The Tragic Muse

r bust, where his mother, in the distance, saw him playing in the air with his hand, carrying out

; at which her ladyship indefinitely sighed, though it was not apparent in what way such an object could be detrimental to her daughter. Nick passed on and quickly paused agai

my modelling, oughtn't I, Nick?" h

child, what

capacity for ideas?" the

ty for applying them, for putting them

I tell ti

mean by tryin

now-you've

rying?" her brother

lity. But then with more spirit:

erra-cotta, at which they had just arrived; a modern young man to whom, with his thick neck, his little cap an

a moment. "Ah that's not t

; it's only try

shouldn't I

little distraction, like a game of tennis or of whist. The only thing that can justify it, the effort to carry it as far as one can (which you can't do with

ssional," Biddy returned as if sh

ne then. There are a

fer," Biddy said. "But I

child. It was only

own work-yo

Union is strength-so that we might present a

ye impressed her, and she felt what a difference there was yet between them-how much longer in every case she would have taken to discriminate. She was aware of how little she could judge of the value of a thing till she had looked at it ten minutes; indeed modest little Biddy was compelled privately

ched broken reed-I'm no use real

re a duffer?" Bid

ful, fr

ve up your work-to let it

business, Biddy. If it had it would

it?" the girl said, stan

she feared she was indiscreet and was worrying him. "Your questions

t-what's simpl

ing, dear Biddy:

s so real you

," said Nick Dormer. "Let u

ent's real?" Biddy went o

ng time before, and stronger the sense of novelty, refreshment, amusement, of the hundred appeals from that quarter of thought to which on the whole his attention was apt most frequently, though not most confessedly, to stray. He was fonder of Paris than most of his countrymen, though not so fond perhaps as some other captivated aliens: the place had always had the virtue of quickening in him sensibly the life of reflexion and observation. It was a good while since his impressions had been so favourable to the city by the Seine; a good while at all events since they had ministered so to excitement, to exhilara

y the odour of plastic clay, of the studios of sculptors, put forth the voice of old associations, of other visits, of companionships now ended-an insinuating eloquence which was at the same time somehow identical with the general sharp contagion of Paris. There was youth in the air, and a multitudinous newness, for ever reviving, and the diffusion of a hundred talents, ingenuities, experiments. The summer clouds made shadows on the roof of the great building; the white images, hard in their crudity, spotted the place with provoc

ndering airs from it-to modulate and manipulate it as he would have done a musical instrument. Her view of the gentleman's companions was less operative, save for her soon making the reflexion that they were people whom in any country, from China to Peru, you would immediately have taken for natives. One of them was an old lady with a shawl; that was the most salient way in which she presented herself. The shawl was an ancient much-used fabric of embroidered cashmere, such as many ladies wore forty years ago in their walks abroad and such as no lady wears to-day. It had fallen half off the back of the wearer, but at the moment Biddy permitted herself to consider her she gave it a violent jerk and brought it up to her shoulders again, where she continued to arrange and settle it, with a good deal of jauntiness and elegance, while she listened to the talk of the gentleman. Biddy guessed that this little transaction took place very frequently, and was not unaware of its giving the old lady a droll, factitious, faded appearance, as if she were sin

added while the two, smiling, looked each other u

so different." Nick's friend had a great deal of manner, as wa

s that. Don't we both live in London, a

t live in the nineteenth century. Jam

London

eerfully, hospitably, at Biddy; not because it was she, she easily guessed, but because it was in his nature to desire a second auditor-a kind of sympathetic gall

hat I adore?" Nich

enough what

do myself. There w

gs-many, many: that's wha

find it

you think so? Ah it was high time I should

uck his sister and made her wonder still more why, if the

mysterious personage went on. "It's a house of strange ido

ility with others. Her arms hung at her sides, her head was bent, her face lowered, so that she had an odd appearance of raising her eyes from under her brows; and in this attitude she was striking, though her air was so unconciliatory as almost to seem dangerous. Did it express resentment at having been abandoned for another girl? Biddy, who began to be frightened-there was a moment when the neglected creature resembled a tigress about to spring-was tempted to cry out that she had no wish whatever to appropriate the gentleman. Then she made the discovery that the young lady too had a manner, almost as much as her

life as mine may be said to have a direction. Where there's anything to f

o get hold of yo

ntellectual adventure. Those are the currents-any

iddy's surprise. A moment before, when his friend had said that he tried to b

should you? Let us remain together unless I interfere"-and he looked, smiling and interrogative, at Biddy, who still remained blank, only noting again that Nick forbore to

e said, "unless on my side

g them to the door. I shall come back." With this Nick's friend rejoined his companions, who moved away with h

re they?" Biddy

nd if he was really one why didn't he introduce him? But Biddy wouldn't for the world have put this question, and he now moved to the nearest bench and dropped

to mother?" the girl aske

think?" He asked it

on to be about-abou

other would think it the sort of thing

ith the eagerness with which she again b

e was thought immense fun there. We've diverged, as he says, and I had almost lost sight of him, but not

ind of

t of n

ort of

o this so receptively that she thought it perverse her brother sh

Peter's nothing to me. Bu

n and then said: "It does

she e

. On the contrary

her it was singular she should have attached such importance to this contingency. The odd young man reappeared, and now that she saw him without his queer female appendages he seemed personally less weird. He struck her moreover, as generally a go

e?" Mr. Nash inquired, leaning ov

that his tone didn't, and this made her answer him more

ests you? You find th

like some

ndly. "I hoped you'd say y

t think you expected it

" Biddy p

" their visitor pronounced in the tone of

if you don't like t

rt of thing!" Mr. Nash continued. "We must feel ever

hen?" Nick demanded with a

d complaint I used to make of you? You had formulas that were like wa

fonder of a generalisation than you. You turned them of

ild oats. I've

all se

ame, scanty, homely growth. My only

l see th

s, I know, are for the most part the things they do-but mine are all the things I don't do. There are so many

t which surprised his sister, Mr. Nash's discourse s

id the young man with his explanatory smile

show your feeli

t?" Nash asked. "Those operate no

n you like

t I look only at

u've lost the noble

ash, "we've only one life that we know anything about: fancy taking it up

by the agreeable

he multiplication of those moments. We must

it was now Biddy's turn to make him open his eyes a lit

any wrongs in the world-a

many! That's why

the choice?" Biddy asked. "That's Nick's," she

ll kinds of machinery for that-very complicated and in

t got any!" Nick no

h went on. "We pay too much attention to the ugly; we notice it, we magn

e you get hold of the

of appreciation. We must train our special sense. It's capabl

e is no affirmation of it, if it all goes to the negative,

equence. That's the most important one we have to d

ut she had not gone far before, pausing and turning, she bent her eyes on the speaker with a hei

tat civil. These things are a part of the complicated ingenious machinery. As I say, I keep to the simplest way

amined her statue, and her brother sa

I shall neve

onsistent. That book of yours is anything bu

remely ashamed of that b

Buddhist and have done with

ne only deprives other people of their dearest occupation. Let me add that you don't begin to have an insight into

s. You must distinguish," Nick objected. "The observer's

. But from the moment it's for the convenience of others the signs have to be grosser, the shades begin to go. That's a deplorable hour! Literature, you s

tics?" Ni

still examining her statue. Biddy was divided between irritation and curiosity. She had interposed space, but

far more for the convenience of oth

swer: "It has simply nothing in life to do wit

ll further on her courage. "Won't mamma b

and Mr. Nash broke out: "You ought

him?" Bid

rd he had! But I've seen it

able of that?

like listening to a nigh

ere beautiful,"

his bright colloquial air: "But, Miss Dormer, he had eyes. He was made

returned, wondering a little

your having a 'side'-you, you-and spending your days and your nights lookin

ome day a great sta

it's exactly what

you admire the

aking one's way which society certainly cond

e world is bett

said: "Gabriel Nash is better! You must come and

y to Biddy while they went and the girl wondere