’Yourwork——bah！No，Ididn’tmeanthatIt’sallright，dearOfcourseyoumustdoyourwork，and——IthinkI’llsaygood-byeforthisweek。’
　　’Won’tyouevenstayfortea？
　　’No，thankyouHaveIyourleavetogo，dear？There’snothingmoreyouparticularlywantmetodo，andtheline-workdoesn’tmatter。’
　　’Iwishyoucouldstay，andthenwecouldtalkovermypictureIfonlyonesinglepicture’sasuccess，itdrawsattentiontoalltheothersI
　　knowsomeofmyworkisgood，ifonlypeoplecouldseeAndyouneedn’thavebeensorudeaboutit。’
　　’I’msorryWe’lltalktheMelancoliaoversomeoneoftheotherSundays。
　　Therearefourmore——yes，one，two，three，four——beforeyougo。
　　Good-bye，Maisie。’
　　Maisiestoodbythestudiowindow，thinking，tillthered-hairedgirlreturned，alittlewhiteatthecornersofherlips。
　　’Dick’sgoneoff，’saidMaisie’JustwhenIwantedtotalkaboutthepictureIsn’titselfishofhim？’
　　Hercompanionopenedherlipsasiftospeak，shutthemagain，andwentonreadingTheCityofDreadfulNight-
　　DickwasinthePark，walkingroundandroundatreethathehadchosenashisconfidanteformanySundayspastHewasswearingaudibly，andwhenhefoundthattheinfirmitiesoftheEnglishtonguehemmedinhisrage，hesoughtconsolationinArabic，whichisexpresslydesignedfortheuseoftheafflictedHewasnotpleasedwiththerewardofhispatientservice；norwashepleasedwithhimself；anditwaslongbeforehearrivedatthepropositionthatthequeencoulddonowrong。
　　’It’salosinggame，’hesaid’I’mworthnothingwhenawhimofhersisinquestionButinalosinggameatPortSaidweusedtodoublethestakesandgoonShedoaMelancolia！Shehasn’tthepower，ortheinsight，orthetrainingOnlythedesireShe’scursedwiththecurseofReubenShewon’tdoline-work，becauseitmeansrealwork；andyetshe’sstrongerthanIamI’llmakeherunderstandthatIcanbeatheronherownMelancoliaEventhenshewouldn’tcareShesaysIcanonlydobloodandbonesIdon’tbelieveshehasbloodinherveinsAllthesameI
　　loverher；andImustgoonlovingher；andifIcanhumbleherinordinatevanityIwillI’lldoaMelancoliathatshallbesomethinglikeaMelancolia——“theMelancoliathattranscendsallwit。”I’lldoitatonce，con——blessher。’
　　Hediscoveredthatthenotionwouldnotcometoorder，andthathecouldnotfreehismindforanhourfromthethoughtofMaisie’sdepartureHetookverysmallinterestinherroughstudiesfortheMelancoliawhensheshowedthemnextweekTheSundayswereracingpast，andthetimewasathandwhenallthechurchbellsinLondoncouldnotringMaisiebacktohimOnceortwicehesaidsomethingtoBinkieabout’hermaphroditicfutilities，’butthelittledogreceivedsomanyconfidencesbothfromTorpenhowandDickthathedidnottroublehistulip-earstolisten。
　　DickwaspermittedtoseethegirlsoffTheyweregoingbytheDovernight-boat；andtheyhopedtoreturninAugustItwasthenFebruary，andDickfeltthathewasbeinghardlyusedMaisiewassobusystrippingthesmallhouseacrossthePark，andpackinghercanvases，thatshehadnottimeforthoughtDickwentdowntoDoverandwastedadaytherefrettingoverawonderfulpossibilityWouldMaisieattheverylastallowhimonesmallkiss？Hereflectedthathemightcaptureherbythestrongarm，ashehadseemwomencapturedintheSouthernSoudan，andleadheraway；butMaisiewouldneverbeledShewouldturnhergrayeyesuponhimandsay，’Dick，howselfishyouare！’ThenhiscouragewouldfailhimItwouldbebetter，afterall，tobegforthatkiss。
　　Maisielookedmorethanusuallykissableasshesteppedfromthenight-mailontothewindypier，inagraywaterproofandalittlegrayclothtravelling-capThered-hairedgirlwasnotsolovelyHergreeneyeswerehollowandherlipsweredryDicksawthetrunksaboard，andwenttoMaisie’ssideinthedarknessunderthebridgeThemail-bagswerethunderingintotheforehold，andthered-hairedgirlwaswatchingthem。
　　’You’llhavearoughpassageto-night，’saidDick’It’sblowingoutsideI
　　supposeImaycomeoverandseeyouifI’mgood？’
　　’Youmustn’tIshallbebusyAtleast，ifIwantyouI’llsendforyouButIshallwritefromVitry-sur-MarneIshallhaveheapsofthingstoconsultyouaboutOh，Dick，youhavebeensogoodtome！——sogoodtome！’
　　’Thankyouforthat，dearIthasn’tmadeanydifference，hasit？’
　　’Ican’ttellafibIthasn’t——inthatwayButdon’tthinkI’mnotgrateful。’
　　’Damnthegratitude！’saidDick，huskily，tothepaddle-box。
　　’What’stheuseofworrying？YouknowIshouldruinyourlife，andyou’druinmine，asthingsarenowYourememberwhatyousaidwhenyouweresoangrythatdayinthePark？Oneofushastobebroken。
　　Can’tyouwaittillthatdaycomes？’
　　’No，loveIwantyouunbroken——alltomyself。’
　　Maisieshookherhead’MypoorDick，whatcanIsay！’
　　’Don’tsayanythingGivemeakissOnlyonekiss，MaisieI’llswearI
　　won’ttakeanymoreYoumightaswell，andthenIcanbesureyou’regrateful。’
　　Maisieputhercheekforward，andDicktookhisrewardinthedarkness。
　　Itwasonlyonekiss，but，sincetherewasnotime-limitspecified，itwasalongoneMaisiewrenchedherselffreeangrily，andDickstoodabashedandtinglingfromheadtotoe。
　　’Good-bye，darlingIdidn’tmeantoscareyouI’msorry。
　　Only——keepwellanddogoodwork，——speciallytheMelancoliaI’mgoingtodoone，tooRemembermetoKami，andbecarefulwhatyoudrink。
　　Countrydrinking-waterisbadeverywhere，butit’sworseinFranceWritetomeifyouwantanything，andgood-byeSaygood-byetothewhatever-you-call-umgirl，and——can’tIhaveanotherkiss？No。
　　You’requiterightGood-bye。’
　　Ashouldtoldhimthatitwasnotseemlytochargeofthemail-baginclineHereachedthepierasthesteamerbegantomoveoff，andhefollowedherwithhisheart。
　　’Andthere’snothing——nothinginthewideworld——tokeepusapartexceptherobstinacyTheseCalaisnight-boatsaremuchtoosmallI’llgetTorptowritetothepapersaboutitShe’sbeginningtopitchalready。’
　　MaisiestoodwhereDickhadlefthertillsheheardalittlegaspingcoughatherelbowThered-hairedgirl’seyeswerealightwithcoldflame。
　　’Hekissedyou！’shesaid’Howcouldyoulethim，whenhewasn’tanythingtoyou？Howdaredyoutotakeakissfromhim？Oh，Maisie，let’sgototheladies’cabinI’msick，——deadlysick。’
　　’Wearen’tintoopenwateryetGodown，dear，andI’llstayhereI
　　don’tlikethesmelloftheenginesPoorDick！Hedeservedone，——onlyone。
　　ButIdidn’tthinkhe’dfrightenmeso。’
　　Dickreturnedtotownnextdayjustintimeforlunch，forwhichhehadtelegraphedTohisdisgust，therewereonlyemptyplatesinthestudio。
　　Helifteduphisvoicelikethebearsinthefairy-tale，andTorpenhowentered，lookingguilty。
　　’H’sh！’saidhe’Don’tmakesuchanoiseItookitComeintomyrooms，andI’llshowyouwhy。’
　　Dickpausedamazedatthethreshold，foronTorpenhow’ssofalayagirlasleepandbreathingheavilyThelittlecheapsailor-hat，theblue-and-whitedress，fitterforJunethanforFebruary，dabbledwithmudattheskirts，thejackettrimmedwithimitationAstrakhanandrippedattheshoulder-seams，theone-and-elevenpennyumbrella，and，aboveall，thedisgracefulconditionofthekid-toppedboots，declaredallthings。
　　’Oh，Isay，oldman，thisistoobad！Youmustn’tbringthissortuphere。
　　Theystealthingsfromtherooms。’
　　’Itlooksbad，Iadmit，butIwascominginafterlunch，andshestaggeredintothehallIthoughtshewasdrunkatfirst，butitwascollapseI
　　couldn’tleaveherasshewas，soIbroughtheruphereandgaveheryourlunchShewasfaintingfromwantoffoodShewentfastasleeptheminuteshehadfinished。’
　　’IknowsomethingofthatcomplaintShe’sbeenlivingonsausages，I
　　supposeTorp，youshouldhavehandedherovertoapolicemanforpresumingtofaintinarespectablehousePoorlittlewretch！Lookattheface！Thereisn’tanounceofimmoralityinitOnlyfolly，——slack，fatuous，feeble，futilefollyIt’satypicalheadD’younoticehowtheskullbeginstoshowthroughthefleshpaddingonthefaceandcheek-bone？’
　　’Whatacold-bloodedbarbarianitis！Don’thitawomanwhenshe’sdownCan’twedoanything？Shewassimplydroppingwithstarvation。
　　Shealmostfellintomyarms，andwhenshegottothefoodsheatelikeawildbeastItwashorrible。’
　　’Icangivehermoney，whichshewouldprobablyspendindrinks。
　　Isshegoingtosleepforever？’
　　Thegirlopenedhereyesandglaredatthemenbetweenterrorandeffrontery。
　　’Feelingbetter？’saidTorpenhow。
　　’YesThankyouTherearen’tmanygentlementhatareaskindasyouareThankyou。’
　　’Whendidyouleaveservice？’saidDick，whohadbeenwatchingthescarredandchappedhands。
　　’HowdidyouknowIwasinservice？IwasGeneralservantI
　　didn’tlikeit。’
　　’Andhowdoyoulikebeingyourownmistress？’
　　’DoIlookasifIlikedit？’
　　’IsupposenotOnemomentWouldyoubegoodenoughtoturnyourfacetothewindow？’
　　Thegirlobeyed，andDickwatchedherfacekeenly，——sokeenlythatshemadeasiftohidebehindTorpenhow。
　　’Theeyeshaveit，’saidDick，walkingupanddown’TheyaresuperbeyesformybusinessAnd，afterall，everyheaddependsontheeyesThishasbeensentfromheaventomakeupfor——whatwastakenaway。
　　Nowtheweeklystrain’soffmyshoulders，Icangettoworkinearnest。
　　EvidentlysentfromheavenYesRaiseyourchinalittle，please。’
　　’Gently，oldman，gentlyYou’rescaringsomebodyoutofherwits，’
　　saidTorpenhow，whocouldseethegirltrembling。
　　’Don’tlethimhitme！Oh，pleasedon’tlethimhitme！I’vebeenhitcruelto-daybecauseIspoketoamanDon’tlethimlookatmelikethat！
　　He’sreg’larwicked，thatoneDon’tlethimlookatmelikethat，neither！
　　Oh，I
　　feelasifIhadn’tnothingonwhenhelooksatmelikethat！’
　　Theoverstrainednervesinthefrailbodygaveway，andthegirlweptlikealittlechildandbegantoscreamDickthrewopenthewindow，andTorpenhowflungthedoorback。
　　’Thereyouare，’saidDick，soothingly’Myfriendherecancallforapoliceman，andyoucanrunthroughthatdoorNobodyisgoingtohurtyou。’
　　Thegirlsobbedconvulsivelyforafewminutes，andthentriedtolaugh。
　　’NothingintheworldtohurtyouNowlistentomeforaminute。
　　I’mwhattheycallanartistbyprofessionYouknowwhatartistsdo？’
　　’Theydrawthethingsinredandblackinkonthepop-shoplabels。’
　　’IdaresayIhaven’trisentopop-shoplabelsyetThosearedonebytheAcademiciansIwanttodrawyourhead。’
　　’Whatfor？’
　　’Becauseit’sprettyThatiswhyyouwillcometotheroomacrossthelandingthreetimesaweekateleveninthemorning，andI’llgiveyouthreequidaweekjustforsittingstillandbeingdrawnAndthere’saquidonaccount。’
　　’Fornothing？Oh，my！’Thegirlturnedthesovereigninherhand，andwithmorefoolishtears，’Ain’tneithero’youtwogentlemenafraidofmybilkingyou？’
　　’NoOnlyuglygirlsdothatTryandrememberthisplaceAnd，bytheway，what’syourname？’
　　’I’mBessic，——Bessie——It’snousegivingtherestBessieBroke，——Stone-broke，ifyoulikeWhat’syournames？Butthere，——nooneevergivestherealones。’
　　DickconsultedTorpenhowwithhiseyes。
　　’Myname’sHeldar，andmyfriend’scalledTorpenhow；andyoumustbesuretocomehereWheredoyoulive？’
　　’South-the-water，——oneroom，——fiveandsixpenceaweekAren’tyoumakingfunofmeaboutthatthreequid？’
　　’You’llseelateronAnd，Bessie，nexttimeyoucome，remember，youneedn’twearthatpaintIt’sbadfortheskin，andIhaveallthecoloursyou’llbelikelytoneed。’