leant forward, poking the fire, and
expressing herself very clearly in phrases which bore distantly the
taint of the platform, and he thought, "How absurd Mary would think me
if she knew that I almost made up my mind to walk all the way to Chelsea
in order to look at Katharine's windows. She wouldn't understand it, but
I like her very much as she is."

For some time they discussed what the women had better do; and as Ralph
became genuinely interested in the question, Mary unconsciously let
her attention wander, and a great desire came over her to talk to Ralph
about her own feelings; or, at any rate, about something personal, so
that she might see what he felt for her; but she resisted this wish. But
she could not prevent him from feeling her lack of interest in what he
was saying, and gradually they both became silent. One thought after
another came up in Ralph's mind, but they were all, in some way,
connected with Katharine, or with vague feelings of romance and
adventure such as she inspired. But he could not talk to Mary about such
thoughts; and he pitied her for knowing nothing of what he was feeling.
"Here," he thought, "is where we differ from women; they have no sense
of romance."

"Well, Mary," he said at length, "why don't you say something amusing?"

His tone was certainly provoking, but, as a general rule, Mary was not
easily provoked. This evening, however, she replied rather sharply:

"Because I've got nothing amusing to say, I suppose."

Ralph thought for a moment, and then remarked:

"You work too hard. I don't mean your health," he added, as she laughed
scornfully, "I mean that you seem to me to be getting wrapped up in your
work."

"And is that a bad thing?" she asked, shading her eyes with her hand.

"I think it is," he returned abruptly.

"But only a week ago you were saying the opposite." Her tone was
defiant, but she became curiously depressed. Ralph did not perceive it,
and took this opportunity of lecturing her, and expressing his latest
views upon the proper conduct of life. She listened, but her main
impression was that he had been meeting some one who had influenced him.
He was telling her that she ought to read more, and to see that
there were other points of view as deserving of attention as her own.
Naturally, having last seen him as he left the office in company
with Katharine, she attributed the change to her; it was likely that
Katharine, on leaving the scene which she had so c