as she might have brought a huge confession, some
thing she admitted herself shy about and that would
seem to show her as frivolous; it had rolled over
her that what she wanted of Europe was " people,"
so far as they were to be had, and that if her friend
really wished to know, the vision of this same equiv
ocal quantity was what had haunted her during
their previous clays, in museums and churches, and
what was again spoiling for her the pure taste of
scenery. She was all for scenery yes; but she
wanted it human and personal, and all she could say
was that there would be in London wouldn't
there? more of that kind than anywhere else. She
came back to her idea that if it wasn't for long
if nothing should happen to be so for her why, the
particular thing she spoke of would probably have
most to give her in the time, would probably be
less than anything else a waste of her remainder.
She produced this last consideration indeed with
such gaiety that Mrs. Stringham was not again dis
concerted by it, was in fact quite ready if talk of
early dying was in order to match it from her own
future. Good, then; they would, eat and drink be
cause of what might happen to-morrow; and they
would direct their course from that moment with a
view to such eating and drinking. They ate and
drank that night, in truth, as if in the spirit of this
decision; whereby the air, before they separated,
felt itself the clearer.

It had cleared perhaps to a view only too exten-

[[150]]

p149 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p150w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p151

v?