“Andwhatdidthatsweetyouthdo？”
　　“Turnedshell-pinkandlookedacrossthefarbluehillslikeadistressedcherubAmItalkingwildly，Polly？Letmesaymysay，andIshallbecalmOtherwiseI
　　maygoabroadanddisturb；5imlawithafeworiginalreflectionsExceptingalwaysyourownsweetself，thereisn’tasinglewomaninthelandwhounderstandsmewhenIam-what’stheword？”
　　“Tete-F~e~。”suggestedMrsMalLowe。
　　“Exactly！AndnowletushavetiffinThedemandsofSocietyareexhausting，andasMrs。
　　Delvillesays“-HereMrsHauksbee，tothehorrorofthekhitmatgars，lapsedintoaseriesofgrunts，whileMrsMallowestaredinlazysurprise。
　　’Godgieusagudeconceitofoorselves，’“saidMrsHauksbee，piously，returningtohernaturalspeech“。Now，inanyotherwomanthawouldhavebeenvulgarI
　　amconsuroedwithcuriositytoseeMrsBentIexpectcomplications。”
　　“Womanofoneidea。”saidMrsMallowe，shortly；“allcomplicationsarea~oldasthehills！I
　　havelivedthroughornearall~li-ALL？”
　　“Andyetdonotunderstandthatmciiandworrenneverbehavetwice~likeIamoldwhowasyoung-ifeverIputmyheadinyourlap，youdear，bigsceptic，youwilllearnthatmypartingisgaua~butnever，noneverhaveIlostmyinterestinmenandwomenPolly，IshallseethisbusinessOuttothebitterend。”
　　“Iamgoingtosleep。”saidMrsMallowe，calmly“IneverinterferewithmenorwomenunlessI
　　amcompelled。”
　　andsheretiredwithdignitytoherownroom。
　　MrsHauksbee’scuriositywasnotlongleftungratified，forMrs。
　　BentcameuptoSimlaafewdaysaftertheconversationfaithfullyreportedabove，andpervadedtheMallbyherhusband’sside。
　　“Behold！”saidMrsHauksbee，thoughtfullyrubbinghernose。
　　“Thatisthelastlinkofthechain，ifweomitthehusbandoftheDelville，whoeverhemaybe。
　　LetmeconsiderTheBentsandtheDelvillesinhabitthesamehotel；andtheDelvilleisdetestedbytheWaddy-doyouknowtheWaddy？-
　　whoisalmostasbigadowdTheWaddyalsoabominatesthemaleBent，forwhich，ifherothersinsdonotweightooheavily，shewilleve~tuallygotoHeaven。”
　　“Don’tbeirrrverent。”saidMrsMall3we“IlikeMrsBent’sface。”
　　“IamdiscussingtheWaddy。”returnedMrsHauksbee，loftily。
　　“TheWaddywilltakethefemaleBentapart，atterhavingborrowed-yes-everythingthatshecan，fromhairpinstobabies’bottles。
　　Such，mydear，islifeinahotelTheWaddywilltellthefemaleBentfactsandfictionsaboutTheDancingMasterandTheDowd。”
　　“Lucy，Ishouldlikeyoubetterifyouwerenotalwayslookingintopeople’sback-bed-rooms。”
　　“Aiiybodycanlookintotheirfrontdrawing-rooms；andrememberwhateverIdo，andwhateverI
　　look，Inevertalk-astheWaddywillLetushopethatTheDancingMaster’sgreasysmileandmannerofthepedagoguewillsoftentheheartofthatcow，hiswifeIfmouthsspeaktruth，Ishouldthinkthat226
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　　littleMrsBentcouldgetveryangryonoccasion。”
　　“Butwhatreasonhassheforbeingangry？”
　　“Whatreason！TheDancingMasterinhimselfisareasonHowdoesitgo？’Ifinhislifesometrivialerrorsfall，Lookinhisfaceandyou’llbelievethemall。’IampreparedtocreditanyevilofTheDancingMaster，becauseIhatehimsoAndTheDowdissodisgustinglybadlydressed“-“Thatshe，too，iscapableofe~eryiniquity？IalwaysprefertobelievethebestofeverybodyItsavessomuchtrouble。”
　　“VerygoodIprefertobelievetheWorstItsavesuselessexpenditureofsympathyAndyoumaybequitecertainthattheWaddybelieveswithme。”
　　MrsMallowesighedandmadenoanswer。
　　TheconversationwasholdenafterdinnerwhileMrsHauksbeewasdressingforadance。
　　“Iamtootiredtogo。”pleadedMrsMallowe，andMrsHauksbeeleftherinpeacetilltwointhemorning，whenshewasawareofemphaticknockingatherdoor。
　　“Don’tbeveryangry，dear。”saidMrsHauksbee“Myidiotofanayahhasgonehome，and，asI
　　hopetosleepto-night，thereisn’tasoulintheplacetounlaceme。”
　　“Ohthisistoobad！”saidMrsMallowesulkily。
　　“’Can’thelpitI’malone，lorngrass-widow，dear，butIwillnotsleepinmystaysAndsuchnews，too！Oh，dounlaceme，there’sadarling！TheDowd-TheDancingMaster-IandtheIlawleyBoy-YouknowtheNorthveranda？”
　　“HowcanIdoanythingifyouspinroundlikethis？”protestedMrs。
　　Mallowe，fumblingwiththeknotofthelaces。
　　“Oh，IforgetImusttellmytalewithouttheaidofyoureyesDoyouknowyou’velovelyeyes，dear？Welltobeginwith，ItooktheHawleyBoytoakalojuggah。”
　　“Didhewantmuchtaking？”
　　“Lots！Therewasanarrangementofloose-boxesinkanats，andshewasinthenextonetalkingtohim。”
　　“Which？How？Explain。”
　　“YouknowwhatImean-TheDow1andTheDancingMasterWecouldheareverywordandwelistenedshamelessly~’speciallytheHawleyBoyPolly，Iquitelovethatwoman！”
　　“ThisisinterestingThere！No~turnroundWhathappened？”
　　“OnemomentAh-h！BlessedreJiefI’vebeenlookingforwardtotakmgthemoffforthelasthalf-hour-whichisominousatmytimeoflifeBut，asIwassaying，welistenedandheardTheDowddrawlworsethaneverShedropsherfinalg’slikeabarmaidorablue-bloodedAide-de-Camp’Lookhe-ere，you’regettin’toofond0’me，’shesaid，andTheDancingMasterowneditwassoinlanguagethatnearlymademe~VTheDowdreflectedfoiawhileThen~eheardhersay，’Lookhe-ere，MisterBent，whyareyousuchanaw-fulliar？’InearlyexplodedwhileTheDancingMasterdeniedthechargeItseemsthathenevertoldherhewa。~amarriedman。”
　　’~Isaidhewouldn’t。”
　　“Andshehadtakenthistoheart，o~
　　~ersonalgrounds，IsupposeShedrawledalongforfiveminutes，reproachinghimwithhisperfidyandgrewquitemotherly’Nowyou’vegotanicelittlewifeofyourown-youhave，’shesaid’She’stentimestoogoodforafatoldmanlikeyou，and，lookhe-ere，younevertoldmeawordabouther，andI’vebeenthinkin’aboutitagooddeal，andI
　　thinkyou’realiar。’Wasn’tthatdelicious？TheDancingMastermaunderedandravedtilltheHawleyBoysuggestedthatheshouldburstinandheathimHisvoicerunsupintoanimpassionedsqueakwhenheisafraid。
　　TheDowdmustbeanextraordinarywomanSheexplainedthathadhebeenabachelorshemightnothaveobjectedtohisdevotion；butsincehewasamarriedmanandthefatherofaverynicebaby，sheconsideredhimahypocrite，andthissherepeatedtwiceShewoundupherdrawlwith：’AnI’mtellin’youthisbecauseyourwifeisangrywithme，an’Ihatequarrellin’withanyotherwoman，an’IlikeyourwifeYouknowhowyouhavebehavedforthelastsixweeksYoushouldn’thavedoneit，indeedyoushouldn’tYou’retoooldan’fat。’
　　Can’tyouimaginehowTheDancmgMasterwouldwinceatthat！’Nowgoaway，’shesaid’I
　　don’twanttotellyouwhatI
　　thinkofyou，becauseIthinkyouarenotniceI’llstayhe-eretillthenextdancebegins。’Didyouthinkthatthecreaturehadsomuchinher？”
　　“IneverstudiedherascloselyasyoudidItsoundsunnatural。
　　Whathappened？”
　　“TheDancingMasterattemptedblandishment，reproof，jocularity，andthestyleoftheLordHighWarden，andI
　　hadalmosttopinchtheHawleyBoytomakehimkeepquietShegruntedattheendofeachsentenceand，intheendhewentawayswearingtohimself，quitelikeamaninanovelHelookedmoreobjectionablethaneverIlaughedIlovethatwoman-inspiteofherclothesAndnowI’mgoingtobedWhatdoyouthinkofit？”
　　“Isha’n’tbegintothinktillthemorning。”saidMrsMallowe，yawning“PerhapsshespokethetruthTheydoflyintoitbyaccidentsometimes。”
　　MrsHauksbee’saccountofhereavesdroppingwasanornateonebuttrutlifulinthemainForreasonsbestknowntoherself，Mrs“Shady“DelvillehadturneduponMrBentandrenthimlimbfromlimb，castinghimawaylimpanddisconcertedereshewithdrewthelightofhereyesfromhimpermanentlyBeingamanofresource，andanythingbutpleasedinthathehadbeencalledbotholdandfat1hegaveMrsBenttounderstandthathehad，duringherabsenceintheDoon1beenthevictimofunceasingpersecutionatthehandsofMrsDelville，andhetoldthetalesooftenandwithsucheloquencethatheendedinbelievingit，whilehiswifemarvelledatthemannersandcustomsof“somewomen。”Whenthesituationshowedsignsoflanguishing，MrsWaddywasalwaysonhandtowakethesmoulderingfiresofsuspicioninMrsBent’sbosomandtocontributegenerallytothepeaceandcomfortofthehotelMrBent’slifewasnotahappyone，forifMrsWaddy’sstoryweretrue，hewas，arguedhiswife，untrustworthytothelastdegreeIfhisownstatementwastrue，hischarmsofmannerandconversationwereso128
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　　greatthatheneededconstantsurveillanceAndhereceivedit，tillherepentedgenuinelyofhismarriageandneglectedhispersonalappearanceMrsDelvillealoneinthehotelwasunchanged。
　　Sheremovedherchairsomesixpacestowardtheheadofthetable，andoccasionallyinthetwilightventuredontimidoverturesoffriendshiptoMrsBent，whichwererepulsed。
　　“Shedoesitformysake。”hintedtheVirtuousBent。
　　“Adangerousanddesigningwoman。”purredMrsWaddy。
　　Worstofall，everyotherhotelinSimlawasfull！