第1章

I。

DR。DILLONTOEDWARDDELANEY，ESQ。，ATTHEPINES。

NEARRYE，N。H。

August8，1872。

MyDearSir：Iamhappytoassureyouthatyouranxietyiswithoutreason。Flemmingwillbeconfinedtothesofaforthreeorfourweeks，andwillhavetobecarefulatfirsthowheuseshisleg。A

fractureofthiskindisalwaysatediousaffair。FortunatelythebonewasveryskilfullysetbythesurgeonwhochancedtobeinthedrugstorewhereFlemmingwasbroughtafterhisfall，andI

apprehendnopermanentinconveniencefromtheaccident。Flemmingisdoingperfectlywellphysically；butImustconfessthattheirritableandmorbidstateofmindintowhichhehasfallencausesmeagreatdealofuneasiness。Heisthelastmanintheworldwhooughttobreakhisleg。Youknowhowimpetuousourfriendisordinarily，whatasoulofrestlessnessandenergy，nevercontentunlessheisrushingatsomeobject，likeasportivebullataredshawl；butamiablewithal。Heisnolongeramiable。Histemperhasbecomesomethingfrightful。MissFannyFlemmingcameupfromNewport，wherethefamilyarestayingforthesummer，tonursehim；

buthepackedheroffthenextmorningintears。HehasacompletesetofBalzac’sworks，twenty—sevenvolumes，piledupnearhissofa，tothrowatWatkinswheneverthatexemplaryserving—manappearswithhismeals。YesterdayIveryinnocentlybroughtFlemmingasmallbasketoflemons。Youknowitwasastripoflemonpeelonthecurbstonethatcausedourfriend’smischance。

Well，henosoonersetiseyesuponthoselemonsthanhefellintosucharageasIcannotadequatelydescribe。Thisisonlyoneofmoods，andtheleastdistressing。Atothertimeshesitswithbowedheadregardinghissplinteredlimb，silent，sullen，despairing。

Whenthisfitisonhim——anditsometimeslastsallday——nothingcandistracthismelancholy。Herefusestoeat，doesnotevenreadthenewspapers；books，exceptasprojectilesforWatkins，havenocharmsforhim。Hisstateistrulypitiable。

Now，ifhewereapoorman，withafamilydependingonhisdailylabor，thisirritabilityanddespondencywouldbenaturalenough。

Butinayoungfellowoftwenty—four，withplentyofmoneyandseeminglynotacareintheworld，thethingismonstrous。Ifhecontinuestogivewaytohisvagariesinthismanner，hewillendbybringingonaninflammationofthefibula。Itwasthefibulahebroke。Iamatmywits’endtoknowwhattoprescribeforhim。I

haveanaestheticsandlotions，tomakepeoplesleepandtosoothepain；butI’venomedicinethatwillmakeamanhavealittlecommon—sense。Thatisbeyondmyskill，butmaybeitisnotbeyondyours。YouareFlemming’sintimatefriend，hisfidusAchates。Writetohim，writetohimfrequently，distracthismind，cheerhimup，andpreventhimfrombecomingaconfirmedcaseofmelancholia。

Perhapshehassomeimportantplansdisarrangedbyhispresentconfinement。Ifhehasyouwillknow，andwillknowhowtoadvisehimjudiciously。Itrustyourfatherfindsthechangebeneficial？

Iam，mydearsir，withgreatrespect，etc。

II。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING，WEST38THSTREET，NEWYORK。

August9，1872。

MyDearJack：IhadalinefromDillonthismorning，andwasrejoicedtolearnthatyourhurtisnotsobadasreported。Likeacertainpersonage，youarenotsoblackandblueasyouarepainted。Dillonwillputyouonyourpinsagainintwotothreeweeks，ifyouwillonlyhavepatienceandfollowhiscounsels。DidyougetmynoteoflastWednesday？IwasgreatlytroubledwhenI

heardoftheaccident。

Icanimaginehowtranquilandsaintlyyouarewithyourleginatrough！Itisdeucedawkward，tobesure，justaswehadpromisedourselvesagloriousmonthtogetheratthesea—side；butwemustmakethebestofit。Itisunfortunate，too，thatmyfather’shealthrendersitimpossibleformetoleavehim。Ithinkhehasmuchimproved；theseaairishisnativeelement；buthestillneedsmyarmtoleanuponinhiswalks，andrequiressomeonemorecarefulthataservanttolookafterhim。Icannotcometoyou，dearJack，butIhavehoursofunemployedtimeonhand，andIwillwriteyouawholepost—officefullofletters，ifthatwilldivertyou。Heavenknows，Ihaven’tanythingtowriteabout。Itisn’tasifwewerelivingatoneofthebeachhouses；thenIcoulddoyousomecharacterstudies，andfillyourimaginationwithgroupsofsea—goddesses，withtheir（orsomebodyelse’s）ravenandblondemaneshangingdowntheirshoulders。YoushouldhaveAphroditeinmorningwrapper，ineveningcostume，andinherprettiestbathingsuit。Butwearefarfromallthathere。Wehaveroomsinafarm—house，onacross—road，twomilesfromthehotels，andleadthequietestoflives。

IwishIwereanovelist。Thisoldhouse，withitssandedfloorsandhighwainscots，anditsnarrowwindowslookingoutuponaclusterofpinesthatturnthemselvesintoaeolianharpseverytimethewindblows，wouldbetheplaceinwhichtowriteasummerromance。Itshouldbeastorywiththeodorsoftheforestandthebreathoftheseainit。ItshouldbeanovellikeoneofthatRussianfellow’s——what’shisname？——Tourguenieff，Turguenef，Turgenif，Toorguniff，Turgenjew——nobodyknowshowtospellhim。YetIwonderifevenaLizaoranAlexandraPaulovnacouldstirtheheartofamanwhohasconstanttwingesinhisleg。IwonderifoneofourownYankeegirlsofthebesttype，haughtyandspirituelle，wouldbeofanycomforttoyouinyourpresentdeplorablecondition。IfIthoughtso，IwouldhastendowntotheSurfHouseandcatchoneforyou；or，betterstill，Iwouldfindyouoneovertheway。

Picturetoyourselfalargewhitehousejustacrosstheroad，nearlyoppositeourcottage。Itisnotahouse，butamansion，built，perhaps，inthecolonialperiod，withramblingextensions，andgambrelroof，andawidepiazzaonthreesides——aself—

possessed，high—bredpieceofarchitecture，withitsnoseintheair。Itstandsbackfromtheroad，andhasanobsequiousretinueoffringedelmsandoaksandweepingwillows。Sometimesinthemorning，andoftenerintheafternoon，whenthesunhaswithdrawnfromthatpartofthemansions，ayoungwomanappearsonthepiazzawithsomemysteriousPenelopewebofembroideryinherhand，orabook。Thereisahammockoverthere——ofpineapplefibre，itlooksfromhere。Ahammockisverybecomingwhenoneiseighteen，andhasgoldenhair，anddarkeyes，andanemerald—coloredillusiondressloopedupafterthefashionofaDresdenchinashepherdess，andischausseelikeabelleofthetimeofLouisQuatorze。Allthissplendorgoesintothathammock，andswaystherelikeapond—lilyinthegoldenafternoon。Thewindowofmybedroomlooksdownonthatpiazza——andsodoI。

Butenoughofthenonsense，whichillbecomesasedateyoungattorneytakinghisvacationwithaninvalidfather。Dropmealine，dearJack，andtellmehowyoureallyare。Stateyourcase。

Writemealong，quiteletter。Ifyouareviolentorabusive，I’lltakethelawtoyou。

III。

JOHNFLEMMINGTOEDWARDDELANEY。

August11，1872。

Yourletter，dearNed，wasagodsend。FancywhatafixIamin——I，whoneverhadaday’ssicknesssinceIwasborn。Myleftlegweighsthreetons。Itisembalmedinspicesandsmotheredinlayersoffinelinen，likeamummy。Ican’tmove。Ihaven’tmovedforfivethousandyears。I’mofthetimeofPharaoh。

Iliefrommorningtillnightonalounge，staringintothehotstreet。Everybodyisoutoftownenjoyinghimself。Thebrown—stone—

fronthousesacrossthestreetresemblearowofparticularlyuglycoffinssetuponend。Agreenmouldissettlingonthenamesofthedeceased，carvedonthesilverdoor—plates。Sardonicspidershavesewedupthekey—holes。Allissilenceanddustanddesolation。——Iinterruptthisamoment，totakeashyatWatkinswiththesecondvolumeofCesarBirotteau。Missedhim！IthinkI

couldbringhimdownwithacopyofSainte—BeuveortheDictionnaireUniversel，ifIhadit。ThesesmallBalzacbookssomehowdonotquitefitmyhand；butIshallfetchhimyet。I’veanideathatWatkinsistappingtheoldgentleman’sChateauYquem。

Duplicatekeyofthewine—cellar。Hibernianswarriesinthefrontbasement。YoungCheopsupstairs，snuginhiscerements。Watkinsglidesintomychamber，withthatcolorless，hypocriticalfaceofhisdrawnoutlonglikeanaccordion；butIknowhegrinsallthewaydownstairs，andisgladIhavebrokenmyleg。WasnotmyevilstarintheveryzenithwhenIranuptotowntoattendthatdinneratDelmonico’s？Ididn’tcomeupaltogetherforthat。ItwaspartlytobuyFrankLivingstone’sroanmareMargot。AndnowIshallnotbeabletositinthesaddlethesetwomonths。I’llsendthemaredowntoyouatThePines——isthatthenameoftheplace？

OldDillonfanciesthatIhavesomethingonmymind。Hedrivesmewildwithlemons。Lemonsforaminddiseased！Nonsense。Iamonlyasrestlessasthedevilunderthisconfinement——athingI’mnotusedto。Takeamanwhohasneverhadsomuchasaheadacheoratoothacheinhislife，straponeofhislegsinasectionofwater—

spout，keephiminaroominthecityforweeks，withthehotweatherturnedon，andthenexpecthimtosmileandpurrandbehappy！Itispreposterous。Ican’tbecheerfulorcalm。

YourletteristhefirstconsolingthingIhavehadsincemydisaster，tendaysago。Itreallycheeredmeupforhalfanhour。

Sendmeascreed，Ned，asoftenasyoucan，ifyouloveme。

Anythingwilldo。Writememoreaboutthatlittlegirlinthehammock。Thatwasverypretty，allthatabouttheDresdenchinashepherdessandthepond—lily；theimageryalittlemixed，perhaps，butverypretty。Ididn’tsupposeyouhadsomuchsentimentalfurnitureinyourupperstory。Itshowshowonemaybefamiliarforyearswiththereception—roomofhisneighbor，andneversuspectwhatisdirectlyunderhismansard。Isupposedyourloftstuffedwithdrylegalparchments，mortgages，andaffidavits；youtakedownapackageofmanuscript，andlo！therearelyricsandsonnetsandcanzonettas。Youreallyhaveagraphicdescriptivetouch，EdwardDelaney，andIsuspectyouofanonymouslove—talesinthemagazines。

IshallbeabearuntilIhearfromyouagain。Tellmeallaboutyourprettyinconnueacrosstheroad。Whatishername？Whoisshe？

Who’sherfather？Where’shermother？Who’sherlover？Youcannotimaginehowthiswilloccupyme。Themoretrifling，thebetter。MyimprisonmenthasweakenedmeintellectuallytosuchadegreethatI

findyourepistolarygiftsquiteconsiderable。Iampassingintomysecondchildhood。InaweekortwoIshalltaketoIndiarubberringsandprongsofcoral。Asilvercup，withanappropriateinscription，wouldbeadelicateattentiononyourpart。Inthemeantime，write！

IV。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

August12，1872。

Thesickpashashallbeamused。Bismillah！hewillsitso。Ifthestory—tellerbecomesprolixandtedious——thebow—stringandthesack，andtwoNubianstodrophimintothePiscataqua！Buttruly，Jack，Ihaveahardtask。Thereisliterallynothinghere——exceptthelittlegirlovertheway。Sheisswinginginthehammockatthismoment。Itistomecompensationformanyoftheillsoflifetoseehernowandthenputoutasmallkidboot，whichfitslikeaglove，andsetherselfgoing。Whoisshe，andwhatishername？HernameisDaw。OnlydaughterifMr。RichardW。Daw，ex—colonelandbanker。Motherdead。OnebrotheratHarvard，elderbrotherkilledatthebattleofFairOaks，tenyearsago。Old，richfamily，theDaws。Thisisthehomestead，wherefatheranddaughterpasseightmonthsofthetwelve；therestoftheyearinBaltimoreandWashington。TheNewEnglandwintertoomanyfortheoldgentleman。

ThedaughteriscalledMarjorie——MarjorieDaw。Soundsoddatfirst，doesn’tit？Butafteryousayitovertoyourselfhalfadozentimes，youlikeit。There’sapleasingquaintnesstoit，somethingprimandviolet—like。MustbeanicesortofgirltobecalledMarjorieDaw。

IhadminehostofThePinesinthewitness—boxlastnight，anddrewtheforegoingtestimonyfromhim。HehaschargeofMr。Daw’svegetable—garden，andhasknownthefamilythesethirtyyears。OfcourseIshallmaketheacquaintanceofmyneighborsbeforemanydays。ItwillbenexttoimpossibleformenottomeetMr。DaworMissDawinsomeofmywalks。Theyoungladyhasafavoritepathtothesea—beach。Ishallintercepthersomemorning，andtouchmyhattoher。Thentheprincesswillbendherfairheadtomewithcourteoussurprisenotunmixedwithhaughtiness。Willsnubme，infact。Allthisforthysake，OPashaoftheSnaptAxle—tree！……

Howoddlythingsfallout！TenminutesagoIwascalleddowntotheparlor——youknowthekindofparlorsinfarm—housesonthecoast，asortofamphibiousparlor，withsea—shellsonthemantel—pieceandsprucebranchesinthechimney—place——whereIfoundmyfatherandMr。Dawdoingtheantiquepolitetoeachother。Hehadcometopayhisrespectstohisnewneighbors。Mr。Dawisatall，slimgentlemanofaboutfifty—five，withafloridfaceandsnow—whitemustacheandside—whiskers。LookslikeMr。Dombey，orasMr。DombeywouldhavelookedifhehadservedafewyearsintheBritishArmy。

Mr。Dawwasacolonelinthelatewar，commandingtheregimentinwhichhissonwasalieutenant。Pluckyoldboy，backboneofNewHampshiregranite。Beforetakinghisleave，thecoloneldeliveredhimselfofaninvitationasifhewereissuingageneralorder。

MissDawhasafewfriendscoming，at4p。m。，toplaycroquetonthelawn（parade—ground）andhavetea（coldrations）onthepiazza。

Willwehonorthemwithourcompany？（orbesenttotheguard—

house。）Myfatherdeclinesonthepleaofill—health。Myfather’ssonbowswithasmuchsuavityasheknows，andaccepts。

InmynextIshallhavesomethingtotellyou。Ishallhaveseenthelittlebeautyfacetoface。Ihaveapresentiment，Jack，thatthisDawisararaavis！Keepupyourspirits，myboy，untilI

writeyouanotherletter——andsendmealongwordhow’syourleg。

V。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

August13，1872。

Theparty，mydearJack，wasasdrearyaspossible。Alieutenantofthenavy，therectoroftheEpiscopalChurchatStillwater，andasocietyswellfromNahant。Thelieutenantlookedasifhehadswallowedacoupleofhisbuttons，andfoundthebullionratherindigestible；therectorwasapensiveyouth，ofthedaffydowndillysort；andtheswellfromNahantwasaveryweaktidalwaveindeed。

Thewomenweremuchbetter，astheyalwaysare；thetwoMissKingsburysofPhiladelphia，stayingattheSeashellHouse，twobrightandengaginggirls。ButMarjorieDaw！

Thecompanybrokeupsoonaftertea，andIremainedtosmokeacigarwiththecolonelonthepiazza。Itwaslikeseeingapicture，toseeMissMarjoriehoveringaroundtheoldsoldier，anddoingahundredgraciouslittlethingsforhim。Shebroughtthecigarsandlightedthetaperswithherowndelicatefingers，inthemostenchantingfashion。Aswesatthere，shecameandwentinthesummertwilight，andseemed，withherwhitedressandpalegoldhair，likesomelovelyphantomthathadsprungintoexistenceoutofthesmokewreaths。Ifshehadmeltedintoair，likethestatueofGalateaintheplay，Ishouldhavebeenmoresorrythansurprised。

Itwaseasytoperceivethattheoldcolonelworshippedherandshehim。Ithinktherelationbetweenanelderlyfatherandadaughterjustbloomingintowomanhoodthemostbeautifulpossible。Thereisinitasubtilesentimentthatcannotexistinthecaseofmotheranddaughter，orthatofsonandmother。Butthisisgettingintodeepwater。

IsatwiththeDawsuntilhalfpastten，andsawthemoonriseonthesea。Theocean，thathadstretchedmotionlessandblackagainstthehorizon，waschangedbymagicintoabrokenfieldofglitteringice，interspersedwithmarvelloussilveryfjords。InthefardistancetheIsleofShoalsloomeduplikeagroupofhugebergsdriftingdownonus。ThePolarRegionsinaJunethaw！Itwasexceedinglyfine。Whatdidwetalkabout？Wetalkedabouttheweather——andyou！Theweatherhasbeendisagreeableforseveraldayspast——andsohaveyou。Iglidedfromonetopictotheotherverynaturally。Itoldmyfriendsofyouraccident；howithadfrustratedalloursummerplans，andwhatourplanswere。Iplayedquiteaspiritedsoloonthefibula。ThenIdescribedyou；or，rather，Ididn’t。Ispokeofyouramiability，ofyourpatienceunderthissevereaffliction；ofyourtouchinggratitudewhenDillonbringsyoulittlepresentsoffruit；ofyourtendernesstoyoursisterFanny，whomyouwouldnotallowtostayintowntonurseyou，andhowyouheroicallysentherbacktoNewport，preferringtoremainalonewithMary，thecook，andyourmanWatkins，towhom，bytheway，youweredevotedlyattached。Ifyouhadbeenthere，Jack，youwouldn’thaveknownyourself。Ishouldhaveexcelledasacriminallawyer，ifIhadnotturnedmyattentiontoadifferentbranchofjurisprudence。

MissMarjorieaskedallmannerofleadingquestionsconcerningyou。

Itdidnotoccurtomethen，butitstruckmeforciblyafterwards，thatsheevincedasingularinterestintheconversation。WhenI

gotbacktomyroom，Irecalledhoweagerlysheleanedforward，withherfull，snowythroatinstrongmoonlight，listeningtowhatIsaid。Positively，IthinkImadeherlikeyou！

MissDawisagirlwhomyouwouldlikeimmensely，Icantellyouthat。Abeautywithoutaffectation，ahighandtendernature——ifonecanreadthesoulintheface。Andtheoldcolonelisanoblecharacter，too。

IamgladthattheDawsaresuchpleasantpeople。ThePinesisanisolatedspot，andmyresourcesarefew。IfearIshouldhavefoundlifeheresomewhatmonotonousbeforelong，withnoothersocietythanthatofmyexcellentsire。Itistrue，Imighthavemadeatargetofthedefencelessinvalid；butIhaven’tatasteforartillery，moi。

VI。

JOHNFLEMMINGTOEDWARDDELANEY。

August17，1872。

Foramanwhohasn’tatasteforartillery，itoccurstome，myfriend，youarekeepingupaprettylivelyfireonmyinnerworks。

Butgoon。Cynicismisasmallbrassfield—piecethateventuallyburstsandkillstheartilleryman。

Youmayabusemeasmuchasyoulike，andI’llnotcomplain；forI

don’tknowwhatIshoulddowithoutyourletters。Theyarecuringme。Ihaven’thurledanythingatWatkinssincelastSunday，partlybecauseIhavegrownmoreamiableunderyourteaching，andpartlybecauseWatkinscapturedmyammunitiononenight，andcarrieditofftothelibrary。HeisrapidlylosingthehabithehadacquiredofdodgingwheneverIrubmyear，ormakeanyslightmotionwithmyrightarm。Heisstillsuggestiveofthewine—cellar，however。Youmaybreak，youmayshatterWatkins，ifyouwill，butthescentoftheRoedererwillhangroundhimstill。

Ned，thatMissDawmustbeacharmingperson。Ishouldcertainlylikeher。Ilikeheralready。Whenyouspokeinyourfirstletterofseeingayounggirlswinginginahammockunderyourchamberwindow，Iwassomehowstrangelydrawntoher。Icannotaccountforitintheleast。WhatyouhavesubsequentlywrittenofMissDawhasstrengthenedtheimpression。YouseemtobedescribingawomanI

haveknowninsomepreviousstateofexistence，ordreamedofinthis。Uponmyword，ifyouweretosendmeherphotograph，I

believeIshouldrecognizeherataglance。Hermanner，thatlisteningattitude，hertraitsofcharacter，asyouindicatethem，thelighthairandthedarkeyes——theyareallfamiliarthingstome。Askedalotofquestions，didshe？Curiousaboutme？Thatisstrange。

Youwouldlaughinyoursleeve，youwretchedoldcynic，ifyouknewhowIlieawakenights，withmygasturneddowntoastar，thinkingofThePinesandthehouseacrosstheroad。Howcoolitmustbedownthere！Ilongforthesaltsmellintheair。Ipicturethecolonelsmokinghischerootonthepiazza。IsendyouandMissDawoffonafternoonramblesalongthebeach。SometimesIletyoustrollwithherundertheelmsinthemoonlight，foryouaregreatfriendsbythistime，Itakeit，andseeeachothereveryday。I

knowyourwaysandyourmanners！ThenIfallintoatruculentmood，andwouldliketodestroysomebody。HaveyounoticedanythingintheshapeofaloverhangingaroundthecolonelLaresandPenates？Doesthatlieutenantofthehorse—marinesorthatyoungStillwaterparsonvisitthehousemuch？NotthatIampiningfornewsofthem，butanygossipofthekindwouldbeinorder。I

wonder，Ned，youdon’tfallinlovewithMissDaw。Iamripetodoitmyself。Speakingofphotographs，couldn’tyoumanagetosliponeofhercartes—de—visitefromheralbum——shemusthaveanalbum，youknow——andsendittome？Iwillreturnitbeforeitcouldbemissed。That’sagoodfellow！Didthemarearrivesafeandsound？

ItwillbeacapitalanimalthisautumnforCentralPark。

Oh——myleg？Iforgotaboutmyleg。It’sbetter。

VII。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMIMG。

August20，1872。

Youarecorrectinyoursurmises。Iamonthemostfriendlytermswithourneighbors。Thecolonelandmyfathersmoketheirafternooncigartogetherinoursitting—roomoronthepiazzaopposite，andI

passanhourortwoofthedayortheeveningwiththedaughter。I

ammoreandmorestruckbythebeauty，modesty，andintelligenceofMissDaw。

YouaskedmewhyIdonotfallinlovewithher。Iwillbefrank，Jack；Ihavethoughtofthat。Sheisyoung，rich，accomplished，unitinginherselfmoreattractions，mentalandpersonal，thanI

canrecallinanygirlofmyacquaintance；butshelacksthesomethingthatwouldbenecessarytoinspireinmethatkindofinterest。Possessingthisunknownquality，awomanneitherbeautifulnorwealthynorveryyoungcouldbringmetoherfeet。

ButnotMissDaw。Ifwewereshipwreckedtogetheronanuninhabitedisland——letmesuggestatropicalisland，foritcostsnomoretobepicturesque——Iwouldbuildherabamboohut，Iwouldfetchherbread—fruitandcocoanuts，Iwouldfryyamsforher，Iwouldluretheingenuousturtleandmakehernourishingsoups，butIwouldn’tmakelovetoher——notundereighteenmonths。Iwouldliketohaveherforasister，thatImightshieldherandcounselher，andspendhalfmyincomeonoldthreadlaceandcamel’s—hairshawls。（Weareofftheislandnow。）Ifsuchwerenotmyfeeling，therewouldstillbeanobstacletomylovingMissDaw。Agreatermisfortunecouldscarcelybefallmethantoloveher。Flemming，Iamabouttomakearevelationthatwillastonishyou。Imaybeallwronginmypremisesandconsequentlyinmyconclusions；butyoushalljudge。

ThatnightwhenIreturnedtomyroomafterthecroquetpartyattheDaw’s，andwasthinkingoverthetrivialeventsoftheevening，IwassuddenlyimpressedbytheairofeagerattentionwithwhichMissDawhadfollowedmyaccountofyouraccident。IthinkI

mentionedthistoyou。Well，thenextmorning，asIwenttomailmyletter，IovertookMissDawontheroadtoRye，wherethepost—

officeis，andaccompaniedherthitherandback，anhour’swalk。

Theconversationagainturnedtoyou，andagainIremarkedthatinexplicablelookofinterestwhichhadlightedupherfacethepreviousevening。Sincethen，IhaveseenMissDawperhapstentimes，perhapsoftener，andoneachoccasionIfoundthatwhenI

wasnotspeakingofyou，oryoursister，orsomepersonorplaceassociatedwithyou，Iwasnotholdingherattention。Shewouldbeabsent—minded，hereyeswouldwanderawayfrommetothesea，ortosomedistantobjectinthelandscape；herfingerswouldplaywiththeleavesofabookinawaythatconvincedmeshewasnotlistening。AtthesemomentsifIabruptlychangedthetheme——Ididitseveraltimesasanexperiment——anddroppedsomeremarkaboutmyfriendFlemming，thenthesombreblueeyeswouldcomebacktomeinstantly。

Now，isnotthistheoddestthingintheworld？No，nottheoddest。

Theeffectwhichyoutellmewasproducedonyoubymycasualmentionofanunknowngirlswinginginahammockiscertainlyasstrange。YoucanconjecturehowthatpassageinyourletterofFridaystartledme。Isitpossible，than，thattwopeoplewhohavenevermet，andwhoarehundredsofmilesapart，canexertamagneticinfluenceoneachother？Ihavereadofsuchpsychologicalphenomena，butnevercreditedthem。Ileavethesolutionoftheproblemtoyou。Asformyself，allotherthingsbeingfavorable，itwouldbeimpossibleformetofallinlovewithawomanwholistenstomeonlywhenIamtalkingofmyfriend！

Iamnotawarethatanyoneispayingmarkedattentiontomyfairneighbor。Thelieutenantofthenavy——heisstationedatRivermouth——sometimesdropsinofanevening，andsometimestherectorfromStillwater；thelieutenanttheoftener。Hewastherelastnight。I

shouldnotbesurprisedifhehadaneyetotheheiress；butheisnotformidable。MistressDawcarriesaneatlittlespearofirony，andthehonestlieutenantseemstohaveaparticularfacilityforimpalinghimselfonthepointofit。Heisnotdangerous，Ishouldsay；thoughIhaveknownawomantosatirizeamanforyears，andmarryhimafterall。Decidedly，thelowlyrectorisnotdangerous；

yet，again，whohasnotseenClothofFriezevictoriousinthelistswhereClothofGoldwentdown？

Astothephotograph。Thereisanexquisiteivory—typeofMarjorie，inpasse—partout，onthedrawingroommantel—piece。Itwouldbemissedatonceiftaken。Iwoulddoanythingreasonableforyou，Jack；butI’venoburningdesiretobehauledupbeforethelocaljusticeofthepeace，onachargeofpettylarceny。

P。S。——Enclosedisasprayofmignonette，whichIadviseyoutotreattenderly。Yes，wetalkedofyouagainlastnight，asusual。

Itisbecomingalittledrearyforme。

VIII。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

August22，1872。

Yourletterinreplytomylasthasoccupiedmythoughtsallthemorning。Idonotknowwhattothink。Doyoumeantosaythatyouareseriouslyhalfinlovewithawomanwhomyouhaveneverseen——

withashadow，achimera？forwhatelsecanMissDawtobeyou？I

donotunderstanditatall。Iunderstandneitheryounorher。YouareacoupleofetherealbeingsmovinginfinerairthanIcanbreathewithmycommonplacelungs。SuchdelicacyofsentimentissomethingthatIadmirewithoutcomprehending。Iambewildered。I

amoftheearthearthy，andIfindmyselfintheincongruouspositionofhavingtodowithmeresouls，withnaturessofinelytemperedthatIrunsomeriskofshatteringtheminmyawkwardness。

IamasCalibanamongthespirits！

Reflectingonyourletter，Iamnotsurethatitiswiseinmetocontinuethiscorrespondence。Butno，Jack；Idowrongtodoubtthegoodsensethatformsthebasisofyourcharacter。YouaredeeplyinterestedinMissDaw；youfeelthatsheisapersonwhomyoumayperhapsgreatlyadmirewhenyouknowher：atthesametimeyoubearinmindthatthechancesaretentofivethat，whenyoudocometoknowher，shewillfallfarshortofyourideal，andyouwillnotcareforherintheleast。Lookatitinthissensiblelight，andI

willholdbacknothingfromyou。

YesterdayafternoonmyfatherandmyselfrodeovertoRivermouthwiththeDaws。Aheavyraininthemorninghadcooledtheatmosphereandlaidthedust。ToRivermouthisadriveofeightmiles，alongawindingroadlinedallthewaywithwildbarberrybushes。Ineversawanythingmorebrilliantthanthesebushes，thegreenofthefoliageandthefaintblushoftheberriesintensifiedbytherain。Thecoloneldrove，withmyfatherinfront，MissDawandIonthebackseat。Iresolvedthatforthefirstfivemilesyournameshouldnotpassmylips。Iwasamusedbytheartfulattemptsshemade，atthestart，tobreakthroughmyreticence。

Thenasilencefelluponher；andthenshebecamesuddenlygay。

ThatkeennesswhichIenjoyedsomuchwhenitwasexercisedonthelieutenantwasnotsosatisfactorydirectedagainstmyself。MissDawhasgreatsweetnessofdisposition，butshecanbedisagreeable。Sheisliketheyoungladyintherhyme，withthecurlonherforehead，\"Whensheisgood，Sheisvery，verygood，Andwhensheisbad，sheishorrid！\"

Ikepttomyresolution，however；butonthereturnhomeI

relented，andtalkedofyourmare！MissDawisgoingtotryaside—

saddleonMargotsomemorning。Theanimalisatrifletoolightformyweight。Bythebye，InearlyforgottosaythatMissDawsatforapictureyesterdaytoaRivermouthartist。Ifthenegativeturnsoutwell，Iamtohaveacopy。Soourendswillbeaccomplishedwithoutcrime。Iwish，though，Icouldsendyoutheivorytypeinthedrawing—room；itiscleverlycolored，andwouldgiveyouanideaofherhairandeyes，whichofcoursetheotherwillnot。

No，Jack，thesprayofmignonettedidnotcomefromme。Amanoftwenty—eightdoesn’tencloseflowersinhisletters——toanotherman。Butdon’tattachtoomuchsignificancetothecircumstance。

Shegivesspraysofmignonettetotherector，spraystothelieutenant。Shehasevengivenarosefromherbosomtoyourslave。

Itisherjocundnaturetoscatterflowers，likeSpring。

Ifmyletterssometimesreaddisjointedly，youmustunderstandthatIneverfinishoneatasitting，butwriteatintervals，whenthemoodisonme。

Themoodisnotonmenow。

IX。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

August23，1872。

IhavejustreturnedfromthestrangestinterviewwithMarjorie。

Shehasallbutconfessedtomeherinterestinyou。Butwithwhatmodestyanddignity！HerwordseludemypenasIattempttoputthemonpaper；and，indeed，itwasnotsomuchwhatshesaidashermanner；andthatIcannotreproduce。Perhapsitwasofapiecewiththestrangenessofthiswholebusiness，thatsheshouldtacitlyacknowledgetoathirdpartytheloveshefeelsforamanshehasneverbeheld！ButIhavelost，throughyouraid，thefacultyofbeingsurprised。Iacceptthingsaspeopledoindreams。NowthatI

amagaininmyroom，itallappearslikeanillusion——theblackmassesofRembrandtishshadowunderthetrees，thefireflieswhirlinginPyrrhicdancesamongtheshrubbery，theseaoverthere，Marjoriesittingonthehammock！

Itispastmidnight，andIamtoosleepytowritemore。

ThursdayMorning。

MyfatherhassuddenlytakenitintohisheadtospendafewdaysattheShoals。Inthemeanwhileyouwillnothearfromme。IseeMarjoriewalkinginthegardenwiththecolonel。IwishIcouldspeaktoheralone，butshallprobablynothaveanopportunitybeforeweleave。

X。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

August28，1872。

Youwerepassingintoyoursecondchildhood，wereyou？Yourintellectwassoreducedthatmyepistolarygiftsseemedquiteconsiderabletoyou，didthey？Irisesuperiortothesarcasminyourfavorofthe11thinstant，whenInoticethatfivedays’

silenceonmypartissufficienttothrowyouintothedepthsofdespondency。

WereturnedonlythismorningfromAppledore，thatenchantedisland——atfourdollarsperday。Ifindonmydeskthreelettersfromyou！EvidentlythereisnolingeringdoubtinyourmindastothepleasureIderivefromyourcorrespondence。Theselettersareundated，butinwhatItaketobethelatestaretwopassagesthatrequiremyconsideration。Youwillpardonmycandor，dearFlemming，buttheconvictionforcesitselfuponmethatasyourleggrowsstrongeryourheadbecomesweaker。Youaskmyadviceonacertainpoint。Iwillgiveit。InmyopinionyoucoulddonothingmoreunwisethattoaddressanotetoMissDaw，thankingherfortheflower。Itwould，Iamsure，offendherdelicacybeyondpardon。Sheknowsyouonlythroughme；youaretoheranabstraction，afigureinadream——adreamfromwhichthefaintestshockwouldawakenher。

Ofcourse，ifyouencloseanotetomeandinsistonitsdelivery，Ishalldeliverit；butIadviseyounottodoso。

Yousayyouareable，withtheaidofacane，towalkaboutyourchamber，andthatyoupurposetocometoThePinestheinstantDillonthinksyoustrongenoughtostandthejourney。AgainI

adviseyounotto。Doyounotseethat，everyhouryouremainaway，Marjorie’sglamourdeepens，andyourinfluenceoverherincreases？

Youwillruineverythingbyprecipitancy。Waituntilyouareentirelyrecovered；inanycase，donotcomewithoutgivingmewarning。Ifeartheeffectofyourabruptadventhere——underthecircumstances。

MissDawwasevidentlygladtoseeusbackagain，andgavemebothhandsinthefrankestway。Shestoppedatthedooramomentthisafternooninthecarriage；shehadbeenovertoRivermouthforherpictures。Unluckilythephotographerhadspiltsomeacidontheplate，andshewasobligedtogivehimanothersitting。IhaveanintuitionthatsomethingistroublingMarjorie。Shehadanabstractedairnotusualwithher。However，itmaybeonlymyfancy……Iendthis，leavingseveralthingsunsaid，toaccompanymyfatherononeofthoselongwalkswhicharenowhischiefmedicine——andmine！

XI。

EDWARDDELANYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

August29，1972。

Iwriteingreathastetotellyouwhathastakenplaceheresincemyletteroflastnight。Iamintheutmostperplexity。Onlyonethingisplain——youmustnotdreamofcomingtoThePines。Marjoriehastoldherfathereverything！Isawherforafewminutes，anhourago，inthegarden；and，asnearasIcouldgatherfromherconfusedstatement，thefactsarethese：LieutenantBradly——that’sthenavalofficerstationedatRivermouth——hasbeenpayingcourttoMissDawforsometimepast，butnotsomuchtoherlikingastothatofthecolonel，whoitseemsisanoldfiendoftheyounggentleman’sfather。Yesterday（Iknewshewasinsometroublewhenshedroveuptoourgate）thecolonelspoketoMarjorieofBradly——urgedhissuit，Iinfer。Marjorieexpressedherdislikeforthelieutenantwithcharacteristicfrankness，andfinallyconfessedtoherfather——well，Ireallydonotknowwhatsheconfessed。Itmusthavebeenthevaguestofconfessions，andmusthavesufficientlypuzzledthecolonel。Atanyrate，itexasperatedhim。IsupposeI

amimplicatedinthematter，andthatthecolonelfeelsbitterlytowardsme。Idonotseewhy：IhavecarriednomessagesbetweenyouandMissDaw；Ihavebehavedwiththegreatestdiscretion。I

canfindnoflawanywhereinmyproceeding。Idonotseethatanybodyhasdoneanything——exceptthecolonelhimself。

Itisprobable，nevertheless，thatthefriendlyrelationsbetweenthetwohouseswillbebrokenoff。\"Aplagueo’bothyourhouses，\"

sayyou。Iwillkeepyouinformed，aswellasIcan，ofwhatoccursovertheway。WeshallremainhereuntilthesecondweekinSeptember。Staywhereyouare，or，atallevents，donotdreamofjoiningme……ColonelDawissittingonthepiazzalookingratherwicked。IhavenotseenMarjoriesinceIpartedwithherinthegarden。

XII。

EDWARDDELANEYTOTHOMASDILLON，M。D。，MADISON

SQUARE，NEWYORK。

August30，1872。

MyDearDoctor：IfyouhaveanyinfluenceoverFlemming，Ibegofyoutoexertittopreventhiscomingtothisplaceatpresent。

Therearecircumstances，whichIwillexplaintoyoubeforelong，thatmakeitofthefirstimportancethatheshouldnotcomeintothisneighborhood。Hisappearancehere，Ispeakadvisedly，wouldbedisastroustohim。InurginghimtoremaininNewYork，ortogotosomeinlandresort，youwillbedoinghimandmearealservice。Ofcourseyouwillnotmentionmynameinthisconnection。Youknowmewellenough，mydeardoctor，tobeassuredthat，inbeggingyoursecretcooperation，Ihavereasonsthatwillmeetyourentireapprovalwhentheyaremadeplaintoyou。Weshallreturntotownonthe15thofnextmonth，andmyfirstdutywillbetopresentmyselfatyourhospitabledoorandsatisfyyourcuriosity，ifI

haveexcitedit。Myfather，Iamgladtostate，hassogreatlyimprovedthathecannolongerberegardedasaninvalid。Withgreatesteem，Iam，etc。，etc。

XIII。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

August31，1872。

Yourletter，announcingyourmaddeterminationtocomehere，hasjustreachedme。Ibeseechyoutoreflectamoment。Thestepwouldbefataltoyourinterestsandhers。YouwouldfurnishjustcauseforirritationtoR。W。D。；and，thoughhelovesMarjoriedevotedly，heiscapableofgoingtoanylengthsifopposed。Youwouldnotlike，Iamconvinced，tobethemeansofcausinghimtotreatherwithseverity。ThatwouldbetheresultofyourpresenceatThePinesatthisjuncture。Iamannoyedtobeobligedtopointoutthesethingstoyou。Weareonverydelicateground，Jack；thesituationiscritical，andtheslightestmistakeinamovewouldcostusthegame。Ifyouconsideritworththewinning，bepatient。

Trustalittletomysagacity。Waitandseewhathappens。Moreover，IunderstandfromDillonthatyouareinnoconditiontotakesolongajourney。Hethinkstheairofthecoastwouldbetheworstthingpossibleforyou；thatyououghttogoinland，ifanywhere。

Beadvisedbyme。BeadvisedbyDillon。

XIV。

TELEGRAMS。

September1，1872。

1。—TOEDWARDDELANEY。

Letterreceived。Dillonbehanged。IthinkIoughttobeontheground。

J。F。

2。—TOJOHNFLEMMING。

Staywhereyouare。Youwouldonlycomplicatedmatters。Donotmoveuntilyouhearfromme。

E。D。

3。—TOEDWARDDELANEY。

MybeingatThePinescouldbekeptsecret。Imustseeher。

J。F。

4。—TOJOHNFLEMMING。

Donotthinkofit。Itwouldbeuseless。R。W。D。haslockedM。inherroom。Youwouldnotbeabletoeffectandinterview。

E。D。

5。—TOEDWARDDELANEY。

Lockedherinherroom。GoodGod。Thatsettlesthequestion。I

shallleavebythetwelve—fifteenexpress。

J。F。

XV。

THEARRIVAL。

OntheseconddayofSeptember，1872，asthedownexpress，dueat3。40，leftthestationatHampton，ayoungman，leaningontheshoulderofaservant，whomheaddressedasWatkins，steppedfromtheplatformintoahack，andrequestedtobedrivento\"ThePines。\"Onarrivingatthegateofamodestfarm—house，afewmilesfromthestation，theyoungmandescendedwithdifficultyfromthecarriage，and，castingahastyglanceacrosstheroad，seemedmuchimpressedbysomepeculiarityinthelandscape。AgainleaningontheshoulderofthepersonWatkins，hewalkedtothedoorofthefarm—houseandinquiredforMr。EdwardDelaney。Hewasinformedbytheagedmanwhoansweredhisknock，thatMr。EdwardDelaneyhadgonetoBostonthedaybefore，butthatMr。JonasDelaneywaswithin。Thisinformationdidnotappearsatisfactorytothestranger，whoinquiredifMr。EdwardDelaneyhadleftanymessageforMr。JohnFlemming。TherewasaletterforMr。Flemmingifhewerethatperson。AfterabriefabsencetheagedmanreappearedwithaLetter。

XVI。

EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。

September1，1872。

Iamhorror—strickenatwhatIhavedone！WhenIbeganthiscorrespondenceIhadnootherpurposethantorelievethetediumofyoursick—chamber。Dillontoldmetocheeryouup。Itriedto。I

thoughtthatyouenteredintothespiritofthething。Ihadnoidea，untilwithinafewdays，thatyouweretakingmattersaugrandserieux。

WhatcanIsay？Iaminsackclothandashes。Iamapariah，adogofanoutcast。Itriedtomakealittleromancetointerestyou，somethingsoothingandidyllic，and，byJove！Ihavedoneitonlytoowell！Myfatherdoesn’tknowawordofthis，sodon’tjartheoldgentlemananymorethanyoucanhelp。Iflyfromthewrathtocome——whenyouarrive！Foroh，dearJack，thereisn’tanypiazza，thereisn’tanyhammock——thereisn’tanyMarjorieDaw！