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dismay； and yet a fearful attraction was in them； and； like the fruit on the
Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they were terrible with the
possibilities of the Unknown。
At last I turned away。 I felt that Strickland had kept his secret to the
grave。
〃；〃 came the loud； cheerful voice of
Madame Coutras； 〃what are you doing all this time？ Here are the 。 Ask if he will not drink a little glass of
Quinquina Dubonnet。〃
〃； Madame；〃 I said； going out on to the verandah。
The spell was broken。
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Chapter LVIII
The time for my departure from Tahiti。 According to the gracious
custom of the island； presents were given me by the persons with whom I
had been thrown in contact baskets made of the leaves of the cocoa…nut
tree； mats of pandanus； fans； and Tiare gave me three little pearls and three
jars of guava…jelly made with her own plump hands。 When the mail…boat；
stopping for twenty…four hours on its way from Wellington to San
Francisco； blew the whistle that warned the passengers to get on board；
Tiare clasped me to her vast bosom； so that I seemed to sink into a billowy
sea； and pressed her red lips to mine。 Tears glistened in her eyes。 And
when we steamed slowly out of the lagoon； making our way gingerly
through the opening in the reef； and then steered for the open sea； a certain
melancholy fell upon me。 The breeze was laden still with the pleasant
odours of the land。 Tahiti is very far away； and I knew that I should
never see it again。 A chapter of my life was closed； and I felt a little
nearer to inevitable death。
Not much more than a month later I was in London； and after I had
arranged certain matters which claimed my immediate attention； thinking
Mrs。 Strickland might like to hear what I knew of her husband's last years；
I wrote to her。 I had not seen her since long before the war； and I had to
look out her address in the telephone…book。 She made an appointment；
and I went to the trim little house on Campden Hill which she now
inhabited。 She was by this time a woman of hard on sixty； but she bore her
years well； and no one would have taken her for more than fifty。 Her
face； thin and not much lined； was of the sort that ages gracefully； so that
you thought in youth she must have been a much handsomer woman than
in fact she was。 Her hair； not yet very gray； was becomingly arranged； and
her black gown was modish。 I remembered having heard that her sister；
Mrs。 MacAndrew； outliving her husband but a couple of years； had left
money to Mrs。 Strickland； and by the look of the house and the trim maid
who opened the door I judged that it was a sum adequate to keep the
widow in modest comfort。
When I was ushered into the drawing…room I found that Mrs。
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Strickland had a visitor； and when I discovered who he was； I guessed that
I had been asked to come at just that time not without intention。 The
caller was Mr。 Van Busche Taylor； an American； and Mrs。 Strickland gave
me particulars with a charming smile of apology to him。
〃You know； we English are so dreadfully ignorant。 You must forgive
me if it's necessary to explain。〃 Then she turned to me。 〃Mr。 Van
Busche Taylor is the distinguished American critic。 If you haven't read
his book your education has been shamefully neglected； and you must
repair the omission at once。 He's writing something about dear Charlie；
and he's come to ask me if I can help him。〃
Mr。 Van Busche Taylor was a very thin man with a large； bald head；
bony and shining； and under the great dome of his skull his face； yellow；
with deep lines in it； looked very small。 He was quiet and exceedingly
polite。 He spoke with the accent of New England； and there was about
his demeanour a bloodless frigidity which made me ask myself why on
earth he was busying himself with Charles Strickland。 I had been
slightly tickled at the gentleness which Mrs。 Strickland put into her
mention of her husband's name； and while the pair conversed I took stock
of the room in which we sat。 Mrs。 Strickland had moved with the times。
Gone were the Morris papers and gone the severe cretonnes； gone were
the Arundel prints that had adorned the walls of her drawingroom in
Ashley Gardens； the room blazed with fantastic colour； and I wondered if
she knew that those varied hues； which fashion had imposed upon her；
were due to the dreams of a poor painter in a South Sea island。 She gave
me the answer herself。
〃What wonderful cushions you have；〃 said Mr。 Van Busche Taylor。
〃Do you like them？〃 she said； smiling。 〃Bakst； you know。〃
And yet on the walls were coloured reproductions of several of
Strickland's best pictures； due to the enterprise of a publisher in Berlin。
〃You're looking at my pictures；〃 she said； following my eyes。 〃Of
course； the originals are out of my reach； but it's a comfort to have these。
The publisher sent them to me himself。 They're a great consolation to me。〃
〃They must be very pleasant to live with；〃 said Mr。 Van Busche Taylor。
〃Yes； they're so essentially decorative。〃
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〃That is one of my profoundest convictions；〃 said Mr。 Van Busche
Taylor。 〃Great art is always decorative。〃
Their eyes rested on a nude woman suckling a baby； while a girl was
kneeling by their side holding out a flower to the indifferent child。
Looking over them was a wrinkled； scraggy hag。 It was Strickland's
version of the Holy Family。 I suspected that for the figures had sat his
household above Taravao； and the woman and the baby were Ata and his
first son。 I asked myself if Mrs。 Strickland had any inkling of the facts。
The conversation proceeded； and I marvelled at the tact with which Mr。
Van Busche Taylor avoided all subjects that might have been in the least
embarrassing； and at the ingenuity with which Mrs。 Strickland； without
saying a word that was untrue； insinuated that her relations with her
husband had always been perfect。 At last Mr。 Van Busche Taylor rose to go。
Holding his hostess' hand； he made her a graceful； though perhaps too
elaborate； speech of thanks； and left us。
〃I hope he didn't bore you；〃 she said； when the door closed behind him。
〃Of course it's a nuisance sometimes； but I feel it's only right to give
people any information I can about Charlie。 There's a certain responsibility
about having been the wife of a genius。〃
She looked at me with those pleasant eyes of hers； which had remained
as candid and as sympathetic as they had been more than twenty years
before。 I wondered if she was making a fool of me。
〃Of course you've given up your business；〃 I said。
〃Oh； yes；〃 she answered airily。 〃I ran it more by way of a hobby than
for any other reason； and my children persuaded me to sell it。 They
thought I was overtaxing my strength。〃
I saw that Mrs。 Strickland had forgotten that she had ever done
anything so disgraceful as to work for her living。 She had the true instinct
of the nice woman that it is only really decent for her to live on other
people's money。
〃They're here now；〃 she said。 〃I thought they'd； like to hear what you
had to say about their father。 You remember Robert； don't you？ I'm glad
to say he's been recommended for the Military Cross。〃