第3章

’YouareinterestedinMr。Trewe，Iknow，ma’am，’shesaid；’andhehasjustsenttosaythatheisgoingtocallto-morrowafternoontolookupsomebooksofhisthathewants，ifI’llbein，andhemayselectthemfromyourroom？’

’Oyes！’

’YoucouldverywellmeetMrTrewethen，ifyou’dliketobeintheway！’

Shepromisedwithsecretdelight，andwenttobedmusingofhim。

Nextmorningherhusbandobserved:’I’vebeenthinkingofwhatyousaid，Ell:thatIhavegoneaboutagooddealandleftyouwithoutmuchtoamuseyou。Perhapsit’strue。To-day，asthere’snotmuchsea，I’lltakeyouwithmeonboardtheyacht。’

ForthefirsttimeinherexperienceofsuchanofferEllawasnotglad。Butsheaccepteditforthemoment。Thetimeforsettingoutdrewnear，andshewenttogetready。Shestoodreflecting。Thelongingtoseethepoetshewasnowdistinctlyinlovewithoverpoweredallotherconsiderations。

’Idon’twanttogo，’shesaidtoherself。’Ican’tbeartobeaway！AndIwon’tgo。’

Shetoldherhusbandthatshehadchangedhermindaboutwishingtosail。Hewasindifferent，andwenthisway。

Fortherestofthedaythehousewasquiet，thechildrenhavinggoneoutuponthesands。Theblindswavedinthesunshinetothesoft，steadystrokeoftheseabeyondthewall；andthenotesoftheGreenSilesianband，atroopofforeigngentlemenhiredfortheseason，haddrawnalmostalltheresidentsandpromenadersawayfromthevicinityofCoburgHouse。Aknockwasaudibleatthedoor。

Mrs。Marchmilldidnothearanyservantgotoanswerit，andshebecameimpatient。Thebookswereintheroomwhereshesat；butnobodycameup。Sherangthebell。

’Thereissomepersonwaitingatthedoor，’shesaid。

’Ono，ma’am！He’sgonelongago。Iansweredit。’

Mrs。Hoopercameinherself。

’Sodisappointing！’shesaid。’Mr。Trewenotcomingafterall！’

’ButIheardhimknock，Ifancy！’

’No；thatwassomebodyinquiringforlodgingswhocametothewronghouse。IforgottotellyouthatMr。TrewesentanotejustbeforelunchtosayIneedn’tgetanyteaforhim，asheshouldnotrequirethebooks，andwouldn’tcometoselectthem。’

Ellawasmiserable，andforalongtimecouldnotevenre-readhismournfulballadon’SeveredLives，’soachingwashererraticlittleheart，andsotearfulhereyes。Whenthechildrencameinwithwetstockings，andranuptohertotellheroftheiradventures，shecouldnotfeelthatshecaredaboutthemhalfasmuchasusual。

***

’Mrs。Hooper，haveyouaphotographof——thegentlemanwholivedhere？’Shewasgettingtobecuriouslyshyinmentioninghisname。

’Why，yes。It’sintheornamentalframeonthemantelpieceinyourownbedroom，ma’am。’

’No；theRoyalDukeandDuchessareinthat。’

’Yes，sotheyare；buthe’sbehindthem。Hebelongsrightlytothatframe，whichIboughtonpurpose；butashewentawayhesaid:

“Covermeupfromthosestrangersthatarecoming，forGod’ssake。

Idon’twantthemstaringatme，andIamsuretheywon’twantmestaringatthem。“SoIslippedintheDukeandDuchesstemporarilyinfrontofhim，astheyhadnoframe，andRoyaltiesaremoresuitableforlettingfurnishedthanaprivateyoungman。Ifyoutake’emoutyou’llseehimunder。Lord，ma’am，hewouldn’tmindifheknewit！Hedidn’tthinkthenexttenantwouldbesuchanattractiveladyasyou，orhewouldn’thavethoughtofhidinghimself；perhaps。’

’Ishehandsome？’sheaskedtimidly。

’_I_callhimso。Some，perhaps，wouldn’t。’

’ShouldI？’sheasked，witheagerness。

’Ithinkyouwould，thoughsomewouldsayhe’smorestrikingthanhandsome；alarge-eyedthoughtfulfellow，youknow，withaveryelectricflashinhiseyewhenhelooksroundquickly，suchasyou’dexpectapoettobewhodoesn’tgethislivingbyit。’

’Howoldishe？’

’Severalyearsolderthanyourself，ma’am；aboutthirty-oneortwo，Ithink。’

Ellawas，asamatteroffact，afewmonthsoverthirtyherself；butshedidnotlooknearlysomuch。Thoughsoimmatureinnature，shewasenteringonthattractoflifeinwhichemotionalwomenbegintosuspectthatlastlovemaybestrongerthanfirstlove；andshewouldsoon，alas，enteronthestillmoremelancholytractwhenatleastthevaineronesofhersexshrinkfromreceivingamalevisitorotherwisethanwiththeirbackstothewindowortheblindshalfdown。ShereflectedonMrs。Hooper’sremark，andsaidnomoreaboutage。

Justthenatelegramwasbroughtup。Itcamefromherhusband，whohadgonedowntheChannelasfarasBudmouthwithhisfriendsintheyacht，andwouldnotbeabletogetbacktillnextday。

AfterherlightdinnerEllaidledabouttheshorewiththechildrentilldusk，thinkingoftheyetuncoveredphotographinherroom，withaserenesenseofsomethingecstatictocome。For，withthesubtleluxuriousnessoffancyinwhichthisyoungwomanwasanadept，onlearningthatherhusbandwastobeabsentthatnightshehadrefrainedfromincontinentlyrushingupstairsandopeningthepicture-frame，preferringtoreservetheinspectiontillshecouldbealone，andamoreromantictingebeimpartedtotheoccasionbysilence，candles，solemnseaandstarsoutside，thanwasaffordedbythegarishafternoonsunlight。

Thechildrenhadbeensenttobed，andEllasoonfollowed，thoughitwasnotyetteno’clock。Togratifyherpassionatecuriosityshenowmadeherpreparations，firstgettingridofsuperfluousgarmentsandputtingonherdressing-gown，thenarrangingachairinfrontofthetableandreadingseveralpagesofTrewe’stenderestutterances。

Thenshefetchedtheportrait-frametothelight，openedtheback，tookoutthelikeness，andsetitupbeforeher。

Itwasastrikingcountenancetolookupon。Thepoetworealuxuriantblackmoustacheandimperial，andaslouchedhatwhichshadedtheforehead。Thelargedarkeyes，describedbythelandlady，showedanunlimitedcapacityformisery；theylookedoutfrombeneathwell-shapedbrowsasiftheywerereadingtheuniverseinthemicrocosmoftheconfronter’sface，andwerenotaltogetheroverjoyedatwhatthespectacleportended。

Ellamurmuredinherlowest，richest，tenderesttone:’Andit’sYOU

who’vesocruellyeclipsedmethesemanytimes！’

Asshegazedlongattheportraitshefellintothought，tillhereyesfilledwithtears，andshetouchedthecardboardwithherlips。

Thenshelaughedwithanervouslightness，andwipedhereyes。

Shethoughthowwickedshewas，awomanhavingahusbandandthreechildren，tolethermindstraytoastrangerinthisunconscionablemanner。No，hewasnotastranger！Sheknewhisthoughtsandfeelingsaswellassheknewherown；theywere，infact，theself-

samethoughtsandfeelingsashers，whichherhusbanddistinctlylacked；perhapsluckilyforhimself；consideringthathehadtoprovideforfamilyexpenses。

’He’snearermyrealself，he’smoreintimatewiththerealmethanWillis，afterall，eventhoughI’veneverseenhim，’shesaid。

Shelaidhisbookandpictureonthetableatthebedside，andwhenshewasrecliningonthepillowshere-readthoseofRobertTrewe’sverseswhichshehadmarkedfromtimetotimeasmosttouchingandtrue。Puttingtheseaside，shesetupthephotographonitsedgeuponthecoverlet，andcontemplateditasshelay。Thenshescannedagainbythelightofthecandlethehalf-obliteratedpencillingsonthewall-paperbesideherhead。Theretheywere——phrases，couplets，bouts-rimes，beginningsandmiddlesoflines，ideasintherough，likeShelley’sscraps，andtheleastofthemsointense，sosweet，sopalpitating，thatitseemedasifhisverybreath，warmandloving，fannedhercheeksfromthosewalls，wallsthathadsurroundedhisheadtimesandtimesastheysurroundedherownnow。

Hemustoftenhaveputuphishandso——withthepencilinit。Yes，thewritingwassideways，asitwouldbeifexecutedbyonewhoextendedhisarmthus。

Theseinscribedshapesofthepoet’sworld，’Formsmorerealthanlivingman，Nurslingsofimmortality，’

were，nodoubt，thethoughtsandspirit-strivingswhichhadcometohiminthedeadofnight，whenhecouldlethimselfgoandhavenofearofthefrostofcriticism。Nodoubttheyhadoftenbeenwrittenuphastilybythelightofthemoon，theraysofthelamp，intheblue-greydawn，infulldaylightperhapsnever。Andnowherhairwasdraggingwherehisarmhadlainwhenhesecuredthefugitivefancies；shewassleepingonapoet’slips，immersedintheveryessenceofhim，permeatedbyhisspiritasbyanether。

Whileshewasdreamingtheminutesawaythus，afootstepcameuponthestairs，andinamomentsheheardherhusband’sheavysteponthelandingimmediatelywithout。

’Ell，whereareyou？’

Whatpossessedhershecouldnothavedescribed，but，withaninstinctiveobjectiontoletherhusbandknowwhatshehadbeendoing，sheslippedthephotographunderthepillowjustasheflungopenthedoor，withtheairofamanwhohaddinednotbadly。

’O，Ibegpardon，’saidWilliamMarchmill。’Haveyouaheadache？I

amafraidIhavedisturbedyou。’

’No，I’venotgotaheadache，’saidshe。’Howisityou’vecome？’

’Well，wefoundwecouldgetbackinverygoodtimeafterall，andI

didn’twanttomakeanotherdayofit，becauseofgoingsomewhereelseto-morrow。’

’ShallIcomedownagain？’