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know of his meeting with Mr。 Buttles in Genoa； nor of the
latter's confidences； perhaps she did not even know of Mr。
Buttles's hopeless passion。 At any rate her face remained calm。
〃Why not consider itat least just for a few months？ Till
after our expedition to Mesopotamia？〃 she pressed on； a little
breathlessly。
〃You're awfully kind： but I don't know〃
She stood up with one of her abrupt movements。 〃You needn't；
all at once。 Take time think it over。 Father wanted me to ask
you；〃 she appended。
He felt the inadequacy of his response。 〃It tempts me awfully；
of course。 But I must wait； at any ratewait for letters。 The
fact is I shall have to wire from Rhodes to have them sent。 I
had chucked everything； even letters； for a few weeks。〃
〃Ah； you are tired；〃 she murmured； giving him a last downward
glance as she turned away。
》From Rhodes Nick Lansing telegraphed to his Paris bank to send
his letters to Candia； but when the Ibis reached Candia； and the
mail was brought on board； the thick envelope handed to him
contained no letter from Susy。
Why should it； since he had not yet written to her？
He had not written； no： but in sending his address to the bank
he knew he had given her the opportunity of reaching him if she
wished to。 And she had made no sign。
Late that afternoon； when they returned to the yacht from their
first expedition； a packet of newspapers lay on the deck…house
table。 Nick picked up one of the London journals； and his eye
ran absently down the list of social events。
He read：
〃Among the visitors expected next week at Ruan Castle （let for
the season to Mr。 Frederick J。 Gillow of New York） are Prince
Altineri of Rome； the Earl of Altringham and Mrs。 Nicholas
Lansing； who arrived in London last week from Paris。 〃Nick threw
down the paper。 It was just a month since he had left the
Palazzo Vanderlyn and flung himself into the night express for
Milan。 A whole monthand Susy had not written。 Only a month
and Susy and Strefford were already together！
XVII
SUSY had decided to wait for Strefford in London。
The new Lord Altringham was with his family in the north； and
though she found a telegram on arriving； saying that he would
join her in town the following week； she had still an interval
of several days to fill。
London was a desert； the rain fell without ceasing； and alone in
the shabby family hotel which； even out of season； was the best
she could afford； she sat at last face to face with herself。
》From the moment when Violet Melrose had failed to carry out her
plan for the Fulmer children her interest in Susy had visibly
waned。 Often before； in the old days； Susy Branch had felt the
same abrupt change of temperature in the manner of the hostess
of the moment； and oftenhow oftenhad yielded； and performed
the required service； rather than risk the consequences of
estrangement。 To that； at least； thank heaven； she need never
stoop again。
But as she hurriedly packed her trunks at Versailles； scraped
together an adequate tip for Mrs。 Match； and bade good…bye to
Violet （grown suddenly fond and demonstrative as she saw her
visitor safely headed for the station）as Susy went through the
old familiar mummery of the enforced leave…taking； there rose in
her so deep a disgust for the life of makeshifts and
accommodations； that if at that moment Nick had reappeared and
held out his arms to her； she was not sure she would have had
the courage to return to them。
In her London solitude the thirst for independence grew fiercer。
Independence with ease； of course。 Oh； her hateful useless love
of beauty 。。。 the curse it had always been to her； the blessing
it might have been if only she had had the material means to
gratify and to express it！ And instead； it only gave her a
morbid loathing of that hideous hotel bedroom drowned in yellow
rain…light； of the smell of soot and cabbage through the window；
the blistered wall…paper； the dusty wax bouquets under glass
globes； and the electric lighting so contrived that as you
turned on the feeble globe hanging from the middle of the
ceiling the feebler one beside the bed went out！
What a sham world she and Nick had lived in during their few
months together！ What right had either of them to those
exquisite settings of the life of leisure： the long white house
hidden in camellias and cypresses above the lake； or the great
rooms on the Giudecca with the shimmer of the canal always
playing over their frescoed ceilings！ Yet she had come to
imagine that these places really belonged to them； that they
would always go on living； fondly and irreproachably； in the
frame of other people's wealth 。。。。 That； again； was the curse
of her love of beauty； the way she always took to it as if it
belonged to her！
Well； the awakening was bound to come； and it was perhaps better
that it should have come so soon。 At any rate there was no use
in letting her thoughts wander back to that shattered fool's
paradise of theirs。 Only； as she sat there and reckoned up the
days till Strefford arrived； what else in the world was there to
think of？
Her future and his？
But she knew that future by heart already！ She had not spent
her life among the rich and fashionable without having learned
every detail of the trappings of a rich and fashionable
marriage。 She had calculated long ago just how many dinner…
dresses； how many tea…gowns and how much lacy lingerie would go
to make up the outfit of the future Countess of Altringham。 She
had even decided to which dressmaker she would go for her
chinchilla cloak…for she meant to have one； and down to her
feet； and softer and more voluminous and more extravagantly
sumptuous than Violet's or Ursula's 。。。 not to speak of silver
foxes and sables 。。。 nor yet of the Altringham jewels。
She knew all this by heart； had always known it。 It all
belonged to the make…up of the life of elegance： there was
nothing new about it。 What had been new to her was just that
short interval with Nicka life unreal indeed in its setting；
but so real in its essentials： the one reality she had ever
known。 As she looked back on it she saw how much it had given
her besides the golden flush of her happiness； the sudden
flowering of sensuous joy in heart and body。 Yesthere had
been the flowering too； in pain like birth…pangs； of something
graver； stronger； fuller of future power； something she had
hardly heeded in her first light rapture； but that always came
back and possessed her stilled soul when the rapture sank： the
deep disquieting sense of something that Nick and love had
taught her； but that reached out even beyond love and beyond
Nick。
Her nerves were racked by the ceaseless swish； swish of the rain
on the dirty panes and the smell of cabbage and coal that came
in under the door when she shut the window。 This nauseating
foretaste