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believe I can ultimately get some literature out of them。 If I can
think of a fitting fable for them Fulkerson will feature it in Every
Other Week。 He'll get out a Saratoga number； and come up here and
strike the hotels and springs for ad's。〃
〃Well；〃 said Mrs。 March； 〃I wish I had never seen them； and it's all
your fault； Basil。 Of course； when you played upon my sympathies so
about them； I couldn't help feeling interested in them。 We are a
couple of romantic old geese； my dear。〃
〃Not at all； or at least I'm not。 I simply used these people
conjecturally to give myself an agreeable pang。 I didn't want to
know anything more about them than I imagined； and I certainly
didn't dream of doing anything for them。 You'll spoil everything if
you turn them from fiction into fact； and try to manipulate their
destiny。 Let them alone； they will work it out for themselves。〃
〃You know I can't let them alone now；〃 she lamented。 〃I am not one
of those who can give themselves an agreeable pang with the
unhappiness of their fellow…creatures。 I'm not satisfied to study
them； I want to relieve them。〃
She went on to praise herself to my disadvantage； as I notice wives
will with their husbands； and I did not attempt to deny her this
source of consolation。 But when she ended by saying； 〃I believe I
shall send you alone；〃 and explained that she had promised Mrs。
Deering we would come to their hotel for them after tea； and go with
them to hear the music at the United States and the Grand Union； I
protested。 I said that I always felt too sneaking when I was
prowling round those hotels listening to their proprietary concerts；
and I was aware of looking so sneaking that I expected every moment
to be ordered off their piazzas。 As for convoying a party of three
strangers about alone； I should certainly not do it。
〃Not if I've a headache？〃
〃Not if you've a headache。〃
〃Oh； very well； then。〃
〃What are you two quarrelling about？〃 cried a gay voice behind us；
and we looked round into the laughing eyes of Miss Dale。 She was
the one cottager we knew in Saratoga； but when we were with her we
felt that we knew everybody； so hospitable was the sense of world
which her kindness exhaled。
〃It was Mrs。 March who was quarrelling；〃 I said。 〃I was only trying
to convince her that she was wrong； and of course one has to lift
one's voice。 I hope I hadn't the effect of halloaing。〃
〃Well； I merely heard you above the steam harmonicon at the
switchback；〃 said Miss Dale。 〃I don't know whether you call THAT
holloaing。〃
〃Oh； Miss Dale；〃 said my wife； 〃we are in such a fatal〃
〃Pickle；〃 I suggested； and she instantly adopted the word in her
extremity。
〃pickle with some people that Providence has thrown in our way；
and that we want to do something for〃； and in a labyrinth of
parentheses that no man could have found his way into or out of； she
possessed Miss Dale of the whole romantic fact。 〃It was Mr。 March；
of course； who first discovered them；〃 she concluded； in plaintive
accusation。
〃Poor Mr。 March！〃 cried Miss Dale。 〃Well； it is a pathetic case；
but it isn't the only one； if that's any comfort。 Saratoga is
reeking with just such forlornities the whole summer long； but I can
quite understand how you feel about it； Mrs。 March。〃 We came to a
corner； and she said abruptly： 〃Excuse my interrupting your
quarrel！ Not quite so LOUD； Mr。 March！〃 and she flashed back a
mocking look at me as she skurried off down the street with
astonishing rapidity。
〃How perfectly heartless！〃 cried my wife。 〃I certainly thought she
would suggest somethingoffer to do something。〃
〃I relied upon her； too；〃 I said； 〃but now I have my doubts whether
she was really going down that street till she saw that it was the
best way to escape。 We're certainly in trouble； my dear； if people
avoid us in this manner。〃
CHAPTER V
〃I am doing it entirely on Mrs。 Deering's I account；〃 said my wife
that evening after tea； as we walked down the side…street that
descended from our place to Broadway。 〃She has that girl on her
hands； and I know she must be at her wits' end。〃
〃And I do it entirely on Deering's account；〃 I retorted。 〃He has
both of those women on HIS hands。〃
We emerged into the glistening thoroughfare in front of the vast
hotels； and I was struck； as I never fail to be； with its futile and
unmeaning splendour。 I think there is nothing in our dun…coloured
civilisation prettier than that habit the ladies have in Saratoga of
going out on the street after dark in their bare heads。 When I
first saw them wandering about so in the glitter of the shop…windows
and the fitful glare of the electrics everywhere； I thought they
must be some of those Spanish…Americans mistaking the warm； dry air
of the Northern night for that of their own latitudes； but when I
came up with them I could hear； if I could not see； that they were
of our own race。 Those flat and shapeless tones could come through
the noses of no other。 The beauty and the elegance were also ours；
and the fearless trust of circumstance。 They sauntered up and down
before the gaunt； high porticoes of the hotels； as much at home as
they could have been in their own houses； and in much the same dress
as if they had been receiving there。 The effect is one of
incomparable cheer； and is a promise of social brilliancy which
Saratoga no more keeps than she does that of her other
characteristic aspects； say the forenoon effect of the same
thoroughfare； with the piazzas banked with the hotel guests； and the
street full of the light equipages which seem peculiar to the place
passing and repassing； in the joyous sunlight and out of it； on the
leaf…flecked street。 Even the public carriages of Saratoga have a
fresh； unjaded air； and to issue from the railway station in the
midst of those buoyant top…phaetons and surreys； with their light…
limbed horses； is to be thrilled by some such insensate expectation
of pleasure as fills the heart of a boy at his first sally into the
world。 I always expect to find my lost youth waiting for me around
the corner of the United States Hotel； and I accuse myself of some
fault if it disappoints me； as it always does。 I can imagine what
gaudy hopes by day and by night the bright staging of the potential
drama must awaken in the breast of a young girl when she first sees
it； and how blank she must feel when the curtain goes down and there
has been no play。 It was a real anguish to me when that young girl
with the Deerings welcomed my wife and me with a hopeful smile； as
if we were the dramatis personae； and now the performance must be
going to begin。 I could see how much our chance acquaintance had
brightened the perspective for her； and how eagerly she had repaired
all her illusions； and I thought how much better it would have been
if she had been left to the dull and spiritless resignation in which
I had first seen her。 From that there could no fall； at least； and
now she had risen from it only to sink again。
But； in fact； the whole party seemed falsely cheered by the event of
the afternoon； and in the few moments that we sat with them on their
verandah； before going to the music at the Grand Union； I could hear
the ladies laughing together； while Deering joyously unfolded to me
his plan of going home the next morning and leaving his wife and
Miss Gage behind him。 〃They will stay in this hotelthey might as
welland I guess they can get along。 My wife feels more acquainted
since she met Mrs。 March； and I shan't feel so much like leavin' her
among strangers here I don't know when she's taken such a fancy to
any one as she has to your wife； or Miss Gage either。 I guess
she'll want to ask her about the stores。〃
I said that I believed the fancy was mutual； and that there was
nothing my wife liked better than telling people about stores。 I
added； in generalisation； that when a woman had spent all her own
money on dress； it did her quite as much good to see other women
spending theirs； and Deering said he guessed that was about so。 He
gave me a push on the shoulder to make me understand how keenly he
appreciated the joke； and I perceived that we had won his heart too。
We joined the ladies； and I thought that my sufferings for her
authorised me to attach myself more especially to Miss Gage； and to
find out all I could about her。 We walked ahead of the others； and
I was aware of her making believe that it was quite the same as if
she were going to the music with a young man。 Not that she seemed
disposed to trifle with my grey hairs； I quickly saw that this would
not be in character with her； but some sort of illusion was
essential to her youth； and she could not help rejuvenating me。
This was quite like the goddess she looked； I reflected； but
otherwise she was not formidably divine； and； in fact； I suppose the
goddesses were； after all； only nice girls at heart。 This one； at
any rate； I decided； was a very nice girl when she was not sulking；
and she was so brightened by her little adventure； which was really
no adventure； that I could not believe I had ever seen her sulking。
The hotel people did not keep us from going into the cou