The　Chaperon
  by　Henry　James
  CHAPTER　I。
  An　old　lady；　in　a　high　drawing…room；　had　had　her　chair　moved　close　to
  the　fire；　where　she　sat　knitting　and　warming　her　knees。　　She　was
  dressed　in　deep　mourning；　her　face　had　a　faded　nobleness；　tempered；
  however；　by　the　somewhat　illiberal　compression　assumed　by　her　lips　in
  obedience　to　something　that　was　passing　in　her　mind。　　She　was　far
  from　the　lamp；　but　though　her　eyes　were　fixed　upon　her　active　needles
  she　was　not　looking　at　them。　　What　she　really　saw　was　quite　another
  train　of　affairs。　　The　room　was　spacious　and　dim；　the　thick　London
  fog　had　oozed　into　it　even　through　its　superior　defences。　　It　was
  full　of　dusky；　massive；　valuable　things。　　The　old　lady　sat　motionless
  save　for　the　regularity　of　her　clicking　needles；　which　seemed　as
  personal　to　her　and　as　expressive　as　prolonged　fingers。　　If　she　was
  thinking　something　out；　she　was　thinking　it　thoroughly。
  When　she　looked　up；　on　the　entrance　of　a　girl　of　twenty；　it　might
  have　been　guessed　that　the　appearance　of　this　young　lady　was　not　an
  interruption　of　her　meditation；　but　rather　a　contribution　to　it。　　The
  young　lady；　who　was　charming　to　behold；　was　also　in　deep　mourning；
  which　had　a　freshness；　if　mourning　can　be　fresh；　an　air　of　having
  been　lately　put　on。　　She　went　straight　to　the　bell　beside　the
  chimney…piece　and　pulled　it；　while　in　her　other　hand　she　held　a
  sealed　and　directed　letter。　　Her　companion　glanced　in　silence　at　the
  letter；　then　she　looked　still　harder　at　her　work。　　The　girl　hovered
  near　the　fireplace；　without　speaking；　and　after　a　due；　a　dignified
  interval　the　butler　appeared　in　response　to　the　bell。　　The　time　had
  been　sufficient　to　make　the　silence　between　the　ladies　seem　long。
  The　younger　one　asked　the　butler　to　see　that　her　letter　should　be
  posted；　and　after　he　had　gone　out　she　moved　vaguely　about　the　room；
  as　if　to　give　her　grandmotherfor　such　was　the　elder　personagea
  chance　to　begin　a　colloquy　of　which　she　herself　preferred　not　to
  strike　the　first　note。　　As　equally　with　herself　her　companion　was　on
  the　face　of　it　capable　of　holding　out；　the　tension；　though　it　was
  already　late　in　the　evening；　might　have　lasted　long。　　But　the　old
  lady　after　a　little　appeared　to　recognise；　a　trifle　ungraciously；　the
  girl's　superior　resources。
  〃Have　you　written　to　your　mother？〃
  〃Yes；　but　only　a　few　lines；　to　tell　her　I　shall　come　and　see　her　in
  the　morning。〃
  〃Is　that　all　you've　got　to　say？〃　asked　the　grandmother。
  〃I　don't　quite　know　what　you　want　me　to　say。〃
  〃I　want　you　to　say　that　you've　made　up　your　mind。〃
  〃Yes；　I've　done　that；　granny。〃
  〃You　intend　to　respect　your　father's　wishes？〃
  〃It　depends　upon　what　you　mean　by　respecting　them。　　I　do　justice　to
  the　feelings　by　which　they　were　dictated。〃
  〃What　do　you　mean　by　justice？〃　the　old　lady　retorted。
  The　girl　was　silent　a　moment；　then　she　said：　　〃You'll　see　my　idea　of
  it。〃
  〃I　see　it　already！　　You'll　go　and　live　with　her。〃
  〃I　shall　talk　the　situation　over　with　her　to…morrow　and　tell　her　that
  I　think　that　will　be　best。〃
  〃Best　for　her；　no　doubt！〃
  〃What's　best　for　her　is　best　for　me。〃
  〃And　for　your　brother　and　sister？〃　　As　the　girl　made　no　reply　to　this
  her　grandmother　went　on：　　〃What's　best　for　them　is　that　you　should
  acknowledge　some　responsibility　in　regard　to　them　and；　considering
  how　young　they　are；　try　and　do　something　for　them。〃
  〃They　must　do　as　I've　donethey　must　act　for　themselves。　　They　have
  their　means　now；　and　they're　free。〃
  〃Free？　　They're　mere　children。〃
  〃Let　me　remind　you　that　Eric　is　older　than　I。〃
  〃He　doesn't　like　his　mother；〃　said　the　old　lady；　as　if　that　were　an
  answer。
  〃I　never　said　he　did。　　And　she　adores　him。〃
  〃Oh；　your　mother's　adorations！〃
  〃Don't　abuse　her　now；〃　the　girl　rejoined；　after　a　pause。
  The　old　lady　forbore　to　abuse　her；　but　she　made　up　for　it　the　next
  moment　by　saying：　　〃It　will　be　dreadful　for　Edith。〃
  〃What　will　be　dreadful？〃
  〃Your　desertion　of　her。〃
  〃The　desertion's　on　her　side。〃
  〃Her　consideration　for　her　father　does　her　honour。〃
  〃Of　course　I'm　a　brute；　n'en　parlons　plus；〃　said　the　girl。　　〃We　must
  go　our　respective　ways；〃　she　added；　in　a　tone　of　extreme　wisdom　and
  philosophy。
  Her　grandmother　straightened　out　her　knitting　and　began　to　roll　it
  up。　　〃Be　so　good　as　to　ring　for　my　maid；〃　she　said；　after　a　minute。
  The　young　lady　rang；　and　there　was　another　wait　and　another　conscious
  hush。　　Before　the　maid　came　her　mistress　remarked：　　〃Of　course　then
  you'll　not　come　to　ME；　you　know。〃
  〃What　do　you　mean　by　'coming'　to　you？〃
  〃I　can't　receive　you　on　that　footing。〃
  〃She'll　not　come　WITH　me；　if　you　mean　that。〃
  〃I　don't　mean　that；〃　said　the　old　lady；　getting　up　as　her　maid　came
  in。　　This　attendant　took　her　work　from　her；　gave　her　an　arm　and
  helped　her　out　of　the　room；　while　Rose　Tramore；　standing　before　the
  fire　and　looking　into　it；　faced　the　idea　that　her　grandmother's　door
  would　now　under　all　circumstances　be　closed　to　her。　　She　lost　no　time
  however　in　brooding　over　this　anomaly：　　it　only　added　energy　to　her
  determination　to　act。　　All　she　could　do　to…night　was　to　go　to　bed；
  for　she　felt　utterly　weary。　　She　had　been　living；　in　imagination；　in
  a　prospective　struggle；　and　it　had　left　her　as　exhausted　as　a　real
  fight。　　Moreover　this　was　the　culmination　of　a　crisis；　of　weeks　of
  suspense；　of　a　long；　hard　strain。　　Her　father　had　been　laid　in　his
  grave　five　days　before；　and　that　morning　his　will　had　been　read。　　In
  the　afternoon　she　had　got　Edith　off　to　St。　Leonard's　with　their　aunt
  Julia；　and　then　she　had　had　a　wretched　talk　with　Eric。　　Lastly；　she
  had　made　up　her　mind　to　act　in　opposition　to　the　formidable　will；　to
  a　clause　which　embodied　if　not　exactly　a　provision；　a　recommendation
  singularly　emphatic。　　She　went　to　bed　and　slept　the　sleep　of　the
  just。
  〃Oh；　my　dear；　how　charming！　　I　must　take　another　house！〃　　It　was　in
  these　words　that　her　mother　responded　to　the　announcement　Rose　had
  just　formally　made　and　with　which　she　had　vaguely　expected　to　produce
  a　certain　dignity　of　effect。　　In　the　way　of　emotion　there　was
  apparently　no　effect　at　all；　and　the　girl　was　wise　enough　to　know
  that　this　was　not　simply　on　account　of　the　general　line　of　non…
  allusion　taken　by　the　extremely　pretty　woman　before　her；　who　looked
  like　her　elder　sister。　　Mrs。　Tramore　had　never　manifested；　to　her
  daughter；　the　slightest　consciousness　that　her　position　was　peculiar；
  but　the　recollection　of　something　more　than　that　fine　policy　was
  required　to　explain　such　a　failure；　to　appreciate　Rose's　sacrifice。
  It　was　simply　a　fresh　reminder　that　she　had　never　appreciated
  anything；　that　she　was　nothing　but　a　tinted　and　stippled　surface。
  Her　situation　was　peculiar　indeed。　　She　had　been　the　heroine　of　a
  scandal　which　had　grown　dim　only　because；　in　the　eyes　of　the　London
  world；　it　paled　in　the　lurid　light　of　the　contemporaneous。　　That
  attention　had　been　fixed　on　it　for　several　days；　fifteen　years
  before；　there　had　been　a　high　relish　of　the　vivid　evidence　as　to　his
  wife's　misconduct　with　which；　in　the　divorce…court；　Charles　Tramore
  had　judged　well　to　regale　a　cynical　public。　　The　case　was　pronounced
  awfully　bad；　and　he　obtained　his　decree。　　The　folly　of　the　wife　had
  been　inconceivable；　in　spite　of　other　examples：　　she　had　quitted　her
  children；　she　had　followed　the　〃other　fellow〃　abroad。　　The　other
  fellow　hadn't　married　her；　not　having　had　time：　　he　had　lost　his　life
  in　the　Mediterranean　by　the　capsizing　of　a　boat；　before　the
  prohibitory　term　had　expired。
  Mrs。　Tramore　had　striven　to　extract　from　this　accident　something　of
  the　austerity　of　widowhood；　but　her　mourning　only　made　her　deviation
  more　public；　she　was　a　widow　whose　husband　was　awkwardly　alive。　　She
  had　not　prowled　about　the　Continent　on　the　classic　lines；　she　had
  come　back　to　London　to　take　her　chance。　　But　London　would　give　her　no
  chance；　would　have　nothing　to　say　to　her；　as　many　persons　had
  remarked；　you　could　never　tell　how　London　would　behave。　　It　would　not
  receive　Mrs。　Tramore　again　on　any　terms；　and　when　she　was　spoken　of；
  which　now　was　not　often；　it　was　inveterately　said　of　her　that　she
  went　nowhere。　　Apparently　she　had　not　the　qualities　for　which　London
  compounds；　though　in　the　cases　in　which　it　does　compound　you　may
  often　wonder　what　these　qualities　are。　　She　had　not　at　any　rate　been
  successful：　　her　lover　was　dead；　her　husband　was　liked　and　her
  children　were　pitied；　for　in　payment　for　a　topic　London　will
  parenthetically　pity。　　It　was　thought　interesting　and　magnanimous
  that　Charles　Tramore　had　not　married　again。　　The　disadvantage　to　his
  children　of　the　miserable　story　was　thus　left　uncorrected；　and　this；
  rather　oddly；　was　counted　as　HIS　sacrifice。　　His　mother；　whose
  arrangements　were　elaborate；　looked　after　them　a　great　deal；　and　they
  enjoyed　a　mixture　of　laxity　and　discipline　under　the　roof　of　their
  aunt；　Miss　Tramore；　who　was　independent；　having；　for　reasons　that　the
  two　ladies　had　exhaustively　discussed；　determined　to　lead　her　own
  life。　　She　had　set　up　a　home　at　St。　Leonard's；　and　that　contracted
  shore　had　played　a　considerable　part　in　the　upbringing　of　the　little
  Tramores。　　They　knew　about　their　mother；　as　the　phras