of being dealt with she would doubtless herself do
her share of the conquering: she would have some
thing to supply, Kate something to take each of
them thus, to that tune, something for squaring with
Aunt Maud's ideal. This in short was what it came
to now that the occasion, in the quiet late lamp
light, had the quality of a rough rehearsal of the pos
sible big drama. Milly knew herself dealt with
handsomely, completely: she surrendered to the
knowledge, for so it was, she felt, that she supplied
her helpful force. And what Kate had to take Kate
took as freely and, to all appearance, as gratefully;
accepting afresh, with each of her long, slow walks,
the relation between them so established and conse
crating her companion's surrender simply by the in
terest she gave it. The interest to Milly herself we
naturally mean; the interest to Kate Milly felt as
probably inferior. It easily and largely came for
their present talk, for the quick flight of the hour
before the breach of the spell it all came, when con
sidered, from the circumstance, not in the least ab
normal, that the handsome girl was in extraordinary
"form." Milly remembered her having said that
she was at her best late at night; remembered it by
its having, with its fine assurance, made her wonder
when she was at her best and how happy people must
be who had such a fixed time. She had no time at
all; she was never at her best unless indeed it were
exactly, as now, in listening, watching, admiring,
collapsing. If Kate moreover, quite mercilessly,

[[301]]

p300 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p301w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p302

v?