me so silly and weak？〃
〃You are not silly and weak；〃 said her mother； fondly； and she bent over
the girl and would have kissed her； but Ellen averted her face with a
piteous 〃Don't！〃 and Mrs。 Kenton went out and ordered her breakfast
brought back。
She did not go in to make her eat it； as she would have done in the
beginning of the girl's trouble； they had all learned how much better she
was for being left to fight her battles with herself singlehanded。
Mrs。 Kenton waited in the parlor till her husband same in； looking gloomy
and tired。 He put his hat down and sank into a chair without speaking。
〃Well？〃 she said。
〃We have got to lose the price of the ticket； if we give it back。 I
thought I had better talk with you first；〃 said Kenton； and he explained
the situation。
〃Then you had better simply have it put off till the next steamer。
I have been talking with Ellen； and she doesn't want to stay。 She wants
to go。〃 His wife took advantage of Kenton's mute amaze （in the nervous
vagaries even of the women nearest him a man learns nothing from
experience） to put her own interpretation on the case； which； as it was
creditable to the girl's sense and principle； he found acceptable if not
imaginable。 〃And if you will take my advice；〃 she ended； 〃you will go
quietly back to the steamship office and exchange your ticket for the
next steamer； or the one after that； if you can't get good rooms； and
give Ellen time to get over this before she leaves。 It will be much
better for her to conquer herself than to run away； for that would always
give her a feeling of shame； and if she decides before she goes； it will
strengthen her pride and self…respect； and there will be less danger
when we come back。〃
〃Do you think he's going to keep after her！〃
〃How can I tell？ He will if he thinks it's to his interest； or he can
make anybody miserable by it。〃
Kenton said nothing to this； but after a while he suggested； rather
timorously； as if it were something he could not expect her to approve；
and was himself half ashamed of； 〃I believe if I do put it off； I'll run
out to Tuskingum before we sail； and look after a little matter of
business that I don't think Dick can attend to so well。〃
His wife knew why he wanted to go； and in her own mind she had already
decided that if he should ever propose to go； she should not gainsay him。
She had； in fact； been rather surprised that he had not proposed it
before this； and now she assented； without taxing him with his real
motive； and bringing him to open disgrace before her。 She even went
further in saying： 〃Very well； then you had better go。 I can get on very
well here； and I think it will leave Ellen freer to act for herself if
you are away。 And there are some things in the house that I want； and
that Richard would be sure to send his wife to get if I asked him； and I
won't have her rummaging around in my closets。 I suppose you will want
to go into the house？〃
〃I suppose so；〃 said Renton； who had not let a day pass； since he left
his house； without spending half his homesick time in it。 His wife
suffered his affected indifference to go without exposure； and trumped up
a commission for him； which would take him intimately into the house。
IV
The piety of his son Richard had maintained the place at Tuskingum in
perfect order outwardly； and Kenton's heart ached with tender pain as he
passed up the neatly kept walk from the gate； between the blooming ranks
of syringas and snowballs； to his door； and witnessed the faithful care
that Richard's hired man had bestowed upon every detail。 The grass
between the banks of roses and rhododendrons had been as scrupulously
lawn…mowered and as sedulously garden…hosed as if Kenton himself had been
there to look after its welfare； or had tended the shrubbery as he used
to do in earlier days with his own hand。 The oaks which he had planted
shook out their glossy green in the morning gale； and in the tulip…trees；
which had snowed their petals on the ground in wide circles defined by
the reach of their branches； he heard the squirrels barking； a red…bird
from the woody depths behind the house mocked the cat…birds in the
quince…trees。 The June rose was red along the trellis of the veranda；
where Lottie ought to be sitting to receive the morning calls of the
young men who were sometimes quite as early as Kenton's present visit in
their devotions； and the sound of Ellen's piano； played fitfully and
absently in her fashion； ought to be coming out irrespective of the hour。
It seemed to him that his wife must open the door as his steps and his
son's made themselves heard on the walk between the box borders in their
upper orchard； and he faltered a little。
〃Look here； father；〃 said his son； detecting his hesitation。 〃Why don't
you let Mary come in with you； and help you find those things？〃
〃No； no；〃 said Kenton； sinking into one of the wooden seats that flanked
the door…way。 〃I promised your mother that I would get them myself。 You
know women don't like to have other women going through their houses。〃
〃Yes； but Mary！〃 his son urged。
〃Ah！ It's just Mary； with her perfect housekeeping； that your mother
wouldn't like to have see the way she left things；〃 said Kenton； and he
smiled at the notion of any one being housekeeper enough to find a flaw
in his wife's。 〃My； but this is pleasant！〃 he added。 He took off his
hat and let the breeze play through the lank； thin hair which was still
black on his fine； high forehead。 He was a very handsome old man； with a
delicate aquiline profile； of the perfect Roman type which is perhaps
oftener found in America than ever it was in Rome。 〃You've kept it very
nice； Dick；〃 he said； with a generalizing wave of his hat。
〃Well； I couldn't tell whether you would be coming back or not； and I
thought I had better be ready for you。〃
〃I wish we were；〃 said the old man； 〃and we shall be； in the fall； or the
latter part of the summer。 But it's better now that we should goon
Ellen's account。〃
〃Oh； you'll enjoy it；〃 his son evaded him。
〃You haven't seen anything of him lately？〃 Kenton suggested。
〃He wasn't likely to let me see anything of him；〃 returned the son。
〃No；〃 said the father。 〃Well！〃 He rose to put the key into the door；
and his son stepped down from the little porch to the brick walk。
〃Mary will have dinner early； father； and when you've got through here；
you'd better come over and lie down a while beforehand。〃
Kenton had been dropped at eight o'clock from a sleeper on the Great
Three； and had refused breakfast at his son's house； upon the plea that
the porter had given him a Southern cantaloupe and a cup of coffee on the
train； and he was no longer hungry。
〃All right；〃 he said。 〃I won't be longer than I can help。〃 He had got
the door open and was going to close it again。
His son laughed。 〃Better not shut it； father。 It will let the fresh air
in。〃
〃Oh； all right；〃 said the old man。
The son lingered about； giving some orders to the hired man in the
vegetable garden； for an excuse； in the hope that his father might change
his mind and ask him to come into the house with him； he felt it so
forlorn for him to be going through those lifeless rooms alone。 When he
looked round； and saw his father holding the door ajar； as if impatiently
waiting for him to be gone； he laughed and waved his hand to him。 〃All
right； father？ I'm going now。〃 But though he treated the matter so
lightly with his father； he said grimly to his wife； as he passed her on
their own porch； on his way to his once； 〃I don't like to think of father
being driven out of house and home this way。〃
〃Neither do I； Dick。 But it can't be helped； can it？〃
〃I think I could help it； if I got my hands on that fellow once。〃
〃No； you couldn't； Dick。 It's not he that's doing it。 It's Ellen； you
know that well enough； and you've just got to stand it。〃
〃Yes； I suppose so；〃 said Richard Kenton。
〃Of course； my heart aches for your poor old father； but so it would if
Ellen had some kind of awful sickness。 It is a kind of sickness； and you
can't fight it any more than if she really was sick。〃
〃No；〃 said the husband； dejectedly。 〃You just slip over there； after a
while； Mary； if father's gone too long； will you？ I don't like to have
him there alone。〃
〃'Deed and 'deed I won't； Dick。 He wouldn't like it at all； my spying
round。 Nothing can happen to him； and I believe your mother's just made
an excuse to send him after something； so that he can be in there alone；
and realize that the house isn't home any more。 It will be easier for
him to go to Europe when he finds that out。 I believe in my heart that
was her idea in not wanting me to find the things for him； and I'm not
going to meddle myself。〃
With the fatuity of a man in such things； and with the fatuity of age
regarding all the things of the past； Kenton had thought in his
homesickness of his house as he used to be in it； and had never been able
to picture it without the family life。 As he now walked through the
empty rooms； and up and down the stairs； his pulse beat low as if in the
presence of death。 Everything was as they had left it； when they went
out of the house； and it appeared to Kenton that nothing had been touched
there since； though when he afterwards reported to his wife that there
was not a speck of dust anywhere she knew that Mary had been going
through the house； in their absence； not once only； but often； and she
felt a pang of grateful jealousy。 He got together the things that Mrs。
Kenton had pretended to want； and after glancing in at the different
rooms； which seemed to be lying stealthily in wait for him； with their
emptiness and silence； he went down…stairs with the bundle he had made；
and turned into his library。 He had some thought of looking at the
collections for his history； but； after pulling open one of the drawers
in which they were stored； he pushed it to again； and sank listlessly
into his leather…covered swivel…chair； which stood in its place before
the wide writing…table； and seemed to have had him in it before he sat
down。 The table was bare； except for the books and document