Епоха невинності

           Buthowmanygenerationsofthewomenwhohadgonetohermakinghaddescendedbandagedtothefamilyvault?Heshiveredalittle,rememberingsomeofthenewideasinhisscientificbooks,andthemuch-citedinstanceoftheKentuckycave-fish,whichhadceasedtodevelopeyesbecausetheyhadnouseforthem.Whatif,whenhehadbiddenMayWellandtoopenhers,theycouldonlylookoutblanklyatblankness?"Wemightbemuchbetteroff.Wemightbealtogethertogether—wemighttravel."Herfacelitup."Thatwouldbelovely,"sheowned:shewouldlovetotravel.Buthermotherwouldnotunderstandtheirwantingtodothingssodifferently."Asifthemere’differently’didn’taccountforit!"thewooerinsisted."Newland!You’resooriginal!"sheexulted.Hisheartsank,forhesawthathewassayingallthethingsthatyoungmeninthesamesituationwereexpectedtosay,andthatshewasmakingtheanswersthatinstinctandtraditiontaughthertomake—eventothepointofcallinghimoriginal."Original!We’reallaslikeeachotherasthosedollscutoutofthesamefoldedpaper.We’relikepatternsstencilledonawall.Can’tyouandIstrikeoutforourselves,May?"Hehadstoppedandfacedherintheexcitementoftheirdiscussion,andhereyesrestedonhimwithabrightuncloudedadmiration."Mercy—shallweelope?"shelaughed."Ifyouwould—""YouDOloveme,Newland!I’msohappy.""Butthen—whynotbehappier?""Wecan’tbehavelikepeopleinnovels,though,canwe?""Whynot—whynot—whynot?"Shelookedalittleboredbyhisinsistence.