To-morrow?

women's skirts hardly made any sound on the thick carpet, the room was large, and the pia

now,

second night after my return to England. I had dined with the Grants, and now in this dim, sec

, Victor; not

what do

earest," she a

dark eyebrow, that the blue eyes looked straight out in front of her, her

id. "Why not at

for some time,

riage, and you said it could not be; now you

d she was not looking at me. I was si

ng yourself? You knew all the circumstances, and you acquiesced in m

self with a ridiculous, petty idea of revenge?" and she laughed a slig

? There is no

your s

s it, deares

s seemingly with reluctance, and a slight flush crept

heal

ther. In those few seconds of silence all sorts of apprehensions and fears had crowded in upon me. Her he

ing, and bending down farther over her. "You don't mean

and then laughed too. A

ng up, you can at any rate tell from my l

t seen her on my return. Yes; I remembered I had thought her looking fearfully

hair were as smooth, as downy, but far less dimpled than when I had seen them in Paris. Round the throat I could trace now the clavicles, formerly invisible, and lower, at the edge of her bodice, the depression in the centre of the soft breast was wider. Yes; she was ve

?" she said, as she raised her eyes sud

away, and then said merely

much as to say, "You might have arri

ngly, "this is all very serio

that was resting on the top of her chair, and looking up at me with her brilliant, clever e

y knew whether the pain of them was drowned in the pleasure

matter, but since you hint it-yes, I admit-if it prevented our marriage, if it came between us now, Lucia,

lips came into my wrist. She seemed half inclined to yawn, and the delicate left hand, w

own, a collapse of the system. See my hand when I hold it up, how it shakes? I can't control that, and my heart beats wildly at the slightest

and the nearest lamp; it quivered violently, as she said, and looked transparent

ignantly, "release it!

issed it passionately across the tiny knuckles and in the palm. It fell nerveless in

hat is th

ready to sink over

ng you, just this minute,

beating violently; the red geraniums against her brea

y heart sank suddenly with a vague, in defina

a kiss? Not here; somewhere in the past that I had neglected and refused. And the contrast between the two images struck me like a lash across

hat, our marriage and a long rest, in which you would do nothing but amuse yourself, would be the best thing. Make up your mind, Lucia, to

es

t does he

acid, and strychnine through the day, and

e so foolish?" I exclaimed. "It's m

doctor," she an

I said, flushing. "Come, dearest, let us sett

r. I can't settle

ast give m

ou what I have

ave no idea when w

ave just

t perhaps, also, the sudden tension in the arm beneath her head. She raised her eyes with a gleam of the

. I will give you some certain date the moment I can, when I a

lids and nostrils in the up-turned face quivered, the lips parted,

ow long? Is it days, weeks,

. I can not fix it nearer. It is b

chair, and she doubled one of her white, round arms on the wicker-work to form a support. I stood silent, irritated, disappointed, perp

f Hyacinthus" now it is finished: see the result of last

t to see it very

first. I should like you to come to it prejudiced, with y

at the Acad

not been rejected-simply, I could not get it finished in time for pre

are you going

it next year

sappointme

e grows more philosophic, more contented with what is thrown in one's way, and less disappointed when one's hopes and expectations are not realised. Judging by those things whic

red, and had the sound o

epressed frame

u. Well, will you come to-morrow about eleven, and then af

hall be d

o take our carriage, so

ng silence. Not broken, in fact, until ther

room, I came round and took her

partly influenced by the contact of that delicious hand, and prompted by my own impulse, and partly delib

rmula, 'Good-night,' to be said between u

oloured painfully up to the heavy eyes, whether from confusion or pleasure or passion I co

osed face, and my brain feeling literally on fire. The perplexity, mystery, uncertainty, and irritation which Lucia's illness and manner had poured suddenly in upon the

the door and the night air. In the hall I recognised, standing waiting for his carriage, a familiar figure. It was a ma

. Are you game for a walk? If so, send the carriage home and com

airs. The other men and women

gratulations were the order of the day!" he

ink where I get these confounded headaches," I muttered, pushing the hair up off my forehea

to suppress, and the flush it drove to my face, he debated my sobriety

et me get my over coat

the bottom of the steps, and turned to walk towards my place. As

fully upset. Wha

bout women, they never will speak out nor come to the point. It is the one great fault of the sex. I despise i

to be so uncommonly direct in speech as you are! You have a way of very much going to the poin

the greater the pleasure they have. They will carry on a conversation for hours by hints, suggestions, ambiguous terms, allusions, phrases that may mean anything or nothing, and then leave at the end,

his eyebrows

nded, evident

ving. Everything she said to-night, if proved false, she might justify to-morrow by saying, 'Oh, well, of course, I never thought you would take that seriously; I thought you would understand that was a euphemism to save your feelings, and so on; you know one does not say to a person's face one is

what the conversation was," Dick said q

at flowed to it. The moonlight, and the black sha

she won't have anything to do with o

t reason did

ealth; but, as I say, she would not speak out

enance;' it lies with ourselves. She is obviously not seriously ill; if she hesitates on her own account she must know she has nothing to fear from me; if she hesitates on m

will be seriously ill if you don't look out," Dick answered, r

rything, disgusted with everything! It's the same old story perpetually repeated. All that one fixes one's eyes on in the distance t

-night, Victor! I remember you in

erior is not the reality. I am not one of those things naturally which I command myself into being: existence to me is nothing but a close-fitting,

ad was acute, stunning my brain, and my vision seemed all wrong, as when one h

es this evening! You wouldn't throw up your life now

could. If she had spoken clearly and definitely it would have been different. Whatever statement a woman made to me of any painful facts; or if she came to me with any confession of folly, or change of feeling, or misfortune, or whatever it was, no matter what, I should enter into it and

o use in talk; and the knives twisted backwards

te, and now it was getting towards morning. We verged directly towards Knightsbridge;

has not seen you for a year, remember. It is all very well for you to talk of to-the-point confessions and plain statements, bu

is an artificiality; admirable, useful, excellent as a daily conventional rule, but it should yield when there is a great natural question at issue. Modesty! a fictitious

ked Dick. "I am not saying whe

rejudice and bringing up of her own rank. And I suppose I do like it and expect it, certainly, as a general rule; only, when the thing on hand is very important,

lau

ence will come by degrees, if you don't lose your self-command with her; but I'd advise you to be careful. The way in

d contem

e of myself when I am with her. But as to gaining her confidence, that is impossible before the ceremony, I believe. She has been brought up in that monstrous idea, like the rest of our fashionable girls, that the man into whose possession she is to give herself utterly with the ceremony, up to the last moment before it, is to be treated with the most absolute reserve. The contrast is too ludicrous-driven to the point of exa

reen Park and top of Piccadilly. As it fell from the cloudy, neutral-tinted sky, it showed o

ed one of the remnant of some wrecked vessel, drifting at dawn along a sullen coast. She drifted somewhat faster up to us

oney with you,

going to give any t

he natural, florid, unstudied eloquence of the lower orders was at her command, and well-turned periods of perfect abuse and neat incisive remarks upon our characters, our person

silence of the street. At last a porter on his way to work passed us, and she

ary, Victor! How would some of those

ughe

l sneer, but vile language has nothin

" he added after a minute, "that a creature like that and the

how it does not strike me more with reference to woman than to ourselves. I mean it does not s

f those houses is yours

answered, as we w

have turned

he hall was in nether darkness. We found our way to the foot of the stairs, where an u

's your man," and a groa

servant got on his feet. "Why do you turn the lights out? However, it's just as well you are here. Bri

s,

I said as we went upstairs. "There's an awfully comfortable

o you remember, when we were camping out at Shikarpu

bothered about anything. I ha

Walters followed us in a few seconds and set a tray of glasses and bottles on the table. I flung off my overcoat and sat

they are not bad, and take whatever you like to drink

thing for your head," remarked Dic

o confounde

then. Really, I would advise you

ucia," I asked, when Dick had stretched himself on the sofa and started his cigar. "What puzzles me so is the great change in her-a change apparently in the who

nod

there, perhaps, but I thought it unwise. We hardly knew where we were as it was. She seemed utterly weak, and I felt she might say things in those moments she would be fearfully cut up to remember afterwards. It seemed dishonourable in my shackled, circumscribed position to lead her any farther on. That was my idea-perhaps it was mistaken-I don'

ife, opportunities, our own powers, health, youth, they are all things you can't store for the future. All we can do is to use them when they are put into our hands. Still less can we reserve and warehouse our own feelings and emotions, and least of all, those of others. You might compare passion to a gas. If you a

ldness and weight in his words and ton

isis of her passion, there is an enormous probability that, in waiting, her virtue or her inclination or her health will break down. Either her feelings may transport her into some folly or they may cool. If her will is too strong to al

His manner, voice, and words conveyed such an idea

hat is it. Well, that is what s

not wond

hotly as

last year-people may say so; but if I had given in and kept her wi

lau

t you can get in the moment, because of what you may be called upon to pay hereafter. At any rate, it may not be the luckiest nor the happiest. But still, in the case of a man who has many equally strong wishes, it is difficult t

e human brain, nor can I simplify it. I know what I am going to do now. Having secured the work, I am going to gain Lucia too, if it is i

u will get over it: we all do

sibly," I

discuss a contingency I

h. "That he can command; and for the rest-purchasable pleasures-those he can command. The

ilence, the

ot so likely to fall in love again after it; just as, after vaccination, you are no

ing. In my present state I was

awfully seedy. Hadn't you better turn in and try and get some

said, getting up. I turned on

hat the ultimate, fu

'" answered Dick, with a laugh, as he t

said, depositing them on his fee

. Thanks!

d ni

awoke the following morning and looked round it was past ten. Dick had gone. I looked at the couch, it was empty, and a note was stuck by his p

k at my place by nine, so I am departing like the guest of an Arab. If you have

find readers on the asphalt-that quarter of my sky was clear. As for the sudden darkening squall that had sprung up in the other quarter, formerly so serene, the quarter over which reigned Lucia's star-it was only a squall, it would pass. She must be capable of being roused again to those feelings she had once known. And if I had nothing else, I had, at least, in my favour the sheer force and intensity of my own passion-which is, after all, the weapon under which a woman quickest sinks. I felt

had over a man who was accustomed to acknowledge and recognise pleasure under a hundred names. I felt the impetus of this undiffused, undissipated passion, in its und

y!" I thought, as I finished dressing and went downstairs. My father was reading th

th, because another man had told him so, he took it for granted that I had some talent. And all the time we had lived together he had hesitated to form that opinion from first-hand knowledge. Extraordinary trait in human nature, this liking to be thought for, instead of thinking for yourself! This waiting

me immensely when brought before me, and it did now in my father's case. He assumed, as innumerable people do, that success or failure proves or disproves merit, which is such a curious

fort, as others seem to regard it. Your judgment may be wrong, so may your opinion; your perception may be misled. I understand th

h repeated itself in different forms in half the men one meets, is fascinatingly incomprehensible to me. If I have the opportunity of seeing a man or testing a ring, what do I care, what does it matter to me, whether he is successful or unsuccessful, whether the ring i

es of my success, which made to him hugely big that merit which, before, he could not see at all. Thanks to those spectacles, an easy indulgence was granted me. Little that I could do now was wrong. Another man had thought fit to pay me for my powers. That elevated me in his estimation as the powers themselves never had done. He had no longer any wish apparently

d, as we drew our chairs to the table.

ew minutes are of

get up. I hope I didn't wake you coming home last night? That idiot Walters must needs tur

ers more than me!" he returned. "No; I didn't hea

"Yes; Dick and I walked

I had just handed him, and looking at me. "Don't

I replied, wit

t yourself. It saves discussion being wasted upon that which you are really agre

rprised, and did not answer

the intermediate gradations, within twenty-four hours, but really," I added, meeting his eyes across the break

a second, an

ract

ould have used, but it s

hat fetches you as much as anything

e all those things weighed at first, but, as a matter of fact, no

ur own obstinacy,"

Theoretically, Lucia has belonged to me the past four years. An idea, a ha

into the silence of defeat or of co

orning?" I said, after a long silence. "S

omething to do here. I'm afraid of

with eleva

agine the gaiety of Pa

enty of amusement there," he an

our of the whole time that was not spent

lau

a statement with a large reservation of their own opinion on the details of it. However, I did not care. I had wor

d to be back," I said. "I always look

ng beside Lucia as we drove to the Academy, I studied her closely in the sharp morning light, and I was alarmed at the pallor and exhaustion of her face. I am not an admirer of ill-h

edical man, Lu

you wish

atisfied that he

er not to tell

hy

she said simply, i

t a suffici

s," she returned frigidly,

u trouble to get this particular woman above everything? Fifty women that you meet in the course of a week are as pretty-possibly of more

calm self-possession. That excess of pride and dignity and supercilious arrogance that in Lucia replaced, at times, her seductive plasticity at others, had always exercised a violent attraction

ed mechanically the crush of traffic on ahead, Dick's remark on my brutality recurred to me, and I force

will consider it suff

me full for a minute in silence, then, failing to discover a trace of the savage irr

red fellow, Victor!" at whi

n was at its hottest, and the crowds within the rooms at their thickest. The air seemed lifeless and laden with dust, swept up by the women's dresses, and filled with a mixture

cept to glance at me and make me refer to a name in the catalogue, and the women who passed her were able to scrutinise her dress

ometimes favourably, sometimes the reverse; but noticed she must infallibly be. An exceptionally beautiful figure, a certain extravagance in dress, and an unusually fair skin made her conspicuous where far more regular fac

ion to notice one's friends here. One should not be suppose

prominent canvas. A nude female figure stood upright, facing the spectator, with both arms upraised to fasten

ber, looked it up in the catalogue, and read to her "The Toilette." "Before the t

stood silent looking at the shadowy representation of human

re of the year!" remarked

c!" murmured anoth

ng?" said Lucia. "No living

swered, un

, brilliant, mocking

ought to have sai

d, and th

ell, really, I answered

pologise! Le

o readily. I looked round desperately. The lounge behind was fi

drawing her arm more through mine. It lea

t stand the heat-we must g

seem very ea

sing up eagerly to catch a glimpse of the popular pai

ell back from us; heads were turned from the canvas towards Lucia. There was an exit

said beh

e the greatest art

er!" came a g

white lips sm

Victor," she

er days drag

ear the words I thirsted for, but she persistently refused to say anything of herself or her health or her wishes. I might see her as often as

he autumn. There was no fresh impetus in my brain toward writing another. All my thoughts centred now ro

adually these headaches lengthened, till they stretched throughout the tedious, desultory hours; and one stifling August afternoon, lying, dizzy

ak. When the evening came, I felt unfit even to go and see her, and it was later than I intended the next morning when I reached the house. I had made myself later, too, by stopping on the way to get her some flowers. There was little in the shop worth having but some lilies, all price, scent, and brilliance. I took th

ar her that suggested or made possible the supposition of work or even occupation. Every book was ranged in different cases in remote corners of the room. Not a newspaper, nor blotting-book, nor pen, lay on the table. She was sitting in an armchair facing the window, her knees cross

" I added, as she made a movement to rise, and to obviate her doing so, I dropped in

nks, Victor. These are love

I wanted something extraord

have more beauti

eauty unless there is some peculiarity abou

m into the front of her bodice, a difficult work,

rfectly capable of

brought an ironical smile to my lips-

a flower!" I thought, satirically, as I watched her in silence, and remembered the mis

eaning my elbow on the arm of her chair, and looking into the soft

s usual, I suppo

w you take it," I sai

me to say

tled. She fixed her eyes upon me, and the colour began to recede vi

ing away, I shall ha

ace certainly as far as I am concerned, for if I

o an upright posi

d eyes upon me, "what are you talking about? What

through my nerves and frame like flame. It seemed to confuse and scatter speech, swee

side, put it round the low exquisite waist and tried to draw her towards me. But

her face changing uncertainly from white to scarlet, her eyes meeting mine with a fugitive alarm,

nt my own self-command slipping from me, and if I did not keep that, my real object would be lost in this useless sort of coquetry, or possibly a quarrel. I wanted all my

to the heaving, panting bosom; "if we are engaged, you know, I

y, "there is no right except wha

no heed to her request, except to tig

to restrain the muscles in my arm and regulate their pressure. The blood

not go. Lucia, there is only one si

it?" she

m now. The colour was hot in h

finite and definitive

u do torture me! It worries

I say, settle something, and d

er soft, flushed face as far from me as she could, so successfully that there was little view of

things go on

where passion had blocked access to any of the tenderer, imper

at the swelling neck with the faint blue veins visible in its transparency, and thou

can I run the risk of losing the little brains I possess, which is ext

turning her head from side t

I could look into her face, and our eyes met. She

this!" she said, evasively, and she d

ad happened, whatever she had done, whatever I had heard of her or from her, I should love her still. Has anything occurred since you were with me in Paris that you are afraid to tell me of? Has anyone

and self-reliance. I had my answer in her face. It was the face of a woman whose virtue is absolutely invulnerable, and whose honour is unshadowed, and who has suf

I have been in love with two men at the same time? No; nothing of my own will nor my ow

ody, for inflicting this year upon me! Now,

reason," I returned. "Last year I

nder it, but I turned my eyes away from her and stared fixedly at the c

d of telling you I must get bet

t getting bette

e four months you have bee

n suddenly, the lips were quivering, and the eyes brimming with

u from your promise to me?" I said, bend

ok the lovely breast beneat

passionately; "y

between that or our mar

ur months of alternate excitation and resistance to be determined now. My difficulty was not to avoid being too tender, but to check myself from being too harsh. Had I heard my own words in cool bl

en we can marry later, when you come bac

ned. "So long as I am engaged to you, Lucia, my whole life is

o lead any life you plea

stically; "but your permissio

d aloud. "I cannot argue the point with you;

t two lovely arms and hands sink over the s

rently, that she w

t, "I will promise this, if it will simplify matters-you shall continue to li

kly, as I spoke, with

said, coldly, and the unveiled

lus

iefly. "This indefinite state o

she said violently, the scarlet fl

relations as those after marriage, and you

ged my shoulde

answer, Lucia," I sai

cannot giv

e town to-mo

onvulsive sobs and tears-sobs that seemed to tear her breast asunder, and tears that

ss me in this way!" she sobbed, trying with both hot, trembli

ught her tears would induce me to hesitate or to desist, she was wrong. They were to me simply a favourable sign of her weakness, and urged me to press my advantage. I felt instinctively that it would not do t

rself would be glad to be forced to give it up. Besides, even if my reason had n

s she sobbed with her head strained away f

our decisi

she murmured, in a v

me some f

this. I will tel

erred it from week to wee

n only by the

mined not to lo

repeated af

handkerchief," she said, turnin

n handkerchief from her pocket, sitting as she was with my arm round her. I drew out mine and dried the wet eyes, a

me, de

, Vic

e d

t da

of next month,"

led quiver sho

lly settle it withou

u can, a

know how lo

ly three wee

the thi

s when my book appears in Paris, that'

teenth is

in by all this

t, perhaps, into my tone. She did not answer, but began to cry again

ost unkind

be the t

you to be like

t it as the

e whole morning had slipped away. I should infallibl

uc

, Vic

the thi

n't k

ell you t

sed my lips on hers, wet, ice-cold, and quivering. If there is anything in magnetism, or power to subdue another's volition, it ought to have acted ful

s," I i

dumbly under mine; her breast swelled against mi

I pressed he

, or mere passion-and I am inclined t

vulsive murmur, that was only just audible

pro

olutely. Oh, let me

ps as if to cross the room, staggered, and, before I could reach her, fell heavily her full length along the floor. Her head, with its soft mass of bright hair, struck the ground almost at my feet, the pale face, drenched with tears, turned upward

, she turned to me with a blaze of anger in her eyes. "What have you been saying?"

and unfastened the collar of her dre

and Mrs. Grant raised her face again

l you kindly leave this room. Yo

ead and the stone-white face seemed to multiply into a tho

ght over and over to mysel

ng but Lucia herself was forgotten. My consciousness seemed suspended almost as completely

e, Victor," sh

?" I murmured.

he is b

her tones like ice. I saw she was unwill

eak to her fo

ook with suppressed indignation. "She tells me she has fixed the thirteenth for your marriag

n't care two d--s what you t

ng going on as it has been doing? I have offered to release her from the engagement if she wishes, and in that ca

eyebrows rela

aid, with a sigh. "Only we must be car

something that was not

I said, gently, "to hear of he

or a hansom. Now I had pushed matters to the point, I had not delayed nor put off action in this case, and I had attained the

for a crawler, above the noise of the London thoroughfare, her own words to me in Paris rang with terrible

believe

ught, as I hailed a co

into the cab, and, in the hopes of an over-fare, he began lashing his horse across the he

et out," I said, angrily, as the poor

t you was in a 'urry, sir

tered, relapsing into my own thoughts, c

did not succeed. I was told she had already gone to bed, but she had left a message for me, and not a word was said abo

r mind. It is extraordinary; women seem to have as great an aver

two other fellows, one of whom was a stranger to me. As I made the convenient fourth, we played a rubber at whist. After this it seemed generally voted that the weather was too fatiguing for the strain of whist, and an adjournment was made to an open window, chairs, and drinks. I was p

e was a young fellow, and I had gathered from to-

sked, with a sort

you know. I saw him last night in the ward. Shan't see him there to-morrow night, I expect," he added with a

the death, I thou

curiosity's worn out. However, I may come in for the sho

r this remark, which made the young

rd to die,' he goes on, 'at twenty-three! Can nothing save me? It seems so hard at twenty-t

oke for the minute,

whine over it-'Oh, I'd do so differently if I had my time over again!' I said to him last night, 'Now,

?" I asked. "What is

," he a

ked at me. The speaker glanced at

u know

" I answer

olou

sorry

hat concerns him is quite a

consent, the topic was not renewed. The men

f indifference to me. I did not feel one pulse of sorrow or regret. It is strange how completely and entir

r track of a past affection does not exist. He had, as I had told him, cut out our friends

urvive all dead attachments, all broken friendships. Certainly, according to tradition, it seemed as if I ought n

, some recollections of first days together, and so on. But there was non

showed the hardness of the heart, or the magnitude of the offence, or the poor quality of the emotion itself; and

cross at me

ard, I believe Thompson could

as low and

y eyebrows

I want to s

ised, and then sa

very great frie

aug

t there is a great dea

ut the announcement of Howard's deat

odd

at the Club

t? They don

id; "they

t wa

ces

it, but Howard's death was in both our thoughts,

elf-control," and then he added afterwards, as if struck by a sudden ame

ht. "By Jove, not

rug at him as we stood by the fire, "that the existence of a lion

paper suddenly

tand-I-you don'

est course. Howard has just died, raving mad, for giving way

I am sorry, Victor, if-You don't

anning my face anxiously for t

" I said. "That's all right, but I am seedy a