The Tragic Muse

Dallow was not yet on the scene, and they had time for a sociable settlement-time to take their places and unfold their napkins, crunch their rolls, breathe the savoury a

ts would arrive first at the rendezvous and find no proper welcome, he had come off without her, leaving her to follow. He had not brought a friend, as he intended, having divined that Julia would prefer a pure family party if she wanted to talk about her candidate. Now she stood looking down at the

s entitled to the benefit of every doubt and oughtn't to be judged without a complete trial. Nick meanwhile was afraid of the trial-this was partly why he had been of late to see her so little-because he was afraid of the sentence, afraid of anything that might work to lessen the charm it was actually in the power of her beauty to shed. There were people who thought her rude, and he hated rude women. If he should fasten on that view, or rather if that view should fasten on him, what could still please and what he admired in her would lose too much of its sweetness. If it be thought odd that he had not yet been able to read the character of a woman he had known since childhood the answer is tha

erned, had now been tolerably long; had lasted really ever since his failure to regain his seat. An impression had come to him that she judged that failure rather stiffly, had thought, and had somewhat sharply said, that he ought to have done better. This was a part of her imperious way, and a part not all to be overlooked on a mere present basis. If he were to marry h

to keep it in natural relation to the rest of her person. Her eyes were of a grey sometimes pronounced too light, and were not sunken in her face, but placed well on the surface. Her nose was perfect, but her mouth was too small; and Nick Dormer, and doubtless other persons as well, had sometimes wondered how with such a mouth her face could have expressed decision. Her figure helped it, for she appeared tall-being extremely slender-yet was not; and her head took turns and positions which,

ny such wish to Peter, upon which Nick, with broader humour, revealed that Peter had served them so out of stinginess: he had pitchforked them together in the public room because he wouldn't go to the expense of a cabinet. He had brought no guest, no foreigner of distinction nor diplomatic swell, to honour them, and now they would see what a paltry dinner he would give them. Peter stabbed him indignantly with a long roll, and Lady Agnes, who seemed to be waiting for some manifestation on Mrs. Dal

mentally pronounced ungraceful, the perversity of pride or of shyness that always made her disappoint you a little if she saw you expected a thing. She snubbed effusiveness in a way that yet gave no interesting hint of any wish to keep it herself in reserve. Effusiveness, however, certainly, was the last thing of which Lady Agnes would have consented to be

e after I came in,

you to-night. I've been wait

idea when you'd come

to-morrow. I hate calls at

wander through Paris on my arm?" Nick aske

be perfection

ing somewhere-to the Hipp

st you and me!"

bed. I've earned my re

take you home, mamma, if Julia won't receive him,

t had the expectation of assent in it, and Nick observed both the good nature and the pressure. "You're tir

ho have dragged her about. I brought her for a little change

an of wanting; but Nick had already noted, and he noted now afresh and with pleasure, that her lack of unction interfered not a bit with her always acting. It was quite sufficiently manifest to him that for the rest

fer from which an advantage could proceed. "Dear Julia!" she exclaimed responsively; and her tone made this brevity of acknowledg

de vin. It's just the thing for

e's immensely grateful. It

eat honour, Julia,"

me, please," tha

ts," Nick pursued. "At present let's be purely convivial. So

tly the tone of Mr. Gabriel Nash,"

riel Nash?" Mr

ays so," Grace Dormer interposed

e Nick brings to lunch with us-!

ingham explained to his sister that Mr. Nash was Nick's new Mentor or orac

Julia made answer, "any more than I have

, you'd bore me," h

ust show me how," Mrs. Dallow went on to Nick. "What does he mean, Cous

aid Nick. "You're thorou

thing exciting. You'll see a wonderful gir

ful for

act when she can't," s

ou all know! I hate Pet

ing home, Julia?"

to the

arsh-to see abo

t of telegrams.

bt they'll have him," Lad

l have

arty managers. I'm speaking of t

ere are so many people in it, in one way or another-it's dr

was in good humour or was going to be, and not grand nor stiff nor indifferent nor haughty nor any of the things people who disliked her usually found her and sometimes even a little made him believe her. The spirit of mirth in some co

Julia who settled it, even to sending for the newspaper-he was by a rare accident unconscious of the evening's bill-and to reassuring Biddy, who was happy but anxious, on the article of their being too late for good places. Peter could always get good places: a word from him and the best box was at his disposal. She made him write the word on a card and saw a messenger despatched with it to the Rue de Richelieu; and all this without loudness or insistence, parenthetically and authoritatively. The box was bespoken and the carriage, as soon

f which she exclaimed, "Oh I say, well go!" and got up abruptly, asking for her jacket. He said something about the carriage and its order to come back for them, and she replied, "Well, it can go away again. I don't want a carriage," she added: "I want to walk"-and in a moment she was out of the place, with the people at the tables turning round again and the caissière swaying in her high seat. On the pavement of the boulevard she looked up and down; there were people at little tables by the door; there were people all over the broad expanse of the asphalt; there was a profusion of light and a pervasio

drive instead of going indoors. We might

It's mild enough for anything-for sitting out like all these peo

ht, but it isn't particula

r that if it hap

'll walk to the Bas

s amusing enough and we can look at the Madeleine-that's respectable. If we must have something we'll have a madère-is that respectable? Not particularly? So much the better. What a

flowed faster he turned to his friend, who had dropped upon a sofa with her face to the window. She had given her jacket and gloves to her maid, but had kept on her hat; and she leaned forward a little as she sat, clasping her hands together in her lap and keeping her eyes on

then she said: "If you don't want to stand you'v

rong point, don't you know? I've a lot more besides those I've mentioned, done up and ready for deli

just now was a spe

spe

he humbug of

e I'm in for it. And it will be much more graceful to embrace this opportunity, ac

ad to help you anyw

h his hands in his pockets. "You'd do it best in your o

nsidered. "I do

re so po

k I'll work with you; but if you're going into it with your hands in your pockets I'll have nothing to do with you." Nick instantly changed the position of these

I've a great incen

rse you

sound and he went on: "And of course always my father,

and quite right!"

than you can what she thinks, wh

tly. There's one thing I always i

t's a great

desire the good of the coun

n idea of what it is-t

it isn't. It isn't what

they wa

e long to tell you.

t us from doing. On our side we want to prevent them from preventing us. That's about as

Mrs. Dallow replied to thi

ursued: "You're a very accomplished woman and a very zealous one; but you haven't an idea, you know-not to call an ide

but he could see, through the dimne

me, but I won't come

come less t

I mean you've already got i

s good as any of yours, any of those you've treated me to this evening, it seems

e ground. There's one thing one can always do

id of

'll tell you another time. It's very well to talk so glibly of standing," he adde

u do before?

time my f

e other

. Cart

e at all large; on the

ok out sharp for that. I sh

it well." She paused an instant and then

got up as he spoke, and walked to the window again, his companion's eyes resting on

ill be delighte

I hate taking

it's for the country

rs. Dallow made no response to this, and he pursued his quest, successful only when he reached a duskier corner of the room

Mrs. Dallow emphasised this assertion by the way she rose erect. "If you're r

tered a word, impatiently but indistinguishably, and he co

Julia. "But the best fun i

he repeated

r speak to

xpect even when

ow information on which she believed herself entitled to count, information tending to show how hard the Conservatives meant t

id Nick, smoothing his hat. "They'll all come down-all t

dsome as your cou

is, as if the speech had an awkward side; but the reparation perhaps scarcely mended it,

oving to the door with him; but before they reached it she brou

anyth

aspire to ser

ortune, do you mean? Oh bless m

ngs that can co

tance, I'm very

arts?" s

of them? I'm awful

ent the air of being set further forward in her head. "Don't be o

K S