mazed him; for, of course, he deemed it wholly
of his friend's bringing about.

The marriage affected their intercourse. Harriet did not like to be
left alone in the evening, so Julian could not go to Waymark's, as he
had been accustomed to, and conversation in Mrs. Casti's presence was,
of course, under restraint. Waymark bore this with impatience, and even
did his best to alter it. One Sunday afternoon, about three weeks after
the marriage, he called and carried Julian off to his room across the
street. Harriet's face sufficiently indicated her opinion of this
proceeding, and Julian had difficulty in appearing at his case. Waymark
understood what was going on, and tried to discuss the matter freely,
but the other shrank from it.

"I am grievously impatient of domestic arrangements," Waymark said. "I
fancy it would never do for me to marry, unless I had limitless cash,
and my wife were as great a Bohemian as myself. By the by, I have
another letter from Maud. Her pessimism is magnificent. This intense
religiousness is no doubt a mere phase; it will pass, of course; I
wonder how things would arrange themselves if she came back to London.
Why shouldn't she come here to sit and chat, like you do?"

"That would naturally lead to something definite," said Casti, smiling.

"Oh, I don't know. Why should it? I'm a believer in friendship between
men and women. Of course there is in it the spice of the difference of
sex, and why not accept that as a pleasant thing? How much better if,
when we met a woman we liked, we could say frankly, 'Now let us amuse
each other without any _arriere pensee_. If I married you to-day, even
though I feel quite ready to, I should ten to one see some one next
week who would make me regret having bound myself. So would you, my
dear. Very well, let us tantalise each other agreeably, and be at ease
in the sense that we are on the right side of the illusion.' You laugh
at the idea?"

Julian laughed, but not heartily. They passed to other things.

"I'm making an article out of Elm Court," said Waymark.
"Semi-descriptive, semi-reflective, wholly cynical Maybe it will pay
for my summer holiday. And, apropos of the same subject, I've got great
ideas. This introduction to such phases of life will prove endlessly
advantageous to me, artistically speaking. Let me get a little more
experience, and I will write a novel such as no one has yet ventured to
write, at all events in England. I begin to see my w