Merely Mary Ann

up Mrs. Leadbatter herself, but

ruped, whose head was never lifted to the stars. Her faded print dress showed like the quivering hide of some crouching animal. There were strange irregul

. He passed by the prostrate figure as quickly as he could, and h

lmost daily; the gloomier doorsteps were black, except on Sundays. Thus variety was achieved by houses otherwise as monotonous and prosaic as a batch of fourpenny loaves. This was not the reason why the little South London side-street was called Bake

y little spaniel and rammed him into the pocket of his dressing-gown, where he quivered into silence like a struck gong. While the girl was laying his breakfast, Lancelot, who was looking moodily at the pattern of the carpet as if anxious to improve upon it, was vaguely conscious of relief in being spared his landlady's conversation. For Mrs. Leadbatter was a garrulous body, who

, well-built figure, not far from tall, small shapely features, and something of a complexio

"The little devil won't bite. He's all bark. C

ame sense of repugnance and refrigescence as the cold, damp steps. Something he was about to say froze on his lips. He did not look at Mary Ann for some days; by which time Beethoven had conquered his distrust of her, though she was still distrustful of Beethoven

her head but

e not Miss

Mary

uld not meet his. He winced as he heard th

been calling you Jane al

nfused and fl

n!" she

y Mary

ssi

sort of white Tops

she had just folded. Her eyes were downcast, and t

a piano coming. It will stand over there-you'

they were large and pathetic. He could not see the colour f

window, these staircases are so beastly narrow. Do y

lodger here last year a

up through the wi

was disappointed when she did not; it was not only that her stolidity made

ary Ann; "he lived o

ur. He was damped to the skin by Mary Ann's platitudinarian style of

'm out," he said tartly. "I suppose you've

breathed

e after all. But are you quite sure?" he went on, the teasing instinct ge

Oh, yes I have, sir; it came to th

ittle staggered; "what did it co

r; in a

en, perhaps, you can

No, sir; missus never sh

r. "This is a real original," he said to himself,

lling to lend a hand occasional

istress, the tears welling to her eyes. And a merciless be

rsonality, with individual hours of rising and retiring, breakfasting and supping, going out and coming in, and special idiosyncrasies of diet and disposition. The population of 5 Baker's Terrace was nine, mostly bell-ringers. Life was one ceaseless round of multifarious duties; with six hours of blessed unconsciousness, if sleep were punctual. All the wee

e of mystery. He had no fixed hours for anything; to Mary Ann he was hopeless. At any given moment he might be playing on the piano, or writing on the curiously ruled paper, or stamping about the room, or sitting limp with despair in the one easy-chair, or drinking whisky and water, or smoking a black meerschaum, or reading a book, or lying in bed, or driving away in a hansom, or walking about Heaven alone

nd yet, though the universe seemed tumbling about her ears when he told her she must not move a scrap of manuscript, howsoever wildly it lay about the floor or under the bed, she did not for a moment question his sanity. She obeyed him like a dog; uncomprehending, but trustful. But, after all, this was only of a piece with the rest of her life. There was nothing she questioned. Life stood at her bedside every morning in the cold dawn, bearing a day heaped high with duties; and she jumped cheerfully out of her warm bed and took them up one by one, without question or murmur. They were life. Life had no other meaning any more than it has for the omnibus hack, which cannot conceive existence outside shafts, and devoid of the intermittent flick of a whip point. The comparison is somewhat unjust; for Mary Ann did not fare nearly so well as the omnibus hack, having to make her meals off such scraps as even the lodgers sent back. Mrs. Leadbatter was extremely economical, as much so with the provisions in her char

irst time a visitor. He was so perturbed that he forgot to use his latchkey, and Mary Ann, who opened the door, heard him say angrily, "Well, I c

act." And a swarthy, thick-set young man with a big nose lowered the dripping umbrella he had been holding o

irs, and darted at the intruder the moment his calves appeared. Beethoven barke

makes no distinction between people calling in the small hours and people calling in broad daylight under the obvious patronage of its own master. This beast of yours is evidently more in

the way. He lit the gas with a neatly written sheet of music which he rammed into t

er see you in it, but as there's only one, I know you wouldn't be

celot burst forth, "you're

Why, what have you to be ashamed of? You've got one of the cosiest dens in London and one of the co

ow. I don't want to rec

lot s

, it's plain you were not telling the truth

iven-and fo

if you refuse to enter the Church as the younger son of a blue-blooded but impecunious baronet should, and to step into the living which is fattening for you, then I must refuse to take any further responsibility for your future. Here is a thousand pounds; it is the money I had set aside for your college course. Use it for your musical tomfoolery if you insist, and then-get what living you can.' Which was severe but dignified, unpaternal yet patrician. But what does my governor do? That cantankerous, pig-he

ack to your dad, because you foun

s whirl of waltz tunes, was 'one dem'd grind,' that seemed to grind out all the soul of the divine art and leave nothing but horrid technicalities about consecutive fifths and suspensions on the dominant? I dare say most people still think of the musician as a bei

u to learn composition. You could have learnt anything for the paltry fifteen pounds exacted by

your damnable pride sent me back again. And now, old fellow, that I have you face to face at last, can you offer the faintest scintilla of a shadow of a reason for refusing to take that cheque? No, you can't! Nothing but simple beastly stuckuppishness. I saw through you at once; all your heroics were a fraud. I was not your friend, but your protégé-something to practise your chivalry on. Yo

ill have some whisky." H

you for your youthful bounty, and you have forgiven me for chucking it up; and now we are

trammel my inspiration with the dull rules invented by fools. I suppose you have mastered them all, eh?" He picked up some sheets of manuscript. "Great Scot! H

d Lancelot. "I thought I'd catch Brahmson himself in

r gr

ou can't have been l

yea

h is left of that--" he hesitated, then turned the sentence facet

vile den

ge the den; it

n't. How should you? Well, I carried off some distinctions and a lot of conceit, and came over here thinking Europe would

sed Peter; "I saw the old man's death in th

did. He reminds me of a man invited to dinner which is

anyhow," said Peter

hing, I tell you; ev

ed up, too. He'll marr

rather see the ho

'll be quite as go

th you, Peter," said Lan

ate more than the word

ric

oth very good words

n America there's no other standard. To make your pile, to strike ile-oh, how I shudder to hear these idioms!

e not very cohe

y bolster up its greatness by alliances with the daughters

l-strikers are sometimes

hed with their

ah! I pray to Heaven Lionel will e

you call a lady?

and rang the bell violently. Peter

el-shelf?" snapped Lancelot. "You seem to delight to hide t

tel-piece, handed him the matches

sity doesn't seem to hav

or girl's eyes were quit

could have given you h

ced another scrap of th

ther name like a human being, I'd gladly call her Miss something. I went so far as to ask her, and she stared at me in a dazed, stupid, silly way, as if I'd asked her to marry me. I suppose the fact is, she's

all bad-looking, a

d Lancelot. "She's as platt and

in a sabot," retorted Pete

's simply silly. How does that f

t in it," groane

said Lancelot; "but a houri in a patched pr

aven are, but I have a kind of feeling an

t lit h

talk about houris. Poverty may not be a crime, but it seems to make people awful bores. Wonder if it'll have that effect on me? Ach Himmel! how that woman bores me. No, there's no denying it-there's my pouch, old

se of duty," said Peter acutely. "Thanks; think I'll try one of my cigars. I f

s, I prefe

ld meerschaum, I

aum," repeated Lancel

and they sat and

uddenly; "I can almost

p the ninety sta

king round as if in search of

iving to speak cheerfull

augh. "When you funked becoming a Beethov

u called

Beeth

oven!

Here, B

lf, and perked his wee

lot's

n his voice. He didn't know whether

about those twenty thous

there. When I began to realise the struggle that lay before me, I took chambers; then I took rooms; now I'm in lodgings. The more

ed! Then by what name must I ask for you

nce

elot

elot! Mr.

s like your

rly than cordially; "it never stru

stumble on

thing to Piccadilly. You just cross Waterloo Bridge, and there you are at the ce

it's simply grand the way you've beaten out those shillings, in defiance of your natural instinc

namiable moments. "You must deduct the Thalers I made in exhibitions. As for living in cheap lodgings, I am not at all certain it's

't torn up tha

I tell you these things as a friend, not as a beggar. If

will enable you to hold out a little longe

t all; I made no bargain with

at a swindler you'd make! I wonder you have the face to deny the debt. Well, and how

Christma

n stuffed herself with. Chunks of fat, stewed apples, Ka

that this nation should be musical! O Music, heaven

n his whisky that he might throw himself

id, panting. "No wonder

couldn't keep the reek

untry is Germany. Our

in German

ans rather. How can a people be civ

quare. Behind the patriotic, the national note: 'How can a people be civilised that eats jam with its meat?' I heard the deeper, the oligarchic accent: 'How can a people be enfranchised that eats meat with its fingers?' Ah, you are right! How you do hate the poor! What bo

go a hundred miles out of your way to twit me with my poverty and my breeding. One

and I had myself a talent for knocking tunes off the piano? Not a bit of it. I thought it was, perhaps, but that was only one of my many youthful errors. No, I liked you because your father was an old English baronet, and mine was a merchant who trafficked mainly in things Teutonic. And that's why I like you still. 'Pon my soul it is. You gratify my historic sense-like an old building. You are picturesque. You stand to

to turn Radical,"

me. I only do it to annoy you. Fact is, your outbursts of temper attract me. They are pleasant to look back upon when the sto

urmured, "Don't talk rot," but inwardly he was not disple

dices in favour of forks. But your patriotic prejudices are on a different level. There, I am on the same ground as you, and I

, with his whimsical look: "There's rhyme, as wel

Peter, smiling. "We w

And did you board wi

omach her mixtures. But it was really too much trouble to go down

a reform in the hours

hought I liked damp. They never got over my morning tub, you know. And that,

the inferiority of British ideals. They never bathe

lexion was high

t was a great luxury, I rem

town is so inlan

long time coming. Ha

s he still

s question tickled Lancelot. Altogether the two young men grew quite jolly, recalling

re madcap expedition tha

tart out to

hers," Lancelot finished grimly,

laughed Peter. "Then you ha

lly seen of mortal eyes. I suppose wives and friends and mothers gaze on them with no sense o

lisher might spend his whole day receiving regiments of unappreciated geniuses. Bond St

ly hedge of clerks. 'You will hear from us.' 'It shall have our best consideration.' 'We have no knowledge

you an introduction to Bra

ank you

y n

e you k

introduction if I didn

cel

ter, I tell you once for all"-his voice was low and menacing-"if you try any anonymous deus ex machina tricks on me in some sly, r

don't suppose if I could do you a turn I'd hesitate for fear of excommunica

l find my teeth nastie

nt to go to the dogs-go. Why sho

l esteem, they chatted lazily and spasmodically till past

im softly down the dark, silent stairs, holding his bedroom candlestick in his hand, for Mrs. Leadbatter always turned o

l!" said

n!" replied Pet

ughts whelmed the musician's soul. He saw again the dear old garret, up the ninety stairs, in the Hotel Cologne, where he had lived with his dreams; he heard the pianos and violins going in every room in happy incongruity, publishing to all the prowess of the players; dirty, picturesque old Leipsic rose before him; he was walki

t into his soul; a divinely sweet, sad melody was throbb

teeple came a harsh,

alf sighing, to take up his bedroom candle again. Then his heart stood still for a moment. A figure-a girl's figur

er disarray she looked prettier than he had ever remembered her. There was something provo

he cried. "Not g

ckery. The second-floor front had some friends to

gers, but was not withdrawn. Mary Ann made no sign of resentment. In his

" he murmured. "When I am in a bad temper I say

ssi

r strangely by the candle-light-se

And bending down he

ght," he

e startled, gurgl

celot was in bed, denouncin

infinitely more poetry in that red-cheeked M?dchen, and yet I never-- It is true-there is something sordid about the atmosphere that subtly

d not shake it off, he could not sleep till he ha

ed, doing her best to keep her meaningless, ha