“I”mhere，sir，todoanythingyourequire，“Pearsonanswereddistressedly；“butI”mafraid”
　　Tembarom”sfacechanged。Asuddenthoughthadstruckhim。
　　“I”lltellyouonethingyoucando，“hesaid；“youcanvaletthatfriendofmine。”
　　“Mr。Strangeways，sir？“
　　“Yes。I”vegotanotionhewouldn”tmindit。”Hewasnotjokingnow。
　　Hewasinfactrathersuddenlythoughtful。
　　“Say，Pearson，whatdoyouthinkofhim？“
　　“Well，sir，I”venotseenmuchofhim，andhesaysverylittle，butI
　　shouldthinkhewasaGENTLEMAN，sir。”
　　Mr。TempleBarholmseemedtothinkitover。
　　“That”squeer，“hesaidasthoughtohimself。“That”swhatAnnsaid。”
　　Thenaloud，“WouldyousayhewasanAmerican？“
　　InhisunavoidableinterestinamattermuchtalkedoverbelowstairsandproductiveofgreatcuriosityPearsonwasbetrayed。Hecouldnotexplaintohimself，afterhehadspoken，howhecouldhavebeensuchafoolastoforget；butforgethimselfandthebirthplaceofthenewMr。TempleBarholmhedid。
　　“Oh，no，sir，“heexclaimedhastily；“he”sQUITEthegentleman，sir，eventhoughheisqueerinhismind。”Thenextinstanthecaughthimselfandturnedcold。AnAmericanoraFrenchmanoranItalian，infact，anativeofanycountryonearthsoslightedwithanunconsciousnesssonatural，ifhehadbeenamanofhottemper，mighthavethrownsomethingathimorkickedhimoutoftheroom；butMr。
　　TempleBarholmtookhispipeoutofhismouthandlookedathimwithaslow，broadeningsmile。
　　“Wouldyoucallmeagentleman，Pearson？“heasked。
　　Ofcoursetherewasnoretrievingsuchablunder，Pearsonfelt，but——
　　“Certainly，sir，“hestammered。“Most——mostCERTAINLY，sir。”
　　“Pearson，“saidTembarom，shakinghisheadslowly，withagrinsogood-naturedthateventhefranknessofhiswordswasfriendlyhumoritself”Pearson，you”realiar。Butthatdoesn”tjoltmeabit。I
　　daresayI”mnotone，anyhow。Wemightputan”ad”inoneofyourpapersandfindout。”
　　“I——Ibegyourpardon，sir，“murmuredPearsoninactualanguishofmind。
　　Mr。TempleBarholmlaughedoutright。
　　“Oh，I”venotgotitinforyou。Howcouldyouhelpit？“hesaid。Thenhestoppedjokingagain。“IfyouwanttopleaseME，“headdedwithdeliberation，“youlookafterMr。Strangeways，anddon”tletanythingdisturbhim。Don”tbotherhim，butjustfindoutwhathewants。Whenhegetsrestless，comeandtellme。IfI”mout，tellhimI”mcomingback。Don”tlethimworry。Youunderstand——don”tlethimworry。”
　　“I”lldomybest——myverybest，sir，“Pearsonanswereddevoutly。“I”vebeennervousandexcitedthisfirstdaybecauseIamsoanxioustoplease——everythingseemstodependonitjustnow，“headded，daringanotherconfidentialoutburst。“Butyou”llseeIdoknowhowtokeepmywitsaboutmeingeneral，andI”vegotagoodmemory，andIhavelearnedmyduties，sir。I”llattendtoMr。Strangewaysmostparticular。”
　　AsTembaromlistened，andwatchedhisneat，blondcountenance，andnotedtheundertoneofquitedesperateappealinhislowvoice，hewasthinkingofanumberofthings。ChieflyhewasthinkingoflittleAnnHutchinsonandtheHarlemflatwhichmighthavebeen“run“onfifteendollarsaweek。
　　“IwanttoknowIhavesomeoneinthismuseumofaplacewho”llUNDERSTAND，“hesaid”someonewho”lldojustexactlywhatIsayandasknofoolquestionsandkeephismouthshut。Ibelieveyoucoulddoit。”
　　“I”llswearIcould，sir。Trustme，“wasPearson”sastonishinglyemotionalandhastyanswer。
　　“I”mgoingto，“returnedMr。TempleBarholm。“I”vesetmymindonputtingsomethingthroughinmyownway。It”saqueerthing，andmostpeoplewouldsayIwasafoolfortryingit。Mr。Hutchinsondoes，butMissHutchinsondoesn”t。”
　　Therewasanoteinhistoneofsaying“MissHutchinsondoesn”t“whichopenedupvistastoPearson——strangevistaswhenonethoughtofoldMrs。Hutchinson”scottageandtheestateofTempleBarholm。
　　“We”rejustaboutthesameage，“hisemployercontinued，“andinasortofwaywe”reinjustaboutthesamefix。”
　　Theireyeslookedintoeachother”sasecond；butitwasnotforPearsontopresumetomakeanycommentwhatsoeveruponthepossiblenatureof“thefix。”Twoorthreemorepuffs，andMr。TempleBarholmspokeagain。
　　“Say，Pearson，Idon”twanttobuttin，butwhataboutthatlittlebunchofcalicoofyours——theoneyou”resavingupfor？“
　　“Calico，sir？“saidPearson，atsea，buthopeful。WhatsoeverthenewMr。TempleBarholmmeant，onebegantorealizethatitwasnotlikelytobeunfriendly。
　　“That”sAmericanforHER，Pearson。”Her”standsforthesamethingbothinEnglishandAmerican，Iguess。What”shernameandwhereisshe？Don”tyousayawordifyoudon”twantto。”
　　Pearsondrewastepnearer。Therewasanextraordinaryhumanatmosphereintheroomwhichcausedthingstobegintogooninhisbreast。HehadhadaharderlifethanTembarombecausehehadbeenmoretimidandlessbuoyantandlessunselfconscious。Hehadbeenbeatenbyadrunkenmotherandkickedbyadrunkenfather。Hehadgonehungryandfainttotheboardschoolandhadbeenpunishedasadullboy。Afterhehadstruggledintoaplaceaspage，hehadbeenbulliedbyfootmenandhadhadhisearsboxedbycooksandbutlers。Ladies”-
　　maidsandsmarthousemaidshadsneeredathim，andmadehimfeelhimselfahopeless，vulgarlittlewormwhoneverwould“geton。”Buthehadgoton，inameasure，becausehehadworkedlikeaslaveandopenlyresentednothing。Aplacelikethishadbeenhisfeveredhopeanddreamfromhispagedays，thoughofcoursehisimaginationhadnotencompassedattendanceonagentlemanwhohadneverownedadress-
　　shirtinhislife。Yetgentlemanornogentleman，hewasaTempleBarholm，andtherewassomethingabouthim，somethinghumaninhisyoungvoiceandgrinandqueer，unheard-ofNewYorkjokes，whichPearsonhadneverencountered，andwhichhadtheeffectofmakinghimfeelsomehowmoreofamanthanhistimorousnaturehadeverallowedofhisfeelingbefore。Itsuggestedthattheywereboth，valetandmaster，merelymasculinehumancreaturesoflikekind。Thewayhehadsaid“MissHutchinson“andthetwinkleinhiseyewhenhe”dmadethatAmericanjokeaboutthe“littlebunchofcalico“！Thecuriousfactwasthatthin，neat，white-blooded-lookingPearsonwaspassionatelyinlove。Sohetookthestepnearerandgrewhotandspokelow。
　　“HernameisRoseMerrick，sir，andshe”sinplaceinLondon。She”slady”s-maidtoaladyoftitle，anditisn”taneasyplace。Herladyhasahightemper，andshe”seconomicalwithherservants。Hermaidhastosewearlyandlate，andturnoutasmuchasifshewasawholedressmakingestablishment。She”scleverwithherneedle，anditwouldbeeasierifshefeltitwasappreciated。Butshe”streatedhaughtyandsevere，thoughshetriesherverybest。Shehastowaituphalfthenightafterballs，andI”mafraidit”sbreakingherspiritandherhealth。That”swhy，——Ibegyourpardon，sir，“headded，hisvoiceshaking”that”swhyI”dbearanythingonearthifIcouldgiveheralittlehomeofherown。”
　　“Geewhizz！“ejaculatedMr。TempleBarholm，withfeeling。“Iguessyouwould！“
　　“Andthat”snotall，sir，“saidPearson。“She”sabeautifulgirl，sir，withafigure，andserviceissometimesnoteasyforayoungwomanlikethat。Hislordship——themasterofthehouse，sir，——ismuchtooattentive。He”samanwithbadhabits；thelastlady”s-maidwassentawayindisgrace。Herladyshipwouldn”tbelieveshehadn”tbeenforwardwhenshesawthingsshedidn”tlike，thougheveryoneinthehallknewthegirlhatedhisboldwayswithher，andhermothernearlybrokeherheart。He”sbegunwithRose，anditjustdrivesmemad，sir，itdoes！“
　　Hechoked，andwipedhisforeheadwithhiscleanhandkerchief。Itwasdamp，andhisyoungeyeshadfireinthem，asMr。TempleBarholmdidnotfailtoobserve。
　　“I”mtakingalibertytalkingtoyoulikethis，sir，“hesaid。“I”mbehavingasifIdidn”tknowmyplace，sir。”
　　“Yourplaceisbehindthatfellow，kickinghimtillhe”llneversitdownagainexceptoneider-downcushionsthreedeep，“remarkedMr。
　　TempleBarholm，withfireinhiseyesalso。“That”swhereyourplaceis。It”swhereminewouldbeifIwasinthesamehousewithhimandcaughthimmakingagoatofhimself。IbetnineEnglishmenoutoftenwouldbreakhisdarnedneckforhimiftheygotontohislittleways，eveniftheywerelordshipsthemselves。”
　　“Thedecentoneswon”tknow，“Pearsonsaid。“That”snotwhathappens，sir。Hecanlaughandchaffitoffwithherladyshipandcoaxherround。Butagirlthat”sdischargedlikethat，Rosesays，that”stheworstofit：shesaysshe”sgotacharacterfastenedontoherforlifethatnorespectablemanoughttomarryherwith。”
　　Mr。TempleBarholmremovedhislegfromthearmofhischairandgotup。Long-legged，sinewy，butsomewhatslouchyinhisbadlymadetweedsuit，sharpNewYorkfaceandawfulAmericanstylenotwithstanding，hestilllookedratherniceashelaidhishandonhisvalet”sshoulderandgavehimafriendlypush。
　　“Seehere，“hesaid。“Whatyou”vegottosaytoRoseisthatshe”sjustgottocutthatsortofthingout——cutitrightout。Talkingtoamanthat”sinlovewithherasifhewaslikelytothrowherdownbecauseliesweretold。Tellhertoforgetit——forgetitquick。Why，whatdoesshesupposeaman”sFOR，byjinks？What”sheFOR？“
　　“I”vetoldherthat，sir，thoughofcoursenotinAmerican。IjustsworeitonmykneesinHydeParkonenightwhenshegotoutforanhour。Butshelaidherpoorheadonthebackofthebenchandcriedandwouldn”tlisten。Shesaysshecaresformetoomuchto”
　　Tembarom”shandclutchedhisshoulder。Hisfacelightedandglowedsuddenly。
　　“Careforyoutoomuch，“heasked。“Didshesaythat？Godblessher！“
　　“That”swhatIsaid，“brokeinPearson。
　　“Iheardanothergirlsaythat——justbeforeIleftNewYork——agirlthat”sjustawonder，“saidhismaster。“Agirlcanbeawonder，can”tshe？“
　　“Roseis，sir，“protestedPearson。“Sheis，indeed，sir。Andhereyesarethatblue”
　　“Blue，arethey？“interruptedTembarom。“Iknowthekind。I”montothewholething。Andwhat”smore，I”mgoingtofixit。YoutellRose——
　　andtellherfromme——thatshe”sgoingtoleavethatplace，andyou”regoingtostayinthisone，and——well，presentlythings”llbegintohappen。They”regoingtobeallright——ALLRIGHT，“hewenton，withimmenselyconvincingemphasis。“She”sgoingtohavethatlittlehomeofherown。”Hepausedamomentforreflection，andthenasuddenthoughtpresenteditselftohim。“Why，darnit！“heexclaimed，“theremustbeawholeraftoflittlehomesthatbelongtomeinoneplaceoranother。Whycouldn”tIfixyoubothupinoneofthem？“
　　“Oh，sir！“Pearsonbrokeforthinsomeslightalarm。Hewentsofastandsofarallinamoment。AndPearsonreallypossessedaneat，well-
　　orderedconscience，and，moreover，“knewhisplace。”“IhopeIdidn”tseemtobeexpectingyoutotroubleyourselfaboutme，sir。Imustn”tpresumeonyourkindness。”
　　“It”snotkindness；it”s——well，it”sjusthuman。I”mgoingtothinkthisthingover。Youjustkeepyourhairon，andletmedomyownvaleting，andyou”llseeI”llfixitforyousomehow。”
　　Whathethoughtofdoing，howhethoughtofdoingit，andwhatPearsonwastoexpect，theagitatedyoungmandidnotknow。Thesituationwasofcourseabnormal，judgedbyallrespectable，long-establishedcustom。Aman”svaletandhisvalet”s“youngwoman“werenotusuallyofintimateinterest。Gentlemenweresometimes“kind“toyou——gaveyouhalfasovereignorevenasovereign，andperhapsaskedafteryourmotherifyouweresupportingone；but——
　　“Ineverdreamedofgoingsofar，sir，“hesaid。“Iforgotmyself，I”mafraid。”
　　“Goodthingyoudid。It”smademefeelasifwewerebrothers。”Helaughedagain，enjoyingthethoughtofthelittlethingwhocaredforPearson“toomuch“andhadeyesthatwere“thatblue。”“Say，I”vejustthoughtofsomethingelse。Haveyouboughtheranengagement-ringyet？“
　　“No，sir。Inourclassoflifejewelryisbeyondthemeans。”
　　“Ijustwondered，“Mr。TempleBarholmsaid。Heseemedtobethinkingofsomethingthatpleasedhimashefumbledforhispocket-bookandtookacleanbanknoteoutofit。“I”mnotontowhatthevalueofthisthingisinrealmoney，butyougoandbuyheraringwithit，andI
　　betshe”llbesopleasedyou”llhavethetimeofyourlife。”
　　Pearsontakingit；andrecognizingitsvalueinUNrealmoney，wasembarrassedbyfeelingthenecessityofexplanation。
　　“Thisisafive-poundnote，sir。It”stoomuch，sir，itisindeed。
　　ThiswouldFURNISHTHEFRONTPARLOR。”Hesaiditalmostsolemnly。
　　Mr。TempleBarholmlookedatthenoteinterestedly。
　　“Wouldit？Byjinks！“andhislaughhadacertainsoftnessofrecollection。“Iguessthat”sjustwhatAnnwouldsay。She”dknowwhatitwouldfurnish，youbetyourlife！“
　　“I”mmostgrateful，sir，“protestedPearson，“butIoughtn”ttotakeit。BeinganAmericangentlemanandnotaccustomedtoEnglishmoney，youdon”trealizethat”
　　“I”mnotaccustomedtoanykindofmoney，“saidhismaster。“I”mscaredtobeleftaloneintheroomwithit。That”swhat”sthematter。
　　IfIdon”tgivesomeaway，IshallneverknowI”vegotit。Cheerup，Pearson。Youtakethatandbuythering，andwhenyoustartfurnishing，I”llseeyoudon”tgetleft。”
　　“Idon”tknowwhattosay，sir，“Pearsonfalteredemotionally。“I
　　don”t，indeed。”
　　“Don”tsayadarnedthing，“repliedMr。TempleBarholm。AndjustherehisfacechangedasMr。Palfordhadseenitchangebefore，andasPearsonoftensawitchangelater。HisNewYorkjocularirreverencedroppedfromhim，andhelookedmatureandoddlyserious。
　　“I”vetriedtosortofputyouwisetothewayI”velivedandthethingsIHAVEN”ThadeversinceIwasborn，“hesaid，“butIguessyoudon”treallyknowathingaboutit。I”vegotmoremoneycomingineveryyearthanathousandofmewouldeverexpecttoseeintheirlives，accordingtomycalculation。AndIdon”tknowhowtodoanyofthethingsafellowwhoiswhatyoucall`agentleman”wouldknowhowtodo。Imeaninthewayofspendingit。Now，I”vegottogetsomefunoutofit。IshouldbeamuttifIdidn”t，soI”mgoingtospenditmyownway。Imaymakeaboutseventy-fivedifferentkindsofafoolofmyself，butIguessIsha”n”tdoanyparticularharm。”
　　“You”lldogood，sir，——toeveryone。”
　　“ShallI？——saidTembarom，speculatively。“Well，I”mnotexactlysettingoutwiththatinmymind。I”mnoYoungMen”sChristianAssociation，butI”mnotinfordoingharm，anyway。Youtakeyourfive-poundnote——cometothinkofit，Palfordsaiditcametoabouttwenty-fivedollars，realmoney。Hullygee！IneverthoughtI”dhavetwenty-fivedollarstoGIVEAWAY！ItmakesmefeellikeIwasMorgan。”
　　“Thankyou，sir；thankyou，“saidPearson，puttingthenoteintohispocketwithraptgratitudeinhisneatface。“You——youdonotwishmetoremain——todoanythingforyou？“
　　“Notathing。ButjustgoandfindoutifMr。Strangewaysisasleep。
　　Ifheisn”tandseemsrestless，I”llcomeandhaveatalkwithhim。”
　　“Yes，sir，“saidPearson，andwentatonce。
　　CHAPTERXIII
　　InthecourseoftwodaysMr。Palford，havinggivenhisclientthebenefitofhisownexactprofessionalknowledgeoftheestateofTempleBarholmanditsworkingsandprivilegesasfarashefoundthemtransferableandlikelytobeunderstood，returnedtoLondon，breathingperhapssomethinglikeasighofreliefwhenthetrainsteamedoutofthelittlestation。Whatsoeverhappenedindaystocome，Palford&GrimbyhaddonetheirmosttryingandawkwarddutybythelatestTempleBarholm。Bradford，whowasthestewardoftheestate，wouldnowtakehimover，andcouldbetrustedtofurnishpracticalinformationofanyordinaryorder。
　　ItdidnotappeartoMr。Palfordthatthenewinheritorwasparticularlyinterestedinhispossessionsorexhilaratedbytheextraordinaryturninhisfortunes。TheenormityofTempleBarholmitself，regardedasahousetoliveininaneverydaymanner，seemedsomewhattodepresshim。Whenhewastakenoveritshundredandfiftyrooms，heworeadetachedairashelookedabouthim，andsuchremarksashemadewereofanextraordinarynatureandexpressedintermspeculiartoAmerica。NeitherMr。PalfordnorBurrillunderstoodthem，butayoungfootmanwhowassaidtohaveoncepaidavisittoNewYork，andwhochancedtobeinthepicture-gallerywhenhisnewmasterwaslookingattheportraitsofhisancestors，over-hearingoneobservation，wasguiltyofaconvulsivesnort，andimmediatelymadehiswayintothecorridor，coughingviolently。FromthisMr。Palfordgatheredthatoneofthetransatlanticjokeshadbeenmade。ThatwastheNewYorkidea——tobejocular。Yethehadnotlookedjocularwhenhehadmadetheremarkwhichhadupsettheequilibriumoftheyoungfootman。Hehad，infact，lookedreflectivebeforespeakingashestoodandstudiedaportraitofoneofhisancestors。But，then，hehadatrickofsayingthingsincomprehensiblyridiculouswithanunmovedexpressionofgravity，whichledPalfordtofeelthathewasridiculousthroughutterignoranceandwasnotawarethathewasexposingthefact。Personswhothoughtthatanairofseriousnessaddedtoahumorousremarkwereespeciallyannoyingtothesolicitor，becausetheyfrequentlybetrayedoneintothepositionofseemingtobedullinthematterofseeingapoint。That，hehadobserved，wasoftenpartoftheNewYorkmanner——tomakeatotallyabsurdlyexaggeratedorseeminglyignorance-revealingobservation，andthenleaveone”shearertodecideforhimselfwhetherthespeakerwasanabsoluteignoramusandfoolorahumorist。
　　Morethanoncehehadsomewhatsuspectedhisclientofmeaningto“getariseoutofhim，“aftertheodiousmannerofthetouristsdescribedin“TheInnocentsAbroad，“thoughatthesametimehefeltrathersupportinglysureofthefactthatgenerally，whenhedisplayedignorance，hedisplayeditbecausehewasapositiveencyclopediaoflackofknowledge。
　　Heknewnomoreofsocialcustoms，literature，andartthananyotherstreetlad。Hehadnotbelongedtotheaspiringself-taught，whomeritoriouslyhauntthenightschoolsandfreelibrarieswithaviewtoimprovingtheirminds。Ifthishadbeenhismethod，hemightinonesensehavebeenmoredifficulttohandle，asPalfordhadseenthethingresultinabumptiousnessmostobjectionable。Hewasmarkedlynotbumptious，atallevents。
　　Acertaindegreeofinterestinorcuriosityconcerninghisancestorsasrepresentedinthepicture-galleryMr。Palfordhadobserved。Hehadstaredatthemandhadsaidqueerthings——sometimesthingswhichperhapsindicatedakindofuneducatedthought。Thefactthatsomeofthemlookedsothoroughlyalive，andyethadlivedcenturiesago，seemedtosethimreflectingoddly。Hiscuriosity，however，seemedtoconnectitselfwiththemmoreashumancreaturesthanashistoricalfigures。
　　“Whatdidthatonedo？“heinquiredmorethanonce。“Whatdidhestart，ordidn”thestartanything？“
　　Whenhedisturbedtheyoungfootmanhehadstoppedbeforeadarkmaninarmor。
　　“Who”sthisfellowinthetinovercoat？“heaskedseriously，andPalfordfeltitwasquitepossiblethathehadnoactualintentofbeinghumorous。
　　“ThatisMilesGaspardNevilJohn，whofoughtintheCrusadeswithRichardCoeurdeLion，“heexplained。“Heiswearingasuitofarmor。”
　　Bythistimethefootmanwascoughinginthecorridor。
　　“That”sEnglishhistory，Iguess，“Tembaromreplied。“I”llhavetogetahistory-bookandreadupabouttheCrusades。”
　　Hewentonfarther，andpausedwithaslightlypuzzledexpressionbeforeaboyinacostumeoftheperiodofCharlesII。
　　“Who”sthisFauntleroyinthelacecollar？“heinquired。“Queer！“headded，asthoughtohimself。“Ican”teverhaveseenhiminNewYork。”
　　Andhetookastepbackwardtolookagain。
　　“ThatisMilesHugoCharlesJames，whowasapageatthecourtofCharlesII。Hediedatnineteen，andwassucceededbyhisbrotherDenzelMauriceJohn。”
　　“IfeelasifI”dhadadreamabouthimsometimeorother，“saidTembarom，andhestoodstillafewsecondsbeforehepassedon。
　　“PerhapsIsawsomethinglikehimgettingoutofacarriagetogointotheVanTwillers”fancy-dressball。SeemsasifI”dgotthewholeshowshutupinhere。Andyousaythey”reallmyownrelations？“Thenhelaughed。“Iftheywerealivenow！“hesaid。“Byjinks！“
　　Hislaughtersuggestedthathewasentertainedbymentalvisions。Buthedidnotexplaintohiscompanion。Hislegaladviserwasnotintheleastabletoformanyopinionofwhathewoulddo，howhewouldbelikelytocomporthimself，whenhewasleftentirelytohisowndevices。Hewouldnotknowalso，onemightbesure，thatthecountywouldwaitwithrepressedanxietytofindout。Ifhehadbeenaminor，hemighthavebeentakeninhand，andtrainedandeducatedtosomeextent。Buthewasnotaminor。
　　OnthedayofMr。Palford”sdepartureathickfoghaddescendedandseemedtoenwraptheworldinthewhitewool。Tembaromfounditclosetohiswindowswhenhegotup，andhehaddressedbythelightoftallwaxcandles，thepreviousMr。TempleBarholmhavingobjectedtomoremodernandvulgarmethodsofillumination。
　　“IguessthisiswhatyoucallaLondonfog，“hesaidtoPearson。
　　“No，notexactlytheLondonsort，sir，“Pearsonanswered。“ALondonfogisyellow——whenitisn”tbrownorblack。Itsettlesonthehandsandface。Afoginthecountryisn”tdirtywithsmoke。It”smuchlesstrying，sir。”
　　WhenPalfordhaddepartedandhewasentirelyalone，Tembaromfoundacountryfogtryingenoughforamanwithoutacompanion。Adegreeofreliefpermeatedhisbeingwiththeknowledgethatheneednolongerendeavortomakesuitablereplytohissolicitor”seffortsatconversation。Hehadmadeconversationaleffortshimself。Youcouldn”tletamanfeelthatyouwouldn”ttalktohimifyoucouldwhenhewasdoingbusinessforyou，butwhatinthunderdidyouhavetotalkaboutthatamanlikethatwouldn”tbeboredstiffby？Hedidn”tlikeNewYork，hedidn”tknowanythingaboutit，andhedidn”twanttoknow，andTembaromknewnothingaboutanythingelse，andwashomesickfortheverystonesoftheroaringcity”sstreets。Whenhesaidanything，Palfordeitherdidn”tunderstandwhathewasgettingatorhedidn”tlikeit。Andhealwayslookedasifhewaswatchingtoseeifyouweretryingtogetajokeonhim。TembaromwasfrequentlynotnearlysomuchinclinedtobehumorousasMr。Palfordhadirritablysuspectedhimofbeing。Hismodesofexpressionmightonnumerousoccasionshaverousedtomirthwhenhisunderlyingideawasalmostentirelyserious。
　　Themodeofexpressionwasmerelyaresultofhabit。
　　Mr。Palfordleftbyanextremelyearlytrain，andafterhewasgone，Tembaromsatoverhisbreakfastaslongaspossible，andthen，goingtothelibrary，smokedlong。Thelibrarywascertainlycomfortable，thoughthefireandthebigwaxcandleswerecalledupontodotheirbesttodefythechill，mysteriousdimnessproducedbytheheavy，whitewoolcurtainfoldingitselfmoreandmorethicklyoutsidethewindows。
　　Butonecannotsmokeinsolitaryidlenessformuchmorethananhour，andwhenhestoodupandknockedtheashesoutofhislastpipe，Tembaromdrewalongbreath。
　　“There”sahundredandthirty-sixhoursineachofthesedays，“hesaid。“That”sninehundredandfifty-twoinaweek，andfourthousandandeightyinamonth——whenit”sgotonlythirtydaysinit。I”mnotgoingtocalculatehowmanythere”dbeinayear。I”llhavealookatthepapers。There”sPunch。That”stheircomicone。”
　　HelookedouttheAmericannewsintheLondonpapers，andsighedhugely。HetookupPunchandreadeveryjoketwoorthreetimesover。
　　Hedidnotknowthatthenumberwasaspeciallygoodoneandthatthereweresomeextremelywittythingsinit。Thejokeswereaboutbishopsingaiters，aboutgarden-parties，aboutcuratesorlovelyyoungladiesorrectors”wivesandrustics，aboutRoyalAcademiciansorestheticpoets。TheirhumorappealedtohimaslittleandseemedasobscureashishadseemedtoMr。Palford。
　　“I”mnotlaughingmyheadoffmuchoverthese，“hesaid。“IguessI”mnotontothepoint。”
　　Hegotupandwalkedabout。The“L“inNewYorkwasroaringtoandfroloadedwithmenandwomengoingtoworkortodoshopping。SomeofthemweredevouringmorningpapersbearingnoresemblancetothoseofLondon，someofthemcarriedparcels，andallofthemlookedasthoughtheywereintentonsomethingorotherandhadn”tamomenttowaste。
　　Theywereallgoingsomewhereinahurryandhadtogetbackintimeforsomething。Whenthetrainwhizzedandslackenedatastation，somestartedup，hastilycaughttheirpapersorbundlescloser，andpushedorwerepushedoutontheplatform，whichwascrowdedwithotherpeoplewhorushedtogetin，andiftheyfoundseats，droppedintothemhastilywithanairofrelief。Thestreet-carswereloadedandrangtheirbellsloudly，trucksandcarriagesandmotorsfilledthemiddleofthethoroughfares，andpeoplecrowdedthepavements。ThestorewindowsweredressedupforChristmas，andmostofthepeoplecrowdedbeforethemwerecalculatingastowhattheycouldgetfortheinadequatesumstheyhadonhand。
　　ThebreakfastatMrs。Bowse”sboarding-housewasover，andtheboardershadgoneoncarsorelevatedtrainstotheirday”swork。Mrs。
　　Bowsewasgettingreadytogooutanddosomemarketing。JuliusandJimweredown-towndeepintheworkpertainingtotheirseparate“jobs。”They”dgohomeatnight，andperhaps，iftheywereinluck，wouldgotoa“show“somewhere，andafterwardcomeandsitintheirtiltedchairsinthehallbedroomandsmokeandtalkitover。Andhewouldn”tbethere，andtheHutchinsons”roomswouldbeempty，unlesssomenewpeoplewereinthem。Galtonwouldbesittingamonghispapers，workinglikemad。AndBennett——well，Bennettwouldbeeither“gettingouthispage，“orwouldberushingaboutinthehundredthstreetstofinditemsandfollowupweddingsorreceptions。
　　“Gee！“hesaid，“everyoneofthemtryingtheirbesttoputsomethingover，andwithsomuchtothinkofthey”venotgottimetobreathe！
　　It”dbenotroubleforTHEMtoputinahundredandthirty-sixhours。
　　They”dbedarnedgladofthem。And，believeme，they”dputsomethingover，too，beforetheygotthrough。AndI”mhere，withthreehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayearroundmyneckandnotathingtospenditon，unlessIpaysomeonepartofittogivemelessonsintatting。Whatistatting，anyhow？
　　Hedidn”treallyknow。Itwasvaguelysupposedtoimplysomeintenselyfemininefancy-workdonebyoldladies，andusedasafigureofspeechinjokes。
　　“Ifyoucouldrideorshoot，youcouldamuseyourselfinthecountry，“
　　Palfordhadsaid。
　　“Icanrideinastreet-carwhenI”vegotfivecents，“Tembaromhadanswered。“That”sasfarasI”vegoneinriding——andwhatinthundershouldIshoot？“
　　“Game，“repliedMr。Palford，withchillinwarddisgust。“Pheasants，partridges，woodcock，grouse”
　　“Ishouldn”tshootanythinglikethatifIwentatit，“herespondedshamelessly。“Ishouldshootmyownheadoff，orthefellow”sthatstoodnexttome，unlesshegotthedroponmefirst。”
　　Hedidnotknowthathewasignominious。Nobodycouldhavemadeitcleartohim。Hedidnotknowthatthereweremenwhohadgaineddistinction，popularity，andfamebydoingnothinginparticularbuthittingthingsanimateandinanimatewithmagnificentprecisionofaim。
　　Hestoodstillnowandlistenedtothesilence。
　　“There”snotasoundwithinathousandmilesoftheplace。WhatdofellowswithmoneyDOtokeepthemselvesalive？“hesaidpiteously。
　　“They”vegottodoSOMETHING。ShallIhavetogooutandtakeawalk，asPalfordcalledit？Takeawalk，bygee！“
　　Hecouldn”tconceiveit，aman“takingawalk“asthoughitweremedicine——awalknowhere，toreachnothing，justtogoandturnbackagain。
　　“I”llbeginandtakeinsewing，“hesaid，“orI”llopenastoreinthevillage——adepartmentstore。Icouldspendsomethingonthat。I”llaskPearsonwhathethinksofit——orBurrill。I”dliketoseeBurrillifIsaidthattohim。”
　　Hedecidedatlastthathewouldpractisehis“short“awhile；thatwouldbedoingsomething，atanyrate。Hesatdownatthebigwriting-
　　tableandbegantodashoffmysticsignsatfuriousspeed。Butthespeeddidnotkeepup。Thesilenceofthegreatroom，oftheimmensehouse，ofallthescoresofroomsandgalleriesandcorridors，closedinabouthim。Hehadpractisedhis“short“inthenightschool，withthe“L“thunderingpastatintervalsoffiveminutes；inthenewspaperoffice，withallthebabelofNewYorkabouthimandthebangofsteam-drillsgoingonbelowinthenextlot，wherethefoundationofanewbuildingwasbeingexcavated；hehadpractiseditinhishallbedroomatMrs。Bowse”s，tothetumultuousaccompanimentofstreetsoundsandthewhizzandTING-A-LINGofstreet-carsdashingpast，andhehadnotbeendisturbed。Hehadneverpractiseditinanyplacewhichwassilent，anditwasthesilencewhichbecamemorethanhecouldstand。Heactuallyjumpedoutofhischairwhenheheardmysteriousfootstepsoutsidethedoor，andafootmanappearedandspokeinalowvoicewhichstartledhimasthoughithadbeenathunderclap。
　　“Ayoungpersonwithherfatherwantstoseeyou，sir，“heannounced。
　　“Idon”tthinktheyarevillagers，butoftheworking-class，Ishouldsay。”
　　“Wherearethey？“
　　“Ididn”tknowexactlywhattodo，sir，soIlefttheminthehall。
　　Theyoungpersonhasasortofquiet，determinedway”
　　“LittleAnn，bygee！“exclaimedTembaromwithmadjoy，andshotoutoftheroom。
　　Thefootman——hehadnotseenLittleAnnwhenshehadbroughtStrangeways——lookedafterhimandrubbedhischin。
　　“Wouldn”tyoucallthatarummysortforTempleBarholm？“hesaidtooneofhisfellowswhohadappearedinthehallnearhim。
　　“It”snotmysort，“wastheanswer。“I”mgoingtogivenoticetooldButterworth。”
　　HutchinsonandLittleAnnwerewaitinginthehall。Hutchinsonwaslookingattherich，shadowyspacesabouthimwithasortofproudsatisfaction。Fine，darkcornerswitharmoredfigureslurkinginthem，ancientportraits，carvedoaksettles，andmassivechairsandcabinets——thesewereEnglish，andhewasanEnglishman，andsomehowfeltthemtheoutcomeofcertainsterlingqualitiesofhisown。Helookedrobustlywell，andworeanewroughtweedsuitsuchasoneofthegentrymighttrampaboutmuddyroadsandfieldsin。LittleAnnwasdressedinsomethingwarmandroughalso，abrownthing，withalittleclose，cap-like，brownhat，fromunderwhichherredhairglowed。Thewalkinthecold，whitefoghadmadeherbloomfresh，soft-redandwhite-daisycolor。Shewassmiling，andshowingthreedistinctdimples，whichdeepenedwhenTembaromdashedoutofthelibrary。
　　“Hullygee！“hecriedout，“butI”mgladtoseeyou！“
　　Heshookhandswithbothofthemfuriously，andtwofootmenstoodandlookedatthegroupwithimage-likecalmoffeature，butwithcuriouslyinterestedeyes。Hutchinsonwasawareofthem，andendeavoredtopresenttothemabackwhichbyitsstolidcomposureshouldrevealthatheknewmoreaboutsuchthingsthanthischapdidandwasn”tabitupsetbygrandeur。
　　“Hullygee！“criedTembaromagain，“howgladIam！Comeoninandsitdownandlet”stalkitover。”
　　Burrillmadeastatelystepforward，properlyintentonhisduty，andhismasterwavedhimback。
　　“Say，“hesaidhastily，“don”tbringinanytea。Theydon”twantit。
　　They”reAmericans。”
　　Hutchinsonsnorted。Hecouldnotstandbeingconsignedtoignominybeforethefootmen。
　　“Nowto”th”sort，“hebrokeforth。“We”renoanAmerican。Tha”rtlosingthahead，lad。”
　　“He”sforgettingbecausehemetusfirstinNewYork，“saidLittleAnn，smilingstillmore。
　　“ShallItakeyourhatandcane，sir？“inquiredBurrill，unmovedly，atHutchinson”sside。
　　“Hewasn”tgoingtosayanythingabouttea，“explainedLittleAnnastheywentintothelibrary。“Theydon”texpecttoserveteainthemiddleofthemorning，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
　　“Don”tthey？“saidTembarom，recklesswithrelieveddelight。“I
　　thoughttheyservediteverytimetheclockstruck。WhenwewereinLondonitseemedlikePalfordhaditwhenhewashotandwhenhewascoldandwhenhewasgladandwhenhewassorryandwhenhewasgoingoutandwhenhewascomingin。It”sbroughtuptome，byjinks！assoonasIwake，tobracemeuptoputonmyclothes——andPearsonwantstoputthoseon。”
　　Hestoppedshortwhentheyreachedthemiddleoftheroomandlookedherover。
　　“OLittleAnn！“hebreathedtumultuously。“0LittleAnn！“
　　Mr。Hlutchinsonwaslookingaboutthelibraryashehadlookedaboutthehall。
　　“Well，IneverthoughtI”dgetinsideTempleBarlholminmyday，“heexclaimed。“Eh，lad，thamustfeellikebullinachinashop。”
　　“Ifeellikeawholeherdof”em，“answeredTembarom。Hutchinsonnodded。Heunderstood。
　　“Well，perhapstha”llgetoveritintime，“heconceded，“butit”lltaketheeagoodbit。”Thenhegavehimawarmlyfriendlylook。“I”lllayyouknowwhatAnncamewithmeforto-day。”ThewayLittleAnnlookedathim——thewayshelookedathim！
　　“Icametothankyou，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid”tothankyou。”
　　Andtherewasanodd，tendersoundinhervoice。
　　“Don”tyoudoit，Ann，“Tembaromanswered。“Don”tyoudoit。”
　　“Idon”tknowmuchaboutbusiness，butthewayyoumusthaveworked，thewayyoumusthavehadtorunafterpeople，andfindthem，andmakethenlisten，anduseallyourNewYorkcleverness——becauseyouARE
　　clever。Thewayyou”veforgottenallaboutyourselfandthoughtofnothingbutfatherandtheinvention！Idoknowenoughtounderstandthat，anditseemsasifIcan”tthinkofenoughtosay。IjustwishI
　　couldtellyouwhatitmeanstome。”Tworoundpearlsoftearsbrimmedoverandfelldownhercheeks。“IpromisedmotherFAITHFULI”dtakecareofhimandseeheneverlosthopeaboutit，“sheadded，“andsometimesIdidn”tknowwhateverIwasgoingtodo。”
　　Itwasperilouswhenshelookedatonelikethat，andshewassolittleandlightthatonecouldhavesnatchedherupinhisarmsandcarriedhertothebigarm-chairandsatdownwithherandrockedherbackwardandforwardandpouredforththewholethingthatwasmakinghimfeelasthoughhemightexplode。
　　Hutchinsonprovidedsalvation。
　　“Thapulledmeouto”thewaterjustwhenIwasgoingunder，lad。Godblessthee！“hebrokeout，andshookhishandwithroughvigor。“I
　　signedwiththeNorthElectricyesterday。”
　　“Goodbusiness！“saidTembarom。“NowI”minonthegroundfloorwithwhat”sgoingtobethebiggestmoney-makerinsight。”
　　“ThewaythatalkedNewYorktothemchapstookmyfancy，“chuckledHutchinson。“Noneo”themchapswantstobethefirsttojumpoverthehedge。”
　　“We”vegot”emstartednow，“exultedTembarom。
　　“Thastarted”em，“saidHutchinson，“andit”stheeI”vegottothank。”
　　“Say，LittleAnn，“saidTembarom，withsuddenthought，“who”scomeintomoneynow？You”llhaveittoburn。”
　　“We”venotgotityet，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shereplied，shakingherhead。“Evenwheninventionsgetstarted，theydon”tgoofflikesky-
　　rockets。”
　　“Sheknowseverything，doesn”tshe？“TembaromsaidtoHutchinson。
　　“Here，comeandsitdown。I”venotseenyoufor”steenyears。”
　　Shetookherseatinthebigarm-chairandlookedathimwithsoftlyexaminingeyes，asthoughshewantedtounderstandhimsufficientlytobeabletofindoutsomethingsheoughttodoifheneededhelp。
　　Hesawitandhalflaughed，notquiteunwaveringly。
　　“You”llmakemecryinaminute，“hesaid。“Youdon”tknowwhatit”sliketohavesomeonefromhomeandmothercomeandbekindtoyou。”
　　“HowisMr。Strangeways？“sheinquired。
　　“He”swelltakencareof，atanyrate。That”swherehe”sgottothankyou。Thoseroomsyouandthehousekeeperchoseweretheverythingsforhim。They”rebigandcomfortable，and”wayoffinaplacewherenoone”slikelytocomenear。Thefellowthat”sbeenhiredtovaletmevaletshiminstead，andIbelievehelikesit。Itseemstocomequitenaturaltohim，anyhow。Igoinandseehimeverynowandthenandtrytogethimtotalk。IsortofinventthingstoseeifIcanstarthimthinkingstraight。He”squieteddownsomeandhelooksbetter。
　　AfterawhileI”mgoingtolookupsomebigdoctorsinLondonandfindoutwhichof”em”sgotthemostplainhorsesense。Ifarealbigonewouldjustgetinterestedandcomeandseehimonthequietandnotgethimexcited，hemightdohimgood。I”mdeadstuckonthisstuntI”vesetmyself——gettinghimright。It”ssomethingtoworkon。”
　　“You”llhaveplentytoworkonsoon，“saidLittleAnn。“There”salotofeverydaythingsyou”vegottothinkabout。Theymayseemofnoconsequencetoyou，buttheyARE，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
　　“Ifyousaytheyare，Iguesstheyare，“heanswered。“I”lldoanythingyousay，Ann。”
　　“Icamepartlytotellyouaboutsomeofthemto-day，“shewenton，keepingtheyearninglythoughtfuleyesonhim。Itwasratherhardforher，too，tobefirmenoughwhentherewassomuchshewantedtosayanddo。Andhedidnotlookhalfastwinklingandlight-heartedlygrinningashehadlookedinNewYork。
　　Hecouldn”thelpdroppinghisvoicealittlecoaxingly，thoughMr。
　　Hutchinsonwasquitesufficientlyabsorbedinexaminationofhissurroundings。
　　“Didn”tyoucometosavemylifebylettingmehavealookatyou，LittleAnn——didn”tyou？“hepleaded。
　　Sheshookherwonderful，redhead。
　　“No，Ididn”t，Mr。TempleBarholm，“sheansweredwithManchesterdownrightness。“WhenIsaidwhatIdidinNewYork，Imeantit。I
　　didn”tintendtohangabouthereandletyou——saythingstome。Youmustn”tsaythem。FatherandmearegoingbacktoManchesterinafewdays，andverysoonwehavetogotoAmericaagainbecauseofthebusiness。”
　　“America！“hesaid。“Oh，Lord！“hegroaned。“Doyouwantmetodropdowndeadherewithadull，sickeningthud，Ann？“
　　“You”renotgoingtodropdowndead，“sherepliedconvincedly。“You”regoingtostayhereanddowhateverit”syourdutytodo，nowyou”vecomeintoTempleBarholm。”
　　“AmI？“heanswered。“Well，we”llseewhatI”mgoingtodowhenI”vehadtimetomakeupmymind。Itmaybesomethingdifferentfromwhatyou”dthink，anditmayn”t。JustnowI”mgoingtodowhatyoutellme。
　　Goahead，LittleAnn。”
　　Shethoughtthematteroverwithhermostdestructivelittleairofsensibleintentness。
　　“Well，itmayseemlikemeddling，butitisn”t，“shebeganratherconcernedly。“It”sjustthatI”musedtolookingafterpeople。I
　　wantedtotalktoyouaboutyourclothes。”
　　“Myclothes？“hereplied，bewilderedamoment；butthenextheunderstoodandgrinned。“Ihaven”tgotany。Myvalet——thinkofT。T。
　　withavalet！——toldmesolastnight。”
　　“That”swhatIthought，“shesaidmaternally。”IgotMrs。Bowsetowritetome，andshetoldmeyouweresohurriedandexcitedyouhadn”ttimeforanything。”
　　“IjustrushedintoCohen”sthelastdayandyankedafewthingsofftheready-madecounter。”
　　Shelookedhimoverwithimpersonalcriticism。
　　“Ithoughtso。Thoseyou”vegotonwon”tdoatall。”
　　Tembaromglancedatthem。
　　“That”swhatPearsonsays。”
　　“They”renottherightshape，“sheexplained。“Iknowwhatagentleman”sclothesmeaninEngland，and”herfaceflushed，andsudden，warmspiritmadeherspeakratherfast——“Icouldn”tABIDEtothinkofyoucominghereand——beingmadefunof——justbecauseyouhadn”ttherightclothes。”
　　Shesaidit，thelittlething，asthoughhewerehers——herveryown，anddefendhimagainstdisrespectsheWOULD。Tembarom，beingbutyoungfleshandblood，madeanimpetuousdarttowardher，andcheckedhimself，catchinghisbreath。
　　“Ann，“hesaid，“hasyourgrandmothergotadog？“
　　“Y-e-s，“shesaid，falteringbecauseshewaspuzzled。
　　“Howbigishe？“
　　“He”sabigone。He”sabrindledbulldog。Why？“
　　“Well，“hesaid，halfpathetic，halfdefiant，“ifyou”regoingtocomeandtalktomelikethat，andlooklikethat，you”vegottobringthatbullalongandsethimonmewhenImakeabreak；forthere”snothingbutadogcankeepmewhereyouwantmetostay——andabigoneatthat。”
　　Hesatdownonanottomannearheranddroppedhisheadonhishands。
　　Itwasnothalfsuchajokeasitsounded。
　　LittleAnnsawitwasn”tandshewatchedhimtenderly，catchingherbreathoncequickly。Menhadwaysoftakingsomethingshardandfeelingthemagoodbitmorethanonewouldthink。Itmadetroublemanyatimeifonecouldn”thelpthemtothinkreasonable。
　　“Father，“shesaidtoHutchinson。
　　“Aye，“heanswered，turninground。
　　“WillyoutellMr。TempleBarholmthatyouthinkI”mrightaboutgivinghimhischance？“
　　“OfcourseIthinkshe”sright，“Hutchinsonblustered，“anditisn”tthefirsttimeeither。I”mnotgoingtohavemylassmarriedintoanyfamilywhereshe”dbelookeddownupon。”
　　ButthatwasnotwhatLittleAnnwanted；itwasnot，infact，herargument。Shewasnotthinkingofthatsideofthesituation。
　　“It”snotmethatmatterssomuch，Father，“shesaid；“it”shim。”
　　“Oh，isit？“disagreedHutchinson，dictatorially。“That”snotth”roadIlookatit。I”mlookingafteryou，nothim。Lethimtakecareofhimself。Nochapshallputyouwhereyouwon”tbelookedupto，evenifIAMgratefultohim。Sothereyouhaveit。”
　　“Hecan”ttakecareofhimselfwhenhefeelslikethis，“sheanswered。
　　“That”sWHYI”mtakingcareofhim。He”llthinksteadierwhenhe”shimselfagain。”Sheputoutherhandandsoftlytouchedhisshoulder。
　　“Don”tdothat，“shesaid。“Youmakemewanttobesilly。”Therewasaquiverinhervoice，butshetriedtochangeit。“Ifyoudon”tliftyourhead，“sheaddedwithagreateffortatdisciplinarianfirmness，“Ishallhavetogoawaywithouttellingyoutheotherthings。”
　　Heliftedhishead，buthisattemptatasmilewasnothilarious。
　　“Well，Ann，“hesubmitted，“I”vewarnedyou。Bringalongyourdog。”
　　Shetookasheetofpaperoutofoneoftheneatpocketsinherrough，browncoat。
　　“Ijustwrotedownsomeoftheverybesttailors”addresses——theverybest，“sheexplained。“Don”tyougotoanybuttheverybest，andbeabitsharpwiththemifthey”renotattentive。They”llthinkallthebetterofyou。Ifyourvalet”sasmartone，takehimwithyou。”
　　“Yes，Ann，“hesaidratherweakly。“He”sgoingtomakealistofthingshimself，anyhow。”
　　“Thatsoundsasifhe”dgotsomesense。”Shehandedhimthelistofaddresses。“Yougivehimthis，andtellhimhemustgototheverybestones。”
　　“WhatdoIwanttoputonstylefor？“heaskeddesperately。“Idon”tknowasoulonthissideoftheAtlanticOcean。”
　　“Yousoonwill，“shereplied，withcalmperspicacity。“You”vegottoomuchmoneynotto。”
　　AgruffchucklemadeitselfheardfromHutchinson”ssideoftheroom。
　　“Aye，seventythousandayear”llbringth”vulturesaboutthee，lad。”
　　“Weneedn”tcallthemvulturesexactly，“wasLittleAnn”stolerantcomment；“butalotofpeoplewillcomeheretoseeyou。ThatwasoneofthethingsIthoughtImighttellyouabout。”
　　“Say，you”reawonder！“
　　“I”mnothingofthesort。I”mjustagirlwithabitofcommonsense——
　　andgrandmother”sonethat”slookedonalongtime，andsheseesthings。Thecountrygentlemenwillbegintocallonyousoon，andthenyou”llbeinvitedtotheirhousestomeettheirwivesanddaughters，andthenyou”llbekeptprettybusy。”
　　Hutchinson”sbluffchucklebrokeoutagain。
　　“Youwillthat，mylad，whenth”match-makingmothersgetafteryou。
　　There”splentyon”em。”
　　“Father”sjoking，“shesaid。Hertonewasjudiciallyunprejudiced。
　　“Thereareyoungladiesthat——that”dbeverysuitable。Prettyonesandcleverones。You”llseethemall。”
　　“Idon”twanttoseethem。”
　　“Youcan”thelpit，“shesaid，withmilddecision。“Whentherearedaughtersandanewgentlemancomesintoabigpropertyintheneighborhood，it”snothingbutnaturalthatthemothersshouldbeabitanxious。”
　　“Aye，they”llbeanxiousenough。Mak”sureo”that，“laughedHutchinson。
　　“Isthatwhatyouwantmetoputonstylefor，LittleAnn？“Tembaromaskedreproachfully。
　　“Iwantyoutoputitonforyourself。Idon”twantyoutolookdifferentfromothermen。Everybody”scuriousaboutyou。They”rereadytoLAUGHbecauseyoucamefromAmericaandoncesoldnewspapers。”
　　“It”sthemenhe”llhavetolookoutfor，“Hutchinsonputin，withanexperiencedair。“There”sthemthat”llwanttoborrowmoney，andthemthat”llwanttodrinkandplaycardsandbethigh。AgreenAmericanlad”llbeafinepigeonforthemtopluck。Youmayaswelltellhim，Ann；youknowyoucameheretodoit。”
　　“Yes，Idid，“sheadmitted。“Idon”twantyoutoseemnottoknowwhatpeopleareuptoandwhattheyexpect。”
　　ThatlittlenoteofinvoluntarydefensewasadangerousthingforTembarom。Hedrewnearer。
　　“Youdon”twantthemtotakemeforafool，LittleAnn。You”restandingupforme；that”sit。”
　　“Youcanstandupforyourself，Mr。TempleBarholm，ifyou”renottakenbysurprise，“shesaidconfidently。“Ifyouunderstandthingsabit，youwon”tbe。”
　　Hisfeelingsalmostoverpoweredhim。
　　“Godblessyourdearlittlesoul！“hebrokeout。“Say，ifthisgoeson，thatdogofyourgrandmother”swouldn”thaveashow，Ann。Ishouldbitehimbeforehecouldbiteme。”
　　“Iwon”tgoonifyoucan”tbesensible，Mr。TempleBarholm。Ishalljustgoawayandnotcomebackagain。That”swhatIshalldo。”Hertonewasthatofayoungmother。
　　Hegaveinincontinently。
　　“GoodLord！no！“heexclaimed。“I”lldoanythingifyou”llstay。I”llliedownonthematandnotopenmymouth。Justsithereandtellmethings。Iknowyouwon”tletmeholdyourhand，butjustletmeholdabitofyourdressandlookatyouwhileyoutalk。”Hetookabitofherbrownfrockbetweenhisfingersandheldit，gazingatherwithallhiscrudeyoungsoulinhiseyes。“Nowtellme，“headded。
　　“There”sonlyoneortwothingsaboutthepeoplewho”llcometoTempleBarholm。Grandmother”stalkeditoverwithme。SheknewallaboutthosethatcameinthelateMr。TempleBarholm”stime。Heusedtohatemostofthem。”
　　“Thenwhyinthunderdidheaskthemtocome？“
　　“Hedidn”t。They”vegotclever，politewaysofaskingthemselvessometimes。Hecouldn”tbeartheCountessofMallowe。She”llcome。
　　Grandmothersaysyoumaybesureofthat。”
　　“What”llshecomefor？“
　　LittleAnn”spauseandcontemplationofhimwerefraughtwiththoughtfulness。
　　“She”llcomeforyou，“atlastshesaid。
　　“She”sgotadaughtershethinksoughttohavebeenmarriedeightyearsago，“announcedHutchinson。
　　Tembarompulledatthebitofbrowntweedheheldasthoughitwereadrowningman”sstraw。
　　“Don”tyoudrivemetodrink，Ann，“hesaid。“I”mfrightened。YourgrandmotherwillhavetolendMEthedog。”
　　ThiswasaflightinesswhichLittleAnndidnotencourage。
　　“LadyJoan——that”sherdaughter——isverygrandandhaughty。She”sagreatbeauty。You”lllookather，butperhapsshewon”tlookatyou。
　　Butit”snotherI”mtroubledabout。I”mthinkingofCaptainPalliserandmenlikehim。”
　　“Who”she？“
　　“He”soneofthosesmooth，cleveronesthat”salwaysgettingupsomecompanyorotherandsellingthestock。He”llwantyoutoknowhisfriendsandhe”lltrytoleadyouhisway。”
　　AsTembaromheldtohisbitofherdress，hiseyeswereadoringones，whichwasreallynottobewonderedat。SheWASadorableashersoft，kind，wonderfullymaternalgirlfacetriedtocontrolitselfsothatitshouldexpressonlyjustenoughtohelpandnothingtodisturb。
　　“Idon”twanthimtospoilyou。Idon”twantanythingtomakeyou——
　　different。Icouldn”tbearit。”
　　Hepulledthebitofdresspleadingly。
　　“Why，LittleAnn？“heimploredquitelow。
　　“Because，“shesaid，feelingthatperhapsshewasrash——“becauseifyouweredifferent，youwouldn”tbeT。Tembarom；anditwasT。
　　Tembaromthat——thatwasT。Tembarom，“shefinishedhastily。
　　Hebenthisheaddowntothebitoftweedandkissedit。
　　“Youjustkeeplookingaftermelikethat，“hesaid，“andthere”snotoneofthemcangetawaywithme。”
　　Shegotup，andherosewithher。Therewasatouchoffireintheforget-me-notblueofhereyes。
　　“Justyouletthemsee——justyouletthemseethatyou”renotonetheycanholdlightandmakeuseof。”Butthereshestoppedshort，lookingupathim。Hewaslookingdownatherwithakindofmaturenessinhisexpression。“Ineedn”tbeafraid，“shesaid。“Youcantakecareofyourself；Ioughttohaveknownthat。”
　　“Youdid，“hesaid，smiling；“butyouwantedtosortofhelpme。Andyou”vedoneit，bygee！justbysayingthatthingaboutT。Tembarom。
　　Yousetmerightonmyfeet。That”sYOU。”
　　BeforetheywentawaytheypaidavisittoStrangewaysinhisremote，undisturbed，andbeautifulrooms。Theywereinawingofthehouseuntouchedbyanyordinarypassingtoandfro，andthedeepwindowslookedoutupongardenswhichspringandsummerwouldcrowdwithlovelinessfromwhichcloudsofperfumewouldfloatuptohimondayswhenthesunwarmedandthesoftairsstirredtheflowers，shakingthefragrancefromtheirfullincense-cups。Butthewhitefogshutoutto-
　　dayeventheirwinterbareness。Therewerelightandwarmthinside，andeveryaddedcharmofrichharmonyofdeepcolorandcomfortmadebeautiful。Therewerebooksandpaperswaitingtobelookedover，buttheylayuntouchedonthewriting-table，andStrangewayswassittingclosetothebiggestwindow，staringintothefog。Hiseyeslookedhungryandhollowanddark。Annknewhewas“tryingtoremember“
　　something。
　　Whenthesoundoffootstepsreachedhisear，heturnedtolookatthem，androsemechanicallyatsightofAnn。Buthisexpressionwasthatofamanarousedfromadreamoffar-offplaces。
　　“Irememberyou，“hesaid，buthesitatedasthoughmakinganefforttorecallsomething。
　　“Ofcourseyoudo，“saidLittleAnn。“Youknowmequitewell。I
　　broughtyouhere。Thinkabit。Little——Little”
　　“Yes，“hebrokeforth。“Ofcourse，LittleAnn！ThankGodI”venotforgotten。”Hetookherhandinbothhisandheldittenderly。“Youhaveasweetlittleface。It”ssuchawiselittleface！“Hisvoicesoundeddreamy。
　　Anndrewhimtohischairwithacoaxinglaughandsatdownbyhim。
　　“You”reflatteringme。Youmakemefeelquiteshy，“shesaid。“YouknowHIM，too，“noddingtowardTembarom。
　　“Oh，yes，“hereplied，andbelookedupwithasmile。“Heistheonewhoremembers。Yousaidyoudid。”HehadturnedtoTembarom。
　　“YoubetyourlifeIdo，“Tembaromanswered。“Andyouwill，too，beforelong。”
　　“IfIdidnottrysohard，“saidStrangeways，thoughtfully。“ItseemsasifIwereshutupinaroom，andsomanythingswereknockingatthedoors——hundredsofthem——knockingbecausetheywanttobeletin。
　　Iamdamnablyunhappy——damnably。”Hehunghisheadandstaredatthefloor。Tembaromputahandonhisshoulderandgavehimafriendlyshake。
　　“Don”tyouworryabit，“hesaid。“Youtakemywordforit。It”llallcomeback。I”mworkingatitmyself。”Strangewaysliftedhishead。
　　“YouaretheoneIknowbest。Itrustyou。”Buttherewasthebeginningofaslightdraginhisvoice。“Idon”talways——quiterecollect——yourname。Notquite。Goodheavens！Imustn”tforgetthat。”
　　LittleAnnwasquiteready。
　　“Youwon”t，“shesaid，“becauseit”sdifferentfromothernames。Itbeginswithaletter——justaletter，andthenthereisthename。
　　Think。”
　　“Yes，yes，“hesaidanxiously。
　　LittleAnnbentforwardandfixedhereyesonhiswithconcentratedsuggestion。Theyhadneverriskedconfusinghimbyanymentionofthenewname。ShebegantorepeatlettersofthealphabetslowlyanddistinctlyuntilshereachedtheletterT。
　　“T，“sheendedwithmuchemphasis”R。S。_T_。”
　　Hisexpressioncleareditself。
　　“T，“herepeated。“T——Tembarom。R，S，T。Howcleveryouare！“
　　LittleAnn”sgazeconcentrateditselfstillmoreintently。
　　“Nowyou”llneverforgetitagain，“shesaid，“becauseoftheT。
　　You”llsaytheotherlettersuntilyoucometoit。R，S，T。”
　　“T。Tembarom，“heendedrelievedly。“Howyouhelpme！“Hetookherhandandkisseditverygently。
　　“Weareallgoingtohelpyou，“Annsoothedhim，“T。Tembarommostofall。”
　　“Say，“Tembarombrokeoutinanasidetoher，“I”mgoingtocomehereandtrythingsonhimeveryday。Whenitseemslikehegetsontosomething，howeverlittleathingitis，I”mgoingtofollowitupandseeifitwon”tgetsomewhere。”
　　Annnodded。
　　“There”llbesomethingsomeday，“shesaid。“Areyouquitecomfortablehere？“sheaskedaloudtoStrangeways。
　　“Verycomfortable，thankyou，“heansweredcourteously。“Theyarebeautifulrooms。Theyarefurnishedwithsuchfineoldthings。ThisisentirelyJacobean。It”squiteperfect。”Heglancedabouthim。“Andsoquiet。Noonecomesinherebutmyman，andheisaverynicechap。I
　　neverhadamanwhoknewhisdutiesbetter。”
　　LittleAnnandTembaromlookedateachother。
　　“Ishouldn”tbeabitsurprised，“shesaidaftertheyhadlefttheroom，“ifitwouldn”tbeagoodthingtogetPearsontotrytotalktohimnowandthen。He”sbeenusedtoaman-servant。”
　　“Yes，“answeredTembarom。“Pearsondidn”trattleHIM，youbetyourlife。”
　　CHAPTERXIV
　　Hecouldnotpersuadethemtoremaintotakelunchwithhim。ThefirmnessofHutchinson”sdeclinationwasnotunconnectedwithaprivatefeelingthat“themfootmenchaps”u”dbeonthelookouttoseethewayyouhandledeverybiteyouputinyourmouth。”Hecouldn”thavestoodit，dangtheirimpudence！LittleAnn，onherpart，franklyandcalmlysaid，“Itwouldn”tDO。”Thatwasall，andevidentlycoveredeverything。
　　Aftertheyhadgone，thefogliftedsomewhat，butthoughitwithdrewfromthewindows，itremainedfloatingaboutinmasses，likehugeghosts，amongthetreesofthepark。WhenTembaromsatdownalonetoprolonghislunchwiththeaidofBurrillandthefootmen，hewasconfrontedbytheseunearthlyshapeseverytimeheliftedhiseyestothewindowhefacedfromhisplaceatthetable。Itwasanoutlookwhichdidnotinspiretocheerfulness，andthefactthatAnnandherfatherweregoingbacktoManchesterandlatertoAmericalefthimwithouteventhesimpleconsolationofahealthyappetite。Thingswereboundtogetbetterafterawhile；theywereBOUNDto。Afellowwouldbeafoolifhecouldn”tfixitsomehowsothathecouldenjoyhimself，withmoneytoburn。Ifyoumadeupyourmindyoucouldn”tstandthewaythingswere，youdidn”thavetoliedownunderthem，withathousandorso“per“comingin。Youcouldfixitsothatitwouldbedifferent。Byjinks！therewasn”tanylawagainstyourgivingitalltothechurchbutjustenoughtobuyaflatinHarlemout-
　　right，ifyouwantedto。Butyouweren”tgoingtoruncrazyanddoalotoffoolthingsinaminute，andbesorrytherestofyourlife。
　　Moneywasmoney。AndfirstandforemosttherewasAnn，withherroundcheeksflushedandhervoiceallsweetandqueer，saying，“Youwouldn”tbeT。Tembarom；anditwasT。Tembaromthat——thatwasT。
　　Tembarom。”
　　Hecouldn”thelpknowingwhatshehadbeguntosay，andhisownfaceflushedashethoughtofit。Hewasatthattimeoflifewhentheregenerallyhappenstobeonecenteraboutwhichtheworldrevolves。Thecreaturewhopassesthroughthisperiodofexistencewithoutwatchingitrevolveaboutsuchacenterhasmissedanextraordinaryandsingularlydevelopingexperience。Itissometimeshappy，oftendisastrous，butalwaysmoreorlessdeveloping。Speakingcalmly，detachedly，butnotcynically，itisaphase。Duringitsexistenceitisthebloodintheveins，thesightoftheeyes，thebeatofthepulse，thethroboftheheart。Itisalsothedayandthenight，thesun，themoon，andthestars，heavenandhell，theentireuniverse。
　　Anditdoesn”tmatterintheleasttoanyonebutthecreatureslivingthroughit。T。Tembaromwasinthemidstofit。TherewasAnn。Therewasthisnewcrazythingwhichhadhappenedtohim”thisfoolthing，“
　　ashecalledit。Therewasthismonstrous，magnificenthouse，——heknewitwasmagnificent，thoughitwasn”thiskind，——therewasoldPalfordandhissolemntalkaboutancestorsandthenameofTempleBarholm。ItalwaysremindedhimofhowashamedhehadbeeninBrooklynofthe“TempleTemple“andhowhehadtoldliestopreventthefellowsfindingoutaboutit。Andtherewasseventythousandpoundsayear，andtherewasAnn，wholookedassoftasababy，——GoodLord！howsoftshe”dfeelifyougotherinyourarmsandsqueezedher！——andyetwassomehowstrongenoughtokeephimjustwhereshewantedhimtostayandbelievedheoughttostayuntil“hehadfoundout。”Thatwasit。
　　Shewasn”tdoingitforanyfoollittleideaofmakingherselfseemmoreimportant：shejustbelievedit。Shewasdoingitbecauseshewantedtolethim“havehischance，“justasifshewerehismotherinsteadofthegirlhewascleancrazyabout。Hischance！Helaughedoutright——ashort，confidentlaughwhichstartledBurrillexceedingly。
　　Whenhewentbacktothelibraryandlightedhispipehebegantostrideupanddownashecontinuedtothinkitover。
　　“IwishshewasassureasIam，“hesaid。“IwishshewasassureofmeasIamofmyself——andasIamofher。”Helaughedtheshort，confidentlaughagain。“IwishshewasassureasIamofusboth。
　　We”reallright。I”vegottogetthroughthis，andfindoutwhatit”sbesttodo，andI”vegottoshowher。WhenI”vehadmychancegoodandplenty，ustwoforlittleoldNewYork！Gee！won”titbefine！“heexclaimedimaginatively。“Hergoingoverherbills，lookinglikeapeachofababythat”stryingtoknititsbrows，andaddingup，andthinkingsheoughttoeconomize。She”ddoitifwehadtenmillion。”
　　Helaughedoutrightjoyfully。“GoodLord！Ishouldkisshertodeath！“
　　Thesimplestprocessofratiocinationwouldleadtoarealizationofthefactthatthoughhewaslonelyanduncomfortable，hewasnotintheleastpatheticorsorryforhimself。Hisnormalmentalandphysicalstructurekepthimsteadyonhisfeet，andhispracticalandunsentimentaltraining，combiningitselfwithatouchofironwhichcenturiesagohadexpresseditselfthroughsomefightingTempleBarholmandamediumofbattle-axes，crossbows，andspears，didtherest。
　　“It”dtakemorethanthistogetmewhereI”dbedownandout。I”mfeelingfine，“hesaid。“IbelieveI”llgoand”takeawalk”asPalfordsays。”
　　Thefog-wreathsintheparkwerefloatingaway，andhewentoutgrinningandwhistling，givingBurrillandthefootmananodashepassedthemwithaspringingyoungstride。Hegotthedooropensoquicklythatheleftthembehindhimfrustratedandstaringateachother。
　　“Itwasn”tourfault，“saidBurrill，gloomily。“He”sneverhadadooropenedforhiminhislife。Thiswon”tdoforme。”
　　Hewasawayforaboutanhour，andcamebackinthebestofspirits。
　　Hehadfoundoutthattherewassomethingin“takingawalk“ifafellowhadnothingelsetodo。Theparkwas“fine，“andhehadneverseenanythinglikeit。Whentherewereleavesonthetreesandthegrassandthingsweregreen，itwouldbebetterthanCentralParkitself。Youcouldhavebase-ballmatchesinit。Whatacinchitwouldbeifyouchargedgate-money！Buthesupposedyoucouldn”tifitbelongedtoyouandyouhadthreehundredandfiftythousandayear。
　　Youhadtogetusedtothat。Butitdidseemafoolbusinesstohaveallthatlandandnotmakeacentoutofit。IfitwasjustoutsideNewYorkandyoucutitupintolots，you”djustpileitup。Hewasquiteinnocent——calamitouslyinnocentandcommercialandawfulinhisviews。ThoughtssuchasthesehadbeencrammedintohisbrainbylifeeversincehehadgonedownthestaircaseoftheBrooklyntenementwithhistwenty-fivecentsinhisten-year-oldhand。
　　Thestillnessofthehouseseemedtohaveaccentuateditselfwhenhereturnedtoit。Hissenseofitlethimdownalittleasheentered。
　　Thelibrarywaslikeatomb——acomfortableluxurioustombwithabrightfireinit。AnewPunchandthemorningpapershadbeenlaiduponatableearlierintheday，andhesatdowntolookatthem。
　　“Iguessaboutfifty-sevenoreightofthehundredandthirty-sixhourshavegoneby，“hesaid。“But，gee！ain”titlonesome！“
　　Hesatsostilltryingtointeresthimselfin“LondonDaybyDay“inthemorningpaperthatthecombinationofhisexerciseinthefreshairandthewarmthofthefiremadehimdrowsy。Heleanedbackinhischairandclosedhiseyeswithoutbeingawarethathedidso。Hewasonthevergeofadoze。
　　Heremaineduponthevergeforafewminutes，andthenasoft，rustlingsoundmadehimopenhiseyes。
　　Anelderlylittleladyhadtimidlyenteredtheroom。Shewasneatlydressedinanold-fashionedandfar-from-newblacksilkdress，withadarnedlacecollarandminiaturebroochatherneck。Shehadalsothin，grayside-ringletsdanglingagainsthercheeksfrombeneathasmall，blacklacecapwithpale-purpleribbonsonit。Shehadmostevidentlynotexpectedtofindanyoneintheroom，and，havingseenTembarom，gaveahalf-frightenedcough。
　　“I——Ibegyourpardon，“shefaltered。“Ireallydidnotmeantointrude——really。”
　　Tembaromjumpedup，awkward，butgood-natured。Wassheakindofservantwhowasalady？
　　“Oh，that”sallright，“hesaid。
　　Butsheevidentlydidnotfeelthatitwasallright。Shelookedasthoughshefeltthatshehadbeencaughtdoingsomethingwrong，andmustproperlypropitiatebyapology。
　　“I”msosorry。Ithoughtyouhadgoneout——Mr。TempleBarholm。”
　　“Ididgoout——totakeawalk；butIcamein。”
　　Havingbeendiscoveredinherovertact，sheevidentlyfeltthatdutydemandedsomefurtherceremonyfromher。Sheapproachedhimverytimidly，butwithanexquisite，littleelderlyearly-Victorianmanner。
　　Shewasofthemostastonishinglyperfecttype，thoughTembaromwasnotawareofthefact。Themanner，acenturyearlier，wouldhaveexpresseditselfinacurtsy。
　　“ItisMr。TempleBarholm，isn”tit？“sheinquired。
　　“Yes；ithasbeenforthelastfewweeks，“heanswered，wonderingwhysheseemedsoinaweofhimandwishingshedidn”t。
　　“Ioughttoapologizeforbeinghere，“shebegan。
　　“Say，don”t，please！“heinterrupted。“WhatIfeelis，thatitoughttobeuptometoapologizeforbeinghere。”
　　Shewasreallyquiteflurriedanddistressed。
　　“Oh，please，Mr。TempleBarholm！“shefluttered，proceedingtoexplainhurriedly，asthoughhewithoutdoubtunderstoodthesituation。“I
　　shouldofcoursehavegoneawayatonceafterthelateMr。TempleBarholmdied，but——butIreallyhadnowheretogo——andwaskindlyallowedtoremainuntilabouttwomonthsago，whenIwenttomakeavisit。Ifullyintendedtoremovemylittlebelongingsbeforeyouarrived，butIwasdetainedbyillnessandcouldnotreturnuntilthismorningtopackup。Iunderstoodyouwereinthepark，andI
　　rememberedIhadleftmyknitting-baghere。”Sheglancednervouslyabouttheroom，andseemedtocatchsightofsomethingonaremotecornertable。“Oh，thereitis。MayItakeit？“shesaid，lookingathimappealingly。“Itwasakindpresentfromadearlostfriend，and——
　　and”Shepaused，seeinghispuzzledandtotallynon-comprehendingair。Itwasplainlythefirstmomentithaddawneduponherthathedidnotknowwhatshewastalkingabout。Shetookasmall，alarmedsteptowardhim。
　　“Oh，IBEGyourpardon，“sheexclaimedindelicateanguish。“I”mafraidyoudon”tknowwhoIam。PerhapsMr。Palfordforgottomentionme。Indeed，whyshouldhementionme？Thereweresomanymoreimportantthings。Iamasortofdistant——VERYdistantrelationofyours。MynameisAliciaTempleBarholm。”
　　Tembaromwasrelieved。Butsheactuallyhadn”tmadeamovetowardtheknitting-bag。Sheseemedafraidtodoituntilhegaveherpermission。
　　Hewalkedovertothecornertableandbroughtittoher，smilingbroadly。
　　“Hereitis，“hesaid。“I”mgladyouleftit。I”mveryhappytobeacquaintedwithyou，MissAlicia。”
　　Hewasgladjusttoseeherlookingupathimwithhertimid，refined，intenselyfeminineappeal。WhyshevaguelybroughtbacksomethingthatremindedhimofAnnhecouldnothavetold。Heknewnothingwhateveroftypesearly-Victorianorlate。
　　Hetookherhand，evidentlytohergreatestpossibleamazement，andshookitheartily。SheknewnothingwhateveroftheNewYorkstreettype，anditmadehergaspforbreath，butnaturallywithanallayedterror。
　　“Gee！“heexclaimedwhole-heartedly，“I”mgladtofindoutI”vegotarelation。IthoughtIhadn”toneintheworld。Won”tyousitdown？“Hewasdrawinghertowardhisowneasy-chair。Buthereallydidn”tknow，shewasagitatedlythinking。Shereallymusttellhim。Heseemedsogoodtemperedand——andDIFFERENT。Sheherselfwasnotawareoftheenormoussignificancewhichlayinthatword“different。”Theremustbenoriskofherseemingtopresumeuponhislackofknowledge。
　　“ItisMOSTkindofyou，“shesaidwithgratefulemphasis，“butI
　　mustn”tsitdownanddetainyou。Icanexplaininafewwords——ifI
　　may。”
　　Hepositivelystillheldherhandintheoddest，natural，boyishway，andbeforesheknewwhatshewasdoinghehadmadehertakethechair——
　　quiteMADEher。
　　“Well，justsitdownandexplain，“hesaid。“Iwishtothunderyouwoulddetainme。Takeallthetimeyoulike。Iwanttohearallaboutit——honestInjun。”
　　Therewasacushioninthechair，andashetalked，hepulleditoutandbegantoarrangeitbehindher，stillinthemostnaturalandmatter-of-factway——sonaturalandmatter-of-fact，indeed，thatitsverynaturalmatter-of-factednesstookherbreathaway。
　　“Isthatfixedallright？“heasked。
　　Beingalittlelady，shecouldonlyaccepthisextraordinaryfriendlinesswithgratefulappreciation，thoughshecouldnothelpflutteringalittleinherbewilderment。
　　“Oh，thankyou，thankyou，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid。
　　Hesatdownonthesquareottomanfacingher，andleanedforwardwithanairofmakingafrankconfession。
　　“GuesswhatIwasthinkingtomyselftwominutesbeforeyoucamein？I
　　wasthinking，`Lord，I”mlonesome——justsicklonesome！”AndthenI
　　openedmyeyesandlooked——andtherewasarelation！Hullygee！I
　　callthatluck！“
　　“Dearme！“shesaid，shylydelighted。“DOyou，Mr。TempleBarholm——
　　REALLY？“