Nevertheless，AliceforgotaboutWalterforafewminutes。Sheclosedthedoor，wentintothe"living-room"absently，andstaredvaguelyatoneoftheoldbrown-plushrocking-chairsthere。Uponherforeheadwerethelittleshadowsofanapprehensivereverie，andherthoughtsoverlappedoneanotherinafretfuljumble。"Whatwillhethink？Theseoldchairs——they'rehideous。I'llscrubthosesoot-streaksonthecolumns:itwon'tdoanygood，though。Thatlongcrackinthecolumn——nothingcanhelpit。Whatwillhethinkofpapa？Ihopemamawon'ttalktoomuch。WhenhethinksofMildred'shouse，orofHenrietta's，oranyof'em，besidethis——Shesaidshe'dbuyplentyofroses；thatoughttohelpsome。Nothingcouldbedoneaboutthesehorriblechairs:can'ttake'emupintheattic——aroom'sgottohavechairs!Mighthaverentedsome。No；ifheevercomesagainhe'dseetheyweren'there。'Ifheevercomesagain'——oh，itwon'tbeTHATbad!Butitwon'tbewhatheexpects。I'mresponsibleforwhatheexpects:heexpectsjustwhattheairsI'veputonhavemadehimexpect。WhatdidIwanttoposesotohimfor——asifpapawereawealthymanandallthat？WhatWILLhethink？ThephotographoftheColosseum'sarathergoodthing，though。Ithelpssome——asifwe'dboughtitinRomeperhaps。Ihopehe'llthinkso；hebelievesI'vebeenabroad，ofcourse。Theothernighthesaid，'YourememberthefeelingyougetintheSainte-Chapelle'——There'sanotherlieofmine，notsayingIdidn'trememberbecauseI'dneverbeenthere。
　　Whatmakesmedoit？PapaMUSTwearhiseveningclothes。ButWalter——"
　　Withthatsherecalledhermother'sadmonition，andwentupstairstoWalter'sdoor。Shetappeduponitwithherfingers。
　　"Timetogetup，Walter。Therestofushadbreakfastoverhalfanhourago，andit'snearlyeighto'clock。You'llbelate。
　　HurrydownandI'llhavesomecoffeeandtoastreadyforyou。"
　　Therecamenosoundfromwithintheroom，sosherappedlouder。
　　"Wakeup，Walter!"
　　Shecalledandrappedagain，withoutgettinganyresponse，andthen，findingthatthedooryieldedtoher，openeditandwentin。Walterwasnotthere。
　　Hehadbeenthere，however；hadsleptuponthebed，thoughnotinsidethecovers；andAlicesupposedhemusthavecomehomesolatethathehadbeentoosleepytotakeoffhisclothes。Nearthefootofthebedwasashallowclosetwherehekepthis"othersuit"andhiseveningclothes；andthedoorstoodopen，showingabarewall。Nothingwhateverwasinthecloset，andAlicewasrathersurprisedatthisforamoment。"That'squeer，"shemurmured；andthenshedecidedthatwhenhewokehefoundtheclotheshehadsleptin"somussy"hehadputonhis"othersuit，"andhadgoneoutbeforebreakfastwiththemussedclothestohavethempressed，takinghiseveningthingswiththem。
　　Satisfiedwiththisexplanation，andfailingtoobservethatitdidnotaccountfortheabsenceofshoesfromtheclosetfloor，shenoddedabsently，"Yes，thatmustbeit"；and，whenhermotherreturned，toldherthatWalterhadprobablybreakfasteddown-town。Theydidnotdelayoverthis；thecolouredwomanhadarrived，andthebasket'sdisclosureswereimportant。
　　"IstoppedatWorlig'sonthewayback，"saidMrs。Adams，flushedwithhurryandexcitement。"Iboughtacanofcaviarthere。Ithoughtwe'dhavelittlesandwichesbroughtintothe'living-room'beforedinner，thewayyousaidtheydidwhenyouwenttothatdinneratthe——"
　　"ButIthinkthatwastogowithcocktails，mama，andofcoursewehaven't——"
　　"No，"Mrs。Adamssaid。"Still，Ithinkitwouldbenice。Wecanmakethemlookverydainty，onatray，andthewaitresscanbringthemin。Ithoughtwe'dhavethesoupalreadyonthetable；andwecanwalkrightoutassoonaswehavethesandwiches，soitwon'tgetcold。Then，afterthesoup，Malenasaysshecanmakesweetbreadpateswithmushrooms:andforthemeatcoursewe'llhavelardedfillet。Malena'sreallyafancycook，youknow，andshesaysshecandoanythinglikethattoperfection。We'llhavepeaswiththefillet，andpotatoballsandBrusselssprouts。Brusselssproutsarefashionablenow，theytoldmeatmarket。Thenwillcomethechickensalad，andafterthattheice-cream——she'sgoingtomakeanangel-foodcaketogowithit——andthencoffeeandcrackersandanewkindofcheeseI
　　gotatWorlig's，hesaysisveryfine。"
　　Alicewasalarmed。"Don'tyouthinkperhapsit'stoomuch，mama？"
　　"It'sbettertohavetoomuchthantoolittle，"hermothersaid，cheerfully。"Wedon'twanthimtothinkwe'rethekindthatskimp。Lordknowswehavetoenough，though，mostofthetime!
　　Gettheflowersinwater，child。Ibought'ematmarketbecausethey'resomuchcheaperthere，butthey'llkeepfreshandnice。
　　Youfix'emanywayyouwant。Hurry!It'sgottobeabusyday。"
　　Shehadboughtthreedozenlittleroses。Alicetookthemandbegantoarrangetheminvases，keepingthestemsseparatedasfaraspossiblesothattheclumpswouldlooklarger。Sheputhalfadozenineachofthreevasesinthe"living-room，"placingonevaseonthetableinthecenteroftheroom，andoneateachendofthemantelpiece。Thenshetooktherestoftherosestothedining-room；butshepostponedthearrangementofthemuntilthetableshouldbeset，justbeforedinner。Shewasthoughtful；
　　planningtodrythestemsandlaythemonthetableclothlikeavineofrosesrunninginadelicatedesign，ifshefoundthatthedozenandahalfshehadleftwereenoughforthat。Iftheyweren'tshewouldarrangetheminavase。
　　Shelookedalongtimeatthelittlerosesinthebasinofwater，whereshehadputthem；thenshesighed，andwentawaytoheaviertasks，whilehermotherworkedinthekitchenwithMalena。Alicedustedthe"living-room"andthedining-roomvigorously，thoughallthetimewithalookthatgrewmoreandmorepensive；andhavingdustedeverything，shewipedthefurniture；rubbedithard。Afterthat，shewashedthefloorsandthewoodwork。
　　Emergingfromthekitchenatnoon，Mrs。Adamsfoundherdaughteronhandsandknees，scrubbingthebasesofthecolumnsbetweenthehallandthe"living-room。"
　　"Now，dearie，"shesaid，"youmustn'ttireyourselfout，andyou'dbettercomeandeatsomething。Yourfathersaidhe'dgetabitedown-townto-day——hewasgoingdowntothebank——andWaltereatsdown-townallthetimelately，soIthoughtwewouldn'tbothertosetthetableforlunch。Comeonandwe'llhavesomethinginthekitchen。"
　　"No，"Alicesaid，dully，asshewentonwithhework。"Idon'twantanything。"
　　Hermothercameclosertoher。"Why，what'sthematter？"sheasked，briskly。"Youseemkindofpale，tome；andyoudon'tlook——youdon'tlookHAPPY。"
　　"Well——"Alicebegan，uncertainly，butsaidnomore。
　　"Seehere!"Mrs。Adamsexclaimed。"Thisisalljustforyou!
　　YououghttobeENJOYINGit。Why，it'sthefirsttimewe've——we'veentertainedinIdon'tknowhowlong!Iguessit'salmostsincewehadthatlittlepartywhenyouwereeighteen。
　　What'sthematterwithyou？"
　　"Nothing。Idon'tknow。"
　　"But，dearie，aren'tyoulookingFORWARDtothisevening？"
　　Thegirllookedup，showingapallidandsolemnface。"Oh，yes，ofcourse，"shesaid，andtriedtosmile。"Ofcoursewehadtodoit——Idothinkit'llbenice。OfcourseI'mlookingforwardtoit。"
　　CHAPTERXX
　　Shewasindeed"lookingforward"tothatevening，butinacloudofapprehension；and，althoughshecouldneverhaveguessedit，thiswasthesimultaneousconditionofanotherperson——noneotherthantheguestforwhosepleasuresomuchcookingandscrubbingseemedtobenecessary。Moreover，Mr。ArthurRussell'spremonitionswerenoproductofmerecoincidence；neitherhadanymagicalsympathyproducedthem。Hisstateofmindwasrathertheresultofrougherundercurrentswhichhadallthetimebeenrunningbeneaththesurfaceofaromanticfriendship。
　　Nevershrewderthanwhensheanalyzedthegentlemen，Alicedidnotlibelhimwhenshesaidhewasoneofthosequietmenwhoareabitflirtatious，bywhichshemeantthathewasabit"susceptible，"thesamething——andhehadprovedhimselfsusceptibletoAliceuponhisfirstsightofher。"There!"hesaidtohimself。"Who'sthat？"Andinthecrowdofgirlsathiscousin'sdance，allstrangerstohim，shewastheonehewantedtoknow。
　　Sincethen，hissummereveningswithherhadbeenassecludedasif，forthreehoursafterthefallingofdusk，theytwohaddrawnapartfromtheworldtosomedearboweroftheirown。Thelittleverandawasthatglamorousnook，withafaintgoldenlightfallingthroughtheglassofthecloseddooruponAlice，anddarknesselsewhere，exceptfortheoneroundglobeofthestreetlampatthecorner。Thepeoplewhopassedalongthesidewalk，nowandthen，wereonlyshadowswithvoices，movingvaguelyunderthemapletreesthatloomedinobscurecontoursagainstthestars。So，asthetwosattogether，thebackoftheworldwasthewallandcloseddoorbehindthem；andRussell，whenhewasawayfromAlice，alwaysthoughtofherassittingtherebeforethecloseddoor。Aglamourwasaboutherthus，andaspelluponhim；buthehadaformlessanxietyneverputintowords:allthepicturesofherinhismindstoppedatthecloseddoor。
　　Hehadanotheranxiety；and，forthegreaterpart，thiswasofherowncreating。Shehadtoooftenaskedhimnomatterhowgailywhatheheardabouther，toooftenbeggedhimnottohearanything。Then，hopingtoforestallwhateverhemighthear，shehadbeenattoogreatpainstoaccountforit，todiscreditandmockit；and，thoughhelaughedatherforthis，tellinghertruthfullyhedidnotevenhearhermentioned，theeverlastingironythatdealswithallsuchhumanforefendingsprevailed。
　　Lately，hehadhalfconfessedtoherwhatanervousnessshehadproduced。"YoumakemedreadthedaywhenI'llhearsomebodyspeakingofyou。You'regettingmesoupsetaboutitthatifI
　　everhearanybodysomuchassaythename'AliceAdams，'I'llrun!"Theconfessionwasbuthalfofonebecausehelaughed；andshetookitforanassuranceofloyaltyintheformofburlesque。
　　Shemisunderstood:helaughed，buthisnervousnesswasgenuine。
　　Afteranystrokeofevents，whetherahappyoneoracatastrophe，weseethatthematerialsforitwerealongtimegathering，andtheonlymarvelisthatthestrokewasnotprophesied。Whatboretheairoffatalcoincidencemayremainfatalindeed，tothislaterview；but，withthehaphazardaspectdispelled，thereisleftforscrutinythesameancienthintfromtheInfinitetotheeffectthatsinceeventshaveneveryetfailedtobelaw-abiding，perhapsitwerewellforustodeducethattheywillcontinuetobesountilfurthernotice……OnthedaythatwastoopenthecloseddoorinthebackgroundofhispicturesofAlice，Russelllunchedwithhisrelatives。Therewerebutthefourpeople，RussellandMildredandhermotherandfather，inthegreat，cooldining-room。
　　ArchedFrenchwindows，shadedbyawnings，admittedamellowlightandlookedoutuponagreenlawnendinginalongconservatory，whichrevealedthroughitsglasspanesacarnivalofplantsinluxuriantblossom。Fromhisseatatthetable，Russellglancedoutatthisprettydisplay，andinformedhiscousinsthathewassurprised。"Youhavesuchagloriousspreadofflowersalloverthehouse，"hesaid，"Ididn'tsupposeyou'dhaveanyleftoutyonder。Infact，Ididn'tknowthereweresomanysplendidflowersintheworld。"
　　Mrs。Palmer，large，calm，fair，likeherdaughter，respondedwithamildreproach:"That'sbecauseyouhaven'tbeencousinlyenoughtogetusedtothem，Arthur。You'vealmosttaughtustoforgetwhatyoulooklike。"
　　IndefenseRussellwavedahandtowardherhusband。"Yousee，he'sbeguntokeepmesohardatwork——"
　　ButMr。Palmerdeclinedtheresponsibility。"Uptofourorfiveintheafternoon，perhaps，"hesaid。"Afterthat，theyounggentlemanisasmuchastrangertomeasheistomyfamily。
　　I'vebeenwonderingwhoshecouldbe。"
　　"Whenaman'spreoccupiedtheremustbealadythen？"Russellinquired。
　　"Thatseemstobetheviewofyoursex，"Mrs；Palmersuggested。
　　"Itwasmyhusbandwhosaidit，notMildredorI。"
　　Mildredsmiledfaintly。"Papamaybesingularinhisideas；theymaycomeentirelyfromhisownexperience，andhavenothingtodowithArthur。"
　　"Thankyou，Mildred，"hercousinsaid，bowingtohergratefully。
　　"Youseemtounderstandmycharacter——andyourfather'squiteaswell!"
　　However，Mildredremainedgraveinthefaceofthiscustomarypleasantry，notbecausetheoldjest，wornround，likewhatprecededit，rolledinanoldgroove，butbecauseofsomepreoccupationofherown。Herfaintsmilehaddisappeared，and，ashercousin'sglancemethers，shelookeddown；yetnotbeforehehadseeninhereyestheflickerofsomethinglikeaquestion——aquestionbothpoignantanddismayed。Hemayhaveunderstoodit；forhisownsmilevanishedatonceinfavourofareciprocalsolemnity。
　　"Yousee，Arthur，"Mrs。Palmersaid，"Mildredisalwaysagoodcousin。SheandIstandbyyou，evenifyoudostayawayfromusforweeksandweeks。"Then，observingthatheappearedtobesooccupiedwithabunchoficedgrapesuponhisplatethathehadnotheardher，shebegantotalktoherhusband，askinghimwhatwas"goingondown-town。"
　　Arthurcontinuedtoeathisgrapes，butheventuredtolookagainatMildredafterafewmoments。She，also，appearedtobeoccupiedwithabunchofgrapesthoughsheatenone，andonlypulledthemfromtheirstems。Shesatstraight，herfeaturesascomposedandpureasthoseofanewmarblesaintinacathedralniche；yetherdowncasteyesseemedtoconcealmanythoughts；andhercousin，againsthiswill，wasmoreawareofwhatthesethoughtsmightbethanoftheleisurelyconversationbetweenherfatherandmother。Allatonce，however，heheardsomethingthatstartledhim，andhelistened——andherewastheeffectofallAlice'sforefendings；helistenedfromthefirstwithasinkingheart。
　　Mr。Palmer，mildlyamusedbywhathewastellinghiswife，hadjustspokenthewords，"thisVirgilAdams。"Whathehadsaidwas，"thisVirgilAdams——that'stheman'sname。Queercase。"
　　"Whotoldyou？"Mrs。Palmerinquired，notmuchinterested。
　　"AlfredLamb，"herhusbandanswered。"Hewaslaughingabouthisfather，attheclub。Youseetheoldgentlemantakesagreatprideinhisjudgmentofmen，andalwaysboastedtohissonsthathe'dneverinhislifemadeamistakeintrustingthewrongman。
　　NowAlfredandJamesAlbert，Junior，thinktheyhaveagreatjokeonhim；andthey'vetwittedhimsomuchaboutithe'llscarcelyspeaktothem。Fromthefirst，Alfredsays，theoldchap'sonlyreparteewas，'Youwaitandyou'llsee!'Andthey'veaskedhimsooftentoshowthemwhatthey'regoingtoseethathewon'tsayanythingatall!"
　　"He'safunnyoldfellow，"Mrs。Palmerobserved。"Buthe'ssoshrewdIcan'timaginehisbeingdeceivedforsuchalongtime。
　　Twentyyears，yousaid？"
　　"Yes，longerthanthat，Iunderstand。Itappearswhenthisman——thisAdams——wasayoungclerk，theoldgentlemantrustedhimwithoneofhisbusinesssecrets，aglueprocessthatMr。Lambhadspentsomemoneytogetholdof。TheoldchapthoughtthisAdamswasgoingtohavequiteafuturewiththeLambconcern，andofcourseneverdreamedhewasdishonest。AlfredsaysthisAdamshasn'tbeenofanyrealuseforyears，andtheyshouldhavelethimgoasdeadwood，buttheoldgentlemanwouldn'thearofit，andinsistedonhisbeingkeptonthepayroll；sotheyjustdecidedtolookonitasasortofpension。Well，onemorninglastMarchthemanhadanattackofsomesortdownthere，andMr。
　　Lambgothisowncaroutandwenthomewithhim，himself，andworriedabouthimandwenttoseehimnoend，allthetimehewasill。"
　　"Hewould，"Mrs。Palmersaid，approvingly。"He'sakind-heartedcreature，thatoldman。"
　　Herhusbandlaughed。"Alfredsayshethinkshiskind-heartednessisaboutcured!Itseemsthatassoonasthemangotwellagainhedeliberatelywalkedoffwiththeoldgentleman'sgluesecret。
　　Justcalmlystoleit!Alfredsayshebelievesthatifhehadastrokeintheofficenow，himself，hisfatherwouldn'tliftafingertohelphim!"
　　Mrs。Palmerrepeatedthenametoherselfthoughtfully。
　　"'Adams'——'VirgilAdams。'YousaidhisnamewasVirgilAdams？"
　　"Yes。"
　　Shelookedatherdaughter。"Why，youknowwhothatis，Mildred，"shesaid，casually。"It'sthatAliceAdams'sfather，isn'tit？Wasn'thisnameVirgilAdams？"
　　"Ithinkitis，"Mildredsaid。
　　Mrs。Palmerturnedtowardherhusband。"You'veseenthisAliceAdamshere。Mr。Lamb'spetswindlermustbeherfather。"
　　Mr。Palmerpassedasmoothhandoverhisneatgrayhair，whichwasnotdisturbedbythisefforttostimulaterecollection。"Oh，yes，"hesaid。"Ofcourse——certainly。Quiteagood-lookinggirl——oneofMildred'sfriends。Howqueer!"
　　Mildredlookedup，asifinalittlealarm，butdidnotspeak。
　　Hermothersetmattersstraight。"FathersAREamusing，"shesaidsmilinglytoRussell，whowaslookingather，thoughhowfixedlyshedidnotnotice；forsheturnedfromhimatoncetoenlightenherhusband。"EverygirlwhomeetsMildred，andtriestopushtheacquaintancebycominghereuntilthepoorchildhastohide，isn'taFRIENDofhers，mydear!"
　　Mildred'seyesweredowncastagain，andafaintcolourroseinhercheeks。"Oh，Ishouldn'tputitquitethatwayaboutAliceAdams，"shesaid，inalowvoice。"Isawsomethingofherforatime。She'snotunattractiveinaway。"
　　Mrs。PalmersettledthewholecaseofAlicecarelessly。"A
　　pushingsortofgirl，"shesaid。"Averypushinglittleperson。"
　　"I——"Mildredbegan；and，afterhesitating，concluded，"I
　　ratherdroppedher。"
　　"Fortunateyou'vedoneso，"herfatherremarked，cheerfully。
　　"EspeciallysincevariousmembersoftheLambconnectionareherefrequently。Theymightn'tthinkyou'dshowgreattactinhavingherabouttheplace。"Helaughed，andturnedtohiscousin。
　　"Allthisisn'tveryinterestingtopoorArthur。Howterriblepeoplearewithanewcomerinatown；theytalkasifheknewallabouteverybody!"
　　"Butwedon'tknowanythingaboutthesequeerpeople，ourselves，"
　　saidMrs。Palmer。"Weknowsomethingaboutthegirl，ofcourse——sheusedtobeabittooconspicuous，infact!However，asyousay，wemightfindasubjectmoreinterestingforArthur。"
　　Shesmiledwhimsicallyupontheyoungman。"Tellthetruth，"shesaid。"Don'tyoufairlydetestgoingintobusinesswiththattyrantyonder？"
　　"What？Yes——Ibegyourpardon!"hestammered。
　　"Youwereright，"Mrs。Palmersaidtoherhusband。"You'veboredhimso，talkingaboutthievishclerks，hecan'tevenansweranhonestquestion。"
　　ButRussellwasbeginningtorecoverhisoutwardcomposure。"Trymeagain，"hesaid。"I'mafraidIwasthinkingofsomethingelse。"
　　Thiswasthebesthefoundtosay。Therewasapartofhimthatwantedtoprotestanddeny，buthehadnotheatenough，inthechillthathadcomeuponhim。Herewasthefirst"mention"ofAlice，andwithitthereasonwhyitwasthefirst:Mr。Palmerhaddifficultyinrecallingher，andshehappenedtobespokenof，onlybecauseherfather'sbetrayalofabenefactor'strusthadbeensopeculiarlyatrociousthat，intheviewofthebenefactor'sfamily，itcontainedenoughoftheelementofhumourtowarrantamildlaughataclub。Therewasthedeadlinessofthestory:itslackofmalice，evenofresentment。DeadlierstillwereMrs。Palmer'sphrases:"apushingsortofgirl，""averypushinglittleperson，"and"usedtobeabitTOO
　　conspicuous，infact。"Butshespokeplacidlyandbychance；
　　beingasobviouslywithoutunkindlymotiveasMr。PalmerwaswhenherelatedthecauseofAlfredLamb'samusement。Heropinionoftheobscureyoungladymomentarilyhertopichadbeenexpressed，moreover，toherhusband，andatherowntable。Shesatthere，large，kind，serene——aprotestmightastonishbutcouldnotchangeher；andRussell，crumplinginhisstrainedfingersthelace-edgedlittlewebofanapkinonhisknee，foundheartenoughtogrowred，butnotenoughtochallengeher。
　　Shenoticedhiscolour，andattributedittotheembarrassmentofascrupulouslygallantgentlemancaughtinalapseofattentiontoalady。"Don'tbedisturbed，"shesaid，benevolently。
　　"Peoplearen'texpectedtolistenallthetimetotheirrelatives。Ahighcolour'sverybecomingtoyou，Arthur；butitreallyisn'tnecessarybetweencousins。Youcanalwaysbeinformalenoughwithustolistenonlywhenyoucareto。"
　　Hiscomplexioncontinuedtoberuddierthanusual，however，throughoutthemeal，andwasstillsomewhattintedwhenMrs。
　　Palmerrose。"Theman'sbringingyoucigaretteshere，"shesaid，noddingtothetwogentlemen。"We'llgiveyouachancetodothesordidkindoftalkingweknowyoureallylike。Afterwhile，Mildredwillshowyouwhat'sinbloominthehothouse，ifyouwish，Arthur。"
　　Mildredfollowedher，and，whentheywerealoneinanotherofthespaciousrooms，wenttoawindowandlookedout，whilehermotherseatedherselfnearthecenteroftheroominagiltarmchair，mellowedwitholdAubussontapestry。Mrs。Palmerlookedthoughtfullyatherdaughter'sback，butdidnotspeaktoheruntilcoffeehadbeenbroughtforthem。
　　"Thanks，"Mildredsaid，notturning，"Idon'tcareforanycoffee，Ibelieve。"
　　"No？"Mrs。Palmersaid，gently。"I'mafraidourgood-lookingcousinwon'tthinkyou'reverytalkative，Mildred。Youspokeonlyabouttwiceatlunch。Ishouldn'tcareforhimtogettheideayou'repiquedbecausehe'scomeheresolittlelately，shouldyou？"
　　"No，Ishouldn't，"Mildredansweredinalowvoice，andwiththatsheturnedquickly，andcametositnearhermother。"Butit'swhatIamafraidof!Mama，didyounoticehowredhegot？"
　　"Youmeanwhenhewascaughtnotlisteningtoaquestionofmine？
　　Yes；it'sverybecomingtohim。"
　　"Mama，Idon'tthinkthatwasthereason。Idon'tthinkitwasbecausehewasn'tlistening，Imean。"
　　"No？"
　　"Ithinkhiscolourandhisnotlisteningcamefromthesamereason，"Mildredsaid，andalthoughshehadcometositnearhermother，shedidnotlookather。"Ithinkithappenedbecauseyouandpapa——"Shestopped。
　　"Yes？"Mrs。Palmersaid，good-naturedly，toprompther。"YourfatherandIdidsomethingembarrassing？"
　　"Mama，itwasbecauseofthosethingsthatcameoutaboutAliceAdams。"
　　"HowcouldthatbotherArthur？Doesheknowher？"
　　"Don'tyouremember？"thedaughterasked。"ThedayaftermydanceImentionedhowoddIthoughtitwasinhim——Iwasalittledisappointedinhim。I'dbeenseeingthathemeteverybody，ofcourse，butshewastheonlygirlHEaskedtomeet；andhediditassoonashenoticedher。Ihadn'tmeanttohavehimmeether——infact，IwasrathersorryI'dfeltIhadtoaskher，becausesheoh，well，she'sthesortthat'triesforthenewman，'ifshehashalfachance；andsometimestheyseemquitefascinated——foratime，thatis。IthoughtArthurwasaboveallthat；orattheveryleastIgavehimcreditforbeingtoosophisticated。"
　　"Isee，"Mrs。Palmersaid，thoughtfully。"Iremembernowthatyouspokeofit。Yousaiditseemedalittlepeculiar，butofcourseitreallywasn't:a'newman'hasnothingtogoby，excepthisownfirstimpressions。Youcan'tblamepoorArthur——she'squiteapiquantlookinglittleperson。Youthinkhe'sseensomethingofhersincethen？"
　　Mildrednoddedslowly。"Ineverdreamedsuchathingtillyesterday，andeventhenIratherdoubtedit——tillhegotsored，justnow!Iwassurprisedwhenheaskedtomeether，buthejustdancedwithheronceanddidn'tmentionherafterward；Iforgotallaboutit——infact，IvirtuallyforgotallaboutHER。I'dseenquitealittleofher——"
　　"Yes，"saidMrs。Palmer。"Shedidkeepcominghere!"
　　"ButI'djustaboutdecidedthatitreallywouldn'tdo，"Mildredwenton。"Sheisn't——well，Ididn'tadmireher。"
　　"No，"hermotherassented，andevidentlyfollowedadirectconnectionofthoughtinaspeechapparentlyirrelevant。"I
　　understandtheyoungMalonewantstomarryHenrietta。Ihopeshewon't；heseemsratheragrosstypeofperson。"
　　"Oh，he'sjustone，"Mildredsaid。"Idon'tknowthatheandAliceAdamswereeverengaged——shenevertoldmeso。Shemaynothavebeenengagedtoanyofthem；shewasjustenoughamongtheothergirlstogettalkedabout——andoneofthereasonsIfeltalittleinclinedtobenicetoherwasthattheyseemedtoberatheredgingheroutofthecircle。Itwasn'tlongbeforeIsawtheywereright，though。IhappenedtomentionIwasgoingtogiveadanceandshepretendedtotakeitasamatterofcoursethatImeanttoinviteherbrother——atleast，Ithoughtshepretended；shemayhavereallybelievedit。Atanyrate，Ihadtosendhimacard；butIdidn'tintendtobeletinforthatsortofthingagain，ofcourse。She'swhatyousaid，'pushing'；
　　thoughI'mawfullysorryyousaidit。"
　　"Whyshouldn'tIhavesaidit，mydear？"
　　"OfcourseIdidn'tsay'shouldn't。'"Mildredexplained，gravely。"ImeantonlythatI'msorryithappened。"
　　"Yes；butwhy？"
　　"Mama"——Mildredturnedtoher，leaningforwardandspeakinginaloweredvoice——"Mama，atfirstthechangewassolittleitseemedasifArthurhardlyknewithimself。He'dbeenlovelytomealways，andhewasstilllovelytomebut——oh，well，you'veunderstood——aftermydanceitwasmoreasifitwasjusthisnatureandhistrainingtobelovelytome，ashewouldbetoeveryoneakindofpoliteness。He'dneversaidheCAREDforme，butafterthatIcouldseehedidn't。Itwasclear——afterthat。
　　Ididn'tknowwhathadhappened；Icouldn'tthinkofanythingI'ddone。Mama——itwasAliceAdams。"
　　Mrs。Palmersetherlittlecoffee-cupuponthetablebesideher，calmlyfollowingherownmotionwithhereyes，andnotseemingtorealizewithwhatseriousentreatyherdaughter'sgazewasfixeduponher。Mildredrepeatedthelastsentenceofherrevelation，andintroducedastressofinsistence。
　　"Mama，itWASAliceAdams!"
　　ButMrs。Palmerdeclinedtobegreatlyimpressed，sofarasherappearancewent，atleast；andtoemphasizeherrefusal，shesmiledindulgently。"Whatmakesyouthinkso？"
　　"Henriettatoldmeyesterday。"
　　AtthisMrs。Palmerpermittedherselftolaughsoftlyaloud。
　　"Goodheavens!IsHenriettaasoothsayer？OrissheArthur'sparticularconfidante？"
　　"No。EllaDowlingtoldher。"
　　Mrs。Palmer'slaughtercontinued。"Nowwehaveit!"sheexclaimed。"It'sagameofgossip:ArthurtellsElla，EllatellsHenrietta，andHenriettatells——"
　　"Don'tlaugh，please，mama，"Mildredbegged。"OfcourseArthurdidn'ttellanybody。It'sroundaboutenough，butit'strue。I
　　knowit!Ihadn'tquitebelievedit，butIknewitwastruewhenhegotsored。Helooked——oh，forasecondorsohelooked——stricken!HethoughtIdidn'tnoticeit。Mama，he'sbeentoseeheralmosteveryeveninglately。Theytakelongwalkstogether。That'swhyhehasn'tbeenhere。"
　　OfMrs。Palmer'slaughtertherewasleftonlyherindulgentsmile，whichshehadnotallowedtovanish。"Well，whatofit？"
　　shesaid。
　　"Mama!"
　　"Yes，"saidMrs。Palmer。"Whatofit？"
　　"Butdon'tyousee？"Mildred'swell-tutoredvoice，thoughmodulatedandrepressedeveninherpresentemotion，neverthelesshadatendencytoquaver。"It'strue。FrankDowlingwasgoingtoseeheroneeveningandhesawArthursittingonthestoopwithher，anddidn'tgoin。AndEllausedtogotoschoolwithagirlwholivesacrossthestreetfromhere。ShetoldElla——"
　　"Oh，Iunderstand，"Mrs。Palmerinterrupted。"Supposehedoesgothere。Mydear，Isaid，'Whatofit？'"
　　"Idon'tseewhatyoumean，mama。I'msoafraidhemightthinkweknewaboutit，andthatyouandpapasaidthosethingsaboutherandherfatheronthataccount——asifweabusedthembecausehegoesthereinsteadofcominghere。"
　　"Nonsense!"Mrs。Palmerrose，wenttoawindow，and，turningthere，stoodwithherbacktoit，facingherdaughterandlookingathercheerfully。"Nonsense，mydear!Itwasperfectlyclearthatshewasmentionedbyaccident，andsowasherfather。Whatanextraordinaryman!IfArthurmakesfriendswithpeoplelikethat，hecertainlyknowsbetterthantoexpecttohearfavourableopinionsofthem。Besides，it'sonlyalittlepassingthingwithhim。"
　　"Mama!Whenhegoestherealmostevery——"
　　"Yes，"Mrs。Palmersaid，dryly。"ItseemstomeI'veheardsomewherethatotheryoungmenhavegonethere'almostevery!'
　　Shedoesn'tlast，apparently。Arthur'sgallant，andhe'simpressionable——buthe'sfastidious，andfastidiousnessisalwaysthecheckonimpressionableness。Agirlbelongstoherfamily，too——andthisonedoesespecially，itstrikesme!
　　Arthur'sverysensible；heseesmorethanyou'dthink。"
　　Mildredlookedatherhopefully。"Thenyoudon'tbelievehe'slikelytoimaginewesaidthosethingsofherinanymeaningway？"
　　Atthis，Mrs。Palmerlaughedagain。"There'sonethingyouseemnottohavenoticed，Mildred。"
　　"What'sthat？"
　　"Itseemstohaveescapedyourattentionthatheneversaidaword。"
　　"Mightn'tthatmean——？"Mildredbegan，butshestopped。
　　"No，itmightn't，"hermotherreplied，comprehendingeasily。"Onthecontrary，itmightmeanthatinsteadofhisfeelingittoodeeplytospeak，hewasgettingalittleillumination。"
　　Mildredroseandcametoher。"WHYdoyousupposehenevertoldushewentthere？Doyouthinkhe's——doyouthinkhe'spleasedwithher，andyetashamedofit？WHYdoyousupposehe'sneverspokenofit？"
　　"Ah，that，"Mrs。Palmersaid，——"thatmightpossiblybeherowndoing。Ifitis，she'swellpaidbywhatyourfatherandIsaid，becausewewouldn'thavesaiditifwe'dknownthatArthur——"
　　Shecheckedherselfquickly。Lookingoverherdaughter'sshoulder，shesawthetwogentlemencomingfromthecorridortowardthewidedoorwayoftheroom；andshegreetedthemcheerfully。"Ifyou'vefinishedwitheachotherforawhile，"
　　sheadded，"Arthurmayfinditarelieftoputhisthoughtsonsomethingprettierthanatrustcompany——andmorefragrant。"
　　ArthurcametoMildred。
　　"Yourmothersaidatlunchthatperhapsyou'd——"
　　"Ididn'tsay'perhaps，'Arthur，"Mrs。Palmerinterrupted，tocorrecthim。"Isaidshewould。Ifyoucaretoseeandsmellthoselovelythingsoutyonder，she'llshowthemtoyou。Runalong，children!"
　　Halfanhourlater，glancingfromawindow，shesawthemcomefromthehothousesandslowlycrossthelawn。Arthurhadafineroseinhisbuttonholeandlookedprofoundlythoughtful。
　　CHAPTERXXI
　　Thatmorningandnoonhadbeenwarm，thoughthestirringsofafeeblebreezemadeweathernotflagrantlyintemperate；butataboutthreeo'clockintheafternoontherecameoutofthesouthwestaheatlikeanafflictionsentuponanaccursedpeople，andtheairwassoondeadofit。Drippingnegroditch-diggerswhoopedwithsatirespraisinghellandhotweather，asthetossingshovelsflickereduptothestreetlevel，wheresluggishmalepedestrianscarriedcoatsuponhotarms，andfannedthemselveswithstrawhats，or，remainingcovered，woresoakedhandkerchiefsbetweenscalpandstraw。Clerksdroopedinsilent，bigdepartmentstores，stenographersinofficeskeptasclosetoelectricfansastheinterveningbulkoftheiremployerswouldletthem；guestsinhotelsleftthelobbiesandwenttolieuncladupontheirbeds；whileinhospitalsthepatientsmurmuredquerulouslyagainsttheheat，andperhapsagainstsomenoisymotoristwhostrovetofeeltheairbysplittingit，nottroubledbyanyfore-bodingthathe，too，thathournextweek，mightneedquietnearahospital。The"hotspell"wasatruespell，oneuponmen'sspirits；foritwassohotthat，insuburbanoutskirts，golferscreptslowlybackoverthelowundulationsoftheirclublands，abandoningtheirmatchesandreturningtoshelter。
　　Evenonsuchaday，sizzlingworkhadtobedone，asinwinter。
　　Therewereglowingfurnacestobestoked，liquidmetalstobepoured；butsuchtasksfoundseasonedmenstandingtothem；andinallthecityprobablynobravesoulchallengedtheheatmoregamelythanMrs。Adamsdid，when，inacornerofhersmallandfierykitchen，wherealldaylongherhiredAfricanimmunecookedfiercely，shepressedherhusband'seveningclotheswithahotiron。Nodoubtsheriskedherlife，butsheriskeditcheerfullyinsogoodandnecessaryaserviceforhim。Shewouldhavegivenherlifeforhimatanytime，andbothhisandherownforherchildren。
　　Unconsciousofherownheroism，shewassurprisedtofindherselfratherfaintwhenshefinishedherironing。However，shetookhearttobelievethattheclotheslookedbetter，inspiteofoneortwoscorchedplaces；andshecarriedthemupstairstoherhusband'sroombeforeincreasingblindnessforcedhertogropeforthenearestchair。Then，tryingtoriseandwalk，withouthavingsufficientlyrecovered，shehadtositdownagain；butafteralittlewhileshewasabletogetuponherfeet；and，keepingherhandagainstthewall，movedsuccessfullytothedoorofherownroom。Hereshewavered；mighthavegonedown，hadshenotbeenstimulatedbythethoughtofhowmuchdependeduponher；——shemadeafinalgreateffort，andflounderedacrosstheroomtoherbureau，whereshekeptsomesimplerestoratives。
　　Theyservedherneed，orherfaithinthemdid；andshereturnedtoherwork。
　　Shewentdownthestairs，keepingastilltremuloushandupontherail；butshesmiledbrightlywhenAlicelookedupfrombelow，wherethewoodworkwasagainbeingtormentedwithsuperfluousattentions。
　　"Alice，DON'T!"hermothersaid，commiseratingly。"Youdidallthatthismorninganditlookslovely。What'stheuseofwearingyourselfoutonit？Yououghttobelyingdown，so'stolookfreshforto-night。"
　　"Hadn'tyoubetterliedownyourself？"thedaughterreturned。
　　"Areyouill，mama？"
　　"Certainlynot。Whatintheworldmakesyouthinkso？"
　　"Youlookprettypale，"Alicesaid，andsighedheavily。"Itmakesmeashamed，havingyouworksohard——forme。"
　　"Howfoolish!Ithinkit'sfun，gettingreadytoentertainalittleagain，likethis。Ionlywishithadn'tturnedsohot:
　　I'mafraidyourpoorfather'llsuffer——histhingsareprettyheavy，Inoticed。Well，it'lldohimgoodtobearsomethingforstyle'ssakethisonce，anyhow!"Shelaughed，andcomingtoAlice，bentdownandkissedher。"Dearie，"shesaid，tenderly，"wouldn'tyoupleaseslipupstairsnowandtakejustalittleteenynaptopleaseyourmother？"
　　ButAlicerespondedonlybymovingherheadslowly，intokenofrefusal。
　　"Do!"Mrs。Adamsurged。"Youdon'twanttolookwornout，doyou？"
　　"I'llLOOKallright，"Alicesaid，huskily。"DoyoulikethewayI'vearrangedthefurniturenow？I'vetriedallthedifferentwaysit'llgo。"
　　"It'slovely，"hermothersaid，admiringly。"Ithoughtthelastwayyouhaditwaspretty，too。Butyouknowbest；Ineverknewanybodywithsomuchtaste。Ifyou'donlyjustquitnow，andtakealittlerest——"
　　"There'dhardlybetime，evenifIwantedto；it'safterfivebutIcouldn't；really，Icouldn't。HowdoyouthinkwecanmanageaboutWalter——toseethathewearshiseveningthings，Imean？"
　　Mrs。Adamspondered。"I'mafraidhe'llmakealotofobjections，onaccountoftheweatherandeverything。Iwishwe'dhadachancetotellhimlastnightorthismorning。I'dhavetelephonedtohimthisafternoonexcept——well，Iscarcelyliketocallhimupatthatplace，sinceyourfather——"
　　"No，ofcoursenot，mama。"
　　"IfWaltergetshomelate，"Mrs。Adamswenton，"I'lljustslipoutandspeaktohim，incaseMr。Russell'sherebeforehecomes。I'lljusttellhimhe'sgottohurryandgethisthingson。"
　　"Maybehewon'tcomehometodinner，"Alicesuggested，ratherhopefully。"Sometimeshedoesn't。"
　　"No；Ithinkhe'llbehere。Whenhedoesn'tcomeheusuallytelephonesbythistimetosaynottowaitforhim；he'sverythoughtfulaboutthat。Well，itreallyisgettinglate:Imustgoandtellhersheoughttobepreparingherfillet。Dearie，DO
　　restalittle。"
　　"You'dmuchbetterdothatyourself，"Alicecalledafterher，butMrs。Adamsshookherheadcheerily，notpausingonherwaytothefierykitchen。
　　Alicecontinuedheruselesslaboursforatime；thencarriedherbuckettotheheadofthecellarstairway，wheresheleftituponthetopstep；and，closingthedoor，returnedtothe"living-room；"Againshechangedthepositionsoftheoldplushrocking-chairs，movingthemintothecornerswhereshethoughttheymightbeleastnoticeable；andwhilethusengagedshewasstartledbyaloudringingofthedoor-bell。Foramomentherfacewaspanic-stricken，andshestoodstaring，thensherealizedthatRussellwouldnotarriveforanotherhour，attheearliest，andrecoveringherequipoise，wenttothedoor。
　　Waitingthere，inalanguidattitude，wasayoungcolouredwoman，withasmallbundleunderherarmandsomethingmalleableinhermouth。"Listen，"shesaid。"Youfolksexpectin'acolouredlady？"
　　"No，"saidAlice。"Especiallynotatthefrontdoor。"
　　"Listen，"thecolouredwomansaidagain。"Listen。Say，listen。
　　Ain'ttheyanothercolouredladyawreadyherebytheday？
　　Listen。Ain'tMizMalenaBurnsherebythedaythisevenin'？
　　Say，listen。ThisthenumberhouseshegiveME。"
　　"Areyouthewaitress？"Aliceasked，dismally。
　　"Yes'm，ifMalenahere。"
　　"Malenaishere，"Alicesaid，andhesitated；butshedecidednottosendthewaitresstothebackdoor；itmightbearisk。Sheletherin。"What'syourname？"
　　"Me？I'mname'Gertrude。MissGertrudeCollamus。"
　　"Didyoubringacapandapron？"
　　Gertrudetookthelittlebundlefromunderherarm。"Yes'm。I'mallfix'。"
　　"I'vealreadysetthetable，"Alicesaid。"I'llshowyouwhatwewantdone。"
　　Sheledthewaytothedining-room，and，afterofferingsomeinstructionthere，receivedbyGertrudewithlanguorandaslowlymovingjaw，shetookherintothekitchen，wherethecapandapronwereputon。Theeffectwasnotfortunate；Gertrude'seyeswerenoticeablybloodshot，anafflictionmademoreapparentbythewhitecap；andAlicedrewhermotherapart，whisperinganxiously，"Doyousupposeit'stoolatetogetsomeoneelse？"
　　"I'mafraiditis，"Mrs。Adamssaid。"MalenasaysitwashardenoughtogetHER!Youhavetopaythemsomuchthattheyonlyworkwhentheyfeellikeit。"
　　"Mama，couldyouaskhertowearhercapstraighter？Everytimeshemovesherheadshegetsitononeside，andherskirt'stoolongbehindandtooshortinfront——andoh，I'veNEVERseensuchFEET!"Alicelaugheddesolately。"AndsheMUSTquitthatterriblechewing!"
　　"Nevermind；I'llgettoworkwithher。I'llstraightenheroutallIcan，dearie；don'tworry。"Mrs。Adamspattedherdaughter'sshoulderencouragingly。"NowYOUcan'tdoanotherthing，andifyoudon'trunandbegindressingyouwon'tbeready。It'llonlytakemeaminutetodress，myself，andI'llbedownlongbeforeyouwill。Run，darling!I'lllookaftereverything。"
　　Alicenoddedvaguely，wentuptoherroom，and，afteronlyamomentwithhermirror，broughtfromherclosetthedressofwhiteorgandieshehadwornthenightwhenshemetRussellforthefirsttime。Shelaiditcarefullyuponherbed，andbegantomakereadytoputiton。Hermothercamein，halfanhourlater，to"fasten"her。
　　"I'Malldressed，"Mrs。Adamssaid，briskly。"Ofcourseitdoesn'tmatter。Hewon'tknowwhattherestofusevenlooklike:Howcouldhe？IknowI'manoldSIGHT，butallIwantistolookrespectable。DoI？"
　　"Youlooklikethebestwomanintheworld；that'sall!"Alicesaid，withalittlegulp。
　　Hermotherlaughedandgaveherafinalscrutiny。"Youmightusejustatinybitmorecolour，dearie——I'mafraidtheexcitement'smadeyoualittlepale。AndyouMUSTbrightenup!There'ssortofalookinyoureyesasifyou'dgotinatranceandcouldn'tgetout。You'vehaditallday。Imustrun:yourfatherwantsmetohelphimwithhisstuds。Walterhasn'tcomeyet，butI'lllookafterhim；don'tworry，AndyoubetterHURRY，dearie，ifyou'regoingtotakeanytimefixingtheflowersonthetable。"
　　Shedeparted，whileAlicesatatthemirroragain，tofollowheradviceconcerninga"tinybitmorecolour。"Beforeshehadfinished，herfatherknockedatthedoor，and，whensheresponded，camein。Hewasdressedintheclotheshiswifehadpressed；buthehadlostsubstantiallyinweightsincetheyweremadeforhim；noonewouldhavethoughtthattheyhadbeenpressed。Theyhungfromhimvoluminously，seemingtobetheclothesofalargerman。
　　"Yourmother'sgonedownstairs，"hesaid，inavoiceofdistress。
　　"OneofthebuttonholesinmyshirtistoolargeandIcan'tkeepthedangthingfastened。_I_don'tknowwhattodoaboutit!I
　　onlygotoneotherwhiteshirt，andit'skindofruined:ItrieditbeforeIdidthisone。Doyous'poseyoucoulddoanything？"
　　"I'llsee，"shesaid。
　　"Mycollar'sgotafrayededge，"hecomplained，assheexaminedhistroublesomeshirt。"It'sagooddeallikewearingasaw；butIexpectit'llwiltdownflatprettysoon，andnotbothermelong。I'mliabletowiltdownflat，myself，Iexpect；Idon'tknowasIrememberanysuchhotnightinthelasttenortwelveyears。"Heliftedhisheadandsniffedtheflaccidair，whichwasladenwithaheavyodour。"My，butthatsmellisprettystrong!"hesaid。
　　"Standstill，please，papa，"Alicebeggedhim。"Ican'tseewhat'sthematterifyoumovearound。Howabsurdyouareaboutyouroldgluesmell，papa!Thereisn'tavestigeofit，ofcourse。"
　　"Ididn'tmeanglue，"heinformedher。"Imeancabbage。Isthatfashionablenow，tohavecabbagewhenthere'scompanyfordinner？"
　　"Thatisn'tcabbage，papa。It'sBrusselssprouts。"
　　"Oh，isit？Idon'tminditmuch，becauseitkeepsthatgluesmelloffme，butit'sfairlystrong。Iexpectyoudon'tnoticeitsomuchbecauseyoubeeninthehousewithitallalong，andgotusedtoitwhileitwasgrowing。"
　　"Itisprettydreadful，"Alicesaid。"Areallthewindowsopendownstairs？"
　　"I'llgodownandsee，ifyou'lljustfixthatholeupforme。"
　　"I'mafraidIcan't，"shesaid。"Notunlessyoutakeyourshirtoffandbringittome。I'llhavetosewtheholesmaller。"
　　"Oh，well，I'llgoaskyourmotherto——"
　　"No，"saidAlice。"She'sgoteverythingonherhands。Runandtakeitoff。Hurry，papa；I'vegottoarrangetheflowersonthetablebeforehecomes。"
　　Hewentaway，andcamebackpresently，halfundressed，bringingtheshirt。"There'sONEcomfort，"heremarked，pensively，assheworked。"I'vegotthatcollaroff——forawhile，anyway。IwishIcouldgototablelikethis；Icouldstanditagooddealbetter。Doyouseemtobemakinganyheadwaywiththedangthing？"
　　"IthinkprobablyIcan——"
　　Downstairsthedoor-bellrang，andAlice'sarmsjerkedwiththeshock。
　　"Golly!"herfathersaid。"Didyoustickyourfingerwiththatfoolneedle？"
　　Shegavehimablankstare。"He'scome!"
　　Shewasnotmistaken，for，uponthelittleveranda，Russellstoodfacingthecloseddooratlast。However，itremainedclosedforaconsiderabletimeafterherang。Insidethehousethewarningsummonsofthebellwasimmediatelyfollowedbyanothersound，audibletoAliceandherfatherasacrashprecedingaseriesofmuffledfalls。Thencameadistantvoice，bitterincomplaint。
　　"Oh，Lord!"saidAdams。"What'sthat？"
　　Alicewenttothetopofthefrontstairs，andhermotherappearedinthehallbelow。