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ecay。
I puzzle about this for an instant； but soon forget to wonder； for when the Dream Fairy tells us tales we are only as little children； sitting round with open eyes； believing all； though marvelling that such things should be。
Each night； when all else in the house sleeps； the door of that room opens noiselessly； and the man enters and closes it behind him。 Each night he draws away the white sheet； and takes the small dead body in his arms； and through the dark hours he paces softly to and fro； holding it close against his breast； kissing it and crooning to it； like a mother to her sleeping baby。
When the first ray of dawn peeps into the room； he lays the dead child back again； and smooths the sheet above her； and steals away。
And he succeeds and prospers in all things； and each day he grows richer and greater and more powerful。
CHAPTER III
We had much trouble with our heroine。 Brown wanted her ugly。 Brown's chief ambition in life is to be original； and his method of obtaining the original is to take the unoriginal and turn it upside down。
If Brown were given a little planet of his own to do as he liked with； he would call day； night； and summer； winter。 He would make all his men and women walk on their heads and shake hands with their feet； his trees would grow with their roots in the air； and the old cock would lay all the eggs while the hens sat on the fence and crowed。 Then he would step back and say； 〃See what an original world I have created； entirely my own idea！〃
There are many other people besides Brown whose notion of originality would seem to be precisely similar。
I know a little girl； the descendant of a long line of politicians。 The hereditary instinct is so strongly developed in her that she is almost incapable of thinking for herself。 Instead； she copies in everything her elder sister； who takes more after the mother。 If her sister has two helpings of rice pudding for supper； then she has two helpings of rice pudding。 If her sister isn't hungry and doesn't want any supper at all； then she goes to bed without any supper。
This lack of character in the child troubles her mother； who is not an admirer of the political virtues； and one evening； taking the little one on her lap； she talked seriously to her。
〃Do try to think for yourself；〃 said she。 〃Don't always do just what Jessie does； that's silly。 Have an idea of your own now and then。 Be a little original。〃
The child promised she'd try； and went to bed thoughtful。
Next morning； for breakfast； a dish of kippers and a dish of kidneys were placed on the table； side by side。 Now the child loved kippers with an affection that amounted almost to passion； while she loathed kidneys worse than powders。 It was the one subject on which she did know her own mind。
〃A kidney or a kipper for you； Jessie？〃 asked the mother； addressing the elder child first。
Jessie hesitated for a moment； while her sister sat regarding her in an agony of suspense。
〃Kipper； please； ma；〃 Jessie answered at last； and the younger child turned her head away to hide the tears。
〃You'll have a kipper； of course； Trixy？〃 said the mother； who had noticed nothing。
〃No； thank you； ma；〃 said the small heroine； stifling a sob； and speaking in a dry； tremulous voice； 〃I'll have a kidney。〃
〃But I thought you couldn't bear kidneys；〃 exclaimed her mother； surprised。
〃No； ma； I don't like 'em much。〃
〃And you're so fond of kippers！〃
〃Yes； ma。〃
〃Well； then； why on earth don't you have one？〃
〃'Cos Jessie's going to have one； and you told me to be original；〃 and here the poor mite； reflecting upon the price her originality was going to cost her； burst into tears。
The other three of us refused to sacrifice ourselves upon the altar of Brown's originality。 We decided to be content with the customary beautiful girl。
〃Good or bad？〃 queried Brown。
〃Bad；〃 responded MacShaughnassy emphatically。 〃What do you say； Jephson？〃
〃Well；〃 replied Jephson； taking the pipe from between his lips； and speaking in that soothingly melancholy tone of voice that he never varies； whether telling a joke about a wedding or an anecdote relating to a funeral； 〃not altogether bad。 Bad； with good instincts； the good instincts well under control。〃
〃I wonder why it is；〃 murmured MacShaughnassy reflectively； 〃that bad people are so much more interesting than good。〃
〃I don't think the reason is very difficult to find；〃 answered Jephson。 〃There's more uncertainty about them。 They keep you more on the alert。 It's like the difference between riding a well… broken； steady…going hack and a lively young colt with ideas of his own。 The one is comfortable to travel on； but the other provides you with more exercise。 If you start off with a thoroughly good woman for your heroine you give your story away in the first chapter。 Everybody knows precisely how she will behave under every conceivable combination of circumstances in which you can place her。 On every occasion she will do the same thingthat is the right thing。
〃With a bad heroine； on the other hand； you can never be quite sure what is going to happen。 Out of the fifty or so courses open to her； she may take the right one； or she may take one of the forty… nine wrong ones； and you watch her with curiosity to see which it will be。〃
〃But surely there are plenty of good heroines who are interesting；〃 I said。
〃At intervalswhen they do something wrong；〃 answered Jephson。 〃A consistently irreproachable heroine is as irritating as Socrates must have been to Xantippe； or as the model boy at school is to all the other lads。 Take the stock heroine of the eighteenth…century romance。 She never met her lover except for the purpose of telling him that she could not be his； and she generally wept steadily throughout the interview。 She never forgot to turn pale at the sight of blood； nor to faint in his arms at the most inconvenient moment possible。 She was determined never to marry without her father's consent； and was equally resolved never to marry anybody but the one particular person she was convinced he would never agree to her marrying。 She was an excellent young woman； and nearly as uninteresting as a celebrity at home。〃
〃Ah； but you're not talking about good women now；〃 I observed。 〃You're talking about some silly person's idea of a good woman。〃
〃I quite admit it；〃 replied Jephson。 〃Nor； indeed； am I prepared to say what is a good woman。 I consider the subject too deep and too complicated for any mere human being to give judgment upon。 But I AM talking of the women who conformed to the popular idea of maidenly goodness in the age when these books were written。 You must remember goodness is not a known quantity。 It varies with every age and every locality； and it is； generally speaking； your 'silly persons' who are responsible for its varying standards。 In Japan； a 'good' girl would be a girl who would sell her honour in order to afford little luxuries to her aged parents。 In certain hospitable islands of the torrid zone the 'good' wife goes to lengths that we should deem altogether unnecessary in making her husband's guest feel himself at home。 In ancient Hebraic days； Jael was accounted a good woman for murdering a sleeping man； and Sarai stood in no danger of losing the respect of her little world when she led Hagar unto Abraham。 In eighteenth…century England； supernatural stupidity and dulness of a degree that must have been difficult to attain； were held to be feminine virtuesindeed； they are so stilland authors； who are always among the most servile followers of public opinion； fashioned their puppets accordingly。 Nowadays 'slumming' is the most applauded virtue； and so all our best heroines go slumming； and are 'good to the poor。'〃
〃How useful 'the poor' are；〃 remarked MacShaughnassy； somewhat abruptly； placing his feet on the mantelpiece； and tilting his chair back till it stood at an angle that caused us to rivet our attention upon it with hopeful interest。 〃I don't think we scribbling fellows ever fully grasp how much we owe to 'the poor。' Where would our angelic heroines and our noble…hearted heroes be if it were not for 'the poor'？ We want to show that the dear girl is as good as she is beautiful。 What do we do？ We put a basket full of chickens and bottles of wine on her arm； a fetching little sun…bonnet on her head； and send her round among the poor。 How do we prove that our apparent scamp of a hero is really a noble young man at heart？ Why； by explaining that he is good to the poor。
〃They are as useful in real life as they are in Bookland。 What is it consoles the tradesman when the actor； earning eighty pounds a week； cannot pay his debts？ Why； reading in the theatrical newspapers gushing accounts of the dear fellow's invariable generosity to the poor。 What is it stills the small but irritating voice of conscience when we have successfully accomplished some extra big feat of swindling？ Why； the noble resolve to give ten per cent of the net profits to the poor。
〃What does a man do when he finds himself growing old； and feels that it is time for him to think seriously about securing his position in the next world？ Why； he becomes suddenly goo