afterwards,
naturally directed toward Marie's spiritual education. Hitherto Marie
has revealed herself to the reader as a rather commonplace, very
physical, rather lazy, and quite egoistic person, one of many, with no
distinguished characteristics. But she was unusually endowed in some
ways. Eminently plastic, up to a certain point she rapidly assumed forms
suggested by Terry's spiritual touch. She derived from him her interest
in all high things, in philosophy, art and literature, but there always
remained an interesting distinction in the way she reacted to her
education. Terry remained always the rather transcendental philosopher,
with a predominant ethical sense. Marie, as she developed, showed a
deeper and subtler feeling for expression and a surer sensing of human
character, a juster psychology. Her nature is essentially less
beautiful, by far, than that of Terry, but more real, in a way, more
robust, and so constituted that in a long spiritual conflict she would
wear out the finer qualities of her lover. But this is anticipating,
except in so far as it is true that from the start Marie's psychological
vividness showed itself, often, of course, with base and physical
concomitants. In this connection I will quote a letter which well
illustrates this side of her character, and which also shows a contrast
to some of her loftier but more conventional and less true qualities.
She had been attending an anarchists' ball and she wrote:

"I danced a great deal and felt very happy, without the aid of any
stimulant either. I did not have any feeling of irritation or even
indifference toward anybody, not even toward Rose. I am fascinated by
Rose, and I sometimes think I hate her. I always like to be near her
when there is no one else around. She reveals herself to me then; in
fact quite throws off the mask which all women wear. In order to
encourage her to do this, I apparently throw down my own mask. Oh, how I
gloat over her then, when she shows me a side of her life and betrays
secret thoughts and feelings to me half unconsciously! Sometimes I
succeed in having her do this when there is a third person present, and
the look of hatred which passes across her face when she perceives she
has made a mistake, is a most interesting thing to see. But she
immediately comes to my side and we kiss each other and call each other
'angel girls' and 'darlings.' Thus we play with each other, and it is a
stand-off which is cleverest. She is