BARNABAS,” said Miss Mason one day—it was the fourteenth of October—“what’s the matter with Paul?”  
She was in Barnabas’ studio when she put the question.
 
“Ah,” said Barnabas, “you’ve seen it too.”
 
“One must be blind not to see it,” said Miss Mason. “I felt something was wrong before I went away, and since I’ve been back I’ve been sure of it.”
 
For a moment Barnabas did not reply. “I know part,” he said after a minute, “and the rest I can guess. You know he has lost a good bit of money?”
 
“Humpt!” said Miss Mason. “I didn’t know. So that’s the trouble.”
 
“Partly,” said Barnabas. “I think the other part is the Duchessa.”
 
“You mean——?” said Miss Mason.
 
“Paul was in love with her,” said Barnabas.
 
Miss Mason looked at him. Then she nodded her head two or three times. She suddenly realized that the Duchessa, who used frequently to [Pg 288]come to the courtyard, had not been there during the last three weeks of July, nor during this first fortnight in October. Of August and September she had, of course, no record.
 
“I see,” she said.
 
“I think,” went on Barnabas, “that if this money loss had not intervened they would have followed the example of Aurora and Alan.”
 
“She cared for him then?” asked Miss Mason.
 
“I have never seen two people more in love with each other,” said Barnabas. “They evidently did not wish, at the moment, to make the fact public. But seeing them together, as I occasionally did, one must have been blind not to have realized it.”
 
“Ah,” said Miss Mason. “Then she is unhappy, too?”
 
“I have happened to meet her twice,” said Barnabas. “She acts very well. But the spring of life has gone.”
 
“But she has money,” said Miss Mason. “Surely——”
 
“If she marries again she loses every penny,” said Barnabas. “I learned that quite by chance one day from Charlton.”
 
Miss Mason made a curious sound with her tongue. It can only be described as clucking.
 
“The world,” she said, “can be curiously contrary at times. I’m very glad I asked you.”
 
Then she went back to her studio and sat down for a long time in her big arm-chair to think.
 
 
And the Three Fates watched her. For when Miss Mason sat in her chair with just that particular expression on her face, it meant that she was not over-pleased with their weaving, and that she wished to unravel and re-weave their latest pattern to a fashion more according to their mind. And the Three Fates looked at each other, and they nodded their three old heads, and waited with amusement in their eyes to see what she would do. As a matter of fact they had made this particular bit of muddle in their weaving on purpose that she might have the pleasure of putti............