dictatedsomeletterstoherandsodiscoveredshehadpretty，soft-lookinghandswithpinknails。Onceortwice，meetingcasually，welookedoneanotherfortheflashofasecondintheeyes。
　　Thatwasall。Butitwasenoughinthemysteriousfree-masonryofsextosayessentialthings。Wehadasecretbetweenus。
　　OnedayIcameintoRaggettStreetatlunchtimeandshewasalone，sittingatherdesk。SheglancedupasIentered，andthenbecameverystill，withadowncastfaceandherhandsclenchedonthetable。Iwalkedrightbyhertothedooroftheinneroffice，stopped，camebackandstoodoverher。
　　Weneitherofusspokeforquiteaperceptibletime。Iwastremblingviolently。
　　“Isthatoneofthenewtypewriters？”Iaskedatlastforthesakeofspeaking。
　　Shelookedupatmewithoutaword，withherfaceflushedandhereyesalight，andIbentdownandkissedherlips。Sheleantbacktoputanarmaboutme，drewmyfacetoherandkissedmeagainandagain。Iliftedherandheldherinmyarms。Shegavealittlesmotheredcrytofeelherselfsoheld。
　　NeverbeforehadIknownthequalityofpassionatekisses。
　　Somebodybecameaudibleintheshopoutside。
　　Westartedbackfromoneanotherwithflushedfacesandbrightandburningeyes。
　　“Wecan’ttalkhere。”Iwhisperedwithaconfidentintimacy。
　　“Wheredoyougoatfive？”
　　“AlongtheEmbankmenttoCharingCross。”sheansweredasintimately。“Noneoftheothersgothatway。”
　　“Abouthalf-pastfive？”
　　“Yes，half-pastfive。”
　　Thedoorfromtheshopopened，andshesatdownveryquickly。
　　“I’mglad。”Isaidinacommonplacevoice，“thatthesenewtypewritersareallright。”
　　Iwentintotheinnerofficeandroutedoutthepaysheetinordertofindhername——EffieRink。Anddidnoworkatallthatafternoon。Ifrettedaboutthatdingylittledenlikeabeastinacage。
　　WhenpresentlyIwentout，Effiewasworkingwithanextraordinaryappearanceofcalm——andtherewasnolookformeatall。
　　Wemetandhadourtalkthatevening，atalkinwhisperswhentherewasnonetooverhear；wecametoanunderstanding。ItwasstrangelyunlikeanydreamofromanceIhadeverentertained。
　　Icamebackafteraweek’sabsencetomyhomeagain——achangedman。IhadlivedoutmyfirstrushofpassionforEffie，hadcometoacontemplationofmyposition。IhadgaugedEffie’splaceintheschemeofthings，andpartedfromherforatime。
　　ShewasbackinherplaceatRaggettStreetafteratemporaryindisposition。Ididnotfeelinanywaypenitentorashamed，I
　　know，asIopenedthelittlecast-irongatethatkeptMarion’sfrontgraderandPampasGrassfromthewanderingdog。Indeed，ifanything，IfeltasifIhadvindicatedsomerightthathadbeeninquestion。IcamebacktoMarionwithnosenseofwrong-doingatallwith，indeed，anewfriendlinesstowardsher。Idon’tknowhowitmaybepropertofeelonsuchoccasions；thatishowIfelt。
　　Ifollowedherinourdrawing-room，standingbesidethetalllamp-standthathalffilledthebayasthoughshehadjustturnedfromwatchingformeatthewindow。Therewassomethinginherpalefacethatarrestedme。Shelookedasifshehadnotbeensleeping。Shedidnotcomeforwardtogreetme。
　　“You’vecomehome。”shesaid。
　　“AsIwrotetoyou。”
　　Shestoodverystill，aduskyfigureagainstthebrightwindow。
　　“Wherehaveyoubeen？”sheasked。
　　“EastCoast。”Isaideasily。
　　Shepausedforamoment。“IKNOW。”shesaid。
　　Istaredather。Itwasthemostamazingmomentinanylife。
　　“ByJove！”Isaidatlast，“Ibelieveyoudo！”
　　“Andthenyoucomehometome！”
　　Iwalkedtothehearthrugandstoodquitestillthereregardingthisnewsituation。
　　“Ididn’tdream。”shebegan。“Howcouldyoudosuchathing？”
　　Itseemedalongintervalbeforeeitherofusspokeanotherword。
　　“Whoknowsaboutit？”Iaskedatlast。
　　“Smithie’sbrother。TheywereatCromer。”
　　“ConfoundCromer！Yes！”
　　“Howcouldyoubringyourself“
　　Ifeltaspasmofpetulantannoyanceatthisunexpectedcatastrophe。
　　“IshouldliketowringSmithie’sbrother’sneck。”Isaid。
　　Marionspokeindry，brokenfragmentsofsentences。“You。I’dalwaysthoughtthatanyhowyoucouldn’tdeceiveme。Isupposeallmenarehorrid——aboutthis。”
　　“Itdoesn’tstrikemeashorrid。Itseemstomethemostnecessaryconsequence——andnaturalthingintheworld。”
　　Ibecameawareofsomeonemovingaboutinthepassage，andwentandshutthedooroftheroom，thenIwalkedbacktothehearthrugandturned。
　　“It’sroughonyou。”Isaid。“ButIdidn’tmeanyoutoknow。
　　You’venevercaredforme。I’vehadthedevilofatime。Whyshouldyoumind？”
　　Shesatdowninadrapedarmchair。“IHAVEcaredforyou。”shesaid。
　　Ishruggedmyshoulders。
　　“Isuppose。”shesaid，“SHEcaresforyou？”
　　Ihadnoanswer。
　　“Whereisshenow？”
　　“Oh！doesitmattertoyou？。Lookhere，Marion！This——thisI
　　didn’tanticipate。Ididn’tmeanthisthingtosmashdownonyoulikethis。But，youknow，somethinghadtohappen。I’msorry——sorrytothebottomofmyheartthatthingshavecometothisbetweenus。Butindeed，I’mtakenbysurprise。Idon’tknowwhereIam——Idon’tknowhowwegothere。Thingstookmebysurprise。Ifoundmyselfalonewithheroneday。Ikissedher。
　　Iwenton。Itseemedstupidtogoback。Andbesides——whyshouldIhavegoneback？WhyshouldI？Fromfirsttolast，I’vehardlythoughtofitastouchingyou。Damn！”
　　Shescrutinisedmyface，andpulledattheball-fringeofthelittletablebesideher。
　　“Tothinkofit。”shesaid。“Idon’tbelieveIcanevertouchyouagain。”
　　Wekeptalongsilence。Iwasonlybeginningtorealiseinthemostsuperficialwaytheimmensecatastrophethathadhappenedbetweenus。Enormousissueshadrusheduponus。Ifeltunpreparedandaltogetherinadequate。Iwasunreasonablyangry。
　　Therecamearushofstupidexpressionstomymindthatmyrisingsenseofthesupremeimportanceofthemomentsavedmefromsaying。Thegapofsilencewideneduntilitthreatenedtobecomethevastmemorablemarginofsomeoneamongathousandtrivialpossibilitiesofspeechthatwouldvexourrelationsforever。
　　Ourlittlegeneralservanttappedatthedoor——Marionalwayslikedtheservanttotap——andappeared。
　　“Tea，M’m。”shesaid——andvanished，leavingthedooropen。
　　“Iwillgoupstairs。”saidI，andstopped。“Iwillgoupstairs“
　　Irepeated，“andputmybaginthespareroom。”
　　Weremainedmotionlessandsilentforafewseconds。
　　“Motherishavingteawithusto-day。”Marionremarkedatlast，anddroppedtheworriedendofball-fringeandstoodupslowly。
　　Andso，withthisimmensediscussionofourchangedrelationshangingoverus，wepresentlyhadteawiththeunsuspectingMrs。
　　Ramboatandthespaniel。Mrs。Ramboatwastoowelltrainedinherpositiontoremarkuponoursomberpreoccupation。Shekeptathintrickleoftalkgoing，andtoldus，Iremember，thatMr。
　　Ramboatwas“troubled“abouthiscannas。
　　“Theydon’tcomeupandtheywon’tcomeup。He’sbeenroundandhadanexplanationwiththemanwhosoldhimthebulbs——andhe’sveryheatedandupset。”
　　Thespanielwasagreatbore，begginganddoingsmalltricksfirstatoneandthenattheotherofus。Neitherofususedhisname。YouseewehadcalledhimMiggles，andmadeasortoftriointhebaby-talkofMutneyandMigglesandMing。