CHAPTER XXVII

n. “Ibelieveyouhaveareasonforeverything,”sheagreed,breakingthebunintopartsandtossingthemdownthebears’throats,“butIcan’tbelieveit’sagoodonethistime.Whatisyourreason?” Herefusedtotellher.Hecouldnotexplaintoherthathewasofferingupconsciouslyallhishappinesstoher,andwished,absurdlyenough,topoureverypossessionhehadupontheblazingpyre,evenhissilverandgold.Hewishedtokeepthisdistancebetweenthem—thedistancewhichseparatesthedevoteefromtheimageintheshrine. Circumstancesconspiredtomakethiseasierthanitwouldhavebeen,hadtheybeenseatedinadrawing-room,forexample,withatea-traybetweenthem.Hesawheragainstabackgroundofpalegrottosandsleekhidescamelsslantedtheirheavy-liddedeyesather,giraffesfastidiouslyobservedherfromtheirmelancholyeminence,andthepink-linedtrunksofelephantscautiouslyabstractedbunsfromheroutstretchedhands.Thentherewerethehothouses.Hesawherbendingoverpythonscoileduponthesand,orconsideringthebrownrockbreakingthestagnantwaterofthealligators’pool,orsearchingsomeminutesectionoftropicalforestforthegoldeneyeofalizardortheindrawnmovementofthegreenfrogs’flanks.Inparticular,hesawheroutlinedagainstthedeepgreenwaters,inwhichsquadronsofsilveryfishwheeledincessantly,orogledherforamoment,pressingtheirdistortedmouthsagainsttheglass,quiveringtheirtailsstraightoutbehindthem.Again,therewastheinsecthouse,wheresheliftedtheblindsofthelittlecages,andmarveledatthepurplecirclesmarkedupontherichtussorewingsofsomelatelyemergedandsemi-consciousbutterfly,oratcaterpillarsimmobileliketheknobbedtwigsofapale-skinnedtree,oratslimgreensnakesstabbingtheglasswallagainandagainwiththeirflickeringclefttongues.Theheatoftheair,andthebloomofheavyflowers,whichswaminwaterorrosestifflyfromgreatredjars,togetherwiththedisplayofcuriouspatternsandfantasticshapes,producedanatmosphereinwhichhumanbeingstendedtolookpaleandtofallsilent. Openingthedoorofahousewhichrangwiththemockingandprofoundlyunhappylaughterofmonkeys,theydiscoveredWilliamandCassandra.Williamappearedtobetemptingsomesmallreluctantanimaltodescendfromanupperperchtopartakeofhalfanapple.Cassandrawasreadingout,inherhigh-pitchedtones,anaccountofthiscreature’ssecludeddispositionandnocturnalhabits.ShesawKatharineandexclaimed: “Hereyouare!DopreventWilliamfromtorturingthisunfortunateaye-aye.” “Wethoughtwe’dlostyou,”saidWilliam.Helookedfromonetotheother,andseemedtotakestockofDenham’sunfashionableappearance.Heseemedtowishtofindsomeoutletformalevolence,but,failingone,heremainedsilent.Theglance,theslightquiveroftheupperlip,werenotlostuponKatharine. “Williamisn’tkindtoanimals,”sheremarked.“Hedoesn’tknowwhattheylikeandwhattheydon’tlike.” “Itakeityou’rewellversedinthesematters,Denham,”saidRodney,withdrawinghishandwiththeapple. “It’smainlyaquestionofknowinghowtostrokethem,”Denhamreplied. “WhichisthewaytotheReptileHouse?”Cassandraaskedhim,notfromagenuinedesiretovisitthereptiles,butinobediencetohernew-bornfemininesusceptibility,whichurgedhertocharmandconciliatetheothersex.Denhambegantogiveherdirections,andKatharineandWilliammovedontogether. “Ihopeyou’vehadapleasantafternoon,”Williamremarked. “IlikeRalphDenham,”shereplied. “?asevoit,”Williamreturned,withsuperficialurbanity. Manyretortswereobvious,butwishing,onthewhole,forpeace,Katharinemerelyinquired: “Areyoucomingbacktotea?” “CassandraandIthoughtofhavingteaatalittleshopinPortlandPlace,”hereplied.“Idon’tknowwhetheryouandDenhamwouldcaretojoinus.” “I’llaskhim,”shereplied,turningherheadtolookforhim.ButheandCassandrawereabsorbedintheaye-ayeoncemore. WilliamandKatharinewatchedthemforamoment,andeachlookedcuriouslyattheobjectoftheother’spreference.ButrestinghiseyeuponCassandra,towhoseelegancethedressmakershadnowdonejustice,Williamsaidsharply: “Ifyoucome,Ihopeyouwon’tdoyourbesttomakemeridiculous.” “Ifthat’swhatyou’reafraidofIcertainlyshan’tcome,”Katharinereplied. Theywereprofessedlylookingintotheenormouscentralcageofmonkeys,andbeingthoroughlyannoyedbyWilliam,shecomparedhimtoawretchedmisanthropicalape,huddledinascrapofoldshawlattheendofapole,dartingpeevishglancesofsuspicionanddistrustathiscompanions.Hertolerancewasdesertingher.Theeventsofthepastweekhadwornitthin.Shewasinoneofthosemoods,perhapsnotuncommonwitheithersex,whentheotherbecomesveryclearlydistinguished,andofcontemptiblebaseness,sothatthenecessityofassociationisdegrading,andthetie,whichatsuchmomentsisalwaysextremelyclose,dragslikeahalterroundtheneck.William’sexactingdemandsandhisjealousyhadpulledherdownintosomehorribleswampofhernaturewheretheprimevalstrugglebetweenmanandwomanstillrages. “Youseemtodelightinhurtingme,”Williampersisted.“Whydidyousaythatjustnowaboutmybehaviortoanimals?”Ashespokeherattledhisstickagainstthebarsofthecage,whichgavehiswordsanaccompanimentpeculiarlyexasperatingtoKatharine’snerves. “Becauseit’strue.Youneverseewhatanyonefeels,”shesaid.“Youthinkofnoonebutyourself.” “Thatisnottrue,”saidWilliam.Byhisdeterminedrattlinghehadnowcollectedtheanimatedattentionofsomehalf-dozenapes.Eithertopropitiatethem,ortoshowhisconsiderationfortheirfeelings,heproceededtoofferthemtheapplewhichheheld. Thesight,unfortunately,wassocomicallyaptinitsillustrationofthepictureinhermind,therusewassotransparent,thatKatharinewasseizedwithlaughter.Shelaugheduncontrollably.Williamflushedred.Nodisplayofangercouldhavehurthisfeelingsmoreprofoundly.Itwasnotonlythatshewaslaughingathimthedetachmentofthesoundwashorrible. “Idon’tknowwhatyou’relaughingat,”hemuttered,and,turning,foundthattheothercouplehadrejoinedthem.Asifthematterhadbeenprivatelyagreedupon,thecouplesseparatedoncemore,KatharineandDenhampassingoutofthehousewithoutmorethanaperfunctoryglanceroundthem.DenhamobeyedwhatseemedtobeKatharine’swishinthusmakinghaste.Somechangehadcomeoverher.Heconnecteditwithherlaughter,andherfewwordsinprivatewithRodneyhefeltthatshehadbecomeunfriendlytohim.Shetalked,butherremarkswereindifferent,andwhenhespokeherattentionseemedtowander.Thischangeofmoodwasatfirstextremelydisagreeabletohimbutsoonhefounditsalutary.Thepaledrizzlingatmosphereofthedayaffectedhim,also.Thecharm,theinsidiousmagicinwhichhehadluxuriated,weresuddenlygonehisfeelinghadbecomeoneoffriendlyrespect,andtohisgreatpleasurehefoundhimselfthinkingspontaneouslyofthereliefoffindinghimselfaloneinhisroomthatnight.Inhissurpriseatthesuddennessofthechange,an