r it is
nature or art."

He fell silent, still smiling. Hallin watched him closely. Perhaps the
thought which had risen in his mind revealed itself by some subtle sign
or other to Aldous. For suddenly Raeburn's expression changed; the
over-strenuous, harassed look, which of late had somewhat taken the
place of his old philosopher's quiet, reappeared.

"I did not tell you, Hallin," he began, in a low voice, raising his eyes
to his friend, "that I had seen her again."

Hallin paused a moment. Then he said:

"No. I knew she went to the House to hear Wharton's speech, and that she
dined there. I supposed she might just have come across you--but she
said nothing."

"Of course, I had no idea," said Aldous; "suddenly Lady Winterbourne and
I came across her on the terrace. Then I saw she was with that man's
party. She spoke to me afterwards--I believe now--she meant to be
kind"--his voice showed the difficulty he had in speaking at all--"but I
saw him coming up to talk to her. I am ashamed to think of my own
manner, but I could not help myself."

His face and eye took, as he spoke, a peculiar vividness and glow.
Raeburn had not for months mentioned to him the name of Marcella Boyce,
but Hallin had all along held two faiths about the matter: first, that
Aldous was still possessed by a passion which had become part of his
life; secondly, that the events of the preceding year had produced in
him an exceedingly bitter sense of ill-usage, of a type which Hallin had
not perhaps expected.

"Did you see anything to make you suppose," he asked quietly, after a
pause, "that she is going to marry him?"

"No--no," Aldous repeated slowly; "but she is clearly on friendly,
perhaps intimate, terms with him. And just now, of course, she is more
likely to be influenced by him than ever. He made a great success--of a
kind--in the House a fortnight ago. People seem to think he may come
rapidly to the front."

"So I understand. I don't believe it. The jealousies that divide that
group are too unmanageable. If he _were_ a Parnell! But he lacks just
the qualities that matter--the reticence, the power of holding
himself aloof from irrelevant things and interests, the hard
self-concentration."

Aldous raised his shoulders.

"I don't imagine there is any lack of that! But certainly he holds
himself aloof from nothing and nobody! I hear of him everywhere."

"What!--among the smart people?"

Aldous nodded.

"A change of policy by all a