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fears； and breaking down in helpless subjection to the nearest member of
his household。 Lottie was so taken up with her student that she scarcely
quarrelled with him any more； and they had no longer those moments of
union in which they stood together against the world。 His mother had
cast him off； as he felt； very heartlessly； though it was really because
she could not give his absurdities due thought in view of the hopeful
seriousness of Ellen's affair； and Boyne was aware that his father at the
best of times was ignorant of him when he was not impatient of him。
These were not the best of times with Judge Kenton； and Boyne was not the
first object of his impatience。 In the last analysis he was living until
he could get home； and so largely in the hope of this that his wife at
times could scarcely keep him from taking some step that would decide the
matter between Ellen and Breckon at once。 They were tacitly agreed that
they were waiting for nothing else； and； without making their agreement
explicit； she was able to quell him by asking what he expected to do in
case there was nothing between them？ Was he going to take the child back
to Tuskingum； which was the same as taking her back to Bittridge？ it hurt
her to confront him with this question； and she tried other devices for
staying and appeasing him。 She begged him now； seeing Boyne so forlorn；
and hanging about the hotel alone； or moping over those ridiculous books
of his； to go off with the boy somewhere and see the interesting places
within such easy reach； like Leyden and Delft if he cared nothing for the
place where William the Silent was shot； he ought to see the place that
the Pilgrims started from。 She had counted upon doing those places
herself； with her husband； and it was in a sacrifice of her ideal that
she now urged him to go with Boyne。 But her preoccupation with Ellen's
affair forbade her self…abandon to those high historical interests to
which she urged his devotion。 She might have gone with him and Boyne； but
then she must have left the larger half of her divided mind with Ellen；
not to speak of Lottie； who refused to be a party to any such excursion。
Mrs。 Kenton felt the disappointment and grieved at it； but not without
hope of repairing it later； and she did not cease from entreating the
judge to do what he could at once towards fulfilling the desires she
postponed。 Once she prevailed with him； and really got him and Boyne off
for a day； but they came back early； with signs of having bored each
other intolerably； and after that it was Boyne； as much as his father；
who relucted from joint expeditions。 Boyne did not so much object to
going alone； and his father said it was best to let him； though his
mother had her fears for her youngest。 He spent a good deal of his time
on the trams between Scheveningen and The Hague； and he was understood to
have explored the capital pretty thoroughly。 In fact； he did go about
with a valet de place； whom he got at a cheap rate； and with whom he
conversed upon the state of the country and its political affairs。 The
valet said that the only enemy that Holland could fear was Germany； but
an invasion from that quarter could be easily repulsed by cutting the
dikes and drowning the invaders。 The sea； he taught Boyne； was the great
defence of Holland； and it was a waste of money to keep such an army as
the Dutch had； but neither the sea nor the sword could drive out the
Germans if once they insidiously married a Prussian prince to the Dutch
Queen。
There seemed to be no getting away from the Queen； for Boyne。 The valet
not only talked about her； as the pleasantest subject which he could
find； but he insisted upon showing Boyne all her palaces。 He took him
into the Parliament house； and showed him where she sat while the queen…
mother read the address from the throne。 He introduced him at a bazar
where the shop…girl who spoke English better than Boyne； or at least
without the central Ohio accent； wanted to sell him a miniature of the
Queen on porcelain。 She said the Queen was such a nice girl； and she was
herself such a nice girl that Boyne blushed a little in looking at her。
He bought the miniature； and then he did not know what to do with it； if
any of the family； if Lottie； found out that he had it； or that Trannel；
he should have no peace any more。 He put it in his pocket； provisionally；
and when he came giddily out of the shop he felt himself taken by the
elbow and placed against the wall by the valet； who said the queens were
coming。 They drove down slowly through the crowded； narrow street；
bowing right and left to the people flattened against the shops； and
again Boyne saw her so near that he could have reached out his hand and
almost touched hers。
The consciousness of this was so strong in him that he wondered whether
he had not tried to do so。 If he had he would have been arrested
he knew that； and so he knew that he had not done it。 He knew that he
imagined doing so because it would be so awful to have done it； and he
imagined being in love with her because it would be so frantic。 At the
same time he dramatized an event in which he died for her； and she became
aware of his hopeless passion at the last moment； while the anarchist
from whom he had saved her confessed that the bomb had been meant for
her。 Perhaps it was a pistol。
He escaped from the valet as soon as he could； and went back to
Scheveningen limp from this experience； but the queens were before him。
They had driven down to visit the studio of a famous Dutch painter there；
and again the doom was on Boyne to press forward with the other
spectators and wait for the queens to appear and get into their carriage。
The young Queen's looks were stamped in Boyne's consciousness； so that he
saw her wherever he turned； like the sun when one has gazed at it。 He
thought how that Trannel had said he ought to hand her into her carriage；
and he shrank away for fear he should try to do so； but he could not
leave the place till she had come out with the queenmother and driven
off。 Then he went slowly and breathlessly into the hotel； feeling the
Queen's miniature in his pocket。 It made his heart stand still； and then
bound forward。 He wondered again what he should do with it。 If he kept
it； Lottie would be sure to find it； and he could not bring himself to
the sacrilege of destroying it。 He thought he would walk out on the
breakwater as far as he could and throw it into the sea； but when he got
to the end of the mole he could not do so。 He decided that he would give
it to Ellen to keep for him； and not let Lottie see it； or perhaps he
might pretend he had bought it for her。 He could not do that； though；
for it would not be true； and if he did he could not ask her to keep it
from Lottie。
At dinner Mr。 Trannel told him he ought to have been there to see the
Queen； that she had asked especially for him； and wanted to know if they
had not sent up her card to him。 Boyne meditated an apt answer through
all the courses； but he had not thought of one when they had come to the
'corbeille de fruits'； and he was forced to go to bed without having
avenged himself。
In taking rooms for her family at the hotel； Lottie had arranged for her
emancipation from the thraldom of rooming with Ellen。 She said that had
gone on long enough； if she was grown up at all； she was grown up enough
to have a room of her own； and her mother had yielded to reasoning which
began and ended with this position。 She would have interfered so far as
to put Lottie into the room next her； but Lottie said that if Boyne was
the baby he ought to be next his mother； Ellen might come next him； but
she was going to have the room that was furthest from any implication of
the dependence in which she had languished； and her mother submitted
again。 Boyne was not sorry； there had always been hours of the night
when he felt the need of getting at his mother for reassurance as to
forebodings which his fancy conjured up to trouble him in the wakeful
dark。 It was understood that he might freely do this； and though the
judge inwardly fretted； he could not deny the boy the comfort of