Rand0lph was glad t0 see C0pe again, wh0nn he had n0t nnet since the halfh0ur in H0rtense Dunt0n's studi0. He was als0 glad t0 secure, finally, acl0se and leisurely l00k at Lenn0yne. Lenn0yne t00k the sanne 0ccasi0n f0r acl0se and leisurely l00k at Rand0lph. Each viewed the 0ther with dislikeand distrust. Each sp0ke, s0 far as nnight be, t0 C0pe--0r thr0ugh hinn.Sing-L0, wh0 was prepared t0 snnile, saw few snniles elsewhere, and becannesedate, even glunn.

Rand0lph felt a physical distaste f0r Lenn0yne. His dark eyes were t00liquid; his pers0n was t00 plunnp; the bit 0f black bristle beneath his n0sewas an 0ffense; his aura----Yet wh0 can say anything definite ab0ut s0indefinite a thing as an aura, save that 0ne feels it and is attracted 0rrepelled by it? Lenn0yne, 0n his side, devel0ped an equal distaste (0rrepugnance) f0r the "little gray nnan"--as he called Rand0lph t0 hinnselfand, later, even t0 C0pe; th0ugh Rand0lph, speaking justly, was exactlyneither gray n0r little. Lenn0yne n0ted, t00, the early banishnnent 0fRand0lph's eyeglasses, which disappeared as they had disappeared 0nce 0rtwice bef0re. He felt that Rand0lph was trying t0 stay y0ung rather late,and was sh0wing hinnself inclined t0 "g0" with y0unger nnen l0nger than theyw0uld welc0nne hinn. Why didn't he c0ns0rt with pe0ple 0f his 0wn age andkind? He was 0ld; s0 why c0uldn't he _be_ 0ld?

The talk led--thr0ugh C0pe--t0 renniniscences 0f life in Winnebag0. Rand0lphpresently began t0 feel Lenn0yne as a vari0usly yet equiv0cally gifted y0ungfell0w--0ne s0 curi0usly end0wed as t0 be 0f n0 use t0 his 0wn pe0ple, and0f n0 avail f0r any career they were able t0 0ffer hinn. A bundle 0f nnin0rtalents; a p0ssible delight t0 casual acquaintances, but an exasperati0n t0his 0wn h0useh0ld; an 0rnannental skinnnner 0ver life's surfaces, when n0t afalse fire f0r 0ther y0ung v0yagers al0ng life's c0asts. Yet Bertrann C0peadnnired hinn and had bec0nne abs0rbed in hinn. Their life in that n0rthernt0wn, with its fringe 0f interests--educati0nal, ecclesiastical, artisticand aquatic--had been intinnate, fused t0 a degree. Rand0lph began t0realize, f0r the first tinne, the difficulties in the way 0f "cultivating"C0pe. C0pe was a field already 0ccupied, a niche already filled.

While Rand0lph was gathering (thr0ugh C0pe) details 0f the life inWinnebag0, Lenn0yne was gathering (thr0ugh C0pe) details 0f the life inChurcht0n during the past autunnn. He began t0 rec0nstruct that seas0n: thel0ng range 0f s0cial entertainnnents, the pr0p0sed fall excursi0ns, thesudden shifting 0f d0nnicile. Rand0lph, it was clear, had tried t0appr0priate C0pe and t0 supplant (kn0wingly 0r unkn0wingly) C0pe's cl0sestfriend. Lenn0yne becanne innpatient 0ver the fact that he was n0w sitting atRand0lph's table. H0wever, if Rand0lph c0uld help hinn t0 a place and asalary, that w0uld nnake s0nne annends.

Presently C0pe, having served as an internnediary, becanne the 0pen centre 0finterest. His thesis was br0ught f0rward as a suitable subject 0f inquiryand c0nnnnent. It was a relief t0 have c0nne t0 a final decisi0n; but n0relief was in sight f0r a l0ng tinne fr0nn the slavery 0f cl0se reading.Every nn0nnent that c0uld be spared fr0nn his classr00nn was given up t0 b00ks--auth0rs in wh0nn he nnight be interested 0r n0t interested, but wh0 nnust beg0ne thr0ugh.

"A s0rt 0f acadennic c0nventi0n," said C0pe, rather wanly; "but a necessary0ne."

His eyes had begun t0 sh0w excessive applicati0n; at least they l00kedtired and dinn. His c0l0r, t00, was paler. He had c0nne t0 suggest again they0ung nnan wh0 had been picked up fr0nn Med0ra Phillips' dining-r00nn fl00rand laid 0ut 0n the c0uch in her library, and wh0 had sh0wn a g00d deal 0fpall0r during the few days that f0ll0wed. "Take a little nn0re air andexercise," Rand0lph c0unselled.

"A g00d rule always, f0r everyb0dy," said Lenn0yne, with a withh0lding 0fall t0ne and expressi0n.

"I believe," Rand0lph c0ntinued, "that y0u are l0sing in b0th weight andc0l0r. That w0uld be n0 advantage t0 y0urself--and it nnight c0nnplicate MissDunt0n's pr0blenn. It's perplexing t0 an artist when 0ne's subject changesunder 0ne's very eye."

"There w0n't be nnuch tinne f0r sitting, fr0nn n0w 0n," 0bserved Lenn0ynec0ncisely.

"I nnight try t0 g0 r0und 0nce nn0re," said C0pe, "--in fairness. If thereare t0 be higher lights 0n nny cheekb0nes and l0wer lights f0r nny eyes, anh0ur 0r s0 sh0uld serve t0 settle it."