第96章 PART FOURTH(4)

"No,no!Nothing of that kind;perfectly sincere and disinterested enjoyment.""Oh,a few handbills to be scattered around:"Buy Every Other Week,"Look out for the next number of 'Every Other Week,''Every Other Week at all the news-stands.'Well,I'll talk it over with Mrs.March.Isuppose there's no great hurry."

March told his wife of the idyllic mood in which he had left Fulkerson at the widow's door,and she said he must be in love.

"Why,of course!I wonder I didn't think of that.But Fulkerson is such an impartial admirer of the whole sex that you can't think of his liking one more than another.I don't know that he showed any unjust partiality,though,in his talk of 'those girls,'as he called them.

And I always rather fancied that Mrs.Mandel--he's done so much for her,you know;and she is such a well-balanced,well-preserved person,and so lady-like and correct----""Fulkerson had the word for her:academic.She's everything that instruction and discipline can make of a woman;but I shouldn't think they could make enough of her to be in love with.""Well,I don't know.The academic has its charm.There are moods in which I could imagine myself in love with an academic person.That regularity of line;that reasoned strictness of contour;that neatness of pose;that slightly conventional but harmonious grouping of the emotions and morals--you can see how it would have its charm,the Wedgwood in human nature?I wonder where Mrs.Mandel keeps her urn and her willow.""I should think she might have use for them in that family,poor thing!"said Mrs.March.

"Ah,that reminds me,"said her husband,"that we had another talk with the old gentleman,this afternoon,about Fulkerson's literary,artistic,and advertising orgie,and it's postponed till October.""The later the better,I should think,"said Mrs:March,who did not really think about it at all,but whom the date fixed for it caused to think of the intervening time."We have got to consider what we will do about the summer,before long,Basil.""Oh,not yet,not yet,"he pleaded;with that man's willingness to abide in the present,which is so trying to a woman."It's only the end of April.""It will be the end of June before we know.And these people wanting the Boston house another year complicates it.We can't spend the summer there,as we planned.""They oughtn't to have offered us an increased rent;they have taken an advantage of us.""I don't know that it matters,"said Mrs.March."I had decided not to go there.""Had you?This is a surprise."

"Everything is a surprise to you,Basil,when it happens.""True;I keep the world fresh,that way.""It wouldn't have been any change to go from one city to another for the summer.We might as well have stayed in New York.""Yes,I wish we had stayed,"said March,idly humoring a conception of the accomplished fact."Mrs.Green would have let us have the gimcrackery very cheap for the summer months;and we could have made all sorts of nice little excursions and trips off and been twice as well as if we had spent the summer away.""Nonsense!You know we couldn't spend the summer in New York.""I know I could."

"What stuff!You couldn't manage."

"Oh yes,I could.I could take my meals at Fulkerson's widow's;or at Maroni's,with poor old Lindau:he's got to dining there again.Or,Icould keep house,and he could dine with me here."There was a teasing look in March's eyes,and he broke into a laugh,at the firmness with which his wife said:"I think if there is to be any housekeeping,I will stay,too;and help to look after it.I would try not intrude upon you and your guest.""Oh,we should be only too glad to have you join us,"said March,playing with fire.

"Very well,then,I wish you would take him off to Maroni's,the next time he comes to dine here!"cried his wife.