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〃My sister？〃 Ellen faltered； and； between the conscience to own the fact
and the kindness to deny it； she stopped altogether。
〃I needn't have asked。 She told me so herself； in almost as many words。
She said I was slippery； and as close as a trap。 Miss Kenton！ I have
the greatest wish to know whether I affect you as both slippery and
close！〃
〃I don't always know what Lottie means。〃
〃She means what she says； and I feel that I am under condemnation till I
reform。 I don't know how to stop being slippery； but I'm determined to
stop being close。 Will you tell her that for me？ Will you tell her that
you never met an opener； franker person？of course； except herself！and
that so far from being light I seemed to you particularly heavy？ Say
that I did nothing but talk about myself； and that when you wanted to
talk about yourself you couldn't get in a word edgewise。 Do try； now；
Miss Kenton； and see if you can！ I don't want you to invent a character
for me； quite。〃
〃Why； there's nothing to say about me；〃 she began in compliance with his
gayety； and then she fell helpless from it。
〃Well； then； about Tuskingum。 I should like to hear about Tuskingum； so
much！〃
〃I suppose we like it because we've always lived there。 You haven't been
much in the West； have you？〃
〃Not as much as I hope to be。〃 He had found that Western people were
sometimes sensitive concerning their section and were prepared to resent
complacent ignorance of it。 〃I've always thought it must be very
interesting。〃
〃It isn't；〃 said the girl。 〃At least； not like the East。 I used to be
provoked when the lecturers said anything like that； but when you've been
to New York you see what they mean。〃
〃The lecturers？〃 he queried。
〃They always stayed at our house when they lectured in Tuskingum。〃
〃Ah！ Oh yes；〃 said Breckon； grasping a situation of which he had heard
something； chiefly satirical。 〃Of course。 And is your fatheris Judge
Kenton literary？ Excuse me！〃
〃Only in his history。 He's writing the history of his regiment； or he
gets the soldiers to write down all they can remember of the war； and
then he puts their stories together。〃
〃How delightful！〃 said Breckon。 〃And I suppose it's a great pleasure to
him。〃
〃I don't believe it is；〃 said Ellen。 〃Poppa doesn't believe in war any
more。〃
〃Indeed！〃 said Breckon。 〃That is very interesting。〃
〃Sometimes when I'm helping him with it〃
〃Ah； I knew you must help him！〃
〃And he comes to a place where there has been a dreadful slaughter； it
seems as if he felt worse about it than I did。 He isn't sure that it
wasn't all wrong。 He thinks all war is wrong now。〃
〃Is hehas he become a follower of Tolstoy？〃
〃He's read him。 He says he's the only man that ever gave a true account
of battles； but he had thought it all out for himself before he read
Tolstoy about fighting。 Do you think it is right to revenge an injury？〃
〃Why； surely not！〃 said Breckon； rather startled。
〃That is what we say；〃 the girl pursued。 〃But if some one had injured
youabused your confidence； andinsulted you； what would you do？〃
〃I'm not sure that I understand；〃 Breckon began。 The inquiry was
superficially impersonal； but he reflected that women are never
impersonal； or the sons of women； for that matter； and he suspected an
intimate ground。 His suspicions were confirmed when Miss Kenton said：
〃It seems easy enough to forgive anything that's done to yourself； but if
it's done to some one else； too； have you the rightisn't it wrong to
let it go？〃
〃You think the question of justice might come in then？ Perhaps it ought。
But what is justice？ And where does your duty begin to be divided？〃
He saw her following him with alarming intensity； and he shrank from the
responsibility before him。 What application might not she make of his
words in the case； whatever it was； which he chose not to imagine？
〃To tell you the truth； Miss Kenton； I'm not very clear on that point
I'm not sure that I'm disinterested。〃
〃Disinterested？〃
〃Yes； you know that I abused your confidence at luncheon； and until I
know whether the wrong involved any one else〃 He looked at her with
hovering laughter in his eyes which took wing at the reproach in hers。
〃But if we are to be serious〃
〃Oh no；〃 she said； 〃it isn't a serious matter。〃 But in the helplessness
of her sincerity she could not carry it off lightly； or hide from him
that she was disappointed。
He tried to make talk about other things。 She responded vaguely； and
when she had given herself time she said she believed she would go to
Lottie； she was quite sure she could get down the stairs alone。 He
pursued her anxiously； politely； and at the head of her corridor took
leave of her with a distinct sense of having merited his dismissal。
〃I see what you mean； Lottie；〃 she said； 〃about Mr。 Breckon。〃
Lottie did not turn her head on the pillow。 〃Has it taken you the whole
day to find it out？〃
XII。
The father and the mother had witnessed with tempered satisfaction the
interest which seemed to be growing up between Ellen and the young
minister。 By this time they had learned not to expect too much of any
turn she might take； she reverted to a mood as suddenly as she left it。
They could not quite make out Breckon himself； he was at least as great a
puzzle to them as their own child was。
〃It seems；〃 said Mrs。 Kenton； in their first review of the affair； after
Boyne had done a brother's duty in trying to bring Ellen under their
mother's censure； 〃that he was the gentleman who discussed the theatre
with Boyne at the vaudeville last winter。 Boyne just casually mentioned
it。 I was so provoked！〃
〃I don't see what bearing the fact has；〃 the judge remarked。
〃Why； Boyne liked him very much that night； but now he seems to feel very
much as Lottie does about him。 He thinks he laughs too much。〃
〃I don't know that there's much harm in that；〃 said the judge。 〃And I
shouldn't value Boyne's opinion of character very highly。〃
〃I value any one's intuitionsespecially children's。〃
〃Boyne's in that middle state where he isn't quite a child。 And so is
Lottie； for that matter。〃
〃That is true；〃 their mother assented。 〃And we ought to be glad of
anything that takes Ellen's mind off herself。 If I could only believe
she was forgetting that wretch！〃
〃Does she ever speak of him？〃
〃She never hints of him； even。 But her mind may be full of him all the
time。〃
The judge laughed impatiently。 〃It strikes me that this young Mr。
Breckon hasn't much advantage of Ellen in what Lottie calls closeness！〃
〃Ellen has always been very reserved。 It would have been better for her
if she hadn't。 Oh； I scarcely dare to hope anything！ Rufus； I feel that
in everything of this kind we are very ignorant and inexperienced。〃
〃Inexperienced！〃 Renton retorted。 〃I don't want any more experience of
the kind Ellen has given us。〃
〃I don't mean that。 I meanthis Mr。 Breckon。 I can't tell what
attracts him in the child。 She must appear very crude and uncultivated
to him。 You needn't resent it so！ I know she's read a great deal； and
you've made her think herself intellectualbut the very simple…
heartedness of the way she would show out her reading would make such a
young man see that she wasn't like the girls he was used to。 They would
hide their intellectuality； if they had any。 It's no use your trying to
fight it Mr。 Kenton。 We are country people； and he knows it。〃
〃Tuskingum isn't country！〃 the judge declared。
〃It isn't city。 And we don't know anything about the world； any of us。
Oh； I suppose we can read and write！ But we don't know the a； b； c of
the things he； knows。 He； belongs to a kind of societyof people
in New York that I had glimpses of in the winter； but that I never
imagined before。 They made me feel very belated and benightedas if I
hadn't； read or thought anything。 They didn't mean to； but I couldn't
help it； and they couldn't。〃
〃Youyou've been frightened out of your propriety by what you've seen in
New York；〃 said her husband。
〃I've been frightened； certainly。 And I wish you had been； too。 I wish
you wouldn't be so conceited