Butthegliderbroughtmeupsmartly。Ihadtofindouthowthesethingswentdowntheair，andtheonlywaytofindoutistogodownwithone。AndforatimeIwouldn’tfaceit。
　　Thereissomethingimpersonalaboutabook，Isuppose。AtanyrateIfindmyselfabletowritedownherejusttheconfessionI’veneverbeenabletomaketoanyonefacetoface，thefrightfultroubleitwastometobringmyselftodowhatI
　　supposeeveryothercolouredboyintheWestIndiescoulddowithoutturningahair，andthatistoflingmyselfoffformyfirstsoardownthewind。Thefirsttrialwasboundtobetheworst；itwasanexperimentImadewithlife，andthechanceofdeathorinjurywas，Isupposed，aboutequaltothechanceofsuccess。Ibelievedthatwithadawn-likelucidity。IhadbegunwithagliderthatIimaginedwasonthelinesoftheWrightbrothers’aeroplane，butIcouldnotbesure。Itmightturnover。Imightupsetit。Itmightburrowitsnoseattheendandsmashitselfandme。Theconditionsoftheflightnecessitatedalertattention；itwasn’tathingtobedonebyjumpingoffandshuttingone’seyesorgettingangryordrunktodoit。Onehadtouseone’sweighttobalance。AndwhenatlastIdidititwashorrible——fortenseconds。Fortensecondsorso，asIsweptdowntheairflattenedonmyinfernalframeworkandwiththewindinmyeyes，therushofthegroundbeneathmefilledmewithsickandhelplessterror；Ifeltasthoughsomeviolentoscillatorycurrentwasthrobbinginbrainandbackbone，andIgroanedaloud。Isetmyteethandgroaned。Itwasagroanwrungoutofmeinspiteofmyself。Mysensationsofterrorswoopedtoaclimax。Andthen，youknow，theyended！
　　Suddenlymyterrorwasoveranddonewith。Iwassoaringthroughtheairrightwayup，steadily，andnomischancehadhappened。I
　　feltintenselyaliveandmynerveswerestrunglikeabow。I
　　shiftedalimb，swervedandshoutedbetweenfearandtriumphasI
　　recoveredfromtheswerveandheeledtheotherwayandsteadiedmyself。
　　IthoughtIwasgoingtohitarookthatwasflyingathwartme，——itwasqueerwithwhatprojectilesilencethatjumpeduponmeoutofnothingness，andIyelledhelplessly，“Getoutoftheway！”ThebirddoubleditselfuplikeapartlyinvertedV，flapped，wentuptotherightabruptlyandvanishedfrommycircleofinterest。ThenIsawtheshadowofmyaeroplanekeepingafixeddistancebeforemeandverysteady，andtheturfasitseemedstreamingoutbehindit。Theturf！——itwasn’tafterallstreamingsoimpossiblyfast。
　　WhenIcameglidingdowntothesafespreadoflevelgreenIhadchosen，Iwasascoolandreadyasacityclerkwhodropsoffanomnibusinmotion，andIhadlearntmuchmorethansoaring。I
　　tilteduphernoseattherightmoment，levelledagainandgroundedlikeasnowflakeonawindlessday。Ilayflatforaninstantandthenkneltupandgotonmyfeetatremble，butverysatisfiedwithmyself。Cothopewasrunningdownthehilltome。
　　ButfromthatdayIwentintotraining，andIkeptmyselfintrainingformanymonths。Ihaddelayedmyexperimentsforverynearlysixweeksonvariousexcusesbecauseofmydreadofthisfirstflight，becauseoftheslacknessofbodyandspiritthathadcometomewiththebusinesslife。Theshameofthatcowardicespurredmenonethelessbecauseitwasprobablyaltogethermyownsecret。IfeltthatCothopeatanyratemightsuspect。Well，——heshouldn’tsuspectagain。
　　ItiscuriousthatIrememberthatshameandselfaccusationanditsconsequencesfarmoredistinctlythanIrecalltheweeksofvacillationbeforeIsoared。ForatimeIwentaltogetherwithoutalcohol，Istoppedsmokingaltogetherandateverysparingly，andeverydayIdidsomethingthatcalledalittleuponmynervesandmuscles。IsoaredasfrequentlyasIcould。
　　Isubstitutedamotor-bicyclefortheLondontrainandtookmychancesinthesouthwardtraffic，andIeventriedwhatthrillsweretobegotuponahorse。Buttheyputmeonmadehorses，andIconceivedaperhapsunworthycontemptforthecertitudesofequestrianexerciseincomparisonwiththeadventuresofmechanism。AlsoIwalkedalongthehighwallatthebackofLadyGrovegarden，andatlastbroughtmyselftostridethegapwherethegatecomes。IfIdidn’taltogethergetridofacertaingiddyinstinctbysuchexercises，atleastItrainedmywilluntilitdidn’tmatter。AndsoonInolongerdreadedflight，butwaseagertogohigherintotheair，andIcametoesteemsoaringuponaglider，thatevenoverthedeepestdipinthegroundhadbarelyfortyfeetoffallbeneathit，ameremockeryofwhatflightmightbe。Ibegantodreamofthekeenerfreshnessintheairhighabovethebeechwoods，anditwasrathertosatisfythatdesirethanasanylegitimatedevelopmentofmyproperworkthatpresentlyIturnedapartofmyenergiesandthebulkofmyprivateincometotheproblemofthenavigableballoon。
　　Ihadgonefarbeyondthatinitialstage；Ihadhadtwosmashesandabrokenribwhichmyauntnursedwithgreatenergy，andwasgettingsomereputationintheaeronauticworldwhen，suddenly，asthoughshehadneverreallyleftit，theHonourableBeatriceNormandy，dark-eyed，andwiththeolddisorderlywaveofthehairfromherbrow，camebackintomylife。ShecameridingdownagrasspathinthethicketsbelowLadyGrove，percheduponahugeblackhorse，andtheoldEarlofCarnabyandArchieGarvell，herhalf-brother，werewithher。MyunclehadbeenbotheringmeabouttheCrestHillhot-waterpipes，andwewerereturningbyapathtransversetotheirsandcameoutuponthemsuddenly。OldCarnabywastrespassingonourground，andsohehailedusinafriendlyfashionandpulleduptotalktous。
　　Ididn’tnoteBeatriceatallatfirst。IwasinterestedinLordCarnaby，thatremarkablevestigeofhisownbrilliantyouth。I
　　hadheardofhim，butneverseenhim。Foramanofsixty-fivewhohadsinnedallthesins，sotheysaid，andlaidwastethemostmagnificentpoliticaldebutofanymanofhisgeneration，heseemedtometobelookingremarkablyfitandfresh。Hewasaleanlittlemanwithgrey-blueeyesinhisbrownface，andhiscrackedvoicewastheworstthinginhiseffect。
　　“Hopeyoudon’tminduscomingthisway，Ponderevo。”hecried；
　　andmyuncle，whowassometimesalittletoogeneralandgenerouswithtitles，answered，“Notatall，mylord，notatall！Gladyoumakeuseofit！”
　　“You’rebuildingagreatplaceoverthehill。”saidCarnaby。
　　“ThoughtI’dmakeashowforonce。”saidmyuncle。“Itlooksbigbecauseit’sspreadoutforthesun。”
　　“Airandsunlight。”saidtheearl。“Youcan’thavetoomuchofthem。Butbeforeourtimetheyusedtobuildforshelterandwaterandthehighroad。”
　　ThenIdiscoveredthatthesilentfigurebehindtheearlwasBeatrice。
　　I’dforgottenhersufficientlytothinkforamomentthatshehadn’tchangedatallsinceshehadwatchedmefrombehindtheskirtsofLadyDrew。Shewaslookingatme，andherdaintybrowunderherbroadbrimmedhat——shewaswearingagreyhatandlooseunbuttonedcoat——wasknitwithperplexity，trying，Isuppose，torememberwhereshehadseenmebefore。Hershadedeyesmetminewiththatmutequestion。
　　Itseemedincredibletomeshedidn’tremember。
　　“Well。”saidtheearlandtouchedhishorse。
　　Garvellwaspattingtheneckofhishorse，whichwasinclinedtofidget，anddisregardingme。Henoddedoverhisshoulderandfollowed。Hismovementseemedtoreleaseatrainofmemoriesinher。Sheglancedsuddenlyathimandthenbackatmewithaflashofrecognitionthatwarmedinstantlytoafaintsmile。
　　Shehesitatedasiftospeaktome，smiledbroadlyandunderstandinglyandturnedtofollowtheothers。Allthreebrokeintoacanterandshedidnotlookback。Istoodforasecondorsoatthecrossingofthelanes，watchingherrecede，andthenbecameawarethatmyunclewasalreadysomepacesoffandtalkingoverhisshoulderinthebeliefthatIwasclosebehind。I
　　turnedaboutandstrodetoovertakehim。MymindwasfullofBeatriceandthissurprise。IrememberedhersimplyasaNormandy。I’dcleanforgottenthatGarvellwasthesonandshethestep-daughterofourneighbour，LadyOsprey。Indeed，I’dprobablyforgottenatthattimethatwehadLadyOspreyasaneighbour。Therewasnoreasonatallforrememberingit。ItwasamazingtofindherinthisSurreycountryside，whenI’dneverthoughtofheraslivinganywhereintheworldbutatBladesoverPark，nearfortymilesandtwentyyearsaway。Shewassoalive——sounchanged！Thesamequickwarmbloodwasinhercheeks。Itseemedonlyyesterdaythatwehadkissedamongthebrackenstems。
　　“Eh？”Isaid。
　　“Isayhe’sgoodstuff。”saidmyuncle。“Youcansaywhatyoulikeagainstthearistocracy，George；LordCarnaby’srattlinggoodstuff。There’sasortofSavoirFaire，something——it’sanold-fashionedphrase，George，butagoodonethere’saBong-Tong。It’sliketheOxfordturf，George，youcan’tgrowitinayear。Iwonderhowtheydoit。It’slivingalwaysonaScale，George。It’sbeingtherefromthebeginning。”。
　　“Shemight。”Isaidtomyself，“beapicturebyRomneycomealive！”
　　“Theytellallthesestoriesabouthim。”saidmyuncle，“butwhatdotheyallamountto？”
　　“Gods！”Isaidtomyself；“butwhyhaveIforgottenforsolong？
　　Thosequeerlittlebrowsofhers，thetouchofmischiefinhereyes——thewayshebreaksintoasmile！”
　　“Idon’tblamehim。”saidmyuncle。“Mostlyit’simagination。
　　Thatandleisure，George。WhenIwasayoungmanIwaskeptprettybusy。Sowereyou。Eventhen——！”
　　WhatpuzzledmemoreparticularlywasthequeertrickofmymemorythathadneverrecalledanythingvitalofBeatricewhateverwhenImetGarvellagainthathad，indeed，recallednothingexceptaboyishantagonismandourfight。Nowwhenmysenseswerefullofher，itseemedincrediblethatIcouldeverhaveforgotten。