Hehadgrowntaller；butwithhisincreasedheightheseemedleanerthanever。Also，hewasmorenervous。Withthenervousnessincreasedhispeevishnessandirritability。Thechildrenhadlearnedbymanybitterlessonstofightshyofhim。Hismotherrespectedhimforhisearningpower，butsomehowherrespectwastincturedwithfear。
Therewasnojoyousnessinlifeforhim。Theprocessionofthedaysheneversaw。Thenightshesleptawayintwitchingunconsciousness。Therestofthetimeheworked，andhisconsciousnesswasmachineconsciousness。Outsidethishismindwasablank。Hehadnoideals，andbutoneillusion；namely，thathedrankexcellentcoffee。Hewasawork-
beast。Hehadnomentallifewhatever；yetdeepdowninthecryptsofhismind，unknowntohim，werebeingweighedandsiftedeveryhourofhistoil，everymovementofhishands，everytwitchofhismuscles，andpreparationsweremakingforafuturecourseofactionthatwouldamazehimandallhislittleworld。
Itwasinthelatespringthathecamehomefromworkonenightawareofunusualtiredness。Therewasakeenexpectancyintheairashesatdowntothetable，buthedidnotnotice。Hewentthroughthemealinmoodysilence，mechanicallyeatingwhatwasbeforehim。Thechildrenum\'dandah\'dandmadesmackingnoiseswiththeirmouths。Buthewasdeaftothem。
\"D\'yeknowwhatyou\'reeatin\'？\"hismotherdemandedatlast，desperately。
Helookedvacantlyatthedishbeforehim，andvacantlyather。
\"Floatin\'island，\"sheannouncedtriumphantly。
\"Oh，\"hesaid。
\"Floatingisland!\"thechildrenchorussedloudly。
\"Oh，\"hesaid。Andaftertwoorthreemouthfuls，headded，\"IguessI
ain\'thungryto-night。\"
Hedroppedthespoon，shovedbackhischair，andarosewearilyfromthetable。
\"An\'IguessI\'llgotobed。\"
Hisfeetdraggedmoreheavilythanusualashecrossedthekitchenfloor。
UndressingwasaTitan\'stask，amonstrousfutility，andheweptweaklyashecrawledintobed，oneshoestillon。Hewasawareofarising，swellingsomethinginsidehisheadthatmadehisbrainthickandfuzzy。Hisleanfingersfeltasbigashiswrist，whileintheendsofthemwasaremotenessofsensationvagueandfuzzylikehisbrain。Thesmallofhisbackachedintolerably。Allhisbonesached。Heachedeverywhere。Andinhisheadbegantheshrieking，pounding，crashing，roaringofamillionlooms。Allspacewasfilledwithflyingshuttles。Theydartedinandout，intricately，amongstthestars。Heworkedathousandloomshimself，andevertheyspeededup，fasterandfaster，andhisbrainunwound，fasterandfaster，andbecamethethreadthatfedthethousandflyingshuttles。
Hedidnotgotoworknextmorning。Hewastoobusyweavingcolossallyonthethousandloomsthatraninsidehishead。Hismotherwenttowork，butfirstshesentforthedoctor。Itwasasevereattackoflagrippe，hesaid。Jennieservedasnurseandcarriedouthisinstructions。
Itwasaverysevereattack，anditwasaweekbeforeJohnnydressedandtotteredfeeblyacrossthefloor。Anotherweek，thedoctorsaid，andhewouldbefittoreturntowork。TheforemanoftheloomroomvisitedhimonSundayafternoon，thefirstdayofhisconvalescence。Thebestweaverintheroom，theforemantoldhismother。Hisjobwouldbeheldforhim。
HecouldcomebacktoworkaweekfromMonday。
\"Whydon\'tyouthank\'im，Johnny？\"hismotheraskedanxiously。
\"He\'sbenthatsickheain\'thimselfyet，\"sheexplainedapologeticallytothevisitor。
Johnnysathunchedupandgazingsteadfastlyatthefloor。Hesatinthesamepositionlongaftertheforemanhadgone。Itwaswarmoutdoors，andhesatonthestoopintheafternoon。Sometimeshislipsmoved。Heseemedlostinendlesscalculations。
Nextmorning，afterthedaygrewwarm，hetookhisseatonthestoop。Hehadpencilandpaperthistimewithwhichtocontinuehiscalculations，andhecalculatedpainfullyandamazingly。
\"Whatcomesaftermillions？\"heaskedatnoon，whenWillcamehomefromschool。\"An\'howd\'yework\'em？\"
Thatafternoonfinishedhistask。Eachday，butwithoutpaperandpencil，hereturnedtothestoop。Hewasgreatlyabsorbedintheonetreethatgrewacrossthestreet。Hestudieditforhoursatatime，andwasunusuallyinterestedwhenthewindswayeditsbranchesandfluttereditsleaves。Throughouttheweekheseemedlostinagreatcommunionwithhimself。OnSunday，sittingonthestoop，helaughedaloud，severaltimes，totheperturbationofhismother，whohadnotheardhimlaughforyears。
Nextmorning，intheearlydarkness，shecametohisbedtorousehim。Hehadhadhisfillofsleepalltheweek，andawokeeasily。Hemadenostruggle，nordidheattempttoholdontothebeddingwhenshestrippeditfromhim。Helayquietly，andspokequietly。
\"Itain\'tnouse，ma。\"
\"You\'llbelate，\"shesaid，undertheimpressionthathewasstillstupidwithsleep。
\"I\'mawake，ma，an\'Itellyouitain\'tnouse。Youmightaswelllemmealone。Iain\'tgoin\'togitup。\"
\"Butyou\'llloseyourjob!\"shecried。
\"Iain\'tgoin\'togitup，\"herepeatedinastrange，passionlessvoice。
Shedidnotgotoworkherselfthatmorning。Thiswassicknessbeyondanysicknessshehadeverknown。Feveranddeliriumshecouldunderstand；butthiswasinsanity。ShepulledthebeddingupoverhimandsentJennieforthedoctor。
Whenthatpersonarrived，Johnnywassleepinggently，andgentlyheawokeandallowedhispulsetobetaken。
\"Nothingthematterwithhim，\"thedoctorreported。\"Badlydebilitated，that\'sall。Notmuchmeatonhisbones。\"
\"He\'salwaysbeenthatway，\"hismothervolunteered。
\"Nowgo\'way，ma，an\'letmefinishmysnooze。\"
Johnnyspokesweetlyandplacidly，andsweetlyandplacidlyherolledoveronhissideandwenttosleep。
Atteno\'clockheawokeanddressedhimself。Hewalkedoutintothekitchen，wherehefoundhismotherwithafrightenedexpressiononherface。
\"I\'mgoin\'away，ma，\"heannounced，\"an\'Ijes\'wanttosaygood-bye。\"
Shethrewherapronoverherheadandsatdownsuddenlyandwept。Hewaitedpatiently。
\"Imighta-knownit，\"shewassobbing。
\"Where？\"shefinallyasked，removingtheapronfromherheadandgazingupathimwithastrickenfaceinwhichtherewaslittlecuriosity。
\"Idon\'tknow——anywhere。\"
Ashespoke，thetreeacrossthestreetappearedwithdazzlingbrightnessonhisinnervision。Itseemedtolurkjustunderhiseyelids，andhecouldseeitwheneverhewished。
\"An\'yourjob？\"shequavered。
\"Iain\'tnevergoin\'toworkagain。\"
\"MyGod，Johnny!\"shewailed，\"don\'tsaythat!\"
Whathehadsaidwasblasphemytoher。AsamotherwhohearsherchilddenyGod，wasJohnny\'smothershockedbyhiswords。
\"What\'sgotintoyou，anyway？\"shedemanded，withalameattemptatimperativeness。
\"Figures，\"heanswered。\"Jes\'figures。I\'vebendoin\'alotoffigurin\'
thisweek，an\'it\'smostsurprisin\'。\"
\"Idon\'tseewhatthat\'sgottodowithit，\"shesniffled。
Johnnysmiledpatiently，andhismotherwasawareofadistinctshockatthepersistentabsenceofhispeevishnessandirritability。
\"I\'llshowyou，\"hesaid。\"I\'mplum\'tiredout。Whatmakesmetired？
Moves。I\'vebenmovin\'eversinceIwasborn。I\'mtiredofmovin\'，an\'I
ain\'tgoin\'tomoveanymore。RememberwhenIworkedintheglass-house？
Iusedtodothreehundreddozenaday。NowIreckonImadeabouttendifferentmovestoeachbottle。That\'sthirty-sixthousan\'movesaday。
Tendays，threehundredan\'sixtythousan\'moves。Onemonth，onemillionan\'eightythousan\'moves。Chuckouttheeightythousan\'\"——hespokewiththecomplacentbeneficenceofaphilanthropist——\"chuckouttheeightythousan\'，thatleavesamillionmovesamonth——twelvemillionmovesayear。
\"AttheloomsI\'mmovin\'twic\'stasmuch。Thatmakestwenty-fivemillionmovesayear，an\'itseemstomeI\'vebenamovin\'thatway\'mostamillionyears。
\"NowthisweekIain\'tmovedatall。Iain\'tmadeonemoveinhoursan\'
hours。Itellyouitwasswell，jes\'settin\'there，hoursan\'hours，an\'
doin\'nothin\'。Iain\'tneverbenhappybefore。Ineverhadanytime。
I\'vebenmovin\'allthetime。Thatain\'tnowaytobehappy。An\'Iain\'tgoingtodoitanymore。I\'mjes\'goin\'toset，an\'set，an\'rest，an\'
rest，andthenrestsomemore。\"
\"Butwhat\'sgoin\'tocomeofWillan\'thechildren？\"sheaskeddespairingly。
\"That\'sit，\'Willan\'thechildren，\'\"herepeated。
Buttherewasnobitternessinhisvoice。Hehadlongknownhismother\'sambitionfortheyoungerboy，butthethoughtofitnolongerrankled。
Nothingmatteredanymore。Noteventhat。
\"Iknow，ma，whatyou\'vebenplannin\'forWill——keepin\'himinschooltomakeabook-keeperoutofhim。Butitain\'tnouse，I\'vequit。He\'sgottogotowork。\"
\"An\'afterIhavebrungyouupthewayIhave，\"shewept，startingtocoverherheadwiththeapronandchanginghermind。
\"Youneverbrungmeup，\"heansweredwithsadkindliness。\"Ibrungmyselfup，ma，an\'IbrungupWill。He\'sbigger\'nme，an\'heavier，an\'taller。
WhenIwasakid，IreckonIdidn\'tgitenoughtoeat。Whenhecomealongan\'wasakid，Iwasworkin\'an\'earnin\'grubforhimtoo。Butthat\'sdonewith。Willcangotowork，sameasme，orhecangotohell，Idon\'tcarewhich。I\'mtired。I\'mgoin\'now。Ain\'tyougoin\'tosaygoodbye？\"
Shemadenoreply。Theapronhadgoneoverherheadagain，andshewascrying。Hepausedamomentinthedoorway。
\"I\'msureIdonethebestIknewhow，\"shewassobbing。
Hepassedoutofthehouseanddownthestreet。Awandelightcameintohisfaceatthesightofthelonetree。\"Jes\'ain\'tgoin\'todonothin\'，\"
hesaidtohimself，halfaloud，inacrooningtone。Heglancedwistfullyupatthesky，butthebrightsundazzledandblindedhim。
Itwasalongwalkhetook，andhedidnotwalkfast。Ittookhimpastthejute-mill。Themuffledroaroftheloomroomcametohisears，andhesmiled。Itwasagentle，placidsmile。Hehatednoone，noteventhepounding，shriekingmachines。Therewasnobitternessinhim，nothingbutaninordinatehungerforrest。
Thehousesandfactoriesthinnedoutandtheopenspacesincreasedasheapproachedthecountry。Atlastthecitywasbehindhim，andhewaswalkingdownaleafylanebesidetherailroadtrack。Hedidnotwalklikeaman。Hedidnotlooklikeaman。Hewasatravestyofthehuman。Itwasatwistedandstuntedandnamelesspieceoflifethatshambledlikeasicklyape，armsloose-hanging，stoop-shouldered，narrow-chested，grotesqueandterrible。
Hepassedbyasmallrailroadstationandlaydowninthegrassunderatree。Allafternoonhelaythere。Sometimeshedozed，withmusclesthattwitchedinhissleep。Whenawake，helaywithoutmovement，watchingthebirdsorlookingupattheskythroughthebranchesofthetreeabovehim。
Onceortwicehelaughedaloud，butwithoutrelevancetoanythinghehadseenorfelt。
Aftertwilighthadgone，inthefirstdarknessofthenight，afreighttrainrumbledintothestation。Whentheenginewasswitchingcarsontotheside-track，Johnnycreptalongthesideofthetrain。Hepulledopentheside-doorofanemptybox-carandawkwardlyandlaboriouslyclimbedin。
Heclosedthedoor。Theenginewhistled。Johnnywaslyingdown，andinthedarknesshesmiled。
AWICKEDWOMAN
ItwasbecauseshehadbrokenwithBillythatLorettahadcomevisitingtoSantaClara。Billycouldnotunderstand。Hissisterhadreportedthathehadwalkedthefloorandcriedallnight。Lorettahadnotsleptallnighteither，whileshehadweptmostofthenight。Daisyknewthis，becauseitwasinherarmsthattheweepinghadbeendone。AndDaisy\'shusband，CaptainKitt，knew，too。ThetearsofLoretta，andthecomfortingbyDaisy，hadlosthimsomesleep。
NowCaptainKittdidnotliketolosesleep。NeitherdidhewantLorettatomarryBilly——noranybodyelse。ItwasCaptainKitt\'sbeliefthatDaisyneededthehelpofheryoungersisterinthehousehold。Buthedidnotsaythisaloud。Instead，healwaysinsistedthatLorettawastooyoungtothinkofmarriage。SoitwasCaptainKitt\'sideathatLorettashouldbepackedoffonavisittoMrs。Hemingway。Therewouldn\'tbeanyBillythere。
BeforeLorettahadbeenatSantaClaraaweek，shewasconvincedthatCaptainKitt\'sideawasagoodone。Inthefirstplace，thoughBillywouldn\'tbelieveit，shedidnotwanttomarryBilly。Andinthesecondplace，thoughCaptainKittwouldn\'tbelieveit，shedidnotwanttoleaveDaisy。BythetimeLorettahadbeenatSantaClaratwoweeks，shewasabsolutelycertainthatshedidnotwanttomarryBilly。ButshewasnotsosureaboutnotwantingtoleaveDaisy。NotthatshelovedDaisyless，butthatshe——haddoubts。
ThedayofLoretta\'sarrival，anebulousplanbeganshapingitselfinMrs。
Hemingway\'sbrain。TheseconddaysheremarkedtoJackHemingway，herhusband，thatLorettawassoinnocentayoungthingthatwereitnotforhersweetguilelessnessshewouldbepositivelystupid。Inproofofwhich，Mrs。Hemingwaytoldherhusbandseveralthingsthatmadehimchuckle。BythethirddayMrs。Hemingway\'splanhadtakenrecognizableform。Thenitwasthatshecomposedaletter。Ontheenvelopeshewrote:\"Mr。EdwardBashford，AthenianClub，SanFrancisco。\"
\"DearNed，\"theletterbegan。Shehadoncebeenviolentlylovedbyhimforthreeweeksinherpre-maritaldays。ButshehadcovenantedherselftoJackHemingway，whohadpriorclaims，andherheartaswell；andNedBashfordhadphilosophicallynotbrokenhisheartoverit。Hemerelyaddedtheexperiencetoalargefundofsimilarlycollecteddataoutofwhichhemanufacturedphilosophy。ArtisticallyandtemperamentallyhewasaGreek——
atiredGreek。HewasfondofquotingfromNietzsche，intokenthathe，too，hadpassedthroughthelongsicknessthatfollowsupontheardentsearchfortruth；thathetoohademerged，tooexperienced，tooshrewd，tooprofound，everagaintobeafflictedbythemadnessofyouthsintheirloveoftruth。\"\'Toworshipappearance，\'\"heoftenquoted；\"\'tobelieveinforms，intones，inwords，inthewholeOlympusofappearance!\'\"Thisparticularexcerpthealwaysconcludedwith，\"\'ThoseGreeksweresuperficial——OUTOFPROFUNDITY!\'\"
HewasafairlyyoungGreek，jadedandworn。Womenwerefaithlessandunveracious，heheld——atsuchtimesthathehadrelapsesanddescendedtopessimismfromhiswontedhighphilosophicalcalm。Hedidnotbelieveinthetruthofwomen；but，faithfultohisGermanmaster，hedidnotstripfromthemtheairygauzesthatveiledtheiruntruth。Hewascontenttoacceptthemasappearancesandtomakethebestofit。Hewassuperficial——
OUTOFPROFUNDITY。
\"Jacksaystobesuretosaytoyou，\'goodswimming，\'\"Mrs。Hemingwaywroteinherletter；\"andalso\'tobringyourfishingdudsalong。\'\"Mrs。
Hemingwaywroteotherthingsintheletter。Shetoldhimthatatlastshewaspreparedtoexhibittohimanabsolutelytrue，unsullied，andinnocentwoman。\"Amoreguileless，immaculatebudofwomanhoodneverblushedontheplanet，\"wasoneoftheseveralwaysinwhichshephrasedtheinducement。
Andtoherhusbandshesaidtriumphantly，\"IfIdon\'tmarryNedoffthistime——\"leavingunstatedtheterriblealternativethatshelackedeithervocabularytoexpressorimaginationtoconceive。
Contrarytoallherforebodings，LorettafoundthatshewasnotunhappyatSantaClara。Truly，Billywrotetohereveryday，buthisletterswerelessdistressingthanhispresence。Also，theordealofbeingawayfromDaisywasnotsosevereasshehadexpected。ForthefirsttimeinherlifeshewasnotlostineclipseintheblazeofDaisy\'sbrilliantandmaturepersonality。UndersuchfavourablecircumstancesLorettacamerapidlytothefront，whileMrs。Hemingwaymodestlyandshamelesslyretreatedintothebackground。
Lorettabegantodiscoverthatshewasnotapaleorbshiningbyreflection。Quiteunconsciouslyshebecameasmallcentreofthings。Whenshewasatthepiano，therewassomeonetoturnthepagesforherandtoexpresspreferencesforcertainsongs。Whenshedroppedherhandkerchief，therewassomeonetopickitup。Andtherewassomeonetoaccompanyherinramblingsandflowergatherings。Also，shelearnedtocastfliesinstillpoolsandbelowsavageriffles，andhownottoentanglesilklinesandgut-leaderswiththeshrubbery。
JackHemingwaydidnotcaretoteachbeginners，andfishedmuchbyhimself，ornotatall，thusgivingNedBashfordampletimeinwhichtoconsiderLorettaasanappearance。Assuch，shewasallthathisphilosophydemanded。Herblueeyeshadthedirectgazeofaboy，andoutofhisprofundityhedelightedinthemandforboretoshudderattheduplicityhisphilosophybadehimtobelievelurkedintheirdepths。Shehadthegraceofaslenderflower，thefragilityofcolourandlineoffinechina，inallofwhichhepleasuredgreatly，withoutthoughtoftheLifeForcepalpitatingbeneathandinspiteofBernardShaw——inwhomhebelieved。
Lorettaburgeoned。Sheswiftlydevelopedpersonality。ShediscoveredawillofherownandwishesofherownthatwerenoteverlastinglyentwinedwiththewillandthewishesofDaisy。ShewaspettedbyJackHemingway，spoiledbyAliceHemingway，anddevotedlyattendedbyNedBashford。Theyencouragedherwhimsandlaughedatherfollies，whileshedevelopedtheprettylittletyranniesthatarelatentinallprettyanddelicatewomen。
HerenvironmentactedasasoporificuponherancientdesirealwaystolivewithDaisy。ThisdesirenolongerproddedherasinthedaysofhercompanionshipwithBilly。ThemoreshesawofBilly，themorecertainshehadbeenthatshecouldnotliveawayfromDaisy。ThemoreshesawofNedBashford，themoresheforgotherpressingneedofDaisy。
NedBashfordlikewisedidsomeforgetting。Heconfusedsuperficialitywithprofundity，andentangledappearancewithrealityuntilheaccountedthemone。Lorettawasdifferentfromotherwomen。Therewasnomasqueradeabouther。Shewasreal。HesaidasmuchtoMrs。Hemingway，andmore，whoagreedwithhimandatthesametimecaughtherhusband\'seyeliddroopingdownforthemomentinanunmistakablewink。
ItwasatthistimethatLorettareceivedaletterfromBillythatwassomewhatdifferentfromhisothers。Inthemain，likeallhisletters，itwaspathological。Itwasalongrecitalofsymptomsandsufferings，hisnervousness，hissleeplessness，andthestateofhisheart。Thenfollowedreproaches，suchashehadnevermadebefore。Theyweresharpenoughtomakeherweep，andtrueenoughtoputtragedyintoherface。Thistragedyshecarrieddowntothebreakfasttable。ItmadeJackandMrs。Hemingwayspeculative，anditworriedNed。Theyglancedtohimforexplanation，butheshookhishead。
\"I\'llfindoutto-night，\"Mrs。Hemingwaysaidtoherhusband。
ButNedcaughtLorettaintheafternooninthebigliving-room。Shetriedtoturnaway。Hecaughtherhands，andshefacedhimwithwetlashesandtremblinglips。Helookedather，silentlyandkindly。Thelashesgrewwetter。
\"There，there，don\'tcry，littleone，\"hesaidsoothingly。
Heputhisarmprotectinglyaroundhershoulder。Andtohisshoulder，likeatiredchild，sheturnedherface。HethrilledinwaysunusualforaGreekwhohasrecoveredfromthelongsickness。
\"Oh，Ned，\"shesobbedonhisshoulder，\"ifyouonlyknewhowwickedIam!\"
Hesmiledindulgently，andbreathedinagreatbreathfreightedwiththefragranceofherhair。Hethoughtofhisworld-experienceofwomen，anddrewanotherlongbreath。Thereseemedtoemanatefromhertheperfectsweetnessofachild——\"theauraofawhitesoul，\"wasthewayhephrasedittohimself。
Thenhenoticedthathersobswereincreasing。
\"What\'sthematter，littleone？\"heaskedpettinglyandalmostpaternally。
\"HasJackbeenbullyingyou？Orhasyourdearlybelovedsisterfailedtowrite？\"
Shedidnotanswer，andhefeltthathereallymustkissherhair，thathecouldnotberesponsibleifthesituationcontinuedmuchlonger。
\"Tellme，\"hesaidgently，\"andwe\'llseewhatIcando。\"
\"Ican\'t。Youwilldespiseme——Oh，Ned，Iamsoashamed!\"
Helaughedincredulously，andlightlytouchedherhairwithhislips——solightlythatshedidnotknow。
\"Dearlittleone，letusforgetallaboutit，whateveritis。IwanttotellyouhowIlove——\"
Sheutteredasharpcrythatwasalldelight，andthenmoaned——
\"Toolate!\"
\"Toolate？\"heechoedinsurprise。
\"Oh，whydidI？WhydidI？\"shewasmoaning。
Hewasawareofaswiftchillathisheart。
\"What？\"heasked。
\"Oh，I……he……Billy。
\"Iamsuchawickedwoman，Ned。Iknowyouwillneverspeaktomeagain。\"
\"This——er——thisBilly，\"hebeganhaltingly。\"Heisyourbrother？\"
\"No……he……Ididn\'tknow。Iwassoyoung。Icouldnothelpit。
Oh，Ishallgomad!Ishallgomad!\"
ItwasthenthatLorettafelthisshoulderandtheencirclingarmbecomelimp。Hedrewawayfromhergently，andgentlyhedepositedherinabigchair，wheresheburiedherfaceandsobbedafresh。Hetwistedhismoustachefiercely，thendrewupanotherchairandsatdown。
\"I——Idonotunderstand，\"hesaid。
\"Iamsounhappy，\"shewailed。
\"Whyunhappy？\"
\"Because……he……hewantsmetomarryhim。\"
Hisfaceclearedontheinstant，andheplacedahandsoothinglyonhers。
\"Thatshouldnotmakeanygirlunhappy，\"heremarkedsagely。\"Becauseyoudon\'tlovehimisnoreason——ofcourse，youdon\'tlovehim？\"
Lorettashookherheadandshouldersinavigorousnegative。
\"What？\"
Bashfordwantedtomakesure。
\"No，\"sheassertedexplosively。\"Idon\'tloveBilly!Idon\'twanttoloveBilly!\"
\"Becauseyoudon\'tlovehim，\"Bashfordresumedwithconfidence，\"isnoreasonthatyoushouldbeunhappyjustbecausehehasproposedtoyou。\"
Shesobbedagain，andfromthemidstofhersobsshecried——
\"That\'sthetrouble。IwishIdidlovehim。Oh，IwishIweredead!\"
\"Now，mydearchild，youareworryingyourselfovertrifles。\"Hisotherhandcrossedoverafteritsmateandrestedonhers。\"Womendoiteveryday。Becauseyouhavechangedyourmindordidnotknowyourmind，becauseyouhave——touseanunnecessarilyharshword——jiltedaman——\"
\"Jilted!\"Shehadraisedherheadandwaslookingathimwithtear-dimmedeyes。\"Oh，Ned，ifthatwereall!\"
\"All？\"heaskedinahollowvoice，whilehishandsslowlyretreatedfromhers。Hewasabouttospeakfurther，thenremainedsilent。
\"ButIdon\'twanttomarryhim，\"Lorettabrokeforthprotestingly。
\"ThenIshouldn\'t，\"hecounselled。
\"ButIoughttomarryhim。\"
\"OUGHTtomarryhim？\"
Shenodded。
\"Thatisastrongword。\"
\"Iknowitis，\"sheacquiesced，whileshestrovetocontrolhertremblinglips。Thenshespokemorecalmly。\"Iamawickedwoman，aterriblywickedwoman。NooneknowshowwickedIam——exceptBilly。\"
Therewasapause。NedBashford\'sfacewasgrave，andhelookedqueerlyatLoretta。
\"He——Billyknows？\"heaskedfinally。
Areluctantnodandflamingcheekswasthereply。
Hedebatedwithhimselfforawhile，seeming，likeadiver，tobepreparinghimselffortheplunge。
\"Tellmeaboutit。\"Hespokeveryfirmly。\"Youmusttellmeallofit。\"
\"Andwillyou——ever——forgiveme？\"sheaskedinafaint，smallvoice。
Hehesitated，drewalongbreath，andmadetheplunge。
\"Yes，\"hesaiddesperately。\"I\'llforgiveyou。Goahead。\"
\"Therewasnoonetotellme，\"shebegan。\"Wewerewitheachothersomuch。Ididnotknowanythingoftheworld——then。\"
Shepausedtomeditate。Bashfordwasbitinghislipimpatiently。
\"IfIhadonlyknown——\"
Shepausedagain。
\"Yes，goon，\"heurged。
\"Weweretogetheralmosteveryevening。\"
\"Billy？\"hedemanded，withasavagenessthatstartledher。
\"Yes，ofcourse，Billy。Wewerewitheachothersomuch……IfIhadonlyknown……Therewasnoonetotellme……Iwassoyoung——\"
Herlipspartedasthoughtospeakfurther，andsheregardedhimanxiously。
\"Thescoundrel!\"
WiththeexplosionNedBashfordwasonhisfeet，nolongeratiredGreek，butaviolentlyangryyoungman。
\"Billyisnotascoundrel；heisagoodman，\"Lorettadefended，withafirmnessthatsurprisedBashford。
\"Isupposeyou\'llbetellingmenextthatitwasallyourfault，\"hesaidsarcastically。
Shenodded。
\"What？\"heshouted。
\"Itwasallmyfault，\"shesaidsteadily。\"Ishouldneverhavelethim。I
wastoblame。\"
Bashfordceasedfromhispacingupanddown，andwhenhespoke，hisvoicewasresigned。
\"Allright，\"hesaid。\"Idon\'tblameyouintheleast，Loretta。Andyouhavebeenveryhonest。ButBillyisright，andyouarewrong。Youmustgetmarried。\"
\"ToBilly？\"sheasked，inadim，far-awayvoice。
\"Yes，toBilly。I\'llseetoit。Wheredoeshelive？I\'llmakehim。\"
\"ButIdon\'twanttomarryBilly!\"shecriedoutinalarm。\"Oh，Ned，youwon\'tdothat？\"
\"Ishall，\"heansweredsternly。\"Youmust。AndBillymust。Doyouunderstand？\"
Lorettaburiedherfaceinthecushionedchairback，andbrokeintoapassionatestormofsobs。
AllthatBashfordcouldmakeoutatfirst，ashelistened，was:\"ButI
don\'twanttoleaveDaisy!Idon\'twanttoleaveDaisy!\"
Hepacedgrimlybackandforth，thenstoppedcuriouslytolisten。
\"HowwasItoknow？——Boo——hoo，\"Lorettawascrying。\"Hedidn\'ttellme。
Nobodyelseeverkissedme。Ineverdreamedakisscouldbesoterrible……until，boo-hoo……untilhewrotetome。Ionlygottheletterthismorning。\"
Hisfacebrightened。Itseemedasthoughlightwasdawningonhim。
\"Isthatwhatyou\'recryingabout？\"
\"N——no。\"
Hisheartsank。
\"Thenwhatareyoucryingabout？\"heaskedinahopelessvoice。
\"BecauseyousaidIhadtomarryBilly。AndIdon\'twanttomarryBilly。
Idon\'twanttoleaveDaisy。Idon\'tknowwhatIwant。IwishIweredead。\"
Henervedhimselfforanothereffort。
\"Nowlookhere，Loretta，besensible。Whatisthisaboutkisses。Youhaven\'ttoldmeeverything？\"
\"I——Idon\'twanttotellyoueverything。\"
Shelookedathimbeseechinglyinthesilencethatfell。
\"MustI？\"shequaveredfinally。
\"Youmust，\"hesaidimperatively。\"Youmusttellmeeverything。\"
\"Well，then……mustI？\"
\"Youmust。\"
\"He……I……we……\"shebeganflounderingly。Thenblurtedout，\"I
lethim，andhekissedme。\"
\"Goon，\"Bashfordcommandeddesperately。
\"That\'sall，\"sheanswered。
\"All？\"Therewasavastincredulityinhisvoice。
\"All？\"Inhervoicewasaninterrogationnolessvast。
\"Imean——er——nothingworse？\"Hewasoverwhelminglyawareofhisownawkwardness。
\"Worse？\"Shewasfranklypuzzled。\"Asthoughtherecouldbe!Billysaid——
\"
\"Whendidhesayit？\"Bashforddemandedabruptly。
\"InhisletterIgotthismorning。Billysaidthatmy……our……ourkisseswereterribleifwedidn\'tgetmarried。\"
Bashford\'sheadwasswimming。
\"WhatelsedidBillysay？\"heasked。
\"Hesaidthatwhenawomanallowedamantokissher，shealwaysmarriedhim——thatitwasterribleifshedidn\'t。Itwasthecustom，hesaid；andI
sayitisabad，wickedcustom，andIdon\'tlikeit。IknowI\'mterrible，\"
sheaddeddefiantly，\"butIcan\'thelpit。\"
Bashfordabsent-mindedlybroughtoutacigarette。
\"DoyoumindifIsmoke？\"heasked，ashestruckamatch。
Thenhecametohimself。
\"Ibegyourpardon，\"hecried，flingingawaymatchandcigarette。\"Idon\'twanttosmoke。Ididn\'tmeanthatatall。WhatImeanis——\"
HebentoverLoretta，caughtherhandsinhis，thensatonthearmofthechairandsoftlyputonearmaroundher。
\"Loretta，Iamafool。Imeanit。AndImeansomethingmore。Iwantyoutobemywife。\"
Hewaitedanxiouslyinthepausethatfollowed。
\"Youmightanswerme，\"heurged。
\"Iwill……if——\"
\"Yes，goon。Ifwhat？\"
\"IfIdon\'thavetomarryBilly。\"
\"Youcan\'tmarrybothofus，\"healmostshouted。
\"Anditisn\'tthecustom……what……whatBillysaid？\"
\"No，itisn\'tthecustom。Now，Loretta，willyoumarryme？\"
\"Don\'tbeangrywithme，\"shepouteddemurely。
Hegatheredherintohisarmsandkissedher。
\"Iwishitwerethecustom，\"shesaidinafaintvoice，fromthemidstoftheembrace，\"becausethenI\'dhavetomarryyou，Neddear……wouldn\'tI？\"
JUSTMEAT
Hestrolledtothecornerandglancedupanddowntheintersectingstreet，butsawnothingsavetheoasesoflightshedbythestreetlampsatthesuccessivecrossings。Thenhestrolledbackthewayhehadcome。Hewasashadowofaman，slidingnoiselesslyandwithoutunduemovementthroughthesemi-darkness。Alsohewasveryalert，likeawildanimalinthejungle，keenlyperceptiveandreceptive。Themovementofanotherinthedarknessabouthimwouldneedtohavebeenmoreshadowythanhetohaveescapedhim。
Inadditiontotherunningadvertisementofthestateofaffairscarriedtohimbyhissenses，hehadasubtlerperception，aFEEL，oftheatmospherearoundhim。Heknewthatthehouseinfrontofwhichhepausedforamoment，containedchildren。Yetbynowilledeffortofperceptiondidhehavethisknowledge。Forthatmatter，hewasnotevenawarethatheknew，sooccultwastheimpression。Yet，didamomentariseinwhichaction，inrelationtothathouse，wereimperative，hewouldhaveactedontheassumptionthatitcontainedchildren。Hewasnotawareofallthatheknewabouttheneighbourhood。
Inthesameway，heknewnothow，heknewthatnodangerthreatenedinthefootfallsthatcameupthecrossstreet。Beforehesawthewalker，heknewhimforabelatedpedestrianhurryinghome。Thewalkercameintoviewatthecrossinganddisappearedonupthestreet。Themanthatwatched，notedalightthatflaredupinthewindowofahouseonthecorner，andasitdieddownheknewitforanexpiringmatch。Thiswasconsciousidentificationoffamiliarphenomena，andthroughhismindflittedthethought，\"Wantedtoknowwhattime。\"Inanotherhouseoneroomwaslighted。Thelightburneddimlyandsteadily，andhehadthefeelthatitwasasick-room。
Hewasespeciallyinterestedinahouseacrossthestreetinthemiddleoftheblock。Tothishousehepaidmostattention。Nomatterwhatwayhelooked，norwhatwayhewalked，hislooksandhisstepsalwaysreturnedtoit。Exceptforanopenwindowabovetheporch，therewasnothingunusualaboutthehouse。Nothingcameinnorout。Nothinghappened。Therewerenolightedwindows，norhadlightsappearedanddisappearedinanyofthewindows。Yetitwasthecentralpointofhisconsideration。Heralliedtoiteachtimeafteradivinationofthestateoftheneighbourhood。
Despitehisfeelofthings，hewasnotconfident。Hewassupremelyconsciousoftheprecariousnessofhissituation。Thoughunperturbedbythefootfallsofthechancepedestrian，hewasaskeyedupandsensitiveandreadytobestartledasanytimorousdeer。Hewasawareofthepossibilityofotherintelligencesprowlingaboutinthedarkness——
intelligencessimilartohisowninmovement，perception，anddivination。
Fardownthestreethecaughtaglimpseofsomethingthatmoved。Andheknewitwasnolatehome-goer，butmenaceanddanger。Hewhistledtwicetothehouseacrossthestreet，thenfadedawayshadow-liketothecornerandaroundthecorner。Herehepausedandlookedabouthimcarefully。
Reassured，hepeeredbackaroundthecornerandstudiedtheobjectthatmovedandthatwascomingnearer。Hehaddivinedaright。Itwasapoliceman。
Themanwentdownthecrossstreettothenextcorner，fromtheshelterofwhichhewatchedthecornerhehadjustleft。Hesawthepolicemanpassby，goingstraightonupthestreet。Heparalleledthepoliceman\'scourse，andfromthenextcorneragainwatchedhimgoby；thenhereturnedthewayhehadcome。Hewhistledoncetothehouseacrossthestreet，andafteratimewhistledonceagain。Therewasreassuranceinthewhistle，justastherehadbeenwarninginthepreviousdoublewhistle。
Hesawadarkbulkoutlineitselfontheroofoftheporchandslowlydescendapillar。Thenitcamedownthesteps，passedthroughthesmallirongate，andwentdownthesidewalk，takingontheformofaman。Hethatwatchedkeptonhisownsideofthestreetandmovedonabreasttothecorner，wherehecrossedoverandjoinedtheother。Hewasquitesmallalongsidethemanheaccosted。
\"How\'dyoumakeout，Matt？\"heasked。
Theothergruntedindistinctly，andwalkedoninsilenceafewsteps。
\"IreckonIlandedthegoods，\"hesaid。
Jimchuckledinthedarkness，andwaitedforfurtherinformation。Theblockspassedbyundertheirfeet，andhegrewimpatient。
\"Well，howaboutthemgoods？\"heasked。\"Whatkindofahauldidyoumake，anyway？\"
\"Iwastoobusytofiggeritout，butit\'sfat。Icantellyouthatmuch，Jim，it\'sfat。Idon\'tdasttothinkhowfatitis。Waittillwegettotheroom。\"
Jimlookedathimkeenlyunderthestreetlampofthenextcrossing，andsawthathisfacewasatriflegrimandthathecarriedhisleftarmpeculiarly。
\"What\'sthematterwithyourarm？\"hedemanded。
\"Thelittlecussbitme。HopeIdon\'tgethydrophoby。Folksgetshydrophobyfrommanbitesometimes，don\'tthey？\"
\"Gaveyoufight，eh？\"Jimaskedencouragingly。
Theothergrunted。
\"You\'reharder\'nhelltogetinformationfrom，\"Jimburstoutirritably。
\"Tellusaboutit。Youain\'tgoin\'tolosemoneyjusta-tellin\'aguy。\"
\"IguessIchokedhimsome，\"cametheanswer。Then，bywayofexplanation，\"Hewokeuponme。\"
\"Youdiditneat。Ineverheardasound。\"
\"Jim，\"theothersaidwithseriousness，\"it\'sahangin\'matter。Ifixed\'m。Ihadto。Hewokeuponme。Youan\'me\'sgottodosomelayin\'lowforaspell。\"
Jimgavealowwhistleofcomprehension。
\"Didyouhearmewhistle？\"heaskedsuddenly。
\"Sure。Iwasalldone。Iwasjustcomin\'out。\"
\"Itwasabull。Buthewasn\'tonalittlebit。Wentrightbyan\'kepta-
paddin\'thehoofoutasight。ThenIcomebackan\'gaveyouthewhistle。
Whatmadeyoutakesolongafterthat？\"
\"Iwaswaitin\'tomakesure，\"Mattexplained。\"IwasmightygladwhenI
heardyouwhistleagain。It\'shardworkwaitin\'。Ijustsattherean\'
thoughtan\'thought……oh，allkinds\'ofthings。It\'sremarkablewhatafellow\'llthinkabout。Andthentherewasadarncatthatkeptmovin\'
aroundthehouseall\'botherin\'mewithitsnoises。\"
\"An\'it\'sfat!\"Jimexclaimedirrelevantlyandwithjoy。
\"I\'msuretellin\'you，Jim，it\'sfat。I\'mplum\'anxiousforanotherlookat\'em。\"
Unconsciouslythetwomenquickenedtheirpace。Yettheydidnotrelaxfromtheircaution。Twicetheychangedtheircourseinordertoavoidpolicemen，andtheymadeverysurethattheywerenotobservedwhentheydivedintothedarkhallwayofacheaproominghousedowntown。
Notuntiltheyhadgainedtheirownroomonthetopfloor，didtheyscratchamatch。WhileJimlightedalamp，Mattlockedthedoorandthrewtheboltsintoplace。Asheturned，henoticedthathispartnerwaswaitingexpectantly。Mattsmiledtohimselfattheother\'seagerness。
\"Themsearch-lightsisallright，\"hesaid，drawingforthasmallpocketelectriclampandexaminingit。\"Butwegottogetanewbattery。It\'srunnin\'prettyweak。Ithoughtonceortwiceit\'dleavemeinthedark。
Funnyarrangementsinthathouse。Ineargotlost。Hisroomwasontheleft，an\'thatfooledmesome。\"
\"Itoldyouitwasontheleft，\"Jiminterrupted。
\"Youtoldmeitwasontheright，\"Mattwenton。\"IguessIknowwhatyoutoldme，an\'there\'sthemapyoudrew。\"
Fumblinginhisvestpocket，hedrewoutafoldedslipofpaper。Asheunfoldedit，Jimbentoverandlooked。
\"Ididmakeamistake，\"heconfessed。
\"Yousuredid。Itgotmeguessin\'someforawhile。\"
\"Butitdon\'tmatternow，\"Jimcried。\"Let\'sseewhatyougot。\"
\"Itdoesmatter，\"Mattretorted。\"Itmattersalot……tome。I\'vegottorunalltherisk。Iputmyheadinthetrapwhileyoustayonthestreet。Yougottogetontoyourselfan\'bemorecareful。Allright，I\'llshowyou。\"
Hedippedlooselyintohistrouserspocketandbroughtoutahandfulofsmalldiamonds。Hespilledthemoutinablazingstreamonthegreasytable。Jimletoutagreatoath。
\"That\'snothing，\"Mattsaidwithtriumphantcomplacence。\"Iain\'tbegunyet。\"
Fromonepocketafteranotherhecontinuedbringingforththespoil。Thereweremanydiamondswrappedinchamoisskinthatwerelargerthanthoseinthefirsthandful。Fromonepockethebroughtoutahandfulofverysmallcutgems。
\"Sundust，\"heremarked，ashespilledthemonthetableinaspacebythemselves。
Jimexaminedthem。
\"Justthesame，theyretailforacoupleofdollarseach，\"hesaid。\"Isthatall？\"
\"Ain\'titenough？\"theotherdemandedinanaggrievedtone。
\"Sureitis，\"Jimansweredwithunqualifiedapproval。\"Better\'nI
expected。Iwouldn\'ttakeacentlessthantenthousan\'forthebunch。\"
\"Tenthousan\'，\"Mattsneered。\"They\'reworthtwic\'tthat，an\'Idon\'tknowanythingaboutjoolery，either。Lookatthatbigboy!\"
Hepickeditoutfromthesparklingheapandhelditneartothelampwiththeairofanexpert，weighingandjudging。
\"Worthathousan\'allbyitslonely，\"wasJim\'squickerjudgment。
\"Athousan\'yourgrandmother，\"wasMatt\'sscornfulrejoinder。\"Youcouldn\'tbuyitforthree。\"
\"Wakemeup!I\'mdreamin\'!\"ThesparkleofthegemswasinJim\'seyes，andhebegansortingoutthelargerdiamondsandexaminingthem。\"We\'rerichmen，Matt——we\'llberegularswells。\"
\"It\'lltakeyearstogetridof\'em，\"wasMatt\'smorepracticalthought。
\"Butthinkhowwe\'lllive!Nothin\'todobutspendthemoneyan\'goongettin\'ridofem。\"
Matt\'seyeswerebeginningtosparkle，thoughsombrely，ashisphlegmaticnaturewokeup。
\"ItoldyouIdidn\'tdastthinkhowfatitwas，\"hemurmuredinalowvoice。
\"Whatakillin\'!Whatakillin\'!\"wastheother\'smoreecstaticutterance。
\"Ialmostforgot，\"Mattsaid，thrustinghishandintohisinsidecoatpocket。
Astringoflargepearlsemergedfromwrappingsoftissuepaperandchamoisskin。Jimscarcelyglancedatthem。
\"They\'reworthmoney，\"hesaid，andreturnedtothediamonds。
Asilencefellonthetwomen。Jimplayedwiththegems，runningthemthroughhisfingers，sortingthemintopiles，andspreadingthemoutflatandwide。Hewasaslender，weazenedman，nervous，irritable，high-strung，andanaemic——atypicalchildofthegutter，withunbeautifultwistedfeatures，small-eyed，withfaceandmouthperpetuallyandfeverishlyhungry，brutishinacat-likeway，stampedtothecorewithdegeneracy。
Mattdidnotfingerthediamonds。Hesatwithchinonhandsandelbowsontable，blinkingheavilyattheblazingarray。Hewasineverywayacontrasttotheother。Nocityhadbredhim。Hewasheavy-muscledandhairy，gorilla-likeinstrengthandaspect。Forhimtherewasnounseenworld。Hiseyeswerefullandwideapart，andthereseemedinthemacertainboldbrotherliness。Theyinspiredconfidence。Butacloserinspectionwouldhaveshownthathiseyeswerejustatrifletoofull，justashadetoowideapart。Heexceeded，spilledoverthelimitsofnormality，andhisfeaturestoldliesaboutthemanbeneath。
\"Thebunchisworthfiftythousan\'，\"Jimremarkedsuddenly。
\"Ahundredthousan\'，\"Mattsaid。
Thesilencereturnedandenduredalongtime，tobebrokenagainbyJim。
\"Whatinhellwashedoin\'with\'emallatthehouse？——that\'swhatIwanttoknow。I\'da-thoughthe\'dkept\'eminthesafedownatthestore。\"
Matthadjustbeenconsideringthevisionofthethrottledmanashehadlastlookeduponhiminthedimlightoftheelectriclantern；buthedidnotstartatthementionofhim。
\"There\'snotellin\'，\"heanswered。\"Hemighta-bengettin\'readytochuckhispardner。Hemighta-pulledoutinthemornin\'forpartsunknown，ifwehadn\'thappenedalong。Iguessthere\'sjustasmanythievesamonghonestmenasthereisamongthieves。Youreadaboutsuchthingsinthepapers，Jim。Pardnersisalwaysknifin\'eachother。\"
Aqueer，nervouslookcameintotheother\'seyes。Mattdidnotbetraythathenotedit，thoughhesaid
