ThenheranguishwentbacktoWalteragain；andtohisneedsasafugitive——shehadmeanttorepairhisunderwear，buthadpostponeddoingso，andherneglectnowappearedtobeadetailaslamentableasthecalamityitself。Shecouldneitherbestilleduponit，norherselfexhaustitsurgingstoself-
　　reproach，thoughshefinallytookupanotherthemetemporarily。
　　Uponanunusuallyviolentoutbreakofherhusband's，indenunciationoftherunaway，shecriedoutfaintlythathewascruel；andfurtherweariedherbrokenvoicewithdetailsofWalter'sbeautyasababy，andofhisbedtimepietiesthroughouthisinfancy。
　　Sothehotnightworeon。ThreehadstruckbeforeMrs。Adamswasgottobed；andAlice，returningtoherownroom，couldhearherfather'sbarefeetthuddingbackandforthafterthat。"Poorpapa!"shewhisperedinhelplessimitationofhermother。"Poorpapa!Poormama!PoorWalter!Poorallofus!"
　　Shefellasleep，afteratime，whilefromacrossthehallthebarefeetstillthuddedovertheirchangelessroute；andshewokeatseven，hearingAdamspassherdoor，shod。Inherwrappersheranoutintothehallwayandfoundhimdescendingthestairs。
　　"Papa!"
　　"Hush，"hesaid，andlookedupatherwithreddenedeyes。"Don'twakeyourmother。"
　　"Iwon't，"shewhispered。"Howaboutyou？Youhaven'tsleptanyatall!"
　　"Yes，Idid。Igotsomesleep。I'mgoingovertotheworksnow。
　　Igottothrowsomefigurestogethertoshowthebank。Don'tworry:I'llgetthingsfixedup。Yougobacktobed。Good-bye。"
　　"Wait!"shebadehimsharply。
　　"Whatfor？"
　　"You'vegottohavesomebreakfast。"
　　"Don'twant'ny。"
　　"Youwait!"shesaid，imperiously，anddisappearedtoreturnalmostatonce。"Icancookinmybedroomslippers，"sheexplained，"butIdon'tbelieveIcouldinmybarefeet!"
　　Descendingsoftly，shemadehimwaitinthedining-roomuntilshebroughthimtoastandeggsandcoffee。"Eat!"shesaid。"AndI'mgoingtotelephoneforataxicabtotakeyou，ifyouthinkyou'vereallygottogo。"
　　"No，I'mgoingtowalk——IWANTtowalk。"
　　Sheshookherheadanxiously。"Youdon'tlookable。You'vewalkedallnight。"
　　"No，Ididn't，"hereturned。"ItellyouIgotsomesleep。I
　　gotallIwantedanyhow。"
　　"But，papa——"
　　"Here!"heinterrupted，lookingupathersuddenlyandsettingdownhiscupofcoffee。"Lookhere!WhataboutthisMr。
　　Russell？Iforgotallabouthim。Whatabouthim？"
　　Herliptrembledalittle，butshecontrolleditbeforeshespoke。"Well，whatabouthim，papa？"sheasked，calmlyenough。
　　"Well，wecouldhardly——"Adamspaused，frowningheavily。"Wecouldhardlyexpecthewouldn'thearsomethingaboutallthis。"
　　"Yes；ofcoursehe'llhearit，papa。"
　　"Well？"
　　"Well，what？"sheasked，gently。
　　"Youdon'tthinkhe'dbethe——thecheapkindit'dmakeadifferencewith，ofcourse。"
　　"Oh，no；heisn'tcheap。Itwon'tmakeanydifferencewithhim。"
　　Adamssufferedaprofoundsightoescapehim。"Well——I'mgladofthat，anyway。"
　　"Thedifference，"sheexplained——"thedifferencewasmadewithouthishearinganythingaboutWalter。Hedoesn'tknowaboutTHAT
　　yet。"
　　"Well，whatdoesheknowabout？"
　　"Only，"shesaid，"aboutme。"
　　"Whatyoumeanbythat，Alice？"heasked，helplessly。
　　"Nevermind，"shesaid。"It'snothingbesidetherealtroublewe'rein——I'lltellyousometime。Youeatyoureggsandtoast；
　　youcan'tkeepgoingonjustcoffee。"
　　"Ican'teatanyeggsandtoast，"heobjected，rising。"I
　　can't。"
　　"ThenwaittillIcanbringyousomethingelse。"
　　"No，"hesaid，irritably。"Iwon'tdoit!Idon'twantanydangfood!Andlookhere"——hespokesharplytostopher，asshewenttowardthetelephone——"Idon'twantanydangtaxi，either!Youlookafteryourmotherwhenshewakesup。IgottobeatWORK!"
　　Andthoughshefollowedhimtothefrontdoor，entreating，hecouldnotbestayedorhindered。Hewentthroughthequietmorningstreetsatarickety，rapidgait，swinginghisoldstrawhatinhishands，andwhisperingangrilytohimselfashewent。
　　Hisgrizzledhair，nottrimmedforamonth，blewbackfromhisdampforeheadinthewarmbreeze；hisreddenedeyesstaredhardatnothingfromunderblinkinglids；andonesideofhisfacetwitchedstartlinglyfromtimetotime；——childrenmighthaverunfromhim，ormockedhim。
　　Whenhehadcomeintothatfallenquarterhisindustryhadpartlyrevivedandwhollymadeodorous，anegrowoman，leaninguponherwhitewashedgate，gazedafterhimandchuckledforthebenefitofagossipingfriendinthenexttinyyard。"Oh，goodSatan!
　　Wha'ssamatterthatoleglueman？"
　　"Who？Him？"theneighbourinquired。"Whathedonow？"
　　"Talkin'tohisolese'f!"thefirstexplained，joyously。"Looklikegonedistracted——oleglueman!"
　　Adams'slegshadgrownmoreuncertainwithhishardwalk，andhestumbledheavilyashecrossedthebakedmudofhisbroadlot，butcaredlittleforthat，wasalmostunawareofit，infact。
　　Thushiseyessawaslittleashisbodyfelt，andsohefailedtoobservesomethingthatwouldhavegivenhimadditionallightuponanoldphrasethatalreadymeantquiteenoughforhim。
　　Thereareinthewideworldpeoplewhohaveneverlearneditsmeaning；butmostareeitheryoungorbeautifullyunobservantwhoremainwhollyunawareoftheinnerpoignanciesthewordsconvey:
　　"arainofmisfortunes。"Itisaboilingrain，seeminglywhimsicalinitschoiceofspotswhereontofall；and，sofarasmortaleyecantell，neitherthejustnortheunjustmayhopetoavoidit，orneedworrythemselvesbyexpectingit。IthadselectedtheAdamsfamilyforitsscaldings；noquestion。
　　Theglue-worksforeman，standinginthedoorwayofthebrickshed，observedhisemployer'seccentricapproach，anddoubtfullystrokedawhiskeredchin。
　　"Well，theyain'tnoputticularusegettin'soupsetoverit，"hesaid，asAdamscameup。"Whenathinghappens，why，ithappens，andthat'sallthereistoit。Whenathing'sso，why，it'sso。
　　Allyoucandoaboutitisthinkifthere'sanythingyouCANdo；
　　andthat'swhatyoubetterbedoin'withthiscase。"
　　Adamshalted，andseemedtogapeathim。"What——case？"hesaid，withdifficulty。"Wasitinthemorningpapers，too？"
　　"No，itain'tinnomorningpapers。Myland!Itdon'tneedtobeinnopapers；lookattheSIZEofit!"
　　"Thesizeofwhat？"
　　"Why，greatGod!"theforemanexclaimed。"Heain'tevenseenit。
　　Look!Lookyonder!"
　　Adamsstaredvaguelyattheman'soutstretchedhandandpointingforefinger，thenturnedandsawagreatsignuponthefacadeofthebigfactorybuildingacrossthestreet。Theletterswerelargeenoughtobereadtwoblocksaway。
　　"AFTERTHEFIFTEENTHOFNEXTMONTH
　　THISBUILDINGWILLBEOCCUPIEDBY
　　THEJ。A。LAMBLIQUIDGLUECO。INC。"
　　Agraytouring-carhadjustcometorestbeforetheprincipalentranceofthebuilding，andJ。A。Lambhimselfdescendedfromit。Heglancedovertowardthehumblerivalofhisprojectedgreatindustry，sawhisoldclerk，andimmediatelywalkedacrossthestreetandthelottospeaktohim。
　　"Well，Adams，"hesaid，inhishusky，cheerfulvoice，"how'syourglue-works？"
　　Adamsutteredaninarticulatesound，andliftedthehandthatheldhishatasiftomakeaprotectivegesture，butfailedtocarryitout；andhisarmsanklimpathisside。Theforeman，however，seemedtofeelthatsomethingoughttobesaid。
　　"Ourglue-works，hell!"heremarked。"Iguesswewon'tHAVEnoglue-worksoverherenotverylong，ifwegottocompetewiththesizedthingyougotoverthere!"
　　Lambchuckled。"Ikindofhadsomesuchnotion，"hesaid。"Yousee，Virgil，Icouldn'texactlyletyouwalkoffwithitlikeswalleringapato'butter，now，couldI？Itdidn'tlookexactlyreasonabletoexpectmetoletgolikethat，now，didit？"
　　Adamsfoundahalf-chokedvoicesomewhereinhisthroat。"Doyou——wouldyoustepintomyofficeaminute，Mr。Lamb？"
　　"Why，certainlyI'mwillingtohavealittletalkwithyou，"theoldgentlemansaid，ashefollowedhisformeremployeeindoors，andheadded，"IfeelalotmorelikeitthanIdidbeforeIgotTHATup，overyonder，Virgil!"
　　Adamsthrewopenthedooroftheroughroomhecalledhisoffice，havingasjustificationforthistitlelittlemorethanthefactthathehadatelephonethereandadealtablethatservedasadesk。"Juststepintotheoffice，please，"hesaid。
　　Lambglancedatthedesk，atthekitchenchairbeforeit，atthetelephone，andatthepartitionwallsbuiltofoldboards，somecoveredwithancientpaintandsomemerelyweatherbeaten，thesalvageofahouse-wrecker；andhesmiledbroadly。"Sotheseareyouroffices，arethey？"heasked。"Youexpecttodoquiteabusinesshere，Iguess，don'tyou，Virgil？"
　　Adamsturneduponhimastrickenandtorturedface。"HaveyouseenCharleyLohrsincelastnight，Mr。Lamb？"
　　"No；Ihaven'tseenCharley。"
　　"Well，Itoldhimtotellyou，"Adamsbegan；——"ItoldhimI'dpayyou——"
　　"Paymewhatyouexpecttomakeouto'glue，youmean，Virgil？"
　　"No，"Adamssaid，swallowing。"Imeanwhatmyboyowesyou。
　　That'swhatItoldCharleytotellyou。ItoldhimtotellyouI'dpayyoueverylast——"
　　"Well，well!"theoldgentlemaninterrupted，testily。"Idon'tknowanythingaboutthat。"
　　"I'mexpectingtopayyou，"Adamswenton，swallowingagain，painfully。"IwasexpectingtodoitoutofaloanIthoughtI
　　couldgetonmyglue-works。"
　　Theoldgentlemanliftedhisfrostedeyebrows。"Oh，outo'theGLUE-works？Youexpectedtoraisemoneyontheglue-works，didyou？"
　　Atthat，Adams'sagitationincreasedprodigiously。"How'dyouTHINKIexpectedtopayyou？"hesaid。"DidyouthinkIexpectedtogetmoneyonmyownoldbones？"Heslappedhimselfharshlyuponthechestandlegs。"Doyouthinkabank'lllendmoneyonaman'sribsandhisbroken-downoldknee-bones？Theywon'tdoit!
　　YougottohavesomeBUSINESSprospectstoshow'em，ifyouhaven'tgotanypropertynorsecurities；andwhatbusinessprospectshaveIgotnow，withthatsignofyoursupoveryonder？
　　Why，youdon'tneedtomakeanOUNCEo'glue；yoursign'sfixedMEwithoutyourdoinganotherlick!THAT'Sallyouhadtodo；
　　justputyoursignup!Youneedn'tto——"
　　"Justletmetellyousomething，VirgilAdams，"theoldmaninterrupted，harshly。"Igotjustonerightimportantthingtotellyoubeforewetalkanyfurtherbusiness；andthat'sthis:
　　there'ssomefewmeninthistownmadetheirmoneyinoff-colourways，buttherearen'tmany；andthosetherearehavehadtobeadarnsightslickerthanyouknowhowtobe，oreverWILLknowhowtobe!Yes，sir，andtheynoneofthemhadthelittlegumptiontotrytomakeitoutofamanthathadthespiritnottolet'em，andtheSTRENGTHnottolet'em!Iknowwhatyouthought。
　　'Here，'yousaidtoyourself，'here'sthisolefoolJ。A。Lamb；
　　he'skindofwornoutandinhissecondchildhoodlike；Icanputitoveronhim，withouthisever——'"
　　"Ididnot!"Adamsshouted。"AgreatdealYOUknowaboutmyfeelingsandallwhatIsaidtomyself!There'sonethingIwanttotellYOU，andthat'swhatI'msayingtomyselfNOW，andwhatmyfeelingsarethisMINUTE!"
　　Hestruckthetableagreatblowwithhisthinfist，andshookthedamagedknucklesmtheair。"Ijustwanttotellyou，whateverIdidfeel，Idon'tfeelMEANanymore；notto-day，I
　　don't。There'sameanermaninthisworldthan_I_am，Mr。
　　Lamb!"
　　"Oh，soyoufeelbetteraboutyourselfto-day，doyou，Virgil？"
　　"YoubetIdo!Youworkedtillyougotmewhereyouwantme；andIwouldn'tdothattoanotherman，nomatterwhathedidtome!
　　Iwouldn't——"
　　"Whatyoutalkin'about!How'veI'gotyouwhereIwantyou？'"
　　"Ain'titplainenough？"Adamscried。"YouevengotmewhereI
　　can'traisethemoneytopaybackwhatmyboyowesyou!Doyousupposeanybody'sfoolenoughtoletmehaveacentonthisbusinessafteronelookatwhatyougotoverthereacrosstheroad？"
　　"No，Idon't。"
　　"No，youdon't，"Adamsechoed，hoarsely。"What'smore，youknewmyhousewasmortgaged，andmy——"
　　"Ididnot，"Lambinterrupted，angrily。"Whatdo_I_careaboutyourhouse？"
　　"What'stheuseyourtalkinglikethat？"Adamscried。"YougotmewhereIcan'tevenraisethemoneytopaywhatmyboyowesthecompany，so'tIcan'tshowanyreasontostoptheprosecutionandkeephimoutthepenitentiary。That'swhereyouworkedtillyougotME!"
　　"What!"Lambshouted。"Youaccusemeof——"
　　"'Accuseyou？'WhatamItellingyou？DoyouthinkIgotnoEYES？"AndAdamshammeredthetableagain。"Why，youknewtheboywasweak——"
　　"Ididnot!"
　　"Listen:youkepthimthereafteryougotmadatmyleavingthewayIdid。Youkepthimthereafteryoususpectedhim；andyouhadhimwatched；youlethimgoon；justwaitedtocatchhimandruinhim!"
　　"You'recrazy!"theoldmanbellowed。"Ididn'tknowtherewasanythingagainsttheboytilllastnight。You'reCRAZY，Isay!"
　　Adamslookedit。Withhishairdisorderedoverhishaggardforeheadandbloodshoteyes；withhisbruisedhandspoundingthetableandflyinginahundredwildandabsurdgestures，whilehisfeetshuffledconstantlytopreservehisbalanceuponstaggeringlegs，hewasthepictureofamanwithamindgonetorags。
　　"MaybeIAMcrazy!"hecried，hisvoicebreakingandquavering。
　　"MaybeIam，butIwouldn'tstandthereandtauntamanwithitifI'ddonetohimwhatyou'vedonetome!Justlookatme:I
　　workedallmylifeforyou，andwhatIdidwhenIquitneverharmedyou——itdidn'tmaketwocents'wortho'differenceinyourlifeanditlookedlikeit'dmeanallthedifferenceintheworldtomyfamily——andnowlookwhatyou'veDONEtomeforit!Itellyou，Mr。Lamb，thereneverwasamanlookeduptoanothermanthewayIlookeduptoyouthewholeo'mylife，butIdon'tlookuptoyouanymore!Youthinkyougotafinedayofitnow，ridingupinyourautomobiletolookatthatsign——andthenoverhereatmypoorlittleworksthatyou'veruined。Butlistentomejustthisonelasttime!"Thecrackingvoicebrokeintofalsetto，andthegesticulatinghandsfluttereduncontrollably。
　　"Justyoulisten!"hepanted。"YouthinkIdidyouabadturn，andnowyougotmeruinedforit，andyougotmyworksruined，andmyfamilyruined；andifanybody'd'a'toldmethistimelastyearI'deversaysuchathingtoyouI'dcalledhimadangliar，butIDOsayit:Isayyou'veactedtowardmelike——likea——adoggonemean——man!"
　　Hisvoice，exhausted，likehisbody，wasjustabletodohimthisfinalservice；thenhesank，crumpled，intothechairbythetable，hischindownharduponhischest。
　　"Itellyou，you'recrazy!"Lambsaidagain。"Ineverintheworld——"Buthecheckedhimself，staringinsuddenperplexityathisaccuser。"Lookhere!"hesaid。"What'sthematterofyou？Haveyougotanotherofthose——？"HeputhishanduponAdams'sshoulder，whichjerkedfeeblyunderthetouch。
　　Theoldmanwenttothedoorandcalledtotheforeman。
　　"Here!"hesaid。"Runandtellmychauffeurtobringmycaroverhere。Tellhimtodriverightupoverthesidewalkandacrossthelot。Tellhimtohurry!"
　　So，ithappened，thegreatJ。A。Lambasecondtimebroughthisformerclerkhome，strickenandalmostinanimate。
　　CHAPTERXXIV
　　Aboutfiveo'clockthatafternoon，theoldgentlemancamebacktoAdams'shouse；andwhenAliceopenedthedoor，henodded，walkedintothe"living-room"withoutspeaking；thenstoodfrowningasifhehesitatedtodecidesomeperplexingquestion。
　　"Well，howishenow？"heasked，finally。
　　"Thedoctorwashereagainalittlewhileago；hethinkspapa'scomingthroughit。He'sprettysurehewill。"
　　"Somethinglikethewayitwaslastspring？"
　　"Yes。"
　　"Notabitofsensetoit!"Lambsaid，gruffly。"Whenhewasgettingwelltheothertimethedoctortoldmeitwasn'taregularstroke，sotospeak——this'cerebraleffusion'thing。
　　Saidtherewasn'tanyparticularreasonforyourfathertoexpecthe'deverhaveanotherattack，ifhe'dtakealittlecareofhimself。Saidhecouldconsiderhimselfwellasanybodyelselongashedidthat。"
　　"Yes。Buthedidn'tdoit!"
　　Lambnodded，sighedaloud，andcrossedtheroomtoachair。"I
　　guessnot，"hesaid，ashesatdown。"Bustin'hishealthupoverhisglue-works，Iexpect。"
　　"Yes。"
　　"Iguessso；Iguessso。"Thenhelookedupatherwithaglimmerofanxietyinhiseyes。"Hashecametoyet？"
　　"Yes。He'stalkedalittle。Hismind'sclear；hespoketomamaandmeandtoMissPerry。"Alicelaughedsadly。"Wewereluckyenoughtogetherback，butpapadidn'tseemtothinkitwaslucky。Whenherecognizedherhesaid，'Oh，mygoodness，'tisn'tYOU，isit!'"
　　"Well，that'sagoodsign，ifhe'sgettingalittlecross。Didhe——didhehappentosayanything——forinstance，aboutme？"
　　Thisquestion，awkwardlydelivered，hadtheeffectofremovingthegirl'spallor；rosytintscamequicklyuponhercheeks。
　　"He——yes，hedid，"shesaid。"Naturally，he'stroubledabout——about——"Shestopped。
　　"Aboutyourbrother，maybe？"
　　"Yes，aboutmakingupthe——"
　　"Here，now，"Lambsaid，uncomfortably，asshestoppedagain。
　　"Listen，younglady；let'sdon'ttalkaboutthatjustyet。I
　　wanttoaskyou:youunderstandallaboutthisgluebusiness，I
　　expect，don'tyou？"
　　"I'mnotsure。Ionlyknow——"
　　"Letmetellyou，"heinterrupted，impatiently。"I'lltellyouallaboutitintwowords。Theprocessbelongedtome，andyourfatherupandwalkedoffwithit；there'snogettingaroundTHAT
　　much，anyhow。"
　　"Isn'tthere？"Alicestaredathim。"Ithinkyou'remistaken，Mr。Lamb。Didn'tpapaimproveitsothatitvirtuallybelongedtohim？"
　　Therewasasparkintheoldblueeyesatthis。"What？"hecried。"Isthatthewayhegotaroundit？Why，inallmylifeI
　　neverheardofsucha——"Butheleftthesentenceunfinished；
　　thetestinesswentoutofhishuskyvoiceandtheangeroutofhiseyes。"Well，Iexpectmaybethatwasthewayofit，"hesaid。"Anyhow，it'srightforyoutostandupforyourfather；
　　andifyouthinkhehadarighttoit——"
　　"Buthedid!"shecried。
　　"Iexpectso，"theoldmanreturned，pacifically。"Iexpectso，probably。Anyhow，it'saquestionthat'sneitherherenorthere，rightnow。WhatIwasthinkingofsaying——well，didyourfatherhappentoletoutthatheandIhadwordsthismorning？"
　　"No。"
　　"Well，wedid。"Hesighedandshookhishead。"Yourfather——well，heusedsomeprettyhardexpressionstowardme，younglady。Theyweren'tSO，I'mgladtosay，butheused'emtome，andtheworstofitwashebelieved'em。Well，Ibeenthinkingitover，andIthoughtI'djusthaveakindoflittletalkwithyoutosetmattersstraight，sotospeak。"
　　"Yes，Mr。Lamb。"
　　"Forinstance，"hesaid，"it'slikethis。Now，Ihopeyouwon'tthinkImeananyindelicacy，butyoutakeyourbrother'scase，sincewegottomentionit，why，yourfatherhadthewholethingworkedoutinhismindaboutaswrongasanybodyevergotanything。IfI'dactedthewayyourfatherthoughtIdidaboutthat，why，somebodyjustoughttotakemeoutandshootme!DoYOUknowwhatthatmanthought？"
　　"I'mnotsure。"
　　Hefrownedather，andasked，"Well，whatdoyouthinkaboutit？"
　　"Idon'tknow，"shesaid。"Idon'tbelieveIthinkanythingatallaboutanythingto-day。"
　　"Well，well，"hereturned；"Iexpectnot；Iexpectnot。Youkindoflooktomeasifyououghttobeinbedyourself，younglady。"
　　"Oh，no。"
　　"Iguessyoumean'Oh，yes'；andIwon'tkeepyoulong，butthere'ssomethingwegottogetfixedup，andI'drathertalktoyouthanIwouldtoyourmother，becauseyou'reasmartgirlandalwaysfriendly；andIwanttobesureI'munderstood。Now，listen。"
　　"Iwill，"Alicepromised，smilingfaintly。
　　"Ineverevenhardlynoticedyourbrotherwasstillworkingforme，"heexplained，earnestly。"Ineverthoughtanythingaboutit。Mysonssortoftriedtoteasemeaboutthewayyourfather——abouthistakingupthisgluebusiness，sotospeak——andonedayAlbert，Junior，askedmeifIfeltallrightaboutyourbrother'sstayingthereafterthat，andItoldhim——well，Ijustaskedhimtoshutup。Iftheboywantedtostaythere，Ididn'tconsideritmybusinesstosendhimawayonaccountofanyfeelingIhadtowardhisfather；notaslongashedidhisworkright——andthereportshowedhedid。Well，asithappens，itlooksnowasifhestayedbecauseheHADto；hecouldn'tquitbecausehe'd'a'beenfoundoutifhedid。Well，he'dbeencoveringuphisshortageforaconsiderabletime——anddoyouknowwhatyourfatherpracticallychargedmewithaboutthat？"
　　"No，Mr。Lamb。"
　　Inhisresentment，theoldgentleman'sruddyfacebecameruddierandhishuskyvoicehuskier。"ThinksIkepttheboytherebecauseIsuspectedhim!ThinksIdidittogetevenwithHIM!
　　DoIlooktoYOUlikeamanthat'ddosuchathing？"
　　"No，"shesaid，gently。"Idon'tthinkyouwould。"
　　"No!"heexclaimed。"NorHEwouldn'tthinksoifhewashimself；
　　he'sknownmetoolong。Buthemustbeensortofbroodingoverthiswholebusiness——ImeanbeforeWalter'stroublehemustbeentakingittoheartprettyhardforsometimeback。HethoughtI
　　didn'tthinkmuchofhimanymore——andIexpecthemaybewonderedsomewhatIwasgoingtoDO——andthere'snothingworse'nthatstateofmindtomakeamansuspiciousofallkindsofmeanness。
　　Well，hepracticallystoodupthereandaccusedmetomyfaceoffixingthingsso'thecouldn'teverraisethemoneytosettleforWalterandaskusnottoprosecute。That'sthestateofmindyourfather'sbroodinggothiminto，younglady——chargingmewithatricklikethat!"
　　"I'msorry，"shesaid。"Iknowyou'dnever——"
　　Theoldmanslappedhissturdyknee，angrily。"Why，thatdangfoolofaVirgilAdams!"heexclaimed。"Hewouldn'tevengivemeachancetotalk；andhegotmesomadIcouldn'thardlytalk，anyway!Hemight'a'knownfromthefirstIwasn'tgoingtolethimwalkinandbeatmeoutofmyown——thatis，hemight'a'
　　knownIwouldn'tlethimgetaheadofmeinabusinessmatter——notwithmyboystwittingmeaboutiteveryfewminutes!
　　Buttotalktomethewayhedidthismorning——well，hewasoutofhishead；that'sall!Now，waitjustaminute，"heinterposed，assheseemedabouttospeak。"Inthefirstplace，wearen'tgoingtopushthiscaseagainstyourbrother。I
　　believeinthelaw，allright，andbusinessmengottoprotectthemselves；butinacaselikethis，whererestitution'smadebythefamily，why，Iexpectit'sjustaswellsometimestousealittleinfluenceandletmattersdrop。Ofcourseyourbrother'llhavetokeepouto'thisstate；that'sall。"
　　"But——yousaid——"shefaltered。
　　"Yes。What'dIsay？"
　　"Yousaid，'whererestitution'smadebythefamily。'That'swhatseemedtotroublepapasoterribly，because——becauserestitutioncouldn't——"
　　"Why，yes，itcould。That'swhatI'mheretotalktoyouabout。"
　　"Idon'tsee——"
　　"I'mgoingtoTELLyou，ain'tI？"hesaid，gruffly。"Justholdyourhorsesaminute，please。"Hecoughed，rosefromhischair，walkedupanddowntheroom，thenhaltedbeforeher。"It'slikethis，"hesaid。"AfterIbroughtyourfatherhome，thismorning，therewasoneofthethingshetoldme，whenhewasgoingforme，overyonder——itkindofstuckinmycraw。Itwassomethingaboutallthisgluecontroversynotmeaninganythingtomeinparticular，andmeaningawholeheaptohimandhisfamily。
　　Well，hewaswrongaboutthattwoways。Thefirstonewas，itdidmeanagooddealtometohavehimgobackonmeaftersomanyyears。Idon'tneedtosayanymoreaboutit，exceptjusttotellyouitmeantquitealittlemoretomethanyou'dthink，maybe。Theotherwayhewaswrongis，thathowmuchathingmeanstoonemanandhowlittleitmeanstoanotherain'ttherightwaytolookatabusinessmatter。"
　　"Isupposeitisn't，Mr。Lamb。"
　　"No，"hesaid。"Itisn't。It'snottherightwaytolookatanything。Yes，andyourfatherknowsitaswellasIdo，whenhe'sinhisrightmind；andIexpectthat'soneofthereasonshegotsomadatme——butanyhow，Icouldn'thelpthinkingabouthowmuchallthisthingHADmaybemeanttohim；——asIsay，itkindofstuckinmycraw。Iwantyoutotellhimsomethingfromme，andIwantyoutogoandtellhimrightoff，ifhe'sableandwillingtolisten。YoutellhimIgotkindofanotionhewaspushedintothisthingbycircumstances，andtellhimI'velivedlongenoughtoknowthatcircumstancescanbeatthebestofus——youtellhimIsaid'theBESTofus。'TellhimIhaven'tgotabitoffeelingagainsthim——notanymore——andtellhimIcameheretoaskhimnottohaveanyagainstme。"
　　"Yes，Mr。Lamb。"
　　"TellhimIsaid——"TheoldmanpausedabruptlyandAlicewassurprised，inadullandtiredway，whenshesawthathislipshadbeguntotwitchandhiseyelidstoblink；butherecoveredhimselfalmostatonce，andcontinued:"Iwanthimtoremember，'Forgiveusourtransgressions，asweforgivethosethattransgressagainstus'；andifheandIbeentransgressingagainsteachother，why，tellhimIthinkit'stimeweQUITsuchfoolishness!"
　　Hecoughedagain，smiledheartilyuponher，andwalkedtowardthedoor；thenturnedbacktoherwithanexclamation:"Well，ifI
　　ain'tanoldfool!"
　　"Whatisit？"sheasked。
　　"Why，Iforgotwhatwewerejusttalkingabout!YourfatherwantstosettleforWalter'sdeficit。Tellhimwe'llbegladtoacceptit；butofcoursewedon'texpecthimtocleanthematterupuntilhe'sabletotalkbusinessagain。"
　　Alicestaredathimblanklyenoughforhimtoperceivethatfurtherexplanationswerenecessary。"It'slikethis，"hesaid。
　　"Yousee，ifyourfatherdecidedtokeephisworksgoingoveryonder，Idon'tsaybuthemightgiveussomelittlecompetitionforatime，'speciallyashe'sgotthestartonusandaboutreadyforthemarket。ThenIwasfiguringwecouldusehisplant——it'ssmall，butit'dbetoourbenefittohavetheuseofit——andhe'sgotaleaseonthatbiglot；itmaycomeinhandyforusifwewanttoexpandsome。Well，I'dprefertomakeadealwithhimasquietlyaspossible——nogoodineveryTom，DickandHarryhearingaboutthingslikethis——butIfiguredhecouldsellouttomeforalittlesomethingmore'nenoughtocoverthemortgageheputonthishouse，andWalter'sdeficit，too——THAT
　　don'tamounttomuchindollarsandcents。ThewayIfigureit，Icouldofferhimaboutninety-threehundreddollarsasatotal——orsayninety-threehundredandfifty——andifhefeelslikeaccepting，why，I'llsendaconfidentialmanupherewiththepaperssoon'syourfather'sabletolook'emover。Youtellhim，willyou，andaskhimifheseeshiswaytoacceptingthatfigure？"
　　"Yes，"Alicesaid；andnowherownlipstwitched，whilehereyesfilledsothatshesawbutablurredimageoftheoldman，whoheldouthishandinparting。"I'lltellhim。Thankyou。"
　　Heshookherhandhastily。"Well，let'sjustkeepitkindofquiet，"hesaid，atthedoor。"NogoodineveryTom，DickandHarryknowingallwhatgoesonintown!Youtelephonemewhenyourpapa'sreadytogooverthepapers——andcallmeupatmyhouseto-night，willyou？Letmehearhowhe'sfeeling？"
　　"Iwill，"shesaid，andthroughhergratefultearsgavehimasmilealmostradiant。"He'llbebetter，Mr。Lamb。Weallwill。"
　　CHAPTERXXV
　　Onemorning，thatautumn，Mrs。AdamscameintoAlice'sroom，andfoundhercompletingasobertoiletforthestreet；moreover，theexpressionrevealedinhermirrorwasharmoniouswiththebusiness-likeseverityofherattire。"Whatmakesyoulooksocross，dearie？"themotherasked。"Couldn'tyoufindanythingnicertowearthanthatplainolddarkdress？"
　　"Idon'tbelieveI'mcross，"thegirlsaid，absently。"IbelieveI'mjustthinking。Isn'titabouttime？"
　　"Timeforwhat？"
　　"Timeforthinking——forme，Imean？"
　　Disregardingthis，Mrs。Adamslookedheroverthoughtfully。"I
　　can'tseewhyyoudon'twearmorecolour，"shesaid。"Atyourageit'sbecomingandproper，too。Anyhow，whenyou'regoingonthestreet，Ithinkyououghttolookjustasgayandlivelyasyoucanmanage。Youwanttoshow'emyou'vegotsomespunk!"
　　"Howdoyoumean，mama？"
　　"ImeanaboutWalter'srunningawayandthemessyourfathermadeofhisbusiness。Itwouldhelptoshow'emyou'reholdingupyourheadjustthesame。"
　　"Showwhom!"
　　"Alltheseothergirlsthat——"
　　"NotI!"Alicelaughedshortly，shakingherhead。"I'vequitdressingatthem，andiftheysawmetheywouldn'tthinkwhatyouwant'emto。It'sfunny；butwedon'toftenmakepeoplethinkwhatwewant'emto，mama。Youdothusandso；andyoutellyourself，'Now，seeingmedothusandso，peoplewillnaturallythinkthisandthat'；buttheydon't。Theythinksomethingelse——usuallyjustwhatyouDON'Twant'emto。Isupposeabouttheonlygoodinpretendingisthefunwegetoutoffoolingourselvesthatwefoolsomebody。"
　　"Well，butitwouldn'tbepretending。Yououghttoletpeopleseeyou'restillholdingyourheadupbecauseyouARE。Youwouldn'twantthatMildredPalmertothinkyou'recastdownabout——well，youknowyouwouldn'twantHERnottothinkyou'reholdingyourheadup，wouldyou？"
　　"Shewouldn'tknowwhetherIamornot，mama。"Alicebitherlip，thensmiledfaintlyasshesaid:
　　"Anyhow，I'mnotthinkingaboutmyheadinthatway——notthismorning，I'mnot。"
　　Mrs。Adamsdroppedthesubjectcasually。"Areyougoingdown-town？"sheinquired。
　　"Yes。"
　　"Whatfor？"
　　"JustsomethingIwanttoseeabout。I'lltellyouwhenIcomeback。Anythingyouwantmetodo？"
　　"No；Iguessnotto-day。Ithoughtyoumightlookforarug，butI'drathergowithyoutoselectit。We'llhavetogetanewrugforyourfather'sroom，Iexpect。"
　　"I'mgladyouthinkso，mama。Idon'tsupposehe'severevennoticedit，butthatoldrugofhis——well，really!"
　　"Ididn'tmeanforhim，"hermotherexplained，thoughtfully。
　　"No；hedon'tmindit，andhe'dlikelymakeafussifwechangeditonhisaccount。No；whatImeant——we'llhavetoputyourfatherinWalter'sroom。Hewon'tmind，Idon'texpect——notmuch。"
　　"No，Isupposenot，"Aliceagreed，rathersadly。"Iheardthebellawhileago。Wasitsomebodyaboutthat？"
　　"Yes；justbeforeIcameupstairs。Mrs。Lohrgavehimanotetome，andhewasreallyaverypleasant-lookingyoungman。AVERY
　　pleasant-lookingyoungman，"Mrs。Adamsrepeatedwithincreasedanimationandathoughtfulglanceatherdaughter。"He'saMr。
　　WillDickson；hehasafirst-ratepositionwiththegasworks，Mrs。Lohrsays，andhe'sfullyabletoaffordaniceroom。SoifyouandIdoubleupinhere，thenwiththatyoungmarriedcoupleinmyroom，andthisMr。Dicksoninyourfather's，we'lljustabouthavethingssettled。IthoughtmaybeIcouldmakeonemoreplaceattable，too，sothatwiththeotherpeoplefromoutsidewe'dbeservingelevenaltogether。YouseeifIhavetopaythiscooktwelvedollarsaweek——itcan'tbehelped，I
　　guess——well，onemorewouldcertainlyhelptowardaprofit。Ofcourseit'saterriblyworryingthingtoseehowweWILLcomeout。Don'tyousupposewecouldsqueezeinonemore？"
　　"IsupposeitCOULDbemanaged；yes。"
　　Mrs。Adamsbrightened。"I'msureit'llbepleasanthavingthatyoungmarriedcoupleinthehouseandespeciallythisMr。WillDickson。Heseemedverymuchofagentleman，andanxioustogetsettledingoodsurroundings。Iwasveryfavourablyimpressedwithhimineveryway；andheexplainedtomeabouthisname；itseemsitisn'tWilliam，it'sjust'Will'；hisparentshadhimchristenedthatway。It'scurious。"Shepaused，andthen，withanefforttoseemcasual，whichveilednothingfromherdaughter:
　　"It'sQUITEcurious，"shesaidagain。"Butit'sratherattractiveanddifferent，don'tyouthink？"
　　"Poormama!"Alicelaughedcompassionately。"Poormama!"
　　"Heis，though，"Mrs。Adamsmaintained。"He'sverymuchofagentleman，unlessI'mnojudgeofappearances；andit'llreallybenicetohavehiminthehouse。"
　　"Nodoubt，"Alicesaid，assheopenedherdoortodepart。"I
　　don'tsupposewe'llmindhavinganyof'emasmuchaswethoughtwewould。Good-bye。"
　　Buthermotherdetainedher，catchingherbythearm。"Alice，youdohateit，don'tyou!"
　　"No，"thegirlsaid，quickly。"Therewasn'tanythingelsetodo。"
　　Mrs。Adamsbecameemotionalatonce:herfacecriedtragedy，andhervoicemisfortune。"ThereMIGHThavebeensomethingelsetodo!Oh，Alice，yougaveyourfatherbadadvicewhenyouupheldhimintakingamiserablelittleninety-threehundredandfiftyfromthatoldwretch!Ifyourfather'djusthadthegumptiontoholdout，they'dhavehadtopayhimanythingheasked。Ifhe'djusthadthegumptionandalittlemanlyCOURAGE——"
　　"Hush!"Alicewhispered，forhermother'svoicegrewlouder。
　　"Hush!He'llhearyou，mama。"
　　"Couldhehearmetoooften？"theembitteredladyasked。"Ifhe'dlistenedtomeattherighttime，wouldwehavetobetakinginboardersandsinkingDOWNinthescaleattheendofourlives，insteadofgoingUP？Youwerebothwrong；wedidn'tneedtobesopanicky——thatwasjustwhatthatoldmanwanted:toscareusandbuyusoutfornothing!Ifyourfather'djustlistenedtomethen，orifforonceinhislifehe'djustbeenhalfaMAN——"
　　Aliceputherhandoverhermother'smouth。"Youmustn't!HeWILLhearyou!"
　　ButfromtheothersideofAdams'scloseddoorhisvoicecamequerulously。"Oh，IHEARher，allright!"
　　"Yousee，mama？"Alicesaid，and，asMrs。Adamsturnedaway，weeping，thedaughtersighed；thenwentintospeaktoherfather。
　　Hewasinhisoldchairbythetable，withapillowbehindhishead，butthecrochetedscarfandMrs。Adams'swrapperswathedhimnomore；heworeadressing-gownhiswifehadboughtforhim，andwassmokinghispipe。"Theoldstory，isit？"hesaid，asAlicecamein。"Thesame，sameoldstory!Well，well!Hasshegone？"
　　"Yes，papa。"
　　"Gotyourhaton，"hesaid。"Whereyougoing？"
　　"I'mgoingdown-townonanerrandofmyown。Isthereanythingyouwant，papa？"
　　"Yes，thereis。"Hesmiledather。"Iwishyou'dsitdownawhileandtalktomeunlessyourerrand——"
　　"No，"shesaid，takingachairnearhim。"IwasjustgoingdowntoseeaboutsomearrangementsIwasmakingformyself。There'snohurry。"
　　"Whatarrangementsforyourself，dearie？"
　　"I'lltellyouafterwards——afterIfindoutsomethingabout'emmyself。"
　　"Allright，"hesaid，indulgently。"Keepyoursecrets；keepyoursecrets。"Hepaused，drewmusinglyuponhispipe，andshookhishead。"Funny——thewayyourmotherlooksatthings!Forthemattero'that，everything'sprettyfunny，Iexpect，ifyoustoptothinkaboutit。Forinstance，lethersayallshelikes，butwewerepushedrightspangtothewall，ifJ。A。Lambhadn'ttakenitintohisheadtomakethatofferfortheworks；andthere'soneofthethingsIbeenthinkingaboutlately，Alice:
　　thinkingabouthowfunnytheyworkout。"
　　"Whatdidyouthinkaboutit，papa!"
　　"Well，I'veseenithappeninotherpeople'slives，timeandtimeagain；andnowit'shappenedinours。Youthinkyou'regoingtobepushedrightupagainstthewall；youcan'tseeanywayout，oranyhopeatall；youthinkyou'reGONE——andthensomethingyounevercountedonturnsup；and，whilemaybeyouneverdogetbacktowhereyouusedtobe，yetsomehowyoukindofsquirmoutofbeingrightSPANGagainstthewall。Youkeepongoing——maybeyoucan'tgomuch，butyoudogoalittle。SeewhatImean？"
　　"Yes。Iunderstand，dear。"
　　"Yes，I'mafraidyoudo，"hesaid。"Toobad!Yououghtn'ttounderstanditatyourage。ItseemstomeagooddealasiftheLordreallymeantfortheyoungpeopletohavethegoodtimes，andfortheoldtohavethetroubles；andwhenanybodyasyoungasyouhastroublethere'sabigmistakesomewhere。"
　　"Oh，no!"sheprotested。
　　Buthepersistedwhimsicallyinthisviewofdivineerror:"Yes，itdoeslookagooddealthatway。Butofcoursewecan'ttell；
　　we'renevercertainaboutanything——notaboutanythingatall。
　　SometimesIlookatitanotherway，though。Sometimesitlookstomeasifabody'stroublescameonhimmainlybecausehehadn'thadsenseenoughtoknowhownottohaveany——asifhistroubleswerekindoflikeaboy'sgettingkeptinafterschoolbytheteacher，togivehimdiscipline，orsomethingorother。
　　But，my，my!Wedon'tlearneasy!"Hechuckledmournfully。"Nottolearnhowtolivetillwe'reaboutreadytodie，itcertainlyseemstomedangtough!"
　　"ThenIwouldn'tbroodonsuchanotion，papa，"shesaid。
　　"'Brood？'No!"hereturned。"Ijustkindo'mullitover。"Hechuckledagain，sighed，andthen，notlookingather，hesaid，"ThatMr。Russell——yourmothertellsmehehasn'tbeenhereagain——notsince——"
　　"No，"shesaid，quietly，asAdamspaused。"Henevercameagain。"
　　"Well，butmaybe——"
　　"No，"shesaid。"Thereisn'tany'maybe。'Itoldhimgood-byethatnight，papa。ItwasbeforeheknewaboutWalter——Itoldyou。"
　　"Well，well，"Adamssaid。"Youngpeopleareentitledtotheirownprivacy；Idon'twanttopry。"Heemptiedhispipeintoachippedsauceronthetablebesidehim，laidthepipeaside，andrevertedtoaformertopic。"Speakingofdying——"
　　"Well，butweweren't!"Aliceprotested。
　　"Yes，aboutnotknowinghowtolivetillyou'rethroughliving——andTHENmaybenot!"hesaid，chucklingathisowndeterminedpessimism。"IseeI'mprettyoldbecauseItalkthisway——IremembermygrandmothersayingthingsagooddeallikeallwhatI'msayingnow；IusedtohearheratitwhenIwasayoungfellow——shewasarightgloomyoldlady，Iremember。Well，anyhow，itremindsme:IwanttogetonmyfeetagainassoonasIcan；Igottolookaroundandfindsomethingtogointo。"
　　Aliceshookherheadgently。"But，papa，hetoldyou——"
　　"Nevermindthrowingthatdangdoctorupatme!"Adamsinterrupted，peevishly。"HesaidI'dbegoodforSOMEkindoflightjob——ifIcouldfindjusttherightthing。'Wheretherewouldn'tbeeitheranyphysicalormentalstrain，'hesaid。
　　Well，Igottofindsomethinglikethat。Anyway，I'llfeelbetterifIcanjustgetoutLOOKINGforit。"
　　"But，papa，I'mafraidyouwon'tfindit，andyou'llbedisappointed。"
　　"Well，IwanttohuntaroundandSEE，anyhow。"
　　Alicepattedhishand。"Youmustjustbecontented，papa。
　　Everything'sgoingtobeallright，andyoumustn'tgettoworryingaboutdoinganything。Weownthishouseit'sallclear——andyou'vetakencareofmamaandmeallourlives；nowit'sourturn。"
　　"No，sir!"hesaid，querulously。"Idon'tliketheideaofbeingthelandlady'shusbandaroundaboarding-house；itgoesagainstmygizzard。_I_know:makesoutthebillsforhiswifeSundaymornings——workswithascrew-driveronsomebody'sbureaudrawersometimes——'tendsthefurnacemaybe——onetheboardersgiveshimacigarnowandthen。That'saFINElifetolookforwardto!No，sir；Idon'twanttofinishasalandlady'shusband!"
　　Alicelookedgrave；forsheknewthesketchwasbuttooaccuratelypropheticineveryprobability。"But，papa，"shesaid，toconsolehim，"don'tyouthinkmaybethereisn'tsuchathingasa'finish，'afterall!Yousayperhapswedon'tlearntolivetillwediebutmaybethat'showitisAFTERwedie，too——justlearningsomemore，thewaywedohere，andmaybethroughtroubleagain，evenafterthat。"
　　"Oh，itmightbe，"hesighed。"Iexpectso。"
　　"Well，then，"shesaid，"what'stheuseoftalkingabouta'finish？'Wedokeeplookingaheadtothingsasifthey'dfinishsomething，butwhenwegetTOthem，theydon'tfinishanything。
　　They'rejustpartofgoingon。I'lltellyou——IlookedaheadallsummertosomethingIwasafraidof，andIsaidtomyself，'Well，ifthathappens，I'mfinished!'Butitwasn'tso，papa。Itdidhappen，andnothing'sfinished；I'mgoingon，justthesameonly——"Shestoppedandblushed。
　　"Onlywhat？"heasked。
　　"Well——"Sheblushedmoredeeply，thenjumpedup，and，standingbeforehim，caughtbothhishandsinhers。"Well，don'tyouthink，sincewedohavetogoon，weoughtatleasttohavelearnedsomesenseabouthowtodoit？"
　　Helookedupatheradoringly。
　　"What_I_think，"hesaid，andhisvoicetrembled；——"Ithinkyou'rethesmartestgirlintheworld!Iwouldn'ttradeyouforthewholekit-and-boodleof'em!"
　　Butasthisfollyofhisthreatenedtomakehertearful，shekissedhimhastily，andwentforthuponhererrand。
　　Sincethenightofthetragic-comicdinnershehadnotseenRussell，norcaughteventheremotestchanceglimpseofhim；anditwascuriousthatsheshouldencounterhimasshewentuponsuchanerrandasnowengagedher。Atacorner，notfarfromthattobacconist'sshopshehadjustleftwhenheovertookherandwalkedwithherforthefirsttime，shemethimto-day。Heturnedthecorner，comingtowardher，andtheywerefacetoface；
　　whereuponthatengagingfaceofRussell'swasinstantlyreddened，butAlice'sremainedserene。
　　Shestoppedshort，though；andsodidhe；thenshesmiledbrightlyassheputoutherhand。
　　"Why，Mr。Russell!"
　　"I'mso——I'msogladtohavethis——thischance，"hestammered。
　　"I'vewantedtotellyou——it'sjustthatgoingintoanewundertaking——thisbusinesslife——onedoesn'tgettodoagreatmanythingshe'dliketo。Ihopeyou'llletmecallagainsometime，ifIcan。"
　　"Yes，do!"shesaid，cordially，andthen，withaquicknod，wentbrisklyon。
　　Shebreathedmorerapidly，butknewthathecouldnothavedetectedit，andshetooksomeprideinherselfforthewayshehadmetthislittlecrisis。Buttohavemetitwithsucheasycouragemeanttohersomethingmorereassuringthanamomentaryprideintheserenityshehadshown。Forshefoundthatwhatshehadresolvedinherinmostheartwasnowreallytrue:shewas"throughwithallthat!"
　　Shewalkedon，butmoreslowly，forthetobacconist'sshopwasnotfarfromhernow——and，beyondit，thatportalofdoom，Frincke'sBusinessCollege。AlreadyAlicecouldreadthebegrimedgiltlettersofthesign；andalthoughtheyhadspelleddestinyneverwithamorepainfulimminencethanjustthen，anoldhabitofdramatizingherselfstillprevailedwithher。
　　TherecameintohermindawhimsicalcomparisonofherfatewiththatoftheheroineinaFrenchromanceshehadreadlongagoandrememberedwell，forshehadcriedoverit。Thestoryendedwiththeheroine'stakingtheveilafteradeathblowtolove；andthefinalsceneagainbecamevividtoAlice，foramoment。Again，aswhenshehadreadandwept，
　　sheseemedherselftostandamongthegreatshadowsinthecathedralnave；smelledthesmokyincenseontheenclosedair，andheardthesolemnpulsesoftheorgan。Sherememberedhowthenovice'sfatherknelt，trembling，besideapillarofgraystone；howthefaithlessloverwatchedandshiveredbehindthestatueofasaint；howstifledsobsandoutcrieswereheardwhenthenovicecametothealtar；andhowashaftoflightstruckthroughtherose-window，envelopingherinanamberglow。
　　Itwasthevisionofamomentonly，andfornolongerthanamomentdidAlicetellherselfthattheromanceprovidedaprettierwayoftakingtheveilthanshehadchosen，andthatafaithlesslover，shakingwithremorsebehindasaint'sstatue，wasagreatersolacethanoneleftonastreetcornerprotestingthathe'dliketocallsometime——ifhecould!Herpityforherselfvanishedmorereluctantly；butsheshookitoffandtriedtosmileatit，andatherromanticrecollections——atallofthem。Shehadsomethingimportanttothinkof。
　　Shepassedthetobacconist's，andbeforeherwasthatdarkentrancetothewoodenstairwayleadinguptoFrincke'sBusinessCollege——theverydoorwayshehadalwayslookeduponastheendofyouthandtheendofhope。
　　Howoftenshehadgonebyhere，hatingthedrearyobscurityofthatstairway；howoftenshehadthoughtofthisobscurityassomethinglyinginwaittoobliteratethefootstepsofanygirlwhoshouldascendintothesmokydarknessabove!Neverhadshepassedwithoutthoseominousimaginingsofhers:prettygirlsturningintooldmaids"takingdictation"——oldmaidsofadozendifferenttypes，yetalllookingalittlelikeherself。
　　Well，shewashereatlast!Shelookedupanddownthestreetquickly，andthen，withalittleheaveoftheshoulders，shewentbravelyin，underthesign，andbegantoclimbthewoodensteps。
　　Half-wayuptheshadowswereheaviest，butafterthattheplacebegantoseembrighter。Therewasanopenwindowoverheadsomewhere，shefound；andthestepsatthetopweregaywithsunshine。