CHAPTER II

ittledthisparticularargument.ItwasplaintoJoanthatshehadstruckoneofherbrother’sperversemoods,andhewasgoingtoopposewhateverhismothersaid.Hecalledher“she,”whichwasaproofofit.Shesighedinvoluntarily,andthesighannoyedRalph,andheexclaimedwithirritation: “It’sprettyhardlinestostickaboyintoanofficeatseventeen!” “Nobodywantstostickhimintoanoffice,”shesaid. She,too,wasbecomingannoyed.Shehadspentthewholeoftheafternoondiscussingwearisomedetailsofeducationandexpensewithhermother,andshehadcometoherbrotherforhelp,encouraged,ratherirrationally,toexpecthelpbythefactthathehadbeenoutsomewhere,shedidn’tknowanddidn’tmeantoaskwhere,alltheafternoon. Ralphwasfondofhissister,andherirritationmadehimthinkhowunfairitwasthatalltheseburdensshouldbelaidonhershoulders. “Thetruthis,”heobservedgloomily,“thatIoughttohaveacceptedUncleJohn’soffer.Ishouldhavebeenmakingsixhundredayearbythistime.” “Idon’tthinkthatforamoment,”Joanrepliedquickly,repentingofherannoyance.“Thequestion,tomymind,is,whetherwecouldn’tcutdownourexpensesinsomeway.” “Asmallerhouse?” “Fewerservants,perhaps.” Neitherbrothernorsisterspokewithmuchconviction,andafterreflectingforamomentwhattheseproposedreformsinastrictlyeconomicalhouseholdmeant,Ralphannouncedverydecidedly: “It’soutofthequestion.” Itwasoutofthequestionthatsheshouldputanymorehouseholdworkuponherself.No,thehardshipmustfallonhim,forhewasdeterminedthathisfamilyshouldhaveasmanychancesofdistinguishingthemselvesasotherfamilieshad—astheHilberyshad,forexample.Hebelievedsecretlyandratherdefiantly,foritwasafactnotcapableofproof,thattherewassomethingveryremarkableabouthisfamily. “Ifmotherwon’trunrisks—” “Youreallycan’texpecthertoselloutagain.” “Sheoughttolookuponitasaninvestmentbutifshewon’t,wemustfindsomeotherway,that’sall.” Athreatwascontainedinthissentence,andJoanknew,withoutasking,whatthethreatwas.Inthecourseofhisprofessionallife,whichnowextendedoversixorsevenyears,Ralphhadsaved,perhaps,threeorfourhundredpounds.ConsideringthesacrificeshehadmadeinordertoputbythissumitalwaysamazedJoantofindthatheusedittogamblewith,buyingsharesandsellingthemagain,increasingitsometimes,sometimesdiminishingit,andalwaysrunningtheriskoflosingeverypennyofitinaday’sdisaster.Butalthoughshewondered,shecouldnothelplovinghimthebetterforhisoddcombinationofSpartanself-controlandwhatappearedtoherromanticandchildishfolly.Ralphinterestedhermorethananyoneelseintheworld,andsheoftenbrokeoffinthemiddleofoneoftheseeconomicdiscussions,inspiteoftheirgravity,toconsidersomefreshaspectofhischaracter. “Ithinkyou’dbefoolishtoriskyourmoneyonpooroldCharles,”sheobserved.“FondasIamofhim,hedoesn’tseemtomeexactlybrilliant....Besides,whyshouldyoubesacrificed?” “MydearJoan,”Ralphexclaimed,stretchinghimselfoutwithagestureofimpatience,“don’tyouseethatwe’veallgottobesacrificed?What’stheuseofdenyingit?What’stheuseofstrugglingagainstit?Soitalwayshasbeen,soitalwayswillbe.We’vegotnomoneyandwenevershallhaveanymoney.Weshalljustturnroundinthemilleverydayofourlivesuntilwedropanddie,wornout,asmostpeopledo,whenonecomestothinkofit.” Joanlookedathim,openedherlipsasiftospeak,andclosedthemagain.Thenshesaid,verytentatively: “Aren’tyouhappy,Ralph?” “No.Areyou?PerhapsI’mashappyasmostpeople,though.GodknowswhetherI’mhappyornot.Whatishappiness?” Heglancedwithhalfasmile,inspiteofhisgloomyirritation,athissister.Shelooked,asusual,asifshewereweighingonethingwithanother,andbalancingthemtogetherbeforeshemadeuphermind. “Happiness,”sheremarkedatlengthenigmatically,ratherasifsheweresamplingtheword,andthenshepaused.Shepausedforaconsiderablespace,asifshewereconsideringhappinessinallitsbearings.“Hildawashereto-day,”shesuddenlyresumed,asiftheyhadnevermentionedhappiness.“ShebroughtBobbie—he’safineboynow.”Ralphobserved,withanamusementthathadatingeofironyinit,thatshewasnowgoingtosidleawayquicklyfromthisdangerousapproachtointimacyontotopicsofgeneralandfamilyinterest.Nevertheless,hereflected,shewastheonlyoneofhisfamilywithwhomhefounditpossibletodiscusshappiness,althoughhemightverywellhavediscussedhap