The Emancipated

of the two Molossian hounds which stand before the Hall of Animals in the Vatican; beneath the arch, on the right-hand side, was the main entrance to the house. If you passed straight thro

downward sloping vineyard. Formerly the residence of an old Neapolitan family, the villa

ent, but was untroubled by any desire to distinguish himself, freedom from the demands of the office meant to him the possibility of living where he chose, and devoting to his books the best part of the day instead of its fragmentary leisure. His choice in marriage was most happy. Eleanor Spence had passed her maiden life in Manchester, but with parents of healthy mind and of more literature than generally falls to the lot of a commercial family. Pursuing a natural development, she allied herself with her husband's freedom of intellect, and found her nature's opportunities in the life which was to him most suitable. By a rare chance, she was the broader-minded of the two, the more truly impartial. Her emancipation from dogma had be

c mill-owner, aged fifty. It then seemed very doubtful whether Cecily would live to mature years; she had been motherless from infancy, and the difficulty with those who brought her up was to repress an activity of mind which seemed to be one cause of her bodily feebleness. In those days there was a strong affection between her and Miriam Elgar, and it showed no sign of diminution in either when, on Mrs. Elgar's death, a year and a half after Miriam's marriage, Cecily passed into the care of her father's sister, a lady of moderate fortune, of parts and attainments, and with a great love of cosmopolitan life. A few months more and Mrs. Baske was to be a widow, childless, left in possession of some eigh

Mallard was present, and again this morning when alone with her relatives; at breakfast she was even more taciturn than usual, and k

gave a hint of sarcasm, but this was reserved for special occasions; as a rule her habit of speech was suave, much observant of amenities. One might have imagined that she had enjoyed a calm life, but this was far from being the case. The daughter of a country solicitor, she married early-for love, and the issue was disastrous. Above her right temple, just at the roots of the hair, a scar was discoverable; it was the memento of an occasion on which her husband aimed a blow at her with a mantelpiece ornament, and came within an ace of murder. Intimates of the hou

nd she had seated herself. "Don't you envy me my companion, Mrs. Spence? If a

nquished. Her anxious and affectionate inquiries moved Miriam t

ould be!" Cecily was saying, when the eyes of t

aking where he could not see her, must have turned in that direction, have listened eagerly for the sounds to repeat themselves, and then have moved forward to discover the speaker. The divinest sing

as impossible to discover by listening to her from what part of England she came. Mrs. Lessingham, whose admirable tact and adaptability rendered her unimpeachable in such details, had devoted herself with artistic zeal to her niece's training for the world; the pupil's natural aptitude e

velopment appropriate to her years, and its beauty was displayed by Parisian handiwork. In this respect, too, she had changed remarkably since Miriam last saw her, when she was such a frail child. Her hair of dark gold showed itself beneath a hat which Eleano

s struck. In an assembly of well-dressed people, no one would have remarked Cecily's attire, unless to praise its quiet distinction. In the Spences' sitting-roo

"It was of quite infinite value to me when I first was here. In each town I tuned my thoug

same with me,"

has something of Latin; an ode of Horace, which I look at with fretfulness, yields her its meaning. Last night

said Eleanor

n illness with him. I know so well what that means. Cecily will never know

in her look, which was less tender than gratified and admiring. Cecily smiled in return, but was not w

ng to Mrs. Baske any remark on natural topics which could en

alth is established?" she inquired, in a voice which skilfully av

h sufficient suavity, "and I shall probably go back

go north, is very much like taking dessert before one's substantial dinner. I'm a little sorry that Cecily begins here; but it wa

le at Naples-of the relative advantages of this and that situation for an abode. Mrs.

ad been watching Cecily, and thought that she might be glad of an opportunity of

, Miriam?" she asked. "I

orridor, and when they had entered her room Miriam walked at once to the wi

nate warmth. "Indeed, I would have come if I could have been of any use. Aft

the kind now," said Miriam

ow pale you still are Miriam. I thought the voyage and these ten days at Naples-And

sky matters very li

d the first beams strike on Capri and the sea; and I tried to make a drawing of the island as it then looked,-a poor little daub, but it will be precious in bringing back to my mind all I felt when I was busy w

siasm was no new discovery to Miriam, but in the early days it had attached itself to far other things. Cecily seemed to have forgotten that she was ever in sympathy with the mood which imposed silence on her friend. Her eyes drank ligh

py fate, and gives me all kinds of hope. We will be often alone together in glorious places. We will talk it over; that is better than writing. You shall unders

ed and shoo

ings at home. Is

rs from her since I was here. She

her. And is old

d fellow. He forgets even to b

d with a move

t like to be forgotten by an

into the room, and Cecily, with a

ard of late

o." Again there was silence, until Cecily, mov

u. I am glad of that. Where is the orig

ver k

Mr. Mallard. You met him yester

al. He din

t it possible. An

ay until I kn

in his confidence on the journey from Genoa, but I didn't seem to have much success. I fancy"-she laughed-"that he is still in the habit of regarding me as a little girl, who wouldn't quite understand him if he spok

ard paint?" Miriam

ven with veiled surprise. "Did

t me when I was last in Manchester. I'm afraid I looked at it very inattentively, fo

Academies are foolish things, and always give most encouragement to the men who are worth least. When there is talk of such subjects, I never lose an opportunity of mentioning Mr. Mallard's name, and telling all I can about his

merrily, meeting Miriam's

m hold the same opin

lard. Not long ago she met M. Lambert at a friend's house in Paris-the French critic who has just been wri

he glad energies of her being. The scornful remark on the Royal Academy was, one could see, not so much a mere echo of advanced opinion, as a piece of championship in a friend's cause. The respec

p you to see Naples,

us, but he frowned-as he so often does-and seemed unwilling to be persuaded; so I said no more. There again, I feel sure he was afraid of being annoyed by trifling

discourteous?" Miriam

; he must defend his time and his sensibilities. The common terms o

d artists. But such a claim

y lau

tiful-statues, pictures, poetry, music. How could one live without art? The artist is born a prince among men. What has he to do with the

iam suggested, in a voice which contr

it is

plans of the chapel, whi

e asked. "Somethin

id Miriam, careles

d dine in a day or two. After their departure, Miriam showed as little disposition to make comments as she h

were alone; "what astounding capa

aid Eleanor, in a warm undertone character

overheard the intervi

t a psychological artist. I should have stolen to the keyho

stand our fri

o I,

ch other and smil

. When it had become known that Mrs. Baske, advised to pass the winter in a mild climate, was about to accept an invitation from her cousin and go by sea to Naples, the Bradshaws, to the astonishment of all their friends, offered to a

de familiar to him when on his own hearthrug, his back turned to that part of the wall where i

some good racy Italian. I must make out a little list of sentences, and get you or Mrs. Spence to translate them. Such as 'Do you take me for

h coachmen again?" as

r a stroll, and the first cabby I pass wants to take me to Pozzuoli or Vesuvius-or Jericho, for aught I know. It's no use showing him that I haven't the slightest intention of going to any such place. What the deuce! does the fellow suppo

n, Mr. Bradshaw," i

t I go in of my own accord? And isn't it a sure and certain thing that I

igners to reason, Jacob?

they consider him a person of wealth and leisure, who will be grateful to any one for suggesting how he can kill time. Having

w, rising on his toes, and smil

lf with his force of character, but robust amiability prevented this from becoming offensive; he had the sense of humour, and enjoyed a laugh at himself as well as at other people. Though his life had been absorbed in the pursuit of solid gain, he was no scorner of the attainments which lay beyond his own scope, and in these latter years, now that the fierce struggle was decided in his favour, he often gave proof of a liberal curiosity. With regard to art and learning, he had the intelligence to be aware of his own defects; where he did not enjoy, he at least knew that he ought to have done so, and he had a suspicion that herein also progress could be made by stubborn effort, as in the material world. Finding himself abro

hich possibly would be entertaining, and might at all events be indulged after a lifetime of sobriety. Entertainment she found in abundance. Though natural beauty made little if any appeal to her, she interested herself greatly in Vesuvius, regarding it as a serio-comic phenomenon which could only exist in a country inhabited by childish triflers. Her memory was storing all manner of Italian absurdities-everything being an absurdity which differed from English habit and custom-to furnish her with matter for mirthful talk when she got safely back to Manchester and civilization. With respect to the things which Jacob was constraining himself to study-antiquities, sculpt

turned much on that lady and her niece. With Cecily's father Mr. Bradshaw had been well acquainted, but Ceci

live among?" he asked of Spenc

Lessingham's family connections are aristocratic, but she

a young girl to ma

's Mallard,

lard, to

d at her hostess an

ing about Mr. Mallard," she remark

, I

oke the

ked-and it sounded very much as though the re

remarks to the level of his guests' understanding. "There was somet

e colour's so dull. But then, as I always say, what else could you expect on a bit of Yorkshire moor in

ething like!" asse

room, Mr. Bradshaw, over his cigaret

ss has had a firs

shion for girls. I am

o be useful over here. My friend Lomax, the bookseller, suggested them. 'Got a classical dictionary?' says he. 'Not I!' As you know, my schooling never went much beyond the three R's, and hang

el

of perplexity and indigna

t's the kind of stuff boys

eal of it

ly believe my eyes! You mean to say that, if I'd had a son, he'd have been brought up on that kind of literature,

stly amused. "The new dictionaries are toned down a

ead the books these t

nglish morality. Anything you could find in the dictionary is milk for bab

is, eh? That's what parsons are bred on? And, by

zeal

ay

, and abandoned the eff

remembered this, and, to Eleanor's surp

morality of the Classics by a plain-minded English man of business." He