und-floor of the exhibition
in search of the acrobat. He stood there now in all his manly strength.
Alice reached him first, and exclaimed "Why! it is----," then stopped
short and walked away from Mary. She examined the statue from every
side, over and over again, without saying a word. Precisely that which
distinguished Frans Roey--that his strength did not announce itself in
distended muscle, but in the elasticity of a beautifully formed, lithe
body--was to be observed here. Frans Roey's toss of the head, his broad
forehead aslant in the air, his hand, his short, strong foot--everything
was here! The statue affected the beholder like a war-song. For the
first time Alice found the word for the effect which Frans produced. She
was carried away by the statue as by the rhythm of a march. Exactly what
she had often felt when she saw Frans walk! Was this likeness a curious
accident, or had he really ... she turned quite hot and had to walk away
from the statue and look at something else.

Mary had all the time kept behind Alice, who had quite forgotten her.
The question now involuntarily occurred to Alice: Does Mary understand
what she sees?

She waited a little before she began to observe. Mary, who was now
standing in front of the statue, with her back towards Alice, remained
so long motionless that the latter's curiosity increased. She went
round and stationed herself among the statues opposite, put on her
eye-glass, and looked across. Mary's eyes were half closed; her bosom
was heaving. She walked slowly round the statue, then retired to a
distance, came back, and stood still again midway between front and
side.

Then she looked round for Alice and caught sight of the eye-glasses
turned in her direction; Alice was actually holding them on, to see
clearer. There could be no mistake--her face was one mischievous smile.

There are things which one woman objects to another understanding.
Mary's blood surged; angry and hurt, she took Alice's look as an insult.
She turned her back quickly on the acrobat and walked towards the door.
But she stopped once or twice, pretending to look at other pieces of
sculpture, really to obtain mastery over the uproar in her breast. At
last she reached the door. She did not look round to see if Alice were
following; she passed through the entrance hall and left the building.

But just as she did so, Frans Roey hurried up--as quickly as if he had
been sent for and were arriving too late. H