"No；we'venotimetowaste。I'vegotaplacenearThirdAvenue，onanicecrossstreet，andIwanthimtotakeusthere。"Itprovedthatshehadseveraladdressesneartogether，anditseemedbesttodismisstheircoupeanddotherestoftheirafternoon'sworkonfoot。Itcametonothing；shewasnothumbledintheleastbywhatshehadseeninthetenement-housestreet；sheyieldednopointinheridealofaflat，andtheflatspersistentlyrefusedtolendthemselvestoit。Shelostallpatiencewiththem。
"Oh，Idon'tsaytheflatsareintherightofit，"saidherhusband，whenshedenouncedtheirstupidinadequacytothepurposesofaChristianhome。"ButI'mnotsosurethatweare，either。I'vebeenthinkingaboutthathomebusinesseversincemysensibilitiesweredragged——inacoupe——throughthattenement-housestreet。Ofcourse，nochildbornandbroughtupinsuchaplaceasthatcouldhaveanyconceptionofhome。
Butthat'sbecausethosepoorpeoplecan'tgivecharactertotheirhabitations。Theyhavetotakewhattheycanget。Butpeoplelikeus——
thatis，ofourmeans——dogivecharactertotheaverageflat。It'smadetomeettheirtastes，ortheirsupposedtastes；andsoit'smadeforsocialshow，notforfamilylifeatall。Thinkofababyinaflat!
It'sacontradictioninterms；theflatisthenegationofmotherhood。
Theflatmeanssocietylife；thatis，thepretenceofsociallife。It'smadetogiveartificialpeopleasocietybasisonalittlemoney——toomuchmoney，ofcourse，forwhattheyget。Sothecostofthebuildingisputintomarblehallsandidioticdecorationofallkinds。Idon't。
objecttotheconveniences，butnoneoftheseflatshasaliving-room。
Theyhavedrawing-roomstofostersocialpretence，andtheyhavedining-
roomsandbedrooms；buttheyhavenoroomwherethefamilycanallcometogetherandfeelthesweetnessofbeingafamily。Thebedroomsareblack-holesmostly，withasinfulwasteofspaceineach。Ifitwerenotforthemarblehalls，andthedecorations，andthefoolishlyexpensivefinish，thehousescouldbebuiltroundacourt，andtheflatscouldbeshapedsomethinglikeaPompeiianhouse，withsmallsleeping-closets——
onlylitfromtheoutside——andtherestofthefloorthrownintotwoorthreelargecheerfulhalls，whereallthefamilylifecouldgoon，andsocietycouldbetransactedunpretentiously。Why，thosetenementsarebetterandhumanerthanthoseflats!Therethewholefamilylivesinthekitchen，andhasitsconsciousnessofbeing；buttheflatabolishesthefamilyconsciousness。It'sconfinementwithoutcoziness；it'sclutteredwithoutbeingsnug。Youcouldn'tkeepaself-respectingcatinaflat；
youcouldn'tgodowncellartogetcider。No!theAnglo-Saxonhome，asweknowitintheAnglo-Saxonhouse，issimplyimpossibleintheFranco-
Americanflat，notbecauseit'shumble，butbecauseit'sfalse。"
"Well，then，"saidMrs。March，"let'slookathouses。"
Hehadbeendenouncingtheflatintheabstract，andhehadnotexpectedthisconcreteresult。Buthesaid，"Wewilllookathouses，then。"
X。
Nothingmystifiesamanmorethanawoman'saberrationsfromsomepointatwhichhe，supposesherfixedasastar。Intheseunfurnishedhouses，withoutsteamorelevator，Marchfollowedhiswifeaboutwithpatientwonder。Sheratherlikedtheworstofthembest:butshemadehimgodownintothecellarsandlookatthefurnaces；sheexactedfromhimarigidinquestoftheplumbing。Shefollowedhimintooneofthecellarsbythefitfulglareofsuccessivelylightedmatches，andtheyenjoyedamomentinwhichtheanomalyoftheirpresencethereonthaterrand，soremotefromallthefactsoftheirlong-establishedlifeinBoston，realizeditselfforthem。
"Thinkhoweasilywemighthavebeenmurderedandnobodybeenanythewiser!"shesaidwhentheywerecomfortablyoutdoorsagain。
"Yes，ormadewaywithourselvesinanaccessofemotionalinsanity，supposedtohavebeeninducedbyunavailingflat-hunting，"hesuggested。
Shefellinwiththenotion。"I'mbeginningtofeelcrazy。ButIdon'twantyoutoloseyourhead，Basil。AndIdon'twantyoutosentimentalizeanyofthethingsyouseeinNewYork。Ithinkyouweredisposedtodoitinthatstreetwedrovethrough。Idon'tbelievethere'sanyrealsuffering——notrealsuffering——amongthosepeople；thatis，itwouldbesufferingfromourpointofview，butthey'vebeenusedtoitalltheirlives，andtheydon'tfeeltheir'discomfortsomuch。"
"Ofcourse，Iunderstandthat，andIdon'tproposetosentimentalizethem。Ithinkwhenpeoplegetusedtoabadstateofthingstheyhadbettersticktoit；infact，theydon'tusuallylikeabetterstatesowell，andIshallkeepthatfirmlyinmind。"
Shelaughedwithhim，andtheywalkedalongtheLbestriddenavenue，exhilaratedbytheirescapefrommurderandsuicideinthatcellar，towardthenearestcrosstowntrack，whichtheymeanttotakehometotheirhotel。"Nowto-nightwewillgotothetheatre，"shesaid，"andgetthiswholehousebusinessoutofourminds，andbeperfectlyfreshforanewstartinthemorning。"Suddenlysheclutchedhisarm。"Why，didyouseethatman?"andshesignedwithherheadtowardadecentlydressedpersonwhowalkedbesidethem，nextthegutter，stoopingoverasiftoexamineit，andhalfhaltingattimes。
"No。What?"
"Why，Isawhimpickupadirtybitofcrackerfromthepavementandcramitintohismouthandeatitdownasifhewerefamished。Andlook!he'sactuallyhuntingformoreinthosegarbageheaps!"
Thiswaswhatthedecent-lookingmanwiththehardhandsandbrokennailsofaworkmanwasdoing-likeahungrydog。Theykeptupwithhim，inthefascinationofthesight，tothenextcorner，whereheturneddownthesidestreetstillsearchingthegutter。
Theywalkedonafewpaces。ThenMarchsaid，"Imustgoafterhim，"andlefthiswifestanding。
"Areyouinwant——hungry?"heaskedtheman。
ThemansaidhecouldnotspeakEnglish，Monsieur。
MarchaskedhisquestioninFrench。
Themanshruggedapitiful，desperateshrug，"Mais，Monsieur——"
Marchputacoininhishand，andthensuddenlytheman'sfacetwistedup；hecaughtthehandofthisalms-giverinbothofhisandclungtoit。
"Monsieur!Monsieur!"hegasped，andthetearsraineddownhisface。
Hisbenefactorpulledhimselfaway，shockedandashamed，asoneisbysuchachance，andgotbacktohiswife，andthemanlapsedbackintothemysteryofmiseryoutofwhichhehademerged。
Marchfeltitlaiduponhimtoconsolehiswifeforwhathadhappened。
"Ofcourse，wemightlivehereforyearsandnotseeanothercaselikethat；and，ofcourse，therearetwentyplaceswherehecouldhavegoneforhelpifhehadknownwheretofindthem。"
"Ah，butit'sthepossibilityofhisneedingthehelpsobadlyasthat，"
sheanswered。"That'swhatIcan'tbear，andIshallnotcometoaplacewheresuchthingsarepossible，andwemayaswellstopourhouse-huntinghereatonce。"
"Yes?AndwhatpartofChristendomwillyoulivein?Suchthingsarepossibleeverywhereinourconditions。"
"Thenwemustchangetheconditions——"
"Ohno；wemustgotothetheatreandforgetthem。WecanstopatBrentano'sforourticketsaswepassthroughUnionSquare。"
"Iamnotgoingtothetheatre，Basil。IamgoinghometoBostonto-
night。Youcanstayandfindaflat。"
Heconvincedheroftheabsurdityofherposition，andevenofitsselfishness；butshesaidthathermindwasquitemadeupirrespectiveofwhathadhappened，thatshehadbeenawayfromthechildrenlongenough；
thatsheoughttobeathometofinishuptheworkofleavingit。Thewordbroughtasigh。"Ah，Idon'tknowwhyweshouldseenothingbutsadanduglythingsnow。Whenwewereyoung——"
"Younger，"heputin。"We'restillyoung。"
"That'swhatwepretend，butweknowbetter。ButIwasthinkinghowprettyandpleasantthingsusedtobeturningupallthetimeonourtravelsintheolddays。Why，whenwewereinNewYorkhereonourweddingjourneytheplacedidn'tseemhalfsodirtyasitdoesnow，andnoneofthesedismalthingshappened。"
"Itwasagooddealdirtier，"heanswered；"andIfancyworseineveryway-hungrier，raggeder，morewretchedlyhoused。Butthatwasn'ttheperiodoflifeforustonoticeit。Don'tyouremember，whenwestartedtoNiagarathelasttime，howeverybodyseemedmiddle-agedandcommonplace；andwhenwegottheretherewerenoevidentbrides；nothingbutelderlymarriedpeople?"
"Atleasttheyweren'tstarving，"sherebelled。
"No，youdon'tstarveinparlor-carsandfirst-classhotels；butifyoustepoutofthemyourunyourchanceofseeingthosewhodo，ifyou'regettingonprettywellintheforties。Ifit'stheunhappywhoseeunhappiness，thinkwhatmiserymustberevealedtopeoplewhopasstheirlivesinthereallysqualidtenement-housestreets——Idon'tmeanpicturesqueavenueslikethatwepassedthrough。"
"Butwearenotunhappy，"sheprotested，bringingthetalkbacktothepersonalbaseagain，aswomenmusttogetanygoodoutoftalk。"We'rereallynounhappierthanwewerewhenwewereyoung。"
"We'remoreserious。"
"Well，Ihateit；andIwishyouwouldn'tbesoserious，ifthat'swhatitbringsusto。"
"Iwillbetrivialfromthison，"saidMarch。"ShallwegototheHoleintheGroundto-night?"
"IamgoingtoBoston。"
"It'smuchthesamething。Howdoyoulikethatfortriviality?It'salittleblasphemous，I'llallow。"
"It'sverysilly，"shesaid。
AtthehoteltheyfoundaletterfromtheagentwhohadsentthemthepermittoseeMrs。GrosvenorGreen'sapartment。Hewrotethatshehadheardtheywerepleasedwithherapartment，andthatshethoughtshecouldmakethetermstosuit。ShehadtakenherpassageforEurope，andwasveryanxioustolettheflatbeforeshesailed。Shewouldcallthateveningatseven。
"Mrs。GrosvenorGreen!"saidMrs。March。"Whichofthetenthousandflatsisit，Basil?"
"Thegimcrackery，"heanswered。"IntheXenophon，youknow。"
"Well，shemaysaveherselfthetrouble。Ishallnotseeher。Oryes——
Imust。Icouldn'tgoawaywithoutseeingwhatsortofcreaturecouldhaveplannedthatfly-awayflat。Shemustbeaperfect——"
"Parachute，"Marchsuggested。
"No!anybodysolightasthatcouldn'tcomedown。"
"Well，toyballoon。"
"Toyballoonwilldoforthepresent，"Mrs。Marchadmitted。"ButIfeelthatnaughtbutherselfcanbeherparallelforvolatility。"
WhenMrs。Grosvenor-Green'scardcameuptheybothdescendedtothehotelparlor，whichMarchsaidlookedlikethesaloonofaMoorishday-boat；
notthatheknewofanysuchcraft，butthedecorationsweresoSaracenicandthearchitecturesoHudsonRiverish。Theyfoundthereonthegrandcentraldivanalargeladywhosevastsmoothness，placidity，andplumpnesssetatdefiancealltheirpreconceptionsofMrs。GrosvenorGreen，sothatMrs。Marchdistinctlypausedwithhercardinherhandbeforeventuringevententativelytoaddressher。Thenshewasastonishedatthelow，calmvoiceinwhichMrs。Greenacknowledgedherself，andslowlyproceededtoapologizeforcalling。ItwasnotquitetruethatshehadtakenherpassageforEurope，butshehopedsoontodoso，andsheconfessedthatinthemeantimeshewasanxioustoletherflat。Shewasalittlewornoutwiththecareofhousekeeping——
Mrs。Marchbreathed，"Ohyes!"inthesighwithwhichladiesrecognizeoneanother'smartyrdom——andMrs。Greenhadbusinessabroad，andshewasgoingtopursueherartstudiesinParis；shedrewinMr。Ilcomb'sclassnow，buttheinstructionwassomuchbetterinParis；andasthesuperintendentseemedtothinkthepricewastheonlyobjection，shehadventuredtocall。
"Thenwedidn'tdeceivehimintheleast，"thoughtMrs。March，whilesheanswered，sweetly:"No；wewereonlyafraidthatitwouldbetoosmallforourfamily。Werequireagoodmanyrooms。"Shecouldnotforegotheopportunityofsaying，"MyhusbandiscomingtoNewYorktotakechargeofaliteraryperiodical，andhewillhavetohavearoomtowritein，"
whichmadeMrs。GreenbowtoMarch，andmadeMarchlooksheepish。"Butwedidthinktheapartmentverycharming"，Itwasarchitecturallycharming，sheprotestedtoherconscience，"andweshouldhavebeensogladifwecouldhavegotintoit。"Shefollowedthiswithsomeaccountoftheirhouse-hunting，amidsoftmurmursofsympathyfromMrs。Green，whosaidthatshehadbeenthroughallthat，andthatifshecouldhaveshownherapartmenttothemshefeltsurethatshecouldhaveexplaineditsothattheywouldhaveseenitscapabilitiesbetter，Mrs。Marchassentedtothis，andMrs。Greenaddedthatiftheyfoundnothingexactlysuitableshewouldbegladtohavethemlookatitagain；andthenMrs。
MarchsaidthatshewasgoingbacktoBostonherself，butshewasleavingMr。Marchtocontinuethesearch；andshehadnodoubthewouldbeonlytoogladtoseetheapartmentbydaylight。"Butifyoutakeit，Basil，"
shewarnedhim，whentheywerealone，"Ishallsimplyrenounceyou。I
wouldn'tliveinthatjunk-shopifyougaveittome。Butwhowouldhavethoughtshewasthatkindoflookingperson?ThoughofcourseImighthaveknownifIhadstoppedtothinkonce。It'sbecausetheplacedoesn'texpressheratallthatit'ssounlikeher。Itcouldn'tbelikeanybody，oranythingthatfliesintheair，orcreepsupontheearth，orswimsinthewatersundertheearth。Iwonderwhereintheworldshe'sfrom；she'snoNew-Yorker；evenwecanseethat；andshe'snotquiteacountryperson，either；sheseemslikeapersonfromsomelargetown，whereshe'sbeenanaestheticauthority。Andshecan'tfindgoodenoughartinstructioninNewYork，andhastogotoParisforit!Well，it'spathetic，afterall，Basil。Ican'thelpfeelingsorryforapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。"
"Ican'thelpfeelingsorryforthehusbandofapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。WhatisMr。GrosvenorGreengoingtodoinPariswhileshe'sworkingherwayintotheSalon?"
"Well，youkeepawayfromherapartment，Basil；that'sallI'vegottosaytoyou。AndyetIdolikesomethingsabouther。"
"Ilikeeverythingaboutherbutherapartment，"saidMarch。
"Ilikehergoingtobeoutofthecountry，"saidhiswife。"Weshouldn'tbeoverlooked。Andtheplacewasprettilyshaped，youcan'tdenyit。Andtherewasanelevatorandsteamheat。Andthelocationisveryconvenient。Andtherewasahall-boytobringupcards。Thehallsandstairswerekeptverycleanandnice。Butitwouldn'tdo。Icouldputyouafoldingbedintheroomwhereyouwrote，andwecouldevenhaveoneintheparlor"
"Behindaportiere?Icouldn'tstandanymoreportieres!"
"Andwecouldsqueezethetwogirlsintooneroom，orperhapsonlybringMargaret，andputoutthewholeofthewash。Basil!"shealmostshrieked，"itisn'ttobethoughtof!"
Heretorted，"I'mnotthinkingofit，mydear。"
FulkersoncameinjustbeforetheystartedforMrs。March'strain，tofindoutwhathadbecomeofthem，hesaid，andtoseewhethertheyhadgotanythingtoliveinyet。
"Notathing，"shesaid。"AndI'mjustgoingbacktoBoston，andleavingMr。Marchheretodoanythinghepleasesaboutit。Hehas'carteblanche。'"
"Butfreedombringsresponsibility，youknow，Fulkerson，andit'sthesameasifI'dnochoice。I'mstayingbehindbecauseI'mleft，notbecauseIexpecttodoanything。"
"Isthatso?"askedFulkerson。"Well，wemustseewhatcanbedone。I
supposedyouwouldbeallsettledbythistime，orIshouldhavehumpedmyselftofindyousomething。NoneofthoseplacesIgaveyouamountstoanything?"
"Asmuchasfortythousandotherswe'velookedat，"saidMrs。March。
"Yes，oneofthemdoesamounttosomething。ItcomessonearbeingwhatwewantthatI'vegivenMr。Marchparticularinstructionsnottogonearit。"
ShetoldhimaboutMrs。GrosvenorGreenandherflats，andattheendhesaid:
"Well，well，wemustlookoutforthat。I'llkeepaneyeonhim，Mrs。
March，andseethathedoesn'tdoanythingrash，andIwon'tleavehimtillhe'sfoundjusttherightthing。Itexists，ofcourse；itmustinacityofeighteenhundredthousandpeople，andtheonlyquestioniswheretofindit。Youleavehimtome，Mrs。March；I'llwatchoutforhim。"
Fulkersonshowedsomesignsofgoingtothestationwhenhefoundtheywerenotdriving，butshebadehimaperemptorygood-byeatthehoteldoor。
"He'sverynice，Basil，andhiswaywithyouisperfectlycharming。
It'sverysweettoseehowreallyfondofyouheis。ButIdidn'twanthimstringingalongwithusuptoForty-secondStreetandspoilingourlastmomentstogether。"
AtThirdAvenuetheytooktheElevatedforwhichsheconfessedaninfatuation。Shedeclareditthemostidealwayofgettingaboutintheworld，andwasnotashamedwhenheremindedherofhowsheusedtosaythatnothingunderthesuncouldinducehertotravelonit。Shenowsaidthatthenighttransitwasevenmoreinterestingthantheday，andthatthefleeingintimacyyouformedwithpeopleinsecondandthirdfloorinteriors，whilealltheusualstreetlifewentonunderneath，hadadomesticintensitymixedwithaperfectreposethatwasthelasteffectofgoodsocietywithallitssecurityandexclusiveness。Hesaiditwasbetterthanthetheatre，ofwhichitremindedhim，toseethosepeoplethroughtheirwindows:afamilypartyofwork-folkatalatetea，someofthemenintheirshirt-sleeves；awomansewingbyalamp；amotherlayingherchildinitscradle；amanwithhisheadfallenonhishandsuponatable；agirlandherloverleaningoverthewindow-silltogether。Whatsuggestion!whatdrama?whatinfiniteinterest!AttheForty-secondStreetstationtheystoppedaminuteonthebridgethatcrossesthetracktothebranchroadfortheCentralDepot，andlookedupanddownthelongstretchoftheElevatedtonorthandsouth。Thetrackthatfoundandlostitselfathousandtimesintheflareandtremoroftheinnumerablelights；themoonysheenoftheelectricsmixingwiththereddishpointsandblotsofgasfarandnear；thearchitecturalshapesofhousesandchurchesandtowers，rescuedbytheobscurityfromallthatwasignobleinthem，andthecomingandgoingofthetrainsmarkingthestationswithvividerorfainterplumesofflame-shotsteam-formedanincomparableperspective。Theyoftentalkedafterwardofthesuperbspectacle，whichinacityfullofpaintersnightlyworksitsunrecordedmiracles；andtheywerejusttotheArachneroofspuninironoverthecrossstreetonwhichtheyrantothedepot；butforthepresenttheyweremostlyinarticulatebeforeit。TheyhadanothermomentofrichsilencewhentheypausedinthegallerythatleadsfromtheElevatedstationtothewaiting-roomsintheCentralDepotandlookeddownuponthegreatnighttrainslyingonthetracksdimundertherainofgas-lightsthatstarredwithoutdispersingthevastdarknessoftheplace。Whatforces，whatfates，sleptinthesebulkswhichwouldsoonbehurlingthemselvesnorthandsouthandwestthroughthenight!NowtheywaitedtherelikefabledmonstersofArabstoryreadyforthemagician'stouch，tractable，reckless，will-less——organizedlifelessnessfullofastrangesemblanceoflife。
TheMarchesadmiredtheimpressivesightwithathrillofpatrioticprideinthefactthatthewholeworldperhapscouldnotaffordjustthelike。
Thentheyhurrieddowntotheticket-offices，andhegotheralowerberthintheBostonsleeper，andwentwithhertothecar。Theymadethemostofthefactthatherberthwasintheverymiddleofthecar；andshepromisedtowriteassoonasshereachedhome。Shepromisedalsothat，havingseenthelimitationsofNewYorkinrespecttoflats，shewouldnotbehardonhimifhetooksomethingnotquiteideal。OnlyhemustrememberthatitwasnottobeaboveTwentiethStreetnorbelowWashingtonSquare；itmustnotbehigherthanthethirdfloor；itmusthaveanelevator，steamheat，hail-boys，andapleasantjanitor。Thesewereessentials；ifhecouldnotgetthem，thentheymustdowithout。
Buthemustgetthem。
XI。
Mrs。Marchwasoneofthosewiveswhoexactamorerigidadherencetotheiridealsfromtheirhusbandsthanfromthemselves。Earlyintheirmarriedlifeshehadtakenchargeofhiminallmatterswhichsheconsideredpractical。Shedidnotincludethebusinessofbread-winninginthese；thatwasanaffairthatmightsafelybelefttohisabsent-
minded，dreamyinefficiency，andshedidnotinterferewithhimthere。
Butinsuchthingsasrehangingthepictures，decidingonasummerboarding-place，takingaseasidecottage，repaperingrooms，choosingseatsatthetheatre，seeingwhatthechildrenatewhenshewasnotattable，shuttingthecatoutatnight，keepingrunofcallsandinvitations，andseeingifthefurnacewasdampered，hehadfailedhersooftenthatshefeltshecouldnotleavehimtheslightestdiscretioninregardtoaflat。Hertotaldistrustofhisjudgmentinthematterscitedandotherslikethemconsistedwiththegreatestadmirationofhismindandrespectforhischaracter。Sheoftensaidthatifhewouldonlybringthesetobearinsuchexigencieshewouldbesimplyperfect；butshehadlonggivenuphiseverdoingso。Shesubjectedhim，therefore，toanironcode，butafterproclaimingitshewasapttoabandonhimtothenativelawlessnessofhistemperament。Sheexpectedhiminthiseventtodoashepleased，andsheresignedherselftoitwithconsiderablecomfortinholdinghimaccountable。Helearnedtoexpectthis，andaftersufferingkeenlyfromherdisappointmentwithwhateverhedidhewaitedpatientlytillsheforgothergrievanceandbegantoextractwhatconsolationlurksintheirreparable。Shewouldalmostadmitatmomentsthatwhathehaddonewasaverygoodthing，butshereservedtherighttoreturninfullforcetoheroriginalcondemnationofit；andsheaccumulatedeachactofindependentvolitioninwitnessandwarningagainsthim。Theirmassoppressedbutneverdeterredhim。
Heexpectedtodothewrongthingwhenlefttohisowndevices，andhediditwithoutanyapparentrecollectionofhisformermisdeedsandtheirconsequences。Therewasagooddealofcomedyinitall，andsometragedy。
Henowexperiencedacertainexpansion，suchashusbandsofhiskindwillimagine，ongoingbacktohishotelalone。Itwas，perhaps，arevulsionfromthepainofparting；andhetoyedwiththeideaofMrs。GrosvenorGreen'sapartment，which，initspreposterousunsuitability，hadastrangeattraction。Hefeltthathecouldtakeitwithlessriskthananythingelsetheyhadseen，buthesaidhewouldlookatalltheotherplacesintownfirst。Hereallyspentthegreaterpartofthenextdayinhuntinguptheownerofanapartmentthathadneithersteamheatnoranelevator，butwasotherwiseperfect，andtryingtogethimtotakelessthantheagentasked。Byacuriouspsychicaloperationhewasable，inthetransaction，toworkhimselfintoquiteapassionatedesirefortheapartment，whileheheldtheGrosvenorGreenapartmentinthebackgroundofhismindassomethingthathecouldreturntoasaltogethermoresuitable。Heconductedsomesimultaneousnegotiationforafurnishedhouse，whichenhancedstillmorethedesirabilityoftheGrosvenorGreenapartment。Towardeveninghewentoffatatangentfarup-town，soastobeabletotellhiswifehowutterlypreposterousthebesttherewouldbeascomparedevenwiththisridiculousGrosvenorGreengimcrackery。Itishardtoreporttheprocessesofhissophistication；
perhapsthis，again，maybestbelefttothemaritalimagination。
Herangatthelastoftheseup-townapartmentsasitwasfallingdusk，anditwaslongbeforethejanitorappeared。Thenthemanwasverysurly，andsaidifhelookedattheflatnowhewouldsayitwastoodark，likealltherest。HisreluctanceirritatedMarchinproportiontohisinsincerityinproposingtolookatitatall。Heknewhedidnotmeantotakeitunderanycircumstances；thathewasgoingtousehisinspectionofitindishonestjustificationofhisdisobediencetohiswife；butheputonanairofoffendeddignity。"Ifyoudon'twishtoshowtheapartment，"hesaid，"Idon'tcaretoseeit。"
Themangroaned，forhewasheavy，andnodoubtdreadedthestairs。Hescratchedamatchonhisthigh，andledthewayup。Marchwassorryforhim，andheputhisfingersonaquarterinhiswaistcoat-pockettogivehimatparting。Atthesametime，behadtotrumpupanobjectiontotheflat。Thiswaseasy，foritwasadvertisedascontainingtenrooms，andhefoundthenumberekedoutwiththebath-roomandtwolargeclosets。
"It'slightenough，"saidMarch，"butIdon'tseehowyoumakeouttenrooms"
"There'stenrooms，"saidtheman，deigningnoproof。
Marchtookhisfingersoffthequarter，andwentdown-stairsandoutofthedoorwithoutanotherword。Itwouldbewrong，itwouldbeimpossible，togivethemananythingaftersuchinsolence。Hereflected，withshame，thatitwasalsocheapertopunishthanforgivehim。
Hereturnedtohishotelpreparedforanydesperatemeasure，andconvincednowthattheGrosvenorGreenapartmentwasnotmerelytheonlythingleftforhim，butwas，onitsownmerits，thebestthinginNewYork。
Fulkersonwaswaitingforhiminthereading-room，anditgaveMarchthecuriousthrillwithwhichamancloseswithtemptationwhenhesaid:
"Lookhere!Whydon'tyoutakethatwoman'sflatintheXenophon?She'sbeenattheagentsagain，andthey'vebeenatme。Shelikesyourlook——
orMrs。March's——andIguessyoucanhaveitataprettyheavydiscountfromtheoriginalprice。I'mauthorizedtosayyoucanhaveitforoneseventy-fiveamonth，andIdon'tbelieveitwouldbesafeforyoutoofferonefifty。"
Marchshookhishead，anddroppedamaskofvirtuousrejectionoverhiscorruptacquiescence。"It'stoosmallforus——wecouldn'tsqueezeintoit。"
"Why，lookhere!"Fulkersonpersisted。"Howmanyroomsdoyoupeoplewant?"
"I'vegottohaveaplacetowork——"
"Ofcourse!Andyou'vegottohaveitattheFifthWheeloffice。"
"Ihadn'tthoughtofthat，"Marchbegan。"IsupposeIcoulddomyworkattheoffice，asthere'snotmuchwriting——"
"Why，ofcourseyoucan'tdoyourworkathome。Youjustcomeroundwithmenow，andlookatthatagain。"
"No；Ican'tdoit。"
"Why?"
"I——I'vegottodine。"
"Allright，"saidFulkerson。"Dinewithme。IwanttotakeyouroundtoalittleItalianplacethatIknow。"
OnemaytracethesuccessivestepsofMarch'sdescentinthissimplematterwiththesameedificationthatwouldattendthestudyoftheself-
delusionsandobfuscationsofamantemptedtocrime。Theprocessisprobablynotatalldifferent，andtothephilosophicalmindthekindofresultisunimportant；theprocessiseverything。
Fulkersonledhimdownoneblockandhalfacrossanothertothestepsofasmalldwelling-house，transformed，likemanyothers，intoarestaurantoftheLatinideal，withlittleornostructuralchangefromthepatternofthelowermiddle-classNewYorkhome。Therewerethecorrodedbrownstonesteps，themeanlittlefrontdoor，andthecrampedentrywithitsnarrowstairsbywhichladiescouldgouptoadining-roomappointedforthemonthesecondfloor；theparlorsonthefirstweresetaboutwithtables，wheremensmokedcigarettesbetweenthecourses，andasinglewaiterranswiftlytoandfrowithplatesanddishes，and，exchangedunintelligibleoutcrieswithacookbeyondaslideinthebackparlor。Herushedatthenew-comers，brushedthesoiledtable-clothbeforethemwithatowelonhisarm，covereditsworststainswithanapkin，andbroughtthem，intheirorder，thevermicellisoup，thefriedfish，thecheese-strewnspaghetti，thevealcutlets，thetepidroastfowlandsalad，andthewizenedpearandcoffeewhichformthedinneratsuchplaces。
"Ah，thisisnice!"saidFulkerson，afterthelayingofthecharitablenapkin，andhebegantorecognizeacquaintances，someofwhomhedescribedtoMarchasyoungliterarymenandartistswithwhomtheyshouldprobablyhavetodo；othersweresimplyfrequentersoftheplace，andwereofallnationalitiesandreligionsapparently——atleast，severalwereHebrewsandCubans。"YougetaprettygoodsliceofNewYorkhere，"
hesaid，"allexceptthefrostingontop。Thatyouwon'tfindmuchatMaroni's，thoughyouwilloccasionally。Idon'tmeantheladiesever，ofcourse。"Theladiespresentseemedharmlessandreputable-lookingpeopleenough，butcertainlytheywerenotofthefirstfashion，and，exceptinafewinstances，notAmericans。"It'slikecuttingstraightdownthroughafruitcake，"Fulkersonwenton，"oramince-pie，whenyoudon'tknowwhomadethepie；yougetalittleofeverything。"HeorderedasmallflaskofChiantiwiththedinner，anditcameinitsprettywickerjacket。Marchsmileduponitwithtenderreminiscence，andFulkersonlaughed。"Lightsyouupalittle。IbroughtoldDryfooshereoneday，andhethoughtitwassweet-oil；that'sthekindofbottletheyusedtohaveitinatthecountrydrug-stores。"
"Yes，Iremembernow；butI'dtotallyforgottenit，"saidMarch。
"Howfarbackthatgoes!Who'sDryfoos?"
"Dryfoos?"Fulkerson，stillsmiling，toreoffapieceofthehalf-yardofFrenchloafwhichhadbeensuppliedthem，withtwopale，thindisksofbutter，andfeditintohimself。"OldDryfoos?Well，ofcourse!Icallhimold，butheain'tsovery。Aboutfifty，oralongthere。"
"No，"saidMarch，"thatisn'tveryold——ornotsooldasitusedtobe。"
"Well，Isupposeyou'vegottoknowabouthim，anyway，"saidFulkerson，thoughtfully。"AndI'vebeenwonderingjusthowIshouldtellyou。
Can'talwaysmakeoutexactlyhowmuchofaBostonianyoureallyare!
Everbeenoutinthenatural-gascountry?"
"No，"saidMarch。"I'vehadagooddealofcuriosityaboutit，butI'veneverbeenabletogetawayexceptinsummer，andthenwealwayspreferredtogoovertheoldground，outtoNiagaraandbackthroughCanada，theroutewetookonourweddingjourney。Thechildrenlikeitasmuchaswedo。"
"Yes，yes，"saidFulkerson。"Well，thenatural-gascountryisworthseeing。Idon'tmeanthePittsburggas-fields，butoutinNorthernOhioandIndianaaroundMoffitt——that'stheplaceintheheartofthegasregionthatthey'vebeenboomingso。Yes，yououghttoseethatcountry。
Ifyouhaven'tbeenWestforagoodmanyyears，youhaven'tgotanyideahowoldthecountrylooks。Yourememberhowthefieldsusedtobeallfullofstumps?"
"Ishouldthinkso。"
"Well，youwon'tseeanystumpsnow。AllthatcountryoutaroundMoffittisjustassmoothasachecker-board，andlooksasoldasEngland。Youknowhowweusedtoburnthestumpsout；andthensomebodyinventedastump-extractor，andwepulledthemoutwithayokeofoxen。Nowtheyjusttouch'emoffwithalittledynamite，andthey'vegotacellardugandfilledupwithkindlingreadyforhousekeepingwheneveryouwantit。
Onlytheyhaven'tgotanyuseforkindlinginthatcountry——allgas。
Irodealongonthecarsthroughthoselevelblackfieldsatcorn-
plantingtime，andeveryonceinawhileI'dcometoaplacewithapieceofraggedoldstove-pipestickin'upoutoftheground，andblazingawaylikeforty，andafellowploughingallrounditandnotmindingitanymorethanifitwasspringviolets。Horsesdidn'tnoticeit，either。
Well，they'vealwaysknownaboutthegasoutthere；theysaythereareplacesinthewoodswhereit'sbeenburningeversincethecountrywassettled。
"ButwhenyoucomeinsightofMoffitt——my，oh，my!Well，youcomeinsmellofitaboutassoon。Thatgasoutthereain'todorless，likethePittsburggas，andsoit'sperfectlysafe；butthesmellisn'tbad——aboutasbadasthefinestkindofbenzine。Well，thefirstthingthatstrikesyouwhenyoucometoMoffittisthenotionthattherehasbeenagoodwarm，growingrain，andthetown'scomeupovernight。That'sinthesuburbs，theannexes，andadditions。Butitain'tshabby——noshanty-farmbusiness；nicebrickandframehouses，someof'emQueenAnnestyle，andallof'emlookingasiftheyhadcometostay。Andwhenyoudriveupfromthedepotyouthinkeverybody'smoving。Everythingseemstobepiledintothestreet；oldhousesmadeover，andnewonesgoingupeverywhere。YouknowthekindofstreetMainStreetalwaysusedtobeinoursection——halfplank-roadandturnpike，andtherestmud-hole，andalotofstoresanddoggeriesstrungalongwithfalsefrontsastoryhigherthantheback，andhereandthereadecentbuildingwiththegableendtothepublic；andacourt-houseandjailandtwotavernsandthreeorfourchurches。Well，they'reallthereinMoffittyet，butarchitecturehasstruckithard，andthey'vegotalotofnewbuildingsthatneedn'tbeashamedofthemselvesanywhere；thenewcourt-houseisasbigasSt。
Peter's，andtheGrandOpera-houseisinthehigheststyleoftheart。
Youcan'tbuyalotonthatstreetformuchlessthanyoucanbuyalotinNewYork——oryoucouldn'twhentheboomwason；Isawtheplacejustwhentheboomwasinitsprime。lwentouttheretoworkthenewspapersinthesyndicatebusiness，andIgotoneoftheirmentowritemearealbright，snappyaccountofthegas；andtheyjusttookmeintheirarmsandshowedmeeverything。Well，itwaswonderful，anditwasbeautiful，too!Toseeawholecommunitystirreduplikethatwas——justlikeabigboy，allhopeandhighspirits，andnodiscountontheremotestfuture；
nothingbutperpetualboomtotheendoftime——Itellyouitwarmedyourblood。Why，thereweresomethingsaboutitthatmadeyouthinkwhatanicekindofworldthiswouldbeifpeopleevertookholdtogether，insteadofeachfellowfightingitoutonhisownhook，anddeviltakethehindmost。TheymadeuptheirmindsatMoffittthatiftheywantedtheirtowntogrowthey'dgottokeeptheirgaspublicproperty。Sotheyextendedtheircorporationlinesoastotakeinprettymuchthewholegasregionroundthere；andthenthecitytookpossessionofeverywellthatwasputdown，andhelditforthecommongood。Anybodythat'samindtocometoMoffittandstartanykindofmanufacturecanhaveallthegashewantsfree；andforfifteendollarsayearyoucanhaveallthegasyouwanttoheatandlightyourprivatehouse。Thepeopleholdontoitforthemselves，and，asIsay，it'sagrandsighttoseeawholecommunityhangingtogetherandworkingforthegoodofall，insteadofsplittingupintoasmanydifferentcut-throatsasthereareable-bodiedcitizens。Seethatfellow?"Fulkersonbrokeoff，andindicatedwithatwirlofhisheadashort，dark，foreign-lookingmangoingoutofthedoor。"Theysaythatfellow'saSocialist。Ithinkit'sashamethey'reallowedtocomehere。Iftheydon'tlikethewaywemanageouraffairslet'emstayathome，"Fulkersoncontinued。"Theydoalotofmischief，shootingofftheirmouthsroundhere。Ibelieveinfreespeechandallthat；butI'dliketoseethesefellowsshutupinjailandlefttojawoneanothertodeath。Wedon'twantanyoftheirpoison。"
MarchdidnotnoticethevanishingSocialist。Hewaswatching，withateasingsenseoffamiliarity，atall，shabbilydressed，elderlyman，whohadjustcomein。HehadtheaquilineprofileuncommonamongGermans，andyetMarchrecognizedhimatonceasGerman。Hislong，softbeardandmustachehadoncebeenfair，andtheykeptsometoneoftheiryellowinthegraytowhichtheyhadturned。Hiseyeswerefull，andhislipsandchinshapedthebeardtothenobleoutlinewhichshowsinthebeardstheItalianmasterslikedtopaintfortheirLastSuppers。Hiscarriagewaserectandsoldierly，andMarchpresentlysawthathehadlosthislefthand。Hetookhisplaceatatablewheretheoverworkedwaiterfoundtimetocutuphismeatandputeverythingineasyreachofhisrighthand。
"Well，"Fulkersonresumed，"theytookmeroundeverywhereinMoffitt，andshowedmetheirbigwells——lit'emupforaprivateview，andletmehearthempurrwiththesoftaccentsofamass-meetingoflocomotives。Why，whentheyletoneofthesewellslooseinameadowthatthey'dpipeditintotemporarily，itdrovetheflameawayfortyfeetfromthemouthofthepipeandblewitoverhalfanacreofground。Theysaywhentheyletoneoftheirbigwellsburnawayallwinterbeforetheyhadlearnedhowtocontrolit，thatwellkeptupalittlesummerallaroundit；thegrassstayedgreen，andtheflowersbloomedallthroughthewinter。Idon'tknowwhetherit'ssoornot。ButIcanbelieveanythingofnaturalgas。
My!butitwasbeautifulwhentheyturnedonthefullforceofthatwellandshotaromancandleintothegas——that'sthewaytheylightit——andaplumeoffireabouttwentyfeetwideandseventy-fivefeethigh，allredandyellowandviolet，jumpedintothesky，andthatbigroarshookthegroundunderyourfeet!Youfeltlikesaying:
'Don'ttroubleyourself；I'mperfectlyconvinced。IbelieveinMoffitt。'
We-e-e-ll!"drawledFulkerson，withalongbreath，"that'swhereImetoldDryfoos。"
"Ohyes!——Dryfoos，"saidMarch。Heobservedthatthewaiterhadbroughttheoldone-handedGermanatoweringglassofbeer。
"Yes，"Fulkersonlaughed。"We'vegotroundtoDryfoosagain。IthoughtIcouldcutalongstoryshort，butIseemtobecuttingashortstorylong。Ifyou'renotinahurry，though——"
"Notintheleast。Goonaslongasyoulike。"
"Imethimthereintheofficeofareal-estateman——speculator，ofcourse；everybodywas，inMoffitt；butafirst-ratefellow，andpublic-
spiritedasallget-out；andwhenDryfooslefthetoldmeabouthim。
DryfooswasanoldPennsylvaniaDutchfarmer，aboutthreeorfourmilesoutofMoffitt，andhe'dlivedthereprettymuchallhislife；fatherwasoneofthefirstsettlers。Everybodyknewhehadtherightstuffinhim，buthewasslowerthanmolassesinJanuary，likethosePennsylvaniaDutch。He'dgottogetherthelargestandhandsomestfarmanywherearoundthere；andhewasmakingmoneyonit，justlikehewasinsomebusinesssomewhere；hewasaveryintelligentman；hetookthepapersandkepthimselfposted；buthewasawfullyold-fashionedinhisideas。Hehungontothedoctrinesaswellasthedollarsofthedads；itwasarealthingwithhim。Well，whentheboombegantocomehehateditawfully，andhefoughtit。HeusedtowritecommunicationstotheweeklynewspaperinMoffitt——they'vegotthreedailiestherenow——andthrowcoldwaterontheboom。Hecouldn'tcatchonnoway。Itmadehimsicktoheartheclackthatwentonaboutthegasthewholewhile，andthatstirreduptheneighborhoodandgotintohisfamily。Wheneverhe'dhearofamanthathadbeenofferedabigpriceforhislandandwasgoingtoselloutandmoveintotown，he'dgoandlaborwithhimandtrytotalkhimoutofit，andtellhimhowlonghisfifteenortwentythousandwouldlasthimtoliveon，andshaketheStandardOilCompanybeforehim，andtrytomakehimbelieveitwouldn'tbefiveyearsbeforetheStandardownedthewholeregion。
"Ofcourse，hecouldn'tdoanythingwiththem。Whenaman'sofferedabigpriceforhisfarm，hedon'tcarewhetherit'sbyasecretemissaryfromtheStandardOilornot；he'sgoingtosellandgetthebetteroftheotherfellowifhecan。Dryfooscouldn'tkeeptheboomoutofhasownfamilyeven。Hiswifewaswithhim。ShethoughtwhateverhesaidanddidwasjustasrightasifithadbeenthundereddownfromSinai。
Buttheyoungfolksweresceptical，especiallythegirlsthathadbeenawaytoschool。Theboythathadbeenkeptathomebecausehecouldn'tbesparedfromhelpinghisfathermanagethefarmwasmorelikehim，buttheycontrivedtostirtheboyup——withthehotendoftheboom，too。
SowhenafellowcamealongonedayandofferedoldDryfoosacoolhundredthousandforhisfarm，itwasallupwithDryfoos。He'd'a'
likedto'a'kepttheoffertohimselfandnotdoneanythingaboutit，buthisvanitywouldn'tlethimdothat；andwhenheletitoutinhisfamilythegirlsoutvotedhim。Theyjustmadehimsell。
"Hewouldn'tsellall。Hekeptabouteightyacresthatwasoffinsomepiecebyitself，butthethreehundredthathadtheoldbrickhouseonit，andthebigbarn——thatwent，andDryfoosboughthimaplaceinMoffittandmovedintotowntoliveontheinterestofhismoney。JustWhathehadscoldedandridiculedeverybodyelsefordoing。Well，theysaythatatfirstheseemedlikehewouldgocrazy。Hehadn'tanythingtodo。Hetookafancytothatland-agent，andheusedtogoandsetinhisofficeandaskhimwhatheshoulddo。'Ihain'tgotanyhorses，I
hain'tgotanycows，Ihain'tgotanypigs，Ihain'tgotanychickens。
Ihain'tgotanythingtodofromsun-uptosun-down。'Thefellowsaidthetearsusedtorundowntheoldfellow'scheeks，andifhehadn'tbeensobusyhimselfhebelievedheshould'a'cried，too。Butmosto'peoplethoughtoldDryfooswasdowninthemouthbecausehehadn'taskedmoreforhisfarm，whenhewantedtobuyitbackandfoundtheyhelditatahundredandfiftythousand。Peoplecouldn'tbelievehewasjusthomesickandheartsickfortheoldplace。Well，perhapshewassorryhehadn'taskedmore；that'shumannature，too。
"Afterawhilesomethinghappened。Thatland-agentusedtotellDryfoostogetouttoEuropewithhismoneyandseelifealittle，orgoandliveinWashington，wherehecouldbesomebody；butDryfooswouldn't，andhekeptlisteningtothetalkthere，andallofasuddenhecaughton。Hecameintothatfellow'sonedaywithaplanforcuttinguptheeightyacreshe'dkeptintotownlots；andhe'dgotitallplottedoutso-well，andhadsomanypracticalideasaboutit，thatthefellowwasastonished。
Hewentrightinwithhim，asfarasDryfooswouldlethim，andgladofthechance；andtheywereworkingthethingforallitwasworthwhenI
struckMoffitt。OldDryfooswantedmetogooutandseetheDryfoos&
HendryAddition——guesshethoughtmaybeI'dwriteitup；andhedrovemeouttherehimself。Well，itwasfunnytoseeatownmade:streetsdriventhrough；tworowsofshadetrees，hardandsoft，planted；cellarsdugandhousesputup-regularQueenAnnestyle，too，withstainedglass-allatonce。Dryfoosapologizedforthestreetsbecausetheywerehand-made；
saidtheyexpectedtheirstreet-makingmachineTuesday，andthentheyintendedtopushthings。"
FulkersonenjoyedtheeffectofhispictureonMarchforamoment，andthenwenton:"Hewasmightyintelligent，too，andhequestionedmeupaboutmybusinessassharpasIeverwasquestioned；seemedtokindofstrikehisfancy；Iguesshewantedtofindoutiftherewasanymoneyinit。Hewasmakingmoney，handoverhand，then；andheneverstoppedspeculatingandimprovingtillhe'dscrapedtogetherthreeorfourhundredthousanddollars，theysaidamillion，buttheylikeroundnumbersatMoffitt，andIguesshalfamillionwouldlayoveritcomfortablyandleaveafewthousandstospare，probably。ThenhecameontoNewYork。"
Fulkersonstruckamatchagainsttheribbedsideoftheporcelaincupthatheldthematchesinthecentreofthetable，andlitacigarette，whichhebegantosmoke，throwinghisheadbackwithaleisurelyeffect，asifhehadgottotheendofatleastasmuchofhisstoryashemeanttotellwithoutprompting。
Marchaskedhimthedesiredquestion。"Whatintheworldfor?"
Fulkersontookouthiscigaretteandsaid，withasmile:"Tospendhismoney，andgethisdaughtersintotheoldKnickerbockersociety。MaybehethoughttheywereallthesamekindofDutch。"
"Andhashesucceeded?"
"Well，they'renotsocialleadersyet。Butit'sonlyaquestionoftime——generationortwo——especiallyiftime'smoney，andifEveryOtherWeekisthesuccessit'sboundtobe。"
"Youdon'tmeantosay，Fulkerson，"saidMarch，withahalf-doubting，half-dauntedlaugh，"thathe'syourAngel?"
"That'swhatImeantosay，"returnedFulkerson。"IranontohiminBroadwayonedaylastsummer。Ifyoueversawanybodyinyourlife；
you'resuretomeethiminBroadwayagain，soonerorlater。That'sthephilosophyofthebuncobusiness；countrypeoplefromthesameneighborhoodaresuretorunupagainsteachotherthefirsttimetheycometoNewYork。Iputoutmyhand，andIsaid，'Isn'tthisMr。DryfoosfromMoffitt?'Hedidn'tseemtohaveanyuseformyhand；heletmekeepit，andhesquaredthoseoldlipsofhistillhisimperialstuckstraightout。EverseeBernhardtin'L'Etrangere'?Well，theAmericanhusbandisoldDryfoosallover；nomustache；andhay-coloredchin-
whiskerscutslantingfrozethecornersofhismouth。Hecockedhislittlegrayeyesatme，andsayshe:'Yes，youngman；mynameisDryfoos，andI'mfromMoffitt。ButIdon'twantnopresentofLongfellow'sWorks，illustrated；andIdon'twanttotastenofineteas；butIknowapolicemanthatdoes；andifyou'rethesonofmyoldfriendSquireStrohfeldt，you'dbettergetout。''Well，then，'saidI，'howwouldyouliketogointothenewspapersyndicatebusiness?'Hegaveanotherlookatme，andthenheburstoutlaughing，andhegrabbedmyhand，andhejustfrozetoit。Ineversawanybodysoglad。
"Well，thelongandtheshortofitwasthatIaskedhimroundheretoMaroni'stodinner；andbeforewebrokeupforthenightwehadsettledthefinancialsideoftheplanthat'sbroughtyoutoNewYork。Icansee，'tsaidFulkerson，whohadkepthiseyesfastonMarch'sface，"thatyoudon'tmorethanhalfliketheideaofDryfoos。Itoughttogiveyoumoreconfidenceinthethingthanyoueverhad。Youneedn'tbeafraid，"
headded，withsomefeeling，"thatItalkedDryfoosintothethingformyownadvantage。"
"Oh，mydearFulkerson!"Marchprotested，allthemoreferventlybecausehewasreallyalittleguilty。