\"Idonotconsideryouanythingofthesort。Ineversomuchasassociatedyouwithanythingresemblinganidea。Imerelyaskedaquestion,\"shesaid。\"Irepeatit。Doyouordoyounotexist?AreyouabitofthereallyrealorabitofMr。Harley’srealism?Inshort,areyouhereatProfileLake,walkingandtalkingwithme,orareyounot?\"
Arealizingsenseofmytruepositioncreptoverme。InrealityI
wasnottheretalkingtoher,butinmydeninNewYorkwritingabouther。Imaynotbearealist,butIamtruthful。Icouldnotdeceiveher,soIreplied,hesitatingly:
\"Well,MissAndrews,Iam——no,Iamnothere,exceptinspirit。\"
\"That’swhatIthought,\"shesaid,demurely。\"Anddoyouexistsomewhere,oristhisa’situation’calculatedtodelighttheAmericangirl——withpin—moneytospendonMessrs。Herring,Beemer,&
Chadwick’spublications?\"
\"Idoexist,\"Ireplied,meekly;for,Imustconfessit,IrealizedmorethaneverthatMissAndrewswastoomuchforme,andIheartilywishedIwaswelloutofit。\"AndIaloneamresponsibleforthis。
HarleyisofffishingatBarnegat——anddoyouknowwhy?\"
\"Ipresumehehasgonetheretorecuperate,\"shesaid。
\"Precisely,\"saidI。
\"Afterhisungentlemanly,discourteous,andwhollyuncalled—forinterferencewithmycomfortatNewport,\"shesaid,herfaceflushingandtearscomingintohereyes,\"Idon’twonderhe’sprostrated。\"
\"Idonotknowtowhatyourefer,\"saidI。
\"Irefertotheepisodeoftherunawayhorse,\"shesaid,inwrathfulremembranceoftheincident。\"BecauseIrefusetofollowblindlyhiswill,heabuseshispower,placesmeinafalseandperiloussituation,fromwhichI,adefencelesswoman,mustrescuemyselfaloneandunaided。Itwasunmanlyofhim——andIwillpayhimthecomplimentofsayingwhollyunlikehim。\"
Istoodaghast。PoorStuartwasbeingblamedformyact。Hemustbesetrightatonce,howeverunpleasantitmightbeforme。
\"He——hedidn’tdothat,\"Isaid,slowly;\"itwasI。Iwrotethatbitofnonsense;andhe——well,hewasmadbecauseIdidit,andsaidhe’dliketokillanymanwhoill—treatedyou;andhemademepromisenevertotouchuponyourlifeagain。\"
\"MayIaskwhyyoudidthat?\"sheasked,andIwasgladtonotethattherewasnodispleasureinhervoice——infact,sheseemedtocheerupwonderfullywhenItoldherthatitwasI,andnotStuart,whohadsubjectedhertothemisadventure。
\"BecauseIwasangrywithyou,\"Ianswered。\"Youwereruiningmyfriendwithyourcontinuedactsofrebellion:hewassuccessful;nowheisruined。Hethinksofyoudayandnight——hewantsyouforhisheroine;hewantstomakeyouhappy,buthewantsyoutobehappyinyourownway;andwhenhethinkshehasdiscoveredyourway,heworksalongthatline,andallofasudden,bysomeactwhollyunforeseen,and,ifImaysayso,unforeseeable,youtreathimandhisworkwithcontempt,drawyourselfoutofit——andhehastobeginagain。\"
\"Andwhyhaveyouventuredtobreakyourwordtoyourfriend?\"sheasked,calmly。\"Surelyyouaretouchinguponmylifenow,inspiteofyourpromise。\"
\"BecauseIamwillingtosacrificemywordtohiswelfare,\"I
retorted;\"totrytomakeyouunderstandhowyouareblockingthepathofamightyfine—mindedmanbyyourdevotiontowhatyoucallyourindependence。Hewillneveraskyoutodoanythingthatheknowswillberevoltingtoyou,anduntilhehassucceededinpleasingyoutothelastpageofhisbookhewillneverwriteagain。
Ihavedonethisinthehopeofpersuadingyou,atthecostevenofsomepersonaldiscomfort,nottorebelagainsthisgentleleadership—
—tofallinwithhisideasuntilhecanfulfilthistaskofhis,whetheritberealismorpurespeculationonhispart。Ifyoudothis,Stuartissaved。Ifyoudonot,literaturewillbecalledupontomournonewhopromisestobeoneofitsbrightestornaments。\"
Istoppedshort。MissAndrewswasgazingpensivelyoutoverthemirror—likesurfaceoftheLake。Finallyshespoke。
\"YoumaytellMr。Harley,\"shesaid,withasigh,\"thatIwilltroublehimnomore。Hecandowithmeashepleasesinallsaveoneparticular。HeshallnotmarrymetoamanIdonotlove。IfhetakesthemanIloveformyhero,thenwillIfollowhimtothedeath。\"
\"AndmayIaskwhothatmanis?\"
\"Youmayaskifyouplease,\"shereplied,withalittlesmile。\"ButIwon’tansweryou,excepttosaythatitisn’tyou。\"
\"AndamIforgivenformyrunawaystory?\"Iasked。
\"Yes,\"shesaid。\"Youwouldn’texpectmetocondemnamanforloyaltytohisfriend,wouldyou?\"
WithwhichunderstandingMissAndrewsandIcontinuedourwalk,andwhenwepartedIfoundthatthelittleinterviewIhadstartedtowritehadturnedintothesuggestionofaromance,whichIwasindutyboundtodestroy——butIbegantohaveaglimmeringofanideaastowhothemanwasthatMargueriteAndrewswishedforahero,andI
regrettedalsotofindmyselfconvincedofthetruthofherstatementthatthatmandidnotbearmyname。
CHAPTERVIII:HARLEYRETURNSTOTHEFRAY
\"Iwillbemasterofwhatismineown:
Sheismygoods,mychattels。\"
—\"TamingoftheShrew。\"
AttheendoftendaysHarleyreturnedfromBarnegat,brownasaberryandreadyforwar,ifwaritwasstilltobe。Theoutinghaddonehimaworldofgood,andthefishstorieshetoldaswesatatdinnershowedthat,realistthoughhemightbe,hehadyetnotfailedtocultivatehisimaginationincertaindirections。Imayobserveinpassing,andinthisconnection,thatifIhadasonwhomitwasmyambitiontoseemakinghismarkintheworldasawriterofromance,asdistinguishedfromthereal,Ishould,asthefirststepinhisdevelopment,takecarethathebecameafisherman。Thetellingoftalesofthefishhecaughtwhennooneelsewasneartoseewouldgivehim,asithasgivenmanyanother,agoodschoolingintherealmsoftheimagination。
IwasgladtonotethatHarley’swontedcheerfulnesshadreturned,andthathehadbecomemorelikehimselfthanhehadbeenatanytimesincehisfirstfailurewithMissAndrews。
\"Youradvicewasexcellent,\"hesaid,aswesippedourcoffeeattheclubthenightofhisreturn。\"Ihaveacleartwoweeksinwhichtotacklethatstory,andIfeelconfidentnowthatIshallgetitdone。
Furthermore,IshallsendthechapterstoHerring,Beemer,&ChadwickasIwritethem,sothattheremustbenofailure。Ishallbecompelledtofinishthetale,whatevermayhappen,andMissAndrewsshallgothroughtothebitterend,willy—nilly。\"
\"Don’tberash,Harley,\"Isaid;foritseemedtomethatMissAndrews,havingconsentedatmysolicitationtobeadocileheroineforjustsolongasHarleydidnotinsistuponhermarryingthemanshedidnotlove,itwasnotimeforhimtobreakawayfromtheprincipleshehadsosteadfastlyadheredtohithertoandbecomeamartinet。Hestruckmeasbeingmorethanlikelytocrackthewhiplikearing—masterinhispresentmoodthantoplaytheindulgentauthor,andIfeltprettyconfidentthattheinstantthesnapofthelashreachedtheearsofMargueriteAndrewshistroubleswouldbeginagaintenfold,bothinqualityandinquantity,withnopossiblehopeforafuturereconciliationbetweenthem。
\"I’mnotgoingtoberash,\"saidHarley。\"Ineverwasrash,andI’mnotgoingtobeginnow,butIshallusemynerve。Thathasbeenthetroublewithmeinthepast。Ihaven’tbeenfirm。Ihaveletthatgirlhaveherownwayineverything,andI’mverymuchafraidIhavespoiledher。Shebehaveslikeachildwithindulgentparents。Inthelastinstance,theParkerproposal,shesimplyranherindependenceintotheground。Shewasnotonlyrebellioustome,butshewasimpertinenttohim。Herattitudetowardhimwasnotnatureatall;itwasnotrealism,becausesheisawomanofgoodbreeding,andwouldnaturallybethelasttotreatanyman,distastefulornot,withsuchexcessiverudeness。Icompelledhimtogoonandproposetoher,thoughafterhehadbeenatitforfiveminutesIcouldseethathewishedhewaswelloutofit。Ishouldhavetakenherinhandandcontrolledherwithequalfirmness,decliningtopermithertospeaksoopenly。Franknessisgoodenough,especiallyinwomen,amongwhomyourarelyfindit;butfranknessofthesortsheindulgedinhasnoplaceinthepolitecircleinwhichshemoves。\"
\"Nevertheless,shespokethatway——yousaidyourselfshedid,\"I
said,seeingthathewaswrathfulwithMarguerite,andwishingtoassuagehisangerbeforeitcarriedhimtolengthshemightregret。
\"Andyou’vegottotakeherassheisordropheraltogether。\"
\"Shedid——Irepeatthatshedidspeakthatway,butthatwasnoreasonwhyIshouldsubmittoit,\"Harleyanswered。\"Itwasthefaultofhermood。Shewasnervous,almosthysterical——thankstoherrebelliousspirit。ThemomentIdiscoveredhowthingsweregoingI
shouldhavegonebackandstartedafresh,andkeptondoingsountilIhadhersubmissive。Ahuntermaybalkatahighfence,buttheridermustnotgiveintohimunlesshewishestolettheanimalgetthebetterofhim。Ifheiswisehewillgobackandputthehorsetoitagainandagain,untilhefinallyclearsthetopmostbar。ThatIshouldhavedoneinthisinstance,andthatInowintendtodo,untilthatbookcomesoutasIwantit。\"
Ihadtolaughinmysleeve。Onthewhole,Harleywasverylikemostotherrealists,whopretendthattheymerelyputdownlifeasitis,andwhogothroughtheirprofessionalcareersserenelyunconsciousofthetruththattheirfancies,afterall,servethemwhentheirfactsarelacking。EventhatmosteminentdiscipleoftheRealisticCult,Mr。Darrow,hasbeenknowntokilloffaheroinarailroadaccidentthatoweditsbeingtonothingshortofhisownimagination,inorderthattheunhappywightmightnotoffendthereadersofthehighlymoralmagazine,inwhichthestoryfirstappeared,bymarryingawidowwhomhehadbeenforcedbyMr。Darrowtolovebeforeherhusbanddied。Mr。Darrowmanufactured,withfivestrokesofhispen,anengineandatunneltocrushthelifeoutofthepoorfellow,whomanimmoralromancerwouldhaveallowedtoliveonandmarrythelady,andwithperfectproprietytoo,sincetheheroandtheheroinewerebothofthemtheverymodelsofvirtue,inspiteofthelovewhichtheydidnotseek,andwhichMr。Darrowdeliberatelyandalmostbrutallythrustintotheirotherwisehappylives。Ofcoursetherailwayaccidentwasneededtogivetheclimaxtothestory,whichwithoutitmighthaverunthroughsixmorenumbersofthemagazine,totheexclusionofmoreexcitingmaterial;butthatwillnotrelieveMr。Darrow’ssoulofthestainhehasputuponitbydesertingDameRealismforamomenttoflirtwithRomance,whenitcomestotheJudgmentDay。
\"AsIwantittobe,somustitbe,\"quothHarley。
\"Good,\"thoughtI。\"Itwillnodoubtbeexcellent;butbehonest,anddon’tinsistthatyou’vetakendownlifeasitis;foryoumayhaveanastigmatism,forallyouknow,andlifemaynotbeatallwhatithasseemedtoyouwhileyouwereputtingitdown。\"
\"Yes,sir,\"saidHarley,leaningbackinhischairanddrawingalongbreath,whichshowedhisdetermination,\"tothebitterendsheshallgo,throughsuchcomplicationsasIchoosetohaveher,encounteringwhatevervillainsImayhappentofindmostconvenient,andtocompleteherstorysheshallmarrythemanIselectformyhero,ifheisascommonplaceastheaveragesalesmaninaBrooklynuniversaldry—goodsemporium。\"
Imaginemyfeelingsifyoucan!Havinggoneasaself—appointedambassadortotheenemytosecuretermsofpeace,toreturntofindmyprincipaldonninghisarmoranddaubinghisfacewithpaintforarenewalofthecombat,wascertainlynotpleasant。WhatcouldIsaytoMargueriteAndrewsifIevermetherinreallife?HowcouldI
lookherintheeye?Thesituationoverpoweredme,andIhardlyknewwhattosay。Icouldn’tbegHarleytosticktohisrealismandnotindulgeincompulsion,becauseIhadoftenjeeredathimfornotinfusingalittlemoreofthedramaticintohisstories,evenifithadtobe\"luggedinbytheears,\"asheputit。Norwasheinanymoodformetotellhimofmybreachoffaith——themereknowledgethatshehadpromisedtobedocileoutofcharitywouldhavestunghispride,andIthoughtitwouldbebetter,forthetime,atleast,toletmyinterviewremainasecret。Fortunefavoredme,however。
KellyandtheProfessorenteredthediningroomatthismoment,andtheProfessorheldinhishandacopyofthecurrentissueofTheLiteraryMan,Messrs。Herring,Beemer,&Chadwick’sfortnightlypublication,aperiodicalhavingtodowhollywiththingsbookish。
\"Whosatforthis,Stuart?\"calledouttheProfessor,tappingthefrontispieceofthemagazine。
\"Whosatforwhat?\"repliedStuart,lookingup。
\"Thispicture,\"saidtheProfessor。
\"It’sapictureofafinelyintellectual—lookingpersonwithyournameunderit,Harley,\"putintheDoctor。
\"Oh——that,\"saidHarley。\"Itdoesflattermeabit。\"
\"Sodoesthearticlewithit,\"saidKelly。\"Saysyouareagreatman——manwithanidea,andallthat。Isthattrue,orisitjustplainlibel?Haveyouanidea?\"
Harleylaughedgood—naturedly。\"Ihadoneonce,butit’slost,\"hesaid。\"Astothatpicture,they’rebringingoutabookforme,\"headded,modestly。\"Goodad。,youknow。\"
\"Whenyouarethroughwiththat,Professor,\"Iputin,\"letmehaveit,willyou?IwanttoseewhatitsaysaboutHarley。\"
\"It’safirst—ratescreed,\"repliedtheProfessor,handingoverthepublication。\"IthitsHarleyrightonthehead。\"
\"Idon’tknowasthat’spleasant,\"saidHarley。
\"WhatImean,mydearboy,\"saidtheProfessor,\"isthatitdoesyoujustice。\"
AnditreallydiddoHarleyjustice,although,ashehadsuggested,itwaswrittenlargelytoadvertisetheforthcomingwork。ItspokenicelyofHarley’spreviousefforts,andjudiciously,asitseemedtome。Hehadnotgottothetopoftheladderyet,buthewasgettingtherebyaslow,steadydevelopment,andlargelybecausehewasamanwithafixedideaastowhatliteratureoughttobe。
\"Mr。Harleyhasseenclearlyfromtheoutsetwhatitwasthathewishedtoaccomplishandhowtoaccomplishit,\"thewriterobserved。
\"Hehasswervedneithertotherightnortotheleft,buthasprogressedundeviatinglyalongthelineshehasmappedoutforhimself,andkeepingconstantlyinmindtheprincipleswhichseemedtohimatthebeginningofhiscareertoberight。IthasbeenthispersistentandconsistentadherencetoprinciplethathasgainedforMr。Harleyhishearing,andwhichisconstantlyrenderingmorecertainandpermanenthispositionintheworldliterary。Othersmaybeledhitherandyonbythefadsandfolliesofthescatter—brained,butRealismwilleverhaveonesteadfastchampioninStuartHarley。\"
\"Readthat,\"Isaid,tossingthejournalacrossthetable。
Hereadit,andblushedtotherootsofhisears。
\"Thisisnotimetodeserttheflag,Harley,\"saidI,asheread。
\"Sticktoyourcolors,andlethersticktohers。You’dbetterbecarefulhowyouforceyourheroine。\"
\"Ha,ha!\"helaughed。\"Ishouldthinkso,andformorereasonsthanone。Ineverreallyintendedtodohorriblethingswithher,myboy。
Trustme,ifIdoleadher,toleadhergently。Mypersuasionwillbesuggestiveratherthanmandatory。\"
\"Andthathero——fromtheBrooklyndry—goodsshop?\"Iasked,withasmile。
\"I’dliketoseehimsomuchas——tellherthepriceofanything,\"
criedHarley。\"AmanlikethathasnobusinesstoliveinthesamehemispherewithawomanlikeMargueriteAndrews。WhenIthreatenedherwithhimIwasconversingthroughalargeandelegantthoughwhollyinvisiblehat。\"
Ibreathedmorefreely。Shewasstillsacredandsafeinhishands。
Shortlyafter,dinnerover,weleftthetable,andwenttothetheatre,wherewesawwhattheprogrammecalledthe\"latestLondonrealisticsuccess,\"inwhichthreeofthefouractsofanintenselyexcitingmelodramadependeduponawoman’snotseeingalargenavyrevolver,whichlayonthetabledirectlybeforehereyesinthefirst。Theplaywasfullofbloodandrepletewiththunder,andwetrulyenjoyedit,onlyHarleywouldnottalkmuchbetweentheacts。
Hewasunusuallymoody。Aftertheplaywasoverhistongueloosened,however,andwewenttothePlayersforasupper,andthereheburstforthintospeech。
\"IfMargueriteAndrewshadbeentheheroineofthatplayshe’dhaveseenthatgun,andtheaudiencewouldhavehadtogohomeinsideoftenminutes,\"hesaid。Lateronheburstoutwith,\"IfmyMissAndrewshadbeentheheroineofthatplay,themanwhofallsovertheprecipiceinthesecondactwouldhavebeenaliveatthismoment。\"
Andfinallyhedemanded:\"DoyousupposeaheroinelikeMargueriteAndrewswouldhaveoverlookedthecommaonthepostalcardthatwomanreadinthethirdact,andsomadethefourthactpossible?Notshe。
She’sawomanwithamind。AndyettheycallthatthelatestLondonrealisticsuccess!Realistic!TheseLondonersdonotseemtounderstandtheirownlanguage。Ifthatplaywasrealism,whatsortofanightmaredoyousupposearomanticdramawouldbe?\"
\"Well,maybeLondonwomeninreallifehaven’tanyminds,\"Isaid,growingratherwearyofthesubject。IadmiredMissAndrewsmyself,buttherewereotherthingsIcouldtalkabout——\"likelemonadeandelephants,\"asthesmallboysaid。\"Letitgoatthat。Itwasaninterestingplay,andthat’sallplaysoughttobe。Realisminplaysisnottobeencouraged。Amangoestothetheatretobeamusedandentertained,nottoberemindedofhomediscomforts。\"
Stuartlookedatmereproachfully,orderedafreshcigar,andsuggestedturninginforthenight。IwalkedhomewithhimandtriedtogethiminterestedinafarceIwasatworkon,butitwasofnouse。Hehadbecomeamonomaniac,andhismonomaniawashisrebelliousheroine。FinallyIblurtedout:
\"Well,forHeaven’ssake,Stuart,getthewomancaged,willyou?
For,candidly,I’dliketotalkaboutsomethingelse,anduntilMargueriteAndrewsisdisposedofIdon’tbelieveyou’llbeableto。\"
\"I’llhavehalftheworkdonebythistimeto—morrownight,\"saidhe。
\"I’vegottenthousandwordsofitinmymindnow。\"
\"I’llbetyouthereareonlytwowordsdowninyourmind,\"saidI。
\"Whatarethey?\"heasked。
\"MargueriteandAndrews,\"saidI。
Stuartlaughed。\"They’retheonlyonesI’msureof,\"saidhe。Andthenweparted。
Buthewasrightaboutwhathewouldhaveaccomplishedbythattimethenextnight;forbeforesundownhehadhalfthestorywritten,and,whatismore,thechaptershadcomeaseasilyasanywritingheeverdid。Fordocility,Margueritewasaperfectwonder。Notonlydidshefollowouthiswishes;sheoftenanticipatedthem,andincertainpartsgavehimaleadinanewdirection,which,Stuartsaid,gavethestoryahundredpercent。morecharacter。
Inshort,MargueriteAndrewswaskeepingherpromisetomenobly。
TheonlythingIregrettedaboutit,nowthatallseemedplainsailing,wasitseffectonStuart。Heramiabilitywasprovingagreatattractiontohissusceptiblesoul,andIwasbeginningtofearthatStuartwasslowlybutsurelyfallinginlovewithhisrebelliousheroine,whichwouldneverdo,unlessshewerereallyreal,onwhichpointIwasmostuncertain。
\"Itwouldbeaterriblething,\"saidIconfidentiallytomyself,\"ifStuartHarleyweretofallinlovewithacreationofhisownrealism。\"
CHAPTERIX:ASUMMONSNORTH
\"PORTIA。Aquarrel,ho,already?What’sthematter?
\"GRATIANO。Aboutahoopofgold,apaltryring。\"
—\"MerchantofVenice。\"
Theeventsjustnarratedtookplaceonthe15thofAugust,andasHarley’stimetofulfilhiscontractwithMessrs。Herring,Beemer,&
Chadwickwasgrowingveryshort——twoweeksisshortshriftforanauthorwithabooktowriteforwaitingpresses,evenwithawillingandhelpfulcastofcharacters——soIresolvednottointrudeuponhimuntilhehimselfshouldsummonme。Iknewmyself,frombitterexperience,howunwelcomethemostwelcomeofone’sfriendscanbeatbusyhours,havinghadmanyabeautifulsketchabsolutelyruinedbytheuntimelyintrusionofthosewhowishedmewell,soIresolutelykeptmyselfawayfromhisden,althoughIwasburningwithcuriositytoknowhowhewasgettingon。
Onoccasionsmycuriositywouldgetthebetterofmyjudgment,andI
wouldendeavor,withtheaidofmyownmuses,toholdamoment’schatwithMissAndrews;butsheeludedme。Icouldn’tfindheratall——
as,indeed,howshouldI,sinceHarleyhadnottakenmeintohisconfidenceastohisintentionsinthenewstory?HemighthavelaidthesceneofitinSingapore,foraughtIknew,and,wanderwhereI
wouldinmyfancy,Iwasutterlyunabletodiscoverherwhereabouts,untiloneeveningaveryweirdthinghappened——athingsoweirdthatIhavebeenpinchingmyselfwithgreatassiduityeversinceinordertoreassuremyselfofmyownexistence。Ihadcomehomefromahardday’seditorialwork,haddinedaloneandcomfortably,andwasstretchedoutatfulllengthuponthelowdivanthatstandsattheendofmyworkshop——thedelightofmywearybonesandtheenvyofmyfriends,whohaveneverbeenabletofindanywhereanotherexactlylikeit。Mycigarwasbetweenmylips,andabovemyhead,risinginacurlingcloudtotheceiling,wasamassofsmoke。IamsureIwasnotdreaming,althoughhowelsetoaccountforitIdonotknow。
Whathappened,toputitbriefly,wasmysuddentransportationtoalittlemountainhotelnotfarfromLakeGeorge,whereIfoundmyselfsittingandtalkingtothewomanIhadsofutilelysought。
\"Howdoyoudo?\"saidshe,pleasantly,asImaterializedatherside。
\"Iamaswellasapersoncanbe,\"Ireplied,rubbingmyeyesinconfusion,\"whosuddenlyfindshimselftwohundredandfiftymilesawayfromthespotwhere,ahalf—hourbefore,hehadlaindowntorest。\"
MissAndrewslaughed。\"Youseehowitisyourself,\"shesaid。
\"Seehowwhatismyself?\"Iqueried。
\"Tobethepuppetofapersonwho——writes,\"sheanswered。
\"AndhaveIbecomethat?\"Iasked。
\"Youhave,\"shesmiled。\"That’swhyyouarehere。\"
Theideamademenervous,andIpinchedmyarmtoseewhetherIwasthereornot。Theresultwasnotaltogetherreassuring。Ineverfeltthepinch,and,tryasIwould,Icouldn’tmakemyselffeelit。
\"Excuseme,\"Isaid,\"fordeviatingamomentfromthematterinhand,buthaveyouahat—pin?\"
\"No,\"sheanswered;\"butIhaveabrooch,ifthatwillserveyourpurpose。Whatdoyouwantitfor?\"
\"Iwishtorunitintomyarmforamoment,\"Iexplained。
\"Itwon’thelpyouany,\"sheanswered,smilingdivinely。\"Imusthaveawordwithyou;allthehat—pinsintheworldshallnotpreventme,nowthatyouarehere。\"
\"Well,waitaminute,Ibegofyou,\"Iimplored。\"YouintimatedamomentagothatIwasapuppetinthehandsofsomeauthor。Whose?
I’veareputationtosustain,andshallnotgivemyselfupwillingly,unlessIamsurethatthatpersonwillnottriflewithmycharacter。\"
\"Exactlymyposition,\"saidshe。\"AsIsaid,youcannowunderstandhowitisyourself。ButIwilltellyouinwhosehandsyouarenow——
youareinmine。SurelyifyouhadtherighttosendmetearingdownBellevueAvenueatNewportbehindarunawayhorse,andthenpursuemeinspirittotheProfileHouse,Ihavetherighttobringyouhere,andIhaveaccordinglydoneso。\"
Forawoman’s,herlogicwassurprisinglyconvincing。ShecertainlyhadasmuchrighttotriflewithmycomfortasIhadtotriflewithhers。
\"Youareright,MissAndrews,\"Imurmured,meekly。\"Praycommandmeasyouwill——anddealgentlywiththeerring。\"
\"Iwilltreatyoufarbetterthanyoutreatedme,\"shesaid。\"Sohavenofear——althoughIhavebeenhalfmindedattimestorevengemyselfuponyouforthatrunaway。Icouldmakeyoudreadfullyuncomfortable,forwhenItakemypeninhandmyimaginationinthedirectionofthehorribleissomethingawful。Ishallbemerciful,however,forIbelieveintherealisticidea,andIwillmerelymakeuseofthepowermypenpossessesoveryoutohaveyouactpreciselyasyouwouldifyouwereactuallyhere。\"
\"ThenIamnothere?\"Iqueried。
\"Whatdoyouthink?’sheasked,archly。
IwasabouttosaythatifIweren’t,IwishedmostheartilythatI
were;butIrememberedfortunatelythatitwouldneverdoformetoflirtwithStuartHarley’sheroine,soIcontentedmyselfwithsaying,boldly,\"Idon’tknowwhattothink。\"
MissAndrewslookedatmeforamoment,andthen,reachingoutherhand,tookmine,pressedit,andrelinquishedit,saying,\"Youarealoyalfriendindeed。\"
Therewasnothingflirtatiousabouttheact;itwasasimpleandhighlypleasingacknowledgmentofmyforbearance,anditmademesomewhatmorecomfortablethanIhadbeenatanytimesincemysuddentransportationthroughtheair。
\"YourememberwhatIsaidtoyou?\"sheresumed。\"ThatIwouldceasetorebel,whatsoeverMr。Harleyaskedmetodo,unlessheinsisteduponmarryingmetoamanIdidnotlove?\"
\"Ido,\"Ireplied。\"And,asfarasIamaware,youhavestuckbyyouragreement。Stuart,Idoubtnot,hasbythistimegotreadyforhisfinishing—touches。\"
\"Yoursurmiseiscorrect,\"sheanswered,sadly;andthen,withsomespirit,sheadded:\"Andtheyarefinishing—toucheswithavengeance。
Ihavebeenloyaltomyword,inspiteofmuchdiscomfort。Ihavetravelledfrompillartopostasmeeklyasalamb,becauseitfittedinwithStuartHarley’sconveniencethatIshoulddoso。HehastakenmeandmyfriendMrs。Willardtoandthroughfivedifferentsummerresorts,whereIhavecutthefigurehewishedmetocutwithoutregardtomyownfeelings。Ihavediscussedallsortsoftopics,ofwhichinrealityIknownothing,tolenddepthtohisbook。IhavesnubbedmenIreallyliked,andappearedtolikemenI
profoundlyhated,forhissake。Ihavewittinglyenduredperilforhissake,knowingofcoursethatultimatelyhewouldgetmeoutofdanger;butperilisperiljustthesame,andtothatextentdistractingtothenerves。IhavebeenupsetinacanoeatBarHarbor,andlostonamountaininVermont。IhavesprainedmyankleatSaratoga,andfaintedatadanceatLenox;butnocomplainthaveI
uttered——noteventhesuggestionofarebellionhaveIgiven。Once,Iadmit,IwasdisposedtoresenthisdesirethatIshouldwearacertaincostume,whichhe,manasheis,couldnotseewouldbewofullyunbecoming。Authorshavenobusinesstotouchonsuchthings。ButIovercamethetemptationtorebel,andtopleasehimworeablueandpinkshirt—waistwithafloralsilkskirtatagarden—party——Isupposehethoughtfloralsilkwasappropriatetothegarden;nordidIevenshowmymortificationtothoseaboutme。
NothingwassaidinthebookaboutitsbeingStuartHarley’staste;
itmustneedsbesetdownasmine;andwhilethepagesofHarley’sbookcontainnocriticismofmycostume,Iknowwellenoughwhatalltheotherwomenthoughtaboutit。Still,Istoodit。Ienduredalsowithoutamurmurthecourtshipanddeclarationofloveofaperfectboobyofaman;thatistosay,hewasaboobyintheeyesofawoman——menmightlikehim。IpresumethatasMr。Harleyhaschosenhimtostandfortheheroofhisbook,hemustadmirehim;butI
don’t,andhaven’t,andsha’n’t。YetIhavepretendedtodoso;andfinally,whenheproposedmarriagetomeImeeklyanswered’yes,’
weepinginthebitternessofmyspiritthatmypromiseboundmetodoso;andStuartHarley,notingthosetears,callsthemtearsofjoy!\"
\"Youneedn’thaveacceptedhim,\"Isaid,softly。\"Thatwasn’tpartofthebargain。\"
\"Yes,itwas,\"shereturned,positively;\"thatis,Iregardeditso,andImustactaccordingtomyviewsofthings。WhatIpromisedwastofollowhiswishesinallthingssaveinmarriagetoamanIdidn’tlove。Gettingengagedisnotgettingmarried,andashewishedmetogetengaged,soIdid,expectingofcoursethatthebookwouldendthere,asitoughttohavedone,andthatthereforenomarriagewouldevercomeoftheengagement。\"
\"Certainlythebookshouldendthere,then,\"saidI。\"Youhavekepttotheletterofyouragreement,andnobly,\"Iadded,withenthusiasm,forInowsawwhatthepoorgirlmusthavesuffered。
\"Harleydidn’ttrytogofurther,didhe?\"
\"Hedid,\"shesaid,hervoicetremblingwithemotion。\"Hesetthetimeandplaceforthewedding,issuedthecards,providedmewithatrousseau——atrousseaubaseduponhisintuitionsofwhatatrousseauoughttobe,andthereforeaboutassatisfactorytoawomanoftasteasthatfloralsilkcostumeofthegarden—party;heengagedtheorganist,chosemybridesmaids——girlsIdetested——andfinallyassembledtheguests。Thegroomwasthereatthechancelrail;Mr。
Willard,whomhehadselectedtogivemeaway,waswaitingoutsideinthelobby,cladinhisfrock—coat,aflowerinhisbutton—hole,andhisarmreadyforthebridetoleanon;theministerwasbehindtherail;thewedding—marchwassounding——\"
\"Andyou?\"Icried,utterlyunabletocontainmyselflonger。
\"IwasspeedingpastYonkersonthethree—o’clockSaratogaexpress——
boundhither,\"sheanswered,withasignificanttossofherhead。
\"NoonebutyourselfknowswhereIam,andIhavesummonedyoutoexplainmyactionbeforeyouhearofitfromhim。Idonotwishtobemisjudged。StuartHarleyhadhiswarning,buthechosetoignoreit,andhecangetoutofthedifficultyhehasbroughtuponhimselfinhisownway——possiblyhewilldestroythewholebook;butIwantedyoutoknowthatwhilehedidnotkeepthefaith,Idid。\"
Isuddenlyrealizedtheappallingtruth。Myownweaknesswasresponsibleforitall。IhadnottoldHarleyofmyinterviewandherpromise,feelingthatitwasnotnecessary,andfearingitseffectuponhispride。
\"Imayadd,\"shesaid,quietly,\"thatIambitterlydisappointedinyourfriend。Iwasinterestedinhim,andbelievedinhim。Mostofmyactsofrebellion——ifyoucancallmerebellious——werepromptedbymydesiretokeephimtruetohiscreed;andIwilltellyouwhatI
havenevertoldtoanother:IregardedStuartHarleyalmostasanidealman,butthishaschangeditall。IfhewaswhatIthoughthim,hecouldnothaveactedwithsolittleconscienceastotrytoforcethismatchuponme,whenhemusthaveknownthatIdidnotloveHenryDunning。\"
\"Hedidn’tknow,\"Isaid。
\"Heshouldhavebeensurebeforeprovidingfortheceremony,afterhearingwhatIhadpromisedyouIwouldandwouldnotdo,\"saidMarguerite。
\"But——Inevertoldhimanythingaboutyourpromise!\"Ishouted,desperately。\"Hehasdoneallthisunwittingly。\"
\"Isthattrue?Didn’tyoutellhim?\"shecried,eagerlygraspingmyhand。
Hermannerleftnodoubtinmymindastowhotheheroofherchoicewouldbe——andagainIsighedtothinkthatitwasnotI。
\"AstrueasthatIstandhere,\"Isaid。\"Inevertoldhim。\"
Sheshruggedhershoulders。
\"Oh,well,youknowwhatImean!\"Isaid,excitedly。\"WhereverIdostand,it’sastrueasthatIstandthere。\"
Thephrasewasawkward,butitfulfilleditspurpose。
\"Whydidn’tyoutellhim?\"sheasked。
\"BecauseIdidn’tthinkitnecessary。Factis,\"Iadded,\"IhadasortofnotionthatifyoumarriedanybodyinoneofHarley’sbooks,ifHarleyhadhisownwayitwouldbetothemanwho——whotellsthesto——\"
AloudnoiseinterruptedmyremarkandIstartedupinalarm,andinaninstantIfoundmyselfbackinmyroomsintownoncemore。ThelittlemountainhousenearLakeGeorge,withitsinterestingandbeautifulguest,hadfadedfromsight,andIrealizedthatsomebodywashammeringwithastickuponmydoor。
\"Hellothere!\"Icried。\"What’swanted?\"
\"It’sI——Harley,\"cameStuart’svoice。\"Letmein。\"
Iunlockedthedoorandheentered。ThebrownofBarnegathadgone,andhewashisbrokenselfagain。
\"Well,\"Isaid,tryingtoignorehisappearance,whichreallyshockedme,\"how’sthebook?Gotitdone?\"
Hesankintoachairwithagroan。
\"Hangthebook!——it’sallupwiththat;I’mgoingtoChadwickto—
morrowandcallthethingoff,\"hesaid。\"Shewon’twork——twoweeks’
steadyapplicationgonefornothing。\"
\"Oh,come!\"Isaid;\"notasbadasthat。\"
\"Preciselyasbadasthat,\"heretorted。\"Whatcanafellowdoifhisheroinedisappearsascompletelyasiftheearthhadopenedandswallowedherup?\"
\"Gone?\"Icried,withdifficultyrepressingmydesiretolaugh。
\"Completely——searchedhighandlowforher——noearthlyuse,\"heanswered。\"Ican’tevenimaginewheresheis。\"
\"Allofwhich,mydearStuart,\"Isaid,adoptingasuperiortoneforthemoment,\"showsthatanimaginationthatisworthsomethingwouldn’tbeabadpossessionforarealist,afterall。Iknowwhereyourheroineis。SheisatalittlemountainhousenearLakeGeorge,andshehasfledtheretoescapeyourboobyofahero,whomyoushouldhaveknownbetterthantoforceuponagirllikeMargueriteAndrews。You’regettinginartistic,mydearboy。SacrificesomethingtotheAmericangirl,butdon’tsacrificeyourart。Justbecausetheaforesaidgirllikesherstoriestoendupwithaweddingisnoreasonwhyyoushouldtrytocondemnyourheroinetolife—longmisery。\"
Stuartlookedatmewithapuzzledexpressionforafullminute。
\"Howthedeucedoyouknowanythingaboutit?\"heasked。
Iimmediatelyenlightenedhim。Itoldhimeverycircumstance——evenmysuspicionastotheheroofherheart,anditseemedtopleasehim。
\"Won’tthestorygoifyoustopitwiththeengagement?\"Iasked,afteritwasallover。
\"Yes,\"hesaid,thoughtfully。\"ButIshallnotpublishit。Ifitwasallsodistastefultoherasyousay,I’dratherdestroyit。\"
\"Don’tdothat,\"Isaid。\"Changetheheroine’sname,andnobodybutourselveswilleverbethewiser。\"
\"Ineverthoughtofthat,\"saidhe。
\"That’sbecauseyou’venoimagination,\"Iretorted。
Stuartsmiled。\"It’sagoodidea,andI’lldoit;itwon’tbethetruestrealism,butIthinkIamentitledtotheleewayononelapse,\"hesaid。
\"Youare,\"Irejoined。\"Lapseforthesakeofrealism。Themanwhoneverlapsesisnotreal。Thereneverwassuchaman。Youmightchangethatgarden—partycostumetoo。Ifyoucan’tthinkofabettercombinationthanthat,leaveittome。I’llwritetomysisterandaskhertodesignadecentdressforthatoccasion。\"
\"Thanks,\"saidStuart,withalaugh。\"Iacceptyouroffer;but,I
say,whatwasthenameofthelittlemountainhousewhereyoufoundher?\"
\"Idon’tknow,\"Ireplied。\"YoumadesuchaninfernalrowbatteringdownmydoorthatIcameawayinahurryandforgottoask。\"
\"Thatisunfortunate,\"saidStuart。\"Ishouldhavelikedtogoupthereforawhile——shemighthelpmecorrecttheproofs,youknow。\"
That’swhathesaid,buthedidn’tdeceiveme。Helovedher,andI
beganagaintohopetograciousthatHarleyhadnotdeceivedhimselfandme,andthatMargueriteAndrewswasabitofreallife,andnotaworkoftheimagination。
Atanyrate,Harleyhadanabidingfaithinherexistence,forthefollowingMondaynighthepackedhiscaseandsetoutforLakeGeorge。Hewasgoingtoexplore,hesaid。
CHAPTERX:BYWAYOFEPILOGUE
\"Let,downthecurtain,thefarceisdone。\"
—RABELAIS。
Isupposemystoryoughttoendhere,sinceHarley’srebelliousheroinehasfinallybeensubduedfortheuseofhispublishersandtheconsequentdeclarationofdividendsfortheHarleyexchequer;buttherewasanepiloguetothelittlefarce,whichnearlyturneditintotragedy,fromwhichtheprincipalsweresavedbynothingshortofmyowningenuity。HarleyhadfallendesperatelyinlovewithMargueriteAndrews,andMargueriteAndrewshadfalleninlovewithStuartHarley,andHarleycouldn’tfindher。Sheeludedhiseveryeffort,andhebegantodoubtthathehaddrawnherfromreallife,afterall。ShehadbecomeaMarjorieDawtohim,andthenotionthathemustgothroughlifecherishingahopelesspassionwasdistractingtohim。Hisbookwasthegreatestofhissuccesses,whichwasanadditionalcauseofdiscomforttohim,since,knowingashenowdidthathisstudywasnotafaithfulportrayaloftheinnerlifeofhisheroine,hefeltthatthelaurelsthatwerebeingplaceduponhisbrowhadbeenobtainedunderfalsepretences。
\"Ifeellikeahypocrite,\"hesaid,ashereadanenthusiasticreviewofhislittleworkfromthepenofnolessapersonthanMr。Darrow,thehigh—priestoftherealisticsect。\"IamafraidIshallnotbeabletolookDarrowintheeyewhenImeethimattheclub。\"
\"Neverfearforthat,Stuart,\"Isaid,laughinginwardlyathisplight。\"Brazenitout;keepastiffupperlip,andDarrowwillneverknow。Hehasinsight,ofcourse,buthecan’tseeasfarinasyouandhethink。\"
\"It’sadevilishsituation,\"hecried,impatientlystridingupanddowntheroom,\"thatamanofmyageshouldbesohopelesslyinlovewithawomanhecan’tfind;andthathecan’tfindherissuchacruelsarcasmuponhisliterarycreed!Whatcursedidiosyncrasyoffateisitthathasbroughtthisthinguponme?\"
\"It’sthepunishmentthatfitsyourcrime,Harley,\"Isaid。\"You’vebeenrathernarrowmindedinyourliteraryideas。Possiblyitwillmakeamoretolerantcriticofyouhereafter,whenyoucometoflayfellowslikeBalderstoneforventuringtothinkdifferentlyfromyouastothesortofbooksitispropertowrite。Hehasasmuchrighttotheprofitshecanderivefromhisfancyasyouhavetotheemolumentsofyourinsight。\"
\"I’dtakesomecomfortifIthoughtthatshereallylovedme,\"hesaid,mournfully。
\"Havenodoubtonthatscore,Stuart,\"Isaid。\"Shedoesloveyou。
Iknowthat。Iwishshedidn’t。\"
\"Thenwhycan’tIfindher?Whydoesshehidefromme?\"hecried,fortunatelyignoringmydevoutlyexpressedwish,whichslippedoutbeforeIknewit。
\"Becausesheisawoman,\"Ireplied。\"Hasn’tyouranalyticalmindtoldyouyetthatthemoreawomanlovesaman,theharderhe’sgottoworktofinditoutand——andclinchthebargain?\"
\"Isupposeyouareright,\"hesaid,gloomily。\"ButifIwereawoman,andknewIwaskillingamanbykeepingmyselfinhiding,I’dcomeoutandshowmyselfatanycost,especiallyifIlovedhim。\"
\"Nowyouaredealinginimagination,Harley,\"Isaid;\"andthatneverwasyourstrongpoint。\"
Nevertheless,hewasrightononepoint。ThehopelessnessofhisquestwaskillingHarley——notphysicallyexactly,butemotionally,asitwere。Itwastakingalltheheartoutofhim,andhispresentstateofmindwasfarmoredeplorablethanwhenhewasstrugglingwiththebook,andconstantlygrowingworse。Hetriedeverydevicetofindher——theWillardswereconjuredup,andknewnothing;Mrs。
CorwinandthetwinswerebroughtbackfromEurope,andrefusedtoyieldupthesecret;allthepowersofarealisticpenwerebroughttobearuponher,andyetsherefusedutterlytomaterialize。
Finally,Ifounditnecessarytoactmyself。IcouldnotstandthesightofHarleybeinggraduallyeatenupbythelongingofhisownsoul,andItriedmyhandatexploration。Ihadnobettersuccessforseveralweeks;andthen,likeaninspiration,thewholethingcametome。\"Shewon’tcomewhenhesummonsher,becausesheloveshim。Shewon’tsummonhimtocometoher,forthesamereason。Whynotsummonbothofthemyourselftoacommonground?Embalmtheminalittleromanceofyourown。Forcethemifneedbe,butgetthemthere,andsobringthemtogether,andletthemworkouttheirownhappiness,\"saidItomyself。TheonlydifficultythatpresenteditselfwasastowhetherornotMargueritewouldallowherselftobeforced。Itwasworththetrial,however,andfortunefavoredme。I
foundherfarfromrebellious。Mypenhadhardlytouchedpaperwhenshematerialized,morebewilderinglybeautifulthanever。IlaidthesceneofmylittleessayatLake—wood,andIfoundhersittingdownbythewater,dreamilygazingoutoverthelake。InherlapwasStuartHarley’sbook,anddaintilypastedonthefly—leafofthiswastheportraitwhichhadappearedintheAugustissueofTheLiteraryMan,whichshehadcutoutandpreserved。
Havingprovidedtheheroinewithaspotconducivetohercomfort,I
hastenedtotransportHarleytothescene。Itwaseasytodo,seeinghowdeeplyinterestedIwasinmyplotandhowwillinghewas。IgothimtherelookinglikeaGreekgod,onlyatriflemoreinteresting,becauseofhissympathy—arousingpallor——thepallorwhichcomesfromanundeservedbuffetingatthehandsofamischievousCupid。Iknowitwell,forIhaveobserveditseveraltimesuponmyowncountenance。ThemomentHarleyappeareduponthesceneIchosetohaveMargueritehastilyclaspthebookinherhands,raiseittoherlips,andkissthepicture——anditmusthavebeenintenselytruetolife,forshediditwithoutamoment’shesitation,almostanticipatingmyconvenience,throwinganamountofpassionintotheactwhichmademypenfairlyhissasIdippeditintotheink。OfcourseHarleycouldnotfailtoseeit——Ihadtakencaretoarrangeallthat——andequallyofcoursehecouldnotfailtocomprehendwhatthatkissmeant;couldnotfailtostopshort,withaconvulsiveefforttocontrolhimself——heroesalwaysdothat;couldnotfailtherebytoattractherattention。Afterthisnothingwasmorenaturalthanthatsheshouldspringtoherfeet,\"theblushesofasurprisedlovemantlinghercheeks\";itwasequallynaturalthatsheshouldtrytorun,shouldslip,havehimcatchherarmandsaveherfromfalling,and——well,Iamnotgoingtotellthewholestory。I
haveneitherthetime,theinclination,northetalenttolaybaretotheworldthelove—affairsofmyfriend。Furthermore,havinggotthemtogether,Idiscreetlywithdrew,sothatevenifIweretotrytowriteuptherestofthecourtship,itwouldmerelyresultinmytellingyouhowIimagineditprogressed,andIfancymyreadersareaswellupinmattersofthatsortasIam。Sufficeittosay,therefore,thatinthiswayIbroughtStuartHarleyandMargueriteAndrewstogether,andthattheeventjustifiedthemeans:andthattheotherday,whenMr。andMrs。Harleyreturnedfromtheirhoneymoon,theytoldmetheythoughtIoughttogiveuphumorandtaketowritinglove—stories。
\"Thatkissingthepictureepisode,\"saidStuart,lookinggratefullyatme,\"wasaninspiration。Tomymind,itwasthemostsatisfactorythingyou’veeverdone。\"
\"Ilikethat!\"criedhiswife,withamischievoustwinkleinhereye。
\"Hedidn’tdoit。ItwasIwhokissedthepicture。Hecouldn’thavemademedoanythingelsetosavehislife。\"
\"Rebellioustothelast!\"saidI,withasightothinkthatImustnowwritetheword\"Finis\"tomylittlefarce。
\"Yes,\"sheanswered。\"Rebellioustothelast。Ishallneverconsenttobetheheroineofabookagain,until——\"
ShepausedandlookedatStuart。
\"Untilwhat?\"heasked,tenderly。
\"Untilyouwriteyourautobiography,\"saidshe。\"Ihavealwayswantedofbetheheroineofthat。\"
Andthrowingdownmypen,IdiscoveredIwasalone。