ForMaisie’ssake，andtosoothetheself—respectthatitseemedtohimhelosteachSunday，hewouldnotconsciouslyturnoutbadstuff，but，sinceMaisiedidnotcareevenforhisbest，itwerebetternottodoanythingatallsavewaitandmarktimebetweenSundayandSunday。Torpenhowwasdisgustedastheweekswentbyfruitless，andthenattackedhimoneSundayeveningwhenDickfeltutterlyexhaustedafterthreehours’
bitingself—restraintinMaisie’spresence。TherewasLanguage，andTorpenhowwithdrewtoconsulttheNilghai，whohadcomeittotalkcontinentalpolitics。
’Bone—idle，ishe？Careless，andtouchedinthetemper？’saidtheNilghai。
’Itisn’tworthworryingover。Dickisprobablyplayingthefoolwithawoman。’
’Isn’tthatbadenough？’
’No。Shemaythrowhimoutofgearandknockhisworktopiecesforawhile。Shemayeventurnupheresomedayandmakeasceneonthestaircase：oneneverknows。ButuntilDickspeaksofhisownaccordyouhadbetternottouchhim。Heisnoeasy—temperedmantohandle。’
’No；Iwishhewere。Heissuchanaggressive，cocksure，you—be—damnedfellow。’
’He’llgetthatknockedoutofhimintime。Hemustlearnthathecan’tstormupanddowntheworldwithaboxofmoisttubesandaslickbrush。
You’refondofhim？’
’I’dtakeanypunishmentthat’sinstoreforhimifIcould；buttheworstofitis，nomancansavehisbrother。’
’No，andtheworserofitis，thereisnodischargeinthiswar。Dickmustlearnhislessonliketherestofus。Talkingofwar，there’llbetroubleintheBalkansinthespring。’
’Thattroubleislongcoming。IwonderifwecoulddragDickouttherewhenitcomesoff？’
Dickenteredtheroomsoonafterwards，andthequestionwasputtohim。
’Notgoodenough，’hesaidshortly。’I’mtoocomf’ywhereIam。’
’Surelyyouaren’ttakingallthestuffinthepapersseriously？’saidtheNilghai。’Yourvoguewillbeendedinlessthansixmonths，——thepublicwillknowyourtouchandgoontosomethingnew，——andwherewillyoubethen？’
’Here，inEngland。’
’Whenyoumightbedoingdecentworkamongusoutthere？Nonsense！I
shallgo，theKeneuwillbethere，Torpwillbethere，Cassavettiwillbethere，andthewholelotofuswillbethere，andweshallhaveasmuchaseverwecando，withunlimitedfightingandthechanceforyouofseeingthingsthatwouldmakethereputationofthreeVerestchagins。’
’Um！’saidDick，pullingathispipe。
’Youprefertostayhereandimaginethatalltheworldisgapingatyourpictures？Justthinkhowfullanaverageman’slifeisofhisownpursuitsandpleasures。Whentwentythousandofhimfindtimetolookupbetweenmouthfulsandgruntsomethingaboutsomethingtheyaren’ttheleastinterestedin，thenetresultiscalledfame，reputation，ornotoriety，accordingtothetasteandfancyofthespellermylord。’
’Iknowthataswellasyoudo。Givemecreditforalittlegumption。’
’BehangedifIdo！’
’Behanged，then；youprobablywillbe，——foraspy，byexcitedTurks。
Heigh—ho！I’mweary，deadweary，andvirtuehasgoneoutofme。’Dickdroppedintoachair，andwasfastasleepinaminute。
’That’sabadsign，’saidtheNilghai，inanundertone。
Torpenhowpickedthepipefromthewaistcoatwhereitwasbeginningtoburn，andputapillowbehindthehead。’Wecan’thelp；wecan’thelp，’hesaid。’It’sagooduglysortofoldcocoanut，andI’mfondofit。There’sthescarofthewipehegotwhenhewascutoverinthesquare。’
’Shouldn’twonderifthathasmadehimatriflemad。’
’Ishould。He’samostbusinesslikemadman。’
ThenDickbegantosnorefuriously。
’Oh，here，noaffectioncanstandthissortofthing。Wakeup，Dick，andgoandsleepsomewhereelse，ifyouintendtomakeanoiseaboutit。’
’Whenacathasbeenoutonthetilesallnight，’saidtheNilghai，inhisbeard，’Inoticethatsheusuallysleepsallday。Thisisnaturalhistory。’
Dickstaggeredawayrubbinghiseyesandyawning。Inthenight—watcheshewasovertakenwithanidea，sosimpleandsoluminousthathewonderedhehadneverconceiveditbefore。Itwasfullofcraft。HewouldseekMaisieonaweek—day，——wouldsuggestanexcursion，andwouldtakeherbytraintoFortKeeling，overtheverygroundthattheytwohadtroddentogethertenyearsago。
’Asageneralrule，’heexplainedtohischin—latheredreflectioninthemorning，’itisn’tsafetocrossanoldtrailtwice。Thingsremindoneofthings，andacoldwindgetsup，andyoufeelsaid；butthisisanexceptiontoeveryrulethateverwas。I’llgotoMaisieatonce。’
Fortunately，thered—hairedgirlwasoutshoppingwhenhearrived，andMaisieinapaint—spatteredblousewaswarringwithhercanvas。Shewasnotpleasedtoseehim；forweek—dayvisitswereastretchofthebond；
anditneededallhiscouragetoexplainhiserrand。
’Iknowyou’vebeenworkingtoohard，’heconcluded，withanairofauthority。’Ifyoudothat，you’llbreakdown。Youhadmuchbettercome。’
’Where？’saidMaisie，wearily。Shehadbeenstandingbeforehereaseltoolong，andwasverytired。
’Anywhereyouplease。We’lltakeatrainto—morrowandseewhereitstops。We’llhavelunchsomewhere，andI’llbringyoubackintheevening。’
’Ifthere’sagoodworkinglightto—morrow，Iloseaday。’Maisiebalancedtheheavywhitechestnutpaletteirresolutely。
Dickbitbackanoaththatwashurryingtohislips。Hehadnotyetlearnedpatiencewiththemaidentowhomherworkwasallinall。
’You’llloseeversomanymore，dear，ifyouuseeveryhourofworkinglight。Overwork’sonlymurderousidleness。Don’tbeunreasonable。I’llcallforyouto—morrowafterbreakfastearly。’
’Butsurelyyouaregoingtoask————’
’No，Iamnot。Iwantyouandnobodyelse。Besides，shehatesmeasmuchasIhateher。Shewon’tcaretocome。To—morrow，then；andpraythatwegetsunshine。’
Dickwentawaydelighted，andbyconsequencedidnoworkwhatever。
Hestrangledawilddesiretoorderaspecialtrain，butboughtagreatgraykangaroocloaklinedwithglossyblackmarten，andthenretiredintohimselftoconsiderthings。
’I’mgoingoutforthedayto—morrowwithDick，’saidMaisietothered—hairedgirlwhenthelatterreturned，tired，frommarketingintheEdgwareroad。
’Hedeservesit。Ishallhavethestudiofloorthoroughlyscrubbedwhileyou’reaway。It’sverydirty。’
Maisiehadenjoyednosortofholidayformonthsandlookedforwardtothelittleexcitement，butnotwithoutmisgivings。
’There’snobodynicerthanDickwhenhetalkssensibly，shethough，butI’msurehe’llbesillyandworryme，andI’msureIcan’ttellhimanythinghe’dliketohear。Ifhe’donlybesensible，Ishouldlikehimsomuchbetter。’
Dick’seyeswerefullofjoywhenhemadehisappearancenextmorningandsawMaisie，gray—ulsteredandblack—velvet—hatted，standinginthehallway。Palacesofmarble，andnotsordidimitationofgrainedwood，weresurelythefittestbackgroundforsuchadivinity。Thered—hairedgirldrewherintothestudioforamomentandkissedherhurriedly。
Maisie’seyebrowsclimbedtothetopofherforehead；shewasaltogetherunusedtothesedemonstrations。’Mindmyhat，’shesaid，hurryingaway，andrandownthestepstoDickwaitingbythehansom。
’Areyouquitewarmenough！Areyousureyouwouldn’tlikesomemorebreakfast？Putthecloakoveryouknees。’
’I’mquitecomf’y，thanks。Wherearewegoing，Dick？Oh，dostopsinginglikethat。Peoplewillthinkwe’remad。’
’Let’emthink，——iftheexertiondoesn’tkillthem。Theydon’tknowwhoweare，andI’msureIdon’tcarewhotheyare。Myfaith，Maisie，you’relookinglovely！’
Maisiestareddirectlyinfrontofheranddidnotreply。Thewindofakeenclearwintermorninghadputcolourintohercheeks。Overhead，thecreamy—yellowsmoke—cloudswerethinningawayonebyoneagainstapale—bluesky，andtheimprovidentsparrowsbrokeofffromwater—spoutcommitteesandcab—rankcabalstoclamourofthecomingofspring。
’Itwillbelovelyweatherinthecountry，’saidDick。
’Butwherearewegoing？’
’Waitandsee。’
ThestoppedatVictoria，andDicksoughttickets。ForlessthanhalfthefractionofaninstantitoccurredtoMaisie，comfortablysettledbythewaiting—roomfire，thatitwasmuchmorepleasanttosendamantothebooking—officethantoelbowone’sownwaythroughthecrowd。DickputherintoaPullman，——solelyonaccountofthewarmththere；andsheregardedtheextravagancewithgravescandalisedeyesasthetrainmovedoutintothecountry。
’IwishIknewwherewearegoing，’sherepeatedforthetwentiethtime。
Thenameofawell—rememberedstationflashedby，towardstheendoftherun，andMaisiewasdelighted。
’Oh，Dick，youvillain！’
’Well，Ithoughtyoumightliketoseetheplaceagain。Youhaven’tbeenheresincetheoldtimes，haveyou？’
’No。InevercaredtoseeMrs。Jennettagain；andshewasallthatwaseverthere。’
’Notquite。Lookoutaminute。There’sthewindmillabovethepotato—fields；theyhaven’tbuiltvillasthereyet；d’yourememberwhenI
shutyouupinit？’
’Yes。Howshebeatyouforit！Inevertolditwasyou。’
’Sheguessed。IjammedastickunderthedoorandtoldyouthatIwasburyingAmommaaliveinthepotatoes，andyoubelievedme。Youhadatrustingnatureinthosedays。’
Theylaughedandleanedtolookout，identifyingancientlandmarkswithmanyreminiscences。DickfixedhisweathereyeonthecurveofMaisie’scheek，verynearhisown，andwatchedthebloodriseundertheclearskin。Hecongratulatedhimselfuponhiscunning，andlookedthattheeveningwouldbringhimagreatreward。
Whenthetrainstoppedtheywentouttolookatanoldtownwithneweyes。First，butfromadistance，theyregardedthehouseofMrs。Jennett。
’Supposesheshouldcomeoutnow，whatwouldyoudo？’saidDick，withmockterror。
’Ishouldmakeaface。’
’Show，then，’saidDick，droppingintothespeechofchildhood。
Maisiemadethatfaceinthedirectionofthemeanlittlevilla，andDicklaughed。
’"Thisisdisgraceful，"’saidMaisie，mimickingMrs。Jennett’stone。
’"Maisie，youruninatonce，andlearnthecollect，gospel，andepistleforthenextthreeSundays。AfterallI’vetaughtyou，too，andthreehelpseverySundayatdinner！Dick’salwaysleadingyouintomischief。Ifyouaren’tagentleman，Dick，youmightatleast——"’
Thesentenceendedabruptly。Maisierememberedwhenithadlastbeenused。
’"Trytobehavelikeone，"’saidDick，promptly。’Quiteright。Nowwe’llgetsomelunchandgoontoFortKeeling，——unlessyou’dratherdrivethere？’
’Wemustwalk，outofrespecttotheplace。Howlittlechangeditallis！’
Theyturnedinthedirectionoftheseathroughunalteredstreets，andtheinfluenceofoldthingslayuponthem。Presentlytheypassedaconfectioner’sshopmuchconsideredinthedayswhentheirjointpocket—moneyamountedtoashillingaweek。
’Dick，haveyouanypennies？’saidMaisie，halftoherself。
’Onlythree；andifyouthinkyou’regoingtohavetwoof’emtobuypeppermintswith，you’rewrong。Shesayspeppermintsaren’tladylike。’
Againtheylaughed，andagainthecolourcameintoMaisie’scheeksasthebloodboiledthroughDick’sheart。AfteralargelunchtheywentdowntothebeachandtoFortKeelingacrossthewaste，wind—bittenlandthatnobuilderhadthoughtitworthhiswhiletodefile。Thewinterbreezecameinfromtheseaandsangabouttheirears。
’Maisie，’saidDick，’yournoseisgettingacrudePrussianblueatthetip。
I’llraceyouasfarasyoupleaseforasmuchasyouplease。’
Shelookedroundcautiously，andwithalaughsetoff，swiftlyastheulsterallowed，tillshewasoutofbreath。
’Weusedtorunmiles，’shepanted。’It’sabsurdthatwecan’trunnow。’
’Oldage，dear。Thisitistogetfatandsleekintown。WhenIwishedtopullyouhairyougenerallyranforthreemiles，shriekingatthetopofyourvoice。Ioughttoknow，becausethoseshrieksofyoursweremeanttocallupMrs。Jennettwithacaneand————’
’Dick，Inevergotyouabeatingonpurposeinmylife。’
’No，ofcourseyouneverdid。Goodheavens！lookatthesea。’
’Why，it’sthesameasever！’saidMaisie。
TorpenhowhadgatheredfromMr。BeetonthatDick，properlydressedandshaved，hadleftthehouseathalf—pasteightinthemorningwithatravelling—rugoverhisarm。TheNilghairolledinatmid—dayforchessandpoliteconversation。
’It’sworsethananythingIimagined，’saidTorpenhow。
’Oh，theeverlastingDick，Isuppose！Youfussoverhimlikeahenwithonechick。Lethimrunriotifhethinksit’llamusehim。Youcanwhipayoungpupofffeather，butyoucan’twhipayoungman。’
’Itisn’tawoman。It’sonewoman；andit’sagirl。’
’Where’syourproof？’
’Hegotupandwentoutateightthismorning，——gotupinthemiddleofthenight，byJove！athingheneverdoesexceptwhenhe’sonservice。
Eventhen，remember，wehadtokickhimoutofhisblanketsbeforethefightbeganatEl—Maghrib。It’sdisgusting。’
’Itlooksodd；butmaybehe’sdecidedtobuyahorseatlast。Hemightgetupforthat，mightn’the？’
’Buyablazingwheelbarrow！He’dhavetoldusiftherewasahorseinthewind。It’sagirl。’
’Don’tbecertain。Perhapsit’sonlyamarriedwoman。’
’Dickhassomesenseofhumour，ifyouhaven’t。Whogetsupinthegraydawntocallonanotherman’swife？It’sagirl。’
’Letitbeagirl，then。Shemayteachhimthatthere’ssomebodyelseintheworldbesideshimself。’
’She’llspoilhishand。She’llwastehistime，andshe’llmarryhim，andruinhisworkforever。He’llbearespectablemarriedmanbeforewecanstophim，and——he’llevergoonthelongtrailagain。’
’Allquitepossible，buttheearthwon’tspintheotherwaywhenthathappens……No！ho！I’dgivesomethingtoseeDick"gowooingwiththeboys。"Don’tworryaboutit。ThesethingsbewithAllah，andwecanonlylookon。Getthechessmen。’？
Thered—hairedgirlwaslyingdowninherownroom，staringattheceiling。Thefootstepsofpeopleonthepavementsounded，astheygrewindistinctinthedistance，likeamany—times—repeatedkissthatwasallonelongkiss。Herhandswerebyherside，andtheyopenedandshutsavagelyfromtimetotime。
Thecharwomaninchargeofthescrubbingofthestudioknockedatherdoor：’Begy’pardon，miss，butincleanin’ofafloorthere’stwo，nottosaythree，kindofsoap，whichisyaller，an’mottled，an’disinfectink。
Now，jistbeforeItookmypailintothepassageIthoughitwouldbepre’apsjestaswellifIwastocomeup’erean’askyouwhatsortofsoapyouwaswishfulthatIshoulduseonthemboards。Theyallersoap，miss————’
Therewasnothinginthespeechtohavecausedtheparoxysmoffurythatdrovethered—hairedgirlintothemiddleoftheroom，almostshouting——
’DoyousupposeIcarewhatyouuse？Anykindwilldo！——anykind！’
Thewomanfled，andthered—hairedgirllookedatherownreflectionintheglassforaninstantandcoveredherfacewithherhands。Itwasasthoughshehadshoutedsomeshamelesssecretaloud。
CHAPTERVII
RosesredandroseswhitePluckedIformylove’sdelight。
Shewouldnoneofallmyposies，——
Bademegatherherblueroses。
HalftheworldIwanderedthrough，Seekingwheresuchflowersgrew；
HalftheworlduntomyquestAnsweredbutwithlaughandjest。
ItmaybebeyondthegraveSheshallfindwhatshewouldhave。
Minewasbutanidlequest，——
Roseswhiteandredarebest！——BlueRoses。？
THESEAhadnotchanged。Itswaterswerelowonthemud—banks，andtheMarazionBell—buoyclankedandswunginthetide—way。Onthewhitebeach—sanddriedstumpsofsea—poppyshiveredandchattered。
’Idon’tseetheoldbreakwater，’saidMaisie，underherbreath。
’Let’sbethankfulthatwehaveasmuchaswehave。Idon’tbelievethey’vemountedasinglenewgunonthefortsincewewerehere。Comeandlook。’
TheycametotheglacisofFortKeeling，andsatdowninanookshelteredfromthewindunderthetarredthroatofaforty—poundercannon。
’Now，ifAmmomawereonlyhere！’saidMaisie。
Foralongtimebothweresilent。ThenDicktookMaisie’shandandcalledherbyhername。
Sheshookherheadandlookedouttosea。
’Maisie，darling，doesn’titmakeanydifference？’
’No！’betweenclenchedteeth。’I’d——I’dtellyouifitdid；butitdoesn’t，Oh，Dick，pleasebesensible。’
’Don’tyouthinkthatiteverwill？’
’No，I’msureitwon’t。’
’Why？’
Maisierestedherchinonherhand，and，stillregardingthesea，spokehurriedly——
’Iknowwhatyouwantperfectlywell，butIcan’tgiveittoyou，Dick。Itisn’tmyfault；indeed，itisn’t。IfIfeltthatIcouldcareforanyone————
ButIdon’tfeelthatIcare。Isimplydon’tunderstandwhatthefeelingmeans。’
’Isthattrue，dear？’
’You’vebeenverygoodtome，Dickie；andtheonlywayIcanpayyoubackisbyspeakingthetruth。Idaren’ttellafib。Idespisemyselfquitenoughasitis。’
’Whatintheworldfor？’
’Because——becauseItakeeverythingthatyougivemeandIgiveyounothinginreturn。It’smeanandselfishofme，andwheneverIthinkofititworriesme。’
’Understandonceforall，then，thatIcanmanagemyownaffairs，andifI
choosetodoanythingyouaren’ttoblame。Youhaven’tasinglethingtoreproachyourselfwith，darling。’
’Yes，Ihave，andtalkingonlymakesitworse。’
’Thendon’ttalkaboutit。’
’HowcanIhelpmyself？Ifyoufindmealoneforaminuteyouarealwaystalkingaboutit；andwhenyouaren’tyoulookit。Youdon’tknowhowI
despisemyselfsometimes。’
’Greatgoodness！’saidDick，nearlyjumpingtohisfeet。’Speakthetruthnow，Maisie，ifyouneverspeakitagain！DoI——doesthisworryingboreyou？’
’No。Itdoesnot。’
’You’dtellmeifitdid？’
’Ishouldletyouknow，Ithink。’
’Thankyou。Theotherthingisfatal。Butyoumustlearntoforgiveamanwhenhe’sinlove。He’salwaysanuisance。Youmusthaveknownthat？’
Maisiedidnotconsiderthelastquestionworthanswering，andDickwasforcedtorepeatit。
’Therewereothermen，ofcourse。TheyalwaysworriedjustwhenIwasinthemiddleofmywork，andwantedmetolistentothem。’
’Didyoulisten？’
’Atfirst；andtheycouldn’tunderstandwhyIdidn’tcare。Andtheyusedtopraisemypictures；andIthoughttheymeantit。Iusedtobeproudofthepraise，andtellKami，and——Ishallneverforget——onceKamilaughedatme。’
’Youdon’tlikebeinglaughedat，Maisie，doyou？’
’Ihateit。Ineverlaughatotherpeopleunless——unlesstheydobadwork。
Dick，tellmehonestlywhatyouthinkofmypicturesgenerally，——ofeverythingofminethatyou’veseen。’
’"Honest，honest，andhonestover！"’quotedDickfromacatchwordoflongago。’TellmewhatKamialwayssays。’
Maisiehesitated。’He——hesaysthatthereisfeelinginthem。’
’Howdareyoutellmeafiblikethat？Remember，IwasunderKamifortwoyears。Iknowexactlywhathesays。’
’Itisn’tafib。’
’It’sworse；it’sahalf—truth。Kamisays，whenheputshisheadononeside，——so，——"Ilyadusentiment，maisiln’yapasdepartipris。"’Herolledtherthreateningly，asKamiusedtodo。
’Yes，thatiswhathesays；andI’mbeginningtothinkthatheisright。’
’Certainlyheis。’Dickadmittedthattwopeopleintheworldcoulddoandsaynowrong。Kamiwastheman。
’Andnowyousaythesamething。It’ssodisheartening。’
’I’msorry，butyouaskedmetospeakthetruth。Besides，Iloveyoutoomuchtopretendaboutyourwork。It’sstrong，it’spatientsometimes，——notalways，——andsometimesthere’spowerinit，butthere’snospecialreasonwhyitshouldbedoneatall。Atleast，that’showitstrikesme。’
’There’snospecialreasonwhyanythingintheworldshouldeverbedone。YouknowthataswellasIdo。Ionlywantsuccess。’
’You’regoingthewrongwaytogetit，then。Hasn’tKamievertoldyouso？’
’Don’tquoteKamitome。Iwanttoknowwhatyouthink。Mywork’sbad，tobeginwith。’
’Ididn’tsaythat，andIdon’tthinkit。’
’It’samateurish，then。’
’Thatitmostcertainlyisnot。You’reawork—woman，darling，toyourboot—heels，andIrespectyouforthat。’
’Youdon’tlaughatmebehindmyback？’
’No，dear。Yousee，youaremoretomethananyoneelse。Putthiscloakthingroundyou，oryou’llgetchilled。’
Maisiewrappedherselfinthesoftmartenskins，turningthegraykangaroofurtotheoutside。
’Thisisdelicious，’shesaid，rubbingherchinthoughtfullyalongthefur。
’Well？WhyamIwrongintryingtogetalittlesuccess？’
’Justbecauseyoutry。Don’tyouunderstand，darling？Goodworkhasnothingtodowith——doesn’tbelongto——thepersonwhodoesit。It’sputintohimorherfromoutside。’
’Buthowdoesthataffect————’
’Waitaminute。Allwecandoistolearnhowtodoourwork，tobemastersofourmaterialsinsteadofservants，andnevertobeafraidofanything。’
’Iunderstandthat。’
’Everythingelsecomesfromoutsideourselves。Verygood。Ifwesitdownquietlytoworkoutnotionsthataresenttous，wemayorwemaynotdosomethingthatisn’tbad。Agreatdealdependsonbeingmasterofthebricksandmortarofthetrade。Buttheinstantwebegintothinkaboutsuccessandtheeffectofourwork——toplaywithoneeyeonthegallery——welosepowerandtouchandeverythingelse。Atleastthat’showIhavefoundit。Insteadofbeingquietandgivingeverypoweryoupossesstoyourwork，you’refrettingoversomethingwhichyoucanneitherhelpnohinderbyaminute。See？’
’It’ssoeasyforyoutotalkinthatway。Peoplelikewhatyoudo。Don’tyoueverthinkaboutthegallery？’
’Muchtoooften；butI’malwayspunishedforitbylossofpower。It’sassimpleastheRuleofThree。Ifwemakelightofourworkbyusingitforourownends，ourworkwillmakelightofus，and，aswe’retheweaker，weshallsuffer。’
’Idon’ttreatmyworklightly。Youknowthatit’severythingtome。’
’Ofcourse；but，whetheryourealiseitornot，yougivetwostrokesforyourselftooneforyourwork。Itisn’tyourfault，darling。Idoexactlythesamething，andknowthatI’mdoingit。MostoftheFrenchschools，andalltheschoolshere，drivethestudentstoworkfortheirowncredit，andforthesakeoftheirpride。Iwastoldthatalltheworldwasinterestedinmywork，andeverybodyatKami’stalkedturpentine，andIhonestlybelievedthattheworldneededelevatingandinfluencing，andallmannerofimpertinences，bymybrushes。ByJove，Iactuallybelievedthat！WhenmylittleheadwasburstingwithanotionthatIcouldn’thandlebecauseI
hadn’tsufficientknowledgeofmycraft，Iusedtorunaboutwonderingatmyownmagnificenceandgettingreadytoastonishtheworld。’
’Butsurelyonecandothatsometimes？’
’Veryseldomwithmaliceaforethought，darling。Andwhenit’sdoneit’ssuchatinything，andtheworld’ssobig，andallbutamillionthpartofitdoesn’tcare。Maisie，comewithmeandI’llshowyousomethingofthesizeoftheworld。Onecannomoreavoidworkingthaneating，——thatgoesonbyitself，——buttrytoseewhatyouareworkingfor。IknowsuchlittleheavensthatIcouldtakeyouto，——islandstuckedawayundertheLine。
Yousightthemafterweeksofcrashingthroughwaterasblackasblackmarblebecauseit’ssodeep，andyousitinthefore—chainsdayafterdayandseethesunrisealmostafraidbecausethesea’ssolonely。’
’Whoisafraid？——you，orthesun？’
’Thesun，ofcourse。Andtherearenoisesunderthesea，andsoundsoverheadinaclearsky。Thenyoufindyourislandalivewithhotmoistorchidsthatmakemouthsatyouandcandoeverythingexcepttalk。
There’sawaterfallinitthreehundredfeethigh，justlikeasliverofgreenjadelacedwithsilver；andmillionsofwildbeesliveupintherocks；andyoucanhearthefatcocoanutsfallingfromthepalms；andyouorderanivory—whiteservanttoslingyoualongyellowhammockwithtasselsonitlikeripemaize，andyouputupyourfeetandhearthebeeshumandthewaterfalltillyougotosleep。’
’Canoneworkthere？’
’Certainly。Onemustdosomethingalways。Youhangyourcanvasupinapalmtreeandlettheparrotscriticise。Whenthescuffleyouheavearipecustard—appleatthem，anditburstsinalatherofcream。Therearehundredsofplaces。Comeandseethem。’
’Idon’tquitelikethatplace。Itsoundslazy。Tellmeanother。’
’Whatdoyouthinkofabig，red，deadcitybuiltofredsandstone，withrawgreenaloesgrowingbetweenthestones，lyingoutneglectedonhoney—colouredsands？Therearefortydeadkingsthere，Maisie，eachinagorgeoustombfinerthanalltheothers。Youlookatthepalacesandstreetsandshopsandtanks，andthinkthatmenmustlivethere，tillyoufindaweegraysquirrelrubbingitsnoseallaloneinthemarket—place，andajewelledpeacockstrutsoutofacarveddoorwayandspreadsitstailagainstamarblescreenasfinepiercedaspoint—lace。Thenamonkey——alittleblackmonkey——walksthroughthemainsquaretogetadrinkfromatankfortyfeetdeep。Heslidesdownthecreeperstothewater’sedge，andafriendholdshimbythetail，incaseheshouldfallin。’
’Isthatalltrue？’
’Ihavebeenthereandseen。Theneveningcomes，andthelightschangetillit’sjustasthoughyoustoodintheheartofaking—opal。Alittlebeforesundown，aspunctuallyasclockwork，abigbristlywildboar，withallhisfamilyfollowing，trotsthroughthecitygate，churningthefoamonhistusks。Youclimbontheshoulderofablindblackstonegodandwatchthatpigchoosehimselfapalaceforthenightandstumpinwagginghistail。Thenthenight—windgetsup，andthesandsmove，andyouhearthedesertoutsidethecitysinging，"NowIlaymedowntosleep，"andeverythingisdarktillthemoonrises。Maisie，darling，comewithmeandseewhattheworldisreallylike。It’sverylovely，andit’sveryhorrible，——butIwon’tletyouseeanythinghorrid，——anditdoesn’tcareyourlifeormineforpicturesoranythingelseexceptdoingitsownworkandmakinglove。Come，andI’llshowyouhowtobrewsangaree，andslingahammock，and——oh，thousandsofthings，andyou’llseeforyourselfwhatcolourmeans，andwe’llfindouttogetherwhatlovemeans，andthen，maybe，weshallbeallowedtodosomegoodwork。Comeaway！’
’Why？’saidMaisie。
’Howcanyoudoanythinguntilyouhaveseeneverything，orasmuchasyoucan？Andbesides，darling，Iloveyou。Comealongwithme。Youhavenobusinesshere；youdon’tbelongtothisplace；you’rehalfagipsy，——yourfacetellsthat；andI——eventhesmellofopenwatermakesmerestless。Comeacrosstheseaandbehappy！’
Hehadrisentohisfeet，andstoodintheshadowofthegun，lookingdownatthegirl。Theveryshortwinterafternoonhadwornaway，and，beforetheyknew，thewintermoonwaswalkingtheuntroubledsea。Longruledlinesofsilvershowedwherearippleoftherisingtidewasturningoverthemud—banks。Thewindhaddropped，andintheintensestillnesstheycouldhearadonkeycroppingthefrostygrassmanyyardsaway。Afaintbeating，likethatofamuffleddrum，cameoutofthemoon—haze。
’What’sthat？’saidMaisie，quickly。’Itsoundslikeaheartbeating。
Whereisit？’
Dickwassoangryatthissuddenwrenchtohispleadingsthathecouldnottrusthimselftospeak，andinthissilencecaughtthesound。Maisiefromherseatunderthegunwatchedhimwithacertainamountoffear。
Shewishedsomuchthathewouldbesensibleandceasetoworryherwithover—seaemotionthatshebothcouldandcouldnotunderstand。Shewasnotprepared，however，forthechangeinhisfaceashelistened。
’It’sasteamer，’hesaid，——’atwin—screwsteamer，bythebeat。Ican’tmakeherout，butshemustbestandingveryclosein—shore。Ah！’astheredofarocketstreakedthehaze，’she’sstandingintosignalbeforesheclearstheChannel。’
’Isitawreck？’saidMaisie，towhomthesewordswereasGreek。
Dick’seyeswereturnedtothesea。’Wreck！Whatnonsense！She’sonlyreportingherself。Redrocketforward——there’sagreenlightaftnow，andtworedrocketsfromthebridge。’
’Whatdoesthatmean？’
’It’sthesignaloftheCrossKeysLinerunningtoAustralia。Iwonderwhichsteameritis。’Thenoteofhisvoicehadchanged；heseemedtobetalkingtohimself，andMaisiedidnotapproveofit。Themoonlightbrokethehazeforamoment，touchingtheblacksidesofalongsteamerworkingdownChannel。’Fourmastsandthreefunnels——she’sindeepdraught，too。ThatmustbetheBarralong，ortheBhutia。No，theBhutiahasaclopperbow。It’stheBarralong，toAustralia。She’lllifttheSouthernCrossinaweek，——luckyoldtub！——oh，luckyoldtub！’
Hestaredintently，andmoveduptheslopeoftheforttogetabetterview，butthemistontheseathickenedagain，andthebeatingofthescrewsgrewfainter。Maisiecalledtohimalittleangrily，andhereturned，stillkeepinghiseyestoseaward。’HaveyoueverseentheSouthernCrossblazingrightoveryourhead？’heasked。’It’ssuperb！’
’No，’shesaidshortly，’andIdon’twantto。Ifyouthinkit’ssolovely，whydon’tyougoandseeityourself？’
Sheraisedherfacefromthesoftblacknessofthemartenskinsaboutherthroat，andhereyesshonelikediamonds。Themoonlightonthegraykangaroofurturnedittofrostedsilverofthecoldest。
’ByJove，Maisie，youlooklikealittleheathenidoltuckedupthere。’Theeyesshowedthattheydidnotappreciatethecompliment。’I’msorry，’hecontinued。’TheSouthernCrossisn’tworthlookingatunlesssomeonehelpsyoutosee。Thatsteamer’soutofhearing。’
’Dick，’shesaidquietly，’supposeIweretocometoyounow，——bequietaminute，——justasIam，andcaringforyoujustasmuchasIdo。’
’Notasabrother，thoughYousaidyoudidn’t——inthePark。’
’Ineverhadabrother。SupposeIsaid，"Takemetothoseplaces，andintime，perhaps，Imightreallycareforyou，"whatwouldyoudo？’
’Sendyoustraightbacktowhereyoucamefrom，inacab。No，I
wouldn’t；I’dletyouwalk。Butyoucouldn’tdoit，dear。AndIwouldn’truntherisk。You’reworthwaitingfortillyoucancomewithoutreservation。’
’Doyouhonestlybelievethat？’
’IhaveahazysortofideathatIdo。Hasitneverstruckyouinthatlight？’
’Ye——es。Ifeelsowickedaboutit。’
’Wickederthanusual？’
’Youdon’tknowallIthink。It’salmosttooawfultotell。’
’Nevermind。Youpromisedtotellmethetruth——atleast。’
’It’ssoungratefulofme，but——but，thoughIknowyoucareforme，andI
liketohaveyouwithme，I’d——I’devensacrificeyou，ifthatwouldbringmewhatIwant。’
’Mypoorlittledarling！Iknowthatstateofmind。Itdoesn’tleadtogoodwork。’
’Youaren’tangry？Remember，Idodespisemyself。’
’I’mnotexactlyflattered，——Ihadguessedasmuchbefore，——butI’mnotangry。I’msorryforyou。Surelyyououghttohaveleftalittlenesslikethatbehindyou，yearsago。’
’You’venorighttopatroniseme！IonlywantwhatIhaveworkedforsolong。Itcametoyouwithoutanytrouble，and——andIdon’tthinkit’sfair。’
’WhatcanIdo？I’dgivetenyearsofmylifetogetyouwhatyouwant。
ButIcan’thelpyou；evenIcan’thelp。’
AmurmurofdissentfromMaisie。Hewenton——
’AndIknowbywhatyouhavejustsaidthatyou’reonthewrongroadtosuccess。Itisn’tgotatbysacrificingotherpeople，——I’vehadthatmuchknockedintome；youmustsacrificeyourself，andliveunderorders，andneverthinkforyourself，andneverhaverealsatisfactioninyourworkexceptjustatthebeginning，whenyou’rereachingoutafteranotion。’
’Howcanyoubelieveallthat？’
’There’snoquestionofbeliefordisbelief。That’sthelaw，andyoutakeitorrefuseitasyouplease。Itrytoobey，butIcan’t，andthenmyworkturnsbadonmyhands。Underanycircumstances，remember，four—fifthsofeverybody’sworkmustbebad。Buttheremnantisworththetroubleforit’sownsake。’
’Isn’titnicetogetcreditevenforbadwork？’
’It’smuchtoonice。But————MayItellyousomething？Itisn’taprettytale，butyou’resolikeamanthatIforgetwhenI’mtalkingtoyou。’
’Tellme。’
’OncewhenIwasoutintheSoudanIwentoversomegroundthatwehadbeenfightingonforthreedays。Thereweretwelvehundreddead；
andwehadn’ttimetoburythem。’
’Howghastly！’
’Ihadbeenatworkonabigdouble—sheetsketch，andIwaswonderingwhatpeoplewouldthinkofitathome。Thesightofthatfieldtaughtmeagooddeal。Itlookedjustlikeabedofhorribletoadstoolsinallcolours，and——I’dneverseenmeninbulkgobacktotheirbeginningsbefore。SoI
begantounderstandthatmenandwomenwereonlymaterialtoworkwith，andthatwhattheysaidordidwasofnoconsequence。See？Strictlyspeaking，youmightjustaswellputyoureardowntothepalettetocatchwhatyourcoloursaresaying。’
’Dick，that’sdisgraceful！’
’Waitaminute。Isaid，strictlyspeaking。Unfortunately，everybodymustbeeitheramanorawoman。’
’I’mgladyouallowthatmuch。’
’InyourcaseIdon’t。Youaren’tawoman。Butordinarypeople，Maisie，mustbehaveandworkassuch。That’swhatmakesmesosavage。’Hehurledapebbletowardstheseaashespoke。’Iknowthatitisoutsidemybusinesstocarewhatpeoplesay；IcanseethatitspoilsmyoutputifI
listento’em；andyet，confounditall，’——anotherpebbleflewseaward，——’I
can’thelppurringwhenI’mrubbedtherightway。EvenwhenIcanseeonaman’sforeheadthatheislyinghiswaythroughaclumpofprettyspeeches，thoseliesmakemehappyandplaythemischiefwithmyhand。’
’Andwhenhedoesn’tsayprettythings？’
’Then，belovedest，’——Dickgrinned，——’IforgetthatIamthestewardofthesegifts，andIwanttomakethatmanloveandappreciatemyworkwithathickstick。It’stoohumiliatingaltogether；butIsupposeevenifonewereanangelandpaintedhumansaltogetherfromoutside，onewouldloseintouchwhatonegainedingrip。’
MaisielaughedattheideaofDickasanangel。
’Butyouseemtothink，’shesaid，’thateverythingnicespoilsyourhand。’
’Idon’tthink。It’sthelaw，——justthesameasitwasatMrs。Jennett’s。
Everythingthatisnicedoesspoilyourhand。I’mgladyouseesoclearly。’
’Idon’tliketheview。’
’NorI。But——havegotorders：whatcando？Areyoustrongenoughtofaceitalone？’
’IsupposeImust。’
’Letmehelp，darling。Wecanholdeachotherverytightandtrytowalkstraight。Weshallblunderhorribly，butitwillbebetterthanstumblingapart。Maisie，can’tyouseereason？’
’Idon’tthinkweshouldgetontogether。Weshouldbetwoofatrade，soweshouldneveragree。’
’HowIshouldliketomeetthemanwhomadethatproverb！Helivedinacaveandaterawbear，Ifancy。I’dmakehimchewhisownarrow—heads。
Well？’
’Ishouldbeonlyhalfmarriedtoyou。Ishouldworryandfussaboutmywork，asIdonow。FourdaysoutofthesevenI’mnotfittospeakto。’
’Youtalkasifnooneelseintheworldhadeverusedabrush。D’yousupposethatIdon’tknowthefeelingofworryandbotherandcan’t—get—at—ness？You’reluckyifyouonlyhaveitfourdaysoutoftheseven。Whatdifferencewouldthatmake？’
’Agreatdeal——ifyouhadittoo。’
’Yes，butIcouldrespectit。Anothermanmightnot。Hemightlaughatyou。Butthere’snousetalkingaboutit。Ifyoucanthinkinthatwayyoucan’tcareforme——yet。’
Thetidehadnearlycoveredthemud—banksandtwentylittleripplesbrokeonthebeachbeforeMaisiechosetospeak。
’Dick，’shesaidslowly，’IbelieveverymuchthatyouarebetterthanI
am。’
’Thisdoesn’tseemtobearontheargument——butinwhatway？’
’Idon’tquiteknow，butinwhatyousaidaboutworkandthings；andthenyou’resopatient。Yes，you’rebetterthanIam。’
Dickconsideredrapidlythemurkinessofanaverageman’slife。Therewasnothinginthereviewtofillhimwithasenseofvirtue。Heliftedthehemofthecloaktohislips。
’Why，’saidMaisie，makingasthoughshehadnotnoticed，’canyouseethingsthatIcan’t？Idon’tbelievewhatyoubelieve；butyou’reright，I
believe。’
’IfI’veseenanything，GodknowsIcouldn’thaveseenitbutforyou，andIknowthatIcouldn’thavesaiditexcepttoyou。Youseemedtomakeeverythingclearforaminute；butIdon’tpracticewhatIpreach。Youwouldhelpme……Thereareonlyustwointheworldforallpurposes，and——andyouliketohavemewithyou？’
’OfcourseIdo。IwonderifyoucanrealisehowutterlylonelyIam！’
’Darling，IthinkIcan。’
’Twoyearsago，whenIfirsttookthelittlehouse，Iusedtowalkupanddowntheback—gardentryingtocry。Inevercancry。Canyou？’
’It’ssometimesinceItried。Whatwasthetrouble？Overwork？’
’Idon’tknow；butIusedtodreamthatIhadbrokendown，andhadnomoney，andwasstarvinginLondon。Ithoughtaboutitallday，anditfrightenedme——oh，howitfrightenedme！’
’Iknowthatfear。It’sthemostterribleofall。Itwakesmeupinthenightsometimes。Yououghtn’ttoknowanythingaboutit。’
’Howdoyouknow？’
’Nevermind。Isyourthreehundredayearsafe？’
’It’sinConsols。’
’Verywell。Ifanyonecomestoyouandrecommendsabetterinvestment，——evenifIshouldcometoyou，——don’tyoulisten。Nevershiftthemoneyforaminute，andneverlendapennyofit，——eventothered—hairedgirl。’
’Don’tscoldmeso！I’mnotlikelytobefoolish。’
’Theearthisfullofmenwho’dselltheirsoulsforthreehundredayear；
andwomencomeandtalk，andborrowafive—poundnotehereandaten—poundnotethere；andawomanhasnoconscienceinamoneydebt。
Sticktoyourmoney，Maisie，forthere’snothingmoreghastlyintheworldthanpovertyinLondon。It’sscaredme。ByJove，itputthefearintome！Andoneoughtn’ttobeafraidofanything。’
Toeachmanisappointedhisparticulardread，——theterrorthat，ifhedoesnotfightagainstit，mustcowhimeventothelossofhismanhood。Dick’sexperienceofthesordidmiseryofwanthadenteredintothedeepsofhim，and，lesthemightfindvirtuetooeasy，thatmemorystoodbehindhim，temptingtoshame，whendealerscametobuyhiswares。AstheNilghaiquakedagainsthiswillatthestillgreenwaterofalakeoramill—dam，asTorpenhowflinchedbeforeanywhitearmthatcouldcutorstabandloathedhimselfforflinching，Dickfearedthepovertyhehadoncetastedhalfinjest。Hisburdenwasheavierthantheburdensofhiscompanions。
Maisiewatchedthefaceworkinginthemoonlight。
’You’veplentyofpenniesnow，’shesaidsoothingly。
’Ishallneverhaveenough，’hebegan，withviciousemphasis。Then，laughing，’Ishallalwaysbethree—penceshortinmyaccounts。’
’Whythreepence？’
’Icarriedaman’sbagoncefromLiverpoolStreetStationtoBlackfriar’sBridge。Itwasasixpennyjob，——youneedn’tlaugh；indeeditwas，——andI
wantedthemoneydesperately。Heonlygavemethreepence；andhehadn’teventhedecencytopayinsilver。WhatevermoneyImake，Ishallnevergetthatoddthreepenceoutoftheworld。’
Thiswasnotlanguagebefittingthemanwhohadpreachedofthesanctityofwork。ItjarredonMaisie，whopreferredherpaymentinapplause，which，sinceallmendesireit，mustbeofheright。Shehuntedforherlittlepurseandgravelytookoutathreepennybit。
’Thereitis，’shesaid。’I’llpayyou，Dickie；anddon’tworryanymore；itisn’tworthwhile。Areyoupaid？’
’Iam，’saidtheveryhumanapostleoffaircraft，takingthecoin。’I’mpaidathousandtimes，andwe’llclosethataccount。Itshallliveonmywatch—chain；andyou’reanangel，Maisie。’
’I’mverycramped，andI’mfeelingalittlecold。Goodgracious！thecloakisallwhite，andsoisyourmoustache！Ineverknewitwassochilly。’
AlightfrostlaywhiteontheshoulderofDick’sulster。He，too，hadforgottenthestateoftheweather。Theylaughedtogether，andwiththatlaughendedallseriousdiscourse。
Theyraninlandacrossthewastetowarmthemselves，thenturnedtolookatthegloryofthefulltideunderthemoonlightandtheintenseblackshadowsofthefurzebushes。ItwasanadditionaljoytoDickthatMaisiecouldseecolourevenashesawit，——couldseetheblueinthewhiteofthemist，thevioletthatisingraypalings，andallthingselseastheyare，——notofonehue，butathousand。AndthemoonlightcameintoMaisie’ssoul，sothatshe，usuallyreserved，chatteredofherselfandofthethingsshetookinterestin，——ofKami，wisestofteachers，andofthegirlsinthestudio，——ofthePoles，whowillkillthemselveswithoverworkiftheyarenotchecked；oftheFrench，whotalkatgreatlengthofmuchmorethantheywilleveraccomplish；oftheslovenlyEnglish，whotoilhopelesslyandcannotunderstandthatinclinationdoesnotimplypower；
oftheAmericans，whoseraspingvoicesinthehushofahotafternoonstraintense—drawnnervestobreaking—point，andwhosesuppersleadtoindigestion；oftempestuousRussians，neithertoholdnortobind，whotellthegirlsghost—storiestillthegirlsshriek；ofstolidGermans，whocometolearnonething，and，havingmasteredthatmuch，stolidlygoawayandcopypicturesforevermore。DicklistenedenrapturedbecauseitwasMaisiewhospoke。Heknewtheoldlife。
’Ithasn’tchangedmuch，’hesaid。’Dotheystillstealcoloursatlunch—time？’
’Notsteal。Attractistheword。Ofcoursetheydo。I’mgood——Ionlyattractultramarine；buttherearestudentswho’dattractflake—white。’
’I’vedoneitmyself。Youcan’thelpitwhenthepalettesarehungup。
Everycolouriscommonpropertyonceitrunsdown，——eventhoughyoudostartitwithadropofoil。Itteachespeoplenottowastetheirtubes。’
’Ishouldliketoattractsomeofyourcolours，Dick。PerhapsImightcatchyoursuccesswiththem。’
’Imustn’tsayabadword，butIshouldliketo。Whatintheworld，whichyou’vejustmissedalovelychanceofseeing，doessuccessorwantofsuccess，orathree—storiedsuccess，mattercomparedwith————No，Iwon’topenthatquestionagain。It’stimetogobacktotown。’
’I’msorry，Dick，but————’
’You’remuchmoreinterestedinthatthanyouareinme。’
’Idon’tknow，Idon’tthinkIam。’
’WhatwillyougivemeifItellyouasureshort—cuttoeverythingyouwant，——thetroubleandthefussandthetangleandalltherest？Willyoupromisetoobeyme？’
’Ofcourse。’
’Inthefirstplace，youmustneverforgetamealbecauseyouhappentobeatwork。Youforgotyourlunchtwicelastweek，’saidDick，ataventure，forheknewwithwhomhewasdealing。’
’No，no，——onlyonce，really。’
’That’sbadenough。Andyoumustn’ttakeacupofteaandabiscuitinplaceofaregulardinner，becausedinnerhappenstobeatrouble。’
’You’remakingfunofme！’
’Ineverwasmoreinearnestinmylife。Oh，mylove，mylove，hasn’titdawnedonyouyetwhatyouaretome？Here’sthewholeearthinaconspiracytogiveyouachill，orrunoveryou，ordrenchyoutotheskin，orcheatyououtofyourmoney，orletyoudieofoverworkandunderfeeding，andIhaven’tthemererighttolookafteryou。Why，I
don’tevenknowifyouhavesenseenoughtoputonwarmthingswhentheweather’scold。’
’Dick，you’rethemostawfulboytotalkto——really！HowdoyousupposeI
managedwhenyouwereaway？’
’Iwasn’there，andIdidn’tknow。ButnowI’mbackI’dgiveeverythingI
havefortherightoftellingyoutocomeinoutoftherain。’
’Yoursuccesstoo？’
ThistimeitcostDickaseverestruggletorefrainfrombadwords。
’AsMrs。Jennettusedtosay，you’reatrial，Maisie！You’vebeencoopedupintheschoolstoolong，andyouthinkeveryoneislookingatyou。
Therearen’ttwelvehundredpeopleintheworldwhounderstandpictures。Theotherspretendanddon’tcare。Remember，I’veseentwelvehundredmendeadintoadstool—beds。It’sonlythevoiceofthetiniestlittlefractionofpeoplethatmakessuccess。Therealworlddoesn’tcareatinker’s——doesn’tcareabit。ForaughtyouorIknow，everymanintheworldmaybearguingwithaMaisieofhisown。’
’PoorMaisie！’
’PoorDick，Ithink。Doyoubelievewhilehe’sfightingforwhat’sdearerthanhislifehewantstolookatapicture？Andevenifhedid，andifalltheworlddid，andathousandmillionpeopleroseupandshoutedhymnstomyhonourandglory，wouldthatmakeuptomefortheknowledgethatyouwereoutshoppingintheEdgwareRoadonarainydaywithoutanumbrella？Nowwe’llgotothestation。’
’Butyousaidonthebeach————’persistedMaisie，withacertainfear。
Dickgroanedaloud：’Yes，IknowwhatIsaid。MyworkiseverythingI
have，oram，orhopetobe，tome，andIbelieveI’velearntthelawthatgovernsit；butI’vesomelingeringsenseoffunleft，——thoughyou’venearlyknockeditoutofme。Icanjustseethatitisn’teverythingtoalltheworld。DowhatIsay，andnotwhatIdo。’
Maisiewascarefulnottoreopendebatablematters，andtheyreturnedtoLondonjoyously。TheterminusstoppedDickinthemidstofaneloquentharangueonthebeautiesofexercise。HewouldbuyMaisieahorse，——suchahorseasneveryetbowedheadtobit，——wouldstableit，withacompanion，sometwentymilesfromLondon，andMaisie，solelyforherhealth’ssakeshouldridewithhimtwiceorthriceaweek。
’That’sabsurd，’saidshe。’Itwouldn’tbeproper。’
’Now，whoinallLondonto—nightwouldhavesufficientinterestoraudacitytocallustwotoaccountforanythingwechosetodo？’
Maisielookedatthelamps，thefog，andthehideousturmoil。Dickwasright；buthorsefleshdidnotmakeforArtassheunderstoodit。
’You’reverynicesometimes，butyou’reveryfoolishmoretimes。I’mnotgoingtoletyougivemehorses，ortakeyououtofyourwayto—night。I’llgohomebymyself。OnlyIwantyoutopromisemesomething。Youwon’tthinkanymoreaboutthatextrathreepence，willyou？Remember，you’vebeenpaid；andIwon’tallowyoutobespitefulanddobadworkforalittlethinglikethat。Youcanbesobigthatyoumustn’tbetiny。’
Thiswasturningthetableswithavengeance。ThereremainedonlytoputMaisieintoherhansom。
’Good—bye，’shesaidsimply。’You’llcomeonSunday。Ithasbeenabeautifulday，Dick。Whycan’titbelikethisalways？’
’Becauselove’slikeline—work：youmustgoforwardorbackward；youcan’tstandstill。Bytheway，goonwithyourline—work。Good—night，and，formy——formysake，takecareofyourself。’
Heturnedtowalkhome，meditating。Thedayhadbroughthimnothingthathehopedfor，but——surelythiswasworthmanydays——ithadbroughthimnearertoMaisie。Theendwasonlyaquestionoftimenow，andtheprizewellworththewaiting。Byinstinct，oncemore，heturnedtotheriver。
’Andsheunderstoodatonce，’hesaid，lookingatthewater。’Shefoundoutmypetbesettingsinonthespot，andpaiditoff。MyGod，howsheunderstood！AndshesaidIwasbetterthanshewas！Betterthanshewas！’Helaughedattheabsurdityofthenotion。’Iwonderifgirlsguessatone—halfaman’slife。Theycan’t，or——theywouldn’tmarryus。’Hetookhergiftoutofhispocket，andconsidereditinthelightofamiracleandapledgeofthecomprehensionthat，oneday，wouldleadtoperfecthappiness。Meantime，MaisiewasaloneinLondon，withnonetosaveherfromdanger。Andthepackedwildernesswasveryfullofdanger。
DickmadehisprayertoFatedisjointedlyafterthemanneroftheheathenashethrewthepieceofsilverintotheriver。Ifanyevilweretobefal，lethimbeartheburdenandletMaisiegounscathed，sincethethreepennypiecewasdearesttohimofallhispossessions。Itwasasmallcoininitself，butMaisiehadgivenit，andtheThamesheldit，andsurelytheFateswouldbebribedforthisonce。
ThedrowningofthecoinseemedtocuthimfreefromthoughtofMaisieforthemoment。Hetookhimselfoffthebridgeandwentwhistlingtohischamberswithastrongyearningforsomeman—talkandtobaccoafterhisfirstexperienceofanentiredayspentinthesocietyofawoman。TherewasastrongerdesireathisheartwhenthererosebeforehimanunsolicitedvisionoftheBarralongdippingdeepandsailingfreefortheSouthernCross。
CHAPTERVIII
Andthesetwo，asIhavetoldyou，WerethefriendsofHiawatha，Chibiabos，themusician，Andtheverystrongman，Kwasind。
——Hiawatha。？
TORPENHOWwaspagingthelastsheetsofsomemanuscript，whiletheNilghai，whohadcomeforchessandremainedtotalktactics，wasreadingthroughthefirstpart，commentingscornfullythewhile。
’It’spicturesqueenoughandit’ssketchy，’saidhe；’butasaseriousconsiderationofaffairsinEasternEurope，it’snotworthmuch。’
’It’soffmyhandsatanyrate……Thirty—seven，thirty—eight，thirty—nineslipsaltogether，aren’tthere？Thatshouldmakebetweenelevenandtwelvepagesofvaluablemisinformation。Heigho！’Torpenhowshuffledthewritingtogetherandhummed——
Younglambstosell，younglambstosell，IfI’dasmuchmoneyasIcouldtell，Ineverwouldcry，Younglambstosell！？
Dickentered，self—consciousandalittledefiant，butinthebestoftemperswithalltheworld。
’Backatlast？’saidTorpenhow。
’Moreorless。Whathaveyoubeendoing？’
’Work。Dickie，youbehaveasthoughtheBankofEnglandwerebehindyou。Here’sSunday，Monday，andTuesdaygoneandyouhaven’tdonealine。It’sscandalous。’
’Thenotionscomeandgo，mychildren——theycomeandgolikeour’baccy，’heanswered，fillinghispipe。’Moreover，’hestoopedtothrustaspillintothegrate，’Apollodoesnotalwaysstretchhis————Oh，confoundyourclumsyjests，Nilghai！’
’Thisisnottheplacetopreachthetheoryofdirectinspiration，’saidtheNilghai，returningTorpenhow’slargeandworkmanlikebellowstotheirnailonthewall。’Webelieveincobblers’wax。La！——whereyousitdown。’
’Ifyouweren’tsobigandfat，’saidDick，lookingroundforaweapon，’I’d————’
’Noskylarkinginmyrooms。Youtwosmashedhalfmyfurniturelasttimeyouthrewthecushionsabout。YoumighthavethedecencytosayHowd’youdo？toBinkie。Lookathim。’
BinkiehadjumpeddownfromthesofaandwasfawningroundDick’sknee，andscratchingathisboots。
’Dearman！’saidDick，snatchinghimup，andkissinghimontheblackpatchabovehisrighteye。’Didumswas，Binks？DidthatuglyNilghaiturnyouoffthesofa？Bitehim，Mr。Binkie。’HepitchedhimontheNilghai’sstomach，asthebigmanlayatease，andBinkiepretendedtodestroytheNilghaiinchbyinch，tillasofacushionextinguishedhim，andpantinghestuckouthistongueatthecompany。
’TheBinkie—boywentforawalkthismorningbeforeyouwereup，Torp。
Isawhimmakinglovetothebutcheratthecornerwhentheshutterswerebeingtakendown——justasifhehadn’tenoughtoeatinhisownproperhouse，’saidDick。
’Binks，isthatatruebill？’saidTorpenhow，severely。Thelittledogretreatedunderthesofacushion，andshowedbythefatwhitebackofhimthathereallyhadnofurtherinterestinthediscussion。
’Strikesmethatanotherdisreputabledogwentforawalk，too，’saidtheNilghai。’Whatmadeyougetupsoearly？Torpsaidyoumightbebuyingahorse。’
’Heknowsitwouldneedthreeofusforaseriousbusinesslikethat。No，I
feltlonesomeandunhappy，soIwentouttolookatthesea，andwatchtheprettyshipsgoby。’
’Wheredidyougo？’
’SomewhereontheChannel。ProglyorSnigly，orsomewatering—placewasitsname；I’veforgotten；butitwasonlytwohours’runfromLondonandtheshipswentby。’
’Didyouseeanythingyouknew？’
’OnlytheBarralongoutwardstoAustralia，andanOdessagrain—boatloadeddownbythehead。Itwasathickday，buttheseasmeltgood。’
’Whereforeputonone’sbesttrouserstoseetheBarralong？’saidTorpenhow，pointing。
’BecauseI’venothingexceptthesethingsandmypaintingduds。Besides，Iwantedtodohonourtothesea。’
’DidShemakeyoufeelrestless？’askedtheNilghai，keenly。
’Crazy。Don’tspeakofit。I’msorryIwent。’
TorpenhowandtheNilghaiexchangedalookasDick，stooping，busiedhimselfamongtheformer’sbootsandtrees。
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