’It’stoogoodofyou,——muchtoogoodBecauseyouareconsolingyourselfwithwhatwillneverhappen,andIknowthat,andyetIwanttokeepyouDon’tblamemelater,please。’
  ’I’mgoingintothematterwithmyeyesopenMoreovertheQueencandonowrongItisn’tyourselfishnessthatimpressesmeIt’syouraudacityinproposingtomakeuseofme。’
  ’Pooh!You’reonlyDick,——andaprint-shop。’
  ’Verygood:that’sallIamBut,Maisie,youbelieve,don’tyou,thatIloveyou?Idon’twantyoutohaveanyfalsenotionsaboutbrothersandsisters。’
  Maisielookedupforamomentanddroppedhereyes。
  ’It’sabsurd,but——IbelieveIwishIcouldsendyouawaybeforeyougetangrywithmeBut——butthegirlthatliveswithmeisred-haired,andanimpressionist,andallournotionsclash。’
  ’Sodoours,IthinkNevermindThreemonthsfromto-dayweshallbelaughingatthistogether。’
  Maisieshookherheadmournfully’Iknewyouwouldn’tunderstand,anditwillonlyhurtyoumorewhenyoufindoutLookatmyface,Dick,andtellmewhatyousee。’
  TheystoodupandfacedeachotherforamomentThefogwasgathering,anditstifledtheroarofthetrafficofLondonbeyondtherailingsDickbroughtallhispainfullyacquiredknowledgeoffacestobearontheeyes,mouth,andchinunderneaththeblackvelvettoque。
  ’It’sthesameMaisie,andit’sthesameme,’hesaid’We’vebothnicelittlewillsofourown,andoneorotherofushastobebroken。
  NowaboutthefutureImustcomeandseeyourpicturessomeday,——Isupposewhenthered-hairedgirlisonthepremises。’
  ’SundaysaremybesttimesYoumustcomeonSundaysTherearesuchheapsofthingsIwanttotalkaboutandaskyouradviceabout。
  NowI
  mustgetbacktowork。’
  ’TrytofindoutbeforenextSundaywhatIam,’saidDick’Don’ttakemywordforanythingI’vetoldyouGood-bye,darling,andblessyou。’
  MaisiestoleawaylikealittlegraymouseDickwatchedhertillshewasoutofsight,buthedidnothearhersaytoherself,verysoberly,’I’mawretch,——ahorrid,selfishwretchButit’sDick,andDickwillunderstand。’
  Noonehasyetexplainedwhatactuallyhappenswhenanirresistibleforcemeetstheimmovablepost,thoughmanyhavethoughtdeeply,evenasDickthoughtHetriedtoassurehimselfthatMaisiewouldbeledinafewweeksbyhismerepresenceanddiscoursetoabetterwayofthinkingThenherememberedmuchtoodistinctlyherfaceandallthatwaswrittenonit。
  ’IfIknowanythingofheads,’hesaid,’there’severythinginthatfacebutloveIshallhavetoputthatinmyself;andthatchinandmouthwon’tbewonfornothingButshe’srightSheknowswhatshewants,andshe’sgoingtogetitWhatinsolence!Me!Ofallthepeopleinthewideworld,touseme!Butthenshe’sMaisieThere’snogettingoverthatfact;
  andit’sgoodtoseeheragainThisbusinessmusthavebeensimmeringatthebackofmyheadforyearsShe’llusemeasIusedBinatatPortSaid。
  She’squiterightItwillhurtalittleIshallhavetoseehereverySunday,——likeayoungmancourtingahousemaidShe’ssuretocomearound;andyet——thatmouthisn’tayieldingmouthIshallbewantingtokissherallthetime,andIshallhavetolookatherpictures,——I
  don’tevenknowwhatsortofworkshedoesyet,——andIshallhavetotalkaboutArt,——Woman’sArt!Therefore,particularlyandperpetually,damnallvarietiesofArtItdidmeagoodturnonce,andnowit’sinmywayI’llgohomeanddosomeArt。’
  Half-waytothestudio,Dickwassmittenwithaterriblethought。
  Thefigureofasolitarywomaninthefogsuggestedit。
  ’She’sallaloneinLondon,withared-hairedimpressionistgirl,whoprobablyhasthedigestionofanostrichMostred-hairedpeoplehave。
  Maisie’sabiliouslittlebodyThey’lleatlikelonewomen,——mealsatallhours,andteawithallmealsIrememberhowthestudentsinParisusedtopigalongShemayfallillatanyminute,andIshan’tbeabletohelp。
  Whew!thisistentimesworsethanowningawife。’
  Torpenhowenteredthestudioatdusk,andlookedatDickwitheyesfulloftheausterelovethatspringsupbetweenmenwhohavetuggedatthesameoartogetherandareyokedbycustomanduseandtheintimaciesoftoilThisisagoodlove,and,sinceitallows,andevenencourages,strife,recrimination,andbrutalsincerity,doesnotdie,butgrows,andisproofagainstanyabsenceandevilconduct。
  DickwassilentafterhehandedTorpenhowthefilledpipeofcouncilHethoughtofMaisieandherpossibleneedsItwasanewthingtothinkofanybodybutTorpenhow,whocouldthinkforhimselfHereatlastwasanoutletforthatcashbalanceHecouldadornMaisiebarbaricallywithjewelry,——athickgoldnecklaceroundthatlittleneck,braceletsupontheroundedarms,andringsofpriceuponherhands,——thiecool,temperate,ringlesshandsthathehadtakenbetweenhisownItwasanabsurdthought,forMaisiewouldnotevenallowhimtoputoneringononefinger,andshewouldlaughatgoldentrappingsItwouldbebettertositwithherquietlyinthedusk,hisarmaroundherneckandherfaceonhisshoulder,asbefittedhusbandandwifeTorpenhow’sbootscreakedthatnight,andhisstrongvoicejarredDick’sbrowscontractedandhemurmuredanevilwordbecausehehadtakenallhissuccessasarightandpartpaymentforpastdiscomfort,andnowhewascheckedinhisstridebyawomanwhoadmittedallthesuccessanddidnotinstantlycareforhim。
  ’Isay,oldman,’saidTorpenhow,whohadmadeoneortwovainattemptsatconversation,’Ihaven’tputyourbackupbyanythingI’vesaidlately,haveI?’
  ’You!NoHowcouldyou?’
  ’Liveroutoforder?’
  ’Thetrulyhealthymandoesn’tknowhehasaliverI’monlyabitworriedaboutthingsingeneralIsupposeit’smysoul。’
  ’Thetrulyhealthymandoesn’tknowhehasasoulWhatbusinesshaveyouwithluxuriesofthatkind?’
  ’ItcameofitselfWho’sthemanthatsaysthatwe’reallislandsshoutingliestoeachotheracrossseasofmisunderstanding?’
  ’He’sright,whoeverheis,——exceptaboutthemisunderstandingI
  don’tthinkwecouldmisunderstandeachother。’
  ThebluesmokecurledbackfromtheceilingincloudsThenTorpenhow,insinuatingly——
  ’Dick,isitawoman?’
  ’Behangedifit’sanythingremotelyresemblingawoman;andifyoubegintotalklikethat,I’llhireared-brickstudiowithwhitepainttrimmings,andbegoniasandpetuniasandblueHungariastoplayamongthree-and-sixpennypot-palms,andI’llmountallmypicsinaniline-dyeplushplasters,andI’llinviteeverywomanwhomaundersoverwhatherguide-bookstellherisArt,andyoushallreceive’em,Torp,——inasnuff-brownvelvetcoatwithyellowtrousersandanorangetie。
  You’lllikethat?’
  ’Toothin,DickAbettermanthanyouoncedeniedwithcursingandswearingYou’veoverdoneit,justashedidIt’snobusinessofmine,ofcourse,butit’scomfortingtothinkthatsomewhereunderthestarsthere’ssavingupforyouatremendousthrashingWhetherit’llcomefromheavenorearth,Idon’tknow,butit’sboundtocomeandbreakyouupalittleYouwanthammering。’
  Dickshivered’Allright,’saidhe’Whenthisislandisdisintegrated,itwillcallforyou。’
  ’Ishallcomeroundthecornerandhelptodisintegrateitsomemore。
  We’retalkingnonsenseComealongtoatheatre。’
  ’Andyoumayleadathousandmen,Noreverdrawtherein,ButereyeleadtheFaeryQueen’Twillburstyourheartintwain。’
  Hehasslippedhisfootfromthestirrup-bar,Thebridlefromhishand,AndheisboundbyhandandfootTotheQueeno’Faery-land。
  SirHoggieandtheFairies。
  SOMEweekslater,onaveryfoggySunday,DickwasreturningacrosstheParktohisstudio’This,’hesaid,’isevidentlythethrashingthatTorpmeantIthurtsmorethanIexpected;buttheQueencandonowrong;andshecertainlyhassomenotionofdrawing。’
  HehadjustfinishedaSundayvisittoMaisie,——alwaysunderthegreeneyesofthered-hairedimpressionistgirl,whomhelearnedtohateatsight,——andwastinglingwithakeensenseofshameSundayafterSunday,puttingonhisbestclothes,hehadwalkedovertotheuntidyhousenorthofthePark,firsttoseeMaisie’spictures,andthentocriticiseandadviseuponthemasherealisedthattheywereproductionsonwhichadvicewouldnotbewastedSundayafterSunday,andhislovegrewwitheachvisit,hehadbeencompelledtocramhisheartbackfrombetweenhislipswhenitpromptedhimtokissMaisieseveraltimesandverymuchindeedSundayafterSunday,theheadabovethehearthadwarnedhimthatMaisiewasnotyetattainable,andthatitwouldbebettertotalkasconnectedlyaspossibleuponthemysteriesofthecraftthatwasallinalltoherThereforeitwashisfatetoendureweeklytortureinthestudiobuiltoutovertheclammybackgardenofafrailstuffylittlevillawherenothingwaseverinitsrightplaceandnobodyeverycalled,——toendureandtowatchMaisiemovingtoandfrowiththeteacupsHeabhorredtea,but,sinceitgavehimalittlelongertimeinherpresence,hedrankitdevoutly,andthered-hairedgirlsatinanuntidyheapandeyedhimwithoutspeakingShewasalwayswatchinghim。
  Once,andonlyonce,whenshehadleftthestudio,Maisieshowedhimanalbumthatheldafewpoorcuttingsfromprovincialpapers,——thebriefestofhurriednotesonsomeofherpicturessenttooutlyingexhibitionsDickstoopedandkissedthepaint-smudgedthumbontheopenpage。
  ’Oh,mylove,mylove,’hemuttered,’doyouvaluethesethings?Chuck’emintothewaste-paperbasket!’
  ’NottillIgetsomethingbetter,’saidMaisie,shuttingthebook。
  ThenDick,movedbynorespectforhispublicandaverydeepregardforthemaiden,diddeliberatelypropose,inordertosecuremoreofthesecovetedcuttings,thatheshouldpaintapicturewhichMaisieshouldsign。
  ’That’schildish,’saidMaisie,’andIdidn’tthinkitofyouItmustbemyworkMine,——mine,——mine!’