第1章
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  INMEMORYOFMANYHOTDAYSANDSOMEHOTCORNERS

  THISBOOKISDEDICATEDTO

  LT-COL。ARTHURH。LEE,R。A。

  BritishMilitaryAttachewiththeUnitedStatesArmyContentsTHELIONANDTHEUNICORN

  ONTHEFEVERSHIP

  THEMANWITHONETALENT

  THEVAGRANT

  THELASTRIDETOGETHER

  THELIONANDTHEUNICORN

  Prentisshadalongleaseonthehouse,andbecauseitstoodinJermynStreettheupperfloorswere,asamatterofcourse,turnedintolodgingsforsinglegentlemen;andbecausePrentisswasaFloristtotheQueen,heplacedalionandunicornoverhisflowershop,justinfrontofthemiddlewindowonthefirstfloor。Bystretchingalittle,eachofthemcouldseeintothewindowjustbeyondhim,andcouldhearallthatwassaidinside;

  andsuchthingsastheysawandheardduringthereignofCaptainCarrington,whomovedinatthesametimetheydid!Bydaythetableinthecentreoftheroomwascoveredwithmaps,andtheCaptainsatwithaboxofpins,withdifferent-coloredflagswrappedaroundthem,andamusedhimselfbystickingtheminthemapsandmeasuringthespacesinbetween,swearingmeanwhiletohimself。Itwasaselfishamusement,butitappearedtobetheCaptain’sonlyintellectualpursuit,foratnight,themapswererolledup,andagreenclothwasspreadacrossthetable,andtherewasmuchcompanyandpoppingofsoda-bottles,andlittleheapsofgoldandsilverweremovedthiswayandthatacrossthecloth。Thesmokedriftedoutoftheopenwindows,andthelaughteroftheCaptain’sguestsrangoutloudlyintheemptystreet,sothatthepolicemanhaltedandraisedhiseyesreprovinglytothelightedwindows,andcabmendrewupbeneaththemandlayinwait,dozingontheirfoldedarms,fortheCaptain’sgueststodepart。TheLionandtheUnicornwereratherashamedofthescandalofit,andtheyweregladwhen,oneday,theCaptainwentawaywithhistinboxesandgun-casespiledhighonafour-wheeler。

  Prentissstoodonthesidewalkandsaid:\"Iwishyougoodluck,sir。\"AndtheCaptainsaid:\"I’mcomingbackaMajor,Prentiss。\"Buthenevercameback。Andoneday——theLionrememberedthedayverywell,foronthatsamedaythenewsboysranupanddownJermynStreetshoutingoutthenewsof\"a’orribledisaster\"totheBritisharms。Itwasthenthatayoungladycametothedoorinahansom,andPrentisswentouttomeetherandledherupstairs。TheyheardhimunlocktheCaptain’sdoorandsay,\"Thisishisroom,miss,\"andafterhehadgonetheywatchedherstandingquitestillbythecentretable。Shestoodthereforaverylongtimelookingslowlyabouther,andthenshetookaphotographoftheCaptainfromtheframeonthemantelandslippeditintoherpocket,andwhenshewentoutagainherveilwasdown,andshewascrying。ShemusthavegivenPrentissasmuchasasovereign,forhecalledher\"Yourladyship,\"whichheneverdidunderasovereign。

  Andshedroveoff,andtheyneversawheragaineither,norcouldtheyheartheaddressshegavethecabman。ButitwassomewhereupSt。John’sWoodway。

  Afterthattheroomswereemptyforsomemonths,andtheLionandtheUnicornwereforcedtoamusethemselveswiththebeautifulladiesandsmart-lookingmenwhocametoPrentisstobuyflowersand\"buttonholes,\"andthelittleroundbasketsofstrawberries,andeventhepeachesatthreeshillingseach,whichlookedsotemptingastheylayinthewindow,wrappedupincotton-wool,likejewelsofgreatprice。

  ThenPhilipCarroll,theAmericangentleman,came,andtheyheardPrentisstellinghimthatthoseroomshadalwaysletforfiveguineasaweek,whichtheyknewwasnottrue;buttheyalsoknewthatintheeconomyofnationstheremustalwaysbeahigherpricefortherichAmerican,orelsewhywashegiventhatstrangeaccent,excepttobetrayhimintothehandsoftheLondonshopkeeper,andtheLondoncabby?

  TheAmericanwalkedtothewindowtowardthewest,whichwasthewindownearesttheLion,andlookedoutintothegraveyardofSt。

  James’sChurch,thatstretchedbetweentheirstreetandPiccadilly。

  \"You’reluckyinhavingabitofgreentolookouton,\"hesaidtoPrentiss。\"I’lltaketheserooms——atfiveguineas。That’smorethanthey’reworth,youknow,butasIknowit,too,yourconscienceneedn’ttroubleyou。\"

  ThenhiseyesfellontheLion,andhenoddedtohimgravely。

  \"Howdoyoudo?\"hesaid。\"I’mcomingtolivewithyouforalittletime。Ihavereadaboutyouandyourfriendsoverthere。

  Itisahazardofnewfortuneswithme,yourMajesty,sobekindtome,andifIwin,Iwillputanewcoatofpaintonyourshieldandgildyoualloveragain。\"

  PrentisssmiledobsequiouslyattheAmerican’spleasantry,butthenewlodgeronlystaredathim。

  \"Heseemedasocialgentleman,\"saidtheUnicorn,thatnight,whentheLionandheweretalkingitover。\"NowtheCaptain,thewholetimehewashere,nevergaveussomuchasalook。Thisonesayshehasreadofus。\"

  \"Andwhynot?\"growledtheLion。\"IhopePrentissheardwhathesaidofourneedinganewlayerofgilt。It’sdisgraceful。YoucanseethatLionoverScarlett’s,thebutcher,asfarasRegentStreet,andScarlettisonlyoneofSalisbury’screations。HereceivedhisLetters-Patentonlytwoyearsback。WedatefromPalmerston。\"

  Thelodgercameupthestreetjustatthatmoment,andstoppedandlookedupattheLionandtheUnicornfromthesidewalk,beforeheopenedthedoorwithhisnight-key。Theyheardhimentertheroomandfeelonthemantelforhispipe,andamomentlaterheappearedattheLion’swindowandleanedonthesill,lookingdownintothestreetbelowandblowingwhiffsofsmokeupintothewarmnight-air。

  ItwasanightinJune,andthepavementsweredryunderfootandthestreetswerefilledwithwell-dressedpeople,goinghomefromtheplay,andwithgroupsofmeninblackandwhite,makingtheirwaytosupperattheclubs。Hansomsofinky-black,withshininglampsinsideandout,dashednoiselesslypastonmysteriouserrands,chasingcloseoneachother’sheelsonamadrace,eachtoitsseparategoal。Fromthecrossstreetsrosethenoisesofearlynight,therumbleofthe’buses,thecreakingoftheirbrakes,astheyunlocked,thecriesofthe\"extras,\"andthemergingofthousandsofhumanvoicesinadullmurmur。ThegreatworldofLondonwasclosingitsshuttersforthenight,andputtingoutthelights;andthenewlodgerfromacrossthesealistenedtoitwithhisheartbeatingquickly,andlaughedtostiflethetouchoffearandhomesicknessthatroseinhim。

  \"Ihaveseenagreatplayto-night,\"hesaidtotheLion,\"noblyplayedbygreatplayers。Whatwilltheycareformypoorwares?

  IseethatIhavebeenover-bold。Butwecannotgobacknow——notyet。\"

  Heknockedtheashesoutofhispipe,andnodded\"good-night\"tothegreatworldbeyondhiswindow。\"Whatfortunesliewithye,yelightsofLondontown?\"hequoted,smiling。Andtheyheardhimclosethedoorofhisbedroom,andlockitforthenight。

  ThenextmorningheboughtmanygeraniumsfromPrentissandplacedthemalongthebroadcornicethatstretchedacrossthefrontofthehouseovertheshopwindow。TheflowersmadeabandofscarletoneithersideoftheLionasbrilliantasaTommy’sjacket。

  \"IamtryingtopropitiatetheBritishLionbyplacingflowersbeforehisaltar,\"theAmericansaidthatmorningtoavisitor。

  \"TheBritishpublicyoumean,\"saidthevisitor;\"theyareeachlikelytotearyoutopieces。\"

  \"Yes,Ihaveheardthatthepitonthefirstnightofabadplayissomethingawful,\"hazardedtheAmerican。

  \"Waitandsee,\"saidthevisitor。

  \"Thankyou,\"saidtheAmerican,meekly。

  Everyonewhocametothefirstfloorfronttalkedaboutaplay。

  ItseemedtobesomethingofgreatmomenttotheAmerican。Itwasonlyabundleofleavesprintedinredandblackinksandboundinbrownpapercovers。Thereweretwoofthem,andtheAmericancalledthembydifferentnames:onewashiscomedyandonewashistragedy。

  \"Theyarebothlikelytobetragedies,\"theLionheardoneofthevisitorssaytoanother,astheydroveawaytogether。\"Ouryoungfriendtakesittooseriously。\"

  TheAmericanspentmostofhistimebyhisdeskatthewindowwritingonlittlebluepadsandtearingupwhathewrote,orinreadingoveroneoftheplaystohimselfinaloudvoice。Intimethenumberofhisvisitorsincreased,andtosomeofthesehewouldreadhisplay;andaftertheyhadlefthimhewaseitherdepressedandsilentorexcitedandjubilant。TheLioncouldalwaystellwhenhewashappybecausethenhewouldgotothesidetableandpourhimselfoutadrinkandsay,\"Here’stome,\"butwhenhewasdepressedhewouldstandholdingtheglassinhishand,andfinallypourtheliquorbackintothebottleagainandsay,\"What’stheuseofthat?\"

  AfterhehadbeeninLondonamonthhewrotelessandwasmorefrequentlyabroad,sallyingforthinbeautifulraiment,andcominghomebydaylight。

  Andhegavesupperstoo,buttheywerelessnoisythantheCaptain’shadbeen,andthewomenwhocametothemweremuchmorebeautiful,andtheirvoiceswhentheyspokeweresweetandlow。

  Sometimesoneofthewomensang,andthemensatinsilencewhilethepeopleinthestreetbelowstoppedtolisten,andwouldsay,\"Why,thatisSo-and-Sosinging,\"andtheLionandtheUnicornwonderedhowtheycouldknowwhoitwaswhentheycouldnotseeher。

  Thelodger’svisitorscametoseehimatallhours。Theyseemedtoregardhisroomsasaclub,wheretheycouldalwayscomeforabitetoeatortowritenotes;andotherstreateditlikealawyer’sofficeandaskedadviceonallmannerofstrangesubjects。SometimesthevisitorwantedtoknowwhethertheAmericanthoughtsheoughttotakeL?0aweekandgoontour,orstayintownandtrytoliveonL?;orwhethersheshouldpaintlandscapesthatwouldnotsell,orracehorsesthatwould;orwhetherReggiereallylovedherandwhethershereallylovedReggie;orwhetherthenewpartinthepieceattheCourtwasbetterthantheoldpartatTerry’s,andwasn’tshegettingtoooldtoplay\"ingenues\"anyway。

  Thelodgerseemedtobeageneraladviser,andsmokedandlistenedwithgraveconsideration,andtheUnicornthoughthisjudgmentwasmostsympatheticandsensible。

  OfallthebeautifulladieswhocametocallonthelodgertheonetheUnicornlikedthebestwastheonewhowantedtoknowwhethershelovedReggieandwhetherReggielovedher。ShediscussedthissointerestinglywhilesheconsumedteaandthinslicesofbreadthattheUnicornalmostlosthisbalanceinleaningforwardtolisten。HernamewasMarionCavendishanditwaswrittenovermanyphotographswhichstoodinsilverframesinthelodger’srooms。Sheusedtomaketheteaherself,whilethelodgersatandsmoked;andshehadafascinatingwayofdoublingthethinslicesofbreadintolongstripsandnibblingatthemlikeamouseatapieceofcheese。ShehadwonderfullittleteethandCupid’s-bowlips,andshehadafashionofliftingherveilonlyhighenoughforonetoseethetwoCupid-bowlips。

  WhenshedidthattheAmericanusedtolaugh,atnothingapparently,andsay,\"Oh,IguessReggielovesyouwellenough。\"

  \"ButdoIloveReggie?\"shewouldasksadly,withhertea-cupheldpoisedinair。

  \"IamsureIhopenot,\"thelodgerwouldreply,andshewouldputdowntheveilquickly,asonewoulddropacurtainoverabeautifulpicture,andrisewithgreatdignityandsay,\"ifyoutalklikethatIshallnotcomeagain。\"

  ShewassurethatifshecouldonlygetsomeworktodoherheadwouldbefilledwithmoreimportantmattersthanwhetherReggielovedherornot。

  \"Butthemanagersseeminclinedtocuttheircavendishveryfinejustatpresent,\"shesaid。\"IfIdon’tgetapartsoon,\"sheannounced,\"IshallaskMitchelltoputmedownonthelistforrecitationsateveningparties。\"

  \"Thatseemsadesperaterevenge,\"saidtheAmerican;\"andbesides,Idon’twantyoutogetapart,becausesomeonemightbeidioticenoughtotakemycomedy,andifheshould,youmustplayNancy。\"

  \"IwouldnotaskforanysalaryifIcouldplayNancy,\"MissCavendishanswered。

  Theyspokeofagreatmanythings,buttheirtalkalwaysendedbyhersayingthattheremustbesomeonewithsufficientsensetoseethathisplaywasagreatplay,andbyhissayingthatnonebutshemustplayNancy。

  TheLionpreferredthetallgirlwithmassesandfoldsofbrownhair,whocamefromAmericatopaintminiaturesoftheBritisharistocracy。HernamewasHelenCabot,andhelikedherbecauseshewassobraveandfearless,andsodeterminedtobeindependentofeveryone,evenofthelodger——especiallyofthelodger,whoitappearedhadknownherverywellathome。Thelodger,theygathered,didnotwishhertobeindependentofhimandthetwoAmericanshadmanyargumentsanddisputesaboutit,butshealwayssaid,\"Itdoesnogood,Philip;itonlyhurtsusbothwhenyoutalkso。Icarefornothing,andfornoonebutmyart,and,poorasitis,itmeanseverythingtome,andyoudonot,and,ofcourse,themanIamtomarry,must。\"ThenCarrollwouldtalk,walkingupanddown,andlookingveryfierceanddetermined,andtellingherhowhelovedherinsuchawaythatitmadeherlookevenmoreproudandbeautiful。Andshewouldsaymoregently,\"Itisveryfinetothinkthatanyonecancareforlikethat,andveryhelpful。ButunlessIcaredinthesamewayitwouldbewickedofmetomarryyou,andbesides——\"Shewouldaddveryquicklytopreventhisspeakingagain——\"Idon’twanttomarryyouoranybody,andInevershall。Iwanttobefreeandtosucceedinmywork,justasyouwanttosucceedinyourwork。Sopleaseneverspeakofthisagain。\"Whenshewentawaythelodgerusedtositsmokinginthebigarm-chairandbeatthearmswithhishands,andhewouldpaceupanddowntheroomwhilehisworkwouldlieuntouchedandhisengagementspassforgotten。

  SummercameandLondonwasdeserted,dull,anddusty,butthelodgerstayedoninJermynStreet。HelenCabothaddepartedonaroundofvisitstocountryhousesinScotland,where,asshewrotehim,shewaspaintingminiaturesofherhostsandstudyingthegameofgolf。MissCavendishdividedherdaysbetweentheriverandoneoftheWestEndtheatres。Shewasplayingasmallpartinafarce-comedy。

  OnedayshecameupfromCookhamearlierthanusual,lookingverybeautifulinawhiteboatingfrockandastrawhatwithaLeanderribbon。Herhandsandarmswerehardwithdraggingapuntingpoleandshewassunburntandhappy,andhungryfortea。

  \"Whydon’tyoucomedowntoCookhamandgetoutofthisheat?\"

  MissCavendishasked。\"Youneedit;youlookill。\"

  \"I’dliketo,butIcan’t,\"saidCarroll。\"Thefactis,Ipaidinadvancefortheserooms,andifIlivedanywhereelseI’dbelosingfiveguineasaweekonthem。\"

  MissCavendishregardedhimseverely。ShehadneverquitemasteredhisAmericanhumor。

  \"Butfiveguineas——whythat’snothingtoyou,\"shesaid。

  Somethinginthelodger’sfacemadeherpause。\"Youdon’tmean————\"

  \"Yes,Ido,\"saidthelodger,smiling。\"Yousee,IstartedintolaysiegetoLondonwithoutsufficientammunition。Londonisalargetown,anditdidn’tfallasquicklyasIthoughtitwould。

  SoIameconomizing。Mr。Lockhart’sCoffeeRoomsandIarenolongerstrangers。\"

  MissCavendishputdownhercupofteauntastedandleanedtowardhim\"Areyouinearnest?\"sheasked。\"Forhowlong?\"

  \"Oh,forthelastmonth,\"repliedthelodger;\"theyarenotatallbad——cleanandwholesomeandallthat。\"

  \"Butthesuppersyougaveus,andthis,\"shecried,suddenly,wavingherhandsovertheprettytea-things,\"andthecakeandmuffins?\"

  \"Myfriends,atleast,\"saidCarroll,\"neednotgotoLockhart’s。\"

  \"AndtheSavoy?\"askedMissCavendish,mournfullyshakingherhead。

  \"Adreamofthepast,\"saidCarroll,wavinghispipethroughthesmoke。\"Gatti’s?Yes,onspecialoccasions;butfornecessity,theChancellor’s,whereonegetsapieceoftheprimeroastbeefofOldEngland,fromChicago,andpotatoesforninepence——apotofbittertwopence-halfpenny,andapennyforthewaiter。It’smostamusingonthewhole。IamlearningalittleaboutLondon,andsomethingsaboutmyself。Theyarebothmostinterestingsubjects。\"

  \"Well,Idon’tlikeit,\"MissCavendishdeclaredhelplessly。

  \"WhenIthinkofthosesuppersandtheflowers,Ifeel——Ifeellikearobber。\"

  \"Don’t,\"beggedCarroll。\"Iamreallythemosthappyofmen——

  thatis,asthechapsaysintheplay,IwouldbeifIwasn’tsodamnedmiserable。ButIowenomanapennyandIhaveassets——I

  haveL?0tolastmethroughthewinterandtwomarvellousplays;andIlove,nexttoyourself,themostwonderfulwomanGodevermade。That’senough。\"

  \"ButIthoughtyoumadesuchalotofmoneybywriting?\"askedMissCavendish。

  \"Ido——thatis,Icould,\"answeredCarroll,\"ifIwrotethethingsthatsell;butIkeeponwritingplaysthatwon’t。\"

  \"Andsuchplays!\"exclaimedMarion,warmly;\"andtothinkthattheyaregoingbegging。\"Shecontinuedindignantly,\"Ican’timaginewhatthemanagersdowant。\"

  \"Iknowwhattheydon’twant,\"saidtheAmerican。MissCavendishdrummedimpatientlyonthetea-tray。

  \"Iwishyouwouldn’tbesoabjectaboutit,\"shesaid。\"IfI

  wereamanI’dmakethemtakethoseplays。\"

  \"How?\"askedtheAmerican;\"withagun?\"

  \"Well,I’dkeepatituntiltheyreadthem,\"declaredMarion。

  \"I’dsitontheirfrontstepsallnightandI’dfollowthemincabs,andI’dlieinwaitforthematthestage-door。I’djustmakethemtakethem。\"

  Carrollsighedandstaredattheceiling。\"IguessI’llgiveupandgohome,\"hesaid。

  \"Oh,yes,do,runawaybeforeyouarebeaten,\"saidMissCavendish,scornfully。\"Why,youcan’tgonow。Everybodywillbebackintownsoon,andtherearealotofnewplayscomingon,andsomeofthemaresuretobefailures,andthat’sourchance。

  Yourushinwithyourpieceandsomebodymaytakeitsoonerthanclosethetheatre。\"

  \"I’mthinkingofclosingthetheatremyself,\"saidCarroll。

  \"What’stheuseofmyhangingonhere?\"heexclaimed。\"ItdistressesHelentoknowIaminLondon,feelingaboutherasI

  do——andtheLordonlyknowshowitdistressesme。And,maybe,ifIwentaway,\"hesaid,consciously,\"shemightmissme。Shemightseethedifference。\"

  MissCavendishheldherselferectandpressedherlipstogetherwithaseveresmile。\"IfHelenCabotdoesn’tseethedifferencebetweenyouandtheothermensheknowsnow,\"shesaid,\"Idoubtifsheeverwill。Besides——\"shecontinued,andthenhesitated。

  \"Well,goon,\"urgedCarroll。

  \"Well,Iwasonlygoingtosay,\"sheexplained,\"thatleavingthegirlaloneneverdidthemananygoodunlessheleftheralonewillingly。Ifshe’ssurehestillcares,it’sjustthesametoherwhereheis。HemightaswellstayoninLondonasgotoSouthAfrica。Itwon’thelphimany。Thedifferencecomeswhenshefindshehasstoppedcaring。Why,lookatReggie。Hetriedthat。Hewentawayforeversolong,buthekeptwritingmefromwhereverhewent,sothathewasperfectlymiserable——andIwentonenjoyingmyself。Thenwhenhecameback,hetriedgoingaboutwithhisoldfriendsagain。Heusedtocometothetheatrewiththem——oh,withsuchnicegirls——buthealwaysstoodinthebackoftheboxandyawnedandscowled——soIknew。And,anyway,he’dalwaysspoilitallbyleavingthemandwaitingatthestageentranceforme。ButonedayhegottiredofthewayItreatedhimandwentoffonabicycletourwithLadyHacksher’sgirlsandsomemenfromhisregiment,andhewasgonethreeweeksandneversentmeevenaline;andIgotsoscared;Icouldn’tsleep,andIstooditforthreedaysmore,andthenIwiredhimtocomebackorI’djumpoffLondonBridge;andhecamebackthatverynightfromEdinburghontheexpress,andIwassogladtoseehimthatIgotconfused,andinthegeneralexcitementIpromisedtomarryhim,sothat’showitwaswithus。\"

  \"Yes,\"saidtheAmerican,withoutenthusiasm;\"butthenIstillcare,andHelenknowsIcare。\"

  \"Doesn’tsheeverfancythatyoumightcareforsomeoneelse?

  Youhavealotoffriends,youknow。\"

  \"Yes,butsheknowstheyarejustthat——friends,\"saidtheAmerican。

  MissCavendishstooduptogo,andarrangedherveilbeforethemirrorabovethefireplace。

  \"Icomehereveryoftentotea,\"shesaid。

  \"It’sverykindofyou,\"saidCarroll。Hewasattheopenwindow,lookingdownintothestreetforacab。

  \"Well,nooneknowsIamengagedtoReggie,\"continuedMissCavendish,\"exceptyouandReggie,andheisn’tsosure。SHE

  doesn’tknowit。\"

  \"Well?\"saidCarroll。

  MissCavendishsmiledamischievouskindlysmileathimfromthemirror。

  \"Well?\"sherepeated,mockingly。Carrollstaredatherandlaughed。Afterapausehesaid:\"It’slikeaplotinacomedy。

  ButI’mafraidI’mtooseriousforplay-acting。\"

  \"Yes,itisserious,\"saidMissCavendish。SheseatedherselfagainandregardedtheAmericanthoughtfully。\"Youaretoogoodamantobetreatedthewaythatgirlistreatingyou,andnooneknowsitbetterthanshedoes。She’llchangeintime,butjustnowshethinksshewantstobeindependent。She’sinlovewiththispicture-paintingidea,andwiththepeopleshemeets。It’sallnewtoher——thefusstheymakeoverherandthetitles,andthewaysheisaskedabout。Weknowshecan’tpaint。Weknowtheyonlygivehercommissionsbecauseshe’ssoyoungandpretty,andAmerican。Sheamusesthem,that’sall。Well,thatcannotlast;she’llfinditout。She’stoocleveragirl,andsheistoofineagirltobecontentwiththatlong。Then——thenshe’llcomebacktoyou。Shefeelsnowthatshehasbothyouandtheothers,andshe’smakingyouwait:sowaitandbecheerful。

  She’sworthwaitingfor;she’syoung,that’sall。She’llseethedifferenceintime。But,inthemeanwhile,itwouldhurrymattersabitifshethoughtshehadtochoosebetweenthenewfriendsandyou。\"

  \"Shecouldstillkeepherfriends,andmarryme,\"saidCarroll;

  \"Ihavetoldherthatahundredtimes。Shecouldstillpaintminiaturesandmarryme。Butshewon’tmarryme。\"

  \"Shewon’tmarryyoubecausesheknowsshecanwhenevershewantsto;\"criedMarion。\"Can’tyouseethat?Butifshethoughtyouweregoingtomarrysomeoneelsenow?\"

  \"Shewouldbethefirsttocongratulateme,\"saidCarroll。Heroseandwalkedtothefireplace,whereheleanedwithhisarmonthemantel。TherewasaphotographofHelenCabotnearhishand,andheturnedthistowardhimandstoodforsometimestaringatit。\"MydearMarion,\"hesaidatlast,\"I’veknownHeleneversinceshewasasyoungasthat。EveryyearI’velovedhermore,andfoundnewthingsinhertocarefor;nowIlovehermorethananyothermaneverlovedanyotherwoman。\"

  MissCavendishshookherheadsympathetically。

  \"Yes,Iknow,\"shesaid;\"that’sthewayReggielovesme,too。\"

  Carrollwentonasthoughhehadnotheardher。

  \"There’sabenchinSt。James’sPark,\"hesaid,\"whereweusedtositwhenshefirstcamehere,whenshedidn’tknowsomanypeople。Weusedtogothereinthemorningandthrowpennybunstotheducks。That’sbeenmyamusementthissummersinceyou’veallbeenaway——sittingonthatbench,feedingpennybunstothesillyducks——especiallytheblackone,theonesheusedtolikebest。AndImakepilgrimagestoalltheotherplacesweevervisitedtogether,andtrytopretendsheiswithme。AndI

  supportthecrossingsweeperatLansdownePassagebecausesheoncesaidshefeltsorryforhim。Idoalltheotherabsurdthingsthatamaninlovetortureshimselfbydoing。Buttowhatend?SheknowshowIcare,andyetshewon’tseewhywecan’tgoonbeingfriendsasweoncewere。What’stheuseofitall?\"

  \"Sheisyoung,Itellyou,\"repeatedMissCavendish,\"andshe’stoosureofyou。You’vetoldheryoucare;nowtrymakingherthinkyoudon’tcare。\"

  Carrollshookhisheadimpatiently。

  \"Iwillnotstooptosuchtricksandpretence,Marion,\"hecriedimpatiently。\"AllIhaveismyloveforher;ifIhavetocheatandtotrapherintocaring,thewholethingwouldbedegraded。\"

  MissCavendishshruggedhershouldersandwalkedtothedoor。

  \"Suchamateurs!\"sheexclaimed,andbangedthedoorafterher。

  CarrollneverquiteknewhowhehadcometomakeaconfidanteofMissCavendish。HelenandhehadmetherwhentheyfirstarrivedinLondon,andasshehadactedforaseasonintheUnitedStates,sheadoptedthetwoAmericans——andtoldHelenwheretogoforbootsandhats,andadvisedCarrollaboutplacinghisplays。

  Helensoonmadeotherfriends,anddesertedtheartists,withwhomherworkhadfirstthrownher。Sheseemedtopreferthesocietyofthepeoplewhoboughtherpaintings,andwhoadmiredandmademuchofthepainter。Asshewasverybeautifulandatanagewhensheenjoyedeverythinginlifekeenlyandeagerly,togiveherpleasurewasinitselfadistinctpleasure;andtheworldlytiredpeopleshemetwereconsideringtheirownentertainmentquiteasmuchasherswhentheyaskedhertotheirdinnersanddances,ortospendaweekwiththeminthecountry。Inherway,shewasasindependentaswasCarrollinhis,andasshewasnotinlove,ashewas,herlifewasnotnarroweddowntobutoneideal。Butshewasnotsoyoungastoconsiderherselfinfallible,andshehadoneexcellentfriendonwhomshewasdependentforadviceandtowhosedirectionsshesubmittedimplicitly。ThiswasLadyGower,theonlypersontowhomHelenhadspokenofCarrollandofhisgreatfeelingforher。LadyGower,immediatelyafterhermarriage,hadbeenaconspicuousandbrilliantfigureinthatsetinLondonwhichworkseighteenhoursadaytokeepitselfamused,butafterthedeathofherhusbandshehaddisappearedintothecountryascompletelyasthoughshehadenteredaconvent,andafterseveralyearshadthenre-enteredtheworldasaprofessionalphilanthropist。HernamewasnowassociatedentirelywithWomen’sLeagues,withcommitteesthatpresentedpetitionstoParliament,andwithpublicmeetings,atwhichshespokewithmarvellouseaseandeffect。Heroldfriendssaidshehadtakenupthisnewposeasanoutletforhernervousenergies,andasanefforttoforgetthemanwhoalonehadmadelifeserioustoher。

  Othersknewherasanearnestwoman,actinghonestlyforwhatshethoughtwasright。Hersuccess,alladmitted,wasduetoherknowledgeoftheworldandtohersenseofhumor,whichtaughtherwithwhomtouseherwealthandposition,andwhentodemandwhatshewantedsolelyonthegroundthatthecausewasjust。

  ShehadtakenmorethanafancyforHelen,andthepositionofthebeautiful,motherlessgirlhadappealedtoherasonefilledwithdangers。WhenshegrewtoknowHelenbetter,sherecognizedthatthesefearswerequiteunnecessary,andasshesawmoreofhershelearnedtocareforherdeeply。HelenhadtoldhermuchofCarrollandofhisdoublepurposeincomingtoLondon;ofhisbrilliantworkandhislackofsuccessinhavingitrecognized;andofhisgreatandloyaldevotiontoher,andofhislackofsuccess,notinhavingthatrecognized,butinherowninabilitytoreturnit。HelenwasproudthatshehadbeenabletomakeCarrollcareforherashedid,andthattherewasanythingaboutherwhichcouldinspireamanwhomsheadmiredsomuch,tobelieveinhersoabsolutelyandforsolongatime。

  Butwhatconvincedherthattheoutcomeforwhichhehopedwasimpossible,wastheveryfactthatshecouldadmirehim,andseehowfineandunselfishhisloveforherwas,andyetremainuntouchedbyit。

  ShehadbeentellingLadyGoweronedayofthecarehehadtakenofhereversinceshewasfourteenyearsofage,andhadquotedsomeofthefriendlyandloverlikeactshehadperformedinherservice,untilonedaytheyhadbothfoundoutthathisattitudeoftheelderbrotherwasnolongerpossible,andthathelovedherintheoldandonlyway。LadyGowerlookedatherratherdoubtfullyandsmiled。

  \"Iwishyouwouldbringhimtoseeme,Helen\"shesaid;\"IthinkIshouldlikeyourfriendverymuch。FromwhatyoutellmeofhimIdoubtifyouwillfindmanysuchmenwaitingforyouinthiscountry。Ourmenmarryforreasonsofproperty,ortheyloveblindly,andareexactingandselfishbeforeandaftertheyaremarried。Iknow,becausesomanywomencametomewhenmyhusbandwasalivetoaskhowitwasthatIcontinuedsohappyinmymarriedlife。\"

  \"ButIdon’twanttomarryanyone,\"Helenremonstratedgently。

  \"Americangirlsarenotalwaysthinkingonlyofgettingmarried。\"

  \"WhatImeantwasthis,\"saidLadyGower,\"that,inmyexperience,Ihaveheardofbutfewmenwhocareinthewaythisyoungmanseemstocareforyou。Yousayyoudonotlovehim;

  butifhehadwantedtogainmyinterest,hecouldnothavepleadedhiscausebetterthanyouhavedone。Heseemstoseeyourfaultsandyetloveyoustill,inspiteofthem——oronaccountofthem。AndIlikethethingshedoesforyou。Ilike,forinstance,hissendingyouthebookofthemomenteveryweekfortwoyears。Thatshowsamostunswervingspiritofdevotion。Andthestoryofthebrokenbridgeinthewoodsisawonderfulstory。IfIwereayounggirl,Icouldloveamanforthatalone。Itwasabeautifulthingtodo。\"

  Helensatwithherchinonherhands,deeplyconsideringthisnewpointofview。

  \"Ithoughtitveryfoolishofhim,\"sheconfessedquestioningly,\"totakesuchariskforsuchalittlething。\"

  LadyGowersmileddownatherfromtheheightofhermanyyears。

  \"Wait,\"shesaiddryly,\"youareveryyoungnow——andveryrich;

  everyoneiscrowdingtogiveyoupleasure,toshowhisadmiration。Youareaveryfortunategirl。Butlater,thesethingswhichsomemanhasdonebecausehelovedyou,andwhichyoucallfoolish,willgrowlargeinyourlife,andshineoutstrongly,andwhenyouarediscouragedandalone,youwilltakethemout,andthememoryofthemwillmakeyouproudandhappy。

  Theyarethehonorswhichwomenwearinsecret。\"

  HelencamebacktotowninSeptember,andforthefirstfewdayswassooccupiedinrefurnishingherstudioandinvisitingtheshopsthatsheneglectedtosendCarrollwordofherreturn。

  Whenshefoundthatawholeweekhadpassedwithoutherhavingmadeanyefforttoseehim,andappreciatedhowthefactwouldhurtherfriend,shewasfilledwithremorse,anddroveatonceingreathastetoJermynStreet,toannounceherreturninperson。Onthewayshedecidedthatshewouldsoftentheblowofherweekofneglectbyaskinghimtotakeherouttoluncheon。

  Thisprivilegeshehadonceortwiceaccordedhim,andshefeltthatthepleasuretheseexcursionsgaveCarrollwereworththeconsternationtheycausedtoLadyGower。

  TheservantwasuncertainwhetherMr。Carrollwasathomeornot,butHelenwastoointentuponmakingrestitutiontowaitforthefacttobedetermined,and,runningupthestairs,knockedsharplyatthedoorofhisstudy。

  Avoicebadehercomein,andsheentered,radiantandsmilingherwelcome。ButCarrollwasnottheretoreceiveit,andinstead,MarionCavendishlookedupatherfromhisdeskwhereshewasbusilywriting。Helenpausedwithasurprisedlaugh,butMarionsprangupandhailedhergladly。Theymethalfwayacrosstheroomandkissedeachotherwiththemostfriendlyfeeling。

  Philipwasout,Marionsaid,andshehadjuststeppedinforamomenttowritehimanote。IfHelenwouldexcuseher,shewouldfinishit,asshewaslateforrehearsal。

  Butsheaskedoverhershoulder,withgreatinterest,ifHelenhadpassedapleasantsummer。Shethoughtshehadneverseenherlookingsowell。HelenthoughtMissCavendishherselfwaslookingverywellalso,butMarionsaidno;thatshewastoosunburnt,shewouldnotbeabletowearadinner-dressforamonth。TherewasapausewhileMarion’squillscratchedviolentlyacrossCarroll’snote-paper。Helenfeltthatinsomewayshewasbeingtreatedasanintruder;orworse,asaguest。

  Shedidnotsitdown,itseemedimpossibletodoso,butshemoveduncertainlyabouttheroom。Shenotedthatthereweremanychanges,itseemedmorebareandempty;herpicturewasstillonthewriting-desk,buttherewereatleastsixnewphotographsofMarion。Marionherselfhadbroughtthemtotheroomthatmorning,andhadcarefullyarrangedtheminconspicuousplaces。ButHelencouldnotknowthat。Shethoughttherewasanunnecessaryamountofwritingscribbledoverthefaceofeach。

  Marionaddressedherletterandwrote\"Immediate\"acrosstheenvelope,andplaceditbeforetheclockonthemantelshelf。

  \"YouwillfindPhiliplookingverybadly,\"shesaid,asshepulledonhergloves。\"Hehasbeenintownallsummer,workingveryhard——hehashadnoholidayatall。Idon’tthinkhe’swell。Ihavebeenagreatdealworriedabouthim,\"sheadded。

  Herfacewasbentoverthebuttonsofherglove,andwhensheraisedherblueeyestoHelentheywerefilledwithseriousconcern。

  \"Really,\"Helenstammered,\"I——Ididn’tknow——inhislettersheseemedverycheerful。\"

  Marionshookherheadandturnedandstoodlookingthoughtfullyoutofthewindow。\"He’sinaveryhardplace,\"shebeganabruptly,andthenstoppedasthoughshehadthoughtbetterofwhatsheintendedtosay。Helentriedtoaskhertogoon,butcouldnotbringherselftodoso。Shewantedtogetaway。

  \"ItellhimheoughttoleaveLondon,\"Marionbeganagain;\"heneedsachangeandarest。\"

  \"Ishouldthinkhemight,\"Helenagreed,\"afterthreemonthsofthisheat。HewrotemeheintendedgoingtoHerneBayorovertoOstend。\"

  \"Yes,hehadmeanttogo,\"Marionanswered。ShespokewiththeairofonewhopossessedthemostintimateknowledgeofCarroll’smovementsandplans,andchangeofplans。\"Buthecouldn’t,\"sheadded。\"Hecouldn’taffordit。Helen,\"shesaid,turningtotheothergirl,dramatically,\"doyouknow——IbelievethatPhilipisverypoor。\"

  MissCabotexclaimedincredulously,\"Poor!\"Shelaughed。\"Why,whatdoyoumean?\"

  \"Imeanthathehasnomoney,\"Marionanswered,sharply。\"Theseroomsrepresentnothing。Heonlykeepsthemonbecausehepaidfortheminadvance。He’sbeenlivingonthreeshillingsaday。

  That’spoorforhim。Hetakeshismealsatcabmen’ssheltersandatLockhart’s,andhe’sbeendoingsoforamonth。\"

  HelenrecalledwithaguiltythrillthereceiptofcertainboxesofLaFranceroses——cutlong,intheAmericanfashion——whichhadarrivedwithinthelastmonthatvariouscountryhouses。Shefeltindignantatherself,andmiserable。Herindignationwaslargelyduetotherecollectionthatshehadgiventheseflowerstoherhostesstodecoratethedinner-table。

  Shehatedtoaskthisgirlofthingswhichsheshouldhaveknownbetterthananyoneelse。Butsheforcedherselftodoit。Shefeltshemustknowcertainlyandatonce。

  \"Howdoyouknowthis?\"sheasked。\"Areyousurethereisnomistake?\"

  \"Hetoldmehimself,\"saidMarion,\"whenhetalkedoflettingtheplaysgoandreturningtoAmerica。Hesaidhemustgoback;

  thathismoneywasgone。\"

  \"HeisgonetoAmerica!\"Helensaid,blankly。

  \"No,hewantedtogo,butIwouldn’tlethim,\"Marionwenton。

  \"Itoldhimthatsomeonemighttakehisplayanyday。Andthisthirdonehehaswritten,theonehefinishedthissummerintown,isthebestofall,Ithink。It’salove-story。It’squitebeautiful。\"Sheturnedandarrangedherveilattheglass,andasshedidso,hereyesfellonthephotographsofherselfscatteredoverthemantelpiece,andshesmiledslightly。ButHelendidnotseeher——shewassittingdownnow,pullingatthebooksonthetable。Shewasconfusedanddisturbedbyemotionswhichwerequitestrangetoher,andwhenMarionbadehergood-byshehardlynoticedherdeparture。WhatimpressedhermostofallinwhatMarionhadtoldher,was,shewassurprisedtofind,thatPhilipwasgoingaway。Thatsheherselfhadfrequentlyurgedhimtodoso,forhisownpeaceofmind,seemednowofnoconsequence。Nowthatheseriouslycontemplatedit,sherecognizedthathisabsencemeanttoherachangeineverything。Shefeltforthefirsttimethepeculiarplaceheheldinherlife。Evenifshehadseenhimbutseldom,thefactthathewaswithincallhadbeenmoreofacomfortandanecessitytoherthansheunderstood。

  Thathewaspoor,concernedherchieflybecausesheknewthat,althoughthisconditioncouldonlybebuttemporary,itwoulddistresshimnottohavehisfriendsaroundhim,andtoentertainthemashehadbeenusedtodo。Shewonderedeagerlyifshemightoffertohelphim,butasecondthoughtassuredherthat,foraman,thatsortofhelpfromawomanwasimpossible。

  SheresentedthefactthatMarionwasdeepinhisconfidence;

  thatitwasMarionwhohadtoldherofhischangedconditionandofhisplans。Itannoyedhersoacutelythatshecouldnotremainintheroomwhereshehadseenhersocomplacentlyinpossession。AndafterleavingabriefnoteforPhilip,shewentaway。Shestoppedahansomatthedoor,andtoldthemantodrivealongtheEmbankment——shewantedtobequitealone,andshefeltshecouldseenooneuntilshehadthoughtitallout,andhadanalyzedthenewfeelings。

  Soforseveralhoursshedroveslowlyupanddown,sunkfarbackinthecushionsofthecab,andstaringwithunseeingeyesatthewhiteenamelledtariffandtheblackdash-board。

  SheassuredherselfthatshewasnotjealousofMarion,because,inordertobejealous,shefirstwouldhavetocareforPhilipintheverywayshecouldnotbringherselftodo。

  ShedecidedthathisinterestinMarionhurther,becauseitshowedthatPhilipwasnotcapableofremainingtruetotheoneidealofhislife。Shewassurethatthisexplainedherfeelings——shewasdisappointedthathehadnotkeptuptohisownstandard;thathewasweakenoughtoturnasidefromitforthefirstprettypairofeyes。Butshewastoohonestandtoojusttoacceptthatdiagnosisofherfeelingsasfinal——sheknewtherehadbeenmanypairsofeyesinAmericaandinLondon,andthatthoughPhiliphadseenthem,hehadnotansweredthemwhentheyspoke。No,sheconfessedfrankly,shewashurtwithherselfforneglectingheroldfriendsoselfishlyandforsolongatime;hislovegavehimclaimsonherconsideration,atleast,andshehadforgottenthatandhim,andhadrunafterstrangegodsandallowedotherstocomeinandtakeherplace,andtogivehimthesympathyandhelpwhichsheshouldhavebeenthefirsttooffer,andwhichwouldhavecountedmorewhencomingfromherthanfromanyoneelse。Shedeterminedtomakeamendsatonceforherthoughtlessnessandselfishness,andherbrainwaspleasantlyoccupiedwithplansandactsofkindness。Itwasanewentertainment,andshefoundshedelightedinit。ShedirectedthecabmantogotoSolomons’s,andfromtheresentPhilipabunchofflowersandalinesayingthatonthefollowingdayshewascomingtotaketeawithhim。Shehadaguiltyfeelingthathemightconsiderherfriendlyadvancesmoreseriouslythanshemeantthem,butitwasherpleasuretobereckless:herfeelingswererunningriotously,andthesensationwassonewthatsherefusedtobecircumspectortoconsiderconsequences。Whocouldtell,sheaskedherselfwithaquick,frightenedgasp,butthat,afterall,itmightbethatshewaslearningtocare?FromSolomons’sshebadethemandrivetotheshopinCranbourneStreetwhereshewasaccustomedtopurchasethematerialssheusedinpainting,andFate,whichusesstrangeagentstoworkoutitsends,sodirecteditthatthecabmanstoppedafewdoorsbelowthisshop,andoppositeonewherejewelryandotherpersonaleffectswereboughtandsold。

  Atanyothertime,orhadshebeeninanyothermood,whatfollowedmightnothaveoccurred,butFate,inthepersonofthecabman,arrangeditsothatthehourandtheopportunitycametogether。

  Thereweresomeoldmezzotintsinthewindowoftheloanshop,astringofcoinsandmedals,arowofnewFrenchposters;andfardowntothefrontatrayfilledwithgoldandsilvercigarette-

  casesandwatchesandrings。ItoccurredtoHelen,whowasstillbentonmakingrestitutionforherneglect,thatacigarette-casewouldbemoreappropriateforamanthanflowers,andmorelasting。AndshescannedthecontentsofthewindowwiththeeyeofonewhonowsawineverythingonlysomethingwhichmightgivePhilippleasure。Thetwoobjectsofvalueinthetrayuponwhichhereyesfirstfellwerethegoldseal-ringwithwhichPhiliphadsealedhisletterstoher,and,lyingnexttoit,hisgoldwatch!Therewassomethingalmosthumaninthewaytheringandwatchspoketoherfromthepast——inthewaytheyappealedtohertorescuethemfromthesurroundingstowhichtheyhadbeenabandoned。ShedidnotknowwhatshemeanttodowiththemnorhowshecouldreturnthemtoPhilip;buttherewasnoquestionofdoubtinhermannerasshesweptwitharushintotheshop。

  Therewasnoattempt,either,atbargaininginthewayinwhichshepointedouttotheyoungwomanbehindthecountertheparticularringandwatchshewanted。Theyhadnotbeenleftascollateral,theyoungwomansaid;theyhadbeensoldoutright。

  \"Thenanyonecanbuythem?\"Helenaskedeagerly。\"Theyareforsaletothepublic——toanyone?\"

  Theyoungwomanmadenoteofthecustomer’seagerness,butwithanunmovedcountenance。

  \"Yes,miss,theyareforsale。Theringisfourpoundsandthewatchtwenty-five。\"

  \"Twenty-ninepounds!\"Helengasped。

  Thatwasmoremoneythanshehadintheworld,butthefactdidnotdistressher,forshehadatrueartisticdisregardforreadymoney,andtheabsenceofithadneverdisturbedher。Butnowitassumedasuddenandalarmingvalue。Shehadtenpoundsinherpurseandtenpoundsatherstudio——thesewerejustenoughtopayforaquarter’srentandtherates,andtherewasahatandcloakinBondStreetwhichshecertainlymusthave。Heronlyassetsconsistedofthepossibilitythatsomeonemightsoonorderaminiature,andtohermindthatwassufficient。Someonealwayshadorderedaminiature,andtherewasnoreasonabledoubtbutthatsomeonewoulddoitagain。Foramomentshequestionedifitwouldnotbesufficientifsheboughttheringandallowedthewatchtoremain。Butsherecognizedthattheringmeantmoretoherthanthewatch,whilethelatter,asanoldheirloomwhichhadbeenpasseddowntohimfromagreat-grandfather,meantmoretoPhilip。ItwasforPhilipshewasdoingthis,sheremindedherself。Shestoodholdinghispossessions,oneineachhand,andlookingattheyoungwomanblankly。ShehadnodoubtinhermindthatatleastpartofthemoneyhehadreceivedforthemhadpaidfortheflowershehadsenttoherinScotland。

  Thecertaintyofthislefthernochoice。Shelaidtheringandwatchdownandpulledtheonlyringshepossessedfromherownfinger。ItwasagiftfromLadyGower。Shehadnodoubtthatitwasofgreatvalue。

  \"Canyoulendmesomemoneyonthat?\"sheasked。Itwasthefirsttimeshehadconductedabusinesstransactionofthisnature,andshefeltasthoughshewereengaginginaburglary。

  \"Wedon’tlendmoney,miss,\"thegirlsaid,\"webuyoutright。I

  cangiveyoutwenty-eightshillingsforthis,\"sheadded。

  \"Twenty-eightshillings,\"Helengasped;\"why,itisworth——oh,eversomuchmorethanthat!\"

  \"Thatisallitisworthtous,\"thegirlanswered。Sheregardedtheringindifferentlyandlaiditawayfromheronthecounter。

  Theactionwasfinal。

  Helen’shandsroseslowlytoherbreast,whereaprettywatchdangledfromabowknotofcrusheddiamonds。Itwasheronlypossession,andshewasveryfondofit。ItalsowasthegiftofoneoftheseveralgreatladieswhohadadoptedhersinceherresidenceinLondon。Helenhadpaintedaminiatureofthisparticulargreatladywhichhadlookedsobeautifulthatthepleasurewhichtheoriginaloftheportraitderivedfromthethoughtthatshestillreallylookedasshedidintheminiaturewasworthmoretoherthanmanydiamonds。

  ButitwasdifferentwithHelen,andnoonecouldcountwhatitcosthertotearawayheroneproudpossession。

  \"Whatwillyougivemeforthis?\"sheaskeddefiantly。

  Thegirl’seyesshowedgreaterinterest。\"Icangiveyoutwentypoundsforthat,\"shesaid。

  \"Takeit,please,\"Helenbegged,asthoughshefearedifshekeptitamomentlongershemightnotbeabletomakethesacrifice。

  \"Thatwillbeenoughnow,\"shewenton,takingoutherten-poundnote。SheputLadyGower’sringbackuponherfingerandpickedupPhilip’sringandwatchwiththepleasureofonewhohascomeintoagreatfortune。Sheturnedbackatthedoor。

  \"Oh,\"shestammered,\"incaseanyoneshouldinquire,youarenottosaywhoboughtthese。\"

  \"No,miss,certainlynot,\"saidthewoman。Helengavethedirectiontothecabmanand,closingthedoorsofthehansom,satlookingdownatthewatchandthering,astheylayinherlap。

  Thethoughtthattheyhadbeenhismostvaluedpossessions,whichhehadabandonedforever,andthattheywerenowentirelyhers,todowithassheliked,filledherwithmostintensedelightandpleasure。Shetookuptheheavygoldringandplaceditonthelittlefingerofherlefthand;itwasmuchtoolarge,andsheremoveditandbalanceditforamomentdoubtfullyinthepalmofherrighthand。Shewassmiling,andherfacewaslitwithshyandtenderthoughts。Shecastaquickglancetotheleftandrightasthoughfearfulthatpeoplepassinginthestreetwouldobserveher,andthenslippedtheringoverthefourthfingerofherlefthand。Shegazedatitwithaguiltysmileandthen,coveringithastilywithherotherhand,leanedback,claspingitclosely,andsatfrowningfaroutbeforeherwithpuzzledeyes。

  ToCarrollallroadsledpastHelen’sstudio,andduringthesummer,whileshehadbeenabsentinScotlanditwasoneofhissadpleasurestomakeapilgrimagetoherstreetandtopauseoppositethehouseandlookupattheemptywindowsofherrooms。

  Itwasduringthisdailyexercisethathelearned,throughthearrivalofherluggage,ofherreturntoLondon,andwhendayfolloweddaywithoutherhavingshownanydesiretoseehimortotellhimofherreturnhedenouncedhimselfmostbitterlyasafatuousfool。

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