I

ProfessorJoslin，who，asourreadersaredoubtlessaware，isengagedinwritingthelifeofMrs。Aubyn，asksustostatethathewillbegreatlyindebtedtoanyofthefamousnovelist’sfriendswhowillfurnishhimwithinformationconcerningtheperiodprevioustohercomingtoEngland。Mrs。Aubynhadsofewintimatefriends，andconsequentlysofewregularcorrespondents，thatletterswillbeofspecialvalue。ProfessorJoslin’saddressis10AugustaGardens，Kensington，andhebegsustosaythathewillpromptlyreturnanydocumentsentrustedtohim。"

GlennarddroppedtheSpectatorandsatlookingintothefire。Theclubwasfillingup，buthestillhadtohimselfthesmallinnerroom，withitsdarkeningoutlookdowntherainstreakedprospectofFifthAvenue。Itwasalldullanddismalenough，yetamomentearlierhisboredomhadbeenperverselytingedbyasenseofresentmentatthethoughtthat，asthingsweregoing，hemightintimehavetosurrendereventhedespisedprivilegeofboringhimselfwithinthoseparticularfourwalls。Itwasnotthathecaredmuchfortheclub，butthattheremotecontingencyofhavingtogiveitupstoodtohim，justthen，perhapsbyveryreasonofitsinsignificanceandremoteness，forthesymbolofhisincreasingabnegations；ofthatperpetualparing—offthatwasgraduallyreducingexistencetothenakedbusinessofkeepinghimselfalive。Itwasthefutilityofhismultipliedshiftsandprivationsthatmadethemseemunworthyofahighattitude；thesensethat，howeverrapidlyheeliminatedthesuperfluous，hisclearedhorizonwaslikelytooffernonearerviewoftheoneprospecttowardwhichhestrained。Togiveupthingsinordertomarrythewomanonelovesiseasierthantogivethemupwithoutbeingbroughtappreciablynearertosuchaconclusion。

ThroughtheopendoorhesawyoungHollingsworthrisewithayawnfromtheineffectualsolaceofabrandy—and—sodaandtransporthispurposelesspersontothewindow。Glennardmeasuredhiscoursewithacontemptuouseye。ItwassolikeHollingsworthtogetupandlookoutofthewindowjustasitwasgrowingtoodarktoseeanything!Therewasamanrichenoughtodowhathepleased——hadhebeencapableofbeingpleased——yetbarredfromallconceivableachievementbyhisownimperviousdulness；while，afewfeetoff，Glennard，whowantedonlyenoughtokeepadecentcoatonhisbackandaroofovertheheadofthewomanheloved，Glennard，whohadsweated，toiled，deniedhimselfforthescantmeasureofopportunitythathiszealwouldhaveconvertedintoakingdom——satwretchedlycalculatingthat，evenwhenhehadresignedfromtheclub，andknockedoffhiscigars，andgivenuphisSundaysoutoftown，hewouldstillbenonearerattainment。

TheSpectatorhadslippedtohisfeetandashepickedituphiseyefellagainontheparagraphaddressedtothefriendsofMrs。

Aubyn。Hehadreaditforthefirsttimewithascarcelyperceptiblequickeningofattention：hernamehadsolongbeenpublicpropertythathiseyepasseditunseeingly，asthecrowdinthestreethurrieswithoutaglancebysomefamiliarmonument。

"InformationconcerningtheperiodprevioustohercomingtoEngland……"Thewordswereanevocation。Hesawheragainasshehadlookedattheirfirstmeeting，thepoorwomanofgeniuswithherlongpalefaceandshort—sightedeyes，softenedalittlebythegraceofyouthandinexperience，butsoincapableeventhenofanyholduponthepulses。Whenshespoke，indeed，shewaswonderful，morewonderful，perhaps，thanwhenlater，toGlennard’sfancyatleast，theconsciousofmemorablethingsutteredseemedtotakefromevenhermostintimatespeechtheperfectbloomofprivacy。Itwasinthoseearliestdays，ifever，thathehadcomenearlovingher；thougheventhenhissentimenthadlivedonlyintheintervalsofitsexpression。Later，whentobelovedbyherhadbeenastatetotouchanyman’simagination，thephysicalreluctancehad，inexplicably，sooverbornetheintellectualattraction，thatthelastyearshadbeen，tobothofthem，anagonyofconflictingimpulses。Evennow，if，inturningoveroldpapers，hishandlitonherletters，thetouchfilledhimwithinarticulatemisery……

"Shehadsofewintimatefriends……thatletterswillbeofspecialvalue。"Sofewintimatefriends!Foryearsshehadhadbutone；onewhointhelastyearshadrequitedherwonderfulpages，hertragicoutpouringsoflove，humility，andpardon，withthescantphrasesbywhichamanevadesthevulgarestofsentimentalimportunities。Hehadbeenabruteinspiteofhimself，andsometimes，nowthattheremembranceofherfacehadfaded，andonlyhervoiceandwordsremainedwithhim，hechafedathisowninadequacy，hisstupidinabilitytorisetotheheightofherpassion。Hisegoismwasnotofakindtomirroritscomplacencyintheadventure。Tohavebeenlovedbythemostbrilliantwomanofherday，andtohavebeenincapableoflovingher，seemedtohim，inlookingback，themostderisiveevidenceofhislimitations；andhisremorsefultendernessforhermemorywascomplicatedwithasenseofirritationagainstherforhavinggivenhimonceforallthemeasureofhisemotionalcapacity。Itwasnotoften，however，thathethusprobedthepast。Thepublic，intakingpossessionofMrs。Aubyn，hadeasedhisshouldersoftheirburden。Therewassomethingfatuousinanattitudeofsentimentalapologytowardamemoryalreadyclassic：toreproachone’sselffornothavinglovedMargaretAubynwasagooddeallikebeingdisturbedbyaninabilitytoadmiretheVenusofMilo。

Fromhercoldnicheoffameshelookeddownironicallyenoughonhisself—flagellations……Itwasonlywhenhecameonsomethingthatbelongedtoherthathefeltasuddenrenewaloftheoldfeeling，thestrangedualimpulsethatdrewhimtohervoicebutdrovehimfromherhand，sothatevennow，atsightofanythingshehadtouched，hisheartcontractedpainfully。Ithappenedseldomnowadays。Herlittlepresents，onebyone，haddisappearedfromhisrooms，andherletters，keptfromsomeunacknowledgedpuerilevanityinthepossessionofsuchtreasures，seldomcamebeneathhishand……

"Herletterswillbeofspecialvalue——"Herletters!Why，hemusthavehundredsofthem——enoughtofillavolume。Sometimesitusedtoseemtohimthattheycamewitheverypost——heusedtoavoidlookinginhisletter—boxwhenhecamehometohisrooms——

butherwritingseemedtospringoutathimasheputhiskeyinthedoor——。

Hestoodupandstrolledintotheotherroom。Hollingsworth，loungingawayfromthewindow，hadjoinedhimselftoalanguidlyconvivialgroupofmentowhom，inphrasesashaltingasthoughtheystruggledtodefineanultimateidea，hewasexpoundingthecursednuisanceoflivinginaholewithsuchadamnedclimatethatonehadtogetoutofitbyFebruary，withthecontingentdifficultyoftherebeingnoplacetotakeone’syachttoinwinterbutthatotherplayed—outhole，theRiviera。FromtheoutskirtsofthisgroupGlennardwanderedtoanother，whereavoiceasdifferentaspossiblefromHollingsworth’scolorlessorgandominatedanothercircleoflanguidlisteners。

"ComeandhearDinslowtalkabouthispatent：admissionfree，"oneofthemensangoutinatoneofmockresignation。

DinslowturnedtoGlennardtheconfidentpugnacityofhissmile。

"Giveitanothersixmonthsandit’llbetalkingaboutitself，"hedeclared。"It’sprettynearlyarticulatenow。"

"Canitsaypapa？"someoneelseinquired。

Dinslow’ssmilebroadened。"You’llbedeucedgladtosaypapatoITayearfromnow，"heretorted。"It’llbeabletosupportevenyouinaffluence。Lookhere，now，justletmeexplaintoyou——"

Glennardmovedawayimpatiently。Themenattheclub——allbutthosewhowere"init"——wereproverbially"tired"ofDinslow’spatent，andnonemoresothanGlennard，whoseknowledgeofitsmeritsmadeitloomlargeinthedepressingcatalogueoflostopportunities。Therelationsbetweenthetwomenhadalwaysbeenfriendly，andDinslow’surgentoffersto"takehiminonthegroundfloor"hadoflateintensifiedGlennard’ssenseofhisowninabilitytomeetgoodluckhalfway。Someofthemenwhohadpausedtolistenwerealreadyineveningclothes，othersontheirwayhometodress；andGlennard，withanaccustomedtwingeofhumiliation，saidtohimselfthatifhelingeredamongthemitwasinthemiserablehopethatoneofthenumbermightaskhimtodine。MissTrenthadtoldhimthatshewastogototheoperathateveningwithherrichaunt；andifheshouldhavethelucktopickupadinner—invitationhemightjoinhertherewithoutextraoutlay。

Hemovedabouttheroom，lingeringhereandthereinatentativeaffectationofinterest；butthoughthemengreetedhimpleasantlynooneaskedhimtodine。Doubtlesstheywereallengaged，thesemenwhocouldaffordtopayfortheirdinners，whodidnothavetohuntforinvitationsasabeggarrummagesforacrustinanash—

barrel!Butno——asHollingsworthleftthelesseningcircleaboutthetableanadmiringyouthcalledout——"Holly，stopanddine!"

Hollingsworthturnedonhimthecrudecountenancethatlookedlikethewrongsideofamorefinishedface。"SorryIcan’t。I’minforabeastlybanquet。"

Glennardthrewhimselfintoanarm—chair。Whygohomeintheraintodress？Itwasfollytotakeacabtotheopera，itwasworsefollytogothereatall。HisperpetualmeetingswithAlexaTrentwereasunfairtothegirlastheywereunnervingtohimself。

Sincehecouldn’tmarryher，itwastimetostandasideandgiveabettermanthechance——andhisthoughtadmittedtheironicalimplicationthatinthetermsofexpediencythephrasemightstandforHollingsworth。

II

Hedinedaloneandwalkedhometohisroomsintherain。AsheturnedintoFifthAvenuehecaughtthewetgleamofcarriagesontheirwaytotheopera，andhetookthefirstsidestreet，inamomentofirritationagainstthepettyrestrictionsthatthwartedeveryimpulse。Itwasridiculoustogiveuptheopera，notbecauseonemightpossiblybeboredthere，butbecauseonemustpayfortheexperiment。

Inhissitting—room，thetacitconnivanceoftheinanimatehadcentredthelamp—lightonaphotographofAlexaTrent，placed，intheobligatorysilverframe，justwhere，asmemoryofficiouslyremindedhim，MargaretAubyn’spicturehadlongthronedinitsstead。MissTrent’sfeaturescruellyjustifiedtheusurpation。

Shehadthekindofbeautythatcomesofahappyaccordoffaceandspirit。Itisnotgiventomanytohavethelipsandeyesoftheirrarestmood，andsomewomengothroughlifebehindamaskexpressingonlytheiranxietyaboutthebutcher’sbillortheirinabilitytoseeajoke。WithMissTrent，faceandmindhadthesamehighseriouscontour。ShelookedlikeathronedJusticebysomegraveFlorentinepainter；anditseemedtoGlennardthathermostsalientattribute，orthatatleasttowhichherconductgavemostconsistentexpression，wasakindofpassionatejustice——theintuitivefemininejustnessthatissomuchrarerthanareasonedimpartiality。Circumstanceshadtragicallycombinedtodevelopthisinstinctintoaconscioushabit。Shehadseenmorethanmostgirlsoftheshabbysideoflife，oftheperpetualtendencyofwanttocrampthenoblestattitude。Povertyandmisfortunehadoverhungherchildhoodandshehadnoneoftheprettydelusionsaboutlifethataresupposedtobethecrowninggraceofgirlhood。

Thisverycompetence，whichgaveheratouchingreasonableness，madeGlennard’ssituationmoredifficultthanifhehadaspiredtoaprincessbredinthepurple。Betweenthemtheyaskedsolittle——

theyknewsowellhowtomakethatlittledo——buttheyunderstoodalso，andsheespeciallydidnotforamomentlethimforget，thatwithoutthatlittlethefuturetheydreamedofwasimpossible。

ThesightofherphotographquickenedGlennard’sexasperation。Hewassickandashamedoftheparthewasplaying。Hehadlovedhernowfortwoyears，withthetranquiltendernessthatgathersdepthandvolumeasitnearsfulfilment；heknewthatshewouldwaitforhim——butthecertitudewasanaddedpang。Therearetimeswhentheconstancyofthewomanonecannotmarryisalmostastryingasthatofthewomanonedoesnotwantto。

Glennardturneduphisreading—lampandstirredthefire。Hehadalongeveningbeforehimandhewantedtocrowdoutthoughtwithaction。Hehadbroughtsomepapersfromhisofficeandhespreadthemoutonhistableandsquaredhimselftothetask……

Itmusthavebeenanhourlaterthathefoundhimselfautomaticallyfittingakeyintoalockeddrawer。Hehadnomorenotionthanasomnambulistofthementalprocessthathadleduptothisaction。Hewasjustdimlyawareofhavingpushedasidethepapersandtheheavycalfvolumesthatamomentbeforehadboundedhishorizon，andoflayingintheirplace，withoutatraceofconsciousvolition，theparcelhehadtakenfromthedrawer。

Thelettersweretiedinpacketsofthirtyorforty。Therewereagreatmanypackets。Onsomeoftheenvelopestheinkwasfading；

onothers，whichboretheEnglishpost—mark，itwasstillfresh。

Shehadbeendeadhardlythreeyears，andshehadwritten，atlengtheningintervals，tothelast……

Heundidoneoftheearlierpackets——littlenoteswrittenduringtheirfirstacquaintanceatHillbridge。Glennard，onleavingcollege，hadbegunlifeinhisuncle’slawofficeintheolduniversitytown。Itwastherethat，atthehouseofherfather，ProfessorForth，hehadfirstmettheyoungladythenchieflydistinguishedforhaving，aftertwoyearsofaconspicuouslyunhappymarriage，returnedtotheprotectionofthepaternalroof。

Mrs。Aubynwasatthattimeaneagerandsomewhattragicyoungwoman，ofcomplexmindandundevelopedmanners，whomhercrudeexperienceofmatrimonyhadfittedoutwithastockofgeneralizationsthatexplodedlikebombsintheacademicairofHillbridge。Inherchoiceofahusbandshehadbeenfortunateenough，iftheparadoxbepermitted，tolightononesosignallygiftedwiththefacultyofputtinghimselfinthewrongthatherleavinghimhadthedignityofamanifesto——madeher，asitwere，thespokeswomanofoutragedwifehood。InthislightshewascherishedbythatdominantportionofHillbridgesocietywhichwasleastindulgenttoconjugaldifferences，andwhichfoundaproportionatepleasureinbeingforonceabletofeastopenlyonadishliberallyseasonedwiththeoutrageous。SomuchdidthisendearMrs。Aubyntotheuniversityladiesthattheyweredisposedfromthefirsttoallowhermorelatitudeofspeechandactionthantheill—usedwifewasgenerallyaccordedinHillbridge，wheremisfortunewasstillregardedasavisitationdesignedtoputpeopleintheirproperplaceandmakethemfeelthesuperiorityoftheirneighbors。Theyoungwomansoprivilegedcombinedwithakindofpersonalshynessanintellectualaudacitythatwaslikeadeflectedimpulseofcoquetry：onefeltthatifshehadbeenprettiershewouldhavehademotionsinsteadofideas。Shewasinfacteventhenwhatshehadalwaysremained：ageniuscapableoftheacutestgeneralizations，butcuriouslyundiscerningwhereherpersonalsusceptibilitieswereconcerned。Herpsychologyfailedherjustwhereitservesmostwomenandonefeltthatherbrainswouldneverbeaguidetoherheart。Ofallthis，however，Glennardthoughtlittleinthefirstyearoftheiracquaintance。

Hewasatanagewhenallthegiftsandgracesarebutsomuchundiscriminatedfoodtotheraveningegoismofyouth。InseekingMrs。Aubyn’scompanyhewaspromptedbyanintuitivetasteforthebestasapledgeofhisownsuperiority。ThesympathyofthecleverestwomaninHillbridgewasbalmtohiscravingfordistinction：itwaspublicconfirmationofhissecretsensethathewascutoutforabiggerplace。ItmustnotbeunderstoodthatGlennardwasvain。Vanitycontentsitselfwiththecoarsestdiet；

thereisnopalatesofastidiousasthatofself—distrust。ToayouthofGlennard’saspirationstheencouragementofacleverwomanstoodforthesymbolofallsuccess。Later，whenhehadbeguntofeelhisway，togainafoothold，hewouldnotneedsuchsupport；butitservedtocarryhimlightlyandeasilyoverwhatisoftenaperiodofinsecurityanddiscouragement。

Itwouldbeunjust，however，torepresenthisinterestinMrs。

Aubynasamatterofcalculation。Itwasasinstinctiveaslove，anditmissedbeinglovebyjustsuchahair—breadthdeflectionfromthelineofbeautyashaddeterminedthecurveofMrs。

Aubyn’slips。Whentheymetshehadjustpublishedherfirstnovel，andGlennard，whoafterwardhadanambitiousman’simpatienceofdistinguishedwomen，wasyoungenoughtobedazzledbythesemi—publicityitgaveher。Itwasthekindofbookthatmakeselderlyladieslowertheirvoicesandcalleachother"mydear"whentheyfurtivelydiscussit；andGlennardexultedinthesuperiorknowledgeoftheworldthatenabledhimtotakeasamatterofcoursesentimentsoverwhichtheuniversityshookitshead。StillmoredelightfulwasittohearMrs。Aubynwakentheechoesofacademicdrawing—roomswithaudacitiessurpassingthoseofherprintedpage。Herintellectualindependencegaveatouchofcomradeshiptotheirintimacy，prolongingtheillusionofcollegefriendshipsbasedonajoyousinterchangeofheresies。

Mrs。AubynandGlennardrepresentedtoeachothertheaugur’swinkbehindtheHillbridgeidol：theywalkedtogetherinthatlightofyoungomnisciencefromwhichfatesocuriouslyexcludesone’selders。

Husbandswhoarenotoriouslyinopportune，mayevendieinopportunely，andthiswastherevengethatMr。Aubyn，sometwoyearsafterherreturntoHillbridge，tookuponhisinjuredwife。

HediedpreciselyatthemomentwhenGlennardwasbeginningtocriticiseher。Itwasnotthatsheboredhim；shedidwhatwasinfinitelyworse——shemadehimfeelhisinferiority。Thesenseofmentalequalityhadbeengratifyingtohisrawambition；butashisself—knowledgedefineditself，hisunderstandingofheralsoincreased；andifmanisattimesindirectlyflatteredbythemoralsuperiorityofwoman，hermentalascendencyisextenuatedbynosuchobliquetributetohispowers。Theattitudeoflookingupisastrainonthemuscles；anditwasbecomingmoreandmoreGlennard’sopinionthatbrains，inawoman，shouldbemerelytheobverseofbeauty。TobeautyMrs。Aubyncouldlaynoclaim；andwhileshehadenoughprettinesstoexasperatehimbyherincapacitytomakeuseofit，sheseemedinvinciblyignorantofanyofthelittleartificeswherebywomencontrivetopalliatetheirdefectsandeventoturnthemintograces。Herdressneverseemedapartofher；allherclotheshadanimpersonalair，asthoughtheyhadbelongedtosomeoneelseandbeenborrowedinanemergencythathadsomehowbecomechronic。Shewasconsciousenoughofherdeficienciestotrytoamendthembyrashimitationsofthemostapprovedmodels；butnowomanwhodoesnotdresswellintuitivelywilleverdosobythelightofreason，andMrs。

Aubyn’splagiarisms，toborrowametaphorofhertrade，somehowneverseemedtobeincorporatedwiththetext。

Geniusisofsmallusetoawomanwhodoesnotknowhowtodoherhair。ThefamethatcametoMrs。AubynwithhersecondbookleftGlennard’simaginationuntouched，orhadatmostthenegativeeffectofremovingherstillfartherfromthecircleofhiscontractingsympathies。Weareallthesportoftime；andfatehadsoperverselyorderedthechronologyofMargaretAubyn’sromancethatwhenherhusbanddiedGlennardfeltasthoughhehadlostafriend。

Itwasnotinhisnaturetobeneedlesslyunkind；andthoughhewasintheimpregnablepositionofthemanwhohasgivenawomannomoredefinableclaimonhimthanthatoflettingherfancythathelovesher，hewouldnotfortheworldhaveaccentuatedhisadvantagebyanybetrayalofindifference。Duringthefirstyearofherwidowhoodtheirfriendshipdraggedonwithhaltingrenewalsofsentiment，becomingmoreandmoreabanquetofemptydishesfromwhichthecoverswereneverremoved；thenGlennardwenttoNewYorktoliveandexchangedthefadedpleasuresofintercourseforthecomparativenoveltyofcorrespondence。Herletters，oddlyenough，seemedatfirsttobringhernearerthanherpresence。

Shehadadopted，andshesuccessfullymaintained，anoteasaffectionatelyimpersonalashisown；shewroteardentlyofherwork，shequestionedhimabouthis，sheevenbanteredhimontheinevitableprettygirlwhowascertainbeforelongtodivertthecurrentofhisconfidences。ToGlennard，whowasalmostastrangerinNewYork，thesightofMrs。Aubyn’swritingwaslikeavoiceofreassuranceinsurroundingsasyetinsufficientlyawareofhim。Hisvanityfoundaretrospectiveenjoymentinthesentimenthishearthadrejected，andthisfactitiousemotiondrovehimonceortwicetoHillbridge，whence，afterscenesofevasivetenderness，hereturneddissatisfiedwithhimselfandher。

AshemaderoomforhimselfinNewYorkandpeopledthespacehehadclearedwiththesympathiesatthedisposalofagreeableandself—confidentyoungmen，itseemedtohimnaturaltoinferthatMrs。Aubynhadrefurnishedinthesamemannerthevoidhewasnotunwillinghisdepartureshouldhaveleft。Butinthedissolutionofsentimentalpartnershipsitisseldomthatbothassociatesareabletowithdrawtheirfundsatthesametime；andGlennardgraduallylearnedthathestoodfortheventureonwhichMrs。

Aubynhadirretrievablystakedherall。Itwasnotthekindoffigurehecaredtocut。Hehadnofancyforleavinghavocinhiswakeandwouldhavepreferredtosowaquickgrowthofoblivioninthespaceswastedbyhisunconsideredinroads；butifhesuppliedtheseeditwasclearlyMrs。Aubyn’sbusinesstoseetotheraisingofthecrop。Herattitudeseemedindeedtothrowhisownreasonablenessintodistincterrelief：sothattheymighthavestoodforthriftandimprovidenceinanallegoryoftheaffections。

ItwasnotthatMrs。Aubynpermittedherselftobeapensioneronhisbounty。Heknewshehadnowishtokeepherselfaliveonthesmallchangeofsentiment；shesimplyfedonherownfundedpassion，andtheluxuriesitallowedhermadehim，eventhen，dimlyawarethatshehadthesecretofaninexhaustiblealchemy。

Theirrelationsremainedthusnegativelytendertillshesuddenlywrotehimofherdecisiontogoabroadtolive。Herfatherhaddied，shehadnoneartiesinHillbridge，andLondonofferedmorescopethanNewYorktoherexpandingpersonality。Shewasalreadyfamousandherlaurelswereyetunharvested。

ForamomentthenewsrousedGlennardtoajealoussenseoflostopportunities。Hewanted，atanyrate，toreasserthispowerbeforeshemadethefinaleffortofescape。Theyhadnotmetforoverayear，butofcoursehecouldnotlethersailwithoutseeingher。ShecametoNewYorkthedaybeforeherdeparture，andtheyspentitslasthourstogether。Glennardhadplannednocourseofaction——hesimplymeanttolethimselfdrift。Theybothdrifted，foralongtime，downthelanguidcurrentofreminiscence；sheseemedtositpassive，lettinghimpushhiswaybackthroughtheovergrownchannelsofthepast。Atlengthsheremindedhimthattheymustbringtheirexplorationstoanend。

Herosetoleave，andstoodlookingatherwiththesameuncertaintyinhisheart。Hewastiredofheralready——hewasalwaystiredofher——yethewasnotsurethathewantedhertogo。

"Imayneverseeyouagain，"hesaid，asthoughconfidentlyappealingtohercompassion。

Herlookenvelopedhim。"AndIshallseeyoualways——always!"

"Whygothen——？"escapedhim。

"Tobeneareryou，"sheanswered；andthewordsdismissedhimlikeaclosingdoor。

Thedoorwasnevertoreopen；butthroughitsnarrowcrackGlennard，astheyearswenton，becamemoreandmoreconsciousofaninextinguishablelightdirectingitssmallraytowardthepastwhichconsumedsolittleofhisowncommemorativeoil。ThereproachwastakenfromthisthoughtbyMrs。Aubyn’sgradualtranslationintotermsofuniversality。InbecomingapersonageshesonaturallyceasedtobeapersonthatGlennardcouldalmostlookbacktohisexplorationsofherspiritasonavisittosomefamousshrine，immortalized，butinasensedesecrated，bypopularveneration。

Herletters，fromLondon，continuedtocomewiththesametenderpunctuality；butthealteredconditionsofherlife，thevistasofnewrelationshipsdisclosedbyeveryphrase，madehercommunicationsasimpersonalasapieceofjournalism。Itwasasthoughthestate，theworld，indeed，hadtakenheroffhishands，assumingthemaintenanceofatemperamentthathadlongexhaustedhisslenderstoreofreciprocity。

Intheretrospectivelightshedbythelettershewasblindedtotheirspecificmeaning。Hewasnotamanwhoconcernedhimselfwithliterature，andtheyhadbeentohim，atfirst，simplytheextensionofherbrillianttalk，laterthedreadedvehicleofatragicimportunity。Heknew，ofcourse，thattheywerewonderful；

that，unliketheauthorswhogivetheiressencetothepublicandkeeponlyadryrindfortheirfriends，Mrs。Aubynhadstoredofherrarestvintageforthishiddensacramentoftenderness。

Sometimes，indeed，hehadbeenoppressed，humiliatedalmost，bythemultiplicityofherallusions，thewidescopeofherinterests，herpersistenceinforcinghersuperabundanceofthoughtandemotionintotheshallowreceptacleofhissympathy；

buthehadneverthoughtofthelettersobjectively，astheproductionofadistinguishedwoman；hadnevermeasuredtheliterarysignificanceofheroppressiveprodigality。Hewasalmostfrightenednowatthewealthinhishands；theobligationofherlovehadneverweighedonhimlikethisgiftofherimagination：itwasasthoughhehadacceptedfromhersomethingtowhichevenareciprocaltendernesscouldnothavejustifiedhisclaim。

Hesatalongtimestaringatthescatteredpagesonhisdesk；andinthesuddenrealizationofwhattheymeanthecouldalmostfancysomealchemisticprocesschangingthemtogoldashestared。Hehadthesenseofnotbeingaloneintheroom，ofthepresenceofanotherselfobservingfromwithoutthestirringofsubconsciousimpulsesthatsentflushesofhumiliationtohisforehead。Atlengthhestoodup，andwiththegestureofamanwhowishestogiveoutwardexpressiontohispurpose——toestablish，asitwere，amoralalibi——sweptthelettersintoaheapandcarriedthemtowardthegrate。Butitwouldhavetakentoolongtoburnallthepackets。Heturnedbacktothetableandonebyonefittedthepagesintotheirenvelopes；thenhetiedupthelettersandputthembackintothelockeddrawer。

III

ItwasoneofthelawsofGlennard’sintercoursewithMissTrentthathealwayswenttoseeherthedayafterhehadresolvedtogiveherup。Therewasaspecialcharmaboutthemomentsthussnatchedfromthejawsofrenunciation；andhissenseoftheirsignificancewasonthisoccasionsokeenthathehardlynoticedtheaddedgravityofherwelcome。

Hisfeelingforherhadbecomesovitalapartofhimthathernearnesshadthequalityofimperceptiblyreadjustinghispointofview，sothatthejumbledphenomenaofexperiencefellatonceintoarationalperspective。Inthisredistributionofvaluesthesombreretrospectofthepreviouseveningshranktoamerecloudontheedgeofconsciousness。Perhapstheonlyserviceanunlovedwomancanrenderthemanshelovesistoenhanceandprolonghisillusionsaboutherrival。ItwasthefateofMargaretAubyn’smemorytoserveasafoiltoMissTrent’spresence，andneverhadthepoorladythrownhersuccessorintomorevividrelief。

MissTrenthadthecharmofstillwatersthatarefelttoberenewedbyrapidcurrents。Herattentionspreadatranquilsurfacetothedemonstrationsofothers，anditwasonlyindaysofstormthatonefeltthepressureofthetides。ThisinscrutablecomposurewasperhapsherchiefgraceinGlennard’seyes。Reserve，insomenatures，impliesmerelythelockingofemptyroomsorthedissimulationofawkwardencumbrances；butMissTrent’sreticencewastoGlennardlikethecloseddoortothesanctuary，andhiscertaintyofdiviningthehiddentreasuremadehimcontenttoremainoutsideinthehappyexpectancyoftheneophyte。

"Youdidn’tcometotheoperalastnight，"shebegan，inthetonethatseemedalwaysrathertorecordafactthantoofferareflectiononit。

Heansweredwithadiscouragedgesture。"Whatwastheuse？Wecouldn’thavetalked。"

"Notaswellashere，"sheassented；adding，afterameditativepause，"Asyoudidn’tcomeItalkedtoAuntVirginiainstead。"

"Ah!"hereturned，thefactbeinghardlystrikingenoughtodetachhimfromthecontemplationofherhands，whichhadfallen，aswastheirwont，intoanattitudefullofplasticpossibilities。Onefeltthemtobehandsthat，movingonlytosomepurpose，werecapableofintervalsofsereneinaction。

"Wehadalongtalk，"MissTrentwenton；andshewaitedagainbeforeadding，withtheincreasedabsenceofstressthatmarkedhergravercommunications，"AuntVirginiawantsmetogoabroadwithher。"

Glennardlookedupwithastart。"Abroad？When？"

"Now——nextmonth。Tobegonetwoyears。"

Hepermittedhimselfamovementoftenderderision。"Doesshereally？Well，IwantyoutogoabroadwithME——foranynumberofyears。Whichofferdoyouaccept？"

"Onlyoneofthemseemstorequireimmediateconsideration，"shereturned，withasmile。

Glennardlookedatheragain。"You’renotthinkingofit？"

Hergazedroppedandsheunclaspedherhands。Hermovementsweresorarethattheymighthavebeensaidtoitalicizeherwords。

"AuntVirginiatalkedtomeveryseriously。Itwillbeagreatrelieftomotherandtheotherstohavemeprovidedforinthatwayfortwoyears。Imustthinkofthat，youknow。"Sheglanceddownathergownwhich，underarenovatedsurface，datedbacktothefirstdaysofGlennard’swooing。"Itrynottocostmuch——butIdo。"

"GoodLord!"Glennardgroaned。

Theysatsilenttillatlengthshegentlytookuptheargument。

"Astheeldest，youknow，I’mboundtoconsiderthesethings。

Womenaresuchaburden。Jimdoeswhathecanformother，butwithhisownchildrentoprovideforitisn’tverymuch。Yousee，we’reallpoortogether。"

"Yourauntisn’t。Shemighthelpyourmother。"

"Shedoes——inherownway。"

"Exactly——that’stherichrelationallover!Youmaybemiserableinanywayyoulike，butifyou’retobehappyyou’vegottobesoinherway——andinheroldgowns。"

"IcouldbeveryhappyinAuntVirginia’soldgowns，"MissTrentinterposed。

"Abroad，youmean？"

"ImeanwhereverIfeltthatIwashelping。Andmygoingabroadwillhelp。"

"Ofcourse——Iseethat。AndIseeyourconsideratenessinputtingitsadvantagesnegatively。"

"Negatively？"

"Indwellingsimplyonwhatthegoingwilltakeyoufrom，notonwhatitwillbringyouto。Itmeansalottoawoman，ofcourse，togetawayfromalifelikethis。"Hesummedupinadisparagingglancethebackgroundofindigentfurniture。"Thequestionishowyou’lllikecomingbacktoit。"

Sheseemedtoacceptthefullconsequencesofhisthought。"I

onlyknowIdon’tlikeleavingit。"

Heflungbacksombrely，"Youdon’tevenputitconditionallythen？"

Hergazedeepened。"Onwhat？"

Hestoodupandwalkedacrosstheroom。Thenhecamebackandpausedbeforeher。"Onthealternativeofmarryingme。"

Theslowcolor——evenherblushesseemeddeliberate——rosetoherlowerlids；herlipsstirred，butthewordsresolvedthemselvesintoasmileandshewaited。

Hetookanotherturn，withthethwartedstepofthemanwhosenervousexasperationescapesthroughhismuscles。

"AndtothinkthatinfifteenyearsIshallhaveabigpractice!"

Hereyestriumphedforhim。"Inless!"

"Thecursedironyofit!WhatdoIcareforthemanIshallbethen？It’sslavingone’slifeawayforastranger!"Hetookherhandsabruptly。"You’llgotoCannes，Isuppose，orMonteCarlo？

IheardHollingsworthsayto—daythathemeanttotakehisyachtovertotheMediterranean——"

Shereleasedherself。"Ifyouthinkthat——"

"Idon’t。IalmostwishIdid。Itwouldbeeasier，Imean。"Hebrokeoffincoherently。"IbelieveyourAuntVirginiadoes，though。ShesomehowconnotesHollingsworthandtheMediterranean。"Hecaughtherhandsagain。"Alexa——ifwecouldmanagealittleholesomewhereoutoftown？"

"Couldwe？"shesighed，halfyielding。

"Inoneofthoseplaceswheretheymakejokesaboutthemosquitoes，"hepressedher。"Couldyougetonwithoneservant？"

"Couldyougetonwithoutvarnishedboots？"

"Promisemeyouwon’tgo，then!"

"Whatareyouthinkingof，Stephen？"

"Idon’tknow，"hestammered，thequestiongivingunexpectedformtohisintention。"It’sallintheairyet，ofcourse；butI

pickedupatiptheotherday——"

"You’renotspeculating？"shecried，withakindofsuperstitiousterror。

"Lord，no。Thisisasurething——Ialmostwishitwasn’t；ImeanifIcanworkit——"Hehadasuddenvisionofthecomprehensivenessofthetemptation。IfonlyhehadbeenlesssureofDinslow!Hisassurancegavethesituationthebaseelementofsafety。

"Idon’tunderstandyou，"shefaltered。

"Trustme，instead!"headjuredher，withsuddenenergy；andturningonherabruptly，"Ifyougo，youknow，yougofree，"heconcluded。

Shedrewback，palingalittle。"Whydoyoumakeitharderforme？"

"Tomakeiteasierformyself，"heretorted。

IV

Glennard，thenextafternoon，leavinghisofficeearlierthanusual，turned，onhiswayhome，intooneofthepubliclibraries。

Hehadtheplacetohimselfatthatclosinghour，andthelibrarianwasabletogiveanundividedattentiontohistentativerequestforletters——collectionsofletters。ThelibrariansuggestedWalpole。

"Imeantwomen——women’sletters。"

ThelibrarianprofferedHannahMoreandMissMartineau。

Glennardcursedhisowninarticulateness。"Imeanlettersto——tosomeoneperson——aman；theirhusband——or——"

"Ah，"saidtheinspiredlibrarian，"EloiseandAbailard。"

"Well——somethingalittlenearer，perhaps，"saidGlennard，withlightness。"Didn’tMerimee——"

"Thelady’sletters，inthatcase，werenotpublished。"

"Ofcoursenot，"saidGlennard，vexedathisblunder。

"ThereareGeorgeSand’sletterstoFlaubert。"

"Ah!"Glennardhesitated。"Wasshe——werethey——？"Hechafedathisownignoranceofthesentimentalby—pathsofliterature。

"Ifyouwantlove—letters，perhapssomeoftheFrencheighteenthcenturycorrespondencesmightsuityoubetter——Mlle。AisseorMadamedeSabran——"

ButGlennardinsisted。"Iwantsomethingmodern——EnglishorAmerican。Iwanttolooksomethingup，"helamelyconcluded。

ThelibrariancouldonlysuggestGeorgeEliot。

"Well，givemesomeoftheFrenchthings，then——andI’llhaveMerimee’sletters。Itwasthewomanwhopublishedthem，wasn’tit？"

Hecaughtuphisarmful，transferringit，onthedoorstep，toacabwhichcarriedhimtohisrooms。Hedinedalone，hurriedly，atasmallrestaurantnearby，andreturnedatoncetohisbooks。

Latethatnight，asheundressed，hewonderedwhatcontemptibleimpulsehadforcedfromhimhislastwordstoAlexaTrent。Itwasbadenoughtointerferewiththegirl’schancesbyhangingabouthertotheobviousexclusionofothermen，butitwasworsetoseemtojustifyhisweaknessbydressingupthefutureindelusiveambiguities。Hesawhimselfsinkingfromdepthtodepthofsentimentalcowardiceinhisreluctancetorenouncehisholdonher；anditfilledhimwithself—disgusttothinkthatthehighestfeelingofwhichhesupposedhimselfcapablewasblentwithsuchbaseelements。

Hisawakeningwashardlycheeredbythesightofherwriting。Hetorehernoteopenandtookinthefewlines——sheseldomexceededthefirstpage——withthelucidityofapprehensionthatistheforerunnerofevil。

"MyauntsailsonSaturdayandImustgivehermyanswerthedayafterto—morrow。Pleasedon’tcometillthen——Iwanttothinkthequestionoverbymyself。IknowIoughttogo。Won’tyouhelpmetobereasonable？"

Itwassettled，then。Well，hewouldbereasonable；hewouldn’tstandinherway；hewouldlethergo。Fortwoyearshehadbeenlivingsomeother，luckierman’slife；thetimehadcomewhenhemustdropbackintohisown。Henolongertriedtolookahead，togropehiswaythroughtheendlesslabyrinthofhismaterialdifficulties；asenseofdullresignationclosedinonhimlikeafog。

"Hullo，Glennard!"avoicesaid，asanelectric—car，latethatafternoon，droppedhimatanuptowncorner。

HelookedupandmettheinterrogativesmileofBartonFlamel，whostoodonthecurbstonewatchingtheretreatingcarwiththeeyeofamanphilosophicenoughtorememberthatitwillbefollowedbyanother。

GlennardfelthisusualimpulseofpleasureatmeetingFlamel；butitwasnotinthiscasecurtailedbythereactionofcontemptthathabituallysucceededit。ProbablyeventhefewmenwhohadknownFlamelsincehisyouthcouldhavegivennogoodreasonforthevaguemistrustthatheinspired。Somepeoplearejudgedbytheiractions，othersbytheirideas；andperhapstheshortestwayofdefiningFlamelistosaythathiswell—knownleniencyofviewwasvaguelydivinedtoincludehimself。Simplemindsmayhaveresentedthediscoverythathisopinionswerebasedonhisperceptions；buttherewascertainlynomoredefinitechargeagainsthimthanthatimpliedinthedoubtastohowhewouldbehaveinanemergency，andhiscompanywaslookeduponasoneofthosemildlyunwholesomedissipationstowhichtheprudentmayoccasionallyyield。ItnowoffereditselftoGlennardasaneasyescapefromtheobsessionofmoralproblems，whichsomehowcouldnomorebeworninFlamel’spresencethanasurpliceinthestreet。

"Whereareyougoing？Totheclub？"Flamelasked；adding，astheyoungermanassented，"Whynotcometomystudioinstead？You’llseeoneboreinsteadoftwenty。"

TheapartmentwhichFlameldescribedashisstudioshowed，asitsoneclaimtothedesignation，aperenniallyemptyeasel；therestofitsspacebeingfilledwiththeevidencesofacomprehensivedilettanteism。Againstthisbackground，whichseemedthevisibleexpressionofitsowner’sintellectualtolerance，rowsoffinebooksdetachedthemselveswithaprominence，showingthemtobeFlamel’schiefcare。

Glennardglancedwiththeeyeofuntrainedcuriosityatthelinesofwarm—tonedmorocco，whilehishostbusiedhimselfwiththeuncorkingofApollinaris。

"You’vegotasplendidlotofbooks，"hesaid。

"They’refairlydecent，"theotherassented，inthecurttoneofthecollectorwhowillnottalkofhispassionforfearoftalkingofnothingelse；then，asGlennard，hishandsinhispockets，begantostrollperfunctorilydownthelonglineofbookcases——

"Somemen，"Flamelirresistiblyadded，"thinkofbooksmerelyastools，othersastooling。I’mbetweenthetwo；therearedayswhenIusethemasscenery，otherdayswhenIwantthemassociety；sothat，asyousee，mylibraryrepresentsamakeshiftcompromisebetweenlooksandbrains，andthecollectorslookdownonmealmostasmuchasthestudents。"

Glennard，withoutanswering，wasmechanicallytakingonebookafteranotherfromtheshelves。Hishandsslippedcuriouslyoverthesmoothcoversandthenoiselesssubsidenceofopeningpages。

Suddenlyhecameonathinvolumeoffadedmanuscript。

"What’sthis？"heasked，withalistlesssenseofwonder。

"Ah，you’reatmymanuscriptshelf。I’vebeengoinginforthatsortofthinglately。"Flamelcameupandlookedoverhisshoulders。"That’sabitofStendhal——oneoftheItalianstories——

andherearesomelettersofBalzactoMadameCommanville。"

Glennardtookthebookwithsuddeneagerness。"WhowasMadameCommanville？"

"Hissister。"HewasconsciousthatFlamelwaslookingathimwiththesmilethatwaslikeaninterrogationpoint。"Ididn’tknowyoucaredforthiskindofthing。"

"Idon’t——atleastI’veneverhadthechance。Haveyoumanycollectionsofletters？"

"Lord，no——veryfew。I’mjustbeginning，andmostoftheinterestingonesareoutofmyreach。Here’saqueerlittlecollection，though——therarestthingI’vegot——halfadozenofShelley’sletterstoHarrietWestbrook。Ihadadevilofatimegettingthem——alotofcollectorswereafterthem。"

Glennard，takingthevolumefromhishand，glancedwithakindofrepugnanceattheinterleavingofyellowcris—crossedsheets。

"Shewastheonewhodrownedherself，wasn’tshe？"

Flamelnodded。"Isupposethatlittleepisodeaddsaboutfiftypercent。totheirvalue，"hesaid，meditatively。

Glennardlaidthebookdown。HewonderedwhyhehadjoinedFlamel。Hewasinnohumortobeamusedbytheolderman’stalk，andarecrudescenceofpersonalmiseryroseabouthimlikeanicytide。

"IbelieveImusttakemyselfoff，"hesaid。"I’dforgottenanengagement。"

Heturnedtogo；butalmostatthesamemomenthewasconsciousofadualityofintentionwhereinhisapparentwishtoleaverevealeditselfasalasteffortofthewillagainsttheovermasteringdesiretostayandunbosomhimselftoFlamel。

Theolderman，asthoughdiviningtheconflict，laidadetainingpressureonhisarm。

"Won’ttheengagementkeep？Sitdownandtryoneofthesecigars。

Idon’toftenhavetheluckofseeingyouhere。"

"I’mratherdrivenjustnow，"saidGlennard，vaguely。Hefoundhimselfseatedagain，andFlamelhadpushedtohissidealowstandholdingabottleofApollinarisandadecanterofcognac。

Flamel，thrownbackinhiscapaciousarm—chair，surveyedhimthroughacloudofsmokewiththecomfortabletoleranceofthemantowhomnoinconsistenciesneedbeexplained。Connivancewasimplicitintheair。Itwasthekindofatmosphereinwhichtheoutrageouslosesitsedge。Glennardfeltagradualrelaxingofhisnerves。

"Isupposeonehastopayalotforletterslikethat？"heheardhimselfasking，withaglanceinthedirectionofthevolumehehadlaidaside。

"Oh，so—do——dependsoncircumstances。"Flamelviewedhimthoughtfully。"Areyouthinkingofcollecting？"

Glennardlaughed。"Lord，no。Theotherwayround。"

"Selling？"

"Oh，Ihardlyknow。Iwasthinkingofapoorchap——"

Flamelfilledthepausewithanodofinterest。

"ApoorchapIusedtoknow——whodied——hediedlastyear——andwholeftmealotofletters，lettershethoughtagreatdealof——hewasfondofmeandleft’emtomeoutright，withtheidea，I

suppose，thattheymightbenefitmesomehow——Idon’tknow——I’mnotmuchuponsuchthings——"hereachedhishandtothetallglasshishosthadfilled。

"Acollectionofautographletters，eh？Anybignames？"

"Oh，onlyonename。They’reallletterswrittentohim——byoneperson，youunderstand；awoman，infact——"

"Oh，awoman，"saidFlamel，negligently。

Glennardwasnettledbyhisobviouslossofinterest。"Iratherthinkthey’dattractagooddealofnoticeiftheywerepublished。"

Flamelstilllookeduninterested。"Love—letters，Isuppose？"

"Oh，just——thelettersawomanwouldwritetoamansheknewwell。

Theyweretremendousfriends，heandshe。"

"Andshewroteacleverletter？"

"Clever？ItwasMargaretAubyn。"

Agreatsilencefilledtheroom。ItseemedtoGlennardthatthewordshadburstfromhimasbloodgushesfromawound。

"GreatScott!"saidFlamel，sittingup。"AcollectionofMargaretAubyn’sletters？DidyousayYOUhadthem？"

"Theywereleftme——bymyfriend。"

"Isee。Washe——well，nomatter。You’retobecongratulated，atanyrate。Whatareyougoingtodowiththem？"

Glennardstoodupwithasenseofwearinessinallhisbones。

"Oh，Idon’tknow。Ihaven’tthoughtmuchaboutit。Ijusthappenedtoseethatsomefellowwaswritingherlife——"

"Joslin；yes。Youdidn’tthinkofgivingthemtohim？"

GlennardhadloungedacrosstheroomandstoodstaringupatabronzeBacchuswhodroopedhisgarlandedheadabovethepedimentofanItaliancabinet。"WhatoughtItodo？You’rejustthefellowtoadviseme。"Hefeltthebloodinhischeekashespoke。

Flamelsatwithmeditativeeye。"WhatdoyouWANTtodowiththem？"heasked。

"Iwanttopublishthem，"saidGlennard，swingingroundwithsuddenenergy——"IfIcan——"

"Ifyoucan？They’reyours，yousay？"

"They’reminefastenough。There’snoonetoprevent——Imeantherearenorestrictions——"hewasarrestedbythesensethattheseaccumulatedproofsofimpunitymightpreciselystandasthestrongestcheckonhisaction。

"AndMrs。Aubynhadnofamily，Ibelieve？"

"No。"

"ThenIdon’tseewho’stointerfere，"saidFlamel，studyinghiscigar—tip。

GlennardhadturnedhisunseeingstareonanecstaticSaintCatherineframedintarnishedgilding。

"It’sjustthisway，"hebeganagain，withaneffort。"Whenlettersareaspersonalas——astheseofmyfriend’s……Well，Idon’tmindtellingyouthatthecashwouldmakeaheapofdifferencetome；suchalotthatitratherobscuresmyjudgment——

thefactisifIcouldlaymyhandonafewthousandsnowIcouldgetintoabigthing，andwithoutappreciablerisk；andI’dliketoknowwhetheryouthinkI’dbejustified——underthecircumstances……"Hepaused，withadrythroat。Itseemedtohimatthemomentthatitwouldbeimpossibleforhimevertosinklowerinhisownestimation。HewasintruthlessashamedofweighingthetemptationthanofsubmittinghisscruplestoamanlikeFlamel，andaffectingtoappealtosentimentsofdelicacyontheabsenceofwhichhehadconsciouslyreckoned。Buthehadreachedapointwhereeachwordseemedtocompelanother，aseachwaveinastreamisforcedforwardbythepressurebehindit；andbeforeFlamelcouldspeakhehadfalteredout——"Youdon’tthinkpeoplecouldsay……couldcriticisetheman……"

"Buttheman’sdead，isn’the？"

"He’sdead——yes；butcanIassumetheresponsibilitywithout——"

Flamelhesitated；andalmostimmediatelyGlennard’sscruplesgavewaytoirritation。IfatthishourFlamelweretoaffectaninopportunereluctance——!

Theolderman’sanswerreassuredhim。"Whyneedyouassumeanyresponsibility？Yournamewon’tappear，ofcourse；andastoyourfriend’s，Idon’tseewhyhisshould，either。Hewasn’tacelebrityhimself，Isuppose？"

"No，no。"

"ThentheletterscanbeaddressedtoMr。Blank。Doesn’tthatmakeitallright？"

Glennard’shesitationrevived。"Forthepublic，yes。ButIdon’tseethatitaltersthecaseforme。Thequestionis，oughtItopublishthematall？"

"Ofcourseyououghtto。"Flamelspokewithinvigoratingemphasis。"Idoubtifyou’dbejustifiedinkeepingthemback。

AnythingofMargaretAubyn’sismoreorlesspublicpropertybythistime。She’stoogreatforanyoneofus。Iwasonlywonderinghowyoucouldusethemtothebestadvantage——toyourself，Imean。Howmanyarethere？"

"Oh，alot；perhapsahundred——Ihaven’tcounted。Theremaybemore……"

"Gad!Whatahaul!Whenweretheywritten？"

"Idon’tknow——thatis——theycorrespondedforyears。What’stheodds？"Hemovedtowardhishatwithavagueimpulseofflight。

"Itallcounts，"saidFlamel，imperturbably。"Alongcorrespondence——one，Imean，thatcoversagreatdealoftime——isobviouslyworthmorethanifthesamenumberoflettershadbeenwrittenwithinayear。Atanyrate，youwon’tgivethemtoJoslin？They’dfillabook，wouldn’tthey？"

"Isupposeso。Idon’tknowhowmuchittakestofillabook。"

"Notlove—letters，yousay？"

"Why？"flashedfromGlennard。

"Oh，nothing——onlythebigpublicissentimental，andiftheyWERE——why，youcouldgetanymoneyforMargaretAubyn’slove—

letters。"

Glennardwassilent。

"Arethelettersinterestinginthemselves？Imeanapartfromtheassociationwithhername？"

"I’mnojudge。"Glennardtookuphishatandthrusthimselfintohisovercoat。"IdaresayIsha’n’tdoanythingaboutit。And，Flamel——youwon’tmentionthistoanyone？"

"Lord，no。Well，Icongratulateyou。You’vegotabigthing。"

Flamelwassmilingathimfromthehearth。

Glennard，onthethreshold，forcedaresponsetothesmile，whilehequestionedwithloiteringindifference——"Financially，eh？"

"Rather；Ishouldsayso。"

Glennard’shandlingeredontheknob。"Howmuch——shouldyousay？

Youknowaboutsuchthings。"

"Oh，Ishouldhavetoseetheletters；butIshouldsay——well，ifyou’vegotenoughtofillabookandthey’refairlyreadable，andthebookisbroughtoutattherighttime——saytenthousanddownfromthepublisher，andpossiblyoneortwomoreinroyalties。Ifyougotthepublishersbiddingagainsteachotheryoumightdoevenbetter；butofcourseI’mtalkinginthedark。"

"Ofcourse，"saidGlennard，withsuddendizziness。HishandhadslippedfromtheknobandhestoodstaringdownattheexoticspiralsofthePersianrugbeneathhisfeet。

"I’dhavetoseetheletters，"Flamelrepeated。

"Ofcourse——you’dhavetoseethem……"Glennardstammered；

and，withoutturning，heflungoverhisshoulderaninarticulate"Good—by……"

V

Thelittlehouse，asGlennardstrolleduptoitbetweenthetrees，seemednomorethanagaytentpitchedagainstthesunshine。Ithadthecrispnessofafreshlystarchedsummergown，andthegeraniumsontheverandabloomedassimultaneouslyastheflowersinabonnet。Thegardenwasprosperingabsurdly。Seedtheyhadsownatrandom——amidlaughingcounter—chargesofincompetence——hadshotupinfragrantdefianceoftheirblunders。Hesmiledtoseetheclematisunfoldingitspunctualwingsabouttheporch。Thetinylawnwassmoothasashavencheek，andacrimsonramblermountedtothenursery—windowofababywhonevercried。Abreezeshooktheawningabovethetea—table，andhiswife，ashedrewnear，couldbeseenbendingaboveakettlethatwasjustabouttoboil。Sovividlydidthewholescenesuggestthepaintedblissofastagesetting，thatitwouldhavebeenhardlysurprisingtoseeherstepforwardamongtheflowersandtrillouthervirtuoushappinessfromtheveranda—rail。

Thestaleheatofthelongdayintown，thedustypromiscuityofthesuburbantrainwerenowbuttherequisitefoiltoaneveningofscentedbreezesandtranquiltalk。Theyhadbeenmarriedmorethanayear，andeachhome—comingstillreflectedthefreshnessoftheirfirstdaytogether。If，indeed，theirhappinesshadaflaw，itwasinresemblingtoocloselythebrightimpermanenceoftheirsurroundings。Theirloveasyetwasbutthegaytentofholiday—

makers。

Hiswifelookedupwithasmile。Thecountrylifesuitedher，andherbeautyhadgaineddepthfromastillnessinwhichcertainfacesmighthavegrownopaque。

"Areyouverytired？"sheasked，pouringhistea。

"Justenoughtoenjoythis。"Herosefromthechairinwhichhehadthrownhimselfandbentoverthetrayforhiscream。"You’vehadavisitor？"hecommented，noticingahalf—emptycupbesideherown。

"OnlyMr。Flamel，"shesaid，indifferently。

"Flamel？Again？"

Sheansweredwithoutshowofsurprise。"Heleftjustnow。HisyachtisdownatLaurelBayandheborrowedatrapoftheDreshamstodriveoverhere。"

Glennardmadenocomment，andshewenton，leaningherheadbackagainstthecushionsofherbamboo—seat，"HewantsustogoforasailwithhimnextSunday。"

Glennardmeditativelystirredhistea。Hewastryingtothinkofthemostnaturalandunartificialthingtosay，andhisvoiceseemedtocomefromtheoutside，asthoughhewerespeakingbehindamarionette。"Doyouwantto？"

"Justasyouplease，"shesaid，compliantly。Noaffectationofindifferencecouldhavebeenasbafflingashercompliance。

Glennard，oflate，wasbeginningtofeelthatthesurfacewhich，ayearago，hehadtakenforasheetofclearglass，might，afterall，beamirrorreflectingmerelyhisownconceptionofwhatlaybehindit。

"DoyoulikeFlamel？"hesuddenlyasked；towhich，stillengagedwithhertea，shereturnedthefeminineanswer——"Ithoughtyoudid。"

"Ido，ofcourse，"heagreed，vexedathisownincorrigibletendencytomagnifyFlamel’simportancebyhoveringaboutthetopic。"Asailwouldberatherjolly；let’sgo。"

Shemadenoreplyandhedrewforththerolled—upeveningpaperswhichhehadthrustintohispocketonleavingthetrain。Ashesmoothedthemouthisowncountenanceseemedtoundergothesameprocess。HeranhiseyedownthelistofstocksandFlamel’simportunatepersonalityrecededbehindtherowsoffigurespushingforwardintonoticelikesomanybearersofgoodnews。Glennard’sinvestmentswerefloweringlikehisgarden：thedryestsharesblossomedintodividends，andagoldenharvestawaitedhissickle。

Heglancedathiswifewiththetranquilairofthemanwhodigestsgoodluckasnaturallyasthedrygroundabsorbsashower。

"Thingsarelookinguncommonlywell。Ibelieveweshallbeabletogototownfortwoorthreemonthsnextwinterifwecanfindsomethingcheap。"

Shesmiledluxuriously：itwaspleasanttobeabletosay，withanairofbalancingrelativeadvantages，"Really，onthebaby’saccountIshallbealmostsorry；butifwedogo，there’sKateErskine’shouse……she’llletushaveitforalmostnothing……"

"Well，writeheraboutit，"herecommended，hiseyestravellingoninsearchoftheweatherreport。Hehadturnedtothewrongpage；

andsuddenlyalineofblackcharactersleaptoutathimasfromanambush。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读