’Yourwork——bah！No，Ididn’tmeanthatIt’sallright，dearOfcourseyoumustdoyourwork，and——IthinkI’llsaygood-byeforthisweek。’
’Won’tyouevenstayfortea？
’No，thankyouHaveIyourleavetogo，dear？There’snothingmoreyouparticularlywantmetodo，andtheline-workdoesn’tmatter。’
’Iwishyoucouldstay，andthenwecouldtalkovermypictureIfonlyonesinglepicture’sasuccess，itdrawsattentiontoalltheothersI
knowsomeofmyworkisgood，ifonlypeoplecouldseeAndyouneedn’thavebeensorudeaboutit。’
’I’msorryWe’lltalktheMelancoliaoversomeoneoftheotherSundays。
Therearefourmore——yes，one，two，three，four——beforeyougo。
Good-bye，Maisie。’
Maisiestoodbythestudiowindow，thinking，tillthered-hairedgirlreturned，alittlewhiteatthecornersofherlips。
’Dick’sgoneoff，’saidMaisie’JustwhenIwantedtotalkaboutthepictureIsn’titselfishofhim？’
Hercompanionopenedherlipsasiftospeak，shutthemagain，andwentonreadingTheCityofDreadfulNight-
DickwasinthePark，walkingroundandroundatreethathehadchosenashisconfidanteformanySundayspastHewasswearingaudibly，andwhenhefoundthattheinfirmitiesoftheEnglishtonguehemmedinhisrage，hesoughtconsolationinArabic，whichisexpresslydesignedfortheuseoftheafflictedHewasnotpleasedwiththerewardofhispatientservice；norwashepleasedwithhimself；anditwaslongbeforehearrivedatthepropositionthatthequeencoulddonowrong。
’It’salosinggame，’hesaid’I’mworthnothingwhenawhimofhersisinquestionButinalosinggameatPortSaidweusedtodoublethestakesandgoonShedoaMelancolia！Shehasn’tthepower，ortheinsight，orthetrainingOnlythedesireShe’scursedwiththecurseofReubenShewon’tdoline-work，becauseitmeansrealwork；andyetshe’sstrongerthanIamI’llmakeherunderstandthatIcanbeatheronherownMelancoliaEventhenshewouldn’tcareShesaysIcanonlydobloodandbonesIdon’tbelieveshehasbloodinherveinsAllthesameI
loverher；andImustgoonlovingher；andifIcanhumbleherinordinatevanityIwillI’lldoaMelancoliathatshallbesomethinglikeaMelancolia——“theMelancoliathattranscendsallwit。”I’lldoitatonce，con——blessher。’
Hediscoveredthatthenotionwouldnotcometoorder，andthathecouldnotfreehismindforanhourfromthethoughtofMaisie’sdepartureHetookverysmallinterestinherroughstudiesfortheMelancoliawhensheshowedthemnextweekTheSundayswereracingpast，andthetimewasathandwhenallthechurchbellsinLondoncouldnotringMaisiebacktohimOnceortwicehesaidsomethingtoBinkieabout’hermaphroditicfutilities，’butthelittledogreceivedsomanyconfidencesbothfromTorpenhowandDickthathedidnottroublehistulip-earstolisten。
DickwaspermittedtoseethegirlsoffTheyweregoingbytheDovernight-boat；andtheyhopedtoreturninAugustItwasthenFebruary，andDickfeltthathewasbeinghardlyusedMaisiewassobusystrippingthesmallhouseacrossthePark，andpackinghercanvases，thatshehadnottimeforthoughtDickwentdowntoDoverandwastedadaytherefrettingoverawonderfulpossibilityWouldMaisieattheverylastallowhimonesmallkiss？Hereflectedthathemightcaptureherbythestrongarm，ashehadseemwomencapturedintheSouthernSoudan，andleadheraway；butMaisiewouldneverbeledShewouldturnhergrayeyesuponhimandsay，’Dick，howselfishyouare！’ThenhiscouragewouldfailhimItwouldbebetter，afterall，tobegforthatkiss。
Maisielookedmorethanusuallykissableasshesteppedfromthenight-mailontothewindypier，inagraywaterproofandalittlegrayclothtravelling-capThered-hairedgirlwasnotsolovelyHergreeneyeswerehollowandherlipsweredryDicksawthetrunksaboard，andwenttoMaisie’ssideinthedarknessunderthebridgeThemail-bagswerethunderingintotheforehold，andthered-hairedgirlwaswatchingthem。
’You’llhavearoughpassageto-night，’saidDick’It’sblowingoutsideI
supposeImaycomeoverandseeyouifI’mgood？’
’Youmustn’tIshallbebusyAtleast，ifIwantyouI’llsendforyouButIshallwritefromVitry-sur-MarneIshallhaveheapsofthingstoconsultyouaboutOh，Dick，youhavebeensogoodtome！——sogoodtome！’
’Thankyouforthat，dearIthasn’tmadeanydifference，hasit？’
’Ican’ttellafibIthasn’t——inthatwayButdon’tthinkI’mnotgrateful。’
’Damnthegratitude！’saidDick，huskily，tothepaddle-box。
’What’stheuseofworrying？YouknowIshouldruinyourlife，andyou’druinmine，asthingsarenowYourememberwhatyousaidwhenyouweresoangrythatdayinthePark？Oneofushastobebroken。
Can’tyouwaittillthatdaycomes？’
’No，loveIwantyouunbroken——alltomyself。’
Maisieshookherhead’MypoorDick，whatcanIsay！’
’Don’tsayanythingGivemeakissOnlyonekiss，MaisieI’llswearI
won’ttakeanymoreYoumightaswell，andthenIcanbesureyou’regrateful。’
Maisieputhercheekforward，andDicktookhisrewardinthedarkness。
Itwasonlyonekiss，but，sincetherewasnotime-limitspecified，itwasalongoneMaisiewrenchedherselffreeangrily，andDickstoodabashedandtinglingfromheadtotoe。
’Good-bye，darlingIdidn’tmeantoscareyouI’msorry。
Only——keepwellanddogoodwork，——speciallytheMelancoliaI’mgoingtodoone，tooRemembermetoKami，andbecarefulwhatyoudrink。
Countrydrinking-waterisbadeverywhere，butit’sworseinFranceWritetomeifyouwantanything，andgood-byeSaygood-byetothewhatever-you-call-umgirl，and——can’tIhaveanotherkiss？No。
You’requiterightGood-bye。’
Ashouldtoldhimthatitwasnotseemlytochargeofthemail-baginclineHereachedthepierasthesteamerbegantomoveoff，andhefollowedherwithhisheart。
’Andthere’snothing——nothinginthewideworld——tokeepusapartexceptherobstinacyTheseCalaisnight-boatsaremuchtoosmallI’llgetTorptowritetothepapersaboutitShe’sbeginningtopitchalready。’
MaisiestoodwhereDickhadlefthertillsheheardalittlegaspingcoughatherelbowThered-hairedgirl’seyeswerealightwithcoldflame。
’Hekissedyou！’shesaid’Howcouldyoulethim，whenhewasn’tanythingtoyou？Howdaredyoutotakeakissfromhim？Oh，Maisie，let’sgototheladies’cabinI’msick，——deadlysick。’
’Wearen’tintoopenwateryetGodown，dear，andI’llstayhereI
don’tlikethesmelloftheenginesPoorDick！Hedeservedone，——onlyone。
ButIdidn’tthinkhe’dfrightenmeso。’
Dickreturnedtotownnextdayjustintimeforlunch，forwhichhehadtelegraphedTohisdisgust，therewereonlyemptyplatesinthestudio。
Helifteduphisvoicelikethebearsinthefairy-tale，andTorpenhowentered，lookingguilty。
’H’sh！’saidhe’Don’tmakesuchanoiseItookitComeintomyrooms，andI’llshowyouwhy。’
Dickpausedamazedatthethreshold，foronTorpenhow’ssofalayagirlasleepandbreathingheavilyThelittlecheapsailor-hat，theblue-and-whitedress，fitterforJunethanforFebruary，dabbledwithmudattheskirts，thejackettrimmedwithimitationAstrakhanandrippedattheshoulder-seams，theone-and-elevenpennyumbrella，and，aboveall，thedisgracefulconditionofthekid-toppedboots，declaredallthings。
’Oh，Isay，oldman，thisistoobad！Youmustn’tbringthissortuphere。
Theystealthingsfromtherooms。’
’Itlooksbad，Iadmit，butIwascominginafterlunch，andshestaggeredintothehallIthoughtshewasdrunkatfirst，butitwascollapseI
couldn’tleaveherasshewas，soIbroughtheruphereandgaveheryourlunchShewasfaintingfromwantoffoodShewentfastasleeptheminuteshehadfinished。’
’IknowsomethingofthatcomplaintShe’sbeenlivingonsausages，I
supposeTorp，youshouldhavehandedherovertoapolicemanforpresumingtofaintinarespectablehousePoorlittlewretch！Lookattheface！Thereisn’tanounceofimmoralityinitOnlyfolly，——slack，fatuous，feeble，futilefollyIt’satypicalheadD’younoticehowtheskullbeginstoshowthroughthefleshpaddingonthefaceandcheek-bone？’
’Whatacold-bloodedbarbarianitis！Don’thitawomanwhenshe’sdownCan’twedoanything？Shewassimplydroppingwithstarvation。
Shealmostfellintomyarms，andwhenshegottothefoodsheatelikeawildbeastItwashorrible。’
’Icangivehermoney，whichshewouldprobablyspendindrinks。
Isshegoingtosleepforever？’
Thegirlopenedhereyesandglaredatthemenbetweenterrorandeffrontery。
’Feelingbetter？’saidTorpenhow。
’YesThankyouTherearen’tmanygentlementhatareaskindasyouareThankyou。’
’Whendidyouleaveservice？’saidDick，whohadbeenwatchingthescarredandchappedhands。
’HowdidyouknowIwasinservice？IwasGeneralservantI
didn’tlikeit。’
’Andhowdoyoulikebeingyourownmistress？’
’DoIlookasifIlikedit？’
’IsupposenotOnemomentWouldyoubegoodenoughtoturnyourfacetothewindow？’
Thegirlobeyed，andDickwatchedherfacekeenly，——sokeenlythatshemadeasiftohidebehindTorpenhow。
’Theeyeshaveit，’saidDick，walkingupanddown’TheyaresuperbeyesformybusinessAnd，afterall，everyheaddependsontheeyesThishasbeensentfromheaventomakeupfor——whatwastakenaway。
Nowtheweeklystrain’soffmyshoulders，Icangettoworkinearnest。
EvidentlysentfromheavenYesRaiseyourchinalittle，please。’
’Gently，oldman，gentlyYou’rescaringsomebodyoutofherwits，’
saidTorpenhow，whocouldseethegirltrembling。
’Don’tlethimhitme！Oh，pleasedon’tlethimhitme！I’vebeenhitcruelto-daybecauseIspoketoamanDon’tlethimlookatmelikethat！
He’sreg’larwicked，thatoneDon’tlethimlookatmelikethat，neither！
Oh，I
feelasifIhadn’tnothingonwhenhelooksatmelikethat！’
Theoverstrainednervesinthefrailbodygaveway，andthegirlweptlikealittlechildandbegantoscreamDickthrewopenthewindow，andTorpenhowflungthedoorback。
’Thereyouare，’saidDick，soothingly’Myfriendherecancallforapoliceman，andyoucanrunthroughthatdoorNobodyisgoingtohurtyou。’
Thegirlsobbedconvulsivelyforafewminutes，andthentriedtolaugh。
’NothingintheworldtohurtyouNowlistentomeforaminute。
I’mwhattheycallanartistbyprofessionYouknowwhatartistsdo？’
’Theydrawthethingsinredandblackinkonthepop-shoplabels。’
’IdaresayIhaven’trisentopop-shoplabelsyetThosearedonebytheAcademiciansIwanttodrawyourhead。’
’Whatfor？’
’Becauseit’sprettyThatiswhyyouwillcometotheroomacrossthelandingthreetimesaweekateleveninthemorning，andI’llgiveyouthreequidaweekjustforsittingstillandbeingdrawnAndthere’saquidonaccount。’
’Fornothing？Oh，my！’Thegirlturnedthesovereigninherhand，andwithmorefoolishtears，’Ain’tneithero’youtwogentlemenafraidofmybilkingyou？’
’NoOnlyuglygirlsdothatTryandrememberthisplaceAnd，bytheway，what’syourname？’
’I’mBessic，——Bessie——It’snousegivingtherestBessieBroke，——Stone-broke，ifyoulikeWhat’syournames？Butthere，——nooneevergivestherealones。’
DickconsultedTorpenhowwithhiseyes。
’Myname’sHeldar，andmyfriend’scalledTorpenhow；andyoumustbesuretocomehereWheredoyoulive？’
’South-the-water，——oneroom，——fiveandsixpenceaweekAren’tyoumakingfunofmeaboutthatthreequid？’
’You’llseelateronAnd，Bessie，nexttimeyoucome，remember，youneedn’twearthatpaintIt’sbadfortheskin，andIhaveallthecoloursyou’llbelikelytoneed。’