fatherwateringthegeranium-bedsbelow！Whatwastobedone?
　　TellDadhemustcomehome?ConfideinJune?——onlyshewasso——sosudden！Donothingandtrusttoluck?Afterall，theVac。wouldsoonbeover。GoupandseeValandwarnhimoff?Buthowgethisaddress?Hollywouldn’tgiveithim！Amazeofpaths，acloudofpossibilities！Helitacigarette。Whenhehadsmokedithalfwaythroughhisbrowrelaxed，almostasifsomethinoldhandhadbeenpassedgentlyoverit；andinhisearsomethingseemedtowhisper：
　　’Donothing；benicetoHolly，benicetoher，mydear！’AndJollyheavedasighofcontentment，blowingsmokethroughhis，nostrils……
　　Butupinherroom，divestedofherhabit，Hollywasstillfrowning。’Heisnot——heisnot！’werethewordswhichkeptformingonherlips。
　　CHAPTERVI
　　JOLYONINTWOMINDS
　　Alittleprivatehoteloverawell-knownrestaurantneartheGareSt。LazarewasJolyon’shauntinParis。HehatedhisfellowForsytesabroad——vapidasfishoutofwaterintheirwell-troddenruns，theOpera，RuedeRivoli，andMoulinRouge。Theirairofhavingcomebecausetheywantedtobesomewhereelseassoonaspossibleannoyedhim。ButnootherForsytecamenearthishaunt，wherehehadawoodfireinhisbedroomandthecoffeewasexcel-
　　lent。Pariswasalwaystohimmoreattractiveinwinter。Theacridsavourfromwoodsmokeandchestnut-roastingbraziers，thesharpnessofthewintrysunshineonbrightrays，theopencafesdefyingkeen-airedwinter，theself-containedbriskboulevardcrowds，allinformedhimthatinwinterParispossessedasoulwhich，likeamigrantbird，inhighsummerflewaway。
　　HespokeFrenchwell，hadsomefriends，knewlittleplaceswherepleasantdishescouldbemetwith，queertypesobserved。HefeltphilosophicinParis，theedgeofironysharpened；lifetookonasubtle，purposelessmeaning，becameabunchofflavourstasted，adarknessshotwithshiftinggleamsoflight。
　　WheninthefirstweekofDecemberhedecidedtogotoParis，hewasfarfromadmittingthatIrene’spresencewasinfluencinghim。
　　Hehadnotbeentheretwodaysbeforeheownedthatthewishtoseeherhadbeenmorethanhalfthereason。InEnglandonedidnotadmitwhatwasnatural。Hehadthoughtitmightbewelltospeaktoheraboutthelettingofherflatandothermatters，butinParisheatonceknewbetter。Therewasaglamouroverthecity。
　　Onthethirddayhewrotetoher，andreceivedananswerwhichprocuredhimapleasurableshiverofthenerves：”MYDEARJOLYON，”Itwillbeahappinessformetoseeyou。”IRENE。”
　　Hetookhiswaytoherhotelonabrightdaywithafeelingsuchashehadoftenhadgoingtovisitanadoredpicture。Nowoman，sofarasheremembered，hadeverinspiredinhimthisspecialsen-
　　suousandyetimpersonalsensation。Hewasgoingtositandfeasthiseyes，andcomeawayknowinghernobetter，butreadytogoandfeasthiseyesagainto-morrow。Suchwashisfeeling，wheninthetarnishedandornatelittleloungeofaquiethotelneartherivershecametohimprecededbyasmallpage-boywhoutteredtheword，”Madame，”andvanished。Herface，hersmile，thepoiseofherfigure，werejustashehadpictured，andtheexpressionofherfacesaidplainly：’Afriend！’”Well，”hesaid，”whatnews，poorexile?””None。””NothingfromSoames?””Nothing。””Ihavelettheflatforyou，andlikeagoodstewardIbringyousomemoney。HowdoyoulikeParis?”
　　Whileheputherthroughthiscatechism，itseemedtohimthathehadneverseenlipssofineandsensitive，thelowerlipcurvingjustalittleupwards，theuppertouchedatonecornerbytheleastconceivabledimple。Itwaslikediscoveringawomaninwhathadhithertobeenasortofsoftandbreathed-onstatue，almostimpersonallyadmired。SheownedthattobealoneinPariswasalittledifficult；andyet，Pariswassofullofitsownlifethatitwasoften，sheconfessed，asinnocuousasadesert。Besides，theEnglishwerenotlikedjustnow！”Thatwillhardlybeyourcase，”saidJolyon；”youshouldappealtotheFrench。””Ithasitsdisadvantages。”
　　Jolyonnodded。”Well，youmustletmetakeyouaboutwhileI’mhere。We’llstartto-morrow。Comeanddineatmypetrestaurant；andwe’llgototheOpera-Comique。”
　　Itwasthebeginningofdailymeetings。
　　Jolyonsoonfoundthatforthosewhodesiredastaticconditionoftheaffections，Pariswasatoncethefirstandlastplaceinwhichtobefriendlywithaprettywoman。Revelationwasalightinglikeabirdinhisheart，singing：’Elleesttonreve！Elleesttonreve！Sometimesthisseemednatural，sometimesludicrous——abadcaseofelderlyrapture。HavingoncebeenostracisedbySociety，hehadneversincehadanyrealregardforconventionalmorality；
　　buttheideaofalovewhichshecouldneverreturn——andhowcouldsheathisage?——hardlymountedbeyondhissubconsciousmind。Hewasfull，too，ofresentment，atthewasteandlonelinessofherlife。Awareofbeingsomecomforttoher，andofthepleasuresheclearlytookintheirmanylittleoutings，hewasamiablydesirousofdoingandsayingnothingtodestroythatpleasure。Itwaslikewatchingastarvedplantdrawupwater，toseeherdrink——inhiscompanionship。Sofarastheycouldtell，nooneknewheraddressexcepthimself；shewasunknowninParis，andhebutlittleknown，sothatdiscretionseemedunnecessaryinthosewalks，talks，visitstoconcerts，picture-galleries，theatres，littledinners，expeditionstoVersailles，St。Cloud，evenFontainebleau。Andtimefled——oneofthosefullmonthswithoutpasttoitorfuture。Whatinhisyouthwouldcertainlyhavebeenheadlongpassion，wasnowperhapsasdeepafeeling，butfargentler，temperedtoprotectivecompanionshipbyadmiration，hopelessness，andasenseofchivalry——
　　arrestedinhisveinsatleastsolongasshewasthere，smilingandhappyintheirfriendship，andalwaystohimmorebeautifulandspirituallyresponsive：forherphilosophyoflifeseemedtomarchinadmirablestepwithhisown，conditionedbyemotionmorethanbyreason，ironicallymistrustful，susceptibletobeauty，almostpassionatelyhumaneandtolerant，yetsubjecttoinstinctiverigiditiesofwhichasameremanhewaslesscapable。Andduringallthiscompanionablemonthheneverquitelostthatfeelingwithwhichhehadsetoutonthefirstdayasiftovisitanadoredworkofart，awell-nighimpersonaldesire。Thefuture——inexorablependanttothepresenthetookcarenottoface，forfearofbreakinguphisuntroubledmanner；buthemadeplanstorenewthistimeinplacesstillmoredelightful，wherethesunwashotandtherewerestrangethingstoseeandpaint。Theendcameswiftlyonthe20thofJanuarywithatelegram：”HaveenlistedinImperialYeomanry。
　　JOLLY。”
　　JolyonreceiveditjustashewassettingouttomeetherattheLouvre。Itbroughthimupwitharoundturn。Whilehewaslotus-
　　eatinghere，hisboy，whosephilosopherandguideheoughttobe，hadtakenthisgreatsteptowardsdanger，hardship，perhapsevendeath。Hefeltdisturbedtothesoul，realisingsuddenlyhowIrenehadtwinedherselfroundtherootsofhisbeing。Thusthreatenedwithseverance，thetiebetweenthem——forithadbecomeakindoftie——nolongerhadimpersonalquality。Thetranquilenjoymentofthingsincommon，Jolyonperceived，wasgoneforever。Hesawhisfeelingasitwas，inthenatureofaninfatuation。Ridiculous，perhaps，butsorealthatsoonerorlateritmustdiscloseitself。
　　Andnow，asitseemedtohim，hecouldnot，mustnot，makeanysuchdisclosure。ThenewsofJollystoodinexorablyintheway。Hewasproudofthisenlistment；proudofhisboyforgoingofftofightforthecountry；foronJolyon’spro-Boerism，too，BlackWeekhadleftitsmark。Andsotheendwasreachedbeforethebeginning！
　　Well，luckilyhehadnevermadeasign！
　　WhenhecameintotheGalleryshewasstandingbeforethe’VirginoftheRocks，’graceful，absorbed，smilingandunconscious。’HaveItogiveupseeingthat?’hethought。’It’sunnatural，solongasshe’swillingthatIshouldseeher。’Hestood，unnoticed，watchingher，storinguptheimageofherfigure，envyingthepictureonwhichshewasbendingthatlongscrutiny。Twicesheturnedherheadtowardstheentrance，andhethought：’That’sforme！’Atlasthewentforward。”Look！”hesaid。
　　Shereadthetelegram，andheheardhersigh。
　　Thatsigh，too，wasforhim！Hispositionwasreallycruel！Tobeloyaltohissonhemustjustshakeherhandandgo。Tobeloyaltothefeelinginhishearthemustatleasttellherwhatthatfeelingwas。Couldshe，wouldsheunderstandthesilenceinwhichhewasgazingatthatpicture?”I’mafraidImustgohomeatonce，”hesaidatlast。”Ishallmissallthisawfully。””SoshallI；but，ofcourse，youmustgo。””Well！”saidJolyonholdingouthishand。
　　Meetinghereyes，afloodoffeelingnearlymasteredhim。”Suchislife！”hesaid。”Takecareofyourself，mydear！”
　　Hehadastumblingsensationinhislegsandfeet，asifhisbrainrefusedtosteerhimawayfromher。Fromthedoorway，hesawherliftherhandandtouchitsfingerswithherlips。Heraisedhishatsolemnly，anddidnotlookbackagain。
　　CHAPTERVII
　　DARTIEVERSUSDARTIE