
trumpery, to work at education. I shall drop it as soon as I am clear enough -
to-morrow perhaps - and be by myself.«
    »Have you enough to live on?« asked Ursula.
    »Yes - I've about four hundred a year. That makes it easy for me.«
    There was a pause.
    »And what about Hermione?« asked Ursula.
    »That's over, finally - a pure failure, and never could have been anything
else.«
    »But you still know each other?«
    »We could hardly pretend to be strangers, could we?«
    There was a stubborn pause.
    »But isn't that a half-measure?« asked Ursula at length.
    »I don't think so,« he said. »You'll be able to tell me if it is.«
    Again there was a pause of some minutes' duration. He was thinking.
    »One must throw everything away, everything - let everything go, to get the
one last thing one wants,« he said.
    »What thing?« she asked in challenge.
    »I don't know - freedom together,« he said.
    She had wanted him to say love.
    There was heard a loud barking of the dogs below. He seemed disturbed by it.
She did not notice. Only she thought he seemed uneasy.
    »As a matter of fact,« he said, in rather a small voice, »I believe that is
Hermione come now, with Gerald Crich. She wanted to see the rooms before they
are furnished.«
    »I know,« said Ursula. »She will superintend the furnishing for you.«
    »Probably. Does it matter?«
    »Oh no, I should think not,« said Ursula. »Though personally, I can't bear
her. I think she is a lie, if you like, you who are always talking about lies.«
Then she ruminated for a moment, when she broke out: »Yes, and I do mind if she
furnishes your rooms - I do mind. I mind that you keep her hanging on at all.«
    He was silent now, frowning.
    »Perhaps,« he said. »I don't want her to furnish the rooms here - and I
don't keep her hanging on. Only, I needn't be churlish to her, need I? At any
rate, I shall have to go down and see them now. You'll come, won't you?
