CHAPTER XI

rkable,although,infact,thatwasapointaboutwhichhewasnotatallsure. CertainlyKatharineseemedquiteunmovedbyanydisturbingthoughtsandifhehadbeencompletelymasterofhimself,hemight,indeed,havecomplainedthatshewasatrifleabsent-minded.Theease,thefamiliarityofthesituationalonewithRodney,amongteacupsandcandles,hadmoreeffectuponherthanwasapparent.Sheaskedtolookathisbooks,andthenathispictures.ItwaswhilesheheldphotographfromtheGreekinherhandsthatsheexclaimed,impulsively,ifincongruously: “Myoysters!Ihadabasket,”sheexplained,“andI’veleftitsomewhere.UncleDudleydineswithusto-night.WhatintheworldhaveIdonewiththem?” Sheroseandbegantowanderabouttheroom.Williamrosealso,andstoodinfrontofthefire,muttering,“Oysters,oysters—yourbasketofoysters!”butthoughhelookedvaguelyhereandthere,asiftheoystersmightbeonthetopofthebookshelf,hiseyesreturnedalwaystoKatharine.Shedrewthecurtainandlookedoutamongthescantyleavesoftheplane-trees. “Ihadthem,”shecalculated,“intheStrandIsatonaseat.Well,nevermind,”sheconcluded,turningbackintotheroomabruptly,“Idaresaysomeoldcreatureisenjoyingthembythistime.” “Ishouldhavethoughtthatyouneverforgotanything,”Williamremarked,astheysettleddownagain. “That’spartofthemythaboutme,Iknow,”Katharinereplied. “AndIwonder,”Williamproceeded,withsomecaution,“whatthetruthaboutyouis?ButIknowthissortofthingdoesn’tinterestyou,”headdedhastily,withatouchofpeevishness. “Noitdoesn’tinterestmeverymuch,”sherepliedcandidly. “Whatshallwetalkaboutthen?”heasked. Shelookedratherwhimsicallyroundthewallsoftheroom. “Howeverwestart,weendbytalkingaboutthesamething—aboutpoetry,Imean.Iwonderifyourealize,William,thatI’veneverreadevenShakespeare?It’sratherwonderfulhowI’vekeptitupalltheseyears.” “You’vekeptitupfortenyearsverybeautifully,asfarasI’mconcerned,”hesaid. “Tenyears?Solongasthat?” “AndIdon’tthinkit’salwaysboredyou,”headded. Shelookedintothefiresilently.ShecouldnotdenythatthesurfaceofherfeelingwasabsolutelyunruffledbyanythinginWilliam’scharacteronthecontrary,shefeltcertainthatshecoulddealwithwhateverturnedup.Hegaveherpeace,inwhichshecouldthinkofthingsthatwerefarremovedfromwhattheytalkedabout.Evennow,whenhesatwithinayardofher,howeasilyhermindrangedhitherandthither!Suddenlyapicturepresenteditselfbeforeher,withoutanyeffortonherpartaspictureswill,ofherselfintheseveryroomsshehadcomeinfromalecture,andsheheldapileofbooksinherhand,scientificbooks,andbooksaboutmathematicsandastronomywhichshehadmastered.Sheputthemdownonthetableoverthere.Itwasapicturepluckedfromherlifetwoorthreeyearshence,whenshewasmarriedtoWilliambuthereshecheckedherselfabruptly. ShecouldnotentirelyforgetWilliam’spresence,because,inspiteofhiseffortstocontrolhimself,hisnervousnesswasapparent.Onsuchoccasionshiseyesprotrudedmorethanever,andhisfacehadmorethanevertheappearanceofbeingcoveredwithathincracklingskin,throughwhicheveryflushofhisvolatilebloodshoweditselfinstantly.Bythistimehehadshapedsomanysentencesandrejectedthem,feltsomanyimpulsesandsubduedthem,thathewasauniformscarlet. “Youmaysayyoudon’treadb