Widdershins

ecame so infrequent that it was not heard more than once or twice a week. There came a letter from Oleron's publishers, asking when they might expect to receive the

ot stint its demands. Nevertheless, the necessity for going out to buy them began to irk him more and more, and it was with a greater and ever greater sense of relief that he returned home again. He began to be conscious that again his scale of sensation had suffered a subtle change-a change that was no

ly at his door. He rubbed his hands when he had hit upon this expedient.

his choice. It became his

idling close to walls and feeling friendly railings with his hand. He moved from room to room softly and in slippers, and sometimes stood for many seconds closing a door so gently that not a sound broke the stillness that was in itself a delight. Sunday now became an intolerable day to him, for, since the coming of the fine weather, there had begun to assemble in the square under his windows each Sunday morning certain members of the sect to which the long-nosed Barrett adhered. These ca

d called softly. Once or twice he called "Romilly!" and then waite

by placing himself on this particular spot, he could actually see to a greater or less extent into each of his five rooms without changing his position. He could see the whole of his sitting-room, all of his bedroom except the part hidden by the open door, and glimpses of his kitchen, bat

ight was a dull and numbing ache. He began, at successive hours of the day, one after another, to lower his crimson blinds. He made short and daring excursions in order to do this; but he was ever careful to leave his retreat

ittle study and backed in good order out of

and the baffling of Barrett continu

anding with his back well protected in the embrasure, when he thought he saw the tail of a black-and-white check skirt disappear round the corner of the house. He could not be sure-had he run to

r three or four minutes he

d have compromised me h

bly compromising … no woman would stand that … not a

he square; and perhaps, after all, if he was not happy, he was not unhappy. Before he could be unhappy something must have been withdrawn, and nothing had yet been withdrawn from him, for nothing ha

Art … let him but get this period of probation and poignant waiting over and men should see…. How should men know her, this Fair One of Oleron's, until Oleron himself knew her? Lovely radiant creations are not thrown off like How-d'ye-do's. The men to whom it is committed to father them must weep wretched tears, as Oleron did, must swell with vain presumptuous hope

ourselves that we will put Her Ladyship through her paces, neglect her for a day, turn her own jealous wiles against her, flout and ignore her when she comes w

lips…. It was his duteous service, his worship, his troth-plighting, all that he had ever known of Love. And when he found himself, as h

and moped and chafed more and more that the Bride made no sign

hose fifteen discarded chapters of Romilly. He had thrown them back into the window-seat, forgotten their very existence. But his own jealousy of Madley put him in mind of hers of her jilted rival of flesh and blood, and he remembered them…. Fool that he had been! Ha

nd sacrifice she required she sh

rom the window-seat, and

e did not know what time it was; long since he had allowed his clock to run down-it had seemed a foolish measurer of time in regard to

his head over his shoulder, and listened intently. The sound he had heard had not been loud-it had been, indeed, no

ice outside o

!… Pa

Elsie's

you're in… I wa

h, but kept perfectly still.

I believe you're in danger…

uch danger herself, should talk to him of his danger!… Well, if sh

!… Pa

He mimicked her

, it's ho

hought Oleron. Then

aul…. I didn't promise not

go away and not come back? No: let her call and knock and sob. She had a gift for sobbing; she mustn't think her sobs

!… Pa

rst page of Romilly into the fire. Then he

tened for the noise of a fall or a cry or the crash of a piece of the handrail of the upper landing; but none of these things came. She was spar

into the fire, and then

fondly rou

y if I'd given her as much as a word or a look! What devils these wome

ubt, had been at the bottom of it, but that didn't matter: the pestering creatur

w, now for

s were open; his eyes shone as he pla

ot to think of destroyin

*

gh-the glimpse of greeny blue moonlight seen through the distant kitchen door-the sulky glow of the fire under the black ashes of the burnt manuscript-the glimmering of the tulips and the moon-daisies and narcissi in the bowls and jugs and jars-these did not so trick and bewilder his eyes that he would n

of the door, glimmered white as

d at his elbow grew dimmer (the time had been when Oleron would have concluded that the lamplighter going his rounds had turned low the flame of the lamp). The fire settled, letting down th

. Oleron trembled violently, stood for a moment longer, and then, putting his hand out to the knob, softly drew the door to, sat down on th