EllaMarchmill，sittingdownaloneafewminuteslater，thoughtwithinterestedsurpriseofRobertTrewe。Herownlatterhistorywillbestexplainthatinterest。Herselftheonlydaughterofastrugglingmanofletters，shehadduringthelastyearortwotakentowritingpoems，inanendeavourtofindacongenialchannelinwhichtoletflowherpainfullyembayedemotions，whoseformerlimpidityandsparkleseemeddepartinginthestagnationcausedbytheroutineofapracticalhouseholdandthegloomofbearingchildrentoacommonplacefather。Thesepoems，subscribedwithamasculinepseudonym，hadappearedinvariousobscuremagazines，andintwocasesinratherprominentones。Inthesecondofthelatterthepagewhichborehereffusionatthebottom，insmallishprint，boreatthetop，inlargeprint，afewversesonthesamesubjectbythisveryman，RobertTrewe。Bothofthemhad，infact，beenstruckbyatragicincidentreportedinthedailypapers，andhaduseditsimultaneouslyasaninspiration，theeditorremarkinginanoteuponthecoincidence，andthattheexcellenceofbothpoemspromptedhimtogivethemtogether。
AfterthateventElla，otherwise’JohnIvy，’hadwatchedwithmuchattentiontheappearanceanywhereinprintofversebearingthesignatureofRobertTrewe，who，withaman’sunsusceptibilityonthequestionofsex，hadneveroncethoughtofpassinghimselfoffasawoman。Tobesure，Mrs。Marchmillhadsatisfiedherselfwithasortofreasonfordoingthecontraryinhercase；thatnobodymightbelieveinherinspirationiftheyfoundthatthesentimentscamefromapushingtradesman’swife，fromthemotherofthreechildrenbyamatter-of-factsmall-armsmanufacturer。
Trewe’sversecontrastedwiththatoftherankandfileofrecentminorpoetsinbeingimpassionedratherthaningenious，luxuriantratherthanfinished。Neithersymbolistenordecadent，hewasapessimistinsofarasthatcharacterappliestoamanwholooksattheworstcontingenciesaswellasthebestinthehumancondition。
Beinglittleattractedbyexcellencesofformandrhythmapartfromcontent，hesometimes，whenfeelingoutranhisartisticspeed，perpetratedsonnetsinthelooselyrhymedElizabethanfashion，whicheveryright-mindedreviewersaidheoughtnottohavedone。
Withsadandhopelessenvy，EllaMarchmillhadoftenandoftenscannedtherivalpoet’swork，somuchstrongerasitalwayswasthanherownfeeblelines。Shehadimitatedhim，andherinabilitytotouchhislevelwouldsendherintofitsofdespondency。Monthspassedawaythus，tillsheobservedfromthepublishers’listthatTrewehadcollectedhisfugitivepiecesintoavolume，whichwasdulyissued，andwasmuchorlittlepraisedaccordingtochance，andhadasalequitesufficienttopayfortheprinting。
ThissteponwardhadsuggestedtoJohnIvytheideaofcollectingherpiecesalso，oratanyrateofmakingupabookofherrhymesbyaddingmanyinmanuscripttothefewthathadseenthelight，forshehadbeenabletogetnogreatnumberintoprint。Aruinouschargewasmadeforcostsofpublication；afewreviewsnoticedherpoorlittlevolume；butnobodytalkedofit，nobodyboughtit，anditfelldeadinafortnight——ifithadeverbeenalive。
Theauthor’sthoughtsweredivertedtoanothergroovejustthenbythediscoverythatshewasgoingtohaveathirdchild，andthecollapseofherpoeticalventurehadperhapslesseffectuponhermindthanitmighthavedoneifshehadbeendomesticallyunoccupied。Herhusbandhadpaidthepublisher’sbillwiththedoctor’s，andthereitallhadendedforthetime。But，thoughlessthanapoetofhercentury，Ellawasmorethanameremultiplierofherkind，andlatterlyshehadbeguntofeeltheoldafflatusoncemore。AndnowbyanoddconjunctionshefoundherselfintheroomsofRobertTrewe。
Shethoughtfullyrosefromherchairandsearchedtheapartmentwiththeinterestofafellow-tradesman。Yes，thevolumeofhisownversewasamongtherest。Thoughquitefamiliarwithitscontents，shereadithereasifitspokealoudtoher，thencalledupMrs。
Hooper，thelandlady，forsometrivialservice，andinquiredagainabouttheyoungman。
’Well，I’msureyou’dbeinterestedinhim，ma’am，ifyoucouldseehim，onlyhe’ssoshythatIdon’tsupposeyouwill。’Mrs。Hooperseemednothinglothtoministertohertenant’scuriosityaboutherpredecessor。’Livedherelong？Yes，nearlytwoyears。Hekeepsonhisroomsevenwhenhe’snothere:thesoftairofthisplacesuitshischest，andhelikestobeabletocomebackatanytime。Heismostlywritingorreading，anddoesn’tseemanypeople，though，forthematterofthat，heissuchagood，kindyoungfellowthatfolkswouldonlybetoogladtobefriendlywithhimiftheyknewhim。
Youdon’tmeetkind-heartedpeopleeveryday。’
’Ah，he’skind-hearted……andgood。’
’Yes；he’llobligemeinanythingifIaskhim。“Mr。Trewe，“Isaytohimsometimes，“youareratheroutofspirits。““Well，Iam，Mrs。Hooper，“he’llsay，“thoughIdon’tknowhowyoushouldfinditout。““Whynottakealittlechange？“Iask。Theninadayortwohe’llsaythathewilltakeatriptoParis，orNorway，orsomewhere；andIassureyouhecomesbackallthebetterforit。’
’Ah，indeed！Hisisasensitivenature，nodoubt。’
’Yes。Stillhe’soddinsomethings。Oncewhenhehadfinishedapoemofhiscompositionlateatnighthewalkedupanddowntheroomrehearsingit；andthefloorsbeingsothin——jerry-builthouses，youknow，thoughIsayitmyself——hekeptmeawakeupabovehimtillI
wishedhimfurther……Butwegetonverywell。’
Thiswasbutthebeginningofaseriesofconversationsabouttherisingpoetasthedayswenton。OnoneoftheseoccasionsMrs。
HooperdrewElla’sattentiontowhatshehadnotnoticedbefore:
minutescribblingsinpencilonthewall-paperbehindthecurtainsattheheadofthebed。
’O！letmelook，’saidMrs。Marchmill，unabletoconcealarushoftendercuriosityasshebentherprettyfaceclosetothewall。
’These，’saidMrs。Hooper，withthemannerofawomanwhoknewthings，’aretheverybeginningsandfirstthoughtsofhisverses。
Hehastriedtorubmostofthemout，butyoucanreadthemstill。
Mybeliefisthathewakesupinthenight，youknow，withsomerhymeinhishead，andjotsitdownthereonthewalllestheshouldforgetitbythemorning。SomeoftheseverylinesyouseehereI
haveseenafterwardsinprintinthemagazines。Somearenewer；
indeed，Ihavenotseenthatonebefore。Itmusthavebeendoneonlyafewdaysago。’
’Oyes！……’
EllaMarchmillflushedwithoutknowingwhy，andsuddenlywishedhercompanionwouldgoaway，nowthattheinformationwasimparted。Anindescribableconsciousnessofpersonalinterestratherthanliterarymadeheranxioustoreadtheinscriptionalone；andsheaccordinglywaitedtillshecoulddoso，withasensethatagreatstoreofemotionwouldbeenjoyedintheact。
PerhapsbecausetheseawaschoppyoutsidetheIsland，Ella’shusbandfounditmuchpleasantertogosailingandsteamingaboutwithouthiswife，whowasabadsailor，thanwithher。Hedidnotdisdaintogothusaloneonboardthesteamboatsofthecheap-
trippers，wheretherewasdancingbymoonlight，andwherethecoupleswouldcomesuddenlydownwithalurchintoeachother’sarms；for，asheblandlytoldher，thecompanywastoomixedforhimtotakeheramidsuchscenes。Thus，whilethisthrivingmanufacturergotagreatdealofchangeandsea-airoutofhissojournhere，thelife，externalatleast，ofEllawasmonotonousenough，andmainlyconsistedinpassingacertainnumberofhourseachdayinbathingandwalkingupanddownastretchofshore。Butthepoeticimpulsehavingagainwaxedstrong，shewaspossessedbyaninnerflamewhichleftherhardlyconsciousofwhatwasproceedingaroundher。
ShehadreadtillsheknewbyheartTrewe’slastlittlevolumeofverses，andspentagreatdealoftimeinvainlyattemptingtorivalsomeofthem，till，inherfailure，sheburstintotears。Thepersonalelementinthemagneticattractionexercisedbythiscircumambient，unapproachablemasterofherswassomuchstrongerthantheintellectualandabstractthatshecouldnotunderstandit。
Tobesure，shewassurroundednoonandnightbyhiscustomaryenvironment，whichliterallywhisperedofhimtoherateverymoment；buthewasamanshehadneverseen，andthatallthatmovedherwastheinstincttospecializeawaitingemotiononthefirstfitthingthatcametohanddidnot，ofcourse，suggestitselftoElla。
Inthenaturalwayofpassionunderthetoopracticalconditionswhichcivilizationhasdevisedforitsfruition，herhusband’sloveforherhadnotsurvived，exceptintheformoffitfulfriendship，anymorethan，orevensomuchas，herownforhim；and，beingawomanofverylivingardours，thatrequiredsustenanceofsomesort，theywerebeginningtofeedonthischancingmaterial，whichwas，indeed，ofaqualityfarbetterthanchanceusuallyoffers。
Onedaythechildrenhadbeenplayinghide-and-seekinacloset，whence，intheirexcitement，theypulledoutsomeclothing。Mrs。
HooperexplainedthatitbelongedtoMr。Trewe，andhungitupintheclosetagain。Possessedofherfantasy，Ellawentlaterintheafternoon，whennobodywasinthatpartofthehouse，openedthecloset，unhitchedoneofthearticles，amackintosh，andputiton，withthewaterproofcapbelongingtoit。
’ThemantleofElijah！’shesaid。’Woulditmightinspiremetorivalhim，gloriousgeniusthatheis！’
Hereyesalwaysgrewwetwhenshethoughtlikethat，andsheturnedtolookatherselfintheglass。HIShearthadbeatinsidethatcoat，andHISbrainhadworkedunderthathatatlevelsofthoughtshewouldneverreach。Theconsciousnessofherweaknessbesidehimmadeherfeelquitesick。Beforeshehadgotthethingsoffherthedooropened，andherhusbandenteredtheroom。
’Whatthedevil——’
Sheblushed，andremovedthem’Ifoundthemintheclosethere，’shesaid，’andputthemoninafreak。WhathaveIelsetodo？Youarealwaysaway！’
’Alwaysaway？Well……’
Thateveningshehadafurthertalkwiththelandlady，whomightherselfhavenourishedahalf-tenderregardforthepoet，soreadywasshetodiscourseardentlyabouthim。
