The Cardinal's Snuff Box

Again the Duchessa mused for a while in silence, opening and

shutting her fan, and gazing into its opals.

"I am thinking of it from the woman's point of view," she said,

by and by. "To have played such a part in a man's life--and

never to have dreamed it! Never even, very likely, to have

dreamed that such a man existed--for it's entirely possible she

didn't notice him, on those occasions when he saw her. And to

have been the subject of such a novel--and never to have

dreamed that, either! To have read the novel perhaps--without

dreaming for an instant that there was any sort of connection

between Pauline and herself! Or else--what would almost be

stranger still--not to have read the novel, not to have heard

of it! To have inspired such a book, such a beautiful book

--yet to remain in sheer unconscious ignorance that there was

such a book! Oh, I think it is even more extraordinary from

the woman's point of view than from the man's. There is

something almost terrifying about it. To have had such an

influence on the destiny of someone you've never heard of!

There's a kind of intangible sense of a responsibility."

"There is also, perhaps," laughed Peter, "a kind of intangible

sense of a liberty taken. I'm bound to say I think Wildmay was

decidedly at his ease. To appropriate in that cool fashion the

personality of a total stranger! But artists are the most

unprincipled folk unhung. Ils prennent leur bien la, ou ils le

trouvent."

"Oh, no," said the Duchessa, "I think she was fair game. One

can carry delicacy too far. He was entitled to the benefits of

his discovery--for, after all, it was a discovery, was n't it?

You have said yourself how indispensable the eye of the

beholder is--'the seeing eye.' I think, indeed, the whole

affair speaks extremely well for Mr. Wildmay. It is not every

man who would be capable of so purely intellectual a passion.

I suppose one must call his feeling for her a passion? It

indicates a distinction in his nature. He can hardly be a mere

materialist. But--but I think it's heart-rending that he never

met her."

"Oh, but that's the continuation of the story," said Peter.

"He did meet her in the end, you know."

"He did meet her!" cried the Duchessa, starting up, with a

sudden access of interest, whilst her eyes lightened. "He did

meet her? Oh, you must tell me about that."