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of coughing； and Everett； embarrassed by her discomfort； plunged
into gossip about the professional people he had met in town
during the summer and the musical outlook for the winter。 He was
diagraming with his pencil； on the back of an old envelope he
found in his pocket； some new mechanical device to be
used at the Metropolitan in the production of the Rheingold；
when he became conscious that she was looking at him intently； and
that he was talking to the four walls。
Katharine was lying back among the pillows； watching him
through half…closed eyes； as a painter looks at a picture。 He
finished his explanation vaguely enough and put the envelope back
in his pocket。 As he did so she said； quietly： 〃How wonderfully
like Adriance you are！〃 and he felt as though a crisis of some
sort had been met and tided over。
He laughed； looking up at her with a touch of pride in his
eyes that made them seem quite boyish。 〃Yes； isn't it absurd？
It's almost as awkward as looking like Napoleonbut； after all；
there are some advantages。 It has made some of his friends like
me； and I hope it will make you。〃
Katharine smiled and gave him a quick； meaning glance from
under her lashes。 〃Oh； it did that long ago。 What a haughty；
reserved youth you were then； and how you used to stare at people
and then blush and look cross if they paid you back in your own
coin。 Do you remember that night when you took me home from a
rehearsal and scarcely spoke a word to me？〃
〃It was the silence of admiration；〃 protested Everett； 〃very
crude and boyish； but very sincere and not a little painful。
Perhaps you suspected something of the sort？ I remember you saw
fit to be very grown…up and worldly。
〃I believe I suspected a pose； the one that college boys
usually affect with singers'an earthen vessel in love with a
star；' you know。 But it rather surprised me in you； for you must
have seen a good deal of your brother's pupils。 Or had you an
omnivorous capacity； and elasticity that always met the
occasion？〃
〃Don't ask a man to confess the follies of his youth；〃 said
Everett； smiling a little sadly； 〃I am sensitive about some of
them even now。 But I was not so sophisticated as you imagined。
I saw my brother's pupils come and go； but that was about all。
Sometimes I was called on to play accompaniments； or to fill out
a vacancy at a rehearsal； or to order a carriage for an
infuriated soprano who had thrown up her part。 But they never
spent any time on me； unless it was to notice the resemblance you
speak of。〃
〃Yes〃； observed Katharine； thoughtfully； 〃I noticed it then；
too； but it has grown as you have grown older。 That is rather
strange； when you have lived such different lives。 It's not
merely an ordinary family likeness of feature； you know； but a
sort of interchangeable individuality； the suggestion of the
other man's personality in your face like an air transposed to
another key。 But I'm not attempting to define it； it's beyond
me； something altogether unusual and a triflewell； uncanny；〃
she finished； laughing。
〃I remember；〃 Everett said seriously； twirling the pencil
between his fingers and looking； as he sat with his head thrown
back； out under the red window blind which was raised just a
little； and as it swung back and forth in the wind revealed the
glaring panorama of the deserta blinding stretch of yellow；
flat as the sea in dead calm； splotched here and there with deep
purple shadows； and； beyond； the ragged…blue outline of the
mountains and the peaks of snow； white as the white clouds〃I
remember； when I was a little fellow I used to be very sensitive
about it。 I don't think it exactly displeased me； or that I would
have had it otherwise if I could； but it seemed to me like a
birthmark； or something not to be lightly spoken of。 People were
naturally always fonder of Ad than of me； and I used to feel the
chill of reflected light pretty often。 It came into even my
relations with my mother。 Ad went abroad to study when he was
absurdly young； you know； and mother was all broken up over it。
She did her whole duty by each of us； but it was sort of
generally understood among us that she'd have made burnt
offerings of us all for Ad any day。 I was a little fellow then；
and when she sat alone on the porch in the summer dusk she used
sometimes to call me to her and turn my face up in the light that
streamed out through the shutters and kiss me； and then I always
knew she was thinking of Adriance。〃
〃Poor little chap；〃 said Katharine； and her tone was a
trifle huskier than usual。 〃How fond people have always been of
Adriance！ Now tell me the latest news of him。 I haven't heard；
except through the press； for a year or more。 He was in Algeria
then； in the valley of the Chelif； riding horseback night and day
in an Arabian costume； and in his usual enthusiastic fashion he
had quite made up his mind to adopt the Mohammedan faith
and become as nearly an Arab as possible。 How many countries and
faiths has be adopted； I wonder？ Probably he was playing Arab to
himself all the time。 I remember he was a sixteenth…century duke
in Florence once for weeks together。〃
〃Oh； that's Adriance；〃 chuckled Everett。 〃He is himself
barely long enough to write checks and be measured for his
clothes。 I didn't hear from him while he was an Arab； I missed
that。〃
〃He was writing an Algerian suite for the piano then； it
must be in the publisher's hands by this time。 I have been too
ill to answer his letter； and have lost touch with him。〃
Everett drew a letter from his pocket。 〃This came about a
month ago。 It's chiefly about his new opera； which is to be
brought out in London next winter。 Read it at your leisure。〃
〃I think I shall keep it as a hostage； so that I may be sure
you will come again。 Now I want you to play for me。 Whatever
you like； but if there is anything new in the world； in mercy let
me hear it。 For nine months I have heard nothing but 'The
Baggage Coach Ahead' and 'She Is My Baby's Mother。'〃
He sat down at the piano； and Katharine sat near him；
absorbed in his remarkable physical likeness to his brother and
trying to discover in just what it consisted。 She told herself
that it was very much as though a sculptor's finished work had
been rudely copied in wood。 He was of a larger build than
Adriance； and his shoulders were broad and heavy； while those of
his brother were slender and rather girlish