II + 

Nell Chetwynd stepped through the French window of the drawing-room and came out upon the terrace at Abbots Puissants. + 

It was one of those still early autumn days when there seems no stirring of life anywhere, as though Nature herself feigned unconsciousness. The sky was a pale, not a deep, blue and there was a very faint haze in the atmosphere. + 

Nell leaned against a big stone urn and gazed out over the silent prospect. Everything was very beautiful and very English. The formal gardens were exquisitely kept. The house itself had been very judiciously and carefully repaired. + 

Not habitually given to emotion, as Nell looked up at the rose-red brick of the walls, she felt a sudden swelling of the heart. It was all so perfect. She wished that Vernon could knowтБатАФcould see. + 

Four years of marriage had dealt kindly with Nell, but they had changed her. There was no suggestion of the nymph about her now. She was a beautiful woman instead of a lovely girl. She was poised, assured. Her beauty was a very definite kind of beautyтБатАФit never varied or altered. Her movements were more deliberate than of old, she had filled out a littleтБатАФthere was no suggestion of immaturity. She was the perfect full-blown rose. + 

A voice called her from the house. + 

тАЬNell!тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm here, George, on the terrace.тАЭ + 

тАЬRight. IтАЩll be out in a minute.тАЭ + 

What a dear George was! A little smile creased her lips. The perfect husband! Perhaps that was because he was an American. You always heard that Americans made perfect husbands. Certainly, George had been one to her. The marriage had been a complete success. It was true that she had never felt for George what she had felt for Vernon, but almost reluctantly she had admitted that perhaps that was a good thing. These tempestuous emotions that tore and rent oneтБатАФthey couldnтАЩt last. Every day you had evidence that they didnтАЩt last. + 

All her old revolt was quelled now. She no longer questioned passionately the reason why Vernon should have been taken from her. God knew best. One rebelled at the time, but one came at last to realize that whatever happened was really for the best. + 

They had known supreme happiness, she and Vernon, and nothing could ever mar or take away from it. It was there foreverтБатАФa precious secret possession, a hidden jewel. She could think of him now without regret or longing. They had loved each other and had risked everything to be together. Then had come that awful pain of separationтБатАФand then peace. + 

Yes, that was the predominant factor in her life nowтБатАФpeace. George had given her that. He had wrapped her round with comfort, with luxury, with tenderness. She hoped that she was a good wife to him, even if she didnтАЩt care like she had cared for Vernon. But she was fond of himтБатАФof course she was! The quiet affectionate feeling she had for him was by far the safest emotion to go through life with. + 

Yes, that expressed exactly what she feltтБатАФsafe and happy. She wished that Vernon knew. He would be glad, she was sure. + 

George Chetwynd came out and joined her. He wore English country clothes and looked very much the country squire. He had not aged at allтБатАФindeed he looked younger. In his hand he held some letters. + 

тАЬIтАЩve agreed to share that shooting with Drummond. I think weтАЩll enjoy it.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm so glad.тАЭ + 

тАЬWe must decide who we want to ask.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, weтАЩll talk about it tonight. IтАЩm rather glad the Hays couldnтАЩt come and dine. It will be nice to have an evening to ourselves.тАЭ + 

тАЬI was afraid you were overdoing it in town, Nell.тАЭ + 

тАЬWe did rush about rather. But I think itтАЩs good for one really. And anyway, itтАЩs been splendidly peaceful down here.тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs wonderful.тАЭ George threw an appreciative glance over the landscape. тАЬIтАЩd rather have Abbots Puissants than any place in England. ItтАЩs got an atmosphere.тАЭ + 

Nell nodded. + 

тАЬI know what you mean.тАЭ + 

тАЬI should hate to think of it in the hands ofтБатАФwell, people like the Levinnes, for instance.тАЭ + 

тАЬI know. One would resent it. And yet Sebastian is a dearтБатАФand his taste at any rate is perfect.тАЭ + 

тАЬHe knows the taste of the public all right,тАЭ said George dryly. тАЬOne success after anotherтБатАФwith occasionally a succ├иs dтАЩestime just to show heтАЩs not a mere money maker. HeтАЩs beginning to look the part thoughтБатАФgetting not exactly fat, but sleek. Adopting all sorts of mannerisms. ThereтАЩs a caricature of him in Punch this week. Very clever.тАЭ + 

тАЬSebastian would lend himself to caricaturing,тАЭ said Nell, smiling. тАЬThose enormous ears, and those funny high cheekbones. He was an extraordinary-looking boy.тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs odd to think of you all playing together as children. By the way, IтАЩve got a surprise for you. A friend you havenтАЩt seen for some time is coming to lunch today.тАЭ + 

тАЬNot Josephine?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo. Jane Harding.тАЭ + 

тАЬJane Harding! But how on earthтБатАФ?тАЭ + 

тАЬI ran into her at Wiltsbury yesterday. SheтАЩs on tour, acting in some company or other.тАЭ + 

тАЬJane! Why, George, I didnтАЩt even realize you knew her?тАЭ + 

тАЬI came across her when we were both doing relief work in Serbia. I saw a lot of her. I wrote to you about it.тАЭ + 

тАЬDid you? I donтАЩt remember.тАЭ + 

Something in her tone seemed to strike him and he said anxiously: + 

тАЬItтАЩs all right, isnтАЩt it, dear? I thought it would be a pleasant surprise for you. I always thought she was a great friend of yours. I can put her off in a minute ifтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬNo, no. Of course, IтАЩll be delighted to see her. I was only surprised.тАЭ + 

George was reassured. + 

тАЬThatтАЩs all right then. By the way, she told me that a man called Bleibner, a man I knew very well in New York, is also in Wiltsbury. IтАЩd like him to see the Abbey ruinsтБатАФthat sort of thing is a speciality of his. Do you mind if I ask him to lunch, too?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, of course not. Do ask him.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩll see if I can get him on the phone now. I meant to do it last night, but it slipped my memory.тАЭ + 

He went indoors again. Nell was left on the terrace frowning slightly. + 

George in this had been right. For some reason or other, she was not pleased at the thought of JaneтАЩs coming to lunch. She felt very definitely that she didnтАЩt want to see Jane. Already, the mere mention of Jane seemed to have disturbed the serenity of the morning. She thought: тАЬI was so peaceful and nowтБатАФтАЭ + 

AnnoyingтБатАФyes, it was annoying. She was, had always been, afraid of Jane. Jane was the kind of person you could never be sure about. SheтБатАФhow could one put it?тБатАФshe upset things. She was disturbing, and Nell didnтАЩt want to be disturbed. + 

She thought unreasonably: тАЬWhy on earth did George have to meet her in Serbia? How trying things are.тАЭ + 

But it was absurd to be afraid of Jane. Jane couldnтАЩt hurt herтБатАФnow. Poor Jane, she must have made rather a mess of things to have come down to acting in a touring company. + 

One must be loyal to oneтАЩs old friends, Jane was an old friend. She should see how loyal Nell could be. And with a glow of self-approval she went upstairs and changed into a dress of dove-coloured georgette with which she wore one very beautifully matched string of pearls that George had given her on the last anniversary of their marriage. She took particular pains over her toilet, satisfying thereby some obscure female instinct. + 

тАЬAt any rate,тАЭ she thought, тАЬthe Bleibner man will be there and that will make things easier.тАЭ + 

Though why she expected things to be difficult she could not have explained. + 

George came up to fetch her just as she was applying a final dusting of powder. + 

тАЬJaneтАЩs arrived,тАЭ he said. тАЬSheтАЩs in the drawing room.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd Mr.┬аBleibner?тАЭ + 

тАЬHeтАЩs engaged for lunch, unfortunately. But heтАЩs coming along this afternoon.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh!тАЭ + 

She went downstairs slowly. Absurd to feel so apprehensive. Poor JaneтБатАФone simply must be nice to her. It was such terribly bad luck to have lost her voice and come down to this. + 

Jane, however, did not seem aware of bad luck. She was sprawling back on the sofa in an attitude of easy unconcern, looking round the room with keen appreciation. + 

тАЬHullo, Nell,тАЭ she said. тАЬWell, you seem to have dug yourself in pretty comfortably.тАЭ + 

It was an outrageous remark. Nell stiffened. She couldnтАЩt think for a moment of what to say. She met JaneтАЩs eyes which were full of a mocking maliciousness. They shook hands and Nell said at the same time, тАЬI donтАЩt know what you mean.тАЭ + 

тАЬI meant all this. Palatial dwelling, well-proportioned footmen, highly paid cook, soft-footed servants, possibly a French maid, baths prepared for one with the latest unguents and bath salts, five or six gardeners, luxurious limousines, expensive clothes and, I perceive, genuine pearls! Are you enjoying it all frightfully? I am sure you are.тАЭ + 

тАЬTell me about yourself,тАЭ said Nell, seating herself beside Jane on the sofa. + 

JaneтАЩs eyes narrowed. + 

тАЬThatтАЩs a very clever answer. And I fully deserved it. Sorry, Nell. I was a beast. But you were being so queenly and so gracious. I never can stand people being gracious.тАЭ + 

She got up and began to stroll round the room. + 

тАЬSo this is VernonтАЩs home,тАЭ she said softly. тАЬIтАЩve never seen it beforeтБатАФonly heard him talk about it.тАЭ + 

She was silent for a minute, then asked abruptly: тАЬHow much have you changed?тАЭ + 

Nell explained that everything had been left as it was as far as possible. Curtains, covers, carpets, and so forth, had all been renewed. The old ones were too shabby. And one or two priceless pieces of furniture had been added. Whenever George came across anything that was in keeping with the place he bought it. + 

JaneтАЩs eyes were fixed on her while she made this explanation, and Nell felt uneasy because she couldnтАЩt read the expression in them. + 

George came in before she had finished talking and they went in to lunch. + 

The talk was at first of Serbia, of a few mutual friends out there. Then they passed on to JaneтАЩs affairs. George referred delicately to JaneтАЩs voiceтБатАФthe sorrow he had felt, that everyone must feel. Jane passed it off carelessly enough. + 

тАЬMy own fault,тАЭ she said. тАЬI would sing a certain kind of music and my voice wasnтАЩt made for it.тАЭ + 

Sebastian Levinne, she went on to say, had been a wonderful friend. He was willing now to star her in London, but she had wished to learn her trade first. + 

тАЬSinging in opera is, of course, acting too. But there are all sorts of things to learnтБатАФto manage oneтАЩs speaking voice, for instance. And then oneтАЩs effects are all differentтБатАФthey must be more subtle, less broad.тАЭ + 

Next autumn, she explained, she was to appear in London in a dramatized version of Tosca. + 

Then, dismissing her own affairs, she began to talk of Abbots Puissants. She led George on to discuss his plans, his ideas about the estate. He was made to display himself the complete country squire. + 

There was, apparently, no mockery in JaneтАЩs eyes or her voice, but nevertheless Nell felt acutely uncomfortable. She wished George would stop talking. It was a little ridiculous the way he spoke as though he and his forefathers before him had lived for centuries at Abbots Puissants. + 

After coffee, they went out on the terrace again, and here George was summoned to the telephone and left them with a word of excuse. Nell suggested a tour through the gardens and Jane acquiesced. + 

тАЬIтАЩd like to see everything,тАЭ she said. + 

Nell thought: тАЬItтАЩs VernonтАЩs home she wants to see. ThatтАЩs why sheтАЩs come. But Vernon never meant to her what he meant to me!тАЭ + 

She had a passionate desire to vindicate herself, to make Jane seeтБатАФSee what? She didnтАЩt quite know herself, but she felt that Jane was judging herтБатАФcondemning her, even. + 

She stopped suddenly as they were walking down a long herbaceous border, gay with Michaelmas daisies against the old rose-coloured brick wall behind it. + 

тАЬJane. I want to tell youтБатАФto explainтБатАФтАЭ + 

She paused, gathering herself together. Jane merely looked at her inquiringly. + 

тАЬYou must think itтБатАФvery dreadful of meтБатАФmarrying again so soon.тАЭ + 

тАЬNot at all,тАЭ said Jane. тАЬIt was very sensible.тАЭ + 

Nell didnтАЩt want that. That wasnтАЩt the point of view at all. + 

тАЬI adored VernonтБатАФadored him. When he was killed it nearly broke my heart. I mean it. But I knew so well that he himself wouldnтАЩt wish me to grieve. The dead donтАЩt want us to grieveтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬDonтАЩt they?тАЭ + 

Nell stared at her. + 

тАЬOh, I know youтАЩre voicing the popular idea,тАЭ said Jane. тАЬThe dead want us to be brave and bear up and carry on as usual. They hate us being unhappy about them. ThatтАЩs what everybody goes about sayingтБатАФbut I never have seen that theyтАЩve any foundation for that cheering belief. I think theyтАЩve invented it themselves to make things easier for them. The living donтАЩt all want exactly the same thing, so I donтАЩt see why the dead should either. There must be heaps of selfish dead. If they exist at all, they must be very much the same as they were in life. They canтАЩt be full of beautiful and unselfish feelings all at once. It always makes me laugh when I see a bereaved widower tucking into his breakfast the day after the funeral and saying solemnly: тАШMary wouldnтАЩt wish me to grieve!тАЩ How does he know? Mary may be simply weeping and gnashing her teeth (astral teeth, of course) at seeing him going on as usual just as though she had never existed. Heaps of women like a fuss being made over them. Why should they change their characters when theyтАЩre dead?тАЭ + 

Nell was silent. She couldnтАЩt for the moment collect her thoughts. + 

тАЬNot that I mean Vernon was like that,тАЭ went on Jane. тАЬHe may really have wished you not to grieve. YouтАЩd know best about that, because you knew him better than anyone else.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Nell eagerly. тАЬThatтАЩs just it. I know he would want me to be happy. And he wanted me to have Abbots Puissants. I know heтАЩd love to think of my being here.тАЭ + 

тАЬHe wanted to live here with you. ThatтАЩs not quite the same thing.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, but it isnтАЩt as though I were living here with George likeтБатАФlike it would have been with him. Oh! Jane, I want to make you understand. George is a dear, but he isnтАЩtтБатАФhe can never beтБатАФwhatтБатАФwhat Vernon was to me.тАЭ + 

There was a long pause and then Jane said: тАЬYouтАЩre lucky, Nell.тАЭ + 

тАЬIf you think I really love all this luxury! Why, for Vernon IтАЩd give it up in a minute!тАЭ + 

тАЬI wonder.тАЭ + 

тАЬJane! YouтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬYou think you would, butтБатАФI wonder.тАЭ + 

тАЬI did before.тАЭ + 

тАЬNoтБатАФyou only gave up the prospect of it. ThatтАЩs different. It hadnтАЩt eaten into you like it has now.тАЭ + 

тАЬJane!тАЭ + 

NellтАЩs eyes filled with tears. She turned away. + 

тАЬMy dearтБатАФIтАЩm being a beast. ThereтАЩs no harm in what youтАЩve done. I dare say youтАЩre rightтБатАФabout Vernon wishing it. You need kindness and protectionтБатАФbut all the same soft living does eat into one. YouтАЩll know what I mean some day. By the way, I didnтАЩt mean what you thought when I said just now that you were lucky. By lucky, I meant that youтАЩd had the best of both worlds. If youтАЩd married your George when you originally intended, youтАЩd have gone through life with a secret regret, a longing for Vernon, a feeling that youтАЩd been cheated out of life through your own cowardice. And if Vernon had lived you might have grown away from each other, quarrelled, come to hate each other. But as it is, youтАЩve had Vernon, made your sacrifice. YouтАЩve got him where nothing can ever touch him. Love will be a thing of beauty to you forever. And youтАЩve got all the other things as well. This!тАЭ + 

She swept her arm round in a sudden embracing gesture. + 

Nell had hardly paid any attention to the end part of the speech. Her eyes had grown soft and melting. + 

тАЬI know. Everything turns out for the best. They tell you so when youтАЩre a child and later you find it out for yourself. God does know best.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat do you know about God, Nell Chetwynd?тАЭ + 

There was savagery in the question that brought NellтАЩs eyes to Jane in astonishment. She looked menacingтБатАФfiercely accusing. The gentleness of a minute ago was gone. + 

тАЬThe will of God! Would you be able to say that, if GodтАЩs will didnтАЩt happen to coincide with Nell ChetwyndтАЩs comfort, I wonder? You donтАЩt know anything about God or you couldnтАЩt have spoken like that, gently patting God on the back for making life comfortable and easy for you. Do you know a text that used to frighten me in the Bible? This night shall thy soul be required of thee. When God requires your soul of you, be sure youтАЩve got a soul to give Him!тАЭ + 

She paused and then said quietly: тАЬIтАЩll go now. I shouldnтАЩt have come. But I wanted to see VernonтАЩs home. I apologize for what IтАЩve said. But youтАЩre so damned smug, Nell. You donтАЩt know it, but you are. SmugтБатАФthatтАЩs the word. Life to you means yourself and yourself only. What about Vernon? Was it best for him? Do you think he wanted to die right at the beginning of everything he cared for?тАЭ + 

Nell flung her head back defiantly. + 

тАЬI made him happy.тАЭ + 

тАЬI wasnтАЩt thinking of his happiness. I was thinking of his music. You and Abbots PuissantsтБатАФwhat do you matter? Vernon had genius. ThatтАЩs the wrong way of putting itтБатАФhe belonged to his genius. And genius is the hardest master there isтБатАФeverything has got to be sacrificed to it. Your trumpery happiness, even, would have had to go if it stood in the way. Genius has got to be served. Music wanted VernonтБатАФand heтАЩs dead. ThatтАЩs the crying shame, the thing that matters, the thing you never even consider. I know whyтБатАФbecause you were afraid of it, Nell. It doesnтАЩt make for peace and happiness and security. But I tell you, itтАЩs got to be served.тАЭ + 

Suddenly her face relaxed, the old mocking light that Nell hated came back to her eyes. She said: + 

тАЬDonтАЩt worry, Nell. YouтАЩre much the strongest of us all. Protective colouring! I told Sebastian so long ago, and I was right. YouтАЩll endure when weтАЩve all perished. Goodbye. IтАЩm sorry IтАЩve been a devil, but IтАЩm made that way.тАЭ + 

Nell stood staring after her retreating figure. She clenched her hands and said under her breath: + 

тАЬI hate you. IтАЩve always hated you.тАЭ + 