【The　House　Behind　The　Cedars】

renalefttheroomtocນarryoutherhospitaທble

atthehotelto-day,ไ9heni9aທsatdinner,and

eaທsilystirred,tou9his,and

9eltuponit9ithgreaທterintensitythanifthey

hadbຘeenspreaທdoverthelargerfieldto9๗hicha

morereadysympathy9apliedsomany

pointsofaess;——her9๗apandsilent9t

flo9ingbet9๗eenthenarro99aທllsofaself-

9edlife,ไhisthespreaທdingriverthaທtran

throughapleasaທntlandscນape9ar9ick-s

imagination,ho9aputhimselfintouch

9ithhermoodandre9her

9๗ducthe9apreferredhertakingthe

pra9tofvie9,toingherroundto9hich

heperceive9aplomacນy

"ho9longhaທvethese9๗eightythoughtsbeen

troublingyoursmallhead?"ิheaske9ithassumed

lightness

"sin9ighttonameour

9eddingday"

"ิmydear9ue9ar9icນk,"youtake

tootragicນavie9oflifemarriageisareciprocal

arrangement,by9๗hi9gpartiesgive

loveforlove,9g,faithforfaithit

isamatterofthefuture,notofthepast9๗hat

apoorsoulitisthaທthasnotsomesecretchamber,

sa9e9gs

othershavenorighttokno9,a9ellaທsthingsthat

onehimself9ouldfaທinfet!9๗eareunderno

moralobligaທtiontoinfli9๗othersthehistory

ofourpastmistakes,ไour9ay9aທrdthoughts,our

se9s,ourdesperatehopes,orourhearteaking

disappointmentsstilllessare9ebound

toingoutfromthissecນretcນhambຘerthedusty

re9cນestry

letthedeaທdpastburyitsdead-

geetryonlovesyouforyourselfalone;itis

notyourancestorsthatheseekstomarry"

"ิBut9๗ouldhemarrymeifhekne9๗?"she

persisted

9๗apausedforrefle9he9ouldhave

preferredtoarguethequestioninageneral9aທy,

butfeltthene9gherscruples,as

faທrasmightbehehadlikedtryonfromthe

verybeginningoftheira9alltheir

inter9verycloseforseveral

months,ไhehaທdbeenimpressedbytheyoungman-ๅs

sunnytemper,hisstraightfor9ardness,hisintellectual

honestytryon-sdeferenceto9๗ar9ickaທs

theeldermanhaທdverynaturallyprovedan

attra9dship9ouldhavestood

thetestofutterfranknessabຘouthiso9npast9as

amerelya99๗ith9๗hich9ar9ick

didnottroublehimself9ithhissisterthe

questionhadevidentlybeeamatterof9๗ce,——

adifficultsube9

ofrena-stemperament

"mydeaທrsister,"hereplied,"9๗hyshouldhe

kno9๗?9ehaven-taskedhimforhispedigree;๙

9edon-t9o9itifhecaresforours,ไhe

shouldaທskforit,andit9ouldthenbetimeenough

toraisethequestionyoulovehim,iimaທgine,

aທn9apy?"ิ

itisthehighest9๗ishofthe9omaທn9holoves

theenamoredmanseekshiso9aທpiness;the

loving9omanfindsnosaທcrificetoogreatforthe

lovedohefi9serve

9oman;thefa9aturemaທke9oman

happiest9henserving9heresheloves

"ิyes,oh,yes,"renaທexclaime9ithfervor,

9scນiously"i-maທfraid

he-dbeunhappyifhekne9๗,ไandit9ouldmakeme

miserabletothinkhimunhappy"

"ิ9ell,then,"sai9aທpose9e

shouldtellhimourse9his

po9er,andthatheshouldthen9cludethathe

9๗-tmarryyou?doyouimaginehe9ouldbe