第10章

“Butthen，withyourwell-knownfidelity，consideringthatyou\'restayinghereatleastafortnight，youwon\'thaveanyillusionsleftaboutmebythetimeyougo。Igiveyouaweek，Cassandra。Ishallseemypowerfadingdaybyday。Nowit\'sattheclimax；butto-morrowit\'llhavebeguntofade。WhatamItowear，Iwonder？Findmeabluedress，Cassandra，overthereinthelongwardrobe。“

Shespokedisconnectedly，handlingbrushandcomb，andpullingoutthelittledrawersinherdressing-tableandleavingthemopen。Cassandra，sittingonthebedbehindher，sawthereflectionofhercousin\'sfaceinthelooking-glass。Thefaceinthelooking-glasswasseriousandintent，apparentlyoccupiedwithotherthingsbesidesthestraightnessofthepartingwhich，however，wasbeingdrivenasstraightasaRomanroadthroughthedarkhair。CassandrawasimpressedagainbyKatharine\'smaturity；and，assheenvelopedherselfinthebluedresswhichfilledalmostthewholeofthelonglooking-glasswithbluelightandmadeittheframeofapicture，holdingnotonlytheslightlymovingeffigyofthebeautifulwoman，butshapesandcolorsofobjectsreflectedfromthebackground，Cassandrathoughtthatnosighthadeverbeenquitesoromantic。Itwasallinkeepingwiththeroomandthehouse，andthecityroundthem；forherearshadnotyetceasedtonoticethehumofdistantwheels。

Theywentdownstairsratherlate，inspiteofKatharine\'sextremespeedingettingready。ToCassandra\'searsthebuzzofvoicesinsidethedrawing-roomwaslikethetuningupoftheinstrumentsoftheorchestra。Itseemedtoherthattherewerenumbersofpeopleintheroom，andthattheywerestrangers，andthattheywerebeautifulanddressedwiththegreatestdistinction，althoughtheyprovedtobemostlyherrelations，andthedistinctionoftheirclothingwasconfined，intheeyesofanimpartialobserver，tothewhitewaistcoatwhichRodneywore。Buttheyallrosesimultaneously，whichwasbyitselfimpressive，andtheyallexclaimed，andshookhands，andshewasintroducedtoMr。Peyton，andthedoorsprangopen，anddinnerwasannounced，andtheyfiledoff，WilliamRodneyofferingherhisslightlybentblackarm，asshehadsecretlyhopedhewould。Inshort，hadthescenebeenlookedatonlythroughhereyes，itmusthavebeendescribedasoneofmagicalbrilliancy。Thepatternofthesoup-plates，thestifffoldsofthenapkins，whichrosebythesideofeachplateintheshapeofarumlilies，thelongsticksofbreadtiedwithpinkribbon，thesilverdishesandthesea-coloredchampagneglasses，withtheflakesofgoldcongealedintheirstems——allthesedetails，togetherwithacuriouslypervasivesmellofkidgloves，contributedtoherexhilaration，whichmustberepressed，however，becauseshewasgrownup，andtheworldheldnomoreforhertomarvelat。

Theworldheldnomoreforhertomarvelat，itistrue；butitheldotherpeople；andeachotherpersonpossessedinCassandra\'smindsomefragmentofwhatprivatelyshecalled“reality。“Itwasagiftthattheywouldimpartifyouaskedthemforit，andthusnodinner-partycouldpossiblybedull，andlittleMr。PeytononherrightandWilliamRodneyonherleftwereinequalmeasureendowedwiththequalitywhichseemedtohersounmistakableandsopreciousthatthewaypeopleneglectedtodemanditwasaconstantsourceofsurprisetoher。Shescarcelyknew，indeed，whethershewastalkingtoMr。PeytonortoWilliamRodney。Buttoonewho，bydegrees，assumedtheshapeofanelderlymanwithamustache，shedescribedhowshehadarrivedinLondonthatveryafternoon，andhowshehadtakenacabanddriventhroughthestreets。Mr。Peyton，aneditoroffiftyyears，bowedhisbaldheadrepeatedly，withapparentunderstanding。Atleast，heunderstoodthatshewasveryyoungandpretty，andsawthatshewasexcited，thoughhecouldnotgatheratoncefromherwordsorrememberfromhisownexperiencewhattherewastobeexcitedabout。“Werethereanybudsonthetrees？“heasked。“Whichlinedidshetravelby？“

Hewascutshortintheseamiableinquiriesbyherdesiretoknowwhetherhewasoneofthosewhoread，oroneofthosewholookoutofthewindow？Mr。Peytonwasbynomeanssurewhichhedid。Heratherthoughthedidboth。Hewastoldthathehadmadeamostdangerousconfession。Shecoulddeducehisentirehistoryfromthatonefact。Hechallengedhertoproceed；andsheproclaimedhimaLiberalMemberofParliament。

William，nominallyengagedinadesultoryconversationwithAuntEleanor，heardeveryword，andtakingadvantageofthefactthatelderlyladieshavelittlecontinuityofconversation，atleastwiththosewhomtheyesteemfortheiryouthandtheirsex，heassertedhispresencebyaverynervouslaugh。

Cassandraturnedtohimdirectly。Shewasenchantedtofindthat，instantlyandwithsuchease，anotherofthesefascinatingbeingswasofferinguntoldwealthforherextraction。

“There\'snodoubtwhatYOUdoinarailwaycarriage，William，“shesaid，makinguseinherpleasureofhisfirstname。“YouneverONCE

lookoutofthewindow；youreadALLthetime。“

“Andwhatfactsdoyoudeducefromthat？“Mr。Peytonasked。

“Oh，thathe\'sapoet，ofcourse，“saidCassandra。“ButImustconfessthatIknewthatbefore，soitisn\'tfair。I\'vegotyourmanuscriptwithme，“shewenton，disregardingMr。Peytoninashamelessway。

“I\'vegotallsortsofthingsIwanttoaskyouaboutit。“

Williaminclinedhisheadandtriedtoconcealthepleasurethatherremarkgavehim。Butthepleasurewasnotunalloyed。HoweversusceptibletoflatteryWilliammightbe，hewouldnevertolerateitfrompeoplewhoshowedagrossoremotionaltasteinliterature，andifCassandraerredevenslightlyfromwhatheconsideredessentialinthisrespecthewouldexpresshisdiscomfortbyflingingouthishandsandwrinklinghisforehead；hewouldfindnopleasureinherflatteryafterthat。

“Firstofall，“sheproceeded，“Iwanttoknowwhyyouchosetowriteaplay？“

“Ah！Youmeanit\'snotdramatic？“

“ImeanthatIdon\'tseewhatitwouldgainbybeingacted。ButthendoesShakespearegain？HenryandIarealwaysarguingaboutShakespeare。I\'mcertainhe\'swrong，butIcan\'tproveitbecauseI\'veonlyseenShakespeareactedonceinLincoln。ButI\'mquitepositive，“

sheinsisted，“thatShakespearewroteforthestage。“

“You\'reperfectlyright，“Rodneyexclaimed。“Iwashopingyouwereonthatside。Henry\'swrong——entirelywrong。Ofcourse，I\'vefailed，asallthemodernsfail。Dear，dear，IwishI\'dconsultedyoubefore。“

Fromthispointtheyproceededtogoover，asfarasmemoryservedthem，thedifferentaspectsofRodney\'sdrama。Shesaidnothingthatjarreduponhim，anduntraineddaringhadthepowertostimulateexperiencetosuchanextentthatRodneywasfrequentlyseentoholdhisforksuspendedbeforehim，whilehedebatedthefirstprinciplesoftheart。Mrs。Hilberythoughttoherselfthatshehadneverseenhimtosuchadvantage；yes，hewassomehowdifferent；heremindedherofsomeonewhowasdead，someonewhowasdistinguished——shehadforgottenhisname。

Cassandra\'svoicerosehighinitsexcitement。

“You\'venotread\'TheIdiot\'！“sheexclaimed。

“I\'veread\'WarandPeace\'，“Williamreplied，alittletestily。

“\'WARANDPEACE\'！“sheechoed，inatoneofderision。

“IconfessIdon\'tunderstandtheRussians。“

“Shakehands！Shakehands！“boomedUncleAubreyfromacrossthetable。

“NeitherdoI。AndIhazardtheopinionthattheydon\'tthemselves。“

TheoldgentlemanhadruledalargepartoftheIndianEmpire，buthewasinthehabitofsayingthathehadratherhavewrittentheworksofDickens。Thetablenowtookpossessionofasubjectmuchtoitsliking。AuntEleanorshowedpremonitorysignsofpronouncinganopinion。Althoughshehadbluntedhertasteuponsomeformofphilanthropyfortwenty-fiveyears，shehadafinenaturalinstinctforanupstartorapretender，andknewtoahairbreadthwhatliteratureshouldbeandwhatitshouldnotbe。Shewasborntotheknowledge，andscarcelythoughtitamattertobeproudof。

“Insanityisnotafitsubjectforfiction，“sheannouncedpositively。

“There\'sthewell-knowncaseofHamlet，“Mr。Hilberyinterposed，inhisleisurely，half-humoroustones。

“Ah，butpoetry\'sdifferent，Trevor，“saidAuntEleanor，asifshehadspecialauthorityfromShakespearetosayso。“Differentaltogether。

AndI\'veneverthought，formypart，thatHamletwasasmadastheymakeout。Whatisyouropinion，Mr。Peyton？“For，astherewasaministerofliteraturepresentinthepersonoftheeditorofanesteemedreview，shedeferredtohim。

Mr。Peytonleantalittlebackinhischair，and，puttinghisheadratherononeside，observedthatthatwasaquestionthathehadneverbeenabletoanswerentirelytohissatisfaction。Therewasmuchtobesaidonbothsides，butasheconsidereduponwhichsideheshouldsayit，Mrs。Hilberybrokeinuponhisjudiciousmeditations。

“Lovely，lovelyOphelia！“sheexclaimed。“Whatawonderfulpoweritis——poetry！Iwakeupinthemorningallbedraggled；there\'sayellowfogoutside；littleEmilyturnsontheelectriclightwhenshebringsmemytea，andsays，\'Oh，ma\'am，thewater\'sfrozeninthecistern，andcook\'scutherfingertothebone。\'AndthenIopenalittlegreenbook，andthebirdsaresinging，thestarsshining，theflowerstwinkling——“Shelookedaboutherasifthesepresenceshadsuddenlymanifestedthemselvesroundherdining-roomtable。

“Hasthecookcutherfingerbadly？“AuntEleanordemanded，addressingherselfnaturallytoKatharine。

“Oh，thecook\'sfingerisonlymywayofputtingit，“saidMrs。

Hilbery。“Butifshehadcutherarmoff，Katharinewouldhavesewnitonagain，“sheremarked，withanaffectionateglanceatherdaughter，wholooked，shethought，alittlesad。“Butwhathorrid，horridthoughts，“shewoundup，layingdownhernapkinandpushingherchairback。“Come，letusfindsomethingmorecheerfultotalkaboutupstairs。“

Upstairsinthedrawing-roomCassandrafoundfreshsourcesofpleasure，firstinthedistinguishedandexpectantlookoftheroom，andtheninthechanceofexercisingherdivining-roduponanewassortmentofhumanbeings。Butthelowtonesofthewomen，theirmeditativesilences，thebeautywhich，toheratleast，shoneevenfromblacksatinandtheknobsofamberwhichencircledelderlynecks，changedherwishtochattertoamoresubdueddesiremerelytowatchandtowhisper。Sheenteredwithdelightintoanatmosphereinwhichprivatematterswerebeinginterchangedfreely，almostinmonosyllables，bytheolderwomenwhonowacceptedherasoneofthemselves。Herexpressionbecameverygentleandsympathetic，asifshe，too，werefullofsolicitudefortheworldwhichwassomehowbeingcaredfor，managedanddeprecatedbyAuntMaggieandAuntEleanor。AfteratimesheperceivedthatKatharinewasoutsidethecommunityinsomeway，and，suddenly，shethrewasideherwisdomandgentlenessandconcernandbegantolaugh。

“Whatareyoulaughingat？“Katharineasked。

Ajokesofoolishandunfilialwasn\'tworthexplaining。

“Itwasnothing——ridiculous——intheworstoftaste，butstill，ifyouhalfshutyoureyesandlooked——“Katharinehalfshuthereyesandlooked，butshelookedinthewrongdirection，andCassandralaughedmorethanever，andwasstilllaughinganddoingherbesttoexplaininawhisperthatAuntEleanor，throughhalf-shuteyes，wasliketheparrotinthecageatStogdonHouse，whenthegentlemencameinandRodneywalkedstraightuptothemandwantedtoknowwhattheywerelaughingat。

“Iutterlyrefusetotellyou！“Cassandrareplied，standingupstraight，claspingherhandsinfrontofher，andfacinghim。Hermockerywasdelicioustohim。Hehadnotevenforasecondthefearthatshehadbeenlaughingathim。Shewaslaughingbecauselifewassoadorable，soenchanting。

“Ah，butyou\'recrueltomakemefeelthebarbarityofmysex，“hereplied，drawinghisfeettogetherandpressinghisfinger-tipsuponanimaginaryopera-hatormalaccacane。“We\'vebeendiscussingallsortsofdullthings，andnowIshallneverknowwhatIwanttoknowmorethananythingintheworld。“

“Youdon\'tdeceiveusforaminute！“shecried。“Notforasecond。Webothknowthatyou\'vebeenenjoyingyourselfimmensely。Hasn\'the，Katharine？“

“No，“shereplied，“Ithinkhe\'sspeakingthetruth。Hedoesn\'tcaremuchforpolitics。“

Herwords，thoughspokensimply，producedacuriouschangeinthelight，sparklingatmosphere。Williamatoncelosthislookofanimationandsaidseriously:

“Idetestpolitics。“

“Idon\'tthinkanymanhastherighttosaythat，“saidCassandra，almostseverely。

“Iagree。ImeanthatIdetestpoliticians，“hecorrectedhimselfquickly。

“Yousee，IbelieveCassandraiswhattheycallaFeminist，“Katharinewenton。“Orrather，shewasaFeministsixmonthsago，butit\'snogoodsupposingthatsheisnowwhatshewasthen。Thatisoneofhergreatestcharmsinmyeyes。Onenevercantell。“Shesmiledatherasaneldersistermightsmile。

“Katharine，youmakeonefeelsohorriblysmall！“Cassandraexclaimed。

“No，no，that\'snotwhatshemeans，“Rodneyinterposed。“Iquiteagreethatwomenhaveanimmenseadvantageoverusthere。Onemissesalotbyattemptingtoknowthingsthoroughly。“

“HeknowsGreekthoroughly，“saidKatharine。“Butthenhealsoknowsagooddealaboutpainting，andacertainamountaboutmusic。He\'sverycultivated——perhapsthemostcultivatedpersonIknow。“

“Andpoetry，“Cassandraadded。

“Yes，Iwasforgettinghisplay，“Katharineremarked，andturningherheadasthoughshesawsomethingthatneededherattentioninafarcorneroftheroom，sheleftthem。

Foramomenttheystoodsilent，afterwhatseemedadeliberateintroductiontoeachother，andCassandrawatchedhercrossingtheroom。

“Henry，“shesaidnextmoment，“wouldsaythatastageoughttobenobiggerthanthisdrawing-room。Hewantstheretobesinginganddancingaswellasacting——onlyalltheoppositeofWagner——youunderstand？“

Theysatdown，andKatharine，turningwhenshereachedthewindow，sawWilliamwithhishandraisedingesticulationandhismouthopen，asifreadytospeakthemomentCassandraceased。

Katharine\'sduty，whetheritwastopullacurtainormoveachair，waseitherforgottenordischarged，butshecontinuedtostandbythewindowwithoutdoinganything。Theelderlypeoplewereallgroupedtogetherroundthefire。Theyseemedanindependent，middle-agedcommunitybusywithitsownconcerns。Theyweretellingstoriesverywellandlisteningtothemverygraciously。Butforhertherewasnoobviousemployment。

“Ifanybodysaysanything，IshallsaythatI\'mlookingattheriver，“

shethought，forinherslaverytoherfamilytraditions，shewasreadytopayforhertransgressionwithsomeplausiblefalsehood。Shepushedasidetheblindandlookedattheriver。Butitwasadarknightandthewaterwasbarelyvisible。Cabswerepassing，andcoupleswereloiteringslowlyalongtheroad，keepingasclosetotherailingsaspossible，thoughthetreeshadasyetnoleavestocastshadowupontheirembraces。Katharine，thuswithdrawn，feltherloneliness。Theeveninghadbeenoneofpain，offeringher，minuteafterminute，plainerproofthatthingswouldfalloutasshehadforeseen。Shehadfacedtones，gestures，glances；sheknew，withherbacktothem，thatWilliam，evennow，wasplungingdeeperanddeeperintothedelightofunexpectedunderstandingwithCassandra。Hehadalmosttoldherthathewasfindingitinfinitelybetterthanhecouldhavebelieved。Shelookedoutofthewindow，sternlydeterminedtoforgetprivatemisfortunes，toforgetherself，toforgetindividuallives。Withhereyesuponthedarksky，voicesreachedherfromtheroominwhichshewasstanding。Sheheardthemasiftheycamefrompeopleinanotherworld，aworldantecedenttoherworld，aworldthatwastheprelude，theantechambertoreality；itwasasif，latelydead，sheheardthelivingtalking。Thedreamnatureofourlifehadneverbeenmoreapparenttoher，neverhadlifebeenmorecertainlyanaffairoffourwalls，whoseobjectsexistedonlywithintherangeoflightsandfires，beyondwhichlaynothing，ornothingmorethandarkness。Sheseemedphysicallytohavesteppedbeyondtheregionwherethelightofillusionstillmakesitdesirabletopossess，tolove，tostruggle。

Andyethermelancholybroughthernoserenity。Shestillheardthevoiceswithintheroom。Shewasstilltormentedbydesires。Shewishedtobebeyondtheirrange。Shewishedinconsistentlyenoughthatshecouldfindherselfdrivingrapidlythroughthestreets；shewasevenanxioustobewithsomeonewho，afteramoment\'sgroping，tookadefiniteshapeandsolidifiedintothepersonofMaryDatchet。Shedrewthecurtainssothatthedraperiesmetindeepfoldsinthemiddleofthewindow。

“Ah，theresheis，“saidMr。Hilbery，whowasstandingswayingaffablyfromsidetoside，withhisbacktothefire。“Comehere，Katharine。I

couldn\'tseewhereyou\'dgotto——ourchildren，“heobservedparenthetically，“havetheiruses——Iwantyoutogotomystudy，Katharine；gotothethirdshelfontheright-handsideofthedoor；

takedown\'Trelawny\'sRecollectionsofShelley\'；bringittome。Then，Peyton，youwillhavetoadmittotheassembledcompanythatyouhavebeenmistaken。“

“\'Trelawny\'sRecollectionsofShelley。\'Thethirdshelfontherightofthedoor，“Katharinerepeated。Afterall，onedoesnotcheckchildrenintheirplay，orrousesleepersfromtheirdreams。ShepassedWilliamandCassandraonherwaytothedoor。

“Stop，Katharine，“saidWilliam，speakingalmostasifhewereconsciousofheragainsthiswill。“Letmego。“Herose，afterasecond\'shesitation，andsheunderstoodthatitcosthimaneffort。

ShekneltonekneeuponthesofawhereCassandrasat，lookingdownathercousin\'sface，whichstillmovedwiththespeedofwhatshehadbeensaying。

“Areyou——happy？“sheasked。

“Oh，mydear！“Cassandraexclaimed，asifnofurtherwordswereneeded。“Ofcourse，wedisagreeabouteverysubjectunderthesun，“

sheexclaimed，“butIthinkhe\'sthecleverestmanI\'veevermet——andyou\'rethemostbeautifulwoman，“sheadded，lookingatKatharine，andasshelookedherfacelostitsanimationandbecamealmostmelancholyinsympathywithKatharine\'smelancholy，whichseemedtoCassandrathelastrefinementofherdistinction。

“Ah，butit\'sonlyteno\'clock，“saidKatharinedarkly。

“Aslateasthat！Well——？“Shedidnotunderstand。

“AttwelvemyhorsesturnintoratsandoffIgo。Theillusionfades。

ButIacceptmyfate。Imakehaywhilethesunshines。“Cassandralookedatherwithapuzzledexpression。

“Here\'sKatharinetalkingaboutrats，andhay，andallsortsofoddthings，“shesaid，asWilliamreturnedtothem。Hehadbeenquick。

“Canyoumakeherout？“

Katharineperceivedfromhislittlefrownandhesitationthathedidnotfindthatparticularproblemtohistasteatpresent。Shestooduprightatonceandsaidinadifferenttone:

“Ireallyamoff，though。Iwishyou\'dexplainiftheysayanything，William。Ishan\'tbelate，butI\'vegottoseesomeone。“

“Atthistimeofnight？“Cassandraexclaimed。

“Whomhaveyougottosee？“Williamdemanded。

“Afriend，“sheremarked，halfturningherheadtowardshim。Sheknewthathewishedhertostay，not，indeed，withthem，butintheirneighborhood，incaseofneed。

“Katharinehasagreatmanyfriends，“saidWilliamratherlamely，sittingdownoncemore，asKatharinelefttheroom。

Shewassoondrivingquickly，asshehadwishedtodrive，throughthelamp-litstreets。Shelikedbothlightandspeed，andthesenseofbeingoutofdoorsalone，andtheknowledgethatshewouldreachMaryinherhigh，lonelyroomattheendofthedrive。Sheclimbedthestonestepsquickly，remarkingthequeerlookofherbluesilkskirtandblueshoesuponthestone，dustywiththebootsoftheday，underthelightofanoccasionaljetofflickeringgas。

ThedoorwasopenedinasecondbyMaryherself，whosefaceshowednotonlysurpriseatthesightofhervisitor，butsomedegreeofembarrassment。Shegreetedhercordially，and，astherewasnotimeforexplanations，Katharinewalkedstraightintothesitting-room，andfoundherselfinthepresenceofayoungmanwhowaslyingbackinachairandholdingasheetofpaperinhishand，atwhichhewaslookingasifheexpectedtogoonimmediatelywithwhathewasinthemiddleofsayingtoMaryDatchet。Theapparitionofanunknownladyinfulleveningdressseemedtodisturbhim。Hetookhispipefromhismouth，rosestiffly，andsatdownagainwithajerk。

“Haveyoubeendiningout？“Maryasked。

“Areyouworking？“Katharineinquiredsimultaneously。

Theyoungmanshookhishead，asifhedisownedhisshareinthequestionwithsomeirritation。

“Well，notexactly，“Maryreplied。“Mr。Basnetthadbroughtsomepaperstoshowme。Weweregoingthroughthem，butwe\'dalmostdone……Tellusaboutyourparty。“

Maryhadaruffledappearance，asifshehadbeenrunningherfingersthroughherhairinthecourseofherconversation；shewasdressedmoreorlesslikeaRussianpeasantgirl。Shesatdownagaininachairwhichlookedasifithadbeenherseatforsomehours；thesaucerwhichstooduponthearmcontainedtheashesofmanycigarettes。Mr。Basnett，averyyoungmanwithafreshcomplexionandahighforeheadfromwhichthehairwascombedstraightback，wasoneofthatgroupof“veryableyoungmen“suspectedbyMr。Clacton，justlyasitturnedout，ofaninfluenceuponMaryDatchet。HehadcomedownfromoneoftheUniversitiesnotlongago，andwasnowchargedwiththereformationofsociety。Inconnectionwiththerestofthegroupofveryableyoungmenhehaddrawnupaschemefortheeducationoflabor，fortheamalgamationofthemiddleclassandtheworkingclass，andforajointassaultofthetwobodies，combinedintheSocietyfortheEducationofDemocracy，uponCapital。Theschemehadalreadyreachedthestageinwhichitwaspermissibletohireanofficeandengageasecretary，andhehadbeendeputedtoexpoundtheschemetoMary，andmakeheranofferoftheSecretaryship，towhich，asamatterofprinciple，asmallsalarywasattached。Sinceseveno\'clockthateveninghehadbeenreadingoutloudthedocumentinwhichthefaithofthenewreformerswasexpounded，butthereadingwassofrequentlyinterruptedbydiscussion，anditwassooftennecessarytoinformMary“instrictestconfidence“oftheprivatecharactersandevildesignsofcertainindividualsandsocietiesthattheywerestillonlyhalf-waythroughthemanuscript。Neitherofthemrealizedthatthetalkhadalreadylastedthreehours。Intheirabsorptiontheyhadforgotteneventofeedthefire，andyetbothMr。

Basnettinhisexposition，andMaryinherinterrogation，carefullypreservedakindofformalitycalculatedtocheckthedesireofthehumanmindforirrelevantdiscussion。Herquestionsfrequentlybegan，“AmItounderstand——“andhisrepliesinvariablyrepresentedtheviewsofsomeonecalled“we。“

BythistimeMarywasalmostpersuadedthatshe，too，wasincludedinthe“we，“andagreedwithMr。Basnettinbelievingthat“our“views，“our“society，“our“policy，stoodforsomethingquitedefinitelysegregatedfromthemainbodyofsocietyinacircleofsuperiorillumination。

TheappearanceofKatharineinthisatmospherewasextremelyincongruous，andhadtheeffectofmakingMaryrememberallsortsofthingsthatshehadbeengladtoforget。

“You\'vebeendiningout？“sheaskedagain，looking，withalittlesmile，atthebluesilkandthepearl-sewnshoes。

“No，athome。Areyoustartingsomethingnew？“Katharinehazarded，ratherhesitatingly，lookingatthepapers。

“Weare，“Mr。Basnettreplied。Hesaidnomore。

“I\'mthinkingofleavingourfriendsinRussellSquare，“Maryexplained。

“Isee。Andthenyouwilldosomethingelse。“

“Well，I\'mafraidIlikeworking，“saidMary。

“Afraid，“saidMr。Basnett，conveyingtheimpressionthat，inhisopinion，nosensiblepersoncouldbeafraidoflikingtowork。

“Yes，“saidKatharine，asifhehadstatedthisopinionaloud。“I

shouldliketostartsomething——somethingoffone\'sownbat——that\'swhatIshouldlike。“

“Yes，that\'sthefun，“saidMr。Basnett，lookingatherforthefirsttimeratherkeenly，andrefillinghispipe。

“Butyoucan\'tlimitwork——that\'swhatImean，“saidMary。“Imeanthereareothersortsofwork。Nooneworksharderthanawomanwithlittlechildren。“

“Quiteso，“saidMr。Basnett。“It\'spreciselythewomenwithbabieswewanttogetholdof。“Heglancedathisdocument，rolleditintoacylinderbetweenhisfingers，andgazedintothefire。Katharinefeltthatinthiscompanyanythingthatonesaidwouldbejudgeduponitsmerits；onehadonlytosaywhatonethought，ratherbarelyandtersely，withacuriousassumptionthatthenumberofthingsthatcouldproperlybethoughtaboutwasstrictlylimited。AndMr。Basnettwasonlystiffuponthesurface；therewasanintelligenceinhisfacewhichattractedherintelligence。

“Whenwillthepublicknow？“sheasked。

“Whatd\'youmean——aboutus？“Mr。Basnettasked，withalittlesmile。

“Thatdependsuponmanythings，“saidMary。Theconspiratorslookedpleased，asifKatharine\'squestion，withthebeliefintheirexistencewhichitimplied，hadawarmingeffectuponthem。

“Instartingasocietysuchaswewishtostart(wecan\'tsayanymoreatpresent)，“Mr。Basnettbegan，withalittlejerkofhishead，“therearetwothingstoremember——thePressandthepublic。Othersocieties，whichshallbenameless，havegoneunderbecausethey\'veappealedonlytocranks。Ifyoudon\'twantamutualadmirationsociety，whichdiesassoonasyou\'vealldiscoveredeachother\'sfaults，youmustnobblethePress。Youmustappealtothepublic。“

“That\'sthedifficulty，“saidMarythoughtfully。

“That\'swhereshecomesin，“saidMr。Basnett，jerkinghisheadinMary\'sdirection。“She\'stheonlyoneofuswho\'sacapitalist。Shecanmakeawhole-timejobofit。I\'mtiedtoanoffice；Icanonlygivemysparetime。Areyou，byanychance，onthelook-outforajob？“heaskedKatharine，withaqueermixtureofdistrustanddeference。

“Marriageisherjobatpresent，“Maryrepliedforher。

“Oh，Isee，“saidMr。Basnett。Hemadeallowancesforthat；heandhisfriendshadfacedthequestionofsex，alongwithallothers，andassigneditanhonorableplaceintheirschemeoflife。Katharinefeltthisbeneaththeroughnessofhismanner；andaworldentrustedtotheguardianshipofMaryDatchetandMr。Basnettseemedtoheragoodworld，althoughnotaromanticorbeautifulplaceor，toputitfiguratively，aplacewhereanylineofbluemistsoftlylinkedtreetotreeuponthehorizon。Foramomentshethoughtshesawinhisface，bentnowoverthefire，thefeaturesofthatoriginalmanwhomwestillrecalleverynowandthen，althoughweknowonlytheclerk，barrister，Governmentalofficial，orworkingmanvarietyofhim。NotthatMr。Basnett，givinghisdaystocommerceandhissparetimetosocialreform，wouldlongcarryabouthimanytraceofhispossibilitiesofcompleteness；but，forthemoment，inhisyouthandardor，stillspeculative，stilluncramped，onemightimaginehimthecitizenofanoblerstatethanours。Katharineturnedoverhersmallstockofinformation，andwonderedwhattheirsocietymightbegoingtoattempt。Thensherememberedthatshewashinderingtheirbusiness，androse，stillthinkingofthissociety，andthusthinking，shesaidtoMr。Basnett:

“Well，you\'llaskmetojoinwhenthetimecomes，Ihope。“

Henodded，andtookhispipefromhismouth，but，beingunabletothinkofanythingtosay，heputitbackagain，althoughhewouldhavebeengladifshehadstayed。

Againstherwish，Maryinsistedupontakingherdownstairs，andthen，astherewasnocabtobeseen，theystoodinthestreettogether，lookingaboutthem。

“Goback，“Katharineurgedher，thinkingofMr。Basnettwithhispapersinhishand。

“Youcan\'twanderaboutthestreetsaloneinthoseclothes，“saidMary，butthedesiretofindacabwasnothertruereasonforstandingbesideKatharineforaminuteortwo。Unfortunatelyforhercomposure，Mr。Basnettandhispapersseemedtoheranincidentaldiversionoflife\'sseriouspurposecomparedwithsometremendousfactwhichmanifesteditselfasshestoodalonewithKatharine。Itmayhavebeentheircommonwomanhood。

“HaveyouseenRalph？“sheaskedsuddenly，withoutpreface。

“Yes，“saidKatharinedirectly，butshedidnotrememberwhenorwhereshehadseenhim。IttookheramomentortwotorememberwhyMaryshouldaskherifshehadseenRalph。

“IbelieveI\'mjealous，“saidMary。

“Nonsense，Mary，“saidKatharine，ratherdistractedly，takingherarmandbeginningtowalkupthestreetinthedirectionofthemainroad。

“Letmesee；wewenttoKew，andweagreedtobefriends。Yes，that\'swhathappened。“Marywassilent，inthehopethatKatharinewouldtellhermore。ButKatharinesaidnothing。

“It\'snotaquestionoffriendship，“Maryexclaimed，herangerrising，toherownsurprise。“Youknowit\'snot。Howcanitbe？I\'venorighttointerfere——“Shestopped。“OnlyI\'dratherRalphwasn\'thurt，“sheconcluded。

“Ithinkheseemsabletotakecareofhimself，“Katharineobserved。

Withouteitherofthemwishingit，afeelingofhostilityhadrisenbetweenthem。

“Doyoureallythinkit\'sworthit？“saidMary，afterapause。

“Howcanonetell？“Katharineasked。

“Haveyouevercaredforanyone？“Marydemandedrashlyandfoolishly。

“Ican\'twanderaboutLondondiscussingmyfeelings——Here\'sacab——no，there\'ssomeoneinit。“

“Wedon\'twanttoquarrel，“saidMary。

“OughtItohavetoldhimthatIwouldn\'tbehisfriend？“Katharineasked。“ShallItellhimthat？Ifso，whatreasonshallIgivehim？“

“Ofcourseyoucan\'ttellhimthat，“saidMary，controllingherself。

“IbelieveIshall，though，“saidKatharinesuddenly。

“Ilostmytemper，Katharine；Ishouldn\'thavesaidwhatIdid。“

“Thewholething\'sfoolish，“saidKatharine，peremptorily。“That\'swhatIsay。It\'snotworthit。“Shespokewithunnecessaryvehemence，butitwasnotdirectedagainstMaryDatchet。Theiranimosityhadcompletelydisappeared，anduponbothofthemacloudofdifficultyanddarknessrested，obscuringthefuture，inwhichtheyhadbothtofindaway。

“No，no，it\'snotworthit，“Katharinerepeated。“Suppose，asyousay，it\'soutofthequestion——thisfriendship；hefallsinlovewithme。I

don\'twantthat。Still，“sheadded，“Ibelieveyouexaggerate；love\'snoteverything；marriageitselfisonlyoneofthethings——“Theyhadreachedthemainthoroughfare，andstoodlookingattheomnibusesandpassers-by，whoseemed，forthemoment，toillustratewhatKatharinehadsaidofthediversityofhumaninterests。Forbothofthemithadbecomeoneofthosemomentsofextremedetachment，whenitseemsunnecessaryeveragaintoshouldertheburdenofhappinessandself-assertiveexistence。Theirneighborswerewelcometotheirpossessions。

“Idon\'tlaydownanyrules，“\'saidMary，recoveringherselffirst，astheyturnedafteralongpauseofthisdescription。“AllIsayisthatyoushouldknowwhatyou\'reabout——forcertain；but，“sheadded，“I

expectyoudo。“

Atthesametimeshewasprofoundlyperplexed，notonlybywhatsheknewofthearrangementsforKatharine\'smarriage，butbytheimpressionwhichshehadofher，thereonherarm，darkandinscrutable。

TheywalkedbackagainandreachedthestepswhichleduptoMary\'sflat。Heretheystoppedandpausedforamoment，sayingnothing。

“Youmustgoin，“saidKatharine，rousingherself。“He\'swaitingallthistimetogoonwithhisreading。“Sheglancedupatthelightedwindownearthetopofthehouse，andtheybothlookedatitandwaitedforamoment。Aflightofsemicircularstepsranuptothehall，andMaryslowlymountedthefirsttwoorthree，andpaused，lookingdownuponKatharine。

“Ithinkyouunderratethevalueofthatemotion，“shesaidslowly，andalittleawkwardly。Sheclimbedanotherstepandlookeddownoncemoreuponthefigurethatwasonlypartlylitup，standinginthestreetwithacolorlessfaceturnedupwards。AsMaryhesitated，acabcamebyandKatharineturnedandstoppedit，sayingassheopenedthedoor:

“Remember，Iwanttobelongtoyoursociety——remember，“sheadded，havingtoraisehervoicealittle，andshuttingthedoorupontherestofherwords。

Marymountedthestairsstepbystep，asifshehadtoliftherbodyupanextremelysteepascent。ShehadhadtowrenchherselfforciblyawayfromKatharine，andeverystepvanquishedherdesire。Sheheldongrimly，encouragingherselfasthoughshewereactuallymakingsomegreatphysicaleffortinclimbingaheight。ShewasconsciousthatMr。

Basnett，sittingatthetopofthestairswithhisdocuments，offeredhersolidfootingifshewerecapableofreachingit。Theknowledgegaveherafaintsenseofexaltation。

Mr。Basnettraisedhiseyesassheopenedthedoor。

“I\'llgoonwhereIleftoff，“hesaid。“Stopmeifyouwantanythingexplained。“

Hehadbeenre-readingthedocument，andmakingpencilnotesinthemarginwhilehewaited，andhewentonagainasiftherehadbeennointerruption。Marysatdownamongtheflatcushions，litanothercigarette，andlistenedwithafrownuponherface。

KatharineleantbackinthecornerofthecabthatcarriedhertoChelsea，consciousoffatigue，andconscious，too，ofthesoberandsatisfactorynatureofsuchindustryasshehadjustwitnessed。Thethoughtofitcomposedandcalmedher。Whenshereachedhomesheletherselfinasquietlyasshecould，inthehopethatthehouseholdwasalreadygonetobed。Butherexcursionhadoccupiedlesstimethanshethought，andsheheardsoundsofunmistakablelivelinessupstairs。A

dooropened，andshedrewherselfintoaground-floorroomincasethesoundmeantthatMr。Peytonweretakinghisleave。Fromwhereshestoodshecouldseethestairs，thoughshewasherselfinvisible。Someonewascomingdownthestairs，andnowshesawthatitwasWilliamRodney。Helookedalittlestrange，asifhewerewalkinginhissleep；hislipsmovedasifhewereactingsomeparttohimself。Hecamedownveryslowly，stepbystep，withonehanduponthebanisterstoguidehimself。Shethoughthelookedasifhewereinsomemoodofhighexaltation，whichitmadeheruncomfortabletowitnessanylongerunseen。Shesteppedintothehall。Hegaveagreatstartuponseeingherandstopped。

“Katharine！“heexclaimed。“You\'vebeenout？“heasked。

“Yes……Aretheystillup？“

Hedidnotanswer，andwalkedintotheground-floorroomthroughthedoorwhichstoodopen。

“It\'sbeenmorewonderfulthanIcantellyou，“hesaid，“I\'mincrediblyhappy——“

Hewasscarcelyaddressingher，andshesaidnothing。Foramomenttheystoodatoppositesidesofatablesayingnothing。Thenheaskedherquickly，“Buttellme，howdiditseemtoyou？Whatdidyouthink，Katharine？Isthereachancethatshelikesme？Tellme，Katharine！“

Beforeshecouldansweradooropenedonthelandingaboveanddisturbedthem。ItdisturbedWilliamexcessively。Hestartedback，walkedrapidlyintothehall，andsaidinaloudandostentatiouslyordinarytone:

“Goodnight，Katharine。Gotobednow。Ishallseeyousoon。IhopeI

shallbeabletocometo-morrow。“

Nextmomenthewasgone。ShewentupstairsandfoundCassandraonthelanding。Sheheldtwoorthreebooksinherhand，andshewasstoopingtolookatothersinalittlebookcase。Shesaidthatshecouldnevertellwhichbookshewantedtoreadinbed，poetry，biography，ormetaphysics。

“Whatdoyoureadinbed，Katharine？“sheasked，astheywalkedupstairssidebyside。

“Sometimesonething——sometimesanother，“saidKatharinevaguely。

Cassandralookedather。

“D\'youknow，you\'reextraordinarilyqueer，“shesaid。“Everyoneseemstomealittlequeer。Perhapsit\'stheeffectofLondon。“

“IsWilliamqueer，too？“Katharineasked。

“Well，Ithinkheisalittle，“Cassandrareplied。“Queer，butveryfascinating。IshallreadMiltonto-night。It\'sbeenoneofthehappiestnightsofmylife，Katharine，“sheadded，lookingwithshydevotionathercousin\'sbeautifulface。

CHAPTERXXVII

London，inthefirstdaysofspring，hasbudsthatopenandflowersthatsuddenlyshaketheirpetals——white，purple，orcrimson——incompetitionwiththedisplayinthegardenbeds，althoughthesecityflowersaremerelysomanydoorsflungwideinBondStreetandtheneighborhood，invitingyoutolookatapicture，orhearasymphony，ormerelycrowdandcrushyourselfamongallsortsofvocal，excitable，brightlycoloredhumanbeings。But，allthesame，itisnomeanrivaltothequieterprocessofvegetableflorescence。Whetherornotthereisagenerousmotiveattheroot，adesiretoshareandimpart，orwhethertheanimationispurelythatofinsensatefervorandfriction，theeffect，whileitlasts，certainlyencouragesthosewhoareyoung，andthosewhoareignorant，tothinktheworldonegreatbazaar，withbannersflutteringanddivansheapedwithspoilsfromeveryquarteroftheglobefortheirdelight。

AsCassandraOtwaywentaboutLondonprovidedwithshillingsthatopenedturnstiles，ormoreoftenwithlargewhitecardsthatdisregardedturnstiles，thecityseemedtoherthemostlavishandhospitableofhosts。AftervisitingtheNationalGallery，orHertfordHouse，orhearingBrahmsorBeethovenattheBechsteinHall，shewouldcomebacktofindanewpersonawaitingher，inwhosesoulwereimbeddedsomegrainsoftheinvaluablesubstancewhichshestillcalledreality，andstillbelievedthatshecouldfind。TheHilberys，asthesayingis，“kneweveryone，“andthatarrogantclaimwascertainlyupheldbythenumberofhouseswhich，withinacertainarea，littheirlampsatnight，openedtheirdoorsafter3p。m。，andadmittedtheHilberystotheirdining-rooms，say，onceamonth。Anindefinablefreedomandauthorityofmanner，sharedbymostofthepeoplewholivedinthesehouses，seemedtoindicatethatwhetheritwasaquestionofart，music，orgovernment，theywerewellwithinthegates，andcouldsmileindulgentlyatthevastmassofhumanitywhichisforcedtowaitandstruggle，andpayforentrancewithcommoncoinatthedoor。ThegatesopenedinstantlytoadmitCassandra。Shewasnaturallycriticalofwhatwentoninside，andinclinedtoquotewhatHenrywouldhavesaid；butsheoftensucceededincontradictingHenry，inhisabsence，andinvariablypaidherpartneratdinner，orthekindoldladywhorememberedhergrandmother，thecomplimentofbelievingthattherewasmeaninginwhattheysaid。Forthesakeofthelightinhereagereyes，muchcrudityofexpressionandsomeuntidinessofpersonwereforgivenher。Itwasgenerallyfeltthat，givenayearortwoofexperience，introducedtogooddressmakers，andpreservedfrombadinfluences，shewouldbeanacquisition。Thoseelderlyladies，whositontheedgeofballroomssamplingthestuffofhumanitybetweenfingerandthumbandbreathingsoevenlythatthenecklaces，whichriseandfallupontheirbreasts，seemtorepresentsomeelementalforce，suchasthewavesupontheoceanofhumanity，concluded，alittlesmilingly，thatshewoulddo。Theymeantthatshewouldinallprobabilitymarrysomeyoungmanwhosemothertheyrespected。

WilliamRodneywasfertileinsuggestions。Heknewoflittlegalleries，andselectconcerts，andprivateperformances，andsomehowmadetimetomeetKatharineandCassandra，andtogivethemteaordinnerorsupperinhisroomsafterwards。Eachoneofherfourteendaysthuspromisedtobearsomebrightilluminationinitssobertext。

ButSundayapproached。ThedayisusuallydedicatedtoNature。Theweatherwasalmostkindlyenoughforanexpedition。ButCassandrarejectedHamptonCourt，Greenwich，Richmond，andKewinfavoroftheZoologicalGardens。Shehadoncetrifledwiththepsychologyofanimals，andstillknewsomethingaboutinheritedcharacteristics。OnSundayafternoon，therefore，Katharine，Cassandra，andWilliamRodneydroveofftotheZoo。Astheircabapproachedtheentrance，Katharinebentforwardandwavedherhandtoayoungmanwhowaswalkingrapidlyinthesamedirection。

“There\'sRalphDenham！“sheexclaimed。“Itoldhimtomeetushere，“

sheadded。Shehadevencomeprovidedwithaticketforhim。William\'sobjectionthathewouldnotbeadmittedwas，therefore，silenceddirectly。Butthewayinwhichthetwomengreetedeachotherwassignificantofwhatwasgoingtohappen。AssoonastheyhadadmiredthelittlebirdsinthelargecageWilliamandCassandralaggedbehind，andRalphandKatharinepressedonratherinadvance。ItwasanarrangementinwhichWilliamtookhispart，andonethatsuitedhisconvenience，buthewasannoyedallthesame。HethoughtthatKatharineshouldhavetoldhimthatshehadinvitedDenhamtomeetthem。

“OneofKatharine\'sfriends，“hesaidrathersharply。Itwasclearthathewasirritated，andCassandrafeltforhisannoyance。TheywerestandingbythepenofsomeOrientalhog，andshewasproddingthebrutegentlywiththepointofherumbrella，whenathousandlittleobservationsseemed，insomeway，tocollectinonecenter。Thecenterwasoneofintenseandcuriousemotion。Weretheyhappy？Shedismissedthequestionassheaskedit，scorningherselfforapplyingsuchsimplemeasurestotherareandsplendidemotionsofsouniqueacouple。Nevertheless，hermannerbecameimmediatelydifferent，asif，forthefirsttime，shefeltconsciouslywomanly，andasifWilliammightconceivablywishlaterontoconfideinher。Sheforgotallaboutthepsychologyofanimals，andtherecurrenceofblueeyesandbrown，andbecameinstantlyengrossedinherfeelingsasawomanwhocouldadministerconsolation，andshehopedthatKatharinewouldkeepaheadwithMr。Denham，asachildwhoplaysatbeinggrown-uphopesthathermotherwon\'tcomeinjustyet，andspoilthegame。Orwasitnotratherthatshehadceasedtoplayatbeinggrown-up，andwasconscious，suddenly，thatshewasalarminglymatureandinearnest？

TherewasstillunbrokensilencebetweenKatharineandRalphDenham，buttheoccupantsofthedifferentcagesservedinsteadofspeech。

“Whathaveyoubeendoingsincewemet？“Ralphaskedatlength。

“Doing？“shepondered。“Walkinginandoutofotherpeople\'shouses。I

wonderiftheseanimalsarehappy？“shespeculated，stoppingbeforeagraybear，whowasphilosophicallyplayingwithatasselwhichonce，perhaps，formedpartofalady\'sparasol。

“I\'mafraidRodneydidn\'tlikemycoming，“Ralphremarked。

“No。Buthe\'llsoongetoverthat，“shereplied。ThedetachmentexpressedbyhervoicepuzzledRalph，andhewouldhavebeengladifshehadexplainedhermeaningfurther。Buthewasnotgoingtopressherforexplanations。Eachmomentwastobe，asfarashecouldmakeit，completeinitself，owingnothingofitshappinesstoexplanations，borrowingneitherbrightnordarktintsfromthefuture。

“Thebearsseemhappy，“heremarked。“Butwemustbuythemabagofsomething。There\'stheplacetobuybuns。Let\'sgoandgetthem。“Theywalkedtothecounterpiledwithlittlepaperbags，andeachsimultaneouslyproducedashillingandpresseditupontheyounglady，whodidnotknowwhethertoobligetheladyorthegentleman，butdecided，fromconventionalreasons，thatitwasthepartofthegentlemantopay。

“Iwishtopay，“saidRalphperemptorily，refusingthecoinwhichKatharinetendered。“IhaveareasonforwhatIdo，“headded，seeinghersmileathistoneofdecision。

“Ibelieveyouhaveareasonforeverything，“sheagreed，breakingthebunintopartsandtossingthemdownthebears\'throats，“butIcan\'tbelieveit\'sagoodonethistime。Whatisyourreason？“

Herefusedtotellher。Hecouldnotexplaintoherthathewasofferingupconsciouslyallhishappinesstoher，andwished，absurdlyenough，topoureverypossessionhehadupontheblazingpyre，evenhissilverandgold。Hewishedtokeepthisdistancebetweenthem——thedistancewhichseparatesthedevoteefromtheimageintheshrine。

Circumstancesconspiredtomakethiseasierthanitwouldhavebeen，hadtheybeenseatedinadrawing-room，forexample，withatea-traybetweenthem。Hesawheragainstabackgroundofpalegrottosandsleekhides；camelsslantedtheirheavy-riddedeyesather，giraffesfastidiouslyobservedherfromtheirmelancholyeminence，andthepink-linedtrunksofelephantscautiouslyabstractedbunsfromheroutstretchedhands。Thentherewerethehothouses。Hesawherbendingoverpythonscoileduponthesand，orconsideringthebrownrockbreakingthestagnantwaterofthealligators\'pool，orsearchingsomeminutesectionoftropicalforestforthegoldeneyeofalizardortheindrawnmovementofthegreenfrogs\'flanks。Inparticular，hesawheroutlinedagainstthedeepgreenwaters，inwhichsquadronsofsilveryfishwheeledincessantly，orogledherforamoment，pressingtheirdistortedmouthsagainsttheglass，quiveringtheirtailsstraightoutbehindthem。Again，therewastheinsecthouse，wheresheliftedtheblindsofthelittlecages，andmarveledatthepurplecirclesmarkedupontherichtussorewingsofsomelatelyemergedandsemi-consciousbutterfly，oratcaterpillarsimmobileliketheknobbedtwigsofapale-skinnedtree，oratslimgreensnakesstabbingtheglasswallagainandagainwiththeirflickeringclefttongues。Theheatoftheair，andthebloomofheavyflowers，whichswaminwaterorrosestifflyfromgreatredjars，togetherwiththedisplayofcuriouspatternsandfantasticshapes，producedanatmosphereinwhichhumanbeingstendedtolookpaleandtofallsilent。

Openingthedoorofahousewhichrangwiththemockingandprofoundlyunhappylaughterofmonkeys，theydiscoveredWilliamandCassandra。

Williamappearedtobetemptingsomesmallreluctantanimaltodescendfromanupperperchtopartakeofhalfanapple。Cassandrawasreadingout，inherhigh-pitchedtones，anaccountofthiscreature\'ssecludeddispositionandnocturnalhabits。ShesawKatharineandexclaimed:

“Hereyouare！DopreventWilliamfromtorturingthisunfortunateaye-aye。“

“Wethoughtwe\'dlostyou，“saidWilliam。Helookedfromonetotheother，andseemedtotakestockofDenham\'sunfashionableappearance。

Heseemedtowishtofindsomeoutletformalevolence，but，failingone，heremainedsilent。Theglance，theslightquiveroftheupperlip，werenotlostuponKatharine。

“Williamisn\'tkindtoanimals，“sheremarked。“Hedoesn\'tknowwhattheylikeandwhattheydon\'tlike。“

“Itakeityou\'rewellversedinthesematters，Denham，“saidRodney，withdrawinghishandwiththeapple。

“It\'smainlyaquestionofknowinghowtostrokethem，“Denhamreplied。

“WhichisthewaytotheReptileHouse？“Cassandraaskedhim，notfromagenuinedesiretovisitthereptiles，butinobediencetohernew-bornfemininesusceptibility，whichurgedhertocharmandconciliatetheothersex。Denhambegantogiveherdirections，andKatharineandWilliammovedontogether。

“Ihopeyou\'vehadapleasantafternoon，“Williamremarked。

“IlikeRalphDenham，“shereplied。

“Casevoit，“Williamreturned，withsuperficialurbanity。

Manyretortswereobvious，butwishing，onthewhole，forpeace，Katharinemerelyinquired:

“Areyoucomingbacktotea？“

“CassandraandIthoughtofhavingteaatalittleshopinPortlandPlace，“hereplied。“Idon\'tknowwhetheryouandDenhamwouldcaretojoinus。“

“I\'llaskhim，“shereplied，turningherheadtolookforhim。ButheandCassandrawereabsorbedintheaye-ayeoncemore。

WilliamandKatharinewatchedthemforamoment，andeachlookedcuriouslyattheobjectoftheother\'spreference。ButrestinghiseyeuponCassandra，towhoseelegancethedressmakershadnowdonejustice，Williamsaidsharply:

“Ifyoucome，Ihopeyouwon\'tdoyourbesttomakemeridiculous。“

“Ifthat\'swhatyou\'reafraidofIcertainlyshan\'tcome，“Katharinereplied。

Theywereprofessedlylookingintotheenormouscentralcageofmonkeys，andbeingthoroughlyannoyedbyWilliam，shecomparedhimtoawretchedmisanthropicalape，huddledinascrapofoldshawlattheendofapole，dartingpeevishglancesofsuspicionanddistrustathiscompanions。Hertolerancewasdesertingher。Theeventsofthepastweekhadwornitthin。Shewasinoneofthosemoods，perhapsnotuncommonwitheithersex，whentheotherbecomesveryclearlydistinguished，andofcontemptiblebaseness，sothatthenecessityofassociationisdegrading，andthetie，whichatsuchmomentsisalwaysextremelyclose，dragslikeahalterroundtheneck。William\'sexactingdemandsandhisjealousyhadpulledherdownintosomehorribleswampofhernaturewheretheprimevalstrugglebetweenmanandwomanstillrages。

“Youseemtodelightinhurtingme，“Williampersisted。“Whydidyousaythatjustnowaboutmybehaviortoanimals？“Ashespokeherattledhisstickagainstthebarsofthecage，whichgavehiswordsanaccompanimentpeculiarlyexasperatingtoKatharine\'snerves。

“Becauseit\'strue。Youneverseewhatanyonefeels，“shesaid。“Youthinkofnoonebutyourself。“

“Thatisnottrue，“saidWilliam。Byhisdeterminedrattlinghehadnowcollectedtheanimatedattentionofsomehalf-dozenapes。Eithertopropitiatethem，ortoshowhisconsiderationfortheirfeelings，heproceededtoofferthemtheapplewhichheheld。

Thesight，unfortunately，wassocomicallyaptinitsillustrationofthepictureinhermind，therusewassotransparent，thatKatharinewasseizedwithlaughter。Shelaugheduncontrollably。Williamflushedred。Nodisplayofangercouldhavehurthisfeelingsmoreprofoundly。

Itwasnotonlythatshewaslaughingathim；thedetachmentofthesoundwashorrible。

“Idon\'tknowwhatyou\'relaughingat，“hemuttered，and，turning，foundthattheothercouplehadrejoinedthem。Asifthematterhadbeenprivatelyagreedupon，thecouplesseparatedoncemore，KatharineandDenhampassingoutofthehousewithoutmorethanaperfunctoryglanceroundthem。DenhamobeyedwhatseemedtobeKatharine\'swishinthusmakinghaste。Somechangehadcomeoverher。Heconnecteditwithherlaughter，andherfewwordsinprivatewithRodney；hefeltthatshehadbecomeunfriendlytohim。Shetalked，butherremarkswereindifferent，andwhenhespokeherattentionseemedtowander。Thischangeofmoodwasatfirstextremelydisagreeabletohim；butsoonhefounditsalutary。Thepaledrizzlingatmosphereofthedayaffectedhim，also。Thecharm，theinsidiousmagicinwhichhehadluxuriated，weresuddenlygone；hisfeelinghadbecomeoneoffriendlyrespect，andtohisgreatpleasurehefoundhimselfthinkingspontaneouslyofthereliefoffindinghimselfaloneinhisroomthatnight。Inhissurpriseatthesuddennessofthechange，andattheextentofhisfreedom，hebethoughthimofadaringplan，bywhichtheghostofKatharinecouldbemoreeffectuallyexorcisedthanbymereabstinence。

Hewouldaskhertocomehomewithhimtotea。Hewouldforceherthroughthemilloffamilylife；hewouldplaceherinalightunsparingandrevealing。Hisfamilywouldfindnothingtoadmireinher，andshe，hefeltcertain，woulddespisethemall，andthis，too，wouldhelphim。Hefelthimselfbecomingmoreandmoremercilesstowardsher。Bysuchcourageousmeasuresanyone，hethought，couldendtheabsurdpassionswhichwerethecauseofsomuchpainandwaste。Hecouldforeseeatimewhenhisexperiences，hisdiscovery，andhistriumphweremadeavailableforyoungerbrotherswhofoundthemselvesinthesamepredicament。Helookedathiswatch，andremarkedthatthegardenswouldsoonbeclosed。

“Anyhow，“headded，“Ithinkwe\'veseenenoughforoneafternoon。

Wherehavetheothersgotto？“Helookedoverhisshoulder，and，seeingnotraceofthem，remarkedatonce:

“We\'dbetterbeindependentofthem。Thebestplanwillbeforyoutocomebacktoteawithme。“

“Whyshouldn\'tyoucomewithme？“sheasked。

“Becausewe\'renextdoortoHighgatehere，“herepliedpromptly。

Sheassented，havingverylittlenotionwhetherHighgatewasnextdoortoRegent\'sParkornot。Shewasonlygladtoputoffherreturntothefamilytea-tableinChelseaforanhourortwo。TheyproceededwithdoggeddeterminationthroughthewindingroadsofRegent\'sPark，andtheSunday-strickenstreetsoftheneighborhood，inthedirectionoftheTubestation。Ignorantoftheway，sheresignedherselfentirelytohim，andfoundhissilenceaconvenientcoverbeneathwhichtocontinueherangerwithRodney。

WhentheysteppedoutofthetrainintothestillgrayergloomofHighgate，shewondered，forthefirsttime，wherehewastakingher。

Hadheafamily，ordidhelivealoneinrooms？Onthewholeshewasinclinedtobelievethathewastheonlysonofanaged，andpossiblyinvalid，mother。Shesketchedlightly，upontheblankvistadownwhichtheywalked，thelittlewhitehouseandthetremulousoldladyrisingfrombehindhertea-tabletogreetherwithfalteringwordsabout“myson\'sfriends，“andwasonthepointofaskingRalphtotellherwhatshemightexpect，whenhejerkedopenoneoftheinfinitenumberofidenticalwoodendoors，andledherupatiledpathtoaporchintheAlpinestyleofarchitecture。Astheylistenedtotheshakingofthebellinthebasement，shecouldsummonnovisiontoreplacetheonesorudelydestroyed。

“Imustwarnyoutoexpectafamilyparty，“saidRalph。“They\'remostlyinonSundays。Wecangotomyroomafterwards。“

“Haveyoumanybrothersandsisters？“sheasked，withoutconcealingherdismay。

“Sixorseven，“herepliedgrimly，asthedooropened。

WhileRalphtookoffhiscoat，shehadtimetonoticethefernsandphotographsanddraperies，andtohearahum，orratherababble，ofvoicestalkingeachotherdown，fromthesoundofthem。Therigidityofextremeshynesscameoverher。ShekeptasfarbehindDenhamasshecould，andwalkedstifflyafterhimintoaroomblazingwithunshadedlights，whichfelluponanumberofpeople，ofdifferentages，sittingroundalargedining-roomtableuntidilystrewnwithfood，andunflinchinglylitupbyincandescentgas。Ralphwalkedstraighttothefarendofthetable。

“Mother，thisisMissHilbery，“hesaid。

Alargeelderlylady，bentoveranunsatisfactoryspirit-lamp，lookedupwithalittlefrown，andobserved:

“Ibegyourpardon。Ithoughtyouwereoneofmyowngirls。Dorothy，“

shecontinuedonthesamebreath，tocatchtheservantbeforeshelefttheroom，“weshallwantsomemoremethylatedspirits——unlessthelampitselfisoutoforder。Ifoneofyoucouldinventagoodspirit-lamp——“shesighed，lookinggenerallydownthetable，andthenbeganseekingamongthechinabeforeherfortwocleancupsforthenew-comers。

TheunsparinglightrevealedmoreuglinessthanKatharinehadseeninoneroomforaverylongtime。Itwastheuglinessofenormousfoldsofbrownmaterial，loopedandfestooned，ofplushcurtains，fromwhichdependedballsandfringes，partiallyconcealingbookshelvesswollenwithblackschool-texts。Hereyewasarrestedbycrossedscabbardsoffrettedwooduponthedullgreenwall，andwhereevertherewasahighflateminence，somefernwavedfromapotofcrinkledchina，orabronzehorserearedsohighthatthestumpofatreehadtosustainhisforequarters。Thewatersoffamilylifeseemedtoriseandcloseoverherhead，andshemunchedinsilence。

AtlengthMrs。Denhamlookedupfromherteacupsandremarked:

“Yousee，MissHilbery，mychildrenallcomeinatdifferenthoursandwantdifferentthings。(Thetrayshouldgoupifyou\'vedone，Johnnie。)MyboyCharlesisinbedwithacold。Whatelsecanyouexpect？——standinginthewetplayingfootball。Wedidtrydrawing-roomtea，butitdidn\'tdo。“

Aboyofsixteen，whoappearedtobeJohnnie，grumbledderisivelybothatthenotionofdrawing-roomteaandatthenecessityofcarryingatrayuptohisbrother。Buthetookhimselfoff，beingenjoinedbyhismothertomindwhathewasdoing，andshutthedoorafterhim。

“It\'smuchnicerlikethis，“saidKatharine，applyingherselfwithdeterminationtothedissectionofhercake；theyhadgivenhertoolargeaslice。SheknewthatMrs。Denhamsuspectedherofcriticalcomparisons。Sheknewthatshewasmakingpoorprogresswithhercake。

Mrs。DenhamhadlookedathersufficientlyoftentomakeitcleartoKatharinethatshewasaskingwhothisyoungwomanwas，andwhyRalphhadbroughthertoteawiththem。Therewasanobviousreason，whichMrs。Denhamhadprobablyreachedbythistime。Outwardly，shewasbehavingwithratherrustyandlaboriouscivility。ShewasmakingconversationabouttheamenitiesofHighgate，itsdevelopmentandsituation。

“WhenIfirstmarried，“shesaid，“HighgatewasquiteseparatefromLondon，MissHilbery，andthishouse，thoughyouwouldn\'tbelieveit，hadaviewofappleorchards。ThatwasbeforetheMiddletonsbuilttheirhouseinfrontofus。“

“Itmustbeagreatadvantagetoliveatthetopofahill，“saidKatharine。Mrs。Denhamagreedeffusively，asifheropinionofKatharine\'ssensehadrisen。

“Yes，indeed，wefinditveryhealthy，“shesaid，andshewenton，aspeoplewholiveinthesuburbssooftendo，toprovethatitwashealthier，moreconvenient，andlessspoiltthananysuburbroundLondon。Shespokewithsuchemphasisthatitwasquiteobviousthatsheexpressedunpopularviews，andthatherchildrendisagreedwithher。

“Theceiling\'sfallendowninthepantryagain，“saidHester，agirlofeighteen，abruptly。

“Thewholehousewillbedownoneofthesedays，“Jamesmuttered。

“Nonsense，“saidMrs。Denham。“It\'sonlyalittlebitofplaster——I

don\'tseehowanyhousecouldbeexpectedtostandthewearandtearyougiveit。“Heresomefamilyjokeexploded，whichKatharinecouldnotfollow。EvenMrs。Denhamlaughedagainstherwill。

“MissHilbery\'sthinkingusallsorude，“sheaddedreprovingly。MissHilberysmiledandshookherhead，andwasconsciousthatagreatmanyeyesresteduponher，foramoment，asiftheywouldfindpleasureindiscussingherwhenshewasgone。Owing，perhaps，tothiscriticalglance，KatharinedecidedthatRalphDenham\'sfamilywascommonplace，unshapely，lackingincharm，andfitlyexpressedbythehideousnatureoftheirfurnitureanddecorations。Sheglancedalongamantelpiecerangedwithbronzechariots，silvervases，andchinaornamentsthatwereeitherfacetiousoreccentric。

ShedidnotapplyherjudgmentconsciouslytoRalph，butwhenshelookedathim，amomentlater，sheratedhimlowerthanatanyothertimeoftheiracquaintanceship。

Hehadmadenoefforttotideoverthediscomfortsofherintroduction，andnow，engagedinargumentwithhisbrother，apparentlyforgotherpresence。Shemusthavecounteduponhissupportmorethansherealized，forthisindifference，emphasized，asitwas，bytheinsignificantcommonplaceofhissurroundings，awokeher，notonlytothatugliness，buttoherownfolly。Shethoughtofonesceneafteranotherinafewseconds，withthatshudderwhichisalmostablush。Shehadbelievedhimwhenhespokeoffriendship。Shehadbelievedinaspirituallightburningsteadilyandsteadfastlybehindtheerraticdisorderandincoherenceoflife。Thelightwasnowgoneout，suddenly，asifaspongehadblottedit。ThelitterofthetableandthetediousbutexactingconversationofMrs。Denhamremained:

theystruck，indeed，uponamindbereftofalldefences，and，keenlyconsciousofthedegradationwhichistheresultofstrifewhethervictoriousornot，shethoughtgloomilyofherloneliness，oflife\'sfutility，ofthebarrenproseofreality，ofWilliamRodney，ofhermother，andtheunfinishedbook。

HeranswerstoMrs。Denhamwereperfunctorytothevergeofrudeness，andtoRalph，whowatchedhernarrowly，sheseemedfurtherawaythanwascompatiblewithherphysicalcloseness。Heglancedather，andgroundoutfurtherstepsinhisargument，determinedthatnofollyshouldremainwhenthisexperiencewasover。Nextmoment，asilence，suddenandcomplete，descendeduponthemall。Thesilenceofallthesepeopleroundtheuntidytablewasenormousandhideous；somethinghorribleseemedabouttoburstfromit，buttheyendureditobstinately。Asecondlaterthedooropenedandtherewasastirofrelief；criesof“Hullo，Joan！There\'snothingleftforyoutoeat，“

brokeuptheoppressiveconcentrationofsomanyeyesuponthetable-cloth，andsetthewatersoffamilylifedashinginbrisklittlewavesagain。ItwasobviousthatJoanhadsomemysteriousandbeneficentpoweruponherfamily。ShewentuptoKatharineasifshehadheardofher，andwasverygladtoseeheratlast。Sheexplainedthatshehadbeenvisitinganunclewhowasill，andthathadkepther。No，shehadn\'thadanytea，butasliceofbreadwoulddo。Someonehandedupahotcake，whichhadbeenkeepingwarminthefender；

shesatdownbyhermother\'sside，Mrs。Denham\'sanxietiesseemedtorelax，andeveryonebeganeatinganddrinking，asifteahadbegunoveragain。HestervoluntarilyexplainedtoKatharinethatshewasreadingtopasssomeexamination，becauseshewantedmorethananythinginthewholeworldtogotoNewnham。

“Now，justletmehearyoudecline\'amo\'——Ilove，“Johnniedemanded。

“No，Johnnie，noGreekatmeal-times，“saidJoan，overhearinghiminstantly。“She\'supatallhoursofthenightoverherbooks，MissHilbery，andI\'msurethat\'snotthewaytopassexaminations，“shewenton，smilingatKatharine，withtheworriedhumoroussmileoftheeldersisterwhoseyoungerbrothersandsistershavebecomealmostlikechildrenofherown。

“Joan，youdon\'treallythinkthat\'amo\'isGreek？“Ralphasked。

“DidIsayGreek？Well，nevermind。Nodeadlanguagesattea-time。Mydearboy，don\'ttroubletomakemeanytoast——“

“Orifyoudo，surelythere\'sthetoasting-forksomewhere？“saidMrs。

Denham，stillcherishingthebeliefthatthebread-knifecouldbespoilt。“Dooneofyouringandaskforone，“shesaid，withoutanyconvictionthatshewouldbeobeyed。“ButisAnncomingtobewithUncleJoseph？“shecontinued。“Ifso，surelytheyhadbettersendAmytous——“andinthemysteriousdelightoflearningfurtherdetailsofthesearrangements，andsuggestingmoresensibleplansofherown，which，fromtheaggrievedwayinwhichshespoke，shedidnotseemtoexpectanyonetoadopt，Mrs。Denhamcompletelyforgotthepresenceofawell-dressedvisitor，whohadtobeinformedabouttheamenitiesofHighgate。AssoonasJoanhadtakenherseat，anargumenthadsprunguponeithersideofKatharine，astowhethertheSalvationArmyhasanyrighttoplayhymnsatstreetcornersonSundaymornings，therebymakingitimpossibleforJamestohavehissleepout，andtamperingwiththerightsofindividualliberty。

“Yousee，Jameslikestolieinbedandsleeplikeahog，“saidJohnnie，explaininghimselftoKatharine，whereuponJamesfiredupand，makingherhisgoal，alsoexclaimed:

“BecauseSundaysaremyonechanceintheweekofhavingmysleepout。

Johnniemesseswithstinkingchemicalsinthepantry——“

Theyappealedtoher，andsheforgothercakeandbegantolaughandtalkandarguewithsuddenanimation。Thelargefamilyseemedtohersowarmandvariousthatsheforgottocensurethemfortheirtasteinpottery。ButthepersonalquestionbetweenJamesandJohnniemergedintosomeargumentalready，apparently，debated，sothatthepartshadbeendistributedamongthefamily，inwhichRalphtookthelead；andKatharinefoundherselfopposedtohimandthechampionofJohnnie\'scause，who，itappeared，alwayslosthisheadandgotexcitedinargumentwithRalph。

“Yes，yes，that\'swhatImean。She\'sgotitright，“heexclaimed，afterKatharinehadrestatedhiscase，andmadeitmoreprecise。ThedebatewasleftalmostsolelytoKatharineandRalph。Theylookedintoeachother\'seyesfixedly，likewrestlerstryingtoseewhatmovementiscomingnext，andwhileRalphspoke，Katharinebitherlowerlip，andwasalwaysreadywithhernextpointassoonashehaddone。Theywereverywellmatched，andheldtheoppositeviews。

Butatthemostexcitingstageoftheargument，fornoreasonthatKatharinecouldsee，allchairswerepushedback，andoneafteranothertheDenhamfamilygotupandwentoutofthedoor，asifabellhadsummonedthem。Shewasnotusedtotheclockworkregulationsofalargefamily。Shehesitatedinwhatshewassaying，androse。

Mrs。DenhamandJoanhaddrawntogetherandstoodbythefireplace，slightlyraisingtheirskirtsabovetheirankles，anddiscussingsomethingwhichhadanairofbeingveryseriousandveryprivate。

Theyappearedtohaveforgottenherpresenceamongthem。Ralphstoodholdingthedooropenforher。

“Won\'tyoucomeuptomyroom？“hesaid。AndKatharine，glancingbackatJoan，whosmiledatherinapreoccupiedway，followedRalphupstairs。Shewasthinkingoftheirargument，andwhen，afterthelongclimb，heopenedhisdoor，shebeganatonce。

“Thequestionis，then，atwhatpointisitrightfortheindividualtoasserthiswillagainstthewilloftheState。“

Forsometimetheycontinuedtheargument，andthentheintervalsbetweenonestatementandthenextbecamelongerandlonger，andtheyspokemorespeculativelyandlesspugnaciously，andatlastfellsilent。Katharinewentovertheargumentinhermind，rememberinghow，nowandthen，ithadbeensetconspicuouslyontherightcoursebysomeremarkofferedeitherbyJamesorbyJohnnie。

“Yourbrothersareveryclever，“shesaid。“Isupposeyou\'reinthehabitofarguing？“

“JamesandJohnniewillgoonlikethatforhours，“Ralphreplied。“SowillHester，ifyoustartheruponElizabethandramatists。“

“Andthelittlegirlwiththepigtail？“

“Molly？She\'sonlyten。Butthey\'realwaysarguingamongthemselves。“

HewasimmenselypleasedbyKatharine\'spraiseofhisbrothersandsisters。Hewouldhavelikedtogoontellingheraboutthem，buthecheckedhimself。

“Iseethatitmustbedifficulttoleavethem，“Katharinecontinued。

Hisdeepprideinhisfamilywasmoreevidenttohim，atthatmoment，thaneverbefore，andtheideaoflivingaloneinacottagewasridiculous。Allthatbrotherhoodandsisterhood，andacommonchildhoodinacommonpastmean，allthestability，theunambitiouscomradeship，andtacitunderstandingoffamilylifeatitsbest，cametohismind，andhethoughtofthemasacompany，ofwhichhewastheleader，boundonadifficult，dreary，butgloriousvoyage。AnditwasKatharinewhohadopenedhiseyestothis，hethought。

Alittledrychirpfromthecorneroftheroomnowrousedherattention。

“Mytamerook，“heexplainedbriefly。“Acathadbittenoneofitslegs。“Shelookedattherook，andhereyeswentfromoneobjecttoanother。

“Yousithereandread？“shesaid，hereyesrestinguponhisbooks。Hesaidthathewasinthehabitofworkingthereatnight。

“ThegreatadvantageofHighgateistheviewoverLondon。Atnighttheviewfrommywindowissplendid。“Hewasextremelyanxiousthatsheshouldappreciatehisview，andsherosetoseewhatwastobeseen。

Itwasalreadydarkenoughfortheturbulenthazetobeyellowwiththelightofstreetlamps，andshetriedtodeterminethequartersofthecitybeneathher。Thesightofhergazingfromhiswindowgavehimapeculiarsatisfaction。Whensheturned，atlength，hewasstillsittingmotionlessinhischair。

“Itmustbelate，“shesaid。“Imustbegoing。“Shesettleduponthearmofthechairirresolutely，thinkingthatshehadnowishtogohome。Williamwouldbethere，andhewouldfindsomewayofmakingthingsunpleasantforher，andthememoryoftheirquarrelcamebacktoher。ShehadnoticedRalph\'scoldness，too。Shelookedathim，andfromhisfixedstareshethoughtthathemustbeworkingoutsometheory，someargument。Hehadthought，perhaps，ofsomefreshpointinhisposition，astotheboundsofpersonalliberty。Shewaited，silently，thinkingaboutliberty。

“You\'vewonagain，“hesaidatlast，withoutmoving。

“I\'vewon？“sherepeated，thinkingoftheargument。

“IwishtoGodIhadn\'taskedyouhere，“heburstout。

“Whatdoyoumean？“

“Whenyou\'rehere，it\'sdifferent——I\'mhappy。You\'veonlytowalktothewindow——you\'veonlytotalkaboutliberty。WhenIsawyoudownthereamongthemall——“Hestoppedshort。

“YouthoughthowordinaryIwas。“

“Itriedtothinkso。ButIthoughtyoumorewonderfulthanever。“

Animmenserelief，andareluctancetoenjoythatrelief，conflictedinherheart。

Shesliddownintothechair。

“Ithoughtyoudislikedme，“shesaid。

“GodknowsItried，“hereplied。“I\'vedonemybesttoseeyouasyouare，withoutanyofthisdamnedromanticnonsense。ThatwaswhyI

askedyouhere，andit\'sincreasedmyfolly。Whenyou\'regoneIshalllookoutofthatwindowandthinkofyou。Ishallwastethewholeeveningthinkingofyou。Ishallwastemywholelife，Ibelieve。“

Hespokewithsuchvehemencethatherreliefdisappeared；shefrowned；

andhertonechangedtoonealmostofseverity。

“ThisiswhatIforetold。Weshallgainnothingbutunhappiness。Lookatme，Ralph。“Helookedather。“IassureyouthatI\'mfarmoreordinarythanIappear。Beautymeansnothingwhatever。Infact，themostbeautifulwomenaregenerallythemoststupid。I\'mnotthat，butI\'mamatter-of-fact，prosaic，ratherordinarycharacter；Iorderthedinner，Ipaythebills，Idotheaccounts，Iwinduptheclock，andI

neverlookatabook。“

“Youforget——“hebegan，butshewouldnotlethimspeak。

“Youcomeandseemeamongflowersandpictures，andthinkmemysterious，romantic，andalltherestofit。Beingyourselfveryinexperiencedandveryemotional，yougohomeandinventastoryaboutme，andnowyoucan\'tseparatemefromthepersonyou\'veimaginedmetobe。Youcallthat，Isuppose，beinginlove；asamatteroffactit\'sbeingindelusion。Allromanticpeoplearethesame，“sheadded。

“Mymotherspendsherlifeinmakingstoriesaboutthepeopleshe\'sfondof。ButIwon\'thaveyoudoitaboutme，ifIcanhelpit。“

“Youcan\'thelpit，“hesaid。

“Iwarnyouit\'sthesourceofallevil。“

“Andofallgood，“headded。

“You\'llfindoutthatI\'mnotwhatyouthinkme。“

“Perhaps。ButIshallgainmorethanIlose。“

“Ifsuchgain\'sworthhaving。“

Theyweresilentforaspace。

“Thatmaybewhatwehavetoface，“hesaid。“Theremaybenothingelse。Nothingbutwhatweimagine。“

“Thereasonofourloneliness，“shemused，andtheyweresilentforatime。

“Whenareyoutobemarried？“heaskedabruptly，withachangeoftone。

“NottillSeptember，Ithink。It\'sbeenputoff。“

“Youwon\'tbelonelythen，“hesaid。“Accordingtowhatpeoplesay，marriageisaveryqueerbusiness。Theysayit\'sdifferentfromanythingelse。Itmaybetrue。I\'veknownoneortwocaseswhereitseemstobetrue。“Hehopedthatshewouldgoonwiththesubject。Butshemadenoreply。Hehaddonehisbesttomasterhimself，andhisvoicewassufficientlyindifferent，buthersilencetormentedhim。ShewouldneverspeaktohimofRodneyofherownaccord，andherreserveleftawholecontinentofhersoulindarkness。

“Itmaybeputoffevenlongerthanthat，“shesaid，asifbyanafterthought。“Someoneintheofficeisill，andWilliamhastotakehisplace。Wemayputitoffforsometimeinfact。“

“That\'sratherhardonhim，isn\'tit？“Ralphasked。

“Hehashiswork，“shereplied。“Hehaslotsofthingsthatinteresthim……IknowI\'vebeentothatplace，“shebrokeoff，pointingtoaphotograph。“ButIcan\'trememberwhereitis——oh，ofcourseit\'sOxford。Now，whataboutyourcottage？“

“I\'mnotgoingtotakeit。“

“Howyouchangeyourmind！“shesmiled。

“It\'snotthat，“hesaidimpatiently。“It\'sthatIwanttobewhereI

canseeyou。“

“OurcompactisgoingtoholdinspiteofallI\'vesaid？“sheasked。

“Forever，sofarasI\'mconcerned，“hereplied。

“You\'regoingtogoondreamingandimaginingandmakingupstoriesaboutmeasyouwalkalongthestreet，andpretendingthatwe\'reridinginaforest，orlandingonanisland——“

“No。Ishallthinkofyouorderingdinner，payingbills，doingtheaccounts，showingoldladiestherelics——“

“That\'sbetter，“shesaid。“Youcanthinkofmeto-morrowmorninglookingupdatesinthe\'DictionaryofNationalBiography。\'“

“Andforgettingyourpurse，“Ralphadded。

Atthisshesmiled，butinanothermomenthersmilefaded，eitherbecauseofhiswordsorofthewayinwhichhespokethem。Shewascapableofforgettingthings。Hesawthat。Butwhatmoredidhesee？

Washenotlookingatsomethingshehadnevershowntoanybody？Wasitnotsomethingsoprofoundthatthenotionofhisseeingitalmostshockedher？Hersmilefaded，andforamomentsheseemeduponthepointofspeaking，butlookingathiminsilence，withalookthatseemedtoaskwhatshecouldnotputintowords，sheturnedandbadehimgoodnight。