manisn’tgoingtoseehiswifemakeaguyofherselfforever，ishe？Chaoshasalreadybegunintheservants’quarters。Therearesixdifferentlanguagesspokentherenow。Yousee，it’sallonanentirelyfalsebasis。Flaviahasn’ttheslightestnotionofwhatthesepeoplearereallylike，theirgoodandtheirbadalikeescapeher。They，ontheotherhand，can’timaginewhatsheisdrivingat。Now，Arthurisworseoffthaneitherfaction；heisnotinthefairystoryinthatheseesthesepeopleexactlyastheyare，butheisutterlyunabletoseeFlaviaastheyseeher。Thereyouhavethesituation。Whycan’theseeheraswedo？
Mydear，thathaskeptmeawakeo’nights。Thismanwhohasthoughtsomuchandlivedsomuch，whoisnaturallyacritic，reallytakesFlaviaatverynearlyherownestimate。ButnowIamenteringuponawilderness。FromabriefacquaintancewithheryoucanknownothingoftheicyfastnessesofFlavia’sself-
esteem。It’slikeSt。Peter’s；youcan’trealizeitsmagnitudeatonce。Youhavetogrowintoasenseofitbylivingunderitsshadow。IthasperplexedevenEmileRoux，thatmercilessdissectorofegoism。Shehaspuzzledhimthemorebecausebesawataglancewhatsomeofthemdonotperceiveatonce，andwhatwillbemercifullyconcealedfromArthuruntilthetrumpsounds；
namely，thatallFlavia’sartistshavedoneoreverwilldomeansexactlyasmuchtoherasasymphonymeanstoanoyster；thatthereisnobridgebywhichthesignificanceofanyworkofartcouldbeconveyedtoher。“
“Then，inthenameofgoodness，whydoesshebother？“gaspedImogen。“Sheispretty，wealthy，well-established；whyshouldshebother？“
“That’swhatM。Rouxhaskeptaskinghimself。Ican’tpretendtoanalyzeit。ShereadspapersontheLiteraryLandmarksofParis，theLovesofthePoets，andthatsortofthing，toclubsoutinChicago。ToFlaviaitismorenecessarytobecalledcleverthantobreathe。IwouldgiveagooddealtoknowthatglumFrenchman’sdiagnosis。Hehasbeenwatchingheroutofthosefishyeyesofhisasabiologistwatchesahemispherelessfrog。“
ForseveraldaysafterM。Roux’sdepartureFlaviagaveanembarrassingshareofherattentiontoImogen。Embarrassing，becauseImogenhadthefeelingofbeingenergeticallyandfutilelyexplored，sheknewnotforwhat。Shefeltherselfundertheglobeofanairpump，expectedtoyieldupsomething。WhensheconfinedtheconversationtomattersofgeneralinterestFlaviaconveyedtoherwithsomepiquethatheroneendeavorinlifehadbeentofitherselftoconversewithherfriendsuponthosethingswhichvitallyinterestedthem。“Onehasnorighttoaccepttheirbestfrompeopleunlessonegives，isn’titso？I
wanttobeabletogive——！“shedeclaredvaguely。YetwheneverImogenstrovetopayhertithesandplungedbravelyintoherplansforstudynextwinter，Flaviagrewabsent-mindedandinterruptedherbyamazinggeneralizationsorbysuchembarrassingquestionsas，“Andthesegrimstudiesreallyhavecharmforyou；youarequiteburiedinthem；theymakeotherthingsseemlightandephemeral？“
“IratherfeelasthoughIhadgotinhereunderfalsepretenses，“ImogenconfidedtoMissBroadwood。“I’msureIdon’tknowwhatitisthatshewantsofme。“
“Ah，“chuckledJemima，“youarenotequaltothesehearttohearttalkswithFlavia。Youutterlyfailtocommunicatetohertheatmosphereofthatuntroubledjoyinwhichyoudwell。Youmustrememberthatshegetsnofeelingoutofthingsherself，andshedemandsthatyouimpartyourstoherbysomeprocessofpsychictransmission。Ioncemetablindgirl，blindfrombirth，whocoulddiscussthepeculiaritiesoftheBarbizonschoolwithjustFlavia’sglibnessandenthusiasm。OrdinarilyFlaviaknowshowtogetwhatshewantsfrompeople，andhermemoryiswonderful。OneeveningIheardhergivingFrauLichtenfeldsomerandomimpressionsaboutHeddaGablerwhichsheextractedfrommefiveyearsago；givingthemwithanimpassionedconvictionofwhichIwasneverguilty。ButIhaveknownotherpeoplewhocouldappropriateyourstoriesandopinions；Flaviaisinfinitelymoresubtlethanthat；shecansoakuptheverythrashanddriftofyourdaydreams，andtaketheverythrillsoffyourback，asitwere。“
Aftersomedaysofunsuccessfuleffort，Flaviawithdrewherself，andImogenfoundHamiltonreadytocatchherwhenshewastossedafield。Heseemedonlytohavebeenawaitingthiscrisis，andatoncetheiroldintimacyreestablisheditselfasathinginevitableandbeautifullypreparedfor。Sheconvincedherselfthatshehadnotbeenmistakeninhim，despiteallthedoubtsthathadcomeupinlateryears，andthisrenewaloffaithsetmorethanonequestionthumpinginherbrain。“Howdidhe，howcanhe？“shekeptrepeatingwithatingeofherchildishresentment，“whatrighthadhetowasteanythingsofine？“
WhenImogenandArthurwerereturningfromawalkbeforeluncheononemorningaboutaweekafterM。Roux’sdeparture，theynoticedanabsorbedgroupbeforeoneofthehallwindows。HerrSchotteandRestzhoffsatonthewindowseatwithanewspaperbetweenthem，whileWellington，Schemetzkin，andWillMaidenwoodlookedovertheirshoulders。Theyseemedintenselyinterested，HerrSchotteoccasionallypoundinghiskneeswithhisfistsinebullitionsofbarbaricglee。Whenimogenenteredthehall，however，themenwereallsaunteringtowardthebreakfastroomandthepaperwaslyinginnocentlyonthedivan。DuringluncheonthepersonnelofthatwindowgroupwereunwontedlyanimatedandagreeableallsaveSchemetzkin，whosestarewasblankerthanever，asthoughRoux’smantleofinsultingindifferencehadfallenuponhim，inadditiontohisownobliviousself-
absorption。WillMaidenwoodseemedembarrassedandannoyed；thechemistemployedhimselfwithmakingpolitespeechestoHamilton。
Flaviadidnotcomedowntolunch——andtherewasamaliciousgleamunderHerrSchotte’seyebrows。FrankWellingtonannouncednervouslythatanimperativeletterfromhisprotectingsyndicatesummonedhimtothecity。
Afterluncheonthemenwenttothegolflinks，andImogen，atthefirstopportunity，possessedherselfofthenewspaperwhichhadbeenleftonthedivan。Oneofthefirstthingsthatcaughthereyewasanarticleheaded“RouxonTuftHunters；TheAdvancedAmericanWomanasHeSeesHer；Aggressive，Superficial，andInsincere。“TheentireinterviewwasnothingmorenorlessthanasatiriccharacterizationofFlavia，aquiverwithirritationandvitriolicmalice。Noonecouldmistakeit；itwasdonewithallhisdeftnessofportraiture。Imogenhadnotfinishedthearticlewhensheheardafootstep，andclutchingthepapershestartedprecipitatelytowardthestairwayasArthurentered。Heputouthishand，lookingcriticallyatherdistressedface。
“Waitamoment，MissWillard，“hesaidperemptorily，“Iwanttoseewhetherwecanfindwhatitwasthatsointerestedourfriendsthismorning。Givemethepaper，please。“
Imogengrewquitewhiteasheopenedthejournal。Shereachedforwardandcrumpleditwithherhands。“Pleasedon’t，pleasedon’t，“shepleaded；“it’ssomethingIdon’twantyoutosee。Oh，whywillyou？it’sjustsomethinglowanddespicablethatyoucan’tnotice。“
Arthurhadgentlyloosedherhands，andhepointedhertoachair。
Helitacigarandreadthearticlethroughwithoutcomment。Whenhehadfinishedithewalkedtothefireplace，struckamatch，andtossedtheflamingjournalbetweenthebrassandirons。
“Youareright，“heremarkedashecameback，dustinghishandswithhishandkerchief。“It’squiteimpossibletocomment。
Thereareextremesofblackguardismforwhichwehavenoname。
TheonlythingnecessaryistoseethatFlaviagetsnowindofthis。Thisseemstobemycuetoact；poorgirl。“
Imogenlookedathimtearfully；shecouldonlymurmur，“Oh，whydidyoureadit！“
Hamiltonlaughedspiritlessly。“Come，don’tyouworryaboutit。Youalwaystookotherpeople’stroublestooseriously。Whenyouwerelittleandalltheworldwasgayandeverybodyhappy，youmustneedsgettheLittleMermaid’stroublestogrieveover。
Comewithmeintothemusicroom。YourememberthemusicalsettingIoncemadeyoufortheLayoftheJabberwock？Iwastryingitovertheothernight，longafteryouwereinbed，andI
decideditwasquiteasfineastheErl-Kingmusic。HowIwishI
couldgiveyousomeofthecakethatAliceateandmakeyoualittlegirlagain。Then，whenyouhadgotthroughtheglassdoorintothelittlegarden，youcouldcalltome，perhaps，andtellmeallthefinethingsthatweregoingonthere。Whatapityitisthatyouevergrewup！“headded，laughing；andImogen，too，wasthinkingjustthat。
Atdinnerthatevening，Flavia，withfatalpersistence，insisteduponturningtheconversationtoM。Roux。ShehadbeenreadingoneofhisnovelsandhadrememberedanewthatParissetitswatchesbyhisclock。Imogensurmisedthatshewastorturedbyafeelingthatshehadnotsufficientlyappreciatedhimwhileshehadhadhim。Whenshefirstmentionedhisnameshewasansweredonlybythepallofsilencethatfelloverthecompany。
Theneveryonebegantotalkatonce，asthoughtocorrectafalseposition。Theyspokeofhimwithafervid，defiantadmiration，withthesortofhotpraisethatcoversadoublepurpose。Imogenfanciedshecouldseethattheyfeltakindofreliefatwhatthemanhaddone，eventhosewhodespisedhimfordoingit；thattheyfeltaspitefulhateagainstFlavia，asthoughshehadtrickedthem，andacertaincontemptforthemselvesthattheyhadbeenbeguiled。Shewasremindedofthefuryofthecrowdinthefairytale，whenoncethechildhadcalledoutthatthekingwasinhisnightclothes。SurelythesepeopleknewnomoreaboutFlaviathantheyhadknownbefore，butthemerefactthatthethinghadbeensaidalteredthesituation。Flavia，meanwhile，satchatteringamiably，patheticallyunconsciousofhernakedness。
Hamiltonlounged，fingeringthestemofhiswineglass，gazingdownthetableatonefaceafteranotherandstudyingthevariousdegreesofself-consciousnesstheyexhibited。Imogen’seyesfollowedhis，fearfully。Whenalullcameinthespasmodicflowofconversation，Arthur，leaningbackinhischair，remarkeddeliberately，“AsforM。Roux，hisveryprofessionplaceshiminthatclassofmenwhomsocietyhasneverbeenabletoacceptunconditionallybecauseithasneverbeenabletoassumethattheyhaveanyorderednotionoftaste。Heandhisilkremain，withthemountebanksandsnakecharmers，peopleindispensabletoourcivilization，butwhollyunreclaimedbyit；peoplewhomwereceive，butwhoseinvitationswedonotaccept。“
FortunatelyforFlavia，thisminewasnotexplodeduntiljustbeforethecoffeewasbrought。Herlaughterwaspitifultohear；itechoedthroughthesilentroomasinavault，whileshemadesometremulouslylightremarkaboutherhusband’sdrollery，grimasajestfromthedying。Noonerespondedandshesatnoddingherheadlikeamechanicaltoyandsmilingherwhite，setsmilethroughherteeth，untilAlceeBuissonandFrauLichtenfeldcametohersupport。
Afterdinnertheguestsretiredimmediatelytotheirrooms，andImogenwentupstairsontiptoe，feelingtheechoofbreakageandthedustofcrumblingintheair。ShewonderedwhetherFlavia’shabitualnoteofuneasinesswerenot，inamanner，prophetic，andasortofunconsciouspremonition，afterall。Shesatdowntowritealetter，butshefoundherselfsonervous，herheadsohotandherhandssocold，thatshesoonabandonedtheeffort。justasshewasabouttoseekMissBroadwood，Flaviaenteredandembracedherhysterically。