the relations between her and himself. He was giving her, too, a chance
of showing herself to him in a new light. For the first time he would
see her under the ordinary conditions of a woman's life in a home
circle Ida had passed from one extreme to the other. At present there
was nothing she desired so much as the simple, conventional, every-day
existence of the woman who has never swerved from the beaten track. She
never saw a family group anywhere without envying the happiness which
to her seemed involved in the mere fact of a home and relations. Her
isolation weighed heavily upon her. If there were but some one who
could claim her services, as of right, and in return render her the
simple hum-drum affection which goes for so much in easing the burden
of life. She was weary of her solitary heroism, though she never
regarded it as heroism, but merely as the path in which she was
naturally led by her feelings. Waymark could not but still think of her
very much in the old light, and she wished to prove to him how
completely she was changed. The simple act of making tea for him when
he came to see her had been a pleasure; it was domestic and womanly,
and she had often glanced at his face to see whether he noticed it at
all. Then the fact of Harriet's being an invalid would give her many
opportunities for showing that she could be gentle and patient and
serviceable. Casti would observe these things, and doubtless would
speak of them to Waymark. Thinking in this way, Ida became all
eagerness for the new friendship. There was of course the possibility
that Harriet would refuse to accept her offered kindness, but it seemed
very unlikely, and the disappointment would be so great that she could
not bear to dwell on the thought. Waymark had promised to come as soon
as he had any news. The time would go very slowly till she saw him.

Waymark had met Harriet very seldom of late. Julian spent regularly one
evening a week with him, but it was only occasionally that Waymark paid
a visit in turn. He knew that he was anything but welcome to Mrs.
Casti, who of course had neither interest nor understanding for the
conversation between himself and Julian. Formerly he had now and then
tried his best to find some common subject for talk with her, but the
effort had been vain; she was hopelessly stupid, and more often than
not in a surly mood, which made her mere presence difficult to be
endured. Of late, whenever he came, she made her ill