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。