The Sixth Sense

EMOR

.. Oxford is on the whole more attractive than Cambridge to the ordinary visitor.... The best time for a visit is the end of the Summer term.... This period of mingled work an

ndbook for Travelle

s before I carried it away into my present exile, but for May and the first half of June there appears a black, undecipherable smudge that my memory tells me should represent a long succession of late nigh

ities by the fact that Philip Roden was too busy at the House to waste his nights in a ball-room. We seemed to move in the midst of a stage army, the same few hundred men, women, and dowagers reappearing in an endless march-past. With the advent of the big ho

adys would bring unknowing guest and unknown hostess into communication. "Can I speak to Lady Anonym?" I would hear her call down the telephone. "Oh, good morning! I say, do you think you could possibly do with another man for your ball to-night? Honest? It is swee

al conclusion. An announcement in the Times with draft ménu, name of band and programme of music-even a placard outside Claridge's-would save endless postage and stationery, and could not pack the ball-room tighter than on a dozen occasions I remember. Hostesses who believe that numbers are th

casionally Gladys would be called in as an accomplice, I would hear "Mr. Aintree's" name added to Lady Anonym's list, and Gladys would remark with fine carelessness, "Oh, just send hi

, the Seraph, and a pis-aller of Robin's named Cynthia Bargrave constituted my flock; we motored quietly down to Henley, where we lunched and chartered a houseboat for the Regatta, and arrived in Oxford with ample time for the three

purpose beyond that of breeding proctors, and I know we counted it an indignity to be fined by the scion of a college we had to reach by cab. But the High should have been inviolate; there

y own old rooms in Tom, and gazed rather in sorrow than anger at the strange new name painted over the door. Twice my fingers went to the handle, twice I told myself that "Mr. R.F. Davenant" had as much right to privacy as I should have claimed in his place.... I wan

neatly-parted hair and clean, fresh colouring; I liked his Meissonier artist proofs; I liked the way the left back leg of the sofa collapsed unless you underpinned it with a Liddle and Scott. Not a thing was changed but the photographs on the mantelpiece. I walke

ed sister?"

u know

with partners to chaperone some girl who had captured her brother's wandering fancy. These elder sisters earn more crowns than they are ever accorded; i

e," suggested

r all they were worth. What happened to the Seraph I never discovered. As I hurried back to th

time," he opined. "I wish you had le

all right, R

r look here, what about a roulette-boar

to amuse myself

; as it was I put his silent preoccupation down to overwork. When he approached Robin with other-world gentleness and suggested a stroll up St. Giles after dinner "just to keep me company, old boy," I ought to h

ast mysterious finishing touches, and we

ought I to do, S

can yo

n't k

o anyt

sk myself when I have no defini

eration to wait till my bro

ses never do wait till we'r

ulness of t

I was not spea

ght you

shook his

king of me, or Gladys, or Philip

er into taking my o

ses have come my

as happened to you since

moment of my time sinc

en I mentioned my chance meeting with Dick Davenant.

l I

business

alking about it, t

cigar, finished his coffee, and s

rvously. "Are you going to

ly, S

to-some time

talk no

ring if it woul

ing rather annoyed

aid stiffly. "After all, she's a friend of

quite s

ve met the girl once-a few weeks ago-and

ing you back to England? Do you remember the impression sh

h, dro

smoked without speaking until I b

's a nice girl; I may see her to-night for all I know to th

developed a nervous,

better do it now-before the crash comes. There's going to be a very big crash; she's going down under it. If you-if X. prop

in polite incredulity. "Oh, he

t accept yo

et your coa

e will

t your coat,

't believe

hands and pulled h

gel Rawnsley. "What time shall I breakfast to-morrow? What shall I ha

ok his head wi

then," I sai

don't kno

se he w

my mind in due course, and do whatever I've made

ve never pretended to tell you m

oing to marry, not merely propose to

now what's passin

e know h

ected. She's none of a man's faculty of taking a resolve, seeing it,

mind better

e, the Seraph beca

nd not recognise it as part of her mental stock-in-trade for weeks, months, years.... If you wait for her to recog

coat as the three girl

ful prospect for

o recognise her sub-consc

duplicated and Lorino thundering away at a double grand, had started an opening extra. Youthful stewards, their shirt-fronts crossed with blue and white ribbons of office, hurried to and fro in ex

om, but I found her at length by the stair-head, gratefully drinking in the fresh air, flushed-or so I fancied-and occasionally passing a hand across eyes that looked tired and strained. I

pected to find here," I said, after

n a lot of people expected

thankful for. So-for t

an. If he hadn't been a steward, they wouldn't have admitted me. O

reason of the bright

e unpopular politic

t I've been through in the past. It's all in

along the under-side of the mantelpiece to the hidden shelf where I used to keep cigars maturing. Dick had followed my admirable precedent.

when I counted for something in this place, porters touched their hats to me, I could be certain of an apple in the back of the neck as I

hey don't

id, "is not

ple in that hall who know me, but only four

t did yo

e. You came w

en interested in politics, and twenty years' absence from England have made me nothing if not a citizen of the world. I cared nothing for the great franchise question, it was a matter o

usiness. Friends and enemies, indeed! I have no enemies, but as a friend I wish I could persuade you to accep

ve up a

ing at an imm

irresistible force mee

irresistib

avis Rawnsley th

ked with fearless,

You remember we caught sight of her that

onvert the idlest man in th

undertook to re-convert you

her f

ust as

rumour reaches us as we are going to press....' You'll find i

as the

some one else said she was being held to ransom till her father was converted to the suffrage. That interested me. None of the papers said anything about it; you'd have thought Mr. Raw

and talked to her

conclusion, "but you may take it as quite certain

cheerfulness. "But you've got to catch yo

he

t catch witho

cushions. I found only one, but women do

et that didn't think he'd left no traces, never one that didn't think he was equal to the strain o

ch a

e reckless, because I don't t

he New Militant, will you climb up and see my moderating influence at work? I

ho of her fiery pamphlets and speeches had reached me

name?" Joyce

ho has to be restrained. I tell you you'll be arrested t

owed he

when you're invalide

never had a day's illness in

an looks like when she's overworked, over-worried, over-excited. However fit you may be in o

ek. I've been with her, I didn't want to come to-night, but she made me-so as not to disappoint Dick. It's not very pleasant to sit wat

filling? I'll

as people give me good advice, I know I need

remark rathe

spiteful then than I've

ple I can depend on not to give me good

who'll give yo

politicals who'd go through fire and

But only those th

ent, then a mischievous smile of commiseration broke ov

ting to

ll these years for nothing. If a crash ever came-it's kindly meant, but I should

t get six

ase we shall win without needing to call in outsi

d my unfin

of oakum and a plan

f you want to be useful, you mu

ner the

oon as there's

omi

won't be any warrant

fail," was my

garette petulantly

ilt everyth

d to you, not to yo

t be sep

you

es

ha

ing yo

hing. I shall not easily forget the picture she presented at that moment. The room was lit by a single central globe, and against the background of dark oak panels her black dress was almost invisible. Stand

she repeated in con

you to

he couplings drew tight and clamped the ring to the finger. When last I found myself in Egypt, my Arab goldsmith had been gathered to his fathers, and the secret of those couplings i

Joyce," I said. "No,

, stepped back to the table, and lit a ci

the ring and t

it's not yours till you've won the wager. Or you may amputate the finger, which also woul

move the ring, ag

take it of

ok my

might fix

roval upon me. Unfortunately, like Mrs. Hilary Musgr

w?" I suggested. "I'

stamping her foot as I remember seeing her sta

my chance. It's a ring against a hand, and on the day that sees you separated from your infernal cause, I come to claim my reward

g tug, and then with some difficulty

before I may have th

t consid

death?" I

han that,

to win the wager an

as she went. I was feeling elated by what had passed, elated and qui

ed gentleness. "For-let me see-three years now people have been trying to show me the error of m

interrupted. "Neither fish, fl

t is that I sink daily

is where I

ld out every stock and share I possessed to help found the New Militant. I'm li

last button of my gloves, and mounte

said, "I have learnt the v

urred to me that I had left a

n my wager

won

ing bets, but would you seriou

nderful dawn of a sm

the matter a thoug

uggested in a manner

ook he

t a thought n

ch difference whethe

whole thing's a joke in questionable tas

looked at me. I suppose my voice must have shown I

and as I did so an imp of mischief took possession of her t

what you st

oing to say. That's why I

take the

o win it in

we pressed our way into the b

ng heads and dreamy eyes; half-way down the room Philip was whispering in Gladys' ear and mak

oyce, half to herself, as our faces were

urn before supp

ving it

you

uld li

a beautiful dancer, easy, light, and rhythmical. It was too goo

"you may as well star