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〃Well；〃 said the elder lightly； as if Dan's not caring to be in Boston
had no particular significance for him； 〃I don't know that I care to have
you settle down to it immediately。 I rather think I'd like to have you
look about first a little。 Go to New York； go to Philadelphia； and see
their processes there。 We can't afford to get old…fashioned in our ways。
I've always been more interested by the aesthetic side of the business；
but you ought to have a taste for the mechanism； from your grandfather；
your mother has it。〃
〃Oh yes； sir。 I think all that's very interesting；〃 said Dan。
〃Well； go to France； and see how those fellows do it。 Go to London； and
look up William Morris。〃
〃Yes； that would be very nice；〃 admitted the young fellow； beginning to
catch on。 〃But I didn't supposeI didn't expect to begin life with a
picnic。〃 He entered upon his sentence with a jocular buoyancy； but at
the last word； which he fatally drifted upon； his voice fell。 He said to
himself that he was greatly changed； that； he should never be gay and
bright again； there would always be this undercurrent of sadness； he had
noticed the undercurrent yesterday when he was laughing and joking with
those girls at Portland。
〃Oh； I don't want you to buckle down at once；〃 said his father； smiling。
〃If you'd decided upon the law； I should have felt that you'd better not
lose time。 But as you're going into the business； I don't mind your
taking a year off。 It won't be lost time if you keep your eyes open。 I
think you'd better go down into Italy and Spain。 Look up the old
tapestries and stamped leathers。 You may get some ideas。 How would you
like it？〃
〃First…rate。 I should like it；〃 said Dan； rising on the waft of his
father's suggestion； but gloomily lapsing again。 Still； it was pleasing
to picture himself going about through Europe with a broken heart； and he
did not deny himself the consolation of the vision。
〃Well； there's nobody to dislike it；〃 said his father cheerily。 He was
sure now that Dan had been jilted； otherwise he would have put forth some
objection to a scheme which must interrupt his lovemaking。 〃There's no
reason why； with our resources； we shouldn't take the lead in this
business。〃
He went on to speak more fully of his plans； and Dan listened with a
nether reference of it all to Alice； but still with a surface
intelligence on which nothing was lost。
〃Are you going home with me to…morrow？〃 asked his father as they rose
from the table。
〃Well； perhaps not to…morrow。 I've got some of my things to put together
in Cambridge yet； and perhaps I'd better look after them。 But I've a
notion I'd better spend the winter at home； and get an idea of the
manufacture before I go abroad。 I might sail in January； they say it's a
good month。〃
〃Yes； there's sense in that；〃 said his father。
〃And perhaps I won't break up in Cambridge till I've been to New York and
Philadelphia。 What do you think？ It's easier striking them from here。〃
〃I don't know but you're right；〃 said his father easily。
They had come out of the dining…room； and Dan stopped to get some
cigarettes in the office。 He looked mechanically at the theatre bills
over the cigar case。 〃I see Irving's at the 'Boston。'〃
〃Oh； you don't say！〃 said his father。 〃Let's go and see him。〃
〃If you wish it； sir；〃 said Dan； with pensive acquiescence。 All the
Maverings were fond of the theatre； and made any mood the occasion or the
pretext of going to the play。 If they were sad； they went； if they were
gay； they went。 As long as Dan's mother could get out…of…doors she used
to have herself carried to a box in the theatre whenever she was in town；
now that she no longer left her room； she had a dominant passion for
hearing about actors and acting； it was almost a work of piety in her
husband and children to see them and report to her。
His father left him the next afternoon； and Dan； who had spent the day
with him looking into business for the first time； with a running
accompaniment of Alice in all the details； remained to uninterrupted
misery。 He spent the evening in his room； too wretched even for the
theatre。 It is true that he tried to find Boardman； but Boardman was
again off on some newspaper duty； and after trying at several houses in
the hope； which he knew was vain； of finding any one in town yet； he shut
himself up with his thoughts。 They did not differ from the thoughts of
the night before； and the night before that； but they were calmer； and
they portended more distinctly a life of self…abnegation and solitude
from that time forth。 He tested his feelings； and found that it was not
hurt vanity that he was suffering from： it was really wounded affection。
He did not resent Alice's cruelty； he wished that she might be happy； he
could endure to see her happy。
He wrote a letter to the married one of the two ladies he had spent the
day with in Portland； and thanked them for making pass pleasantly a day
which he would not otherwise have known how to get through。 He let a
soft； mysterious melancholy pervade his letter； he hinted darkly at
trouble and sorrow of which he could not definitely speak。 He had the
good sense to tear his letter up when he had finished it； and to send a
short； sprightly note instead； saying that if Mrs。 Frobisher and her
sister came to Boston at the end of the month； as they had spoken of
doing； they must be sure to let him know。 Upon the impulse given him by
this letter he went more cheerfully to bed； and fell instantly asleep。
During the next three weeks he bent himself faithfully to the schemes
of work his father had outlined for him。 He visited New York and
Philadelphia； and looked into the business and the processes there； and
he returned to Ponkwasset Falls to report and compare his facts
intelligently with those which he now examined in his father's
manufactory for the first time。 He began to understand how his father；
who was a man of intellectual and artistic interests； should be fond of
the work。
He spent a good deal of time with his mother； and read to her； and got
upon better terms with her than they usually were。 They were very much
alike； and she objected to him that he was too light and frivolous。 He
sat with his sisters； and took an interest in their pursuits。 He drove
them about with his father's sorrels； and resumed something of the old
relations with them which the selfish years of his college life had
broken off。 As yet he could not speak of Campobello or of what had
happened there； and his mother and sisters； whatever they thought； made
no more allusion to it than his father had done。
They mercifully took it for granted that matters must have gone wrong
there； or else he would speak about them； for there had been some gay
banter among them concerning the objects of his expedition before he left
home。 They had heard of the heroine of his Class Day； and they had their
doubts of her； such as girls have of their brothers' heroines。 They were
not inconsolably sorry to have her prove unkind； and their mother found
in the probable event another proof of their father's total want of
discernment where w