Textbook Advances in Computing and Data Sciences Second International Conference Icacds 2018 Dehradun India April 20 21 2018 Revised Selected Papers Part I Mayank Singh Ebook All Chapter PDF
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Advances in
Computing
and Data Sciences
Second International Conference, ICACDS 2018
Dehradun, India, April 20–21, 2018
Revised Selected Papers, Part I
123
Communications
in Computer and Information Science 905
Commenced Publication in 2007
Founding and Former Series Editors:
Phoebe Chen, Alfredo Cuzzocrea, Xiaoyong Du, Orhun Kara, Ting Liu,
Dominik Ślęzak, and Xiaokang Yang
Editorial Board
Simone Diniz Junqueira Barbosa
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio),
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Joaquim Filipe
Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal
Igor Kotenko
St. Petersburg Institute for Informatics and Automation of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
Krishna M. Sivalingam
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
Takashi Washio
Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
Junsong Yuan
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
Lizhu Zhou
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/7899
Mayank Singh P. K. Gupta
•
Advances in
Computing
and Data Sciences
Second International Conference, ICACDS 2018
Dehradun, India, April 20–21, 2018
Revised Selected Papers, Part I
123
Editors
Mayank Singh Jan Flusser
University of KwaZulu-Natal Institute of Information Theory
Durban, South Africa and Automation
Prague 8, Czech Republic
P. K. Gupta
Jaypee University of Information Tuncer Ören
Technology University of Ottawa
Solan, India Ottawa, Canada
Vipin Tyagi
Jaypee University of Engineering
and Technology
Guna, Madhya Pradesh, India
This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721,
Singapore
Preface
Computing techniques like big data, cloud computing, machine learning, Internet of
Things etc. are playing a key role in processing of data and retrieving of advanced
information. Several state-of-art techniques and computing paradigms have been pro-
posed based on these techniques. This volume contains the papers presented at the
Second International Conference on Advances in Computing and Data Sciences
(ICACDS 2018) held during April 20–21, 2018, at the Uttaranchal Institute of Tech-
nology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. The conference was
organized specifically to help bring together researchers, academics, scientists, and
industry and to derive benefits from the advances of the next generation of computing
technologies in the areas of advanced computing and data sciences (ACDS).
The Program Committee of ICACDS 2018 is extremely grateful to the authors who
showed an overwhelming response to the call for papers, with over 598 papers being
submitted in two tracks in “Advanced Computing” and “Data Sciences.” All submitted
papers went through a peer review process and, finally, 110 papers were accepted for
publication in two volumes of Springer’s CCIS series. The first volume is devoted to
advanced computing and the second deals with data sciences. We are very grateful to
our reviewers for their efforts in finalizing the high-quality papers.
The conference featured many distinguished personalities like Prof. Ling Tok
Wang, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Prof. Viranjay M. Srivastava,
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; Prof. Parteek Bhatia, Thapar
Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, India; Prof. S. K. Mishra, Majmaah
University, Saudi Arabia; Prof. Arun Sharma, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical
University for Women, India; Dr. Anup Girdhar, CEO and Founder, Sedulity Solutions
and Technology, India, among many others. We are very grateful for the participation
of these speakers in making this conference a memorable event.
The Organizing Committee of ICACDS 2018 is indebted to Sh. Jitendra Joshi,
Chancellor Uttaranchal University, and Dr. N. K. Joshi, Vice Chancellor, Uttaranchal
University for the confidence that they have invested in us for organizing this inter-
national conference, and all faculty members and staff of UIT, Uttaranchal University,
Dehradun, for their support in organizing the conference and making it a grand success.
We would also like to thank the authors of all submitted papers for their hard work,
adherence to the deadlines, and patience with the review process. Our sincere thanks to
CSI, CSI SIG on Cyber Forensics, Consilio Intelligence Research Lab, and LWT India
for sponsoring the event.
Steering Committee
Chief Patron
Jitender Joshi Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
(Chancellor)
Patron
N. K. Joshi (Vice Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Chancellor)
Honorary Chair
Arun Sharma Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women,
Delhi, India
General Chair
Mayank Singh University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Program Chairs
Shailendra Mishra Majmaah University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Viranjay M. Srivastava University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Convener
Pradeep Kumar Gupta Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan, India
Co-convener
Vipin Tyagi Jaypee University of Engineering and Technology, Guna,
India
Conference Chairs
Manoj Diwakar Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Sandhaya Tarar Gautham Buddha University, Greater Noida, India
Conference Co-chairs
Anand Sharma Mody University of Science and Technology, Sikar, India
Vibhash Yadav Rajkiya Engeering College, Banda, India
Purnendu S. Pandey THDC Institute of Hydropower Engineering
and Technology, Tehri, India
D. K. Chauhan Noida International University, Greater Noida, India
Organizing Chairs
Devendra Singh Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Amit Kumar Sharma Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Sumita Lamba Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Niranjan Lal Verma Mody University of Science and Technology, Sikar, India
Organizing Secretariat
Kapil Joshi Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Punit Sharma Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Vipin Dewal Krishna Engineering College, Ghaziabad, India
Krista Chaudhary Krishna Engineering College, Ghaziabad, India
Umang Kant Krishna Engineering College, Ghaziabad, India
Finance Chair
Tarun Kumar Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Creative Head
Deepak Singh MadeEasy Education, Delhi, India
Organizing Committee
Registration
Ugra Mohan Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Vivek John Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Meenakshi Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Vinay Negi Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Publication
Sumita Lamba Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Prashant Chaudhary Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Organization IX
Cultural
Shivani Pandey Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Rubi Pant Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Transportation
Pankaj Punia Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Arvind Singh Rawat Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Avneesh Kumar Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Hospitality
Sonam Rai Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Shruti Sharma Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Nitin Duklan Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Stage Management
Punit Sharma Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Arti Rana Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Musheer Vaqar Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Technical Session
Mudit Baurai Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Manish Singh Bisht Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Sunil Ghildiyal Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Ravi Batra Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Finance
Sanjeev Sharma Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Amit Kumar Pal Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Sudhir Jugran Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Food
Sourabh Agarwal Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Arpit Verma Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Ankur Jaiswal Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Gaurav Singh Negi Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Advertising
Kapil Joshi Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Himanshu Gupta Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Ravi Dhaundiyal Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
X Organization
Editorial
Parichay Durga Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Nishi Chachra Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
Technical Sponsorship
Financial Sponsorship
Bounded Paths for LCR Queries in Labeled Weighted Directed Graphs . . . . . 124
B. Bhargavi and K. Swarupa Rani
The Impact of Picture Splicing Operation for Picture Forgery Detection. . . . . 290
Rachna Mehta and Navneet Agrawal
Novel Technique for the Test Case Prioritization in Regression Testing . . . . . 362
Mampi Kerani and Sharmila
XIV Contents – Part I
FDSS: Fuzzy Based Decision Support System for Aspect Based Sentiment
Analysis in Big Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
A. Jenifer Jothi Mary and L. Arockiam
Load Adaptive and Priority Based MAC Protocol for Body Sensors
and Consumer Electronic (CE) Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Deepshikha and Siddhartha Chauhan
J-PAKE and ECC Based Authentication Protocol for Smart Grid Network . . . 507
Aarti Agarkar and Himanshu Agrawal
1 Introduction
Generally, captured medical images are low-contrast and noisy in nature. Thus, contrast
enhancement is an inevitable step in certain medical image modality. Many algorithms
are developed to enhance low-contrast medical images from different modality [7–10].
Among them, Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) has a
noticeable role [11].
A fundus image is a photograph of the interior surface of the eye captured using a
fundus camera with specialized low power microscope. The fundus image covers the
retina, optic disc, retinal vasculature, macula and posterior pole [12]. The specialty of
eye fundus is that one can observe microcirculation directly. Fundus images of the
diabetic retinopathy patients may contain haemorrhages, exudates, cotton wool spots,
blood vessel abnormalities (tortuosity, pulsation and new vessels) and pigmentation
[13]. But, the major barrier of ophthalmoscopy is the low contrast of fundus images
which decreases the visibility of medical signs of retinopathy. Hence, enhancement of
low contrast fundus image has a key role in ophthalmoscopy.
Now a day, many researchers are working on the enhancement of low contrast fundus
images. As fundus images are color images, enhancement can be performed on any color
model. Generally, enhancements are done on value (V) component of HSV color model
and green channel of RGB color model [6, 14]. In [14], the authors have proposed an
enhancement scheme for fundus images using CLAHE algorithm. They suggested that
CLAHE algorithm on green channel of RGB color model outperforms the enhancement
results obtained by performing CLAHE on V component of HSV color model.
In this paper, two stage fundus image enhancement schemes are proposed. FHBE
and CLAHE algorithms are selected for the two stages of enhancement. The enhanced
results using the two stage enhancement schemes give better performance than indi‐
vidual enhancement results based on visual quality.
The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 gives a description of FHBE followed
by CLAHE in Sect. 3. The proposed two stage enhancement schemes are discussed in
Sect. 4. Experimental results and discussions are given in Sect. 5.
A Fuzzy logic and Histogram Based Enhancement (FHBE) scheme was developed in
[6] to enhance low contrast and low bright natural color images. In this scheme, the
original low contrast image is initially converted from RGB color space to HSV color
space and computations are performed only on the V component of image thereby
maintaining the chromatic information (hue and saturation) in the image [6].
The basic methodology of FHBE scheme is to stretch the V component of an image
based on its average intensity, M, and stretching parameter, K. M is computed from the
histogram of image using Eq. 1.
∑
x x ∗ H(x)
M= ∑ (1)
x H(x)
Two Stage Histogram Enhancement Schemes 3
where x is the intensity value, 0 ≤ x ≤ 255 and H(x) is the number of pixels in the V
component of image with intensity value x.
Intensity stretching is the key operation of FHBE. Stretching is performed inde‐
pendently on two classes, C1 and C2 where C1 and C2 contains intensity values in the
range [0 – (M − 1)] and [M – 255] respectively. The stretching is controlled by the
stretching parameter, K, using the membership given to each intensity value of an image.
For intensity values in class C1, a fuzzy membership function is defined such that if the
current intensity value, x, is close to M, then membership is high and vice-versa. For
class C2, the degree of membership depends on how far x is from the extreme value of
intensity, E, in which the membership value for x is directly proportional to its distance
from E.
Let μ1 and μ2 denote memberships of intensity values in class C1 and C2 respectively.
M−x
𝜇1 (x) = 1 − (2)
M
E−x
𝜇2 (x) = (3)
E−M
where x ∈ C1 in Eq. 2 and x ∈ C2 in Eq. 3 respectively.
The stretching parameter, K, is a constant which behaves differently for classes C1
and C2 when combined with respective membership values. For class C1, the stretching
limit for intensity value x is [0 − K] based on 𝜇1 (x) and for class C2, the stretching limit
is [(E–K) − E] based on 𝜇2 (x).
Once membership values are obtained, the enhancement operation is carried out inde‐
pendently on classes C1 and C2. For class C1, the enhanced intensity, x′ is obtained as
x′ = x + 𝜇1 (x) ∗ K (4)
The final enhanced image using FHBE is obtained by converting the image from
HSV to RGB color model.
where
RxC
avgheight = (7)
L
In Eq. 7, R x C indicates the size of contextual region and L indicates the maximum
possible gray level of the image. The user defined contrast factor, γ, controls the degree
of cliplimit. It is in the range 0 < 𝛾 < 1 [11].
Once clipping is performed on each contextual region’s histogram, histogram spec‐
ification is carried out to transform each clipped histogram to a specified distribution.
The distributions can be either uniform, Rayleigh or exponential. It can be fixed based
on the type of input image. Finally, the enhanced histograms of contextual regions are
combined using bilinear interpolation to obtain histogram of CLAHE enhanced image.
Even though majority of medical images are in gray scale, fundus images obtained using
fundus camera are in color format where each color component might represent distin‐
guishing features in the interior surface of eye. It is difficult for the physicians to analyze
hemorrhages, exudates, cotton wool spots, blood vessel abnormalities, etc. from the
captured fundus images due to its low contrast nature. Hence, enhancing low contrast
fundus images is an efficient way to help the physicians for ophthalmoscopy.
FHBE and CLAHE are two contrast enhancement schemes which work in different
manner. In the former scheme, stretching is carried out on the entire image’s histogram
[6] whereas in the latter one, histogram specification is performed on tiles rather than
the entire image [11]. FHBE is well suited for enhancing low contrast and low bright
natural color images. CLAHE, on the other hand is used to enhance low contrast medical
images. In this work, FHBE and CLAHE are selected for the design of a cascaded system
for enhancing low contrast fundus images. The input image is first subjected to enhance‐
ment using Method I and the enhanced image is given as input to Method II. If FHBE
Two Stage Histogram Enhancement Schemes 5
is chosen as Method I, then CLAHE becomes Method II and vice-versa. The output of
Method II is taken as the final enhanced image.
⎧ 2x + y
⎪ ifdx ≥ dy
z = ⎨ x +3 2y (8)
⎪ ifdy > dx
⎩ 3
6 F. F. Wahid et al.
Experiments are carried out with fundus images obtained from Standard Diabetic Retin‐
opathy database (DIARETDB) [18, 19]. It consists of two public databases namely
DIARETDB0 [18] and DIARETDB1 [19] for diabetic retinopathy detection from
fundus images. DIARETDB0 fundus images are captured with 50o field of view digital
fundus camera and it consists of 130 color fundus images which include 20 normal
images and 110 with signs of retinopathy. This data set is also known as calibration level
0 fundus images [18]. On the other hand, DIARETDB1 consists of 89 color fundus
images of which 84 contains signs of retinopathy and is also known as calibration level
1 fundus images [19].
For the implementation of FHBE enhancement scheme, the stretching parameter K
is fixed to 128 for class C1 [6] and for class C2, K value is modified to 64. As far as
CLAHE enhancement scheme is considered, the number of tiles is fixed to 8 × 8, the
user defined contrast factor, γ, is set to 0.03 and exponential distribution is selected for
histogram specification. The images are converted to HSV color model as in [6] prior
to the FHBE algorithm and enhancement is carried out on V component. CLAHE algo‐
rithm is applied on RGB color model and green channel is selected for enhancement
process [11].
The results obtained using individual enhancement schemes (FHBE and CLAHE)
and proposed two stage enhancement schemes (FHBE-CLAHE and CLAHE-FHBE) on
randomly selected set of fundus images from DIARETDB are given in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and
5. Enlarged portion of blood vessels from one of the enhanced fundus image is depicted
in Fig. 6. The result obtained by applying fusion rule on the V component of individual
enhanced images is given in Fig. 7.
Fig. 2. Enhancement results of image019 from DIARETDB0: (a) Original Image (b) FHBE
(c) CLAHE (d) CLAHE-FHBE (e) FHBE-CLAHE
Two Stage Histogram Enhancement Schemes 7
Fig. 3. Enhancement results of image029 from DIARETDB0: (a) Original Image (b) FHBE
(c) CLAHE (d) CLAHE-FHBE (e) FHBE-CLAHE
Fig. 4. Enhancement results of image077 from DIARETDB0: (a) Original Image (b) FHBE
(c) CLAHE (d) CLAHE-FHBE (e) FHBE-CLAHE
8 F. F. Wahid et al.
Fig. 5. Enhancement results of image007 from DIARETDB1: (a) Original Image (b) FHBE
(c) CLAHE (d) CLAHE-FHBE (e) FHBE-CLAHE
Fig. 6. Enlarged portion of blood vessels from the enhanced results of image007 from
DIARETDB1: (a) Original Image (b) FHBE (c) CLAHE (d) CLAHE-FHBE (e) FHBE-CLAHE
Two Stage Histogram Enhancement Schemes 9
Fig. 7. Enhancement results of image007 from DIARETDB0: (a) Original Image (b) CLAHE
(c) FHBE (d) Fusion of CLAHE and FHBE
6 Conclusion
CLAHE and FHBE are two independent enhancement algorithms, the former widely
used in medical image enhancement and the latter in enhancing low contrast and low
bright natural color images. In this work, CLAHE and FHBE are cascaded to enhance
fundus images. Also, a fusion rule is applied on the V component of enhanced fundus
images obtained by applying CLAHE and FHBE algorithms independently in HSV color
model. The results of the experiments carried out with a set of images shows that the
proposed cascaded schemes gives better results compared to individual algorithms and
FHBE-CLAHE outperforms CLAHE in terms of visual quality. Also, fusion of both the
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Then Dode, his mother and sister began most unconcernedly to
speculate as to what if anything was next to be done with the old
farmer, the while the latter rolled a vacant eye over a scene he was
no longer able to interpret.
X
MARRIAGE—FOR ONE
H EARING the maid tap lightly on her door for the third or fourth
time, Ulrica uttered a semiconscious “Come.” It was her usual
rising hour but to-day she was more depressed than usual, although
the condition was common enough at all times. The heavy drag of a
troubled mental state was upon her. Was it never to end? Was she
never to be happy again? After several weeks of a decidedly
acceptable loneliness, during which Harry had been in the west
looking after his interminable interests, he was about to return. The
weariness of that, to begin with! And while she could not say that she
really hated or even disliked him deeply (he was too kind and
considerate for that), still his existence, his able and different
personality, constantly forced or persuaded upon her, had come to
be a bore. The trouble was that she did not truly love him and never
could. He might be, as he was, rich, resourceful and generous to a
fault in her case, a man whom the world of commerce respected, but
how did that avail her? He was not her kind of man. Vivian before
him had proved that. And other men had been and would be as glad
to do as much if not more.
Vivian had given all of himself in a different way. Only Harry’s
seeking, begging eyes pleading with her (after Vivian’s death and
when she was so depressed) had preyed upon and finally moved her
to sympathy. Life had not mattered then, (only her mother and
sister), and she had become too weary to pursue any career, even
for them. So Harry with his wealth and anxiety to do for her—
(The maid entered softly, drew back the curtains and
raised the blinds, letting in a flood of sunshine, then
proceeded to arrange the bath.)
It had been, of course, because of the magic of her beauty—how
well she knew the magic of that!—plus an understanding and
sympathy she had for the miseries Harry had endured in his youth,
that had caused him to pursue her with all the pathetic vehemence of
a man of fifty. He was not at all like Vivian, who had been shy and
retiring. Life had seemed to frighten poor Vivian and drive him in
upon himself in an uncomplaining and dignified way. In Harry’s case
it had acted contrariwise. Some men were so, especially the old and
rich, those from whom life was slipping away and for whom youth,
their lost youth, seemed to remain a colored and enthralling
spectacle however wholly gone. The gifts he had lavished upon her,
the cars, the jewels, this apartment, stocks and bonds, even that
house in Seadale for her sister and mother! And all because of a
beauty that meant so little to her now that Vivian was gone, and in
the face of an indifference so marked that it might well have wearied
any man.
How could she go on? (She paused in her thoughts to survey and
follow her maid, who was calling for the second time.) Though he
hung upon her least word or wish and was content to see her at her
pleasure, to run her errands and be ever deferential and worshipful,
still she could not like him, could barely tolerate him. Before her
always now was Vivian with his brooding eyes and elusive, sensitive
smile; Vivian, who had never a penny to bless himself with. She
could see him now striding to and fro in his bare studio, a brush in
one hand, or sitting in his crippled chair meditating before a picture
or talking to her of ways and means which might be employed to
better their state. The pathos!
“I cannot endure that perfume, Olga!”
In part she could understand her acceptance of Harry after Vivian
(only it did not seem understandable always, even to her), for in her
extreme youth her parents had been so very poor. Perhaps because
of her longings and childish fears in those days she had been
marked in some strange way that had eventually led her to the
conviction that wealth was so essential. For her parents were
certainly harassed from her sixth to her thirteenth years, when they
recovered themselves in part. Some bank or concern had failed and
they had been thrown on inadequate resources and made to shift
along in strange ways. She could remember an old brick house with
a funereal air and a weedy garden into which they had moved and
where for a long time they were almost without food. Her mother had
cried more than once as she sat by the open window looking
desolately out, while Ulrica, not quite comprehending what it was all
about, had stared at her from an adjacent corner.
“Will madame have the iris or the Japanese lilac in the
water?”
She recalled going downtown once on an errand and slipping
along shyly because her clothes were not good. And when she saw
some schoolgirls approaching, hid behind a tree so they should not
see her. Another time, passing the Pilkington at dinner-time, the
windows being open and the diners visible, she had wondered what
great persons they must be to be able to bask in so great a world. It
was then perhaps that she had developed the obsession for wealth
which had led to this. If only she could have seen herself as she now
was she would not have longed so. (She paused, looking gloomily
back into the past.) And then had come the recovery of her father in
some way or other. He had managed to get an interest in a small
stove factory and they were no longer so poor—but that was after
her youth had been spoiled, her mind marked in this way.
And to crown it all, at seventeen had come Byram the inefficient.
And because he was “cute” and had a suggestion of a lisp; was of
good family and really insane over her, as nearly every youth was
once she had turned fourteen, she had married him, against her
parents’ wishes, running away with him and lying about her age, as
did he about his. And then had come trying times. Byram was no
money-maker, as she might have known. He was inexperienced, and
being in disfavor with his parents for ignoring them in his hasty
choice of a wife, he was left to his own devices. For two whole years
what had she not endured—petty wants which she had concealed
from her mother, furniture bought on time and dunned for, collectors
with whom she had to plead not to take the stove or the lamp or the
parlor table, and grocery stores and laundries and meat-markets
which had to be avoided because of unpaid bills. There had even
been an ejectment for non-payment of rent, and job after job lost for
one reason and another, until the whole experiment had been
discolored and made impossible even after comfort had been
restored.
“I cannot endure the cries of the children, Olga. You will
have to close that window.”
No; Byram was no money-maker, not even after his parents in far-
distant St. Paul had begun to help him to do better. And anyhow by
then, because she had had time to sense how weak he was, what a
child, she was weary of him, although he was not entirely to blame. It
was life. And besides, during all that time there had been the most
urgent pursuit of her by other men, men of the world and of means,
who had tried to influence her with the thought of how easily her life
could be made more agreeable. Why remain faithful to so young and
poor a man when so much could be done for her. But she had
refused. Despite Byram’s lacks she had small interest in them,
although their money and skill had succeeded in debasing Byram in
her young and untrained imagination, making him seem even
weaker and more ridiculous than he was. But that was all so long
ago now and Vivian had proved so much more important in her life.
While even now she was sorry for Harry and for Byram she could
only think of Vivian, who was irretrievably gone. Byram was
successful now and out of her life, but maybe if life had not been so
unkind and they so foolish——
“You may have Henry serve breakfast and call the car!”
And then after Byram had come Newton, big, successful,
important, a quondam employer of Byram, who had met her on the
street one day when she was looking for work, just when she had
begun to sense how inefficient Byram really was, and he had proved
kind without becoming obnoxious or demanding. While declaring,
and actually proving, that he wished nothing more of her than her
good-will, he had aided her with work, an opportunity to make her
own way. All men were not selfish. He had been the vice-president of
the Dickerson Company and had made a place for her in his office,
saying that what she did not know he would teach her since he
needed a little sunshine there. And all the while her interest in Byram
was waning, so much so that she had persuaded him to seek work
elsewhere so that she might be rid of him, and then she had gone
home to live with her mother. And Newton would have married her if
she had cared, but so grieved was she by the outcome of her first
love and marriage that she would not.
“The sedan, yes. And I will take my furs.”
And then, living with her mother and making her own way, she had
been sought by others. But there had been taking root and growing
in her an ideal which somehow in the course of time had completely
mastered her and would not even let her think of anything else, save
in moments of loneliness and the natural human yearning for life.
This somehow concerned some one man, not any one she knew, not
any one she was sure she would ever meet, but one so wonderful
and ideal that for her there could be no other like him. He was not to
be as young or unsophisticated as Byram, nor as old and practical
as Newton, though possibly as able (though somehow this did not
matter), but wise and delicate, a spirit-mate, some such wondrous
thing as a great musician or artist might be, yet to whom in spite of
his greatness she was to be all in all. She could not have told herself
then how she was to have appealed to him, unless somehow surely,
because of her great desire for him, her beauty and his
understanding of her need. He was to have a fineness of mind and
body, a breadth, a grasp, a tenderness of soul such as she had not
seen except in pictures and dreams. And such as would need her.
“To Thorne and Company’s first, Fred.”
Somewhere she had seen pictures of Lord Byron, of Shelley, Liszt
and Keats, and her soul had yearned over each, the beauty of their
faces, the record of their dreams and seekings, their something
above the common seeking and clayiness (she understood that
now). They were of a world so far above hers. But before Vivian
appeared, how long a journey! Life had never been in any hurry for
her. She had gone on working and seeking and dreaming, the while
other men had come and gone. There had been, for instance, Joyce
with whom, had she been able to tolerate him, she might have found
a life of comfort in so far as material things went. He was, however,
too thin or limited spiritually to interest a stirring mind such as hers, a
material man, and yet he had along with his financial capacity more
humanity than most, a kind of spiritual tenderness and generosity at
times towards some temperaments. But no art, no true romance. He
was a plunger in real estate, a developer of tracts. And he lacked
that stability and worth of temperament which even then she was
beginning to sense as needful to her, whether art was present or not.
He was handsomer than Byram, a gallant of sorts, active and
ebullient, and always he seemed to sense, as might a homing
pigeon, the direction in which lay his own best financial opportunities
and to be able to wing in that direction. But beyond that, what? He
was not brilliant mentally, merely a clever “mixer” and maker of
money, and she was a little weary of men who could think only in
terms of money. How thin some clever men really were!
“I rather like that. I’ll try it on.”
And so it had been with him as it had been with Byram and
Newton, although he sought her eagerly enough! and so it was
afterward with Edward and Young. They were all worthy men in their
way. No doubt some women would be or already had been drawn to
them and now thought them wonderful. Even if she could have
married any one of them it would only have been to have endured a
variation of what she had endured with Byram; with them it would
have been of the mind instead of the purse, which would have been
worse. For poor Byram, inefficient and inexperienced as he was, had
had some little imagination and longings above the commonplace.
But these, as contrasted with her new ideal——
“Yes, the lines of this side are not bad.”
Yes, in those days there had come to her this nameless unrest,
this seeking for something better than anything she had yet known
and which later, without rhyme or reason, had caused her to be so
violently drawn to Vivian. Why had Vivian always grieved so over her
earlier affairs? They were nothing, and she regretted them once she
knew him.
“Yes, you may send me this one, and the little one with
the jade pins.”