The Tragic Muse

forbear to invite her, little as the exhibition at Madame Carré's could have contributed to render the invitation prompt. His curiosity had been more appeased than

-four hours that followed the ultimate dispersal of th

odical, and Sherringham trod them good-humouredly enough and not too fast, leaning a little to talk with Miriam as he went. Their pace was regulated by her mother's, who advanced on the arm of Gabriel Nash (Nick Dormer w

bly well connected" in England, but going out for their meals. The girl was but indirectly communicative; though seemingly less from any plan of secrecy than from the habit of associating with people whom she didn't honour with her confidence. She was fragmentary and abrupt, as well as not in the least shy, subdued to dread of Madame Carré as she had been for the time. She gave Sherringham a reason for this fear, and he thought her reason innocently pretentious. "S

ham had occasionally traversed the high dimness, but had never noticed the tall, stale maison meublée, the aspect of which, that of a third-rate provincial inn, was an illustration of Mrs.

cousin, dropped with a flash of passion the demand: "Do you wonder

mother's insinuating gentility failed to put the occasion on that footing-and that she must therefore be assumed to have been brought to show them something. She was not subdued, not colourless enough to sit there for nothing, or even for conversation-the sort of conversation that was likely to come off-so that it was inevitable to treat her position as connected with the principal place on the carpet, with silence and attention and the

ling the company with specimens, both familiar and fresh, of Longfellow, Lowell, Whittier, Holmes, and of two or three poetesses now revealed to Sherringham for the first time. She flowed so copiously, keeping the floor and rejoicing visibly in her luck, that her host was mainly occupied with wondering how he could make her leave off. He was surprised at the extent of her repertory, which, in view of the circumstance that she could never have received much encouragement-it must h

me he had ever remarked it. The space was too small, the cries, the convulsions and rushes of the dishevelled girl were too near. Lady Agnes wore much of the time the countenance she might have shown at the theatre during a play in which pistols were fired; and indeed the manner of the young reciter had become more spasmodic and more explosive. It appeared, however, that the company in general thought her very clever and successful; whi

the Salon with Mr. Dormer. Yes, I know he's your brother. I've made his acquaintance since. He wants to paint my portrait. Do you think he'll do it well?" He was afraid the girl was something of a brute-also somewhat grossly vain. This impression would perhaps have been confirmed if a part of the res

had rather not passer par toute la famille!" Then she added: "If y

rliament now-we on

I

her," Biddy felt herself co

anything," sa

s immense

again replied. "Mr. Nas

of a little dryness as well as of a little m

u needn't

stened. She received their advances very differently from the way she had received Biddy's. Sherringham noticed his young kinswoman turn away, still very red, to go and sit near her mother again, leaving Miriam engaged with the two men. It appeared to have come over her that for a moment she had been strangely spontaneous and bold, and that she had paid a little of the penalty. The seat next her mother was occupied by Mrs. Rooth, toward whom Lady Agnes's head had inclined itself with a preoccupied tolerance. He had the conviction Mrs. Rooth was telling her about the Neville-Nugents of Castle Nugent and that Lady Agnes was thinking it odd she never had heard of them. He said to himself that Biddy was gene

fine; it isn't fine at all," Sherri

thought that was

different," Peter sa

e better. It has always seemed to me you

of their bargain, as it were, that he should present that gentleman to his sister. He was not sorry to be relieved of the office by Nick, and he even tacitly and ironically wished his kinsman's friend joy of a colloquy with Mrs. Dallow. Sherringham's life was spent with people, he was used to people, and both as host and as guest he carried the social burden in general lightly. He could observe, especially in the former capacity, without uneasiness and take the temperature without anxiety. But at present his company oppressed him; he

ging with him; he was so timid and so easily disconcerted. Mr. Nash hereupon dropped into a chair by the arm of her sofa, their companion went away, and Mrs. Dallow turned h

rd if one isn't,

eople are-enough t

asked. "They mightn't find it out for themselves. Of course, however, as you say, there ought to be

affection that isolates and simplifies its object may be distinguished from the affection that seeks communications and contracts for it, Julia Dallow's was quite of the encircling, not to say the narrowing sort. She was not so much jealous as essentially exclusive. She desired no experience for the familiar and yet partly unsounded kinsman in whom she took an interest that she wouldn't have desired for herself; and indeed the cause of her interest in him was partly the vision of his helping her to the particular extensions she did desire-the taste and thrill of great affairs and of public a

le from one moment to another of leaning over the arm of her sofa. She had not the slightest wish to talk with him about himself, and was afraid for an instant that he was on the point of passing from the chapter of his cleverness to that of his timidity. It was a false alarm, however, for he only animadverted on the pleasures of the elegant extract hurled-literally hurlé in general-from the centre of the room at one's defenceless head. He intimated that in his opinion these pleasures were all for the performers. The auditors had at any rate given Miss Rooth a charming afternoon; that of course was what Mrs. Dallow's kind brother had mainly intended in arranging the little party. (Julia hated to hear him call her brother "kind": the term seemed offensively patronising.)

" Mrs. Dallow said. "I know

portraits, their speeches, their autobiographies, their names, their ma

goes to. If they're everywhere"-and she

to offer her any particular reason for crossing to it: she never did such a thing without a great inducement. So she remained standing there as if she were quitting the place in a moment, which indeed she now determined to do; and her interlocutor, rising also, lingered beside her u

icular?" Mrs. D

ople they meet-the tone, the standard. I'm bound to say they're like you: they don't go everywhe

ut not at Miriam Rooth. Nevertheless she presently dropped as in fo

to my friend Dormer

at friends?" Mrs. Dallow

make me hope we s

g, but then went on: "Why shouldn'

s her so much. He

aint

t her po

daresay she'd

's your opinion of her you're not very comp

practise?" sh

h him about it? Ah you

mfortable; but it relieved her to be able to demand of

iled, "but I work in s

us things that she was to hear herself once more pay hi

rk in

nd even to sudden ruptures on the part of those addressed by him, and no man had more the secret of remaining gracefully with his conversational wares on his hands. He saw Mrs. Dallow approach Nick Dormer, who was talking with one of the ladies of the embassy, and apparently signify that she wished to speak to him. He got up and they had a minute's talk, after which he turned and took leave of his fe

ng so he addressed himself to the duty of a few civil words to Lady Agnes. This effort proved vain, for on one side she was defended by the wall of the room and on the other rendered inaccessible by Miriam

r than with h

ry charming,

very be

ever," the g

d this, and he presently took leave of Peter Sherringham, remarking to him as

n by my fate?" S

ot them f

learly and courageously rec

become so," sai

ham brought out with a candou

the purpose!" the latter

om the rest of the company with her daughters. Peter had had very little talk with Biddy, but the girl kept her disappointment out o

dear Biddy!" he answered; and he was conscious that if the occa

so many examples. The Lovicks remained-a colleague and his sociable wife-and Peter gave them a hint that they were not to plant him there only with the two ladies. Miriam quitted Mrs.

re? I feel quite faint. You don't seem to suspe

e and the plates of pretty food. The Lovicks sat with Mrs. Rooth at the other end of the room, and the girl stood at the table, drinking her tea and eating her bread and butter. She consumed these articles so freely that he wondered if she had been truly in want of a meal-if they were so poor as to have to count with that sort of privation. This supposition was softening, but still not so much so as to make him ask her to sit down. She

lerab

bly! I find

u do something very ri

h things did

don't know that I cou

hink it disagreeable," she then said-"I mean a girl always talking about herself." He protested she could never bore him and she added: "Oh I d

ometimes about

s-a longing half hopeless, half argumentative to be believed in. "If one really wants to do anything one must worry it out; of course every

. "When you see the things to do the art of doing them wil

't think me cleve

en I've asked you to

to come, but I've

every one though

me. I don't mind your not having praised me; that would be too banal.

talk to you," Peter

t's kind"; and she l

which made him exclaim: "Every n

ed: "If there's any good to be got from trying, from showing one's self, how can it come unless one hears the

Sherringham risked. She had begun to touch him,

yearning over the table as for something more to eat. Suddenly she r

hat you want

was vile and disgusting to be poor, and if ever she were to know the bliss of having a few francs in her pocket she would make up for it-that she could promise! She had never been acquainted with any one who could tell her anything-if it was good or bad or right or wrong-except Mrs. Delamere and poor Ruggieri. She supposed they had told her a great deal, but perhaps they hadn't, and she was perfectly willing to give it up if it was bad. Evidently Madame Carré thought so; she thought it was horrid. Wasn't it perfectly divine, the way the old woman had said those verses, those speeches of Célie? If she would only let her come and listen to her once in a while like that it was all she would ask. She had got lots of ideas just from that half-hour; she had practised them over, over, and over again, the moment she got home. He might ask her mother-he might ask the people next door. If Madame Carré didn't think she could work, she might have heard, could she have listened at the door, something that would show her. But she didn't think her even good enough to criticise-since that wasn't criticism, telling her her head was

proved by his odd capacity for being of two different minds very nearly at the same time. Miriam was pretty now, with felicities and graces, with charming, unusual eyes. Yes, there were things he could do for her; he had already forgotten the chill of Mr. Nash's irony, of his prophecy. He was even scarce conscious how little in general he liked hints, insinuations, favours asked obliquely and plaintively: that was doubtless also because the girl was suddenly so taking and so fraternising. Perhaps indeed it was unjust to qualify as roundabout the manner in which Miss Rooth conveyed that it was open to him not only to pay for her lessons, but to meet the expense of her nightly attendance with her mother at instructive exhibitions of theatrical art. It was a large order, sending the pair to all the plays; but what Peter now found himself thinking of was not so much its largeness as the possible interest of going with them sometimes and poin

bad o

ays-like Madame Carré. I

"-and Sherringham laughed for the in

it one's self to a loathsome crowd, on a platform, with trumpet

ush and a noble delicacy. "Give it up. You're too good for it," he found him

ver till I'm pel

a bit. I'll take yo

s. Rooth, now crossed the room to them, and the girl went on in the same tone: "Mam

moiselle," said P

ld, respectable, wheedling eyes. "The kindness of every one has been beyond everything. Mr. and Mrs

er of mine," Mr. Lovick

ive, he'll put us up to the rig

mine-such a dear, amusing, clev

she has!" said her husband. "This one is the

ick amiably conceded. "He has gone on the s

but he didn't precisely dazzle his exa

There are lots of gentlemen on

ort to hear that,

you. Has he got a t

n got an engagement," replied the

nest and very good-looking. I just said that if he should come over to see us you

, but I should like his tip

m, while this exchange of remarks, which he had not lost, was

But Mr. Lovick was so gaily ru

" Mrs. Rooth remonstrated as the part

the others-four or five of t

and her voice rang in the staircase-Sherringham attended them a little way-w