"’MargaretAubyn’sLetters。’Twovolumes。Outto—day。Firsteditionoffivethousandsoldoutbeforeleavingthepress。

Secondeditionreadynextweek。THEBOOKOFTHEYEAR……"

Helookedupstupidly。Hiswifestillsatwithherheadthrownback，herpureprofiledetachedagainstthecushions。Shewassmilingalittleovertheprospecthislastwordshadopened。

Behindherheadshiversofsunandshaderanacrossthestripedawning。Arowofmaplesandaprivethedgehidtheirneighbor’sgables，givingthemundividedpossessionoftheirleafyhalf—acre；

andlife，amomentbefore，hadbeenliketheirplotofground，shutoff，hedgedinfromimportunities，impenetrablyhisandhers。

Nowitseemedtohimthateverymaple—leaf，everyprivet—bud，wasarelentlesshumangaze，pressingcloseupontheirprivacy。Itwasasthoughtheysatinabrightlylitroom，uncurtainedfromadarknessfullofhostilewatchers……Hiswifestillsmiled；

andherunconsciousnessofdangerseemed，insomehorribleway，toputherbeyondthereachofrescue……

Hehadnotknownthatitwouldbelikethis。Afterthefirstodiousweeks，spentinpreparingthelettersforpublication，insubmittingthemtoFlamel，andinnegotiatingwiththepublishers，thetransactionhaddroppedoutofhisconsciousnessintothatunvisitedlimbotowhichwerelegatethedeedswewouldrathernothavedonebuthavenonotionofundoing。FromthemomenthehadobtainedMissTrent’spromisenottosailwithheraunthehadtriedtoimaginehimselfirrevocablycommitted。Afterthat，heargued，hisfirstdutywastoher——shehadbecomehisconscience。

ThesumobtainedfromthepublishersbyFlamel’sadroitmanipulationsandopportunelytransferredtoDinslow’ssuccessfulventure，alreadyyieldedareturnwhich，combinedwithGlennard’sprofessionalearnings，tooktheedgeofcompulsionfromtheirwayofliving，makingitappeartheexpressionofagracefulpreferenceforsimplicity。Itwasthemitigatedpovertywhichcansubscribetoareviewortwoandhaveafewflowersonthedinner—

table。AndalreadyinasmallwayGlennardwasbeginningtofeelthemagneticqualityofprosperity。Clientswhohadpassedhisdoorinthehungrydayssoughtitoutnowthatitborethenameofasuccessfulman。Itwasunderstoodthatasmallinheritance，cleverlyinvested，wasthesourceofhisfortune；andtherewasafeelingthatamanwhocoulddosowellforhimselfwaslikelytoknowhowtoturnoverotherpeople’smoney。

Butitwasinthemoreintimaterewardofhiswife’shappinessthatGlennardtastedthefullflavorofsuccess。Comingoutofconditionssonarrowthatthoseheofferedherseemedspacious，shefittedintohernewlifewithoutanyofthosemanifesteffortsatadjustmentthatareassoretoahusband’sprideasthecriticalrearrangementofthebridalfurniture。Shehadgivenhim，instead，thedelicatepleasureofwatchingherexpandlikeasea—creaturerestoredtoitselement，stretchingouttheatrophiedtentaclesofgirlishvanityandenjoymenttotherisingtideofopportunity。Andsomehow——inthewindowlessinnercellofhisconsciousnesswhereself—criticismcowered——Glennard’scourseseemedjustifiedbyitsmerelymaterialsuccess。Howcouldsuchacropofinnocentblessednesshavesprungfromtaintedsoil？

Nowhehadtheinjuredsenseofamanentrappedintoadisadvantageousbargain。Hehadnotknownitwouldbelikethis；

andadullangergatheredathisheart。Angeragainstwhom？

Againsthiswife，fornotknowingwhathesuffered？AgainstFlamel，forbeingtheunconsciousinstrumentofhiswrong—doing？

Oragainstthatmutememorytowhichhisownacthadsuddenlygivenavoiceofaccusation？Yes，thatwasit；andhispunishmenthenceforthwouldbethepresence，theunescapablepresence，ofthewomanhehadsopersistentlyevaded。Shewouldalwaysbetherenow。Itwasasthoughhehadmarriedherinsteadoftheother。

Itwaswhatshehadalwayswanted——tobewithhim——andshehadgainedherpointatlast……

Hesprangup，asthoughinanimpulseofflight……Thesuddenmovementliftedhiswife’slids，andsheasked，intheincuriousvoiceofthewomanwhoselifeisenclosedinamagiccircleofprosperity——"Anynews？"

"No——none——"hesaid，rousedtoasenseofimmediateperil。Thepaperslayscatteredathisfeet——whatifsheweretoseethem？

Hestretchedhisarmtogatherthemup，buthisnextthoughtshowedhimthefutilityofsuchconcealment。Thesameadvertisementwouldappeareveryday，forweekstocome，ineverynewspaper；howcouldhepreventherseeingit？Hecouldnotalwaysbehidingthepapersfromher……Well，andwhatifshedidseeit？Itwouldsignifynothingtoher，thechanceswerethatshewouldneverevenreadthebook……Assheceasedtobeanelementoffearinhiscalculationsthedistancebetweenthemseemedtolessenandhetookheragain，asitwere，intothecircleofhisconjugalprotection……Yetamomentbeforehehadalmosthatedher!……Helaughedaloudathissenselessterrors……Hewasoffhisbalance，decidedly。

"Whatareyoulaughingat？"sheasked。

Heexplained，elaborately，thathewaslaughingattherecollectionofanoldwomaninthetrain，anoldwomanwithalotofbundles，whocouldn’tfindherticket……Butsomehow，inthetelling，thehumorofthestoryseemedtoevaporate，andhefelttheconventionalityofhersmile。Heglancedathiswatch，"Isn’tittimetodress？"

Sherosewithserenereluctance。"It’sapitytogoin。Thegardenlookssolovely。"

Theylingeredsidebyside，surveyingtheirdomain。Therewasnotspaceinit，atthishour，fortheshadowoftheelm—treeintheangleofthehedge；itcrossedthelawn，cuttheflower—borderintwo，andranupthesideofthehousetothenurserywindow。Shebenttoflickacaterpillarfromthehoney—suckle；then，astheyturnedindoors，"IfwemeantogoontheyachtnextSunday，"shesuggested，"oughtn’tyoutoletMr。Flamelknow？"

Glennard’sexasperationdeflectedsuddenly。"OfcourseIshalllethimknow。YoualwaysseemtoimplythatI’mgoingtodosomethingrudetoFlamel。"

Thewordsreverberatedthroughhersilence；shehadawayofthusleavingonespaceinwhichtocontemplateone’sfollyatarm’slength。Glennardturnedonhisheelandwentupstairs。Ashedroppedintoachairbeforehisdressing—tablehesaidtohimselfthatinthelasthourhehadsoundedthedepthsofhishumiliationandthatthelowestdregsofit，theverybottom—slime，wasthehatefulnecessityofhavingalways，aslongasthetwomenlived，tobeciviltoBartonFlamel。

VI

THEweekintownhadbeensultry，andthemen，intheSundayemancipationofwhiteflannelandduck，filledthedeck—chairsoftheyachtwiththeiroutstretchedapathy，following，throughamistofcigarette—smoke，theflittinginconsequencesofthewomen。

Thepartwasasmallone——Flamelhadfewintimatefriends——butcomposedofmoreheterogeneousatomsthanthelittlepoolsintowhichsocietyusuallyruns。ThereactionfromthechiefepisodeofhisearlierlifehadbredinGlennardanuneasydistasteforanykindofpersonalsaliency。Clevernesswasusefulinbusiness；

butinsocietyitseemedtohimasfutileastheshamcascadesformedbyastreamthatmighthavebeenusedtodriveamill。Helikedthecollectivepointofviewthatgoeswiththecivilizeduniformityofdress—clothes，andhiswife’sattitudeimpliedthesamepreference；yettheyfoundthemselvesslippingmoreandmoreintoFlamel’sintimacy。Alexahadonceortwicesaidthatsheenjoyedmeetingcleverpeople；butherenjoymenttookthenegativeformofasmilingreceptivity；andGlennardfeltagrowingpreferenceforthekindofpeoplewhohavetheirthinkingdoneforthembythecommunity。

Still，thedeckoftheyachtwasapleasantrefugefromtheheatonshore，andhiswife’sprofile，serenelyprojectedagainstthechangingblue，layonhisretinalikeacoolhandonthenerves。

Hehadneverbeenmoreimpressedbythekindofabsolutenessthatliftedherbeautyabovethetransienteffectsofotherwomen，makingthemostharmoniousfaceseemanaccidentalcollocationoffeatures。

Theladieswhodirectlysuggestedthiscomparisonwereofakindaccustomedtotakesimilarriskswithmoregratifyingresults。

Mrs。Armigerhadinfactlongbeenthetriumphantalternativeofthosewhocouldn’t"see"AlexaGlennard’slooks；andMrs。

Touchett’sclaimstoconsiderationwerefoundedonthatdistributionofeffectswhichisthewonderofthosewhoadmireahighlycultivatedcountry。ThethirdladyofthetriowhichGlennard’sfancyhadputtosuchunflatteringuses，wasboundbycircumstancestosupporttheclaimsoftheothertwo。ThiswasMrs。Dresham，thewifeoftheeditoroftheRadiator。Mrs。

Dreshamwasaladywhohadrescuedherselffromsocialobscuritybyassumingtheroleofherhusband’sexponentandinterpreter；

andDresham’sleisurebeingdevotedtothecultivationofremarkablewomen，hiswife’sattitudecommittedhertothepubliccelebrationoftheirremarkableness。Fortheconceivabletediumofthisduty，Mrs。DreshamwasrepaidbythefactthattherewerepeoplewhotookHERforaremarkablewoman；andwhointurnprobablypurchasedsimilardistinctionwiththesmallchangeofherreflectedimportance。Astotheotherladiesoftheparty，theyweresimplythewivesofsomeofthemen——thekindofwomenwhoexpecttobetalkedtocollectivelyandtohavetheirquestionsleftunanswered。

Mrs。Armiger，thelatestembodimentofDresham’sinstinctfortheremarkable，wasaninnocentbeautywhoforyearshaddistilleddulnessamongasetofpeoplenowself—condemnedbytheirinabilitytoappreciateher。UnderDresham’stutelageshehaddevelopedintoa"thoughtfulwoman，"whoreadhisleadersintheRadiatorandboughtthebooksherecommended。Whenanewnovelappeared，peoplewantedtoknowwhatMrs。Armigerthoughtofit；

andayounggentlemanwhohadmadeatripinTourainehadrecentlyinscribedtoherthewide—marginedresultofhisexplorations。

Glennard，leaningbackwithhisheadagainsttherailandaslitoffugitivebluebetweenhishalf—closedlids，vaguelywishedshewouldn’tspoiltheafternoonbymakingpeopletalk；thoughhereducedhisannoyancetotheminimumbynotlisteningtowhatwassaid，thereremainedalatentirritationagainstthegeneralfutilityofwords。

Hiswife’sgiftofsilenceseemedtohimthemostvividcommentaryontheclumsinessofspeechasameansofintercourse，andhiseyeshadturnedtoherinrenewedappreciationofthisfinerfacultywhenMrs。Armiger’svoiceabruptlybroughthometohimtheunderratedpotentialitiesoflanguage。

"You’vereadthem，ofcourse，Mrs。Glennard？"heheardherask；

and，inreplytoAlexa’svagueinterrogation——"Why，the’AubynLetters’——it’stheonlybookpeoplearetalkingofthisweek。"

Mrs。Dreshamimmediatelysawheradvantage。"YouHAVEN’Treadthem？Howveryextraordinary!AsMrs。Armigersays，thebook’sintheair；onebreathesitinliketheinfluenza。"

Glennardsatmotionless，watchinghiswife。

"Perhapsithasn’treachedthesuburbsyet，"shesaid，withherunruffledsmile。

"Oh，DOletmecometoyou，then!"Mrs。Touchettcried；"anythingforachangeofair!I’mpositivelysickofthebookandIcan’tputitdown。Can’tyousailusbeyonditsreach，Mr。Flamel？"

Flamelshookhishead。"Notevenwiththisbreeze。Literaturetravelsfasterthansteamnowadays。Andtheworstofitisthatwecan’tanyofusgiveupreading；it’sasinsidiousasaviceandastiresomeasavirtue。"

"IbelieveitISavice，almost，toreadsuchabookasthe’Letters，’"saidMrs。Touchett。"It’sthewoman’ssoul，absolutelytornupbytheroots——herwholeselflaidbare；andtoamanwhoevidentlydidn’tcare；whocouldn’thavecared。Idon’tmeantoreadanotherline；it’stoomuchlikelisteningatakeyhole。"

"Butifshewanteditpublished？"

"Wantedit？Howdoweknowshedid？"

"Why，Iheardshe’dlefttheletterstotheman——whoeverheis——

withdirectionsthattheyshouldbepublishedafterhisdeath——"

"Idon’tbelieveit，"Mrs。Touchettdeclared。

"He’sdeadthen，ishe？"oneofthemenasked。

"Why，youdon’tsupposeifhewerealivehecouldeverholduphisheadagain，withtheselettersbeingreadbyeverybody？"Mrs。

Touchettprotested。"Itmusthavebeenhorribleenoughtoknowthey’dbeenwrittentohim；buttopublishthem!Nomancouldhavedoneitandnowomancouldhavetoldhimto——"

"Oh，come，come，"Dreshamjudiciallyinterposed；"afterall，they’renotlove—letters。"

"No——that’stheworstofit；they’reunlovedletters，"Mrs。

Touchettretorted。

"Then，obviously，sheneedn’thavewrittenthem；whereastheman，poordevil，couldhardlyhelpreceivingthem。"

"Perhapshecountedonthepublictosavehimthetroubleofreadingthem，"saidyoungHartly，whowasinthecynicalstage。

Mrs。ArmigerturnedherreproachfullovelinesstoDresham。"Fromthewayyoudefendhim，Ibelieveyouknowwhoheis。"

EveryonelookedatDresham，andhiswifesmiledwiththesuperiorairofthewomanwhoisinherhusband’sprofessionalsecrets。

Dreshamshruggedhisshoulders。

"WhathaveIsaidtodefendhim？"

"Youcalledhimapoordevil——youpitiedhim。"

"AmanwhocouldletMargaretAubynwritetohiminthatway？OfcourseIpityhim。"

"ThenyouMUSTknowwhoheis，"criedMrs。Armiger，withatriumphantairofpenetration。

HartlyandFlamellaughedandDreshamshookhishead。"Nooneknows；noteventhepublishers；sotheytellmeatleast。"

"Sotheytellyoutotellus，"Hartlyastutelyamended；andMrs。

Armigeradded，withtheappearanceofcarryingtheargumentapointfarther，"ButevenifHE’SdeadandSHE’Sdead，somebodymusthavegiventheletterstothepublishers。"

"Alittlebird，probably，"saidDresham，smilingindulgentlyonherdeduction。

"Alittlebirdofpreythen——avulture，Ishouldsay——"anothermaninterpolated。

"Oh，I’mnotwithyouthere，"saidDresham，easily。"Thoselettersbelongedtothepublic。"

"Howcananylettersbelongtothepublicthatweren’twrittentothepublic？"Mrs。Touchettinterposed。

"Well，thesewere，inasense。ApersonalityasbigasMargaretAubyn’sbelongstotheworld。Suchamindispartofthegeneralfundofthought。It’sthepenaltyofgreatness——onebecomesamonumenthistorique。Posteritypaysthecostofkeepingoneup，butonconditionthatoneisalwaysopentothepublic。"

"Idon’tseethatthatexoneratesthemanwhogivesupthekeysofthesanctuary，asitwere。"

"WhoWAShe？"anothervoiceinquired。

"Whowashe？Oh，nobody，Ifancy——theletter—box，theslitinthewallthroughwhichtheletterspassedtoposterity……"

"Butshenevermeantthemforposterity!"

"Awomanshouldn’twritesuchlettersifshedoesn’tmeanthemtobepublished……"

"Sheshouldn’twritethemtosuchaman!"Mrs。Touchettscornfullycorrected。

"Ineverkeepletters，"saidMrs。Armiger，undertheobviousimpressionthatshewascontributingavaluablepointtothediscussion。

Therewasagenerallaugh，andFlamel，whohadnotspoken，said，lazily，"Youwomenaretooincurablysubjective。Iventuretosaythatmostmenwouldseeinthoselettersmerelytheirimmenseliteraryvalue，theirsignificanceasdocuments。Thepersonalsidedoesn’tcountwherethere’ssomuchelse。"

"Oh，weallknowyouhaven’tanyprinciples，"Mrs。Armigerdeclared；andAlexaGlennard，liftinganindolentsmile，said："I

shallneverwriteyoualove—letter，Mr。Flamel。"

Glennardmovedawayimpatiently。Suchtalkwasastediousasthebuzzingofgnats。Hewonderedwhyhiswifehadwantedtodraghimonsuchasenselessexpedition……HehatedFlamel’scrowd——

andwhatbusinesshadFlamelhimselftointerfereinthatway，standingupforthepublicationofthelettersasthoughGlennardneededhisdefence？……

GlennardturnedhisheadandsawthatFlamelhaddrawnaseattoAlexa’selbowandwasspeakingtoherinalowtone。Theothergroupshadscattered，strayingintwosalongthedeck。ItcameoverGlennardthatheshouldneveragainbeabletoseeFlamelspeakingtohiswifewithoutthesenseofsickmistrustthatnowloosenedhisjoints……

Alexa，thenextmorning，overtheirearlybreakfast，surprisedherhusbandbyanunexpectedrequest。

"Willyoubringmethoselettersfromtown？"sheasked。

"Whatletters？"hesaid，puttingdownhiscup。Hefelthimselfashelplesslyvulnerableasamanwhoislungedatinthedark。

"Mrs。Aubyn’s。Thebooktheywerealltalkingaboutyesterday。"

Glennard，carefullymeasuringhissecondcupoftea，said，withdeliberation，"Ididn’tknowyoucaredaboutthatsortofthing。"

Shewas，infact，notagreatreader，andanewbookseldomreachedhertillitwas，sotospeak，onthehomestretch；butshereplied，withagentletenacity，"IthinkitwouldinterestmebecauseIreadherlifelastyear。"

"Herlife？Wheredidyougetthat？"

"Someonelentittomewhenitcameout——Mr。Flamel，Ithink。"

Hisfirstimpulsewastoexclaim，"WhythedevildoyouborrowbooksofFlamel？Icanbuyyouallyouwant——"buthefelthimselfirresistiblyforcedintoanattitudeofsmilingcompliance。"Flamelalwayshasthenewestbooksgoing，hasn’the？

Youmustbecareful，bytheway，aboutreturningwhathelendsyou。He’srathercrotchetyabouthislibrary。"

"Oh，I’malwaysverycareful，"shesaid，withatouchofcompetencethatstruckhim；andsheadded，ashecaughtuphishat："Don’tforgettheletters。"

Whyhadsheaskedforthebook？WashersuddenwishtoseeittheresultofsomehintofFlamel’s？ThethoughtturnedGlennardsick，buthepreservedsufficientluciditytotellhimself，amomentlater，thathislasthopeofself—controlwouldbelostifheyieldedtothetemptationofseeingahiddenpurposeineverythingshesaidanddid。HowmuchFlamelguessed，hehadnomeansofdivining；norcouldhepredicate，fromwhatheknewoftheman，towhatusehisinferencesmightbeput。TheveryqualitiesthathadmadeFlamelausefuladvisermadehimthemostdangerousofaccomplices。Glennardfelthimselfagropeamongalienforcesthathisownacthadsetinmotion……

Alexawasawomanoffewrequirements；butherwishes，evenintrifles，hadadefinitenessthatdistinguishedthemfromthefluidimpulsesofherkind。Heknewthat，havingonceaskedforthebook，shewouldnotforgetit；andheputaside，asanineffectualexpedient，hismomentaryideaofapplyingforitatthecirculatinglibraryandtellingherthatallthecopieswereout。

Ifthebookwastobeboughtithadbetterbeboughtatonce。Helefthisofficeearlierthanusualandturnedinatthefirstbook—shoponhiswaytothetrain。Theshow—windowwasstackedwithconspicuouslyletteredvolumes。"MargaretAubyn"flashedbackathiminendlessrepetition。Heplungedintotheshopandcameonacounterwherethenamereiterateditselfonrowafterrowofbindings。Itseemedtohavedriventherestofliteraturetothebackshelves。Hecaughtupacopy，tossingthemoneytoanastonishedclerkwhopursuedhimtothedoorwiththeunheededoffertowrapupthevolumes。

Inthestreethewasseizedwithasuddenapprehension。WhatifheweretomeetFlamel？Thethoughtwasintolerable。Hecalledacabanddrovestraighttothestationwhere，amidthepalm—leaffansofaperspiringcrowd，hewaitedalonghalf—hourforhistraintostart。

Hehadthrustavolumeineitherpocketandinthetrainhedarednotdrawthemout；butthedetestedwordsleapedathimfromthefoldsoftheeveningpaper。TheairseemedfullofMargaretAubyn’sname。Themotionofthetrainsetitdancingupanddownonthepageofamagazinethatamaninfrontofhimwasreading……

AtthedoorhewastoldthatMrs。Glennardwasstillout，andhewentupstairstohisroomanddraggedthebooksfromhispocket。

Theylayonthetablebeforehimlikelivethingsthathefearedtotouch……Atlengthheopenedthefirstvolume。Afamiliarlettersprangoutathim，eachwordquickenedbyitsglaringgarboftype。Thelittlebrokenphrasesfledacrossthepagelikewoundedanimalsintheopen……Itwasahorriblesight……

Abattueofhelplessthingsdrivensavagelyoutofshelter。Hehadnotknownitwouldbelikethis……

Heunderstoodnowthat，atthemomentofsellingtheletters，hehadviewedthetransactionsolelyasitaffectedhimself：asanunfortunateblemishonanotherwisepresentablerecord。HehadscarcelyconsideredtheactinrelationtoMargaretAubyn；fordeath，ifithallows，alsomakesinnocuous。Glennard’sGodwasagodoftheliving，oftheimmediate，theactual，thetangible；allhisdayshehadlivedinthepresenceofthatgod，heedlessofthedivinitieswho，belowthesurfaceofourdeedsandpassions，silentlyforgethefatalweaponsofthedead。

VII

Aknockrousedhimandlookinguphesawhiswife。Hemetherglanceinsilence，andshefalteredout，"Areyouill？"

Thewordsrestoredhisself—possession。"Ill？Ofcoursenot。

TheytoldmeyouwereoutandIcameupstairs。"

Thebookslaybetweenthemonthetable；hewonderedwhenshewouldseethem。Shelingeredtentativelyonthethreshold，withtheairofleavinghisexplanationonhishands。Shewasnotthekindofwomanwhocouldbecountedontofortifyanexcusebyappearingtodisputeit。

"Wherehaveyoubeen？"Glennardasked，movingforwardsothatheobstructedhervisionofthebooks。

"IwalkedovertotheDreshamsfortea。"

"Ican’tthinkwhatyouseeinthosepeople，"hesaidwithashrug；adding，uncontrollably——"IsupposeFlamelwasthere？"

"No；heleftontheyachtthismorning。"

AnanswersoobstructingtothenaturalescapeofhisirritationleftGlennardwithnomomentaryresourcebutthatofstrollingimpatientlytothewindow。Ashereyesfollowedhimtheylitonthebooks。

"Ah，you’vebroughtthem!I’msoglad，"sheexclaimed。

Heansweredoverhisshoulder，"Forawomanwhoneverreadsyoumakethemostastoundingexceptions!"

Hersmilewasanexasperatingconcessiontotheprobabilitythatithadbeenhotintownorthatsomethinghadbotheredhim。

"Doyoumeanit’snotnicetowanttoreadthebook？"sheasked。

"Itwasnotnicetopublishit，certainly；butafterall，I’mnotresponsibleforthat，amI？"Shepaused，and，ashemadenoanswer，wenton，stillsmiling，"Idoreadsometimes，youknow；

andI’mveryfondofMargaretAubyn’sbooks。Iwasreading’PomegranateSeed’whenwefirstmet。Don’tyouremember？Itwasthenyoutoldmeallabouther。"

Glennardhadturnedbackintotheroomandstoodstaringathiswife。"Allabouther？"herepeated，andwiththewordsremembrancecametohim。HehadfoundMissTrentoneafternoonwiththenovelinherhand，andmovedbythelover’sfatuousimpulsetoassociatehimselfinsomewaywithwhateverfillsthemindofthebeloved，hadbrokenthroughhishabitualsilenceaboutthepast。RewardedbytheconsciousnessoffiguringimpressivelyinMissTrent’simaginationhehadgoneonfromoneanecdotetoanother，revivingdormantdetailsofhisoldHillbridgelife，andpasturinghisvanityontheeagernesswithwhichshereceivedhisreminiscencesofabeingalreadyclothedintheimpersonalityofgreatness。

Theincidenthadleftnotraceinhismind；butitsprangupnowlikeanoldenemy，themoredangerousforhavingbeenforgotten。

Theinstinctofself—preservation——sometimesthemostperilousthatmancanexercise——madehimawkwardlydeclare——"Oh，Iusedtoseeheratpeople’shouses，thatwasall；"andhersilenceasusualleavingroomforamultiplicationofblunders，headded，withincreasedindifference，"Isimplycan’tseewhatyoucanfindtointerestyouinsuchabook。"

Sheseemedtoconsiderthisintently。"You’vereadit，then？"

"Iglancedatit——Ineverreadsuchthings。"

"Isittruethatshedidn’twishtheletterstobepublished？"

Glennardfeltthesuddendizzinessofthemountaineeronanarrowledge，andwithitthesensethathewaslostifhelookedmorethanastepahead。

"I’msureIdon’tknow，"hesaid；then，summoningasmile，hepassedhishandthroughherarm。"Ididn’thaveteaattheDreshams，youknow；won’tyougivemesomenow？"hesuggested。

ThateveningGlennard，underpretextofworktobedone，shuthimselfintothesmallstudyopeningoffthedrawing—room。Ashegathereduphispapershesaidtohiswife："You’renotgoingtositindoorsonsuchanightasthis？I’lljoinyoupresentlyoutside。"

Butshehaddrawnherarmchairtothelamp。"Iwanttolookatmybook，"shesaid，takingupthefirstvolumeofthe"Letters。"

Glennard，withashrug，withdrewintothestudy。"I’mgoingtoshutthedoor；Iwanttobequiet，"heexplainedfromthethreshold；andshenoddedwithoutliftinghereyesfromthebook。

Hesankintoachair，staringaimlesslyattheoutspreadpapers。

Howwashetowork，whileontheothersideofthedoorshesatwiththatvolumeinherhand？Thedoordidnotshutherout——hesawherdistinctly，feltherclosetohiminacontactaspainfulasthepressureonabruise。

Thesensationwaspartofthegeneralstrangenessthatmadehimfeellikeamanwakingfromalongsleeptofindhimselfinanunknowncountryamongpeopleofalientongue。Weliveinourownsoulsasinanunmappedregion，afewacresofwhichwehaveclearedforourhabitation；whileofthenatureofthosenearestusweknowbuttheboundariesthatmarchwithours。Ofthepointsinhiswife’scharacternotindirectcontactwithhisown，Glennardnowdiscernedhisignorance；andthebafflingsenseofherremotenesswasintensifiedbythediscoverythat，inoneway，shewasclosertohimthaneverbefore。Asonemayliveforyearsinhappyunconsciousnessofthepossessionofasensitivenerve，hehadlivedbesidehiswifeunawarethatherindividualityhadbecomeapartofthetextureofhislife，ineradicableassomegrowthonavitalorgan；andhenowfelthimselfatonceincapableofforecastingherjudgmentandpowerlesstoevadeitseffects。

Toescape，thenextmorning，theconfidencesofthebreakfast—

table，hewenttotownearlierthanusual。Hiswife，whoreadslowly，wasgiventotalkingoverwhatsheread，andatpresenthisfirstobjectinlifewastopostponetheinevitablediscussionoftheletters。Thisinstinctofprotectionintheafternoon，onhiswayuptown，guidedhimtotheclubinsearchofamanwhomightbepersuadedtocomeouttothecountrytodine。TheonlymanintheclubwasFlamel。

Glennard，asheheardhimselfalmostinvoluntarilypressingFlameltocomeanddine，feltthefullironyofthesituation。TouseFlamelasashieldagainsthiswife’sscrutinywasonlyashadelesshumiliatingthantoreckononhiswifeasadefenceagainstFlamel。

Hefeltacontradictorymovementofannoyanceatthelatter’sreadyacceptance，andthetwomendroveinsilencetothestation。

Astheypassedthebookstallinthewaiting—roomFlamellingeredamomentandtheeyesofbothfellonMargaretAubyn’sname，conspicuouslydisplayedaboveacounterstackedwiththefamiliarvolumes。

"Weshallbelate，youknow，"Glennardremonstrated，pullingouthiswatch。

"Goahead，"saidFlamel，imperturbably。"Iwanttogetsomething——"

Glennardturnedonhisheelandwalkeddowntheplatform。Flamelrejoinedhimwithaninnocent—lookingmagazineinhishand；butGlennarddarednotevenglanceatthecover，lestitshouldshowthesyllableshefeared。

Thetrainwasfullofpeopletheyknew，andtheywerekeptaparttillitdroppedthematthelittlesuburbanstation。Astheystrolleduptheshadedhill，Glennardtalkedvolubly，pointingouttheimprovementsintheneighborhood，deploringthethreatenedapproachofanelectricrailway，andscreeninghimselfbyaseriesofreflexadjustmentsfromtheimminentriskofanyallusiontothe"Letters。"Flamelsufferedhisdiscoursewiththeblandinattentionthatweaccordtotheaffairsofsomeoneelse’ssuburb，andtheyreachedtheshelterofAlexa’stea—tablewithoutaperceptibleturntowardthedreadedtopic。

Thedinnerpassedoffsafely。Flamel，alwaysathisbestinAlexa’spresence，gaveherthekindofattentionwhichislikeabeaconinglightthrownonthespeaker’swords：hisanswersseemedtobringoutalatentsignificanceinherphrases，asthesculptordrawshisstatuefromtheblock。Glennard，underhiswife’scomposure，detectedasensibilitytothismanoeuvre，andthediscoverywaslikethelightning—flashacrossanocturnallandscape。Thusfarthesemomentaryilluminationshadservedonlytorevealthestrangenessoftheinterveningcountry：eachfreshobservationseemedtoincreasethesum—totalofhisignorance。

Hersimplicityofoutlinewasmorepuzzlingthanacomplexsurface。Onemayconceivablyworkone’swaythroughalabyrinth；

butAlexa’scandorwaslikeasnow—coveredplainwhere，theroadoncelost，therearenolandmarkstotravelby。

Dinnerover，theyreturnedtotheveranda，whereamoon，risingbehindtheoldelm，wascombiningwiththatcomplaisanttreearomanticenlargementoftheirborders。Glennardhadforgottenthecigars。Hewenttohisstudytofetchthem，andinpassingthroughthedrawing—roomhesawthesecondvolumeofthe"Letters"

lyingopenonhiswife’stable。Hepickedupthebookandlookedatthedateofthelettershehadbeenreading。Itwasoneofthelast……heknewthefewlinesbyheart。Hedroppedthebookandleanedagainstthewall。Whyhadheincludedthatoneamongtheothers？Orwasitpossiblethatnowtheywouldallseemlikethat……？

Alexa’svoicecamesuddenlyoutofthedusk。"MayTouchettwasright——itISlikelisteningatakey—hole。IwishIhadn’treadit!"

Flamelreturned，intheleisurelytoneofthemanwhosephrasesarepunctuatedbyacigarette，"Itseemssotous，perhaps；buttoanothergenerationthebookwillbeaclassic。"

"Thenitoughtnottohavebeenpublishedtillithadbecomeaclassic。It’shorrible，it’sdegradingalmost，toreadthesecretsofawomanonemighthaveknown。"Sheadded，inalowertone，"StephenDIDknowher——"

"Didhe？"camefromFlamel。

"Heknewherverywell，atHillbridge，yearsago。Thebookhasmadehimfeeldreadfully……hewouldn’treadit……hedidn’twantmetoreadit。Ididn’tunderstandatfirst，butnowIcanseehowhorriblydisloyalitmustseemtohim。It’ssomuchworsetosurpriseafriend’ssecretsthanastranger’s。"

"Oh，Glennard’ssuchasensitivechap，"Flamelsaid，easily；andAlexaalmostrebukinglyrejoined，"Ifyou’dknownherI’msureyou’dfeelashedoes……"

Glennardstoodmotionless，overcomebythesingularinfelicitywithwhichhehadcontrivedtoputFlamelinpossessionofthetwopointsmostdamagingtohiscase：thefactthathehadbeenafriendofMargaretAubyn’s，andthathehadconcealedfromAlexahisshareinthepublicationoftheletters。ToamanoflessthanFlamel’sastutenessitmustnowbecleartowhomtheletterswereaddressed；andthepossibilityoncesuggested，nothingcouldbeeasierthantoconfirmitbydiscreetresearch。Animpulseofself—accusaldroveGlennardtothewindow。WhynotanticipatebetrayalbytellinghiswifethetruthinFlamel’spresence？Ifthemanhadadropofdecentfeelinginhim，suchacoursewouldbethesurestmeansofsecuringhissilence；andaboveall，itwouldridGlennardofthenecessityofdefendinghimselfagainsttheperpetualcriticismofhiswife’sbeliefinhim……

Theimpulsewasstrongenoughtocarryhimtothewindow；butthereareactionofdefiancesetin。Whathadhedone，afterall，toneeddefenceandexplanation？BothDreshamandFlamelhad，inhishearing，declaredthepublicationoftheletterstobenotonlyjustifiablebutobligatory；andifthedisinterestednessofFlamel’sverdictmightbequestioned，Dresham’satleastrepresentedtheimpartialviewofthemanofletters。AstoAlexa’swords，theyweresimplytheconventionalutteranceofthe"nice"womanonaquestionalreadydecidedforherbyother"nice"

women。Shehadsaidtheproperthingasmechanicallyasshewouldhaveputontheappropriategownorwrittenthecorrectformofdinner—invitation。Glennardhadsmallfaithintheabstractjudgmentsoftheothersex；heknewthathalfthewomenwhowerehorrifiedbythepublicationofMrs。Aubyn’sletterswouldhavebetrayedhersecretswithoutascruple。

Thesuddenloweringofhisemotionalpitchbroughtaproportionaterelief。Hetoldhimselfthatnowtheworstwasoverandthingswouldfallintoperspectiveagain。HiswifeandFlamelhadturnedtoothertopics，andcomingoutontheveranda，hehandedthecigarstoFlamel，saying，cheerfully——andyethecouldhavesworntheywerethelastwordshemeanttoutter!——"Lookhere，oldman，beforeyougodowntoNewportyoumustcomeoutandspendafewdayswithus——mustn’the，Alexa？"

VIII

Glennardhad，perhapsunconsciously，countedonthecontinuanceofthiseasiermood。Hehadalwaystakenprideinacertainrobustnessoffibrethatenabledhimtohardenhimselfagainsttheinevitable，toconverthisfailuresintothebuildingmaterialsofsuccess。Thoughitdidnotevennowoccurtohimthatwhathecalledtheinevitablehadhithertobeenthealternativehehappenedtoprefer，hewasyetobscurelyawarethathispresentdifficultywasonenottobeconjuredbyanyaffectationofindifference。Somegriefsbuildthesoulaspacioushouse——butinthismiseryofGlennard’shecouldnotstandupright。Itpressedagainsthimateveryturn。Hetoldhimselfthatthiswasbecausetherewasnoescapefromthevisibleevidencesofhisact。The"Letters"confrontedhimeverywhere。Peoplewhohadneveropenedabookdiscussedthemwithcriticalreservations；tohavereadthemhadbecomeasocialobligationincirclestowhichliteratureneverpenetratesexceptinapersonalguise。

Glennarddidhimselfinjustice。itwasfromtheunexpecteddiscoveryofhisownpettinessthathechieflysuffered。Ourself—esteemisapttobebasedonthehypotheticalgreatactwehaveneverhadoccasiontoperform；andeventhemostself—

scrutinizingmodestycreditsitselfnegativelywithahighstandardofconduct。Glennardhadneverthoughthimselfahero；

buthehadbeencertainthathewasincapableofbaseness。Wealllikeourwrong—doingstohaveabecomingcut，tobemadetoorder，asitwere；andGlennardfoundhimselfsuddenlythrustintoagarbofdishonorsurelymeantforameanerfigure。

Theimmediateresultofhisfirstweeksofwretchednesswastheresolvetogototownforthewinter。Heknewthatsuchacoursewasjustbeyondthelimitofprudence；butitwaseasytoallaythefearsofAlexawho，scrupulouslyvigilantinthemanagementofthehousehold，preservedtheAmericanwife’susualaloofnessfromherhusband’sbusinesscares。Glennardfeltthathecouldnottrusthimselftoawinter’ssolitudewithher。Hehadanunspeakabledreadofherlearningthetruthabouttheletters，yetcouldnotbesureofsteelinghimselfagainstthesuicidalimpulseofavowal。Hisverysoulwasparchedforsympathy；hethirstedforavoiceofpityandcomprehension。Butwouldhiswifepity？

Wouldsheunderstand？Againhefoundhimselfbroughtupabruptlyagainsthisincredibleignoranceofhernature。Thefactthatheknewwellenoughhowshewouldbehaveintheordinaryemergenciesoflife，thathecouldcount，insuchcontingencies，onthekindofhighcourageanddirectnesshehadalwaysdivinedinher，madehimthemorehopelessofherenteringintothetorturouspsychologyofanactthathehimselfcouldnolongerexplainorunderstand。Itwouldhavebeeneasierhadshebeenmorecomplex，morefeminine——ifhecouldhavecountedonherimaginativesympathyorhermoralobtuseness——buthewassureofneither。Hewassureofnothingbutthat，foratime，hemustavoidher。

Glennardcouldnotridhimselfofthedelusionthatbyandbyhisactionwouldceasetomakeitsconsequencesfelt。Hewouldnothavecaredtoowntohimselfthathecountedonthedullingofhissensibilities：hepreferredtoindulgethevaguehypothesisthatextraneouscircumstanceswouldsomehoweffacetheblotuponhisconscience。Inhisworstmomentsofself—abasementhetriedtofindsolaceinthethoughtthatFlamelhadsanctionedhiscourse。

Flamel，attheoutset，musthaveguessedtowhomtheletterswereaddressed；yetneitherthennorafterwardhadhehesitatedtoadvisetheirpublication。ThisthoughtdrewGlennardtohiminfitfulimpulsesoffriendliness，fromeachofwhichtherewasasharperreactionofdistrustandaversion。WhenFlamelwasnotatthehouse，hemissedthesupportofhistacitconnivance；whenhewasthere，hispresenceseemedtheassertionofanintolerableclaim。

EarlyinthewintertheGlennardstookpossessionofthelittlehousethatwastocostthemalmostnothing。ThechangebroughtGlennardtheimmediatereliefofseeinglessofhiswife，andofbeingprotected，inherpresence，bythemultipliedpreoccupationsoftownlife。Alexa，whocouldneverappearhurried，showedthesmilingabstractionofaprettywomantowhomthesocialsideofmarriedlifehasnotlostitsnovelty。Glennard，withtherecklessnessofamanfreshfromhisfirstfinancialimprudence，encouragedherinsuchlittleextravagancesashergoodsenseatfirstresisted。Sincetheyhadcometotown，heargued，theymightaswellenjoythemselves。Hetookasympatheticviewofthenecessityofnewgowns，hegaveherasetoffursatChristmas，andbeforetheNewYeartheyhadagreedontheobligationofaddingaparlour—maidtotheirsmallestablishment。

ProvidencetheverynextdayhastenedtojustifythismeasurebyplacingonGlennard’sbreakfast—plateanenvelopebearingthenameofthepublisherstowhomhehadsoldMrs。Aubyn’sletters。Ithappenedtobetheonlylettertheearlyposthadbrought，andheglancedacrossthetableathiswife，whohadcomedownbeforehimandhadprobablylaidtheenvelopeonhisplate。Shewasnotthewomantoaskawkwardquestions，buthefelttheconjectureofherglance，andhewasdebatingwhethertoaffectsurpriseatthereceiptoftheletter，ortopassitoffasabusinesscommunicationthathadstrayedtohishouse，whenacheckfellfromtheenvelope。Itwastheroyaltyonthefirsteditionoftheletters。Hisfirstfeelingwasoneofsimplesatisfaction。Themoneyhadcomewithsuchinfernalopportunenessthathecouldnothelpwelcomingit。Beforelong，too，therewouldbemore；heknewthebookwasstillsellingfarbeyondthepublisher’sprevisions。

Heputthecheckinhispocketandlefttheroomwithoutlookingathiswife。

Onthewaytohisofficethehabitualreactionsetin。Themoneyhehadreceivedwasthefirsttangiblereminderthathewaslivingonthesaleofhisself—esteem。Thethoughtofmaterialbenefithadbeenovershadowedbyhissenseoftheintrinsicbasenessofmakingthelettersknown；nowhesawwhatanelementofsordidnessitaddedtothesituationandhowthefactthatheneededthemoney，andmustuseit，pledgedhimmoreirrevocablythanevertotheconsequencesofhisact。Itseemedtohim，inthatfirsthourofmisery，thathehadbetrayedhisfriendanew。

When，thatafternoon，hereachedhomeearlierthanusual，Alexa’sdrawing—roomwasfullofagayetythatoverflowedtothestairs。

Flamel，forawonder，wasnotthere；butDreshamandyoungHartly，groupedaboutthetea—table，werereceivingwithresonantmirthanarrativedeliveredintheflutteredstaccatothatmadeMrs。

Armiger’sconversationliketheejaculationsofastartledaviary。

ShepausedasGlennardentered，andhehadtimetonoticethathiswife，whowasbusiedaboutthetea—tray，hadnotjoinedinthelaughterofthemen。

"Oh，goon，goon，"youngHartlyrapturouslygroaned；andMrs。

ArmigermetGlennard’sinquirywiththedeprecatingcrythatreallyshedidn’tseewhattherewastolaughat。"I’msureI

feelmorelikecrying。Idon’tknowwhatIshouldhavedoneifAlexahadn’tbeenhometogivemeacupoftea。Mynervesareinshreds——yes，another，dear，please——"andasGlennardlookedhisperplexity，shewenton，afterponderingontheselectionofasecondlumpofsugar，"Why，I’vejustcomefromthereading，youknow——thereadingattheWaldorf。"

"Ihaven’tbeenintownlongenoughtoknowanything，"saidGlennard，takingthecuphiswifehandedhim。"Whohasbeenreadingwhat？"

"ThatlovelygirlfromtheSouth——Georgie——Georgiewhat’shername——Mrs。Dresham’sprotegee——unlessshe’sYOURS，Mr。Dresham!

Why，thebigball—roomwasPACKED，andallthewomenwerecryinglikeidiots——itwasthemostharrowingthingIeverheard——"

"WhatDIDyouhear？"Glennardasked；andhiswifeinterposed：

"Won’tyouhaveanotherbitofcake，Julia？Or，Stephen，ringforsomehottoast，please。"Hertonebetrayedapolitesatietyofthetopicunderdiscussion。Glennardturnedtothebell，butMrs。

Armigerpursuedhimwithherlovelyamazement。

"Why，the"AubynLetters"——didn’tyouknowaboutit？Thegirlreadthemsobeautifullythatitwasquitehorrible——Ishouldhavefaintedifthere’dbeenamannearenoughtocarrymeout。"

Hartly’sgleeredoubled，andDreshamsaid，jovially，"Howlikeyouwomentoraiseashriekoverthebookandthendoallyoucantoencouragetheblatantpublicityofthereadings!"

Mrs。Armigermethimmorethanhalf—wayonatorrentofself—

accusal。"ItWAShorrid；itwasdisgraceful。Itoldyourwifeweoughtalltobeashamedofourselvesforgoing，andIthinkAlexawasquiterighttorefusetotakeanytickets——evenifitwasforacharity。"

"Oh，"herhostessmurmured，indifferently，"withmecharitybeginsathome。Ican’taffordemotionalluxuries。"

"Acharity？Acharity？"Hartlyexulted。"Ihadn’tseizedthefullbeautyofit。ReadingpoorMargaretAubyn’slove—lettersattheWaldorfbeforefivehundredpeopleforacharity!WHAT

charity，dearMrs。Armiger？"

"Why，theHomeforFriendlessWomen——"

"Itwaswellchosen，"Dreshamcommented；andHartlyburiedhismirthinthesofa—cushions。

WhentheywerealoneGlennard，stillholdinghisuntouchedcupoftea，turnedtohiswife，whosatsilentlybehindthekettle。"Whoaskedyoutotakeaticketforthatreading？"

"Idon’tknow，really——KateDresham，Ifancy。Itwasshewhogotitup。"

"It’sjustthesortofdamnablevulgarityshe’scapableof!It’sloathsome——it’smonstrous——"

Hiswife，withoutlookingup，answeredgravely，"Ithoughtsotoo。

ItwasforthatreasonIdidn’tgo。ButyoumustrememberthatveryfewpeoplefeelaboutMrs。Aubynasyoudo——"

Glennardmanagedtosetdownhiscupwithasteadyhand，buttheroomswungroundwithhimandhedroppedintothenearestchair。

"AsIdo？"herepeated。

"ImeanthatveryfewpeopleknewherwhenshelivedinNewYork。

Tomostofthewomenwhowenttothereadingshewasamerename，tooremotetohaveanypersonality。Withme，ofcourse，itwasdifferent——"

Glennardgaveherastartledlook。"Different？Whydifferent？"

"Sinceyouwereherfriend——"

"Herfriend!"Hestoodupimpatiently。"Youspeakasifshehadhadonlyone——themostfamouswomanofherday!"Hemovedvaguelyabouttheroom，bendingdowntolookatsomebooksonthetable。

"Ihope，"headded，"youdidn’tgivethatasareason，bytheway？"

"Areason？"

"Fornotgoing。Awomanwhogivesreasonsforgettingoutofsocialobligationsissuretomakeherselfunpopularorridiculous。

Thewordswereuncalculated；butinaninstanthesawthattheyhadstrangelybridgedthedistancebetweenhiswifeandhimself。

Hefelthercloseonhim，likeapantingfoe；andheranswerwasaflashthatshowedthehandonthetrigger。

"Iseem，"shesaidfromthethreshold，"tohavedonebothingivingmyreasontoyou。"

ThefactthattheywerediningoutthateveningmadeiteasyforhimtoavoidAlexatillshecamedownstairsinheropera—cloak。

Mrs。Touchett，whowasgoingtothesamedinner，hadofferedtocallforher，andGlennard，refusingaprecariousseatbetweentheladies’draperies，followedonfoot。Theeveningwasinterminable。ThereadingattheWaldorf，atwhichallthewomenhadbeenpresent，hadrevivedthediscussionofthe"AubynLetters"andGlennard，hearinghiswifequestionedastoherabsence，felthimselfmiserablywishingthatshehadgone，ratherthanthatherstayingawayshouldhavebeenremarked。Hewasrapidlylosingallsenseofproportionwherethe"Letters"wereconcerned。Hecouldnolongerhearthemmentionedwithoutsuspectingapurposeintheallusion；heevenyieldedhimselfforamomenttotheextravaganceofimaginingthatMrs。Dresham，whomhedisliked，hadorganizedthereadinginthehopeofmakinghimbetrayhimself——forhewasalreadysurethatDreshamhaddivinedhisshareinthetransaction。

Theattempttokeepasmoothsurfaceonthisinnertumultwasasendlessandunavailingaseffortsmadeinanightmare。Helostallsenseofwhathewassayingtohisneighborsandoncewhenhelookeduphiswife’sglancestruckhimcold。

Shesatnearlyoppositehim，atFlamel’sside，anditappearedtoGlennardthattheyhadbuiltaboutthemselvesoneofthoseairybarriersoftalkbehindwhichtwopeoplecansaywhattheyplease。

Whilethereadingwasdiscussedtheyweresilent。TheirsilenceseemedtoGlennardalmostcynical——itstrippedthelastdisguisefromtheircomplicity。Athrobofangerroseinhim，butsuddenlyitfell，andhefelt，withacurioussenseofrelief，thatatbottomhenolongercaredwhetherFlamelhadtoldhiswifeornot。

TheassumptionthatFlamelknewaboutthelettershadbecomeafacttoGlennard；anditnowseemedtohimbetterthatAlexashouldknowtoo。

Hewasfrightenedatfirstbythediscoveryofhisownindifference。Thelastbarriersofhiswillseemedtobebreakingdownbeforeafloodofmorallassitude。Howcouldhecontinuetoplayhispart，tokeephisfronttotheenemy，withthispoisonofindifferencestealingthroughhisveins？Hetriedtobracehimselfwiththeremembranceofhiswife’sscorn。Hehadnotforgottenthenoteonwhichtheirconversationhadclosed。Ifhehadeverwonderedhowshewouldreceivethetruthhewonderednolonger——shewoulddespisehim。Butthislentanewinsidiousnesstohistemptation，sincehercontemptwouldbearefugefromhisown。Hesaidtohimselfthat，sincehenolongercaredfortheconsequences，hecouldatleastacquithimselfofspeakinginself—defence。Whathewantednowwasnotimmunitybutcastigation：hiswife’sindignationmightstillreconcilehimtohimself。Thereinlayhisonehopeofregeneration；herscornwasthemoralantisepticthatheneeded，hercomprehensiontheonebalmthatcouldhealhim……

Whentheyleftthedinnerhewassoafraidofspeakingthatheletherdrivehomealone，andwenttotheclubwithFlamel。

IX

HErosenextmorningwiththeresolvetoknowwhatAlexathoughtofhim。Itwasnotanchoringinahaven，butlyingtoinastorm——

hefelttheneedofatemporarylullintheturmoilofhissensations。

Hecamehomelate，fortheywerediningaloneandheknewthattheywouldhavetheeveningtogether。Whenhefollowedhertothedrawing—roomafterdinnerhethoughthimselfonthepointofspeaking；butasshehandedhimhiscoffeehesaid，involuntarily：

"Ishallhavetocarrythisofftothestudy，I’vegotalotofworkto—night。"

Aloneinthestudyhecursedhiscowardice。Whatwasitthathadwithheldhim？Acertainbrightunapproachablenessseemedtokeephimatarm’slength。Shewasnotthekindofwomanwhosecompassioncouldbecircumvented；therewasnochanceofslippingpasttheoutposts；hewouldnevertakeherbysurprise。Well——whynotfaceher，then？Whatheshrankfromcouldbenoworsethanwhathewasenduring。Hehadpushedbackhischairandturnedtogoupstairswhenanewexpedientpresenteditself。Whatif，insteadoftellingher，heweretoletherfindoutforherselfandwatchtheeffectofthediscoverybeforespeaking？Inthiswayhemadeovertochancetheburdenoftherevelation。

Theideahadbeensuggestedbythesightoftheformulaenclosingthepublisher’scheck。Hehaddepositedthemoney，butthenoticeaccompanyingitdroppedfromhisnote—caseasheclearedhistableforwork。ItwastheformulausualinsuchcasesandrevealedclearlyenoughthathewastherecipientofaroyaltyonMargaretAubyn’sletters。ItwouldbeimpossibleforAlexatoreaditwithoutunderstandingatoncethatthelettershadbeenwrittentohimandthathehadsoldthem……

Hesatdownstairstillheheardherringfortheparlor—maidtoputoutthelights；thenhewentuptothedrawing—roomwithabundleofpapersinhishand。Alexawasjustrisingfromherseatandthelamplightfellonthedeeprollofhairthatoverhungherbrowliketheeavesofatemple。Herfacehadoftenthehighsecludedlookofashrine；anditwasthistouchofaweinherbeautythatnowmadehimfeelhimselfonthebrinkofsacrilege。

Lestthefeelingshoulddominatehim，hespokeatonce。"I’vebroughtyouapieceofwork——alotofoldbillsandthingsthatI

wantyoutosortforme。Somearenotworthkeeping——butyou’llbeabletojudgeofthat。Theremaybealetterortwoamongthem——nothingofmuchaccount，butIdon’tliketothrowawaythewholelotwithouthavingthemlookedoverandIhaven’ttimetodoitmyself。"

Heheldoutthepapersandshetookthemwithasmilethatseemedtorecognizeintheserviceheaskedthetacitintentionofmakingamendsfortheincidentofthepreviousday。

"AreyousureIshallknowwhichtokeep？"

"Oh，quitesure，"heanswered，easily——"andbesides，noneareofmuchimportance。"

Thenextmorningheinventedanexcuseforleavingthehousewithoutseeingher，andwhenhereturned，justbeforedinner，hefoundavisitor’shatandstickinthehall。ThevisitorwasFlamel，whowasintheactoftakingleave。

Hehadrisen，butAlexaremainedseated；andtheirattitudegavetheimpressionofacolloquythathadprolongeditselfbeyondthelimitsofspeech。BothturnedasurprisedeyeonGlennardandhehadthesenseofwalkingintoaroomgrownsuddenlyempty，asthoughtheirthoughtswereconspiratorsdispersedbyhisapproach。

Hefelttheclutchofhisoldfear。WhatifhiswifehadalreadysortedthepapersandhadtoldFlamelofherdiscovery？Well，itwasnonewstoFlamelthatGlennardwasinreceiptofaroyaltyonthe"AubynLetters。"……

AsuddenresolvetoknowtheworstmadehimlifthiseyestohiswifeasthedoorclosedonFlamel。ButAlexahadrisenalso，andbendingoverherwriting—table，withherbacktoGlennard，wasbeginningtospeakprecipitately。

"I’mdiningoutto—night——youdon’tmindmydesertingyou？JuliaArmigersentmewordjustnowthatshehadanextraticketforthelastAmbroseconcert。Shetoldmetosayhowsorryshewasthatshehadn’ttwo——butIknewYOUwouldn’tbesorry!"SheendedwithalaughthathadtheeffectofbeingastrayedechoofMrs。

Armiger’s；andbeforeGlennardcouldspeakshehadadded，withherhandonthedoor，"Mr。FlamelstayedsolatethatI’vehardlytimetodress。Theconcertbeginsridiculouslyearly，andJuliadinesathalf—pastseven——"

Glennardstoodaloneintheemptyroomthatseemedsomehowfullofanironicalconsciousnessofwhatwashappening。"Shehatesme，"

hemurmured。"Shehatesme……"

ThenextdaywasSunday，andGlennardpurposelylingeredlateinhisroom。Whenhecamedownstairshiswifewasalreadyseatedatthebreakfast—table。Sheliftedherusualsmiletohisentranceandtheytookshelterinthenearesttopic，likewayfarersovertakenbyastorm。Whilehelistenedtoheraccountoftheconcerthebegantothinkthat，afterall，shehadnotyetsortedthepapers，andthatheragitationofthepreviousdaymustbeascribedtoanothercause，inwhichperhapshehadbutanindirectconcern。HewonderedithadneverbeforeoccurredtohimthatFlamelwasthekindofmanwhomightverywellpleaseawomanathisownexpense，withoutneedoffortuitousassistance。Ifthispossibilityclearedtheoutlookitdidnotbrightenit。Glennardmerelyfelthimselfleftalonewithhisbaseness。

Alexaleftthebreakfast—tablebeforehimandwhenhewentuptothedrawing—roomhefoundherdressedtogoout。

"Aren’tyoualittleearlyforchurch？"heasked。

Sherepliedthat，onthewaythere，shemeanttostopamomentathermother’s；andwhileshedrewonhergloves，hefumbledamongtheknick—knacksonthemantel—pieceforamatchtolighthiscigarette。

"Well，good—by，"shesaid，turningtogo；andfromthethresholdsheadded："Bytheway，I’vesortedthepapersyougaveme。ThosethatIthoughtyouwouldliketokeepareonyourstudy—table。"

Shewentdownstairsandheheardthedoorclosebehindher。

Shehadsortedthepapers——sheknew，then——sheMUSTknow——andshehadmadenosign!

Glennard，hehardlyknewhow，foundhimselfoncemoreinthestudy。Onthetablelaythepackethehadgivenher。Itwasmuchsmaller——shehadevidentlygoneoverthepaperswithcare，destroyingthegreaternumber。Heloosenedtheelasticbandandspreadtheremainingenvelopesonhisdesk。Thepublisher’snoticewasamongthem。

X

Hiswifeknewandshemadenosign。Glennardfoundhimselfinthecaseoftheseafarerwho，closinghiseyesatnightfallonascenehethinkstoputleaguesbehindhimbeforeday，wakestoaport—

holeframingthesamepatchofshore。Fromthekindofexaltationtowhichhisresolvehadliftedhimhedroppedtoanunreasoningapathy。Hisimpulseofconfessionhadactedasadrugtoself—

reproach。Hehadtriedtoshiftaportionofhisburdentohiswife’sshouldersandnowthatshehadtacitlyrefusedtocarryit，hefelttheloadtooheavytobetakenupagain。

Afortunateintervalofhardworkbroughtrespitefromthisphaseofsterilemisery。HewentWesttoargueanimportantcase，wonit，andcamebacktofreshpreoccupations。Hisownaffairswerethrivingenoughtoengrosshiminthepausesofhisprofessionalwork，andforovertwomonthshehadlittletimetolookhimselfintheface。Notunnaturally——forhewasasyetunskilledinthesubtletiesofintrospection——hemistookhistemporaryinsensibilityforagradualrevivalofmoralhealth。

Hetoldhimselfthathewasrecoveringhissenseofproportion，gettingtoseethingsintheirtruelight；andifhenowthoughtofhisrashappealtohiswife’ssympathyitwasasanactoffollyfromtheconsequencesofwhichhehadbeensavedbytheprovidencethatwatchesovermadmen。HehadlittleleisuretoobserveAlexa；butheconcludedthatthecommon—sensemomentarilydeniedhimhadcounselledheruncriticalacceptanceoftheinevitable。Ifsuchaqualitywasapoorsubstituteforthepassionatejustnessthathadonceseemedtocharacterizeher，heacceptedthealternativeasapartofthatgeneralloweringofthekeythatseemsneedfultothemaintenanceofthematrimonialduet。

Whatwomaneverretainedherabstractsenseofjusticewhereanotherwomanwasconcerned？PossiblythethoughtthathehadprofitedbyMrs。Aubyn’stendernesswasnotwhollydisagreeabletohiswife。

Whenthepressureofworkbegantolessen，andhefoundhimself，inthelengtheningafternoons，abletoreachhomesomewhatearlier，henoticedthatthelittledrawing—roomwasalwaysfullandthatheandhiswifeseldomhadaneveningalonetogether。

Whenhewastired，asoftenhappened，shewentoutalone；theideaofgivingupanengagementtoremainwithhimseemednottooccurtoher。Shehadshown，asagirl，littlefondnessforsociety，norhadsheseemedtoregretitduringtheyeartheyhadspentinthecountry。Hereflected，however，thathewassharingthecommonlotofhusbands，whoproverbiallymistaketheearlyardorsofhousekeepingforasignofsettleddomesticity。Alexa，atanyrate，wasrefutinghistheoryasinconsideratelyasaseedlingdefeatsthegardener’sexpectations。Anundefinablechangehadcomeoverher。Inonesenseitwasahappyone，sinceshehadgrown，ifnothandsomer，atleastmorevividandexpressive；herbeautyhadbecomemorecommunicable：itwasasthoughshehadlearnedtheconsciousexerciseofintuitiveattributesandnowusedhereffectswiththediscriminationofanartistskilledinvalues。Toadispassionatecritic（asGlennardnowratedhimself）

theartmayattimeshavebeenalittletooobvious。Herattemptsatlightnesslackedspontaneity，andshesometimesraspedhimbylaughinglikeJuliaArmiger；buthehadenoughimaginationtoperceivethat，inrespectofthewife’ssocialarts，ahusbandnecessarilyseesthewrongsideofthetapestry。

【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