The Europeans

cold and dreary. Mr. Wentworth and his daughters put on overshoes and went to church, and Felix Young, without overshoes, went also, holding an umbrella over Gertrude. It is

anything but African; she reminded Eugenia of the tiresome old ladies she met in society. She knew, however, how to make a fire; so that after she had laid the logs, Eugenia, who was terribly bored, found a quarter of an hour's entertainment in sitting and watching them blaze and sputter. She had thought it very likely Robert Acton would come and see her; she had not met him since that infelicitous evening. But the morning waned without his coming; several times she thought she heard his step on the piazza; but it was only a window-shutter shaking in a rain-gust. The Baroness, since the beginning of that episode in her career of which a slight sketch has been attempted in these pages, had had many moments of irritation. But today her irritation had a peculiar keenness; it appeared to feed upon itself. It urged her to do something; but it suggested no particularly profitable line of action. If she could have done something at the moment, on the spot, she would have stepped upon a European steamer and turned her back, with a kind of rapture, upon that profoundly mortifying failure, her visit to her American relations. It is not exactly apparent why she should h

his coat. In a moment he entered the room, with a glow in his cheek and half-a

sont passés," rep

ack to the fire, placed his hands behind him, extended his legs and looked away through the window with a

y, was an affectation, a pose; but she was vaguely conscious that during the present summer he had been a highly successful comedian. They had never yet had an explanation; she had not known the need of one. Felix was presumably following the bent of his disinterested genius, and she felt that she had no advice to give him that he would understand. With this, there was always a certain element of comfort about Felix

a at last, "do stop making

ill make them at yo

a, in a moment, "do you propose

Do you want to

icious. I am not

at the fire. "The fact is I am happy

end your life in making l

x, smiling sidew

ce, much more gravely; and the

u?" Felix

er you in the words of the gentleman who was a

you immensely

hat. Other women sh

ould dis

ould hate me! It's a measure of the time

!" said Felix, with a bright sententiousness

a harsher laugh, "one has secured the af

ured Gertrude's affection, but I am by no means sure that

may! That's th

esn't smile upon our union. You kn

elix complied with her request and sat watching the quickening of the flam

hing that's disagreeable to Mr. Wentw

between pleasing your

"I have a good conscience. I made up my mind at the ou

matters, she ma

say you are not afraid of her," he said. "But perhaps

ed back in his chair, and there was a long silence. At last, with an altered ac

atly disappoint

ood!" the Baroness declared. "And, aft

n already. But we shall go to Europe. Ge

e here!" said the Barone

eling and of a lively disposition to express it. His sister, to his spiritual vision, was always like the lunar disk when only a part of it is lighted. The shadow on this bright surface seemed to him to expand and to contract; but whatever its proportions, he always appreciated the moonlight. He looked at the

" she said at last, "you had decidedly better go to Europe!" Then she turned round, looking at her brother. A chair stood near her; she leaned her hands up

erly!" cried Felix,

urself, and you don't answer my question. While you are amusin

e la partie!"

ropped her eyes for some moments. "Do you prop

ster, where you are concerned I nev

t you are the most heartless person liv

ot cheerful, and I gav

oness. "You probably will not have discovered i

t. But I quite understand it.

I can't

ied Felix, joyously. "He is

in love with me,"

tune. Permit me in turn

ribly candid." And she left her place and came nearer her brother, looking at him hard. He

er. It is probable that, in the last analysis, what she meant was that Felix should spare her the necessity of stating the case more exactly and should hold

iberty, what are your

't particula

ry a l

should succeed better if he didn't

to Europe," F

nt effort," the Baroness rejoined. "That is not wh

here, with you!" sa

d away again. "You see, at all events," she presently went on, "that if it had been said of me

g!" urged Felix, wit

red, after a moment. "But promise me one thing: pas de zèle! I

cuse," said Felix, "that I hav

"warn him against dangerous illusions. I detest importun

lix, "except to you. To you I

king at him. "I will go and dress and think of it," she

ckened his imagination; he always found images and promises in the western sky. He thought of a good many things-of roaming about the world with Gertrude Wentworth; he seemed to see their possible adventures, in a glowing frieze, between the cloud-bars; then of what Eugenia had just been telling him. He wished very much that Madame Münster would make a comfortable and honorable marriage. Presently, as the sunset expanded and deepened, the fancy took him of making a note of so magnificent a piece of coloring. He returned to his studio and fetched ou

Mr. Wentworth's gate and passed along the road; after which he entered the little garden of the cotta

ave been to see me so little. You have come to see my sister; I know that. But you haven't come to see me-the celebrated artis

, pulling together the large flaps of his umbrella. "Why s

be a good little chance for you to learn something. You would ask me why you should le

temper, sir," said Mr.

are to let it alone. I didn't mean you should stand, either. The piazza, as you see, is ornamented with rustic chairs; though indeed I ought to warn you that they have nails in the wrong places. I was just making a note of that sunset. I never saw s

simply the vehicle of his good spirits and his good will; but at present he had a special design, and as he would have admitted that the design was audacious, so he was conscious of having summoned all the arts of conversation to his aid. But he was so far from desiring to offend his visitor that he was rapidly asking himself what

and, beneath them, very gentle, tranquil eyes. "No, I have not preached any s

and on his arm. "No, no, not for that-not for that. I wanted to ask you something; I wanted to tell you something. I am sure it will interest you very much. Only-as it is some

. Felix begged Mr. Brand to sit down; then glancing round him, "By Jove, how pretty it looks!" he cried. But Mr. Brand would not sit down; he went and leaned against the window; he wondered what Felix wanted of him. In the shadow, on the darker parts of the wall, he saw the gleam of three or four pictures that looked fan

s quickly as possib

now," Felix went on. "I don't think I sh

stion of yielding to a weakness, of resenting

"You know I take a great interest in my cousins-in Charlotte and Gertrude Wentworth. That's very evident from my having traveled some five thousand miles to see them." Mr. Brand said nothing and Fel

I do; but I should l

was perhaps particularly natural that-coming in, as I say, from outside-I should be struck with things that passed unn

ircle two intelligent persons should have found food for ob

Felix, laughing. "Both my sister and I t

harlotte?" rep

ve with her fr

with Charlotte?" M

od staring, and he pursued, "Affection, you know, opens one's eyes, and we noticed something. Charlotte is

looked at him; but the young clergyman retained as yet quite enough self-possessio

ime adventurer who feels a puff of wind in his sail. "Ah, no; if sh

s

ne blind. Poor Charlotte

e breathed a little heavily. "Is that

Because of late she has been worse. I told

. Brand began;

softly sat down. Felix could see that he was blushing; he had looked straight at his host hitherto, but now he looked away. The foremost effect of what he had heard had been a

This gave Felix great hope; he was sure that Mr. Brand would be flattered. Felix thought him very transparent, and indeed he was so; he could neither simulate nor dissimulate. "I scarcely know what to make of this," he said at last, without looking up; and Felix wa

u," Felix rejoined. "It'

e of that," s

nguish!" Felix murmur

e, then?" And Mr

had thought at first his visitor was simply

u have interfered with me,"

e brilliant expression of his face. "I won't pretend not to know what you mean," said Felix at last. "But I have not reall

. Brand declared. He got up, holding the brim of his hat

t an illusion

ou call an

wn-Gertrude Wentworth. Depend upon that," pursued Felix. "I do

at. "She has always been a lucid,

e. She was waiting for a touchstone.

th a little quaver in his voice. "If you hav

on of her. She doesn't care for abstractions. Now I think the contrary is what you have always fancied-is the basis on which you have been b

into the crown of his hat. "It

runaway horse; and if I am thrown out of the vehicle it is no great matter. But if you should be

other

tte Wen

wandered over the ceiling. Felix was sure he was secretly struck with the romance o

perhaps; but

was evidently something he wanted to say. "What do you

ion. She was waiting-for years; even when she seemed, perhaps, to be living in the pre

you mean by

rpose to see

owever; for instead of going to the door he moved toward the opposite corner of the room. Felix stood and watched him for a moment-almost gro

t will bear a good d

ng twilight with a relaxed rigidity that tried to rectify itself. "He is offended, excited