e them. Norton! I haven't seen him for ages--since
that morning...." He turned into Pump Court. The doors were wide
open; and there was luggage and some packing-cases on the landing.
The floor-matting was rolled, and the screen which protected from
draughts the high canonical chair in which Norton read and wrote was
overthrown. John was packing his portmanteau, and on either side of
him there was a Buddha and Indian warrior which he had lately
purchased.

"What, leaving? Giving up your rooms?"

"Yes; I'm going down to Sussex. I do not think it is worth while
keeping these rooms on."

Mike expressed his regret. Mike said, "No one understands you as I
do." Herein lay the strength of Mike's nature; he won himself through
all reserve, and soon John was telling him his state of soul: that he
felt it would not be right for him to countenance with his presence
any longer the atheism and immorality of the Temple. Lady Helen's
death had come for a warning. "After the burning of my poems, after
having sacrificed so much, it was indeed a pitiful thing to find
myself one of that shocking revel which had culminated in the death
of that woman."

"There he goes again," thought Mike, "running after his conscience
like a dog after his tail--a performing dog, too; one that likes an
audience." And to stimulate the mental antics in which he was so much
interested, he said, "Do you believe she is in hell?"

"I refrain from judging her. She may have repented in the moment of
death. God is her judge. But I shall never forget that morning; and I
feel that my presence at your party imposes on me some measure of
responsibility. As for you, Mike, I really think you ought to
consider her fate as an omen. It was you ..."

"For goodness' sake, don't. It was Frank who invented the notion that
she killed herself because I had been flirting with her. I never
heard of anything so ridiculous. I protest. You know the absurdly
sentimental view he takes. It is grossly unfair."

Knowing well how to interest John, Mike defended himself
passionately, as if he were really concerned to place his soul in a
true light; and twenty minutes were agreeably spent in sampling,
classifying, and judging of motives. Then the conversation turned on
the morality of women, and Mike judiciously selected some instances
from his stock of experiences whereby John might judge of their
animalism. Like us all, John loved to talk sensuality; but it was
imperative that the d