“Myimpressionofutternoveltyseemedsomehowenhancedbythisunexpectedrefinementintheheartofthesolitudesandinsucharuggedshell，andyet，whenIcametoreflect，itwasonlycharacteristicofmycosmopolitanhost。Butanothersurprisewasinstoreforme。
　　“WhenIhadrecoveredbodilywarmthandmentalequilibriuminmydownyarmchair，beforetheroaringlogs，andduringthedeliciousabsorptionofmysecondglassoftea，IturnedmyattentiontotheFrenchvalet，evidentlythebaron’sownman，whowasdeftlyunpackingmyportmanteau，andwho，unlessmypracticedeyedeceivedme，askedfornothingbetterthantoentertainmewithagreeableconversationthewhile。
　　“’Yourmasterisout，then？’quothI，knowingthatthemosttrivialremarkwouldsufficetostarthim。
　　“True，Monseigneurwasout；hewasdesolatedindespairthiswiththenationalamiableandimaginativeinstinct；’butitwasdoubtlessimportantbusiness。M。leBaronhadthevisitofhisfactorduringthemiddaymeal；hadleftthetablehurriedly，andhadnotbeenseensince。MadamelaBaronnehadbeenalittlesuffering，butshewouldreceivemonsieur！’
　　“’Madame！’exclaimedI，astounded，’isyourmasterthenmarried？——
　　sincewhen？’——visionsofafairTartar，fitmateformybaron，immediatelyspringingsomewhatalluringlybeforemymentalvision。
　　Buttheanswerdispelledthepicturesquefancy。
　　“’Oh，yes，’saidtheman，withasomewhatpeculiarexpression。
　　Yes，Monseigneurismarried。DidMonsieurnotknow？AndyetitwasfromEnglandthatMonseigneurbroughtbackhiswife。’
　　“’AnEnglishwoman！’
　　“Myfirstthoughtwasoneofpity；anEnglishwomanaloneinthiswilderness——twodays’drivefromevenarailwaystation——andatthemercyofKossowski！ButthenextminuteIreversedmyjudgment。
　　Probablysheadoredherrufouslord，tookhisveneerofcourtesy——aveneerofthemostexquisitepolish，Igrantyou，butperilouslythin——fortheveryperfectionofchivalry。Orperchanceitwashisinnersavagenessitselfthatcharmedher；themostrefinedwomenoftenamazeonebythefascinationwhichthepreponderanceofthebruteintheoppositesexseemstohaveforthem。
　　“Iwasanxioustohearmore。
　　“’Isitnotdullfortheladyhereatthistimeoftheyear？’
　　“Thevaletraisedhisshoulderswithagestureofdespairthatwasalmostpassionate。
　　“Dull！Ah，monsieurcouldnotconceivetohimselfthedullnessofit。ThatpoorMadamelaBaronne！notevenalittlechildtokeephercompanyonthelong，longdayswhentherewasnothingbutsnowintheheavenandontheearthandthehowlingofthewindandthedogstocheerher。Atthebeginning，indeed，ithadbeendifferent；whenthemasterfirstbroughthomehisbridethehousewasgayenough。Itwasallredecoratedandrefurnishedtoreceivehermonsieurshouldhaveseenitbefore，amererendezvous-de-
　　chasse——forthematterofthatsowereallthecountryhousesintheseparts。Ah，thatwasthegoodtime！Therewerevisitsmonthaftermonth；parties，sleighing，dancing，tripstoSt。PetersburgandVienna。Butthisyearitseemedtheyweretohavenothingbutboarsandwolves。Howmadamecouldstandit——well，itwasnotforhimtospeak——andheavingadeepsighhedelicatelyinsertedmywhitetieroundmycollar，andwithaflourishtwisteditintoanirreproachablebowbeneathmychin。Ididnotthinkitrighttocross-examinethewillingtalkeranyfurther，especiallyas，despitehislastasseveration，therewereevidentlyvolumeshestillwishedtopourforth；butIconfessthat，asImademywayslowlyoutofmyroomalongthenoiselesslengthofpassage，Iwasconsciousofanunwonted，nottosayvulgar，curiosityconcerningthewomanwhohadcaptivatedsuchamanastheBaronKossowski。
　　“InafitofspeculativeabstractionImusthavetakenthewrongturning，forIpresentlyfoundmyselfinalong，narrowpassage。I
　　didnotremember。Iwasretracingmystepswhentherecamethesoundofrapidfootfallsuponstoneflags；alittledoorflewopeninthewallclosetome，andasmall，thick-setman，huddledintheroughsheepskinoftheGalicianpeasant，withamangyfurcaponhishead，nearlyranheadlongintomyarms。IwasaboutcondescendinglytointerpellatehiminmybestPolish，whenI
　　caughtthegleamofanangryyelloweyeandnotedthebristleofaredbeard——Kossowski！
　　“Amazed，Ifellbackastepinsilence。Withagrowllikeanuncouthanimaldisturbed，hedrewhisfilthycapoverhisbrowwithasavagegestureandpursuedhiswaydownthecorridoratasortofwild-boartrot。
　　“Thisfirstmeetingbetweenhostandguestwassoodd，soincongruous，thatitaffordedmeplentyoffoodforafreshlineofconjectureasItracedmywaybacktothepicturegallery，andfromthencesuccessfullytothedrawing-room，which，asthedoorwasajar，Icouldnotthistimemistake。
　　“Itwaslargeandloftyanddimlylitbyshadedlamps；throughtherosygloomIcouldatfirstonlyjustmakeoutaslenderfigurebythehearth；butasIadvanced，thiswasresolvedintoasingularlygracefulwomaninclinging，fur-trimmedvelvetgown，who，withonehandrestingonthehighmantelpiece，theotherbanginglistlesslybyherside，stoodgazingdownatthecrumblingwoodfireasifinadream。
　　“MyfriendsarekindenoughtosaythatIhaveacatliketread；I
　　knownothowthatmaybe；atanyratethecarpetIwaswalkinguponwasthickenoughtosmotheraheavierfootfall:notuntilIwasquiteclosetoherdidmyhostessbecomeawareofmypresence。
　　Thenshestartedviolentlyandlookedoverhershoulderatmewithdilatingeyes。Evidentlyanervouscreature，Isawthepulseinherthroat，strainedbyherattitude，flutterlikeaterrifiedbird。
　　“ThenextinstantshehadstretchedoutherhandwithsweetEnglishwordsofwelcome，andtheface，whichIhadbeencomparinginmymindtothatofGuido’sCenci，becametransformedbythearchandexquisitesmileofaGreuse。FormorethantwoyearsIhadhadnointercoursewithanyofmynationality。Icouldconceivethesoundofhisnativetongueundersuchcircumstancesmovingamaninacuriousunexpectedfashion。
　　“Ibabbledsomecommonplacereply，afterwhichtherewassilencewhilewestoodoppositeeachother，shelookingatmeexpectantly。
　　Atlength，withasighcheckedbyasmileandanovertoneofsadnessinavoicethatyettriedtobesprightly:
　　“’AmIthensochanged，Mr。Marshfield？’sheasked。AndallatonceIknewher:thegirlwhosenightingalethroathadredeemedthedesolationoftheeveningsatRathdrum，whosesunnybeautyhadseemedeventomycelebratedcold-bloodedaestheticismworthytohauntaman’sdreams。Yes，therewasthesubtlecurveofthewaist，thewarmlineofthroat，thedaintyfoot，theslendertip-
　　tiltedfingers——wittyfingers，asIhadclassifiedthem——whichI
　　nowshooklikeatrueBriton，insteadofavailingmyselfoftheprivilegethecountrygaveme，andkissingherslenderwrist。
　　“Butshewaschanged；andItoldhersowithunconventionalfrankness，studyinghercloselyasIspoke。
　　“’Iamafraid，’Isaidgravely，’thatthisplacedoesnotagreewithyou。’
　　“Sheshrankfrommyscrutinywithanervousmovementandflushedtotherootsofherred-brownhair。ThensheansweredcoldlythatI
　　waswrong，thatshewasinexcellenthealth，butthatshecouldnotexpectanymorethanotherpeopletopreserveperennialyouthI
　　rapidlycalculatedshemightbetwo-and-twenty，though，indeed，withalittleforcedlaugh，itwasscarcelyflatteringtohearonehadalteredoutofallrecognition。Then，withoutallowingmetimetoreply，sheplungedintoageneraltopicofconversationwhich，asIshouldhavebeenobtuseindeednottotakethehint，Ididmybesttokeepup。
　　“ButwhileshetalkedofViennaandWarsaw，ofherdistantneighbors，andlastyear’svisitors，itwasevidentthathermindwaselsewhere；hereyewandered，shelostthethreadofherdiscourse，answeredmeatrandom，andsmiledherpiteoussmileincongruously。
　　“Howeverlonelyshemightbeinhersolitarysplendor，thecompanyofacountrymanwasevidentlynosuchwelcomediversion。
　　“Afteralittlewhilesheseemedtofeelherselfthatshewaslackingincordiality，and，bringingherabsentgazetobearuponmewithapuzzledstrainedlook:’Ifearyouwillfinditverydull，’shesaid，’myhusbandissowrappedupthiswinterinhiscountrylifeandhissport。Youarethefirstvisitorwehavehad。
　　Thereisnothingbutgunsandhorseshere，andyoudonotcareforthesethings。’
　　“Thedoorcreakedbehindus；andthebaronentered，infaultlesseveningdress。BeforesheturnedtowardhimIwassharpenoughtocatchagaintheupleapingofaquickdreadinhereyes，notevensomuchdreadperhaps，Ithoughtafterwards，ashorror——thehorrorwenoticeinsomeanimalsatthenearingofabeastofprey。Itwasgoneinasecond，andshewassmiling。Butitwasarevelation。
　　“PerhapshebeatherinRussianfashion，andshe，asanEnglishwoman，wasnarrow-mindedenoughtoresentthis；orperhaps，merely，Ihadthemisfortunetoarriveduringamatrimonialmisunderstanding。
　　“Thebaronwouldnotgivemeleisuretoreflect；hewassoveryeffusiveinhisgreeting——notahintofourpreviousmeeting——
　　unlikemyhostess，allinalltome；eagertolisten，toreply；
　　almostaffectionate，fullofreferencestooldtimesandgenialallusions。Nodoubtwhenhechosehecouldbethemostcharmingofmen；thereweremomentswhen，lookingathiminhisquietsmileandrestrainedgesture，thealmostexaggeratedpolitenessofhismannertohiswife，whosefingershehadkissedwithpretty，old-fashionedgallantryuponhisentrance，Iaskedmyself，Couldthatencounterinthepassagehavebeenadream？Couldthatsavageinthesheepskinbemycourteousentertainer？
　　“’JustasIcamein，didIhearmywifesaytherewasnothingforyoutodointhisplace？’hesaidpresentlytome。Then，turningtoher:
　　“’YoudonotseemtoknowMr。Marshfield。Whereverhecanopenhiseyesthereisforhimsomethingtoseewhichmightnotinterestothermen。HewillfindthingsinmylibrarywhichIhavenonotionof。Hewilldiscoverobjectsforscientificobservationinallthemembersofmyhousehold，notonlyinthegood-lookingmaids——thoughhecould，Ihavenodoubt，telltheirpointsasI
　　couldthoseofahorse。Wehavemaidenshereofseveraldistinctraces，Marshfield。Wehavealsowitches，andJewleeches，andholydaftpeople。Inanycase，Yany，withallitsdependencies，material，maleandfemale，areatyourdisposal，forwhatyoucanmakeoutofthem。
　　“’Itisgood，’hewentongayly，’thatyoushouldhappentohavethishappydisposition，forIfearthat，nolaterthanto-morrow，I
　　mayhavetoabsentmyselffromhome。Ihaveheardthattherearenewsofwolves——theythreatentobeagreaterpestthanusualthiswinter，butIamgoingtodrivethemonquiteanewplan，anditwillgohardwithmeifIdon’tcomeevenwiththem。Wellforyou，bytheway，Marshfield，thatyoudidnotpasswithintheirscenttoday。’Then，musingly:’Ishouldnotgivemuchforthelifeofatravelerwhohappenedtowanderinthesepartsjustnow。’Hereheinterruptedhimselfhastilyandwentovertohiswife，whohadsunkbackonherchair，livid，seeminglyonthepointofswooning。
　　“Hisgazewasdevouring；somightamanlookatthewomanheadored，inhisanxiety。
　　“’What！faint，Violet，alarmed！’Hisvoicewassubdued，yettherewasanunmistakablethrillofemotioninit。
　　“’Pshaw！’thoughtItomyself，’themanisamodelhusband。’
　　“Sheclinchedherhands，andbysheerforceofwillseemedtopullherselftogether。Thesenervouswomenhaveoftenanunexpectedfundofstrength。
　　“’Come，thatiswell，’saidthebaronwithaflickeringsmile；’Mr。
　　MarshfieldwillthinkyoubutbadlyacclimatizedtoPolandifalittlewolfscarecanupsetyou。Mydearwifeissosoft-hearted，’
　　hewentontome，’thatsheiscapableofmakingherselfquiteilloverthesadfatethatmighthave，buthasnot，overcomeyou。Or，perhaps，’headded，inastillgentlervoice，’herfearisthatI
　　mayexposemyselftodangerforthepublicweal。’
　　“Sheturnedherheadaway，butIsawhersetherteethasiftochokeasob。Thebaronchuckledinhisthroatandseemedtoluxuriateinthepleasantthought。