precipitate words。
〃Yes； that's what you've repeatedly told me。 I used to believe it。〃
〃And I always believed what you said。 You said at the picnic that day
that you thought I would like to live at Ponkwasset Falls if my business
was there〃
〃That is not the point！〃
〃And now you quarrel with me because my mother wishes me to do so。〃
Alice merely said： 〃I don't know why I stand here allowing you to
intimidate me in my father's house。 I demand that you shall stand aside
and let me pass。〃
〃I'll not oblige you to leave the room；〃 said Dan。 〃I will go。 But if I
go； you will understand that I don't come back。〃
〃I hope that；〃 said the girl。
〃Very well。 Good morning； Miss Pasmer。〃
She inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment of his bow； and he
whirled out of the room and down the dim narrow passageway into the arms
of Mrs。 Pasmer； who had resisted as long as she could her curiosity to
know what the angry voices of himself and Alice meant。
〃0 Mr。 Mavering； is it you？〃 she buzzed； and she flung aside one pretence
for another in adding； 〃Couldn't Alice make you stay to breakfast？〃
Dan felt a rush of tenderness in his heart at the sound of the kind；
humbugging little voice。 〃No； thank you； Mrs。 Pasmer； I couldn't stay；
thank you。 II thank you very much。 Igood…bye； Mrs。 Pasmer。〃 He
wrung her hand； and found his way out of the apartment door； leaving her
to clear up the mystery of his flight and his broken words as she could。
〃Alice；〃 she said； as she entered the room； where the girl had remained；
〃what have you been doing now？〃
〃Oh； nothing；〃 she said； with a remnant of her scorn for Dan qualifying
her tone and manner to her mother。 〃I've dismissed Mr。 Mavering。〃
〃Then you want him to come to lunch？〃 asked her mother。 〃I should advise
him to refuse。〃
〃I don't think he'd accept；〃 said Alice。 Then； as Mrs。 Pasmer stood in
the door； preventing her egress； as Dan had done before； she asked meekly
〃Will you let me pass； mamma？ My head aches。〃
Mrs。 Pasmer； whose easy triumphs in so many difficult circumstances kept
her nearly always in good temper； let herself go； at these words； in
vexation very uncommon with her。 〃Indeed I shall not！〃 she retorted。
〃And you will please sit down here and tell me what you mean by dismissing
Mr。 Mavering。 I'm tired of your whims and caprices。〃
〃I can't talk；〃 began the girl stubbornly。
〃Yes； I think you can；〃 said her mother。 〃At any rate； I can。 Now what
is it all？〃
〃Perhaps this letter； will explain；〃 said Alice； continuing to dignify her
enforced submission with a tone of unabated hauteur； and she gave her
mother Mrs。 Mavering's letter； which Dan had mechanically restored to her。
Mrs。 Pasmer read it； not only without indignation； but apparently without
displeasure。 But； she understood perfectly what the trouble was； when she
looked up and asked； cheerfully； 〃Well？〃
〃Well！〃 repeated Alice； with a frown of astonishment。 〃Don't you see that
he's promised us one thing and her another； and that he's false to both？〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； recovering her good…humour in view of a
situation that she felt herself able to cope with。 〃Of course he has to
temporise； to manage a little。 She's an invalid； and of course she's very
exacting。 He has to humour her。 How do you know he has promised her？ He
hasn't promised us。〃
〃Hasn't promised us？〃 Alice gasped。
〃No。 He's simply fallen in with what we've said。 It's because he's so
sweet and yielding； and can't bear to refuse。 I can understand it
perfectly。〃
〃Then if he hasn't promised us； he's deceived us all the more shamefully；
for he's made us think he had。〃
〃He hasn't me；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； smiling at the stormy virtue in her
daughter's face。 〃And what if you should go home awhile with himfor the
summer； say？ It couldn't last longer； much； and it wouldn't hurt us to
wait。 I suppose he hoped for something of that kind。〃
〃Oh； it isn't that；〃 groaned the girl； in a kind of bewilderment。 〃I
could have gone there with him joyfully； and lived all my days； if he'd
only been frank with me。〃
〃Oh no； you couldn't；〃 said her mother； with cosy security。 〃When it comes
to it； you don't like giving up any more than other people。 It's very
hard for you to give up； he sees thathe knows it； and he doesn't really
like to ask any sort of sacrifice from you。 He's afraid of you。〃
〃Don't I know that？〃 demanded Alice desolately： 〃I've known it from the
first； and I've felt it all the time。 It's all a mistake； and has been。
We never could understand each other。 We're too different。〃
〃That needn't prevent you understanding him。 It needn't prevent you from
seeing how really kind and good he ishow faithful and constant he is。〃
〃Oh； you say thatyou praise himbecause you like him。〃
〃Of course I do。 And can't you？〃
〃No。 The least grain of deceitof temporising； you call itspoils
everything。 It's over；〃 said the girl； rising； with a sigh； from the
chair she had dropped into。 〃We're best apart； we could only have been
wretched and wicked together。〃
〃What did you say to him； Alice？〃 asked her mother； unshaken by her
rhetoric。
〃I told him he was a faithless person。〃
〃Then you were a cruel girl；〃 cried Mrs。 Pasmer； with sudden indignation；
〃and if you were not my daughter I could be glad he had escaped you。 I
don't know where you got all those silly； romantic notions of yours about
these things。 You certainly didn't get them from me；〃 she continued； with
undeniable truth； 〃and I don't believe you get them from your Church；
It's just as Miss Anderson said： your Church makes allowance for human
nature； but you make none。〃
〃I shouldn't go to Julia Anderson for instruction in such matters；〃 said
the girl； with cold resentment。
〃I wish you would go to her for a little commonsenseor somebody；〃 said
Mrs。 Pasmer。 〃Do you know what talk this will make？〃
〃I don't care for the talk。 It would be worse than talk to marry a man
whom I couldn't trustwho wanted to please me so much that he had to
deceive me； and was too much afraid of me to tell me the truth。〃
〃You headstrong girl！〃 said her mother impartially； admiring at the same
time the girl's haughty beauty。
There was an argument in reserve in Mrs。 Pasmer's mind which perhaps none
but an American mother would have hesitated to urge； but it is so wholly
our tradition to treat the important business of marriage as a romantic
episode that even she could not bring herself to insist that her daughter
should not throw away a chance so advantageous from every worldly point of
view。 She could only ask； 〃If you break this engagement； what do you
expect to do？〃
〃The engagement is broken。 I shall go into a sisterhood。〃
〃You will do nothing of the kind； with my consent；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer。
〃I will have no such nonsense。 Don't flatter yourself that I will。 Even
if I approved of such a thing； I should think it wicked to let you do it。
You're always fancying yourself doing something very devoted； but I've
never seen you ready to give up your own will； or your own comfort even；
in the slightest degree。 And Dan Mavering； if he were twice as
temporising and circuitous〃the word came to her from her talk with him
〃would be twice too good for you。 I'm going to breakfast。〃
XLIV。
The difficulty in life is to bring experience to the level of expectation；
to match our real emotions in view of any great occasion with the ideal
emotions which we have taught ourselves that we ought to feel。 This is
all the truer when the occasion is tragical： we surprise ourselves in a
helplessness to which the great event； death； ruin； lost love； reveals
itself slowly； and at first wears the aspect of an unbroken continuance of
what has been； or at most of another incident in the habitual sequence。
Dan Mavering came out into the bright winter morning knowing that his
engagement was broken； but feeling it so little that he could not believe
it。 He failed to realise it； to seize it for a fact； and he could not let
it remain that dumb and formless wretchedness； without proportion or
dimensions； which it now seemed to be； weighing his life down。 To verify
it； to begin to outlive it； he must instantly impart it； he must tell it；
he must see it with others' eyes。 This was the necessity of his youth and
of his sympathy； which included himself as well as the rest of the race in
its activity。 He had the usual environment of a young man who has money。
He belonged to clubs； and he had a large acquaintance among men of his own
age； who lived a life of greater leisure； or were more absorbed in
business； but whom he met constantly in society。 For one reason or
another； or for no other reason than that he was Dan Mavering and liked
every one； he liked them all。 He thought himself great friends with them；
he dined and lunched with them； and they knew the Pasmers； and all about
his engagement。 But he did not go to any of them now； with the need he
felt to impart his calamity； to get the support of come other's credence
and opinion of it。 He went to a friend whom； in the way of his world； he
met very seldom； but whom he always found； as he said； just where he had
left him。
Boardman never made any sign of suspecting that he was put on and off；
according to Dan's necessity or desire for comfort or congratulation； but
it was part of their joke that Dan's coming to him always meant something
decisive in his experiences。 The reporter was at his late breakfast；
which his landlady furnished him in his room； though； as Mrs。 Mash said；
she never gave meals； but a cup of coffee and an egg or two； yes。
〃Well？〃 he said； without looking up。
〃Well； I'm done for！〃 cried Dan。
〃Again？〃 asked Boardman。
〃Again！ The other time was nothing； BoardmanI knew it wasn't anything；
but thisthis is final。〃
〃Go on；〃 said Boardman； looking about for his individual salt…cellar；
which he found under the edge of his plate； and Mavering laid the whole
case before him。 As he made no comment on it for a while； Dan was obliged
to ask him what he thought of it。 〃Well；〃 he said； with the smile that
showed the evenness of his pretty teeth； 〃there's