CHAPTERI:STUARTHARLEY:REALIST
\"——ifawordcouldsaveme,andthatwordwerenottheTruth,nay,ifitdidbutswerveahair’s—breadthfromtheTruth,Iwouldnotsayit!\"——LONGFELLOW。
StuartHarley,despitehisauthorshipofmanynovels,stillconsideredhimselfarealist。Heaffectedtosaythathedidnotwritehisbooks;thathemerelytranscribedthemfromlifeashesawit,andheinsistedalwaysthathesawlifeasitwas。
\"Themissionofthenovelist,mydearProfessor,\"hehadoncebeenheardtosayathisclub,\"isnottoamusemerely;hisworkisthatofanhistorian,andheshouldbequiteascarefultowritetruthfullyasisthehistorian。Howisthefuturetoknowwhatmannerofliveswenineteenthcenturypeoplehavelivedunlessournoveliststellthetruth?\"
\"Possiblythehistorianswilltellthem,\"observedtheProfessorofMathematics。\"Historianssometimesdotellusinterestingthings。\"
\"True,\"saidHarley。\"Verytrue;butthenwhathistorianeverletyouintothesecretoftheevery—daylifeofthepeopleofwhomhewrites?WhathistorianeversovitalizedLouistheFourteenthasDumashasvitalizedhim?Truly,inreadingmerehistoryIhaveseemedtobereadingoflayfigures,notofmen;butwhenthenovelisthastakenholdproperly——ah,thenwegetthemen。\"
\"Then,\"objectedtheProfessor,\"thenovelistisnevertocreateagreatcharacter?\"
\"Thehumoristorthemereromancermay,butasforthenovelistwithatrueidealofhismissioninlifehewouldbetterleavecreationtonature。ItisblasphemyforapurelymortalbeingtopretendthathecancreateamoreinterestingcharacterorsetofcharactersthantheAlmightyhasalreadyprovidedfortheuseofhimselfandhisbrothersinliterature;thathecaninvolvethesecreationsinamoredramaticseriesofeventsthanithasoccurredtoanall—wiseProvidencetoputintothelivesofHiscreatures;that,bytheexerciseofthatmisleadingfacultywhichthewriterstyleshisimagination,hecanportrayphasesoflifewhichshallproveofmoreabsorbinginterestorofgreatermoralvaluetohisreadersthanthosetobemetwithintheevery—daylifeofmanasheis。\"
\"Then,\"saidtheProfessor,withadexterousjabofhiscueatthepool—balls——\"then,inyourestimation,anauthorisathingtobeledaboutbythenosebythebeingsheselectsforuseinhisbooks?\"
\"Youputitinaratherhomelyfashion,\"returnedHarley;\"but,onthewhole,thatisaboutthesizeofit。\"
\"Andallamanneeds,then,tobeanauthorisaneyeandatype—
writingmachine?\"askedtheProfessor。
\"Andaregimentofdetectives,\"drawledDr。Kelly,theyoungsurgeon,\"tofollowhischaractersabout。\"
Harleysighed。Surelythesemenwereunsympathetic。
\"Ican’texpectyoutograsptheideaexactly,\"hesaid,\"andIcan’texplainittoyou,becauseyou’dbecomeirreverentifItried。\"
\"No,wewon’t,\"saidKelly。\"Goonandexplainittous——I’mbored,andwanttobeamused。\"
SoHarleywentonandtriedtoexplainhowthetruerealistmustbeaninspiredsortofperson,whocanriseabovepurelyphysicallimitations;whoseeyeshallbeabletopiercethemostimpenetrableofveils;towhomnothinginthewayofobtaininginformationastothedoingsofsuchspecimensofmankindashehasselectedforhispagesisaninsurmountableobstacle。
\"Yourauthor,then,istobeamixtureofaNewYorknewspaperreporterandtheRecordingAngel?\"suggestedKelly。
\"Itoldyouyou’dbecomeirreverent,\"saidHarley;\"nevertheless,eveninyourirreverence,youhaveexpressedtheidea。Thewritermustbeomniscientasfarasthecharactersofhisstoriesareconcerned——hemusthaveaneyewhichshallseeallthattheydo,amindsufficientlyanalyticaltodiscernwhattheirmotivesare,andthecouragetoputitalldowntruthfully,neitheraddingnorsubtracting,coloringonlywherecolorisneededtomakethemorallessonheistryingtoteachstandoutthemorevividly。\"
\"Inshort,you’dhavehimbecomeaphotographer,\"saidtheProfessor。
\"Moretrulyasoulscape—painter,\"retortedHarley,withenthusiasm。
\"Heavens!\"criedtheDoctor,droppinghiscuewithaloudclattertothefloor。\"Soulscape!Here’samantalkingaboutnotcreating,andthenthrowsoutaninventionlikesoulscape!Harley,yououghttowriteadictionary。Withawordlikesoulscapetostartwith,itwouldsweeptheearth!\"
Harleylaughed。Hewasagood—naturedman,andhewasstrongenoughinhisconvictionsnottoweakenforthemerereasonthatsomebodyelsehadridiculedthem。Infact,everybodyelsemighthaveridiculedthem,andHarleywouldstillhavestoodtrue,oncehewasconvincedthathewasright。
\"Yougoonsawingpeople’slegsoff,Billy,\"hesaid,good—naturedly。
\"That’sathingyouknowabout;andasfortheProfessor,hecangoonshowingyouandtherestofmankindjustwhytheshortestdistancebetweentwopointsisinastraightline。I’lltakeyourcollectiveandseparatewordsforanythingonthesubjectofsurgeryormathematics,butwhenitcomestomyworkIwouldn’tbankonyourtheoriesiftheywereendorsedbytheRothschilds。\"
\"He’llneverwriteadecentbookinhislifeifheclingstothattheory,\"saidKelly,afterHarleyhaddeparted。\"There’spreciouslittleinthewayofthedramaticnowadaysinthelivesofpeopleonecarestoreadabout。\"
Nevertheless,Harleyhadwritteninterestingbooks,bookswhichhadbroughthimreputation,andwhatistermedgenteelpoverty——thatistosay,hisfamewasgreat,consideringhisage,andhiscompensationwasjustlargeenoughtomakelifepainfultohim。Hisincomeenabledhimtolivewellenoughtomakeagoodappearanceamong,andsharesomewhatattheirexpenseinthelifeof,othersoffargreatermeans;butitwastoosmalltobringhimmanyofthethingswhich,whilenotabsolutelynecessities,couldnotwellbetermedluxuries,consideringhistastesandhistemperament。Alittlemorewasallheneeded。
\"IfIcouldaffordtowriteonlywhenIfeellikeit,\"hesaid,\"howhappyIshouldbe!Buttheseorders——theymakemeadriverofmen,andnottheirhistorian。\"
Infact,Harleywasinthatunfortunate,andatthesametimehappy,positionwherehehadmanyordersfortheproductofhispen,andsuchfinancialnecessitiesthathecouldnotaffordtodeclineoneofthem。
AnditwasthisverysituationwhichmadehisrebelliousheroineofwhomIhaveessayedtowritesosoreatrialtothestrugglingyoungauthor。
ItwasearlyinMay,1895,thatHarleyhadreceivedanotefromMessrs。Herring,Beemer,&Chadwick,thepublishers,askingforastoryfromhispenfortheirpopular\"BlueandSilverSeries。\"
\"ThesuccessofyourTiffin—Talk,\"theywrote,\"hasbeensuchthatwearepreparedtoofferyouourhighesttermsforashortstoryof30,000words,orthereabouts,tobepublishedinour’BlueandSilverSeries。’Weshouldliketohaveitalove—story,ifpossible;butwhateveritis,itmustbecharacteristic,andreadyforpublicationinNovember。WeshallneedtohavethemanuscriptbySeptember1statthelatest。IfyoucanletushavethefirstfewchaptersinAugust,wecansendthematoncetoMr。Chromely,whomitisourintentiontohaveillustratethestory,providedhecanbegottodoit。\"
Theletterclosedwithafewformalitiesofanunimportantandstereotypednature,andHarleyimmediatelycalledattheofficeofMessrs。Herring,Beemer,&Chadwick,where,afterlearningthattheirbesttermswerenomoreunsatisfactorythanpublishers’besttermsgenerallyare,heacceptedthecommission。
Andthen,returningtohisapartment,hewentintowhatKellycalledoneofhistrances。
\"Hegoesintooneofhistrances,\"Kellyhadsaid,\"hoistshimselfuptohislittleelevation,andpeepsintotheprivatelifeofhoipolloiuntilhestrikessomethingworthputtingdownandtheresulthecallsliterature。\"
\"Yes,andthepeoplebuyit,andreadit,andcallformore,\"saidtheProfessor。
\"Possiblybecausetheylovenotoriety,\"saidKelly,\"andtheythinkiftheycallformoreoftenenough,hewillfinallypeepinattheirkey—holesandwritethemup。IfheeverputsmeintooneofhisbooksI’llwaylayhimatnightandamputatehiswriting—hand。\"
\"Hewon’t,\"saidtheProfessor。\"Iaskedhimoncewhyhedidn’t,andhesaidyou’dneverdoinoneofhisbooks,becauseyoudon’tbelongtoreallifeatall。HethinksyouaresomenewexperimentofanenterprisingProvidence,andhedoesn’twanttouseyouuntilheseeshowyouturnout。\"
\"HecouldputmedownasIgo,\"suggestedtheDoctor。
\"That’sso,\"repliedtheother。\"Itoldhimso,buthesaidhehadnodesiretowritealotofburlesquesketchescontainingnocoherentidea。\"
\"Oh,hesaidthat,didhe?\"observedtheDoctor,withasmile。
\"Well——waittillStuartHarleycomestomeforaprescription。I’llgetevenwithhim。I’llgivehimapill,andhe’lldisappear——fortendays。\"
WhetheritwasasKellysaidornot,thatHarleywentintoatranceandpokedhisnoseintotheprivatelifeofthepeoplehewroteabout,itwasafactthatwhilemeditatinguponthepossibleoutputofhispenourauthorwasasdeaftohissurroundingsasthoughhehaddepartedintoanotherworld,anditrarelyhappenedthathismindemergedfromthatconditionwithoutbringingalongwithitsomethingofvaluetohiminhiswork。
SoitwasuponthisMaymorning。ForanhourortwoHarleylayquiescent,apparentlygazingoutofhisflatwindowovertheuninspiringchimney—potsoftheCityofNewYork,attheequallyuninspiringLongIslandstationonthefarsideoftheEastRiver。
Itwaswellforhimthathiseyewasabletosee,andyetnotsee:
forgetfulnessofthosesmokingchimney—pots,thered—zinckedroofs,theflappingunder—clothingofthepoorerthanhe,hungouttodryonthetenementtops,wasessentialtotheconstructionofsuchastoryasMessrs。Herring,Beemer,&Chadwickhadinmind;andHarleysuccessfullyforgotthem,and,comingbacktoconsciousness,broughtwithhimthedramatispersonaeofhisstory——and,takenasawhole,theywereaninterestinglot。Theherowaslikemostofthosegentlemenwholivetheirlittlelivesinthenovelsoftheday,onlyHarleyhadmodifiedhisaccomplishmentsincertaindirections。
RobertOsborne——suchwashisname——wasnotthesortofmantodoimpossiblethingsforhisheroine。Hewasnotreckless。HewasnotaD’ArtagnanliftedfromthetimeofLouistheFourteenthtothedull,prosaicdaysofPresidentFaure。HewasnotevenaFrenchman,butanessentiallyAmericanAmerican,whodesirestoknow,beforehedoesanything,whyhedoesit,andwhatarehischancesofsuccess。
Iamnotsurethatifhehadhappenedtoseeherstrugglingintheoceanhewouldhavejumpedintorescuetheyoungwomantowhomhishandwasplighted——Idonotspeakofhisheart,forIamnotHarley,andIdonotknowwhetherornotHarleyintendedthatOsborneshouldbeafflictedwithsoinconvenientanorgan——Iamnotsure,Isay,thatifhehadseenhisbest—belovedstrugglingintheoceanOsbornewouldhavejumpedintorescueherwithoutfirststoppingtoremovesuchofhisgarmentsasmightimpedehisprogressbacktolandagain。
Inshort,hewasnotoneofthoseimpetuousheroesthatwereadaboutsooftenandseesoseldom;but,takenaltogether,hewassufficientlyattractivetopleasetheAmericangirlwhomightbeexpectedtoreadHarley’sbook;forthatwasoneofthestipulationsofMessrs。Herring,Beemer,&ChadwickwhentheymadetheirverbalagreementwithHarley。
\"Makeitgowiththegirls,Harley,\"Mr。Chadwickhadsaid。\"Menhaven’ttimetoreadanythingbutthenewspapersinthiscountry。
Hitthegirls,andyourfortuneismade。\"
Harleydidn’texactlyseehowhisfortunewasgoingtobemadeonthebesttermsofMessrs。Herring,Beemer,&Chadwick,evenifhehitthegirlswithalltheforceofabattering—ram,buthepromisedtokeeptheideainmind,andremainedinhistranceatriflelongerthanmightotherwisehavebeennecessary,endeavoringtoselecttheunquestionablycorrectheroforhisstory,andOsbornewastheresult。Osbornewasmoderatelywitty。Hisreparteesmackedsomewhatoftherefinedcomicpaper——thatistosay,itwassmartandcynical,andnotalwayssuitedtothepicture;butitwasn’tvulgarordull,andhispersonalappearancewascalculatedtoarousetheliveliestinterest。Hewascleanshavenandcleancut。HelookedmorelikeamodernidealofinfalliblegeniusthanByron,andhadprobablyplayedfootballandthebanjoincollege——Harleydidnotgobackthatfarwithhim——allofwhich,itmustbeadmitted,wasprettywellcalculatedtoassurethefulfilmentofHarley’spromisethatthemanshouldpleasetheAmericangirl。Ofcoursethestorywasprovidedwithavillainalso,buthewasavillainofamildtype。MildvillanywasanessentialpartofHarley’sliterarycreed,andthisparticularpersonwasnotconceivedinheresy。HisnamewastohavebeenHoraceBalderstone,andwithhimHarleyintendedtointroducealivelysatireontheemployment,bycertaincontemporarywriters,ofthesupernaturaltoproducedramaticeffects。BalderstonewasofcoursetobetherivalofOsborne。InthisrespectHarleywascommonplace;tohismindthevillainalwayshadtobetherivalofthehero,justasinoperathetenorisalwaysvirtuousatheartifnototherwise,andthebaritoneascoundrel,whichinreallifeisnotaninvariablerulebyanymeans。Indeed,therehavebeenmanyinstancesinreallifewherethevillainandtheherohavebeenonexcellentterms,andtothegreatbenefitoftheherotoo。ButinthiscaseBalderstonewastofollowintherut,andbecometherivalofOsborneforthehandofMargueriteAndrews——theheroine。
Balderstonewastowriteabook,whichforatimeshouldsofascinateMissAndrewsthatshewouldbeblindtothedesirabilityofOsborneasahusband—elect;abookfulloftheweirdandthrilling,dealingwiththeosophyandspiritualism,andallother\"Tommyrotisms,\"asHarleycalledthem,allofwhich,ofcourse,wastobethemakingandtheundoingofBalderstone;forequallyofcourse,intheend,hewouldbecomecrazedbytheuseofopium——theinevitableendofwritersofthatstamp。OsbornewouldrescueMargueritefromhisfatalinfluence,andthelastchapterwouldendwithMargueritelyingpaleandwanuponhersick—bed,recoveringfromthementalprostrationwhichtheinfluenceoverhersofamindlikeBalderstone’swassuretoproduce,holdingOsborne’shandinhers,and\"smilingasweetrecognitionatthelovertowhosevirtuesshehadsolongbeenblind。\"Osbornewouldmurmur,\"Atlast!\"andthebookwouldclosewitha\"firstkiss,\"followedcloselybysixoreightpagesofadvertisementsofotherpublicationsofMessrs。
Herring,Beemer,&Chadwick。ImentionthelattertoshowhowthoroughlyrealisticHarleywas。Hethoughtouthisbookssotrulyandsofullybeforehesatdowntowritethemthatheseemedtoseeeachwritten,printed,madeandboundbeforehim,aconcretethingfromcovertocover。
BesidesOsborneandBalderstoneandMissAndrews——ofwhomIshallatthistimenotspeakatlength,sincethebalanceofthislittlenarrativeistobedevotedtothesettingforthofherpeculiaritiesandcharms——therewereanumberofminorcharacters,notsonecessarytothestoryperhapsastheymighthavebeen,butinterestingenoughintheirway,andverywellcalculatedtoprovidethematerialneededforthefillingoutoftherequirednumberofpages。Furthermore,theycompletedthepicture。
\"Idon’twanttoputinthreevividfigures,andleavethereadertoimaginethattherestoftheworldhasbeenwipedoutofexistence,\"
saidHarley,ashetalkeditoverwithme。\"Thatisnotart。Thereshouldbethreetypesofcharacterineverybook——thepositive,theaverage,andthenegative。Inthatwayyougradeyourstoryoffintotherestoftheworld,andyourreaderfeelsthatwhilehemayneverhavemetthepositivecharacters,hehasmettheaverageorthenegative,orboth,andisthereforebyoneoftheselinksconnectedwiththeothers,andthatgiveshimapersonalinterestinthestory;
andit’sthereader’spersonalinterestthatthewriterisafter。\"
SoMissAndrewswasprovidedwithaveryconventionalaunt——thekindofwomanyoumeetwitheverywhere;mostfrequentlyinchurchsquabblesandhotelparlors,however。Mrs。Corwinwasthislady’sname,andshewastoenacttheroleofchaperontoMissAndrews。
WithMrs。Corwin,byforceofcircumstances,cameapairoftwinchildren,likethoseintheHeavenlyTwins,onlymorereal,andnotsoSarahGrandioseintheirmannersandwit。
ThesepersonsHarleybookedforthesteamshipNewYork,sailingfromNewYorkCityforSouthamptononthethirddayofJuly,1895。Theactionwastoopenatthattime,andMargueriteAndrewswastomeetHoraceBalderstoneonthatvesselontheeveningoftheseconddayout,withwhichincidenttheinterestofHarley’sstorywastobegin。
ButHarleyhadcountedwithouthisheroine。Therestofhiscastweresafelystowedawayonship—boardandreadyforactionattheappointedhour,buttheheroineMISSEDTHESTEAMERBYTHREEMINUTES,ANDITWASALLHARLEY’SOWNFAULT。
CHAPTERII:APRELIMINARYTRIAL
\"I’llnotbemadeasoftanddull—eyedfoolToshakethehead,relent,andsigh,andyield。\"
—\"MerchantofVenice。\"
TheextraordinaryfailureofMissAndrews,castforastarroleinStuartHarley’staleofLoveandVillany,toappearuponthestageselectedbytheauthorforherdebut,mustbeexplained。AsIhavealreadystatedatthecloseoftheprecedingchapter,itwasentirelyHarley’sownfault。HehadstudiedMissAndrewstoosuperficiallytograspthoroughlythemorerefinedsubtletiesofhernature,andhefoundout,atamomentwhenitwastoolatetocorrecthiserror,thatshewasnotawomantobeslightedinrespecttotheconventionalitiesofpolitelife,howevertriflingtoamanofHarley’sstampthesemightseemtobe。Shewasasticklerforform;
andwhenshewassummonedtogoonboardofanoceansteamshiptheretotakepartinaromanceforthemereaggrandizementofayoungauthor,sheintendedthatheshouldnotignoretheproprieties,evenifinasensetheproprietiestowhichshereferreddidantedatetheperiodatwhichhisstorywastoopen。Shewaswillingtoappear,butitseemedtoherthatStuartHarleyoughttoseetoitthatshewasescortedtothesceneofactionwiththeceremonyduetooneofherposition。
\"Whatdoeshetakemefor?\"sheaskedofMrs。Corwin,indignantly,ontheeveofherdeparture。\"AmIameremarionette,toobeyhisslightestbehest,andatamoment’snotice?AmItodancewhenStuartHarleypullsthestring?\"
\"Notatall,mydearMarguerite,\"saidMrs。Corwin,soothingly。\"Ifhethoughtthat,hewouldnothaveselectedyouforhisstory。I
thinkyououghttofeelhighlycomplimentedthatMr。Harleyshouldchooseyouforoneofhisbooks,andforsuchaconspicuouspart,too。Lookatme;doIcomplain?AmIholdingoutfortheproprieties?Andyetwhatismysituation?I’msimplydraggedinbythehair;andmypoorchildren,insteadofhavinganice,noisyFourthofJulyatthesea—shore,mustneedsbeputuponagreatfloatingcaravansary,tosufferseasicknessandtheotherdiscomfortsofoceantravel,soastointroducealittlejuvenilefunintothisgreatworkofMr。Harley’s——andyetIbowmyheadmeeklyandgo。
Why?BecauseIfeelthat,inconspicuousthoughIshallbe,neverthelessIamhighlyhonoredthatMr。Harleyshouldselectmefromamongmanyfortheusesofhisgiftedpen。\"
\"Youareprepared,then,\"retortedMarguerite,\"toplaceyourselfunreservedlyinMr。Harley’shands?Shallyouflirtwiththecaptainifhethinksyourdoingsowilladdtothehumorousordramaticinterestofhisstory?Willyoupermityourchildrentomakeimpertinentremarkstoeveryoneaboardship;topickupsailors’
slanganduseitatthedining—table——inshort,tomakethemselvesobnoxiouslycleveratalltimes,inorderthatMr。Harley’scriticsmaysaythathisbookfairlyscintillateswithwit,andgivesgratifyingevidencethat’therisingyoungauthor’hasmadeadeepandcarefulanalysisofthejuvenileheart?\"
\"Mr。Harleyistoomuchofagentleman,Marguerite,toplacemeandmychildreninafalseorridiculouslight,\"returnedMrs。Corwin,severely。\"Andevenifhewerenotagentleman,heistootruearealisttomakemedoanythingwhichinthenatureofthingsIshouldnotdo——whichdisposesofyourentirelyuncalled—forremarkaboutthecaptainandmyself。Asforthechildren,Tommiewouldnotrepeatsailors’lingoatthetableunderanycircumstances,andJenniewillnotmakeherselfobnoxiouslycleveratanytime,becauseshehasbeenbroughtuptoocarefullytofailtorespectherelders。BothsheandTommieunderstandthemselvesthoroughly;andwhenMr。Harleyunderstandsthem,whichhecannotfailtodoafterashortacquaintance,hewilldrawthemastheyare;andifprevioustohiscompleteunderstandingoftheirpeculiaritiesheintroducesintohisstorysomethingforeigntotheirnaturesandobnoxioustome,theirmother,Ihavenodoubthewillcorrecthiserrorwhenhecomestoreadtheproofsofhisstoryandseeshismistake。\"
\"YouhavegreatconfidenceinStuartHarley,\"retortedMissAndrews,gazingoutofthewindowwithapensivecastofcountenance。
\"Haven’tyou?\"askedMrs。Corwin,quickly。
\"Asaman,yes,\"returnedMarguerite。\"Asanauthor,however,I
thinkheisopentocriticism。Heisnotalwaystruetothereal。
LookatLordBarncastle,inhisstudyofEnglishmanners!
Barncastle,ashedrewhim,wasnothingbutaNewYorksocietymanwithatitle,livinginEngland。Thatistosay,hetalkedlikeanAmerican,thoughtlikeone——therewasnopointofdifferencebetweenthem。\"
\"Andwhyshouldtherebe?\"askedMrs。Corwin。\"IfaNewYorksocietymanisgenerallyaweakimitationofanEnglishpeer——andnoonehaseverdeniedthatsuchisthecase——whyshouldn’tanEnglishpeerberepresentedasasortofintensifiedNewYorksocietyman?\"
\"Besides,\"saidMissAndrews,ignoringMrs。Corwin’spoint,\"Idon’tcaretobepresentedtooreallytothereadingpublic,especiallyonboardaship。Ineveryetknewawomanwholookedwelltheseconddayout,andifIweretobepresentedasIalwaysamtheseconddayout,Ishoulddieofmortification。Myhairgoesoutofcurl,myfaceisthecolorofanunripepeach,andifIdogoupondeckitisbecauseIamsothoroughlymiserablethatIdonotcarewhoseesmeorwhattheworldthinksofme。IthinkitisveryinconsiderateofMr。Harleytoopenhisstoryonanoceansteamer;and,whatismore,Idon’tliketheAmericanline。ToomanyAmericansofthebrass—bandtypetravelonit。StuartHarleysaidsohimselfinhislastbookofforeigntravel;buthesendsmeoutonitjustthesame,andexpectsmetobesatisfied。PerhapshethinksIlikethatsortofAmerican。
Ifhedoes,he’sgotmoreimaginationthanheevershowedinhisbooks。\"
\"Youmustgettotheothersideinsomeway,\"saidMrs。Corwin。\"ItisatVenicethatthetroublewithBalderstoneistocome,andthatOsbornetoppleshimoverintotheGrandCanal,andrescuesyoufromhisbalefulinfluence。\"
\"Humph!\"saidMarguerite,withascornfulshrugofhershoulders。
\"RobertOsborne!Alikelysortofpersontorescuemefromanything!
Hewouldn’thavenerveenoughtorescuemefromagrasshopperifhewerearmedtotheteeth。Furthermore,IshallnotgotoVeniceinAugust。It’sbadenoughinApril——dampandhot——thehomeofmalaria—
—anasylumforartistictemperaments;andinsecty。No,mydearaunt,evenifIoverlookeverythingelsetopleaseMr。Harley,he’llhavetomodifytheVenetianpartofthatstory,forIamdeterminedthatnopenofhisshallforcemeintoItalyatthisseason。Iwouldn’tgotheretopleaseShakespeare,muchlessStuartHarley。LettheaffaircomeoffatInterlaken,ifitistocomeoffatall,whichI
doubt。\"
\"ThereisnoGrandCanalatInterlaken,\"saidMrs。Corwin,sagely;
forshehadbeenanomnivorousreaderofBaedekersinceshehadlearnedthepartshewastoplayinHarley’sbook,andwasthereforewellupingeography。
\"No;butthere’stheJungfrau。OsbornecanpushBalderstonedownthesideofanAlpandkillhim,\"returnedMissAndrews,viciously。
\"Why,Marguerite!Howcanyoutalkso?Mr。Harleydoesn’twishtohaveBalderstonekilled,\"criedMrs。Corwin,aghast。\"IfOsbornekilledBalderstonehe’dbeamurderer,andthey’dexecutehim。\"
\"WhichisexactlywhatIwant,\"saidMissAndrews,firmly。\"Ifhelives,itpleasestheomnipotentMr。HarleythatIshallmarryhim,andIpositively——Well,justyouwaitandsee。\"
Therewassilenceforsomeminutes。
\"ThenIsupposeyouwilldeclinetogoabroadaltogether?\"askedMrs。
Corwinafterawhile;\"andMr。Harleywillbeforcedtogetsomeoneelse;andI——Ishallbedeprivedofapleasanttour——becauseI’monlytobeoneofthepartybecauseI’myouraunt。\"
Mrs。Corwin’slipquiveredalittleasshespoke。Shehadanticipatedmuchpleasurefromhertrip。
\"No,Ishallnotdeclinetogo,\"MissAndrewsreplied。\"Iexpecttogo,butitisentirelyonyouraccount。Imustsay,however,thatStuartHarleywillfindout,tohissorrow,thatIamnotadoll,tobeworkedwithastring。IshallgivehimascareattheoutsetwhichwillshowhimthatIknowtherightsofaheroine,andthathemustrespectthem。Forinstance,hecannotignoremycomfort。Doyousupposethatbecausehisstoryistoopenwithmybeautifulselfonboardthatship,I’mtobetherewithouthismakinganyefforttogetmethere?NotI!YouandthechildrenandOsborneandBalderstonemaygodownanywayyouplease。Youmaygoontheelevatedrailroadoronfoot。Youmaygoonthehorse—cars,oryoumaygoontheluggage—van。Itisimmaterialtomewhatyoudo;butwhenitcomestomyself,StuartHarleymustprovideacarriage,orI
misstheboat。Idon’twishtoinvolveyouinthis。Youwanttogo,andarewillingtogoinhisway,whichsimplymeansturningupattherightmoment,withnotroubletohim。Fromyourpointofviewitisallright。Youareanxioustogoabroad,andaregratefultoMr。
Harleyforlettingyougo。Forme,however,hemustdodifferently。
IhavenoparticulardesiretoleaveAmerica,andifIgoatallitisasafavortohim,andhemustactaccordingly。Itisacaseofcarriageornoheroine。IfI’mleftbehind,youandtherestcangoalongwithoutme。Ishalldoverywell,anditwillbeMr。Harley’sownfault。Itmayhurthisstorysomewhat,butthatisnoconcernofmine。\"
\"Isupposethereasonwhyhedoesn’tsendacarriageisthatthatpartofyourlifedoesn’tappearinhisstory,\"explainedMrs。
Corwin。
\"Thatdoesn’taffectthepointthatheoughttosendone,\"saidMarguerite。\"Heneedn’twriteuptheepisodeoftheridetothepierunlesshewantsto,butthefactremainsthatit’shisdutytoseemesafelyonboardfrommyhome,andthatheshalldo,orIfailhimatthemomentheneedsme。Ifheisselfishenoughtooverlookthematter,hemustsuffertheconsequences。\"
Allofwhich,Ithink,wasveryreasonable。Noheroinelikestofeelthatsheiscalledintobeingmerelytoprovidecopyforthepersonwhoisnarratingherstory;andtobeimpressedwiththeideathatthemomentsheisoffthestageshemustshiftentirelyforherselfistoohumiliatingtobecompatiblewithtrueheroism。
NowitsohappenedthatinhismeditationsuponthatopeningchapterthesceneofwhichwastobeplacedonboardoftheNewYork,StuartrealizedthathisstoryofMissAndrews’scharacterhadindeedbeentoosuperficial。Hefoundthatoutatthemomenthesatdowntodescribeherarrivalatthepier,asitwouldbeinalllikelihood。
Whatwouldshesaythemomentshe——themomentshewhat?——themomentshe\"emergedfromtheperilousstreamofvehicleswhichcrowdWestStreetfrommorninguntilnight,\"orthemoment\"shesteppedoutofthecabasitdrewupatthefootofthegangway\"?Thatwasthepoint。Howwouldshearrive——onfootorinacab?Whichwaywouldshecome,andatwhattimemustshestartfromhome?Shouldshecomealone,orshouldMrs。Corwinandthetwinscomewithher?——orwouldawomanofherstampnotbelikelytohaveanintimatefriendtoaccompanyhertothesteamer?Stuartwasarapidthinker,andasheponderedovertheseproblemsitdidnottakehimlongtoreachtheconclusionthatacabwasnecessaryforMissAndrews;andthatMrs。
Corwinandthetwins,withOsborneandBalderstone,mightgetaboardintheirownway。HealsodecidedthatitwouldbeanexcellentplantohaveMarguerite’soldschoolfriendMrs。Willardaccompanyhertothesteamer。ByanequallyrapidbitofthoughtheconcludedthatifthecabstartedfromtheAndrewsapartmentatFifty—ninthStreetandCentralParkat9。30A。M。,thetriptothepiercouldeasilybemadeinanhour,whichwouldbeinampletime,sincethesailinghouroftheNewYorkwaseleven。UnfortunatelyHarley,inhishurry,forgottwoorthreeincidentsofdeparturesgenerally,especiallydeparturesofwomen,whichheshouldnothaveoverlooked。Itwascarelessofhimtoforgetthatawomanabouttotravelabroadwantstomakeherselfasstunningasshepossiblycanonthedayofdeparture,sothattheimpressionshewillmakeatthestartshallbestrongenoughtocarryherthroughthedowdystagewhichcomes,asMargueritehadintimated,onthesecondandthirddaysatsea;andtoexpectawomanlikeMargueriteAndrews,whoreallyhadnoresponsibilitiestocallherupatanearlyhour,tobereadyat9。30sharp,wasafatalerror,unlessheprovidedhiscabwithanunusuallyfasthorse,orapairofhorses,bothofwhichHarleyneglectedtodo。MissAndrewswastwentyminuteslateatstartingthefirsttime,andjustahalf—
hourbehindscheduletimewhen,havingrushedbacktoherroomsforhergloves,whichintheexcitementofthemomentshehadforgotten,shestartedfinallyfortheship。Eventhenallwouldhavebeenwellhadtheunfortunateauthornotoverlookedoneothervitalpoint。
InsteadofsendingthecabstraightdownFifthAvenue,toBroadway,toBarclayStreet,hesentitdownSixth,andthencethroughGreenwichVillage,emergingatWestStreetatitsjunctionwithChristopher,andthentheinevitablehappened。
THECABWASBLOCKED!
\"Ihadnoideaitwassofar,\"saidMarguerite,lookingoutofthecabwindowatthecrowdedanddirtythoroughfare。
\"It’sagoodmilefartheryet,\"repliedMrs。Willard。\"Ishallhavejustthatmuchmoreofyoursociety。\"
\"Itlookstome,\"saidMarguerite,withashortlaugh,asthecabcamesuddenlytoahalt—\"itlookstomeasifyouwerelikelytohavemorethanthatofit;forweareinanapparentlyinextricable,immovablemixtureoftrucks,horse—cars,andincompetentpolicemen,andnothingshortofamiraclewillgetusamilefartheralongintwentyminutes。\"
\"Idobelieveyouareright,\"saidMrs。Willard,lookingatherwatchanxiously。\"Whatwillyoudoifyoumissthesteamer?\"
\"Escapeahorridfate,\"laughedMarguerite,gayly。
\"PoorMr。Harley——why,itwillupsethiswholestory,\"saidMrs。
Willard。
\"Andsavehisreputation,\"saidMarguerite。\"Itwouldn’thavebeenreal,thatstory,\"sheadded。\"Inthefirstplace,Balderstonecouldn’twriteastorythatwouldfascinateme;hecouldneveracquireabalefulinfluenceoverme;and,finally,InevershouldmarryRobertOsborneunderanycircumstances。He’snotatallthestyleofmanIadmire。I’mwillingtogoalongandletMr。Harleytrytoworkitouthisway,buthewillgiveitupasabadideabeforelong——ifIcatchthesteamer;andifIdon’t,thenhe’llhavetomodifythestory。Thatmodified,I’mwillingtobehisheroine。\"
\"Butyourauntandthetwins——theymustbeaboardbythistime。Theywillbeworriedtodeathaboutyou,\"suggestedMrs。Willard。
\"Forafewmoments——butAuntEmmawantedtogo,andsheandtherestofthemwillhaveagoodtime,I’venodoubt,\"repliedMissAndrews,calmly;andhereStuartHarley’sheroineactuallychuckled。\"AndmaybeMr。HarleycanmakeamatchbetweenAuntEmmaandOsborne,whichwillsuitthepublishersandpleasetheAmericangirl,\"shesaid,gleefully。\"Ialmosthopewedomissit。\"
Andmissittheydid,asIhavealreadytoldyou,bythreeminutes。
Asthecabenteredthebroadpier,thegreatsteamermovedslowlybutsurelyoutintothestream,andMrs。WillardandMr。Harley’sheroinewerejustintimetoseeMrs。Corwinwildlywavingherparasolatthecaptainonthebridge,beseechinghiminagonizedtonestogobackjustforamoment,whiletwoseparateanddistincttwins,onemaleandonefemale,peeredovertherail,weepingbitterly。Incidentallymentionmaybemadeoftwoyoungmen,BalderstoneandOsborne,whosatchattinggaylytogetherinthesmoking—room。
\"Well,Osborne,\"saidone,lightinghiscigar,\"shedidn’tarrive。\"
\"No,\"smiledtheother。\"Factis,Balderstone,I’mgladofit。
She’stoosnippyforme,andI’mafraidIshouldhavequarrelledwithyouaboutherinahalf—hearted,unconvincingmanner。\"
\"I’mafraidI’dhavebeenthesame,\"rejoinedBalderstone;\"for,betweenus,there’saprettylittlebrunettefromChicagoupondeck,andMargueriteAndrewswouldhavegotlittleattentionfrommewhileshewasabout,unlessHarleyviolentlyoutragedmyfeelingsandhisownconvictions。\"
AndsotheNewYorksailedouttosea,andMargueriteAndrewswatchedherfromthepieruntilshehadfadedfromview。
AsforStuartHarley,theauthor,hesatinhisstudy,wringinghishandsandcursinghiscarelessness。
\"I’llhavetomodifythewholestorynow,\"hesaid,impatiently,\"sinceitisoutofmypowertobringtheNewYorkbackintoport,withmyhero,villain,chaperon,andtwins;butwheneverorwhereverthenewstorymaybelaid,MargueriteAndrewsshallbetheheroine——
sheinterestsme。MeantimeletMrs。Willardchaperonher。\"
Andclosinghismanuscriptbookwithabang,Harleylitacigarette,putonhishat,andwenttotheclub。
CHAPTERIII:THERECONSTRUCTIONBEGINS
\"Thengentlyscanyourbrotherman,Stillgentlersisterwoman;
Tho’theymaygangakenninwrang,Tostepasideishuman。\"——BURNS。
When,afewdayslater,Harleycametothereconstructionofhisstory,hebegantoappreciatethefactthatwhathadseemedatfirsttobehismisfortunewas,onthewhole,amatterforcongratulation;
andashethoughtoverthepeoplehehadsenttosea,hecametorejoicethatMargueritewasnotoneoftheparty。
\"Osbornewasn’thersort,afterall,\"hemusedtohimselfthatnightoverhiscoffee。\"Hehadn’tmuchmind。I’mafraidIbankedtoomuchonhisgoodlooks,andtoolittleuponwhatImightcallherindependence;forofalltheheroinesIeverhad,sheisthemostsufficientuntoherself。HadshegonealongI’mhalfafraidI
couldn’thavegotridofBalderstonesoeasilyeither,forhe’sadetermineddevilasIseehim;andhisintellectualqualitiesweresovastlysuperiortothoseofOsbornethatbymerecontrasttheywouldmostcertainlyhaveappealedtoherstrongly。Thebalefulinfluencemighthaveaffectedherseriously,andOsbornewasneverthemantoovercomeit,andstrictrealismwouldhaveforcedherintoanundesirablemarriage。Yes,I’mgladitturnedoutthewayitdid;
she’stoogoodforeitherofthem。Icouldn’thavedonethetaleasIintendedwithoutacertainamountofcompulsion,whichwouldneverhaveworkedoutwell。She’dhavebeenmiserablewithOsborneforahusbandanyhow,evenifhedidsucceedinoutwittingBalderstone。\"
ThenHarleywentintoatranceforamoment。Fromthisheemergedalmostimmediatelywithalaugh。Thetravellersontheseahadcometohismind。
\"PoorMrs。Corwin,\"hesaid,\"she’sawfullyupset。Ishallhavetogivehersomediversion。Let’ssee,whatshallitbe?She’sawidow,youngandfascinating。H’m——notabadfoundationforaromance。Theremustbeamanontheshipwho’dlikeher;but,hangitall!therearethosetwins。Notmuchromanceforherwiththosetwinsalong,unlesstheman’safool;andshe’stoofineawomanforafool。Mendon’tfallinlovewithwholefamiliesthatway。NowiftheyhadonlybeenleftonthepierwithMissAndrews,itwouldhaveworkedupwell。Mrs。Corwincouldhavefascinatedsomefellow—
traveller,wonhisheart,acceptedhimatSouthampton,andtoldhimaboutthetwinsafterwards。Asatestofhisaffectionthatwouldbeastrongsituation;butwiththetwinsalong,makingtheremarkstheyarelikelytomake,andallthat——no,thereisnohopeforMrs。
Corwin,exceptinajuvenilestory——somethinglike’TwoTwinsinaBoat,nottoMentiontheWidow,’orsomethingofthatsort。Poorwoman!I’llletherrestinpeace,forthepresent。She’llenjoyhertrip,anyhow;andasforOsborneandBalderstone,I’llletthemfightitoutforthatdark—eyedlittlewomanfromChicagoIsawonboard,andwhenthebestmanwinsI’llputthewholethingintoashortstory。\"
ThenbegananewquestforcharacterstogowithMargueriteAndrews。
\"Shemusthaveachaperon,tobeginwith,\"thoughtHarley。\"Thatisindispensable。Herring,Beemer,&Chadwickregardthemselvesasconservatorsofpublicmorals,intheir’BlueandSilverSeries,’soagirlunmarriedandwithoutachaperonwouldneverdoforthisbook。
Iftheyweretopublishitintheir’YellowPrismSeries’Icouldflingallsuchconsiderationstothewinds,fortheretheycatertostrongerpalates,palatescultivatedbyFrenchliterarycooks,andmoralsneednotbeconsidered,providedthestoryiswelltoldandlikelytosell;butthisisfortheotherseries,andachaperonisasinequanon。Margueritedoesn’tneedonehalfasmuchasthegirlsinthe’YellowPrism’books,butshe’sgottohaveonejustthesame,ortheAmericangirlwillnotreadabouther:andwhoisbetterthanDorothyWillard,whohaschargeofhernow?\"
Harleyslappedhiskneewithdelight。
\"HowfortunateI’dprovidedher!\"hesaid。\"I’vegotmystartalready,andwithouthavingtothinkveryhardoveriteither。\"
Thetrancebeganagain,andlastedseveralhours,duringwhichtimeKellyandtheProfessorstolesoftlyintoHarley’srooms,and,perceivinghiscondition,respectedit。
\"He’seitherasleeporimagining,\"saidtheProfessor,inawhisper。
\"Hecan’timagine,\"returnedtheDoctor。\"Callit——realizing。
Whateveritishe’supto,wemustn’tinterfere。Thereisn’tanyusewakinghimanyhow。Iknowwherehekeepshiscigars。Let’ssitdownandhaveasmoke。\"
Thistheintrudersdid,hopingthatsoonerorlatertheirhostwouldobservetheirpresence;butHarleylayinblissfulunconsciousnessoftheircoming,andtheyfinallygrewwearyofwaiting。
\"Hemustbeatworkonaten—volumenovel,\"saidtheDoctor。\"Let’sgo。\"
Andwiththattheydeparted。Nightcameon,andwithitdarkness,butHarleynevermoved。ThefactwashewasgoingthroughanexaminationofthehumanracetofindamangoodenoughforMargueriteAndrews,anditspeaksvolumesfortheinterestshehadsuddenlyinspiredinhisbreastthatittookhimsolongtofindwhathewanted。
Alongaboutnineo’clockhegaveadeepsighandreturnedtoearth。
\"IguessI’vegothim,\"hesaid,wearily,rubbinghisforehead,whichbegantoacheatrifle。\"I’llmodelhimaftertheProfessor。He’sagoodfellow,moderatelygood—looking,hasposition,andcertainlyknowssomething,asprofessorsgo。IdoubtifheisimposingenoughfortheAmericangirlgenerally,buthe’sthebestIcangetinthetimeatmydisposal。\"
SotheProfessorwasunconsciouslyslatedfortheofficeofhero;
Mrs。Willardwascastforchaperon,andtheDoctor,inspiteofHarley’spreviousresolvenottousehim,wastobeintroducedforthecomedyelement。Thevillainselectedwastheusualpoverty—
strickenforeignerwithatitleandapassionforwealth,whichacloserstudyofhisheroineshowedHarleythatMissAndrewspossessed;foronherwayhomefromthepiershetookMrs。WillardtotheAmsterdamandtreatedhertoaluncheonwhichnothingshortofaten—dollarbillwouldpayfor,afterwhichthetwowentshopping,replenishingMissAndrews’swardrobe——mostofwhichlaysnuglystoredintheholdoftheNewYork,andmomentarilygettingfartherandfartherawayfromitsfairowner——inthecourseofwhichtourMissAndrewsexpendedasumwhich,hadHarleypossessedit,wouldhavemadeitunnecessaryforhimtowritethebookhehadinmindatall。
\"It’sgoodshe’srich,\"sighedHarley。\"ThatwillmakeitalltheeasiertohavehergotoNewportandattracttheCount。\"
AtthemomentthatHarleyspokethesewordstohimselfMrs。WillardandMarguerite,accompaniedbyMr。Willard,enteredthemansionofthelatteronFifthAvenue。TheyhadspenttheafternoonandeveningattheAndrewsapartment,arrangingforitsclosinguntilthereturnofMrs。Corwin。MargueritemeanwhilewastobetheguestoftheWillards。
\"Nextweekwe’llrunuptoNewport,\"saidDorothy。\"Thehouseisready,andBobisgoingforhiscruise。\"
Margueritelookedathercuriouslyforamoment。
\"Didyouintendtogothereallalong?\"sheasked。
\"Yes——ofcourse。Whydoyouask?\"returnedMrs。Willard。
\"Why,thatveryideacameintomymindatthemoment,\"repliedMarguerite。\"IthoughtthisafternoonI’drunuptoRiverdaleandstaywiththeHallidaysnextweek,whenallofasuddenNewportcameintomymind,andithasbeenstrugglingtherewithRiverdalefortwohours——untilIalmostbegantobelievesomebodywastryingtocompelmetogotoNewport。Ifitisyouridea,andhasbeenallalong,I’llgo;butifStuartHarleyistryingtogetmedownthereforliterarypurposes,Isimplyshallnotdoit。\"
\"Youhadbetterdismissthatideafromyourmindatonce,mydear,\"
saidMrs。Willard。\"Mr。Harleynevercompels。Nocompulsionisthecorner—stoneofhisliterarystructure;freewillishiscreed:youmaycountonthat。Ifhemeanstomakeyouhisheroinestill,itwillbeatNewportifyouareatNewport,atRiverdaleifyouhappentobeatRiverdale。Docomewithme,evenifhedoesimpressyouasendeavoringtoforceyou;foratNewportIshallbeyourchaperon,andIshoulddearlylovetobeputinabook——withyou。BobhasaskedJackPerkinsdown,andMrs。HowlettwritesmethatCountBonetti,ofNaples,isthere,andisareallydelightfulfellow。Weshallhave——\"
\"Yousimplyconfirmmyfears,\"interruptedMarguerite。\"YouaretobeHarley’schaperon,ProfessorPerkinsishishero,andCountBonettiisthevillain——\"
\"Why,Marguerite,howyoutalk!\"criedMrs。Willard。\"DoyouexistmerelyinStuartHarley’sbrain?DoI?Arewenoneofuslivingcreaturestodoaswewill?Arewenothingmorethanmaterialspigeon—holedforMr。Harley’sfutureuse?HasCountBonetticrossedtheoceanjusttopleaseMr。Harley?\"
\"Idon’tknowwhatIbelieve,\"saidMissAndrews,\"andIdon’tcaremucheitherway,aslongasIhaveindependenceofaction。I’llgowithyou,Dorothy;butifitturnsout,asIfear,thatweareexpectedtoactourpartsinaHarleyromance,thatromancewillreceiveashockfromwhichitwillneverrecover。\"
\"WhydoyouobjectsotoMr。Harley,anyhow?Ithoughtyoulikedhisbooks,\"saidMrs。Willard。
\"Ido;someofthem,\"Margueriteanswered;\"andIlikehim;buthedoesnotunderstandme,anduntilhedoesheshallnotputmeinhisstories。I’llrouthimateverypoint,untilhe——\"
Margueritepaused。Herfaceflushed。Tearscameintohereyes。
\"Untilhewhat,dearest?\"askedMrs。Willard,sympathetically。
\"Idon’tknow,\"saidMarguerite,withaquiverinhervoice,assheroseandlefttheroom。
\"Ifancywe’dbettergoatonce,Bob,\"saidMrs。Willardtoherhusband,lateron。\"Margueriteisquiteupsetbytheexperiencesoftheday,andNewYorkisfearfullyhot。\"
\"Iagreewithyou,\"returnedWillard。\"JerroldsentwordthisafternoonthattheboatwillbereadyFriday,insteadofThursdayofnextweek;soifyou’llpackupto—morrowwecanboardherFriday,andgouptheSoundbywaterinsteadofbyrail。Itwillbepleasanterforallhands。\"
WhichwasjustwhatHarleywanted。TheWillardswereofcoursenotconsciousofthefact,thoughMrs。Willard’ssympathywithMargueriteledhertosuspectthatsuchwasthecase;forthatsuchwasthecasewaswhatMargueritefeared。
\"Wearebeingforced,Dorothy,\"shesaid,asshesteppedontheyachttwodayslater。
\"Well,whatifweare?It’spleasantergoingthiswaythanbyrail,isn’tit?\"Mrs。Willardreplied,withsomeimpatience。\"IfweoweallthistoStuartHarley,weoughttothankhimforhiskindness。
Accordingtoyourtheoryhecouldhavesentusuponahot,dustytrain,andhadacollisionreadyforusatNewLondon,inordertokilloffafewundesirablecharactersandgivehisheroachancetodistinguishhimself。IthinkthatevenfromyourownpointofviewMr。Harleyisbehavinginaveryconsideratefashion。\"
\"Nodoubtyouthinkso,\"returnedMarguerite,spiritedly。\"Butit’sdifferentwithyou。Youaresettledinlife。Yourhusbandisthemanofyourchoice;youarehappy,witheverythingyouwant。Youwilldonothingextraordinaryinthebook。Ifyoudiddosomethingextraordinaryyouwouldceasetobeagoodchaperon,andfromthatmomentwouldbecastaside;butI——Iaminadifferentpositionaltogether。Iamasinglewoman,unsettledasyet,forwhomthisauthorinhisinfinitewisdomdeemsitnecessarytoprovidealoverandhusband;andinorderthathisnarrativeofhowIgetthispersonhehasselected——withoutconsultingmytastes——mayinterestalotofothergirls,whoareexpectedtobuyandreadhisbook,hemakesmetheobjectofanintriguingfortune—hunterfromItaly。Iamtobelieveheisarealnobleman,andallthat;andastupidwiseacrefromtheYorkUniversity,whocan’tdance,andwhothinksofnothingbuthisbooksandhisclub,istocomeinattherightmomentandexposetheCount,andallsuchtrashasthat。Iknowattheoutsethowitallistobe。Youcouldn’tdeceiveasensiblegirlfiveminuteswithCountBonetti,anymorethanthatBalderstoneman,whoisnowmakingauselesstripacrosstheAtlanticwithmyauntandhertwins,couldhaveexerteda’balefulinfluence’overmewithhisdilutedspiritualism。I’mnotanidiot,mydearDorothy。\"
\"Youareaheroine,love,\"returnedMrs。Willard。
\"Perhaps——butIamthekindofheroinewhowouldstopaplayfiveminutesafterthecurtainhadrisenonthefirstactiftheremainingfouractsdependedonherfailingtoseesomethingthatwasplaintotheveriestdoltintheaudience,\"Margueritereplied,withspirit。
\"NobodyshalleverwritemeupsaveasIam。\"
\"Well——perhapsyouarewrongthistime。PerhapsMr。Harleyisn’tgoingtomakeabookofyou,\"saidMrs。Willard。
\"Verylikelyheisn’t,\"saidMarguerite;\"buthe’stryingit——Iknowthatmuch。\"
\"Andhow,pray?\"askedMrs。Willard。
\"That,\"saidMarguerite,herfrownvanishingandasmiletakingitsplace——\"thatisforthepresentmysecret。I’lltellyousomeday,butnotuntilIhavebaffledMr。Harleyinhisill—advisedpurposeofmarryingmeofftoamanIdon’twant,andwouldn’thaveunderanycircumstances。EvenifIhadcaughttheNewYorktheotherdayhisplanswouldhavemiscarried。I’dneverhavemarriedthatOsborneman;I’dhavesnubbedBalderstonethemomenthespoketome;andifStuartHarleyhadgotabookoutofmytriptoEuropeatall,itwouldhavebeenaseriesofpapersonsomesuchtopicas’TheSpinsterAbroad,orHowtobeHappythoughSingle。’NomoreshallI
takethepartheintendsmetointhisNewportromance,unlessheremovesCountBonettifromthesceneentirely,andprovidesmewithadifferentstyleofherofromhisProfessor,theoriginalofwhom,by—
the—way,asIhappentoknow,isalreadymarriedandhastwochildren。Iwenttoschoolwithhiswife,andIknowjusthowmuchofaheroheis。\"
AndsotheywenttoNewport,andHarley’snovelopenedswimmingly。
Hisdescriptionoftheyachtwasperfect;hisnarrationoftheincidentsoftheembarkationcouldnotbeimproveduponinanyway。
Theywereabsolutelytruetothelife。
ButhisaccountofwhatMargueriteAndrewssaidanddidandthoughtwhileontheWillards’yachtwasnotrealismatall——itwasimaginationofthewildestkind,forshesaid,did,andthoughtnothingofthesort。
Harleydidhisbest,buthisheroinewasobdurate,andthepoorfellowdidnotknowthathewaswritinguntruths,forheverilybelievedthatheheardandsawallthatheattributedtoherexactlyasheputitdown。
Sothestorybeganwell,andHarleyforatimewasquitehappy。Attheendofaweek,however,hehadafearfulset—back。CountBonettiwasreadytobepresentedtoMargueriteaccordingtotheplan,buttheretheschedulebrokedown。
Harley’sheroinetookanewandentirelyunexpectedtack。
CHAPTERIV:ACHAPTERFROMHARLEY,WITHNOTES
\"Good—bye,proudworld,I’mgoinghome。
Thouartnotmyfriend,andI’mnotthine。\"
—EMERSON。
IthinkthereaderwillpossiblygainabetterideaofwhathappenedattheHowlettdance,atwhichCountBonettiwastohavebeenpresentedtoMissAndrews,ifIforegothepleasureofwritingthischaptermyself,andproduceinsteadthechapterofStuartHarley’sill—fatedbookwhichwastohavedealtwiththatmostinterestingincident。Havingrelinquishedallhopeofevergettingthatparticularstoryintoshapewithoutachangeofheroine,andbeingunwillingtogotothatextreme,Mr。Harleyhasverykindlyplacedhismanuscriptatmydisposal。
\"Useitasyouwill,mydearfellow,\"hesaid,whenIaskedhimforit。\"Ican’tdoanythingwithitmyself,anditismerelyoccupyingspaceinmypigeon—holesforwhichIcanfindbetteruse。Itmayneedacertainamountofrevision——infact,itissureto,foritisunconscionablylong,and,thankstothepersistentfailureofMissAndrewstodoasIthoughtshewould,mayfrequentlyseemincoherent。