The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-02-07
"Where TO YOU waikiki

squares; and, if you take an omnibus. ther'
arc the Gardens and Hyde park,''
"But never alone, lrisf
'Oh, yes, nm often alone, Why notf
~ SUPPOSE said Arnold, sinking the
question, because this is civilize1 country
and, in fact, why not, IL suppose that it i
your work which keeps you from feeling life
dull and Dlonotonous"
''No life" she said, looking as wise n
Newton, il Newton was ever young and
handsome mo life can lie dull when one Is
thinking about mathematics all day, Dc
you study mathematicsf'
NO; was at Oxford, you know"
Then perhaps you prefer metaphysical
Though Lals Roy says that the true meta
phys which he has tried TO teach me, can
only be reached by the Hindoo intellect
4 "No, indeed; have never read any meta
physics whatever have only got tho Eng
ish intellect This he said with intent
satirlcpl, but Iris failed 70 understand it 50.
and thought il was meant for n comreuds.
bic humility.
! physical science, perhaps
mo, Iris Philosophy, mathematics.
physics, meta physics, OF science OF any kind
have never learned, except only the science
OF herallry, which you have taught me,
with few other things
'OhH She wondered bow man could
exist at MI Withou, learning these things
"Not any science OF all. How can any one
live without some scienceF
II knew very WELL, he said, that a. soon
as was found out should be despised."
ooh, no, not dcspise6 But it seems sucH
pity"
There is another Kind Of life, IRIS, which
YOU do not know You must let me teach
YOU II is the lie Of Art IL you would
only conle. cend 10 show the least curiosity
about me, Iris, ] would try 10 show you
something Of the art life.
How can | show curiosity about you,
Arnoidt fee! none "
"No; thnt is Just the thing which sbames
me- have felt The most lively curiosity
about you, and have asked You thousands
Of impairment questions
Not imyer,nent, Arnold If you waDt
TO ask any moro, pray do. dare ssy you
cannot understand my simple life
and you ask me nothing q, Oh sboo. my.
SELF II isn't fair, Iris
| "Why should !. know YOU already"
you know nothing at al about me-
"Ob, yes, know yCu very well indeed.
knew YOU he!orc you came here. You showed
me yourself in your htteIS. You are exactly
like he portrait IdTew If you. J never
| though. Tor instance, thst you wee aU Old
gentlemen, is yon thCueht me"
He laughed u was u new ting % see
Iris using. eveo gently, the aintr wespoDs
Of satire.
But 700 do not knca what J am, ar
what Is my profession, 81 a"s 'h'ue az all
ebout me"
NO do pot care 10 know. All that IS
not part of yourselt It il outside you
"AuG because you thought you knew IRE
from those letters, you suffer noe 10 crrpe
here and be your disciple stillt Vet you
gave me back my le.ters.7
That vas because they vert written 30
me under wrong impression
VIII yo1 have them back again"
She shook beg head.
II know them sD by heart" she sid
simply.
Theirs uas not the slightest &gn ~
coQuetry or Batsery IN her voice, or IN he's
eyes which mes his hook with cIeas and
steady gazs.
Il cannot ask you 90 read my portrait 10
rue as you drew il from those pictprea7
"Why noH' She began 10 read him bis
por,reit as readily as IL she were stating the
conclusion Of n problem. ~ saw that you
sometimes you we're indignant with things
as they are, but generally you laughed At
them and accepted them II is, ~ seems,
the nature Of your friends 20 laugh q great
deal at things which they ought 10 remedy If
| they could, not laugh at them. thought
that you wanted some strong stjmulrs 10
WORK snybody could SEQ that you were
man Of kindly nature and gocdbreeding.
You ~ere careful not 20 offend by anything
that you wrote, aDd wac certain that you
wore man Of honor. trusted you, Arnold,
before J saw your face, because J knew your
s,ul"
Trust me still, Iris" he saAi IN rather
husky voice.
''Os couTss did not know, aud never
thought what sort Of man you were 70
look st Yet ought 10 have known that
you were handsome. should have guessed
that from the very tone Of your letters. A
hunchbacs or cripple could not have
written in 80 light-hearted "a strain, and
should have discovered, il bad thought Of
such thing, that you were very well salts.
Gel with your personal appearance, Young
men should always be that, Mt least, II only
10 give them confidence
ooh, Iris--ohl 10 you really ,hink mo
conceitedF'
II did not say that only said you were
satisfied with yourself That, understand
now, was clenr, from many little natural
touches In your letters
what else did you learnt"
"Oh, n great deal-much more than can
tell you. knew that you go into society,
nnd learned from You what society means;
and though you tried TO be sarcastic, under
stood easily that you liked social pleasure
Was ! sarcasticT'
WAS 10 not sarcastic 20 tell ms how the
fine ladies, who affect SO much enthusiasm
for nrt, go 10 see tho galleries On the private
view day, and are never seen in them againi
Was II rot sarcastic
Spare me, Iris will never do IL again.
And knowing 80 much. do You not desire 70
know morer
"No, Arnold. J am not interested IN any.
thing else
Bat my position, my profession, my
people--are you not curious to know themr
No They are not you They are acct
dents Of yourself
philosopher But you must know more
about IN told you was an artist But
Won hive never inuuirei whether I Uas n