IfMrs。RobyhadsimplypleadedherignoranceofOsricDane\'sworksasareasonforwithdrawing，theLunchClub，inviewofherrecentprowess，mighthaveapprovedsuchevidenceofdiscretion；
buttocouplethisexcusewiththebrazenannouncementthatshewasforegoingtheprivilegeforthepurposeofjoiningabridge-
party，wasonlyonemoreinstanceofherdeplorablelackofdiscrimination。
Theladiesweredisposed，however，tofeelthatherdeparture——
nowthatshehadperformedthesoleserviceshewaseverlikelytorenderthem——wouldprobablymakeforgreaterorderanddignityintheimpendingdiscussion，besidesrelievingthemofthesenseofself-distrustwhichherpresencealwaysmysteriouslyproduced。
Mrs。Ballingerthereforerestrictedherselftoaformalmurmurofregret，andtheothermemberswerejustgroupingthemselvescomfortablyaboutOsricDanewhenthelatter，totheirdismay，startedupfromthesofaonwhichshehadbeendeferentiallyenthroned。
“Ohwait——dowait，andI\'llgowithyou！”shecalledouttoMrs。
Roby；and，seizingthehandsofthedisconcertedmembers，sheadministeredaseriesoffarewellpressureswiththemechanicalhasteofarailway-conductorpunchingtickets。
“I\'msosorry——I\'dquiteforgotten——“sheflungbackatthemfromthethreshold；andasshejoinedMrs。Roby，whohadturnedinsurpriseatherappeal，theotherladieshadthemortificationofhearinghersay，inavoicewhichshedidnottakethepainstolower：“Ifyou\'llletmewalkalittlewaywithyou，IshouldsoliketoaskyouafewmorequestionsaboutXingu……“
III
Theincidenthadbeensorapidthatthedoorclosedonthedepartingpairbeforetheothermembershadhadtimetounderstandwhatwashappening。ThenasenseoftheindignityputuponthembyOsricDane\'sunceremoniousdesertionbegantocontendwiththeconfusedfeelingthattheyhadbeencheatedoutoftheirduewithoutexactlyknowinghoworwhy。
Therewasanawkwardsilence，duringwhichMrs。Ballinger，withaperfunctoryhand，rearrangedtheskilfullygroupedliteratureatwhichherdistinguishedguesthadnotsomuchasglanced；thenMissVanVluycktartlypronounced：“Well，Ican\'tsaythatI
considerOsricDane\'sdepartureagreatloss。“
Thisconfessioncrystallisedthefluidresentmentoftheothermembers，andMrs。Leveretexclaimed：“Idobelieveshecameonpurposetobenasty！”
ItwasMrs。Plinth\'sprivateopinionthatOsricDane\'sattitudetowardtheLunchClubmighthavebeenverydifferenthaditwelcomedherinthemajesticsettingofthePlinthdrawing-rooms；
butnotlikingtoreflectontheinadequacyofMrs。Ballinger\'sestablishmentshesoughtaround-aboutsatisfactionindepreciatinghersavoirfaire。
“Isaidfromthefirstthatweoughttohavehadasubjectready。
It\'swhatalwayshappenswhenyou\'reunprepared。Nowifwe\'donlygotupXingu——“
TheslownessofMrs。Plinth\'smentalprocesseswasalwaysallowedforbytheClub；butthisinstanceofitwastoomuchforMrs。
Ballinger\'sequanimity。
“Xingu！”shescoffed。“Why，itwasthefactofourknowingsomuchmoreaboutitthanshedid——unpreparedthoughwewere——thatmadeOsricDanesofurious。Ishouldhavethoughtthatwasplainenoughtoeverybody！”
ThisretortimpressedevenMrs。Plinth，andLauraGlyde，movedbyanimpulseofgenerosity，said：“Yes，wereallyoughttobegratefultoMrs。Robyforintroducingthetopic。ItmayhavemadeOsricDanefurious，butatleastitmadehercivil。“
“Iamgladwewereabletoshowher，“addedMissVanVluyck，“thatabroadandup-to-datecultureisnotconfinedtothegreatintellectualcentres。“
Thisincreasedthesatisfactionoftheothermembers，andtheybegantoforgettheirwrathagainstOsricDaneinthepleasureofhavingcontributedtoherdefeat。
MissVanVluyckthoughtfullyrubbedherspectacles。“Whatsurprisedmemost，“shecontinued，“wasthatFannyRobyshouldbesouponXingu。“
Thisfrankadmissionthrewaslightchillonthecompany，butMrs。Ballingersaidwithanairofindulgentirony：“Mrs。Robyalwayshastheknackofmakingalittlegoalongway；still，wecertainlyoweheradebtforhappeningtorememberthatshe\'dheardofXingu。“AndthiswasfeltbytheothermemberstobeagracefulwayofcancellingonceforalltheClub\'sobligationtoMrs。Roby。
EvenMrs。Leverettookcouragetospeedatimidshaftofirony：
“IfancyOsricDanehardlyexpectedtotakealessoninXinguatHillbridge！”
Mrs。Ballingersmiled。“Whensheaskedmewhatwerepresented——
doyouremember？——IwishI\'dsimplysaidwerepresentedXingu！”
Alltheladieslaughedappreciativelyatthissally，exceptMrs。
Plinth，whosaid，afteramoment\'sdeliberation：“I\'mnotsureitwouldhavebeenwisetodoso。“
Mrs。Ballinger，whowasalreadybeginningtofeelasifshehadlaunchedatOsricDanetheretortwhichhadjustoccurredtoher，lookedironicallyatMrs。Plinth。“MayIaskwhy？”sheenquired。
Mrs。Plinthlookedgrave。“Surely，“shesaid，“IunderstoodfromMrs。Robyherselfthatthesubjectwasoneitwasaswellnottogointotoodeeply？”
MissVanVluyckrejoinedwithprecision：“Ithinkthatappliedonlytoaninvestigationoftheoriginofthe——ofthe——“；andsuddenlyshefoundthatherusuallyaccuratememoryhadfailedher。“It\'sapartofthesubjectIneverstudiedmyself，“sheconcludedlamely。
“NorI，“saidMrs。Ballinger。
LauraGlydebenttowardthemwithwidenedeyes。“Andyetitseems——doesn\'tit？——thepartthatisfullestofanesotericfascination？”
“Idon\'tknowonwhatyoubasethat，“saidMissVanVluyckargumentatively。
“Well，didn\'tyounoticehowintenselyinterestedOsricDanebecameassoonassheheardwhatthebrilliantforeigner——heWAS
aforeigner，wasn\'the？——hadtoldMrs。Robyabouttheorigin——theoriginoftherite——orwhateveryoucallit？”
Mrs。Plinthlookeddisapproving，andMrs。Ballingervisiblywavered。Thenshesaidinadecisivetone：“Itmaynotbedesirabletotouchonthe——onthatpartofthesubjectingeneralconversation；but，fromtheimportanceitevidentlyhastoawomanofOsricDane\'sdistinction，Ifeelasifweoughtnottobeafraidtodiscussitamongourselves——withoutgloves——thoughwithcloseddoors，ifnecessary。“
“I\'mquiteofyouropinion，“MissVanVluyckcamebrisklytohersupport；“oncondition，thatis，thatallgrossnessoflanguageisavoided。“
“Oh，I\'msureweshallunderstandwithoutthat，“Mrs。Leverettittered；andLauraGlydeaddedsignificantly：“Ifancywecanreadbetweenthelines，“whileMrs。Ballingerrosetoassureherselfthatthedoorswerereallyclosed。
Mrs。Plinthhadnotyetgivenheradhesion。“Ihardlysee，“shebegan，“whatbenefitistobederivedfrominvestigatingsuchpeculiarcustoms——“
ButMrs。Ballinger\'spatiencehadreachedtheextremelimitoftension。“Thisatleast，“shereturned；“thatweshallnotbeplacedagaininthehumiliatingpositionoffindingourselveslessuponourownsubjectsthanFannyRoby！”
EventoMrs。Plinththisargumentwasconclusive。Shepeeredfurtivelyabouttheroomandloweredhercommandingtonestoask：
“Haveyougotacopy？”
“A——acopy？”stammeredMrs。Ballinger。Shewasawarethattheothermemberswerelookingatherexpectantly，andthatthisanswerwasinadequate，soshesupporteditbyaskinganotherquestion。“Acopyofwhat？”
HercompanionsbenttheirexpectantgazeonMrs。Plinth，who，inturn，appearedlesssureofherselfthanusual。“Why，of——of——
thebook，“sheexplained。
“Whatbook？”snappedMissVanVluyck，almostassharplyasOsricDane。
Mrs。BallingerlookedatLauraGlyde，whoseeyeswereinterrogativelyfixedonMrs。Leveret。Thefactofbeingdeferredtowassonewtothelatterthatitfilledherwithaninsanetemerity。“Why，Xingu，ofcourse！”sheexclaimed。
AprofoundsilencefollowedthisdirectchallengetotheresourcesofMrs。Ballinger\'slibrary，andthelatter，afterglancingnervouslytowardtheBooksoftheDay，returnedinadeprecatingvoice：“It\'snotathingonecarestoleaveabout。“
“IshouldthinkNOT！”exclaimedMrs。Plinth。
“ItISabook，then？”saidMissVanVluyck。
Thisagainthrewthecompanyintodisarray，andMrs。Ballinger，withanimpatientsigh，rejoined：“Why——thereISabook——
naturally……“
“ThenwhydidMissGlydecallitareligion？”
LauraGlydestartedup。“Areligion？Inever——“
“Yes，youdid，“MissVanVluyckinsisted；“youspokeofrites；
andMrs。Plinthsaiditwasacustom。“
MissGlydewasevidentlymakingadesperateefforttoreinforceherstatement；butaccuracyofdetailwasnotherstrongestpoint。Atlengthshebeganinadeepmurmur：“SurelytheyusedtodosomethingofthekindattheEleusinianmysteries——“
“Oh——“saidMissVanVluyck，onthevergeofdisapproval；andMrs。Plinthprotested：“Iunderstoodtherewastobenoindelicacy！”
Mrs。Ballingercouldnotcontrolherirritation。“Really，itistoobadthatweshouldnotbeabletotalkthematteroverquietlyamongourselves。Personally，IthinkthatifonegoesintoXinguatall——“
“Oh，sodoI！”criedMissGlyde。
“AndIdon\'tseehowonecanavoiddoingso，ifonewishestokeepupwiththeThoughtoftheDay——“
Mrs。Leveretutteredanexclamationofrelief。“There——that\'sit！”sheinterposed。
“What\'sit？”thePresidentcurtlytookherup。
“Why——it\'sa——aThought：Imeanaphilosophy。“
ThisseemedtobringacertainrelieftoMrs。BallingerandLauraGlyde，butMissVanVluycksaiddogmatically：“ExcusemeifI
tellyouthatyou\'reallmistaken。Xinguhappenstobealanguage。“
“Alanguage！”theLunchClubcried。
“Certainly。Don\'tyourememberFannyRoby\'ssayingthattherewereseveralbranches，andthatsomewerehardtotrace？Whatcouldthatapplytobutdialects？”
Mrs。Ballingercouldnolongerrestrainacontemptuouslaugh。
“Really，iftheLunchClubhasreachedsuchapassthatithastogotoFannyRobyforinstructiononasubjectlikeXingu，ithadalmostbetterceasetoexist！”
“It\'sreallyherfaultfornotbeingclearer，“LauraGlydeputin。
“Oh，clearnessandFannyRoby！”Mrs。Ballingershrugged。“I
daresayweshallfindshewasmistakenonalmosteverypoint。“
“Whynotlookitup？”saidMrs。Plinth。
AsarulethisrecurrentsuggestionofMrs。Plinth\'swasignoredintheheatofdiscussion，andonlyresortedtoafterwardintheprivacyofeachmember\'shome。ButonthepresentoccasionthedesiretoascribetheirownconfusionofthoughttothevagueandcontradictorynatureofMrs。Roby\'sstatementscausedthemembersoftheLunchClubtoutteracollectivedemandforabookofreference。
AtthispointtheproductionofhertreasuredvolumegaveMrs。
Leveret，foramoment，theunusualexperienceofoccupyingthecentrefront；butshewasnotabletoholditlong，forAppropriateAllusionscontainednomentionofXingu。
“Oh，that\'snotthekindofthingwewant！”exclaimedMissVanVluyck。ShecastadisparagingglanceoverMrs。Ballinger\'sassortmentofliterature，andaddedimpatiently：“Haven\'tyouanyusefulbooks？”
“OfcourseIhave，“repliedMrs。Ballingerindignantly；“butI
keeptheminmyhusband\'sdressing-room。“
Fromthisregion，aftersomedifficultyanddelay，theparlour-
maidproducedtheW-ZvolumeofanEncyclopaediaand，indeferencetothefactthatthedemandforithadcomefromMissVanVluyck，laidtheponderoustomebeforeher。
TherewasamomentofpainfulsuspensewhileMissVanVluyckrubbedherspectacles，adjustedthem，andturnedtoZ；andamurmurofsurprisewhenshesaid：“Itisn\'there。“
“Isuppose，“saidMrs。Plinth，“it\'snotfittobeputinabookofreference。“
“Oh，nonsense！”exclaimedMrs。Ballinger。“TryX。“
MissVanVluyckturnedbackthroughthevolume，peeringshort-
sightedlyupanddownthepages，tillshecametoastopandremainedmotionless，likeadogonapoint。
“Well，haveyoufoundit？”Mrs。Ballingerenquired，afteraconsiderabledelay。
“Yes。I\'vefoundit，“saidMissVanVluyckinaqueervoice。
Mrs。Plinthhastilyinterposed：“Ibegyouwon\'treaditaloudifthere\'sanythingoffensive。“
MissVanVluyck，withoutanswering，continuedhersilentscrutiny。
“Well，whatISit？”exclaimedLauraGlydeexcitedly。
“DOtellus！”urgedMrs。Leveret，feelingthatshewouldhavesomethingawfultotellhersister。
MissVanVluyckpushedthevolumeasideandturnedslowlytowardtheexpectantgroup。
“It\'sariver。“
“ARIVER？”
“Yes：inBrazil。Isn\'tthatwhereshe\'sbeenliving？”
“Who？FannyRoby？Oh，butyoumustbemistaken。You\'vebeenreadingthewrongthing，“Mrs。Ballingerexclaimed，leaningoverhertoseizethevolume。
“It\'stheonlyXINGUintheEncyclopaedia；andsheHASbeenlivinginBrazil，“MissVanVluyckpersisted。
“Yes：herbrotherhasaconsulshipthere，“Mrs。Levereteagerlyinterposed。
“Butit\'stooridiculous！I——we——whyweALLrememberstudyingXingulastyear——ortheyearbeforelast，“Mrs。Ballingerstammered。
“IthoughtIdidwhenYOUsaidso，“LauraGlydeavowed。
“Isaidso？”criedMrs。Ballinger。
“Yes。Yousaidithadcrowdedeverythingelseoutofyourmind。“
“Well，YOUsaidithadchangedyourwholelife！”
“Forthatmatter，MissVanVluycksaidshehadnevergrudgedthetimeshe\'dgivenit。“
Mrs。Plinthinterposed：“ImadeitclearthatIknewnothingwhateveroftheoriginal。“
Mrs。Ballingerbrokeoffthedisputewithagroan。“Oh，whatdoesitallmatterifshe\'sbeenmakingfoolsofus？IbelieveMissVanVluyck\'sright——shewastalkingoftheriverallthewhile！”
“Howcouldshe？It\'stoopreposterous，“MissGlydeexclaimed。
“Listen。“MissVanVluyckhadrepossessedherselfoftheEncyclopaedia，andrestoredherspectaclestoanosereddenedbyexcitement。“\'TheXingu，oneoftheprincipalriversofBrazil，risesontheplateauofMatoGrosso，andflowsinanortherlydirectionforalengthofnolessthanonethousandonehundredandeighteenmiles，enteringtheAmazonnearthemouthofthelatterriver。TheuppercourseoftheXinguisauriferousandfedbynumerousbranches。Itssourcewasfirstdiscoveredin1884bytheGermanexplorervondenSteinen，afteradifficultanddangerousexpeditionthrougharegioninhabitedbytribesstillintheStoneAgeofculture。\'“
TheladiesreceivedthiscommunicationinastateofstupefiedsilencefromwhichMrs。Leveretwasthefirsttorally。“ShecertainlyDIDspeakofitshavingbranches。“
Thewordseemedtosnapthelastthreadoftheirincredulity。
“Andofitsgreatlength，“gaspedMrs。Ballinger。
“Shesaiditwasawfullydeep，andyoucouldn\'tskip——youjusthadtowadethrough，“MissGlydesubjoined。
TheideaworkeditswaymoreslowlythroughMrs。Plinth\'scompactresistances。“Howcouldtherebeanythingimproperaboutariver？”sheinquired。
“Improper？”
“Why，whatshesaidaboutthesource——thatitwascorrupt？”
“Notcorrupt，buthardtogetat，“LauraGlydecorrected。“Someonewho\'dbeentherehadtoldherso。Idaresayitwastheexplorerhimself——doesn\'titsaytheexpeditionwasdangerous？”
“\'Difficultanddangerous，\'“readMissVanVluyck。
Mrs。Ballingerpressedherhandstoherthrobbingtemples。
“There\'snothingshesaidthatwouldn\'tapplytoariver——tothisriver！”Sheswungaboutexcitedlytotheothermembers。“Why，doyourememberhertellingusthatshehadn\'tread\'TheSupremeInstant\'becauseshe\'dtakenitonaboatingpartywhileshewasstayingwithherbrother，andsomeonehad\'shied\'itoverboard——
\'shied\'ofcoursewasherownexpression？”
Theladiesbreathlesslysignifiedthattheexpressionhadnotescapedthem。
“Well——andthendidn\'tshetellOsricDanethatoneofherbookswassimplysaturatedwithXingu？Ofcourseitwas，ifsomeofMrs。Roby\'srowdyfriendshadthrownitintotheriver！”
ThissurprisingreconstructionofthesceneinwhichtheyhadjustparticipatedleftthemembersoftheLunchClubinarticulate。AtlengthMrs。Plinth，aftervisiblylabouringwiththeproblem，saidinaheavytone：“OsricDanewastakenintoo。“
Mrs。Leverettookcourageatthis。“Perhapsthat\'swhatMrs。
Robydiditfor。ShesaidOsricDanewasabrute，andshemayhavewantedtogiveheralesson。“
MissVanVluyckfrowned。“Itwashardlyworthwhiletodoitatourexpense。“
“Atleast，“saidMissGlydewithatouchofbitterness，“shesucceededininterestingher，whichwasmorethanwedid。“
“Whatchancehadwe？”rejoinedMrs。Ballinger。“Mrs。Robymonopolisedherfromthefirst。AndTHAT，I\'venodoubt，washerpurpose——togiveOsricDaneafalseimpressionofherownstandingintheClub。Shewouldhesitateatnothingtoattractattention：weallknowhowshetookinpoorProfessorForeland。“
“Sheactuallymakeshimgivebridge-teaseveryThursday，“Mrs。
Leveretpipedup。
LauraGlydestruckherhandstogether。“Why，thisisThursday，andit\'sTHEREshe\'sgone，ofcourse；andtakenOsricwithher！”
“Andthey\'reshriekingoverusatthismoment，“saidMrs。
Ballingerbetweenherteeth。
Thispossibilityseemedtoopreposteroustobeadmitted。“Shewouldhardlydare，“saidMissVanVluyck，“confesstheimposturetoOsricDane。“
“I\'mnotsosure：IthoughtIsawhermakeasignassheleft。
Ifshehadn\'tmadeasign，whyshouldOsricDanehaverushedoutafterher？”
“Well，youknow，we\'dallbeentellingherhowwonderfulXinguwas，andshesaidshewantedtofindoutmoreaboutit，“Mrs。
Leveretsaid，withatardyimpulseofjusticetotheabsent。
Thisreminder，farfrommitigatingthewrathoftheothermembers，gaveitastrongerimpetus。
“Yes——andthat\'sexactlywhatthey\'rebothlaughingovernow，“
saidLauraGlydeironically。
Mrs。Plinthstoodupandgatheredherexpensivefursabouthermonumentalform。“Ihavenowishtocriticise，“shesaid；“butunlesstheLunchClubcanprotectitsmembersagainsttherecurrenceofsuch——suchunbecomingscenes，Iforone——“
“Oh，sodoI！”agreedMissGlyde，risingalso。
MissVanVluyckclosedtheEncyclopaediaandproceededtobuttonherselfintoherjacket。“Mytimeisreallytoovaluable——“shebegan。
“Ifancyweareallofonemind，“saidMrs。Ballinger，lookingsearchinglyatMrs。Leveret，wholookedattheothers。
“Ialwaysdeprecateanythinglikeascandal——“Mrs。Plinthcontinued。
“Shehasbeenthecauseofoneto-day！”exclaimedMissGlyde。
Mrs。Leveretmoaned：“Idon\'tseehowsheCOULD！”andMissVanVluycksaid，pickinguphernote-book：“Somewomenstopatnothing。“
“——butif，“Mrs。Plinthtookupherargumentimpressively，“anythingofthekindhadhappenedinMYhouse“itneverwouldhave，hertoneimplied，“IshouldhavefeltthatIowedittomyselfeithertoaskforMrs。Roby\'sresignation——ortooffermine。“
“Oh，Mrs。Plinth——“gaspedtheLunchClub。
“Fortunatelyforme，“Mrs。Plinthcontinuedwithanawfulmagnanimity，“thematterwastakenoutofmyhandsbyourPresident\'sdecisionthattherighttoentertaindistinguishedguestswasaprivilegevestedinheroffice；andIthinktheothermemberswillagreethat，asshewasaloneinthisopinion，sheoughttobealoneindecidingonthebestwayofeffacingits——itsreallydeplorableconsequences。“
AdeepsilencefollowedthisunexpectedoutbreakofMrs。Plinth\'slong-storedresentment。
“Idon\'tseewhyIshouldbeexpectedtoaskhertoresign——“
Mrs。Ballingeratlengthbegan；butLauraGlydeturnedbacktoremindher：“Youknowshemadeyousaythatyou\'dgotonswimminglyinXingu。“
Anill-timedgiggleescapedfromMrs。Leveret，andMrs。Ballingerenergeticallycontinued“——butyouneedn\'tthinkforamomentthatI\'mafraidto！”
Thedoorofthedrawing-roomclosedontheretreatingbacksoftheLunchClub，andthePresidentofthatdistinguishedassociation，seatingherselfatherwriting-table，andpushingawayacopyof“TheWingsofDeath“tomakeroomforherelbow，drewforthasheetoftheclub\'snote-paper，onwhichshebegantowrite：“MydearMrs。Roby——“
TheEndofXinguTHEVERDICT
June1908
IhadalwaysthoughtJackGisburnratheracheapgenius——thoughagoodfellowenough——soitwasnogreatsurprisetometohearthat，intheheightofhisglory，hehaddroppedhispainting，marriedarichwidow，andestablishedhimselfinavillaontheRiviera。ThoughIratherthoughtitwouldhavebeenRomeorFlorence。
“Theheightofhisglory“——thatwaswhatthewomencalledit。I
canhearMrs。GideonThwing——hislastChicagositter——deploringhisunaccountableabdication。“Ofcourseit\'sgoingtosendthevalueofmypicture\'wayup；butIdon\'tthinkofthat，Mr。
Rickham——thelosstoArrtisallIthinkof。“Theword，onMrs。
Thwing\'slips，multiplieditsRSasthoughtheywerereflectedinanendlessvistaofmirrors。AnditwasnotonlytheMrs。Thwingswhomourned。HadnottheexquisiteHermiaCroft，atthelastGraftonGalleryshow，stoppedmebeforeGisburn\'s“Moon-dancers“
tosay，withtearsinhereyes：“Weshallnotlookuponitslikeagain“？
Well！——eventhroughtheprismofHermia\'stearsIfeltabletofacethefactwithequanimity。PoorJackGisburn！Thewomenhadmadehim——itwasfittingthattheyshouldmournhim。Amonghisownsexfewerregretswereheard，andinhisowntradehardlyamurmur。Professionaljealousy？Perhaps。Ifitwere，thehonourofthecraftwasvindicatedbylittleClaudeNutley，who，inallgoodfaith，broughtoutintheBurlingtonaveryhandsome“obituary“onJack——oneofthoseshowyarticlesstockedwithrandomtechnicalitiesthatIhaveheardIwon\'tsaybywhom
comparedtoGisburn\'spainting。Andso——hisresolvebeingapparentlyirrevocable——thediscussiongraduallydiedout，and，asMrs。Thwinghadpredicted，thepriceof“Gisburns“wentup。
Itwasnottillthreeyearslaterthat，inthecourseofafewweeks\'idlingontheRiviera，itsuddenlyoccurredtometowonderwhyGisburnhadgivenuphispainting。Onreflection，itreallywasatemptingproblem。Toaccusehiswifewouldhavebeentooeasy——hisfairsittershadbeendeniedthesolaceofsayingthatMrs。Gisburnhad“draggedhimdown。“ForMrs。
Gisburn——assuch——hadnotexistedtillnearlyayearafterJack\'sresolvehadbeentaken。Itmightbethathehadmarriedher——
sincehelikedhisease——becausehedidn\'twanttogoonpainting；butitwouldhavebeenhardtoprovethathehadgivenuphispaintingbecausehehadmarriedher。
Ofcourse，ifshehadnotdraggedhimdown，shehadequally，asMissCroftcontended，failedto“lifthimup“——shehadnotledhimbacktotheeasel。Toputthebrushintohishandagain——
whatavocationforawife！ButMrs。Gisburnappearedtohavedisdainedit——andIfeltitmightbeinterestingtofindoutwhy。
ThedesultorylifeoftheRivieralendsitselftosuchpurelyacademicspeculations；andhaving，onmywaytoMonteCarlo，caughtaglimpseofJack\'sbalustradedterracesbetweenthepines，Ihadmyselfbornethitherthenextday。
Ifoundthecoupleatteabeneaththeirpalm-trees；andMrs。
Gisburn\'swelcomewassogenialthat，intheensuingweeks，I
claimeditfrequently。Itwasnotthatmyhostesswas“interesting“：onthatpointIcouldhavegivenMissCroftthefullestreassurance。ItwasjustbecauseshewasNOT
interesting——ifImaybepardonedthebull——thatIfoundherso。
ForJack，allhislife，hadbeensurroundedbyinterestingwomen：
theyhadfosteredhisart，ithadbeenrearedinthehot-houseoftheiradulation。Anditwasthereforeinstructivetonotewhateffectthe“deadeningatmosphereofmediocrity“IquoteMissCroftwashavingonhim。
IhavementionedthatMrs。Gisburnwasrich；anditwasimmediatelyperceptiblethatherhusbandwasextractingfromthiscircumstanceadelicatebutsubstantialsatisfaction。Itis，asarule，thepeoplewhoscornmoneywhogetmostoutofit；andJack\'selegantdisdainofhiswife\'sbigbalanceenabledhim，withanappearanceofperfectgood-breeding，totransmuteitintoobjectsofartandluxury。Tothelatter，Imustadd，heremainedrelativelyindifferent；buthewasbuyingRenaissancebronzesandeighteenth-centurypictureswithadiscriminationthatbespoketheamplestresources。
“Money\'sonlyexcuseistoputbeautyintocirculation，“wasoneoftheaxiomshelaiddownacrosstheSevresandsilverofanexquisitelyappointedluncheon-table，when，onalaterday，IhadagainrunoverfromMonteCarlo；andMrs。Gisburn，beamingonhim，addedformyenlightenment：“Jackissomorbidlysensitivetoeveryformofbeauty。“
PoorJack！Ithadalwaysbeenhisfatetohavewomensaysuchthingsofhim：thefactshouldbesetdowninextenuation。Whatstruckmenowwasthat，forthefirsttime，heresentedthetone。
Ihadseenhim，sooften，baskingundersimilartributes——wasittheconjugalnotethatrobbedthemoftheirsavour？No——for，oddlyenough，itbecameapparentthathewasfondofMrs。
Gisburn——fondenoughnottoseeherabsurdity。Itwashisownabsurdityheseemedtobewincingunder——hisownattitudeasanobjectforgarlandsandincense。
“Mydear，sinceI\'vechuckedpaintingpeopledon\'tsaythatstuffaboutme——theysayitaboutVictorGrindle，“washisonlyprotest，asherosefromthetableandstrolledoutontothesunlitterrace。
Iglancedafterhim，struckbyhislastword。VictorGrindlewas，infact，becomingthemanofthemoment——asJackhimself，onemightputit，hadbeenthemanofthehour。Theyoungerartistwassaidtohaveformedhimselfatmyfriend\'sfeet，andI
wonderedifatingeofjealousyunderlaythelatter\'smysteriousabdication。Butno——foritwasnottillafterthateventthattheroseDubarrydrawing-roomshadbeguntodisplaytheir“Grindles。“
IturnedtoMrs。Gisburn，whohadlingeredtogivealumpofsugartoherspanielinthedining-room。
“WhyHAShechuckedpainting？”Iaskedabruptly。
Sheraisedhereyebrowswithahintofgood-humouredsurprise。
“Oh，hedoesn\'tHAVEtonow，youknow；andIwanthimtoenjoyhimself，“shesaidquitesimply。
Ilookedaboutthespaciouswhite-panelledroom，withitsfamille-vertevasesrepeatingthetonesofthepaledamaskcurtains，anditseighteenth-centurypastelsindelicatefadedframes。
“Hashechuckedhispicturestoo？Ihaven\'tseenasingleoneinthehouse。“
AslightshadeofconstraintcrossedMrs。Gisburn\'sopencountenance。“It\'shisridiculousmodesty，youknow。Hesaysthey\'renotfittohaveabout；he\'ssentthemallawayexceptone——myportrait——andthatIhavetokeepupstairs。“
Hisridiculousmodesty——Jack\'smodestyabouthispictures？Mycuriositywasgrowinglikethebean-stalk。Isaidpersuasivelytomyhostess：“Imustreallyseeyourportrait，youknow。“
Sheglancedoutalmosttimorouslyattheterracewhereherhusband，lounginginahoodedchair，hadlitacigaranddrawntheRussiandeerhound\'sheadbetweenhisknees。
“Well，comewhilehe\'snotlooking，“shesaid，withalaughthattriedtohidehernervousness；andIfollowedherbetweenthemarbleEmperorsofthehall，andupthewidestairswithterra-
cottanymphspoisedamongflowersateachlanding。
Inthedimmestcornerofherboudoir，amidaprofusionofdelicateanddistinguishedobjects，hungoneofthefamiliarovalcanvases，intheinevitablegarlandedframe。ThemereoutlineoftheframecalledupallGisburn\'spast！
Mrs。Gisburndrewbackthewindow-curtains，movedasideajardinierefullofpinkazaleas，pushedanarm-chairaway，andsaid：“Ifyoustandhereyoucanjustmanagetoseeit。Ihaditoverthemantel-piece，buthewouldn\'tletitstay。“
Yes——Icouldjustmanagetoseeit——thefirstportraitofJack\'sIhadeverhadtostrainmyeyesover！Usuallytheyhadtheplaceofhonour——saythecentralpanelinapaleyelloworroseDubarrydrawing-room，oramonumentaleaselplacedsothatittookthelightthroughcurtainsofoldVenetianpoint。Themoremodestplacebecamethepicturebetter；yet，asmyeyesgrewaccustomedtothehalf-light，allthecharacteristicqualitiescameout——allthehesitationsdisguisedasaudacities，thetricksofprestidigitationbywhich，withsuchconsummateskill，hemanagedtodivertattentionfromtherealbusinessofthepicturetosomeprettyirrelevanceofdetail。Mrs。Gisburn，presentinganeutralsurfacetoworkon——forming，asitwere，soinevitablythebackgroundofherownpicture——hadlentherselfinanunusualdegreetothedisplayofthisfalsevirtuosity。ThepicturewasoneofJack\'s“strongest，“ashisadmirerswouldhaveputit——itrepresented，onhispart，aswellingofmuscles，acongestingofveins，abalancing，straddlingandstraining，thatremindedoneofthecircus-clown\'sironiceffortstoliftafeather。Itmet，inshort，ateverypointthedemandoflovelywomantobepainted“strongly“becauseshewastiredofbeingpainted“sweetly“——andyetnottoloseanatomofthesweetness。
“It\'sthelasthepainted，youknow，“Mrs。Gisburnsaidwithpardonablepride。“Thelastbutone，“shecorrectedherself——
“buttheotherdoesn\'tcount，becausehedestroyedit。“
“Destroyedit？”IwasabouttofollowupthiscluewhenIheardafootstepandsawJackhimselfonthethreshold。
Ashestoodthere，hishandsinthepocketsofhisvelveteencoat，thethinbrownwavesofhairpushedbackfromhiswhiteforehead，hisleansunburntcheeksfurrowedbyasmilethatliftedthetipsofaself-confidentmoustache，Ifelttowhatadegreehehadthesamequalityashispictures——thequalityoflookingclevererthanhewas。
Hiswifeglancedathimdeprecatingly，buthiseyestravelledpasthertotheportrait。
“Mr。Rickhamwantedtoseeit，“shebegan，asifexcusingherself。Heshruggedhisshoulders，stillsmiling。
“Oh，Rickhamfoundmeoutlongago，“hesaidlightly；then，passinghisarmthroughmine：“Comeandseetherestofthehouse。“
Heshowedittomewithakindofnaivesuburbanpride：thebath-rooms，thespeaking-tubes，thedress-closets，thetrouser-
presses——allthecomplexsimplificationsofthemillionaire\'sdomesticeconomy。Andwhenevermywonderpaidtheexpectedtributehesaid，throwingouthischestalittle：“Yes，Ireallydon\'tseehowpeoplemanagetolivewithoutthat。“
Well——itwasjusttheendonemighthaveforeseenforhim。Onlyhewas，throughitallandinspiteofitall——ashehadbeenthrough，andinspiteof，hispictures——sohandsome，socharming，sodisarming，thatonelongedtocryout：“Bedissatisfiedwithyourleisure！”asonceonehadlongedtosay：“Bedissatisfiedwithyourwork！”
But，withthecryonmylips，mydiagnosissufferedanunexpectedcheck。
“Thisismyownlair，“hesaid，leadingmeintoadarkplainroomattheendofthefloridvista。Itwassquareandbrownandleathery：no“effects“；nobric-a-brac，noneoftheairofposingforreproductioninapictureweekly——aboveall，noleastsignofeverhavingbeenusedasastudio。
ThefactbroughthometometheabsolutefinalityofJack\'sbreakwithhisoldlife。
“Don\'tyoueverdabblewithpaintanymore？”Iasked，stilllookingaboutforatraceofsuchactivity。
“Never，“hesaidbriefly。
“Orwater-colour——oretching？”
Hisconfidenteyesgrewdim，andhischeekspaledalittleundertheirhandsomesunburn。
“Neverthinkofit，mydearfellow——anymorethanifI\'dnevertouchedabrush。“
Andhistonetoldmeinaflashthatheneverthoughtofanythingelse。
Imovedaway，instinctivelyembarrassedbymyunexpecteddiscovery；andasIturned，myeyefellonasmallpictureabovethemantel-piece——theonlyobjectbreakingtheplainoakpanellingoftheroom。
“Oh，byJove！”Isaid。
Itwasasketchofadonkey——anoldtireddonkey，standingintherainunderawall。
“ByJove——aStroud！”Icried。
Hewassilent；butIfelthimclosebehindme，breathingalittlequickly。
“Whatawonder！Madewithadozenlines——butoneverlastingfoundations。Youluckychap，wheredidyougetit？”
Heansweredslowly：“Mrs。Stroudgaveittome。“
“Ah——Ididn\'tknowyouevenknewtheStrouds。Hewassuchaninflexiblehermit。“
“Ididn\'t——tillafter……Shesentformetopainthimwhenhewasdead。“
“Whenhewasdead？You？”
Imusthaveletalittletoomuchamazementescapethroughmysurprise，forheansweredwithadeprecatinglaugh：“Yes——she\'sanawfulsimpleton，youknow，Mrs。Stroud。Heronlyideawastohavehimdonebyafashionablepainter——ah，poorStroud！Shethoughtitthesurestwayofproclaiminghisgreatness——offorcingitonapurblindpublic。AndatthemomentIwasTHE
fashionablepainter。“
“Ah，poorStroud——asyousay。WasTHAThishistory？”
“Thatwashishistory。Shebelievedinhim，gloriedinhim——orthoughtshedid。Butshecouldn\'tbearnottohaveallthedrawing-roomswithher。Shecouldn\'tbearthefactthat，onvarnishingdays，onecouldalwaysgetnearenoughtoseehispictures。Poorwoman！She\'sjustafragmentgropingforotherfragments。StroudistheonlywholeIeverknew。“
“Youeverknew？Butyoujustsaid——“
Gisburnhadacurioussmileinhiseyes。
“Oh，Iknewhim，andheknewme——onlyithappenedafterhewasdead。“
Idroppedmyvoiceinstinctively。“Whenshesentforyou？”
“Yes——quiteinsensibletotheirony。Shewantedhimvindicated——
andbyme！”
Helaughedagain，andthrewbackhisheadtolookupatthesketchofthedonkey。“ThereweredayswhenIcouldn\'tlookatthatthing——couldn\'tfaceit。ButIforcedmyselftoputithere；andnowit\'scuredme——curedme。That\'sthereasonwhyI
don\'tdabbleanymore，mydearRickham；orratherStroudhimselfisthereason。“
Forthefirsttimemyidlecuriosityaboutmycompanionturnedintoaseriousdesiretounderstandhimbetter。
“Iwishyou\'dtellmehowithappened，“Isaid。
Hestoodlookingupatthesketch，andtwirlingbetweenhisfingersacigarettehehadforgottentolight。Suddenlyheturnedtowardme。
“I\'dratherliketotellyou——becauseI\'vealwayssuspectedyouofloathingmywork。“
Imadeadeprecatinggesture，whichhenegativedwithagood-
humouredshrug。
“Oh，Ididn\'tcareastrawwhenIbelievedinmyself——andnowit\'sanaddedtiebetweenus！”
Helaughedslightly，withoutbitterness，andpushedoneofthedeeparm-chairsforward。“There：makeyourselfcomfortable——andherearethecigarsyoulike。“
Heplacedthematmyelbowandcontinuedtowanderupanddowntheroom，stoppingnowandthenbeneaththepicture。
“Howithappened？Icantellyouinfiveminutes——anditdidn\'ttakemuchlongertohappen……IcanremembernowhowsurprisedandpleasedIwaswhenIgotMrs。Stroud\'snote。Ofcourse，deepdown，IhadalwaysFELTtherewasnoonelikehim——
onlyIhadgonewiththestream，echoedtheusualplatitudesabouthim，tillIhalfgottothinkhewasafailure，oneofthekindthatareleftbehind。ByJove，andheWASleftbehind——
becausehehadcometostay！Therestofushadtoletourselvesbesweptalongorgounder，buthewashighabovethecurrent——oneverlastingfoundations，asyousay。
“Well，Iwentofftothehouseinmymostegregiousmood——rathermoved，Lordforgiveme，atthepathosofpoorStroud\'scareeroffailurebeingcrownedbythegloryofmypaintinghim！OfcourseImeanttodothepicturefornothing——ItoldMrs。Stroudsowhenshebegantostammersomethingaboutherpoverty。IremembergettingoffaprodigiousphraseaboutthehonourbeingMINE——oh，Iwasprincely，mydearRickham！Iwasposingtomyselflikeoneofmyownsitters。
“ThenIwastakenupandleftalonewithhim。Ihadsentallmytrapsinadvance，andIhadonlytosetuptheeaselandgettowork。Hehadbeendeadonlytwenty-fourhours，andhediedsuddenly，ofheartdisease，sothattherehadbeennopreliminaryworkofdestruction——hisfacewasclearanduntouched。Ihadmethimonceortwice，yearsbefore，andthoughthiminsignificantanddingy。NowIsawthathewassuperb。
“Iwasgladatfirst，withamerelyaestheticsatisfaction：gladtohavemyhandonsucha\'subject。\'Thenhisstrangelife-
likenessbegantoaffectmequeerly——asIblockedtheheadinI
feltasifhewerewatchingmedoit。Thesensationwasfollowedbythethought：ifheWEREwatchingme，whatwouldhesaytomywayofworking？Mystrokesbegantogoalittlewild——Ifeltnervousanduncertain。
“Once，whenIlookedup，Iseemedtoseeasmilebehindhisclosegrayishbeard——asifhehadthesecret，andwereamusinghimselfbyholdingitbackfromme。Thatexasperatedmestillmore。Thesecret？Why，Ihadasecretworthtwentyofhis！Idashedatthecanvasfuriously，andtriedsomeofmybravuratricks。Buttheyfailedme，theycrumbled。Isawthathewasn\'twatchingtheshowybits——Icouldn\'tdistracthisattention；hejustkepthiseyesonthehardpassagesbetween。ThoseweretheonesIhadalwaysshirked，orcoveredupwithsomelyingpaint。Andhowhesawthroughmylies！
“Ilookedupagain，andcaughtsightofthatsketchofthedonkeyhangingonthewallnearhisbed。Hiswifetoldmeafterwarditwasthelastthinghehaddone——justanotetakenwithashakinghand，whenhewasdowninDevonshirerecoveringfromapreviousheartattack。Justanote！Butittellshiswholehistory。
Thereareyearsofpatientscornfulpersistenceineveryline。A
manwhohadswumwiththecurrentcouldneverhavelearnedthatmightyup-streamstroke……
“Iturnedbacktomywork，andwentongropingandmuddling；thenIlookedatthedonkeyagain。Isawthat，whenStroudlaidinthefirststroke，heknewjustwhattheendwouldbe。Hehadpossessedhissubject，absorbedit，recreatedit。WhenhadI
donethatwithanyofmythings？Theyhadn\'tbeenbornofme——I
hadjustadoptedthem……
“Hangit，Rickham，withthatfacewatchingmeIcouldn\'tdoanotherstroke。Theplaintruthwas，Ididn\'tknowwheretoputit——IHADNEVERKNOWN。Only，withmysittersandmypublic，ashowysplashofcolourcoveredupthefact——Ijustthrewpaintintotheirfaces……Well，paintwastheonemediumthosedeadeyescouldseethrough——seestraighttothetotteringfoundationsunderneath。Don\'tyouknowhow，intalkingaforeignlanguage，evenfluently，onesayshalfthetimenotwhatonewantstobutwhatonecan？Well——thatwasthewayIpainted；andashelaythereandwatchedme，thethingtheycalledmy\'technique\'collapsedlikeahouseofcards。Hedidn\'tsneer，youunderstand，poorStroud——hejustlaytherequietlywatching，andonhislips，throughthegraybeard，Iseemedtohearthequestion：\'Areyousureyouknowwhereyou\'recomingout？\'
“IfIcouldhavepaintedthatface，withthatquestiononit，I
shouldhavedoneagreatthing。ThenextgreatestthingwastoseethatIcouldn\'t——andthatgracewasgivenme。But，oh，atthatminute，Rickham，wasthereanythingonearthIwouldn\'thavegiventohaveStroudalivebeforeme，andtohearhimsay：\'It\'snottoolate——I\'llshowyouhow\'？
“ItWAStoolate——itwouldhavebeen，evenifhe\'dbeenalive。I
packedupmytraps，andwentdownandtoldMrs。Stroud。OfcourseIdidn\'ttellherTHAT——itwouldhavebeenGreektoher。
IsimplysaidIcouldn\'tpainthim，thatIwastoomoved。Sheratherlikedtheidea——she\'ssoromantic！Itwasthatthatmadehergivemethedonkey。Butshewasterriblyupsetatnotgettingtheportrait——shedidsowanthim\'done\'bysomeoneshowy！AtfirstIwasafraidshewouldn\'tletmeoff——andatmywits\'endIsuggestedGrindle。Yes，itwasIwhostartedGrindle：ItoldMrs。Stroudhewasthe\'coming\'man，andshetoldsomebodyelse，andsoitgottobetrue……AndhepaintedStroudwithoutwincing；andshehungthepictureamongherhusband\'sthings……“
Heflunghimselfdowninthearm-chairnearmine，laidbackhishead，andclaspinghisarmsbeneathit，lookedupatthepictureabovethechimney-piece。
“IliketofancythatStroudhimselfwouldhavegivenittome，ifhe\'dbeenabletosaywhathethoughtthatday。“
And，inanswertoaquestionIputhalf-mechanically——“Beginagain？”heflashedout。“WhentheonethingthatbringsmeanywherenearhimisthatIknewenoughtoleaveoff？”
Hestoodupandlaidhishandonmyshoulderwithalaugh。“OnlytheironyofitisthatIAMstillpainting——sinceGrindle\'sdoingitforme！TheStroudsstandalone，andhappenonce——butthere\'snoexterminatingourkindofart。“
TheEndofTheVerdictTHERECKONING
August，1902
I
“Themarriagelawofthenewdispensationwillbe：THOUSHALTNOT
BEUNFAITHFUL——TOTHYSELF。“
Adiscreetmurmurofapprovalfilledthestudio，andthroughthehazeofcigarettesmokeMrs。ClementWestall，asherhusbanddescendedfromhisimprovisedplatform，sawhimmergedinacongratulatorygroupofladies。Westall\'sinformaltalkson“TheNewEthics“haddrawnabouthimaneagerfollowingofthementallyunemployed——thosewho，ashehadoncephrasedit，likedtohavetheirbrain-foodcutupforthem。Thetalkshadbegunbyaccident。Westall\'sideaswereknowntobe“advanced，“buthithertotheiradvancehadnotbeeninthedirectionofpublicity。Hehadbeen，inhiswife\'sopinion，almostpusillanimouslycarefulnottolethispersonalviewsendangerhisprofessionalstanding。Oflate，however，hehadshownapuzzlingtendencytodogmatize，tothrowdownthegauntlet，toflaunthisprivatecodeinthefaceofsociety；andtherelationofthesexesbeingatopicalwayssureofanaudience，afewadmiringfriendshadpersuadedhimtogivehisafter-dinneropinionsalargercirculationbysummingthemupinaseriesoftalksattheVanSiderenstudio。
TheHerbertVanSiderenswereacouplewhosubsisted，socially，onthefactthattheyhadastudio。VanSideren\'spictureswerechieflyvaluableasaccessoriestothemiseenscenewhichdifferentiatedhiswife\'s“afternoons“fromtheblightingfunctionsheldinlongNewYorkdrawing-rooms，andpermittedhertooffertheirfriendswhiskey-and-sodainsteadoftea。Mrs。VanSideren，forherpart，wasskilledinmakingthemostofthekindofatmospherewhichalay-figureandaneaselcreate；andifattimesshefoundtheillusionhardtomaintain，andlostcouragetotheextentofalmostwishingthatHerbertcouldpaint，shepromptlyovercamesuchmomentsofweaknessbycallinginsomefreshtalent，someextraneousre-enforcementofthe“artistic“
impression。ItwasinquestofsuchaidthatshehadseizedonWestall，coaxinghim，somewhattohiswife\'ssurprise，intoaflatteredparticipationinherfraud。Itwasvaguelyfelt，intheVanSiderencircle，thatalltheaudacitieswereartistic，andthatateacherwhopronouncedmarriageimmoralwassomehowasdistinguishedasapainterwhodepictedpurplegrassandagreensky。TheVanSiderensetweretiredoftheconventionalcolor-
schemeinartandconduct。
JuliaWestallhadlonghadherownviewsontheimmoralityofmarriage；shemightindeedhaveclaimedherhusbandasadisciple。Intheearlydaysoftheirunionshehadsecretlyresentedhisdisinclinationtoproclaimhimselfafollowerofthenewcreed；hadbeeninclinedtotaxhimwithmoralcowardice，withafailuretoliveuptotheconvictionsforwhichtheirmarriagewassupposedtostand。Thatwasinthefirstburstofpropagandism，when，womanlike，shewantedtoturnherdisobedienceintoalaw。Nowshefeltdifferently。Shecouldhardlyaccountforthechange，yetbeingawomanwhoneverallowedherimpulsestoremainunaccountedfor，shetriedtodosobysayingthatshedidnotcaretohavethearticlesofherfaithmisinterpretedbythevulgar。Inthisconnection，shewasbeginningtothinkthatalmosteveryonewasvulgar；certainlytherewerefewtowhomshewouldhavecaredtointrustthedefenceofsoesotericadoctrine。AnditwaspreciselyatthispointthatWestall，discardinghisunspokenprinciples，hadchosentodescendfromtheheightsofprivacy，andstandhawkinghisconvictionsatthestreet-corner！
ItwasUnaVanSiderenwho，onthisoccasion，unconsciouslyfocusseduponherselfMrs。Westall\'swanderingresentment。Inthefirstplace，thegirlhadnobusinesstobethere。Itwas“horrid“——Mrs。Westallfoundherselfslippingbackintotheoldfemininevocabulary——simply“horrid“tothinkofayounggirl\'sbeingallowedtolistentosuchtalk。ThefactthatUnasmokedcigarettesandsippedanoccasionalcocktaildidnotintheleasttarnishacertainradiantinnocencywhichmadeherappearthevictim，ratherthantheaccomplice，ofherparents\'vulgarities。
JuliaWestallfeltinahothelplesswaythatsomethingoughttobedone——thatsomeoneoughttospeaktothegirl\'smother。AndjustthenUnaglidedup。
“Oh，Mrs。Westall，howbeautifulitwas！”Unafixedherwithlargelimpideyes。“Youbelieveitall，Isuppose？”sheaskedwithseraphicgravity。
“All——what，mydearchild？”
Thegirlshoneonher。“Aboutthehigherlife——thefreerexpansionoftheindividual——thelawoffidelitytoone\'sself，“
shegliblyrecited。
Mrs。Westall，toherownwonder，blushedadeepandburningblush。
“MydearUna，“shesaid，“youdon\'tintheleastunderstandwhatit\'sallabout！”
MissVanSiderenstared，withaslowlyansweringblush。“Don\'tYOU，then？”shemurmured。
Mrs。Westalllaughed。“Notalways——oraltogether！ButIshouldlikesometea，please。“
Unaledhertothecornerwhereinnocentbeveragesweredispensed。AsJuliareceivedhercupshescrutinizedthegirlmorecarefully。Itwasnotsuchagirlishface，afterall——
definitelineswereformingundertherosyhazeofyouth。ShereflectedthatUnamustbesix-and-twenty，andwonderedwhyshehadnotmarried。Anicestockofideasshewouldhaveasherdower！IfTHEYweretobeapartofthemoderngirl\'strousseau——
Mrs。Westallcaughtherselfupwithastart。Itwasasthoughsomeoneelsehadbeenspeaking——astrangerwhohadborrowedherownvoice：shefeltherselfthedupeofsomefantasticmentalventriloquism。ConcludingsuddenlythattheroomwasstiflingandUna\'steatoosweet，shesetdownhercup，andlookedaboutforWestall：tomeethiseyeshadlongbeenherrefugefromeveryuncertainty。Shemetthemnow，butonly，asshefelt，intransit；theyincludedherparentheticallyinalargerflight。
Shefollowedtheflight，anditcarriedhertoacornertowhichUnahadwithdrawn——oneofthepalmynookstowhichMrs。VanSiderenattributedthesuccessofherSaturdays。Westall，amomentlater，hadovertakenhislook，andfoundaplaceatthegirl\'sside。Shebentforward，speakingeagerly；heleanedback，listening，withthedepreciatorysmilewhichactedasafiltertoflattery，enablinghimtoswallowthestrongestdoseswithoutapparentgrossnessofappetite。Juliawincedatherowndefinitionofthesmile。
Onthewayhome，inthedesertedwinterdusk，Westallsurprisedhiswifebyasuddenboyishpressureofherarm。“DidIopentheireyesabit？DidItellthemwhatyouwantedmeto？”heaskedgaily。
Almostunconsciously，sheletherarmslipfromhis。“WhatI
wanted——？”
“Why，haven\'tyou——allthistime？”Shecaughtthehonestwonderofhistone。“Isomehowfanciedyou\'dratherblamedmefornottalkingmoreopenly——before——You\'vemademefeel，attimes，thatIwassacrificingprinciplestoexpediency。“
Shepausedamomentoverherreply；thensheaskedquietly：“Whatmadeyoudecidenotto——anylonger？”
Shefeltagainthevibrationofafaintsurprise。“Why——thewishtopleaseyou！”heanswered，almosttoosimply。
“Iwishyouwouldnotgoon，then，“shesaidabruptly。
Hestoppedinhisquickwalk，andshefelthisstarethroughthedarkness。
“Notgoon——？”
“Callahansom，please。I\'mtired，“brokefromherwithasuddenrushofphysicalweariness。
Instantlyhissolicitudeenvelopedher。Theroomhadbeeninfernallyhot——andthenthatconfoundedcigarettesmoke——hehadnoticedonceortwicethatshelookedpale——shemustn\'tcometoanotherSaturday。Shefeltherselfyielding，asshealwaysdid，tothewarminfluenceofhisconcernforher，thefeminineinherleaningonthemaninhimwithaconsciousintensityofabandonment。Heputherinthehansom，andherhandstoleintohisinthedarkness。Atearortworose，andsheletthemfall。
Itwassodelicioustocryoverimaginarytroubles！
Thatevening，afterdinner，hesurprisedherbyrevertingtothesubjectofhistalk。Hecombinedaman\'sdislikeofuncomfortablequestionswithanalmostfeminineskillineludingthem；andsheknewthatifhereturnedtothesubjecthemusthavesomespecialreasonfordoingso。
“YouseemnottohavecaredforwhatIsaidthisafternoon。DidIputthecasebadly？”
“No——youputitverywell。“
“Thenwhatdidyoumeanbysayingthatyouwouldrathernothavemegoonwithit？”
Sheglancedathimnervously，herignoranceofhisintentiondeepeninghersenseofhelplessness。
“Idon\'tthinkIcaretohearsuchthingsdiscussedinpublic。“
“Idon\'tunderstandyou，“heexclaimed。Againthefeelingthathissurprisewasgenuinegaveanairofobliquitytoherownattitude。Shewasnotsurethatsheunderstoodherself。
“Won\'tyouexplain？”hesaidwithatingeofimpatience。
Hereyeswanderedaboutthefamiliardrawing-roomwhichhadbeenthesceneofsomanyoftheireveningconfidences。Theshadedlamps，thequiet-coloredwallshungwithmezzotints，thepalespringflowersscatteredhereandthereinVeniceglassesandbowlsofoldSevres，recalled，shehardlyknewwhy，theapartmentinwhichtheeveningsofherfirstmarriagehadbeenpassed——awildernessofrosewoodandupholstery，withapictureofaRomanpeasantabovethemantel-piece，andaGreekslavein“statuarymarble“betweenthefolding-doorsofthebackdrawing-room。Itwasaroomwithwhichshehadneverbeenabletoestablishanycloserrelationthanthatbetweenatravellerandarailwaystation；andnow，asshelookedaboutatthesurroundingswhichstoodforherdeepestaffinities——theroomforwhichshehadleftthatotherroom——shewasstartledbythesamesenseofstrangenessandunfamiliarity。Theprints，theflowers，thesubduedtonesoftheoldporcelains，seemedtotypifyasuperficialrefinementthathadnorelationtothedeepersignificancesoflife。
Suddenlysheheardherhusbandrepeatinghisquestion。
“Idon\'tknowthatIcanexplain，“shefaltered。
Hedrewhisarm-chairforwardsothathefacedheracrossthehearth。Thelightofareading-lampfellonhisfinelydrawnface，whichhadakindofsurface-sensitivenessakintothesurface-refinementofitssetting。
“Isitthatyounolongerbelieveinourideas？”heasked。
“Inourideas——？”
“TheideasIamtryingtoteach。TheideasyouandIaresupposedtostandfor。“Hepausedamoment。“Theideasonwhichourmarriagewasfounded。“