The Descent of Man and Other Stories

e him forth. He meant to stay away all day-he had thoughts of dining at his club. As his door closed behind him he reflected that before he opene

arick. The men were so close together that it was impossible to ignore the smile of recognition on Varick's handsome overblown face. And after all-why not? They had always been on good terms, and Varick had been divorced before Waythorn's

the stout man's

." He leaned back, looking unconcernedly at Waythor

aythorn, starting a

"You didn't know he was

t night." Waythorn felt himself reddeni

'm afraid he's pretty bad. Very awkward for me, as it happens, be

mportant things." Hitherto he had dabbled only in the shallow pools of s

becoming momentarily more apparent to Waythorn, and when, at Cortlandt Street, he caught sight of an acquaintance, and

, and he stammered back: "If I can be of any use to you-

act ill with the gout, and would probably no

clerk said with affable significance. "Mr. Sellers was very much

pressure of additional business, and was glad to think that, when the da

e the only vacant table. In the cloud of cigar-smoke Waythorn did not at once distinguish his neighbors; but presently, looking about him, he saw Varick seated a few feet off.

th critical deliberation to a bit of Camembert at the ideal point of liquefaction, and now, the cheese removed, he was just pouring his cafe double from its little two-storied earthen pot. He poured slowly, his ruddy profile bent above

so completely passed out of his life that even this odd encounter with her present husband, within a week after her remarriage, was no more than an incident in his day? And as Waythorn mused, another idea struck h

ched home. He thought the footman wh

Lily?" he a

well, sir. A

for half an hour," Waythorn c

hen he reached the drawing-room she was there, fresh and radiant. L

questions about the routine of the office. Then she gave him the chronicle of Lily's day; quoted the nurse and doctor, and told him who had called to inquire. He had never seen her more se

fore her and left the room. She looked singularly soft and girlish in her rosy pale dress, against t

hoosing a cigar with

?" he asked, with

es-he

t see him,

moment. "I let t

h to his cigar. Well, the thing was over for a week, at any rate. He would try not to t

your coff

How light and slender she was, and how each gesture flowed into the next! She seemed a creature all compact of harmonies. As the thought of Haskett receded, Waythorn

for the decanter of cognac, measured off a

ered a sudde

matter?" she

don't take cogn

upid of me,

d she blushed a su