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thought； wondering that Nick's influence； and the tragedy of
their parting； should have done less to mature and steady her
than these few weeks in a house full of children。
Pacifying Geordie was not easy； for he had long since learned to
use his grievances as a pretext for keeping the offender at his
beck with a continuous supply of stories； songs and games。
〃You'd better be careful never to put yourself in the wrong with
Geordie；〃 the astute Junie had warned Susy at the outset；
〃because he's got such a memory； and he won't make it up with
you till you've told him every fairy…tale he's ever heard
before。〃
But on this occasion； as soon as he saw her； Geordie's
indignation melted。 She was still in the doorway； compunctious；
abject and racking her dazed brain for his favourite stories；
when she saw； by the smoothing out of his mouth and the sudden
serenity of his eyes； that he was going to give her the
delicious but not wholly reassuring shock of being a good boy。
Thoughtfully he examined her face as she knelt down beside the
cot； then he poked out a finger and pressed it on her tearful
cheek。
〃Poor Susy got a pain too；〃 he said； putting his arms about her；
and as she hugged him close； he added philosophically： 〃Tell
Geordie a new story； darling； and you'll forget all about it。〃
XXVI
NICK Lansing arrived in Paris two days after his lawyer had
announced his coming to Mr。 Spearman。
He had left Rome with the definite purpose of freeing himself
and Susy； and though he was not pledged to Coral Hicks he had
not concealed from her the object of his journey。 In vain had
he tried to rouse in himself any sense of interest in his own
future。 Beyond the need of reaching a definite point in his
relation to Susy his imagination could not travel。 But he had
been moved by Coral's confession； and his reason told him that
he and she would probably be happy together； with the temperate
happiness based on a community of tastes and an enlargement of
opportunities。 He meant； on his return to Rome； to ask her to
marry him； and he knew that she knew it。 Indeed； if he had not
spoken before leaving it was with no idea of evading his fate；
or keeping her longer in suspense； but simply because of the
strange apathy that had fallen on him since he had received
Susy's letter。 In his incessant self…communings he dressed up
this apathy as a discretion which forbade his engaging Coral's
future till his own was assured。 But in truth he knew that
Coral's future was already engaged； and his with it： in Rome
the fact had seemed natural and even inevitable。
In Paris； it instantly became the thinnest of unrealities。 Not
because Paris was not Rome； nor because it was Paris； but
because hidden away somewhere in that vast unheeding labyrinth
was the half…forgotten part of himself that was Susy 。。。。 For
weeks； for months past； his mind had been saturated with Susy：
she had never seemed more insistently near him than as their
separation lengthened； and the chance of reunion became less
probable。 It was as if a sickness long smouldering in him had
broken out and become acute； enveloping him in the Nessus…shirt
of his memories。 There were moments when； to his memory； their
actual embraces seemed perfunctory； accidental； compared with
this deep deliberate imprint of her soul on his。
Yet now it had become suddenly different。 Now that he was in
the same place with her； and might at any moment run across her；
meet her eyes； hear her voice； avoid her handnow that
penetrating ghost of her with which he had been living was
sucked back into the shadows； and he seemed； for the first time
since their parting； to be again in her actual presence。 He
woke to the fact on the morning of his arrival； staring down
from his hotel window on a street she would perhaps walk through
that very day； and over a limitless huddle of roofs； one of
which covered her at that hour。 The abruptness of the
transition startled him； he had not known that her mere
geographical nearness would take him by the throat in that way。
What would it be； then； if she were to walk into the room？
Thank heaven that need never happen！ He was sufficiently
informed as to French divorce proceedings to know that they
would not necessitate a confrontation with his wife； and with
ordinary luck； and some precautions； he might escape even a
distant glimpse of her。 He did not mean to remain in Paris more
than a few days； and during that time it would be easyknowing；
as he did； her tastes and Altringham'sto avoid the places
where she was likely to be met。 He did not know where she was
living； but imagined her to be staying with Mrs。 Melrose； or
some other rich friend； or else lodged； in prospective
affluence； at the Nouveau Luxe； or in a pretty flat of her own。
Trust Susyah； the pang of itto 〃manage〃！
His first visit was to his lawyer's； and as he walked through
the familiar streets each approaching face； each distant figure
seemed hers。 The obsession was intolerable。 It would not last；
of course； but meanwhile he had the exposed sense of a fugitive
in a nightmare； who feels himself the only creature visible in a
ghostly and besetting multitude。 The eye of the metropolis
seemed fixed on him in an immense unblinking stare。
At the lawyer's he was told that； as a first step to freedom； he
must secure a domicile in Paris。 He had of course known of this
necessity： he had seen too many friends through the Divorce
Court； in one country or another； not to be fairly familiar with
the procedure。 But the fact presented a different aspect as
soon as he tried to relate it to himself and Susy： it was as
though Susy's personality were a medium through which events
still took on a transfiguring colour。 He found the 〃domicile〃
that very day： a tawdrily furnished rez…de…chaussee； obviously
destined to far different uses。 And as he sat there； after the
concierge had discreetly withdrawn with the first quarter's
payment in her pocket； and stared about him at the vulgar plushy
place； he burst out laughing at what it was about to figure in
the eyes of the law： a Home； and a Home desecrated by his own
act！ The Home in which he and Susy had reared their precarious
bliss； and seen it crumble at the brutal touch of his
unfaithfulness and his crueltyfor he had been told that he
must be cruel to her as well as unfaithful！ He looked at the
walls hung with sentimental photogravures； at the shiny bronze
〃nudes；〃 the moth…eaten animal…skins and the bedizened bed…and
once more the unreality； the impossibility； of all that was
happening to him entered like a drug into his veins。
To rouse himself he stood up； turned the key on the hideous
place； and returned to his lawyer's。 He knew that in the hard
dry atmosphere of the office the act of giving the address of
the flat would restore some kind of reality to the phantasmal
transaction。 And wi