The Grey Room

nterest which would come freshly into her life without the pain and poignancy of any recollection to lessen the work of peace. For him

ended beneath them. The setting sunlight wove an enchantment over towers and roofs. It spread a veil of

they took their walks together, the old man, to whom neither music nor pictures conveyed much significance, let her wander at will, and the more readily because he found that art was beginning to exercise a precious influence over Mary's mind. Th

music best at first, since it brought a direct anodyne. In the sound of music she could bear to think of h

ries and a sustained longing to strip the darkness which buried them. To his forthright and simple intelligence, mystery was hateful, and the reflection that his home must for ever hold a profound and appalling mystery often thrust itself upon his thoughts, and even inclined him, in some moods, to see Chadlands no more. Yet a natural longi

ur, while Florence stretched beneath them in its quiet, evening bea

as this. But though art can never mean much to me now, your case is different, and I am thankful to know that these things will be a great a

great, solemn pictures painted by dead men, all touch my thoughts of dear Tom. I seem to see that there are so many more mighty ones dead than living. And yet not dead. They live in what they have made. And Tom lives

d I shall always be a child and never understand, but for you the valuable message

e too much for me. I shall not try to live my

ou seen to-d

wonderful, with such a hunger-starved expression in the soul of the player. And Andrea del Sarto-how gracious and noble; but Henry James says he's second-rate, because his mind was second-rate, so I suppose he is, but not to me. He never will be to me. To-morrow you must come and see some of the things I specially love.

enthusiasm, and, indeed, did so sometimes. Then occurred a little incident, so trivial that they forgo

frame-a golden bull's head on a red ground. The heraldic emblem was tarnished and inconspicuous, yet the spectator felt curiously conscious that it was not

any among the pictures added to Mary's pleasure, while his comments c

me what you k

t my delight must be in finding things I think you'll like. The trut

he will want us to live in his great touring car and fly about, so we should use our present time to the best ad

rest him, too

d pictures, and music gives him no pleasure. He rega

Mr. Tr

. His life is sufficie

nd scenes of interest and beauty. His daughter, in the new light that was glimmering for her, found her father's friends had shrunk a little. She could speak with them and share their interests

music," he said. "You must guard against that, my dear Walter.

r father expanded in the atmosphere of Ernest and Nelly. They understood

its prosperity on wines and silk-"and such wines"-must have too much of the feminine in it to excel.

enough Latin to understand these people," he said, "for w

olid people showed in a strange land. They carried their ignorance and their parochial atmosphere with them as openly and unashamedly as they c

th Ernest and Nelly came to see Sir Walter and his daughter off for Milan. Mr. Trav

y of last week's 'Fie

hicket under the starry gloom of a clear and moonless sky; and when the train st

he journey from Rome to London in order that he might see Sir Walter, while all the time the master of Chadlands happened to be within half a day's travel. Now, the writer was still in London, and proposed to stop there until he should receive an

s sake, but was relieved when

uld not go to Como knowing there may be even the least gleam of light for us at home. Nothing can a

to meet us

comes of this. He doesn't leave England till T

ver reasons for the death of your dear husband. But there are terribly grave hints here. I can hard

y be in store, we must face it hopefull

indly disposed to him already. There is something chivalric and what is calle

lter declared. It was written with Latin courtesy and distinction. Ther

Hotel, Lon

ennox,-In common w

gland, I have recen

ed at the amazing

nds, in the County

ances were related

ail, but I read t

amiliar with your

f your

eived the idea of c

the world in this

nto the society of

tainment given by th

ldier, one Colonel

a crush of people

cquaintance as the

lf upon another gen

rsing with one who k

igent-for a milita

usion to the traged

spionage in war an

with the details co

etective, Peter Har

deeply interested i

to get further and

y Room,' whereupo

had been at Chadlan

Thomas May, passed

Vane's name, among

Chadlands when th

iosity was not idle,

inner, and I enjoy

nd learning many p

vent. These were imp

hould not abuse his

t it was my determin

the strength o

e that anything I c

presently find tha

light where all is

am not sure. Smal

nd though the past

Maker Himself cann

erate events embalm

s the future; and

ich we never can, t

ainful riddle tha

ds

lp you to read the

ies in the future;

right in my susp

place myself at yo

In a word, a gr

situation is possib

l follow it. I aff

cy responsible fo

nce the police have

s there may still r

o follow you-a dan

as it is permitted

g you to be desiro

both for your own

e. "There is but li

u not to feel sang

that if there is

key of your tribula

at one may empty the

so would give on

. But I prom

the right track, ho

ich my mind is movi

any solution, and I

ible that the Rev.

he cost of his lif

ions were permitted

ator; but, so far a

And if I should pro

w that all has fal

man reason and ex

herefore came to E

d waited upon you a

agrin, that you wer

ence, a bird's journ

post-office at Milan

tters should for th

oon, I wait for you

n Italy. But I sho

, for I cannot be o

f, with your permi

the Grey Room w

ept my assurances o

eat sufferings you

ed upon t

you, I remain at

nd

the hono

fully

lio Ma

wing week, after which he hoped that Signor Mannetti would visit Chadlands at any time convenient to himself. He thanked him gratefully, but feared th

even suspected that the writer himself entertain

sociated with Italy," she said. "The ceiling we

the other moulded ceilin

orkmanship, and know some si

ed for their return home. Only when that was decided did he discover how much he longed to be there. For the horror and suffering of the past were a little dimmed

dy arrived, and deeply interested to read the Italian's letter. He and Mary walked presently in the gardens and he found her changed. She spok

ut I knew the reason would satisfy you well enough. I feel hopeful somehow; father d

raid. Tell me about yo

ly some day, Henry, and let me show y

's only brutal laziness. I want to take up art an

u. Are you writing

worth sho

e. He knew what her husband had been to Mary, despite the shortness of the

s, and the old spaniel, Prince, crept to Mary's feet. He offered feeb

alive. Only Masters said he was determined he should not go wh

ger on like this. He rather hoped, I know, that poor Prince

have let him die unle

r have written the words down a

nd hoped something might come of it; and another from the stranger himself. He expressed satisfaction at his invi

yet he needed assistance, and was accompanied and attended by a middle-aged Italian. The traveller displayed a distinguished bearing. He had a brown, clean-shaved face, the skin of which appeared to have shrunk rather than wrinkled, yet no suggestion of a mummy accompanied this physical accident. His hair was still pl

fulness. The old man had played the looker-on at human existence, and seemed to know as much, if

ght, at least, to have written a book; but then all the things I wanted to say have been so exquisitely said by Count Gobineau in his immortal volumes, that I should only have bee

England,

th my sons have English blood in their veins, you will realiz

ed, could resist his gracious humor and old-world courtesies. The old man could be simple and ingenuous, too; but only when it pleased him so to be; and it was not the second childishness of age, for his intellect remained keen and moved far

old them. "You will, I fear, find m

of many notable men. The subject of his visit was not mentioned on the day of his arrival. He spoke only of Italy, laughed to think he had passed throug

you are in earnest-not at the middle. Only ignorance measures art in terms of skill, for there are no degrees in art. None has transcended Giotto, because technique and draughtsmanship are accidents of time; they lie outside the soul of the matter. Art is in fact a static thing. It changes as the face of the sea changes, from hour to hour; but it does not progress. There are great and small artists and great and small movements, as there are great and small waves,

tly, strove to interest S

mutually destructive, they cannot exist together; for, given liberty, the strong instantly look to it that equality shall perish. And rightly so. Equality is a war cry for fo

dmitted S

, are 'out to kill,' as you say. But that State will soon perish that thinks to prosper under the rule of the proletariat. Such a constitution would be opposed to natural law and, therefore, contain the seeds of it

de to-day, signor?"

s effulgence and shot it forth, like the light of a pharos over dark waters; he, best of all men, understood it, and, most of all men, mourned to see its bright hope and glory perish out o

returned again and again to it, and it was typical of him that he could c

mple of life. It has cast the brave and clean and virile into outer darkness, and exalted the staple of humanity, which is never brave, or virile, and seldom really clean. A hideous wave submerges everythi

lter. "It is one of those things I do not pretend to understand,

indeed speak wit

h? I ask for information and you will forgive the personality. I find myself in almost entire agreement with your noble sentiments. But

d a boyish smile lighte

r. There can be only one answer to that, my

d; his uncle

t-and had it extinguished for them. A difficult subject. Let us continue to think in compartments. It is safer so. If you are over eighty years old, you love safety. But I love joy and romance also, an

bout everything but the matter in their minds-until half-past ten o'clock, when his man

d farewell until to-morrow and offer grateful thanks for your welcome. I breakfast in my room, if you please, and shall be ready at eleven o