I + 

I + 

Jane Harding had a flat at the top of a block of mansions overlooking the river in Chelsea. + 

Here, on the evening following the party, came Sebastian Levinne. + 

тАЬIтАЩve fixed it up, Jane,тАЭ he said. тАЬRadmaager is coming here to see you some time tomorrow. He prefers to do that, it seems.тАЭ + 

тАЬтАКтАШCome, tell me how you live, he cried,тАЩтАКтАЭ quoted Jane. тАЬWell, IтАЩm living very nicely and respectably, entirely alone! Do you want something to eat, Sebastian?тАЭ + 

тАЬIf there is anything?тАЭ + 

тАЬThere are scrambled eggs and mushrooms, anchovy toast and black coffee if youтАЩll sit here peaceably while I get them.тАЭ + 

She put the cigarette box and the matches beside him and left the room. In a quarter of an hour, the meal was ready. + 

тАЬI like coming to see you, Jane,тАЭ said Sebastian. тАЬYou never treat me as a bloated young Jew to whom only the flesh pots of the Savoy would make appeal.тАЭ + 

Jane smiled without speaking. + 

Presently she said: тАЬI like your girl, Sebastian.тАЭ + 

тАЬJoe?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, Joe.тАЭ + 

Sebastian said gruffly: тАЬWhatтБатАФwhat do you really think of her?тАЭ + 

Again Jane paused before answering. + 

тАЬSo young,тАЭ she said at last. тАЬSo terribly young.тАЭ + 

Sebastian chuckled. + 

тАЬSheтАЩd be very angry if she heard you.тАЭ + 

тАЬProbably.тАЭ After a minute she said: тАЬYou care for her very much, donтАЩt you, Sebastian?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes. ItтАЩs odd, isnтАЩt it, Jane, how little all the things youтАЩve got matter? IтАЩve got practically all the things I want, except Joe, and Joe is all that matters. I can see what a fool I am, but it doesnтАЩt make a bit of difference! WhatтАЩs the difference between Joe and a hundred other girls? Very little. And yet sheтАЩs the only thing in the world that matters to me just now.тАЭ + 

тАЬPartly because you canтАЩt get her.тАЭ + 

тАЬPerhaps. But I donтАЩt think thatтАЩs so entirely.тАЭ + 

тАЬNeither do I.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat do you think of Vernon?тАЭ asked Sebastian, after a pause. + 

Jane changed her position, shading her face from the fire. + 

тАЬHeтАЩs interesting,тАЭ she said slowly, тАЬpartly, I think, because he is so completely unambitious.тАЭ + 

тАЬUnambitious, do you think?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes. He wants things made easy.тАЭ + 

тАЬIf so, heтАЩll never do anything in music. You want driving power for that.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, you want driving power. But music will be the power that drives him!тАЭ + 

Sebastian looked up, his face alight and appreciative. + 

тАЬDo you know, Jane?тАЭ he said. тАЬI believe youтАЩre right!тАЭ + 

She smiled but made no answer. + 

тАЬI wish I knew what to make of the girl heтАЩs engaged to,тАЭ said Sebastian. + 

тАЬWhat is she like?тАЭ + 

тАЬPretty. Some people might call it lovelyтБатАФbut IтАЩd call it pretty. She does the things that other people do, and does them very sweetly. SheтАЩs not a cat. IтАЩm afraidтБатАФyes, I am afraid now, that she definitely cares for Vernon.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou neednтАЩt be afraid. Your pet genius wonтАЩt be turned aside or held down. That doesnтАЩt happen. IтАЩm more than ever sure, every day I live, that that doesnтАЩt happen.тАЭ + 

тАЬNothing would turn you aside, Jane, but then you have got driving power.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd yet, do you know, Sebastian, I believe I should be more easily тАШturned asideтАЩ as you call it, than your Vernon? I know what I want and go for itтБатАФhe doesnтАЩt know what he wants, or rather doesnтАЩt want it, but it goes for him.тБатАКтБатАж And that It whatever It is, will be servedтБатАФno matter at what cost.тАЭ + 

тАЬCost to whom?тАЭ + 

тАЬAh! I wonder.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

Sebastian rose. + 

тАЬI must go. Thanks for feeding me, Jane.тАЭ + 

тАЬThank you for what youтАЩve done for me with Radmaager. YouтАЩre a very good friend, Sebastian. And I donтАЩt think success will ever spoil you.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! successтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ He held out his hand. + 

She laid both hands on his shoulders and kissed him. + 

тАЬMy dear, I hope you will get your Joe. But if not I am quite sure you will get everything else!тАЭ + 

II + 

Herr Radmaager did not come to see Jane Harding for nearly a fortnight. He arrived without warning of any kind at half-past ten in the morning. He stumped into the flat without a word of apology and looked round the walls of the sitting-room. + 

тАЬIt is you who have furnished and papered this? Yes?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou live here alone?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut you have not always lived alone?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo.тАЭ + 

Radmaager said unexpectedly: тАЬThat is good.тАЭ Then he said commandingly: тАЬCome here.тАЭ + 

He took her by both arms, and drew her towards the window. There he looked her over from head to foot. He pinched the flesh of her arm between finger and thumb, opened her mouth and looked down her throat, and finally put a large hand on each side of her waist. + 

тАЬBreathe inтБатАФgood! Now outтБатАФsharply.тАЭ + 

He took a tape measure out of his pocket, made her repeat the two movements, passing the tape measure round her each time. Finally he pocketed it and put it away. Neither he nor Jane seemed to see anything curious in the proceedings. + 

тАЬIt is well,тАЭ said Radmaager. тАЬYour chest is excellent, your throat is strong. You are intelligentтБатАФsince you have not interrupted me. I can find many singers with a better voice than yoursтБатАФyour voice is very true, very beautiful, but it is not clear, a silver thread. If you force it, it will goтБатАФand where will you be then, I ask you? The music you sing now is absurdтБатАФif you were not pigheaded as the devil you would not sing those roles. Yet I respect you because you are an artist.тАЭ + 

He paused, then went on: + 

тАЬNow listen to me. My music is beautiful and it will not hurt your voice. When Ibsen created Solveig, he created the most wonderful woman character that has ever been created. My opera will stand and fall by its SolveigтБатАФand it is not sufficient to have a singer. There are Cavarossi, Mary Montner, Jeanne DortaтБатАФall hope to sing Solveig. But I will not have it. What are they? Unintelligent animals with marvellous vocal cords. For my Solveig I must have a perfect instrument, an instrument with intelligence. You are a young singerтБатАФas yet unknown. You shall sing at Covent Garden next year in my Peer Gynt if you satisfy me. Now listenтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

He sat down at JaneтАЩs piano and began to playтБатАФqueer rhythmic monotonous notes. + 

тАЬIt is the snow, you comprehendтБатАФthe Northern snow. That is what your voice must be likeтБатАФthe snow. It is white like damaskтБатАФand the pattern runs through it. But the pattern is in the music, not in your voice.тАЭ + 

He went on playing. Endless monotony, endless repetition, and yet suddenly the something that was woven through it caught your earтБатАФwhat he had called the pattern. + 

He stopped. + 

тАЬWell?тАЭ + 

тАЬIt will be very difficult to sing.тАЭ + 

тАЬQuite right. But you have an excellent ear. You wish to sing SolveigтБатАФyes?тАЭ + 

тАЬNaturally. ItтАЩs the chance of a lifetime. If I can satisfy you.тАЭ + 

тАЬI think you can.тАЭ He got up again, laid his hands on her shoulders. тАЬHow old are you?тАЭ + 

тАЬThirty-three.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd you have been very unhappyтБатАФthat is so?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

тАЬHow many men have you lived with?тАЭ + 

тАЬOne.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd he was not a good man?тАЭ + 

Jane answered evenly: тАЬHe was a very bad one.тАЭ + 

тАЬI see. Yes, it is that which is written in your face. Now listen to me, all that you have suffered, all that you have enjoyed, you will put it into my music not with abandon, not with unrestraint, but with controlled and disciplined force. You have intelligence and you have courage. Without courage nothing can ever be accomplished. Those without courage turn their backs on life. You will never turn your back on life. Whatever comes you will stand there facing it with your chin up and your eyes very steady.тБатАКтБатАж But I hope, my child, that you will not be too much hurt.тАЭ + 

He turned away. + 

тАЬI will send on the score,тАЭ he said over his shoulder. тАЬAnd you will study it.тАЭ + 

He stumped out of the room and the flat door banged. + 

Jane sat down by the table. She stared at the wall in front of her with unseeing eyes. Her chance had come. + 

She murmured very softly to herself: тАЬIтАЩm afraid.тАЭ + 

III + 

For a whole week Vernon debated the question of whether he should or should not take Jane at her word. He could get up to town at the weekendтБатАФbut then perhaps Jane would be away. He felt miserably self-conscious and shy. Perhaps by now she had forgotten that she had asked him. + 

He let the weekend go by. He felt that certainly by now she would have forgotten him. Then he got a letter from Joe in which she mentioned having seen Jane twice. That decided Vernon. At six oтАЩclock on the following Saturday, he rang the bell of JaneтАЩs flat. + 

Jane herself opened it. Her eyes opened a little wider when she saw who it was. Otherwise she displayed no surprise. + 

тАЬCome in,тАЭ she said. тАЬIтАЩm finishing my practising. But you wonтАЩt mind.тАЭ + 

He followed her into a long room whose windows overlooked the river. It was very empty. A grand piano, a divan, a couple of chairs and walls that were papered with a wild riot of bluebells and daffodils. One wall alone was papered in sober dark green and on it hung a single pictureтБатАФa queer study of bare tree trunks. Something about it reminded Vernon of his early adventures in the Forest. + 

On the music stool was the little man like a white worm. + 

Jane pushed a cigarette box towards Vernon, said in her brutal commanding voice, тАЬNow, Mr.┬аHill,тАЭ and began to walk up and down the room. + 

Mr.┬аHill flung himself upon the piano. His hands twinkled up and down it with marvellous speed and dexterity. Jane sang. Most of the time sotto voce, almost under her breath. Occasionally she would take a phrase full pitch. Once or twice she stopped with an exclamation of what sounded like furious impatience, and Mr.┬аHill was made to repeat from several bars back. + 

She broke off quite suddenly by clapping her hands. She crossed to the fireplace, pushed the bell, and turning her head addressed Mr.┬аHill for the first time as a human being. + 

тАЬYouтАЩll stay and have some tea, wonтАЩt you, Mr.┬аHill?тАЭ + 

Mr.┬аHill was afraid he couldnтАЩt. He twisted his body apologetically several times and sidled out of the room. A maid brought in black coffee and hot buttered toast which appeared to be JaneтАЩs conception of afternoon tea. + 

тАЬWhat was that you were singing?тАЭ + 

тАЬElectraтБатАФRichard Strauss.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! I liked it. It was like dogs fighting.тАЭ + 

тАЬStrauss would be flattered. All the same, I know what you mean. It is combative.тАЭ + 

She pushed the toast towards him and added: + 

тАЬYour cousinтАЩs been here twice.тАЭ + 

тАЬI know. She wrote and told me.тАЭ + 

He felt tongue-tied and uncomfortable. He had wanted so much to come, and now that he was here he didnтАЩt know what to say. Something about Jane made him uncomfortable. He blurted out at last: + 

тАЬTell me truthfullyтБатАФwould you advise me to chuck work altogether and stick to music?тАЭ + 

тАЬHow can I possibly tell? I donтАЩt know what you want to do.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou spoke like that the other night. As though everyone can do just what they like.тАЭ + 

тАЬSo they can. Not always, of courseтБатАФbut very nearly always. If you want to murder someone, there is really nothing to stop you. But you will be hanged afterwardsтБатАФnaturally.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt want to murder anyone.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, you want your fairy story to end happily. Uncle dies and leaves you all his money. You marry your lady love and live at AbbotsтБатАФwhatever itтАЩs calledтБатАФhappily ever afterwards.тАЭ + 

Vernon said angrily: тАЬI wish you wouldnтАЩt laugh at me.тАЭ + 

Jane was silent a minute, then she said in a different voice: тАЬI wasnтАЩt laughing at you. I was doing something IтАЩd no business to doтБатАФtrying to interfere.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat do you mean, trying to interfere?тАЭ + 

тАЬTrying to make you face reality, and forgetting that you areтБатАФwhatтБатАФabout eight years younger than I am?тБатАФand that your time for that hasnтАЩt yet come.тАЭ + 

He thought suddenly: тАЬI could say anything to herтБатАФanything at all. She wouldnтАЩt always answer the way I wanted her to, though.тАЭ + 

Aloud he said: тАЬPlease go on. IтАЩm afraid itтАЩs very egotistical, my talking about myself like this, but IтАЩm so worried and unhappy. I want to know what you meant when you said the other evening that of the four things I wanted, I could get any one of them but not all together.тАЭ + 

Jane considered a minute. + 

тАЬWhat did I mean exactly? Why, just this. To get what you want, you must usually pay a price or take a riskтБатАФsometimes both. For instance, I love musicтБатАФa certain kind of music. My voice is suitable for a totally different kind of music. ItтАЩs an unusually good concert voiceтБатАФnot an operatic oneтБатАФexcept for very light opera. But IтАЩve sung in Wagner, in StraussтБатАФin all the things I like. I havenтАЩt exactly paid a priceтБатАФbut I take an enormous risk. My voice may give out any minute. I know that. IтАЩve looked the fact in the face and IтАЩve decided that the game is worth the candle. + 

тАЬNow in your case, you mentioned four things. For the first, I suppose that if you remain in your uncleтАЩs business for a sufficient number of years, you will grow rich without any further trouble. ThatтАЩs not very interesting. Secondly, you want to live at Abbots Puissants. You could do that tomorrow if you married a girl with money. Then the girl youтАЩre fond of, the girl you want to marryтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬCan I get her tomorrow?тАЭ asked Vernon. He spoke with a kind of angry irony. + 

тАЬI should say soтБатАФquite easily.тАЭ + 

тАЬHow?тАЭ + 

тАЬBy selling Abbots Puissants. It is yours to sell, isnтАЩt it?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, but I couldnтАЩt do that. I couldnтАЩtтБатАФI couldnтАЩt.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

Jane leaned back in her chair and smiled. + 

тАЬYou prefer to go on believing that life is a fairy story?тАЭ + 

тАЬThere must be some other way.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, of course there is another. Probably the simplest. ThereтАЩs nothing to stop you both going out to the nearest Registry Office. YouтАЩve both got the use of your limbs.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou donтАЩt understand. There are hundreds of difficulties in the way. I couldnтАЩt ask Nell to face a life of poverty. She doesnтАЩt want to be poor.тАЭ + 

тАЬPerhaps she canтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat do you mean by тАШcanтАЩtтАЩ?тАЭ + 

тАЬJust that. CanтАЩt. Some people canтАЩt be poor, you know.тАЭ + 

Vernon got up, walked twice up and down the room. Then he came back, dropped on the hearthrug beside JaneтАЩs chair, and looked up at her. + 

тАЬWhat about the fourth thing? Music? Do you think I could ever do that?тАЭ + 

тАЬThat I canтАЩt say. Wanting maynтАЩt be any use there. But if it does happen, I expect it will swallow up all the rest. TheyтАЩll all goтБатАФAbbots Puissants, money, the girl. My dear, I donтАЩt feel lifeтАЩs going to be easy for you. Ugh! a goose is walking over my grave. Now tell me something about this opera Sebastian Levinne says you are writing.тАЭ + 

When he had finished telling her, it was nine oтАЩclock. They both exclaimed and went out to a little restaurant together. As he said goodbye afterwards, his first diffidence returned. + 

тАЬI think you are one of theтБатАФthe nicest people I ever met. You will let me come again and talk, wonтАЩt you? If I havenтАЩt bored you too frightfully.тАЭ + 

тАЬAny time you like. Good night.тАЭ + 

IV + 

Myra wrote to Joe: + 

Dearest Josephine: + 

I am so worried about Vernon and this woman he is always going up to town to seeтБатАФsome opera singer or other. Years older than he is. ItтАЩs so dreadful the way women like that get hold of boys. I am terribly worried and donтАЩt know what to do about it. I have spoken to your Uncle Sydney, but he was not very helpful about it and just said that boys will be boys. But I donтАЩt want my boy to be like that. I was wondering, dear Joe, if it would be any good my seeing this woman and begging her to leave my boy alone. Even a bad woman would listen to a mother, I think. Vernon is too young to have his life ruined. I really donтАЩt know what to do. I seem to have no influence over Vernon nowadays. + 

Joe showed this letter to Sebastian. + 

тАЬI suppose she means Jane,тАЭ said Sebastian. тАЬIтАЩd rather like to see an interview between them. Frankly, I think Jane would be amused.тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs too silly,тАЭ said Joe hotly. тАЬI wish to goodness Vernon would fall in love with Jane. It would be a hundred times better for him than being in love with that silly stick of a Nell.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou donтАЩt like Nell, do you, Joe?тАЭ + 

тАЬYou donтАЩt like her either.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! yes, I do, in a way. She doesnтАЩt interest me very much, but I can quite see the attraction. In her own way, sheтАЩs quite lovely.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, in a chocolate-box way.тАЭ + 

тАЬShe doesnтАЩt attract me, because to my mind thereтАЩs nothing there to attract as yet. The real Nell hasnтАЩt happened. Perhaps she never will. I suppose to some people that is very attractive because it opens out all sorts of possibilities.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, I think Jane is worth ten of Nell! The sooner Vernon gets over his silly calf love for Nell and falls in love with Jane instead, the better it will be.тАЭ + 

Sebastian lit a cigarette and said slowly: + 

тАЬIтАЩm not sure that I agree with you.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhy?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, itтАЩs not very easy to explain. But, you see, Jane is a real personтБатАФvery much so. To be in love with Jane might be a whole-time job. WeтАЩre agreed, arenтАЩt we, that Vernon is very possibly a genius? Well, I donтАЩt think a genius wants to be married to a real person. He wants to be married to someone rather negligibleтБатАФsomeone whose personality wonтАЩt interfere. Now it may sound cynical, but thatтАЩs what will probably happen if Vernon marries Nell. At the moment she representsтБатАФI donтАЩt quite know what to call itтБатАФwhatтАЩs that line? тАШThe apple tree, the singing and the goldтБатАКтБатАжтАЩ Something like that. Once heтАЩs married to her, that will go. SheтАЩll just be a nice pretty sweet-tempered girl whom, naturally, he loves very much. But she wonтАЩt interfere. SheтАЩll never get between him and his workтБатАФshe hasnтАЩt got sufficient personality. Now Jane might. She wouldnтАЩt mean to, but she might. It isnтАЩt JaneтАЩs beauty that attracts youтБатАФitтАЩs herself. She might be absolutely fatal to Vernon.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell,тАЭ said Joe, тАЬI donтАЩt agree with you. I think NellтАЩs a silly little ass and I should hate to see Vernon married to her. I hope it will all come to nothing.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhich is much the likeliest thing to happen,тАЭ said Sebastian. + 