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the same time we'll be pretty satisfactorily fixed for a good time here。
You send Belle Thompson hereperfectly beautiful creature； Tracy；
perfectly beautiful； I want you to see that girl； why； you'll just go
mad； you'll go mad inside of a minute； yes； you send her right along；
Gwendolen； and tell herwhy； she's gone！〃 He turned…she was already
passing out' at the gate。 He muttered； 〃I wonder what's the matter； I
don't know what her mouth's doing； but I think her shoulders are
swearing。 Well；〃 said Sellers blithely to Tracy； 〃I shall miss her
parents always miss the children as soon as they're out of sight； it's
only a natural and wisely ordained partialitybut you'll be all right；
because Miss Belle will supply the youthful element for you and to your
entire content； and we old people will do our best； too。 We shall have a
good enough time。 And you'll have a chance to get better acquainted with
Admiral Hawkins。 That's a rare character； Mr。 Tracyone of the rarest
and most engaging characters the world has produced。 You'll find him
worth studying。 I've studied him ever since he was a child and have
always found him developing。 I really consider that one of the main
things that has enabled me to master the difficult science of character
reading was the livid interest I always felt in that boy and the baffling
inscrutabilities of his ways and inspirations。〃
Tracy was not hearing a word。 His spirits were gone； he was desolate。
〃Yes； a most wonderful character。 Concealmentthat's the basis of it。
Always the first thing you want to do is to find the keystone a man's
character is built onthen you've got it。 No misleading and apparently
inconsistent peculiarities can fool you then。 What do you read on the
Senator's surface？ Simplicity； a kind of rank and protuberant
simplicity； whereas； in fact； that's one of the deepest minds in the
world。 A perfectly honest manan absolutely honest and honorable man
and yet without doubt the profoundest master of dissimulation the world
has ever seen。〃
〃O； it's devilish！〃 This was wrung from the unlistening Tracy by the
anguished thought of what might have been if only the dinner arrangements
hadn't got mixed。
〃No； I shouldn't call it that；〃 said Sellers； who was now placidly
walking up and down the room with his hands under his coat…tails and
listening to himself talk。 〃 One could quite properly call it devilish
in another man； but not in the Senator。 Your term is rightperfectly
rightI grant thatbut the application is wrong。 It makes a great
difference。 Yes； he is a marvelous character。 I do not suppose that any
other statesman ever had such a colossal sense of humor； combined with
the ability to totally conceal it。 I may except George Washington and
Cromwell； and perhaps Robespierre； but I draw the line there。 A person
not an expert might be in Judge Hawkins's company a lifetime and never
find out he had any more sense of humor than a cemetery。〃
A deep…drawn yard…long sigh from the distraught and dreaming artist；
followed by a murmured； 〃Miserable； oh； miserable！〃
〃Well； no； I shouldn't say that about it； quite。 On the contrary； I
admire his ability to conceal his humor even more if possible than I
admire the gift itself； stupendous as it is。 Another thingGeneral
Hawkins is a thinker； a keen； logical； exhaustive； analytical thinker
perhaps the ablest of modern times。 That is； of course； upon themes
suited to his size； like the glacial period； and the correlation of
forces； and the evolution of the Christian from the caterpillarany of
those things； give him a subject according to his size； and just stand
back and watch him think！ Why you can see the place rock！ Ah； yes； you
must know him； you must get on the inside of him。 Perhaps the most
extraordinary mind since Aristotle。〃
Dinner was kept waiting for a while for Miss Thompson； but as Gwendolen
had not delivered the invitation to her the waiting did no good； and the
household presently went to the meal without her。 Poor old Sellers tried
everything his hospitable soul could devise to make the occasion an
enjoyable one for the guest； and the guest tried his honest best to be
cheery and chatty and happy for the old gentleman's sake； in fact all
hands worked hard in the interest of a mutual good time； but the thing
was a failure from the start； Tracy's heart was lead in his bosom； there
seemed to be only one prominent feature in the landscape and that was a
vacant chair； he couldn't drag his mind away from Gwendolen and his hard
luck； consequently his distractions allowed deadly pauses to slip in
every now and then when it was his turn to say something； and of course
this disease spread to the rest of the conversationwherefore； instead
of having a breezy sail in sunny waters； as anticipated； everybody was
bailing out and praying for land。 What could the matter be？ Tracy alone
could have told； the others couldn't even invent a theory。
Meanwhile they were having a similarly dismal time at the Thompson house；
in fact a twin experience。 Gwendolen was ashamed of herself for allowing
her disappointment to so depress her spirits and make her so strangely
and profoundly miserable； but feeling ashamed of herself didn't improve
the matter any； it only seemed to aggravate the suffering。 She explained
that she was not feeling very well； and everybody could see that this was
true； so she got sincere sympathy and commiseration； but that didn't help
the case。 Nothing helps that kind of a case。 It is best to just stand
off and let it fester。 The moment the dinner was over the girl excused
herself； and she hurried home feeling unspeakably grateful to get away
from that house and that intolerable captivity and suffering。
Will he be gone？ The thought arose in her brain； but took effect in her
heels。 She slipped into the house； threw off her things and made
straight for the dining room。 She stopped and listened。 Her father's
voicewith no life in it； presently her mother'sno life in that；
a considerable vacancy； then a sterile remark from Washington Hawkins。
Another silence； then； not Tracy's but her father's voice again。
〃He's gone；〃 she said to herself despairingly； and listlessly opened the
door and stepped within。
〃Why； my child；〃 cried the mother； 〃how white you are！ Are youhas
anything〃
〃White？〃 exclaimed Sellers。 〃It's gone like a flash； 'twasn't serious。
Already she's as red as the soul of a watermelon！ Sit down； dear； sit
downgoodness knows you're welcome。 Did you have a good time？ We've
had great times hereimmense。 Why didn't Miss Belle come？ Mr。 Tracy is
not feeling well； and she'd have made him forget it。〃
She was content now； and out from her happy eyes there went a light that
told a secret to another pair of eyes there and got a secret in return。
In just that infinitely small fraction of a second those two great
confessions were made； received； and perfectly； understood。 All anxiety；
apprehension； uncertainty； vanished out of these young people's hearts
and left them filled with a great peace。
Sellers had had the most confident faith that with the new reinforcement
victory would be at