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"
I
'm
afraid
,
"
Mr.
van
der
Luyden
said
,
"
that
Madame
Olenska
's
kind
heart
may
have
led
her
into
the
imprudence
of
calling
on
Mrs.
Beaufort
.
"
"
Or
her
taste
for
peculiar
people
,
"
put
in
Mrs.
Archer
in
a
dry
tone
,
while
her
eyes
dwelt
innocently
on
her
son
's
.
"
I
'm
sorry
to
think
it
of
Madame
Olenska
,
"
said
Mrs.
van
der
Luyden
;
and
Mrs.
Archer
murmured
:
"
Ah
,
my
dear
--
and
after
you
'd
had
her
twice
at
Skuytercliff
!
"
It
was
at
this
point
that
Mr.
Jackson
seized
the
chance
to
place
his
favourite
allusion
.
"
At
the
Tuileries
,
"
he
repeated
,
seeing
the
eyes
of
the
company
expectantly
turned
on
him
,
"
the
standard
was
excessively
lax
in
some
respects
;
and
if
you
'd
asked
where
Morny
's
money
came
from
--
Or
who
paid
the
debts
of
some
of
the
Court
beauties
...
"
"
I
hope
,
dear
Sillerton
,
"
said
Mrs.
Archer
,
"
you
are
not
suggesting
that
we
should
adopt
such
standards
?
"
"
I
never
suggest
,
"
returned
Mr.
Jackson
imperturbably
.
"
But
Madame
Olenska
's
foreign
bringing-up
may
make
her
less
particular
--
"
"
Ah
,
"
the
two
elder
ladies
sighed
.
"
Still
,
to
have
kept
her
grandmother
's
carriage
at
a
defaulter
's
door
!
"
Mr.
van
der
Luyden
protested
;
and
Archer
guessed
that
he
was
remembering
,
and
resenting
,
the
hampers
of
carnations
he
had
sent
to
the
little
house
in
Twenty-third
Street
.
"
Of
course
I
've
always
said
that
she
looks
at
things
quite
differently
,
"
Mrs.
Archer
summed
up.A
flush
rose
to
May
's
forehead
.
She
looked
across
the
table
at
her
husband
,
and
said
precipitately
:
"
I
'm
sure
Ellen
meant
it
kindly
.
"
"
Imprudent
people
are
often
kind
,
"
said
Mrs.
Archer
,
as
if
the
fact
were
scarcely
an
extenuation
;
and
Mrs.
van
der
Luyden
murmured
:
"
If
only
she
had
consulted
some
one
--
"
"
Ah
,
that
she
never
did
!
"
Mrs.
Archer
rejoined.At
this
point
Mr.
van
der
Luyden
glanced
at
his
wife
,
who
bent
her
head
slightly
in
the
direction
of
Mrs.
Archer
;
and
the
glimmering
trains
of
the
three
ladies
swept
out
of
the
door
while
the
gentlemen
settled
down
to
their
cigars
.
Mr.
van
der
Luyden
supplied
short
ones
on
Opera
nights
;
but
they
were
so
good
that
they
made
his
guests
deplore
his
inexorable
punctuality.Archer
,
after
the
first
act
,
had
detached
himself
from
the
party
and
made
his
way
to
the
back
of
the
club
box
.
From
there
he
watched
,
over
various
Chivers
,
Mingott
and
Rushworth
shoulders
,
the
same
scene
that
he
had
looked
at
,
two
years
previously
,
on
the
night
of
his
first
meeting
with
Ellen
Olenska
.
He
had
half-expected
her
to
appear
again
in
old
Mrs.
Mingott
's
box
,
but
it
remained
empty
;
and
he
sat
motionless
,
his
eyes
fastened
on
it
,
till
suddenly
Madame
Nilsson
's
pure
soprano
broke
out
into
"
M'ama
,
non
m
'
ama
...
"
Archer
turned
to
the
stage
,
where
,
in
the
familiar
setting
of
giant
roses
and
pen-wiper
pansies
,
the
same
large
blonde
victim
was
succumbing
to
the
same
small
brown
seducer.From
the
stage
his
eyes
wandered
to
the
point
of
the
horseshoe
where
May
sat
between
two
older
ladies
,
just
as
,
on
that
former
evening
,
she
had
sat
between
Mrs.
Lovell
Mingott
and
her
newly-arrived
"
foreign
"
cousin
.
As
on
that
evening
,
she
was
all
in
white
;
and
Archer
,
who
had
not
noticed
what
she
wore
,
recognised
the
blue-white
satin
and
old
lace
of
her
wedding
dress
.
It
was
the
custom
,
in
old
New
York
,
for
brides
to
appear
in
this
costly
garment
during
the
first
year
or
two
of
marriage
:
his
mother
,
he
knew
,
kept
hers
in
tissue
paper
in
the
hope
that
Janey
might
some
day
wear
it
,
though
poor
Janey
was
reaching
the
age
when
pearl
grey
poplin
and
no
bridesmaids
would
be
thought
more
"
appropriate
.
"
It
struck
Archer
that
May
,
since
their
return
from
Europe
,
had
seldom
worn
her
bridal
satin
,
and
the
surprise
of
seeing
her
in
it
made
him
compare
her
appearance
with
that
of
the
young
girl
he
had
watched
with
such
blissful
anticipations
two
years
earlier.Though
May
's
outline
was
slightly
heavier
,
as
her
goddesslike
build
had
foretold
,
her
athletic
erectness
of
carriage
,
and
the
girlish
transparency
of
her
expression
,
remained
unchanged
:
but
for
the
slight
languor
that
Archer
had
lately
noticed
in
her
she
would
have
been
the
exact
image
of
the
girl
playing
with
the
bouquet
of
lilies-of-the-valley
on
her
betrothal
evening
.
The
fact
seemed
an
additional
appeal
to
his
pity
:
such
innocence
was
as
moving
as
the
trustful
clasp
of
a
child
.
Then
he
remembered
the
passionate
generosity
latent
under
that
incurious
calm
.
He
recalled
her
glance
of
understanding
when
he
had
urged
that
their
engagement
should
be
announced
at
the
Beaufort
ball
;
he
heard
the
voice
in
which
she
had
said
,
in
the
Mission
garden
:
"
I
could
n't
have
my
happiness
made
out
of
a
wrong
--
a
wrong
to
some
one
else
;
"
and
an
uncontrollable
longing
seized
him
to
tell
her
the
truth
,
to
throw
himself
on
her
generosity
,
and
ask
for
the
freedom
he
had
once
refused.Newland
Archer
was
a
quiet
and
self-controlled
young
man
.
Conformity
to
the
discipline
of
a
small
society
had
become
almost
his
second
nature
.
It
was
deeply
distasteful
to
him
to
do
anything
melodramatic
and
conspicuous
,
anything
Mr.
van
der
Luyden
would
have
deprecated
and
the
club
box
condemned
as
bad
form
.
But
he
had
become
suddenly
unconscious
of
the
club
box
,
of
Mr.
van
der
Luyden
,
of
all
that
had
so
long
enclosed
him
in
the
warm
shelter
of
habit
.
He
walked
along
the
semi-circular
passage
at
the
back
of
the
house
,
and
opened
the
door
of
Mrs.
van
der
Luyden
's
box
as
if
it
had
been
a
gate
into
the
unknown
.
"
M'ama
!
"
thrilled
out
the
triumphant
Marguerite
;
and
the
occupants
of
the
box
looked
up
in
surprise
at
Archer
's
entrance
.
He
had
already
broken
one
of
the
rules
of
his
world
,
which
forbade
the
entering
of
a
box
during
a
solo.Slipping
between
Mr.
van
der
Luyden
and
Sillerton
Jackson
,
he
leaned
over
his
wife
.
"
I
've
got
a
beastly
headache
;
do
n't
tell
any
one
,
but
come
home
,
wo
n't
you
?
"
he
whispered.May
gave
him
a
glance
of
comprehension
,
and
he
saw
her
whisper
to
his
mother
,
who
nodded
sympathetically
;
then
she
murmured
an
excuse
to
Mrs.
van
der
Luyden
,
and
rose
from
her
seat
just
as
Marguerite
fell
into
Faust
's
arms
.
Archer
,
while
he
helped
her
on
with
her
Opera
cloak
,
noticed
the
exchange
of
a
significant
smile
between
the
older
ladies.As
they
drove
away
May
laid
her
hand
shyly
on
his
.
"
I
'm
so
sorry
you
do
n't
feel
well
.
I
'm
afraid
they
've
been
overworking
you
again
at
the
office
.
"
"
No
--
it
's
not
that
:
do
you
mind
if
I
open
the
window
?
"
he
returned
confusedly
,
letting
down
the
pane
on
his
side
.
He
sat
staring
out
into
the
street
,
feeling
his
wife
beside
him
as
a
silent
watchful
interrogation
,
and
keeping
his
eyes
steadily
fixed
on
the
passing
houses
.
At
their
door
she
caught
her
skirt
in
the
step
of
the
carriage
,
and
fell
against
him
.
"
Did
you
hurt
yourself
?
"
he
asked
,
steadying
her
with
his
arm
.
"
No
;
but
my
poor
dress
--
see
how
I
've
torn
it
!
"
she
exclaimed
.
She
bent
to
gather
up
a
mud-stained
breadth
,
and
followed
him
up
the
steps
into
the
hall
.
The
servants
had
not
expected
them
so
early
,
and
there
was
only
a
glimmer
of
gas
on
the
upper
landing.Archer
mounted
the
stairs
,
turned
up
the
light
,
and
put
a
match
to
the
brackets
on
each
side
of
the
library
mantelpiece
.
The
curtains
were
drawn
,
and
the
warm
friendly
aspect
of
the
room
smote
him
like
that
of
a
familiar
face
met
during
an
unavowable
errand.He
noticed
that
his
wife
was
very
pale
,
and
asked
if
he
should
get
her
some
brandy
.
"
Oh
,
no
,
"
she
exclaimed
with
a
momentary
flush
,
as
she
took
off
her
cloak
.
"
But
had
n't
you
better
go
to
bed
at
once
?
"
she
added
,
as
he
opened
a
silver
box
on
the
table
and
took
out
a
cigarette.Archer
threw
down
the
cigarette
and
walked
to
his
usual
place
by
the
fire
.
"
No
;
my
head
is
not
as
bad
as
that
.
"
He
paused
.
"
And
there
's
something
I
want
to
say
;
something
important
--
that
I
must
tell
you
at
once
.
"
She
had
dropped
into
an
armchair
,
and
raised
her
head
as
he
spoke
.
"
Yes
,
dear
?
"
she
rejoined
,
so
gently
that
he
wondered
at
the
lack
of
wonder
with
which
she
received
this
preamble
.
"
May
--
"
he
began
,
standing
a
few
feet
from
her
chair
,
and
looking
over
at
her
as
if
the
slight
distance
between
them
were
an
unbridgeable
abyss
.
The
sound
of
his
voice
echoed
uncannily
through
the
homelike
hush
,
and
he
repeated
:
"
There
is
something
I
've
got
to
tell
you
...
about
myself
...
"
She
sat
silent
,
without
a
movement
or
a
tremor
of
her
lashes
.
She
was
still
extremely
pale
,
but
her
face
had
a
curious
tranquillity
of
expression
that
seemed
drawn
from
some
secret
inner
source.Archer
checked
the
conventional
phrases
of
self-accusal
that
were
crowding
to
his
lips
.
He
was
determined
to
put
the
case
baldly
,
without
vain
recrimination
or
excuse
.
"
Madame
Olenska
--
"
he
said
;
but
at
the
name
his
wife
raised
her
hand
as
if
to
silence
him
.
As
she
did
so
the
gaslight
struck
on
the
gold
of
her
wedding-ring
.
"
Oh
,
why
should
we
talk
about
Ellen
tonight
?
"
she
asked
,
with
a
slight
pout
of
impatience
.
"
Because
I
ought
to
have
spoken
before
.
"
Her
face
remained
calm
.
"
Is
it
really
worth
while
,
dear
?
I
know
I
've
been
unfair
to
her
at
times
--
perhaps
we
all
have
.
You
've
understood
her
,
no
doubt
,
better
than
we
did
:
you
've
always
been
kind
to
her
.
But
what
does
it
matter
,
now
it
's
all
over
?
"
Archer
looked
at
her
blankly
.
Could
it
be
possible
that
the
sense
of
unreality
in
which
he
felt
himself
imprisoned
had
communicated
itself
to
his
wife
?
"
All
over
--
what
do
you
mean
?
"
he
asked
in
an
indistinct
stammer.May
still
looked
at
him
with
transparent
eyes
.
"
Why
--
since
she
's
going
back
to
Europe
so
soon
;
since
Granny
approves
and
understands
,
and
has
arranged
to
make
her
independent
of
her
husband
--
"
She
broke
off
,
and
Archer
,
grasping
the
corner
of
the
mantelpiece
in
one
convulsed
hand
,
and
steadying
himself
against
it
,
made
a
vain
effort
to
extend
the
same
control
to
his
reeling
thoughts
.
"
I
supposed
,
"
he
heard
his
wife
's
even
voice
go
on
,
"
that
you
had
been
kept
at
the
office
this
evening
about
the
business
arrangements
.
It
was
settled
this
morning
,
I
believe
.
"
She
lowered
her
eyes
under
his
unseeing
stare
,
and
another
fugitive
flush
passed
over
her
face.He
understood
that
his
own
eyes
must
be
unbearable
,
and
turning
away
,
rested
his
elbows
on
the
mantel-shelf
and
covered
his
face
.
Something
drummed
and
clanged
furiously
in
his
ears
;
he
could
not
tell
if
it
were
the
blood
in
his
veins
,
or
the
tick
of
the
clock
on
the
mantel.May
sat
without
moving
or
speaking
while
the
clock
slowly
measured
out
five
minutes
.
A
lump
of
coal
fell
forward
in
the
grate
,
and
hearing
her
rise
to
push
it
back
,
Archer
at
length
turned
and
faced
her
.
"
It
's
impossible
,
"
he
exclaimed
.
"
Impossible
--
?
"
"
How
do
you
know
--
what
you
've
just
told
me
?
"
"
I
saw
Ellen
yesterday
--
I
told
you
I
'd
seen
her
at
Granny
's
.
"
"
It
was
n't
then
that
she
told
you
?
"
"
No
;
I
had
a
note
from
her
this
afternoon
.
--
Do
you
want
to
see
it
?
"
He
could
not
find
his
voice
,
and
she
went
out
of
the
room
,
and
came
back
almost
immediately
.
"
I
thought
you
knew
,
"
she
said
simply.She
laid
a
sheet
of
paper
on
the
table
,
and
Archer
put
out
his
hand
and
took
it
up
.
The
letter
contained
only
a
few
lines
.
"
May
dear
,
I
have
at
last
made
Granny
understand
that
my
visit
to
her
could
be
no
more
than
a
visit
;
and
she
has
been
as
kind
and
generous
as
ever
.
She
sees
now
that
if
I
return
to
Europe
I
must
live
by
myself
,
or
rather
with
poor
Aunt
Medora
,
who
is
coming
with
me
.
I
am
hurrying
back
to
Washington
to
pack
up
,
and
we
sail
next
week
.
You
must
be
very
good
to
Granny
when
I
'm
gone
--
as
good
as
you
've
always
been
to
me
.
Ellen
.
"
If
any
of
my
friends
wish
to
urge
me
to
change
my
mind
,
please
tell
them
it
would
be
utterly
useless
.
"
Archer
read
the
letter
over
two
or
three
times
;
then
he
flung
it
down
and
burst
out
laughing.The
sound
of
his
laugh
startled
him
.
It
recalled
Janey
's
midnight
fright
when
she
had
caught
him
rocking
with
incomprehensible
mirth
over
May
's
telegram
announcing
that
the
date
of
their
marriage
had
been
advanced
.
"
Why
did
she
write
this
?
"
he
asked
,
checking
his
laugh
with
a
supreme
effort.May
met
the
question
with
her
unshaken
candour
.
"
I
suppose
because
we
talked
things
over
yesterday
--
"
"
What
things
?
"
"
I
told
her
I
was
afraid
I
had
n't
been
fair
to
her
--
had
n't
always
understood
how
hard
it
must
have
been
for
her
here
,
alone
among
so
many
people
who
were
relations
and
yet
strangers
;
who
felt
the
right
to
criticise
,
and
yet
did
n't
always
know
the
circumstances
.
"
She
paused
.
"
I
knew
you
'd
been
the
one
friend
she
could
always
count
on
;
and
I
wanted
her
to
know
that
you
and
I
were
the
same
--
in
all
our
feelings
.
"
She
hesitated
,
as
if
waiting
for
him
to
speak
,
and
then
added
slowly
:
"
She
understood
my
wishing
to
tell
her
this
.
I
think
she
understands
everything
"
She
went
up
to
Archer
,
and
taking
one
of
his
cold
hands
pressed
it
quickly
against
her
cheek
.
"
My
head
aches
too
;
good-night
,
dear
,
"
she
said
,
and
turned
to
the
door
,
her
torn
and
muddy
wedding-dress
dragging
after
her
across
the
room
.
It
was
,
as
Mrs.
Archer
smilingly
said
to
Mrs.
Welland
,
a
great
event
for
a
young
couple
to
give
their
first
big
dinner.The
Newland
Archers
,
since
they
had
set
up
their
household
,
had
received
a
good
deal
of
company
in
an
informal
way
.
Archer
was
fond
of
having
three
or
four
friends
to
dine
,
and
May
welcomed
them
with
the
beaming
readiness
of
which
her
mother
had
set
her
the
example
in
conjugal
affairs
.
Her
husband
questioned
whether
,
if
left
to
herself
,
she
would
ever
have
asked
any
one
to
the
house
;
but
he
had
long
given
up
trying
to
disengage
her
real
self
from
the
shape
into
which
tradition
and
training
had
moulded
her
.
It
was
expected
that
well-off
young
couples
in
New
York
should
do
a
good
deal
of
informal
entertaining
,
and
a
Welland
married
to
an
Archer
was
doubly
pledged
to
the
tradition.But
a
big
dinner
,
with
a
hired
chef
and
two
borrowed
footmen
,
with
Roman
punch
,
roses
from
Henderson
's
,
and
menus
on
gilt-edged
cards
,
was
a
different
affair
,
and
not
to
be
lightly
undertaken
.
As
Mrs.
Archer
remarked
,
the
Roman
punch
made
all
the
difference
;
not
in
itself
but
by
its
manifold
implications
--
since
it
signified
either
canvas-backs
or
terrapin
,
two
soups
,
a
hot
and
a
cold
sweet
,
full
decolletage
with
short
sleeves
,
and
guests
of
a
proportionate
importance.It
was
always
an
interesting
occasion
when
a
young
pair
launched
their
first
invitations
in
the
third
person
,
and
their
summons
was
seldom
refused
even
by
the
seasoned
and
sought-after
.
Still
,
it
was
admittedly
a
triumph
that
the
van
der
Luydens
,
at
May
's
request
,
should
have
stayed
over
in
order
to
be
present
at
her
farewell
dinner
for
the
Countess
Olenska
.
