Destroyer，andthefirsttimetheireyeshadmetacrossthetableshehadlikedhim。Thelikinghadincreased。Therewasthatinhisboyishcheerandhisnot-too-well-fed-lookingfacewhichcalledforthmaternalinterest。Asshegraduallylearnedwhathislifehadbeen，shefeltathrilledanxietytoheardaybydayhowhewasgettingon。
Shelistenedfordetails，andfeltitnecessarytogatherherselftogetherinthefaceofaslightdepressionwhenhopesofGaltonwerelesshighthanusual。Hismendingwasmysteriouslydone，andintimeheknewwithamazedgratitudethathewasbeing“lookedafter。”Hisfirstthanksweresoawkward，butsofullofappreciationofunaccustomedluxury，thattheyalmostbroughttearstohereyes，sincetheysoclearlyilluminatedtheentirenoveltyofanyattentionwhatever。
“Ijustdon”tknowwhattosay，“hesaid，shufflingfromonefoottoanother，thoughhisnicegrinwasatitsbest。“I”veneverhadawomandoanythingformesinceIwasten。Iguesswomendolotsofthingsformostfellows；but，then，they”remothersandsistersandaunts。I
appreciateitlike——likethunder。IfeelasifIwasRockefeller，MissAnn。”
Inashorttimeshehadbecome“LittleAnn“tohim，astotherest，andtheybegantoknoweachotherverywell。JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerhadnotbeenabletorestrainthemselvesatfirstfrommakingslangy，yearninglovetoher，butTembaromhadbeendifferent。
Hehadkepthimselfwellinhand。Yes，shehadlikedT。Tembarom，andasshepackedthetrunkssherealizedthattheAtlanticOceanwasthreethousandmilesacross，andwhentwopeoplewhohadnomoneywereseparatedbyit，theywerelikelytoremainso。Richpeoplecouldtravel，poorpeoplecouldn”t。Youjuststayedwherethingstookyou，andyoumustn”tbesillyenoughtoexpectthingstohappeninyourclassoflife——thingslikeseeingpeopleagain。Yourlifejustwenton。Shekeptherselfverybusy，anddidnotallowherthoughtsanylatitude。ItwouldvexherfatherverymuchifhethoughtshehadreallygrownfondofAmericaandwasrathersorrytogoaway。Shehadfinishedherpackingbeforeevening，andthetrunkswerelabeledandsetaside，someintheoutsidehallandsomeinthecorneroftheroom。Shehadsatdownwithsomemendingonherlap，andHutchinsonwaswalkingabouttheroomwiththerestlessnessofthetravelerwhoseapproachingjourneywillnotlethimsettlehimselfanywhere。
“I”lllayashillingyou”vegoteverythingpackedandready，andputjustwhereachapcanlayhishandsonit，“hesaid。
“Yes，Father。Yourtweedcap”sinthebigpocketofyourthicktop-
coat，andthere”sanextrapairofspectaclesandyourpipeandtobaccointhesmallone。”
“AndoffwegobacktoEnglandsameaswecame！“Herubbedhishead，anddrewabig，worriedsigh。“Where”sthemgoing？“heasked，pointingtosomenewlylaunderedclothingonasidetable。“Youhaven”tforgotten”em，haveyou？“
“No，Father。It”sjustsomeoftheyoungmen”swashing。IthoughtI”dtaketimetomendthemupabitbeforeIwenttobed。”
“That”slikethamother，too——takingcareofeverybody。Whatdidthesechapsdobeforeyoucame？“
“Sometimestheytriedtosewonabuttonorsothemselves，butoftenertheywentwithout。Menmakepoorworkofsewing。Itoughtn”ttobeexpectedofthem。”
Hutchinsonstoppedandlookedherandhermendingoverwithatouchofcuriosity。
“Someofthem”sTembarom”s？“heasked。
LittleAnnheldupapairofsocks。
“Theseare。Hedoeswearthemout，poorfellow。It”strampingupanddownthestreetstosavecar-faredoesit。He”snevergotaheeltohisname。Buthe”sgoingtobeabletobuysomenewonesnextweek。”
Hutchinsonbeganhistrampagain。
“He”llmissthee，LittleAnn；butso”lltheotherlads，forthatmatter。”
“He”llknowto-nightwhetherMr。Galton”sgoingtolethimkeephiswork。Idohopehewill。Ibelievehe”dbegintogeton。”
“Well，“——Hutchinsonwasjustalittlegrudgingevenatthiscomparativelylenientmoment”Ibelievethechap”llgetonmyself。
He”sgotpluckandhe”ssharp。Ineversawhimmakeapoormouthyet。”
“NeitherdidI，“answeredAnn。
AdoorleadingintoTembarom”shallbedroomopenedontoHutchinson”s。
Theybothheardsomeoneinsidetheroomknockatit。Hutchinsonturnedandlistened，jerkinghisheadtowardthesound。
“There”sthatpoorchapagain，“hesaid。“He”swakenedandgotrestless。What”sTembaromgoingtodowithhim，I”dliketoknow？Themoneywon”tlastforever。”
“ShallIlethimin，Father？Idaresayhe”sgotrestlessbecauseMr。
Tembarom”snotcomein。”
“Aye，we”lllethimin。Hewon”thavetheelong。Hecan”tdonoharmsolongasI”mhere。”
LittleAnnwenttothedoorandopenedit。Shespokequietly。
“Doyouwanttocomeinhere，Mr。Strangeways？“
Themancamein。Hewasclean，butstillunshaven，andhisclotheslookedasthoughhehadbeenlyingdown。Helookedroundtheroomanxiously。
“Wherehashegone？“hedemandedinanoverstrungvoice。“Whereishe？“HecaughtatAnn”ssleeveinasuddenaccessofnervousfear。
“WhatshallIdoifhe”sgone？“
Hutchinsonmovedtowardhim。
“”Ere，”ere，“hesaid，“don”tyougocatchin”holdofladies。Whatdoyouwant？“
I”veforgottenhisnamenow。WhatshallIdoifIcan”tremember？“
falteredStrangeways。
LittleAnnpattedhisarmcomfortingly。
“There，there，now！You”venotreallyforgottenit。It”sjustslippedyourmemory。YouwantMr。Tembarom——Mr。T。Tembarom。”
“Oh，thankyou，thankyou。That”sit。Yes，Tembarom。HesaidT。
Tembarom。Hesaidhewouldn”tthrowmeover。”
LittleAnnledhimtoaseatandmadehimsitdown。Sheansweredhimwithquietdecision。
“Well，ifhesaidhewouldn”t，hewon”t。Willhe，Father？“
“No，hewon”t。”TherewasroughgoodnatureinHutchinson”sadmission。
HepausedafterittoglanceatAnn。“Youthinkalotofthatlad，don”tyou，Ann？“
“Yes，Ido，Father，“sherepliedundisturbedly。“He”soneyoucantrust，too。He”sup-townathiswork，“sheexplainedtoStrangeways。
“He”llbebackbeforelong。He”sgivingusabitofasupperinherebecausewe”regoingaway。”
Strangewaysgrewnervousagain。
“Buthewon”tgowithyou？T。Tembaromwon”tgo？“
“No，no；he”snotgoing。He”llstayhere，“shesaidsoothingly。Hehadevidentlynotobservedthepackedandlabeledtrunkswhenhecamein。
Heseemedsuddenlytoseethemnow，androseindistress。
“Whosearethese？Yousaidhewasn”tgoing？“
Anntookholdofhisarmandledhimtothecorner。
“TheyarenotMr。Tembarom”strunks，“sheexplained。“Theyarefather”sandmine。Lookonthelabels。JosephHutchinson，Liverpool。
AnnHutchinson，Liverpool。”
Helookedatthemcloselyinapuzzledway。Hereadalabelaloudinadraggingvoice。
“AnnHutchinson，Liverpool。What”s——what”sLiverpool？
“Oh，come，“encouragedLittleAnn，“youknowthat。It”saplaceinEngland。We”regoingbacktoEngland。”
Hestoodandgazedfixedlybeforehim。Thenhebegantorubhisfingersacrosshisforehead。Annknewthestraininglookinhiseyes。
Hewasmakingthathorriblestruggletogetbacksomewherethroughthedarknesswhichshuthimin。ItwassopainfulathingtoseethatevenHutchinsonturnedslightlyaway。
“Don”t！“saidLittleAnn，softly，andtriedtodrawhimaway。
Hecaughthisbreathconvulsivelyonceortwice，andhisvoicedraggedoutwordsagain，asthoughheweredraggingthemfrombottomlessdepths。
“Going——back——to——England——backtoEngland——toEngland。”
Hedroppedintoachairnearby，hisarmsthrownoveritsback，andbroke，ashisfacefelluponthem，intoheavy，deadlysobbing——thekindofsobbingTembaromhadfounditimpossibletostandupagainst。
Hutchinsonwhirledabouttestily。
“Dangit！“hebrokeout，“IwishTembarom”dturnup。Whatarewetodo？“Hedidn”tlikeithimself。Itstruckhimasunseemly。
ButAnnwenttothechair，andputherhandsontheshudderingshoulder，bendingoverthesoul-wrungcreature，thewisdomofcenturiesinthesoft，expostulatoryvoicewhichseemedtoreachtheverydarknesshewaslostin。Itwasawisdomofwhichshewaswhollyunaware，butithadbeenbornwithher，andwasthebuildingofherbeing。
“”Sh！”S-h-h！“shesaid。“Youmustn”tdothat。Mr。Tembaromwouldn”tlikeyoutodoit。He”llbeindirectly。”Sh！”Sh，now！“Andsimpleasthewordswere，theirsoothingreachedhim。Thewildnessofhissobsgrewless。
“Seehere，“Hutchinsonprotested，“thiswon”tdo，myman。Iwon”thaveit，Ann。I”mupsetmyself，whatwiththisgoingbackandeverything。I
can”thaveachapcomingandcryinglikethatthere。Itupsetsmeworsethanever。Andyouhangin”overhim！Itwon”tdo。”
Strangewaysliftedhisheadfromhisarmsandlookedathim。
“Aye，ImeanwhatIsay，“Hutchinsonaddedfretfully。
Strangewaysgotupfromthechair。Whenhewasnotbowedorslouchingitwastobeseenthathewasatallmanwithsquareshoulders。
Despitehisunshaven，haggardface，hehadasortofpresence。
“I”llgobacktomyroom，“hesaid。“Iforgot。Ioughtnottobehere。”
NeitherHutchinsonnorLittleAnnhadeverseenanyonedothethinghedidnext。WhenAnnwentwithhimtothedoorofthehallbedroom，hetookherhand，andbowinglowbeforeher，lifteditgentlytohislips。
Hutchinsonstaredathimasheturnedintotheroomandclosedthedoorbehindhim。
“Well，I”vereadoflordsandladiesdoin”thatinbooks，“hesaid，“butIneverthoughtIshouldseeachapdoitmyself。”
LittleAnnwentbacktohermending，lookingverythoughtful。
“Father，“shesaid，afterafewmoments，“Englandmadehimcomeneartorememberingsomething。”
“NewYork”llcomenearmakingmerememberalotofthingswhenI”moutofit，“saidMr。Hutchinson，sittingdownheavilyinhischairandrubbinghishead。“Eh，dangit！dangit！“
“Don”tyouletit，Father，“advisedLittleAnn。“There”sneveranygoodinthinkingthingsover。”
“You”renotascheerfulyourselfasyouleton，“hesaid。“You”venotgotmuchcolorto-day，mylass。”
Sherubbedonecheekalittle，tryingtolaugh。
“Ishallgetitbackwhenwegoandstaywithgrandmother。It”sjuststayingindoorssomuch。Mr。Tembaromwon”tbelongnow；I”llgetupandsetthetable。Thethingsareonatrayoutside。”
Asshewasgoingoutoftheroom，JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerappearedatthedoor。
“Maywecomein？“Jimaskedeagerly。“We”reinvitedtotheoysterstew，andit”stimeoldT。T。washere。Juliusandmearejustgettingdippywaitingup-stairstohearifhe”smadegoodwithGalton。”
“Well，now，yousitdownandbequietabit，oryou”llbelosingyourappetites，“advisedAnn。
“Youcan”tloseathingthesizeofmine，“answeredJim，“anymorethanyoucouldlosetheMetropolitanOpera-house。”
Annturnedherheadandpausedasthoughshewerelistening。Sheheardfootstepsinthelowerhall。
“He”scomingnow，“sheannounced。“Iknowhisstep。He”stired。Don”tgoyet，youtwo，“sheaddedasthepairpreparedtorushtomeethim。
“Whenanyone”sthattiredhewantstowashhisface，andtalkwhenhe”sready。Ifyou”lljustgobacktoyourroomI”llcallyouwhenI”vesetthetable。”
Shefeltthatshewantedalittlemorequietduringthenextfewminutesthanshecouldhaveiftheyremainedandtalkedatthetopofelatedvoices。Shehadnotquiterealizedhowanxiouslyshehadbeenwaitingalldayforthehourwhenshewouldhearexactlywhathadhappened。Ifhewasallright，itwouldbeanicethingtorememberwhenshewasinEngland。Inthismoderateformsheexpressedherselfmentally。“Itwouldbeanicethingtoremember。”Shespreadtheclothonthetableandbegantolayouttheplates。Involuntarilyshefoundherselfstoppingtoglanceatthehallbedroomdoorandlistenratherintently。
“Ihopehe”sgotit。Idothat。I”msurehehas。Heoughtto。”
Hutchinsonlookedoverather。Shewasthatlikehermother，thatlass！
“You”reexcited，Ann，“hesaid。
“Yes，Father，Iam——abit。He”s——he”swashinghisfacenow。”Soundsofsplashingwatercouldbeheardthroughtheinterveningdoor。
Hutchinsonwatchedherwithsomeuneasiness。
“Youcarealotforthatlad，“hesaid。
Shedidnotlookfluttered。Heranswerwasquitecandid。
“IsaidIdid，Father。He”stakingoffhisboots。”
“Youknoweverysoundhemakes，andyou”regoingawaySaturday，andyou”llneverseehimagain。”
“Thatneedn”tstopmecaring。Itneverdidanyoneanyharmtocareforoneofhissort。”
“Butitcan”tcometoanything，“Hutchinsonbegantobluster。“Itwon”tdo”
“He”scomingtothedoor，he”sturningthehandle，“saidLittleAnn。
Tembaromcamein。Hewasfreshwithrecentface-washing，andhishairwasdamp，sothatashortlockcurledandstoodup。Hehadbeenup-
townmakingfranticeffortsforhours，buthehadbeenmakingtheminaspiritofvictoriousrelief，andhedidnotlooktiredatall。
“I”vegotit！“hecriedoutthemomentheentered。“I”vegotit，byjingo！Thejob”smineforkeeps。”
“Galton”sgiveittoyououtandout？“Hutchinsonwasslightlyexcitedhimself。
“He”sinthebulliesthumoryoueversaw。HesaysI”vedonefirst-
rate，andifIgoon，he”llrunmeuptothirty。”
“Well，I”mdangedgladofit，lad，thatIam！“Hutchinsongaveinhandsomely。“Youputbackboneintoit。”
LittleAnnstoodnear，smiling。HersmilemetTembarom”s。
“Iknowyou”reglad，LittleAnn，“hesaid。“I”dneverhavegottherebutforyou。Itwasuptome，afterthewayyoustartedme。”
“YouknowI”mgladwithoutmetellingyou，“sheanswered。“I”mRIGHTDOWNglad。”
AnditwasatthismomentthatMrs。Bowsecameintotheroom。
“It”stoobadit”shappenedjustnow，“shesaid，muchflustered。
“That”sthewaywiththings。Thestew”llspoil，buthesaysit”srealimportant。”
Tembaromcaughtatbothherhandsandshookthem。
“I”vegotit，Mrs。Bowse。Here”syoursocietyreporter！Thebest-
lookingboarderyou”vegotisgoingtobeabletopayhisboardsteady。”
“I”masgladascanbe，andsowilleverybodybe。Iknewyou”dgetit。
Butthisgentleman”sbeenheretwiceto-day。Hesayshereallymustseeyou。”
“Lethimwait，“Hutchinsonordered。“What”sthechapwant？Thestewwon”tbefittoeat。”
“No，itwon”t，“answeredMrs。Bowse；“butheseemstothinkhe”snotthekindtobeputoff。Hesaysit”smoreMr。Tembarom”sbusinessthanhis。HelookedrealmadwhenIshowedhimintotheparlor，wheretheywereplayingthepianola。Heaskedwasn”tthereaprivateroomwhereyoucouldtalk。”
AcertainflurriedinterestinthemannerofMrs。Bowse，asomethingnotusuallyawakenedbyinopportunecallers，anactualsuggestionofthepossiblefactthatshewasnotasindifferentasshewasnervous，somewhatawakenedMr。Hutchinson”scuriosity。
“Lookhere，“hevolunteered，“ifhe”sgotanyrealbusiness，hecan”ttalkovertothetuneofthepianolayoucanbringhimuphere，Tembarom。I”llseehedon”tstaylongifhisbusinessisn”tworthtalkin”about。He”llseethetablesetforsupper，andthat”llhurryhim。”
“Oh，geeIwishhehadn”tcome！“saidTembarom。“I”lljustgodownandseewhathewants。Noone”sgotanyswellprivatebusinesswithme。”
“Youbringhimupifhehas，“saidHutchinson。“We”dliketohearaboutit。”
Tembaromrandownthestairsquickly。
Noonehadeverwantedtoseehimonbusinessbefore。Therewassomethingimportant-soundingaboutit；perhapsthingswerestartingupforhiminrealearnest。ItmightbeamessagefromGalton，thoughhecouldnotbelievethathehadatthisearlystagereachedsuchadistinction。Aghastlythoughtshotaboltathim，butheshookhimselffreeofit。
“He”snotafellowtogobackonhisword，anyhow，“heinsisted。
Thereweremoreboardersthanusualintheparlor。Theyoungwomanfromthenotioncounterhadcompany；andoneofherguestswasplaying“Hesut”nlywasGoodtoMe“onthepianolawithloudandsteadytreadofpedal。
Thenewarrivalhadevidentlynotthoughtitworthhiswhiletocommithimselftopermanencybytakingaseat。Hewasstandingnotfarfromthedoorwithabusinesslike-lookingenvelopinonehandandapince-
nezintheother，withwhichTembaromsawhewasratherfretfullytappingtheenvelopashelookedabouthim。Hewasplainlytakinginthecharacteristicsoftheroom，andwasnotlenientlydisposedtowardthem。Histailorwasclearlyanexcellentone，withentirelycorrectideasastothecutandmaterialwhichexactlybefittedanelderlygentlemanofsomeimpressivenessintheposition，whatsoeverithappenedtobe，whichheheld。Hisfacewasnotofafriendlytype，andhiseyesheldcoldirritationdiscreetlyrestrainedbybusinesslikecivility。Tembaromvaguelyfeltthegenialitiesoftheoystersupperassumearatherfourth-rateair。
Thecalleradvancedandspokefirst。
“Mr。Tembarom？“heinquired。
“Yes，“Tembaromanswered，“I”mT。Tembarom。”
“T。，“repeatedthestranger，withaslightlypuzzledexpression。“Ah，yes；Isee。Ibegpardon。”
InthatmomentTembaromfeltthathewaslookedover，takenin，summedup，andwithoutfavor。Thesharp，steadyeye，however，didnotseemtohavemovedfromhisface。Atthesametimeithadaidedhimtorealizethathewas，tothiswell-dressedpersonatleast，atooexhilaratedyoungmanwearingaten-dollar“hand-me-down。”
“MynameisPalford，“hesaidconcisely。“Thatwillconveynothingtoyou。IamofthefirmofPalford&GrimbyofLincoln”sInn。Thisismycard。”
TembaromtookthecardandreadthatPalford&Grimbywere“solicitors，“andhewasnotsurethatheknewexactlywhat“solicitors“were。
“Lincoln”sInn？“hehesitated。“That”snotinNewYork，isit？“
“No，Mr。Tembarom；inLondon。IcomefromEngland。”
“Youmusthavehadbadweathercrossing，“saidTembarom，withamiableintent。SomehowMr。Palfordpresentedamoreunyieldingsurfacethanhewasaccustomedto。Andyethishardcourtesywasquiteperfect。
“Ihavebeenheresomeweeks。”
“IhopeyoulikeNewYork。Won”tyouhaveaseat？“
Theyoungladyfromthenotioncounterandherfriendsbegantosingthechorusof“Hesut”nlywasGoodtoMe“withquiteprofessionalnegroaccent。
“That”sjustthewayMayIrwindoneit，“oneofthemlaughed。
Mr。Palfordglancedattheperformers。HedidnotsaywhetherhelikedNewYorkornot。
“Iaskedyourlandladyifwecouldnotseeeachotherinaprivateroom，“hesaid。“Itwouldnotbepossibletotalkquietlyhere。”
“Weshouldn”thavemuchofashow，“answeredTembarom，inwardlywishingheknewwhatwasgoingtohappen。“Buttherearenoprivateroomsinthehouse。Wecanbequieterthanthis，though，ifwegoupstairstoMr。Hutchinson”sroom。HesaidIcouldbringyou。”
“Thatwouldbemuchbetter，“repliedMr。Palford。
Tembaromledhimoutoftheroom，upthefirststeepandnarrowflightofstairs，alongthenarrowhalltothesecond，upthat，downanotherhalltothethird，upthethird，andontothefourth。Asheledthewayherealizedagainthattheworncarpets，thesteepnarrowness，andthepiecesofpaperunfortunatelystrippedoffthewallatintervals，werebeingrathercountedagainsthim。Thismanhadprobablyneverbeeninaplacelikethisbeforeinhislife，andhedidn”ttaketoit。
AttheHutchinsons”doorhestoppedandexplained：
“WeweregoingtohaveanoysterstewherebecausetheHutchinsonsaregoingaway；butMr。Hutchinsonsaidwecouldcomeup。”
“VerykindofMr。Hutchinson，I”msure。”
Despitehisstifflycollectedbearing，Mr。Palfordlookedperhapsslightlynervouswhenhewashandedintothebed-sitting-room，andfoundhimselfconfrontingHutchinsonandLittleAnnandthetablesetfortheoysterstew。Itistruethathehadneverbeeninsuchaplaceinhislife，thatformanyreasonshewasappalled，andthathewasbesetbyafearthathemightbegrotesquelycompelledbyexistingcircumstancestoacceptthesepeople”sinvitation，iftheyinsisteduponhissittingdownwiththemandsharingtheiroysterstew。Onecouldnotcalculateonwhatwouldhappenamongtheseunknownquantities。Itmightbetheirideaofboarding-housepoliteness。Andhowcouldoneoffendthem？Godforbidthatthesituationshouldintensifyitselfinsuchanabsurdlytryingmanner！Whataboundertheunfortunateyoungmanwas！Hisownexperiencehadnotbeensuchastoassisthimtoanyrealisticenlightenmentregardinghim，evenwhenhehadseenthesocietypageandhadlearnedthathehadchargeofit。
“LetmemakeyouacquaintedwithMr。andMissHutchinson，“Tembaromintroduced。“ThisisMr。Palford，Mr。Hutchinson。”
Hutchinson，halfhiddenbehindhisnewspaper，jerkedhisheadandgrunted：
“Gladtoseeyou，sir。”
Mr。Palfordbowed，andtookthechairTembarompresented。
“Iammuchobligedtoyou，Mr。Hutchinson，forallowingmetocometoyourroom。IhavebusinesstodiscusswithMr。Tembarom，andthepianolawasbeingplayeddown-stairs——ratherloudly。”
“Theydoiteverynight，dang”em！Rightundermybed，“growledHutchinson。“You”reanEnglishman，aren”tyou？“
“Yes。”
“SoamI，thankGod！“Hutchinsondevoutlygaveforth。
LittleAnnrosefromherchair，sewinginhand。
“Father”llcomeandsitwithmeinmyroom，“shesaid。
Hutchinsonlookedgrumpy。Hedidnotintendtoleavethefieldclearandthestewtoitsfateifhecouldhelpit。HegaveAnnaprotestingfrown。
“IdaresayMr。Palforddoesn”tmindus，“hesaid。“We”renotstrangers。”
“Notintheleast，“Palfordprotested。“Certainlynot。Ifyouareoldfriends，youmaybeabletoassistus。”
“Well，Idon”tknowaboutthat，“Hutchinsonanswered，“We”venotknownhimlong，butweknowhimprettywell。YoucomefromLondon，don”tyou？“
“Yes。FromLincoln”sInnFields。”
“Law？“gruntedHutchinson。
“Yes。OfthefirmofPalford&Grimby。”
Hutchinsonmovedinhischairinvoluntarily。Therewasstimulationtocuriosityinthis。Thischapwasaregulartopsawyer——clothes，wayofpronouncinghiswords，manners，everything。Nomistakinghim——oldfamilysolicitorsortofchap。WhatonearthcouldhehavetosaytoTembarom？Tembaromhimselfhadsatdownandcouldnotbesaidtolookathisease。
“Idonotintrudewithouttheexcuseofseriousbusiness，“Palfordexplainedtohim。“Agreatdealofcarefulresearchandinquiryhasfinallyledmehere。IamcompelledtobelieveIhavefollowedtherightclue，butImustaskyouafewquestions。YournameisnotreallyTembarom，isit？“
HutchinsonlookedatTembaromsharply。
“NotTembarom？Whatdoeshemean，lad？“
Tembarom”sgrinwasatonceboyishandashamed。
“Well，itisinoneway，“heanswered，“anditisn”tinanother。Thefellowsatschoolgotintothewayofcallingmethatway，——tosavetime，Iguess，——andIgottolikeit。They”dhaveguyedmyrealname。
Mostofthemneverknewit。Ican”tseewhyanyoneevercalledachildbysuchafoolname，anyhow。”
“Whatwasitexactly？“
Tembaromlookedalmostsheepish。
“Itsoundslikeathinginanovel。ItwasTempleTempleBarholm。TwoTemples，bygee！Asifonewasn”tenough！“
JosephHutchinsondroppedhispaperandalmoststartedfromhischair。
Hisredfacesuddenlybecamesomuchredderthathelookedatrifleapoplectic。
“TempleBarholmdoesthasay？“hecriedout。
Mr。Palfordraisedhishandandcheckedhim，butwithasuggestionofstiffapology。
“Ifyouwillkindlyallowme。DidyoueverhearyourfatherrefertoaplacecalledTempleBarholm？“heinquired。
Tembaromreflectedasthoughsendinghisthoughtsbackwardintoaprettythoroughlyforgottenandignoredpast。Therehadbeennoreasonconnectedwithfilialaffectionwhichshouldhavecausedhimtorecallmemoriesofhisfather。Theyhadnotlikedeachother。HehadknownthathehadbeenresentedandlookeddownuponasacharacteristicallyAmericanproduct。Hisfatherhadmorethanoncesaidhewasa“commonAmericanlad，“andhehadknownhewas。
“Seemstome，“hesaidatlast，“thatoncewhenhewasprettymadathisluckIheardhimgrumblingaboutEnglishlaws，andhesaidsomeofhisdistantrelationswereswellpeoplewhowouldneverthinkofspeakingtohim，——perhapsdidn”tknowhewasalive，——andtheylivedinabigwayinaplacethatwasnamedafterthefamily。Heneversawitorthem，andhesaidthatwasthewayinEngland——onefellowgoteverythingandtherestwerepauperslikehimself。He”dalwaysbeenpoor。”
“Yes，therelationwasadistantone。Untilthisinvestigationbeganthefamilyknewnothingofhim。Theinquiryhasbeenatiresomeone。I
trustIamreachingtheendofit。Wehavegivennearlytwoyearstofollowingthisclue。”
“Whatfor？“burstforthTembarom，sittingupright。
“BecauseitwasnecessarytofindeitherGeorgeTempleBarholmorhisson，ifhehadone。”
“I”mhisson，allright，buthediedwhenIwaseightyearsold，“
Tembaromvolunteered。“Idon”tremembermuchabouthim。”
“YourememberthathewasnotanAmerican？“
“HewasEnglish。Hatedit；buthewasn”tfondofAmerica。”
“Haveyouanypapersbelongingtohim？“
Tembaromhesitatedagain。
“There”safewoldletters——oh，andoneofthoseglassphotographsinacase。Ibelieveit”smygrandfatherandgrandmother，takenwhentheyweremarried。Himonachair，youknow，andherstandingwithherhandonhisshoulder。”
“Canyoushowthemtome？“Palfordsuggested。
“Sure，“Tembaromanswered，gettingupfromhisseat“They”reinmyroom。Iturnedthemupyesterdayamongsomeotherthings。”
Whenheleftthem，Mr。Palfordsatgentlyrubbinghischin。Hutchinsonwantedtoburstforthwithquestions，buthelookedsoremoteandacidlydignifiedthattherewasasuggestionofboldnessintheideaofintrudingonhisreflections。Hutchinsonstaredathimandbreathedhardandshortinhissuspense。Thestiffoldchapwasthinkingthingsoverandputtingthingstogetherinhislawyer”sway。Hewasentirelyoblivioustohissurroundings。LittleAnnwentonwithhermending，butsheworeherabsorbedlook，anditwasnotaresultofherwork。
Tembaromcamebackwithsomepapersinhishand。Theywereyellowedoldletters，andonthetopofthepackagetherewasaworndaguerreotype-casewithbrokenclasp。
“Heretheyare，“hesaid，givingthemtoPalford。“Iguessthey”djustbeenmarried，“openingthecase。“Getontoherembroideredcollarandbigbreast-pinwithhispictureinit。That”sEnglishenough，isn”tit？He”dgivenittoherforawedding-present。There”ssomethinginoneofthelettersaboutit。”
ItwastheletterstowhichMr。Palfordgavethemostattention。Hereadthemandexaminedpost-marksanddates。Whenhehadfinished，herosefromhischairwithaslightlyportentoustouchofprofessionalceremony。
“Yes，thosearesufficientlyconvincing。Youareaveryfortunateyoungman。Allowmetocongratulateyou。”
Hedidnotlookparticularlypleased，thoughheextendedhishandandshookTembarom”spolitely。Hewasrigorouslyendeavoringtoconcealthathefoundhimselfcalledupontomakethebestofanextremelybadjob。Hutchinsonstartedforward，restinghishandsonhiskneesandglaringwithill-suppressedexcitement。
“What”sthatfor？“Tembaromsaid。Hefeltratherlikeafool。Helaughedhalfnervously。Itseemedtobeuptohimtounderstand，andhedidn”tunderstandintheleast。
“Youhave，throughyourfather”sdistantrelationship，inheritedaverymagnificentproperty——theestateofTempleBarholminLancashire，“Palfordbegantoexplain，butMr。Hutchinsonsprangfromhischairoutright，crushinghispaperinhishand。
“TempleBarholm！“healmostshouted，“Idunnotbelievethee！Why，it”soneofth”oldestplacesinEnglandandoneofth”biggest。Th”TempleBarholmsasdidn”tcomeoverwithth”Conquerorwastherebeforehim。
SomeofthemwasSaxonkings！Andhim”pointingastumpy，redfingerdisparaginglyatTembarom，aghastandincredulous”thatNewYorkladthat”ssoldnewspapersinthestreets——yousayhe”scomeintoit？“
“Precisely。”Mr。Palfordspokewithsomecrispnessofdiction。Noiseandblusterannoyedhim。“Thatismybusinesshere。Mr。Tembaromis，infact，Mr。TempleTempleBarholmofTempleBarholm，whichyouseemtohaveheardof。”
“Heardofit！Mymotherwasborninthevillagean”livesthereyet。
Artthastruckdumb，lad！“hesaidalmostfiercelytoTembarom。“ByJudd！Thawellmaybe！“
Tembaromwasstandingholdingthebackofachair。Hewaspale，andhadonceopenedhismouth，andthengulpedandshutit。LittleAnnhaddroppedhersewing。Hisfirstlookhadleapedtoher，andshehadlookedbackstraightintohiseyes。
“I”mstrucksomething，“hesaid，hishalf-laughslightlyunsteady。
“Who”dblameme？“
“You”dbettersitdown，“saidLittleAnn。“Suddenthingsareupsetting。”
Hedidsitdown。Hefeltrathershaky。Hetouchedhimselfonhischestandlaughedagain。
“Me！“hesaid。“T。T。！Hullygee！It”slikeaturnatavaudeville。”
ThesentimentprevailinginHutchinson”smindseemedtovergeonindignation。
“Theeth”masterofTempleBarholm！“heejaculated。“Why，itstoodforseventythousandpound”ayear！“
“Itdidanditdoes，“saidMr。Palford，curtly。Hehadlessandlesstasteforthesituation。Therewasneitherdignitynorpropersentimentinit。Theyoungmanwasutterlyincapableofcomprehendingthemeaningandproportionsoftheextraordinaryeventwhichhadbefallenhim。ItappearedtopresenttohimtheaspectofasomewhatslangyNewYorkjoke。
“Youdonotseemmuchimpressed，Mr。TempleBarholm，“hesaid。
“Oh，I”mimpressed，allright，“answeredTembarom，“but，say，thisthingcan”tbetrue！Youcouldn”tmakeittrueifyousatupallnighttodoit。”
“WhenIgointothebusinessdetailsofthemattertomorrowmorningyouwillrealizethetruthofit，“saidMr。Palford。“Seventythousandpoundsayear——andTempleBarholm——arenotunsubstantialfacts。”
“Threehundredandfiftythousanddollars，mylad——that”swhatitstandsfor！“putinMr。Hutchinson。
“Well，“saidTembarom，“IguessIcanworryalongonthatifItryhardenough。Imayn”tbeabletokeepmyselfinthewayI”vebeenusedto，butI”vegottomakeitdo。”
Mr。Palfordstiffened。Hedidnotknowthatthegarish，flippant-
soundingjokingwasthekindofdefensethestreetsofNewYorkhadprovidedMr。TempleBarholmwithinmanyanhourwhenhehadbeenahalf-cladnewsboywithanemptystomach，andabundleofunsoldnewspapersunderhisarm。
“Youarejocular，“hesaid。“IfindtheNewYorkersaregiventobeingjocular——continuously。”
Tembaromlookedathimrathersearchingly。Palfordwouldn”thavefounditpossibletobelievethattheyoungmanknewallabouthisdistasteanditsnearapproachtodisgust，thatheknewquitewellwhathethoughtofhisten-dollarsuit，hisex-newsboy”sdiction，andhisentireincongruousnessasafactorinanycircumstancesconnectedwithdignityandsplendor。HewouldcertainlynothavecreditedthefactthatthoughhehadnottheremotestideawhatsortofaplaceTempleBarholmwas，andwhatsortofmenitslonglineofpossessorshadbeen，hehadgainedacuriousknowledgeoftheirsignificancethroughthementalattitudeoftheirlegalrepresentativewhenheforamomentfailedtoconcealhissenseofactualrevolt。
“Itseemssortoflikeajoketillyougetontoit，“hesaid。“ButI
guessitain”tsuchamerryjestasitseems。”
AndthenMr。Palforddidbegintoobservethathehadlosthiscolorentirely；alsothathehadaratherdecent，sharp-cutface，andextremelywhiteandgoodyoungteeth，whichheshowednotunattractivelywhenhesmiled。Andhesmiledfrequently，buthewasnotsmilingnow。
CHAPTERVII
InthecourseoftheinterviewgiventotheexplainingofbusinessandlegaldetailwhichtookplacebetweenMr。Palfordandhisclientthefollowingmorning，Tembarom”sknowledgeofhissituationextendeditselflargely，andatthesametimeaddedinaproportionatedegreetohissenseofhisownincongruityasconnectedwithit。HesatatatableinPalford”sprivatesitting-roomattherespectable，old-
fashionedhotelthesolicitorhadchosen-satandlistened，andansweredquestionsandaskedthem，untilhisheadbegantofeelasthoughitwerecrammedtoburstingwithextraordinarydetail。
Itwasallextraordinarytohim。Hehadhadnotimeforreadingandnobookstoread，andthereforeknewlittleoffiction。HewasentirelyignorantofallromancebutsuchastheNewYorkpapersprovided。Thiswashighlycolored，butitdidnotdealwitheventsconnectedwiththepossessorsofvastEnglishestatesandthedetailsoftheirhabitsandcustoms。HisgeographicalknowledgeofGreatBritainwassimpleandlargelyincorrect。Informationconcerningitsusualconditionsandaspectshadcometohimthroughtalkofinternationalmarriagesandcupraces，andhadmadebutlittleimpressionuponhim。HelikedNewYork-itsnoise，itsstreets，itsglare，itsSundaynewspapers，withtheirever-increasingnumberofsheets，andpicturesofeverythingonearthwhichcouldbephotographed。Hischoice，whenhecouldallowhimselfafifty-centseatatthetheater，naturallyrantoproductionswhichwerefarcicalorcheerfullymusical。Hehadneverreachedseriousdrama，perhapsbecausehehadneverhadmoneyenoughtopayforentrancetoanythinglikehalfofthe“shows“theotherfellowsrecommended。Hewastotallyunpreparedforthefacingofanykindofdramaasconnectedwithhimself。TheworstofitwasthatitstruckhimasbeingofthenatureoffarcewhenregardedfromthenormalNewYorkpointofview。Ifhehadsomehowhadthelucktocomeintothepossessionofmoneyinwayswhichwerefamiliartohim，-to“strikeitrich“inthewayofa“bigjob“or“deal，“-hewouldhavebeenbetterabletoadjusthimselftocircumstances。Hemightnothaveknownhowtospendhismoney，buthewouldhavespentitinNewYorkonNewYorkjoys。Therewouldhavebeennoforeignremotenessaboutthething，howsoeverfantasticallyunexpectedsuchfortunemighthavebeen。Atanyrate，inNewYorkhewouldhaveknownthenamesofplacesandthings。
ThroughalargepartofhisinterviewwithPalfordhiselbowrestedonthetable，andheheldhischinwithhishandandrubbeditthoughtfully。ThelastTempleTempleBarholmhadbeenaneccentricanduncompanionableperson。Hehadlivedaloneandhadnotmarried。Hehadcherishedaprejudiceagainstthemanwhowouldhavesucceededhimasnextofkinifhehadnotdiedyoung。Peoplehadbeenoftheopinionthathehaddislikedhimmerelybecausehedidnotwishtoberemindedthatsomeoneelsemustsomedayinevitablystandinhisshoes，andownthepossessionsofwhichhehimselfwasarrogantlyfond。TherewerealwaysmorefemaleTempleBarholmsthanmaleones，andthefamiliesweresmall。TherelativewhohademigratedtoBrooklynhadbeenacomparativelyunknownperson。Hisonlyintercoursewiththeheadofthehousehadbeenconfinedtoabeggingletter，writtenfromAmericawhenhiscircumstanceswereattheirworst。Itwasanill-
manneredandill-expressedletter，whichhadbeenconsideredpresuming，andhadbeenansweredchillinglywithamerefive-poundnote，clearlyexplainedasafinalcharity。Thisbeggingletter，whichbitterlycontrastedthewriter”spovertywithhisindifferentrelative”sluxuries，had，byacurioustrickofchancewhichpreservedit，quiteextraordinarilyturnedupduringanexaminationofapparentlyunimportant，forgottenpapers，andhadfurnishedaclueinthesearchfornextofkin。ThewriterhadgreatlyannoyedoldMr。
TempleBarholmbytellinghimthathehadcalledhissonbyhisname-
“notthattherewaseverlikelytobeanythinginitforhim。”ButawaifoftheNewYorkstreetswhowasknownas“Tem“or“Tembarom“wasnotalinkeasilyattachedtoanychain，andthesearchhadbeenlongandratherhopeless。Ithad，however，atlastreachedMrs。Bowse”sboarding-houseandbeforeMr。PalfordsatMr。TempleTempleBarholm，acheapyoungmanincheapclothes，andspeakingNewYorkslangwithanasalaccent。Mr。Palford，feelinghimappallingandabsolutelywithoutthepale，wasstillawarethathestoodinthepositionofanimportantclientofthefirmofPalford&Grimby。TherewasasectionoftheofficesatLincoln”sInndevotedtodocumentsrepresentingalifetimeofattentiontotheaffairsoftheTempleBarholmestates。Itwasgreatlytobehopedthatthecrassignoranceandcommonnessofthisyoungoutsiderwouldnotcauseimpossiblecomplications。
“Heknowsnothing！Heknowsnothing！“Palfordfoundhimselfforcedtoexclaimmentallynotonce，butahundredtimes，inthecourseoftheirtalk。
Therewas-thisrevealeditselfastheinterviewproceeded-justoneslightpalliationofhisimpossiblebenightedness：hewasnotthekindofyoungmanwho，knowingnothing，huffilyprotectshimselfbypretendingtoknoweverything。Hewasofanunreserveconcerninghisignorancewhichhissolicitorfeltsometimesalmoststruckoneintheface。Nowandthenitquitemadeonejump。Hewassingularlyfreefromanyvestigeofpersonalvanity。Hewasalsosingularlyunreadytotakeoffense。TotheheadofthefirmofPalford&Grimby，whowasnotaccustomedtolightnessofmanner，andinclinedtotheviewthatapersonwhomadeajoketookratheralibertywithhim，histendencytobejocular，evenabouthimselfandtheestateofTempleBarholm，wasirritatingandsomewhatdisrespectful。Mr。Palforddidnoteasilycomprehendjokesofanysort；especiallywasheannoyedbycrypticphraseologyandmammothexaggeration。Forinstance，becouldnotintheleastcompassMr。TempleBarholm”smeaningwhenhecasuallyremarkedthatsomethingorotherwas“alltothemerry“；oragain，quiteasthoughhebelievedthathewasusingreasonableEnglishfiguresofspeech，“Theoldfellowthoughthewastheonlypebbleonthebeach。”InusingthelatterexpressionhehadbeenreferringtothelateMr。TempleBarholm；butwhatonearthwashisconnectionwiththesea-shoreandpebbles？Whenconfrontedwiththesebafflingabsurdities，Mr。Palfordeithersaid，“Ibegpardon，“orstiffenedandremainedsilent。
WhenTembaromlearnedthathewastheheadofoneoftheoldestfamiliesinEngland，noaspectofthedesirabledignityofhispositionreachedhimintheleast。
“Well，“heremarked，“there”squitealotofuscangobacktoAdamandEve。”
WhenhewastoldthathewaslordofthemanorofTempleBarholm，hedidnotknowwhatamanorwas。
“What”samanor，andwhathappensifyou”relordofit？“heasked。
HehadnotheardofWilliamtheConqueror，anddidnotappearmovedtoadmirationofhim，thoughheownedthatheseemedtohave“putitover。”
“Whydidn”themakearepublicofitwhilehewasaboutit？“hesaid。
“ButIguessthatwasn”thiskind。Hedidn”tdoallthatfightingforhishealth。”
Hisinterestwasnotalonetotallydisseveredfromtheeventsofpastcenturies；itwasasdisseveredfromthoseofmerepastyears。Thehabits，customs，andpointsofviewoffiveyearsbeforeseemedtohavebeencastintoavastwaste-paperbasketaswhollyunpracticalinconnectionwithpresentexperiences。
“Amanthat”sgoingtokeepupwiththeprocessioncan”twastetimethinkingaboutyesterday。Whathe”sgottodoistokeephiseyeonwhat”sgoingtohappentheweekafternext，“hesummeditup。
RathertoMr。Palford”ssurprise，hedidnotspeaklightly，butwithasortofinnerseriousness。Itsuggestedthathehadnotarrivedatthisconclusionwithouttheaidofsharpexperience。Nowandthenonesawatouchofthisprofoundpracticalperceptioninhim。
Itwasnottobedeniedthathewasclear-headedenoughwherepurelypracticalbusinessdetailwasconcerned。Hewasatfirstplainlyratherstunnedbytheproportionspresentedtohim，buthisquestionsweredirectandofacommon-senseordernottobedespised。
“Idon”tknowanythingaboutityet，“hesaidonce。“It”sallDutchtome。Ican”tcalculateinhalf-crownsandpoundsandhalfpounds，butI”mgoingtofindout。I”vegotto。”
Itwasextraordinaryandannoyingtofeelthatonemustexplaineverything；butthisimpossiblefellowwasnotanactualfoolonallpoints，andhedidnotseemtobeaweakling。Hemightlearncertainthingsintime，andatalleventsonewasnofurtherpersonallyresponsibleforhimandhisimpossibilitiesthanthebusinessconcernsofhisestatewouldobligeanylegalfirmtobe。Clients，whetherhighlydesirableorotherwise，werenomorethanclients。Theywerenotrelativeswhomonemustintroducetoone”sfriends。ThusMr。
Palford，whowasnotaspeciallyhumaneorsympatheticperson，mentallydecided。Hesawnopathosinthisrawyoungman，whowouldpresentlyfindhimselfflounderingunaidedinwatersutterlyunknowntohim。Therewasevenatouchofbitteramusementinthesolicitor”smindasheglancedtowardthefuture。
HeexplainedwithdetailthenecessityfortheirimmediatedeparturefortheothersideoftheAtlantic。CertainlegalformalitieswhichmustatoncebeattendedtodemandedtheirpresenceinEngland。
Foreseeingthis，onthedaywhenhehadfinallyfelthimselfsecureastotheidentityofhisclienthehadtakenthelibertyofengagingoptionallycertainstate-roomsontheAdriana，sailingthefollowingWednesday。
“Subjectofcoursetoyourapproval，“headdedpolitely。“Butitisimperativethatweshouldbeonthespotasearlyaspossible。”Hedidnotmentionthathehimselfwasabominablytiredofhissojournonalienshores，andwantedtobebackinLondoninhisownchambers，withhisownclubwithineasyreach。
Tembarom”sfacechangeditsexpression。Hehadbeenlookingratherweighteddownandfatigued，andhelighteduptoeagerness。
“Say，“heexclaimed，“whycouldn”twegoontheTransatlanticonSaturday？“
“Itisoneofthesmall，cheapboats，“objectedPalford。
“Theaccommodationwouldbemostinferior。”
Tembaromleanedforwardandtouchedhissleeveinhasty，boyishappeal。
“Iwanttogoonit，“hesaid；“Iwanttogosteerage。”
Palfordstaredathim。
“YouwanttogoontheTransatlantic！Steerage！“heejaculated，quiteaghast。Thiswasanovelorderofmadnesstorevealitselfintherecentinheritorofagreatfortune。
Tembarom”sappealgrewfranker；ittookonthenoteofatoocrudeyoungfellow”smisplacedconfidence。
“Youdothisforme，“hesaid。“I”dgiveafarmtogoonthatboat。
TheHutchinsonsaresailingonit-Mr。andMissHutchinson，theonesyousawatthehouselastnight。”
“I-itisreallyimpossible。”Mr。Palfordhesitated。“Astosteerage，mydearMr。TempleBarholm，you-youcan”t。”
Tembaromgotupandstoodwithhishandsthrustdeepinhispockets。
Itseemedtobeasortofexpressionofhissuddenhopefulexcitement。
“Whynot“hesaid。“IfIownabouthalfofEnglandandhavemoneytoburn，IguessIcanbuyasteeragepassageonanine-daysteamer。”
“Youcanbuyanythingyoulike，“Palfordansweredstiffly。“Itisnotamatterofbuying。ButIshouldnotbeconductingmyselfproperlytowardyouifIallowedit。Itwouldnotbe-becoming。”
“Becoming！“criedTembarom，“Thunder！It”snotaspringbat。ItellyouIwanttogojustthatway。”
Palfordsawabnormalbreakersahead。HefeltthathewouldbegladwhenbehadlandedhischargesafelyatTempleBarholm。Oncethere，hisfamilysolicitorwasnotcalledupontolivewithhimandhobnobwithhisextraordinaryintimates。
“Astobuying，“hesaid，stillwithmarkedlackofenthusiasm，“insteadoftakingasteeragepassageontheTransatlanticyourself，youmightnodoubtsecurefirst-classstate-roomsforMr。andMissHutchinsonontheAdriana，thoughIseriouslyadviseagainstit。”
Tembaromshookhishead。
“Youdon”tknowthem，“hesaid。“Theywouldn”tletme。Hutchinson”saqueeroldfellowandhe”shadthehardestkindofluck，buthe”sasproudastheymake”em。Mebuttinandoffertopaytheirpassageback，asiftheywerepaupers，justbecauseI”vesuddenlystruckitrich！Hullygee！Iguessnot。Afellowthat”sbeenboostedupintheairallinaminute，asIhave，hasgottolieprettylowtokeepfolksfromwantingtokickhim，anyhow。Hutchinson”sadarnedsightsmarterfellowthanIam，andheknowsit——andhe”sLancashire，youbet。”Hestoppedaminuteandflushed。“AstoLittleAnn，“hesaid——
“memakethatsortofabreakwithHER！Well，Ishouldbeafool。”
Palfordwasacold-bloodedandunimaginativeperson，butalonglegalexperiencehadbuiltupwithinhimacertainshrewdnessofperception。
Hehadnaturallyglancedonceortwiceatthegirlsittingstillathermending，andhehadobservedthatshesaidverylittleandhadasingularlyquiet，firmlittlevoice。
“Ibegpardon。Youareprobablyright。Ihadverylittleconversationwitheitherofthem。MissHutchinsonstruckmeashavinganintelligentface。”
“She”sawonder，“saidTembarom，devoutly。“She”sjustawonder。”
“Underthecircumstances，“suggestedMr。Palford，“itmightnotbeabadideatoexplaintoheryourideaofthesteeragepassage。Anintelligentgirlcanoftengiveexcellentadvice。Youwillprobablyhaveanopportunityofspeakingtohertonight。Didyousaytheyweresailingto-morrow？“
To-morrow！ThatbroughtitsonearthatitgaveTembaromashock。HehadknownthattheysailedonSaturday，andnowSaturdayhadbecometo-morrow。Thingsbegantosurgethroughhismind——allsortsofthingshehadnotimetothinkofclearly，thoughitwastruetheyhaddartedvaguelyaboutinthedeliriousexcitementofthenight，duringwhichhehadscarcelysleptatall。Hisfacechangedagain，andtheappealdiedoutofit。Hebegantolookanxiousandrestless。
“Yes，they”regoingto-morrow，“heanswered。
“Yousee，“arguedMr。Palford，withconviction，“howimpossibleitwouldbeforustomakeanyarrangementsinsofewhours。Youwillexcusemysaying，“headdedpunctiliously，“thatIcouldnotmakethevoyageinthesteerage。”
Tembaromlaughed。Hethoughthesawhimdoingit。
“That”sso，“hesaid。Then，withrenewedhope，headded，“Say，I”mgoingtotryandgetthemtowaittillWednesday。”
“Idonotthink”Mr。Palfordbegan，andthenfeltitwisertoleavethingsastheywere。“ButI”mnotqualifiedtogiveanopinion。IdonotknowMissHutchinsonatall。”
Butthestatementwasbynomeansfrank。Hehadaprivateconvictionthathedidknowhertoacertaindegree。Andhedid。
CHAPTERVIII
TherewasaslightawkwardnesseventoTembarominenteringthedining-roomthatevening。Hehadnotseenhisfellowboarders，ashisrestlessnighthadmadehimsleeplaterthanusual。ButMrs。Bowsehadtoldhimoftheexcitementhehadcaused。
“Theyjustcouldn”teat，“shesaid。“Theycoulddonothingbuttalkandtalkandaskquestions；andIhadwaffles，too，andtheygotstone-cold。”
Thebabeloffriendlyoutcrywhichbrokeoutonhisentrywasmadeupofjokes，ejaculations，questions，andcongratulatoryoutburstsfromallsides。
“GoodoldT。T。！““GivehimaHarvardyell！Rah！Rah！Rah！““Lendmefifty-fivecents？““Where”syourtiara？““Darnedgladofit！““Makeusaspeech！“
“Say，people，“saidTembarom，“don”tyougetmerattledorIcan”ttellyouanything。I”mrattledenoughalready。”
“Well，isittrue？“calledoutMr。Striper。
“No，“Tembaromansweredback，sittingdown。“Itcouldn”tbe；that”swhatItoldPalford。Ishallwakeupinaminuteortwoandfindmyselfinahospitalwithapeacherinoofatrainednursesmoothing”mepiller。”Youcan”tfoolMEwithapipe-dreamlikethis。Palford”seasier；he”snotaNewYorker。HesaysitIStrue，andIcan”tgetoutofit。”
“Whew！GreatJakes！“Alongbreathwasexhaledallroundthetable。
“Whatareyou，anyhow？“criedJimBowlesacrossthedishes。
Tembaromrestedhiselbowontheedgeofthetableandbegantocheckoffhispointsonhisfingers。
“I”mthis，hesaid：“I”mTempleTempleBarholm，Esquire，ofTempleBarholm，Lancashire，England。Atthetimeofthefloodmyfolksknockedupahousejustaboutwherethearklanded，andIguessthey”veheldontoiteversince。Idon”tknowwhatbusinesstheywentinto，buttheymademoney。PalfordswearsI”vegotthreehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayear。Iwasn”tgoingtocallthemanaliar；
butIjustmissedit，byjings！“
Hewastryingto“bluffitout。”Somehowhefelthehadto。Hefeltitmorethaneverwhenamomentarysilencefelluponthosewhosataboutthetable。Itfellwhenhesaid“threehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayear。”Noonecouldfindvoicetomakeanyremarkforafewsecondsafterthat。
“Areyoualord——oraduke？“someoneaskedafterbreathhadrecovereditself。
“No，I”mnot，“herepliedwithrelief。“Ijustgotoutfromunderthat；buttheLordknowshowIdidit。”
“Whatareyougoingtodofirst？“saidJimBowles。
“I”vegottogoand”takepossession。”That”swhatPalfordcallsit。
I”vebeenalostheirfornearlytwoyears，andI”vegottoshowmyself。”
Hutchinsonhadnotjoinedtheclamorofgreeting，buthadgrunteddisapprovalmorethanonce。Hefeltthat，asanEnglishman，hehadacertaindignitytomaintain。Heknewsomethingaboutbigestatesandtheirowners。HewasnotlikethesecommonNewYorkchaps，whoregardedthemasArabianNightstalestomakejokesabout。HehadgrownupasavillageboyinproperaweofTempleBarholm。Theywereignorantfools，thislot。Hehadnopatiencewiththem。HehadleftthevillageandgonetoworkinManchesterwhenhewasaboyoftwelve，butaslongashehadremainedinhismother”scottageithadbeenonlydecentgoodmannersforhimtotouchhisforeheadrespectfullywhenaTempleBarholm，oraTempleBarholmguestorcarriageorponyphaeton，passedhimby。AndthischapwasMr。TempleTempleBarholmhimself！Lordsaveus！
LittleAnnsaidnothingatall；but，then，sheseldomsaidanythingduringmeal-times。Whentherestoftheboarderslaughed，sheateherdinnerandsmiled。Severaltimes，despitehercaution，Tembaromcaughthereye，andsomehowhelditasecondwithhis。Shesmiledathimwhenthishappened；buttherewassomethingrestlessandeagerinhislookwhichmadeherwishtoevadeit。Sheknewwhathefelt，andsheknewwhyhekeptuphisjokesandneveroncespokeseriously。Sheknewhewasnotcomfortable，anddidnotenjoytalkingabouthundredsofthousandsayeartopeoplewhoworkedhardfortenortwenty“per。”
To-morrowmorningwasverynear，shekeptthinking。To-morrownightshewouldbelyinginherberthinthesteerage，ormoreprobablytakingcareofherfather，whowouldbeveryuncomfortable。
“WhatwillGaltondo？“Mr。Striperasked。
“Idon”tknow，“Tembaromanswered，andhelookedtroubled。Threehundredandfiftythousanddollarsayearmightnotbeabletogiveaidtoawoundedsocietypage。
“WhatareyougoingtodowithyourFreak？“calledoutJuliusSteinberger。
Tembaromactuallystarted。Asthingshadsurgedoverhim，hehadhadtoomuchtothinkover。Hehadnothadtimetogivetohisstrangeresponsibility；ithadbecomeonenevertheless。
“AreyougoingtoleavehimbehindwhenyougotoEngland？“
Heleanedforwardandputhischinonhishand。
“Why，say，“hesaid，asthoughhewerethinkingitout，“he”sspokenaboutEnglandtwoorthreetimes。He”ssaidhemustgothere。Byjings！I”lltakehimwithme，andseewhat”llhappen。”
WhenLittleAnngotuptoleavetheroomhefollowedherandherfatherintothehall。
“MayIcomeupandtalkitoverwithyou？“heappealed。“I”vegottotalktosomeonewhoknowssomethingaboutit。IshallgodottyifI
don”t。It”stoomuchlikeadream。”
“Comeonupwhenyou”reready，“answeredHutchinson。“Annandmecangiveyouatiportwo。”
“I”mgoingtobeputtingthelastthingsinthetrunks，“saidAnn，“butIdaresayyouwon”tmindthat。Theexpress”llbeherebyeightinthemorning。”
“0Lord！“groanedTembarom。
Whenhewentuptothefourthflooralittlelater，Hutchinsonhadfallenintoadozeinhischairoverhisnewspaper，andAnnwaskneelingbyatrunkinthehall，foldingsmallarticlestightly，andfittingthemintocorners。ToTembaromshelookedevenmorethanusuallikeaslightchildthingonecouldsnatchupinone”sarmsandcarryaboutorsetonone”skneewithoutfeelingherweightatall。Aninferiorgas-jetonthewalljustaboveherwasdoingitsbestwiththelotofsoft，redhair，whichwouldhavebeenanuntidybundleifithadnotbeenhers。
Tembaromsatdownonthetrunknexttoher。
“0LittleAnn！“hebrokeoutunderhisbreath，lestthesoundofhisvoicemightcheckHutchinson”ssteadysnoring。“0LittleAnn！“
Annleanedback，sittinguponhersmallheels，andlookedupathim。
“You”reallupset，andit”snottobewonderedat，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid。
“Upset！You”regoingawayto-morrowmorning！And，fortheLord”ssake，don”tcallmethat！“heprotested。
“You”regoingawayyourselfnextWednesday。AndyouAREMr。TempleBarholm。You”llneverbecalledanythingelseinEngland。
“HowamIgoingtostandit？“heprotestedagain。“Howcouldafellowlikemestandit！TobeyankedoutofgoodoldNewYork，andsetdowninaplacelikeamuseum，withCentralParkroundit，andcalledMr。
TempleTempleBarholminsteadofjust”Tem”or”T。T。”！It”snotnatural。”
“Whatyoumustdo，Mr。TempleBarholm，istokeepyourheadclear，that”sall，“sherepliedmaturely。
“Lord！ifI”dgotaheadlikeyours！“
Sheseemedtotakehimin，withabenignappreciativeness，inhisentirety。
“Well，youhaven”t，“sheadmitted，thoughquitewithoutdisparagement，merelywithslightreservation。“Butyou”vegotonelikeyourown。Andit”sagoodhead——whenyoutrytothinksteady。Yoursisaman”shead，andmine”sonlyawoman”s。”
“It”sLittleAnnHutchinson”s，bygee！“saidTembarom，withfeeling。
“Listenhere，Mr。Tem——TempleBarholm，“shewenton，asnearlydisturbedashehadeverseenheroutwardly。“It”sawonderfulthingthat”shappenedtoyou。It”slikeanovel。Thatsplendidplace，thatsplendidname！ItseemssoqueertothinkIshouldeverhavetalkedtoaMr。TempleBarholmasI”vetalkedtoyou。”
Heleanedforwardalittleasthoughsomethingdrewhim。
“But“——therewasunsteadyappealinhisvoice”youhavelikedme，haven”tyou，LittleAnn？“
Herownvoiceseemedtodropintoanextraquietnessthatmadeitremote。Shelookeddownatherhandsonherlap。
“Yes，Ihavelikedyou。IhavetoldFatherIlikedyou，“sheanswered。
Hegotup，andmadeanimpetuousrushathisgoal。
“Then——say，I”mgoingintheretowakeupMr。Hutchinsonandaskhimnottosailto-morrowmorning。”
“You”dbetternotwakehimup，“sheanswered，smiling；buthesawthatherfacechangedandflushed。“It”snotagoodtimetoaskFatheranythingwhenhe”sjustbeenwakedup。AndweHAVEtogo。Theexpressiscomingateight。”
“Senditawayagain；tell”emyou”renotgoing。Tell”emanyoldthing。LittleAnn，what”sthematterwithyou？Something”sthematter。
HaveImadeabreak？“
Hehadfelttheremotenessinherevenbeforehehadhearditinherdroppedvoice。Ithadbeenvaguelythereevenwhenhesatdownonthetrunk。Actuallytherewasatouchofreserveabouther，asthoughshewaskeepingherlittleplacewiththeself-respectingproprietyofagirlspeakingtoamannotofherownworld。
“IdaresayI”vedonesomefoolthingwithoutknowingit。Idon”tknowwhereI”mat，anyhow，“hesaidwoefully。
“Don”tlookatmelikethat，Mr。TempleBarholm，“shesaid”asifI
wasunkind。I——I”mNOT。”
“Butyou”redifferent，“heimplored。“IsawittheminuteIcameup。I
ranup-stairsjustcrazytotalktoyou，——yes，crazytotalktoyou——
andyou——well，youweredifferent。Whyareyou，ifyou”renotmad？“
Thensheroseandstoodholdingoneofherneatlyrolledpackagesinherhand。Hereyesweresoftandclear，andappealedmaternallytohisreason。
“Becauseeverything”sdifferent。Youjustthinkabit，“sheanswered。
Hestaredatherafewseconds，andthenunderstandingofherdawneduponhim。Hemadeahumanyoungdashather，andcaughtherarm。
“What！“hecriedout。“YoumeanthisTempleBarholmsonganddancemakesthingsdifferent？Notonyourlife！You”renotthegirltoworkthatonme，asifitwasmyfault。You”vegottohearmespeakmypiece。Ann——you”vejustgotto！“
Hehadbeguntotremblealittle，andsheherselfwasnotsteady；butsheputahandonhisarm。
“Don”tsayanythingyou”venothadtimetothinkabout，“shesaid。
“I”vebeenthinkingofprettynearnothingelseeversinceIcamehere。JustassoonasIlookedatyouacrossthetablethatfirstdayIsawmyfinish，andeverydaymademesurer。I”dneverhadanycomfortortakingcareof，——Ididn”tknowthefirstthingaboutit，——
anditseemedasifalltherewasofitintheworldwasjustinYOU。”
“Didyouthinkthat？“sheaskedfalteringly。
“DidI？That”showyoulookedtome，andit”showyoulooknow。Thewayyougoabouttakingcareofeverybodyandjusthandingoutsolidlittlechunksofgoodsensetoeverydarnedfoolthatneedsthem，why——
“Therewasabreakinhisvoice”why，itjustknockedmeoutthefirstround。”Heheldheralittleawayfromhim，sothathecouldyearnoverher，thoughhedidnotknowhewasyearning。“See，I”dswornI”dneveraskagirltomarrymeuntilIcouldkeepher。Well，youknowhowitwas，Ann。Icouldn”thavekeptagoat，andIwasn”tsuchafoolthatIdidn”tknowit。I”vebeenprettysickwhenI
thoughthowitwas；butIneverworriedyou，didI？“
“No，youdidn”t。”
“Ijustgotbusy。Iworkedlike——well，IgotbusierthanIeverwasinmylife。WhenIgotthepageSURE，Iletmyselfgoabit，sortofhoping。AndthenthisTempleBarholmthinghitsme。”
“That”sthethingyou”vegottothinkofnow，“saidLittleAnn。“I”mgoingtotalksensibletoyou。”
“Don”t，Ann！GoodLord！DON”T！“
“IMUST。”Sheputherlasttightrollintothetrunkandtriedtoshutthelid。“Pleaselockthisforme。”
Helockedit，andthensheseatedherselfonthetopofit，thoughitwasratherhighforher，andhersmallfeetdangled。Hereyeslookedlargeandmoistlikeababy”s，andshetookoutahandkerchiefandlightlytouchedthem。
“You”vemademewanttocryabit，“shesaid，“butI”mnotgoingto。”
“Areyougoingtotellmeyoudon”twantme？“heasked，withanxiouseyes。
“No，I”mnot。”
“Godblessyou！“Hewasgoingtomakeadashatheragain，butpulledhimselfupbecausehemust。“No，byjings！“hesaid。“I”mnotgoingtotillyouletme。”
“Yousee，it”strueyourhead”snotlikemine，“shesaidreasonably。
“Men”sheadsaremostlynotlikewomen”s。They”remen，ofcourse，andthey”resuperiortowomen，butthey”rewhatI”dcallmorefluttery-
like。Womenmustremindthemofthings。”
“What——whatkindofthings？“
“Thiskind。Yousee，GrandmotherlivesnearTempleBarholm，andIknowwhatit”slike，andyoudon”t。AndI”veseenwhatseventythousandpoundsayearmeans，andyouhaven”t。Andyou”vegottogoandfindoutforyourself。”
“What”sthematterwithyoucomingalongtohelpme？“
“Ishouldn”thelpyou；that”sit。Ishouldholdyouback。I”mnothingbutAnnHutchinson，andItalkManchester——andIdropmyh”s。”
“Ilovetohearyoudropyourlittleh”sallovertheplace，“heburstforthimpetuously。“Iloveit。”
Sheshookherhead。
“Thegirlsthatgotogarden-partiesatTempleBarholmlooklikethoseinthe`Ladies”Pictorial”，andthey”vegotnamesandtitlessameasthoseinnovels。”
Heansweredheringenuineanguish。Hehadnevermadeanymistakeabouthercharacter，andshewasbeginningtomakehimfeelafraidofherinthemidstofhisadoration。
“WhatdoIwantwithagirloutofamagazine？“hecried。“WhereshouldIhangherup？“
Shewasnotunfeeling，butunshakenandshewenton：
“Ishouldlooklikeahousemaidamongthem。Howwouldyoufeelwithawifeofthatsort，whentheothersortwasabout？“
“Ishouldfeellikeaking，that”swhatIshouldfeellike，“herepliedindignantly。
“Ishouldn”tfeellikeaqueen。IshouldfeelMISERABLE。”
Shesatwithherlittlefeetdangling，andherhandsfoldedinherlap。HerinfantileblueeyesheldhimastheAncientMarinerhadbeenheld。Hecouldnotgetawayfromthecleardirectnessofthem。Hedidnotwanttoexactly，butshefrightenedhimmoreandmore。
“Ishouldbeashamed，“sheproceeded。“IshouldfeelasifIhadtakenanadvantage。Whatyou”vegottodoistofindoutsomethingnooneelsecanfindoutforyou，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
“HowcanIfinditoutwithoutyou？Itwasyouwhoputmeontothewedding-cake；youcanputmeontootherthings。”
“BecauseI”velivedintheplace，“sheansweredunswervingly。“IknowhowfunnyitisforanyonetothinkofmebeingMrs。TempleBarholm。
Youdon”t。”
“YoubetIdon”t，“heanswered；“butI”lltellyouwhatIdoknow，andthat”showfunnyitisthatIshouldbeMr。TempleBarholm。I”vegotontothatallright，allright。Haveyou？“
Shelookedathimwithareflectionthatsaidmuch。Shetookhiminwithajudicialsummingupofwhichitmustbeownedanaddedrespectwaspart。Shehadalwaysbelievedhehadmoresensethanmostyoungmen，andnowsheknewit。
“Whenaperson”scleverenoughtoseethingsforhimself，he”sgenerallycleverenoughtomanagethem，“shereplied。
Hekneltdownbesidethetrunkandtookbothherhandsinhis。Heheldthemfastandratherhard。
“Areyouthrowingmedownforgood，LittleAnn？“hesaid。“Ifyouare，Ican”tstandit，Iwon”tstandit。”
“Ifyoucareaboutmelikethat，you”lldowhatItellyou，“sheinterrupted，andsheslippeddownfromthetopofhertrunk。“IknowwhatMotherwouldsay。She”dsay，”Ann，yougivethatyoungmanachance。”AndI”mgoingtogiveyouone。I”vesaidallI”mgoingto，Mr。TempleBarholm。”
Hetookbothherelbowsandlookedatherclosely，feelingasomewhatawedconviction。
“I-believe-youhave，“hesaid。
AndherethesoundofMr。Hutchinson”sloudandstertorousbreathingceased，andhewakedup，andcametothedoortofindoutwhatAnnwasdoing。
“Whatareyoutwotalkingabout？“heasked。“Peoplethinkwhentheywhisperit”snotgoingtodisturbanybody，butit”sworsethanshoutinginaman”sear。”
Tembaromwalkedintotheroom。
“I”vebeenaskingLittleAnntomarryme，“heannounced，“andshewon”t。”
Hesatdowninachairhelplessly，andlethisheadfallintohishands。
“Eh！“exclaimedHutchinson。HeturnedandlookedatAnndisturbedly。
“Ithoughtabitagothadidn”tdenybutwhattha”dtooktohim？“
“Ididn”t，Father，“sheanswered。“Idon”tchangemymindthatquick。
I-wouldhavebeenwillingtosay”Yes”whenyouwouldn”thavebeenwillingtoletme。Ididn”tknowhewasMr。TempleBarholmthen。”
Hutchinsonrubbedthebackofhishead，reddeningandratherbristling。
“Dostthathinkth”TempleBarholmswouldlookdownonthee？“
“IshouldlookdownonmyselfifItookhimupathisfirstwords，whenhe”sallupsetwithexcitement，andhasn”thadtimetofindoutwhatthingsmean。I”m——well，I”mtoofondofhim，Father。”
Hutchinsongaveheralong，steadylook。
“Youare？“hesaid。
“Yes，Iam。”
Tembaromliftedhishead，andlookedather，too。
“Areyou？“heasked。
Sheputherhandsbehindherback，andreturnedhislookwiththecalmofages。
“I”mnotgoingtoargueaboutit，“sheanswered。“Arguing”ssilly。”
Hisinvoluntaryrisingandstandingbeforeherwasasortofunconscioustributeofrespect。
“Iknowthat，“heowned。“Iknowyou。That”swhyItakeitlikethis。
ButIwantyoutotellmeonething。Ifthishadn”thappened，ifI”donlyhadtwentydollarsaweek，wouldyouhavetakenme？“
“Ifyou”dhadfifteen，andFathercouldhavesparedme，I”dhavetakenyou。Fifteendollarsaweekisthreepoundstwoandsixpence，andI”veknowncurates”wivesthathadtobringupfamiliesonless。Itwouldn”tgoasfarinNewYorkasitwouldinthecountryinEngland，butwecouldhavemadeitdo——untilyougotmore。Iknowyou，too，Mr。
TempleBarholm。”
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