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could work it up with some architect； who would help you to 'keep
off the grass' in the way of technical blunders。 With all this
tendency to the classic in public architecture； I don't see why the
Pompeian villa shouldn't be the next word for summer cottages。〃
〃Well； we'll see what Fulkerson says。 He may see an ad。 in it。
Would you like to do it？〃
〃Why not do it yourself？ Nobody else could do it so well。〃
〃Thanks for the taffy； but the idea was yours。〃
〃I'll do it；〃 said Kendricks after a moment； 〃if you won't。〃
〃We'll see。〃
Miss Gage stared； and Mrs。 March said …
〃I didn't suppose the House of Pansa would lead to shop with you
two。〃
〃You never can tell which way copy lies；〃 I returned； and I asked
the girl； 〃What should YOU think； Miss Gage； of a little paper with
a thread of story； but mostly talk； on a supposititious Pompeian
cottage？〃
〃I don't believe I understand；〃 said she； far too remote from our
literary interests； as I saw； to be ashamed of her ignorance。
〃There！〃 I said to Kendricks。 〃Do you think the general public
would？〃
〃Miss Gage isn't the general public；〃 said my wife； who had followed
the course of my thought； her tone implied that Miss Gage was wiser
and better。
〃Would you allow yourself to be drawn；〃 I asked； 〃dreamily issuing
from an aisle of the pine grove as the tutelary goddess of a
Pompeian cottage？〃
The girl cast a bewildered glance at my wife； who said； 〃You needn't
pay any attention to him； Miss Gage。 He has an idea that he is
making a joke。〃
We felt that we had done enough for one afternoon； when we had done
the House of Pansa； and I proposed that we should go and sit down in
Congress Park and listen to the Troy band。 I was not without the
hope that it would play 〃Washington Post。〃
My wife contrived that we should fall in behind the young people as
we went； and she asked； 〃What DO you suppose she made of it all？〃
〃Probably she thought it was the house of Sancho Panza。〃
〃No； she hasn't read enough to be so ignorant even as that。 It's
astonishing how much she doesn't know。 What can her home life have
been like？〃
〃Philistine to the last degree。 We people who are near to
literature have no conception how far from it most people are。 The
immense majority of 'homes；' as the newspapers call them； have no
books in them except the Bible and a semi…religious volume or two
things you never see out of such 'homes'and the State business
directory。 I was astonished when it came out that she knew about
Every Other Week。 It must have been by accident。 The sordidness of
her home life must be something unimaginable。 The daughter of a
village capitalist； who's put together his money dollar by dollar；
as they do in such places； from the necessities and follies of his
neighbours； and has half the farmers of the region by the throat
through his mortgagesI don't think that she's 'one to be desired'
any more than 'the daughter of a hundred earls；' if so much。〃
〃She doesn't seem sordid herself。〃
〃Oh； the taint doesn't show itself at once
'If nature put not forth her power
About the opening of the flower；
Who is it that would live an hour？'
and she is a flower； beautiful； exquisite〃
〃Yes； and she had a mother as well as this father of hers。 Why
shouldn't she be like her mother？〃
I laughed。 〃That is true！ I wonder why we always leave the mother
out of the count when we sum up the hereditary tendencies？ I
suppose the mother is as much a parent as the father。〃
〃Quite。 And there is no reason why this girl shouldn't have her
mother's nature。〃
〃We don't actually KNOW anything against her father's nature yet；〃 I
suggested； 〃but if her mother lived a starved and stunted life with
him； it may account for that effect of disappointed greed which I
fancied in her when I first saw her。〃
〃I don't call it greed in a young girl to want to see something of
the world。〃
〃What do you call it？〃
Kendricks and the girl were stopping at the gate of the pavilion；
and looking round at us。 〃Ah； he's got enough for one day！ He's
going to leave her to us now。〃
When we came up he said； 〃I'm going to run off a moment； I'm going
up to the book…store there；〃 and he pointed toward one that had
spread across the sidewalk just below the Congress Hall verandah；
with banks and shelves of novels； and a cry of bargains in them on
signs sticking up from their rows。 〃I want to see if they have the
Last Days of Pompeii。〃
〃We will find the ladies inside the park；〃 I said。 〃I will go with
you〃
〃Mr。 March wants to see if they have the last number of Every Other
Week；〃 my wife mocked after us。 This was； indeed； commonly a foible
of mine。 I had newly become one of the owners of the periodical as
well as the editor； and I was all the time looking out for it at the
news…stands and book…stores； and judging their enterprise by its
presence or absence。 But this time I had another motive； though I
did not allege it。
〃I suppose it's for Miss Gage？〃 I ventured to say； by way of
prefacing what I wished to say。 〃Kendricks； I'm afraid we're
abusing your good nature。 I know you're up here to look about； and
you're letting us use all your time。 You mustn't do it。 Women have
no conscience about these things； and you can't expect a woman who
has a young lady on her hands to spare you。 I give you the hint。
Don't count upon Mrs。 March in this matter。〃
〃Oh； I think you are very good to allow me to bother round；〃 said
the young fellow； with that indefatigable politeness of his。 He
added vaguely； 〃It's very interesting。〃
〃Seeing it through such a fresh mind？〃 I suggested。 〃Well； I'll own
that I don't think you could have found a much fresher one。 Has she
read the Last Days of Pompeii？〃
〃She thought she had at first； but it was the Fall of Granada。〃
〃How delightful！ Don't you wish we could read books with that
utterly unliterary sense of them？〃
〃Don't you think women generally do？〃 he asked evasively。
〃I daresay they do at De Witt Point。〃
He did not answer； I saw that he was not willing to talk the young
lady over； and I could not help praising his taste to myself at the
cost of my own。 His delicacy forbade him the indulgence which my
own protested against in vain。 He showed his taste again in buying
a cheap copy of the book； which he meant to give her； and of course
he had to be all the more attentive to her because of my deprecating
his self…devotion。
CHAPTER XI
In the intimacy that grew up between my wife and Miss Gage I found
myself less and less included。 It seemed to me at times that I
might have gone away from Saratoga and not been seriously missed by
any one； but perhaps this was not taking sufficient account of my
value as a spectator； by whom Mrs。 March could verify her own
impressions。
The girl had never known a mother's care； and it was affecting to
see how willing she was to be mothered by the chance kindness of a
stranger。 She probably felt more and more her ignorance of the
world as it unfolded itself to her in terms so altogether strange to
the life of De Witt Point。 I was not sure that she would have been
so grateful f