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public eye。〃
Lansing still smiled。 〃The question is； I suppose； whether her
desire to shine equals her capacity。〃
The aide…de…camp stared。 〃You mean； she's not ambitious？〃
〃On the contrary； I believe her to be immeasurably ambitious。〃
〃Immeasurably？〃 The aide…de…camp seemed to try to measure it。
〃But not； surely； beyond〃 〃beyond what we can offer；〃 his eyes
completed the sentence； and it was Lansing's turn to stare。 The
aide…de…camp faced the stare。 〃Yes；〃 his eyes concluded in a
flash； while his lips let fall： 〃The Princess Mother admires
her immensely。〃 But at that moment a wave of Mrs。 Hicks's fan
drew them hurriedly from their embrasure。
〃Professor Darchivio had promised to explain to us the
difference between the Sassanian and Byzantine motives in
Carolingian art； but the Manager has sent up word that the two
new Creole dancers from Paris have arrived； and her Serene
Highness wants to pop down to the ball…room and take a peep at
them 。。。。 She's sure the Professor will understand 。。。。〃
〃And accompany us； of course；〃 the Princess irresistibly added。
Lansing's brief colloquy in the Nouveau Luxe window had lifted
the scales from his eyes。 Innumerable dim corners of memory had
been flooded with light by that one quick glance of the aide…de…
camp's： things he had heard； hints he had let pass； smiles；
insinuations； cordialities； rumours of the improbability of the
Prince's founding a family； suggestions as to the urgent need of
replenishing the Teutoburger treasury 。。。。
Miss Hicks； perforce； had accompanied her parents and their
princely guests to the ballroom； but as she did not dance； and
took little interest in the sight of others so engaged； she
remained aloof from the party； absorbed in an archaeological
discussion with the baffled but smiling savant who was to have
enlightened the party on the difference between Sassanian and
Byzantine ornament。
Lansing； also aloof； had picked out a post from which he could
observe the girl： she wore a new look to him since he had seen
her as the centre of all these scattered threads of intrigue。
Yes； decidedly she was growing handsomer； or else she had
learned how to set off her massive lines instead of trying to
disguise them。 As she held up her long eye…glass to glance
absently at the dancers he was struck by the large beauty of her
arm and the careless assurance of the gesture。 There was
nothing nervous or fussy about Coral Hicks； and he was not
surprised that； plastically at least； the Princess Mother had
discerned her possibilities。
Nick Lansing； all that night； sat up and stared at his future。
He knew enough of the society into which the Hickses had drifted
to guess that； within a very short time； the hint of the
Prince's aide…de…camp would reappear in the form of a direct
proposal。 Lansing himself would probablyas the one person in
the Hicks entourage with whom one could intelligibly commune…be
entrusted with the next step in the negotiations： he would be
asked； as the aide…de…camp would have said； 〃to feel the
ground。〃 It was clearly part of the state policy of Teutoburg
to offer Miss Hicks； with the hand of its sovereign； an
opportunity to replenish its treasury。
What would the girl do？ Lansing could not guess； yet he dimly
felt that her attitude would depend in a great degree upon his
own。 And he knew no more what his own was going to be than on
the night； four months earlier； when he had flung out of his
wife's room in Venice to take the midnight express for Genoa。
The whole of his past； and above all the tendency； on which he
had once prided himself； to live in the present and take
whatever chances it offered； now made it harder for him to act。
He began to see that he had never； even in the closest relations
of life； looked ahead of his immediate satisfaction。 He had
thought it rather fine to be able to give himself so intensely
to the fullness of each moment instead of hurrying past it in
pursuit of something more； or something else； in the manner of
the over…scrupulous or the under…imaginative； whom he had always
grouped together and equally pitied。 It was not till he had
linked his life with Susy's that he had begun to feel it
reaching forward into a future he longed to make sure of； to
fasten upon and shape to his own wants and purposes； till； by an
imperceptible substitution； that future had become his real
present； his all…absorbing moment of time。
Now the moment was shattered； and the power to rebuild it failed
him。 He had never before thought about putting together broken
bits： he felt like a man whose house has been wrecked by an
earthquake； and who； for lack of skilled labour； is called upon
for the first time to wield a trowel and carry bricks。 He
simply did not know how。
Will…power； he saw； was not a thing one could suddenly decree
oneself to possess。 It must be built up imperceptibly and
laboriously out of a succession of small efforts to meet
definite objects； out of the facing of daily difficulties
instead of cleverly eluding them； or shifting their burden on
others。 The making of the substance called character was a
process about as slow and arduous as the building of the
Pyramids； and the thing itself； like those awful edifices； was
mainly useful to lodge one's descendants in； after they too were
dust。 Yet the Pyramid…instinct was the one which had made the
world； made man； and caused his fugitive joys to linger like
fading frescoes on imperishable walls 。。。。
XXI
ON the drive back from her dinner at the Nouveau Luxe； events
had followed the course foreseen by Susy。
She had promised Strefford to seek legal advice about her
divorce； and he had kissed her； and the promise had been easier
to make than she had expected； the kiss less difficult to
receive。
She had gone to the dinner a…quiver with the mortification of
learning that her husband was still with the Hickses。 Morally
sure of it though she had been； the discovery was a shock； and
she measured for the first time the abyss between fearing and
knowing。 No wonder he had not writtenthe modern husband did
not have to： he had only to leave it to time and the newspapers
to make known his intentions。 Susy could imagine Nick's saying
to himself； as he sometimes used to say when she reminded him of
an unanswered letter： 〃But there are lots of ways of answering
a letterand writing doesn't happen to be mine。〃
Wellhe had done it in his way； and she was answered。 For a
minute； as she laid aside the paper； darkness submerged her； and
she felt herself dropping down into the bottomless anguish of
her dreadful vigil in the Palazzo Vanderlyn。 But she was weary
of anguish： her healthy body and nerves instinctively rejected
it。 The wave was spent； and she felt herself irresistibly
struggling back to light and life and youth。 He didn't want
her！ Well； she would try no