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at　Cocker's　had　begun　to　strike　her　as　a　reasona　reason　she　might

almost　put　forward　for　a　policy　of　procrastination。　　It　sounded

silly；　of　course；　as　yet；　to　plead　such　a　motive；　especially　as　the

fascination　of　the　place　was　after　all　a　sort　of　torment。　　But　she

liked　her　torment；　it　was　a　torment　she　should　miss　at　Chalk　Farm。

She　was　ingenious　and　uncandid；　therefore；　about　leaving　the

breadth　of　London　a　little　longer　between　herself　and　that

austerity。　　If　she　hadn't　quite　the　courage　in　short　to　say　to　Mr。

Mudge　that　her　actual　chance　for　a　play　of　mind　was　worth　any　week

the　three　shillings　he　desired　to　help　her　to　save；　she　yet　saw

something　happen　in　the　course　of　the　month　that　in　her　heart　of

hearts　at　least　answered　the　subtle　question。　　This　was　connected

precisely　with　the　appearance　of　the　memorable　lady。







CHAPTER　III







She　pushed　in　three　bescribbled　forms　which　the　girl's　hand　was

quick　to　appropriate；　Mr。　Buckton　having　so　frequent　a　perverse

instinct　for　catching　first　any　eye　that　promised　the　sort　of

entertainment　with　which　she　had　her　peculiar　affinity。　　The

amusements　of　captives　are　full　of　a　desperate　contrivance；　and　one

of　our　young　friend's　ha'pennyworths　had　been　the　charming　tale　of

〃Picciola。〃　　It　was　of　course　the　law　of　the　place　that　they　were

never　to　take　no　notice；　as　Mr。　Buckton　said；　whom　they　served；　but

this　also　never　prevented；　certainly　on　the　same　gentleman's　own

part；　what　he　was　fond　of　describing　as　the　underhand　game。　　Both

her　companions；　for　that　matter；　made　no　secret　of　the　number　of

favourites　they　had　among　the　ladies；　sweet　familiarities　in　spite

of　which　she　had　repeatedly　caught　each　of　them　in　stupidities　and

mistakes；　confusions　of　identity　and　lapses　of　observation　that

never　failed　to　remind　her　how　the　cleverness　of　men　ends　where　the

cleverness　of　women　begins。　　〃Marguerite；　Regent　Street。　　Try　on　at

six。　　All　Spanish　lace。　　Pearls。　　The　full　length。〃　　That　was　the

first；　it　had　no　signature。　　〃Lady　Agnes　Orme；　Hyde　Park　Place。

Impossible　to…night；　dining　Haddon。　　Opera　to…morrow；　promised

Fritz；　but　could　do　play　Wednesday。　　Will　try　Haddon　for　Savoy；　and

anything　in　the　world　you　like；　if　you　can　get　Gussy。　　Sunday

Montenero。　　Sit　Mason　Monday；　Tuesday。　　Marguerite　awful。　　Cissy。〃

That　was　the　second。　　The　third；　the　girl　noted　when　she　took　it；

was　on　a　foreign　form：　　〃Everard；　Hotel　Brighton；　Paris。　　Only

understand　and　believe。　　22nd　to　26th；　and　certainly　8th　and　9th。

Perhaps　others。　　Come。　　Mary。〃



Mary　was　very　handsome；　the　handsomest　woman；　she　felt　in　a　moment；

she　had　ever　seenor　perhaps　it　was　only　Cissy。　　Perhaps　it　was

both；　for　she　had　seen　stranger　things　than　thatladies　wiring　to

different　persons　under　different　names。　　She　had　seen　all　sorts　of

things　and　pieced　together　all　sorts　of　mysteries。　　There　had　once

been　onenot　long　beforewho；　without　winking；　sent　off　five　over

five　different　signatures。　　Perhaps　these　represented　five

different　friends　who　had　asked　herall　women；　just　as　perhaps　now

Mary　and　Cissy；　or　one　or　other　of　them；　were　wiring　by　deputy。

Sometimes　she　put　in　too　muchtoo　much　of　her　own　sense；　sometimes

she　put　in　too　little；　and　in　either　case　this　often　came　round　to

her　afterwards；　for　she　had　an　extraordinary　way　of　keeping　clues。

When　she　noticed　she　noticed；　that　was　what　it　came　to。　　There　were

days　and　days；　there　were　weeks　sometimes；　of　vacancy。　　This　arose

often　from　Mr。　Buckton's　devilish　and　successful　subterfuges　for

keeping　her　at　the　sounder　whenever　it　looked　as　if　anything　might

arouse；　the　sounder；　which　it　was　equally　his　business　to　mind；

being　the　innermost　cell　of　captivity；　a　cage　within　the　cage；

fenced　oft　from　the　rest　by　a　frame　of　ground　glass。　　The　counter…

clerk　would　have　played　into　her　hands；　but　the　counter…clerk　was

really　reduced　to　idiocy　by　the　effect　of　his　passion　for　her。　　She

flattered　herself　moreover；　nobly；　that　with　the　unpleasant

conspicuity　of　this　passion　she　would　never　have　consented　to　be

obliged　to　him。　　The　most　she　would　ever　do　would　be　always　to

shove　off　on　him　whenever　she　could　the　registration　of　letters；　a

job　she　happened　particularly　to　loathe。　　After　the　long　stupors；

at　all　events；　there　almost　always　suddenly　would　come　a　sharp

taste　of　something；　it　was　in　her　mouth　before　she　knew　it；　it　was

in　her　mouth　now。



To　Cissy；　to　Mary；　whichever　it　was；　she　found　her　curiosity　going

out　with　a　rush；　a　mute　effusion　that　floated　back　to　her；　like　a

returning　tide；　the　living　colour　and　splendour　of　the　beautiful

head；　the　light　of　eyes　that　seemed　to　reflect　such　utterly　other

things　than　the　mean　things　actually　before　them；　and；　above　all；

the　high　curt　consideration　of　a　manner　that　even　at　bad　moments

was　a　magnificent　habit　and　of　the　very　essence　of　the　innumerable

thingsher　beauty；　her　birth；　her　father　and　mother；　her　cousins

and　all　her　ancestorsthat　its　possessor　couldn't　have　got　rid　of

even　had　she　wished。　　How　did　our　obscure　little　public　servant

know　that　for　the　lady　of　the　telegrams　this　was　a　bad　moment？　　How

did　she　guess　all　sorts　of　impossible　things；　such　as；　almost　on

the　very　spot；　the　presence　of　drama　at　a　critical　stage　and　the

nature　of　the　tie　with　the　gentleman　at　the　Hotel　Brighton？　　More

than　ever　before　it　floated　to　her　through　the　bars　of　the　cage

that　this　at　last　was　the　high　reality；　the　bristling　truth　that

she　had　hitherto　only　patched　up　and　eked　outone　of　the

creatures；　in　fine；　in　whom　all　the　conditions　for　happiness

actually　met；　and　who；　in　the　air　they　made；　bloomed　with　an

unwitting　insolence。　　What　came　home　to　the　girl　was　the　way　the

insolence　was　tempered　by　something　that　was　equally　a　part　of　the

distinguished　life；　the　custom　of　a　flowerlike　bend　to　the　less

fortunatea　dropped　fragrance；　a　mere　quick　breath；　but　which　in

fact　pervaded　and　lingered。　　The　apparition　was　very　young；　but

certainly　married；　and　our　fatigued　friend　had　a　sufficient　store

of　mythological　comparison　to　recognise　the　port　of　Juno。

Marguerite　might　be　〃awful；〃　but　she　knew　how　to　dress　a　goddess。



Pearls　and　Spanish　laceshe　herself；　with　assurance；　could　see

them；　and　the　〃full　length〃　too；　and　also　red　velvet　bows；　which；

disposed　on　the　lace　in　a　particular　manner　（she　could　have　placed

them　with　the　turn　of　a　hand）　were　of　course　to　adorn　the　front　of

a　black　brocade　that　would　be　like　a　dress　in　a　picture。　　However；

neither　Marguerite　nor　Lady　Agnes　nor　Haddon　nor　Fritz　nor　Gussy

was　what　the　wearer　of　this　garment　had　really　come　in　for。　　She

had　come　in　for　Everardand　that　was　doubtless　not　his　true　name

either。　　If　our　young　lady　had　never　taken　such　jumps　before　it　was

simply　that　she　had　never　before　been　so　affected。　　She　went　all

the　way。　　Mary　and　Cissy　had　been　round　together；　in　their　single

superb　person；　to　see　himhe　must　live　round　the　corner；　they　had

found　that；　in　consequence　of　something　they　had　come；　precisely；

to　make　up　for　or　to　have　another　scene　about；　he　had　gone　off

gone　off　just　on　purpose　to　make　them　feel　it；　on　which　they　had

come　together　to　Cocker's　as　to　the　nearest　place；　where　they　had

put　in　the　three　forms　partly　in　order　not　to　put　in　the　one　alone。

The　two　others　in　a　manner；　covered　it；　muffled　it；　passed　it　off。

Oh　yes；　she　went　all　the　way；　and　this　was　a　specimen　of　how　she

often　went。　　She　would　know　the　hand　again　any　time。　　It　was　as

handsome　and　as　everything　else　as　the　woman　herself。　　The　woman

herself　had；　on　learning　his　flight；　pushed　past　Everard's　servant

and　into　his　room；　she　had　written　her　missive　at　his　table　and

with　his　pen。　　All　this；　every　inch　of　it；　came　in　the　waft　that

she　blew　through　and　left　behind　her；　the　influence　that；　as　I　have

said；　lingered。　　And　among　the　things　the　girl　was　sure　of；

happily；　was　that　she　should　see　her　again。







CHAPTER　IV







She　saw　her　in　fact；　and　only　ten　days　later；　but　this　time　not

alone；　and　that　was　exactly　a　part　of　the　luck　of　it。　　Not　unaware…

…as　how　could　her　observation　have　left　her　so？of　the

possibilities　through　which　it　could　range；　our　young　lady　had　ever

since　had　in　her　mind　a　dozen　conflicting　theories　about　Everard's

type；　as　to　which；　the　instant　they　came　into　the　place；　she　felt

the　point　settled　with　a　thump　that　seemed　somehow　addressed

straight　to　her　heart。　　That　organ　literally　beat　faster　at　the

approach　of　the　gentleman　who　was　this　time　with　Cissy；　and　who；　as

seen　from　within　the　cage；　became　on　the　spot　the　happiest　of　the

happy　circumstances　with　which　her　mind　had　invested　the　friend　of

Fritz　and　Gussy。　　He　was　a　very　happy　circumstance　indeed　as；　with

his　cigarette　in　his　lips　and　his　broken　familiar　talk　caught　by

his　companion；　he　put　down　the　half…dozen　telegrams　it　would　take

them　together　several　minutes　to　dispatch。　　And　here　it　occurred；

oddly　enough；　that　if；　shortly　before　the　girl's　interest　in　his

companion　had　sharpened　her　sense　for　the　messages　then

transmitted；　her　immediate　vision　of　himself　had　the　effect；　while

she　counted　his　seventy　words；　of　preventing　intelligibility。　　His

words　were　mere　numbers；　they　told　her　nothing　whatever；　and　after

he　had　gone　she　was　in　possession　of　no　name；　of　no　address；　of　no

meaning；　of　nothing　but　a　vague　sweet　sound　and　an　immense

impression。　　He　had　been　there　but　five　minutes；　he　had　smoked　in

her　face；　and；　busy　with　his　telegrams；　with　the　tapping　pencil　and

the　conscious　danger；　the　odious　betrayal　that　would　come　from　a

mistake；　she　had　had　no　wandering　glances　nor　roundabout　arts　to

spare。　　Yet　she　had　taken　him　in；　she　knew　everything；　she　had　made

up　her　mind。



He　had　come　back　from　Paris；　everything　was　re…arranged；　the　pair

were　again　shoulder　to　shoulder　in　their　high　encounter　with　life；

their　large　and　complicated　game。　　The　fine　soundless