always pick up an extra man on a saturday by the way that reminds me that left me a list of the people who are arriving this afternoon my novel is so absorbing that i forgot to look at it where can it be ah here � let me see the jack ned � all from new york by seven p m train to night by fall river boat john from boston at five p m why i didn t know � excitedly john john here to day at five o clock let me see � let me look at the list are you sure you re not mistaken why she never said a word why the deuce did n t you tell me i didn t know � � i why what difference does it make what difference what difference don t look at me as if you didn t understand english why if s coming � a pause look here didn t you know him very well at one time very well � yes the twilight of the god i thought so � of course � i remember now i heard all about it before i you let me see � didn t you and your mother spend a winter in washington when he was under of state that was before the i remember � it all comes back to me i used to hear it said that he admired you there was a report that you were engaged don t you remember why it was in all the papers by jove what a match that would have been you are disinterested well i can t help thinking � that i paid you a handsome compliment j eh � ah yes � exactly what was i saying oh � about the report of your engagement he was awfully gone on you was n t he it s not for me to your triumph by jove i can t think why mrs ra didn t tell me he was coming a man like that � one doesn t take him for granted like the i wonder i didn t see it in the papers is he grown such a great man great john i u tell you what he is � the power behind the throne the black pope the king maker and all the rest of it don t you read the papers of course i ll never the twilight of the god get on if you won t interest yourself in politics and to think you might have married that man and got you your has them all in the hollow of his hand well you ll see him at five o clock i don t suppose he s ever heard of me worse luck a silence j look here i never ask questions do i but it was so long ago � and almost belongs to history � he will one of these days at any rate just tell me � did he want to marry you since you answer for his immortality � a pause j i was very much in love with then of course he did c another pause j but what in the world � as you say it was so long ago i don t see why i shouldn t tell you there was a married woman who had � what is the correct expression � made sacrifices for him there was only one sacrifice she objected to making � and he did n t consider himself free it sounds rather doesn t it it was odd that she died the year after we were married following her thoughts i ve never seen him since it must be ten years ago i m certainly thirty two and i was just twenty two then it s the twilight of the god ous to talk of it i had put it away so carefully how it smells of and what an old fashioned cut it has j where s the list you wanted to know if there were to be people at dinner tonight � here it is � but never mind � silence � weu it s odd he never married the comparison is to my disadvantage but then i met you don t be so sarcastic i wonder how he feel about seeing you oh i don t mean any sentimental rot of course � but you re an uncommonly agreeable woman i he ll be pleased to see you again you re fifty times more attractive than when i married you i wish your other had appreciated at the same rate unfortunately my charms won t pay the butcher damn the butcher i happened to mention him because he s just written again but i might as well have said the baker or the maker the maker � i wonder what he is by the way he must have more faith in human nature than the others for i haven t heard from him yet i wonder if there is a the twilight of the god s polite letter writer which they all consult their style is so exactly alike i advise you to pass through new york on your way to washington their attentions might be oppressive oppressive what a dog s life it is my poor � don t pity me i did n t many you for a home f o a pause what did you marry me for if you cared for another pause eh don t make me regret my confidence i beg your pardon oh it was only a to conceal the fact that i have no distinct recollection of my reasons the fact is a girl s motives in marrying are like a � apt to get one is so seldom asked for either but mine certainly couldn t have been i never heard a mother praise you to her daughters no i 