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door。
It gave Matthew a few minutes to recover himself； for which he was
glad。 Then the door opened again suddenly。
〃You are to come upstairs；〃 said the small servant。
It sounded so like Ann that it quite put him at his ease。 He
followed the small servant up the stairs。
〃Mr。 Matthew Pole；〃 she announced severely； and closed the door
behind him。
Ann was standing by the window and came to meet him。 It was in
front of Abner's empty chair that they shook hands。
〃So you have come back to the old house；〃 said Matthew。
〃Yes；〃 she answered。 〃It never let well。 The last people who had
it gave it up at Christmas。 It seemed the best thing to do； even
from a purely economical point of view。
〃What have you been doing all these years？〃 she asked him。
〃Oh； knocking about；〃 he answered。 〃Earning my living。〃 He was
curious to discover what she thought of Matthew； first of all。
〃It seems to have agreed with you；〃 she commented； with a glance
that took him in generally； including his clothes。
〃Yes；〃 he answered。 〃I have had more luck than perhaps I deserved。〃
〃I am glad of that；〃 said Ann。
He laughed。 〃So you haven't changed so very much；〃 he said。
〃Except in appearance。
〃Isn't that the most important part of a woman？〃 suggested Ann。
〃Yes；〃 he answered； thinking。 〃I suppose it is。〃
She was certainly very beautiful。
〃How long are you stopping in New York？〃 she asked him。
〃Oh； not long；〃 he explained。
〃Don't leave it for another ten years；〃 she said； 〃before letting me
know what is happening to you。 We didn't get on very well together
as children； but we mustn't let him think we're not friends。 It
would hurt him。〃
She spoke quite seriously； as if she were expecting him any moment
to open the door and join them。 Involuntarily Matthew glanced round
the room。 Nothing seemed altered。 The worn carpet； the faded
curtains； Abner's easy chair； his pipe upon the corner of the
mantelpiece beside the vase of spills。
〃It is curious；〃 he said； 〃finding this vein of fancy； of tenderness
in you。 I always regarded you as such a practical； unsentimental
young person。〃
〃Perhaps we neither of us knew each other too well； in those days；〃
she answered。
The small servant entered with the tea。
〃What have you been doing with yourself？〃 he asked； drawing his
chair up to the table。
She waited till the small servant had withdrawn。
〃Oh； knocking about；〃 she answered。 〃Earning my living。〃
〃It seems to have agreed with you；〃 he repeated； smiling。
〃It's all right now；〃 she answered。 〃It was a bit of a struggle at
first。〃
〃Yes；〃 he agreed。 〃Life doesn't temper the wind to the human lamb。
But was there any need in your case？〃 he asked。 〃I thought〃
〃Oh； that all went；〃 she explained。 〃Except the house。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 said Matthew。 〃I didn't know。〃
〃Oh； we have been a couple of pigs；〃 she laughed； replying to his
thoughts。 〃I did sometimes think of writing you。 I kept the
address you gave me。 Not for any assistance； I wanted to fight it
out for myself。 But I was a bit lonely。〃
〃Why didn't you？〃 he asked。
She hesitated for a moment。
〃It's rather soon to make up one's mind；〃 she said； 〃but you seem to
me to have changed。 Your voice sounds so different。 But as a boy
well； you were a bit of a prig； weren't you？ I imagined you writing
me good advice and excellent short sermons。 And it wasn't that that
I was wanting。〃
〃I think I understand；〃 he said。 〃I'm glad you got through。
〃What is your line？〃 he asked。 〃Journalism？〃
〃No；〃 she answered。 〃Too self…opinionated。〃
She opened a bureau that had always been her own and handed him a
programme。 〃Miss Ann Kavanagh； Contralto；〃 was announced on it as
one of the chief attractions。
〃I didn't know you had a voice；〃 said Matthew。
〃You used to complain of it；〃 she reminded him。
〃Your speaking voice；〃 he corrected her。 〃And it wasn't the quality
of that I objected to。 It was the quantity。〃
She laughed。
〃Yes； we kept ourselves pretty busy bringing one another up；〃 she
admitted。
They talked a while longer： of Abner and his kind； quaint ways； of
old friends。 Ann had lost touch with most of them。 She had studied
singing in Brussels； and afterwards her master had moved to London
and she had followed him。 She had only just lately returned to New
York。
The small servant entered to clear away the tea things。 She said
she thought that Ann had rung。 Her tone implied that anyhow it was
time she had。 Matthew rose and Ann held out her hand。
〃I shall be at the concert；〃 he said。
〃It isn't till next week；〃 Ann reminded him。
〃Oh； I'm not in any particular hurry；〃 said Matthew。 〃Are you
generally in of an afternoon？〃
〃Sometimes；〃 said Ann。
He thought as he sat watching her from his stall that she was one of
the most beautiful women he had ever seen。 Her voice was not great。
She had warned him not to expect too much。
〃It will never set the Thames on fire；〃 she had said。 〃I thought at
first that it would。 But such as it is I thank God for it。〃
It was worth that。 It was sweet and clear and had a tender quality。
Matthew waited for her at the end。 She was feeling well disposed
towards all creatures and accepted his suggestion of supper with
gracious condescension。
He had called on her once or twice during the preceding days。 It
was due to her after his long neglect of her； he told himself； and
had found improvement in her。 But to…night she seemed to take a
freakish pleasure in letting him see that there was much of the old
Ann still left in her： the frank conceit of her； the amazing
self…opinionatedness of her； the waywardness； the wilfulness； the
unreasonableness of her； the general uppishness and dictatorialness
of her； the contradictoriness and flat impertinence of her； the
swift temper and exasperating tongue of her。
It was almost as if she were warning him。 〃You see； I am not
changed； except； as you say； in appearance。 I am still Ann with all
the old faults and failings that once made life in the same house
with me a constant trial to you。 Just now my very imperfections
appear charms。 You have been looking at the sunat the glory of my
face； at the wonder of my arms and hands。 Your eyes are blinded。
But that will pass。 And underneath I am still Ann。 Just Ann。〃
They had quarrelled in the cab on the way home。 He forgot what it
was about； but Ann had said some quite rude things； and her face not
being there in the darkness to excuse her； it had made him very
angry。 She had laughed again on the steps； and they had shaken
hands。 But walking home through the still streets Sylvia had
plucked at his elbow。
What fools we mortals beespecially men！ Here was a noble womana
restful； understanding； tenderly loving woman； a woman as nearly
approaching perfection as it was safe for a woman to go！ This
marvellous woman was waiting for him with outstretched arms （why
should he doubt it？）and just because Nature had at last succeeded
in making a temporary success of Ann's skin and had fashioned a
rounded line above her shoulder…blade！ It made him quite cross with
himself。 Ten years ago she had been gawky and sallow…complexioned。
Ten years hence she might catch the yellow jaundice and lose it all。
Passages in Sylvia's letters returned to him。 He remembered that
far…off evening in his Paris attic when she had knocked at his door
with her great gift of thanks。 Recalled how her soft shadow hand
had stilled his pain。 He spent the next two days with Sylvia。 He
re…read all her letters； lived again the scenes and moods in which
he had replied to them。
Her personality still defied the efforts of his imagination； but he
ended by convincing himself that he would know her when he saw her。
But counting up the women on Fifth Avenue towards whom he had felt
instinctively drawn； and finding that the number had already reached
eleven； began to doubt his intuition。 On the morning of the third
day he met Ann by chance in a bookseller's shop。 Her back was
towards him。 She was glancing through Aston Rowant's latest volume。
〃What I；〃 said the cheerful young lady who was attending to her；
〃like about him is that he understands women so well。〃
〃What I like about him；〃 said Ann； 〃is that he doesn't pretend to。〃
〃There's something in that；〃 agreed the cheerful young lady。 〃They
say he's here in New York。〃
Ann looked up。
〃So I've been told；〃 said the cheerful young lady。
〃I wonder what he's like？〃 said Ann。
〃He wrote for a long time under another name；〃 volunteered the
cheerful young lady。 〃He's quite an elderly man。〃
It irritated Matthew。 He spoke without thinking。
〃No； he isn't；〃 he said。 〃He's quite young。〃
The ladies turned and looked at him。
〃You know him？〃 queried Ann。 She was most astonished； and appeared
disbelieving。 That irritated him further。
〃If you care about it；〃 he said。 〃I will introduce you to him。〃
Ann made no answer。 He bought a copy of the book for himself； and
they went out together。 They turned towards the park。
Ann seemed thoughtful。 〃What is he doing here in New York？〃 she
wondered。
〃Looking for a lady named Sylv