下载辰思小说免费APP
"Well，Idon’tknow。Don’tyouthinktheycouldgetalongwithoutmethere？"
"No；couldn’tworkitatall，"criedtheColonel。
"Let’sallgo。Unless，"headdedinquiringly，"there’ssomebodycominghere？"
"There’snobodycoming，"saidPenelope。
"Good！Thenwe’llgo。Mother，don’tyoubelatenow。"
"Oh，Ishan’tkeepyouwaiting，"saidMrs。Lapham。
ShehadthoughtoftellingwhatacheerfullettershehadgotfromIrene；butuponthewholeitseemedbetternottospeakofIreneatalljustthen。Aftertheyreturnedfromthetheatre，wheretheColonelroaredthroughthecomedy，withcontinualreferenceofhispleasuretoPenelope，tomakesurethatshewasenjoyingittoo，hiswifesaid，asifthewholeaffairhadbeenforthegirl’sdistractionratherthanhis，"Idon’tbelievebutwhatit’sgoingtocomeoutallrightaboutthechildren；"andthenshetoldhimoftheletter，andthehopesshehadfoundeduponit。
"Well，perhapsyou’reright，Persis，"heconsented。
"Ihaven’tseenPensomuchlikeherselfsinceithappened。
Ideclare，whenIseethewayshecameoutto—night，justtopleaseyou，Idon’tknowasIwantyoushouldgetoverallyourtroublesrightaway。"
"Iguessthere’llbeenoughtokeepPengoingforawhileyet，"saidtheColonel，windinguphiswatch。
Butforatimetherewasarelief，whichWalkernoted，intheatmosphereattheoffice，andthencameanothercoldwave，slighterthanthefirst，butdistinctlyfeltthere，andsucceededbyanotherrelief。Itwaslikethewinterwhichwaswearingontotheendoftheyear，withalternationsoffreezingweather，andmilddaysstretchingtoweeks，inwhichthesnowandicewhollydisappeared。
Itwasnonethelesswinter，andnonethelessharassingforthesefluctuations，andLaphamshowedinhisfaceandtempertheeffectoflikefluctuationsinhisaffairs。
Hegrewthinandold，andbothathomeandathisofficehewasirascibletothepointofoffence。
InthesedaysPenelopesharedwithhermothertheburdenoftheirtroubledhome，andunitedwithherinsupportingthesilenceorthepetulanceofthegloomy，secretmanwhoreplacedthepresenceofjollyprosperitythere。
Laphamhadnowceasedtotalkofhistroubles，andsavagelyresentedhiswife’sinterference。"Youmindyourownbusiness，Persis，"hesaidoneday，"ifyou’vegotany；"andafterthatshelefthimmainlytoPenelope，whodidnotthinkofaskinghimquestions。
"It’sprettyhardonyou，Pen，"shesaid。
"Thatmakesiteasierforme，"returnedthegirl，whodidnototherwiserefertoherowntrouble。
InherheartshehadwonderedalittleattheabsoluteobedienceofCorey，whohadmadenosignsincereceivinghernote。ShewouldhavelikedtoaskherfatherifCoreywassick；shewouldhavelikedhimtoaskherwhyCoreydidnotcomeanymore。Hermotherwenton——
"Idon’tbelieveyourfatherknowsWHEREhestands。
Heworksawayatthosepapershebringshomehereatnight，asifhedidn’thalfknowwhathewasabout。
Healwaysdidhavethatclosestreakinhim，andIdon’tsupposebutwhathe’sbeengoingintothingshedon’twantanybodyelsetoknowabout，andhe’skepttheseaccountsofhisown。"
SometimeshegavePenelopefigurestoworkat，whichhewouldnotsubmittohiswife’snimblerarithmetic。
Thenshewenttobedandleftthemsittinguptillmidnight，strugglingwithproblemsinwhichtheywerebothweak。
Butshecouldseethatthegirlwasacomforttoherfather，andthathistroubleswereadefenceandsheltertoher。
Somenightsshecouldhearthemgoingouttogether，andthenshelayawakefortheirreturnfromtheirlongwalk。
Whenthehourordayofrespitecameagain，thehomefeltitfirst。LaphamwantedtoknowwhatthenewsfromIrenewas；
hejoinedhiswifeinallhercheerfulspeculations，andtriedtomakeheramendsforhissullenreticenceandirritability。IrenewasstayingonatDubuque。
Therecamealetterfromher，sayingthatheruncle’speoplewantedhertospendthewinterthere。
"Well，lether，"saidLapham。"It’llbethebestthingforher。"
Laphamhimselfhadlettersfromhisbrotheratfrequentintervals。
HisbrotherwaswatchingtheG。L。&P。，whichasyethadmadenoofferforthemills。Once，whenoneoftheseletterscame，hesubmittedtohiswifewhether，intheabsenceofanypositiveinformationthattheroadwantedtheproperty，hemightnot，withagoodconscience，disposeofittothebestadvantagetoanybodywhocamealong。
Shelookedwistfullyathim；itwasontherisefromaseasonofdeepdepressionwithhim。"No，Si，"shesaid；
"Idon’tseehowyoucoulddothat。"
Hedidnotassentandsubmit，ashehaddoneatfirst，butbegantorailattheunpracticalityofwomen；andthenheshutsomepapershehadbeenlookingoverintohisdesk，andflungoutoftheroom。
Oneofthepapershadslippedthroughthecreviceofthelid，andlayuponthefloor。Mrs。Laphamkeptonathersewing，butafterawhileshepickedthepaperuptolayitonthedesk。Thensheglancedatit，andsawthatitwasalongcolumnofdatesandfigures，recordingsuccessivesums，neverlargeones，paidregularlyto"Wm。M。"Thedatescoveredayear，andthesumamountedatleasttoseveralhundreds。
Mrs。Laphamlaidthepaperdownonthedesk，andthenshetookitupagainandputitintoherwork—basket，meaningtogiveittohim。Whenhecameinshesawhimlookingabsent—mindedlyaboutforsomething，andthengoingtoworkuponhispapers，apparentlywithoutit。
Shethoughtshewouldwaittillhemisseditdefinitely，andthengivehimthescrapshehadpickedup。Itlayinherbasket，andaftersomedaysitfounditswayundertheworkinit，andsheforgotit。
XXIII。
SINCENewYear’stherehadscarcelybeenamildday，andthestreetswerefullofsnow，growingfoulunderthecityfeetandhoofs，andrenewingitspurityfromtheskieswithrepeatedfalls，whichinturnlosttheirwhiteness，beatendown，andbeatenblackandhardintoasolidbedlikeiron。Thesleighingwasincomparable，andtheairwasfullofthedinofbells；butLapham’sturnoutwasnotofthosethatthrongedtheBrightonroadeveryafternoon；
themanatthelivery—stablesenthimwordthatthemare’slegswereswelling。
HeandCoreyhadlittletodowitheachother。
HedidnotknowhowPenelopehadarrangeditwithCorey；
hiswifesaidsheknewnomorethanhedid，andhedidnotliketoaskthegirlherself，especiallyasCoreynolongercametothehouse。Hesawthatshewascheerfullerthanshehadbeen，andhelpfullerwithhimandhermother。
NowandthenLaphamopenedhistroubledsoultoheralittle，lettinghisthoughtbreakintospeechwithoutpreambleorconclusion。Oncehesaid——
"Pen，IpresumeyouknowI’mintrouble。"
"Weallseemtobethere，"saidthegirl。
"Yes，butthere’sadifferencebetweenbeingtherebyyourownfaultandbeingtherebysomebodyelse’s。"
"Idon’tcallithisfault，"shesaid。
"Icallitmine，"saidtheColonel。
Thegirllaughed。Herthoughtwasofherowncare，andherfather’swhollyofhis。Shemustcometohisground。
"Whathaveyoubeendoingwrong？"
"Idon’tknowasyou’dcallitwrong。It’swhatpeopledoallthetime。ButIwishI’dletstocksalone。
It’swhatIalwayspromisedyourmotherIwoulddo。
Butthere’snousecryin’overspiltmilk；orwateredstock，either。"
"Idon’tthinkthere’smuchusecryingaboutanything。Ifitcouldhavebeencriedstraight，itwouldhavebeenallrightfromthestart，"saidthegirl，goingbacktoherownaffair；
andifLaphamhadnotbeensodeeplyengrossedinhis，hemighthaveseenhowlittleshecaredforallthatmoneycoulddoorundo。Hedidnotobserveherenoughtoseehowvariablehermoodswereinthosedays，andhowoftenshesankfromsomewildgaietyintoabjectmelancholy；
howattimesshewasfiercelydefiantofnothingatall，andatothersinexplicablyhumbleandpatient。
Butnodoubtnoneofthesesignshadpassedunnoticedbyhiswife，towhomLaphamsaidoneday，whenhecamehome，"Persis，what’sthereasonPendon’tmarryCorey？"
"YouknowaswellasIdo，Silas，"saidMrs。Lapham，withaninquiringlookathimforwhatlaybehindhiswords。
"Well，Ithinkit’sallt
