第16章

Shedrewawayherhandandswiftlyturnedbacktotheroad。

PhilipAmmon，wordless，startedtowardOnabashaonarun。

Elnoracrossedtheroad，climbedthefenceandsoughttheshelteroftheirownwoods。Shechoseadiagonalcourseandfollowedituntilshecametothepathleadingpastthevioletpatch。Shewentdownthishurriedly。

Herhandswereclenchedatherside，hereyesdryandbright，hercheeksred-flushed，andherbreathcomingfast。

Whenshereachedthepatchsheturnedintoitandstoodlookingaroundher。

Themossesweredry，theflowersgone，weedsafoothighcoveredit。Sheturnedawayandwentondownthepathuntilshewasalmostinsightofthecabin。

Mrs。ComstocksmiledandwaitedinthearbouruntilitoccurredtoherthatElnorawasalongtimecoming，soshewenttothegate。TheroadstretchedawaytowardtheLimberlostemptyandlonely。ThensheknewthatElnorahadgoneintotheirownwoodsandwouldcomeinthebackway。Shecouldnotunderstandwhythegirldidnothurrytoherwithwhatshewouldhavetotell。

Shewentoutandwanderedaroundthegarden。Thenshesteppedintothepathandstartedalongthewayleadingtothewoods，pastthepoolnowframedinathicksettingofyellowlilies。Thenshesaw，andstopped，gaspingforbreath。

Herhandsflewupandherlinedfacegrewghastly。

Shestaredattheskyandthenattheprostrategirlfigure。

Overandovershetriedtospeak，butonlyadrybreathcame。

Sheturnedandfledbacktothegarden。

Inthefamiliarenclosureshegazedaroundherlikeacagedanimalseekingescape。Thesunbeatdownonherbareheadmercilessly，andmechanicallyshemovedtotheshadeofahalf-grownhickorytreethatvoluntarilyhadsproutedbesidethemilkhouse。Atherfeetlayanaxewithwhichshemadekindlingsforfires。Shestoopedandpickeditup。Thememoryofthatpronefiguresobbinginthegrasscaughtherwitharenewedspasm。Sheshuthereyesasiftocloseitout。ThatmadehearingsoacuteshefeltcertainsheheardElnoramoaningbesidethepath。

Theeyesflewopen。Theylookedstraightatafewspindlingtomatoplantssettoonearthetreeandstuntedbyitsshade。Mrs。Comstockwhirledonthehickoryandswungtheaxe。Herhairshookdown，herclothingbecamedisarranged，intheheattheperspirationstreamed，butstrokefellonstrokeuntilthetreecrashedover，grazingacornerofthemilkhouseandsmashingthegardenfenceontheeast。

AtthesoundElnorasprangtoherfeetandcamerunningdownthegardenwalk。"Mother!"shecried。"Mother!

Whatintheworldareyoudoing?"

Mrs。Comstockwipedherghastlyfaceonherapron。

"I\'velaidouttocutthattreeforyears，"shesaid。

"Itshadesthebeetsinthemorning，andthetomatoesintheafternoon!"

Elnorautteredonewildlittlecryandfledintohermother\'sarms。"Ohmother!"shesobbed。"Willyoueverforgiveme?"

Mrs。Comstock\'sarmsswepttogetherinatightgriparoundElnora。

"Thereisn\'tathingonGod\'sfootstoolfromatoizzardIwon\'tforgiveyou，mypreciousgirl!"shesaid。"Tellmotherwhatitis!"

Elnoraliftedherwetface。"Hetoldme，"shepanted，"justassoonashedecentlycould——thatseconddayhetoldme。Almostallhislifehe\'sbeenengagedtoagirlathome。Henevercaredanythingaboutme。Hewasonlyinterestedinthemothsandgrowingstrong。"

Mrs。Comstock\'sarmstightened。Withashakinghandshestrokedthebrighthair。

"Tellme，honey，"shesaid。"Ishetoblameforasingleoneofthesetears?"

"Notone!"sobbedElnora。"Ohmother，Iwon\'tforgiveyouifyoudon\'tbelievethat。Notone!Heneversaid，orlooked，ordidanythingalltheworldmightnothaveknown。Helikesmeverymuchasafriend。

Hehatedtogodreadfully!"

"Elnora!"themother\'sheadbentuntilthewhitehairmingledwiththebrown。"Elnora，whydidn\'tyoutellmeatfirst?"

Elnoracaughtherbreathinasharpsnatch。"IknowIshould!"shesobbed。"Iwillbearanypunishmentfornot，butIdidn\'tfeelasifIpossiblycould。Iwasafraid。"

"Afraidofwhat?"theshakinghandwasonthehairagain。

"Afraidyouwouldn\'tlethimcome!"pantedElnora。

"Andoh，mother，Iwantedhimso!"

CHAPTERXVIII

WHEREINMRS。COMSTOCKEXPERIMENTSWITHREJUVENATION，ANDELNORATEACHESNATURALHISTORY

ForthefollowingweekMrs。ComstockandElnoraworkedsohardtherewasnotimetotalk，andtheywerecompelledtosleepfromphysicalexhaustion。

Neitherofthemmadeanypretenceofeating，fortheycouldnotswallowwithoutaneffort，sotheydrankmilkandworked。ElnorakeptonsettingbaitforCatacolaeandSphinginae，which，unlikethebigmothsofJune，liveseveralmonths。Shetookallthedragonfliesandbutterfliesshecould，andwhenshewentoverthelistforthemanofIndia，shefound，toheramazement，thatwithPhilip\'shelpsheoncemorehaditcompletesaveapairofYellowEmperors。

ThiscircumstancewassosurprisingshehadafleetingthoughtofwritingPhilipandaskinghimtoseeifhecouldnotsecureherapair。ShedidtelltheBirdWoman，whofromeverysourceathercommandtriedtocompletetheserieswiththesemoths，butcouldnotfindanyforsale。

"IthinkthemillsoftheGodsaregrindingthisgrist，"

saidElnora，"andwemightaswellwaitpatientlyuntiltheychoosetosendaYellowEmperor。"

Mrs。Comstockinventedwork。Whenshehadnothingmoretodo，shehoedinthegardenalthoughtheearthwashardanddryandtherewerenoplantsthatreallyneededattention。

ThencameanotificationthatElnorawouldbecompelledtoattendaweek\'ssessionoftheTeachers\'InstituteheldatthecountyseattwentymilesnorthofOnabashathefollowingweek。Thatgavethemsomethingofwhichtothinkandrealworktodo。Elnorawasrequestedtobringherviolin。Asshewasontheprogrammeofoneofthemostimportantsessionsforatalkonnatureworkingradeschools，shewasdriventoprepareherspeech，alsotoselectandpractisesomemusic。Hermotherturnedherattentiontoclothing。

TheywenttoOnabashatogetherandpurchasedasimpleandappropriatefallsuitandhat，goodsforadaintylittlecolouredfrock，andadressskirtandseveralfancywaists。

MargaretSintoncamedownandthesewingbegan。Wheneverythingwasfinishedandpacked，Elnorakissedhermothergood-byeatthedepot，andenteredthetrain。Mrs。Comstockwentintothewaiting-roomanddroppedintoaseattorest。Herheartwassosoreherwholeleftsidefelttender。Shewashalfstarvedforthefoodshehadnoappetitetotake。Shehadworkedindoggeddeterminationuntilshewasexhausted。

Foratimeshesimplysatandrested。Thenshebegantothink。

ShewasgladElnorahadgonewhereshewouldbecompelledtofixhermindonothermattersforafewdays。Sherememberedthegirlhadsaidshewantedtogo。

Schoolwouldbeginthefollowingweek。ShethoughtoverwhatElnorawouldhavetodotoaccomplishherworksuccessfully。Shewouldbecompelledtoariseatsixo\'clock，walkthreemilesthroughvaryingweather，leadthehighschoolorchestra，andthenputintheremainderofthedaytravellingfrombuildingtobuildingoverthecity，teachingaspecifiedlengthoftimeeveryweekineachroom。

Shemusthaveherobjectlessonsready，andshemustdoacertainamountofpractisingwiththeorchestra。Thenacoldlunchatnoon，andathree-milewalkatnight。

"Humph!"saidMrs。Comstock，"togetthroughthatthegirlwouldhavetobemadeofcast-iron。IwonderhowIcanhelpherbest?"

Shethoughtdeeply。

"Thelesssheseesofwhatshe\'sbeenhavingallsummer，thesoonershe\'llfeelbetteraboutit，"shemuttered。

Shearose，wenttothebankandinquiredforthecashier。

"IwanttoknowjusthowIamfixedhere，"shesaid。

Thecashierlaughed。"Youhaven\'tbeeninahurry，"

hereplied。"Wehavebeenreadyforyouanytimethesetwentyyears，butyoudidn\'tseemtopaymuchattention。

Youraccountisratherflourishing。Interest，whenitgetstocompounding，isquiteamoneybreeder。ComebackheretoatableandIwillshowyouyourbalances。"

Mrs。Comstocksankintoachairandwaitedwhilethecashierreadajumbleoffigurestoher。Itmeantthatherdepositshadexceededherexpensesfromonetothreehundreddollarsayear，accordingtothecattle，sheep，hogs，poultry，butter，andeggsshehadsold。

Theaggregateofthesesumshadbeencompoundinginterestthroughouttheyears。Mrs。Comstockstaredatthetotalwithdazedandunbelievingeyes。Throughhersickheartrushedtherealization，thatifshemerelyhadstoodbeforethatwicketandaskedonequestion，shewouldhaveknownthatallthosebitteryearsofskimpingforElnoraandherselfhadbeenunnecessary。Shearoseandwentbacktothedepot。

"Iwanttosendamessage，"shesaid。Shepickedupthepencil，andwithrashextravagance，wrote，"Foundmoneyatbankdidn\'tknowabout。Ifyouwanttogotocollege，comeonfirsttrainandgetready。"

Shehesitatedasecondandthenshesaidtoherselfgrimly，"Yes，I\'llpayforthat，too，"andrecklesslyadded，"Withlove，Mother。"Thenshesatwaitingfortheanswer。Itcameinlessthananhour。"Willteachthiswinter。Withdearestlove，Elnora。"

Mrs。Comstockheldthemessagealongtime。Whenshearoseshewasravenouslyhungry，butthepaininherheartwasalittleeasier。Shewenttoarestaurantandatesomefood，thentoadressmakerwheresheorderedfourdresses:twoveryplainevery-dayones，aserviceabledarkgrayclothsuit，andasoftlightgraysilkwithtouchesoflavenderandlace。ShemadeaheavylistofpurchasesatBrownlee\'s，andtheremainderofthedayshedidbusinessinherdirectandspiritedway。Atnightshewassotiredshescarcelycouldwalkhome，butshebuiltafireandcookedandateaheartymeal。

Latershewentoutbesidethewestfenceandgatheredanarmfuloftansywhichsheboiledtoathickgreentea。

Thenshestirredinoatmealuntilitwasastiffpaste。

Shespreadasheetoverherbedandbegantearingstripsofoldmuslin。Shebandagedeachhandandarmwiththemixtureandplasteredthesoggy，evil-smellingstuffinathickpoulticeoverherfaceandneck。Shewassotiredshewenttosleep，andwhensheawokeshewashalfskinned。

Shebathedherfaceandhands，didtheworkandwentbacktotown，cominghomeatnighttogothroughthesameprocess。

Bythethirdmorningshewasarawevenred，thefourthshehadfadedtoabrilliantpinkunderthesoothinginfluenceofacreamrecommended。ThatdaycamealetterfromElnorasayingthatshewouldremainwhereshewasuntilSaturdaymorning，andthencometoEllenBrownlee\'satOnabashaandstayfortheSaturday\'ssessionofteacherstoarrangetheiryear\'swork。

SundaywasEllen\'slastdayathome，andshewantedElnoraverymuch。ShehadtocalltogethertheorchestraandpractisethemSunday；andcouldnotcomehomeuntilafterschoolMondaynight。Mrs。Comstockatonceansweredthelettersayingthosearrangementssuitedher。

Thefollowingdayshewasapalepink，lateradelicateporcelainwhite。Thenshewenttoahairdresserandhadtheropeofsnowyhairwhichcoveredherscalpwashed，dressed，andfastenedwithsuchpinsandcombsasweredecidedtobemostbecoming。Shetooksamplesofherdresses，wenttoamilliner，andboughtastreethattomatchhersuit，andagraysatinwithlavenderorchidstowearwiththesilkdress。Herlastinvestmentwasaloosecoatofsoftgraybroadclothwithwhitelining，andtouchesoflavenderontheembroideredcollar，andgrayglovestomatch。

Thenshewenthome，restedandworkedbyturnsuntilMonday。Whenschoolclosedonthatevening，Elnora，sotiredshealmosttrembled，camedownthelongwalkafteralatesessionofteachers\'meeting，tobestoppedbyamessengerboy。

"There\'saladywantstoseeyoumostimportant。

Iamtotakeyoutotheplace，"hesaid。

Elnoragroaned。Shecouldnotimaginewhowantedher，buttherewasnothingtodobutfindout；tiredandanxioustoseehermotherasshewas。

"Thisistheplace，"saidtheboy，andwenthiswaywhistling。

Elnorawasthreeblocksfromthehighschoolbuildingonthesamestreet。Shewasbeforeaquaintoldhouse，freshwithpaintandcoveredwithvines。Therewasalongwidelot，grass-covered，closelysetwithtrees，andabarnandchickenparkatthebackthatseemedtobeoccupied。Elnorasteppedontheverandawhichwasfurnishedwithstrawrugs，bent-

hickorychairs，hangingbaskets，andatablewithawork-

boxandmagazines，andknockedatthescreendoor。

Insideshecouldseepolishedfloors，wallsfreshlypaperedinlow-tonedharmoniouscolours，strawrugsandmadrascurtains。

Itseemedtobearestful，homelikeplacetowhichshehadcome。

Asecondlaterdownanopenstairwaycameatall，dark-eyedwomanwithcheeksfaintlypinkandacrownoffluffysnow-

whitehair。Sheworealavenderginghamdresswithwhitecollarandcuffs，andshecalledassheadvanced:"Thatscreenisn\'tlatched!Openitandcomeseeyourbrand-newmother，mygirl。"

Elnorasteppedinsidethedoor。"Mother!"shecried。

"Youmymother!Idon\'tbelieveit!"

"Well，youbetter!"saidMrs。Comstock，"becauseit\'strue!YousaidyouwishedIwereliketheothergirls\'mothers，andI\'veshotasclosethemarkasIcouldwithoutanypractice。Ithoughtthatwalkwouldbetoomuchforyouthiswinter，soIjustrentedthishouseandmovedin，tobenearyou，andhelpmoreincaseI\'mneeded。

I\'veonlylivedhereaday，butIlikeitsowellI\'veamortalbignotiontobuytheplace。"

"Butmother!"protestedElnora，clingingtoherwonderingly。

"Youareperfectlybeautiful，andthishouseisalittleparadise，buthowwillweeverpayforit?Wecan\'taffordit!"

"Humph!HaveyouforgottenItelegraphedyouI\'dfoundsomemoneyIdidn\'tknowabout?AllI\'vedoneispaidfor，andplentymoretosettleforallI

proposetodo。"

Mrs。Comstockglancedaroundwithsatisfaction。

"Imaygethomesickasapupbeforespring，"shesaid，"butifIdoIcangoback。IfIdon\'t，I\'llsellsometimberandputafewoilwellswheretheydon\'tshowmuch。

Icanhavelandenoughclearedforafewfieldsandputatenantonourfarm，andwewillbuythisandsettlehere。

It\'sforsale。"

"Youdon\'tlookit，butyou\'vesurelygonemad!"

"Justthereverse，mygirl，"saidMrs。Comstock，"I\'vegonesane。Ifyouaregoingtoundertakethiswork，youmustbeconvenienttoit。Andyourmothershouldbewhereshecanseethatyouareproperlydressed，fed，andcaredfor。Thisisour——letmethink——reception-room。

Howdoyoulikeit?Thisdoorleadstoyourworkroomandstudy。

Ididn\'tdomuchtherebecauseIwasn\'tsureofmyway。

ButIknewyouwouldwantarug，curtains，table，shelvesforbooks，andacaseforyourspecimens，soIhadacarpentershelveandenclosethatendofit。Looksprettyneattome。Thedining-roomandkitchenareback，oneofthecowsinthebarn，andsomechickensinthecoop。

Iunderstandthatnoneoftheothergirls\'mothersmilkacow，soaneighbourboywilltendtooursforathirdofthemilk。Therearethreebedrooms，andabathupstairs。

Gotakeone，putonsomefreshclothes，andcometosupper。

Youcanfindyourroombecauseyourthingsareinit。"

Elnorakissedhermotheroverandover，andhurriedupstairs。

Sheidentifiedherroombythedressing-case。Therewereaprettyrug，andcurtains，whiteironbed，plainandrockingchairstomatchhercase，ashirtwaistchest，andthebigclosetwasfilledwithheroldclothingandseveralnewdresses。Shefoundthebathroom，bathed，dressedinfreshlinenandwentdowntoasupperthatwasanevidenceofMrs。Comstock\'shighestartincooking。

Elnorawassohungrysheateherfirstrealmealintwoweeks。

Butthebiteswentdownslowlybecausesheforgotabouttheminwatchinghermother。

"Howonearthdidyoudoit?"sheaskedatlast。"Ialwaysthoughtyouwerenaturallybrownasanut。"

"Oh，thatwastanandsunburn!"explainedMrs。Comstock。

"IalwaysknewIwaswhiteunderneathit。IhatedtoshademyfacebecauseIhadn\'tanythingbutasunbonnet，andIcouldn\'tstandforittotouchmyears，soIwentbareheadedandtookallthecolourIaccumulated。

ButwhenIbegantothinkofmovingyouintoyourwork，IsawImustputupanappearancethatwouldn\'tdisgraceyou，soIthoughtI\'dbestremovethecrust。Ittooksometime，andIhopeImaydiebeforeIeverendurethefeelandthesmellofthestuffIusedagain，butitskinnedmenicely。Whatyounowseeismyownwithalittledustofricepowder，forprotection。I\'msortoftenderyet。"

"Andyourlovely，lovelyhair?"breathedElnora。

"Hairdresserdidthat!"saidMrs。Comstock。"Itcostlikesmoke。ButIwatchedher，andwithalittlehelpfromyouIcanwashitalonenexttime，thoughitwillbehardwork。Ilethermonkeywithituntilshesaidshehadfound`mystyle。\'ThenItoreitdownandhadhershowmehowtobuilditupagainthreetimes。

Ithoughtmyarmswoulddrop。WhenIpaidthebillforherwork，thetimeI\'dtaken，thepins，andcombsshe\'dused，Inearlyhadheartfailure，butIdidn\'tturnahairbeforeher。Ijustsmiledathersweetlyandsaid，`Howreasonableyouare!\'Cometothinkofit，shewas!Shemighthavechargedmetendollarsforwhatshedidquiteaswellasnineseventy-five。Icouldn\'thavehelpedmyself。

Ihadmadenobargaintobeginon。"

ThenElnoraleanedbackinherchairandshouted，inagustofheartylaughter，soalittleoftheacheceasedinherbreast。Therewasnotimetothink，theremainderofthatevening，shewassotiredshehadtosleep，whilehermotherdidnotawakenheruntilshebarelyhadtimetodress，breakfastandreachschool。Therewasnothinginthenewlifetoremindheroftheold。Itseemedasiftherenevercameaminuteforretrospection，buthermotherappearedonthescenewithmorework，orsomeentertainingthingtodo。

Mrs。ComstockinvitedElnora\'sfriendstovisither，andprovedherselfabrightandinterestinghostess。

Shedigestedasubjectbeforeshespoke；andwhensheadvancedaview，herpointwassuretobeoriginalandterselyexpressed。Beforethreemonthspeoplewaitedtohearwhatshehadtosay。Shekeptherappearancesoinmindthatshemadeahandsomeandadistinguishedfigure。

ElnoranevermentionedPhilipAmmon，neitherdidMrs。Comstock。EarlyinDecembercameanoteandabigboxfromhim。Itcontainedseveralbooksonnaturesubjectswhichwouldbeofmuchhelpinschoolwork，anumberofconveniencesElnoracouldnotafford，andapairofglass-coveredplastercasts，foreachlargemothshehad。Inthesetheupperandunderwingsofmaleandfemaleshowed。Heexplainedthatshewouldbreakherspecimenseasily，carryingthemaroundinboxes。Hehadseentheseandthoughttheywouldbeofuse。Elnorawasdelightedwiththem，andatoncebeganthetediousprocessofsofteningthemountedmothsandfittingthemtothecastsmouldedtoreceivethem。Hertimewassotakeninschool，sheprogressedslowly，sohermotherundertookthiswork。Aftertryingoneortwoverycommononesshelearnedtohandlethemostdelicatewithease。Shetookkeenprideinrelaxingthetensemoths，fittingthemtothecases，polishingtheglasscoverstothelastdegreeandsealingthem。Theresultswerebeautifultobehold。

SoonafterElnorawrotetoPhilip:

DEARFRIEND:

Iamwritingtothankyouforthebooks，andtheboxofconveniencessentmeformywork。Icanuseeverythingwithfineresults。

HopeIamgivinggoodsatisfactioninmyposition。Youwillbeinterestedtolearnthatwhenthesummer\'sworkwasclassifiedandpinned，IagainhadmycompletecollectionforthemanofIndia，saveaYellowEmperor。IhavetriedeverywhereIknow，sohastheBirdWoman。Wecannotfindapairforsale。Fateisagainstme，atleastthisseason。Ishallhavetowaituntilnextyearandtryagain。

Thankyouverymuchforhelpingmewithmycollectionandforthebooksandcases。

Sincerelyyours，ELNORACOMSTOCK。

Philipwasdisappointedoverthatnoteandinsteadofkeepingithetoreitintobitsanddroppedthemintothewastebasket。

ThatwaspreciselywhatElnorahadintendedheshoulddo。

ChristmasbroughtbeautifulcardsofgreetingtoMrs。ComstockandElnora，Easterothers，andtheyearranrapidlytowardspring。Elnora\'spositionhadbeenintenselyabsorbing，whileshehadworkedwithallherpower。

Shehadmadeawonderfulsuccessandwonnewfriends。

Mrs。Comstockhadhelpedineverywayshecould，soshewasverypopularalso。

Throughoutthewintertheyhadenjoyedthecitythoroughly，andthechangeoflifeitafforded，butsignsofspringdidwonderfulthingstotheheartsofthecountry-bredwomen。

ArestlessnessbeganonbrightFebruarydays，calmedduringMarchstormsandattackedfullforceinApril。Whenneithercouldbearitanylongertheywereforcedtodiscussthematterandadmittheyweregrowingillwithpurehomesickness。

Theydecidedtokeepthecityhouseduringthesummer，buttoreturntothefarmtoliveassoonasschoolclosed。

SoMrs。Comstockwouldpreparebreakfastandlunchandthenslipawaytothefarmtomakeupbedsinherploughedgarden，plantseeds，trimandtendherflowers，andpreparethecabinforoccupancy。ThenshewouldgohomeandmaketheeveningascheerfulaspossibleforElnora；inthesedaysshelivedonlyforthegirl。

BothofthemweregladwhenthelastofMaycameandtheschoolsclosed。Theypackedthebooksandclothingtheywishedtotakeintoawagonandwalkedacrossthefieldstotheoldcabin。Astheyapproachedit，Mrs。ComstocksaidtoElnora:"Youaresureyouwon\'tbelonelyhere?"

Elnoraknewwhatshereallymeant。

"Quitesure，"shesaid。"ForatimelastfallIwasgladtobeaway，butthatallworeoutwiththewinter。

SpringmademehomesickasIcouldbe。Icanscarcelywaituntilwegetbackagain。"

Sotheybeganthatsummerastheyhadbegunallothers——withwork。Butbothofthemtookanewjoyineverything，andtheviolinsangbythehourinthetwilight。

CHAPTERXIX

WHEREINPHILIPAMMONGIVESABALLINHONOUROFEDITHCARR，ANDHARTHENDERSONAPPEARSONTHESCENE

EdithCarrstoodinavine-enclosedsideverandaoftheLakeShoreClubHousewaitingwhilePhilipAmmongavesomeimportantorders。InafewdaysshewouldsailforParistoselectawonderfultrousseaushehadplannedforhermarriageinOctober。To-nightPhilipwasgivingaclubdanceinherhonour。Hehadspentdaysindevisingnewandexquisiteeffectsindecorations，entertainment，andsupper。Weeksbeforethefavouredguestshadbeennotified。DaysbeforetheyhadreceivedtheinvitationsaskingthemtoparticipateinthisentertainmentbyPhilipAmmoninhonourofMissCarr。

Theyspokeofitas"Phil\'sdanceforEdith!"

Shecouldheartherumbleofcarriagesandthepantingofautomobilesasinasteadystreamtheyrolledtothefrontentrance。Shecouldcatchglimpsesoffloatingdraperiesofgauzeandlace，theflashofjewels，andthepassingofexquisitecolour。Everyonewasnewlyarrayedinherhonourintheloveliestclothing，andthemostexpensivejewelstheycouldcommand。Asshethoughtofitsheliftedherheadatriflehigherandhereyesflashedproudly。

ShewasrobedinaFrenchcreationsuggestedanddesignedbyPhilip。Hehadsaidtoher:"IknowacompetentjudgewhosaysthedistinctivefeatureofJuneisherexquisitebignightmoths。IwantyoutobetheveryessenceofJunethatnight，asyouwillbetheembodimentoflove。Beamoth。Themostbeautifulofthemiseitherthepale-greenLunaortheYellowImperialis。Bemymoonlady，ormygoldEmpress。"

Hetookhertothemuseumandshowedherthemoths。

Sheinstantlydecidedontheyellow。Becausesheknewtheshadeswouldmakehermorestartlinglybeautifulthananyothercolour。Tohimshesaid:"Amoonladyseemssofarawayandcold。Iwouldbeofearthandverynearonthatnight。IchoosetheEmpress。"

Soshematchedthecoloursexactly，wroteouttheideaandforwardedtheordertoPaquin。To-nightwhenPhilipAmmoncameforher，hestoodspeechlessaminuteandthensilentlykissedherhands。

Forshestoodtall，lithe，ofgraceinborn，herdarkwavinghairhighpiledandcrossedbygoldbandsstuddedwithamethystandatonesideanenamelledlavenderorchidrimmedwithdiamonds，whichflashedandsparkled。Thesoftyellowrobeoflightestweightvelvetfittedherformperfectly，whilefromeachshoulderfellagreatvelvetwinglinedwithlavender，andfleckedwithembroideryofthatcolourinimitationofthemoth。Aroundherthroatwasawonderfulnecklaceandonherarmswerebraceletsofgoldsetwithamethystandrimmedwithdiamonds。Philiphadsaidthathergloves，fan，andslippersmustbelavender，becausethefeetofthemothwerethatcolour。Theseaccessorieshadbeenmadetoorderandembroideredwithgold。Ithadbeenarrangedthathermother，Philip\'s，andafewbestfriendsshouldreceivehisguests。ShewastoappearwhensheledthegrandmarchwithPhilipAmmon。MissCarrwaspositivethatshewouldbethemostbeautiful，andmostexquisitelygownedwomanpresent。Inherheartshethoughtofherselfas"ImperialisRegalis，"astheYellowEmpress。

InafewmomentsshewouldstunherworldintofeelingitasPhilipAmmonhaddone，forshehadtakenpainsthatthehistoryofhercostumeshouldbewhisperedtoafewwhowouldgiveitcirculation。Sheliftedherheadproudlyandwaited，forwasnotPhilipplanningsomethingunusualandunsurpassedinherhonour?Thenshesmiled。

ButofallthefragmentarythoughtscrossingherbraintheonethatnevercamewasthatofPhilipAmmonastheEmperor。

Philipthekingofherheart；atleastherequalinallthings。

ShewastheEmpress——yes，Philipwasbutamereman，todeviseentertainments，toprovideluxuries，tohumourwhims，tokisshands!

"Ah，myluck!"criedavoicebehindher。

EdithCarrturnedandsmiled。

"Ithoughtyouwereontheocean，"shesaid。

"Ionlyreachedthedock，"repliedtheman，"whenIhadaletterthatrecalledmebythefirstlimited。"

"Oh!Importantbusiness?"

"Theonlybusinessofanyimportanceinalltheworldtome。I\'mtriumphantthatIcame。Edith，youarethemostsuperbwomanineveryrespectthatIhaveeverseen。

Oneglimpseisworththewholejourney。"

"Youlikemydress?"Shemovedtowardhimandturned，liftingherarms。"Doyouknowwhatitisintendedtorepresent?"

"Yes，PollyAmmontoldme。IknewwhenIheardaboutithowyouwouldlook，soIstartedasleuthhunt，togetthefirstpeep。Edith，Icanbecomeintoxicatedmerelywithlookingatyouto-night。"

Hehalf-closedhiseyesandsmilinglystaredstraightather。

Hewastallerthanshe，aleanman，withclose-croppedlighthair，steel-grayeyes，asquarechinand"manoftheworld"

writtenalloverhim。

EdithCarrflushed。"Ithoughtyourealizedwhenyouwentawaythatyouweretostopthat，HartHenderson，"

shecried。

"Idid，butthisletterofwhichItellyoucalledmebacktostartitalloveragain。"

Shecameastepcloser。"Whowrotethatletter，andwhatdiditcontainconcerningme?"shedemanded。

"Oneofyourmostintimatechumswroteit。ItcontainedthehazardthatpossiblyIhadgivenuptoosoon。ItsaidthatinafitofpetulanceyouhadbrokenyourengagementwithAmmontwicethiswinter，andhehadcomebackbecauseheknewyoudidnotreallymeanit。IthoughtdeeplythereonthedockwhenIreadthat，andmyboatsailedwithoutme。

Iarguedthatanythingsoweakasanengagementtwicebrokenandpatchedupagainwasamightyfrailaffairindeed，andlikelytosmashcompletelyatanytime，soIcameontherun。

IsaidonceIwouldnotseeyoumarryanyotherman。

BecauseIcouldnotbearit，Iplannedtogointoexileofanysorttoescapethat。Ihavechangedmymind。Ihavecomebacktohauntyouuntiltheceremonyisover。ThenIgo，notbefore。Iwasinsane!"

Thegirllaughedmerrily。"Nothalfsoinsaneasyouarenow，Hart!"shecriedgaily。"YouknowthatPhilipAmmonhasbeendevotedtomeallmylife。NowI\'lltellyousomethingelse，becausethislooksseriousforyou。

Ilovehimwithallmyheart。Notwhilehelivesshallheknowit，andIwilllaughathimifyoutellhim，butthefactremains:Iintendtomarryhim，butnodoubtIshallteasehimconstantly。It\'sgoodforamantobeuncertain。

IfyoucouldseePhilip\'sfaceatthequarterlyreturnofhisring，youwouldunderstandthefunofit。Youhadbetterhavetakenyourboat。"

"Possibly，"saidHendersoncalmly。"Butyouaretheonlywomanintheworldforme，andwhileyouarefree，asInowseemylight，Iremainnearyou。Youknowtheoldadage。"

"ButI\'mnot`free!\'"criedEdithCarr。"I\'mtellingyouIamnot。ThisnightismypublicacknowledgmentthatPhilandIarepromised，asourworldhassurmisedsincewewerechildren。Thatpromiseisanactualfact，becauseofwhatIjusthavetoldyou。Mylittlefitsoftemperdon\'tcountwithPhil。He\'sbeenrearedonthem。

Infact，Iofteninventoneinaperfectcalmtoseehimperform。Heisthemostamusingspectacle。But，please，please，dounderstandthatIlovehim，andalwaysshall，andthatweshallbemarried。"

"Justthesame，I\'llwaitandseeitanaccomplishedfact，"saidHenderson。"AndEdith，becauseIloveyou，withthesortofloveitisworthawoman\'swhiletoinspire，Iwantyourhappinessbeforemyown。SoI

amgoingtosaythistoyou，forIneverdreamedyouwerecapableofthefeelingyouhavedisplayedforPhil。

Ifyoudolovehim，andhavelovedhimalways，adisappointmentwouldcutyoudeeperthanyouknow。

Gocarefulfromnowon!Don\'tstrainthatpatchedengagementofyoursanyfurther。I\'veknownPhilipallmylife。I\'veknownhimthroughboyhood，incollege，andsince。Allmenrespecthim。Wheretherestofusconfessoursins，hestandsclean。Youcangotohisarmswithnothingtoforgive。Markthisthing!Ihaveheardhimsay，`Edithismyslogan，\'andIhaveseenhimmarchhomestronginthestrengthofhisloveforyou，inthefaceoftemptationsbeforewhicheveryothermanofusfell。

Beforethegods!thatoughttobeworthsomethingtoagirl，ifshereallyisthedelicate，sensitive，refinedthingshewouldhavemanbelieve。Itwouldtakeawomanwiththeorganismofanostrichtoenduresomeofthemenhereto-night，ifsheknewthemasIdo；butPhilissoundtothecore。SothisiswhatIwouldsaytoyou:first，yourinstinctsarerightinlovinghim，whynotlethimfeelitinthewaysawomanknows?

Second，don\'tbreakyourengagementagain。Asmenknowtheman，anyofuswouldbeafraidtothesoul。

Helovesyou，yes!Heislong-sufferingforyou，yes!

Butmenknowhehasalimit。Whenthelimitisreached，hewillstandfast，andallthepowerscan\'tmovehim。Youdon\'tseemtothinkit，butyoucangotoofar!"

"Isthatall?"laughedEdithCarrsarcastically。

"No，thereisonethingmore，"saidHenderson。"Hereorhere-after，nowandsolongasIbreathe，Iamyourslave。

YoucandoanythingyouchooseandknowthatIwillkneelbeforeyouagain。Socarrythisinthedepthsofyourheart；noworatanytime，inanyplaceorcondition，merelyliftyourhand，andIwillcome。Anythingyouwantofme，thatthingwillIdo。Iamgoingtowait；ifyouneedme，itisnotnecessarytospeak；onlygivemethefaintestsign。AllyourlifeIwillbesomewherenearyouwaitingforit。"

"Idjit!Yourave!"laughedEdithCarr。"Howyouwouldfrightenme!Whatabugbearyouwouldraise!

BesensibleandgofindwhatkeepsPhil。Iwaswaitingpatiently，butmypatienceisgoing。Iwon\'tlooknearlysowellasIdonowwhenitisgone。"

AtthatinstantPhilipAmmonentered。Hewasinfulleveningdressandexceptionallyhandsome。

"Everythingisready，"hesaid；"theyarewaitingforustoleadthemarch。Itisformed。"

EdithCarrsmiledentrancingly。"DoyouthinkIamready?"

Philiplookedwhathethought，andofferedhisarm。

EdithCarrnoddedcarelesslytoHartHenderson，andmovedaway。AttendantspartedthecurtainsandtheYellowEmpressbowingrightandleft，sweptthelengthoftheballroomandtookherplaceattheheadoftheformedprocession。Thelargeopendancingpavilionwasdrapedwithyellowsilkcaughtupwithlilacflowers。

Everycornerwasfilledwithbloomofthosecolours。

Themusicwasplayedbyharpersdressedinyellowandviolet，sotheballopened。

Themidnightsupperwasservedwiththesamecoloursandthelasthalfoftheprogrammewasbeingdanced。

NeverhadgirlbeenmorecomplimentedandpettedinthesamelengthoftimethanEdithCarr。Everyminutesheseemedtogrowmoreworthyofpraise。Apartners\'

dancewascalledandthefloorwasfilledwithcoupleswaitingforthemusic。PhilipstoodwhisperingdelightfulthingstoEdithfacinghim。Fromoutofthenight，inatthewidefrontentrancetothepavilion，theresweptinslowwaveringflightalargeyellowmothandflutteredtowardthecentreclusterofglaringelectriclights。

PhilipAmmonandEdithCarrsawitatthesameinstant。

"Why，isn\'tthat——?"shebeganexcitedly。

"It\'saYellowEmperor!Thisisfate!"criedPhilip。

"ThelastoneElnoraneedsforhercollection。Imusthaveit!Excuseme!"

Herantowardthelight。"Hats!Handkerchiefs!Fans!

Anything!"hepanted。"Everyoneholdupsomethingandstopthat!It\'samoth；I\'vegottocatchit!"

"It\'syellow!HewantsitforEdith!"raninamurmuraroundthehall。Thegirl\'sfaceflushed，whileshebitherlipsinvexation。

Instantlyeveryonebeganholdingupsomethingtokeepthemothfromflyingbackintothenight。Onefanheldstraightbeforeitserved，andthemothgentlysettledonit。

"Holdsteady!"criedPhilip。"Don\'tmoveforyourlife!"

Herushedtowardthemoth，madeaquicksweepandhelditupbetweenhisfingers。"Allright!"hecalled。"Thanks，everyone!Excusemeaminute。"

Herantotheoffice。