Katharine Frensham

his sister as they both sat over the fire in the music-room of Ronald's house i

eye; and there seemed to be an appropriate sympathy between the pictures on the walls, the books on the shelves, and the musical instruments, some of the latter lying about casually, and others carefully enshrined in a Chippendale cabinet. A small organ at the other end of the room gave a dignity to the surroundings peculiar entirely to the presence of that most compelling of all musical instruments. A little white

m. Since childhood they had been called "the inseparables." They had fished together, climbed trees, fought, followed the otter hounds in their old Somersetshire home, stolen, ridden, and accomplished all their fun and wickedness in close partnership. An

they were partners in business as well as in pleasure. And they were still called the inseparables. People said, "Ah, Katharine is somewhere about, for I see Ronald." Or th

, and Katharine had the bitter experience of becoming a secondary consideration

re herself in a manner worthy

ment-time," she said to herself. "I will keep al

Gwendolen was essentially of the world worldly, belonging to that ever-increasing community known as "smart," with no outlook worth speaking of, but, for all that, delightfully engaging in

only criticism Katharine made of her, and then o

Perhaps it may be because I am supposed to have a slow brain. Anyway, you're behaving like a brick to them both, and Ronnie is a deuced old du

diculous. It is right that Ronnie should marry. It all comes in th

of his marriage. She comforted him when, in spite of his passionate adoration of and desire for Gwen

said, "I feel-terribly upset about

s no need to finish the se

you see, we are friends for life. And I might have

quaintly. "You never

ad many merry times over some of

u will live near

ook he

look after you, and I can go forth. But I want you to promise me one thing. Don't give up your music. Don't give up your Wednesday evening quartette meetings. I should love to think that you had kept that pleasu

shape her life. But Ronald seemed hurt, and so she consented to stay a few days in his beautiful home. Gwendolen was away, but she was coming back the next morning; and Ronald assured Katharine that his wife's welcome to the returned traveller would

rrible upset over one of my love affairs, and I lost my temper, whilst you

clared we ought both to be heartily ashamed of ourselves for quarrelling, and that the only way of ef

will all be to see you. They have no idea that you have come back. Every night after we h

llustrious

wunderbar

acieuse Eng

senior

me into Kath

u have remembere

to hide his own eyes, and h

ke them. They seem to interfere with other arrangements. Every invitation that ever ought

ne was

ink they are a little out of Gwendolen's line, you know. And I want to please

lly happy, Ronnie

are spending too much. It seems to take such a frightful lot of money to keep up with other people-and, oh well, we can talk ab

w," Kath said. "I like four people to

g at her. "You must keep

en he

to live, and what a

en away a long time from England, you yearn to be within sight of the dear old Thames, the Hous

rry one of the many men wh

ly. And as that may never happen to me, and the years are passing, I have made up my mind to go into the business. The senior

you like, or for as short. You shall receive the clients, help with the corre

results of my travels. But being what I am, there is no real zest in merely moving about aimlessly like any other globetrotter. No, I want something to do. I envy all women with a profession, Ronnie

y?" he said, turnin

ng herself together. "But t

with white hair leapt into the room. When he saw Katharin

s Signorina once more!" he cried. "Ah,

xclaimed, "how glad I

have not forgot you one leetle minute. See here, my pocket-book, your gift, nearest my faithful heart. And the bow, 'my Queen,' here s

have laughed over it. How often I have thought of you all. And

able finishing-up. And we will play extra beautiful for the Signorina. I

oking German came in carrying his violin ca

d. "Guten Abend. It is sehr k

r Luigi was only just in time to prevent

cried. "I do see my

d impatience, Herr Edelhart, wasn'

or none-generally none-and no charm. But Fr?ulein's wunderbar charm-it could not be described-only felt. Ah, and how himmlisch that you are

on, came into the room looking rather dreamy and preoccupied; but when he saw K

testable of England have become a beautiful, French printemps. The fogs i

back to faithful admirers, K

idst laughing and shaking hands with them repeatedly. "But it is all delightful, and I feel years

nths," said Herr Ed

" said Monsi

his arms about in dismissal of time, and the

he Signorina was cruel enough to leave u

said Ronald, catching hold of the little Italian. "For there i

ey cried, "and o

Ronald, laughing, "it

avissimo!"

hart whispere

, and 'brother' is comi

ine asked. "And how dare he i

f. He was a neighbour of ours in Surrey during the summer. And I met him several times. He lost his

nd Professor Thorn

whispered Luigi, "he doe

belong to the country of fogs. He

ve Clifford Thornton, and wh

rely I k

a moment they stood looking at each other in silence, surrounded by

, turning first to Clifford and th

her, and they still stood motion

abit to go into raptures over their respective instruments; so that sighs of content, and mysterious expres

ine eyeballs-light of mine eyeballs-maccaroni o

Italian, and were just settling down to Beethoven's Rasomo

ssimo. He will come very, very near and mock us. I know him, the rogue! Ah, Signor Professor, many t

id when he had expelled the reluctan

otes of the violoncello. Clifford Thornton and Katharine, sitting in different corners of the room, lost themselves

ander unharmed in all directions-you

conflicting emotions in his heart,

consciously the path of noble disc

rests," tho

o myself or any one--" The sounds died away, and the listeners came back from thei

to be as

we meet,

silent a

ou, but I have k

er end of the room, in an isolation of frigid reserve, staring straight at her as over a vast, with that strange expression of inquiry o

s and thanked them. Then

which he repressed immediately, began to cr

roke

said, and he we

ntil Signor Luigi made an elaborate gesticulation with his right

aid, "just one leetle poc

k after a few m

ith us much, did he? And I am sure

layed grand to-night. I was at my wunderbar best. Lieber Himmel, what a tone I

off admiring himselves!" whi

lieve this is an evening for '4

e foreigners and Ronald toasted Katharine, who responded by drinking to the ent

ded, "and if in a moment of temporary aberration it is shut out, ma

een a pleasure to them both for so many years. And then, in her own frank way, without any preliminaries, she asked him about this stranger, Clifford Thornton, who had made a great im

n, and he bore himself with fine dignity. And he did not leave his home. He staye

was deeply

ow," she said. "He look

future, about Ronald's new life in which she feared that she would have but little part, about her travels of the last thre

her. But how-and