Shepitiedhim——yes；butnowshecouldsparelittlepityforothers，sheneededasmuchherself。Forminutebyminute，asshesattherethinkingoutthisgreatproblemjustasthelittleMary-’Gustausedtothinkouthersmallones，herdutybecameclearandmorecleartohermind。EdgarFarmer’ssecretmustbekept。ForCrawford’ssakeitmustbe。Heneednot——hemustnot——learnthatthefatherhehadhonoredandrespectedallhislifewasunworthyofthathonorandrespect。Andheruncles——theymustnotknow。Theoldskeletonmustnotbedugfromitsgrave。HerUncleZoethhadtoldheronlyalittlewhilebeforethathewaslearningtoforget，orifnottoforgetatleasttobemorereconciled。Shedidnotunderstandhimthen；nowshedid。TohavehimlearnthatEdgarFarmerwasalive，thathisson——Oh，no，hemustnotlearnit！Illashewas，andweakashewaslikelytobealways，theshockmightkillhim。Andyetsoonerorlaterhewouldlearnunlessthesecretremained，asithadbeenforyears，undisclosed。
　　Andtokeepitstillasecretwas，shesawclearly，herduty。Shemightrebelagainstit，shemightfeelthatitwaswickedandcruel，thespoilingofherlifetosavetheseothers，butitwasherdutynevertheless。BecauseshelovedCrawford——andshewasrealizingnowthatshedidlovehimdearly，thattherecouldneverbeanotherloveintheworldforher——shemustsendhimaway，shemustendtheaffairatonce。Ifshedidthatshecouldsavehimfromlearningofhisfather’sdisgrace，couldaverttheotherwiseinevitablequarrelbetweenthem，couldmakehiscareerandhisfuturesecure。Andheruncleswouldbehappy，theskeletonwouldremainundisturbed。
　　Yes，shemustdoit。Butitwassohardtodo。Philosophydidnothelpintheleast。Shehadtriedtoconvinceherselfwhenshegaveupherschoolworkthatitmeanttheendofherromancealso。ShehadtriedtotellCrawfordso。Butshehadbeenweak，shehadpermittedherselftohope。Shehadrealizedthatforthepresent，perhapsforyears，shemustworkforandwiththeoldmenwhohadbeenfatherandmotherbothtoher，but——hehadsaidso——Crawfordwouldwaitforher，andsomeday——perhaps——
　　Butnowtherewasnoperhaps——nowsheknew。Shemustreceivenomorelettersfromhim。Shemustneverseehimagain。Thebreakmustbeabsoluteandfinal。Andtherewasbutonewaytobringthatabout。Hehadsaidrepeatedlythatonlyherdeclarationthatshedidnotlovehimwouldeverpreventhismarryingher。Verywell，thenforhissakeshemustlietohim；shemusttellhimthatverything。Shemustwritehimthatshehadbeenconsideringthematterandhaddecidedshecouldneverlovehimenoughtobecomehiswife。
　　Itwasalmosttwoo’clockwhenshereachedthisdecisionbutshesatdownatherdesktowritethenandtherethelettercontainingit，thelastlettershewouldeverwritehim。Andwhenthemorninglightcamestreaminginatthewindowsshestillsatthere，theletterunwritten。Shehadmademanybeginnings，butnotanend。
　　Shemusttryagain；shewastootired，toonervous，toohopelessandheartbrokentomakeanotherattemptthatmorning，butbeforethedaywasoveritshouldbedone。Shethrewherselfdownuponthebedbutshecouldnotsleep。Whyhadshebeenselectedtobearthisburden？
　　WhathadshedonethatGodshoulddelighttotortureherinthisway？
　　CHAPTERXXV
　　Thatdifficultletterwasneverwritten。Intheafternoon，businessatthestorebeingratherquietandMrs。Atkins，thenurse，desiringanhour’sleavetodoanerrandinthevillage，Maryhadtakenherplaceinthesickroom。Zoethwasimprovingslowly，sothedoctorsaid，buthetookverylittleinterestinwhatwenton，speakingbutseldom，askingfewquestions，andseemingtobebutpartiallysensibleofhissurroundings。Bestnottotrytorousehim，thephysiciansaid。Littlebylittlehewouldgainmentallyaswellasphysicallyand，byandby，therewasreasontohope，wouldbeupandaboutagain。Probably，however，hewouldneverbesostrongashehadbeenbeforehissuddenseizure，thecauseofwhich——iftherehadbeenadefinitecause——wasstillunknown。
　　JustthenhewasasleepandMary，sittingintherocking-chairbythebed，wasthinking，thinking，thinking。Ifshecouldonlystopthinkingforalittlewhile！UncleZoeth，thereonthebed，lookedsocalmandpeaceful。Ifonlyshemighthaverestandpeaceagain！
　　Ifshemightbeallowedtoforget！
　　ThedooropenedgentlyandMr。Chaseappeared。Hebeckonedtohertocomeout。Withaglanceatthepatient，shetiptoedfromtheroomintothehall。
　　“Whatisit，Isaiah？“sheasked。
　　Isaiahseemedtobeexcitedaboutsomething。
　　“I’vegotasurpriseforyou，Mary-’Gusta，“hewhispered。“There’ssomebodydownstairstoseeyou。“
　　HismannerwassoimportantandmysteriousthatMarywaspuzzled。
　　“Someonetoseeme？“sherepeated。“Whoisit？“
　　Mr。Chasewinked。
　　“It’ssomebodyyouwan’texpectin’tosee，Ibetyou！“hedeclared。
　　“IknowIwan’t。WhenIopenedthedoorandseehimstandin’thereI——“
　　“Sawhim？Who？Whoisit，Isaiah？Stopthatridiculouswinkingthisinstant。Whoisit？“
　　“It’sthatyoungCrawfordSmithfellerfromwayoutWest，that’swho’tis。Ah，ha！Itoldyouyou’dbesurprised。“
　　Shewassurprised，therecouldbenodoubtofthat。Foramomentshestoodperfectlystill。HaditnotbeenthatthehallwasalmostdarkintheshadowsofthelateafternoonIsaiahwouldhavenoticedhowpaleshehadbecome。Butitwasevidentthathedidnotnoticeit，forhechuckled。
　　“Itoldyouyou’dbesomesurprised，“hecrowed。“Well，ain’tyoucomin’ondowntoseehim？SeemstomeifIhadabeau——excuseme，agentlemanfriend——whocomea-cruisin’allthewayfromt’othersideofcreationtoseemeIwouldn’tkeephimwaitin’verylong。
　　Ho！ho！“
　　Marydidnotansweratonce。Whenshedidshewassurprisedtofindthatshewasabletospeaksocalmly。
　　“Ishallbedowninamoment，“shesaid。“Isaiah，willyoupleasegoinandstaywithUncleZoethuntilIcome？“
　　Isaiahlookedchagrinedanddisappointed。VisitorsfromthefarWestwererareandespeciallyrarewasayounggentlemanwhoMr。
　　Chase，withwhatCaptainShadrachtermedhis“lovesickimagination，“
　　surmisedwasMary-’Gusta’sbeau。Hewishedtoseemoreofhim。
　　“Aw，say，Mary-’Gusta，“hepleaded，“I’mawfulbusy。Idon’tseehowIcansetalongofZoeth——Say，Mary’Gusta！“
　　ButMaryhadgone。Shewashurryingalongthehalltowardherownroom。SoIsaiah，rememberingthatthedoctorhadsaidMr。Hamiltonmustnotbeleftalone，grumblinglyobeyedordersandwentintositbesidehim。
　　InherownroomMarystood，whiteandshaken，strivingtoregainhercomposure。Shemustregainit，shemustbecoolandcalminordertogothroughtheordealsheknewwasbeforeher。Hiscomingcouldmeanbutonething：hisfatherhadstillrefusedconsentandhehadcometotellhersoandtobeghertowaitforhiminspiteofit。
　　Ifonlyhehadwrittensayinghewascoming，ifshehadbeenforewarned，thenshemighthavebeenmoreready，moreprepared。Nowshemustsummonallherresolutionandbefirmandunwavering。Herpurposewasassetandstrongasever，butah，itwouldbesohardtotellhim！Towritethelettershehadmeanttowritewouldhavebeeneasycomparedtothis。However，itmustbedone——anddonenow。
　　Shewentdownthestairsandenteredthesitting-room。
　　Hewassittingintherockerbythewindowandwhenshecameintotheroomhesprangtohisfeetandcametowardher。Hisface，orsoitseemedtoher，showedsometracesofthetroubleandanxietythroughwhichhehadpassedsorecently。Hewasalittlethinnerandhelookedlessboyish。Heheldouthishands。
　　“Well，Mary，“hecried，eagerly，“hereIam。Aren’tyougladtoseeme？“
　　Heseizedbothherhandsinhis。Shedisengagedthemgently。Hermannerseemedoddtohimandheregardedherinapuzzledway。
　　“AREN’Tyouglad？“herepeated。“Why，Mary，whatisthematter？“
　　Shesmiledsadlyandshookherhead。“Oh，Crawford，“shesaid，“whydidyoucome？Or，atleast，whydidn’tyouwritemeyouwerecoming？“
　　Helaughed。“Ididn’twrite，“heanswered，“becauseIwasafraidifIdidyouwouldwritemenottocome。“
　　“Icertainlyshould。“
　　“Ofcourseyouwould。SoItooknochancesbutjustcameinstead。“
　　“Butwhydidyoucome？“
　　“Why？Toseeyou，ofcourse。“
　　“Oh，Crawford，pleasedon’tjoke。YouknowIaskedyounottocomehere。Whenwelastspoketogether，overthetelephone，ItoldyouthatifyoucamehereIshouldnotseeyou。Andyetyoucame。“
　　Hismannerchanged。Hewasseriousenoughnow。
　　“Icame，“hesaid，“because——well，becauseIfeltthatImust。I
　　hadmanythingstotellyou，Mary，andsomethingtoask。AndI
　　couldneithertellnoraskinaletter。DadandIhavequarreled——
　　we’vepartedcompany。“
　　Shehadexpectedtohearit，butitshockedandgrievedher，nevertheless。Sheknewhowhehadlovedhisfather。