with　which　his　sister　now　explained　how　he　wanted　to　come　so　much　that
  the　doctor　thought　he　had　better；　but　that　they　had　made　him　promise　he
  would　not　try　to　meet　her　at　the　steamer；　lest　it　should　be　too　great　a
  trial　of　his　strength。
  〃Yes；〃　Clementina　assented；　when　the　story　came　to　an　end　and　was
  beginning　over　again。
  She　had　an　inexplicable　moment　when　she　stood　before　her　lover　in　the
  room　where　they　left　her　to　meet　him　alone。　　She　faltered　and　he　waited
  constrained　by　her　constraint。
  〃Is　it　all　a　mistake；　Clementina？〃　he　asked；　with　a　piteous　smile。
  〃No；　no！〃
  〃Am　I　so　much　changed？〃
  〃No；　you　are　looking　better　than　I　expected。〃
  〃And　you　are　not　sorry…for　anything？〃
  〃No；　I　am　Perhaps　I　have　thought　of　you　too　much！　　It　seems　so
  strange。〃
  〃I　understand；〃　he　answered。　　〃We　have　been　like　spirits　to　each　other；
  and　now　we　find　that　we　are　alive　and　on　the　earth　like　other　people；　and
  we　are　not　used　to　it。〃
  〃It　must　be　something　like　that。〃
  〃But　if　it's　something　elseif　you　have　the　least　regret；if　you　would
  rather　〃He　stopped；　and　they　remained　looking　at　each　other　a　moment。
  Then　she　turned　her　head；　and　glanced　out　of　the　window；　as　if　something
  there　had　caught　her　sight。
  〃It's　a　very　pleasant　view；　isn't　it？〃　she　said；　and　she　lifted　her　hands
  to　her　head；　and　took　off　her　hat；　with　an　effect　of　having　got　home
  after　absence；　to　stay。
  XXXVIII。
  It　was　possibly　through　some　sense　finer　than　any　cognition　that
  Clementina　felt　in　meeting　her　lover　that　she　had　taken　up　a　new　burden
  rather　than　laid　down　an　old　one。　　Afterwards；　when　they　once　recurred　to
  that　meeting；　and　she　tried　to　explain　for　him　the　hesitation　which　she
  had　not　been　able　to　hide；　she　could　only　say；　〃I　presume　I　didn't　want
  to　begin　unless　I　was　sure　I　could　carry　out。　　It　would　have　been　silly。〃
  Her　confession；　if　it　was　a　confession；　was　made　when　one　of　his　returns
  to　health；　or　rather　one　of　the　arrests　of　his　unhealth；　flushed　them
  with　hope　and　courage；　but　before　that　first　meeting　was　ended　she　knew
  that　he　had　overtasked　his　strength；　in　coming　to　New　York；　and　he　must
  not　try　it　further。　　〃Fatha；〃　she　said　to　Claxon；　with　the　authority　of　a
  woman　doing　her　duty；　〃I'm　not　going　to　let　Geo'ge　go　up　to　Middlemount；
  with　all　the　excitement。　　It　will　be　as　much　as　he　can　do　to　get　home。
  You　can　tell　mother　about　it；　and　the　rest。　　I　did　suppose　it　would　be
  Mr。　Richling　that　would　marry　us；　and　I　always　wanted　him　to；　but　I　guess
  somebody　else　can　do　it　as　well。〃
  〃Just　as　you　say；　Clem；〃　her　father　assented。　　〃Why　not　Brother　Osson；
  he'a？〃　he　suggested　with　a　pleasure　in　the　joke；　whatever　it　was；　that
  the　minister's　relation　to　Clementina　involved。　　〃I　guess　he　can　put　off
  his　visit　to　Boston　long　enough。〃
  〃Well；　I　was　thinking　of　him；〃　said　Clementina。　　〃Will　you　ask　him？〃
  〃Yes。　　I'll　get　round　to　it；　in　the　mohning。〃
  〃No…now；　right　away。　　I've　been　talking　with　Geo'ge　about　it；　and　the'e's
  no　sense　in　putting　it　off。　　I　ought　to　begin　taking　care　of　him　at
  once。〃
  〃Well；　I　guess　when　I　tell　your　motha　how　you're　layin'　hold；　she　won't
  think　it's　the　same　pusson；〃　said　her　father；　proudly。
  〃But　it　is；　I　haven't　changed　a　bit。〃
  〃You　ha'n't　changed　for　the　wohse；　anyway。〃
  〃Didn't　I　always　try　to　do　what　I　had　to？〃
  〃I　guess　you　did；　Clem。〃
  〃Well；　then！〃
  Mr。　Orson；　after　a　decent　hesitation；　consented　to　perform　the　ceremony。
  It　took　place　in　a　parlor　of　the　hotel；　according　to　the　law　of　New　York；
  which　facilitates　marriage　so　greatly　in　all　respects　that　it　is　strange
  any　one　in　the　State　should　remain　single。　　He　had　then　a　luxury　of
  choice　between　attaching　himself　to　the　bridal　couple　as　far　as　Ohio　on
  his　journey　home　to　Michigan；　or　to　Claxon　who　was　going　to　take　the　boat
  for　Boston　the　next　day　on　his　way　to　Middlemount。　　He　decided　for
  Claxon；　since　he　could　then　see　Mrs。　Lander's　lawyer　at　once；　and　arrange
  with　him　for　getting　out　of　the　vice…consul's　hands　the　money　which　he
  was　holding　for　an　authoritative　demand。　　He　accepted　without　open
  reproach　the　handsome　fee　which　the　elder　Hinkle　gave　him　for　his
  services；　and　even　went　so　far　as　to　say；　〃If　your　son　should　ever　be
  blest　with　a　return　to　health；　he　has　got　a　helpmeet　such　as　there　are
  very　few　of。〃　　He　then　admonished　the　young　couple；　in　whatever　trials
  life　should　have　in　store　for　them；　to　be　resigned；　and　always　to　be
  prepared　for　the　worst。　　When　he　came　later　to　take　leave　of　them；　he　was
  apparently　not　equal　to　the　task　of　fitly　acknowledging　the　return　which
  Hinkle　made　him　of　all　the　money　remaining　to　Clementina　out　of　the　sum
  last　given　her　by　Mrs。　Lander；　but　he　hid　any　disappointment　he　might
  have　suffered；　and　with　a　brief；　〃Thank　you；〃　put　it　in　his　pocket。
  Hinkle　told　Clementina　of　the　apathetic　behavior　of　Mr。　Orson；　he　added
  with　a　laugh　like　his　old　self；　〃It's　the　best　that　he　doesn't　seem
  prepared　for。〃
  〃Yes；〃　she　assented。　　〃　He　wasn't　very　chee'ful。　　But　I　presume　that　he
  meant　well。　　It　must　be　a　trial　for　him　to　find　out　that　Mrs。　Landa
  wasn't　rich；　after　all。〃
  It　was　apparently　never　a　trial　to　her。　　She　went　to　Ohio　with　her
  husband　and　took　up　her　life　on　the　farm；　where　it　was　wisely　judged　that
  he　had　the　best　chance　of　working　out　of　the　wreck　of　his　health　and
  strength。　　There　was　often　the　promise　and　always　the　hope　of　this；　and
  their　love　knew　no　doubt　of　the　future。　　Her　sisters…in…law　delighted　in
  all　her　strangeness　and　difference；　while　they　petted　her　as　something
  not　to　be　separated　from　him　in　their　petting　of　their　brother；　to　his
  mother　she　was　the　darling　which　her　youngest　had　never　ceased　to　be；
  Clementina　once　went　so　far　as　to　say　to　him　that　if　she　was　ever
  anything　she　would　like　to　be　a　Moravian。
  The　question　of　religion　was　always　related　in　their　minds　to　the
  question　of　Gregory；　to　whom　they　did　justice　in　their　trust　of　each
  other。　　It　was　Hinkle　himself　who　reasoned　out　that　if　Gregory　was
  narrow；　his　narrowness　was　of　his　conscience　and　not　of　his　heart　or　his
  mind。　　She　respected　the　memory　of　her　first　lover；　but　it　was　as　if　he
  were　dead；　now；　as　well　as　her　young　dream　of　him；　and　she　read　with　a
  curious　sense　of　remoteness；　a　paragraph　which　her　husband　found　in　the
  religious　intelligence　of　his　Sunday　paper；　announcing　the　marriage　of
  the　Rev。　Frank　Gregory　to　a　lady　described　as　having　been　a　frequent　and
  bountiful　contributor　to　the　foreign　missions。　　She　was　apparently　a
  widow；　and　they　conjectured　that　she　was　older　than　he。　　His　departure
  for　his　chosen　field　of　missionary　labor　in　China　formed　part　of　the　news
  communicated　by　the　rather　exulting　paragraph。
  〃Well；　that　is　all　right；〃　said　Clementina's　husband。　　〃He　is　a　good　man；
  and　he　is　where　he　can　do　nothing　but　good。　　I　am　glad　I　needn't　feel
  sorry　for　him；　any　more。〃
  Clementina's　father　must　have　given　such　a　report　of　Hinkle　and　his
  family；　that　they　felt　easy　at　home　in　leaving　her　to　the　lot　she　had
  chosen。　　When　Claxon　parted　from　her；　he　talked　of　coming　out　with　her
  mother　to　see　her　that　fall；　but　it　was　more　than　a　year　before　they　got
  round　to　it。　　They　did　not　come　till　after　the　birth　of　her　little　girl；
  and　her　father　then　humorously　allowed　that　perhaps　they　would　not　have
  got　round　to　it　at　all　if　something　of　the　kind　had　not　happened。　　The
  Hinkles　and　her　father　and　mother　liked　one　another；　so　much　that　in　the
  first　glow　of　his　enthusiasm　Claxon　talked　of　settling　down　in　Ohio；　and
  the　older　Hinkle　drove　him　about　to　look　at　some　places　that　were　for
  sale。　　But　it　ended　in　his　saying　one　day　that　he　missed　the　hills；　and
  he　did　not　believe　that　he　would　know　enough　to　come　in　when　it　rained　if
  he　did　not　see　old　Middlemount　with　his　nightcap　on　first。　　His　wife　and
  he　started　home　with　the　impatience　of　their　years；　rather　earlier　than
  they　had　meant　to　go；　and　they　were　silent　for　a　little　while　after　they
  left　the　flag…station　where　Hinkle　and　Clementina　had　put　them　aboard
  their　train。
  〃Well？〃　said　Claxon；　at　last。
  〃Well？〃　　echoed　his　wife；　and　then　she　did　not　speak　for　a　little　while
  longer。　　At　last　she　asked；
  〃D'he　look　that　way　when　you　fust　see　him　in　New　Yo'k？〃
  Claxon　gave　his　honesty　time　to　get　the　better　of　his　optimism。　　Even
  then　he　answered　evasively；　〃He　doos　look　pootty　slim。〃
  〃The　way　I　cypher　it　out；〃　said　his　wife；　〃he　no　business　to　let　her
  marry　him；　if　he　wa'n't　goin'　to　get　well。　　It　was　throwin'　of　herself
  away；　as　you　may　say。〃
  〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　said　Claxon；　as　if　the　point　had　occurred　to
  him；　too；　and　had　been　already　argued　in　his　mind。　　〃I　guess　they　must
  'a'　had　it　out；　there　in　New　York　before　they　got　marriedor　she　had。
  I　don't　believe　but　what　he　expected　to　get　well；　right　away。　　It's　the
  kind　of　a　thing　that　lingas　along；　and　lingas　along。　　As　fah　fo'th　as
  Clem　went；　I　guess　there　wa'n't　any　let　about　it。　　I　guess　she'd　made　up
  her　mind　from　the　staht；　and　she　was　goin'　to　have　him　if　she　had　to　hold
  him　on　his　feet　to　do　it。　　Look　he'a！　　W　hat　would　you　done？〃
  〃Oh；　I　presume　we're　all　fools！〃　said　Mrs。　Claxon；　impatient　of　a　sex　not
  always　so　frank　with　itself。　　〃But　that　d