Lady Connie

lofty character, and had transformed her old childish relation to him--which had alone made the scene possible--into something entirely different. It produced a singular effect upon her that

self--or to pay off a moment's offence. Only the stupid or cruel souls do

arm and her weakness, at this moment, that she was so plastic, so responsive both for good and evil. She said to herself that

n the matter of Alice and Herbert Pryce. Her instinct showed her what to do, and Sorell watched her struggling with the results of her evening's flirtation with much secret amusement and applause. Herbert Pryce having

appearing generation of Honour men. Among the papers of the twenty or thirty men who were the certain Firsts of the year, he could not help paying a special attention to Douglas Falloden's. What a hard and glittering mind the fellow had!--extraordinarily competent and well-trained; extraordinarily lacking, as it

gone in after dinner to consult with Ewen Hooper, one of his fellow examiners, over some doubtful papers, and their business do

e room was full of a soft mingled light from the still uncurtained windows and the lamp which had been just brought in. It seemed to be specially concentrated on

sy with the newspaper, and Alice and Herbert Pryce were talking with

. He stood with his back to the mantelpiece, his handsome pensive face, with its intensely human eyes, bent towards Nora, w

he room Radowi

he like

ned astoni

ho

--only grown older, and with a soul. But there is no Greek sculptor who could have

she could think of nothing less conventional in r

, and there's nobody dares cheek him. But they don't understand him. He'

e thought she understood why Falloden, and Meyrick, and others called the youth a poseur, and angrily wished to snub him. He possessed besides, in-bred, all the foreign aids to the mere voice--gesticulation of hands and head, movements that to the Englishman are unexpected and therefore disagreeable. Also there,

t made friends with Mr. S

itz n

r soul, her songs, her hopes, her rising again. Ah, but Sorell!--I will explain. I saw him one night at a house of kind people--the master of it was the Directeur of the Ecole des Sciences Politiques--and his wife. She was so beautiful, though she was not young; and gentle, like a child; and so good. I was nothing to them--but I went to some lectures at the school, while I was still at the Conservatoire, and I used to go and play to them sometimes. So when my uncle died, they said, 'Come and stay with us.' I had really nobody. My father and mother died years ago. My mother, you understand, was half English; I always spoke English with her. She knew I must be a musician. That was settled when I was a child. Music is my life.

sic-stool, her chin on her hand, was thinking of Fal

eyes, and she seemed to see that he was on the point of confiding in

cs. I love Greek. There is a soul in Greek. Latin--and Rome--that is

ranced. Music was a natural language to her as it was to Radowitz, though her gift was so small and slight compared to his. But she understood and followed him; and there sprang up in her, as she sat turning her delicate face to the musi

od entranced by the

er had put down her newspaper. Nora, on the further side of the room, was absorbed in watching t

e hall outside. The drawing-room door was

Fallo

tz wavered in a march finale he

n!" cried

shake of his wave of hair, muttered something about

g, as though unaware of t

ong breath, her eyes raised to Radowitz.

ant voi

ime to call? But I came about the ball-tickets for next Wednesday--to

out a car

vered her hand from Falloden, she drew it across her eyes, as though trying to dispel the dream in which Radow

with a sarcastic mouth, whic

ing you down to earth. I s

r, his knees crossed, his hands on the topmost knee, with the finger-tips lightly touching, an attitude characteristic of him. The lamp which had been brought in to light the piano sh

done?" she asked,

paper this afternoon

ve got yo

lau

ds know. I may ju

've finished

fortnight more. One keeps

p again for Commem.?" The inno

ling eyes

" he said drily. "What I shall do with this

it. The warm pallor of her face and throat, the golden brown of her hair, the grace of her neck and shoulders, enchanted the man beside her. For three weeks he

went on, smiling, seeing that she did no

ittle too much of the sh

le village beyond the Lathom Woods--which has a cottage

hook her he

us to parties, all day and all nig

eet you--three times--at very dull houses. But I shall go, of

r it. But I thought people

like enemies whom one has defeated--and insults. I chucked my Greek lexicon

ather? I am appalled to

hed imp

us little use. But it's not worth while being beaten--i

her eyes in prete

l I be awake? Let's s

er to keep the first four dances for him at the Marmion ball, and two supper-dances. But Constance evaded

's look

imperiously. "He is too eccentric. He doesn't know h

and they confronted each

she said, with a little determined

really aware of Falloden's every movement. His manner to her aunt was brusque and careless; and he forgot, apparently, to say good night either to Alice or Nora. Nobody in the room, as she well knew, except herself, found any pleasure in his society.

, as the night had grown chilly; she had put a little tray with tea on it by his side, and helped him to arrange the

sit up lon

didn't get so limp. But these Honour exams take it o

e schol

nod

ard--you look dog-tired!" cried Nora

his hea

now, d

she was steadily getting for herself enabled her to appreciate, as no one else in the family could or did, her father's delicate scholarly gifts, which had won him his reputation in Oxford and outside. But the reputation might have been higher, if so much time had not been claimed year after year by the sheer pressure of the family cred

ire, she stood silent beside him, bursting with something she could not make up her

is pet name for her as a child. Nora, fo

oke out--"I've g

d up enq

Norman-French with him; and there's a German professor has asked him to get part of a romance copied that's in th

r smiled at her affectionately. "But

g. If it only didn't take such a long time to grow up!" said Nora impati

er shook

being young, every moment, every day that one ca

Nora. "You're not, fathe

cheek against his shoulder, and put o

There are few things, indeed, in which the old can be comforted by

led himsel

her shoulder, and abruptly asked her whether she thought her Cousin Constance was in love with D

Nora, frowning. "Bu

n, with resignation. "She's a masterful young woman. But she can

chylus, in three sumptuous volumes, which had jus

of pleasure. She had her

d her--holding the books behind her--and looking as meek as milk. You would have thought she was a child, coming to say she was sorry! And she gave me the books in the prettiest way--just like her mother!--a

d, with an air of

nd to!" she said firmly. "And it's no go

d, released her, a

f the interval between the Eights and Commemoration,

t-table the names of Oxford's expected guests, Constance Bledlow looked up in surprised amusement. It seemed the Ambassador and she were old friends; that she had sat on his knee as a baby through various Carnival processions in the Corso, showing him how to throw confetti; and that he and L

, and was never human for a minute. I don't want to see him at all." Oxford, however, seemed to be of the opinion that ex-viceroys do want to see their cousins; for the Hooper party found themselves asked as a matter of course to the All Souls' luncheon, the Vice-Chancellor's garden-party, and to a priv

aise her. Her rank inevitably gave her precedence at almost every dinner-party, Oxford society not being rich in the peerage. The host, who was often the head of a college and grey-haired, took her in; and some other University big-wig, equally mature, flanked her on the right. When she was undressing in her little

d he and she met often. It seemed to him whenever he came across Douglas Falloden in Connie's company during these days, that the young man's pursuit of Constance, if it was a pursuit, was making no progress at all, and that his temper suffered accordingly. Connie's

wning--was talking rapidly in a low voice; and Constance was listening to him with a look half soft, half mocking. Her

ulpit, saw Constance dimly, in the pews reserved for wives and families of the University doctors and masters, beneath the gallery. Immediately to her right, in the very front of the un

waylay her,"

red, the conspicuous, crossed his path. Constance looked round, smiled, shook hands with Radowitz, and apparently not seeing Falloden in her rear, walked on, in merry talk with the beaming musician. Sorell, p

Nora Hooper hurrying along with note-books under her arm. They turned down Brasenose Lane together, and she explained that she was on her way to the Bodleian where she was already at work on

leading to the Bodleian, she

Mr. Falloden's

usive of river-parties, with tea in the private gardens of a famous house, ten miles from Oxfor

Falloden has put it all off. He says his mother, Lady Laura,

had never had many words on the subject,

cratch?" asked S

ra shortly, with a d

only daughter "of those dear Risboroughs" was at Oxford, twelve miles off, her Royal Highness, through him, had "commanded" Constance for tea under the ducal roof on Tuesday. A carriage

de her. So she sent a note to Mr. Falloden, and he came round. She was out, but Alice sa

loden!" s

eyes tw

m sure he's always throwing o

lads and

-sweepers co

Sorell--"to twis

riendly nod, and vanished u

oden's h

tar" was there, but could not see her. As the new doctors' procession entered through the lane made for it by the bedells, as the whole assembly rose, and as the organ struck up, amid the clapping and shouting of the gods in the gallery, Connie and the grey-haired Ambassador, who was walki

e Public Orator, as they stood waiting till the mingled din from the organ and the undergraduates' gallery overhe

which girl in mauve the great man referred, and far too nervous to find out. The great man smiled, and looked up blandly at the shrieking gallery overhead, wondering

against the grey and sunlit background of the beautiful Divinity School, which could be seen through the doorway. Constance knew that his eyes were on her; and she guessed that he was only conscious of her, as she at that moment was only conscious of him. And again that tremor, that premonition of some coming attack upon her will which she half dreaded, and half desired, swept over her. What was there in the grave and slightly frowning face that drew her through

thing should prevent her from going--it would be Falloden's evening, Falloden's chance. She had been perfectly conscious of evading and

rm round her in the convention of the waltz. And she knew that for her it would be no

en quadrangle was crowded with guests waiting to see other guests come in; while the lights from the Gothi

the lawns and quadrangles, feeling the world born anew for them, a

rs. Hooper and Alice followed, pleased against their will by the reflected fame which had fallen upon t

ur floating round her, which has so much to do with the loveliness of the young. All the world smiled on her; she smiled in return; and that sarcastic self behind the

re, involuntarily, his troubled eyes discovered them more than once:--this at least Sorell knew, and could not help knowing. He saw that she danced twice with Radowitz, and that Falloden stood meanwhile in the doorway of the hall, twisting his black moustache, a

oper fretfully--when three o'clock h

streets; the last merry group of black-coated men, and girls in thin shoes and opera-clo

wy garden, and vaguely conscious of its scents as one final touch of sweetness i

on her writing-table, and wrote a

er to nine. Call me at eight. Tell Aunt Ellen that I have gone fo

of her room, and up the stairs to Annette's room, where she pushed the message under the door.