’I’mverycramped，andI’mfeelingalittlecoldGoodgracious！thecloakisallwhite，andsoisyourmoustache！Ineverknewitwassochilly。’
AlightfrostlaywhiteontheshoulderofDick’sulsterHe，too，hadforgottenthestateoftheweatherTheylaughedtogether，andwiththatlaughendedallseriousdiscourse。
Theyraninlandacrossthewastetowarmthemselves，thenturnedtolookatthegloryofthefulltideunderthemoonlightandtheintenseblackshadowsofthefurzebushesItwasanadditionaljoytoDickthatMaisiecouldseecolourevenashesawit，——couldseetheblueinthewhiteofthemist，thevioletthatisingraypalings，andallthingselseastheyare，——notofonehue，butathousandAndthemoonlightcameintoMaisie’ssoul，sothatshe，usuallyreserved，chatteredofherselfandofthethingsshetookinterestin，——ofKami，wisestofteachers，andofthegirlsinthestudio，——ofthePoles，whowillkillthemselveswithoverworkiftheyarenotchecked；oftheFrench，whotalkatgreatlengthofmuchmorethantheywilleveraccomplish；oftheslovenlyEnglish，whotoilhopelesslyandcannotunderstandthatinclinationdoesnotimplypower；
oftheAmericans，whoseraspingvoicesinthehushofahotafternoonstraintense-drawnnervestobreaking-point，andwhosesuppersleadtoindigestion；oftempestuousRussians，neithertoholdnortobind，whotellthegirlsghost-storiestillthegirlsshriek；ofstolidGermans，whocometolearnonething，and，havingmasteredthatmuch，stolidlygoawayandcopypicturesforevermoreDicklistenedenrapturedbecauseitwasMaisiewhospokeHeknewtheoldlife。
’Ithasn’tchangedmuch，’hesaid’Dotheystillstealcoloursatlunch-time？’
’NotstealAttractisthewordOfcoursetheydoI’mgood——Ionlyattractultramarine；buttherearestudentswho’dattractflake-white。’
’I’vedoneitmyselfYoucan’thelpitwhenthepalettesarehungup。
Everycolouriscommonpropertyonceitrunsdown，——eventhoughyoudostartitwithadropofoilItteachespeoplenottowastetheirtubes。’
’Ishouldliketoattractsomeofyourcolours，DickPerhapsImightcatchyoursuccesswiththem。’
’Imustn’tsayabadword，butIshouldliketoWhatintheworld，whichyou’vejustmissedalovelychanceofseeing，doessuccessorwantofsuccess，orathree-storiedsuccess，mattercomparedwith——No，I
won’topenthatquestionagainIt’stimetogobacktotown。’
’I’msorry，Dick，but——’
’You’remuchmoreinterestedinthatthanyouareinme。’
’Idon’tknow，Idon’tthinkIam。’
’WhatwillyougivemeifItellyouasureshort-cuttoeverythingyouwant，——thetroubleandthefussandthetangleandalltherest？Willyoupromisetoobeyme？’
’Ofcourse。’
’Inthefirstplace，youmustneverforgetamealbecauseyouhappentobeatworkYouforgotyourlunchtwicelastweek，’saidDick，ataventure，forheknewwithwhomhewasdealing。’
’No，no，——onlyonce，really。’
’That’sbadenoughAndyoumustn’ttakeacupofteaandabiscuitinplaceofaregulardinner，becausedinnerhappenstobeatrouble。’
’You’remakingfunofme！’
’IneverwasmoreinearnestinmylifeOh，mylove，mylove，hasn’titdawnedonyouyetwhatyouaretome？Here’sthewholeearthinaconspiracytogiveyouachill，orrunoveryou，ordrenchyoutotheskin，orcheatyououtofyourmoney，orletyoudieofoverworkandunderfeeding，andIhaven’tthemererighttolookafteryouWhy，I
don’tevenknowifyouhavesenseenoughtoputonwarmthingswhentheweather’scold。’
’Dick，you’rethemostawfulboytotalkto——really！HowdoyousupposeI
managedwhenyouwereaway？’
’Iwasn’there，andIdidn’tknowButnowI’mbackI’dgiveeverythingI
havefortherightoftellingyoutocomeinoutoftherain。’
’Yoursuccesstoo？’
ThistimeitcostDickaseverestruggletorefrainfrombadwords。
’AsMrsJennettusedtosay，you’reatrial，Maisie！You’vebeencoopedupintheschoolstoolong，andyouthinkeveryoneislookingatyou。
Therearen’ttwelvehundredpeopleintheworldwhounderstandpicturesTheotherspretendanddon’tcareRemember，I’veseentwelvehundredmendeadintoadstool-bedsIt’sonlythevoiceofthetiniestlittlefractionofpeoplethatmakessuccessTherealworlddoesn’tcareatinker’s——doesn’tcareabitForaughtyouorIknow，everymanintheworldmaybearguingwithaMaisieofhisown。’
’PoorMaisie！’
’PoorDick，IthinkDoyoubelievewhilehe’sfightingforwhat’sdearerthanhislifehewantstolookatapicture？Andevenifhedid，andifalltheworlddid，andathousandmillionpeopleroseupandshoutedhymnstomyhonourandglory，wouldthatmakeuptomefortheknowledgethatyouwereoutshoppingintheEdgwareRoadonarainydaywithoutanumbrella？Nowwe’llgotothestation。’
’Butyousaidonthebeach——’persistedMaisie，withacertainfear。
Dickgroanedaloud：’Yes，IknowwhatIsaidMyworkiseverythingI
have，oram，orhopetobe，tome，andIbelieveI’velearntthelawthatgovernsit；butI’vesomelingeringsenseoffunleft，——thoughyou’venearlyknockeditoutofmeIcanjustseethatitisn’teverythingtoalltheworldDowhatIsay，andnotwhatIdo。’
Maisiewascarefulnottoreopendebatablematters，andtheyreturnedtoLondonjoyouslyTheterminusstoppedDickinthemidstofaneloquentharangueonthebeautiesofexerciseHewouldbuyMaisieahorse，——suchahorseasneveryetbowedheadtobit，——wouldstableit，withacompanion，sometwentymilesfromLondon，andMaisie，solelyforherhealth’ssakeshouldridewithhimtwiceorthriceaweek。
’That’sabsurd，’saidshe’Itwouldn’tbeproper。’
’Now，whoinallLondonto-nightwouldhavesufficientinterestoraudacitytocallustwotoaccountforanythingwechosetodo？’
Maisielookedatthelamps，thefog，andthehideousturmoilDickwasright；buthorsefleshdidnotmakeforArtassheunderstoodit。
’You’reverynicesometimes，butyou’reveryfoolishmoretimes。
I’mnotgoingtoletyougivemehorses，ortakeyououtofyourwayto-nightI’llgohomebymyselfOnlyIwantyoutopromisemesomething。
Youwon’tthinkanymoreaboutthatextrathreepence，willyou？Remember，you’vebeenpaid；andIwon’tallowyoutobespitefulanddobadworkforalittlethinglikethatYoucanbesobigthatyoumustn’tbetiny。’
ThiswasturningthetableswithavengeanceThereremainedonlytoputMaisieintoherhansom。
’Good-bye，’shesaidsimply’You’llcomeonSundayIthasbeenabeautifulday，DickWhycan’titbelikethisalways？’
’Becauselove’slikeline-work：youmustgoforwardorbackward；
youcan’tstandstillBytheway，goonwithyourline-work。
Good-night，and，formy——formysake，takecareofyourself。’
Heturnedtowalkhome，meditatingThedayhadbroughthimnothingthathehopedfor，but——surelythiswasworthmanydays——ithadbroughthimnearertoMaisieTheendwasonlyaquestionoftimenow，andtheprizewellworththewaitingByinstinct，oncemore，heturnedtotheriver。
’Andsheunderstoodatonce，’hesaid，lookingatthewater’Shefoundoutmypetbesettingsinonthespot，andpaiditoffMyGod，howsheunderstood！AndshesaidIwasbetterthanshewas！Betterthanshewas！’Helaughedattheabsurdityofthenotion’Iwonderifgirlsguessatone-halfaman’slifeTheycan’t，or——theywouldn’tmarryus。’Hetookhergiftoutofhispocket，andconsidereditinthelightofamiracleandapledgeofthecomprehensionthat，oneday，wouldleadtoperfecthappinessMeantime，MaisiewasaloneinLondon，withnonetosaveherfromdangerAndthepackedwildernesswasveryfullofdanger。
DickmadehisprayertoFatedisjointedlyafterthemanneroftheheathenashethrewthepieceofsilverintotheriverIfanyevilweretobefal，lethimbeartheburdenandletMaisiegounscathed，sincethethreepennypiecewasdearesttohimofallhispossessionsItwasasmallcoininitself，butMaisiehadgivenit，andtheThamesheldit，andsurelytheFateswouldbebribedforthisonce。
ThedrowningofthecoinseemedtocuthimfreefromthoughtofMaisieforthemomentHetookhimselfoffthebridgeandwentwhistlingtohischamberswithastrongyearningforsomeman-talkandtobaccoafterhisfirstexperienceofanentiredayspentinthesocietyofawoman。
TherewasastrongerdesireathisheartwhenthererosebeforehimanunsolicitedvisionoftheBarralongdippingdeepandsailingfreefortheSouthernCross。
Andthesetwo，asIhavetoldyou，WerethefriendsofHiawatha，Chibiabos，themusician，Andtheverystrongman，Kwasind——
Hiawatha-
TORPENHOWwaspagingthelastsheetsofsomemanuscript，whiletheNilghai，whohadcomeforchessandremainedtotalktactics，wasreadingthroughthefirstpart，commentingscornfullythewhile。
’It’spicturesqueenoughandit’ssketchy，’saidhe；’butasaseriousconsiderationofaffairsinEasternEurope，it’snotworthmuch。’
’It’soffmyhandsatanyrateThirty-seven，thirty-eight，thirty-nineslipsaltogether，aren’tthere？ThatshouldmakebetweenelevenandtwelvepagesofvaluablemisinformationHeigho！’Torpenhowshuffledthewritingtogetherandhummed——
Younglambstosell，younglambstosell，IfI’dasmuchmoneyasIcouldtell，Ineverwouldcry，Younglambstosell！
Dickentered，self-consciousandalittledefiant，butinthebestoftemperswithalltheworld。
’Backatlast？’saidTorpenhow。
’MoreorlessWhathaveyoubeendoing？’
’WorkDickie，youbehaveasthoughtheBankofEnglandwerebehindyouHere’sSunday，Monday，andTuesdaygoneandyouhaven’tdonealineIt’sscandalous。’
’Thenotionscomeandgo，mychildren——theycomeandgolikeour’baccy，’heanswered，fillinghispipe’Moreover，’hestoopedtothrustaspillintothegrate，’Apollodoesnotalwaysstretchhis——Oh，confoundyourclumsyjests，Nilghai！’
’Thisisnottheplacetopreachthetheoryofdirectinspiration，’saidtheNilghai，returningTorpenhow’slargeandworkmanlikebellowstotheirnailonthewall’Webelieveincobblers’waxLa！——whereyousitdown。’
’Ifyouweren’tsobigandfat，’saidDick，lookingroundforaweapon，’I’d——’
’NoskylarkinginmyroomsYoutwosmashedhalfmyfurniturelasttimeyouthrewthecushionsaboutYoumighthavethedecencytosayHowd’youdo？toBinkieLookathim。’
BinkiehadjumpeddownfromthesofaandwasfawningroundDick’sknee，andscratchingathisboots。
’Dearman！’saidDick，snatchinghimup，andkissinghimontheblackpatchabovehisrighteye’Didumswas，Binks？DidthatuglyNilghaiturnyouoffthesofa？Bitehim，MrBinkie。’HepitchedhimontheNilghai’sstomach，asthebigmanlayatease，andBinkiepretendedtodestroytheNilghaiinchbyinch，tillasofacushionextinguishedhim，andpantinghestuckouthistongueatthecompany。
’TheBinkie-boywentforawalkthismorningbeforeyouwereup，Torp。
Isawhimmakinglovetothebutcheratthecornerwhentheshutterswerebeingtakendown——justasifhehadn’tenoughtoeatinhisownproperhouse，’saidDick。