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affection； as lovable as that sort of selfishness can make people。 They
were very united and good to one another。 Lottie herself； except in her
most lurid moments； was good to her brother and sister； and almost
invariably kind to her parents。 She would not； Breckon saw； have brooked
much meddling with her flirtations from them； but as they did not offer
to meddle； she had no occasion to grumble on that score。 She grumbled
when they asked her to do things for Ellen； but she did them； and though
she never did them without grumbling； she sometimes did them without
being asked。 She was really very watchful of Ellen when it would least
have been expected； and sometimes she was sweet。 She never was sweet
with Boyne； but she was often his friend； though this did not keep her
from turning upon him at the first chance to give him a little dig； or a
large one； for that matter。 As for Boyne； he was a mass of helpless
sweetness； though he did not know it； and sometimes took himself for an
iceberg when he was merely an ice…cream of heroic mould。 He was as
helplessly sweet with Lottie as with any one； and if he suffered keenly
from her treacheries； and seized every occasion to repay them in kind；
it was clearly a matter of conscience with him； and always for the good。
Their father and mother treated their squabbles very wisely； Breckon
thought。 They ignored them as much as possible； and they recognized them
without attempting to do that justice between them which would have
rankled in both their breasts。
To a spectator who had been critical at first； Mr。 and Mrs。 Kenton seemed
an exemplary father and mother with Ellen as well as with their other
children。 It is easy to be exemplary with a sick girl； but they
increasingly affected Breckon as exemplary with Ellen。 He fancied that
they acted upon each other beneficially towards her。 At first he had
foreboded some tiresome boasting from the father's tenderness； and some
weak indulgence of the daughter's whims from her mother； but there was
either never any ground for this； or else Mrs。 Kenton； in keeping her
husband from boasting； had been obliged in mere consistency to set a
guard upon her own fondness。
It was not that。 Ellen； he was more and more decided； would have abused
the weakness of either； if there was anything more angelic than her
patience； it was her wish to be a comfort to them； and； between the
caprices of her invalidism； to be a service。 It was pathetic to see her
remembering to do things for them which Boyne and Lottie had forgotten；
or plainly shirked doing； and to keep the fact out of sight。 She really
kept it out of sight with them； and if she did not hide it from so close
an observer as Breckon； that was more his fault than hers。 When her
father first launched out in her praise； or the praise of her reading；
the young man had dreaded a rustic prig； yet she had never been a prig；
but simply glad of what book she had known； and meekly submissive to his
knowledge if not his taste。 He owned that she had a right to her taste；
which he found almost always good； and accounted for as instinctive in
the absence of an imaginable culture in her imaginable ambient。 So far
as he had glimpses of this； he found it so different from anything he had
known that the modest adequacy of Mrs。 Kenton in the political
experiences of modern Europe； as well as the clear judgments of Kenton
himself in matters sometimes beyond Breekon himself； mystified him no
less than Ellen's taste。
Even with the growth of his respect for their intelligence and his love
of their kindliness； he had not been able to keep a certain patronage
from mingling； and it was not till they evinced not only entire ability；
but an apparent wish to get on without his approval； without his
acquaintance even； that he had conceived a just sense of them。 The like
is apt to happen with the best of us； when we are also the finest； and
Breckon was not singular in coming to a due consciousness of something
valuable only in the hour of its loss。 He did not know that the loss was
only apparent。 He knew that he had made a distinct sacrifice for these
people； and that； when he had prepared himself to befriend them little
short of self…devotion； they showed themselves indifferent； and almost
repellent。 In the revulsion of feeling； when Ellen gave him her mother's
message； and frankly offered him reparation on behalf of her whole
family； he may have overdone his gratitude； but he did not overdo it to
her perception。 They walked up and down the promenade of the Amstel； in
the watery North Sea moon； while bells after bells noted the hour
unheeded； and when they parted for the night it was with an involuntary
pressure of hands； from which she suddenly pulled hers； and ran down the
corridor of her state…room and Lottie's。
He stood watching the narrow space in which she had vanished； and
thinking how gentle she was； and how she had contrived somehow to make
him feel that now it was she who had been consoling him； and trying to
interest him and amuse him。 He had not realized that before； he had been
used to interesting and amusing her； but he could not resent it； he could
not resent the implication of superiority； if such a thing were possible；
which her kindness conveyed。 The question with Breckon was whether she
had walked with him so long because she wished； in the hour； to make up
as fully as possible for the day's neglect； or because she had liked to
walk up and down with him。 It was a question he found keeping itself
poignantly； yet pleasantly； in his mind； after he had got into his berth
under the solidly slumberous Boyne； and inclining now to one solution and
now to the other； with a delicate oscillation that was charming。
The Amstel took her time to get into Rotterdam； and when her passengers
had gone ashore the next forenoon the train that carried Breckon to The
Hague in the same compartment with the Kentons was in no greater hurry。
It arrived with a deliberation which kept it from carrying them on to
Amsterdam before they knew it； and Mrs。 Kenton had time to place such
parts of the wars in the Rise of the Dutch Republic as she could attach
to the names of the stations and the general features of the landscape。
Boyne was occupied with improvements for the windmills and the canal…
boats； which did not seem to him of the quality of the Michigan
aerometers； or the craft with which he was familiar on the Hudson River
and on the canal that passed through Tuskingum。 Lottie； with respect to
the canals； offered the frank observation that they smelt； and in
recognizing a fact which travel almost universally ignores in Holland；
she watched her chance of popping up the window between herself and
Boyne； which Boyne put down with mounting rage。 The agriculture which
triumphed everywhere on the little halfacre plots lifted fifteen inches
above the waters of the environing ditches； and the black and white
cattle everywhere attesting the immemorial Dutch ideal of a cow； were
what at first occupied Kenton； and he was tardily won from them to the
question of fighting over a country like that。 It was a concession to
his wife's impassioned interest in the overthrow of the Spaniards in a
landscape which had evidently not changed since。 She said it was hard to
realize that Holland was not still a republic； and she was not very
patient with Breckon's defence of the monarchy on the ground that the
young Queen was a very pretty girl。
〃And she is only sixteen；〃 Boyne urged。
〃Then she is two years too old for you；〃 said Lottie。
〃No such thing！〃 Boyne retorted。 〃I was fifteen in June。〃
〃Dear me！ I should never have thought it；〃 said his sister。
Ellen seemed hardly to look out of the window at anything directly； but
when her father bade her see this thing and that； it seemed that she had
seen it already。 She said at last； with a quiet sigh； 〃I never want to
go away。〃
She had been a little shy of Breckon the whole morning； and had kept him
asking himself whether she was sorry she had walked so long with him the
night before； or； having offered him due reparation for her family； she
was again dropping him