about　me；　to　see　me　sit　as　open…mouthed　as　I　now　figure　myself。　　Not
  so　the　two　ladies；　who　not　only　were　very　nearly　dumb　from　beginning
  to　end　of　the　meal；　but　who　hadn't　even　the　air　of　being　struck　with
  such　an　exhibition　of　fancy　and　taste。　　Mrs。　Ambient；　detached；　and
  inscrutable；　met　neither　my　eye　nor　her　husband's；　she　attended　to
  her　dinner；　watched　her　servants；　arranged　the　puckers　in　her　dress；
  exchanged　at　wide　intervals　a　remark　with　her　sister…in…law　and；
  while　she　slowly　rubbed　her　lean　white　hands　between　the　courses；
  looked　out　of　the　window　at　the　first　signs　of　eveningthe　long　June
  day　allowing　us　to　dine　without　candles。　　Miss　Ambient　appeared　to
  give　little　direct　heed　to　anything　said　by　her　brother；　but　on　the
  other　hand　she　was　much　engaged　in　watching　its　effect　upon　me。　　Her
  〃die…away〃　pupils　continued　to　attach　themselves　to　my　countenance；
  and　it　was　only　her　air　of　belonging　to　another　century　that　kept
  them　from　being　importunate。　　She　seemed　to　look　at　me　across　the
  ages；　and　the　interval　of　time　diminished　for　me　the　inconvenience。
  It　was　as　if　she　knew　in　a　general　way　that　he　must　be　talking　very
  well；　but　she　herself　was　so　at　home　among　such　allusions　that　she
  had　no　need　to　pick　them　up　and　was　at　liberty　to　see　what　would
  become　of　the　exposure　of　a　candid　young　American　to　a　high　aesthetic
  temperature。
  The　temperature　was　aesthetic　certainly；　but　it　was　less　so　than　I
  could　have　desired；　for　I　failed　of　any　great　success　in　making　our
  friend　abound　about　himself。　　I　tried　to　put　him　on　the　ground　of　his
  own　genius；　but　he　slipped　through　my　fingers　every　time　and　shifted
  the　saddle　to　one　or　other　of　his　contemporaries。　　He　talked　about
  Balzac　and　Browning；　about　what　was　being　done　in　foreign　countries；
  about　his　recent　tour　in　the　East　and　the　extraordinary　forms　of　life
  to　be　observed　in　that　part　of　the　world。　　I　felt　he　had　reasons　for
  holding　off　from　a　direct　profession　of　literary　faith；　a　full
  consistency　or　sincerity；　and　therefore　dealt　instead　with　certain
  social　topics；　treating　them　with　extraordinary　humour　and　with　a　due
  play　of　that　power　of　ironic　evocation　in　which　his　books　abound。　　He
  had　a　deal　to　say　about　London　as　London　appears　to　the　observer　who
  has　the　courage　of　some　of　his　conclusions　during　the　high…pressure
  timefrom　April　to　Julyof　its　gregarious　life。　　He　flashed　his
  faculty　of　playing　with　the　caught　image　and　liberating　the　wistful
  idea　over　the　whole　scheme　of　manners　or　conception　of　intercourse　of
  his　compatriots；　among　whom　there　were　evidently　not　a　few　types　for
  which　he　had　little　love。　　London　in　short　was　grotesque　to　him；　and
  he　made　capital　sport　of　it；　his　only　allusion　that　I　can　remember　to
  his　own　work　was　his　saying　that　he　meant　some　day　to　do　an　immense
  and　general；　a　kind　of　epic；　social　satire。　　Miss　Ambient's　perpetual
  gaze　seemed　to　put　to　me：　　〃Do　you　perceive　how　artistic；　how　very
  strange　and　interesting；　we　are？　　Frankly　now　is　it　possible　to　be
  MORE　artistic；　MORE　strange　and　interesting；　than　this？　　You　surely
  won't　deny　that　we're　remarkable。〃　　I　was　irritated　by　her　use　of　the
  plural　pronoun；　for　she　had　no　right　to　pair　herself　with　her
  brother；　and　moreover；　of　course；　I　couldn't　see　my　way　toat　all
  geniallyinclude　Mrs。　Ambient。　　Yet　there　was　no　doubt　they　were；
  taken　together；　unprecedented　enough；　and；　with　all　allowances；　I　had
  never　been　left；　or　condemned；　to　draw　so　many　rich　inferences。
  After　the　ladies　had　retired　my　host　took　me　into　his　study　to　smoke；
  where　I　appealingly　brought　him　round；　or　so　tried；　to　some
  disclosure　of　fond　ideals。　　I　was　bent　on　proving　I　was　worthy　to
  listen　to　him；　on　repaying　him　for　what　he　had　said　to　me　before
  dinner；　by　showing　him　how　perfectly　I　understood。　　He　liked　to　talk；
  he　liked　to　defend　his　convictions　and　his　honour　（not　that　I
  attacked　them）；　he　liked　a　little　perhapsit　was　a　pardonable
  weaknessto　bewilder　the　youthful　mind　even　while　wishing　to　win　it
  over。　　My　ingenuous　sympathy　received　at　any　rate　a　shock　from　three
  or　four　of　his　professionshe　made　me　occasionally　gasp　and　stare。
  He　couldn't　help　forgetting；　or　rather　couldn't　know；　how　little；　in
  another　and　drier　clime；　I　had　ever　sat　in　the　school　in　which　he　was
  master；　and　he　promoted　me　as　at　a　jump　to　a　sense　of　its　penetralia。
  My　trepidations；　however；　were　delightful；　they　were　just　what　I　had
  hoped　for；　and　their　only　fault　was　that　they　passed　away　too
  quickly；　since　I　found　that　for　the　main　points　I　was　essentially；　I
  was　quite　constitutionally；　on　Mark　Ambient's　〃side。〃　　This　was　the
  taken　stand　of　the　artist　to　whom　every　manifestation　of　human　energy
  was　a　thrilling　spectacle　and　who　felt　for　ever　the　desire　to　resolve
  his　experience　of　life　into　a　literary　form。　　On　that　high　head　of
  the　passion　for　form　the　attempt　at　perfection；　the　quest　for　which
  was　to　his　mind　the　real　search　for　the　holy　grailhe　said　the　most
  interesting；　the　most　inspiring　things。　　He　mixed　with　them　a
  thousand　illustrations　from　his　own　life；　from　other　lives　he　had
  known；　from　history　and　fiction；　and　above　all　from　the　annals　of　the
  time　that　was　dear　to　him　beyond　all　periods；　the　Italian　cinque…
  cento。　　It　came　to　me　thus　that　in　his　books　he　had　uttered　but　half
  his　thought；　and　that　what　he　had　kept　back　from　motives　I　deplored
  when　I　made　them　out　laterwas　the　finer　and　braver　part。　　It　was
  his　fate　to　make　a　great　many　still　more　〃prepared〃　people　than　me
  not　inconsiderably　wince；　but　there　was　no　grain　of　bravado　in　his
  ripest　things　（I've　always　maintained　it；　though　often　contradicted）；
  and　at　bottom　the　poor　fellow；　disinterested　to　his　finger…tips　and
  regarding　imperfection　not　only　as　an　aesthetic　but　quite　also　as　a
  social　crime；　had　an　extreme　dread　of　scandal。　　There　are　critics　who
  regret　that　having　gone　so　far　he　didn't　go　further；　but　I　regret
  nothingputting　aside　two　or　three　of　the　motives　I　just　mentioned
  since　he　arrived　at　a　noble　rarity　and　I　don't　see　how　you　can　go
  beyond　that。　　The　hours　I　spent　in　his　studythis　first　one　and　the
  few　that　followed　it；　they　were　not；　after　all；　so　numerousseem　to
  glow；　as　I　look　back　on　them；　with　a　tone　that　is　partly　that　of　the
  brown　old　room；　rich；　under　the　shaded　candle…light　where　we　sat　and
  smoked；　with　the　dusky　delicate　bindings　of　valuable　books；　partly
  that　of　his　voice；　of　which　I　still　catch　the　echo；　charged　with　the
  fancies　and　figures　that　came　at　his　command。　　When　we　went　back　to
  the　drawing…room　we　found　Miss　Ambient　alone　in　possession　and　prompt
  to　mention　that　her　sister…in…law　had　a　quarter　of　an　hour　before
  been　called　by　the　nurse　to　see　the　child；　who　appeared　rather
  unwella　little　feverish。
  〃Feverish！　how　in　the　world　comes　he　to　be　feverish？〃　Ambient　asked。
  〃He　was　perfectly　right　this　afternoon。〃
  〃Beatrice　says　you　walked　him　about　too　muchyou　almost　killed　him。〃
  〃Beatrice　must　be　very　happyshe　has　an　opportunity　to　triumph！〃
  said　my　friend　with　a　bright　bitterness　which　was　all　I　could　have
  wished　it。
  〃Surely　not　if　the　child's　ill；〃　I　ventured　to　remark　by　way　of
  pleading　for　Mrs。　Ambient。
  〃My　dear　fellow；　you　aren't　marriedyou　don't　know　the　nature　of
  wives！〃　my　host　returned　with　spirit。
  I　tried　to　match　it。　　〃Possibly　not；　but　I　know　the　nature　of
  mothers。〃
  〃Beatrice　is　perfect　as　a　mother；〃　sighed　Miss　Ambient　quite
  tremendously　and　with　her　fingers　interlaced　on　her　embroidered
  knees。
  〃I　shall　go　up　and　see　my　boy；〃　her　brother　went　on。〃　　Do　you　suppose
  he's　asleep？〃
  〃Beatrice　won't　let　you　see　him；　dear〃as　to　which　our　young　lady
  looked　at　me；　though　addressing　our　companion。
  〃Do　you　call　that　being　perfect　as　a　mother？〃　Ambient　asked。
  〃Yes；　from　her　point　of　view。〃
  〃Damn　her　point　of　view！〃　cried　the　author　of　〃Beltraffio。〃　　And　he
  left　the　room；　after　which　we　heard　him　ascend　the　stairs。
  I　sat　there　for　some　ten　minutes　with　Miss　Ambient；　and　we　naturally
  had　some　exchange　of　remarks；　which　began；　I　think；　by　my　asking　her
  what　the　point　of　view　of　her　sister…in…law　could　be。
  〃Oh　it's　so　very　odd。　　But　we're　so　very　odd　altogether。　　Don't　you
  find　us　awfully　unlike　others　of　our　class？which　indeed　mostly；　in
  England；　is　awful。　　We've　lived　so　much　abroad。　　I　adore　'abroad。'
  Have　you　people　like　us　in　America？〃
  〃You're　not　all　alike；　you　interesting　threeor；　counting　Dolcino；
  foursurely；　surely；　so　that　I　don't　think　I　understand　your
  question。　　We've　no　one　like　your　brotherI　may　go　so　far　as　that。〃
  〃You've　probably　more　persons　like　his　wife；〃　Miss　Ambient　desolately
  smiled。
  〃I　can　tell　you　that　better　when　you've　told　me　about　her　point　of
  view。〃
  〃Oh　yesoh　yes。　　Well；〃　said　my　entertainer；　〃she　doesn't　like　his
  ideas。　　She　doesn't　like　them　for　the　child。　　She　thinks　them
  undesirable。〃
  Being　quite　fresh　from　the　contemplation　of　some　of　Mark　Ambient's
  arcana　I　was　particularly　in　a　position　to　appreciate　this
  announcement。　　But　the　effect　of　it　was　to　make　me；　after　staring　a
  moment；　burst　into　laughter　which　I　instantly　checked　when　I
  remembered　the　indisposed　child　above　and　the　possibility　of　parents
  nervously　or　fussily　anxious。
  〃What　h