The yellow book: an illustrated quarterly (2.1894)

By Henry James 323

that she drew him in to be introduced to the clever young Ameri-
can. Her account of this introduction I had in its order, but
before that, very late in the season, under Gravener's auspices, I
met Miss Anvoy at tea at the House of Commons. The member
fbr Clockborough had gathered a group of pretty ladies, and the
Mulvilles were not of the party. On the great terrace, as I
strolled off a little with her, the guest of honour immediately
exclaimed to me : "I've seen him, you know—I've seen him ! "
She told me about Saltram's call.

" And how did you find him ? "

" Oh, so stränge ! "

"You didn't like him?"

" I can't teil tili I see him again."

" You want to do that ?"

She was silent a moment. "Immensely."

We stopped ; I fancied she had become aware Gravener was
looking at us. She turned back toward the knot of the others,
and I said : " Dislike him as much as you will—I see you're
bitten."

" Bitten ? " I thought she coloured a little.

"Oh, it doesn't matter !" I laughed ; "one doesn't die of it."

"I hope I sha'n't die of anything before I've seen more of
Mrs. Mulville." I rejoiced with her over piain Adelaide, whom
she pronounced the loveliest woman she had met in England ; but
before we separated I remarked to her that it was an act of mere
humanity to warn her that if she should see more of Frank Saltram
(which would be likely to follow on any increase of acquaintance
with Mrs. Mulville), she might find herseif flattening her nose
against the clear hard pane of an eternal question—that of the
relative importance of virtue. She replied that this was surely
a subject on which one took everything for granted ; whereupon

I admitted