A Hazard of New Fortunes, Part Fifth

instated. But March had a feeling of impermanency from what had happened, mixed with a fantastic sense of shame toward Lindau. He

er. His wife agreed with him in these moments, and said it was a great relief not to have that tiresome old German coming about. They had to account for his absence evasively to the children, whom they could not very well tell that their father was living on money that Lindau disdained to take, even though Lindau was wrong and their father was right. This heightened Mrs. March's resentment toward both Lindau and Dryfoos, who between them had placed her husband in a false position. If anything, she resented Dryfoos's conduct more than Lindau's. He had never spoken to March about the affair since Lindau had renounced his work, or added to the apologetic messages he had sent by Fulkerson. So far as March knew, Dryfoos had

it was probably far more transient, if it existed at all. He advanced into the winter as radiantly as if to meet the spring, and he said that if there were any pleasanter month of t

ne felt for him in a measure; he amused him, he cheered him; and the colonel had been so much used to leaving action of all kinds to his daughter that when he came to close quarters with the question of a son-in-law he felt helpless to decide it, and he let her decide it, as if it were still to be decided when it was submitted to him. She was competent to treat it in all its phases: not merely those of personal interest, but those of duty to the broken Southern past, sentimentally dear to him, and practically absurd to her. No such South as he remembered had ever existed to her knowledge, and no such civilization as he imagined would ever exist,

or in the Lindau episode, and not wholly restored by his tardy fidelity to March. But now she felt that a man who wished to get married so obviously and entirely for love was full of all kinds of the best instincts, and only needed the guidance of a wife, to become very noble. She interested herself intensely in balancing the respective merits of the engaged couple, and after her call upon Miss Woodburn

eak off the engagement if Beaton was left to guess it or find it out by accident, and then Fulkerson plucked up his courage. Beaton received the

the fact that Alma Leighton would not have wanted him to marry her if he had. He was now often in that martyr mood in which he wished to help his father; not only to deny himself Chianti, but to forego a fur-lined overcoat which he intended to get for the winter, He postponed the moment of actual sacr

he said, with so much glo

t's so serious,

head! How do

attitudes of studied negligence; and twist one cor

m always studied,

n't sa

sk you what

tell you wh

ow what y

l laughed again with the satisfact

ng to reply, and put himself in

. But a little

t thought strike

es all th

and and laughed again. "You ought to be photog

d, in one way. I don't think you ought to call me affected

eaton, you

ever fla

u flattered

ow

n't know.

You think I can't be

o, I

do you

." Alma gave anothe

nearly as possible the real interest of their lives. Now they frankly remained away in the dining-room, which was very cozy after the dinner had disappeared; the c

there," said Fulkerson, detaching himself from

a does," said

nk she care

moch as h

on Beaton around here? He

on him. Mrs. Leight

old lady, there wouldn't

id, "They seem to be greatly a

eaton. "I seem to amus

you a

se you, I'm a

g her name; but apparently she decided to do it covertly. "You did

u believe it

put on that wi

. He would sacrifice his best friend to a

e very pretty

one you ju

es you ever so much. He sa

ha

anything you wished, if you d

he school of Wetmore. Th

mething you wished me

was the most patronizing and exasperating thing ever addressed to a human girl; and we've had to stand a good deal in our time. I should like

t wish me to be g

you were

enth part as good as you are, Alma, I should have a lighter heart than I

thought you

"It isn't necessary, wh

now I devoted my whol

s getting in so effectively, with the money he ought to have sent his father. "But," he went on, darkly, with a sense that what he was that moment suffering for his selfishness

apidly shading the collar,

not make a fool of himself so often. A man conceives of such an office as the very noblest for a woman; he worships her for it if he is magnanimous. But Beaton was silent, and Alma put back her head for the r

he dropped it again. After all, I don't suppose it could be popularized. Fulkerson wante

absurdity of this, and

to be going on jus

Beaton, with a return to what they were saying, "has managed the w

cuse me! He couldn't, he couldn't!" She laughed del

n saying, "He's 'a very good fell

, perversely. "Does any

don't," si

you don'

nly don't

hat isn't

at

She bit in her lower lip, and looke

ver serious

ious peop

ret of my happiness-" He threw hims

, pose!"

u know I'm in love with you; and I know that once you cared for me

briefly and se

e. What is it I've done w

did you bring it up? You've broken your word. You know I wouldn't hav

? With that happines

t? I might ha

othing you have against me, what is it, Alma, that keeps yo

so self-satisfied as that; I know very well that I'm not a perfect character, and that I've no claim on perfection in anybody else. I think women who want that are fools; they won't get

her mind to that has n

have that h

needn't give up art. We could work together. You know how much I admire your talent. I b

care for you, and I never could in the old way; but I should have to care for some one more

go on," he said, g

blame me," she

e-or only myself. I t

think life can be only the one thing to women? And if you come to the selfish view, who are

ould work

man enough to wish my work always less and lower

anything, Alma. I was a

heir hearts have an even chan

s where you

nyhow. And now I don't want you eve

cried, bitterly. "I shall ne

very frank, but I don't see why we shouldn't be

-I may come her

," she said, with a smile, an

t having sent any of his earnings to pay his father. As he looked at them now he liked to fancy something weird and conscious in them as the silent witnesses of a broken life. He felt about among some of the smaller objects on the mantel for his pipe. Before he slept he was aware, in the luxury of his despair, of a remote relief, an escape; and, after all, the understanding he had come to with Alma was only the explicit formulation of terms long tac

e Leightons again for s

ma what had happe

more?" her mother sighe

But he has the habit of coming, and with Mr. Beaton habit is ev

very nice for a girl to let a young man kee

uses him and doesn

t-it's indelicate. It isn't fa

n case yet. If Mr. Beaton comes again, I won

aking up another branch of the inquiry, "that you rea

amma. I do know my own mind; and, wha

do you

e to me the other ni

agement had bro

ons!" Mrs. Lei

ry flattering yourself. When I'm made love to, after this, I prefer to be made

ell him th

mamma? I may be indelicate, but I'

ly, Alma, but I wanted to warn you. I th

so di

you d

eing. I suppose he's ve

d with Miss Dryfoos at

e's an architect, and so

ny gifts-too

Vance and M

chitecture, mamma! It's gett

ly wish to get at your re

matter. But I should think-speaking in the abstract entirely-that if either of those arts was e

ing anything now at the others. I thought he was ent

e is!

ar, that he hasn't been very kind-v

t of gratitude? Thank you, mamma! I

t want you to cheapen yourself. I don't want you to tri

ld him I didn't; so he may be supposed to know it. If he comes here after this, he'll come as a plain, unostentatious friend of the family, and it's for y

nly to abandon it for anything constructive. She only said, "You kn

ave him enti

rd his right to candi

im. And, to tell you the truth, I believe he would like that a good deal better; I believe that, if there's anything he ha