“Mydearestgirl，“shebegan，“wasthereeversuchanunfortunateandincomprehensiblespeechmadebefore？OfcourseitisscarcelynecessarytoexplaintoyoupoorArthur’slackoftact，andthathemeantnothing。Butthey！Cantheybeexpectedtounderstand？Hewillfeelwretchedlyaboutitwhenherealizeswhathehasdone，butinthemeantime？AndM。Roux，ofallmen！Whenweweresofortunateastogethim，andhemadehimselfsounreservedlyagreeable，andIfanciedthat，inhisway，Arthurquiteadmiredhim。Mydear，youhavenoideawhatthatspeechhasdone。SchemetzkinandHerrSchottehavealreadysentmewordthattheymustleaveustomorrow。Suchathingfromahost！“Flaviapaused，chokedbytearsofvexationanddespair。
Imogenwasthoroughlydisconcerted；thiswasthefirsttimeshehadeverseenFlaviabetrayanypersonalemotionwhichwasindubitablygenuine。Sherepliedwithwhatconsolationshecould。“Needtheytakeitpersonallyatall？Itwasamereobservationuponaclassofpeople——“
“Whichheknowsnothingwhateverabout，andwithwhomhehasnosympathy，“interruptedFlavia。“Ah，mydear，youcouldnotbeexpectedtounderstand。Youcan’trealize，knowingArthurasyoudo，hisentirelackofanyaestheticsensewhatever。Heisabsolutelynil，stonedeafandstarkblind，onthatside。
Hedoesn’tmeantobebrutal，itisjustthebrutalityofutterignorance。Theyalwaysfeelit——theyaresosensitivetounsympatheticinfluences，youknow；theyknowitthemomenttheycomeintothehouse。Ihavespentmylifeapologizingforhimandstrugglingtoconcealit；butinspiteofme，hewoundsthem；
hisveryattitude，eveninsilence，offendsthem。Heavens！DoI
notknow？Isitnotperpetuallyandforeverwoundingme？Buttherehasneverbeenanythingsodreadfulasthis——never！IfI
couldconceiveofanypossiblemotive，even！“
“But，surely，Mrs。Hamilton，itwas，afterall，amereexpressionofopinion，suchasweareanyofuslikelytoventureuponanysubjectwhatever。ItwasneithermorepersonalnormoreextravagantthanmanyofM。Roux’sremarks。“
“But，Imogen，certainlyM。Rouxhastheright。Itisapartofhisart，andthatisaltogetheranothermatter。Oh，thisisnottheonlyinstance！“continuedFlaviapassionately，“I’vealwayshadthatnarrow，bigotedprejudicetocontendwith。Ithasalwaysheldmeback。Butthis——！“
“Ithinkyoumistakehisattitude，“repliedImogen，feelingaflushthatmadeherearstingle。“Thatis，Ifancyheismoreappreciativethanheseems。Amancan’tbeverydemonstrativeaboutthosethings——notifheisarealman。Ishouldnotthinkyouwouldcaremuchaboutsavingthefeelingsofpeoplewhoaretoonarrowtoadmitofanyotherpointofviewthantheirown。“
Shestopped，findingherselfintheimpossiblepositionofattemptingtoexplainHamiltontohiswife；ataskwhich，ifoncebegun，wouldnecessitateanentirecourseofenlightenmentwhichshedoubtedFlavia’sabilitytoreceive，andwhichshecouldofferonlywithverypoorgrace。
“That’sjustwhereitstingsmost“——hereFlaviabeganpacingthefloor——“itisjustbecausetheyhaveallshownsuchtoleranceandhavetreatedArthurwithsuchunfailingconsiderationthatI
canfindnoreasonablepretextforhisrancor。Howcanhefailtoseethevalueofsuchfriendshipsonthechildren’saccount，iffornothingelse！Whatanadvantageforthemtogrowupamongsuchassociations！Eventhoughhecaresnothingaboutthesethingshimselfhemightrealizethat。IstherenothingIcouldsaybywayofexplanation？Tothem，Imean？Ifsomeoneweretoexplaintothemhowunfortunatelylimitedheisinthesethings——“
“I’mafraidIcannotadviseyou，“saidImogendecidedly，“butthat，atleast，seemstomeimpossible。“
Flaviatookherhandandglancedatheraffectionately，noddingnervously。“Ofcourse，deargirl，Ican’taskyoutobequitefrankwithme。Poorchild，youaretremblingandyourhandsareicy。PoorArthur！Butyoumustnotjudgehimbythisaltogether；thinkhowmuchhemissesinlife。Whatacruelshockyou’vehad。I’llsendyousomesherry，Goodnight，mydear。“
WhenFlaviashutthedoorImogenburstintoafitofnervousweeping。
Nextmorningsheawokeafteratroubledandrestlessnight。Ateighto’clockMissBroadwoodenteredinaredandwhitestripedbathrobe。
“Up，up，andseethegreatdoom’simage！“shecried，hereyessparklingwithexcitement。“Thehallisfulloftrunks，theyarepacking。Whatbolthasfallen？It’syou，macherie，you’vebroughtUlysseshomeagainandtheslaughterhasbegun！“sheblewacloudofsmoketriumphantlyfromherlipsandthrewherselfintoachairbesidethebed。
Imogen，risingonherelbow，plungedexcitedlyintothestoryoftheRouxinterview，whichMissBroadwoodheardwiththekeenestinterest，frequentlyinterruptingherwithexclamationsofdelight。WhenImogenreachedthedramaticscenewhichterminatedinthedestructionofthenewspaper，MissBroadwoodroseandtookaturnabouttheroom，violentlyswitchingthetasselledcordsofherbathrobe。
“Stopamoment，“shecried，“youmeantotellmethathehadsuchaheaven-sentmeanstobringhertohersensesanddidn’tuseit——thatheheldsuchaweaponandthrewitaway？“
“Useit？“criedImogenunsteadily。“Ofcoursehedidn’t！Hebaredhisbacktothetormentor，signedhimselfovertopunishmentinthatspeechhemadeatdinner，whicheveryoneunderstandsbutFlavia。Shewashereforanhourlastnightanddisregardedeverylimitoftasteinhermaledictions。“
“Mydear！“criedMissBroadwood，catchingherhandininordinatedelightatthesituation，“doyouseewhathehasdone？There’llbenoendtoit。Whyhehassacrificedhimselftosparetheveryvanitythatdevourshim，putrancorsinthevesselsofhispeace，andhiseternaljewelgiventothecommonenemyofman，tomakethemkings，theseedofBanquokings！Heismagnificent！“
“Isn’thealwaysthat？“criedImogenhotly。“He’slikeapillarofsanityandlawinthishouseofshamsandswollenvanities，wherepeoplestalkaboutwithasortofmadhousedignity，eachonefancyinghimselfakingorapope。Ifyoucouldhaveheardthatwomantalkofhim！Why，shethinkshimstupid，bigoted，blindedbymiddleclassprejudices。Shetalkedabouthishavingnoaestheticsenseandinsistedthatherartistshadalwaysshownhimtolerance。Idon’tknowwhyitshouldgetonmynervesso，I’msure，butherstupidityandassuranceareenoughtodriveonetothebrinkofcollapse。“
“Yes，asopposedtohissingularfineness，theyarecalculatedtodojustthat，“saidMissBroadwoodgravely，wiselyignoringImogen’stears。“Butwhathasbeenisnothingtowhatwillbe。JustwaituntilFlavia’sblackswanshaveflown！Yououghtnottotrytostickitout；thatwouldonlymakeitharderforeveryone。Supposeyouletmetelephoneyourmothertowireyoutocomehomebytheeveningtrain？“
“Anything，ratherthanhavehercomeatmelikethatagain。Itputsmeinaperfectlyimpossibleposition，andheissofine！“
“Ofcourseitdoes，“saidMissBroadwoodsympathetically，“andthereisnogoodtobegotfromfacingit。Iwillstaybecausesuchthingsinterestme，andFrauLichtenfeldwillstaybecauseshehasnomoneytogetaway，andBuissonwillstaybecausehefeelssomewhatresponsible。Thesecomplicationsareinterestingenoughtocold-bloodedfolklikemyselfwhohaveaneyeforthedramaticelement，buttheyaredistractinganddemoralizingtoyoungpeoplewithanyseriouspurposeinlife。“
MissBroadwood’scounselwasallthemoregenerousseeingthat，forher，themostinterestingelementofthisdenouementwouldbeeliminatedbyImogen’sdeparture。“Ifshegoesnow，she’llgetoverit，“soliloquizedMissBroadwood。“Ifshestays，she’llbewrungforhimandthehurtmaygodeepenoughtolast。
Ihaven’tthehearttoseeherspoilingthingsforherself。“ShetelephonedMrs。WillardandhelpedImogentopack。SheeventookituponherselftobreakthenewsofImogen’sgoingtoArthur，whoremarked，asherolledacigaretteinhisnervelessfingers:
“Rightenough，too。Whatshouldshedoherewitholdcynicslikeyouandme，Jimmy？Seeingthatsheisbrimfullofdatesandformulaeandotherpositivisms，andissogirtaboutwithillusionsthatshestillcastsashadowinthesun。You’vebeenverytenderofher，haven’tyou？I’vewatchedyou。Andtothinkitmayallbegonewhenweseehernext。’Thecommonfateofallthingsrare，’youknow。Whatagoodfellowyouare，anyway，Jimmy，“headded，puttinghishandsaffectionatelyonhershoulders。
Arthurwentwiththemtothestation。FlaviawassoprostratedbytheconcertedactionofhergueststhatshewasabletoseeImogenonlyforamomentinherdarkenedsleepingchamber，whereshekissedherhysterically，withoutliftingherhead，bandagedinaromaticvinegar。OnthewaytothestationbothArthurandImogenthrewtheburdenofkeepingupappearancesentirelyuponMissBroadwood，whoblithelyrosetotheoccasion。
WhenHamiltoncarriedImogen’sbagintothecar，MissBroadwooddetainedherforamoment，whisperingasshegaveheralarge，warmhandclasp，“I’llcometoseeyouwhenIgetbacktotown；
and，inthemeantime，ifyoumeetanyofourartists，tellthemyouhaveleftCaiusMariusamongtheruinsofCarthage。“
EndTheSculptor’sFuneralAgroupofthetownspeoplestoodonthestationsidingofalittleKansastown，awaitingthecomingofthenighttrain，whichwasalreadytwentyminutesoverdue。Thesnowhadfallenthickovereverything；inthepalestarlightthelineofbluffsacrossthewide，whitemeadowssouthofthetownmadesoft，smoke-
coloredcurvesagainsttheclearsky。Themenonthesidingstoodfirstononefootandthenontheother，theirhandsthrustdeepintotheirtrouserspockets，theirovercoatsopen，theirshouldersscrewedupwiththecold；andtheyglancedfromtimetotimetowardthesoutheast，wheretherailroadtrackwoundalongtherivershore。Theyconversedinlowtonesandmovedaboutrestlessly，seeminguncertainastowhatwasexpectedofthem。
Therewasbutoneofthecompanywholookedasthoughheknewexactlywhyhewasthere；andhekeptconspicuouslyapart；
walkingtothefarendoftheplatform，returningtothestationdoor，thenpacingupthetrackagain，hischinsunkinthehighcollarofhisovercoat，hisburlyshouldersdroopingforward，hisgaitheavyanddogged。Presentlyhewasapproachedbyatall，spare，grizzledmancladinafadedGrandArmysuit，whoshuffledoutfromthegroupandadvancedwithacertaindeference，craninghisneckforwarduntilhisbackmadetheangleofajackknifethree-quartersopen。
