CHAPTER IV

edoutburstofapplause. Mr.Rodneyacknowledgedthiswithawildglanceroundhim,and,insteadofwaitingtoanswerquestions,hejumpedup,thrusthimselfthroughtheseatedbodiesintothecornerwhereKatharinewassitting,andexclaimed,veryaudibly: “Well,Katharine,IhopeI’vemadeabigenoughfoolofmyselfevenforyou!Itwasterrible!terrible!terrible!” “Hush!Youmustanswertheirquestions,”Katharinewhispered,desiring,atallcosts,tokeephimquiet.Oddlyenough,whenthespeakerwasnolongerinfrontofthem,thereseemedtobemuchthatwassuggestiveinwhathehadsaid.Atanyrate,apale-facedyoungmanwithsadeyeswasalreadyonhisfeet,deliveringanaccuratelywordedspeechwithperfectcomposure.WilliamRodneylistenedwithacuriousliftingofhisupperlip,althoughhisfacewasstillquiveringslightlywithemotion. “Idiot!”hewhispered.“He’smisunderstoodeverywordIsaid!” “Wellthen,answerhim,”Katharinewhisperedback. “No,Ishan’t!They’donlylaughatme.WhydidIletyoupersuademethatthesesortofpeoplecareforliterature?”hecontinued. TherewasmuchtobesaidbothforandagainstMr.Rodney’spaper.Ithadbeencrammedwithassertionsthatsuch-and-suchpassages,takenliberallyfromEnglish,French,andItalian,arethesupremepearlsofliterature.Further,hewasfondofusingmetaphorswhich,compoundedinthestudy,wereapttosoundeithercrampedoroutofplaceashedeliveredtheminfragments.Literaturewasafreshgarlandofspringflowers,hesaid,inwhichyew-berriesandthepurplenightshademingledwiththevarioustintsoftheanemoneandsomehoworotherthisgarlandencircledmarblebrows.Hehadreadverybadlysomeverybeautifulquotations.Butthroughhismannerandhisconfusionoflanguagetherehademergedsomepassionoffeelingwhich,ashespoke,formedinthemajorityoftheaudiencealittlepictureoranideawhicheachnowwaseagertogiveexpressionto.Mostofthepeoplethereproposedtospendtheirlivesinthepracticeeitherofwritingorpainting,andmerelybylookingatthemitcouldbeseenthat,astheylistenedtoMr.Purvisfirst,andthentoMr.Greenhalgh,theywereseeingsomethingdonebythesegentlementoapossessionwhichtheythoughttobetheirown.Onepersonafteranotherrose,and,aswithanill-balancedaxe,attemptedtohewouthisconceptionofartalittlemoreclearly,andsatdownwiththefeelingthat,forsomereasonwhichhecouldnotgrasp,hisstrokeshadgoneawry.Astheysatdowntheyturnedalmostinvariablytothepersonsittingnextthem,andrectifiedandcontinuedwhattheyhadjustsaidinpublic.Beforelong,therefore,thegroupsonthemattressesandthegroupsonthechairswereallincommunicationwitheachother,andMaryDatchet,whohadbeguntodarnstockingsagain,stoopeddownandremarkedtoRalph: “ThatwaswhatIcallafirst-ratepaper.” Bothoftheminstinctivelyturnedtheireyesinthedirectionofthereaderofthepaper.Hewaslyingbackagainstthewall,withhiseyesapparentlyshut,andhischinsunkuponhiscollar.Katharinewasturningoverthepagesofhismanuscriptasifshewerelookingforsomepassagethathadparticularlystruckher,andhadadifficultyinfindingit. “Let’sgoandtellhimhowmuchwelikedit,”saidMary,thussuggestinganactionwhichRalphwasanxioustotake,thoughwithoutherhewouldhavebeentooproudtodoit,forhesuspectedthathehadmoreinterestinKatharinethanshehadinhim. “Thatwasaveryinterestingpaper,”Marybegan,withoutanyshyness,seatingherselfontheflooroppositetoRodneyandKatharine.“Willyoulendmethemanuscripttoreadinpeace?” Rodney,whohadopenedhiseyesontheirapproach,regardedherforamomentinsuspicioussilence. “Doyousaythatmerelytodisguisethefactofmyridiculousfailure?”heasked. Katharinelookedupfromherreadingwithasmile. “Hesayshedoesn’tmindwhatwethinkofhim,”sheremarked.“Hesayswedon’tcarearapforartofanykind.” “Iaskedhertopityme,andsheteasesme!”Rodneyexclaimed. “Idon’tintendtopityyou,Mr.Rodney,”Maryremarked,kindly,butfirmly.“Whenapaper’safailure,nobodysaysanything,whereasnow,justlistentothem!” Thesound,whichfilledtheroom,withitshurryofshortsyllables,itssuddenpauses,anditssuddenattacks,mightbecomparedtosomeanimalhubbub,franticandinarticulate. “D’youthinkthat’sallaboutmypaper?”Rodneyinquired,afteramoment’sattention,withadistinctbrighteningofexpression. “Ofcourseitis,”saidMary.“Itwasaverysuggestivepaper.” SheturnedtoDenhamforconfirmation,andhecorroboratedher. “It’sthetenminutesafterapaperisreadthatproveswhetherit’sbeenasuccessornot,”hesaid.“IfIwereyou,Rodney,Ishouldbeverypleasedwithmyself.” ThiscommendationseemedtocomfortMr.Rodneycompletely,andhebegantobethinkhimofallthepassagesinhispaperwhichdeservedtobecalled“suggestive.” “Didyouagreeatall,Denham,withwhatIsaidaboutShakespeare’slateruseofimagery?I’mafraidIdidn’taltogethermakemymeaningplain.” Herehegatheredhimselftogether,andbymeansofaseriesoffrog-likejerks,succeededinbringinghimselfclosetoDenham. Denhamansweredhimwiththebrevitywhichistheresultofhavinganothersentenceinthemindtobeaddressedtoanotherperson.HewishedtosaytoKatharine:“Didyouremembertogetthatpictureglazedbeforeyourauntcametodinner?”but,besideshavingtoanswerRodney,hewasnotsurethattheremark,withitsassertionofintimacy,wouldnotstrikeKatharineasimpertinent.Shewaslisteningtowhatsomeoneinanothergroupwassaying.Rodney,meanwhile,wastalkingabouttheElizabethandramatists. Hewasacurious-lookingmansince,uponfirstsight,especiallyifhechancedtobetalkingwithanimation,heappeared,insomeway,ridiculousbut,nextmoment,inrepose,hisface,withitslargenose,thincheeksandlipsexpressingtheutmostsensibility,somehowreca