第18章

"Vicar，"saysoldBenny，"hecan’trefusetomarrynoman。Lawwon’tlethim。"Suchrefusal，heintimates，mightdrivehimtowildandriotousliving。RememberinghislastviewofoldBennytotteringdownthevillagestreetinhiswhitesmock，hisnut—crackerfacelikeawitheredrosyapple，hisgnarledhandgraspingtheknottedstaffhisbentbodyleanedon，MountDunstangrinnedalittle。HedidnotsmilewhenPenzancepassedtotherestorationoftheancientchurchatMellowdene。"Restoration"usuallymeantthetearingawayofancientoaken，high—backedpews，andtheinstalmentofsmugnewbenches，suggestingsuburbanDissentingchapels，suchasthefeudalsoulrevoltsat。NeitherdidhesmileatareferencetothegatheringatDunholmCastle，whichwastwelvemilesaway。Dunholmwasthepossessionofamanwhostoodforallthatwasfirstandhighestintheland，dignity，learning，exaltedcharacter，generosity，honour。HeandthelateLordMountDunstanhadbeenborninthesameyear，andhadsucceededtotheirtitlesalmostatthesametime。

Therehadarrivedaperiodwhentheyhadceasedtoknoweachother。Allthattheonemanintrinsicallywas，theothermanwasnot。Allthattheoneestate，itscastle，itsvillage，itstenantry，represented，wastheantipodesofthatwhichtheotherstoodfor。Theonepossessionhelditsplaceasilent，andperhaps，unconsciousreproachtotheother。Amongtheguests，formingthelargehousepartywhichLondonsocialnewshadalreadyrecordedinitscolumns，weregreatandhonourablepersons，andinterestingones，menandwomenwhocountedasfactorsinallgoodanddignifiedthingsaccomplished。EveninthepresentMountDunstan’schildhood，peopleoftheirworldhadceasedtocrosshisfather’sthreshold。Asoneortwoofthemostnoticeablenameswerementioned，mentallyherecalledthis，andPenzance，quicktoseethethoughtinhiseyes，changedthesubject。

"AtStornhamvillageanunexpectedthinghashappened，"

hesaid。"OneoftherelativesofLadyAnstruthershassuddenlyappeared——asister。YoumayrememberthatthepoorwomanwassaidtobethedaughterofsomerichAmerican，anditseemedunexplainablethatnoneofherfamilyeverappeared，andthingswereallowedtogofrombadtoworse。Asitwasunderstoodthattherewassomuchmoneypeopleweremystifiedbytheconditionofthings。"

"Anstruthershashadmoneytosquander，"saidMountDunstan。"Tenhamandhewereintimates。Themoneyhespendsisnodoubthiswife’s。Asherfamilydesertedhershehasnoonetodefendher。"

"Certainlyherfamilyhasseemedtoneglectherforyears。

Perhapstheyweredisappointedinhisposition。ManyAmericansareextremelyambitious。Theseinternationalmarriagesareoftensingularthings。Now——apparentlywithouthavingbeenexpected——thesisterappears。Vanderpoelisthename——

MissVanderpoel。"

"IcrossedtheAtlanticwithherintheMeridiana，"saidMountDunstan。

"Indeed！Thatisinteresting。Youdidnot，ofcourse，knowthatshewascominghere。"

"Iknewnothingofherbutthatshewasasaloonpassengerwithasuiteofstaterooms，andIwasinthesecondcabin。

Nothing？Thatisnotquitetrue，perhaps。Stewardsandpassengersgossip，andonecannotcloseone’sears。Ofcourseoneheardconstantreiterationofthenumberofmillionsherfatherpossessed，andthenumberofcabinsshemanagedtooccupy。Duringtheconfusionandalarmofthecollision，wespoketoeachother。"

Hedidnotmentiontheotheroccasiononwhichhehadseenher。

Thereseemed，onthewhole，nospecialreasonwhyheshould。

"Thenyouwouldrecogniseher，ifyousawher。Iheardto—daythatsheseemsanunusualyoungwoman，andhasbeauty。"

"Hereyesandlashesareremarkable。Sheistall。TheAmericansaresettingupanewtype。"

"Yes，theyusedtosendoverslender，fragilelittlewomen。

LadyAnstrutherswasthetype。Iconfesstoaninterestinthesister。"

"Why？"

"Shehasmadeacuriousimpression。Shehasbeguntodothings。

Stornhamvillagehaslostitsbreath。"Helaughedalittle。

"Shehasbeengoingovertheplaceanddiscussingrepairs。"

MountDunstanlaughedalso。Herememberedwhatshehadsaid。Andshehadactuallybegun。

"Thatispractical，"hecommented。

"Itisreallyinteresting。Whyshouldayoungwomanturnherattentiontorepairs？Ifithadbeenherfather——theomnipotentMr。Vanderpoel——whohadappeared，onewouldnothavewonderedatsuchpracticalactivity。Butayounglady——withremarkableeyelashes！"

Hiselbowswereonthearmofhischair，andhehadplacedthetipsofhisfingerstogether，wearinganexpressionofsuchabsorbedcontemplationthatMountDunstanlaughedagain。

"Youlookquitedreamyoverit，"hesaid。

"Italluresme。Unknownquantitiesincharacteralwaysallureme。Ishouldliketoknowher。Acommunitylikethisismadeupoftheabsolutelyknownquantity——oftypesrepeatingthemselvesthroughcenturies。Anewoneisalmostastartlingthing。Gossipoverteacupsisnotusuallyentertainingtome，butIfoundmyselflisteningtolittleMissLauraBrunelthisafternoonwithrathermarkedattention。I

confesstohavinggonesofarastomakeaninquiryorso。SirNigelAnstruthersisnotoftenatStornham。Heisawaynow。

Itisplainlynothewhoisinterestedinrepairs。"

"HeisontheRiviera，inretreat，inaplaceheisfondof，"MountDunstansaiddrily。"Hetookacompanionwithhim。Anewinfatuation。Hewillnotreturnsoon。"

CHAPTERXIX

SPRINGINBONDSTREET

ThevisittoLondonwaspartofanevolutionofbothbodyandmindtoRosalieAnstruthers。Inoneofthewonderfulmodernhotelsasuiteofroomswasengagedforthem。TheluxurywhichsurroundedthemwasnotoftheorderRosaliehadvaguelyconnectedwithhotels。Hotel—keepershadapparentlylearnedmanythingsduringtheyearsofherseclusion。

Vanderpoels，atleast，couldsoestablishthemselvesasnottogreatlyfeelthehotelatmosphere。Carefullychosencolourstextures，andappointmentsformedthebackgroundoftheirdays，thefoodtheyatewasathingproducedbyart，theservantswhoattendedthemwerecompletely—trainedmechanisms。

Tositbyawindowandwatchthekaleidoscopichumantidepassingbyonitswaytoitspleasure，toreachitswork，tospenditsmoneyinunendingshops，toshowitselfanditsequipageinthepark，wasawonderfulthingtoLadyAnstruthers。

ItallseemedtobeapartofthelifeandqualityofBetty，littleBetty，whomshehadrememberedonlyasachild，andwhohadcometoheratall，strongyoungbeauty，whohad——itwasresplendentlyclear——neverknownafearinherlife，andwhosemerepersonalityhadtheeffectofmakingfearsseemunreal。

Shewastakenoutinaluxuriouslittlebroughamtoshopswhosevariedallurementswereplacedeagerlyatherdisposal。

Respectfulpersons，obedienttohermostfaintly—expresseddesire，displayedgarmentsaswonderfulasthosetheNewYorktrunkshadrevealed。Shewasbesoughttoconsiderthefitnessofarticleswhoseexquisitenessshewasalmostafraidtolookat。

Herthinlittlebodywaswonderfullyfitted，managed，encouragedtomakethemostofitslong—ignoredoutlines。

"Herladyship’sslendernessisagreatadvantage，"saidthewiselyincitingones。"Thereisnosuchadvantageasdelicacyofline。"

Summingupthecharacteroftheircustomerwiththesales—

woman’seye，theyrealisedthediscretionofturningtoMissVanderpoelforencouragement，thoughshewastheyoungerofthetwo，andborenotitle。Theywereawareoftheexistenceofpersonsofrankwhowerenotlavishpatrons，butthenameofVanderpoelheldmostpromisingsuggestions。ToanEnglishshopkeepertheAmericanhas，oflateyears，representedthespender——thetypewhich，whatsoeveritsrankandresources，has，mysteriously，alwaysmoneytohandovercountersinexchangeforthingsitchancestodesiretopossess。EachyearsurgesacrosstheAtlanticahordeofthesefortunatepersons，who，tothesober，commercialBritishmind，appeartobefreetodevotetheirexistencestotravelandexpenditure。Thiscontingentappearsshoppinginthevariousshoppingthoroughfares；itbuysclothes，jewels，miscellaneousattractivethings，makingitspurchasesofarticlesusefulordecorativewithafreedomfromanxietyinitsenjoymentwhichdoesnotmarkthemoodoftheordinaryshopper。Intheeverydaypurchaseroneisaccustomedtotakeforgranted，asafactorinhisexpenditure，acertaindeliberationanduncertainty；tothetravellingAmericaninEurope，shoppingappearstobepartoftheholidaywhichisbeingmadethemostof。Surely，alltheneat，smartyoungpersonswhobuyfrocksandblouses，hatsandcoats，hosieryandchains，cannotbethepossessorsoflargeincomes；

theremustbe，eveninAmerica，amiddleclassofmiddle—classresources，yettheseyoungpersons，maleandfemale，andmostfrequentlyunaccompaniedbyolderpersons——seeingwhattheywant，greetitwithexpressionsofpleasure，wastenotimeinappropriatingandpayingforit，andgoawayasinreliefandtriumph——notasinthatsoberjoywhichiscloudedbyafterthought。Thesalespeoplearesometimesevenvaguelycheeredbytheirgaylackofanydoubtastothewisdomoftheirgettingwhattheyadmire，andrejoicinginit。IfAmericaalwaysbuysinthisholidaymood，itmustbeanenviablethingtobeashopkeeperintheirNewYorkorBostonorSanFrancisco。Whowouldnotmakeafortuneamongthem？Theywantwhattheywant，andnotsomethingwhichseemstothemlessdesirable，buttheyopentheirpursesand——frequentlywithsomeamuseduncertaintyastothedifferencesbetweensovereignsandhalf—sovereigns，florinsandhalf—crowns——theypaytheirbillswithsomethingalmostlikeglee。Theyareremarkablypromptaboutbills——whichisanexcellentthing，astheyarenearlyalwaysjustgoingsomewhereelse，toFranceorGermanyorItalyorScotlandorSiberia。Thoseofuswhoareshopkeepers，ortheirsalesmen，donotdreamthatsomeofthemhaveincomesnolargerthanourown，thattheyworkfortheirlivings，thattheyareteachersjournalists，smallwritersorillustratorsofpapersormagazinesthattheyareunimportantsoldiersoffortune，but，withtheirqueerAmericaninsistenceonexploration，andtheignoringoflimitations，theyhave，somehow，managedtomakethisexultantdashforafewdaringweeksormonthsoffreedomandnewexperience。Ifweknewthis，weshouldregardthemfromourconservativestandpointofprovidentdecorumasimprovidentlunatics，beingourselvesunabletocalculatewiththeiroddcourageandtheircheerfulbeliefinthemselves。Whatwedoknowisthattheyspend，andwearefarfromdisdainingtheirpatronage，thoughmostofthemhaveanoddlittlefamiliarityofaddressandarenotstampedwiththatdistinctionwhichcausesustorealisetheenormousdifferencebetweenthepatronandthetradesman，andmakesusfeelthewormweremotelyliketofeelourselves，thoughwewouldnotforworldsacknowledgethefact。Mentally，andinourspeech，bothamongourequalsandoursuperiors，wecondescendtoandpatronisethemalittle，thoughthat，ofcourse，isthefineoldinsularattitudeitwouldbeun—Britishtodiscourage。But，ifwearenotintheleastdefiniteconcerningthepositionandresourcesofthesespendersasamass，wearequitesureofaselectnumber。Thereismentionoftheminthenewspapers，ofthetownhouses，thecastles，moors，andsalmonfishingstheyrent，oftheiryachts，theirpresentationsactuallyatourowncourts，oftheirpresenceatgreatballs，atAscotandGoodwood，attheoperaongalanights。Onestaggerssometimesbeforethepublicsumming—upoftheamountoftheirfortunes。Thesepeoplewhohaveneitherbloodnorrank，thesemenwholabourintheirbusinessoffices，arericherthanourgreatdukes，attherealisingofwhosewealthandpossessionswehaveattimesalmostturnedpale。

"Them！"chaffedacostermongeroverhisbarrow。"Blimme，ifsomeo’themblokeswon’tbuyBuckin’amPallisan’the’oleR’yalFamblysomemornin’whenthey’reoutshoppin’。"

ThesubservientattendantsinmorethanonefashionableshopBettyandhersistervisit，knowthatMissVanderpoelisofthecircle，thoughherfatherhasnotasyetboughtorhiredanygreatestate，andhisdaughterhasnotbeenseeninLondon。

"Itsqueerwe’veneverheardofherbeingpresented，"oneshopgirlsaystoanother。"Justyoulookather。"

Sheevidentlyknowswhatherladyshipoughttobuy——whatcanbetrustednottooverpowerherfadedfragility。Thesaleswomen，eveniftheyhadnotbeendevouredbyalertcuriosity，couldnothaveavoidedseeingthatherladyshipdidnotseemtoknowwhatshouldbebought，andthatMissVanderpoeldid，thoughshedidnotdirecthersister’sselection，butmerelyseemedtosuggestwithdelicaterestraint。Hertastewaswonderfullyperceptive。Thethingsboughtwereexquisite，butalittlecolourlesswomancouldwearthemallwithadvantagetoherrestrictionsoftype。

AsthebroughamdrovedownBondStreet，BettycalledLadyAnstruthers’attentiontomorethanonepasser—by。

"Look，Rosy，"shesaid。"ThereisMrs。TreatHilyarinthesecondcarriagetotheright。YourememberJosieTreatHilyarmarriedLordVarick’sson。"

Inthelandaudesignatedanelderlywomanwithwonderfully—

dressedwhitehairsatsmilingandbowingtofriendswhowerewalking。LadyAnstruthers，despitehereagerness，shrankbackalittle，hopingtoescapebeingseen。

"Oh，itistheLowssheisspeakingto——TomandAlice——I

didnotknowtheyhadsailedyet。"

Thetall，well—groomedyoungman，withthenice，uglyface，wasshowingwhiteteethinagaysmileofrecognition，andhisprettywifewaslightlywavingaslimhandinagreysuedeglove。

"Howcheerfulandnice—temperedtheylook，"saidRosy。

"TomwasonlytwentywhenIsawhimlast。Whomdidhemarry？"

"AnEnglishgirl。Suchalove。ADevonshiregentleman’sdaughter。InNewYorkhisfriendscalledherDevonshireCreamandRoses。Sheisoneofthepretty，flushy，pinkones。"

"HowniceBondStreetisonaspringmorninglikethis，"

saidLadyAnstruthers。"Youmaylaughatmeforsayingit，Betty，butsomehowitseemstomemorespring—likethanthecountry。"

"Howcleverofyou！"laughedBetty。"Thereissomuchtruthinit。"Thepeoplewalkinginthesunshinewereallfullofspringthoughtsandplans。Thecolourstheywore，theflowersinthewomen’shatsandthemen’sbuttonholesbelongedtotheseason。Thecheerfulcrowdsofpeopleandcarriageshadasortofrushingstirofmovementwhichsuggestedfreshness。

Laterintheyeareverythinglooksmoretired。Nowthingswerebeginningandeveryonewasratherinclinedtobelievethatthisyearwouldbebetterthanlast。"Lookattheshopwindows，saidBetty，"fullofwhitesandpinksandyellowsandblues——thecoloursofhyacinthanddaffodilbeds。Itseemsasiftheyinsistthatthereneverhasbeenawinterandneverwillbeone。Theyinsistthatthereneverwasandneverwillbeanythingbutspring。"

"It’sintheair。"LadyAnstruthers’sighwasactuallyahappyone。"ItisjustwhatIusedtofeelinAprilwhenwedrovedownFifthAvenue。"

Amongthecrowdsoffreshly—dressedpassers—by，womenwithfloweryhatsandlightfrocksandparasols，menwithtouchesofflower—colouronthelapelsoftheircoats，andtheholidaylookintheirfaces，shenotedsomanyofafamiliartypethatshebegantolookforandtrytopickthemoutwithquiteexcitedinterest。

"IbelievethatwomanisanAmerican，"shewouldsay。

"ThatgirllooksasifshewereaNewYorker，"again。"Thatman’sfacelooksasifitbelongedtoBroadway。Oh，Betty！doyouthinkIamright？IshouldsaythosegirlsgettingoutofthehansomtogointoBurnham&Staples’camefromoutWestandaregoingtobuythousandsofthings。Don’ttheylooklikeit？"

ShebegantoleanforwardandlookonatthingswithaninterestsounlikeherStornhamlistlessnessthatBetty’sheartwasmoved。

Herfacelookedalive，andlittlewavesofcolourroseunderherskin。Severaltimesshelaughedthenaturallittlelaughofhergirlhoodwhichithadseemedalmosttoomuchtoexpecttohearagain。ThefirstoftheselaughscamewhenshecountedhertenthAmerican，atallWesternerofthecartoontype，saunteringalongwithanexpressionofspeculativeenjoymentonhisoddface，andevidently，thoughfurtively，chewingtobacco。

"Iabsolutelylovehim，Betty，"shecried。"Youcouldn’tmistakehimforanythingelse。"

"No，"answeredBetty，feelingthatshelovedhimherself，"notifyoufoundhimembalmedinthePyramids。"

Theypleasedthemselvesimmensely，tryingtoguesswhathewouldbuyandtakehometohiswifeandgirlsinhisWesterntown——thoughWesterntownswereverygrandandamazinginthesedays，Bettyexplained，andknewtheycouldgivepointstoNewYork。Hewouldnotbuythethingshewouldhaveboughtfifteenyearsago。Perhaps，infact，hiswifeanddaughtershadcomewithhimtoLondonandstayedattheMetropoleortheSavoy，andwereatthismomentbeingfittedbytailorsandmodistespatronisedbyRoyalty。

"Rosy，look！Doyouseewhothatis？Doyourecogniseher？ItisMrs。Bellingham。ShewaslittleMinaThalberg。

ShemarriedCaptainBellingham。Hewasquitepoor，butverywellborn——anephewofLordDunholm’s。Hecouldnothavemarriedapoorgirl——buttheyhavebeensohappytogetherthatMinaisgrowingfat，andspendsherdaysintakingreducingtreatments。Shesaysshewouldn’tcareintheleast，butDickyfellinlovewithherwaistandshoulderline。"

Theplump，prettyyoungwomangettingoutofhervictoriabeforeafashionablehairdresser’slookedradiantenough。Shehadnotyetlostthewaistandshoulderline，thoughherpinkfrockfittedherwithdiscreettightness。Shepausedamomenttopatandfussprettilyoverthetwoblooming，curlychildrenwhoweretoremainunderthecareofthenurse，whosatonthebackseat，holdingthebabyonherlap。

"Ishouldnothaveknownher，"saidRosy。"Shehasgrownpretty。Shewasn’taprettychild。"

"It’shappiness——andtheEnglishclimate——andCaptainDicky。Theyadoreeachother，andlaughateverythinglikeapairofchildren。TheywereimmenselypopularinNewYorklastwinter，whentheyvisitedMina’speople。"

TheeffectofthemorninguponLadyAnstrutherswaswhatBettyhadhopeditmightbe。Thecuriousdrawingnearofthetwonationsbegantodawnuponherasatruth。Immuredinthecountry，notsufficientlyinterestedinlifetoreadnewspapers，shehadheardrumoursofsomeofthemoreimportantmarriages，buthadknownnothingofthethousandsmalldetailswhichmadefortheweavingoftheweb。Mrs。TreatHilyardrivinginaleisurely，accustomedfashiondownBondStreet，andsmilingcasuallyathercompatriots，whose"sailing"wasasmuchpartofthenaturalorderoftheirluxuriouslivesastheircarriages，gaveadefinitenesstothesituation。MinaThalberg，pullingdowntheembroideredfrocksovertheroundlegsofherEnglish—lookingchildren，seemedtonarrowthewidthoftheAtlanticOceanbetweenLiverpoolandthedocksontheHudsonRiver。

ShereturnedtothehotelwithanappetiteforlunchandanewexpressioninhereyeswhichmadeUghtredstareather。

"Mother，"hesaid，"youlookdifferent。Youlookwell。

Itisn’tonlyyournewdressandyourhair。"

Thenewstyleofherattirehadcertainlydonemuch，andthemaidwhohadbeenengagedtoattendherwasawomanwhoknewherduties。Shehadbeencalleduponinhertimetomakethemostofhairofferingmuchlessassistancetoherskillthanwassuppliedbythefine，faircolourlessnessshehadfounddraggedbackfromhernewmistress’sforehead。Itwasnotdraggedbacknow，buthadreallybeendonewonderswith。

Rosaliehadsmiledalittlewhenshehadlookedatherselfintheglassafterthefirsttimeitwassodressed。

"YouaretryingtomakemelookasIdidwhenmothersawmelast，Betty，"shesaid。"Iwonderifyoupossiblycould。"

"Letusbelievewecan，"laughedBetty。"Andwaitandsee。"

Itseemedwiseneithertomakenorreceivevisits。Thetimeforsuchthingshadevidentlynotyetcome。EventhementionoftheWorthingtonsledtotherevelationthatRosalieshrankfromimmediatecontactwithpeople。Whenshefeltstronger，whenshebecamemoreaccustomedtothethought，shemightfeeldifferently，butjustnow，tobeluxuriouslyonewiththeenviablepartofLondon，tolookon，todrinkin，todrivehereandthere，doingthethingsshelikedtodo，orderingwhatwasrequiredatStornham，waslikethecreatingforherofanewheavenandanewearth。

When，onenight，BettytookherwithUghtredtothetheatre，itwastoseeaplaywrittenbyanAmerican，playedbyAmericanactors，producedbyanAmericanmanager。Theyhadevenengagedintheatricalenterprise，itseemed，theiractorsplayedbeforeLondonaudiences，LondonactorsplayedinAmericantheatres，vibratingalmostyearlybetweenthetwocontinentsandreapingrichharvests。Hearingrumoursofthisinthepast，LadyAnstruthershadscarcelybelieveditentirelytrue。Nowthepracticalrealitywasbroughtbeforeher。TheFrench，whowereonlyseparatedfromtheEnglishmetropolisbyamerefewmilesofChannel，didnotexchangetheiractorsyearafteryearinincreasingnumbers，makingamerefriendlybarterofeachother’sterritory，asthougheachlandwascommongroundandnotdividedbyleaguesofoceantravel。

"Itseemssowonderful，"LadyAnstruthersargued。"I

havealwaysfeltasiftheyhatedeachother。"

"Theydidonce——buthowcoulditlastbetweenthoseofthesameblood——ofthesametongue？Ifwewerereallyalienswemightbeamenace。Butweareoftheirown。"Bettyleanedforwardontheedgeofthebox，lookingoutoverthecrowdedhouse，filledwithalmostasmanyAmericansasEnglishfaces。Shesmiled，reflecting。"Wewerechildrenputouttonurseandbreathenewairinthecountry，andnowwearecominghome，vigorous，andfull—grown。"

Shestudiedtheaudienceforsomeminutes，and，asherglancewanderedoverthestalls，ittookinmorethanonemarkedvarietyoftype。Suddenlyitfellonafaceshedelightedlyrecognised。

Itwasthatofthenice，speculative—eyedWesternertheyhadseenenjoyinghimselfinBondStreet。

"Rosy，"shesaid，"thereistheWesternmanwelove。Neartheendofthefourthrow。"

LadyAnstrutherslookedforhimwitheagerness。

"Oh，Iseehim！Nexttothebigonewiththereddishhair。"

Bettyturnedherattentiontothemaninquestion，whomshehadnotchancedtonotice。Sheutteredanexclamationofsurpriseandinterest。

"Thebigmanwiththeredhair。Howlovelythattheyshouldchancetositsidebyside——thebigoneisLordMountDunstan！"

Thenecessityofseeinghissolicitors，whohappenedtobeMessrs。Townlinson&Sheppard，hadbroughtLordMountDunstantotown。Afteradaydevotedtobusinessaffairs，hehadbeenattractedbytheideaofgoingtothetheatretoseeagainaplayhehadalreadyseeninNewYork。ItwouldinteresthimtoobserveitsexacteffectuponaLondonaudience。

WhilehehadbeeninNewYork，hehadgonewithsomethingofthesamefeelingtoseeagreatEnglishactorplaytoacrowdedhouse。Thegreatactorhadbeenonewhohadreturnedtothecountryforathirdorfourthtime，and，intheenthusiasmhehadfeltintheatmosphereabouthim，MountDunstanhadseennotonlypleasureandappreciationoftheman’sperfectart，but——atcertaintumultuousoutbursts——analmostemotionalwelcome。TheAmericans，hehadsaidtohimself，werecreaturesofwarmerbloodthantheEnglish。Theaudienceonthatoccasionhadbeen，inmass，American。Theaudiencehemadeoneofnow，wasmadeupofbothnationalities，and，inglancingoverit，herealisedhowlargewasthenumberofAmericanswhocameyearlytoLondon。AsLadyAnstruthershaddone，hefoundhimselfselectingfromtheassemblagethetypeswhichweremanifestlyAmerican，andthoseobviouslyEnglish。IntheseatnexttohimselfsatamanofatypehefelthehadlearnedbyheartinthedaysofhislifeasJemSalter。AtashortdistanceflutteredbrilliantlyanEnglishprofessionalbeauty，withhermaleandfemalecourtabouther。

Inthestagebox，madesumptuouswithflowers，wasaroyalparty。

Asthispartyhadentered，"GodsavetheQueen"hadbeenplayed，and，inrisingwiththeaudienceduringtheentry，hehadrecalledthatthetunewasidenticalwiththatofanAmericannationalair。Howunconsciouslyinseparable——inspiteofthelightnesswithwhichtheyregardedthecurioustiebetweenthem——thetwocountrieswere。Thepeopleuponthestagewereactingasiftheyknewtheirpublic，theirbearingsuggestingnosenseofanybarrierbeyondthefootlights。Itwastheunconsciousnessandlightnessofthemutualattitudewhichhadstruckhimoflate。Punchhadlongjestedabout"FairAmericans，"who，intheirfirstintroductiontoitspages，usedexoticandcrypticlanguage，beginningeverysentenceeitherwith"Iguess，"or"Say，Stranger"；itsmaleAmericanhadbeenoftheUncleSamorderandhadinvariablyworna"goatee。"AmericanwitticismshadrepresentedtheEnglishmaninplaidtrousers，openinghisremarkswith"Chawley，deahfellah，"andunfailinglymissingthepointofanyjoke。Eachcountryhadcherisheditstypeandgood—naturedlyderidedit。Intimethishadmodifieditselfandthejokehadchangedinkind。Manyotherthingshadchanged，butthelightnessoftreatmentstillremained。AndyettheirbloodwasminglingitselfwiththatofEngland’snoblestandoldestofname，theirwealthwasmakingsolidagaintowersandhallswhichhadthreatenedtocrumble。

Ancientfamilyjewelsglitteredonslender，youngAmericannecks，andabove——sometimessomewhatcareless——youngAmericanbrows。Andyet，sofar，onewascasualinone’sthoughtofitall，still。OnhisownparthewasobstinateBritonenoughtorebelagainstandresentit。Theywereintruders。Heresentedthemashehadresentedinhisboyhoodthehistoricalfactthat，afterall，anEnglishmanwasaGerman——asavagewho，fivehundredyearsafterthebirthofChrist，hadswoopeduponEarlyBritonfromhisEnglelandandJutland，andravagingwithfireandsword，hadconqueredandmadethelandhispossession，ravishingitsverynamefromitandgivingithisown。Thesepeopledidnotcomewithfireandsword，butwithcableandtelephone，andbribesofgoldandfairwomen，buttheywereencroachinglikethesea，which，incertainpartsofthecoast，gainedafewinchesorsoeachyear。Heshookhisshouldersimpatiently，andstiffened，feelingillogicallyantagonistictowardsthegood—natured，lantern—jawedmanathisside。

Thelantern—jawedmanlookedgood—naturedbecausehewassmiling，andhewassmilingbecausehesawsomethingwhichpleasedhiminoneoftheboxes。

HisexpressionofunqualifiedapprovalnaturallydirectedMountDunstan’seyetothepointinquestion，whereitremainedforsomemoments。ThiswasbecausehefounditrestinguponMissVanderpoel，whosatbeforehiminluminouswhitegarments，andwithabrilliantsparkofornamentinthedenseshadowofherhair。Hissensationattheunexpectedsightofherwould，ifithadexpresseditselfphysically，havetakentheformofaslightstart。Theluminousqualitydidnotconfineitselftothewhitenessofhergarments。Hewasawareoffeelingthatshelookedluminousherself——hereyes，hercheek，thesmileshebentuponthelittlewomanwhowashercompanion。

Shewasabeautifullylivingthing。

Naturally，shewasbeinglookedatbyothersthanhimself。

Shewasoneofthosetowardswhomglassesinatheatreturnthemselvesinevitably。Thesweepandliftofherblackhairwouldhavedrawnthem，evenifshehadofferednoothercharm。

Yes，hethought，herewasanotherofthem。Towhomwasshebringinghergoodlooksandhermillions？Thereweremenenoughwhoneededmoney，eveniftheymustacceptitunderlessalluringconditions。Intheboxnexttotheoneoccupiedbytheroyalpartywasamanwhowasknowntobewaitingfortheadventofsomesuchopportunity。Hiswasacaseofdire，ifoutwardlystately，need。Hewasyoung，butafool，andnotnotedforpersonalcharms，yethehad，inonesense，greatthingstooffer。Therewere，ofcourse，manychancesthathemightofferthemtoher。Ifthishappened，wouldsheacceptthem？Therewasreallynoobjectiontohimbuthisdulness，consequentlythereseemedmanychancesthatshemight。Therewassomethingakintothepompofroyaltyinthepowerherfather’swealthimplied。Shecouldscarcelymakeanordinarymarriage。Itwouldnaturallybeasortofstateaffair。TherewerefewmenwhohadenoughtoofferinexchangeforVanderpoelmillions，andofthefewnonehadspecialattractions。Theoneintheboxnexttotheroyalpartywasadecentenoughfellow。Asyoungprincesseswerenotinfrequentlycalledupon，bythemereexclusionofroyalblood，tobecomeunitedtoyoungormatureprinceswithoutcharm，soAmericanyoungpersonswhowereofroyalpossessionsmustfindthemselveslimited。IfyoufeltfreetopickandchoosefromamongyoungmenintheGuardsoryoungattachesintheDiplomaticServicewithtwopenceayear，youmightgetbeautyorwitortemperamentorallthreebygoodluck，butifyouwereofaroyalhouseofNewYorkorChicago，youwouldprobablyfeelyoumustdrawlinesandchooseonlysuchsplendoursasaccordedwith，evenwhiledifferingfrom，yourown。

Anypossibleconnectionofhimselfwithsuchacasedidnotpresentitselftohim。Ifithaddoneso，hewouldhavecountedhimself，haughtily，asbeyondthepale。Itwasforothermentodothingsofthesort；aremoteantagonismofhiswholebeingwarredagainstthemereidea。Itwasbigotedprejudice，perhaps，butitwasastrongthing。

Alovelyshoulderandabrilliantheadsetonalongandslenderneckhavenonationalitywhichcanpreventaman’sglanceturningnaturallytowardsthem。Histurnedagainduringthelastactoftheplay，andatamomentwhenhesawsomethingratherlikethethinghehadseenwhentheMeridianamovedawayfromthedockandtheexaltedMissVanderpoelleaningupontherailhadheldoutherarmstowardsthechildwhohadbroughthistoytoherasafarewelloffering。

Sittingbyherto—nightwasaboywithacrookedback——

MountDunstanrememberedhearingthattheAnstruthershadadeformedson——andshewasleaningtowardshim，herhandrestingonhisshoulder，explainingsomethinghehadnotquitegraspedintheactionoftheplay。Theabsoluteadorationintheboy’supliftedeyeswasaninterestingthingtotakein，andtheradiantwarmthofherbrightlookwasasunconsciousofonlookersasithadbeenwhenhehadseenityearningtowardsthechildonthewharf。Herswasthetemperamentwhichgave——whichgave。HefoundhimselfrestrainingasmilebecauseherlookbroughtbacktohimtheactualsoundoftheNewYorkyoungster’svoice。

"Iwantedtokissyou，Betty，oh，Ididsowanttokissyou！"

Anstruthers’boy——poorlittlebeggar——lookedasifhe，too，inthefaceofactorsandaudience，andbrillianceoflight，wantedtokissher。

CHAPTERXX

THINGSOCCURINSTORNHAMVILLAGE

ItwouldnothavebeenpossibleforMissVanderpoeltoremainlonginsocialseclusioninLondon，and，beforemanydayshadpassed，StornhamvillagewasenlivenedbytheknowledgethatherladyshipandhersisterhadreturnedtotheCourt。ItwasalsoevidentthattheirvisittoLondonhadnotbeenmadetonopurpose。Thestagnationofthewatersofvillagelifethreatenedtobecomeawhirlpool。Arespectableperson，whowastobeherladyship’smaid，hadcomewiththem，andherladyshiphadnotbeenservedbyapersonalattendantforyears。

Herladyshiphadalsoappearedatthedinner—tableinnewgarments，andwithherhairdoneasotherladiesworetheirs。

Shelookedlikeadifferentwoman，andactuallyhadabitofcolour，andwasbeginningtoloseherfrightenedway。Nowitdawneduponeventhedullestandleastactivemindthatsomethinghadbeguntostir。