here."

"Oh, that was the most amusing part of it. He had gone there to keep an
appointment with two ladies from Portland. They were to take him up in
their carriage and drive out to Cambridge, and when he saw me he forgot
all about them."

"And what became of them?"

"We don't know. Isn't it ridiculous?"

If it appeared other or more than this to Mrs. Pasmer, she did not
say. She merely said, after a moment, "Well, it was certainly devoted,
Alice," and let her go.

XXVI.

Mavering came in the evening, rather excessively well dressed, and with
a hot face and cold hands. While he waited, nominally alone, in the
little drawing room for Mr. Pasmer, Alice flew in upon him for a swift
embrace, which prolonged itself till the father's step was heard outside
the door, and then she still had time to vanish by another: the affair
was so nicely adjusted that if Mavering had been in his usual mind he
might have fancied the connivance of Mrs. Pasmer.

He did not say what he had meant to say to Alice's father, but it seemed
to serve the purpose, for he emerged presently from the sound of his
own voice, unnaturally clamorous, and found Mr. Pasmer saying some very
civil things to him about his character and disposition, so far as they
had been able to observe it, and their belief and trust in him. There
seemed to be something provisional or probational intended, but Dan
could not make out what it was, and finally it proved of no practical
effect. He merely inferred that the approval of his family was
respectfully expected, and he hastened to say, "Oh, that's all right,
sir." Mr. Pasmer went on with more civilities, and lost himself in dumb
conjecture as to whether Mavering's father had been in the class before
him or the class after him in Harvard. He used his black eyebrows a good
deal during the interview, and Mavering conceived an awe of him greater
than he had felt at Campobello, yet not unmixed with the affection
in which the newly accepted lover embraces even the relations of his
betrothed. From time to time Mr. Pasmer looked about with the vague
glance of a man unused to being so long left to his own guidance; and
one of these appeals seemed at last to bring Mrs. Pasmer through
the door, to the relief of both the men, for they had improvidently
despatched their business, and were getting out of talk. Mr. Pasmer
had, in fact, already asked Dan about the weather outside when his wife
appeared.

Dan did not know w