第19章

theycotnofriendts!Theycotnomoneytopribeyou，todreatyou!"

Theofficerliftedhisclub，andtheoldmanthrewhisleftarmuptoshieldhishead。ConradrecognizedZindau，andnowhesawtheemptysleevedangleintheairoverthestumpofhiswrist。Heheardashotinthatturmoilbesidethecar，andsomethingseemedtostrikehiminthebreast。Hewasgoingtosaytothepoliceman:"Don"tstrikehim!He"sanoldsoldier!Youseehehasnohand!"buthecouldnotspeak，hecouldnotmovehistongue。Thepolicemanstoodthere；hesawhisface:

itwasnotbad，notcruel；itwaslikethefaceofastatue，fixed，perdurable——amereimageofirresponsibleandinvoluntaryauthority。

ThenConradfellforward，piercedthroughtheheartbythatshotfiredfromthecar。

Marchheardtheshotashescrambledoutofhiscar，andatthesamemomenthesawLindaudropundertheclubofthepoliceman，wholefthimwherehefellandjoinedtherestofthesquadinpursuingtherioters。

Thefightingroundthecarintheavenueceased；thedriverwhippedhishorsesintoagallop，andtheplacewasleftempty。

Marchwouldhavelikedtorun；hethoughthowhiswifehadimploredhimtokeepawayfromtherioting；buthecouldnothaveleftLindaulyingthereifhewould。Somethingstrongerthanhiswilldrewhimtothespot，andtherehesawConrad，deadbesidetheoldman。

VI。

InthecareswhichMrs。Marchsharedwithherhusbandthatnightshewassupportedpartlybyprinciple，butmainlybythe，potentexcitementwhichbewilderedConrad"sfamilyandtookallrealityfromwhathadhappened。

ItwasnearlymidnightwhentheMarchesleftthemandwalkedawaytowardtheElevatedstationwithFulkerson。Everythinghadbeendone，bythattime，thatcouldbedone；andFulkersonwasnotwithoutthatsatisfactioninthebusiness-likedespatchofallthedetailswhichattendseachstepinsuchanaffairandhelpstomakedeathtolerableeventothemostsorelystricken。Wearecreaturesofthemoment；welivefromonelittlespacetoanother；andonlyoneinterestatatimefillsthese。Fulkersonwascheerfulwhentheygotintothestreet，almostgay；andMrs。Marchexperiencedareboundfromherdepressionwhichshefeltthatsheoughtnottohaveexperienced。Butshecondonedtheoffencealittleinherself，becauseherhusbandremainedsoconstantinhisgravity；and，pendingthefinalaccountinghemustmakeherforhavingbeenwherehecouldbeofsomuchusefromthefirstinstantofthecalamity，shewastenderly，gratefullyproudofalltheusehehadbeentoConrad"sfamily，andespeciallyhismiserableoldfather。Tohermind，Marchwastheprincipalactorinthewholeaffair，andmuchmoreimportantinhavingseenitthanthosewhohadsufferedinit。Infact，hehadsufferedincomparably。

"Well，well，"saidFulkerson。"They"llgetalongnow。We"vedoneallwecould，andthere"snothingleftbutforthemtobearit。Ofcourseit"sawful，butIguessit"llcomeoutallright。Imean，"headded，"they"llpullthroughnow。"

"Isuppose，"saidMarch，"thatnothingisputonusthatwecan"tbear。

ButIshouldthink，"hewenton，musingly，"thatwhenGodseeswhatwepoorfinitecreaturescanbear，hemmedroundwiththiseternaldarknessofdeath，Hemustrespectus。"

"Basil!"saidhiswife。Butinherheartshedrewnearertohimforthewordsshethoughtsheoughttorebukehimfor。

"Oh，Iknow，"hesaid，"weschoolourselvestodespisehumannature。

ButGoddidnotmakeusdespicable，andIsay，whateverendHemeantusfor，Hemusthavesomesuchthrillofjoyinouradequacytofateasafatherfeelswhenhissonshowshimselfaman。WhenIthinkwhatwecanbeifwemust，Ican"tbelievetheleastofusshallfinallyperish。"

"Oh，IreckontheAlmightywon"tscoopanyofus，"saidFulkerson，withapietyofhisown。

"Thatpoorboy"sfather!"sighedMrs。March。"Ican"tgethisfaceoutofmysight。Helookedsomuchworsethandeath。"

"Oh，deathdoesn"tlookbad，"saidMarch。"It"slifethatlookssoinitspresence。Deathispeaceandpardon。IonlywishpooroldLindauwasaswelloutofitasConradthere。"

"Ah，Lindau!Hehasdoneharmenough，"saidMrs。March。"Ihopehewillbecarefulafterthis。"

MarchdidnottrytodefendLindauagainsthertheoryofthecase，whichinexorablyheldhimresponsibleforConrad"sdeath。

"Lindau"sgoingtocomeoutallright，Iguess，"saidFulkerson。"Hewasfirst-ratewhenIsawhimatthehospitalto-night。"HewhisperedinMarch"sear，atachancehegotinmountingthestationstairs:"Ididn"tliketotellyouthereatthehouse，butIguessyou"dbetterknow。TheyhadtotakeLindau"sarmoffneartheshoulder。Smashedalltopiecesbytheclubbing。"

Inthehouse，vainlyrichandfoolishlyunfitforthem，thebereavedfamilywhomtheMarcheshadjustleftlingeredtogether，andtriedtogetstrengthtopartforthenight。Theywereallspentwiththefatiguethatcomesfromheaventosuchmiseryastheirs，andtheysatinatorporinwhicheachwaitedfortheothertomove，tospeak。

Christinemoved，andMelaspoke。Christineroseandwentoutoftheroomwithoutsayingaword，andtheyheardhergoingup-stairs。ThenMelasaid:

"Ireckontherestofusbetterbegoun"too，father。Here，let"sgitmotherstarted。"

Sheputherarmroundhermother，toliftherfromherchair，buttheoldmandidnotstir，andMelacalledMrs。Mandelfromthenextroom。

Betweenthemtheyraisedhertoherfeet。

"Ain"tthereanybodyagoin"tosetupwithit?"sheasked，inherhoarsepipe。"Itappearslikefolkshain"tgotanyfeelin"sinNewYork。

Woon"tsomeo"theneighborscomeandoffertosetup，withoutwaitin"tobeasked?"

"Oh，that"sallright，mother。Themen"llattendtothat。Don"tyoubotherany，"Melacoaxed，andshekeptherarmroundhermother，withtenderpatience。

"Why，Mely，child!Ican"tfeelrighttohaveitlefttohirelin"sso。

Butthereain"tanybodyanymoretoseethingsdoneastheyought。IfCoonrodwason"yhere——"

"Well，mother，youareprettymixed!"saidMela，withastrongtendencytobreakintoherlargeguffaw。Butshecheckedherselfandsaid:

"Iknowjusthowyoufeel，though。Itkeepsacomun"andagoun"；andit"ssoanditain"tso，allatonce；that"stheplagueofit。Well，father!

Ain"tyougoun"tocome?"

"I"mgoin"tostay，Mela，"saidtheoldman，gently，withoutmoving。

"Getyourmothertobed，that"sagoodgirl。"

"Yougoin"tosetupwithhim，Jacob?"askedtheoldwoman。

"Yes，"Liz"beth，I"llsetup。Yougotobed。"

"Well，Iwill，Jacob。AndIbelieveit"lldoyougoodtosetup。

IwishedIcouldsetupwithyou；butIdon"tseemtohavethestren"thIdidwhenthetwinsdied。Imustgitmysleep，so"sto——Idon"tlikeverywelltohaveyoubrokeofyourrest，Jacob，buttheredon"tappeartobeanybodyelse。Youwouldn"thavetodoitifCoonrodwashere。

ThereIgoag"in!Mercy!mercy!"

"Well，docomealong，then，mother，"saidMela；andshegotheroutoftheroom，withMrs。Mandel"shelp，andupthestairs。

Fromthetoptheoldwomancalleddown，"YoutellCoonrod——"Shestopped，andheheardhergroanout，"MyLord!myLord!"

Hesat，onesilenceinthedining-room，wheretheyhadalllingeredtogether，andinthelibrarybeyondthehirelingwatchersat，anothersilence。Thetimepassed，butneithermoved，andthelastnoiseinthehouseceased，sothattheyheardeachotherbreathe，andthevague，remoterumorofthecityinvadedtheinnerstillness。Itgrewloudertowardmorning，andthenDryfoosknewfromthewatcher"sdeeperbreathingthathehadfallenintoadoze。

Hecreptbyhimtothedrawing-room，wherehissonwas；theplacewasfulloftheawfulsweetnessoftheflowersthatFulkersonhadbrought，andthatlayabovethepulselessbreast。Theoldmanturnedupaburnerinthechandelier，andstoodlookingonthemajesticserenityofthedeadface。

Hecouldnotmovewhenhesawhiswifecomingdownthestairwayinthehall。Shewasinherlong，whiteflannelbedgown，andthecandleshecarriedshookwithhernervoustremor。Hethoughtshemightbewalkinginhersleep，butshesaid，quitesimply，"Iwokeup，andIcouldn"tgittosleepag"inwithoutcomin"tohavealook。"Shestoodbesidetheirdeadsonwithhim。"well，he"sbeautiful，Jacob。Hewastheprettiestbaby!Andhewasalwaysgood，Coonrodwas；I"llsaythatforhim。

Idon"tbelieveheevergivemeaminute"scareinhiswholelife。

IreckonIlikedhimaboutthebestofallthechildren；butIdon"tknowasIeverdonemuchtoshowit。Butyouwasalwaysgoodtohim，Jacob；

youalwaysdonethebestforhim，eversincehewasalittlefeller。

Iusedtobeafraidyou"dspoilhimsometimesinthemdays；butIguessyou"regladnowforeverytimeyoudidn"tcrosshim。Idon"tsupposesincethetwinsdiedyoueverhithimalick。"Shestoopedandpeeredcloserattheface。"Why，Jacob，what"sthattherebyhisporeeyeDryfoossawit，too，thewoundthathehadfearedtolookfor，andthatnowseemedtoreddenonhiseight。Hebrokeintoalow，waveringcry，likeachild"sindespair，likeananimal"sinterror，likeasoul"sintheanguishofremorse。

VII。

Theeveningafterthefuneral，whiletheMarchessattogethertalkingitover，andmakingapproaches，throughitsshadow，tothequestionoftheirownfuture，whichitinvolved，theywerestartledbythetwitteroftheelectricbellattheirapartmentdoor。Itwasreallynotsolateasthechildren"shavinggonetobedmadeitseem；butatnineo"clockitwastoolateforanyprobablevisitorexceptFulkerson。Itmightbehe，andMarchwasgladtopostponetheimpendingquestiontohiscuriosityconcerningtheimmediatebusinessFulkersonmighthavewithhim。Hewenthimselftothedoor，andconfrontedtherealadydeeplyveiledinblackandattendedbyaverydecorousserving-woman。

"Areyoualone，Mr。March——youandMrs。March?"askedthelady，behindherveil；and，ashehesitated，shesaid:"Youdon"tknowme!MissVance"；andshethrewbackherveil，showingherfacewanandagitatedinthedarkfolds。"Iamveryanxioustoseeyou——tospeakwithyouboth。

MayIcomein?"

"Why，certainly，MissVance，"heanswered，stilltoomuchstupefiedbyherpresencetorealizeit。

Shepromptlyentered，andsaying，withaglanceatthehallchairbythedoor，"Mymaidcansithere?"followedhimtotheroomwherehehadlefthiswife。

Mrs。Marchshowedherselfmorecapableofcopingwiththefact。ShewelcomedMissVancewiththelikingtheybothfeltforthegirl，andwiththesympathywhichhertroubledfaceinspired。

"Iwon"ttireyouwithexcusesforcoming，Mrs。March，"shesaid，"foritwastheonlythingleftformetodo；andIcomeatmyaunt"ssuggestion。"Sheaddedthisasifitwouldhelptoaccountforhermoreontheconventionalplane，andshehadtheinstinctivegoodtastetoaddressherselfthroughouttoMrs。Marchasmuchaspossible，thoughwhatshehadtosaywasmainlyforMarch。"Idon"tknowhowtobegin——Idon"tknowhowtospeakofthisterribleaffair。ButyouknowwhatImean。

IfeelasifIhadlivedawholelifetimesinceithappened。Idon"twantyoutopitymeforit，"shesaid，forestallingapolitenessfromMrs。March。"I"mthelastonetobethoughtof，andyoumustn"tmindmeifItrytomakeyou。IcametofindoutallofthetruththatIcan，andwhenIknowjustwhatthatisIshallknowwhattodo。Ihavereadtheinquest；it"sallburnedintomybrain。ButIdon"tcareforthat——

formyself:youmustletmesaysuchthingswithoutmindingme。Iknowthatyourhusband——thatMr。Marchwasthere；Ireadhistestimony；andI

wishedtoaskhim——toaskhim——"Shestoppedandlookeddistractedlyabout。"Butwhatfolly!Hemusthavesaideverythingheknew——hehadto。"Hereveswanderedtohimfromhiswife，onwhomshehadkeptthemwithinstinctivetact。

"Isaideverything——yes，"hereplied。"Butifyouwouldliketoknow——"

"PerhapsIhadbettertellyousomethingfirst。Ihadjustpartedwithhim——itcouldn"thavebeenmorethanhalfanhour——infrontofBrentano"s；hemusthavegonestraighttohisdeath。Weweretalking，andI——Isaid，Whydidn"tsomeonegoamongthestrikersandpleadwiththemtobepeaceable，andkeepthemfromattackingthenewmen。IknewthathefeltasIdidaboutthestrikers:thathewastheirfriend。Didyousee——doyouknowanythingthatmakesyouthinkhehadbeentryingtodothat?"

"Iamsorry，"Marchbegan，"Ididn"tseehimatalltill——tillIsawhimlyingdead。"

"Myhusbandwastherepurelybyaccident，"Mrs。Marchputin。"Ihadbeggedandentreatedhimnottogonearthestrikinganywhere。Andhehadjustgotoutofthecar，andsawthepolicemanstrikethatwretchedLindau——he"sbeensuchananxietytomeeversincewehavehadanythingtodowithhimhere；myhusbandknewhimwhenhewasaboyintheWest。

Mr。Marchcamehomefromitallperfectlyprostrated；itmadeusallsick!Nothingsohorribleevercameintoourlivesbefore。Iassureyouitwasthemostshockingexperience。"

MissVancelistenedtoherwiththatlookofpatiencewhichthosewhohaveseenmuchoftherealsufferingoftheworld——thedailyportionofthepoor——haveforthenervouswoesofcomfortablepeople。Marchhunghishead；heknewitwouldbeuselesstoprotestthathisshareofthecalamitywas，bycomparison，infinitesimallysmall。

AftershehadheardMrs。Marchtotheendevenofherrepetitions，MissVancesaid，asifitwereamerematterofcoursethatsheshouldhavelookedtheaffairup，"Yes，IhaveseenMr。Lindauatthehospital——"

"Myhusbandgoeseverydaytoseehim，"Mrs。Marchinterrupted，togive。

afinaltouchtotheconceptionofMarch"smagnanimitythroughout。

"Thepoormanseemstohavebeeninthewrongatthetime，"saidMissVance。

"Icouldalmostsayhehadearnedtherighttobewrong。He"samanofthemostgenerousinstincts，andahighidealofjustice，ofequity——toohightobeconsideredbyapolicemanwithaclubinhishand，"saidMarch，withabolddefianceofhiswife"sdifferentopinionofLindau。

"It"sthepoliceman"sbusiness，Isuppose，toclubtheidealwhenhefindsitincitingariot。"

"Oh，Idon"tblameMr。Lindau；Idon"tblamethepoliceman；hewasasmuchamereinstrumentashisclubwas。IamonlytryingtofindouthowmuchIamtoblamemyself。IhadnothoughtofMr。Dryfoos"sgoingthere——ofhisattemptingtotalkwiththestrikersandkeepthemquiet；

Iwasonlythinking，aswomendo，ofwhatIshouldtrytodoifIwereaman。

Butperhapsheunderstoodmetoaskhimtogo——perhapsmywordssenthimtohisdeath。"

Shehadasortofcalminhercouragetoknowtheworsttruthastoherresponsibilitythatforbadeanywishtoflatterheroutofit。"I"mafraid，"saidMarch，"thatiswhatcanneverbeknownnow。"Afteramomentheadded:"Butwhyshouldyouwishtoknow?Ifhewentthereasapeacemaker，hediedinagoodcause，insuchawayashewouldwishtodie，Ibelieve。"

"Yes，"saidthegirl；"Ihavethoughtofthat。Butdeathisawful；wemustnotthinkpatiently，forgivinglyofsendinganyonetotheirdeathinthebestcause。""IfancylifewasanawfulthingtoConradDryfoos，"

Marchreplied。"Hewasthwartedanddisappointed，withoutevenpleasingtheambitionthatthwartedanddisappointedhim。Thatpooroldman，hisfather，warpedhimfromhissimple，lifelongwishtobeaminister，andwastryingtomakeabusinessmanofhim。Ifitwillbeanyconsolationtoyoutoknowit，MissVance，Icanassureyouthathewasveryunhappy，andIdon"tseehowhecouldeverhavebeenhappyhere。"

"Itwon"t，"saidthegirl，steadily。"Ifpeoplearebornintothisworld，it"sbecausetheyweremeanttoliveinit。Itisn"taquestionofbeinghappyhere；nooneishappy，inthatold，selfishway，orcanbe；buthecouldhavebeenofgreatuse。"

"Perhapshewasofuseindying。Whoknows?HemayhavebeentryingtosilenceLindau。"

"Oh，Lindauwasn"tworthit!"criedMrs。March。

MissVancelookedatherasifshedidnotquiteunderstand。ThensheturnedtoMarch。"Hemighthavebeenunhappy，asweallare；butIknowthathislifeherewouldhavehadahigherhappinessthanwewishfororaimfor。"Thetearsbegantorunsilentlydownhercheeks。

"Helookedstrangelyhappythatdaywhenheleftme。Hehadhurthimselfsomehow，andhisfacewasbleedingfromascratch；hekepthishandkerchiefup；hewaspale，butsuchalightcameintohisfacewhenheshookhands——ah，IknowhewenttotryanddowhatIsaid!"Theywereallsilent，whileshedriedhereyesandthenputherhandkerchiefbackintothepocketfromwhichshehadsuddenlypulledit，withaseriesofvivid，young-ladyishgestures，whichstruckMarchbytheirincongruitywiththeoccasionoftheirtalk，andyetbytheirharmonywiththerestofherelegance。"Iamsorry，MissVance)"bebegan，"thatIcan"treallytellyouanythingmore——"

"Youareverykind，"shesaid，controllingherselfandrisingquickly。

"Ithankyou——thankyoubothverymuch。"SheturnedtoMrs。Marchandshookhandswithherandthenwithhim。"Imighthaveknown——Ididknowthattherewasn"tanythingmoreforyoutotell。ButatleastI"vefoundoutfromyouthattherewasnothing，andnowIcanbegintobearwhatI

must。Howarethosepoorcreatures——hismotherandfather，hissisters?

Someday，Ihope，Ishallbeashamedtohavepostponedthemtothethoughtofmyself；butIcan"tpretendtobeyet。Icouldnotcometothefuneral；Iwantedto。"

SheaddressedherquestiontoMrs。March，whoanswered:"Icanunderstand。Buttheywerepleasedwiththeflowersyousent；peopleare，atsuchtimes，andtheyhaven"tmanyfriends。"

"Wouldyougotoseethem?"askedthegirl。"WouldyoutellthemwhatI"vetoldyou?"

Mrs。Marchlookedatherhusband。

"Idon"tseewhatgooditwoulddo。Theywouldn"tunderstand。Butifitwouldrelieveyou——"

"I"llwaittillitisn"taquestionofself-relief，"saidthegirl。

"Good-bye!"

Sheleftthemtolongdebateoftheevent。AttheendMrs。Marchsaid，"Sheisastrangebeing；suchamixtureofthesocietygirlandthesaint。"

Herhusbandanswered:"She"sthepotentialityofseveralkindsoffanatic。She"sveryunhappy，andIdon"tseehowshe"stobehappieraboutthatpoorfellow。Ishouldn"tbesurprisedifshedidinspirehimtoattemptsomethingofthatkind。"

"Well，yougotoutofitverywell，Basil。Iadmiredthewayyoumanaged。Iwasafraidyou"dsaysomethingawkward。"

"Oh，withaplainlineoftruthbeforeme，astheonlypossiblething，Icangetonprettywell。Whenitcomestoanythingdecorative，I"dratherleaveittoyou，Isabel。"

Sheseemedinsensibleofhisjest。"Ofcourse，hewasinlovewithher。

Thatwasthelightthatcameintohisfacewhenhewasgoingtodowhathethoughtshewantedhimtodo。"

"Andshe——doyouthinkthatshewas——"

"Whatanidea!Itwouldhavebeenperfectlygrotesque!"

VIII。

TheirafflictionbroughttheDryfoosesintohumanerrelationswiththeMarches，whohadhithertoregardedthemasanecessaryevil，astheodiousmeansoftheirownprosperity。Mrs。Marchfoundthatthewomenofthefamilyseemedgladofhercoming，andinthesenseofherusefulnesstothemallshebegantofeelakindnessevenforChristine。Butshecouldnothelpseeingthatbetweenthegirlandherfathertherewasanunsettledaccount，somehow，andthatitwasChristineandnottheoldmanwhowasholdingout。Shethoughtthattheirsorrowhadtendedtorefinetheothers。Melawasmuchmoresubdued，and，exceptwhensheabandonedherselftoachildishinterestinhermourning，shedidnothingtoshockMrs。March"stasteortoseemunworthyofhergrief。Shewasverygoodtohermother，whomtheblowhadleftunchanged，andtoherfather，whomithadapparentlyfallenuponwithcrushingweight。Once，aftervisitingtheirhouse，Mrs。MarchdescribedtoMarchalittlescenebetweenDryfoosandMela，whenhecamehomefromWallStreet，andthegirlmethimatthedoorwithakindofcountrysimpleness，andtookhishatandstick，andbroughthimintotheroomwhereMrs。Marchsat，lookingtiredandbroken。

ShefoundthislookofDryfoos"spathetic，anddweltonthesortofstupefactiontherewasinit；hemusthavelovedhissonmorethantheyeverrealized。"Yes，"saidMarch，"Isuspecthedid。He"sneverbeenabouttheplacesincethatday；hewasalwaysdroppinginbefore，onhiswayup-town。HeseemstogodowntoWallStreeteveryday，justasbefore，butIsupposethat"smechanical；hewouldn"tknowwhatelsetodo；Idaresayit"sbestforhim。ThesanguineFulkersonisgettingalittleanxiousaboutthefutureof"EveryOtherWeek。"NowConrad"sgone，heisn"tsuretheoldmanwillwanttokeeponwithit，orwhetherhe"llhavetolookupanotherAngel。Hewantstogetmarried，Iimagine，andhecan"tventuretillthispointissettled。"

"It"saverymaterialpointtoustoo，Basil，"saidMrs。March。

"Well，ofcourse。Ihadn"toverlookedthat，youmaybesure。OneofthethingsthatFulkersonandIhavediscussedisaschemeforbuyingthemagazine。Itssuccessisprettywellassurednow，andIshouldn"tbeafraidtoputmoneyintoit——ifIhadthemoney。"

"Icouldn"tletyousellthehouseinBoston，Basil!"

"AndIdon"twantto。Iwishwecouldgobackandliveinitandgettherent，too!Itwouldbequiteasupport。ButIsupposeifDryfooswon"tkeepon，itmustcometoanotherAngel。Ihopeitwon"tbealiteraryone，withafancyforrunningmydepartment。"

"Oh，Iguesswhoevertakesthemagazinewillbegladenoughtokeepyou!"

"Doyouthinkso?Well，perhaps。ButIdon"tbelieveFulkersonwouldletmestandlongbetweenhimandanAngeloftherightdescription。"

"Well，then，Ibelievehewould。Andyou"veneverseenanything，Basil，tomakeyoureallythinkthatMr。Fulkersondidn"tappreciateyoutotheutmost。"

"IthinkIcameprettynearanundervaluationinthatLindautrouble。

IshallalwayswonderwhatputabackboneintoFulkersonjustatthatcrisis。Fulkersondoesn"tstrikemeasthestuffofamoralhero。"

"Atanyrate，hewasone，"saidMrs。March，"andthat"squiteenoughforme。"

Marchdidnotanswer。"Whatanoblethinglifeis，anyway!HereIam，wellonthewaytofifty，aftertwenty-fiveyearsofhardwork，lookingforwardtothepotentialpoor-houseasconfidentlyasIdidinyouth。

Wemighthavesavedalittlemorethanwehavesaved；butthelittlemorewouldn"tavailifIwereturnedoutofmyplacenow；andweshouldhavelivedsordidlytonopurpose。Someonealwayshasyoubythethroat，unlessyouhavesomeoneelseinyourgrip。Iwonderifthat"stheattitudetheAlmightyintendedHisrespectablecreaturestotaketowardoneanother!IwonderifHemeantourcivilization，thebattlewefightin，thegamewetrickin!IwonderifHeconsidersitfinal，andifthekingdomofheavenonearth，whichweprayfor——"

"HaveyouseenLindauto-day?"Mrs。Marchasked。

"Youinferreditfromthequalityofmypiety?"Marchlaughed，andthensuddenlysobered。"Yes，Isawhim。It"sgoingratherhardwithhim，I"mafraid。Theamputationdoesn"thealverywell；theshockwasverygreat，andhe"sold。It"lltaketime。There"ssomuchpainthattheyhavetokeephimunderopiates，andIdon"tthinkhefullyknewme。Atanyrate，Ididn"tgetmypietyfromhimto-day。"

"It"shorrible!Horrible!"saidMrs。March。"Ican"tgetoverit!

Afterlosinghishandinthewar，tolosehiswholearmnowinthisway!

Itdoesseemtoocruel!Ofcourseheoughtn"ttohavebeenthere；wecansaythat。Butyououghtn"ttohavebeenthere，either，Basil。"

"Well，Iwasn"texactlyadvisingthepolicetogoandclubtherailroadpresidents。"

"NeitherwaspoorConradDryfoos。"

"Idon"tdenyit。Allthatwasdistinctlythechanceoflifeanddeath。

ThatbelongedtoGod；andnodoubtitwaslaw，thoughitseemschance。

ButwhatIobjecttoisthiseconomicchance-worldinwhichwelive，andwhichwemenseemtohavecreated。Itoughttobelawasinflexibleinhumanaffairsastheorderofdayandnightinthephysicalworldthatifamanwillworkheshallbothrestandeat，andshallnotbeharassedwithanyquestionastohowhisreposeandhisprovisionshallcome。

Nothinglessidealthanthissatisfiesthereason。Butinourstateofthingsnooneissecureofthis。Nooneissureoffindingwork；nooneissureofnotlosingit。Imayhavemyworktakenawayfrommeatanymomentbythecaprice，themood，theindigestionofamanwhohasnotthequalificationforknowingwhetherIdoitwell，orill。Atmytimeoflife——ateverytimeoflife——amanoughttofeelthatifhewillkeepondoinghisdutyheshallnotsufferinhimselforinthosewhoaredeartohim，exceptthroughnaturalcauses。Butnomancanfeelthisasthingsarenow；andsowegoon，pushingandpulling，climbingandcrawling，thrustingasideandtramplingunderfoot；lying，cheating，stealing；andthenwegettotheend，coveredwithbloodanddirtandsinandshame，andlookbackoverthewaywe"vecometoapalaceofourown，orthepoor-house，whichisabouttheonlypossessionwecanclaimincommonwithourbrother-men，Idon"tthinktheretrospectcanbepleasing。"

"Iknow，Iknow!"saidhiswife。"Ithinkofthosethings，too，Basil。

Lifeisn"twhatitseemswhenyoulookforwardtoit。ButIthinkpeoplewouldsufferless，andwouldn"thavetoworksohard，andcouldmakeallreasonableprovisionforthefuture，iftheywerenotsogreedyandsofoolish。"

"Oh，withoutdoubt!Wecan"tputitallontheconditions；wemustputsomeoftheblameoncharacter。Butconditionsmakecharacter；andpeoplearegreedyandfoolish，andwishtohaveandtoshine，becausehavingandshiningarehelduptothembycivilizationasthechiefgoodoflife。Weallknowtheyarenotthechiefgood，perhapsnotgoodatall；butifsomeoneventurestosayso，alltherestofuscallhimafraudandacrank，andgomoilingandtoilingontothepalaceorthepoor-house。Wecan"thelpit。Ifonewerelessgreedyorlessfoolish，someoneelsewouldhaveandwouldshineathisexpense。Wedon"tmoilandtoiltoourselvesalone；thepalaceorthepoor-houseisnotmerelyforourselves，butforourchildren，whomwe"vebroughtupinthesuperstitionthathavingandshiningisthechiefgood。Wedarenotteachthemotherwise，forfeartheymayfalterinthefightwhenitcomestheirturn，andthechildrenofotherswillcrowdthemoutofthepalaceintothepoor-house。Ifwefeltsurethathonestworksharedbyallwouldbringthemhonestfoodsharedbyall，someheroicfewofus，whodidnotwishourchildrentoriseabovetheirfellows——thoughwecouldnotbeartohavethemfallbelow——mighttrustthemwiththetruth。Butwehavenosuchassurance，andsowegoontremblingbeforeDryfoosesandlivingingimcrackeries。"

"Basil，Basil!Iwasalwayswillingtolivemoresimplythanyou。YouknowIwas!"

"Iknowyoualwayssaidso，mydear。Buthowmanybell-ratchetsandspeaking-tubeswouldyoubewillingtohaveatthestreetdoorbelow?

Irememberthatwhenwewerelookingforaflatyourejectedeverybuildingthathadabell-ratchetoraspeaking-tube，andwouldhavenothingtodowithanythathadmorethananelectricbutton；youwantedahall-boy，withelectricbuttonsalloverhim。Idon"tblameyou。I

findsuchthingsquiteasnecessaryasyoudo。"

"Anddoyoumeantosay，Basil，"sheasked，abandoningthisunprofitablebranchoftheinquiry，"thatyouarereallyuneasyaboutyourplace?

thatyouareafraidMr。DryfoosmaygiveupbeinganAngel，andMr。

Fulkersonmayplayyoufalse?"

"Playmefalse?Oh，itwouldn"tbeplayingmefalse。Itwouldbemerelylookingoutforhimself，ifthenewAngelhadeditorialtastesandwantedmyplace。It"swhatanyonewoulddo。"

"Youwouldn"tdoit，Basil!"

"Wouldn"tI?Well，ifanyoneofferedmemoresalarythan"EveryOtherWeek"pays——say，twiceasmuch——whatdoyouthinkmydutytomysufferingfamilywouldbe?It"sgiveandtakeinthebusinessworld，Isabel；

especiallytake。Butastobeinguneasy，I"mnot，intheleast。I"vethespiritofalion，whenitcomestosuchachanceasthat。WhenIseehowreadilythesensibilitiesofthepassingstrangercanbeworkedinNewYork，IthinkoftakinguptheroleofthatdesperatemanonThirdAvenuewhowentalonglookingforgarbageintheguttertoeat。IthinkIcouldpickupatleasttwentyorthirtycentsadaybythatlittlegame，andmaintainmyfamilyintheaffluenceit"sbeenaccustomedto。"

"Basil!"criedhiswife。"Youdon"tmeantosaythatmanwasanimpostor!AndI"vegoneabout，eversince，feelingthatonesuchcaseinamillion，thebarepossibilityofit，wasenoughtojustifyallthatLindausaidabouttherichandthepoor!"

Marchlaughedteasingly。"Oh，Idon"tsayhewasanimpostor。Perhapshereallywashungry；but，ifhewasn"t，whatdoyouthinkofacivilizationthatmakestheopportunityofsuchafraud?thatgivesusallsuchabadconsciencefortheneedwhichisthatweweakentotheneedthatisn"t?Supposethatpoorfellowwasn"tpersonallyfoundedonfact:nevertheless，herepresentedthetruth；hewastheidealofthesufferingwhichwouldbelesseffectiveifrealisticallytreated。Thatmanisagreatcomforttome。HeprobablyriotedfordaysonthatquarterIgavehim；madeadinnerverylikely，orachampagnesupper；andif"EveryOtherWeek"wantstogetridofme，Iintendtoworkthatracket。YoucanhangroundthecornerwithBella，andTomcancomeuptomeintears，atstatedintervals，andaskmeifI"vefoundanythingyet。

Tobesure，wemightbearrestedandsentupsomewhere。Buteveninthatextremecaseweshouldbeprovidedfor。Ohno，I"mnotafraidoflosingmyplace!I"vemerelyasortofpsychologicalcuriositytoknowhowmenlikeDryfoosandFulkersonwillworkouttheproblembeforethem。"

IX。

ItwasacuriositywhichFulkersonhimselfshared，atleastconcerningDryfoos。"Idon"tknowwhattheoldman"sgoingtodo，"hesaidtoMarchthedayaftertheMarcheshadtalkedtheirfutureover。"Saidanythingtoyouyet?"

"No，notaword。"

"You"reanxious，Isuppose，sameasIam。Factis，"saidFulkerson，blushingalittle，"Ican"tasktohaveadaynamedtillIknowwhereI

aminconnectionwiththeoldman。Ican"ttellwhetherI"vegottolookoutforsomethingelseorsomebodyelse。Ofcourse，it"sfullsoonyet。"

"Yes，"Marchsaid，"muchsoonerthanitseemstous。We"resoanxiousaboutthefuturethatwedon"trememberhowveryrecentthepastis。"

"That"ssomethingso。Theoldman"shardlyhadtimeyettopullhimselftogether。Well，I"mgladyoufeelthatwayaboutit，March。Iguessit"smoreofablowtohimthanwerealize。HewasagooddealboundupinCoonrod，thoughhedidn"talwaysusehimverywell。Well，Ireckonit"sapttohappensooftentimes；curioushowcruellovecanbe。Heigh?

We"reanawfulmixture，March!"

"Yes，that"sthemarvelandthecurse，asBrowningsays。"

"Why，thatpoorboyhimself，"pursuedFulkerson，hadstreaksofthemuleinhimthatcouldgiveoddstoBeaton，andhemusthavetriedtheoldmanbythewayhewouldgiveintohiswillandholdoutagainsthisjudgment。Idon"tbelieveheeverbudgedahairs-breadthfromhisoriginalpositionaboutwantingtobeapreacherandnotwantingtobeabusinessman。Well，ofcourse!Idon"tthinkbusinessisallinall；

butitmusthavemadetheoldmanmadtofindthatwithoutsayinganything，ordoinganythingtoshowit，andafterseemingtocomeovertohisground，andreallycoming，practically，Coonrodwasjustexactlywherehefirstplantedhimself，everytime。"

"Yes，peoplethathaveconvictionsaredifficult。Fortunately，they"rerare。"

"Doyouthinkso?Itseemstomethateverybody"sgotconvictions。

Beatonhimself，whohasn"taprincipletothrowatadog，hasgotconvictionsthesizeofabarn。Theyain"talwaysthesameones，Iknow，butthey"realwaystothesameeffect，asfarasBeaton"sbeingNumberOneisconcerned。Theoldman"sgotconvictionsordidhave，unlessthisthinglatelyhasshakenhimallup——andhebelievesthatmoneywilldoeverything。ColonelWoodburn"sgotconvictionsthathewouldn"tpartwithforuntoldmillions。Why，March，yougotconvictionsyourself!"

"HaveI?"saidMarch。"Idon"tknowwhattheyare。"

"Well，neitherdoI；butIknowyouwerereadytokickthetroughoverforthemwhentheoldmanwantedustobounceLindauthattime。"

"Ohyes，"saidMarch；herememberedthefact；buthewasstilluncertainjustwhattheconvictionswerethathehadbeensostanchfor。

"Isupposewecouldhavegotalongwithoutyou，"Fulkersonmusedaloud。

"It"sastonishinghowyoualwayscangetalonginthisworldwithoutthemanthatissimplyindispensable。Makesafellowrealizethathecouldtakeadayoffnowandthenwithoutderangingthesolarsystemagreatdeal。Nowhere"sCoonrod——or，rather，heisn"t。ButthatboymanagedhispartoftheschoonersowellthatIusedtotremblewhenIthoughtofhisgettingthebetteroftheoldmanandgoingintoaconventorsomethingofthatkind；andnowhereheis，snuffedoutinhalfasecond，andIdon"tbelievebutwhatweshallbesailingalongjustaschipperasusualinsideofthirtydays。IreckonitwillbringtheoldmantothepointwhenIcometotalkwithhimaboutwho"stobeputinCoonrod"splace。Idon"tlikeverywelltostartthesubjectwithhim；butit"sgottobedonesometime。"

"Yes，"Marchadmitted。"It"sterribletothinkhowunnecessaryeventhebestandwisestofusistothepurposesofProvidence。WhenIlookedatthatpooryoungfellow"sfacesometimes——sogentleandtrueandpure——

Iusedtothinktheworldwasappreciablyricherforhisbeinginit。

Butareweappreciablypoorerforhisbeingoutofitnow?"

"No，Idon"treckonweare，"saidFulkerson。"AndwhatalotoftherawmaterialofallkindstheAlmightymusthave，towasteusthewayHeseemstodo。ThinkofthrowingawayapreciouscreaturelikeCoonrodDryfoosononechanceinathousandofgettingthatoldfoolofaLindauoutofthewayofbeingclubbed!ForIsupposethatwaswhatCoonrodwasupto。Say!HaveyoubeenroundtoseeLindauto-day?"

SomethinginthetoneorthemannerofFulkersonstartledMarch。"No!

Ihaven"tseenhimsinceyesterday。"

"Well，Idon"tknow，"saidFulkerson。"IguessIsawhimalittlewhileafteryoudid，andthatyoungdoctorthereseemedtofeelkindofworriedabouthim。

Ornotworried，exactly；theycan"taffordtoletsuchthingsworrythem，Isuppose；but——"

"He"sworse?"askedMarch。

"Oh，hedidn"tsayso。ButIjustwonderedifyou"dseenhimto-day。"

"IthinkI"llgonow，"saidMarch，withapangatheart。HehadgoneeverydaytoseeLindau，butthisdayhehadthoughthewouldnotgo，andthatwaswhyhisheartsmotehim。HeknewthatifhewereinLindau"splaceLindauwouldneverhavelefthissideifhecouldhavehelpedit。

Marchtriedtobelievethatthecasewasthesame，asitstoodnow；itseemedtohimthathewasalwaysgoingtoorfromthehospital；hesaidtohimselfthatitmustdoLindauharmtobevisitedsomuch。ButbeknewthatthiswasnottruewhenhewasmetatthedoorofthewardwhereLindaulaybytheyoungdoctor，whohadcometofeelapersonalinterestinMarch"sinterestinLindau。

Hesmiledwithoutgayety，andsaid，"He"sjustgoing。"

"What!Discharged?"

"Ohno。Hehasbeenfailingveryfastsinceyousawhimyesterday，andnow——"Theyhadbeenwalkingsoftlyandtalkingsoftlydowntheaislebetweenthelongrowsofbeds。"Wouldyoucaretoseehim?"

Thedoctormadeaslightgesturetowardthewhitecanvasscreenwhichinsuchplacesformsthedeath-chamberofthepoorandfriendless。"Comeroundthisway——hewon"tknowyou!I"vegotratherfondofthepooroldfellow。Hewouldn"thaveaclergyman——sortofagnostic，isn"the?A

goodmanyoftheseGermansare——buttheyoungladywho"sbeencomingtoseehim——"

Theybothstopped。Lindau"sgrand，patriarchalhead，foreshortenedtotheirview，laywhiteuponthepillow，andhisbroad，whitebeardfloweduponthesheet，whichheavedwiththoselonglastbreaths。BesidehisbedMargaretVancewaskneeling；herveilwasthrownback，andherfacewaslifted；sheheldclaspedbetweenherhandsthehandofthedyingman；

shemovedherlipsinaudibly。

X。

Inspiteoftheexperienceofthewholeracefromtimeimmemorial，whendeathcomestoanyoneweknowwehelplesslyregarditasanincidentoflife，whichwillpresentlygoonasbefore。Perhapsthisisaninstinctiveperceptionofthetruththatitdoesgoonsomewhere；butwehaveasenseofdeathasabsolutelytheendevenforearthonlyifitrelatestosomeoneremoteorindifferenttous。MarchtriedtoprojectLindautothenecessarydistancefromhimselfinordertorealizethefactinhiscase，buthecouldnot，thoughthemanwithwhomhisyouthhadbeenassociatedinapoeticfriendshiphadnotactuallyreenteredtheregionofhisaffectiontothesamedegree，orinanylikedegree。Thechangedconditionsforbadethat。Hehadasorenessofheartconcerninghim；buthecouldnotmakesurewhetherthissorenesswasgriefforhisdeath，orremorseforhisownuncandorwithhimaboutDryfoos，oraforebodingofthataccountingwithhisconsciencewhichheknewhiswifewouldnowexactofhimdowntothelastminutestparticularoftheirjointandseveralbehaviortowardLindaueversincetheyhadmethiminNewYork。

Hefeltsomethingknockagainsthisshoulder，andhelookeduptohavehishatstruckfromhisheadbyahorse"snose。Hesawthehorseputhisfootonthehat，andhereflected，"Nowitwillalwayslooklikeanaccordion，"andheheardthehorse"sdriveraddresshimsomesarcasmsbeforehecouldfullyawakentothesituation。HewasstandingbareheadedinthemiddleofFifthAvenueandblockingthetideofcarriagesflowingineitherdirection。AmongthefacesputoutofthecarriagewindowshesawthatofDryfooslookingfromacoupe。Theoldmanknewhim，andsaid，"Jumpinhere，Mr。March"；andMarch，whohadmechanicallypickeduphishat，andwasthinking，"NowIshallhavetotellIsabelaboutthisatonce，andshewillnevertrustmeonthestreetagainwithouther，"mechanicallyobeyed。HerconfidenceinhimhadbeenunderminedbyhisbeingsonearConradwhenhewasshot；anditwentthroughhismindthathewouldgetDryfoostodrivehimtoahatter"s，wherehecouldbuyanewhat，andnotbeobligedtoconfesshisnarrowescapetohiswifetilltheincidentwassomedaysoldandshecouldbearitbetter。ItquitedroveLindau"sdeathoutofhismindforthemoment；

andwhenDryfoossaidifhewasgoinghomehewoulddriveuptothefirstcross-streetandturnbackwithhim，Marchsaidhewouldbegladifhewouldtakehimtoahat-store。TheoldmanputhisheadoutagainandtoldthedrivertotakethemtotheFifthAvenueHotel。"There"sahat-

storearoundtheresomewhere，seemstome，"hesaid；andtheytalkedofMarch"saccidentaswellastheycouldintherattleandclatterofthestreettilltheyreachedtheplace。Marchgothishat，passingajokewiththehatterabouttheimpossibilityofpressinghisoldhatoveragain，andcameouttothankDryfoosandtakeleaveofhim。

"Ifyouain"tinanygreathurry，"theoldmansaid，"Iwishyou"dgetinhereaminute。I"dliketohavealittletalkwithyou。"

"Oh，certainly，"saidMarch，andhethought:"It"scomingnowaboutwhatheintendstodowith"EveryOtherWeek。"Well，Imightaswellhaveallthemiseryatonceandhaveitover。"

Dryfooscalleduptohisdriver，whobenthisheaddownsidewisetolisten:"GooverthereonMadisonAvenue，ontothatasphalt，andkeepdrivin"upanddowntillIstopyou。Ican"thearmyselfthinkonthesepavements，"hesaidtoMarch。Butaftertheygotupontheasphalt，andbegansmoothlyrollingoverit，heseemedinnohastetobegin。Atlasthesaid，"Iwantedtotalkwithyouaboutthat——thatDutchmanthatwasatmydinner——Lindau，"andMarch"sheartgaveajumpwithwonderwhetherhecouldalreadyhaveheardofLindau"sdeath；butinaninstantheperceivedthatthiswasimpossible。"Ibeentalkin"withFulkersonabouthim，andhesaystheyhadtotakethebalanceofhisarmoff。"

Marchnodded；itseemedtohimhecouldnotspeak。Hecouldnotmakeoutfromtheclosefaceoftheoldmananythingofhismotive。Itwasset，butsetasapieceofbrokenmechanismiswhenithaslostthepowertorelaxitself。Therewasnootherhistoryinitofwhatthemanhadpassedthroughinhisson"sdeath。

"Idon"tknow，"Dryfoosresumed，lookingasideattheclothwindow-strap，whichhekeptfingering，"asyouquiteunderstoodwhatmademethemaddest。Ididn"ttellhimIcouldtalkDutch，becauseIcan"tkeepitupwitharegularGerman；butmyfatherwasPennsylvanyDutch，andI

couldunderstandwhathewassayingtoyouaboutme。IknowIhadnobusinesstounderstoodit，afterIlethimthinkIcouldn"tbutIdid，andIdidn"tlikeverywelltohaveamancallin"meatraitorandatyrantatmyowntable。Well，Ilookatitdifferentlynow，andIreckonIhadbetterhavetriedtoputupwithit；andIwould，ifIcouldhaveknown——"Hestoppedwithaquiveringlip，andthenwenton:"Then，again，Ididn"tlikehistalkin"thatpaternalismofhis。Ialwayshearditwastheworstkindofthingforthecountry；Iwasbroughtuptothinkthebestgovernmentwastheonethatgovernstheleast；andIdidn"twanttohearthatkindoftalkfromamanthatwaslivin"onmymoney。

Icouldn"tbearitfromhim。OrIthoughtIcouldn"tbefore——before——"

Hestoppedagain，andgulped。"Ireckonnowthereain"tanythingI

couldn"tbear。"Marchwasmovedbythebluntwordsandthemutestareforwardwithwhichtheyended。"Mr。Dryfoos，Ididn"tknowthatyouunderstoodLindau"sGerman，orIshouldn"thaveallowedhimhewouldn"thaveallowedhimself——togoon。Hewouldn"thaveknowinglyabusedhispositionofguesttocensureyou，nomatterhowmuchhecondemnedyou。"

"Idon"tcareforitnow，"saidDryfoos。"It"sallpastandgone，asfarasI"mconcerned；butIwantedyoutoseethatIwasn"ttryin"topunishhimforhisopinions，asyousaid。"

"No；Iseenow，"Marchassented，thoughhethought，hispositionstilljustified。"Iwish——"

"Idon"tknowasIunderstandmuchabouthisopinions，anyway；butI

ain"treadytosayIwantthemendependentonmetomanagemybusinessforme。Ialwaystriedtodothesquarethingbymyhands；andinthatparticularcaseoutthereItookonalltheoldhandsjustasfastastheylefttheirUnion。AsforthegameIcameonthem，itwasdogeatdog，anyway。"

MarchcouldhavelaughedtothinkhowfarthisoldmanwasfromevenconceivingofLindau"spoint"ofview，andhowhewassayingtheworstofhimselfthatLindaucouldhavesaidofhim。Noonecouldhavecharacterizedthekindofthinghehaddonemoreseverelythanhewhenhecalleditdogeatdog。

"There"sagreatdealtobesaidonbothsides，"Marchbegan，hopingtoleadupthroughthisgeneralitytothefactofLindau"sdeath；buttheoldmanwenton:

"Well，allIwantedhimtoknowisthatIwasn"ttryingtopunishhimforwhathesaidaboutthingsingeneral。Younaturallygotthatidea，I

reckon；butIalwayswentinforlettin"peoplesaywhattheypleaseandthinkwhattheyplease；it"stheonlywayinafreecountry。"

"I"mafraid，Mr。Dryfoos，thatitwouldmakelittledifferencetoLindaunow——"

"Idon"tsupposehebearsmaliceforit，"saidDryfoos，"butwhatIwanttodoistohavehimtoldso。HecouldunderstandjustwhyIdidn"twanttobecalledhardnames，andyetIdidn"tobjecttohisthinkin"whateverhepleased。I"dlikehimtoknow——"

"Noonecanspeaktohim，noonecantellhim，"Marchbeganagain，butagainDryfoospreventedhimfromgoingon。

"Iunderstandit"sadelicatething；andI"mnotaskin"youtodoit。

WhatIwouldreallyliketodo——ifyouthinkhecouldbepreparedforit，someway，andcouldstandit——wouldbetogotohimmyself，andtellhimjustwhatthetroublewas。I"minhopes，ifIdonethat，hecouldseehowIfeltaboutit。"

ApictureofDryfoosgoingtothedeadLindauwithhisvainregretspresenteditselftoMarch，andhetriedoncemoretomaketheoldmanunderstand。"Mr。Dryfoos，"besaid，"Lindauispastallthatforever，"

andhefelttheghastlycomedyofitwhenDryfooscontinued，withoutheedinghim"IgotaparticularreasonwhyIwanthimtobelieveitwasn"thisideasIobjectedto——themideasofhisaboutthegovernmentcarryin"everythingonandgivin"work。Idon"tunderstand"emexactly，butIfoundawritin"——among——myson"s-things"(heseemedtoforcethewordsthroughhisteeth)，"andIreckonhe——thought——thatway。Kindofadiary——wherehe——putdown-histhoughts。Mysonandme——wedifferedaboutagood-

manythings。"Hischinshook，andfromtimetotimehestopped。"I

wasn"tverygoodtohim，Ireckon；IcrossedhimwhereIguessIgotnobusinesstocrosshim；butIthoughteverythingof——Coonrod。Hewasthebestboy，fromababy，thateverwas；justsopatientandmild，anddonewhateverhewastold。Ioughtto"a"lethimbeenapreacher!Oh，myson!myson!"Thesobscouldnotbekeptbackanylonger；theyshooktheoldmanwithaviolencethatmadeMarchafraidforhim；buthecontrolledhimselfatlastwithaseriesofhoarsesoundslikebarks。"Well，it"sallpastandgone!ButasIunderstandyoufromwhatyousaw，whenCoonrodwas——killed，hewastryin"tosavethatoldmanfromtrouble?"

Yes，yes!Itseemedsotome。"

"That"lldo，then!Iwantyoutohavehimcomebackandwriteforthebookwhenhegetswell。Iwantyoutofindoutandletmeknowifthere"sanythingIcandoforhim。I"llfeelasifIdoneit——formy——

son。I"lltakehimintomyownhouse，anddoforhimthere，ifyousayso，whenhegetssohecanbemoved。I"llwaitonhimmyself。It"swhatCoonrod"ddo，ifhewashere。Idon"tfeelanyhardnesstohimbecauseitwashimthatgotCoonrodkilled，asyoumightsay，inonesenseoftheterm；butI"vetriedtothinkitout，andIfeellikeIwasallthemorebeholdentohimbecausemysondiedtryin"tosavehim。WhateverIdo，I"llbedoin"itforCoonrod，andthat"senoughforme。"Heseemedtohavefinished，andheturnedtoMarchasiftohearwhathehadtosay。

Marchhesitated。"I"mafraid，Mr。Dryfoos——Didn"tFulkersontellyouthatLindauwasverysick?"

"Yes，ofcourse。Buthe"sallright，hesaid。"

Nowithadtocome，thoughthefacthadbeenlatterlyplayingfastandloosewithMarch"sconsciousness。Somethingalmostmadehimsmile；thewillingnesshehadoncefelttogivethisoldmanpain；thenheconsoledhimselfbythinkingthatatleasthewasnotobligedtomeetDryfoos"swishtomakeatonementwiththefactthatLindauhadrenouncedhim，andwouldonnotermsworkforsuchamanashe，orsufferanykindnessfromhim。InthislightLindauseemedtheharderofthetwo，andMarchhadthemomentaryforcetosay"Mr。Dryfoos——itcan"tbe。Lindau——Ihavejustcomefromhim——isdead。"

XI。

"Howdidhetakeit?Howcouldhebearit?Oh，Basil!Iwonderyoucouldhavethehearttosayittohim。Itwascruel!"

"Yes，cruelenough，mydear，"Marchownedtohiswife，whentheytalkedthematteroveronhisreturnhome。Hecouldnotwaittillthechildrenwereoutoftheway，andafterwardneitherhenorhiswifewassorrythathehadspokenofitbeforethem。Thegirlcriedplentifullyforheroldfriendwhowasdead，andsaidshehatedMr。Dryfoos，andthenwassorryforhim，too；andtheboylistenedtoall，andspokewithaserioussensethatpleasedhisfather。"Butastohowhetookit，"Marchwentontoanswerhiswife"squestionaboutDryfoos——"howdoanyofustakeathingthathurts?Someofuscryout，andsomeofusdon"t。Dryfoosdrewakindoflong，quiveringbreath，asachilddoeswhenitgrieves——there"ssomethingcuriouslysimpleandprimitiveabouthim——anddidn"tsayanything。Afterawhileheaskedmehowhecouldseethepeopleatthehospitalabouttheremains；IgavehimmycardtotheyoungdoctortherethathadchargeofLindau。Isupposehewasstillcarryingforwardhisplanofreparationinhismind——tothedeadforthedead。Buthowuseless!IfhecouldhavetakenthelivingLindauhomewithhim，andcaredforhimallhisdays，whatwouldithaveprofitedthegentlecreaturewhoselifehisworldlyambitionvexedandthwartedhere?

HemightaswellofferasacrificeatConrad"sgrave。Children，"saidMarch，turningtothem，"deathisanexilethatnoremorseandnolovecanreach。Rememberthat，andbegoodtoeveryonehereonearth，foryourlongingtoretrieveanyharshnessorunkindnesstothedeadwillbetheveryecstasyofanguishtoyou。Iwonder，"hemused，"ifoneofthereasonswhywe"reshutuptoourignoranceofwhatistobehereafterisn"tbecauseifweweresureofanotherworldwemightbestillmorebrutaltooneanotherhere，inthehopeofmakingreparationsomewhereelse。Perhaps，ifweevercometoobeythelawofloveonearth，themysteryofdeathwillbetakenaway。"

"Well"——theancestralPuritanismspokeinMrs。March——"thesetwooldmenhavebeenterriblypunished。Theyhavebothbeenviolentandwilful，andtheyhavebothbeenpunished。Nooneneedevertellmethereisnotamoralgovernmentoftheuniverse!"

Marchalwaysdislikedtohearhertalkinthisway，whichdidbothherheadandheartinjustice。"AndConrad，"hesaid，"whatwashepunishedfor?"

"He?"sheanswered，inanexaltation——"hesufferedforthesinsofothers。"

"Ah，well，ifyouputitinthatway，yes。Thatgoesoncontinually。

That"sanothermystery。"

Hefelltobroodingonit，andpresentlyheheardhissonsaying，"Isuppose，papa，thatMr。Lindaudiedinabadcause?"

Marchwasstartled。HehadalwaysbeensosorryforLindau，andadmiredhiscourageandgenerositysomuch，thathehadneverfairlyconsideredthisquestion。"Why，yes，"heanswered；"hediedinthecauseofdisorder；hewastryingtoobstructthelaw。Nodoubttherewasawrongthere，aninconsistencyandaninjusticethathefeltkeenly；butitcouldnotbereachedinhiswaywithoutgreaterwrong。"

"Yes；that"swhatIthought，"saidtheboy。"Andwhat"stheuseofoureverfightingaboutanythinginAmerica?Ialwaysthoughtwecouldvoteanythingwewanted。"

"Wecan，ifwe"rehonest，anddon"tbuyandselloneanother"svotes，"

saidhisfather。"AndmenlikeLindau，whorenouncetheAmericanmeansashopeless，andlettheirloveofjusticehurrythemintosympathywithviolence——yes，theyarewrong；andpoorLindaudiddieinabadcause，asyousay，Tom。"