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been awfully kind to her。 She has gone to church … she's fond of
that too … but they'll all be back in a quarter of an hour。 You
must let me introduce you to her … she'll be so glad to know you。
I dare say she has read every blest word you've written。〃
〃I shall be delighted … I haven't written so very many；〃 Overt
pleaded； feeling； and without resentment； that the General at least
was vagueness itself about that。 But he wondered a little why；
expressing this friendly disposition； it didn't occur to the
doubtless eminent soldier to pronounce the word that would put him
in relation with Mrs。 St。 George。 If it was a question of
introductions Miss Fancourt … apparently as yet unmarried … was far
away； while the wife of his illustrious confrere was almost between
them。 This lady struck Paul Overt as altogether pretty； with a
surprising juvenility and a high smartness of aspect； something
that … he could scarcely have said why … served for mystification。
St。 George certainly had every right to a charming wife； but he
himself would never have imagined the important little woman in the
aggressively Parisian dress the partner for life； the alter ego； of
a man of letters。 That partner in general； he knew； that second
self； was far from presenting herself in a single type：
observation had taught him that she was not inveterately； not
necessarily plain。 But he had never before seen her look so much
as if her prosperity had deeper foundations than an ink…spotted
study…table littered with proof…sheets。 Mrs。 St。 George might have
been the wife of a gentleman who 〃kept〃 books rather than wrote
them； who carried on great affairs in the City and made better
bargains than those that poets mostly make with publishers。 With
this she hinted at a success more personal … a success peculiarly
stamping the age in which society； the world of conversation； is a
great drawing…room with the City for its antechamber。 Overt
numbered her years at first as some thirty； and then ended by
believing that she might approach her fiftieth。 But she somehow in
this case juggled away the excess and the difference … you only saw
them in a rare glimpse； like the rabbit in the conjurer's sleeve。
She was extraordinarily white； and her every element and item was
pretty； her eyes； her ears； her hair； her voice； her hands； her
feet … to which her relaxed attitude in her wicker chair gave a
great publicity … and the numerous ribbons and trinkets with which
she was bedecked。 She looked as if she had put on her best clothes
to go to church and then had decided they were too good for that
and had stayed at home。 She told a story of some length about the
shabby way Lady Jane had treated the Duchess； as well as an
anecdote in relation to a purchase she had made in Paris … on her
way back from Cannes； made for Lady Egbert； who had never refunded
the money。 Paul Overt suspected her of a tendency to figure great
people as larger than life； until he noticed the manner in which
she handled Lady Egbert； which was so sharply mutinous that it
reassured him。 He felt he should have understood her better if he
might have met her eye； but she scarcely so much as glanced at him。
〃Ah here they come … all the good ones！〃 she said at last； and Paul
Overt admired at his distance the return of the church…goers …
several persons； in couples and threes； advancing in a flicker of
sun and shade at the end of a large green vista formed by the level
grass and the overarching boughs。
〃If you mean to imply that WE'RE bad； I protest；〃 said one of the
gentlemen … 〃after making one's self agreeable all the morning！〃
〃Ah if they've found you agreeable … ！〃 Mrs。 St。 George gaily
cried。 〃But if we're good the others are better。〃
〃They must be angels then；〃 said the amused General。
〃Your husband was an angel； the way he went off at your bidding；〃
the gentleman who had first spoken declared to Mrs。 St。 George。
〃At my bidding？〃
〃Didn't you make him go to church？〃
〃I never made him do anything in my life but once … when I made him
burn up a bad book。 That's all！〃 At her 〃That's all！〃 our young
friend broke into an irrepressible laugh； it lasted only a second；
but it drew her eyes to him。 His own met them； though not long
enough to help him to understand her； unless it were a step towards
this that he saw on the instant how the burnt book … the way she
alluded to it！ … would have been one of her husband's finest
things。
〃A bad book？〃 her interlocutor repeated。
〃I didn't like it。 He went to church because your daughter went；〃
she continued to General Fancourt。 〃I think it my duty to call
your attention to his extraordinary demonstrations to your
daughter。〃
〃Well； if you don't mind them I don't；〃 the General laughed。
〃Il s'attache e ses pas。 But I don't wonder … she's so charming。〃
〃I hope she won't make him burn any books！〃 Paul Overt ventured to
exclaim。
〃If she'd make him write a few it would be more to the purpose；〃
said Mrs。 St。 George。 〃He has been of a laziness of late … ！〃
Our young man stared … he was so struck with the lady's
phraseology。 Her 〃Write a few〃 seemed to him almost as good as her
〃That's all。〃 Didn't she； as the wife of a rare artist； know what
it was to produce one perfect work of art？ How in the world did
she think they were turned on？ His private conviction was that；
admirably as Henry St。 George wrote； he had written for the last
ten years； and especially for the last five； only too much； and
there was an instant during which he felt inwardly solicited to
make this public。 But before he had spoken a diversion was
effected by the return of the absentees。 They strolled up
dispersedly … there were eight or ten of them … and the circle
under the trees rearranged itself as they took their place in it。
They made it much larger； so that Paul Overt could feel … he was
always feeling that sort of thing； as he said to himself … that if
the company had already been interesting to watch the interest
would now become intense。 He shook hands with his hostess； who
welcomed him without many words； in the manner of a woman able to
trust him to understand and conscious that so pleasant an occasion
would in every way speak for itself。 She offered him no particular
facility for sitting by her； and when they had all subsided again
he found himself still next General Fancourt； with an unknown lady
on his other flank。
〃That's my daughter … that one opposite；〃 the General said to him
without lose of time。 Overt saw a tall girl； with magnificent red
hair； in a dress of a pretty grey…green tint and of a limp silken
texture； a garment that clearly shirked every modern effect。 It
had therefore somehow the stamp of the latest thing； so that our
beholder quickly took her for nothing if not contemporaneous。
〃She's very handsome … very handsome；〃 he repeated while he
considered her。 There was something noble in her head； and she
appeared fresh and strong。
Her good father surveyed her with complacency； remarking soon：
〃She looks too hot … that's her walk。 But she'll be all right
presently。 Then I'll make her come over and speak to you。〃
〃I should be sorry to give you that trouble。 If you were to take
me over THERE … ！〃 the young man murmured。
〃My dear sir； do you suppose I put myself out that way？ I don't
mean for you； but for Marian；〃 the General added。
〃I would put myself out for her soon enough；〃 Overt replied； after
which he went on： 〃Will you be so good as to tell me which of
those gentlemen is Henry St。 George？〃
〃The fellow talking to my girl。 By Jove； he IS making up to her …
they're going off for another walk。〃
〃Ah is that he … really？〃 Our friend felt a certain surprise； for
the personage before him seemed to trouble a vision which had been
vague only while not confronted with the reality。 As soon as the
reality dawned the mental image； retiring with a sigh； became
substantial enough to suffer a slight wrong。 Overt； who had spent
a considerable part of his short life in foreign lands； made now；
but not for the first time； the reflexion that whereas in those
countries he had almost always recognised the artist and the man of
letters by his personal 〃type；〃 the mould of his face； the
character of his head； the expression of his figure and even the
indications of his dress； so in England this identification was as
little as possible a matter of course； thanks to the greater
conformity； the habit of sinking the profession instead of
advertising it； the general diffusion of the air of the gentleman …
the gentleman committed to no particular set of ideas。 More than
once； on returning to his own country； he had said to himself about
people met in society： 〃One sees them in this place and that； and
one even talks with them； but to find out what they DO one would
really have to be