Destroyer，andthefirsttimetheireyeshadmetacrossthetableshehadlikedhim。Thelikinghadincreased。Therewasthatinhisboyishcheerandhisnot-too-well-fed-lookingfacewhichcalledforthmaternalinterest。Asshegraduallylearnedwhathislifehadbeen，shefeltathrilledanxietytoheardaybydayhowhewasgettingon。
　　Shelistenedfordetails，andfeltitnecessarytogatherherselftogetherinthefaceofaslightdepressionwhenhopesofGaltonwerelesshighthanusual。Hismendingwasmysteriouslydone，andintimeheknewwithamazedgratitudethathewasbeing“lookedafter。”Hisfirstthanksweresoawkward，butsofullofappreciationofunaccustomedluxury，thattheyalmostbroughttearstohereyes，sincetheysoclearlyilluminatedtheentirenoveltyofanyattentionwhatever。
　　“Ijustdon”tknowwhattosay，“hesaid，shufflingfromonefoottoanother，thoughhisnicegrinwasatitsbest。“I”veneverhadawomandoanythingformesinceIwasten。Iguesswomendolotsofthingsformostfellows；but，then，they”remothersandsistersandaunts。I
　　appreciateitlike——likethunder。IfeelasifIwasRockefeller，MissAnn。”
　　Inashorttimeshehadbecome“LittleAnn“tohim，astotherest，andtheybegantoknoweachotherverywell。JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerhadnotbeenabletorestrainthemselvesatfirstfrommakingslangy，yearninglovetoher，butTembaromhadbeendifferent。
　　Hehadkepthimselfwellinhand。Yes，shehadlikedT。Tembarom，andasshepackedthetrunkssherealizedthattheAtlanticOceanwasthreethousandmilesacross，andwhentwopeoplewhohadnomoneywereseparatedbyit，theywerelikelytoremainso。Richpeoplecouldtravel，poorpeoplecouldn”t。Youjuststayedwherethingstookyou，andyoumustn”tbesillyenoughtoexpectthingstohappeninyourclassoflife——thingslikeseeingpeopleagain。Yourlifejustwenton。Shekeptherselfverybusy，anddidnotallowherthoughtsanylatitude。ItwouldvexherfatherverymuchifhethoughtshehadreallygrownfondofAmericaandwasrathersorrytogoaway。Shehadfinishedherpackingbeforeevening，andthetrunkswerelabeledandsetaside，someintheoutsidehallandsomeinthecorneroftheroom。Shehadsatdownwithsomemendingonherlap，andHutchinsonwaswalkingabouttheroomwiththerestlessnessofthetravelerwhoseapproachingjourneywillnotlethimsettlehimselfanywhere。
　　“I”lllayashillingyou”vegoteverythingpackedandready，andputjustwhereachapcanlayhishandsonit，“hesaid。
　　“Yes，Father。Yourtweedcap”sinthebigpocketofyourthicktop-
　　coat，andthere”sanextrapairofspectaclesandyourpipeandtobaccointhesmallone。”
　　“AndoffwegobacktoEnglandsameaswecame！“Herubbedhishead，anddrewabig，worriedsigh。“Where”sthemgoing？“heasked，pointingtosomenewlylaunderedclothingonasidetable。“Youhaven”tforgotten”em，haveyou？“
　　“No，Father。It”sjustsomeoftheyoungmen”swashing。IthoughtI”dtaketimetomendthemupabitbeforeIwenttobed。”
　　“That”slikethamother，too——takingcareofeverybody。Whatdidthesechapsdobeforeyoucame？“
　　“Sometimestheytriedtosewonabuttonorsothemselves，butoftenertheywentwithout。Menmakepoorworkofsewing。Itoughtn”ttobeexpectedofthem。”
　　Hutchinsonstoppedandlookedherandhermendingoverwithatouchofcuriosity。
　　“Someofthem”sTembarom”s？“heasked。
　　LittleAnnheldupapairofsocks。
　　“Theseare。Hedoeswearthemout，poorfellow。It”strampingupanddownthestreetstosavecar-faredoesit。He”snevergotaheeltohisname。Buthe”sgoingtobeabletobuysomenewonesnextweek。”
　　Hutchinsonbeganhistrampagain。
　　“He”llmissthee，LittleAnn；butso”lltheotherlads，forthatmatter。”
　　“He”llknowto-nightwhetherMr。Galton”sgoingtolethimkeephiswork。Idohopehewill。Ibelievehe”dbegintogeton。”
　　“Well，“——Hutchinsonwasjustalittlegrudgingevenatthiscomparativelylenientmoment”Ibelievethechap”llgetonmyself。
　　He”sgotpluckandhe”ssharp。Ineversawhimmakeapoormouthyet。”
　　“NeitherdidI，“answeredAnn。
　　AdoorleadingintoTembarom”shallbedroomopenedontoHutchinson”s。
　　Theybothheardsomeoneinsidetheroomknockatit。Hutchinsonturnedandlistened，jerkinghisheadtowardthesound。
　　“There”sthatpoorchapagain，“hesaid。“He”swakenedandgotrestless。What”sTembaromgoingtodowithhim，I”dliketoknow？Themoneywon”tlastforever。”
　　“ShallIlethimin，Father？Idaresayhe”sgotrestlessbecauseMr。
　　Tembarom”snotcomein。”
　　“Aye，we”lllethimin。Hewon”thavetheelong。Hecan”tdonoharmsolongasI”mhere。”
　　LittleAnnwenttothedoorandopenedit。Shespokequietly。
　　“Doyouwanttocomeinhere，Mr。Strangeways？“
　　Themancamein。Hewasclean，butstillunshaven，andhisclotheslookedasthoughhehadbeenlyingdown。Helookedroundtheroomanxiously。
　　“Wherehashegone？“hedemandedinanoverstrungvoice。“Whereishe？“HecaughtatAnn”ssleeveinasuddenaccessofnervousfear。
　　“WhatshallIdoifhe”sgone？“
　　Hutchinsonmovedtowardhim。
　　“”Ere，”ere，“hesaid，“don”tyougocatchin”holdofladies。Whatdoyouwant？“
　　I”veforgottenhisnamenow。WhatshallIdoifIcan”tremember？“
　　falteredStrangeways。
　　LittleAnnpattedhisarmcomfortingly。
　　“There，there，now！You”venotreallyforgottenit。It”sjustslippedyourmemory。YouwantMr。Tembarom——Mr。T。Tembarom。”
　　“Oh，thankyou，thankyou。That”sit。Yes，Tembarom。HesaidT。
　　Tembarom。Hesaidhewouldn”tthrowmeover。”
　　LittleAnnledhimtoaseatandmadehimsitdown。Sheansweredhimwithquietdecision。
　　“Well，ifhesaidhewouldn”t，hewon”t。Willhe，Father？“
　　“No，hewon”t。”TherewasroughgoodnatureinHutchinson”sadmission。
　　HepausedafterittoglanceatAnn。“Youthinkalotofthatlad，don”tyou，Ann？“
　　“Yes，Ido，Father，“sherepliedundisturbedly。“He”soneyoucantrust，too。He”sup-townathiswork，“sheexplainedtoStrangeways。
　　“He”llbebackbeforelong。He”sgivingusabitofasupperinherebecausewe”regoingaway。”
　　Strangewaysgrewnervousagain。
　　“Buthewon”tgowithyou？T。Tembaromwon”tgo？“
　　“No，no；he”snotgoing。He”llstayhere，“shesaidsoothingly。Hehadevidentlynotobservedthepackedandlabeledtrunkswhenhecamein。
　　Heseemedsuddenlytoseethemnow，androseindistress。
　　“Whosearethese？Yousaidhewasn”tgoing？“
　　Anntookholdofhisarmandledhimtothecorner。
　　“TheyarenotMr。Tembarom”strunks，“sheexplained。“Theyarefather”sandmine。Lookonthelabels。JosephHutchinson，Liverpool。
　　AnnHutchinson，Liverpool。”
　　Helookedatthemcloselyinapuzzledway。Hereadalabelaloudinadraggingvoice。
　　“AnnHutchinson，Liverpool。What”s——what”sLiverpool？
　　“Oh，come，“encouragedLittleAnn，“youknowthat。It”saplaceinEngland。We”regoingbacktoEngland。”
　　Hestoodandgazedfixedlybeforehim。Thenhebegantorubhisfingersacrosshisforehead。Annknewthestraininglookinhiseyes。
　　Hewasmakingthathorriblestruggletogetbacksomewherethroughthedarknesswhichshuthimin。ItwassopainfulathingtoseethatevenHutchinsonturnedslightlyaway。
　　“Don”t！“saidLittleAnn，softly，andtriedtodrawhimaway。
　　Hecaughthisbreathconvulsivelyonceortwice，andhisvoicedraggedoutwordsagain，asthoughheweredraggingthemfrombottomlessdepths。
　　“Going——back——to——England——backtoEngland——toEngland。”
　　Hedroppedintoachairnearby，hisarmsthrownoveritsback，andbroke，ashisfacefelluponthem，intoheavy，deadlysobbing——thekindofsobbingTembaromhadfounditimpossibletostandupagainst。
　　Hutchinsonwhirledabouttestily。
　　“Dangit！“hebrokeout，“IwishTembarom”dturnup。Whatarewetodo？“Hedidn”tlikeithimself。Itstruckhimasunseemly。
　　ButAnnwenttothechair，andputherhandsontheshudderingshoulder，bendingoverthesoul-wrungcreature，thewisdomofcenturiesinthesoft，expostulatoryvoicewhichseemedtoreachtheverydarknesshewaslostin。Itwasawisdomofwhichshewaswhollyunaware，butithadbeenbornwithher，andwasthebuildingofherbeing。
　　“”Sh！”S-h-h！“shesaid。“Youmustn”tdothat。Mr。Tembaromwouldn”tlikeyoutodoit。He”llbeindirectly。”Sh！”Sh，now！“Andsimpleasthewordswere，theirsoothingreachedhim。Thewildnessofhissobsgrewless。
　　“Seehere，“Hutchinsonprotested，“thiswon”tdo，myman。Iwon”thaveit，Ann。I”mupsetmyself，whatwiththisgoingbackandeverything。I
　　can”thaveachapcomingandcryinglikethatthere。Itupsetsmeworsethanever。Andyouhangin”overhim！Itwon”tdo。”
　　Strangewaysliftedhisheadfromhisarmsandlookedathim。
　　“Aye，ImeanwhatIsay，“Hutchinsonaddedfretfully。
　　Strangewaysgotupfromthechair。Whenhewasnotbowedorslouchingitwastobeseenthathewasatallmanwithsquareshoulders。
　　Despitehisunshaven，haggardface，hehadasortofpresence。
　　“I”llgobacktomyroom，“hesaid。“Iforgot。Ioughtnottobehere。”
　　NeitherHutchinsonnorLittleAnnhadeverseenanyonedothethinghedidnext。WhenAnnwentwithhimtothedoorofthehallbedroom，hetookherhand，andbowinglowbeforeher，lifteditgentlytohislips。
　　Hutchinsonstaredathimasheturnedintotheroomandclosedthedoorbehindhim。
　　“Well，I”vereadoflordsandladiesdoin”thatinbooks，“hesaid，“butIneverthoughtIshouldseeachapdoitmyself。”
　　LittleAnnwentbacktohermending，lookingverythoughtful。
　　“Father，“shesaid，afterafewmoments，“Englandmadehimcomeneartorememberingsomething。”
　　“NewYork”llcomenearmakingmerememberalotofthingswhenI”moutofit，“saidMr。Hutchinson，sittingdownheavilyinhischairandrubbinghishead。“Eh，dangit！dangit！“
　　“Don”tyouletit，Father，“advisedLittleAnn。“There”sneveranygoodinthinkingthingsover。”
　　“You”renotascheerfulyourselfasyouleton，“hesaid。“You”venotgotmuchcolorto-day，mylass。”
　　Sherubbedonecheekalittle，tryingtolaugh。
　　“Ishallgetitbackwhenwegoandstaywithgrandmother。It”sjuststayingindoorssomuch。Mr。Tembaromwon”tbelongnow；I”llgetupandsetthetable。Thethingsareonatrayoutside。”
　　Asshewasgoingoutoftheroom，JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerappearedatthedoor。
　　“Maywecomein？“Jimaskedeagerly。“We”reinvitedtotheoysterstew，andit”stimeoldT。T。washere。Juliusandmearejustgettingdippywaitingup-stairstohearifhe”smadegoodwithGalton。”
　　“Well，now，yousitdownandbequietabit，oryou”llbelosingyourappetites，“advisedAnn。
　　“Youcan”tloseathingthesizeofmine，“answeredJim，“anymorethanyoucouldlosetheMetropolitanOpera-house。”
　　Annturnedherheadandpausedasthoughshewerelistening。Sheheardfootstepsinthelowerhall。
　　“He”scomingnow，“sheannounced。“Iknowhisstep。He”stired。Don”tgoyet，youtwo，“sheaddedasthepairpreparedtorushtomeethim。
　　“Whenanyone”sthattiredhewantstowashhisface，andtalkwhenhe”sready。Ifyou”lljustgobacktoyourroomI”llcallyouwhenI”vesetthetable。”
　　Shefeltthatshewantedalittlemorequietduringthenextfewminutesthanshecouldhaveiftheyremainedandtalkedatthetopofelatedvoices。Shehadnotquiterealizedhowanxiouslyshehadbeenwaitingalldayforthehourwhenshewouldhearexactlywhathadhappened。Ifhewasallright，itwouldbeanicethingtorememberwhenshewasinEngland。Inthismoderateformsheexpressedherselfmentally。“Itwouldbeanicethingtoremember。”Shespreadtheclothonthetableandbegantolayouttheplates。Involuntarilyshefoundherselfstoppingtoglanceatthehallbedroomdoorandlistenratherintently。
　　“Ihopehe”sgotit。Idothat。I”msurehehas。Heoughtto。”
　　Hutchinsonlookedoverather。Shewasthatlikehermother，thatlass！
　　“You”reexcited，Ann，“hesaid。
　　“Yes，Father，Iam——abit。He”s——he”swashinghisfacenow。”Soundsofsplashingwatercouldbeheardthroughtheinterveningdoor。
　　Hutchinsonwatchedherwithsomeuneasiness。
　　“Youcarealotforthatlad，“hesaid。
　　Shedidnotlookfluttered。Heranswerwasquitecandid。
　　“IsaidIdid，Father。He”stakingoffhisboots。”
　　“Youknoweverysoundhemakes，andyou”regoingawaySaturday，andyou”llneverseehimagain。”
　　“Thatneedn”tstopmecaring。Itneverdidanyoneanyharmtocareforoneofhissort。”
　　“Butitcan”tcometoanything，“Hutchinsonbegantobluster。“Itwon”tdo”
　　“He”scomingtothedoor，he”sturningthehandle，“saidLittleAnn。
　　Tembaromcamein。Hewasfreshwithrecentface-washing，andhishairwasdamp，sothatashortlockcurledandstoodup。Hehadbeenup-
　　townmakingfranticeffortsforhours，buthehadbeenmakingtheminaspiritofvictoriousrelief，andhedidnotlooktiredatall。
　　“I”vegotit！“hecriedoutthemomentheentered。“I”vegotit，byjingo！Thejob”smineforkeeps。”
　　“Galton”sgiveittoyououtandout？“Hutchinsonwasslightlyexcitedhimself。
　　“He”sinthebulliesthumoryoueversaw。HesaysI”vedonefirst-
　　rate，andifIgoon，he”llrunmeuptothirty。”
　　“Well，I”mdangedgladofit，lad，thatIam！“Hutchinsongaveinhandsomely。“Youputbackboneintoit。”
　　LittleAnnstoodnear，smiling。HersmilemetTembarom”s。
　　“Iknowyou”reglad，LittleAnn，“hesaid。“I”dneverhavegottherebutforyou。Itwasuptome，afterthewayyoustartedme。”
　　“YouknowI”mgladwithoutmetellingyou，“sheanswered。“I”mRIGHTDOWNglad。”
　　AnditwasatthismomentthatMrs。Bowsecameintotheroom。
　　“It”stoobadit”shappenedjustnow，“shesaid，muchflustered。
　　“That”sthewaywiththings。Thestew”llspoil，buthesaysit”srealimportant。”
　　Tembaromcaughtatbothherhandsandshookthem。
　　“I”vegotit，Mrs。Bowse。Here”syoursocietyreporter！Thebest-
　　lookingboarderyou”vegotisgoingtobeabletopayhisboardsteady。”
　　“I”masgladascanbe，andsowilleverybodybe。Iknewyou”dgetit。
　　Butthisgentleman”sbeenheretwiceto-day。Hesayshereallymustseeyou。”
　　“Lethimwait，“Hutchinsonordered。“What”sthechapwant？Thestewwon”tbefittoeat。”
　　“No，itwon”t，“answeredMrs。Bowse；“butheseemstothinkhe”snotthekindtobeputoff。Hesaysit”smoreMr。Tembarom”sbusinessthanhis。HelookedrealmadwhenIshowedhimintotheparlor，wheretheywereplayingthepianola。Heaskedwasn”tthereaprivateroomwhereyoucouldtalk。”
　　AcertainflurriedinterestinthemannerofMrs。Bowse，asomethingnotusuallyawakenedbyinopportunecallers，anactualsuggestionofthepossiblefactthatshewasnotasindifferentasshewasnervous，somewhatawakenedMr。Hutchinson”scuriosity。
　　“Lookhere，“hevolunteered，“ifhe”sgotanyrealbusiness，hecan”ttalkovertothetuneofthepianolayoucanbringhimuphere，Tembarom。I”llseehedon”tstaylongifhisbusinessisn”tworthtalkin”about。He”llseethetablesetforsupper，andthat”llhurryhim。”
　　“Oh，geeIwishhehadn”tcome！“saidTembarom。“I”lljustgodownandseewhathewants。Noone”sgotanyswellprivatebusinesswithme。”
　　“Youbringhimupifhehas，“saidHutchinson。“We”dliketohearaboutit。”
　　Tembaromrandownthestairsquickly。
　　Noonehadeverwantedtoseehimonbusinessbefore。Therewassomethingimportant-soundingaboutit；perhapsthingswerestartingupforhiminrealearnest。ItmightbeamessagefromGalton，thoughhecouldnotbelievethathehadatthisearlystagereachedsuchadistinction。Aghastlythoughtshotaboltathim，butheshookhimselffreeofit。
　　“He”snotafellowtogobackonhisword，anyhow，“heinsisted。
　　Thereweremoreboardersthanusualintheparlor。Theyoungwomanfromthenotioncounterhadcompany；andoneofherguestswasplaying“Hesut”nlywasGoodtoMe“onthepianolawithloudandsteadytreadofpedal。
　　Thenewarrivalhadevidentlynotthoughtitworthhiswhiletocommithimselftopermanencybytakingaseat。Hewasstandingnotfarfromthedoorwithabusinesslike-lookingenvelopinonehandandapince-
　　nezintheother，withwhichTembaromsawhewasratherfretfullytappingtheenvelopashelookedabouthim。Hewasplainlytakinginthecharacteristicsoftheroom，andwasnotlenientlydisposedtowardthem。Histailorwasclearlyanexcellentone，withentirelycorrectideasastothecutandmaterialwhichexactlybefittedanelderlygentlemanofsomeimpressivenessintheposition，whatsoeverithappenedtobe，whichheheld。Hisfacewasnotofafriendlytype，andhiseyesheldcoldirritationdiscreetlyrestrainedbybusinesslikecivility。Tembaromvaguelyfeltthegenialitiesoftheoystersupperassumearatherfourth-rateair。
　　Thecalleradvancedandspokefirst。
　　“Mr。Tembarom？“heinquired。
　　“Yes，“Tembaromanswered，“I”mT。Tembarom。”
　　“T。，“repeatedthestranger，withaslightlypuzzledexpression。“Ah，yes；Isee。Ibegpardon。”
　　InthatmomentTembaromfeltthathewaslookedover，takenin，summedup，andwithoutfavor。Thesharp，steadyeye，however，didnotseemtohavemovedfromhisface。Atthesametimeithadaidedhimtorealizethathewas，tothiswell-dressedpersonatleast，atooexhilaratedyoungmanwearingaten-dollar“hand-me-down。”
　　“MynameisPalford，“hesaidconcisely。“Thatwillconveynothingtoyou。IamofthefirmofPalford&GrimbyofLincoln”sInn。Thisismycard。”
　　TembaromtookthecardandreadthatPalford&Grimbywere“solicitors，“andhewasnotsurethatheknewexactlywhat“solicitors“were。
　　“Lincoln”sInn？“hehesitated。“That”snotinNewYork，isit？“
　　“No，Mr。Tembarom；inLondon。IcomefromEngland。”
　　“Youmusthavehadbadweathercrossing，“saidTembarom，withamiableintent。SomehowMr。Palfordpresentedamoreunyieldingsurfacethanhewasaccustomedto。Andyethishardcourtesywasquiteperfect。
　　“Ihavebeenheresomeweeks。”
　　“IhopeyoulikeNewYork。Won”tyouhaveaseat？“
　　Theyoungladyfromthenotioncounterandherfriendsbegantosingthechorusof“Hesut”nlywasGoodtoMe“withquiteprofessionalnegroaccent。
　　“That”sjustthewayMayIrwindoneit，“oneofthemlaughed。
　　Mr。Palfordglancedattheperformers。HedidnotsaywhetherhelikedNewYorkornot。
　　“Iaskedyourlandladyifwecouldnotseeeachotherinaprivateroom，“hesaid。“Itwouldnotbepossibletotalkquietlyhere。”
　　“Weshouldn”thavemuchofashow，“answeredTembarom，inwardlywishingheknewwhatwasgoingtohappen。“Buttherearenoprivateroomsinthehouse。Wecanbequieterthanthis，though，ifwegoupstairstoMr。Hutchinson”sroom。HesaidIcouldbringyou。”
　　“Thatwouldbemuchbetter，“repliedMr。Palford。
　　Tembaromledhimoutoftheroom，upthefirststeepandnarrowflightofstairs，alongthenarrowhalltothesecond，upthat，downanotherhalltothethird，upthethird，andontothefourth。Asheledthewayherealizedagainthattheworncarpets，thesteepnarrowness，andthepiecesofpaperunfortunatelystrippedoffthewallatintervals，werebeingrathercountedagainsthim。Thismanhadprobablyneverbeeninaplacelikethisbeforeinhislife，andhedidn”ttaketoit。
　　AttheHutchinsons”doorhestoppedandexplained：
　　“WeweregoingtohaveanoysterstewherebecausetheHutchinsonsaregoingaway；butMr。Hutchinsonsaidwecouldcomeup。”
　　“VerykindofMr。Hutchinson，I”msure。”
　　Despitehisstifflycollectedbearing，Mr。Palfordlookedperhapsslightlynervouswhenhewashandedintothebed-sitting-room，andfoundhimselfconfrontingHutchinsonandLittleAnnandthetablesetfortheoysterstew。Itistruethathehadneverbeeninsuchaplaceinhislife，thatformanyreasonshewasappalled，andthathewasbesetbyafearthathemightbegrotesquelycompelledbyexistingcircumstancestoacceptthesepeople”sinvitation，iftheyinsisteduponhissittingdownwiththemandsharingtheiroysterstew。Onecouldnotcalculateonwhatwouldhappenamongtheseunknownquantities。Itmightbetheirideaofboarding-housepoliteness。Andhowcouldoneoffendthem？Godforbidthatthesituationshouldintensifyitselfinsuchanabsurdlytryingmanner！Whataboundertheunfortunateyoungmanwas！Hisownexperiencehadnotbeensuchastoassisthimtoanyrealisticenlightenmentregardinghim，evenwhenhehadseenthesocietypageandhadlearnedthathehadchargeofit。
　　“LetmemakeyouacquaintedwithMr。andMissHutchinson，“Tembaromintroduced。“ThisisMr。Palford，Mr。Hutchinson。”
　　Hutchinson，halfhiddenbehindhisnewspaper，jerkedhisheadandgrunted：
　　“Gladtoseeyou，sir。”
　　Mr。Palfordbowed，andtookthechairTembarompresented。
　　“Iammuchobligedtoyou，Mr。Hutchinson，forallowingmetocometoyourroom。IhavebusinesstodiscusswithMr。Tembarom，andthepianolawasbeingplayeddown-stairs——ratherloudly。”
　　“Theydoiteverynight，dang”em！Rightundermybed，“growledHutchinson。“You”reanEnglishman，aren”tyou？“
　　“Yes。”
　　“SoamI，thankGod！“Hutchinsondevoutlygaveforth。
　　LittleAnnrosefromherchair，sewinginhand。
　　“Father”llcomeandsitwithmeinmyroom，“shesaid。
　　Hutchinsonlookedgrumpy。Hedidnotintendtoleavethefieldclearandthestewtoitsfateifhecouldhelpit。HegaveAnnaprotestingfrown。
　　“IdaresayMr。Palforddoesn”tmindus，“hesaid。“We”renotstrangers。”
　　“Notintheleast，“Palfordprotested。“Certainlynot。Ifyouareoldfriends，youmaybeabletoassistus。”
　　“Well，Idon”tknowaboutthat，“Hutchinsonanswered，“We”venotknownhimlong，butweknowhimprettywell。YoucomefromLondon，don”tyou？“
　　“Yes。FromLincoln”sInnFields。”
　　“Law？“gruntedHutchinson。
　　“Yes。OfthefirmofPalford&Grimby。”
　　Hutchinsonmovedinhischairinvoluntarily。Therewasstimulationtocuriosityinthis。Thischapwasaregulartopsawyer——clothes，wayofpronouncinghiswords，manners，everything。Nomistakinghim——oldfamilysolicitorsortofchap。WhatonearthcouldhehavetosaytoTembarom？Tembaromhimselfhadsatdownandcouldnotbesaidtolookathisease。
　　“Idonotintrudewithouttheexcuseofseriousbusiness，“Palfordexplainedtohim。“Agreatdealofcarefulresearchandinquiryhasfinallyledmehere。IamcompelledtobelieveIhavefollowedtherightclue，butImustaskyouafewquestions。YournameisnotreallyTembarom，isit？“
　　HutchinsonlookedatTembaromsharply。
　　“NotTembarom？Whatdoeshemean，lad？“
　　Tembarom”sgrinwasatonceboyishandashamed。
　　“Well，itisinoneway，“heanswered，“anditisn”tinanother。Thefellowsatschoolgotintothewayofcallingmethatway，——tosavetime，Iguess，——andIgottolikeit。They”dhaveguyedmyrealname。
　　Mostofthemneverknewit。Ican”tseewhyanyoneevercalledachildbysuchafoolname，anyhow。”
　　“Whatwasitexactly？“
　　Tembaromlookedalmostsheepish。
　　“Itsoundslikeathinginanovel。ItwasTempleTempleBarholm。TwoTemples，bygee！Asifonewasn”tenough！“
　　JosephHutchinsondroppedhispaperandalmoststartedfromhischair。
　　Hisredfacesuddenlybecamesomuchredderthathelookedatrifleapoplectic。
　　“TempleBarholmdoesthasay？“hecriedout。
　　Mr。Palfordraisedhishandandcheckedhim，butwithasuggestionofstiffapology。
　　“Ifyouwillkindlyallowme。DidyoueverhearyourfatherrefertoaplacecalledTempleBarholm？“heinquired。
　　Tembaromreflectedasthoughsendinghisthoughtsbackwardintoaprettythoroughlyforgottenandignoredpast。Therehadbeennoreasonconnectedwithfilialaffectionwhichshouldhavecausedhimtorecallmemoriesofhisfather。Theyhadnotlikedeachother。HehadknownthathehadbeenresentedandlookeddownuponasacharacteristicallyAmericanproduct。Hisfatherhadmorethanoncesaidhewasa“commonAmericanlad，“andhehadknownhewas。
　　“Seemstome，“hesaidatlast，“thatoncewhenhewasprettymadathisluckIheardhimgrumblingaboutEnglishlaws，andhesaidsomeofhisdistantrelationswereswellpeoplewhowouldneverthinkofspeakingtohim，——perhapsdidn”tknowhewasalive，——andtheylivedinabigwayinaplacethatwasnamedafterthefamily。Heneversawitorthem，andhesaidthatwasthewayinEngland——onefellowgoteverythingandtherestwerepauperslikehimself。He”dalwaysbeenpoor。”
　　“Yes，therelationwasadistantone。Untilthisinvestigationbeganthefamilyknewnothingofhim。Theinquiryhasbeenatiresomeone。I
　　trustIamreachingtheendofit。Wehavegivennearlytwoyearstofollowingthisclue。”
　　“Whatfor？“burstforthTembarom，sittingupright。
　　“BecauseitwasnecessarytofindeitherGeorgeTempleBarholmorhisson，ifhehadone。”
　　“I”mhisson，allright，buthediedwhenIwaseightyearsold，“
　　Tembaromvolunteered。“Idon”tremembermuchabouthim。”
　　“YourememberthathewasnotanAmerican？“
　　“HewasEnglish。Hatedit；buthewasn”tfondofAmerica。”
　　“Haveyouanypapersbelongingtohim？“
　　Tembaromhesitatedagain。
　　“There”safewoldletters——oh，andoneofthoseglassphotographsinacase。Ibelieveit”smygrandfatherandgrandmother，takenwhentheyweremarried。Himonachair，youknow，andherstandingwithherhandonhisshoulder。”
　　“Canyoushowthemtome？“Palfordsuggested。
　　“Sure，“Tembaromanswered，gettingupfromhisseat“They”reinmyroom。Iturnedthemupyesterdayamongsomeotherthings。”
　　Whenheleftthem，Mr。Palfordsatgentlyrubbinghischin。Hutchinsonwantedtoburstforthwithquestions，buthelookedsoremoteandacidlydignifiedthattherewasasuggestionofboldnessintheideaofintrudingonhisreflections。Hutchinsonstaredathimandbreathedhardandshortinhissuspense。Thestiffoldchapwasthinkingthingsoverandputtingthingstogetherinhislawyer”sway。Hewasentirelyoblivioustohissurroundings。LittleAnnwentonwithhermending，butsheworeherabsorbedlook，anditwasnotaresultofherwork。
　　Tembaromcamebackwithsomepapersinhishand。Theywereyellowedoldletters，andonthetopofthepackagetherewasaworndaguerreotype-casewithbrokenclasp。
　　“Heretheyare，“hesaid，givingthemtoPalford。“Iguessthey”djustbeenmarried，“openingthecase。“Getontoherembroideredcollarandbigbreast-pinwithhispictureinit。That”sEnglishenough，isn”tit？He”dgivenittoherforawedding-present。There”ssomethinginoneofthelettersaboutit。”
　　ItwastheletterstowhichMr。Palfordgavethemostattention。Hereadthemandexaminedpost-marksanddates。Whenhehadfinished，herosefromhischairwithaslightlyportentoustouchofprofessionalceremony。
　　“Yes，thosearesufficientlyconvincing。Youareaveryfortunateyoungman。Allowmetocongratulateyou。”
　　Hedidnotlookparticularlypleased，thoughheextendedhishandandshookTembarom”spolitely。Hewasrigorouslyendeavoringtoconcealthathefoundhimselfcalledupontomakethebestofanextremelybadjob。Hutchinsonstartedforward，restinghishandsonhiskneesandglaringwithill-suppressedexcitement。
　　“What”sthatfor？“Tembaromsaid。Hefeltratherlikeafool。Helaughedhalfnervously。Itseemedtobeuptohimtounderstand，andhedidn”tunderstandintheleast。
　　“Youhave，throughyourfather”sdistantrelationship，inheritedaverymagnificentproperty——theestateofTempleBarholminLancashire，“Palfordbegantoexplain，butMr。Hutchinsonsprangfromhischairoutright，crushinghispaperinhishand。
　　“TempleBarholm！“healmostshouted，“Idunnotbelievethee！Why，it”soneofth”oldestplacesinEnglandandoneofth”biggest。Th”TempleBarholmsasdidn”tcomeoverwithth”Conquerorwastherebeforehim。
　　SomeofthemwasSaxonkings！Andhim”pointingastumpy，redfingerdisparaginglyatTembarom，aghastandincredulous”thatNewYorkladthat”ssoldnewspapersinthestreets——yousayhe”scomeintoit？“
　　“Precisely。”Mr。Palfordspokewithsomecrispnessofdiction。Noiseandblusterannoyedhim。“Thatismybusinesshere。Mr。Tembaromis，infact，Mr。TempleTempleBarholmofTempleBarholm，whichyouseemtohaveheardof。”
　　“Heardofit！Mymotherwasborninthevillagean”livesthereyet。
　　Artthastruckdumb，lad！“hesaidalmostfiercelytoTembarom。“ByJudd！Thawellmaybe！“
　　Tembaromwasstandingholdingthebackofachair。Hewaspale，andhadonceopenedhismouth，andthengulpedandshutit。LittleAnnhaddroppedhersewing。Hisfirstlookhadleapedtoher，andshehadlookedbackstraightintohiseyes。
　　“I”mstrucksomething，“hesaid，hishalf-laughslightlyunsteady。
　　“Who”dblameme？“
　　“You”dbettersitdown，“saidLittleAnn。“Suddenthingsareupsetting。”
　　Hedidsitdown。Hefeltrathershaky。Hetouchedhimselfonhischestandlaughedagain。
　　“Me！“hesaid。“T。T。！Hullygee！It”slikeaturnatavaudeville。”
　　ThesentimentprevailinginHutchinson”smindseemedtovergeonindignation。
　　“Theeth”masterofTempleBarholm！“heejaculated。“Why，itstoodforseventythousandpound”ayear！“
　　“Itdidanditdoes，“saidMr。Palford，curtly。Hehadlessandlesstasteforthesituation。Therewasneitherdignitynorpropersentimentinit。Theyoungmanwasutterlyincapableofcomprehendingthemeaningandproportionsoftheextraordinaryeventwhichhadbefallenhim。ItappearedtopresenttohimtheaspectofasomewhatslangyNewYorkjoke。
　　“Youdonotseemmuchimpressed，Mr。TempleBarholm，“hesaid。
　　“Oh，I”mimpressed，allright，“answeredTembarom，“but，say，thisthingcan”tbetrue！Youcouldn”tmakeittrueifyousatupallnighttodoit。”
　　“WhenIgointothebusinessdetailsofthemattertomorrowmorningyouwillrealizethetruthofit，“saidMr。Palford。“Seventythousandpoundsayear——andTempleBarholm——arenotunsubstantialfacts。”
　　“Threehundredandfiftythousanddollars，mylad——that”swhatitstandsfor！“putinMr。Hutchinson。
　　“Well，“saidTembarom，“IguessIcanworryalongonthatifItryhardenough。Imayn”tbeabletokeepmyselfinthewayI”vebeenusedto，butI”vegottomakeitdo。”
　　Mr。Palfordstiffened。Hedidnotknowthatthegarish，flippant-
　　soundingjokingwasthekindofdefensethestreetsofNewYorkhadprovidedMr。TempleBarholmwithinmanyanhourwhenhehadbeenahalf-cladnewsboywithanemptystomach，andabundleofunsoldnewspapersunderhisarm。
　　“Youarejocular，“hesaid。“IfindtheNewYorkersaregiventobeingjocular——continuously。”
　　Tembaromlookedathimrathersearchingly。Palfordwouldn”thavefounditpossibletobelievethattheyoungmanknewallabouthisdistasteanditsnearapproachtodisgust，thatheknewquitewellwhathethoughtofhisten-dollarsuit，hisex-newsboy”sdiction，andhisentireincongruousnessasafactorinanycircumstancesconnectedwithdignityandsplendor。HewouldcertainlynothavecreditedthefactthatthoughhehadnottheremotestideawhatsortofaplaceTempleBarholmwas，andwhatsortofmenitslonglineofpossessorshadbeen，hehadgainedacuriousknowledgeoftheirsignificancethroughthementalattitudeoftheirlegalrepresentativewhenheforamomentfailedtoconcealhissenseofactualrevolt。
　　“Itseemssortoflikeajoketillyougetontoit，“hesaid。“ButI
　　guessitain”tsuchamerryjestasitseems。”
　　AndthenMr。Palforddidbegintoobservethathehadlosthiscolorentirely；alsothathehadaratherdecent，sharp-cutface，andextremelywhiteandgoodyoungteeth，whichheshowednotunattractivelywhenhesmiled。Andhesmiledfrequently，buthewasnotsmilingnow。
　　CHAPTERVII
　　InthecourseoftheinterviewgiventotheexplainingofbusinessandlegaldetailwhichtookplacebetweenMr。Palfordandhisclientthefollowingmorning，Tembarom”sknowledgeofhissituationextendeditselflargely，andatthesametimeaddedinaproportionatedegreetohissenseofhisownincongruityasconnectedwithit。HesatatatableinPalford”sprivatesitting-roomattherespectable，old-
　　fashionedhotelthesolicitorhadchosen-satandlistened，andansweredquestionsandaskedthem，untilhisheadbegantofeelasthoughitwerecrammedtoburstingwithextraordinarydetail。
　　Itwasallextraordinarytohim。Hehadhadnotimeforreadingandnobookstoread，andthereforeknewlittleoffiction。HewasentirelyignorantofallromancebutsuchastheNewYorkpapersprovided。Thiswashighlycolored，butitdidnotdealwitheventsconnectedwiththepossessorsofvastEnglishestatesandthedetailsoftheirhabitsandcustoms。HisgeographicalknowledgeofGreatBritainwassimpleandlargelyincorrect。Informationconcerningitsusualconditionsandaspectshadcometohimthroughtalkofinternationalmarriagesandcupraces，andhadmadebutlittleimpressionuponhim。HelikedNewYork-itsnoise，itsstreets，itsglare，itsSundaynewspapers，withtheirever-increasingnumberofsheets，andpicturesofeverythingonearthwhichcouldbephotographed。Hischoice，whenhecouldallowhimselfafifty-centseatatthetheater，naturallyrantoproductionswhichwerefarcicalorcheerfullymusical。Hehadneverreachedseriousdrama，perhapsbecausehehadneverhadmoneyenoughtopayforentrancetoanythinglikehalfofthe“shows“theotherfellowsrecommended。Hewastotallyunpreparedforthefacingofanykindofdramaasconnectedwithhimself。TheworstofitwasthatitstruckhimasbeingofthenatureoffarcewhenregardedfromthenormalNewYorkpointofview。Ifhehadsomehowhadthelucktocomeintothepossessionofmoneyinwayswhichwerefamiliartohim，-to“strikeitrich“inthewayofa“bigjob“or“deal，“-hewouldhavebeenbetterabletoadjusthimselftocircumstances。Hemightnothaveknownhowtospendhismoney，buthewouldhavespentitinNewYorkonNewYorkjoys。Therewouldhavebeennoforeignremotenessaboutthething，howsoeverfantasticallyunexpectedsuchfortunemighthavebeen。Atanyrate，inNewYorkhewouldhaveknownthenamesofplacesandthings。
　　ThroughalargepartofhisinterviewwithPalfordhiselbowrestedonthetable，andheheldhischinwithhishandandrubbeditthoughtfully。ThelastTempleTempleBarholmhadbeenaneccentricanduncompanionableperson。Hehadlivedaloneandhadnotmarried。Hehadcherishedaprejudiceagainstthemanwhowouldhavesucceededhimasnextofkinifhehadnotdiedyoung。Peoplehadbeenoftheopinionthathehaddislikedhimmerelybecausehedidnotwishtoberemindedthatsomeoneelsemustsomedayinevitablystandinhisshoes，andownthepossessionsofwhichhehimselfwasarrogantlyfond。TherewerealwaysmorefemaleTempleBarholmsthanmaleones，andthefamiliesweresmall。TherelativewhohademigratedtoBrooklynhadbeenacomparativelyunknownperson。Hisonlyintercoursewiththeheadofthehousehadbeenconfinedtoabeggingletter，writtenfromAmericawhenhiscircumstanceswereattheirworst。Itwasanill-
　　manneredandill-expressedletter，whichhadbeenconsideredpresuming，andhadbeenansweredchillinglywithamerefive-poundnote，clearlyexplainedasafinalcharity。Thisbeggingletter，whichbitterlycontrastedthewriter”spovertywithhisindifferentrelative”sluxuries，had，byacurioustrickofchancewhichpreservedit，quiteextraordinarilyturnedupduringanexaminationofapparentlyunimportant，forgottenpapers，andhadfurnishedaclueinthesearchfornextofkin。ThewriterhadgreatlyannoyedoldMr。
　　TempleBarholmbytellinghimthathehadcalledhissonbyhisname-
　　“notthattherewaseverlikelytobeanythinginitforhim。”ButawaifoftheNewYorkstreetswhowasknownas“Tem“or“Tembarom“wasnotalinkeasilyattachedtoanychain，andthesearchhadbeenlongandratherhopeless。Ithad，however，atlastreachedMrs。Bowse”sboarding-houseandbeforeMr。PalfordsatMr。TempleTempleBarholm，acheapyoungmanincheapclothes，andspeakingNewYorkslangwithanasalaccent。Mr。Palford，feelinghimappallingandabsolutelywithoutthepale，wasstillawarethathestoodinthepositionofanimportantclientofthefirmofPalford&Grimby。TherewasasectionoftheofficesatLincoln”sInndevotedtodocumentsrepresentingalifetimeofattentiontotheaffairsoftheTempleBarholmestates。Itwasgreatlytobehopedthatthecrassignoranceandcommonnessofthisyoungoutsiderwouldnotcauseimpossiblecomplications。
　　“Heknowsnothing！Heknowsnothing！“Palfordfoundhimselfforcedtoexclaimmentallynotonce，butahundredtimes，inthecourseoftheirtalk。
　　Therewas-thisrevealeditselfastheinterviewproceeded-justoneslightpalliationofhisimpossiblebenightedness：hewasnotthekindofyoungmanwho，knowingnothing，huffilyprotectshimselfbypretendingtoknoweverything。Hewasofanunreserveconcerninghisignorancewhichhissolicitorfeltsometimesalmoststruckoneintheface。Nowandthenitquitemadeonejump。Hewassingularlyfreefromanyvestigeofpersonalvanity。Hewasalsosingularlyunreadytotakeoffense。TotheheadofthefirmofPalford&Grimby，whowasnotaccustomedtolightnessofmanner，andinclinedtotheviewthatapersonwhomadeajoketookratheralibertywithhim，histendencytobejocular，evenabouthimselfandtheestateofTempleBarholm，wasirritatingandsomewhatdisrespectful。Mr。Palforddidnoteasilycomprehendjokesofanysort；especiallywasheannoyedbycrypticphraseologyandmammothexaggeration。Forinstance，becouldnotintheleastcompassMr。TempleBarholm”smeaningwhenhecasuallyremarkedthatsomethingorotherwas“alltothemerry“；oragain，quiteasthoughhebelievedthathewasusingreasonableEnglishfiguresofspeech，“Theoldfellowthoughthewastheonlypebbleonthebeach。”InusingthelatterexpressionhehadbeenreferringtothelateMr。TempleBarholm；butwhatonearthwashisconnectionwiththesea-shoreandpebbles？Whenconfrontedwiththesebafflingabsurdities，Mr。Palfordeithersaid，“Ibegpardon，“orstiffenedandremainedsilent。
　　WhenTembaromlearnedthathewastheheadofoneoftheoldestfamiliesinEngland，noaspectofthedesirabledignityofhispositionreachedhimintheleast。
　　“Well，“heremarked，“there”squitealotofuscangobacktoAdamandEve。”
　　WhenhewastoldthathewaslordofthemanorofTempleBarholm，hedidnotknowwhatamanorwas。
　　“What”samanor，andwhathappensifyou”relordofit？“heasked。
　　HehadnotheardofWilliamtheConqueror，anddidnotappearmovedtoadmirationofhim，thoughheownedthatheseemedtohave“putitover。”
　　“Whydidn”themakearepublicofitwhilehewasaboutit？“hesaid。
　　“ButIguessthatwasn”thiskind。Hedidn”tdoallthatfightingforhishealth。”
　　Hisinterestwasnotalonetotallydisseveredfromtheeventsofpastcenturies；itwasasdisseveredfromthoseofmerepastyears。Thehabits，customs，andpointsofviewoffiveyearsbeforeseemedtohavebeencastintoavastwaste-paperbasketaswhollyunpracticalinconnectionwithpresentexperiences。
　　“Amanthat”sgoingtokeepupwiththeprocessioncan”twastetimethinkingaboutyesterday。Whathe”sgottodoistokeephiseyeonwhat”sgoingtohappentheweekafternext，“hesummeditup。
　　RathertoMr。Palford”ssurprise，hedidnotspeaklightly，butwithasortofinnerseriousness。Itsuggestedthathehadnotarrivedatthisconclusionwithouttheaidofsharpexperience。Nowandthenonesawatouchofthisprofoundpracticalperceptioninhim。
　　Itwasnottobedeniedthathewasclear-headedenoughwherepurelypracticalbusinessdetailwasconcerned。Hewasatfirstplainlyratherstunnedbytheproportionspresentedtohim，buthisquestionsweredirectandofacommon-senseordernottobedespised。
　　“Idon”tknowanythingaboutityet，“hesaidonce。“It”sallDutchtome。Ican”tcalculateinhalf-crownsandpoundsandhalfpounds，butI”mgoingtofindout。I”vegotto。”
　　Itwasextraordinaryandannoyingtofeelthatonemustexplaineverything；butthisimpossiblefellowwasnotanactualfoolonallpoints，andhedidnotseemtobeaweakling。Hemightlearncertainthingsintime，andatalleventsonewasnofurtherpersonallyresponsibleforhimandhisimpossibilitiesthanthebusinessconcernsofhisestatewouldobligeanylegalfirmtobe。Clients，whetherhighlydesirableorotherwise，werenomorethanclients。Theywerenotrelativeswhomonemustintroducetoone”sfriends。ThusMr。
　　Palford，whowasnotaspeciallyhumaneorsympatheticperson，mentallydecided。Hesawnopathosinthisrawyoungman，whowouldpresentlyfindhimselfflounderingunaidedinwatersutterlyunknowntohim。Therewasevenatouchofbitteramusementinthesolicitor”smindasheglancedtowardthefuture。
　　HeexplainedwithdetailthenecessityfortheirimmediatedeparturefortheothersideoftheAtlantic。CertainlegalformalitieswhichmustatoncebeattendedtodemandedtheirpresenceinEngland。
　　Foreseeingthis，onthedaywhenhehadfinallyfelthimselfsecureastotheidentityofhisclienthehadtakenthelibertyofengagingoptionallycertainstate-roomsontheAdriana，sailingthefollowingWednesday。
　　“Subjectofcoursetoyourapproval，“headdedpolitely。“Butitisimperativethatweshouldbeonthespotasearlyaspossible。”Hedidnotmentionthathehimselfwasabominablytiredofhissojournonalienshores，andwantedtobebackinLondoninhisownchambers，withhisownclubwithineasyreach。
　　Tembarom”sfacechangeditsexpression。Hehadbeenlookingratherweighteddownandfatigued，andhelighteduptoeagerness。
　　“Say，“heexclaimed，“whycouldn”twegoontheTransatlanticonSaturday？“
　　“Itisoneofthesmall，cheapboats，“objectedPalford。
　　“Theaccommodationwouldbemostinferior。”
　　Tembaromleanedforwardandtouchedhissleeveinhasty，boyishappeal。
　　“Iwanttogoonit，“hesaid；“Iwanttogosteerage。”
　　Palfordstaredathim。
　　“YouwanttogoontheTransatlantic！Steerage！“heejaculated，quiteaghast。Thiswasanovelorderofmadnesstorevealitselfintherecentinheritorofagreatfortune。
　　Tembarom”sappealgrewfranker；ittookonthenoteofatoocrudeyoungfellow”smisplacedconfidence。
　　“Youdothisforme，“hesaid。“I”dgiveafarmtogoonthatboat。
　　TheHutchinsonsaresailingonit-Mr。andMissHutchinson，theonesyousawatthehouselastnight。”
　　“I-itisreallyimpossible。”Mr。Palfordhesitated。“Astosteerage，mydearMr。TempleBarholm，you-youcan”t。”
　　Tembaromgotupandstoodwithhishandsthrustdeepinhispockets。
　　Itseemedtobeasortofexpressionofhissuddenhopefulexcitement。
　　“Whynot“hesaid。“IfIownabouthalfofEnglandandhavemoneytoburn，IguessIcanbuyasteeragepassageonanine-daysteamer。”
　　“Youcanbuyanythingyoulike，“Palfordansweredstiffly。“Itisnotamatterofbuying。ButIshouldnotbeconductingmyselfproperlytowardyouifIallowedit。Itwouldnotbe-becoming。”
　　“Becoming！“criedTembarom，“Thunder！It”snotaspringbat。ItellyouIwanttogojustthatway。”
　　Palfordsawabnormalbreakersahead。HefeltthathewouldbegladwhenbehadlandedhischargesafelyatTempleBarholm。Oncethere，hisfamilysolicitorwasnotcalledupontolivewithhimandhobnobwithhisextraordinaryintimates。
　　“Astobuying，“hesaid，stillwithmarkedlackofenthusiasm，“insteadoftakingasteeragepassageontheTransatlanticyourself，youmightnodoubtsecurefirst-classstate-roomsforMr。andMissHutchinsonontheAdriana，thoughIseriouslyadviseagainstit。”
　　Tembaromshookhishead。
　　“Youdon”tknowthem，“hesaid。“Theywouldn”tletme。Hutchinson”saqueeroldfellowandhe”shadthehardestkindofluck，buthe”sasproudastheymake”em。Mebuttinandoffertopaytheirpassageback，asiftheywerepaupers，justbecauseI”vesuddenlystruckitrich！Hullygee！Iguessnot。Afellowthat”sbeenboostedupintheairallinaminute，asIhave，hasgottolieprettylowtokeepfolksfromwantingtokickhim，anyhow。Hutchinson”sadarnedsightsmarterfellowthanIam，andheknowsit——andhe”sLancashire，youbet。”Hestoppedaminuteandflushed。“AstoLittleAnn，“hesaid——
　　“memakethatsortofabreakwithHER！Well，Ishouldbeafool。”
　　Palfordwasacold-bloodedandunimaginativeperson，butalonglegalexperiencehadbuiltupwithinhimacertainshrewdnessofperception。
　　Hehadnaturallyglancedonceortwiceatthegirlsittingstillathermending，andhehadobservedthatshesaidverylittleandhadasingularlyquiet，firmlittlevoice。
　　“Ibegpardon。Youareprobablyright。Ihadverylittleconversationwitheitherofthem。MissHutchinsonstruckmeashavinganintelligentface。”
　　“She”sawonder，“saidTembarom，devoutly。“She”sjustawonder。”
　　“Underthecircumstances，“suggestedMr。Palford，“itmightnotbeabadideatoexplaintoheryourideaofthesteeragepassage。Anintelligentgirlcanoftengiveexcellentadvice。Youwillprobablyhaveanopportunityofspeakingtohertonight。Didyousaytheyweresailingto-morrow？“
　　To-morrow！ThatbroughtitsonearthatitgaveTembaromashock。HehadknownthattheysailedonSaturday，andnowSaturdayhadbecometo-morrow。Thingsbegantosurgethroughhismind——allsortsofthingshehadnotimetothinkofclearly，thoughitwastruetheyhaddartedvaguelyaboutinthedeliriousexcitementofthenight，duringwhichhehadscarcelysleptatall。Hisfacechangedagain，andtheappealdiedoutofit。Hebegantolookanxiousandrestless。
　　“Yes，they”regoingto-morrow，“heanswered。
　　“Yousee，“arguedMr。Palford，withconviction，“howimpossibleitwouldbeforustomakeanyarrangementsinsofewhours。Youwillexcusemysaying，“headdedpunctiliously，“thatIcouldnotmakethevoyageinthesteerage。”
　　Tembaromlaughed。Hethoughthesawhimdoingit。
　　“That”sso，“hesaid。Then，withrenewedhope，headded，“Say，I”mgoingtotryandgetthemtowaittillWednesday。”
　　“Idonotthink”Mr。Palfordbegan，andthenfeltitwisertoleavethingsastheywere。“ButI”mnotqualifiedtogiveanopinion。IdonotknowMissHutchinsonatall。”
　　Butthestatementwasbynomeansfrank。Hehadaprivateconvictionthathedidknowhertoacertaindegree。Andhedid。
　　CHAPTERVIII
　　TherewasaslightawkwardnesseventoTembarominenteringthedining-roomthatevening。Hehadnotseenhisfellowboarders，ashisrestlessnighthadmadehimsleeplaterthanusual。ButMrs。Bowsehadtoldhimoftheexcitementhehadcaused。
　　“Theyjustcouldn”teat，“shesaid。“Theycoulddonothingbuttalkandtalkandaskquestions；andIhadwaffles，too，andtheygotstone-cold。”
　　Thebabeloffriendlyoutcrywhichbrokeoutonhisentrywasmadeupofjokes，ejaculations，questions，andcongratulatoryoutburstsfromallsides。
　　“GoodoldT。T。！““GivehimaHarvardyell！Rah！Rah！Rah！““Lendmefifty-fivecents？““Where”syourtiara？““Darnedgladofit！““Makeusaspeech！“
　　“Say，people，“saidTembarom，“don”tyougetmerattledorIcan”ttellyouanything。I”mrattledenoughalready。”
　　“Well，isittrue？“calledoutMr。Striper。
　　“No，“Tembaromansweredback，sittingdown。“Itcouldn”tbe；that”swhatItoldPalford。Ishallwakeupinaminuteortwoandfindmyselfinahospitalwithapeacherinoofatrainednursesmoothing”mepiller。”Youcan”tfoolMEwithapipe-dreamlikethis。Palford”seasier；he”snotaNewYorker。HesaysitIStrue，andIcan”tgetoutofit。”
　　“Whew！GreatJakes！“Alongbreathwasexhaledallroundthetable。
　　“Whatareyou，anyhow？“criedJimBowlesacrossthedishes。
　　Tembaromrestedhiselbowontheedgeofthetableandbegantocheckoffhispointsonhisfingers。
　　“I”mthis，hesaid：“I”mTempleTempleBarholm，Esquire，ofTempleBarholm，Lancashire，England。Atthetimeofthefloodmyfolksknockedupahousejustaboutwherethearklanded，andIguessthey”veheldontoiteversince。Idon”tknowwhatbusinesstheywentinto，buttheymademoney。PalfordswearsI”vegotthreehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayear。Iwasn”tgoingtocallthemanaliar；
　　butIjustmissedit，byjings！“
　　Hewastryingto“bluffitout。”Somehowhefelthehadto。Hefeltitmorethaneverwhenamomentarysilencefelluponthosewhosataboutthetable。Itfellwhenhesaid“threehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayear。”Noonecouldfindvoicetomakeanyremarkforafewsecondsafterthat。
　　“Areyoualord——oraduke？“someoneaskedafterbreathhadrecovereditself。
　　“No，I”mnot，“herepliedwithrelief。“Ijustgotoutfromunderthat；buttheLordknowshowIdidit。”
　　“Whatareyougoingtodofirst？“saidJimBowles。
　　“I”vegottogoand”takepossession。”That”swhatPalfordcallsit。
　　I”vebeenalostheirfornearlytwoyears，andI”vegottoshowmyself。”
　　Hutchinsonhadnotjoinedtheclamorofgreeting，buthadgrunteddisapprovalmorethanonce。Hefeltthat，asanEnglishman，hehadacertaindignitytomaintain。Heknewsomethingaboutbigestatesandtheirowners。HewasnotlikethesecommonNewYorkchaps，whoregardedthemasArabianNightstalestomakejokesabout。HehadgrownupasavillageboyinproperaweofTempleBarholm。Theywereignorantfools，thislot。Hehadnopatiencewiththem。HehadleftthevillageandgonetoworkinManchesterwhenhewasaboyoftwelve，butaslongashehadremainedinhismother”scottageithadbeenonlydecentgoodmannersforhimtotouchhisforeheadrespectfullywhenaTempleBarholm，oraTempleBarholmguestorcarriageorponyphaeton，passedhimby。AndthischapwasMr。TempleTempleBarholmhimself！Lordsaveus！
　　LittleAnnsaidnothingatall；but，then，sheseldomsaidanythingduringmeal-times。Whentherestoftheboarderslaughed，sheateherdinnerandsmiled。Severaltimes，despitehercaution，Tembaromcaughthereye，andsomehowhelditasecondwithhis。Shesmiledathimwhenthishappened；buttherewassomethingrestlessandeagerinhislookwhichmadeherwishtoevadeit。Sheknewwhathefelt，andsheknewwhyhekeptuphisjokesandneveroncespokeseriously。Sheknewhewasnotcomfortable，anddidnotenjoytalkingabouthundredsofthousandsayeartopeoplewhoworkedhardfortenortwenty“per。”
　　To-morrowmorningwasverynear，shekeptthinking。To-morrownightshewouldbelyinginherberthinthesteerage，ormoreprobablytakingcareofherfather，whowouldbeveryuncomfortable。
　　“WhatwillGaltondo？“Mr。Striperasked。
　　“Idon”tknow，“Tembaromanswered，andhelookedtroubled。Threehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayearmightnotbeabletogiveaidtoawoundedsocietypage。
　　“WhatareyougoingtodowithyourFreak？“calledoutJuliusSteinberger。
　　Tembaromactuallystarted。Asthingshadsurgedoverhim，hehadhadtoomuchtothinkover。Hehadnothadtimetogivetohisstrangeresponsibility；ithadbecomeonenevertheless。
　　“AreyougoingtoleavehimbehindwhenyougotoEngland？“
　　Heleanedforwardandputhischinonhishand。
　　“Why，say，“hesaid，asthoughhewerethinkingitout，“he”sspokenaboutEnglandtwoorthreetimes。He”ssaidhemustgothere。Byjings！I”lltakehimwithme，andseewhat”llhappen。”
　　WhenLittleAnngotuptoleavetheroomhefollowedherandherfatherintothehall。
　　“MayIcomeupandtalkitoverwithyou？“heappealed。“I”vegottotalktosomeonewhoknowssomethingaboutit。IshallgodottyifI
　　don”t。It”stoomuchlikeadream。”
　　“Comeonupwhenyou”reready，“answeredHutchinson。“Annandmecangiveyouatiportwo。”
　　“I”mgoingtobeputtingthelastthingsinthetrunks，“saidAnn，“butIdaresayyouwon”tmindthat。Theexpress”llbeherebyeightinthemorning。”
　　“0Lord！“groanedTembarom。
　　Whenhewentuptothefourthflooralittlelater，Hutchinsonhadfallenintoadozeinhischairoverhisnewspaper，andAnnwaskneelingbyatrunkinthehall，foldingsmallarticlestightly，andfittingthemintocorners。ToTembaromshelookedevenmorethanusuallikeaslightchildthingonecouldsnatchupinone”sarmsandcarryaboutorsetonone”skneewithoutfeelingherweightatall。Aninferiorgas-jetonthewalljustaboveherwasdoingitsbestwiththelotofsoft，redhair，whichwouldhavebeenanuntidybundleifithadnotbeenhers。
　　Tembaromsatdownonthetrunknexttoher。
　　“0LittleAnn！“hebrokeoutunderhisbreath，lestthesoundofhisvoicemightcheckHutchinson”ssteadysnoring。“0LittleAnn！“
　　Annleanedback，sittinguponhersmallheels，andlookedupathim。
　　“You”reallupset，andit”snottobewonderedat，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid。
　　“Upset！You”regoingawayto-morrowmorning！And，fortheLord”ssake，don”tcallmethat！“heprotested。
　　“You”regoingawayyourselfnextWednesday。AndyouAREMr。TempleBarholm。You”llneverbecalledanythingelseinEngland。
　　“HowamIgoingtostandit？“heprotestedagain。“Howcouldafellowlikemestandit！TobeyankedoutofgoodoldNewYork，andsetdowninaplacelikeamuseum，withCentralParkroundit，andcalledMr。
　　TempleTempleBarholminsteadofjust”Tem”or”T。T。”！It”snotnatural。”
　　“Whatyoumustdo，Mr。TempleBarholm，istokeepyourheadclear，that”sall，“sherepliedmaturely。
　　“Lord！ifI”dgotaheadlikeyours！“
　　Sheseemedtotakehimin，withabenignappreciativeness，inhisentirety。
　　“Well，youhaven”t，“sheadmitted，thoughquitewithoutdisparagement，merelywithslightreservation。“Butyou”vegotonelikeyourown。Andit”sagoodhead——whenyoutrytothinksteady。Yoursisaman”shead，andmine”sonlyawoman”s。”
　　“It”sLittleAnnHutchinson”s，bygee！“saidTembarom，withfeeling。
　　“Listenhere，Mr。Tem——TempleBarholm，“shewenton，asnearlydisturbedashehadeverseenheroutwardly。“It”sawonderfulthingthat”shappenedtoyou。It”slikeanovel。Thatsplendidplace，thatsplendidname！ItseemssoqueertothinkIshouldeverhavetalkedtoaMr。TempleBarholmasI”vetalkedtoyou。”
　　Heleanedforwardalittleasthoughsomethingdrewhim。
　　“But“——therewasunsteadyappealinhisvoice”youhavelikedme，haven”tyou，LittleAnn？“
　　Herownvoiceseemedtodropintoanextraquietnessthatmadeitremote。Shelookeddownatherhandsonherlap。
　　“Yes，Ihavelikedyou。IhavetoldFatherIlikedyou，“sheanswered。
　　Hegotup，andmadeanimpetuousrushathisgoal。
　　“Then——say，I”mgoingintheretowakeupMr。Hutchinsonandaskhimnottosailto-morrowmorning。”
　　“You”dbetternotwakehimup，“sheanswered，smiling；buthesawthatherfacechangedandflushed。“It”snotagoodtimetoaskFatheranythingwhenhe”sjustbeenwakedup。AndweHAVEtogo。Theexpressiscomingateight。”
　　“Senditawayagain；tell”emyou”renotgoing。Tell”emanyoldthing。LittleAnn，what”sthematterwithyou？Something”sthematter。
　　HaveImadeabreak？“
　　Hehadfelttheremotenessinherevenbeforehehadhearditinherdroppedvoice。Ithadbeenvaguelythereevenwhenhesatdownonthetrunk。Actuallytherewasatouchofreserveabouther，asthoughshewaskeepingherlittleplacewiththeself-respectingproprietyofagirlspeakingtoamannotofherownworld。
　　“IdaresayI”vedonesomefoolthingwithoutknowingit。Idon”tknowwhereI”mat，anyhow，“hesaidwoefully。
　　“Don”tlookatmelikethat，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid”asifI
　　wasunkind。I——I”mNOT。”
　　“Butyou”redifferent，“heimplored。“IsawittheminuteIcameup。I
　　ranup-stairsjustcrazytotalktoyou，——yes，crazytotalktoyou——
　　andyou——well，youweredifferent。Whyareyou，ifyou”renotmad？“
　　Thensheroseandstoodholdingoneofherneatlyrolledpackagesinherhand。Hereyesweresoftandclear，andappealedmaternallytohisreason。
　　“Becauseeverything”sdifferent。Youjustthinkabit，“sheanswered。
　　Hestaredatherafewseconds，andthenunderstandingofherdawneduponhim。Hemadeahumanyoungdashather，andcaughtherarm。
　　“What！“hecriedout。“YoumeanthisTempleBarholmsonganddancemakesthingsdifferent？Notonyourlife！You”renotthegirltoworkthatonme，asifitwasmyfault。You”vegottohearmespeakmypiece。Ann——you”vejustgotto！“
　　Hehadbeguntotremblealittle，andsheherselfwasnotsteady；butsheputahandonhisarm。
　　“Don”tsayanythingyou”venothadtimetothinkabout，“shesaid。
　　“I”vebeenthinkingofprettynearnothingelseeversinceIcamehere。JustassoonasIlookedatyouacrossthetablethatfirstdayIsawmyfinish，andeverydaymademesurer。I”dneverhadanycomfortortakingcareof，——Ididn”tknowthefirstthingaboutit，——
　　anditseemedasifalltherewasofitintheworldwasjustinYOU。”
　　“Didyouthinkthat？“sheaskedfalteringly。
　　“DidI？That”showyoulookedtome，andit”showyoulooknow。Thewayyougoabouttakingcareofeverybodyandjusthandingoutsolidlittlechunksofgoodsensetoeverydarnedfoolthatneedsthem，why——
　　“Therewasabreakinhisvoice”why，itjustknockedmeoutthefirstround。”Heheldheralittleawayfromhim，sothathecouldyearnoverher，thoughhedidnotknowhewasyearning。“See，I”dswornI”dneveraskagirltomarrymeuntilIcouldkeepher。Well，youknowhowitwas，Ann。Icouldn”thavekeptagoat，andIwasn”tsuchafoolthatIdidn”tknowit。I”vebeenprettysickwhenI
　　thoughthowitwas；butIneverworriedyou，didI？“
　　“No，youdidn”t。”
　　“Ijustgotbusy。Iworkedlike——well，IgotbusierthanIeverwasinmylife。WhenIgotthepageSURE，Iletmyselfgoabit，sortofhoping。AndthenthisTempleBarholmthinghitsme。”
　　“That”sthethingyou”vegottothinkofnow，“saidLittleAnn。“I”mgoingtotalksensibletoyou。”
　　“Don”t，Ann！GoodLord！DON”T！“
　　“IMUST。”Sheputherlasttightrollintothetrunkandtriedtoshutthelid。“Pleaselockthisforme。”
　　Helockedit，andthensheseatedherselfonthetopofit，thoughitwasratherhighforher，andhersmallfeetdangled。Hereyeslookedlargeandmoistlikeababy”s，andshetookoutahandkerchiefandlightlytouchedthem。
　　“You”vemademewanttocryabit，“shesaid，“butI”mnotgoingto。”
　　“Areyougoingtotellmeyoudon”twantme？“heasked，withanxiouseyes。
　　“No，I”mnot。”
　　“Godblessyou！“Hewasgoingtomakeadashatheragain，butpulledhimselfupbecausehemust。“No，byjings！“hesaid。“I”mnotgoingtotillyouletme。”
　　“Yousee，it”strueyourhead”snotlikemine，“shesaidreasonably。
　　“Men”sheadsaremostlynotlikewomen”s。They”remen，ofcourse，andthey”resuperiortowomen，butthey”rewhatI”dcallmorefluttery-
　　like。Womenmustremindthemofthings。”
　　“What——whatkindofthings？“
　　“Thiskind。Yousee，GrandmotherlivesnearTempleBarholm，andIknowwhatit”slike，andyoudon”t。AndI”veseenwhatseventythousandpoundsayearmeans，andyouhaven”t。Andyou”vegottogoandfindoutforyourself。”
　　“What”sthematterwithyoucomingalongtohelpme？“
　　“Ishouldn”thelpyou；that”sit。Ishouldholdyouback。I”mnothingbutAnnHutchinson，andItalkManchester——andIdropmyh”s。”
　　“Ilovetohearyoudropyourlittleh”sallovertheplace，“heburstforthimpetuously。“Iloveit。”
　　Sheshookherhead。
　　“Thegirlsthatgotogarden-partiesatTempleBarholmlooklikethoseinthe`Ladies”Pictorial”，andthey”vegotnamesandtitlessameasthoseinnovels。”
　　Heansweredheringenuineanguish。Hehadnevermadeanymistakeabouthercharacter，andshewasbeginningtomakehimfeelafraidofherinthemidstofhisadoration。
　　“WhatdoIwantwithagirloutofamagazine？“hecried。“WhereshouldIhangherup？“
　　Shewasnotunfeeling，butunshakenandshewenton：
　　“Ishouldlooklikeahousemaidamongthem。Howwouldyoufeelwithawifeofthatsort，whentheothersortwasabout？“
　　“Ishouldfeellikeaking，that”swhatIshouldfeellike，“herepliedindignantly。
　　“Ishouldn”tfeellikeaqueen。IshouldfeelMISERABLE。”
　　Shesatwithherlittlefeetdangling，andherhandsfoldedinherlap。HerinfantileblueeyesheldhimastheAncientMarinerhadbeenheld。Hecouldnotgetawayfromthecleardirectnessofthem。Hedidnotwanttoexactly，butshefrightenedhimmoreandmore。
　　“Ishouldbeashamed，“sheproceeded。“IshouldfeelasifIhadtakenanadvantage。Whatyou”vegottodoistofindoutsomethingnooneelsecanfindoutforyou，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
　　“HowcanIfinditoutwithoutyou？Itwasyouwhoputmeontothewedding-cake；youcanputmeontootherthings。”
　　“BecauseI”velivedintheplace，“sheansweredunswervingly。“IknowhowfunnyitisforanyonetothinkofmebeingMrs。TempleBarholm。
　　Youdon”t。”
　　“YoubetIdon”t，“heanswered；“butI”lltellyouwhatIdoknow，andthat”showfunnyitisthatIshouldbeMr。TempleBarholm。I”vegotontothatallright，allright。Haveyou？“
　　Shelookedathimwithareflectionthatsaidmuch。Shetookhiminwithajudicialsummingupofwhichitmustbeownedanaddedrespectwaspart。Shehadalwaysbelievedhehadmoresensethanmostyoungmen，andnowsheknewit。
　　“Whenaperson”scleverenoughtoseethingsforhimself，he”sgenerallycleverenoughtomanagethem，“shereplied。
　　Hekneltdownbesidethetrunkandtookbothherhandsinhis。Heheldthemfastandratherhard。
　　“Areyouthrowingmedownforgood，LittleAnn？“hesaid。“Ifyouare，Ican”tstandit，Iwon”tstandit。”
　　“Ifyoucareaboutmelikethat，you”lldowhatItellyou，“sheinterrupted，andsheslippeddownfromthetopofhertrunk。“IknowwhatMotherwouldsay。She”dsay，”Ann，yougivethatyoungmanachance。”AndI”mgoingtogiveyouone。I”vesaidallI”mgoingto，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
　　Hetookbothherelbowsandlookedatherclosely，feelingasomewhatawedconviction。
　　“I-believe-youhave，“hesaid。
　　AndherethesoundofMr。Hutchinson”sloudandstertorousbreathingceased，andhewakedup，andcametothedoortofindoutwhatAnnwasdoing。
　　“Whatareyoutwotalkingabout？“heasked。“Peoplethinkwhentheywhisperit”snotgoingtodisturbanybody，butit”sworsethanshoutinginaman”sear。”
　　Tembaromwalkedintotheroom。
　　“I”vebeenaskingLittleAnntomarryme，“heannounced，“andshewon”t。”
　　Hesatdowninachairhelplessly，andlethisheadfallintohishands。
　　“Eh！“exclaimedHutchinson。HeturnedandlookedatAnndisturbedly。
　　“Ithoughtabitagothadidn”tdenybutwhattha”dtooktohim？“
　　“Ididn”t，Father，“sheanswered。“Idon”tchangemymindthatquick。
　　I-wouldhavebeenwillingtosay”Yes”whenyouwouldn”thavebeenwillingtoletme。Ididn”tknowhewasMr。TempleBarholmthen。”
　　Hutchinsonrubbedthebackofhishead，reddeningandratherbristling。
　　“Dostthathinkth”TempleBarholmswouldlookdownonthee？“
　　“IshouldlookdownonmyselfifItookhimupathisfirstwords，whenhe”sallupsetwithexcitement，andhasn”thadtimetofindoutwhatthingsmean。I”m——well，I”mtoofondofhim，Father。”
　　Hutchinsongaveheralong，steadylook。
　　“Youare？“hesaid。
　　“Yes，Iam。”
　　Tembaromliftedhishead，andlookedather，too。
　　“Areyou？“heasked。
　　Sheputherhandsbehindherback，andreturnedhislookwiththecalmofages。
　　“I”mnotgoingtoargueaboutit，“sheanswered。“Arguing”ssilly。”
　　Hisinvoluntaryrisingandstandingbeforeherwasasortofunconscioustributeofrespect。
　　“Iknowthat，“heowned。“Iknowyou。That”swhyItakeitlikethis。
　　ButIwantyoutotellmeonething。Ifthishadn”thappened，ifI”donlyhadtwentydollarsaweek，wouldyouhavetakenme？“
　　“Ifyou”dhadfifteen，andFathercouldhavesparedme，I”dhavetakenyou。Fifteendollarsaweekisthreepoundstwoandsixpence，andI”veknowncurates”wivesthathadtobringupfamiliesonless。Itwouldn”tgoasfarinNewYorkasitwouldinthecountryinEngland，butwecouldhavemadeitdo——untilyougotmore。Iknowyou，too，Mr。
　　TempleBarholm。”