“Iunderstand，“shesaid，“thatyouhavesomeparticularreasonfornotwishingMr。HameltoleaveSt。David’sHall。“
Hesmiledbenignly。
“Youdomyhospitableimpulsesfulljustice，dearEsther，“hedeclared。“SometimesIthinkthatyouunderstandmealmostaswellasyourdearmother。If，byanychance，Mr。HamelshouldchangehismindastotakinguphisresidenceattheTower，Ithinkyouwouldnotfindmeinanysenseofthewordanobdurateorexactingguardian。Comealong，Mr。Hamel。Thatseatoppositetousisquitecomfortable。Yousee，Iresignmyselftotheinevitable。Ihavecometofetchgolfershometoluncheon，andIcomposemyselftolisten。Whichofyouwillbegintheepicofmissedputtsandbrasseyshotswhichfailedbyafoottocarry？“
Hamelsataloneupontheterrace，hisafternooncoffeeonasmalltableinfrontofhim。HiseyeswerefixeduponablackspeckattheendofthelevelroadwaywhichledtotheTower。Onlyafewminutesbefore，Mr。Fentolin，inhislittlecarriage，badshotoutfromthepassagebeneaththeterrace，onhiswaytotheTower。
BehindhimcameMeekins，bendingoverhisbicycle。Hamelwatchedthembothwiththoughtfuleyes。Therewereseverallittleincidentsinconnectionwiththeirexpeditionwhichhescarcelyunderstood。
Thentherecameatlastthesoundforwhichhehadbeenlistening，therustleofaskirtalongtheterracedway。Hamelturnedquicklyaround，halfrisingtohisfeet，andconcealinghisdisappointmentwithdifficulty。ItwasMrs。SeymourFentolinwhostoodthere，alittledogundereacharm；alargehat，gaywithflowers，uponherhead。Sheworepatentshoeswithhighheels，andwhitesilkstockings。Shehad，indeed，theairofbeingdressedforluncheonatafashionablerestaurant。Asshestoopedtosetthedogsdown，astrongwaftofperfumewasshakenfromherclothes。
“Areyouentirelydeserted，Mr。Hamel？“sheasked。
“Iam，“hereplied。“MissEstherwent，Ithink，tolookforyou。
Myhost，“headded，pointingtotheblackspeckinthedistance，“beggedmetodefermyoccupationoftheTowerforanhourorso，andhasgonedowntheretocollectsomeofhistrifles。“
Hereyesfollowedhisoutstretchedhand。Sheseemedtohimtoshiverforamoment。
“Youreallymean，then，thatyouaregoingtoleaveus？“sheasked，acceptingthechairwhichhehaddrawnupclosetohis。
Hesmiled。
“Well，IscarcelycameonavisittoSt。David’sHall，didI？“heremindedher。“IthasbeendelightfullyhospitableofMr。Fentolintohaveinsisteduponmystayingonhereforthesefewdays，butI
couldnotpossiblyinflictmyselfuponyouallforanunlimitedperiod。“
Mrs。Fentolinsatquitestillforatime。Inabsoluterepose，ifonecouldforgethermassofunnaturallygoldenhair，theforcedandconstantsmile，thetooliberaluseofrougeandpowder，thenervousmotionsofherhead，itwaseasilytoberealisedthattherewerestillneglectedattractionsaboutherfaceandfigure。
Only，inthesemomentsofrepose，anintenseandageingwearinessseemedtohavecreptintohereyesandface。Itwasasthoughshehaddroppedthemaskofincessantgaietyandpermittedaglimpseofherrealselftostealtothesurface。
“Mr。Hamel，“shesaidquietly，“IdaresaythatevenduringthesefewdaysyouhaverealisedthatMr。Fentolinisaverypeculiarman。“
“Ihavecertainlyobserved-eccentricities，“Hamelassented。
“Mylife，andthelivesofmytwochildren，“shewenton，“isdevotedtothetaskofministeringtohishappiness。“
“Isn’tthatratheraheavysacrifice？“heasked。Mrs。SeymourFentolinlookeddownthelong，narrowwayalongwhichMr。Fentolinhadpassed。Hewasoutofsightnow，insidetheTower。Somehoworother，thethoughtseemedtogivehercourageanddignity。Shespokedifferently，withoutnervousnessorhurry。
“Toyou，Mr。Hamel，“shesaid，“itmayseemso。Wewhomakeitknowofitsnecessity。“
Hebowedhishead。Itwasnotasubjectforhimtodiscusswithher。
“Mr。Fentolinhaswhims，“shewenton，“violentwhims。Wealltrytohumourhim。HehashisownideasaboutGerald’sbringingup。
Idonotagreewiththem，butwesubmit。Esther，too，suffers，perhapstoalessextent。Asforme，“-hervoicebrokealittle-“
Mr。Fentolinlikespeoplearoundhimwhoarealwayscheerful。Heprefersevenacertainstyle-ofdress。I，too，havetodomylittleshare。“
Hamel’sfacegrewdarker。
“Hasiteveroccurredtoyou，“hedemanded，“thatMr。Fentolinisatyrant？“
Sheclosedhereyesforamoment。
“Therearereasons，“shedeclared，“whyIcannotdiscussthatwithyou。Hehasthesestrongfancies，anditisourtaskinlifetohumourthem。HehasonenowwithregardtotheTower，withregardtoyou。Youare，ofcourse，yourownmaster。Youcandoasyouchoose，andyouwilldoasyouchoose。NeitherInormychildrenhaveanyclaimuponyourconsideration。But，Mr。Hamel，youhavebeensokindthatIfeelmovedtotellyouthis。Itwouldmakeitverymucheasierforallofusifyouwouldgiveupthisschemeofyours，ifyouwouldstayonhereinsteadofgoingtoresideattheTower。“
Hamelthrewawayhiscigarette。Hewasdeeplyinterested。
“Mrs。Fentolin，“hesaid，“Iamgladtohaveyouspeaksoplainly。
Letmeansweryouinthesamespirit。IamleavingthishousemainlybecauseIhaveconceivedcertainsuspicionswithregardtoMr。Fentolin。Idonotlikehim，Idonottrusthim，Idonotbelieveinhim。Therefore，Imeantoremovemyselffromtheburdenofhishospitality。Therearereasons，“hewenton，“whyIdonotwishtoleavetheneighbourhoodaltogether。TherearecertaininvestigationswhichIwishtomake。ThatiswhyIhavedecidedtogototheTower。“
“Mileswasright，then！“shecriedsuddenly。“Youareheretospyuponhim！“
Heturnedtowardsherswiftly。
“Tospyuponhim，Mrs。Fentolin？Forwhatreason？Why？Isheacriminal，then？“
Sheopenedherlipsandclosedthemagain。Therewasaslightfrownuponherforehead。Itwasobviousthatthewordhadunintentionallyescapedher。
“Ionlyknowwhatitisthathecalledyou，whathesuspectsyouofbeing，“sheexplained。“Mr。Fentolinisveryclever，andheisgenerallyatworkuponsomething。Wedonotenquireintothepurposeofhislabours。TheonlythingIknowisthathesuspectsyouofwantingtostealoneofhissecrets。“
“Secrets？Butwhatsecretshashe？“Hameldemanded。“Isheaninventor？“
“Youaskmeidlequestions，“shesighed。“Wehavegone，perhaps，alittlefurtherthanIintended。Icametopleadwithyouforalloursakes，ifIcould，tomakethingsmorecomfortablebyremaininghereinsteadofinsistinguponyourclaimtotheTower。“
“Mrs。Fentolin，“Hamelsaidfirmly。“IliketodowhatIcantopleaseandbenefitmyfriends，especiallythosewhohavebeenkindtome。Iwillbequitefrankwithyou。ThereisnothingyoucouldaskmewhichIwouldnotdoforyourdaughter’ssake-ifIwereconvincedthatitwasforhergood。“
Mrs。SeymourFentolinseemedtobetremblingalittle。Herhandswerecrosseduponherbosom。
“Youhaveknownherforsoshortatime，“shemurmured。
Hamelsmiledconfidently。
“Iwillnotwearyyou，“hesaid，“withtheusualtriteremarks。I
willsimplytellyouthatthetimehasbeenlongenough。Iloveyourdaughter。“
Mrs。Fentolinsatquitestill。Onlyinhereyes，fixedsteadilyseawards，therewasthelightofsomethingnew，asthoughsomenewthoughtwasstirringinherbrain。Herlipsmoved，althoughthesoundwhichcamewasalmostinaudible。
“Whynot？“shemurmured，asthougharguingwithsomeunseencriticofherthoughts。“Whynot？“
“Iamnotarichman，“Hamelwenton，“butIamfairlywelloff。
Icouldaffordtobemarriedatonce，andIshouldlike-
Sheturnedsuddenlyuponhimandgrippedhiswrist。
“Listen，“sheinterrupted，“youareatraveller，areyounot？Youhavebeentodistantcountries，wherewhitepeoplegoseldom；
