IfMrs。RobyhadsimplypleadedherignoranceofOsricDane'sworksasareasonforwithdrawing，theLunchClub，inviewofherrecentprowess，mighthaveapprovedsuchevidenceofdiscretion；
　　buttocouplethisexcusewiththebrazenannouncementthatshewasforegoingtheprivilegeforthepurposeofjoiningabridge-
　　party，wasonlyonemoreinstanceofherdeplorablelackofdiscrimination。
　　Theladiesweredisposed，however，tofeelthatherdeparture——
　　nowthatshehadperformedthesoleserviceshewaseverlikelytorenderthem——wouldprobablymakeforgreaterorderanddignityintheimpendingdiscussion，besidesrelievingthemofthesenseofself-distrustwhichherpresencealwaysmysteriouslyproduced。
　　Mrs。Ballingerthereforerestrictedherselftoaformalmurmurofregret，andtheothermemberswerejustgroupingthemselvescomfortablyaboutOsricDanewhenthelatter，totheirdismay，startedupfromthesofaonwhichshehadbeendeferentiallyenthroned。
　　“Ohwait——dowait，andI'llgowithyou！”shecalledouttoMrs。
　　Roby；and，seizingthehandsofthedisconcertedmembers，sheadministeredaseriesoffarewellpressureswiththemechanicalhasteofarailway-conductorpunchingtickets。
　　“I'msosorry——I'dquiteforgotten——“sheflungbackatthemfromthethreshold；andasshejoinedMrs。Roby，whohadturnedinsurpriseatherappeal，theotherladieshadthemortificationofhearinghersay，inavoicewhichshedidnottakethepainstolower：“Ifyou'llletmewalkalittlewaywithyou，IshouldsoliketoaskyouafewmorequestionsaboutXingu……“
　　III
　　Theincidenthadbeensorapidthatthedoorclosedonthedepartingpairbeforetheothermembershadhadtimetounderstandwhatwashappening。ThenasenseoftheindignityputuponthembyOsricDane'sunceremoniousdesertionbegantocontendwiththeconfusedfeelingthattheyhadbeencheatedoutoftheirduewithoutexactlyknowinghoworwhy。
　　Therewasanawkwardsilence，duringwhichMrs。Ballinger，withaperfunctoryhand，rearrangedtheskilfullygroupedliteratureatwhichherdistinguishedguesthadnotsomuchasglanced；thenMissVanVluycktartlypronounced：“Well，Ican'tsaythatI
　　considerOsricDane'sdepartureagreatloss。“
　　Thisconfessioncrystallisedthefluidresentmentoftheothermembers，andMrs。Leveretexclaimed：“Idobelieveshecameonpurposetobenasty！”
　　ItwasMrs。Plinth'sprivateopinionthatOsricDane'sattitudetowardtheLunchClubmighthavebeenverydifferenthaditwelcomedherinthemajesticsettingofthePlinthdrawing-rooms；
　　butnotlikingtoreflectontheinadequacyofMrs。Ballinger'sestablishmentshesoughtaround-aboutsatisfactionindepreciatinghersavoirfaire。
　　“Isaidfromthefirstthatweoughttohavehadasubjectready。
　　It'swhatalwayshappenswhenyou'reunprepared。Nowifwe'donlygotupXingu——“
　　TheslownessofMrs。Plinth'smentalprocesseswasalwaysallowedforbytheClub；butthisinstanceofitwastoomuchforMrs。
　　Ballinger'sequanimity。
　　“Xingu！”shescoffed。“Why，itwasthefactofourknowingsomuchmoreaboutitthanshedid——unpreparedthoughwewere——thatmadeOsricDanesofurious。Ishouldhavethoughtthatwasplainenoughtoeverybody！”
　　ThisretortimpressedevenMrs。Plinth，andLauraGlyde，movedbyanimpulseofgenerosity，said：“Yes，wereallyoughttobegratefultoMrs。Robyforintroducingthetopic。ItmayhavemadeOsricDanefurious，butatleastitmadehercivil。“
　　“Iamgladwewereabletoshowher，“addedMissVanVluyck，“thatabroadandup-to-datecultureisnotconfinedtothegreatintellectualcentres。“
　　Thisincreasedthesatisfactionoftheothermembers，andtheybegantoforgettheirwrathagainstOsricDaneinthepleasureofhavingcontributedtoherdefeat。
　　MissVanVluyckthoughtfullyrubbedherspectacles。“Whatsurprisedmemost，“shecontinued，“wasthatFannyRobyshouldbesouponXingu。“
　　Thisfrankadmissionthrewaslightchillonthecompany，butMrs。Ballingersaidwithanairofindulgentirony：“Mrs。Robyalwayshastheknackofmakingalittlegoalongway；still，wecertainlyoweheradebtforhappeningtorememberthatshe'dheardofXingu。“AndthiswasfeltbytheothermemberstobeagracefulwayofcancellingonceforalltheClub'sobligationtoMrs。Roby。
　　EvenMrs。Leverettookcouragetospeedatimidshaftofirony：
　　“IfancyOsricDanehardlyexpectedtotakealessoninXinguatHillbridge！”
　　Mrs。Ballingersmiled。“Whensheaskedmewhatwerepresented——
　　doyouremember？——IwishI'dsimplysaidwerepresentedXingu！”
　　Alltheladieslaughedappreciativelyatthissally，exceptMrs。
　　Plinth，whosaid，afteramoment'sdeliberation：“I'mnotsureitwouldhavebeenwisetodoso。“
　　Mrs。Ballinger，whowasalreadybeginningtofeelasifshehadlaunchedatOsricDanetheretortwhichhadjustoccurredtoher，lookedironicallyatMrs。Plinth。“MayIaskwhy？”sheenquired。
　　Mrs。Plinthlookedgrave。“Surely，“shesaid，“IunderstoodfromMrs。Robyherselfthatthesubjectwasoneitwasaswellnottogointotoodeeply？”
　　MissVanVluyckrejoinedwithprecision：“Ithinkthatappliedonlytoaninvestigationoftheoriginofthe——ofthe——“；andsuddenlyshefoundthatherusuallyaccuratememoryhadfailedher。“It'sapartofthesubjectIneverstudiedmyself，“sheconcludedlamely。
　　“NorI，“saidMrs。Ballinger。
　　LauraGlydebenttowardthemwithwidenedeyes。“Andyetitseems——doesn'tit？——thepartthatisfullestofanesotericfascination？”
　　“Idon'tknowonwhatyoubasethat，“saidMissVanVluyckargumentatively。
　　“Well，didn'tyounoticehowintenselyinterestedOsricDanebecameassoonassheheardwhatthebrilliantforeigner——heWAS
　　aforeigner，wasn'the？——hadtoldMrs。Robyabouttheorigin——theoriginoftherite——orwhateveryoucallit？”
　　Mrs。Plinthlookeddisapproving，andMrs。Ballingervisiblywavered。Thenshesaidinadecisivetone：“Itmaynotbedesirabletotouchonthe——onthatpartofthesubjectingeneralconversation；but，fromtheimportanceitevidentlyhastoawomanofOsricDane'sdistinction，Ifeelasifweoughtnottobeafraidtodiscussitamongourselves——withoutgloves——thoughwithcloseddoors，ifnecessary。“
　　“I'mquiteofyouropinion，“MissVanVluyckcamebrisklytohersupport；“oncondition，thatis，thatallgrossnessoflanguageisavoided。“
　　“Oh，I'msureweshallunderstandwithoutthat，“Mrs。Leverettittered；andLauraGlydeaddedsignificantly：“Ifancywecanreadbetweenthelines，“whileMrs。Ballingerrosetoassureherselfthatthedoorswerereallyclosed。
　　Mrs。Plinthhadnotyetgivenheradhesion。“Ihardlysee，“shebegan，“whatbenefitistobederivedfrominvestigatingsuchpeculiarcustoms——“
　　ButMrs。Ballinger'spatiencehadreachedtheextremelimitoftension。“Thisatleast，“shereturned；“thatweshallnotbeplacedagaininthehumiliatingpositionoffindingourselveslessuponourownsubjectsthanFannyRoby！”
　　EventoMrs。Plinththisargumentwasconclusive。Shepeeredfurtivelyabouttheroomandloweredhercommandingtonestoask：
　　“Haveyougotacopy？”
　　“A——acopy？”stammeredMrs。Ballinger。Shewasawarethattheothermemberswerelookingatherexpectantly，andthatthisanswerwasinadequate，soshesupporteditbyaskinganotherquestion。“Acopyofwhat？”
　　HercompanionsbenttheirexpectantgazeonMrs。Plinth，who，inturn，appearedlesssureofherselfthanusual。“Why，of——of——
　　thebook，“sheexplained。
　　“Whatbook？”snappedMissVanVluyck，almostassharplyasOsricDane。
　　Mrs。BallingerlookedatLauraGlyde，whoseeyeswereinterrogativelyfixedonMrs。Leveret。Thefactofbeingdeferredtowassonewtothelatterthatitfilledherwithaninsanetemerity。“Why，Xingu，ofcourse！”sheexclaimed。
　　AprofoundsilencefollowedthisdirectchallengetotheresourcesofMrs。Ballinger'slibrary，andthelatter，afterglancingnervouslytowardtheBooksoftheDay，returnedinadeprecatingvoice：“It'snotathingonecarestoleaveabout。“
　　“IshouldthinkNOT！”exclaimedMrs。Plinth。
　　“ItISabook，then？”saidMissVanVluyck。
　　Thisagainthrewthecompanyintodisarray，andMrs。Ballinger，withanimpatientsigh，rejoined：“Why——thereISabook——
　　naturally……“
　　“ThenwhydidMissGlydecallitareligion？”
　　LauraGlydestartedup。“Areligion？Inever——“
　　“Yes，youdid，“MissVanVluyckinsisted；“youspokeofrites；
　　andMrs。Plinthsaiditwasacustom。“
　　MissGlydewasevidentlymakingadesperateefforttoreinforceherstatement；butaccuracyofdetailwasnotherstrongestpoint。Atlengthshebeganinadeepmurmur：“SurelytheyusedtodosomethingofthekindattheEleusinianmysteries——“
　　“Oh——“saidMissVanVluyck，onthevergeofdisapproval；andMrs。Plinthprotested：“Iunderstoodtherewastobenoindelicacy！”
　　Mrs。Ballingercouldnotcontrolherirritation。“Really，itistoobadthatweshouldnotbeabletotalkthematteroverquietlyamongourselves。Personally，IthinkthatifonegoesintoXinguatall——“
　　“Oh，sodoI！”criedMissGlyde。
　　“AndIdon'tseehowonecanavoiddoingso，ifonewishestokeepupwiththeThoughtoftheDay——“
　　Mrs。Leveretutteredanexclamationofrelief。“There——that'sit！”sheinterposed。
　　“What'sit？”thePresidentcurtlytookherup。
　　“Why——it'sa——aThought：Imeanaphilosophy。“
　　ThisseemedtobringacertainrelieftoMrs。BallingerandLauraGlyde，butMissVanVluycksaiddogmatically：“ExcusemeifI
　　tellyouthatyou'reallmistaken。Xinguhappenstobealanguage。“
　　“Alanguage！”theLunchClubcried。
　　“Certainly。Don'tyourememberFannyRoby'ssayingthattherewereseveralbranches，andthatsomewerehardtotrace？Whatcouldthatapplytobutdialects？”
　　Mrs。Ballingercouldnolongerrestrainacontemptuouslaugh。
　　“Really，iftheLunchClubhasreachedsuchapassthatithastogotoFannyRobyforinstructiononasubjectlikeXingu，ithadalmostbetterceasetoexist！”
　　“It'sreallyherfaultfornotbeingclearer，“LauraGlydeputin。
　　“Oh，clearnessandFannyRoby！”Mrs。Ballingershrugged。“I
　　daresayweshallfindshewasmistakenonalmosteverypoint。“
　　“Whynotlookitup？”saidMrs。Plinth。
　　AsarulethisrecurrentsuggestionofMrs。Plinth'swasignoredintheheatofdiscussion，andonlyresortedtoafterwardintheprivacyofeachmember'shome。ButonthepresentoccasionthedesiretoascribetheirownconfusionofthoughttothevagueandcontradictorynatureofMrs。Roby'sstatementscausedthemembersoftheLunchClubtoutteracollectivedemandforabookofreference。
　　AtthispointtheproductionofhertreasuredvolumegaveMrs。
　　Leveret，foramoment，theunusualexperienceofoccupyingthecentrefront；butshewasnotabletoholditlong，forAppropriateAllusionscontainednomentionofXingu。
　　“Oh，that'snotthekindofthingwewant！”exclaimedMissVanVluyck。ShecastadisparagingglanceoverMrs。Ballinger'sassortmentofliterature，andaddedimpatiently：“Haven'tyouanyusefulbooks？”
　　“OfcourseIhave，“repliedMrs。Ballingerindignantly；“butI
　　keeptheminmyhusband'sdressing-room。“
　　Fromthisregion，aftersomedifficultyanddelay，theparlour-
　　maidproducedtheW-ZvolumeofanEncyclopaediaand，indeferencetothefactthatthedemandforithadcomefromMissVanVluyck，laidtheponderoustomebeforeher。
　　TherewasamomentofpainfulsuspensewhileMissVanVluyckrubbedherspectacles，adjustedthem，andturnedtoZ；andamurmurofsurprisewhenshesaid：“Itisn'there。“
　　“Isuppose，“saidMrs。Plinth，“it'snotfittobeputinabookofreference。“
　　“Oh，nonsense！”exclaimedMrs。Ballinger。“TryX。“
　　MissVanVluyckturnedbackthroughthevolume，peeringshort-
　　sightedlyupanddownthepages，tillshecametoastopandremainedmotionless，likeadogonapoint。
　　“Well，haveyoufoundit？”Mrs。Ballingerenquired，afteraconsiderabledelay。
　　“Yes。I'vefoundit，“saidMissVanVluyckinaqueervoice。
　　Mrs。Plinthhastilyinterposed：“Ibegyouwon'treaditaloudifthere'sanythingoffensive。“
　　MissVanVluyck，withoutanswering，continuedhersilentscrutiny。
　　“Well，whatISit？”exclaimedLauraGlydeexcitedly。
　　“DOtellus！”urgedMrs。Leveret，feelingthatshewouldhavesomethingawfultotellhersister。
　　MissVanVluyckpushedthevolumeasideandturnedslowlytowardtheexpectantgroup。
　　“It'sariver。“
　　“ARIVER？”
　　“Yes：inBrazil。Isn'tthatwhereshe'sbeenliving？”
　　“Who？FannyRoby？Oh，butyoumustbemistaken。You'vebeenreadingthewrongthing，“Mrs。Ballingerexclaimed，leaningoverhertoseizethevolume。
　　“It'stheonlyXINGUintheEncyclopaedia；andsheHASbeenlivinginBrazil，“MissVanVluyckpersisted。
　　“Yes：herbrotherhasaconsulshipthere，“Mrs。Levereteagerlyinterposed。
　　“Butit'stooridiculous！I——we——whyweALLrememberstudyingXingulastyear——ortheyearbeforelast，“Mrs。Ballingerstammered。
　　“IthoughtIdidwhenYOUsaidso，“LauraGlydeavowed。
　　“Isaidso？”criedMrs。Ballinger。
　　“Yes。Yousaidithadcrowdedeverythingelseoutofyourmind。“
　　“Well，YOUsaidithadchangedyourwholelife！”
　　“Forthatmatter，MissVanVluycksaidshehadnevergrudgedthetimeshe'dgivenit。“
　　Mrs。Plinthinterposed：“ImadeitclearthatIknewnothingwhateveroftheoriginal。“
　　Mrs。Ballingerbrokeoffthedisputewithagroan。“Oh，whatdoesitallmatterifshe'sbeenmakingfoolsofus？IbelieveMissVanVluyck'sright——shewastalkingoftheriverallthewhile！”
　　“Howcouldshe？It'stoopreposterous，“MissGlydeexclaimed。
　　“Listen。“MissVanVluyckhadrepossessedherselfoftheEncyclopaedia，andrestoredherspectaclestoanosereddenedbyexcitement。“'TheXingu，oneoftheprincipalriversofBrazil，risesontheplateauofMatoGrosso，andflowsinanortherlydirectionforalengthofnolessthanonethousandonehundredandeighteenmiles，enteringtheAmazonnearthemouthofthelatterriver。TheuppercourseoftheXinguisauriferousandfedbynumerousbranches。Itssourcewasfirstdiscoveredin1884bytheGermanexplorervondenSteinen，afteradifficultanddangerousexpeditionthrougharegioninhabitedbytribesstillintheStoneAgeofculture。'“
　　TheladiesreceivedthiscommunicationinastateofstupefiedsilencefromwhichMrs。Leveretwasthefirsttorally。“ShecertainlyDIDspeakofitshavingbranches。“
　　Thewordseemedtosnapthelastthreadoftheirincredulity。
　　“Andofitsgreatlength，“gaspedMrs。Ballinger。
　　“Shesaiditwasawfullydeep，andyoucouldn'tskip——youjusthadtowadethrough，“MissGlydesubjoined。
　　TheideaworkeditswaymoreslowlythroughMrs。Plinth'scompactresistances。“Howcouldtherebeanythingimproperaboutariver？”sheinquired。
　　“Improper？”
　　“Why，whatshesaidaboutthesource——thatitwascorrupt？”
　　“Notcorrupt，buthardtogetat，“LauraGlydecorrected。“Someonewho'dbeentherehadtoldherso。Idaresayitwastheexplorerhimself——doesn'titsaytheexpeditionwasdangerous？”
　　“'Difficultanddangerous，'“readMissVanVluyck。
　　Mrs。Ballingerpressedherhandstoherthrobbingtemples。
　　“There'snothingshesaidthatwouldn'tapplytoariver——tothisriver！”Sheswungaboutexcitedlytotheothermembers。“Why，doyourememberhertellingusthatshehadn'tread'TheSupremeInstant'becauseshe'dtakenitonaboatingpartywhileshewasstayingwithherbrother，andsomeonehad'shied'itoverboard——
　　'shied'ofcoursewasherownexpression？”
　　Theladiesbreathlesslysignifiedthattheexpressionhadnotescapedthem。
　　“Well——andthendidn'tshetellOsricDanethatoneofherbookswassimplysaturatedwithXingu？Ofcourseitwas，ifsomeofMrs。Roby'srowdyfriendshadthrownitintotheriver！”
　　ThissurprisingreconstructionofthesceneinwhichtheyhadjustparticipatedleftthemembersoftheLunchClubinarticulate。AtlengthMrs。Plinth，aftervisiblylabouringwiththeproblem，saidinaheavytone：“OsricDanewastakenintoo。“
　　Mrs。Leverettookcourageatthis。“Perhapsthat'swhatMrs。
　　Robydiditfor。ShesaidOsricDanewasabrute，andshemayhavewantedtogiveheralesson。“
　　MissVanVluyckfrowned。“Itwashardlyworthwhiletodoitatourexpense。“
　　“Atleast，“saidMissGlydewithatouchofbitterness，“shesucceededininterestingher，whichwasmorethanwedid。“
　　“Whatchancehadwe？”rejoinedMrs。Ballinger。“Mrs。Robymonopolisedherfromthefirst。AndTHAT，I'venodoubt，washerpurpose——togiveOsricDaneafalseimpressionofherownstandingintheClub。Shewouldhesitateatnothingtoattractattention：weallknowhowshetookinpoorProfessorForeland。“
　　“Sheactuallymakeshimgivebridge-teaseveryThursday，“Mrs。
　　Leveretpipedup。
　　LauraGlydestruckherhandstogether。“Why，thisisThursday，andit'sTHEREshe'sgone，ofcourse；andtakenOsricwithher！”
　　“Andthey'reshriekingoverusatthismoment，“saidMrs。
　　Ballingerbetweenherteeth。
　　Thispossibilityseemedtoopreposteroustobeadmitted。“Shewouldhardlydare，“saidMissVanVluyck，“confesstheimposturetoOsricDane。“
　　“I'mnotsosure：IthoughtIsawhermakeasignassheleft。
　　Ifshehadn'tmadeasign，whyshouldOsricDanehaverushedoutafterher？”
　　“Well，youknow，we'dallbeentellingherhowwonderfulXinguwas，andshesaidshewantedtofindoutmoreaboutit，“Mrs。
　　Leveretsaid，withatardyimpulseofjusticetotheabsent。
　　Thisreminder，farfrommitigatingthewrathoftheothermembers，gaveitastrongerimpetus。
　　“Yes——andthat'sexactlywhatthey'rebothlaughingovernow，“
　　saidLauraGlydeironically。
　　Mrs。Plinthstoodupandgatheredherexpensivefursabouthermonumentalform。“Ihavenowishtocriticise，“shesaid；“butunlesstheLunchClubcanprotectitsmembersagainsttherecurrenceofsuch——suchunbecomingscenes，Iforone——“
　　“Oh，sodoI！”agreedMissGlyde，risingalso。
　　MissVanVluyckclosedtheEncyclopaediaandproceededtobuttonherselfintoherjacket。“Mytimeisreallytoovaluable——“shebegan。
　　“Ifancyweareallofonemind，“saidMrs。Ballinger，lookingsearchinglyatMrs。Leveret，wholookedattheothers。
　　“Ialwaysdeprecateanythinglikeascandal——“Mrs。Plinthcontinued。
　　“Shehasbeenthecauseofoneto-day！”exclaimedMissGlyde。
　　Mrs。Leveretmoaned：“Idon'tseehowsheCOULD！”andMissVanVluycksaid，pickinguphernote-book：“Somewomenstopatnothing。“
　　“——butif，“Mrs。Plinthtookupherargumentimpressively，“anythingofthekindhadhappenedinMYhouse“itneverwouldhave，hertoneimplied，“IshouldhavefeltthatIowedittomyselfeithertoaskforMrs。Roby'sresignation——ortooffermine。“
　　“Oh，Mrs。Plinth——“gaspedtheLunchClub。
　　“Fortunatelyforme，“Mrs。Plinthcontinuedwithanawfulmagnanimity，“thematterwastakenoutofmyhandsbyourPresident'sdecisionthattherighttoentertaindistinguishedguestswasaprivilegevestedinheroffice；andIthinktheothermemberswillagreethat，asshewasaloneinthisopinion，sheoughttobealoneindecidingonthebestwayofeffacingits——itsreallydeplorableconsequences。“
　　AdeepsilencefollowedthisunexpectedoutbreakofMrs。Plinth'slong-storedresentment。
　　“Idon'tseewhyIshouldbeexpectedtoaskhertoresign——“
　　Mrs。Ballingeratlengthbegan；butLauraGlydeturnedbacktoremindher：“Youknowshemadeyousaythatyou'dgotonswimminglyinXingu。“
　　Anill-timedgiggleescapedfromMrs。Leveret，andMrs。Ballingerenergeticallycontinued“——butyouneedn'tthinkforamomentthatI'mafraidto！”
　　Thedoorofthedrawing-roomclosedontheretreatingbacksoftheLunchClub，andthePresidentofthatdistinguishedassociation，seatingherselfatherwriting-table，andpushingawayacopyof“TheWingsofDeath“tomakeroomforherelbow，drewforthasheetoftheclub'snote-paper，onwhichshebegantowrite：“MydearMrs。Roby——“
　　TheEndofXinguTHEVERDICT
　　June1908
　　IhadalwaysthoughtJackGisburnratheracheapgenius——thoughagoodfellowenough——soitwasnogreatsurprisetometohearthat，intheheightofhisglory，hehaddroppedhispainting，marriedarichwidow，andestablishedhimselfinavillaontheRiviera。ThoughIratherthoughtitwouldhavebeenRomeorFlorence。
　　“Theheightofhisglory“——thatwaswhatthewomencalledit。I
　　canhearMrs。GideonThwing——hislastChicagositter——deploringhisunaccountableabdication。“Ofcourseit'sgoingtosendthevalueofmypicture'wayup；butIdon'tthinkofthat，Mr。
　　Rickham——thelosstoArrtisallIthinkof。“Theword，onMrs。
　　Thwing'slips，multiplieditsRSasthoughtheywerereflectedinanendlessvistaofmirrors。AnditwasnotonlytheMrs。Thwingswhomourned。HadnottheexquisiteHermiaCroft，atthelastGraftonGalleryshow，stoppedmebeforeGisburn's“Moon-dancers“
　　tosay，withtearsinhereyes：“Weshallnotlookuponitslikeagain“？
　　Well！——eventhroughtheprismofHermia'stearsIfeltabletofacethefactwithequanimity。PoorJackGisburn！Thewomenhadmadehim——itwasfittingthattheyshouldmournhim。Amonghisownsexfewerregretswereheard，andinhisowntradehardlyamurmur。Professionaljealousy？Perhaps。Ifitwere，thehonourofthecraftwasvindicatedbylittleClaudeNutley，who，inallgoodfaith，broughtoutintheBurlingtonaveryhandsome“obituary“onJack——oneofthoseshowyarticlesstockedwithrandomtechnicalitiesthatIhaveheardIwon'tsaybywhom
　　comparedtoGisburn'spainting。Andso——hisresolvebeingapparentlyirrevocable——thediscussiongraduallydiedout，and，asMrs。Thwinghadpredicted，thepriceof“Gisburns“wentup。
　　Itwasnottillthreeyearslaterthat，inthecourseofafewweeks'idlingontheRiviera，itsuddenlyoccurredtometowonderwhyGisburnhadgivenuphispainting。Onreflection，itreallywasatemptingproblem。Toaccusehiswifewouldhavebeentooeasy——hisfairsittershadbeendeniedthesolaceofsayingthatMrs。Gisburnhad“draggedhimdown。“ForMrs。
　　Gisburn——assuch——hadnotexistedtillnearlyayearafterJack'sresolvehadbeentaken。Itmightbethathehadmarriedher——
　　sincehelikedhisease——becausehedidn'twanttogoonpainting；butitwouldhavebeenhardtoprovethathehadgivenuphispaintingbecausehehadmarriedher。
　　Ofcourse，ifshehadnotdraggedhimdown，shehadequally，asMissCroftcontended，failedto“lifthimup“——shehadnotledhimbacktotheeasel。Toputthebrushintohishandagain——
　　whatavocationforawife！ButMrs。Gisburnappearedtohavedisdainedit——andIfeltitmightbeinterestingtofindoutwhy。
　　ThedesultorylifeoftheRivieralendsitselftosuchpurelyacademicspeculations；andhaving，onmywaytoMonteCarlo，caughtaglimpseofJack'sbalustradedterracesbetweenthepines，Ihadmyselfbornethitherthenextday。
　　Ifoundthecoupleatteabeneaththeirpalm-trees；andMrs。
　　Gisburn'swelcomewassogenialthat，intheensuingweeks，I
　　claimeditfrequently。Itwasnotthatmyhostesswas“interesting“：onthatpointIcouldhavegivenMissCroftthefullestreassurance。ItwasjustbecauseshewasNOT
　　interesting——ifImaybepardonedthebull——thatIfoundherso。
　　ForJack，allhislife，hadbeensurroundedbyinterestingwomen：
　　theyhadfosteredhisart，ithadbeenrearedinthehot-houseoftheiradulation。Anditwasthereforeinstructivetonotewhateffectthe“deadeningatmosphereofmediocrity“IquoteMissCroftwashavingonhim。
　　IhavementionedthatMrs。Gisburnwasrich；anditwasimmediatelyperceptiblethatherhusbandwasextractingfromthiscircumstanceadelicatebutsubstantialsatisfaction。Itis，asarule，thepeoplewhoscornmoneywhogetmostoutofit；andJack'selegantdisdainofhiswife'sbigbalanceenabledhim，withanappearanceofperfectgood-breeding，totransmuteitintoobjectsofartandluxury。Tothelatter，Imustadd，heremainedrelativelyindifferent；buthewasbuyingRenaissancebronzesandeighteenth-centurypictureswithadiscriminationthatbespoketheamplestresources。
　　“Money'sonlyexcuseistoputbeautyintocirculation，“wasoneoftheaxiomshelaiddownacrosstheSevresandsilverofanexquisitelyappointedluncheon-table，when，onalaterday，IhadagainrunoverfromMonteCarlo；andMrs。Gisburn，beamingonhim，addedformyenlightenment：“Jackissomorbidlysensitivetoeveryformofbeauty。“
　　PoorJack！Ithadalwaysbeenhisfatetohavewomensaysuchthingsofhim：thefactshouldbesetdowninextenuation。Whatstruckmenowwasthat，forthefirsttime，heresentedthetone。
　　Ihadseenhim，sooften，baskingundersimilartributes——wasittheconjugalnotethatrobbedthemoftheirsavour？No——for，oddlyenough，itbecameapparentthathewasfondofMrs。
　　Gisburn——fondenoughnottoseeherabsurdity。Itwashisownabsurdityheseemedtobewincingunder——hisownattitudeasanobjectforgarlandsandincense。
　　“Mydear，sinceI'vechuckedpaintingpeopledon'tsaythatstuffaboutme——theysayitaboutVictorGrindle，“washisonlyprotest，asherosefromthetableandstrolledoutontothesunlitterrace。
　　Iglancedafterhim，struckbyhislastword。VictorGrindlewas，infact，becomingthemanofthemoment——asJackhimself，onemightputit，hadbeenthemanofthehour。Theyoungerartistwassaidtohaveformedhimselfatmyfriend'sfeet，andI
　　wonderedifatingeofjealousyunderlaythelatter'smysteriousabdication。Butno——foritwasnottillafterthateventthattheroseDubarrydrawing-roomshadbeguntodisplaytheir“Grindles。“
　　IturnedtoMrs。Gisburn，whohadlingeredtogivealumpofsugartoherspanielinthedining-room。
　　“WhyHAShechuckedpainting？”Iaskedabruptly。
　　Sheraisedhereyebrowswithahintofgood-humouredsurprise。
　　“Oh，hedoesn'tHAVEtonow，youknow；andIwanthimtoenjoyhimself，“shesaidquitesimply。
　　Ilookedaboutthespaciouswhite-panelledroom，withitsfamille-vertevasesrepeatingthetonesofthepaledamaskcurtains，anditseighteenth-centurypastelsindelicatefadedframes。
　　“Hashechuckedhispicturestoo？Ihaven'tseenasingleoneinthehouse。“
　　AslightshadeofconstraintcrossedMrs。Gisburn'sopencountenance。“It'shisridiculousmodesty，youknow。Hesaysthey'renotfittohaveabout；he'ssentthemallawayexceptone——myportrait——andthatIhavetokeepupstairs。“
　　Hisridiculousmodesty——Jack'smodestyabouthispictures？Mycuriositywasgrowinglikethebean-stalk。Isaidpersuasivelytomyhostess：“Imustreallyseeyourportrait，youknow。“
　　Sheglancedoutalmosttimorouslyattheterracewhereherhusband，lounginginahoodedchair，hadlitacigaranddrawntheRussiandeerhound'sheadbetweenhisknees。
　　“Well，comewhilehe'snotlooking，“shesaid，withalaughthattriedtohidehernervousness；andIfollowedherbetweenthemarbleEmperorsofthehall，andupthewidestairswithterra-
　　cottanymphspoisedamongflowersateachlanding。
　　Inthedimmestcornerofherboudoir，amidaprofusionofdelicateanddistinguishedobjects，hungoneofthefamiliarovalcanvases，intheinevitablegarlandedframe。ThemereoutlineoftheframecalledupallGisburn'spast！
　　Mrs。Gisburndrewbackthewindow-curtains，movedasideajardinierefullofpinkazaleas，pushedanarm-chairaway，andsaid：“Ifyoustandhereyoucanjustmanagetoseeit。Ihaditoverthemantel-piece，buthewouldn'tletitstay。“
　　Yes——Icouldjustmanagetoseeit——thefirstportraitofJack'sIhadeverhadtostrainmyeyesover！Usuallytheyhadtheplaceofhonour——saythecentralpanelinapaleyelloworroseDubarrydrawing-room，oramonumentaleaselplacedsothatittookthelightthroughcurtainsofoldVenetianpoint。Themoremodestplacebecamethepicturebetter；yet，asmyeyesgrewaccustomedtothehalf-light，allthecharacteristicqualitiescameout——allthehesitationsdisguisedasaudacities，thetricksofprestidigitationbywhich，withsuchconsummateskill，hemanagedtodivertattentionfromtherealbusinessofthepicturetosomeprettyirrelevanceofdetail。Mrs。Gisburn，presentinganeutralsurfacetoworkon——forming，asitwere，soinevitablythebackgroundofherownpicture——hadlentherselfinanunusualdegreetothedisplayofthisfalsevirtuosity。ThepicturewasoneofJack's“strongest，“ashisadmirerswouldhaveputit——itrepresented，onhispart，aswellingofmuscles，acongestingofveins，abalancing，straddlingandstraining，thatremindedoneofthecircus-clown'sironiceffortstoliftafeather。Itmet，inshort，ateverypointthedemandoflovelywomantobepainted“strongly“becauseshewastiredofbeingpainted“sweetly“——andyetnottoloseanatomofthesweetness。
　　“It'sthelasthepainted，youknow，“Mrs。Gisburnsaidwithpardonablepride。“Thelastbutone，“shecorrectedherself——
　　“buttheotherdoesn'tcount，becausehedestroyedit。“
　　“Destroyedit？”IwasabouttofollowupthiscluewhenIheardafootstepandsawJackhimselfonthethreshold。
　　Ashestoodthere，hishandsinthepocketsofhisvelveteencoat，thethinbrownwavesofhairpushedbackfromhiswhiteforehead，hisleansunburntcheeksfurrowedbyasmilethatliftedthetipsofaself-confidentmoustache，Ifelttowhatadegreehehadthesamequalityashispictures——thequalityoflookingclevererthanhewas。
　　Hiswifeglancedathimdeprecatingly，buthiseyestravelledpasthertotheportrait。
　　“Mr。Rickhamwantedtoseeit，“shebegan，asifexcusingherself。Heshruggedhisshoulders，stillsmiling。
　　“Oh，Rickhamfoundmeoutlongago，“hesaidlightly；then，passinghisarmthroughmine：“Comeandseetherestofthehouse。“
　　Heshowedittomewithakindofnaivesuburbanpride：thebath-rooms，thespeaking-tubes，thedress-closets，thetrouser-
　　presses——allthecomplexsimplificationsofthemillionaire'sdomesticeconomy。Andwhenevermywonderpaidtheexpectedtributehesaid，throwingouthischestalittle：“Yes，Ireallydon'tseehowpeoplemanagetolivewithoutthat。“
　　Well——itwasjusttheendonemighthaveforeseenforhim。Onlyhewas，throughitallandinspiteofitall——ashehadbeenthrough，andinspiteof，hispictures——sohandsome，socharming，sodisarming，thatonelongedtocryout：“Bedissatisfiedwithyourleisure！”asonceonehadlongedtosay：“Bedissatisfiedwithyourwork！”
　　But，withthecryonmylips，mydiagnosissufferedanunexpectedcheck。
　　“Thisismyownlair，“hesaid，leadingmeintoadarkplainroomattheendofthefloridvista。Itwassquareandbrownandleathery：no“effects“；nobric-a-brac，noneoftheairofposingforreproductioninapictureweekly——aboveall，noleastsignofeverhavingbeenusedasastudio。
　　ThefactbroughthometometheabsolutefinalityofJack'sbreakwithhisoldlife。
　　“Don'tyoueverdabblewithpaintanymore？”Iasked，stilllookingaboutforatraceofsuchactivity。
　　“Never，“hesaidbriefly。
　　“Orwater-colour——oretching？”
　　Hisconfidenteyesgrewdim，andhischeekspaledalittleundertheirhandsomesunburn。
　　“Neverthinkofit，mydearfellow——anymorethanifI'dnevertouchedabrush。“
　　Andhistonetoldmeinaflashthatheneverthoughtofanythingelse。
　　Imovedaway，instinctivelyembarrassedbymyunexpecteddiscovery；andasIturned，myeyefellonasmallpictureabovethemantel-piece——theonlyobjectbreakingtheplainoakpanellingoftheroom。
　　“Oh，byJove！”Isaid。
　　Itwasasketchofadonkey——anoldtireddonkey，standingintherainunderawall。
　　“ByJove——aStroud！”Icried。
　　Hewassilent；butIfelthimclosebehindme，breathingalittlequickly。
　　“Whatawonder！Madewithadozenlines——butoneverlastingfoundations。Youluckychap，wheredidyougetit？”
　　Heansweredslowly：“Mrs。Stroudgaveittome。“
　　“Ah——Ididn'tknowyouevenknewtheStrouds。Hewassuchaninflexiblehermit。“
　　“Ididn't——tillafter……Shesentformetopainthimwhenhewasdead。“
　　“Whenhewasdead？You？”
　　Imusthaveletalittletoomuchamazementescapethroughmysurprise，forheansweredwithadeprecatinglaugh：“Yes——she'sanawfulsimpleton，youknow，Mrs。Stroud。Heronlyideawastohavehimdonebyafashionablepainter——ah，poorStroud！Shethoughtitthesurestwayofproclaiminghisgreatness——offorcingitonapurblindpublic。AndatthemomentIwasTHE
　　fashionablepainter。“
　　“Ah，poorStroud——asyousay。WasTHAThishistory？”
　　“Thatwashishistory。Shebelievedinhim，gloriedinhim——orthoughtshedid。Butshecouldn'tbearnottohaveallthedrawing-roomswithher。Shecouldn'tbearthefactthat，onvarnishingdays，onecouldalwaysgetnearenoughtoseehispictures。Poorwoman！She'sjustafragmentgropingforotherfragments。StroudistheonlywholeIeverknew。“
　　“Youeverknew？Butyoujustsaid——“
　　Gisburnhadacurioussmileinhiseyes。
　　“Oh，Iknewhim，andheknewme——onlyithappenedafterhewasdead。“
　　Idroppedmyvoiceinstinctively。“Whenshesentforyou？”
　　“Yes——quiteinsensibletotheirony。Shewantedhimvindicated——
　　andbyme！”
　　Helaughedagain，andthrewbackhisheadtolookupatthesketchofthedonkey。“ThereweredayswhenIcouldn'tlookatthatthing——couldn'tfaceit。ButIforcedmyselftoputithere；andnowit'scuredme——curedme。That'sthereasonwhyI
　　don'tdabbleanymore，mydearRickham；orratherStroudhimselfisthereason。“
　　Forthefirsttimemyidlecuriosityaboutmycompanionturnedintoaseriousdesiretounderstandhimbetter。
　　“Iwishyou'dtellmehowithappened，“Isaid。
　　Hestoodlookingupatthesketch，andtwirlingbetweenhisfingersacigarettehehadforgottentolight。Suddenlyheturnedtowardme。
　　“I'dratherliketotellyou——becauseI'vealwayssuspectedyouofloathingmywork。“
　　Imadeadeprecatinggesture，whichhenegativedwithagood-
　　humouredshrug。
　　“Oh，Ididn'tcareastrawwhenIbelievedinmyself——andnowit'sanaddedtiebetweenus！”
　　Helaughedslightly，withoutbitterness，andpushedoneofthedeeparm-chairsforward。“There：makeyourselfcomfortable——andherearethecigarsyoulike。“
　　Heplacedthematmyelbowandcontinuedtowanderupanddowntheroom，stoppingnowandthenbeneaththepicture。
　　“Howithappened？Icantellyouinfiveminutes——anditdidn'ttakemuchlongertohappen……IcanremembernowhowsurprisedandpleasedIwaswhenIgotMrs。Stroud'snote。Ofcourse，deepdown，IhadalwaysFELTtherewasnoonelikehim——
　　onlyIhadgonewiththestream，echoedtheusualplatitudesabouthim，tillIhalfgottothinkhewasafailure，oneofthekindthatareleftbehind。ByJove，andheWASleftbehind——
　　becausehehadcometostay！Therestofushadtoletourselvesbesweptalongorgounder，buthewashighabovethecurrent——oneverlastingfoundations，asyousay。
　　“Well，Iwentofftothehouseinmymostegregiousmood——rathermoved，Lordforgiveme，atthepathosofpoorStroud'scareeroffailurebeingcrownedbythegloryofmypaintinghim！OfcourseImeanttodothepicturefornothing——ItoldMrs。Stroudsowhenshebegantostammersomethingaboutherpoverty。IremembergettingoffaprodigiousphraseaboutthehonourbeingMINE——oh，Iwasprincely，mydearRickham！Iwasposingtomyselflikeoneofmyownsitters。
　　“ThenIwastakenupandleftalonewithhim。Ihadsentallmytrapsinadvance，andIhadonlytosetuptheeaselandgettowork。Hehadbeendeadonlytwenty-fourhours，andhediedsuddenly，ofheartdisease，sothattherehadbeennopreliminaryworkofdestruction——hisfacewasclearanduntouched。Ihadmethimonceortwice，yearsbefore，andthoughthiminsignificantanddingy。NowIsawthathewassuperb。
　　“Iwasgladatfirst，withamerelyaestheticsatisfaction：gladtohavemyhandonsucha'subject。'Thenhisstrangelife-
　　likenessbegantoaffectmequeerly——asIblockedtheheadinI
　　feltasifhewerewatchingmedoit。Thesensationwasfollowedbythethought：ifheWEREwatchingme，whatwouldhesaytomywayofworking？Mystrokesbegantogoalittlewild——Ifeltnervousanduncertain。
　　“Once，whenIlookedup，Iseemedtoseeasmilebehindhisclosegrayishbeard——asifhehadthesecret，andwereamusinghimselfbyholdingitbackfromme。Thatexasperatedmestillmore。Thesecret？Why，Ihadasecretworthtwentyofhis！Idashedatthecanvasfuriously，andtriedsomeofmybravuratricks。Buttheyfailedme，theycrumbled。Isawthathewasn'twatchingtheshowybits——Icouldn'tdistracthisattention；hejustkepthiseyesonthehardpassagesbetween。ThoseweretheonesIhadalwaysshirked，orcoveredupwithsomelyingpaint。Andhowhesawthroughmylies！
　　“Ilookedupagain，andcaughtsightofthatsketchofthedonkeyhangingonthewallnearhisbed。Hiswifetoldmeafterwarditwasthelastthinghehaddone——justanotetakenwithashakinghand，whenhewasdowninDevonshirerecoveringfromapreviousheartattack。Justanote！Butittellshiswholehistory。
　　Thereareyearsofpatientscornfulpersistenceineveryline。A
　　manwhohadswumwiththecurrentcouldneverhavelearnedthatmightyup-streamstroke……
　　“Iturnedbacktomywork，andwentongropingandmuddling；thenIlookedatthedonkeyagain。Isawthat，whenStroudlaidinthefirststroke，heknewjustwhattheendwouldbe。Hehadpossessedhissubject，absorbedit，recreatedit。WhenhadI
　　donethatwithanyofmythings？Theyhadn'tbeenbornofme——I
　　hadjustadoptedthem……
　　“Hangit，Rickham，withthatfacewatchingmeIcouldn'tdoanotherstroke。Theplaintruthwas，Ididn'tknowwheretoputit——IHADNEVERKNOWN。Only，withmysittersandmypublic，ashowysplashofcolourcoveredupthefact——Ijustthrewpaintintotheirfaces……Well，paintwastheonemediumthosedeadeyescouldseethrough——seestraighttothetotteringfoundationsunderneath。Don'tyouknowhow，intalkingaforeignlanguage，evenfluently，onesayshalfthetimenotwhatonewantstobutwhatonecan？Well——thatwasthewayIpainted；andashelaythereandwatchedme，thethingtheycalledmy'technique'collapsedlikeahouseofcards。Hedidn'tsneer，youunderstand，poorStroud——hejustlaytherequietlywatching，andonhislips，throughthegraybeard，Iseemedtohearthequestion：'Areyousureyouknowwhereyou'recomingout？'
　　“IfIcouldhavepaintedthatface，withthatquestiononit，I
　　shouldhavedoneagreatthing。ThenextgreatestthingwastoseethatIcouldn't——andthatgracewasgivenme。But，oh，atthatminute，Rickham，wasthereanythingonearthIwouldn'thavegiventohaveStroudalivebeforeme，andtohearhimsay：'It'snottoolate——I'llshowyouhow'？
　　“ItWAStoolate——itwouldhavebeen，evenifhe'dbeenalive。I
　　packedupmytraps，andwentdownandtoldMrs。Stroud。OfcourseIdidn'ttellherTHAT——itwouldhavebeenGreektoher。
　　IsimplysaidIcouldn'tpainthim，thatIwastoomoved。Sheratherlikedtheidea——she'ssoromantic！Itwasthatthatmadehergivemethedonkey。Butshewasterriblyupsetatnotgettingtheportrait——shedidsowanthim'done'bysomeoneshowy！AtfirstIwasafraidshewouldn'tletmeoff——andatmywits'endIsuggestedGrindle。Yes，itwasIwhostartedGrindle：ItoldMrs。Stroudhewasthe'coming'man，andshetoldsomebodyelse，andsoitgottobetrue……AndhepaintedStroudwithoutwincing；andshehungthepictureamongherhusband'sthings……“
　　Heflunghimselfdowninthearm-chairnearmine，laidbackhishead，andclaspinghisarmsbeneathit，lookedupatthepictureabovethechimney-piece。
　　“IliketofancythatStroudhimselfwouldhavegivenittome，ifhe'dbeenabletosaywhathethoughtthatday。“
　　And，inanswertoaquestionIputhalf-mechanically——“Beginagain？”heflashedout。“WhentheonethingthatbringsmeanywherenearhimisthatIknewenoughtoleaveoff？”
　　Hestoodupandlaidhishandonmyshoulderwithalaugh。“OnlytheironyofitisthatIAMstillpainting——sinceGrindle'sdoingitforme！TheStroudsstandalone，andhappenonce——butthere'snoexterminatingourkindofart。“
　　TheEndofTheVerdictTHERECKONING
　　August，1902
　　I
　　“Themarriagelawofthenewdispensationwillbe：THOUSHALTNOT
　　BEUNFAITHFUL——TOTHYSELF。“
　　Adiscreetmurmurofapprovalfilledthestudio，andthroughthehazeofcigarettesmokeMrs。ClementWestall，asherhusbanddescendedfromhisimprovisedplatform，sawhimmergedinacongratulatorygroupofladies。Westall'sinformaltalkson“TheNewEthics“haddrawnabouthimaneagerfollowingofthementallyunemployed——thosewho，ashehadoncephrasedit，likedtohavetheirbrain-foodcutupforthem。Thetalkshadbegunbyaccident。Westall'sideaswereknowntobe“advanced，“buthithertotheiradvancehadnotbeeninthedirectionofpublicity。Hehadbeen，inhiswife'sopinion，almostpusillanimouslycarefulnottolethispersonalviewsendangerhisprofessionalstanding。Oflate，however，hehadshownapuzzlingtendencytodogmatize，tothrowdownthegauntlet，toflaunthisprivatecodeinthefaceofsociety；andtherelationofthesexesbeingatopicalwayssureofanaudience，afewadmiringfriendshadpersuadedhimtogivehisafter-dinneropinionsalargercirculationbysummingthemupinaseriesoftalksattheVanSiderenstudio。
　　TheHerbertVanSiderenswereacouplewhosubsisted，socially，onthefactthattheyhadastudio。VanSideren'spictureswerechieflyvaluableasaccessoriestothemiseenscenewhichdifferentiatedhiswife's“afternoons“fromtheblightingfunctionsheldinlongNewYorkdrawing-rooms，andpermittedhertooffertheirfriendswhiskey-and-sodainsteadoftea。Mrs。VanSideren，forherpart，wasskilledinmakingthemostofthekindofatmospherewhichalay-figureandaneaselcreate；andifattimesshefoundtheillusionhardtomaintain，andlostcouragetotheextentofalmostwishingthatHerbertcouldpaint，shepromptlyovercamesuchmomentsofweaknessbycallinginsomefreshtalent，someextraneousre-enforcementofthe“artistic“
　　impression。ItwasinquestofsuchaidthatshehadseizedonWestall，coaxinghim，somewhattohiswife'ssurprise，intoaflatteredparticipationinherfraud。Itwasvaguelyfelt，intheVanSiderencircle，thatalltheaudacitieswereartistic，andthatateacherwhopronouncedmarriageimmoralwassomehowasdistinguishedasapainterwhodepictedpurplegrassandagreensky。TheVanSiderensetweretiredoftheconventionalcolor-
　　schemeinartandconduct。
　　JuliaWestallhadlonghadherownviewsontheimmoralityofmarriage；shemightindeedhaveclaimedherhusbandasadisciple。Intheearlydaysoftheirunionshehadsecretlyresentedhisdisinclinationtoproclaimhimselfafollowerofthenewcreed；hadbeeninclinedtotaxhimwithmoralcowardice，withafailuretoliveuptotheconvictionsforwhichtheirmarriagewassupposedtostand。Thatwasinthefirstburstofpropagandism，when，womanlike，shewantedtoturnherdisobedienceintoalaw。Nowshefeltdifferently。Shecouldhardlyaccountforthechange，yetbeingawomanwhoneverallowedherimpulsestoremainunaccountedfor，shetriedtodosobysayingthatshedidnotcaretohavethearticlesofherfaithmisinterpretedbythevulgar。Inthisconnection，shewasbeginningtothinkthatalmosteveryonewasvulgar；certainlytherewerefewtowhomshewouldhavecaredtointrustthedefenceofsoesotericadoctrine。AnditwaspreciselyatthispointthatWestall，discardinghisunspokenprinciples，hadchosentodescendfromtheheightsofprivacy，andstandhawkinghisconvictionsatthestreet-corner！
　　ItwasUnaVanSiderenwho，onthisoccasion，unconsciouslyfocusseduponherselfMrs。Westall'swanderingresentment。Inthefirstplace，thegirlhadnobusinesstobethere。Itwas“horrid“——Mrs。Westallfoundherselfslippingbackintotheoldfemininevocabulary——simply“horrid“tothinkofayounggirl'sbeingallowedtolistentosuchtalk。ThefactthatUnasmokedcigarettesandsippedanoccasionalcocktaildidnotintheleasttarnishacertainradiantinnocencywhichmadeherappearthevictim，ratherthantheaccomplice，ofherparents'vulgarities。
　　JuliaWestallfeltinahothelplesswaythatsomethingoughttobedone——thatsomeoneoughttospeaktothegirl'smother。AndjustthenUnaglidedup。
　　“Oh，Mrs。Westall，howbeautifulitwas！”Unafixedherwithlargelimpideyes。“Youbelieveitall，Isuppose？”sheaskedwithseraphicgravity。
　　“All——what，mydearchild？”
　　Thegirlshoneonher。“Aboutthehigherlife——thefreerexpansionoftheindividual——thelawoffidelitytoone'sself，“
　　shegliblyrecited。
　　Mrs。Westall，toherownwonder，blushedadeepandburningblush。
　　“MydearUna，“shesaid，“youdon'tintheleastunderstandwhatit'sallabout！”
　　MissVanSiderenstared，withaslowlyansweringblush。“Don'tYOU，then？”shemurmured。
　　Mrs。Westalllaughed。“Notalways——oraltogether！ButIshouldlikesometea，please。“
　　Unaledhertothecornerwhereinnocentbeveragesweredispensed。AsJuliareceivedhercupshescrutinizedthegirlmorecarefully。Itwasnotsuchagirlishface，afterall——
　　definitelineswereformingundertherosyhazeofyouth。ShereflectedthatUnamustbesix-and-twenty，andwonderedwhyshehadnotmarried。Anicestockofideasshewouldhaveasherdower！IfTHEYweretobeapartofthemoderngirl'strousseau——
　　Mrs。Westallcaughtherselfupwithastart。Itwasasthoughsomeoneelsehadbeenspeaking——astrangerwhohadborrowedherownvoice：shefeltherselfthedupeofsomefantasticmentalventriloquism。ConcludingsuddenlythattheroomwasstiflingandUna'steatoosweet，shesetdownhercup，andlookedaboutforWestall：tomeethiseyeshadlongbeenherrefugefromeveryuncertainty。Shemetthemnow，butonly，asshefelt，intransit；theyincludedherparentheticallyinalargerflight。
　　Shefollowedtheflight，anditcarriedhertoacornertowhichUnahadwithdrawn——oneofthepalmynookstowhichMrs。VanSiderenattributedthesuccessofherSaturdays。Westall，amomentlater，hadovertakenhislook，andfoundaplaceatthegirl'sside。Shebentforward，speakingeagerly；heleanedback，listening，withthedepreciatorysmilewhichactedasafiltertoflattery，enablinghimtoswallowthestrongestdoseswithoutapparentgrossnessofappetite。Juliawincedatherowndefinitionofthesmile。
　　Onthewayhome，inthedesertedwinterdusk，Westallsurprisedhiswifebyasuddenboyishpressureofherarm。“DidIopentheireyesabit？DidItellthemwhatyouwantedmeto？”heaskedgaily。
　　Almostunconsciously，sheletherarmslipfromhis。“WhatI
　　wanted——？”
　　“Why，haven'tyou——allthistime？”Shecaughtthehonestwonderofhistone。“Isomehowfanciedyou'dratherblamedmefornottalkingmoreopenly——before——You'vemademefeel，attimes，thatIwassacrificingprinciplestoexpediency。“
　　Shepausedamomentoverherreply；thensheaskedquietly：“Whatmadeyoudecidenotto——anylonger？”
　　Shefeltagainthevibrationofafaintsurprise。“Why——thewishtopleaseyou！”heanswered，almosttoosimply。
　　“Iwishyouwouldnotgoon，then，“shesaidabruptly。
　　Hestoppedinhisquickwalk，andshefelthisstarethroughthedarkness。
　　“Notgoon——？”
　　“Callahansom，please。I'mtired，“brokefromherwithasuddenrushofphysicalweariness。
　　Instantlyhissolicitudeenvelopedher。Theroomhadbeeninfernallyhot——andthenthatconfoundedcigarettesmoke——hehadnoticedonceortwicethatshelookedpale——shemustn'tcometoanotherSaturday。Shefeltherselfyielding，asshealwaysdid，tothewarminfluenceofhisconcernforher，thefeminineinherleaningonthemaninhimwithaconsciousintensityofabandonment。Heputherinthehansom，andherhandstoleintohisinthedarkness。Atearortworose，andsheletthemfall。
　　Itwassodelicioustocryoverimaginarytroubles！
　　Thatevening，afterdinner，hesurprisedherbyrevertingtothesubjectofhistalk。Hecombinedaman'sdislikeofuncomfortablequestionswithanalmostfeminineskillineludingthem；andsheknewthatifhereturnedtothesubjecthemusthavesomespecialreasonfordoingso。
　　“YouseemnottohavecaredforwhatIsaidthisafternoon。DidIputthecasebadly？”
　　“No——youputitverywell。“
　　“Thenwhatdidyoumeanbysayingthatyouwouldrathernothavemegoonwithit？”
　　Sheglancedathimnervously，herignoranceofhisintentiondeepeninghersenseofhelplessness。
　　“Idon'tthinkIcaretohearsuchthingsdiscussedinpublic。“
　　“Idon'tunderstandyou，“heexclaimed。Againthefeelingthathissurprisewasgenuinegaveanairofobliquitytoherownattitude。Shewasnotsurethatsheunderstoodherself。
　　“Won'tyouexplain？”hesaidwithatingeofimpatience。
　　Hereyeswanderedaboutthefamiliardrawing-roomwhichhadbeenthesceneofsomanyoftheireveningconfidences。Theshadedlamps，thequiet-coloredwallshungwithmezzotints，thepalespringflowersscatteredhereandthereinVeniceglassesandbowlsofoldSevres，recalled，shehardlyknewwhy，theapartmentinwhichtheeveningsofherfirstmarriagehadbeenpassed——awildernessofrosewoodandupholstery，withapictureofaRomanpeasantabovethemantel-piece，andaGreekslavein“statuarymarble“betweenthefolding-doorsofthebackdrawing-room。Itwasaroomwithwhichshehadneverbeenabletoestablishanycloserrelationthanthatbetweenatravellerandarailwaystation；andnow，asshelookedaboutatthesurroundingswhichstoodforherdeepestaffinities——theroomforwhichshehadleftthatotherroom——shewasstartledbythesamesenseofstrangenessandunfamiliarity。Theprints，theflowers，thesubduedtonesoftheoldporcelains，seemedtotypifyasuperficialrefinementthathadnorelationtothedeepersignificancesoflife。
　　Suddenlysheheardherhusbandrepeatinghisquestion。
　　“Idon'tknowthatIcanexplain，“shefaltered。
　　Hedrewhisarm-chairforwardsothathefacedheracrossthehearth。Thelightofareading-lampfellonhisfinelydrawnface，whichhadakindofsurface-sensitivenessakintothesurface-refinementofitssetting。
　　“Isitthatyounolongerbelieveinourideas？”heasked。
　　“Inourideas——？”
　　“TheideasIamtryingtoteach。TheideasyouandIaresupposedtostandfor。“Hepausedamoment。“Theideasonwhichourmarriagewasfounded。“