Nevertheless, Cosimo was not altogether unaffected. Even to his accustomed ear it was rather stupendous, and, if he hadn't been again uneasily wondering whether he dared risk having Britomart down when Amory should return to the former subject again, might have been more stupendous still. He resumed his walk along the saddlebag chairs, and, when at last he did speak, did not mar a high occasion with too much vulgar demonstrativeness. "That's an idea," he said simply. "You see, Mr. Chamberlain went to South Africa," Amory replied, as simply. "Yes," said Cosimo thoughtfully.... "It's certainly an idea." "And you know how people have been getting at the 'Novum' lately, and even suggesting that Prang was merely a pen-name for Wilkinson himself." "Yes, yes." "Well, if you went, for six months, say, or even three, nobody'd be able to say after that that you didn't know all about it." "No," Cosimo replied. "The stupid people go. Why not the people with eyes and minds?" "Exactly," said Cosimo, resuming his walk. Then, as if he had been a mere you or a simple me, the beauty of the idea did begin to work a little in him. He walked for a space longer, and then, turning, said almost with joy, "I say, Amory--would you _like_ to go?" But Amory did not look up from the slippered foot she had again begun to warm.--"Oh, I shouldn't go," she said absently. "You mean me to go by myself?" said Cosimo, the joy vanishing again. Then it was that Amory returned to the temporarily relinquished subject again. "Well ...," she said, with a return of the quiet and wan but brave smile, "... I've nothing to do with that. I shouldn't set detectives to watch you. I was speaking for the moment purely from the point of view of the 'Novum's' policy.--But I see what you mean." But Cosimo didn't mean that at all. He interposed eagerly, anxiously. "You _do_ jump to conclusions!"--he began. "My _dear_ Cosimo," she put up her hand, "I'm doing nothing of the kind. As I said, the other isn't my affair. Oh, I do wish you'd believe that I was perfectly calm about it! As Emerson said, soul ought to speak to soul from the top of Olympus or something, and, except that I want you to be happy, it's a matter of indifference to me who you go with. Do try to see that, Cosimo. Let's try to behave like civilized beings. We agreed long ago that sex was only a matter of accident. Don't let's make it so hatefully pivotal. After all, what practical difference would it make?" But this was too much for Cosimo. He must have Britomart down and take his chance, that was all. At the worst, he did not see how Amory could be so unreasonable that a hand-pat or a hair-stroke or two could not be put before her in the proper light. Unfortunately, the trouble was, not that she made a fuss, but that she made so little fuss.... Again he moved towards the door.