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"Yes，atonce。You’dbettercablehim。Haveyougothisaddress？"
Whitwellhadit，andhetastedallthedramaticqualityofsendingwordtoJeff，whichhewouldreceiveinFlorenceanhourafteritleftBoston。
"IdidhopeIcouldha’cabledoncetoJacksonwhilehewasgone，"hesaid，regretfully，"but，unlesswecanfixupawirewiththeotherworld，IguessIshan’teverdoitnow。IsupposeJackson’sstillhangin’roundMars，some’res。"
HehadasectarianprideinthebeautyoftheSpiritualTemplewhichWestoverwalkedhimbyonhiswaytoseeTrinityChurchandtheFineArtsMuseum，andhesorrowedthathecouldnotattendaservice’there。ButhewasconsoledbythelunchwhichhehadwithWestoveratarestaurantwhereitwasservedincourses。"IpresumethisiswhatJeff’sgoin’togive’ematLion’sHeadwhenhegitsitgoin’again。"
"Howisithe’sinFlorence？"itoccurredtoWestovertoask。"IthoughthewasgoingtoNiceforthewinter。"
"Idon’tknow。That’stheaddresshegiveinhislastletter，"saidWhitwell。"I’llbegladwhenI’vedonewithhimforgoodandall。
He’sallkindsofadevil。"
ItwasinWestover’smindtosaythathewishedtheWhitwellshadneverhadanythingtodowithDurginafterhismother’sdeath。Hehadfeltitawantofdelicacyinthemthattheyhadbeenwillingtostayoninhisemploy，andhisidealofCynthiahadsufferedakindofwoundfromwhatmusthavebeenherdecisioninthematter。Hewouldhaveexpectedsomethingaltogetherdifferentfromherpride，herself—respect。Buthenowmerelysaid："Yes，Ishallbeglad，too。I’mafraidhe’sabadfellow。"
HiswordsseemedtoappealtoWhitwell’simpartiality。"Well，Id’knowasIshouldsaybad，exactly。He’samixture。"
"He’sabadmixture，"saidWestover。
"Well，Iguessyou’repartlyrightthere，"Whitwelladmitted，withalaugh。Afteradreamymomentheasked："EverhearanythingmoreaboutthatgirlhereinBoston？"
WestoverknewthathemeantBessieLynde。"She’sabroadsomewhere，withheraunt。"
Whitwellhadnottakenanywine；apparentlyhewasafraidofforminginstantlythehabitofdrinkifhetouchedit；buthetoleratedWestover’spintofZinfandel，andheseemedtowarmsympatheticallytoagreaterconfidenceasthepaintermadeawaywithit。"There’sonethingInevertoldCynthyyet；well，Jombateestedidn’ttellmehimselftillafterJeffwasgone；andthen，thinksI，what’stheuse？ButIguessyouhadbetterknow。"
Heleanedforwardacrossthetable，andgaveJombateeste’sstoryoftheencounterbetweenJeffandAlanLyndeintheclearing。"NowwhatdoyousupposewasthereasonJeffletuponthefeller？Ofcourse，hemeanttochokethelifeoutofhim，andhisjustketchin’sightofJombateeste——doyoubelievethatwasenoughtostophim，whenhe’dstartedinforathinglikethat？Orwhatwasitdoneit？"
Westoverlistenedwithlessthoughtofthefactitselfthanofanotherfactthatitthrewlightupon。ItwascleartohimnowthattheClass—
DayscrappingwhichhadleftitsmarksuponJeff’sfacewaswithLynde，andthatwhenJeffgothiminhispowerhewasinsuchafuryforrevengethatnomeremotiveofprudencecouldhavearrestedhim。Inbothevents，itmusthavebeenBessieLyndethatwasthemovingcause；butwhatwasitthatstayedJeffinhisvengeance？
"Lethimup，andlethimwalkaway，yousay？"hedemandedofWhitwell。
Whitwellnodded。"That’swhatJombateestesaid。SaidJeffsaidifheletthefellerlookbackhe’dshoothim。Buthedidn’thafto。"
"Ican’tmakeitout，"Westoversighed。
"It’sbeentoomuchforme，"Whitwellsaid。"ItoldJombateestehe’dbetterkeepittohimself，andIguesshedoneso。S’poseJeffstillhadasneakin’fondnessforthegirl？"
"Idon’tknow；perhaps，"Westoverasserted。
Whitwellthrewhisheadbackinasuddenlaughthatshowedalltheworkofhisdentist。"Well，wouldn’titbeajokeifhewasthereinFlorenceafterher？BejustlikeJeff。"
"ItwouldbelikeJeff；Idon’tknowwhetheritwouldbeajokeornot。
Ihopehewon’tfinditajoke，ifit’sso，"saidWestover，gloomily。
Afantasticapprehensionseizedhim，whichmadehimwishforthemomentthatitmightbeso，andwhichthenpassed，leavinghimsimplysorryforanychancethatmightbringBessieLyndeintothefellow’swayagain。
FortheeveningWhitwell’spreferencewouldhavebeenalectureofsomesort，buttherewasnoneadvertised，andheconsentedtogowithWestovertothetheatre。Hecamebacktothepainteratdinner—time，afterawaryexplorationofthecity，whichhadresultednotonlyinapersonalacquaintancewithitsmonuments，butanimmunityfromitsdangersandtemptationswhichhepridedhimselfhardlylessupon。HehadseenFaneuilHall，theoldStateHouse，BunkerHill，thePublicLibrary，andtheOldSouthChurch，andhehadnotbeensandbaggedorbuncoedorledastrayfromthepathsofpropriety。Inthecomfortablesenseofescape，hewasdisposed，tomoralizeuponthecivilizationofgreatcities，whichhenowwitnessedatfirsthandforthefirsttime；andthroughouttheevening，betweentheactsofthe"OldHomestead，"whichhefoundaplayofsomemerit，butofnotsomuchnoveltyinitscharactersashehadsomehowledhimselftoexpect，herecurredtothedifficultiesanddangersthatmustbesetayoungmanincomingtoaplacelikeBoston。
WestoverfoundhimlessamusingthanhehadonhisowngroundatLion’sHead，andtastedaqualityofcommonplaceinhisdeliveranceswhichmadehimquestionwhetherhehadnot，perhaps，alwaysowedmoretothisenvironmentthanhehadsuspected。Buttheypartedupontermsofmutualrespectandinthecommonhopeofmeetingagain。WhitwellpromisedtoletWestoverknowwhatheheardofJeff，but，whenthepainterhadwalkedthephilosopherhometohishotel，hefoundamessageawaitinghimathisstudiofromJeffdirect：
Whitwell’sdespatchreceived。Waitletter。
"DURGIN。"
Westoverragedattheintelligentthriftofthistelegram，andattheimplicationthathenotonlyknewallaboutthebusinessofWhitwell’sdespatch，butthathewasincommunicationwithhim，andwouldbesufficientlyinterestedtoconveyJeff’smessagetohim。Ofcourse，DurginhadatoncedivinedthatWhitwellmusthavecometohimforadvice，andthathewouldhearfromhim，whetherhewasstillinBostonornot。BycablingtoWestover，JeffsavedthecostofanelaborateaddresstoWhitwellatLion’sHead，andhadbroughtthepainterinforfurtherconsultationandassistanceinhisaffairs。Whatvexedhimstillmorewashisownconsciousnessthathecouldnotdefeatthisimpudentexpectation。Hehad，indeed，somedifficultywithhimselftokeepfromgoingtoWhitwell’shotelwiththedespatchatonce，andhesleptbadly，inhisfearthathemightnotgetittohiminthemorningbeforehelefttown。
ThesumofJeff’sletterwhenitcame，anditcametoWestoverandnottoWhitwell，wastorequestthepaintertoseealawyerinhisbehalf，andputhisinsurancepoliciesinhishands，withfullauthoritytoguardhisinterestsinthematter。HetoldWestoverwherehispolicieswouldbefound，andenclosedthekeyofhisboxintheSafetyVaults，withaduedemandforWestover’sadmissiontoit。Heregisteredhisletter，andhejocoselypromisedWestovertodoasmuchforhimsomeday，inpleadingthattherewasreallynooneelsehecouldturnt
