noon. "One would like to draw the curtains,
wouldn't one? and gossip in the glow of the hearth."

"Oh 'gossip'!" Vanderbank wearily said as he came to her pretty table.

In the act of serving him she checked herself. "You wouldn't rather have
it with HER?"

He balanced a moment. "Does she have a tea of her own?"

"Do you mean to say you don't know?"--Mrs. Brook asked it with surprise.
"Such ignorance of what I do for her does tell, I think, the tale of how
you've lately treated us."

"In not coming for so long?"

"For more weeks, for more months than I can count. Scarcely since--when
was it?--the end of January, that night of Tishy's dinner."

"Yes, that awful night."

"Awful, you call it?"

"Awful."

"Well, the time without you," Mrs. Brook returned, "has been so bad
that I'm afraid I've lost the impression of anything before." Then she
offered the tea to his choice. "WILL you have it upstairs?"

He received the cup. "Yes, and here too." After which he said nothing
again till, first pouring in milk to cool it, he had drunk his tea down.
"That's not literally true, you know. I HAVE been in."

"Yes, but always with other people--you managed it somehow; the wrong
ones. It hasn't counted."

"Ah in one way and another I think everything counts. And you forget
I've dined."

"Oh--for once!"

"The once you asked me. So don't spoil the beauty of your own behaviour
by mistimed reflexions. You've been, as usual, superior."

"Ah but there has been no beauty in it. There has been nothing," Mrs.
Brook went on, "but bare bleak recognition, the curse of my hideous
intelligence. We've fallen to pieces, and at least I'm not such a fool
as not to have felt it in time. From the moment one did feel it why
should one insist on vain forms? If YOU felt it, and were so ready
to drop them, my part was what it has always been--to accept the
inevitable. We shall never grow together again. The smash was too
great."

Vanderbank for a little said nothing; then at last: "You ought to know
how great!"

Whatever had happened her lovely look here survived it. "I?"

"The smash," he replied, "was indeed as complete, I think, as your
intention. Each of the 'pieces' testifies to your success. Five minutes
did it."

She appeared to wonder where he was going. "But surely not MY minutes.
Where have you discovered that I made Mitchy's marriage?"

"Mitchy's marriage has nothing to do with it."

"I see." She had the old interest at l