The Adventures of a Widow

tably filled her two smart and brilliant drawing-rooms, but quite failed to

oups were constantly being formed before this canvas or that cabinet, table, and pedestal. She had kept for some time quite close to Mrs. Dares, ha

red complete and no new arrivals had occurred for at least ten minutes. "It was

y dear," answered Mrs. Dares. "It was some

o see your mantle descend, after a manner, upon my younger shoulders

n that point," was

ontinued Pauline, glancing about her with

ne exquisitely designed for the species of entertainme

ested? But if I succeed with my salon-which before long I hope to make as fixed and inevitable a matter as the day of the week on which it is held-the result must surely be a most salutary and even reformatory one. In securin

, but a voice at her side ins

ery few crowns are ever won wi

st speech to Mrs. Dares. Something in his manner lessened the fu

you bore gloomy t

ecisely what I expected you would do," he said, "in undertaking an arbitrary selection o

rs. Dares, with a sli

ious. "Who, pray, are t

ons, of course. He is always having revolutionary opinions. He makes me think of the Frenchman who

up in streets," she said, with a faint, ired ring of

ld like to show him the s

of what his allege

he should be invited. Since you had decided upon weeding

gentlest and sweetest. "He is clad with bristles, if you please, but the longer you know hi

retorted Kindelon. "It makes me wish that I had reported him as grun

h her unchangeable gravity; she had no lightsome moments, and the perpetually serious views which she took of everything made you

t characteristic warmth. "Your own heart is so large and kind that everybody w

proached claimed her attention. And Pauline, now feeling that she a

ble manners. You admitted as much, and so, remembering how clever his writings are, I

rrogant and patronizing of you. He thinks that I am at the bottom of it; he always delights

uline, "why does he not remain away? He has the ri

r being turbulent. I heard him assert, just now, that

dden laugh that had considerable cold bitterness, "this irascible personage needs a piece of my mind. I don't say that I intend giving it to him, for I am at home, and the requirements of

ted most unfairly toward the triad of poets, L

en the Quartier Latin floridity of Mr. Trevor amused me as well: I have always liked fervor of expression in verse, and I am not prepared to say that Mr. Trevor has always written ludicrous exaggeration-especially since he reveres Théophile

candalized at your doing so. As it is, he chooses to championize Mr. Corson and Miss Cragge. He is a natural

Pauline resolutely, "and I

tall frame accomplished a very awkward bow, while his little eyes twinkl

Mrs. Varick," he began, ignoring Kindelo

eturned Pauline coolly. "

beautiful," he said, "and of course you must know that I l

ody," said Pauline,

ve not invited them. I am very sorry that you have not. It is going to cause ill-feeling. Everybody knows that you

ly, with the edges of her lips. "I do not think that it is

ad consulted me-well, handicapped as I am by a hundred other duties, bored to death as I am by people applying for all sorts of favors, I would nevertheless, in so good a cause, have willingly spared you some

s small eyes with the very calm and direct gaze of her own. "But suppose I do the latter?

nk I recognize just who has been advising you, now; you make my suspicion a ce

s manner, as he began to speak, showed no anger, but rather that blending of decis

s. Varick was advised, in the matter of not sending Miss Cragge an invitation, solely by her

the same thing. We need not split hairs. I made no personal r

ack to you with a bunch of

hile his lips grew pale. "If so, you should save it for t

ned Kindelon, with nonchalant mockery. "It leaves

r," muttered Bar

d Kindelon, "though her general deportment h

"I must warn you that your project will prove a dire failure if you attempt to develop it on a system of despotic preferences. We were all glad to come to you, in a liberal, democratic, intellectual sp

nted officiousness into the employment of biting irony, "you ca

," came his speedy encouragement, as they moved onward together. "You showed t

onation that betokened the dawn of repentance. "He was ver

else. We are all apt to assert a proprietary right when a fellow-citizen ventures to relie

and her gaze remained downcast for a little while. But soon

was unjustifiably

t. I don't think yo

hen she said, without taking her eyes

t most women would

augh, "because most women have neithe

ike both i

lowering his handsome head a

would have acted as I h

e; he appeared for a moment

are not the same," he sa

very good reason to know that we are not the same. We are

ogatively, but with a suggesti

, transient as it was, seemed to convey a world of significance. No doubt Kindelon t

e that she is not

u say that

hink

aps you have merely fancied that I hav

er manner became far less absent. "Mrs. Dares told me that Miss Cora had a headache to-night," sh

is an accommodating malady," he said, in ton

nd let it rest on his broad,

have a headac

udden sound of his breath which resembled a s

I don't know!"

d even more consumptive than usual; his slim hand was incessantly touching and retouching his blue spectacl

he began, "but I-I wish

cost her an effort to do so, for certain acute re

Mr. Howe," she answ

" he faltered; and it at once became evident that he was for

fly because she found nothing else, a

momentary decisiveness. "I am grieved, Mrs. Varick. I am grieved because a friend of mine has received a slight from you,

uline amazedly. She turned

s ready answer; "you reme

Bedlowe," said P

he had even pressed both hands together, in a rotatory, nervous way, while he went on speaking. "I hope you did not mean to leave poor Bedlowe out," he proceeded, w

that you have broken your promise,"

ses. He was obliged to raise his head as he d

reproach, "I thought yo

like the pietistic novelist, Bedlowe, who wrote 'The Chri

, Mr. Howe gave it. He again lifted hi

does the best he can-and really, between ourselves, his best is remarkably good. Th

ith the merriest laugh that

etween you and Mr. Bedlowe only a few days ago. You had a great many hard thin

e, quite miserably. "But between Bedlowe as a literary man, an

Mr. Howe's slight shoulder, jovi

elist wants the romantic and pietistic novelist, only for the purpose o

nt that he was extremely agitated. The removal of his spectacles revealed two

ut I-I do not want to attend a-so-called salon at which me

pid coolness, "that you are speakin

et words of Kindelon, "that he sp

d, with a very positive glance at the unspectacled Mr. Howe. "I should prefer to believe that Mr. Ho

man who possesses a reserve of strength which he is unable to readily comman

is the reason why I have asked you here to-night, and I don't say that my dislike of Mr. Bedlowe's novels is the reason why I have not asked Mr. Bedlowe here to-night. Bu

utting them on, he said in a voice that had a

ow called commonplace diction. We get into the habit of striving after novelty of expression-we have to use our 'Thesaurus,' and search for synonyms-we have to smoke excessively (a good many of us) in order to keep our nerves at the proper literary pitch-we have to take stimulants (a good many of us-though I don't

, I shall be excessively sorry. You have written lovely and brilliant things; you know the human soul, and you have shown that you know it. You may not have sold seventy thousand copies, as the commercial phrase goes, but I don't care whether you have sold seventy thousand or only a plain seventy; you are a true artist, all the same.... And now I am going to leave you, for my other guests claim me. But I hope you will not care for anything severe and bitter which that dyspeptic Mr. Barrowe may say; for, depend upon it, he only wins your adherence because he is a clever man on paper,

novels of his. She is his one type of woman. I think that is why Howe will never be great; he will always be exquisite instead. He adores his wife,

rmured. She was silent for a moment, and then added, almost plaintively: "My ente

ndelon, with no sympat

nly that Barrowe has infected everybody; it is that everybody h

re imagination in your v

d, while she thus spoke, under an effulgent chandelier, whose jets, wrought in the

glancing toward a near doorway while he s

aimed. "And Sallie-

my friend, Courtlandt,

she had best not co

ndt?" said Kindelon. "Did

be sorry!" exclaimed Pauline, while she moved towa

elon. He spoke below his br