第5章

“I”mhere，sir，todoanythingyourequire，“Pearsonanswereddistressedly；“butI”mafraid”

Tembarom”sfacechanged。Asuddenthoughthadstruckhim。

“I”lltellyouonethingyoucando，“hesaid；“youcanvaletthatfriendofmine。”

“Mr。Strangeways，sir？“

“Yes。I”vegotanotionhewouldn”tmindit。”Hewasnotjokingnow。

Hewasinfactrathersuddenlythoughtful。

“Say，Pearson，whatdoyouthinkofhim？“

“Well，sir，I”venotseenmuchofhim，andhesaysverylittle，butI

shouldthinkhewasaGENTLEMAN，sir。”

Mr。TempleBarholmseemedtothinkitover。

“That”squeer，“hesaidasthoughtohimself。“That”swhatAnnsaid。”

Thenaloud，“WouldyousayhewasanAmerican？“

InhisunavoidableinterestinamattermuchtalkedoverbelowstairsandproductiveofgreatcuriosityPearsonwasbetrayed。Hecouldnotexplaintohimself，afterhehadspoken，howhecouldhavebeensuchafoolastoforget；butforgethimselfandthebirthplaceofthenewMr。TempleBarholmhedid。

“Oh，no，sir，“heexclaimedhastily；“he”sQUITEthegentleman，sir，eventhoughheisqueerinhismind。”Thenextinstanthecaughthimselfandturnedcold。AnAmericanoraFrenchmanoranItalian，infact，anativeofanycountryonearthsoslightedwithanunconsciousnesssonatural，ifhehadbeenamanofhottemper，mighthavethrownsomethingathimorkickedhimoutoftheroom；butMr。

TempleBarholmtookhispipeoutofhismouthandlookedathimwithaslow，broadeningsmile。

“Wouldyoucallmeagentleman，Pearson？“heasked。

Ofcoursetherewasnoretrievingsuchablunder，Pearsonfelt，but——

“Certainly，sir，“hestammered。“Most——mostCERTAINLY，sir。”

“Pearson，“saidTembarom，shakinghisheadslowly，withagrinsogood-naturedthateventhefranknessofhiswordswasfriendlyhumoritself”Pearson，you”realiar。Butthatdoesn”tjoltmeabit。I

daresayI”mnotone，anyhow。Wemightputan”ad”inoneofyourpapersandfindout。”

“I——Ibegyourpardon，sir，“murmuredPearsoninactualanguishofmind。

Mr。TempleBarholmlaughedoutright。

“Oh，I”venotgotitinforyou。Howcouldyouhelpit？“hesaid。Thenhestoppedjokingagain。“IfyouwanttopleaseME，“headdedwithdeliberation，“youlookafterMr。Strangeways，anddon”tletanythingdisturbhim。Don”tbotherhim，butjustfindoutwhathewants。Whenhegetsrestless，comeandtellme。IfI”mout，tellhimI”mcomingback。Don”tlethimworry。Youunderstand——don”tlethimworry。”

“I”lldomybest——myverybest，sir，“Pearsonanswereddevoutly。“I”vebeennervousandexcitedthisfirstdaybecauseIamsoanxioustoplease——everythingseemstodependonitjustnow，“headded，daringanotherconfidentialoutburst。“Butyou”llseeIdoknowhowtokeepmywitsaboutmeingeneral，andI”vegotagoodmemory，andIhavelearnedmyduties，sir。I”llattendtoMr。Strangewaysmostparticular。”

AsTembaromlistened，andwatchedhisneat，blondcountenance，andnotedtheundertoneofquitedesperateappealinhislowvoice，hewasthinkingofanumberofthings。ChieflyhewasthinkingoflittleAnnHutchinsonandtheHarlemflatwhichmighthavebeen“run“onfifteendollarsaweek。

“IwanttoknowIhavesomeoneinthismuseumofaplacewho”llUNDERSTAND，“hesaid”someonewho”lldojustexactlywhatIsayandasknofoolquestionsandkeephismouthshut。Ibelieveyoucoulddoit。”

“I”llswearIcould，sir。Trustme，“wasPearson”sastonishinglyemotionalandhastyanswer。

“I”mgoingto，“returnedMr。TempleBarholm。“I”vesetmymindonputtingsomethingthroughinmyownway。It”saqueerthing，andmostpeoplewouldsayIwasafoolfortryingit。Mr。Hutchinsondoes，butMissHutchinsondoesn”t。”

Therewasanoteinhistoneofsaying“MissHutchinsondoesn”t“whichopenedupvistastoPearson——strangevistaswhenonethoughtofoldMrs。Hutchinson”scottageandtheestateofTempleBarholm。

“We”rejustaboutthesameage，“hisemployercontinued，“andinasortofwaywe”reinjustaboutthesamefix。”

Theireyeslookedintoeachother”sasecond；butitwasnotforPearsontopresumetomakeanycommentwhatsoeveruponthepossiblenatureof“thefix。”Twoorthreemorepuffs，andMr。TempleBarholmspokeagain。

“Say，Pearson，Idon”twanttobuttin，butwhataboutthatlittlebunchofcalicoofyours——theoneyou”resavingupfor？“

“Calico，sir？“saidPearson，atsea，buthopeful。WhatsoeverthenewMr。TempleBarholmmeant，onebegantorealizethatitwasnotlikelytobeunfriendly。

“That”sAmericanforHER，Pearson。”Her”standsforthesamethingbothinEnglishandAmerican，Iguess。What”shernameandwhereisshe？Don”tyousayawordifyoudon”twantto。”

Pearsondrewastepnearer。Therewasanextraordinaryhumanatmosphereintheroomwhichcausedthingstobegintogooninhisbreast。HehadhadaharderlifethanTembarombecausehehadbeenmoretimidandlessbuoyantandlessunselfconscious。Hehadbeenbeatenbyadrunkenmotherandkickedbyadrunkenfather。Hehadgonehungryandfainttotheboardschoolandhadbeenpunishedasadullboy。Afterhehadstruggledintoaplaceaspage，hehadbeenbulliedbyfootmenandhadhadhisearsboxedbycooksandbutlers。Ladies”-

maidsandsmarthousemaidshadsneeredathim，andmadehimfeelhimselfahopeless，vulgarlittlewormwhoneverwould“geton。”Buthehadgoton，inameasure，becausehehadworkedlikeaslaveandopenlyresentednothing。Aplacelikethishadbeenhisfeveredhopeanddreamfromhispagedays，thoughofcoursehisimaginationhadnotencompassedattendanceonagentlemanwhohadneverownedadress-

shirtinhislife。Yetgentlemanornogentleman，hewasaTempleBarholm，andtherewassomethingabouthim，somethinghumaninhisyoungvoiceandgrinandqueer，unheard-ofNewYorkjokes，whichPearsonhadneverencountered，andwhichhadtheeffectofmakinghimfeelsomehowmoreofamanthanhistimorousnaturehadeverallowedofhisfeelingbefore。Itsuggestedthattheywereboth，valetandmaster，merelymasculinehumancreaturesoflikekind。Thewayhehadsaid“MissHutchinson“andthetwinkleinhiseyewhenhe”dmadethatAmericanjokeaboutthe“littlebunchofcalico“！Thecuriousfactwasthatthin，neat，white-blooded-lookingPearsonwaspassionatelyinlove。Sohetookthestepnearerandgrewhotandspokelow。

“HernameisRoseMerrick，sir，andshe”sinplaceinLondon。She”slady”s-maidtoaladyoftitle，anditisn”taneasyplace。Herladyhasahightemper，andshe”seconomicalwithherservants。Hermaidhastosewearlyandlate，andturnoutasmuchasifshewasawholedressmakingestablishment。She”scleverwithherneedle，anditwouldbeeasierifshefeltitwasappreciated。Butshe”streatedhaughtyandsevere，thoughshetriesherverybest。Shehastowaituphalfthenightafterballs，andI”mafraidit”sbreakingherspiritandherhealth。That”swhy，——Ibegyourpardon，sir，“headded，hisvoiceshaking”that”swhyI”dbearanythingonearthifIcouldgiveheralittlehomeofherown。”

“Geewhizz！“ejaculatedMr。TempleBarholm，withfeeling。“Iguessyouwould！“

“Andthat”snotall，sir，“saidPearson。“She”sabeautifulgirl，sir，withafigure，andserviceissometimesnoteasyforayoungwomanlikethat。Hislordship——themasterofthehouse，sir，——ismuchtooattentive。He”samanwithbadhabits；thelastlady”s-maidwassentawayindisgrace。Herladyshipwouldn”tbelieveshehadn”tbeenforwardwhenshesawthingsshedidn”tlike，thougheveryoneinthehallknewthegirlhatedhisboldwayswithher，andhermothernearlybrokeherheart。He”sbegunwithRose，anditjustdrivesmemad，sir，itdoes！“

Hechoked，andwipedhisforeheadwithhiscleanhandkerchief。Itwasdamp，andhisyoungeyeshadfireinthem，asMr。TempleBarholmdidnotfailtoobserve。

“I”mtakingalibertytalkingtoyoulikethis，sir，“hesaid。“I”mbehavingasifIdidn”tknowmyplace，sir。”

“Yourplaceisbehindthatfellow，kickinghimtillhe”llneversitdownagainexceptoneider-downcushionsthreedeep，“remarkedMr。

TempleBarholm，withfireinhiseyesalso。“That”swhereyourplaceis。It”swhereminewouldbeifIwasinthesamehousewithhimandcaughthimmakingagoatofhimself。IbetnineEnglishmenoutoftenwouldbreakhisdarnedneckforhimiftheygotontohislittleways，eveniftheywerelordshipsthemselves。”

“Thedecentoneswon”tknow，“Pearsonsaid。“That”snotwhathappens，sir。Hecanlaughandchaffitoffwithherladyshipandcoaxherround。Butagirlthat”sdischargedlikethat，Rosesays，that”stheworstofit：shesaysshe”sgotacharacterfastenedontoherforlifethatnorespectablemanoughttomarryherwith。”

Mr。TempleBarholmremovedhislegfromthearmofhischairandgotup。Long-legged，sinewy，butsomewhatslouchyinhisbadlymadetweedsuit，sharpNewYorkfaceandawfulAmericanstylenotwithstanding，hestilllookedratherniceashelaidhishandonhisvalet”sshoulderandgavehimafriendlypush。

“Seehere，“hesaid。“Whatyou”vegottosaytoRoseisthatshe”sjustgottocutthatsortofthingout——cutitrightout。Talkingtoamanthat”sinlovewithherasifhewaslikelytothrowherdownbecauseliesweretold。Tellhertoforgetit——forgetitquick。Why，whatdoesshesupposeaman”sFOR，byjinks？What”sheFOR？“

“I”vetoldherthat，sir，thoughofcoursenotinAmerican。IjustsworeitonmykneesinHydeParkonenightwhenshegotoutforanhour。Butshelaidherpoorheadonthebackofthebenchandcriedandwouldn”tlisten。Shesaysshecaresformetoomuchto”

Tembarom”shandclutchedhisshoulder。Hisfacelightedandglowedsuddenly。

“Careforyoutoomuch，“heasked。“Didshesaythat？Godblessher！“

“That”swhatIsaid，“brokeinPearson。

“Iheardanothergirlsaythat——justbeforeIleftNewYork——agirlthat”sjustawonder，“saidhismaster。“Agirlcanbeawonder，can”tshe？“

“Roseis，sir，“protestedPearson。“Sheis，indeed，sir。Andhereyesarethatblue”

“Blue，arethey？“interruptedTembarom。“Iknowthekind。I”montothewholething。Andwhat”smore，I”mgoingtofixit。YoutellRose——

andtellherfromme——thatshe”sgoingtoleavethatplace，andyou”regoingtostayinthisone，and——well，presentlythings”llbegintohappen。They”regoingtobeallright——ALLRIGHT，“hewenton，withimmenselyconvincingemphasis。“She”sgoingtohavethatlittlehomeofherown。”Hepausedamomentforreflection，andthenasuddenthoughtpresenteditselftohim。“Why，darnit！“heexclaimed，“theremustbeawholeraftoflittlehomesthatbelongtomeinoneplaceoranother。Whycouldn”tIfixyoubothupinoneofthem？“

“Oh，sir！“Pearsonbrokeforthinsomeslightalarm。Hewentsofastandsofarallinamoment。AndPearsonreallypossessedaneat，well-

orderedconscience，and，moreover，“knewhisplace。”“IhopeIdidn”tseemtobeexpectingyoutotroubleyourselfaboutme，sir。Imustn”tpresumeonyourkindness。”

“It”snotkindness；it”s——well，it”sjusthuman。I”mgoingtothinkthisthingover。Youjustkeepyourhairon，andletmedomyownvaleting，andyou”llseeI”llfixitforyousomehow。”

Whathethoughtofdoing，howhethoughtofdoingit，andwhatPearsonwastoexpect，theagitatedyoungmandidnotknow。Thesituationwasofcourseabnormal，judgedbyallrespectable，long-establishedcustom。Aman”svaletandhisvalet”s“youngwoman“werenotusuallyofintimateinterest。Gentlemenweresometimes“kind“toyou——gaveyouhalfasovereignorevenasovereign，andperhapsaskedafteryourmotherifyouweresupportingone；but——

“Ineverdreamedofgoingsofar，sir，“hesaid。“Iforgotmyself，I”mafraid。”

“Goodthingyoudid。It”smademefeelasifwewerebrothers。”Helaughedagain，enjoyingthethoughtofthelittlethingwhocaredforPearson“toomuch“andhadeyesthatwere“thatblue。”“Say，I”vejustthoughtofsomethingelse。Haveyouboughtheranengagement-ringyet？“

“No，sir。Inourclassoflifejewelryisbeyondthemeans。”

“Ijustwondered，“Mr。TempleBarholmsaid。Heseemedtobethinkingofsomethingthatpleasedhimashefumbledforhispocket-bookandtookacleanbanknoteoutofit。“I”mnotontowhatthevalueofthisthingisinrealmoney，butyougoandbuyheraringwithit，andI

betshe”llbesopleasedyou”llhavethetimeofyourlife。”

Pearsontakingit；andrecognizingitsvalueinUNrealmoney，wasembarrassedbyfeelingthenecessityofexplanation。

“Thisisafive-poundnote，sir。It”stoomuch，sir，itisindeed。

ThiswouldFURNISHTHEFRONTPARLOR。”Hesaiditalmostsolemnly。

Mr。TempleBarholmlookedatthenoteinterestedly。

“Wouldit？Byjinks！“andhislaughhadacertainsoftnessofrecollection。“Iguessthat”sjustwhatAnnwouldsay。She”dknowwhatitwouldfurnish，youbetyourlife！“

“I”mmostgrateful，sir，“protestedPearson，“butIoughtn”ttotakeit。BeinganAmericangentlemanandnotaccustomedtoEnglishmoney，youdon”trealizethat”

“I”mnotaccustomedtoanykindofmoney，“saidhismaster。“I”mscaredtobeleftaloneintheroomwithit。That”swhat”sthematter。

IfIdon”tgivesomeaway，IshallneverknowI”vegotit。Cheerup，Pearson。Youtakethatandbuythering，andwhenyoustartfurnishing，I”llseeyoudon”tgetleft。”

“Idon”tknowwhattosay，sir，“Pearsonfalteredemotionally。“I

don”t，indeed。”

“Don”tsayadarnedthing，“repliedMr。TempleBarholm。AndjustherehisfacechangedasMr。Palfordhadseenitchangebefore，andasPearsonoftensawitchangelater。HisNewYorkjocularirreverencedroppedfromhim，andhelookedmatureandoddlyserious。

“I”vetriedtosortofputyouwisetothewayI”velivedandthethingsIHAVEN”ThadeversinceIwasborn，“hesaid，“butIguessyoudon”treallyknowathingaboutit。I”vegotmoremoneycomingineveryyearthanathousandofmewouldeverexpecttoseeintheirlives，accordingtomycalculation。AndIdon”tknowhowtodoanyofthethingsafellowwhoiswhatyoucall`agentleman”wouldknowhowtodo。Imeaninthewayofspendingit。Now，I”vegottogetsomefunoutofit。IshouldbeamuttifIdidn”t，soI”mgoingtospenditmyownway。Imaymakeaboutseventy-fivedifferentkindsofafoolofmyself，butIguessIsha”n”tdoanyparticularharm。”

“You”lldogood，sir，——toeveryone。”

“ShallI？——saidTembarom，speculatively。“Well，I”mnotexactlysettingoutwiththatinmymind。I”mnoYoungMen”sChristianAssociation，butI”mnotinfordoingharm，anyway。Youtakeyourfive-poundnote——cometothinkofit，Palfordsaiditcametoabouttwenty-fivedollars，realmoney。Hullygee！IneverthoughtI”dhavetwenty-fivedollarstoGIVEAWAY！ItmakesmefeellikeIwasMorgan。”

“Thankyou，sir；thankyou，“saidPearson，puttingthenoteintohispocketwithraptgratitudeinhisneatface。“You——youdonotwishmetoremain——todoanythingforyou？“

“Notathing。ButjustgoandfindoutifMr。Strangewaysisasleep。

Ifheisn”tandseemsrestless，I”llcomeandhaveatalkwithhim。”

“Yes，sir，“saidPearson，andwentatonce。

CHAPTERXIII

InthecourseoftwodaysMr。Palford，havinggivenhisclientthebenefitofhisownexactprofessionalknowledgeoftheestateofTempleBarholmanditsworkingsandprivilegesasfarashefoundthemtransferableandlikelytobeunderstood，returnedtoLondon，breathingperhapssomethinglikeasighofreliefwhenthetrainsteamedoutofthelittlestation。Whatsoeverhappenedindaystocome，Palford&GrimbyhaddonetheirmosttryingandawkwarddutybythelatestTempleBarholm。Bradford，whowasthestewardoftheestate，wouldnowtakehimover，andcouldbetrustedtofurnishpracticalinformationofanyordinaryorder。

ItdidnotappeartoMr。Palfordthatthenewinheritorwasparticularlyinterestedinhispossessionsorexhilaratedbytheextraordinaryturninhisfortunes。TheenormityofTempleBarholmitself，regardedasahousetoliveininaneverydaymanner，seemedsomewhattodepresshim。Whenhewastakenoveritshundredandfiftyrooms，heworeadetachedairashelookedabouthim，andsuchremarksashemadewereofanextraordinarynatureandexpressedintermspeculiartoAmerica。NeitherMr。PalfordnorBurrillunderstoodthem，butayoungfootmanwhowassaidtohaveoncepaidavisittoNewYork，andwhochancedtobeinthepicture-gallerywhenhisnewmasterwaslookingattheportraitsofhisancestors，over-hearingoneobservation，wasguiltyofaconvulsivesnort，andimmediatelymadehiswayintothecorridor，coughingviolently。FromthisMr。Palfordgatheredthatoneofthetransatlanticjokeshadbeenmade。ThatwastheNewYorkidea——tobejocular。Yethehadnotlookedjocularwhenhehadmadetheremarkwhichhadupsettheequilibriumoftheyoungfootman。Hehad，infact，lookedreflectivebeforespeakingashestoodandstudiedaportraitofoneofhisancestors。But，then，hehadatrickofsayingthingsincomprehensiblyridiculouswithanunmovedexpressionofgravity，whichledPalfordtofeelthathewasridiculousthroughutterignoranceandwasnotawarethathewasexposingthefact。Personswhothoughtthatanairofseriousnessaddedtoahumorousremarkwereespeciallyannoyingtothesolicitor，becausetheyfrequentlybetrayedoneintothepositionofseemingtobedullinthematterofseeingapoint。That，hehadobserved，wasoftenpartoftheNewYorkmanner——tomakeatotallyabsurdlyexaggeratedorseeminglyignorance-revealingobservation，andthenleaveone”shearertodecideforhimselfwhetherthespeakerwasanabsoluteignoramusandfoolorahumorist。

Morethanoncehehadsomewhatsuspectedhisclientofmeaningto“getariseoutofhim，“aftertheodiousmannerofthetouristsdescribedin“TheInnocentsAbroad，“thoughatthesametimehefeltrathersupportinglysureofthefactthatgenerally，whenhedisplayedignorance，hedisplayeditbecausehewasapositiveencyclopediaoflackofknowledge。

Heknewnomoreofsocialcustoms，literature，andartthananyotherstreetlad。Hehadnotbelongedtotheaspiringself-taught，whomeritoriouslyhauntthenightschoolsandfreelibrarieswithaviewtoimprovingtheirminds。Ifthishadbeenhismethod，hemightinonesensehavebeenmoredifficulttohandle，asPalfordhadseenthethingresultinabumptiousnessmostobjectionable。Hewasmarkedlynotbumptious，atallevents。

Acertaindegreeofinterestinorcuriosityconcerninghisancestorsasrepresentedinthepicture-galleryMr。Palfordhadobserved。Hehadstaredatthemandhadsaidqueerthings——sometimesthingswhichperhapsindicatedakindofuneducatedthought。Thefactthatsomeofthemlookedsothoroughlyalive，andyethadlivedcenturiesago，seemedtosethimreflectingoddly。Hiscuriosity，however，seemedtoconnectitselfwiththemmoreashumancreaturesthanashistoricalfigures。

“Whatdidthatonedo？“heinquiredmorethanonce。“Whatdidhestart，ordidn”thestartanything？“

Whenhedisturbedtheyoungfootmanhehadstoppedbeforeadarkmaninarmor。

“Who”sthisfellowinthetinovercoat？“heaskedseriously，andPalfordfeltitwasquitepossiblethathehadnoactualintentofbeinghumorous。

“ThatisMilesGaspardNevilJohn，whofoughtintheCrusadeswithRichardCoeurdeLion，“heexplained。“Heiswearingasuitofarmor。”

Bythistimethefootmanwascoughinginthecorridor。

“That”sEnglishhistory，Iguess，“Tembaromreplied。“I”llhavetogetahistory-bookandreadupabouttheCrusades。”

Hewentonfarther，andpausedwithaslightlypuzzledexpressionbeforeaboyinacostumeoftheperiodofCharlesII。

“Who”sthisFauntleroyinthelacecollar？“heinquired。“Queer！“headded，asthoughtohimself。“Ican”teverhaveseenhiminNewYork。”

Andhetookastepbackwardtolookagain。

“ThatisMilesHugoCharlesJames，whowasapageatthecourtofCharlesII。Hediedatnineteen，andwassucceededbyhisbrotherDenzelMauriceJohn。”

“IfeelasifI”dhadadreamabouthimsometimeorother，“saidTembarom，andhestoodstillafewsecondsbeforehepassedon。

“PerhapsIsawsomethinglikehimgettingoutofacarriagetogointotheVanTwillers”fancy-dressball。SeemsasifI”dgotthewholeshowshutupinhere。Andyousaythey”reallmyownrelations？“Thenhelaughed。“Iftheywerealivenow！“hesaid。“Byjinks！“

Hislaughtersuggestedthathewasentertainedbymentalvisions。Buthedidnotexplaintohiscompanion。Hislegaladviserwasnotintheleastabletoformanyopinionofwhathewoulddo，howhewouldbelikelytocomporthimself，whenhewasleftentirelytohisowndevices。Hewouldnotknowalso，onemightbesure，thatthecountywouldwaitwithrepressedanxietytofindout。Ifhehadbeenaminor，hemighthavebeentakeninhand，andtrainedandeducatedtosomeextent。Buthewasnotaminor。

OnthedayofMr。Palford”sdepartureathickfoghaddescendedandseemedtoenwraptheworldinthewhitewool。Tembaromfounditclosetohiswindowswhenhegotup，andhehaddressedbythelightoftallwaxcandles，thepreviousMr。TempleBarholmhavingobjectedtomoremodernandvulgarmethodsofillumination。

“IguessthisiswhatyoucallaLondonfog，“hesaidtoPearson。

“No，notexactlytheLondonsort，sir，“Pearsonanswered。“ALondonfogisyellow——whenitisn”tbrownorblack。Itsettlesonthehandsandface。Afoginthecountryisn”tdirtywithsmoke。It”smuchlesstrying，sir。”

WhenPalfordhaddepartedandhewasentirelyalone，Tembaromfoundacountryfogtryingenoughforamanwithoutacompanion。Adegreeofreliefpermeatedhisbeingwiththeknowledgethatheneednolongerendeavortomakesuitablereplytohissolicitor”seffortsatconversation。Hehadmadeconversationaleffortshimself。Youcouldn”tletamanfeelthatyouwouldn”ttalktohimifyoucouldwhenhewasdoingbusinessforyou，butwhatinthunderdidyouhavetotalkaboutthatamanlikethatwouldn”tbeboredstiffby？Hedidn”tlikeNewYork，hedidn”tknowanythingaboutit，andhedidn”twanttoknow，andTembaromknewnothingaboutanythingelse，andwashomesickfortheverystonesoftheroaringcity”sstreets。Whenhesaidanything，Palfordeitherdidn”tunderstandwhathewasgettingatorhedidn”tlikeit。Andhealwayslookedasifhewaswatchingtoseeifyouweretryingtogetajokeonhim。TembaromwasfrequentlynotnearlysomuchinclinedtobehumorousasMr。Palfordhadirritablysuspectedhimofbeing。Hismodesofexpressionmightonnumerousoccasionshaverousedtomirthwhenhisunderlyingideawasalmostentirelyserious。

Themodeofexpressionwasmerelyaresultofhabit。

Mr。Palfordleftbyanextremelyearlytrain，andafterhewasgone，Tembaromsatoverhisbreakfastaslongaspossible，andthen，goingtothelibrary，smokedlong。Thelibrarywascertainlycomfortable，thoughthefireandthebigwaxcandleswerecalledupontodotheirbesttodefythechill，mysteriousdimnessproducedbytheheavy，whitewoolcurtainfoldingitselfmoreandmorethicklyoutsidethewindows。

Butonecannotsmokeinsolitaryidlenessformuchmorethananhour，andwhenhestoodupandknockedtheashesoutofhislastpipe，Tembaromdrewalongbreath。

“There”sahundredandthirty-sixhoursineachofthesedays，“hesaid。“That”sninehundredandfifty-twoinaweek，andfourthousandandeightyinamonth——whenit”sgotonlythirtydaysinit。I”mnotgoingtocalculatehowmanythere”dbeinayear。I”llhavealookatthepapers。There”sPunch。That”stheircomicone。”

HelookedouttheAmericannewsintheLondonpapers，andsighedhugely。HetookupPunchandreadeveryjoketwoorthreetimesover。

Hedidnotknowthatthenumberwasaspeciallygoodoneandthatthereweresomeextremelywittythingsinit。Thejokeswereaboutbishopsingaiters，aboutgarden-parties，aboutcuratesorlovelyyoungladiesorrectors”wivesandrustics，aboutRoyalAcademiciansorestheticpoets。TheirhumorappealedtohimaslittleandseemedasobscureashishadseemedtoMr。Palford。

“I”mnotlaughingmyheadoffmuchoverthese，“hesaid。“IguessI”mnotontothepoint。”

Hegotupandwalkedabout。The“L“inNewYorkwasroaringtoandfroloadedwithmenandwomengoingtoworkortodoshopping。SomeofthemweredevouringmorningpapersbearingnoresemblancetothoseofLondon，someofthemcarriedparcels，andallofthemlookedasthoughtheywereintentonsomethingorotherandhadn”tamomenttowaste。

Theywereallgoingsomewhereinahurryandhadtogetbackintimeforsomething。Whenthetrainwhizzedandslackenedatastation，somestartedup，hastilycaughttheirpapersorbundlescloser，andpushedorwerepushedoutontheplatform，whichwascrowdedwithotherpeoplewhorushedtogetin，andiftheyfoundseats，droppedintothemhastilywithanairofrelief。Thestreet-carswereloadedandrangtheirbellsloudly，trucksandcarriagesandmotorsfilledthemiddleofthethoroughfares，andpeoplecrowdedthepavements。ThestorewindowsweredressedupforChristmas，andmostofthepeoplecrowdedbeforethemwerecalculatingastowhattheycouldgetfortheinadequatesumstheyhadonhand。

ThebreakfastatMrs。Bowse”sboarding-housewasover，andtheboardershadgoneoncarsorelevatedtrainstotheirday”swork。Mrs。

Bowsewasgettingreadytogooutanddosomemarketing。JuliusandJimweredown-towndeepintheworkpertainingtotheirseparate“jobs。”They”dgohomeatnight，andperhaps，iftheywereinluck，wouldgotoa“show“somewhere，andafterwardcomeandsitintheirtiltedchairsinthehallbedroomandsmokeandtalkitover。Andhewouldn”tbethere，andtheHutchinsons”roomswouldbeempty，unlesssomenewpeoplewereinthem。Galtonwouldbesittingamonghispapers，workinglikemad。AndBennett——well，Bennettwouldbeeither“gettingouthispage，“orwouldberushingaboutinthehundredthstreetstofinditemsandfollowupweddingsorreceptions。

“Gee！“hesaid，“everyoneofthemtryingtheirbesttoputsomethingover，andwithsomuchtothinkofthey”venotgottimetobreathe！

It”dbenotroubleforTHEMtoputinahundredandthirty-sixhours。

They”dbedarnedgladofthem。And，believeme，they”dputsomethingover，too，beforetheygotthrough。AndI”mhere，withthreehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayearroundmyneckandnotathingtospenditon，unlessIpaysomeonepartofittogivemelessonsintatting。Whatistatting，anyhow？

Hedidn”treallyknow。Itwasvaguelysupposedtoimplysomeintenselyfemininefancy-workdonebyoldladies，andusedasafigureofspeechinjokes。

“Ifyoucouldrideorshoot，youcouldamuseyourselfinthecountry，“

Palfordhadsaid。

“Icanrideinastreet-carwhenI”vegotfivecents，“Tembaromhadanswered。“That”sasfarasI”vegoneinriding——andwhatinthundershouldIshoot？“

“Game，“repliedMr。Palford，withchillinwarddisgust。“Pheasants，partridges，woodcock，grouse”

“Ishouldn”tshootanythinglikethatifIwentatit，“herespondedshamelessly。“Ishouldshootmyownheadoff，orthefellow”sthatstoodnexttome，unlesshegotthedroponmefirst。”

Hedidnotknowthathewasignominious。Nobodycouldhavemadeitcleartohim。Hedidnotknowthatthereweremenwhohadgaineddistinction，popularity，andfamebydoingnothinginparticularbuthittingthingsanimateandinanimatewithmagnificentprecisionofaim。

Hestoodstillnowandlistenedtothesilence。

“There”snotasoundwithinathousandmilesoftheplace。WhatdofellowswithmoneyDOtokeepthemselvesalive？“hesaidpiteously。

“They”vegottodoSOMETHING。ShallIhavetogooutandtakeawalk，asPalfordcalledit？Takeawalk，bygee！“

Hecouldn”tconceiveit，aman“takingawalk“asthoughitweremedicine——awalknowhere，toreachnothing，justtogoandturnbackagain。

“I”llbeginandtakeinsewing，“hesaid，“orI”llopenastoreinthevillage——adepartmentstore。Icouldspendsomethingonthat。I”llaskPearsonwhathethinksofit——orBurrill。I”dliketoseeBurrillifIsaidthattohim。”

Hedecidedatlastthathewouldpractisehis“short“awhile；thatwouldbedoingsomething，atanyrate。Hesatdownatthebigwriting-

tableandbegantodashoffmysticsignsatfuriousspeed。Butthespeeddidnotkeepup。Thesilenceofthegreatroom，oftheimmensehouse，ofallthescoresofroomsandgalleriesandcorridors，closedinabouthim。Hehadpractisedhis“short“inthenightschool，withthe“L“thunderingpastatintervalsoffiveminutes；inthenewspaperoffice，withallthebabelofNewYorkabouthimandthebangofsteam-drillsgoingonbelowinthenextlot，wherethefoundationofanewbuildingwasbeingexcavated；hehadpractiseditinhishallbedroomatMrs。Bowse”s，tothetumultuousaccompanimentofstreetsoundsandthewhizzandTING-A-LINGofstreet-carsdashingpast，andhehadnotbeendisturbed。Hehadneverpractiseditinanyplacewhichwassilent，anditwasthesilencewhichbecamemorethanhecouldstand。Heactuallyjumpedoutofhischairwhenheheardmysteriousfootstepsoutsidethedoor，andafootmanappearedandspokeinalowvoicewhichstartledhimasthoughithadbeenathunderclap。

“Ayoungpersonwithherfatherwantstoseeyou，sir，“heannounced。

“Idon”tthinktheyarevillagers，butoftheworking-class，Ishouldsay。”

“Wherearethey？“

“Ididn”tknowexactlywhattodo，sir，soIlefttheminthehall。

Theyoungpersonhasasortofquiet，determinedway”

“LittleAnn，bygee！“exclaimedTembaromwithmadjoy，andshotoutoftheroom。

Thefootman——hehadnotseenLittleAnnwhenshehadbroughtStrangeways——lookedafterhimandrubbedhischin。

“Wouldn”tyoucallthatarummysortforTempleBarholm？“hesaidtooneofhisfellowswhohadappearedinthehallnearhim。

“It”snotmysort，“wastheanswer。“I”mgoingtogivenoticetooldButterworth。”

HutchinsonandLittleAnnwerewaitinginthehall。Hutchinsonwaslookingattherich，shadowyspacesabouthimwithasortofproudsatisfaction。Fine，darkcornerswitharmoredfigureslurkinginthem，ancientportraits，carvedoaksettles，andmassivechairsandcabinets——thesewereEnglish，andhewasanEnglishman，andsomehowfeltthemtheoutcomeofcertainsterlingqualitiesofhisown。Helookedrobustlywell，andworeanewroughtweedsuitsuchasoneofthegentrymighttrampaboutmuddyroadsandfieldsin。LittleAnnwasdressedinsomethingwarmandroughalso，abrownthing，withalittleclose，cap-like，brownhat，fromunderwhichherredhairglowed。Thewalkinthecold，whitefoghadmadeherbloomfresh，soft-redandwhite-daisycolor。Shewassmiling，andshowingthreedistinctdimples，whichdeepenedwhenTembaromdashedoutofthelibrary。

“Hullygee！“hecriedout，“butI”mgladtoseeyou！“

Heshookhandswithbothofthemfuriously，andtwofootmenstoodandlookedatthegroupwithimage-likecalmoffeature，butwithcuriouslyinterestedeyes。Hutchinsonwasawareofthem，andendeavoredtopresenttothemabackwhichbyitsstolidcomposureshouldrevealthatheknewmoreaboutsuchthingsthanthischapdidandwasn”tabitupsetbygrandeur。

“Hullygee！“criedTembaromagain，“howgladIam！Comeoninandsitdownandlet”stalkitover。”

Burrillmadeastatelystepforward，properlyintentonhisduty，andhismasterwavedhimback。

“Say，“hesaidhastily，“don”tbringinanytea。Theydon”twantit。

They”reAmericans。”

Hutchinsonsnorted。Hecouldnotstandbeingconsignedtoignominybeforethefootmen。

“Nowto”th”sort，“hebrokeforth。“We”renoanAmerican。Tha”rtlosingthahead，lad。”

“He”sforgettingbecausehemetusfirstinNewYork，“saidLittleAnn，smilingstillmore。

“ShallItakeyourhatandcane，sir？“inquiredBurrill，unmovedly，atHutchinson”sside。

“Hewasn”tgoingtosayanythingabouttea，“explainedLittleAnnastheywentintothelibrary。“Theydon”texpecttoserveteainthemiddleofthemorning，Mr。TempleBarholm。”

“Don”tthey？“saidTembarom，recklesswithrelieveddelight。“I

thoughttheyservediteverytimetheclockstruck。WhenwewereinLondonitseemedlikePalfordhaditwhenhewashotandwhenhewascoldandwhenhewasgladandwhenhewassorryandwhenhewasgoingoutandwhenhewascomingin。It”sbroughtuptome，byjinks！assoonasIwake，tobracemeuptoputonmyclothes——andPearsonwantstoputthoseon。”

Hestoppedshortwhentheyreachedthemiddleoftheroomandlookedherover。

“OLittleAnn！“hebreathedtumultuously。“0LittleAnn！“

Mr。Hlutchinsonwaslookingaboutthelibraryashehadlookedaboutthehall。

“Well，IneverthoughtI”dgetinsideTempleBarlholminmyday，“heexclaimed。“Eh，lad，thamustfeellikebullinachinashop。”

“Ifeellikeawholeherdof”em，“answeredTembarom。Hutchinsonnodded。Heunderstood。

“Well，perhapstha”llgetoveritintime，“heconceded，“butit”lltaketheeagoodbit。”Thenhegavehimawarmlyfriendlylook。“I”lllayyouknowwhatAnncamewithmeforto-day。”ThewayLittleAnnlookedathim——thewayshelookedathim！

“Icametothankyou，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid”tothankyou。”

Andtherewasanodd，tendersoundinhervoice。

“Don”tyoudoit，Ann，“Tembaromanswered。“Don”tyoudoit。”

“Idon”tknowmuchaboutbusiness，butthewayyoumusthaveworked，thewayyoumusthavehadtorunafterpeople，andfindthem，andmakethenlisten，anduseallyourNewYorkcleverness——becauseyouARE

clever。Thewayyou”veforgottenallaboutyourselfandthoughtofnothingbutfatherandtheinvention！Idoknowenoughtounderstandthat，anditseemsasifIcan”tthinkofenoughtosay。IjustwishI

couldtellyouwhatitmeanstome。”Tworoundpearlsoftearsbrimmedoverandfelldownhercheeks。“IpromisedmotherFAITHFULI”dtakecareofhimandseeheneverlosthopeaboutit，“sheadded，“andsometimesIdidn”tknowwhateverIwasgoingtodo。”

Itwasperilouswhenshelookedatonelikethat，andshewassolittleandlightthatonecouldhavesnatchedherupinhisarmsandcarriedhertothebigarm-chairandsatdownwithherandrockedherbackwardandforwardandpouredforththewholethingthatwasmakinghimfeelasthoughhemightexplode。

Hutchinsonprovidedsalvation。

“Thapulledmeouto”thewaterjustwhenIwasgoingunder，lad。Godblessthee！“hebrokeout，andshookhishandwithroughvigor。“I

signedwiththeNorthElectricyesterday。”

“Goodbusiness！“saidTembarom。“NowI”minonthegroundfloorwithwhat”sgoingtobethebiggestmoney-makerinsight。”

“ThewaythatalkedNewYorktothemchapstookmyfancy，“chuckledHutchinson。“Noneo”themchapswantstobethefirsttojumpoverthehedge。”

“We”vegot”emstartednow，“exultedTembarom。

“Thastarted”em，“saidHutchinson，“andit”stheeI”vegottothank。”

“Say，LittleAnn，“saidTembarom，withsuddenthought，“who”scomeintomoneynow？You”llhaveittoburn。”

“We”venotgotityet，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shereplied，shakingherhead。“Evenwheninventionsgetstarted，theydon”tgoofflikesky-

rockets。”

“Sheknowseverything，doesn”tshe？“TembaromsaidtoHutchinson。

“Here，comeandsitdown。I”venotseenyoufor”steenyears。”

Shetookherseatinthebigarm-chairandlookedathimwithsoftlyexaminingeyes，asthoughshewantedtounderstandhimsufficientlytobeabletofindoutsomethingsheoughttodoifheneededhelp。

Hesawitandhalflaughed，notquiteunwaveringly。

“You”llmakemecryinaminute，“hesaid。“Youdon”tknowwhatit”sliketohavesomeonefromhomeandmothercomeandbekindtoyou。”

“HowisMr。Strangeways？“sheinquired。

“He”swelltakencareof，atanyrate。That”swherehe”sgottothankyou。Thoseroomsyouandthehousekeeperchoseweretheverythingsforhim。They”rebigandcomfortable，and”wayoffinaplacewherenoone”slikelytocomenear。Thefellowthat”sbeenhiredtovaletmevaletshiminstead，andIbelievehelikesit。Itseemstocomequitenaturaltohim，anyhow。Igoinandseehimeverynowandthenandtrytogethimtotalk。IsortofinventthingstoseeifIcanstarthimthinkingstraight。He”squieteddownsomeandhelooksbetter。

AfterawhileI”mgoingtolookupsomebigdoctorsinLondonandfindoutwhichof”em”sgotthemostplainhorsesense。Ifarealbigonewouldjustgetinterestedandcomeandseehimonthequietandnotgethimexcited，hemightdohimgood。I”mdeadstuckonthisstuntI”vesetmyself——gettinghimright。It”ssomethingtoworkon。”

“You”llhaveplentytoworkonsoon，“saidLittleAnn。“There”salotofeverydaythingsyou”vegottothinkabout。Theymayseemofnoconsequencetoyou，buttheyARE，Mr。TempleBarholm。”

“Ifyousaytheyare，Iguesstheyare，“heanswered。“I”lldoanythingyousay，Ann。”

“Icamepartlytotellyouaboutsomeofthemto-day，“shewenton，keepingtheyearninglythoughtfuleyesonhim。Itwasratherhardforher，too，tobefirmenoughwhentherewassomuchshewantedtosayanddo。Andhedidnotlookhalfastwinklingandlight-heartedlygrinningashehadlookedinNewYork。

Hecouldn”thelpdroppinghisvoicealittlecoaxingly，thoughMr。

Hutchinsonwasquitesufficientlyabsorbedinexaminationofhissurroundings。

“Didn”tyoucometosavemylifebylettingmehavealookatyou，LittleAnn——didn”tyou？“hepleaded。

Sheshookherwonderful，redhead。

“No，Ididn”t，Mr。TempleBarholm，“sheansweredwithManchesterdownrightness。“WhenIsaidwhatIdidinNewYork，Imeantit。I

didn”tintendtohangabouthereandletyou——saythingstome。Youmustn”tsaythem。FatherandmearegoingbacktoManchesterinafewdays，andverysoonwehavetogotoAmericaagainbecauseofthebusiness。”

“America！“hesaid。“Oh，Lord！“hegroaned。“Doyouwantmetodropdowndeadherewithadull，sickeningthud，Ann？“

“You”renotgoingtodropdowndead，“sherepliedconvincedly。“You”regoingtostayhereanddowhateverit”syourdutytodo，nowyou”vecomeintoTempleBarholm。”

“AmI？“heanswered。“Well，we”llseewhatI”mgoingtodowhenI”vehadtimetomakeupmymind。Itmaybesomethingdifferentfromwhatyou”dthink，anditmayn”t。JustnowI”mgoingtodowhatyoutellme。

Goahead，LittleAnn。”

Shethoughtthematteroverwithhermostdestructivelittleairofsensibleintentness。

“Well，itmayseemlikemeddling，butitisn”t，“shebeganratherconcernedly。“It”sjustthatI”musedtolookingafterpeople。I

wantedtotalktoyouaboutyourclothes。”

“Myclothes？“hereplied，bewilderedamoment；butthenextheunderstoodandgrinned。“Ihaven”tgotany。Myvalet——thinkofT。T。

withavalet！——toldmesolastnight。”

“That”swhatIthought，“shesaidmaternally。”IgotMrs。Bowsetowritetome，andshetoldmeyouweresohurriedandexcitedyouhadn”ttimeforanything。”

“IjustrushedintoCohen”sthelastdayandyankedafewthingsofftheready-madecounter。”

Shelookedhimoverwithimpersonalcriticism。

“Ithoughtso。Thoseyou”vegotonwon”tdoatall。”

Tembaromglancedatthem。

“That”swhatPearsonsays。”

“They”renottherightshape，“sheexplained。“Iknowwhatagentleman”sclothesmeaninEngland，and”herfaceflushed，andsudden，warmspiritmadeherspeakratherfast——“Icouldn”tABIDEtothinkofyoucominghereand——beingmadefunof——justbecauseyouhadn”ttherightclothes。”

Shesaidit，thelittlething，asthoughhewerehers——herveryown，anddefendhimagainstdisrespectsheWOULD。Tembarom，beingbutyoungfleshandblood，madeanimpetuousdarttowardher，andcheckedhimself，catchinghisbreath。

“Ann，“hesaid，“hasyourgrandmothergotadog？“

“Y-e-s，“shesaid，falteringbecauseshewaspuzzled。

“Howbigishe？“

“He”sabigone。He”sabrindledbulldog。Why？“

“Well，“hesaid，halfpathetic，halfdefiant，“ifyou”regoingtocomeandtalktomelikethat，andlooklikethat，you”vegottobringthatbullalongandsethimonmewhenImakeabreak；forthere”snothingbutadogcankeepmewhereyouwantmetostay——andabigoneatthat。”

Hesatdownonanottomannearheranddroppedhisheadonhishands。

Itwasnothalfsuchajokeasitsounded。

LittleAnnsawitwasn”tandshewatchedhimtenderly，catchingherbreathoncequickly。Menhadwaysoftakingsomethingshardandfeelingthemagoodbitmorethanonewouldthink。Itmadetroublemanyatimeifonecouldn”thelpthemtothinkreasonable。

“Father，“shesaidtoHutchinson。

“Aye，“heanswered，turninground。

“WillyoutellMr。TempleBarholmthatyouthinkI”mrightaboutgivinghimhischance？“

“OfcourseIthinkshe”sright，“Hutchinsonblustered，“anditisn”tthefirsttimeeither。I”mnotgoingtohavemylassmarriedintoanyfamilywhereshe”dbelookeddownupon。”

ButthatwasnotwhatLittleAnnwanted；itwasnot，infact，herargument。Shewasnotthinkingofthatsideofthesituation。

“It”snotmethatmatterssomuch，Father，“shesaid；“it”shim。”

“Oh，isit？“disagreedHutchinson，dictatorially。“That”snotth”roadIlookatit。I”mlookingafteryou，nothim。Lethimtakecareofhimself。Nochapshallputyouwhereyouwon”tbelookedupto，evenifIAMgratefultohim。Sothereyouhaveit。”

“Hecan”ttakecareofhimselfwhenhefeelslikethis，“sheanswered。

“That”sWHYI”mtakingcareofhim。He”llthinksteadierwhenhe”shimselfagain。”Sheputoutherhandandsoftlytouchedhisshoulder。

“Don”tdothat，“shesaid。“Youmakemewanttobesilly。”Therewasaquiverinhervoice，butshetriedtochangeit。“Ifyoudon”tliftyourhead，“sheaddedwithagreateffortatdisciplinarianfirmness，“Ishallhavetogoawaywithouttellingyoutheotherthings。”

Heliftedhishead，buthisattemptatasmilewasnothilarious。

“Well，Ann，“hesubmitted，“I”vewarnedyou。Bringalongyourdog。”

Shetookasheetofpaperoutofoneoftheneatpocketsinherrough，browncoat。

“Ijustwrotedownsomeoftheverybesttailors”addresses——theverybest，“sheexplained。“Don”tyougotoanybuttheverybest，andbeabitsharpwiththemifthey”renotattentive。They”llthinkallthebetterofyou。Ifyourvalet”sasmartone，takehimwithyou。”

“Yes，Ann，“hesaidratherweakly。“He”sgoingtomakealistofthingshimself，anyhow。”

“Thatsoundsasifhe”dgotsomesense。”Shehandedhimthelistofaddresses。“Yougivehimthis，andtellhimhemustgototheverybestones。”

“WhatdoIwanttoputonstylefor？“heaskeddesperately。“Idon”tknowasoulonthissideoftheAtlanticOcean。”

“Yousoonwill，“shereplied，withcalmperspicacity。“You”vegottoomuchmoneynotto。”

AgruffchucklemadeitselfheardfromHutchinson”ssideoftheroom。

“Aye，seventythousandayear”llbringth”vulturesaboutthee，lad。”

“Weneedn”tcallthemvulturesexactly，“wasLittleAnn”stolerantcomment；“butalotofpeoplewillcomeheretoseeyou。ThatwasoneofthethingsIthoughtImighttellyouabout。”

“Say，you”reawonder！“

“I”mnothingofthesort。I”mjustagirlwithabitofcommonsense——

andgrandmother”sonethat”slookedonalongtime，andsheseesthings。Thecountrygentlemenwillbegintocallonyousoon，andthenyou”llbeinvitedtotheirhousestomeettheirwivesanddaughters，andthenyou”llbekeptprettybusy。”

Hutchinson”sbluffchucklebrokeoutagain。

“Youwillthat，mylad，whenth”match-makingmothersgetafteryou。

There”splentyon”em。”

“Father”sjoking，“shesaid。Hertonewasjudiciallyunprejudiced。

“Thereareyoungladiesthat——that”dbeverysuitable。Prettyonesandcleverones。You”llseethemall。”

“Idon”twanttoseethem。”

“Youcan”thelpit，“shesaid，withmilddecision。“Whentherearedaughtersandanewgentlemancomesintoabigpropertyintheneighborhood，it”snothingbutnaturalthatthemothersshouldbeabitanxious。”

“Aye，they”llbeanxiousenough。Mak”sureo”that，“laughedHutchinson。

“Isthatwhatyouwantmetoputonstylefor，LittleAnn？“Tembaromaskedreproachfully。

“Iwantyoutoputitonforyourself。Idon”twantyoutolookdifferentfromothermen。Everybody”scuriousaboutyou。They”rereadytoLAUGHbecauseyoucamefromAmericaandoncesoldnewspapers。”

“It”sthemenhe”llhavetolookoutfor，“Hutchinsonputin，withanexperiencedair。“There”sthemthat”llwanttoborrowmoney，andthemthat”llwanttodrinkandplaycardsandbethigh。AgreenAmericanlad”llbeafinepigeonforthemtopluck。Youmayaswelltellhim，Ann；youknowyoucameheretodoit。”

“Yes，Idid，“sheadmitted。“Idon”twantyoutoseemnottoknowwhatpeopleareuptoandwhattheyexpect。”

ThatlittlenoteofinvoluntarydefensewasadangerousthingforTembarom。Hedrewnearer。

“Youdon”twantthemtotakemeforafool，LittleAnn。You”restandingupforme；that”sit。”

“Youcanstandupforyourself，Mr。TempleBarholm，ifyou”renottakenbysurprise，“shesaidconfidently。“Ifyouunderstandthingsabit，youwon”tbe。”

Hisfeelingsalmostoverpoweredhim。

“Godblessyourdearlittlesoul！“hebrokeout。“Say，ifthisgoeson，thatdogofyourgrandmother”swouldn”thaveashow，Ann。Ishouldbitehimbeforehecouldbiteme。”

“Iwon”tgoonifyoucan”tbesensible，Mr。TempleBarholm。Ishalljustgoawayandnotcomebackagain。That”swhatIshalldo。”Hertonewasthatofayoungmother。

Hegaveinincontinently。

“GoodLord！no！“heexclaimed。“I”lldoanythingifyou”llstay。I”llliedownonthematandnotopenmymouth。Justsithereandtellmethings。Iknowyouwon”tletmeholdyourhand，butjustletmeholdabitofyourdressandlookatyouwhileyoutalk。”Hetookabitofherbrownfrockbetweenhisfingersandheldit，gazingatherwithallhiscrudeyoungsoulinhiseyes。“Nowtellme，“headded。

“There”sonlyoneortwothingsaboutthepeoplewho”llcometoTempleBarholm。Grandmother”stalkeditoverwithme。SheknewallaboutthosethatcameinthelateMr。TempleBarholm”stime。Heusedtohatemostofthem。”

“Thenwhyinthunderdidheaskthemtocome？“

“Hedidn”t。They”vegotclever，politewaysofaskingthemselvessometimes。Hecouldn”tbeartheCountessofMallowe。She”llcome。

Grandmothersaysyoumaybesureofthat。”

“What”llshecomefor？“

LittleAnn”spauseandcontemplationofhimwerefraughtwiththoughtfulness。

“She”llcomeforyou，“atlastshesaid。

“She”sgotadaughtershethinksoughttohavebeenmarriedeightyearsago，“announcedHutchinson。

Tembarompulledatthebitofbrowntweedheheldasthoughitwereadrowningman”sstraw。

“Don”tyoudrivemetodrink，Ann，“hesaid。“I”mfrightened。YourgrandmotherwillhavetolendMEthedog。”

ThiswasaflightinesswhichLittleAnndidnotencourage。

“LadyJoan——that”sherdaughter——isverygrandandhaughty。She”sagreatbeauty。You”lllookather，butperhapsshewon”tlookatyou。

Butit”snotherI”mtroubledabout。I”mthinkingofCaptainPalliserandmenlikehim。”

“Who”she？“

“He”soneofthosesmooth，cleveronesthat”salwaysgettingupsomecompanyorotherandsellingthestock。He”llwantyoutoknowhisfriendsandhe”lltrytoleadyouhisway。”

AsTembaromheldtohisbitofherdress，hiseyeswereadoringones，whichwasreallynottobewonderedat。SheWASadorableashersoft，kind，wonderfullymaternalgirlfacetriedtocontrolitselfsothatitshouldexpressonlyjustenoughtohelpandnothingtodisturb。

“Idon”twanthimtospoilyou。Idon”twantanythingtomakeyou——

different。Icouldn”tbearit。”

Hepulledthebitofdresspleadingly。

“Why，LittleAnn？“heimploredquitelow。

“Because，“shesaid，feelingthatperhapsshewasrash——“becauseifyouweredifferent，youwouldn”tbeT。Tembarom；anditwasT。

Tembaromthat——thatwasT。Tembarom，“shefinishedhastily。

Hebenthisheaddowntothebitoftweedandkissedit。

“Youjustkeeplookingaftermelikethat，“hesaid，“andthere”snotoneofthemcangetawaywithme。”

Shegotup，andherosewithher。Therewasatouchoffireintheforget-me-notblueofhereyes。

“Justyouletthemsee——justyouletthemseethatyou”renotonetheycanholdlightandmakeuseof。”Butthereshestoppedshort，lookingupathim。Hewaslookingdownatherwithakindofmaturenessinhisexpression。“Ineedn”tbeafraid，“shesaid。“Youcantakecareofyourself；Ioughttohaveknownthat。”

“Youdid，“hesaid，smiling；“butyouwantedtosortofhelpme。Andyou”vedoneit，bygee！justbysayingthatthingaboutT。Tembarom。

Yousetmerightonmyfeet。That”sYOU。”

BeforetheywentawaytheypaidavisittoStrangewaysinhisremote，undisturbed，andbeautifulrooms。Theywereinawingofthehouseuntouchedbyanyordinarypassingtoandfro，andthedeepwindowslookedoutupongardenswhichspringandsummerwouldcrowdwithlovelinessfromwhichcloudsofperfumewouldfloatuptohimondayswhenthesunwarmedandthesoftairsstirredtheflowers，shakingthefragrancefromtheirfullincense-cups。Butthewhitefogshutoutto-

dayeventheirwinterbareness。Therewerelightandwarmthinside，andeveryaddedcharmofrichharmonyofdeepcolorandcomfortmadebeautiful。Therewerebooksandpaperswaitingtobelookedover，buttheylayuntouchedonthewriting-table，andStrangewayswassittingclosetothebiggestwindow，staringintothefog。Hiseyeslookedhungryandhollowanddark。Annknewhewas“tryingtoremember“

something。

Whenthesoundoffootstepsreachedhisear，heturnedtolookatthem，androsemechanicallyatsightofAnn。Buthisexpressionwasthatofamanarousedfromadreamoffar-offplaces。

“Irememberyou，“hesaid，buthesitatedasthoughmakinganefforttorecallsomething。

“Ofcourseyoudo，“saidLittleAnn。“Youknowmequitewell。I

broughtyouhere。Thinkabit。Little——Little”

“Yes，“hebrokeforth。“Ofcourse，LittleAnn！ThankGodI”venotforgotten。”Hetookherhandinbothhisandheldittenderly。“Youhaveasweetlittleface。It”ssuchawiselittleface！“Hisvoicesoundeddreamy。

Anndrewhimtohischairwithacoaxinglaughandsatdownbyhim。

“You”reflatteringme。Youmakemefeelquiteshy，“shesaid。“YouknowHIM，too，“noddingtowardTembarom。

“Oh，yes，“hereplied，andbelookedupwithasmile。“Heistheonewhoremembers。Yousaidyoudid。”HehadturnedtoTembarom。

“YoubetyourlifeIdo，“Tembaromanswered。“Andyouwill，too，beforelong。”

“IfIdidnottrysohard，“saidStrangeways，thoughtfully。“ItseemsasifIwereshutupinaroom，andsomanythingswereknockingatthedoors——hundredsofthem——knockingbecausetheywanttobeletin。

Iamdamnablyunhappy——damnably。”Hehunghisheadandstaredatthefloor。Tembaromputahandonhisshoulderandgavehimafriendlyshake。

“Don”tyouworryabit，“hesaid。“Youtakemywordforit。It”llallcomeback。I”mworkingatitmyself。”Strangewaysliftedhishead。

“YouaretheoneIknowbest。Itrustyou。”Buttherewasthebeginningofaslightdraginhisvoice。“Idon”talways——quiterecollect——yourname。Notquite。Goodheavens！Imustn”tforgetthat。”

LittleAnnwasquiteready。

“Youwon”t，“shesaid，“becauseit”sdifferentfromothernames。Itbeginswithaletter——justaletter，andthenthereisthename。

Think。”

“Yes，yes，“hesaidanxiously。

LittleAnnbentforwardandfixedhereyesonhiswithconcentratedsuggestion。Theyhadneverriskedconfusinghimbyanymentionofthenewname。ShebegantorepeatlettersofthealphabetslowlyanddistinctlyuntilshereachedtheletterT。

“T，“sheendedwithmuchemphasis”R。S。_T_。”

Hisexpressioncleareditself。

“T，“herepeated。“T——Tembarom。R，S，T。Howcleveryouare！“

LittleAnn”sgazeconcentrateditselfstillmoreintently。

“Nowyou”llneverforgetitagain，“shesaid，“becauseoftheT。

You”llsaytheotherlettersuntilyoucometoit。R，S，T。”

“T。Tembarom，“heendedrelievedly。“Howyouhelpme！“Hetookherhandandkisseditverygently。

“Weareallgoingtohelpyou，“Annsoothedhim，“T。Tembarommostofall。”

“Say，“Tembarombrokeoutinanasidetoher，“I”mgoingtocomehereandtrythingsonhimeveryday。Whenitseemslikehegetsontosomething，howeverlittleathingitis，I”mgoingtofollowitupandseeifitwon”tgetsomewhere。”

Annnodded。

“There”llbesomethingsomeday，“shesaid。“Areyouquitecomfortablehere？“sheaskedaloudtoStrangeways。

“Verycomfortable，thankyou，“heansweredcourteously。“Theyarebeautifulrooms。Theyarefurnishedwithsuchfineoldthings。ThisisentirelyJacobean。It”squiteperfect。”Heglancedabouthim。“Andsoquiet。Noonecomesinherebutmyman，andheisaverynicechap。I

neverhadamanwhoknewhisdutiesbetter。”

LittleAnnandTembaromlookedateachother。

“Ishouldn”tbeabitsurprised，“shesaidaftertheyhadlefttheroom，“ifitwouldn”tbeagoodthingtogetPearsontotrytotalktohimnowandthen。He”sbeenusedtoaman-servant。”

“Yes，“answeredTembarom。“Pearsondidn”trattleHIM，youbetyourlife。”

CHAPTERXIV

Hecouldnotpersuadethemtoremaintotakelunchwithhim。ThefirmnessofHutchinson”sdeclinationwasnotunconnectedwithaprivatefeelingthat“themfootmenchaps”u”dbeonthelookouttoseethewayyouhandledeverybiteyouputinyourmouth。”Hecouldn”thavestoodit，dangtheirimpudence！LittleAnn，onherpart，franklyandcalmlysaid，“Itwouldn”tDO。”Thatwasall，andevidentlycoveredeverything。

Aftertheyhadgone，thefogliftedsomewhat，butthoughitwithdrewfromthewindows，itremainedfloatingaboutinmasses，likehugeghosts，amongthetreesofthepark。WhenTembaromsatdownalonetoprolonghislunchwiththeaidofBurrillandthefootmen，hewasconfrontedbytheseunearthlyshapeseverytimeheliftedhiseyestothewindowhefacedfromhisplaceatthetable。Itwasanoutlookwhichdidnotinspiretocheerfulness，andthefactthatAnnandherfatherweregoingbacktoManchesterandlatertoAmericalefthimwithouteventhesimpleconsolationofahealthyappetite。Thingswereboundtogetbetterafterawhile；theywereBOUNDto。Afellowwouldbeafoolifhecouldn”tfixitsomehowsothathecouldenjoyhimself，withmoneytoburn。Ifyoumadeupyourmindyoucouldn”tstandthewaythingswere，youdidn”thavetoliedownunderthem，withathousandorso“per“comingin。Youcouldfixitsothatitwouldbedifferent。Byjinks！therewasn”tanylawagainstyourgivingitalltothechurchbutjustenoughtobuyaflatinHarlemout-

right，ifyouwantedto。Butyouweren”tgoingtoruncrazyanddoalotoffoolthingsinaminute，andbesorrytherestofyourlife。

Moneywasmoney。AndfirstandforemosttherewasAnn，withherroundcheeksflushedandhervoiceallsweetandqueer，saying，“Youwouldn”tbeT。Tembarom；anditwasT。Tembaromthat——thatwasT。

Tembarom。”

Hecouldn”thelpknowingwhatshehadbeguntosay，andhisownfaceflushedashethoughtofit。Hewasatthattimeoflifewhentheregenerallyhappenstobeonecenteraboutwhichtheworldrevolves。Thecreaturewhopassesthroughthisperiodofexistencewithoutwatchingitrevolveaboutsuchacenterhasmissedanextraordinaryandsingularlydevelopingexperience。Itissometimeshappy，oftendisastrous，butalwaysmoreorlessdeveloping。Speakingcalmly，detachedly，butnotcynically，itisaphase。Duringitsexistenceitisthebloodintheveins，thesightoftheeyes，thebeatofthepulse，thethroboftheheart。Itisalsothedayandthenight，thesun，themoon，andthestars，heavenandhell，theentireuniverse。

Anditdoesn”tmatterintheleasttoanyonebutthecreatureslivingthroughit。T。Tembaromwasinthemidstofit。TherewasAnn。Therewasthisnewcrazythingwhichhadhappenedtohim”thisfoolthing，“

ashecalledit。Therewasthismonstrous，magnificenthouse，——heknewitwasmagnificent，thoughitwasn”thiskind，——therewasoldPalfordandhissolemntalkaboutancestorsandthenameofTempleBarholm。ItalwaysremindedhimofhowashamedhehadbeeninBrooklynofthe“TempleTemple“andhowhehadtoldliestopreventthefellowsfindingoutaboutit。Andtherewasseventythousandpoundsayear，andtherewasAnn，wholookedassoftasababy，——GoodLord！howsoftshe”dfeelifyougotherinyourarmsandsqueezedher！——andyetwassomehowstrongenoughtokeephimjustwhereshewantedhimtostayandbelievedheoughttostayuntil“hehadfoundout。”Thatwasit。

Shewasn”tdoingitforanyfoollittleideaofmakingherselfseemmoreimportant：shejustbelievedit。Shewasdoingitbecauseshewantedtolethim“havehischance，“justasifshewerehismotherinsteadofthegirlhewascleancrazyabout。Hischance！Helaughedoutright——ashort，confidentlaughwhichstartledBurrillexceedingly。

Whenhewentbacktothelibraryandlightedhispipehebegantostrideupanddownashecontinuedtothinkitover。

“IwishshewasassureasIam，“hesaid。“IwishshewasassureofmeasIamofmyself——andasIamofher。”Helaughedtheshort，confidentlaughagain。“IwishshewasassureasIamofusboth。

We”reallright。I”vegottogetthroughthis，andfindoutwhatit”sbesttodo，andI”vegottoshowher。WhenI”vehadmychancegoodandplenty，ustwoforlittleoldNewYork！Gee！won”titbefine！“heexclaimedimaginatively。“Hergoingoverherbills，lookinglikeapeachofababythat”stryingtoknititsbrows，andaddingup，andthinkingsheoughttoeconomize。She”ddoitifwehadtenmillion。”

Helaughedoutrightjoyfully。“GoodLord！Ishouldkisshertodeath！“

Thesimplestprocessofratiocinationwouldleadtoarealizationofthefactthatthoughhewaslonelyanduncomfortable，hewasnotintheleastpatheticorsorryforhimself。Hisnormalmentalandphysicalstructurekepthimsteadyonhisfeet，andhispracticalandunsentimentaltraining，combiningitselfwithatouchofironwhichcenturiesagohadexpresseditselfthroughsomefightingTempleBarholmandamediumofbattle-axes，crossbows，andspears，didtherest。

“It”dtakemorethanthistogetmewhereI”dbedownandout。I”mfeelingfine，“hesaid。“IbelieveI”llgoand”takeawalk”asPalfordsays。”

Thefog-wreathsintheparkwerefloatingaway，andhewentoutgrinningandwhistling，givingBurrillandthefootmananodashepassedthemwithaspringingyoungstride。Hegotthedooropensoquicklythatheleftthembehindhimfrustratedandstaringateachother。

“Itwasn”tourfault，“saidBurrill，gloomily。“He”sneverhadadooropenedforhiminhislife。Thiswon”tdoforme。”

Hewasawayforaboutanhour，andcamebackinthebestofspirits。

Hehadfoundoutthattherewassomethingin“takingawalk“ifafellowhadnothingelsetodo。Theparkwas“fine，“andhehadneverseenanythinglikeit。Whentherewereleavesonthetreesandthegrassandthingsweregreen，itwouldbebetterthanCentralParkitself。Youcouldhavebase-ballmatchesinit。Whatacinchitwouldbeifyouchargedgate-money！Buthesupposedyoucouldn”tifitbelongedtoyouandyouhadthreehundredandfiftythousandayear。

Youhadtogetusedtothat。Butitdidseemafoolbusinesstohaveallthatlandandnotmakeacentoutofit。IfitwasjustoutsideNewYorkandyoucutitupintolots，you”djustpileitup。Hewasquiteinnocent——calamitouslyinnocentandcommercialandawfulinhisviews。ThoughtssuchasthesehadbeencrammedintohisbrainbylifeeversincehehadgonedownthestaircaseoftheBrooklyntenementwithhistwenty-fivecentsinhisten-year-oldhand。

Thestillnessofthehouseseemedtohaveaccentuateditselfwhenhereturnedtoit。Hissenseofitlethimdownalittleasheentered。

Thelibrarywaslikeatomb——acomfortableluxurioustombwithabrightfireinit。AnewPunchandthemorningpapershadbeenlaiduponatableearlierintheday，andhesatdowntolookatthem。

“Iguessaboutfifty-sevenoreightofthehundredandthirty-sixhourshavegoneby，“hesaid。“But，gee！ain”titlonesome！“

Hesatsostilltryingtointeresthimselfin“LondonDaybyDay“inthemorningpaperthatthecombinationofhisexerciseinthefreshairandthewarmthofthefiremadehimdrowsy。Heleanedbackinhischairandclosedhiseyeswithoutbeingawarethathedidso。Hewasonthevergeofadoze。

Heremaineduponthevergeforafewminutes，andthenasoft，rustlingsoundmadehimopenhiseyes。

Anelderlylittleladyhadtimidlyenteredtheroom。Shewasneatlydressedinanold-fashionedandfar-from-newblacksilkdress，withadarnedlacecollarandminiaturebroochatherneck。Shehadalsothin，grayside-ringletsdanglingagainsthercheeksfrombeneathasmall，blacklacecapwithpale-purpleribbonsonit。Shehadmostevidentlynotexpectedtofindanyoneintheroom，and，havingseenTembarom，gaveahalf-frightenedcough。

“I——Ibegyourpardon，“shefaltered。“Ireallydidnotmeantointrude——really。”

Tembaromjumpedup，awkward，butgood-natured。Wassheakindofservantwhowasalady？

“Oh，that”sallright，“hesaid。

Butsheevidentlydidnotfeelthatitwasallright。Shelookedasthoughshefeltthatshehadbeencaughtdoingsomethingwrong，andmustproperlypropitiatebyapology。

“I”msosorry。Ithoughtyouhadgoneout——Mr。TempleBarholm。”

“Ididgoout——totakeawalk；butIcamein。”

Havingbeendiscoveredinherovertact，sheevidentlyfeltthatdutydemandedsomefurtherceremonyfromher。Sheapproachedhimverytimidly，butwithanexquisite，littleelderlyearly-Victorianmanner。

Shewasofthemostastonishinglyperfecttype，thoughTembaromwasnotawareofthefact。Themanner，acenturyearlier，wouldhaveexpresseditselfinacurtsy。

“ItisMr。TempleBarholm，isn”tit？“sheinquired。

“Yes；ithasbeenforthelastfewweeks，“heanswered，wonderingwhysheseemedsoinaweofhimandwishingshedidn”t。

“Ioughttoapologizeforbeinghere，“shebegan。

“Say，don”t，please！“heinterrupted。“WhatIfeelis，thatitoughttobeuptometoapologizeforbeinghere。”

Shewasreallyquiteflurriedanddistressed。

“Oh，please，Mr。TempleBarholm！“shefluttered，proceedingtoexplainhurriedly，asthoughhewithoutdoubtunderstoodthesituation。“I

shouldofcoursehavegoneawayatonceafterthelateMr。TempleBarholmdied，but——butIreallyhadnowheretogo——andwaskindlyallowedtoremainuntilabouttwomonthsago，whenIwenttomakeavisit。Ifullyintendedtoremovemylittlebelongingsbeforeyouarrived，butIwasdetainedbyillnessandcouldnotreturnuntilthismorningtopackup。Iunderstoodyouwereinthepark，andI

rememberedIhadleftmyknitting-baghere。”Sheglancednervouslyabouttheroom，andseemedtocatchsightofsomethingonaremotecornertable。“Oh，thereitis。MayItakeit？“shesaid，lookingathimappealingly。“Itwasakindpresentfromadearlostfriend，and——

and”Shepaused，seeinghispuzzledandtotallynon-comprehendingair。Itwasplainlythefirstmomentithaddawneduponherthathedidnotknowwhatshewastalkingabout。Shetookasmall，alarmedsteptowardhim。

“Oh，IBEGyourpardon，“sheexclaimedindelicateanguish。“I”mafraidyoudon”tknowwhoIam。PerhapsMr。Palfordforgottomentionme。Indeed，whyshouldhementionme？Thereweresomanymoreimportantthings。Iamasortofdistant——VERYdistantrelationofyours。MynameisAliciaTempleBarholm。”

Tembaromwasrelieved。Butsheactuallyhadn”tmadeamovetowardtheknitting-bag。Sheseemedafraidtodoituntilhegaveherpermission。

Hewalkedovertothecornertableandbroughtittoher，smilingbroadly。

“Hereitis，“hesaid。“I”mgladyouleftit。I”mveryhappytobeacquaintedwithyou，MissAlicia。”

Hewasgladjusttoseeherlookingupathimwithhertimid，refined，intenselyfeminineappeal。WhyshevaguelybroughtbacksomethingthatremindedhimofAnnhecouldnothavetold。Heknewnothingwhateveroftypesearly-Victorianorlate。

Hetookherhand，evidentlytohergreatestpossibleamazement，andshookitheartily。SheknewnothingwhateveroftheNewYorkstreettype，anditmadehergaspforbreath，butnaturallywithanallayedterror。

“Gee！“heexclaimedwhole-heartedly，“I”mgladtofindoutI”vegotarelation。IthoughtIhadn”toneintheworld。Won”tyousitdown？“Hewasdrawinghertowardhisowneasy-chair。Buthereallydidn”tknow，shewasagitatedlythinking。Shereallymusttellhim。Heseemedsogoodtemperedand——andDIFFERENT。Sheherselfwasnotawareoftheenormoussignificancewhichlayinthatword“different。”Theremustbenoriskofherseemingtopresumeuponhislackofknowledge。

“ItisMOSTkindofyou，“shesaidwithgratefulemphasis，“butI

mustn”tsitdownanddetainyou。Icanexplaininafewwords——ifI

may。”

Hepositivelystillheldherhandintheoddest，natural，boyishway，andbeforesheknewwhatshewasdoinghehadmadehertakethechair——

quiteMADEher。

“Well，justsitdownandexplain，“hesaid。“Iwishtothunderyouwoulddetainme。Takeallthetimeyoulike。Iwanttohearallaboutit——honestInjun。”

Therewasacushioninthechair，andashetalked，hepulleditoutandbegantoarrangeitbehindher，stillinthemostnaturalandmatter-of-factway——sonaturalandmatter-of-fact，indeed，thatitsverynaturalmatter-of-factednesstookherbreathaway。

“Isthatfixedallright？“heasked。

Beingalittlelady，shecouldonlyaccepthisextraordinaryfriendlinesswithgratefulappreciation，thoughshecouldnothelpflutteringalittleinherbewilderment。

“Oh，thankyou，thankyou，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid。

Hesatdownonthesquareottomanfacingher，andleanedforwardwithanairofmakingafrankconfession。

“GuesswhatIwasthinkingtomyselftwominutesbeforeyoucamein？I

wasthinking，`Lord，I”mlonesome——justsicklonesome！”AndthenI

openedmyeyesandlooked——andtherewasarelation！Hullygee！I

callthatluck！“

“Dearme！“shesaid，shylydelighted。“DOyou，Mr。TempleBarholm——

REALLY？“