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down on the defenceless trio。
They presented a formidable front； not only because of their
mere physical bulkMr。 and Mrs。 Hicks were equally and
majestically three…dimensionalbut because they never moved
abroad without the escort of two private secretaries （one for
the foreign languages）； Mr。 Hicks's doctor； a maiden lady known
as Eldoradder Tooker； who was Mrs。 Hicks's cousin and
stenographer； and finally their daughter； Coral Hicks。
Coral Hicks； when Susy had last encountered the party； had been
a fat spectacled school…girl； always lagging behind her parents；
with a reluctant poodle in her wake。 Now the poodle had gone；
and his mistress led the procession。 The fat school…girl had
changed into a young lady of compact if not graceful outline； a
long…handled eyeglass had replaced the spectacles； and through
it； instead of a sullen glare； Miss Coral Hicks projected on the
world a glance at once confident and critical。 She looked so
strong and so assured that Susy； taking her measure in a flash；
saw that her position at the head of the procession was not
fortuitous； and murmured inwardly： 〃Thank goodness she's not
pretty too！〃
If she was not pretty； she was well…dressed； and if she was
overeducated； she seemed capable； as Strefford had suggested； of
carrying off even this crowning disadvantage。 At any rate； she
was above disguising it； and before the whole party had been
seated five minutes in front of a fresh supply of ices （with
Eldorada and the secretaries at a table slightly in the
background） she had taken up with Nick the question of
exploration in Mesopotamia。
〃Queer child； Coral；〃 he said to Susy that night as they smoked
a last cigarette on their balcony。 〃She told me this afternoon
that she'd remembered lots of things she heard me say in India。
I thought at the time that she cared only for caramels and
picture…puzzles； but it seems she was listening to everything；
and reading all the books she could lay her hands on； and she
got so bitten with Oriental archaeology that she took a course
last year at Bryn Mawr。 She means to go to Bagdad next spring；
and back by the Persian plateau and Turkestan。〃
Susy laughed luxuriously： she was sitting with her hand in
Nick's； while the late moontheirs againrounded its orange…
coloured glory above the belfry of San Giorgio。
〃Poor Coral！ How dreary〃 Susy murmured
〃Dreary？ Why？ A trip like that is about as well worth doing as
anything I know。〃
〃Oh； I meant： dreary to do it without you or me； she laughed；
getting up lazily to go indoors。 A broad band of moonlight；
dividing her room onto two shadowy halves； lay on the painted
Venetian bed with its folded…back sheet； its old damask coverlet
and lace…edged pillows。 She felt the warmth of Nick's enfolding
arm and lifted her face to his。
The Hickses retained the most tender memory of Nick's sojourn on
the Ibis； and Susy； moved by their artless pleasure in meeting
him again； was glad he had not followed her advice and tried to
elude them。 She had always admired Strefford's ruthless talent
for using and discarding the human material in his path； but now
she began to hope that Nick would not remember her suggestion
that he should mete out that measure to the Hickses。 Even if it
had been less pleasant to have a big yacht at their door during
the long golden days and the nights of silver fire； the Hickses'
admiration for Nick would have made Susy suffer them gladly。
She even began to be aware of a growing liking for them； a
liking inspired by the very characteristics that would once have
provoked her disapproval。 Susy had had plenty of training in
liking common people with big purses； in such cases her stock of
allowances and extenuations was inexhaustible。 But they had to
be successful common people； and the trouble was that the
Hickses； judged by her standards； were failures。 It was not
only that they were ridiculous； so； heaven knew； were many of
their rivals。 But the Hickses were both ridiculous and
unsuccessful。 They had consistently resisted the efforts of the
experienced advisers who had first descried them on the horizon
and tried to help them upward。 They were always taking up the
wrong people； giving the wrong kind of party； and spending
millions on things that nobody who mattered cared about。 They
all believed passionately in 〃movements〃 and 〃causes〃 and
〃ideals；〃 and were always attended by the exponents of their
latest beliefs； always asking you to hear lectures by haggard
women in peplums； and having their portraits painted by wild
people who never turned out to be the fashion。
All this would formerly have increased Susy's contempt； now she
found herself liking the Hickses most for their failings。 She
was touched by their simple good faith； their isolation in the
midst of all their queer apostles and parasites； their way of
drifting about an alien and indifferent world in a compactly
clinging group of which Eldorada Tooker； the doctor and the two
secretaries formed the outer fringe； and by their view of
themselves as a kind of collective re…incarnation of some past
state of princely culture； symbolised for Mrs。 Hicks in what she
called 〃the court of the Renaissance。〃 Eldorada； of course； was
their chief prophetess； but even the intensely 〃bright〃 and
modern young secretaries； Mr。 Beck and Mr。 Buttles； showed a
touching tendency to share her view； and spoke of Mr。 Hicks as
〃promoting art；〃 in the spirit of Pandolfino celebrating the
munificence of the Medicis。
〃I'm getting really fond of the Hickses； I believe I should be
nice to them even if they were staying at Danieli's；〃 Susy said
to Strefford。
〃And even if you owned the yacht？〃 he answered； and for once his
banter struck her as beside the point。
The Ibis carried them； during the endless June days； far and
wide along the enchanted shores； they roamed among the
Euganeans； they saw Aquileia and Pomposa and Ravenna。 Their
hosts would gladly have taken them farther； across the Adriatic
and on into the golden network of the Aegean； but Susy resisted
this infraction of Nick's rules； and he himself preferred to
stick to his task。 Only now he wrote in the early mornings； so
that on most days they could set out before noon and steam back
late to the low fringe of lights on the lagoon。 His work
continued to progress； and as page was added to page Susy
obscurely but surely perceived that each one corresponded with a
hidden secretion of energy； the gradual forming within him of
something that might eventually alter both their lives。 In what
sense she could not conjecture： she merely felt that the fact
of his having chosen a job and stuck to it； if only through a
few rosy summer weeks； had already given him a new way of saying
〃Yes〃 and 〃No。〃
VII。
OF some new ferment at work in him Nick Lansing himself was
equally aware。 He was a better judge of the boo