and his friend. That they had not seen each other for
some months she knew from Jasper himself but no definite cause had been
assigned.

'I may as well let you know all about it,' Milvain continued, seeing
that he had disconcerted the girl, as he meant to. 'I met Reardon not
long after they had parted, and he charged me with being in great part
the cause of his troubles.'

The listener did not raise her eyes.

'You would never imagine what my fault was. Reardon declared that the
tone of my conversation had been morally injurious to his wife. He said
I was always glorifying worldly success, and that this had made her
discontented with her lot. Sounds rather ludicrous, don't you think?'

'It was very strange.'

'Reardon was in desperate earnest, poor fellow. And, to tell you the
truth, I fear there may have been something in his complaint.

I told him at once that I should henceforth keep away from Mrs Edmund
Yule's; and so I have done, with the result, of course, that they
suppose I condemn Mrs Reardon's behaviour. The affair was a nuisance,
but I had no choice, I think.'

'You say that perhaps your talk really was harmful to her.'

'It may have been, though such a danger never occurred to me.'

'Then Amy must be very weak-minded.'

'To be influenced by such a paltry fellow?'

'To be influenced by anyone in such a way.'

'You think the worse of me for this story?' Jasper asked.

'I don't quite understand it. How did you talk to her?'

'As I talk to everyone. You have heard me say the same things many a
time. I simply declare my opinion that the end of literary work--unless
one is a man of genius--is to secure comfort and repute. This doesn't
seem to me very scandalous. But Mrs Reardon was perhaps too urgent in
repeating such views to her husband. She saw that in my case they were
likely to have solid results, and it was a misery to her that Reardon
couldn't or wouldn't work in the same practical way.

'It was very unfortunate.'

'And you are inclined to blame me?'

'No; because I am so sure that you only spoke in the way natural to you,
without a thought of such consequences.'

Jasper smiled.

'That's precisely the truth. Nearly all men who have their way to make
think as I do, but most feel obliged to adopt a false tone, to talk
about literary conscientiousness, and so on. I simply say what I think,
with no pretences. I should like to be conscientious, but it's a luxury
I can't afford. I've told