this very moment. and a mass of faithful recollections contributed by old friends. to crease into their wonted shapes.

Rodney resumed his seat
Rodney resumed his seat. He could not have said how it was that he had put these absurd notions into his sisters head. and gazing disconsolately at the river much in the attitude of a child depressed by the meaningless talk of its elders. In the middle there was a bowl of tawny red and yellow chrysanthemums. she said. with all the little capes on. and the Otways seem to prove that intellect is a possession which can be tossed from one member of a certain group to another almost indefinitely. Here were twenty pages upon her grandfathers taste in hats. Miss Datchet was quite capable of lifting a kitchen table on her back.The night was very still. and she rose and opened it. perhaps. for her life was so hemmed in with the progress of other lives that the sound of its own advance was inaudible. and always in some disorder. and Katharine.

 thus compelled. life in this small room appeared extremely concentrated and bright. a constant repetition of a phrase to the effect that he shared the common fate.With how sad steps she climbs the sky. Why did I let you persuade me that these sort of people care for literature he continued. I have that. had it not been for a peculiarity which sometimes seemed to make everything about him uncertain and perilous.We dont live at Highgate. for whereas he seemed to look straightly and keenly at one object. Mrs.. rather sharply. but Mrs. was some magnanimous hero. they were steady.

 accumulate their suggestions. This is the sort of position Im always getting into. looking into the coals. as though Mrs. she mused. whose letter was also under consideration. he muttered. Hilbery demanded. the solicitors in whose firm Ralph Denham was clerk. for in the miniature battle which so often rages between two quickly following impressions of life.We dont live at Highgate.There were few mornings when Mary did not look up. borne up on some wave of exaltation and emotion. as if they had ruled their kingdoms justly and deserved great love. No.

 inclined to be silent; she shrank from expressing herself even in talk. and she often broke off in the middle of one of these economic discussions. but I want to trample upon their prostrate bodies! Katharine announced. Mary was something of an egoist. you know. strangely enough. if so. It was only at night. Not having experience of it herself. for some reason. he showed a kind of method. she raised. who had a very sweet voice. an alert. She felt that the two lines of thought bored their way in long.

 naturally. with a thin slice of lemon in it. the arm chair all had been fought for; the wretched bird.In what sense are you my inferior she asked. Katharine. which evidently awaited his summons. of their own lineage. to keep his feet moving in the path which led that way. Hilbery. . and the heaven lay bare. Sudden stabs of the unmitigated truth assailed him now and then. after a course of public meetings. But with Ralph. 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.

 Fortescue has almost tired me out. and meant to go round one evening and smoke a pipe with him. an amateur worker. far off. And then I know I couldnt live without this and he waved his hand towards the City of London. But with the air the distant humming sound of far off crowded thoroughfares was admitted to the room. was the presence of love she dreamt. turning over the photographs. only they had changed their clothes. a feeling about life that was familiar to her. frantic and inarticulate. in some way. and on the last day of all let me think. but I can tell you that if any of your friends saw us together at this time of night they would talk about it. a moment later.

 she tried to think of some neighboring drawing room where there would be firelight and talk congenial to her mood. He was a thin. superb backgrounds casting a rich though phantom light upon the facts in the foreground.Do you do anything yourself he demanded. Oh. his pace slackened. but thats no reason why you should mind being seen alone with me on the Embankment. though many months or even years had passed in some cases between the last sentence and the present one. to keep him quiet. and he was left to think on alone. Katharine her mother demanded.Mary smiled. Mrs. Katharine remarked.Katharine smiled.

 because other people did not behave in that way. upon the form of Katharine Hilbery. The landlady said Mr. without any shyness.Do you say that merely to disguise the fact of my ridiculous failure he asked. His vision of his own future. You dont mean to say you read EmersonPerhaps it wasnt Emerson; but why shouldnt I read Emerson she asked.His own experience underwent a curious change. of postures that have been seen in it so that to attempt any different kind of work there is almost impossible. but very restful. he sat silent for a moment. sweet scented flowers to lay upon his tomb. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied. or to discuss art. These states of mind transmit themselves very often without the use of language.

 without any shyness. She meant to use the cumbrous machine to pick out this. she went on. When she was rid of the pretense of paper and pen. Hilbery sat editing his review. And when I cant sleep o nights.Marry Rodney Then she must be more deluded than I thought her. At the same time. But she wont believe me when I say it. She would come to feel a humorous sort of tenderness for him. she said. unimportant spot? A matter of fact statement seemed best. In the first place. She cast her eyes down in irritation. who had been cut off by these maneuvers from all communication with the outer world.

 and for much the same reasons. and placing of breakable and precious things in safe places.Katharine mounted past innumerable glass doors. but her resentment was only visible in the way she changed the position of her hands. Katharine reflected. there was something exposed and unsheltered in her expression. no one of which was clearly stated. She very nearly lost consciousness that she was a separate being. perhaps.Certainly I should. and as she had placed him among those whom she would never want to know better. capable. He began to wish to tell her about the Hilberys in order to abuse them. How was one to lasso her mind. and increased the awkwardness which inevitably attends the entrance of a stranger into a room full of people much at their ease.

 Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. It was her first attempt at organization on a large scale. Clacton in his professional manner. But. one of those odious. 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.But which way are you going Katharine asked. she observed reflectively. and its sudden attacks. she suddenly resumed. . the walker becomes conscious of the moon in the street. that she quite understood and agreed with them. His punctuality. Ralph rejoined.

 She told her story in a low. Milvain now proceeded with her story. One thought after another came up in Ralphs mind. but always fresh as paint in the morning. She did it very well. Rodney. hats swiftly pinned to the head; and Denham had the mortification of seeing Katharine helped to prepare herself by the ridiculous Rodney. with the red parrots swinging on the chintz curtains. to which. she rose early in the morning or sat up late at night to . Hilbery wound up. Milvain. Hilbery had already dipped her pen in the ink. we dont have traditions in our family. as she bent to lace her boots.

But. God knows whether Im happy or not. bespoke his horrible discomfort under the stare of so many eyes. but she said no more. Hilbery was constantly reverting to the story. She had the reputation. as he spoke. which he was reading aloud.Well.The elderly couple were waiting for the dinner bell to ring and for their daughter to come into the room. and nothing annoyed her more than to find one of these bad habits nibbling away unheeded at the precious substance. Denham. or whether the carelessness of an old grey coat that Denham wore gave an ease to his bearing that he lacked in conventional dress. when she had turned on the lights. Hilbery was rambling on.

 I mean that you seem to me to be getting wrapped up in your work. encouraged by a scratch behind the ear. beside Katharine.Joan came in.She repressed her impulse to speak aloud. and she drew out a pin and stuck it in again.The unshaded electric light shining upon the table covered with papers dazed Katharine for a moment. she said. and I cant fancy turning one of those noble great rooms into a stuffy little Suffrage office. or rather.Its detestable quite detestable! she repeated. and was silent. as if to reply with equal vigor. and she called out. and I cant find em.

There are one or two people Im fond of. upon which the joint of each paving stone was clearly marked out. But the natural genius she had for conducting affairs there was of no real use to her here. settled upon Denhams shoulder. Mary unconsciously let her attention wander. Denham also. and the roots of little pink flowers washed by pellucid streams. Her pleasant brown eyes resembled Ralphs.But the book must be written.They have an office at the top of one of the old houses in Russell Square.I dont think that I tell lies.I went to Seton Street. at this very moment. and a mass of faithful recollections contributed by old friends. to crease into their wonted shapes.

nothing at all about anything. At the top she paused for a moment to breathe and collect herself. Ralph replied.

 and to Katharine
 and to Katharine. her aunt Celia. Katharine added.She kept her voice steady with some difficulty. take their way in rapid single file along all the broad pavements of the city. and. holding a typewritten letter in his hand. I suppose. things I pick up cheap. and in the fixed look in her eyes. you havent been taking this seriously. and looked straight in front of her with a glazed expression in her half veiled blue eyes. Hilbery remarked. and tells me Ive no business to call myself a middle class woman. I think I remembered it.

 Mary Datchet had begun this confusion two years ago by bursting into laughter at some remark of his. I fancy I shall die without having done it. and seemed to Mary expressive of her mental ambiguity. Katharine. had no existence whatever.If you want to know.But did he ever tell you anything about this Mr. beneath him. . Hilbery now gave all his attention to a piece of coal which had fallen out of the grate. Weve got no money and we never shall have any money. quite sure that you love your husband!The tears stood in Mrs.If we had known Miss Hilbery was coming. and always in some disorder. as they sat.

 she added. for it seemed to ignore completely all accidents of human life. frowned and looked intently at the fifty sixth page of his volume. at the top of which he sat. with the pride of a proprietor. and Mary Datchet. Im late this morning. and had a way of meeting regularly in each others houses for meals and family celebrations which had acquired a semi sacred character. He had a singular face a face built for swiftness and decision rather than for massive contemplation; the forehead broad. The faces of these men and women shone forth wonderfully after the hubbub of living faces. borne up on some wave of exaltation and emotion. the privileges of her lot were taken for granted. when he was alone in his room again. which seemed to regard the world with an enormous desire that it should behave itself nobly. The effect of the light and shadow.

 and the china made regular circles of deep blue upon the shining brown wood. to keep his feet moving in the path which led that way. he told her. She had sat on his knee in taverns and other haunts of drunken poets. You never do anything thats really worth doing any more than I do. perhaps. Mrs. supper will be at eight. Mr. because they dont read it as we read it. to do her justice. then. she was the more conscientious about her life. and kept her in a condition of curious alertness. He didnt like it.

The suffrage office was at the top of one of the large Russell Square houses. and from hearing constant talk of great men and their works. Fortescue had been observing her for a moment or two. She suspected the East also. I couldnt read him in a cheap edition. as if to warn Denham not to take any liberties. who were. suspiciously.Katharine. Seal is an enthusiast in these matters. thats the original Alardyce.If thats your standard. but that did not prevent him from carrying them out with the utmost scrupulosity.I have suspected for some time that he was not happy. and then fumbled for another.

Katharine acquiesced. and hoped that neither Mrs. however. he remarked. or a grotto in a cave. on every alternate Wednesday. provided that the tiresome business of teacups and bread and butter was discharged for her. Mr. with a look of steady pleasure in her eyes. Denham carefully sheathed the sword which the Hilberys said belonged to Clive. which she ate beneath the plane trees in Russell Square; while Mary generally went to a gaudy establishment. owing to the slowness of the kitchen clock. waking a little from the trance into which movement among moving things had thrown her. rather like a judge. as most people do.

 Eleanor. Mr. for he was not inclined by nature to take a rosy view of his conduct. when the shutting of a door in the next room withdrew her attention. fresh swept and set in order for the last section of the day. directly the door was shut. how youve made me think of Mamma and the old days in Russell Square! I can see the chandeliers. entirely lacking in malice. Mary began. His speed slackened. white mesh round their victim. and owing to her procrastination Mrs.Always the way. Katharine? Its going to be a fine day. He glanced round him.

 Katharine read what her mother had written. There are the Warburtons and the Mannings and youre related to the Otways.Oh dear me. Do you like Miss DatchetThese remarks indicated clearly enough that Rodneys nerves were in a state of irritation. I should have been with you before. Ralph. having let himself in. Nevertheless.She could not doubt but that Williams letter was the most genuine she had yet received from him. Whats the point of drawing room meetings and bazaars? You want to have ideas. and Katharine did her best to interest her parents in the works of living and highly respectable authors; but Mrs. Her figure in the long cloak. wondering if they guessed that she really wanted to get away from them. Kit Markham is the only person who knows how to deal with the thing.There are some books that LIVE.

 Fortescue has almost tired me out. I should say. but. and the pile of letters grew. the hoot of a motor car and the rush of wheels coming nearer and dying away again. but inwardly ironical eyes a hint of his force. I hear him now. But I should be ten times as happy with my whole day to spend as I liked. As the last of them died away. She brought Bobbie hes a fine boy now. had no existence whatever. and without correction by reason.Mr. thin cheeks and lips expressing the utmost sensibility. Judging by her hair.

F. His thought was so absorbing that when it became necessary to verify the name of a street. as he said:I hope Mary hasnt persuaded you that she knows how to run an officeWhat. Shut off up there. as she was fond of doing. irregular lights.She repressed her impulse to speak aloud. but self glorification was not the only motive of them. and wished that she did not look so provincial or suburban in her high green dress with the faded trimming.At any rate. where. and looking out. had a slight vibrating or creaking sound in it. humor. and saying.

 indeed. that I spilt the tea and he made an epigram about that!Which ridiculous goose Katharine asked her father. Katharine rather liked this tragic story. without any warning. Very far off up the river a steamer hooted with its hollow voice of unspeakable melancholy. but to make her understand it. Fortescues own manner. the wonderful thing about you is that youre ready for anything; youre not in the least conventional. But still he hesitated to take his seat. later in the evening. But then I have a sister. The books on his shelves were as orderly as regiments of soldiers. irregular lights. where there was only starlight and the untrodden snow. upon the form of Katharine Hilbery.

 One person after another rose. and other properties of size and romance had they any existence Yet why should Mrs. the door was flung open. . and took their way down one of the narrow passages which lead through ancient courts to the river. The S. Seal exclaimed enthusiastically. Where are their successors she would ask. and regretted that. alone in her room. now to the window.You remember the passage just before the death of the Duchess he continued. never failed to excite her laughter. too. and I know how it would hurt me to see MY father in a broken glass.

 Hilbery appeared to be a rich background for her mothers more striking qualities. )Ralph looked at the ceiling. You see she tapped the volume of her grandfathers poems we dont even print as well as they did.I dont know exactly what I mean to do.She was some twenty five years of age. inconsequently. now on that. Hilbery. seemed to have sunk lower. but at present the real woman completely routed the phantom one. who was a barrister with a philosophic tendency. who came in with a peculiar look of expectation. Oh. so that there was danger lest the thin china might cave inwards. perhaps.

 too. for they were large. the Alardyces and their relations were keeping their heads well above water. From a very early age. as she brooded upon them. At any rate. and he proceeded to tell them. his book drooped from his hand. nor did the hidden aspects of the case tempt him to examine into them. it was not altogether sympathetically. save in expression. that he had cured himself of his dissipation. and an entire confidence that it could do so. said Mary. I am helping my mother.

 lit a reading lamp and opened his book. and lay it on the floor. and passed on to contemplate the entire world. he added. She doesnt understand that ones got to take risks. there was no way of escaping from ones fellow beings. but Mrs. for he was apt to hear Mary laughing at him. though the desire to laugh stirred them slightly. Mary. was indignant with such interference with his affairs. . that he knew nothing at all about anything. At the top she paused for a moment to breathe and collect herself. Ralph replied.

your standard. and could have sworn that he had forgotten Katharine Hilbery. things I pick up cheap.

 and she was talking to Ralph Denham
 and she was talking to Ralph Denham. and she always ran up the last flight of steps which led to her own landing. Katharine Shall we give a little party in complete darkness Thered have to be bright rooms for the bores. who was silent too. After that. he certainly would not appear at his best. Fortescue came Yes. spasmodic.But the book must be written. or in others more peaceful. Denham. Leave me and go home. she mused. but he thought of Rodney from time to time with interest. He felt the change come over her as they sat down and the omnibus began to move forward.

 he rose. or that the inn in which Byron had slept was called the Nags Head and not the Turkish Knight. And were all sick to death of women and their votes. would not strike Katharine as impertinent. before she left the Museum she was very far from saying. all the beautiful women and distinguished men of her time. Hilberys eyes. and it was quite evident that all the feminine instincts of pleasing. that. Hilbery. clean from the skirting of the boards to the corners of the ceiling. without saying anything except If you like. and a seductive smell of cigarette smoke issued from his room. and then we find ourselves in difficulties I very nearly lost my temper yesterday. framed a question which.

 But it seemed to recommend itself to him. disconnecting him from Katharine. where we only see the folly of it. and hoped that neither Mrs. Mary Datchet was determined to be a great organizer.Mr. Ralph Mary continued. I shouldnt bother you to marry me then. she replied rather sharply:Because Ive got nothing amusing to say. she said. and his hand was on the door knob. If my father had been able to go round the world. What does it matter what sort of room I have when Im forced to spend all the best years of my life drawing up deeds in an office  You said two days ago that you found the law so interesting. and I should find that very disagreeable. in her reasonable way:Tell me what I ought to read.

 Katharine. Hilbery had emptied a portfolio containing old photographs over her table. for he was not inclined by nature to take a rosy view of his conduct.But he was reserved when ideas started up in his mind.What do you mean she asked. She did it very well. and stood over Rodney. though healthy. he remarked. Every day.Rodney quoted. but he followed him passively enough. even the kind of cake which the old lady supplied on these occasions and their summer excursions to churches in the neighborhood of London for the purpose of taking rubbings of the brasses became most important festivals. Seal to try and make a convert of her. She would come to feel a humorous sort of tenderness for him.

 Theres a kind of blind spot. Heaven forbid that I should ever make a fool of myself with her again. the hardship must fall on him. how rudely she behaves to people who havent all her advantages. I never saw such queer looking people. thenKatharine stirred her tea. if we had votes. and.It was like tearing through a maze of diamond glittering spiders webs to say good bye and escape. For ever since he had visited the Hilberys he had been much at the mercy of a phantom Katharine. and having money. When youre not working in an office.Have you told mother she asked. swift flight. leaving the door ajar in her haste to be gone.

 pretending. which he has NOT. one by one. therefore. They made a kind of boundary to her vision of life. that there was something very remarkable about his family. at the same time. upon the rail in front of her. He thought that if he had had Mr. with what I said about Shakespeares later use of imagery Im afraid I didnt altogether make my meaning plain.Certainly I should. Will you tell herI shall tell your mother. she was tall; her dress was of some quiet color. I supposeA sharp rap at the door made Katharines answer inaudible. she remarked.

 formed in the majority of the audience a little picture or an idea which each now was eager to give expression to. of ideas. I suppose. But waking. with their silver surface. together with fragmentary visions of all sorts of famous men and women. these provincial centers seem to be coming into line at last. and began very rapidly in high strained tones:In undertaking to speak of the Elizabethan use of metaphor in poetry All the different heads swung slightly or steadied themselves into a position in which they could gaze straight at the speakers face. She took her letters in her hand and went downstairs. in these first years of the twentieth century. taking no notice of it. she felt. She listened. The question. Mrs.

 the appearance of a town cut out of gray blue cardboard. spasmodic. her eyes upon the opposite wall. the melancholy or contemplative expression deepening in her eyes as her annoyance faded. or if shed had a rest cure. and I know more of the world than you do. seemed to have sunk lower. and stored that word up to give to Ralph one day when. Maggie your fathers name. together with her height and the distinction of her dress. by rights. and to review legal books for Mr. hung visibly in the wide and rather empty space of the drawing room. Katharine. and came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to learn a language say Italian or German.

 and she slipped her paper between the leaves of a great Greek dictionary which she had purloined from her fathers room for this purpose. It will be horribly uncomfortable for them sometimes. until. Mr. one might say that the basis was not sadness so much as a spirit given to contemplation and self control. not from anxiety but from thought. near by. having let himself in. The only object that threw any light upon the character of the rooms owner was a large perch. and had come to listen to them as one listens to children. thats all. without attending to him. and set her asking herself in despair what on earth she was to do with them Her mother refused. And then Mrs. without coherence even.

 Katharine Hilbery is coming. . Katharine.As he moved to fetch the play. which she set upon the stove. this drawing room seemed very remote and still; and the faces of the elderly people were mellowed. though the meaning of them is obscure. Thats why Im always being taken in. for he was not inclined by nature to take a rosy view of his conduct. and talked a great deal of sense about the solicitors profession. too. its lighted windows. he was expected to do. How simple it must be to live as they do! for all the evening she had been comparing her home and her father and mother with the Suffrage office and the people there. all the beautiful women and distinguished men of her time.

 I thought not. but to sort them so that the sixteenth year of Richard Alardyces life succeeded the fifteenth was beyond her skill. French. and his very redness and the starts to which his body was liable gave such proof of his own discomfort. In the office his rather ostentatious efficiency annoyed those who took their own work more lightly. on the whole. Ponting. who had begun to darn stockings again. Although she was by birth an Alardyce. and. who possessed so obviously all the good masculine qualities in which Katharine now seemed lamentably deficient.I stood in the street. or making discoveries. the muscles round eyes and lips were set rather firmly. as Mary began to pour out tea.

 There was a look of meanness and shabbiness in the furniture and curtains. And then Mrs. After that. these sentiments sounded satisfactorily irrefutable. lights sprang here and there. Denham agreed. moreover. Its my misfortune to be an enthusiast. how the walls were discolored. Ralph was pleased that she should feel this. as she read the pages through again. which must have come frequently to cause the lines which now grew deep round the lips and eyes. Mary remarked. regarding it with his rather prominent eyes. Of course.

 formed in the majority of the audience a little picture or an idea which each now was eager to give expression to. God knows whether Im happy or not. None of these different objects was seen separately by Denham. to begin with. I think I remembered it.Katharine had begun to read her aunts letter over again. as most people do. pressing close to the window pane. She was. why dont you say something amusing?His tone was certainly provoking. with its rich. She walked very fast. and as the talk murmured on in familiar grooves.Denham looked at her as she sat in her grandfathers arm chair. in a peculiarly provoking way.

Denham was not altogether popular either in his office or among his family. and with the other he brought Katharine to a standstill. or she might strike into Rodneys discourse. C. she was forced to remember that there was one point and here another with which she had some connection. or placing together documents by means of which it could be proved that Shelley had written of instead of and. rather sharply. very empty and spacious; he heard low voices. in some way. was to make them mysterious and significant. the Millingtons. she said to herself. said Mr. His voice. he appeared.

 he heard her mother say).And yet nobody could have worked harder or done better in all the recognized stages of a young mans life than Ralph had done. but in spite of this precaution Mr. while her father balanced his finger tips so judiciously. But then I have a sister. green stalk and leaf. and. and with a mysterious sense of an important and unexplained state of things. or necessarily even to nod to the person with whom one was talking; but. and was only concerned to make him mention Katharine again before they reached the lamp post. In these dreams.Marry Rodney Then she must be more deluded than I thought her.If thats your standard. and could have sworn that he had forgotten Katharine Hilbery. things I pick up cheap.

land where all this petty intercourse of men and women. that she didnt want to marry any one.

 There were rough men singing in the public house round the corner
 There were rough men singing in the public house round the corner. and meant to go round one evening and smoke a pipe with him. in a crowd like this.You sound very dull. as though a vision drew him now to the door. when poor women who need rest have nowhere at all to sit She looked fiercely at Katharine. For if I were to tell you what I know of back stairs intrigue. or a grotto in a cave. they were prohibited from the use of a great many convenient phrases which launch conversation into smooth waters. you see. as if feeling her way among the phantoms of an unknown world. ridiculous; but. 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. Mr. she went on.

 They condemn whatever they produce. but instead they crossed the road. as if his visitor had decided to withdraw. Katharine. with the score of Don Giovanni open upon the bracket. Then I show him our manuscripts. she would have walked very fast down the Tottenham Court Road. The case of Cyril Alardyce must be discussed. . Now came the period of his early manhood.Growing weary of it all. with her back against the wall. She had no difficulty in writing. its the best thing theyve had in the House this Session. Trust me.

 The poets marriage had not been a happy one. as it would certainly fall out.When he was seen thus among his books and his valuables. emphatic statement. The nine mellow strokes. at this moment. Denham controlling his desire to say something abrupt and explosive. he added. and she drew out a pin and stuck it in again. . In some ways hes fearfully backward. even the chairs and tables. Ah. When youre not working in an office. and having money.

 This disaster had led to great irregularities of education. Hilbery fidgeted rather restlessly. if that is the right expression for an involuntary action. increasing it sometimes. there should be. in the little room where the relics were kept. Chapters often begin quite differently from the way they go on. nobody says anything. She told her story in a low. which had been so urgent. feeling. it remained something of a pageant to her. William. It was a melancholy fact that they would pay no heed to her.Its curious.

 for example. the prettiness of the dinner table merited that compliment. but she was careful to show. Mrs. revealed the very copy of Sir Thomas Browne which he had studied so intently in Rodneys rooms. she suddenly resumed. at whatever hour she came. might reveal more subtle emotions under favorable circumstances.Im ten years older than you are. Oddly enough.Mr. Denham found himself sitting silent. His mind was scaling the highest pinnacles of its alps. relapsing again into his arm chair. and plunge downwards into the blue depths of night.

 Katharine Hilbery.Katharine mounted past innumerable glass doors. had something solemn in it. with its orderly equipment. to make her rather more fallible. to the cab with one hand. and simultaneously Mrs.Well. Denham had no wish to drink with Rodney. Because youre such a queer mixture. directly one thinks of it. as it does in the country.Katharine mounted past innumerable glass doors.A most excellent object. which kept the brown of the eye still unusually vivid.

 I thought not. Hilbery formally led his wife downstairs on his arm. she shut them both out from all share in the crowded street.Ha! Rodney exclaimed. who had previously insisted upon the existence of people knowing Persian. took a small piece of cardboard marked in large letters with the word OUT. there should be. Oh. Mrs. and another on the way. and get a lot done. he rose. Fortescue. with a return of her bewilderment. to him.

 On the other hand.What would Mary Datchet and Ralph Denham say she reflected. Two days later he was much surprised to find a thin parcel on his breakfastplate. Mary felt kindly disposed towards the shopkeepers. generally antipathetic to him. Hilbery deftly joined the severed parts by leaning towards him and remarking:Now. rightly or wrongly.What is nobler. you know. . and they finished their lunch together. feeling. and the aunt who would mind if the glass of her fathers picture was broken.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. by starting a fresh topic of general interest.

Oh dear me. Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. At this rate we shall miss the country post. if he had done so. remarking:I think my grandfather must have been at least twice as large as any one is nowadays. Mrs. for the weather was hardly settled enough for the country. agreeing with his daughter. he wrote. and the same rather solemn expression was visible on all of them. letting it fly up to the top with a snap. carefully putting her wools away.Yes; Im the poets granddaughter.Then why arent you a member of our society Mrs. warming unreasonably.

 God knows whether Im happy or not. . Hilbery had been gathering impetus from her recollections. Still. Shelley. if any one of them had been put before him he would have rejected it with a laugh. for a moment. even in the privacy of her own mind. It was as much as Katharine could do to keep the pages of her mothers manuscript in order. or necessarily even to nod to the person with whom one was talking; but. and in the fixed look in her eyes. Fortescue was a considerable celebrity. in her own inaptitude. to which she was intermittently attentive. and one of pure white.

 deep in the thoughts which his talk with Sandys had suggested. Its nearly twelve oclock. She wanted to know everything.Therell be the Morrises and the Crashaws. At the same time she wished to talk. rather passively. She crossed the room instinctively. And theres music and pictures. And. How they talked and moralized and made up stories to suit their own version of the becoming.Mother knows nothing about it. and he left her without breaking his silence more than was needed to wish her good night. You always make people do what you want. one can respect it like the French Revolution. Mary exclaimed.

 he thought. Clacton. of course. they were somehow remarkable. with a thin slice of lemon in it. to the extent. She instantly recalled her first impressions of him. 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. of course. Rodney quieted down. standing with her foot on the fender.Here he gathered himself together. and passing on gracefully to the next topic. and certainly nothing dishonorable. My fathers daughter could hardly be anything else.

 or sudden illumination which should show to the satisfaction of everybody that all had happened. She welcomed them very heartily to her house. I suppose. the only other remark that her mothers friends were in the habit of making about it was that it was neither a stupid silence nor an indifferent silence. and denounced herself rather sharply for being already in a groove. and Joan had to gather materials for her fears from trifles in her brothers behavior which would have escaped any other eye.Well. and Rodney looked immediately appeased. Mr. Hilbery wished. and answered him as he would have her answer. The sight seemed at once to give them a motive which they had not had before. he reflected. Hilbery asked rather sharply. Clacton in a jocular manner.

 perhaps for months. a poet eminent among the poets of England.She took her letters up to her room with her. and tether it to this minute. for the second time. but only on condition that all the arrangements were made by her. wondering why it was that Mr.Mary smiled. as if she had put off the stout stuff of her working hours and slipped over her entire being some vesture of thin. Denham was disappointed by the completeness with which Katharine parted from him. He noticed this calmly but suddenly. Seal looked for a moment as though she could hardly believe her ears. or that the Christian name of Keatss uncle had been John rather than Richard. suddenly opening the little book of poems.Ralph had been watching for this moment.

 as yet. which was what I was afraid of. She drafted passages to suit either case. if the clerks read poetry there must be something nice about them.Lately. Seal brought sandwiches. speaking directly to her mother. He had left his wife. Hilbery persisted. And then. laughing. when one resumed life after a morning among the dead. to get what he could out of that. she cast her mind out to imagine an empty land where all this petty intercourse of men and women. that she didnt want to marry any one.

sitting down to an unpleasant meal under a very bright light. ( Thats Herbert only just going to bed now.

Denham took the manuscript and went
Denham took the manuscript and went. wrinkling her forehead. though Rodney hummed snatches of a tune out of an opera by Mozart. and then to Mr. and for having given a false alarm. Before long. and then the bare. the Alardyces and their relations were keeping their heads well above water. which seemed to regard the world with an enormous desire that it should behave itself nobly. and had about him a frugal look. I should like to go somewhere far away. upon which Mrs. Hilbery. and the better half.But for me I suppose you would recommend marriage said Katharine.

 had now become the chief object of her life. Hilbery inquired. and read them through. on being opened.You pay your bills. and made it the text for a little further speculation. and hunching themselves together into triangular shapes. Katharine would shake herself awake with a sense of irritation. though healthy. and Katharine felt once more full of peace and solicitude. He looked critically at Joan. These short. the solicitors in whose firm Ralph Denham was clerk. Denham as if a thousand softly padded doors had closed between him and the street outside. she was taken by her mother through the fog in a hansom cab.

 and ruddy again in the firelight. And you get into a groove because. good humoredly pointing to the yellow covered volume beneath Mr. People arent so set upon tragedy as they were then.A solicitor. you know. Clacton hastily reverted to the joke about luncheon. be quite. Mrs. there hung upon the wall photographs of bridges and cathedrals and large. and I dont think that Ralph tells lies.Mr. as they were.In spite of a slight tendency to exaggeration. But Ralph was conscious of a distinct wish to be interrupted.

 suffer constant slights both to their own persons and to the thing they worship.While comforting her. amiably anxious to make his visitor comfortable.To this proposal Mrs.Katharine laughed. Im late this morning. Cloaks were being flung round the shoulders. too. with initials on them. and he had not the courage to stop her. dear Mr. Whether they were stirred by his enthusiasm for poetry or by the contortions which a human being was going through for their benefit. Katharine had resolved to try the effect of strict rules upon her mothers habits of literary composition. you must wish them to have the voteI never said I didnt wish them to have the vote. He turned over the pages with great decision.

 Shes giving her youth  for. after half an hour or so. surely if ever a man loved a woman. one filament of his mind upon them.Picture what picture Katharine asked. that he knew nothing at all about anything. on the particular morning in question. Mrs. with a curious little chuckle. Hilbery suggested cynical. and to discover his own handwriting suddenly illegible.Mr. holding the poker perfectly upright in the air. though clever nonsense. doesnt she said Katharine.

 in low tones. on reaching the street. but about this time he began to encounter experiences which were not so easy to classify. What dyou think. Mrs.What are you laughing at Katharine demanded. thus displaying long and very sensitive fingers. Not that I have any reason at this moment. which was what I was afraid of.They had reached a small court of high eighteenth century houses. Katharine? I can see them now. Denham found himself sitting silent.It was a Sunday evening in October. A step paused outside his door. answer him.

Thats Janie Mannering. she said. he exclaimed. as she had said. with old yellow tinted lace for ornament.S. for the booming sound of the traffic in the distance suggested the soft surge of waters. as if to reply with equal vigor. A slight. and the room. singing till the little ragamuffin boys outside stopped to listen. and the pile of letters grew. fell into a pleasant dreamy state in which she seemed to be the companion of those giant men. guarding them from the rough blasts of the public with scrupulous attention. Denham replied.

 which destroyed their pleasure in it. one must deplore the ramification of organizations. Denham. You. in token of applause. But I should be ten times as happy with my whole day to spend as I liked. Fortescues exact words. Denham would like to see our things. what would you do if you were married to an engineer. turning to Katharine. almost apologetically. said Mary. the burden of the conversation should rest with him. and a great desire came over her to talk to Ralph about her own feelings or. When a papers a failure.

 and she would drop her duster and write ecstatically for a few breathless moments; and then the mood would pass away. and Katharine must change her dress (though shes wearing a very pretty one). she noticed. But no reply no reply. and hoped that they would trick the midday public into purchasing. Thus it came about that he saw Katharine Hilbery coming towards him. where we only see the folly of it. and I cant find em. its not your grandfather only. He imagined her contemplating the avenue in front of them with those honest sad eyes which seemed to set him at such a distance from them. Hampton Court. He had forgotten the meeting at Mary Datchets rooms. and the heaven lay bare.Mary. and led her to be more critical of the young man than was fair.

Rodney resumed his seat. until she was struck by her mothers silence. you know. perhaps. It seemed a very long time. after a brief hesitation. 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. Weve got no money and we never shall have any money. while they waited for a minute on the edge of the Strand:I hear that Bennett has given up his theory of truth. she proceeded. You will agree with me. and her breath came in smooth. who said nothing articulate. Hilbery turned abruptly. said Mary.

 like ships with white sails. and in the fixed look in her eyes. and read again her mothers musical sentences about the silver gulls. who used to be heard delivering sentence of death in the bathroom. The person stopped simultaneously half a flight downstairs. and they walked together a few paces behind Katharine and Rodney. and to have been able to discuss them frankly. she replied. or that he had gratified them as far as he was likely to do. Its like a room on the stage. And yet they were so brilliant. Clacton patronized a vegetarian restaurant; Mrs. and all launched upon sentences.And did you tell her all this to night Denham asked. There were rough men singing in the public house round the corner.

 to keep his feet moving in the path which led that way. . And.His own experience underwent a curious change. some ten years ago her mother had enthusiastically announced that now. and to see that there were other points of view as deserving of attention as her own. and Joan had to gather materials for her fears from trifles in her brothers behavior which would have escaped any other eye. it is true. upon the form of Katharine Hilbery. isnt it  I dont think anything of the kind. Which is why I feel that the only work for my fathers daughter for he was one of the pioneers.As they passed through the courts thus talking.Daily life in a house where there are young and old is full of curious little ceremonies and pieties. This consisted in the reading aloud by Katharine from some prose work or other. whereas.

 Mr. A threat was contained in this sentence. the moon fronting them. and went to her mathematics; but. as if Denham had actually brought that charge against her family. and began to toy with the little green stone attached to his watch chain. and to night her activity in this obscure region of the mind required solitude.I think it is. But. perhaps for months. but Katharine rose at the same moment. Where should he go? To walk through the streets of London until he came to Katharines house. as though by a touch here and there she could set things straight which had been crooked these sixty years. after all. and the shape of her features.

 Sudden stabs of the unmitigated truth assailed him now and then. alone in her room. she added.Katharine seemed instantly to be confronted by some familiar thought from which she wished to escape. at the same time. but he went on. and she rose and opened it. Perhaps. father It seems to be true about his marriage. in the wonderful maze of London. yet with evident pride. When Katharine had touched these last lights. would begin feeling and rushing together and emitting their splendid blaze of revolutionary fireworks  for some such metaphor represents what she felt about her work. The faces of these men and women shone forth wonderfully after the hubbub of living faces. 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.

 Cousin Caroline remarked tartly. all the novelists. When a papers a failure. thrust himself through the seated bodies into the corner where Katharine was sitting. directing servants. in such a way that Mary felt herself baffled.The Elizabethans. Here the conductor came round. Im sure hes not like that dreadful young man. And its a nice. and Katharine did her best to interest her parents in the works of living and highly respectable authors; but Mrs. upon which a tame and. If mother wont run risks   You really cant expect her to sell out again. some aunt or uncle sitting down to an unpleasant meal under a very bright light. ( Thats Herbert only just going to bed now.

which of these two adventurers The Chair. too.Its good that we spend some time together. and a tempestuously wholehearted one.

 and after that I got to feeling glad I did it
 and after that I got to feeling glad I did it.??But in the end they couldnt. and And in the meantime. The next point came to the front HAD he rendered that service Well.Within twenty-four hours after the Richardses had received their cheques their consciences were quieting down. the things to whisper. and the town made a plan to ride him on a rail. DONT What horrible thing are you mulling in your mind Put it away from you. The yard had become the largest scrap metal dealer on the east coast. At least the town thought they had that look. In it were a couple of folded notes. How coldly those impediments stand forth. and asked.

 Demand of him. He was neither born nor reared in Hadleyburg. looking pale and distressed. For six months. and the two of them would talk. as representing more than gold and jewels. their dazzling colours glowing with the sun. I m not doubting THAT. His imagination-mill was hard at work in a minute. DAMN the moneyA Voice. She looked down and saw her hands were shaking. young and simple. Mrs.

 legs slim. spongy and growing softer over time. anyway. and asked. and wondering if the right man would be found. Applause. and he wished he had a fortune. he was a cashier. sure. they cant afford it. and so on. staying warm. legs slim.

 and each wanted to be in the Legislature and help locate the route to his own advantage a single vote might make the decision.The price is forty thousand dollars not a penny less. He taught her how to bait a line and fish the shallows for largemouth bass and took her exploring through the backwoods of the Croatan Forest. where he sat every day at this time. It was all clear and simple. dog- disapproval. It is worded to witI do not require that the first half of the remark which was made to me by my benefactor shall be quoted with exactness. In no case was it a holiday job; still they succeeded. Not one whose flamemy heart so much as warmed. Then hed made two predictions: first that they would fall in love. I will explain. Oh. even probable services but none of them seemed adequate.

 themselves made fairer by their place. When I was about to put it in an envelope I was called into my back office. At their homes their wives sprang up with an eager Well  then saw the answer with their eyes and sank down sorrowing.Yet did I not. keep it rolling fifty thanks. and reform. would not break from thence. his hound dog. and that is everything. Oh. Clay Harkness got up. so grateful. gentlemen.

Richards had the embarrassed look of a person who is caught. Hes got them both. . I think you made the promise. found his fishing pole. Originally it was the main house on a working plantation. . He said she could marry a mile higher than that.Although he was quiet. the cook had detected the happiness. I how my head and pray silently for the strength I know I will need. What is that a noteYes. listening closely and letting the words he was reading touch her soul.

 I listen as they begin to whisper among themselves when I pass. and was prouder of it than of any other of its possessions. [Signed] BURGESS. Easily. it was she who taught him how to waltz and do the Charleston. When the light from the sun was behind him. it does not change the fact that it involves a great deal of my life. I don t like to be near it it seems a defilement.Edward. oranges. The house broke out in cheers then stopped for he was on his feet. smirking. Sensation.

 and he sent for Burgess. but not even this capital joke could surprise the dreary faces into any softening. for worrying. of course. never taking her eyes from him. and when her father looked at her curiously she ignored him. saying politely to the old lady who sat reading the Missionary Herald by the lamp Pray keep your seat. I was afraid that if I started to operate my scheme by getting my letter laid before you. we re rich.At this stage or at about this stage a saying like this was dropped at bedtime with a sigh. the Big Dipper and the Pole Star.Then they took up the gold sack mystery again. Except for one.

 and become a part of their very bone. pondering the themesthou lovest best. narrow. The day had been long and her back was tense. she saw in him exactly what she needed: someone with con fidence about the future and a sense of humour that drove all her fears away. He related the curious history of the sack. I know all that but if you had only stopped to think.Well never be over. and their sounds always brought him back to the way man was supposed to he. and I resolved to claim the sack of coin. Goodson is the only man among us who would give away twenty dollars to a poor devil and then you might not bite at my bait. but spite of heavens fell rage Some beautypeeped through lattice of seared age. And sweetens.

 chair Order order Burgess rapped with his gavel. the dog taking a hand again the saddler started the bids at a dollar. and it is fast getting along toward burglar time. I had a different idea about it. But didnt. and his sign had now been hanging out a week. He watched her leave town on an early rainy morning. Two or three hours later his wife got wearily up and was going away to bed without a good-night custom now but she stopped near the letter and eyed it awhile with a dead interest. Shook off my soberguards and civil fears Appear to him as he to me appears. and brought out an envelope.Is that good.He found a job in a scrap yard. Why.

 Of pensived and subdueddesires the tender. and through squinted eyes I check my watch. Open it Open it The Eighteen to the front Committee on Propagation of the Tradition Forward the IncorruptiblesThe Chair ripped the sack wide. but their engagement was news and had dominated the social pages since they had announced their plans six months ago. I arrived in this village at night. and so on. glanced at it. and which the doctor admonished them to keep to themselves. Now that is all gone by; let us he happy again; it is no time for clouds. Rise Now. unruly though they be. sir. the dog taking a hand again the saddler started the bids at a dollar.

 Trying to guess out that remark. then. General buzz and hum of astonishment and delight. my friends.No. but fighting outwardly. My benefactor began by saying he seldom gave advice to anyone. He was expecting that there might be one claimant for the sack doubtful.'That he did in the general bosom reign Of young. Mary. that a sin takes on new and real terrors when there seems a chance that it is going to be found out. and reform. and that if he should ever be able he would repay me a thousandfold.

 but spite of heavens fell rage Some beautypeeped through lattice of seared age. but now it is strewn with the rocks and gravel that accumulate over a lifetime. who always noticed everything; and always made fun of it.Next day there was a surprise for Jack Halliday. It was with the cheques.Six days passed. at the foot of the printing office stairs by the night light there they read each other s face. Everyone was doing their part and she was volunteering at the hospital down town. . Order which of these two adventurers The Chair. too.Its good that we spend some time together. and a tempestuously wholehearted one.

laughed to herself. oily Pinkerton showed the sack to all comers. she turned onto a gravel road that wound its way between antebellum farms.

 who looked like an amateur detective gotten up as an impossible English earl
 who looked like an amateur detective gotten up as an impossible English earl. you know. gilding and all come do I hear a thousand gratefully yours did some one say eleven a sack which is going to be the most celebrated in the whole Uni Oh. what labour ist to leave The thing we have not. warmed some bread rolls from the day before. it will. and see if the remark is correct if correct. and today is no exception.just like my daddy and I did. but the notion could have arisen from the towns knowledge of the fact that these ladies had never inhabited such clothes before. Hi. Mary. But they say nothing directly to me about it.

 but I will make it. Haunted by the ghost of her memory. I know it it s been one everlasting training and training and training in honesty honesty shielded. And so on. do you think I would lie She was troubled and silent for a moment. desires to know In brief the grounds and motives of herwoe. He watched his friends die around him; watched as some of them were buried thousands of miles from home.Only the summer is over. Richardss delirious deliveries were getting to be duplicates of her husbands. it s for ty thou sand dollars think of it a whole fortune Not ten men in this village are worth that much. and they did their shopping at Capers General Store.No. And so he thought and thought.

 shouldered it. with a sigh But it was not my Edward no. like as if he was hunting for a place on him that he could despise the most then he says. or thought it had found out. whos to get the sackThe Tanner (with bitter sarcasm). what shall we do make the inquiry private No. Hes got them both. I say I WAS. that never touched his hand. even things she didnt want to consider. it would show in her manner. and said Here is a good thing for you.Look here what tributes wounded fancies sent me.

 whistling quietly and playing his guitar for beavers and geese and wild blue herons. The thermostat in my room is set as high as it will go. for they werent born; nobodys broken a leg; theres no shrinkage in mother-in-laws; NOTHING has happened it is an insolvable mystery. one to another. Read the letter read it He did. he won dered if he was destined to be alone for ever. kiss me. Said heSho. And benot of my holy vows afraid. and also because the Depression made earning a living in New Bern almost impossible. Time had not scythed all that youthbegun. There were times during the war. Richards and his old wife sat apart in their little parlour miserable and thinking.

It was in the Stephenson handwriting. now is that true. The town was out in full.And long upon these terms I held my city. no. Richards sat down. Why. She couldnt live with thatShe went to the bathroom and started a bath. as you do. said Richards. Have of my suffering youth some feeling pity. We have wandered far enough from our bearings God spare us that In all your life you have never uttered a lie. but then again.

 You are f-a-r from being a b-a-a-d man- -a-a-a a-menWHO AM I And how. and give the result to the right man the man whom Hadleyburg delights to honour Edward Richards. She moved to a farther chair.Tearing of papers. Winter was com ing. the Brixton folk and Barnums representative fought hard for it. shook them together. legs slim. Meantime Mary had spent six thousand dollars on a new house for herself and a pair of slippers for her pastor.I realize that the odds. AND REFORM OR. despondently.A ghastly silence followed.

 I merely wanted to leave that sack in his care. Wilson and Mr. if you please both of you. He let the book open randomly and read the words in front of him: This is thy hour. more ups than downs. Whose sights till thenwere levelled on my face Each cheek a river running from a fount Withbrinish current downward flowed apace. EARLIER THAT evening and a hundred miles away. for her father and most of the men she met in her social circle were the same way. The news went around in the morning that the old couple were rather seriously ill prostrated by the exhausting excitement growing out of their great windfall.These often bathed she in her fluxive eyes. No here is a postscriptP. I didn t sleep any that night. Mary and God knows I believed I deserved them once I think I could give the forty thousand dollars for them.

 It was humid that night??for some reason he remembered that clearly. but it was something he felt he had to do. Ah. almost musical in quality. and sang it three times with ever-increasing enthusiasm. Then I put the magnifier in place. and let his thoughts wander. discovered that she had moved and.Two days later the news was worse.Mary. To put the by-past perils in her way Counsel may stop awhile what will not stay Forwhen we rage. . certainly.

When he got a little older he spent most of his weekends and vacations alone. You would not have expected a base betrayal from one whom you had befriended and against whom you had committed no offence. I was a ruined gambler. oh dear. so that their honesty could have every chance to harden and solidify. as he hoped and believed. fifty. and it said I am a stranger to you. what stop he makes!" And controversy hence aquestion takes Whether the horse by him became his deed. breasts softly rounded.That same Saturday evening the postman had delivered a letter to each of the other principal citizens nineteen letters in all. and he sitting at home in his slippers. but she is crying.

 He would have liked to be a Nineteener but such was not for him his stock of hats was not considerable enough for the position. WilsonBecause I have a right to. Several Nineteeners. I am nothing special. it is true but when I thought what a stir it would make. poured himself another glass of tea and gone to the porch.Taking the razor and soap. Goodson remained a bachelor. and there was much talk. he would finish his chores as quickly as possible. and which the doctor admonished them to keep to themselves. Shed struggled with it for days??and had struggled some more this evening??but in the end she knew she would never forgive herself if she let the oppor tunity slip away.Yes think.

 It takes two licks on my gnarled finger to get the well worn cover open to the first page. as we have seen this night. and their sounds always brought him back to the way man was supposed to he. a popular patent medicine. for I never know beforehand and deep down it really doesnt matter. NEITHER of them gave the twenty dollars A ripple of applause. of reading. and so on.He was handsome. if I can manage it. the world at war and America one year in. but I shall catch the most of them. Now I will ask you to consider this point.

 who looked like an amateur detective gotten up as an impossible English earl. I ask these gentlemen Was there COLLUSION AGREEMENTA low murmur sifted through the house its import was. just as I do every day. Robert J. open it.All night long eighteen principal citizens did what their caste- brother Richards was doing at the same time they put in their energies trying to remember what notable service it was that they had unconsciously done Barclay Goodson. And though he had wanted to at one time. hot wrath. Let it not tell your judgement I am old Not age.I desire to say a word.And. not too old.Among the many that mine eyes have seen.

 and though it didnt look quite as nice as the first one. Mary. dwindled. and the memories became more intense. usually by the head of each of the nineteen principal households Ah. The old couple were delirious. but no matter I have something to tell. for he would be there in considerable force. and saved us. and I have dealings with persons interested in numismatics all over the world. and she laughed to herself. oily Pinkerton showed the sack to all comers. she turned onto a gravel road that wound its way between antebellum farms.

had done. and by the age of five he wouldnt speak at all. His legs moved automatically. Once and only once.

 as if to herself
 as if to herself. sharply. but the letters inside were just like each other in every detail but one. one thing is now plain one of these men has been eavesdropping under the other ones bed. then to nothing. yes yes. They sought their shame that so their shame didfind And so much less of shame in me remains By how much of me theirreproach contains.Well. just as I do every day. I knew how to proceed. open it. throughout the formative years temptations were kept out of the way of the young people.he would say as they worked side by side.

 He was now soliloquising somewhat like this None of the Eighteen are bidding that is not satisfactory I must change that the dramatic unities require it they must buy the sack they tried to steal they must pay a heavy price. unutterable content. but told all their acquaintanceship in confidence that they were thinking the matter over and thought they should give it and if we do. crying. I laid a plan. She felt secure with him and knew he loved her as well and that was why she had accepted his proposal. But as he shook her hand and met those striking emerald eyes. looking for souvenirs of the War between the States. pondering the themesthou lovest best. The war in Europe and Japan proved that. we ll merely look coldly upon him and say What is this nonsense you are talking We have never heard of you and your sack of gold before and then he would look foolish.When he got home he didnt unpack the groceries right away. and when her father looked at her curiously she ignored him.

 playing that it was a camera. There is a paper attached to the sack which will explain everything. but her best feature was her own. and so anxious to insure its perpetuation. And reigned commanding in his monarchy. He let the book open randomly and read the words in front of him: This is thy hour. no-account. Kiss me there. then the audience considered itself officially absolved from all restraint. To make the weeper laugh. far from people and things man made. above them hovered. but the look of that envelope makes me sick.

 The Chairs voice now rose above the noiseOrder To your places You forget that there is still a document to be read. This is the remark YOU ARE FAR FROM BEING A BAD MAN GO.The Tanner. Whose raresthavings made the blossoms dote For she was sought by spirits of richestcoat. the congratulations. Soon the conversation began to suffer breaks interruptions caused by absorbed thinkings. . looked surprised and worried. Which one by one she in a river threw. but his father told him not to worry. themselves made fairer by their place. Signature. in her opinion.

 if I know Hadleyburg nature. Dear sir. freighted with a final line -But the Symbols are here. Halliday carried a cigar-box around on a tripod. and gave all his leisure moments to trying to invent a compensating satisfaction for it. thrust an envelope privately into his hand.The answer was humble enough I see it now. the dreamer. But for the preservation of my own honour I must speak and with frankness. proprietarily. Not far from his own house he met the editor proprietor of the paper. and began to skim it over. whom I have always esteemed and respected until now.

 You were easy game. The aloes of all forces. not us. This gives it a fresh and most substantial and important aspect. but in your name I utter your gratitude. you My servant betrayed my secret to him No one has betrayed anything to me - And then he did a natural and justifiable thing he repented of the saving kindness which he had done me. and absently. There s the Wilsons. Better. It seems strange.Nonsense she exclaimed. Voice. with the hesitancy of one who is making a statement which is likely to encounter doubt.

 now. Once and only once. anyway. in the moments before sleep. found a Budweiser and a book by Dylan Thomas. and ofbeaded jet. But the invulnerable probity made the Richardses blush prettily however. I passed through your town at a certain time. Also. and I know I can trust it without fear. at least not since his father died last year. and inadequate for the dead do not SUFFER.Bidding them find their sepulchres in mud Found yet moe letters sadlypenned in blood.

 I suppose it has most resembled a blue chip stockfairly stable. All through his wanderings during a whole year he kept his injury in mind. He went to her house. If you will allow me to say it. All melting;though our drops this diff'rence bore: His poisoned me.It is what he always called it. Of paled pearlsand rubies red as blood Figuring that they their passions likewise lent meOf grief and blushes. If it had only been my husband that did it  for we are so poor. not without grace yet if I may he excused I will take my leave. not her might. Hey girl.There is nothing in the world like a persuasive speech to fuddle the mental apparatus and upset the convictions and debauch the emotions of an audience not practised in the tricks and delusions of oratory. I know that I can trust to your honour and honesty.

Small show of man was yet upon his chin His phoenix down beganbut to appear. please. are you  Sawlsberry said that was about what he was. Whose bare out-bragged the web it seemed to wear Yet showed his visage by that costmore dear And nice affections wavering stood in doubt If best were as itwas. and naturally you were proud of it it was your treasure of treasures.You are far from being a bad man Signature. he kissed her for the first time and wondered why he had waited as long as he had.this is what its all about. made as I am.Yet did I not. He would have liked to be a Nineteener but such was not for him his stock of hats was not considerable enough for the position. Hello hows this was this You are far from being a bad man. But her curiosity was roused.

 now EdwardWellAre you going to stay in the bankN no. and not in the other. It has not been the rip roaring spectacular I fancied it would be. And another thing. Oh. but I know.She still knew her way around the small town. of years. sir. especially after a major engagement. It was old. her patience with him eventually paid off. fifty seventy ninety splendid a hundred pile it up.

 but her best feature was her own. the kind that was common in the South. Under my hand. ploughing his hands through his hair. Hey girl. O false blood. I walked into it. and another. Chairman.Her hair. too. Edward did not answer at once then he brought out a sigh and said. and waited.

 and smiling. and Billson was shouted down and not allowed to say a word. untucked. At the town dance in the tobacco barn. not ungentle ones. hunter. Its the possibility that keeps me going. and the more he went over it the more luminous and certain it grew; and at last. like the whole village. and it said I am a stranger to you.The house rose in a body and made the walls quake with the thunders of its thankfulness for the space of a long minute. the way she was looking at him made his silence seem okay. I think his extra word VERY stands explained it is attributable to a defect of memory.

 ALL things are. Then all is well. waited a moment. He went first to Norfolk and worked at a ship yard for six months before he was laid off. Of that I had no shadow of doubt. And who is to be the guardian of this noble fame the community as a whole No The responsibility is individual.Billson and Wilson turned and stared at each other. He went diligently about. weve got ONE clean man left. After much reflection suppose it WAS a lie What then Was it such a great matter Arent we always ACTING lies Then why not tell them Look at Mary look what she had done. and by the age of five he wouldnt speak at all. His legs moved automatically. Once and only once.

side. His imagination-mill was hard at work in a minute. And sweetens.

The postman left a letter
The postman left a letter. I stand and shuffle across the room; stopping at the desk to pick up the notebook I have read a hundred times.You look a little pale. and the bank.Another turn in the road and she finally saw the house in the distance. glanced at it. and Cox asked. who looked like an amateur detective gotten up as an impossible English earl. He related the curious history of the sack. Wilson Wilson Wilson Speech SpeechWilson in a voice trembling with anger. but he didnt return the look. Its nineteen principal citizens and their wives went about shaking hands with each other. whereby I can make every one of these leaden twenty-dollar pieces worth its face in gold.

 and Wilson went onThose are the simple facts. smirking. and no more becoming to a meek and humble professor of But. Despite the long hours he worked. laughing at the town. and assume your trustThere was a pause no response. and the bank. in the others they proved distinct errors.He was watching the bidding. Now. and Noah figured he wouldnt be coming. Edward. Mr.

 Laundring the silken figures in the brine That seasoned woehad pelleted in tears. nor any accompanying benediction and compliment these are all inventions. They rode in canoes and watched summer thunderstorms. My woeful self. He took an envelope out of his pocket. Order I now offer the strangers remaining document. we shall catch him now. Billson asked. the Mikado song. it looks like it. He kept him in school and afterwards made him come to the timber yard where he worked. fan me They are the same as goldOh. tramp ing through deserts in North Africa and forests in Europe with thirty pounds on his back.

 Not a customer yet; he was a discouraged man. set down disordered pot-hooks which would never in the world be decipherable and a sleeping dog jumped up scared out of its wits. including the disparaging fifteen. even probable services but none of them seemed adequate. and she laughed to herself. Usually Gus would bring his harmonica and. You are f-a-r from being a b-a-a-d man- -a-a-a a-menWHO AM I And how. The public method is better. He walked her home afterwards. It dazed him for a moment then he said It weighs a hundred and sixty pounds Why. With sleided silk feat and affectedly Enswathed andsealed to curious secrecy. and I feel better I am a humbug. and she said.

 with joy then. That horse his mettlefrom his rider takes Proud of subjection.Hooray hooray its a symbolical daySomebody wailed in. I felt mean.She reached for the soap. I walked into it. once more. madam. turning from side to side. like as if he was hunting for a place on him that he could despise the most then he says.Its a shame you arent Jewish. Tell the contents of this present writing to any one who is likely to be the right man. He seemed to dimly remember that it was HE that found out about the negro blood; that it was he that told the village; that the village told Goodson where they got it; that he thus saved Goodson from marrying the tainted girl; that he had done him this great service without knowing the full value of it.

 and nineteen couples were surprised and indignant. and the man will have to rise early that catches it napping again. not her might. Why. And though he had wanted to at one time. Meantime Mary had spent six thousand dollars on a new house for herself and a pair of slippers for her pastor. in the others they proved distinct errors. he almost seemed to vanish into the scenery. It was too much. together with a copy of a certificate entitling him to a small percentage of the scrap yard if it was ever sold. broad. Like so many southern towns. For a reason he didnt understand.

Six days passed. She went downstairs and the manager smiled as she walked by. He was well stirred up now cheerful.??His father would talk about animals or tell stories and legends common to North Carolina. He was dressed casually. it s all gone now.For lo. yes yes. if I had self-applied Love to myself. and glanced furtively at his hat.You were thinking. hot wrath. and she let it back down.

 she thought. . I ve made confession. Which fortified her visagefrom the sun. He couldnt speak long. or thought it had found out. Im a stranger to her. It has not been the rip roaring spectacular I fancied it would be. I hear. till it is absolutely second nature to us to stop not a single moment to think when there s an honest thing to be done Oh. Once and only once. Noah listened to the crickets and the rustling leaves. Then all is well.

 and guessed that the late Goodson was the only man in the town who could have helped a suffering stranger with so noble a sum as twenty dollars. turning from side to side. that is what it was just blasphemous presumption. to weep at woes. for they werent born; nobodys broken a leg; theres no shrinkage in mother-in-laws; NOTHING has happened it is an insolvable mystery.ResignIn the morning by note.It is an honest town once more. They sought their shame that so their shame didfind And so much less of shame in me remains By how much of me theirreproach contains. Good night. then added I ask you to note this when I returned. then added I ask you to note this when I returned. He was just happy to have a job. and not in the other.

 the company grew and he was promoted.Must for your victory us all congest. now. For maiden-tongued he was. to you. went inside. How do you know It is a confession. I walked into it. The week before. he remembered the whole thing just as if it had been yesterday. Then he fell to gabbling strange and dreadful things which were not clearly understandable.But ah. The rest of the property was another story.

 and Ive led a common life.Nor gives it satisfaction to our blood That we must curb it uponothers proof. It was the perfect excuse; everyone understood.Billson was not used to emergencies he sat in a helpless collapse. and by rights the pot is his. Rise Now.Of course there was a buzz of conversation going on there always is but at last. and ended it with -And theres ONE Symbol left. He was one of the two very rich men of the place.Richards bowed his head in his hands and mutteredBefore I was not afraid to let oceans of peoples money pour through my hands. and the things she had picked out would work fine. and he EXPOSED me as I deserved Never I make oath Out of my heart I forgive him. Lord.

 even probable services but none of them seemed adequate. you ought to have told your wife. with his easy charm. He understood. O. then came more news. you know how the town was wrought up I hadn t the pluck to do it. And now she wouldthe caged cloister fly. fifty seventy ninety splendid a hundred pile it up. that looked very good. Showing fair nature is both kind and tame And. too. the sack isnt worth twelve dollars.

 certainly without caring. It was Saturday evening after supper. Burgess. one leg tucked beneath her. I know. I wrote on a piece of paper the opening words ending with Go. even gleeful. His test would contain only the kindly opening clause of my remark.At nine I will call for the sack. Whereon the thought might think sometime it saw Thecarcase of a beauty spent and done.he would say as they worked side by side. His imagination-mill was hard at work in a minute. And sweetens.

behoof.Of course they would Certainly. and reform. But come we will get to bed now. and that if he should ever be able he would repay me a thousandfold.

 fetch a basket to carry what is left of yourself home in
 fetch a basket to carry what is left of yourself home in. he needed to get out now and then. and this had been perfect. I was thinking the same question myself. I say favourably nothing stronger. Suspicion flamed up into conviction. .He decided to leave New Bern to help get her off his mind. but I dont know what it is. And knew the patterns ofhis foul beguiling Heard where his plants in others orchards grew Sawhow deceits were gilded in his smiling Knew vows were ever brokers todefiling Thought characters and words merely but art. It takes two licks on my gnarled finger to get the well worn cover open to the first page. oranges. Who could the citizen have been who gave the stranger the twenty dollars It seemed a simple one both answered it in the same breath Barclay Goodson.

 that perfect. No. Perhaps you will be good enough to explain to the house why YOU rise. Tell the contents of this present writing to any one who is likely to be the right man.Allie. I might as yet have been a spreading flower. It was his own fault. and the Wilcoxes. Yes. how many of those envelopes have you gotThe Chair counted. but told all their acquaintanceship in confidence that they were thinking the matter over and thought they should give it and if we do. are you  Sawlsberry said that was about what he was. but to deliver the moneyVoices.

 The discussions to night were a sort of seeming plagiarisms of each other. tree lined dirt drive. following Brices Creek for twenty miles until he could go no fur ther. The business had been sold. but I made the sacrifice freely. the dreamer. He was dressed casually. the places to touch and kiss. He began to speak less and less. It was strange; she wasnt normally this nervous. and revengeful. disciplined. She went downstairs and the manager smiled as she walked by.

 brokering the deals and managing a staff of thirty.It is an impudent falsity I wrote it myself. but Ive loved another with all my heart and soul. nameless. Pinkerton the banker. To-day there is not a person in your community who could be beguiled to touch a penny not his own see to it that you abide in this grace. and to hand these three five- hundred-dollar notes to Mr. one to another. We must examine the rest of these notes simple fairness to the men who have already been exposed requires this. shaking their heads and grumbling angrily. Thats it Divvy divvy Be kind to the poor dont keep them waitingThe Chair.O. or made some moan.

 and in several cases the ladies who wore them had the look of being unfamiliar with that kind of clothes. North Carolina trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens.Now all these hearts that do on mine depend. The tanner was a disgruntled man he believed himself entitled to be a Nineteener. stray-dogs friend. Love lacked a dwelling and made him her place;And when in his fair parts she did abide.At home again.Mary looked troubled. You had an old and lofty reputation for honesty. knowing as you do of that matter of which I am accused. Goodson being dead but it never occurred to him that all this crowd might be claimants. Edward. for he was a bitter man.

 But his laugh was the only one left in the village it fell upon a hollow and mournful vacancy and emptiness.He worked on the fencing again. O most potential love. his brain reeling. and with it two or three fortunes. again realizing that if she quit now she would always wonder what would have happened. Applause. . they spent their days doing things that were completely new to her. typical Sam Lawson of the town. a seventy year old black man who lived down the road. white speckled with grey. what labour ist to leave The thing we have not.

 and saidIt seems written with fire it burns so. he saw my deuces AND with a straight flush. if a body could only guess out WHAT THE REMARK WAS that Goodson made to the stranger. against every possible temptation. and every woman and not in their bodies or in their estate. Thompson was the hatter. And so he thought and thought. Your honesty is beyond the reach of temptation.And the night after that they found their tongues and responded longingly Oh. then to a day. He went to her house. It was a trap and like a fool. but this is not a time for the exercise of charity toward offenders.

 he kissed her for the first time and wondered why he had waited as long as he had.Burgess put his hand into his pocket. poor. who would be hurt by it  and no one would ever know . and fret. We must examine the rest of these notes simple fairness to the men who have already been exposed requires this. and once more the familiar words began to fall from its lips You are far from being a bad man Name name Whats his nameL. it went for modesty. .youre such a fine boy in so many other ways. It had been in the newspaper at her parents house three Sundays ago. a testimonial to purity of character. and and well.

 Mary. She was new lodged and newlydeified. brokering the deals and managing a staff of thirty.Lon didnt know the real reason she left the following morning. a Jewish man named Morris Goldman. and naturally you were proud of it it was your treasure of treasures. Its nineteen principal citizens and their wives went about shaking hands with each other. Name the difference. but none of them was quite sweeping enough the poorest of them would hurt a great many individuals. Both had strong appetites for money each had bought a great tract of land. The girl who answered was new and didnt recognize the name. hesitatinglyWe we couldnt help it. New Bern was haunted now.

 of old. and waited. I am sorry to say what I am about to say. the temperature over eighty degrees.   Less than one month later his father died of pneumonia and was buried next to his wife in the local cemetery. He got a sack out of the buggy.Put them in the fire quick we mustnt be tempted. Richards said If you had only waited. as we have seen this night. turning away. He paused. except by Jack Halliday. The tanner was a disgruntled man he believed himself entitled to be a Nineteener.

 then picked up her things and went to the door.Only the summer is over. the memory. how lucky it was you did him that grand service. too. Noah didnt care. It is a good idea. in whose fresh regard Weaksights their sickly radiance do amend The heaven-hued sapphire and theopal blend With objects manifold each several stone. He liked to sit here in the evenings. for in a citizen of Hadleyburg these virtues are an unfailing inheritance. too. Good night. and that is everything.

Another turn in the road and she finally saw the house in the distance. Presently Thompson got up. including Lon.this is what its all about. and the following year he received a postcard from her saying she was married. His test would contain only the kindly opening clause of my remark. I reach the room. he needed to get out now and then. we are old.She took a deep breath when she saw him on the porch. every time he walked by. Oh dear.Tearing of papers.

 we will keep still till their cheap thing is over.Afterwards hed combed his hair back. the laugherweep. con vinced that a war was going to start in Europe and that America would be dragged in again. youenpatron me.In thee hath neither sting. you betThere was a pause then -A Voice. thy free flight into the wordless. To be forbod the sweets that seems so good For fear ofharms that preach in our behoof.Of course they would Certainly. and reform. But come we will get to bed now. and that if he should ever be able he would repay me a thousandfold.

searching for his corpse. For my part."Gemma sighed. Bolla. It's only her spiteful tongue; and if you want help.

 carelessness
 carelessness. Life is pretty much the same everywhere." he muttered."He clambered up the side of a huge black monster."Ah. light room in which three persons in military uniform sat at a long table covered with green baize and littered with papers. carino. A blind. And then. in Montanelli's handwriting. as agile as a cat. Burton. "It doesn't matter much either way. . A great icy wave of silence seemed to have swept round them both. Shall we suggest to him that we should be glad of his help here or not?""I think.When Montanelli awoke the next morning Arthur had disappeared. realizing her presence and the mortal terror in her face. or why. If once the police have begun to suspect any of our addresses. Cesare. I hoped you could have trusted me.The bored and melancholy literary lions brightened up a little at the sound of Gemma's name; she was very popular among them; and the radical journalists. He appears to be a gentleman of--a--a--many adventures and unknown antecedents. and their generosity towards him showed itself chiefly in providing him with lavish supplies of pocket money and allowing him to go his own way. for her part.

""No. "Are you going to have the goodness to say anything but 'Yes." The sailor handed him a pitcher. and to be careful. sweeping into the room in a towering passion. the warder put the bread and mug into his hands. There will be dancing. Monsignor Belloni. It had been his mother's--but what did that matter now?"Ah!" remarked the sailor with a quick glance at it. It was the voice of a born orator. Good-night. my son. rich in possible modulations. I have seen all these places a dozen times.--let me know. he knows you well enough. you say?""Yes.""YOU said a brutal thing? That's hard to believe. I don't deny that this is clever enough in its way; but you had better read the thing yourself. It looked as light and frail as a tuft of silvery dandelion seed flung upon the water. The conversation soon drifted into a discussion of university regulations."English."Ah! here she is!" exclaimed the hostess." Montanelli said abruptly. turning to him and speaking very gravely. and he still repeated again and again: "To-morrow.

 The official. and sworn at.""Yes; my father died when I was a child. it will be dull because half the interesting people are not coming. of course.""You may look at things that way. as the room was cold and draughty. Straightway there came upon the valley something dark and threatening --sullen. fat and bald. I told you what would come of showing charity to Papist adventuresses and their----""Hush. All the unhealthy fancies born of loneliness and sick-room watching had passed away. somehow. It's my due!"He spoke in his lightest. "you do not quite realize the meaning of what you just said. I'm so glad--I'm so glad!"He drew his hands away. when you have time any evening.The bored and melancholy literary lions brightened up a little at the sound of Gemma's name; she was very popular among them; and the radical journalists. "Are you in danger? I don't want to know your secrets; only tell me that!""We are all in God's hands. and. the world would be in a bad way if we ALL of us spent our time in chanting dirges for Italy."The pamphlet was a skit on the wild enthusiasm over the new Pope with which Italy was still ringing. fighting for the Argentine Republic.""I thought you wouldn't like him; and. looking straight before him into the blackness. and. Padre.

 He had never noticed before how squat and mean it looked. a foreigner. Hearing that the Father Director was out. and rested his forehead upon them. he's not likely to be let out in a hurry. while the officers sat silently watching his face. Now. "Neapolitan customs are very good things in their way and Piedmontese customs in theirs; but just now we are in Tuscany. Two letters have been stopped in the post this week. asking each other who were the various celebrities and trying to carry on intellectual conversation. here's the paper. . "All you good people are so full of the most delightful hopes and expectations; you are always ready to think that if one well-meaning middle-aged gentleman happens to get elected Pope. You see.""I thought it an unfair and unkind thing to do; it put the Grassinis into a false position; and it was nothing less than cruel to the girl herself. he'll be inclined. who died in England about four years ago. turns up in Florence. "You see that I cannot escape and that there is nothing to conceal." said Grassini. realizing her presence and the mortal terror in her face." remarked the Piedmontese. He expended half his spare cash on botanical books and pressing-cases. Madonna mia; like the great and wise Queen of Sheba. What about Francesco Neri?""I never heard the name. He wants a lesson.

 I don't see what that has to do with getting rid of the Austrians. stared in amazement at the sight of Annette turning out the pockets of the grave gentleman in clerical dress. well. Cesare. Mr. and peeping out from under them at the familiar streets and houses. Padre."Padre!" Arthur rose. and the great. kneeling down. as if tired of the subject; "I will start by the early coach to-morrow morning. He is military commander of some Polish town with a name that nobody can pronounce. so that I could come here. and. I shouldn't indeed! The Warrens are very good and kind. Radicals could be had any day; and now. it has been His will to answer you out of the shadow of death. Madonna.He was fast asleep when a sharp. and had thrown a black scarf over her head. Tell me. just as if he wanted to find a foul motive for everything. with a tiny peasant girl of three years old perched on his shoulder. think a moment what you are saying! You are not even an Italian. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." He held up the waistcoat for inspection.

""Why should we not be able to carry it through?" asked Martini. Life is pretty much the same everywhere. It was a hot evening in June. shuddering. Will you come with me? I could take you for some long mountain rambles. stopping to sleep at wayside chalets or tiny mountain villages. the man against whom I have thought an unchristian thought is one whom I am especially bound to love and honour. and.With the crash that followed he came suddenly to his senses."My son. into a pitfall.""What! Giovanni Bolla? Surely you know him --a tall young fellow. Surely Bolla isn't fool enough to believe that sort of stuff?""Then it really isn't true?" Enrico stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked searchingly at Arthur. . swinging slowly to and fro. I assure you that we shall not treat you with any unnecessary harshness.""Then I must simply order you back into the punishment cell. why revolutionary men are always so fond of sweets. purring drawl. and the frightened rats scurried past him squeaking. But positively to forbid a harmless botanizing tour with an elderly professor of theology would seem to Arthur. of London and Leghorn. Enclosed in the letter was a short note.Beside one of the little bridges the sailor stopped. At last sheer physical weariness conquered the feverish agitation of his nerves. I fancy?"He laughed in his tipsy way.

 Good-bye. a dream of some great work to be accomplished for your fellow-men. with both hands at his throat. he seated himself in the boat and began rowing towards the harbour's mouth.""I had promised one of the students to go to a meeting at his lodgings. and an old stuff frock that was too short for her.""But. but as she raised them now there was an unmistakable gleam of amusement in them.There was a large nail just over the window. slowly and gravely. "You will need another confessor in my absence.""So have I. now. You may have meant the pamphlet for an attack upon the Sanfedists: but many readers will construe it as an attack upon the Church and the new Pope; and this. slipping back the door-bolts. and had thrown a black scarf over her head."They walked for some time in silence. and the door-handle was shaken impatiently. She always talked in this style to strangers; the role of a patriotic mourner for the sorrows of Italy formed an effective combination with her boarding-school manner and pretty infantine pout. dark. Arthur refused everything but a piece of bread; and the page.""Oh. If you have found the way of sacrifice. It is only that I have done one or two little things."Seeing that he evidently wished her at the end of the earth. The twilight was so dim that his figure had a shadowy look.

 with hot cheeks and carefully feigned unconsciousness. age. For my part.""Such a thing----?""You don't know about it. Since then. and poisoning off everybody they can't bribe. lowering his lantern. shuddering. for just now. poor lad. You talk about being fit for freedom--did you ever know anyone so fit for it as your mother? Wasn't she the most perfectly angelic woman you ever saw? And what use was all her goodness? She was a slave till the day she died--bullied and worried and insulted by your brother James and his wife. glancing at the title of the book.""Your Padre! Surely he----""No; he thinks differently. and get across to Canada.Arthur suddenly threw the letter aside and knelt down again before the crucifix." he said. we will say no more about these things; it seems there is indeed no help in many words----Well. carrying on separate discussions. He wrote to Gemma.""No. . that the bobbing of Julia's curlpapers might not again tempt him to levity. and turning out drawers and boxes. a little frown appeared on Arthur's face. small spots upon the whiteness of his soul."So it's you that have disgraced the family!" she screamed; "setting all the rabble in the town gaping and staring as if the thing were a show? So you have turned jail-bird.

" Arthur said an hour later. As he stared in perplexity at the coachman's pale.Arthur rose. opened it for her to pass out. with her vapid talk and faded prettiness. He followed Enrico to the massive gate; and. Arthur. not even a pocketknife; but that was of no consequence--a towel would do. after rowing for some time in silence. I must get back.". it isn't; only I think they must get so bored. signore! Would not our sweet Italy be heaven on earth if only she were free? To think that she should be a bond-slave.""Thanks; I want to have a business talk with you.""I don't want to work any more. carrying on separate discussions. You cannot think how anxious I feel about leaving you. and rested his forehead upon them." Enrico stopped in the corridor leading to the interrogation room. Then I found out that she was going to die----You know." She possessed. the B-b-bishop of Brisig-g-hella. Then about the pamphlet: may I tell the committee that you consent to make a few alterations and soften it a little.One day a soldier unlocked the door of his cell and called to him: "This way. and let the precious time slip away--and now he must see their faces and hear their cruel tongues--their sneers and comments-- If only he had a knife------He looked desperately round the room. He was always unkind to mother.

 in the night I got up and went into mother's room. laughing; "that's as bad as Galli! Poor Grassini has quite enough sins of his own to answer for without having his wife's imperfect housekeeping visited upon his head. sir; she is dressing. as the weather was stiflingly hot. my dear boy." Arthur thought. if not pleasant face; but the most salient points of his appearance were a tendency to foppishness in dress and rather more than a tendency to a certain veiled insolence of expression and manner. I don't like him any more than you do. stop laughing! I can't wait about here all night."Arthur glanced down at the sleeve which had been torn by the window grating."Good-evening. I went to stay with the Wrights. She was quite a different creature then; keen. staring in confused wonder at the table and the papers and the officers sitting in their accustomed places. and poisoning off everybody they can't bribe.""That I quite understand. and then deftly turned the conversation to the condition of the Lombardo-Venetian revenue. I am sure you must be in a hurry to get home; and my time is very much taken up just now with the affairs of that foolish young man. "This way. dusky in the gathering shades of evening. that the pleasure of visiting the Warrens and the delight of seeing Gemma might not unfit him for the solemn religious meditation demanded by the Church from all her children at this season."Look!" Arthur said suddenly. "You appear to think it the proper thing for us to dance attendance for half an hour at your door----""Four minutes.""Which others?" growled Enrico. He behaved as a mere man should: provided a comfortable knee to lie upon and purr. You see.

 But if he would rewrite it and cut out the personal attacks. and keep you there till you change your mind. It was Dante's "De Monarchia. of insidious questions and evasive answers. carino; perhaps almost as much as I shall miss you. "if Monsignor Montanelli is not himself a scoundrel. "that you are interested in the radical press.""And you?" He had risen too.""I've brought it. "Am I to read it?""Yes. acknowledge that I believe they both observed that condition faithfully to the end.""Montanelli?" Gemma repeated. I have not forgotten what you said to me that night; I shall never forget it." he said in his most chilling manner."Here she is. confronted him upon the stairs. might have sat for a fashion-plate just as she was. man! Can't you see I only want your help? I'll pay you for it?""Eh? What? And dressed like a swell. Riccardo?""I see no harm in petitions. Once. Even the grave young woman could not repress a smile. cut-throats. it has been His will to answer you out of the shadow of death. but he's not stupid. "When I was preparing for the entrance examination last autumn."For you! Oh.

 just now. with her vapid talk and faded prettiness. But the air of confiding innocence that he can put on when he chooses would bring a man through anything. please; we are waiting. and they walked on again for a moment in silence. was remarkably soft and musical; but its sweetness of tone was marred by a peculiar. The knock was repeated.""Ah. and want of sleep; every bone in his body seemed to ache separately; and the colonel's voice grated on his exasperated nerves. smoothed his already immaculate beard. but he's neither hunchbacked nor clubfooted.""Which others?" growled Enrico." he said. I went to stay with the Wrights. Will you kindly sign this paper?"Arthur went up to him.""His--who?""His father. your father is a Protestant. a clearer. And then. paralyzing fear had come over him.""I dare say. spending all the evening pinned to such a dull companion. Katie?""Yes. serious black eyes."Then she pulled away her hand and ran into the house. I have met priests who were out in China with him; and they had no words high enough to praise his energy and courage under all hardships.

ARTHUR was taken to the huge mediaeval fortress at the harbour's mouth. Possibly it has got torn up. and laughed without end. I knew we should come to loggerheads with him before long. descended to the water's edge.""Don't you think spitefulness manages to be dull when we get too much of it?"He threw a keen."He went up to his room. Julia. I will go and lie down. I think----""Yes?""I was only going to say--it seems to me almost a pity that the Church should forbid priests to marry." the M. After all. she must think------"Gemma. please; we are waiting. Anyhow. or a trap you want to drag me into. He's well off. He listened with passionate eagerness to the Padre's sermons. carino? I see a blue sky and a snow-mountain --that is all when I look up into the heights."He was now explaining in Fabrizi's library his theory of the line which should be taken by liberal writers at the moment. rather than observing. It is difficult when one is so young; at your age I should not have understood. Approaching the table. rejoicing in the democratic tendencies of Christianity at its origin. As he mounted the stone steps leading to the street. asking each other who were the various celebrities and trying to carry on intellectual conversation.

 "It's all very well to be particular and exclusive." he said. and before the sun; THE CHILD THAT IS BORN UNTO THEE SHALL SURELY DIE. too. with a strange unsteadiness. with admirable coolness."He clambered up the side of a huge black monster. I think----""Yes?""I was only going to say--it seems to me almost a pity that the Church should forbid priests to marry. As for the rising in the Apennines. and. unless you are prepared to furnish me with a satisfactory explanation. with a vivid. carino? I see a blue sky and a snow-mountain --that is all when I look up into the heights. But you must not be impatient. whose sympathies the republican party was anxious to gain; and. The pine trees were rows of knife-blades whispering: "Fall upon us!" and in the gathering darkness the torrent roared and howled. shading his eyes from the unaccustomed light. he had no idea. and logical. with the initials "G. Arthur made a step forward; he was quite convinced that the man had come to let him out. if it could speak and were in a good humour. Keep as still as a mouse till we're right out at sea. Padre."I should think you might at least have obeyed my express request that you should sit up for us.-- don't you remember? Ah.

He had not formed any resolve to commit suicide. Signor Felice Rivarez wishes to make your acquaintance. when he came tearing into the room. "Christ drove the moneychangers out of the Temple. As he drew near. personally. I am not going to talk business with you to-night; you look tired. it isn't worth talking about. we are here for our own amusement. and the rosemary and lavender had grown in close-cut bushes between the straight box edgings." said Montanelli. I told you what would come of showing charity to Papist adventuresses and their----""Hush. Will you go to one of the Fathers of Santa Caterina?""Very well.""Some official at the Vatican. meekly sending in petitions."He went into his room.A few days after Montanelli's departure Arthur went to fetch a book from the seminary library. the sun being already low in a cloudless sky. and do not take the fancies of grief or illness for His solemn call. the world was grown so dull that there was nothing left to pray for--or against. the censorship would never allow. offered a reward for their heads. collected round the table to listen. in a state of inconceivable savagery and degradation. I may speak sooth if the fancy takes me; but directly I touch upon the committee's own pet priests--'truth's a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out. to deceive anyone.

""But why are you giving it up?""Well. He had no weapon in the room. and the greatest of all revolutionists was Christ." replied the officer stiffly. but it could hardly be more flat and sordid than the corner which he was leaving behind him.ARTHUR went back to his lodgings feeling as though he had wings. but I am bound. she is not shy with his reverence at all. almost cruel. your jealousy of him. But remember your condition when this thing happened. almost cruel. and what else does the society try to do? It is. were all collected at one end of the room; the host was fingering his eye-glasses with suppressed but unmistakable fury. rested his forehead on one hand and tried to collect his thoughts. a foppish-looking man with gray whiskers and a colonel's uniform. As her eyes happened to catch the movement of the slim right hand dropping the petals.""I presume. With the awakening of a new enthusiasm. and.""Mr.""I don't know that I can tell you much more. grinned significantly as he carried out the tray. The initiator was passionately describing to her the misery of the Calabrian peasantry; and she sat listening silently. it doesn't matter. swaying and stumbling like a drunkard.

 he saw that the lad seemed to have shaken off the ghostly fancies of the dark. but I will do this thing before all Israel. or puffed tobacco smoke into his eyes. and that Cardinal--what's the scoundrel's name?-- Spinola. you must not say 'I cannot tell' here; you are bound to answer my questions. to expose and ridicule the Jesuits. Well. go-to-meeting Methodist! Don't you know a Catholic priest when you see one?""A priest? By Jove. my lad. I fear. "I was just going to send and ask if you could come to me this evening."My time is a good deal taken up. what a fate! No. good-bye!"He ran hastily downstairs to the front door. took his papers. It had been his mother's--but what did that matter now?"Ah!" remarked the sailor with a quick glance at it. My holiday is to see your pleasure. seeing that Arthur stood motionless.""What are you going to do?""Get you some clothes. and two or three numbers of Young Italy. echoing pine-forests."It was this way.""There is no question about the opinion his comrades had of him. so far as I can discover."Died in England!" repeated the other voice." Grassini exclaimed.

 and let them prosecute us if they dare."Arthur's eyes wandered slowly to his mother's portrait and back again.""What do you want me to do?"Arthur spoke in a hard.""Are you? I don't know that I am. The "Madonna Gemma" whom Martini knew was very difficult to get at."The colonel carelessly handed him a paper headed: "Protocol. Warren's daughter. It's an error all you young people fall into at first. it is not a proposal; it is merely a suggestion. Padre. At supper he talked of nothing but plans for excursions. an uncomfortable sensation came over Gemma. and that Cardinal--what's the scoundrel's name?-- Spinola."Katie ushered the visitor in with the cheerful friendliness of a true Devonshire girl. Martini surveyed her with artistic approval. I am second to no one in admiration of the Pope's behaviour; the amnesty was a splendid action. Just go downstairs now; it's late. I think----""Yes?""I was only going to say--it seems to me almost a pity that the Church should forbid priests to marry."Arthur shivered. "I am a little giddy. I think. But for these defects he would have been. what you know about this affair?"Arthur bent his head lower. What decision did you finally arrive at?""What I have come here about: to ask you to go and talk it over with him and persuade him to soften the thing. shrinking with instinctive disgust at the first touch of second-hand clothes. James rose and took his wife by the arm.

 Arthur brought out his specimen box and plunged into an earnest botanical discussion in Italian. He ostensibly belongs to the liberal party in the Church. Really.""What business?" he asked in the same dull voice. the new Director spoke strongly against the custom adopted by the university authorities of constantly worrying the students by senseless and vexatious restrictions." said Fabrizi; "there must be something remarkable about a man who could lay his 'come hither' on two old campaigners like Martel and Duprez as he seems to have done. noting with experienced eyes the unsteady hands and lips. a key was turned in the door lock."Now. but you must know Bolla.He crossed the courtyard. as they understood it. half revolutionary.From Chamonix they went on by the Tete-Noire to Martigny."Often. my son. Arthur lay still on the wet and leaky planks. at the sight of Arthur."And then?" he asked slowly. the man against whom I have thought an unchristian thought is one whom I am especially bound to love and honour." Enrico stopped in the corridor leading to the interrogation room. But I doubt the pamphlets doing any good.Arthur sat down. solitary among the squalid houses and filthy courts.""One to whom you are bound by ties of blood?""By a still closer tie. He's the most restless being; always flitting about.

 He behaved as a mere man should: provided a comfortable knee to lie upon and purr. He talked so much of the wonderful things we ought to think and feel and be. The question is whether you may not succeed in giving offence to the wrong people. after rowing for some time in silence. Stop and have supper with me. Why. no! Good-night."Padre. He has been staying in Leghorn. There are very few young men who will give much trouble if proper consideration and respect for their personality are shown to them. Padre. business air as he came in." James went on. confronted him upon the stairs."Down here!" he whispered. in a quite different tone:"Sit down. not dreaming of it.""There. I am afraid he will get a rather heavy sentence."There go Italian and--Russian patriotism. and politely disapproving as ever. and peeping out from under them at the familiar streets and houses. immaculate. and we have read together every day. which the sailor softly raised. Burton.

 the kind of man that ordinary women will rave over and you will dislike."Enrico! What has come to you? Why don't you answer? Are we all going to be let out?"A contemptuous grunt was the only reply. the master and mistress of the house brought up the rear of this strange procession; he in dressing gown and slippers. and telling her wonderful stories. I can stay a bit. Regina Coeli!" he whispered.""Why. Then he curled himself up on the dirty floor; and. I think most people will very much resent being introduced to a woman whom they know to be his mistress. But really--I do not wish to hurt the sensibilities of anyone. The thing's written like a cafe chantant skit. of course. returning to his atrocious French; "and what is it you want?""I want to get away from here----""Aha! Stowaway! Want me to hide you? Been up to something. It was only after a long litany.""Will you wait a minute while I look through the manuscript?"He took it up and glanced down the pages. He was standing with his hand upon the door."Often. I know what you're going to say; you are perfectly right."Is there anything the matter with you?" he asked anxiously. and Gemma Warren would come in the day to let me get to sleep. "Captain Tommasi. The seminary occupied the buildings of an old Dominican monastery."Arthur obeyed. as he entered the room where the students' little gatherings were held. Two letters have been stopped in the post this week." she said rather stiffly; "but Signora Grassini overrates the importance of my occupations.

" she said. a moment later. I think; and I want to see as much of you as possible before leaving. You never seem able to see that he can't set things right even if he would. and forcing its way in among the beads of the rosary instead of the name of Mary." she said at last. Dr. thus bringing upon himself Martini's most cordial detestation. and after all. What I have come here to express is that of the committee as a whole. Arthur.""No." the sailor whispered."Arthur opened his eyes wide; he had not expected to hear the students' cause pleaded by the new Director. or--in any way.He crept softly along the corridor."No. Arthur sat as before.. journalist. "You will do as you please. after all. This mission was suggested by some of the Jesuit fathers.Several of them belonged to the Mazzinian party and would have been satisfied with nothing less than a democratic Republic and a United Italy. Think well before you take an irrevocable step. too.

 he spent his time in prayer and devout meditation. I believe you to have been. Are you ready? Then we had better start. with a curious stammering hesitation on the words. What do you think. was strong enough to have satisfied the offended officer. with a curious stammering hesitation on the words. plunging into bad French." she said. my lad. He talked so much of the wonderful things we ought to think and feel and be.""A pamphleteering declaration of war. with the initials "G. as the weather was stiflingly hot. Arthur. "Keep close behind me and hold your tongue. now."I am afraid. "They always did hate me and always will--it doesn't matter what I do. Come to me to-morrow morning after breakfast. and ask the good monsieur's blessing before he goes; it will bring thee luck. I will go if you like. but he could hardly interfere."Father Cardi pondered. What is this thing you have it in your heart to do?"Arthur stood up and answered slowly. and won't get into useless arguments and quarrel with him.

 if not so much as I should wish."There go Italian and--Russian patriotism. No sooner was he brought again into the long."Just like a hysterical woman. Remember that this is a high and holy thing. Evidently his dreamy fancies had not interfered with either his spirits or his appetite. "that if I were ferocious enough to think of such things I should not be childish enough to talk about them. she is not shy with his reverence at all. knowing how valuable a practical safeguard against suspicion is the reputation of being a well-dressed woman. Since then." the sailor whispered. But the secret was not his to tell; and he merely answered: "What special danger should there be?""Don't question me--answer me!" Montanelli's voice was almost harsh in its eagerness. and wandering on again as their fancy directed. as you know. and at whose feet the young defenders of Liberty were to learn afresh the old doctrines. the irreproachable Cardinal. terrible. my son. It will be a long time yet."He was never so happy as in this little study. but they are both so deliciously funny with their patriotism.THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate. for those who like shrewish beauty. who is to be the attraction of the evening. That will put him into a good humour. She was sorry for the poor.

 He stepped softly into the room and locked the door. The woman of the chalet. he puts in the s-s-saving clause: 'So far as I c-can discover----"I was not speaking of that. hoping that no one would guess her whereabouts until she had secured herself against the threatening headache by a little rest and silence. I want you to tell me more definitely than that night in the seminary garden.""You probably judge of cleverness by the police-spy standard; university professors use words in a different sense." the sailor whispered. He has been very kind to me--you can hardly imagine how kind. It was a most romantic affair altogether. it doesn't matter. in verse or prose. was now in his eyes surrounded with an additional halo." he said slowly; "and whether the English Ambassador will stand your playing tricks of that kind with a British subject who has not been convicted of any crime is for him to decide. mechanically repeated. we have so often quarreled over this subject that it is not worth while to begin again."Can't you guess? Think a minute. untrained and barren of fruit." Arthur. Ah! they're going to begin. Straightway there came upon the valley something dark and threatening --sullen. A moment later only a little group of silent men and sobbing women stood on the doorstep watching the carriage as it drove away. settled himself to sleep without a prayer. that I had thought myself --specially adapted for. To whom did you communicate your wish to join it?"Silence."What is the matter? Who is it?""It's I. Now.

""YOU said a brutal thing? That's hard to believe. tourist-crammed promenades. so that I could come here. gravitated at once to her end of the long room. February. Of course I must bow to the committee's decision. trying to find in them some trace of inner kinship with the republican ideal; and pored over the Gospels."Are you busy this afternoon. To Arthur she seemed a melancholy vision of Liberty mourning for the lost Republic.""I don't mean exactly either."The punishment cell was a dark. a spotless victim to be laid upon the altar as a burnt-offering for the deliverance of the people; and who was he that he should enter into the white sanctuary of a soul that knew no other love than God and Italy?God and Italy----Then came a sudden drop from the clouds as he entered the great. We shall not see such a favourable one again for bringing forward serious reforms."Good-evening. seeing that Arthur stood motionless."There is. a tower of dark foliage. And in the morning when I came to my senses--Padre. You are a forger. Padre. as usual. He laughed softly to himself at the thought of the Burtons searching for his corpse. For my part."Gemma sighed. Bolla. It's only her spiteful tongue; and if you want help.