第9章

Shehadbutamomentinwhichtoconsiderwhetherthisglimpseofthefiresidemanmitigatedherrepugnance，orgaveit，rather，amoreconcreteandintimateform；foratsightofherhewasimmediatelyonhisfeetagain，thefloridanddominantRosedaleofMattieGormer’sdrawing-room。

ItwasnosurprisetoLilytofindthathehadbeenselectedasheronlyfellow-guest。Thoughsheandherhostesshadnotmetsincethelatter’stentativediscussionofherfuture，LilyknewthattheacutenesswhichenabledMrs。Fishertolayasafeandpleasantcoursethroughaworldofantagonisticforceswasnotinfrequentlyexercisedforthebenefitofherfriends。Itwas，infact，characteristicofCarrythat，whilesheactivelygleanedherownstoresfromthefieldsofaffluence，herrealsympathieswereontheotherside——withtheunlucky，theunpopular，theunsuccessful，withallherhungryfellow-toilersintheshornstubbleofsuccess。

Mrs。Fisher’sexperienceguardedheragainstthemistakeofexposingLily，forthefirstevening，totheunmitigatedimpressionofRosedale’spersonality。KateCorbyandtwoorthreemendroppedintodinner，andLily，alivetoeverydetailofherfriend’smethod，sawthatsuchopportunitiesashadbeencontrivedforherweretobedeferredtillshehad，asitwere，gainedcouragetomakeeffectualuseofthem。Shehadasenseofacquiescinginthisplanwiththepassivenessofasuffererresignedtothesurgeon’stouch；andthisfeelingofalmostlethargichelplessnesscontinuedwhen，afterthedepartureoftheguests，Mrs。Fisherfollowedherupstairs。

"MayIcomeinandsmokeacigaretteoveryourfire？Ifwetalkinmyroomweshalldisturbthechild。"Mrs。Fisherlookedaboutherwiththeeyeofthesolicitoushostess。"Ihopeyou’vemanagedtomakeyourselfcomfortable，dear？Isn’titajollylittlehouse？It’ssuchablessingtohaveafewquietweekswiththebaby。"

Carry，inherraremomentsofprosperity，becamesoexpansivelymaternalthatMissBartsometimeswonderedwhether，ifshecouldevergettimeandmoneyenough，shewouldnotendbydevotingthembothtoherdaughter。

It’sawell-earnedrest:I’llsaythatformyself，"shecontinued，sinkingdownwithasighofcontentonthepillowedloungenearthefire。"LouisaBryisasterntask-master:IoftenusedtowishmyselfbackwiththeGormers。Talkoflovemakingpeoplejealousandsuspicious——it’snothingtosocialambition！

LouisausedtolieawakeatnightwonderingwhetherthewomenwhocalledonuscalledonMEbecauseIwaswithher，oronHER

becauseshewaswithme；andshewasalwayslayingtrapstofindoutwhatIthought。OfcourseIhadtodisownmyoldestfriends，ratherthanlethersuspectsheowedmethechanceofmakingasingleacquaintance——when，allthewhile，thatwaswhatshehadmetherefor，andwhatshewrotemeahandsomechequeforwhentheseasonwasover！"

Mrs。Fisherwasnotawomanwhotalkedofherselfwithoutcause，andthepracticeofdirectspeech，farfromprecludinginheranoccasionalresorttocircuitousmethods，servedrather，atcrucialmoments，thepurposeofthejuggler’schatterwhileheshiftsthecontentsofhissleeves。ThroughthehazeofhercigarettesmokeshecontinuedtogazemeditativelyatMissBart，who，havingdismissedhermaid，satbeforethetoilet-tableshakingoutoverhershoulderstheloosenedundulationsofherhair。

"Yourhair’swonderful，Lily。Thinner——？Whatdoesthatmatter，whenit’ssolightandalive？Somanywomen’sworriesseemtogostraighttotheirhair——butyourslooksasiftherehadneverbeenananxiousthoughtunderit。Ineversawyoulookbetterthanyoudidthisevening。MattieGormertoldmethatMorpethwantedtopaintyou——whydon’tyoulethim？"

MissBart’simmediateanswerwastoaddressacriticalglancetothereflectionofthecountenanceunderdiscussion。Thenshesaid，withaslighttouchofirritation:"Idon’tcaretoacceptaportraitfromPaulMorpeth。"

Mrs。Fishermused。"N——no。Andjustnow，especially——well，hecandoyouafteryou’remarried。"Shewaitedamoment，andthenwenton:"Bytheway，IhadavisitfromMattietheotherday。

SheturnedupherelastSunday——andwithBerthaDorset，ofallpeopleintheworld！"

Shepausedagaintomeasuretheeffectofthisannouncementonherhearer，butthebrushinMissBart’sliftedhandmaintaineditsunwaveringstrokefrombrowtonape。

"Ineverwasmoreastonished，"Mrs。Fisherpursued。"Idon’tknowtwowomenlesspredestinedtointimacy——fromBertha’sstandpoint，thatis；forofcoursepoorMattiethinksitnaturalenoughthatsheshouldbesingledout——I’venodoubttherabbitalwaysthinksitisfascinatingtheanaconda。Well，youknowI’vealwaystoldyouthatMattiesecretlylongedtoboreherselfwiththereallyfashionable；andnowthatthechancehascome，Iseethatshe’scapableofsacrificingallheroldfriendstoit。"

Lilylaidasideherbrushandturnedapenetratingglanceuponherfriend。"IncludingME？"shesuggested。

"Ah，mydear，"murmuredMrs。Fisher，risingtopushbackalogfromthehearth。

"That’swhatBerthameans，isn’tit？"MissBartwentonsteadily。

"Forofcourseshealwaysmeanssomething；andbeforeIleftLongIslandIsawthatshewasbeginningtolayhertoilsforMattie。"

Mrs。Fishersighedevasively。"Shehasherfastnow，atanyrate。

TothinkofthatloudindependenceofMattie’sbeingonlyasubtlerformofsnobbishness！Berthacanalreadymakeherbelieveanythingshepleases——andI’mafraidshe’sbegun，mypoorchild，byinsinuatinghorrorsaboutyou。"

Lilyflushedundertheshadowofherdroopinghair。"Theworldistoovile，"shemurmured，avertingherselffromMrs。Fisher’sanxiousscrutiny。

"It’snotaprettyplace；andtheonlywaytokeepafootinginitistofightitonitsownterms——andaboveall，mydear，notalone！"Mrs。Fishergatheredupherfloatingimplicationsinaresolutegrasp。"You’vetoldmesolittlethatIcanonlyguesswhathasbeenhappening；butintherushweallliveinthere’snotimetokeeponhatinganyonewithoutacause，andifBerthaisstillnastyenoughtowanttoinjureyouwithotherpeopleitmustbebecauseshe’sstillafraidofyou。Fromherstandpointthere’sonlyonereasonforbeingafraidofyou；andmyownideaisthat，ifyouwanttopunishher，youholdthemeansinyourhand。IbelieveyoucanmarryGeorgeDorsettomorrow；butifyoudon’tcareforthatparticularformofretaliation，theonlythingtosaveyoufromBerthaistomarrysomebodyelse。"

ThelightprojectedonthesituationbyMrs。Fisherhadthecheerlessdistinctnessofawinterdawn。Itoutlinedthefactswithacoldprecisionunmodifiedbyshadeorcolour，andrefracted，asitwere，fromtheblankwallsofthesurroundinglimitations:shehadopenedwindowsfromwhichnoskywasevervisible。Buttheidealistsubduedtovulgarnecessitiesmustemployvulgarmindstodrawtheinferencestowhichhecannotstoop；anditwaseasierforLilytoletMrs。Fisherformulatehercasethantoputitplainlytoherself。Onceconfrontedwithit，however，shewentthefulllengthofitsconsequences；andthesehadneverbeenmoreclearlypresenttoherthanwhen，thenextafternoon，shesetoutforawalkwithRosedale。

ItwasoneofthosestillNovemberdayswhentheairishauntedwiththelightofsummer，andsomethinginthelinesofthelandscape，andinthegoldenhazewhichbathedthem，recalledtoMissBarttheSeptemberafternoonwhenshehadclimbedtheslopesofBellomontwithSelden。Theimportunatememorywaskeptbeforeherbyitsironiccontrasttoherpresentsituation，sinceherwalkwithSeldenhadrepresentedanirresistibleflightfromjustsuchaclimaxasthepresentexcursionwasdesignedtobringabout。Butothermemoriesimportunedheralso；therecollectionofsimilarsituations，asskillfullyledupto，butthroughsomemaliceoffortune，orherownunsteadinessofpurpose，alwaysfailingoftheintendedresult。Well，herpurposewassteadyenoughnow。Shesawthatthewholewearyworkofrehabilitationmustbeginagain，andagainstfargreaterodds，ifBerthaDorsetshouldsucceedinbreakingupherfriendshipwiththeGormers；

andherlongingforshelterandsecuritywasintensifiedbythepassionatedesiretotriumphoverBertha，asonlywealthandpredominancecouldtriumphoverher。AsthewifeofRosedale——theRosedaleshefeltitinherpowertocreate——shewouldatleastpresentaninvulnerablefronttoherenemy。

Shehadtodrawuponthisthought，asuponsomefierystimulant，tokeepupherpartinthescenetowardwhichRosedalewastoofranklytending。Asshewalkedbesidehim，shrinkingineverynervefromthewayinwhichhislookandtonemadefreeofher，yettellingherselfthatthismomentaryenduranceofhismoodwasthepriceshemustpayforherultimatepoweroverhim，shetriedtocalculatetheexactpointatwhichconcessionmustturntoresistance，andthepriceHEwouldhavetopaybemadeequallycleartohim。Buthisdapperself-confidenceseemedimpenetrabletosuchhints，andshehadasenseofsomethinghardandself-containedbehindthesuperficialwarmthofhismanner。

Theyhadbeenseatedforsometimeintheseclusionofarockyglenabovethelake，whenshesuddenlycutshorttheculminationofanimpassionedperiodbyturninguponhimthegravelovelinessofhergaze。

"IDObelievewhatyousay，Mr。Rosedale，"shesaidquietly；"andIamreadytomarryyouwheneveryouwish。"

Rosedale，reddeningtotherootsofhisglossyhair，receivedthisannouncementwitharecoilwhichcarriedhimtohisfeet，wherehehaltedbeforeherinanattitudeofalmostcomicdiscomfiture。

"ForIsupposethatiswhatyoudowish，"shecontinued，inthesamequiettone。"And，thoughIwasunabletoconsentwhenyouspoketomeinthiswaybefore，Iamready，nowthatIknowyousomuchbetter，totrustmyhappinesstoyourhands。"

Shespokewiththenobledirectnesswhichshecouldcommandonsuchoccasions，andwhichwaslikealargesteadylightthrownacrossthetortuousdarknessofthesituation。InitsinconvenientbrightnessRosedaleseemedtowaveramoment，asthoughconsciousthateveryavenueofescapewasunpleasantlyilluminated。

Thenhegaveashortlaugh，anddrewoutagoldcigarette-case，inwhich，withplumpjewelledfingers，hegropedforagold-tippedcigarette。Selectingone，hepausedtocontemplateitamomentbeforesaying:"MydearMissLily，I’msorryifthere’sbeenanylittlemisapprehensionbetweenus-butyoumademefeelmysuitwassohopelessthatIhadreallynointentionofrenewingit。"

Lily’sbloodtingledwiththegrossnessoftherebuff；butshecheckedthefirstleapofheranger，andsaidinatoneofgentledignity:

"IhavenoonebutmyselftoblameifIgaveyoutheimpressionthatmydecisionwasfinal。"

Herword-playwasalwaystooquickforhim，andthisreplyheldhiminpuzzledsilencewhilesheextendedherhandandadded，withthefaintestinflectionofsadnessinhervoice:"Beforewebideachothergoodbye，Iwantatleasttothankyouforhavingoncethoughtofmeasyoudid。"

Thetouchofherhand，themovingsoftnessofherlook，thrilledavulnerablefibreinRosedale。Itwasherexquisiteinaccessibleness，thesenseofdistanceshecouldconveywithoutahintofdisdain，thatmadeitmostdifficultforhimtogiveherup。

"Whydoyoutalkofsayinggoodbye？Ain’twegoingtobegoodfriendsallthesame？"heurged，withoutreleasingherhand。

Shedrewitawayquietly。"Whatisyourideaofbeinggoodfriends？"shereturnedwithaslightsmile。"Makinglovetomewithoutaskingmetomarryyou？"Rosedalelaughedwitharecoveredsenseofease。

"Well，that’saboutthesizeofit，Isuppose。Ican’thelpmakinglovetoyou——Idon’tseehowanymancould；butIdon’tmeantoaskyoutomarrymeaslongasIcankeepoutofit。"

Shecontinuedtosmile。"Ilikeyourfrankness；butIamafraidourfriendshipcanhardlycontinueonthoseterms。"Sheturnedaway，asthoughtomarkthatitsfinaltermhadinfactbeenreached，andhefollowedherforafewstepswithabaffledsenseofherhavingafterallkeptthegameinherownhands。

"MissLily——"hebeganimpulsively；butshewalkedonwithoutseemingtohearhim。

Heovertookherinafewquickstrides，andlaidanentreatinghandonherarm。"MissLily——don’thurryawaylikethat。You’rebeastlyhardonafellow；butifyoudon’tmindspeakingthetruthIdon’tseewhyyoushouldn’tallowmetodothesame。"

Shehadpausedamomentwithraisedbrows，drawingawayinstinctivelyfromhistouch，thoughshemadenoefforttoevadehiswords。

"Iwasundertheimpression，"sherejoined，"thatyouhaddonesowithoutwaitingformypermission。"

"Well——whyshouldn’tyouhearmyreasonsfordoingit，then？

We’reneitherofussuchnewhandsthatalittleplainspeakingisgoingtohurtus。I’mallbrokenuponyou:there’snothingnewinthat。I’mmoreinlovewithyouthanIwasthistimelastyear；butI’vegottofacethefactthatthesituationischanged。"

Shecontinuedtoconfronthimwiththesameairofironiccomposure。"YoumeantosaythatI’mnotasdesirableamatchasyouthoughtme？"

"Yes；that’swhatIdomean，"heansweredresolutely。"Iwon’tgointowhat’shappened。Idon’tbelievethestoriesaboutyou——I

don’tWANTtobelievethem。Butthey’rethere，andmynotbelievingthemain’tgoingtoalterthesituation。"

Sheflushedtohertemples，buttheextremityofherneedcheckedtheretortonherlipandshecontinuedtofacehimcomposedly。

"Iftheyarenottrue，"shesaid，"doesn’tTHATalterthesituation？"

Hemetthiswithasteadygazeofhissmallstock-takingeyes，whichmadeherfeelherselfnomorethansomesuperfinehumanmerchandise。"Ibelieveitdoesinnovels；butI’mcertainitdon’tinreallife。YouknowthataswellasIdo:ifwe’respeakingthetruth，let’sspeakthewholetruth。LastyearIwaswildtomarryyou，andyouwouldn’tlookatme:thisyear——well，youappeartobewilling。Now，whathaschangedintheinterval？

Yoursituation，that’sall。Thenyouthoughtyoucoulddobetter；

now——"

"Youthinkyoucan？"brokefromherironically。

"Why，yes，Ido:inoneway，thatis。"Hestoodbeforeher，hishandsinhispockets，hischeststurdilyexpandedunderitsvividwaistcoat。"It’sthisway，yousee:I’vehadaprettysteadygrindofittheselastyears，workingupmysocialposition。

Thinkit’sfunnyIshouldsaythat？WhyshouldImindsayingI

wanttogetintosociety？Amanain’tashamedtosayhewantstoownaracingstableorapicturegallery。Well，atasteforsociety’sjustanotherkindofhobby。PerhapsIwanttogetevenwithsomeofthepeoplewhocold-shoulderedmelastyear——putitthatwayifitsoundsbetter。Anyhow，Iwanttohavetherunofthebesthouses；andI’mgettingittoo，littlebylittle。ButI

knowthequickestwaytoqueeryourselfwiththerightpeopleistobeseenwiththewrongones；andthat’sthereasonI

wanttoavoidmistakes。"

MissBartcontinuedtostandbeforehiminasilencethatmighthaveexpressedeithermockeryorahalf-reluctantrespectforhiscandour，andafteramoment’spausehewenton:"Thereitis，yousee。I’mmoreinlovewithyouthanever，butifImarriedyounowI’dqueermyselfforgoodandall，andeverythingI’veworkedforalltheseyearswouldbewasted。"

Shereceivedthiswithalookfromwhichalltingeofresentmenthadfaded。Afterthetissueofsocialfalsehoodsinwhichshehadsolongmoveditwasrefreshingtostepintotheopendaylightofanavowedexpediency。

"Iunderstandyou，"shesaid。"AyearagoIshouldhavebeenofusetoyou，andnowIshouldbeanencumbrance；andIlikeyoufortellingmesoquitehonestly。"Sheextendedherhandwithasmile。

AgainthegesturehadadisturbingeffectuponMr。Rosedale’sself-command。"ByGeorge，you’readeadgamesport，youare！"heexclaimed；andasshebeganoncemoretomoveaway，hebrokeoutsuddenly——"MissLily——stop。YouknowIdon’tbelievethosestories——Ibelievetheywereallgotupbyawomanwhodidn’thesitatetosacrificeyoutoherownconvenience——"

Lilydrewawaywithamovementofquickdisdain:itwaseasiertoendurehisinsolencethanhiscommiseration。

"Youareverykind；butIdon’tthinkweneeddiscussthematterfarther。"

ButRosedale’snaturalimperviousnesstohintsmadeiteasyforhimtobrushsuchresistanceaside。"Idon’twanttodiscussanything；Ijustwanttoputaplaincasebeforeyou，"hepersisted。

Shepausedinspiteofherself，heldbythenoteofanewpurposeinhislookandtone；andhewenton，keepinghiseyesfirmlyuponher:"Thewondertomeisthatyou’vewaitedsolongtogetsquarewiththatwoman，whenyou’vehadthepowerinyourhands。"

Shecontinuedsilentundertherushofastonishmentthathiswordsproduced，andhemovedastepclosertoaskwithlow-toneddirectness:"Whydon’tyouusethoselettersofhersyouboughtlastyear？"

Lilystoodspeechlessundertheshockoftheinterrogation。Inthewordsprecedingitshehadconjectured，atmost，anallusiontohersupposedinfluenceoverGeorgeDorset；nordidtheastonishingindelicacyofthereferencediminishthelikelihoodofRosedale’sresortingtoit。Butnowshesawhowfarshortofthemarkshehadfallen；andthesurpriseoflearningthathehaddiscoveredthesecretoftheletterslefther，forthemoment，unconsciousofthespecialusetowhichhewasintheactofputtinghisknowledge。

Hertemporarylossofself-possessiongavehimtimetopresshispoint；andhewentonquickly，asthoughtosecurecompletercontrolofthesituation:"YouseeIknowwhereyoustand——Iknowhowcompletelyshe’sinyourpower。Thatsoundslikestage-talk，don’tit？——butthere’salotoftruthinsomeofthoseoldgags；

andIdon’tsupposeyouboughtthoseletterssimplybecauseyou’recollectingautographs。"

Shecontinuedtolookathimwithadeepeningbewilderment:heronlyclearimpressionresolveditselfintoascaredsenseofhispower。

"You’rewonderinghowIfoundoutabout’em？"hewenton，answeringherlookwithanoteofconsciouspride。"Perhapsyou’veforgottenthatI’mtheowneroftheBenedick-butnevermindaboutthatnow。Gettingontothingsisamightyusefulaccomplishmentinbusiness，andI’vesimplyextendedittomyprivateaffairs。ForthisISpartlymyaffair，yousee——atleast，itdependsonyoutomakeitso。Let’slookthesituationstraightintheeye。Mrs。Dorset，forreasonsweneedn’tgointo，didyouabeastlybadturnlastspring。EverybodyknowswhatMrs。

Dorsetis，andherbestfriendswouldn’tbelieveheronoathwheretheirowninterestswereconcerned；butaslongasthey’reoutoftherowit’smucheasiertofollowherleadthantosetthemselvesagainstit，andyou’vesimplybeensacrificedtotheirlazinessandselfishness。Isn’tthataprettyfairstatementofthecase？——Well，somepeoplesayyou’vegottheneatestkindofananswerinyourhands:thatGeorgeDorsetwouldmarryyoutomorrow，ifyou’dtellhimallyouknow，andgivehimthechancetoshowtheladythedoor。Idaresayhewould；butyoudon’tseemtocareforthatparticularformofgettingeven，and，takingapurelybusinessviewofthequestion，Ithinkyou’reright。Inadeallikethat，nobodycomesoutwithperfectlycleanhands，andtheonlywayforyoutostartfreshistogetBerthaDorsettobackyouup，insteadoftryingtofighther。"

Hepausedlongenoughtodrawbreath，butnottogivehertimefortheexpressionofhergatheringresistance；andashepressedon，expoundingandelucidatinghisideawiththedirectnessofthemanwhohasnodoubtsofhiscause，shefoundtheindignationgraduallyfreezingonherlip，foundherselfheldfastinthegraspofhisargumentbythemerecoldstrengthofitspresentation。Therewasnotimenowtowonderhowhehadheardofherobtainingtheletters:allherworldwasdarkoutsidethemonstrousglareofhisschemeforusingthem。Anditwasnot，afterthefirstmoment，thehorroroftheideathatheldherspell-bound，subduedtohiswill；itwasratheritssubtleaffinitytoherowninmostcravings。HewouldmarryhertomorrowifshecouldregainBerthaDorset’sfriendship；andtoinducetheopenresumptionofthatfriendship，andthetacitretractationofallthathadcauseditswithdrawal，shehadonlytoputtotheladythelatentmenacecontainedinthepacketsomiraculouslydeliveredintoherhands。LilysawinaflashtheadvantageofthiscourseoverthatwhichpoorDorsethadpresseduponher。Theotherplandependedforitssuccessontheinflictionofanopeninjury，whilethisreducedthetransactiontoaprivateunderstanding，ofwhichnothirdpersonneedhavetheremotesthint。PutbyRosedaleintermsofbusiness-likegive-and-take，thisunderstandingtookontheharmlessairofamutualaccommodation，likeatransferofpropertyorarevisionofboundarylines。Itcertainlysimplifiedlifetoviewitasaperpetualadjustment，aplayofpartypolitics，inwhicheveryconcessionhaditsrecognizedequivalent:Lily’stiredmindwasfascinatedbythisescapefromfluctuatingethicalestimatesintoaregionofconcreteweightsandmeasures。

Rosedale，asshelistened，seemedtoreadinhersilencenotonlyagradualacquiescenceinhisplan，butadangerouslyfar-

reachingperceptionofthechancesitoffered；forasshecontinuedtostandbeforehimwithoutspeaking，hebrokeout，withaquickreturnuponhimself:"Youseehowsimpleitis，don’tyou？Well，don’tbecarriedawaybytheideathatit’sTOOsimple。

Itisn’texactlyasifyou’dstartedinwithacleanbillofhealth。Nowwe’retalkinglet’scallthingsbytheirrightnames，andclearthewholebusinessup。YouknowwellenoughthatBerthaDorsetcouldn’thavetouchedyouiftherehadn’tbeen——well——questionsaskedbefore——littlepointsofinterrogation，eh？Boundtohappentoagood-lookinggirlwithstingyrelatives，Isuppose；anyhow，theyDIDhappen，andshefoundthegroundpreparedforher。DoyouseewhereI’mcomingout？Youdon’twanttheselittlequestionscroppingupagain。

It’sonethingtogetBerthaDorsetintoline——butwhatyouwantistokeepherthere。Youcanfrightenherfastenough——buthowareyougoingtokeepherfrightened？Byshowingherthatyou’reaspowerfulassheis。Allthelettersintheworldwon’tdothatforyouasyouarenow；butwithabigbackingbehindyou，you’llkeepherjustwhereyouwanthertobe。That’sMYshareinthebusiness——that’swhatI’mofferingyou。Youcan’tputthethingthroughwithoutme——don’trunawaywithanyideathatyoucan。Insixmonthsyou’dbebackagainamongyouroldworries，orworseones；andhereIam，readytoliftyououtof’emtomorrowifyousayso。DOyousayso，MissLily？"headded，movingsuddenlynearer。

Thewords，andthemovementwhichaccompaniedthem，combinedtostartleLilyoutofthestateoftrancedsubservienceintowhichshehadinsensiblyslipped。Lightcomesindeviouswaystothegropingconsciousness，anditcametohernowthroughthedisgustedperceptionthatherwould-beaccompliceassumed，asamatterofcourse，thelikelihoodofherdistrustinghimandperhapstryingtocheathimofhisshareofthespoils。Thisglimpseofhisinnermindseemedtopresentthewholetransactioninanewaspect，andshesawthattheessentialbasenessoftheactlayinitsfreedomfromrisk。

Shedrewbackwithaquickgestureofrejection，saying，inavoicethatwasasurprisetoherownears:"Youaremistaken——quitemistaken——bothinthefactsandinwhatyouinferfromthem。"

Rosedalestaredamoment，puzzledbyhersuddendashinadirectionsodifferentfromthattowardwhichshehadappearedtobelettinghimguideher。

"Nowwhatonearthdoesthatmean？Ithoughtweunderstoodeachother！"heexclaimed；andtohermurmurof"Ah，wedoNOW，"heretortedwithasuddenburstofviolence:"Isupposeit’sbecausethelettersaretoHIM，then？Well，I’llbedamnedifIseewhatthanksyou’vegotfromhim！"

Theautumndaysdeclinedtowinter。Oncemoretheleisureworldwasintransitionbetweencountryandtown，andFifthAvenue，stilldesertedattheweek-end，showedfromMondaytoFridayabroadeningstreamofcarriagesbetweenhouse-frontsgraduallyrestoredtoconsciousness。

TheHorseShow，sometwoweeksearlier，hadproducedapassingsemblanceofreanimation，fillingthetheatresandrestaurantswithahumandisplayofthesamecostlyandhigh-steppingkindascircleddailyaboutitsring。InMissBart’sworldtheHorseShow，andthepublicitattracted，hadostensiblycometobeclassedamongthespectaclesdisdainedoftheelect；but，asthefeudallordmightsallyforthtojoininthedanceonhisvillagegreen，sosociety，unofficiallyandincidentally，stillcondescendedtolookinuponthescene。Mrs。Gormer，amongtherest，wasnotaboveseizingsuchanoccasionforthedisplayofherselfandherhorses；andLilywasgivenoneortwoopportunitiesofappearingatherfriend’ssideinthemostconspicuousboxthehouseafforded。ButthislingeringsemblanceofintimacymadeheronlythemoreconsciousofachangeintherelationbetweenMattieandherself，ofadawningdiscrimination，agraduallyformedsocialstandard，emergingfromMrs。Gormer’schaoticviewoflife。ItwasinevitablethatLilyherselfshouldconstitutethefirstsacrificetothisnewideal，andsheknewthat，oncetheGormerswereestablishedintown，thewholedriftoffashionablelifewouldfacilitateMattie’sdetachmentfromher。Shehad，inshort，failedtomakeherselfindispensable；orrather，herattempttodosohadbeenthwartedbyaninfluencestrongerthananyshecouldexert。Thatinfluence，initslastanalysis，wassimplythepowerofmoney:BerthaDorset’ssocialcreditwasbasedonanimpregnablebank-account。

LilyknewthatRosedalehadoverstatedneitherthedifficultyofherownpositionnorthecompletenessofthevindicationheoffered。onceBertha’smatchinmaterialresources，hersuperiorgiftswouldmakeiteasyforhertodominateheradversary。Anunderstandingofwhatsuchdominationwouldmean，andofthedisadvantagesaccruingfromherrejectionofit，wasbroughthometoLilywithincreasingclearnessduringtheearlyweeksofthewinter。Hitherto，shehadkeptupasemblanceofmovementoutsidethemainflowofthesocialcurrent；butwiththereturntotown，andtheconcentratingofscatteredactivities，themerefactofnotslippingbacknaturallyintoheroldhabitsoflifemarkedherasbeingunmistakablyexcludedfromthem。Ifonewerenotapartoftheseason’sfixedroutine，oneswungunspheredinavoidofsocialnon-existence。Lily，forallherdissatisfieddreaming，hadneverreallyconceivedthepossibilityofrevolvingaboutadifferentcentre:itwaseasyenoughtodespisetheworld，butdecidedlydifficulttofindanyotherhabitableregion。Hersenseofironyneverquitedesertedher，andshecouldstillnote，withself-directedderision，theabnormalvaluesuddenlyacquiredbythemosttiresomeandinsignificantdetailsofherformerlife。Itsverydrudgerieshadacharmnowthatshewasinvoluntarilyreleasedfromthem:

card-leaving，note-writing，enforcedcivilitiestothedullandelderly，andthesmilingenduranceoftediousdinners——howpleasantlysuchobligationswouldhavefilledtheemptinessofherdays！Shedidindeedleavecardsinplenty；shekeptherself，withasmilingandvaliantpersistence，wellintheeyeofherworld；nordidshesufferanyofthosegrossrebuffswhichsometimesproduceawholesomereactionofcontemptintheirvictim。Societydidnotturnawayfromher，itsimplydriftedby，preoccupiedandinattentive，lettingherfeel，tothefullmeasureofherhumbledpride，howcompletelyshehadbeenthecreatureofitsfavour。

ShehadrejectedRosedale’ssuggestionwithapromptnessofscornalmostsurprisingtoherself:shehadnotlosthercapacityforhighflashesofindignation。Butshecouldnotbreathelongontheheights；therehadbeennothinginhertrainingtodevelopanycontinuityofmoralstrength:whatshecraved，andreallyfeltherselfentitledto，wasasituationinwhichthenoblestattitudeshouldalsobetheeasiest。Hithertoherintermittentimpulsesofresistancehadsufficedtomaintainherself-respect。

Ifsheslippedsherecoveredherfooting，anditwasonlyafterwardthatshewasawareofhavingrecoverediteachtimeonaslightlylowerlevel。ShehadrejectedRosedale’sofferwithoutconsciouseffort；herwholebeinghadrisenagainstit；

andshedidnotyetperceivethat，bythemereactoflisteningtohim，shehadlearnedtolivewithideaswhichwouldoncehavebeenintolerabletoher。

ToGertyFarish，keepingwatchoverherwithatendereriflessdiscerningeyethanMrs。Fisher’s，theresultsofthestrugglewerealreadydistinctlyvisible。Shedidnot，indeed，knowwhathostagesLilyhadalreadygiventoexpediency；butshesawherpassionatelyandirretrievablypledgedtotheruinouspolicyof"keepingup。"Gertycouldsmilenowatherownearlydreamofherfriend’srenovationthroughadversity:sheunderstoodclearlyenoughthatLilywasnotofthosetowhomprivationteachestheunimportanceofwhattheyhavelost。Butthisveryfact，toGerty，madeherfriendthemorepiteouslyinwantofaid，themoreexposedtotheclaimsofatendernessshewassolittleconsciousofneeding。

Lily，sinceherreturntotown，hadnotoftenclimbedMissFarish’sstairs。TherewassomethingirritatingtoherinthemuteinterrogationofGerty’ssympathy:shefelttherealdifficultiesofhersituationtobeincommunicabletoanyonewhosetheoryofvalueswassodifferentfromherown，andtherestrictionsofGerty’slife，whichhadoncehadthecharmofcontrast，nowremindedhertoopainfullyofthelimitstowhichherownexistencewasshrinking。Whenatlength，oneafternoon，sheputintoexecutionthebelatedresolvetovisitherfriend，thissenseofshrunkenopportunitiespossessedherwithunusualintensity。ThewalkupFifthAvenue，unfoldingbeforeher，inthebrillianceofthehardwintersunlight，aninterminableprocessionoffastidiously-equippedcarriages——givingher，throughthelittlesquaresofbrougham-windows，peepsoffamiliarprofilesbentabovevisiting-lists，ofhurriedhandsdispensingnotesandcardstoattendantfootmen——thisglimpseoftheever-revolvingwheelsofthegreatsocialmachinemadeLilymorethaneverconsciousofthesteepnessandnarrownessofGerty’sstairs，andofthecrampedblindalleyoflifetowhichtheyled。

Dullstairsdestinedtobemountedbydullpeople:howmanythousandsofinsignificantfiguresweregoingupanddownsuchstairsallovertheworldatthatverymoment——figuresasshabbyanduninterestingasthatofthemiddle-agedladyinlimpblackwhodescendedGerty’sflightasLilyclimbedtoit！

"ThatwaspoorMissJaneSilverton——shecametotalkthingsoverwithme:sheandhersisterwanttodosomethingtosupportthemselves，"Gertyexplained，asLilyfollowedherintothesitting-room。

"Tosupportthemselves？Aretheysohardup？"MissBartaskedwithatouchofirritation:shehadnotcometolistentothewoesofotherpeople。

"I’mafraidtheyhavenothingleft:Ned’sdebtshaveswallowedupeverything。Theyhadsuchhopes，youknow，whenhebrokeawayfromCarryFisher；theythoughtBerthaDorsetwouldbesuchagoodinfluence，becauseshedoesn’tcareforcards，and——well，shetalkedquitebeautifullytopoorMissJaneaboutfeelingasifNedwereheryoungerbrother，andwantingtocarryhimoffontheyacht，sothathemighthaveachancetodropcardsandracing，andtakeuphisliteraryworkagain。"

MissFarishpausedwithasighwhichreflectedtheperplexityofherdepartingvisitor。"Butthatisn’tall；itisn’teventheworst。ItseemsthatNedhasquarrelledwiththeDorsets；oratleastBerthawon’tallowhimtoseeher，andheissounhappyaboutitthathehastakentogamblingagain，andgoingaboutwithallsortsofqueerpeople。AndcousinGraceVanOsburghaccuseshimofhavinghadaverybadinfluenceonFreddy，wholeftHarvardlastspring，andhasbeenagreatdealwithNedeversince。ShesentforMissJane，andmadeadreadfulscene；andJackStepneyandHerbertMelson，whoweretheretoo，toldMissJanethatFreddywasthreateningtomarrysomedreadfulwomantowhomNedhadintroducedhim，andthattheycoulddonothingwithhimbecausenowhe’sofagehehashisownmoney。YoucanfancyhowpoorMissJanefelt——shecametomeatonce，andseemedtothinkthatifIcouldgethersomethingtodoshecouldearnenoughtopayNed’sdebtsandsendhimaway——I’mafraidshehasnoideahowlongitwouldtakehertopayforoneofhiseveningsatbridge。Andhewashorriblyindebtwhenhecamebackfromthecruise——Ican’tseewhyheshouldhavespentsomuchmoremoneyunderBertha’sinfluencethanCarry’s:canyou？"

Lilymetthisquerywithanimpatientgesture。"MydearGerty，I

alwaysunderstandhowpeoplecanspendmuchmoremoney——neverhowtheycanspendanyless！"

SheloosenedherfursandsettledherselfinGerty’seasy-chair，whileherfriendbusiedherselfwiththetea-cups。

"Butwhatcantheydo——theMissSilvertons？Howdotheymeantosupportthemselves？"sheasked，consciousthatthenoteofirritationstillpersistedinhervoice。Itwastheverylasttopicshehadmeanttodiscuss——itreallydidnotinterestherintheleast——butshewasseizedbyasuddenperversecuriositytoknowhowthetwocolourlessshrinkingvictimsofyoungSilverton’ssentimentalexperimentsmeanttocopewiththegrimnecessitywhichlurkedsoclosetoherownthreshold。

"Idon’tknow——Iamtryingtofindsomethingforthem。MissJanereadsaloudverynicely——butit’ssohardtofindanyonewhoiswillingtobereadto。AndMissAnniepaintsalittle——"

"Oh，Iknow——apple-blossomsonblotting-paper；justthekindofthingIshallbedoingmyselfbeforelong！"exclaimedLily，startingupwithavehemenceofmovementthatthreateneddestructiontoMissFarish’sfragiletea-table。

Lilybentovertosteadythecups；thenshesankbackintoherseat。"I’dforgottentherewasnoroomtodashaboutin——howbeautifullyonedoeshavetobehaveinasmallflat！Oh，Gerty，I

wasn’tmeanttobegood，"shesighedoutincoherently。

Gertyliftedanapprehensivelooktoherpaleface，inwhichtheeyesshonewithapeculiarsleeplesslustre。

"Youlookhorriblytired，Lily；takeyourtea，andletmegiveyouthiscushiontoleanagainst。"

MissBartacceptedthecupoftea，butputbackthecushionwithanimpatienthand。

"Don’tgivemethat！Idon’twanttoleanback——IshallgotosleepifIdo。"

"Well，whynot，dear？I’llbeasquietasamouse，"Gertyurgedaffectionately。

"No——no；don’tbequiet；talktome——keepmeawake！Idon’tsleepatnight，andintheafternoonadreadfuldrowsinesscreepsoverme。"

"Youdon’tsleepatnight？Sincewhen？"

"Idon’tknow——Ican’tremember。"Sheroseandputtheemptycuponthetea-tray。"Another，andstronger，please；ifIdon’tkeepawakenowIshallseehorrorstonight——perfecthorrors！"

"Butthey’llbeworseifyoudrinktoomuchtea。"

"No，no——giveittome；anddon’tpreach，please，"Lilyreturnedimperiously。Hervoicehadadangerousedge，andGertynoticedthatherhandshookasshehelditouttoreceivethesecondcup。

"Butyoulooksotired:I’msureyoumustbeill——"

MissBartsetdownhercupwithastart。"DoIlookill？Doesmyfaceshowit？"Sheroseandwalkedquicklytowardthelittlemirrorabovethewriting-table。"Whatahorridlooking-glass——it’sallblotchedanddiscoloured。Anyonewouldlookghastlyinit！"Sheturnedback，fixingherplaintiveeyesonGerty。"Youstupiddear，whydoyousaysuchodiousthingstome？It’senoughtomakeoneilltobetoldonelooksso！Andlookingillmeanslookingugly。"ShecaughtGerty’swrists，anddrewherclosetothewindow。"Afterall，I’dratherknowthetruth。Lookmestraightintheface，Gerty，andtellme:amI

perfectlyfrightful？"

"You’reperfectlybeautifulnow，Lily:youreyesareshining，andyourcheekshavegrownsopinkallofasudden——"

"Ah，theyWEREpale，then——ghastlypale，whenIcamein？Whydon’tyoutellmefranklythatI’mawreck？MyeyesarebrightnowbecauseI’msonervous——butinthemorningstheylooklikelead。AndIcanseethelinescominginmyface——thelinesofworryanddisappointmentandfailure！Everysleeplessnightleavesanewone——andhowcanIsleep，whenIhavesuchdreadfulthingstothinkabout？"

"Dreadfulthings——whatthings？"askedGerty，gentlydetachingherwristsfromherfriend’sfeverishfingers。

"Whatthings？Well，poverty，forone——andIdon’tknowanythat’smoredreadful。"Lilyturnedawayandsankwithsuddenwearinessintotheeasy-chairnearthetea-table。"YouaskedmejustnowifIcouldunderstandwhyNedSilvertonspentsomuchmoney。OfcourseIunderstand——hespendsitonlivingwiththerich。YouthinkweliveONtherich，ratherthanwiththem:andsowedo，inasense——butit’saprivilegewehavetopayfor！Weeattheirdinners，anddrinktheirwine，andsmoketheircigarettes，andusetheircarriagesandtheiropera-boxesandtheirprivatecars——yes，butthere’sataxtopayoneveryoneofthoseluxuries。Themanpaysitbybigtipstotheservants，byplayingcardsbeyondhismeans，byflowersandpresents——and——and——lotsofotherthingsthatcost；thegirlpaysitbytipsandcardstoo——oh，yes，I’vehadtotakeupbridgeagain——andbygoingtothebestdress-makers，andhavingjusttherightdressforeveryoccasion，andalwayskeepingherselffreshandexquisiteandamusing！"

Sheleanedbackforamoment，closinghereyes，andasshesatthere，herpalelipsslightlyparted，andthelidsdroppedaboveherfaggedbrilliantgaze，Gertyhadastartledperceptionofthechangeinherface——ofthewayinwhichanashendaylightseemedsuddenlytoextinguishitsartificialbrightness。Shelookedup，andthevisionvanished。

"Itdoesn’tsoundveryamusing，doesit？Anditisn’t——I’msicktodeathofit！Andyetthethoughtofgivingitallupnearlykillsme——it’swhatkeepsmeawakeatnight，andmakesmesocrazyforyourstrongtea。ForIcan’tgooninthiswaymuchlonger，youknow——I’mnearlyattheendofmytether。AndthenwhatcanIdo——howonearthamItokeepmyselfalive？IseemyselfreducedtothefateofthatpoorSilvertonwoman——slinkingabouttoemploymentagencies，andtryingtosellpaintedblotting-padstoWomen’sExchanges！Andtherearethousandsandthousandsofwomentryingtodothesamethingalready，andnotoneofthenumberwhohaslessideahowtoearnadollarthanI

have！"

Sheroseagainwithahurriedglanceattheclock。"It’slate，andImustbeoff——IhaveanappointmentwithCarryFisher。Don’tlooksoworried，youdearthing——don’tthinktoomuchaboutthenonsenseI’vebeentalking。"Shewasbeforethemirroragain，adjustingherhairwithalighthand，drawingdownherveil，andgivingadexteroustouchtoherfurs。"Ofcourse，youknow，ithasn’tcometotheemploymentagenciesandthepaintedblotting-padsyet；butI’mratherhard-upjustforthemoment，andifIcouldfindsomethingtodo——notestowriteandvisiting-liststomakeup，orthatkindofthing——itwouldtidemeovertillthelegacyispaid。

AndCarryhaspromisedtofindsomebodywhowantsakindofsocialsecretary——youknowshemakesaspecialtyofthehelplessrich。"

MissBarthadnotrevealedtoGertythefullextentofheranxiety。Shewasinfactinurgentandimmediateneedofmoney:

moneytomeetthevulgarweeklyclaimswhichcouldneitherbedeferrednorevaded。Togiveupherapartment，andshrinktotheobscurityofaboarding-house，ortheprovisionalhospitalityofabedinGertyFarish’ssitting-room，wasanexpedientwhichcouldonlypostponetheproblemconfrontingher；anditseemedwiseraswellasmoreagreeabletoremainwhereshewasandfindsomemeansofearningherliving。Thepossibilityofhavingtodothiswasonewhichshehadneverbeforeseriouslyconsidered，andthediscoverythat，asabread-winner，shewaslikelytoproveashelplessandineffectualaspoorMissSilverton，wasasevereshocktoherself-confidence。

Havingbeenaccustomedtotakeherselfatthepopularvaluation，asapersonofenergyandresource，naturallyfittedtodominateanysituationinwhichshefoundherself，shevaguelyimaginedthatsuchgiftswouldbeofvaluetoseekersaftersocialguidance；buttherewasunfortunatelynospecificheadunderwhichtheartofsayinganddoingtherightthingcouldbeofferedinthemarket，andevenMrs。Fisher’sresourcefulnessfailedbeforethedifficultyofdiscoveringaworkableveininthevaguewealthofLily’sgraces。Mrs。Fisherwasfullofindirectexpedientsforenablingherfriendstoearnaliving，andcouldconscientiouslyassertthatshehadputseveralopportunitiesofthiskindbeforeLily；butmorelegitimatemethodsofbread-winningwereasmuchoutofherlineastheywerebeyondthecapacityofthesufferersshewasgenerallycalledupontoassist。Lily’sfailuretoprofitbythechancesalreadyaffordedhermight，moreover，havejustifiedtheabandonmentoffarthereffortonherbehalf；butMrs。Fisher’sinexhaustiblegood-naturemadeheranadeptatcreatingartificialdemandsinresponsetoanactualsupply。InthepursuanceofthisendsheatoncestartedonavoyageofdiscoveryinMissBart’sbehalf；andastheresultofherexplorationsshenowsummonedthelatterwiththeannouncementthatshehad"foundsomething。"

Lefttoherself，Gertymuseddistressfullyuponherfriend’splight，andherowninabilitytorelieveit。ItwascleartoherthatLily，forthepresent，hadnowishforthekindofhelpshecouldgive。MissFarishcouldseenohopeforherfriendbutinalifecompletelyreorganizedanddetachedfromitsoldassociations；whereasallLily’senergieswerecentredinthedeterminedefforttoholdfasttothoseassociations，tokeepherselfvisiblyidentifiedwiththem，aslongastheillusioncouldbemaintained。PitiableassuchanattitudeseemedtoGerty，shecouldnotjudgeitasharshlyasSelden，forinstance，mighthavedone。ShehadnotforgottenthenightofemotionwhensheandLilyhadlainineachother’sarms，andshehadseemedtofeelherveryheart’sbloodpassingintoherfriend。Thesacrificeshehadmadehadseemedunavailingenough；notraceremainedinLilyofthesubduinginfluencesofthathour；butGerty’stenderness，disciplinedbylongyearsofcontactwithobscureandinarticulatesuffering，couldwaitonitsobjectwithasilentforbearancewhichtooknoaccountoftime。Shecouldnot，however，denyherselfthesolaceoftakinganxiouscounselwithLawrenceSelden，withwhom，sincehisreturnfromEurope，shehadrenewedheroldrelationofcousinlyconfidence。

Seldenhimselfhadneverbeenawareofanychangeintheirrelation。HefoundGertyashehadlefther，simple，undemandinganddevoted，butwithaquickenedintelligenceoftheheartwhichherecognizedwithoutseekingtoexplainit。ToGertyherselfitwouldoncehaveseemedimpossiblethatsheshouldeveragaintalkfreelywithhimofLilyBart；butwhathadpassedinthesecrecyofherownbreastseemedtoresolveitself，whenthemistofthestrugglecleared，intoabreakingdownoftheboundsofself，adeflectingofthewastedpersonalemotionintothegeneralcurrentofhumanunderstanding。

ItwasnottillsometwoweeksafterhervisitfromLilythatGertyhadtheopportunityofcommunicatingherfearstoSelden。

Thelatter，havingpresentedhimselfonaSundayafternoon，hadlingeredonthroughthedowdyanimationofhiscousin’stea-hour，consciousofsomethinginhervoiceandeyewhichsolicitedawordapart；andassoonasthelastvisitorwasgoneGertyopenedhercasebyaskinghowlatelyhehadseenMissBart。

Selden’sperceptiblepausegavehertimeforaslightstirofsurprise。

"Ihaven’tseenheratall——I’veperpetuallymissedseeinghersinceshecameback。"

ThisunexpectedadmissionmadeGertypausetoo；andshewasstillhesitatingonthebrinkofhersubjectwhenherelievedherbyadding:"I’vewantedtoseeher——butsheseemstohavebeenabsorbedbytheGormersetsinceherreturnfromEurope。"

"That’sallthemorereason:she’sbeenveryunhappy。"

"UnhappyatbeingwiththeGormers？"

"Oh，Idon’tdefendherintimacywiththeGormers；butthattooisatanendnow，Ithink。YouknowpeoplehavebeenveryunkindsinceBerthaDorsetquarrelledwithher。"

"Ah——"Seldenexclaimed，risingabruptlytowalktothewindow，whereheremainedwithhiseyesonthedarkeningstreetwhilehiscousincontinuedtoexplain:"JudyTrenorandherownfamilyhavedesertedhertoo——andallbecauseBerthaDorsethassaidsuchhorriblethings。Andsheisverypoor——youknowMrs。Penistoncutheroffwithasmalllegacy，aftergivinghertounderstandthatshewastohaveeverything。"

"Yes——Iknow，"Seldenassentedcurtly，turningbackintotheroom，butonlytostiraboutwithrestlessstepsinthecircumscribedspacebetweendoorandwindow。"Yes——she’sbeenabominablytreated；butit’sunfortunatelytheprecisethingthatamanwhowantstoshowhissympathycan’tsaytoher。"

HiswordscausedGertyaslightchillofdisappointment。"Therewouldbeotherwaysofshowingyoursympathy，"shesuggested。

Selden，withaslightlaugh，satdownbesideheronthelittlesofawhichprojectedfromthehearth。"Whatareyouthinkingof，youincorrigiblemissionary？"heasked。

Gerty’scolourrose，andherblushwasforamomentheronlyanswer。Thenshemadeitmoreexplicitbysaying:"Iamthinkingofthefactthatyouandsheusedtobegreatfriends——thatsheusedtocareimmenselyforwhatyouthoughtofher——andthat，ifshetakesyourstayingawayasasignofwhatyouthinknow，Icanimagineitsaddingagreatdealtoherunhappiness。"

"Mydearchild，don’taddtoitstillmore——atleasttoyourconceptionofit——byattributingtoherallsortsofsusceptibilitiesofyourown。"Selden，forhislife，couldnotkeepanoteofdrynessoutofhisvoice；buthemetGerty’slookofperplexitybysayingmoremildly:"But，thoughyouimmenselyexaggeratetheimportanceofanythingIcoulddoforMissBart，youcan’texaggeratemyreadinesstodoit——ifyouaskmeto。"Helaidhishandforamomentonhers，andtherepassedbetweenthem，onthecurrentoftherarecontact，oneofthoseexchangesofmeaningwhichfillthehiddenreservoirsofaffection。Gertyhadthefeelingthathemeasuredthecostofherrequestasplainlyasshereadthesignificanceofhisreply；andthesenseofallthatwassuddenlyclearbetweenthemmadehernextwordseasiertofind。

"Idoaskyou，then；Iaskyoubecausesheoncetoldmethatyouhadbeenahelptoher，andbecausesheneedshelpnowasshehasneverneededitbefore。Youknowhowdependentshehasalwaysbeenoneaseandluxury——howshehashatedwhatwasshabbyanduglyanduncomfortable。Shecan’thelpit——shewasbroughtupwiththoseideas，andhasneverbeenabletofindherwayoutofthem。Butnowallthethingsshecaredforhavebeentakenfromher，andthepeoplewhotaughthertocareforthemhaveabandonedhertoo；anditseemstomethatifsomeonecouldreachoutahandandshowhertheotherside——showherhowmuchisleftinlifeandinherself——"Gertybrokeoff，abashedatthesoundofherowneloquence，andimpededbythedifficultyofgivingpreciseexpressiontohervagueyearningforherfriend’sretrieval。"Ican’thelphermyself:she’spassedoutofmyreach，"shecontinued。"Ithinkshe’safraidofbeingaburdentome。Whenshewaslasthere，twoweeksago，sheseemeddreadfullyworriedaboutherfuture:shesaidCarryFisherwastryingtofindsomethingforhertodo。Afewdayslatershewrotemethatshehadtakenapositionasprivatesecretary，andthatIwasnottobeanxious，foreverythingwasallright，andshewouldcomeinandtellmeaboutitwhenshehadtime；butshehasnevercome，andIdon’tliketogotoher，becauseIamafraidofforcingmyselfonherwhenI’mnotwanted。Once，whenwewerechildren，andIhadrushedupafteralongseparation，andthrownmyarmsabouther，shesaid:’Pleasedon’tkissmeunlessIaskyouto，Gerty’——andsheDIDaskme，aminutelater；butsincethenI’vealwayswaitedtobeasked。"

Seldenhadlistenedinsilence，withtheconcentratedlookwhichhisthindarkfacecouldassumewhenhewishedtoguarditagainstanyinvoluntarychangeofexpression。Whenhiscousinended，hesaidwithaslightsmile:"Sinceyou’velearnedthewisdomofwaiting，Idon’tseewhyyouurgemetorushin_nbutthetroubledappealofhereyesmadehimadd，asherosetotakeleave:"Still，I’lldowhatyouwish，andnotholdyouresponsibleformyfailure。"Selden’savoidanceofMissBarthadnotbeenasunintentionalashehadallowedhiscousintothink。

Atfirst，indeed，whilethememoryoftheirlasthouratMonteCarlostillheldthefullheatofhisindignation，hehadanxiouslywatchedforherreturn；butshehaddisappointedhimbylingeringinEngland，andwhenshefinallyreappearedithappenedthatbusinesshadcalledhimtotheWest，whencehecamebackonlytolearnthatshewasstartingforAlaskawiththeGormers。

Therevelationofthissuddenly-establishedintimacyeffectuallychilledhisdesiretoseeher。If，atamomentwhenherwholelifeseemedtobebreakingup，shecouldcheerfullycommititsreconstructiontotheGormers，therewasnoreasonwhysuchaccidentsshouldeverstrikeherasirreparable。Everystepshetookseemedinfacttocarryherfartherfromtheregionwhere，onceortwice，heandshehadmetforanilluminedmoment；andtherecognitionofthisfact，whenitsfirstpanghadbeensurmounted，producedinhimasenseofnegativerelief。ItwasmuchsimplerforhimtojudgeMissBartbyherhabitualconductthanbytheraredeviationsfromitwhichhadthrownhersodisturbinglyinhisway；andeveryactofherswhichmadetherecurrenceofsuchdeviationsmoreunlikely，confirmedthesenseofreliefwithwhichhereturnedtotheconventionalviewofher。

ButGertyFarish’swordshadsufficedtomakehimseehowlittlethisviewwasreallyhis，andhowimpossibleitwasforhimtolivequietlywiththethoughtofLilyBart。Tohearthatshewasinneedofhelp——evensuchvaguehelpashecouldoffer——wastobeatoncerepossessedbythatthought；andbythetimehereachedthestreethehadsufficientlyconvincedhimselfoftheurgencyofhiscousin’sappealtoturnhisstepsdirectlytowardLily’shotel。

TherehiszealmetacheckintheunforeseennewsthatMissBarthadmovedaway；but，onhispressinghisenquiries，theclerkrememberedthatshehadleftanaddress，forwhichhepresentlybegantosearchthroughhisbooks。

ItwascertainlystrangethatsheshouldhavetakenthisstepwithoutlettingGertyFarishknowofherdecision；andSeldenwaitedwithavaguesenseofuneasinesswhiletheaddresswassoughtfor。Theprocesslastedlongenoughforuneasinesstoturntoapprehension；butwhenatlengthaslipofpaperwashandedhim，andhereadonit:"CareofMrs。NormaHatch，EmporiumHotel，"hisapprehensionpassedintoanincredulousstare，andthisintothegestureofdisgustwithwhichhetorethepaperintwo，andturnedtowalkquicklyhomeward。

WhenLilywokeonthemorningafterhertranslationtotheEmporiumHotel，herfirstfeelingwasoneofpurelyphysicalsatisfaction。Theforceofcontrastgaveanaddedkeennesstotheluxuryoflyingoncemoreinasoft-pillowedbed，andlookingacrossaspacioussunlitroomatabreakfast-tablesetinvitinglynearthefire。Analysisandintrospectionmightcomelater；butforthemomentshewasnoteventroubledbytheexcessesoftheupholsteryortherestlessconvolutionsofthefurniture。Thesenseofbeingoncemorelappedandfoldedinease，asinsomedensemildmediumimpenetrabletodiscomfort，effectuallystilledthefaintestnoteofcriticism。

When，theafternoonbefore，shehadpresentedherselftotheladytowhomCarryFisherhaddirectedher，shehadbeenconsciousofenteringanewworld。Carry’svaguepresentmentofMrs。NormaHatch(whosereversiontoherChristiannamewasexplainedastheresultofherlatestdivorce)，leftherundertheimplicationofcoming"fromtheWest，"withthenotunusualextenuationofhavingbroughtagreatdealofmoneywithher。Shewas，inshort，rich，helpless，unplaced:theverysubjectforLily’shand。Mrs。

Fisherhadnotspecifiedthelineherfriendwastotake；sheownedherselfunacquaintedwithMrs。Hatch，whomshe"knewabout"

throughMelvilleStancy，alawyerinhisleisuremoments，andtheFalstaffofacertainsectionoffestivedublife。Socially，Mr。

StancymighthavebeensaidtoformaconnectinglinkbetweentheGormerworldandthemoredimly-litregiononwhichMissBartnowfoundherselfentering。Itwas，however，onlyfigurativelythattheilluminationofMrs。Hatch’sworldcouldbedescribedasdim:

inactualfact，Lilyfoundherseatedinablazeofelectriclight，impartiallyprojectedfromvariousornamentalexcrescencesonavastconcavityofpinkdamaskandgilding，fromwhichsheroselikeVenusfromhershell。Theanalogywasjustifiedbytheappearanceofthelady，whoselarge-eyedprettinesshadthefixityofsomethingimpaledandshownunderglass。Thisdidnotprecludetheimmediatediscoverythatshewassomeyearsyoungerthanhervisitor，andthatunderhershowiness，herease，theaggressionofherdressandvoice，therepersistedthatineradicableinnocencewhich，inladiesofhernationality，socuriouslycoexistswithstartlingextremesofexperience。

TheenvironmentinwhichLilyfoundherselfwasasstrangetoherasitsinhabitants。ShewasunacquaintedwiththeworldofthefashionableNewYorkhotel——aworldover-heated，over-upholstered，andover-fittedwithmechanicalappliancesforthegratificationoffantasticrequirements，whilethecomfortsofacivilizedlifewereasunattainableasinadesert。Throughthisatmosphereoftorridsplendourmovedwanbeingsasrichlyupholsteredasthefurniture，beingswithoutdefinitepursuitsorpermanentrelations，whodriftedonalanguidtideofcuriosityfromrestauranttoconcert-hall，frompalm-gardentomusic-room，from"artexhibit"todress-maker’sopening。High-steppinghorsesorelaboratelyequippedmotorswaitedtocarrytheseladiesintovaguemetropolitandistances，whencetheyreturned，stillmorewanfromtheweightoftheirsables，tobesuckedbackintothestiflinginertiaofthehotelroutine。Somewherebehindthem，inthebackgroundoftheirlives，therewasdoubtlessarealpast，peopledbyrealhumanactivities:theythemselveswereprobablytheproductofstrongambitions，persistentenergies，diversifiedcontactswiththewholesomeroughnessoflife；yettheyhadnomorerealexistencethanthepoet’sshadesinlimbo。

LilyhadnotbeenlonginthispallidworldwithoutdiscoveringthatMrs。Hatchwasitsmostsubstantialfigure。Thatlady，thoughstillfloatinginthevoid，showedfaintsymptomsofdevelopinganoutline；andinthisendeavourshewasactivelysecondedbyMr。MelvilleStancy。ItwasMr。Stancy，amanoflargeresoundingpresence，suggestiveofconvivialoccasionsandofachivalryfindingexpressionin"first-night"boxesandthousanddollarbonbonnieres，whohadtransplantedMrs。Hatchfromthesceneofherfirstdevelopmenttothehigherstageofhotellifeinthemetropolis。ItwashewhohadselectedthehorseswithwhichshehadtakentheblueribbonattheShow，hadintroducedhertothephotographerwhoseportraitsofherformedtherecurringornamentof"SundaySupplements，"andhadgottogetherthegroupwhichconstitutedhersocialworld。Itwasasmallgroupstill，withheterogeneousfiguressuspendedinlargeunpeopledspaces；butLilydidnottakelongtolearnthatitsregulationwasnolongerinMr。Stancy’shands。Asoftenhappens，thepupilhadoutstrippedtheteacher，andMrs。HatchwasalreadyawareofheightsofeleganceaswellasdepthsofluxurybeyondtheworldoftheEmporium。Thisdiscoveryatonceproducedinheracravingforhigherguidance，fortheadroitfemininehandwhichshouldgivetherightturntohercorrespondence，theright"look"toherhats，therightsuccessiontotheitemsofherMENUS。Itwas，inshort，astheregulatorofagerminatingsociallifethatMissBart’sguidancewasrequired；herostensibledutiesassecretarybeingrestrictedbythefactthatMrs。Hatch，asyet，knewhardlyanyonetowriteto。

ThedailydetailsofMrs。Hatch’sexistencewereasstrangetoLilyasitsgeneraltenor。Thelady’shabitsweremarkedbyanOrientalindolenceanddisorderpeculiarlytryingtohercompanion。Mrs。Hatchandherfriendsseemedtofloattogetheroutsidetheboundsoftimeandspace。Nodefinitehourswerekept；nofixedobligationsexisted:nightanddayflowedintooneanotherinablurofconfusedandretardedengagements，sothatonehadtheimpressionoflunchingatthetea-hour，whiledinnerwasoftenmergedinthenoisyafter-theatresupperwhichprolongedMrs。Hatch’svigiltilldaylight。

Throughthisjumbleoffutileactivitiescameandwentastrangethrongofhangers-on——manicures，beauty-doctors，hair-dressers，teachersofbridge，ofFrench，of"physicaldevelopment":figuressometimesindistinguishable，bytheirappearance，orbyMrs。

Hatch’srelationtothem，fromthevisitorsconstitutingherrecognizedsociety。ButstrangestofalltoLilywastheencounter，inthislattergroup，ofseveralofheracquaintances。

Shehadsupposed，andnotwithoutrelief，thatshewaspassing，forthemoment，completelyoutofherowncircle；butshefoundthatMr。Stancy，onesideofwhosesprawlingexistenceoverlappedtheedgeofMrs。Fisher’sworld，haddrawnseveralofitsbrightestornamentsintothecircleoftheEmporium。TofindNedSilvertonamongthehabitualfrequentersofMrs。Hatch’sdrawing-roomwasoneofLily’sfirstastonishments；butshesoondiscoveredthathewasnotMr。Stancy’smostimportantrecruit。ItwasonlittleFreddyVanOsburgh，thesmallslimheiroftheVanOsburghmillions，thattheattentionofMrs。Hatch’sgroupwascentred。Freddy，barelyoutofcollege，hadrisenabovethehorizonsinceLily’seclipse，andshenowsawwithsurprisewhataneffulgenceheshedontheoutertwilightofMrs。Hatch’sexistence。This，then，wasoneofthethingsthatyoungmen"wentin"forwhenreleasedfromtheofficialsocialroutine；thiswasthekindof"previousengagement"thatsofrequentlycausedthemtodisappointthehopesofanxioushostesses。Lilyhadanoddsenseofbeingbehindthesocialtapestry，onthesidewherethethreadswereknottedandthelooseendshung。Foramomentshefoundacertainamusementintheshow，andinherownshareofit:thesituationhadaneaseandunconventionalitydistinctlyrefreshingafterherexperienceoftheironyofconventions。Buttheseflashesofamusementwerebutbriefreactionsfromthelongdisgustofherdays。ComparedwiththevastgildedvoidofMrs。

Hatch’sexistence，thelifeofLily’sformerfriendsseemedpackedwithorderedactivities。Eventhemostirresponsibleprettywomanofheracquaintancehadherinheritedobligations，herconventionalbenevolences，hershareintheworkingofthegreatcivicmachine；andallhungtogetherinthesolidarityofthesetraditionalfunctions。TheperformanceofspecificdutieswouldhavesimplifiedMissBart’sposition；butthevagueattendanceonMrs。Hatchwasnotwithoutitsperplexities。

Itwasnotheremployerwhocreatedtheseperplexities。Mrs。

HatchshowedfromthefirstanalmosttouchingdesireforLily’sapproval。Farfromassertingthesuperiorityofwealth，herbeautifuleyesseemedtourgethepleaofinexperience:shewantedtodowhatwas"nice，"tobetaughthowtobe"lovely。"

ThedifficultywastofindanypointofcontactbetweenheridealsandLily’s。

Mrs。Hatchswaminahazeofindeterminateenthusiasms，ofaspirationsculledfromthestage，thenewspapers，thefashionjournals，andagaudyworldofsportstillmorecompletelybeyondhercompanion’sken。Toseparatefromtheseconfusedconceptionsthosemostlikelytoadvancetheladyonherway，wasLily’sobviousduty；butitsperformancewashamperedbyrapidly-growingdoubts。Lilywasinfactbecomingmoreandmoreawareofacertainambiguityinhersituation。Itwasnotthatshehad，intheconventionalsense，anydoubtofMrs。Hatch’sirreproachableness。Thelady’soffenceswerealwaysagainsttasteratherthanconduct；herdivorcerecordseemedduetogeographicalratherthanethicalconditions；andherworstlaxitieswerelikelytoproceedfromawanderingandextravagantgood-nature。ButifLilydidnotmindherdetaininghermanicureforluncheon，orofferingthe"Beauty-Doctor"aseatinFreddyVanOsburgh’sboxattheplay，shewasnotequallyateaseinregardtosomelessapparentlapsesfromconvention。NedSilverton’srelationtoStancyseemed，forinstance，closerandlessclearthananynaturalaffinitieswouldwarrant；andbothappearedunitedintheefforttocultivateFreddyVanOsburgh’sgrowingtasteforMrs。Hatch。Therewasasyetnothingdefinableinthesituation，whichmightwellresolveitselfintoahugejokeonthepartoftheothertwo；butLilyhadavaguesensethatthesubjectoftheirexperimentwastooyoung，toorichandtoocredulous。HerembarrassmentwasincreasedbythefactthatFreddyseemedtoregardherascooperatingwithhimselfinthesocialdevelopmentofMrs。Hatch:aviewthatsuggested，onhispart，apermanentinterestinthelady’sfuture。ThereweremomentswhenLilyfoundanironicamusementinthisaspectofthecase。ThethoughtoflaunchingsuchamissileasMrs。Hatchattheperfidiousbosomofsocietywasnotwithoutitscharm:MissBarthadevenbeguiledherleisurewithvisionsofthefairNormaintroducedforthefirsttimetoafamilybanquetattheVanOsburghs’。Butthethoughtofbeingpersonallyconnectedwiththetransactionwaslessagreeable；andhermomentaryflashesofamusementwerefollowedbyincreasingperiodsofdoubt。

Thesenseofthesedoubtswasuppermostwhen，lateoneafternoon，shewassurprisedbyavisitfromLawrenceSelden。Hefoundheraloneinthewildernessofpinkdamask，forinMrs。Hatch’sworldthetea-hourwasnotdedicatedtosocialrites，andtheladywasinthehandsofhermasseuse。

Selden’sentrancehadcausedLilyaninwardstartofembarrassment；buthisairofconstrainthadtheeffectofrestoringherself-possession，andshetookatoncethetoneofsurpriseandpleasure，wonderingfranklythatheshouldhavetracedhertosounlikelyaplace，andaskingwhathadinspiredhimtomakethesearch。

Seldenmetthiswithanunusualseriousness:shehadneverseenhimsolittlemasterofthesituation，soplainlyatthemercyofanyobstructionsshemightputinhisway。"Iwantedtoseeyou，"

hesaid；andshecouldnotresistobservinginreplythathehadkepthiswishesunderremarkablecontrol。Shehadintruthfelthislongabsenceasoneofthechiefbitternessesofthelastmonths:hisdesertionhadwoundedsensibilitiesfarbelowthesurfaceofherpride。

Seldenmetthechallengewithdirectness。"WhyshouldIhavecome，unlessIthoughtIcouldbeofusetoyou？Itismyonlyexcuseforimaginingyoucouldwantme。"

Thisstruckherasaclumsyevasion，andthethoughtgaveaflashofkeennesstoheranswer。"Thenyouhavecomenowbecauseyouthinkyoucanbeofusetome？"

Hehesitatedagain。"Yes:inthemodestcapacityofapersontotalkthingsoverwith。"

Foraclevermanitwascertainlyastupidbeginning；andtheideathathisawkwardnesswasduetothefearofherattachingapersonalsignificancetohisvisit，chilledherpleasureinseeinghim。Evenunderthemostadverseconditions，thatpleasurealwaysmadeitselffelt:shemighthatehim，butshehadneverbeenabletowishhimoutoftheroom。Shewasverynearhatinghimnow；yetthesoundofhisvoice，thewaythelightfellonhisthindarkhair，thewayhesatandmovedandworehisclothes——shewasconsciousthateventhesetrivialthingswereinwovenwithherdeepestlife。Inhispresenceasuddenstillnesscameuponher，andtheturmoilofherspiritceased；butanimpulseofresistancetothisstealinginfluencenowpromptedhertosay:"It’sverygoodofyoutopresentyourselfinthatcapacity；butwhatmakesyouthinkIhaveanythingparticulartotalkabout？"

Thoughshekepttheeventoneoflightintercourse，thequestionwasframedinawaytoremindhimthathisgoodofficeswereunsought；andforamomentSeldenwascheckedbyit。Thesituationbetweenthemwasonewhichcouldhavebeencleareduponlybyasuddenexplosionoffeeling；andtheirwholetrainingandhabitofmindwereagainstthechancesofsuchanexplosion。Selden’scalmnessseemedrathertohardenintoresistance，andMissBart’sintoasurfaceofglitteringirony，astheyfacedeachotherfromtheoppositecomersofoneofMrs。

Hatch’selephantinesofas。Thesofainquestion，andtheapartmentpeopledbyitsmonstrousmates，servedatlengthtosuggesttheturnofSelden’sreply。

"GertytoldmethatyouwereactingasMrs。Hatch’ssecretary；

andIknewshewasanxioustohearhowyouweregettingon。"

MissBartreceivedthisexplanationwithoutperceptiblesoftening。"Whydidn’tshelookmeupherself，then？"sheasked。

"Because，asyoudidn’tsendheryouraddress，shewasafraidofbeingimportunate。"Seldencontinuedwithasmile:"Youseenosuchscruplesrestrainedme；butthenIhaven’tasmuchtoriskifIincuryourdispleasure。"

Lilyansweredhissmile。"Youhaven’tincurreditasyet；butI

haveanideathatyouaregoingto。"

"Thatrestswithyou，doesn’tit？Youseemyinitiativedoesn’tgobeyondputtingmyselfatyourdisposal。"

"Butinwhatcapacity？WhatamItodowithyou？"sheaskedinthesamelighttone。

SeldenagainglancedaboutMrs。Hatch’sdrawing-room；thenhesaid，withadecisionwhichheseemedtohavegatheredfromthisfinalinspection:"Youaretoletmetakeyouawayfromhere。"

Lilyflushedatthesuddennessoftheattack；thenshestiffenedunderitandsaidcoldly:"AndmayIaskwhereyoumeanmetogo？"

"BacktoGertyinthefirstplace，ifyouwill；theessentialthingisthatitshouldbeawayfromhere。"

Theunusualharshnessofhistonemighthaveshownherhowmuchthewordscosthim；butshewasinnostatetomeasurehisfeelingswhileherownwereinaflameofrevolt。Toneglecther，perhapseventoavoidher，atatimewhenshehadmostneedofherfriends，andthensuddenlyandunwarrantablytobreakintoherlifewiththisstrangeassumptionofauthority，wastorouseinhereveryinstinctofprideandself-defence。

"Iamverymuchobligedtoyou，"shesaid，"fortakingsuchaninterestinmyplans；butIamquitecontentedwhereIam，andhavenointentionofleaving。

"Seldenhadrisen，andwasstandingbeforeherinanattitudeofuncontrollableexpectancy。

"Thatsimplymeansthatyoudon’tknowwhereyouare！"heexclaimed。

Lilyrosealso，withaquickflashofanger。"IfyouhavecomeheretosaydisagreeablethingsaboutMrs。Hatch——"

"ItisonlywithyourrelationtoMrs。HatchthatIamconcerned。"

"MyrelationtoMrs。HatchisoneIhavenoreasontobeashamedof。Shehashelpedmetoearnalivingwhenmyoldfriendswerequiteresignedtoseeingmestarve。"

"Nonsense！Starvationisnottheonlyalternative。YouknowyoucanalwaysfindahomewithGertytillyouareindependentagain。"

"YoushowsuchanintimateacquaintancewithmyaffairsthatI

supposeyoumean——tillmyaunt’slegacyispaid？"

"Idomeanthat；Gertytoldmeofit，"Seldenacknowledgedwithoutembarrassment。Hewastoomuchinearnestnowtofeelanyfalseconstraintinspeakinghismind。

"ButGertydoesnothappentoknow，"MissBartrejoined，"thatI

oweeverypennyofthatlegacy。"

"GoodGod！"Seldenexclaimed，startledoutofhiscomposurebytheabruptnessofthestatement。

"Everypennyofit，andmoretoo，"Lilyrepeated；"andyounowperhapsseewhyIprefertoremainwithMrs。HatchratherthantakeadvantageofGerty’skindness。Ihavenomoneyleft，exceptmysmallincome，andImustearnsomethingmoretokeepmyselfalive。"

Seldenhesitatedamoment；thenherejoinedinaquietertone:

"ButwithyourincomeandGerty’s——sinceyouallowmetogosofarintothedetailsofthesituation——youandshecouldsurelycontrivealifetogetherwhichwouldputyoubeyondtheneedofhavingtosupportyourself。Gerty，Iknow，iseagertomakesuchanarrangement，andwouldbequitehappyinit——"

"ButIshouldnot，"MissBartinterposed。"TherearemanyreasonswhyitwouldbeneitherkindtoGertynorwiseformyself。"Shepausedamoment，andasheseemedtoawaitafartherexplanation，addedwithaquickliftofherhead:"Youwillperhapsexcusemefromgivingyouthesereasons。"

"Ihavenoclaimtoknowthem，"Seldenanswered，ignoringhertone；"noclaimtoofferanycommentorsuggestionbeyondtheoneIhavealreadymade。Andmyrighttomakethatissimplytheuniversalrightofamantoenlightenawomanwhenheseesherunconsciouslyplacedinafalseposition。"

Lilysmiled。"Isuppose，"sherejoined，"thatbyafalsepositionyoumeanoneoutsideofwhatwecallsociety；butyoumustrememberthatIhadbeenexcludedfromthosesacredprecinctslongbeforeImetMrs。Hatch。AsfarasIcansee，thereisverylittlerealdifferenceinbeinginsideorout，andIrememberyouroncetellingmethatitwasonlythoseinsidewhotookthedifferenceseriously。

"ShehadnotbeenwithoutintentioninmakingthisallusiontotheirmemorabletalkatBellomont，andshewaitedwithanoddtremorofthenervestoseewhatresponseitwouldbring；buttheresultoftheexperimentwasdisappointing。Seldendidnotallowtheallusiontodeflecthimfromhispoint；hemerelysaidwithcompleterfulnessofemphasis:"Thequestionofbeinginsideoroutis，asyousay，asmallone，andithappenstohavenothingtodowiththecase，exceptinsofarasMrs。Hatch’sdesiretobeinsidemayputyouinthepositionIcallfalse。"