at the theatre and so on, and one
doesn't really know them and can't get at them, and so one just tries to
be very nice to them, but I don't call that insincere...."

"No. I didn't mean to people like that. But to your friends--to old
Carminow, for instance, and myself.... I sometimes wonder. And to
yourself--"

"Ah! I'm not insincere to myself."

"I sometimes wonder if you know what your real self is."

"Don't I? I do. Why do you say that, Mr. Ruan?"

"Because you asked me, and because I can't help saying what I think when
I'm asked like that and I think the person's worth it."

Blanche had pushed away her cup, and now she folded her arms on the
table and bent to him over them. Her face was very earnest.

"I do know what you mean," she admitted; "I think I know it better than
you do. And I suppose it's partly because I've no mother and I've had to
protect myself. A woman is very like some kinds of animals I've heard
of--she has to assume protective colouring. If I seem to like people
that have nothing in common with me it's because I find it's the
simplest way. You are different; I don't have to pretend anything with
you. I think if my real self were beginning to be overlaid you could
help me revive her."

"Your real self ... haven't I seen that?"

"I thought so till you said what you did," she answered in a low voice,
looking away from him; then she went on hurriedly: "You know, when Mamma
died I was only thirteen, and though I loved my father very dearly it's
never quite the same, is it? It was dreadful leaving Papa, but I had to
earn money somehow; you see, he wants all sorts of little things, extra
delicacies he can't get on his small means, and I do manage most times
to send him them. He didn't like my choosing the stage; but I'm not
really well enough educated for a governess--besides, I did try that
once...."

"What happened?" asked Ishmael as she paused.

"She--the lady--had a grown-up son as well as the children, and he fell
in love with me. I couldn't help that, but she was very angry. And I was
so unhappy I couldn't bear to go anywhere else. I wanted a new life. You
see--I cared rather."

"But if you both cared--"

"I wouldn't let him defy his mother. It would have made it all dreadful,
somehow. And he wasn't a strong character, not like you. You wouldn't
mind who was against you if you were in love."

Ishmael did not reply and she went on:

"I've been trying to make a fine thing out of a