第8章

"MissBartremainshere，"hiswiferejoinedincisively。"And，I

think，George，wehadbetternotdetainMrs。Stepneyanylonger。"

MissBart，duringthisbriefexchangeofwords，remainedinadmirableerectness，slightlyisolatedfromtheembarrassedgroupabouther。Shehadpaledalittleundertheshockoftheinsult，butthediscomposureofthesurroundingfaceswasnotreflectedinherown。Thefaintdisdainofhersmileseemedtoliftherhighaboveherantagonist’sreach，anditwasnottillshehadgivenMrs。Dorsetthefullmeasureofthedistancebetweenthemthatsheturnedandextendedherhandtoherhostess。

"IamjoiningtheDuchesstomorrow，"sheexplained，"anditseemedeasierformetoremainonshoreforthenight。"

SheheldfirmlytoMrs。Bry’swaveringeyewhileshegavethisexplanation，butwhenitwasoverSeldensawhersendatentativeglancefromonetoanotherofthewomen’sfaces。Shereadtheirincredulityintheiravertedlooks，andinthemutewretchednessofthemenbehindthem，andforamiserablehalf-secondhethoughtshequiveredonthebrinkoffailure。Then，turningtohimwithaneasygesture，andthepalebraveryofherrecoveredsmile——"DearMr。Selden，"shesaid，"youpromisedtoseemetomycab。"

Outside，theskywasgustyandovercast，andasLilyandSeldenmovedtowardthedesertedgardensbelowtherestaurant，spurtsofwarmrainblewfitfullyagainsttheirfaces。Thefictionofthecabhadbeentacitlyabandoned；theywalkedoninsilence，herhandonhisarm，tillthedeepershadeofthegardensreceivedthem，andpausingbesideabench，hesaid:"Sitdownamoment。"

Shedroppedtotheseatwithoutanswering，buttheelectriclampatthebendofthepathshedagleamonthestrugglingmiseryofherface。Seldensatdownbesideher，waitingforhertospeak，fearfullestanywordhechoseshouldtouchtooroughlyonherwound，andkeptalsofromfreeutterancebythewretcheddoubtwhichhadslowlyreneweditselfwithinhim。Whathadbroughthertothispass？Whatweaknesshadplacedhersoabominablyatherenemy’smercy？AndwhyshouldBerthaDorsethaveturnedintoanenemyattheverymomentwhenshesoobviouslyneededthesupportofhersex？Evenwhilehisnervesragedatthesubjectionofhusbandstotheirwives，andatthecrueltyofwomentotheirkind，reasonobstinatelyharpedontheproverbialrelationbetweensmokeandfire。ThememoryofMrs。Fisher’shints，andthecorroborationofhisownimpressions，whiletheydeepenedhispityalsoincreasedhisconstraint，since，whicheverwayhesoughtafreeoutletforsympathy，itwasblockedbythefearofcommittingablunder。

Suddenlyitstruckhimthathissilencemustseemalmostasaccusatoryasthatofthemenhehaddespisedforturningfromher；butbeforehecouldfindthefittingwordshehadcuthimshortwithaquestion。

"Doyouknowofaquiethotel？Icansendformymaidinthemorning。"

"Anhotel——HERE——thatyoucangotoalone？It’snotpossible。"

Shemetthiswithapalegleamofheroldplayfulness。"WhatIS，then？It’stoowettosleepinthegardens。"

"Buttheremustbesomeone——"

"SomeonetowhomIcango？Ofcourse——anynumber——butatTHIS

hour？Youseemychangeofplanwasrathersudden——"

"GoodGod——ifyou’dlistenedtome！"hecried，ventinghishelplessnessinaburstofanger。

Shestillheldhimoffwiththegentlemockeryofhersmile。"Buthaven’tI？"sherejoined。"Youadvisedmetoleavetheyacht，andI’mleavingit。"

Hesawthen，withapangofself-reproach，thatshemeantneithertoexplainnortodefendherself；thatbyhismiserablesilencehehadforfeitedallchanceofhelpingher，andthatthedecisivehourwaspast。

Shehadrisen，andstoodbeforehiminakindofcloudedmajesty，likesomedeposedprincessmovingtranquillytoexile。

"Lily！"heexclaimed，withanoteofdespairingappeal；but——"Oh，notnow，"shegentlyadmonishedhim；andthen，inallthesweetnessofherrecoveredcomposure:"SinceImustfindsheltersomewhere，andsinceyou’resokindlyheretohelpme——"

Hegatheredhimselfupatthechallenge。"YouwilldoasItellyou？There’sbutonething，then；youmustgostraighttoyourcousins，theStepneys。"

"Oh——"brokefromherwithamovementofinstinctiveresistance；

butheinsisted:"Come——it’slate，andyoumustappeartohavegonetheredirectly。"

Hehaddrawnherhandintohisarm，butsheheldhimbackwithalastgestureofprotest。"Ican’t——Ican’t——notthat——youdon’tknowGwen:youmustn’taskme！"

"IMUSTaskyou——youmustobeyme，"hepersisted，thoughinfectedatheartbyherownfear。

Hervoicesanktoawhisper:"Andifsherefuses？"——but，"Oh，trustme——trustme！"hecouldonlyinsistinreturn；andyieldingtohistouch，shelethimleadherbackinsilencetotheedgeofthesquare。

InthecabtheycontinuedtoremainsilentthroughthebriefdrivewhichcarriedthemtotheilluminatedportalsoftheStepneys’hotel。Hereheleftheroutside，inthedarknessoftheraisedhood，whilehisnamewassentuptoStepney，andhepacedtheshowyhall，awaitingthelatter’sdescent。Tenminuteslaterthetwomenpassedouttogetherbetweenthegold-lacedcustodiansofthethreshold；butinthevestibuleStepneydrewupwithalastflareofreluctance。

"It’sunderstood，then？"hestipulatednervously，withhishandonSelden’sarm。"Sheleavestomorrowbytheearlytrain——andmywife’sasleep，andcan’tbedisturbed。"

TheblindsofMrs。Peniston’sdrawing-roomweredrawndownagainsttheoppressiveJunesun，andinthesultrytwilightthefacesofherassembledrelativestookonafittingshadowofbereavement。Theywereallthere:VanAlstynes，StepneysandMelsons——evenastrayPenistonortwo，indicating，byagreaterlatitudeindressandmanner，thefactofremoterrelationshipandmoresettledhopes。ThePenistonsidewas，infact，secureintheknowledgethatthebulkofMr。Peniston’sproperty"wentback"；whilethedirectconnectionhungsuspendedonthedisposalofhiswidow’sprivatefortuneandontheuncertaintyofitsextent。JackStepney，inhisnewcharacterastherichestnephew，tacitlytookthelead，emphasizinghisimportancebythedeeperglossofhismourningandthesubduedauthorityofhismanner；

whilehiswife’sboredattitudeandfrivolousgownproclaimedtheheiress’sdisregardoftheinsignificantinterestsatstake。OldNedVanAlstyne，seatednexttoherinacoatthatmadeafflictiondapper，twirledhiswhitemoustachetoconcealtheeagertwitchofhislips；andGraceStepney，red-nosedandsmellingofcrape，whisperedemotionallytoMrs。HerbertMelson:

"Icouldn’tBEARtoseetheNiagaraanywhereelse！"

Arustleofweedsandquickturningofheadshailedtheopeningofthedoor，andLilyBartappeared，tallandnobleinherblackdress，withGertyFarishatherside。Thewomen’sfaces，asshepausedinterrogativelyonthethreshold，wereastudyinhesitation。Oneortwomadefaintmotionsofrecognition，whichmighthavebeensubduedeitherbythesolemnityofthescene，orbythedoubtastohowfartheothersmeanttogo；Mrs。JackStepneygaveacarelessnod，andGraceStepney，withasepulchralgesture，indicatedaseatatherside。ButLily，ignoringtheinvitation，aswellasJackStepney’sofficialattempttodirecther，movedacrosstheroomwithhersmoothfreegait，andseatedherselfinachairwhichseemedtohavebeenpurposelyplacedapartfromtheothers。

ItwasthefirsttimethatshehadfacedherfamilysinceherreturnfromEurope，twoweeksearlier；butifsheperceivedanyuncertaintyintheirwelcome，itservedonlytoaddatingeofironytotheusualcomposureofherbearing。Theshockofdismaywithwhich，onthedock，shehadheardfromGertyFarishofMrs。Peniston’ssuddendeath，hadbeenmitigated，almostatonce，bytheirrepressiblethoughtthatnow，atlast，shewouldbeabletopayherdebts。Shehadlookedforwardwithconsiderableuneasinesstoherfirstencounterwithheraunt。

Mrs。Penistonhadvehementlyopposedherniece’sdeparturewiththeDorsets，andhadmarkedhercontinueddisapprovalbynotwritingduringLily’sabsence。ThecertaintythatshehadheardoftherupturewiththeDorsetsmadetheprospectofthemeetingmoreformidable；andhowshouldLilyhaverepressedaquicksenseofreliefatthethoughtthat，insteadofundergoingtheanticipatedordeal，shehadonlytoentergracefullyonalong-assuredinheritance？Ithadbeen，intheconsecratedphrase，"alwaysunderstood"thatMrs。Penistonwastoprovidehandsomelyforherniece；andinthelatter’smindtheunderstandinghadlongsincecrystallizedintofact。

"Shegetseverything，ofcourse——Idon’tseewhatwe’reherefor，"Mrs。JackStepneyremarkedwithcarelessloudnesstoNedVanAlstyne；andthelatter’sdeprecatingmurmur——"Juliawasalwaysajustwoman"——mighthavebeeninterpretedassignifyingeitheracquiescenceordoubt。

"Well，it’sonlyaboutfourhundredthousand，"Mrs。Stepneyrejoinedwithayawn；andGraceStepney，inthesilenceproducedbythelawyer’spreliminarycough，washeardtosobout:"Theywon’tfindatowelmissing——Iwentoverthemwithhertheveryday——"

Lily，oppressedbythecloseatmosphere，andthestiflingodouroffreshmourning，feltherattentionstrayingasMrs。Peniston’slawyer，solemnlyerectbehindtheBuhltableattheendoftheroom，begantorattlethroughthepreambleofthewill。

"It’slikebeinginchurch，"shereflected，wonderingvaguelywhereGwenStepneyhadgotsuchanawfulhat。ThenshenoticedhowstoutJackhadgrown——hewouldsoonbealmostasplethoricasHerbertMelson，whosatafewfeetoff，breathingpuffilyasheleanedhisblack-glovedhandsonhisstick。

"Iwonderwhyrichpeoplealwaysgrowfat——Isupposeit’sbecausethere’snothingtoworrythem。IfIinherit，Ishallhavetobecarefulofmyfigure，"shemused，whilethelawyerdronedonthroughalabyrinthoflegacies。Theservantscamefirst，thenafewcharitableinstitutions，thenseveralremoterMelsonsandStepneys，whostirredconsciouslyastheirnamesrangout，andthensubsidedintoastateofimpassivenessbefittingthesolemnityoftheoccasion。NedVanAlstyne，JackStepney，andacousinortwofollowed，eachcoupledwiththementionofafewthousands:LilywonderedthatGraceStepneywasnotamongthem。

Thensheheardherownname——"tomynieceLilyBarttenthousanddollars——"andafterthatthelawyeragainlosthimselfinacoilofunintelligibleperiods，fromwhichtheconcludingphraseflashedoutwithstartlingdistinctness:"andtheresidueofmyestatetomydearcousinandname-sake，GraceJuliaStepney。"

Therewasasubduedgaspofsurprise，arapidturningofheads，andasurgingofsablefigurestowardthecornerinwhichMissStepneywailedouthersenseofunworthinessthroughthecrumpledballofablack-edgedhandkerchief。

Lilystoodapartfromthegeneralmovement，feelingherselfforthefirsttimeutterlyalone。Noonelookedather，nooneseemedawareofherpresence；shewasprobingtheverydepthsofinsignificance。Andunderhersenseofthecollectiveindifferencecametheacuterpangofhopesdeceived。

Disinherited——shehadbeendisinherited——andforGraceStepney！

ShemetGerty’slamentableeyes，fixedonherinadespairingeffortatconsolation，andthelookbroughthertoherself。Therewassomethingtobedonebeforesheleftthehouse:tobedonewithallthenobilitysheknewhowtoputintosuchgestures。SheadvancedtothegroupaboutMissStepney，andholdingoutherhandsaidsimply:"DearGrace，Iamsoglad。"

Theotherladieshadfallenbackatherapproach，andaspacecreateditselfabouther。Itwidenedassheturnedtogo，andnooneadvancedtofillitup。Shepausedamoment，glancingabouther，calmlytakingthemeasureofhersituation。Sheheardsomeoneaskaquestionaboutthedateofthewill；shecaughtafragmentofthelawyer’sanswer——somethingaboutasuddensummons，andan"earlierinstrument。"Thenthetideofdispersalbegantodriftpasther；Mrs。JackStepneyandMrs。

HerbertMelsonstoodonthedoorstepawaitingtheirmotor；asympathizinggroupescortedGraceStepneytothecabitwasfelttobefittingsheshouldtake，thoughshelivedbutastreetortwoaway；andMissBartandGertyfoundthemselvesalmostaloneinthepurpledrawing-room，whichmorethanever，initsstuffydimness，resembledawell-keptfamilyvault，inwhichthelastcorpsehadjustbeendecentlydeposited。

InGertyFarish’ssitting-room，whitherahansomhadcarriedthetwofriends，Lilydroppedintoachairwithafaintsoundoflaughter:itstruckherasahumorouscoincidencethatheraunt’slegacyshouldsonearlyrepresenttheamountofherdebttoTrenor。TheneedofdischargingthatdebthadreasserteditselfwithincreasedurgencysinceherreturntoAmerica，andshespokeherfirstthoughtinsayingtotheanxiouslyhoveringGerty:"I

wonderwhenthelegacieswillbepaid。"

ButMissFarishcouldnotpauseoverthelegacies；shebrokeintoalargerindignation。"Oh，Lily，it’sunjust；it’scruel——GraceStepneymustFEELshehasnorighttoallthatmoney！"

"AnyonewhoknewhowtopleaseAuntJuliahasarighttohermoney，"MissBartrejoinedphilosophically。

"Butshewasdevotedtoyou——sheledeveryonetothink——"Gertycheckedherselfinevidentembarrassment，andMissBartturnedtoherwithadirectlook。"Gerty，behonest:thiswillwasmadeonlysixweeksago。ShehadheardofmybreakwiththeDorsets？"

"Everyoneheard，ofcourse，thattherehadbeensomedisagreement——somemisunderstanding——"

"DidshehearthatBerthaturnedmeofftheyacht？"

"Lily！"

"Thatwaswhathappened，youknow。ShesaidIwastryingtomarryGeorgeDorset。Shedidittomakehimthinkshewasjealous。

Isn’tthatwhatshetoldGwenStepney？"

"Idon’tknow——Idon’tlistentosuchhorrors。"

"IMUSTlistentothem——ImustknowwhereIstand。"Shepaused，andagainsoundedafaintnoteofderision。"Didyounoticethewomen？TheywereafraidtosnubmewhiletheythoughtIwasgoingtogetthemoney——afterwardtheyscuttledoffasifI

hadtheplague。"Gertyremainedsilent，andshecontinued:"I

stayedontoseewhatwouldhappen。TheytooktheircuefromGwenStepneyandLuluMelson——IsawthemwatchingtoseewhatGwenwoulddo——Gerty，Imustknowjustwhatisbeingsaidofme。"

"ItellyouIdon’tlisten——"

"Onehearssuchthingswithoutlistening。"SheroseandlaidherresolutehandsonMissFarish’sshoulders。"Gerty，arepeoplegoingtocutme？"

"YourFRIENDS，Lily——howcanyouthinkit？"

"Whoareone’sfriendsatsuchatime？Who，butyou，youpoortrustfuldarling？AndheavenknowswhatYOUsuspectmeof！"ShekissedGertywithawhimsicalmurmur。"You’dneverletitmakeanydifference——butthenyou’refondofcriminals，Gerty！Howabouttheirreclaimableones，though？ForI’mabsolutelyimpenitent，youknow。"

Shedrewherselfuptothefullheightofherslendermajesty，toweringlikesomedarkangelofdefianceabovethetroubledGerty，whocouldonlyfalterout:"Lily，Lily——howcanyoulaughaboutsuchthings？"

"Soasnottoweep，perhaps。Butno——I’mnotofthetearfulorder。Idiscoveredearlythatcryingmakesmynosered，andtheknowledgehashelpedmethroughseveralpainfulepisodes。"Shetookarestlessturnabouttheroom，andthen，reseatingherself，liftedthebrightmockeryofhereyestoGerty’sanxiouscountenance。

"Ishouldn’thaveminded，youknow，ifI’dgotthemoney——"andatMissFarish’sprotesting"Oh！"sherepeatedcalmly:"Notastraw，mydear；for，inthefirstplace，theywouldn’thavequitedaredtoignoreme；andiftheyhad，itwouldn’thavemattered，becauseIshouldhavebeenindependentofthem。Butnow——！"Theironyfadedfromhereyes，andshebentacloudedfaceuponherfriend。

"Howcanyoutalkso，Lily？Ofcoursethemoneyoughttohavebeenyours，butafterallthatmakesnodifference。Theimportantthing——"Gertypaused，andthencontinuedfirmly:"Theimportantthingisthatyoushouldclearyourself——shouldtellyourfriendsthewholetruth。"

"Thewholetruth？"MissBartlaughed。"Whatistruth？Whereawomanisconcerned，it’sthestorythat’seasiesttobelieve。Inthiscaseit’sagreatdealeasiertobelieveBerthaDorset’sstorythanmine，becauseshehasabighouseandanoperabox，andit’sconvenienttobeongoodtermswithher。"

MissFarishstillfixedherwithananxiousgaze。"ButwhatIS

yourstory，Lily？Idon’tbelieveanyoneknowsityet。"

"Mystory？——Idon’tbelieveIknowitmyself。YouseeIneverthoughtofpreparingaversioninadvanceasBerthadid——andifI

had，Idon’tthinkIshouldtakethetroubletouseitnow。"

ButGertycontinuedwithherquietreasonableness:"Idon’twantaversionpreparedinadvance——butIwantyoutotellmeexactlywhathappenedfromthebeginning。"

"Fromthebeginning？"MissBartgentlymimickedher。"DearGerty，howlittleimaginationyougoodpeoplehave！Why，thebeginningwasinmycradle，Isuppose——inthewayIwasbroughtup，andthethingsIwastaughttocarefor。Orno——Iwon’tblameanybodyformyfaults:I’llsayitwasinmyblood，thatIgotitfromsomewickedpleasure-lovingancestress，whoreactedagainstthehomelyvirtuesofNewAmsterdam，andwantedtobebackatthecourtoftheCharleses！"AndasMissFarishcontinuedtopressherwithtroubledeyes，shewentonimpatiently:"Youaskedmejustnowforthetruth——well，thetruthaboutanygirlisthatonceshe’stalkedaboutshe’sdonefor；andthemoresheexplainshercasetheworseitlooks——MygoodGerty，youdon’thappentohaveacigaretteaboutyou？"

Inherstuffyroomatthehoteltowhichshehadgoneonlanding，LilyBartthateveningreviewedhersituation。ItwasthelastweekinJune，andnoneofherfriendswereintown。Thefewrelativeswhohadstayedon，orreturned，forthereadingofMrs。

Peniston’swill，hadtakenflightagainthatafternoontoNewportorLongIsland；andnotoneofthemhadmadeanyprofferofhospitalitytoLily。ForthefirsttimeinherlifeshefoundherselfutterlyaloneexceptforGertyFarish。EvenattheactualmomentofherbreakwiththeDorsetsshehadnothadsokeenasenseofitsconsequences，fortheDuchessofBeltshire，hearingofthecatastrophefromLordHubert，hadinstantlyofferedherprotection，andunderhershelteringwingLilyhadmadeanalmosttriumphantprogresstoLondon。Thereshehadbeensorelytemptedtolingeroninasocietywhichaskedofheronlytoamuseandcharmit，withoutenquiringtoocuriouslyhowshehadacquiredhergiftfordoingso；butSelden，beforetheyparted，hadpressedonhertheurgentneedofreturningatoncetoheraunt，andLordHubert，whenhepresentlyreappearedinLondon，aboundedinthesamecounsel。LilydidnotneedtobetoldthattheDuchess’schampionshipwasnotthebestroadtosocialrehabilitation，andasshewasbesidesawarethathernobledefendermightatanymomentdropherinfavourofanewPROTEGEE，shereluctantlydecidedtoreturntoAmerica。Butshehadnotbeentenminutesonhernativeshorebeforesherealizedthatshehaddelayedtoolongtoregainit。TheDorsets，theStepneys，theBrys——alltheactorsandwitnessesinthemiserabledrama——hadprecededherwiththeirversionofthecase；and，evenhadsheseentheleastchanceofgainingahearingforherown，someobscuredisdainandreluctancewouldhaverestrainedher。

Sheknewitwasnotbyexplanationsandcounter-chargesthatshecouldeverhopetorecoverherloststanding；butevenhadshefelttheleasttrustintheirefficacy，shewouldstillhavebeenheldbackbythefeelingwhichhadkeptherfromdefendingherselftoGertyFarish——afeelingthatwashalfprideandhalfhumiliation。ForthoughsheknewshehadbeenruthlesslysacrificedtoBerthaDorset’sdeterminationtowinbackherhusband，andthoughherownrelationtoDorsethadbeenthatofthemerestgood-fellowship，yetshehadbeenperfectlyawarefromtheoutsetthatherpartintheaffairwas，asCarryFisherbrutallyputit，todistractDorset’sattentionfromhiswife。

Thatwaswhatshewas"therefor":itwasthepriceshehadchosentopayforthreemonthsofluxuryandfreedomfromcare。

Herhabitofresolutelyfacingthefacts，inherraremomentsofintrospection，didnotnowallowhertoputanyfalseglossonthesituation。Shehadsufferedfortheveryfaithfulnesswithwhichshehadcarriedoutherpartofthetacitcompact，butthepartwasnotahandsomeoneatbest，andshesawitnowinalltheuglinessoffailure。

Shesaw，too，inthesameuncompromisinglight，thetrainofconsequencesresultingfromthatfailure；andthesebecameclearertoherwitheverydayofherwearylingeringintown。ShestayedonpartlyforthecomfortofGertyFarish’snearness，andpartlyforlackofknowingwheretogo。Sheunderstoodwellenoughthenatureofthetaskbeforeher。Shemustsetouttoregain，littlebylittle，thepositionshehadlost；andthefirststepinthetedioustaskwastofindout，assoonaspossible，onhowmanyofherfriendsshecouldcount。HerhopesweremainlycentredonMrs。Trenor，whohadtreasuresofeasy-goingtoleranceforthosewhowereamusingorusefultoher，andinthenoisyrushofwhoseexistencethestillsmallvoiceofdetractionwasslowtomakeitselfheard。ButJudy，thoughshemusthavebeenapprisedofMissBart’sreturn，hadnotevenrecognizeditbytheformalnoteofcondolencewhichherfriend’sbereavementdemanded。AnyadvanceonLily’ssidemighthavebeenperilous:therewasnothingtodobuttotrusttothehappychanceofanaccidentalmeeting，andLilyknewthat，evensolateintheseason，therewasalwaysahopeofrunningacrossherfriendsintheirfrequentpassagesthroughtown。

Tothisendsheassiduouslyshowedherselfattherestaurantstheyfrequented，where，attendedbythetroubledGerty，shelunchedluxuriously，asshesaid，onherexpectations。

"MydearGerty，youwouldn’thavemeletthehead-waiterseethatI’venothingtoliveonbutAuntJulia’slegacy？ThinkofGraceStepney’ssatisfactionifshecameinandfounduslunchingoncoldmuttonandtea！Whatsweetshallwehavetoday，dear——COUPE

JACQUESorPECHESALAMELBA？"

ShedroppedtheMENUabruptly，withaquickheighteningofcolour，andGerty，followingherglance，wasawareoftheadvance，fromaninnerroom，ofapartyheadedbyMrs。TrenorandCarryFisher。Itwasimpossiblefortheseladiesandtheircompanions——amongwhomLilyhadatoncedistinguishedbothTrenorandRosedale——nottopass，ingoingout，thetableatwhichthetwogirlswereseated；andGerty’ssenseofthefactbetrayeditselfinthehelplesstrepidationofhermanner。MissBart，onthecontrary，borneforwardonthewaveofherbuoyantgrace，andneithershrinkingfromherfriendsnorappearingtolieinwaitforthem，gavetotheencounterthetouchofnaturalnesswhichshecouldimparttothemoststrainedsituations。SuchembarrassmentaswasshownwasonMrs。Trenor’sside，andmanifesteditselfintheminglingofexaggeratedwarmthwithimperceptiblereservations。HerloudlyaffirmedpleasureatseeingMissBarttooktheformofanebulousgeneralization，whichincludedneitherenquiriesastoherfuturenortheexpressionofadefinitewishtoseeheragain。Lily，well-versedinthelanguageoftheseomissions，knewthattheywereequallyintelligibletotheothermembersoftheparty:evenRosedale，flushedashewaswiththeimportanceofkeepingsuchcompany，atoncetookthetemperatureofMrs。Trenor’scordiality，andreflecteditinhisoff-handgreetingofMissBart。Trenor，redanduncomfortable，hadcutshorthissalutationsonthepretextofawordtosaytothehead-waiter；andtherestofthegroupsoonmeltedawayinMrs。Trenor’swake。

Itwasoverinamoment——thewaiter，MENUinhand，stillhungontheresultofthechoicebetweenCOUPEJACQUESandPECHESALA

MELBA——butMissBart，intheinterval，hadtakenthemeasureofherfate。WhereJudyTrenorled，alltheworldwouldfollow；andLilyhadthedoomedsenseofthecastawaywhohassignalledinvaintofleeingsails。

InaflashsherememberedMrs。Trenor’scomplaintsofCarryFisher’srapacity，andsawthattheydenotedanunexpectedacquaintancewithherhusband’sprivateaffairs。InthelargetumultuousdisorderofthelifeatBellomont，wherenooneseemedtohavetimetoobserveanyoneelse，andprivateaimsandpersonalinterestsweresweptalongunheededintherushofcollectiveactivities，Lilyhadfanciedherselfshelteredfrominconvenientscrutiny；butifJudyknewwhenMrs。Fisherborrowedmoneyofherhusband，wasshelikelytoignorethesametransactiononLily’spart？Ifshewascarelessofhisaffectionsshewasplainlyjealousofhispocket；andinthatfactLilyreadtheexplanationofherrebuff。TheimmediateresultoftheseconclusionswasthepassionateresolvetopaybackherdebttoTrenor。Thatobligationdischarged，shewouldhavebutathousanddollarsofMrs。Peniston’slegacyleft，andnothingtoliveonbutherownsmallincome，whichwasconsiderablylessthanGertyFarish’swretchedpittance；butthisconsiderationgavewaytotheimperativeclaimofherwoundedpride。ShemustbequitswiththeTrenorsfirst；afterthatshewouldtakethoughtforthefuture。

Inherignoranceoflegalprocrastinationsshehadsupposedthatherlegacywouldbepaidoverwithinafewdaysofthereadingofheraunt’swill；andafteranintervalofanxioussuspense，shewrotetoenquirethecauseofthedelay。TherewasanotherintervalbeforeMrs。Peniston’slawyer，whowasalsooneoftheexecutors，repliedtotheeffectthat，somequestionshavingarisenrelativetotheinterpretationofthewill，heandhisassociatesmightnotbeinapositiontopaythelegaciestillthecloseofthetwelvemonthlegallyallottedfortheirsettlement。Bewilderedandindignant，Lilyresolvedtotrytheeffectofapersonalappeal；butshereturnedfromherexpeditionwithasenseofthepowerlessnessofbeautyandcharmagainsttheunfeelingprocessesofthelaw。Itseemedintolerabletoliveonforanotheryearundertheweightofherdebt；andinherextremityshedecidedtoturntoMissStepney，whostilllingeredintown，immersedinthedelectabledutyof"goingover"herbenefactress’seffects。ItwasbitterenoughforLilytoaskafavourofGraceStepney，butthealternativewasbittererstill；

andonemorningshepresentedherselfatMrs。Peniston’s，whereGrace，forthefacilitationofherpioustask，hadtakenupaprovisionalabode。

Thestrangenessofenteringasasuppliantthehousewhereshehadsolongcommanded，increasedLily’sdesiretoshortentheordeal；andwhenMissStepneyenteredthedarkeneddrawing-room，rustlingwiththebestqualityofcrape，hervisitorwentstraighttothepoint:wouldshebewillingtoadvancetheamountoftheexpectedlegacy？

Grace，inreply，weptandwonderedattherequest，bemoanedtheinexorablenessofthelaw，andwasastonishedthatLilyhadnotrealizedtheexactsimilarityoftheirpositions。Didshethinkthatonlythepaymentofthelegacieshadbeendelayed？Why，MissStepneyherselfhadnotreceivedapennyofherinheritance，andwaspayingrent——yes，actually！——fortheprivilegeoflivinginahousethatbelongedtoher。ShewassureitwasnotwhatpoordearcousinJuliawouldhavewished——shehadtoldtheexecutorssototheirfaces；buttheywereinaccessibletoreason，andtherewasnothingtodobuttowait。LetLilytakeexamplebyher，andbepatient——letthembothrememberhowbeautifullypatientcousinJuliahadalwaysbeen。

Lilymadeamovementwhichshowedherimperfectassimilationofthisexample。"Butyouwillhaveeverything，Grace——itwouldbeeasyforyoutoborrowtentimestheamountIamaskingfor。"

"Borrow——easyformetoborrow？"GraceStepneyroseupbeforeherinsablewrath。"DoyouimagineforamomentthatIwouldraisemoneyonmyexpectationsfromcousinJulia，whenIknowsowellherunspeakablehorrorofeverytransactionofthesort？Why，Lily，ifyoumustknowthetruth，itwastheideaofyourbeingindebtthatbroughtonherillness——youremembershehadaslightattackbeforeyousailed。Oh，Idon’tknowtheparticulars，ofcourse——Idon’tWANTtoknowthem——buttherewererumoursaboutyouraffairsthatmadehermostunhappy——noonecouldbewithherwithoutseeingthat。Ican’thelpitifyouareoffendedbymytellingyouthisnow——ifIcandoanythingtomakeyourealizethefollyofyourcourse，andhowdeeplySHE

disapprovedofit，Ishallfeelitisthetruestwayofmakinguptoyouforherloss。

ItseemedtoLily，asMrs。Peniston’sdoorclosedonher，thatshewastakingafinalleaveofheroldlife。ThefuturestretchedbeforeherdullandbareasthedesertedlengthofFifthAvenue，andopportunitiesshowedasmeagrelyasthefewcabstrailinginquestoffaresthatdidnotcome。Thecompletenessoftheanalogywas，however，disturbedasshereachedthesidewalkbytherapidapproachofahansomwhichpulledupatsightofher。

Frombeneathitsluggage-ladentop，shecaughtthewaveofasignallinghand；andthenextmomentMrs。Fisher，springingtothestreet，hadfoldedherinademonstrativeembrace。

"Mydear，youdon’tmeantosayyou’restillintown？WhenIsawyoutheotherdayatSherry’sIdidn’thavetimetoask——"Shebrokeoff，andaddedwithaburstoffrankness:"ThetruthisI

wasHORRID，Lily，andI’vewantedtotellyousoeversince。"

"Oh——"MissBartprotested，drawingbackfromherpenitentclasp；butMrs。Fisherwentonwithherusualdirectness:"Lookhere，Lily，don’tlet’sbeataboutthebush:halfthetroubleinlifeiscausedbypretendingthereisn’tany。That’snotmyway，andIcanonlysayI’mthoroughlyashamedofmyselfforfollowingtheotherwomen’slead。Butwe’lltalkofthatbyandbye——tellmenowwhereyou’restayingandwhatyourplansare。Idon’tsupposeyou’rekeepinghouseintherewithGraceStepney，eh？——anditstruckmeyoumightberatheratlooseends。"

InLily’spresentmoodtherewasnoresistingthehonestfriendlinessofthisappeal，andshesaidwithasmile:"Iamatlooseendsforthemoment，butGertyFarishisstillintown，andshe’sgoodenoughtoletmebewithherwhenevershecansparethetime。"

Mrs。Fishermadeaslightgrimace。"H’m——that’satemperatejoy。

Oh，Iknow——Gerty’satrump，andworthalltherestofusputtogether；butALALONGUEyou’reusedtoalittlehigherseasoning，aren’tyou，dear？Andbesides，Isupposeshe’llbeoffherselfbeforelong——thefirstofAugust，yousay？Well，lookhere，youcan’tspendyoursummerintown；we’lltalkofthatlatertoo。Butmeanwhile，whatdoyousaytoputtingafewthingsinatrunkandcomingdownwithmetotheSamGormers’

tonight？"

AndasLilystaredatthebreathlesssuddennessofthesuggestion，shecontinuedwithhereasylaugh:"Youdon’tknowthemandtheydon’tknowyou；butthatdon’tmakearapofdifference。They’vetakentheVanAlstyneplaceatRoslyn，andI’vegotCARTEBLANCHEtobringmyfriendsdownthere——themorethemerrier。Theydothingsawfullywell，andthere’stoberatherajollypartytherethisweek——"shebrokeoff，checkedbyanundefinablechangeinMissBart’sexpression。"Oh，Idon’tmeanYOURparticularset，youknow:ratheradifferentcrowd，butverygoodfun。Thefactis，theGormershavestruckoutonalineoftheirown:whattheywantistohaveagoodtime，andtohaveitintheirownway。Theygavetheotherthingafewmonths’

trial，undermydistinguishedauspices，andtheywerereallydoingextremelywell——gettingonagooddealfasterthantheBrys，justbecausetheydidn’tcareasmuch——butsuddenlytheydecidedthatthewholebusinessboredthem，andthatwhattheywantedwasacrowdtheycouldreallyfeelathomewith。Ratheroriginalofthem，don’tyouthinkso？MattieGormerHASgotaspirationsstill；womenalwayshave；butshe’sawfullyeasy-going，andSamwon’tbebothered，andtheybothliketobethemostimportantpeopleinsight，sothey’vestartedasortofcontinuousperformanceoftheirown，akindofsocialConeyIsland，whereeverybodyiswelcomewhocanmakenoiseenoughanddoesn’tputonairs。Ithinkit’sawfullygoodfunmyself——someoftheartisticset，youknow，anyprettyactressthat’sgoing，andsoon。Thisweek，forinstance，theyhaveAudreyAnstell，whomadesuchahitlastspringin’TheWinningofWinny’；andPaulMorpeth——he’spaintingMattieGormer——andtheDickBellingers，andKateCorby——well，everyoneyoucanthinkofwho’sjollyandmakesarow。Nowdon’tstandtherewithyournoseintheair，mydear——itwillbeagooddealbetterthanabroilingSundayintown，andyou’llfindcleverpeopleaswellasnoisyones——Morpeth，whoadmiresMattieenormously，alwaysbringsoneortwoofhisset。"

Mrs。FisherdrewLilytowardthehansomwithfriendlyauthority。

"Jumpinnow，there’sadear，andwe’lldriveroundtoyourhotelandhaveyourthingspacked，andthenwe’llhavetea，andthetwomaidscanmeetusatthetrain。"

ItwasagooddealbetterthanabroilingSundayintown——ofthatnodoubtremainedtoLilyas，recliningintheshadeofaleafyverandah，shelookedseawardacrossastretchofgreenswardpicturesquelydottedwithgroupsofladiesinlaceraimentandmenintennisflannels。ThehugeVanAlstynehouseanditsramblingdependencieswerepackedtotheirfullestcapacitywiththeGormers’week-endguests，whonow，intheradianceoftheSundayforenoon，weredispersingthemselvesoverthegroundsinquestofthevariousdistractionstheplaceafforded:

distractionsrangingfromtennis-courtstoshooting-galleries，frombridgeandwhiskeywithindoorstomotorsandsteam-launcheswithout。Lilyhadtheoddsenseofhavingbeencaughtupintothecrowdascarelesslyasapassengerisgatheredinbyanexpresstrain。TheblondeandgenialMrs。Gormermight，indeed，havefiguredtheconductor，calmlyassigningseatstotherushoftravellers，whileCarryFisherrepresentedtheporterpushingtheirbagsintoplace，givingthemtheirnumbersforthedining-car，andwarningthemwhentheirstationwasathand。Thetrain，meanwhile，hadscarcelyslackenedspeed——lifewhizzedonwithadeafening’rattleandroar，inwhichonetravelleratleastfoundawelcomerefugefromthesoundofherownthoughts。

TheGormerMILIEUrepresentedasocialout-skirtwhichLilyhadalwaysfastidiouslyavoided；butitstruckher，nowthatshewasinit，asonlyaflamboyantcopyofherownworld，acaricatureapproximatingtherealthingasthe"societyplay"approachesthemannersofthedrawing-room。ThepeopleaboutherweredoingthesamethingsastheTrenors，theVanOsburghsandtheDorsets:thedifferencelayinahundredshadesofaspectandmanner，fromthepatternofthemen’swaistcoatstotheinflexionofthewomen’svoices。Everythingwaspitchedinahigherkey，andtherewasmoreofeachthing:morenoise，morecolour，morechampagne，morefamiliarity——butalsogreatergood-nature，lessrivalry，andafreshercapacityforenjoyment。

MissBart’sarrivalhadbeenwelcomedwithanuncriticalfriendlinessthatfirstirritatedherprideandthenbroughthertoasharpsenseofherownsituation——oftheplaceinlifewhich，forthemoment，shemustacceptandmakethebestof。

Thesepeopleknewherstory——ofthatherfirstlongtalkwithCarryFisherhadleftnodoubt:shewaspubliclybrandedastheheroineofa"queer"episode——butinsteadofshrinkingfromherasherownfriendshaddone，theyreceivedherwithoutquestionintotheeasypromiscuityoftheirlives。TheyswallowedherpastaseasilyastheydidMissAnstell’s，andwithnoapparentsenseofanydifferenceinthesizeofthemouthful:alltheyaskedwasthatsheshould——inherownway，fortheyrecognizedadiversityofgifts——contributeasmuchtothegeneralamusementasthatgracefulactress，whosetalents，whenoffthestage，wereofthemostvariedorder。Lilyfeltatoncethatanytendencytobe"stuck-up，"tomarkasenseofdifferencesanddistinctions，wouldbefataltohercontinuanceintheGormerset。Tobetakeninonsuchterms——andintosuchaworld！——washardenoughtothelingeringprideinher；butsherealized，withapangofself-contempt，thattobeexcludedfromitwould，afterall，beharderstill。For，almostatonce，shehadfelttheinsidiouscharmofslippingbackintoalifewhereeverymaterialdifficultywassmoothedaway。Thesuddenescapefromastiflinghotelinadustydesertedcitytothespaceandluxuryofagreatcountry-housefannedbyseabreezes，hadproducedastateofmorallassitudeagreeableenoughafterthenervoustensionandphysicaldiscomfortofthepastweeks。Forthemomentshemustyieldtotherefreshmenthersensescraved——afterthatshewouldreconsiderhersituation，andtakecounselwithherdignity。Herenjoymentofhersurroundingswas，indeed，tingedbytheunpleasantconsiderationthatshewasacceptingthehospitalityandcourtingtheapprovalofpeopleshehaddisdainedunderotherconditions。Butshewasgrowinglesssensitiveonsuchpoints:ahardglazeofindifferencewasfastformingoverherdelicaciesandsusceptibilities，andeachconcessiontoexpediencyhardenedthesurfacealittlemore。

OntheMonday，whenthepartydisbandedwithuproariousadieux，thereturntotownthrewintostrongerreliefthecharmsofthelifeshewasleaving。Theotherguestsweredispersingtotakeupthesameexistenceinadifferentsetting:someatNewport，someatBarHarbour，someintheelaboraterusticityofanAdirondackcamp。EvenGertyFarish，whowelcomedLily’sreturnwithtendersolicitude，wouldsoonbepreparingtojointheauntwithwhomshespenthersummersonLakeGeorge:onlyLilyherselfremainedwithoutplanorpurpose，strandedinabackwaterofthegreatcurrentofpleasure。ButCarryFisher，whohadinsistedontransportinghertoherownhouse，wheresheherselfwastoperchforadayortwoonthewaytotheBrys’camp，cametotherescuewithanewsuggestion。

"Lookhere，Lily——I’lltellyouwhatitis:IwantyoutotakemyplacewithMattieGormerthissummer。They’retakingapartyouttoAlaskanextmonthintheirprivatecar，andMattie，whoisthelaziestwomanalive，wantsmetogowiththem，andrelieveherofthebotherofarrangingthings；buttheBryswantmetoo——oh，yes，we’vemadeitup:didn’tItellyou？——and，toputitfrankly，thoughIliketheGormersbest，there’smoreprofitformeintheBrys。Thefactis，theywanttotryNewportthissummer，andifIcanmakeitasuccessforthemthey——well，they’llmakeitasuccessforme。"Mrs。Fisherclaspedherhandsenthusiastically。"Doyouknow，Lily，themoreIthinkofmyideathebetterIlikeit——quiteasmuchforyouasformyself。TheGormershavebothtakenatremendousfancytoyou，andthetriptoAlaskais——well——theverythingIshouldwantforyoujustatpresent。"

MissBartliftedhereyeswithakeenglance。"Totakemeoutofmyfriends’way，youmean？"shesaidquietly；andMrs。Fisherrespondedwithadeprecatingkiss:"Tokeepyououtoftheirsighttilltheyrealizehowmuchtheymissyou。"

MissBartwentwiththeGormerstoAlaska；andtheexpedition，ifitdidnotproducetheeffectanticipatedbyherfriend，hadatleastthenegativeadvantageofremovingherfromthefierycentreofcriticismanddiscussion。GertyFarishhadopposedtheplanwithalltheenergyofhersomewhatinarticulatenature。ShehadevenofferedtogiveuphervisittoLakeGeorge，andremainintownwithMissBart，ifthelatterwouldrenounceherjourney；

butLilycoulddisguiseherrealdistasteforthisplanunderasufficientlyvalidreason。

"Youdearinnocent，don’tyousee，"sheprotested，"thatCarryisquiteright，andthatImusttakeUpmyusuallife，andgoaboutamongpeopleasmuchaspossible？IfmyoldfriendschoosetobelieveliesaboutmeIshallhavetomakenewones，that’sall；

andyouknowbeggarsmustn’tbechoosers。NotthatIdon’tlikeMattieGormer——IDOlikeher:she’skindandhonestandunaffected；anddon’tyousupposeIfeelgratefultoherformakingmewelcomeatatimewhen，asyou’veyourselfseen，myownfamilyhaveunanimouslywashedtheirhandsofme？"

Gertyshookherhead，mutelyunconvinced。ShefeltnotonlythatLilywascheapeningherselfbymakinguseofanintimacyshewouldneverhavecultivatedfromchoice，butthat，indriftingbacknowtoherformermanneroflife，shewasforfeitingherlastchanceofeverescapingfromit。GertyhadbutanobscureconceptionofwhatLily’sactualexperiencehadbeen:butitsconsequenceshadestablishedalastingholdonherpitysincethememorablenightwhenshehadofferedupherownsecrethopetoherfriend’sextremity。TocharacterslikeGerty’ssuchasacrificeconstitutesamoralclaimonthepartofthepersoninwhosebehalfithasbeenmade。HavingoncehelpedLily，shemustcontinuetohelpher；andhelpingher，mustbelieveinher，becausefaithisthemain-springofsuchnatures。ButevenifMissBart，afterherrenewedtasteoftheamenitiesoflife，couldhavereturnedtothebarrennessofaNewYorkAugust，mitigatedonlybypoorGerty’spresence，herworldlywisdomwouldhavecounselledheragainstsuchanactofabnegation。SheknewthatCarryFisherwasright:thatanopportuneabsencemightbethefirststeptowardrehabilitation，andthat，atanyrate，tolingeronintownoutofseasonwasafataladmissionofdefeat。

FromtheGormers’tumultuousprogressacrosstheirnativecontinent，shereturnedwithanalteredviewofhersituation。

Therenewedhabitofluxury——thedailywakingtoanassuredabsenceofcareandpresenceofmaterialease——graduallybluntedherappreciationofthesevalues，andlefthermoreconsciousofthevoidtheycouldnotfill。MattieGormer’sundiscriminatinggood-nature，andtheslap-dashsociabilityofherfriends，whotreatedLilypreciselyastheytreatedeachother——allthesecharacteristicnotesofdifferencebegantowearuponherendurance；andthemoreshesawtocriticizeinhercompanions，thelessjustificationshefoundformakinguseofthem。Thelongingtogetbacktoherformersurroundingshardenedtoafixedidea；butwiththestrengtheningofherpurposecametheinevitableperceptionthat，toattainit，shemustexactfreshconcessionsfromherpride。These，forthemoment，tooktheunpleasantformofcontinuingtoclingtoherhostsaftertheirreturnfromAlaska。LittleasshewasinthekeyoftheirMILIEU，herimmensesocialfacility，herlonghabitofadaptingherselftootherswithoutsufferingherownoutlinetobeblurred，theskilledmanipulationofallthepolishedimplementsofhercraft，hadwonforheranimportantplaceintheGormergroup。Iftheirresonanthilaritycouldneverbehers，shecontributedanoteofeasyelegancemorevaluabletoMattieGormerthanthelouderpassagesoftheband。SamGormerandhisspecialcroniesstoodindeedalittleinaweofher；butMattie’sfollowing，headedbyPaulMorpeth，madeherfeelthattheyprizedherfortheveryqualitiestheymostconspicuouslylacked。IfMorpeth，whosesocialindolencewasasgreatashisartisticactivity，hadabandonedhimselftotheeasycurrentoftheGormerexistence，wheretheminorexactionsofpolitenesswereunknownorignored，andamancouldeitherbreakhisengagements，orkeeptheminapainting-jacketandslippers，hestillpreservedhissenseofdifferences，andhisappreciationofgraceshehadnotimetocultivate。DuringthepreparationsfortheBrys’TABLEAUXhehadbeenimmenselystruckbyLily’splasticpossibilities——"nottheface:tooself-controlledforexpression；buttherestofher——gad，whatamodelshe’dmake！"——andthoughhisabhorrenceoftheworldinwhichhehadseenherwastoogreatforhimtothinkofseekingherthere，hewasfullyalivetotheprivilegeofhavinghertolookatandlistentowhileheloungedinMattieGormer’sdishevelleddrawing-room。

Lilyhadthusformed，inthetumultofhersurroundings，alittlenucleusoffriendlyrelationswhichmitigatedthecrudenessofhercourseinlingeringwiththeGormersaftertheirreturn。Norwasshewithoutpaleglimpsesofherownworld，especiallysincethebreaking-upoftheNewportseasonhadsetthesocialcurrentoncemoretowardLongIsland。KateCorby，whosetastesmadeheraspromiscuousasCarryFisherwasrenderedbyhernecessities，occasionallydescendedontheGormers，where，afterafirststareofsurprise，shetookLily’spresencealmosttoomuchasamatterofcourse。Mrs。Fisher，too，appearingfrequentlyintheneighbourhood，droveovertoimpartherexperiencesandgiveLilywhatshecalledthelatestreportfromtheweather-bureau；andthelatter，whohadneverdirectlyinvitedherconfidence，couldyettalkwithhermorefreelythanwithGertyFarish，inwhosepresenceitwasimpossibleeventoadmittheexistenceofmuchthatMrs。Fisherconvenientlytookforgranted。

Mrs。Fisher，moreover，hadnoembarrassingcuriosity。ShedidnotwishtoprobetheinwardnessofLily’ssituation，butsimplytoviewitfromtheoutside，anddrawherconclusionsaccordingly；

andtheseconclusions，attheendofaconfidentialtalk，shesummeduptoherfriendinthesuccinctremark:"Youmustmarryassoonasyoucan。"

Lilyutteredafaintlaugh——foronceMrs。Fisherlackedoriginality。"Doyoumean，likeGertyFarish，torecommendtheunfailingpanaceaof’agoodman’slove’？"

"No——Idon’tthinkeitherofmycandidateswouldanswertothatdescription，"saidMrs。Fisherafterapauseofreflection。

"Either？Arethereactuallytwo？"

"Well，perhapsIoughttosayoneandahalf——forthemoment。"

MissBartreceivedthiswithincreasingamusement。"Otherthingsbeingequal，IthinkIshouldpreferahalf-husband:whoishe？"

"Don’tflyoutatmetillyouhearmyreasons——GeorgeDorset。"

"Oh——"Lilymurmuredreproachfully；butMrs。Fisherpressedonunrebuffed。"Well，whynot？Theyhadafewweeks’honeymoonwhentheyfirstgotbackfromEurope，butnowthingsaregoingbadlywiththemagain。Berthahasbeenbehavingmorethaneverlikeamadwoman，andGeorge’spowersofcredulityareverynearlyexhausted。They’reattheirplacehere，youknow，andIspentlastSundaywiththem。Itwasaghastlyparty——nooneelsebutpoorNeddySilverton，wholookslikeagalley-slave(theyusedtotalkofmymakingthatpoorboyunhappy！)——andafterluncheonGeorgecarriedmeoffonalongwalk，andtoldmetheendwouldhavetocomesoon。"

MissBartmadeanincredulousgesture。"Asfarasthatgoes，theendwillnevercome——Berthawillalwaysknowhowtogethimbackwhenshewantshim。"

Mrs。Fishercontinuedtoobservehertentatively。"Notifhehasanyoneelsetoturnto！Yes——that’sjustwhatitcomesto:thepoorcreaturecan’tstandalone。AndIrememberhimsuchagoodfellow，fulloflifeandenthusiasm。"Shepaused，andwenton，droppingherglancefromLily’s:"Hewouldn’tstaywithhertenminutesifheKNEW——"

"Knew——？"MissBartrepeated。

"WhatYOUmust，forinstance——withtheopportunitiesyou’vehad！

Ifhehadpositiveproof，Imean——"

Lilyinterruptedherwithadeepblushofdispleasure。"Pleaseletusdropthesubject，Carry:it’stooodioustome。"Andtodiverthercompanion’sattentionsheadded，withanattemptatlightness:"Andyoursecondcandidate？Wemustnotforgethim。"

Mrs。Fisherechoedherlaugh。"Iwonderifyou’llcryoutjustasloudifIsay——SimRosedale？"

MissBartdidnotcryout:shesatsilent，gazingthoughtfullyatherfriend。Thesuggestion，intruth，gaveexpressiontoapossibilitywhich，inthelastweeks，hadmorethanoncerecurredtoher；butafteramomentshesaidcarelessly:"Mr。RosedalewantsawifewhocanestablishhiminthebosomoftheVanOsburghsandTrenors。"

Mrs。Fishercaughtherupeagerly。"AndsoYOUcould——withhismoney！Don’tyouseehowbeautifullyitwouldworkoutforyouboth？"

"Idon’tseeanywayofmakinghimseeit，"Lilyreturned，withalaughintendedtodismissthesubject。

ButinrealityitlingeredwithherlongafterMrs。Fisherhadtakenleave。ShehadseenverylittleofRosedalesinceherannexationbytheGormers，forhewasstillsteadilybentonpenetratingtotheinnerParadisefromwhichshewasnowexcluded；butonceortwice，whennothingbetteroffered，hehadturnedupforaSunday，andontheseoccasionshehadleftherinnodoubtastohisviewofhersituation。Thathestilladmiredherwas，morethanever，offensivelyevident；forintheGormercircle，whereheexpandedasinhisnativeelement，therewerenopuzzlingconventionstocheckthefullexpressionofhisapproval。Butitwasinthequalityofhisadmirationthatshereadhisshrewdestimateofhercase。HeenjoyedlettingtheGormersseethathehadknown"MissLily"——shewas"MissLily"tohimnow——beforetheyhadhadthefaintestsocialexistence:

enjoyedmoreespeciallyimpressingPaulMorpethwiththedistancetowhichtheirintimacydatedback。Butheletitbefeltthatthatintimacywasamererippleonthesurfaceofarushingsocialcurrent，thekindofrelaxationwhichamanoflargeinterestsandmanifoldpreoccupationspermitshimselfinhishoursofease。

Thenecessityofacceptingthisviewoftheirpastrelation，andofmeetingitinthekeyofpleasantryprevalentamonghernewfriends，wasdeeplyhumiliatingtoLily。ButshedaredlessthanevertoquarrelwithRosedale。Shesuspectedthatherrejectionrankledamongthemostunforgettableofhisrebuffs，andthefactthatheknewsomethingofherwretchedtransactionwithTrenor，andwassuretoputthebasestconstructiononit，seemedtoplaceherhopelesslyinhispower。YetatCarryFisher’ssuggestionanewhopehadstirredinher。MuchasshedislikedRosedale，shenolongerabsolutelydespisedhim。Forhewasgraduallyattaininghisobjectinlife，andthat，toLily，wasalwayslessdespicablethantomissit。Withtheslowunalterablepersistencywhichshehadalwaysfeltinhim，hewasmakinghiswaythroughthedensemassofsocialantagonisms。Alreadyhiswealth，andthemasterlyusehehadmadeofit，weregivinghimanenviableprominenceintheworldofaffairs，andplacingWallStreetunderobligationswhichonlyFifthAvenuecouldrepay。Inresponsetotheseclaims，hisnamebegantofigureonmunicipalcommitteesandcharitableboards；heappearedatbanquetstodistinguishedstrangers，andhiscandidacyatoneofthefashionableclubswasdiscussedwithdiminishingopposition。HehadfiguredonceortwiceattheTrenordinners，andhadlearnedtospeakwithjusttherightnoteofdisdainofthebigVanOsburghcrushes；andallhenowneededwasawifewhoseaffiliationswouldshortenthelasttediousstepsofhisascent。

Itwaswiththatobjectthat，ayearearlier，hehadfixedhisaffectionsonMissBart；butintheintervalhehadmountednearertothegoal，whileshehadlostthepowertoabbreviatetheremainingstepsoftheway。Allthisshesawwiththeclearnessofvisionthatcametoherinmomentsofdespondency。Itwassuccessthatdazzledher——shecoulddistinguishfactsplainlyenoughinthetwilightoffailure。Andthetwilight，asshenowsoughttopierceit，wasgraduallylightedbyafaintsparkofreassurance。UndertheutilitarianmotiveofRosedale’swooingshehadfelt，clearlyenough，theheatofpersonalinclination。Shewouldnothavedetestedhimsoheartilyhadshenotknownthathedaredtoadmireher。What，then，ifthepassionpersisted，thoughtheothermotivehadceasedtosustainit？Shehadnevereventriedtopleasehim——hehadbeendrawntoherinspiteofhermanifestdisdain。Whatifshenowchosetoexertthepowerwhich，eveninitspassivestate，hehadfeltsostrongly？Whatifshemadehimmarryherforlove，nowthathehadnootherreasonformarryingher？

Asbecamepersonsoftheirrisingconsequence，theGormerswereengagedinbuildingacountry-houseonLongIsland；anditwasapartofMissBart’sdutytoattendherhostessonfrequentvisitsofinspectiontothenewestate。There，whileMrs。Gormerplungedintoproblemsoflightingandsanitation，Lilyhadleisuretowander，inthebrightautumnair，alongthetree-fringedbaytowhichthelanddeclined。Littleasshewasaddictedtosolitude，therehadcometobemomentswhenitseemedawelcomeescapefromtheemptynoisesofherlife。Shewaswearyofbeingsweptpassivelyalongacurrentofpleasureandbusinessinwhichshehadnoshare；wearyofseeingotherpeoplepursueamusementandsquandermoney，whileshefeltherselfofnomoreaccountamongthemthananexpensivetoyinthehandsofaspoiledchild。

Itwasinthisframeofmindthat，strikingbackfromtheshoreonemorningintothewindingsofanunfamiliarlane，shecamesuddenlyuponthefigureofGeorgeDorset。TheDorsetplacewasintheimmediateneighbourhoodoftheGormers’newly-acquiredestate，andinhermotor-flightsthitherwithMrs。Gormer，Lilyhadcaughtoneortwopassingglimpsesofthecouple；buttheymovedinsodifferentanorbitthatshehadnotconsideredthepossibilityofadirectencounter。

Dorset，swingingalongwithbenthead，inmoodyabstraction，didnotseeMissBarttillhewascloseuponher；butthesight，insteadofbringinghimtoahalt，asshehadhalf-expected，senthimtowardherwithaneagernesswhichfoundexpressioninhisopeningwords。

"MissBart！——You’llshakehands，won’tyou？I’vebeenhopingtomeetyou——IshouldhavewrittentoyouifI’ddared。"Hisface，withitstossedredhairandstragglingmoustache，hadadrivenuneasylook，asthoughlifehadbecomeanunceasingracebetweenhimselfandthethoughtsathisheels。

ThelookdrewawordofcompassionategreetingfromLily，andhepressedon，asifencouragedbyhertone:"Iwantedtoapologize——toaskyoutoforgivemeforthemiserablepartI

played——"

Shecheckedhimwithaquickgesture。"Don’tletusspeakofit:

Iwasverysorryforyou，"shesaid，withatingeofdisdainwhich，assheinstantlyperceived，wasnotlostonhim。

Heflushedtohishaggardeyes，flushedsocruellythatsherepentedthethrust。"Youmightwellbe；youdon’tknow——youmustletmeexplain。Iwasdeceived:abominablydeceived——"

"Iamstillmoresorryforyou，then，"sheinterposed，withoutirony；"butyoumustseethatIamnotexactlythepersonwithwhomthesubjectcanbediscussed。"

Hemetthiswithalookofgenuinewonder。"Whynot？Isn’tittoyou，ofallpeople，thatIoweanexplanation——"

"Noexplanationisnecessary:thesituationwasperfectlycleartome。"

"Ah——"hemurmured，hisheaddroopingagain，andhisirresolutehandswitchingattheunderbrushalongthelane。ButasLilymadeamovementtopasson，hebrokeoutwithfreshvehemence:"MissBart，forGod’ssakedon’tturnfromme！Weusedtobegoodfriends——youwerealwayskindtome——andyoudon’tknowhowI

needafriendnow。"

ThelamentableweaknessofthewordsrousedamotionofpityinLily’sbreast。Shetooneededfriends——shehadtastedthepangofloneliness；andherresentmentofBerthaDorset’scrueltysoftenedherhearttothepoorwretchwhowasafterallthechiefofBertha’svictims。

"Istillwishtobekind；Ifeelnoill-willtowardyou，"shesaid。"Butyoumustunderstandthatafterwhathashappenedwecan’tbefriendsagain——wecan’tseeeachother。"

"Ah，youAREkind——you’remerciful——youalwayswere！"Hefixedhismiserablegazeonher。"Butwhycan’twebefriends——whynot，whenI’verepentedindustandashes？Isn’tithardthatyoushouldcondemnmetosufferforthefalseness，thetreacheryofothers？Iwaspunishedenoughatthetime——istheretobenorespiteforme？"

"Ishouldhavethoughtyouhadfoundcompleterespiteinthereconciliationwhichwaseffectedatmyexpense，"Lilybegan，withrenewedimpatience；buthebrokeinimploringly:"Don’tputitinthatway——whenthat’sbeentheworstofmypunishment。MyGod！whatcouldIdo——wasn’tIpowerless？Youweresingledoutasasacrifice:anywordImighthavesaidwouldhavebeenturnedagainstyou——"

"IhavetoldyouIdon’tblameyou；allIaskyoutounderstandisthat，aftertheuseBerthachosetomakeofme——afterallthatherbehaviourhassinceimplied——it’simpossiblethatyouandI

shouldmeet。"

Hecontinuedtostandbeforeher，inhisdoggedweakness。"Isit——needitbe？Mightn’ttherebecircumstances——？"hecheckedhimself，slashingatthewaysideweedsinawiderradius。Thenhebeganagain:"MissBart，listen——givemeaminute。Ifwe’renottomeetagain，atleastletmehaveahearingnow。Yousaywecan’tbefriendsafter——afterwhathashappened。Butcan’tIatleastappealtoyourpity？Can’tImoveyouifIaskyoutothinkofmeasaprisoner——aprisoneryoualonecansetfree？"

Lily’sinwardstartbetrayeditselfinaquickblush:wasitpossiblethatthiswasreallythesenseofCarryFisher’sadumbrations？

"Ican’tseehowIcanpossiblybeofanyhelptoyou，"shemurmured，drawingbackalittlefromthemountingexcitementofhislook。

Hertoneseemedtosoberhim，asithadsooftendoneinhisstormiestmoments。Thestubbornlinesofhisfacerelaxed，andhesaid，withanabruptdroptodocility:"YouWOULDsee，ifyou’dbeasmercifulasyouusedtobe:andheavenknowsI’veneverneededitmore！"

Shepausedamoment，movedinspiteofherselfbythisreminderofherinfluenceoverhim。Herfibreshadbeensoftenedbysuffering，andthesuddenglimpseintohismockedandbrokenlifedisarmedhercontemptforhisweakness。

"Iamverysorryforyou——Iwouldhelpyouwillingly；butyoumusthaveotherfriends，otheradvisers。"

"Ineverhadafriendlikeyou，"heansweredsimply。"Andbesides——can’tyousee？——you’retheonlyperson"——hisvoicedroppedtoawhisper——"theonlypersonwhoknows。"

Againshefelthercolourchange；againherheartroseinprecipitatethrobstomeetwhatshefeltwascoming。Heliftedhiseyestoherentreatingly。"Youdosee，don’tyou？Youunderstand？I’mdesperate——I’mattheendofmytether。I

wanttobefree，andyoucanfreeme。Iknowyoucan。Youdon’twanttokeepmeboundfastinhell，doyou？Youcan’twanttotakesuchavengeanceasthat。Youwerealwayskind——youreyesarekindnow。Yousayyou’resorryforme。Well，itrestswithyoutoshowit；andheavenknowsthere’snothingtokeepyouback。Youunderstand，ofcourse——therewouldn’tbeahintofpublicity——notasoundorasyllabletoconnectyouwiththething。Itwouldnevercometothat，youknow:allIneedistobeabletosaydefinitely:’Iknowthis——andthis——andthis’——andthefightwoulddrop，andthewaybecleared，andthewholeabominablebusinesssweptoutofsightinasecond。"

Hespokepantingly，likeatiredrunner，withbreaksofexhaustionbetweenhiswords；andthroughthebreaksshecaught，asthroughtheshiftingrentsofafog，greatgoldenvistasofpeaceandsafety。Fortherewasnomistakingthedefiniteintentionbehindhisvagueappeal；shecouldhavefilleduptheblankswithoutthehelpofMrs。Fisher’sinsinuations。Herewasamanwhoturnedtoherintheextremityofhislonelinessandhishumiliation:ifshecametohimatsuchamomenthewouldbeherswithalltheforceofhisdeludedfaith。Andthepowertomakehimsolayinherhand——laythereinacompletenesshecouldnotevenremotelyconjecture。Revengeandrehabilitationmightbehersatastroke——therewassomethingdazzlinginthecompletenessoftheopportunity。

Shestoodsilent，gazingawayfromhimdowntheautumnalstretchofthedesertedlane。Andsuddenlyfearpossessedher——fearofherself，andoftheterribleforceofthetemptation。Allherpastweaknesseswerelikesomanyeageraccomplicesdrawinghertowardthepaththeirfeethadalreadysmoothed。Sheturnedquickly，andheldoutherhandtoDorset。

"Goodbye——I’msorry；there’snothingintheworldthatIcando。"

"Nothing？Ah，don’tsaythat，"hecried；"saywhat’strue:thatyouabandonmeliketheothers。You，theonlycreaturewhocouldhavesavedme！"

"Goodbye——goodbye，"sherepeatedhurriedly；andasshemovedawaysheheardhimcryoutonalastnoteofentreaty:"Atleastyou’llletmeseeyouoncemore？"

Lily，onregainingtheGormergrounds，struckrapidlyacrossthelawntowardtheunfinishedhouse，whereshefanciedthatherhostessmightbespeculating，nottooresignedly，onthecauseofherdelay；for，likemanyunpunctualpersons，Mrs。Gormerdislikedtobekeptwaiting。

AsMissBartreachedtheavenue，however，shesawasmartphaetonwithahigh-steppingpairdisappearbehindtheshrubberyinthedirectionofthegate；andonthedoorstepstoodMrs。Gormer，withaglowofretrospectivepleasureonheropencountenance。AtsightofLilytheglowdeepenedtoanembarrassedred，andshesaidwithaslightlaugh:"Didyouseemyvisitor？Oh，Ithoughtyoucamebackbytheavenue。ItwasMrs。GeorgeDorset——shesaidshe’ddroppedintomakeaneighbourlycall。"

Lilymettheannouncementwithherusualcomposure，thoughherexperienceofBertha’sidiosyncrasieswouldnothaveledhertoincludetheneighbourlyinstinctamongthem；andMrs。Gormer，relievedtoseethatshegavenosignofsurprise，wentonwithadeprecatinglaugh:"Ofcoursewhatreallybroughtherwascuriosity——shemademetakeheralloverthehouse。Butnoonecouldhavebeennicer——noairs，youknow，andsogood-natured:I

canquiteseewhypeoplethinkhersofascinating。"

Thissurprisingevent，coincidingtoocompletelywithhermeetingwithDorsettoberegardedascontingentuponit，hadyetimmediatelystruckLilywithavaguesenseofforeboding。ItwasnotinBertha’shabitstobeneighbourly，muchlesstomakeadvancestoanyoneoutsidetheimmediatecircleofheraffinities。Shehadalwaysconsistentlyignoredtheworldofouteraspirants，orhadrecognizeditsindividualmembersonlywhenpromptedbymotivesofself-interest；andtheverycapriciousnessofhercondescensionshad，asLilywasaware，giventhemspecialvalueintheeyesofthepersonsshedistinguished。LilysawthisnowinMrs。Gormer’sunconcealablecomplacency，andinthehappyirrelevancewithwhich，forthenextdayortwo，shequotedBertha’sopinionsandspeculatedontheoriginofhergown。AllthesecretambitionswhichMrs。Gormer’snativeindolence，andtheattitudeofhercompanions，keptinhabitualabeyance，werenowgerminatingafreshintheglowofBertha’sadvances；andwhateverthecauseofthelatter，Lilysawthat，iftheywerefollowedup，theywerelikelytohaveadisturbingeffectuponherownfuture。

Shehadarrangedtobreakthelengthofherstaywithhernewfriendsbyoneortwovisitstootheracquaintancesasrecent；

andonherreturnfromthissomewhatdepressingexcursionshewasimmediatelyconsciousthatMrs。Dorset’sinfluencewasstillintheair。Therehadbeenanotherexchangeofvisits，ateaatacountry-club，anencounteratahuntball；therewasevenarumourofanapproachingdinner，whichMattieGormer，withanunnaturaleffortatdiscretion，triedtosmuggleoutoftheconversationwheneverMissBarttookpartinit。

ThelatterhadalreadyplannedtoreturntotownafterafarewellSundaywithherfriends；and，withGertyFarish’said，haddiscoveredasmallprivatehotelwhereshemightestablishherselfforthewinter。Thehotelbeingontheedgeofafashionableneighbourhood，thepriceofthefewsquarefeetshewastooccupywasconsiderablyinexcessofhermeans；butshefoundajustificationforherdislikeofpoorerquartersintheargumentthat，atthisparticularjuncture，itwasoftheutmostimportancetokeepupashowofprosperity。Inreality，itwasimpossibleforher，whileshehadthemeanstopayherwayforaweekahead，tolapseintoaformofexistencelikeGertyFarish’s。Shehadneverbeensonearthebrinkofinsolvency；butshecouldatleastmanagetomeetherweeklyhotelbill，andhavingsettledtheheaviestofherpreviousdebtsoutofthemoneyshehadreceivedfromTrenor，shehadastillfairmarginofcredittogoupon。Thesituation，however，wasnotagreeableenoughtolullhertocompleteunconsciousnessofitsinsecurity。

Herrooms，withtheircrampedoutlookdownasallowvistaofbrickwallsandfire-escapes，herlonelymealsinthedarkrestaurantwithitssurchargedceilingandhauntingsmellofcoffee——allthesematerialdiscomforts，whichwereyettobeaccountedassomanyprivilegessoontobewithdrawn，keptconstantlybeforeherthedisadvantagesofherstate；andhermindrevertedthemoreinsistentlytoMrs。Fisher’scounsels。

Beataboutthequestionasshewould，sheknewtheoutcomeofitwasthatshemusttrytomarryRosedale；andinthisconvictionshewasfortifiedbyanunexpectedvisitfromGeorgeDorset。

Shefoundhim，onthefirstSundayafterherreturntotown，pacinghernarrowsitting-roomtotheimminentperilofthefewknick-knackswithwhichshehadtriedtodisguiseitsplushexuberances；butthesightofherseemedtoquiethim，andhesaidmeeklythathehadn’tcometobotherher——thatheaskedonlytobeallowedtositforhalfanhourandtalkofanythingsheliked。Inreality，assheknew，hehadbutonesubject:

himselfandhiswretchedness；anditwastheneedofhersympathythathaddrawnhimback。Buthebeganwithapretenceofquestioningheraboutherself，andasshereplied，shesawthat，forthefirsttime，afaintrealizationofherplightpenetratedthedensesurfaceofhisself-absorption。Wasitpossiblethatheroldbeastofanaunthadactuallycutheroff？Thatshewaslivingalonelikethisbecausetherewasnooneelseforhertogoto，andthatshereallyhadn’tmorethanenoughtokeepaliveontillthewretchedlittlelegacywaspaid？Thefibresofsympathywerenearlyatrophiedinhim，buthewassufferingsointenselythathehadafaintglimpseofwhatothersufferingsmightmean——and，assheperceived，analmostsimultaneousperceptionofthewayinwhichherparticularmisfortunesmightservehim。

Whenatlengthshedismissedhim，onthepretextthatshemustdressfordinner，helingeredentreatinglyonthethresholdtoblurtout:"It’sbeensuchacomfort——dosayyou’llletmeseeyouagain——"Buttothisdirectappealitwasimpossibletogiveanassent；andshesaidwithfriendlydecisiveness:"I’msorry——butyouknowwhyIcan’t。"

Hecolouredtotheeyes，pushedthedoorshut，andstoodbeforeherembarrassedbutinsistent。"Iknowhowyoumight，ifyouwould——ifthingsweredifferent——anditlieswithyoutomakethemso。It’sjustawordtosay，andyouputmeoutofmymisery！"

Theireyesmet，andforasecondshetrembledagainwiththenearnessofthetemptation。"You’remistaken；Iknownothing；I

sawnothing，"sheexclaimed，striving，bysheerforceofreiteration，tobuildabarrierbetweenherselfandherperil；

andasheturnedaway，groaningout"Yousacrificeusboth，"shecontinuedtorepeat，asifitwereacharm:"Iknownothing——absolutelynothing。"

LilyhadseenlittleofRosedalesinceherilluminatingtalkwithMrs。Fisher，butonthetwoorthreeoccasionswhentheyhadmetshewasconsciousofhavingdistinctlyadvancedinhisfavour。

Therecouldbenodoubtthatheadmiredherasmuchasever，andshebelieveditrestedwithherselftoraisehisadmirationtothepointwhereitshouldbeardownthelingeringcounselsofexpediency。Thetaskwasnotaneasyone；butneitherwasiteasy，inherlongsleeplessnights，tofacethethoughtofwhatGeorgeDorsetwassoclearlyreadytooffer。Basenessforbaseness，shehatedtheotherleast:therewereevenmomentswhenamarriagewithRosedaleseemedtheonlyhonourablesolutionofherdifficulties。Shedidnotindeedletherimaginationrangebeyondthedayofplighting:afterthateverythingfadedintoahazeofmaterialwell-being，inwhichthepersonalityofherbenefactorremainedmercifullyvague。Shehadlearned，inherlongvigils，thattherewerecertainthingsnotgoodtothinkof，certainmidnightimagesthatmustatanycostbeexorcised——andoneofthesewastheimageofherselfasRosedale’swife。

CarryFisher，onthestrength，asshefranklyowned，oftheBrys’

Newportsuccess，hadtakenfortheautumnmonthsasmallhouseatTuxedo；andthitherLilywasboundontheSundayafterDorset’svisit。Thoughitwasnearlydinner-timewhenshearrived，herhostesswasstillout，andthefirelitquietofthesmallsilenthousedescendedonherspiritwithasenseofpeaceandfamiliarity。ItmaybedoubtedifsuchanemotionhadeverbeforebeenevokedbyCarryFisher’ssurroundings；but，contrastedtotheworldinwhichLilyhadlatelylived，therewasanairofreposeandstabilityintheveryplacingofthefurniture，andinthequietcompetenceoftheparlour-maidwholedheruptoherroom。Mrs。Fisher’sunconventionalitywas，afterall，amerelysuperficialdivergencefromaninheritedsocialcreed，whilethemannersoftheGormercirclerepresentedtheirfirstattempttoformulatesuchacreedforthemselves。

ItwasthefirsttimesinceherreturnfromEuropethatLilyhadfoundherselfinacongenialatmosphere，andthestirringoffamiliarassociationshadalmostpreparedher，asshedescendedthestairsbeforedinner，toenteruponagroupofheroldacquaintances。Butthisexpectationwasinstantlycheckedbythereflectionthatthefriendswhoremainedloyalwerepreciselythosewhowouldbeleastwillingtoexposehertosuchencounters；anditwashardlywithsurprisethatshefound，instead，Mr。Rosedalekneelingdomesticallyonthedrawing-roomhearthbeforehishostess’slittlegirl。

RosedaleinthepaternalrolewashardlyafiguretosoftenLily；

yetshecouldnotbutnoticeaqualityofhomelygoodnessinhisadvancestothechild。Theywerenot，atanyrate，thepremeditatedandperfunctoryendearmentsoftheguestunderhishostess’seye，forheandthelittlegirlhadtheroomtothemselves；andsomethinginhisattitudemadehimseemasimpleandkindlybeingcomparedtothesmallcriticalcreaturewhoenduredhishomage。Yes，hewouldbekind——Lily，fromthethreshold，hadtimetofeel——kindinhisgross，unscrupulous，rapaciousway，thewayofthepredatorycreaturewithhismate。