TothecircleatBennington，aletterfromBearCreekwasalwaysawelcomesummonstogatherandhearofdoingsverystrangetoVermont。Andwhenthetaleofthechangedbabiesarriveddulybythepost，itcreatedamorethanusualsensation，andwasreadtoalargenumberofpleasedandscandalizedneighbors。“Ihatehertobewheresuchthingscanhappen，“saidMrs。Wood。“IwishI

couldhavebeenthere，“saidherson-in-law，AndrewBell。“Shedoesnotmentionwhoplayedthetrick，“saidMrs。AndrewBell。

“Weshouldn’tbeanywiserifshedid，“saidMrs。Wood。“I’dliketomeettheperpetrator，“saidAndrew。“Oh，no！“saidMrs。Wood。

“They’reallhorrible。“Andshewroteatonce，beggingherdaughtertotakegoodcareofherself，andtoseeasmuchofMrs。

Balaamaspossible。“Andofanyotherladiesthatarenearyou。

Foryouseemtometobeinacommunityofroughs。Iwishyouwouldgiveitallup。Didyouexpectmetolaughaboutthebabies？“

Mrs。Flynt，whenthisstorywasrepeatedtoher(shehadnotbeeninvitedintoheartheletter)，remarkedthatshehadalwaysfeltthatMollyWoodmustbealittlevulgar，eversinceshebegantogoaboutgivingmusiclessonslikeanyordinaryGerman。

ButMrs。Woodwasconsiderablyrelievedwhenthenextletterarrived。Itcontainednothinghorribleaboutbarbecuesorbabies。

Itmentionedthegreatbeautyoftheweather，andhowwellandstrongthefineairwasmakingthewriterfeel。Anditaskedthatbooksmightbesent，manybooksofallsorts，novels，poetry，allthegoodoldbooksandanygoodnewonesthatcouldbespared。

Cheapeditions，ofcourse。“Indeedsheshallhavethem！“saidMrs。Wood。“Howhermindmustbestarvinginthatdreadfulplace！“Theletterwasnotalongone，and，besidesthebooks，spokeoflittleelseexceptthefineweatherandthechancesforoutdoorexercisethatthisgave。“Youhavenoidea，“itsaid，“howdelightfulitistoride，especiallyonaspiritedhorse，whichIcandonowquitewell。“

“Hownicethatis！“saidMrs。Wood，puttingdowntheletter。“I

hopethehorseisnottoospirited。“——“Whodoesshegoridingwith？“askedMrs。Bell。“Shedoesn’tsay，Sarah。Why？“——“Nothing。

Shehasaqueerwayofnotmentioningthings，nowandthen。“——“Sarah！“exclaimedMrs。Wood，reproachfully。“Oh，well，mother，youknowjustaswellasIdothatshecanbeveryindependentandunconventional。“——“Yes；butnotinthatway。Shewouldn’tridewithpoorSamBannett，andafterallheisasuitableperson。“

Nevertheless，inhernextletter，Mrs。WoodcautionedherdaughterabouttrustingherselfwithanyoneofwhomMrs。Balaamdidnotthoroughlyapprove。ThegoodladycouldnevergraspthatMrs。Balaamlivedalongday’sjourneyfromBearCreek，andthatMollysawheraboutonceeverythreemonths。“Wehavesentyourbooks，“themotherwrote；“everybodyhascontributedfromtheirstore，——Shakespeare，Tennyson，Browning，Longfellow；andanumberofnovelsbyScott，Thackeray，GeorgeEliot，Hawthorne，andlesserwriters；somevolumesofEmerson；andJaneAustencomplete，becauseyouadmirehersoparticularly。“

ThisconsignmentofliteraturereachedBearCreekaboutaweekbeforeChristmastime。

ByNewYear’sDay，theVirginianhadbegunhiseducation。

“Well，Ihavemanagedtogetthrough’em，“hesaid，asheenteredMolly’scabininFebruary。Andhelaidtwovolumesuponhertable。

“Andwhatdoyouthinkofthem？“sheinquired。

“IthinkthatI’vecert’nlyearnedagoodlongrideto-day。“

“GeorgieTaylorhassprainedhisankle。“

“No，Idon’tmeanthatkindofaride。I’veearnedaridewithjustustwoalone。I’vereadeverywordofbothof’em，yu’

know。“

“I’llthinkaboutit。Didyoulikethem？“

“No。Notmuch。IfI’dknowedthatonewasadetectivestory，I’dhavegotyu’totrysomethingelseonme。Canyouguessthemurderer，oristheauthortoosmartforyu’？That’salltheyamountto。Well，hewastoosmartformethistime，butthatdidn’tdistressmeany。Thatotherbooktalkstoomuch。“

Mollywasscandalized，andshetoldhimitwasagreatwork。

“Oh，yes，yes。Afinebook。Butitwillkeepupitstalkin’。

Don’tletyoualone。“

“Didn’tyoufeelsorryforpoorMaggieTulliver？“

“Hmp。Yes。Sorryforher，andforTawmmy，too。Butthemandidrighttodrownd’emboth。“

“Itwasn’taman。Awomanwrotethat。“

“Awomandid！Well，then，o’courseshetalkstoomuch。“

“I’llnotgoridingwithyou！“shriekedMolly。

Butshedid。AndhereturnedtoSunkCreek，notwithadetectivestory，butthistimewithaRussiannovel。

ItwasalmostAprilwhenhebroughtitbacktoher——andaheavysleetstormlostthemtheirride。Sohespenthistimeindoorswithher，notspeakingasyllableoflove。Whenhecametotakehisdeparture，heaskedherforsomeotherbookbythissameRussian。Butshehadnomore。

“Iwishyouhad，“hesaid。“I’veneversawabookcouldtellthetruthlikethatonedoes。“

“Why，whatdoyoulikeaboutit？“sheexclaimed。Toherithadbeendistasteful。

“Everything，“heanswered。“Thatyoungcome-outer，andhisfam’lythatcan’tunderstandhim——forheisbroadgauge，yu’see，andtheyarenarro’gauge。“TheVirginianlookedatMollyamomentalmostshyly。“Doyouknow，“hesaid，andablushspreadoverhisface，“Iprettynearcriedwhenthatyoungcome-outerwasdyin’，andsaidabouthimself，’Iwasagiant。’Lifemadehimbroadgauge，yu’see，andthentookhischanceaway。“

MollylikedtheVirginianforhisblush。Itmadehimveryhandsome。Butshethoughtthatitcamefromhisconfessionabout“prettynearcrying。“Thedeepercauseshefailedtodivine，——thathe，likethedyingherointhenovel，felthimselftobeagiantwhomlifehadmade“broadgauge，“anddeniedopportunity。Fecundnaturebegetsandsquandersthousandsoftheserichseedsinthewildernessoflife。

HetookawaywithhimavolumeofShakespeare。“I’vesawgoodplaysofhis，“heremarked。

KindMrs。Taylorinhercabinnextdoorwatchedhimrideoffinthesleet，boundforthelonelymountaintrail。

“Ifthatgirldon’tgetreadytotakehimprettysoon，“sheobservedtoherhusband，“I’llgiveherapieceofmymind。“

Taylorwasastonished。“Ishethinkingofher？“heinquired。

“Lord，Mr。Taylor，andwhyshouldn’the？“

Mr。Taylorscratchedhisheadandreturnedtohisnewspaper。

Itwaswarm——warmandbeautifuluponBearCreek。SnowshoneuponthepeaksoftheBowLegrange；lowerontheirslopesthepineswerestirringwithagentlesong；andflowersbloomedacrossthewideplainsattheirfeet。

MollyandherVirginiansatatacertainspringwherehehadoftenriddenwithher。OnthisdayhewasbiddingherfarewellbeforeundertakingthemostimportanttrustwhichJudgeHenryhadasyetgivenhim。ForthisjourneyshehadprovidedhimwithSirWalterScott’sKenilworth。Shakespearehehadreturnedtoher。HehadboughtShakespeareforhimself。“AssoonasIgotusedtoreadin’it，“hehadtoldher，“IknowedforcertainthatIlikedreadin’forenjoyment“

Butitwasnotofbooksthathehadspokenmuchto-day。Hehadnotspokenatall。Hehadbadeherlistentothemeadow-lark，whenitssongfelluponthesilencelikebeadeddropsofmusic。

Hehadshowedherwhereacoveyofyoungwillow-grousewerehidingastheirhorsespassed。Andthen，withoutwarning，astheysatbythespring，hehadspokenpotentlyofhislove。

Shedidnotinterrupthim。Shewaiteduntilhewaswhollyfinished。

“Iamnotthesortofwifeyouwant，“shesaid，withanattemptofairiness。

Heansweredroughly，“Iamthejudgeofthat。“Andhisroughnesswasapleasuretoher，yetitmadeherafraidofherself。Whenhewasabsentfromher，andshecouldsitinhercabinandlookatGrandmotherStark，andreadhomeletters，theninimaginationshefounditeasytoplaythepartwhichshehadarrangedtoplayregardinghim——thepartoftheguide，andsuperior，andindulgentcompanion。Butwhenhewasbyherside，thatpartbecameadifficultone。Herwoman’sfortresswasshakenbyaforceunknowntoherbefore。SamBannettdidnothaveitinhimtolookasthismancouldlook，whenthecoldlustreofhiseyesgrewhotwithinternalfire。Whatcolortheywerebaffledherstill。“Canitpossiblychange？“shewondered。Itseemedtoherthatsometimeswhenshehadbeenlookingfromarockstraightdownintoclearseawater，thissamecolorhadlurkedinitsdepths。“Isitgreen，orisitgray？“sheaskedherself，butdidnotturnjustnowtosee。Shekeptherfacetowardthelandscape。

“Allmenarebornequal，“henowremarkedslowly。

“Yes，“shequicklyanswered，withacombativeflash。“Well？“

“Maybethatdon’tincludewomen？“hesuggested。

“Ithinkitdoes。“

“Doyu’tellthekidsso？“

“OfcourseIteachthemwhatIbelieve！“

Hepondered。“IusedtohavetolearnabouttheDeclarationofIndependence。IhatedbooksandtruckwhenIwasakid。“

“Butyoudon’tanymore。“

“No。Icert’nlydon’t。ButIusedtogetkep’inatrecessforbein’sodumb。Iwasmostalwaysatthetailendoftheclass。Mybrother，he’dbeheadsometimes。“

“LittleGeorgeTaylorismyprizescholar，“saidMolly。

“Knowshistasks，doeshe？“

“Always。AndHenryDowcomesnext。“

“Who’slast？“

“PoorBobCarmody。Ispendmoretimeonhimthanonalltherestputtogether。“

“My！“saidtheVirginian。“Ain’tthatstrange！“

Shelookedathim，puzzledbyhistone。“It’snotstrangewhenyouknowBob，“shesaid。

“It’sverystrange，“drawledtheVirginian。“Knowin’Bobdon’thelpitany。“

“Idon’tthinkthatIunderstandyou，“saidMolly，sticky。

“Well，itismightyconfusin’。GeorgeTaylor，he’syourbestscholar，andpoorBob，he’syourworst，andthere’salotinthemiddle——andyoutellmewe’reallbornequal！“

Mollycouldonlysitgigglinginthistraphehadsoingeniouslylaidforher。

“I’lltellyouwhat，“pursuedthecow-puncher，withslowandgrowingintensity，“equalityisagreatbigbluff。It’seasycalled。“

“Ididn’tmean——“beganMolly。

“Wait，andletmesaywhatImean。“Hehadmadeanimperiousgesturewithhishand。“Iknowamanthatmostlywinsatcyards。

Iknowamanthatmostlyloses。Hesaysitishisluck。Allright。Callithisluck。Iknowamanthatworkshardandhe’sgettin’rich，andIknowanotherthatworkshardandisgettin’

poor。Hesaysitishisluck。Allright。Callithisluck。IlookaroundandIseefolksmovin’upormovin’down，winnersorloserseverywhere。Allluck，ofcourse。Butsincefolkscanbebornthatdifferentintheirluck，where’syourequality？No，seh！callyourfailureluck，orcallitlaziness，wanderaroundthewords，prospectallyu’mindto，andyu’llcomeoutthesameoldtrailofinequality。“Hepausedamomentandlookedather。

“Someholdsfouraces，“hewenton，“andsomeholdsnothin’，andsomepoorfello’getstheacesandnoshowtoplay’em；butamanhasgottoprovehimselfmyequalbeforeI’llbelievehim。“

Mollysatgazingathim，silent。

“Iknowwhatyu’meant，“hetoldhernow，“bysayin’you’renotthewifeI’dwant。ButIamthekindthatmovesup。Iamgoin’tobeyourbestscholar。“Heturnedtowardher，andthatfortresswithinherbegantoshake。

“Don’t，“shemurmured。“Don’t，please。“

“Don’twhat？“

“Why——spoilthis。“

“Spoilit？“

“Theserides——Idon’tloveyou——Ican’t——buttheseridesare——“

“Whatarethey？“