s over, there followed an instant of
general embarrassment. Mrs. Robinson smiled again, and quickly tried to
make conversation.

"How pleasant to become acquainted at last, after being neighbours so
many years!" she murmured. "And so unexpectedly, too."

"When the unexpected does happen," said Wyndham, "it generally is
delightful. I suppose that's because most of us in this hard life get
into the habit of expecting only the opposite sort of thing."

Miss Robinson laughed shyly, whilst her mother seemed somewhat puzzled.

"They say that the unexpected always happens," ventured the younger
woman tremulously. "I'm sure the proverb must be wrong, because nice
things happen so seldom." Her voice was soft, vibrating with gracious
amiability.

"I disagree with Mr. Wyndham," said her father. "I was not at all
expecting to slip down. When the unexpected happened, I am bound to say
I did not find it delightful."

They all laughed; and then Mrs. Robinson resumed the interrupted tenour
of her discreet, agreeable way. She herself had often thought how
pleasant it would be to know him; but in London one could live for ever
so many years and yet know absolutely nothing of one's next-door
neighbour. In the country, of course, things were different: there
etiquette was more human, and people called of their own accord. Was Mr.
Wyndham exhibiting anything just now? They had seen pictures of his in
the Academy in past years, and were great admirers of his. Wyndham was
by now too faint and exhausted to do more than hold his own in a
smiling, conventional way: the splendours of the room, too, dazzled him
to the verge of confusion. He was thankful when Phyllis appeared with
the announcement that dinner was served; and Mr. Robinson, giving his
arm to his daughter, led the way across the hall, under another crimson
door-hanging, and into a long dining-room, wherein was set out a great
table with flowers and fruit and silver. The covers were laid at one
end, which gave the dinner an air of informality and family intimacy.

A glass of sherry at the start revived Wyndham considerably, and soon he
fell to conversing at his ease. Presently he found he was somehow taking
the lead, and their evident respect and admiration for his lightest word
made him clearly perceive that he was an important and brilliant figure
for them. Such grains of resentment as he still cherished at having
entered on the acquaintanceship were dying away. Meanwhile the