that
seemed far gone. "Don't heed your mood," he said, "and don't believe
there is any calm so dead that your own lungs can't ruffle it with a
breeze. If you have work to do, don't wait to feel like it; set to work
and you will feel like it."

"Set to work and produce abortions!" cried Roderick with ire. "Preach
that to others. Production with me must be either pleasure or nothing.
As I said just now, I must either stay in the saddle or not go at all.
I won't do second-rate work; I can't if I would. I have no cleverness,
apart from inspiration. I am not a Gloriani! You are right," he added
after a while; "this is unprofitable talk, and it makes my head ache. I
shall take a nap and see if I can dream of a bright idea or two."

He turned his face upward to the parasol of the great pine, closed his
eyes, and in a short time forgot his sombre fancies. January though it
was, the mild stillness seemed to vibrate with faint midsummer sounds.
Rowland sat listening to them and wishing that, for the sake of his own
felicity, Roderick's temper were graced with a certain absent ductility.
He was brilliant, but was he, like many brilliant things, brittle?
Suddenly, to his musing sense, the soft atmospheric hum was overscored
with distincter sounds. He heard voices beyond a mass of shrubbery, at
the turn of a neighboring path. In a moment one of them began to seem
familiar, and an instant later a large white poodle emerged into view.
He was slowly followed by his mistress. Miss Light paused a moment on
seeing Rowland and his companion; but, though the former perceived that
he was recognized, she made no bow. Presently she walked directly toward
him. He rose and was on the point of waking Roderick, but she laid
her finger on her lips and motioned him to forbear. She stood a moment
looking at Roderick's handsome slumber.

"What delicious oblivion!" she said. "Happy man! Stenterello"--and she
pointed to his face--"wake him up!"

The poodle extended a long pink tongue and began to lick Roderick's
cheek.

"Why," asked Rowland, "if he is happy?"

"Oh, I want companions in misery! Besides, I want to show off my dog."
Roderick roused himself, sat up, and stared. By this time Mrs. Light had
approached, walking with a gentleman on each side of her. One of these
was the Cavaliere Giacosa; the other was Prince Casamassima. "I should
have liked to lie down on the grass and go to sleep," Christina added.
"But it would have been unheard of.