TheyagreedthattheymustwritetoMr。andMrs。Marchatonce；oratleast，Agathasaid，assoonasshehadspokentoherfather。Athermentionofherfathershewasawareofadoubt，afear，inBurnamywhichexpresseditselfbyscarcelymorethanaspiritualconsciousnessfromhisarmtothehandswhichshehadclaspedwithinit。“Hehasalwaysappreciatedyou。”shesaidcourageously，“andIknowhewillseeitintherightlight。”
　　Sheprobablymeantnomorethantoaffirmherfaithinherownabilityfinallytobringherfathertoajustmindconcerningit；butBurnamyacceptedherassurancewithbuoyanthopefulness，andsaidhewouldseeGeneralTriscoethefirstthinginthemorning。
　　“No，Iwillseehim。”shesaid，“Iwishtoseehimfirst；hewillexpectitofme。Wehadbettergoin，now。”sheadded，butneithermadeanymotionforthepresenttodoso。Onthecontrary，theywalkedintheotherdirection，anditwasanhourafterAgathadeclaredtheirdutyinthematterbeforetheytriedtofulfilit。
　　Then，indeed，aftertheyreturnedtothehotel，shelostnotimeingoingtoherfatherbeyondthatwhichmustbegiventoalonghand-pressureunderthefrescoofthefivepoetsonthestairslanding，whereherwaysandBurnamy’sparted。Shewentintoherownroom，andsoftlyopenedthedoorintoherfather’sandlistened。
　　“Well？”hesaidinasortofchallengingvoice。
　　“Haveyoubeenasleep？”sheasked。
　　“I’vejustblownoutmylight。Whathaskeptyou？”
　　Shedidnotreplycategorically。Standingthereintheshelteringdark，shesaid，“Papa，Iwasn’tverycandidwithyou，thisafternoon。IamengagedtoMr。Burnamy。”
　　“Lightthecandle。”saidherfather。“Orno。”headdedbeforeshecoulddoso。“Isitquitesettled？”
　　“Quite。”sheansweredinavoicethatadmittedofnodoubt。“Thatis，asfarasitcanbe，withoutyou。”
　　“Don’tbeahypocrite，Agatha。”saidthegeneral。“Andletmetrytogettosleep。YouknowIdon’tlikeit，andyouknowIcan’thelpit。”
　　“Yes。”thegirlassented。
　　“Thengotobed。”saidthegeneralconcisely。
　　Agathadidnotobeyherfather。Shethoughtsheoughttokisshim，butshedecidedthatshehadbetterpostponethis；soshemerelygavehimatendergoodnight，towhichhemadenoresponse，andshutherselfintoherownroom，wheresheremainedsittingandstaringoutintothemoonlight，withasmilethatneverleftherlips。
　　Whenthemoonsankbelowthehorizon，theskywaspalewiththecomingday，butbeforeitwasfairlydawn，shesawsomethingwhite，notmuchgreaterthansomemoths，movingbeforeherwindow。Shepulledthevalvesopenandfounditabitofpaperattachedtoathreaddanglingfromabove。Shebrokeitlooseandinthemorningtwilightshereadthegreatcentraltruthoftheuniverse：
　　“Iloveyou。L。J。B。”
　　Shewroteunderthetremendousinspiration：
　　“SodoI。Don’tbesilly。A。T。”
　　Shefastenedthepapertothethreadagain，andgaveitalittletwitch。
　　Shewaitedforthelownoteoflaughterwhichdidnotfailtoflutterdownfromabove；thenshethrewherselfuponthebed，andfellasleep。
　　Itwasnotsolateasshethoughtwhenshewoke，anditseemed，atbreakfast，thatBurnamyhadbeenupstillearlier。OfthethreeinvolvedintheanxietyofthenightbeforeGeneralTriscoewasstillrespitedfromitbysleep，buthewokemuchmorehaggardthaneitheroftheyoungpeople。They，infact，werenotatallhaggard；theworstwasover，ifbringingtheirengagementtohisknowledgewastheworst；theformalityofaskinghisconsentwhichBurnamystillhadtogothroughwasunpleasant，butafterallitwasaformality。Agathatoldhimeverythingthathadpassedbetweenherselfandherfather，andifithadnotthatcordialityonhispartwhichtheycouldhavewisheditwascertainlynothopelesslydiscouraging。
　　TheyagreedatbreakfastthatBurnamyhadbetterhaveitoverasquicklyaspossible，andhewaitedonlytillAugustcamedownwiththegeneral’straybeforegoinguptohisroom。Theyoungfellowdidnotfeelmoreathiseasethantheeldermeantheshouldintakingthechairtowhichthegeneralwavedhimfromwherehelayinbed；andtherewasnotalkwastedupontheweatherbetweenthem。
　　“IsupposeIknowwhatyouhavecomefor，Mr。Burnamy。”saidGeneralTriscoeinatonewhichwasratherjudicialthanotherwise，“andI
　　supposeyouknowwhyyouhavecome。”ThewordscertainlyopenedthewayforBurnamy，buthehesitatedsolongtotakeitthatthegeneralhadabundanttimetoadd，“Idon’tpretendthatthiseventisunexpected，butIshouldliketoknowwhatreasonyouhaveforthinkingIshouldwishyoutomarrymydaughter。Itakeitforgrantedthatyouareattachedtoeachother，andwewon’twastetimeonthatpoint。Nottobeataboutthebush，onthenextpoint，letmeaskatoncewhatyourmeansofsupportingherare。HowmuchdidyouearnonthatnewspaperinChicago？”
　　“Fifteenhundreddollars。”Burnamyanswered，promptlyenough。
　　“Didyouearnanythingmore，saywithinthelastyear？”
　　“IgotthreehundreddollarsadvancecopyrightforabookIsoldtoapublisher。”ThegloryhadnotyetfadedfromthefactinBurnamy’smind。
　　“Eighteenhundred。WhatdidyougetforyourpoeminMarch’sbook？”
　　“That’saverytriflingmatter：fifteendollars。”
　　“AndyoursalaryasprivatesecretarytothatmanStoller？”
　　“Thirtydollarsaweek，andmyexpenses。ButIwouldn’ttakethat，GeneralTriscoe。”saidBurnamy。
　　GeneralTriscoe，fromhis’litdejustice’，passedthispointinsilence。
　　“Haveyouanyonedependentonyou？”
　　“Mymother；Itakecareofmymother。”answeredBurnamy，proudly。
　　“SinceyouhavebrokenwithStoller，whatareyourprospects？”
　　“Ihavenone。”
　　“Thenyoudon’texpecttosupportmydaughter；youexpecttoliveuponhermeans。”
　　“Iexpecttodonothingofthekind！“criedBurnamy。“Ishouldbeashamed——Ishouldfeeldisgraced——Ishould——Idon’taskyou——Idon’taskhertillIhavethemeanstosupporther——“
　　“Ifyouwereveryfortunate。”continuedthegeneral，unmovedbytheyoungfellow’spain，andunperturbedbythefactthathehadhimselfliveduponhiswife’smeansaslongasshelived，andthenuponhisdaughter’s，“ifyouwentbacktoStoller——“
　　“Iwouldn’tgobacktohim。Idon’tsayhe’sknowinglyarascal，buthe’signorantlyarascal，andheproposedarascallythingtome。I
　　behavedbadlytohim，andI’dgiveanythingtoundothewrongIlethimdohimself；butI’llnevergobacktohim。”
　　“Ifyouwentback，onyouroldsalary。”thegeneralpersistedpitilessly，“youwouldbeveryfortunateifyoubroughtyourearningsuptotwenty-
　　fivehundredayear。”
　　“Yes——“
　　“Andhowfardoyouthinkthatwouldgoinsupportingmydaughteronthescalesheisusedto？Idon’tspeakofyourmother，whohasthefirstclaimuponyou。”
　　Burnamysatdumb；andhisheadwhichhehadliftedindignantlywhenthequestionwasofStoller，begantosink。
　　Thegeneralwenton。“Youaskmetogiveyoumydaughterwhenyouhaven’tmoneyenoughtokeepheringowns；youaskmetogivehertoastranger——“
　　“Notquiteastranger，GeneralTriscoe。”Burnamyprotested。“Youhaveknownmeforthreemonthsatleast，andanyonewhoknowsmeinChicagowilltellyou——“
　　“Astranger，andworsethanastranger。”thegeneralcontinued，sopleasedwiththelogicalperfectionofhispositionthathealmostsmiled，andcertainlysoftenedtowardBurnamy。“Itisn’taquestionoflikingyou，Mr。Burnamy，butofknowingyou；mydaughterlikesyou；sodotheMarches；sodoeseverybodywhohasmetyou。Ilikeyoumyself。
　　You’vedonemepersonallyathousandkindnesses。ButIknowverylittleofyou，inspiteofourthreemonths’acquaintance；andthatlittleis——
　　Butyoushalljudgeforyourself！Youwereintheconfidentialemployofamanwhotrustedyou，andyoulethimbetrayhimself。”
　　“Idid。Idon’texcuseit。Thethoughtofitburnslikefire。Butitwasn’tdonemaliciously；itwasn’tdonefalsely；itwasdoneinconsiderately；andwhenitwasdone，itseemedirrevocable。Butitwasn’t；Icouldhaveprevented，Icouldhavestoopedthemischief；andI
　　didn’t！Icanneveroutlivethat。”
　　“Iknow。”saidthegeneralrelentlessly，“thatyouhaveneverattemptedanydefence。Thathasbeentoyourcreditwithme。Itinclinedmetooverlookyourunwarrantedcourseinwritingtomydaughter，whenyoutoldheryouwouldneverseeheragain。Whatdidyouexpectmetothink，afterthat，ofyourcomingbacktoseeher？Ordidn’tyouexpectmetoknowit？”
　　“Iexpectedyoutoknowit；Iknewshewouldtellyou。ButIdon’texcusethat，either。Itwasactingalietocomeback。AllIcansayisthatIhadtoseeheragainforonelasttime。”