第4章

"No；we\'venotimetowaste。I\'vegotaplacenearThirdAvenue，onanicecrossstreet，andIwanthimtotakeusthere。"Itprovedthatshehadseveraladdressesneartogether，anditseemedbesttodismisstheircoupeanddotherestoftheirafternoon\'sworkonfoot。Itcametonothing；shewasnothumbledintheleastbywhatshehadseeninthetenement-housestreet；sheyieldednopointinheridealofaflat，andtheflatspersistentlyrefusedtolendthemselvestoit。Shelostallpatiencewiththem。

"Oh，Idon\'tsaytheflatsareintherightofit，"saidherhusband，whenshedenouncedtheirstupidinadequacytothepurposesofaChristianhome。"ButI\'mnotsosurethatweare，either。I\'vebeenthinkingaboutthathomebusinesseversincemysensibilitiesweredragged——inacoupe——throughthattenement-housestreet。Ofcourse，nochildbornandbroughtupinsuchaplaceasthatcouldhaveanyconceptionofhome。

Butthat\'sbecausethosepoorpeoplecan\'tgivecharactertotheirhabitations。Theyhavetotakewhattheycanget。Butpeoplelikeus——

thatis，ofourmeans——dogivecharactertotheaverageflat。It\'smadetomeettheirtastes，ortheirsupposedtastes；andsoit\'smadeforsocialshow，notforfamilylifeatall。Thinkofababyinaflat!

It\'sacontradictioninterms；theflatisthenegationofmotherhood。

Theflatmeanssocietylife；thatis，thepretenceofsociallife。It\'smadetogiveartificialpeopleasocietybasisonalittlemoney——toomuchmoney，ofcourse，forwhattheyget。Sothecostofthebuildingisputintomarblehallsandidioticdecorationofallkinds。Idon\'t。

objecttotheconveniences，butnoneoftheseflatshasaliving-room。

Theyhavedrawing-roomstofostersocialpretence，andtheyhavedining-

roomsandbedrooms；buttheyhavenoroomwherethefamilycanallcometogetherandfeelthesweetnessofbeingafamily。Thebedroomsareblack-holesmostly，withasinfulwasteofspaceineach。Ifitwerenotforthemarblehalls，andthedecorations，andthefoolishlyexpensivefinish，thehousescouldbebuiltroundacourt，andtheflatscouldbeshapedsomethinglikeaPompeiianhouse，withsmallsleeping-closets——

onlylitfromtheoutside——andtherestofthefloorthrownintotwoorthreelargecheerfulhalls，whereallthefamilylifecouldgoon，andsocietycouldbetransactedunpretentiously。Why，thosetenementsarebetterandhumanerthanthoseflats!Therethewholefamilylivesinthekitchen，andhasitsconsciousnessofbeing；buttheflatabolishesthefamilyconsciousness。It\'sconfinementwithoutcoziness；it\'sclutteredwithoutbeingsnug。Youcouldn\'tkeepaself-respectingcatinaflat；

youcouldn\'tgodowncellartogetcider。No!theAnglo-Saxonhome，asweknowitintheAnglo-Saxonhouse，issimplyimpossibleintheFranco-

Americanflat，notbecauseit\'shumble，butbecauseit\'sfalse。"

"Well，then，"saidMrs。March，"let\'slookathouses。"

Hehadbeendenouncingtheflatintheabstract，andhehadnotexpectedthisconcreteresult。Buthesaid，"Wewilllookathouses，then。"

X。

Nothingmystifiesamanmorethanawoman\'saberrationsfromsomepointatwhichhe，supposesherfixedasastar。Intheseunfurnishedhouses，withoutsteamorelevator，Marchfollowedhiswifeaboutwithpatientwonder。Sheratherlikedtheworstofthembest:butshemadehimgodownintothecellarsandlookatthefurnaces；sheexactedfromhimarigidinquestoftheplumbing。Shefollowedhimintooneofthecellarsbythefitfulglareofsuccessivelylightedmatches，andtheyenjoyedamomentinwhichtheanomalyoftheirpresencethereonthaterrand，soremotefromallthefactsoftheirlong-establishedlifeinBoston，realizeditselfforthem。

"Thinkhoweasilywemighthavebeenmurderedandnobodybeenanythewiser!"shesaidwhentheywerecomfortablyoutdoorsagain。

"Yes，ormadewaywithourselvesinanaccessofemotionalinsanity，supposedtohavebeeninducedbyunavailingflat-hunting，"hesuggested。

Shefellinwiththenotion。"I\'mbeginningtofeelcrazy。ButIdon\'twantyoutoloseyourhead，Basil。AndIdon\'twantyoutosentimentalizeanyofthethingsyouseeinNewYork。Ithinkyouweredisposedtodoitinthatstreetwedrovethrough。Idon\'tbelievethere\'sanyrealsuffering——notrealsuffering——amongthosepeople；thatis，itwouldbesufferingfromourpointofview，butthey\'vebeenusedtoitalltheirlives，andtheydon\'tfeeltheir\'discomfortsomuch。"

"Ofcourse，Iunderstandthat，andIdon\'tproposetosentimentalizethem。Ithinkwhenpeoplegetusedtoabadstateofthingstheyhadbettersticktoit；infact，theydon\'tusuallylikeabetterstatesowell，andIshallkeepthatfirmlyinmind。"

Shelaughedwithhim，andtheywalkedalongtheLbestriddenavenue，exhilaratedbytheirescapefrommurderandsuicideinthatcellar，towardthenearestcrosstowntrack，whichtheymeanttotakehometotheirhotel。"Nowto-nightwewillgotothetheatre，"shesaid，"andgetthiswholehousebusinessoutofourminds，andbeperfectlyfreshforanewstartinthemorning。"Suddenlysheclutchedhisarm。"Why，didyouseethatman?"andshesignedwithherheadtowardadecentlydressedpersonwhowalkedbesidethem，nextthegutter，stoopingoverasiftoexamineit，andhalfhaltingattimes。

"No。What?"

"Why，Isawhimpickupadirtybitofcrackerfromthepavementandcramitintohismouthandeatitdownasifhewerefamished。Andlook!he\'sactuallyhuntingformoreinthosegarbageheaps!"

Thiswaswhatthedecent-lookingmanwiththehardhandsandbrokennailsofaworkmanwasdoing-likeahungrydog。Theykeptupwithhim，inthefascinationofthesight，tothenextcorner，whereheturneddownthesidestreetstillsearchingthegutter。

Theywalkedonafewpaces。ThenMarchsaid，"Imustgoafterhim，"andlefthiswifestanding。

"Areyouinwant——hungry?"heaskedtheman。

ThemansaidhecouldnotspeakEnglish，Monsieur。

MarchaskedhisquestioninFrench。

Themanshruggedapitiful，desperateshrug，"Mais，Monsieur——"

Marchputacoininhishand，andthensuddenlytheman\'sfacetwistedup；hecaughtthehandofthisalms-giverinbothofhisandclungtoit。

"Monsieur!Monsieur!"hegasped，andthetearsraineddownhisface。

Hisbenefactorpulledhimselfaway，shockedandashamed，asoneisbysuchachance，andgotbacktohiswife，andthemanlapsedbackintothemysteryofmiseryoutofwhichhehademerged。

Marchfeltitlaiduponhimtoconsolehiswifeforwhathadhappened。

"Ofcourse，wemightlivehereforyearsandnotseeanothercaselikethat；and，ofcourse，therearetwentyplaceswherehecouldhavegoneforhelpifhehadknownwheretofindthem。"

"Ah，butit\'sthepossibilityofhisneedingthehelpsobadlyasthat，"

sheanswered。"That\'swhatIcan\'tbear，andIshallnotcometoaplacewheresuchthingsarepossible，andwemayaswellstopourhouse-huntinghereatonce。"

"Yes?AndwhatpartofChristendomwillyoulivein?Suchthingsarepossibleeverywhereinourconditions。"

"Thenwemustchangetheconditions——"

"Ohno；wemustgotothetheatreandforgetthem。WecanstopatBrentano\'sforourticketsaswepassthroughUnionSquare。"

"Iamnotgoingtothetheatre，Basil。IamgoinghometoBostonto-

night。Youcanstayandfindaflat。"

Heconvincedheroftheabsurdityofherposition，andevenofitsselfishness；butshesaidthathermindwasquitemadeupirrespectiveofwhathadhappened，thatshehadbeenawayfromthechildrenlongenough；

thatsheoughttobeathometofinishuptheworkofleavingit。Thewordbroughtasigh。"Ah，Idon\'tknowwhyweshouldseenothingbutsadanduglythingsnow。Whenwewereyoung——"

"Younger，"heputin。"We\'restillyoung。"

"That\'swhatwepretend，butweknowbetter。ButIwasthinkinghowprettyandpleasantthingsusedtobeturningupallthetimeonourtravelsintheolddays。Why，whenwewereinNewYorkhereonourweddingjourneytheplacedidn\'tseemhalfsodirtyasitdoesnow，andnoneofthesedismalthingshappened。"

"Itwasagooddealdirtier，"heanswered；"andIfancyworseineveryway-hungrier，raggeder，morewretchedlyhoused。Butthatwasn\'ttheperiodoflifeforustonoticeit。Don\'tyouremember，whenwestartedtoNiagarathelasttime，howeverybodyseemedmiddle-agedandcommonplace；andwhenwegottheretherewerenoevidentbrides；nothingbutelderlymarriedpeople?"

"Atleasttheyweren\'tstarving，"sherebelled。

"No，youdon\'tstarveinparlor-carsandfirst-classhotels；butifyoustepoutofthemyourunyourchanceofseeingthosewhodo，ifyou\'regettingonprettywellintheforties。Ifit\'stheunhappywhoseeunhappiness，thinkwhatmiserymustberevealedtopeoplewhopasstheirlivesinthereallysqualidtenement-housestreets——Idon\'tmeanpicturesqueavenueslikethatwepassedthrough。"

"Butwearenotunhappy，"sheprotested，bringingthetalkbacktothepersonalbaseagain，aswomenmusttogetanygoodoutoftalk。"We\'rereallynounhappierthanwewerewhenwewereyoung。"

"We\'remoreserious。"

"Well，Ihateit；andIwishyouwouldn\'tbesoserious，ifthat\'swhatitbringsusto。"

"Iwillbetrivialfromthison，"saidMarch。"ShallwegototheHoleintheGroundto-night?"

"IamgoingtoBoston。"

"It\'smuchthesamething。Howdoyoulikethatfortriviality?It\'salittleblasphemous，I\'llallow。"

"It\'sverysilly，"shesaid。

AtthehoteltheyfoundaletterfromtheagentwhohadsentthemthepermittoseeMrs。GrosvenorGreen\'sapartment。Hewrotethatshehadheardtheywerepleasedwithherapartment，andthatshethoughtshecouldmakethetermstosuit。ShehadtakenherpassageforEurope，andwasveryanxioustolettheflatbeforeshesailed。Shewouldcallthateveningatseven。

"Mrs。GrosvenorGreen!"saidMrs。March。"Whichofthetenthousandflatsisit，Basil?"

"Thegimcrackery，"heanswered。"IntheXenophon，youknow。"

"Well，shemaysaveherselfthetrouble。Ishallnotseeher。Oryes——

Imust。Icouldn\'tgoawaywithoutseeingwhatsortofcreaturecouldhaveplannedthatfly-awayflat。Shemustbeaperfect——"

"Parachute，"Marchsuggested。

"No!anybodysolightasthatcouldn\'tcomedown。"

"Well，toyballoon。"

"Toyballoonwilldoforthepresent，"Mrs。Marchadmitted。"ButIfeelthatnaughtbutherselfcanbeherparallelforvolatility。"

WhenMrs。Grosvenor-Green\'scardcameuptheybothdescendedtothehotelparlor，whichMarchsaidlookedlikethesaloonofaMoorishday-boat；

notthatheknewofanysuchcraft，butthedecorationsweresoSaracenicandthearchitecturesoHudsonRiverish。Theyfoundthereonthegrandcentraldivanalargeladywhosevastsmoothness，placidity，andplumpnesssetatdefiancealltheirpreconceptionsofMrs。GrosvenorGreen，sothatMrs。Marchdistinctlypausedwithhercardinherhandbeforeventuringevententativelytoaddressher。Thenshewasastonishedatthelow，calmvoiceinwhichMrs。Greenacknowledgedherself，andslowlyproceededtoapologizeforcalling。ItwasnotquitetruethatshehadtakenherpassageforEurope，butshehopedsoontodoso，andsheconfessedthatinthemeantimeshewasanxioustoletherflat。Shewasalittlewornoutwiththecareofhousekeeping——

Mrs。Marchbreathed，"Ohyes!"inthesighwithwhichladiesrecognizeoneanother\'smartyrdom——andMrs。Greenhadbusinessabroad，andshewasgoingtopursueherartstudiesinParis；shedrewinMr。Ilcomb\'sclassnow，buttheinstructionwassomuchbetterinParis；andasthesuperintendentseemedtothinkthepricewastheonlyobjection，shehadventuredtocall。

"Thenwedidn\'tdeceivehimintheleast，"thoughtMrs。March，whilesheanswered，sweetly:"No；wewereonlyafraidthatitwouldbetoosmallforourfamily。Werequireagoodmanyrooms。"Shecouldnotforegotheopportunityofsaying，"MyhusbandiscomingtoNewYorktotakechargeofaliteraryperiodical，andhewillhavetohavearoomtowritein，"

whichmadeMrs。GreenbowtoMarch，andmadeMarchlooksheepish。"Butwedidthinktheapartmentverycharming"，(Itwasarchitecturallycharming，sheprotestedtoherconscience)，"andweshouldhavebeensogladifwecouldhavegotintoit。"Shefollowedthiswithsomeaccountoftheirhouse-hunting，amidsoftmurmursofsympathyfromMrs。Green，whosaidthatshehadbeenthroughallthat，andthatifshecouldhaveshownherapartmenttothemshefeltsurethatshecouldhaveexplaineditsothattheywouldhaveseenitscapabilitiesbetter，Mrs。Marchassentedtothis，andMrs。Greenaddedthatiftheyfoundnothingexactlysuitableshewouldbegladtohavethemlookatitagain；andthenMrs。

MarchsaidthatshewasgoingbacktoBostonherself，butshewasleavingMr。Marchtocontinuethesearch；andshehadnodoubthewouldbeonlytoogladtoseetheapartmentbydaylight。"Butifyoutakeit，Basil，"

shewarnedhim，whentheywerealone，"Ishallsimplyrenounceyou。I

wouldn\'tliveinthatjunk-shopifyougaveittome。Butwhowouldhavethoughtshewasthatkindoflookingperson?ThoughofcourseImighthaveknownifIhadstoppedtothinkonce。It\'sbecausetheplacedoesn\'texpressheratallthatit\'ssounlikeher。Itcouldn\'tbelikeanybody，oranythingthatfliesintheair，orcreepsupontheearth，orswimsinthewatersundertheearth。Iwonderwhereintheworldshe\'sfrom；she\'snoNew-Yorker；evenwecanseethat；andshe\'snotquiteacountryperson，either；sheseemslikeapersonfromsomelargetown，whereshe\'sbeenanaestheticauthority。Andshecan\'tfindgoodenoughartinstructioninNewYork，andhastogotoParisforit!Well，it\'spathetic，afterall，Basil。Ican\'thelpfeelingsorryforapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。"

"Ican\'thelpfeelingsorryforthehusbandofapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。WhatisMr。GrosvenorGreengoingtodoinPariswhileshe\'sworkingherwayintotheSalon?"

"Well，youkeepawayfromherapartment，Basil；that\'sallI\'vegottosaytoyou。AndyetIdolikesomethingsabouther。"

"Ilikeeverythingaboutherbutherapartment，"saidMarch。

"Ilikehergoingtobeoutofthecountry，"saidhiswife。"Weshouldn\'tbeoverlooked。Andtheplacewasprettilyshaped，youcan\'tdenyit。Andtherewasanelevatorandsteamheat。Andthelocationisveryconvenient。Andtherewasahall-boytobringupcards。Thehallsandstairswerekeptverycleanandnice。Butitwouldn\'tdo。Icouldputyouafoldingbedintheroomwhereyouwrote，andwecouldevenhaveoneintheparlor"

"Behindaportiere?Icouldn\'tstandanymoreportieres!"

"Andwecouldsqueezethetwogirlsintooneroom，orperhapsonlybringMargaret，andputoutthewholeofthewash。Basil!"shealmostshrieked，"itisn\'ttobethoughtof!"

Heretorted，"I\'mnotthinkingofit，mydear。"

FulkersoncameinjustbeforetheystartedforMrs。March\'strain，tofindoutwhathadbecomeofthem，hesaid，andtoseewhethertheyhadgotanythingtoliveinyet。

"Notathing，"shesaid。"AndI\'mjustgoingbacktoBoston，andleavingMr。Marchheretodoanythinghepleasesaboutit。Hehas\'carteblanche。\'"

"Butfreedombringsresponsibility，youknow，Fulkerson，andit\'sthesameasifI\'dnochoice。I\'mstayingbehindbecauseI\'mleft，notbecauseIexpecttodoanything。"

"Isthatso?"askedFulkerson。"Well，wemustseewhatcanbedone。I

supposedyouwouldbeallsettledbythistime，orIshouldhavehumpedmyselftofindyousomething。NoneofthoseplacesIgaveyouamountstoanything?"

"Asmuchasfortythousandotherswe\'velookedat，"saidMrs。March。

"Yes，oneofthemdoesamounttosomething。ItcomessonearbeingwhatwewantthatI\'vegivenMr。Marchparticularinstructionsnottogonearit。"

ShetoldhimaboutMrs。GrosvenorGreenandherflats，andattheendhesaid:

"Well，well，wemustlookoutforthat。I\'llkeepaneyeonhim，Mrs。

March，andseethathedoesn\'tdoanythingrash，andIwon\'tleavehimtillhe\'sfoundjusttherightthing。Itexists，ofcourse；itmustinacityofeighteenhundredthousandpeople，andtheonlyquestioniswheretofindit。Youleavehimtome，Mrs。March；I\'llwatchoutforhim。"

Fulkersonshowedsomesignsofgoingtothestationwhenhefoundtheywerenotdriving，butshebadehimaperemptorygood-byeatthehoteldoor。

"He\'sverynice，Basil，andhiswaywithyouisperfectlycharming。

It\'sverysweettoseehowreallyfondofyouheis。ButIdidn\'twanthimstringingalongwithusuptoForty-secondStreetandspoilingourlastmomentstogether。"

AtThirdAvenuetheytooktheElevatedforwhichsheconfessedaninfatuation。Shedeclareditthemostidealwayofgettingaboutintheworld，andwasnotashamedwhenheremindedherofhowsheusedtosaythatnothingunderthesuncouldinducehertotravelonit。Shenowsaidthatthenighttransitwasevenmoreinterestingthantheday，andthatthefleeingintimacyyouformedwithpeopleinsecondandthirdfloorinteriors，whilealltheusualstreetlifewentonunderneath，hadadomesticintensitymixedwithaperfectreposethatwasthelasteffectofgoodsocietywithallitssecurityandexclusiveness。Hesaiditwasbetterthanthetheatre，ofwhichitremindedhim，toseethosepeoplethroughtheirwindows:afamilypartyofwork-folkatalatetea，someofthemenintheirshirt-sleeves；awomansewingbyalamp；amotherlayingherchildinitscradle；amanwithhisheadfallenonhishandsuponatable；agirlandherloverleaningoverthewindow-silltogether。Whatsuggestion!whatdrama?whatinfiniteinterest!AttheForty-secondStreetstationtheystoppedaminuteonthebridgethatcrossesthetracktothebranchroadfortheCentralDepot，andlookedupanddownthelongstretchoftheElevatedtonorthandsouth。Thetrackthatfoundandlostitselfathousandtimesintheflareandtremoroftheinnumerablelights；themoonysheenoftheelectricsmixingwiththereddishpointsandblotsofgasfarandnear；thearchitecturalshapesofhousesandchurchesandtowers，rescuedbytheobscurityfromallthatwasignobleinthem，andthecomingandgoingofthetrainsmarkingthestationswithvividerorfainterplumesofflame-shotsteam-formedanincomparableperspective。Theyoftentalkedafterwardofthesuperbspectacle，whichinacityfullofpaintersnightlyworksitsunrecordedmiracles；andtheywerejusttotheArachneroofspuninironoverthecrossstreetonwhichtheyrantothedepot；butforthepresenttheyweremostlyinarticulatebeforeit。TheyhadanothermomentofrichsilencewhentheypausedinthegallerythatleadsfromtheElevatedstationtothewaiting-roomsintheCentralDepotandlookeddownuponthegreatnighttrainslyingonthetracksdimundertherainofgas-lightsthatstarredwithoutdispersingthevastdarknessoftheplace。Whatforces，whatfates，sleptinthesebulkswhichwouldsoonbehurlingthemselvesnorthandsouthandwestthroughthenight!NowtheywaitedtherelikefabledmonstersofArabstoryreadyforthemagician\'stouch，tractable，reckless，will-less——organizedlifelessnessfullofastrangesemblanceoflife。

TheMarchesadmiredtheimpressivesightwithathrillofpatrioticprideinthefactthatthewholeworldperhapscouldnotaffordjustthelike。

Thentheyhurrieddowntotheticket-offices，andhegotheralowerberthintheBostonsleeper，andwentwithhertothecar。Theymadethemostofthefactthatherberthwasintheverymiddleofthecar；andshepromisedtowriteassoonasshereachedhome。Shepromisedalsothat，havingseenthelimitationsofNewYorkinrespecttoflats，shewouldnotbehardonhimifhetooksomethingnotquiteideal。OnlyhemustrememberthatitwasnottobeaboveTwentiethStreetnorbelowWashingtonSquare；itmustnotbehigherthanthethirdfloor；itmusthaveanelevator，steamheat，hail-boys，andapleasantjanitor。Thesewereessentials；ifhecouldnotgetthem，thentheymustdowithout。

Buthemustgetthem。

XI。

Mrs。Marchwasoneofthosewiveswhoexactamorerigidadherencetotheiridealsfromtheirhusbandsthanfromthemselves。Earlyintheirmarriedlifeshehadtakenchargeofhiminallmatterswhichsheconsideredpractical。Shedidnotincludethebusinessofbread-winninginthese；thatwasanaffairthatmightsafelybelefttohisabsent-

minded，dreamyinefficiency，andshedidnotinterferewithhimthere。

Butinsuchthingsasrehangingthepictures，decidingonasummerboarding-place，takingaseasidecottage，repaperingrooms，choosingseatsatthetheatre，seeingwhatthechildrenatewhenshewasnotattable，shuttingthecatoutatnight，keepingrunofcallsandinvitations，andseeingifthefurnacewasdampered，hehadfailedhersooftenthatshefeltshecouldnotleavehimtheslightestdiscretioninregardtoaflat。Hertotaldistrustofhisjudgmentinthematterscitedandotherslikethemconsistedwiththegreatestadmirationofhismindandrespectforhischaracter。Sheoftensaidthatifhewouldonlybringthesetobearinsuchexigencieshewouldbesimplyperfect；butshehadlonggivenuphiseverdoingso。Shesubjectedhim，therefore，toanironcode，butafterproclaimingitshewasapttoabandonhimtothenativelawlessnessofhistemperament。Sheexpectedhiminthiseventtodoashepleased，andsheresignedherselftoitwithconsiderablecomfortinholdinghimaccountable。Helearnedtoexpectthis，andaftersufferingkeenlyfromherdisappointmentwithwhateverhedidhewaitedpatientlytillsheforgothergrievanceandbegantoextractwhatconsolationlurksintheirreparable。Shewouldalmostadmitatmomentsthatwhathehaddonewasaverygoodthing，butshereservedtherighttoreturninfullforcetoheroriginalcondemnationofit；andsheaccumulatedeachactofindependentvolitioninwitnessandwarningagainsthim。Theirmassoppressedbutneverdeterredhim。

Heexpectedtodothewrongthingwhenlefttohisowndevices，andhediditwithoutanyapparentrecollectionofhisformermisdeedsandtheirconsequences。Therewasagooddealofcomedyinitall，andsometragedy。

Henowexperiencedacertainexpansion，suchashusbandsofhiskindwillimagine，ongoingbacktohishotelalone。Itwas，perhaps，arevulsionfromthepainofparting；andhetoyedwiththeideaofMrs。GrosvenorGreen\'sapartment，which，initspreposterousunsuitability，hadastrangeattraction。Hefeltthathecouldtakeitwithlessriskthananythingelsetheyhadseen，buthesaidhewouldlookatalltheotherplacesintownfirst。Hereallyspentthegreaterpartofthenextdayinhuntinguptheownerofanapartmentthathadneithersteamheatnoranelevator，butwasotherwiseperfect，andtryingtogethimtotakelessthantheagentasked。Byacuriouspsychicaloperationhewasable，inthetransaction，toworkhimselfintoquiteapassionatedesirefortheapartment，whileheheldtheGrosvenorGreenapartmentinthebackgroundofhismindassomethingthathecouldreturntoasaltogethermoresuitable。Heconductedsomesimultaneousnegotiationforafurnishedhouse，whichenhancedstillmorethedesirabilityoftheGrosvenorGreenapartment。Towardeveninghewentoffatatangentfarup-town，soastobeabletotellhiswifehowutterlypreposterousthebesttherewouldbeascomparedevenwiththisridiculousGrosvenorGreengimcrackery。Itishardtoreporttheprocessesofhissophistication；

perhapsthis，again，maybestbelefttothemaritalimagination。

Herangatthelastoftheseup-townapartmentsasitwasfallingdusk，anditwaslongbeforethejanitorappeared。Thenthemanwasverysurly，andsaidifhelookedattheflatnowhewouldsayitwastoodark，likealltherest。HisreluctanceirritatedMarchinproportiontohisinsincerityinproposingtolookatitatall。Heknewhedidnotmeantotakeitunderanycircumstances；thathewasgoingtousehisinspectionofitindishonestjustificationofhisdisobediencetohiswife；butheputonanairofoffendeddignity。"Ifyoudon\'twishtoshowtheapartment，"hesaid，"Idon\'tcaretoseeit。"

Themangroaned，forhewasheavy，andnodoubtdreadedthestairs。Hescratchedamatchonhisthigh，andledthewayup。Marchwassorryforhim，andheputhisfingersonaquarterinhiswaistcoat-pockettogivehimatparting。Atthesametime，behadtotrumpupanobjectiontotheflat。Thiswaseasy，foritwasadvertisedascontainingtenrooms，andhefoundthenumberekedoutwiththebath-roomandtwolargeclosets。

"It\'slightenough，"saidMarch，"butIdon\'tseehowyoumakeouttenrooms"

"There\'stenrooms，"saidtheman，deigningnoproof。

Marchtookhisfingersoffthequarter，andwentdown-stairsandoutofthedoorwithoutanotherword。Itwouldbewrong，itwouldbeimpossible，togivethemananythingaftersuchinsolence。Hereflected，withshame，thatitwasalsocheapertopunishthanforgivehim。

Hereturnedtohishotelpreparedforanydesperatemeasure，andconvincednowthattheGrosvenorGreenapartmentwasnotmerelytheonlythingleftforhim，butwas，onitsownmerits，thebestthinginNewYork。

Fulkersonwaswaitingforhiminthereading-room，anditgaveMarchthecuriousthrillwithwhichamancloseswithtemptationwhenhesaid:

"Lookhere!Whydon\'tyoutakethatwoman\'sflatintheXenophon?She\'sbeenattheagentsagain，andthey\'vebeenatme。Shelikesyourlook——

orMrs。March\'s——andIguessyoucanhaveitataprettyheavydiscountfromtheoriginalprice。I\'mauthorizedtosayyoucanhaveitforoneseventy-fiveamonth，andIdon\'tbelieveitwouldbesafeforyoutoofferonefifty。"

Marchshookhishead，anddroppedamaskofvirtuousrejectionoverhiscorruptacquiescence。"It\'stoosmallforus——wecouldn\'tsqueezeintoit。"

"Why，lookhere!"Fulkersonpersisted。"Howmanyroomsdoyoupeoplewant?"

"I\'vegottohaveaplacetowork——"

"Ofcourse!Andyou\'vegottohaveitattheFifthWheeloffice。"

"Ihadn\'tthoughtofthat，"Marchbegan。"IsupposeIcoulddomyworkattheoffice，asthere\'snotmuchwriting——"

"Why，ofcourseyoucan\'tdoyourworkathome。Youjustcomeroundwithmenow，andlookatthatagain。"

"No；Ican\'tdoit。"

"Why?"

"I——I\'vegottodine。"

"Allright，"saidFulkerson。"Dinewithme。IwanttotakeyouroundtoalittleItalianplacethatIknow。"

OnemaytracethesuccessivestepsofMarch\'sdescentinthissimplematterwiththesameedificationthatwouldattendthestudyoftheself-

delusionsandobfuscationsofamantemptedtocrime。Theprocessisprobablynotatalldifferent，andtothephilosophicalmindthekindofresultisunimportant；theprocessiseverything。

Fulkersonledhimdownoneblockandhalfacrossanothertothestepsofasmalldwelling-house，transformed，likemanyothers，intoarestaurantoftheLatinideal，withlittleornostructuralchangefromthepatternofthelowermiddle-classNewYorkhome。Therewerethecorrodedbrownstonesteps，themeanlittlefrontdoor，andthecrampedentrywithitsnarrowstairsbywhichladiescouldgouptoadining-roomappointedforthemonthesecondfloor；theparlorsonthefirstweresetaboutwithtables，wheremensmokedcigarettesbetweenthecourses，andasinglewaiterranswiftlytoandfrowithplatesanddishes，and，exchangedunintelligibleoutcrieswithacookbeyondaslideinthebackparlor。Herushedatthenew-comers，brushedthesoiledtable-clothbeforethemwithatowelonhisarm，covereditsworststainswithanapkin，andbroughtthem，intheirorder，thevermicellisoup，thefriedfish，thecheese-strewnspaghetti，thevealcutlets，thetepidroastfowlandsalad，andthewizenedpearandcoffeewhichformthedinneratsuchplaces。

"Ah，thisisnice!"saidFulkerson，afterthelayingofthecharitablenapkin，andhebegantorecognizeacquaintances，someofwhomhedescribedtoMarchasyoungliterarymenandartistswithwhomtheyshouldprobablyhavetodo；othersweresimplyfrequentersoftheplace，andwereofallnationalitiesandreligionsapparently——atleast，severalwereHebrewsandCubans。"YougetaprettygoodsliceofNewYorkhere，"

hesaid，"allexceptthefrostingontop。Thatyouwon\'tfindmuchatMaroni\'s，thoughyouwilloccasionally。Idon\'tmeantheladiesever，ofcourse。"Theladiespresentseemedharmlessandreputable-lookingpeopleenough，butcertainlytheywerenotofthefirstfashion，and，exceptinafewinstances，notAmericans。"It\'slikecuttingstraightdownthroughafruitcake，"Fulkersonwenton，"oramince-pie，whenyoudon\'tknowwhomadethepie；yougetalittleofeverything。"HeorderedasmallflaskofChiantiwiththedinner，anditcameinitsprettywickerjacket。Marchsmileduponitwithtenderreminiscence，andFulkersonlaughed。"Lightsyouupalittle。IbroughtoldDryfooshereoneday，andhethoughtitwassweet-oil；that\'sthekindofbottletheyusedtohaveitinatthecountrydrug-stores。"

"Yes，Iremembernow；butI\'dtotallyforgottenit，"saidMarch。

"Howfarbackthatgoes!Who\'sDryfoos?"

"Dryfoos?"Fulkerson，stillsmiling，toreoffapieceofthehalf-yardofFrenchloafwhichhadbeensuppliedthem，withtwopale，thindisksofbutter，andfeditintohimself。"OldDryfoos?Well，ofcourse!Icallhimold，butheain\'tsovery。Aboutfifty，oralongthere。"

"No，"saidMarch，"thatisn\'tveryold——ornotsooldasitusedtobe。"

"Well，Isupposeyou\'vegottoknowabouthim，anyway，"saidFulkerson，thoughtfully。"AndI\'vebeenwonderingjusthowIshouldtellyou。

Can\'talwaysmakeoutexactlyhowmuchofaBostonianyoureallyare!

Everbeenoutinthenatural-gascountry?"

"No，"saidMarch。"I\'vehadagooddealofcuriosityaboutit，butI\'veneverbeenabletogetawayexceptinsummer，andthenwealwayspreferredtogoovertheoldground，outtoNiagaraandbackthroughCanada，theroutewetookonourweddingjourney。Thechildrenlikeitasmuchaswedo。"

"Yes，yes，"saidFulkerson。"Well，thenatural-gascountryisworthseeing。Idon\'tmeanthePittsburggas-fields，butoutinNorthernOhioandIndianaaroundMoffitt——that\'stheplaceintheheartofthegasregionthatthey\'vebeenboomingso。Yes，yououghttoseethatcountry。

Ifyouhaven\'tbeenWestforagoodmanyyears，youhaven\'tgotanyideahowoldthecountrylooks。Yourememberhowthefieldsusedtobeallfullofstumps?"

"Ishouldthinkso。"

"Well，youwon\'tseeanystumpsnow。AllthatcountryoutaroundMoffittisjustassmoothasachecker-board，andlooksasoldasEngland。Youknowhowweusedtoburnthestumpsout；andthensomebodyinventedastump-extractor，andwepulledthemoutwithayokeofoxen。Nowtheyjusttouch\'emoffwithalittledynamite，andthey\'vegotacellardugandfilledupwithkindlingreadyforhousekeepingwheneveryouwantit。

Onlytheyhaven\'tgotanyuseforkindlinginthatcountry——allgas。

Irodealongonthecarsthroughthoselevelblackfieldsatcorn-

plantingtime，andeveryonceinawhileI\'dcometoaplacewithapieceofraggedoldstove-pipestickin\'upoutoftheground，andblazingawaylikeforty，andafellowploughingallrounditandnotmindingitanymorethanifitwasspringviolets。Horsesdidn\'tnoticeit，either。

Well，they\'vealwaysknownaboutthegasoutthere；theysaythereareplacesinthewoodswhereit\'sbeenburningeversincethecountrywassettled。

"ButwhenyoucomeinsightofMoffitt——my，oh，my!Well，youcomeinsmellofitaboutassoon。Thatgasoutthereain\'todorless，likethePittsburggas，andsoit\'sperfectlysafe；butthesmellisn\'tbad——aboutasbadasthefinestkindofbenzine。Well，thefirstthingthatstrikesyouwhenyoucometoMoffittisthenotionthattherehasbeenagoodwarm，growingrain，andthetown\'scomeupovernight。That\'sinthesuburbs，theannexes，andadditions。Butitain\'tshabby——noshanty-farmbusiness；nicebrickandframehouses，someof\'emQueenAnnestyle，andallof\'emlookingasiftheyhadcometostay。Andwhenyoudriveupfromthedepotyouthinkeverybody\'smoving。Everythingseemstobepiledintothestreet；oldhousesmadeover，andnewonesgoingupeverywhere。YouknowthekindofstreetMainStreetalwaysusedtobeinoursection——halfplank-roadandturnpike，andtherestmud-hole，andalotofstoresanddoggeriesstrungalongwithfalsefrontsastoryhigherthantheback，andhereandthereadecentbuildingwiththegableendtothepublic；andacourt-houseandjailandtwotavernsandthreeorfourchurches。Well，they\'reallthereinMoffittyet，butarchitecturehasstruckithard，andthey\'vegotalotofnewbuildingsthatneedn\'tbeashamedofthemselvesanywhere；thenewcourt-houseisasbigasSt。

Peter\'s，andtheGrandOpera-houseisinthehigheststyleoftheart。

Youcan\'tbuyalotonthatstreetformuchlessthanyoucanbuyalotinNewYork——oryoucouldn\'twhentheboomwason；Isawtheplacejustwhentheboomwasinitsprime。lwentouttheretoworkthenewspapersinthesyndicatebusiness，andIgotoneoftheirmentowritemearealbright，snappyaccountofthegas；andtheyjusttookmeintheirarmsandshowedmeeverything。Well，itwaswonderful，anditwasbeautiful，too!Toseeawholecommunitystirreduplikethatwas——justlikeabigboy，allhopeandhighspirits，andnodiscountontheremotestfuture；

nothingbutperpetualboomtotheendoftime——Itellyouitwarmedyourblood。Why，thereweresomethingsaboutitthatmadeyouthinkwhatanicekindofworldthiswouldbeifpeopleevertookholdtogether，insteadofeachfellowfightingitoutonhisownhook，anddeviltakethehindmost。TheymadeuptheirmindsatMoffittthatiftheywantedtheirtowntogrowthey\'dgottokeeptheirgaspublicproperty。Sotheyextendedtheircorporationlinesoastotakeinprettymuchthewholegasregionroundthere；andthenthecitytookpossessionofeverywellthatwasputdown，andhelditforthecommongood。Anybodythat\'samindtocometoMoffittandstartanykindofmanufacturecanhaveallthegashewantsfree；andforfifteendollarsayearyoucanhaveallthegasyouwanttoheatandlightyourprivatehouse。Thepeopleholdontoitforthemselves，and，asIsay，it\'sagrandsighttoseeawholecommunityhangingtogetherandworkingforthegoodofall，insteadofsplittingupintoasmanydifferentcut-throatsasthereareable-bodiedcitizens。Seethatfellow?"Fulkersonbrokeoff，andindicatedwithatwirlofhisheadashort，dark，foreign-lookingmangoingoutofthedoor。"Theysaythatfellow\'saSocialist。Ithinkit\'sashamethey\'reallowedtocomehere。Iftheydon\'tlikethewaywemanageouraffairslet\'emstayathome，"Fulkersoncontinued。"Theydoalotofmischief，shootingofftheirmouthsroundhere。Ibelieveinfreespeechandallthat；butI\'dliketoseethesefellowsshutupinjailandlefttojawoneanothertodeath。Wedon\'twantanyoftheirpoison。"

MarchdidnotnoticethevanishingSocialist。Hewaswatching，withateasingsenseoffamiliarity，atall，shabbilydressed，elderlyman，whohadjustcomein。HehadtheaquilineprofileuncommonamongGermans，andyetMarchrecognizedhimatonceasGerman。Hislong，softbeardandmustachehadoncebeenfair，andtheykeptsometoneoftheiryellowinthegraytowhichtheyhadturned。Hiseyeswerefull，andhislipsandchinshapedthebeardtothenobleoutlinewhichshowsinthebeardstheItalianmasterslikedtopaintfortheirLastSuppers。Hiscarriagewaserectandsoldierly，andMarchpresentlysawthathehadlosthislefthand。Hetookhisplaceatatablewheretheoverworkedwaiterfoundtimetocutuphismeatandputeverythingineasyreachofhisrighthand。

"Well，"Fulkersonresumed，"theytookmeroundeverywhereinMoffitt，andshowedmetheirbigwells——lit\'emupforaprivateview，andletmehearthempurrwiththesoftaccentsofamass-meetingoflocomotives。Why，whentheyletoneofthesewellslooseinameadowthatthey\'dpipeditintotemporarily，itdrovetheflameawayfortyfeetfromthemouthofthepipeandblewitoverhalfanacreofground。Theysaywhentheyletoneoftheirbigwellsburnawayallwinterbeforetheyhadlearnedhowtocontrolit，thatwellkeptupalittlesummerallaroundit；thegrassstayedgreen，andtheflowersbloomedallthroughthewinter。Idon\'tknowwhetherit\'ssoornot。ButIcanbelieveanythingofnaturalgas。

My!butitwasbeautifulwhentheyturnedonthefullforceofthatwellandshotaromancandleintothegas——that\'sthewaytheylightit——andaplumeoffireabouttwentyfeetwideandseventy-fivefeethigh，allredandyellowandviolet，jumpedintothesky，andthatbigroarshookthegroundunderyourfeet!Youfeltlikesaying:

\'Don\'ttroubleyourself；I\'mperfectlyconvinced。IbelieveinMoffitt。\'

We-e-e-ll!"drawledFulkerson，withalongbreath，"that\'swhereImetoldDryfoos。"

"Ohyes!——Dryfoos，"saidMarch。Heobservedthatthewaiterhadbroughttheoldone-handedGermanatoweringglassofbeer。

"Yes，"Fulkersonlaughed。"We\'vegotroundtoDryfoosagain。IthoughtIcouldcutalongstoryshort，butIseemtobecuttingashortstorylong。Ifyou\'renotinahurry，though——"

"Notintheleast。Goonaslongasyoulike。"

"Imethimthereintheofficeofareal-estateman——speculator，ofcourse；everybodywas，inMoffitt；butafirst-ratefellow，andpublic-

spiritedasallget-out；andwhenDryfooslefthetoldmeabouthim。

DryfooswasanoldPennsylvaniaDutchfarmer，aboutthreeorfourmilesoutofMoffitt，andhe\'dlivedthereprettymuchallhislife；fatherwasoneofthefirstsettlers。Everybodyknewhehadtherightstuffinhim，buthewasslowerthanmolassesinJanuary，likethosePennsylvaniaDutch。He\'dgottogetherthelargestandhandsomestfarmanywherearoundthere；andhewasmakingmoneyonit，justlikehewasinsomebusinesssomewhere；hewasaveryintelligentman；hetookthepapersandkepthimselfposted；buthewasawfullyold-fashionedinhisideas。Hehungontothedoctrinesaswellasthedollarsofthedads；itwasarealthingwithhim。Well，whentheboombegantocomehehateditawfully，andhefoughtit。HeusedtowritecommunicationstotheweeklynewspaperinMoffitt——they\'vegotthreedailiestherenow——andthrowcoldwaterontheboom。Hecouldn\'tcatchonnoway。Itmadehimsicktoheartheclackthatwentonaboutthegasthewholewhile，andthatstirreduptheneighborhoodandgotintohisfamily。Wheneverhe\'dhearofamanthathadbeenofferedabigpriceforhislandandwasgoingtoselloutandmoveintotown，he\'dgoandlaborwithhimandtrytotalkhimoutofit，andtellhimhowlonghisfifteenortwentythousandwouldlasthimtoliveon，andshaketheStandardOilCompanybeforehim，andtrytomakehimbelieveitwouldn\'tbefiveyearsbeforetheStandardownedthewholeregion。

"Ofcourse，hecouldn\'tdoanythingwiththem。Whenaman\'sofferedabigpriceforhisfarm，hedon\'tcarewhetherit\'sbyasecretemissaryfromtheStandardOilornot；he\'sgoingtosellandgetthebetteroftheotherfellowifhecan。Dryfooscouldn\'tkeeptheboomoutofhasownfamilyeven。Hiswifewaswithhim。ShethoughtwhateverhesaidanddidwasjustasrightasifithadbeenthundereddownfromSinai。

Buttheyoungfolksweresceptical，especiallythegirlsthathadbeenawaytoschool。Theboythathadbeenkeptathomebecausehecouldn\'tbesparedfromhelpinghisfathermanagethefarmwasmorelikehim，buttheycontrivedtostirtheboyup——withthehotendoftheboom，too。

SowhenafellowcamealongonedayandofferedoldDryfoosacoolhundredthousandforhisfarm，itwasallupwithDryfoos。He\'d\'a\'

likedto\'a\'kepttheoffertohimselfandnotdoneanythingaboutit，buthisvanitywouldn\'tlethimdothat；andwhenheletitoutinhisfamilythegirlsoutvotedhim。Theyjustmadehimsell。

"Hewouldn\'tsellall。Hekeptabouteightyacresthatwasoffinsomepiecebyitself，butthethreehundredthathadtheoldbrickhouseonit，andthebigbarn——thatwent，andDryfoosboughthimaplaceinMoffittandmovedintotowntoliveontheinterestofhismoney。JustWhathehadscoldedandridiculedeverybodyelsefordoing。Well，theysaythatatfirstheseemedlikehewouldgocrazy。Hehadn\'tanythingtodo。Hetookafancytothatland-agent，andheusedtogoandsetinhisofficeandaskhimwhatheshoulddo。\'Ihain\'tgotanyhorses，I

hain\'tgotanycows，Ihain\'tgotanypigs，Ihain\'tgotanychickens。

Ihain\'tgotanythingtodofromsun-uptosun-down。\'Thefellowsaidthetearsusedtorundowntheoldfellow\'scheeks，andifhehadn\'tbeensobusyhimselfhebelievedheshould\'a\'cried，too。Butmosto\'peoplethoughtoldDryfooswasdowninthemouthbecausehehadn\'taskedmoreforhisfarm，whenhewantedtobuyitbackandfoundtheyhelditatahundredandfiftythousand。Peoplecouldn\'tbelievehewasjusthomesickandheartsickfortheoldplace。Well，perhapshewassorryhehadn\'taskedmore；that\'shumannature，too。

"Afterawhilesomethinghappened。Thatland-agentusedtotellDryfoostogetouttoEuropewithhismoneyandseelifealittle，orgoandliveinWashington，wherehecouldbesomebody；butDryfooswouldn\'t，andhekeptlisteningtothetalkthere，andallofasuddenhecaughton。Hecameintothatfellow\'sonedaywithaplanforcuttinguptheeightyacreshe\'dkeptintotownlots；andhe\'dgotitallplottedoutso-well，andhadsomanypracticalideasaboutit，thatthefellowwasastonished。

Hewentrightinwithhim，asfarasDryfooswouldlethim，andgladofthechance；andtheywereworkingthethingforallitwasworthwhenI

struckMoffitt。OldDryfooswantedmetogooutandseetheDryfoos&

HendryAddition——guesshethoughtmaybeI\'dwriteitup；andhedrovemeouttherehimself。Well，itwasfunnytoseeatownmade:streetsdriventhrough；tworowsofshadetrees，hardandsoft，planted；cellarsdugandhousesputup-regularQueenAnnestyle，too，withstainedglass-allatonce。Dryfoosapologizedforthestreetsbecausetheywerehand-made；

saidtheyexpectedtheirstreet-makingmachineTuesday，andthentheyintendedtopushthings。"

FulkersonenjoyedtheeffectofhispictureonMarchforamoment，andthenwenton:"Hewasmightyintelligent，too，andhequestionedmeupaboutmybusinessassharpasIeverwasquestioned；seemedtokindofstrikehisfancy；Iguesshewantedtofindoutiftherewasanymoneyinit。Hewasmakingmoney，handoverhand，then；andheneverstoppedspeculatingandimprovingtillhe\'dscrapedtogetherthreeorfourhundredthousanddollars，theysaidamillion，buttheylikeroundnumbersatMoffitt，andIguesshalfamillionwouldlayoveritcomfortablyandleaveafewthousandstospare，probably。ThenhecameontoNewYork。"

Fulkersonstruckamatchagainsttheribbedsideoftheporcelaincupthatheldthematchesinthecentreofthetable，andlitacigarette，whichhebegantosmoke，throwinghisheadbackwithaleisurelyeffect，asifhehadgottotheendofatleastasmuchofhisstoryashemeanttotellwithoutprompting。

Marchaskedhimthedesiredquestion。"Whatintheworldfor?"

Fulkersontookouthiscigaretteandsaid，withasmile:"Tospendhismoney，andgethisdaughtersintotheoldKnickerbockersociety。MaybehethoughttheywereallthesamekindofDutch。"

"Andhashesucceeded?"

"Well，they\'renotsocialleadersyet。Butit\'sonlyaquestionoftime——generationortwo——especiallyiftime\'smoney，andifEveryOtherWeekisthesuccessit\'sboundtobe。"

"Youdon\'tmeantosay，Fulkerson，"saidMarch，withahalf-doubting，half-dauntedlaugh，"thathe\'syourAngel?"

"That\'swhatImeantosay，"returnedFulkerson。"IranontohiminBroadwayonedaylastsummer。Ifyoueversawanybodyinyourlife；

you\'resuretomeethiminBroadwayagain，soonerorlater。That\'sthephilosophyofthebuncobusiness；countrypeoplefromthesameneighborhoodaresuretorunupagainsteachotherthefirsttimetheycometoNewYork。Iputoutmyhand，andIsaid，\'Isn\'tthisMr。DryfoosfromMoffitt?\'Hedidn\'tseemtohaveanyuseformyhand；heletmekeepit，andhesquaredthoseoldlipsofhistillhisimperialstuckstraightout。EverseeBernhardtin\'L\'Etrangere\'?Well，theAmericanhusbandisoldDryfoosallover；nomustache；andhay-coloredchin-

whiskerscutslantingfrozethecornersofhismouth。Hecockedhislittlegrayeyesatme，andsayshe:\'Yes，youngman；mynameisDryfoos，andI\'mfromMoffitt。ButIdon\'twantnopresentofLongfellow\'sWorks，illustrated；andIdon\'twanttotastenofineteas；butIknowapolicemanthatdoes；andifyou\'rethesonofmyoldfriendSquireStrohfeldt，you\'dbettergetout。\'\'Well，then，\'saidI，\'howwouldyouliketogointothenewspapersyndicatebusiness?\'Hegaveanotherlookatme，andthenheburstoutlaughing，andhegrabbedmyhand，andhejustfrozetoit。Ineversawanybodysoglad。

"Well，thelongandtheshortofitwasthatIaskedhimroundheretoMaroni\'stodinner；andbeforewebrokeupforthenightwehadsettledthefinancialsideoftheplanthat\'sbroughtyoutoNewYork。Icansee，\'tsaidFulkerson，whohadkepthiseyesfastonMarch\'sface，"thatyoudon\'tmorethanhalfliketheideaofDryfoos。Itoughttogiveyoumoreconfidenceinthethingthanyoueverhad。Youneedn\'tbeafraid，"

headded，withsomefeeling，"thatItalkedDryfoosintothethingformyownadvantage。"

"Oh，mydearFulkerson!"Marchprotested，allthemoreferventlybecausehewasreallyalittleguilty。