defiantly　remained；　though　they　were　all　in　a　lower　keyolder；
  sadder；　softer。
  She　sat　down　upon　the　divan　and　began　nervously　to　arrange　the
  pillows。　　〃I　know　I'm　not　an　inspiring　object　to　look　upon；　but　you
  must　be　quite　frank　and　sensible　about　that　and　get　used　to　it　at
  once；　for　we've　no　time　to　lose。　　And　if　I'm　a　trifle　irritable　you
  won't　mind？for　I'm　more　than　usually　nervous。〃
  〃Don't　bother　with　me　this　morning；　if　you　are　tired；〃　urged
  Everett。　　〃I　can　come　quite　as　well　tomorrow。〃
  〃Gracious；　no！〃　she　protested；　with　a　flash　of　that　quick；
  keen　humor　that　he　remembered　as　a　part　of　her。　　〃It's　solitude
  that　I'm　tired　to　death　ofsolitude　and　the　wrong　kind　of　people。
  You　see；　the　minister；　not　content　with　reading　the　prayers　for　the
  sick；　called　on　me　this　morning。　　He　happened　to　be　riding
  by　on　his　bicycle　and　felt　it　his　duty　to　stop。　　Of　course；　he
  disapproves　of　my　profession；　and　I　think　he　takes　it　for　granted
  that　I　have　a　dark　past。　　The　funniest　feature　of　his　conversation
  is　that　he　is　always　excusing　my　own　vocation　to　mecondoning　it；
  you　knowand　trying　to　patch　up　my　peace　with　my　conscience　by
  suggesting　possible　noble　uses　for　what　he　kindly　calls　my　talent。〃
  Everett　laughed。　　〃Oh！　　I'm　afraid　I'm　not　the　person　to　call
  after　such　a　serious　gentlemanI　can't　sustain　the　situation。
  At　my　best　I　don't　reach　higher　than　low　comedy。　　Have　you
  decided　to　which　one　of　the　noble　uses　you　will　devote　yourself？〃
  Katharine　lifted　her　hands　in　a　gesture　of　renunciation　and
  exclaimed：　〃I'm　not　equal　to　any　of　them；　not　even　the　least
  noble。　　I　didn't　study　that　method。〃
  She　laughed　and　went　on　nervously：　〃The　parson's　not　so　bad。
  His　English　never　offends　me；　and　he　has　read　Gibbon's　Decline
  and　Fall；　all　five　volumes；　and　that's　something。　　Then；　he　has
  been　to　New　York；　and　that's　a　great　deal。　　But　how　we　are　losing
  time！　　Do　tell　me　about　New　York；　Charley　says　you're　just　on　from
  there。　　How　does　it　look　and　taste　and　smell　just　now？　　I　think　a
  whiff　of　the　Jersey　ferry　would　be　as　flagons　of　cod…liver　oil　to
  me。　　Who　conspicuously　walks　the　Rialto　now；　and　what　does　he　or
  she　wear？　　Are　the　trees　still　green　in　Madison　Square；　or　have
  they　grown　brown　and　dusty？　　Does　the　chaste　Diana　on　the　Garden
  Theatre　still　keep　her　vestal　vows　through　all　the　exasperating
  changes　of　weather？　　Who　has　your　brother's　old　studio　now；　and
  what　misguided　aspirants　practice　their　scales　in　the　rookeries
  about　Carnegie　Hall？　　What　do　people　go　to　see　at　the　theaters；
  and　what　do　they　eat　and　drink　there　in　the　world　nowadays？　　You
  see；　I'm　homesick　for　it　all；　from　the　Battery　to　Riverside。　　Oh；
  let　me　die　in　Harlem！〃　　She　was　interrupted　by　a　violent　attack
  of　coughing；　and　Everett；　embarrassed　by　her　discomfort；　plunged
  into　gossip　about　the　professional　people　he　had　met　in　town
  during　the　summer　and　the　musical　outlook　for　the　winter。　　He　was
  diagraming　with　his　pencil；　on　the　back　of　an　old　envelope　he
  found　in　his　pocket；　some　new　mechanical　device　to　be
  used　at　the　Metropolitan　in　the　production　of　the　Rheingold；
  when　he　became　conscious　that　she　was　looking　at　him　intently；　and
  that　he　was　talking　to　the　four　walls。
  Katharine　was　lying　back　among　the　pillows；　watching　him
  through　half…closed　eyes；　as　a　painter　looks　at　a　picture。　　He
  finished　his　explanation　vaguely　enough　and　put　the　envelope　back
  in　his　pocket。　　As　he　did　so　she　said；　quietly：　〃How　wonderfully
  like　Adriance　you　are！〃　and　he　felt　as　though　a　crisis　of　some
  sort　had　been　met　and　tided　over。
  He　laughed；　looking　up　at　her　with　a　touch　of　pride　in　his
  eyes　that　made　them　seem　quite　boyish。　　〃Yes；　isn't　it　absurd？
  It's　almost　as　awkward　as　looking　like　Napoleonbut；　after　all；
  there　are　some　advantages。　　It　has　made　some　of　his　friends　like
  me；　and　I　hope　it　will　make　you。〃
  Katharine　smiled　and　gave　him　a　quick；　meaning　glance　from
  under　her　lashes。　　〃Oh；　it　did　that　long　ago。　　What　a　haughty；
  reserved　youth　you　were　then；　and　how　you　used　to　stare　at　people
  and　then　blush　and　look　cross　if　they　paid　you　back　in　your　own
  coin。　　Do　you　remember　that　night　when　you　took　me　home　from　a
  rehearsal　and　scarcely　spoke　a　word　to　me？〃
  〃It　was　the　silence　of　admiration；〃　protested　Everett；　〃very
  crude　and　boyish；　but　very　sincere　and　not　a　little　painful。
  Perhaps　you　suspected　something　of　the　sort？　　I　remember　you　saw
  fit　to　be　very　grown…up　and　worldly。
  〃I　believe　I　suspected　a　pose；　the　one　that　college　boys
  usually　affect　with　singers'an　earthen　vessel　in　love　with　a
  star；'　you　know。　　But　it　rather　surprised　me　in　you；　for　you　must
  have　seen　a　good　deal　of　your　brother's　pupils。　　Or　had　you　an
  omnivorous　capacity；　and　elasticity　that　always　met　the
  occasion？〃
  〃Don't　ask　a　man　to　confess　the　follies　of　his　youth；〃　said
  Everett；　smiling　a　little　sadly；　〃I　am　sensitive　about　some　of
  them　even　now。　　But　I　was　not　so　sophisticated　as　you　imagined。
  I　saw　my　brother's　pupils　come　and　go；　but　that　was　about　all。
  Sometimes　I　was　called　on　to　play　accompaniments；　or　to　fill　out
  a　vacancy　at　a　rehearsal；　or　to　order　a　carriage　for　an
  infuriated　soprano　who　had　thrown　up　her　part。　　But　they　never
  spent　any　time　on　me；　unless　it　was　to　notice　the　resemblance　you
  speak　of。〃
  〃Yes〃；　observed　Katharine；　thoughtfully；　〃I　noticed　it　then；
  too；　but　it　has　grown　as　you　have　grown　older。　　That　is　rather
  strange；　when　you　have　lived　such　different　lives。　　It's　not
  merely　an　ordinary　family　likeness　of　feature；　you　know；　but　a
  sort　of　interchangeable　individuality；　the　suggestion　of　the
  other　man's　personality　in　your　face　like　an　air　transposed　to
  another　key。　　But　I'm　not　attempting　to　define　it；　it's　beyond
  me；　something　altogether　unusual　and　a　triflewell；　uncanny；〃
  she　finished；　laughing。
  〃I　remember；〃　Everett　said　seriously；　twirling　the　pencil
  between　his　fingers　and　looking；　as　he　sat　with　his　head　thrown
  back；　out　under　the　red　window　blind　which　was　raised　just　a
  little；　and　as　it　swung　back　and　forth　in　the　wind　revealed　the
  glaring　panorama　of　the　deserta　blinding　stretch　of　yellow；
  flat　as　the　sea　in　dead　calm；　splotched　here　and　there　with　deep
  purple　shadows；　and；　beyond；　the　ragged…blue　outline　of　the
  mountains　and　the　peaks　of　snow；　white　as　the　white　clouds〃I
  remember；　when　I　was　a　little　fellow　I　used　to　be　very　sensitive
  about　it。　I　don't　think　it　exactly　displeased　me；　or　that　I　would
  have　had　it　otherwise　if　I　could；　but　it　seemed　to　me　like　a
  birthmark；　or　something　not　to　be　lightly　spoken　of。　　People　were
  naturally　always　fonder　of　Ad　than　of　me；　and　I　used　to　feel　the
  chill　of　reflected　light　pretty　often。　　It　came　into　even　my
  relations　with　my　mother。　　Ad　went　abroad　to　study　when　he　was
  absurdly　young；　you　know；　and　mother　was　all　broken　up　over　it。
  She　did　her　whole　duty　by　each　of　us；　but　it　was　sort　of
  generally　understood　among　us　that　she'd　have　made　burnt
  offerings　of　us　all　for　Ad　any　day。　　I　was　a　little　fellow　then；
  and　when　she　sat　alone　on　the　porch　in　the　summer　dusk　she　used
  sometimes　to　call　me　to　her　and　turn　my　face　up　in　the　light　that
  streamed　out　through　the　shutters　and　kiss　me；　and　then　I　always
  knew　she　was　thinking　of　Adriance。〃
  〃Poor　little　chap；〃　said　Katharine；　and　her　tone　was　a
  trifle　huskier　than　usual。　　〃How　fond　people　have　always　been　of
  Adriance！　　Now　tell　me　the　latest　news　of　him。　　I　haven't　heard；
  except　through　the　press；　for　a　year　or　more。　　He　was　in　Algeria
  then；　in　the　valley　of　the　Chelif；　riding　horseback　night　and　day
  in　an　Arabian　costume；　and　in　his　usual　enthusiastic　fashion　he
  had　quite　made　up　his　mind　to　adopt　the　Mohammedan　faith
  and　become　as　nearly　an　Arab　as　possible。　　How　many　countries　and
  faiths　has　be　adopted；　I　wonder？　　Probably　he　was　playing　Arab　to
  himself　all　the　time。　　I　remember　he　was　a　sixteenth…century　duke
  in　Florence　once　for　weeks　together。〃
  〃Oh；　that's　Adriance；〃　chuckled　Everett。　　〃He　is　himself
  barely　long　enough　to　write　checks　and　be　measured　for　his
  clothes。　　I　didn't　hear　from　him　while　he　was　an　Arab；　I　missed
  that。〃
  〃He　was　writing　an　Algerian　suite　for　the　piano　then；　it
  must　be　in　the　publisher's　hands　by　this　time。　　I　have　been　too
  ill　to　answer　his　letter；　and　have　lost　touch　with　him。〃