Washington。〃
〃Yes； if she know。 But she probably doesn't。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Mrs。 Brinkley disappointedly。 〃I think the sudden departure
of the Van Hooks must have had something to do with Dan Mavering。〃
〃Seems a very influential young man；〃 said her husband。 〃He attracts and
repels people right and left。 Did you speak to the Pasmers？〃
〃No； you'd better； when you go down。 They've just come into the dining…
room。 The girl looks like death。〃
〃Well； I'll talk to her about Mavering。 That'll cheer her up。〃
Mrs。 Brinkley looked at him for an instant as if she really thought him
capable of it。 Then she joined him in his laugh。
Mrs。 Brinkley had theorised Alice Pasmer as simply and primitively
selfish； like the rest of the Pasmers in whom the family traits prevailed。
When Mavering stopped coming to her house after his engagement she justly
suspected that it was because Alice had forbidden him； and she had
rejoiced at the broken engagement as an escape for Dan； she had frankly
said so； and she had received him back into full favour at the first
moment in Washington。 She liked Miss Anderson； and she had hoped； with
the interest which women feel in every such affair； that her flirtation
with him might become serious。 But now this had apparently not happened。
Julia Anderson was gone with mystifying precipitation； and Alice Pasmer
had come with an unexpectedness which had the aspect of fatality。
Mrs。 Brinkley felt bound； of course； since there was no open enmity
between them； to meet the Pasmers on the neutral ground of the Hygeia with
conventional amiability。 She was really touched by the absent wanness of
the girls look； and by the later…coming recognition which shaped her mouth
into a pathetic snide。 Alice did not look like death quite； as Mrs。
Brinkley had told her husband； with the necessity her sex has for putting
its superlatives before its positives； but she was pale and thin； and she
moved with a languid step when they all met at night after Mrs。 Brinkley
had kept out of the Pasmers' way during the day。
〃She has been ill all the latter part of the winter；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer to
Mrs。 Brinkley that night in the corner of the spreading hotel parlours；
where they found themselves。 Mrs。 Pasmer did not look well herself； she
spoke with her eyes fixed anxiously on the door Alice had just passed out
of。 〃She is going to bed； but I know I shall find her awake whenever I
go。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 suggested Mrs。 Brinkley； 〃this soft； heavy sea air will put her
to sleep。〃 She tried to speak drily and indifferently； but she could not；
she was； in fact； very much interested by the situation； and she was
touched； in spite of her distaste for them both； by the evident
unhappiness of mother and daughter。 She knew what it came from； and she
said to herself that they deserved it； but this did not altogether fortify
her against their pathos。 〃I can hardly keep awake myself；〃 she added
gruffly。
〃I hope it may help her；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； 〃the doctor strongly urged our
coming。〃
Mr。 Pasmer isn't with you；〃 said Mrs。 Brinkley； feeling that it was decent
to say something about him。
〃No； he was detained。〃 Mrs。 Pasmer did not explain the cause of his
detention； and the two ladies slowly waved their fans a moment in silence。
〃Are there many Boston People in the house？〃 Mrs。 Pasmer asked。
〃It's full of them；〃 cried Mrs。 Brinkley。
〃I had scarcely noticed；〃 sighed Mrs。 Pasmer； and Mrs。 Brinkley knew that
this was not true。 〃 Alice takes up all my thoughts；〃 she added； and this
might be true enough。 She leaned a little forward and asked； in a low；
entreating voice over her fan； 〃Mrs。 Brinkley； have you seen Mr。 Mavering
lately？〃
Mrs。 Brinkley considered this a little too bold； a little too brazen。 Had
they actually come South in pursuit of him？ It was shameless； and she let
Mrs： Pasmer know something of her feeling in the shortness with which she
answered； 〃I saw him in Washington the other dayfor a moment。〃 She
shortened the time she had spent in Dan's company so as to cut Mrs。 Pasmer
off from as much comfort as possible； and she stared at her in open
astonishment。
Mrs。 Pasmer dropped her eyes and fingered the edge of her fan with a
submissiveness that seemed to Mrs。 Brinkley the perfection of duplicity；
she wanted to shake her。 〃I knew；〃 sighed Mrs。 Pasmer； 〃that you had
always been such a friend of his。〃
It is the last straw which breaks the camel's back； Mrs。 Brinkley felt her
moral vertebrae give way； she almost heard them crack； but if there was
really a detonation； the drowned the noise with a harsh laugh。 〃Oh； he
had other friends in Washington。 I met him everywhere with Miss
Anderson。〃 This statement conflicted with the theory of her single
instant with Dan； but she felt that in such a cause； in the cause of
giving pain to a woman like Mrs。 Pasmer； the deflection from exact truth
was justifiable。 She hurried on： 〃I rather expected he might run down
here； but now that they're gone； I don't suppose he'll come。 You remember
Miss Anderson's aunt； Miss Van Hook？〃
〃Oh yes；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer。
〃She was here with her。〃
〃Miss Van Hook was such a New York typeof a certain kind；〃 said Mrs。
Pasmer。 She rose； with a smile at once so conventional； so heroic； and so
pitiful that Mrs。 Brinkley felt the remorse of a generous victor。
She went to her room； hardening her heart； and she burst in with a flood
of voluble exasperation that threatened all the neighbouring rooms with
overflow。
〃Well； she cried； 〃they have shown their hands completely。 They have come
here to hound Dan Mavering down； and get him into their toils again。 Why；
the woman actually said as much！ But I fancy I have given her a fit of
insomnia that will enable her to share her daughter's vigils。 Really such
impudence I never heard of！〃
〃Do you want everybody in the corridor to hear of it？〃 asked Brinkley；
from behind a newspaper。
〃I know one thing；〃 continued Mrs。 Brinkley； dropping her voice a couple
of octaves。 They will never get him here if I can help it。 He won't
come； anyway； now Miss Anderson is gone； but I'll make assurance doubly
sure by writing him not to come； I'll tell him they've gone； and than we
are going too。〃
〃You had better remember the man in Chicago；〃 said her husband。
〃Well； this is my businessor I'll make it my business！〃 cried Mrs。
Brinkley。 She went on talking rapidly； rising with great excitement in
her voice at times； and then remembering to speak lower； and her husband
apparently read on through most of her talk； though now and then he made
some comment that seemed of almost inspired aptness。
〃The way they both made up to me was disgusting。 But I know the girl is
just a tool in her mother's hands。 Her mother seemed actually passive in
comparison。 For skilful wheedling I could fall down and worship that
woman； I really admire her。 As long as the girl was with us she kept
herself in the background and put the girl at me。 It was simply a
masterpiece。〃
〃How do you know she put her at you？〃 asked Brinkley。
〃How？ By the way she seemed not to do it！ And because from what I know
of that stupid Pasmer pride it would be perfectly impossible for any one
who was a Pasmer to take her deprecatory manner toward me of herself。 You
ought to have seen it！ It was simply perfect。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 said Brinkley； with a remote dreaminess； 〃she was truly sorry。〃
〃Truly stuff！ No； indeed； she hates me as much as evermore！〃
〃Well； then； may be she's doing it because she hates youdoing it for her
soul's goodsort of penance； sort of atonement to Mavering。〃
Mrs。 Brinkley turned round from her dressing…table to see what her husband
meant； but the newspaper hid him。 We all know that our own natures are
mixed and contradictory； but we each attribute to others a logical
consistency which we never find in any one out of the novels。 Alice
Pasmer was cold and reticent； and Mrs。 Brinkley； who had lived half a
century in a world full of paradoxes； could not imagine her subject to
gusts of passionate frankness； she knew the girl to be proud and distant；
and she could not conceive of an abject humility and longing for sympathy
in her heart。 If Alice felt； when she saw Mrs。 Brinkley； that she had a
providential opportunity to punish herself for her injustice to Dan； the
fact could not be established upon Mrs。 Brinkley's theory of her。 If the
ascetic impulse is the most purely selfish impulse in human nature； Mrs。
Brinkley might not have been mistaken in suspecting her of an ignoble
motive； though it might have had for the girl the last sublimity of self…
sacrifice。 The woman who disliked her and pitied her knew that she had
no arts； and rather than adopt so simple a theory of her behaviour as her
husband had advanced she held all the more strenuously to her own theory
that Alice was practising her mother's arts。 This was inevitable； partly
from the sense of Mrs。 Pasmer's artfulness which everybody had； and partly
from the allegiance which we payand women especially like to payto the
tradition of the playwrights and the novelists； that social results of all
kinds are the work of deep； and more or less darkling； design on the part
of other womensuch other women as Mrs。 Pasmer。
Mrs。 Brinkley continued to talk； but the god spoke no more from behind the
newspaper； and afterward Mrs。 Brinkley lay a long time awake； hardening
her heart。 But she was haunted to the verge of her dreams by that girl's
sick look； by her languid walk； and by the effect which she had seen her
own words take upon Mrs。 Pasmeran effect so admirably disowned； so
perfectly obvious。 Before she could get to sleep she was obliged to make
a compromise with her heart； in pursuance of which； when she found Mrs。
Pasmer at breakfast alone in the morning； she went up to her； and said；
holding her hand a moment； 〃I hope your daughter slept well last night。〃
〃No；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； slipping her hand away； 〃I can't say that she
did。〃 There was probably no resentment expressed in the way she withdrew
her hand； but the other thought there was。
〃I wish I could do something for her；〃 she cried。
〃Oh； thank you；〃 said Mrs。 Pa