Hefollowedher，shutthedoor——whichshesomehowhadhopedhewouldleaveopen——andplacingachairforher，satdown。TheconcernwhichGracefeltatthedevelopmentofthesecommonplaceincidentswas，ofcourse，mainlyowingtothestrangeeffectuponhernervesofthatviewofhiminthemirrorgazingatherwithopeneyeswhenshehadthoughthimsleeping，whichmadeherfancythathisslumbermighthavebeenafeintbasedoninexplicablereasons。
　　Sheagainprofferedthenotes；heawokefromlookingatherasatapieceoflivestatuary，andlisteneddeferentiallyasshesaid，“Willyouthenreconsider，andcancelthebondwhichpoorGrammerOliversofoolishlygave？”
　　“I’llcancelitwithoutreconsideration。Thoughyouwillallowmetohavemyownopinionaboutherfoolishness。Grammerisaverywisewoman，andshewasaswiseinthatasinotherthings。Youthinktherewassomethingveryfiendishinthecompact，doyounot，MissMelbury？Butrememberthatthemosteminentofoursurgeonsinpasttimeshaveenteredintosuchagreements。”
　　“Notfiendish——strange。”
　　“Yes，thatmaybe，sincestrangenessisnotinthenatureofathing，butinitsrelationtosomethingextrinsic——inthiscaseanunessentialobserver。”
　　Hewenttohisdesk，andsearchingawhilefoundapaper，whichbeunfoldedandbroughttoher。Athickcrossappearedininkatthebottom——evidentlyfromthehandofGrammer。Graceputthepaperinherpocketwithalookofmuchrelief。
　　AsFitzpiersdidnottakeupthemoneyhalfofwhichhadcomefromGrace’sownpurse，shepusheditalittlenearertohim。
　　“No，no。Ishallnottakeitfromtheoldwoman。”hesaid。“Itismorestrangethanthefactofasurgeonarrangingtoobtainasubjectfordissectionthatouracquaintanceshouldbeformedoutofit。”
　　“Iamafraidyouthinkmeuncivilinshowingmydisliketothenotion。ButIdidnotmeantobe。”
　　“Ohno，no。”Helookedather，ashehaddonebefore，withpuzzledinterest。“Icannotthink，Icannotthink。”hemurmured。
　　“Somethingbewildersmegreatly。”Hestillreflectedandhesitated。“LastnightIsatupverylate。”heatlastwenton，“andonthataccountIfellintoalittlenaponthatcouchabouthalfanhourago。AndduringmyfewminutesofunconsciousnessI
　　dreamed——whatdoyouthink？——thatyoustoodintheroom。”
　　Shouldshetell？Shemerelyblushed。
　　“Youmayimagine。”Fitzpierscontinued，nowpersuadedthatithad，indeed，beenadream，“thatIshouldnothavedreamedofyouwithoutconsiderablethinkingaboutyoufirst。”
　　Hecouldnotbeacting；ofthatshefeltassured。
　　“Ifanciedinmyvisionthatyoustoodthere。”hesaid，pointingtowhereshehadpaused。“Ididnotseeyoudirectly，butreflectedintheglass。Ithought，whatalovelycreature！Thedesignisforoncecarriedout。NaturehasatlastrecoveredherlostunionwiththeIdea！MythoughtsraninthatdirectionbecauseIhadbeenreadingtheworkofatranscendentalphilosopherlastnight；andIdaresayitwasthedoseofIdealismthatIreceivedfromitthatmademescarcelyabletodistinguishbetweenrealityandfancy。IalmostweptwhenIawoke，andfoundthatyouhadappearedtomeinTime，butnotinSpace，alas！”
　　AtmomentstherewassomethingtheatricalinthedeliveryofFitzpiers’seffusion；yetitwouldhavebeeninexacttosaythatitwasintrinsicallytheatrical。Itoftenhappensthatinsituationsofunrestraint，wherethereisnothoughtoftheeyeofcriticism，realfeelingglidesintoamodeofmanifestationnoteasilydistinguishablefromrodomontade。Aveneerofaffectationoverliesabulkoftruth，withtheevilconsequence，ifperceived，thatthesubstanceisestimatedbythesuperficies，andthewholerejected。
　　Grace，however，wasnospecialistinmen’smanners，andsheadmiredthesentimentwithoutthinkingoftheform。Andshewasembarrassed：“lovelycreature“madeexplanationawkwardtohergentlemodesty。
　　“Butcanitbe。”saidhe，suddenly，“thatyoureallywerehere？”
　　“IhavetoconfessthatIhavebeenintheroomoncebefore。”
　　falteredshe。“Thewomanshowedmein，andwentawaytofetchyou；butasshedidnotreturn，Ileft。”
　　“Andyousawmeasleep。”hemurmured，withthefaintestshowofhumiliation。
　　“Yes——IFyouwereasleep，anddidnotdeceiveme。”
　　“Whydoyousayif？”
　　“Isawyoureyesopenintheglass，butastheywereclosedwhenI
　　lookedrounduponyou，Ithoughtyouwereperhapsdeceivingme。
　　“Never。”saidFitzpiers，fervently——“nevercouldIdeceiveyou。”
　　Foreknowledgetothedistanceofayearorsoineitherofthemmighthavespoiledtheeffectofthatprettyspeech。Neverdeceiveher！Buttheyknewnothing，andthephrasehaditsday。
　　Gracebegannowtobeanxioustoterminatetheinterview，butthecompellingpowerofFitzpiers’satmospherestillheldherthere。
　　Shewaslikeaninexperiencedactresswho，havingatlasttakenupherpositionontheboards，andspokenherspeeches，doesnotknowhowtomoveoff。ThethoughtofGrammeroccurredtoher。“I’llgoatonceandtellpoorGrammerofyourgenerosity。”shesaid。
　　“Itwillrelieveheratonce。”
　　“Grammer’sanervousdisease，too——howsingular！”heanswered，accompanyinghertothedoor。“Onemoment；lookatthis——itissomethingwhichmayinterestyou。”
　　Hehadthrownopenthedoorontheothersideofthepassage，andshesawamicroscopeonthetableoftheconfrontingroom。“Lookintoit，please；you’llbeinterested。”herepeated。
　　Sheappliedhereye，andsawtheusualcircleoflightpatternedalloverwithacellulartissueofsomeindescribablesort。“Whatdoyouthinkthatis？”saidFitzpiers。
　　Shedidnotknow。
　　“That’safragmentofoldJohnSouth’sbrain，whichIaminvestigating。”
　　Shestartedback，notwithaversion，butwithwonderastohowitshouldhavegotthere。Fitzpierslaughed。
　　“HereamI。”hesaid，“endeavoringtocarryonsimultaneouslythestudyofphysiologyandtranscendentalphilosophy，thematerialworldandtheideal，soastodiscoverifpossibleapointofcontrastbetweenthem；andyourfinersenseisquiteoffended！”
　　“Ohno，Mr。Fitzpiers。”saidGrace，earnestly。“Itisnotsoatall。Iknowfromseeingyourlightatnighthowdeeplyyoumeditateandwork。Insteadofcondemningyouforyourstudies，I
　　admireyouverymuch！”
　　Herface，upturnedfromthemicroscope，wassosweet，sincere，andself-forgetfulinitsaspectthatthesusceptibleFitzpiersmorethanwishedtoannihilatethelinealyardwhichseparateditfromhisown。Whetheranythingofthekindshowedinhiseyesornot，Graceremainednolongeratthemicroscope，butquicklywentherwayintotherain。
　　CHAPTERXIX。
　　InsteadofresuminghisinvestigationofSouth’sbrain，whichperhapswasnotsointerestingunderthemicroscopeasmighthavebeenexpectedfromtheimportanceofthatorganinlife，Fitzpiersreclinedandruminatedontheinterview。Grace’scurioussusceptibilitytohispresence，thoughitwasasifthecurrentsofherlifeweredisturbedratherthanattractedbyhim，addedaspecialinteresttohergeneralcharm。Fitzpierswasinadistinctdegreescientific，beingreadyandzealoustointerrogateallphysicalmanifestations，butprimarilyhewasanidealist。Hebelievedthatbehindtheimperfectlaytheperfect；thatrarethingsweretobediscoveredamidabulkofcommonplace；thatresultsinanewanduntriedcasemightbedifferentfromthoseinothercaseswheretheconditionshadbeenpreciselysimilar。
　　Regardinghisownpersonalityasoneofunboundedpossibilities，becauseitwashisown——notwithstandingthatthefactorsofhislifehadworkedoutasorryproductforthousands——hesawnothingbutwhatwasregularinhisdiscoveryatHintockofanaltogetherexceptionalbeingoftheothersex，whofornobodyelsewouldhavehadanyexistence。
　　OnehabitofFitzpiers’s——commonerindreamersofmoreadvancedagethaninmenofhisyears——wasthatoftalkingtohimself。Hepacedroundhisroomwithaselectivetreaduponthemoreprominentbloomsofthecarpet，andmurmured，“ThisphenomenalgirlwillbethelightofmylifewhileIamatHintock；andthespecialbeautyofthesituationisthatourattitudeandrelationstoeachotherwillbepurelyspiritual。Sociallywecanneverbeintimate。Anythinglikematrimonialintentionstowardsher，charmingassheis，wouldbeabsurd。Theywouldspoiltheetherealcharacterofmyregard。And，indeed，Ihaveotheraimsonthepracticalsideofmylife。”
　　Fitzpiersbestowedaregulationthoughtontheadvantageousmarriagehewasboundtomakewithawomanoffamilyasgoodashisown，andofpursemuchlonger。Butasanobjectofcontemplationforthepresent，asobjectivespiritratherthancorporealpresence，GraceMelburywouldservetokeephissoulalive，andtorelievethemonotonyofhisdays。
　　Hisfirstnotion——acquiredfromthemeresightofherwithoutconverse——thatofanidleandvulgarflirtationwithatimber-
　　merchant’sprettydaughter，gratedpainfullyuponhimnowthathehadfoundwhatGraceintrinsicallywas。Personalintercoursewithsuchasshecouldtakenolowerformthanintellectualcommunion，andmutualexplorationsoftheworldofthought。Sincehecouldnotcallatherfather’s，havingnopracticalviews，cursoryencountersinthelane，inthewood，comingandgoingtoandfromchurch，orinpassingherdwelling，werewhattheacquaintancewouldhavetofeedon。