The Moon and Sixpence

tics which make the persons of a book exist with a real life of their own; and, wondering if the fault is mine, I rack my brains to remember idiosyncrasies which

them which you find in people whose lives are part of the social organism, so that they exist in it and by it only. They are like cells in the body, essential, but, so long as they remain healthy, engulfed in the momentous whole. The Stricklands were an average family in the middle class. A pleasant, hospitable woman, w

d in the years that intervene between then and now a fair knowledge of mankind, but even if when I first met the Stricklands I had the experience which I have now, I do not believe that I should have

r hours before I ran across Ro

prightly," I said. "What

It meant that she had heard some scandal about one of her f

harles Strickla

lacrity. I nodded. I wondered if the poor devil had been

ul? He's run awa

ike an artist, flung the bare fact at me and declared that she knew no details. I could not do her the injustic

estions, and then, with an airy shrug of the shoulders: "I believ

ith the superciliousness of extreme youth, I put thirty-five as the utmost limit at which a man might fall in love without making a fool of himself. And this news was slightly disconcerting to me personally, because I had written from the country to Mrs. Strickland, announcing my return, and had added that unless I heard from her to the contrary, I would come on a certain day to drink a dish of tea with her. This was the very day, and I had received no word from Mrs. Strickland. Did she want to see me or did she not? It was likely enough that in the

would give her the opportunity to send me away. But I was overwhelmed with embarrassment when I said to the maid the phrase I had prepared, and while I waited for the answer in

e this way, s

, Colonel MacAndrew, stood in front of the fireplace, warming his back at an unlit fire. To myself my entrance seemed excessively awkward. I imagined that my arrival

ou expected me," I said,

Anne will bring th

ng that Mrs. Strickland's face was all swollen w

aw, don't you? You met at din

y rescue. She asked me what I had been doing with myself during the summer, and with this help I

have one too,

prefe

wondered how soon I could decently take my leave, and I asked myself why on earth Mrs. Strickland had allowed me to come. There were no flowers, and various knick-knacks, put away during the summer, had not bee

cigarette?" asked

or the box, but it

id there

into tears, and hur

er recollection, and the new feeling that the small comforts she was used to were missing gave her a sudden pang. S

me to go," I said to

at blackguard has deserted

sita

I answered. "I was vaguely t

to Paris with a woman. He'

" I said, not knowi

e had pale blue eyes and a weak mouth. I remembered from my previous meeting with him that he had a foolish face

me just now," I said. "Will you tell her how sorry I am? If

no notic

nd then there are the children. Are they

ut sevent

rse he was my brother-in-law, and I made the best of it. Did y

bsolutel

ou came in. 'Fire in with your petition, my dear Amy,' I said. 'You owe it to yourself and you owe it

I did not say anything. It is always distressing when outraged morality does not possess the strength of arm to administer direct chastisement

n," she said. "I'm gla

were no concern of mine. I did not then know the besetting sin of woman, the passion to discuss her priv

alking about

sumption that I knew all ab

k. The only person I've

land claspe

And when I hesitated, she insiste

e's not very reliable, is she? Sh

that

Waterford's parting reference to

ything about his g

N

l I wanted

take my leave. When I shook hands with Mrs. Strickland I told her that

on't know that anybody

I turned to say good-bye to the

walking up Victoria Street

," I said.