om," he
said. "And ever since then I've been partly very glad."

"But only partly?"

"Yes, because I've always had an instinctive dread of getting drawn in."

"To the current of our modern art life. I'm sure you mean that."

"I do. And of course Elliot is in the thick of it. Mrs. Shiffney's in
it, and all her lot, which I don't know. And that fellow Lane is in it
too."

"And I suppose I am in it with Charmian."

Heath looked at the floor. Ignoring Mrs. Mansfield's remark, he
continued:

"I have some talent. It isn't the sort of talent to win popularity.
Fortunately, I don't desire--in fact, I'm very much afraid of
popularity. But as I believe my talent is--is rather peculiar,
individual, it might easily become--well, I suppose I may say the rage
in a certain set. They might drop me very soon. Probably they would--I
don't know. But I have a strong feeling that they'd take me up violently
if I gave them a chance. That's what Max Elliot can't help wanting. He's
such a good fellow, but he's a born exploiter. Not in any nasty way, of
course!" Heath concluded hastily.

"I quite understand."

"And, I don't want to seem conceited, but I see there's something about
me that set would probably like. Mrs. Shiffney's showed me that. I have
never called upon her. She has sent me several invitations. And to-day
she called. She wants me to go with her on _The Wanderer_ for a cruise."

"To Wonderland?"

Heath shrugged his shoulders.

"In the Mediterranean, I believe."

"Doesn't that tempt you?"

"Yes, terribly. But I flatly refused to go. But she knew I was tempted.
It's only curiosity on her part," he added, with a sort of hot, angry
boyishness. "She can't make me out, and I didn't call. That's why she
asked me."

Mrs. Mansfield mentally added a "partly" to the last sentence.

"You're very much afraid of exposing yourself--or is it your talent?--to
the influence of what we may as well call the world," she said.

"I suppose one's talent is oneself, one's best self."

"Perhaps so. I have none. You know best about that. I expect you are
right in being afraid."

"You don't think I'm merely a rather absurd coward and egoist?"

"Oh, no! But some people--many, I think--would say a talent is meant to
be used, to be given to the light."

"I know. But I don't think the modern world wants mine. I"--he
reddened--"I always set words from the Bible nearly or from the
Prayer-Book."

Smiling a little, as if saving somethi