“Why，howcouldyougettoCincinnati？“hesaid。“Youhaven”tanymoney。”
“I”veatwenty-dollargoldpieceUnclegavemeasakeepsake。
AndI”vegotseventeendollarsinothermoney，andseveraldollarsinchange，“explainedshe。“I”vegottwohundredandforty-threedollarsandfiftycentsinthebank，butIcan”tgetthat——notnow。They”llsendittomewhenIfindaplaceandamsettledandletthemknow。”
“Youcan”tdoit，Susie！Youcan”tandyoumustn”t。”
“Ifyouknewwhattheysaidtome！Oh，I_couldn”t_stay，Sam。
I”vegotsomeofmyclothes——alittlebundlebehindthefrontdoor。AssoonasI”msettledI”llletyouknow。”
Asilence，thenhe，hesitatingly，“Don”tyou——doyou——hadn”tI
bettergowithyou？“
Shethrilledatthisgenerosity，thisnewproofoflove。Butshesaid：“No，Iwouldn”tletyoudothat。They”dblameyou。AndI
wantthemtoknowit”sallmyowndoing。”
“You”reright，Susie，“saidtheyoungman，relievedandemphatic。“IfIwentwithyou，it”donlygetbothofusintodeepertrouble。”Againsilence，withSamfeelingakindofaweashestudiedtheresolute，mysteriousprofileofthegirl，whichhecouldnowseeclearly。Atlasthesaid：“Andafteryougetthere，Susie——whatwillyoudo？“
“Findaboardinghouse，andthenlookforaplace。”
“Whatkindofaplace？“
“Inastore——ormakingdresses——oranykindofsewing。OrI
coulddohousework。”
Theseximpulseisprolificofgenerousimpulses。He，sittingsoclosetoherandbreathinginthroughhisskintheemanationsofheryoungmagnetism，wasmovedtothedepthsbythepictureherwordsconjured。Thisbeautifulgirl，amerechild，bornandbredintheladyclass，wanderingawaypennilessandalone，tobeapreytotheworld”sbuffetingswhich，severeenoughinreality，seemsavagebeyondendurancetothechildrenofwealth。
Ashepicturedithisheartimpulsivelyexpanded。Itwasathislipstooffertomarryher。Buthisrealself——andone”srealselfisvastlydifferentfromone”simpulses——hisrealselfforbadethewordspassage。Noteventheseximpulse，intoxicatinghimasitthenwas，coulddethronesnobbishcalculation。Hewasyoung；sowhilehedidnotspeak，hefeltashamedofhimselffornotspeaking。Hefeltthatshemustbeexpectinghimtospeak，thatshehadtherighttoexpectit。Hedrewalittleawayfromher，andkeptsilent。
“Thetimewillsoonpass，“saidsheabsently。
“Thetime？Thenyouintendtocomeback？“
“Imeanthetimeuntilyou”rethroughcollegeandwecanbetogether。”
Shespokeasonespeaksofadreamastowhichonehasneveradoubtbutthatitwillcometrue。Itwassopreposterous，thisideathathewouldmarryher，especiallyaftershehadbeenaservantorGodknowswhatforseveralyears——itwassoabsurdthatheburstintoasweatofnervousterror。Andhehastilydrewfurtheraway。
Shefeltthechange，forshewasofthosewhoarebornsensitive。Butshewasfartooyoungandinexperiencedtohavelearnedtointerpretarightthesubtlewarningofthenerves。
“Youaredispleasedwithme？“sheaskedtimidly。
“No——Oh，no，Susie，“hestammered。“I——Iwasthinking。Doputoffgoingforadayortwo。There”snoneedofhurrying。”
Butshefeltthatbydisobeyingherauntandcomingdowntoseehimshehadforfeitedtherighttoshelterunderthatroof。“I
can”tgoback，“saidshe。“There”sareason。”Shewouldnottellhimthereason；itwouldmakehimfeelasifheweretoblame。
“WhenIgetaplaceinCincinnati，“shewenton，“I”llwritetoyou。”
“Nothere，“heobjected。“Thatwouldn”tdoatall。No，sendmealinetotheGibsonHouseinCincinnati，givingmeyouraddress。”
“TheGibsonHouse，“sherepeated。“I”llnotforgetthatname。
GibsonHouse。”
“Senditassoonasyougetaplace。ImaybeinCincinnatisoon。Butthisisallnonsense。You”renotgoing。You”dbeafraid。”
Shelaughedsoftly。“Youdon”tknowme。NowthatI”vegottogo，I”mglad。”
Andherealizedthatshewasnottalkingtogiveherselfcourage，thatherwordswereliterallytrue。Thismadehimadmireher，andfearher，too。Theremustbesomethingwildandunwomanlyinhernature。“Iguesssheinheritsitfromhermother——andperhapsherfather，whoeverhewas。”Probablyshewassimplydoingalittleearlywhatshe”dhavebeensuretodosoonerorlater，nomatterwhathadhappened。Onthewhole，itwasjustaswellthatshewasgoing。“IcantakeheronEastinthefall。Assoonasshehasalittleknowledgeoftheworldshe”llnotexpectmetomarryher。Shecangetsomethingtodo。
I”llhelpher。”Andnowhefeltinconceitwithhimselfagain——
feltthathewasgoingtobeagood，generousfriendtoher。
“Perhapsyou”llbebetteroff——onceyougetstarted，“saidhe。
“Idon”tseehowIcouldbeworseoff。Whatisthereherefor_me_？“
Hewonderedatthegoodsenseofthisfromamerechild。Itwasmostunlikelythatanymanoftheclassshehadbeenbroughtupinwouldmarryher；andhowcouldsheenduremarriagewithamanoftheclassinwhichshemightpossiblyfindahusband？Asforreputation——
She，anillegitimatechild，nevercouldhaveareputation，atleastnotsolongasshehadherlooks。Aftersupper，tokilltime，hehaddroppedinatWillett”sdrugstore，wheretheyoungfellowsloafedandgossipedintheevenings；allthetimehewastheretheconversationhadbeenmadeupofslydigsandhintsaboutgraveyardtrysts，eachthrustcausingthekindoflaughterthatisthewakeoftheprurientandtheobscene。Yes，shewasright。Therecouldbe“nothinginit“forherinSutherland。Hewasfilledwithpityforher。“Poorchild！Whatashame！“Theremustbesomethingwrongwithaworldthatpermittedsuchiniquities。
Theclockstrucktwelve。“Youmustgo，“shesaid。“Sometimestheboatcomesasearlyashalf-past。”Andshestoodup。
Ashefacedherthegenerousimpulsesurgedagain。Hecaughtherinhisarms，shenotresisting。Hekissedheragainandagain，murmuringdisconnectedwordsofendearmentandfightingbacktheoffertomarryher。“Imustn”t！Imustn”t！“hesaidtohimself。
“What”dbecomeofus？“Ifhispassionshadbeenasvirgin，asinexperienced，ashers，nopowercouldhaveheldhimfromgoingwithherandmarryingher。Butexperiencehadtaughthimtheabysmaldifferencebetweenbeforeandafter；andhefoundstrengthtobesensible，evenintheheightofhispassionatelongingforher。
Sheclaspedherarmsabouthisneck。“Oh，mydearlove！“shemurmured。“I”ddoanythingforyou。IfeelthatyoulovemeasIloveyou。”
“Yes——yes。”Andhepressedhislipstohers。Aninstantandshedrewaway，shakingandpanting。Hetriedtoclaspheragain，butshewouldnothaveit。“Ican”tstandit！“hemurmured。“Imustgowithyou——Imust！“
“No！“shereplied。“Itwouldn”tdounlesswewerereallymarried。”Wistfully，“Andwecan”tbethatyet——canwe？Thereisn”tanyway？“
Hispassioncooledinstantly。
“Thereisn”tanyway，“hesaidregretfully。“I”dnotdaretellmyfather。”
“Yes，wemustwaittillyou”reofage，andhaveyoureducation，andarefree。Then——”Shedrewalongbreath，lookedathimwithabravesmile。Thelargemoonwasshininguponthem。“We”llthinkofthat，andnotletourselvesbeunhappy——won”twe？“
“Yes，“hesaid。“ButImustgo。”
“Iforgotfortheminute。Good-by，dearest。”Sheputupherlips。Hekissedher，butwithoutpassionnow。
“Youmightgowithmeasfarasthewharf，“shesuggested。
“No——someonemightsee——andthatwouldruineverything。I”dliketo——I”d——”
“Itwouldn”tdo，“sheinterrupted。“Iwouldn”tletyoucome。”
Withsuddenagitationshekissedhim——hefeltthatherlipswerecold。Hepressedherhands——they，too，werecold。“Good-by，mydarling，“hemurmured，vaultedlightlyovertherailanddisappearedinthedeepshadowsoftheshrubbery。Whenhewasclearofthegroundshepausedtolightacigarette。Hishandwasshakingsothatthematchalmostdroppedfromhisfingers。
“I”vebeenmakingadamnfoolofmyself，“hesaidhalfaloud。“A
doubledamnfool！I”vegottostopthattalkaboutmarrying，somehow——orkeepawayfromher。ButIcan”tkeepaway。I_must_
haveher！Whyinthedevilcan”tsherealizethatamaninmypositioncouldn”tmarryher？Ifitwasn”tforthismarryingtalk，I”dmakeherhappy。I”vesimplygottostopthismarryingtalk。Itgetsworseandworse。”
Hercalmnessdeceivedherintothinkingherselfperfectlysaneandsober，perfectlyawareofwhatshewasabout。Shehadleftherhatandherbundlebehindthedoor。Sheputonthehatinthedarknessofthehallwithsteadyfingers，tookupthewell-filledshawlstrapandwentforth，closingthedoorbehindher。Inthemorningtheywouldfindthedoorunlockedbutthatwouldnotcausemuchtalk，asSutherlandpeoplewereallrathercarelessaboutlockingup。Theywouldnotknockatthedoorofherroomuntilnoon，perhaps。Thentheywouldfindonthepincushionthelettershehadwrittentoheruncle，sayinggood-byandexplainingthatshehaddecidedtoremoveforeverthetaintofhermotherandherselffromtheirhouseandtheirlives——asomewhattheatricalletter，modeleduponOuida，whomshethoughtthegreatestwriterthathadeverlived，VictorHugoandtwoorthreepoetsperhapsexcepted。
Herbundlewasnotlight，butshehardlyfeltitasshemovedswiftlythroughthedeserted，moonlitstreetstowardtheriver。
ThewharfboatfortheCincinnatiandLouisvillemailsteamerswasanchoredatthefootofPineStreet。Ontheleveebeforeitwerepiledtheboxes，bags，cases，crates，barrelstobeloadeduponthe“upboat。”Shewasdescendingthegentleslopetowardthismassoffreightwhenherbloodtingledatadeep，hoarse，mournfulwhistlefromfaraway；sheknewitwastheupboat，roundingthebendandsightingthetown。ThesoundechoedmusicallybackandforthbetweentheKentuckyandtheIndianabluffs，diedlingeringlyaway。Againthewhistleboomed，againthedarkforest-cladsteepssenttheechoestoandfroacrossthebroadsilverriver。Andnowshecouldseethesteamer，atthebend——adarkmasspickedoutwithbrilliantdotsoflight；thebigfunnels，thetwothickpennantsofblacksmoke。Andshecouldhearthefaintpleasantstrokeofthepaddlesofthebigsidewheelsuponthewater。
Atthewharfboattherehadnotbeenasignoflife。Butwiththedyingawayofthesecondwhistlelights——thelightsoflanterns——appearedontheleveeclosetothewater”sedgeandonthewharfboatitself。And，behindher，thedoorsoftheSutherlandHotelopenedanditsofficelitup，inpreparationforanychancearrivals。Sheturnedabruptlyoutofthebeatenpathdownthegravellevee，madefortheloweranddarkerendofthewharfboat。TherewouldbeSutherlandpeoplegoinguptheriver。Buttheywouldbemorethanprompt；everyonecameearlytoboatsandtrainstobeginthesweetdraughtoftheexcitementofjourneying。Soshewouldwaitinthedarknessandgoaboardwhenthesteamerwasabouttodrawinitsplanks。Attheupperendofthewharfboattherewasthebroadgangwaytotheleveeforpassengersandfreight；attheloweranddarkanddesertedendanarrowbeamextendedfromboattoshore，toholdtheboatsteady。Susan，balancingherselfwithherbundle，wentuptothebeam，satdownuponalowstanchioninthedarknesswhereshecouldseetheriver。
Louderandloudergrewtheregularmusicalbeatofengineandpaddle。Thesearchlightontheforwarddeckofthe_GeneralLytle_，afterpeeringuncertainly，suspiciously，attheentirelevee，andattheriver，andattheKentuckyshore，abruptlyfocuseduponthewharfboat。The_GeneralLytle_nowseemedablazeoflights——fromlowerdeck，fromsaloondeck，frompilothousedeck，andforwardandastern。Ahundredinterestingsoundscamefromher——tinklingofbells，callsfromdecktodeck，whistling，creakingofpulleys，lowingofcattle，gruntingofswine，plaintofagitatedsheep，theresignedcluckingsofmanychickens。Alongtherailofthemiddleorsaloondeckwereseatedafewpassengerswhohadnotyetgonetobed。Onthelowerdeckwasaswarmofblackroustabouts，theirsootyanimalfaces，theiruncannilycontrastingwhiteteethandeyeballs，theirstrangeandvariedragslitupbythetorchesblazingwhereagangplanklayreadyforrunningout。AndhighandclearinthelovelyJunenightsailedthemoon，spreadingafaintbenignlightuponhillsandshoresandglisteningriver，uponthegraceful，statelymailsteamer，nowadvancingmajesticallyuponthewharfboat。Susanwatchedall，sawall，withquickbeatingheartandquiveringinterest。Itwasthefirsttimethatherlifehadbeenvisitedbythefascinatingsenseofevent，realevent。Thetall，proud，impetuouschild-woman，standinginthesemi-darknessbesideherbundle，wasabouttocastherstakeuponthetableinaboldgamewithDestiny。Hereyesshonewiththewonderfulexpressionthatisseenonlywhencouragegazesintothebrightfaceofdanger。
Thesteamertouchedtheedgeofthewharf-boatwithgentlecare；
thewharf-boatswayedandgroaned。Evenasthegangplankswerepushingout，theragged，fantasticroustabouts，withwild，savage，hilariouscries，ranandjumpedandscrambledtothewharf-boatlikeabandofescapinglunaticsanddarteddownitsshoreplankstopounceuponthepilesoffreight。Themate，atthesteameredgetosuperintendtheloading，andthewharfmasterontheleveebesidethefreightreleasedeachahoarsetorrentofprofanitytospurontheyelling，laughingroustabouts，morebrutethanman。Torchesflared；cowandsheep，pigandchicken，utteredeachitsowncryofdissatisfactionordismay；themateandwharfmastercursedbecauseitwasthecustomtocurse；theroustaboutsrushedashoreempty-handed，camefilingback，stoopingundertheirburdens。Itwasasceneofanimation，ofexcitement，savage，grotesque，fascinating。
Susan，tremblingalittle，sotensewerehernerves，waiteduntilthelaststrugglingroustaboutswerestaggeringontheboat，untilthedeepwhistlesounded，warningofapproachingdeparture。Thenshetookupherbundleandputherselfinthelineofroustabouts，betweenahalf-nakednegro，blackascoalandbearingasmallbarrelofbeer，andahalf-nakedmulattobearingabundleofloud-smellinguntannedskins。“Getoutoftheway，lady！“yelledthemate，eagerlyseizinguponanewtextforhisdenunciations。“Getoutoftheway，youblackhellions！
Lettheladypass！Lookout，lady！Youdamnedsonsofhell，what”reyouabout！I”llripoutyourbowels——”
Susanfledacrossthedeckanddartedupthestairstothesaloon。Thesteamerwasallwhitewithoutexcepttheblackmetalwork。Within——thatis，inthelongsaloonoutofwhichthecabinsopenedtorightandleftandinwhichthemealswereservedatextensiontables——therewasthepalatialsplendorofwhiteandgilt。Attheforwardendnearthemainentrancewastheoffice。Susan，peeringinfromthedarknessofthedeck，sawthatthewaywasclear。TheSutherlandpassengershadbeenaccommodated。Sheentered，putherbundledown，facedtheclerkbehindthedesk。
“Why，howdy，MissLenox，“saidhegenially，beginningtotwisthisnarrow，carefullyattendedblondmustache。“Anyofthefolkswithyou？“
Sherememberedhisfacebutnothisname。Sherememberedhimasoneofthe“rivercharacters“regardedasoutcastbytheChristianrespectabilityofSutherland。Butshewhocouldnotbutbepolitetoeverybodysmiledpleasantly，thoughshedidnotlikehisexpressionashelookedather。“No，I”malone，“saidshe。
“Oh——yourfriendsaregoingtomeetyouatthewharfinthemorning，“saidhe，contentwithhisownexplanation。“Justsignhere，please。”And，asshewrote，hewenton：“I”vegotoneroomleft。Ain”tthatlucky？It”saniceone，too。You”llbeverycomfortable。Everybodyathomewell？Iain”tbeeninSutherlandfornightenyears。EveryweekorsoIthinkIwill，andthensomehowIdon”t。Here”syourkey——number34right-handside，welldowntowardthefarend，yonder。Twodollars，please。Thankyou——exactlyright。Hopeyousleepwell。”
“Thankyou，“saidSusan。
Sheturnedawaywiththekeywhichwasthrustthroughoneendofastickaboutafootlong，tomakeittoobulkyforabsent-mindedpassengerstopocket。Shetookupherbundle，walkeddownthelongsaloonwithitsgiltdecorations，itscrystalchandeliers，itsdoublearrayofsmalldoors，eachnumbered。Theclerklookedafterher，admirationofthefinecurveofhershoulders，back，andhipswrittenplainuponhisinsignificantfeatures。Anditwasafreeadmirationhewouldnothavedaredshowhadshenotbeenadaughterofillegitimacy——agirlwhosemother”s“looseness“raisedpleasingifscandaloussuggestionsandevenpossibilitiesinthemindofeverymanwithacarnaleye。Andnotunnaturally。Tothinkofherwastothinkofthecircumstancessurroundinghercomingintotheworld；andtothinkofthosecircumstanceswastothinkofimmorality。
Susan，allunconsciousofthatpollutedandimpudentgaze，wassoonstandingbeforethenarrowdoornumbered34，asshebarelymadeout，forthelampsinthesaloonchandelierswereturnedlow。Sheunlockedit，enteredthesmallcleanstateroomanddepositedherbundleonthefloor。Withjustaglanceatherquartersshehurriedtotheoppositedoor——theonegivinguponthepromenade。Sheopenedit，steppedout，crossedthedeserteddeckandstoodattherail。
The_GeneralLytle_wasdrawingslowlyawayfromthewharf-boat。
Asthatpartofthepromenadehappenedtobeshelteredfromthesteamer”slights，shewasseeingthepanoramaofSutherland——itslongstretchofshadedwaterfront，itscupolasandsteeples，thewideleafystreetsleadingstraightfromtheriverbyagentleslopetothebaseofthedarktoweringbluffsbehindthetown——allsleepinginpeaceandbeautyinthesoftlightofthemoon。Thatfarthestcupolatotheleft——itwastheNumberTwoenginehouse，andthethirdplacefromitwasheruncle”shouse。
Slowlythesteamer，nowinmid-stream，drewawayfromthetown。
Onebyonethefamiliarlandmarks——thepackinghouse，thesoapfactory，theGeissbrewery，thetallchimneyofthepumpingstation，theshorntopofReservoirHill——slippedghostlilyawaytothesouthwest。Thesobschokedupintoherthroatandthetearsrainedfromhereyes。Theyallpitiedandlookeddownonherthere；still，ithadbeenhometheonlyhomesheeverhadknownoreverwouldknow。Anduntiltheselastfewfrightfuldays，howhappyshehadbeenthere！Forthefirsttimeshefeltdesolate，weak，afraid。Butnotdaunted。Itisstrangetoseeinstronghumancharacterthestrengthandtheweakness，twoflatcontradictions，existingsidebysideandmakingweakwhatseemssostrongandmakingstrongwhatseemssoweak。However，humancharacterisatangleofinconsistencies，asdisorderlyandinchoateasthetangibleandvisiblepartsofnature。Susanfeltweak，butnotthekindofweaknessthatskulks。Andtherelaythedifference，theabysmaldifference，betweencourageandcowardice。Couragehasfullasmuchfearascowardice，oftenmore；butithasasomethingelsethatcowardicehasnot。Ittremblesandshiversbutgoesforward。
Wipinghereyesshewentbacktoherowncabin。Shehadneglectedclosingitsotherdoor，theonefromthesaloon。Theclerkwasstandingsmirkinginthedoorway。
“Youmustbegoingawayforquitesometime，“saidhe。Andhefixeduponherasgreedyandimpudenteyesaseverlookedfromacommonface。Itwashisbattleglance。Guilefulwomen，bentontrimminghimforanythingfromapieceofplatedjewelrytoasauceroficecream，hadledhimtobelievethatbeforeitwallsofvirtuetotteredandfelllikeJericho”sbeforethetrumpetsofJoshua。
“Itmakesmealittlehomesicktoseetheoldtowndisappear，“
hastilyexplainedSusan，recoveringherself。Theinstantanyonewaswatching，heremotionsalwayshid。
“Wouldn”tyouliketositoutondeckawhile？“pursuedtheclerk，bringingupawinningsmiletoreinforcethefetchingstare。
Theideawasattractive，forshedidnotfeellikesleep。Itwouldbefinetositoutintheopen，watchthemoonandthestars，themysteriousbanksglidingswiftlyby，andnewvistasalwayswideningoutahead。Butnotwiththispuny，sandylittle“rivercharacter，“notwithanybodythatnight。“No，“repliedshe。“IthinkI”llgotobed。”
Shehadhesitated——andthatwasenoughtogivehimencouragement。“Now，docome，“heurged。“Youdon”tknowhowniceitis。AndtheysayI”mmightygoodcompany。”
“No，thanks。”Susannoddedapleasantdismissal。
Theclerklingered。“Can”tIhelpyouinsomeway？Wouldn”tyoulikemetogetyousomething？“
“No——nothing。”
“GoingtovisitinCincinnati？IknowthetownfromAtoIzzard。
It”salotoffunovertheRhine。I”vehadmightygoodtimesthere——thekindapretty，livelygirllikeyouwouldtaketo。”
“WhendowegettoCincinnati？“
“Abouteight——maybehalf-pastseven。Dependsonthelandingswehavetomake，andthefreight。”
“ThenI”llnothavemuchtimeforsleep，“saidSusan。“Goodnight。”Andnomorerealizingthecoldnessofhermannerthanthereasonforhishangingabout，shefacedhim，handonthedoortocloseit。
“Youain”tabitfriendly，“wheedledhe。
“I”msorryyouthinkso。Goodnight——andthankyou。”Andhecouldnotbutwithdrawhisformfromthedoor。Shecloseditandforgothim。Andshedidnotdreamshehadpassedthroughoneofthoseperilousadventuresincidenttoafemaletravelingalone——adventuresthateveninthetellingfrightenladieswhosenervousnessfortheirsafetyseemstoincreaseindirectproportiontothedegreeoftranquillitytheircharmscreateinthemalebosom。Shedecideditwouldbeunwiseregularlytoundress；theboatmightcatchfireorblowuporsomething。Shetookoffskirt，hatandties，loosenedherwaist，andlayuponthelowerofthetwoplain，hardlittleberths。Thethroboftheengines，thebeatofthehugepaddles，madethewholeboattrembleandshiver。Faintlyupfrombelowcamethesoundofquarrelsovercrap-shooting，ofbanjosandsinging——fromtheroustaboutsamusingthemselvesbetweenlandings。Shethoughtshewouldnotbeabletosleepinthesenovelandexcitingsurroundings。Shehadhardlycomposedherselfbeforeshelostconsciousness，tosleeponandondreamlessly，withoutmotion。
CHAPTERVII
SHEwasawakenedbyacrashsouproariousthatshesatboltuprightbeforeshehadhereyesopen。Herheadstruckstunninglyagainstthebottomoftheupperberth。Thisfurtherconfusedherthoughts。Sheleapedfromthebed，caughtupherslippers，reachedforheropened-upbundle。Thecrashwasstillbillowingthroughtheboat；shenowrecognizeditasagreatgongsoundingforbreakfast。Shesatdownonthebedandrubbedherheadandlaughedmerrily。“I_am_agreenhorn！“shesaid。“AnotherminuteandI”dhavehadthewholeboatlaughingatme。”
Shefeltrestedandhungry——ravenouslyhungry。Shetuckedinherblouse，washedaswellasshecouldinthetinybowlonthelittlewashstand。Thenbeforethecloudywatermarkedmirrorshearrangedherscarcelymussedhair。Acharmingvisionoffreshyoungloveliness，strong，erect，healthy，brightofeyeandofcheek，shemadeas，afterafurtivelookupanddownthesaloon，shesteppedfromherdooraveryfewminutesafterthecrashofthatgong。Withmuchscufflingandbustlingthepassengers，mostofthemcountrypeople，werehurryingintoplacesatthetableswhichnowhadtheirextensionleavesandwerecoveredwithcoarsewhitetableclothsandwithdishesofnickedstoneware，white，indeed，butshabbilyso。ButSusan”syoungeyeswerenotcritical。Toheritallseemedfine，withtherichflavorofadventure。Amoreexperiencedtravelermighthavebeenfilledwithgloomyforebodingbythequalityoftheodorfromthecooking。Shefounditdelightfulandsympathizedwiththeunrestrainedeagernessofthehomelycountryfacesabouther，withthechildrenbeatingtheirspoonsontheiremptyplates。
Thecoloredwaiterspresentlybegantostreamin，eachwearingasoiledwhitejacket，eachbearingaloftahugetrayonwhichwerestackedfilleddishesandsteamingcups。
Coloredpeoplehaveakeeninstinctforclass。Oneofthewaitershappenedtonoteher，advancedbowingandsmilingwiththatgood-humored，unservilecourtesywhichisthepeculiarpossessionoftheAmericanizedcoloredrace。Heflourishedherintoachairwitha“Goodmorning，miss。It”sgoingtobeafineday。”Andassoonasshewasseatedhebegantoformroundherplatealargeinclosingarcofsidedishes——friedfish，friedsteak，friedegg，friedpotatoes，wheatcakes，cannedpeaches，acupofcoffee。Hedrewtowardheracanofsyrup，apitcherofcream，andabowlofgranulatedsugar。
“Anythingelse？“saidhe，withashowofteethwhiteandsound。
“No——nothing。Thankyousomuch。”
Hersmilestimulatedhimtofurthercourtesies。“Somelikestheyeggsbiled。ShallIchange”em？“
“No。Ilikethemthisway。”Shewassohungrythattheideaoftakingawayacertaintyonthechanceofgettingsomethingoutofsightandnotyetcookeddidnotattracther。
“Perhaps——alittlebetterpieceofsteak？“
“No——thislooksfine。”Herenthusiasmwasnotmerepoliteness。
“Icleanforgotyourhotbiscuits。”Andawayhedarted。
Whenhecamebackwithaheapingplateofhotbiscuits，SallyLunnandcornbread，shewaseatingasheartilyasanyofherneighbors。Itseemedtoherthatneverhadshetastedsuchgrandfoodasthisservedinthewhiteandgoldsaloonwithstrangenessandinterestallaboutherandthedelightfulsenseofmotion——motionintothefascinatinggoldenunknown。Themenatthetablewereeatingwiththeirknives；eachhadoneprotectingforearmandhandcastroundhisarcofsmalldishesasiftowardoffprobableattemptatseizure。Andtheyswallowedasiftheboatwereafire。Thewomenatemoredaintily，asbecamemembersofthefinersexonpublicexhibition。Theywerewearingfingerlessnetgloves，andtheirlittlefingersstoodstraightoutinthatgesturewhicheverytrulyelegantwomandeemsnecessaryifthefoodistobedaintilyandartisticallyconveyedtoherlips。Thechildrenmussedandgormedthemselves，theirdishes，thetablecloth。
Susanloveditall。Hereyessparkled。Sheateeverything，andregrettedthatlackofcapacitymadeitimpossibleforhertoyieldtotheentreatiesofherwaiterthatshe“havealittlemore。”
Sherose，wentintothenearestpassagewaybetweensaloonandpromenade，stealthilytookaten-centpiecefromherpocketbook。
Shecalledherwaiterandgaveittohim。Shewasblushingdeeply，frightenedlestthisthefirsttipshehadevergivenorseengivenbemisunderstoodandrefused。“I”msomuchobliged，“
shesaid。“Youwereverynice。”
Thewaiterbowedlikeaprince，alwayswithhissimple，friendlysmile；thetipdisappearedunderhisapron。“Nobodycouldhelpbeingnicetoyou，lady。”
Shethankedhimagainandwenttothepromenade。Itseemedtoherthattheyhadalmostarrived。Alongshorestretchedacontinuouslineofhouses——prettyhouseswithgardens。Therewereelectriccars。Nearertheriverlayseveralparallellinesofrailwaytrackalongwhichtrainaftertrainwasspeeding，someofthemshorttrainsofordinarydaycoaches，otherslongtrainsmadeupinpartofcoachesgranderandmorebeautifulthananyshehadeverseen。Sheknewtheymustbetheparloranddiningandsleepingcarsshehadreadabout。Andnowtheywereinthemidstofafleetofsteamersandbarges，andfaraheadloomedthefirstofCincinnati”sbigsuspensionbridges，picturesofwhichshehadmanyatimegazedatinwonder。Therewasaminglingofstrangeloudnoises——whistles，engines，onthewater，onshore；therewasamultitudeofwhatseemedtoherfeverishactivities——shewhohadnotbeenoutofquietSutherlandsinceshewasababytooyoungtonotethings。
Theriver，theshores，grewmoreandmorecrowded。Susan”seyesdartedfromonenewobjecttoanother；andeagerlythoughshelookedshefeltshewasmissingmorethanshesaw。
“Why，SusanLenox！“exclaimedavoicealmostinherear。
Sheclosedherteethuponacry；suddenlyshewasbackfromwonderlandtoherself。Sheturnedtofacedumpy，dressyMrs。
Waterburyandherhusbandwiththeglossykinkyringletsandthelongwavymustache。“Howdoyoudo？“shestammered。
“Wedidn”tknowyouwereaboard，“saidMrs。Waterbury，asilly，duck-leggedwomanlookingproudlyuncomfortableinherbead-trimmedblacksilk。
“Yes——I”m——I”mhere，“confessedSusan。
“Goingtothecitytovisit？“
“Yes，“saidSusan。Shehesitated，thenrepeated，“Yes。”
“Whatelegantbreakfaststheydoserveontheseboats！Isupposeyourfriends”llmeetyou。ButMortandI”lllookafteryoutilltheycome。”
“Oh，itisn”tnecessary，“protestedSusan。Thesteamerwaspassingunderthebridge。Therewerecitiesonbothshores——hugemassesofdingybrick，streetsfilledwithmotionofeverykind——alwaysmotion，incessantmotion，andchange。“We”reaboutthere，aren”twe？“sheasked。
“Thewharf”supbeyondthesecondbridge——theCovingtonBridge，“
explainedWaterburywiththeairoftheoldexperiencedglobe-trotter。“There”sathirdone，furtherup，butyoucan”tseeitforthesmoke。”Andhewentonandon，volublyairinghisintimateknowledgeofthegreatcitywhichhevisitedonceayearfortwoorthreedaystobuygoods。Heendedwithascornful，“My，butCincinnati”sadirtyplace！“
Dirtyitmightbe，butSusanlovedit，dirtandall。Thesmoke，thegrimesomehowseemedpartofit，oneofitscharms，oneofthethingsthatmadeitdifferentfrom，andsuperiorto，monotonouscountryandcountrytown。SheedgedawayfromtheWaterburys，hidinherstateroomwatchingthepanoramathroughthecurtainedglassofherpromenadedeckdoor。Shewascompletelycarriedaway。Thecity！So，thiswasthecity！Andherdreamsoftravel，ofnewsights，newfaces，werebeginningtocometrue。Sheforgotherself，forgotwhatshehadleftbehind，forgotwhatshewastoface。Allherpowerofthoughtandfeelingwasusedupinabsorbingtheseunfoldingwonders。
AndwhentheJunesunsuddenlypiercedtheheavycloudsoffogandsmoke，sheclaspedherhandsandgasped，“Lovely！Oh，howlovely！“
Andnowthesteamerwasatthehugewharf-boat，inshapeliketheoneatSutherland，butincomparativesizeliketherealNoah”sArkbesideatoyark。Andfromthewholetremendoussceneroseanenormousclamor，thestentorianvoiceofthecity。Thatvoiceisdiscordantandterrifyingtomany。ToSusan，onthatday，itwasthemostsplendidburstofmusic。“Awake——awake！“itcried。“Awake，and_live！_“Sheopenedherdoorthatshemighthearitbetter——rattleandrumbleandroar，shriekofwhistle，clangofbell。Andthepeople！——Thousandsonthousandshurryinghitherandyon，likebeesinahive。“Awakeawake，andlive！“
Thenoisesfromthesaloonremindedherthatthejourneywasended，thatshemustleavetheboat。Andshedidnotknowwheretogo——sheandherbundle。ShewaiteduntilshesawtheWaterburys，alongwiththeotherpassengers，movingupthelevee。Thensheissuedforth——bythepromenadedeckdoorsothatshewouldnotpasstheoffice。Butattheheadofthecompanionway，intheforwardpartofthedeck，theretheclerkstood，lookingevenpettierandmoreoffensivebydaylight。Shethoughttoslipbyhim。Buthestoppedstrokinghismustacheandcalledouttoher，“Haven”tyourfriendscome？“
Shefrowned，angryinhernervousness。“Ishallgetonverywell，“shesaidcurtly。Thensherepented，smiledpolitely，added，“Thankyou。”
“I”llputyouinacarriage，“heoffered，hasteningdownthestairstojoinher。
Shedidnotknowwhattosayordo。Shewalkedsilentlybesidehim，hecarryingherbundle。Theycrossedthewharf-boat。Alineofdilapidatedlookingcarriageswasdrawnupneartheendofthegangplank。Thesightofthem，theremembranceofwhatshehadheardoftheexpensivenessofcitycarriages，nervedhertodesperation。“Givememythings，please，“shesaid。“IthinkI”llwalk。”
“Wheredoyouwanttogo？“
Thequestiontookherbreathaway。Withaquicknessthatamazedher，herlipsuttered，“TheGibsonHouse。”
“Oh！That”sarightsmartpiece。Butyoucantakeacar。I”llwalkwithyoutothecar。There”salineacoupleofsquaresupthatgoesalmostbythedoor。Youknowitisn”tfarfromFourthStreet。”
Shewasnowinaflutterofterror。Shewentstumblingalongbesidehim，nothearingawordofhisvolubleandflirtatioustalk。Theywereinthemidstofthemadrushandconfusion。Thenoises，nolongermingledbutindividual，smotesavagelyuponherears，startlingher，makingherlookdazedlyroundasifexpectingdeathtoswoopuponher。AtthecornerofFourthStreettheclerkhalted。Hewasclearoutofhumorwithher，sodumb，sounappreciative。“There”llbeacaralongsoon，“saidhesourly。
“Youneedn”twait，“saidshetimidly。“Thankyouagain。”
“Youcan”tmissit。Good-by。”Andheliftedhishat”tipped“
it，rather——forhewouldnothavewastedafullliftuponsuchafemale。Shegaveagaspofreliefwhenhedeparted；thenagaspofterror——forupontheoppositecornerstoodtheWaterburys。Theglobe-trotterandhiswifeweresodazedbythecitythattheydidnotseeher，thoughintheirhelplessglancingroundtheylookedstraightather。Shehastilyranintoadrugstoreonthecorner。Ayoungmaninshirtsleevesheldupbypinkgarters，andwithoilyblackhaircarefullypartedandplastered，putdownapestleandmortarandcameforward。Hehadkindbrowneyes，buttherewassomethingwrongwiththelowerpartofhisface。Susandidnotdarelooktoseewhatitwas，lestheshouldthinkherunfeeling。Hewasbehindthecounter。
Susansawthesodafountain。Asifbyinspiration，shesaid，“Somechocolatesoda，please。”
“Icecream？“askedtheyoungmaninapeculiarvoice，likethatofonewhohasaharelip。
“Please，“saidSusan。Andthenshesawthesign，“IceCream，tencents，“andwishedshehadn”t。
Theyoungmanmixedthesoda，putinaliberalhelpingoficecream，setitbeforeherwithaspooninit，restedtheknucklesofhisbrownhairyhandsonthecounterandsaid：
“It_is_hot。”
“Yes，indeed，“assentedSusan。“IwonderwhereIcouldleavemybundleforawhile。I”mastrangerandIwanttolookforaboardinghouse。”
“Youmightleaveitherewithme，“saidtheyoungman。“That”saboutourbiggestlineoftrade——thatandpostagestampsandtelephone——_and_thedirectory。“Helaughedheartily。Susandidnotseewhy；shedidnotlikethesound，either，fortheyoungman”sdeformityoflowerjawdeformedhislaughteraswellashisspeech。However，shesmiledpolitelyandateanddrankhersodaslowly。
“I”llbegladtotakecareofyourbundle，“theyoungmansaidpresently。“Everbeenherebefore？“
“No，“saidSusan。“Thatis，notsinceIwasaboutfouryearsold。”
“Iwasfour，“saidtheyoungman，“whenahorsesteppedonmymouthinthestreet。”
“My，howdreadful！“exclaimedSusan。
“Youcanseesomeofthescaryet，“theyoungmanassuredher，andhepointedtohiscuriouslysunkenmouth。“Thedoctorssaiditwasthemostremarkablecaseofthekindonrecord，“
continuedheproudly。“Thatwaswhatledmeintothemedicalline。Youdon”tseemtohaveyourboardinghousepicked。”
“Iwasgoingtolookinthepapers。”
“That”sdangerous——especiallyforayounglady。Someofthemboardinghouses——well，they”renobetter”ntheyoughttobe。”
“Idon”tsupposeyouknowofany？“
“Myauntkeepsone。Andshe”sgotavacancy，itbeingsummer。”
“I”mafraidit”dbetooexpensiveforme，“saidSusan，tofeelherway。
Theyoungmanwasmuchflattered。Buthesaid，“Oh，itain”tsotoppy。Ithinkyoucouldmakeadealwithherforfiveper。”
Susanlookedinquiring。
“Fiveaweek——roomandboard。”
“Imightstandthat，“saidSusanreflectively。Then，decidingforcompleteconfidence，“I”mlookingforwork，too。”
“Whatline？“
“Oh，Inevertriedanything。Ithoughtmaybedressmakingormillinery。”
“Mightypoorseasonforjobs。Thetimesarebad，anyhow。”Hewaslookingatherwithkindlycuriosity。“IfIwasyou，I”dgobackhome——andwait。”
Susanshrankwithinherself。“Ican”tdothat，“shesaid。
Theyoungmanthoughtawhile，thensaid：“Ifyoushouldgotomyaunt”s，youcansayMr。Ellisonsentyou。No，thatain”tme。
It”stheboss。Yousee，arespectableboardinghouseasksforreferences。”
Susancoloreddeeplyandhergazeslowlysank。“Ididn”tknowthat，“shemurmured。
“Don”tbeafraid。AuntKateain”tsoparticular——leastways，notinsummerwhenthingsisslow。AndIknowyou”requiet。”
Bythetimethesodawasfinished，theyoungman——whosaidhisnamewasRobertWylie——hadwrittenonthebackofEllison”sbusinesscardinaSpencerianhand：“Mrs。KateWylie，347WestSixthStreet。”HeexplainedthatSusanwastowalkuptwosquaresandtakethecargoingwest；theconductorwouldletheroffattherightplace。“You”dbetterleaveyourthingshere，“
saidMr。Wylie，holdingupthecardsothattheycouldadmirehispenmanshiptogether。“YoumaynothititoffwithAuntKate。
Don”tthinkyou”vegottostaytherejustbecauseofme。”
“I”msureI”lllikeit，“Susandeclaredconfidently。Herspiritswerehigh；shefeltthatshewasinastrongrunofluck。
Wylieliftedherpackageoverthecounterandwenttothedoorwithhertopointoutthedirection。“ThisisFourth。ThenextupisFifth。ThenextwideoneisSixth——andyoucanreaditonthelamp-post，too。”
“Isn”tthatconvenient！“exclaimedSusan。“Whatalovelycitythisis！“
“There”sworse，“saidMr。Wylie，nottoseemvainofhisnativetown。
Theyshookhandsmostfriendlyandshesetoutinthedirectionhehadindicated。Shewasmuchupsetbythemanyvehiclesandtheconfusion，butshedidherbesttoseemateaseandathome。
Shewatchedagirlwalkingaheadofher——ashopgirlwhoseemedwell-dressedandstylish，especiallyaboutthehatandhair。
Susantriedtowalklikeher。“IsupposeIlookandactgreenerthanIreallyam，“thoughtshe。“ButI”llkeepmyeyesopenandcatchon。”Andinthis，asinallherthoughtsandactionssinceleaving，sheshowedconfidencenotbecauseshewasconceited，butbecauseshehadnottheremotestnotionwhatshewasactuallyattempting。Howmanyofusgetcreditforcourageaswewalkunconcernedthroughperils，oressayandconquergreatobstacles，whenintruthwearenotcourageousbutsimplyunaware！Asaruleknowledgeispoweror，rather，asourceofpower，buttherearetimeswhenignoranceisapowerandknowledgeaweakness。IfSusanhadknown，shemightperhapshavestayedathomeandsubmittedand，withcrushedspirit，mighthavesunkunderthesenseofshameanddegradation。Butshedidnotknow；soColumbusbeforehissailorsorCaesarattheRubiconamonghissoldiersdidnotseemmoretranquilthanshereallywas。Wylie，whosuspectedinthedirectionofthetruth，wonderedather。“She”sgame，sheis，“hemutteredagainandagainthatmorning。“Whatanerveforakid——andalady，too！“
Shefoundtherightcornerandtherightcarwithoutfurtheradventure；andtheconductorassuredherthathewouldsetherdownbeforetheverydooroftheaddressonthecard。Itwasanopencarwithfewpassengers。Shetookthemiddleofthelongseatnearesttherearplatformandlookedaboutherlikeoneinahappydream。Onandonandyetontheywent。Witheverysquaretheypassedmorepeople，soitseemedtoher，thantherewereinallSutherland。Andwhathugestores！Andwhatwonderfuldisplaysofthingstowear！Wherewouldthepeoplebefoundtobuysuchquantities，andwherewouldtheygetthemoneytopay？
Howmanyrestaurantsandsaloons！Why，everybodymustbeeatinganddrinkingallthetime。Andateachcornershelookedupanddownthecrossstreets，andthereweremoreandevermoremagnificentbuildings，throngsuponthrongsofpeople。Wastherenoendtoit？ThiswasSixthStreet，stillSixthStreet，asshesawatthecornerlamp-posts。Thentheremustbefivemoresuchstreetsbetweenthisandtheriver；andshecouldsee，upthecrossstreets，thatthecitywasevenvasterinthedirectionofthehills。Andtherewereallthesecrossstreets！Itwasstupefying——overwhelming——incredible。
Shebegantobenervous，theyweregoingsofar。Sheglancedanxiouslyattheconductor。Hewaswatchingherinterestedly，understoodherglance，answereditwithareassuringnod。Hecalledout：
“I”mlookingoutforyou，miss。I”vegotyouonmymind。Don”tyoufret。”
Shegavehimabrightsmileofrelief。Theywerepassingthroughadoublerowofwhatseemedtoherstatelyresidences，andtherewerefewpeopleonthesidewalks。Theair，too，wasclearer，thoughthewallsweregrimyandalsothegrassintheoccasionaltinyfrontyards。Butthecurtainsatthewindowslookedcleanandfresh，andsodidthebetterclassofpeopleamongthoseonthesidewalk。Itdelightedhertoseesomanywell-dressedwomen，wearingtheirclotheswithanairwhichshetoldherselfshemustacquire。Shewasstartledbytheconductor”scallingout：
“Now，miss！“
Sheroseasherangthebellandwasreadytogetoffwhenthecarstopped，forshewaseagertocausehimaslittletroubleaspossible。
“Thehouseisrightstraightbeforeyou，“saidtheconductor。
“Thenumber”sinthetransom。”
Shethankedhim，descended，wasonthesidewalkbeforeMrs。
Wylie”s。Shelookedatthehouseandherheartsank。Shethoughtofthesmallsuminherpurse；itwasmostunlikelythatsuchahouseasthiswouldharborher。Forherewasagrandstonestairwayascendingtoadeepstoneportico，andwithinitgreatdoors，biggerthanthoseoftheWrightmansion，thepalaceofSutherland。However，sherecalledthehumbleappearanceandmodeofspeechofherfriendthedrugclerkandpluckedupthecouragetoascendandtoring。
Aslattern，coloredmaidopenedthedoor。Atthefirstglancewithin，atthefirstwhiffoftheinteriorair，Susanfeltmoreatease。Forshewasseeingwhatevenherbedazzledeyesrecognizedascheapdowdiness，andthesmellthatassailedhernostrilswasthatofahousebadlyandpoorlykept——thesmellofcheapfoodandbadbuttercooking，ofcats，ofundustedrooms，ofvariousunrecognizablekindsofstaleness。Shestoodinthecenterofthebigdingyparlor，gazingroundatthegrimedchromosuntilMrs。Wylieentered——athinmiddle-agedwomanwithsmallbrowneyessetwideapart，aperpetualfrown，andachinsolongandsoprojectedthatshewasalmostjimber-jawed。WhileSusanexplainedstammeringlywhatshehadcomefor，Mrs。Wylieeyedherwithincreasingdisfavor。WhenSusanhadfinished，sheunlockedherlipsforthefirsttimetosay：
“Theroom”stook。”
“Oh！“criedSusanindismay。
Thetelephoneranginthebackparlor。Mrs。Wylieexcusedherselftoanswer。Afterafewwordssheclosedthedoorsbetween。Shewasgonefullyfiveminutes；toSusanitseemedanhour。Shecameback，saying：
“I”vebeentalkingtomynephew。Hecalledup。Well，Ireckonyoucanhavetheroom。Itain”tmycustomtotakeinladiesasyoungasyou。Butyouseemtobeallright。Yourparentsallowedyoutocome？“
“Ihaven”tany，“repliedSusan。“I”mheretofindaplaceandsupportmyself。”
Mrs。Wyliecontinuedtoeyeherdubiously。“Well，Ihavenowishtopryintoyouraffairs。`Mindyourownbusiness”that”smyrule。”Shespokewithdefiance，asifthecontrarywerebeingassertedbysomeinvisiblepersonwhomightappearandgainhearingandbelief。Shewenton：“IfMr。Ellisonwantsit，whyI
supposeit”sallright。Butyoucan”tstayoutlater”nteno”clock。”
“Ishan”tgooutatallofnights，“saidSusaneagerly。
“You_look_quiet，“saidMrs。Wylie，withtheairofaddingthatappearanceswererarelyotherthandeceptive。
“Oh，I_am_quiet，“declaredSusan。Itpuzzledher，thisrecurrenceofthesuggestionofnoisiness。
“Ican”tallowmuchcompany——noneinyourroom。”
“Therewon”tbeanycompany。”Sheblusheddeeply。“Thatis，a——ayoungmanfromourtown——hemaycallonce。Buthe”llbeofffortheEastrightaway。”
Mrs。Wyliereflectedonthis，Susanthewhilestandinguneasily，dreadinglestdecisionwouldbeagainsther。FinallyMrs。Wyliesaid：
“Robertsaysyouwantthefive-dollarroom。I”llshowittoyou。”
Theyascendedtwoflightsthroughincreasingshabbiness。Onthethirdfloorattherearwasaroom——amerecontinuationofthenarrowhall，partitionedoff。Itcontainedasmallfoldingbed，asmalltable，atinybureau，awashstandhardlyaslargeasthatinthecabinontheboat，arowofhookswithacurtainoffloweredchintzbeforethem，akitchenchair，achromoof“AwakeandAsleep，“atornanddirtyragcarpet。Theodoroftheroom，stale，damp，vergingonmoldy，seemedthefittingexhalationfromsuchanassemblageofforbiddingobjects。
“It”sanice，comfortableroom，“saidMrs。Wylieaggressively。
“Icouldn”taffordtogiveitandtwomealsforfivedollarsexcepttillthefirstofSeptember。Afterthatit”seight。”
“I”llbegladtostay，ifyou”llletme，“saidSusan。Mrs。
Wylie”ssuspicion，soplaininthoserepellenteyes，tookallthecourageoutofher。Thegreatadventureseemedrapidlytobelosingitscharms。Shecouldnotthinkofherselfascontentoranythingbutsadanddepressedinsuchsurroundingsasthese。
Howmuchbetteritwouldbeifshecouldliveoutintheopen，outwhereitwasattractive！
“Isupposeyou”vegotsomebaggage，“saidMrs。Wylie，asifsheratherexpectedtohearthatshehadnot。
“Ileftitatthedrugstore，“explainedSusan。
“Yourtrunk？“
Susanstartednervouslyatthatexplosiveexclamation。“I——I
haven”tgotatrunk——onlyafewthingsinashawlstrap。”
“Well，Inever！“
Mrs。Wylietossedherhead，cluckedhertonguedisgustedlyagainsttheroofofhermouth。“ButIsupposeifMr。Ellisonsaysso，whyyoucanstay。”
“Thankyou，“saidSusanhumbly。Evenifitwouldnothavebeenbasestingratitudetobetrayherfriend，Mr。Wylie，stillshewouldnothavehadthecouragetoconfessthetruthaboutMr。
Ellisonandsogetherselforderedintothestreet。“I——IthinkI”llgoformythings。”
“Thecustomistopayinadvance，“saidMrs。Wyliesharply。
“Oh，yes——ofcourse，“stammeredSusan。
Sheseatedherselfonthewoodenchairandopenedoutherpurse。
Shefoundthefiveamongherfewbills，extendeditwithtremblingfingerstowardMrs。Wylie。Atthesametimesheliftedhereyes。Thewoman”sexpressionassheboredintothepocketbookterrifiedher。Neverbeforehadsheseenthesavagegreedinessthatisbredinthecityamongthepeoplewhofightagainstfearfuloddstomaintaintheirrespectabilityandtosavethemselvesfromtheeverthreateneddroptothedespisedworkingclass。
“Thankyou，“saidMrs。Wylie，takingthebillasifshewereconferringafavoruponSusan。“Imakeeverybodypaypromptly。
Thefirstoftheweekorouttheygo！IusedtobeeasyandI
cameneargoingdown。”
“Oh，Ishouldn”tstayaminuteifIcouldn”tpay，“saidthegirl。“I”mgoingtolookforsomethingrightaway。”
“Well，Idon”twanttodiscourageyou，butthere”sagreatmanyoutofwork。Still，Isupposeyou”llbeabletowheedlesomemanintogivingyouajob。ButIwarnyouI”mveryparticularaboutmorals。IfIseeanysigns——”Mrs。Wyliedidnotfinishhersentence。Anywordswouldhavebeenweakerthanherlook。
Susancoloredandtrembled。Notatthepoisonoushintastohowmoneycouldbegottokeeponpayingforthatroom，forthehintpassedwideofSusan。Shewasagitatedbythethought：ifMrs。
Wylieshouldlearnthatshewasnotrespectable！IfMrs。Wylieshouldlearnthatshewasnameless——wasbornindisgracesodeepthat，nomatterhowgoodshemightbe，shewouldyetbeclassedwiththewicked。
“I”mdownlikeathousandofbrickonanywomanthatisatallloosewiththemen，“continuedthelandlady。“Inevercouldunderstandhowanywomancouldsofarforgetherself。”Andthewomanwhomthemenhadallherlifebeenhelpingtotheiruttermostnotto“forgetherself“lookedsharpsuspicionandenvyatSusan，thelovely。WhyarewomenoftheMrs。Wyliesortsoswifttosuspect？Canitbethatinsomesecretchamberoftheirneverassailedheartstherelurksalonging——afeelingastowhattheywoulddoiftheyhadthechance？Mrs。Wyliecontinued，“IhopeyouhavestrictChristianprinciples？“
“IwasbroughtupPresbyterian，“saidSusananxiously。ShewasfarfromsurethatinCincinnatiandbyitsMrs。WyliesPresbyterianwouldberegardedasChristian。
“There”syourkindofachurchafewsquaresfromhere，“wasallMrs。Wyliedeignedtoreply。SusansuspectedasneeratPresbyterianisminheraccent。
“That”llbenice，“shemurmured。Shewaseagertoescape。“I”llgoformythings。”
“YoucanwalkdownandtaketheFourthStreetcar，“suggestedherlandlady。“Thenyoucanwatchoutandnotmissthestore。
Theconductorsareveryimpudentandforgetful。”
Susanescapedfromthehouseasspeedilyasherflyingfeetwouldtakeherdownthetwoflights。Inthestreetoncemore，herspiritsrose。ShewentsouthtoFourthStreet，decidedtowalkinsteadoftakingacar。Shenowfoundherselfinmuchmoreimpressivesurroundingsthanbefore，andrealizedthatSixthStreetwasreallyoneoftheminorstreets。Thefurtheruptownshewent，themoreexcitedshebecame。Afterthedistrictofstatelymansionswithwonderfulcarriagesdrivingupandawayandwomendressedlikethoseintheillustratedstorypapers，camesplendidshopsandhotels，finerthanSusanhadbelievedtherewereanywhereintheworld。Andmostofthepeople——thecrowdsoncrowdsofpeople！——lookedprosperousandcheerfulandsodelightfullycitified！Shewonderedwhysomanyofthemenstaredather。Sheassumeditmustbesomethingruralinherappearancethoughthatoughttohavesetthewomentostaring，too。Butshethoughtlittleaboutthis，soabsorbedwassheinseeingallthenewthings。Shewalkedslowly，pausingtoinspecttheshopwindows——thegorgeousdressesandhatsandjewelry，thethousandcostlythingsscatteredincarelessprofusion。Andthecrowds！Howsecureshefeltamongthesemultitudesofstrangers，notoneofthemknowingorsuspectinghersecretofshame！Shenolongerhadthesenseofbeingoutcast，branded。
Whenshehadgonesofarthatitseemedtohershecertainlymusthavemissedthedrugstore，carefullythoughshehadinspectedeachcornerasshewent，shedecidedthatshemuststopsomeoneofthishurryingthrongandinquiretheway。Whileshewasstillscrewinghercouragetothisboldness，sheespiedthesignandhastenedjoyfullyacrossthestreet。SheandWyliewelcomedeachotherlikeoldfriends。Hewasdelightedwhenhelearnedthatshehadtakentheroom。
“Youwon”tmindAuntKateafterawhile，“saidhe。“She”ssourandnosey，butshe”shonestandrespectable——andthat”sthemainthingjustnowwithyou。AndIthinkyou”llgetajoballright。
AuntKate”sgotaladyfriendthat”sheadsalesladyatShillito”s。She”llknowofsomething。”
WyliewassokindandsohopefulthatSusanfeltalreadysettled。Assoonascustomerscamein，shetookherparcelandwent，Wyliesaying，“I”lldroproundaftersupperandseehowthingsaregettingon。”ShetooktheSixthStreetcarback，andfeltlikeanoldresident。ShewascriticalofSixthStreetnow，andofthewomenshehadbeenadmiringtherelessthantwohoursbefore——criticaloftheirmannersandoftheirdress。Theexterioroftheboardinghousenolongerawedher。Shewasgettingapointofview——assheproudlyrealized。BythetimeSamcame——andsurelythatwouldn”tbemanydays——shewouldbequitetransformed。
ShemountedthestepsandwasabouttoringwhenMrs。Wylieherself，withstormybrowandsnappingeyes，openedthedoor。
“Gointotheparlor，“shejerkedoutfrombetweenherunpleasant-lookingrecedingteeth。
Susangaveheraglanceoffrightenedwonderandobeyed。
CHAPTERVIII
ATthethresholdherbundlesdroppedtothefloorandallcolorfledfromherface。BeforeherstoodherUncleGeorgeandSamWrightandhisfather。Thetwoelderlymenweregloweringather；Sam，whiteashisshirtandlimp，washanginghishead。
“So，miss！——You”vegotback，eh？“criedheruncleinatoneshewouldnothavebelievedcouldcomefromhim。
Asquicklyasfearhadseizedhershenowshookitoff。“Yes，Uncle，“shesaidcalmly，meetinghisangryeyeswithoutflinching。Andbackcamethatexpressionofresolution——ofstubbornnesswecallitwhenitistheflagofoppositionto_our_will。
“What”dhavebecomeofyou，“demandedheruncle，“ifIhadn”tfoundoutearlythismorning，andgotafterSamhereandchokedthetruthoutofhim？“
SusangazedatSam；buthewassuchapitifulfigure，someanandfrightened，thatsheglancedquicklybacktoheruncle。Shesaid：
“Buthedidn”tknowwhereIwas。”
“Don”tlietome，“criedWarham。“Itwon”tdoyouanygood，anymorethanhislyingkeptusfromfindingyou。WecameonthetrainandsawtheWaterburysinthestreetandthey”dseenyougointothedrugstore。We”dhavecaughtyouthereifwe”dbeenafewminutessooner，butwedrove，andgothereintime。Now，tellme，Susan“——andhisvoicewascruellyharsh”allaboutwhat”sbeengoingonbetweenyouandSam。”
Shegazedfearlesslyandwassilent。
“Speakup！“commandedSam”sfather。
“Yes——andnolies，“saidheruncle。
“Idon”tknowwhatyoumean，“Susanatlastanswered——truthfullyenough，yettogaintime，too。
“Youcan”tplaythatgameanylonger，“criedWarham。“Youdidmakeafoolofme，butmyeyesareopen。Youraunt”srightaboutyou。”
“Oh，UncleGeorge！“saidthegirl，asobinhervoice。
Buthegazedpitilessly——gazedatthewomanhewasnowabhorringasthetreacherous，fallen，unsexeddaughteroffallenLorella。
“Speakout。Cryingwon”thelpyou。Whathaveyouandthisfellowbeenupto？Youdisgrace！“
Susanshrankandshivered，butansweredsteadfastly，“That”sbetweenhimandme，Uncle。”
Warhamgaveasnortoffury，turnedtotheelderWright。“Yousee，Wright，“criedhe。“It”sasmywifeandItoldyou。Yourboy”slying。We”llsendthelandladyoutforapreacherandmarrythem。”
“Holdon，George，“objectedWrightsoothingly。“Iagreedtothatonlyifthere”dbeensomethingwrong。I”mnotsatisfiedyet。”HeturnedtoSusan，saidinhisgruff，bluntway：
“Susan，haveyoubeenloosewithmyboyhere？“
“Loose？“saidSusanwonderingly。
Samrousedhimself。“Tellthemitisn”tso，Susan，“hepleaded，andhisvoicewaslittlebetterthanawhineofterror。“Youruncle”sgoingtokillmeandmyfather”llkickmeout。”
Susan”sheartgrewsickasshelookedathim——lookedfurtively，forshewasashamedtoseehimsoabject。“IfyoumeandidIlethimkissme，“shesaidtoMr。Wright，“why，Idid。Wekissedseveraltimes。Butwehadtherightto。Wewereengaged。”
Samturnedonhisfatherinanagonyofterror。“Thatisn”ttrue！“hecried。“Iswearitisn”t，father。Wearen”tengaged。I
onlymadelovetoheralittle，asafellowdoestolotsofgirls。”
Susanlookedathimwithwide，horrifiedeyes。“Sam！“sheexclaimedbreathlessly。“Sam！“
Sam”seyesdropped，buthemanagedtoturnhisfaceinherdirection。Thesituationwastooseriousforhim；hedidnotdaretoindulgeinsuchvanitiesasmanhoodormanlyappearance。
“That”sthetruth，Susan，“hesaidsullenly。“_You_talkedalotaboutmarryingbut_I_neverthoughtofsuchathing。”
“But——yousaid——youlovedme。”
“Ididn”tmeananythingbyit。”
TherefellasilencethatwasinterruptedbyMr。Wright。“Youseethere”snothinginit，Warham。I”lltakemyboyandgo。”
“Notbyadamnsight！“criedWarham。“He”sgottomarryher。
Susan，didSampromisetomarryyou？“
“Whenhegotthroughcollege，“repliedSusan。
“Ithoughtso！Andhepersuadedyoutorunaway。”
“No，“saidSusan。“He——”
“Isayyes，“stormedheruncle。“Don”tlie！“
“Warham！Warham！“remonstratedMr。Wright。“Don”tbrowbeatthegirl。”
“Hebeggedmenottogo，“saidSusan。
“Youlyingfool！“shoutedheruncle。ThentoWright，“Ifhedidaskhertostayitwasbecausehewasafraiditwouldallcomeout——justasithas。”
“Ineverpromisedtomarryher！“whinedSam。“HonesttoGod，father，Ineverdid。HonesttoGod，Mr。Warham！Youknowthat”sso，Susan。Itwasyouthatdidallthemarryingtalk。”
“Yes，“shesaidslowly。“Yes，Ibelieveitwas。”Shelookeddazedlyatthethreemen。“Isupposedhemeantmarriagebecause”hervoicefaltered，butshesteadieditandwenton”becausewelovedeachother。”
“Iknewit！“criedheruncle。“Youhear，Wright？Sheadmitshebetrayedher。”
Susanrememberedthehorriblepartofhercousin”ssexrevelations。“Oh，no！“shecried。“Iwouldn”thavelethimdothat——evenifhehadwantedto。No——notevenifwe”dbeenmarried。”
“Yousee，Warham！“criedMr。Wright，intriumph。
“Iseealiar！“wasWarham”sfuriousanswer。“She”stryingtodefendhimandmakeoutacaseforherself。”
“Iamtellingthetruth，“saidSusan。
Warhamgazedunbelievinglyather，speechlesswithfury。Mr。
Wrighttookhissilkhatfromthecorerofthepiano。“I”msatisfiedthey”reinnocent，“saidhe。“SoI”lltakemyboyandgo。”
“NotifIknowit！“retortedWarham。“He”sgottomarryher。”
“Butthegirlsaysshe”spure，saysheneverspokeofmarriage，sayshebeggedhernottorunaway。Bereasonable，Warham。”
“ForagoodChristian，“sneeredheatWright，“you”remightyeasilyconvincedbyaflimsylie。Inyourheartyouknowtheboyhaswrongedherandthatshe”sshieldinghim，justas——”ThereWarhamcheckedhimself；itwouldbeanythingbuttimelytoremindWrightofthecharacterofthegirl”smother。
“I”lladmit，“saidMr。Wrightsmoothly，“thatI
wasn”toveranxiousformyboy”smarriagewithagirlwhosemotherwas——unfortunate。Butifyourchargehadbeentrue，Warham，I”dhavemadetheboydoherjustice，shebeingonlyseventeen。Come，Sam。”
Samslunktowardthedoor。WarhamstaredfiercelyattheelderWright。“AndyoucallyourselfaChristian！“hesneered。
Atthedoor——Samhadalreadydisappeared——Mr。Wrightpausedtosay，“I”mgoingtogiveSamadisciplinehe”llremember。Thegirl”sonlybeenfoolish。Don”tbeharshwithher。”
“Youdamnedhypocrite！“shoutedWarham。“Imighthaveknownwhattoexpectfromamanwhocutthewagesofhishandstopayhischurchsubscription。”
ButWrightwasfartoocraftytobedrawn。HewentonpushingSambeforehim。
AstheouterdoorclosedbehindthemMrs。Wylieappeared。“I
wantyoubothtogetoutofmyhouseasquickasyoucan，“shesnapped。“Myboarders”llbecomingtodinnerinafewminutes。”
Warhamtookhisstrawhatfromthefloorbesidethechairbehindhim。“I”venothingtodowiththisgirlhere。Goodday，madam。”
Andhestrodeoutofthehouse，slammingthedoorbehindhim。
Mrs。WylielookedatSusanwithstormingfaceandbosom。Susandidnotsee。Shewasgazingintospace，herfaceblanched。
“Clearout！“criedMrs。Wylie。Andsherantotheouterdoorandopenedit。“Howdareyoucomeintoarespectablehouse！“Shewishedtobesowildlyangrythatshewouldforgetthefivedollarswhichshe，asaprofessingChristianinfullchurchstanding，wouldhavetopaybackifsheremembered。“Clearoutthisminute！“shecriedshrilly。“Ifyoudon”t，I”llthrowyourbundleintothestreetandyouafterit。”
Susantookupthebundlemechanically，slowlywentoutonthestoop。Thedoorclosedwithaslambehindher。Shedescendedthesteps，walkedafewyardsupthestreet，pausedattheedgeofthecurbandlookeddazedlyabout。Herunclestoodbesideher。“Nowwhereareyougoing？“hesaidroughly。
Susanshookherhead。
“Isuppose，“hewenton，“I”vegottolookafteryou。Youshan”tdisgracemydaughteranyfurther。”
Susansimplylookedathim，hereyesunseeing，herbrainsweptcleanofthoughtbythecyclonethathaddestroyedallherdreamsandhopes。Shewasnothorrifiedbyhisaccusations；suchthingshadlittlemeaningforonepracticallyincompleteignoranceofsexrelations。Besides，themiserablefiascoofherromanticloveleftherwithafeelingofabasement，ofdegradationlittledifferentfromthatwhichoverwhelmsawomanwhobelieveshervirtueisherallandfindsherselfbetrayedandabandoned。Shenowfeltindeedtheoutcast，lookeddownuponbyalltheworld。
“Ifyouhadn”tlied，“hefumedon，“you”dhavebeenhiswifeandarespectablewoman。”
Thegirlshivered。
“Instead，you”readisgrace。EverybodyinSutherland”llknowyou”vegonethewayyourmotherwent。”
“Goaway，“saidthegirlpiteously。“Letmealone。”
“Alone？Whatwillbecomeofyou？“Headdressedthequestiontohimself，nottoher。
“Itdoesn”tmatter，“washerreplyinadrearytone。“I”vebeenbetrayed，asmymotherwas。Itdoesn”tmatterwhat——”
“Iknewit！“criedWarham，withnonotionofwhatthegirlmeantbytheword“betrayed。”“Whydidn”tyouconfessthetruthwhilehewashereandhisfatherwasreadytomarryhimtoyou？Iknewyou”dbeenloosewithhim，asyourAuntFannysaid。”
“ButIwasn”t，“saidSusan。“Iwouldn”tdosuchathing。”
“Thereyougo，lyingagain！“
“Itdoesn”tmatter，“saidshe。“AllIwantisforyoutogoaway。”
“Youdo？“sneeredhe。“Andthenwhat？I”vegottothinkofRuthie。”Hesnatchedthebundlefromherhand。“Comeon！ImustdoallIcantokeepthedisgracetomyfamilydown。Asforyou，youdon”tdeserveanythingbutthegutter，whereyou”dsinkifIleftyou。Youraunt”sright。You”rerotten。Youwerebornrotten。You”reyourmother”sownbrat。”
“Yes，Iam，“shecried。“AndI”mproudofit！“Sheturnedfromhim，waswalkingrapidlyaway。
“Comewithme！“orderedWarham，followingandseizingherbythearm。
“No，“saidSusan，wrenchingherselffree。
“ThenI”llcallapolicemanandhaveyoulockedup。”
Uncleandniecestoodregardingeachother，hatredandcontemptinhisgaze，hatredandfearinhers。
“You”reachildinlaw——though，Godknows，you”reanythingbutachildinfact。Comealongwithme。You”vegotto。I”mgoingtoseethatyou”reputoutofharm”sway。”
“Youwouldn”ttakemebacktoSutherland！“shecried。
Helaughedsavagely。“Iguessnot！You”llnotshowyourfacethereagain——thoughI”venodoubtyou”dbebrazenenoughtobrassitout。No——youcan”tpollutemyhomeagain。”
“Ican”tgobacktoSutherland！“
“Youshan”t，Isay。Youranoffbecauseyouhaddisgracedyourself。”
“No！“criedSusan。“No！“
“Don”tlietome！Don”tspeaktome。I”llseewhatIcandotohidethismess。Comealong！“
Susanlookedhelplesslyroundthestreet，sawnothing，noteveneager，curiousfacespressedagainstmanyawindowpane，sawonlyadesolatewaste。Thenshewalkedalongbesideheruncle，bothofthemsilent，hecarryingherbundle，shetightlyclutchingherlittlepurse。
Perhapsthemostamazing，themoststunning，ofalltheblowsfatehadthussuddenlyshowereduponherwasthistransformationofherunclefromgentlenesstoferocity。Butmanyafarolderandfarwiserwomanthanseventeen-year-oldSusanhasfailedtounderstandhowitiswiththemanwhodoesnotregardwomanasafellowhumanbeing。Tosuchsheiseitheranobjectofadoration，aquintessenceofpurityandinnocence，orlessthanthedust，sheerfilth。Warham”sangerwasnogust。Hewassimplytheaveragemanofsmallintelligence，greatvanity，andabjectsnobbishnessorterrorofpublicopinion。TherecouldbebutonereasonfortheflightofLorella”sdaughter——rottenness。Theonlypointtoconsidernowwashowtosavetheimperiledfamilystanding，howtoprotecthisowndaughter，whomhisgoodnatureandhiswife”sweaknesshadthusendangered。TheonethingthatcouldhaveappeasedhishatredofSusanwouldhavebeenhermarriagetoSamWright。Thenhewouldhave——not，indeed，forgivenorreinstatedher——buttoleratedher。Itisthedominanceofsuchideasashisthatmakesforwomantheslaveryshediscoversbeneathherqueenlyswayifshehappenstodosomethingdeeplydispleasingtohermasculinesubjectandadorer。
TheywenttotheCentralStation。TheO。andM。expresswhichconnectedwiththetrainonthebranchlinetoSutherlandwouldnotleaveuntilaquarterpasttwo。Itwasonlyafewminutespastone。Warhamledthewayintothestationrestaurant；withacurtnodheindicatedaseatatoneofthesmalltables，anddroppedintotheoppositeseat。Heorderedbeefsteakandfriedpotatoes，coffeeandapplepie。
“Sitstill！“hesaidtoherroughlyandrosetogoouttobuyapaper。
Thegirlsatwithherhandsinherlapandhereyesuponthem。
Shelookedutterly，pitifullytired。Amomentandhecamebacktoresumehisseatandreadthepaper。Whenthewaiterfloppeddownthesteakandthedishofgreasilyfriedpotatoesbeforehisplate，hestuffedthepaperinhispocket，cutasliceofthesteakandputitontheplate。ThewaiternoisilyexchangeditfortheemptyplatebeforeSusan。Warhamcuttwoslicesofthesteakforhimself，tookaliberalhelpingofthepotatoes，pushedthedishtowardher。
“Doyouwantthecoffeenow，orwiththepie？“askedthewaiter。
“Now，“saidWarham。
“Coffeefortheyounglady，too？“
Warhamscowledather。“Coffee？“hedemanded。
Shedidnotanswer；shedidnothear。
“Yes，shewantscoffee，“saidWarham。“Hustleit！“
“Yes，sir。”Andthewaiterbustledawaywithagreatdealofmotionthatcreatedadeceptiveimpressionofspeed。Warhamwashelpinghimselftosteakagainwhenthecoffeecameasuspicious-lookingliquiddiffusinganodorofstalenessreheatedagainandagain，anunderodorofmetalpotnottoofrequentlyscoured。
WarhamglancedatSusan”splate。Shehadnotdisturbedtheknifeandforkoneithersideofit。“Eat！“hecommanded。Andwhenshegavenosignofhavingheard，herepeatedlysharply，“Eat，I
tellyou。”
Shestarted，nervouslytookuptheknifeandfork，cutamorseloffthesliceofsteak。Whensheliftedittoherlips，shesuddenlyputitbackintheplate。“Ican”t，“shesaid。
“You”vegotto，“orderedhe。“Iwon”thaveyouactingthisway。”
“Ican”t，“sherepeatedmonotonously。“Ifeelsick。”Naturehadluckilysomadeherthatitwasimpossibleforhertoswallowwhenhernerveswereupsetorwhenshewastired；thus，shewouldnothavethephysicalwoesthataggravateandprolongmentaldisturbanceiffoodistakenattimeswhenitinstantlyturnstopoison。
Herepeatedhisorderinastillmoresavagetone。Sheputherelbowsonthetable，restedherheadwearilyuponherhands，shookherhead。Hedesisted。
Whenhehadeatenallofthesteak，exceptthefatandthegristlytail，andnearlyallthepotatoes，thewaitertooktheuseddishesawayandbroughttwogenerousslicesofapplepieandsetdownonebeforeeach。WiththepiewentacubeofAmericancreamor“rat-trap“cheese。Warhamatehisownpieandcheese；then，asshehadnottouchedhers，hereachedforitandateitalso。Nowhewaswatchingtheclockand，betweenliftingsofladenforktohismouth，verifyingtheclock”sopinionofthehourbyhisownwatch。Hecalledforthebill，paidit，gavethewaiterfivecents——aconcessiontothetippingcustomoftheeffetecitywhich，judgingbythewaiter”sexpression，mightaswellnothavebeenmade。Still，Warhamhadnotmadeitwithanideaofpromotinggoodfeelingbetweenhimselfandthewaiter，butsimplytoshowthatheknewthecityanditsways。Hetookuptheshawlstrap，said，“Comeon“inthevoicewhichhedeemedworthyofthefallencreaturehemust，throughChristiandutyandworldlyprudence，forthetimeassociatewith。Sheroseandfollowedhimtotheticketoffice。Hehadthereturnhalfofhisownticket。WhensheheardhimaskforatickettoNorthSutherlandsheshivered。SheknewthatherdestinationwashisbrotherZeke”sfarm。
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