第2章

AdamsbycolleaguesinhisdepartmentatLambandCompany\'s。 AdamshadshownsomefeelingwhenAlicebegantourgeitsremovaltoobscurityinthe\"upstairshall\"；heevenresistedforseveraldaysaftershehadthe\"Colosseum\"chargedtohim，framedinoak，andsenttothehouse。Shecheeredhimup，ofcourse，whenhegaveway；andherheartnevermisgaveherthattheremightbeadoubtwhichofthetwopictureswasthemoredismaying。 Overthepictures，thevases，theoldbrownplushrocking-chairsandthestool，overthethreegiltchairs，overthenewchintz-coveredeasychairandthegrayveluresofa——overeverythingeverywhere，wasthefamiliarcoatingofsmokegrime。 Ithadworkedintoeveryfibreofthelacecurtains，dingyingthemtoanunpleasantgray；itlayonthewindow-sillsanditdimmedtheglasspanes；itcoveredthewalls，coveredtheceiling，andwassmeareddarkerandthickerinallcorners。Yetherewasnofaultofhousewifery；thecursecouldnotbelifted，astheingrainedsmudgespermanentontheoncewhitewoodworkproved。Thegrimewasperpetuallyrenewed；scrubbingonlygrounditin。 ThisparticularuglinesswassmallpartofAlice\'sdiscontent，forthoughthecoatinggrewalittledeepereachyearshewasusedtoit。Moreover，sheknewthatshewasnotlikelytofindanythingbetterinathousandmiles，solongasshekepttocities，andthatnoneofherfriends，howeveropulent，hadanyadvantageofherhere。Indeed，throughoutallthegreatsoft-coalcountry，peoplewhoconsiderthemselvescomparativelypoormayfindthisconsolation:cleanlinesshasbeenaddedtothevirtuesandbeatitudesthatmoneycannotbuy。 Alicebrightenedalittleasshewentforwardtothefrontdoor，andshebrightenedmorewhenthespringbreezemetherthere。 Thenalldepressionleftherasshewalkeddowntheshortbrickpathtothesidewalk，lookedupanddownthestreet，andsawhowbravelythemapleshade-trees，inspiteoftheblackpowdertheybreathed，wereflingingouttheirthousandsofyounggreenparticlesoverhead。 Sheturnednorth，treadingthenewlittleshadowsonthepavementbriskly，and，havingfinishedbuttoninghergloves，swungdownherMalaccastickfromunderherarmtoletittapamoreleisurelyaccompanimenttoherquick，shortstep。Shehadtostepquicklyifshewastogetanywhere；fortheclosenessofherskirt，inspiteofitslittlelength，permittednonaturalstride；butshewaspleasedtobeimpeded，thesebrevitiesformingpartofhershowoffashion。 Otherpedestriansfoundthemnotwithoutcharm，thoughapprovalmayhavebeenlackinghereandthere，andatthefirstcrossingAlicesufferedwhatshemighthaveaccountedanactualinjury，hadsheallowedherselftobesosensitive。Anelderlywomaninfussyblacksilkstoodthere，waitingforastreetcar；shewasallofaglobularmodelling，withafacepatternedlikeafrost-bittenpeach；andthattheapproachinggracefulnesswasuncongenialshenaivelymadetooevident。Herround，waneyesseemedrousedtobitterlifeastheyrosefromthecurvedhighheelsofthebuckledslipperstothetightlittleskirt，andthencewithstartledferocitytotheMalaccacane，whichplainlyappearedtoherasadecorationnotmoreastoundingthanitwasinsulting。 Perceivingthatthegirlwasbowingtoher，theglobularladyhurriedlymadeshifttoalterherinjuriousexpression。\"Goodmorning，Mrs。Dowling，\"Alicesaid，gravely。Mrs。DowlingreturnedthesalutationwithasmileasconvincinglybenevolentastheghastlysmileuponaSantaClausface；andthen，whileAlicepassedon，explodedtowardherasinglecompactedbreaththroughtightenedlips。 Thesoundwaseloquentlyaudible，thoughMrs。Dowlingremainedunawarethatinthisoranymannerwhatevershehadshedalightuponherthoughts；foritwasherlifelonginnocentconvictionthatotherpeoplesawheronlyasshewishedtobeseen，andheardfromheronlywhatsheintendedtobeheard。Athomeitwasalwaysherhusbandwhopulleddowntheshadesoftheirbedroomwindow。 Alicelookedseriousforafewmomentsafterthelittleencounter，thenfoundsomeconsolationinthebehaviourofagentlemanoffortyorsowhowascomingtowardher。LikeMrs。 Dowling，hehadbeguntoshowconsciousnessofAlice\'sapproachwhileshewasyetafaroff；buthistokenswereofakindpleasantertoher。HewaslikeMrs。Dowlingagain，however，inhisconceptionthatAlicewouldnotrealizethesignificanceofwhathedid。Hepassedhishandoverhisneck-scarftoseethatitlayneatlytohiscollar，smoothedalapelofhiscoat，andadjustedhishat，seemingtobepreoccupiedthewhilewithproblemsthatkepthiseyestothepavement；then，ashecamewithinafewfeetofher，helookedup，asinasurprisedrecognitionalmostdramatic，smiledwinningly，liftedhishatdecisively，andcarriedittothefullarm\'slength。 Alice\'sresponsewasallhecouldhaveasked。Thecaneinherrighthandstoppedshortinitsswing，whileherlefthandmovedinaprettygestureasifanimpulsecarriedittowardtheheart； andshesmiled，withherunderlipcaughtsuddenlybetweenherteeth。Monthsagoshehadseenanactressusethissmileinaplay，anditcameperfectlytoAlicenow，withoutconsciousdirection，ithadbeensowellacquired；buttheprettyhand\'slittleimpulsetowardtheheartwasanoriginalbitallherown，onthespurofthemoment。 Thegentlemanwenton，passingfromherforwardvisionashereplacedhishat。OfhimselfhewasnothingtoAlice，exceptforthegraciouscircumstancethathehadshownstrongconsciousnessofaprettygirl。Hewasmiddle-aged，substantial，afamilyman，securelymarried；andAlicehadwithhimoneofthoselongacquaintancesthatneverbecomeemphasizedbysomuchasfiveminutesoftalk；yetforthisinconsequentmeetingshehadenactedalittlepartlikeafragmentinapantomimeofSpanishwooing。 Itwasnotforhim——noteventoimpresshim，exceptasamessenger。Alicewasherselfalmostunawareofherthought，whichwasoneoftherunningthousandsofherthoughtsthattooknodeliberateforminwords。Nevertheless，shehadit，anditwastheimpulseofallherprettybitsofpantomimewhenshemetotheracquaintanceswhomadetheirappreciationvisible，asthissubstantialgentlemandid。InAlice\'sunwordedthought，hewastobethusencouragedasinsomemeasureachampiontospeakwellofhertotheworld；butmorethanthis:hewastotellsomemagnificentunknownbachelorhowwonderful，howmysterious，shewas。 Shehastenedongravely，alittlestirredreciprocallywiththesupposedstirringsinthebreastofthatshadowyducalmate，whomustbesomewhere\"waiting，\"orperhapsalreadyseekingher；forshemoreoftenthoughtofherselfas\"waiting\"whilehesoughther；andsometimesthisviewofthingsbecamesodefinitethatitshapedintoamurmuronherlips。\"Waiting。Justwaiting。\"Andshemightadd，\"Forhim!\"Then，beingtwenty-two，shewasapttoconcludethemysticinterviewbylaughingatherself，thoughnotwithoutacontinuedwistfulness。 Shecametoagroupofsmallcolouredchildrenplayingwaywardlyinapuddleatthemouthofamuddyalley；andatsightofhertheygaveovertheirpastimeinordertostare。Shesmiledbrilliantlyuponthem，buttheyweretoostruckwithwondertocomprehendthatthemanifestationwasfriendly；andasAlicepickedherwayinalittledetourtokeepfromthemud，sheheardoneofthemsay，\"Ladygotcane!Jeez\'!\" Sheknewthatmanycolouredchildrenuseimpietiesfamiliarly，andshewasnotstartled。Shewasdisturbed，however，byanunfavourablehintinthespeaker\'stone。Hewassix，probably，butthestingofacriticismisnotnecessarilyallayedbyknowledgeofitsignoblesource，andAlicehadalreadybeguntofeelaslightuneasinessabouthercane。Mrs。Dowling\'sstarehadbeenstrikinglyprojectedatit；otherwomenmorethanmerelyglanced，theirbrowsandlipscontractingimpulsively；andAlicewasawarethatoneortwoofthemfranklyhaltedassoonasshehadpassed。 Shehadseeninseveralmagazinespicturesofladieswithcanes，andonthataccountshehadboughtthisone，neverquestioningthatfashionisrecognized，evenintheprovinces，assoonasbeheld。Onthecontrary，thesestaringwomenobviouslyfailedtorealizethatwhattheywerebeingshownwasnotaneccentricoutburst，butthebrightharbingerofanillustriousmode。Alicehadappliedabitofartificialpigmenttoherlipsandcheeksbeforeshesetforththismorning；shedidnotneedit，havingareadycolourofherown，whichnowmountedhighwithannoyance。 Thenasplendidlyshiningclosedblackautomobile，withwindowsofpolishedglass，camesilentlydownthestreettowardher。 Withinit，asinaluxuriouslittleapartment，threecomelyladiesinmourningsatandgossiped；butwhentheysawAlicetheyclutchedoneanother。Theyinstantlyrecovered，bowingtohersolemnlyastheywereborneby，yetwerenotgonefromhersightsoswiftlybuttheedgeofhersideglancecaughtaflashofteethinmouthssuddenlyopened，andthedarkglistenofblackglovesagainclutchingtosharemirth。 ThecolourthatoutdidtherougeonAlice\'scheekextendeditsareaandgrewwarmerassherealizedhowalltoocordialhadbeenhernodandsmiletothesehumorousladies。Butintheiridentitylayasignificancecausingherasharpersmart，fortheywereofthefamilyofthatLamb，chiefofLambandCompany，whohademployedherfathersincebeforeshewasborn。 \"Andknowhissalary!They\'dbeSUREtofindoutaboutthat!\" washerthought，coupledwithanotherbitteronetotheeffectthattheyhadprobablymadeinstantaneousfinancialestimatesofwhatsheworethoughcertainlyherwalking-stickhadmostfedtheirhilarity。 Shetuckeditunderherarm，notswingingitagain；andherbreathbecamequickandirregularasemotionbesether。Shehadbeenenjoyingherwalk，butwithinthespaceofthefewblocksshehadgonesinceshemetthesubstantialgentleman，shefoundthatmorethanthewalkwasspoiled:suddenlyherlifeseemedtobespoiled，too；thoughshedidnotviewtheruinwithcomplaisance。TheseLambwomenthoughtherandhercaneridiculous，didthey？shesaidtoherself。Thatwastheirparvenublood:tothinkbecauseagirl\'sfatherworkedfortheirgrandfathershehadnorighttoberatherstrikinginstyle，especiallywhenthestrikingWASherstyle。Probablyalltheothergirlsandwomenwouldagreewiththemandwouldlaughatherwhentheygottogether，and，whatmightbefatal，wouldtrytomakeallthementhinkherasillypretender。Menwerejustlikesheep，andnothingwaseasierthanforwomentosetupasshepherdsandpentheminafold。\"Tokeepoutoutsiders，\"Alicethought。\"Andmake\'embelieveIAManoutsider。What\'stheuseofliving？\" Allseemedlostwhenatrimyoungmanappeared，stridingoutofacross-streetnotfarbeforeher，and，turningatthecorner，cametowardher。Visibly，heslackenedhisgaittolengthenthetimeofhisapproach，and，ashewasastrangertoher，nomotivecouldbeascribedtohimotherthanawishtohavealongertimetolookather。 Sheliftedaprettyhandtoapinatherthroat，bitherlip——notwiththesmile，butmysteriously——andatthelastinstantbeforehershadowtouchedthestranger，lethereyesgravelymeethis。 Amomentlater，havingarrivedbeforethehousewhichwasherdestination，shehaltedattheentrancetoadrivewayleadingthroughfinelawnstotheintentionallyimportantmansion。Itwasapleasantandimpressiveplacetobeseenentering，butAlicedidnotenteratonce。Shepaused，examiningatinybitofmortarwhichthemasonshadforgottentoscrapefromabrickinoneofthemassivegate-posts。Shefrownedatthistinydefacement，andwithanairofannoyancescrapeditaway，usingtheferruleofhercaneanactoffastidiousproprietorship。Ifanyonehadlookedbackoverhisshoulderhewouldnothavedoubtedthatshelivedthere。 Alicedidnotturntoseewhetheranythingofthesorthappenedornot，butshemayhavesurmisedthatitdid。Atallevents，itwaswithaninvigoratedstepthatsheleftthegatewaybehindherandwentcheerfullyupthedrivetothehouseofherfriendMildred。 CHAPTERIV Adamshadarestlessmorning，andtowardnoonheaskedMissPerrytocallhisdaughter；hewishedtosaysomethingtoher。 \"IthoughtIheardherleavingthehouseacoupleofhoursago——maybelonger，\"thenursetoldhim。\"I\'llgosee。\"Andshereturnedfromthebrieferrand，herimpressionconfirmedbyinformationfromMrs。Adams。\"Yes。ShewentuptoMissMildredPalmer\'stoseewhatshe\'sgoingtowearto-night。\" AdamslookedatMissPerrywearily，butremainedpassive，makingnoinquiries；forhewaslongaccustomedtowhatseemedtohimakindofjargonamongladies，whichbecamethemoreincomprehensiblewhentheytriedtoexplainit。Aman\'sbestcourse，hehadfound，wasjusttoletitgoassomuchsound。 Hissorrowfuleyesfollowedthenurseasshewentbacktoherrocking-chairbythewindow，andherplacidityshowedhimthattherewasnomysteryforherinthefactthatAlicewalkedtwomilestoasksosimpleaquestionwhentherewasatelephoneinthehouse。ObviouslyMissPerryalsocomprehendedwhyAlicethoughtitimportanttoknowwhatMildredmeanttowear。AdamsunderstoodwhyAliceshouldbeconcernedwithwhatsheherselfwore\"tolookneatandtidyandatherbest，why，ofcourseshe\'dwantto，\"hethought——butherealizedthatitwasforeverbeyondhimtounderstandwhytheclothingofotherpeoplehadlongsincebecomeanabsorbingpartofherlife。 Herexcursionthismorningwasnonovelty；shewascontinuallygoingtoseewhatMildredmeanttowear，orwhatsomeothergirlmeanttowear；andwhenAlicecamehomefromwhereverothergirlsorwomenhadbeengathered，shealwayshurriedtohermotherwithearnestdescriptionsoftheclothingshehadseen。Atsuchtimes，ifAdamswaspresent，hemightrecognize\"organdie，\"or\"taffeta，\"or\"chiffon，\"aswordsdefiningcertaintextiles，buttherestwastootechnicalforhim，andhewaslikeadismalboyatasermon，justwaitingforittogetitselffinished。Nottheleastofthemysterywashiswife\'sinterest:shewasalmostindifferentaboutherownclothes，andwhensheconsultedAliceaboutthemspokehurriedlyandwithanairofapology；butwhenAlicedescribedotherpeople\'sclothes，Mrs。Adamslistenedaseagerlyasthedaughtertalked。 \"Theretheygo!\"hemutteredto-day，amomentafterheheardthefrontdoorclosing，asoundrecognizablethroughoutmostofthethinlybuilthouse。Alicehadjustreturned，andMrs。Adamscalledtoherfromtheupperhallway，notfarfromAdams\'sdoor。 \"WhatdidsheSAY？\" \"Shewassortofsnippyaboutit，\"Alicereturned，ascendingthestairs。\"Shegetsthatwaysometimes，andpretendedshehadn\'tmadeuphermind，butI\'mprettysureit\'llbethemaizeGeorgettewithMalinesflounces。\" \"Didn\'tyousaysheworethatatthePattersons\'？\"Mrs。Adamsinquired，asAlicearrivedatthetopofthestairs。\"Anddidn\'tyoutellmesheworeitagainatthe——\" \"Certainlynot，\"Aliceinterrupted，ratherpetulantly。\"She\'sneverwornitbutonce，andofcourseshewouldn\'twanttowearanythingto-nightthatpeoplehaveseenherinalot。\" MissPerryopenedthedoorofAdams\'sroomandsteppedout。 \"Yourfatherwantstoknowifyou\'llcomeandseehimaminute，，MissAdams。\" \"Pooroldthing!Ofcourse!\"Aliceexclaimed，andwentquicklyintotheroom，MissPerryremainingoutside。\"What\'sthematter，papa？Gettingawfulsickoflyingonhistiredoldback，I expect。\" \"I\'vehadkindofapoormorning，\"Adamssaid，asshepattedhishandcomfortingly。\"Ibeenthinking——\" \"Didn\'tItellyounotto？\"shecried，gaily。\"Ofcourseyou\'llhavepoortimeswhenyougoanddojustexactlywhatIsayyoumustn\'t。Youstopthinkingthisveryminute!\" Hesmiledruefully，closinghiseyes；wassilentforamoment，thenaskedhertositbesidethebed。\"IbeenthinkingofsomethingIwantedtosay，\"headded。 \"Whatlike，papa？\" \"Well，it\'snothing——much，\"hesaid，withsomethingdeprecatoryinhistone，asifhefeltvagueimpulsestowardbothhumourandapology。\"IjustthoughtmaybeIoughtto\'vesaidmoretoyousometimeorotherabout——well，aboutthewaythingsARE，downatLambandCompany\'s，forinstance。\" \"Now，papa!\"Sheleanedforwardinthechairshehadtaken，andpretendedtoslaphishandcrossly。\"Isn\'tthatexactlywhatI saidyoucouldn\'tthinkonesinglethinkabouttillyougetALL well？\" \"Well——\"hesaid，andwentonslowly，notlookingather，butattheceiling。\"Ijustthoughtmaybeitwouldn\'tbeenanyharmifsometimeorotherItoldyousomethingaboutthewaytheysortofdependonmedownthere。\" \"Whydon\'ttheyshowit，then？\"sheasked，quickly。\"That\'sjustwhatmamaandIhavebeenfeelingsomuch；theydon\'tappreciateyou。\" \"Why，yes，theydo，\"hesaid。\"Yes，theydo。Theybeganh\'istingmysalarythesecondyearIwentinthere，andthey\'veh\'isteditalittleeverytwoyearsallthetimeI\'veworkedfor\'em。I\'vebeenheadofthesundriesdepartmentforsevenyearsnow，andIcouldhardlyhavemoreauthorityinthatdepartmentunlessIwasamemberofthefirmitself。\" \"Well，whydon\'ttheymakeyouamemberofthefirm？That\'swhattheyoughtto\'vedone!Yes，andlongago!\" Adamslaughed，butsighedwithmoreheartinessthanhehadlaughed。\"Theycallmetheir\'oldeststand-by\'downthere。\"Helaughedagain，apologetically，asiftoexcusehimselffortakingalittleprideinthistitle。\"Yes，sir；theysayI\'mtheir\'oldeststand-by\'；andIguesstheyknowtheycancountonmydepartment\'sturninginasgoodareportastheylookfor，attheendofeverymonth；buttheydon\'thavetotakeamanintothefirmtogethimtodomywork，dearie。\" \"Butyousaidtheydependedonyou，papa。\" \"Sotheydo；butofcoursenotso\'stheycouldn\'tgetalongwithoutme。\"Hepaused，reflecting。\"Idon\'tjustseemtoknowhowtoputit——ImeanhowtoputwhatIstartedouttosay。I kindofwantedtotellyou——well，itseemsfunnytome，theselastfewyears，thewayyourmother\'stakentofeelingaboutit。 I\'dliketoseeabetterestablishedwholesaledrugbusinessthanLambandCompanythissidetheAlleghanies——Idon\'tsaybigger，I saybetterestablished——andit\'skindoffunnyforamanthat\'sbeenwithabusinesslikethataslongasIhavetohearitcalleda\'hole。\'It\'skindoffunnywhenyouthink，yourself，you\'vedoneprettyfairlywellinabusinesslikethat，andthemenattheheadofitseemtothinkso，too，andputyoursalaryjustaboutashighasanybodycouldconsidercustomary——well，whatImean，Alice，it\'skindoffunnytohaveyourmotherthinkit\'smostlyjust——mostlyjustafailure，sotospeak。\" Hisvoicehadbecometremulousinspiteofhim；andthissignofweaknessandemotionhadsufficienteffectuponAlice。Shebentoverhimsuddenly，withherarmabouthimandhercheekagainsthis。\"Poorpapa!\"shemurmured。\"Poorpapa!\" \"No，no，\"hesaid。\"Ididn\'tmeananythingtotroubleyou。I justthought——\"Hehesitated。\"Ijustwondered——Ithoughtmaybeitwouldn\'tbeanyharmifIsaidsomethingabouthowthingsAREdownthere。Igottothinkingmaybeyoudidn\'tunderstandit\'saprettygoodplace。They\'refinepeopletoworkfor；andthey\'vealwaysseemedtothinksomethingofme；——thewaytheytookWalteron，forinstance，soonasIasked\'em，lastyear。Don\'tyouthinkthatlookedagooddealasiftheythoughtsomethingofme，Alice？\" \"Yes，papa，\"shesaid，notmoving。 \"Andthework\'srightpleasant，\"hewenton。\"Mightyniceboysinourdepartment，Alice。Well，theyareinallthedepartments，forthatmatter。Wehaveagooddealoffundowntheresomedays。\" Sheliftedherhead。\"Morethanyoudoathome\'somedays，\'I expect，papa!\"shesaid。 Heprotestedfeebly。\"Now，Ididn\'tmeanthat——Ididn\'twanttotroubleyou——\" Shelookedathimthroughwinkingeyelashes。\"I\'msorryIcalledita\'hole，\'papa。\" \"No，no，\"heprotested，gently。\"Itwasyourmothersaidthat。\" \"No。Idid，too。\" \"Well，ifyoudid，itwasonlybecauseyou\'dheardher。\" Sheshookherhead，thenkissedhim。\"I\'mgoingtotalktoher，\" shesaid，androsedecisively。 Butatthis，herfather\'stroubledvoicebecamequicklylouder: \"Youbetterletheralone。Ijustwantedtohavealittletalkwithyou。Ididn\'tmeantostartany——yourmotherwon\'t——\" \"Now，papa!\"Alicespokecheerfullyagain，andsmileduponhim。 \"Iwantyoutoquitworrying!Everything\'sgoingtobeallrightandnobody\'sgoingtobotheryouanymoreaboutanything。You\'llsee!\" Shecarriedhersmileoutintothehall，butaftershehadclosedthedoorherfacewasallpity；andhermother，waitingforherintheoppositeroom，spokesympathetically。 \"What\'sthematter，Alice？Whatdidhesaythat\'supsetyou？\" \"Waitaminute，mama。\"Alicefoundahandkerchief，useditforeyesandsuffusednose，gulped，thensuddenlyanddesolatelysatuponthebed。\"Poor，poor，POORpapa!\"shewhispered。 \"Why？\"Mrs。Adamsinquired，mildly。\"What\'sthematterwithhim？Sometimesyouactasifheweren\'tgettingwell。What\'shebeentalkingabout？\" \"Mama——well，IthinkI\'mprettyselfish。Oh，Ido!\" \"Didhesayyouwere？\" \"Papa？No，indeed!WhatImeanis，maybewe\'rebothalittleselfishtotrytomakehimgooutandhuntaroundforsomethingnew。\" Mrs。Adamslookedthoughtful。\"Oh，that\'swhathewasupto!\" \"Mama，Ithinkweoughttogiveitup。Ididn\'tdreamithadreallyhurthim。\" \"Well，doesn\'thehurtus？\" \"NeverthatIknowof，mama。\" \"Idon\'tmeanbySAYINGthings，\"Mrs。Adamsexplained，impatiently。\"Therearemorewaysthanthatofhurtingpeople。 Whenamanstickstoasalarythatdoesn\'tprovideforhisfamily，isn\'tthathurtingthem？\" \"Oh，it\'provides\'foruswellenough，mama。Wehavewhatweneed——ifIweren\'tsoextravagant。Oh，_I_knowIam!\" Butatthisadmissionhermothercriedoutsharply。 \"\'Extravagant!\'Youhaven\'tonetenthofwhattheothergirlsyougowithhave。AndyouCAN\'Thavewhatyououghttoaslongashedoesn\'tgetoutofthathorribleplace。Itprovidesbarefoodandshelterforus，butwhat\'sthat？\" \"Idon\'tthinkweoughttotryanymoretochangehim。\" \"Youdon\'t？\"Mrs。Adamscameandstoodbeforeher。\"Listen，Alice:yourfather\'sasleep；that\'shistrouble，andhe\'sgottobewakedup。Hedoesn\'tknowthatthingshavechanged。WhenyouandWalterwerelittlechildrenwedidhaveenough——atleastitseemedtobeaboutasmuchasmostofthepeopleweknew。Butthetownisn\'twhatitwasinthosedays，andtimesaren\'twhattheywerethen，andthesefearfulPRICESaren\'ttheoldprices。 Everythingelsebutyourfatherhaschanged，andallthetimehe\'sstoodstill。Hedoesn\'tknowit；hethinksbecausethey\'vegivenhimahundreddollarsmoreeverytwoyearshe\'squiteaprosperousman!AndhethinksthatbecausehischildrencosthimmorethanheandIcostourparentshegivesthem——enough!\" \"ButWalter——\"Alicefaltered。\"Walterdoesn\'tcosthimanythingatallanymore。\"Andsheconcluded，inastrickenvoice，\"It\'sall——me!\" \"Whyshouldn\'titbe？\"hermothercried。\"You\'reyoung——you\'rejustatthetimewhenyourlifeshouldbefullestofgoodthingsandhappiness。Yetwhatdoyouget？\" Alice\'slipquivered；shewasnotunsusceptibletosuchanappeal，butshecontrivedthesemblanceofaprotest。\"Idon\'thavesuchabadtimenotagoodDEALofthetime，anyhow。I\'vegotagoodMANYofthethingsothergirlshave——\" \"Youhave？\"Mrs。Adamswaspiteouslysatirical。\"Isupposeyou\'vegotalimousinetogotothatdanceto-night？Isupposeyou\'veonlygottocallafloristandtellhimtosendyousomeorchids？Isupposeyou\'ve——\" ButAliceinterruptedthislist。Apparentlyinasingleinstantallemotionlefther，andshebecamebusinesslike，asoneinthemidstoftriflesremindedofreallyseriousmatters。Shegotupfromthebedandwenttothedooroftheclosetwhereshekeptherdresses。\"Oh，seehere，\"shesaid，briskly。\"I\'vedecidedtowearmywhiteorgandieifyoucouldputinanewliningforme。I\'mafraidit\'lltakeyounearlyallafternoon。\" Shebroughtforththedress，displayedituponthebed，andMrs。 Adamsexamineditattentively。 \"Doyouthinkyoucouldgetitdone，mama？\" \"Idon\'tseewhynot，\"Mrs。Adamsanswered，passingathoughtfulhandoverthefabric。\"Itoughtn\'ttotakemorethanfourorfivehours。\" \"It\'sashametohaveyousitatthemachinethatlong，\"Alicesaid，absently，adding，\"AndI\'msureweoughttoletpapaalone。 Let\'sjustgiveitup，mama。\" Mrs。Adamscontinuedherthoughtfulexaminationofthedress。 \"Didyoubuythechiffonandribbon，Alice？\" \"Yes。I\'msureweoughtn\'ttotalktohimaboutitanymore，mama。\" \"Well，we\'llsee。\" \"Let\'sbothagreethatwe\'llNEVERsayanothersinglewordtohimaboutit，\"saidAlice。\"It\'llbeagreatdealbetterifwejustlethimmakeuphismindforhimself。\" CHAPTERV Withthis，havingmoreimmediatelypracticalquestionsbeforethem，theydroppedthesubject，tobendtheirentireattentionuponthedress；andwhenthelunch-gongsoundeddownstairsAlicewasstillsketchingrepairsandalterations。Shecontinuedtosketchthem，notheedingthesummons。 \"Isupposewe\'dbettergodowntolunch，\"Mrs。Adamssaid，absently。\"She\'satthegongagain。\"Inaminute，mama。Nowaboutthesleeves——\"Andshewentonwithherplanning。 Unfortunatelythegongwasinexpressiveofthemoodofthepersonwhobeatuponit。Itconsistedofthreelittlemetalbowlsuponastring；theywereunequalinsize，and，uponbeingtappedwithapaddedstick，gaveforthvibrationsalmostmusicallypleasant。 ItwasAlicewhohadsubstitutedthiscontrivanceforthebrass\"dinner-bell\"inusethroughoutherchildhood；andneithershenortheothersofherfamilyrealizedthatthesubstitutionofsweetersoundshadmadethelifeofthathouseholdmoredifficult。Inspiteofdismayingincreasesinwages，theAdamsesstillstrovetokeepacook；and，astheywereunabletopaythehigherratesdemandedbyagoodone，whattheyusuallyhadwasawhimsicalcolouredwomanofnomadicimpulses。Inthehandsofsuchapersontheold-fashioned\"dinner-bell\"wassatisfying； lifecouldinstantlybemadeintolerableforanyonedawdlingonhiswaytoameal；thebellwascapableofeverydesirableprofanityandleftnothingbottledupinthebreastoftheringer。Butthechamois-coveredstickmightwhackuponAlice\'slittleChinesebowlsforaconsiderablelengthoftimeandproducenogreateffectofurgencyuponahearer，noranyothereffect，exceptfuryinthecook。Theironicalimpossibilityofexpressingindignationotherwisethanbysoundsofgentleharmonyprovedexasperating；thecookwasapttobecomesurcharged，sothatexplosiveresignations，neverrare，weresomewhatmorefrequentaftertheintroductionofthegong。 Mrs。Adamstookthisincreasedfrequencytobeonlyanothermanifestationoftheinexplicablenewdifficultiesthatbesetallhousekeeping。Youpaidacookdoublewhatyouhadpaidoneafewyearsbefore；andthecookknewhalfasmuchofcookery，andhadnogratitude。Themoreyougavethesepeople，itseemed，theworsetheybehaved——aconditionnottoberemediedbysimplygivingthemless，becauseyoucouldn\'tevengettheworstunlessyoupaidherwhatshedemanded。Nevertheless，Mrs。Adamsremainedfitfullyanoptimistinthematter。Broughtupbyhermothertospeakofafemalecookas\"thegirl，\"shehadbeeninstructedbyAlicetodropthatdefinitioninfavourofonenotanimprovementinaccuracy:\"themaid。\"Almostalways，duringthefirstdayorsoaftereverycookcame，Mrs。Adamswouldsay，atintervals，withanairoftriumph:\"Ibelieve——ofcourseit\'salittlesoontobesure——butIdoreallybelievethisnewmaidisthetreasurewe\'vebeenlookingforsolong!\"MuchinthesamewaythatAlicedreamedofamysteriousperfectmateforwhomshe\"waited，\"hermotherhadafairytheorythathiddensomewhereintheuniversetherewasthetreasure，theperfect\"maid，\"whowouldcomeandcookintheAdamses\'kitchen，notfourdaysorfourweeks，butforever。 Thepresentincumbentwasnotshe。Alice，profoundlyinterestedherself，kepthermotherlikewisesopreoccupiedwiththedressthattheywerebutvaguelyconsciousofthegong\'ssoftwarnings，thoughthesewererepeatedandprotractedunusually。Finallythesoundofaheartyvoice，independentandenraged，reachedthepair。Itcamefromthehallbelow。 \"Isaysgoo\'-BYE!\"itcalled。\"Da\'ssall!\" Thenthefrontdoorslammed。 \"Why，what——\"Mrs。Adamsbegan。 Theywentdownhurriedlytofindout。MissPerryinformedthem。 \"Icouldn\'tmakeherlistentoreason，\"shesaid。\"Sherangthegongfourorfivetimesandgottotalkingtoherself；andthenshewentuptoherroomandpackedherbag。Itoldhershehadnobusinesstogooutthefrontdoor，anyhow。\" Mrs。Adamstookthenewsphilosophically。\"IthoughtshehadsomethinglikethatinhereyewhenIpaidherthismorning，andI\'mnotsurprised。Well，wewon\'tletMr。Adamsknowanything\'sthemattertillIgetanewone。\" Theyluncheduponwhatthelateincumbenthadleftchillingonthetable，andthenMrs。Adamspreparedtowashthedishes；shewould\"havethemdoneinajiffy，\"shesaid，cheerfully。ButitwasAlicewhowashedthedishes。 \"IDON\'Tliketohaveyoudothat，Alice，\"hermotherprotested，followingherintothekitchen。\"Itroughensthehands，andwhenagirlhashandslikeyours——\" \"Iknow，mama。\"Alicelookedtroubled，butshookherhead。\"Itcan\'tbehelpedthistime；you\'llneedeveryminutetogetthatdressdone。\" Mrs。Adamswentawaylamenting，whileAlice，noexpert，begantosplashtheplatesandcupsandsaucersinthewarmwater。Afterawhile，assheworked，hereyesgrewdreamy:shewasmakinglittlegay-colouredpicturesofherself，unfoundedpropheciesofhowshewouldlookandwhatwouldhappentoherthatevening。 Shesawherself，charminganddemure，wearingafluffyidealizationofthedresshermothernowdeterminedlystruggledwithupstairs；shesawherselfframedinagarlandedarchway，theentrancetoaballroom，andsawthepeopleontheshiningfloorturningdramaticallytolookather；thenfromallpointsarushofyoungmenshoutingfordanceswithher；andsheconstructedasuperbstranger，tall，dark，masterfullysmiling，whoswungheroutoftheclamouringgroupasthemusicbegan。Shesawherselfdancingwithhim，sawthehalf-troubledsmileshewouldgivehim； andsheaccuratelysmiledthatsmileassherinsedtheknivesandforks。 Thesehopefulfragmentsofdramawerenottoberealized，sheknew；butsheplayedthattheyweretrue，andwentoncreatingthem。Inallofthemsheworeorcarriedflowers——hermother\'ssorrowforherinthisdetailbutmadeitthemoreimportant—— andshesawherselfglamorouswithorchids；discardedtheseforanarmfuloflong-stemmed，heavyroses；tossedthemawayforagreatbouquetofwhitecamellias；andsowandereddownalengtheninghothousegalleryoffloralbeauty，allcostlyandbeyondherreachexceptinsuchawistfulday-dream。Anduponherpresentwholehorizon，thoughshesearcheditearnestly，shecoulddiscovernofigureofasenderofflowers。 Outofherfanciesthedesireforflowerstowearthatnightemergeddefinitelyandbecamepoignant；shebegantofeelthatitmightbeparticularlyimportanttohavethem。\"Thismightbethenight!\"Shewasstillattheagetodreamthatthenightofanydancemaybethevitalpointindestiny。Nomatterhowcommonplaceordisappointingotherdancenightshavebeenthisonemaybringthegreatmeeting。Theunknownmagnificomaybethere。 Alicewasalmostunawareofherownreveriesinwhichthisbeingappeared——reveriesoftensotransitorythattheydevelopedandpassedinafewseconds。Andinsomeofthemthebeingwasnotwhollyastranger；thereweremomentswhenheseemedtobecomposedofrecognizablefragmentsofyoungmensheknew——asmileshehadliked，fromone；thefigureofanother，thehairofanother——andsometimesshethoughthemightbeconcealed，sotosay，withinthepersonofanactualacquaintance，someoneshehadneversuspectedofbeingtherightseekerforher，someonewhohadneversuspectedthatitwasshewho\"waited\"forhim。 Anythingmightrevealthemtoeachother:alook，aturnofthehead，asingularword——perhapssomeflowersuponherbreastorinherhand。 Shewipedthedishesslowly，concludingtheoperationbydroppingasaucerupontheflooranddreamilysweepingthefragmentsunderthestove。Shesighedandreplacedthebroomnearawindow，lettingherglancewanderoverthesmallyardoutside。Thegrass，repulsivelybesootedtothecolourofcoal-smokeallwinter，hadlatelycometolifeagainandnowsparkledwithgreen，inthemidstofwhichatinyshotofbluesuddenlyfixedherabsenteyes。Theyremaineduponitforseveralmoments，becominglessabsent。 Itwasaviolet。 Aliceranupstairs，putonherhat，wentoutdoorsandbegantosearchouttheviolets。Shefoundtwenty-two，abrightomen——sincethenumberwasthatofheryears——butnotenoughviolets。Therewerenomore；shehadransackedeveryfootoftheyard。 Shelookeddubiouslyatthelittlebunchinherhand，glancedatthelawnnextdoor，whichofferednofavourableprospect；thenwentthoughtfullyintothehouse，lefthertwenty-twovioletsinabowlofwater，andcamequicklyoutagain，herbrowmarkedwithafrownofdecision。Shewenttoatrolley-lineandtookacartotheoutskirtsofthecitywhereanewparkhadbeenopened。 Heresheresumedhersearch，butitwasnotaneasilyrewardedone，andforanhourafterherarrivalshefoundnoviolets。Shewalkedconscientiouslyoverthewholestretchofmeadow，hereyesrovingdiscontentedly；therewasneverabluedotinthegroomedexpanse；butatlast，asshecamenearthebordersofanoldgroveoftrees，leftuntouchedbythemunicipallandscapers，thelittleflowersappeared，andshebegantogatherthem。Shepickedthemcarefully，looseningtheearthroundeachtinyplant，soastobringtherootsupwithit，thatitmightlivethelonger；andshehadbroughtanapkin，whichshedrenchedatahydrant，andkeptlooselywrappedaboutthestemsofhercollection。 Theturfwastoodampforhertokneel；sheworkedpatiently，stoopingfromthewaist；andwhenshegothomeinadrizzleofrainatfiveo\'clockherkneesweretremulouswithstrain，herbackached，andshewastiredallover，butshehadthreehundredviolets。HermothermoanedwhenAliceshowedthemtoher，fragrantinabasinofwater。 \"Oh，youPOORchild!Tothinkofyourhavingto:worksohardtogetthingsthatothergirlsonlyneed；lifttheirlittlefingersfor!\" \"Nevermind，\"saidAlice，huskily。\"I\'vegot\'emandIAMgoingtohaveagoodtimeto-night!\" \"You\'vejustgotto!\"Mrs。Adamsagreed，intenselysympathetic。 \"TheLordknowsyoudeserveto，afterpickingalltheseviolets，poorthing，andHewouldn\'tbemeanenoughtokeepyoufromit。 ImayhavetogetdinnerbeforeIfinishthedress，butIcangetitdoneinafewminutesafterward，andit\'sgoingtolookrightpretty。Don\'tyouworryaboutTHAT!Andwithalltheselovelyviolets——\" \"Iwonder——\"Alicebegan，paused，thenwenton，fragmentarily: \"Isuppose——well，Iwonder——doyousupposeitwouldhavebeenbetterpolicytohavetoldWalterbefore——\" \"No，\"saidhermother。\"Itwouldonlyhavegivenhimlongertogrumble。\" \"Buthemight——\" \"Don\'tworry，\"Mrs。Adamsreassuredher。\"He\'llbealittlecross，buthewon\'tbestubborn；justletmetalktohimanddon\'tyousayanythingatall，nomatterwhatHEsays。\" ThesereferencestoWalterconcernedsomenecessarymanoeuvreswhichtookplaceatdinner，andwereconductedbythemother，Alicehavingacceptedheradvicetositinsilence。Mrs。Adamsbeganbylaughingcheerfully。\"IwonderhowmuchlongerittookmetocookthisdinnerthanitdoesWaltertoeatit？\"shesaid。 \"Don\'tgobble，child!There\'snohurry。\" IncontactwithhisownfamilyWalterwasnosquandererofwords。