The Moon out of Reach

bout the streets, just enough to remind the Londoner of November possibilities, but in t

eemed few indeed nowadays of the leisured loiterers through life. A tube strike had only recently been brought to a conclusion, and Londoners of all classes were endeavouring to make good t

wever much you may gloss over the fact, is neither more nor less than a modern substitute for the old-time revolt of men armed with pikes and staves. That is to say, in either instance you insist on what you want by a proces

d vainly hailed a taxi. Sometimes she had been compelled to tramp the whole way home, through drenching rain, from some house at which she had been giving a lesson, in each case enduring the very kind of physical stress which pl

standstill at the entrance to the block of flats, and after a few minutes Emily, the unhurried maid-of-all

lid

, and a look of pleasur

at last! Oh, it's g

eymour revealed herself as a small, plump, fashionable little person with auburn hair-the very newest shade-brown eyes that owed their shadowed lids to kohl, a glori

ld, from her adoring husband down to the kitchen-maid who evicted the grubs from the cabbages, who did not more or less worship the ground

ervour. "So I flew round this morning to see how you two were getting on. I can't t

managed too well," ad

nd just for the pleasure of killing small birds, that I was sure something would happen in m

st, the concert took place last night.

s, not bad. How did yo

acking abomin

nodded

hing into her for it. T

t. But if she'd had a husband fighting"-Kitty's gay little face softened incredibly-"she'd be thanking

war," interposed Penelope, her sen

's done precious little

g lately? Has she wr

laughed

makes your blood run cold. It's really for orchestra, and I beli

to err on the side of t

now," added Pen

d sharply ac

an? Is anything

hing very wrong. I'

t is it?"-

that wretched artist ma

ean Maryo

"He's rather

ut he was crazy about her! Has been, all through the war. Why,

people," replied

e explicit, Penny! Surely

given her t

n't mean that he

d I don't understand it. Nan is so essenti

ried Kitty whimsically

we were all mistaken. If ever a man deliberately set himself to make a w

depths of an elaborate bead bag and extracted a ci

of the staleness of things in general

en her a

l you anythi

to say good-bye to her

d Kitty. "He's going

r while she's st

Since then she has never referred to the matter again. She is quite gay at times in a sort of artificial way, but she doesn't do any work, though she spends odd moments

ery ea

enelope, adding slowly, in a voice that was quite unlike her us

hard hit. . . . She's nev

I'm horribly afraid what sort of effect this miserable aff

in silence. Then with a small, sage nod o

ll have a nice man to meet her. She needs someone to play around with. There's nothing

smiled

isn't it-if he's nice? You know, Nan is r

well in hand. He's a novelist-and finds s

-grandmother. Ki

necessary. He and she will hit i

ill at the front-door bell, followed a min

," cried

fair man who somehow reminded o

with. Penelope, and smiling down at her with a p

ded at him cheerfully. "We're

n plans," returned Barry Seymour, letting his long length down into a chair. "I

Rooke now." Kitty was of the opinion that you should never tell even the best of husba

l you've fixed on as a b

flectively at his b

is a man," c

agreed her hu

let the cat out of the bag, and then Nan will be put off

etorted Barry calmly. "And I bet you five to one in glo

Kitty oracularly. "Give me a week-and

tting back home, old thing," returned her husband. "Or you'll

the clock and ju

gotten all about them!

don't forget. D

nine garments, a fleeting whiff of violets in the air, a

out of it. Penelope sprang up to welcome her as she entered the sitting-room

d it go?" she

eception, and this morning's notices in the newsp

voice; the concert did not appear to interest

enjoy y

reminiscence cam

njoyed myself

t the Chattertons woul

ey

han dear old Lady Chatterton, kindest soul alive though she might be. For some reason or other Nan felt rel

all right at Paddingt

tilted in a

ht," she respo

not getting them very far, Penelope resumed her

re this aftern

ged her s

miss her," she mu

y dear. It's anyone's luck. You m

an's charming s

nerally lick me into shape?" She dropped a light kiss on the top of Penelope's bent head. "But, truly, I hate to miss

enelope prosaically. "You're

laug

truth," she acknowledged. "Well, what's the Kit

ts her remar

pled wi

Jezebel so perfectly d

a can't r

ady of Scottish antecedents and Early Victorian tendencies, to whom the modern woman and her methods were altogether anath

enovated stockings and toss

ine there on Thursday. I s

ife. Their chef is a dream,

u cared!" sco

ated herself on the humpty

ares. It's a purely external feeling which likes to have everything just r

d her with a gli

h a demandi

done. What pleasure is there in anythi

importance on the outside

ook he

is-Je bois dans mon verre." sh

he critical faculty is over

. For instance, if the man I married ate peas with a knife and made loud juicy noises when he drank his soup, not all the sterling quali

nelope, although privately she acknowledged to

doorsteps. Besides"-argumentatively-"decent manners aren't an external. They're the 'outward and visible sign.' Why"-waxing enthusiastic-"if a

stic for the twentieth century. Most men," she added drily, "Regard coa

voice. "Why should everything that is beautiful be invariably termed 'idealis

You want a specially constructed world and a peculi

nto the fire

said slowly, "if

lanced at

a little philosophy would be quite as u

her unhurried way to answer its imperative demand, and presently a visitor was shown into the room. He was a man of over seventy, erect and well-preserved, with white hair and clippe

f you to come just when our spi

ds with Penelope. Nan pushed an armchair towa

ncle David," she informed him rea

e confidence as if they

lped himsel

tinued, "has the

laug

ct it to be alw

be," returned

re merely young and old representatives of a similar type of man. She coul

a twinkle, "your handmaiden appears to

ng since ceased to expect much from her. Did

St. John mildly. "But seriously,

dly. "Don't you know that that sort of thing

purchased within our financial limits. And frankly, there are very few jewels left at any price. Most of the nice ones got married during the war-the servants you loved and regarded as

uch bother, then?" aske

d to have trou

t surprising so many women have nervous break-downs through nothing more nor less than domestic w

ious inefficient maids and this, added to the strain of her own profession

o strong on domestic ma

smiling ac

see that if the small wheels of the machine ref

and respected a really good maid!" murmu

. Penelope was rather forcible when the spirit moved her, and he w

o-to a certain ex

ference to most th

" he answered quietly, but now you've really

e after the health of your favourite

a most important part in that aff

nce for a moment.

rmission, to double your allowanc

ga

e cost of living has soared sky-high, including"-with a sly g

than that," protested Nan. "Four or five hundred, w

garded her

s being thwarted just for lack of money. After all, money is only of value for what it can procure-what it does for you. Well, being a Davenant, you want a lot of the things that money can procure-things which wouldn't

ped his

began. "I can

yn't have it always. You won't if you marry"-with a twinkle. "Now,

the coffee, while Penelope turned towards the v

said. "But is it wise? Aren't you ta

romptly. "The best work of a talent like Nan's

fore he spoke again. Then h

nearer than Nan by one generation to Angèle de Varincourt. And sh

d have made her happy if any ma

went on thoughtfully: "Unfortunately money won't buy happiness. I can't do very much for her-only give her what money can buy. But even the harmony of material environment means a great deal to Nan-the difference bet

Penelope, surprised at his keen perception of the details which can

eemed to hear her

shes it. That's why I stipulate that the income ceases If she m

ked at him q

love is the bes

from different windows. I'm not at all sure"-reflectively-"that the union of sympathetic temperaments, even where less love is, does not result in a much larger degree of happiness than the union of opposites, where there is great love. The jar and fret

llised in words, thoughts and theories that she sensed as being the

y he spo

are at all suited to have the

een fit to provide," replied Penelope, with her

tantly hurting them with our clumsy misconceptions

's eyes

nk you would

ungster who gaily asks some nice woman to trust her future in his hands-without a second thought as to whether he's fit for suc

rived a smile as Nan entered, car

Your coffee equals tha

rget that Angèle de Varincourt

and after a little further desultory conversation to

erfect old de

pe. "He is. And he a

e a lit

ies! Six hundred a year in addition to our hard-earned pence! Within limits

ent-her capacity for enjoyment and for suffering was so intense that every litt

ears and laughter there lay a hurt which had not healed, the ulti