The Glimpses of the Moon

hes, paused on thethreshold of his own dining-room

grizzled head, small facetiouseye

refford, perched on her high chair,Clarissa throned in infant beauty, while Susy Lansing cu

pyfather, whose inveterate habit it was to address his wife a

daughter into the air,while a chorus of "

ee years since Nick

yn & Co., and had exchanged his sumptuoushouse in Fifth Avenue for another, more sump

its look of somewhat worn optimism. He embraced his wife,greeted Sus

mydaughter jewellery, I'd like to know!""Oh, Streffy did--just think, father! Because I said I'd ratherhave it than

ook of shrewdness whichcame into them whene

no business to, my dear chap-alovely baroque pearl--" he protested, with the half-apo

ed American slang whenhe was slightly at a loss, and wished to divert attention fromthe main point. But why was he embarrassed, whose attention didhe wish to divert, It was plain that Vanderlyn's protest hadbeen merely formal: like

ll?" he gai

ittleplace at Como, and dashed over here to squander my m

mediately became inte

ney-moon?" He included Nick

at Como, worseluck--and I don't mind telling you that Ellie's no judge oftobacco, and that Nick's too fa

best," Clarissa murmu

tting her clothes. But no such suspicionappeared to mar Mr. Vanderlyn's happiness in being, for once,and for nearly twenty-four hours, under the same roof with hiswife and child. He did not conceal his regret at havingpromised his mother to join her the next

rental exclusiveness, "that Ihave to be with her rather more than if she were more sociable";and

patched a hasty luncheon, his wife, Clarissa and Susyshould carry him off for a tea-picnic at Torcello. They did noteven suggest that Strefford or Nick should be of the party, orthat any of the other young m

married!" Streffordcommented, wavi

don't!" Lan

Awakening comes, Idon't care to be there. I believe there'll be some crockerybroken.""Shouldn't wonder," La

n ass. But he would be off the next day,and so would Ellie, and then, for many enchanted weeks, thepalace would once more be the property of Nick and Susy. Of allthe people who came and went in it, they w

was determinedto finish it quickly. He did not expect that it would bring inmuch money; but if it were moderately successful it might givehim an opening in the reviews and

green canals, the smell of half-decayed fruitsand flowers thickening the languid air. What visions he couldbuild, if he dared, of being tucked away with Susy in the atticof some tumble-down palace, above

ls in Tiepolo's great vault. It was not achurch in which one was likely to run across sight-seers; but hepresently remarked a young lady standin

e pavement, the young lady,turnin

centuries out of yourline, though, is

hings thatare out of one's line?" she answered; and h

or tworemarks about the Tiepolos he perceived that she was

ht have seemed awkward had it not been socompletely unconscious. She turned t

ou weremarried.""Oh, I guessed as much: it happened very quietly, and I wasremiss about announcing it, even to old friends."Lansing frowned. His thoughts had wandered away to the eveningwhen he had found Mrs. Hicks's letter in the mail awaiting himat Venice. The day was associated in his mind with theridiculous and mortifying episode of the cigars--the expensivecigars that Susy had wanted to carry away from Strefford'

ful temptation,"

ferent now: I've got to stick to mywriting."Miss Hi

duces a living wage;and I've got to think of that." He coloured suddenly, as ifsuspecting that Miss Hicks might consider the avowal an openingfor he hardly knew what

was your vocat

I understand. There may be things--worth giving up allother

ks's eyes demanded of him evenmo

y fail," she said wi

ch possibilities--""Don't you have to, with a wife?""Oh, my dear Coral--ho

chair. "I was never young ... if that's what you mean. It'slu

E-source.)He continued to look at her kindly. "You won't need it--or

ifthey'd meet me here to-day I'd try to make them understandTiepolo. Because, you see, at home we never really haveunderstood Tiepolo; and Mr. Beck and Eldorada are the only onesto realize it. Mr. Buttles simply won't." She turned

e object of this apparently unrequitedsentiment; then, with a queer start of int

jectures .... Heturned home-ward, wondering if th

hteroff to bed with a kiss, and leaning back in his armchair beforethe fruit-and-flower-laden table, declared that he'd never spenta jollier day in his life. Susy seemed to come in f

ingprivate jokes with people or about them; and Lansing wasirritated with himself for perpetually suspecting his bestfriends o

a shadowy bloom, a sort of star-reflecting depth. Her movements were slower, less angular; hermouth had a needing droop, her lids seemed weighed down by theirlashes; and then suddenly the old spirit wo

ssa left betimes the

anxious conferences with her maid andSusy. Strefford, with Fred Gillow and the others, h

e way to his moor, Strefford to stay withfriends in Capri till his annual visit to Northumberland inSeptember. One by one the others would follow, and Lansing andSusy be left alone in the great sun-proof pa

opened and he heard a step behind him. The next moment twoha

yn's last

you down. Sheand Streffy are waiting to take me to the station, and I've runup to say good-bye.""Ellie, dear!

ever forgive myself i

travelling dress and hat, so discreetly conspicuous,so negligent and so studied, with a veil masking her paint, andgloves hi

For being so happy here?"

aughed back, and flung

re--you and Susy, you twoblessed darling

ms slipped slowlydownward, dropping to her

tood up and caught Mrs. Vanderlyn by the wrist. "Whatdo you mean? What are you talking about?""Oh, nothing ... But you were both such bricks about theletters .... And when Nelson was here, too .... Ni

d, andbefore him, on the pale velvet lining, lay a scarf-pin set witha perfect pearl. He picked the box up, and was about t

, and sat for along while gazing at the gold N. L

roused himsel