The two men were very civil to each other in their salutations

The handmaiden at George Vavasor’s lodgings announced “another gent”, and then Mr Scruby entered the room in which were seated George, and Mr Grimes the publican from the “Handsome Man” on the Brompton Road. Mr Scruby was an attorney from Great Marlborough Street, supposed to be very knowing in the ways of metropolitan elections; and he had now stepped round, as he called it, with the object of saying a few words to Mr Grimes, partly on the subject of the forthcoming contest at Chelsea, and partly on that of the contest just past. These words were to be said in the presence of Mr Vavasor, the person interested. That some other words had been spoken between Mr Scruby and Mr Grimes on the same subjects behind Mr Vavasor’s back I think very probable. But even though this might have been so I am not prepared to say that Mr Vavasor had been deceived by their combinations.
The two men were very civil to each other in their salutations, the attorney assuming an air of patronising condescension, always calling the other Grimes; whereas Mr Scruby was treated with considerable deference by the publican, and was always called Mr Scruby. “Business is business”, said the publican as soon as these salutations were over; “isn’t it now, Mr Scruby?”
“And I suppose Grimes thinks Sunday morning a particularly good time for business,” said the attorney, laughing.
“It’s quiet, you know,” said Grimes. “But it warn’t me as named Sunday morning. It was Mr Vavasor here. But it is quiet; ain’t it, Mr Scruby?”
Mr Scruby acknowledged that it was quiet, especially looking out over the river, and then they proceeded to business. “We must pull the governor through better next time than we did last,” said the attorney.
“Of course we must, Mr Scruby; but, Lord love you, Mr Vavasor, whose fault was it? What notice did I get — just tell me that? Why, Travers’s name was up on the Liberal interest ever so long before the governor had ever thought about it.”
“Nobody is blaming you, Mr Grimes,” said George.
“And nobody can’t, Mr Vavasor. I done my work true as steel, and there ain’t another man about the place as could have done half as much. You ask Mr Scruby else. Mr Scruby knows, if ere a man in London does. I tell you what it is, Mr Vavasor, them Chelsea fellows, who lives mostly down by the river, ain’t like your Maryboners or Finsburyites. It wants something of a man to manage them. Don’t it, Mr Scruby?”
“It wants something of a man to manage any of them as far as my experience goes,” said Mr Scruby.
“Of course it do; and there ain’t no one in London knows so much about it as you do, Mr Scruby. I will say that for you. But the long and the short of it is this — business is business, and money is money.”
“Money is money, certainly,” said Mr Scruby. “There’s no doubt in the world about that, Grimes — and a deal of it you had out of the last election.”
“No, I hadn’t; begging your pardon, Mr Scruby, for making so free. What I had to my own cheek wasn’t nothing to speak of. I wasn’t paid for my time; that’s what I wasn’t. You look how a publican’s business gets cut up at them elections — and then the state of the house afterwards! What would the governor say to me if I was to put down painting inside and out in my little bill?”

They were now upon the esplanade

“It may be very well in Norfolk,” said Mrs Greenow, rising from her seat; “but the practice isn’t thought much of in the other counties with which I am better acquainted.”
“I’d just come in to say that I thought we might be getting to the boats,” said Mrs Walker. “My Ophelia is so delicate.” At this moment the delicate Ophelia was to be seen, under the influence of the music, taking a distant range upon the sands with Joe Fairstairs’ arm round her waist. The attitude was justified by the tune that was in progress, and there is no reason why a gallop on the sands should have any special termination in distance, as it must have in a room. But, under such circumstances, Mrs Walker’s solicitude was not unreasonable.
The erratic steps of the distant dancers were recalled and preparations were made for the return journey. Others had strayed besides the delicate Ophelia and the idle Joe, and some little time was taken up in collecting the party. The boats had to be drawn down, and the boatmen fetched from their cans and tobacco-pipes. “I hope they’re sober,” said Mrs Walker, with a look of great dismay.
“Sober as judges,” said Bellfield, who had himself been looking after the remains of Mr Cheesacre’s hampers, while that gentleman had been so much better engaged in the tent.
“Because,” continued Mrs Walker, “I know that they play all manner of tricks when they’re — in liquor. They’d think nothing of taking us out to sea, Mrs Greenow.”
“Oh, I do wish they would,” said Ophelia.
“Ophelia, mind you come in the boat with me,” said her mother, and she looked very savage when she gave the order. It was Mrs Walker’s intention that that boat should not carry Joe Fairstairs. But Joe and her daughter together were too clever for her. When the boats went off she found herself to be in that one over which Mr Cheesacre presided, while the sinning Ophelia with her good-for-nothing admirer were under the more mirthful protection of Captain Bellfield.
“Mamma will be so angry,” said Ophelia, “and it was all your fault. I did mean to go into the other boat. Don’t, Mr Fairstairs.” Then they got settled down in their seats, to the satisfaction, let us hope, of them both.
Mr Cheesacre had vainly endeavoured to arrange that Mrs Greenow should return with him. But not only was Captain Bellfield opposed to such a change in their positions, but so also was Mrs Greenow. “I think we’d better go back as we came,” she said, giving her hand to the Captain.
“Oh, certainly,” said Captain Bellfield. “Why should there be any change? Cheesacre, old fellow, mind you look after Mrs Walker. Come along, my hearty.” It really almost appeared that Captain Bellfield was addressing Mrs Greenow as “his hearty,” but it must be presumed that the term of genial endearment was intended for the whole boat’s load. Mrs Greenow took her place on the comfortable broad bench in the stern, and Bellfield seated himself beside her, with the tiller in his hand.
“Careful — and with you on board!” said the Captain. “Don’t you know that I would sooner perish beneath the waves than that a drop of water should touch you roughly?”
“Together! What a sweet word that is — perish together! If it were not that there might be something better even than that, I would wish to perish in such company.”
“But I should not wish anything of the kind, Captain Bellfield, and therefore pray be careful.”
There was no perishing by water on that occasion. Mr Cheesacre’s boat reached the pier at Yarmouth first, and gave up its load without accident. Very shortly afterwards Captain Bellfield’s crew reached the same place in the same state of preservation. “There,” said he, as he handed out Mrs Greenow.
“May the heavens forbid it, Mrs Greenow! Whatever may be our lots hereafter — yours I mean and mine — I trust that yours may be free from all disaster. Oh, that I might venture to hope that, at some future day, the privilege might be mine of protecting you from all danger!”
“I can protect myself very well, I can assure you. Good night, Captain Bellfield. We won’t take you and Mr Cheesacre out of your way — will we, Kate? We have had a most pleasant day.”
They were now upon the esplanade, and Mrs Greenow’s house was to the right, whereas the lodgings of both the gentlemen were to the left. Each of them fought hard for the privilege of accompanying the widow to her door; but Mrs Greenow was self-willed, and upon this occasion would have neither of them. “Mr Joe Fairstairs must pass the house,” said she, “and he will see us home. Mr Cheesacre, goodnight. Indeed you shall not — not a step.” There was that in her voice which induced Mr Cheesacre to obey her, and which made Captain Bellfield aware that he would only injure his cause if he endeavoured to make further progress in it on the present occasion.
“Well, Kate, what do you think of the day?” the aunt said when she was alone with her niece.
“I never think much about such days, aunt. It was all very well, but I fear I have not the temperament fitted for enjoying the fun. I envied Ophelia Walker because she made herself thoroughly happy.”
“I do like to see girls enjoy themselves,” said Mrs Greenow,
“I do indeed — and young men too. It seems so natural; why shouldn’t young people flirt?”
“Or old people either — if they don’t do any harm to anybody. I’ll tell you what it is, Kate; people have become so very virtuous, that they’re driven into all manner of abominable resources for amusement and occupation. If I had sons — and daughters I should think a little flirting the very best thing for them as a safety valve. When people get to be old, there’s a difficulty. They want to flirt with the young people and the young people don’t want them. If the old people would be content to flirt together, I don’t see why they should ever give it up — till they’re obliged to give up everything, and go away.” That was Mrs Greenow’s doctrine on the subject of flirtation.

In the mean time Mrs Greenow

“Such things should not be mentioned at all,” Kate replied, having been angered at the insinuation that the nature of Captain Bellfield’s footing could be a matter of any moment to her.
“No, they shouldn’t; and therefore I know that I’m quite safe with you, Miss Vavasor. He’s a very pleasant fellow, very; and has seen the world — uncommon; but he’s better for eating and drinking with than he is for buying and selling with, as we say in Norfolk. Do you like Norfolk, Miss Vavasor?”
“I never was in it before, and now I’ve only seen Yarmouth.”
“A nice place, Yarmouth, very; but you should come up and see our lands. I suppose you don’t know that we feed one-third of England during the winter months.”
“Dear me!”
“We do, though; nobody knows what a county Norfolk is. Taking it altogether, including the game you know, and Lord Nelson, and its watering-places and the rest of it, I don’t think there’s a county in England to beat it. Fancy feeding one-third of all England and Wales!”
“With bread and cheese, do you mean, and those sort of things?”
“Beef!” said Mr Cheesacre, and in his patriotic energy he repeated the word aloud. “Beef! Yes indeed; but if you were to tell them that in London they wouldn’t believe you. Ah! you should certainly come down and see our lands. The 7.45 A.M. train would take you through Norwich to my door, as one may say, and you would be back by the 6.22 P.M.” In this way he brought himself back again into good humour, feeling, that in the absence of the widow, he could not do better than make progress with the niece.
In the mean time Mrs Greenow and the Captain were getting on very comfortably in the other boat. “Take an oar, Captain,” one of the men had said to him as soon as he had placed the ladies. “Not today, Jack,” he had answered. “I’ll content myself with being bo’san this morning.”
“The best thing as the bo’san does is to pipe all hands to grog,” said the man. “I won’t be behind in that either,” said the Captain; and so they all went on swimmingly.
“What a fine generous fellow your friend, Mr Cheesacre, is!” said the widow.
“Yes, he is; he’s a capital fellow in his way. Some of these Norfolk farmers are no end of good fellows.”
“And I suppose he’s something more than a common farmer. He’s visited by the people about where he lives, isn’t he?”
“Oh, yes, in a sort of a way. The county people, you know, keep themselves very much to themselves.”
“That’s of course. But his house — he has a good sort of place, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, yes — a very good house — a little too near to the horse-pond for my taste. But when a man gets his money out of the till, he musn’t be ashamed of the counter — must he, Mrs Greenow?”
“But he could live like a gentleman if he let his own land, couldn’t he?”
“That depends upon how a gentleman wishes to live.” Here the privacy of their conversation was interrupted by an exclamation from a young lady to the effect that Charlie Fairstairs was becoming sick. This Charlie stoutly denied, and proved the truth of her assertion by her behaviour. Soon after this they completed their marine adventures, and prepared to land close to the spot at which the banquet was prepared,

Alice said to herself, as she sat with the letter at her solitary breakfast-table

The garden is going on very well. We are rather short of water, and therefore not quite as bright as I had hoped; but we are preparing with untiring industry for future brightness. Your commands have been obeyed in all things, and Morrison always says ‘The mistress didn’t mean this’, or ‘The mistress did intend that’. God bless the mistress is what I now say, and send her home, to her own home, to her flowers, and her fruit, and her house, and her husband, as soon as may be, with no more of those delays which are to me so grievous, and which seem to me to be so unnecessary. That is my prayer.
Yours ever and always, J. G.
“I didn’t give commands,” Alice said to herself, as she sat with the letter at her solitary breakfast-table. “He asked me how I liked the things, and of course I was obliged to say. I was obliged to seem to care, even if I didn’t care.” Such were her first thoughts as she put the letter back into its envelope, after reading it the second time. When she opened it, which she did quickly, not pausing a moment lest she should suspect herself of fearing to see what might be its contents, her mind was full of that rebuke which her aunt had anticipated, and which she had almost taught herself to expect. She had torn the letter open rapidly, and had dashed at its contents with quick eyes. In half a moment she had seen what was the nature of the reply respecting the proposed companion of her tour, and then she had completed her reading slowly enough “No; I gave no commands,” she repeated to herself, as though she might thereby absolve herself from blame in reference to some possible future accusations, which might perhaps be brought against her under certain circumstances which she was contemplating.
Then she considered the letter bit by bit, taking it backwards, and sipping her tea every now and then amidst her thoughts. No; she had no home, no house, there. She had no husband — not as yet. He spoke of their engagement as though it were a betrothal, as betrothals used to be of yore; as though they were already in some sort married. Such betrothals were not made nowadays. There still remained, both to him and to her, a certain liberty of extricating themselves from this engagement. Should he come to her and say that he found that their contemplated marriage would not make him happy, would not she release him without a word of reproach? Would not she regard him as much more honourable in doing so than in adhering to a marriage which was distasteful to him? And if she would so judge him — judge him and certainly acquit him, was it not reasonable that she under similar circumstances should expect a similar acquittal? Then she declared to herself that she carried on this argument within her own breast simply as an argument, induced to do so by that assertion on his part that he was already her husband — that his house was even now her home. She had no intention of using that power which was still hers. She had no wish to go back from her pledged word. She thought that she had no such wish. She loved him much, and admired him even more than she loved him. He was noble, generous, clever, good — so good as to be almost perfect; nay, for aught she knew he was perfect. Would that he had some faults! Would that he had! Would that he had! How could she, full of faults as she knew herself to be — how could she hope to make happy a man perfect as he was! But then there would be no doubt as to her present duty. She loved him, and that was everything. Having told him that she loved him, and having on that score accepted his love, nothing but a change in her heart towards him could justify her in seeking to break the bond which bound them together. She did love him, and she loved him only.
But she had once loved her cousin. Yes, truly it was so. In her thoughts she did not now deny it. She had loved him, and was tormented by a feeling that she had had a more full delight in that love than in this other that had sprung up subsequently. She had told herself that this had come of her youth — that love at twenty was sweeter than it could be afterwards. There had been a something of rapture in that earlier dream which could never be repeated — which could never live, indeed, except in a dream. Now, now that she was older and perhaps wiser, love meant a partnership, in which each partner would be honest to the other, in which each would wish and strive for the other’s welfare, so that thus their joint welfare might be ensured. Then, in those early girlish days, it had meant a total abnegation of self. The one was of earth, and therefore possible. The other had been a ray from heaven — and impossible, except in a dream.

Then, she remembered, she had laid her head on Mrs Ramsay's lap andlaughed

　　Oh, but, Lily would say, there was her father; her home; even, had shedared to say it, her painting. But all this seemed so little, so virginal,against the other. Yet, as the night wore on, and white lights parted thecurtains, and even now and then some bird chirped in the garden, gatheringa desperate courage she would urge her own exemption from theuniversal law; plead for it; she liked to be alone; she liked to be herself;she was not made for that; and so have to meet a serious stare from eyesof unparalleled depth, and confront Mrs Ramsay's simple certainty (andshe was childlike now) that her dear Lily, her little Brisk, was a fool.
　　Then, she remembered, she had laid her head on Mrs Ramsay's lap andlaughed and laughed and laughed, laughed almost hysterically at thethought of Mrs Ramsay presiding with immutable calm over destinieswhich she completely failed to understand. There she sat, simple, serious.
　　She had recovered her sense of her now—this was the glove's twistedfinger. But into what sanctuary had one penetrated? Lily Briscoe hadlooked up at last, and there was Mrs Ramsay, unwitting entirely whathad caused her laughter, still presiding, but now with every trace of wilfulnessabolished, and in its stead, something clear as the space whichthe clouds at last uncover—the little space of sky which sleeps beside themoon.
　　Was it wisdom? Was it knowledge? Was it, once more, the deceptivenessof beauty, so that all one's perceptions, half way to truth, weretangled in a golden mesh? or did she lock up within her some secretwhich certainly Lily Briscoe believed people must have for the world togo on at all? Every one could not be as helter skelter, hand to mouth asshe was. But if they knew, could they tell one what they knew? Sitting onthe floor with her arms round Mrs Ramsay's knees, close as she couldget, smiling to think that Mrs Ramsay would never know the reason ofthat pressure, she imagined how in the chambers of the mind and heartof the woman who was, physically, touching her, were stood, like thetreasures in the tombs of kings, tablets bearing sacred inscriptions, whichif one could spell them out, would teach one everything, but they wouldnever be offered openly, never made public. What art was there, knownto love or cunning, by which one pressed through into those secret chambers? What device for becoming, like waters poured into one jar, inextricablythe same, one with the object one adored? Could the bodyachieve, or the mind, subtly mingling in the intricate passages of thebrain? or the heart? Could loving, as people called it, make her and MrsRamsay one? for it was not knowledge but unity that she desired, not inscriptionson tablets, nothing that could be written in any languageknown to men, but intimacy itself, which is knowledge, she had thought,leaning her head on Mrs Ramsay's knee.
　　Nothing happened. Nothing! Nothing! as she leant her head againstMrs Ramsay's knee. And yet, she knew knowledge and wisdom werestored up in Mrs Ramsay's heart. How, then, she had asked herself, didone know one thing or another thing about people, sealed as they were?
　　Only like a bee, drawn by some sweetness or sharpness in the air intangibleto touch or taste, one haunted the dome-shaped hive, ranged thewastes of the air over the countries of the world alone, and then hauntedthe hives with their murmurs and their stirrings; the hives, which werepeople. Mrs Ramsay rose. Lily rose. Mrs Ramsay went. For days therehung about her, as after a dream some subtle change is felt in the personone has dreamt of, more vividly than anything she said, the sound ofmurmuring and, as she sat in the wicker arm-chair in the drawing-roomwindow she wore, to Lily's eyes, an august shape; the shape of a dome.
　　This ray passed level with Mr Bankes's ray straight to Mrs Ramsay sittingreading there with James at her knee. But now while she still looked,Mr Bankes had done. He had put on his spectacles. He had stepped back.

Agreeable as it was to Undine that an appeal to her discretion should be based on the ground of her youth and good-looks

Agreeable as it was to Undine that an appeal to her discretion should be based on the ground of her youth and good-looks, she was dismayed to find herself cut off from the very circle she had meant them to establish her in. Before she had become Raymond's wife there had been a moment of sharp tension in her relations with the Princess Estradina and the old Duchess. They had done their best to prevent her marrying their cousin, and had gone so far as openly to accuse her of being the cause of a breach between themselves and his parents. But Ralph Marvell's death had brought about a sudden change in her situation. She was now no longer a divorced woman struggling to obtain ecclesiastical sanction for her remarriage, but a widow whose conspicuous beauty and independent situation made her the object of lawful aspirations. The first person to seize on this distinction and make the most of it was her old enemy the Marquise de Trezac. The latter, who had been loudly charged by the house of Chelles with furthering her beautiful compatriot's designs, had instantly seen a chance of vindicating herself by taking the widowed Mrs. Marvell under her wing and favouring the attentions of other suitors. These were not lacking, and the expected result had followed. Raymond de Chelles, more than ever infatuated as attainment became less certain, had claimed a definite promise from Undine, and his family, discouraged by his persistent bachelorhood, and their failure to fix his attention on any of the amiable maidens obviously designed to continue the race, had ended by withdrawing their opposition and discovering in Mrs. Marvell the moral and financial merits necessary to justify their change of front.
"A good match? If she isn't, I should like to know what the Chelles call one!" Madame de Trezac went about indefatigably proclaiming. "Related to the best people in New York--well, by marriage, that is; and her husband left much more money than was expected. It goes to the boy, of course; but as the boy is with his mother she naturally enjoys the income. And her father's a rich man--much richer than is generally known; I mean what WE call rich in America, you understand!"
Madame de Trezac had lately discovered that the proper attitude for the American married abroad was that of a militant patriotism; and she flaunted Undine Marvell in the face of the Faubourg like a particularly showy specimen of her national banner. The success of the experiment emboldened her to throw off the most sacred observances of her past. She took up Madame Adelschein, she entertained the James J. Rollivers, she resuscitated Creole dishes, she patronized negro melodists, she abandoned her weekly teas for impromptu afternoon dances, and the prim drawing-room in which dowagers had droned echoed with a cosmopolitan hubbub.
Even when the period of tension was over, and Undine had been officially received into the family of her betrothed, Madame de Trezac did not at once surrender. She laughingly professed to have had enough of the proprieties, and declared herself bored by the social rites she had hitherto so piously performed. "You'll always find a corner of home here, dearest, when you get tired of their ceremonies and solemnities," she said as she embraced the bride after the wedding breakfast; and Undine hoped that the devoted Nettie would in fact provide a refuge from the extreme domesticity of her new state. But since her return to Paris, and her taking up her domicile in the Hotel de Chelles, she had found Madame de Trezac less and less disposed to abet her in any assertion of independence.
"My dear, a woman must adopt her husband's nationality whether she wants to or not. It's the law, and it's the custom besides. If you wanted to amuse yourself with your Nouveau Luxe friends you oughtn't to have married Raymond--but of course I say that only in joke. As if any woman would have hesitated who'd had your chance! Take my advice--keep out of Lili's set just at first. Later ... well, perhaps Raymond won't be so particular; but meanwhile you'd make a great mistake to go against his people--" and Madame de Trezac, with a "Chere Madame," swept forward from her tea-table to receive the first of the returning dowagers.

He passed the facades of great commercial mansions

Beale's finger traced the item for which the bill was rendered, and McNorton uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"Curious, isn't it?" said Beale, as he folded the paper and put it away in his pocket, "how these very clever men always make some trifling error which brings them to justice. I don't know how many great schemes I have seen brought to nothing through some such act of folly as this, some piece of theatrical bravado which benefited the criminal nothing at all."
"Good gracious," said McNorton wonderingly, "of course, that's what he is going to do. I never thought of that. It is in the neighbourhood of Horsham we must look for him, and I think if we can get one of the Messrs. Billingham out of bed in a couple of hours' time we shall do a good night's work."
They went outside and again questioned the policeman. He remembered the car turning round and going back the way it had come. It had probably taken one of the innumerable side-roads which lead from the main thoroughfare, and in this way they had missed it.
"I want to go to the '_Megaphone_' office first," said Beale. "I have some good friends on that paper and I am curious to know how bad the markets are. The night cables from New York should be coming in by now."
In his heart was a sickening fear which he dared not express. What would the morrow bring forth? If this one man's cupidity and hate should succeed in releasing the terror upon the world, what sort of a world would it leave? Through the windows of the car he could see the placid policemen patrolling the streets, caught a glimpse of other cars brilliantly illuminated bearing their laughing men and women back to homes, who were ignorant of the monstrous danger which threatened their security and life.
He passed the facades of great commercial mansions which in a month's time might but serve to conceal the stark ruin within.
To him it was a night of tremendous tragedy, and for the second time in his life in the numbness induced by the greater peril and the greater anxiety he failed to wince at the thought of the danger in which Oliva stood.
Indeed, analysing his sensations she seemed to him on this occasion less a victim than a fellow-worker and he found a strange comfort in that thought of partnership.
The _Megaphone_ buildings blazed with light when the car drew up to the door, messenger-boys were hurrying through the swing-doors, the two great elevators were running up and down without pause. The grey editor with a gruff voice threw over a bundle of flimsies.
"Here are the market reports," he growled, "they are not very encouraging."
Beale read them and whistled, and the editor eyed him keenly.
"Well, what do you make of it?" he asked the detective. "Wheat at a shilling a pound already. God knows what it's going to be to-morrow!"
"We have asked Germany to explain why she has prohibited the export of wheat and to give us a reason for the stocks she holds and the steps she has taken during the past two months to accumulate reserves."
"Not exactly an ultimatum. There's nothing to go to war about. The Government has mobilized the fleet and the French Government has partially mobilized her army. The question is," he said, "would war ease the situation?"
"The battle will not be fought in the field," he said, "it will be fought right here in London, in all your great towns, in Manchester, Coventry, Birmingham, Cardiff. It will be fought in New York and in a thousand townships between the Pacific and the Atlantic, and if the German scheme comes off we shall be beaten before a shot is fired."
"What does it mean?" asked the editor, "why is everybody buying wheat so frantically? There is no shortage. The harvests in the United States and Canada are good."
"There will be no harvests," said Beale solemnly; and the journalist gaped at him.

She made a rapid survey of the documents

She made a rapid survey of the documents. They were unimportant, and consisted mainly of letters from the few girl friends she had made during her stay at Punsonby's--old theatre programmes, recipes copied from newspapers and bunches of snapshots taken on her last summer excursion.
She arranged the things in some sort of rough order and made an inspection of her bedroom. Here, too, there was evidence that somebody had been searching the room. The drawers of her dressing-table were open, and though the contents had been little disturbed, it was clear that they had been searched. She made another discovery. The window of the bedroom was open at the bottom. Usually it was open half-way down from the top, and was fastened in that position by a patent catch. This precaution was necessary, because the window looked upon a narrow iron parapet which ran along the building and communicated with the fire-escape. She looked out. Evidently the intruder had both come and gone this way, and as evidently her return had disturbed him in his inspection, for it was hardly likely he would leave her papers and bureau in that state of confusion.
She made a brief inspection of the drawers in the dressing-table, and so far as she could see nothing was missing. She went back to the writing-bureau, mechanically put away the papers, little memorandum-books and letters which had been dragged from their pigeon-holes, then resting her elbow on the desk she sat, chin in hand, her pretty forehead wrinkled in a frown, recalling the events of the morning.
Who had searched her desk? What did they hope to discover? She had no illusions that this was the work of a common thief. There was something behind all this, something sinister and terrifying.
What association had the search with her summary dismissal and what did the pompous Mr. White mean when he talked about definite knowledge? Definite knowledge of what? She gave it up with a shrug. She was not as much alarmed as disturbed. Life was grating a little, and she resented this departure from the smooth course which it had hitherto run. She resented the intrusion of Mr. Beale, who was drunk one moment and sober the next, who had offices in the city which he did not visit and who took such an inordinate interest in her affairs, and she resented him all the more because,

William thanked him and said he had already remarked

In which William has a very erudite conver?sation with Severinus the herbalist.
We walked again down the central nave and came out through the door by which we had entered. I could still hear Ubertino’s words, all of them, buzzing in my head. “That man is ... odd,” I dared say to William.
“He is, or has been, in many ways a great man. But for this very reason he is odd. It is only petty men who seem normal. Ubertino could have become one of the heretics he helped burn, or a cardinal of the holy Roman church. He came very close to both perversions. When I talk with Ubertino I have the impression that hell is heaven seen from the other side.”
I did not grasp his meaning. “From what side?” I asked.
“Ah, true,” William acknowledged the problem. “It is a matter of knowing whether there are sides and wheth?er there is a whole. But pay no attention to me. And stop looking at that doorway,” he said, striking me lightly on the nape as I was turning, attracted by the sculptures I had seen on entering. “They have fright?ened you enough for today. All of them.”
As I turned back to the exit, I saw in front of me another monk. He could have been William’s age. He smiled and greeted us cordially. He said he was Severinus of Sankt Wendel, and he was the brother herbalist, in charge of the balneary, the infirmary, the gardens, and he was ours to command if we would like to learn our way better around the abbey compound.
William thanked him and said he had already remarked, on coming in, the very fine vegetable garden, where it looked to him as if not only edible plants were grown, but also medicinal ones, from what he could tell, given the snow.
“In summer or spring, through the variety of its plants, each then adorned with its flowers, this garden sings better the praises of the Creator,” Severinus said, somewhat apologetically. “But even now, in winter, the herbalist’s eye sees through the dry branches the plants that will come, and he can tell you that this garden is richer than any herbal ever was, and more varicolored, beautiful as the illuminations are in those volumes. Furthermore, good herbs grow also in winter, and I preserve others gathered and ready in the pots in my laboratory. And so with the roots of the wood sorrel I treat catarrhs, and with the decoction of althea roots I make plasters for skin diseases; burrs cicatrize eczemas; by chopping and grinding the snakeroot rhizome I treat diarrheas and certain female complaints; pepper is a fine digestive; coltsfoot eases the cough; and we have good gentian also for the digestion, and I have glycyrrhiza, and juniper for making excellent infusions, and elder bark with which I make a decoction for the liver, soapwort, whose roots are macerated in cold water for catarrh, and valerian, whose properties you surely know.”
“You have widely varied herbs, and suited to differ?ent climates. How do you manage that?”
“On the one hand, I owe it to the mercy of the Lord, who set our high plain between a range that overlooks the sea to the south and receives its warm winds, and the higher mountain to the north whose sylvan balsams we receive. And on the other hand, I owe it to my art, which, unworthily, I learned at the wish of my masters. Certain plants will grow even in an adverse climate if you take care of the terrain around them, and their nourishment, and their growth.”
“But you also have plants that are good only to eat?” I asked.
“Ah, my hungry young colt, there are no plants good for food that are not good for treating the body, too, provided they are taken in the right quantity. Only excess makes them cause illness. Consider the pumpkin. It is cold and damp by nature and slakes thirst, but if you eat it when rotten it gives you diarrhea and you must bind your viscera with a paste of brine and mustard. And onions? Warm and damp, in small quan?tities they enhance coitus (for those who have not taken our vows, naturally), but too many bring on a heaviness of the head, to be combated with milk and vinegar. A good reason,” he added slyly, “why a young monk should always eat them sparingly. Eat garlic instead. Warm and dry, it is good against poisons. But do not use it to excess, for it causes too many humors to be expelled from the brain. Beans, on the contrary, pro?duce urine and are fattening, two very good things. But they induce bad dreams. Far less, however, than certain other herbs. There are some that actually provoke evil visions.”
“Which?” I asked.
“Aha, our novice wants to know too much. These are things that only the herbalist must know; otherwise any thoughtless person could go about distributing visions: in other words, lying with herbs.”
“But you need only a bit of nettle,” William said then, “or roybra or olieribus to be protected against such visions. I hope you have some of these good herbs.” Severinus gave my master a sidelong glance. “You are interested in herbalism?”
“Just a little,” William said modestly, “since I came upon the Theatrum Sanitatis of Ububchasym de Baldach …”
“Abul Asan al-Muchtar ibn-Botlan.”
“Or Ellucasim Elimittar: as you prefer. I wonder whether a copy is to be found here.”
“One of the most beautiful. With many rich illustra?tions.”
“Heaven be praised. And the De virtutibm herbarum of Platearius?”
“That, too. And the De plantis of Aristotle, translated by Alfred of Sareshel.”

I have sometimes wondered at that mysel

'I have consulted her; and I know her wishes coincide with yours; but in such important matters, I take the liberty of judging for myself; and no persuasion can alter my inclinations, or induce me to believe that such a step would be conducive to my happiness or yours - and I wonder that a man of your experience and discretion should think of choosing such a wife.'
'Ah, well!' said he, 'I have sometimes wondered at that myself. I have sometimes said to myself, "Now Boarham, what is this you're after? Take care, man - look before you leap! This is a sweet, bewitching creature, but remember, the brightest attractions to the lover too often prove the husband's greatest torments!" I assure you my choice has not been made without much reasoning and reflection. The seeming imprudence of the match has cost me many an anxious thought by day, and many a sleepless hour by night; but at length I satisfied myself that it was not, in very deed, imprudent. I saw my sweet girl was not without her faults, but of these her youth, I trusted, was not one, but rather an earnest of virtues yet unblown - a strong ground of presumption that her little defects of temper and errors of judgment, opinion, or manner were not irremediable, but might easily be removed or mitigated by the patient efforts of a watchful and judicious adviser, and where I failed to enlighten and control, I thought I might safely undertake to pardon, for the sake of her many excellences. Therefore, my dearest girl, since I am satisfied, why should you object - on my account, at least?'
'But to tell you the truth, Mr. Boarham, it is on my own account I principally object; so let us - drop the subject,' I would have said, 'for it is worse than useless to pursue it any further,' but he pertinaciously interrupted me with, - 'But why so? I would love you, cherish you, protect you,' &c., &c.
I shall not trouble myself to put down all that passed between us. Suffice it to say, that I found him very troublesome, and very hard to convince that I really meant what I said, and really was so obstinate and blind to my own interests, that there was no shadow of a chance that either he or my aunt would ever be able to overcome my objections. Indeed, I am not sure that I succeeded after all; though wearied with his so pertinaciously returning to the same point and repeating the same arguments over and over again, forcing me to reiterate the same replies, I at length turned short and sharp upon him, and my last words were, - 'I tell you plainly, that it cannot be. No consideration can induce me to marry against my inclinations. I respect you - at least, I would respect you, if you would behave like a sensible man - but I cannot love you, and never could - and the more you talk the further you repel me; so pray don't say any more about it.'
Whereupon he wished me a good-morning, and withdrew, disconcerted and offended, no doubt; but surely it was not my fault.

He phoned Pacific Division, asked to speak to the watch commander

I said, “It’s hard to square the Gaidelases with that, but like I saidbefore, he could’ve had other kinks. The car recovered in Camarillo’s a tougher fit. If he left his vannear the murder site and drove the Gaidelases’ rental to the outlets, how’d heget back to Malibu?”
“To me that’s no problem. He hitchhiked, stole another set of wheels, took abus—or he never drove the rental in the first place. All he needed to do wasleave it parked on Kanan Dume, windows wide open, keys in the ignition. Openinvitation for some joyriding kid.”
“Joyride to the outlets?” I said. “Juvenile delinquents looking for bargains?”
“Why not? Shoplift some cool Nikes and hip-hop sweats. Any way you look atit, having Mr. Peaty swept off this mortal coil is no loss.”
“True.”
Several bites later: “What’s on your mind?”
“The scenarios we’ve constructed depend on planning and patience. The wayPeaty died—not backing off from an armed man—showed a lack of control.”
“He was drunk. Or Vasquez didn’t give him a chance to back off.”
“Vasquez just went out there and shot him?”
“It happens.”
“It does,” I said. “But think about this: the Gaidelases’ bodies have neverbeen found and their credit cards were never used. Plus someone took thetrouble to phone utilities in Ohioand have their power shut off. That’s high-level calculation and discretion.Peaty was nabbed by a bystander watching college girls while beating off. Hecontinued to stare openly at women and gave them the creeps. That sounddiscreet?”
“Even morons learn, Alex. But let’s put the Gaidelases aside for a moment.Are you okay with Michaela and Tori as Peaty’s handiwork?”
I nodded.
“Good, because stolen wheels, duct tape, rope, a knife, a loaded gun are thekind of evidence I can write up. Basic gear from your local Psycho KillerEmporium.” He massaged a temple. Ate pie, drank coffee. Pushed the empty plateback in front of me and called for a refill.
The waitress said, “Boy, you guys were hungry.”
Milo grinned. She thought it was sincereand smiled back.
When she was gone, his eyes clouded. “Almost two years passed between Toriand Michaela. The nasty old question resurfaces.”
“How many others in between,” I said.
“Peaty tags ’em at the PlayHouse. No curriculum, no attendance roster,people drop in and out. It’s a predator’s dream. I thought maybe Nora was beingevasive when she told me that. Now, with her looking more and more like avictim, I believe her.”
“We found no additional trophies in Peaty’s apartment or the van. So maybethere are no other victims.”
“Or he’s got a storage bin somewhere.”
“Could be. I’d start with the buildings where Peaty did janitorial work.”
“Grabbing freebie storage,” he said. “Maybe that explains stashing Meserve’sToyota inBrad’s garage. It also fits big-time hostility toward authority. All thoseproperties the Dowds own, Peaty doing the scut. Be hard for Brad to monitorevery bit of space…so what were you calling me about before I told you aboutPeaty?”
“Not important.”
“It was important enough to call.”
I recounted the scene with Hauser.
“You and Robin?”
“Yup.”
He worked hard at stoicism. “Guy’s a shrink? Sounds like a nut.”
“At the very least he’s an ugly drunk.”
“They arrest him?”
“Don’t know,” I said. “They took him away in an ambulance.”
“You clocked him good, huh?”
“I used discretion.”
He squinted, turned his hands to blades, chopped the air, whispered,“‘Heeyah!’ I thought you’d given up on all that black belt stuff.”
“Never got past brown belt,” I said. “It’s like riding a bike.”
“Hopefully the fool will wake up with a sore nose and realize the error ofhis ways. Want me to get the reports?”
“I was hoping.”
“Any detectives show up?”
“Just uniforms. Hendricks and Minette. He-and-she team.”
He phoned Pacific Division, asked to speak to the watch commander, explainedthe situation, listened, hung up smiling. “In the official police record, youare treated as a victim. Hauser was booked for creating a disturbance in apublic place and released. What kind of car does he drive?”
“Don’t waste time cruising by.”
“A shrink, let’s see…I’m guessing Volvo, maybe some kind of Volkswagen.”
“Audi Quattro.”
“Right continent,” he said. “Yeah, I’ll cruise by, you’re welcome.”
“It’s unlikely he’ll persist, Milo. When hesobers up he’ll realize another disturbance will mess him up in civil court. Ifhe doesn’t, his lawyer will educate him.”
“If he was that smart, Alex, he’d never have stalked you in the firstplace.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’m okay and you’ve got a full plate.”
“Interesting,” he said.
“What is?”
He loosened his belt and suppressed a belch. “Your choice of gastronomicimagery.”