\"I’mallinasoak;thereWASamessofpeopleinthe’bus。Iwishyoulivednearastytion，\"saidMissChurm。Irequestedhertogetreadyasquicklyaspossible，andshepassedintotheroominwhichshealwayschangedherdress。Butbeforegoingoutsheaskedmewhatshewastogetintothistime。
\"It’stheRussianprincess，don’tyouknow？\"Ianswered;\"theonewiththe’goldeneyes，’inblackvelvet，forthelongthingintheCheapside。\"
\"Goldeneyes？ISAY！\"criedMissChurm，whilemycompanionswatchedherwithintensityasshewithdrew。Shealwaysarrangedherself，whenshewaslate，beforeIcouldturnround;andIkeptmyvisitorsalittleonpurpose，sothattheymightgetanidea，fromseeingher，whatwouldbeexpectedofthemselves。Imentionedthatshewasquitemynotionofailexcellentmodel——shewasreallyveryclever。
\"DoyouthinkshelookslikeaRussianprincess？\"MajorMonarchaskedwithlurkingalarm。
\"WhenImakeher，yes。\"
\"OhifyouhavetoMAKEher——！\"hereasoned，notwithoutpoint。
\"That’sthemostyoucanask。Therearesomanywhoarenotmakeable。\"
\"Wellnow，HERE’Salady\"——andwithapersuasivesmilehepassedhisarmintohiswife’s——\"who’salreadymade！\"
\"OhI’mnotaRussianprincess，\"Mrs。Monarchprotestedalittlecoldly。Icouldseeshehadknownsomeanddidn’tlikethem。
ThereatoncewasacomplicationofakindIneverhadtofearwithMissChurm。
Thisyoungladycamebackinblackvelvet——thegownwasratherrustyandverylowonherleanshoulders——andwithaJapanesefaninherredhands。IremindedherthatinthesceneIwasdoingshehadtolookoversomeone’shead。\"Iforgetwhoseitisbutitdoesn’tmatter。Justlookoverahead。\"
\"I’dratherlookoverastove，\"saidMissChurmandshetookherstationnearthefire。ShefellintoPosition，settledherselfintoatallattitude，gaveacertainbackwardinclinationtoherheadandacertainforwarddrooptoherfan，andlooked，atleasttomyprejudicedsense，distinguishedandcharming，foreignanddangerous。WeleftherlookingsowhileIwentdownstairswithMajorandMrs。Monarch。
\"IbelieveIcouldcomeaboutasnearitasthat，\"saidMrs。
Monarch。
\"Ohyouthinkshe’sshabby，butyoumustallowforthealchemyofart。\"
However，theywentoffwithanevidentincreaseofcomfortfoundedontheirdemonstrableadvantageinbeingtherealthing。IcouldfancythemshudderingoverMissChurm。ShewasverydrollaboutthemwhenIwentback，forItoldherwhattheywanted。
\"Well，ifSHEcansitI’lltyketobookkeeping，\"saidmymodel。
\"She’sveryladylike，\"Irepliedasaninnocentformofaggravation。
\"SomuchtheworseforYOU。Thatmeansshecan’tturnround。\"
\"She’lldoforthefashionablenovels。\"
\"Ohyes，she’llDOforthem！\"mymodelhumorouslydeclared。\"Ain’ttheybadenoughwithouther？\"IhadoftensociablydenouncedthemtoMissChurm。
CHAPTERIII
ItwasfortheelucidationofamysteryinoneoftheseworksthatIfirsttriedMrs。Monarch。Herhusbandcamewithher，tobeusefulifnecessary——itwassufficientlyclearthatasageneralthinghewouldprefertocomewithher。AtfirstIwonderedifthiswerefor\"propriety’s\"sake——ifheweregoingtobejealousandmeddling。Theideawastootiresome，andifithadbeenconfirmeditwouldspeedilyhavebroughtouracquaintancetoaclose。ButIsoonsawtherewasnothinginitandthatifheaccompaniedMrs。Monarchitwas——inadditiontothechanceofbeingwanted——simplybecausehehadnothingelsetodo。Whentheywereseparatehisoccupationwasgone，andtheyneverHADbeenseparate。
Ijudgedrightlythatintheirawkwardsituationtheircloseunionwastheirmaincomfortandthatthisunionhadnoweakspot。Itwasarealmarriage，anencouragementtothehesitating，anutforpessimiststocrack。Theiraddresswashumble——Irememberafterwardsthinkingithadbeentheonlythingaboutthemthatwasreallyprofessional——andIcouldfancythelamentablelodgingsinwhichtheMajorwouldhavebeenleftalone。Hecouldsittheremoreorlessgrimlywithhiswife——hecouldn’tsitthereanyhowwithouther。
Hehadtoomuchtacttotryandmakehimselfagreeablewhenhecouldn’tbeuseful;sowhenIwastooabsorbedinmyworktotalkhesimplysatandwaited。ButIlikedtohearhimtalk——itmademywork，whennotinterruptingit，lessmechanical，lessspecial。Tolistentohimwastocombinetheexcitementofgoingoutwiththeeconomyofstayingathome。Therewasonlyonehindrance——thatI
seemednottoknowanyofthepeoplethisbrilliantcouplehadknown。Ithinkhewonderedextremely，duringthetermofourintercourse，whomthedeuceIDIDknow。Hehadn’tastraysixpenceofanideatofumblefor，sowedidn’tspinitveryfine;weconfinedourselvestoquestionsofleatherandevenofliquor-
saddlersandbreeches-makersandhowtogetexcellentclaretcheap——
andmatterslike\"goodtrains\"andthehabitsofsmallgame。Hisloreontheselastsubjectswasastonishing——hemanagedtointerweavethestation-masterwiththeornithologist。Whenhecouldn’ttalkaboutgreaterthingshecouldtalkcheerfullyaboutsmaller，andsinceIcouldn’taccompanyhimintoreminiscencesofthefashionableworldhecouldlowertheconversationwithoutavisibleefforttomylevel。
Soearnestadesiretopleasewastouchinginamanwhocouldsoeasilyhaveknockedonedown。Helookedafterthefireandhadanopiniononthedraughtofthestovewithoutmyaskinghim，andI
couldseethathethoughtmanyofmyarrangementsnothalfknowing。
IremembertellinghimthatifIwereonlyrichI’dofferhimasalarytocomeandteachmehowtolive。Sometimeshegavearandomsighofwhichtheessencemighthavebeen：\"Givemeevensuchabareold-barrackasthis，andI’ddosomethingwithit！\"
WhenIwantedtousehimhecamealone;whichwasanillustrationofthesuperiorcourageofwomen。Hiswifecouldbearhersolitarysecondfloor，andshewasingeneralmorediscreet;showingbyvarioussmallreservesthatshewasalivetotheproprietyofkeepingourrelationsmarkedlyprofessional——notlettingthemslideintosociability。ShewishedittoremainclearthatsheandtheMajorwereemployed，notcultivated，andifsheapprovedofmeasasuperior，whocouldbekeptinhisplace，sheneverthoughtmequitegoodenoughforanequal。
Shesatwithgreatintensity，givingthewholeofhermindtoit，andwascapableofremainingforanhouralmostasmotionlessasbeforeaphotographer’slens。Icouldseeshehadbeenphotographedoften，butsomehowtheveryhabitthatmadehergoodforthatpurposeunfittedherformine。AtfirstIwasextremelypleasedwithherladylikeair，anditwasasatisfaction，oncomingtofollowherlines，toseehowgoodtheywereandhowfartheycouldleadthepencil。ButafteralittleskirmishingIbegantofindhertooinsurmountablystiff;dowhatIwouldwithitmydrawinglookedlikeaphotographoracopyofaphotograph。Herfigurehadnovarietyofexpression——sheherselfhadnosenseofvariety。Youmaysaythatthiswasmybusinessandwasonlyaquestionofplacingher。YetIplacedherineveryconceivablepositionandshemanagedtoobliteratetheirdifferences。Shewasalwaysaladycertainly，andintothebargainwasalwaysthesamelady。Shewastherealthing，butalwaysthesamething。ThereweremomentswhenIratherwrithedundertheserenityofherconfidencethatsheWAStherealthing。Allherdealingswithmeandallherhusband’swereanimplicationthatthiswasluckyforME。MeanwhileIfoundmyselftryingtoinventtypesthatapproachedherown，insteadofmakingherowntransformitself——inthecleverwaythatwasnotimpossibleforinstancetopoorMissChurm。ArrangeasIwouldandtaketheprecautionsIwould，shealwayscameout，inmypictures，tootall——landingmeinthedilemmaofhavingrepresentedafascinatingwomanassevenfeethigh，which（outofrespectperhapstomyownverymuchscantierinches）wasfarfrommyideaofsuchapersonage。
ThecasewasworsewiththeMajor——nothingIcoulddowouldkeepHIMdown，sothathebecameusefulonlyfortherepresentationofbrawnygiants。Iadoredvarietyandrange，Icherishedhumanaccidents，theillustrativenote;Iwantedtocharacteriseclosely，andthethingintheworldImosthatedwasthedangerofbeingriddenbyatype。Ihadquarrelledwithsomeofmyfriendsaboutit;IhadpartedcompanywiththemformaintainingthatoneHADtobe，andthatifthetypewasbeautiful——witnessRaphaelandLeonardo——theservitudewasonlyagain。IwasneitherLeonardonorRaphael——Imightonlybeapresumptuousyoungmodernsearcher;
butIheldthateverythingwastobesacrificedsoonerthancharacter。WhentheyclaimedthattheobsessionalformcouldeasilyBEcharacterIretorted，perhapssuperficially，\"Whose？\"Itcouldn’tbeeverybody’s——itmightendinbeingnobody’s。
AfterIhaddrawnMrs。MonarchadozentimesIfeltsurereventhanbeforethatthevalueofsuchamodelasMissChurmresidedpreciselyinthefactthatshehadnopositivestamp，combinedofcoursewiththeotherfactthatwhatshedidhavewasacuriousandinexplicabletalentforimitation。Herusualappearancewaslikeacurtainwhich——shecoulddrawupatrequestforacapitalperformance。Thisperformancewassimplysuggestive;butitwasawordtothewise——itwasvividandpretty。SometimesevenI
thoughtit，thoughshewasplainherself，tooinsipidlypretty;I
madeitareproachtoherthatthefiguresdrawnfromherweremonotonously（betement，asweusedtosay）graceful。Nothingmadehermoreangry：itwassomuchherpridetofeelshecouldsitforcharactersthathadnothingincommonwitheachother。Shewouldaccusemeatsuchmomentsoftakingawayher\"reputytion。\"
Itsufferedacertainshrinkage，thisqueerquantity，fromtherepeatedvisitsofmynewfriends。MissChurmwasgreatlyindemand，neverinwantofemployment，soIhadnoscrupleinputtingheroffoccasionally，totrythemmoreatmyease。Itwascertainlyamusingatfirsttodotherealthing——itwasamusingtodoMajorMonarch’strousers。TheyWEREtherealthing，evenifhedidcomeoutcolossal。Itwasamusingtodohiswife’sbackhair——
itwassomathematicallyneat——andtheparticular\"smart\"tensionofhertightstays。Shelentherselfespeciallytopositionsinwhichthefacewassomewhatavertedorblurred，sheaboundedinladylikebackviewsandprofilsperdus。Whenshestooderectshetooknaturallyoneoftheattitudesinwhichcourt-paintersrepresentqueensandprincesses;sothatIfoundmyselfwonderingwhether，todrawoutthisaccomplishment，Icouldn’tgettheeditoroftheCheapsidetopublishareallyroyalromance，\"ATaleofBuckinghamPalace。\"Sometimeshowevertherealthingandthemake-
believecameintocontact;bywhichImeanthatMissChurm，keepinganappointmentorcomingtomakeoneondayswhenIhadmuchworkinhand，encounteredherinvidiousrivals。Theencounterwasnotontheirpart，fortheynoticedhernomorethanifshehadbeenthehousemaid;notfromintentionalloftiness，butsimplybecauseasyet，professionally，theydidn’tknowhowtofraternise，asI
couldimaginetheywouldhaveliked——oratleastthattheMajorwould。Theycouldn’ttalkabouttheomnibus——theyalwayswalked;
andtheydidn’tknowwhatelsetotry——shewasn’tinterestedingoodtrainsorcheapclaret。Besides，theymusthavefelt——intheair——thatshewasamusedatthem，secretlyderisiveoftheireverknowinghow。Shewasn’tapersontoconcealthelimitsofherfaithifshehadhadachancetoshowthem。OntheotherhandMrs。
Monarchdidn’tthinkhertidy;forwhyelsedidshetakepainstosaytome——itwasgoingoutoftheway，forMrs。Monarch——thatshedidn’tlikedirtywomen？
Onedaywhenmyyoungladyhappenedtobepresentwithmyothersitters——sheevendroppedin，whenitwasconvenient，forachat——I
askedhertobesogoodastolendahandingettingtea，aservicewithwhichshewasfamiliarandwhichwasoneofaclassthat，livingasIdidinasmallway，withslenderdomesticresources，I
oftenappealedtomymodelstorender。Theylikedtolayhandsonmyproperty，tobreakthesitting，andsometimesthechina——itmadethemfeelBohemian。ThenexttimeIsawMissChurmafterthisincidentshesurprisedmegreatlybymakingasceneaboutit——sheaccusedmeofhavingwishedtohumiliateher。Shehadn’tresentedtheoutrageatthetime，buthadseemedobligingandamused，enjoyingthecomedyofaskingMrs。Monarch，whosatvagueandsilent，whethershewouldhavecreamandsugar，andputtinganexaggeratedsimperintothequestion。Shehadtriedintonations——
asifshetoowishedtopassfortherealthing——tillIwasafraidmyothervisitorswouldtakeoffence。
Ohtheyweredeterminednottodothis，andtheirtouchingpatiencewasthemeasureoftheirgreatneed。Theywouldsitbythehour，uncomplaining，tillIwasreadytousethem;theywouldcomebackonthechanceofbeingwantedandwouldwalkawaycheerfullyifitfailed。Iusedtogotothedoorwiththemtoseeinwhatmagnificentordertheyretreated。Itriedtofindotheremploymentforthem——Iintroducedthemtoseveralartists。Buttheydidn’t\"take，\"forreasonsIcouldappreciate，andIbecameratheranxiouslyawarethataftersuchdisappointmentstheyfellbackuponmewithaheavierweight。Theydidmethehonourtothinkmemosttheirform。Theyweren’tromanticenoughforthepainters，andinthosedaystherewerefewseriousworkersinblack-and-white。
Besides，theyhadaneyetothegreatjobIhadmentionedtothem——
theyhadsecretlysettheirheartsonsupplyingtherightessenceformypictorialvindicationofourfinenovelist。TheyknewthatforthisundertakingIshouldwantnocostume——effects，noneofthefripperyofpastages——thatitwasacaseinwhicheverythingwouldbecontemporaryandsatiricalandpresumablygenteel。IfIcouldworkthemintoittheirfuturewouldbeassured，forthelabourwouldofcoursebelongandtheoccupationsteady。
OnedayMrs。Monarchcamewithoutherhusband——sheexplainedhisabsencebyhishavinghadtogototheCity。WhileshesatthereinherusualrelaxedmajestytherecameatthedooraknockwhichI
immediatelyrecognisedasthesubduedappealofamodeloutofwork。ItwasfollowedbytheentranceofayoungmanwhomIatoncesawtobeaforeignerandwhoprovedinfactanItalianacquaintedwithnoEnglishwordbutmyname，whichheutteredinawaythatmadeitseemtoincludeallothers。Ihadn’tthenvisitedhiscountry，norwasIproficientinhistongue;butashewasnotsomeanlyconstituted——whatItalianis？——astodependonlyonthatmemberforexpressionheconveyedtome，infamiliarbutgracefulmimicry，thathewasinsearchofexactlytheemploymentinwhichtheladybeforemewasengaged。Iwasnotstruckwithhimatfirst，andwhileIcontinuedtodrawIdroppedfewsignsofinterestorencouragement。Hestoodhisgroundhowever——notimportunately，butwithadumbdog-likefidelityinhiseyesthatamountedtoinnocentimpudence，themannerofadevotedservant——hemighthavebeeninthehouseforyears——unjustlysuspected。
Suddenlyitstruckmethatthisveryattitudeandexpressionmadeapicture;whereuponItoldhimtositdownandwaittillIshouldbefree。Therewasanotherpictureinthewayheobeyedme，andI
observedasIworkedthattherewereothersstillinthewayhelookedwonderingly，withhisheadthrownback，aboutthehighstudio。HemighthavebeencrossinghimselfinSaintPeter’s。
BeforeIfinishedIsaidtomyself\"Thefellow’sabankruptorange-
monger，butatreasure。\"
WhenMrs。Monarchwithdrewhepassedacrosstheroomlikeaflashtoopenthedoorforher，standingtherewiththeraptpuregazeoftheyoungDantespellboundbytheyoungBeatrice。AsIneverinsisted，insuchsituations，ontheblanknessoftheBritishdomestic，Ireflectedthathehadthemakingofaservant——andI
neededone，butcouldn’tpayhimtobeonlythat——aswellasofamodel;inshortIresolvedtoadoptmybrightadventurerifhewouldagreetoofficiateinthedoublecapacity。Hejumpedatmyoffer，andintheeventmyrashness——forIhadreallyknownnothingabouthim——wasn’tbroughthometome。Heprovedasympatheticthoughadesultoryministrant，andhadinawonderfuldegreethesentimentdelapose。Itwasuncultivated，instinctive，apartofthehappyinstinctthathadguidedhimtomydoorandhelpedhimtospelloutmynameonthecardnailedtoit。Hehadhadnootherintroductiontomethanaguess，fromtheshapeofmyhighnorthwindow，seenoutside，thatmyplacewasastudioandthatasastudioitwouldcontainanartist。HehadwanderedtoEnglandinsearchoffortune，likeotheritinerants，andhadembarked，withapartnerandasmallgreenhand-cart，onthesaleofpennyices。
Theiceshadmeltedawayandthepartnerhaddissolvedintheirtrain。MyyoungmanworetightyellowtrouserswithreddishstripesandhisnamewasOronte。Hewassallowbutfair，andwhenIputhimintosomeoldclothesofmyownhelookedlikeanEnglishman。HewasasgoodasMissChurm，whocouldlook，whenrequested，likeanItalian。
CHAPTERIV
IthoughtMrs。Monarch’sfaceslightlyconvulsedwhen，onhercomingbackwithherhusband，shefoundOronteinstalled。ItwasstrangetohavetorecogniseinascrapofalazzaroneacompetitortohermagnificentMajor。Itwasshewhoscenteddangerfirst，fortheMajorwasanecdoticallyunconscious。ButOrontegaveustea，withahundredeagerconfusions——hehadneverbeenconcernedinsoqueeraprocess——andIthinkshethoughtbetterofmeforhavingatlastan\"establishment。\"TheysawacoupleofdrawingsthatIhadmadeoftheestablishment，andMrs。Monarchhintedthatitneverwouldhavestruckherhehadsatforthem。\"NowthedrawingsyoumakefromUS，theylookexactlylikeus，\"sheremindedme，smilingintriumph;andIrecognisedthatthiswasindeedjusttheirdefect。WhenIdrewtheMonarchsIcouldn’tanyhowgetawayfromthem——getintothecharacterIwantedtorepresent;andIhadn’ttheleastdesiremymodelshouldbediscoverableinmypicture。
MissChurmneverwas，andMrs。MonarchthoughtIhidher，veryproperly，becauseshewasvulgar;whereasifshewaslostitwasonlyasthedeadwhogotoheavenarelost——inthegainofanangelthemore。
BythistimeIhadgotacertainstartwith\"RutlandRamsay，\"thefirstnovelinthegreatprojectedseries;thatisIhadproducedadozendrawings，severalwiththehelpoftheMajorandhiswife，andIhadsenttheminforapproval。MyunderstandingwiththepublishersasIhavealreadyhinted，hadbeenthatIwastobelefttodomywork，inthisparticularcase，asIliked，withthewholebookcommittedtome;butmyconnexionwiththerestoftheserieswasonlycontingent。Thereweremomentswhen，frankly，itWASacomforttohavetherealthingunderone’shandfortherewerecharactersin\"RutlandRamsay\"thatwereverymuchlikeit。TherewerepeoplepresumablyaserectastheMajorandwomenofasgoodafashionasMrs。Monarch。Therewasagreatdealofcountry-houselife-treated，itistrue，inafinefancifulironicalgeneralisedway——andtherewasaconsiderableimplicationofknickerbockersandkilts。TherewerecertainthingsIhadtosettleattheoutset;
suchthingsforinstanceastheexactappearanceoftheheroandtheparticularbloomandfigureoftheheroine。Theauthorofcoursegavemealead，buttherewasamarginforinterpretation。
ItooktheMonarchsintomyconfidence，ItoldthemfranklywhatI
wasabout，Imentionedmyembarrassmentsandalternatives。\"OhtakeHIM！\"Mrs。Monarchmurmuredsweetly，lookingatherhusband;
and\"Whatcouldyouwantbetterthanmywife？\"theMajorinquiredwiththecomfortablecandourthatnowprevailedbetweenus。
Iwasn’tobligedtoanswertheseremarks——Iwasonlyobligedtoplacemysitters。Iwasn’teasyinmind，andIpostponedalittletimidlyperhapsthesolvingofmyquestion。Thebookwasalargecanvas，theotherfigureswerenumerous，andIworkedoffatfirstsomeoftheepisodesinwhichtheheroandtheheroinewerenotconcerned。WhenonceIhadsetTHEMupIshouldhavetosticktothem——Icouldn’tmakemyyoungmansevenfeethighinoneplaceandfivefeetnineinanother。Iinclinedonthewholetothelattermeasurement，thoughtheMajormorethanonceremindedmethathelookedaboutasyoungasanyone。Itwasindeedquitepossibletoarrangehim，forthefigure，sothatitwouldhavebeendifficulttodetecthisage。AfterthespontaneousOrontehadbeenwithmeamonth，andafterIhadgivenhimtounderstandseveraltimesoverthathisnativeexuberancewouldpresentlyconstituteaninsurmountablebarriertoourfurtherintercourse，Iwakedtoasenseofhisheroiccapacity。Hewasonlyfivefeetseven，buttheremainingincheswerelatent。Itriedhimalmostsecretlyatfirst，forIwasreallyratherafraidofthejudgementmyothermodelswouldpassonsuchachoice。IftheyregardedMissChurmaslittlebetterthanasnarewhatwouldtheythinkoftherepresentationbyapersonsolittletherealthingasanItalianstreet-vendorofaprotagonistformedbyapublicschool？
IfIwentalittleinfearofthemitwasn’tbecausetheybulliedme，becausetheyhadgotanoppressivefoothold，butbecauseintheirreallypatheticdecorumandmysteriouslypermanentnewnesstheycountedonmesointensely。IwasthereforeverygladwhenJackHawleycamehome：hewasalwaysofsuchgoodcounsel。Hepaintedbadlyhimself，buttherewasnoonelikehimforputtinghisfingerontheplace。HehadbeenabsentfromEnglandforayear;hehadbeensomewhere——Idon’trememberwhere——togetafresheye。Iwasinagooddealofdreadofanysuchorgan，butwewereoldfriends;hehadbeenawayformonthsandasenseofemptinesswascreepingintomylife。Ihadn’tdodgedamissileforayear。
Hecamebackwithafresheye，butwiththesameoldblackvelvetblouse，andthefirsteveninghespentinmystudiowesmokedcigarettestillthesmallhours。Hehaddonenoworkhimself，hehadonlygottheeye;sothefieldwasclearfortheproductionofmylittlethings。HewantedtoseewhatIhadproducedfortheCheapside，buthewasdisappointedintheexhibition。Thatatleastseemedthemeaningoftwoorthreecomprehensivegroanswhich，asheloungedonmybigdivan，hislegfoldedunderhim，lookingatmylatestdrawings，issuedfromhislipswiththesmokeofthecigarette。
\"What’sthematterwithyou？\"Iasked。
\"What’sthematterwithyou？\"
\"NothingsavethatI’mmystified。\"
\"Youareindeed。You’requiteoffthehinge。What’sthemeaningofthisnewfad？\"Andhetossedme，withvisibleirreverence，adrawinginwhichIhappenedtohavedepictedbothmyelegantmodels。Iaskedifhedidn’tthinkitgood，andherepliedthatitstruckhimasexecrable，giventhesortofthingIhadalwaysrepresentedmyselftohimaswishingtoarriveat;butIletthatpass——Iwassoanxioustoseeexactlywhathemeant。Thetwofiguresinthepicturelookedcolossal，butIsupposedthiswasnotwhathemeant，inasmuchas，foraughtheknewtothecontrary，I
mighthavebeentryingforsomesucheffect。ImaintainedthatI
wasworkingexactlyinthesamewayaswhenhelasthaddonemethehonourtotellmeImightdosomethingsomeday。\"Well，there’sascrewloosesomewhere，\"heanswered;\"waitabitandI’lldiscoverit。\"Idependeduponhimtodoso：whereelsewasthefresheye？
Butheproducedatlastnothingmoreluminousthan\"Idon’tknow——I
don’tlikeyourtypes。\"Thiswaslameforacriticwhohadneverconsentedtodiscusswithmeanythingbutthequestionofexecution，thedirectionofstrokesandthemysteryofvalues。
\"Inthedrawingsyou’vebeenlookingatIthinkmytypesareveryhandsome。\"
\"Ohtheywon’tdo！\"
\"I’vebeenworkingwithnewmodels。\"
\"Iseeyouhave。THEYwon’tdo。\"
\"Areyouverysureofthat？\"
\"Absolutely——they’restupid。\"
\"YoumeanIam——forIoughttogetroundthat。\"
\"Youcan’t——withsuchpeople。Whoarethey？\"
Itoldhim，sofaraswasnecessary，andheconcludedheartlessly：
\"Cesontdesgensqu’ilfautmettrealaporte。\"
\"You’veneverseenthem;they’reawfullygood\"——Iflewtotheirdefence。
\"Notseenthem？Whyallthisrecentworkofyoursdropstopieceswiththem。It’sallIwanttoseeofthem。\"
\"Nooneelsehassaidanythingagainstit——theCheapsidepeoplearepleased。\"
\"Everyoneelseisanass，andtheCheapsidepeoplethebiggestassesofall。Come，don’tpretendatthistimeofdaytohaveprettyillusionsaboutthepublic，especiallyaboutpublishersandeditors。It’snotforSUCHanimalsyouwork——it’sforthosewhoknow，colorochesanno;sokeepstraightformeifyoucan’tkeepstraightforyourself。Therewasacertainsortofthingyouusedtotryfor——andaverygoodthingitwas。Butthistwaddleisn’tinit。\"WhenItalkedwithHawleylaterabout\"RutlandRamsay\"anditspossiblesuccessorshedeclaredthatImustgetbackintomyboatagainorIshouldgotothebottom。Hisvoiceinshortwasthevoiceofwarning。
Inotedthewarning，butIdidn’tturnmyfriendsoutofdoors。
Theyboredmeagooddeal;buttheveryfactthattheyboredmeadmonishedmenottosacrificethem——iftherewasanythingtobedonewiththem——simplytoirritation。AsIlookbackatthisphasetheyseemtometohavepervadedmylifenotalittle。Ihaveavisionofthemasmostofthetimeinmystudio，seatedagainstthewallonanoldvelvetbenchtobeoutoftheway，andresemblingthewhileapairofpatientcourtiersinaroyalantechamber。I’mconvincedthatduringthecoldestweeksofthewintertheyheldtheirgroundbecauseitsavedthemfire。Theirnewnesswaslosingitsgloss，anditwasimpossiblenottofeelthemobjectsofcharity。WheneverMissChurmarrivedtheywentaway，andafterI
wasfairlylaunchedin\"RutlandRamsay\"MissChurmarrivedprettyoften。TheymanagedtoexpresstometacitlythattheysupposedI
wantedherforthelowlifeofthebook，andIletthemsupposeit，sincetheyhadattemptedtostudythework——itwaslyingaboutthestudio——withoutdiscoveringthatitdealtonlywiththehighestcircles。Theyhaddippedintothemostbrilliantofournovelistswithoutdecipheringmanypassages。Istilltookanhourfromthem，nowandagain，inspiteofJackHawley’swarning：itwouldbetimeenoughtodismissthem，ifdismissalshouldbenecessary，whentherigouroftheseasonwasover。Hawleyhadmadetheiracquaintance——
hehadmetthematmyfireside——andthoughtthemaridiculouspair。Learningthathewasapaintertheytriedtoapproachhim，toshowhimtoothattheyweretherealthing;buthelookedatthemacrossthebigroom，asiftheyweremilesaway：theywereacompendiumofeverythinghemostobjectedtointhesocialsystemofhiscountry。Suchpeopleasthat，allconventionandpatent-
leather，withejaculationsthatstoppedconversation，hadnobusinessinastudio。Astudiowasaplacetolearntosee，andhowcouldyouseethroughapairoffeather-beds？
ThemaininconvenienceIsufferedattheirhandswasthatatfirstIwasshyoflettingitbreakuponthemthatmyartfullittleservanthadbeguntosittomefor\"RutlandRamsay。\"TheyknewI
hadbeenoddenough——theywerepreparedbythistimetoallowodditytoartists——topickaforeignvagabondoutofthestreetswhenImighthavehadapersonwithwhiskersandcredentials;butitwassometimebeforetheylearnedhowhighIratedhisaccomplishments。Theyfoundhiminanattitudemorethanonce，buttheyneverdoubtedIwasdoinghimasanorgan-grinder。Therewereseveralthingstheyneverguessed，andoneofthemwasthatforastrikingsceneinthenovel，inwhichafootmanbrieflyfigured，itoccurredtometomakeuseofMajorMonarchasthemenial。Ikeptputtingthisoff，Ididn’tliketoaskhimtodonthelivery——
besidesthedifficultyoffindingaliverytofithim。Atlast，onedaylateinthewinter，whenIwasatworkonthedespisedOronte，whocaughtone’sideaonthewing，andwasintheglowoffeelingmyselfgoverystraight，theycamein，theMajorandhiswife，withtheirsocietylaughaboutnothing（therewaslessandlesstolaughat）;cameinlikecountry-callers——theyalwaysremindedmeofthat——whohavewalkedacrosstheparkafterchurchandarepresentlypersuadedtostaytoluncheon。Luncheonwasover，buttheycouldstaytotea——Iknewtheywantedit。Thefitwasonme，however，andIcouldn’tletmyardourcoolandmyworkwait，withthefadingdaylight，whilemymodelpreparedit。SoI
askedMrs。Monarchifshewouldmindlayingitout——arequestwhichforaninstantbroughtallthebloodtoherface。Hereyeswereonherhusband’sforasecond，andsomemutetelegraphypassedbetweenthem。Theirfollywasoverthenextinstant;hischeerfulshrewdnessputanendtoit。Sofarfrompityingtheirwoundedpride，Imustadd，IwasmovedtogiveitascompletealessonasI
could。Theybustledabouttogetherandgotoutthecupsandsaucersandmadethekettleboil。Iknowtheyfeltasiftheywerewaitingonmyservant，andwhentheteawaspreparedIsaid：
\"He’llhaveacup，please——he’stired。\"Mrs。Monarchbroughthimonewherehestood，andhetookitfromherasifhehadbeenagentlemanatapartysqueezingacrush-hatwithanelbow。
Thenitcameovermethatshehadmadeagreateffortforme——madeitwithakindofnobleness——andthatIowedheracompensation。
EachtimeIsawherafterthisIwonderedwhatthecompensationcouldbe。Icouldn’tgoondoingthewrongthingtoobligethem。
OhitWASthewrongthing，thestampoftheworkforwhichtheysat——Hawleywasnottheonlypersontosayitnow。IsentinalargenumberofthedrawingsIhadmadefor\"RutlandRamsay，\"andI
receivedawarningthatwasmoretothepointthanHawley’s。TheartisticadviserofthehouseforwhichIwasworkingwasofopinionthatmanyofmyillustrationswerenotwhathadbeenlookedfor。MostoftheseillustrationswerethesubjectsinwhichtheMonarchshadfigured。WithoutgoingintothequestionofwhatHAD
beenlookedfor，IhadtofacethefactthatatthisrateI
shouldn’tgettheotherbookstodo。IhurledmyselfindespaironMissChurm——Iputherthroughallherpaces。InotonlyadoptedOrontepubliclyasmyhero，butonemorningwhentheMajorlookedintoseeifIdidn’trequirehimtofinishaCheapsidefigureforwhichhehadbeguntosittheweekbefore，ItoldhimIhadchangedmymind——I’ddothedrawingfrommyman。Atthismyvisitorturnedpaleandstoodlookingatme。\"IsHEyourideaofanEnglishgentleman？\"heasked。
Iwasdisappointed，Iwasnervous，Iwantedtogetonwithmywork;
so。Irepliedwithirritation：\"OhmydearMajor——Ican’tberuinedforYOU！\"
Itwasahorridspeech，buthestoodanothermoment——afterwhich，withoutaword，hequittedthestudio。Idrewalongbreath，forI
saidtomyselfthatIshouldn’tseehimagain。Ihadn’ttold——himdefinitelythatIwasindangerofhavingmyworkrejected，butI
wasvexedathisnothavingfeltthecatastropheintheair，readwithmethemoralofourfruitlesscollaboration，thelessonthatinthedeceptiveatmosphereofarteventhehighestrespectabilitymayfailofbeingplastic。
Ididn’towemyfriendsmoney，butIdidseethemagain。Theyreappearedtogetherthreedayslater，and，givenalltheotherfacts，therewassomethingtragicinthatone。Itwasaclearprooftheycouldfindnothingelseinlifetodo。Theyhadthreshedthematteroutinadismalconference——theyhaddigestedthebadnewsthattheywerenotinfortheseries。Iftheyweren’tusefultomeevenfortheCheapsidetheirfunctionseemeddifficulttodetermine，andIcouldonlyjudgeatfirstthattheyhadcome，forgivingly，decorously，totakealastleave。ThismademerejoiceinsecretthatIhadlittleleisureforascene;forIhadplacedbothmyothermodelsinpositiontogetherandIwaspeggingawayatadrawingfromwhichIhopedtoderiveglory。Ithadbeensuggestedbythepassagein-whichRutlandRamsay，drawingupachairtoArtemisia’spiano-stool，saysextraordinarythingstoherwhilesheostensiblyfingersoutadifficultpieceofmusic。IhaddoneMissChurmatthepianobefore——itwasanattitudeinwhichsheknewhowtotakeonanabsolutelypoeticgrace。Iwishedthetwofiguresto\"compose\"togetherwithintensity，andmylittleItalianhadenteredperfectlyintomyconception。Thepairwerevividlybeforeme，thepianohadbeenpulledout;itwasacharmingshowofblendedyouthandmurmuredlove，whichIhadonlytocatchandkeep。Myvisitorsstoodandlookedatit，andIwasfriendlytothemovermyshoulder。
Theymadenoresponse，butIwasusedtosilentcompanyandwentonwithmywork，onlyalittledisconcerted——eventhoughexhilaratedbythesensethatthiswasatleasttheidealthing——atnothavinggotridofthemafterall。PresentlyIheardMrs。Monarch’ssweetvoicebesideorratheraboveme：\"Iwishherhairwerealittlebetterdone。\"IlookedupandshewasstaringwithastrangefixednessatMissChurm，whosebackwasturnedtoher。\"Doyoumindmyjusttouchingit？\"shewenton——aquestionwhichmademespringupforaninstantaswiththeinstinctivefearthatshemightdotheyoungladyaharm。ButshequietedmewithaglanceI
shallneverforget——IconfessIshouldliketohavebeenabletopaintthat——andwentforamomenttomymodel。Shespoketohersoftly，layingahandonhershoulderandbendingoverher;andasthegirl，understanding，gratefullyassented，shedisposedherroughcurls，withafewquickpasses，insuchawayastomakeMissChurm’sheadtwiceascharming。ItwasoneofthemostheroicpersonalservicesI’veeverseenrendered。ThenMrs。Monarchturnedawaywithalowsighand，lookingaboutherasifforsomethingtodo，stoopedtothefloorwithanoblehumilityandpickedupadirtyragthathaddroppedoutofmypaint-box。
TheMajormeanwhilehadalsobeenlookingforsomethingtodo，and，wanderingtotheotherendofthestudio，sawbeforehimmybreakfast-thingsneglected，unremoved。\"Isay，can’tIbeusefulHERE？\"hecalledouttomewithanirrepressiblequaver。I
assentedwithalaughthatIfearwasawkward，andforthenexttenminutes，whileIworked，Iheardthelightclatterofchinaandthetinkleofspoonsandglass。Mrs。Monarchassistedherhusband——
theywashedupmycrockery，theyputitaway。Theywanderedoffintomylittlescullery，andIafterwardsfoundthattheyhadcleanedmyknivesandthatmyslenderstockofplatehadanunprecedentedsurface。Whenitcameoverme，thelatenteloquenceofwhattheyweredoing，Iconfessthatmydrawingwasblurredforamoment——thepictureswam。Theyhadacceptedtheirfailure，buttheycouldn’taccepttheirfate。Theyhadbowedtheirheadsinbewildermenttotheperverseandcruellawinvirtueofwhichtherealthingcouldbesomuchlesspreciousthantheunreal;buttheydidn’twanttostarve。Ifmyservantsweremymodels，thenmymodelsmightbemyservants。Theywouldreversetheparts——theotherswouldsitfortheladiesandgentlemenandTHEYwoulddothework。Theywouldstillbeinthestudio——itwasanintensedumbappealtomenottoturnthemout。\"Takeuson，\"theywantedtosay——\"we’lldoANYTHING。\"
Mypencildroppedfrommyhand;mysittingwasspoiledandIgotridofmysitters，whowerealsoevidentlyrathermystifiedandawestruck。Then，alonewiththeMajorandhiswifeIhadamostuncomfortablemoment。Heputtheirprayerintoasinglesentence：
\"Isay，youknow——justletUSdoforyou，can’tyou？\"Icouldn’t——
itwasdreadfultoseethememptyingmyslops;butIpretendedI
could，toobligethem，foraboutaweek。ThenIgavethemasumofmoneytogoaway，andIneversawthemagain。Iobtainedtheremainingbooks，butmyfriendHawleyrepeatsthatMajorandMrs。
Monarchdidmeapermanentharm，gotmeintofalseways。IfitbetrueI’mcontenttohavepaidtheprice——forthememory。
THESTORYOFIT
CHAPTERI
Theweatherhadturnedsomuchworsethattherestofthedaywascertainlylost。Thewindhadrisenandthestormgatheredforce;
theygavefromtimetotimeathumpatthefirmwindowsanddashedevenagainstthoseprotectedbytheverandahtheirvicioussplotchesofrain。Beyondthelawn，beyondthecliff，thegreatwetbrushoftheskydippeddeepintothesea。Butthelawn，alreadyvividwiththetouchofMay，showedaviolenceofwateredgreen;thebuddingshrubsandtreesrepeatedthenoteastheytossedtheirthickmasses，andthecoldtroubledlight，fillingtheprettysaloon，markedthespringafternoonassufficientlyyoung。
Thetwoladiesseatedthereinsilencecouldpursuewithoutdifficulty——aswellas，clearly，withoutinterruption——theirrespectivetasks;aconfidenceexpressed，whenthenoiseofthewindallowedittobeheard，bythesharpscratchofMrs。Dyott’spenatthetablewhereshewasbusywithletters。
Hervisitor，settledonasmallsofathat，withapalm-tree，ascreen，astool，astand，abowlofflowersandthreephotographsinsilverframes，hadbeenarrangednearthelightwood-fireasachoice\"corner\"——MaudBlessingbourne，herguest，turnedaudibly，thoughatintervalsneitherbriefnorregular，theleavesofabookcoveredinlemon-colouredpaperandnotyetdespoiledofacertainfreshcrispness。Thiseffectofthevolume，fortheeye，wouldhavemadeit，aspresumablythenewestFrenchnovel——andevidently，fromtheattitudeofthereader，\"good\"——consorthappilywiththespecialtoneoftheroom，aconsistentairofselectionandsuppression，oneofthefineraestheticevolutions。IfMrs。DyottwasfondofancientFrenchfurnitureanddistinctlydifficultaboutit，herinmatescouldbefond——withwhatevercriticalcocksofcharmingdark-braidedheadsoverslenderslopingshoulders——ofmodernFrenchauthors。Nothingbadpassedforhalfanhour——
nothingatleast，tobeexact，butthateachofthecompanionsoccasionallyandcovertlyintermittedherpursuitinsuchamannerastoascertainthedegreeofabsorptionoftheotherwithoutturninground。Whattheirsilencewaschargedwiththereforewasnotonlyasenseoftheweather，butasense，sotospeak，ofitsownnature。MaudBlessingbourne，whensheloweredherbookintoherlap，closedhereyeswithaconsciouspatiencethatseemedtosayshewaited;butitwasneverthelessshewhoatlastmadethemovementrepresentingasnapoftheirtension。Shegotupandstoodbythefire，intowhichshelookedaminute;thencameroundandapproachedthewindowasiftoseewhatwasreallygoingon。
AtthisMrs。Dyottwrotewithrefreshedintensity。Herlittlepileoflettershadgrown，andifalookofdeterminationwascompatiblewithherfairandslightlyfadedbeautythehabitofattendingtoherbusinesscouldalwayskeeppacewithanyexcursionofherthought。Yetshewasthefirstwhospoke。
\"Itrustyourbookhasbeeninteresting。\"
\"Wellenough;alittlemild。\"
Alouderthrobofthetempesthadblurredthesoundofthewords。
\"Alittlewild？\"
\"Dearno——timidandtame;unlessI’vequitelostmysense。\"
\"Perhapsyouhave，\"Mrs。Dyottplacidlysuggested——\"readingsomany。\"
Hercompanionmadeamotionoffeigneddespair。\"Ahyoutakeawaymycourageforgoingtomyroom，asIwasjustmeaningto，foranother。\"
\"AnotherFrenchone？\"
\"I’mafraid。\"
\"Doyoucarrythembythedozen——？\"
\"IntoinnocentBritishhomes？\"Maudtriedtoremember。\"IbelieveIbroughtthree——seeingtheminashop-windowasIpassedthroughtown。Itneverrainsbutitpours！ButI’vealreadyreadtwo。\"
\"Andaretheytheonlyonesyoudoread？\"
\"Frenchones？\"Maudconsidered。\"Ohno。D’Annunzio。\"
\"Andwhat’sthat？\"Mrs。Dyottaskedassheaffixedastamp。
\"Ohyoudearthing！\"Herfriendwasamused，yetalmostshowedpity。\"Iknowyoudon’tread，\"Maudwenton;\"butwhyshouldyou？
YOUlive！\"
\"Yes——wretchedlyenough，\"Mrs。Dyottreturned，gettingherletterstogether。Sheleftherplace，holdingthemasaneatachievedhandful，andcameovertothefire，whileMrs。Blessingbourneturnedoncemoretothewindow，whereshewasmetbyanotherflurry。
Maudspokethenasifmovedonlybytheelements。\"Doyouexpecthimthroughallthis？\"
Mrs。Dyottjustwaited，andithadtheeffect，indescribably，ofmakingeverythingthathadgonebeforeseemtohaveleduptothequestion。Thiseffectwasevendeepenedbythewayshethensaid\"Whomdoyoumean？\"
\"WhyIthoughtyoumentionedatluncheonthatColonelVoytwastowalkover。Surelyhecan’t。\"
\"Doyoucareverymuch？\"Mrs。Dyottasked。
Herfriendnowhesitated。\"Itdependsonwhatyoucall’much。’IfyoumeanshouldIliketoseehim——thencertainly。\"
\"Well，mydear，Ithinkheunderstandsyou’rehere。\"
\"Sothatasheevidentlyisn’tcoming，\"Maudlaughed，\"it’sparticularlyflattering！Orrather，\"sheadded，givinguptheprospectagain，\"itwouldbe，Ithink，quiteextraordinarilyflatteringifhedid。Exceptthatofcourse，\"shethrewin，\"hemightcomepartlyforyou。\"
\"’Partly’ischarming。Thankyoufor’partly。’IfyouAREgoingupstairs，willyoukindly，\"MrsDyottpursued，\"puttheseintotheboxasyoupass？\"
Theyoungerwoman，takingthelittlepileofletters，consideredthemwithenvy。\"Nine！YouAREgood。You’realwaysalivingreproach！\"
Mrs。Dyottgaveasigh。\"Idon’tdoitonpurpose。Theonlything，thisafternoon，\"shewenton，revertingtotheotherquestion，\"wouldbetheirnothavingcomedown。\"
\"Andastothatyoudon’tknow。\"
\"No——Idon’tknow。\"Butshecaughtevenasshespokearat-tat-tatoftheknocker，whichstruckherasasign。\"Ahthere！\"
\"ThenIgo。\"AndMaudwhiskedout。
Mrs。Dyott，leftalone，movedwithanairofselectiontothewindow，anditwasassostationed，gazingoutatthewildweather，thatthevisitor，whosedelaytoappearspokeofthewipingofbootsandthedisposalofdrenchedmackintoshandcap，finallyfoundher。Hewastallleanfine，withlittleinhim，onthewhole，toconfirmthetitularinthe\"ColonelVoyt\"bywhichhewasannounced。Buthehadleftthearmy，sothathisreputationforgallantrymainlydependednowonhisfightingLiberalismintheHouseofCommons。Eventhesefacts，however，hisaspectscantilymatched;partly，nodoubt，becausehelooked，aswasusuallysaid，un-English。Hisblackhair，croppedclose，waslightlypowderedwithsilver，andhisdenseglossybeard，thatofanemiroracaliph，andgrownforcivilreasons，repeateditshandsomecolouranditssomewhatforeigneffect。Hisnosehadastrongandshapelyarch，andthedarkgreyofhiseyeswastintedwithblue。Ithadbeensaidofhim——inrelationtothesesigns——thathewouldhavestruckyouasaJewhadhenot，inspiteofhisnose，struckyousomuchasanIrishman。Neitherresponsibilitycouldinfacthavebeenfixeduponhim，andjustnow，atallevents，hewasonlyapleasantweather-washedwind-batteredBriton，whobroughtinfromastrugglewiththeelementsthatheappearedquitetohaveenjoyedacertainamountofunremovedmudandanunusualquantityofeasyexpression。Itwasexactlythesilenceensuingontheretreatoftheservantandthecloseddoorthatmarkedbetweenhimandhishostessthedegreeofthisease。Theymet，asitwere，twice：thefirsttimewhiletheservantwasthereandthesecondassoonashewasnot。Thedifferencewasgreatbetweenthetwoencounters，thoughwemustaddinjusticetothesecondthatitsmarkswereatfirstmainlynegative。Thiscommunionconsistedonlyintheirhavingdrawneachotherforaminuteascloseaspossible——aspossible，thatis，withnohelpbutthefullclaspofhands。Thustheyweremutuallyheld，andtheclosenesswasatanyratesuchthat，foralittle，thoughittookaccountofdangers，itdidwithoutwords。Whenwordspresentlycamethepairweretalkingbythefireandshehadrungfortea。Hehadbythistimeaskedifthenotehehaddespatchedtoherafterbreakfasthadbeensafelydelivered。
\"Yes，beforeluncheon。ButI’malwaysinastatewhen——exceptforsomeextraordinaryreason——yousendsuchthingsbyhand。Iknew，withoutit，thatyouhadcome。Itneverfails。I’msurewhenyou’rethere——I’msurewhenyou’renot。\"
Hewiped，beforetheglass，hiswetmoustache。\"Isee。ButthismorningIhadanimpulse。\"
\"Itwasbeautiful。Buttheymakemeasuneasy，sometimes，yourimpulses，asiftheywerecalculations;makemewonderwhatyouhaveinreserve。\"
\"Becausewhensmallchildrenaretooawfullygoodtheydie？Well，IAMasmallchildcomparedtoyou——butI’mnotdeadyet。Iclingtolife。\"
Hehadcoveredherwithhissmile，butshecontinuedgrave。\"I’mnothalfsomuchafraidwhenyou’renasty。\"
\"Thankyou！Whatthendidyoudo，\"heasked，\"withmynote？\"
\"YoudeservethatIshouldhavespreaditoutonmydressing-table——
orleftit，betterstill，inMaudBlessingbourne’sroom。\"
Hewonderedwhilehelaughed。\"OhbutwhatdoesSHEdeserve？\"
Itwashergravitythatcontinuedtoanswer。\"Yes——itwouldprobablykillher。\"
\"Shebelievessoinyou？\"
\"ShebelievessoinYOU。Sodon’tbeTOOnicetoher。\"
Hewasstilllooking，inthechimney-glass，atthestateofhisbeard——brushingfromit，withhishandkerchief，thetracesofwindandwet。\"IfshealsothenprefersmewhenI’mnastyitseemstomeIoughttosatisfyher。ShallInowatanyrateseeher？\"
\"She’ssolikeapeaonapanoverthepossibilityofitthatshe’spullingherselftogetherinherroom。\"
\"Ohthenwemusttryandkeephertogether。Butwhy，gracefultender，prettytoo——quiteoralmostassheis——doesn’tshere-
marry？\"
Mrs。Dyottappeared——andasifthefirsttime——tolookforthereason。\"Becauseshelikestoomanymen。\"
Itkeptuphisspirits。\"AndhowmanyMAYaladylike——？\"
\"Inordernottolikeanyofthemtoomuch？Ahthat，youknow，I
neverfoundout——andit’stoolatenow。When，\"shepresentlypursued，\"didyoulastseeher？\"
Hereallyhadtothink。\"WouldithavebeensincelastNovemberorso？——somewhereorotherwherewespentthreedays。\"
\"OhatSurredge？Iknowallaboutthat。Ithoughtyoualsometafterwards。\"
Hehadagaintorecall。\"Sowedid！Wouldn’tithavebeensomewhereatChristmas？Butitwasn’tbyarrangement！\"helaughed，givingwithhisforefingeralittlepleasantnicktohishostess’schin。Thenasifsomethinginthewayshereceivedthisattentionputhimbacktohisquestionofamomentbefore：\"Haveyoukeptmynote？\"
Sheheldhimwithherprettyeyes。\"Doyouwantitback？\"
\"Ahdon’tspeakasifIdidtakethings——！\"
Shedroppedhergazetothefire。\"No，youdon’t;noteventhehardthingsareallygenerousnatureoftenwould。\"Shequitted，however，asiftoforgetthat，thechimney-place。\"IputitTHERE！\"
\"You’veburntit？Good！\"Itmadehimeasier，buthenoticedthenextmomentonatablethelemon-colouredvolumelefttherebyMrs。
Blessingbourne，and，takingitupforalook，immediatelyputitdown。\"Youmightwhileyouwereaboutithaveburntthattoo。\"
\"You’vereadit？\"
\"Dearyes。Andyou？\"
\"No，\"saidMrs。Dyott;\"itwasn’tformeMaudbroughtit。\"
Itpulledhervisitorup。\"Mrs。Blessingbournebroughtit？\"
\"Forsuchadayasthis。\"Butshewondered。\"Howyoulook！Isitsoawful？\"
\"Ohlikehisothers。\"Somethinghadoccurredtohim;histhoughtwasalreadyfar。\"Doessheknow？\"
\"Knowwhat？\"
\"Whyanything。\"
ButthedooropenedtoosoonforMrs。Dyott，whocouldonlymurmurquickly——\"Takecare！\"
CHAPTERII
ItwasinfactMrs。Blessingbourne，whohadunderherarmthebookshehadgoneupfor——apairofcoversshowingthistimeapretty，acandidblue。Shewasfollowednextminutebytheservant，whobroughtintea，theconsumptionofwhich，withthepassageofgreetings，inquiriesandotherlightcivilitiesbetweenthetwovisitors，occupiedaquarterofanhour。Mrs。Dyottmeanwhile，asacontributiontosomuchamenity，mentionedtoMaudthatherfellowguestwishedtoscoldherforthebookssheread——astatementmetbythisfriendwiththeremarkthathemustfirstbesureaboutthem。Butassoonashehadpickedupthenew，thebluevolumehebrokeoutintoafrank\"Dear，dear！\"
\"Haveyoureadthattoo？\"Mrs。Dyottinquired。\"Howmuchyou’llhavetotalkovertogether！Theotherone，\"sheexplainedtohim，\"Maudspeaksofasterriblytame。\"
\"AhImusthavethatoutwithher！Youdon’tfeeltheextraordinaryforceofthefellow？\"VoytwentontoMrs。
Blessingbourne。
Andso，roundthehearth，theytalked——talkedsoon，whiletheywarmedtheirtoes，withzestenoughtomakeitseemashappyachanceasanyofthequieteropportunitiestheirimprisonmentmighthaveinvolved。Mrs。Blessingbournedidfeel，itthenappeared，theforceofthefellow，butshehadherreservesandreactions，inwhichVoytwasmuchinterested。Mrs。Dyottratherdetachedherself，mainlygazing，assheleanedback，atthefire;sheintervened，however，enoughtorelieveMaudofthesenseofbeinglistenedto。Thatsense，withMaud，wastooapttoconveythatonewaslistenedtoforafool。\"Yes，whenIreadanovelImostlyreadaFrenchone，\"shehadsaidtoVoytinanswertoaquestionaboutherusualpractice;\"forIseemwithittogetholdmoreoftherealthing——togetmorelifeformymoney。OnlyI’mnotsoinfatuatedwiththembutthatsometimesformonthsandmonthsonendIdon’treadanyfictionatall。\"
Thetwobookswerenowtogetherbesidethem。\"Thenwhenyoubeginagainyoureadamass？\"
\"Dearno。Ionlykeepupwiththreeorfourauthors。\"
Helaughedatthisoverthecigarettehehadbeenallowedtolight。
\"Ilikeyour’keepingup，’andkeepingupinparticularwith’authors。’\"
\"Onemustkeepupwithsomebody，\"Mrs。Dyottthrewoff。
\"IdaresayI’mridiculous，\"Mrs。Blessingbourneconcededwithoutheedingit;\"butthat’sthewayweexpressourselvesinmypartofthecountry。\"
\"Ionlyalluded，\"saidVoyt，\"tothetremendousconscienceofyoursex。It’smorethanminecankeepupwith。Youtakeeverythingtoohard。Butifyoucan’treadthenovelofBritishandAmericanmanufacture，heavenknowsI’matonewithyou。Itseemsreallytoshowoursenseoflifeasthesenseofpuppiesandkittens。\"
\"Well，\"Maudmorepatientlyreturned，\"I’mtoldallsortsofpeoplearenowdoingwonderfulthings;butsomehowIremainoutside。\"
\"Ahit’sTHEY，it’sourpoortwangersandtwaddlerswhoremainoutside。Theypickupalivinginthestreet。Andwhoindeedwouldwantthemin？\"
Mrs。Blessingbourneseemedunabletosay，andyetatthesametimetohaveheridea。Thesubject，intruth，sheevidentlyfound，wasnotsoeasytohandle。\"Peoplelendmethings，andItry;butattheendoffiftypages——\"
\"Thereyouare！Yes——heavenhelpus！\"
\"ButwhatImean，\"shewenton，\"isn’tthatIdon’tgetwoefullywearyoftheeternalFrenchthing。What’sTHEIRsenseoflife？\"
\"Ahvoila！\"Mrs。Dyottsoftlysounded。
\"OhbutitISone;youcanmakeitout，\"Voytpromptlydeclared。
\"Theydowhattheyfeel，andtheyfeelmorethingsthanwe。Theystrikesomanymorenotes，andwithsodifferentahand。Whenitcomestoanyaccountofarelationsaybetweenamanandawoman——I
meananintimateoracuriousorasuggestiveone——wherearewecomparedtothem？Theydon’texhaustthesubject，nodoubt，\"headmitted;\"butwedon’ttouchit，don’tevenskimit。It’sasifwedenieditsexistence，itspossibility。You’lldoubtlesstellme，however，\"hewenton，\"thatasallsuchrelationsAREforusatthemostmuchsimplerwecanonlyhaveallroundlesstosayaboutthem。\"
Shemetthisimputationwiththequickestamusement。\"Ibegyourpardon。Idon’tthinkIshalltellyouanythingofthesort。I
don’tknowthatIevenagreewithyourpremiss。\"
\"Aboutsuchrelations？\"Helookedagreeablysurprised。\"Youthinkwemakethemlarger？——orsubtler？\"
Mrs。Blessingbourneleanedback，notlooking，likeMrs。Dyott，atthefire，butattheceiling。\"Idon’tknowwhatIthink。\"
\"It’snotthatshedoesn’tknow，\"Mrs。Dyottremarked。\"It’sonlythatshedoesn’tsay。\"
ButVoythadthistimenoeyefortheirhostess。ForamomenthewatchedMaud。\"Itsticksoutofyou，youknow，thatyou’veyourselfwrittensomething。Haven’tyou——andpublished？I’veanotionIcouldreadYOU。\"
\"WhenIdopublish，\"shesaidwithoutmoving，\"you’llbethelastoneIshalltell。IHAVE，\"shewenton，\"alovelysubject，butitwouldtakeanamountoftreatment——！\"
\"Tellusthenatleastwhatitis。\"
Atthissheagainmethiseyes。\"Ohtotellitwouldbetoexpressit，andthat’sjustwhatIcan’tdo。WhatImeanttosayjustnow，\"sheadded，\"wasthattheFrench，tomysense，giveusonlyagainandagain，foreverandever，thesamecouple。Theretheyareoncemore，asonehashadthemtosatiety，inthatyellowthing，andthereIshallcertainlyagainfindthemintheblue。\"
\"Thenwhydoyoukeepreadingaboutthem？\"Mrs。Dyottdemanded。
Maudcastabout。\"Idon’t！\"shesighed。\"Atallevents，Ishan’tanymore。Igiveitup。\"
\"You’vebeenlookingforsomething，Ijudge，\"saidColonelVoyt，\"thatyou’renotlikelytofind。Itdoesn’texist。\"
\"Whatisit？\"Mrs。Dyottdesiredtoknow。
\"Ineverlook，\"Maudremarked，\"foranythingbutaninterest。\"
\"Naturally。Butyourinterest，\"Voytreplied，\"isinsomethingdifferentfromlife。\"
\"Ahnotabit！ILOVElifeinart，thoughIhateitanywhereelse。