choose；〃 said Mark Ambient。 〃My dear little boy； will you go with me
or will you stay with your mother？〃
〃Oh it's a shame！〃 cried the vicar's lady with increased hilarity。
〃Papa； I don't think I can choose；〃 the child answered； making his
voice very low and confidential。 〃But I've been a great deal with
mamma to…day；〃 he then added。
〃And very little with papa！ My dear fellow； I think you HAVE
chosen！〃 On which Mark Ambient walked off with his son； accompanied
by re…echoing but inarticulate comments from my fellow…visitor。
His wife had seated herself again； and her fixed eyes； bent on the
ground； expressed for a few moments so much mute agitation that
anything I could think of to say would be but a false note。 Yet she
none the less quickly recovered herself； to express the sufficiently
civil hope that I didn't mind having had to walk from the station。 I
reassured her on this point； and she went on： 〃We've got a thing
that might have gone for you； but my husband wouldn't order it。〃
After which and another longish pause； broken only by my plea that
the pleasure of a walk with our friend would have been quite what I
would have chosen； she found for reply： 〃I believe the Americans
walk very little。〃
〃Yes； we always run；〃 I laughingly allowed。
She looked at me seriously； yet with an absence in her pretty eyes。
〃I suppose your distances are so great。〃
〃Yes； but we break our marches！ I can't tell you the pleasure to me
of finding myself here；〃 I added。 〃I've the greatest admiration for
Mr。 Ambient。〃
〃He'll like that。 He likes being admired。〃
〃He must have a very happy life； then。 He has many worshippers。〃
〃Oh yes； I've seen some of them；〃 she dropped； looking away； very far
from me； rather as if such a vision were before her at the moment。
It seemed to indicate； her tone； that the sight was scarcely
edifying； and I guessed her quickly enough to be in no great
intellectual sympathy with the author of 〃Beltraffio。〃 I thought the
fact strange； but somehow； in the glow of my own enthusiasm； didn't
think it important it only made me wish rather to emphasise that
homage。
〃For me； you know；〃 I returneddoubtless with a due suffisance
〃he's quite the greatest of living writers。〃
〃Of course I can't judge。 Of course he's very clever；〃 she said with
a patient cheer。
〃He's nothing less than supreme； Mrs。 Ambient！ There are pages in
each of his books of a perfection classing them with the greatest
things。 Accordingly for me to see him in this familiar way； in his
habit as he lives； and apparently to find the man as delightful as
the artistwell； I can't tell you how much too good to be true it
seems and how great a privilege I think it。〃 I knew I was gushing；
but I couldn't help it； and what I said was a good deal less than
what I felt。 I was by no means sure I should dare to say even so
much as this to the master himself； and there was a kind of rapture
in speaking it out to his wife which was not affected by the fact
that； as a wife； she appeared peculiar。 She listened to me with her
face grave again and her lips a little compressed； listened as if in
no doubt； of course； that her husband was remarkable； but as if at
the same time she had heard it frequently enough and couldn't treat
it as stirring news。 There was even in her manner a suggestion that
I was so young as to expose myself to being called forwardan
imputation and a word I had always loathed； as well as a hinted
reminder that people usually got over their early extravagance。 〃I
assure you that for me this is a red…letter day；〃 I added。
She didn't take this up； but after a pause； looking round her； said
abruptly and a trifle dryly： 〃We're very much afraid about the fruit
this year。〃
My eyes wandered to the mossy mottled garden…walls； where plum…trees
and pears； flattened and fastened upon the rusty bricks； looked like
crucified figures with many arms。 〃Doesn't it promise well？〃
〃No； the trees look very dull。 We had such late frosts。〃
Then there was another pause。 She addressed her attention to the
opposite end of the grounds； kept it for her husband's return with
the child。 〃Is Mr。 Ambient fond of gardening？〃 it occurred to me to
ask； irresistibly impelled as I felt myself； moreover； to bring the
conversation constantly back to him。
〃He's very fond of plums；〃 said his wife。
〃Ah well； then； I hope your crop will be better than you fear。 It's
a lovely old place；〃 I continued。 〃The whole impression's that of
certain places he has described。 Your house is like one of his
pictures。〃
She seemed a bit frigidly amused at my glow。 〃It's a pleasant little
place。 There are hundreds like it。〃
〃Oh it has his TONE；〃 I laughed； but sounding my epithet and
insisting on my point the more sharply that my companion appeared to
see in my appreciation of her simple establishment a mark of mean
experience。
It was clear I insisted too much。 〃His tone？〃 she repeated with a
harder look at me and a slightly heightened colour。
〃Surely he has a tone； Mrs。 Ambient。〃
〃Oh yes； he has indeed！ But I don't in the least consider that I'm
living in one of his books at all。 I shouldn't care for that in the
least；〃 she went on with a smile that had in some degree the effect
of converting her really sharp protest into an insincere joke。 〃I'm
afraid I'm not very literary。 And I'm not artistic；〃 she stated。
〃I'm very sure you're not ignorant； not stupid；〃 I ventured to reply；
with the accompaniment of feeling immediately afterwards that I had
been both familiar and patronising。 My only consolation was in the
sense that she had begun it； had fairly dragged me into it。 She had
thrust forward her limitations。
〃Well； whatever I am I'm very different from my husband。 If you like
him you won't like me。 You needn't say anything。 Your liking me
isn't in the least necessary！〃
〃Don't defy me！〃 I could but honourably make answer。
She looked as if she hadn't heard me； which was the best thing she
could do； and we sat some time without further speech。 Mrs。 Ambient
had evidently the enviable English quality of being able to be mute
without unrest。 But at last she spokeshe asked me if there seemed
many people in town。 I gave her what satisfaction I could on this
point； and we talked a little of London and of some of its
characteristics at that time of the year。 At the end of this I came
back irrepressibly to Mark。
〃Doesn't he like to be there now？ I suppose he doesn't find the
proper quiet for his work。 I should think his things had been
written for the most part in a very still place。 They suggest a
great stillness following on a kind of tumult。 Don't you think so？〃
I laboured on。 〃I suppose London's a tremendous place to collect
impressions； but a refuge like this； in the country； must be better
for working them up。 Does he get many of his impressions in London；
should you say？〃 I proceeded from point to point in this malign
inquiry simply because my hostess； who probably thought me an odious
chattering person； gave me time； for when I pausedI've not
represented my pausesshe simply continued to let her eyes wander
while her long fair fingers played with the medallion on her neck。
When I stopped altogether； however； she was obliged to say something；
and what she said was that she hadn't the least idea where her
husband got his impressions。 This made me think her； for a moment；
positively disagreeable； delicate and proper and rather
aristocratically fine as she sat there。 But I must either have lost
that view a moment later or been goaded by it to further aggression；
for I remember asking her if our great man were in a good vein of
work and when we might look for the appearance of the book on which
he was engaged。 I've every reason now to know that she found me
insufferable。
She gave a strange small laugh as she said： 〃I'm afraid you think I
know much more about my husband's work than I do。 I haven't the
least idea what he's doing；〃 she then added in a slightly different；
that is a more explanatory； tone and as if from a glimpse of the
enormity of her confession。 〃I don't read what he writes。〃
She didn't succeed； and wouldn't even had she tried much harder； in
making this seem to me anything less than monstrous。 I stared at her
and I think I blushed。 〃Don't you admire his genius？ Don't you
admire 'Beltraffio'？〃
She waited； and I wondered what she could possibly say。 She didn't
speak； I could see； the first words that rose to her lips； she
repeated what she had said a few minutes before。 〃Oh of course he's
very clever！〃 And with this she got up； our two absentees had
reappeared。
CHAPTER II
Mrs。 Ambient left me and went to meet them； she stopped and had a few
words with her husband that I didn't hear and that ended in her
taking the child by the hand and returning with him to the house。
Her husband joined me in a moment； looking； I thought； the least bit
conscious and constrained； and said that if I would come in with him
he would show me my room。 In looking back upon these first moments
of my visit I find it important to avoid the error of appearing to
have at all full