’YouareinterestedinMr。Trewe，Iknow，ma’am，’shesaid；’andhehasjustsenttosaythatheisgoingtocallto-morrowafternoontolookupsomebooksofhisthathewants，ifI’llbein，andhemayselectthemfromyourroom？’
’Oyes！’
’YoucouldverywellmeetMrTrewethen，ifyou’dliketobeintheway！’
Shepromisedwithsecretdelight，andwenttobedmusingofhim。
Nextmorningherhusbandobserved:’I’vebeenthinkingofwhatyousaid，Ell:thatIhavegoneaboutagooddealandleftyouwithoutmuchtoamuseyou。Perhapsit’strue。To-day，asthere’snotmuchsea，I’lltakeyouwithmeonboardtheyacht。’
ForthefirsttimeinherexperienceofsuchanofferEllawasnotglad。Butsheaccepteditforthemoment。Thetimeforsettingoutdrewnear，andshewenttogetready。Shestoodreflecting。Thelongingtoseethepoetshewasnowdistinctlyinlovewithoverpoweredallotherconsiderations。
’Idon’twanttogo，’shesaidtoherself。’Ican’tbeartobeaway！AndIwon’tgo。’
Shetoldherhusbandthatshehadchangedhermindaboutwishingtosail。Hewasindifferent，andwenthisway。
Fortherestofthedaythehousewasquiet，thechildrenhavinggoneoutuponthesands。Theblindswavedinthesunshinetothesoft，steadystrokeoftheseabeyondthewall；andthenotesoftheGreenSilesianband，atroopofforeigngentlemenhiredfortheseason，haddrawnalmostalltheresidentsandpromenadersawayfromthevicinityofCoburgHouse。Aknockwasaudibleatthedoor。
Mrs。Marchmilldidnothearanyservantgotoanswerit，andshebecameimpatient。Thebookswereintheroomwhereshesat；butnobodycameup。Sherangthebell。
’Thereissomepersonwaitingatthedoor，’shesaid。
’Ono，ma’am！He’sgonelongago。Iansweredit。’
Mrs。Hoopercameinherself。
’Sodisappointing！’shesaid。’Mr。Trewenotcomingafterall！’
’ButIheardhimknock，Ifancy！’
’No；thatwassomebodyinquiringforlodgingswhocametothewronghouse。IforgottotellyouthatMr。TrewesentanotejustbeforelunchtosayIneedn’tgetanyteaforhim，asheshouldnotrequirethebooks，andwouldn’tcometoselectthem。’
Ellawasmiserable，andforalongtimecouldnotevenre-readhismournfulballadon’SeveredLives，’soachingwashererraticlittleheart，andsotearfulhereyes。Whenthechildrencameinwithwetstockings，andranuptohertotellheroftheiradventures，shecouldnotfeelthatshecaredaboutthemhalfasmuchasusual。
***
’Mrs。Hooper，haveyouaphotographof——thegentlemanwholivedhere？’Shewasgettingtobecuriouslyshyinmentioninghisname。
’Why，yes。It’sintheornamentalframeonthemantelpieceinyourownbedroom，ma’am。’
’No；theRoyalDukeandDuchessareinthat。’
’Yes，sotheyare；buthe’sbehindthem。Hebelongsrightlytothatframe，whichIboughtonpurpose；butashewentawayhesaid:
“Covermeupfromthosestrangersthatarecoming，forGod’ssake。
Idon’twantthemstaringatme，andIamsuretheywon’twantmestaringatthem。“SoIslippedintheDukeandDuchesstemporarilyinfrontofhim，astheyhadnoframe，andRoyaltiesaremoresuitableforlettingfurnishedthanaprivateyoungman。Ifyoutake’emoutyou’llseehimunder。Lord，ma’am，hewouldn’tmindifheknewit！Hedidn’tthinkthenexttenantwouldbesuchanattractiveladyasyou，orhewouldn’thavethoughtofhidinghimself；perhaps。’
’Ishehandsome？’sheaskedtimidly。
’_I_callhimso。Some，perhaps，wouldn’t。’
’ShouldI？’sheasked，witheagerness。
’Ithinkyouwould，thoughsomewouldsayhe’smorestrikingthanhandsome；alarge-eyedthoughtfulfellow，youknow，withaveryelectricflashinhiseyewhenhelooksroundquickly，suchasyou’dexpectapoettobewhodoesn’tgethislivingbyit。’
’Howoldishe？’
’Severalyearsolderthanyourself，ma’am；aboutthirty-oneortwo，Ithink。’
Ellawas，asamatteroffact，afewmonthsoverthirtyherself；butshedidnotlooknearlysomuch。Thoughsoimmatureinnature，shewasenteringonthattractoflifeinwhichemotionalwomenbegintosuspectthatlastlovemaybestrongerthanfirstlove；andshewouldsoon，alas，enteronthestillmoremelancholytractwhenatleastthevaineronesofhersexshrinkfromreceivingamalevisitorotherwisethanwiththeirbackstothewindowortheblindshalfdown。ShereflectedonMrs。Hooper’sremark，andsaidnomoreaboutage。
Justthenatelegramwasbroughtup。Itcamefromherhusband，whohadgonedowntheChannelasfarasBudmouthwithhisfriendsintheyacht，andwouldnotbeabletogetbacktillnextday。
AfterherlightdinnerEllaidledabouttheshorewiththechildrentilldusk，thinkingoftheyetuncoveredphotographinherroom，withaserenesenseofsomethingecstatictocome。For，withthesubtleluxuriousnessoffancyinwhichthisyoungwomanwasanadept，onlearningthatherhusbandwastobeabsentthatnightshehadrefrainedfromincontinentlyrushingupstairsandopeningthepicture-frame，preferringtoreservetheinspectiontillshecouldbealone，andamoreromantictingebeimpartedtotheoccasionbysilence，candles，solemnseaandstarsoutside，thanwasaffordedbythegarishafternoonsunlight。
Thechildrenhadbeensenttobed，andEllasoonfollowed，thoughitwasnotyetteno’clock。Togratifyherpassionatecuriosityshenowmadeherpreparations，firstgettingridofsuperfluousgarmentsandputtingonherdressing-gown，thenarrangingachairinfrontofthetableandreadingseveralpagesofTrewe’stenderestutterances。
Thenshefetchedtheportrait-frametothelight，openedtheback，tookoutthelikeness，andsetitupbeforeher。
Itwasastrikingcountenancetolookupon。Thepoetworealuxuriantblackmoustacheandimperial，andaslouchedhatwhichshadedtheforehead。Thelargedarkeyes，describedbythelandlady，showedanunlimitedcapacityformisery；theylookedoutfrombeneathwell-shapedbrowsasiftheywerereadingtheuniverseinthemicrocosmoftheconfronter’sface，andwerenotaltogetheroverjoyedatwhatthespectacleportended。
Ellamurmuredinherlowest，richest，tenderesttone:’Andit’sYOU
who’vesocruellyeclipsedmethesemanytimes！’
Asshegazedlongattheportraitshefellintothought，tillhereyesfilledwithtears，andshetouchedthecardboardwithherlips。
Thenshelaughedwithanervouslightness，andwipedhereyes。
Shethoughthowwickedshewas，awomanhavingahusbandandthreechildren，tolethermindstraytoastrangerinthisunconscionablemanner。No，hewasnotastranger！Sheknewhisthoughtsandfeelingsaswellassheknewherown；theywere，infact，theself-
samethoughtsandfeelingsashers，whichherhusbanddistinctlylacked；perhapsluckilyforhimself；consideringthathehadtoprovideforfamilyexpenses。
’He’snearermyrealself，he’smoreintimatewiththerealmethanWillis，afterall，eventhoughI’veneverseenhim，’shesaid。
Shelaidhisbookandpictureonthetableatthebedside，andwhenshewasrecliningonthepillowshere-readthoseofRobertTrewe’sverseswhichshehadmarkedfromtimetotimeasmosttouchingandtrue。Puttingtheseaside，shesetupthephotographonitsedgeuponthecoverlet，andcontemplateditasshelay。Thenshescannedagainbythelightofthecandlethehalf-obliteratedpencillingsonthewall-paperbesideherhead。Theretheywere——phrases，couplets，bouts-rimes，beginningsandmiddlesoflines，ideasintherough，likeShelley’sscraps，andtheleastofthemsointense，sosweet，sopalpitating，thatitseemedasifhisverybreath，warmandloving，fannedhercheeksfromthosewalls，wallsthathadsurroundedhisheadtimesandtimesastheysurroundedherownnow。
Hemustoftenhaveputuphishandso——withthepencilinit。Yes，thewritingwassideways，asitwouldbeifexecutedbyonewhoextendedhisarmthus。
Theseinscribedshapesofthepoet’sworld，’Formsmorerealthanlivingman，Nurslingsofimmortality，’
were，nodoubt，thethoughtsandspirit-strivingswhichhadcometohiminthedeadofnight，whenhecouldlethimselfgoandhavenofearofthefrostofcriticism。Nodoubttheyhadoftenbeenwrittenuphastilybythelightofthemoon，theraysofthelamp，intheblue-greydawn，infulldaylightperhapsnever。Andnowherhairwasdraggingwherehisarmhadlainwhenhesecuredthefugitivefancies；shewassleepingonapoet’slips，immersedintheveryessenceofhim，permeatedbyhisspiritasbyanether。
Whileshewasdreamingtheminutesawaythus，afootstepcameuponthestairs，andinamomentsheheardherhusband’sheavysteponthelandingimmediatelywithout。
’Ell，whereareyou？’
Whatpossessedhershecouldnothavedescribed，but，withaninstinctiveobjectiontoletherhusbandknowwhatshehadbeendoing，sheslippedthephotographunderthepillowjustasheflungopenthedoor，withtheairofamanwhohaddinednotbadly。
’O，Ibegpardon，’saidWilliamMarchmill。’Haveyouaheadache？I
amafraidIhavedisturbedyou。’
’No，I’venotgotaheadache，’saidshe。’Howisityou’vecome？’
’Well，wefoundwecouldgetbackinverygoodtimeafterall，andI
didn’twanttomakeanotherdayofit，becauseofgoingsomewhereelseto-morrow。’
’ShallIcomedownagain？’
