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betrayed　a　confidence　reposed　in　him；　and　he　handed　the　paper　across　the
table　to　his　mother　with　rather　a　sick　look。

After　his　return　from　the　magazine　office　the　day　before；　there　had　been
a　good　deal　of　talk　between　them　about　that　girl。　　Mrs。　Verrian　had
agreed　with　him　that　no　more　interesting　event　could　have　happened　to　an
author；　but　she　had　tried　to　keep　him　from　taking　it　too　personally；　and
from　making　himself　mischievous　illusions　from　it。　　She　had　since　slept
upon　her　anxieties；　with　the　effect　of　finding　them　more　vivid　at　waking；
and　she　had　been　casting　about　for　an　opening　to　penetrate　him　with　them；
when　fortune　put　this　paragraph　in　her　way。

〃Isn't　it　disgusting？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　don't　see　how　Armiger　could　let　them
do　it。　　I　hope　to　heaven　she'll　never　see　it！〃

His　mother　looked　up　from　the　paragraph　and　asked；

〃Why？〃

〃What　would　she　think　of　me？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　She　might　have　expected　something　of　the　kind。〃

〃How　expect　something　of　the　kind？　　Am　I　one　of　the　self…advertisers？〃

〃Well；　she　must　have　realized　that　she　was　doing　rather　a　bold　thing。〃

〃Bold？〃

〃Venturesome；〃　Mrs。　Verrian　compromised　to　the　kindling　anger　in　her
son's　eyes。

〃I　don't　understand　you；　mother。　　I　thought　you　agreed　with　me　about　the
writer　of　that　letterher　sincerity；　simplicity。〃

〃Sincerity；　yes。　　But　simplicity　Philip；　a　thoroughly　single…minded
girl　never　wrote　that　letter。　　You　can't　feel　such　a　thing　as　I　do。
A　man　couldn't。　　You　can　paint　the　character　of　women；　and　you　do　it
wonderfullybut；　after　all；　you　can't　know　them　as　a　woman　does。〃

〃You　talk；〃　he　answered；　a　little　sulkily；　〃as　if　you　knew　some　harm　of
the　girl。〃

〃No；　my　son；　I　know　nothing　about　her；　except　that　she　is　not　single…
minded；　and　there　is　no　harm　in　not　being　single…minded。　　A　great　many
single…minded　women　are　fools；　and　some　double…minded　women　are　good。〃

〃Well；　single…minded　or　double…minded；　if　she　is　what　she　says　she　is；
what　motive　on　earth　could　she　have　in　writing　to　me　except　the　motive
she　gives？　　You　don't　deny　that　she　tells　the　truth　about　herself？〃

〃Don't　I　say　that　she　is　sincere？　　But　a　girl　doesn't　always　know　her　own
motives；　or　all　of　them。　　She　may　have　written　to　you　because　she　would
like　to　begin　a　correspondence　with　an　author。　　Or　she　may　have　done　it
out　of　the　love　of　excitement。　　Or　for　the　sake　of　distraction；　to　get
away　from　herself　and　her　gloomy　forebodings。〃

〃And　should　you　blame　her　for　that？〃

〃No；　I　shouldn't。　　I　should　pity　her　for　it。　　But；　all　the　same；　I
shouldn't　want　you　to　be　taken　in　by　her。〃

〃You　think；　then；　she　doesn't　care　anything　about　the　story？〃

〃I　think；　very　probably；　she　cares　a　great　deal　about　it。　　She　is　a
serious　person；　intellectually　at　least；　and　it　is　a　serious　story。　　No
wonder　she　would　like　to　know；　at　first　hand；　something　about　the　man　who
wrote　it。〃

This　flattered　Verrian；　but　he　would　not　allow　its　reasonableness。　　He
took　a　gulp　of　coffee　before　saying；　uncandidly；　〃I　can't　make　out　what
you're　driving　at；　mother。　　But；　fortunately；　there's　no　hurry　about　your
meaning。　　The　thing's　in　the　only　shape　we　could　possibly　give　it；　and　I
am　satisfied　to　leave　it　in　Armiger's　hands。　　I'm　certain　he　will　deal
wisely　with　it…and　kindly。〃

〃Yes；　I'm　sure　he'll　deal　kindly。　　I　should　be　very　unhappy　if　he　didn't。　
He　could　easily　deal　more　wisely；　though；　than　she　has。〃

Verrian　chose　not　to　follow　his　mother　in　this。　　〃All　is；〃　he　said；　with
finality；　〃I　hope　she'll　never　see　that　loathsome　paragraph。〃

〃Oh；　very　likely　she　won't；〃　his　mother　consoled　him。




III。

Only　four　days　after　he　had　seen　Armiger；　Verrian　received　an　envelope
covering　a　brief　note　to　himself　from　the　editor；　a　copy　of　the　letter　he
had　written　to　Verrian's　unknown　correspondent；　and　her　answer　in　the
original。　　Verrian　was　alone　when　the　postman　brought　him　this　envelope；
and　he　could　indulge　a　certain　passion　for　method　by　which　he　read　its
contents　in　the　order　named；　if　his　mother　had　been　by；　she　would　have
made　him　read　the　girl's　reply　first　of　all。　Armiger　wrote：

〃MY　DEAR　VERRIAN；I　enclose　two　exhibits　which　will　possess　you　of　all
the　facts　in　the　case　of　the　young　lady　who　feared　she　might　die　before
she　read　the　end　of　your　story；　but　who；　you　will　be　glad　to　find；　is
likely　to　live　through　the　year。　　As　the　story　ends　in　our　October
number；　she　need　not　be　supplied　with　advance　sheets。　　I　am　sorry　the
house　hurried　out　a　paragraph　concerning　the　matter；　but　it　will　not　be
followed　by　another。　　Perhaps　you　will　feel；　as　I　do；　that　the　incident
is　closed。　　I　have　not　replied　to　the　writer；　and　you　need　not　return　her
letter。　　Yours　ever；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃M。　ARMIGER。〃

The　editor's　letter　to　the　young　lady　read：

〃DEAR　MADAM；Mr。　P。　S。　Verrian　has　handed　me　your　letter　of　the　4th；　and
I　need　not　tell　you　that　it　has　interested　us　both。

〃I　am　almost　as　much　gratified　as　he　by　the　testimony　your　request　bears
to　the　importance　of　his　work；　and　if　I　could　have　acted　upon　my　instant
feeling　I　should　have　had　no　hesitation　in　granting　it；　though　it　is　so
very　unusual　as　to　be；　in　my　experience　as　an　editor；　unprecedented。　　I
am　sure　that　you　would　not　have　made　it　so　frankly　if　you　had　not　been
prepared　to　guard　in　return　any　confidence　placed　in　you；　but　you　will
realize　that　as　you　are　quite　unknown　to　us；　we　should　not　be　justified
in　taking　a　step　so　unusual　as　you　propose　without　having　some　guarantee
besides　that　which　Mr。　Verrian　and　I　both　feel　from　the　character　of　your
letter。　　Simply；　then；　for　purposes　of　identification；　as　the　phrase　is；
I　must　beg　you　to　ask　the　pastor　of　your　church；　or；　better　still；　your
family　physician；　to　write　you　a　line　saying　that　he　knows　you；　as　a　sort
of　letter　of　introduction　to　me。　　Then　I　will　send　you　the　advance　proofs
of　Mr。　Verrian's　story。　　You　may　like　to　address　me　personally　in　the
care　of　the　magazine；　and　not　as　the　editor。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Yours　very　respectfully；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃M。　ARMIGER。〃

The　editor's　letter　was　dated　the　6th　of　the　month；　the　answer；　dated　the
8th；　betrayed　the　anxious　haste　of　the　writer　in　replying；　and　it　was　not
her　fault　if　what　she　wrote　came　to　Verrian　when　he　was　no　longer　able　to
do　justice　to　her　confession。　　Under　the　address　given　in　her　first
letter　she　now　began；　in；　a　hand　into　which　a　kindlier　eye　might　have
read　a　pathetic　perturbation：

〃DEAR　SIR；I　have　something　awful　to　tell　you。　　I　might　write　pages
without　making　you　think　better　of　me；　and　I　will　let　you　think　the　worst
at　once。　　I　am　not　what　I　pretended　to　be。　　I　wrote　to　Mr。　Verrian　saying
what　I　did；　and　asking　to　see　the　rest　of　his　story　on　the　impulse　of　the
moment。　　I　had　been　reading　it；　for　I　think　it　is　perfectly　fascinating；
and　a　friend　of　mine；　another　girl；　and　I　got　together　trying　to　guess
how　he　would　end　it；　and　we　began　to　dare　each　other　to　write　to　him　and
ask。　　At　first　we　did　not　dream　of　doing　such　a　thing；　but　we　went　on；
and　just　for　the　fun　of　it　we　drew　lots　to　see　which　should　write　to　him。　
The　lot　fell　to　me；　but　we　composed　that　letter　together；　and　we　put　in
about　my　dying　for　a　joke。　　We　never　intended　to　send　it；　but　then　one
thing　led　to　another；　and　I　signed　it　with　my　real　name　and　we　sent　it。　
We　did　not　really　expect　to　hear　anything　from　it；　for　we　supposed　he
must　get　lots　of　letters　about　his　story　and　never　paid　any　attention　to
them。　　We　did　not　realize　what　we　had　done　till　I　got　your　letter
yesterday。　　Then　we　saw　it　all；　and　ever　since　we　have　been　trying　to
think　what　to　do；　and　I　do　not　believe　either　of　us　has　slept　a　moment。　
We　have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　there　was　only　one　thing　we　could　do；
and　that　was　to　tell　you　just　exactly　how　it　happened　and　take　the
consequences。　　But　there　is　no　reason　why　more　than　one　person　should　be
brought　into　it；　and　so　I　will　not　let　my　friend　sign　this　letter　with
me；　but　I　will　put　my　own　name　alone　to　it。　　You　may　not　think　it　is　my
real　name；　but　it　is；　you　can　find　out　by　writing　to　the　postmaster　here。　
I　do　not　know　whether　you　will　publish　it　as　a　fraud　for　the　warning　of
others；　but　I　shall　not　blame　you　if　you　do。　　I　deserve　anything。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours　truly；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃JERUSHA　PEREGRINE　BROWN。〃

If　Verrian　had　been　an　older　man　life　might　have　supplied　him　with　the
means　of　judging　the　writer　of　this　letter。　　But　his　experience　as　an
author　had　not　been　very　great；　and　such　as　it　was　it　had　hardened　and
sharpened　him。　　There　was　nothing　wild　or　whirling　in　his　mood；　but　in
the　deadly　hurt　which　had　been　inflicted　upon　his　vanity　he　coldly　and
carefully　studied　what　deadlier　hurt　he　might　inflict　again。　　He　was　of
the　crueller　intent　because　he　had　not　known　how　much　of　personal　vanity
there　was　in　the　seriousness　with　which　he　took　himself　and　his　work。　　He
had　supposed　that　he　was　respecting　his　ethics　and　aesthetics；　his　ideal
of　conduct　and　of　art；　but　now　it　was　brought　home　to　him　that　he　was
swollen　with　the　conceit　of　his　own　performance；　and　that；　however　well
others　thought　of　it；　his　own　thought　of　it　far　outran　their　will　to
honor　it。　　He　wished　to　revenge　himself　for　this　consciousness　as　well　as
the　offence　offered　him；　of　the　two　the　consciousness　was　the　more
disagreeable。

His　mother；　dressed　for　the　street；　came　in　where　he　sat　quiet　at　his
desk；　with　the　editor's　letters　and　the　girl's　before　him；　and　he　mutely
referred　them　to　her　with　a　hand　lifted　over　his　shoulder。　　She　read
them；　and　then　she　said；　〃This　is　hard　to　bear；　Philip。　　I　wish　I　could
bear　it　for　you；　or　at　least　with　you；　but　I'm　late　for　my　engagement
with　Mrs。　Alfred；　as　it　isNo；　I　will　telephone　her　I'm　detained　and
we'll　talk　it　over〃

〃No；　no！　　Not　on　any　account！　　I'd　rather　think　it　out　for　myself。　　You
couldn't　help　me。　　After　all；　it　hasn't　done　me　any　harm〃

〃And　you've　had　a　great　escape！　　And　I　won't　say　a　word　more　now；　but
I'll　be　back　soon；　and　then　weOh；　I'm　so　sorry　I'm　going。〃

Verrian　gave　a　laugh。　　〃You　couldn't　do　anything　if　you　stayed