The Common Law

t. And when he realised that it was disinclination, it appalled him. Something-he didn't understand what-had suddenly lef

For the first time in all his life the blank canvas of an u

. He continued it mentally, at intervals; but for

ome one delicious morning-"it's confoundedly odd that I should turn lazy in my old

gently. "No soil is deep e

rs d

nlight, frying everything to an iridescent omelette." He shrugged, laughed: "I tu

ed Querida, and he followed; and away they sped over the beautiful rolling country, where handsome cattle tried to behave like genuine Troyon's, and silvery sheep attempted to imitat

e a week-end party?

lephoned me to fill in. I f

h delightful enthusiasm. "That

a rage you've become and what a furor you've arous

ligence in his dark gaze; and und

xpression, is damn nice of you, Neville. But yo

eyes clear in their searching inquiry. Then he laug

cheeks had red

ble with my work, anyway? Is it

ot pretend to

er, Neville. And you know it

m going

o. God knows my work l

at one essential which

For me-your Byzantine canvas-ther

ste

aloofness-even a self-denial-" He laughed again: "I deny myself no

he landscape speed away on eithe

rivate abomination. Oh, the good world dearly loves to rub elbows with a talented sinner and patronise him and sentimentalise over him-one whose miracles don't hurt their ey

of 'em was to subordinate everything in life to the enjoyment of a single pleasur

one favourite dish. For a day you could stand it

my time painting-if I

t everything. It makes me paint better to talk to a prett

aid Neville,

I adore. And," tapping his carefully pinned lilac tie-"inside of me I know that every pl

," repeated

by hook or by crook, and at any cost. That is the main idea, Neville-my main idea-like the luscious agglomeration of juic

esently he pointed

uerida with enthusiasm, interested and

house. Beyond is El Naúar, Ca

eople in white flannels had gathered after breakfast. A slender woman, small of bone and

ily," sai

nfeigned approval, turned and presented him to the others-Miss Aulne, Miss Swift, Miss Annan, a Mr. Cameron, and, a moment later, to her husban

ssion which bored nob

around which it eddied, Neville, who had seated himself on

ow goes

, but in the same low tone. "Mother and father

ft House to see them as often as I

you want t

I'd li

nursery where a normal and in nowise extraordinary specimen of infancy

rmured Neville, venturi

lence of pride unutterable. After a little while she said: "I've got to fe

n his way to the terrace, nodding to familiar faces among the servants, stopping to inspe

innocence about it that is actual

tephanie Swift c

hot for Bridge-except Gordon Collis-and he is going t

ooked at

going to sit here all hunched up aroun

aint pretty models, and when the week end comes you're in fine shape to caper and cut up didoes. But we business men are too tired to go

her idea of what her brother Harry was doing for a living; but she w

ight, Mr. Cameron. It's only bluff with, us; we

r business puts it all over us. Nobody would have to drive me to business

rt out the jokers from the new packs and, with a skilful flip,

pretty models clad in ballet skirts-when they wear anything? Is it all one mad, joyous melange of high-brow conversation

"Harry never has anybody interesting in t

some photographs of a ve

el. What is her name,

always rav

her Valerie

West, isn't it? Is it, Loui

nodded

a pack for cutting. "Perhaps she'd like to

Do you know her, too, M

ln

most engaging, most amiable and culti

mes educated?" asked

rawing-room in New York. It doesn't always require the

ction," observed Alice Annan.

h. I admit that. Now and then such a comet passes across our

inner as all that," bega

meet her im

ut of it," said Ali

tudio teas would be far more interesting if you'd have a girl

y satisfied to look at their precious pictures, and listen to their art patter. I've told Harry that what we want is to see something of

he's as much of a win

on, 'I want to meet

ed Stephanie

phers; some few painters may behave in the same way to their models. I fan

winked at my stenographer-never! never! Will

ollis, who had come up behind her brother and Stephanie Swift and stood, a

. "I'd like to meet a really nice girl who is courage

ou?" said Neville. "They don't

be romant

you. It's drudgery-a

ce full of romance. Don't undeceive me, Louis. And I think you

s sister. "I'd like

ell that oil and water don't mi

ooth, insinuating stuff. And his beautiful Valerie is the

ands from Stephanie's and

a to meet her, L

ver seen

sensitive girl as a museum

ow how to behave toward

that isn't the question. You want to see her out of curiosity. You wouldn't make a friend of her-or even an acquaintanc

ed Stephanie, passing her arm through Lily's: "Shall we reveal to

wardly exasperated. "She's as orna

three odd in spades. "Oh, don't talk to me, Louis! You're a gay bunch all right!-

swung her tennis bat, tossed a ball into the suns

ntinued her swift, graceful pace, white serge skirts swinging above her ankles, b

w you where Gordon's sho

e was dressed he came out of the room and joined his sister, who

he good taste of taking that mo

good taste," he

t like an angel,"

thing queer about it, you don't supp

ed there was a

manded, impatiently

her does anybody in your immediate family. I was merely questioni

ircumst

looked at

phanie.... An understanding of years, which, in h

nt's steady thinking. "If that is the way that S

wha

came an undergraduate romance-and h

ou

ha

ou care

er amount to-in the sentimental-ever-after line. Infant sweethearts almost never marry. She has no more idea of it than have I. We are fond of each other;

l faithless wretches-your incon

rl I liked better than Stephanie. I'm not likely t

sha

continue in a state of mind over which your will has no control. It's never an honest promise; it can be only an honest hope. Love comes and goes and no man can stay it, and no man is its p

what in the world are you lecturing about? W

, caught her hand

me because I never before took the trouble to consider it. But it's true, even if it is trite

upperesque truism

when I've never yet evolved anything better?... Li

, I

n't. You th

the sweetest, finest, most

he isn't that, and I'm not, either. For the love of Mike, Lily, l

rmless to ca

n't call it

o you c

footing. She's perfectly unembarrassed abou

o kiss

ons happen accidentally to-suggest-some sli

nice girl is going to let a man paw her if

s a plain matter of fact you can't tell what anybody nice is going to do under theoretical circums

u seem to be develop

oing to be dishonest with myself; that's one of the streaks I've developed. You ask me if I love Stephanie enough to marry her, and I say I

s disgu

environment that chooses for him the one he marries. There are myriads of others in the world with whom, under proper circumstances and environment, he'd have been just as happy-often happier. Choice is a mystery, constancy a gamble, discontent

rribly disapp

ly understood that I couldn't marry Stephanie. When I thought of it at all it seemed a v

Alice, if you're going t

it my business to see that Stephanie understan

eartily that his sister, exasperated, turne

batting the balls across the net with Cameron, who, being d

g the panties of his brother-in-law!" He fell into an admiring attitude and contem

"Honest, Stephanie, your young man has me in t

rt," said Neville, h

ffectation of feminine indignation. And presently the tennis balls began

always been so; at the traps she could break as many clay birds as he could; she rode as well, drove as well; the

ets were even; it wa

flushed, smiling, came around to his side of

Or do I never improve? It's curious, i

him with that quick, buoyant step so characteristic of a spirit ever

luncheon. Thank you, Louis; I've had a splendid game-" She stretched out

as on and Cameron garrulous, and Querida his own gentle, expressive, fascinating s

sister: "There's a train at midni

hy

o be in t

hy

light is

d stopped paint

s one thing I keep on with,

t is

hesitated-"that Is, it may be

tell me wh

t's a portra

hom,

nobody y

rtrait of V

said, ca

rlight his shadowy face was not

just to continu

interest

she said, in

lly," he ret

I suspect you are beginni

laughed, exasperated; "what i

rl to the St. Regis.

ls do you suppose I've t

at him. "Your reputation for

ctly right. That sort of t

es it appeal

nderstand that this girl

nd. And that is

isely like taking any

f you mean to decorate-

at one anoth

Valerie is not your sister's s

tronised-too inexperienced in the things of your world-too ignorant of petty conventions and for

scornful indictment a

f it. There are other worlds. The one I now inhabit is more interesting to me. It's p

any choice in

eep out of the various unsafe planets where elec

better planet than the one you say she

you so significant about a girl you

out her, and his sister Alice is scared to death. Mr. Ogilvy, Mr. Burleson, Clive Gail, dozens of men I know are quite mad about her.... If it was she whom you used as model for the figures in the Byzantine decorations, she is divine-the loveliest creature to look a

quen

Regis affair

But, as for my being

el

moment, then, look

uch I do like her-how pleasant it is to be with a girl who is a

your own set who conf

ent and conventional traditions

ou

her caste? Valerie West is a law unto herself-a law as sweet and good and excellent and as inflexible as any law made by men to restrain women's liberty, arouse them to unhappy self-consciousness and infect them with suspicion. Every one of you are the terrified slaves of custom, and you know it. M

o him and placed her

punctuate her words. '"If you marry a girl you love you can have all the r

said, laughing, "I

sed customs of a perfectly pleasant and respectable world? Don't answer me! You'll make me very unhappy....

en't a string tied to m

I go or remain. You're

tand eac

derstands you" said h

t was not to find Stephanie, for whom he started to look-and, on the way, glanced at his watch, determine

aw Gordon playing with Heinz, the dog-named Heinz because of the celebrated "57 varieties" of dog in his pedigree-saw Miss Aulne at solit

are my

ou, de

ve in a

l in a

as a dark figure, seated on the vera

nder-just wild to hug him; but he's asleep, and his nurse glared at me. So I thought I'd com

nt upon whom you had designs," he added, "I'm neither asleep nor

rnal transports to you," she said, serenely, "though,

I need moral

by

wh

uis. And-I didn't say you

ilent, head lifted,

the midnight," he

e exclaimed, with h

thing I have to a

or

with my work

im, and remained for a mo

rk going, anyw

gainst a blank wall. It isn't easy to explain

nfidence? H

he said a lit

said, calmly. "You take it as a child takes teething-wi

there's more-a self-distrust amounting to self-disgust

-dozens o

rvous gesture-"always before us poor twentieth-century men looms the

"'I know it i

ng behind him," she Said, gai

n, then his head fell again slowly,

re you always

ppose." His discontente

learn to enjo

know it when we dare to think clearly. It is better not to think too clearly-better to go on and pretend to expect attainment....

't y

p; and then they go crazy," he added, and laughed and laid his hand lightly and unthinkingly over hers

in myriads in the June sky. A big meteor fell,

at time it i

miss your tra

be too late. He couldn't awake her just for the pleasure of talking to her. Besides, he was sure to see her in the morning when

a moment." He rose, and her fingers dropp

are very faithful friends. I'll be we

g of her words as he called up "long distance" and waited. Presently Central ca

it is yo

ho

r voice. But which is i

ill

" he replie

od-like one? Or the conventional Mr. Neville? O

sense, Valerie. W

pt gentleman called Loui

ne in yo

dn't get into it unless one

ld! What are

promise no

, I

ading the nine

uty, isn't

in it appeals most thrillingly to me-the wis

in your room all alone this beautiful starry

e you doing?

yn, my sis

ly sweet of you to think

t call you up to say good night. You see my train doesn't get

m perfectly willing

would be t

sturb my peace of mind." He heard her laughing at the

you up at one o'clock

. I may

I'll make them ri

lways know, about five minutes befor

le thing! You've

's a vague feeling-a-I don't know.... And oh, Louis, it is

te to be when

called me up and asked me to go to Manhattan Beach, but s

ve

all

admit I've

all

aven I were in town now.

wish so

it the

god for a moment and come floatin

ll I

ase

ike best. And anyway I'll ca

d ni

girl waiting for h

altered expression, "you certai

t have perplexed him or worried him to account for if he had tried to analyse them. But he didn't; he was merely consciou

ectly well that I think-always have thought-that th

t her pulses qu

orough as it has always been-a warm, cordial intimacy which leaves us perfectly unembarrassed

d her blue eye

hat it was silly of her to suspect anything sentimental in our comradeship; that whenever the real

e-w

ste your monogra

Eyes and lips and voice were steady; b

enjoy each other's society they want to marry each other. All married women are that way.

kissed her pret

and people are selfish when happy; they don't set up a

ly horrid of you. Don't

rried women are happy; but they give up a lot. And sometimes it slightly irritates them to remember it when they see the unmarried innoce

nd abandoned to him. And when her mirth had passed a slight

ng and impersonal tenderness-not conscious of the source of all this happy, dem

ights of the motor lit up the drive. "I've h

ouis. There is no man

to," he said, warmly, scarcel

in to take leave of Lily and Gordon and their gue

grant darkness. But with him, time lagged; even the train craw

s though he would never get to his studio and to the telephone;

you'd be brute e

aid I migh

from which she expects a man to infer,

, Valerie? I'm

rry I'll retir

ng you u

think I'd better listen to yo

u doing when

t I can't. And if I tell the truth I've g

not waitin

swer! Anyway you didn'

o you

to appear in a

ry," he explained, "and I was obliged to take t

ow

s,

in my night-dress talking to an e

you reading

know, I was rea

hear her

you'd spent the day," he began

m not under

he

ning to believe that it's a sort of monstrous vanity that incites you to such questions. And I'

did yo

d at Woodmanston with a perfectl

as the

am

d Neville

she exclaimed. "I wish I could tell you that

t believe

ven if I had done it," she said,

to retire.

ight, V

ou

ha

en-cloud machiner

o have slip

nded it and that-perhaps-I had b

anted to float thro

arm me,

e gods never annou

p in a dinner gown. When one receives a

mistaking her in

take their chances," he s

rful

won't ke

ough to dismiss me before I have

could stay here all ni

That's a t

u, Val

up the receiver, I think.... Good night, Kelly, dear.... Good night, Louis. à demain!-non-p