II + 

The production of The Princess in the Tower has been forgotten by now. It came at an unfortunate time, since war broke out only about three weeks later. + 

At the time it was what is called тАЬwell received.тАЭ Certain critics waxed a little sarcastic over this тАЬnew school of young musiciansтАЭ who thought they could revolutionize all existing ideas. Others praised it with sincerity as a work of great promise, though immature. But one and all spoke enthusiastically of the perfect beauty and artistry of the whole performance. Everyone тАЬwent to Holborn, such miles out of the way, dear, but really worth itтАЭ to see the attractive fantastic drama, and тАЬthat wonderful new singer, Jane Harding. Her face, dear, is simply wonderfulтБатАФquite medieval. It wouldnтАЩt be the same without her!тАЭ It was a triumph for Jane, though a triumph that was short lived. On the fifth day she was forced to retire from the cast. + 

Sebastian was summoned by telephone at an hour when Vernon would not be there. Jane met him with such a radiant smile that he thought at first that his fears were not going to be realized. + 

тАЬItтАЩs no good, Sebastian. Mary Lloyd must go on with it. SheтАЩs not too bad, considering. As a matter of fact, sheтАЩs got a better voice than I have and sheтАЩs quite nice-looking.тАЭ + 

тАЬHтАЩm, I was afraid Hershall would say that. IтАЩd like to see him myself.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, he wants to see you. Not that thereтАЩs anything to be done, IтАЩm afraid.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat do you mean? Nothing to be done?тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs gone, my child. Gone for good. HershallтАЩs too honest to hold out any real hope. He says of course you never can be absolutely sure. It might come back with rest, etcetera, etcetera. He said it very well, and then I looked at him and laughedтБатАФand then he had to look shamefaced and own up. He was relieved, I think, at the way I took it.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut Jane, darling JaneтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬOh! donтАЩt mind so much, Sebastian. Please donтАЩt. ItтАЩs so much easier if you donтАЩt. ItтАЩs been a gamble, you know, all alongтБатАФmy voice was never really strong enough. I gambled with it. So far I wonтБатАФnow, IтАЩve lost. Well, there it is! One must be a good gambler and not let the hands twitch. IsnтАЩt that what they say at Monte Carlo?тАЭ + 

тАЬDoes Vernon know?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, heтАЩs most awfully upset. He loved my voice. HeтАЩs really quite brokenhearted about it.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut he doesnтАЩt know thatтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬThat if I had waited two days, and not sung on the opening night of his opera, it would have been all right? No, he doesnтАЩt know that. And if you are loyal to me, Sebastian, he never will.тАЭ + 

тАЬI shanтАЩt make promises. I think he ought to know.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, because really itтАЩs unwarrantable what IтАЩve done! IтАЩve laid him under an obligation to me without his knowledge. ThatтАЩs a thing one shouldnтАЩt do. It isnтАЩt fair. If I had gone to Vernon and told him what Hershall said, do you suppose he would ever have consented to let me sing? HeтАЩd have prevented me by main force. It would be the meanest and cruellest thing in the world to go to Vernon now and say: тАШSee what I have done for you!тАЩ Snivelling and asking for sympathy and gratitude ladled out in a soup plate.тАЭ + 

Sebastian was silent. + 

тАЬCome now, my dear, agree.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Sebastian at last. тАЬYouтАЩre right. What you did was unethical. You did it without VernonтАЩs knowledge, and itтАЩs got to be kept from him now. But oh! Jane darling, why did you? Is VernonтАЩs music worth it?тАЭ + 

тАЬIt will beтБатАФsome day.тАЭ + 

тАЬIs that why you did it?тАЭ + 

Jane shook her head. + 

тАЬI thought not.тАЭ + 

There was a pause. Sebastian said: + 

тАЬWhat will you do now, Jane?тАЭ + 

тАЬPossibly teach. Possibly go on the stage. I donтАЩt know. If the worst comes to the worst, I can always cook.тАЭ + 

They both laughed, but Jane was very near tears. + 

She looked across the table at Sebastian and then suddenly rose and came and knelt down beside him. She laid her head down on his shoulder and he put his arm round her. + 

тАЬOh! SebastianтБатАКтБатАж SebastianтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬPoor old Jane!тАЭ + 

тАЬI pretend I donтАЩt mindтБатАФbut I doтБатАКтБатАж I do. I loved singing. I loved it, loved it, loved it.тБатАКтБатАж That lovely Whitsuntide music of Solveig. I shall never sing it again.тАЭ + 

тАЬI know. Why were you such a fool, Jane?тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know. Sheer idiocy.тАЭ + 

тАЬIf you had the choice againтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩd do the same thing again.тАЭ + 

A silence. Then Jane lifted her head and said: + 

тАЬDo you remember saying, Sebastian, that I had great тАШdriving powerтАЩ? That nothing would turn me aside? And I said that I might be more easily turned aside than you thought. That between Vernon and me, I should go to the wall.тАЭ + 

Sebastian said: тАЬThings are queer.тАЭ + 

Jane slipped down on the floor beside him, her hand still in his. + 

тАЬYou can be clever,тАЭ said Sebastian, breaking the silence. тАЬYou can have the brains to foresee things, and the wits to plan things and the force to succeed, but with all the cleverness in the world you canтАЩt avoid suffering some way or another. ThatтАЩs whatтАЩs so odd. I know IтАЩve got brains, I know IтАЩll get to the top of anything I undertake. IтАЩm not like Vernon. Vernon will either be a heaven-sent genius, or else heтАЩll be an idle dissipated young man. HeтАЩs got a gift if heтАЩs got anything, IтАЩve got ability. And yet with all the ability in the world, I canтАЩt prevent myself getting hurt.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo one can.тАЭ + 

тАЬOne might, perhaps, if one gave up oneтАЩs whole life to it. If you pursued safety and nothing but safety, youтАЩd get your wings singed, perhaps, but that would be all. YouтАЩd build a nice smooth wall and hide yourself inside it.тАЭ + 

тАЬYouтАЩre thinking of somebody in particular? Who?тАЭ + 

тАЬJust a fancy. The future Mrs.┬аGeorge Chetwynd if you want to be exact.тАЭ + 

тАЬNell? Do you think Nell has the strength of character to shut herself out from life?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, Nell has got an enormous power of developing protective colouring. Some species have.тАЭ He paused, then went on. тАЬJane, have you ever heard fromтБатАФJoe?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, my dear, twice.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat did she say?тАЭ + 

тАЬVery little. Just what fun everything was, and how she was enjoying herself, and how splendid one felt when one had had the courage to defy convention.тАЭ She paused and then added, тАЬSheтАЩs not happy, Sebastian.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou think not?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm sure of it.тАЭ + 

There was a long silence. Two unhappy faces looked into the empty fireplace. Outside taxis hooted as they sped rapidly down the Embankment. Life went on.тБатАКтБатАж + 