“What has morality to do with art?” Gerald asked calmly. “Peter supports you because he is not an artist, but only a person of taste, who likes to listen to my playing. I _am_ an artist, and I know. You not being even a person of――I beg your pardon――you being a person of different tastes from Peter, and uninterested in art, naturally are at a disadvantage when you discuss it. I do not mean that rudely; I say it merely in self-defence. Is anyone coming down in the direction of the station?” He went out, but nobody offered to accompany him. CHAPTER XLVII Owen and I left shortly afterwards. He was very quiet as we walked home, but when we were in bed he said to me, “I’ve decided to go back to town to-morrow.” I heard the words with a thrill of mingled pleasure and misgiving. “To-morrow? Why?” I asked. “You must stay till the end of the week in any case.” Then something made me add, “Is it because I was rude to you this afternoon?” “No.” I thought for a little. “Has that nothing to do with it?” I persisted. “No; at least, not directly. I may as well be quite frank about it. I know you would rather I went; that is my reason. I ought to have seen it before, but I didn’t, though I had a kind of feeling several times that there was something wrong. It is partly your own fault that I didn’t guess sooner. You always mentioned Katherine as if you were quite indifferent to her; and that first day you seemed even to hesitate about going to speak to her. I remember now what you told me on the night of our party, but until to-day I never connected it with her.” “You think I’m jealous?” I said in a low voice. “I know you are, but I didn’t know it until this afternoon. Don’t imagine I’m offended or any silly rot of that kind. There is no reason why I should be. Of course I should have liked it better if you had told me openly――but――well, it doesn’t matter. I don’t understand your feeling, but that doesn’t matter, either; if you have it, it is enough. I like Katherine, I like her very much, but, after all, it is you who are my friend.” “She won’t want you to go,” I said miserably. At that moment I certainly preferred Owen to Katherine. “She won’t mind very much, and I really can’t knock about with her brother. I hate the very sight of him.” “Couldn’t we knock about by ourselves?” “I’m afraid it would hardly do to drop them now.” There was a silence. “Owen?” “Yes.” “I don’t know what to do.” “About what?” “About anything. About your going away. About Katherine.” “But when I’m away won’t it be all right?” “No; it will be all wrong. I’ve been beastly to you as it is. And she doesn’t like me――I mean she only likes me middling――not even as much as she did――she told me so, this evening.” “But you will have plenty of time to make it up.” “It isn’t that――it isn’t that we’ve quarrelled. And the other――it is no use――it only irritates me. I wish I could explain. Things――things come into my mind.” Owen was silent.