Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-08
among the temptations and designations
OF the ray City. His mothers there,

among the temptations and designations
OF the Say city,, His mothers there,
She took him by the coat sleeve.
What an exasperating thing you are!
Why didn't you tell me? I could have
broken my journey or at least asked
them to meet me at the Care du Nord.
| But why aren't they in England?"
Il didn't bring them with me-"
l. She laughed again at his tone, suspect
You speak as If you had accidentally
left. them behind, like umbrellas. Did
Turner came up. attended BY porter
with the hand baggage.
night ma'am?"
"Why should you?" asked Septimus.
Il had intended to do SO. But If mother
Is quite well. and Emmy and the baby
are IN Paris, and you yourself are here
Fl don't quite see. the necessity"
1T would be much nicer II you re-
Emained in London said he.
| Very WE'LL said Fora. I'VE shall. We
can put up at the Grosvenor Hotel here
for, the night Where are you staying
|, Septimus murmured the name OF his
sedate club, where his dissoute morning
Go and change and come back and
dine with me in an hours time
He obeyed the command with his usual
through the subway to the hotel
I'VE haven't dined together like this"
she said. unfolding her napkin an hour
afterward. "since Monte Carlo. Then
we can dine in the strictest propriety. Do
you understand that you're my brother
in-law?"
She laughed. radiant. curiously happy
at being with him. She realized. with
little shock of discovery the restfulness
that was the essential quality of his COM
panionship. He was a quiet haven after
stormy seas; he represented something
intimate and tender in her life.
They spoke for a while OF common
things-her train journey, the crossing,
the wonderS she had seen. He murmured
incoherent sketches, of his life in Paris.
the new gun and Hegisippe Cruchot. But
Of the reason for his summons he said
nothing. At last she leaned across the
table and said. gently:
why am here Septimus? You
haven't told me-"
Haven't II"
mo You see. the little dogs tail
brought me post haste to you, but 1t gave
me no inklins why you wanted me so
badly"
He looked at her in his scared manner.
"Oh, don't want you at all: at least, l
do-most tremendously-but not for my
SELF
For whom, them
"Clem Sypher." said Septimus.
She paled slightly, and looked down at
her plate and crumbled bread. For
long time she did not speak. The an.
nouncement did not surprise her. In an
inexplicable way it seemed natural. Sep
timus and Sypher had shared her
thoughts so oddly during her journey. An
unaccountable shyness had. checked her
impulse to inquire after his welfare. In
deed, now that the name was spoken she
could scarcely believe that she had not
expected to hear it.
What is the matter?" she asked at
length.
. The G1 u, has failed
She looked up at him half incredulously.
The very last letter she had received
from Sypher had been full of the lust OF
battle. Septimus nodded gloomily.
LIT was only a silly. patent ointment
like hundred others. but it was sypher's
religion. Now his gods. have gone and
he's lost. It's not good for a man to
have no gods. 1 didn't have any once
and the devils came in; They drove ms
to try haschisch.- But it must have been
very bad haschisch. for it made me sick
and so was saved
What made you send for me so urgent
w. w. The 7, dogs tan-you knew had to
"Sypher wanted you-to give him some
new gods" t
"He could have sent-for me himself.
Why did he ask your
HE didn't, cried SeptimuS. He
doesn't know anything about it. He
hasn't the faintest idea that you're In
London tonight. Was 1 wrong in bring
ing you back?'
To Fora the incompfehensible aspect OF
the situation was her own attitude. She
did not know whether Septimus was
wrong or not. She told herself that she
ought to resent the summons, which had
caused her such needless anxiety as: to
his welfare, but she could feel no resent
ment. Sypher had failed. The mighty
had fallen. She pictured a broken-heart-
ed man, and her own heart ached for
him.
You did right, Septimus,'' she said,
very gently. But of what use can 1 be
to him."
septimus said Hes the one to tell you
that" ~
But do you think he kIlows2 He didn't
before. He wanted me to stay as a kind
Of Mascotte for the Cure-simply sit still
while he drew influence out Of me, or
something. 1t was absurd" ,.....s
1t was on this occasion that Septiu7us
made his one contribution to pessimistic,
philosophy.
when you analyze anything In life"
said he, don't you think you always
come down to reductio ad absurdum?"
(To be continued tomorrow
AAnAFElln nAcEnAll Marro