The Convert

his announcement, his own colourless presence was masked, wiped out-not as the company had expected by the apparition of a man, but by a tall, li

to wear) no single thing about her could at all adequately account for the air of what, for lack of a better term, may be called acce

he but known it, that her coming was not

lags, and the greeting of the host and hostess, cordial to the point of affection-the various handshakings, the discreet winding through the groups of a footman with a fresh teapot, the Bedlington's

of my brother and his wif

red. 'I thought the Freddys were com

k of the chair that Paul Filey had drawn up for her between

ood trains before din

the new-comer into the nearest of the outstretched hands-'didn't I tell yo

Borrodaile's slightly mocking, 'Anyth

ildren-nor much of anythin

ss the table. 'I went on to the Freddys' after the Royal Academy. No!' she put her cup

ord Borrodaile, deliberately, 'is a very b

nk y

interdiction, were pursuing the sub

y is one asp

Velasquez-like use

went on imperturbably, 'were having a teafig

id their uncle, 'that S

e w

y John, with an interest half am

a mom

but I imagine she is rather perturbed;' and Lady John glanc

ou see, she's taken it all quite

with the same significant smile as that lady's own-'Yes, she'

s end of the table Paul Filey had begun to describe the new one-man show of caricatures of famous people just opened in Bond Street. The 'mordant genius,' as he called it, of this new man-an American Jew-offered an irres

rnly as his urbanity permitted-'let us hope this

ned in it!' Vida q

ady John, 'that it has come just in time

rnest, feeling that the conversation on the other side had grown to

man Suffrage precip

Vida Levering raised her da

' demanded

d say mu

followed the wandering attention of his audience-'from the point of view of the artist,' he repeated, 'it would be inte

Mrs. Freddy further rending, 'we've been talking about this pub

'You haven't seen Joey's new accomplishment. They're only di

lery of the Hou

denly with an air of cheerful surprise at having at last hit o

at, next to a great enthusiasm shared, nothing so draws human creatures together as a goo

y from Sophia and say, in a tone wh

to hear yo

sition by asking sweetl

t it does need saying when

s. Fredd

brother-in-law, who was known to be in reality a great ally of hers-even Lor

ing unmercifully chaffe

it any longer a subject f

outbreak. At the time of the first disturbance-where

ring; 'I almost think

an ignorant little factory girl presuming to stand up in

ing to, I'm sure!' said Borr

,' said his host, with convic

oubt!' echoed M

is particular form of femin

to-for several people

very midst of a group of school-boys. Its sudden presence there stirred even the sluggish to unwonted

atures!' 'The Shrieking Sisterhood!' etc., in which the kindest phrase was Lord John's repeated,

It must give men a quite horrid idea

rbearance-'we don't confound a handful of

dle of a spirited account of th

an, and the policeman carried he

hanged looks of hor

n, with disgust, 'we saw

Hermione did, to summon a witness to her detestati

omething about women's clothes-especially their hat

kers,' was Lady Sophia's cont

reed, 'that a woman in a scrimma

d Farnborough. 'She's jus

ading than this public spectacle of--' Borrodaile lifted his high shoulders higher still, with an effect of intense discomfort. 'It never but once came my

o be dissuaded from seein

up a peck of hairpi

ould very well stand, Miss Levering leaned sideways,

f Siegfried. How glad I am to be in

een a movement to take the ap

rvating heat, that kept the company in

her clothes half torn off, her hair down her back, her fa

nd and look on at such a hideo

telling you how Wilkinson

nson happen to be th

said he'd seen some revolting things in his time, but the scrimmage of the steward

hose girls?' It was Miss Levering speaking. She seemed to have abandoned the hope of being ta

er as if he resented the note of

lunatic,' he said, 'as for

they mind,' said Herm

women. They're sexless mon

of them?' Vida

othing less than aghast

've seen

en fo

one and listened to the

ook like a

such abominations,' said Vida, 'I thought

d saying to Lord John in

od for 'em. I'd give

romptly, with an accent that brought dow

e matter with the woman?-his vaguely bewildered face s

gine,' said Filey, 'to go a

of being a tolerable sportsman or even a player of games, Miss

and he drew her chair out of her way, 'even if we don't know m

wn?' said Lady Sophia, getting up briskly. 'You

up round to Lady John, not seeming to see

orough found himself carried

th?' said Lady S

ped halfway across the lawn and

ll see. He's safe to sit there and talk to

hn. 'I can't think how a woman like that

arden, Vida?' Lady John asked. 'It

wallowed his belated cup of tea with surprising quickness after saying, 'What's a yellow garden?' in the unmistakable

you show Mr. Filey the garden. And maybe,

pected in a gardener, he pulled his long, slackly-put-tog

earshot, 'What's the m

tte

ul say to make you fal

fall upon"

I rather tho

did jar on me, just a litt

boy. Paul is

borough, too-talking about w

they me

general with overmuch respect when there are only men present-but-do you think it'

at sort of woman! Have

the one at tea for a week now, and I've said as much against those women as anybody.

did about Garrick. You won't allow any

whole trivial busine

is book. Let us go and join them in the garden. See if y

on. A gate of old Florentine scrolled iron opened suddenly upon a blaze of yellow in all the shades from the orange velv

iley, who had been in all sorts of queer places, said the yellow garden made him think of a Mexi

, 'Yes. It's a goo

lost no time in finding a place for himself by Miss Levering, while Hermione trailed dutifully round the garden with the others. Occasionally she looked over her shoulder at the two on

yed with me,' he was

not deny th

s, that when I see her stepping down from her pedestal I--' the hands indicated consternation, followed hard by cataclysmi

nothing to

ore than most people-you'd simply loathe the sort of thing w

on't go all

hingly. 'I can feel it to my very spi

ne cast backward as Lady John halted her party a moment near the

?' Vida called out to the g

ite well. Slowly she retraced her steps down t

There was nothing Paul Filey liked better than an audience, and he had already the impr

ready,' Miss Levering said to the niece of the hou

one, suavely, 'that one ever get

eiving the new occupant of the seat as a soul worthy of high fellowship. Then he leaned acr

you were writ

tract from 'A Plea for the ?sthetic Basis.' 'Nothing worse can happen to the world than loss of its sense of Beauty. Men, high and low alike, cling to it still as incarnated in women.' (Hermione crossed her pointed toes and lowered her long eyelashes.) 'We have made Woman the object of our deepest adoration! We have set her high on a throne of gold. We have searched through the world for jewels to crown her. We have built millions of

amended Herm

ey force their way into men's work, they crowd into the universities-yes, yes' (in vain Hermione tried to reassure him by 'exceptions')-'Beauty is nothing to them! They fling aside their delicate, provocative draperies, they

g. 'Nobody ever tells me why. I can't beli

I

all those beautiful things-knowing beforehand they'l

should like to ask, are we men to look upon our homes as dusty din-filled camps on the field of battle, or as holy temples of Pe

the air of one painstakingly

iley n

ew-

ew,' he repeated, 'they would go back to their thrones, and, with the sceptre of beauty i

' said Mis

them.' As Miss Levering made no rejoinder, 'Wh

y as though to see how far he was conscious of the fatuity of

one tell me wh

iling woman in the corner, 'perhaps there's

wed,' he began, with an air of

ners. 'Wait a moment!' Vida called, and went swiftly down the grass path. He had turned and was advancing to meet her. 'No, come away,' she said under he

thing th

ruf

His tone was as seren

ral p

ht you were n

not,

e green aisle between two den

are here,' she s

ced at

luck. It's

anged it? We

. 'We get on rather well toget

l as if I'd known you for years

xcept that I'm always a little nervous w

he frowned.

id you'll have s

t ne

s going to be interrupted if not broken by some on

n't agree wi

patience, 'and I'm very sure you will! But I shan't like it'

riment I shal

ve. 'I've heard more than one young woman say t

is

witching at the wild h

no right to suppose you are

n consider marrying-so that I sha

before. He made an effort to put aside t

y people can't be

of the futur

such thing a

th. If it's only a garden, it's natural to l

you'll be trying the great ex

she asked curiously; 'yo

o you

ive me such a

mself up. 'Or perhaps I s

e sometimes wished it did. But our friendship

ere's a touch of magic in it.' But, as though to condone

dare say I was

ster's new coachman is stupid about finding short cuts in London, and we

e unemp

uggage to come later. I got out of the brougham and ran through a slum, or I'd have lost my train. I nearly

cond-han

rey-green eyes wore a gleam of interest that

and saw his worn clothes-the coat went up in the middle, and had that despairing sag on both sides-it crossed my mind, here's another of

sn't one

he little rider's feet touched the pavement. They even trailed and lurched, as the horse went on, in that funny, spasmodic gait. The child had to half walk, or, rather, make the motions-you know, without actually bearing any of even his own weight. The slack-shouldered man did it all. I crossed to the other side of the street, and stood and watched them till, as I say, I nearly lost my train. The dingy workman, smoking imperturbably, dragging the grotesque, almost hidden, horse-the delighted child in the flapping sun-bonnet-the crisis when they came to the cros

yes and looked at her. Witho

man. He pointed out a curious effect of the l

'-and he flung a stone in pas

y found Lady John wit

But I mustn't go any further.' Lady John consulted her watch. 'The rest

The girl had caught sight of Farnborough be

ey're trying in the dogcart,' said Her

companion kept at

at I shall at last make ac

met, especially as she knows your

so little i

'each time to get that crusty old Covenanter, Jean's grandfather, to allow her

cut short

sterday with a chill, and her temperatu

iss Levering. 'I

taking over another of her guests. Of

er?' Miss Leve

s he's been promising for ages to come here, it's been arranged t

ns, looking straight in front of her. As Lady Joh

reature.' Then, as though acting on a sudden impulse, Vida paused. 'You mustn't mind, La

th a gentle but unmistakable de

east need for. But the carriage shall wait and bring

l I've seen Mary. But may my

unp

ve to send fo

atulating myself on having you, since I knew Geoffrey Stonor was coming.' Again she glance

other slackened pace. She seemed

est. Mr. Farnborough!' she waved to him as the cart came in sight, 'Wait! Good-bye! Forgive my rushing off, won't you?' she called back over her

she hastened in the opposite direction. Already some sense see

ared so much for that

really does?' said