Herosetohisfeetwithamuffledexclamation，andwalkedthelengthofthepiazzaandback。
\"Doyourealizethatyouaresayingnotome，Diantha？\"
\"Youaremistaken，dear。IhavesaidthatIwillmarryyouwheneveryouchoose。Butitisyouwhoaresaying，’Iwillnotmarryawomanwithabusiness。’\"
\"Thisisfoolishness！\"hesaidsharply。\"Noman——thatisaman——wouldmarryawomanandletherrunabusiness。\"
\"Youaremistaken，\"sheanswered。\"OneofthefinestmenIeverknewhasaskedmetomarryhim——andkeeponwithmywork！\"
\"Whydidn’tyoutakehimup？\"
\"BecauseIdidn’tlovehim。\"Shestopped，asobinhervoice，andhecaughtherinhisarmsagain。
Itwaslateindeedwhenhewentaway，walkingswiftly，withablackrebellioninhisheart;andDianthadraggedherselftobed。
Shewasstunned，deadened，exhausted;tornwithadesiretorunafterhimandgiveup——giveupanythingtoholdhislove。Butsomething，partlyreasonandpartlypride，keptsayingwithinher：\"Ihavenotrefusedhim;hehasrefusedme！\"
WHATDIANTHADID
CHAPTERXIII。
ALLTHIS。
TheylaidbeforeherconqueringfeetThespoilsofmanylands;
TheircrownsshonereduponherheadTheirsceptersinherhands。
Sheheardtwomurmuringatnight，Whererose—sweetshadowsrest;
AndcovetedtheblossomredHelaiduponherbreast。
WhenMadamWeatherstoneshooktheplentifuldustofOrchardinafromherexpensiveshoes，andreturnedtoadornthemoreclassicgrovesofPhiladelphia，Mrs。Thaddlerassumedtoholdundisputedswayasasocialleader。
TheSocialLeadershemeanttobe;andmarshalledherforcestothatend。ShePatronizedhere，andDonatedthere;revisedhervisitinglistwithrigidexclusiveness;securedanEminentProfessorandaNotedWriterasvisitors，andgaveentertainmentsofalmostRomanmagnificence。
Herhusbandgrewmoreandmorerestiveundertherisingtideofsocialexactionsindressanddeportment;andspentmoreandmoretimebehindhisfasthorses，oronthestock—ranchwhereheraisedthem。Asaneighborandfellowranchman，hescrapedacquaintancewithRossWarden，andwasabletorenderhimmanysmallservicesintheprocessofsettling。
Mrs。WardenrememberedhisvisittoJopalez，andittookhersometimetorearrangehiminhermindasapersonofwealthandstanding。Havingsorearrangedhim，onsufficientevidence，sheandherdaughtersbecamemostfriendly，andhadhopesofestablishingvaluableacquaintanceinthetown。\"It’snotformyselfIcare，\"shewouldexplaintoRoss，everydayintheweekandmoreonSundays，\"butforthegirls。InthatdreadfulJopaleztherewasabsolutely_no_opportunityforthem;buthere，withhorses，thereisnoreasonweshouldnothavefriends。Youmustconsideryoursisters，Ross！DobemorecordialtoMr。Thaddler。\"
ButRosscouldnotatpresentbecordialtoanybody。Hisunexpectedgoodfortune，thefreedomfromhatedcares，andchancetoworkouthismightytheoriesonthefaithfulguinea—pig，oughttohavefilledhissoulwithjoy;butDiantha’scruelobstinacyhadembitteredhiscupofjoy。Hecouldnotbreakwithher;shehadnotrefusedhim，anditwasdifficultincoldbloodtorefuseher。
Hehadstayedawayfortwowholeweeks，inwhichtimetheguinea—pigsnibbledateaseandDiantha’sworkwouldhavesufferedexceptforhermother’sextraefforts。Thenhewenttoseeheragain，miserablebutstubborn，findingheralsomiserableandalsostubborn。Theyarguedtilltherewasgravedangerofanabsolutebreakbetweenthem;thendroppedthesubjectbymutualagreement，andspenteveningsofunsatisfyingefforttotalkaboutotherthings。
DianthaandhermothercalledonMrs。Warden，ofcourse，admiringthegloriousview，thesweethighair，andtheemboweredlovelinessofthetworanchhouses。RossdrewDianthaasideandshowedher\"theirs\"——alovelylittlewide—porchedconcretecottage，withared—tiledroof，andheavymassesofGoldofOphirandBanksiaroses。
Heheldherhandanddrewherclosetohim。
Hekissedherwhentheyweresafeinside，andmurmured：\"Come，darling——won’tyoucomeandbemywife？\"
\"Iwill，Ross——wheneveryousay——but——！\"Shewouldnotagreetogiveupherwork，andheflungawayfromherinrecklessdespair。Mrs。Wardenandthegirlsreturnedthecallasamatterofduty，butcamenomore;
themothersayingthatshecouldnottakeherdaughterstoaServantGirls’Club。
AndthoughtheServantGirls’ClubwassoonremovedtoitsnewquartersandUnionHousebecameaquiet，well—conductedhotel，stillthetwofamiliessawbutlittleofeachother。
Mrs。Wardennaturallytookherson’sside，andconsideredDianthaanunnaturalmonsterofhard—heartedness。
ThemattersiftedthroughtotheearsofMrs。Thaddler，whorejoicedinit，andcalleduponMrs。Wardeninherlargestautomobile。Asamotherwithfourmarriageabledaughters，Mrs。Wardenwasdelightedtoacceptandimprovetheacquaintance，butheraristocraticSouthernsoulwasinwardlyrebelliousattheancestorlessnessandunculturedmoneyedprideofhernewfriend。
\"IfonlyMadamWeatherstonehadstayed！\"shewouldcomplaintoherdaughters。\"ShehadFamilyaswellasWealth。\"
\"There’syoungMrs。Weatherstone，mother——\"suggestedDora。
\"Anobody！\"hermotherreplied。\"ShehastheWeatherstonemoney，ofcourse，butnoPosition;andwhatlittleshehassheislosingbyherlowtastes。ShegoesaboutfreelywithDianthaBell——herownhousekeeper！\"
\"She’snotherhousekeepernow，mother——\"
\"Well，it’sallthesame！She_was！_Andameregeneralservantbeforethat！AndnowtothinkthatwhenRossiswillingtooverlookitallandmarryher，shewon’tgiveitup！\"
Theywereallagreedonthispoint，unlessperhapsthattheyoungesthadherinwardreservations。DorahadalwayslikedDianthabetterthanhadtheothers。
YoungMrs。Weatherstonestayedinherbigemptyhouseforawhile，andasMrs。Wardensaid，wentaboutfrequentlywithDianthaBell。ShelikedMrs。Bell，too——tookherforlongstimulatingridesinhercomfortablecar，andinsistedthatfirstoneandthentheotherofthemshouldhaveabitofvacationatherseashorehomebeforethewinter’sworkgrewtooheavy。
WithMrs。BellshetalkedmuchofhowDianthahadhelpedthetown。
\"Shehasnoideaofthepsychiceffects，Mrs。Bell，\"saidshe。\"Sheseesthebusiness，andshehasagreatviewofallitisgoingtodoforwomentocome;butIdon’tthinksherealizeshowmuchsheisdoingrightnowforwomenhere——andmen，too。ThereweremyfriendsthePornes;theywere’driftingapart，’asthenovelshaveit——andnowonder。Isabelwasabsolutelynogoodasahousekeeper;henaturallydidn’tlikeit——andthebabymadeitalltheworse;shepinedforherwork，yousee，andcouldn’tgetanytimeforit。Nowtheyareashappyascanbe——andit’sjustDianthaBell’sdoings。ThehouseworkisoffIsabel’sshoulders。
\"ThentherearetheWagrams，andtheSheldons，andtheBrinks——andeversomanymore——whohavetoldmethemselvesthattheyarefarhappierthantheyeverwerebefore——andcanlivemorecheaply。Sheoughttobethehappiestgirlalive！\"
Mrs。Bellwouldagreetothis，andquiteswelledwithhappinessandpride;butMrs。Weatherstone，watchingnarrowly，wasnotsatisfied。
WhenshehadDianthawithhersheopenedfiredirect。\"Yououghttobethehappiest，proudest，mosttriumphantwomanintheworld！\"shesaid。
\"You’remakingoodlesofmoney，yourwholething’sgoingwell，andlookatyourmother——she’smadeover！\"
Dianthasmiledandsaidshewashappy;buthereyeswouldstrayofftotheveryrimoftheocean;hermouthsetinpatientlinesthatwerenotintheleasttriumphant。
\"Tellmeaboutit，myfriend，\"saidherhostess。\"Isitthathewon’tletyoukeeponwiththebusiness？\"
Dianthanodded。
\"Andyouwon’tgiveituptomarryhim？\"
\"No，\"saidDiantha。\"No。WhyshouldI？I’dmarryhim——to—morrow！\"
Sheheldonehandwiththeother，tight，buttheybothshookalittle。
\"I’dbegladto。ButIwillnotgiveupmywork！\"
\"Youlookthin，\"saidMrs。Weatherstone。
\"Yes——\"
\"Doyousleepwell？\"
\"No——notvery。\"
\"AndIcanseethatyoudon’teatasyououghtto。Hm！Areyougoingtobreakdown？\"
\"No，\"saidDiantha，\"Iamnotgoingtobreakdown。Iamdoingwhatisright，andIshallgoon。It’salittlehardatfirst——havinghimsonear。ButIamyoungandstrongandhaveagreatdealtodo——Ishalldoit。\"
AndthenMrs。Weatherstonewouldtellherallsheknewoftheintensesatisfactionofthepeoplesheserved，andpleasantstoriesaboutthegirls。Sheboughtherbookstoreadandsuchgleaningsasshefoundinforeignmagazinesonthesubjectoforganizedhouse—service。
Notonlyso，butshesuppliedtheOrchardinalibrarywithaspecialbibliographyonthesubject，andinducedthenewWoman’sClubtotakeupacourseofreadinginit，sothattheregraduallyfilteredintotheOrchardinamindafaintperceptionthatthiswasnotthefreakofaneccentricindividual，butpartofaninevitablebusinessdevelopment，goingoninvariouswaysinmanynations。
Asthewinterdrewon，Mrs。Weatherstonewhiskedawayagain，butkeptawarmcurrentofinterestinDiantha’slifebymanyletters。
Mr。BellcamedownfromJopalezwithouterreluctancebutinnersatisfaction。Hehadrentedhisplace，andSusiehadthreebabiesnow。
Henderson，Jr。，hadnoplaceforhim，andtodohouseworkforhimselfwasnopartofMr。Bell’splan。
InDiantha’shotelhehadacomfortableroomnexthiswife’s，andacapaciouschairinthefirelithallinwetweather，orontheshadedpiazzaindry。Theexcellentlibrarywasaresourcetohim;hefoundsomecongenialsoulstotalkwith;andunderthenewstimulussucceededatlastinpatentingasmalldevicethatreallyworked。Withthis，andhisrent，hefeltinclinedtoestablisha\"homeofhisown，\"andthesoulofMrs。Bellsankwithinher。Withoutallowingittocometoanissuebetweenthem，shekeptthequestionopenforendlessdiscussion;
andMr。Belllivedoningreatcontentmentundertheimpressionthathewasabouttomoveatalmostanytime。Tohisfriendsandcronieshedilatedwithprideonhisdaughter’swonderfulachievements。
\"She’sasgoodasaboy！\"hewoulddeclare。\"Womennowadaysseemtodoanythingtheywantto！\"Andherigidlypaidhisboardbillwithaflourish。
MeanwhiletheimpressivegatheringsatMrs。Thaddler’s，andthehumblerteaandcardpartiesofDiantha’sfriends，hadanewtopicasashuttlecock。
ANewYorkcompanyhadboughtoneofthelargestandfinestblocksintown——theoldParaplace——andwasdevelopingitinamannerhithertounseen。Thebig，shabby，neglectedestatebegantoturnintosuchafairylandasonlysouthernlandscanknow。Theoldlive—oakswereuntouched;thetoweringeucalyptustreesremainedinraggedmajesty;butanarmyofworkmenwasbusyunderguidanceofamasterofbeauty。
Onelargeandlovelybuildingrose，promptlydubbedahotelbytheunwillingneighbors;others，smaller，showedhereandthereamongthetrees;andthenarose—graywallofconcreteranaroundthewhole，high，tantalizing，withgreenboughsandsweetodorscomingoverit。Thosewhowentinreportedmanybuildings，andmuchactivity。But，whenthewallwasdone，andeachgatesaid\"Noadmittanceexceptonbusiness，\"
thentheworkofgeniiwasimagined，andtherewasnonetocontradict。
ItwasaSchoolofTheosophy;itwasaChristianScienceCollege;itwasaFree—LoveColony;itwasaSecretSociety;itwasathousandwonders。
\"Lotoflittlehousesandonebigone，\"theemployeessaidwhenquestioned。
\"Hotelandcottages，\"theemployerssaidwhenquestioned。
Theymadenosecretofit，theyweretoobusy;butthetownwasunsatisfied。Whyawall？Whatdidanyhonestpersonwantofawall？
Yetthewallcastapleasantshadow;therewereseatshereandtherebetweenbuttresses，and，astheswiftCaliforniaseasonadvanced，rosesandoleandersnoddedoverthetop，andgavehintsofbeautyandrichnessmoresubtlystimulatingthanalltheopengloryofthelow—hedgedgardensnear。
Diantha’ssoulwasstirredwithsecretenvy。Somebigconcernwasabouttocarryoutherdream，orpartofit——perhapstobeahugeandoverflowingrival。Herownworkgrewmeantime，andflourishedaswellasshecouldwish。
Thefood—deliveryservicewasrunningtoitsfullcapacity;thegirlsgotonverywellunderMrs。Jessup，andweredelightedtohaveahouseoftheirownwiththeparlorsandpiazzasalltothemselves，andagardentositinaswell。Ifthisdepletedtheirranksbymarriage，itdidnotmatternow，fortherewasawaitinglistintrainingallthetime。
UnionHousekeptonevenlyandprofitably，andDianthawasbeginningtofeelsafeandsuccessful;buttheyearslookedlongbeforeher。
ShewasalwayscheeredbyMrs。Weatherstone’sletters;andMrs。Pornecametoseeher，andtocomparenotesovertheirfriend’ssuccess。ForMrs。WeatherstonehadbeenpresentedatCourt——atmorethanonecourt，infact;andMrs。WeatherstonehadbeenproposedtobyaDuke——andhadrefusedhim！Orchardinawell—nighswoonedwhenthiswasknown。
Shehadbeenstudying，investigating，hadbecomeknowninscientificaswellassocialcircles，andonherwaybackthestrenuousupperlayerofNewYorkSocietyhadalsomademuchofher。Rumorsgrewofherexquisitecostumes，ofherunusualjewels，ofheruniqueentertainments，ofherpopularityeverywhereshewent。
Otherproposals，ofamagnificentnature，werereported，withmoremagnificentrefusals;andOrchardinabegantobeveryproudofyoungMrs。Weatherstoneandtowishshewouldcomeback。
Shedidatlast，bringinganItalianPrincewithher，andaHochGeboreneGermanCountalso，whoallegedtheyweretravellingtostudythecountry，butwhowerereputedtohavehadaduelalreadyonthebeautifulwidow’saccount。
Allthiswaslong—drawngossipbutboresomefaintresemblancetothefacts。VivaWeatherstoneatthirtywasaverydifferentwomanfrontthepale，sad—eyedgirloffouryearsearlier。Andwhenthegreathouseontheavenuewasarrayedinnewmagnificence，andallOrchardina——thatdared——hadpaiditsrespectstoher，sheopenedtheseason，asitwere，withabrilliantdinner，followedbyareceptionandball。
AllOrchardinacame——sofarasithadbeeninvited。TherewasthePrince，sureenough——apleasant，blue—eyedyoungman。AndtherewastheCount，bearingvisibleevidenceofduelsa—plentyinearlierdays。AndtherewasDianthaBell——receiving，withMrs。PorneandMrs。
Weatherstone。AllOrchardinastared。Dianthahadbeenatthedinner——thatwasclear。Andnowshestoodthereinhersoft，darkeveningdress，theknotofgoldenacaciasnestlingagainsttheblacklaceatherbosom，lookingasfairandsweetasifshehadneverhadacareinherlife。
Hermotherthoughtherthemostbeautifulthingshehadeverseen;andherfather，thoughsomewhatcritical，secretlythoughtso，too。
Mrs。Weatherstonecastmanyalovinglookatthetallgirlbesideherintheintervalsof\"Delightedtoseeyou’s，\"andsawthatherdoubleburdenhadhadnoworseeffectthantosoftenthelinesofthemouthandgiveahintofpathostothecleardepthsofhereyes。
TheforeignvisitorsweremuchinterestedintheyoungAmazonofIndustry，asthePrinceinsistedoncallingher;andeventheGermanCountforamomentforgothisancestorsinherpleasantpracticaltalk。
Mrs。WeatherstonehadtakenpainstocallupontheWardens——claimingaconnection，ifnotarelationship，andtoinvitethemall。Andasthecrowdgrewbiggerandbigger，DianthasawMrs。Wardenatlastapproachingwithherfourdaughters——andnooneelse。Shegreetedthempolitelyandwarmly;butMrs。Weatherstonedidmore。
Holdingthemallinalittlegroupbesideher，sheintroducedhernoblevisitorstothem;impartedthefurtherinformationthattheirbrotherwas_fiance_toMissBell。\"Idon’tseehim，\"shesaid，lookingabout。
\"Hewillcomelater，ofcourse。Ah，MissMadeline！Howproudyouallmustfeelofyoursister—in—lawtobe！\"
Madelineblushedandtriedtosayshewas。
\"Sucharemarkableyounglady！\"saidtheCounttoAdeline。\"Youwilladmire，envy，andimitate！Isitnotso？\"
\"YourladiesofAmericahaveallthingsinyourhands，\"saidthePrincetoMissCora。\"Tothinkthatshehasdonesomuch，andisyetsoyoung——andsobeautiful！\"
\"Iknowyou’reallasproudasyoucanbe，\"Mrs。WeatherstonecontinuedtoDora。\"Yousee，Dianthahasbeenheardofabroad。\"
Theyallpassedonpresently，asotherscame;butMrs。Warden’sheadwasreeling。ShewishedshecouldbyanymeansgetatRoss，and_make_himcome，whichhehadrefusedtodo。
\"Ican’t，mother，\"hehadsaid。\"Yougo——allofyou。Takethegirls。
I’llcallforyouattwelve——butIwon’tgoin。\"
Mr。andMrs。Thaddlerwerethere——butnothappy。Shewasnot，atleast，andshowedit;hewasnotuntilanideastruckhim。Hedodgedsoftlyout，andwassoonflyingoff，atdangerousspeedoverthemoon—whitecountryroads。
HefoundRoss，dressedandready，sulkingblacklyonhisshadowyporch。
\"Comeandtakeaspinwhileyouwait，\"saidMr。Thaddler。
\"Thanks，Ihavetogointownlater。\"
\"I’lltakeyouintown。\"
\"Thankyou，butIhavetotakethehorsesinandbringoutmymotherandthegirls。\"
\"I’llbringyoualloutinthecar。Comeon——it’sagreatnight。\"
SoRossratherreluctantlycame。
Hesatbackontheluxuriouscushions，hisarmsfoldedsternly，hisbrowsknit，andthestoutgentlemanathissidewatchedhimshrewdly。
\"Howdoestheranchgo？\"heasked。
\"Verywell，thankyou，Mr。Thaddler。\"
\"ThemChinkspayuppromptly？\"
\"Aspromptasthemonthcomesround。Theirrentisaveryvaluablepartoftheestate。\"
\"Yes，\"Mr。Thaddlerpursued。\"Theyhaveagoodsteadymarketfortheirstuff。Andthechickenman，too。Doyouknowwhobuys’em？\"
Rossdidnot。Didnotgreatlycare，heintimated。
\"Ishouldthinkyou’dbeinterested——yououghtto——it’sDianthaBell。\"
Rossstarted，butsaidnothing。
\"Yousee，I’vetakenagreatinterestinherpropositioneversinceshesprungitonus，\"Mr。Thaddlerconfided。\"She’sgotthegoodsallright。Buttherewasplentyagainstherhere——youknowwhatwomenare！
AndImadeupmymindthesuppliesshouldbegoodandsteady，anyhow。
Shehadnotroublewithhergroceryorders;thatwaseasy。MeatI
couldn’thandle——exceptindirectly——alittlepressure，maybe，hereandthere。\"Andhechuckledsoftly。\"ButthisranchIboughtonpurpose。\"
Rossturnedasifhehadbeenstung。
\"You！\"hesaid。
\"Yes，me。Whynot？It’sagoodproperty。Igotitallfixedright，andthenIboughtyourlittleupstateshop——lock，stockandbarrel——andgaveyouthisforit。Afairexchangeisnorobbery。Thoughitwouldbenicetohaveitallinthefamily，eh？\"
Rosswassilentforafewturbulentmoments，revolvingthisfarfrompleasinginformation。
\"What’dIdoitfor？\"continuedtheunaskedbenefactor。\"Whatdoyou_think_Ididitfor？Sothatbrave，sweetlittlegirldownherecouldhaveherheart’sdesire。She’sestablishedherbusiness——she’sprovedherpoint——she’swonthetown——mostofit;andthere’snothingonearthtomakeherunhappynowbutyourpigheadedness！Youngman，Itellyouyou’reaplumbfool！\"
Onecannotthrowone’shostoutofhisownswift—flyingcar;norisitwisetojumpoutone’sself。
\"Nothingonearthbetweenyoubutyourcussedpride！\"Mr。Thaddlerremorselesslywenton。\"Thisranchishonestlyyours——byasquaredeal。
YourJopalezbusinesswasworththemoney——youranithonestlyandextendedthetrade。You’dhavemadeaheapbyitifyoucouldhaveunbentalittle。Gosh！Ilimberedupthatstoresomeintwelvemonths！\"Andthestoutmansmiledreminiscently。
Rosswasstillsilent。
\"Andnowyou’vegotwhatyouwanted——thankstoher，mindyou，thankstoher！——andyouain’twillingtoletherhavewhatshewants！\"
Theyoungmanmoistenedhislipstospeak。
\"Youain’tdependentonherinanysense——Idon’tmeanthat。Youearnedtheplaceallright，andIdon’tdoubtyou’llmakegood，bothinabusinesswayandascientificway，youngman。ButwhyinHadesyoucan’tletherbehappy，too，ismore’nIcanfigure！Guessyougetyournotionsfromtwogenerationsback——andsome！\"
Rossbegan，stumblingly。\"IdidnotknowIwasindebtedtoyou，Mr。
Thaddler。\"
\"You’renot，youngman，you’renot！Iranthatshopofyoursayear——builtupthebusinessandsolditformorethanIpaidforthis。
Soyou’venoroomforheroics——noneatall。WhatIwantyoutorealizeisthatyou’rebreakingtheheartofthefinestwomanIeversaw。Youcan’tbendthatgirl——she’llnevergiveup。Awomanlikethathasgotmorethingstodothanjustmarry！Butshe’spiningforyouallthesame。
\"Heresheisto—night，receivingwithMrs。Weatherstone——withthoseBannerets，DukesandEarlsaroundher——standinguptherelikeaPrincessherself——andhereyesonthedoorallthetime——andtearsin’em，I
couldswear——becauseyoudon’tcome！\"
*
Theydrewupwithafinecurvebeforethecarriagegate。
\"I’lltake’emallhome——theywon’tbereadyforsometimeyet，\"saidMr。Thaddler。\"AndifyoutwowouldlikethiscarI’llsendfortheotherone。\"
Rossshookhandswithhim。\"Youareverykind，Mr。Thaddler，\"hesaid。
\"Iamobligedtoyou。ButIthinkwewillwalk。\"
Tallandimpressive，lookingmoredistinguishedinasix—year—oldeveningsuitthaneventheHochGeboreneinhisuniform，hecameatlast，andDianthasawhimthemomentheentered;saw，too，anewlightinhiseyes。
Hewentstraighttoher。AndMrs。Weatherstonedidnotlayitupagainsthimthathehadbutthebriefestofwordsforhishostess。
\"Willyoucome？\"hesaid。\"MayItakeyouhome——now？\"
Shewentwithhim，withoutaword，andtheywalkedslowlyhome，byfaroutlyingpaths，andlongwaitsonrose—boweredseatstheyknew。
Themoonfilledalltheworldwithtenderlightandtheorangeblossomsfloodedthestillairwithsweetness。
\"Dear，\"saidhe，\"Ihavebeenaproudfool——Iamyet——butIhavecometoseealittleclearer。Idonotapproveofyourwork——Icannotapproveofit——butwillyouforgivemeforthatandmarryme？Icannotliveanylongerwithoutyou？\"
\"OfcourseIwill，\"saidDiantha。
WHATDIANTHADID
CHAPTERXIV。
ANDHEAVENBESIDE。
Theyweremarriedwhiletheflowerswereknee—deepoverthesunnyslopesandmesas，andthecanyonsgulfsofcolorandfragrance，andwentfortheirfirstmoontogethertoafarhighmountainvalleyhiddenamongwoodedpeaks，withaclearlakeforitscentraljewel。
Amonthofheaven;whilewaveonwaveofperfectrestandworld—forgettingoblivionrolledoverboththeirhearts。
Theyswamtogetherinthedawn—flushedlake，seeingthemorningmistsfloatupfromthesilversurface，breakingthestillreflectionofthicktreesandrosyclouds，rejoicinginthelevelshaftsofforestfilteredsunlight。Theyplayedandranlikechildren，rejoicedovertheirpicnicmeals;layflatamongthecrowdingflowersandsleptunderthetenderstarlight。
\"Idon’tsee，\"saidherlover，\"butthatmystrenuousAmazonisjustasmuchawomanas——asanywoman！\"
\"WhoeversaidIwasn’t？\"quothDianthademurely。
Amonthofperfecthappiness。Itwassoshortitseemedbutamoment;
solonginitsrichperfectionthattheybothagreediflifebroughtnofurtherjoythiswasEnough。
Thentheycamedownfromthemountainsandbeganliving。
*
Dayserviceisnotsoeasilyarrangedonaranchsomemilesfromtown。
Theytrieditforawhile，thenewrunaboutcarbringingoutagirlinthemorningearly，andtakingDianthaintoheroffice。
Butmotorcarsarenotinfallible;andifitmetwithanyaccidenttherewasdelayatbothends，andmoreorlessfriction。
ThenDianthaengagedafirst—classOrientalgentleman，wellrecommendedbythe\"vegetableChinaman，\"ontheirownplace。Thiswasextremelysatisfactory;hedidtheworkwell，andwasinallwaysreliable;buttherearoseinthetownacurrentofmaliciouscriticismandprotest——thatshe\"didnotliveuptoherprinciples。\"
Tothisshepaidnoattention;herworkwasnowtoowellplanted，tooincreasinglyprosperoustobeweakenedbysmallsneers。
Hermother，growingplumpernow，thrivingcontinuouslyinhernewlinesofwork，keptthehotelunderherimmediatemanagement，anddidbookkeepingforthewholeconcern。NewUnionHomeranitself，andarticleswerewrittenaboutitinmagazines;sothathereandthereinothercitiessimilarclubswerestarted，withvaryingsuccess。Therestaurantwasincreasinglypopular;Diantha’scookswerehighlyskilledandhandsomelypaid，andfromthecheaplunchtotheexpensivebanquettheygavesatisfaction。
Butthe\"c。f。d。\"wasthedarlingofherheart，anditprosperedexceedingly。\"Thereisnoadvertisementlikeapleasedcustomer，\"andherpleasedcustomersgrewinnumbersandinenthusiasm。Familyafterfamilylearnedtoprizethecleanlinessandquiet，theodorlessnessandflylessnessofahomewithoutakitchen，andtheirquestioningguestswereconvertedbytheexcellentofthemeals。
Criticalwomenlearnedatlastthatacompetentcookcanreallyproducebetterfoodthananincompetentone;albeitwithoutthesanctityofthehome。
\"Sanctityofyourbootstraps！\"protestedoneirasciblegentleman。\"Suchtalkisallnonsense！Idon’twant_sacred_meals——Iwantgoodones——andI’mgettingthem，atlast！\"
\"Wedon’tbragabout’homebrewing’anymore，\"saidanother，\"or’hometailoring，’or’homeshoemaking。’Whyallthistalkabout’homecooking’？\"
Whatpleasedthemenmostwasnotonlythegoodfood，butitsclock—workregularity;andnotonlythereducedbillsbuttheincreasedhealthandhappinessoftheirwives。DomesticblissincreasedinOrchardina，andthedoctorsweremorerigidlyconfinedtothepatronageoftourists。
RossWardendidhisbest。UnderthemercilessfriendlinessofMr。
ThaddlerhehadbeenbroughttoseethatDianthahadarighttodothisifshewould，andthathehadnorighttopreventher;buthedidnotlikeitanythebetter。
Whensherolledawayinherlittlecarinthebright，sweetmornings，alightwentoutofthedayforhim。Hewantedherthere，inthehome——hishome——hiswife——evenwhenhewasnotinithimself。Andinthisparticularcaseitwasharderthanformostmen，becausehewasinthehouseagooddeal，inhisstudy，withnobettercompanythanapoliteChinamansomedistanceoff。
ItwasbynomeanseasyforDiantha，either。Toleavehimtuggedatherheart—strings，asitdidathis;andifhehadtostrugglewithinheritedfeelingsandacquiredtraditions，stillmorewasshebesetwithanunexpecteduprisingofsentimentsanddesiresshehadneverdreamedoffeeling。
Withmarriage，love，happinesscameanoverwhelminginstinctofservice——personalservice。Shewantedtowaitonhim，lovedtodoit;
regardedWangFuwithpositivejealousywhenhebroughtinthecoffeeandRosspraisedit。Shehadasenseoftreason，ofneglectedduty，asshelefttheflower—crownedcottage，daybyday。
Butsheleftit，sheplungedintoherwork，sheschooledherselfreligiously。
\"Shameonyou！\"sheberatedherself。\"Now——_now_thatyou’vegoteverythingonearth——toweaken！Youcouldstandunhappiness;can’tyoustandhappiness？\"Andshestrovewithherself;andkeptonwithherwork。
Afterall，thehappinesswaspresentlydilutedbythepressureofthisblankwallbetweenthem。Shecamehome，eager，loving，delightedtobewithhimagain。Hereceivedherwithnocomplaintorcriticism，butalwaysanunspoken，perhapsimagined，senseofprotest。Shewasfulloflovingenthusiasmabouthiswork，andhewoulddilateuponhisharassedguinea—pigsandtheirdevelopmentwithhighsatisfaction。
Buthenevercouldbringhimselftoaskaboutherlaborswithanygenuineapproval;shewaskeenlysensitivetohisdislikeforthesubject，andsoitwasignoredbetweenthem，ortreatedbyhiminaveinofhumorwithwhichhestrovetocoverhisrealfeeling。
When，beforemanymonthswereover，thecrowningtriumphofhereffortrevealeditself，herjoyandprideheldthisbitterdrop——hedidnotsympathize——didnotapprove。Still，itwasagreatglory。
TheNewYorkCompanyannouncedthecompletionoftheirworkandthe_HoteldellasCasas_wasopenedtopublicinspection。\"HouseoftheHouses！That’safinename！\"saidsomedisparagingly;but，atanyrate，itseemedappropriate。Thebigestatewasonerichgarden，morepicturesque，moredreamilybeautiful，thantheAmericancommercialmindwasusuallyabletocompass，evenwhenpossessedofmillions。Thehotelofitselfwasapleasurepalace——whollyunostentatious，fullofgaietyandcharm，offeringlovelychambersforguestsandresidents，andeveryopportunityforhealthfulamusement。Therewastherareluxuryofabigswimming—pool;therewerebilliardrooms，cardrooms，readingrooms，loungingroomsanddancingroomsofsatisfyingextent。
Outsidethereweretennis—courts，badminton，roque，evencroquet;andthewideroofwasagardenofBabylon，aCourtoftheStars，withviewsofpurplemountains，fair，widevalleyandfar—flashingrimofsea。
Aroundit，eachinitsownhedgedgarden，nestled\"LasCasas\"——theHouses——twentyinnumber，withwindingshadedpaths，groupsofraretrees，awildernessofflowers，betweenandaboutthem。Inonecornerwasaplaygroundforchildren——awallaroundthis，thattheymightshoutinfreedom;andthenurserytherebygaveeveryprovisionforthehappinessandsafetyofthelittleones。
Thepeoplepouredalongthewindingwalls，enteredtheprettycottages，weremuchimpressedbyalittleflockofwell—flooredtentsinanothercorner，butcamebackwithOhs！andAhs！ofdelighttothelargebuildingintheAvenue。
Dianthawentallovertheplace，inchbyinch，hereyeswideningwithadmiration;Mr。andMrs。PorneandMrs。Weatherstonewithher。Sheenjoyedtheserene，well—plannedbeautyofthewhole;approvedheartilyofthecottages，eachonealittledifferent，eachcharminginitsquietprivacy，admiredtheplentifularrangementsforpleasureandgayassociation;butherprofessionalsoulblazedwithenthusiasmoverthegreatkitchens，cleanasahospital，glitteringinglassandcopperandcooltiling，withtheswift，sureelectricstove。
Thefuelallwentintoasmall，solidlybuiltpowerhouse，andcameoutinlightandheatandforceforthewholesquare。
Dianthasighedinabsoluteappreciation。
\"Fine，isn’tit？\"saidMr。Porne。
\"Howdoyoulikethearchitecture？\"askedMrs。Porne。
\"Whatdoyouthinkofmyinvestment？\"saidMrs。Weatherstone。Dianthastoppedinhertracksandlookedfromonetotheotherofthem。
\"Fact。Icontrolthestock——I’mpresidentoftheHoteldellasCasasCompany。Ourfriendsherehavestockinit，too，andmorethatyoudon’tknow。Wethinkit’sgoingtobeapayingconcern。Butifyoucanmakeitgo，mydear，asIthinkyouwill，youcanbuyusalloutandownthewholeoutfit！\"
Ittooksometimetoexplainallthis，butthefactswerevisibleenough。
\"Nothingremarkableatall，\"saidMrs。Weatherstone。\"Here’sAstorwiththreebighotelsonhishands——whyshouldn’tIhaveonetoplaywith？
AndI’vegottoemploy_somebody_tomanageit！\"
*
WithinayearofhermarriageDianthawasattheheadofthispleasingCentreofHousekeeping。Shekeptthehotelitselfsothatitwasajoytoallitspatrons;shekeptthelittlehouseshomesofpuredelightforthosewhoweresofortunateastoholdthem;andshekeptupher\"c。f。
d。\"businesstillitgrewsolargeshehadtohavequiteafleetofdeliverywagons。
Orchardinabaskedandprospered;itscitizensfoundtheirhomeshappierandlessexpensivethaneverbefore，anditscitizenessesbegantowakeupandtodothingsworthwhile。
*
Twoyears，andtherewasasmallRossWardenborn。
Shelovedit，nursedit，andranherbusinessatlongrangeforsomesixmonths。Butthenshebroughtnurseandchildtothehotelwithher，placedtheminthecool，airynurseryinthegarden，andvariedherbusydaywithstillhoursbyherself——thebabyinherarms。
Backtheycametogetherbeforesupper，andfoundunbrokenjoyandpeaceinthequietofhome;butalwaysinthebackgroundwasthecurrentofRoss’unspokendisapproval。
Threeyears，fouryears。
Therewerethreebabiesnow;Dianthawasasplendidwomanofthirty，handsomeandstrong，pre—eminentlysuccessful——andyet，thereweretimeswhenshefounditinherhearttoenvythemostordinarypeoplewholovedandquarreledandmadeupinthelittleoutlyingranchhousesalongtheroad;theyhadnothingbetweenthem，atleast。
MeantimeinthefriendlyopportunitiesofOrchardinasociety，addedtobytheunexampledpossibilitiesofLasCasas（andtheydidnotscornthishotelnorDiantha’spositioninit），thethreeolderMissWardenshadmarried。Twoofthempreferred\"thegoodoldway，\"butonetriedthe\"d。s。\"andthe\"c。f。d。\"andlikedthemwell。
Doraamazedanddispleasedherfamily，assoonasshewasofage，byfranklygoingovertoDiantha’ssideandlearningbookkeeping。Shebecameanexcellentaccountantandbadefairtobecomeanexpertmanagersoon。
Rosshadprosperedinhiswork。Itmaybethattheelementofdissatisfactioninhismarriedlifespurredhimon，whiletheunusualopportunitiesofhisranchallowedfreeeffort。Hehadalwaysheldthatthe\"non—transmissabilityofacquiredtraits\"wasnotestablishedbyanynumberofcurtailedmiceorcrop—earedrats。\"Amutilationisnotanacquiredtrait，\"heprotested。\"Anacquiredtraitisonegainedbyexercise;itmodifiesthewholeorganism。Itmusthaveaneffectontherace。Weexpectthesonsofalineofsoldierstoinherittheirfathers’courage——perhapshishabitofobedience——butnothiswoodenleg。\"
Toestablishhisviewsheselectedfromafinefamilyofguinea—pigstwopair;settheone，PairA，inconditionsofordinaryguinea—pigbliss，andsubjectedtheother，PairB，toacourseofdiscipline。Theyweretrainedtorun。They，andtheirdescendantsafterthem，pairfollowingonpair;firstwithslow—turningwheelsasinsquirrelcages，thewheelinexorablygoing，machine—driven，andthelucklesslittlegluttonshavingtomoveon，forgraduallyincreasingperiodsoftime，atgraduallyincreasingspeeds。PairAandtheirprogenywereshelteredandfed，buttherodwasspared;PairBwereastheguestsat\"Muldoon’s\"——theyhadtoexercise。Withscientificpatienceandingenuity，hedevisedmechanicalsurroundingswhichmadethemjumpincreasingspaces，whichmadethemrunalwaysalittlefasterandalittlefarther;andhekeptarecordascarefullyasiftheselittleshedswereracingstablesforaking。
Severalcenturiesofguinea—pigtimewentby;generationaftergenerationofhealthyguinea—pigspassedunderhismodifyinghands;andaftersomefiveyearshehadinonesmallyardafinegroupofthedescendantsofhisgall—fedpair，andinanothertheoffspringofthetrainedones;nimble，swift，asdifferentfromthefirstastherazor—backedpigoftheforestfromthefattedporkersinthesty。Hesetthemtorace——theyounguntrainedspecimensofthesedistantcousins——andthehareranawayfromthetortoisecompletely。
Greatzoologistsandbiologistscametoseehim，studied，fingered，poked，andexaminedtherecords;arguedanddisbelieved——andsawthemrun。
\"Itisnaturalselection，\"theysaid。\"Itprofitedthemtorun。\"
\"Notatall，\"saidhe。\"Theywerefedandcaredforalike，withnogainfromrunning。\"
\"Itwasartificialselection，\"theysaid。\"Youpickedoutthespeediestforyourtraining。\"
\"Notatall，\"saidhe。\"Itookalwaysanyhealthypairfromthetrainedparentsandfromtheuntrainedones——quitelateinlife，youunderstand，asguinea—pigsgo。\"
Anyhow，therewerethepigs;andhetooklittlespecializedpigletsscarceweaned，andpittedthemagainstpigletsoftheuntrainedlot——andtheyoutrantheminaracefor\"Mama。\"WhereforeMr。RossWardenfoundhimselffamousofasudden;andalloverthescientificworldtheWiesmaniancontroversyragedanew。Hewasinvitedtodeliveralecturebeforesomemostlearnedsocietiesabroad，andinseveralimportantcentersathome，andwent，rejoicing。
Dianthawasgladforhimfromthebottomofherheart，andproudofhimthroughandthrough。Shethoroughlyappreciatedhissturdyoppositiontosuchaweightofauthority;hislongpatience，hiscareful，steadywork。Shewasleftinfullswingwithherbigbusiness，busyandsuccessful，honoredandlikedbyallthetown——practically——andquiteindependentofthesmallfractionwhichstilldisapproved。Somepeoplealwayswill。Shewashappy，too，inherbabies——veryhappy。
TheHoteldellasCasaswasatriumph。
Dianthaowneditnow，andMrs。Weatherstonebuiltothers，inotherplaces，atalargeprofit。
Mrs。WardenwenttolivewithCorainthetown。Corahadmoretimetoentertainher——asshewastheonewhoprofitedbyhersister—in—law’sgeneralservices。
DianthasatinfriendlytalkwithMrs。Weatherstoneonequietday，andadmittedthatshehadnocauseforcomplaint。
\"Andyet——？\"saidherfriend。
YoungMrs。Wardensmiled。\"There’snokeepinganythingfromyou，isthere？Yes——you’reright。I’mnotquitesatisfied。IsupposeIoughtnottocare——butyousee，Ilovehimso！Iwanthimto_approve_ofme！——notjustputupwithit，andbearit！Iwanthimto_feel_withme——tocare。Itisawfultoknowthatallthisbiglifeofmineisjustamistaketohim——thathecondemnsitinhisheart。\"
\"Butyouknewthisfromthebeginning，mydear，didn’tyou？\"
\"Yes——Iknewit——butitisdifferentnow。Youknowwhenyouare_married_——\"
Mrs。Weatherstonelookedfarawaythroughthewidewindow。\"Idoknow，\"
shesaid。
Dianthareachedastronghandtoclaspherfriend’s。\"IwishIcouldgiveittoyou，\"shesaid。\"Youhavedonesomuchforme！Somuch！
Youhavepouredoutyourmoneylikewater！\"
\"Mymoney！WellIlikethat！\"saidMrs。Weatherstone。\"Ihavetakenmymoneyoutoffiveandsevenpercentinvestments，andputitintotenpercentones，that’sall。ShallInevermakeyourealizethatIamaricherwomanbecauseofyou，DianthaBellWarden！Sodon’ttrytobegrateful——Iwon’thaveit！Yourworkhas_paid_remember——paidmeaswellasyou;andlotsofotherfolksbeside。YouknowthereareeighteengoodimitationsofUnionHouserunningnow，indifferentcities，andthree’LasCasas！’allsucceeding——andthepapersaretalkingaboutthedangersofaCookedFoodTrust！\"
Theywerefriendsoldandtried，andhappyinmutualaffection。Dianthahadmanynow，thoughnonequitesodear。Herparentswerecontented——herbrotherandsisterdoingwell——herchildrenthroveandgrewandfoundMamaajoytheyneverhadenoughof。
Yetstillinherheartofheartsshewasnotwhollyhappy。
*
Thenonenightcamebythelastmail，athickletterfromRoss——thickerthanusual。Sheopeneditinherroomalone，theirroom——towhichtheyhadcomesojoyouslyfiveyearsago。
Hetoldherofhisjourneying，hislectures，hiscontroversiesandtriumphs;ratherbriefly——andthen：
\"Mydarling，Ihavelearnedsomethingatlast，onmytravels，whichwillinterestyou，Ifancy，morethanthepotentialspeedofalltheguinea—pigsintheworld，anditstransmissability。
\"FromwhatIhearaboutyouinforeignlands;fromwhatIreadaboutyouwhereverIgo;and，evenmore，fromwhatIsee，asavisitor，inmanyfamilies;Ihaveatlastbeguntograspthenatureandimportanceofyourwork。
\"AsamanofscienceImustacceptanytruthwhenitisonceclearlyseen;and，thoughI’vebeenalongtimeaboutit，Idoseeatlastwhatbrave，strong，valuableworkyouhavebeendoingfortheworld。Doingitscientifically，too。Yourfiguresarequoted，yourrecordsstudied，yourexamplefollowed。Youhaveestablishedcertaintruthsinthebusinessoflivingwhichareofimportancetotherace。AsastudentI
recognizeandappreciateyourwork。AsmantomanI’mproudofyou——tremendouslyproudofyou。Asyourhusband！Ah！mylove！Iamcomingbacktoyou——comingsoon，comingwithmyWholeHeart，Yours！
Justwait，MyDarling，tillIgetbacktoyou！
\"YourLoverandHusband。\"
Dianthaheldtheletterclose，withhandsthatshookalittle。Shekissedit——kissedithard，overandover——notimprovingitsappearanceasapieceofpolitecorrespondence。
Thenshegavewaytoanovermasteringburstoffeeling，andkneltdownbythewidebed，buryingherfacethere，theletterstillheldfast。Itwasafunnyprayer，ifanyhumanearhadheardit。
\"Thankyou！\"wasallshesaid，withlong，deepsobbingsighsbetween。
\"Thankyou！——O——thankyou！\"