Wehadalsothereanotherlion，alioncub，entitledtoroaralittle，andofhimalsoImustsaysomething。CharlesO'Brienwasayoungman，abouttwenty-fiveyearsofage，whohadsentoutfromhisstudiointheprecedingyearacertainbust，supposedbyhisadmirerstobeunsurpassedbyanyeffortofancientormoderngenius。Iamnojudgeofsculpture，andwillnot，therefore，pronounceanopinion；butmanywhoconsideredthemselvestobejudges，declaredthatitwasa"goodishheadandshoulders，"andnothingmore。Imerelymentionthefact，asitwasonthestrengthofthatheadandshouldersthatO'BrienseparatedhimselffromathrongofotherssuchashimselfinRome，walkedsolitaryduringthedays，andthrewhimselfatthefeetofvariousladieswhenthedayswereover。Hehadriddenontheshouldersofhisbustintoaprominentplaceinourcircle，andthereencounteredmuchfeminineadmirationfromMrs。GeneralTalboysandothers。
　　SomeeighteenortwentyofususedtomeeteverySundayeveninginMrs。Mackinnon'sdrawing-room。Manyofus，indeed，wereinthehabitofseeingeachotherdaily，andofvisitingtogetherthehauntsinRomewhicharebestlovedbyart-lovingstrangers；buthere，inthisdrawing-room，weweresuretocometogether，andherebeforetheendofNovember，Mrs。Talboysmightalwaysbefound，notinanyaccustomedseat，butmovingabouttheroomasthedifferentmalementalattractionsofoursocietymightchancetomovethemselves。ShewasatfirstgreatlytakenbyMackinnon，whoalsowas，Ithink，alittlestirredbyheradmiration，thoughhestoutlydeniedthecharge。Shebecame，however，verydeartousallbeforesheleftus，andcertainlyweowedtoherourlove，forsheaddedinfinitelytothejoysofourwinter。
　　"Ihavecomeheretorefreshmyself，"shesaidtoMackinnononeeveningtoMackinnonandmyself；forwewerestandingtogether。
　　"ShallIgetyoutea？"saidI。
　　"Andwillyouhavesomethingtoeat？"Mackinnonasked。
　　"No，no，no；"sheanswered。"Tea，yes；butforHeaven'ssakeletnothingsoliddispeltheassociationsofsuchameetingasthis！"
　　"Ithoughtyoumighthavedinedearly，"saidMackinnon。NowMackinnonwasamanwhoseowndinnerwasverydeartohim。Ihaveseenhimbecomehastyandunpleasant，evenunderthepillarsoftheForum，whenhethoughtthatthepartywereplacinghisfishinjeopardybytheirdesiretolingertheretoolong。
　　"Early！Yes。No；Iknownotwhenitwas。Onedinesandsleepsinobediencetothatdullclaywhichweighsdownsogenerallytheparticleofourspirit。Buttheclaymaysometimesbeforgotten。
　　HereIcanalwaysforgetit。"
　　"Ithoughtyouaskedforrefreshment，"Isaid。Sheonlylookedatme，whosesmallattemptsatprosecompositionhad，uptothattime，beenaltogetherunsuccessful，andthenaddressedherselfinreplytoMackinnon。
　　"Itistheairwhichwebreathethatfillsourlungsandgivesuslifeandlight。Itisthatwhichrefreshesusifpure，orsinksusintostagnationifitbefoul。Letmeforawhileinhalethebreathofaninvigoratingliterature。Sitdown，Mr。Mackinnon；IhaveaquestionthatImustputtoyou。"Andthenshesucceededincarryinghimoffintoacorner。AsfarasIcouldseehewentwillinglyenoughatthattime，thoughhesoonbecameaversetoanylongretirementincompanywithMrs。Talboys。
　　Wenoneofusquiteunderstoodwhatwereherexactideasonthesubjectofrevealedreligion。Somebody，Ithink，hadtoldherthattherewereamongusoneortwowhoseopinionswerenotexactlyorthodoxaccordingtothedoctrinesoftheestablishedEnglishchurch。Ifso，shewasdeterminedtoshowusthatshealsowasadvancedbeyondtheprejudicesofanoldanddryschooloftheology。
　　"Ihavethrowndownallthebarriersofreligion，"shesaidtopoorMrs。Mackinnon，"andamlookingforthesentimentsofapureChristianity。"
　　"Throwndownallthebarriersofreligion！"saidMrs。Mackinnon，inatoneofhorrorwhichwasnotappreciated。
　　"Indeed，yes，"saidMrs。Talboys，withanexultingvoice。"Arenotthedaysforsuchtrammelsgoneby？"
　　"ButyetyouholdbyChristianity？"
　　"ApureChristianity，unstainedbybloodandperjury，byhypocrisyandverbosegenuflection。CanInotworshipandsaymyprayersamongtheclouds？"Andshepointedtotheloftyceilingandthehandsomechandelier。
　　"ButIdagoestochurch，"saidMrs。Mackinnon。IdaTalboyswasherdaughter。Now，itmaybeobserved，thatmanywhothrowdownthebarriersofreligion，sofarasthosebarriersmayaffectthemselves，stillmaintainthemonbehalfoftheirchildren。"Yes，"
　　saidMrs。Talboys；"dearIda！hersoftspiritisnotyetadaptedtoreceivetheperfecttruth。Weareobligedtogovernchildrenbythestrengthoftheirprejudices。"Andthenshemovedaway，foritwasseldomthatMrs。Talboysremainedlonginconversationwithanylady。
　　Mackinnon，Ibelieve，soonbecametiredofher。Helikedherflattery，andatfirstdeclaredthatshewascleverandnice；buthernicenesswastoopurelycelestialtosatisfyhismundanetastes。
　　Mackinnonhimselfcanrevelamongthecloudsinhisownwritings，andcanleaveussometimesindoubtwhetherheevermeanstocomebacktoearth；butwhenhisfootisonterrafirma，helovestofeeltheearthlysubstratumwhichsupportshisweight。Withwomenhelikesahandthatcanremainanunnecessarymomentwithinhisown，aneyethatcanglistenwiththesparkleofchampagne，aheartweakenoughtomakeitsowner'sarmtremblewithinhisownbeneaththemoonlightgloomoftheColiseumarches。Adashofsentimentthewhilemakesallthesethingsthesweeter；butthesentimentalonewillnotsufficeforhim。Mrs。Talboysdid，Ibelieve，drinkherglassofchampagne，asdootherladies；butwithherithadnosuchpleasingeffect。Itloosenedonlyhertongue，butneverhereye。
　　Herarm，Ithink，nevertrembled，andherhandneverlingered。TheGeneralwasalwayssafe，andhappy，perhaps，inhissolitarysafety。
　　Itsohappenedthatwehadunfortunatelyamongustwoartistswhohadquarrelledwiththeirwives。O'Brien，whomIhavebeforementioned，wasoneofthem。Inhiscase，Ibelievehimtohavebeenalmostasfreefromblameasamancanbewhosemarriagewasinitselfafault。However，hehadawifeinIrelandsometenyearsolderthanhimself；andthoughhemightsometimesalmostforgetthefact，hisfriendsandneighbourswerewellawareofit。Intheothercasethewholefaultprobablywaswiththehusband。Hewasanill-tempered，bad-heartedman，cleverenough，butwithoutprinciple；
　　andhewascontinuallyguiltyofthegreatsinofspeakingevilofthewomanwhosenameheshouldhavebeenanxioustoprotect。InbothcasesourfriendMrs。Talboystookawarminterest，andineachofthemshesympathisedwiththepresenthusbandagainsttheabsentwife。
　　OftheconsolationwhichsheofferedinthelatterinstanceweusedtohearsomethingfromMackinnon。Hewouldrepeattohiswife，andtomeandmywife，theconversationswhichshehadwithhim。"PoorBrown；"shewouldsay，"Ipityhim，withmyveryheart'sblood。"
　　"Youareawarethathehascomfortedhimselfinhisdesolation，"
　　Mackinnonreplied。
　　"Iknowverywelltowhatyouallude。IthinkImaysaythatIamconversantwithallthecircumstancesofthisheart-blightingsacrifice。"Mrs。Talboyswasapttoboastofthethoroughconfidencereposedinherbyallthoseinwhomshetookaninterest。