HerformallittlewayofsayinghisnamewaslikeAnn”s。
　　“DoI？I”mtickledtodeath。MymotherdiedwhenIwasten，andI”veneverhadanywomenkin-folks。”
　　“Poorbo”Shehadnearlysaid“Poorboy！“andonlycheckedthefamiliarityjustintime”PoorMr。TempleBarholm！“
　　“Say，whatarewetwotoeachother，anyhow？“Heputittoherwithgreatinterest。
　　“Itisaverydistantrelationship，ifitisoneatall，“sheanswered。“Yousee，IwasonlyasecondcousintothelateMr。TempleBarholm，andIhadnotreallytheSLIGHTESTclaimuponhim。”Sheplacedpatheticemphasisonthefact。“Itwasmostgenerousofhimtobesokindtome。WhenmypoorfatherdiedandIwasleftquitepenniless，hegavemea——asortofhomehere。”
　　“Asortofhome？“Tembaromrepeated。
　　“MyfatherwasaclergymaninVERYstraitenedcircumstances。Wehadbarelyenoughtoliveupon——barely。Hecouldleavemenothing。ItactuallyseemedasifIshouldhavetostarve——itdid，indeed。”Therewasadelicatequiverinhervoice。“AndthoughthelateMr。TempleBarholmhadagreatantipathytoladies，hewasso——sonobleastosendwordtomethattherewereahundredandfiftyroomsinhishouse，andthatifIwouldkeepoutofhiswayImightliveinoneofthem。”
　　“Thatwasnoble，“commentedherdistantrelative。
　　“Oh，yes，indeed，especiallywhenoneconsidershowhedislikedtheoppositesexandwhatareclusehewas。Hecouldnotendureladies。I
　　scarcelyeversawhim。Myroomwasinquitearemotewingofthehouse，andIneverwentoutifIknewhewasinthepark。Iwasmostcareful。AndwhenhediedofcourseIknewImustgoaway。”
　　Tembaromwaswatchingheralmosttenderly。
　　“Wheredidyougo？“
　　“ToakindclergymaninShropshirewhothoughthemighthelpme。”
　　“Howwashegoingtodoit？“
　　Sheansweredwithanefforttosteadyasomewhatloweredandhesitatingvoice。
　　“Therewasnearhisparishaverynice——charity，“——herbreathcaughtitselfpathetically”somemostcomfortablealmshousesfordecayedgentlewomen。Hethoughthemightbeabletousehisinfluencetogetmeintoone。”Shepausedandsmiled，buthersmall，wrinkledhandsheldeachotherclosely。
　　Tembaromlookedaway。Hespokeasthoughtohimself，andwithoutknowingthathewasthinkingaloud。
　　“Almshouses！“hesaid。“Wouldn”tthatjoltyou！“Heturnedonheragainwithachangetocheerfulconcern。“Say，thatcushionofyoursain”tcomfortable。I”mgoingtogetyouanotherone。”Hejumpedupand，takingonefromasofa，begantoarrangeitbehindherdexterously。
　　“ButImustn”ttroubleyouanylonger。Imustgo，really，“shesaid，halfrisingnervously。Heputahandonhershoulderandmadehersitagain。
　　“Gowhere？“hesaid。“Justleanbackonthatcushion，MissAlicia。ForthenextfewminutesthisisgoingtobeMYfuneral。”
　　Shewasatoncestartledanduncomprehending。Whatanextraordinaryexpression！WhatCOULDitmean？
　　“F——funeral？“shestammered。
　　Suddenlyheseemedsomehowtohavechanged。Helookedasseriousasthoughhewasbeginningtothinkoutsomethingallatonce。Whatwashegoingtosay？
　　“That”sNewYorkslang，“heanswered。“ItmeansthatIwanttoexplainmyselftoyouandaskafewquestions。”
　　“Certainly，certainly，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
　　Heleanedhisbackagainstthemantel，andwentintothematterpractically。
　　“Firstoff，haven”tyouANYfolks？“Then，answeringherpuzzledlook，added，“Imeanrelations。”
　　MissAliciagentlyshookherhead。
　　“Nosistersorbrothersorunclesorauntsorcousins？“
　　Sheshookherheadagain。
　　Hehesitatedamoment，puttinghishandsinhispocketsandtakingthemoutagainawkwardlyashelookeddownather。
　　“Nowhere”swhereI”mupagainstit，“hewenton。“Idon”twanttobetoofreshortobuttin，but——didn”toldTempleBarholmleaveyouANY
　　money？“
　　“Oh，no！“sheexclaimed。“Dearme！no！Icouldn”tpossiblyEXPECTsuchathing。”
　　Hegazedatherasthoughconsideringthesituation。“Couldn”tyou？“
　　hesaid。
　　Therewasanoddreflectioninhiseyes，andheseemedtoconsiderherandthesituationagain。
　　“Well，“hebeganafterhispause，“whatIwanttoknowiswhatyouexpectMEtodo。”
　　Therewasnounkindnessinhismanner，infact，quitethecontrary，evenwhenheutteredwhatseemedtoMissAliciatheseawful，unwarrantedwords。Asthoughshehadforcedherselfintohispresencetomakedemandsuponhischarity！Theymadehertrembleandturnpaleasshegotupquickly，shockedandalarmed。
　　“Oh，nothing！nothing！nothingWHATEVER，Mr。TempleBarholm！“sheexclaimed，heragitationdoingitsbesttohideitselfbehindafinelittledignity。Hesawinaninstantthathisstyleofputtingithadbeen“”wayoff，“thathisignorancehadbetrayedhim，thatshehadmisunderstoodhimaltogether。Healmostjumpedather。
　　“Oh，say，Ididn”tmeanTHAT！“hecriedout。“FortheLord”ssake！
　　don”tthinkI”msuchaTenderlointoughastomakeabreaklikethat！
　　Notonyourlife！“
　　NeversinceherbirthhadamalecreaturelookedatMissAliciawiththeappealwhichshoweditselfinhiseyesasheactuallyputhisarmhalfaroundhershoulders，likeaboybeggingafavorfromhismotherorhisaunt。
　　“WhatImeantwas”Hebrokeoffandbeganagainquiteanxiously，“say，justasafavor，willyousitdownagainandletmetellyouwhatIdidmean？“
　　Itwasthatnatural，warm，boyishwaywhichovercameherutterly。Itremindedheroftheonlyboyshehadeverreallyknown，theonemalecreaturewhohadallowedhertobefondofhim。Therewasmoistureinhereyesasshelethimputherbackintoherchair。Whenhehaddoneit，hesatdownontheottomanagainandpouredhimselfforth。
　　“YouknowwhatkindofachapIam。No，youdon”t，either。Youmayn”tknowathingaboutme；andIwanttotellyou。I”msodifferentfromeverythingyou”veeverknownthatIscareyou。Andnowonder。It”sthewayI”velived。Ifyouknew，you”dunderstandwhatIwasthinkingofwhenIspokejustnow。I”vebeencold，I”vebeenhungry，I”vewalkedthewetstreetsonmyuppers。IknowallaboutGOINGWITHOUT。AnddoyouexpectthatIamgoingtoleta——alittlethinglikeyou——goawayfromherewithoutfriendsandwithoutmoneyonthechanceofgettingintoanalmshousethatisn”tvacant？Doyouexpectthatofme？Notonyourlife！ThatwaswhatImeant。”
　　MissAliciaquivered；thepale-purpleribbonsonherlittlelacecapquivered。
　　“Ihaven”t，“shesaid，andthefinelittledignitywaspiteous，“aSHADOWofaclaimuponyou。”Itwasnecessaryforhertoproduceapocket-handkerchief。Hetookitfromher，andtouchedhereyesassoftlyasthoughshewereababy。
　　“Claimnothing！“hesaid。“I”vegotaclaimonYOU。I”mgoingtostakeoneoutrightnow。”Hegotupandgesticulated，takinginthebigroomanditsbigfurniture。“Lookatallthis！Itfellonmelikeathunderbolt。It”snearlyknockedthelifeoutofme。I”mlikealostcatonBroadway。Youcan”tgoawayandleaveme，MissAlicia；it”syourdutytostay。You”vejustGOTtostaytotakecareofme。”Hecameovertoherwithawheedlingsmile。“Ineverwastakencareofinmylife。JustbeasnobletomeasoldTempleBarholmwastoyou：givemeasortofhome。”
　　Ifalittlegentlewomancouldstare，itmightbesaidthatMissAliciastaredathim。Shetrembledwithamazedemotion。
　　“Doyoumean”Despiteallhehadsaid，shescarcelydaredtoutterthewordslest，afterall，shemightbetakingforgrantedmorethanitwascrediblecouldbetrue。“CanyoumeanthatifIstayedherewithyouitwouldmakeTempleBarholmseemmorelikeHOME？Isitpossibleyou——youmeanTHAT？“
　　“Imeanjustthatverything。”
　　Itwastoomuchforher。Finelyrestrainedlittleelderlygentlewomanasshewas，sheopenlybrokedownunderit。
　　“Itcan”tbetrue！“sheejaculatedshakily。“Itisn”tpossible。Itistoo——toobeautifulandkind。Doforgiveme！Ic-a-n”thelpit。”Sheburstintotears。
　　Sheknewitwasmoststupidlywrong。Sheknewgentlemendidnotliketears。Herfatherhadtoldherthatmenneverreallyforgavewomenwhocriedatthem。Andhere，whenherfatehunginthebalance，shewasnotabletobehaveherselfwithfemininedecorum。
　　YetthenewMr。TempleBarholmtookitinasmatter-of-factamannerasheseemedtotakeeverything。HestoodbyherchairandsoothedherinhisdearNewYorkvoice。
　　“That”sallright，MissAlicia，“hecommented。“Youcryasmuchasyouwantto，justsothatyoudon”tsayno。You”vebeenworriedandyou”retired。I”lltellyouthere”sbeentwoorthreetimeslatelywhenI
　　shouldliketohavecriedmyselfifI”dknownhow。Say，“headdedwithasuddenoutburstofimagination，“Ibetanythingit”sabouttimeyouhadtea。”
　　Thesuggestionwassoentirelywithinthenormalorderofthingsthatitmadeherfeelsteadier，andshewasabletoglanceattheclock。
　　“Acupofteawouldberefreshing，“shesaid。“Theywillbringitinverysoon，butbeforetheservantscomeImusttrytoexpress”
　　Butbeforeshecouldexpressanythingfurthertheteaappeared。
　　Burrillandafootmanbroughtitonsplendidsalvers，inmassiveurnandtea-pot，withchaste，sacrificialflameflickering，andwonderful，hotbutteredandtoastedthingsandwafersofbreadandbutterattendant。Astheycrossedthethreshold，thesightofMissAlicia”ssmallformenthronedintheiremployer”schairwasonesoobviouslyunanticipatedthatBurrillmadeastepbackwardandthefootmanalmostlostthefirmnessofhisholdonthesmallertray。Eachrecoveredhimselfintime，however，andnotuntiltheteawasarrangeduponthetablenearthefirewasanyoutwardrecognitionofMissAlicia”spresencemade。ThenBurrill，pausing，madeanannouncemententirelywithoutprejudice：
　　“Ibegpardon，sir，butHiggins”scarthascomeforMissTempleBarholm”sbox；heisaskingwhenshewantsthetrap。”
　　“Shedoesn”twantitatall，“answeredTembarom。“Carryhertrunkup-
　　stairsagain。She”snotgoingaway。”
　　ThelackofproperknowledgecontainedinthesuggestionthatBurrillshouldcarrytrunksupstairscausedMissAliciatoquailinsecret，butshespokewithoutwardcalm。
　　“No，Burrill，“shesaid。“Iamnotgoingaway。”
　　“Verygood，Miss，“Burrillreplied，andwithimpressivecivilityhepreparedtoleavetheroom。Tembaromglancedatthetea-things。
　　“There”sonlyonecuphere，“hesaid。“Bringoneforme。”
　　Burrill”sexpressionmightperhapshavebeensaidtostartslightly。
　　“Verygood，sir，“hesaid，andmadehisexit。MissAliciawasflutteringagain。
　　“Thatcupwasreallyforyou，Mr。TempleBarholm，“sheventured。
　　“Well，nowit”sforyou，andI”velethimknowit，“repliedTembarom。
　　“Oh，PLEASE，“shesaidinanoutburstoffeeling”PLEASEletmetellyouhowGRATEFUL——howgratefulIam！“
　　Buthewouldnotlether。
　　“Ifyoudo，“hesaid，“I”lltellyouhowgrateful_I_am，andthat”llbeworse。No，that”sallfixedupbetweenus。Itgoes。Wewon”tsayanymoreaboutit。”
　　Hetookthewholesituationinthatway，asthoughhewasassumingnoresponsibilitywhichwasnotthesimple，inevitableresultoftheirdriftingacrosseachother——asthoughitwasonlywhatanymanwouldhavedone，evenasthoughshewasasortofdelightful，unexpectedhappening。Heturnedtothetray。
　　“Say，thatlooksallright，doesn”tit？“hesaid。“Nowyouarehere，I
　　likethewayitlooks。Ididn”tyesterday。”
　　Burrillhimselfbroughttheextracupandsaucerandplate。Hewishedtomakesurethathissenseshadnotdeceivedhim。Butthereshesatwhothroughyearshadexisteddiscreetlyinthemostunconsideredroomsinanuninhabitedwing，knowingbetterthantopresumeuponherprivileges——thereshesatwithanawedandraptfacegazingupatthisnewoutbreakintoTempleBarholm”sand“himjokingandgrinningasthoughhewasaspleasedasPunch。”
　　CHAPTERXV
　　ToemploythefigureofBurrill，Tembaromwasindeed“aspleasedasPunch。”Hewasoneofthelargenumberofmenwho，apartfromallsentimentalrelations，aremadeparticularlyhappybythekindlysocietyofwomen；whoexpandwithquiteunconsciousrejoicingwhenawomanbeginstotakecareoftheminonewayoranother。Theunconsciousnessisatouchingpartofthecondition。Thefemininenearnesssuppliesaprimevalhumanneed。Themostcompleteofmen，aswellastheweaklings，feelit。Itisasurvivalofdayswhenwarmarmsheldandprotected，warmhandsserved，andaffectionatevoicessoothed。Anaccomplishedmaleservantmayperformeverydomesticserviceperfectly，butthefactthathecannotbeawomanleavesasenseoflack。Anaccustomedfemininewarmthinthesurroundingdailyatmospherehascausedmanyamantomarryhishousekeeperorevenhiscook，ascircumstancesprompted。
　　TembaromhadknownnowomanwelluntilhehadmetLittleAnn。HisfeelingforMrs。Bowseherselfhadvergedonaffection，becausehewouldhavebeenfondofanywomanofdecenttemperandkindliness，especiallyifshegavehimopportunitiestodofriendlyservice。
　　LittleAnnhadseemedtheapotheosisofthefeminine，thewarmlyhelpful，thesubtlysupporting，thekind。Shehadbeentohimanamazementandarevelation。Shehadcontinuallysurprisedhimbyrevealingnewcharacteristicswhichseemedtohimnicerthingsthanhehadeverknownbefore，butwhich，ifhehadbeenawareofit，werenotreallysurprisingatall。Theywereonlythecharacteristicsofaveryniceyoungfemininecreature。
　　ThepresenceofMissAlicia，withthelong-belatedfashionofherringletsandherlittlecap，wasdelightfultohim。Hefeltasthoughhewouldliketotakeherinhisarmsandhugher。HethoughtperhapsitwaspartlybecauseshewasalittlelikeAnn，andkeptrepeatinghisnameinAnn”sformallittleway。Herdelicateterrorofpresumingorintrudinghefeltinitseveryshade。Mentallyshetouchedhimenormously。Hewantedtomakeherfeelthatsheneednotbeafraidofhimintheleast，thathelikedher，thatinhisopinionshehadmorerightinthehousethanhehad。Hewasalittlefrightenedlestthroughignoranceheshouldsaythingsthewrongway，ashehadsaidthatthingaboutwantingtoknowwhatsheexpectedhimtodo。Whatheoughttohavesaidwas，“You”renotexpectingmetoletthatsortofthinggoon。”Ithadmadehimsickwhenhesawwhatabreakhe”dmadeandthatshethoughthewassortofinsultingher。Theroomseemedallrightnowthatshewasinit。Smallandunassumingasshewas，sheseemedtomakeitlessover-sized。Hedidn”tsomuchmindtheloftinessoftheceiling，thedepthandsizeofthewindows，andthewallscoveredwiththousandsofbooksheknewnothingwhateverabout。
　　Theinnumerablebookshadbeenanoppressingfeature。Ifhehadbeenoneofthose“collegeguys“whonevercouldgetenoughofbooks，whata“cinch“theplacewouldhavebeenforhim——goodastheAstorLibrary！Hehadn”tawordtosayagainstbooks，——goodLord！no；——butevenifhe”dhadtheeducationandthetimetoread，hedidn”tbelievehewasnaturallythatkind，anyhow。Youhadtobe“thatkind“toknowaboutbooks。Hedidn”tsupposeshe——meaningMissAlicia——waslearnedenoughtomakeyouthrowafit。Shedidn”tlookthatway，andhewasmightygladofit，becauseperhapsshewouldn”tlikehimmuchifshewas。Itwouldworryherwhenshetriedtotalktohimandfoundouthedidn”tknowadarnedthingheoughtto。
　　They”dgetontogethereasieriftheycouldjustchinaboutcommonsortofevery-daythings。Butthoughshedidn”tlookliketheVassarsort，heguessedthatshewasnotlikehimself：shehadlivedinlibrariesbefore，andbooksdidn”tfrightenher。She”dbeenbornamongpeoplewhoreadlotsofthemandmaybecouldtalkaboutthem。Thatwaswhyshesomehowseemedtofitintotheroom。Hewasawarethat，timidasshewasandshabbyasherneatdresslooked，shefittedintothewholeplace，ashedidnot。She”dbeenapoorrelativeandhadbeenafraidtodeathofoldTempleBarholm，butshe”dnotbeenafraidofhimbecauseshewasn”thissort。Shewasalady；thatwaswhatwasthematterwithher。Itwaswhatmadethingsharderforher，too。Itwaswhatmadehervoicetremblewhenshe”dtriedtoseemsocontentedandpolitewhenshe”dtalkedaboutgoingintooneofthose“decayedalms-
　　houses。”Asiftheoldladieswerevegetablesthathadgonewrong，bygee！hethought。
　　Helikedherlittle，modest，delicateoldfaceandhercurlsandherlittlecapwiththeribbonssomuchthathesmiledwithatwinklingeyeeverytimehelookedather。Hewantedtosuggestsomethinghethoughtwouldbemightycomfortable，buthewashalfafraidhemightbeaskinghertodosomethingwhichwasn”t“herjob，“anditmighthurtherfeelings。Butheventuredtohintatit。
　　“HasBurrillgottocomebackandpourthatout？“heasked，withanawkwardgesturetowardthetea-tray。“HashejustGOTto？“
　　“Oh，no，unlessyouwishit，“sheanswered。“Shall——mayIgiveittoyou？“
　　“Willyou？“heexclaimeddelightedly。“Thatwouldbefine。IshallfeellikearegularClarence。”
　　Shewasgoingtositatthetableinastraight-backedchair，buthesprangather。
　　“Thisbigoneismorecomfortable，“hesaid，andhedraggeditforwardandmadehersitinit。“Yououghttohaveafootstool，“headded，andhegotoneandputitunderherfeet。“There，that”sallright。”
　　Afootstool，asthoughshewerearoyalpersonageandhewereagentlemaninwaiting，onlyprobablygentlemeninwaitingdidnotjumpaboutandlooksopleased。Thecheerfulcontentofhisboyishfacewhenhehimselfsatdownnearthetablewasdelightful。
　　“Now，“hesaid，“wecanringupforthefirstact。”
　　Shefilledthetea-potandhelditforamoment，andthensetitdownasthoughherfeelingsweretoomuchforher。
　　“IfeelasifIwereinadream，“shequaveredhappily。“Idoindeed。”
　　“Butit”saniceone，ain”tit？“heanswered。“IfeelasifIwasintwo。Sittinghereinthisbigroomwithallthesefinethingsaboutme，andhavingafternoonteawitharelation！Itjustaboutsuitsme。
　　Itdidn”tfeellikethisyesterday，youbetyourlife！“
　　“Doesitseem——nicerthanyesterday？“sheventured。“Really，Mr。
　　TempleBarholm？“
　　“Nicer！“heejaculated。“It”sgotyesterdaybeatentoafrazzle。”
　　Itwasbeyondallbelief。Hewasspeakingasthoughtheadvantage，therelief，thehappiness，wereallonhisside。Shelongedtoenlightenhim。
　　“Butyoucan”trealizewhatitistome，“shesaidgratefully，“tosithere，notterrifiedandhomelessand——abeggaranymore，withyourkindfacebeforeme。Doforgivemeforsayingit。Youhavesuchakindyoungface，Mr。TempleBarholm。Andtohaveaneasy-chairandcushions，andactuallyabuffetbroughtformyfeet！“Shesuddenlyrecollectedherself。“Oh，Imustn”tletyourteagetcold，“sheadded，takingupthetea-potapologetically。“Doyoutakecreamandsugar，andisittobeonelumportwo？“
　　“Itakeeverythinginsight，“herepliedjoyously，“andtwolumps，please。”
　　Shepreparedthecupofteawithasdelicateacareasthoughithadbeenasacramentalchalice，andwhenshehandedittohimshesmiledwistfully。
　　“Noonebutyoueverthoughtofsuchathingasbringingabuffetformyfeet——nooneexceptpoorlittleJem，“shesaid，andhervoicewaswistfulaswellashersmile。
　　Shewasobviouslyunawarethatshewasintroducinganentirelynewacquaintancetohim。PoorlittleJemwassupposedtobesomeonewhosewholehistoryheknew。
　　“Jem？“herepeated，carefullytransferringapieceofhotbutteredcrumpettohisplate。
　　“JemTempleBarholm，“sheanswered。“IsaylittleJembecauseI
　　rememberhimonlyasachild。Ineversawhimafterhewaselevenyearsold。”
　　“Whowashe？“heasked。Thetoneofhervoice，andhermannerofspeakingmadehimfeelthathewantedtohearsomethingmore。
　　Shelookedratherstartledbyhisignorance。“Haveyou——haveyouneverheardofhim？“sheinquired。
　　“No。Isheanotherdistantrelation？“
　　Herhesitationcausedhimtoneglecthiscrumpet，tolookupather。
　　Hesawatoncethatsheworetheairofasensitiveandbeautifullymanneredelderlyladywhowasafraidshehadmadeamistakeandsaidsomethingawkward。
　　“Iamsosorry，“sheapologized。“PerhapsIoughtnottohavementionedhim。”
　　“Whyshouldn”thebementioned？“
　　Shewasembarrassed。Sheevidentlywishedshehadnotspoken，butbreedingdemandedthatsheshouldignoretheawkwardnessofthesituation，ifawkwardnessexisted。
　　“Ofcourse——Ihopeyourteaisquiteasyoulikeit——ofcoursethereisnorealreason。But——shallIgiveyousomemorecream？No？Yousee，ifhehadn”tdied，he——hewouldhaveinheritedTempleBarholm。”
　　Nowhewasinterested。Thiswastheotherchap。
　　“Insteadofme？“heasked，tomakesure。Sheendeavorednottoshowembarrassmentandtoldherselfitdidn”treallymatter——toathoroughlyniceperson。But——
　　“Hewasthenextofkin——beforeyou。I”msosorryIdidn”tknowyouhadn”theardofhim。ItseemednaturalthatMr。Palfordshouldhavementionedhim。”
　　“Hedidsaythattherewasayoungfellowwhohaddied，buthedidn”ttellmeabouthim。IguessIdidn”task。Thereweresuchalotofotherthings。I”dliketohearabouthim。Yousayyouknewhim？“
　　“Onlywhenhewasalittlefellow。Neverafterhegrewup。Somethinghappenedwhichdispleasedmyfather。I”mafraidpapawasveryeasilydispleased。Mr。TempleBarholmdislikedhim，too。HewouldnothavehimatTempleBarholm。”
　　“Hehadn”tmuchluckwithhisfolks，hadhe？“remarkedTembarom。
　　“Hehadnoluckwithanyone。Iseemedtobetheonlypersonwhowasfondofhim，andofcourseIdidn”tcount。”
　　“Ibetyoucountedwithhim，“saidTembarom。
　　“IdothinkIdid。Bothhisparentsdiedquitesoonafterhewasborn，andpeoplewhooughttohavecaredforhimwereratherjealousbecausehestoodsoneartoTempleBarholm。IfMr。TempleBarholmhadnotbeensoeccentricandbitter，everythingwouldhavebeendoneforhim；butasitwas，heseemedtobelongtonoone。Whenhecametothevicarageitusedtomakemesohappy。HeusedtocallmeAuntAlicia，andhehadsuchprettyways。”Shehesitatedandlookedquitetenderlyatthetea-pot，asortofshynessinherface。“Iamsure，“sheburstforth，“Ifeelquitesurethatyouwillunderstandandwon”tthinkitindelicate；butIhadthoughtsooftenthatIshouldliketohavealittleboy——ifIhadmarried，“sheaddedinhastytributetopropriety。
　　Tembarom”seyesrestedonherinathoughtfulnessopenlytouchedwithaffection。Heputouthishandandpattedherstwoorthreetimesinencouragingsympathy。
　　“Say，“hesaidfrankly，“Ijustbelieveeverywomanthat”stherealthing”dliketohavealittleboy——oralittlegirl——oralittlesomethingorother。That”swhypetcatsanddogshavesuchacinchofit。Andthere”smenthat”sthesameway。It”ssortofnature。”
　　“Hehadsuchahighspiritandsuchprettyways，“shesaidagain。“Oneofhisprettywayswasrememberingtodolittlethingstomakeonecomfortable，likethinkingofgivingoneacushionorabuffetforone”sfeet。InoticeditsomuchbecauseIhadneverseenboysormenwaituponwomen。Myowndearpapawasusedtohavingwomenwaituponhim——bringhisslippers，youknow，andgivehimthebestchair。Hedidn”tlikeJem”sways。Hesaidhelikedaboywhowasaboyandnotanaffectednincompoop。Hewasn”treallyquitejust。”Shepausedregretfullyandsighedasshelookedbackintoapastdoubtlesslyenrichedwithmanysimilarmemoriesof“dearpapa。”“PoorJem！PoorJem！“shebreathedsoftly。
　　Tembaromthoughtthatshemusthavefelttheboy”slossverymuch，almostasmuchasthoughshehadreallybeenhismother；perhapsmorepatheticallybecauseshehadnotbeenhismotheroranybody”smother。
　　Hecouldseewhatagoodlittlemothershewouldhavemade，lookingafterherchildrenanddoingeverythingonearthtomakethemhappyandcomfortable，justthekindofmotherAnnwouldmake，thoughshehadnotAnn”ssteadywonderofalittleheadorhershrewdfarsightedness。Jemwouldhavebeeninluckifhehadbeenherson。Itwasadarnedpityhehadn”tbeen。Ifhehad，perhapshewouldnothavediedyoung。
　　“Yes，“heansweredsympathetically，“it”shardforayoungfellowtodie。Howoldwashe，anyhow？Idon”tknow。”
　　“Notmucholderthanyouarenow。Itwassevenyearsago。Andifhehadonlydied，poordear！Therearethingssomuchworsethandeath。”
　　“Worse！“
　　“Awfuldisgraceisworse，“shefaltered。Shewasplainlytryingtokeepmoistureoutofhereyes。
　　“Didhegetintosomebadmix-up，poorfellow？“Iftherehadbeenanythinglikethat，nowonderitbrokeheruptothinkofhim。
　　Itsurelydidbreakherup。Sheflushedemotionally。
　　“Thecruelthingwasthathedidn”treallydowhathewasaccusedof，“
　　shesaid。
　　“Hedidn”t？“
　　“No；buthewasaruinedman，andhewentawaytotheKlondikebecausehecouldnotstayinEngland。Andhewaskilled——killed，poorboy！Andafterwarditwasfoundoutthathewasinnocent——toolate。”
　　“Gee！“Tembaromgasped，feelinghotandcold。“Couldyoubeatthatforrottenluck！Whatwasheaccusedof？“
　　MissAlicialeanedforwardandspokeinawhisper。Itwastoodreadfultospeakofaloud。
　　“Cheatingatcards——agentlemanplayingwithgentlemen。Youknowwhatthatmeans。”
　　Tembaromgrewhotterandcolder。Nowondershelookedthatway，poorlittlething！
　　“But，“——hehesitatedbeforehespoke”buthewasn”tthatkind，washe？Ofcoursehewasn”t。”
　　“No，no。But，yousee，“——shehesitatedherselfhere”everythinglookedsomuchagainsthim。Hehadbeenratherwild。”Shedroppedhervoiceevenlowerinmakingtheadmission。
　　Tembaromwonderedhowmuchshemeantbythat。
　　“Hewassomuchindebt。Heknewhewastoberichinthefuture，andhewaspoorjustinthoserecklessyoungdayswhenitseemedunfair。
　　Andhehadplayedagreatdealandhadbeenverylucky。Hewassoluckythatsometimeshisluckseemeduncanny。Menwhohadplayedwithhimwerehorribleaboutitafterward。”
　　“Theywouldbe，“putinTembarom。“They”dbesoreaboutit，andbringitup。”
　　Theybothforgottheirtea。MissAliciaforgoteverythingasshepouredforthherstoryinthemannerofawomanwhohadbeenforcedtokeepsilentandwasgladtoputhercaseintowords。Itwashercase。
　　TotellthetruthofthisforgottenwrongwasagaintoofferjustificationofpoorhandsomeJemwhomeverybodyseemedtohavedroppedtalkof，andevenpreferrednottohearmentioned。
　　“Thereweresuchpiteouslycruelthingsaboutit，“shewenton。“Hehadfallenverymuchinlove，andhemeanttomarryandsettledown。
　　Thoughwehadnotseeneachotherforyears，heactuallywrotetomeandtoldmeaboutit。Hislettermademecry。HesaidIwouldunderstandandcareaboutthethingwhichseemedtohavechangedeverythingandmadehimanewman。Hewassosorrythathehadnotbeenbetterandmorecareful。Hewasgoingtotryalloveragain。Hewasnotgoingtoplayatallafterthisoneeveningwhenhewasobligedtokeepanengagementhehadmademonthsbeforetogivehisrevengetoamanhehadwonagreatdealofmoneyfrom。TheverynighttheawfulthinghappenedhehadtoldLadyJoan，beforehewentintothecard-room，thatthiswastobehislastgame。”
　　Tembaromhadlookeddeeplyinterestedfromthefirst，butatherlastwordsanewalertnessaddeditself。
　　“DidyousayLadyJoan？“heasked。“WhowasLadyJoan？“
　　“Shewasthegirlhewassomuchinlovewith。HernamewasLadyJoanFayre。”
　　“WasshethedaughteroftheCountessofMallowe？“
　　“Yes。Haveyouheardofher？“
　　HerecalledAnn”sreflectiveconsiderationofhimbeforeshehadsaid，“She”llcomeafteryou。”Herepliednow：“Someonespokeofhertomethismorning。Theysayshe”sabeautyandasproudasLucifer。”
　　“Shewas，andsheisyet，Ibelieve。PoorLadyJoan——aswellaspoorJem！“
　　“Shedidn”tbelieveit，didshe？“heputinhastily。“Shedidn”tthrowhimdown？“
　　“Nooneknewwhathappenedbetweenthemafterward。Shewasinthecard-room，lookingon，whentheawfulthingtookplace。”
　　Shestopped，asthoughtogoonwasalmostunbearable。Shehadbeensooverwhelmedbythepastshameofitthatevenafterthepassingofyearstheanguishwasalivingthing。Hersmallhandsclunghardtogetherastheyrestedontheedgeofthetable。Tembaromwaitedinthrilledsuspense。Shespokeinawhisperagain：
　　“Hewonagreatdealofmoney——agreatdeal。Hehadthatuncannyluckagain，andofcoursepeopleintheotherroomsheardwhatwasgoingon，andanumberdriftedintolookon。Themanhehadpromisedtogivehisrevengetoalmostshowedsignsofhavingtomakeanefforttoconcealhisirritationanddisappointment。Ofcourse，ashewasagentleman，hewasascoolaspossible；butjustatthemostexcitingmoment，theheightofthegame，Jemmadeaquickmovement，and——andsomethingfelloutofhissleeve。”
　　“Something，“gaspedTembarom，“felloutofhissleeve！“
　　MissAlicia”seyesoverflowedasshenoddedherberibbonedlittlecap。
　　“It“——hervoicewasasobofwoe”itwasamarkedcard。Themanhewasplayingagainstsnatcheditandhelditup。Andhelaughedoutloud。”
　　“Holycats！“burstfromTembarom；buttheremarkableexclamationwasoneofgenuinehorror，andheturnedpale，gotupfromhisseat，andtooktwoorthreestridesacrosstheroom，asthoughhecouldnotsitstill。
　　“Yes，helaughed——quiteloudly，“repeatedMissAlicia，“asifhehadguesseditallthetime。Papaheardthewholestoryfromsomeonewhowaspresent。”
　　Tembaromcamebacktoherratherbreathless。
　　“Whatinthunderdidhedo——Jem？“heasked。
　　Sheactuallywrungherpoorlittlehands。
　　“Whatcouldhedo？Therewasadeadsilence。Peoplemovedjustalittlenearertothetableandstoodandstared，merelywaiting。Theysayitwasawfultoseehisface——awful。Hesprangupandstoodstill，andslowlybecameaswhiteasifheweredyingbeforetheireyes。SomeonethoughtLadyJoanFayretookasteptowardhim，butnoonewasquitesure。Heneverutteredoneword，butwalkedoutoftheroomanddownthestairsandoutofthehouse。”
　　“Butdidn”thespeaktothegirl？“
　　“Hedidn”tevenlookather。Hepassedherbyasifshewerestone。”
　　“Whathappenednext？“
　　“Hedisappeared。Nooneknewwhereatfirst，andthentherewasarumorthathehadgonetotheKlondikeandhadbeenkilledthere。Andayearlater——onlyayear！Oh，ifhehadonlywaitedinEngland！——aworthlessvillainofavalethehaddischargedforstealingmetwithanaccident，andbecausehethoughthewasgoingtodie，gothorriblyfrightened，andconfessedtotheclergymanthathehadtuckedthecardinpoorJem”ssleevehimselfjusttopayhimoff。Hesaidhediditonthechancethatitwoulddropoutwheresomeonewouldseeit，andamarkedcarddroppingoutofaman”ssleeveanywherewouldlookblackenough，whetherhewasplayingornot。ButpoorJemwasinhisgrave，andnooneseemedtocare，thougheveryonehadbeeninterestedenoughinthescandal。Peopletalkedaboutthatforweeks。”
　　Tembarompulledathiscollarexcitedly。
　　“Itmakesmesortofstrangle，“hesaid。“You”vegottostandyourownbadluck，buttohearofachapthat”shadtoliedownandtaketheworstthatcouldcometohimandknowitwasn”this——justKNOWit！Anddiebeforehe”scleared！Thatknocksmeout。”
　　AlmosteverysentenceheutteredhadamysticalsoundtoMissAlicia，butsheknewhowhewastakingit，withwhathot，younghumansympathyandindignation。Shelovedthewayhetookit，andshelovedthefeelinginhisnextwords“Andthegirl——goodLord！——thegirl？“
　　“Inevermether，andIknowverylittleofher；butshehasnevermarried。”
　　“I”mgladofthat，“hesaid。“I”mdarnedgladofit。Howcouldshe？“
　　Annwouldn”t，heknew。Annwouldhavegonetohergraveunmarried。Butshewouldhavedonethingsfirsttoclearherman”sname。Somehowshewouldhaveclearedhim，ifshe”dhadtofighttoothandnailtillshewaseighty。
　　“Theysayshehasgrownverybitterandhaughtyinhermanner。I”mafraidLadyMalloweisaveryworldlywoman。Onehearstheydon”tgetontogether，andthatsheisbitterlydisappointedbecauseherdaughterhasnotmadeagoodmatch。Itappearsthatshemighthavemadeseveral，butsheissohardandcynicalthatmenareafraidofher。IwishIhadknownheralittle——ifshereallylovedJem。”
　　Tembaromhadthrusthishandsintohispockets，andwasstandingdeepinthought，lookingatthehugebankofredcoalsinthefire-grate。
　　MissAliciahastilywipedhereyes。
　　“Doexcuseme，“shesaid。
　　“I”llexcuseyouallright，“hereplied，stilllookingintothecoals。
　　“IguessIshouldn”texcuseyouasmuchifyoudidn”t“Helethercryinhergentlewaywhilehestared，lostinreflection。
　　“Andifhehadn”tfiredthatvaletchap，hewouldbeherewithyounow——insteadofme。Insteadofme，“herepeated。
　　AndMissAliciadidnotknowwhattosayinreply。Thereseemedtobenothingwhich，withproprietyandnaturalfeeling，onecouldsay。
　　“ItmakesmefeeljustfinetoknowI”mnotgoingtohavemydinnerallbymyself，“hesaidtoherbeforesheleftthelibrary。
　　Shehadawayofblushingaboutthingshenoticed，whenshewasshyormovedordidn”tknowexactlywhattosay。Thoughshemusthavebeensixty，shediditasthoughsheweresixteen。Andshediditwhenhesaidthis，andlookedasthoughsuddenlyshewasinsomesortoftrouble。
　　“Youaregoingtohavedinnerwithme，“hesaid，seeingthatshehesitated”dinnerandbreakfastandlunchandteaandsupperandeveryoldthingthatgoes。Youcan”tturnmedownaftermestakingoutthatclaim。”
　　“I”mafraid”shesaid。“Yousee，Ihavelivedsuchasecludedlife。
　　Iscarcelyeverleftmyroomsexcepttotakeawalk。I”msureyouunderstand。ItwouldnothavebeennecessaryevenifIcouldhaveaffordedit，whichIreallycouldn”t——I”mafraidIhavenothing——
　　quitesuitable——foreveningwear。”
　　“Youhaven”t！“heexclaimedgleefully。“Idon”tknowwhatissuitableforeveningwear，butIhaven”tgotiteither。Pearsontoldmesowithtearsinhiseyes。Itneverwasnecessaryformeeither。I”vegottogetsomethingstoquietPearsondown，butuntilIdoI”vegottoeatmydinnerinatweedcutaway；andwhatI”vecaughtontoisthatit”sunsuitableenoughtothrowamanintojail。Thatlittleblackdressyou”vegotonandthatlittlecaparejust”wayoutofsight，they”resobecoming。Comedownjustlikeyouare。”
　　ShefeltalittleasPearsonhadfeltwhenconfrontinghisnewemployer”sentirecheerfulnessinfaceofasituationasexoticallyhopelessasthetweedcutaway，andnothingelsebywayofresource。
　　Buttherewassomethingsoniceabouthim，somethingwhichwasalmostasthoughhewasactuallyagentleman，somethingwhichabsolutely，ifonecouldgosofar，stoodintheplaceofhisbeingagentleman。Itwasimpossibletohelplikinghimmoreandmoreateveryqueerspeechhemade。Still，therewereofcoursethingshedidnotrealize，andperhapsoneoughtinkindnesstogivehimadelicatehint。
　　“I”mafraid，“shebeganquiteapologetically。“I”mafraidthattheservants，Burrillandthefootmen，youknow，willbe——willthink”
　　“Say，“hetookherup，“let”sgiveBurrillandthefootmentheWilliesoutandout。Iftheycan”tstandit，theycanwritehometotheirmothersandtell”emthey”vegottotake”emaway。Burrillandthefootmenneedn”tworry。They”resuitableenough，andit”snoneoftheirfuneral，anyhow。”
　　Hewasn”tupsetintheleast。MissAlicia，who，asatimiddependenteitherupon“poordearpapa“orMr。TempleBarholm，hadbeensecretly，inhersensitive，ladylikelittleway，afraidofsuperiorservantsallherlife，knowingthattheyrealizedherutterlyinsignificanthelplessness，andresentedgivingherattentionbecauseshewasnotabletoshowherappreciationoftheirservicesinthepropermanner——
　　MissAliciasawthatithadnotoccurredtohimtoendeavortopropitiatethemintheleast，becausesomehowitallseemedajoketohim，andhedidn”tcare。Afterthefirstmomentofbeingstartled，sheregardedhimwithanovelfeeling，almostakindofadmiration。
　　Tentativelyshedaredtowonderiftherewasnotsomethingevenrather——ratherARISTOCRATICinhisutterindifference。
　　Ifbehadbeenaduke，hewouldnothaveregardedtheservants”pointofview；itwouldn”thavematteredwhattheythought。Perhaps，shehastilydecided，hewaslikethisbecause，thoughhewasnotaduke，boot-blackinginNewYorknotwithstandinghewasaTempleBarholm。
　　TherewerefewdukesasoldofbloodasaTempleBarholm。Thatmustbeit。Shewasrelieved。
　　Whatsoeverlayattherootofhisbeingwhathewasandashewas，hesomehowchangedtheaspectofthingsforher，andwithoutdoinganythingbutbehimself，clearedtheatmosphereofherdreadofthesurpriseandmentalreservationsofthefootmenandBurrillwhenshecamedowntodinnerinherhigh-necked，much-cleaned，andmuch-
　　repairedblacksilk，andwithnomoredistinguishingchangeinhertoiletthanawhitelacecapinsteadofablackone，andwith“poordearmamma”s“hairbraceletwiththegoldclasponherwrist，andaweeping-willowmadeof“poordearpapa”s“hairinabroochathercollar。
　　Itwassocurious，thoughstill“nice，“buthedidnotofferherhisarmwhentheyweregoingintothedining-room，andhetookholdofherswithhishandandaffectionatelyhalfled，halfpushed，heralongwithhimastheywent。Andhehimselfdrewbackherchairforherattheendofthetableoppositehisown。Hedidnotletafootmandoit，andhestoodbehindit，talkinginhischeerfulwayallthetime，andhemovedittoexactlytherightplace，andthenactuallybentdownandlookedunderthetable。
　　“Here，“hesaidtothenearestman-servant，“where”sthereafootstool？Getone，please，“inthatodd，simple，almostaristocraticway。Itwasnotarudedictatorialway，butacasualway，asthoughheknewthemanwastheretodothings，andhedidn”texpectanytimetobewasted。
　　Anditwashehimselfwhoarrangedthefootstool，makingitcomfortableforher，andthenhewenttohisownchairattheheadofthetableandsatdown，smilingatherjoyfullyacrosstheglassandsilverandflowers。
　　“Pushthatthinginthemiddleononeside，Burrill，“hesaid。“It”stoohigh。Ican”tseeMissAlicia。”
　　Burrillfounditdifficulttobelievetheevidenceofhishearing。
　　“Theepergne，sir？“heinquired。
　　“Isthatwhatit”scalled，anapern？That”sanewoneonme。Yes，that”swhatImean。Pushtheapernover。”
　　“ShallIremoveitfromthetable，sir？“Burrillsteeledhimselftoexactcivility。Ofwhatusetobehaveotherwise？Therealwaysremainedthelibertytogivenoticeiftheworstcametotheworst，thoughwhattheworstmighteventuallyprovetobeitrequiredaluridimaginationtodepict。Theepergnewasabeautifulthingofcrystalandgold，acelebratedworkofart，regardedasanexquisitepossession。ItwasalmostremarkablethatMr。TempleBarholmhadnotsaid，“Shoveitononeside，“butBurrillhadbeensparedthepoignantindignityofbeingrequiredto“shove。”
　　“Yes，supposeyoudo。It”safineenoughthingwhenitisn”tintheway，butI”vegottoseeyouwhileItalk，MissAlicia，“saidMr。
　　TempleBarholm。Theepisodeoftheepergne——Burrill”sexpression，andtherigidlyrestrainedmouthsofHenryandJamesasthedecorationwasremoved，leavingapainfullyblankspaceoftable-clothuntilBurrillsilentlyfilleditwithflowersinalowbowl——thesethingstemporarilyflurriedMissAliciasomewhat，butthepleasedsmileattheheadofthetablecalmedeventhattryingmoment。
　　Thenwhatadelightfulmealitwas，tobesure！Howentertainingandcheerfulandfullofinterestingconversation！MissAliciahadalwaysadmiredwhatshereverentlytermed“conversation。”Shehadreadofthehousesofbrilliantpeoplewheretheyhaditattable，atdinnerandsupperparties，andindrawing-rooms。TheFrench，especiallytheFrenchladies，werebrilliantconversationalists。Theyheld“salons“
　　inwhichtheconversationwaswonderful——Mme。deStaelandMme。
　　Roland，forinstance；andinEngland，LadyMaryWortleyMontague，SydneySmith，andHoraceWalpole，andsurelyMissFannyBurney，andnodoubtL。E。L。，whoserealnamewasMissLetitiaElizabethLandon——
　　whatconversationtheymusthavedelightedtheirfriendswithandhowinstructiveitmusthavebeeneventositinthemostobscurecornerandlisten！
　　SuchgiftedpersonsseemedtohavebeenchosenbyProvidencetodelightandinspireeveryoneprivilegedtohearthem。SuchprivilegeshadbeenomittedfromtheschemeofMissAlicia”sexistence。Shedidnotknow，shewouldhavefeltitsacrilegioustoadmititevenifthefacthaddawneduponher，that“dearpapa“hadbeenaheartlesslyarrogant，utterlyselfish，andtyrannicaloldblackguardofthemostpronouncedtype。Hehadbeenofanabsolutemoralityasfarassociallawswereconcerned。Hehadwrittenanddeliveredadenunciatorysermonaweek，andhadmadeunbearablebyhisministrationsthesufferinghoursandthelastmomentsofhisparishionersduringthelongyearsofhispastorate。WhenMissAlicia，inreadingrecordsofthehelpfulrelationshipofthemaleprogenitorsoftheBrontes，JaneAusten，FannyBurney，andMrs。Browning，wasfrequentlyremindedofhim，sherevealedaperceptionofwhichshewasnotaware。Hehadcombinedthevirilequalitiesofallofthem。Consequently，brilliancyofconversationattablehadnotbeentheattractivehabitofthehousehold；“poordearpapa“hadconfinedhimselftoscathingcriticismoftheincompetenceoffemaleswhocouldnotteachtheirmenialsto“cookadinnerwhichwasnotadisgracetoanydecenthousehold。”Whennotvirulentlyaspersingthemutton，hewasexpressinghisopinionofmuddle-headedweaknesswhichwouldpermithouseholdbillstomountinamannerwhichcouldonlybringruinanddisasteruponaministerofthegospelwhothroughoutaprotractedcareerofusefulnesshadsappedhisintellectualmanhoodintheuselessefforttosupportinsillyidlenessafamilyofbrainlessandmaddeningfools。MissAliciahadheardhercharacter，herunsuccessfulphysicalappearance，hermind，andherpitifuleffortsattable-talk，describedindetailwithachoiceofadjectiveandadverbwhichhadbrokenintoterrifiedfragmentseveryatomofcourageandwillwithwhichshehadbeensparselydowered。
　　So，nothavingherselfbeengiftedwithconversationalpowerstobeginwith，andneverhavingenjoyedtheexhibitionofsuchpowersinothers，heridealshadbeenhigh。ShewasnotsurethatMr。TempleBarholm”sfluentandcheerfultalkcouldbewithexactnesstermed“conversation。”Itwasperhapsnotsufficientlyloftyandintellectual，anddidnotconfineitselfrigorouslytooneexaltedsubject。Buthowitdidraiseone”sspiritsandopenupcuriousvistas！Andhowgoodtemperedandhumorousitwas，eventhoughsometimesthehumorwasalittlebewildering！Duringthewholedinnerthereneveroccurredevenoneofthosedreadfulpausesinwhichdeadsilencefell，andonetried，likeafrightenedhenflyingfromsidetosideofacoop，tothinkofsomethingtosaywhichwouldnotsoundsilly，butperhapsmightdivertattentionfromdangeroustopics。ShehadoftenthoughtitwouldbesointerestingtohearaSpaniardoranativeHindutalkabouthimselfandhisowncountryinEnglish。
　　TembaromtalkedaboutNewYorkanditspeopleandatmosphere，andhedidnotknowhowforeignitallwas。Hedescribedthestreets——FifthAvenueandBroadwayandSixthAvenue——andthestreet-carsandtheelevatedrailroad，andtheway“fellows“hadto“hustle““toputitover。”Hespokeofaboarding-housekeptbyacertainMrs。Bowse，andapresidentialcampaign，andtheelectionofamayor，andaquick-
　　lunchcounter，andwhenPresidentGarfieldhadbeenassassinated，andadepartmentstore；andtheelectriclights，andthewayhehadofmakingasortofpictureofeverythingwasreallyinstructiveand，well，fascinating。Shefeltasthoughshehadbeentakenaboutthecityinoneofthevehiclestheconductorofwhichdescribedthingsthroughamegaphone。
　　NotthatMr。TempleBarholmsuggestedamegaphone，whatsoeverthatmightbe，buthemerelymadeyoufeelasifyouhadseenthings。Neverhadshebeensoentertainedandenlightened。Ifshehadbeenabeautifulgirl，hecouldnothaveseemedmoreasthoughinamusingherhewasalsoreallypleasinghimself。Hewassoveryfunnysometimesthatshecouldnothelplaughinginawaywhichwasalmostunladylike，becauseshecouldnotstop，andwasobligedtoputherhandkerchiefuptoherfaceandwipeawayactualtearsofmirth。
　　Fancylaughinguntilyoucried，andtheservantslookingon！
　　OnceBurrillhimselfwasobligedtoturnhastilyaway，andtwicesheheardhimseverelyreproveanoverpoweredyoungfootmaninarapidundertone。
　　TembaromatleastfeltthattheunliftingheavinessofatmospherewhichhadsurroundedhimwhileenjoyingthecompanionshipofMr。
　　Palfordwasathingofthepast。
　　Thethrilledinterest，thesurpriseanddelightofMissAliciawouldhavestimulatedamaninacomatosecondition，itseemedtohim。Thelittlethingjustlovedeverybitofit——shejust“eatitup。”Sheaskedquestionafterquestion，sometimesquestionswhichwouldhavemadehimshoutwithlaughterifhehadnotbeenafraidofhurtingherfeelings。SheknewaslittleofNewYorkasheknewofTempleBarholm，andwas，itmadehimgrintosee，alluredbyitasbysomeillicitfascination。Shedidnotknowwhattomakeofit，andsometimesshewasobligedhastilytoconcealafearthatitwasasortofSodomandGomorrah；butshewantedtohearmoreaboutit，andstillmore。
　　Andshebrightenedupuntilsheactuallydidnotlookfrightened，andateherdinnerwithanexcellentappetite。
　　“Ireallyneverenjoyedadinnersomuchinmylife，“shesaidwhentheywentintothedrawing-roomtohavetheircoffee。“Itwastheconversationwhichmadeitsodelightful。Conversationissuchastimulatingthing！“
　　Shehadalmostdecidedthatitwas“conversation，“oratleastawonderfulsubstitute。
　　Whenshesaidgoodnighttohimandwentbeamingtobed，lookingforwardimmenselytobreakfastnextmorning，hewatchedhergoupthestaircase，feelingwonderfullynormalandhappy。
　　“Someofthesenights，whenshe”susedtome，“hesaidashestuffedtobaccointohislastpipeinthelibrary”someofthesenightsI”mdarnedifIsha”n”tcatchholdofthesweet，littleoldthingandhugherinspiteofmyself。Isha”n”tbeabletohelpit。”Helithispipe，andpuffeditevenexcitedly。“Lord！“hesaid，“there”ssomeblame”foolgoingabouttheworldrightnowthatmighthavemarriedher。Andhe”llneverknowwhatabreakhemadewhenhedidn”t。”
　　CHAPTERXVI
　　Afugitivefinedaywhichhadstrayedintothemonthfromtheapproachingspringappearedthenextmorning，andMissAliciawasupliftedbytheenrapturingsuggestionthatsheshouldjoinhernewrelativeintakingawalk，infactthatitshouldbeshewhotookhimtowalkandshowedhimsomeofhispossessions。This，ithadrevealeditselftohim，shecoulddoinaspecialwayofherown，becauseduringherlifeatTempleBarholmshehadfeltitherdutyto“trytodoalittlegood“amongthevillagers。Sheandherlong-deadmotherandsisterhadofcoursebeenworkingadjunctsofthevicarage，andhadnumeroussomewhattryingtaskstoperforminthewayofimprovingupon“dearpapa”s“harryingthemintoattendingchurch，chivyingthemothersintosendingtheirchildrentoSunday-school，andbeingunsparinginseverityofanyconductwhichmightbeconstruedintoimplyinglackofappreciationofthevicarorrespectforhiseloquence。
　　Ithadbeennecessaryforthemasmembersofthevicar”sfamily——
　　always，ofcourse，withoutaddingasixpencetothehouseholdbills——
　　tosupplybowlsofnourishingbrothandarrowroottoinvalidsandtobestowtheaidandencouragementwhichresultinamanofGod”sbeingregardedwithaffectionandgratitudebyhisparishioners。Manyaman”scareerinthechurch，“dearpapa“hadfrequentlyobserved，hadbeenruinedbylackofintelligenceandeffortonthepartofthefemalemembersofhisfamily。
　　“Nomancouldachieveproperresults，“hehadsaid，“ifhewashamperedbytheselfishinfluenceandfoolishnessofhiswomenkind。
　　Successinthechurchdependsinonesenseverymuchupontheconductofaman”sfemalerelatives。”
　　Afterthedeathsofhermotherandsister，MissAliciahadtoiledonpatiently，fadingdaybydayfromaslim，plain，sweet-facedgirltoaslim，evenplainerandsweeter-facedmiddle-agedandatlastelderlywoman。ShehadbythattimereadaloudbybedsidesagreatmanychaptersintheBible，hadgivenagoodmanytracts，andbestowedasmucharrowroot，barley-water，andbeef-teaasshecouldpossiblyencompasswithoutdomesticdisaster。Shehadgivenalargeamountofconscientious，ifnottoointelligent，advice，andhadneverfailedtopresideoverherSunday-schoolclassoratmothers”meetings。Buthertimidunimpressivenesshadnotarousedenthusiasmorawakenedcomprehension。“MissAlicia，“thecottagewomensaid，“she”swellmeanin”，butshe”snotonewithahead。”“Sheremindsme，“oneofthemhadsummedherup，“ofahenthatlaysa”eggeveryday，butit”stoosmallforameal，and”u”dneverhatchintoanythin”。”
　　DuringherstayatTempleBarholmshehadtentativelytriedtodoalittle“parishwork，“butshehadhadnothingtogive，andshewasalwaysafraidthatifMr。TempleBarholmfoundherout，hewouldbeangry，becausehewouldthinkshewaspresuming。Shewasawarethatthevillagersknewthatshewasanobjectofcharityherself，andapersonwhowas“alady“andyetanobjectofcharitywas，sotospeak，poachingupontheirownlegitimatepreserves。Therectorandhiswifewererathergrandpeople，andcondescendedtohergreatlyonthefewoccasionsoftheiraccidentalmeetings。Shewasneithersmartnorinfluentialenoughtobeconsideredasanasset。
　　Itwasshewho“conversed“duringtheirwalk，andwhileshetrottedbyTembarom”ssidelookingmoreearly-Victorianthaneverinaneat，fringedmantleandasmallblackbonnetofafashionlongdecentlyinterredbyachangingworld，TembaromhadneverseenanythingresemblingitinNewYork；buthelikeditandherincreasinglyateverymoment。
　　Itwashewhomadeherconverse。Heledheronbyaskingherquestionsandbeinggreatlyinterestedineveryresponseshemade。Infact，thoughhewasquiteunawareofthesituation，shewascreatingforhimsuchanatmosphereashemighthavefoundinabook，ifhehadhadthehabitofbooks。Everythingshetoldhimwasnewandquaintandveryoftenrathertouching。Sherelatedanecdotesaboutherselfandherpoorlittlepastwithoutknowingshewasdoingit。Beforetheyhadtalkedanhourhehadanastonishingclearideaof“poordearpapa“
　　and“dearestEmily“and“poordarlingmama“andexistenceatRowcroftVicarage。He“caughtonto“thefactthatthoughshewasverymuchgiventotheword“dear，“——peoplewere“dear，“andsowerethingsandplaces，——sheneverevenbychanceslippedintosaying“dearRowcroft，“
　　whichshewouldcertainlyhavedoneifshehadeverspentahappymomentinit。
　　AsshetalkedtohimherealizedthathersimpleaccustomednesstoEnglishvillagelifeandallitsaccompanimentsofcountysurroundingswouldteachhimanythingandeverythinghemightwanttoknow。Herobscurityhadbeensurroundedbystatelymagnificence，withwhichshehadbecomefamiliarwithouttouchingthemerestoutskirtsofitsprivileges。Sheknewnamesandcustomsandfamiliesandthingstobecultivatedoravoided，andthoughshewouldbealittlestartledandmuchmystifiedbyhistotalignoranceofallshehadbreathedinsinceherbirth，hefeltsurethatshewouldnotregardhimeitherwithprivatecontemptorwithalessenedlikingbecausehewasavandalpureandsimple。
　　Andshehadsuchanice，little，oldpolitewayofsayingthings。
　　When，inpassingagroupofchildren，hefailedtounderstandthattheirhastybobbingupanddownmeantthattheyweredoingobeisancetohimaslordofthemanor，shespokewiththeprettiestapologeticcourtesy。
　　“I”msureyouwon”tmindtouchingyourhatwhentheymaketheirlittlecurtsies，orwhenavillagertoucheshisforehead，“shesaid。
　　“GoodLord！no，“hesaid，starting。“OughtI？Ididn”tknowtheyweredoingitatme。”Andheturnedroundandmadeahandsomebowandgrinnedalmostaffectionatelyatthesmall，amazedparty，firstpuzzling，andthendelighting，them，becausehelookedsoextraordinarilyfriendly。Agentlemanwholaughedatyoulikethatoughttobeequaltoamiscellaneousdistributionofpenniesinthefuture，ifnotonthespot。Theythemselvesgrinnedandchuckledandnudgedoneanother，withstaresandgiggles。
　　“Iamsorrytosaythatinagreatmanyplacesthevillagersarenotnearlysorespectfulastheyusedtobe，“MissAliciaexplained。“InRowcroftthechildrenwereveryremissaboutcurtseying。It”squitesad。ButMr。TempleBarholmwasverystrictindeedinthematterofdemandingproperrespectfulness。Hehasturnedmenofftheirfarmsforincivility。ThevillagersofTempleBarholmhavemuchbettermannersthansomeevenafewmilesaway。”
　　“MustItipmyhattoallofthem？“heasked。
　　“Ifyouplease。Itreallyseemskinder。You——youneedn”tquiteliftit，asyoudidtothechildrenjustnow。Ifyoujusttouchthebrimlightlywithyourhandinasortofmilitarysalute——thatiswhattheyareaccustomedto。”
　　Aftertheyhadpassedthroughthevillagestreetshepausedattheendofashortlaneandlookedupathimdoubtfully。
　　“Wouldyou——Iwonderifyouwouldliketogointoacottage，“shesaid。
　　“Gointoacottage？“heasked。“Whatcottage？Whatfor？“
　　Hehadnottheremotestideaofanyreasonwhyheshouldgointoacottageinhabitedbypeoplewhowereentirestrangerstohim，andMissAliciafeltatrifleawkwardathavingtoexplainanythingsowhollynatural。
　　“Yousee，theyareyourcottages，andthepeopleareyourtenants，and”
　　“Butperhapstheymightn”tlikeit。Itmightmake”emmad，“heargued。
　　“Iftheirwater-pipeshadbusted，andthey”daskedmetocomeandlookatthemoranything；buttheydon”tknowmeyet。TheymightthinkI
　　wasMr。Buttinski。”
　　“Idon”tquite”shebegan。“Buttinskiisaforeignname；itsoundsRussianorPolish。I”mafraidIdon”tquiteunderstandwhytheyshouldmistakeyouforhim。”
　　Thenhelaughed——aboyishshoutoflaughterwhichbroughtacottagertothenearestwindowtopeepoverthepotsoffuchsiasandgeraniumsbloomingprofuselyagainstthediamondpanes。
　　“Say，“heapologized，“don”tbemadbecauseIlaughed。I”mlaughingatmyselfasmuchasatanything。It”sawayofsayingthattheymightthinkIwas”buttingin”toomuch——pushinginwhereIwasn”tasked。
　　See？IsaidtheymightthinkIwasMr。Butt-in-ski！It”sjustabitoffoolslang。You”renotmad，areyou？“
　　“Oh，no！“shesaid。“Dearme！no。Itisveryfunny，ofcourse。I”mafraidI”mextremelyignorantabout——aboutforeignhumor“Itseemedmoredelicatetosay“foreign“thanmerely“American。”Buthergentlelittlecountenanceforafewsecondsworeabaffledexpression，andshesaidsoftlytoherself，“Mr。Buttinski，Butt-in——tointrude。ItsoundsquitePolish；IthinkevenmorePolishthanRussian。”
　　Hewasafraidhewouldyellwithglee，buthedidnot。Herculeaneffortenabledhimtorestrainhisfeelings，andpresenttoheronlyanordinary-sizedsmile。
　　“Ishouldn”tknowonefromtheother，“hesaid；“butifyousayitsoundsmorePolish，Ibetitdoes。”
　　“Wouldyouliketogointoacottage？“sheinquired。“Ithinkitmightbeaswell。Theywillliketheattention。”
　　“Willthey？OfcourseI”llgoifyouthinkthat。WhatshallIsay？“heaskedsomewhatanxiously。
　　“Ifyouthinkthecottagelooksclean，youmighttellthemso，andaskafewquestionsaboutthings。AndyoumustbesuretoinquireaboutSusanHibblethwaite”slegs。”
　　“What？“ejaculatedTembarom。
　　“SusanHibblethwaite”slegs，“sherepliedinmildexplanation。“SusanisMr。Hibblethwaite”sunmarriedsister，andshehasverybadlegs。Itisathingonenoticescontinuallyamongvillagepeople，moreespeciallythewomen，thattheycomplainofwhattheycall`badlegs。”
　　Ineverquiteknowwhattheymean，whetheritisrheumatismorsomethingdifferent，butthetroubleisalwaysspokenofas`badlegs”
　　Andtheylikeyoutoinquireaboutthem，sothattheycantellyoutheirsymptoms。”
　　“Whydon”ttheygetthemcured？“
　　“Idon”tknow，I”msure。Theytakeagooddealofmedicinewhentheycanaffordit。Ithinktheyliketotakeit。They”reverypleasedwhenthedoctorgivesthem`abottleo”summat”astheycallit。Oh，I
　　mustn”tforgettotellyouthatmostofthemspeakratherbroadLancashire。”
　　“ShallIunderstandthem？“Tembaromasked，anxiousagain。“IsitasortofDagotalk？“
　　“ItistheEnglishtheworking-classesspeakinLancashire。”Summat”
　　means”something。””Whoam”means”home。”ButIshouldthinkyouwouldbeverycleveratunderstandingthings。”
　　“I”mscaredstiff，“saidTembarom，notintheleastuncourageously；
　　“butIwanttogointoacottageandhearsomeofit。Whichoneshallwegointo？“
　　Therewereseveralwhitewashedcottagesinthelane，eachinitsownbitofgardenandbehinditsownhawthornhedge，nowbareandwhollyunsuggestiveofwhiteblossomsandalmondscenttotheuninitiated。
　　MissAliciahesitatedamoment。
　　“Wewillgointothisone，wheretheHibblethwaiteslive，“shedecided。“Theyarequiteclean，civilpeople。Theyhaveanaughty，queer，littlecrippledboy，butIsupposetheycan”tkeephiminorderbecauseheisaninvalid。He”sratherrude，I”msorrytosay，buthe”srathersharpandclever，too。Heseemstolieonhissofaandcollectallthegossipofthevillage。”
　　Theywenttogetherupthebrickedpath，andMissAliciaknockedatthelowdoorwithherknuckles。Astout，apple-facedwomanopenedit，lookingashadenervous。
　　“Goodmorning，Mrs。Hibblethwaite，“saidMissAliciainakindbutremotemanner。“ThenewMr。TempleBarholmhasbeenkindenoughtocometoseeyou。It”sverygoodofhimtocomesosoon，isn”tit？“
　　“Itisthat，“Mrs。Hibblethwaiteansweredrespectfully，lookinghimover。“Wiltthacoomin，sir？“
　　Tembaromacceptedtheinvitation，feelingextremelyawkwardbecauseMissAlicia”sinitiatorycommentuponhisgoodnessinshowinghimselfhad“rattled“him。Ithadmadehimfeelthathemustappearcondescending，andhehadnevercondescendedtoanyoneinthewholecourseofhisexistence。Hehad，indeed，notevenbeencondescendedto。Hehadmetwithslangingandbullying，indifferenceandbrutalityofmanner，buthehadnotmetwithcondescension。
　　“Ihopeyou”rewell，Mrs。Hibblethwaite，“heanswered。“Youlookit。”
　　“Ideceivemalooksagoodbit，sir，“sheanswered。“MonyadaymalegsisnighasbadasSusan”s。”
　　“Tha”rtjealouso”Susan”slegs，“barkedoutasharpvoicefromacornerbythefire。
　　Theroomhadaflaggedfloor，cleanwithrecentscrubbingwithsandstone；thewhitewashedwallsweredecoratedwithpicturescutfromillustratedpapers；therewasabigfireplace，andbyitwasahard-
　　lookingsofacoveredwithblue-and-whitecheckedcottonstuff。Aboyofabouttenwaslyingonit，proppedupwithapillow。Hehadabigheadandakeen，ferret-eyedface，andjustnowwaslookingroundtheendofhissofaatthevisitors。“Howdthatongue，Tummas！“saidhismother。“Iwunnothowdit，“Tummasanswered。“Matongue”sth”on”ythingaboutmeasworksright，an”I”mnoangoin”tostopit。”
　　“He”sayoungnowt，“hismotherexplained；“but，he”sacripple，an”
　　weconnadoowtwi”him。”
　　“Donotberude，Thomas，“saidMissAlicia，withdignity。
　　“Dunnotberudethysen，“repliedTummas。“I”mnoano”thylad。”
　　Tembaromwalkedovertothesofa。
　　“Say，“hebeganwithjocularintent，“you”vegotagrouchon，ain”tyou？“
　　Tummasturnedonhimeyeswhichbored。Ananalyticalobserverorapaintermighthaveseenthathehadaburningcuriousnessoflook，asortofinvestigatoryfeverofexpression。
　　“Idunnotknowwhatthameans，“hesaid。“Happentha”rttalkin””Merican？“
　　“That”sjustwhatitis，“admittedTembarom。“Whatareyoutalking？“
　　“Lancashire，“saidTummas。“Theer”ssomesensei”that。”
　　Tembaromsatdownnearhim。Theboyturnedoveragainsthispillowandputhischininthehollowofhispalmandstared。
　　“I”vewantedtoseethee，“heremarked。“I”vemademotheran”AuntSusanan”feythertellmeeverybitthey”vehearedabouttheeinthevillage。Theerwasalotofit。Thacoomfro””Meriker？“
　　“Yes。”Tembarombeganvaguelytofeelthedemandintheburningcuriosity。
　　“Gi”methattheerbook，“theboysaid，pointingtoasmalltableheapedwithamiscellaneousjumbleofthingsandstandingnotfarfromhim。“It”sa”atlas，“headdedasTembaromgaveittohim。“Yo”confindplacesinit。”Heturnedtheleavesuntilhefoundamapoftheworld。“Theer”s”Meriker，“hesaid，pointingtotheUnitedStates。
　　“Thattheer”snorthandthattheer”ssouth。Allth”real”MerikenscomesfromtheNorth，wheerNewYorkis。”
　　“IcomefromNewYork，“saidTembarom。
　　“Thawertborni”th”workhouse，tharunaboutth”streetsi”rags，thaprettynighclemmedtodeath，thablackedboots，thasoldnewspapers，thafeytherwasacommonworkin”-mon——andnowtha”scoomintoTempleBarholman”sixtythousandayear。”
　　“Thelastpart”strueallright，“Tembaromowned，“butthere”ssomemistakesinthefirstpart。Iwasn”tbornintheworkhouse，andthoughI”vebeenhungryenough，Ineverstarvedtodeath——ifthat”swhat`clemmed”means。”
　　Tummaslookedatoncedisappointedandsomewhatincredulous。
　　“That”sth”roadtheytelliti”th”village，“heargued。
　　“Well，letthemtellitthatwayiftheylikeitbest。That”snotgoingtoworryme，“Tembaromreplieduncombatively。
　　Tummas”seyesboreddeeperintohim。
　　“Doesnathacare？“hedemanded。
　　“WhatshouldIcarefor？Leteveryfellowenjoyhimselfhisownway。”
　　“Tha”rtnotabitlikeoneo”th”gentry，“saidTummas。“Tha”rtquiteacommonchap。Tha”rtascommonasme，forawthafoineclothes。”
　　“Peoplearecommonenough，anyhow，“saidTembarom。“There”snothingmuchcommoner，isthere？There”smillionsof”emeverywhere——
　　billionsof”em。Noneofusneedputonairs。”
　　“Tha”rtascommonasme，“saidTummas，reflectively。“An”yetthaownsTempleBarholman”awthatbrass。Iconnamak”outhowth”loikehappens。”
　　“NeithercanI；butitdoesallsamee。”
　　“Itdoesnahappeni””Meriker，“exultedTummas。“Everybody”sequaltheer。”
　　“Rats！“ejaculatedTembarom。“Whataboutmultimillionaires？“
　　HeforgotthattheageofTummaswasten。Itwasimpossiblenottoforgetit。Hewas，infact，tenhundred，ifthoseofhisgenerationhadbeenawareofthetruth。Buttherehesat，havingspentonlyadecadeofhismostrecentincarnationinawhitewashedcottage，deprivedoftheuseofhislegs。
　　MissAlicia，seeingthatTembaromwasinterestedintheboy，enteredintodomesticconversationwithMrs。Hibblethwaiteattheothersideoftheroom。Mrs。HibblethwaitewassoonexplainingtheuncertaintyofSusan”stemperonwash-days，whenitwasnecessarytodependonherlegs。
　　“Can”tyouwalkatall？“Tembaromasked。Tummasshookhishead。“Howlonghaveyoubeenlame？“
　　“EversinceIwurborn。It”ssummatlikerickets。I”vebeenlyin”hereawmydays。Ilookonatfoakan”think”emover。I”vegottodosummat。That”swhyIloiketh”atlas。LittleAnnHutchinsongaveittomeonctwhenshecometoseehergrandmother。”
　　Tembaromsatupright。
　　“Doyouknowher？“heexclaimed。
　　“Iknowherbesto”onybodyinth”world。An”Iloikeherbest。”
　　“SodoI，“rashlyadmittedTembarom。
　　“Thadoes？“Tummasaskedsuspiciously。“Doessheloikethee？“
　　“Shesaysshedoes。”Hetriedtosayitwithpropermodesty。
　　“Well，ifshesaysshedoes，shedoes。An”ifshedoes，thenyoan”
　　me”llbefriends。”Hestoppedamoment，andseemedtobetakingTembarominwiththoroughness。“Icouldgetalotouto”thee，“hesaidaftertheinspection。
　　“Alotofwhat？“Tembaromfeltasthoughhewouldreallyliketohear。
　　“Aloto”thingsIwanttoknowabout。IwishI”dlivedth”lifetha”slived，clemmin”ornoclemmin”。Tha”sseenthingsgoin”oneverydayo”thyloife。”
　　“Well，yes，there”sbeenplentygoingon，plenty，“Tembaromadmitted。
　　“I”vebeenlyingherefortenyear”，“saidTummas，savagely。“An”I”vehadnowti”th”worldtodoan”nowttothinkonbutwhatIcouldmak”
　　foaktellmeaboutth”village。Butnowthappensbutthischapgettin”
　　drunkan”thatchapdeein”orlosin”hisplace，orwenchesgettin”
　　marriedorhavin”childer。Iknoweverythingthathappens，butit”snowtbutaloto”womenclackin”。IfI”dnotbeenacripple，I”dha”
　　beenatworkformonyayearbynow，”arnin”moneytosavebyan”goto”Meriker。”
　　“YouseemtobesortofstuckonAmerica。How”sthat？“
　　“Whatdostmean？“
　　“Imeanyouseemtolikeit。”
　　“Idunnotloikeitnoryetnotloikeit，butI”veheardabitmoreaboutitthanIhaveaboutth”otherplacesonth”map。Foakgoestheretoseektheirfortune，an”itseemsloikethere”sagoodbitdoin”。”
　　“Doyouliketoreadnewspapers？“saidTembarom，inspiredtohisquerybyarecollectionofthevisionofthings“doin”“intheSundayEarth。
　　“Wheer”dIgetpapersfrom？“theboyaskedtestily。“Foaklikeushasn”tgotth”brassfor”em。”
　　“I”llbringyousomeNewYorkpapers，“promisedTembarom，grinningalittleinanticipation。“Andwe”lltalkaboutthenewsthat”sinthem。
　　TheSundayEarthisfullofpictures。Iusedtoworkonthatpapermyself。”
　　“Thadid？“Tummascriedexcitedly。“Didthahelptoprintit，orwasitth”onethasoldi”th”streets？“
　　“Iwrotesomeofthestuffinit。”
　　“Wrotesomeofth”stuffinit？Wroteitthaself？Howcouldtha，acommonchaplikethee？“heasked，moreexcitedstill，hisferreteyessnapping。
　　“Idon”tknowhowIdidit，“Tembaromanswered，withincreasedcheerandinterestinthesituation。“Itwasn”thigh-browsortofwork。”
　　Tummasleanedforwardinhisincredulouseagerness。
　　“Doesthameanthattheypaidtheeforwritin”it——paidthee？“
　　“Iguesstheywouldn”thavedoneitifthey”dbeenLancashire，“Tembaromanswered。”Buttheyhadn”tmuchmoresensethanIhad。Theypaidmetwenty-fivedollarsaweek——that”sfivepounds。”
　　“Idunnotbelievethee，“saidTummas，andleanedbackonhispillowshortofbreath。
　　“Ididn”tbelieveitmyselftillI”dpaidmyboardtwoweeksandboughtasuitofclotheswithit，“wasTembarom”sanswer，andhechuckledashemadeit。
　　ButTummasdidbelieveit。This，afterhehadrecoveredfromtheshock，becameevident。Thecuriosityinhisfaceintensifieditself；
　　hiseagernesswasevenvaguelytingedwithsomethingremotelyresemblingrespect。Itwasnot，however，respectforthemoneywhichhadbeenearned，butforthestoreofthings“doin”“whichmusthavebeenrequired。Itwasimpossiblethatthischapknewthingsundreamedof。
　　“Hasthaeverbeentoth”Klondike？“heaskedafteralongpause。
　　“No。I”veneverbeenoutofNewYork。”
　　Tummasseemedfrettedanddepressed。
　　“Eh，I”msorryforthat。Iwishedtha”dbeentoth”Klondike。Iwanttobetowdaboutit，“hesighed。Hepulledtheatlastowardhimandfoundaplaceinit。
　　“Thattheer”sDawson，“heannounced。TembaromsawthattheregionoftheKlondikehadbeenmuchstudied。Itwasevenratherfadedwiththefrequentpassageofsearchingfingers，asthoughithadbeenporedoverwithspecialcuriosity。
　　“There”sgowd-moinestheer，“revealedTummas。“An”theer”swellynewtelsebutsnowan”ice。Ayoungchapassetoutfro”heretogettheerfrozetodeathonth”way。”
　　“Howdidyougettohearaboutit？“
　　“Annshebrowtmeapaperonet。”Hedugunderhispillow，andbroughtoutapieceofnewspaper，wornandfrayedandcutwithageandusage。
　　“Thisheer”swhat”sleftofit。”TembaromsawthatitwasafragmentfromanoldAmericansheetandthatacolumnwasheaded“TheRushfortheKlondike。”
　　“Whydidnathagotheer？“demandedTummas。Helookedupfromhisfragmentandaskedhisquestionwithasuddenreflectiveness，asthoughanewandinterestingaspectofthingshadpresenteditselftohim。