TheywerereallydisputingaboutHelen’scharacter，andTerencewastryingtoexplainwhyitwasthatsheannoyedhimsomuchsometimes。
ButSt。Johnthoughtthattheyweresayingthingswhichtheydidnotwanthimtohear，andwasledtothinkofhisownisolation。
Thesepeoplewerehappy，andinsomewayshedespisedthemforbeingmadehappysosimply，andinotherwaysheenviedthem。
Hewasmuchmoreremarkablethantheywere，buthewasnothappy。
Peopleneverlikedhim；hedoubtedsometimeswhetherevenHelenlikedhim。Tobesimple，tobeabletosaysimplywhatonefelt，withouttheterrificself-consciousnesswhichpossessedhim，andshowedhimhisownfaceandwordsperpetuallyinamirror，thatwouldbeworthalmostanyothergift，foritmadeonehappy。
Happiness，happiness，whatwashappiness？Hewasneverhappy。
Hesawtooclearlythelittlevicesanddeceitsandflawsoflife，and，seeingthem，itseemedtohimhonesttotakenoticeofthem。Thatwasthereason，nodoubt，whypeoplegenerallydislikedhim，andcomplainedthathewasheartlessandbitter。
Certainlytheynevertoldhimthethingshewantedtobetold，thathewasniceandkind，andthattheylikedhim。Butitwastruethathalfthesharpthingsthathesaidaboutthemweresaidbecausehewasunhappyorhurthimself。Butheadmittedthathehadveryseldomtoldanyonethathecaredforthem，andwhenhehadbeendemonstrative，hehadgenerallyregretteditafterwards。
HisfeelingsaboutTerenceandRachelweresocomplicatedthathehadneveryetbeenabletobringhimselftosaythathewasgladthattheyweregoingtobemarried。Hesawtheirfaultssoclearly，andtheinferiornatureofagreatdealoftheirfeelingforeachother，andheexpectedthattheirlovewouldnotlast。
Helookedatthemagain，and，verystrangely，forhewassousedtothinkingthatheseldomsawanything，thelookofthemfilledhimwithasimpleemotionofaffectioninwhichthereweresometracesofpityalso。What，afterall，didpeople’sfaultsmatterincomparisonwithwhatwasgoodinthem？Heresolvedthathewouldnowtellthemwhathefelt。Hequickenedhispaceandcameupwiththemjustastheyreachedthecornerwherethelanejoinedthemainroad。
Theystoodstillandbegantolaughathim，andtoaskhimwhetherthegastricjuices——buthestoppedthemandbegantospeakveryquicklyandstiffly。
“D’yourememberthemorningafterthedance？“hedemanded。
“Itwasherewesat，andyoutalkednonsense，andRachelmadelittleheapsofstones。I，ontheotherhand，hadthewholemeaningofliferevealedtomeinaflash。“Hepausedforasecond，anddrewhislipstogetherinatightlittlepurse。“Love，“hesaid。
“Itseemstometoexplaineverything。So，onthewhole，I’mverygladthatyoutwoaregoingtobemarried。“Hethenturnedroundabruptly，withoutlookingatthem，andwalkedbacktothevilla。Hefeltbothexaltedandashamedofhimselfforhavingthussaidwhathefelt。
Probablytheywerelaughingathim，probablytheythoughthimafool，and，afterall，hadhereallysaidwhathefelt？
Itwastruethattheylaughedwhenhewasgone；butthedisputeaboutHelenwhichhadbecomerathersharp，ceased，andtheybecamepeacefulandfriendly。
Theyreachedthehotelratherearlyintheafternoon，sothatmostpeoplewerestilllyingdown，orsittingspeechlessintheirbedrooms，andMrs。Thornbury，althoughshehadaskedthemtotea，wasnowheretobeseen。Theysatdown，therefore，intheshadyhall，whichwasalmostempty，andfullofthelightswishingsoundsofairgoingtoandfroinalargeemptyspace。Yes，thisarm-chairwasthesamearm-chairinwhichRachelhadsatthatafternoonwhenEvelyncameup，andthiswasthemagazineshehadbeenlookingat，andthistheverypicture，apictureofNewYorkbylamplight。
Howodditseemed——nothinghadchanged。
Bydegreesacertainnumberofpeoplebegantocomedownthestairsandtopassthroughthehall，andinthisdimlighttheirfigurespossessedasortofgraceandbeauty，althoughtheywereallunknownpeople。Sometimestheywentstraightthroughandoutintothegardenbytheswingdoor，sometimestheystoppedforafewminutesandbentoverthetablesandbeganturningoverthenewspapers。
TerenceandRachelsatwatchingthemthroughtheirhalf-closedeyelids——
theJohnsons，theParkers，theBaileys，theSimmons’，theLees，theMorleys，theCampbells，theGardiners。Someweredressedinwhiteflannelsandwerecarryingracquetsundertheirarms，somewereshort，sometall，somewereonlychildren，andsomeperhapswereservants，buttheyallhadtheirstanding，theirreasonforfollowingeachotherthroughthehall，theirmoney，theirposition，whateveritmightbe。Terencesoongaveuplookingatthem，forhewastired；and，closinghiseyes，hefellhalfasleepinhischair。Rachelwatchedthepeopleforsometimelonger；
shewasfascinatedbythecertaintyandthegraceoftheirmovements，andbytheinevitablewayinwhichtheyseemedtofolloweachother，andloiterandpassonanddisappear。Butafteratimeherthoughtswandered，andshebegantothinkofthedance，whichhadbeenheldinthisroom，onlythentheroomitselflookedquitedifferent。
Glancinground，shecouldhardlybelievethatitwasthesameroom。
Ithadlookedsobareandsobrightandformalonthatnightwhentheycameintoitoutofthedarkness；ithadbeenfilled，too，withlittlered，excitedfaces，alwaysmoving，andpeoplesobrightlydressedandsoanimatedthattheydidnotseemintheleastlikerealpeople，nordidyoufeelthatyoucouldtalktothem。
Andnowtheroomwasdimandquiet，andbeautifulsilentpeoplepassedthroughit，towhomyoucouldgoandsayanythingyouliked。
Shefeltherselfamazinglysecureasshesatinherarm-chair，andabletoreviewnotonlythenightofthedance，buttheentirepast，tenderlyandhumorously，asifshehadbeenturninginafogforalongtime，andcouldnowseeexactlywhereshehadturned。
Forthemethodsbywhichshehadreachedherpresentposition，seemedtoherverystrange，andthestrangestthingaboutthemwasthatshehadnotknownwheretheywereleadingher。Thatwasthestrangething，thatonedidnotknowwhereonewasgoing，orwhatonewanted，andfollowedblindly，sufferingsomuchinsecret，alwaysunpreparedandamazedandknowingnothing；butonethingledtoanotherandbydegreessomethinghadformeditselfoutofnothing，andsoonereachedatlastthiscalm，thisquiet，thiscertainty，anditwasthisprocessthatpeoplecalledliving。Perhaps，then，everyonereallyknewassheknewnowwheretheyweregoing；
andthingsformedthemselvesintoapatternnotonlyforher，butforthem，andinthatpatternlaysatisfactionandmeaning。
Whenshelookedbackshecouldseethatameaningofsomekindwasapparentinthelivesofheraunts，andinthebriefvisitoftheDallowayswhomshewouldneverseeagain，andinthelifeofherfather。
ThesoundofTerence，breathingdeepinhisslumber，confirmedherinhercalm。Shewasnotsleepyalthoughshedidnotseeanythingverydistinctly，butalthoughthefigurespassingthroughthehallbecamevaguerandvaguer，shebelievedthattheyallknewexactlywheretheyweregoing，andthesenseoftheircertaintyfilledherwithcomfort。Forthemomentshewasasdetachedanddisinterestedasifshehadnolongeranylotinlife，andshethoughtthatshecouldnowacceptanythingthatcametoherwithoutbeingperplexedbytheforminwhichitappeared。Whatwastheretofrightenortoperplexintheprospectoflife？Whyshouldthisinsighteveragaindeserther？Theworldwasintruthsolarge，sohospitable，andafterallitwassosimple。“Love，“St。Johnhadsaid，“thatseemstoexplainitall。“Yes，butitwasnottheloveofmanforwoman，ofTerenceforRachel。Althoughtheysatsoclosetogether，theyhadceasedtobelittleseparatebodies；theyhadceasedtostruggleanddesireoneanother。Thereseemedtobepeacebetweenthem。
Itmightbelove，butitwasnottheloveofmanforwoman。
Throughherhalf-closedeyelidsshewatchedTerencelyingbackinhischair，andshesmiledasshesawhowbighismouthwas，andhischinsosmall，andhisnosecurvedlikeaswitchbackwithaknobattheend。Naturally，lookinglikethathewaslazy，andambitious，andfullofmoodsandfaults。Sherememberedtheirquarrels，andinparticularhowtheyhadbeenquarrelingaboutHelenthatveryafternoon，andshethoughthowoftentheywouldquarrelinthethirty，orforty，orfiftyyearsinwhichtheywouldbelivinginthesamehousetogether，catchingtrainstogether，andgettingannoyedbecausetheyweresodifferent。Butallthiswassuperficial，andhadnothingtodowiththelifethatwentonbeneaththeeyesandthemouthandthechin，forthatlifewasindependentofher，andindependentofeverythingelse。
Sotoo，althoughshewasgoingtomarryhimandtolivewithhimforthirty，orforty，orfiftyyears，andtoquarrel，andtobesoclosetohim，shewasindependentofhim；shewasindependentofeverythingelse。Nevertheless，asSt。Johnsaid，itwaslovethatmadeherunderstandthis，forshehadneverfeltthisindependence，thiscalm，andthiscertaintyuntilshefellinlovewithhim，andperhapsthistoowaslove。Shewantednothingelse。
ForperhapstwominutesMissAllanhadbeenstandingatalittledistancelookingatthecouplelyingbacksopeacefullyintheirarm-chairs。
Shecouldnotmakeuphermindwhethertodisturbthemornot，andthen，seemingtorecollectsomething，shecameacrossthehall。
ThesoundofherapproachwokeTerence，whosatupandrubbedhiseyes。
HeheardMissAllantalkingtoRachel。
“Well，“shewassaying，“thisisverynice。Itisveryniceindeed。
Gettingengagedseemstobequitethefashion。Itcannotoftenhappenthattwocoupleswhohaveneverseeneachotherbeforemeetinthesamehotelanddecidetogetmarried。“Thenshepausedandsmiled，andseemedtohavenothingmoretosay，sothatTerenceroseandaskedherwhetheritwastruethatshehadfinishedherbook。
Someonehadsaidthatshehadreallyfinishedit。Herfacelitup；
sheturnedtohimwithalivelierexpressionthanusual。
“Yes，IthinkIcanfairlysayIhavefinishedit，“shesaid。
“Thatis，omittingSwinburne——BeowulftoBrowning——IratherlikethetwoB’smyself。BeowulftoBrowning，“sherepeated，“Ithinkthatisthekindoftitlewhichmightcatchone’seyeonarailwaybook-stall。“
Shewasindeedveryproudthatshehadfinishedherbook，fornooneknewwhatanamountofdeterminationhadgonetothemakingofit。
Alsoshethoughtthatitwasagoodpieceofwork，and，consideringwhatanxietyshehadbeeninaboutherbrotherwhileshewroteit，shecouldnotresisttellingthemalittlemoreaboutit。
“Imustconfess，“shecontinued，“thatifIhadknownhowmanyclassicsthereareinEnglishliterature，andhowverbosethebestofthemcontrivetobe，Ishouldneverhaveundertakenthework。
Theyonlyallowoneseventythousandwords，yousee。“
“Onlyseventythousandwords！“Terenceexclaimed。
“Yes，andonehastosaysomethingabouteverybody，“MissAllanadded。
“ThatiswhatIfindsodifficult，sayingsomethingdifferentabouteverybody。“Thenshethoughtthatshehadsaidenoughaboutherself，andsheaskedwhethertheyhadcomedowntojointhetennistournament。“Theyoungpeopleareverykeenaboutit。
Itbeginsagaininhalfanhour。“
Hergazerestedbenevolentlyuponthemboth，and，afteramomentarypause，sheremarked，lookingatRachelasifshehadrememberedsomethingthatwouldservetokeepherdistinctfromotherpeople。
“You’retheremarkablepersonwhodoesn’tlikeginger。“Butthekindnessofthesmileinherratherwornandcourageousfacemadethemfeelthatalthoughshewouldscarcelyrememberthemasindividuals，shehadlaiduponthemtheburdenofthenewgeneration。
“AndinthatIquiteagreewithher，“saidavoicebehind；
Mrs。Thornburyhadoverheardthelastfewwordsaboutnotlikingginger。
“It’sassociatedinmymindwithahorridoldauntofours(poorthing，shesuffereddreadfully，soitisn’tfairtocallherhorrid)
whousedtogiveittouswhenweweresmall，andweneverhadthecouragetotellherwedidn’tlikeit。Wejusthadtoputitoutintheshrubbery——shehadabighousenearBath。“
Theybeganmovingslowlyacrossthehall，whentheywerestoppedbytheimpactofEvelyn，whodashedintothem，asthoughinrunningdownstairstocatchthemherlegshadgotbeyondhercontrol。
