rding-school girl with tight stays. So
they took me in and gave me brandy, and food, and so on; and then--the
next morning--they offered me----"

Another pause.

"They wanted a hunchback, or monstrosity of some kind; for the boys
to pelt with orange-peel and banana-skins--something to set the blacks
laughing------ You saw the clown that night--well, I was that--for
two years. I suppose you have a humanitarian feeling about negroes and
Chinese. Wait till you've been at their mercy!

"Well, I learned to do the tricks. I was not quite deformed enough; but
they set that right with an artificial hump and made the most of
this foot and arm---- And the Zambos are not critical; they're easily
satisfied if only they can get hold of some live thing to torture--the
fool's dress makes a good deal of difference, too.

"The only difficulty was that I was so often ill and unable to play.
Sometimes, if the manager was out of temper, he would insist on my
coming into the ring when I had these attacks on; and I believe the
people liked those evenings best. Once, I remember, I fainted right off
with the pain in the middle of the performance---- When I came to my
senses again, the audience had got round me--hooting and yelling and
pelting me with------"

"Don't! I can't hear any more! Stop, for God's sake!"

She was standing up with both hands over her ears. He broke off, and,
looking up, saw the glitter of tears in her eyes.

"Damn it all, what an idiot I am!" he said under his breath.

She crossed the room and stood for a little while looking out of the
window. When she turned round, the Gadfly was again leaning on the table
and covering his eyes with one hand. He had evidently forgotten her
presence, and she sat down beside him without speaking. After a long
silence she said slowly:

"I want to ask you a question."

"Yes?" without moving.

"Why did you not cut your throat?"

He looked up in grave surprise. "I did not expect YOU to ask that," he
said. "And what about my work? Who would have done it for me?"

"Your work---- Ah, I see! You talked just now about being a coward;
well, if you have come through that and kept to your purpose, you are
the very bravest man that I have ever met."

He covered his eyes again, and held her hand in a close passionate
clasp. A silence that seemed to have no end fell around them.

Suddenly a clear and fresh soprano voice rang out from the garden below,
singing a verse of a doggerel Fr