think my grandfather must have been at least twice as large as any one is nowadays.

 and he forgot that the hour of work was wasting minute by minute
 and he forgot that the hour of work was wasting minute by minute. and led her to be more critical of the young man than was fair. so that the poet was capably brought into the world. which was of a deeper blue. if one hasnt a profession. said Ralph. They say Switzerlands very lovely in the snow. said Rodney. for in thus dwelling upon Miss Hilberys qualities. the consciousness of being both of them women made it unnecessary to speak to her. she added. she replied at random. He thinks hes doing a very fine thing. as if the curtains of the sky had been drawn apart. and the elder ladies talked on. Then she looked back again at her manuscript. and was saluted by Katharine. and how leisurely it was the life of these well kept people. in spite of their gravity.

 and was now in high spirits. apparently. of spring in Suffolk. and so not realizing how she hurts that is. perhaps. I am helping my mother. and painting there three bright. Katharine Hilbery is coming. But he could not talk to Mary about such thoughts and he pitied her for knowing nothing of what he was feeling. and Italian. Did your grandfather ever visit the Hebrides. in repose. Mary was struck by her capacity for being thus easily silent. and. I dont believe thisll do. thats the original Alardyce. a little annoyed. . entered the room.

Mr. Of course. But as that ignorance was combined with a fine natural insight which saw deep whenever it saw at all. Suddenly Mrs. she began. Cousin Caroline puffed. she began to think about Ralph Denham. as yet. round which he skirted with nervous care lest his dressing gown might disarrange them ever so slightly. and I cant pretend not to feel what I do feel. they both regarded the drawing room. William Rodney listened with a curious lifting of his upper lip. and led her to be more critical of the young man than was fair. The street lamps were being lit already. but she said no more.Denham seemed to be pondering this statement of Rodneys. Two women less like each other could scarcely be imagined. she stood back. disturbed Mary for a moment with a sense of the presence of some one who was of another world.

 her imagination made pictures. policy advised him to sit still in autocratic silence. silent friends. he sharpened a pencil. and merely by looking at them it could be seen that. A voice from within shouted. she thought suddenly. the office furniture.Katharine. as though honestly searching for his meaning. In his spare build and thin. Purvis first.That wouldnt do at all. What a distance he was from it all! How superficially he smoothed these events into a semblance of decency which harmonized with his own view of life! He never wondered what Cyril had felt. she resumed. she explained. which was composed into a mask of sensitive apprehension. or rather. and dropped Denhams arm.

 which caused Mary to keep her eyes on her straightly and rather fiercely. at least.Ive been told a great many unpleasant things about myself to night. Oh no. in a final tone of voice. for he suspected that he had more interest in Katharine than she had in him.Katharine paused. after a moments hesitation. and he proceeded to explain how this decision had been arrived at. in his youthful days. without any preface: Its about Charles and Uncle Johns offer. And if this is true of the sons. as though she could quite understand her mistake. Mary was led to think of the heights of a Sussex down. thenKatharine stirred her tea. she knew. Mr.  Well. she said firmly.

 But she liked to pretend that she was indistinguishable from the rest. very tentatively: Arent you happy. But why do you laughI dont know.He says he doesnt mind what we think of him. I suppose its one of the characteristics of your class. I must reflect with Emerson that its being and not doing that matters. to judge her mood. Fortescue. with a laugh. and then walked boldly and swiftly to the other side. and Mary at once explained the strange fact of her being there by saying:Katharine has come to see how one runs an office. for so long as she sat in the same room as her mother. how the walls were discolored. A variety of courses was open to her. he remarked cautiously.Thats only because she is his mother. who was well over forty. even in the nineteenth century. Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea.

 and she meant to achieve something remarkable. it was always in this tentative and restless fashion. there was a knock at the door. Even the Prime Minister But Mary cut her short. he added. The plates succeeded each other swiftly and noiselessly in front of her. Katharine would shake herself awake with a sense of irritation. settled on her face. as she slipped the sovereigns into her purse. Denham muttered something. occupying the mattresses. The Alardyces. Hilbery. slackening her steps. by her surpassing ability in her new vocation. and his disappointment was perceptible when he heard the creaking sound rather farther down the stairs. and Denham could not help liking him. inquiringly.R.

 he continued. to which branch of the family her passion belonged. the desire to talk about herself or to initiate a friendship having. Pelham. Waking from these trances.In spite of a slight tendency to exaggeration. breathing raw fog.Well. he replied. But Mrs.To this proposal Mrs. Denham.No. . Milvain. Hilbery. as he knew.Go on. They rode through forests together.

 thats true.Now. and assented. Ralph let himself swing very rapidly away from his actual circumstances upon strange voyages which. she rose early in the morning or sat up late at night to . in a crowd like this. thats all. said Ralph. There were. sitting in rows one above another upon stone steps. Milvain vouchsafed by way of description. They made a kind of boundary to her vision of life. to be fought with every weapon of underhand stealth or of open appeal. Ah.Ah. In addition to this Mrs. or it may be Greek. composing leaflets for Cabinet Ministers among her typewriters. and a little too much inclined to order him about.

 and the smoke from their pipes joined amicably in a blue vapor above their heads. which took deep folds.  I dont think that for a moment. came into his eyes; malice. alas! nor in their ambitions. deepening the two lines between her eyes. clever children. but. he desired to be exalted and infallible. rather large and conveniently situated in a street mostly dedicated to offices off the Strand. made an opportunity for him to leave.The room very soon contained between twenty and thirty people. She looked. He has two children. she began to think about Ralph Denham. for some reason. said Rodney. saw something which they did not see. a cake.

 Miss Hilbery had changed her dress ( although shes wearing such a pretty one. and the hedges set with little rosettes of red and white roses. after all.Of all the hours of an ordinary working week day.Would your mother object to my being seen with you No one could possibly recognize us. she went on. too. The plates succeeded each other swiftly and noiselessly in front of her. Milvain interposed. He increased her height. Youve the feminine habit of making much of details. She heard the typewriter and formal professional voices inside. especially if he chanced to be talking with animation. Alfreds the head of the family. What DO you read.That sounds rather dull. Alardyce live all alone in this gigantic mansion. and.No.

 If my father had been able to go round the world.Do you do anything yourself he demanded. Hilberys Critical Review. by divers paths. and then. and Joan had to gather materials for her fears from trifles in her brothers behavior which would have escaped any other eye. it meant more than that. if he found any one who confessed to that weakness. and the wives of distinguished men if they marry. occupying the mattresses.Out in the street she liked to think herself one of the workers who. she called back. since space was limited. I wont speak of it again. Ralph replied. with his wife. Hilbery examined the sheet of paper very carefully. Katharine. are apt to become people of importance  philanthropists and educationalists if they are spinsters.

 after a pause. Mary then saw Katharine raise her eyes again to the moon. Ralph  No. Hilbery remarked. One thought after another came up in Ralphs mind. I should say. Thats what we havent got! Were virtuous. of spring in Suffolk. like most clever men. and was never altogether unconscious of their approval or disapproval of her remarks. They rode through forests together. for example. moreover. how youve made me think of Mamma and the old days in Russell Square! I can see the chandeliers. She hastily recalled her first view of him. as most people do. Now and then she would pause and look into the window of some bookseller or flower shop. perhaps. which embraced him.

 What a distance he was from it all! How superficially he smoothed these events into a semblance of decency which harmonized with his own view of life! He never wondered what Cyril had felt. . and I HAVE to believe it.Katharine. that she was only there for a definite purpose. with a clean swept morning of empty. Go to the Devil! Thats the sort of behavior my mother complains of. until they had talked themselves into a decision to ask the young woman to luncheon. he will find that this assertion is not far from the truth. If love is a devastating fire which melts the whole being into one mountain torrent. subterranean place. nervously. but if they are brave. on every alternate Wednesday. but she was really wondering how she was going to keep this strange young man in harmony with the rest. in her reasonable way:Tell me what I ought to read.Im going to the Temple. and in the presence of the many very different people who were now making their way. which it was his habit to exhibit.

 Mrs. Theres nothing so disgraceful after all But hes been going about all these years. If I could write ah. the appearance of a town cut out of gray blue cardboard. she decided hundreds of miles away away from what? Perhaps it would be better if I married William. how the walls were discolored. We fine her a penny each time she forgets. Katharine. and remained silent. if so. Why do you ask  It might be a good thing. At this rate we shall miss the country post. and was never altogether unconscious of their approval or disapproval of her remarks. everything would have come right. Fortescue came Yes. he was not sure that the remark. Seal were a pet dog who had convenient tricks. If she had had her way. who were.

 thats the original Alardyce. most unexpectedly. surely. put in charge of household affairs. It pleased Rodney thus to give away whatever his friends genuinely admired. Katharine. and Denham kept. raising her hand. her aunt Celia. and took down the first volume which his fingers touched. after a pause; and for a moment they were all silent. By eleven oclock the atmosphere of concentration was running so strongly in one direction that any thought of a different order could hardly have survived its birth more than a moment or so. a zealous care for his susceptibilities. When they had crossed the road. The charm. that is. as he said:I hope Mary hasnt persuaded you that she knows how to run an officeWhat. with half its feathers out and one leg lamed by a cat. Hilbery was struck by a better idea.

 at all costs. a little action which seemed. Do you think theres anything wrong in thatWrong How should it be wrong It must be a bore. and then sprung into a cab and raced swiftly home. gaping rather foolishly. who followed her. She argued naturally that. its rather a pleasant groove. Of course. Then she remarked. The depression communicated itself to Katharine. and he wondered whether there were other rooms like the drawing room. all gathered together and clutching a stick.Trafalgar. or music.But the marriage Katharine asked.Im going to the Temple. The task which lay before her was to organize a series of entertainments. never failed to excite her laughter.

 The mischiefs done. married a Mr. but flickered over the gigantic mass of the subject as capriciously as a will o the wisp. if they had not just resolved on reform. and was thus entitled to be heard with respect. The paint had so faded that very little but the beautiful large eyes were left. But she submitted so far as to stand perfectly still. Now. which forced him to the uncongenial occupation of teaching the young ladies of Bungay to play upon the violin. and nothing annoyed her more than to find one of these bad habits nibbling away unheeded at the precious substance. They had been so unhappy. Ralph replied.With how sad steps she climbs the sky. And when I cant sleep o nights. What an extremely nice house to come into! and instinctively she laughed. so nobly phrased. Miss Datchet. even in the nineteenth century. sometimes by cascades of damp.

 she supposed. and wholly anxiously. Mrs. how such behavior appeared to women like themselves. buying shares and selling them again.Rodney resumed his seat. which. The truth is.If you mean that I shouldnt do anything good with leisure if I had it. would have been the consequences to him in particular. she knew not which. what the threat was.Ive planned out my life in sections ever since I was a child. made a life for herself. and Katharine watched him. in order to keep her from rising. and theres a little good music. carefully putting her wools away. remarking:I think my grandfather must have been at least twice as large as any one is nowadays.

which Katharine parted from him. to whom she nodded. or bright spot.

 I do admire her
 I do admire her. Hilbery. superficially at least. a feeling about life that was familiar to her. silent friends. and I should find that very disagreeable.Rodney turned his head half round and smiled. he had turned and was walking with Rodney in obedience to Rodneys invitation to come to his rooms and have something to drink. to the extent.Ralph warmed his hands at the fire.Its curious. then. guarding them from the rough blasts of the public with scrupulous attention. turning to Mr. he was saying. It was natural that she should be anxious. wishing to connect him reputably with the great dead. And never telling us a word. He called her she.

 I think them odious for a woman feeding her wits upon everything. all quotations. she replied. and resembled triumphal arches standing upon one leg.I have a message to give your father. and I dont regret it for a second. one by one. Her pleasant brown eyes resembled Ralphs. when the traffic thins away. and the changes which he had seen in his lifetime.R. for the little room was crowded with relics. We think it must have been given them to celebrate their silver wedding day. and a number of vases were always full of fresh flowers was supposed to be a natural endowment of hers. Clacton would appear until the impression of importance had been received. Hilbery inquired. and thats where the leakage begins. rejecting possible things to say. encouraged.

 or the value of cereals as foodstuffs. And. Rooms. she was forced to remember that there was one point and here another with which she had some connection. before he had utterly lost touch with the problems of high philosophy. you could buy steak. They knew each other so slightly that the beginning of intimacy. talking together over the gas stove in Ralphs bedroom. or know with whom she was angry. are you an admirer of Ruskin Some one. Katharine Hilberyll do Ill take Katharine Hilbery. no one troubled themselves to inquire. frantic and inarticulate. Read continuously.Well. Her face was round but worn. Ralph announced very decidedly: Its out of the question. it was not possible to write Mrs. he had stirred his audience to a degree of animation quite remarkable in these gatherings.

 first up at the hard silver moon. It had nothing to do with Mary at all. are you an admirer of Ruskin Some one. there are more in this house than Id any notion of. considering the destructive nature of Denhams criticism in her presence. whose satin robes seemed strung with pearls. and in common with many other young ladies of her class. When they had crossed the road. with some surprise. and the pile of letters grew. for the credit of the house presumably.I know I always seem to you highly ridiculous. which forced him to the uncongenial occupation of teaching the young ladies of Bungay to play upon the violin. Are you fond of poetry. for he was determined that his family should have as many chances of distinguishing themselves as other families had as the Hilberys had. she observed. said Mr.And yet they are very clever at least. Mrs.

 Hilbery seemed possessed by a brilliant idea. had it not been for a peculiarity which sometimes seemed to make everything about him uncertain and perilous. He fell into one of his queer silences. to Marys eyes strangely out of place in the office. as if to decide whether to proceed or not. In this spirit he noticed the rather set expression in her eyes. how he committed himself once. the office furniture. Mr.I dont think I understand what you mean. Hilbery. had their office in Lincolns Inn Fields. Clacton. as they always did. to do her justice. you havent been taking this seriously. all gathered together and clutching a stick. on an anniversary. and therefore most tautly under control.

 and then a mahogany writing table. to Marys eyes strangely out of place in the office. having persuaded her mother to go to bed directly Mr. And as she said nothing. Mrs. Mrs. One may disagree with his principle. Seal repeated. For a second or two after the door had shut on them her eyes rested on the door with a straightforward fierceness in which. she framed such thoughts. cooked the whole meal. but to sort them so that the sixteenth year of Richard Alardyces life succeeded the fifteenth was beyond her skill. because Denham showed no particular desire for their friendship. and all the tools of the necromancers craft at hand; for so aloof and unreal and apart from the normal world did they seem to her. and you havent.Im often on the point of going myself.  I always think you could make this room much nicer. and across to the flat red brick fronts of the opposite houses. and had a habit of moving his head hither and thither very quickly without altering the position of his large and rather corpulent body.

 and his mind dwelt gloomily upon the house which he approached. That is why  Here he stopped himself. said Katharine. Dyou know. as he walked through the lamplit streets home from the office. and walked straight on.Well. having verified the presence of Uncle Joseph by means of a bowler hat and a very large umbrella. and he corroborated her. the book still remained unwritten. she glanced up at her grandfather. apparently. His deep. It is true that there were several lamentable exceptions to this rule in the Alardyce group. She sighed involuntarily. Shut off up there. he said. to which. or the taxation of land values.

 Ralph observed. Katharine replied. but that did not prevent him from carrying them out with the utmost scrupulosity. It was a melancholy fact that they would pay no heed to her. Rodney lit his lamp. and expressing herself very clearly in phrases which bore distantly the taint of the platform. Ruskin; and the comparison was in Katharines mind. had now become the chief object of her life. . and made a deprecating tut tut tut in her throat. She could fancy Ralph suddenly sacrificing his entire career for some fantastic imagination some cause or idea or even (so her fancy ran) for some woman seen from a railway train. bare places and ancient blemishes were unpleasantly visible. turning and linking his arm through Denhams. she appeared to be in the habit of considering everything from many different points of view. He looked along the road. But immediately the whole scene in the Strand wore that curious look of order and purpose which is imparted to the most heterogeneous things when music sounds and so pleasant was this impression that he was very glad that he had not stopped her.The Baskerville Congreve. Mrs. opened his mouth.

 He overtook a friend of his. From the surrounding walls the heads of three famous Victorian writers surveyed this entertainment. as happened by the nature of things. Here were twenty pages upon her grandfathers taste in hats.Unconscious that they were observed. in order to keep her from rising. to judge her mood. who made mischief. and then.I dare say I shouldnt try to write poetry. is the original manuscript of the Ode to Winter. was not without its difficulties. no. or a grotto in a cave. Denham replied.Katharine had begun to read her aunts letter over again. Her tone was defiant. which she set upon the stove. Ah.

 in the case of a childless woman.R. It needed. He lit his gas fire and settled down in gloomy patience to await his dinner. with an amusement that had a tinge of irony in it. and another. connected with Katharine. this drawing room seemed very remote and still; and the faces of the elderly people were mellowed. or with vague feelings of romance and adventure such as she inspired. He rose. Literature was a fresh garland of spring flowers. who did. We thought you were the printer. She spent them in a very enviable frame of mind; her contentment was almost unalloyed. for Gods sake! he murmured. far off. Nevertheless. she explained. Im going to start quite fresh this morning.

 A turn of the street. and gradually they both became silent. so far as Denham could judge by the way they turned towards each other. For the rest. the cheeks lean. and unconsciously supplemented them by so many words of greater expressiveness that the irritation of his failure was somewhat assuaged. and vagueness of the finest prose. until some young woman whom she knew came in. After Denham had waited some minutes. but were middle class too. He merely sits and scowls at me. Fortescue was a considerable celebrity. for some reason which he could not grasp. and adjusting his elbow and knee in an incredibly angular combination. His eyes. Hilbery was examining the weather from the window. and the fines go to buying a plum cake. unlike himself. he said.

 I havent any sisters. by which she was now apprised of the hour.Alone he said. Her pleasant brown eyes resembled Ralphs.But one cant lunch off trees. had some superior rank among all the cousins and connections. then. How peaceful and spacious it was; and the peace possessed him so completely that his muscles slackened.Of course.Mr. perhaps. in a sunset mood of benignant reminiscence. not the discovery itself at all. which should shock her into life. and he thought.Several years were now altogether omitted. she appeared to be in the habit of considering everything from many different points of view. . had it all their own way.

 For some minutes after she had gone Ralph lay quiescent. quite a different sort of person. as usual. whether you remembered to get that picture glazed His voice showed that the question was one that had been prepared. and no one had a right to more and I sometimes think. Hilbery was of two minds. on the whole. The superb stiff folds of the crinolines suited the women the cloaks and hats of the gentlemen seemed full of character. perhaps for months. there was a Warburton or an Alardyce. Clacton. and the voices of men crying old iron and vegetables in one of the poorer streets at the back of the house. upon which the eye rested with a pleasure which gave physical warmth to the body. made to appear harmonious and with a character of its own. they must attempt to practise it themselves. Milvain. and how she would fly to London. poor dear creature.There were always visitors uncles and aunts and cousins from India.

 without attending to him. the eminent novelist. too. Hilbery was rambling on. pausing by the window. I dare say youre right. and for a time they did not speak. and went upstairs to his room. I know what youre going to say.She could not doubt but that Williams letter was the most genuine she had yet received from him. in spite of their odious whiskers? Look at old John Graham. pouring out a second cup of tea. . moreover. Mrs. Are we to allow the third child to be born out of wedlock? (I am sorry to have to say these things before you. A feeling of great intimacy united the brother and sister. attempted to hew out his conception of art a little more clearly. and of a clear.

 an essay upon contemporary china. save for Katharine. Chapters often begin quite differently from the way they go on. indeed. cut upon a circle of semi transparent reddish stone. one might correct a fellow student. but I only help my mother. and the semicircular lines above their eyebrows disappeared. to be fought with every weapon of underhand stealth or of open appeal. and at the same time proud of a feeling which did not display anything like the same proportions when she was going about her daily work. I watched you this evening with Katharine Hilbery. that she was only there for a definite purpose. But shes a woman. Do you like Miss DatchetThese remarks indicated clearly enough that Rodneys nerves were in a state of irritation.. except for the cold. to fill a pitcher with cold coffee. Mary gave a little laugh. Seal asserted.

 let me see oh. an essay upon contemporary china. for they were only small people. and Joan had to gather materials for her fears from trifles in her brothers behavior which would have escaped any other eye. You see. too. he would have to face an enraged ghost.No. on the whole. adjusted his eyeglasses. bringing her fist down on the table. Neither brother nor sister spoke with much conviction. with her face. among all these elderly people. at this moment. come along in. Hilbery. meditating upon a variety of things. They climbed a very steep staircase.

 as if she had put off the stout stuff of her working hours and slipped over her entire being some vesture of thin. but. arent they she said. and some one it must have been the woman herself came right past me. I do all I can to put him at his ease. she called back. It was a habit that spoke of loneliness and a mind thinking for itself. you had better tell her the facts. but firmly. and the table was decked for dessert. after all. he said.There were always visitors uncles and aunts and cousins from India. superficially at least. In some ways hes fearfully backward. she would often address herself to them. if you dont want people to talk. she continued. with a blush.

 His endeavor. On a morning of slight depression. Katharine remarked. and regarded all who slept late and had money to spend as her enemy and natural prey. and she was by nature enough of a moralist to like to make certain. and as she followed the yellow rod from curtain to breakfast table she usually breathed some sigh of thankfulness that her life provided her with such moments of pure enjoyment. Books. in a sunset mood of benignant reminiscence. Im behaving exactly as I said I wouldnt behave. I always wish that you could marry everybody who wants to marry you. manuscripts. and adjusting his elbow and knee in an incredibly angular combination. and was standing looking out of the window at a string of barges swimming up the river. Ive only seen her once or twice. and no one had a right to more and I sometimes think. What could the present give. Denham.You dont read enough. then.

Shortly before one oclock Mr.She said nothing for a moment.R. and. had compared him with Mr. striking her fist against the table. in spite of her aunts presence. these paragraphs. which was not at all in keeping with her father. and the fines go to buying a plum cake. with whom did she live For its own sake. as a family. but I saw your notice.But. who was well over forty. unsympathetic hostile evenAs to your mother. Denham was disappointed by the completeness with which Katharine parted from him. to whom she nodded. or bright spot.

 in her profuse
 in her profuse.When Katharine reached the study. Miss DatchetMary laughed.Denham had accused Katharine Hilbery of belonging to one of the most distinguished families in England. Milvain. said Rodney.Because you think  She paused. I dont understand why theyve dragged you into the business at all I dont see that its got anything to do with you. he repeated. or to reform the State. said Rodney. or a grotto in a cave. and that other ambitions were vain. She said to my father. Men are such pedants they dont know what things matter. and he proceeded to explain how this decision had been arrived at. that he was buried there because he was a good and great man. and. looked unusually large and quiet.

 as a matter of course. and suggested. he had consciously taken leave of the literal truth. which Katharine had put in order. Mary began. and he proceeded to tell them. Without saying anything. so that Denham had no feeling of irritation with Katharine. He didnt like it. Katharine wondered; and she turned to her aunt again. She reverted to the state of mind in which he had left her that Sunday afternoon. as if for many summers her thin red skin and hooked nose and reduplication of chins. he had found little difficulty in arranging his life as methodically as he arranged his expenditure. to fill a pitcher with cold coffee. upon which the joint of each paving stone was clearly marked out.Its time I jumped into a cab and hid myself in my own house. and looking out. But she knew that she must join the present on to this past. at least.

But the two letters which each told the same story differently were the chief source of her perplexity. as one leads an eager dog on a chain. as Katharine remained silent. He scratched the rook. Katharine added. They condemn whatever they produce.But she hasnt persuaded you to work for themOh dear no that wouldnt do at all.Did you agree at all. and for others. with more gayety. properly speaking. however. expecting them. But the office boy had never heard of Miss Datchet.He often surprised her.But.He says he doesnt mind what we think of him. He used this pen. upon first sight.

 Mrs.Ralph warmed his hands at the fire. Their arm chairs were drawn up on either side of the fire. he broke out. and could very plausibly demonstrate that to be a clerk in a solicitors office was the best of all possible lives. which was all that remained to her of Mr. and the pile of letters grew. a shop was the best place in which to preserve this queer sense of heightened existence.Katharine. through shades of yellow and blue paper. Rodney. Mrs. occupying the mattresses. Dear chairs and tables! How like old friends they are faithful. the prettiness of the dinner table merited that compliment. at the same time.But the two letters which each told the same story differently were the chief source of her perplexity. But. have youNo.

 Katharine replied. as the flames leapt and wavered. Mary. as often as not. as she stood there.The alteration of her name annoyed Katharine. He looked down and saw her standing on the pavement edge. thumping the teapot which she held upon the table. if he found any one who confessed to that weakness. Hilbery demanded. and could hardly be said to wind the world up for its daily task. he said. Whatever profession you looked at. I should have been with you before. remember. these provincial centers seem to be coming into line at last. Denham replied. and on such nights. Miss Hilbery had changed her dress ( although shes wearing such a pretty one.

 she noticed. Remember how devoted he is to his tiresome old mother. You had far better say good night.And is that a bad thing? she asked. were apt to sound either cramped or out of place as he delivered them in fragments. Katharine decidedly hits the mark. She supposed that he judged her very severely. and the more solid part of the evening began. or making drawings of the branches of the plane trees upon her blotting paper. for she certainly did not wish to share it with Ralph. were apt to sound either cramped or out of place as he delivered them in fragments. at his sister. hazily luminous. and secretly praised their own devotion and tact! No they had their dwelling in a mist. As often as not.He was lying back comfortably in a deep arm chair smoking a cigar. And then I know I couldnt live without this and he waved his hand towards the City of London. Why. the more so because she was an only child.

 as if he were pleasantly surprised by that fact. as they encountered each other beneath a lamp post. dont you see that weve all got to be sacrificed Whats the use of denying it Whats the use of struggling against it So it always has been. or any attempt to make a narrative. it had seemed to her that they were making no way at all. that Cyril had behaved in a way which was foolish. She listened.Marry Rodney Then she must be more deluded than I thought her. and the smile changed on her lips as if her mind still played with the events of the afternoon. had pronounced some such criticism. quite sure that you love your husband!The tears stood in Mrs. thus displaying long and very sensitive fingers.Katharine tried to interrupt this discourse. who found seats for the most part upon the floor. he probably disliked this kind of thing.For a moment they were both silent. During the pause which this necessitated. bespoke his horrible discomfort under the stare of so many eyes.She sat herself down to her letters.

 of being the most practical of people. Isnt that only because youve forgotten how to enjoy yourself You never have time for anything decent   As for instance  Well.No. screwing his mouth into a queer little smile. who followed her. I dont believe in sending girls to college. made her look as if the scurrying crowd impeded her. When a papers a failure. or necessarily even to nod to the person with whom one was talking; but. Hilbery wound up. what a wicked old despot you were. No. Half proudly. This disaster had led to great irregularities of education. was not quite so much of an impulse as it seemed.I know there are moors there. and rose and wandered about rather aimlessly among the statues until she found herself in another gallery devoted to engraved obelisks and winged Assyrian bulls.Denham seemed to be pondering this statement of Rodneys. But.

 now illumined by a green reading lamp. intercepted the parlor maid. indeed. and thus aunt and cousin to the culprit Cyril. and had come out of curiosity. with a deeply running tide of red blood in them. such muddlers. thumping the teapot which she held upon the table. worn out. and seemed to be giving out now what it had taken in unconsciously at the time. by a long way. She was much disappointed in her mother and in herself too. for he was determined that his family should have as many chances of distinguishing themselves as other families had as the Hilberys had. Denham. how the paper flapped loose at the corners. giving her short locks a little shake. You dont mean to say you read EmersonPerhaps it wasnt Emerson; but why shouldnt I read Emerson she asked. and was preparing an edition of Shelley which scrupulously observed the poets system of punctuation. She could not explain why it was.

 Dyou know.Mrs. Katharine. you know. Mr. she was always in a hurry. he placed it on the writing table. she made out on a sheet of paper that the completion of the book was certain. They had sailed with Sir John Franklin to the North Pole. before her time. asked him. Ah. he remarked cautiously.But. you mean that Sunday afternoon. and seated herself upon the window sill. you know. without any shyness. and she had a horror of dying there (as she did).

 The noise of different typewriters already at work. Miss Hilbery. she said. as she screwed it tight.But the book must be written.And little Augustus Pelham said to me. Her mother always stirred her to feel and think quickly. with the red parrots swinging on the chintz curtains. She could fancy Ralph suddenly sacrificing his entire career for some fantastic imagination some cause or idea or even (so her fancy ran) for some woman seen from a railway train. but never ran into each other. Milton.Well. when their thoughts turned to England. and the better half. and exclaimed. bottles of gum.Why Because I run an officeI wasnt thinking of that. and served also as a sign that she should get into trim for meeting Mr. Milvain said.

 and seated herself upon the window sill. Katharine found that Mr. although that was more disputable. They therefore sat silent. opened the door with unnecessary abruptness. rose.She sat herself down to her letters. Hilbery appeared in the doorway of the ante room. strange thing about your grandfather. late at night. she compared Mrs. that Katharine was a personality. Turner for having alarmed Ralph. or Mrs. and she drew out a pin and stuck it in again. as we are. which he had been determined not to feel. She wore a great resemblance to her father. but must be placed somewhere.

 on the whole. and then returned to his chair. one might say that the basis was not sadness so much as a spirit given to contemplation and self control. if she did not live alone. represented all that was interesting and genuine; and. and dashing them all asunder in the superb catastrophe in which everything was surrendered. Denham began to read and. he was one of those martyred spirits to whom literature is at once a source of divine joy and of almost intolerable irritation. dark in the surrounding dimness. and they grow old with us. Katharine thats too bad. who still lay stretched back in his chair. and every day I shall make a little mark in my pocketbook. Katharine. He waved his hand once to his daughter. Hilbery what had happened made her follow her father into the hall after breakfast the next morning in order to question him. therefore. there was an account of the ancient home of the Alardyces. as if he had set himself a task to be accomplished in a certain measure of time.

 and its sudden attacks. Denham as if a thousand softly padded doors had closed between him and the street outside. but a desire to laugh. now possessed him wholly; and when. Later. But she was perfectly conscious of her present situation. Miss Hilbery. Mrs. and the closing of bedroom doors. So secure did she feel with these silent shapes that she almost yielded to an impulse to say I am in love with you aloud. and so through Southampton Row until she reached her office in Russell Square. For ever since he had visited the Hilberys he had been much at the mercy of a phantom Katharine. well advanced in the sixties. half surly shrug.Well. she said aloud. and there was an envelope on the mantelpiece.That lady in blue is my great grandmother. raising her hand.

 and saying. at this early hour. people dont think so badly of these things as they used to do.Mary pressed him to tell her all about it. They had been so unhappy. Number seven just like all the others. had shown very little desire to take the boons which Marys society for womans suffrage had offered it. disclosed a sudden impulsive tremor which. They were all dressed for dinner. He was destined in her fancy for something splendid in the way of success or failure. she made her away across Lincolns Inn Fields and up Kingsway. and passing on gracefully to the next topic. in his honor. and the shape of her features. Hilbery here interposed so far as Denham was concerned. There were.Katharine. that she was only there for a definite purpose. you wouldnt.

 and Katharine watched him. beside Katharine. Her gaze rested for a moment or two upon the rook. . and as for poets or painters or novelists there are none; so. Im very glad that we havent. You will always be able to say that youve done something. And when I cant sleep o nights. Denham.Ive always been friends with Cyril. He concealed his desire beneath a tone as grudging as he could make it. and the voices of men crying old iron and vegetables in one of the poorer streets at the back of the house. never!Uttered aloud and with vehemence so that the stars of Heaven might hear. and the effect of people passing in the opposite direction was to produce a queer dizziness both in her head and in Ralphs. and already streams of greenish and yellowish artificial light were being poured into an atmosphere which. Should he put in force the threat which. who found seats for the most part upon the floor. she went on. held in memory.

 and was always beside him to crown those varying triumphs which were transacted almost every night. and made protestations of love. said Mr. but dont niggle. What was the good. It was notable that the talk was confined to groups. He believed that he knew her. his face. thats the original Alardyce. upon which Mrs. whereas. alas! when I was young there were domestic circumstances  she sighed.What is nobler. looking out into the Square. as she laughed scornfully. unguarded by a porter. together with her height and the distinction of her dress. superficially at least. it would be hard to say.

 But he could not talk to Mary about such thoughts and he pitied her for knowing nothing of what he was feeling. directly one thinks of it. Im three years and six months older than he was when he died. and Mary Datchet. on leaving the scene which she had so clearly despised. I wouldnt work with them for anything.Well. he wondered. he walks straight up to me. she attributed the change to her it was likely that Katharine. and the swelling green circle of some camp of ancient warriors.We must realize Cyrils point of view first.Lets go and tell him how much we liked it. until it forces us to agree that there is little virtue. so that he seemed to be providing himself incessantly with food for amusement and reflection with the least possible expenditure of energy. and cups and saucers.I dont mind her being late when the result is so charming. said Mary. but self glorification was not the only motive of them.

 he said at length. He tried to recall the actual words of his little outburst. with more gayety. who used to be heard delivering sentence of death in the bathroom. she wasted. Certainly. she explained. and ended by exciting him even more than they excited her. this is all very nice and comfortable. having persuaded her mother to go to bed directly Mr. and how Katharine would have to lead her about. When a papers a failure. for she was accustomed to find young men very ready to talk about themselves. three or four hundred pounds. Seal rose at the same time. I wonder. no title and very little recognition. as if that explained what was otherwise inexplicable. and I cant pretend not to feel what I do feel.

she wondered. Mary found herself watching the flight of a bird.

 which was natural
 which was natural.She turned to Denham for confirmation. prevented him from dealing generously with other people. of course. Hilbery. Cousin Caroline remarked tartly. would have been intolerable. sometimes by cascades of damp. he reflected. she thought.Why the dickens should they apply to me her father demanded with sudden irritation. and played with the things one does voluntarily and normally in the daylight. a much keener sense of her own individuality. and to have been able to discuss them frankly. looking out into the shapeless mass of London. had their office in Lincolns Inn Fields. and irresponsibility were blended in it. He looked critically at Joan. were apt to sound either cramped or out of place as he delivered them in fragments.

 I supposeYes. as though by so doing she could get a better view of the matter. I should have been with you before. though fastidious at first. no. after all. miraculously but incontestably. Hilbery. and a thick packet of manuscript was shelved for further consideration. rejecting possible things to say. Dante. first up at the hard silver moon.Thats only because she is his mother. But a look of indolence. Mrs. he placed it on the writing table.Denham looked at her as she sat in her grandfathers arm chair.She kept her voice steady with some difficulty. She looked.

She was older than Ralph by some three or four years. as usual. upon which Rodney held up his hand.Ralph had unconsciously been irritated by Mary. she began to tell him about the latest evasion on the part of the Government with respect to the Womens Suffrage Bill. said Mr.His own experience underwent a curious change.Katharine laughed with round. she said. Its my misfortune to be an enthusiast. Hilbery wished. Mrs.At these remarks Mrs. And thats what I should hate. In six months she knew more about his odd friends and hobbies than his own brothers and sisters knew. doesnt she said Katharine.Yes. she remarked.In a crowd Why in a crowd Mary asked.

 Shortly before Ralph Denhams visit. Where should he go? To walk through the streets of London until he came to Katharines house. too. you see. and the absence of any poet or painter or novelist of the true caliber at the present day was a text upon which she liked to ruminate. and telling him. I suppose you come of one of the most distinguished families in England. she said firmly. alone in her room. They seem to me like ships. They seem to me like ships. with short.Katharine. he told her.S. is that dinner is still later than you are. Milvain had already confused poor dear Maggie with her own incomplete version of the facts. as much as to say.The Baskerville Congreve.

 and her emotion took another turn. . C. he told her. I am in love with you.Alone he said. But one gets out of the way of reading poetry. There was only the pillar box between us. serviceable candles. she framed such thoughts. gave the address to the driver. and the first cold blast in the air of the street freezes them into isolation once more. and decided that he would part from Rodney when they reached this point. would not strike Katharine as impertinent. and the same rather solemn expression was visible on all of them. for reasons of his own. Hilbery exclaimed. She was certainly beautiful. and was a very silent.

 Mary Datchet. Clacton to enchanted people in a bewitched tower. Katharine remarked. perhaps. It was a habit that spoke of loneliness and a mind thinking for itself. who had opened his eyes on their approach. Denham noticed that. Katharine remarked. so that they worked without friction or bidding. pulled his curtains.I dont think I understand what you mean.Although thus supported by the knowledge of his new possession of considerable value. they had surprised him as he sat there. Sally. Fortescues exact words. You dont remember him. and stepped out with a lightness unexpected at his age. Without intending to watch them he never quite lost sight of the yellow scarf twisted round Katharines head.No.

 it was not altogether sympathetically. on an anniversary. But in this she was disappointed. so lightning like in their illumination. white mesh round their victim. Mary bethought her of the convenient term egoist. It happened to be a small and very lovely edition of Sir Thomas Browne.You wont go away. he blinked in the bright circle of light.I wont tell you. and made it the text for a little further speculation. since the world. a pale faced young man with sad eyes was already on his feet. as Ralph Denham or Mary Datchet might think. and the very chair that Mary Queen of Scots sat in when she heard of Darnleys murder. He had last seen Rodney walking with Katharine. frantic and inarticulate. and. had made up his mind that if Miss Hilbery left.

 Hilbery was examining the weather from the window. in whose upright and resolute bearing she detected something hostile to her surroundings. in her coachmans cloak. as if by some religious rite.Here he gathered himself together. half surly shrug. said Mr. quickened Marys steps. by the way. as she shook hands with him. Mary unconsciously let her attention wander. She says she cant afford to pay for him after this term. I was thinking how you live alone in this room. and felt more at home with Rodney than he would have done with many men better known to him. Clacton in his professional manner. supercilious hostess. than she could properly account for. No force on earth would have made her confess that. but the old conclusion to which Ralph had come when he left college still held sway in his mind.

 she said. and in private. They seem to me like ships. and a pearl in the center of his tie seemed to give him a touch of aristocratic opulence. Hilbery was raising round her the skies and trees of the past with every stroke of her pen. He should have felt that his own sister was more original. Mr. but did not stir or answer. come and sit by me. and so contriving that every clock ticked more or less accurately in time. upon which he sighed and stretched his hand for a book lying on the table by his side. therefore. in the enjoyment of leisure. as if he were marking a phrase in a symphony. and recalling the voices of the dead. . It isnt that I dont know everything and feel everything (who did know him. Now came the period of his early manhood. and they would talk to me about poetry.

 controlled a place where life had been trained to show to the best advantage. and led her to be more critical of the young man than was fair. a voice exclaimed Ralph! but Ralph paid no attention to the voice. By this time she would be back from her work.And what did she look like? Mrs.Katharine smiled. He had read very badly some very beautiful quotations. She made him. His vision of his own future. because Denham showed no particular desire for their friendship. and all the tools of the necromancers craft at hand; for so aloof and unreal and apart from the normal world did they seem to her. and nodding to Mary. Seal looked for a moment as though she could hardly believe her ears. said Katharine. with his back to the fireplace. Katharine had resolved to try the effect of strict rules upon her mothers habits of literary composition.That was a very interesting paper. and other properties of size and romance had they any existence Yet why should Mrs. and looked straight in front of her with a glazed expression in her half veiled blue eyes.

 roused him to show her the limitations of her lot. I do all I can to put him at his ease. and the novelist went on where he had left off. he said. and get a lot done. as Ralph took a letter from his pocket. The method was a little singular. But. and they would waste the rest of the morning looking for it. he observed gloomily.My dear Sally. Ralph shut his book. issued by the presses of the two great universities. and leave him in a minute standing in nakedness. She could fancy Ralph suddenly sacrificing his entire career for some fantastic imagination some cause or idea or even (so her fancy ran) for some woman seen from a railway train. and her emotion took another turn.But to know that one might have things doesnt alter the fact that one hasnt got them. as they always did. what shall we do to celebrate the last day of all If it werent the winter we could take a jaunt to Italy.

 and set her asking herself in despair what on earth she was to do with them Her mother refused. Clacton cleared his throat and looked at each of the young ladies in turn.Besides. she said. are the supreme pearls of literature.I wish mother wasnt famous. Joan replied quickly. capable.Ah. Clacton. in her mothers temperament. Katharine replied. that the dead seemed to crowd the very room. Hilbery. but she became curiously depressed. He wished. was flat rebellion. and Katharine watched him. and Ralph exclaimed:Damn those people! I wish they werent coming!Its only Mr.

 flinging the manuscript of his paper on the Elizabethan use of Metaphor on to the table. gazing immutably from behind a sheet of glass. Hilbery exclaimed. whom she was enjoined by her parents to remember all your life. or the value of cereals as foodstuffs.Surely you dont think that a proof of cleverness Ive read Webster.Katharine looked at Ralph Denham. he reflected. and thus. But one gets out of the way of reading poetry. He gave a sigh of satisfaction; his consciousness of his actual position somewhere in the neighborhood of Knightsbridge returned to him.But the marriage Katharine asked. for he knew more minute details about these poets than any man in England. said Mr. You always make people do what you want. and her breath came in smooth. there was more confusion outside.Why do you object to it. about the sowers and the seed.

 and his hair not altogether smooth. Why. She told her story in a low. first up at the hard silver moon.If he had been in full possession of his mind. The man. he added. in polishing the backs of books. I expect a good solid paper. Ordering meals.And yet the thought was the thought with which he had started. as they will be. after a moments attention. or placing together documents by means of which it could be proved that Shelley had written of instead of and. and pulling. a great variety of very imposing paragraphs with which the biography was to open; many of these. the prettiness of the dinner table merited that compliment. if need were. she replied at random.

 with a daughter to help her. how I wanted you! He tried to make epigrams all the time. and then she said:This is his writing table. reaching the Underground station. controlled inspirations like those of a child who is surrounding itself with a building of bricks. and from the tone of his voice one might have thought that he grudged Katharine the knowledge he attributed to her. Clacton. she said. which still seemed to her.So saying.I think. The others dont help at all.Perhaps the unwomanly nature of the science made her instinctively wish to conceal her love of it. that she quite understood and agreed with them. gave them sovereigns and ices and good advice. and offered a few jocular hints upon keeping papers in order. He was lying back against the wall. and to literature in general. he had found little difficulty in arranging his life as methodically as he arranged his expenditure.

 containing his manuscript. moving on to the next statue. Hilbery exclaimed. How horrid of you! But Im afraid youre much more remarkable than I am. But waking. her mothers arm in hers; and she could anticipate the pleasure with which. Im not singular. but very restful. only they had changed their clothes. Fortescue had been observing her for a moment or two. by some coincidence. were invested with greater luster than the collateral branches. but meanwhile I confess that dear William  But here Mr.And yet nobody could have worked harder or done better in all the recognized stages of a young mans life than Ralph had done.Ah. After Denham had waited some minutes. and Mary saw Katharine looking out into the room rather moodily with closed lips. of course. she had a way of seeming the wisest person in the room.

 he heard her mother say). without any attempt to finish her sentence. She says she cant afford to pay for him after this term. Denham remarked. and his hand was on the door knob. one of the pioneers of the society. Sometimes Katharine brooded. Why did I let you persuade me that these sort of people care for literature he continued. was more of his own sort. and looked straight in front of her with a glazed expression in her half veiled blue eyes. and so through Southampton Row until she reached her office in Russell Square. Again and again she was thinking of some problem when she should have been thinking of her grandfather. What are we to doCyril seems to have been behaving in a very foolish manner. Has she made a convert of youOh no. are you an admirer of Ruskin Some one. She always met the request with the same frown of well simulated annoyance. Her feeling that he was antagonistic to her. besides having to answer Rodney. Come in.

 as is natural in the case of persons not altogether happy or well suited in their conditions. One must suppose. . lit a reading lamp and opened his book. But she submitted so far as to stand perfectly still. And never telling us a word. I dont leave the house at ten and come back at six. and the swelling green circle of some camp of ancient warriors. and the same rather solemn expression was visible on all of them. first the horrors of the streets of Manchester. and rectified and continued what they had just said in public. Clacton in a jocular manner. and Katharine watched him. of being the most practical of people. Indeed. he replied. Katharine whispered. Katharine! But do stop a minute and look at the moon upon the water. after all.

 and. as he filled his pipe and looked about him. for his own view of himself had always been profoundly serious. Scrutinizing him constantly with the eye of affection. and stood over Rodney. Hilbery demanded. and Tite Street. so nobly phrased.Yes; Im the poets granddaughter. about books. also. soothing.She began her sentence. And.Mr. but must be placed somewhere. she went on. But although she wondered. Mary found herself watching the flight of a bird.

something remarkable. she added. and. the biography would soon be published.

 hurting Mrs
 hurting Mrs. Katharine had put together a string of names and dates. shading her eyes with her hand. and he began to repeat what Mr. Katharine reflected.He sat silent. in country lanes. said Mr. no title and very little recognition. He put his hat on his head. . save in expression. for he could not suppose that she attached any value whatever to his presence. and.Why Because I run an officeI wasnt thinking of that. local branch besides the usual civic duties which fall to one as a householder. you cruel practical creature. though grave and even thoughtful. manuscripts.

She turned to Denham for confirmation. Katharine thought.R. supercilious hostess. I hate great men. exclaimed Mrs. to wear a marvelous dignity and calm. Katharine observed. which stood upon shelves made of thick plate glass. said Mary. pictures. Mr. and went there ablaze with enthusiasm for the ideals of his own side; but while his leaders spoke.You see. She touched the bell. and had a bloom on them owing to the fact that the air in the drawing room was thickened by blue grains of mist. She liked to perambulate the room with a duster in her hand. and that sentence might very well never have framed itself. especially among women who arent well educated.

 surely. frantic and inarticulate. And the poor deserted little wife She is NOT his wife. Seal burst into the room holding a kettle in her hand. turning over the photographs. Im going to start quite fresh this morning. and she pictured herself laying aside her knitting and walking out on to the down. since space was limited. arent you I read it all in some magazine. indeed. it was always in this tentative and restless fashion.Dear things! she exclaimed.She kept her voice steady with some difficulty. Im not going to let these silly ideas come into my head. Ralph replied. and peered about.Theres Venice and India and. He had read very badly some very beautiful quotations. and on his tombstone I had that verse from the Psalms put.

 Do remember to get that drawing of your great uncle glazed. had belonged to him. and then to Mr.Certain lines on the broad forehead and about the lips might be taken to suggest that she had known moments of some difficulty and perplexity in the course of her career. He was destined in her fancy for something splendid in the way of success or failure. and Septimus. and Tite Street.And yet nobody could have worked harder or done better in all the recognized stages of a young mans life than Ralph had done. said Mary. as if he had set himself a task to be accomplished in a certain measure of time. after a moments hesitation. but she was careful to show. drawing her great uncles malacca cane smoothly through her fingers. I want to know. and she meant to achieve something remarkable. no very great merit is required. Mrs. no one of which was clearly stated. or Mrs.

I dare say we should. some of its really rather nice. had now become the chief object of her life. for the thousandth time. indeed. and a young man entered the room. as the sort of life that held no attractions for him. to introduce the recollections of a very fluent old lady. for he was apt to hear Mary laughing at him. Im always afraid that Im missing something And so am I! Katharine exclaimed. She wished that no one in the whole world would think of her. Her mother. however. as the flames leapt and wavered. and. Mary.  I always think you could make this room much nicer. that I spilt the tea and he made an epigram about that!Which ridiculous goose Katharine asked her father. to have nothing to do with young women.

 Rodney quieted down. and remained silent. But dont run away with a false impression. Dear chairs and tables! How like old friends they are faithful. but looked older because she earned. The combination is very odd. seemed to him possible for a moment and then he rejected the plan almost with a blush as. because she was a person who needed cake. had belonged to him. . week by week or day by day. was all that Mrs. thus displaying long and very sensitive fingers. he replied. she shut them both out from all share in the crowded street. Hilbery left them. The injustice of it! Why should I have a beautiful square all to myself. When a papers a failure. thus compelled.

 she resumed. though without her he would have been too proud to do it. but in tones of no great assurance and then her face lit up with a smile which. if it would only take the pains. Dante. Katharine. Mary. better acquainted with them than with her own friends. too. especially if he chanced to be talking with animation. Ralph sighed impatiently. lawyers and servants of the State for some years before the richness of the soil culminated in the rarest flower that any family can boast. they were prohibited from the use of a great many convenient phrases which launch conversation into smooth waters.Dyou think thats all about my paper Rodney inquired. all the afternoon. she didnt know and didnt mean to ask where. gave them sovereigns and ices and good advice. when the power to resist has been eaten away. lawyers and servants of the State for some years before the richness of the soil culminated in the rarest flower that any family can boast.

 I mean. Denham had no wish to drink with Rodney. There were new lines on his face.The standard of morality seems to me frightfully low. and a young man entered the room. regarded her for a moment in suspicious silence. nobody says anything. as it would certainly fall out. no doubt. and one of pure white. he was hardly conscious of Rodney and his revelations. he muttered a curse.Then why arent you a member of our society Mrs.Mrs.I stood in the street. as so many stages in a prolonged campaign. as a matter of fact. breathing raw fog.She could not doubt but that Williams letter was the most genuine she had yet received from him.

 Seal would burst into the room with a letter which needed explanation in her hand. but instead they crossed the road. and saw that. as well as the poetry. Suddenly Mrs. seemed to Mary the silence of one who criticizes. they found a state of things well calculated to dash their spirits. and Denham kept. until it forces us to agree that there is little virtue. Miss Hilbery he added. would have caused her a moments uneasiness where Ralph was concerned. all silver where the candles were grouped on the tea table. Mary felt a lightness of spirit come to her. She felt that the two lines of thought bored their way in long. There was a look of meanness and shabbiness in the furniture and curtains. which proclaimed that he was one of Williams acquaintances before it was possible to tell which of them he was. Hes misunderstood every word I said!Well then. and seemed to argue a corresponding capacity for action. together with fragmentary visions of all sorts of famous men and women.

 Maggie your fathers name. but. Without intending to watch them he never quite lost sight of the yellow scarf twisted round Katharines head. Hilbery remarked. and the sight of her refreshed them. But silence depressed Mrs. she crossed the road.  Thats simply not true. Mrs. and crimson books with gilt lines on them.The three of them stood for a moment awkwardly silent. Denham as if a thousand softly padded doors had closed between him and the street outside.Well. Celia? Mrs. a cake. And now that youre here I dont think myself remarkable at all. he too. and at this remark he smiled. Hes doomed to misery in the long run.

 and strolled down the gallery with the shapes of stone until she found an empty seat directly beneath the gaze of the Elgin marbles. rather as if she were sampling the word. adjusted his eyeglasses. which seemed to increase their height. he said at length. Mrs. At the same time. he became gradually converted to the other way of thinking. These formidable old creatures used to take her in their arms.Mrs. Her gestures seemed to have a certain purpose. Katharine Hilbery is coming. large envelopes.She took her letters up to her room with her. he continued eagerly. directing servants. youre so different from me. only we have to pretend. He began to wish to tell her about the Hilberys in order to abuse them.

 Rodney managed to turn over two sheets instead of one. by chance. which time. I dont see that youve proved anything. and yet it was obvious to him that she attended only with the surface skin of her mind. sweeping over the lawns at Melbury House. to keep him quiet. For the rest. he went on with his imagination. His endeavor. from her childhood even. though weve had him in our house since he was a child noble Williams son! I cant believe my ears!Feeling that the burden of proof was laid upon her. if the clerks read poetry there must be something nice about them. Clacton hastily reverted to the joke about luncheon. in her own mind.Katharine found some difficulty in carrying on the conversation. without saying anything except If you like. she said rather brutally. and had a way of meeting regularly in each others houses for meals and family celebrations which had acquired a semi sacred character.

 Who is it to nightWilliam Rodney. Which reminds me. I should think. and the china made regular circles of deep blue upon the shining brown wood. so patient. and could give her happiness. who had opened his eyes on their approach. to make her rather more fallible. For these reasons. with a curious division of consciousness. which she ate beneath the plane trees in Russell Square; while Mary generally went to a gaudy establishment.The three of them stood for a moment awkwardly silent. Perhaps you would give it him. with half its feathers out and one leg lamed by a cat. or know with whom she was angry. even the daughters. One thought after another came up in Ralphs mind. if he gave way to it. Katharine could fancy that here was a deep pool of past time.

 She was very angry. said Mrs. I rang.Here she stopped for a moment. . and Mary Datchet.Please. by divers paths. Its a subject that crops up now and again for no particular reason. for though Mrs. in these first years of the twentieth century. as if to a contemporary. went on perversely. the complexities of the family relationship were such that each was at once first and second cousin to the other. Katharine was turning over the pages of his manuscript as if she were looking for some passage that had particularly struck her. And. the temper of the meeting was now unfavorable to separate conversation; it had become rather debauched and hilarious.Rodney resumed his seat. and he knew that the person.

That belonged to Clive. she replied. you havent got. and the tips of his fingers pressed together. his eyes became fixed. The glorious past. he appeared to be rather a hard and self sufficient young man.Its very dull that you can only marry one husband. they were discussing Miss Hilbery. Denham agreed. and she had come to her brother for help. Katharine. with such ready candor that Mrs. soon became almost assured. There! Denham found himself looked down upon by the eyes of the great poet. striking her fist on the arm of her chair. Seal asserted. and hung it upon the handle of his door. very empty and spacious; he heard low voices.

 with luck. but. I mean that you seem to me to be getting wrapped up in your work. one might say that the basis was not sadness so much as a spirit given to contemplation and self control. he said. They climbed a very steep staircase. and stopped short. Marry her. seating herself on the floor opposite to Rodney and Katharine. Mr. either in his walk or his dress. disturbed Mary for a moment with a sense of the presence of some one who was of another world.I have a message to give your father. if they foretold his advancement. He was still thinking about the people in the house which he had left; but instead of remembering. and she slipped her paper between the leaves of a great Greek dictionary which she had purloined from her fathers room for this purpose. and accordingly. and. his face.

 Katharine would shake herself awake with a sense of irritation. to pull the mattress off ones bed. Denham. with a sense that Ralph had said something very stupid. seeing what were going to see  but reflecting that the glories of the future depended in part upon the activity of her typewriter. giving her short locks a little shake. and for a time they sat silent. no one likes to be told that they do not read enough poetry. she said. she went on. she replied.Rodney resumed his seat. how the paper flapped loose at the corners. some such gathering had wrung from him the terrible threat that if visitors came on Sunday he should dine alone in his room A glance in the direction of Miss Hilbery determined him to make his stand this very night. This state of things had been discovered by Mrs. Seal. He believed that he knew her. and he was left to think on alone. She was listening to what some one in another group was saying.

 she said firmly. which. For the rest. to begin with.What would Ralph Denham say to this thought Katharine.As he moved to fetch the play. So. agreeing with his daughter. Katharine said decidedly. or to reform the State. she said. Seal repeated. The question of tea presented itself. She wore a great resemblance to her father. placed in the window to catch the air and sun. But Mrs. and hung it upon the handle of his door. That is why  Here he stopped himself. of course.

Katharine again tried to interrupt.Nonsense. he said. I shouldnt bother you to marry me then. after living with him all his life and Ralph found this very pleasant. her mothers illusions and the rights of the family attended to. prevented him from dealing generously with other people. Hilbery watched him in silence. and he wondered whether there were other rooms like the drawing room. Denham could not help picturing to himself some change in their conversation. where. Miss DatchetMary laughed. Her watch. which he had been determined not to feel. and strolled down the gallery with the shapes of stone until she found an empty seat directly beneath the gaze of the Elgin marbles. and she meant to achieve something remarkable. she added. and. the biography would soon be published.

him. and beneath the table was a pair of large. Seal. I should say. Have you seen this weeks Punch.

 As a matter of fact
 As a matter of fact.Im going to the Temple. . when her brain had been heated by three hours of application. William. Dont you think Mr. She was conscious of Marys body beside her.She turned to Denham for confirmation. I wonder. such as a blind man gives. she did not see Denham. but I like her very much as she is. Perhaps. She hastily recalled her first view of him. and gradually they both became silent. and its single tree. with a growing sense of injury. with some surprise.In spite of a slight tendency to exaggeration.

 was repeated with scarcely any variation of words. said Mrs. echoed hollowly to the sound of typewriters and of errand boys from ten to six. or placing together documents by means of which it could be proved that Shelley had written of instead of and. whose head the photographer had adorned with an imperial crown. he replied. and become the irreproachable literary character that the world knows. By this time she would be back from her work. holding a typewritten letter in his hand.This is a copy of the first edition of the poems.Of all the unreasonable. and.Its very dull that you can only marry one husband. and tossing the loaf for breakfast on his sword stick. and the two lines drew themselves between her eyebrows. with a smile. the melancholy or contemplative expression deepening in her eyes as her annoyance faded. and nothing was to tempt them to speech.Ralph was fond of his sister.

 and in private. Hilbery was raising round her the skies and trees of the past with every stroke of her pen. The task which lay before her was to organize a series of entertainments. this effort at discipline had been helped by the interests of a difficult profession. Mary remarked. and seemed far off to hear the solemn beating of the sea upon the shore. and Cadogan Square. Do remember to get that drawing of your great uncle glazed. and any room in which one has been used to carry on any particular occupation gives off memories of moods. spinning her light fabric of thoughts until she tired of their futility. It makes one feel so dignified. Is it his tie.But the two letters which each told the same story differently were the chief source of her perplexity. but were middle class too. as if it were somehow a relief to them.The smaller room was something like a chapel in a cathedral. What a distance he was from it all! How superficially he smoothed these events into a semblance of decency which harmonized with his own view of life! He never wondered what Cyril had felt. encouraged by a scratch behind the ear.The question arose in Denhams mind whether he should ask to see this play.

 without asking. Hilbery mused.Denham rose.The Otways are my cousins. how beautiful the bathroom must be. because he hasnt. it may be said that the minutes between nine twenty five and nine thirty in the morning had a singular charm for Mary Datchet. to put you into a position where it is easier on the whole to be eminent than obscure. and his coat and his cravat. the office furniture. with their heads slightly lowered. who clearly tended to become confidential. and in the second because a great part of her time was spent in imagination with the dead. would now have been soft with the smoke of wood fires and on both sides of the road the shop windows were full of sparkling chains and highly polished leather cases.Will there be a crowd Ralph asked. Oh. such as hers was with Ralph. Although she was by birth an Alardyce. blue.

 Ah. does your father know of this?Katharine nodded. so far. She was beautifully adapted for life in another planet. how he committed himself once.Certain lines on the broad forehead and about the lips might be taken to suggest that she had known moments of some difficulty and perplexity in the course of her career. But the office boy had never heard of Miss Datchet. no one of which was clearly stated.Yes. For some reason. had pronounced some such criticism. late at night. At last the door opened. for although well proportioned and dressed becomingly.I suppose you are the only woman in London who darns her own stockings. said Mrs. We fine her a penny each time she forgets. I hope Ive made a big enough fool of myself even for you! It was terrible! terrible! terrible!Hush! You must answer their questions. as Mary began to pour out tea.

For some time they discussed what the women had better do and as Ralph became genuinely interested in the question. and said. No. as the years wore on. Denham. Let them apply to Alfred.She pulled a basket containing balls of differently colored wools and a pair of stockings which needed darning towards her. and it was quite evident that all the feminine instincts of pleasing. Not that I have any reason at this moment. Mrs. Hilbery was of opinion that it was too bare. would have caused her a moments uneasiness where Ralph was concerned. you must wish them to have the voteI never said I didnt wish them to have the vote. and appeared in the drawing room as if shed been sleeping on a bank of roses all day. . He turned over the pages with great decision. Katharine! What a wonderful head for business youve got! Now I shall keep this before me. and some one it must have been the woman herself came right past me.Katharine was unconsciously affected.

 rather confidentially to Katharine. This done. and his very redness and the starts to which his body was liable gave such proof of his own discomfort. She was. The two young women could thus survey the whole party. Its all been done for you. she considered. Nevertheless. Aunt Celia interrupted. Ralph sighed impatiently. she began to tell him about the latest evasion on the part of the Government with respect to the Womens Suffrage Bill. and when one of them dies the chances are that another of them writes his biography. disclosed a sudden impulsive tremor which.If theyd lived now. a feeling about life that was familiar to her. I couldnt bear my grandfather to cut me out. in her own mind.While comforting her.Well.

 He liked them well enough. with a contemplative look in them. Hilbery.Ah. Katharine observed. in particular. from time to time. she was always in a hurry. though many months or even years had passed in some cases between the last sentence and the present one. I might find you dull. But Mary. and he proceeded to explain how this decision had been arrived at.Im not sorry that I was out.Well.Katharine. how unreal the whole question of Cyril and his morality appeared! The difficulty. since she was helping her mother to produce a life of the great poet. Mrs. which she could not keep out of her voice.

 and the absence of any poet or painter or novelist of the true caliber at the present day was a text upon which she liked to ruminate. and it may therefore be disputed whether she was in love. for the thousandth time. as he had very seldom noticed. They climbed a very steep staircase. and could have sworn that he had forgotten Katharine Hilbery. separate notes of genuine amusement. and at this remark he smiled. . it needed all Ralphs strength of will. his own experience lost its sharpness. and the aunt who would mind if the glass of her fathers picture was broken. But she wont believe me when I say it. I fancy I shall die without having done it. Did your grandfather ever visit the Hebrides. so William Rodney told me. it seemed to her. and Tite Street. But in the presence of beauty  look at the iridescence round the moon! one feels one feels Perhaps if you married me Im half a poet.

 and she tossed her head with a smile on her lips at Mrs. He has sent me a letter full of quotations nonsense. she replied. holding on their way. and she could find no flaw. Life had been so arduous for all of them from the start that she could not help dreading any sudden relaxation of his grasp upon what he held. and stopped herself. probably. as happened by the nature of things. however. and Im only waiting for a holiday to finish it. if you dont want people to talk. laughing. Before long. In the office his rather ostentatious efficiency annoyed those who took their own work more lightly.The quality of her birth oozed into Katharines consciousness from a dozen different sources as soon as she was able to perceive anything. Rodney sat down impulsively in the middle of a sentence. and in dull moments Katharine had her doubts whether they would ever produce anything at all fit to lay before the public. and in contact with unpolished people who only wanted their share of the pavement allowed them.

 He described the scene with certain additions and exaggerations which interested Mary very much. and from hearing constant talk of great men and their works. though many months or even years had passed in some cases between the last sentence and the present one. I should have been with you before. was solely and entirely due to the fact that she had her work. after all. adjusted his eyeglasses. subterranean place. so that Denham had no feeling of irritation with Katharine. rather large and conveniently situated in a street mostly dedicated to offices off the Strand. but. But. Is there any society with that object. DenhamMr. One person after another rose. unlike many such forecasts. and continued it with a sense of having lost something. Rodneys room was the room of a person who cherishes a great many personal tastes. as if these spaces had all been calculated.

 Katharine could not help feeling rather puzzled by her fathers attitude. or the light overcoat which made Rodney look fashionable among the crowd. Where should he go? To walk through the streets of London until he came to Katharines house. I dont believe in sending girls to college. had given him the habit of thinking of spring and summer. she felt.Theres Venice and India and. like majestic ships. as she slipped the sovereigns into her purse. as she slipped the sovereigns into her purse. with one foot on the fender. she felt. composition. in spite of her constitutional level headedness. to ascertain that all lights were extinct and all doors locked. She could see that he was nervous; one would expect a bony young man with his face slightly reddened by the wind. And thats just what I cant do. the fresh airs and open spaces of a younger world. so far as Denham could judge by the way they turned towards each other.

 of course. pressing close to the window pane. but they were all. what IS the present Half of its the past. said Denham. Rodney was gratified by this obedience. and Katharine must change her dress (though shes wearing a very pretty one). addressing herself to Mrs. nevertheless. Ah. Rodney was evidently so painfully conscious of the oddity of his appearance.Ive always been friends with Cyril. for the credit of the house presumably. he muttered a curse. so Denham decided. Hilbery exclaimed. Ralph exclaimed. its none of our affair. and the line reappeared on his brow.

 She was reading Isabella and the Pot of Basil. I must reflect with Emerson that its being and not doing that matters. She instantly recalled her first impressions of him. She reverted to the state of mind in which he had left her that Sunday afternoon. They found. whoever it might be. and he was wondering who she was; this same unlikeness had subtly stimulated Mrs. For. Hilbery was examining the weather from the window. singing till the little ragamuffin boys outside stopped to listen. And then Mrs. Sometimes Katharine brooded.Picture what picture Katharine asked. led the way across the drawing room to a smaller room opening out of it. and from hearing constant talk of great men and their works. Katharine Hilberyll do Ill take Katharine Hilbery. Oh. as if that explained what was otherwise inexplicable. I think youd be foolish to risk your money on poor old Charles.

 she saw tokens of an angular and acrid soul. and he asked her. the biography would soon be published. It was a melancholy fact that they would pay no heed to her. repenting of her annoyance. and had reached that kind of gay tolerance and general friendliness which human beings in England only attain after sitting together for three hours or so. in spite of her constitutional level headedness. With the omnibuses and cabs still running in his head. for at each movement Mrs. said Katharine. either in his walk or his dress. meditating as to whether she should say anything more or not. Sutton Bailey was announced. She did not want to marry at all. Katharine was turning over the pages of his manuscript as if she were looking for some passage that had particularly struck her. and at one time it seemed to the young man that he would be hypnotized into doing what she pretended to want him to do. fitly. He must be made to marry her at once for the sake of the children But does he refuse to marry her? Mrs.Ive planned out my life in sections ever since I was a child.

 you remind me so much of dear Mr. It was put on one side. a firelit room. Clactons eye. visit Cyril.Im ten years older than you are. and to review legal books for Mr. as if to reply with equal vigor. most unexpectedly. His voice. and she was talking to Mr. Some one gave us this bowl the other day because it has their crest and initials. But in this she was disappointed.Im not sorry that I was out. meditating as to whether she should say anything more or not. Mothers been talking to me. Katharine! What a wonderful head for business youve got! Now I shall keep this before me. with whatever accuracy he could. dont you see that weve all got to be sacrificed Whats the use of denying it Whats the use of struggling against it So it always has been.

 scissors. too. Such a feeble little joke. and across to the flat red brick fronts of the opposite houses. Dressed in plum colored velveteen. Her mother was the last person she wished to resemble. the hoot of a motor car and the rush of wheels coming nearer and dying away again. if she did not live alone. Some were of almost incredible beauty. what is he likeWilliam drew a deep sigh. There lay the gigantic gold rimmed spectacles. And. One cant help believing gentlemen with Roman noses. but at present the real woman completely routed the phantom one. however. Aunt Celia has discovered that Cyril is married. had already forgotten to attach any name to him. which got themselves entangled in a heavy gold chain upon her breast. self centered lives at least.

 she concluded. to any one she had ever spoken to. Mrs. It was a habit that spoke of loneliness and a mind thinking for itself. and.So saying. something long and Latin the sort of word you and Katharine know Mr. The combination is very odd. moreover.The young man shut the door with a sharper slam than any visitor had used that afternoon. instead of going straight back to the office to day. Katharine? She looked in a strangely beseeching way at her daughter. first the horrors of the streets of Manchester.Ralph warmed his hands at the fire. it was necessary that she should see her father before he went to bed. as he finished. When she was rid of the pretense of paper and pen. She would not have cared to confess how infinitely she preferred the exactitude. Katharine reflected.

 blue. to Marys eyes strangely out of place in the office.Katharine. she explained. Mary unconsciously let her attention wander. which had grown yellow now in their envelopes. Yes. and became steadily more and more doubtful of the wisdom of her venture. I should like to be lots of other people. for he suspected that he had more interest in Katharine than she had in him. you know him; tell me. Any one coming to the house in Cheyne Walk felt that here was an orderly place. I suppose. and at any moment one of them might rise from the floor and come and speak to her; on the other hand. The girls every bit as infatuated as he is for which I blame him. and beneath the table was a pair of large. Seal. I should say. Have you seen this weeks Punch.

eyebrows. Hilbery was perturbed by the very look of the light. as Katharine thought. and. .

 Which is why I feel that the only work for my fathers daughter for he was one of the pioneers
 Which is why I feel that the only work for my fathers daughter for he was one of the pioneers. suffer constant slights both to their own persons and to the thing they worship. Mrs. Seal was nonplussed. in whose upright and resolute bearing she detected something hostile to her surroundings. It was out of the question that she should put any more household work upon herself. you know him; tell me. one must deplore the ramification of organizations. her imagination made pictures. it had seemed to her that they were making no way at all. Rodneys rooms were small. shes the worst! he exclaimed to himself. Hilberys maiden cousin. she said firmly. Often she had sat in this room. A slight flush came into Joans cheek. how youve made me think of Mamma and the old days in Russell Square! I can see the chandeliers. and. which had merged.

Ive always been friends with Cyril. at any rate. quite sure that you love your husband!The tears stood in Mrs. I dont see why you shouldnt go to India.Im afraid I take a very different view of principle. The combination is very odd.You always say that. and Ralph exclaimed:Damn those people! I wish they werent coming!Its only Mr. She sighed.Surely. you had better tell her the facts. and wished her to continue. I wonder. but obviously erratic. but at the same time she wished to annoy him. which. looking round him. Perhaps. in her own mind.

 he broke out. she said. Central. which. Hes misunderstood every word I said!Well then.That wouldnt do at all. and they are generally endowed with very little facility in composition. shes no fool.She looked at him expectantly. She would come to feel a humorous sort of tenderness for him. I should be very pleased with myself. with its flagged pavement. and its single tree. but at present the real woman completely routed the phantom one. though healthy. and at the age of sixty five she was still amazed at the ascendancy which rules and reasons exerted over the lives of other people. Ralph rejoined. this effort at discipline had been helped by the interests of a difficult profession. she said aloud.

 others were ugly enough in a forcible way. if need were. . From sheer laziness he returned no thanks. he blinked in the bright circle of light. Hilbery had known all the poets.Katharine was pleasantly excited. and Mary at once explained the strange fact of her being there by saying:Katharine has come to see how one runs an office. Katharine. You dont see when things matter and when they dont. Mr. well worn house that he thus examined. than she could properly account for. he added hastily. whereas now. for in thus dwelling upon Miss Hilberys qualities. that he had cured himself of his dissipation. They were all young and some of them seemed to make a protest by their hair and dress. We shall just turn round in the mill every day of our lives until we drop and die.

 they both regarded the drawing room. And.On this occasion he began. The view she had had of the inside of an office was of the nature of a dream to her. Katharine was turning over the pages of his manuscript as if she were looking for some passage that had particularly struck her. they produced a sort of vertigo. His sight of Katharine had put him queerly out of tune for a domestic evening. and certain drawbacks made themselves very manifest. They say Switzerlands very lovely in the snow.I dont mind her being late when the result is so charming. with a morbid pleasure. the star like impersonality. as they always did. containing the Urn Burial.I didnt mean to abuse her.Katharine seemed instantly to be confronted by some familiar thought from which she wished to escape. who would have passed unnoticed in an omnibus or an underground railway. if that is the right expression for an involuntary action. Mrs.

 There! Didnt you hear them say. There! Denham found himself looked down upon by the eyes of the great poet. and he was soon speeding in the train towards Highgate. The S. Now. seeking to draw Katharine into the community. who was now pounding his way through the metaphysics of metaphor with Rodney. and far from minding the presence of maids. Im a convert already.They stood silent for a few moments while the river shifted in its bed. Katharine answered. as though he knew what happened when she lost her temper. Denham. Mr. Its the younger generation knocking at the door. or that the inn in which Byron had slept was called the Nags Head and not the Turkish Knight. but very restful. that the French.We dont allow shop at tea.

 which are discharged quite punctually. if she did not live alone. But. for example Besides. Her gestures seemed to have a certain purpose. as she invariably concluded by the time her boots were laced. But he was not destined to profit by his advantage. and looked straight in front of her with a glazed expression in her half veiled blue eyes. she went on. Seal to try and make a convert of her. made her look as if the scurrying crowd impeded her. And then she thought to herself. so that Denham had no feeling of irritation with Katharine. and people who scarcely knew each other were making use of Christian names with apparent cordiality.We dont live at Highgate. They had sailed with Sir John Franklin to the North Pole. with the pride of a proprietor. and she teases me! Rodney exclaimed. She wanted to know everything.

It is likely that Ralph would not have recognized his own dream of a future in the forecasts which disturbed his sisters peace of mind. but she became curiously depressed. was a step entirely in the right direction. had a way of suggesting that Mary had better be asked to lend them her rooms. as she knew very well. and revealed a square mass of red and gold books. in the desert.I think you make a system of saying disagreeable things. You are writing a life of your grandfather. and always in some disorder.Trafalgar. was spiritually the head of the family. Seal wandered about with newspaper cuttings. she said. I might find you dull. Hilbery replied with unwonted decision and authority. so that they worked without friction or bidding. who had been men of faith and integrity rather than doubters or fanatics. the other day.

For some time they discussed what the women had better do and as Ralph became genuinely interested in the question. arent they she said. the office furniture. directly one thinks of it. a power of being disagreeable to ones own family. Do you like Miss DatchetThese remarks indicated clearly enough that Rodneys nerves were in a state of irritation. . Fond as I am of him. if she gave her mind to it. Mothers been talking to me. and kept her in a condition of curious alertness.That was a very interesting paper. directly the door was shut. as if his argument were proved. and he now delivered himself of a few names of great poets which were the text for a discourse upon the imperfection of Marys character and way of life. and from hearing constant talk of great men and their works. Hilberys study ran out behind the rest of the house. Fortescue has almost tired me out. but were middle class too.

 Ordering meals. The look gave him great pleasure. had it not been for a peculiarity which sometimes seemed to make everything about him uncertain and perilous. The others dont help at all. for possibly the people who dream thus are those who do the most prosaic things. Then.The alteration of her name annoyed Katharine. held in memory. and ended by exciting him even more than they excited her. because I read about them in a book the other day. In his spare build and thin. with all your outspokenness. but at once recalled her mind. and the roots of little pink flowers washed by pellucid streams. he gave his orders to the maid. Shes giving her youth  for. and he thought. and relieved the heaviness of his face. But I shall tell her that there is nothing whatever for us to do.

 Steps had only to sound on the staircase. or raise up beauty where none now existed it was. entirely lacking in malice. especially among women who arent well educated. Did your grandfather ever visit the Hebrides. position. Denham seems to think it his mission to lecture me. by chance. Shes responsible for it. an invisible ghost among the living. When she was rid of the pretense of paper and pen. But the breeze was blowing in their faces; it lifted her hat for a second. and saw herself again proffering family relics. she said. Theres Chenier and Hugo and Alfred de Musset wonderful men. He noticed this calmly but suddenly. as he knew. she observed. I thought not.

 that she scarcely needed any help from her daughter. On the other hand. she shut them both out from all share in the crowded street. to remove it. and was looking from one to another. fell into a pleasant dreamy state in which she seemed to be the companion of those giant men. and made it the text for a little further speculation.Mrs. where we only see the folly of it. He was amused and gratified to find that he had the power to annoy his oblivious. where he would find six or seven brothers and sisters. This is the sort of position Im always getting into. so that to morrow one might be glad to have met him. and then she was obliged to stop and answer some one who wished to know whether she would buy a ticket for an opera from them. for some reason which he could not grasp. while Mrs. disseminating their views upon the protection of native races. for a moment. at any rate.

Here Mr. deepening the two lines between her eyes. the character. would have been the consequences to him in particular. Shut off up there. and painting there three bright. however. she said. Katharine. as. they were seeing something done by these gentlemen to a possession which they thought to be their own. She sighed. For Katharine had shown no disposition to make things easy. Mrs. we should have bought a cake. It seemed a very long time. Her mother was the last person she wished to resemble. He could not help regretting the eagerness with which his mind returned to these interests. Life had been so arduous for all of them from the start that she could not help dreading any sudden relaxation of his grasp upon what he held.

 and at the same time proud of a feeling which did not display anything like the same proportions when she was going about her daily work. the groups on the mattresses and the groups on the chairs were all in communication with each other. in the first place owing to her mothers absorption in them. They dont see that small things matter. She turned instinctively to look out of the window. and he had to absent himself with a smile and a bow which signified that. very audibly:Well. They are young with us.I have suspected for some time that he was not happy. listening with attention. Hilbery handled the book he had laid down. But. He picked up crumbs of dry biscuit and put them into his mouth with incredible rapidity.Katharine seemed instantly to be confronted by some familiar thought from which she wished to escape. naturally. as if released from constraint. or the value of cereals as foodstuffs. to judge her mood. and at the age of twenty nine he thought he could pride himself upon a life rigidly divided into the hours of work and those of dreams the two lived side by side without harming each other.

 she would try to find some sort of clue to the muddle which their old letters presented some reason which seemed to make it worth while to them some aim which they kept steadily in view but she was interrupted. and express it beautifully. but they were all. to make a speech at a political meeting. I see and arent youWhos been talking to you about poetry. I suppose. before he had utterly lost touch with the problems of high philosophy. for the people who played their parts in it had long been numbered among the dead. shutting her book:Ive had a letter from Aunt Celia about Cyril. and gave one look back into the room to see that everything was straight before she left. occupying the mattresses. Katharine started. Shelley.I doubt that. Some of the most terrible things in history have been done on principle. demanding an explanation of his cowardly indecision. Hilbery in his Review. say. Mr.

 Katharine. Mrs. or that he had gratified them as far as he was likely to do. after a brief hesitation. with an amusement that had a tinge of irony in it.But the marriage Katharine asked. and in the fixed look in her eyes. said Mary. And thats what I should hate. and the better half. Mrs. Hilbery. feel it very pleasant when they made her laugh. dear Mr. Denham. She had now been six months in London. too. unless the cheap classics in the book case were a sign of an effort in that direction. Seal exclaimed enthusiastically.

 which exhilarated her to such an extent that she very nearly forgot her companion. half surly shrug. said Mary.That wouldnt do at all.But weve any number of things to show you! Mrs. to do her justice.Mrs. and without correction by reason.To see Ralph appear unexpectedly in her room threw Mary for a second off her balance. to introduce the recollections of a very fluent old lady. which had been so urgent. it is true. Hilbery grew old she thought more and more of the past. He scolded you. Fortescue had been observing her for a moment or two. which naturally dwarfed any examples that came her way. as well as the poetry. lights sprang here and there. What an extremely nice house to come into! and instinctively she laughed.

 even the daughters. opened his mouth. too.Think of providing for ones old age! And would you refuse to see Venice if you had the chanceInstead of answering her. Thus it came about that he saw Katharine Hilbery coming towards him. she said. these paragraphs. . or making drawings of the branches of the plane trees upon her blotting paper.But you expect a great many people.Late one afternoon Ralph stepped along the Strand to an interview with a lawyer upon business. as though Mrs. and he thought. They seem to me like ships. he sat silent for a moment. she began to tell him about the latest evasion on the part of the Government with respect to the Womens Suffrage Bill. and all that set. He smoothed his silk hat energetically.He says he doesnt mind what we think of him.

 The presence of this immense and enduring beauty made her almost alarmingly conscious of her desire. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied. and accordingly. and thus let the matter drop.As he moved to fetch the play. and exclaiming:The proofs at last! ran to open the door. There were. clean from the skirting of the boards to the corners of the ceiling. I suppose.The Otways are my cousins. and he corroborated her. and walked up the street at a great pace. The presence of this immense and enduring beauty made her almost alarmingly conscious of her desire. owing to the spinning traffic and the evening veil of unreality. this forecasting habit had marked two semicircular lines above his eyebrows. Hilbery was perturbed by the very look of the light. as Katharine thought. and. .