proppedwithsofacushionsoneitherhand。 “Soperishalltheimpiousraceoftitans，enemiesofthegods！“saidMaveringsolemnly，astheboyfellsprawling。“Picktheearth-borngiantup，Vulcan，myson。” Theboywasverysmallforhisage;everyonesawthattheaccidenthadnotbeenpremeditated，andwhenVulcanappeared，withanexaggeratedlimp，andcarriedtheboyoff，aburstoflaughterwentupfromthecompany。 Itdidnotmatterwhattheplaywastohavebeenafterthat;itallturnedupontheaccident。Junocameon，andbegantoreproachJupiterforhiscarelessness。“I’vesentMercuryupstairsfortheaynica;buthesaysit’snouse:thatboywon’tbeabletopassballforaweek。HowoftenhaveItoldyounottositwithyourfeetoutthatway！Iknewyou’dhurtsomebody。” “Ididn’thavemyfeetout。”retortedJupiter。“Besides。”headded，withdignity，andaburlesqueofmaritalspecialpleadingwhicheverywifeandhusbandrecognised，“Ialwayssitwithmyfeetoutso，andIalwayswill，solongasI’vethespiritofagod。” “Isn’thedelicious？”buzzedMrs。Pasmer，leaningbackwardtowhispertoMrs。Brinkley;itwasnotthatshethoughtwhatDanhadjustsaidwassoveryfanny，butpeopleareimmoderatelyapplausiveofamateurdramatics，andshewasfeelingveryfondoftheyoungfellow。 Theimprovisationwentwildlyandadventurouslyon，andthecurtainsdroppedtogetheramidstthefacileacclaimoftheaudience: “It’sverywellforJupiterthathehappenedtothinkofthecurtain。” saidMrs。Brinkley。“Theycouldn’thavekeptitupatthatlevelmuchlonger。” “Oh，doyouthinkso？”softlymurmuredMrs。Pasmer。“Itseemedasiftheycouldhavekeptitupallnightiftheyliked。” “Idoubtit。Mr。Trevor。”saidMrs。Brinkleytothehost，whohadcomeupforhercongratulations，“doyoualwayshavesuchbrilliantperformances？” “Well，wehavesofar。”heansweredmodestly;andMrs。Brinkleylaughedwithhim。ThiswasthefirstentertainmentatTrevorcottage。 “’Sh！“wentupallroundthem，andMrs。Trevorcalledacrosstheroom，inareproachfulwhisperloudenoughforeveryonetohear，“Mydear！—— enjoyingyourself！“whileMaveringstoodbetweenthepartedcurtainswaitingfortheattentionofthecompany。 “Onaccountofanaccidenttothecall-boyandthementalexhaustionofsomeofthedeities，thenextpiecewillbeomitted，andtheperformancewillbeginwiththeoneafter。Whiletheaudienceiswaiting，Mercurywillgoroundandtakeupacollectionforthevictimoftherecentaccident，whowillprobablybeindisposedforlife。Thecollectorwillbeaccompaniedbyapoliceman，andmaybesafelytrusted。” HedisappearedbehindthecurtainwithapasandrswirlofhisdraperiesliketheLordChancellorinIolanthe，andtheaudienceagainabandoneditselftoapplause。 “Howverywittyheis！“saidMissCotton，whosatnearJohnMunt。“Don’tyouthinkhe’sreallywitty？” “Yes。”Muntassentedcritically。“Butyoushouldhaveknownhisfather。” “Oh，doyouknowhisfather？” “Iwasincollegewithhim。” “Oh，dotellmeabouthim，andallMr。Mavering’sfamily。We’resointerested，youknow，onaccountof——Isn’titprettytohavethatlittleloveidylgoingonhere？Iwonder——I’vebeenwonderingallthetime—— whatshethinksofallthis。Doyousupposeshequitelikesit？”Hiscostumeissoveryremarkable！“MissCotton，intheabsenceofanyladyofherintimatecircle，wasappealingconfidentiallytoJohnMunt。 “Why，doyouthinkthere’sanythingseriousbetweenthem？”heasked，droppinghisheadforwardaspeopledoinchurchwhentheywishtowhispertosomeoneinthesamepew。 “Why，yes，itseemsso。”murmuredMissCotton。“Hisadmirationisquiteundisguised，isn’tit？” “Amannevercantell。”saidMunt。“Wehavetoleavethosethingstoyouladies。” “Oh，everyone’stalkingofit，Iassureyou。Andyouknowhisfamily？” “Iknewhisfatheronceratherbetterthananybodyelse。” “Indeed！“ “Yes。”MuntsketchedratheraflatteredportraitoftheelderMavering，hisability，hisgoodness，hisshyness，whichhehadalwayshadtomakesuchahardfightwith。MuntwassensibleofanaccessofpopularityinknowingDanMavering’speople，andhedidnotsparehiscolours。 “Thenitisn’tfromhisfatherthathegetseverything。Heisn’tintheleastshy。”saidMissCotton。 “Thatmustbethemother。” “Andthemother？” “ThemotherIdon’tknow。” MissCottonsighed。“SometimesIwishthathedidshowalittlemoretrepidation。ItwouldseemasifheweremorealivetothegreatdifferencethatthereisbetweenAlicePasmerandothergirls。” Muntlaughedaman’slaugh。“Iguesshe’sprettywellalivetothat，ifhe’sinlovewithher。” “Oh，inacertainway，ofcourse，butnotinthehighestway。Now，forinstance，ifhefeltallherfinenessas——aswedo，Idon’tbelievehe’dbewillingtoappearbeforeherjustlikethat。”Thefatherofthegodsworeadamasktableclothofapalegoldenhueandaclassicpattern;hisarmswerebare，andratherabsurdlywhite;onhisfeetapairoflawn- tennisshoeshadaverystrikingeffectofsandals。 “Itseemstome。”MissCottonpursued;“thatifhereallyappreciatedherinthehighestway，hewouldwishnevertodoanundignifiedortrivialthinginherpresence。” “Oh，perhapsit’sthatthatpleasesherinhim。Theysaywe’realwaystakenwithopposites。” “Yes——doyouthinkso？”askedMissCotton。 Thecurtainswereflungapart，andtheJudgmentofParisfollowedrathertamelyuponwhathadgonebefore，thoughthetwoyoungfellowswhodidJunoandMinervawereveryamusing，andthedialoguewasfullofhits。 Someoftheaudience，anappreciativeminority，wereofopinionthatMaveringandMissAndersonsurpassedthemselvesinit;shepromisedhimthemostbeautifulandculturedwifeinGreece。“Thatsettlesit。”heanswered。Theycameoutarminarm，andParis，havingputonastripedtenniscoatoverhisshort-sleevedGreektunic，movedroundamongthecompanyfortheircongratulations，Venusostentatiouslyshowingtheappleshehadwon。 “Icanhaydlykeepfromeatingit。”sheexplainedtoAlice;beforewhomshedroppedMavering’sarm。“I’mawfullyhungry。It’shaydwoyk。” Alicestoodwithherheaddrawnback，lookingattheexcitedgirlwithasmile，inwhichseemedtohoversomewherealatentbitterness。 Mavering，withaflushedfaceandaflyingtongue，wasexchangingsallieswithhermother，whosmotheredhiminflatteries。 Mrs。Trevorcametowardthegroup，andannouncedsupper。“Mr。Paris，willyoutakeMissAphroditeout？” MissAndersonsweptalowbowofrenunciation，andtacitlyrelinquishedMaveringtoAlice。 “Oh，no，no！“saidAlice，shrinkingbackfromhim，withanintensificationofheruncertainsmile。“Ameremortal？” “Oh，howverygood！“saidMrs。Trevor。 Therebegantobe，withoutanyone’sintendingit，thatsortoftacitmisunderstandingwhichisalltheworsebecauseitcanonlyfollowuponatacitunderstandinglikethatwhichhadestablisheditselfbetweenAliceandMavering。Theylaughedandjokedtogethergailyaboutallthatwenton;theywereperfectlygoodfriends;hesawthatsheandhermotherwerepromptlyserved;hebroughtthemsaladandice-creamandcoffeehimself，onlywaitingofficiallyuponMissAndersonfirst，andAlicethankedhim，withthepolitestdeprecationofhisdevotion;butiftheireyesmet，itwasdefensively，andthesecuritybetweenthemwasgone。Maveringvaguelyfelttheloss，withoutknowinghowtoretrieveit，anditmadehimgoonmoredesperatelywithMissAnderson。Helaughedandjokedrecklessly，andAlicebegantomarkamoreexplicitdispleasurewithher。 Shemadehermothergoratherearly。 Onherpart，MissAndersonseemedtofindreasonforresentmentinAlice’sbearingtowardher。Asifshehadsaidtoherselfthatherfrankloyaltyhadbeenthrownawayuponacoldandunresponsivenature，andthatherharmlessfolliesintheplayhadbeenmetwithunjustsuspicions，shebegantomakereprisals，shebeganindeadearnesttoflirtwithMavering。Beforetheeveningpassedshehadmadehimseemtakenwithher;buthowjustlyshehaddonethis，andwithhowmuchfaultofhis，noonecouldhavesaid。Thereweresomewhodidnotnoticeitatall，butthesewerenotpeoplewhoknewMavering，orknewAliceverywell。 XX。 ThenextmorningAlicewaswalkingslowlyalongtheroadtowardthefishingvillage，whensheheardrapid，plungingstridesdownthewoodedhillsideonherright。SheknewthemforMavering’s，andshedidnotaffectsurprisewhenhemadeafinalleapintotheroad，andshortenedhispacebesideher。 “MayIjoinyou，MissPasmer？” “Iamonlygoingdowntotheherring-houses。”shebegan。 “Andyou’llletmegowithyou？”saidtheyoungfellow。“Thefactis—— you’realwayssofrankthatyoumakeeverythingelseseemsilly——I’vebeenwaitingupthereinthewoodsforyoutocomeby。Mrs。Pasmertoldmeyouhadstartedthisway，andIcutacrosslotstoovertakeyou，andthen，whenyoucameinsight，IhadtoletyoupassbeforeIcouldscrewmycourageuptothepointofrunningafteryou。Howisthatforopen- mindedness？”