of　my　visit　I　find　it　important　to　avoid　the　error　of　appearing　to
  have　at　all　fully　measured　his　situation　from　the　first　or　made　out
  the　signs　of　things　mastered　only　afterwards。　　This　later　knowledge
  throws　a　backward　light　and　makes　me　forget　that；　at　least　on　the
  occasion　of　my　present　referenceI　mean　that　first　afternoonMark
  Ambient　struck　me　as　only　enviable。　　Allowing　for　this　he　must　yet
  have　failed　of　much　expression　as　we　walked　back　to　the　house；　though
  I　remember　well　the　answer　he　made　to　a　remark　of　mine　on　his　small
  son。
  〃That's　an　extraordinary　little　boy　of　yours。　　I've　never　seen　such　a
  child。〃
  〃Why；〃　he　asked　while　we　went；　〃do　you　call　him　extraordinary？〃
  〃He's　so　beautiful；　so　fascinating。　　He's　like　some　perfect　little
  work　of　art。〃
  He　turned　quickly　in　the　passage；　grasping　my　arm。　　〃Oh　don't　call
  him　that；　or　you'llyou'll！〃
  But　in　his　hesitation　he　broke　off　suddenly；　laughing　at　my　surprise。
  Immediately　afterwards；　however；　he　added：　　〃You'll　make　his　little
  future　very　difficult。〃
  I　declared　that　I　wouldn't　for　the　world　take　any　liberties　with　his
  little　futureit　seemed　to　me　to　hang　by　threads　of　such　delicacy。
  I　should　only　be　highly　interested　in　watching　it。
  〃You　Americans　are　very　keen；〃　he　commented　on　this。　　〃You　notice
  more　things　than　we　do。〃
  〃Ah　if　you　want　visitors　who　aren't　struck　with　you；〃　I　cried；　〃you
  shouldn't　have　asked　me　down　here！〃
  He　showed　me　my　room；　a　little　bower　of　chintz；　with　open　windows
  where　the　light　was　green；　and　before　he　left　me　said　irrelevantly：
  〃As　for　my　small　son；　you　know；　we　shall　probably　kill　him　between　us
  before　we've　done　with　him！〃　　And　he　made　this　assertion　as　if　he
  really　believed　it；　without　any　appearance　of　jest；　his　fine　near…
  sighted　expressive　eyes　looking　straight　into　mine。
  〃Do　you　mean　by　spoiling　him？〃
  〃No；　by　fighting　for　him！〃
  〃You　had　better　give　him　to　me　to　keep　for　you；〃　I　said。　　〃Let　me
  remove　the　apple　of　discord！〃
  It　was　my　extravagance　of　course；　but　he　had　the　air　of　being
  perfectly　serious。　　〃It　would　be　quite　the　best　thing　we　could　do。　　I
  should　be　all　ready　to　do　it。〃
  〃I'm　greatly　obliged　to　you　for　your　confidence。〃
  But　he　lingered　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets。　　I　felt　as　if　within　a
  few　moments　I　had；　morally　speaking；　taken　several　steps　nearer　to
  him。　　He　looked　weary；　just　as　he　faced　me　then；　looked　preoccupied
  and　as　if　there　were　something　one　might　do　for　him。　　I　was　terribly
  conscious　of　the　limits　of　my　young　ability；　but　I　wondered　what　such
  a　service　might　be；　feeling　at　bottom　nevertheless　that　the　only
  thing　I　could　do　for　him　was　to　like　him。　　I　suppose　he　guessed　this
  and　was　grateful　for　what　was　in　my　mind；　since　he　went　on　presently：
  〃I　haven't　the　advantage　of　being　an　American；　but　I　also　notice　a
  little；　and　I've　an　idea　that〃here　he　smiled　and　laid　his　hand　on
  my　shoulder〃even　counting　out　your　nationality　you're　not　destitute
  of　intelligence。　　I've　only　known　you　half　an　hour；　but！〃　　For
  which　again　he　pulled　up。　　〃You're　very　young；　after　all。〃
  〃But　you　may　treat　me　as　if　I　could　understand　you！〃　I　said；　and
  before　he　left　me　to　dress　for　dinner　he　had　virtually　given　me　a
  promise　that　he　would。
  When　I　went　down　into　the　drawing…roomI　was　very　punctualI　found
  that　neither　my　hostess　nor　my　host　had　appeared。　　A　lady　rose　from　a
  sofa；　however；　and　inclined　her　head　as　I　rather　surprisedly　gazed　at
  her。　　〃I　daresay　you　don't　know　me；〃　she　said　with　the　modern　laugh。
  〃I'm　Mark　Ambient's　sister。〃　　Whereupon　I　shook　hands　with　her；
  saluting　her　very　low。　　Her　laugh　was　modernby　which　I　mean　that　it
  consisted　of　the　vocal　agitation　serving　between　people　who　meet　in
  drawing…rooms　as　the　solvent　of　social　disparities；　the　medium　of
  transitions；　but　her　appearance　waswhat　shall　I　call　it？medieval。
  She　was　pale　and　angular；　her　long　thin　face　was　inhabited　by　sad
  dark　eyes　and　her　black　hair　intertwined　with　golden　fillets　and
  curious　clasps。　　She　wore　a　faded　velvet　robe　which　clung　to　her　when
  she　moved　and　was　〃cut；〃　as　to　the　neck　and　sleeves；　like　the
  garments　of　old　Italians。　　She　suggested　a　symbolic　picture；
  something　akin　even　to　Durer's　Melancholia；　and　was　so　perfect　an
  image　of　a　type　which　I；　in　my　ignorance；　supposed　to　be　extinct；
  that　while　she　rose　before　me　I　was　almost　as　much　startled　as　if　I
  had　seen　a　ghost。　　I　afterwards　concluded　that　Miss　Ambient　wasn't
  incapable　of　deriving　pleasure　from　this　weird　effect；　and　I　now
  believe　that　reflexion　concerned　in　her　having　sunk　again　to　her　seat
  with　her　long　lean　but　not　ungraceful　arms　locked　together　in　an
  archaic　manner　on　her　knees　and　her　mournful　eyes　addressing　me　a
  message　of　intentness　which　foreshadowed　what　I　was　subsequently　to
  suffer。　　She　was　a　singular　fatuous　artificial　creature；　and　I　was
  never　more　than　half　to　penetrate　her　motives　and　mysteries。　　Of　one
  thing　I'm　sure　at　least：　　that　they　were　considerably　less
  insuperable　than　her　appearance　announced。　　Miss　Ambient　was　a
  restless　romantic　disappointed　spinster；　consumed　with　the　love　of
  Michael…Angelesque　attitudes　and　mystical　robes；　but　I'm　now
  convinced　she　hadn't　in　her　nature　those　depths　of　unutterable
  thought　which；　when　you　first　knew　her；　seemed　to　look　out　from　her
  eyes　and　to　prompt　her　complicated　gestures。　　Those　features　in
  especial　had　a　misleading　eloquence；　they　lingered　on　you　with　a　far…
  off　dimness；　an　air　of　obstructed　sympathy；　which　was　certainly　not
  always　a　key　to　the　spirit　of　their　owner；　so　that；　of　a　truth；　a
  young　lady　could　scarce　have　been　so　dejected　and　disillusioned
  without　having　committed　a　crime　for　which　she　was　consumed　with
  remorse；　or　having　parted　with　a　hope　that　she　couldn't　sanely　have
  entertained。　　She　had；　I　believe；　the　usual　allowance　of　rather　vain
  motives：　　she　wished　to　be　looked　at；　she　wished　to　be　married；　she
  wished　to　be　thought　original。
  It　costs　me　a　pang　to　speak　in　this　irreverent　manner　of　one　of
  Ambient's　name；　but　I　shall　have　still　less　gracious　things　to　say
  before　I've　finished　my　anecdote；　and　moreoverI　confess　itI　owe
  the　young　lady　a　bit　of　a　grudge。　　Putting　aside　the　curious　cast　of
  her　face　she　had　no　natural　aptitude　for　an　artistic　development；　had
  little　real　intelligence。　　But　her　affectations　rubbed　off　on　her
  brother's　renown；　and　as　there　were　plenty　of　people　who　darkly
  disapproved　of　him　they　could　easily　point　to　his　sister　as　a　person
  formed　by　his　influence。　　It　was　quite　possible　to　regard　her　as　a
  warning；　and　she　had　almost　compromised　him　with　the　world　at　large。
  He　was　the　original　and　she　the　inevitable　imitation。　　I　suppose　him
  scarce　aware　of　the　impression　she　mainly　produced；　beyond　having　a
  general　idea　that　she　made　up　very　well　as　a　Rossetti；　he　was　used　to
  her　and　was　sorry　for　her；　wishing　she　would　marry　and　observing　how
  she　didn't。　　Doubtless　I　take　her　too　seriously；　for　she　did　me　no
  harm；　though　I'm　bound　to　allow　that　I　can　only　half…account　for　her。
  She　wasn't　so　mystical　as　she　looked；　but　was　a　strange　indirect
  uncomfortable　embarrassing　woman。　　My　story　gives　the　reader　at　best
  so　very　small　a　knot　to　untie　that　I　needn't　hope　to　excite　his
  curiosity　by　delaying　to　remark　that　Mrs。　Ambient　hated　her　sister…
  in…law。　　This　I　learned　but　later　on；　when　other　matters　came　to　my
  knowledge。　　I　mention　it；　however；　at　once；　for　I　shall　perhaps　not
  seem　to　count　too　much　on　having　beguiled　him　if　I　say　he　must
  promptly　have　guessed　it。　　Mrs。　Ambient；　a　person　of　conscience；　put
  the　best　face　on　her　kinswoman；　who　spent　a　month　with　her　twice　a
  year；　but　it　took　no　great　insight　to　recognise　the　very　different
  personal　paste　of　the　two　ladies；　and　that　the　usual　feminine
  hypocrisies　would　cost　them　on　either　side　much　more　than　the　usual
  effort。　　Mrs。　Ambient；　smooth…haired；　thin…lipped；　perpetually　fresh；
  must　have　regarded　her　crumpled　and　dishevelled　visitor　as　an
  equivocal　joke；　she　herself　so　the　opposite　of　a　Rossetti；　she
  herself　a　Reynolds　or　a　Lawrence；　with　no　more　far…fetched　note　in
  her　composition　than　a　cold　ladylike　candour　and　a　well…starched
  muslin　dress。
  It　was　in　a　garment　and　with　an　expression　of　this　kind　that　she　made
  her　entrance　after　I　had　exchanged　a　few　words　with　Miss　Ambient。
  Her　husband　presently　followed　her　and；　there　being　no　other　company；
  we　went　to　dinner。　　The　impressions　I　received　at　that　repast　are
  present　to　me　still。　　The　elements　of　oddity　in　the　air　hovered；　as
  it　were；　without　descendingto　any　immediate　check　of　my　delight。
  This　came　mainly；　of　course；　from　Ambient's　talk；　the　easiest　and
  richest　I　had　ever　heard。　　I　mayn't　say　to…day　whether　he　laid
  himself　out　to　dazzle　a　rather　juvenile　pilgrim　from　over　the　sea；
  but　that　matters　littleit　seemed　so　natural　to　him　to　shine。　　His
  spoken　wit　or　wisdom；　or　whatever；　had　thus　a　charm　almost　beyond　his
  written；　that　is　if　the　high　finish　of　his　printed　prose　be　really；
  as　some　people　have　maintained；　a　fault。　　There　was　such　a　kindness
  in　him；　however；　that　I've　no　doubt　it　gave　him　ideas　for　me；　or
  about　me；　to　see　me　sit　as　open…mouthed　as　I　now　figure　myself。　　Not
  so　the　two　ladies；　who　not　only　were　v