fender to the Princess, whom she sometimes forgets that I knew for
fifteen years before I ever met her. Clarice talks little with her, and
no more with Jane: I really believe that her only confidences--which are
not much, if measured by words--have been made to me. But they are very
fond of each other all the same. I suppose you can understand that much
affection can exist with little intimacy. The Princess was cast in her
own peculiar mould: I don't want to see many more like her, for they
would be poor imitations. None of us ever attempt to pry into her inner
life--or to meddle with her outward life either; when she wants anything
of any of us, we are ready, and there it ends. She knows we love her,
and that is enough.

Hartman, now, is much less impenetrable; though I suppose he will shut
himself up like an oyster over the dubious pearl of his precious secret,
and give me no end of trouble to extract his contents. But I possess a
knife which is able to open his shell. He has answered my letter
promptly, and expects me presently. Does he think I am going up there
merely to fish and hunt, and hear him talk a lot of rubbish about the
Vanity of Life? Or does he scent my deeper motives--discern the
Ethiopian within the encompassing pale, as they say in Boston? If so, he
is apparently as willing to be operated on as he was before. At any rate
he is a gentleman, and knows how to respect a woman--when he takes time
to think about it. This is a delicate business for him as well as for
the lady--and there is where the awkwardness comes in: from his point of
view he can't speak out, any more than she. Well, I'll turn him inside
out and manipulate him, if it takes the whole week. Happily I don't have
to consider him as I did Clarice; as Jane intimates, a man can't expect
to have his feelings spared in the process. What are a man's feelings
anyway, compared with a woman's? And what rights has he as against hers?
No: between man and man all that can be needed is plain speech and manly
frankness--aided by a little diplomacy. I'll break you to pieces, James
H., if you are fractious; and I've got the weapons to do it with. It is
all for your good, and you'll bless me the rest of your life. One thing
must be understood: I can't have you coming to my place and practising
your wild backwoods manners on my family, and then sneaking off in the
night and evading responsibility. The next time you come you will have
to behave yourself, and to