第4章

"Yes，Iknow，"Mr。Royallsaidslowly。"Butthatain’tgoingtohelpusmuchnow。"

"Ithelpsmenottocareastrawwhatliesyoutellaboutme！"

"Ifthey’relies，they’renotmylies：myBibleoathonthat，Charity。Ididn’tknowwhereyouwere：Iwasn’toutofthishouselastnight。"

Shemadenoanswerandhewenton："IsitaliethatyouwereseencomingoutofMissHatchard’snighontomidnight？"

Shestraightenedherselfwithalaugh，allherrecklessinsolencerecovered。"Ididn’tlooktoseewhattimeitwas。"

"Youlostgirl……you……you……Oh，myGod，whydidyoutellme？"hebrokeout，droppingintohischair，hisheadboweddownlikeanoldman’s。

Charity’sself—possessionhadreturnedwiththesenseofherdanger。"DoyousupposeI’dtakethetroubletolietoYOU？Whoareyou，anyhow，toaskmewhereIgotowhenIgooutatnight？"

Mr。Royallliftedhisheadandlookedather。Hisfacehadgrownquietandalmostgentle，assherememberedseeingitsometimeswhenshewasalittlegirl，beforeMrs。Royalldied。

"Don’tlet’sgoonlikethis，Charity。Itcan’tdoanygoodtoeitherofus。Youwereseengoingintothatfellow’shouse……youwereseencomingoutofit……I’vewatchedthisthingcoming，andI’vetriedtostopit。

AsGodseesme，Ihave……"

"Ah，itWASyou，then？Iknewitwasyouthatsenthimaway！"

Helookedatherinsurprise。"Didn’thetellyouso？

Ithoughtheunderstood。"Hespokeslowly，withdifficultpauses，"Ididn’tnameyoutohim：I’dhavecutmyhandoffsooner。IjusttoldhimIcouldn’tsparethehorseanylonger;andthatthecookingwasgettingtooheavyforVerena。Iguesshe’sthekindthat’sheardthesamethingbefore。Anyhow，hetookitquietlyenough。Hesaidhisjobherewasaboutdone，anyhow;andtheredidn’tanotherwordpassbetweenus……Ifhetoldyouotherwisehetoldyouanuntruth。"

Charitylistenedinacoldtranceofanger。Itwasnothingtoherwhatthevillagesaid……butallthisfingeringofherdreams！

"I’vetoldyouhedidn’ttellmeanything。Ididn’tspeakwithhimlastnight。"

"Youdidn’tspeakwithhim？"

"No……It’snotthatIcarewhatanyofyousay……butyoumayaswellknow。Thingsain’tbetweenusthewayyouthink……andtheotherpeopleinthisplace。Hewaskindtome;hewasmyfriend;andallofasuddenhestoppedcoming，andIknewitwasyouthatdoneit——

YOU！"Allherunreconciledmemoryofthepastflamedoutathim。"SoIwenttherelastnighttofindoutwhatyou’dsaidtohim：that’sall。"

Mr。Royalldrewaheavybreath。"But，then——ifhewasn’tthere，whatwereyoudoingthereallthattime？——

Charity，forpity’ssake，tellme。I’vegottoknow，tostoptheirtalking。"

Thispatheticabdicationofallauthorityoverherdidnotmoveher：shecouldfeelonlytheoutrageofhisinterference。

"Can’tyouseethatIdon’tcarewhatanybodysays？

It’strueIwenttheretoseehim;andhewasinhisroom，andIstoodoutsideforeversolongandwatchedhim;butIdursn’tgoinforfearhe’dthinkI’dcomeafterhim……"Shefelthervoicebreaking，andgathereditupinalastdefiance。"AslongasIliveI’llneverforgiveyou！"shecried。

Mr。Royallmadenoanswer。Hesatandponderedwithsunkenhead，hisveinedhandsclaspedaboutthearmsofhischair。Ageseemedtohavecomedownonhimaswintercomesonthehillsafterastorm。Atlengthhelookedup。

"Charity，yousayyoudon’tcare;butyou’retheproudestgirlIknow，andthelasttowantpeopletotalkagainstyou。Youknowthere’salwayseyeswatchingyou：you’rehandsomerandsmarterthantherest，andthat’senough。Buttilllatelyyou’venevergiventhemachance。Nowthey’vegotit，andthey’regoingtouseit。Ibelievewhatyousay，buttheywon’t……ItwasMrs。TomFryseenyougoingin……andtwoorthreeofthemwatchedforyoutocomeoutagain……You’vebeenwiththefellowalldaylongeverydaysincehecomehere……andI’malawyer，andIknowhowhardslanderdies。"Hepaused，butshestoodmotionless，withoutgivinghimanysignofacquiescenceorevenofattention。"He’sapleasantfellowtotalkto——Ilikedhavinghimheremyself。Theyoungmenuphereain’thadhischances。Butthere’sonethingasoldasthehillsandasplainasdaylight：ifhe’dwantedyoutherightwayhe’dhavesaidso。"

Charitydidnotspeak。Itseemedtoherthatnothingcouldexceedthebitternessofhearingsuchwordsfromsuchlips。

Mr。Royallrosefromhisseat。"Seehere，CharityRoyall：Ihadashamefulthoughtonce，andyou’vemademepayforit。Isn’tthatscoreprettynearwipedout？……There’sastreakinmeIain’talwaysmasterof;

butI’vealwaysactedstraighttoyoubutthatonce。

Andyou’veknownIwould——you’vetrustedme。Forallyoursneersandyourmockeryyou’vealwaysknownI

lovedyouthewayamanlovesadecentwoman。I’magoodmanyyearsolderthanyou，butI’mheadandshouldersabovethisplaceandeverybodyinit，andyouknowthattoo。Islippeduponce，butthat’snoreasonfornotstartingagain。Ifyou’llcomewithmeI’lldoit。Ifyou’llmarrymewe’llleavehereandsettleinsomebigtown，wherethere’smen，andbusiness，andthingsdoing。It’snottoolateformetofindanopening……IcanseeitbythewayfolkstreatmewhenIgodowntoHepburnorNettleton……"

Charitymadenomovement。Nothinginhisappealreachedherheart，andshethoughtonlyofwordstowoundandwither。Butagrowinglassituderestrainedher。Whatdidanythingmatterthathewassaying？Shesawtheoldlifeclosinginonher，andhardlyheededhisfancifulpictureofrenewal。

"Charity——Charity——sayyou’lldoit，"sheheardhimurge，allhislostyearsandwastedpassioninhisvoice。

"Oh，what’stheuseofallthis？WhenIleavehereitwon’tbewithyou。"

Shemovedtowardthedoorasshespoke，andhestoodupandplacedhimselfbetweenherandthethreshold。Heseemedsuddenlytallandstrong，asthoughtheextremityofhishumiliationhadgivenhimnewvigour。

"That’sall，isit？It’snotmuch。"Heleanedagainstthedoor，sotoweringandpowerfulthatheseemedtofillthenarrowroom。"Well，thenlookhere……You’reright：I’venoclaimonyou——whyshouldyoulookatabrokenmanlikeme？Youwanttheotherfellow……andI

don’tblameyou。Youpickedoutthebestwhenyouseenit……well，thatwasalwaysmyway。"Hefixedhissterneyesonher，andshehadthesensethatthestrugglewithinhimwasatitshighest。"Doyouwanthimtomarryyou？"heasked。

Theystoodandlookedateachotherforalongmoment，eyetoeye，withtheterribleequalityofcouragethatsometimesmadeherfeelasifshehadhisbloodinherveins。

"Doyouwanthimto——say？I’llhavehimhereinanhourifyoudo。Iain’tbeeninthelawthirtyyearsfornothing。He’shiredCarrickFry’steamtotakehimtoHepburn，butheain’tgoingtostartforanotherhour。

AndIcanputthingstohimsohewon’tbelongdeciding……He’ssoft：Icouldseethat。Idon’tsayyouwon’tbesorryafterward——but，byGod，I’llgiveyouthechancetobe，ifyousayso。"

Sheheardhimoutinsilence，tooremotefromallhewasfeelingandsayingforanysallyofscorntorelieveher。Asshelistened，thereflittedthroughhermindthevisionofLiffHyatt’smuddybootcomingdownonthewhitebramble—flowers。Thesamethinghadhappenednow;somethingtransientandexquisitehadfloweredinher，andshehadstoodbyandseenittrampledtoearth。WhilethethoughtpassedthroughhershewasawareofMr。Royall，stillleaningagainstthedoor，butcrestfallen，diminished，asthoughhersilenceweretheanswerhemostdreaded。

"Idon’twantanychanceyoucangiveme：I’mgladhe’sgoingaway，"shesaid。

Hekepthisplaceamomentlonger，hishandonthedoor—knob。"Charity！"hepleaded。Shemadenoanswer，andheturnedtheknobandwentout。Sheheardhimfumblewiththelatchofthefrontdoor，andsawhimwalkdownthesteps。Hepassedoutofthegate，andhisfigure，stoopingandheavy，recededslowlyupthestreet。

Forawhilesheremainedwherehehadlefther。Shewasstilltremblingwiththehumiliationofhislastwords，whichrangsoloudinherearsthatitseemedasthoughtheymustechothroughthevillage，proclaimingheracreaturetolendherselftosuchvilesuggestions。Hershameweighedonherlikeaphysicaloppression：theroofandwallsseemedtobeclosinginonher，andshewasseizedbytheimpulsetogetaway，undertheopensky，wheretherewouldberoomtobreathe。Shewenttothefrontdoor，andasshedidsoLuciusHarneyopenedit。

Helookedgraverandlessconfidentthanusual，andforamomentortwoneitherofthemspoke。

Thenheheldouthishand。"Areyougoingout？"heasked。"MayIcomein？"

Herheartwasbeatingsoviolentlythatshewasafraidtospeak，andstoodlookingathimwithtear—dilatedeyes;thenshebecameawareofwhathersilencemustbetray，andsaidquickly："Yes：comein。"

Sheledthewayintothedining—room，andtheysatdownonoppositesidesofthetable，thecruet—standandjapannedbread—basketbetweenthem。Harneyhadlaidhisstrawhatonthetable，andashesatthere，inhiseasy—lookingsummerclothes，abrowntieknottedunderhisflannelcollar，andhissmoothbrownhairbrushedbackfromhisforehead，shepicturedhim，asshehadseenhimthenightbefore，lyingonhisbed，withthetossedlocksfallingintohiseyes，andhisbarethroatrisingoutofhisunbuttonedshirt。Hehadneverseemedsoremoteasatthemomentwhenthatvisionflashedthroughhermind。

"I’msosorryit’sgood—bye：IsupposeyouknowI’mleaving，"hebegan，abruptlyandawkwardly;sheguessedthathewaswonderinghowmuchsheknewofhisreasonsforgoing。

"Ipresumeyoufoundyourworkwasoverquickerthanwhatyouexpected，"shesaid。

"Well，yes——thatis，no：thereareplentyofthingsI

shouldhavelikedtodo。Butmyholiday’slimited;andnowthatMr。Royallneedsthehorseforhimselfit’sratherdifficulttofindmeansofgettingabout。"

"Thereain’tanytoomanyteamsforhirearoundhere，"

sheacquiesced;andtherewasanothersilence。

"Thesedaysherehavebeen——awfullypleasant：Iwantedtothankyouformakingthemso，"hecontinued，hiscolourrising。

Shecouldnotthinkofanyreply，andhewenton：

"You’vebeenwonderfullykindtome，andIwantedtotellyou……IwishIcouldthinkofyouashappier，lesslonely……Thingsaresuretochangeforyoubyandby……"

"Thingsdon’tchangeatNorthDormer：peoplejustgetusedtothem。"

Theanswerseemedtobreakuptheorderofhisprearrangedconsolations，andhesatlookingatheruncertainly。Thenhesaid，withhissweetsmile：

"That’snottrueofyou。Itcan’tbe。"

Thesmilewaslikeaknife—thrustthroughherheart：everythinginherbegantotrembleandbreakloose。Shefelthertearsrunover，andstoodup。

"Well，good—bye，"shesaid。

Shewasawareofhistakingherhand，andoffeelingthathistouchwaslifeless。

"Good—bye。"Heturnedaway，andstoppedonthethreshold。"You’llsaygood—byeformetoVerena？"

Sheheardtheclosingoftheouterdoorandthesoundofhisquicktreadalongthepath。Thelatchofthegateclickedafterhim。

Thenextmorningwhenshearoseinthecolddawnandopenedhershuttersshesawafreckledboystandingontheothersideoftheroadandlookingupather。HewasaboyfromafarmthreeorfourmilesdowntheCrestonroad，andshewonderedwhathewasdoingthereatthathour，andwhyhelookedsohardatherwindow。

Whenhesawherhecrossedoverandleanedagainstthegateunconcernedly。Therewasnoonestirringinthehouse，andshethrewashawloverhernight—gownandrandownandletherselfout。Bythetimeshereachedthegatetheboywassaunteringdowntheroad，whistlingcarelessly;butshesawthataletterhadbeenthrustbetweentheslatsandthecrossbarofthegate。Shetookitoutandhastenedbacktoherroom。

Theenvelopeborehername，andinsidewasaleaftornfromapocket—diary。

DEARCHARITY：

Ican’tgoawaylikethis。IamstayingforafewdaysatCrestonRiver。WillyoucomedownandmeetmeatCrestonpool？Iwillwaitforyoutillevening。

IX

CHARITYsatbeforethemirrortryingonahatwhichAllyHawes，withmuchsecrecy，hadtrimmedforher。Itwasofwhitestraw，withadroopingbrimandcherry—

colouredliningthatmadeherfaceglowliketheinsideoftheshellontheparlourmantelpiece。

Sheproppedthesquareoflooking—glassagainstMr。

Royall’sblackleatherBible，steadyingitinfrontwithawhitestoneonwhichaviewoftheBrooklynBridgewaspainted;andshesatbeforeherreflection，bendingthebrimthiswayandthat，whileAllyHawes’spalefacelookedoverhershoulderliketheghostofwastedopportunities。

"Ilookawful，don’tI？"shesaidatlastwithahappysigh。

Allysmiledandtookbackthehat。"I’llstitchtherosesonrighthere，so’syoucanputitawayatonce。"

Charitylaughed，andranherfingersthroughherroughdarkhair。SheknewthatHarneylikedtoseeitsreddishedgesruffledaboutherforeheadandbreakingintolittleringsatthenape。ShesatdownonherbedandwatchedAllystoopoverthehatwithacarefulfrown。

"Don’tyoueverfeellikegoingdowntoNettletonforaday？"sheasked。

Allyshookherheadwithoutlookingup。"No，IalwaysrememberthatawfultimeIwentdownwithJulia——tothatdoctor’s。"

"Oh，Ally————"

"Ican’thelpit。ThehouseisonthecornerofWingStreetandLakeAvenue。Thetrolleyfromthestationgoesrightbyit，andthedaytheministertookusdowntoseethosepicturesIrecognizeditrightoff，andcouldn’tseemtoseeanythingelse。There’sabigblacksignwithgoldlettersallacrossthefront——

’PrivateConsultations。’Shecameasnearasanythingtodying……"

"PoorJulia！"Charitysighedfromtheheightofherpurityandhersecurity。Shehadafriendwhomshetrustedandwhorespectedher。Shewasgoingwithhimtospendthenextday——theFourthofJuly——atNettleton。Whosebusinesswasitbuthers，andwhatwastheharm？ThepityofitwasthatgirlslikeJuliadidnotknowhowtochoose，andtokeepbadfellowsatadistance……Charityslippeddownfromthebed，andstretchedoutherhands。

"Isitsewed？Letmetryitonagain。"Sheputthehaton，andsmiledatherimage。ThethoughtofJuliahadvanished……

Thenextmorningshewasupbeforedawn，andsawtheyellowsunrisebroadenbehindthehills，andthesilverylusterprecedingahotdaytrembleacrossthesleepingfields。

Herplanshadbeenmadewithgreatcare。ShehadannouncedthatshewasgoingdowntotheBandofHopepicnicatHepburn，andasnooneelsefromNorthDormerintendedtoventuresofaritwasnotlikelythatherabsencefromthefestivitywouldbereported。Besides，ifitwereshewouldnotgreatlycare。Shewasdeterminedtoassertherindependence，andifshestoopedtofibabouttheHepburnpicnicitwaschieflyfromthesecretiveinstinctthatmadeherdreadtheprofanationofherhappiness。WhenevershewaswithLuciusHarneyshewouldhavelikedsomeimpenetrablemountainmisttohideher。

ItwasarrangedthatsheshouldwalktoapointoftheCrestonroadwhereHarneywastopickherupanddriveheracrossthehillstoHepburnintimeforthenine—thirtytraintoNettleton。Harneyatfirsthadbeenratherlukewarmaboutthetrip。HedeclaredhimselfreadytotakehertoNettleton，buturgedhernottogoontheFourthofJuly，onaccountofthecrowds，theprobablelatenessofthetrains，thedifficultyofhergettingbackbeforenight;butherevidentdisappointmentcausedhimtogiveway，andeventoaffectafaintenthusiasmfortheadventure。Sheunderstoodwhyhewasnotmoreeager：hemusthaveseensightsbesidewhichevenaFourthofJulyatNettletonwouldseemtame。Butshehadneverseenanything;andagreatlongingpossessedhertowalkthestreetsofabigtownonaholiday，clingingtohisarmandjostledbyidlecrowdsintheirbestclothes。Theonlycloudontheprospectwasthefactthattheshopswouldbeclosed;butshehopedhewouldtakeherbackanotherday，whentheywereopen。

Shestartedoutunnoticedintheearlysunlight，slippingthroughthekitchenwhileVerenabentabovethestove。Toavoidattractingnotice，shecarriedhernewhatcarefullywrappedup，andhadthrownalonggreyveilofMrs。Royall’soverthenewwhitemuslindresswhichAlly’scleverfingershadmadeforher。AllofthetendollarsMr。Royallhadgivenher，andapartofherownsavingsaswell，hadbeenspentonrenewingherwardrobe;andwhenHarneyjumpedoutofthebuggytomeethershereadherrewardinhiseyes。

ThefreckledboywhohadbroughtherthenotetwoweeksearlierwastowaitwiththebuggyatHepburntilltheirreturn。HeperchedatCharity’sfeet，hislegsdanglingbetweenthewheels，andtheycouldnotsaymuchbecauseofhispresence。Butitdidnotgreatlymatter，fortheirpastwasnowrichenoughtohavegiventhemaprivatelanguage;andwiththelongdaystretchingbeforethemlikethebluedistancebeyondthehillstherewasadelicatepleasureinpostponement。

WhenCharity，inresponsetoHarney’smessage，hadgonetomeethimattheCrestonpoolherhearthadbeensofullofmortificationandangerthathisfirstwordsmighteasilyhaveestrangedher。Butithappenedthathehadfoundtherightword，whichwasoneofsimplefriendship。Histonehadinstantlyjustifiedher，andputherguardianinthewrong。HehadmadenoallusiontowhathadpassedbetweenMr。Royallandhimself，buthadsimplyletitappearthathehadleftbecausemeansofconveyancewerehardtofindatNorthDormer，andbecauseCrestonRiverwasamoreconvenientcentre。

Hetoldherthathehadhiredbytheweekthebuggyofthefreckledboy’sfather，whoservedaslivery—stablekeepertooneortwomelancholysummerboarding—housesonCrestonLake，andhaddiscovered，withindrivingdistance，anumberofhousesworthyofhispencil;andhesaidthathecouldnot，whilehewasintheneighbourhood，giveupthepleasureofseeingherasoftenaspossible。

Whentheytookleaveofeachothershepromisedtocontinuetobehisguide;andduringthefortnightwhichfollowedtheyroamedthehillsinhappycomradeship。Inmostofthevillagefriendshipsbetweenyouthsandmaidenslackofconversationwasmadeupforbytentativefondling;butHarney，exceptwhenhehadtriedtocomfortherinhertroubleontheirwaybackfromtheHyatts’，hadneverputhisarmabouther，orsoughttobetrayherintoanysuddencaress。Itseemedtobeenoughforhimtobreathehernearnesslikeaflower’s;andsincehispleasureatbeingwithher，andhissenseofheryouthandhergrace，perpetuallyshoneinhiseyesandsoftenedtheinflectionofhisvoice，hisreservedidnotsuggestcoldness，butthedeferenceduetoagirlofhisownclass。

Thebuggywasdrawnbyanoldtrotterwhowhirledthemalongsobrisklythatthepacecreatedalittlebreeze;

butwhentheyreachedHepburnthefullheatoftheairlessmorningdescendedonthem。Attherailwaystationtheplatformwaspackedwithaswelteringthrong，andtheytookrefugeinthewaiting—room，wheretherewasanotherthrong，alreadydejectedbytheheatandthelongwaitingforretardedtrains。Palemotherswerestrugglingwithfretfulbabies，ortryingtokeeptheirolderoffspringfromthefascinationofthetrack;girlsandtheir"fellows"weregigglingandshoving，andpassingaboutcandyinstickybags，andoldermen，collarlessandperspiring，wereshiftingheavychildrenfromonearmtotheother，andkeepingahaggardeyeonthescatteredmembersoftheirfamilies。

Atlastthetrainrumbledin，andengulfedthewaitingmultitude。HarneysweptCharityupontothefirstcarandtheycapturedabenchfortwo，andsatinhappyisolationwhilethetrainswayedandroaredalongthroughrichfieldsandlanguidtree—clumps。Thehazeofthemorninghadbecomeasortofcleartremorovereverything，likethecolourlessvibrationaboutaflame;andtheopulentlandscapeseemedtodroopunderit。ButtoCharitytheheatwasastimulant：itenvelopedthewholeworldinthesameglowthatburnedatherheart。NowandthenalurchofthetrainflungheragainstHarney，andthroughherthinmuslinshefeltthetouchofhissleeve。Shesteadiedherself，theireyesmet，andtheflamingbreathofthedayseemedtoenclosethem。

ThetrainroaredintotheNettletonstation，thedescendingmobcaughtthemonitstide，andtheyweresweptoutintoavaguedustysquarethrongedwithseedy"hacks"andlongcurtainedomnibusesdrawnbyhorseswithtasselledfly—netsovertheirwithers，whostoodswingingtheirdepressedheadsdrearilyfromsidetoside。

Amobof’busandhackdriverswereshouting"TotheEagleHouse，""TotheWashingtonHouse，""ThiswaytotheLake，""JuststartingforGreytop;"andthroughtheiryellscamethepoppingoffire—crackers，theexplosionoftorpedoes，thebangingoftoy—guns，andthecrashofafiremen’sbandtryingtoplaytheMerryWidowwhiletheywerebeingpackedintoawaggonettestreamingwithbunting。

Theramshacklewoodenhotelsaboutthesquarewereallhungwithflagsandpaperlanterns，andasHarneyandCharityturnedintothemainstreet，withitsbrickandgranitebusinessblockscrowdingouttheoldlow—

storiedshops，anditstoweringpolesstrungwithinnumerablewiresthatseemedtotrembleandbuzzintheheat，theysawthedoublelineofflagsandlanternstaperingawaygailytotheparkattheotherendoftheperspective。ThenoiseandcolourofthisholidayvisionseemedtotransformNettletonintoametropolis。CharitycouldnotbelievethatSpringfieldorevenBostonhadanythinggrandertoshow，andshewonderedif，atthisverymoment，AnnabelBalch，onthearmofasbrilliantayoungman，werethreadingherwaythroughscenesasresplendent。

"Whereshallwegofirst？"Harneyasked;butassheturnedherhappyeyesonhimheguessedtheanswerandsaid："We’lltakealookround，shallwe？"

Thestreetswarmedwiththeirfellow—travellers，withotherexcursionistsarrivingfromotherdirections，withNettleton’sownpopulation，andwiththemill—handstroopinginfromthefactoriesontheCreston。Theshopswereclosed，butonewouldscarcelyhavenoticedit，sonumerousweretheglassdoorsswingingopenonsaloons，onrestaurants，ondrug—

storesgushingfromeverysoda—watertap，onfruitandconfectioneryshopsstackedwithstrawberry—cake，cocoanutdrops，traysofglisteningmolassescandy，boxesofcaramelsandchewing—gum，basketsofsoddenstrawberries，anddanglingbranchesofbananas。Outsideofsomeofthedoorsweretrestleswithbanked—uporangesandapples，spottedpearsanddustyraspberries;andtheairreekedwiththesmelloffruitandstalecoffee，beerandsarsaparillaandfriedpotatoes。

Eventheshopsthatwereclosedoffered，throughwideexpansesofplate—glass，hintsofhiddenriches。Insome，wavesofsilkandribbonbrokeovershoresofimitationmossfromwhichravishinghatsroseliketropicalorchids。Inothers，thepinkthroatsofgramophonesopenedtheirgiantconvolutionsinasoundlesschorus;orbicyclesshininginneatranksseemedtoawaitthesignalofaninvisiblestarter;ortiersoffancy—goodsinleatheretteandpasteandcelluloiddangledtheirinsidiousgraces;and，inonevastbaythatseemedtoprojectthemintoexcitingcontactwiththepublic，waxladiesindaringdresseschattedelegantly，or，withgesturesintimateyetblameless，pointedtotheirpinkcorsetsandtransparenthosiery。

PresentlyHarneyfoundthathiswatchhadstopped，andturnedinatasmalljeweller’sshopwhichchancedtostillbeopen。WhilethewatchwasbeingexaminedCharityleanedovertheglasscounterwhere，onabackgroundofdarkbluevelvet，pins，rings，andbroochesglitteredlikethemoonandstars。Shehadneverseenjewellrysonearby，andshelongedtolifttheglasslidandplungeherhandamongtheshiningtreasures。ButalreadyHarney’swatchwasrepaired，andhelaidhishandonherarmanddrewherfromherdream。

"Whichdoyoulikebest？"heaskedleaningoverthecounteratherside。

"Idon’tknow……"Shepointedtoagoldlily—of—the—

valleywithwhiteflowers。

"Don’tyouthinkthebluepin’sbetter？"hesuggested，andimmediatelyshesawthatthelilyofthevalleywasmeretrumperycomparedtothesmallroundstone，blueasamountainlake，withlittlesparksoflightallroundit。Shecolouredatherwantofdiscrimination。

"It’ssolovelyIguessIwasafraidtolookatit，"shesaid。

Helaughed，andtheywentoutoftheshop;butafewstepsawayheexclaimed："Oh，byJove，Iforgotsomething，"andturnedbackandleftherinthecrowd。

Shestoodstaringdownarowofpinkgramophonethroatstillherejoinedherandslippedhisarmthroughhers。

"Youmustn’tbeafraidoflookingatthebluepinanylonger，becauseitbelongstoyou，"hesaid;andshefeltalittleboxbeingpressedintoherhand。Herheartgavealeapofjoy，butitreachedherlipsonlyinashystammer。Sherememberedothergirlswhomshehadheardplanningtoextractpresentsfromtheirfellows，andwasseizedwithasuddendreadlestHarneyshouldhaveimaginedthatshehadleanedovertheprettythingsintheglasscaseinthehopeofhavingonegiventoher……

Alittlefartherdownthestreettheyturnedinataglassdoorwayopeningonashininghallwithamahoganystaircase，andbrasscagesinitscorners。"Wemusthavesomethingtoeat，"Harneysaid;andthenextmomentCharityfoundherselfinadressing—roomalllooking—glassandlustroussurfaces，whereapartyofshowy—lookinggirlsweredabbingonpowderandstraighteningimmenseplumedhats。Whentheyhadgoneshetookcouragetobatheherhotfaceinoneofthemarblebasins，andtostraightenherownhat—brim，whichtheparasolsofthecrowdhadindented。Thedressesintheshopshadsoimpressedherthatshescarcelydaredlookatherreflection;butwhenshedidso，theglowofherfaceunderhercherry—colouredhat，andthecurveofheryoungshouldersthroughthetransparentmuslin，restoredhercourage;andwhenshehadtakenthebluebroochfromitsboxandpinneditonherbosomshewalkedtowardtherestaurantwithherheadhigh，asifshehadalwaysstrolledthroughtessellatedhallsbesideyoungmeninflannels。

Herspiritsankalittleatthesightoftheslim—

waistedwaitressesinblack，withbewitchingmob—capsontheirhaughtyheads，whoweremovingdisdainfullybetweenthetables。"Notf’ranotherhour，"oneofthemdroppedtoHarneyinpassing;andhestooddoubtfullyglancingabouthim。

"Oh，well，wecan’tstayswelteringhere，"hedecided;

"let’strysomewhereelse——"andwithasenseofreliefCharityfollowedhimfromthatsceneofinhospitablesplendour。

That"somewhereelse"turnedout——aftermorehottramping，andseveralfailures——tobe，ofallthings，alittleopen—airplaceinabackstreetthatcalleditselfaFrenchrestaurant，andconsistedintwoorthreericketytablesunderascarlet—runner，betweenapatchofzinniasandpetuniasandabigelmbendingoverfromthenextyard。Heretheylunchedonqueerlyflavouredthings，whileHarney，leaningbackinacrippledrocking—chair，smokedcigarettesbetweenthecoursesandpouredintoCharity’sglassapaleyellowwinewhichhesaidwastheverysameonedrankinjustsuchjollyplacesinFrance。

Charitydidnotthinkthewineasgoodassarsaparilla，butshesippedamouthfulforthepleasureofdoingwhathedid，andoffancyingherselfalonewithhiminforeigncountries。Theillusionwasincreasedbytheirbeingservedbyadeep—bosomedwomanwithsmoothhairandapleasantlaugh，whotalkedtoHarneyinunintelligiblewords，andseemedamazedandoverjoyedathisansweringherinkind。Attheothertablesotherpeoplesat，mill—handsprobably，homelybutpleasantlooking，whospokethesameshrilljargon，andlookedatHarneyandCharitywithfriendlyeyes;andbetweenthetable—legsapoodlewithbaldpatchesandpinkeyesnosedaboutforscraps，andsatuponhishindlegsabsurdly。

Harneyshowednoinclinationtomove，forhotastheircornerwas，itwasatleastshadedandquiet;and，fromthemainthoroughfarescametheclangingoftrolleys，theincessantpoppingoftorpedoes，thejingleofstreet—organs，thebawlingofmegaphonemenandtheloudmurmurofincreasingcrowds。Heleanedback，smokinghiscigar，pattingthedog，andstirringthecoffeethatsteamedintheirchippedcups。"It’stherealthing，youknow，"heexplained;andCharityhastilyrevisedherpreviousconceptionofthebeverage。

Theyhadmadenoplansfortherestoftheday，andwhenHarneyaskedherwhatshewantedtodonextshewastoobewilderedbyrichpossibilitiestofindananswer。FinallysheconfessedthatshelongedtogototheLake，whereshehadnotbeentakenonherformervisit，andwhenheanswered，"Oh，there’stimeforthat——itwillbepleasanterlater，"shesuggestedseeingsomepicturesliketheonesMr。Mileshadtakenherto。ShethoughtHarneylookedalittledisconcerted;buthepassedhisfinehandkerchiefoverhiswarmbrow，saidgaily，"Comealong，then，"androsewithalastpatforthepink—eyeddog。

Mr。Miles’spictureshadbeenshowninanaustereY。M。C。A。hall，withwhitewallsandanorgan;butHarneyledCharitytoaglitteringplace——everythingshesawseemedtoglitter——wheretheypassed，betweenimmensepicturesofyellow—hairedbeautiesstabbingvillainsineveningdress，intoavelvet—curtainedauditoriumpackedwithspectatorstothelastlimitofcompression。Afterthat，forawhile，everythingwasmergedinherbraininswimmingcirclesofheatandblindingalternationsoflightanddarkness。Alltheworldhastoshowseemedtopassbeforeherinachaosofpalmsandminarets，chargingcavalryregiments，roaringlions，comicpolicemenandscowlingmurderers;

andthecrowdaroundher，thehundredsofhotsallowcandy—munchingfaces，young，old，middle—aged，butallkindledwiththesamecontagiousexcitement，becamepartofthespectacle，anddancedonthescreenwiththerest。

Presentlythethoughtofthecooltrolley—runtotheLakegrewirresistible，andtheystruggledoutofthetheatre。Astheystoodonthepavement，Harneypalewiththeheat，andevenCharityalittleconfusedbyit，ayoungmandrovebyinanelectricrun—aboutwithacalicobandbearingthewords："TendollarstotakeyouroundtheLake。"BeforeCharityknewwhatwashappening，Harneyhadwavedahand，andtheywereclimbingin。"Say，fortwenny—fiveI’llrunyououttoseetheball—gameandback，"thedriverproposedwithaninsinuatinggrin;butCharitysaidquickly："Oh，I’drathergorowingontheLake。"Thestreetwassothrongedthatprogresswasslow;butthegloryofsittinginthelittlecarriagewhileitwriggleditswaybetweenladenomnibusesandtrolleysmadethemomentsseemtooshort。"NextturnisLakeAvenue，"

theyoungmancalledoutoverhisshoulder;andastheypausedinthewakeofabigomnibusgroaningwithKnightsofPythiasincockedhatsandswords，Charitylookedupandsawonthecornerabrickhousewithaconspicuousblackandgoldsignacrossitsfront。"Dr。

Merkle;PrivateConsultationsatallhours。LadyAttendants，"sheread;andsuddenlysherememberedAllyHawes’swords："ThehousewasatthecornerofWingStreetandLakeAvenue……there’sabigblacksignacrossthefront……"Throughalltheheatandtheraptureashiverofcoldranoverher。

X

THELakeatlast——asheetofshiningmetalbroodedoverbydroopingtrees。CharityandHarneyhadsecuredaboatand，gettingawayfromthewharvesandtherefreshment—booths，theydriftedidlyalong，huggingtheshadowoftheshore。Wherethesunstruckthewateritsshaftsflamedbackblindinglyattheheat—

veiledsky;andtheleastshadewasblackbycontrast。

TheLakewassosmooththatthereflectionofthetreesonitsedgeseemedenamelledonasolidsurface;butgradually，asthesundeclined，thewatergrewtransparent，andCharity，leaningover，plungedherfascinatedgazeintodepthssoclearthatshesawtheinvertedtree—topsinterwovenwiththegreengrowthsofthebottom。

TheyroundedapointatthefartherendoftheLake，andenteringaninletpushedtheirbowagainstaprotrudingtree—trunk。Agreenveilofwillowsoverhungthem。Beyondthetrees，wheat—fieldssparkledinthesun;andallalongthehorizontheclearhillsthrobbedwithlight。Charityleanedbackinthestern，andHarneyunshippedtheoarsandlayinthebottomoftheboatwithoutspeaking。

EversincetheirmeetingattheCrestonpoolhehadbeensubjecttothesebroodingsilences，whichwereasdifferentaspossiblefromthepauseswhentheyceasedtospeakbecausewordswereneedless。Atsuchtimeshisfaceworetheexpressionshehadseenonitwhenshehadlookedinathimfromthedarknessandagaintherecameoverherasenseofthemysteriousdistancebetweenthem;butusuallyhisfitsofabstractionwerefollowedbyburstsofgaietythatchasedawaytheshadowbeforeitchilledher。

Shewasstillthinkingofthetendollarshehadhandedtothedriveroftherun—about。Ithadgiventhemtwentyminutesofpleasure，anditseemedunimaginablethatanyoneshouldbeabletobuyamusementatthatrate。Withtendollarshemighthaveboughtheranengagementring;sheknewthatMrs。TomFry’s，whichcamefromSpringfield，andhadadiamondinit，hadcostonlyeightseventy—five。Butshedidnotknowwhythethoughthadoccurredtoher。Harneywouldneverbuyheranengagementring：theywerefriendsandcomrades，butnomore。Hehadbeenperfectlyfairtoher：hehadneversaidawordtomisleadher。Shewonderedwhatthegirlwaslikewhosehandwaswaitingforhisring……

BoatswerebeginningtothickenontheLakeandtheclangofincessantlyarrivingtrolleysannouncedthereturnofthecrowdsfromtheball—field。Theshadowslengthenedacrossthepearl—greywaterandtwowhitecloudsnearthesunwereturninggolden。Ontheoppositeshoremenwerehammeringhastilyatawoodenscaffoldinginafield。Charityaskedwhatitwasfor。

"Why，thefireworks。Isupposethere’llbeabigshow。"Harneylookedatherandasmilecreptintohismoodyeyes。"Haveyouneverseenanygoodfireworks？"

"MissHatchardalwayssendsuplovelyrocketsontheFourth，"sheanswereddoubtfully。

"Oh————"hiscontemptwasunbounded。"Imeanabigperformancelikethis，illuminatedboats，andalltherest。"

Sheflushedatthepicture。"DotheysendthemupfromtheLake，too？"

"Rather。Didn’tyounoticethatbigraftwepassed？It’swonderfultoseetherocketscompletingtheirorbitsdownunderone’sfeet。"Shesaidnothing，andheputtheoarsintotherowlocks。

"Ifwestaywe’dbettergoandpickupsomethingtoeat。"

"Buthowcanwegetbackafterwards？"sheventured，feelingitwouldbreakherheartifshemissedit。

Heconsultedatime—table，foundateno’clocktrainandreassuredher。"Themoonrisessolatethatitwillbedarkbyeight，andwe’llhaveoveranhourofit。"

Twilightfell，andlightsbegantoshowalongtheshore。ThetrolleysroaringoutfromNettletonbecamegreatluminousserpentscoilinginandoutamongthetrees。Thewoodeneating—housesattheLake’sedgedancedwithlanterns，andtheduskechoedwithlaughterandshoutsandtheclumsysplashingofoars。

HarneyandCharityhadfoundatableinthecornerofabalconybuiltovertheLake，andwerepatientlyawaitinganunattainablechowder。Closeunderthemthewaterlappedthepiles，agitatedbytheevolutionsofalittlewhitesteamboattrellisedwithcolouredglobeswhichwastorunpassengersupanddowntheLake。

Itwasalreadyblackwiththemasitsheeredoffonitsfirsttrip。

SuddenlyCharityheardawoman’slaughbehindher。Thesoundwasfamiliar，andsheturnedtolook。Abandofshowilydressedgirlsanddapperyoungmenwearingbadgesofsecretsocieties，withnewstrawhatstiltedfarbackontheirsquare—clippedhair，hadinvadedthebalconyandwereloudlyclamouringforatable。Thegirlintheleadwastheonewhohadlaughed。Sheworealargehatwithalongwhitefeather，andfromunderitsbrimherpaintedeyeslookedatCharitywithamusedrecognition。

"Say！ifthisain’tlikeOldHomeWeek，"sheremarkedtothegirlatherelbow;andgigglesandglancespassedbetweenthem。CharityknewatoncethatthegirlwiththewhitefeatherwasJuliaHawes。Shehadlostherfreshness，andthepaintunderhereyesmadeherfaceseemthinner;butherlipshadthesamelovelycurve，andthesamecoldmockingsmile，asifthereweresomesecretabsurdityinthepersonshewaslookingat，andshehadinstantlydetectedit。

Charityflushedtotheforeheadandlookedaway。

ShefeltherselfhumiliatedbyJulia’ssneer，andvexedthatthemockeryofsuchacreatureshouldaffecther。ShetrembledlestHarneyshouldnoticethatthenoisytroophadrecognizedher;buttheyfoundnotablefree，andpassedontumultuously。

Presentlytherewasasoftrushthroughtheairandashowerofsilverfellfromtheblueeveningsky。Inanotherdirection，paleRomancandlesshotupsinglythroughthetrees，andafire—hairedrocketsweptthehorizonlikeaportent。Betweentheseintermittentflashesthevelvetcurtainsofthedarknessweredescending，andintheintervalsofeclipsethevoicesofthecrowdsseemedtosinktosmotheredmurmurs。

CharityandHarney，dispossessedbynewcomers，wereatlengthobligedtogiveuptheirtableandstrugglethroughthethrongabouttheboat—landings。Forawhilethereseemednoescapefromthetideoflatearrivals;butfinallyHarneysecuredthelasttwoplacesonthestandfromwhichthemoreprivilegedweretoseethefireworks。Theseatswereattheendofarow，oneabovetheother。Charityhadtakenoffherhattohaveanuninterruptedview;andwheneversheleanedbacktofollowthecurveofsomedishevelledrocketshecouldfeelHarney’skneesagainstherhead。

Afterawhilethescatteredfireworksceased。Alongerintervalofdarknessfollowed，andthenthewholenightbrokeintoflower。Fromeverypointofthehorizon，goldandsilverarchessprangupandcrossedeachother，sky—orchardsbrokeintoblossom，shedtheirflamingpetalsandhungtheirbrancheswithgoldenfruit;andallthewhiletheairwasfilledwithasoftsupernaturalhum，asthoughgreatbirdswerebuildingtheirnestsinthoseinvisibletree—tops。

Nowandthentherecamealull，andawaveofmoonlightswepttheLake。Inaflashitrevealedhundredsofboats，steel—darkagainstlustrousripples;thenitwithdrewasifwithafurlingofvasttranslucentwings。Charity’sheartthrobbedwithdelight。Itwasasifallthelatentbeautyofthingshadbeenunveiledtoher。Shecouldnotimaginethattheworldheldanythingmorewonderful;butnearhersheheardsomeonesay，"Youwaittillyouseethesetpiece，"andinstantlyherhopestookafreshflight。Atlast，justasitwasbeginningtoseemasthoughthewholearchoftheskywereonegreatlidpressedagainstherdazzledeye—balls，andstrikingoutofthemcontinuousjetsofjewelledlight，thevelvetdarknesssettleddownagain，andamurmurofexpectationranthroughthecrowd。