How strange it seems that she who lives in the depths of the country should have written a story of the East End!" "That is always so," said the author of _Unashamed_, in a sonorous voice.

"The novel has of late been dwarfed to the scope of the young English girl"-- he pronounced it gurl--"who writes from her imagination and not from her experience.

What true art requires of us is a faithful rendering of a great experience." He looked round, as if challenging the world to say that _Unashamed_ was not a lurid personal reminiscence.
Sybell was charmed.

She felt that none of her previous dinner-parties had reached such a high level as this one.
"A faithful rendering of a great experience," she repeated.

"How I wish Hester were here to hear that.