\"Never，never，dearlady。WhyshouldIcomeback？YoucanneverbeagainwhatyouHAVEbeen。Ishallhaveseenthelastofyou。\"
\"Oh！\"shetouchinglyurged。
\"Yes，forIshouldnextfindyousimplybroughttoself-
consciousness。You’llbeexactlywhatyouare，Icharitablyadmit——
nothingmoreorless，nothingdifferent。Butyou’llbeitallinadifferentway。Weliveinanageofprodigiousmachinery，allorganisedtoasingleend。Thatendispublicity——apublicityasferociousastheappetiteofacannibal。Thethingthereforeisnottohaveanyillusions——fondlytoflatteryourselfinamuddledmomentthatthecannibalwillspareyou。Hesparesnobody。Hesparesnothing。Itwillbeallright。You’llhavealovelytime。
You’llbeonlyjustapubliccharacter——blownabouttheworld’forallyou’reworth，’andproclaimed’forallyou’reworth’onthehouse-tops。ItwillbeforTHAT，mind，Iquiterecognise——becauseAddieissuperior——aswellasforallyouaren’t。Sogood-bye。\"
Heremainedhowevertillthenextday，andnotedatintervalsthedifferentstagesoftheirfriend’sjourney;thehour，thistime，shewouldreallyhavestarted，thehourshe’dreachDover，thehourshe’dgettotown，whereshe’dalightatMrs。Dunn’s。Perhapsshe’dbringMrs。Dunn，forMrs。Dunnwouldswellthechorus。Atthelast，onthemorrow，asifinanticipationofthisstillnesssettledbetweenthem：hebecameassilentashishostess。Butbeforehewentshebroughtoutshylyandanxiously，asanappeal，thequestionthatforhourshadclearlybeengivingherthought。
\"Doyoumeetherthento-nightinLondon？\"
\"Dearno。InwhatpositionamI，alas！todothat？WhencanI
EVERmeetheragain？\"Hehadturneditallover。\"IfIcouldmeetAddieafterthis，youknow，IcouldmeetYOU。AndifIdomeetAddie，\"helucidlypursued，\"whatwillhappenbythesamestrokeisthatISHALLmeetyou。Andthat’sjustwhatI’veexplainedtoyouIdread。\"
\"YoumeansheandIwillbeinseparable？\"
Hehesitated。\"Imeanshe’lltellmeallaboutyou。Icanhearherandherravingsnow。\"
Shegaveagain——anditwasinfinitelysad——herlittlewhinnyinglaugh。\"Ohbutifwhatyousayistrueyou’llknow。\"
\"AhbutAddiewon’t！Won’t，Imean，knowthat_I_know——oratleastwon’tbelieveit。Won’tbelievethatanyoneknows。Such，\"
headdedwithastrangesmotheredsigh，\"isAddie。Doyouknow，\"
hewoundup，\"thatwhat，afterall，hasmostdefinitelyhappenedisthatyou’vemademeseeherasI’veneverdonebefore？\"
Sheblinkedandgasped，shewonderedanddespaired。\"Ohno，itwillbeYOU。I’vehadnothingtodowithit。Everything’sallyou！\"
Butforallitmatterednow！\"You’llsee，\"hesaid，\"thatshe’scharming。Ishallgoforto-nighttoOxford。Ishallalmostcrossherontheway。\"
\"Thenifshe’scharmingwhatamItotellherfromyouinexplanationofsuchstrangebehaviourasyourflyingawayjustasshearrives？\"
\"Ahyouneedn’tmindaboutthat——youneedn’ttellheranything。\"
Shefixedhimasifasneveragain。\"It’snoneofmybusiness，ofcourseIfeel;butisn’titalittlecruelifyou’reengaged？\"
Grangergavealaughalmostasoddasoneofherown。\"Ohyou’vecostmethat！\"——andheputouthishandtoher。
Shewonderedwhileshetookit。\"Costyou——？\"
\"We’renotengaged。Good-bye。\"
MRS。MEDWIN
CHAPTERI
\"Well，weAREapair！\"thepoorlady’svisitorbrokeouttoherattheendofherexplanationinamannerdisconcertingenough。ThepoorladywasMissCutter，wholivedinSouthAudleyStreet，whereshehadan\"upperhalf\"soconcisethatithadtopassboldlyforconvenient;andhervisitorwasherhalf-brother，whomshehadn’tseenforthreeyears。Shewasremarkableforamaturityofwhicheverysymptommighthavebeenobservedtobeadmirablycontrolled，hadnotatendencytostoutnessjustaffirmeditsindependence。
Herpresent，nodoubt，insistedtoomuchonherpast，butwiththeexcuse，sufficientlyvalid，thatshemustcertainlyoncehavebeenprettier。Shewasclearlynotcontentedwithonce——shewishedtobeprettieragain。Sheneglectednothingthatcouldproducethatillusion，and，beingbothfairandfat，dressedalmostwhollyinblack。Whensheaddedalittlecolouritwasnot，atanyrate，toherdrapery。Hersmallroomshadthepeculiaritythateverythingtheycontainedappearedtotestifywithvividnesstoherpositioninsociety，quiteasiftheyhadbeenfurnishedbythebountyofadmiringfriends。Theywereadornedindeedalmostexclusivelywithobjectsthatnobodybuys，ashadmorethanoncebeenremarkedbyspectatorsofherownsex，forherself，andwouldhavebeenluxuriousifluxuryconsistedmainlyinphotographicportraitsslashedacrosswithsignatures，inbasketsofflowersberibbonedwiththecardsofpassingcompatriots，andinaneatcollectionofredvolumes，bluevolumes，alphabeticalvolumes，aidstoLondonlucidity，ofeverysort，devotedtoaddressesandengagements。TobeinMissCutter’stinydrawing-room，inshort，evenwithMissCutteralone——shouldyoubyanychancehavefoundherso——wassomehowtobeintheworldandinacrowd。Itwaslikeanagency——
itbristledwithparticulars。
Thiswaswhatthetallleanloosegentlemanloungingtherebeforehermighthaveappearedtoreadinthesuggestivesceneoverwhich，whileshetalkedtohim，hiseyesmovedwithouthasteandwithoutrest。\"Ohcome，Mamie！\"heoccasionallythrewoff;andthewordswereevidentlyconnectedwiththeimpressionthusabsorbed。Hiscomparativeyouthspokeofwasteevenasherpositive——hertoopositive——spokeofeconomy。Therewasonlyonething，thatis，tomakeupinhimforeverythinghehadlost，thoughitwasdistinctenoughindeedthatthisthingmightsometimesserve。Itconsistedintheperfectionofanindifference，anindifferenceatthepresentmomentdirectedtotheplea——apleaofinability，ofpuredestitution——withwhichhissisterhadmethim。Yetithadevennowawiderembrace，tookinquitesufficientlyallconsequencesofqueerness，confessedinadvancetothefalsenotethat，insuchasetting，healmostexcruciatinglyconstituted。Hecaredaslittlethathelookedatmomentsallhisimpudenceasthathelookedallhisshabbiness，allhiscleverness，allhishistory。Thesedifferentthingswerewritteninhim——inhisprematurebaldness，hisseamedstrainedface，thelapsefrombraveryofhislongtawnymoustache;aboveallinhiseasyfriendlyuniversallyacquaintedeye，somuchtoosociableformereconversation。Whatpossiblerelationwithhimcouldbenaturalenoughtomeetit？HeworeascantroughInvernesscapeandapairofblacktrousers，wantinginsubstanceandmarkedwiththesheenoftime，thathadpresumablyonceservedforeveninguse。HespokewiththeslownesshelplesslypermittedtoAmericans——assomethingtooslowtobestopped——andherepeatedthathefoundhimselfassociatedwithMissCutterinaharmonycallingforwonder。Shehadbeentellinghimnotonlythatshecouldn’tpossiblygivehimtenpounds，butthathisunexpectedarrival，shouldheinsistonbeingmuchinview，mightseriouslyinterferewitharrangementsnecessarytoherownmaintenance;onwhichhehadbegunbyreplyingthatheofcourseknewshehadlongagospenthermoney，butthathelookedtohernowexactlybecauseshehad，withouttheaidofthatconvenience，masteredtheartoflife。
\"I’dreallygoawaywithafiver，mydear，ifyou’donlytellmehowyoudoit。It’snousesayingonly，asyou’vealwayssaid，that’peopleareverykindtoyou。’WhatthedevilaretheykindtoyouFOR？\"
\"Well，onereasonispreciselythatnoparticularinconveniencehashithertobeensupposedtoattachtome。I’mjustwhatIam，\"saidMamieCutter;\"nothinglessandnothingmore。It’sawkwardtohavetoexplaintoyou，whichmoreoverIreallyneedn’tintheleast。
I’mcleverandamusingandcharming。\"Shewasuneasyandevenfrightened，butshekepthertemperandmethimwithagraceofherown。\"Idon’tthinkyououghttoaskmemorequestionsthanIaskyou。\"
\"Ahmydear，\"saidtheoddyoungman，\"I’VEnomysteries。Whyintheworld，sinceitwaswhatyoucameoutforandhavedevotedsomuchofyourtimeto，haven’tyoupulleditoff？Whyhaven’tyoumarried？\"
\"Whyhaven’tYOU？\"sheretorted。\"DoyouthinkthatifIhaditwouldhavebeenbetterforyou？——thatmyhusbandwouldforamomenthaveputupwithyou？Doyoumindmyaskingyouifyou’llkindlygoNOW？\"shewentonafteraglanceattheclock。\"I’mexpectingafriend，whomImustseealone，onamatterofgreatimportance——\"
\"Andmybeingseenwithyoumaycompromiseyourrespectabilityorundermineyournerve？\"Hesprawledimperturbablyinhisplace，crossingagain，inanothersense，hislongblacklegsandshowing，abovehislowshoes，anabsurdreachofparti-colouredsock。\"I
takeyourpointwellenough，butmayn’tyoubeafterallquitewrong？Ifyoucan’tdoanythingformecouldn’tyouatleastdosomethingwithme？Ifitcomestothat，I’mcleverandamusingandcharmingtoo！I’vebeensuchanassthatyoudon’tappreciateme。
Butpeoplelikeme——Iassureyoutheydo。Theyusuallydon’tknowwhatanassI’vebeen;theyonlyseethesurface，which\"——andhestretchedhimselfafreshasshelookedhimupanddown——\"youCAN
imaginethem，can’tyou，rathertakenwith？I’M’whatIam’too;
nothinglessandnothingmore。That’strueofusasafamily，yousee。WeAREacrew！\"Hedeliveredhimselfserenely。Hisvoicewassoftandflat，hispleasanteyes，hissimpletonestendingtothesolemn，achievedatmomentsthateffectofquaintnesswhichis，incertainconnexions，sociallysoknownandenjoyed。\"Englishpeoplehavequiteaweaknessforme——morethananyothers。Igetonwiththembeautifully。I’vealwaysbeenwiththemabroad。Theythinkme，\"theyoungmanexplained，\"diabolicallyAmerican。\"
\"You！\"Suchstupiditydrewfromherasighofcompassion。
Hercompanionapparentlyquiteunderstoodit。\"Areyouhomesick，Mamie？\"heasked，withwonderingirrelevance。
Themannerofthequestionmadeher，forsomereason，inspiteofherpreoccupations，breakintoalaugh。Ashadeofindulgence，asenseofotherthings，camebacktoher。\"Youarefunny，Scott！\"
\"Well，\"remarkedScott，\"that’sjustwhatIclaim。ButAREyousohomesick？\"hespaciouslyinquired，notastoapracticalend，butfromaneasyplayofintelligence。
\"I’mjustdyingofit！\"saidMamieCutter。
\"WhysoamI！\"Hervisitorhadasweetnessofconcurrence。
\"We’retheonlydecentpeople，\"MissCutterdeclared。\"AndIknow。
Youdon’t——youcan’t;andIcan’texplain。Comein，\"shecontinuedwithareturnofherimpatienceandanincreaseofherdecision，\"atsevensharp。\"
Shehadquittedherseatsometimebefore，andnow，togethimintomotion，hoveredbeforehimwhile，stillmotionless，helookedupather。Somethingintimate，inthesilence，appearedtopassbetweenthem——acommunityoffatigueandfailureand，afterall，ofintelligence。Therewasafinalcynicalhumourinit。Itdeterminedhim，inanycase，atlast，andheslowlyrose，takinginagainashestoodtherethetestimonyoftheroom。Hemighthavebeencountingthephotographs，buthelookedattheflowerswithdetachment。\"Who’scoming？\"
\"Mrs。Medwin。\"
\"American？\"
\"Dearno！\"
\"Thenwhatareyoudoingforher？\"
\"Iworkforeveryone，\"shepromptlyreturned。
\"Foreveryonewhopays？SoIsuppose。Yetisn’titonlywewhodopay？\"
Therewasadrollery，notlostonher，inthewayhisqueerpresencelentitselftohisemphasisedplural。
\"DoyouconsiderthatYOUdo？\"
\"Atthis，withhisdeliberation，hecamebacktohischarmingidea。
\"Onlytryme，andseeifIcan’tbeMADEto。Workmein。\"Onhersharplypresentingherbackhestaredalittleattheclock。\"IfI
comeatsevenmayIstaytodinner？\"
Itbroughtherroundagain。\"Impossible。I’mdiningout。\"
\"Withwhom？\"
Shehadtothink。\"WithLordConsidine。\"
\"Ohmyeye！\"Scottexclaimed。
Shelookedathimgloomily。\"IsTHATsortoftonewhatmakesyoupay？Ithinkyoumightunderstand，\"shewenton，\"thatifyou’retospongeonmesuccessfullyyoumustn’truinme。ImusthaveSOME
remoteresemblancetoalady。\"
\"Yes？Butwhymust_I_？\"Herexasperatedsilencewasfullofanswers，ofwhichhoweverhisinimitablemannertooknoaccount。
\"Youdon’tunderstandmyrealstrength;Idoubtifyouevenunderstandyourown。You’reclever，Mamie，butyou’renotsocleverasIsupposed。However，\"hepursued，\"it’soutofMrs。
Medwinthatyou’llgetit。\"
\"Getwhat？\"
\"Whythechequethatwillenableyoutoassistme。\"
Onthis，foramoment，shemethiseyes。\"Ifyou’llcomebackatsevensharp——notaminutebefore，andnotaminuteafter，I’llgiveyoutwofive-poundnotes。\"
Hethoughtitover。\"Whomareyouexpectingaminuteafter？\"
Itsenthertothewindowwithagroanalmostofanguish，andsheanswerednothingtillshehadlookedatthestreet。\"Ifyouinjureme，youknow，Scott，you’llbesorry。\"
\"Iwouldn’tinjureyoufortheworld。WhatIwanttodoinfactisreallytohelpyou，andIpromiseyouthatIwon’tleaveyou——bywhichImeanwon’tleaveLondon——tillI’veeffectedsomethingreallypleasantforyou。Ilikeyou，Mamie，becauseIlikepluck;
Ilikeyoumuchmorethanyoulikeme。Ilikeyouvery，VERY
much。\"Hehadatlastwiththisreachedthedoorandopenedit，butheremainedwithhishandonthelatch。\"WhatdoesMrs。Medwinwantofyou？\"hethusbroughtout。
Shehadcomeroundtoseehimdisappear，andinthereliefofthisprospectsheagainjustindulgedhim。
\"Theimpossible。\"
Hewaitedanotherminute。\"Andyou’regoingtodoit？\"
\"I’mgoingtodoit，\"saidMamieCutter。
\"Wellthenthatoughttobeahaul。CallitTHREEfivers！\"helaughed。\"Atsevensharp。\"Andatlastheleftheralone。
CHAPTERII
MissCutterwaitedtillsheheardthehouse-doorclose;afterwhich，inasightlessmechanicalway，shemovedabouttheroomreadjustingvariousobjectshehadnottouched。Itwasasifhismerevoiceandaccenthadspoiledherform。Butshewasnotlefttoolongtoreckonwiththesethings，forMrs。Medwinwaspromptlyannounced。Thisladywasnot，morethanherhostess，inthefirstflushofheryouth;herappearance——thescatteredremainsofbeautymanipulatedbytaste——resembledoneofthelightrepastsinwhichthefragmentsofyesterday’sdinnerfigurewithaconsciouseasethatmakesupforthewantofpresence。Shewasperhapsofaneffectstilltooimmediatetobecalledinteresting，butshewascandid，gentleandsurprised——notfatiguinglysurprised，onlyjustintherightdegree;andherwhiteface——itwastoowhite——withthefixedeyes，thesomewhattouzledhairandtheLouisSeizehat，mightattheendoftheverylongneckhavesuggestedtheheadofaprincesscarriedonapikeinarevolution。Sheimmediatelytookupthebusinessthathadbroughther，withtheairhoweverofdrawingfromtheomensthendiscerniblelessconfidencethanshehadhoped。ThecomplicationlayinthefactthatifitwasMamie’sparttopresenttheomens，thatladyyethadsotocolourthemastomakeherownservicelarge。Sheperhapsover-coloured;forherfriendgavewaytomomentarydespair。
\"Whatyoumeanisthenthatit’ssimplyimpossible？\"
\"Ohno，\"saidMamiewithaqualifiedemphasis。\"It’sPOSSIBLE。\"
\"Butdisgustinglydifficult？\"
\"Asdifficultasyoulike。\"
\"ThenwhatcanIdothatIhaven’tdone？\"
\"Youcanonlywaitalittlelonger。\"
\"Butthat’sjustwhatIHAVEdone。I’vedonenothingelse。I’malwayswaitingalittlelonger！\"
MissCutterretained，inspiteofthispathos，hergraspofthesubject。\"THEthing，asI’vetoldyou，isforyoufirsttobeseen。\"
\"Butifpeoplewon’tlookatme？\"
\"Theywill。\"
\"TheyWILL？\"Mrs。Medwinwaseager。
\"Theyshall，\"herhostesswenton。\"It’stheironlyhavingheard——
withouthavingseen。\"’
\"Butiftheystarestraighttheotherway？\"Mrs。Medwincontinuedtoobject。\"Youcan’tsimplygouptothemandtwisttheirheadsabout。\"
\"It’sjustwhatIcan，\"saidMamieCutter。
Buthercharmingvisitor，heedlessforthemomentofthisattenuation，hadfoundthewaytoputit。\"It’stheoldstory。
Youcan’tgointothewatertillyouswim，andyoucan’tswimtillyougointothewater。Ican’tbespokentotillI’mseen，butI
can’tbeseentillI’mspokento。\"
Shemetthislucidity，MissCutter，withbutaninstant’slapse。
\"YousayIcan’ttwisttheirheadsabout。ButIHAVEtwistedthem。\"
Ithadbeenquietlyproduced，butitgavehercompanionajerk。
\"Theysay’Yes’？\"
Shesummeditup。\"Allbutone。SHEsays’No。’\"
Mrs。Medwinthought;thenjumped。\"LadyWantridge？\"
MissCutter，asmoredelicate，onlybowedadmission。\"Ishallseehereitherthisafternoonorlateto-morrow。Butshehaswritten。\"
Hervisitorwonderedagain。\"MayIseeherletter？\"
\"No。\"Shespokewithdecision。\"ButIshallsquareher。\"
\"Thenhow？\"
\"Well\"——andMissCutter，asiflookingupwardforinspiration，fixedhereyesawhileontheceiling——\"well，itwillcometome。\"
Mrs。Medwinwatchedher——itwasimpressive。\"Andwilltheycometoyou——theothers？\"Thisquestiondrewoutthefactthattheywould——
sofaratleastastheyconsistedofLadyEdward，LadyBellhouseandMrs。Pouncer，whohadengagedtomuster，atthesignaloftea，onthe14th——prepared，asitwere，fortheworst。TherewasofcoursealwaysthechancethatLadyWantridgemighttakethefield，insuchforceastoparalysethem，thoughthatdanger，atthesametime，seemedinconsistentwithherbeingsquared。Itdidn’tperhapsallquiteideallyhangtogether;butwhatitsufficientlycametowasthatifshewastheonewhocoulddomostFORapersoninMrs。Medwin’spositionshewasalsotheonewhocoulddomostagainst。Itwouldthereforebedistinctlywhatourfriendfamiliarlyspokeofas\"collar-work。\"TheeffectofthesemixedconsiderationswasatanyratethatMamieeventuallyacquiescedintheidea，handsomelythrownoutbyherclient，thatsheshouldhavean\"advance\"togoonwith。MissCutterconfessedthatitseemedattimesasifonescarceCOULDgoon;buttheadvancewas，inspiteofthisdelicacy，stillmoredelicatelymade——madeintheformofabanknote，severalsovereigns，someloosesilver，andtwocoppers，thewholecontentsofherpurse，neatlydisposedbyMrs。
Medwinononeofthetinytables。Itseemedtocleartheairfordeeperintimacies，thefruitofwhichwasthatMamie，lonelyafterallinhercrowdandalwaysmorehelpfulthanhelped，eventuallybroughtoutthatthewayScotthadbeengoingonwaswhatseemedmomentarilytoovershadowherownpowertodoso。
\"I’vehadadescentfromhim。\"Butshehadtoexplain。\"Myhalf-
brother——ScottHomer。Awretch。\"
\"Whatkindofawretch？\"
\"Everykind。Ilosesightofhimattimes——hedisappearsabroad。
Buthealwaysturnsupagain，worsethanever。\"
\"Violent？\"
\"No。\"
\"Maudlin？\"
\"No。\"
\"Onlyunpleasant？\"
\"No。Ratherpleasant。Awfullyclever——awfullytravelledandeasy。\"
\"Thenwhat’sthematterwithhim？\"
Mamiemused，hesitated——seemedtoseeawidepast。\"Idon’tknow。\"
\"Somethinginthebackground？\"Thenasherfriendwassilent，\"Somethingqueeraboutcards？\"Mrs。Medwinthrewoff。
\"Idon’tknow——andIdon’twantto！\"
\"Ahwell，I’msure_I_don’t，\"Mrs。Medwinreturnedwithspirit。
Thenoteofsharpnesswasperhapsalsoalittleintheobservationshemadeasshegatheredherselftogo。\"Doyoumindmysayingsomething？\"
Mamietookhereyesquicklyfromthemoneyonthelittlestand。
\"Youmaysaywhatyoulike。\"
\"Ionlymeanthatanythingawkwardyoumayhavetokeepoutofthewaydoesseemtomakemorewonderful，doesn’tit，thatyoushouldhavegotjustwhereyouare？Iallude，youknow，toyourposition。\"
\"Isee。\"MissCuttersomewhatcoldlysmiled。\"Tomypower。\"
\"SoawfullyremarkableinanAmerican。\"
\"Ahyoulikeusso。\"
Mrs。Medwincandidlyconsidered。\"Butwedon’t，dearest。\"
Hercompanion’ssmilebrightened。\"Thenwhydoyoucometome？\"
\"OhIlikeYOU！\"Mrs。Medwinmadeout。
\"Thenthat’sit。Thereareno’Americans。’It’salways’you。’\"
\"Me？\"Mrs。Medwinlookedlovely，butalittlemuddled。
\"ME！\"MamieCutterlaughed。\"Butifyoulikeme，youdearthing，youcanjudgeifIlikeYOU。\"Shegaveherakisstodismissher。
\"I’llseeyouagainwhenI’veseenher。\"
\"LadyWantridge？Ihopeso，indeed。I’llturnuplateto-morrow，ifyoudon’tcatchmefirst。Hasitcometoyouyet？\"thevisitor，nowatthedoor，wenton。
\"No;butitwill。There’stime。\"
\"Ohalittlelesseveryday！\"
MissCutterhadapproachedthetableandglancedagainatthegoldandsilverandthenote，notindeedabsolutelyoverlookingthetwocoppers。\"Thebalance，\"sheputit，\"thedayafter？\"
\"Thatverynightifyoulike。\"
\"Thencountonme。\"
\"OhifIdidn’t——！\"Butthedoorclosedonthedarkidea。
Yearninglythen，andonlywhenithaddoneso，MissCuttertookupthemoney。
Shewentoutwithittenminuteslater，and，thecallsonhertimebeingmany，remainedoutsolongthatathalf-pastsixshehadn’tcomeback。Atthathour，ontheotherhand，ScottHomerknockedatherdoor，wherehermaid，whoopeneditwithaweakpretenceofholdingitfirm，venturedtoannouncetohim，asalessonwelllearnt，thathehadn’tbeenexpectedtillseven。Nolesson，nonetheless，couldprevailagainsthisnativeart。Hepleadedfatigue，her，themaid’s，dreadfuldepressingLondon，andtheneedtocurlupsomewhere。Ifshe’djustleavehimquiethalfanhourthatoldsofaupstairswoulddoforit;ofwhichhetookquicklysucheffectualpossessionthatwhenfiveminuteslatershepeeped，nervousforherbrokenvow，intothedrawing-room，thefaithlessyoungwomanfoundhimextendedathislengthandpeacefullyasleep。
CHAPTERIII
ThesituationbeforeMissCutter’sreturndevelopedinotherdirectionsstill，andwhenthateventtookplace，atafewminutespastseven，thesecircumstanceswere，bythefootofthestair，betweenmistressandmaid，thesubjectofsomeinterrogativegaspsandscaredadmissions。LadyWantridgehadarrivedshortlyaftertheinterloper，andwishing，asshesaid，towait，hadgonestraightupinspiteofbeingtoldhewaslyingdown。
\"Shedistinctlyunderstoodhewasthere？\"
\"Ohyesma’am;Ithoughtitrighttomention。\"
\"Andwhatdidyoucallhim？\"
\"Well，ma’am，IthoughtitunfairtoYOUtocallhimanythingbutagentleman。\"
Mamietookitallin，thoughtheremightwellbemoreofitthanonecouldquicklyembrace。\"Butifshehashadtime，\"sheflashed，\"tofindoutheisn’tone？\"
\"Ohma’am，shehadaquarterofanhour。\"
\"Thensheisn’twithhimstill？\"
\"Noma’am;shecamedownagainatlast。Sherang，andIsawherhere，andshesaidshewouldn’twaitlonger。\"
MissCutterdarklymused。\"Yethadalreadywaited——？\"
\"Quiteaquarter。\"
\"Mercyonus！\"Shebegantomount。BeforereachingthetophowevershehadreflectedthatquiteaquarterwaslongifLadyWantridgehadonlybeenshocked。Ontheotherhanditwasshortifshehadonlybeenpleased。ButhowCOULDshehavebeenpleased？
Theveryessenceoftheiractualcrisiswasjustthattherewasnopleasingher。Mamiehadbuttoopenthedrawing-roomdoorindeedtoperceivethatthiswasnottrueatleastofScottHomer，whowashorriblycheerful。
MissCutterexpressedtoherbrotherwithoutreservehersenseoftheconstitutional，thebrutalselfishnessthathaddeterminedhismistimedreturn。Ithadtakenplace，inviolationoftheiragreement，exactlyatthemomentwhenitwasmostcrueltoherthatheshouldbethere，andifshemustnowcompletelywashherhandsofhimhehadonlyhimselftothank。Shehadcomeinflushedwithresentmentandforamomenthadbeenvoluble，butitwouldhavebeenstrikingthat，thoughthewayhereceivedhermighthaveseemedbuttoaggravate，itpresentlyjustifiedhimbycausingtheirrelationreallytotakeastride。Hehadtheartofconfoundingthosewhowouldquarrelwithhimbyreducingthemtothehumiliationofastirredcuriosity。
\"WhatCOULDshehavemadeofyou？\"Mamiedemanded。
\"Mydeargirl，she’snotawomanwho’seagertomaketoomuchofanything——anything，Imean，thatwillpreventherfromdoingasshelikes，whatshetakesintoherhead。Ofcourse，\"hecontinuedtoexplain，\"ifit’ssomethingshedoesn’twanttodo，she’llmakeasmuchasMoses。\"
Mamiewonderedifthatwasthewayhetalkedtohervisitor，butfeltobligedtoowntohisacuteness。ItwasanexactdescriptionofLadyWantridge，andshewasconsciousoftuckingitawayforfutureuseinacornerofhermiscellaneouslittlemind。Shewithheldhoweverallpresentacknowledgment，onlyaddressinghimanotherquestion。\"Didyoureallygetonwithher？\"
\"Haveyoustilltolearn，darling——Ican’thelpagainputtingittoyou——thatIgetonwitheverybody？That’sjustwhatIdon’tseemabletodriveintoyou。OnlyseehowIgetonwithYOU。\"
Shealmoststoodcorrected。\"WhatImeanisofcoursewhether——\"
\"Whethershemadelovetome？Shyly，yet——orbecause——shamefully？
Shewouldcertainlyhavelikedawfullytostay。\"
\"Thenwhydidn’tshe？\"
\"Because，onaccountofsomeothermatter——andIcouldseeitwastrue——shehadn’ttime。Twentyminutes——shewashereless——wereallshecametogiveyou。Sodon’tbeafraidI’vefrightenedheraway。
She’llcomeback。\"
Mamiethoughtitover。\"Yetyoudidn’tgowithhertothedoor？\"
\"Shewouldn’tletme，andIknowwhentodowhatI’mtold——quiteasmuchaswhatI’mnottold。Shewantedtofindoutaboutme。I
meanfromyourlittlecreature;apearloffidelity，bytheway。\"
\"Butwhatonearthdidshecomeupfor？\"Mamieagainfoundherselfappealing，andjustbythatfactshowingherneedofhelp。
\"Becauseshealwaysgoesup。\"Thenas，inthepresenceofthisrapidgeneralisation，tosaynothingofthatofsucharelativealtogether，MissCuttercouldonlyshowascomparativelyblank：\"I
meansheknowswhentogoupandwhentocomedown。Shehasinstincts;shedidn’tknowwhomyoumighthaveuphere。It’sakindofcomplimenttoyouanyway。WhyMamie，\"Scottpursued，\"youdon’tknowthecuriosityweanyofusinspire。Youwouldn’tbelievewhatI’veseen。Thebiggerbugstheyarethemorethey’reonthelookout。\"
Mamiestillfollowed，butatadistance。\"Thelookoutforwhat？\"
\"Whyforanythingthatwillhelpthemtolive。You’vebeenhereallthistimewithoutmakingoutthen，aboutthem，whatI’vehadtopickoutasIcan？They’redead，don’tyousee？AndWE’REalive。\"
\"You？Oh！\"——Mamiealmostlaughedaboutit。
\"Well，they’reaworn-outoldlotanyhow;they’veuseduptheirresources。TheydolookoutandI’lldothemthejusticetosaythey’renotafraid——notevenofme！\"hecontinuedashissisteragainshowedsomethingofthesameirony。\"LadyWantridgeatanyratewasn’t;that’swhatImeanbyherhavingmadelovetome。Shedoeswhatshelikes。Mindit，youknow。\"Hewasbythistimefairlyteachinghertoreadoneofherbestfriends，andwhen，afterit，hehadcomebacktothegreatpointofhislesson——thatofherfailure，throughfeminineinferiority，practicallytograspthetruththattheirbeingjustastheywere，heandshe，wastherealcardforthemtoplay——whenhehadrenewedthatreminderheleftherabsolutelyinastateofdependence。HerimpulsetopresshimonthesubjectofLadyWantridgedropped;itwasasifshehadfeltthat，whateverhadtakenplace，somethingwouldsomehowcomeofit。Shewastobeinamannerdisappointed，buttheimpressionhelpedtokeepherovertothenextmorning，when，asScotthadforetold，hisnewacquaintancedidreappear，explainingtoMissCutterthatshehadactedthedaybeforetogaintimeandthatsheevennowsoughttogainitbynotwaitinglonger。What，shepromptlyintimatedshehadaskedherself，couldthatfriendbethinkingof？Shemustshowwhereshestoodbeforethingshadgonetoofar。Ifshehadbroughtheranswerwithoutmoredelayshewishedmakeitsharp。Mrs。Medwin？Never！\"No，mydear——notI。
THEREIstop。\"
Mamiehadknownitwouldbe\"collar-work，\"butsomehownow，atthebeginningshefeltherheartsink。Itwasnotthatshehadexpectedtocarrythepositionwitharush，butthat，asalwaysafteraninterval，hervisitor’sdefencesreallyloomed——andquite，asitwere，tothematerialvision——toolarge。Shewasalwaysplantedwiththem，voluminous，intheverycentreofthepassage;
waslikeapersonaccommodatedwithachairinsomeunlawfulplaceatthetheatre。Shewouldn’tmoveandyoucouldn’tgetround。
Mamie’scalculationindeedhadnotbeenongettinground;shewasobligedtorecognisethat，toofoolishlyandfondly，shehaddreamedofinducingasurrender。Herdreamhadbeenthefruitofherneed;but，consciousthatshewasevenyetunequippedforpressure，shefelt，almostforthefirsttimeinherlife，superficialandcrude。Shewastobepaid——butwithwhatwasshe，tothatend，topay？Shehadengagedtofindananswertothisquestion，buttheanswerhadnot，accordingtoherpromise，\"come。\"
AndLadyWantridgemeanwhilemassedherself，andtherewasnoviewofherthatdidn’tshowherasverily，bysomeprocesstooobscuretobetraced，theharddepositoryofthesociallaw。Shewasnoyounger，nofresher，nostronger，really，thananyofthem;shewasonly，withakindofhaggardfineness，asharpenedtasteforlife，and，withallsortsofthingsbehindandbeneathher，moreabysmalandmoreimmoral，moresecureandmoreimpertinent。Thepointsshemadeweretwoinnumber。Onewasthatsheabsolutelydeclined;theotherwasthatshequitedoubtedifMamieherselfhadmeasuredthejob。Thethingcouldn’tbedone。ButsayitCOULDbe;wasMamiequitethepersontodoit？TothisMissCutter，withasweetsmile，repliedthatshequiteunderstoodhowlittleshemightseemso。\"I’monlyoneofthepersonstowhomithasappearedthatYOU
are。\"
\"Thenwhoaretheothers？\"
\"Well，tobeginwith，LadyEdward，LadyBellhouseandMrs。
Pouncer。\"
\"Doyoumeanthatthey’llcometomeether？\"
\"I’veseenthem，andthey’vepromised。\"
\"Tocome，ofcourse，\"LadyWantridgesaid，\"if_I_come。\"
Herhostesscastabout。\"Ohofcourseyoucouldpreventthem。ButIshouldtakeitasawfullykindofyounotto。WON’Tyoudothisforme？\"Mamiepleaded。
HerfriendlookedovertheroomverymuchasScotthaddone。\"Dotheyreallyunderstandwhatit’sFOR？\"
\"Perfectly。Sothatshemaycall。\"
\"Andwhatgoodwillthatdoher？\"
MissCutterfaltered，butshepresentlybroughtitout。\"Naturallywhatonehopesisthat，you’llaskher。\"
\"Askhertocall？\"
\"Askhertodine。Askher，ifyou’dbesotrulysweet，foraSunday;orsomethingofthatsort，andevenifonlyinoneofyourMOSTmixedparties，toCatchmore。\"
MissCutterfeltthelesshopefulafterthiseffortinthathercompaniononlyshowedastrangegoodnature。Anditwasn’tasatiricamiability，thoughitWASamusement。\"TakeMrs。Medwinintomyfamily？\"
\"Somedaywhenyou’retakingfortyothers。\"
\"AhbutwhatIdon’tseeiswhatitdoesforYOU。You’realreadysowelcomeamongusthatyoucanscarcelyimproveyourpositionevenbyformingforusthemostdelightfulrelation。\"
\"Well，Iknowhowdearyouare，\"MamieCutterreplied;\"butonehasafterallmorethanonesideandmorethanonesympathy。Ilikeher，youknow。\"AndevenatthisLadyWantridgewasn’tshocked;
sheshowedthateaseandblandnesswhichwereherway，unfortunately，ofbeingmostimpossible。SheremarkedthatSHE
mightlistentosuchthings，becauseshewascleverenoughforthemnottomatter;onlyMamieshouldtakecarehowshewentaboutsayingthematlarge。Whenshebecamedefinitehowever，inaminute，onthesubjectofthepublicfacts，MissCuttersoonfoundherselfreadytomakeherownconcession。Ofcourseshedidn’tdisputeTHEM：theretheywere;theywereunfortunatelyonrecord，and，nothingwastobedoneaboutthembutto——Mamiefounditintruthatthispointalittledifficult。
\"Well，what？Pretendalreadytohaveforgottenthem？\"
\"Whynot，whenyou’vedoneitinsomanyothercases？\"
\"ThereAREnoothercasessobad。Onemeetsthematanyrateastheycome。Someyoucanmanage，othersyoucan’t。It’snouse，youmustgivethemup。They’repastpatching;there’snothingtobedonewiththem。There’snothingaccordinglytobedonewithMrs。Medwinbuttoputheroff。\"AndLadyWantridgerosetoherheight。
\"Well，youknow，IDOdothings，\"Mamiequaveredwithasmilesostrainedthatitpartookofexaltation。
\"Youhelppeople？Ohyes，I’veknownyoutodowonders。Butstick，\"saidLadyWantridgewithstrongandcheerfulemphasis，\"toyourAmericans！\"
MissCutter，gazing，gotup。\"Youdon’tdojustice，LadyWantridge，toyourowncompatriots。Someofthemarereallycharming。Besides，\"saidMamie，\"workingformineoftenstrikesme，sofarastheinterest——theinspirationandexcitement，don’tyouknow？——go，asrathertooeasy。Youall，asIconstantlyhaveoccasiontosay，likeusso！\"
Hercompanionfranklyweighedit。\"Yes;ittakesthattoaccountforyourposition。I’vealwaysthoughtofyouneverthelessaskeepingfortheirbenefitaregularworkingagency。Theycometoyou，andyouplacethem。Thereremains，Iconfess，\"herladyshipwentoninthesamefreespirit，\"thegreatwonder——\"
\"OfhowIfirstplacedmypoorlittleself？Yes，\"Mamiebravelyconceded，\"when_I_begantherewasnoagency。Ijustworkedmypassage。Ididn’tevencometoYOU，didI？Younevernoticedmetill，asMrs。ShortStokessays，’Iwas’way，’wayup！’Mrs。
Medwin，\"shethrewin，\"can’tgetoverit。\"Then，asherfriendlookedvague：\"Overmysocialsituation。\"
\"Well，it’snogreatflatterytoyoutosay，\"LadyWantridgegood-
humouredlyreturned，\"thatshecertainlycan’thopeforoneresemblingit。\"Yetitreallyseemedtospreadtherebeforethem。
\"YousimplyMADEMrs。ShortStokes。\"
\"Inspiteofhername！\"Mamiesmiled。
\"Ohyour’names’——！Inspiteofeverything。\"
\"AhI’msomethingofanartist。\"Withwhich，andarelapsemarkedbyherwistfuleyesintothegravityofthematter，shesupremelyfixedherfriend。Shefelthowlittleshemindedbetrayingatlasttheextremityofherneed，anditwasoutofthisextremitythatherappealproceeded。\"HaveIreallyhadyourlastword？Itmeanssomuchtome。\"
LadyWantridgecamestraighttothepoint。\"Youmeanyoudependonit？\"
\"Awfully！\"
\"Isitallyouhave？\"
\"All。Now。\"
\"ButMrs。ShortStokesandtheothers——’rolling，’aren’tthey？
Don’ttheypayup？\"
\"Ah，\"sighedMamie，\"ifitwasn’tforTHEM——！\"
LadyWantridgeperceived。\"You’vehadsomuch？\"
\"Icouldn’thavegoneon。\"
\"Thenwhatdoyoudowithitall？\"
\"Ohmostofitgoesbacktothem。Thereareallsorts，andit’sallhelp。Someofthemhavenothing。\"
\"Ohifyoufeedthehungry，\"LadyWantridgelaughed，\"you’reindeedinagreatwayofbusiness。IsMrs。Medwin\"——hertransitionwasimmediate——\"reallyrich？\"
\"Really。Helefthereverything。\"
\"SothatifIdosay’yes’——\"
\"Itwillquitesetmeup。\"
\"Isee——andhowmuchmoreresponsibleitmakesone！ButI’drathermyselfgiveyouthemoney。\"
\"Oh！\"Mamiecoldlymurmured。
\"YoumeanImayn’tsuspectyourprices？Well，IdaresayIdon’t！
ButI’drathergiveyoutenpounds。\"
\"Oh！\"Mamierepeatedinatonethatsufficientlycoveredherprices。Thequestionwasineverywaylarger。\"Doyouneverforgive？\"shereproachfullyinquired。ThedooropenedhoweveratthemomentshespokeandScottHomerpresentedhimself。
CHAPTERIV
ScottHomerworeexactly，tohissister’seyes，theaspecthehadwornthedaybefore，anditalsoformedtohersensethegreatfeatureofhisimpartialgreeting。
\"Howd’yedo，Mamie？Howd’yedo，LadyWantridge？\"
\"Howd’yedoagain？\"LadyWantridgerepliedwithanequanimitystrikingtoherhostess。ItwasasifScott’sownhadbeencontagious;itwasalmostindeedasifshehadseenhimbefore。
Hadsheeversoseenhim——beforethepreviousday？WhileMissCutterputtoherselfthisquestionhervisitoratalleventsmettheoneshehadpreviouslyuttered。\"Ever’forgive’？\"thispersonageechoedinatonethatmadeaslittleaccountaspossibleoftheinterruption。\"Dearyes！ThepeopleIHAVEforgiven！\"Shelaughed——perhapsalittlenervously;andshewasnowlookingatScott。Thewayshelookedathimwaspreciselywhathadalreadyhaditseffectforhissister。\"ThepeopleIcan！\"
\"Canyouforgiveme？\"askedScottHomer。
Shetookitsoeasily。\"But——what？\"
Mamieinterposed;sheturneddirectlytoherbrother。\"Don’ttryher。Leaveitso。\"Shehadhadaninspiration，itwasthemostextraordinarythingintheworld。\"Don’ttryHIM\"——shehadturnedtotheircompanion。Shelookedgrave，sad，strange。\"Leaveitso。\"Yes，itwasadistinctinspiration，whichshecouldn’thaveexplained，butwhichhadcome，promptedbysomethingshehadcaught——theextentoftherecognitionexpressed——inLadyWantridge’sface。Ithadcomeabsolutelyofasudden，straightoutoftheoppositionofthetwofiguresbeforeher——quiteasifaconcussionhadstruckalight。Thelightwashelpedbyherquickenedsensethatherfriend’ssilenceontheincidentofthedaybeforeshowedsomesortofconsciousness。Shelookedsurprised。\"Doyouknowmybrother？\"
\"DOIknowyou？\"LadyWantridgeaskedofhim。
\"No，LadyWantridge，\"Scottpleasantlyconfessed，\"notonelittlemite！\"
\"WellthenifyouMUSTgo——\"andMamieofferedherahand。\"ButI’llgodownwithyou。NOTYOU！\"shelaunchedatherbrother，whoimmediatelyeffacedhimself。Hiswayofdoingso——andhehadalreadydoneso，asforLadyWantridge，inrespecttotheirpreviousencounter——struckherevenatthemomentasaninstinctiveifslightlyblindtributetoherpossessionofanidea;andassuch，initscelerity，madehersoadmirehim，andtheircommonwit，thatsheonthespotmorethanforgavehimhisqueerness。Hewasright。Hecouldbeasqueerasheliked！Thequeererthebetter！Itwasatthefootofthestairs，whenshehadgotherguestdown，thatwhatshehadassuredMrs。Medwinwouldcomedidindeedcome。\"DIDyoumeethimhereyesterday？\"
\"Dearyes。Isn’thetoofunny？\"
\"Yes，\"saidMamiegloomily。\"HeISfunny。Buthadyouevermethimbefore？\"
\"Dearno！\"
\"Oh！\"——andMamie’stonemighthavemeantmanythings。
LadyWantridgehowever，afterall，easilyoverlookedit。\"IonlyknewhewasoneofyouroddAmericans。That’swhy，whenIheardyesterdayherethathewasupthereawaitingyourreturn，Ididn’tletthatpreventme。Ithoughthemightbe。Hecertainly，\"herladyshiplaughed，\"IS。\"
\"Yes，he’sveryAmerican，\"Mamiewentoninthesameway。
\"Asyousay，weAREfondofyou！Good-bye，\"saidLadyWantridge。
ButMamiehadnothalfdonewithher。Shefeltmoreandmore——orshehopedatleast——thatshelookedstrange。SheWAS，nodoubt，ifitcametothat，strange。\"LadyWantridge，\"shealmostconvulsivelybrokeout，\"Idon’tknowwhetheryou’llunderstandme，butIseemtofeelthatImustactwithyou——Idon’tknowwhattocallit！——responsibly。HeISmybrother。\"
\"Surely——andwhynot？\"LadyWantridgestared。\"He’stheimageofyou！\"
\"Thankyou！\"——andMamiewasstrangerthanever。
\"Ohhe’sgood-looking。He’shandsome，mydear。Oddly——butdistinctly！\"Herladyshipwasfortreatingitmuchasajoke。
ButMamie，allsombre，wouldhavenoneofthis。Sheboldlygavehimup。\"Ithinkhe’sawful。\"
\"Heisindeed——delightfully。AndwhereDOyougetyourwaysofsayingthings？Itisn’tanything——andthethingsaren’tanything。
Butit’ssodroll。\"
\"Don’tletyourself，allthesame，\"Mamieconsistentlypursued，\"becarriedawaybyit。Thethingcan’tbedone——simply。\"
LadyWantridgewondered。\"’Donesimply’？\"
\"Doneatall。\"
\"Butwhatcan’tbe？\"
\"Why，whatyoumightthink——fromhispleasantness。Whathespokeofyourdoingforhim。\"
LadyWantridgerecalled。\"Forgivinghim？\"
\"Heaskedyouifyoucouldn’t。Butyoucan’t。It’stoodreadfulforme，assoneararelation，tohave，loyally——loyallytoYOU——tosayit。Buthe’simpossible。\"
Itwassoportentouslyproducedthatherladyshiphadsomehowtomeetit。\"What’sthematterwithhim？\"
\"Idon’tknow。\"
\"Thenwhat’sthematterwithYOU？\"LadyWantridgeinquired。
\"It’sbecauseIWON’Tknow，\"Mamie——notwithoutdignity——explained。
\"Then_I_won’teither。\"
\"Precisely。Don’t。It’ssomething，\"Mamiepursued，withsomeinconsequence，\"that——somewhereorother，atsometimeorother——heappearstohavedone。Somethingthathasmadeadifferenceinhislife。\"
\"’Something’？\"LadyWantridgeechoedagain。\"Whatkindofthing？\"
Mamielookedupatthelightabovethedoor，throughwhichtheLondonskywasdoublydim。\"Ihaven’ttheleastidea。\"
\"Thenwhatkindofdifference？\"
Mamie’sgazewasstillatthelight。\"Thedifferenceyousee。\"
LadyWantridge，ratherobligingly，seemedtoaskherselfwhatshesaw。\"ButIdon’tseeany！Itseems，atleast，\"sheadded，\"suchanamusingone！Andhehassuchniceeyes。\"
\"OhDEAReyes！\"Mamieconceded;butwithtoomuchsadness，forthemoment，abouttheconnexionsofthesubject，tosaymore。
Italmostforcedhercompanionafteraninstanttoproceed。\"Doyoumeanhecan’tgohome？\"
Sheweighedherresponsibility。\"Ionlymakeout——more’sthepity！——thathedoesn’t。\"
\"Isitthensomethingtooterrible——？\"
Shethoughtagain。\"Idon’tknowwhat——formen——IStooterrible。\"
\"Wellthenasyoudon’tknowwhat’is’forwomeneither——good-bye！\"
hervisitorlaughed。
Itpracticallywounduptheinterview;which，however，terminatingthusonaconsiderablestiroftheair，wastogiveMissCutterforseveraldaysthesenseofbeingmuchblownabout。Thedegreetowhich，tobeginwith，shehadbeendrawn——orperhapsratherpushed——
closertoScottwasmarkedinthebriefcolloquythatsheonherfriend’sdeparturehadwithhim。Hehadimmediatelysaidit。
\"You’llseeifshedoesn’taskmedown！\"
\"Sosoon？\"
\"OhI’veknownthematplaces——atCannes，atPau，atShanghai——doitsoonerstill。Ialwaysknowwhentheywill。YouCAN’Tmakeouttheydon’tloveme！\"Hespokealmostplaintively，asifhewishedshecould。
\"ThenIdon’tseewhyithasn’tdoneyoumoregood。\"
\"WhyMamie，\"hepatientlyreasoned，\"whatmoregoodCOULDit？AsI
tellyou，\"heexplained，\"ithasjustbeenmylife。\"
\"Thenwhydoyoucometomeformoney？\"
\"Ohtheydon’tgivemeTHAT！\"Scottreturned。
\"Sothatitonlymeansthen，afterall，thatI，atthebest，mustkeepyouup？\"
HefixedonhertheniceeyesLadyWantridgeadmired。\"Doyoumeantotellmethatalready——atthisverymoment——I’mnotdistinctlykeepingyou？\"
Shegavehimbackhislook。\"WaittillsheHASaskedyou，andthen，\"Mamieadded，\"decline。\"
Scott，nottoogrossly，wondered。\"AsactingforYOU？\"
Mamie’snextinjunctionwasanswerenough。\"ButBEFORE——yes——
call。\"
Hetookitin。\"Call——butdecline。Good！\"
\"Therest，\"shesaid，\"Ileavetoyou。\"AndsheleftitinfactwithsuchconfidencethatforacoupleofdaysshewasnotonlyconsciousofnoneedtogiveMrs。Medwinanotherturnofthescrew，butpositivelyevaded，inherfortitude，thereappearanceofthatlady。Itwasnottillthefourthdaythatshewaiteduponher，findingher，asshehadexpected，tense。
\"LadyWantridgeWILL——？\"
\"Yes，thoughshesaysshewon’t。\"
\"Shesaysshewon’t？O-oh！\"Mrs。Medwinmoaned。
\"Sittightallthesame。IHAVEher！\"
\"Buthow？\"
\"ThroughScott——whomshewants。\"
\"Yourbadbrother！\"Mrs。Medwinstared。\"Whatdoesshewantofhim？\"
\"ToamusethematCatchmore。Anythingforthat。AndheWOULD。
Butheshan’t！\"Mamiedeclared。\"Heshan’tgounlessshecomes。
Shemustmeetyoufirst——you’remycondition。\"
\"O-o-oh！\"Mrs。Medwin’stonewasawonderofhopeandfear。\"Butdoesn’thewanttogo？\"
\"HewantswhatIwant。ShedrawsthelineatYOU。IdrawthelineatHIM。\"
\"ButSHE——doesn’tshemindthathe’sbad？\"
ItwassoartlessthatMamielaughed。\"No——itdoesn’ttouchher。
Besides，perhapsheisn’t。Itisn’tasforyou——peopleseemnottoknow。Hehassettledeverything，atallevents，bygoingtoseeher。It’sbeforeherthathe’sthethingshe’llhavetohave。\"
\"Haveto？\"
\"ForSundaysinthecountry。Afeature——THEfeature。\"
\"Soshehasaskedhim？\"
\"Yes——andhehasdeclined。\"
\"ForME？\"Mrs。Medwinpanted。
\"Forme，\"saidMamieonthedoor-step。\"ButIdon’tleavehimforlong。\"Herhansomhadwaited。\"She’llcome。\"
LadyWantridgedidcome。ShemetinSouthAudleyStreet，onthefourteenth，attea，theladieswhomMamiehadnamedtoher，togetherwiththreeorfourothers，anditwasratheramaster-
strokeforMissCutterthatifMrs。MedwinwasmodestlypresentScottHomerwasasmarkedlynot。Thisoccasion，however，isamedalthatwouldtakerarecasting，aswouldalso，forthatmatter，eventheminorlightandshade，thelowerrelief，ofthepecuniarytransactionthatMrs。Medwin’sflushedgratitudescarceawaitedthedispersalofthecompanymunificentlytocomplete。Anewunderstandingindeedonthespotreboundedfromit，theconceptionofwhich，inMamie’smind，hadpromptlybloomed。\"Heshan’tgonowunlesshetakesyou。\"Then，asherfancyalwaysmovedquickerforherclientthanherclient’sown——\"DownwithhimtoCatchmore！
WhenhegoestoamusethemYOU，\"sheserenelydeveloped，\"shallamusethemtoo。\"Mrs。Medwin’sresponsewasagainratheroddlydivided，butshewassufficientlyintelligiblewhenitcametomeetingthehintthatthislatterprovisionwouldrepresentsuccesstothetuneofaseparatefee。\"Say，\"Mamiehadsuggested，\"thesame。\"
\"Verywell;thesame。\"
TheknowledgethatitwastobethesamehadperhapssomethingtodoalsowiththeobligingspiritinwhichScotteventuallywent。
Itwasallatthelastratherhurried——apartyrapidlygottogetherfortheGrandDuke，whowasinEnglandbutforthehour，whohadgood-naturedlyproposedhimself，andwholikedhispartiessmall，intimateandfunny。Thisonewasofthesmallestandwasfinallyjudgedtoconformneithertoolittlenortoomuchtotheotherconditions——afterabriefwhirlwindofwiresandcounterwires，andaniteratedwaitingofhansomsatvariousdoors——toincludeMrs。
Medwin。ItwasfromCatchmoreitselfthat，snatching，amoment——onthewondrousSundayafternoon，thisladyhadtheharmoniousthoughtofsendingthenewcheque。Shewasinblissenough，butherscribblenonethelessintimatedthatitwasScottwhoamusedthemmost。HeWASthefeature。
