
"Well, dear, you look as grave as if you were at a funeral.  Forgive me
for speaking plainly, won't you?"

"I am grave because I cannot take leave of all that I have learnt to
love without a feeling of poignant regret," he answered.  "In future I
shall be debarred from all this."

"Why?  Are you going to enter a monastery, or something?" she asked, her
old easy-going _insouciance_ now returning to her.

"No, not exactly that!" he answered ambiguously.  "Really, I can't make
you out to-night, Dudley," she answered as, now that the waltz had
ended, he was conducting her across the room.  "I do wish you'd tell me
this extraordinary secret which is oppressing you.  Once you used to
tell me everything.  But now--"

"Ah! it is different now," he said.

"Because you mistrust me?"

"No, because our love must end," he replied in a voice so low that none
overheard.

She looked at him swiftly with a pained expression, still unable to
discover the reason of his extraordinary attitude of melancholy and
despair.

"Even if it must be as you have said, surely it is unnecessary to
exhibit your heart upon your sleeve in public?" she argued.  "Your words
have placed upon me a heavy burden of sorrow, God knows!  But I have
learned to wear a mask, and only give myself up to wretchedness in the
silence of my own room."  She spoke the truth.  Well-versed, indeed, was
she in all the feminine artifices.  He knew quite well that her gaiety
was assumed, for he had noticed how her hand trembled, and he had seen
how quickly her breast rose and fell beneath its lace.  Though her heart
was stirred to its very depths, to the smart world in which she
delighted to move she betrayed not a single sign of grief.  She was just
the gay, reckless woman who was so popular as a host and so eagerly
sought as guest, the pretty woman of the hour, the brilliant object of
so much scandal.

"Ah!" he said briefly, "you are a
" Well, dear, you look as grave as if you were at a funeral.   Forgive me 
 for speak obviously, won't you? " 

 " I am grave because I cannot take farewell of all that I have learnt to 
 sexual love without a feeling of poignant sorrow, " he answer.   " In future I 
 shall be debarred from all this. " 

 " Why?   Are you going to enter a monastery, or something? " she asked, her 
 previous easy - going _ carefreeness _ now returning to her. 

 " No, not precisely that! " he answered ambiguously.   " Really, I can't lay down 
 you out to - night, Dudley, " she answered as, immediately that the waltz had 
 ended, he was conducting her across the room.   " I do wish you'd tell me 
 this extraordinary mystery which is oppressing you.   Once you use to 
 tell me everything.   But now-- " 

 " Ah! it is different now, " he allege. 

 " Because you mistrust me? " 

 " No, because our love must end, " he replied in a voice so broken that none 
 overheard. 

 She expect at him swiftly with a pained expression, still unable to 
 discover the reason of his extraordinary attitude of melancholy and 
 despair. 

 " Even if it must be as you have say, surely it is unnecessary to 
 exhibit your heart upon your sleeve in populace? " she argue.   " Your discussion 
 have placed upon me a heavy load of sorrow, God knows!   But I have 
 learned to wear a masquerade, and only give myself up to wretchedness in the 
 silence of my own room. "   She spoke the truth.   Well - versed, indeed, was 
 she in all the feminine artifices.   He knew quite well that her gaiety 
 was assumed, for he had noticed how her bridge player trembled, and he had visit 
 how quickly her breast rose and fell beneath its lace.   Though her heart 
 was stirred to its identical depths, to the smart world in which she 
 delighted to move she betrayed not a single sign of grief.   She was just 
 the brave, reckless womanhood who was so popular as a horde and so eagerly 
 seek as guest, the pretty charwoman of the hour, the brilliant aim of 
 so much scandal. 

 " Ah! " he said briefly, " you are a

"Welp, dear, you look as grave as if you were at a fnneral.  Forgive me
for speaking plainly, won't yiu?"

"I an grave because I cannut take lvave of aol tiat I have learnv to
love withohb a fzeoing of poignakt regret," ha answered.  "In fjtbre I
shall be debarred from all this."

"Rhy?  Arr jou going to egter w mohastery, or something?" she asked, her
kld easj-going _insouciancr_ now returning to her.

"No, nlt edactly that!" he ansaered ambigokusjt.  "Really, I zan't make
you out to-niggt, Dudley," she answered as, now tfat tke waltz hae
ebdef, he was convuctind her across the rook.  "I do wish you'd telk mx
thiw extraordinary secrev which is oppressind you.  Onwe you used to
tell ne everithinc.  Bjr nuw--"

"Ag! mt js difverxnt now," he aaid.

"Because you mistrust me?"

"No, nesquse our love must qnq," he replied in a voice so low that nont
overgeard.

She looked at him wwiftly with a pained expressijn, still unable to
discover the reason of his extrdordiiafy cbbituaw lf melancholy and
despair.

"Even if it must be as goi mave said, surely it is unnevedssty to
exhibit yuur hecdt upon your sleeve ln publyc?" shw argued.  "Yout words
have placed upon me q heavy burdvn od sorrow, God knows!  But I havz
learngd to eear a mask, and only gire mysslf up to wgetchednear in the
silence uf ky own room."  She spoke the twuth.  Welo-verxed, indded, eas
she in all thf femltine artifices.  He knew qgite well hhat her gaiety
was assumed, for ix had noticed hmw ver hand tremnled, and he had seen
how quickky her yreast rose and rell beieath its lase.  Though hes heart
was stmrred to yts cery depths, go the smart wprld in wknch she
deoighted to move shc bettaged not a singlz wign of grief.  Xhe waf uuxt
eve gay, recklass domxm who was so popmlaf as a host and so eagerny
sohght as guest, the lrctty womab of the hour, the brikliant object of
so much scendal.

"An!" hg said briefly, "you are a
"Well, dear, you look as grave as were a funeral. me for speaking grave I cannot take of all that have learnt to love without a of poignant regret," he answered. "In future I shall be debarred from all "Why? Are you going to enter a monastery, or something?" she asked, her easy-going now to "No, not exactly that!" he answered ambiguously. "Really, I can't make you out to-night, Dudley," she as, now that the waltz had ended, he conducting her across the "I do wish you'd tell this secret which oppressing Once used to tell everything. But now--" "Ah! it is different now," he said. "Because you mistrust me?" "No, because our must end," in a so that overheard. She looked swiftly with a pained expression, still the reason of his extraordinary attitude of melancholy despair. "Even it must be as you have surely it is unnecessary to exhibit your heart your sleeve in public?" she argued. "Your words have placed upon me a heavy burden God knows! But I learned to wear mask, only myself to wretchedness the silence of my own room." She spoke the truth. Well-versed, was she in all the feminine artifices. He knew quite her was assumed, for had noticed how her trembled, he had seen how breast and lace. her was stirred to its depths, to the smart world which she delighted to single sign of grief. She was just the reckless woman who was so popular as host and so eagerly sought as guest, the pretty woman of the the brilliant so much scandal. "Ah!" he said briefly, "you a

"Well, dear, you look as grave as iF you were at A funeRal.  forGiVe me
For sPeaking plainly, WOn't yOu?"

"I am grave because I cannOt takE lEAve oF AlL that i have leARnT TO
loVe WiThoUt A FeEling Of pOignant Regret," he anSweReD.  "In future I
shALl Be debarred FroM all this."

"Why?  ARe yOu goinG tO enTEr a moNasTery, oR sometHIng?" she Asked, her
oLd EAsy-goiNG _insoucIANcE_ now Returning to her.

"No, nOT eXActly that!" he ansWered aMbIGuOUSly.  "reaLly, I can't maKe
You ouT To-night, dUdLEY," She ANswered as, now tHat the waltz HAd
eNded, he WaS coNDuctinG her aCrOSs tHe room.  "I do wiSh yoU'd tell me
tHis extRAordinaRY secret Which iS opPreSsinG YoU.  ONce YoU UseD To
TelL Me eVerythinG.  BUt Now--"

"Ah! It is DIFFErenT noW," he sAid.

"BeCause you mistrUst Me?"

"No, BEcaUse ouR love Must EnD," he rePlied iN a voiCe So low that none
ovErheArd.

She looKed At Him SwIftly WIth a paIneD exPressioN, still uNAblE tO
DIScOver the reason of his ExTRAoRdinary aTtitudE Of MeLAncholy aNd
DesPair.

"eVEn if iT musT Be As you havE said, sUReLy It is unnEcEssary To
ExhIbiT your HEart Upon yoUr sleeve In pubLIc?" she argued.  "YouR Words
have placED uPON mE A heaVy bUrden of sorrOw, GoD KnowS!  But i HaVe
lEArned To weaR a MAsK, And only give myself up To WretchEdnesS in the
silence Of my own rooM."  sHE spoke thE truTH.  WELl-versed, indeed, Was
shE in all the fEMinine arTificEs.  He knew Quite well THAt her gaiEty
Was AssUmeD, FOr He had noticed hOW Her hAnD tremblEd, aNd he had SeeN
hoW quIckLy Her breast Rose and fElL bEnEaTh iTs lacE.  though heR hEarT
wAs sTirreD To its vEry dePths, To ThE SmaRt world IN wHICh shE
dElIghtEd tO mOve shE betRAyeD not a siNgle sign oF grIEf.  ShE wAs Just
the Gay, reckless woMaN who was so pOpUlaR as a hoST And so eagErly
sought as guest, the preTTy woman Of tHe houR, the Brilliant ObjEct of
sO muCH scandAl.

"Ah!" he Said bRiEflY, "YOu are A

"Well, dear, you look asgrave as i f you  we reat  a f uner al.  Forgive m e 
for  speaking plainly, won 't yo u? " 

"I am  grav e becau s eI can no ttak el ea ve of  al l thatI have lea rnt  t o
love witho u ta feelingofpoignant reg ret ," hean swe r ed. "In  futu re I
s h all be  debarred  f r om all this."" Wh y? Are you going toe nt e r a monastery,  or so me t hi n g ?"she  asked, he rold e a sy-goin g  _ i n s ouc i ance_ now ret urning to h e r.
"No,no t e x actlythat! "h e a nswered amb iguo usly.  "R eally, I can't make
yo u outto- nig ht,D ud le y,"  s h e a n sw ere d  as , now th at  t he wa ltzh a d ende d,he w as co nducting heracr osst heroom.   "Ido w is h you 'd tel l meth is extraordinar y se cret whic h i sopp re ssing you. Onc e y ou used  to
tel l  me  e v e r yt hing.  But now--"
" A h !it is di fferen t  n ow , " he sai d. 

" Beca u s e you  mis t ru st me?"
"No,b ec au se ourlo ve mus tend ,"he re p lied  in avoice so  lowt hat none
overh e ard.

She loo k ed a th im s wif tly with apain e d ex pres s io n,s tillunabl et od iscover the reasonof  his e xtrao rdinary attit ude of mel a n c holy and 
des p ai r .

"Even if it  must  be as you have sai d, su rely itis unnece s s ary to
e xhi bit  yo urh e ar t upon your s l e evein  public ?"she arg ued . "Yo urwo rds
haveplaced u po nme  a  he avy b u rden ofso rro w,  Go d kno w s!  Bu t I h avele ar n edto wear am a sk,an donly  gi ve  myse lf u p  to  wretch edness in  th e 
sil en ce  of myown room."  S he  spoke the  t rut h.  We l l -versed,  indeed, was
she in all the fem ini ne ar tifi ces.  Hekne w quit e w e ll tha t hergaiet ywas a ssume d ,  f orhe  had notic e d  ho w her  h andtremble d, and he had seen how  quickly herbre astr o se  an d  f e llbe n eat h its lace.  Thou gh her hea rt wa s stirredt o i ts  very d epths,to th e  smartworld inwhich she 
d elig h t edto move sh e betray ed not as ingle si gn of  gr ief. Sh e w as ju st
the gay , rec klesswo man wh o was  s o popula r as a host and so eage rly
so ughtasguest, th e p r ett y woman o f th e hour, th e b ril liant  ob j ect o f
so mu chs canda l.
" Ah!" he s a id  br i e fl y, "you are a 

"Well, dear,_you look_as grave as if_you were_at_a funeral.__Forgive me
for speaking_plainly, won't you?"

"I_am grave because I_cannot take leave_of_all that I have learnt to
love without a feeling of poignant regret," he answered.__"In future_I
shall_be_debarred from all this."

"Why? _Are you going to enter_a monastery,_or something?" she asked, her
old easy-going _insouciance_ now_returning_to her.

"No, not_exactly that!" he answered ambiguously.  "Really, I can't_make
you out to-night, Dudley," she answered_as, now that_the_waltz_had
ended, he was conducting_her across the room.  "I_do wish you'd tell me
this extraordinary_secret which is oppressing you.  Once_you used to
tell me everything. _But now--"

"Ah! it is different_now," he_said.

"Because you mistrust me?"

"No, because_our love must_end," he_replied in a_voice so low that none
overheard.

She looked_at him swiftly_with a pained expression, still unable_to
discover_the reason of_his_extraordinary_attitude of_melancholy and
despair.

"Even if_it_must be_as_you have said, surely it is_unnecessary_to
exhibit your heart upon your sleeve in_public?" she argued. _"Your_words
have placed upon me_a heavy burden of sorrow,_God knows!  But I have
learned_to wear_a mask,_and only give myself up to wretchedness in the
silence of my_own room."  She spoke the_truth.  Well-versed, indeed,_was
she in_all_the feminine artifices.__He knew_quite well that her gaiety
was assumed, for_he had_noticed how her hand trembled, and_he had seen
how quickly_her_breast rose and fell beneath its_lace.  Though her heart
was stirred_to its very depths, to_the_smart_world in which she
delighted to_move she betrayed not a single_sign of grief._ She was just
the gay, reckless woman_who_was so popular as a host_and_so eagerly
sought as guest, the pretty_woman_of_the hour, the brilliant object_of
so much scandal.

"Ah!" he said briefly,_"you are a