Hisfacewastroubled。
“MissFentolin，“hesaid，“IwilltellyoufranklythatuptonowIhavenotsucceededinsolvingtheproblemofyouruncle’scharacter。Tomepersonallyhehasbeenmostcourteous。Helivesapparentlyastudiousandanunselfishlife。Ihaveheardhimevenspokenofasaphilanthropist。Andyetyouthree-you，yourmother，andyourbrother，whoarenearesttohim，wholiveinhishouseandunderhisprotection，havetheairofpassingyourdaysinmortalfearofhim。“
“Mr。Hamel，“sheexclaimednervously，“youdon’tbelievethat！Heisalwaysverykind。“
“Apparently，“Hamelobserveddrily。“Andyetyoumustrememberthatyou，too，areafraidofhim。Ineednotremindyouofourconversations，buttherethetruthis。Youpraisehisvirtuesandhischarities，youpityhim，andyetyougoaboutwithaloadoffear，and-forgiveme-ofsecretterrorinyourheart，youandGerald，too。Asforyourmother-“
“Don’t！“sheinterruptedsuddenly。“Whydoyoubringmeheretotalklikethis？Youcannotalterthings。Nothingcanbealtered。“
“Can’tit！“hereplied。“Well，Iwilltellyoutherealreasonofmyhavingbroughtyouhereandofmyhavingmadethisconfession。
IbroughtyouherebecauseIcouldnotbeartogoonliving，ifnotunderyourroof，atanyrateintheneighbourhood，withouttellingyouthetruth。Nowyouknowit。IamheretowatchMr。Fentolin。
Iamgoingonwatchinghim。Youcanputhimonhisguard，ifyoulike；Ishan’tcomplain。Oryoucan-“
Hepausedsolongthatshelookedathim。Hemovedalittleclosertoher，hisfingerssuddenlygrippedherhand。
“Oryoucanmarrymeandcomeawayfromitall，“heconcludedquietly。“Forgiveme，please-Imeanit。“
Foramomentthestartledlightinhereyeswasfollowedbyadelicioussoftness。Herlipswereparted，sheleanedalittletowardshim。Thensuddenlysheseemedtoremember。Sherosewithswiftalertnesstoherfeet。
“Ithink，“shesaid，“thatwehadbetterplaygolf。“
“ButIhaveaskedyoutomarryme，“heprotested，ashescrambledup。
“Yourcaddyhasfoundyourballalongtimeago，“shepointedout，walkingswiftlyonahead。
Heplayedhisshotandcaughtherup。
“MissFentolin-Esther，“hepleadedeagerly，“doyouthinkthatI
amnotinearnest？BecauseIam。Imeanit。EvenifIhaveonlyknownyouforafewdays，ithasbeenenough。IthinkthatIknewitwascomingfromthemomentthatyousteppedintomyrailwaycarriage。“
“Youknewthatwhatwascoming？“sheasked，raisinghereyessuddenly。
“ThatIshouldcareforyou。“
“It’sthefirsttimeyou’vetoldmesheremindedhim，withaqueerlittlesmile。“Oh，forgiveme，please！Ididn’tmeantosaythat。
Idon’twanttohaveyoutellmeso。It’salltooridiculousandimpossible。“
“Isit？Andwhy？“
“Ihaveonlyknownyouforthreedays。“
“Wecanmakeupforthat。“
“ButIdon’t-careaboutyou。Ihaveneverthoughtofanyoneinthatway。Itisabsurd，“shewenton。
“You’llhaveto，sometimeorother，“hedeclared。“I’lltakeyoutravellingwithme，showyoutheworld，newworlds，unnamedrivers，untroddenmountains。Ordoyouwanttogoandseewherethelittlebrownpeopleliveamongthemimosaandthecherryblossoms？I’lltakeyousofarawaythatthisplaceandthislifewillseemlikeadream。“
Herbreathcaughtalittle。
“Don’t，please，“shebegged。“Youknowverywell-orratheryoudon’tknow，perhaps，butImusttellyou-thatIcouldn’t。Iamhere，tiedandbound，andIcan’tescape。“
“Ah！dear，don’tbelieveit，“hewentonearnestly。“Thereisn’tanybondsostrongthatIwon’tbreakitforyou，noknotIwon’tuntie，ifyougivemetheright。“
Theywereclimbingslowlyontothetee。Hesteppedforwardandpulledherup。Herhandwascold。Hereyeswereraisedtohis，verysoftlyyetalmostpleadingly。
“Pleasedon’tsayanythingmore，“shebegged。“Ican’t-quitebearitjustnow。Youknow，youmustremember-thereismymother。DoyouthinkthatIcouldleavehertostrugglealone？“
Hiscaddy，whohadteedtheball，andwhohadregardedtheproceedingswithamoderatelytolerantair，feltcalleduponatlasttointerfere。
“We’dbestgeton，“heremarked，pointingtotwofiguresinthedistance，“orthey’llsaywe’vecutin。“
Hamelsmotehisballfarandtrue。Onamoremoderatescaleshefollowedhisexample。Theydescendedthestepstogether。
“Love-makingisn’tgoingtospoilourgolf，“hewhispered，smiling，ashetouchedherfingersoncemore。
Shelookedathimalmostshyly。
“Isthislove-making？“sheasked。
Theywalkedtogetherfromtheeighteenthgreentowardstheclub-house。Acurioussilenceseemedsuddenlytohaveenvelopedthem。Hamelwasconsciousofastrangeexhilaration，aqueerupheavalofideas，anexcitementwhichnothinginhispreviouslifehadyetbeenabletoyieldhim。Thewonderofitamazedhim，kepthimsilent。Itwasnotuntiltheyreachedthesteps，indeed，thathespoke。
“Onourwayhome-“hebegan。
Sheseemedsuddenlytohavestiffened。Helookedather，surprised。
Shewasstandingquitestill，herhandgrippingthepost，hereyesfixeduponthewaitingmotor-car。Thedelicatesoftnesshadgonefromherface。Oncemorethatlookofpartlyveiledsufferingwasthere，sufferingmingledwithfear。
“Look！“shewhispered，underherbreath。“Look！ItisMr。Fentolin！
Hehascomeforushimself；heisthereinthecar。“
Mr。Fentolin，astrangelittlefigurelyingbackamongthecushionsofthegreatDaimler，raisedhishatandwavedittothem。
“Comealong，children，“hecried。“Yousee，Iamheretofetchyoumyself。Thesunshinehastemptedme。Whataheavenlymorning！
Comeandsitbymyside，Esther，andfightyourbattlealloveragain。Thatisoneofthejoysofgolf，isn’tit？“heasked，turningtoHamel。“Youneednotbeafraidofboringme。To-dayisoneofmybrightdays。Isupposethatitisthesunshineandthewarmwind。Onthewayherewepassedsomefields。IcouldswearthatIsmeltviolets。Whereareyougoing，Esther？
“Totakemyclubstomylockerandpaymycaddy，“shereplied。
“Mr。Hamelwilldothatforyou，“Mr。Fentolindeclared。“Comeandtakeyourseatbymyside，andletuswaitforhim。Iamtiredofbeingalone。“
Shegaveupherclubsreluctantly。Allthelifeseemedtohavegonefromherface。
“Whydidn’tmothercomewithyou？“sheaskedsimply。
“Totellyouthetruth，dearEsther，“heanswered，“whenIstarted，Ihadafancytobealone。Ithink-infactIamsure-thatyourmotherwantedtocome。Thesunshine，too，wastemptingher。Perhapsitwasselfishofmenottobringher，butthen，thereisagreatdealtobeforgivenme，isn’tthere，Esther？“
“Agreatdeal，“sheechoed，lookingsteadilyaheadofher。
“Icame，“hewenton，“becauseitoccurredtomethat，afterall，Ihadmydutiesasyourguardian，dearEsther。Iamnotsurethatwecanpermitflirtations，youknow。Letmesee，howoldareyou？“
“Twenty-one，“shereplied。
“InamagazineIwasreadingtheotherday，“hecontinued，“Iwasinterestedtoobservethatthemodernideaasregardsmarriageisachangedone。Awoman，theysay，shouldnotmarryuntilsheistwenty-sevenortwenty-eight-averyexcellentidea。Ithinkweagree，dowenot，onthat，Esther？“
“Idon’tknow，“shereplied。“Ihaveneverthoughtaboutthematter。“
“Then，“hewenton，“wewillmakeupourmindstoagree。
Twenty-sevenortwenty-eight，letussay。Averyexcellentage！
Agirlshouldknowherownmindbythen。Andmeanwhile，dearEsther，woulditbewise，Iwonder，toseealittlelessofourfriendMr。
Hamel？Heleavesusto-day，Ithink。Heisveryobstinateaboutthat。Ifhewerestayingstillinthehouse，well，itmightbedifferent。Butifhepersistsinleavingus，youwillnotforget，dear，thatassociationwithaguestisonething；associationwithayoungmanlivingoutofthehouseisanother。AgreatdeallessofMr。HamelIthinkthatwemustsee。“
Shemadenoreplywhatever。Hamelwascomingnowtowardsthem。
“Reallyaverypersonableyoungman，“Mr。Fentolinremarked，studyinghimthroughhiseyeglass。“Isitmyfancy，Iwonder，asanobservantperson，orishejustalittle-justalittletakenwithyou，Esther？Apityifitisso-agreatpity。“
Shesaidnothing，butherhandwhichrestedupontherugwastremblingalittle。
“Ifyouhaveanopportunity，“Mr。Fentolinsuggested，droppinghisvoice，“youmightverydelicately，youknow-girlsaresocleveratthatsortofthing-conveymyviewstoMr。Hamelasregardshisleavingusanditseffectuponyourcompanionship。Youunderstandme，Iamsure？“
Forthefirsttimesheturnedherheadtowardshim。
