’It’stoogoodofyou，——muchtoogoodBecauseyouareconsolingyourselfwithwhatwillneverhappen，andIknowthat，andyetIwanttokeepyouDon’tblamemelater，please。’
　　’I’mgoingintothematterwithmyeyesopenMoreovertheQueencandonowrongItisn’tyourselfishnessthatimpressesmeIt’syouraudacityinproposingtomakeuseofme。’
　　’Pooh！You’reonlyDick，——andaprint-shop。’
　　’Verygood：that’sallIamBut，Maisie，youbelieve，don’tyou，thatIloveyou？Idon’twantyoutohaveanyfalsenotionsaboutbrothersandsisters。’
　　Maisielookedupforamomentanddroppedhereyes。
　　’It’sabsurd，but——IbelieveIwishIcouldsendyouawaybeforeyougetangrywithmeBut——butthegirlthatliveswithmeisred-haired，andanimpressionist，andallournotionsclash。’
　　’Sodoours，IthinkNevermindThreemonthsfromto-dayweshallbelaughingatthistogether。’
　　Maisieshookherheadmournfully’Iknewyouwouldn’tunderstand，anditwillonlyhurtyoumorewhenyoufindoutLookatmyface，Dick，andtellmewhatyousee。’
　　TheystoodupandfacedeachotherforamomentThefogwasgathering，anditstifledtheroarofthetrafficofLondonbeyondtherailingsDickbroughtallhispainfullyacquiredknowledgeoffacestobearontheeyes，mouth，andchinunderneaththeblackvelvettoque。
　　’It’sthesameMaisie，andit’sthesameme，’hesaid’We’vebothnicelittlewillsofourown，andoneorotherofushastobebroken。
　　NowaboutthefutureImustcomeandseeyourpicturessomeday，——Isupposewhenthered-hairedgirlisonthepremises。’
　　’SundaysaremybesttimesYoumustcomeonSundaysTherearesuchheapsofthingsIwanttotalkaboutandaskyouradviceabout。
　　NowI
　　mustgetbacktowork。’
　　’TrytofindoutbeforenextSundaywhatIam，’saidDick’Don’ttakemywordforanythingI’vetoldyouGood-bye，darling，andblessyou。’
　　MaisiestoleawaylikealittlegraymouseDickwatchedhertillshewasoutofsight，buthedidnothearhersaytoherself，verysoberly，’I’mawretch，——ahorrid，selfishwretchButit’sDick，andDickwillunderstand。’
　　Noonehasyetexplainedwhatactuallyhappenswhenanirresistibleforcemeetstheimmovablepost，thoughmanyhavethoughtdeeply，evenasDickthoughtHetriedtoassurehimselfthatMaisiewouldbeledinafewweeksbyhismerepresenceanddiscoursetoabetterwayofthinkingThenherememberedmuchtoodistinctlyherfaceandallthatwaswrittenonit。
　　’IfIknowanythingofheads，’hesaid，’there’severythinginthatfacebutloveIshallhavetoputthatinmyself；andthatchinandmouthwon’tbewonfornothingButshe’srightSheknowswhatshewants，andshe’sgoingtogetitWhatinsolence！Me！Ofallthepeopleinthewideworld，touseme！Butthenshe’sMaisieThere’snogettingoverthatfact；
　　andit’sgoodtoseeheragainThisbusinessmusthavebeensimmeringatthebackofmyheadforyearsShe’llusemeasIusedBinatatPortSaid。
　　She’squiterightItwillhurtalittleIshallhavetoseehereverySunday，——likeayoungmancourtingahousemaidShe’ssuretocomearound；andyet——thatmouthisn’tayieldingmouthIshallbewantingtokissherallthetime，andIshallhavetolookatherpictures，——I
　　don’tevenknowwhatsortofworkshedoesyet，——andIshallhavetotalkaboutArt，——Woman’sArt！Therefore，particularlyandperpetually，damnallvarietiesofArtItdidmeagoodturnonce，andnowit’sinmywayI’llgohomeanddosomeArt。’
　　Half-waytothestudio，Dickwassmittenwithaterriblethought。
　　Thefigureofasolitarywomaninthefogsuggestedit。
　　’She’sallaloneinLondon，withared-hairedimpressionistgirl，whoprobablyhasthedigestionofanostrichMostred-hairedpeoplehave。
　　Maisie’sabiliouslittlebodyThey’lleatlikelonewomen，——mealsatallhours，andteawithallmealsIrememberhowthestudentsinParisusedtopigalongShemayfallillatanyminute，andIshan’tbeabletohelp。
　　Whew！thisistentimesworsethanowningawife。’
　　Torpenhowenteredthestudioatdusk，andlookedatDickwitheyesfulloftheausterelovethatspringsupbetweenmenwhohavetuggedatthesameoartogetherandareyokedbycustomanduseandtheintimaciesoftoilThisisagoodlove，and，sinceitallows，andevenencourages，strife，recrimination，andbrutalsincerity，doesnotdie，butgrows，andisproofagainstanyabsenceandevilconduct。
　　DickwassilentafterhehandedTorpenhowthefilledpipeofcouncilHethoughtofMaisieandherpossibleneedsItwasanewthingtothinkofanybodybutTorpenhow，whocouldthinkforhimselfHereatlastwasanoutletforthatcashbalanceHecouldadornMaisiebarbaricallywithjewelry，——athickgoldnecklaceroundthatlittleneck，braceletsupontheroundedarms，andringsofpriceuponherhands，——thiecool，temperate，ringlesshandsthathehadtakenbetweenhisownItwasanabsurdthought，forMaisiewouldnotevenallowhimtoputoneringononefinger，andshewouldlaughatgoldentrappingsItwouldbebettertositwithherquietlyinthedusk，hisarmaroundherneckandherfaceonhisshoulder，asbefittedhusbandandwifeTorpenhow’sbootscreakedthatnight，andhisstrongvoicejarredDick’sbrowscontractedandhemurmuredanevilwordbecausehehadtakenallhissuccessasarightandpartpaymentforpastdiscomfort，andnowhewascheckedinhisstridebyawomanwhoadmittedallthesuccessanddidnotinstantlycareforhim。
　　’Isay，oldman，’saidTorpenhow，whohadmadeoneortwovainattemptsatconversation，’Ihaven’tputyourbackupbyanythingI’vesaidlately，haveI？’
　　’You！NoHowcouldyou？’
　　’Liveroutoforder？’
　　’Thetrulyhealthymandoesn’tknowhehasaliverI’monlyabitworriedaboutthingsingeneralIsupposeit’smysoul。’
　　’Thetrulyhealthymandoesn’tknowhehasasoulWhatbusinesshaveyouwithluxuriesofthatkind？’
　　’ItcameofitselfWho’sthemanthatsaysthatwe’reallislandsshoutingliestoeachotheracrossseasofmisunderstanding？’
　　’He’sright，whoeverheis，——exceptaboutthemisunderstandingI
　　don’tthinkwecouldmisunderstandeachother。’
　　ThebluesmokecurledbackfromtheceilingincloudsThenTorpenhow，insinuatingly——
　　’Dick，isitawoman？’
　　’Behangedifit’sanythingremotelyresemblingawoman；andifyoubegintotalklikethat，I’llhireared-brickstudiowithwhitepainttrimmings，andbegoniasandpetuniasandblueHungariastoplayamongthree-and-sixpennypot-palms，andI’llmountallmypicsinaniline-dyeplushplasters，andI’llinviteeverywomanwhomaundersoverwhatherguide-bookstellherisArt，andyoushallreceive’em，Torp，——inasnuff-brownvelvetcoatwithyellowtrousersandanorangetie。
　　You’lllikethat？’
　　’Toothin，DickAbettermanthanyouoncedeniedwithcursingandswearingYou’veoverdoneit，justashedidIt’snobusinessofmine，ofcourse，butit’scomfortingtothinkthatsomewhereunderthestarsthere’ssavingupforyouatremendousthrashingWhetherit’llcomefromheavenorearth，Idon’tknow，butit’sboundtocomeandbreakyouupalittleYouwanthammering。’
　　Dickshivered’Allright，’saidhe’Whenthisislandisdisintegrated，itwillcallforyou。’
　　’Ishallcomeroundthecornerandhelptodisintegrateitsomemore。
　　We’retalkingnonsenseComealongtoatheatre。’
　　’Andyoumayleadathousandmen，Noreverdrawtherein，ButereyeleadtheFaeryQueen’Twillburstyourheartintwain。’
　　Hehasslippedhisfootfromthestirrup-bar，Thebridlefromhishand，AndheisboundbyhandandfootTotheQueeno’Faery-land。
　　SirHoggieandtheFairies。
　　SOMEweekslater，onaveryfoggySunday，DickwasreturningacrosstheParktohisstudio’This，’hesaid，’isevidentlythethrashingthatTorpmeantIthurtsmorethanIexpected；buttheQueencandonowrong；andshecertainlyhassomenotionofdrawing。’
　　HehadjustfinishedaSundayvisittoMaisie，——alwaysunderthegreeneyesofthered-hairedimpressionistgirl，whomhelearnedtohateatsight，——andwastinglingwithakeensenseofshameSundayafterSunday，puttingonhisbestclothes，hehadwalkedovertotheuntidyhousenorthofthePark，firsttoseeMaisie’spictures，andthentocriticiseandadviseuponthemasherealisedthattheywereproductionsonwhichadvicewouldnotbewastedSundayafterSunday，andhislovegrewwitheachvisit，hehadbeencompelledtocramhisheartbackfrombetweenhislipswhenitpromptedhimtokissMaisieseveraltimesandverymuchindeedSundayafterSunday，theheadabovethehearthadwarnedhimthatMaisiewasnotyetattainable，andthatitwouldbebettertotalkasconnectedlyaspossibleuponthemysteriesofthecraftthatwasallinalltoherThereforeitwashisfatetoendureweeklytortureinthestudiobuiltoutovertheclammybackgardenofafrailstuffylittlevillawherenothingwaseverinitsrightplaceandnobodyeverycalled，——toendureandtowatchMaisiemovingtoandfrowiththeteacupsHeabhorredtea，but，sinceitgavehimalittlelongertimeinherpresence，hedrankitdevoutly，andthered-hairedgirlsatinanuntidyheapandeyedhimwithoutspeakingShewasalwayswatchinghim。
　　Once，andonlyonce，whenshehadleftthestudio，Maisieshowedhimanalbumthatheldafewpoorcuttingsfromprovincialpapers，——thebriefestofhurriednotesonsomeofherpicturessenttooutlyingexhibitionsDickstoopedandkissedthepaint-smudgedthumbontheopenpage。
　　’Oh，mylove，mylove，’hemuttered，’doyouvaluethesethings？Chuck’emintothewaste-paperbasket！’
　　’NottillIgetsomethingbetter，’saidMaisie，shuttingthebook。
　　ThenDick，movedbynorespectforhispublicandaverydeepregardforthemaiden，diddeliberatelypropose，inordertosecuremoreofthesecovetedcuttings，thatheshouldpaintapicturewhichMaisieshouldsign。
　　’That’schildish，’saidMaisie，’andIdidn’tthinkitofyouItmustbemyworkMine，——mine，——mine！’