Five Nights

ough the window of

e alternative had followed of necessity. The picture had brought us together, it held us together. I could not separate from her with

ating clutch of passion had seized me, I could not endure unless she became my own. Viola had seen

ess possible to the human character. For I felt that it was to me and for me

d in that self's-reproduction on the canvas, talked to me, delighted in our com

rhaps as in that first clear period of inspiration, of purely artistic life when Viola

sense of duty,-that I should be spurred to do my best, since

tle has the Wil

n said, "The Will in m

t, nothing avails b

o well in Art, more often blinds the eye and clogs the brain and causes our hand to lose its cunning. Unbidde

weeks, and the girl was left alone in the town house, mistress of all her time and free to do as she pleased. The short interviews at

d, but whether this is so or not, it is what pass

ountry, four days of May, with a delicious sense

others had known that we were going into the country. I was always supposed to be able to look after Viola, and everybody assumed that it was only a question of time when we should marry each other. We had grown up together, we were obviously very much attached to each other, and

y have to do is to secretly evade its ridiculous conventions wh

anything else in the world, I welcomed the convent

ur four days to ourselves and planned

ed she knew of a lovely village of the real romantic kind. I had thought we ought to write or wire for rooms at a hotel be

packed, and when the time came to a quarter past

there, Viola drove up,

o try and enhance it by always being lat

n palest grey, her rose-tinte

, have I?" was her first ex

y all the morning, I thought I should

d; "and, if you had, it would not have matte

hat set every cell in my body singing with delight,

unshine. But after an hour's run from town we got into an atmosphere of crystal and gold and

n, the air seemed like nectar to us. It was the breath of May, real me

walked out from it, choosing at random the fir

und the station, but Viola did

obliged, but we shall be sure to

the transparent light of

rfect, when her delicate, elusive loveliness can compare favourabl

resounded from side to side, clear and sonorous like a bell, it echoed and re-echoed across our path under the

delicate masses of white and pink rose aga

ng over them. A cottage was there boasting a garden in front, a garden that was filled with lilac and laburnum not yet in bloom; filled to overflowing, for the lilac bulged all over the hedge in purple bunches and the laburnum poured its y

ow they've any roo

me with jesting

et, but I'm goi

sacred domain of a private house, opened the gate, and passed in

e remarked superbly as we reach

an came to the door

oom and two bedrooms vacant," she answered

d room which possessed one of the casements we had seen from outside and through

e round; "and what bedrooms have you? We on

oom. That's let from next Monday. Then I have a n

it," said Viola. A

om, it was true but the ceiling sloped downwards at all sorts of unexpected angles like that o

t for these two?

rned the woman, placidly folding h

Even she, the young person of independent wealth, and who co

good deal," she s

he said as he was leaving: 'Mrs. Jevons, you can't ask too much for these rooms

through the white bloom of the cherry, one caught glimpses of the turquoise-blue of the sky. Beneath, the garden with the wandering t

e sake of the cherry-tr

for our light luggage and le

and ambled out of the room, leaving us

ntaneous joy, filling slowly every vein, w

oing to share. No other form of possession, of intimacy, is qui

ling dress of a soft grey cloth. Her figure that always woke all my senses to rapture, shewed well in the cl

k rose nestled against the light masses of her hair. H

chair by the window, I crossed the

leased to be here w

he sensation that whatever happened I cou

y neck and went on soft

ar all through their youth never knowing this sort of pl

do the things, I s

it seems extraordinary." Her voice died away. Her blu

nto silence. A knock at the door made me spring to my feet.

ound eyes fixed open to see all she could

hought you'd like

urned Viola calm

an in the basin, covering it with a towel with elaborate care and delibe

your luggage comes

Viola, and the girl slowly withdrew, shutting

and smoothed back her hair with her hand. Each time she di

face?" she remarked, looking in

ying the pink and white reflecti

shing your face. Come an

casement, and leant our arm

he blue hills were changing into violet, the trees along the road stood motionless, soft, and feathery-looking i

d-eyed maid reappeared, with a man

own and give what orders he likes for dinner for to-day and to

?" Viola asked me. "I want just

, "I'll go." And I followed

d it seemed transformed, now that her possessions were scattered about. I walked across

a framed photograph of me; over the chair by the dressing-table was thrown what seemed a mass of mauve silk and piles of lace. I lifted it very gently, fea

e keen sensation of pleasure that invade

nd then pulled out the top drawer of the chest, intending

dress-a delicate white cloud of shimmering stuff told me it was that-and at

the wave of emotion they sent through me. Why, when I possessed the

keenly sensitive to all the delights of life and not yet even on the edge of satiety. I lifted one little shoe out and sat down

youth when even the sight of a girl's shoe

oe and held it in my hand as now, and there was no violet night to follow, n

hoe in my hand when Viola reap

so lovely. What are you doing, Trevor, sitting there? The woman has

e in the glass as she caught sight of her shoe. I

is and other things," I

ssed me and took the

e said gently with a tender edge to her

o come

great mass in the jug and b

bursting into bloom that thrust its pink or white buds through the lilac. A narrow path paved with large, uneven, moss-covered stone flags led down the centre and on through a little wicket gate into the kitchen garden beyond, so that altogether there was quite an extensive walk through the three gardens, all flower-lined and sweetly fragrant. We passed slowly along

lad," it seemed to be saying, and two swallows skimmed backwards and forw

fig-tree at the pure tranquil sky, full of gold light

rippling song of the bird, and the deep peace of the

d on my shoulder with

scaped from the sea and the storms and winds, and I've got away from London, i

against me, and I saw her eyes half-close

ers blown before a breeze; the flycatcher continued its chattering so

heard a bell jangle from the direction of the house, and whe

n rosy light and the lilac stood out in it curiously and

several years I do not think either Viola or I would have found Mrs. Jevons's cooking good nor praised the dinner that night; the atte

ng poured out on the still dewy air all round us. One by one the songsters grew tired and ceased as a pale star grew visible here and there in the transparent sky, and complete silence fell on the garden. O

o, dearest, it

ll over her face, and smiled back

t and the room seemed full of soft violet gloom, heavy with fragran

the deep summer twilight, that I

nderful mysterious half-light,

ching her, my heart beating, every pu

the candles, but with the rustle of fa

filled with the soft mysterious twilight of the summer night with its

arms into the room. I lay looking towards the w

ppy with a clear consciousness of feeling happy

in hot water: one is warm, but one hardly knows it, so ac

hat of first entering the bath, when the skin is

ess sleep like the sleep of exhaustion. Not the fai

e pale circle of her face and all the undulatin

of ownership borne in upon

o pass a night tog

rs snatched here and there, over-clouded by fears

rs, all the armour of our intelligence that we wear in our waking moments, laid asi

tense joy of possession, a sort of madness of satisfaction v

can give. To us coming from a stay of months in town the small sitting-room, the open casement window, the simple bre

n town they are always grey or brown, and the air was l

alling to each other from opposite sides of the wood, and their note, so soft in the distance, so powerful when near

her keen ear enjoye

s it is! It reminds me of a sustained note i

an of the house brought in our coffee, but I doubt if we should have got any

on the other side of the wood, dimmed by d

just at first. Look at the table with its jonqui

ome of it," I answered; "or a

kfasted joyously, full of the curious

like a canopy in the air under which we walked. There was a fat thrush on the lawn, young and

ight shade, a sort of white shadow in the sunlight, from its b

ree above us. "Look at its great tent of white blosso

e garden, we went out and turned down

s all new to us it all seemed delightful, even to the white dust tha

, grateful shade from the arching oaks above. I climbed the bank on one side and looked into the wood. It was very thick and wild, apparen

ined Viola; "but we can't stay to go into it now.

wood. "This is the nicest part; but I suppose we can't

noonday sun, admiring the double pink

n on one opposite and watched her. She was wearing a white cambric dress that looked very s

ousin, my own blood relation. I must protect her, mu

You had much better come to some rustic church

she said softly, looking up at me with a smile in her eyes,

ife-or her life. It would be very bad for you, if you did. One can't go against Nature, and Nature has not arranged things that

w her resolve was perfectly serious an

l their life and are none the worse for it;

her eyebrows

he is fairly faithful, but how about being none the worse for it? A country clergyman is about the most undeveloped

h a sweet little Saxon schoolgirl in her white dress, but with

anything should ... should come between us

e are only three ways open to us: either you go without the woman and suffer very much in consequence and always owe me a grudge for standing in your way; or you take her and I have to profess to see nothing and look on quietly, which I could never stand, it would send me mad; or we must have all t

and the same thing happ

ould fall apart naturally. If you preferred any one else, you must go to her;

an to change," I said smiling, "i

ly, if there is no conventional disgrace attaching to it. Amongst the Greeks, Aspasia and all those women of her

bly through such a great passion she reaches her highest development; but until she has found that man she ought to be allow

he wrong of their relations to each other well enough to enable them to be judges. Nobody ever knows but the man and the woman themselves,

loud, triumphant call of the cuckoo seeking its m

ed with a lo

id. And the note came again,

most subtle, evanescent, delicate, elusive emotion-and yet one so strong-fancy that bei

hall have to say w

" rejoined Viola laughing;

etter go somewhere further off I think and stay away some time and come back married. I do feel

up and came

of year, and then to Sicily, to Taormina, ... and we'll stay away a year and you finish the picture and I'll write an opera, and then we'll come back married to to

to me: I must keep her, and if those were the only ter

the maid to lay the luncheon; in the landlady's hand was

thought you and the gentleman would like to wri

romptly, with a little side smile

out of the room during luncheon, it was not till it was finished and

t it? I did not put Trevor for I always th

ch a truthful person,"

s the right to hear truth; but the world has no right, and I do

you laugh when you felt you

oon. I should like to paint you under that tree," I add

k you could here. Mrs. Jevons would turn me out as not bein

ssed," I returned, musing; "but then of co

when I was young and foolish,-it took me two years to work it off, and the v

"I am delighted personally at anything that is a note of

ried; "it's beautifully h

d, no one can possibly see us without coming quite close; on that blue carpet you shall paint me lying as

, that she could throw round her instantly if surpr

wood the light under the oak boughs was magnificent, a soft mellow glory falling down on the blue hyacinths which grew so clo

ted on and amongst the young oaks, like a roof upon pillars, and the leaves of both intermingled till they were like green silk curtains hung from ceiling to floor. When we had finally pushed through almost on our hand

moment the call of the cuckoo, wild, entrancing, came overhead, and she raised her arms with a look of rapture as the slim grey bird dashed through the upper oak branches i

was absorbed in the work and completely happy in it, and Viola I b

and very pleased with ourselves, the

h all its own wonderful passion and rapture on the lawn. The scent of

the cherry-tree, watching the stars com

g her head against me. "I was a dutiful model al

beautiful under it; and when I had finished singing we kissed each other and agreed that the world was a very delightful

went up to bed in the slanting-roofed room under the th

e cherry-tree pleased us still, but it did not give us the ecstatic thrill of the first view of it. The lilac scent streamed in, but it did not go to the head and intoxicate us as when we came

hurt me. When I went upstairs I found her packi

d to be goin

id surprised;

py here?" I said with

ut then it's gone now; we can't get any more out of this place. We have enjoyed it so m

h regret. Could ever another give me more than that had done? Could there ever be a k

T T

LACK