?”
she
asked
,
with
a
start
as
if
of
terror
.
“
Oh
,
what
have
I
been
talking
about
?
Oh
,
I
am
sure
I
have
been
talking
nonsense
!
”
“
Poor
little
woman
!
”
said
Anne
;
“
yes
,
you
have
been
talking
nonsense
;
you
are
afraid
of
having
a
governess
for
Helen
,
lest
—
”
“
Ah
!
”
cried
Madame
Elaguine
,
with
a
sigh
of
relief
.
“
Oh
,
you
don’t
know
what
it
is
to
have
such
a
fit
.
One
feels
one
is
talking
lies
,
and
yet
that
one
must
go
on
.
I
never
had
any
such
things
before
they
began
to
persecute
me
.
It
is
almost
the
worst
part
of
my
misfortune
.
Fancy
seeing
,
feeling
one’s
self
becoming
day
by
day
more
abject
,
and
being
unable
to
stop
it
.
Oh
,
I
still
feel
so
frightened
!
something
dreadful
must
have
happened
while
I
had
that
fit
just
now
.
Do
call
for
some
tea
,
Anne
,
darling
;
I
feel
so
shaken
,
as
if
something
had
happened
.
”
“
You
will
feel
all
right
when
you
have
had
some
tea
,
”
said
Anne
.
“
Tell
me
,
have
they
,
have
those
people
been
frightening
you
of
late
?
”
Madame
Elaguine
nodded
.
“
Only
last
night
;
you
don’t
know
what
happened
.
I
didn’t
intend
telling
you
—
look
here
—
but
it
is
that
that
has
put
me
into
such
a
state
,
”
and
opening
the
door
of
her
bedroom
,
Sachs
pointed
to
the
wall
opposite
.
Over
Madame
Elaguine’s
bed
hung
a
painted
portrait
of
little
Helen
;
but
where
the
face
should
have
been
was
a
dark
spot
.
“
Good
heavens
!
what
have
they
done
?
”
cried
Anne
.
“
Oh
,
they
have
only
cut
out
Mademoiselle
Hélène’s
face
,
”
said
the
Swiss
maid
,
who
was
sitting
in
the
room
,
with
a
shrug
.
“
For
my
part
,
I
am
accustomed
to
such
tricks
,
and
so
,
I
should
think
,
must
be
Madame
also
.
”
Something
cynical
and
insolent
in
the
woman
struck
Anne
very
much
.
“
How
horrible
!
”
she
said
,
leading
Sacha
back
to
the
drawing‐room
.
“
I
can
quite
understand
your
being
excited
to‐day
,
and
feeling
anxious
about
Helen
.
”
“
It
is
because
of
that
,
”
said
Sacha
,
with
clenched
teeth
,
“
that
I
want
to
send
Helen
to
school
.
She
will
be
safer
there
than
here
.
If
things
go
on
as
now
,
I
shall
have
to
send
Helen
to
a
convent
;
I
am
no
protection
to
her
.
”
“
You
must
marry
,
and
have
a
husband
to
take
care
of
you
,
”
said
Anne
,
quietly
.
Madame
Elaguine
turned
scarlet
.
Was
she
afraid
of
having
let
out
her
secret
?
But
to
Anne’s
surprise
,
instead
of
looking
anxious
,
a
sudden
look
of
triumphant
amusement
passed
over
her
face
,
a
strange
brazen
look
,
and
she
burst
out
laughing
—
“
Ah
yes
,
marry
!
—
that
would
be
a
fine
idea
!
—
and
whom
,
pray
?
Perhaps
Lewis
or
Chough
.
True
—
I
forgot
—
he
has
a
wife
!
Ah
no
,
a
rolling
stone
like
me
must
always
be
solitary
.
”
“
You
need
not
always
be
a
rolling
stone
,
”
said
Anne
,
gently
.
“
But
I
must
go
—
good‐bye
,
dear
Madame
Elaguine
.
”
At
the
door
she
met
Hamlin
.
It
seemed
to
her
that
he
looked
guilty
,
and
coloured
.
“
I
have
been
to
see
your
cousin
;
she
has
had
another
horrid
trick
played
to
her
.
Go
up
to
her
,
it
will
do
her
good
to
see
you
;
she
is
very
lonely
,
poor
little
woman
.
”
Hamlin
was
unnerved
by
the
allusion
to
the
persecution
.
He
stood
silent
for
a
moment
,
with
a
long
lingering
look
on
Anne
,
like
a
man
making
a
mental
comparison
.
“
You
are
very
good
,
Miss
Brown
,
”
he
said
,
slowly
;
“
there
is
no
other
woman
in
the
world
like
you
.
”
“
Sacha
has
been
more
tried
than
I
,
”
answered
Anne
.
And
Hamlin
went
up
and
Miss
Brown
went
out
.
CHAPTER
VI
.
MISS
BROWN
did
not
hand
over
the
anonymous
letter
either
to
Madame
Elaguine
or
to
Hamlin
.
She
felt
that
she
had
now
no
longer
a
right
to
do
so
.
Sacha
had
,
in
the
vague
pouring
out
of
words
of
that
fit
which
Anne
had
witnessed
,
let
out
her
secret
;
but
Anne
had
no
right
to
use
it
or
to
act
upon
it
.
She
could
only
watch
and
wait
.
Wait
!
—
but
in
what
a
different
spirit
!
Wait
,
not
for
the
hour
of
death
,
but
for
the
moment
of
freedom
,
of
complete
freedom
.
“
What
has
happened
to
you
?
”
asked
Mrs
Spencer
,
meeting
her
on
her
way
back
from
Madame
Elaguine’s
.
“
Why
,
you
look
quite
another
being
,
Anne
—
as
if
some
one
had
left
you
a
fortune
!
”
“
No
one
has
left
me
anything
,
”
said
Anne
.
“
I
feel
very
happy
,
that’s
all
.
”
“
But
where
in
all
this
wretched
London
have
you
been
that
you
should
feel
happy
?
”
Anne
laughed
.
“
I
have
been
to
see
Madame
Elaguine
.
”
Mrs
Spencer
frowned
.
“
Well
,
that
wouldn’t
be
enough
to
make
me
feel
happy
,
I
confess
.
Was
Walter
Hamlin
there
?
I
believe
it’s
his
safest
address
now
,
isn’t
it
?
”
“
Mr
Hamlin
was
there
,
”
answered
Anne
,
sternly
.
“
Mark
my
words
!
”
said
Mrs
Spencer
that
evening
to
her
father
and
husband
,
and
to
one
or
two
of
those
well‐thinking
æsthetes
de
la
vieille
roche
,
whom
Hamlin
had
basely
deserted
.
“
Mark
my
words
!
Anne
Brown
has
got
impatient
with
all
this
philandering
of
Walter’s
about
that
precious
Russian
of
his
.
There
has
been
a
grand
scene
,
and
Hamlin
has
come
round
to
reason
.
I
met
her
returning
from
that
Elaguine
woman’s
to‐day
,
and
she
never
looked
so
happy
in
her
life
.
She
said
Hamlin
had
been
there
,
and
I
know
that
she
gave
them
both
a
bit
of
her
mind
.
She’s
a
proud
woman
,
Anne
Brown
,
and
could
squash
that
little
Russian
vixen
like
that
!
”
“
But
,
my
dear
Edith
,
”
objected
her
father
,
seated
among
an
admiring
crowd
in
his
dusty
studio
at
Hampstead
,
among
his
ghastly
Saviours
on
gilded
grounds
,
and
Nativities
,
in
despite
of
perspective
—
“
how
de
ye
know
that
there’s
ever
been
any
philandering
between
’em
?
”
“
Oh
papa
,
really
now
you
are
too
provoking
!
”
“
Oh
,
Mr
Saunders
,
how
do
we
know
anything
?
”
chorussed
the
two
or
three
elderly
poetesses
and
untidy
Giottesque
painters
of
the
circle
.
“
P’raps
ye
don’t
know
anything
,
any
of
ye
!
”
Mrs
Spencer
sighed
,
as
much
as
to
say
,
“
See
what
it
is
to
be
the
long‐suffering
daughter
of
the
greatest
genius
in
the
world
,
and
pity
me
!
”
Cosmo
Chough
had
been
reading
some
of
his
‘Triumph
of
Womanhood
,
’
lying
on
the
hearth‐rug
in
the
studio
.
“
Do
you
think
he
has
proposed
?
”
he
asked
,
darting
up
,
with
beaming
eyes
.
“
Proposed
!
I
should
think
so
,
and
been
told
not
to
play
such
tricks
again
.
”
“
Ah
!
”
cried
Chough
,
“
thank
heaven
.
I
—
I
—
”
but
he
stopped
.
“
You
shall
send
Anne
your
Ginevra
in
the
Tomb
,
papa
,
as
a
wedding
present
.
”
“
Don’t
be
in
too
great
a
hurry
,
”
said
old
Saunders
;
whereupon
he
was
jeered
at
with
all
the
respect
due
to
so
great
an
artist
.
For
the
first
time
after
so
long
,
Anne
felt
happy
.
A
load
was
off
her
mind
.
That
Hamlin
should
love
Sacha
,
and
Sacha
Hamlin
,
was
the
miracle
which
alone
could
release
her
,
and
releasing
her
,
put
an
end
at
the
same
time
to
the
horrible
false
position
into
which
Hamlin’s
self‐engagement
to
a
woman
so
different
from
himself
created
for
him
also
in
the
future
.
And
now
only
did
it
strike
Anne
that
perhaps
she
had
no
right
towards
Hamlin
to
pay
off
her
debt
of
gratitude
at
the
expense
of
what
might
be
his
future
misery
as
well
as
hers
.
Had
Hamlin
been
sufficiently
infatuated
to
wish
to
marry
a
woman
whom
he
did
not
really
and
solidly
love
,
would
it
have
been
right
on
her
part
to
let
him
have
his
way
?
All
these
doubts
,
which
she
had
previously
put
behind
her
,
as
mere
selfish
sophistry
to
tempt
her
from
her
duty
,
now
rushed
home
to
her
.
But
they
came
no
longer
to
torment
,
but
to
add
to
the
relief
,
the
cessation
of
bondage
.
Hamlin
would
never
,
she
said
to
herself
,
have
been
really
happy
with
her
as
a
wife
;
and
now
it
happened
that
he
had
met
the
woman
who
,
whatever
her
shortcomings
,
seemed
to
suit
him
.
That
Sacha
Elaguine
was
an
undisciplined
,
thoughtless
,
rather
sensuous
woman
,
loving
excitement
and
art
,
and
indifferent
to
abstract
good
and
evil
,
Anne
fully
admitted
;
but
were
not
these
the
very
qualities
which
would
make
her
appreciate
what
in
Hamlin
was
original
and
charming
,
and
blind
her
,
for
her
happiness
(
and
added
Anne
,
convinced
by
sad
failure
of
the
futility
of
trying
to
change
people’s
nature
)
and
for
his
,
to
his
weak
sides
?
And
Sacha
had
just
that
exuberant
passionateness
,
more
of
the
temperament
and
the
fancy
than
of
the
heart
,
which
Hamlin
required
,
and
which
she
,
Anne
,
so
lamentably
lacked
.
For
Sacha
also
it
would
mean
a
new
life
:
it
would
mean
,
for
the
poor
,
excitable
little
woman
,
always
defrauded
of
affection
and
of
an
object
of
adoration
,
a
reality
in
her
life
,
something
to
love
,
to
worship
,
to
pet
,
to
flatter
—
something
to
make
her
forget
her
miserable
bedraggled
childhood
,
her
wretched
married
life
,
her
persecution
and
her
maladies
.
This
it
would
mean
to
them
;
and
to
Anne
it
would
mean
.
.
.
Ah
!
Anne
did
not
dare
to
think
what
it
would
mean
for
her
;
she
was
not
yet
sure
.
She
might
be
mistaken
,
she
was
still
bound
to
doubt
.
And
still
,
that
great
bliss
,
at
which
Anne
was
afraid
to
look
,
meant
only
what
to
other
women
would
have
been
a
poor
gift
:
liberty
to
gain
her
bread
,
to
feel
and
think
for
herself
—
a
life’s
solitude
.
Days
passed
on
;
and
Anne
,
instead
of
being
,
as
she
expected
,
disappointed
,
was
confirmed
by
every
little
thing
in
her
belief
.
On
one
pretext
or
other
,
Hamlin
was
perpetually
at
Madame
Elaguine’s
.
The
latest
excuse
for
seeing
her
was
to
paint
her
portrait
;
so
,
for
a
number
of
days
,
Sacha
came
every
morning
to
the
house
at
Hammersmith
,
and
spent
a
couple
of
hours
at
least
closeted
with
Hamlin
in
the
studio
.
Anne
usually
received
her
,
and
she
frequently
stayed
to
lunch
;
and
Miss
Brown
could
not
help
feeling
indignant
at
the
coolness
with
which
Hamlin
amused
himself
playing
with
two
women
:
he
was
perpetually
trailing
after
Sacha
,
he
was
perpetually
,
she
felt
persuaded
,
talking
about
life
and
love
and
himself
in
a
way
which
was
equivalent
to
making
love
to
the
little
woman
;
and
yet
,
he
would
still
come
and
sit
at
Anne’s
feet
,
and
represent
himself
as
the
dejected
and
heartbroken
creature
whom
only
a
strong
and
pure
woman
could
help
.
Once
,
Miss
Brown
had
considerable
difficulty
in
restraining
herself
when
,
after
a
day
spent
with
his
cousin
,
he
came
in
the
evening
to
her
,
and
began
the
usual
talk
about
his
soul
being
shrivelled
up
.
“
I
feel
I
am
not
worthy
to
live
!
”
he
exclaimed
.
“
I
have
become
too
weak
and
selfish
to
enjoy
the
world
;
I
feel
that
I
am
sinking
into
a
bog
of
meanness
and
sensuality
;
and
yet
I
cannot
even
become
the
mere
beast
that
I
ought
—
the
mere
beast
that
would
be
satisfied
with
the
mud
.
I
keep
looking
up
,
and
longing
for
higher
things
which
I
cannot
attain
.
”
“
How
very
sad
!
”
said
Anne
,
icily
;
“
what
a
pity
you
can’t
make
up
your
mind
!
it
would
save
you
much
valuable
time
.
But
then
,
I
suppose
,
it
always
comes
in
usefully
for
sonnets
.
That
is
the
great
advantage
of
being
a
poet
.
”
Hamlin
was
silent
.
He
had
—
she
felt
sure
,
and
she
was
indignant
as
if
at
an
affront
—
imagined
that
he
might
tempt
her
into
saying
—
“
I
will
raise
you
,
”
while
his
poor
,
giddy
,
irresponsible
cousin
was
being
dragged
further
and
further
into
a
passion
which
she
would
never
recover
from
—
for
she
,
at
least
,
had
a
heart
and
he
had
none
.
“
You
despise
me
!
”
cried
Hamlin
,
after
a
minute
.
“
I
thought
your
indecision
between
the
bog
and
the
stars
rather
contemptible
,
certainly
,
just
now
.
But
I
now
see
that
such
conditions
are
as
necessary
to
you
as
a
poet
as
are
your
lay
figures
and
studio
properties
to
you
as
a
painter
.
It
was
my
ignorance
.
”
Hamlin
fixed
his
eyes
on
the
ground
.
He
looked
very
weak
and
miserable
,
and
like
a
man
who
feels
that
he
has
dishonoured
himself
in
some
way
.
But
to
Anne
it
was
all
merely
a
piece
of
acting
—
the
climax
of
that
long
and
nauseous
comedy
of
self‐reproach
and
self‐sympathising
,
of
pretending
to
hanker
after
evil
and
good
,
that
was
equally
indifferent
to
him
,
—
that
comedy
which
had
begun
long
ago
in
his
letters
to
her
at
Coblenz
,
which
she
had
watched
with
admiration
,
and
love
,
and
agony
at
first
,
and
with
contempt
and
disgust
at
last
.
And
she
was
hardened
towards
him
.
She
could
have
said
to
him
—
“
Go
and
marry
Sacha
!
”
only
that
at
this
moment
such
a
notion
seemed
an
insult
to
his
cousin
,
and
that
a
horrible
fear
possessed
her
that
he
would
seize
upon
that
,
and
try
and
work
her
and
her
anger
into
this
very
patchwork
of
artificial
and
morbid
sentiment
over
which
he
was
for
ever
gloating
.
Once
or
twice
,
indeed
,
it
did
occur
to
Anne
that
perhaps
this
whole
flirtation
with
Madame
Elaguine
had
been
got
up
by
Hamlin
for
her
,
benefit
;
that
he
was
playing
with
the
heart
of
the
foolish
little
woman
(
who
did
not
realise
that
he
was
making
her
love
him
)
merely
to
provoke
Anne’s
jealousy
—
to
move
her
by
this
means
,
since
he
had
failed
by
every
other
.
But
even
if
it
had
been
thus
begun
,
and
Miss
Brown
shrank
from
believing
that
Hamlin
would
have
been
so
deliberately
base
,
it
was
clear
that
the
comedy
had
become
reality
—
that
he
cared
for
his
cousin
and
she
for
him
.
Perhaps
—
perhaps
—
all
this
remorse
was
real
after
all
.
But
Anne’s
heart
had
got
hardened
against
him
:
she
could
no
longer
,
do
what
he
liked
,
believe
that
there
was
anything
genuine
in
him
.
Meanwhile
Hamlin’s
perpetual
attendance
on
Madame
Elaguine
had
become
apparent
to
every
one
;
and
even
Mrs
Spencer
admitted
to
her
father
that
Hamlin
could
not
have
proposed
that
day
she
had
met
Anne
.
“
That
is
to
say
—
mind
you
,
I
daresay
he
actually
did
propose
;
but
that
wretched
woman
somehow
contrived
to
talk
him
over
again
.
I
believe
she’s
capable
of
everything
!
”
“
Well
,
my
dear
,
”
said
her
father
,
“
it
goes
a
little
against
your
theory
that
Miss
Brown
looks
just
as
happy
as
possible
.
”
“
Because
she’s
too
honourable
to
believe
!
”
exclaimed
Mrs
Spencer
;
and
forgetting
the
many
acrimonious
remarks
in
which
she
had
indulged
against
Miss
Brown
,
and
the
many
times
she
had
sighed
at
Walter
Hamlin
taking
up
with
a
“
mere
soulless
Italian
”
instead
of
with
this
or
the
other
Sappho
or
Properzia
dei
Rossi
of
her
circle
,
she
added
—
“
I
always
knew
that
Anne
was
one
of
the
noblest
women
in
the
world
;
and
the
nobler
women
are
,
the
less
will
they
believe
in
the
baseness
of
men
.
For
my
part
,
I
think
love
and
marriage
are
the
greatest
curses
of
a
woman’s
life
.
”
In
which
sentiment
poor
Mr
Spencer
modestly
acquiesced
.
“
I
shall
have
to
warn
her
some
day
,
if
no
one
else
has
the
courage
to
do
so
,
”
she
said
.
Of
course
no
one
else
did
have
the
courage
.
Edmund
Lewis
became
every
day
more
and
more
offensive
in
manner
to
Miss
Brown
;
he
hated
her
,
and
he
enjoyed
seeing
her
what
he
considered
ousted
.
Mrs
Macgregor
,
although
she
went
on
abusing
Madame
Elaguine
for
being
the
Sacha
of
other
days
,
lived
too
much
in
her
bedroom
,
saw
too
little
of
what
was
going
on
even
in
the
house
,
to
guess
at
anything
.
Mary
and
Marjory
Leigh
looked
on
in
wonder
and
indignation
;
but
Anne’s
calm
and
cheerful
manner
forbade
their
saying
anything
.
Did
not
Anne
know
better
than
any
one
how
Hamlin
felt
towards
her
?
and
if
Anne
was
satisfied
,
must
it
not
all
be
a
delusion
?
“
Besides
,
Hamlin
is
too
honourable
,
”
said
Mary
,
forgetting
about
the
letter
to
Harry
Collett
;
“
and
how
could
a
poet
,
an
artist
,
prefer
an
odious
,
rowdy
,
hysterical
creature
like
Madame
Elaguine
to
such
a
being
as
Anne
Brown
?
”
The
mere
thought
seemed
a
profanation
.
“
I
don’t
think
Hamlin
is
a
bit
noble
,
”
said
Marjory
,
sternly
;
“
and
such
a
little
wretch
is
just
likely
to
pamper
his
vanity
—
and
Anne
is
too
honest
to
do
that
.
”
“
Every
man
has
a
nobler
and
a
baser
side
,
”
said
Harry
Collett
,
mercifully
.
“
Madame
Elaguine
(
though
I
think
it
very
uncharitable
to
hate
her
because
she
is
a
little
rowdy
,
and
I’m
sure
she’s
quite
innocent
)
may
flatter
Hamlin’s
worse
part
.
But
the
nobler
will
always
have
its
way
,
and
with
it
Miss
Brown
.
Walter
is
weak
,
but
he
can
see
the
difference
between
an
inferior
woman
and
a
superior
one
.
Besides
,
after
all
,
she
is
his
cousin
,
and
I
see
no
reason
to
go
tittle‐tattling
because
two
cousins
are
friends
.
”
“
That’s
the
way
Harry
pays
off
Hamlin
for
writing
that
beastly
letter
about
me
!
”
said
Marjory
to
her
sister
,
when
Mr
Collett
was
gone
.
“
How
I
do
hate
evangelical
charity
!
how
I
do
wish
Harry
had
just
a
little
of
the
bad
in
him
!
”
Mary
laughed
,
and
catching
hold
of
Marjory
,
kissed
her
.
“
What
do
you
mean
?
”
cried
Marjory
,
indignantly
breaking
loose
.
“
I
mean
,
Marjory
dear
,
that
though
you
imagine
the
contrary
,
you
are
very
,
very
glad
that
Harry
is
just
what
he
is
.
”
“
Well
,
perhaps
I
am
.
But
still
,
oh
,
I
do
hate
.
.
.
”
And
thus
the
Leighs
,
being
very
happy
themselves
,
forgot
Anne
Brown’s
supposed
grievances
,
even
as
the
best
of
us
,
being
happy
,
will
forget
the
wrongs
of
others
.
But
there
was
one
person
who
could
not
forget
what
seemed
to
him
the
most
frightful
sacrilege
in
the
world
;
and
that
person
was
Mr
Cosmo
Chough
.
He
considered
himself
as
the
assistant
high
priest
of
the
divinity
called
Anne
Brown
,
and
he
believed
that
it
was
his
duty
to
bring
back
the
high
priest
in
person
,
namely
Hamlin
,
to
the
worship
from
which
the
powers
of
evil
had
momentarily
seduced
him
.
But
he
thought
it
more
simple
to
apply
to
the
offended
goddess
than
to
her
recalcitrant
priest
,
who
,
to
tell
the
truth
,
had
treated
his
vague
remarks
with
considerable
scorn
.
Accordingly
,
one
day
(
June
had
come
round
now
)
Miss
Brown
was
informed
that
Mr
Cosmo
Chough
desired
to
see
her
.
“
How
ao
you
do
,
Mr
Chough
?
”
said
Anne
,
stretching
out
her
hand
to
the
little
man
,
who
came
in
with
even
more
than
usually
brushed
coat
and
hat
,
and
more
than
usually
blacked
boots
,
his
lips
squeezed
into
a
long
,
cat‐like
grimace
of
solemnity
,
his
brows
knit
gloomily
,
and
walking
on
the
tips
of
his
toes
like
an
operatic
conspirator
.
Mr
Chough
sat
down
and
sighed
.
“
Will
you
have
some
tea
?
”
asked
Miss
Brown
,
with
her
hand
on
the
bell
.
The
poet
of
womanhood
darted
up
,
laid
one
hand
lightly
on
Anne’s
arm
,
and
opening
and
straightening
out
the
other
with
an
eloquent
gesture
,
said
—
“
Excuse
me
.
I
would
rather
have
no
tea
.
I
want
your
attention
—
your
best
attention
—
seriously
and
at
once
.
”
Anne
could
not
help
smiling
.
“
You
can
have
both
some
tea
and
my
best
,
my
very
best
attention
,
”
she
said
.
Mr
Chough
sighed
,
and
waited
gloomily
until
tea
had
been
brought
,
absolutely
refusing
to
open
his
lips
.
“
Have
you
brought
something
to
read
to
me
?
”
asked
Anne
,
thinking
it
might
be
some
new
bit
of
the
‘Triumph
of
Womanhood
,
’
which
Cosmo
Chough
most
innocently
read
to
all
the
ladies
of
his
acquaintance
,
only
Anne
having
the
courage
to
say
every
now
and
then
,
“
I
think
that
had
better
be
omitted
,
Mr
Chough
.
I
think
people
will
give
it
a
bad
meaning
which
perhaps
you
don’t
intend
.
”
“
I
have
nothing
to
read
,
”
answered
Chough
,
solemnly
.
“
I
have
come
to
ask
your
advice
about
a
matter
more
important
than
any
literary
one
.
”
“
You
shall
have
it
if
I
can
give
any
.
Go
on
,
Mr
Chough
.
”
“
Well
,
then
,
”
began
Cosmo
,
stooping
forward
on
his
chair
and
frowning
,
“
let
me
premise
that
I
have
two
friends
whom
I
greatly
value
.
I
am
not
at
liberty
to
mention
their
names
;
but
I
will
call
one
the
Duke
,
and
the
other
la
Marquise
.
”
“
Oh
!
”
cried
Anne
,
laughing
,
“
I
fear
I
can’t
give
you
any
advice
about
such
exalted
people
as
that
.
I
am
a
woman
of
the
people
,
and
have
never
known
a
duke
in
my
life
.
”
“
One
moment’s
patience
,
dear
Miss
Brown
.
This
Duke
—
who
lives
—
well
,
let
us
say
he
has
a
magnificent
hôtel
entre
cour
et
jardin
in
Paris
,
has
been
affianced
ever
since
his
childhood
to
the
Marquise
,
who
is
the
most
beautiful
and
divine
woman
in
the
world
,
as
he
,
indeed
,
is
the
most
accomplished
gentleman
,
besides
being
my
dearest
friend
;
and
they
have
been
looking
forward
to
a
union
which
will
make
their
happiness
,
and
that
of
their
friends
,
perfect
.
Do
you
follow
that
?
But
now
—
”
and
Cosmo
Chough
,
stretching
out
one
long
thin
leg
,
so
as
to
display
his
small
foot
and
the
martial
wrinkles
of
his
boot
,
and
propping
his
elbow
on
his
other
knee
—
“
now
,
mark
.
There
comes
into
our
perfect
duet
a
discordant
voice
.
A
certain
lady
,
whom
I
will
designate
as
the
Queen
of
Night
”
—
and
he
made
his
cat’s
grimace
,
and
pausing
,
looked
mournfully
at
Miss
Brown
,
who
sat
quietly
by
,
bending
over
a
piece
of
embroidery
which
she
was
doing
from
a
design
by
Hamlin
.
“
Well
!
”
“
Well
,
this
lady
,
by
some
occult
power
of
which
I
cannot
judge
,
gains
possession
of
the
fancy
of
the
Duke
—
not
of
his
heart
,
—
he
still
continuing
to
love
the
Marquise
coralment
,
as
the
trouvères
say
,
—
and
in
short
leads
him
,
without
however
,
as
I
said
,
in
the
least
diminishing
his
passionate
love
for
the
Marquise
,
into
acts
,
or
at
least
appearances
,
which
,
to
the
mind
of
the
vulgar
are
incompatible
with
such
love
.
What
do
you
say
to
that
?
”
Little
by
little
Miss
Brown
had
guessed
what
Chough
was
hiding
beneath
this
grotesque
piece
of
romancing
.
“
I
say
that
the
vulgar
are
probably
right
;
and
that
the
Marquise
,
for
all
the
coral
love
of
the
Duke
,
had
better
throw
him
over
,
if
she
has
a
grain
of
self‐respect
.
Will
you
have
another
cup
,
Mr
Chough
?
”
Anne
spoke
coldly
and
indifferently
;
and
Chough
,
who
,
despite
his
vaunted
knowledge
of
the
human
heart
,
was
the
most
obtuse
of
good‐hearted
little
people
,
actually
prided
himself
upon
having
put
his
case
so
delicately
,
that
Miss
Brown
could
not
even
guess
as
yet
that
she
was
alluded
to
.
“
But
the
Duke
would
die
were
he
to
lose
her
!
The
Queen
of
Night
,
who
is
a
wicked
fairy
—
une
méchante
fée
—
une
fernme
serpent
—
une
mélusine
,
enfin
tout
ce
qu’il
vous
plaira
”
(
Chough
always
liked
to
show
off
his
French
)
—
“
has
fascinated
only
his
fancy
,
not
his
heart
.
It
would
be
most
unfair
if
he
were
to
lose
the
Marquise
.
Well
,
to
proceed
;
the
remedy
would
easily
be
found
.
La
Marquise
,
like
all
passionately
loving
women
,
is
a
little
cold
and
proud
—
tant
soit
peu
hautaine
et
glaciale
—
need
only
thaw
towards
the
Duke
.
She
need
only
say
or
make
a
friend
tell
him
,
that
she
adores
him
and
that
he
is
her
sole
happiness
—
and
see
!
the
Queen
of
Night’s
spells
are
forthwith
broken
by
the
power
of
true
love
—
the
Eternal
Womanhood
reasserts
its
right
,
and
all
is
happy
again
.
But
the
mischief
is
,
that
there
is
no
means
of
bringing
this
home
to
the
lady
.
Lately
,
indeed
,
a
trusty
and
respectful
friend
,
an
Italian
—
a
poet
of
some
small
distinction
,
I
may
add
—
ventured
so
far
as
to
acquaint
her
of
the
public
rumour
concerning
—
I
mean
concerning
the
Duke
and
the
Queen
of
Night
—
in
an
anonymous
letter
.
.
.
”
Miss
Brown
suddenly
sat
bolt‐upright
,
and
fixing
her
eyes
on
Chough
,
said
—
“
You
don’t
mean
to
say
that
you
—
you
actually
concocted
that
ridiculous
missive
?
”
“
Ridiculous
missive
!
What
ridiculous
missive
?
”
asked
Cosmo
Chough
,
striking
an
attitude
.
“
Well
,
I
ought
rather
to
say
that
most
ungentlemanly
anonymous
letter
,
written
in
Italian
which
would
make
a
cat
laugh
.
”
“
Ungentlemanly
!
ungentlemanly
!
”
howled
Chough
;
but
in
reality
what
he
was
thinking
of
was
Miss
Brown’s
stricture
upon
the
Italian
.
“
Oh
,
Miss
Brown
!
”
he
cried
,
after
a
minute
,
“
and
it
is
possible
that
you
should
so
far
have
misunderstood
the
friend
who
respects
you
most
in
the
whole
world
,
as
to
have
supposed
that
that
letter
had
any
evil
intention
?
Is
it
possible
that
you
,
who
have
of
all
people
in
the
world
been
kindest
to
me
,
who
have
been
as
a
mother
to
my
children
—
that
you
should
have
such
an
opinion
of
me
?
”
Poor
Cosmo
had
let
go
all
his
affectation
;
he
wrung
his
hands
in
real
distress
,
and
he
actually
seemed
to
be
crying
.
“
Oh
fool
,
fool
that
I
was
,
trying
to
do
good
,
and
merely
making
myself
seem
an
odious
ungrateful
wretch
!
”
His
sorrow
was
so
genuine
that
Miss
Brown
felt
quite
sorry
for
him
.
“
Come
,
come
,
dear
Mr
Chough
,
”
she
said
,
“
don’t
distress
yourself
.
I
think
you
did
a
rather
improper
thing
,
but
I
am
quite
persuaded
that
you
merely
wished
to
do
good
.
”
And
she
stretched
out
her
hand
.
Chough
struck
his
head
with
his
fist
.
“
Ah
,
you
are
good
—
you
are
too
good
—
dear
,
dear
Miss
Brown
!
but
I
shall
never
recover
from
it
—
never
.
To
think
I
only
wished
to
do
good
—
and
you
think
me
a
slanderer
!
”
“
Oh
no
,
”
said
Anne
,
quietly
,
“
I
don’t
think
it
for
a
moment
.
I
know
that
all
that
letter
contained
was
true
,
except
that
you
were
unjust
to
one
of
the
parties
;
for
I
am
sure
Madame
Elaguine
is
not
at
all
base
,
and
has
no
conception
of
what
she
is
drifting
into
.
”
Chough
gaped
in
astonishment
.
“
You
believe
it
to
be
true
,
and
yet
.
.
.
”
“
How
can
I
help
believing
by
this
time
what
every
creature
can
see
,
and
what
every
creature
,
except
themselves
perhaps
,
must
and
does
see
as
clear
as
the
sun
at
noon
?
”
Anne
spoke
very
composedly
.
“
But
if
that
is
the
case
—
if
you
know
—
why
then
,
how
is
it
that
you
don’t
—
well
,
that
you
don’t
put
a
stop
to
it
?
”
“
One
can’t
put
a
stop
to
what
has
already
taken
place
.
”
“
Oh
,
but
you
can
—
you
can
—
and
it
was
in
hopes
of
your
doing
it
that
I
wrote
that
letter
.
It
is
to
entreat
you
to
do
it
that
I
have
come
now
,
dear
,
dear
Miss
Brown
,
to
supplicate
,
to
implore
you
.
.
.
”
“
To
do
what
?
”
There
was
a
freezing
indifference
in
her
voice
.
“
To
do
what
?
Why
,
to
do
everything
and
anything
!
Dearest
Miss
Brown
,
I
know
,
I
understand
fully
,
that
Hamlin
has
acted
unworthily
towards
you
.
I
know
,
I
admit
,
that
to
a
woman
like
you
—
all
passion
,
all
nobility
—
Hamlin’s
behaviour
must
be
odious
.
But
would
it
not
be
worthy
of
you
to
reflect
that
Hamlin
is
a
poet
,
and
acting
merely
as
a
poet
must
act
?
A
poet
is
a
double‐natured
creature
,
a
baser
and
a
nobler
nature
,
and
his
whole
life
consists
merely
in
receiving
as
many
and
various
impressions
as
both
his
natures
can
receive
.
A
poet
must
know
the
stars
,
and
know
the
mud
beneath
his
feet
;
he
must
drink
the
milk
and
the
absinthe
of
life
,
—
he
must
love
purely
and
impurely
,
with
his
heart
,
with
his
fancy
,
and
with
his
senses
—
ah
,
you
frown
!
—
well
,
but
such
the
poet
is
,
such
is
Hamlin
.
His
soul
loves
and
adores
you
;
what
if
,
at
the
same
time
,
his
baser
nature
,
the
satyr
in
the
god
,
be
caught
elsewhere
?
He
loves
you
none
the
less
;
yes
,
he
loves
you
even
at
the
moment
.
.
.
”
“
I
think
this
all
rather
disgusting
,
don’t
you
,
Mr
Chough
?
”
said
Anne
,
sternly
.
“
Nay
,
have
patience
—
for
the
sake
of
Hamlin
,
for
the
sake
of
your
own
noble
goodness
!
He
loves
you
:
and
it
requires
but
a
look
,
a
word
,
a
message
,
to
make
him
forget
that
other
love
,
to
make
it
evaporate
like
opium‐fumes
.
Oh
say
this
word
—
say
it
—
and
blow
that
ugly
cloud
of
impure
love
from
off
the
fair
resplendent
face
of
his
devotion
to
you
!
Write
to
him
—
speak
to
him
.
Empower
me
,
oh
dearest
lady
,
to
tell
him
that
you
love
him
,
and
that
this
wretched
fancy
of
his
is
making
you
miserable
!
”
“
It
is
not
,
”
answered
Anne
,
harshly
;
“
it
is
not
doing
anything
of
the
sort
,
and
it
is
no
more
a
fancy
than
his
love
for
me
.
As
to
Madame
Elaguine
,
she
is
in
every
way
fit
to
be
his
wife
.
”
“
His
wife
!
”
screamed
Chough
,
and
looked
as
if
he
would
faint
;
“
and
you
would
let
your
resentment
go
thus
far
—
you
would
let
the
nettles
choke
the
roses
,
the
impure
passion
choke
the
pure
one
,
you
would
sacrifice
him
and
yourself
—
you
would
let
him
.
.
.
”
“
I
would
let
him
marry
his
cousin
.
There
is
no
impurity
about
it
,
so
please
don’t
revert
to
that
,
Mr
Chough
.
She
is
just
the
woman
who
might
make
him
happy
;
the
inclination
is
perfectly
natural
and
proper
.
”
Chough
started
up
.
“
Oh
,
you
saint
!
you
noble
heroic
woman
!
”
he
cried
,
kissing
Anne’s
dress
enthusiastically
.
“
What
are
you
doing
,
Mr
Chough
?
”
she
asked
angrily
.
“
I
am
kissing
the
holiest
thing
I
shall
ever
touch
,
”
answered
the
little
man
solemnly
.
“
Yes
!
you
are
a
saint
,
an
Alkertis
,
an
Iphigenia
!
But
we
will
not
let
the
monstrous
self‐sacrifice
take
place
!
No
,
by
heaven
!
never
,
never
!
You
shall
not
give
up
your
happiness
;
I
will
speak
to
Hamlin
.
I
will
tell
him
all
,
all
—
that
you
love
him
.
.
.
”
“
I
do
not
love
Hamlin
,
”
said
Anne
sternly
,
pronouncing
every
word
clearly
and
slowly
.
“
You
do
not
love
Hamlin
!
—
you
do
not
want
—
”
Poor
little
Chough
was
so
utterly
dumfounded
that
he
had
not
the
breath
to
finish
his
sentence
.
“
You
have
obliged
me
to
say
what
I
never
intended
to
say
to
any
one
,
”
said
Anne
.
“
No
;
I
do
not
love
Hamlin
;
and
if
he
marry
his
cousin
,
I
shall
be
happier
than
I
thought
I
ever
could
be
.
”
“
You
love
another
!
”
whispered
Chough
,
his
eyebrows
and
whiskers
standing
on
end
.
“
Neither
him
nor
any
one
else
.
”
“
Then
why
—
why
have
you
not
told
him
so
?
Why
make
the
sacrifice
of
your
inclinations
—
because
,
marrying
him
,
you
would
be
—
why
?
”
“
Mr
Hamlin
has
done
everything
for
me
.
I
was
a
penniless
,
ignorant
servant
.
He
had
me
taught
,
he
gave
me
his
money
,
he
gave
me
more
kindness
and
trustfulness
and
generosity
than
any
man
ever
gave
any
woman
I
think
,
and
I
must
pay
my
debt
.
If
he
wants
me
,
he
shall
have
me
.
If
not
,
so
much
the
better
for
me
.
”
There
was
a
silence
.
Anne
took
up
her
piece
of
work
;
Chough
sat
rapping
gently
on
the
table
with
his
finger‐tips
,
looking
wonderingly
at
her
.
At
last
Miss
Brown
spoke
.
“
You
have
got
my
secret
out
of
me
,
Mr
Chough
.
I
don’t
believe
much
in
you
poets
;
and
I
think
you
are
a
giddy
,
often
a
foolish
man
.
But
I
think
you
are
a
gentleman
at
heart
,
and
a
good
man
;
and
as
such
,
I
trust
you
never
to
let
out
,
either
by
speech
or
hint
or
look
,
positively
or
negatively
,
a
word
of
what
I
have
told
you
.
If
Mr
Hamlin
marry
his
cousin
,
so
much
the
better
;
if
he
marry
me
,
so
much
the
worse
.
But
what
must
be
,
must
be
.
And
come
what
may
,
I
depend
upon
you
,
as
the
only
friend
upon
whom
I
can
rely
,
to
forget
all
that
I
have
told
you
to‐day
.
Will
you
promise
?
”
Miss
Brown
looked
very
solemn
;
and
Chough
was
overcome
by
an
almost
religious
awe
.
“
I
promise
never
to
reveal
,
”
he
said
quietly
,
“
but
you
must
not
ask
me
to
forget
;
I
have
neither
the
power
nor
the
right
to
forget
the
best
thing
I
have
known
in
my
life
.
Goodbye
,
Miss
Brown
,
and
God
bless
you
!
”
And
Anne
,
who
believed
only
in
right
and
wrong
,
felt
really
the
better
and
stronger
for
the
blessing
of
the
preposterous
little
poet
of
Messalina
and
Lucrezia
Borgia
,
who
declared
himself
to
be
an
atheist
when
he
did
not
declare
himself
to
be
a
Catholic
mystic
.
CHAPTER
VII
.
SOME
time
after
this
conversation
with
Cosmo
Chough
,
a
circumstance
took
place
which
caused
great
momentary
excitement
,
and
considerably
unsettled
Miss
Brown’s
mind
.
The
summer
had
come
with
a
sudden
rush
;
and
Hamlin
had
had
the
notion
of
taking
his
aunt
and
Miss
Brown
,
and
two
or
three
friends
,
to
spend
a
week
at
Wotton
.
Among
these
friends
was
Madame
Elaguine
.
That
Hamlin
should
care
to
take
his
cousin
to
the
house
where
she
had
played
so
lamentable
a
part
in
her
childhood
;
that
Sacha
should
endure
to
confront
those
invisible
ghosts
of
her
uncle
,
her
cousins
,
her
own
former
self
,
of
all
the
shameful
past
,
which
haunted
that
house
,
was
quite
incomprehensible
to
Anne
.
But
day
by
day
she
was
forced
to
recognise
that
she
was
surrounded
by
incomprehensible
ways
of
feeling
and
thinking
,
that
she
was
,
in
a
way
,
like
a
person
solitary
among
mankind
from
deafness
or
blindness
,
from
incapacity
to
put
herself
in
their
place
;
and
recognising
this
,
she
recognised
also
,
with
her
unflinching
justice
,
that
she
had
no
right
to
hastily
condemn
the
things
which
she
could
not
understand
.
So
when
Madame
Elaguine
,
on
the
evening
of
her
arrival
at
Wotton
,
insisted
on
wandering
all
over
the
once
familiar
house
,
and
openly
said
that
she
felt
a
pleasure
,
the
bitter
pleasure
of
self‐inflicted
penance
,
in
confronting
the
past
,
in
humiliating
her
present
self
by
the
company
of
her
former
self
,
Anne
merely
said
to
herself
that
she
could
not
conceive
a
woman
feeling
like
that
—
but
that
,
nevertheless
,
this
theatrical
and
hysterical
excitement
might
,
after
all
,
lead
to
as
good
a
result
as
her
own
silent
and
painful
solitary
self‐absorption
.
“
She
is
a
brazen
creature
!
”
Aunt
Claudia
had
cried
,
when
she
heard
that
Sacha
was
going
to
Wotton
;
“
corrupt
like
her
father
,
and
fantastic
like
her
mother
.
She
must
get
Mrs
Spencer
or
some
one
else
to
chaperon
her
in
that
house
,
if
indeed
she
wants
any
one
.
I
shall
stay
behind
.
As
to
you
,
Annie
,
you
are
at
liberty
to
go
or
not
go
,
of
course
.
”
“
I
shall
go
,
Aunt
Claudia
,
”
Anne
had
answered
resolutely
,
“
because
I
don’t
see
that
I
have
a
right
to
imply
by
my
absence
that
I
disapprove
of
Madame
Elaguine’s
going
to
Wotton
.
I
neither
approve
nor
disapprove
;
and
I
think
that
,
however
little
we
may
sympathise
with
her
notions
of
self‐humiliation
,
we
must
give
her
the
benefit
of
supposing
that
she
is
honest
in
them
.
”
So
Anne
had
gone
.
The
self‐humiliation
of
Madame
Elaguine
,
and
the
hours
she
had
spent
in
her
room
—
she
had
asked
for
the
room
which
had
been
hers
as
a
child
—
crying
over
the
past
,
did
not
prevent
her
being
in
excessively
high
spirits
the
evening
following
their
arrival
and
the
successive
one
.
It
would
seem
as
if
the
painful
associations
in
which
she
had
steeped
herself
had
produced
a
reaction
in
her
whole
nature
.
She
was
childishly
,
almost
uproariously
gay
,
played
with
little
Helen
the
greater
part
of
the
afternoon
,
and
after
dinner
treated
the
company
—
that
is
to
say
,
Anne
,
Mrs
Spencer
,
Lewis
,
and
Hamlin
—
to
a
perfect
concert
of
all
manner
of
wild
gipsy
songs
,
Spanish
and
Russian
,
sung
with
a
fury
which
amounted
almost
to
genius
;
and
followed
these
up
with
little
French
songs
,
old
and
new
,
picked
up
heaven
knows
where
—
from
operettes
,
from
peasants
,
from
books
—
the
words
of
which
and
the
astonishing
gaminerie
with
which
they
were
delivered
,
amused
Lewis
to
fits
of
laughing
,
threw
Chough
into
enthusiasm
,
annoyed
Hamlin
a
little
,
puzzled
poor
Mrs
Spencer
,
and
made
Anne
reflect
,
as
charitably
as
she
could
,
upon
the
different
standards
of
propriety
which
seemed
to
exist
for
Englishwomen
and
for
Russians
.
Madame
Elaguine’s
songs
made
Anne
feel
quite
uncomfortable
and
angry
;
but
she
said
nothing
,
seeing
Mrs
Spencer
,
who
could
tolerate
any
amount
of
impropriety
as
long
as
it
was
medieval
and
poetic
,
was
evidently
putting
down
this
French
levity
as
a
mark
of
the
Russian
woman’s
depravity
;
and
she
felt
somehow
,
that
though
she
was
annoyed
herself
,
and
annoyed
with
good
cause
,
she
must
not
back
up
Mrs
Spencer’s
prejudiced
indignation
.
Cousin
Sacha
seemed
to
take
a
pleasure
in
vexing
Hamlin
,
in
shocking
Anne
,
in
making
Mrs
Spencer
think
her
a
wicked
creature
;
she
sang
on
,
in
her
devil‐may‐care
,
street‐boy
way
,
with
a
malicious
,
childish
impudence
in
her
face
;
then
suddenly
,
when
she
saw
Hamlin
get
positively
black
at
what
he
considered
her
bad
taste
—
suddenly
dropped
from
her
leste
French
couplets
into
a
strange
,
wild
,
Spanish
gipsy
song
,
sad
and
despairing
beyond
saying
.
She
looked
very
fascinating
,
as
she
sat
near
the
window
,
resting
her
guitar
on
her
knee
,
her
tiny
feet
and
embroidered
stockings
very
visible
beneath
the
lace
flounces
and
frills
of
her
thistle‐down
dress
;
her
deep
,
Russian
blue
eyes
looking
,
as
it
seemed
,
rather
into
the
past
than
the
present
,
her
whole
slight
,
even
emaciated
,
body
and
face
tense
with
a
sort
of
hysterical
emotion
.
Suddenly
she
threw
the
guitar
on
the
sofa
.
“
Bah
!
”
she
cried
,
“
what
is
the
use
of
singing
sad
things
when
one
is
sad
?
and
what
is
the
use
of
pretending
to
be
merry
,
and
shocking
people
with
polissoneries
when
one
feels
as
old
and
dismal
as
at
ninety
?
I
hate
music
.
”
And
she
walked
through
the
French
window
on
to
the
wide
terrace
which
surrounded
one
side
of
the
house
and
overlooked
the
lawn
.
“
The
only
good
thing
,
”
she
said
,
“
in
this
world
is
tobacco‐smoke
.
If
,
”
turning
with
affected
deference
and
timidity
to
Mrs
Spencer
,
who
considered
a
woman
who
smoked
as
little
short
of
an
adventuress
,
“
you
have
no
objection
,
these
gentlemen
and
I
will
have
a
smoke
.
”
“
Oh
,
pray
don’t
mind
me
,
”
snorted
Mrs
Spencer
,
stalking
back
into
the
drawing‐room
,
and
sitting
down
near
the
window
.
The
three
men
immediately
produced
cigars
and
cigarettes
and
matches
.
“
No
,
thank
you
,
Walter
,
”
said
Madame
Elaguine
;
“
your
cigarettes
are
too
weak
for
me
—
too
ladylike
,
like
their
owner
,
for
a
badly
brought
up
woman
.
I
must
make
mine
myself
.
”
And
she
went
into
her
bedroom
,
the
last
room
opening
out
to
the
terrace
,
to
fetch
her
box
of
tobacco
and
her
cigarette‐papers
.
In
a
minute
she
returned
,
whistling
,
in
a
curious
bird‐like
whistle
,
below
her
breath
,
and
rolling
a
cigarette
in
her
fingers
.
Some
of
the
party
were
seated
,
some
standing
.
Madame
Elaguine
came
to
where
Miss
Brown
was
seated
,
looking
into
the
twilight
park
.
“
Dear
Annie
,
”
she
murmured
,
putting
her
arm
round
Miss
Brown’s
neck
,
in
her
childish
way
,
and
which
yet
always
affected
Anne
as
might
the
caress
of
a
lamia’s
clammy
scales
.
“
I
fear
,
”
she
said
,
putting
her
face
close
to
Anne
,
and
lowering
her
voice
to
a
whisper
,
“
that
you
must
have
thought
me
horribly
vulgar
and
undignified
and
indecent
just
now
.
I
don’t
know
why
I
sang
all
those
nasty
songs
;
I
suppose
it
was
to
vex
Walter
.
I
don’t
like
them
myself
.
But
sometimes
a
sort
of
horrible
desire
,
a
kind
of
demon
inside
me
,
makes
me
wish
to
do
something
which
I
know
is
disgusting
;
I
feel
as
if
I
could
be
the
lowest
of
women
,
just
from
perversity
.
Ah
,
it
is
sickening
.
”
Anne
did
not
answer
.
“
Where
did
you
learn
those
wonderful
little
Burgundian
couplets
,
Sacha
?
”
asked
Lewis
,
in
his
sultan‐like
familiar
way
.
He
had
a
trick
of
calling
her
Sacha
every
now
and
then
,
as
he
had
tried
,
but
failed
,
to
call
Miss
Brown
Annie
.
“
I
don’t
know
.
I
ought
not
to
have
learned
them
at
all
;
and
I
ought
not
to
have
sung
them
before
a
man
like
you
,
who
notices
all
the
nastiness
there
is
in
anything
,
and
a
great
deal
more
besides
,
”
answered
Madame
Elaguine
,
coldly
.
“
What
a
Southern
evening
!
”
exclaimed
Cosmo
Chough
,
looking
up
at
the
blue
evening
sky
,
singularly
pure
and
blue
and
high
,
twinkling
with
stars
,
and
against
which
the
distant
trees
stood
out
clear
like
the
sidescenes
of
a
theatre
.
“
It
is
sad
that
our
cigars
should
have
to
do
for
fireflies
,
—
to
be
the
only
thing
imitating
that
,
”
and
he
pointed
at
the
sky
.
“
A
lit
cigar
is
the
only
imitation
of
the
stars
which
people
like
ourselves
can
attempt
,
”
said
the
Russian
.
“
It’s
so
in
everything
—
our
poetry
,
our
passions
—
nothing
but
cigar‐lights
for
stars
;
don’t
you
think
so
,
Annie
?
”
“
What’s
that
?
”
asked
Chough
,
suddenly
.
They
looked
up
at
his
startled
voice
.
“
What’s
what
?
”
asked
Madame
Elaguine
,
quietly
.
“
Have
you
seen
the
ghost
of
Imperia
of
Rome
,
Mr
Chough
?
”
“
What
the
deuce
is
that
?
”
exclaimed
Lewis
.
In
the
midst
of
the
general
blue
dusk
,
one
of
the
cedars
on
the
lawn
,
and
a
screen
of
trees
beyond
,
had
suddenly
burst
into
sight
,
enveloped
in
a
bright
light
,
which
made
the
grass
all
round
burn
out
a
vivid
yellowish‐green
against
the
darkness
.
Anne
turned
round
quickly
and
looked
behind
her
.
“
The
house
is
on
fire
!
”
she
cried
.
“
Madame
Elaguine’s
room
!
”
And
before
the
others
could
understand
,
she
had
rushed
towards
the
other
end
of
the
terrace
.
The
light
,
which
had
suddenly
illumined
the
piece
of
lawn
,
the
trees
opposite
,
did
issue
,
a
brilliant
broad
sheet
like
that
of
large
chandelier
,
from
out
of
the
open
window
of
Sacha’s
room
.
“
Good
heavens
!
”
cried
Hamlin
,
“
you
must
have
set
the
curtains
on
fire
with
the
match
of
your
cigarette
!
”
“
No
,
no
,
”
cried
Madame
Elaguine
,
“
I
lit
my
cigarette
here
outside
;
it
must
be
.
.
.
”
and
she
rushed
wildly
after
Anne
into
her
bedroom
.
An
extraordinary
spectacle
met
Miss
Brown
first
,
and
the
rest
of
the
party
an
instant
or
two
later
.
The
large
old‐fashioned
bed
of
Cousin
Sacha
,
which
stood
in
the
centre
of
the
room
,
was
burning
,
blazing
like
a
Christmas
pudding
,
its
whole
top
,
coverlet
and
pillows
,
turned
into
a
roaring
mass
of
bluish
flame
,
whence
arose
an
acrid
stifling
smell
.
“
They
have
done
it
!
they
have
done
it
!
”
shrieked
Madame
Elaguine
,
throwing
herself
into
Hamlin’s
arms
.
“
They
want
to
kill
me
!
they
have
always
said
so
!
”
But
before
he
had
had
time
to
answer
,
she
had
rushed
off
into
a
neighbouring
room
,
and
,
with
a
presence
of
mind
most
unexpected
in
her
,
returned
with
a
heap
of
woollen
blankets
which
she
had
dragged
off
a
bed
.
“
Pour
the
water
on
this
!
”
she
cried
to
Anne
,
who
,
with
her
strong
arms
,
had
immediately
dashed
the
contents
of
a
bath
on
to
the
flames
.
“
Soak
this
!
it
is
useless
throwing
water
on
the
flames
;
”
and
taking
the
soaking
blankets
,
the
little
woman
threw
them
dexterously
on
to
the
blazing
bed
,
among
the
hissing
of
the
smoke
and
fire
.
In
a
minute
every
one
had
brought
blankets
,
cushions
,
water
;
the
servants
had
run
up
;
and
in
about
five
minutes
the
flames
were
extinguished
.
The
damages
were
very
trifling
compared
with
the
appearance
of
danger
.
The
fire
had
not
spread
beyond
the
surface
of
the
bed
,
and
consumed
only
the
upper
layer
of
bedding
.
But
the
sight
of
that
expanse
of
waving
blue
flame
had
been
frightful
,
and
it
seemed
impossible
to
realise
that
no
harm
had
been
done
.
“
How
has
it
happened
?
”
—
“
How
have
they
done
it
?
”
—
“
Send
to
the
police
station
.
”
—
“
Scour
the
park
!
”
—
every
one
was
talking
at
the
same
time
.
“
I’ll
go
down
into
the
park
and
have
a
good
hunt
,
”
said
Hamlin
,
taking
down
one
of
the
guns
which
hung
in
the
hall
;
“
they
can’t
have
got
far
yet
.
”
“
I
don’t
think
you’ll
catch
them
,
”
answered
Lewis
,
in
his
drawling
ironical
way
.
“
We’re
not
in
Russia
,
Mr
Lewis
,
”
rejoined
Mrs
Spencer
,
bridling
up
;
“
here
any
one
can
be
caught
;
it’s
not
an
incompetent
police
as
abroad
.
”
“
Some
things
can’t
be
caught
,
”
said
Lewis
,
with
an
odd
wise
smile
.
While
they
were
standing
discussing
in
the
hall
,
they
were
startled
by
a
sudden
thump
on
the
floor
.
Madame
Elaguine
,
who
had
hitherto
been
singularly
calm
and
energetic
,
had
fallen
in
a
half‐fainting
condition
,
like
a
column
on
to
the
ground
.
She
was
carried
in
to
a
couch
in
the
drawing‐room
,
and
Anne
called
the
Swiss
maid
,
who
came
,
with
that
sort
of
insolent
indifference
to
the
condition
of
her
mistress
,
which
had
struck
Miss
Brown
on
more
than
one
similar
occasion
.
Madame
Elaguine
was
in
a
state
of
hysterical
panic
—
she
wept
,
and
laughed
,
and
talked
,
and
moaned
;
but
she
absolutely
refused
to
be
put
to
bed
,
and
insisted
with
great
violence
that
some
of
the
company
should
remain
about
her
.
She
kept
Hamlin
seated
by
the
side
of
the
sofa
,
his
hand
in
hers
,
until
the
arrival
of
the
police
,
and
of
neighbours
who
had
heard
of
the
burning
bed
,
obliged
him
and
the
men
to
leave
her
.
As
soon
as
only
Mrs
Spencer
and
Anne
Brown
remained
,
she
became
more
calm
,
and
merely
lamented
over
her
fate
,
and
over
the
probability
that
some
day
her
enemies
would
really
succeed
in
killing
either
her
or
her
child
.
A
curious
coincidence
occurred
,
which
remained
impressed
in
Anne’s
mind
.
While
the
rest
of
the
party
,
including
Mrs
Spencer
,
were
examining
the
house
in
company
with
the
policemen
,
Miss
Brown
,
who
was
seated
near
Madame
Elaguine’s
sofa
—
a
sense
of
unreality
,
as
of
being
at
the
play
,
filling
her
whole
nature
after
that
terrible
sight
of
the
blazing
bed
—
mechanically
opened
a
book
which
was
lying
on
the
table
at
her
elbow
.
It
was
a
child’s
story
which
she
had
bought
on
a
railway
bookstall
and
given
to
little
Helen
Elaguine
to
keep
her
quiet
during
the
journey
to
Wotton
.
Mechanically
her
eye
ran
along
the
page
;
but
suddenly
it
stopped
,
as
she
read
the
following
sentence
,
printed
in
rather
larger
type
than
the
rest
—
“
And
they
never
forgot
,
as
long
as
they
lived
,
that
terrible
burning
bed
.
”
For
a
moment
the
words
echoed
through
Anne’s
mind
as
merely
so
much
sound
;
but
,
as
is
the
case
when
we
hear
a
name
which
awakens
associations
which
we
cannot
at
first
define
to
ourselves
,
she
was
conscious
at
the
same
time
of
an
effort
to
adjust
her
faculties
,
to
seize
a
meaning
which
was
there
,
but
which
she
could
not
at
once
grasp
.
“
And
they
never
forgot
,
as
long
as
they
lived
,
that
terrible
burning
bed
.
”
Anne
kept
on
repeating
those
words
to
herself
.
They
made
her
restless
.
She
went
to
the
window
,
and
looked
out
into
the
night
.
The
vision
of
that
broad
sheet
of
white
light
on
the
terrace
and
bushes
,
of
that
expanse
of
waving
blue
flamelets
,
rose
up
in
her
mind
.
“
That
terrible
burning
bed
.
”
She
saw
the
printed
page
again
.
Then
,
as
to
a
central
bubble
,
other
ideas
which
bubbled
up
slowly
began
to
gravitate
.
Madame
Elaguine’s
perfect
,
and
,
in
a
woman
so
excitable
,
unaccountable
presence
of
mind
until
all
chance
of
further
mischief
had
been
over
;
the
blankets
which
she
had
immediately
dragged
out
of
the
next
room
,
as
a
fireman
might
have
dragged
them
;
the
rapid
instruction
,
as
of
a
person
accustomed
to
such
things
,
to
wet
the
blankets
instead
of
pouring
water
on
the
flames
,
as
all
the
others
had
done
;
the
insolent
,
indifferent
look
of
the
maid
;
the
going
into
her
room
to
fetch
the
cigarette‐papers
only
a
minute
or
two
before
the
conflagration
,
and
when
it
would
seem
that
whoever
had
set
the
bed
aflame
must
have
been
making
the
necessary
preparations
.
Then
also
,
the
fire
had
been
so
carefully
limited
to
the
bed
,
as
if
no
real
damage
had
been
meant
.
No
;
that
was
merely
consistent
with
the
usual
policy
of
Madame
Elaguine’s
mysterious
enemies
,
who
wished
to
frighten
,
but
not
to
kill
her
.
But
another
thought
arose
.
Madame
Elaguine
possessed
a
good
deal
of
valuable
old
lace
,
indeed
more
than
her
fortune
at
all
warranted
.
Old
lace
was
her
hobby
and
her
pride
;
she
had
always
a
lot
on
her
dress
,
on
her
night‐gown
,
on
everything
.
Some
of
the
very
finest
that
she
possessed
existed
in
large
quantity
as
the
trimming
of
a
white
satin
dressing‐gown
,
which
,
towards
the
evening
,
was
always
put
on
her
bed
.
Anne
had
noticed
it
this
very
evening
,
when
Madame
Elaguine
had
called
her
into
her
bedroom
to
ask
her
advice
,
as
,
with
a
spoilt
child’s
coquetry
,
she
often
did
,
about
some
flowers
which
she
was
putting
in
her
hair
for
dinner
.
For
some
reason
the
maid
had
already
arranged
the
room
for
the
night
,
and
,
as
usual
,
the
white
satin
dressing‐gown
trimmed
with
lace
had
been
lying
on
the
bed
.
Anne
had
made
a
note
of
the
fact
,
because
she
had
thought
at
the
moment
how
absurd
it
was
of
the
Russian
to
put
such
valuable
lace
upon
a
garment
which
was
perpetually
knocking
about
,
and
in
which
,
as
it
seemed
to
Miss
Brown
,
she
would
scarcely
be
seen
except
by
her
own
servant
.
Now
,
while
extinguishing
the
flames
,
one
of
Anne’s
first
thoughts
had
somehow
been
the
white
satin
dressing‐gown
.
What
a
pity
that
all
that
lace
should
have
been
consumed
!
What
an
annoyance
to
Cousin
Sacha
!
But
,
to
her
surprise
and
relief
,
she
had
seen
the
dressing‐gown
,
a
mass
of
satin
and
lace
,
hanging
in
perfect
safety
on
a
peg
at
the
furthest
end
of
the
room
—
the
dressing‐gown
which
,
an
hour
before
,
had
already
lain
in
readiness
on
the
bed
.
All
these
ideas
moved
confusedly
through
Miss
Brown’s
brain
.
Was
it
a
mere
ordinary
mental
delusion
,
one
of
those
impressions
which
physiologists
explain
