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〃I can't do the work I want to do with this。〃
〃ButIsn't it you' idea？〃
〃No。 It is not in the least my idea。 I want to tell the whole world of the one God that can alone unite it and save itand you make this extravagant toy。〃
He felt as if he had struck her directly he uttered that last word。
〃Toy！〃 she echoed； taking it in； 〃you call it a Toy！〃
A note in her voice reminded him that there were two people who might feel strongly in this affair。
〃My dear Lady Sunderbund；〃 he said with a sudden change of manner； 〃I must needs follow the light of my own mind。 I have had a vision of God； I have seen him as a great leader towering over the little lives of men； demanding the little lives of men； prepared to take them and guide them to the salvation of mankind and the conquest of pain and death。 I have seen him as the God of the human affair； a God of politics； a God of such muddy and bloody wars as this war； a God of economics； a God of railway junctions and clinics and factories and evening schools； a God in fact of men。 This Godthis God here； that you want to worship； is a God of artists and poetsof elegant poets； a God of bric…a…brac； a God of choice allusions。 Oh； it has its grandeur！ I don't want you to think that what you are doing may not be altogether fine and right for you to do。 But it is not what I have to do。。。。 I cannotindeed I cannotgo on with this projectupon these lines。〃
He paused； flushed and breathless。 Lady Sunderbund had heard him to the end。 Her bright face was brightly flushed； and there were tears in her eyes。 It was like her that they should seem tears of the largest； most expensive sort； tears of the first water。
〃But；〃 she cried； and her red delicate mouth went awry with dismay and disappointment； and her expression was the half incredulous expression of a child suddenly and cruelly disappointed： 〃You won't go on with all this？〃
〃No；〃 he said。 〃My dear Lady Sunderbund〃
〃Oh！ don't Lady Sunderbund me！〃 she cried with a novel rudeness。 〃Don't you see I've done it all for you？〃
He winced and felt boorish。 He had never liked and disapproved of Lady Sunderbund so much as he did at that moment。 And he had no words for her。
〃How can I stop it all at once like this？〃
And still he had no answer。
She pursued her advantage。 〃What am I to do？〃 she cried。
She turned upon him passionately。 〃Look what you've done！〃 She marked her points with finger upheld； and gave odd suggestions in her face of an angry coster girl。 〃Eva' since I met you； I've wo'shipped you。 I've been 'eady to follow you anywhe'to do anything。 Eva' since that night when you sat so calm and dignified； and they baited you and wo'id you。 When they we' all vain and cleva； and youyou thought only of God and 'iligion and didn't mind fo' you'self。。。。 Up to thenI'd been living oh！ the emptiest life。。。〃
The tears ran。 〃Pe'haps I shall live it again。。。。〃 She dashed her grief away with a hand beringed with stones as big as beetles。
〃I said to myself； this man knows something I don't know。 He's got the seeds of ete'nal life su'ely。 I made up my mind then and the' I'd follow you and back you and do all I could fo' you。 I've lived fo' you。 Eve' since。 Lived fo' you。 And now when all my little plans are 'ipe； you！ Oh！〃
She made a quaint little gesture with pink fists upraised； and then stood with her hand held up； staring at the plans and drawings that were littered over the inlaid table。 〃I've planned and planned。 I said； I will build him a temple。 I will be his temple se'vant。。。。 Just a me' se'vant。。。。〃
She could not go on。
〃But it is just these temples that have confused mankind；〃 he said。
〃Not my temple；〃 she said presently； now openly weeping over the gay rejected drawings。 〃You could have explained。。。。〃
〃Oh！〃 she said petulantly； and thrust them away from her so that they went sliding one after the other on to the floor。 For some long…drawn moments there was no sound in the room but the slowly accelerated slide and flop of one sheet of cartridge paper after another。
〃We could have been so happy；〃 she wailed； 〃se'ving oua God。〃
And then this disconcerting lady did a still more disconcerting thing。 She staggered a step towards Scrape； seized the lapels of his coat； bowed her head upon his shoulder； put her black hair against his cheek； and began sobbing and weeping。
〃My dear lady！ 〃 he expostulated； trying weakly to disengage her。
〃Let me k'y；〃 she insisted； gripping more resolutely； and following his backward pace。 〃You must let me k'y。 You must let me k'y。〃
His resistance ceased。 One hand supported her； the other patted her shining hair。 〃My dear child！〃 he said。 〃My dear child！ I had no idea。 That you would take it like this。。。。〃
（7）
That was but the opening of an enormous interview。 Presently he had contrived in a helpful and sympathetic manner to seat the unhappy lady on a sofa； and when after some cramped discourse she stood up before him； wiping her eyes with a wet wonder of lace； to deliver herself the better； a newborn appreciation of the tactics of the situation made him walk to the other side of the table under colour of picking up a drawing。
In the retrospect he tried to disentangle the threads of a discussion that went to and fro and contradicted itself and began again far back among things that had seemed forgotten and disposed of。 Lady Sunderbund's mind was extravagantly untrained； a wild…grown mental thicket。 At times she reproached him as if he were a heartless God； at times she talked as if he were a recalcitrant servant。 Her mingling of utter devotion and the completest disregard for his thoughts and wishes dazzled and distressed his mind。 It was clear that for half a year her clear； bold； absurd will had been crystallized upon the idea of giving him exactly what she wanted him to want。 The crystal sphere of those ambitions lay now shattered between them。
She was trying to reconstruct it before his eyes。
She was； she declared； prepared to alter her plans in any way that would meet his wishes。 She had not understood。 〃If it is a Toy；〃 she cried； 〃show me how to make it not a Toy！ Make it 'eal！〃
He said it was the bare idea of a temple that made it impossible。 And there was this drawing here； what did it mean？ He held it out to her。 It represented a figure； distressingly like himself； robed as a priest in vestments。
She snatched the offending drawing from him and tore it to shreds。
〃If you don't want a Temple； have a meeting…house。 You wanted a meeting…house anyhow。〃
〃Just any old meeting…house；〃 he said。 〃Not that special one。 A place without choirs and clergy。〃
〃If you won't have music；〃 she responded； 〃don't have music。 If God doesn't want music it can go。 I can't think God does not app'ove of music； butthat is for you to settle。 If you don't like the' being o'naments； we'll make it all plain。 Some g'ate g'ey Domeall g'ey and black。 If it isn't to be beautiful； it can be ugly。 Yes； ugly。 It can be as ugly 〃she sobbed〃 as the City Temple。 We will get some otha a'chitectsome City a'chitect。 Some man who has built B'anch Banks or 'ailway stations。 That's if you think it pleases God。。。。 B'eak young Venable's hea't。。。。 Only why should you not