TheyagreedthattheymustwritetoMr。andMrs。Marchatonce；oratleast，Agathasaid，assoonasshehadspokentoherfather。Athermentionofherfathershewasawareofadoubt，afear，inBurnamywhichexpresseditselfbyscarcelymorethanaspiritualconsciousnessfromhisarmtothehandswhichshehadclaspedwithinit。“Hehasalwaysappreciatedyou。”shesaidcourageously，“andIknowhewillseeitintherightlight。”
Sheprobablymeantnomorethantoaffirmherfaithinherownabilityfinallytobringherfathertoajustmindconcerningit；butBurnamyacceptedherassurancewithbuoyanthopefulness，andsaidhewouldseeGeneralTriscoethefirstthinginthemorning。
“No，Iwillseehim。”shesaid，“Iwishtoseehimfirst；hewillexpectitofme。Wehadbettergoin，now。”sheadded，butneithermadeanymotionforthepresenttodoso。Onthecontrary，theywalkedintheotherdirection，anditwasanhourafterAgathadeclaredtheirdutyinthematterbeforetheytriedtofulfilit。
Then，indeed，aftertheyreturnedtothehotel，shelostnotimeingoingtoherfatherbeyondthatwhichmustbegiventoalonghand-pressureunderthefrescoofthefivepoetsonthestairslanding，whereherwaysandBurnamy’sparted。Shewentintoherownroom，andsoftlyopenedthedoorintoherfather’sandlistened。
“Well？”hesaidinasortofchallengingvoice。
“Haveyoubeenasleep？”sheasked。
“I’vejustblownoutmylight。Whathaskeptyou？”
Shedidnotreplycategorically。Standingthereintheshelteringdark，shesaid，“Papa，Iwasn’tverycandidwithyou，thisafternoon。IamengagedtoMr。Burnamy。”
“Lightthecandle。”saidherfather。“Orno。”headdedbeforeshecoulddoso。“Isitquitesettled？”
“Quite。”sheansweredinavoicethatadmittedofnodoubt。“Thatis，asfarasitcanbe，withoutyou。”
“Don’tbeahypocrite，Agatha。”saidthegeneral。“Andletmetrytogettosleep。YouknowIdon’tlikeit，andyouknowIcan’thelpit。”
“Yes。”thegirlassented。
“Thengotobed。”saidthegeneralconcisely。
Agathadidnotobeyherfather。Shethoughtsheoughttokisshim，butshedecidedthatshehadbetterpostponethis；soshemerelygavehimatendergoodnight，towhichhemadenoresponse，andshutherselfintoherownroom，wheresheremainedsittingandstaringoutintothemoonlight，withasmilethatneverleftherlips。
Whenthemoonsankbelowthehorizon，theskywaspalewiththecomingday，butbeforeitwasfairlydawn，shesawsomethingwhite，notmuchgreaterthansomemoths，movingbeforeherwindow。Shepulledthevalvesopenandfounditabitofpaperattachedtoathreaddanglingfromabove。Shebrokeitlooseandinthemorningtwilightshereadthegreatcentraltruthoftheuniverse：
“Iloveyou。L。J。B。”
Shewroteunderthetremendousinspiration：
“SodoI。Don’tbesilly。A。T。”
Shefastenedthepapertothethreadagain，andgaveitalittletwitch。
Shewaitedforthelownoteoflaughterwhichdidnotfailtoflutterdownfromabove；thenshethrewherselfuponthebed，andfellasleep。
Itwasnotsolateasshethoughtwhenshewoke，anditseemed，atbreakfast，thatBurnamyhadbeenupstillearlier。OfthethreeinvolvedintheanxietyofthenightbeforeGeneralTriscoewasstillrespitedfromitbysleep，buthewokemuchmorehaggardthaneitheroftheyoungpeople。They，infact，werenotatallhaggard；theworstwasover，ifbringingtheirengagementtohisknowledgewastheworst；theformalityofaskinghisconsentwhichBurnamystillhadtogothroughwasunpleasant，butafterallitwasaformality。Agathatoldhimeverythingthathadpassedbetweenherselfandherfather，andifithadnotthatcordialityonhispartwhichtheycouldhavewisheditwascertainlynothopelesslydiscouraging。
TheyagreedatbreakfastthatBurnamyhadbetterhaveitoverasquicklyaspossible，andhewaitedonlytillAugustcamedownwiththegeneral’straybeforegoinguptohisroom。Theyoungfellowdidnotfeelmoreathiseasethantheeldermeantheshouldintakingthechairtowhichthegeneralwavedhimfromwherehelayinbed；andtherewasnotalkwastedupontheweatherbetweenthem。
“IsupposeIknowwhatyouhavecomefor，Mr。Burnamy。”saidGeneralTriscoeinatonewhichwasratherjudicialthanotherwise，“andI
supposeyouknowwhyyouhavecome。”ThewordscertainlyopenedthewayforBurnamy，buthehesitatedsolongtotakeitthatthegeneralhadabundanttimetoadd，“Idon’tpretendthatthiseventisunexpected，butIshouldliketoknowwhatreasonyouhaveforthinkingIshouldwishyoutomarrymydaughter。Itakeitforgrantedthatyouareattachedtoeachother，andwewon’twastetimeonthatpoint。Nottobeataboutthebush，onthenextpoint，letmeaskatoncewhatyourmeansofsupportingherare。HowmuchdidyouearnonthatnewspaperinChicago？”
“Fifteenhundreddollars。”Burnamyanswered，promptlyenough。
“Didyouearnanythingmore，saywithinthelastyear？”
“IgotthreehundreddollarsadvancecopyrightforabookIsoldtoapublisher。”ThegloryhadnotyetfadedfromthefactinBurnamy’smind。
“Eighteenhundred。WhatdidyougetforyourpoeminMarch’sbook？”
“That’saverytriflingmatter：fifteendollars。”
“AndyoursalaryasprivatesecretarytothatmanStoller？”
“Thirtydollarsaweek，andmyexpenses。ButIwouldn’ttakethat，GeneralTriscoe。”saidBurnamy。
GeneralTriscoe，fromhis’litdejustice’，passedthispointinsilence。
“Haveyouanyonedependentonyou？”
“Mymother；Itakecareofmymother。”answeredBurnamy，proudly。
“SinceyouhavebrokenwithStoller，whatareyourprospects？”
“Ihavenone。”
“Thenyoudon’texpecttosupportmydaughter；youexpecttoliveuponhermeans。”
“Iexpecttodonothingofthekind！“criedBurnamy。“Ishouldbeashamed——Ishouldfeeldisgraced——Ishould——Idon’taskyou——Idon’taskhertillIhavethemeanstosupporther——“
“Ifyouwereveryfortunate。”continuedthegeneral，unmovedbytheyoungfellow’spain，andunperturbedbythefactthathehadhimselfliveduponhiswife’smeansaslongasshelived，andthenuponhisdaughter’s，“ifyouwentbacktoStoller——“
“Iwouldn’tgobacktohim。Idon’tsayhe’sknowinglyarascal，buthe’signorantlyarascal，andheproposedarascallythingtome。I
behavedbadlytohim，andI’dgiveanythingtoundothewrongIlethimdohimself；butI’llnevergobacktohim。”
“Ifyouwentback，onyouroldsalary。”thegeneralpersistedpitilessly，“youwouldbeveryfortunateifyoubroughtyourearningsuptotwenty-
fivehundredayear。”
“Yes——“
“Andhowfardoyouthinkthatwouldgoinsupportingmydaughteronthescalesheisusedto？Idon’tspeakofyourmother，whohasthefirstclaimuponyou。”
Burnamysatdumb；andhisheadwhichhehadliftedindignantlywhenthequestionwasofStoller，begantosink。
Thegeneralwenton。“Youaskmetogiveyoumydaughterwhenyouhaven’tmoneyenoughtokeepheringowns；youaskmetogivehertoastranger——“
“Notquiteastranger，GeneralTriscoe。”Burnamyprotested。“Youhaveknownmeforthreemonthsatleast，andanyonewhoknowsmeinChicagowilltellyou——“
“Astranger，andworsethanastranger。”thegeneralcontinued，sopleasedwiththelogicalperfectionofhispositionthathealmostsmiled，andcertainlysoftenedtowardBurnamy。“Itisn’taquestionoflikingyou，Mr。Burnamy，butofknowingyou；mydaughterlikesyou；sodotheMarches；sodoeseverybodywhohasmetyou。Ilikeyoumyself。
You’vedonemepersonallyathousandkindnesses。ButIknowverylittleofyou，inspiteofourthreemonths’acquaintance；andthatlittleis——
Butyoushalljudgeforyourself！Youwereintheconfidentialemployofamanwhotrustedyou，andyoulethimbetrayhimself。”
“Idid。Idon’texcuseit。Thethoughtofitburnslikefire。Butitwasn’tdonemaliciously；itwasn’tdonefalsely；itwasdoneinconsiderately；andwhenitwasdone，itseemedirrevocable。Butitwasn’t；Icouldhaveprevented，Icouldhavestoopedthemischief；andI
didn’t！Icanneveroutlivethat。”
“Iknow。”saidthegeneralrelentlessly，“thatyouhaveneverattemptedanydefence。Thathasbeentoyourcreditwithme。Itinclinedmetooverlookyourunwarrantedcourseinwritingtomydaughter，whenyoutoldheryouwouldneverseeheragain。Whatdidyouexpectmetothink，afterthat，ofyourcomingbacktoseeher？Ordidn’tyouexpectmetoknowit？”
“Iexpectedyoutoknowit；Iknewshewouldtellyou。ButIdon’texcusethat，either。Itwasactingalietocomeback。AllIcansayisthatIhadtoseeheragainforonelasttime。”
