Wehadalsothereanotherlion，alioncub，entitledtoroaralittle，andofhimalsoImustsaysomething。CharlesO\'Brienwasayoungman，abouttwenty-fiveyearsofage，whohadsentoutfromhisstudiointheprecedingyearacertainbust，supposedbyhisadmirerstobeunsurpassedbyanyeffortofancientormoderngenius。Iamnojudgeofsculpture，andwillnot，therefore，pronounceanopinion；butmanywhoconsideredthemselvestobejudges，declaredthatitwasa\"goodishheadandshoulders，\"andnothingmore。Imerelymentionthefact，asitwasonthestrengthofthatheadandshouldersthatO\'BrienseparatedhimselffromathrongofotherssuchashimselfinRome，walkedsolitaryduringthedays，andthrewhimselfatthefeetofvariousladieswhenthedayswereover。Hehadriddenontheshouldersofhisbustintoaprominentplaceinourcircle，andthereencounteredmuchfeminineadmirationfromMrs。GeneralTalboysandothers。
SomeeighteenortwentyofususedtomeeteverySundayeveninginMrs。Mackinnon\'sdrawing-room。Manyofus，indeed，wereinthehabitofseeingeachotherdaily，andofvisitingtogetherthehauntsinRomewhicharebestlovedbyart-lovingstrangers；buthere，inthisdrawing-room，weweresuretocometogether，andherebeforetheendofNovember，Mrs。Talboysmightalwaysbefound，notinanyaccustomedseat，butmovingabouttheroomasthedifferentmalementalattractionsofoursocietymightchancetomovethemselves。ShewasatfirstgreatlytakenbyMackinnon，whoalsowas，Ithink，alittlestirredbyheradmiration，thoughhestoutlydeniedthecharge。Shebecame，however，verydeartousallbeforesheleftus，andcertainlyweowedtoherourlove，forsheaddedinfinitelytothejoysofourwinter。
\"Ihavecomeheretorefreshmyself，\"shesaidtoMackinnononeeveningtoMackinnonandmyself；forwewerestandingtogether。
\"ShallIgetyoutea？\"saidI。
\"Andwillyouhavesomethingtoeat？\"Mackinnonasked。
\"No，no，no；\"sheanswered。\"Tea，yes；butforHeaven\'ssakeletnothingsoliddispeltheassociationsofsuchameetingasthis！\"
\"Ithoughtyoumighthavedinedearly，\"saidMackinnon。NowMackinnonwasamanwhoseowndinnerwasverydeartohim。Ihaveseenhimbecomehastyandunpleasant，evenunderthepillarsoftheForum，whenhethoughtthatthepartywereplacinghisfishinjeopardybytheirdesiretolingertheretoolong。
\"Early！Yes。No；Iknownotwhenitwas。Onedinesandsleepsinobediencetothatdullclaywhichweighsdownsogenerallytheparticleofourspirit。Buttheclaymaysometimesbeforgotten。
HereIcanalwaysforgetit。\"
\"Ithoughtyouaskedforrefreshment，\"Isaid。Sheonlylookedatme，whosesmallattemptsatprosecompositionhad，uptothattime，beenaltogetherunsuccessful，andthenaddressedherselfinreplytoMackinnon。
\"Itistheairwhichwebreathethatfillsourlungsandgivesuslifeandlight。Itisthatwhichrefreshesusifpure，orsinksusintostagnationifitbefoul。Letmeforawhileinhalethebreathofaninvigoratingliterature。Sitdown，Mr。Mackinnon；IhaveaquestionthatImustputtoyou。\"Andthenshesucceededincarryinghimoffintoacorner。AsfarasIcouldseehewentwillinglyenoughatthattime，thoughhesoonbecameaversetoanylongretirementincompanywithMrs。Talboys。
Wenoneofusquiteunderstoodwhatwereherexactideasonthesubjectofrevealedreligion。Somebody，Ithink，hadtoldherthattherewereamongusoneortwowhoseopinionswerenotexactlyorthodoxaccordingtothedoctrinesoftheestablishedEnglishchurch。Ifso，shewasdeterminedtoshowusthatshealsowasadvancedbeyondtheprejudicesofanoldanddryschooloftheology。
\"Ihavethrowndownallthebarriersofreligion，\"shesaidtopoorMrs。Mackinnon，\"andamlookingforthesentimentsofapureChristianity。\"
\"Throwndownallthebarriersofreligion！\"saidMrs。Mackinnon，inatoneofhorrorwhichwasnotappreciated。
\"Indeed，yes，\"saidMrs。Talboys，withanexultingvoice。\"Arenotthedaysforsuchtrammelsgoneby？\"
\"ButyetyouholdbyChristianity？\"
\"ApureChristianity，unstainedbybloodandperjury，byhypocrisyandverbosegenuflection。CanInotworshipandsaymyprayersamongtheclouds？\"Andshepointedtotheloftyceilingandthehandsomechandelier。
\"ButIdagoestochurch，\"saidMrs。Mackinnon。IdaTalboyswasherdaughter。Now，itmaybeobserved，thatmanywhothrowdownthebarriersofreligion，sofarasthosebarriersmayaffectthemselves，stillmaintainthemonbehalfoftheirchildren。\"Yes，\"
saidMrs。Talboys；\"dearIda！hersoftspiritisnotyetadaptedtoreceivetheperfecttruth。Weareobligedtogovernchildrenbythestrengthoftheirprejudices。\"Andthenshemovedaway，foritwasseldomthatMrs。Talboysremainedlonginconversationwithanylady。
Mackinnon，Ibelieve，soonbecametiredofher。Helikedherflattery，andatfirstdeclaredthatshewascleverandnice；buthernicenesswastoopurelycelestialtosatisfyhismundanetastes。
Mackinnonhimselfcanrevelamongthecloudsinhisownwritings，andcanleaveussometimesindoubtwhetherheevermeanstocomebacktoearth；butwhenhisfootisonterrafirma，helovestofeeltheearthlysubstratumwhichsupportshisweight。Withwomenhelikesahandthatcanremainanunnecessarymomentwithinhisown，aneyethatcanglistenwiththesparkleofchampagne，aheartweakenoughtomakeitsowner\'sarmtremblewithinhisownbeneaththemoonlightgloomoftheColiseumarches。Adashofsentimentthewhilemakesallthesethingsthesweeter；butthesentimentalonewillnotsufficeforhim。Mrs。Talboysdid，Ibelieve，drinkherglassofchampagne，asdootherladies；butwithherithadnosuchpleasingeffect。Itloosenedonlyhertongue，butneverhereye。
Herarm，Ithink，nevertrembled，andherhandneverlingered。TheGeneralwasalwayssafe，andhappy，perhaps，inhissolitarysafety。
Itsohappenedthatwehadunfortunatelyamongustwoartistswhohadquarrelledwiththeirwives。O\'Brien，whomIhavebeforementioned，wasoneofthem。Inhiscase，Ibelievehimtohavebeenalmostasfreefromblameasamancanbewhosemarriagewasinitselfafault。However，hehadawifeinIrelandsometenyearsolderthanhimself；andthoughhemightsometimesalmostforgetthefact，hisfriendsandneighbourswerewellawareofit。Intheothercasethewholefaultprobablywaswiththehusband。Hewasanill-tempered，bad-heartedman，cleverenough，butwithoutprinciple；
andhewascontinuallyguiltyofthegreatsinofspeakingevilofthewomanwhosenameheshouldhavebeenanxioustoprotect。InbothcasesourfriendMrs。Talboystookawarminterest，andineachofthemshesympathisedwiththepresenthusbandagainsttheabsentwife。
OftheconsolationwhichsheofferedinthelatterinstanceweusedtohearsomethingfromMackinnon。Hewouldrepeattohiswife，andtomeandmywife，theconversationswhichshehadwithhim。\"PoorBrown；\"shewouldsay，\"Ipityhim，withmyveryheart\'sblood。\"
\"Youareawarethathehascomfortedhimselfinhisdesolation，\"
Mackinnonreplied。
\"Iknowverywelltowhatyouallude。IthinkImaysaythatIamconversantwithallthecircumstancesofthisheart-blightingsacrifice。\"Mrs。Talboyswasapttoboastofthethoroughconfidencereposedinherbyallthoseinwhomshetookaninterest。