saidMrsMallowe“Hewillbeasufficientpunishmentforher。
　　Whatacommonvoiceshehas！”
　　MrsDelville’svoicewasnotpretty，hercarriagewasevenlesslovely，andherraimentwasstrikinglyneglectedAllthesethingsMrsMallowenoticedoverthetopofamagazine。
　　“Nowwhatisthereinher？”saidMrsHauksbee“DoyouseewhatImeantabouttheclothesfallingoff？IfIwereamanIwouldperishsoonerthanbeseenwiththatrag-bagAndyet，shehasgoodeyes，but~h！”
　　“Whatisit？”
　　“Shedoesn’tknowhowtousethem！OnmyHonor，shedoesnot。
　　Look！Ohlook！UntidinessI
　　canendure，butignorancenever！Thewoman’safool。”
　　“Hsh！She’llhearyou。”
　　“AllthewomeninSimlaarefoolsShe’llthinkImeansomeoneelseNowshe’sgoingoutWhatathoroughlyobjectionablecouplesheandTheDancingMastermake！WhichremindsmeDoyousupposethey’lleverdancetogether？”
　　“WaitandseeIdon’tenvyhertheconversationofTheDancingMaster-loathlyman！Hiswifeoughttobeupherebeforelong。”
　　“Doyouknowanythingabouthim？”
　　“OnlywhathetoldmeItmaybea11afictionHemarriedagirlbredinthecountry，Ithink，and，beinganhonorable，chivalroussoul，toldmethatherepentedhisbargainandsenthertohermotherasoftenaspossibl~apersonwhohaslivedintheDoonsincethememoryofmanandgoestoMussooriewhenotherpeoplegoHomeThewifeiswithheratpresentSohesays。”
　　’~Babies？’~
　　“Oneonly，buthetalksofhiswifeinarevoltingwayIhatedhimforitHethoughthewasbeingepigrammaticandbrilliant。”
　　“ThatisavicepeculiartomenIdislikehimbecauseheisgenerallyinthewakeofsomegirl，disappointingtheEligiblesHewillpersecuteMayHoltnomore，unlessIammuchmistaken。”
　　“NoIthinkMrsDelvillemayoccupyhisattentionforawhile。”
　　“Doyousupposesheknowsthatheistheheadofafamily？”
　　“NotfromhislipsHesworemetoeternalsecrecyWhereforeI
　　tellyouDon’tyouknowthattypeofman？”
　　“Notintimately，thankgoodness！Asageneralrule，whenamanbeginstoabusehiswifetome，IfindthattheLordgivesmewherewithtoanswerhimaccordingtohisfolly；andwepartwithacoolnessbetweenusIlaugh。”
　　“I’mdifferentI’venosenseofhumor。”
　　“Cultivateit，thenIthasbeenmymainstayformoreyearsthanI
　　caretothinkaboutA
　　well-educatedsenseofHumorwillsaveawomanwhenReligion，Training，andHomeinfluencesfail；andwemayallneedsalvationsometimes。”
　　“DoyousupposethattheDelvillewomanhashumor？”
　　“HerdressbewraysherHowcanaThingwhowearsasupplementunderherleftarmhaveanynotionofthefitnessofthings-muchlesstheirfolly？IfshediscardsTheDancingMaste！afterhavingonceseenhimdance，ImayrespectherOtherwise“
　　“Butarewenotbothassumingagreatdealtoomuch，dear？YousawthewomanatPeliti’s-halfanhour214
　　WORKSOFRUDYARDKIPLING
　　SHEDoinglittle，sayingless，andthinkingagreatdealI’vehardlybeenoutatall。
　　HaThatwaswrongofyouYouhaven’tbeenmoping？
　　SHENotverymuchCanyouwonderthatI’mdisinclinedforamuse-ment？
　　HEFrankly，IdoWherewasthedifficulty？
　　SHEInthisonlyThemorepeople1knowandthemoreI’mknownhere，thewiderspreadwillbethenewsofthecrashwhenitcomesIdon’tlikethat。
　　HENonsenseWeshallbeoutofit。
　　SHEYouthinkso？
　　HEI’msureofit，ifthereisanypowerinsteamorhorse-fleshtocarryusawayHa！ha！
　　SiraAndthefunofthesituationcomesin-where，myLarcelot？
　　liaNowhere，GuinevereIwasonlythinkingofsomething。
　　SHETheysaymenhaveakeenersenseofhumorthanwomen。
　　NowIwasthinkingofthescandal。
　　HEDon’tthinkofanythingsouglyWeshallbebeyondit。
　　SHEItwillbethereallthesame-~themouthsofSimla-telegraphedoverIndia，andtalkedofatthedinners-andwhenHegoesouttheywillstareatHimandseehowHetakesitAndweshallbedead，Guydear-deadandcastintotheouterdarknesswherethereis-HE。
　　LoveatleastIsn’tthatenough？
　　SHEIhavesaidso。
　　HEAndyouthinksostill？
　　SHEWhatdoyouthink？
　　HaWhathaveIdone？Itmeansqua]ruintome，astheworldreckonsit~outcasting，thelossofmyappointment，thebreakingofmylife’sworkIpaymyprice。
　　SHEAndareyousomuchabovetheworldthatyoucanaffordtopayit？AmI？
　　HaMyDivinity-whatelse？
　　SHEAveryordinarywomanI’niafraid，but，sofar，respectable。
　　How’dyoudo，Mrs。
　　Middleditch？Yourhusband？Ithinkhe’sridingdowntoAnnandalewithColonelStattersYes，isn’titdivineaftertherain？-Guy，howlongamItobeallowedtohowtoMrsMiddleditch？Tillthe17th？
　　HEFrowsyScotchwoman？Whatistheuseofbringingherintothediscussion？Youweresaying？
　　SHENothingHaveyoueverseenamanhanged？
　　HEYesOnce。
　　SHEWhatwasitfor？
　　HEMurder，ofcourse。
　　SHEMurderIsthatsogreatasinafterall？Iwonderhowhefeltbeforethedropfell。
　　HEIdon’tthinkhefeltmuchWhatagruesomelittlewomanitisthisevening！You’reshiveringPutonyouicape，dear。
　　SHEIthinkIwillOh！LookatthemistcomingoverSaniaoli；
　　andIthoughtweshouldhavesunshineontheLadies’Mile！Let’s-KanbaAPp点com-turnback。
　　HEWhat’sthegood？There’sacloudonElysiumHill，andthatmeansit’sfoggyalldowntheMallWe’llgoon。
　　It’llblowawaybeforewegettotheConvent，perhaps’Jove！Itischilly。
　　SHEYoufeelit，freshfrombelowPutonyourulsterWhatdoyouthinkofmyca~e？
　　ASECOND-RATEWOMAN
　　221
　　tookmoreexerciseandamoreintelligentinterestinyourneighborsyouwould“-“BeasmuchlovedasMrsHauksbeeYou’readarlinginmanywaysandIlikeyou-youarenotawoman’swoman-butwhydoyoutroubleyour-selfaboutmerehumanbeings？”
　　“Becauseintheabsenceofangels，whoIamsurewouldbehorriblydull，menandwomenarethemostfascinatingthingsinthewholewideworld，lazyoneI
　　aminterestedinTheDowd-IaminterestedinTheDancingMaster-IaminterestedintheHawleyBoy-andIaminterestedinyou。”
　　“WhycouplemewiththeHawleyBoy？Heisyourproperty。”
　　“Yes，andinhisownguilelessspeech，I’mmakingagoodthingoutofhimWhenheisslightlymorereformed，andhaspassedhisHigherStandard，orwhatevertheauthoritiesthinkfittoexactfromhim，Ishallselectaprettylittlegirl，theHoltgirl，Ithink，and“-hereshewavedherhandsairily-“’whomMrsHauksbeehathjoinedtogetherletnomanputasunder。’That’sall。”
　　“AndwhenyouhaveyokedMayHoltwiththemostnotoriousdetrimentalinSimla，andearnedtheundyinghatredofMammaHolt，whatwillyoudowithme，DispenseroftheDestiniesoftheUniverse？”
　　MrsHauksbeedroppedintoalowchairinfrontofthefire，and，chininhand，gazedlongandsteadfastlyatMrsMallowe。
　　“Idonotknow。”shesaid，shakingherhead，“whatIshalldowithyou，dearIt’sobviouslyimpossibletomarryyoutosomeoneelse-yourhusbandwouldobjectandtheexperimentmightnotbesuccessfulafterallIthinkIshallbeginbypreventingyoufrom-whatisit？-
　　’sleepingonale-housebenchesandsnoringinthesun。’“
　　“Don’t！Idon’tlikeyourquotationsTheyaresorudeGototheLibraryandbringmenewbooks。”
　　“Whileyousleep？NolIfyoudon’tcomewithme，Ishallspreadyournewestfrockonmy’rickshaw-bow，andwhenanyoneasksmewhatIamdoing，IshallsaythatIamgoingtoPhelps’stogetitletoutIshalltakecarethatMrsMacNamaraseesmePutyourthingson，there’sagoodgirl。”
　　MrsMallowegroanedandobeyed，andthetwowentofftotheLibrary，wheretheyfoundMrs。
　　DelvilleandthemanwhowentbythenicknameofTheDancingMasterBythattimeMrsMallowewasawakeandeloquent。
　　“ThatistheCreature！”saidMrsHauksbee，withtheairofonepointingoutaslugintheroad。
　　“No。”saidMrsMallowe“ThemanistheCreatureUgh！
　　Good-evening，MrBentIthoughtyouwerecomingtoteathisevening。”
　　“Surelyitwasforto-morrow，wasitnot？”answeredTheDancingMaster“IunderstoodI
　　fancied。
　　I’msosorryHowveryunfortunate！”-
　　ButMrsMallowehadpassadon。
　　“Forthepracticedequivocatoryousaidhewas。”murmuredMrs。
　　Hauksbee，“hestrikesmeasafailureNowwhereforeshouldhehavepreferredawalkwithTheDowdtoteawithus？Electiveaffinities，Isuppose-bothgrubbyPolly，I’dneverforgivethatwomanaslongastheworldrolls。”
　　“Iforgiveeverywomaneve’-ything。”
　　HENeveraskamanhisopinionofawoman’sdresswhenheisdesperatelyandabjectlyinlovewiththewearerLetme~ookLikeeverythingelseofyoursit’sperfectWheredidyougetitfrom？
　　SHEHegaveitme，onWednesday-ourwedding-day，youknow。
　　HETheDeuceHedid！He’sgrowinggenerousinhisoldage。
　　D’youlikeallthatfrilly，bunchystuffatthethroat？Idon’t。
　　SHEDon’tyou？
　　KindSir，0’yourcourtesy，Asyougobythetown，Sir，’Prayyou0’yourloveforme，Buymearussetgown，Sir。
　　HEIwon’tsay：“Keekintothedraw-well，Janet，Janet。”Onlywaitalittle，darling，andyoushallbestockedwithrussetgownsandeverythingelse。
　　SHEAndwhenthefrockswearout，you’llgetmenewones-andeverythingelse？
　　HEAssuredly。
　　SHEIwonder！
　　HELookhere，Sweetheart，Ididn’tspendtwodaysandtwonightsinthetraintohearyouwonderIthoughtwe’dsettledallthatatShaifazebat。
　　SHEdreamilyAtShaifazehat？DoestheStationgoonstill？
　　ThatwasagesandagesagoItmustbecrumblingtopiecesAllexcepttheAmirtollahkutcharoadIdon’tbelievetha~couldcrumbletilltheDayofJudgment。
　　HaYouthinkso？Whatisthemoodnow？
　　SHEIcan’ttellHowcolditis！T渢usgeton~uickly。
　　HaBetterwalkalittleStopyourjkampa“isandgetoutWhat’sthematterwithyouthisevening，dear？
　　SHENothingYoumustgrowaccustomedtomywaysIfI’mboringyouIcangohomeHere’sCa~tamCongletoncoming，Idaresayhe’llbewillingtoescortme。
　　HaGoose！Betweenus，too！DamnCaptainCongleton！
　　SHEChivalrousKnightIsityourhabittoswearmuchintalking？
　　Itjarsalittle，andyoumightswearatme。
　　HaMyangel！Ididn’tknowwhatIwassaying；andyouchangedsoquicklythatIcouldn’tfollowI’llapologizeindustandashes。
　　SHEThere’llbeenoughofthoselateron-Good-night，CaptainCongletonGoingtothesinging-quadrillesalready？WhatdancesamIgivingyounextweek？No！YoumusthavewrittenthemdownwrongFiveandSeven，IsaidIfyou’vemadeamistake，Icertainlydon’tintendtosufferforitYoumustalteryourprogramme。
　　HaIthoughtyoutoldmethatyoubadnotbeengoingoutmuchthisseason？
　　SHEQuitetrue，butwhenIdoIdancewithCaptainCongleton。
　　Hedancesverynicely。
　　HEAndsitoutwithhim，Isuppose？
　　SHEYesHaveyouanyobjection？ShallIstandunderthechandelierinfuture？
　　HEWhatdoeshetalktoyouabout？SHEWhatdomentalkaboutwhentheysitout？
　　HaUgh！Don’t！WellnowI’mup，youmustdispensewiththefascinatingCongletonforawhile。
　　Idon’tlikelaim。