theycotnofriendts!Theycotnomoneytopribeyou，todreatyou!"
　　Theofficerliftedhisclub，andtheoldmanthrewhisleftarmuptoshieldhishead。ConradrecognizedZindau，andnowhesawtheemptysleevedangleintheairoverthestumpofhiswrist。Heheardashotinthatturmoilbesidethecar，andsomethingseemedtostrikehiminthebreast。Hewasgoingtosaytothepoliceman:"Don'tstrikehim!He'sanoldsoldier!Youseehehasnohand!"buthecouldnotspeak，hecouldnotmovehistongue。Thepolicemanstoodthere；hesawhisface:
　　itwasnotbad，notcruel；itwaslikethefaceofastatue，fixed，perdurable——amereimageofirresponsibleandinvoluntaryauthority。
　　ThenConradfellforward，piercedthroughtheheartbythatshotfiredfromthecar。
　　Marchheardtheshotashescrambledoutofhiscar，andatthesamemomenthesawLindaudropundertheclubofthepoliceman，wholefthimwherehefellandjoinedtherestofthesquadinpursuingtherioters。
　　Thefightingroundthecarintheavenueceased；thedriverwhippedhishorsesintoagallop，andtheplacewasleftempty。
　　Marchwouldhavelikedtorun；hethoughthowhiswifehadimploredhimtokeepawayfromtherioting；buthecouldnothaveleftLindaulyingthereifhewould。Somethingstrongerthanhiswilldrewhimtothespot，andtherehesawConrad，deadbesidetheoldman。
　　VI。
　　InthecareswhichMrs。Marchsharedwithherhusbandthatnightshewassupportedpartlybyprinciple，butmainlybythe，potentexcitementwhichbewilderedConrad'sfamilyandtookallrealityfromwhathadhappened。
　　ItwasnearlymidnightwhentheMarchesleftthemandwalkedawaytowardtheElevatedstationwithFulkerson。Everythinghadbeendone，bythattime，thatcouldbedone；andFulkersonwasnotwithoutthatsatisfactioninthebusiness-likedespatchofallthedetailswhichattendseachstepinsuchanaffairandhelpstomakedeathtolerableeventothemostsorelystricken。Wearecreaturesofthemoment；welivefromonelittlespacetoanother；andonlyoneinterestatatimefillsthese。Fulkersonwascheerfulwhentheygotintothestreet，almostgay；andMrs。Marchexperiencedareboundfromherdepressionwhichshefeltthatsheoughtnottohaveexperienced。Butshecondonedtheoffencealittleinherself，becauseherhusbandremainedsoconstantinhisgravity；and，pendingthefinalaccountinghemustmakeherforhavingbeenwherehecouldbeofsomuchusefromthefirstinstantofthecalamity，shewastenderly，gratefullyproudofalltheusehehadbeentoConrad'sfamily，andespeciallyhismiserableoldfather。Tohermind，Marchwastheprincipalactorinthewholeaffair，andmuchmoreimportantinhavingseenitthanthosewhohadsufferedinit。Infact，hehadsufferedincomparably。
　　"Well，well，"saidFulkerson。"They'llgetalongnow。We'vedoneallwecould，andthere'snothingleftbutforthemtobearit。Ofcourseit'sawful，butIguessit'llcomeoutallright。Imean，"headded，"they'llpullthroughnow。"
　　"Isuppose，"saidMarch，"thatnothingisputonusthatwecan'tbear。
　　ButIshouldthink，"hewenton，musingly，"thatwhenGodseeswhatwepoorfinitecreaturescanbear，hemmedroundwiththiseternaldarknessofdeath，Hemustrespectus。"
　　"Basil!"saidhiswife。Butinherheartshedrewnearertohimforthewordsshethoughtsheoughttorebukehimfor。
　　"Oh，Iknow，"hesaid，"weschoolourselvestodespisehumannature。
　　ButGoddidnotmakeusdespicable，andIsay，whateverendHemeantusfor，Hemusthavesomesuchthrillofjoyinouradequacytofateasafatherfeelswhenhissonshowshimselfaman。WhenIthinkwhatwecanbeifwemust，Ican'tbelievetheleastofusshallfinallyperish。"
　　"Oh，IreckontheAlmightywon'tscoopanyofus，"saidFulkerson，withapietyofhisown。
　　"Thatpoorboy'sfather!"sighedMrs。March。"Ican'tgethisfaceoutofmysight。Helookedsomuchworsethandeath。"
　　"Oh，deathdoesn'tlookbad，"saidMarch。"It'slifethatlookssoinitspresence。Deathispeaceandpardon。IonlywishpooroldLindauwasaswelloutofitasConradthere。"
　　"Ah，Lindau!Hehasdoneharmenough，"saidMrs。March。"Ihopehewillbecarefulafterthis。"
　　MarchdidnottrytodefendLindauagainsthertheoryofthecase，whichinexorablyheldhimresponsibleforConrad'sdeath。
　　"Lindau'sgoingtocomeoutallright，Iguess，"saidFulkerson。"Hewasfirst-ratewhenIsawhimatthehospitalto-night。"HewhisperedinMarch'sear，atachancehegotinmountingthestationstairs:"Ididn'tliketotellyouthereatthehouse，butIguessyou'dbetterknow。TheyhadtotakeLindau'sarmoffneartheshoulder。Smashedalltopiecesbytheclubbing。"
　　Inthehouse，vainlyrichandfoolishlyunfitforthem，thebereavedfamilywhomtheMarcheshadjustleftlingeredtogether，andtriedtogetstrengthtopartforthenight。Theywereallspentwiththefatiguethatcomesfromheaventosuchmiseryastheirs，andtheysatinatorporinwhicheachwaitedfortheothertomove，tospeak。
　　Christinemoved，andMelaspoke。Christineroseandwentoutoftheroomwithoutsayingaword，andtheyheardhergoingup-stairs。ThenMelasaid:
　　"Ireckontherestofusbetterbegoun'too，father。Here，let'sgitmotherstarted。"
　　Sheputherarmroundhermother，toliftherfromherchair，buttheoldmandidnotstir，andMelacalledMrs。Mandelfromthenextroom。
　　Betweenthemtheyraisedhertoherfeet。
　　"Ain'tthereanybodyagoin'tosetupwithit?"sheasked，inherhoarsepipe。"Itappearslikefolkshain'tgotanyfeelin'sinNewYork。
　　Woon'tsomeo'theneighborscomeandoffertosetup，withoutwaitin'tobeasked?"
　　"Oh，that'sallright，mother。Themen'llattendtothat。Don'tyoubotherany，"Melacoaxed，andshekeptherarmroundhermother，withtenderpatience。
　　"Why，Mely，child!Ican'tfeelrighttohaveitlefttohirelin'sso。
　　Butthereain'tanybodyanymoretoseethingsdoneastheyought。IfCoonrodwason'yhere——"
　　"Well，mother，youareprettymixed!"saidMela，withastrongtendencytobreakintoherlargeguffaw。Butshecheckedherselfandsaid:
　　"Iknowjusthowyoufeel，though。Itkeepsacomun'andagoun'；andit'ssoanditain'tso，allatonce；that'stheplagueofit。Well，father!
　　Ain'tyougoun'tocome?"
　　"I'mgoin'tostay，Mela，"saidtheoldman，gently，withoutmoving。
　　"Getyourmothertobed，that'sagoodgirl。"
　　"Yougoin'tosetupwithhim，Jacob?"askedtheoldwoman。
　　"Yes，'Liz'beth，I'llsetup。Yougotobed。"
　　"Well，Iwill，Jacob。AndIbelieveit'lldoyougoodtosetup。
　　IwishedIcouldsetupwithyou；butIdon'tseemtohavethestren'thIdidwhenthetwinsdied。Imustgitmysleep，so'sto——Idon'tlikeverywelltohaveyoubrokeofyourrest，Jacob，buttheredon'tappeartobeanybodyelse。Youwouldn'thavetodoitifCoonrodwashere。
　　ThereIgoag'in!Mercy!mercy!"
　　"Well，docomealong，then，mother，"saidMela；andshegotheroutoftheroom，withMrs。Mandel'shelp，andupthestairs。
　　Fromthetoptheoldwomancalleddown，"YoutellCoonrod——"Shestopped，andheheardhergroanout，"MyLord!myLord!"
　　Hesat，onesilenceinthedining-room，wheretheyhadalllingeredtogether，andinthelibrarybeyondthehirelingwatchersat，anothersilence。Thetimepassed，butneithermoved，andthelastnoiseinthehouseceased，sothattheyheardeachotherbreathe，andthevague，remoterumorofthecityinvadedtheinnerstillness。Itgrewloudertowardmorning，andthenDryfoosknewfromthewatcher'sdeeperbreathingthathehadfallenintoadoze。
　　Hecreptbyhimtothedrawing-room，wherehissonwas；theplacewasfulloftheawfulsweetnessoftheflowersthatFulkersonhadbrought，andthatlayabovethepulselessbreast。Theoldmanturnedupaburnerinthechandelier，andstoodlookingonthemajesticserenityofthedeadface。
　　Hecouldnotmovewhenhesawhiswifecomingdownthestairwayinthehall。Shewasinherlong，whiteflannelbedgown，andthecandleshecarriedshookwithhernervoustremor。Hethoughtshemightbewalkinginhersleep，butshesaid，quitesimply，"Iwokeup，andIcouldn'tgittosleepag'inwithoutcomin'tohavealook。"Shestoodbesidetheirdeadsonwithhim。"well，he'sbeautiful，Jacob。Hewastheprettiestbaby!Andhewasalwaysgood，Coonrodwas；I'llsaythatforhim。
　　Idon'tbelieveheevergivemeaminute'scareinhiswholelife。
　　IreckonIlikedhimaboutthebestofallthechildren；butIdon'tknowasIeverdonemuchtoshowit。Butyouwasalwaysgoodtohim，Jacob；
　　youalwaysdonethebestforhim，eversincehewasalittlefeller。
　　Iusedtobeafraidyou'dspoilhimsometimesinthemdays；butIguessyou'regladnowforeverytimeyoudidn'tcrosshim。Idon'tsupposesincethetwinsdiedyoueverhithimalick。"Shestoopedandpeeredcloserattheface。"Why，Jacob，what'sthattherebyhisporeeyeDryfoossawit，too，thewoundthathehadfearedtolookfor，andthatnowseemedtoreddenonhiseight。Hebrokeintoalow，waveringcry，likeachild'sindespair，likeananimal'sinterror，likeasoul'sintheanguishofremorse。
　　VII。
　　Theeveningafterthefuneral，whiletheMarchessattogethertalkingitover，andmakingapproaches，throughitsshadow，tothequestionoftheirownfuture，whichitinvolved，theywerestartledbythetwitteroftheelectricbellattheirapartmentdoor。Itwasreallynotsolateasthechildren'shavinggonetobedmadeitseem；butatnineo'clockitwastoolateforanyprobablevisitorexceptFulkerson。Itmightbehe，andMarchwasgladtopostponetheimpendingquestiontohiscuriosityconcerningtheimmediatebusinessFulkersonmighthavewithhim。Hewenthimselftothedoor，andconfrontedtherealadydeeplyveiledinblackandattendedbyaverydecorousserving-woman。
　　"Areyoualone，Mr。March——youandMrs。March?"askedthelady，behindherveil；and，ashehesitated，shesaid:"Youdon'tknowme!MissVance"；andshethrewbackherveil，showingherfacewanandagitatedinthedarkfolds。"Iamveryanxioustoseeyou——tospeakwithyouboth。
　　MayIcomein?"
　　"Why，certainly，MissVance，"heanswered，stilltoomuchstupefiedbyherpresencetorealizeit。
　　Shepromptlyentered，andsaying，withaglanceatthehallchairbythedoor，"Mymaidcansithere?"followedhimtotheroomwherehehadlefthiswife。
　　Mrs。Marchshowedherselfmorecapableofcopingwiththefact。ShewelcomedMissVancewiththelikingtheybothfeltforthegirl，andwiththesympathywhichhertroubledfaceinspired。
　　"Iwon'ttireyouwithexcusesforcoming，Mrs。March，"shesaid，"foritwastheonlythingleftformetodo；andIcomeatmyaunt'ssuggestion。"Sheaddedthisasifitwouldhelptoaccountforhermoreontheconventionalplane，andshehadtheinstinctivegoodtastetoaddressherselfthroughouttoMrs。Marchasmuchaspossible，thoughwhatshehadtosaywasmainlyforMarch。"Idon'tknowhowtobegin——Idon'tknowhowtospeakofthisterribleaffair。ButyouknowwhatImean。
　　IfeelasifIhadlivedawholelifetimesinceithappened。Idon'twantyoutopitymeforit，"shesaid，forestallingapolitenessfromMrs。March。"I'mthelastonetobethoughtof，andyoumustn'tmindmeifItrytomakeyou。IcametofindoutallofthetruththatIcan，andwhenIknowjustwhatthatisIshallknowwhattodo。Ihavereadtheinquest；it'sallburnedintomybrain。ButIdon'tcareforthat——
　　formyself:youmustletmesaysuchthingswithoutmindingme。Iknowthatyourhusband——thatMr。Marchwasthere；Ireadhistestimony；andI
　　wishedtoaskhim——toaskhim——"Shestoppedandlookeddistractedlyabout。"Butwhatfolly!Hemusthavesaideverythingheknew——hehadto。"Hereveswanderedtohimfromhiswife，onwhomshehadkeptthemwithinstinctivetact。
　　"Isaideverything——yes，"hereplied。"Butifyouwouldliketoknow——"
　　"PerhapsIhadbettertellyousomethingfirst。Ihadjustpartedwithhim——itcouldn'thavebeenmorethanhalfanhour——infrontofBrentano's；hemusthavegonestraighttohisdeath。Weweretalking，andI——Isaid，Whydidn'tsomeonegoamongthestrikersandpleadwiththemtobepeaceable，andkeepthemfromattackingthenewmen。IknewthathefeltasIdidaboutthestrikers:thathewastheirfriend。Didyousee——doyouknowanythingthatmakesyouthinkhehadbeentryingtodothat?"
　　"Iamsorry，"Marchbegan，"Ididn'tseehimatalltill——tillIsawhimlyingdead。"
　　"Myhusbandwastherepurelybyaccident，"Mrs。Marchputin。"Ihadbeggedandentreatedhimnottogonearthestrikinganywhere。Andhehadjustgotoutofthecar，andsawthepolicemanstrikethatwretchedLindau——he'sbeensuchananxietytomeeversincewehavehadanythingtodowithhimhere；myhusbandknewhimwhenhewasaboyintheWest。
　　Mr。Marchcamehomefromitallperfectlyprostrated；itmadeusallsick!Nothingsohorribleevercameintoourlivesbefore。Iassureyouitwasthemostshockingexperience。"
　　MissVancelistenedtoherwiththatlookofpatiencewhichthosewhohaveseenmuchoftherealsufferingoftheworld——thedailyportionofthepoor——haveforthenervouswoesofcomfortablepeople。Marchhunghishead；heknewitwouldbeuselesstoprotestthathisshareofthecalamitywas，bycomparison，infinitesimallysmall。
　　AftershehadheardMrs。Marchtotheendevenofherrepetitions，MissVancesaid，asifitwereamerematterofcoursethatsheshouldhavelookedtheaffairup，"Yes，IhaveseenMr。Lindauatthehospital——"
　　"Myhusbandgoeseverydaytoseehim，"Mrs。Marchinterrupted，togive。
　　afinaltouchtotheconceptionofMarch'smagnanimitythroughout。
　　"Thepoormanseemstohavebeeninthewrongatthetime，"saidMissVance。
　　"Icouldalmostsayhehadearnedtherighttobewrong。He'samanofthemostgenerousinstincts，andahighidealofjustice，ofequity——toohightobeconsideredbyapolicemanwithaclubinhishand，"saidMarch，withabolddefianceofhiswife'sdifferentopinionofLindau。
　　"It'sthepoliceman'sbusiness，Isuppose，toclubtheidealwhenhefindsitincitingariot。"
　　"Oh，Idon'tblameMr。Lindau；Idon'tblamethepoliceman；hewasasmuchamereinstrumentashisclubwas。IamonlytryingtofindouthowmuchIamtoblamemyself。IhadnothoughtofMr。Dryfoos'sgoingthere——ofhisattemptingtotalkwiththestrikersandkeepthemquiet；
　　Iwasonlythinking，aswomendo，ofwhatIshouldtrytodoifIwereaman。
　　Butperhapsheunderstoodmetoaskhimtogo——perhapsmywordssenthimtohisdeath。"
　　Shehadasortofcalminhercouragetoknowtheworsttruthastoherresponsibilitythatforbadeanywishtoflatterheroutofit。"I'mafraid，"saidMarch，"thatiswhatcanneverbeknownnow。"Afteramomentheadded:"Butwhyshouldyouwishtoknow?Ifhewentthereasapeacemaker，hediedinagoodcause，insuchawayashewouldwishtodie，Ibelieve。"
　　"Yes，"saidthegirl；"Ihavethoughtofthat。Butdeathisawful；wemustnotthinkpatiently，forgivinglyofsendinganyonetotheirdeathinthebestcause。""IfancylifewasanawfulthingtoConradDryfoos，"
　　Marchreplied。"Hewasthwartedanddisappointed，withoutevenpleasingtheambitionthatthwartedanddisappointedhim。Thatpooroldman，hisfather，warpedhimfromhissimple，lifelongwishtobeaminister，andwastryingtomakeabusinessmanofhim。Ifitwillbeanyconsolationtoyoutoknowit，MissVance，Icanassureyouthathewasveryunhappy，andIdon'tseehowhecouldeverhavebeenhappyhere。"
　　"Itwon't，"saidthegirl，steadily。"Ifpeoplearebornintothisworld，it'sbecausetheyweremeanttoliveinit。Itisn'taquestionofbeinghappyhere；nooneishappy，inthatold，selfishway，orcanbe；buthecouldhavebeenofgreatuse。"
　　"Perhapshewasofuseindying。Whoknows?HemayhavebeentryingtosilenceLindau。"
　　"Oh，Lindauwasn'tworthit!"criedMrs。March。
　　MissVancelookedatherasifshedidnotquiteunderstand。ThensheturnedtoMarch。"Hemighthavebeenunhappy，asweallare；butIknowthathislifeherewouldhavehadahigherhappinessthanwewishfororaimfor。"Thetearsbegantorunsilentlydownhercheeks。
　　"Helookedstrangelyhappythatdaywhenheleftme。Hehadhurthimselfsomehow，andhisfacewasbleedingfromascratch；hekepthishandkerchiefup；hewaspale，butsuchalightcameintohisfacewhenheshookhands——ah，IknowhewenttotryanddowhatIsaid!"Theywereallsilent，whileshedriedhereyesandthenputherhandkerchiefbackintothepocketfromwhichshehadsuddenlypulledit，withaseriesofvivid，young-ladyishgestures，whichstruckMarchbytheirincongruitywiththeoccasionoftheirtalk，andyetbytheirharmonywiththerestofherelegance。"Iamsorry，MissVance"bebegan，"thatIcan'treallytellyouanythingmore——"
　　"Youareverykind，"shesaid，controllingherselfandrisingquickly。
　　"Ithankyou——thankyoubothverymuch。"SheturnedtoMrs。Marchandshookhandswithherandthenwithhim。"Imighthaveknown——Ididknowthattherewasn'tanythingmoreforyoutotell。ButatleastI'vefoundoutfromyouthattherewasnothing，andnowIcanbegintobearwhatI
　　must。Howarethosepoorcreatures——hismotherandfather，hissisters?
　　Someday，Ihope，Ishallbeashamedtohavepostponedthemtothethoughtofmyself；butIcan'tpretendtobeyet。Icouldnotcometothefuneral；Iwantedto。"
　　SheaddressedherquestiontoMrs。March，whoanswered:"Icanunderstand。Buttheywerepleasedwiththeflowersyousent；peopleare，atsuchtimes，andtheyhaven'tmanyfriends。"
　　"Wouldyougotoseethem?"askedthegirl。"WouldyoutellthemwhatI'vetoldyou?"
　　Mrs。Marchlookedatherhusband。
　　"Idon'tseewhatgooditwoulddo。Theywouldn'tunderstand。Butifitwouldrelieveyou——"
　　"I'llwaittillitisn'taquestionofself-relief，"saidthegirl。
　　"Good-bye!"
　　Sheleftthemtolongdebateoftheevent。AttheendMrs。Marchsaid，"Sheisastrangebeing；suchamixtureofthesocietygirlandthesaint。"
　　Herhusbandanswered:"She'sthepotentialityofseveralkindsoffanatic。She'sveryunhappy，andIdon'tseehowshe'stobehappieraboutthatpoorfellow。Ishouldn'tbesurprisedifshedidinspirehimtoattemptsomethingofthatkind。"
　　"Well，yougotoutofitverywell，Basil。Iadmiredthewayyoumanaged。Iwasafraidyou'dsaysomethingawkward。"
　　"Oh，withaplainlineoftruthbeforeme，astheonlypossiblething，Icangetonprettywell。Whenitcomestoanythingdecorative，I'dratherleaveittoyou，Isabel。"
　　Sheseemedinsensibleofhisjest。"Ofcourse，hewasinlovewithher。
　　Thatwasthelightthatcameintohisfacewhenhewasgoingtodowhathethoughtshewantedhimtodo。"
　　"Andshe——doyouthinkthatshewas——"
　　"Whatanidea!Itwouldhavebeenperfectlygrotesque!"
　　VIII。
　　TheirafflictionbroughttheDryfoosesintohumanerrelationswiththeMarches，whohadhithertoregardedthemasanecessaryevil，astheodiousmeansoftheirownprosperity。Mrs。Marchfoundthatthewomenofthefamilyseemedgladofhercoming，andinthesenseofherusefulnesstothemallshebegantofeelakindnessevenforChristine。Butshecouldnothelpseeingthatbetweenthegirlandherfathertherewasanunsettledaccount，somehow，andthatitwasChristineandnottheoldmanwhowasholdingout。Shethoughtthattheirsorrowhadtendedtorefinetheothers。Melawasmuchmoresubdued，and，exceptwhensheabandonedherselftoachildishinterestinhermourning，shedidnothingtoshockMrs。March'stasteortoseemunworthyofhergrief。Shewasverygoodtohermother，whomtheblowhadleftunchanged，andtoherfather，whomithadapparentlyfallenuponwithcrushingweight。Once，aftervisitingtheirhouse，Mrs。MarchdescribedtoMarchalittlescenebetweenDryfoosandMela，whenhecamehomefromWallStreet，andthegirlmethimatthedoorwithakindofcountrysimpleness，andtookhishatandstick，andbroughthimintotheroomwhereMrs。Marchsat，lookingtiredandbroken。
　　ShefoundthislookofDryfoos'spathetic，anddweltonthesortofstupefactiontherewasinit；hemusthavelovedhissonmorethantheyeverrealized。"Yes，"saidMarch，"Isuspecthedid。He'sneverbeenabouttheplacesincethatday；hewasalwaysdroppinginbefore，onhiswayup-town。HeseemstogodowntoWallStreeteveryday，justasbefore，butIsupposethat'smechanical；hewouldn'tknowwhatelsetodo；Idaresayit'sbestforhim。ThesanguineFulkersonisgettingalittleanxiousaboutthefutureof'EveryOtherWeek。'NowConrad'sgone，heisn'tsuretheoldmanwillwanttokeeponwithit，orwhetherhe'llhavetolookupanotherAngel。Hewantstogetmarried，Iimagine，andhecan'tventuretillthispointissettled。"
　　"It'saverymaterialpointtoustoo，Basil，"saidMrs。March。
　　"Well，ofcourse。Ihadn'toverlookedthat，youmaybesure。OneofthethingsthatFulkersonandIhavediscussedisaschemeforbuyingthemagazine。Itssuccessisprettywellassurednow，andIshouldn'tbeafraidtoputmoneyintoit——ifIhadthemoney。"
　　"Icouldn'tletyousellthehouseinBoston，Basil!"
　　"AndIdon'twantto。Iwishwecouldgobackandliveinitandgettherent，too!Itwouldbequiteasupport。ButIsupposeifDryfooswon'tkeepon，itmustcometoanotherAngel。Ihopeitwon'tbealiteraryone，withafancyforrunningmydepartment。"
　　"Oh，Iguesswhoevertakesthemagazinewillbegladenoughtokeepyou!"
　　"Doyouthinkso?Well，perhaps。ButIdon'tbelieveFulkersonwouldletmestandlongbetweenhimandanAngeloftherightdescription。"
　　"Well，then，Ibelievehewould。Andyou'veneverseenanything，Basil，tomakeyoureallythinkthatMr。Fulkersondidn'tappreciateyoutotheutmost。"
　　"IthinkIcameprettynearanundervaluationinthatLindautrouble。
　　IshallalwayswonderwhatputabackboneintoFulkersonjustatthatcrisis。Fulkersondoesn'tstrikemeasthestuffofamoralhero。"
　　"Atanyrate，hewasone，"saidMrs。March，"andthat'squiteenoughforme。"
　　Marchdidnotanswer。"Whatanoblethinglifeis，anyway!HereIam，wellonthewaytofifty，aftertwenty-fiveyearsofhardwork，lookingforwardtothepotentialpoor-houseasconfidentlyasIdidinyouth。
　　Wemighthavesavedalittlemorethanwehavesaved；butthelittlemorewouldn'tavailifIwereturnedoutofmyplacenow；andweshouldhavelivedsordidlytonopurpose。Someonealwayshasyoubythethroat，unlessyouhavesomeoneelseinyourgrip。Iwonderifthat'stheattitudetheAlmightyintendedHisrespectablecreaturestotaketowardoneanother!IwonderifHemeantourcivilization，thebattlewefightin，thegamewetrickin!IwonderifHeconsidersitfinal，andifthekingdomofheavenonearth，whichweprayfor——"
　　"HaveyouseenLindauto-day?"Mrs。Marchasked。
　　"Youinferreditfromthequalityofmypiety?"Marchlaughed，andthensuddenlysobered。"Yes，Isawhim。It'sgoingratherhardwithhim，I'mafraid。Theamputationdoesn'thealverywell；theshockwasverygreat，andhe'sold。It'lltaketime。There'ssomuchpainthattheyhavetokeephimunderopiates，andIdon'tthinkhefullyknewme。Atanyrate，Ididn'tgetmypietyfromhimto-day。"
　　"It'shorrible!Horrible!"saidMrs。March。"Ican'tgetoverit!
　　Afterlosinghishandinthewar，tolosehiswholearmnowinthisway!
　　Itdoesseemtoocruel!Ofcourseheoughtn'ttohavebeenthere；wecansaythat。Butyououghtn'ttohavebeenthere，either，Basil。"
　　"Well，Iwasn'texactlyadvisingthepolicetogoandclubtherailroadpresidents。"
　　"NeitherwaspoorConradDryfoos。"
　　"Idon'tdenyit。Allthatwasdistinctlythechanceoflifeanddeath。
　　ThatbelongedtoGod；andnodoubtitwaslaw，thoughitseemschance。
　　ButwhatIobjecttoisthiseconomicchance-worldinwhichwelive，andwhichwemenseemtohavecreated。Itoughttobelawasinflexibleinhumanaffairsastheorderofdayandnightinthephysicalworldthatifamanwillworkheshallbothrestandeat，andshallnotbeharassedwithanyquestionastohowhisreposeandhisprovisionshallcome。
　　Nothinglessidealthanthissatisfiesthereason。Butinourstateofthingsnooneissecureofthis。Nooneissureoffindingwork；nooneissureofnotlosingit。Imayhavemyworktakenawayfrommeatanymomentbythecaprice，themood，theindigestionofamanwhohasnotthequalificationforknowingwhetherIdoitwell，orill。Atmytimeoflife——ateverytimeoflife——amanoughttofeelthatifhewillkeepondoinghisdutyheshallnotsufferinhimselforinthosewhoaredeartohim，exceptthroughnaturalcauses。Butnomancanfeelthisasthingsarenow；andsowegoon，pushingandpulling，climbingandcrawling，thrustingasideandtramplingunderfoot；lying，cheating，stealing；andthenwegettotheend，coveredwithbloodanddirtandsinandshame，andlookbackoverthewaywe'vecometoapalaceofourown，orthepoor-house，whichisabouttheonlypossessionwecanclaimincommonwithourbrother-men，Idon'tthinktheretrospectcanbepleasing。"
　　"Iknow，Iknow!"saidhiswife。"Ithinkofthosethings，too，Basil。
　　Lifeisn'twhatitseemswhenyoulookforwardtoit。ButIthinkpeoplewouldsufferless，andwouldn'thavetoworksohard，andcouldmakeallreasonableprovisionforthefuture，iftheywerenotsogreedyandsofoolish。"
　　"Oh，withoutdoubt!Wecan'tputitallontheconditions；wemustputsomeoftheblameoncharacter。Butconditionsmakecharacter；andpeoplearegreedyandfoolish，andwishtohaveandtoshine，becausehavingandshiningarehelduptothembycivilizationasthechiefgoodoflife。Weallknowtheyarenotthechiefgood，perhapsnotgoodatall；butifsomeoneventurestosayso，alltherestofuscallhimafraudandacrank，andgomoilingandtoilingontothepalaceorthepoor-house。Wecan'thelpit。Ifonewerelessgreedyorlessfoolish，someoneelsewouldhaveandwouldshineathisexpense。Wedon'tmoilandtoiltoourselvesalone；thepalaceorthepoor-houseisnotmerelyforourselves，butforourchildren，whomwe'vebroughtupinthesuperstitionthathavingandshiningisthechiefgood。Wedarenotteachthemotherwise，forfeartheymayfalterinthefightwhenitcomestheirturn，andthechildrenofotherswillcrowdthemoutofthepalaceintothepoor-house。Ifwefeltsurethathonestworksharedbyallwouldbringthemhonestfoodsharedbyall，someheroicfewofus，whodidnotwishourchildrentoriseabovetheirfellows——thoughwecouldnotbeartohavethemfallbelow——mighttrustthemwiththetruth。Butwehavenosuchassurance，andsowegoontremblingbeforeDryfoosesandlivingingimcrackeries。"
　　"Basil，Basil!Iwasalwayswillingtolivemoresimplythanyou。YouknowIwas!"
　　"Iknowyoualwayssaidso，mydear。Buthowmanybell-ratchetsandspeaking-tubeswouldyoubewillingtohaveatthestreetdoorbelow?
　　Irememberthatwhenwewerelookingforaflatyourejectedeverybuildingthathadabell-ratchetoraspeaking-tube，andwouldhavenothingtodowithanythathadmorethananelectricbutton；youwantedahall-boy，withelectricbuttonsalloverhim。Idon'tblameyou。I
　　findsuchthingsquiteasnecessaryasyoudo。"
　　"Anddoyoumeantosay，Basil，"sheasked，abandoningthisunprofitablebranchoftheinquiry，"thatyouarereallyuneasyaboutyourplace?
　　thatyouareafraidMr。DryfoosmaygiveupbeinganAngel，andMr。
　　Fulkersonmayplayyoufalse?"
　　"Playmefalse?Oh，itwouldn'tbeplayingmefalse。Itwouldbemerelylookingoutforhimself，ifthenewAngelhadeditorialtastesandwantedmyplace。It'swhatanyonewoulddo。"
　　"Youwouldn'tdoit，Basil!"
　　"Wouldn'tI?Well，ifanyoneofferedmemoresalarythan'EveryOtherWeek'pays——say，twiceasmuch——whatdoyouthinkmydutytomysufferingfamilywouldbe?It'sgiveandtakeinthebusinessworld，Isabel；
　　especiallytake。Butastobeinguneasy，I'mnot，intheleast。I'vethespiritofalion，whenitcomestosuchachanceasthat。WhenIseehowreadilythesensibilitiesofthepassingstrangercanbeworkedinNewYork，IthinkoftakinguptheroleofthatdesperatemanonThirdAvenuewhowentalonglookingforgarbageintheguttertoeat。IthinkIcouldpickupatleasttwentyorthirtycentsadaybythatlittlegame，andmaintainmyfamilyintheaffluenceit'sbeenaccustomedto。"
　　"Basil!"criedhiswife。"Youdon'tmeantosaythatmanwasanimpostor!AndI'vegoneabout，eversince，feelingthatonesuchcaseinamillion，thebarepossibilityofit，wasenoughtojustifyallthatLindausaidabouttherichandthepoor!"
　　Marchlaughedteasingly。"Oh，Idon'tsayhewasanimpostor。Perhapshereallywashungry；but，ifhewasn't，whatdoyouthinkofacivilizationthatmakestheopportunityofsuchafraud?thatgivesusallsuchabadconsciencefortheneedwhichisthatweweakentotheneedthatisn't?Supposethatpoorfellowwasn'tpersonallyfoundedonfact:nevertheless，herepresentedthetruth；hewastheidealofthesufferingwhichwouldbelesseffectiveifrealisticallytreated。Thatmanisagreatcomforttome。HeprobablyriotedfordaysonthatquarterIgavehim；madeadinnerverylikely，orachampagnesupper；andif'EveryOtherWeek'wantstogetridofme，Iintendtoworkthatracket。YoucanhangroundthecornerwithBella，andTomcancomeuptomeintears，atstatedintervals，andaskmeifI'vefoundanythingyet。
　　Tobesure，wemightbearrestedandsentupsomewhere。Buteveninthatextremecaseweshouldbeprovidedfor。Ohno，I'mnotafraidoflosingmyplace!I'vemerelyasortofpsychologicalcuriositytoknowhowmenlikeDryfoosandFulkersonwillworkouttheproblembeforethem。"
　　IX。
　　ItwasacuriositywhichFulkersonhimselfshared，atleastconcerningDryfoos。"Idon'tknowwhattheoldman'sgoingtodo，"hesaidtoMarchthedayaftertheMarcheshadtalkedtheirfutureover。"Saidanythingtoyouyet?"
　　"No，notaword。"
　　"You'reanxious，Isuppose，sameasIam。Factis，"saidFulkerson，blushingalittle，"Ican'tasktohaveadaynamedtillIknowwhereI
　　aminconnectionwiththeoldman。Ican'ttellwhetherI'vegottolookoutforsomethingelseorsomebodyelse。Ofcourse，it'sfullsoonyet。"
　　"Yes，"Marchsaid，"muchsoonerthanitseemstous。We'resoanxiousaboutthefuturethatwedon'trememberhowveryrecentthepastis。"
　　"That'ssomethingso。Theoldman'shardlyhadtimeyettopullhimselftogether。Well，I'mgladyoufeelthatwayaboutit，March。Iguessit'smoreofablowtohimthanwerealize。HewasagooddealboundupinCoonrod，thoughhedidn'talwaysusehimverywell。Well，Ireckonit'sapttohappensooftentimes；curioushowcruellovecanbe。Heigh?
　　We'reanawfulmixture，March!"
　　"Yes，that'sthemarvelandthecurse，asBrowningsays。"
　　"Why，thatpoorboyhimself，"pursuedFulkerson，hadstreaksofthemuleinhimthatcouldgiveoddstoBeaton，andhemusthavetriedtheoldmanbythewayhewouldgiveintohiswillandholdoutagainsthisjudgment。Idon'tbelieveheeverbudgedahairs-breadthfromhisoriginalpositionaboutwantingtobeapreacherandnotwantingtobeabusinessman。Well，ofcourse!Idon'tthinkbusinessisallinall；
　　butitmusthavemadetheoldmanmadtofindthatwithoutsayinganything，ordoinganythingtoshowit，andafterseemingtocomeovertohisground，andreallycoming，practically，Coonrodwasjustexactlywherehefirstplantedhimself，everytime。"
　　"Yes，peoplethathaveconvictionsaredifficult。Fortunately，they'rerare。"
　　"Doyouthinkso?Itseemstomethateverybody'sgotconvictions。
　　Beatonhimself，whohasn'taprincipletothrowatadog，hasgotconvictionsthesizeofabarn。Theyain'talwaysthesameones，Iknow，butthey'realwaystothesameeffect，asfarasBeaton'sbeingNumberOneisconcerned。Theoldman'sgotconvictionsordidhave，unlessthisthinglatelyhasshakenhimallup——andhebelievesthatmoneywilldoeverything。ColonelWoodburn'sgotconvictionsthathewouldn'tpartwithforuntoldmillions。Why，March，yougotconvictionsyourself!"
　　"HaveI?"saidMarch。"Idon'tknowwhattheyare。"
　　"Well，neitherdoI；butIknowyouwerereadytokickthetroughoverforthemwhentheoldmanwantedustobounceLindauthattime。"
　　"Ohyes，"saidMarch；herememberedthefact；buthewasstilluncertainjustwhattheconvictionswerethathehadbeensostanchfor。
　　"Isupposewecouldhavegotalongwithoutyou，"Fulkersonmusedaloud。
　　"It'sastonishinghowyoualwayscangetalonginthisworldwithoutthemanthatissimplyindispensable。Makesafellowrealizethathecouldtakeadayoffnowandthenwithoutderangingthesolarsystemagreatdeal。Nowhere'sCoonrod——or，rather，heisn't。ButthatboymanagedhispartoftheschoonersowellthatIusedtotremblewhenIthoughtofhisgettingthebetteroftheoldmanandgoingintoaconventorsomethingofthatkind；andnowhereheis，snuffedoutinhalfasecond，andIdon'tbelievebutwhatweshallbesailingalongjustaschipperasusualinsideofthirtydays。IreckonitwillbringtheoldmantothepointwhenIcometotalkwithhimaboutwho'stobeputinCoonrod'splace。Idon'tlikeverywelltostartthesubjectwithhim；butit'sgottobedonesometime。"
　　"Yes，"Marchadmitted。"It'sterribletothinkhowunnecessaryeventhebestandwisestofusistothepurposesofProvidence。WhenIlookedatthatpooryoungfellow'sfacesometimes——sogentleandtrueandpure——
　　Iusedtothinktheworldwasappreciablyricherforhisbeinginit。
　　Butareweappreciablypoorerforhisbeingoutofitnow?"
　　"No，Idon'treckonweare，"saidFulkerson。"AndwhatalotoftherawmaterialofallkindstheAlmightymusthave，towasteusthewayHeseemstodo。ThinkofthrowingawayapreciouscreaturelikeCoonrodDryfoosononechanceinathousandofgettingthatoldfoolofaLindauoutofthewayofbeingclubbed!ForIsupposethatwaswhatCoonrodwasupto。Say!HaveyoubeenroundtoseeLindauto-day?"
　　SomethinginthetoneorthemannerofFulkersonstartledMarch。"No!
　　Ihaven'tseenhimsinceyesterday。"
　　"Well，Idon'tknow，"saidFulkerson。"IguessIsawhimalittlewhileafteryoudid，andthatyoungdoctorthereseemedtofeelkindofworriedabouthim。
　　Ornotworried，exactly；theycan'taffordtoletsuchthingsworrythem，Isuppose；but——"
　　"He'sworse?"askedMarch。
　　"Oh，hedidn'tsayso。ButIjustwonderedifyou'dseenhimto-day。"
　　"IthinkI'llgonow，"saidMarch，withapangatheart。HehadgoneeverydaytoseeLindau，butthisdayhehadthoughthewouldnotgo，andthatwaswhyhisheartsmotehim。HeknewthatifhewereinLindau'splaceLindauwouldneverhavelefthissideifhecouldhavehelpedit。
　　Marchtriedtobelievethatthecasewasthesame，asitstoodnow；itseemedtohimthathewasalwaysgoingtoorfromthehospital；hesaidtohimselfthatitmustdoLindauharmtobevisitedsomuch。ButbeknewthatthiswasnottruewhenhewasmetatthedoorofthewardwhereLindaulaybytheyoungdoctor，whohadcometofeelapersonalinterestinMarch'sinterestinLindau。
　　Hesmiledwithoutgayety，andsaid，"He'sjustgoing。"
　　"What!Discharged?"
　　"Ohno。Hehasbeenfailingveryfastsinceyousawhimyesterday，andnow——"Theyhadbeenwalkingsoftlyandtalkingsoftlydowntheaislebetweenthelongrowsofbeds。"Wouldyoucaretoseehim?"
　　Thedoctormadeaslightgesturetowardthewhitecanvasscreenwhichinsuchplacesformsthedeath-chamberofthepoorandfriendless。"Comeroundthisway——hewon'tknowyou!I'vegotratherfondofthepooroldfellow。Hewouldn'thaveaclergyman——sortofagnostic，isn'the?A
　　goodmanyoftheseGermansare——buttheyoungladywho'sbeencomingtoseehim——"
　　Theybothstopped。Lindau'sgrand，patriarchalhead，foreshortenedtotheirview，laywhiteuponthepillow，andhisbroad，whitebeardfloweduponthesheet，whichheavedwiththoselonglastbreaths。BesidehisbedMargaretVancewaskneeling；herveilwasthrownback，andherfacewaslifted；sheheldclaspedbetweenherhandsthehandofthedyingman；
　　shemovedherlipsinaudibly。
　　X。
　　Inspiteoftheexperienceofthewholeracefromtimeimmemorial，whendeathcomestoanyoneweknowwehelplesslyregarditasanincidentoflife，whichwillpresentlygoonasbefore。Perhapsthisisaninstinctiveperceptionofthetruththatitdoesgoonsomewhere；butwehaveasenseofdeathasabsolutelytheendevenforearthonlyifitrelatestosomeoneremoteorindifferenttous。MarchtriedtoprojectLindautothenecessarydistancefromhimselfinordertorealizethefactinhiscase，buthecouldnot，thoughthemanwithwhomhisyouthhadbeenassociatedinapoeticfriendshiphadnotactuallyreenteredtheregionofhisaffectiontothesamedegree，orinanylikedegree。Thechangedconditionsforbadethat。Hehadasorenessofheartconcerninghim；buthecouldnotmakesurewhetherthissorenesswasgriefforhisdeath，orremorseforhisownuncandorwithhimaboutDryfoos，oraforebodingofthataccountingwithhisconsciencewhichheknewhiswifewouldnowexactofhimdowntothelastminutestparticularoftheirjointandseveralbehaviortowardLindaueversincetheyhadmethiminNewYork。
　　Hefeltsomethingknockagainsthisshoulder，andhelookeduptohavehishatstruckfromhisheadbyahorse'snose。Hesawthehorseputhisfootonthehat，andhereflected，"Nowitwillalwayslooklikeanaccordion，"andheheardthehorse'sdriveraddresshimsomesarcasmsbeforehecouldfullyawakentothesituation。HewasstandingbareheadedinthemiddleofFifthAvenueandblockingthetideofcarriagesflowingineitherdirection。AmongthefacesputoutofthecarriagewindowshesawthatofDryfooslookingfromacoupe。Theoldmanknewhim，andsaid，"Jumpinhere，Mr。March"；andMarch，whohadmechanicallypickeduphishat，andwasthinking，"NowIshallhavetotellIsabelaboutthisatonce，andshewillnevertrustmeonthestreetagainwithouther，"mechanicallyobeyed。HerconfidenceinhimhadbeenunderminedbyhisbeingsonearConradwhenhewasshot；anditwentthroughhismindthathewouldgetDryfoostodrivehimtoahatter's，wherehecouldbuyanewhat，andnotbeobligedtoconfesshisnarrowescapetohiswifetilltheincidentwassomedaysoldandshecouldbearitbetter。ItquitedroveLindau'sdeathoutofhismindforthemoment；
　　andwhenDryfoossaidifhewasgoinghomehewoulddriveuptothefirstcross-streetandturnbackwithhim，Marchsaidhewouldbegladifhewouldtakehimtoahat-store。TheoldmanputhisheadoutagainandtoldthedrivertotakethemtotheFifthAvenueHotel。"There'sahat-
　　storearoundtheresomewhere，seemstome，"hesaid；andtheytalkedofMarch'saccidentaswellastheycouldintherattleandclatterofthestreettilltheyreachedtheplace。Marchgothishat，passingajokewiththehatterabouttheimpossibilityofpressinghisoldhatoveragain，andcameouttothankDryfoosandtakeleaveofhim。
　　"Ifyouain'tinanygreathurry，"theoldmansaid，"Iwishyou'dgetinhereaminute。I'dliketohavealittletalkwithyou。"
　　"Oh，certainly，"saidMarch，andhethought:"It'scomingnowaboutwhatheintendstodowith'EveryOtherWeek。'Well，Imightaswellhaveallthemiseryatonceandhaveitover。"
　　Dryfooscalleduptohisdriver，whobenthisheaddownsidewisetolisten:"GooverthereonMadisonAvenue，ontothatasphalt，andkeepdrivin'upanddowntillIstopyou。Ican'thearmyselfthinkonthesepavements，"hesaidtoMarch。Butaftertheygotupontheasphalt，andbegansmoothlyrollingoverit，heseemedinnohastetobegin。Atlasthesaid，"Iwantedtotalkwithyouaboutthat——thatDutchmanthatwasatmydinner——Lindau，"andMarch'sheartgaveajumpwithwonderwhetherhecouldalreadyhaveheardofLindau'sdeath；butinaninstantheperceivedthatthiswasimpossible。"Ibeentalkin'withFulkersonabouthim，andhesaystheyhadtotakethebalanceofhisarmoff。"
　　Marchnodded；itseemedtohimhecouldnotspeak。Hecouldnotmakeoutfromtheclosefaceoftheoldmananythingofhismotive。Itwasset，butsetasapieceofbrokenmechanismiswhenithaslostthepowertorelaxitself。Therewasnootherhistoryinitofwhatthemanhadpassedthroughinhisson'sdeath。
　　"Idon'tknow，"Dryfoosresumed，lookingasideattheclothwindow-strap，whichhekeptfingering，"asyouquiteunderstoodwhatmademethemaddest。Ididn'ttellhimIcouldtalkDutch，becauseIcan'tkeepitupwitharegularGerman；butmyfatherwasPennsylvanyDutch，andI
　　couldunderstandwhathewassayingtoyouaboutme。IknowIhadnobusinesstounderstoodit，afterIlethimthinkIcouldn'tbutIdid，andIdidn'tlikeverywelltohaveamancallin'meatraitorandatyrantatmyowntable。Well，Ilookatitdifferentlynow，andIreckonIhadbetterhavetriedtoputupwithit；andIwould，ifIcouldhaveknown——"Hestoppedwithaquiveringlip，andthenwenton:"Then，again，Ididn'tlikehistalkin'thatpaternalismofhis。Ialwayshearditwastheworstkindofthingforthecountry；Iwasbroughtuptothinkthebestgovernmentwastheonethatgovernstheleast；andIdidn'twanttohearthatkindoftalkfromamanthatwaslivin'onmymoney。
　　Icouldn'tbearitfromhim。OrIthoughtIcouldn'tbefore——before——"
　　Hestoppedagain，andgulped。"Ireckonnowthereain'tanythingI
　　couldn'tbear。"Marchwasmovedbythebluntwordsandthemutestareforwardwithwhichtheyended。"Mr。Dryfoos，Ididn'tknowthatyouunderstoodLindau'sGerman，orIshouldn'thaveallowedhimhewouldn'thaveallowedhimself——togoon。Hewouldn'thaveknowinglyabusedhispositionofguesttocensureyou，nomatterhowmuchhecondemnedyou。"
　　"Idon'tcareforitnow，"saidDryfoos。"It'sallpastandgone，asfarasI'mconcerned；butIwantedyoutoseethatIwasn'ttryin'topunishhimforhisopinions，asyousaid。"
　　"No；Iseenow，"Marchassented，thoughhethought，hispositionstilljustified。"Iwish——"
　　"Idon'tknowasIunderstandmuchabouthisopinions，anyway；butI
　　ain'treadytosayIwantthemendependentonmetomanagemybusinessforme。Ialwaystriedtodothesquarethingbymyhands；andinthatparticularcaseoutthereItookonalltheoldhandsjustasfastastheylefttheirUnion。AsforthegameIcameonthem，itwasdogeatdog，anyway。"
　　MarchcouldhavelaughedtothinkhowfarthisoldmanwasfromevenconceivingofLindau'spoint'ofview，andhowhewassayingtheworstofhimselfthatLindaucouldhavesaidofhim。Noonecouldhavecharacterizedthekindofthinghehaddonemoreseverelythanhewhenhecalleditdogeatdog。
　　"There'sagreatdealtobesaidonbothsides，"Marchbegan，hopingtoleadupthroughthisgeneralitytothefactofLindau'sdeath；buttheoldmanwenton:
　　"Well，allIwantedhimtoknowisthatIwasn'ttryingtopunishhimforwhathesaidaboutthingsingeneral。Younaturallygotthatidea，I
　　reckon；butIalwayswentinforlettin'peoplesaywhattheypleaseandthinkwhattheyplease；it'stheonlywayinafreecountry。"
　　"I'mafraid，Mr。Dryfoos，thatitwouldmakelittledifferencetoLindaunow——"
　　"Idon'tsupposehebearsmaliceforit，"saidDryfoos，"butwhatIwanttodoistohavehimtoldso。HecouldunderstandjustwhyIdidn'twanttobecalledhardnames，andyetIdidn'tobjecttohisthinkin'whateverhepleased。I'dlikehimtoknow——"
　　"Noonecanspeaktohim，noonecantellhim，"Marchbeganagain，butagainDryfoospreventedhimfromgoingon。
　　"Iunderstandit'sadelicatething；andI'mnotaskin'youtodoit。
　　WhatIwouldreallyliketodo——ifyouthinkhecouldbepreparedforit，someway，andcouldstandit——wouldbetogotohimmyself，andtellhimjustwhatthetroublewas。I'minhopes，ifIdonethat，hecouldseehowIfeltaboutit。"
　　ApictureofDryfoosgoingtothedeadLindauwithhisvainregretspresenteditselftoMarch，andhetriedoncemoretomaketheoldmanunderstand。"Mr。Dryfoos，"besaid，"Lindauispastallthatforever，"
　　andhefelttheghastlycomedyofitwhenDryfooscontinued，withoutheedinghim"IgotaparticularreasonwhyIwanthimtobelieveitwasn'thisideasIobjectedto——themideasofhisaboutthegovernmentcarryin'everythingonandgivin'work。Idon'tunderstand'emexactly，butIfoundawritin'——among——myson's-things"heseemedtoforcethewordsthroughhisteeth，"andIreckonhe——thought——thatway。Kindofadiary——wherehe——putdown-histhoughts。Mysonandme——wedifferedaboutagood-
　　manythings。"Hischinshook，andfromtimetotimehestopped。"I
　　wasn'tverygoodtohim，Ireckon；IcrossedhimwhereIguessIgotnobusinesstocrosshim；butIthoughteverythingof——Coonrod。Hewasthebestboy，fromababy，thateverwas；justsopatientandmild，anddonewhateverhewastold。Ioughtto'a'lethimbeenapreacher!Oh，myson!myson!"Thesobscouldnotbekeptbackanylonger；theyshooktheoldmanwithaviolencethatmadeMarchafraidforhim；buthecontrolledhimselfatlastwithaseriesofhoarsesoundslikebarks。"Well，it'sallpastandgone!ButasIunderstandyoufromwhatyousaw，whenCoonrodwas——killed，hewastryin'tosavethatoldmanfromtrouble?"
　　Yes，yes!Itseemedsotome。"
　　"That'lldo，then!Iwantyoutohavehimcomebackandwriteforthebookwhenhegetswell。Iwantyoutofindoutandletmeknowifthere'sanythingIcandoforhim。I'llfeelasifIdoneit——formy——
　　son。I'lltakehimintomyownhouse，anddoforhimthere，ifyousayso，whenhegetssohecanbemoved。I'llwaitonhimmyself。It'swhatCoonrod'ddo，ifhewashere。Idon'tfeelanyhardnesstohimbecauseitwashimthatgotCoonrodkilled，asyoumightsay，inonesenseoftheterm；butI'vetriedtothinkitout，andIfeellikeIwasallthemorebeholdentohimbecausemysondiedtryin'tosavehim。WhateverIdo，I'llbedoin'itforCoonrod，andthat'senoughforme。"Heseemedtohavefinished，andheturnedtoMarchasiftohearwhathehadtosay。
　　Marchhesitated。"I'mafraid，Mr。Dryfoos——Didn'tFulkersontellyouthatLindauwasverysick?"
　　"Yes，ofcourse。Buthe'sallright，hesaid。"
　　Nowithadtocome，thoughthefacthadbeenlatterlyplayingfastandloosewithMarch'sconsciousness。Somethingalmostmadehimsmile；thewillingnesshehadoncefelttogivethisoldmanpain；thenheconsoledhimselfbythinkingthatatleasthewasnotobligedtomeetDryfoos'swishtomakeatonementwiththefactthatLindauhadrenouncedhim，andwouldonnotermsworkforsuchamanashe，orsufferanykindnessfromhim。InthislightLindauseemedtheharderofthetwo，andMarchhadthemomentaryforcetosay"Mr。Dryfoos——itcan'tbe。Lindau——Ihavejustcomefromhim——isdead。"
　　XI。
　　"Howdidhetakeit?Howcouldhebearit?Oh，Basil!Iwonderyoucouldhavethehearttosayittohim。Itwascruel!"
　　"Yes，cruelenough，mydear，"Marchownedtohiswife，whentheytalkedthematteroveronhisreturnhome。Hecouldnotwaittillthechildrenwereoutoftheway，andafterwardneitherhenorhiswifewassorrythathehadspokenofitbeforethem。Thegirlcriedplentifullyforheroldfriendwhowasdead，andsaidshehatedMr。Dryfoos，andthenwassorryforhim，too；andtheboylistenedtoall，andspokewithaserioussensethatpleasedhisfather。"Butastohowhetookit，"Marchwentontoanswerhiswife'squestionaboutDryfoos——"howdoanyofustakeathingthathurts?Someofuscryout，andsomeofusdon't。Dryfoosdrewakindoflong，quiveringbreath，asachilddoeswhenitgrieves——there'ssomethingcuriouslysimpleandprimitiveabouthim——anddidn'tsayanything。Afterawhileheaskedmehowhecouldseethepeopleatthehospitalabouttheremains；IgavehimmycardtotheyoungdoctortherethathadchargeofLindau。Isupposehewasstillcarryingforwardhisplanofreparationinhismind——tothedeadforthedead。Buthowuseless!IfhecouldhavetakenthelivingLindauhomewithhim，andcaredforhimallhisdays，whatwouldithaveprofitedthegentlecreaturewhoselifehisworldlyambitionvexedandthwartedhere?
　　HemightaswellofferasacrificeatConrad'sgrave。Children，"saidMarch，turningtothem，"deathisanexilethatnoremorseandnolovecanreach。Rememberthat，andbegoodtoeveryonehereonearth，foryourlongingtoretrieveanyharshnessorunkindnesstothedeadwillbetheveryecstasyofanguishtoyou。Iwonder，"hemused，"ifoneofthereasonswhywe'reshutuptoourignoranceofwhatistobehereafterisn'tbecauseifweweresureofanotherworldwemightbestillmorebrutaltooneanotherhere，inthehopeofmakingreparationsomewhereelse。Perhaps，ifweevercometoobeythelawofloveonearth，themysteryofdeathwillbetakenaway。"
　　"Well"——theancestralPuritanismspokeinMrs。March——"thesetwooldmenhavebeenterriblypunished。Theyhavebothbeenviolentandwilful，andtheyhavebothbeenpunished。Nooneneedevertellmethereisnotamoralgovernmentoftheuniverse!"
　　Marchalwaysdislikedtohearhertalkinthisway，whichdidbothherheadandheartinjustice。"AndConrad，"hesaid，"whatwashepunishedfor?"
　　"He?"sheanswered，inanexaltation——"hesufferedforthesinsofothers。"
　　"Ah，well，ifyouputitinthatway，yes。Thatgoesoncontinually。
　　That'sanothermystery。"
　　Hefelltobroodingonit，andpresentlyheheardhissonsaying，"Isuppose，papa，thatMr。Lindaudiedinabadcause?"
　　Marchwasstartled。HehadalwaysbeensosorryforLindau，andadmiredhiscourageandgenerositysomuch，thathehadneverfairlyconsideredthisquestion。"Why，yes，"heanswered；"hediedinthecauseofdisorder；hewastryingtoobstructthelaw。Nodoubttherewasawrongthere，aninconsistencyandaninjusticethathefeltkeenly；butitcouldnotbereachedinhiswaywithoutgreaterwrong。"
　　"Yes；that'swhatIthought，"saidtheboy。"Andwhat'stheuseofoureverfightingaboutanythinginAmerica?Ialwaysthoughtwecouldvoteanythingwewanted。"
　　"Wecan，ifwe'rehonest，anddon'tbuyandselloneanother'svotes，"
　　saidhisfather。"AndmenlikeLindau，whorenouncetheAmericanmeansashopeless，andlettheirloveofjusticehurrythemintosympathywithviolence——yes，theyarewrong；andpoorLindaudiddieinabadcause，asyousay，Tom。"