第25章

LIII。

AssoonasWestoverhadpostedhisletterhebegantoblamehimselfforit。HesawthattherightandmanlythingwouldhavebeentowritetoMrs。Vostrand，andtellherfranklywhathethoughtofDurgin。Herfolly，herinsincerity，hervulgarity，hadnothingtodowiththeaffair，sofarashewasconcerned。Ifshehadoncebeensokindtohimastobindhimtoheringratefulfriendship，shecertainlyhadaclaimuponhisbestoffices。Hisdutywastoher，andnotatalltoDurgin。Heneednothavesaidanythingagainsthimbecauseitwasagainsthim，butbecauseitwastrue；andifhehadwrittenhemustnothavesaidanythinglessthanthetruth。

Hecouldhavechosennottowriteatall。Hecouldhavesaidthathermawkishhypocrisywasalittletoomuch；thatshewasreallywantinghimtowhitewashDurginforher，andshehadnorighttoputuponhimtheresponsibilityforthestepsheclearlywishedtotake。Hecouldhavemadeeitherofthesedecisions，anddefendedthemtohimself；butinwhathehaddonehehadaltogethershirked。WhilehewaswritingtoDurgin，andpretendingthathecouldjustlyleavethisaffairtohim，hewassimplyindulgingabitofsentimentalpose，farworsethananythinginMrs。Vostrand’sshamappealforhishelp。

Hefelt，asthetimewentby，thatshehadnotwrittenofherownimpulse，butatherdaughter’surgence，andthatitwasthispoorcreaturewhosetrusthehadpalteredwith。HebelievedthatDurginwouldnotfailtomakeherunhappy，yethehadnotdonewhathemighttodeliverheroutofhishand。Hehadsatisfiedawretchedpseudo—

magnanimitytowardafaithlessscoundrel，ashethoughtDurgin，atthecostofawomanwhoseanxioushopeofhisaidhadprobablyforcedhermother’shand。

Atfirsthethoughthisactionirrevocable，andhebitterlyupbraidedhimselffornottakingcouncilwithCynthiauponMrs。Vostrand’sletter。

Hehadthoughtofdoingthat，andthenhehaddismissedthethoughtasinvolvingpainthathehadnorighttoinflict；butnowheperceivedthatthepainwassuchasshemustsufferintheevent，andthathehadstupidlyrefusedhimselftheonlymeansoffindingouttherightthingtodo。Hertrueheartandherclearmindwouldhavebeeninfallibleintheaffair，andhehadtrustedtohisownmuddledimpulse。

Hebegantowriteotherletters：toDurgin，toMrs。Vostrand，toGenevieve；butnoneofthemsatisfiedhim，andheletthedaysgobywithoutdoinganythingtoretrievehiserrororfulfilhisduty。Atlasthedidwhatheoughttohavedoneatfirst：heenclosedMrs。Vostrand’slettertoCynthia，andaskedherwhatshethoughtheoughttohavedone。

WhilehewaswaitingCynthia’sanswertohisletter，acablemessagereachedhimfromFlorence：

"Kindletterreceived。Marriedto—day。Written。

"Vostrand。"

ThenextmailbroughtCynthia’sreply，whichwasverybrief：

"Iamsorryyouhadtowriteatall；nothingcouldhavepreventedit。Perhapsifhecaresforherhewillbegoodtoher。"

Sincethematterwasnowirremediable，Westovercreptlessmiserablythroughthedaysthanhecouldhavebelievedheshould，untiltheletterwhichMrs。Vostrand’scablepromisedcametohand。

"Dearfriend，"shewrote，"yourgenerousandsatisfactoryanswercameyesterday。Itwassodelicateandhigh，—minded，andsolikeyou，towritetoMr。Durgin，andleavethewholeaffairtohim；andhedidnotloseamomentinshowingusyourbeautifulletter。Hesaidyouwereamanafterhisownheart，andIwishyoucouldhaveheardhowhepraisedyou。ItmadeGenevievequitejealous，orwouldhave，ifithadbeenanyoneelse。Butsheissohappyinyourapprovalofhermarriage，whichistotakeplacebeforethe’sindaco’to—morrow，Weshallonlyhavethecivilrite；shefeelsthatitismoreAmerican，andweareallcominghometoLion’sHeadinthespringtoliveanddietrueAmericans。Iwishyoucouldspendthesummerwithusthere，but，untilLion’sHeadisrebuilt，wecan’taskyou。Idon’tknowexactlyhowweshalldoourselves，butMr。Durginisfullofplans，andweleaveeverythingtohim。

Heishere，makingGenevievelaughsothatIcanhardlywrite。

Hejoinsusinloveandthanks，andourdarlingBicesendsyoualittlekiss。

"MEDORAVOSTRAND。

"P。S。Mr。D。hastoldusallabouttheaffairsyoualludedto。

WithMissL。wecannotfeelthathewastoblame；butheblameshimselfinregardtoMissW。HesayshisonlyexcuseisthathewasalwaysinlovewithGenevieve；andIthinkthatisquiteexcuseenough。M。V。"

FromtimetotimeduringthewinterWestoverwrotetoCynthia，andhadlettersfromherinwhichhepleasedhimselffancyingalmostapersonaleffectofthatshynesswhichhethoughtacharmingthinginher。Butnodoubtthiswassomethinghereadintothem；ontheirfacetheywereplain，straightforwardaccountsofthelifesheledinthelittleoldhouseatLion’sHead，undertheshadowoftheblackruinonthehill。

Westoverhadtakentosendingherbooksandmagazines，andinthankinghimfortheseshewouldsometimesspeakofthingsshehadreadinthem。

Hercriticismrelatedtothespiritratherthanthemannerofthethingsshespokeof，anditpleasedhimthatsheseemed，withallherinsight，tohaveverylittleartisticsenseofanykind；intheworldwherehelivedthereweresomanywomenwithanartisticsenseineverykindthathewasratherwearyofit。

ThereneverwasanythingaboutDurginintheletters，andWestoverwasbothtroubledandconsoledbythissilence。Itmightbefromconsciousness，anditprobablywas；itmightbefromindifference。

Intheworstevent，ithidanypainshemighthavefeltwithadignityfromwhichnointimationofhismovedher。ThenearestshecametospeakingofJeffwaswhenshesaidthatJombateestewasgoingtoworkatthebrick—yardsinCambridgeassoonasthespringopened，andwasnotgoingtostayanylongeratLion’sHead。

HerbrotherFrank，shereported，hadgotaplacewithpartworkinthedrug—and—bookstoreatLovewell，wherehecouldkeeponmoreeasilywithhisstudies；hehadnowfullydecidedtostudyfortheministry；hehadalwayswantedtobeanEpiscopalian。

OnedaytowardtheendofApril，whenseveralweekshadpassedwithoutbringingWestoveranywordfromCynthia，herfatherpresentedhimself，andenjoyedinthepainter’ssurprisethesensationofhavingdroppeduponhimfromtheclouds。Hegavedueaccountsofthehealthofeachofhishousehold；endingwithJombateeste。"Youknowhe’soutatthebrick，ashecallsit，inCambridge。"

"Cynthiasaidhewascoming。Ididn’tknowhehadcomeyet，"saidWestover。"Imustgooutandlookhimup，ifyouthinkIcouldfindhimamongallthoseCanucks。"

"Well，Idon’tknowbutyou’dbetterlookusupatthesametime，"saidWhitwell，withadditionalpleasureinthepainter’sadditionalsurprise。

"Iguesswe’reoutinCambridge，too，"headded，atWestover’sstartofquestion。"We’reoutthere，visitin’oneofoursummerfolks，asyoumightsay。RememberMis’Fredericks？"

"Why，whatthedeucekeptyoufromtellingmesoatonce？"Westoverdemanded，indignantly。

"GuessIhadn’tgotroundtoit，"saidWhitwell，withdryrelish。

"DoyoumeanthatCynthia’sthere？"

"Well，Iguesstheywouldn’tcaredmuchforavisitfromme。"

WhitwelltookadvantageofWestover’smomentofmystificationtoexplainthatJeffhadwrittenovertohimfromItaly，offeringhimaprettygoodrentforhishouse，whichhewantedtooccupywhilehewasrebuildingLion’sHead。Hewasgoingtopushtheworkrightthroughinthesummer，andbereadyfortheseasontheyearafter。ThatwaswhatWhitwellunderstood，andheunderstoodthatJeff’sfamilywasgoingtostayinLovewell，butJeffhimselfwantedtobeonthegrounddayandnight。

"Sothat’skindofturnedusoutofdoors，asyoumaysay，andCynthia’salwayshadthisideeofcomin’downBostonway：andshedidn’tknowanybodythatcouldadvisewithheraswellasMis’Fredericks，andshewrotetoher，andMis’Fredericksansweredhertocomerightdownandtalkitover。"WestoverfeltapangofresentmentthatCynthia，hadnotturnedtohimforcounsel，buthesaidnothing，andWhitwellwenton：

"Shesaidshewas，ashamedtobotheryou，you’dhadthewholeneighborhoodonyourhandssomuch，andsoshewrotetoMis’Fredericks。"

Westoverhadavaguediscomfortinitall，whichultimatelydefineditselfasadiscontentwiththewillingnessoftheWhitwellstoletDurginoccupytheirhouseuponanyterms，foranypurpose，andalingeringgrudgethatCynthiashouldhaveaskedhelpofanyonebuthimself，evenfromamotiveofdelicacy。

IntheeveninghewentouttoseethegirlatthehouseofMrs。

Fredericks，whomhefoundlivinginthePort。Theyhadafirstmomentofintolerableshynessonherpart。Hehadbeenafraidtoseeher，withthejealousyforherdignityhealwaysfelt，lestsheshouldlookasifshehadbeenunhappyaboutDurgin。Buthefoundherlooking，notonlyverywell，butveryhappyandfullofpeace，assoonasthatmomentofshynesspassed。ItseemedtoWestoverasifshehadbeguntoliveonnewterms，andthataharassingelement，whichhadalwaysbeeninit，hadgoneoutofherlife，andinitsabsenceshewasbeginningtorejoiceinalastingrepose。Hefoundhimselfrejoicingwithher，andhefoundhimselfonsimplerandfrankertermswithherthaneverbefore。NeitherofthemspokeofJeff，ormadeanyapproachtomentionhim，andWestoverbelievedthatthiswasnotfromamorbidfeelinginher，butfromafinalandenduringindifference。

Hesawheralone，forMrs。Fredericksandherdaughterhadgoneintotowntoaconcert，whichhemadeherconfessshewouldhavegonetoherselfifithadnotbeenthatherfathersaidhewascomingouttoseeher。Shewouldnotlethimjokeaboutthesacrificehepretendedshehadmade；hehadacertainpaininfancyingthathisvisitwasthehighestandfinestfavorthatlifecoulddoher。ShetoldhimoftheambitionshehadthatshemightgetaschoolsomewhereintheneighborhoodofBoston，andthenfindsomethingforherbrothertodo，whilehebeganhisstudiesintheTheologicalSchoolatHarvard。FrankwasstillatLovewell，itseemed。

Attheendofthelongcallhemade，hesaid，abruptly，whenhehadrisentogo，"Ishouldliketopaintyou。"

"Wh