get and to get rid of the whole of a life, to make an entirely fresh
start, to be quite a different man. Unsuspected chains revealed
themselves with each new motion toward liberty. Absolute detachment had
been his ideal. He awoke with a start to the fact that he was still, in
the main, living with and moving among people who smacked strong of
Blent, who had known him as Tristram of Blent, whose lives had crossed
his because he was Addie Tristram's son. That was true of even his new
acquaintance Lady Evenswood--truer still of Neeld, of Southend, aye, of
Sloyd and the Major--most true of his cousin Cecily. This
interdependence of its periods is what welds life into a whole; even
able and wilful young men have, for good and evil, to reckon with it.
Otherwise morality would be in a bad case, and even logic rather at sea.
The disadvantage is that the difficulties in the way of heroic or
dramatic conduct are materially increased.

Yes, he was not to escape, not to forget. That day one scene more
awaited him which rose out of Blent and belonged to Blent. The Imp made
an appointment by telegram, and the Imp came. Harry could no longer
regard his bachelor-chambers as any barrier against the incursions of
excited young women. Anything that concerned the Tristrams seemed
naturally antipathetic to conventions. He surrendered and let Mina in;
that he wanted to see her--her for want of a better--was not recognized
by him. She was in a great temper, and he was soon inclined to regret
his accessibility. Still he endured; for it was an absolutely final
interview, she said. She had just come to tell him what she thought of
him--and there was an end of it. Then she was going back to Merrion and
she hoped Cecily was coming with her. He--Harry--would not be there
anyhow!

"Certainly not," he agreed. "But what's the matter, Madame Zabriska? You
don't complain that I didn't accept--that I couldn't fall in with my
cousin's peculiar ideas?"

"Oh, you can't get out of it like that! You know that isn't the point."

"What in the world is then?" cried Harry. "There's nothing else the
matter, is there?"

Mina could hardly sit still for rage; she was on pins.

"Nothing else?" She gathered herself together for the attack. "What did
you take her to dinner and to the theatre for? What did you bring her
home for?"

"I wanted to be friendly. I wanted to soften what I had to say."

"To soften it! Not you! Shall I tell you what you wanted, Mr Trist