with which his sister now explained how he wanted to come so much that
the doctor thought he had better； but that they had made him promise he
would not try to meet her at the steamer； lest it should be too great a
trial of his strength。
〃Yes；〃 Clementina assented； when the story came to an end and was
beginning over again。
She had an inexplicable moment when she stood before her lover in the
room where they left her to meet him alone。 She faltered and he waited
constrained by her constraint。
〃Is it all a mistake； Clementina？〃 he asked； with a piteous smile。
〃No； no！〃
〃Am I so much changed？〃
〃No； you are looking better than I expected。〃
〃And you are not sorry…for anything？〃
〃No； I am Perhaps I have thought of you too much！ It seems so
strange。〃
〃I understand；〃 he answered。 〃We have been like spirits to each other；
and now we find that we are alive and on the earth like other people； and
we are not used to it。〃
〃It must be something like that。〃
〃But if it's something elseif you have the least regret；if you would
rather 〃He stopped； and they remained looking at each other a moment。
Then she turned her head； and glanced out of the window； as if something
there had caught her sight。
〃It's a very pleasant view； isn't it？〃 she said； and she lifted her hands
to her head； and took off her hat； with an effect of having got home
after absence； to stay。
XXXVIII。
It was possibly through some sense finer than any cognition that
Clementina felt in meeting her lover that she had taken up a new burden
rather than laid down an old one。 Afterwards； when they once recurred to
that meeting； and she tried to explain for him the hesitation which she
had not been able to hide； she could only say； 〃I presume I didn't want
to begin unless I was sure I could carry out。 It would have been silly。〃
Her confession； if it was a confession； was made when one of his returns
to health； or rather one of the arrests of his unhealth； flushed them
with hope and courage； but before that first meeting was ended she knew
that he had overtasked his strength； in coming to New York； and he must
not try it further。 〃Fatha；〃 she said to Claxon； with the authority of a
woman doing her duty； 〃I'm not going to let Geo'ge go up to Middlemount；
with all the excitement。 It will be as much as he can do to get home。
You can tell mother about it； and the rest。 I did suppose it would be
Mr。 Richling that would marry us； and I always wanted him to； but I guess
somebody else can do it as well。〃
〃Just as you say； Clem；〃 her father assented。 〃Why not Brother Osson；
he'a？〃 he suggested with a pleasure in the joke； whatever it was； that
the minister's relation to Clementina involved。 〃I guess he can put off
his visit to Boston long enough。〃
〃Well； I was thinking of him；〃 said Clementina。 〃Will you ask him？〃
〃Yes。 I'll get round to it； in the mohning。〃
〃No…now； right away。 I've been talking with Geo'ge about it； and the'e's
no sense in putting it off。 I ought to begin taking care of him at
once。〃
〃Well； I guess when I tell your motha how you're layin' hold； she won't
think it's the same pusson；〃 said her father； proudly。
〃But it is； I haven't changed a bit。〃
〃You ha'n't changed for the wohse； anyway。〃
〃Didn't I always try to do what I had to？〃
〃I guess you did； Clem。〃
〃Well； then！〃
Mr。 Orson； after a decent hesitation； consented to perform the ceremony。
It took place in a parlor of the hotel； according to the law of New York；
which facilitates marriage so greatly in all respects that it is strange
any one in the State should remain single。 He had then a luxury of
choice between attaching himself to the bridal couple as far as Ohio on
his journey home to Michigan； or to Claxon who was going to take the boat
for Boston the next day on his way to Middlemount。 He decided for
Claxon； since he could then see Mrs。 Lander's lawyer at once； and arrange
with him for getting out of the vice…consul's hands the money which he
was holding for an authoritative demand。 He accepted without open
reproach the handsome fee which the elder Hinkle gave him for his
services； and even went so far as to say； 〃If your son should ever be
blest with a return to health； he has got a helpmeet such as there are
very few of。〃 He then admonished the young couple； in whatever trials
life should have in store for them； to be resigned； and always to be
prepared for the worst。 When he came later to take leave of them； he was
apparently not equal to the task of fitly acknowledging the return which
Hinkle made him of all the money remaining to Clementina out of the sum
last given her by Mrs。 Lander； but he hid any disappointment he might
have suffered； and with a brief； 〃Thank you；〃 put it in his pocket。
Hinkle told Clementina of the apathetic behavior of Mr。 Orson； he added
with a laugh like his old self； 〃It's the best that he doesn't seem
prepared for。〃
〃Yes；〃 she assented。 〃 He wasn't very chee'ful。 But I presume that he
meant well。 It must be a trial for him to find out that Mrs。 Landa
wasn't rich； after all。〃
It was apparently never a trial to her。 She went to Ohio with her
husband and took up her life on the farm； where it was wisely judged that
he had the best chance of working out of the wreck of his health and
strength。 There was often the promise and always the hope of this； and
their love knew no doubt of the future。 Her sisters…in…law delighted in
all her strangeness and difference； while they petted her as something
not to be separated from him in their petting of their brother； to his
mother she was the darling which her youngest had never ceased to be；
Clementina once went so far as to say to him that if she was ever
anything she would like to be a Moravian。
The question of religion was always related in their minds to the
question of Gregory； to whom they did justice in their trust of each
other。 It was Hinkle himself who reasoned out that if Gregory was
narrow； his narrowness was of his conscience and not of his heart or his
mind。 She respected the memory of her first lover； but it was as if he
were dead； now； as well as her young dream of him； and she read with a
curious sense of remoteness； a paragraph which her husband found in the
religious intelligence of his Sunday paper； announcing the marriage of
the Rev。 Frank Gregory to a lady described as having been a frequent and
bountiful contributor to the foreign missions。 She was apparently a
widow； and they conjectured that she was older than he。 His departure
for his chosen field of missionary labor in China formed part of the news
communicated by the rather exulting paragraph。
〃Well； that is all right；〃 said Clementina's husband。 〃He is a good man；
and he is where he can do nothing but good。 I am glad I needn't feel
sorry for him； any more。〃
Clementina's father must have given such a report of Hinkle and his
family； that they felt easy at home in leaving her to the lot she had
chosen。 When Claxon parted from her； he talked of coming out with her
mother to see her that fall； but it was more than a year before they got
round to it。 They did not come till after the birth of her little girl；
and her father then humorously allowed that perhaps they would not have
got round to it at all if something of the kind had not happened。 The
Hinkles and her father and mother liked one another； so much that in the
first glow of his enthusiasm Claxon talked of settling down in Ohio； and
the older Hinkle drove him about to look at some places that were for
sale。 But it ended in his saying one day that he missed the hills； and
he did not believe that he would know enough to come in when it rained if
he did not see old Middlemount with his nightcap on first。 His wife and
he started home with the impatience of their years； rather earlier than
they had meant to go； and they were silent for a little while after they
left the flag…station where Hinkle and Clementina had put them aboard
their train。
〃Well？〃 said Claxon； at last。
〃Well？〃 echoed his wife； and then she did not speak for a little while
longer。 At last she asked；
〃D'he look that way when you fust see him in New Yo'k？〃
Claxon gave his honesty time to get the better of his optimism。 Even
then he answered evasively； 〃He doos look pootty slim。〃
〃The way I cypher it out；〃 said his wife； 〃he no business to let her
marry him； if he wa'n't goin' to get well。 It was throwin' of herself
away； as you may say。〃
〃I don't know about that；〃 said Claxon； as if the point had occurred to
him； too； and had been already argued in his mind。 〃I guess they must
'a' had it out； there in New York before they got marriedor she had。
I don't believe but what he expected to get well； right away。 It's the
kind of a thing that lingas along； and lingas along。 As fah fo'th as
Clem went； I guess there wa'n't any let about it。 I guess she'd made up
her mind from the staht； and she was goin' to have him if she had to hold
him on his feet to do it。 Look he'a！ W hat would you done？〃
〃Oh； I presume we're all fools！〃 said Mrs。 Claxon； impatient of a sex not
always so frank with itself。 〃But that don't excuse him。〃
〃I don't say it doos；〃 her husband admitted。 〃But I presume he was
expectin' to get well right away； then。 And I don't believe；〃 he added；
energetically； 〃but what he will； yet。 As I undastand； there ain't
anything ogganic about him。 It's just this he'e nuvvous prostration；
resultin' from shock； his docta tells me； and he'll wo'k out of that all
right。〃
They said no more； and Mrs。 Claxon did not recur to any phase of the
situation till she undid the lunch which the Hinkles had put up for them；
and laid out on the napkin in her lap the portions of cold ham and cold
chicken； the buttered biscuit； and the little pot of apple…butter； with
the large bottle of cold coffee。 Then she sighed； 〃They live well。〃
〃Yes；〃 said her husband； glad of any concession； 〃and they ah' good
folks。 And Clem's as happy as a bud with 'em； you can see that。〃
〃Oh； she was always happy enough； if that's all you want。 I presume she
was happy with that hectorin' old thing that fooled her out