第36章

"EvenBetty，"hehadsaidtohimself，nowandthen。"EvenmyBetty。GoodGod——whoknows！"

Becauseofthis，hehadreadeachletterwithkeeneyes。

Theywerelongletters，fullofdetailandcolour，becausesheknewheenjoyedthem。Shehadadelightfultouch。HesometimesfeltasiftheywalkedtheEnglishlanestogether。

Hisintimacywithherneighbours，andherneighbourhood，wasoneofhisrelaxations。HefoundhimselfthinkingofoldDobyandMrs。Welden，asasortofsoporificmeasure，whenhelayawakeatnight。ShehadsentphotographsofStornham，ofDunholmCastle，andofDole，andhadevenfoundanoldengravingofLadyAlanbyinheryouth。HerevidentlikingfortheDunholmshadpleasedhim。Theywerepeoplewhosedignityandadmirablenesswerepartofgeneralknowledge。LordWestholtwasplainlyayoungmanofmanyattractions。Ifthetwoweredrawntoeachother——andwhatmorenatural——allwouldbewell。HewonderedifitwouldbeWestholt。Buthislovequickenedasagacitywhichneedednostimulus。Hesaidtohimselfintimethat，thoughshelikedandadmiredWestholt，shewentnofarther。Thatotherspaidcourttoherhecouldguesswithoutbeingtold。Hehadseentheeffectshehadproducedwhenshehadbeenathome，andalsoanunexpectedlettertohiswifefromMillyBowenhadrevealedmanythings。Milly，havingnotedMrs。Vanderpoel’seageranxietytoheardirectnewsofLadyAnstruthers，wasnotthepersontoletfallfromherhandausefulthreadofconnection。Shehadwrittenquiteatlength，managingadroitlytoconveyallthatshehadseen，andallthatshehadheard。ShehadbeenmakingavisitwithindrivingdistanceofStornham，andhadhadthepleasureofmeetingbothLadyAnstruthersandMissVanderpoelatvariousparties。

ShewassosurethatMrs。VanderpoelwouldliketohearhowwellLadyAnstrutherswaslooking，thatsheventuredtowrite。Betty’seffectuponthecountywasmadequiteclear，asalsowastheinterestedexpectationofherappearanceintownnextseason。Mr。Vanderpoel，perhaps，gatheredmorefromtheletterthanhiswifedid。Inhermind，relievedhappinessandconsternationweremingled。

"Doyouthink，Reuben，thatBettywillmarrythatLordWestholt？"sheratherfaltered。"Heseemsverynice，butIwouldrathershemarriedanAmerican。IshouldfeelasifIhadnogirlsatall，iftheybothlivedinEngland。"

"LadyBowengiveshimagoodcharacter，"herhusbandsaid，smiling。"Butifanythinguntowardhappens，Annie，youshallhaveahouseofyourownhalfwaybetweenDunholmCastleandStornhamCourt。"

WhenhehadbeguntodecidethatLordWestholtdidnotseemtobethemanFatewasveeringtowards，henotunnaturallycastamentaleyeoversuchotherpersonsasthelettersmentioned。AtexactlywhatperiodhisthoughtfirstdweltashadeanxiouslyonMountDunstanhecouldnothavetold，butheatlengthbecameconsciousthatitsodwelt。

Hehadbegunbyfeelinganinterestinhisstory，andhadaskedquestionsabouthim，becauseasituationsuchashissuggestedquerytoamanofaffairs。Thus，ithadbeennaturalthatthelettersshouldspeakofhim。Whatshehadwrittenhadrecalledtohimcertainrumoursofthedisgracefuloldscandal。

Yes，theyhadbeenabadlot。Hearrangedtoputacasual—

soundingquestionorsotocertainpersonswhoknewEnglishsocietywell。Whathegatheredwasnotencouraging。ThepresentLordMountDunstanwasconsideredratherasurlybrute，andlivedamysterioussortoflifewhichmightcovermanythings。Itwasbadblood，andpeoplewerenaturallyshyofit。Ofcourse，themanwasapauper，andhisplaceabarrackfallingtoruin。TherehadbeensomethingrathershadyinhisgoingtoAmericaorAustraliaafewyearsago。

Goodlooking？Well，sofewpeoplehadseenhim。Thelady，whowasspeaking，hadheardthathewasoneofthosebig，ratherlumpymen，andhadanill—temperedexpression。Shealwaysgaveawideberthtoamanwholookednasty—tempered。

OneortwootherpersonswhohadspokenofhimhadconveyedtoMr。Vanderpoelaboutthesameamountofvaguelyunpromisinginformation。TheepisodeofG。Seldenhadbeeninterestingenough，withitssuggestionsofpicturesquecontrastsandcombinations。Betty’stouchhadmadethejuniorsalesmanattracting。Itwasagoodtypethis，ofayoungfellowwho，battlingwiththediscouragementsofahardlife，stilldidnotlosehisamazinggoodcheerandpatience，andfoundhealthysleepandhonestwaking，eveninthehallbedroom。HehadconsentedtoBetty’srequestthathewouldseehim，partlybecausehewasinclinedtolikewhathehadheard，andpartlyforareasonwhichBettydidnotsuspect。

ByextraordinarychanceG。SeldenhadseenMountDunstanandhissurroundingsatcloserange。Mr。VanderpoelhadlikedwhathehadgatheredofMountDunstan’sattitudetowardsapersonalitysosingularlyexotictohimself。Crude，uneducated，andslangy，thejuniorsalesmanwasnotinanydegreeafool。

ToanAmericanfatherwithadaughterlikeBetty，thesumming—

upofanormal，nice—natured，commonyoungdenizenoftheUnitedStates，freshfromcontactwiththeeffete，mightbesubtlyinstructive，andwellworthhearing，ifitwasunconsciouslyexpressed。Mr。Vanderpoelthoughtheknewhow，afterhehadovercomehisvisitor’sfirstawkwardness——ifhechancedtobeself—conscious——hecouldleadhimtotalk。WhathehopedtodowastomakehimforgethimselfandbegintotalktohimashehadtalkedtoBetty，toingenuouslyrevealimpressionsandpointsofview。Youngmenofhisclean，rudimentarytypewereverydefiniteaboutthethingstheylikedanddisliked，andcouldbetrustedtorevealadmiration，orlackofit，withoutabsoluteintentionoractualstatement。

Beingelementalandundismayed，theysawthingsclearedofthemistsofsocialprejudiceandmodification。Yes，hefeltheshouldbegladtohearofLordMountDunstanandtheMountDunstanestatefromG。Seldeninahappymomentofunawareness。

WhywasitthatithappenedtobeMountDunstanhewasdesiroustohearof？Well，theabsolutereasonforthathecouldnothaveexplained，either。Hehadaskedhimselfquestionsonthesubjectmorethanonce。Therewasnowell—

foundedreason，perhaps。IfBetty’slettershadspokenofMountDunstanandhishome，theyhadalsodescribedLordWestholtandDunholmCastle。Ofthesetwomenshehadcertainlyspokenmorefullythanofothers。OfMountDunstanshehadhadmoretorelatethroughtheincidentofG。Selden。HesmiledasherealisedtheimportanceofthefigureofG。Selden。

ItwasSeldenandhisbrokenlegthetwomenhadriddenoverfromMountDunstantovisit。ButforSelden，BettymightnothavemetMountDunstanagain。Hewasreasonenoughforallshehadsaid。Andyet————！Perhaps，betweenBettyandhimselfthereexistedthethingwhichimpressesandcommunicateswithoutwords。Perhaps，becausetheiraffectionwasunusual，theyrealisedeachother’semotions。Thehalf—definedanxietyhefeltnowwasnotanewthing，butheconfessedtohimselfthatithadbeenspurredalittlebytheletterthelaststeamerhadbroughthim。ItwasNOTLordWestholt，itdefinitelyappeared。Hehadaskedhertobehiswife，andshehaddeclinedhisproposal。

"IcouldnothaveLIKEDamananymorewithoutbeinginlovewithhim，"shewrote。"ILIKEhimmorethanIcansay——somuch，indeed，thatIfeelalittledepressedbymycertaintythatIdonotlovehim。"

Ifshehadlovedhim，thewholematterwouldhavebeensimplified。Iftheothermanhaddrawnher，thethingwouldnotbesimple。Herfatherforesawallthecomplications——andhedidnotwantcomplicationsforBetty。Yetemotionswereperverseandirresistiblethings，andthestrongerthecreatureswayedbythem，themoreenormoustheirpower。But，ashesatinhiseasychairandthoughtoveritall，theonefeelingpredominantinhismindwasthatnothingmatteredbutBetty——nothingreallymatteredbutBetty。

InthemeantimeG。SeldenwaswalkingupFifthAvenue，atoncetouchedandexhilaratedbythestirabouthimandhissenseofhome—coming。ItwasprettygoodtobeinlittleoldNewYorkagain。Thehurriedpaceofthelifeabouthimstimulatedhisyoungblood。TherewerenostreetcarsinFifthAvenue，buttherewerecarriages，waggons，carts，motors，allpantingly

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