CHAPTER II. CLAYTON.

halfMadonna,halfVenus,madeofeverycreature'sbest.Ah,blessus!whatpoorcreaturesweare!Herecomesalongourlittlecoquette,flirting,tossingherfanpicksyouuplikeagreatsolidchip,asyouare,andthrowsyouintoherchip-basketofbeaux,andgoesondancingandflirtingasbefore.Aren'tyouashamedofit,now?" "No.Iamreallymuchliketheministerinourtown,wherewefittedforcollege,whomarriedaprettyPollyPetersinhissixtiethyear,and,whentheelderscametoinquireifshehadtherequisitequalificationsforapastor'slady,hetoldthemthathedidn'tthinkshehad.'Butthefactis,brethren,'saidhe,'thoughIdon'tpretendsheisasaint,sheisaveryprettylittlesinner,andIloveher.'That'sjustmycase." "Verysensiblysaidand,doyouknow,asItoldyoubefore,I'mperfectlydelightedwithit,becauseitisactinglikeotherfolks.Butthen,mydearfellow,doyouthinkyouhavecometoanythingreallysolidwiththislittleVenusofthesea-foam?Isn'titmuchthesameasbeingengagedtoacloud,orabutterfly?Onewantsalittlestreakofrealityaboutapersonthatonemusttakeforbetterorforworse.Youhaveadeepnature,Clayton.Youreallywantawifewhowillhavesomeglimmeringperceptionofthedifferencebetweenyouandtheotherthingsthatwalkandwearcoats,andarecalledmen." "Well,then,really,"saidClayton,rousinghimself,andspeakingwithenergy,"I'lltellyoujustwhatitis:NinaGordonisaflirtandacoquette—aspoiledchild,ifyouwill.SheisnotatallthepersonIeverexpectedwouldobtainanypoweroverme.Shehasnoculture,noreading,nohabitsofreflectionbutshehas,afterall,acertaintoneandqualitytoher,acertain'timbre,'astheFrenchsayofvoices,whichsuitsme.Thereisaboutheramixtureofenergy,individuality,andshrewdness,whichmakesher,alluninformedassheis,morepiquantandattractivethananywomanIeverfellinwith.Sheneverreadsitisalmostimpossibletogethertoreadbut,ifyoucancatchherearforfiveminutes,herliteraryjudgmentshaveapeculiarfreshnessandtruth.Andsowithherjudgmentonallothersubjects,ifyoucanstopherlongenoughtogiveyouanopinion.Astoheart,Ithinkshehasyetawhollyunawakenednature.Shehaslivedonlyintheworldofsensation,andthatissoabundantandsobuoyantinherthatthedeeperpartstillsleeps.ItisonlytwoorthreetimesthatIhaveseenaflashofthisundernaturelookfromhereyes,andcolorhervoiceandintonation.AndIbelieve—I'mquitesure—thatIamtheonlypersonintheworldthatevertoucheditatall.I'mnotatallsurethatshelovesmenowbutI'malmostequallysurethatshewill." "Theysay,"saidRussel,carelessly,"thatsheisgenerallyengagedtotwoorthreeatatime." "Thatmaybealso,"saidClayton,indolently."Irathersuspectittobethecasenow,butitgivesmenoconcern.I'veseenallthemenbywhomsheissurrounded,andIknowperfectlywellthere'snotoneofthemthatshecaresarushfor." "Well,but,mydearfellow,howcanyourextrafastidiousmoralnotionsstandtheideaofherpractisingthissystemofdeception?" "Why,ofcourse,itisn'tathingtomytastebutthen,liketheoldparson,ifIlovethe'littlesinner,'whatamItodo?Isupposeyouthinkitalover'sparadoxyetIassureyou,thoughshedeceives,sheisnotdeceitfulthoughsheactsselfishly,sheisnotselfish.Thefactis,thechildhasgrownup,motherlessandanheiress,amongservants.Shehas,Ibelieve,asortofanaunt,orsomesuchrelative,whonominallyrepresentstheheadofthefamilytotheeyeoftheworld.ButIfancylittlemadamhashadfullsway.ThenshehasbeentoafashionableNewYorkboarding-school,andthathasdevelopedthetalentofshirkinglessons,andevadingrules,withatasteforsidewalkflirtation.ThesearealltheattainmentsthatIeverheardofbeinggotatafashionableboarding-school,unlessitbeahatredofbooks,andageneraldreadofliteraryculture." "Andherestatesare"— "Nothingveryconsiderable.Managednominallybyanolduncleofhersreallybyaverycleverquadroonservant,whowasleftherbyherfather,andwhohasreceivedaneducation,andhastalentsverysuperiortowhatarecommontothoseinhisclass.Heis,infact,theoverseerofherplantation,andIbelievethemostloyal,devotedcreaturebreathing." "Clayton,"saidhiscompanion,"thisaffairmightnotbemuchtoonewhotakestheworldasIdo,butforyouitmaybealittletooserious.Don'tg