IBSEN is angry that some Paul Pry Has "blown the gaff" on his _Evil Eye_. Personal prattle and egotist bounce, These great IBSEN may well denounce. Not to bewitch, but to swagger and spy, Is the basilisk task of _our_ "Evil I." * * * * * LYRE AND LANCET. (_A Story in Scenes._) PART XXII.--A DESCENT FROM THE CLOUDS. SCENE XXXII.--_In the Elizabethan Garden._ TIME--_About_ 11 A.M.; LADY MAISIE _and_ UNDERSHELL _are on a seat in the Yew Walk_. _Lady Maisie_ (_softly_). And you really meant to go away, and never let one of us know what had happened to you! _Undershell_ (_to himself_). How easy it is after all to be a hero! (_Aloud._) That certainly _was_ my intention, only I was--er--not permitted to carry it out. I trust you don't consider I should have been to blame? _Lady Maisie_ (_with shining eyes_). To _blame?_ Mr. BLAIR! As if I could possibly do that!! (_To herself._) He doesn't even see _how_ splendid it was of him! _Und._ (_to himself_). I begin to believe that I can do _no_ wrong in her eyes! (_Aloud._) It was not altogether easy, believe me, to leave without even having seen your face; but I felt so strongly that it was better so. _Lady Maisie_ (_looking down_). And--do you still feel that? _Und._ I must confess that I am well content to have failed. It was such unspeakable torture to think that you, Lady MAISIE, _you_ of all people, would derive your sole idea of my personality from such an irredeemable vulgarian as that veterinary surgeon--the man SPURRELL! _Lady Maisie_ (_to herself, with an almost imperceptible start_). I suppose it's only natural he should feel like that--but I wish--I _do_ wish he had put it just a little differently! (_Aloud._) Poor Mr. SPURRELL; perhaps he was not exactly---- _Und._ Not _exactly!_ I assure you, it is simply inconceivable to me that, in a circle of any pretensions to culture and refinement, an ill-bred boor like that could have been accepted for a single moment as--I won't say a Man of _Genius_, but---- _Lady Maisie_ (_the light dying out of her eyes_). No, _don't_--don't go on, Mr. BLAIR! We were all exceedingly stupid, no doubt, but you must make allowances for us--for _me_, especially. I have had so few opportunities of meeting people who are really distinguished--in literature, at least. Most of the people I know best are--well, not exactly _clever_, you know. I so often wish I was in a set that cared rather more about intellectual things! _Und._ (_with infinite pity_). How you must have pined for freer air! How you must have starved on such mental provender as, for example, the vapid and inane common-places of that swaggering carpet-soldier, Captain--THICKSET, isn't it? _Lady Maisie_ (_drawing back into her corner_). You evidently don't know that Captain THICKNESSE distinguished himself greatly in the Soudan, where he was very severely wounded.