WHATABOUTTHEFIVEPHILOSOPHERSSAIDHELEN,WITHALAUGH,STITCHINGFIRMLYANDSWIFTLYATHERCANVAS.IWISHYOUDDESCRIBETHEM.HIRSTHADNOPARTICULARWISHTODESCRIBETHEM,BUTWHENHEBEGANTOCONSIDERTHEMHEFOUNDHIMSELFSOOTHEDANDSTRENGTHENED.FARAWAYTOTHEOTHERSIDEOFTHEWORLDASTHEYWERE,INSMOKYROOMS,ANDGREYMEDIEVALCOURTS,THEYAPPEAREDREMARKABLEFIGURES,FREE-SPOKENMENWITHWHOMONECOULDBEATEASEINCOMPARABLYMORESUBTLEINEMOTIONTHANTHEPEOPLEHERE.THEYGAVEHIM,CERTAINLY,WHATNOWOMANCOULDGIVEHIM,NOTHELENEVEN.WARMINGATTHETHOUGHTOFTHEM,HEWENTONTOLAYHISCASEBEFOREMRS.AMBROSE.SHOULDHESTAYONATCAMBRIDGEORSHOULDHEGOTOTHEBARONEDAYHETHOUGHTONETHING,ANOTHERDAYANOTHER.HELENLISTENEDATTENTIVELY.ATLAST,WITHOUTANYPREFACE,SHEPRONOUNCEDHERDECISION.LEAVECAMBRIDGEANDGOTOTHEBAR,SHESAID.HEPRESSEDHERFORHERITHINKYOUDENJOYLONDONMORE,SHESAID.ITDIDNOTSEEMAVERYSUBTLEREASON,BUTSHEAPPEAREDTOTHINKITSUFFICIENT.SHELOOKEDATHIMAGAINSTTHEBACKGROUNDOFFLOWERINGMAGNOLIA.THEREWASSOMETHINGCURIOUSINTHESIGHT.PERHAPSITWASTHATTHEHEAVYWAX-LIKEFLOWERSWERESOSMOOTHANDINARTICULATE,ANDHISFACE--HEHADTHROWNHISHATAWAY,HISHAIRWASRUMPLED,HEHELDHISEYE-GLASSESINHISHAND,SOTHATAREDMARKAPPEAREDONEITHERSIDEOFHISNOSE--WASSOWORRIEDAND