in silence. They had been together alone for a
fortnight only: but it was like a small eternity. Aaron was well
now--only he suffered from the depression and the sort of fear that
follows influenza.

"When are you going?" he asked irritably, looking up at Lilly, whose
face hovered in that green shadow above, and worried him.

"One day next week. They'll send me a telegram. Not later than
Thursday."

"You're looking forward to going?" The question was half bitter.

"Yes. I want to get a new tune out of myself."

"Had enough of this?"

"Yes."

A flush of anger came on Aaron's face.

"You're easily on, and easily off," he said, rather insulting.

"Am I?" said Lilly. "What makes you think so?"

"Circumstances," replied Aaron sourly.

To which there was no answer. The host cleared away the plates, and put
the pudding on the table. He pushed the bowl to Aaron.

"I suppose I shall never see you again, once you've gone," said Aaron.

"It's your choice. I will leave you an address."

After this, the pudding was eaten in silence.

"Besides, Aaron," said Lilly, drinking his last sip of wine, "what do
you care whether you see me again or not? What do you care whether
you see anybody again or not? You want to be amused. And now you're
irritated because you think I am not going to amuse you any more: and
you don't know who is going to amuse you. I admit it's a dilemma. But
it's a hedonistic dilemma of the commonest sort."

"I don't know hedonistic. And supposing I am as you say--are you any
different?"

"No, I'm not very different. But I always persuade myself there's a bit
of difference. Do you know what Josephine Ford confessed to me? She's
had her lovers enough. 'There isn't any such thing as love, Lilly,' she
said. 'Men are simply afraid to be alone. That is absolutely all there
is in it: fear of being alone.'"

"What by that?" said Aaron.

"You agree?"

"Yes, on the whole."

"So do I--on the whole. And then I asked her what about woman. And then
she said with a woman it wasn't fear, it was just boredom. A woman is
like a violinist: any fiddle, any instrument rather than empty hands and
no tune going."

"Yes--what I said before: getting as much amusement out of life as
possible," said Aaron.

"You amuse me--and I'll amuse you."

"Yes--just about that."

"All right, Aaron," said Lilly. "I'm not going to amuse you, or try to
amuse you any more."

"Going to try somebody else; and Malta."

"Malt