“Youareafoolishperson，“shesaidcalmly。“Youaresofoolishthatyouarenot，inallprobability，intheslightestdegreedangerous。Believeme，oursisanunequalduel。Thereisabelluponthistablewhichhasapparentlyescapedyournotice。Isitwithmyfingeruponthebutton-so。Ihaveonlytopressit，andtheservantswillbehere。Idonotwishtopressit。Idonotdesirethatyoushouldbe，asyoucertainlywouldbe，banishedfromthishouse。“
Hewasimmenselypuzzled。Shehadnotresentedhisstrangeintrusion。Shehadacceptedit，indeed，withcuriousequanimity。
Herforefingerlingeredstilloverthelittleivoryknobofthebellattachedtoherdesk。Heshruggedhisshoulders。
“Youhavetheadvantageofme，“headmitted，alittlecurtly。“Allthesame，IthinkIcouldpossessmyselfofthosesheetsofpaper，youknow，beforethebellwasanswered。“
“Woulditbewise，Iwonder，then，toensuretheirsafety？“sheaskedcoolly。
Herfingerpressedthebell。Hetookaquickstepforward。Sheheldoutherhand。
“Stop！“sheordered。“Thesesheetswilltellyounothingwhichyoudonotknowalreadyunlessyouareafool。Nevermindthebell。
Thatismyaffair。Iamsendingyouaway。“
Heleanedalittletowardsher。
“Itwouldn’tbepossibletobribeyou，Isuppose？“
Sheshookherhead。
“Iwonderyouhaven’ttriedthatbefore。No，itwouldnot-notwithmoney，thatistosay。“
“You’lltellMr。Fentolin，Ipresume？“heaskedquickly。
“Ihavenothingtotellhim，“shereplied。“Nothinghashappened。
Richards，“shewenton，asaservantenteredtheroom，“Mr。HamelislookingforMissFentolin。Willyouseeifyoucanfindher？“
Theman’sexpressionwasfullofpoliteregret。
“MissFentolinwentovertoLeghWoodsearlythismorning，sir，“
heannounced。“SheisstayingtolunchwithLadySaxthorpe。“
Hamelstoodquitestillforamoment。Thenheturnedtothewindow。
InthefardistancehecouldcatchaglimpseoftheTower。Mr。
Fentolin’schairhaddisappearedfromthewalk。
“Iamsorry，“hesaid。“Imusthavemadeamistake。Iwillhurryback。“
Thereweremorequestionswhichhewaslongingtoask，butthecoldnegativenessofhermannerchilledhim。Shesatwithherfingerspoisedoverthekeys，waitingforhisdeparture。Heturnedandlefttheroom。
Mr。Fentolin，hiscarriagedrawnupclosetothebeach，waspaintingsteadilywhenHamelstoodoncemorebyhisside。Hiseyesmovedonlyfromtheseatothecanvas。Heneverturnedhishead。
“Soyourwooinghasnotprospered，myyoungfriend，“heremarkedgently。“Iamsorry。IsthereanythingIcando？“
“Yourniecehasgoneouttolunch，“Hamelrepliedshortly。
Mr。Fentolinstoppedpainting。HisfacewasfullofconcernashelookedupatHamel。
“Mydearsir，“heexclaimed，“howcanIapologise！Ofcourseshehasgoneouttolunch。ShehasgoneouttoLadySaxthorpe’s。I
rememberthesubjectbeingdiscussed。Imyself，infact，wastheinstigatorofhergoing。Ioweyouathousandapologies，Mr。Hamel。
Letmemakewhatamendsarepossibleforyouruselessjourney。
Dinewithusto-night。“
“Youareverykind。“
“Apooramends，“Mr。Fentolincontinued。“Amorninglikethiswasmadeforlovers。Sunshineandbluesky，asaltbreezeflavouredjustalittlewiththatlavender，andastrollthroughmyspringgardens，wheremyhyacinthsarelikeafieldofpurpleandgold，amantleofjewelsuponthebrownearth。Ah，well！One’sthoughtswillwandertothebeautifulthingsoflife。Therewereoncewomenwholovedme，Mr。Hamel。“
Hamellookeddoubtfullyatthestrangelittlefigureinthechair。
Wasthisgenuine，hewondered，avoluntaryoutburst，orwasitsomesubtleattempttoincitesympathy？Mr。Fentolinseemedalmosttohavereadhisthought。
“ItisnotforthesakeofyourpitythatIsaythis，“hecontinued。
“Mineisonlythepassingacrossthelinewhichageaswellasinfirmitymakesinevitable。Nooneintheworldwholivestogrowold，andwhohaslovedandfeltthefireofitinhisveins，canpassthatlinewithoutsorrow，orlookbackwithoutapang。Iamamongagreatarmy。Well，well，Ishallpaintnomoreto-day，“heconcludedabruptly。
“Whereisyourservant？“Hamelasked。
Mr。Fentolinglancedaroundhimcarelessly。
“Hehaswanderedawayoutofsight。HeknowswellhownecessarysolitudeistomeifonceItakethebrushbetweenmyfingers-solitudenaturalandentire，Imean。IfanyoneiswithinadozenyardsofmeIknowit，eventhoughIcannotseethem。
MeekinsiswanderingsomewheretheothersideoftheTower。“
“ShallIcallhim？“
“Onnoaccount，“Mr。Fentolinbegged。“Presentlyhewillappear，inplentyoftime。Thereisthemorningtobepassed-barelyeleveno’clock，Ithink，now。Ishallsitinmychair，andsinkalittledown，anddreamofthesebeautifullights，theserolling，foam-fleckedwaves，thesepatchesofblueandshiftinggreen。I
canformtheminmybrain。Icanmakeapicturethere，eventhoughmyfingersrefusetomove。Youarenotanaesthete，Ithink，Mr。
Hamel？Thestudyofbeautydoesnotmeantoyouwhatitdidtoyourfather，andmyfather，and，inasmallerwaytome。“
“Perhapsnot，“Hamelconfessed。“IbelieveIfeelthesethingssomewhere，becausetheybringaqueersenseofcontentwiththem。
Iamafraid，though，thatmyartisticperceptionsarenotsokeenassomemen’s。“
Mr。Fentolinlookedathimthoughtfully。
“Itisthephysicallifeinyourveins-toosplendidtopermityouabstractpleasures。Compensationsagain，yousee-compensations。
Iwonderwhatthelawisthatgovernsthesethings。Ihaveforgottensometimes，“hewenton，“forgottenmyowninfirmitiesinthesoftintoxicationofawonderfulseascape。Only，“hewenton，hisfacealittlegrey，“itisthephysicalinlifewhichtriumphs。
Therearethehungryhourswhichnothingwillsatisfy。“
Hisheadsank，hischinresteduponhischest。Hehadalltheappearancenowofamanwhotalksinbitterearnest。YetHamelwondered。HelookedtowardstheTower；therewasnosignofMeekins。
Thesea-gullswentscreamingabovetheirheads。Mr。Fentolinnevermoved。Hiseyesseemedhalfclosed。ItwasonlywhenHamelrosetohisfeetthathelookedswiftlyup。
“Staywithme，Ibegyou，Mr。Hamel，“hesaid。“Iaminoneofthemoodswhensolitude，evenforamoment，isdangerous。DoyouknowwhatIhavesometimesthoughttomyself？“
Hepointedtotheplankedwaywhichleddownthesteep，pebblybeachtothesea。
“Ihavesometimesthought，“hewenton，“thatitwouldbeglorioustofindafriendtostandbymysideatthetopoftheplanks，justthere，whenthetidewashigh，andtobidhimloosemychairandtosteeritmyself，tosteeritdownthenarrowpathintothearmsofthesea。Thefirsttouchofthesaltwaves，thelasttouchoflife。
Whynot？Onesleepswithoutfear。“
Heliftedhisheadsuddenly。Meekinshadampeared，comingroundfromthebackoftheTower。InstantlyMr。Fentolin’swholemannerchanged。Hesatupinhischair。
“Itisarranged，then，“hesaid。“Youdinewithusto-night。Fortheothermattersofwhichyouhavespoken，well，letthemrestinthehandsofthegods。Youarenotverykindtome。IamnotsurewhetheryouwouldmakeEstheragoodhusband。Iamnotsure，even，thatIlikeyou。Youtakenopainstomakeyourselfagreeable。
Consideringthatyourfatherwasanartist，youseemtomeratheradullanduninspiredyoungman。Butwhocantell？Theremaybethingsstirringbeneaththattorpidbrainofyoursofwhichnootherpersonknowssaveyourself。“
TheconcentratedgazeofMr。Fentolin’skeeneyeswashardtomeet，butHamelcameoutoftheordealwithoutflinching。
“Ateighto’clock，Mr。Fentolin，“heanswered。“IcanseethatI
