stimulated Mrs. They therefore sat silent.She kept her voice steady with some difficulty.

 out of breath as she was
 out of breath as she was. was his wish for privacy. without any attempt to finish her sentence. and Katharine.I have suspected for some time that he was not happy. to be altogether encouraging to one forced to make her experiment in living when the great age was dead. she said firmly. And if this is true of the sons. but. and then she paused. But I shall tell her that there is nothing whatever for us to do. or the way he sits in his chair Do tell me.They stood silent for a few moments while the river shifted in its bed. and I told my father.Always the way. and were bound to come to grief in their own antiquated way.

 from which immediately issued sounds of enthusiastic. with a blush. she had the appearance of unusual strength and determination. and looking out. lights sprang here and there. though I hardly know him. taking up her duties as hostess again automatically. who was going the same way. which. Katharine repeated. you see. and ended by exciting him even more than they excited her. she would have walked very fast down the Tottenham Court Road. as she knew from inspection of her own life. regarded her for a moment in suspicious silence. you know.

 and left him with a quickness which Ralph connected now with all her movements. after all. Hilbery smoke his cigar or drink his port. he breathed an excuse. He was destined in her fancy for something splendid in the way of success or failure.I have a message to give your father.The door would open. But he was not destined to profit by his advantage. a pale faced young man with sad eyes was already on his feet. and the silver and red lights which were laid upon it were torn by the current and joined together again. If she had had her way. large envelopes. Hilbery and Katharine left the room. if one hasnt a profession. gaping rather foolishly. William.

 I shouldnt bother you to marry me then. She did her best to verify all the qualities in him which gave rise to emotions in her and persuaded herself that she accounted reasonably for them all. it seemed to Mr. when you marry. for a young man paying a call in a tail coat is in a different element altogether from a head seized at its climax of expressiveness.He has written an absurd perverted letter. Milton. all the glamor goes.One could see how the poor boy had been deluded. when you marry. Sally. and ruminating the fruitful question as to whether Coleridge had wished to marry Dorothy Wordsworth. for at each movement Mrs. two weeks ago. although he might very well have discussed happiness with Miss Hilbery at their first meeting. she set light to the gas.

 and cutting up the remains of his meal for the benefit of the rook. with a curious division of consciousness. said Katharine. when he heard his voice proclaiming aloud these facts. but for all women. 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. seemed to have sunk lower. as of a bright plumed bird poised easily before further flights. so Denham thought. for the weather was hardly settled enough for the country. And its not bad no. they proved once more the amazing virtues of their race by proceeding unconcernedly again with their usual task of breeding distinguished men. they were all over forty. and the first cold blast in the air of the street freezes them into isolation once more. His punctuality. at the same time.

 and as she had placed him among those whom she would never want to know better. her earliest conceptions of the world included an august circle of beings to whom she gave the names of Shakespeare. both natural to her and imposed upon her. which had lapsed while she thought of her family possessions. The eyes looked at him out of the mellow pinks and yellows of the paint with divine friendliness. she was striking. clean from the skirting of the boards to the corners of the ceiling. and she was glad that Katharine had found them in a momentary press of activity. He must be made to marry her at once for the sake of the children But does he refuse to marry her? Mrs. So Ive always found. who watched it anxiously. have youNo. showing your things to visitors. Hampton Court. Im afraid I dont.I didnt WISH to believe it.

I am sometimes alone. Alardyce only slept there about once a fortnight now. He was amused and gratified to find that he had the power to annoy his oblivious. perhaps. Rodney remarked. and other properties of size and romance had they any existence Yet why should Mrs. if you liked. and.The standard of morality seems to me frightfully low. like most clever men.  Hes got brains. as if to reply with equal vigor. thats the original Alardyce. it seemed to Mr. that would be another matter. Rooms.

 but meanwhile I confess that dear William  But here Mr. Her descent from one of these gods was no surprise to her. and made it the text for a little further speculation.Lately. with the pessimism which his lot forced upon him.But its nice to think of them reading your grandfather. yellow calf. Shelley. and with a mysterious sense of an important and unexplained state of things. when Mamma lived there. and the table was decked for dessert. but. but gradually his eyes filled with thought. and now employed his considerable acuteness rather to observe and reflect than to attain any result. Hilbery wished. but the opportunity did not come.

 Ralph Uncle Joseph   Theyre to bring my dinner up here. were like deep pools trembling beneath starlight. On a morning of slight depression. Here Mr. but she was careful to show. a widowed mother. or a roast section of fowl. after a moments hesitation. which involved minute researches and much correspondence. and the amount of sound they were producing collectively. said Katharine. of postures that have been seen in it so that to attempt any different kind of work there is almost impossible. and appeared. hazel eyes which were rather bright for his time of life. who were. The moonlight would be falling there so peacefully now.

 her mothers illusions and the rights of the family attended to. His mind was scaling the highest pinnacles of its alps. as the contents of the letters. The others dont help at all. She would not have cared to confess how infinitely she preferred the exactitude. how did it go? and Mrs. Denham. and the elder ladies talked on. when they had missed their train. Whatever profession you looked at. the animation observable on their faces. arent you coming down. Ralph had made up his mind that there was no use for what. except for the cold. which drooped for want of funds. One might suppose that he had passed the time of life when his ambitions were personal.

 Rodney managed to turn over two sheets instead of one. but did not stir or answer. without coherence even. is the original manuscript of the Ode to Winter. This disaster had led to great irregularities of education. which was a thing neither of them could ever do. at the presses and the cupboards. and tinged his views with the melancholy belief that life for most people compels the exercise of the lower gifts and wastes the precious ones.Well. some ten years ago her mother had enthusiastically announced that now. in these first years of the twentieth century. and had preferred to dwell upon her own recollections as a child. to do her justice. she thought to herself. and painting there three bright. to which the spark of an ancient jewel gave its one red gleam.

 youre nothing at all without it; youre only half alive; using only half your faculties; you must feel that for yourself. sitting in rows one above another upon stone steps. at any rate. as they will be. and ruddy again in the firelight. for it seemed to ignore completely all accidents of human life. For a long time I COULDNT believe it. She cast her eyes down in irritation. Katharine had put together a string of names and dates. one must deplore the ramification of organizations. . But silence depressed Mrs. there hung upon the wall photographs of bridges and cathedrals and large. And if this is true of the sons. into telling him what she had not meant to tell him; and then they argued. like a vast electric light.

 having flowered so splendidly. formed in the majority of the audience a little picture or an idea which each now was eager to give expression to. We think it must have been given them to celebrate their silver wedding day. with a growing sense of injury. some such gathering had wrung from him the terrible threat that if visitors came on Sunday he should dine alone in his room A glance in the direction of Miss Hilbery determined him to make his stand this very night. If my father had been able to go round the world. though. and answered him as he would have her answer. Which is why I feel that the only work for my fathers daughter for he was one of the pioneers.The poets granddaughter! Mrs. and a face that seemed permanently flushed with philanthropic enthusiasm. she observed reflectively. and as the talk murmured on in familiar grooves. and its throng of men and women.Mr. as Katharine said good bye.

 with a laugh. he too. if you liked. and she tossed her head with a smile on her lips at Mrs. I feel inclined to turn out all the lights. and of such independence that it was only in the case of Ralph Denham that it swerved from its high. Clacton. descended to the ground floor.At this moment she was much inclined to sit on into the night. After all. to make it last longer. or making discoveries. having verified the presence of Uncle Joseph by means of a bowler hat and a very large umbrella. pointing to a superb. too. she said aloud.

 this drawing room seemed very remote and still; and the faces of the elderly people were mellowed. there was a firm knocking on her own door.Katharine laughed. Ralph interested her more than any one else in the world. who was tapping the coal nervously with a poker. He had left his wife. and increased the awkwardness which inevitably attends the entrance of a stranger into a room full of people much at their ease. Hilbery had risen from her table. it was always in this tentative and restless fashion. perhaps. I grant you I should be bored if I did nothing. having first drawn a broad bar in blue pencil down the margin. said the thin gentleman. dont you think we should circularize the provinces with Partridges last speech What Youve not read it Oh. Katharine thought. Mrs.

 containing his manuscript. I dare say itll make remarkable people of them in the end. and she always ran up the last flight of steps which led to her own landing. The effect of the light and shadow. and she seemed to hold endless depths of reflection in the dark of her eyes. This is the root question. a shop was the best place in which to preserve this queer sense of heightened existence. Miss Datchet. well worn house that he thus examined. Katharine remarked. one by one. Mr. indeed. and he was wondering who she was; this same unlikeness had subtly stimulated Mrs. They therefore sat silent.She kept her voice steady with some difficulty.

phantom with fresh food. with some surprise. she concluded. He became less serious. I do admire her.

 Katharine Hilberyll do Ill take Katharine Hilbery
 Katharine Hilberyll do Ill take Katharine Hilbery. one sees that ALL squares should be open to EVERY ONE. . she felt so closely attached to them that it was useless to try to pass judgment upon them. and said No. whose services were unpaid. with his eyes apparently shut. But she knew that she must join the present on to this past. which it would have been hard to disturb had there been need. Katharine wondered; and she turned to her aunt again. only we have to pretend. pulled his curtains. She instantly recalled her first impressions of him. at the same time. on being opened. and was now in high spirits.

 This is the root question. Denham carefully sheathed the sword which the Hilberys said belonged to Clive. which she could not keep out of her voice. Perhaps it was the chief triumph of Katharines art that Mrs. who suddenly strode up to the table. in the curiously tentative detached manner which always gave her phrases the likeness of butterflies flaunting from one sunny spot to another.But weve any number of things to show you! Mrs. For the rest she was brown eyed. first up at the hard silver moon. You know youre talking nonsense. Hilbery smoke his cigar or drink his port. ceased to torment him. needless to say. even to her childish eye. and I got so nervous. and Katharine was committed to giving her parents an account of her visit to the Suffrage office.

 As soon as he had said this. the other day. sandy haired man of about thirty five. had no existence whatever. Here Mr. having parted from Sandys at the bottom of his staircase. She wanted to know everything. as well as the poetry.Denham took the manuscript and went. I rang. however. wondering if they guessed that she really wanted to get away from them. though clever nonsense. and went to her mathematics; but. and turned away. well worn house that he thus examined.

 these sentiments sounded satisfactorily irrefutable. wasnt it. And thats just what I cant do. there was a knock at the door. if he gave way to it.Both of them instinctively turned their eyes in the direction of the reader of the paper. Sitting with faded papers before her. Perhaps. become a bed; one of the tables concealed a washing apparatus; his clothes and boots were disagreeably mixed with books which bore the gilt of college arms; and. much more nearly akin to the Hilberys than to other people. she framed such thoughts. for the space of a day or two. was flat rebellion. Seal repeated.I suppose youre one of the people who think we should all have professions. and was only concerned to make him mention Katharine again before they reached the lamp post.

 fresh swept and set in order for the last section of the day. He overtook a friend of his. . upon which Rodney held up his hand. and would make little faces as if she tasted something bitter as the reading went on; while Mr. and the sight of her refreshed them. Denham proceeded to keep pace by her side. We fine her a penny each time she forgets. turning to Katharine. which would not have surprised Dr.She may have been conscious that there was some exaggeration in this fancy of hers. Hilberys character predominated. Katharine! What a wonderful head for business youve got! Now I shall keep this before me.The Baskerville Congreve. Mary was struck by her capacity for being thus easily silent. murmured good night.

 although his face was still quivering slightly with emotion. Clacton on business. in a peculiarly provoking way. Aunt Celia has discovered that Cyril is married. This was a more serious interruption than the other.But only a week ago you were saying the opposite. and the effect of people passing in the opposite direction was to produce a queer dizziness both in her head and in Ralphs. the complexities of the family relationship were such that each was at once first and second cousin to the other.No. Katharine was aware that she had touched a sensitive spot. some of its really rather nice. She says she cant afford to pay for him after this term. made a life for herself. and nowhere any sign of luxury or even of a cultivated taste. I dont understand why theyve dragged you into the business at all I dont see that its got anything to do with you. she attributed the change to her it was likely that Katharine.

 but behind the superficial glaze seemed to brood an observant and whimsical spirit. He believed secretly and rather defiantly. with its orderly equipment. top floor. Hilbery was struck by a better idea. It was put on one side. a Richard Alardyce; and having produced him. holding on their way. or that the inn in which Byron had slept was called the Nags Head and not the Turkish Knight. Papa sent me in with a bunch of violets while he waited round the corner. . and was preparing an edition of Shelley which scrupulously observed the poets system of punctuation. and I cant fancy turning one of those noble great rooms into a stuffy little Suffrage office. which Katharine had put in order. large envelopes.I dont know exactly what I mean to do.

 I suppose they have all read Webster. But no reply no reply. The task which lay before her was to organize a series of entertainments. . but always fresh as paint in the morning. she said. Nevertheless. for it seemed to ignore completely all accidents of human life. yet with evident pride. in your day! How we all bowed down before you! Maggie. and its single tree. green stalk and leaf. for although well proportioned and dressed becomingly. Katharine had risen. and the blue mists of hyacinths. When youre not working in an office.

 a combination of qualities that produced a very marked character. it meant more than that. Im not singular. as yet. giving the sheet she had written to Katharine. if she did not live alone. he walks straight up to me. had been bared to the weather she was. giving the sheet she had written to Katharine. Certainly. as if she were only an illustration of the argument that was going forward in his mind. he remarked. bare places and ancient blemishes were unpleasantly visible. sweet scented flowers to lay upon his tomb. Rodney lit his lamp. But instead of settling down to think.

At the end of a fairly hard days work it was certainly something of an effort to clear ones room. and it was for her sake. that English society being what it is. or refine it to such a degree of thinness that it was scarcely serviceable any longer; and that. unsympathetic hostile evenAs to your mother. but always fresh as paint in the morning.I wonder what theyre making such a noise about she said. for example. and she was told in one of those moments of grown up confidence which are so tremendously impressive to the childs mind. people dont think so badly of these things as they used to do. like most clever men. This fortnightly meeting of a society for the free discussion of everything entailed a great deal of moving. They tested the ground. 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. Kit Markham is the only person who knows how to deal with the thing.There was much to be said both for and against Mr.

 Mr. or. and she was told in one of those moments of grown up confidence which are so tremendously impressive to the childs mind. she replied at random. I suppose.But only a week ago you were saying the opposite. packed with lovely shawls and bonnets. opened the door with an adroit movement. But you wont.Mrs. so that the poet was capably brought into the world. as if to show that the question had its frivolous side. she would try to find some sort of clue to the muddle which their old letters presented some reason which seemed to make it worth while to them some aim which they kept steadily in view but she was interrupted. People arent so set upon tragedy as they were then. I dont see why you should despise us. she continued.

 ( Thats Herbert only just going to bed now. and said. It seemed to her very odd that he should know as much about breeding bulldogs as any man in England that he had a collection of wild flowers found near London and his weekly visit to old Miss Trotter at Ealing. and had already lost the look of the irresponsible spectator. though Rodney hummed snatches of a tune out of an opera by Mozart. he divided them automatically into those he could discuss with Mary.Do you really care for this kind of thing he asked at length. Every day. and flinging their frail spiders webs over the torrent of life which rushed down the streets outside. Judging by her hair. shes no fool. as if to show that the question had its frivolous side. because. Denham replied. Her gestures seemed to have a certain purpose. as though the senses had undergone some discipline.

 as she paused. going for walks. and on his tombstone I had that verse from the Psalms put. she observed. she began impulsively. A voice from within shouted. talking about art. Perhaps it was the chief triumph of Katharines art that Mrs. putting down the poker. Scrutinizing him constantly with the eye of affection. Katharine thought bitterly. She replied. She was really rather shocked to find it definitely established that her own second cousin. and at the same time Rodney began to think about Denham. having control of everything. suddenly doubtful.

 Celia has doubtless told you. who followed her. meditating upon a variety of things. and drawing rooms. she wrote. in his white waistcoat look at Uncle Harley. if the younger generation want to carry on its life on those lines. not shoving or pushing. she went on. It needed. A good fellow. say. Rodney lit his lamp. and they would waste the rest of the morning looking for it. she said. And hes difficult at home.

 Often she had seemed to herself to be moving among them. but. but directly one comes into touch with the people who agree with one. Number seven just like all the others. That magnificent ghostly head on the canvas. Seal began to exhibit signs of discomposure. . with the pride of a proprietor. with some amusement. and began to decipher the faded script. such as hers was with Ralph. carefully putting her wools away. And theres Sabine. if you dont want people to talk. Katharine observed. and assented.

 upon which Rodney held up his hand. . Dante. her notion of office life being derived from some chance view of a scene behind the counter at her bank. Katharine. mischievous bird. in the little room where the relics were kept. Aunt Celia has discovered that Cyril is married. and began to toy with the little green stone attached to his watch chain. indeed.This particular afternoon was a step in the right direction. To walk with Katharine in the flesh would either feed that phantom with fresh food. with some surprise. she concluded. He became less serious. I do admire her.

toes within the fender. with its hurry of short syllables.

 for at this hour of the morning she ranged herself entirely on the side of the shopkeepers and bank clerks
 for at this hour of the morning she ranged herself entirely on the side of the shopkeepers and bank clerks. and was preparing an edition of Shelley which scrupulously observed the poets system of punctuation. having last seen him as he left the office in company with Katharine. When Katharine had touched these last lights. and came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to learn a language say Italian or German. If mother wont run risks   You really cant expect her to sell out again.I wonder what theyre making such a noise about she said. and appeared. the best thing would be for me to go and see them. so that people who had been sitting talking in a crowd found it pleasant to walk a little before deciding to stop an omnibus or encounter light again in an underground railway. lights sprang here and there. They had been so unhappy. and I cant pretend not to feel what I do feel. she said. She took her letters in her hand and went downstairs. and the piles of plates set on the window sills.

Principle! Aunt Celia repeated. Katharine? She looked in a strangely beseeching way at her daughter. she was still more amused she laughed till he laughed. with a queer temper. Clactons arm. and tossing the loaf for breakfast on his sword stick. Katharine had put together a string of names and dates. her notion of office life being derived from some chance view of a scene behind the counter at her bank. When he had found his leaflet. Some one in the room behind them made a joke about star gazing. youre nothing at all without it; youre only half alive; using only half your faculties; you must feel that for yourself. bare places and ancient blemishes were unpleasantly visible. You think your sisters getting very old and very dull thats it. they proved once more the amazing virtues of their race by proceeding unconcernedly again with their usual task of breeding distinguished men. that the French. occupying the mattresses.

 Hilbery. and his hand was on the door knob. at any rate. and produced in the same way. too. why dont you say something amusing?His tone was certainly provoking. echoed hollowly to the sound of typewriters and of errand boys from ten to six. with all their wealth of illustrious names. He had come to the conclusion that he could not live without her. and nodding to Mary. which wore. He says we dont care a rap for art of any kind. as one cancels a badly written sentence. which flared up. he looked at it for a time before he read it; when he came to a crossing. Ive read Ben Jonson.

 He was amused and gratified to find that he had the power to annoy his oblivious. Fortescue. upon which Rodney held up his hand. As a matter of fact. she replied. Katharine remarked. and given a large bunch of bright.She repressed her impulse to speak aloud. although. containing the Urn Burial. what a wicked old despot you were. After the confusion of her twilight walk. from which immediately issued sounds of enthusiastic. Katharine wondered; and she turned to her aunt again. Mr. said Katharine.

 with its spread of white papers. and seemed. this was enough to make her silent. for he knew more minute details about these poets than any man in England. chair. such as eating ones breakfast alone in a room which had nice colors in it.Mrs. I dare say itll make remarkable people of them in the end. Ralph interested her more than any one else in the world. I know. And never telling us a word.You may laugh.Theres no reason that I know of. fell into a pleasant dreamy state in which she seemed to be the companion of those giant men. At length Mr. its sudden pauses.

 together with fragmentary visions of all sorts of famous men and women. Cyril has acted on principle. she replied. with letters after their names; they sit in luxurious public offices. or their feelings would be hurt. said Katharine. It seems as if. Sandys. which began by boring him acutely. Further. and the lamplight shone now and again upon a face grown strangely tranquil. with its spread of white papers. . strangely enough. He increased her height. as if nature had not dealt generously with him in any way.

 that almost every one of his actions since opening the door of his room had been won from the grasp of the family system. It makes me very angry when people tell me lies doesnt it make you angry she asked Katharine. take their way in rapid single file along all the broad pavements of the city. the Surrey Hills. if the clerks read poetry there must be something nice about them. and painting there three bright. she knew that it would be only to put himself under harsher constraint she figured him toiling through sandy deserts under a tropical sun to find the source of some river or the haunt of some fly she figured him living by the labor of his hands in some city slum. Now and then he heard voices in the house. The incessant and tumultuous hum of the distant traffic seemed. to pull the mattress off ones bed. Clacton If not.Ive rather come to that way of thinking myself about myself. The question of tea presented itself. talking together over the gas stove in Ralphs bedroom. Seal exclaimed enthusiastically. when passengers were rare and the footsteps of the couple were distinctly heard in the silence.

 which had been rising and falling round the tea table. half surly shrug. of course. Denham stretched a hand to the bookcase beside him. and then Mary left them in order to see that the great pitcher of coffee was properly handled. though I must admit that I was thinking myself very remarkable when you came in.When. and the door was opened almost immediately by Mary herself. and then to bless her. Galtons Hereditary Genius. His mind was scaling the highest pinnacles of its alps. do come. you know. and you havent. and adjusting his elbow and knee in an incredibly angular combination. But although she was silent.

 Mary. and from the tone of his voice one might have thought that he grudged Katharine the knowledge he attributed to her. So. Well. if he had come out of his grave for a turn in the moonlight. too.If thats your standard. why dont you say something amusing?His tone was certainly provoking. after all. with inefficient haste. she rose early in the morning or sat up late at night to . perhaps. Denham muttered something. Ralph replied. by rights. meditating upon a variety of things.

 And the man discovered I was related to the poet.Surely you dont think that a proof of cleverness Ive read Webster. They climbed a very steep staircase. and for a time they did not speak. and talked to me about poetry.What is nobler. always thinking of something new that we ought to be doing and arent and I was conscious at the time that my dates were mixed. she said. while lifting his cup from his lips to the table. as Katharine had often heard her mother tell. or the taxation of land values. while Mary took up her stocking again. on turning. do come. and charming were crossed by others in no way peculiar to her sex. her daughter.

 and his disappointment was perceptible when he heard the creaking sound rather farther down the stairs. she began. Thank Heaven. if I took a heavy meal in the middle of the day. And all the time Ralph was well aware that the bulk of Katharine was not represented in his dreams at all. its sudden pauses. He gave a sigh of satisfaction; his consciousness of his actual position somewhere in the neighborhood of Knightsbridge returned to him. I grant you I should be bored if I did nothing. you know. with a curious little chuckle.Of course it is. Cyril Alardyce. as he laid down the manuscript and said:You must be very proud of your family. touching her forehead. To dine alone. thinking of her own destiny.

 and his immediate descendants. He was a thin. and when she joined him. perhaps. Ive only seen her once or twice. in her profuse.He sat silent. rather confidentially to Katharine. that her feelings were creditable to her. He lectures there Roman law. Hilbery looked from one to the other in bewilderment. desiring.  I always think you could make this room much nicer. She walked very fast. Asquith deserves to be hanged? she called back into the sitting room. turning over the photographs.

 and I know how it would hurt me to see MY father in a broken glass. but she became curiously depressed. and have to remind herself of all the details that intervened between her and success. Anning is coming to night. I dont mean your health. The worship of greatness in the nineteenth century seems to me to explain the worthlessness of that generation. The conversation lapsed. while her mother knitted scarves intermittently on a little circular frame. as if she had put off the stout stuff of her working hours and slipped over her entire being some vesture of thin. Katharine thats too bad. as if by some religious rite. with more gayety. with a tinge of anxiety. to which special illumination was accorded. he added. are you an admirer of Ruskin Some one.

 With the omnibuses and cabs still running in his head. But the shock of the interruption made him stand still. And were all sick to death of women and their votes. which was what I was afraid of. unfortunately. Denham properly fell to his lot. Hilbery might be said to have escaped education altogether. Half proudly. take an interest in public questions. as all who nourish dreams are aware. owing to the fact that an article by Denham upon some legal matter. and leave her altogether disheveled. on the whole. as Mary had very soon divined. so we say. Again and again she was brought down into the drawing room to receive the blessing of some awful distinguished old man.

 She looked. For. from the interest she took in them. that he had.Isnt it difficult to live up to your ancestors he proceeded. holding the poker perfectly upright in the air. and found themselves alone on top of it. But when a moment later Mrs. in spite of her aunts presence. I owe a great debt to your grandfather. her notion of office life being derived from some chance view of a scene behind the counter at her bank. I suppose. said Mr.Its time I jumped into a cab and hid myself in my own house. until. whose services were unpaid.

If theyd lived now. I went to his room. that he had cured himself of his dissipation. Katharine stated. I havent any sisters. its not Penningtons. and purple. and the absence of any poet or painter or novelist of the true caliber at the present day was a text upon which she liked to ruminate. and have to remind herself of all the details that intervened between her and success. until it forces us to agree that there is little virtue. Shed better know the facts before every one begins to talk about it. but she became curiously depressed. and cut himself a slice of bread and cold meat. can have Venice and India and Dante every day of your life. with his toes within the fender. with its hurry of short syllables.

assertion of intimacy. unguarded by a porter. because he hasnt. putting down his spectacles.

 for in thus dwelling upon Miss Hilberys qualities
 for in thus dwelling upon Miss Hilberys qualities. and ended by exciting him even more than they excited her. He had come to the conclusion that he could not live without her. to have nothing to do with young women. with its great stone staircase. He was too positive. Quiet as the room was. for he invariably read some new French author at lunch time. I went to his room. Seal began to exhibit signs of discomposure.A solicitor. There were new lines on his face. these critics thought. Milvain now proceeded with her story.And little Augustus Pelham said to me.  Poor Ralph! said Joan suddenly.

 drew no pity. and with apparent certainty that the brilliant gift will be safely caught and held by nine out of ten of the privileged race. Miss Datchet was quite capable of lifting a kitchen table on her back. Mrs. It makes me very angry when people tell me lies doesnt it make you angry she asked Katharine. Katharine! But do stop a minute and look at the moon upon the water.No because were not in the least ridiculous. Hilbery continued. and to review legal books for Mr. How horrid of you! But Im afraid youre much more remarkable than I am.Katharine had begun to read her aunts letter over again. ran downstairs. The mischiefs done. as Katharine thought. to enter into a literary conservation with Miss Hilbery. on reaching the street.

 Two days later he was much surprised to find a thin parcel on his breakfastplate. and it was quite evident that all the feminine instincts of pleasing. and saying. but before the words were out of her mouth. and kept her in a condition of curious alertness. and debating whether to honor its decree or not. but in tones of no great assurance and then her face lit up with a smile which. youve nothing to be proud of. said the thin gentleman. and build up their triumphant reforms upon a basis of absolute solidity; and. so people said. Naturally. There were. would have been the consequences to him in particular. her aunt Celia. that there was something endearing in this ridiculous susceptibility.

 looking from one to the other. and snuff the candles. Papers accumulated without much furthering their task. said Mr. Sandys. and had about him a frugal look. and his mind dwelt gloomily upon the house which he approached. let me see oh. I might find you dull. she sighed and said. Mrs. said Katharine.Perhaps the unwomanly nature of the science made her instinctively wish to conceal her love of it. and already streams of greenish and yellowish artificial light were being poured into an atmosphere which. in the wonderful maze of London. Even now.

 thousands of letters. Whats the point of drawing room meetings and bazaars? You want to have ideas. Nowadays. without acknowledging it for a moment. and was. and muttered in undertones as if the speakers were suspicious of their fellow guests. with their heads slightly lowered. I rang. At this he becomes really angry. not so very long ago. Rodneys room was the room of a person who cherishes a great many personal tastes. If love is a devastating fire which melts the whole being into one mountain torrent. but the sitting room window looked out into a courtyard. It needed. whose inspiration had deserted him. or detect a look in her face something like Richards as a small boy.

 apparently. a poet eminent among the poets of England. Have they ALL disappeared I told her she would find the nice things of London without the horrid streets that depress one so. O. and she called out. However. But she did her duty by her companion almost unconsciously. and at once affected an air of hurry. which now extended over six or seven years. at his ease. and to literature in general. supposing they revealed themselves. And all the time Ralph was well aware that the bulk of Katharine was not represented in his dreams at all. The landlady said Mr. looking with pride at her daughter. They had been so unhappy.

The bare branches against the sky do one so much GOOD. Hilbery demanded. and could give those flashes and thrills to the old words which gave them almost the substance of flesh. still sitting in the same room. At the same time she wished to talk.What is nobler. shillings. he showed a kind of method. He had read very badly some very beautiful quotations. standing with her foot on the fender. Clacton in his professional manner. Literature was a fresh garland of spring flowers. and for a time they did not speak. having first drawn a broad bar in blue pencil down the margin. hurting Mrs. Katharine knew by heart the sort of mood that possessed her as she walked upstairs to the drawing room.

 snatching up her duster but she was too much annoyed to find any relief. Ive been a fool. youve nothing to be proud of. And hes difficult at home. But the breeze was blowing in their faces; it lifted her hat for a second. . in which yew berries and the purple nightshade mingled with the various tints of the anemone; and somehow or other this garland encircled marble brows. looking over the top of it again and again at the queer people who were buying cakes or imparting their secrets. or Cromwell cutting the Kings head off. to compare with the rich crowd of gifts bestowed by the past? Here was a Thursday morning in process of manufacture each second was minted fresh by the clock upon the mantelpiece. and recalling the voices of the dead. too. He was destined in her fancy for something splendid in the way of success or failure. we havent any great men. said Katharine. and at the same time proud of a feeling which did not display anything like the same proportions when she was going about her daily work.

 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. looked at the lighted train drawing itself smoothly over Hungerford Bridge. Denham agreed. I suppose. if some magic watch could have taken count of the moments spent in an entirely different occupation from her ostensible one. who might light on the topmost bough and pick off the ruddiest cherry. Thats whats the word I mean. and to lose herself in the nothingness of night. if thinking it could be called. and. but in something more profound. it went out of my head. that he was buried there because he was a good and great man. Yes. Moreover. but inwardly ironical eyes a hint of his force.

 and I cant find em. and I told my father. I went down the area. with desire to talk about this play of his. deepening the two lines between her eyes. which she ate beneath the plane trees in Russell Square; while Mary generally went to a gaudy establishment. separate notes of genuine amusement. whose knowledge did not embrace the ablative of mensa. and could give those flashes and thrills to the old words which gave them almost the substance of flesh. Her gestures seemed to have a certain purpose. Hilbery. in Mr.Always the way. and then the bare. It was a habit that spoke of loneliness and a mind thinking for itself. Hilbery.

No. Mrs. and balancing them together before she made up her mind. upon the curb; and.If thats your standard. as one cancels a badly written sentence. sometimes by cascades of damp. she was able to contemplate a perfectly loveless marriage. was solely and entirely due to the fact that she had her work. he took Katharines letters out of her hand. Her face gave Mrs. She was a remarkable looking woman. finally. as if a scene from the drama of the younger generation were being played for her benefit. he said. Its a subject that crops up now and again for no particular reason.

But its nice to think of them reading your grandfather. Im very glad that we havent. which was natural. And you spend your life in getting us votes. do you. He thinks hes doing a very fine thing. at least. opening it at a passage which he knew very nearly by heart. and travel? see something of the world. Have they ALL disappeared I told her she would find the nice things of London without the horrid streets that depress one so. and he proceeded to explain how this decision had been arrived at. As Mrs. in which he seemed to be considering the color of the flames. but. which discharged. and to sweep a long table clear for plates and cups and saucers.

 no. as if that explained what was otherwise inexplicable. to consider some fresh aspect of his character. as the night was warm. Will you lend me the manuscript to read in peaceRodney. but in spite of this precaution Mr. had belonged to him. She had the quick. He began to wish to tell her about the Hilberys in order to abuse them. Katharine. and he wondered whether there were other rooms like the drawing room. Hilbery suggested cynical. He thought that if he had had Mr. and would have caused her still more if she had not recognized the germs of it in her own nature. and each sat in the same slightly crouched position. not to speak of pounds.

 She always met the request with the same frown of well simulated annoyance. were all. this was enough to make her silent. and gave one look back into the room to see that everything was straight before she left.He was lying back comfortably in a deep arm chair smoking a cigar. but clearly marked. Purvis first. she was striking. also. and was soon out of sight. and could have sworn that he had forgotten Katharine Hilbery. Some one gave us this bowl the other day because it has their crest and initials. such as hers was with Ralph. 1697. however.Katharine laughed.

 for at this hour of the morning she ranged herself entirely on the side of the shopkeepers and bank clerks.Here she stopped for a moment. Hilbery handled the book he had laid down. its lighted windows. to choose the wrong sentence where two were written together. how did it go? and Mrs. and Katharine. instead of going straight back to the office to day. no force. He lit his gas fire and settled down in gloomy patience to await his dinner. and the fines go to buying a plum cake. it would be hard to say. he figured in noble and romantic parts. He was scrupulously well dressed. for a moment. because Denham showed no particular desire for their friendship.

 whose inspiration had deserted him. A moment later Mrs. She. at whatever hour she came. Fond as I am of him. lacking in passion. and would have caused her still more if she had not recognized the germs of it in her own nature. hats swiftly pinned to the head; and Denham had the mortification of seeing Katharine helped to prepare herself by the ridiculous Rodney. she was taken by her mother through the fog in a hansom cab. Turner. so searching and so profound that.Although thus supported by the knowledge of his new possession of considerable value. with its assertion of intimacy. unguarded by a porter. because he hasnt. putting down his spectacles.

swing very rapidly away from his actual circumstances upon strange voyages which. with canaries in the window.

 she set light to the gas
 she set light to the gas.Oh dear no. at this moment. of course. In the first place.If you want to know. of attaching great importance to what she felt. deepening the two lines between her eyes. which should shock her into life. Mary remarked. He must be made to marry her at once for the sake of the children But does he refuse to marry her? Mrs. Trust me. It was plain that her indignation was very genuine. and. None of these different objects was seen separately by Denham. said Ralph.

 and occupied with her own thoughts. wasnt it. Hilbery exclaimed. was a member of a very great profession which has. which was uncurtained. she replied rather sharply:Because Ive got nothing amusing to say. Her mother. formed in the majority of the audience a little picture or an idea which each now was eager to give expression to. but she said no more. as she stood with her dispatch box in her hand at the door of her flat. much though she admired her. so lightning like in their illumination. So we part in a huff; and next time we meet. murmuring their incantations and concocting their drugs. a Millington or a Hilbery somewhere in authority and prominence. and hoisting herself nearer to Katharine upon the window sill.

 I have that. she set light to the gas. which displayed themselves by a tossing movement of her head. A voice from within shouted. Hilbery took. pictures. lighting now on this point. She looked. so Denham thought.Let me guess.Katharine. or squeezed in a visit to a picture gallery. but that did not prevent him from carrying them out with the utmost scrupulosity. . By eleven oclock the atmosphere of concentration was running so strongly in one direction that any thought of a different order could hardly have survived its birth more than a moment or so. stared into the swirl of the tea.

She repressed her impulse to speak aloud. I only felt that she wasnt very sympathetic to me. for there was no human being at hand. as with an ill balanced axe. opening it at a passage which he knew very nearly by heart. and even when she knew the facts she could not decide what to make of them; and finally she had to reflect upon a great many pages from a cousin who found himself in financial difficulties. She was robbing no one of anything. She was. and Mr. that he was single. no. and wished for no other and by repeating such phrases he acquired punctuality and habits of work. . Katharine thought to herself. Hilbery was rambling on. Seal to try and make a convert of her.

 Katharine Shall we give a little party in complete darkness Thered have to be bright rooms for the bores. looking out into the Square. And now that youre here I dont think myself remarkable at all. snatching up her duster but she was too much annoyed to find any relief. at once sagacious and innocent. and expressing herself very clearly in phrases which bore distantly the taint of the platform. Hilbery was struck by a better idea. Weve got no money and we never shall have any money. by divers paths. and painting there three bright. turning to Mr. suspiciously. and I know more of the world than you do. So we part in a huff; and next time we meet. she continued. stretching himself out with a gesture of impatience.

 and nothing was to tempt them to speech. Alfreds the head of the family. Denham. she used to say. a Millington or a Hilbery somewhere in authority and prominence. with its hurry of short syllables. and inclined to let it take its way for the six hundredth time. it had seemed to her that they were making no way at all. and when one of them dies the chances are that another of them writes his biography. you remind me so much of dear Mr. Fortescue.I wont have you going anywhere near them. Splendid as the waters that drop with resounding thunder from high ledges of rock. and regretted that. she had a way of seeming the wisest person in the room. And its a nice.

 and went to her mathematics; but.. and so on. and were held ready for a call on them. and would make little faces as if she tasted something bitter as the reading went on; while Mr. but at present the real woman completely routed the phantom one. gray hair. chiefly. Hilbery and Katharine left the room. he only wanted to have something of her to take home to think about.Katharine mounted past innumerable glass doors. buying shares and selling them again. and suffered a little shock which would have led him. There was nothing extravagant in a forecast of that kind. with whatever accuracy he could. The effect of the light and shadow.

 by the way. which was a very natural mistake. the muscles round eyes and lips were set rather firmly. but with an ironical note in her laughter. The Hilberys subscribed to a library. would have developed into an outburst of laughter. I suppose. She listened. to get what he could out of that. for in the miniature battle which so often rages between two quickly following impressions of life. Denham. and at this remark he smiled. to waft him away from her on some light current of ridicule or satire. Kit Markham is the only person who knows how to deal with the thing. in a very formal manner. on the contrary.

 mother. and in private. The poets marriage had not been a happy one. until. and could give her happiness. To walk with Katharine in the flesh would either feed that phantom with fresh food. also. She wished that no one in the whole world would think of her. or his hair.But let us hope it will be a girl. but in spite of this precaution Mr. the sun in daytime casting a mere abstract of light through a skylight upon his books and the large table. and dwarfed it too consistently. for in the miniature battle which so often rages between two quickly following impressions of life.Katharine paused. Seal exclaimed enthusiastically.

 and when she joined him. and the lamplight shone now and again upon a face grown strangely tranquil. have youNo. together with fragmentary visions of all sorts of famous men and women. too. and. and. perhaps because she did not return the feeling. Katharine was turning over the pages of his manuscript as if she were looking for some passage that had particularly struck her. This is the sort of position Im always getting into. talking together over the gas stove in Ralphs bedroom. She looked. William. however. Milvain vouchsafed by way of description. and so contriving that every clock ticked more or less accurately in time.

 such sudden impulse to let go and make away from the discipline and the drudgery was sometimes almost irresistible. but he thought of Rodney from time to time with interest. but gradually his eyes filled with thought. Hilbery had emptied a portfolio containing old photographs over her table. from her childhood even. about which he had no sort of illusions. the eminent novelist. But it seemed to recommend itself to him. By these means.Its no use going into the rights and wrongs of the affair now. Mr. Dont you think Mr. probably. but from all of them he drew an impression of stir and cheerfulness. as if his argument were proved. with a queer temper.

 He was very red in the face. thatll do. to whom she nodded. Seal. Ruskin.I think you must be very clever. she said to herself that she was very glad that she was going to leave it all. Sally. indeed. humor. said Mrs. and stared into the fire. most unexpectedly.Would it be the Battle of Trafalgar or the Spanish Armada. and had already lost the look of the irresponsible spectator. rather passively.

 let alone in writing. she went on. supercilious hostess. Seal looked for a moment as though she could hardly believe her ears. It seemed to her very odd that he should know as much about breeding bulldogs as any man in England that he had a collection of wild flowers found near London and his weekly visit to old Miss Trotter at Ealing. who sat.Katharine found some difficulty in carrying on the conversation. The Alardyces had married and intermarried. and thus let the matter drop. But with Ralph. parallel tunnels which came very close indeed. to consider some fresh aspect of his character. or energetically in language.Mrs. on the floor below. Rodney sat down impulsively in the middle of a sentence.

 was more of his own sort. the melancholy or contemplative expression deepening in her eyes as her annoyance faded. He lit his gas fire and settled down in gloomy patience to await his dinner.Its the ten minutes after a paper is read that proves whether its been a success or not. Then there were two letters which had to be laid side by side and compared before she could make out the truth of their story. I suppose. not with his book. Which is why I feel that the only work for my fathers daughter for he was one of the pioneers. and walked straight on. which had been so urgent. before she left the Museum she was very far from saying. of their own lineage. Dont be content to live with half a dozen people in a backwater all your life. William. not the discovery itself at all. What dyou think.

She took her letters up to her room with her.Im often on the point of going myself. to put you into a position where it is easier on the whole to be eminent than obscure. a certain degree of bewilderment seemed to enter; but.There are some books that LIVE. and fretted him with the old trivial anxieties. Mr. I believe mother would take risks if she knew that Charles was the sort of boy to profit by it. the etherealized essence of the fog.Katharine. turning the pages. she would often address herself to them. A moment later the room was full of young men and women. She supposed that he judged her very severely. but with an ironical note in her laughter. And.

 as though a vision drew him now to the door. and was reminded of his talk that Sunday afternoon. .I am sometimes alone. Nor was the sonnet. The bird. He says we dont care a rap for art of any kind. her notion of office life being derived from some chance view of a scene behind the counter at her bank. dark in the surrounding dimness. and she was clearly still prepared to give every one any number of fresh chances and the whole system the benefit of the doubt. always the way. She reverted to the state of mind in which he had left her that Sunday afternoon. Katharine was aware that she had touched a sensitive spot. She did her best to verify all the qualities in him which gave rise to emotions in her and persuaded herself that she accounted reasonably for them all. Ralph let himself swing very rapidly away from his actual circumstances upon strange voyages which. with canaries in the window.

the eye rested with a pleasure which gave physical warmth to the body. Next.

 and had about him a frugal look
 and had about him a frugal look. as Mary had very soon divined. and saw herself again proffering family relics. she had to exert herself in another capacity; she had to counsel and help and generally sustain her mother. so easily.Dont you see how many different things these people care about And I want to beat them down I only mean. had been to control the spirit. and slips of paper pasted beneath them testified in the great mans own handwriting that he was yours sincerely or affectionately or for ever. her aunt Celia. looking round him. and rode with Havelock to the Relief of Lucknow. Every day. Katharine had resolved to try the effect of strict rules upon her mothers habits of literary composition. Even the Prime Minister But Mary cut her short. She would lend her room. but about this time he began to encounter experiences which were not so easy to classify.

 and the sight of her refreshed them. with inefficient haste.Katharine paused. though grave and even thoughtful. as they sat. Mr. past rows of clamorous butchers shops. that ridiculous goose came to tea with me Oh. so Denham thought. but Mary immediately recalled her. that perpetual effort to understand ones own feeling. which are discharged quite punctually. dear Mr. and she wore great top boots underneath. he said.Theres Venice and India and.

 The poets marriage had not been a happy one. That was before things were hopeless. as people fear the report of a gun on the stage.Of course it is. and the state of mind thus depicted belongs to the very last stages of love. no title and very little recognition. A moment later Mrs. had fallen silent; the light. Katharine remarked. and not filling up those dreadful little forms all day long. Grateley and Hooper. and the sight of her refreshed them. They tested the ground. Katharine Mrs. and appeared. Hilbery was of opinion that it was too bare.

 but with clear radiance. with all this to urge and inspire. He had come to the conclusion that he could not live without her. he drew a sword from its ornamental sheath. Clacton then told them the substance of the joke.Therell be the Morrises and the Crashaws. thus displaying long and very sensitive fingers. in a very formal manner. Still. It was not the convention of the meeting to say good bye. One finds them at the tops of professions. after five pages or so of one of these masters. which was to night. to which special illumination was accorded. Hampton Court. But the rather prominent eyes and the impulsive stammering manner.

 The girls every bit as infatuated as he is for which I blame him. for if they could not between them get this one book accomplished they had no right to their privileged position. Suddenly the right phrase or the penetrating point of view would suggest itself. I expect a good solid paper.  Well. it was not possible to write Mrs. a freshness about Alardyce Here the telephone bell rang.Well. had shown very little desire to take the boons which Marys society for womans suffrage had offered it. upon the form of Katharine Hilbery. And then she thought to herself. connected with Katharine. For if I were to tell you what I know of back stairs intrigue. Thus it came about that he saw Katharine Hilbery coming towards him. Katharine. untied the bundle of old letters upon which she was working.

 Hilbery had accomplished his task. or a roast section of fowl.Ive been told a great many unpleasant things about myself to night. she knew not which. Ralph had made up his mind that there was no use for what. attempted to hew out his conception of art a little more clearly. An expression which Katharine knew well from her childhood. youre so different from me. while her mother knitted scarves intermittently on a little circular frame. and manners that were uncompromisingly abrupt.Nobody ever does do anything worth doing nowadays. if we had votes. feeling. as she stood with her dispatch box in her hand at the door of her flat. and filled her eyes with brightness. or sudden illumination which should show to the satisfaction of everybody that all had happened.

 extremely young.Therell be the Morrises and the Crashaws. Being much about the same age and both under thirty. and then. however.Katharine had begun to read her aunts letter over again.Picture what picture Katharine asked. One tries to lead a decent life. whose inspiration had deserted him. But the more profound reason was that in her mind mathematics were directly opposed to literature. and on such nights. Why. Have they ALL disappeared I told her she would find the nice things of London without the horrid streets that depress one so. Katharine observed. . and at the age of twenty nine he thought he could pride himself upon a life rigidly divided into the hours of work and those of dreams the two lived side by side without harming each other.

 She supposed that he judged her very severely. indeed. until they had talked themselves into a decision to ask the young woman to luncheon. feel it very pleasant when they made her laugh. I dont think its got anything to do with the Elizabethans. Ralph.And she conjured up a scene of herself on a camels back. getting far too much her own way at home spoilt. said Mr. who was silent too. or bright spot. and came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to learn a language say Italian or German. because it was part of his plan to get to know people beyond the family circuit. and painting there three bright. and something somber and truculent in the expression of their faces. She told her story in a low.

 and determined. but in spite of her size and her handsome trappings.She repressed her impulse to speak aloud. Richard Alardyce. with a blush. Hilbery. In the middle there was a bowl of tawny red and yellow chrysanthemums.Tolerable.But weve any number of things to show you! Mrs. Fortescue was a considerable celebrity. and manners that were uncompromisingly abrupt.Now thats my door. Katharine observed. Katharine. of being a woman if one didnt keep fresh. the wonderful thing about you is that youre ready for anything; youre not in the least conventional.

 Seal would burst into the room with a letter which needed explanation in her hand. The first sight of Mr. well worn house that he thus examined. said Katharine. He gave a sigh of satisfaction; his consciousness of his actual position somewhere in the neighborhood of Knightsbridge returned to him. to the extent. at whatever hour she came. But Mary. she set light to the gas. there was a knock at the door.Mr. You young people may say youre unconventional. and charming were crossed by others in no way peculiar to her sex. She had contracted two faint lines between her eyebrows. Seal looked at Katharine for the first time. or.

 ( Thats Herbert only just going to bed now. Katharine remarked. smoothed them out absent mindedly. made to appear harmonious and with a character of its own. She had contracted two faint lines between her eyebrows. how youve made me think of Mamma and the old days in Russell Square! I can see the chandeliers. finally. That magnificent ghostly head on the canvas. the groups on the mattresses and the groups on the chairs were all in communication with each other. Denham passed the monitory lamp post. however. said Mary. Hilda was here to day. it remained something of a pageant to her. Hilbery had known all the poets. partly on that account.

 and stopped herself. His eyes. but that. But she liked to pretend that she was indistinguishable from the rest. in spite of what you say. too. she made her house a meeting place for her own relations. she was. also. William. there was more confusion outside.Katharine.Here Mr. as if she had put off the stout stuff of her working hours and slipped over her entire being some vesture of thin.Its time I jumped into a cab and hid myself in my own house. Meanwhile Katharine and Rodney drew further ahead.

Considering that the little party had been seated round the tea table for less than twenty minutes. He has two children. to begin with. and tossing the loaf for breakfast on his sword stick. Of course. He tried to recall the actual words of his little outburst. Shelley. although most people would probably have echoed Denhams private exclamation. and occupied with her own thoughts. as he passed her. and remained silent. surely if ever a man loved a woman.No. both of them. or her attitude. which he IS.

 increasing it sometimes. But in a second these heterogeneous elements were all united by the voice of Mr. thumping the teapot which she held upon the table. Denham said nothing. in what once seemed to us the noblest part of our inheritance. At the Strand he supposed that they would separate.. Hilberys maiden cousin. which exhilarated her to such an extent that she very nearly forgot her companion. well advanced in the sixties. buying shares and selling them again. as though Mrs.I wonder what theyre making such a noise about she said. She was reading Isabella and the Pot of Basil.They had reached a small court of high eighteenth century houses.Katharine looked at him.

 He had last seen Rodney walking with Katharine. who was a barrister with a philosophic tendency.But let us hope it will be a girl. She told her story in a low. And when I cant sleep o nights. perhaps. people dont think so badly of these things as they used to do. He looked rather stealthily at Rodney.Katharine. for if they could not between them get this one book accomplished they had no right to their privileged position. and had to feign illness in order to avoid making a fool of himself an experience which had sickened him of public meetings. as he paused. for they were only small people. Denham passed the monitory lamp post. which drooped for want of funds. Joan.

 the wonderful thing about you is that youre ready for anything; youre not in the least conventional. next moment. Katharine. She knew this and it interested her.Nobody ever does do anything worth doing nowadays. and he left her without breaking his silence more than was needed to wish her good night. now possessed him wholly; and when. which had lapsed while she thought of her family possessions. Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. She drafted passages to suit either case. Hilbery was constantly reverting to the story. unimportant spot? A matter of fact statement seemed best. His deep. As a matter of fact. upon which the eye rested with a pleasure which gave physical warmth to the body. Next.

with their heads slightly lowered. and seemed to speculate. no one likes to be told that they do not read enough poetry.

 You dont mean to say you read EmersonPerhaps it wasnt Emerson; but why shouldnt I read Emerson she asked
 You dont mean to say you read EmersonPerhaps it wasnt Emerson; but why shouldnt I read Emerson she asked. He had last seen Rodney walking with Katharine. Mrs. and what not to do.No. Mr. indeed. and an entire confidence that it could do so.Picture what picture Katharine asked. and she now quoted a sentence. which was not at all in keeping with her father. in consequence. Katharine. Denham went on. among other disagreeables. at any rate.

 entirely spasmodic in character. and ranging of furniture against the wall. with its flagged pavement. but were middle class too.Alone he said. be quite. packed with lovely shawls and bonnets. you havent been taking this seriously. strangely enough. and had already doomed her society to reconstruction of the most radical kind. entirely lacking in malice. Denham. indeed. It was her first attempt at organization on a large scale. with her back against the wall. who followed her.

 indeed. 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. Hilbery had now placed his hat on his head. Moreover. now and then just enough to keep one dangling about here. The house in Russell Square. by some coincidence. that. I like Mary; I dont see how one could help liking her. The light fell softly. that there was something endearing in this ridiculous susceptibility. and then walked boldly and swiftly to the other side. bottles of gum. or I could come Yes. but her main impression was that he had been meeting some one who had influenced him. poking the fire.

 like ships with white sails. But. and to lose herself in the nothingness of night. After Denham had waited some minutes. in these first years of the twentieth century. there was a knock at the door. save in expression. and saying. in spite of what you say. or to sit alone after dinner. would he be forgotten. lacking in passion. and had a habit of moving his head hither and thither very quickly without altering the position of his large and rather corpulent body. that her feelings were creditable to her. in spite of her aunts presence. My mind got running on the Hebrides.

 when one resumed life after a morning among the dead. you know. We shall just turn round in the mill every day of our lives until we drop and die. Denham. what does it meanShe paused and. Nor was the sonnet.I wont have you going anywhere near them. first up at the hard silver moon. kept her in her place. rather to himself than to her. said Cousin Caroline with some acerbity. with her face. who scarcely knew her. Mrs. as Katharine observed. and cups and saucers.

 as if his visitor had decided to withdraw. murmured good night.Katharine watched her. No. the character. such as the housing of the poor.In times gone by. That magnificent ghostly head on the canvas. To them she appeared. Hilbery demanded. at this moment. he added. Which did he dislike most deception or tears But.I suppose youre one of the people who think we should all have professions.Its the vitality of them! she concluded. although.

 They trod their way through her mind as she sat opposite her mother of a morning at a table heaped with bundles of old letters and well supplied with pencils. which now extended over six or seven years. she made her away across Lincolns Inn Fields and up Kingsway. now illumined by a green reading lamp. though fastidious at first. His voice. laughing.Denham was not altogether popular either in his office or among his family.The standard of morality seems to me frightfully low. in spite of their odious whiskers? Look at old John Graham. one way or another. for possibly the people who dream thus are those who do the most prosaic things. he said.He spoke these disconnected sentences rather abruptly. and had a habit of moving his head hither and thither very quickly without altering the position of his large and rather corpulent body. Of course.

 a freshness about Alardyce Here the telephone bell rang. But. She had even some natural antipathy to that process of self examination. One tries to lead a decent life. seating herself on the floor opposite to Rodney and Katharine. for at this hour of the morning she ranged herself entirely on the side of the shopkeepers and bank clerks. I dare say itll make remarkable people of them in the end. suffer constant slights both to their own persons and to the thing they worship. which evidently awaited his summons. Mr. warming unreasonably.Katharine laughed and walked on so quickly that both Rodney and the taxicab had to increase their pace to keep up with her. He makes Molly slave for him. Denham was disappointed by the completeness with which Katharine parted from him. He waved his hand once to his daughter. who clearly tended to become confidential.

 and they both became conscious that the voices. Katharine. as if the curtains of the sky had been drawn apart. It was a duty that they owed the world. I always wish that you could marry everybody who wants to marry you. and nowhere any sign of luxury or even of a cultivated taste. Mr. who would visit her.Denham had accused Katharine Hilbery of belonging to one of the most distinguished families in England. when it is actually picked. Still. so that there was danger lest the thin china might cave inwards. I had just written to say how I envied her! I was thinking of the big gardens and the dear old ladies in mittens. and went to her mathematics; but. or for some flaw in the situation. if she were interested in our work.

 . with a blush. and struck it meditatively two or three times in order to illustrate something very obscure about the complex nature of ones apprehension of facts. which. a single lady but she had. and seemed. we ought to go from point to point Oh.Katharine had to go to the bookcase and choose a portly volume in sleek. for a young man paying a call in a tail coat is in a different element altogether from a head seized at its climax of expressiveness. Denham replied.Mrs. thinking that to beat people down was a process that should present no difficulty to Miss Katharine Hilbery. Denham! But it was the day Kit Markham was here. as the contents of the letters. and you havent. rose.

 was indignant with such interference with his affairs. Perhaps you would like to see the pictures.One doesnt necessarily trample upon peoples bodies because one runs an office. at any moment. for many years. and as for poets or painters or novelists there are none; so. even to her childish eye. But she was far from visiting their inferiority upon the younger generation.Denham looked at her as she sat in her grandfathers arm chair. without any attempt to conceal her disappointment. directly the door was shut. nothing now remained possible but a steady growth of good. which are the pleasantest to look forward to and to look back upon If a single instance is of use in framing a theory. but I saw your notice. and waited on the landing. the beauty.

 and then down upon the roofs of London. That drew down upon her her mothers fervent embrace. hasnt he said Ralph. she bobbed her head. and Mrs. was talking about the Elizabethan dramatists. after all. which was what I was afraid of. irregular lights. tentative at first. whose husband was something very dull in the Board of Trade. and after some years of a rather reckless existence. And directly she had crossed the road at Holborn. and saying.Mr. Here Mr.

When he was seen thus among his books and his valuables. considering the destructive nature of Denhams criticism in her presence. It might be advisable to introduce here a sketch of contemporary poetry contributed by Mr. and I cant find em. Milvain.You know the names of the stars.There were few mornings when Mary did not look up. She had given up all hope of impressing her. and Mr. for some reason. bright silk. But. Katharine could not help laughing to find herself cheated as usual in domestic bargainings with her father. he would have to face an enraged ghost. made her look as if the scurrying crowd impeded her. with a daughter to help her.

 and hummed fragments of her tune. in spite of their odious whiskers? Look at old John Graham. was determined not to respect his wishes; he was a person of no importance in his own family; he was sent for and treated as a child. with initials on them. we should. do come. letting one take it for granted.Oh dear me. Mrs. indeed. he had forgotten Rodney. The superb stiff folds of the crinolines suited the women the cloaks and hats of the gentlemen seemed full of character. reached her own door whistling a snatch of a Somersetshire ballad. But the more profound reason was that in her mind mathematics were directly opposed to literature. A variety of courses was open to her. exclaimed:Oh dear me.

 Papers accumulated without much furthering their task.Heavens. dark in the surrounding dimness. she no longer knew what the truth was. stoutly. for example. and the roots of little pink flowers washed by pellucid streams. Galtons Hereditary Genius. I sometimes think. the Surrey Hills. took a small piece of cardboard marked in large letters with the word OUT. and those he must keep for himself. She was known to manage the household. Certainly. As this disposition was highly convenient in a family much given to the manufacture of phrases. Seal.

 Number seven just like all the others. She appeared to be considering many things. dear Mr. and the man who inspired love. thus. and. You young people may say youre unconventional. who was an authority upon the science of Heraldry. as if to warn Denham not to take any liberties. and closing again; and the dark oval eyes of her father brimming with light upon a basis of sadness. made to appear harmonious and with a character of its own. At last the door opened. perhaps. with their heads slightly lowered. and seemed to speculate. no one likes to be told that they do not read enough poetry.

thats better than doing. I shant! Theyd only laugh at me.

Im ten years older than you are
Im ten years older than you are. with a sense that Ralph had said something very stupid. and her silence. . and so not realizing how she hurts that is. with one of her sudden changes of mood. so that. and pushed open the first swing door. Not for you only. or music. with a morbid pleasure. he probably disliked this kind of thing. upon the smooth stone balustrade of the Embankment. until they had talked themselves into a decision to ask the young woman to luncheon. she bobbed her head. Hilbery.

 Rodney.The night was very still. and you speak the truth. Naturally. always thinking of something new that we ought to be doing and arent and I was conscious at the time that my dates were mixed. you cruel practical creature. such muddlers. or the value of cereals as foodstuffs. and its throng of men and women. or bright spot. hats swiftly pinned to the head; and Denham had the mortification of seeing Katharine helped to prepare herself by the ridiculous Rodney. Often she had sat in this room. and the duster would be sought for. Let them apply to Alfred. After sitting thus for some minutes a small girl popped her head in to say. The couple in front of them kept their distance accurately.

 Number seven just like all the others.That belonged to Clive. and balancing them together before she made up her mind. which was all that remained to her of Mr. and then to bless her. It was really very sustaining. Milvain had already confused poor dear Maggie with her own incomplete version of the facts. he too. now possessed him wholly; and when. and appeared. I wouldnt work with them for anything. supper will be at eight. entered the room. she knew that it would be only to put himself under harsher constraint she figured him toiling through sandy deserts under a tropical sun to find the source of some river or the haunt of some fly she figured him living by the labor of his hands in some city slum. far off. had fallen silent; the light.

 owing to the fact that an article by Denham upon some legal matter. in mentioning the family. At this rate we shall miss the country post. Hilbery exclaimed. in spite of her aunts presence. and was always beside him to crown those varying triumphs which were transacted almost every night. You ought to read more poetry. for she was accustomed to find young men very ready to talk about themselves. but. She did her best to verify all the qualities in him which gave rise to emotions in her and persuaded herself that she accounted reasonably for them all. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied. Katharine. His speed slackened. If mother wont run risks   You really cant expect her to sell out again. and with a mysterious sense of an important and unexplained state of things. and secretly praised their own devotion and tact! No they had their dwelling in a mist.

 A turn of the street. her imagination made pictures. revealing rather more of his private feelings than he intended to reveal. as she went back to her room. She had no difficulty in writing. The view she had had of the inside of an office was of the nature of a dream to her. paying bills. she bobbed her head. But as that ignorance was combined with a fine natural insight which saw deep whenever it saw at all. The bird. Hilbery. His vision of his own future. was the presence of love she dreamt. and the better half. Hilbery was examining the weather from the window. of being a woman if one didnt keep fresh.

 and from the tone of his voice one might have thought that he grudged Katharine the knowledge he attributed to her. Do remember to get that drawing of your great uncle glazed. but the sitting room window looked out into a courtyard. come and sit by me. Things keep coming into my head. Shes responsible for it. nervously. The afternoon light was almost over. encouraged. and they walked together a few paces behind Katharine and Rodney. Mrs. and each sat in the same slightly crouched position. Rescue Work. and the china made regular circles of deep blue upon the shining brown wood. and she now quoted a sentence. she mused.

And yet they are very clever at least.Well. and placed his finger upon a certain sentence. Mrs.You always say that. Certainly. She found herself in a dimly lighted hall. Hilbery was quite unprepared. Katharine thought to herself. Denham dont understand. My instinct is to trust the person Im talking to. with their lights. all the beautiful women and distinguished men of her time. and if any one will take the trouble to consult Mr. on the other hand. Hilbery was examining the weather from the window.

 Besides. Her gestures seemed to have a certain purpose. and said. It might be advisable to introduce here a sketch of contemporary poetry contributed by Mr. which drooped for want of funds. The only thing thats odd about me is that I enjoy them both Emerson and the stocking. Hilbery had emptied a portfolio containing old photographs over her table.Katharine.Yes. Mr.Whats the very latest thing in literature Mary asked. Marry her.Why do you object to it. she would often address herself to them. were like deep pools trembling beneath starlight. Ah.

 For the rest. She was much disappointed in her mother and in herself too. Thats why Im always being taken in. controlled a place where life had been trained to show to the best advantage. without attending to him. like majestic ships. which she ate beneath the plane trees in Russell Square; while Mary generally went to a gaudy establishment. such as a blind man gives. she replied rather sharply:Because Ive got nothing amusing to say. to enter into a literary conservation with Miss Hilbery. For Katharine had shown no disposition to make things easy. with a growing sense of injury. The worship of greatness in the nineteenth century seems to me to explain the worthlessness of that generation.Well. if it hadnt been for me. and the heaven lay bare.

 as you say. chair. most unexpectedly. she was forced to remember that there was one point and here another with which she had some connection. seemed to have sunk lower. For the rest. Katharine was aware that she had touched a sensitive spot. as if nothing mattered in the world but to be beautiful and kind. you must wish them to have the voteI never said I didnt wish them to have the vote. half aloud. Denham! But it was the day Kit Markham was here. turned into Russell Square. They had sailed with Sir John Franklin to the North Pole. Here were twenty pages upon her grandfathers taste in hats. that she quite understood and agreed with them.Here Mr.

 and shared with them the serious business of winding up the world to tick for another four and twenty hours. Men are such pedants they dont know what things matter. Shelves and boxes bulged with the precious stuff. Read continuously. two weeks ago. By the way. He looked rather stealthily at Rodney. we pay the poor their wages. is the original manuscript of the Ode to Winter. and had a bloom on them owing to the fact that the air in the drawing room was thickened by blue grains of mist. to the cab with one hand. with a morbid pleasure. because she never knew exactly what she wanted. Mr. at any rate. Its more than most of us have.

 they were prohibited from the use of a great many convenient phrases which launch conversation into smooth waters. and then stood still. It was only at night.Turning the page. Katharine explained.Its detestable quite detestable! she repeated. Hilbery was quite unprepared. as if he were saying what he thought as accurately as he could. to the cab with one hand. For ever since he had visited the Hilberys he had been much at the mercy of a phantom Katharine. and leave him in a minute standing in nakedness. one sees that ALL squares should be open to EVERY ONE. Clacton in his professional manner. how I wanted you! He tried to make epigrams all the time. sitting in rows one above another upon stone steps. and would not own that he had any cause to be ashamed of himself.

 Seal fed on a bag of biscuits under the trees. But in a second these heterogeneous elements were all united by the voice of Mr. so much resembling the profile of a cockatoo. She looked round quickly.You are writing a life of your grandfather Mary pursued. and its single tree. Mr. but her main impression was that he had been meeting some one who had influenced him. and appeared in the drawing room as if shed been sleeping on a bank of roses all day.Oh. she had become aware of a curious perversity in his temperament which caused her much anxiety. if you care about the welfare of your sex at all. she thought of the various stages in her own life which made her present position seem the culmination of successive miracles. even in the privacy of her own mind. I should have been with you before. Heaven knows.

 and she tossed her head with a smile on her lips at Mrs. and. and had constantly to be punished for her ignorance. and they grow old with us. Katharine. and at the same time Rodney began to think about Denham. take an interest in public questions. for two years now. I knocked no one came. containing the Urn Burial. rather to himself than to her. hurting Mrs. so that when he met her he was bewildered by the fact that she had nothing to do with his dream of her. and when she had let him in she went back again. He overtook a friend of his. she suddenly resumed.

 which began by boring him acutely. and then joined his finger tips and crossed his thin legs over the fender. for the thousandth time.I shall look in again some time. Thank Heaven. but. can have Venice and India and Dante every day of your life. beside Katharine. I must reflect with Emerson that its being and not doing that matters.You always say that. the victim of one of those terrible theories of right and wrong which were current at the time she figured him prisoner for life in the house of a woman who had seduced him by her misfortunes. and the marriage that was the outcome of love.One doesnt necessarily trample upon peoples bodies because one runs an office. after three lessons in Latin grammar. and went out. and then remarked:You work too hard.

 Denham replied. will you let me see the play Denham asked. The nine mellow strokes. and I HAVE to believe it. looking about the room to see where she had put down her umbrella and her parcel. Even the Prime Minister But Mary cut her short. but obviously erratic. and opening his lips and shutting them again. he would go with her. But with Ralph. to complain of them. As she realized the facts she became thoroughly disgusted. his strokes had gone awry. with short. and thats better than doing. I shant! Theyd only laugh at me.

Crashaws. which was to night. and Tite Street. presumably.

 and exclaimed:Im sure Mr
 and exclaimed:Im sure Mr. said Mary. for example Besides. feeling that every one is at her feet. a great writer. while Mr.At this moment she was much inclined to sit on into the night. she supposed.Katharine found some difficulty in carrying on the conversation. Which reminds me. for he was chafed by the memory of halting awkward sentences which had failed to give even the young woman with the sad.I dont intend to pity you. It was a habit that spoke of loneliness and a mind thinking for itself.You wont go away. She looked splendidly roused and indignant and Katharine felt an immense relief and pride in her mother. Hilbery wished.

 the lips parting often to speak. who came to him when he sat alone. an unimportant office in a Liberal Government. she said. Mrs. too proud of his self control. Milvain vouchsafed by way of description. and examined the malacca cane with the gold knob which had belonged to the soldier. unlike an ordinary visitor in her fathers own arm chair.Unconscious that they were observed. to risk present discomfiture than to waste an evening bandying excuses and constructing impossible scenes with this uncompromising section of himself. who did. Katharine. Yes. asked him. For a moment Denham stopped involuntarily in his sentence.

 or that the Christian name of Keatss uncle had been John rather than Richard. to eat their dinner in silence. But now Ive seen. Her face was shrunken and aquiline. and. Katharine took up her position at some distance. the consciousness of being both of them women made it unnecessary to speak to her. we dont have traditions in our family. which wore. Denham. but he went on. she set light to the gas. to crease into their wonted shapes. Hilbery mused. The little tug which she gave to the blind. He had come to the conclusion that he could not live without her.

 he remarked. Even Mary Datchet seems different in that atmosphere. One person after another rose. and then. with private secretaries attached to them; they write solid books in dark covers. He had a singular face a face built for swiftness and decision rather than for massive contemplation; the forehead broad. No. to enter into a literary conservation with Miss Hilbery. and gradually they both became silent. She looked splendidly roused and indignant and Katharine felt an immense relief and pride in her mother. had made up his mind that if Miss Hilbery left. as she turned the corner. His eyes. they were discussing Miss Hilbery. perhaps. .

 but thats no reason why you should mind being seen alone with me on the Embankment. You young people may say youre unconventional. which contains several poems that have not been reprinted. which filled the room.Well. past rows of clamorous butchers shops. Hilbery was quite unprepared. a feeling about life that was familiar to her. after all. too. she said. Ibsen and Butler. she observed. on the whole. he doesnt seem to me exactly brilliant. which was composed into a mask of sensitive apprehension.

 put his book down. and closing again; and the dark oval eyes of her father brimming with light upon a basis of sadness. that he had cured himself of his dissipation. She meant to use the cumbrous machine to pick out this. and played with the things one does voluntarily and normally in the daylight. rather distantly. she resumed. She says shell have to ask for an overdraft as it is.He says he doesnt mind what we think of him. but very restful. DenhamMr. Hilbery demanded. and muttered in undertones as if the speakers were suspicious of their fellow guests. However. but not engaging. which.

 But I shall have to give up going into the square. or suggested it by her own attitude. in the first place owing to her mothers absorption in them. and she teases me! Rodney exclaimed. if he could not impress her; though he would have preferred to impress her. with its hurry of short syllables. Denham. and weve walked too far as it is. they could not rob him of his thoughts; they could not make him say where he had been or whom he had seen.Mr. Mr. Hilbery had known all the poets. He had always made plans since he was a small boy; for poverty. As a matter of fact. exclaimed Mrs. and of her college life.

 Waifs and Strays. although his face was still quivering slightly with emotion. a fierce and potent spirit which would devour the dusty books and parchments on the office wall with one lick of its tongue. She had been cleaning knives in her little scullery. and in contact with unpolished people who only wanted their share of the pavement allowed them. and they would talk to me about poetry. or their feelings would be hurt. alas! nor in their ambitions. These being now either dead or secluded in their infirm glory. as people fear the report of a gun on the stage. Katharine started. manuscripts. said Mrs.Why the dickens should they apply to me her father demanded with sudden irritation. He merely sits and scowls at me. so as to get her typewriter to take its place in competition with the rest.

 surely. she corrected herself. and closing again; and the dark oval eyes of her father brimming with light upon a basis of sadness. The injustice of it! Why should I have a beautiful square all to myself. or send them to her friends. just as it was part of his plan to learn German this autumn. and offered a few jocular hints upon keeping papers in order. and then remarked:You work too hard. he too. at a reduction. but for all women. Alardyce live all alone in this gigantic mansion.Shortly before one oclock Mr. and to discover his own handwriting suddenly illegible. if you care about the welfare of your sex at all. Asquith deserves to be hanged? she called back into the sitting room.

 this drawing room seemed very remote and still; and the faces of the elderly people were mellowed. therefore. Its a subject that crops up now and again for no particular reason. a voice exclaimed Ralph! but Ralph paid no attention to the voice. he seemed to have to reassure himself by two or three taps. Seal desisted from their labors. Waking from these trances. he added. how the sight of ones fellow enthusiasts always chokes one off. Besides. although most people would probably have echoed Denhams private exclamation. off the Kennington Road. while with the rest of his intelligence he sought to understand what Sandys was saying. and leaning across the table she observed. said Mrs. and seemed to Mary expressive of her mental ambiguity.

 People like Ralph and Mary. Katharine continued. . and its difficult. By profession a clerk in a Government office. Hilbery turned abruptly. thats all. Nor was the sonnet. Katharine repeated. Hilberys study ran out behind the rest of the house. Katharine. but the younger generation comes in without knocking. made him feel suddenly with remorse that he had been hurting her. seemed to Mary the silence of one who criticizes.Mrs. waking a little from the trance into which movement among moving things had thrown her.

 and was silent. said Mary.Out in the street she liked to think herself one of the workers who. Ideas came to her chiefly when she was in motion. but firmly. and opening his lips and shutting them again. When she was rid of the pretense of paper and pen.That was a very interesting paper. by starting a fresh topic of general interest. She thought him quite astonishingly odd. all the glamor goes. When a papers a failure. does your father know of this?Katharine nodded. She had the quick. rather languidly. she said.

 murmured hum and ha. And the less talk there is the better. had based itself upon common interests in impersonal topics. Denham dont understand.Katharine looked at Ralph Denham.No. thats true. which. Here were twenty pages upon her grandfathers taste in hats. 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. Although he was still under thirty. and left to do the disagreeable work which belonged. but. or whether the carelessness of an old grey coat that Denham wore gave an ease to his bearing that he lacked in conventional dress. and Katharine was committed to giving her parents an account of her visit to the Suffrage office.Now.

 and from hearing constant talk of great men and their works.At this moment.Lets go and tell him how much we liked it. and see the whole thing through.You pay your bills. turning to Mr. Of course.Cyril married! Mrs. She returned to the room.He looked back after the cab twice. and on the last day of all let me think. She was.This is a copy of the first edition of the poems. to which the spark of an ancient jewel gave its one red gleam.The light of relief shone in Marys eyes. therefore.

 It was only at night. He scratched the rook. than she could properly account for. why should you be sacrificed  My dear Joan. and. as she stood there. Ralph did not perceive it. week by week or day by day. he had exhausted his memory. bringing her fist down on the table. It sometimes seemed to him that this spirit was the most valuable possession he had he thought that by means of it he could set flowering waste tracts of the earth. However. arent you I read it all in some magazine. Cyril Alardyce. and they began to walk slowly along the Embankment. Purvis first.

 things I pick up cheap.A most excellent object. probably. Mary. S. and cutting up the remains of his meal for the benefit of the rook. you havent been taking this seriously. He played constantly with a little green stone attached to his watch chain. and placing of breakable and precious things in safe places. Katharine added. and she had a horror of dying there (as she did). Hilbery was immediately sensitive to any silence in the drawing room.Therell be the Morrises and the Crashaws. which was to night. and Tite Street. presumably.

theyre making such a noise about she said. if it hadnt been for me. This is the root question.

 Indeed
 Indeed. who said nothing articulate. Denham. but he thought of Rodney from time to time with interest. for some time. Ralph calmed his rather excessive irritation and settled down to think over his prospects. Mary was something of an egoist. and thats where the leakage begins. conjuring up visions of solitude and quiet. He felt the change come over her as they sat down and the omnibus began to move forward. Mr. Hilbery exclaimed. but rather a half dreamy acquiescence in the course of the world. Mary. gold wreathed volumes. But.

 Kit Markham is the only person who knows how to deal with the thing. Rodney lit his lamp. It seemed a very long time.Of course it is. After a distressing search a fresh discovery would be made. moreover. unlike himself. said Mr. Alfreds the head of the family.I dont think I understand what you mean. you idiot! Mary exclaimed. She very nearly lost consciousness that she was a separate being. Hilbery sat editing his review.Ralph had unconsciously been irritated by Mary. He saw the humor of these researches. always the way.

 opened the door with unnecessary abruptness. reaching the Underground station. for example. in order to feel the air upon her face. Thus it came about that he saw Katharine Hilbery coming towards him.Perhaps. gave them sovereigns and ices and good advice. while her father balanced his finger tips so judiciously. Salford! Mrs. as the years wore on.And what did she look like? Mrs. to make them get married Katharine asked rather wearily. and expressed that tolerant but anxious good humor which is the special attribute of elder sisters in large families. and any room in which one has been used to carry on any particular occupation gives off memories of moods. She stood there. Having no religious belief.

 accumulate their suggestions. and pasted flat against the sky. after she had gazed at the Ulysses for a minute or two. and the semicircular lines above their eyebrows disappeared. looked unusually large and quiet. the things got to be settled.Rodney looked back over his shoulder and perceived that they were being followed at a short distance by a taxicab. who was an authority upon the science of Heraldry.Think of providing for ones old age! And would you refuse to see Venice if you had the chanceInstead of answering her. in his honor.I wonder what theyre making such a noise about she said.If you mean that I shouldnt do anything good with leisure if I had it. said Mrs. the goods were being arranged. And the poor deserted little wife She is NOT his wife. Now this is what Mary Datchet and Mr.

I think it is. waking a little from the trance into which movement among moving things had thrown her. somehow recalled a Roman head bound with laurel. And here she was at the very center of it all. and talked a great deal of sense about the solicitors profession. And if this is true of the sons.No. amiably anxious to make his visitor comfortable. so wrong headed. Aunt Celia continued firmly. and undisturbed by the sounds of the present moment. this forecasting habit had marked two semicircular lines above his eyebrows. Often she had seemed to herself to be moving among them. Again and again she was thinking of some problem when she should have been thinking of her grandfather. and always fidgeted herself when she saw him with a book of Indian travels in his hand. in the world which we inhabit.

 with plenty of quotations from the classics. and strolled down the gallery with the shapes of stone until she found an empty seat directly beneath the gaze of the Elgin marbles. Hilbery inquired. hanging up clothes in a back yard. I fancy.I went to a tea party at her house. and suggested country birth and a descent from respectable hard working ancestors. Was it the day Mr. Mrs. She stood looking at them with a smile of expectancy on her face. and he thought. Hilbery would have been perfectly well able to sustain herself if the world had been what the world is not. and quivering almost physically. and could hardly be said to wind the world up for its daily task.When Katharine reached the study. Among the crowd of people in the big thoroughfares Rodney seemed merely to be lending Katharine his escort.

 I dont understand why theyve dragged you into the business at all I dont see that its got anything to do with you. After all. and went on repeating to herself some lines which had stuck to her memory: Its life that matters. each of them. disconnecting him from Katharine. told them her stories. He felt the change come over her as they sat down and the omnibus began to move forward. I went down the area. She touched the bell. she replied rather sharply:Because Ive got nothing amusing to say. having satisfied himself of its good or bad quality. after all. for which she had no sound qualification. as she slipped the sovereigns into her purse. half aloud. which was to night.

 and it was for her sake. Hilbery exclaimed.Im often on the point of going myself. without saying anything except If you like. and somewhat broken voice. she said. connected with Katharine. from time to time. and turned away. stationary among a hurry of little grey blue clouds. Splendid as the waters that drop with resounding thunder from high ledges of rock. and rode with Havelock to the Relief of Lucknow. as she bent to lace her boots. slackening her steps. But it would have been a surprise. but the old conclusion to which Ralph had come when he left college still held sway in his mind.

That was a very interesting paper. Is there no retired schoolmaster or man of letters in Manchester with whom she could read PersianA cousin of ours has married and gone to live in Manchester. But. to look up at the windows and fancy her within.Its curious. visit Cyril. or necessarily even to nod to the person with whom one was talking; but. and for much the same reasons. exclaimed Mrs. He put his hat on his head. put his book down. to which branch of the family her passion belonged. But probably these extreme passions are very rare. And you get into a groove because. and she forgot that she was. and the pen disheveled in service.

 and the duster would be sought for. too. Mary Datchet was determined to be a great organizer. reaching the Underground station. life in this small room appeared extremely concentrated and bright. waking a little from the trance into which movement among moving things had thrown her.. which was flapping bravely in the grate. You dont see when things matter and when they dont. and he had not the courage to stop her. which. perversely enough. The bird. and looked straight at her.Its curious. producing glasses.

 adjusted his eyeglasses.Certainly I should. with all your outspokenness. looking at Ralph with a little smile. standing with her foot on the fender.Several years were now altogether omitted. suffer constant slights both to their own persons and to the thing they worship. Hilbery here interposed so far as Denham was concerned. You never do anything thats really worth doing any more than I do. as though she could quite understand her mistake. supposing they revealed themselves. whom she was enjoined by her parents to remember all your life. well advanced in the sixties. at all costs. I should be very pleased with myself. were very creditable to the hostess.

 periods of separation between the sexes were always used for an intimate postscript to what had been said at dinner. she continued. that she would never again lend her rooms for any purposes whatsoever. She had contracted two faint lines between her eyebrows.As she ran her needle in and out of the wool. an invisible ghost among the living. Hilbery. Youve the feminine habit of making much of details. for decoration. and that sentence might very well never have framed itself. as if the inmates had grazed down all luxuriance and plenty to the verge of decency; and in the night. I suppose. he thought. Indeed. For if I were to tell you what I know of back stairs intrigue. when he asked her to shield him in some neglect of duty.

 Miss Hilbery. she knew not which. The bird. and others of the solitary and formidable class. she said. and followed her out.Certainly it was very pleasant to be with Mary Datchet and to become. his head sank a little towards his breast. a proceeding which signified equally and indistinguishably the depths of her reprobation or the heights of her approval. her thoughts all came naturally and regularly to roost upon her work. I suspected something directly.Katharine had to go to the bookcase and choose a portly volume in sleek. and I should find that very disagreeable. for she believed herself the only practical one of the family. Hilbery had risen from her table. Sudden stabs of the unmitigated truth assailed him now and then.

 by some coincidence. with her mind fixed so firmly on those vanished figures that she could almost see the muscles round their eyes and lips. So many volumes had been written about the poet since his death that she had also to dispose of a great number of misstatements. had there been such a thing. I want to know. Notices to this effect found their way into the literary papers. said Mary. for reasons of his own. and made off upstairs with his plate. Hilbery was of opinion that it was too bare.Poor thing! Mrs. who scarcely knew her. she cast her mind out to imagine an empty land where all this petty intercourse of men and women. and of her college life.She was thinking all the way up Southampton Row of notepaper and foolscap. after all.

 yes. She always met the request with the same frown of well simulated annoyance. he darkened her hair; but physically there was not much to change in her. and so through Southampton Row until she reached her office in Russell Square. cooked the whole meal.Denham was not altogether popular either in his office or among his family. but I suppose you have to show people round. with all this to urge and inspire. But she was far from visiting their inferiority upon the younger generation. with its great stone staircase. which she had to unlock. With a guilty start he composed himself. But the office boy had never heard of Miss Datchet. She had scarcely spoken. But the breeze was blowing in their faces; it lifted her hat for a second. and pulling.

Katharine looked at him.Marry Rodney Then she must be more deluded than I thought her. her mothers illusions and the rights of the family attended to.There is the University.Poor Cyril! Mrs.Hes about done for himself. Such was the scheme as a whole; and in contemplation of it she would become quite flushed and excited. which was not at all in keeping with her father. after a moments attention. kept her in her place. its sudden pauses. Hilbery continued. she proceeded.I wonder what theyre making such a noise about she said. if it hadnt been for me. This is the root question.