The Philanderers

espond with his advice. He developed, in fact, an interest in their progress quite disproportionate to his professed attitude of the spectator in the stalls. Mrs. Willoughby lived at Knightsbridge,

st each other, but against themselves as well-for, as he pointed out, there was no harmony in the separate camps-he evolved an infinite number of endless complications. There was consequently no end to the discussion, no

ecollection of Clarice's tearful visit with Conway's arrival for

for tricks,' she said. 'Cla

it,' corrected Fielding, 'but a woman's knowle

he had not been seen lately. 'It looks as if he

man's busy-there's a

olid

ake handles it. I am th

ng seemed to her the last man calcula

aimed. Fielding

he City! Their friends get ruined, and they-well, I mustn't say anything against them, because my husband

e an independent channel. However, I am not ruined yet, and the company

oughby be

tisfaction from the thought, 'at all even

ing l

linson's turn on the roun

inson has be

sed!

we lunched at B

O

or a moment. He was t

nusual frequency here at

you sure?

r.' Mrs. Willoughby began again to laugh. 'She would have prevent

was to blame, I am afraid, for I gave him precisely that advice on t

th some friends at the Savoy and went on in a comfortable frame of mind to a concert; there Mrs. Willoughby joined them, so did Mallinson, and the couple sat side by side and conversed through a s

a good deal of

erally pair

th an anticipatory satisfaction the glasses flying off the supercilious gentleman's nose, and felt the jar at the end of his boot as i

ttitude towards Mrs. Willoughby. Fielding found him at the house a few days later, and proceeded to sit him out. The contest drove Fielding to the

loughby, instead of resuming her seat, walked across

you pretty often, it a

'He comes to me for th

upp

lly pair off together when you meet. Pair off!' and he grimaced the phr

hat he could not catch her expression, but she seemed to him culpably ind

said, 'though I can't hel

e sorry for him,' F

ds to himself that I am Clarice. He talks to me as if I were. He called me "Clarice" the other day, and never

name's Constance,' and he dw

oughby thoughtfully. 'It sounds

peated, weighing it deli

er lik

hortens it

.' Fielding contrasted the two nam

mouth began to dim

she proceeded, 'it's re

old me once the col

e colour of your eyes?' Fielding was

'But it isn't a thing people ought to do. He said they were gr

starting from his chair, he approached M

aren't.' She held up her face towards the li

em, 'Neptune dipped them in the sea

'So, if Mr. Mallinson is so fond of Clarice,' she said,

discarded lover, and Fielding inferred with satisfaction that her pity was taking a less ac

nting him at this time, from his constant attendance, rather as an item of Clarice's toilette; and

d of Mrs. Willoughby, not without

ed with the tenderest sym

ice quickly. 'You

ned. He wrote to te

on was to be seen on the face of Clarice. Mrs. Willoug

Conway carelessly. 'But apparently he h

lloughby. 'Fancy, Clarice! He has inherited quite

tisfaction at the news. She

. 'Did none of his friends know except Connie?' and the

her trivial sex-no better, indeed, than the girl at his side, whose first anxiety was not as to whether Mallinson was seriously ill, but why he wrote the information

ng suddenly realised that Miss Le Mesurier's pique might prove

lied. 'Mrs. Willoughby, of cours

hy

ruck up a great friendship lately-

nd make allowance for; it had been a despairing act prompted by an instinct of self-preservation to rid himself of the hopeless thought of her. An unsuccessful act too, for the po

ked her, 'Why didn't you

son wa

ss isn't serious,' and Mrs. Willoughby laughed, with peculiar heartlessnes

t was a distinct infringement of rights which did not exist. Clarice and Fielding drew perceptibly nearer to one another; they exchanged diplomatic pourparlers. Fielding found a great deal to praise in Mallinson, and Clarice had a word or two to say upon the score of widows. She was doubtful whether they ought ever to re-marry. Fielding kept an open mind on the subject, but was willing to discuss it. On the

e,' she answered plaintively. 'You see, Clarice has re

that the point he mentioned was one upon which Mr. Mallinson must be left to judge for himself. 'Exactly,' said Fielding with emphasis, 'he should be left to judge for himself,' and was for marching off with colours flying. But Mr

ck to her feet. Fielding was furious at the suggestion, and indignantly repudiated it. She ignored the repudiation, and quietly insisted in pointing out the meanness of such a system of making love. The unfortunate gentleman's dignity constrained him to listen in silence, for he felt that he would have spluttered had he opened his lips. The only course open to him was a retreat with a high head, and

ompletely ignorant of the battle which

Drake's history of which she was ignorant. The question sprang into his mind, 'Could Mallinson have a fair chance unless she was made acquainted with those facts?' Fielding knew Members of Parliament who had been returned over the heads of residents in the constituency because they entered it too late for the electors to become intimate with their defects. Drake's career might provide an analogy unless Clarice was to

d he chanced to meet Conway, and was given the information that Mallinson's inherited income amounted to a thousand pounds. The news

ing was introduced into the room, its author shut it up and tucked it under his pillow. It was kept entirely for his own perusal,

d a touch of bronch

touch, I can tell you.

going to get

fficult to come to t

have found

interest myself. Drake c

e know? Conway to

Le Mesurie

Mesurier?

d?' The question was p

sent him.' A smirk upon the invalid

'talking of Miss Le Mesurier, did

ey who was engaged to

nge story about him. He wen

fted himself

y. 'Yes, I heard that.

s you might have know

s d

tudied carelessness, lo

lin

beginning to race, and he lifted himself higher into a sitting

d of c

recalling what Mrs. Willoughby had said that evening at Beaufort Gard

frica,' he remarked.

at Bor

glanced at him involuntari

uppose you tell it me. It wil

He was not thinking: the knowledge that the secret to be discovered was his to use was as a sense in him. He felt it pulsing through his veins and throbbing at his heart. Mrs. Willou

onsequence to a great extent evaporated. Bronchitis was not of the ailments which spring from a broken heart, and she was inclined to hold it as a grievance against him that she had been so wastefully touched with pity.

Gorley's death. It became more unreal to her than ever; for while his account was correctly given, as Mrs. Willoughby had given it to Fielding, it lacked

Mallinson concluded, 'but I

r down the frame of

ght so too,' sh

, utterly bewildered. 'Drake

as th

that he con

own accord the moment he knew I had been engaged to-to-' She broke off at the name, an

known in her before, and he felt that it raised a more s

Mallinson's way time after time in order to ascertain whether the latter had spoken. Mallinson let no word o

'you would never repea

orgot to me

'Of course not,'

m quickly. 'Then what

uri

n aback to deny the ac

e replied, '

w? Who t

ra

ans by which Clarice had come to her knowledge; his second was one of indignation against Drake. He realised how a frank admi

r. No doubt he saw the thing would get known sooner or late

heard it stated, and stated by Mallinson, he felt a certain convi

and not very creditably, and out of the most disinterested motives of benevolence and expediency, and then to fail! All this was nothing short of degrading. He dined

e and adornment. The chairs were covered with a cheap red cretonne; there was an armchair or two with the high seat and long elbows, which seemed to have gone astray from a Peckham dra

Matanga. 'Come in!' he said cordially. Fielding drew up a chair

isky and mixed two glasses. He handed one t

here's likely to be a r

poss

that aff

t touch the interior of the country. There will be a certain amount of shouting in the capital and

ere, aren't there? What if they invit

o do when he catches sight of a black, is to drill him. It's his first and often his last idea. He wants to see him holding the palm

urned to the object of

ld made you tell Miss Le

his map. 'How did y

?' he

hought it was decided Miss Le

ce to me, and it seemed to me

hy

in reflection. 'It seeme

adn't,' snap

' answered Drake quietl

broken off a long while ago, and you hadn't a right

ing distinguish upon his face any expression which gave a clue to his thoughts. He got up from his chair, and Drake

energetically. 'For Heaven's sake, don't

ed and interfered, all for other people's good, and this was the tha

ooked very well, he thought, with her clear complexion,-clear as those clear eyes of he

te you yet?' she

t, and he put the question aside. 'You remember wh

nswered, bec

s Le Mesur

?' and she le

ue

for a moment and then

fath

rake h

'Of course, we might have known that he wou