第25章

OnemorningBetty，comingtomakehervisitofinquiryfoundthepatientlookingthoughtful，andwhenshecommenteduponhisairofpondering，hisreplycastlightuponthemystery。

"Well，MissVanderpoel，"heexplained，"IwaslyingherethinkingofLordMountDunstanandMr。Penzance，andhowwelltheytreatedme——Ihaven’ttoldyouaboutthat，haveI？

"ThatexplainswhatMrs。Buttlesaid，"sheanswered。

"WhenyouweredeliriousyoutalkedfrequentlytoLordMountDunstanandMr。Penzance。Webothwonderedwhy。"

Thenhetoldherthewholestory。Beginningwithhissittingonthegrassybankoutsidethepark，listeningtothesongoftherobin，heendedwiththeadieuxattheentrancegateswhenthesoundofherhorse’strottinghoofshadbeenheardbyeachofthem。

"WhatI’vebeenlyingherethinkingof，"hesaid，"ishowqueeritwasithappenedjustthatway。IfIhadn’tstoppedjustthatminute，andifyouhadn’tgoneby，andifLordMountDunstanhadn’tknownyouandsaidwhoyouwere，LittleWilliewouldhavebeeninLondonbythistime，hustlingtogetacheapbunkbacktoNewYorkin。"

"Because？"inquiredMissVanderpoel。

G。Seldenlaughedandhesitatedamoment。Thenhemadeacleanbreastofit。

"Say，MissVanderpoel，"hesaid，"Ihopeitwon’tmakeyoumadifIownup。Ladieslikeyoudon’tknowanythingaboutchapslikeme。Onthesquareandstraightout，whenIseenyouandheardyournameIcouldn’thelprememberingwhosedaughteryouwas。ReubenS。Vanderpoelspellsabigthing。Why，whenIwasinNewYorkwefellowsusedtogettogetherandtalkaboutwhatit’dmeantothechapwhocouldgetnexttoReubenS。Vanderpoel。Weusedtocountupallthebusinesshedoes，andalltheclerkshe’sgotunderhimpoundingawayontypewriters，andhowthey’dbeboundtogetwornoutandneednewones。Andwe’dmakecalculationshowmanyamancouldunload，ifhecouldgetnext。Itwasakindoftypewritingjuniorassistantfairystory，andweknewitcouldn’thappenreally。Butweusedtochinaboutitjustforthefunofthething。OneoftheboysmadeupathingaboutoneofussavingReubenS。’slife——dragginghimfromunderarunawayautoand，whenhesays，`WhatcanI

dotoshowmygratitude，youngman？’himhandingouthiscatalogueandsaying，`IshouldliketocallyourattentiontotheDelkoff，sir，’andgettinghimtopromisehe’dneveruseanyother，aslongashelived！"

ReubenS。Vanderpoel’sdaughterlaughedasspontaneouslyasanygirlmighthavedone。G。Seldenlaughedwithher。

Atanyrate，shehadn’tgotmad，sofar。

"Thatwaswhatdidit，"hewenton。"WhenIrodeawayonmybikeIgotthinkingaboutitandcouldnotgetitoutofmyhead。ThenextdayIjuststoppedontheroadandgotoffmywheel，andIsaystomyself：`Lookhere，businessisbusiness，ifyouAREtravellinginEuropeandlunchingatBuckinghamPalacewiththemainsqueeze。Getbusy！What’lltheboyssayiftheyhearyou’vemissedachancelikethis？YOU

hitthepikeforStornhamCastle，orwhateverit’scalled，andtakeyournervewithyou！Shecan’tdomorethanhaveyoufiredout，andyou’vebeenfiredbeforeandgotyourbreathafterit。SoIturnedroundandmadetime。AndthatwashowI

happenedonyouravenue。AndperhapsitwasbecauseIwasfeelingabitrattledIlostmyholdwhenthechainbroke，andpitchedoveronmyhead。There，I’vegotitoffmychest。I

wasthinkingIshouldhavetoexplainsomehow。"

Somethingakintoherfeelingofaffectionforthenice，long—

leggedWesternershehadseenramblinginBondStreettouchedBettyagain。TheDelkoffwasthecentreofG。Selden’sworldastheflowerswereofKedgers’，asthe"little’ome"wasofMrs。Welden’s。

"WereyougoingtotrytosellMEatypewriter？"sheasked。

"Well，"G。Seldenadmitted，"Ididn’tknowbutwhattheremightbeuseforone，writingbusinesslettersonabigplacelikethis。Straight，Iwon’tsayIwasn’tgoingtotryprettyhard。Itmaylooklikegall，butyouseeafellowhastorushthingsorhe’llnevergetthere。AchaplikemeHAS

togetthere，somehow。"

Shewassilentafewmomentsandlookedasifshewasthinkingsomethingover。HersilenceandthislookonherfaceactuallycausedtodawninthebreastofSeldenagleamofdaringhope。Helookedroundatherwithafaintrisingofcolour。

"Say，MissVanderpoel——say————"hebegan，andthenbrokeoff。

"Yes？"saidBetty，stillthinking。

"C—COULDyouuseone——anywhere？"hesaid。"Idon’twanttorushthingstoomuch，but——COULDyou？"

"Isiteasytolearntouseit？"

"Easy！"hisheadliftedfromhispillow。"It’saseasyasfallingoffalog。Ababyinaperambulatorcouldlearntotickoffordersforitsbottle。And——onthesquare——thereisn’titsequalonthemarket，MissVanderpoel——thereisn’t。"Hefumbledbeneathhispillowandactuallybroughtforthhiscatalogue。

"Iaskedthenursetoputitthere。Iwantedtostudyitnowandthenandthinkuparguments。See——adjustabletoholdwithperfecteaseanenvelope，anindexcard，orastripofpapernowiderthanapostagestamp。Unsurpassedpaperfeed，practicalribbonmechanism——perfectandpermanentalignment。"

AsMountDunstanhadtakenthebook，BettyVanderpoeltookit。NeverhadG。Seldenbeheldsuchsmilingineyesabouttobenduponhiscatalogue。

"Youwillraiseyourtemperature，"shesaid，"ifyouexciteyourself。Youmustn’tdothat。Ibelievetherearetwoorthreepeopleontheestatewhomightbetaughttouseatypewriter。Iwillbuythree。Yes——wewillsaythree。"

Shewouldbuythree。Hesoaredtoheights。Hedidnotknowhowtothankher，thoughhedidhisbest。Dizzyingvisionsofwhathewouldhavetotell"theboys"whenhereturnedtoNewYorkflashedacrosshismind。ThedaughterofReubenS。VanderpoelhadboughtthreeDelkoffs，andhewasthejuniorassistantwhohadsoldthemtoher。

"Youdon’tknowwhatitmeanstome，MissVanderpoel，"

hesaid，"butifyouwereajuniorsalesmanyou’dknow。It’snotonlythesale——thoughthat’sarake—offoffifteendollarstome——butit’sbecauseit’sYOUthat’sboughtthem。Gee！"

gazingatherwithafrankawewhoseobvioussincerityheldaqueertouchofpathos。"WhatitmustbetobeYOU——justYOU！"

Shedidnotlaugh。Shefeltasifahandhadlightlytouchedheronhernakedheart。Shehadthoughtofitsooften——hadbeenbewilderedrestlesslybyitasamerechild——thisdifferenceinhumanlot——thischance。WasitchancewhichhadplacedherentityinthecentreofBettinaVanderpoel’sworldinsteadofinthatofsomelittlecashgirlwithhairrakedbackfromasallowface，whostaredatherasshepassedinashop——orinthatoftheyoungFrenchwomanwhoselifewasspentinservingher，incaringfordelicatedressesandkeepingguardoverornamentswhosepricewouldhavegiventoherownhumblenesseasefortherestofexistence？Whatdiditmean？AndwhatLawwaslaiduponher？WhatLawwhichcouldonlyworkthroughherandsuchasshewhohadbeenbornwithalmostunearthlypowerlaidintheirhands——thereinsofmonstrouswealth，whichguidedordrovetheworld？Sometimesfeartouchedher，aswiththislighttouchanherheart，becauseshedidnotKNOWtheLawandcouldonlypraythatherguessingatitmightberight。And，evenasshethoughtthesethings，G。

Seldenwenton。

"Younevercanknow，"hesaid，"becauseyou’vealwaysbeeninit。Andtherestoftheworldcan’tknow，becausethey’veneverbeenanywherenearit。"Hestoppedandevidentlyfelltothinking。

"Tellmeabouttherestoftheworld，"saidBettyquietly。

Helaughedagain。

"Why，Iwasjustthinkingtomyselfyoudidn’tknowathingaboutit。Andit’squeer。It’stherestofusthatmountsupwhenyoucometonumbers。Iguessit’drunintomillions。

I’mnotthinkingofbeggarsandstarvingpeople，I’vebeenrushingtheDelkofftoosteadytogetontoanyswellcharityorganisation，soIdon’tknowaboutthem。I’mjustthinkingofthemillionsoffellows，andwomen，too，forthematterofthat，thatwakenupeverymorningandknowthey’vegottohustlefortheirtenperortheirfifteenper——iftheycanstiritupasthickasthat。Ifit’sasmuchasfiftyper，ofcourse，seemsliketome，they’reonEasyStreet。Butsometimesthosethat’sgottofiftyper——orevenmore——havegotmorethingstodowithit——kids，youknow，andmo

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