Mackinnonwasobligedtodeclarethathethoughthiswifewouldobject；andfromthattimeforthheandMrs。Talboysceasedtobeverycloseintheirfriendship。ShestillcametothehouseeverySundayevening，stillrefreshedherselfatthefountainsofhisliteraryrills；butherspecialpropheciesfromhenceforthwerepouredintootherears。AnditsohappenedthatO'Briennowbecameherchiefally。Idonotrememberthatshetroubledherselfmuchfurtherwiththecherubangelsorwiththeirmother；andIaminclinedtothinkthat，takingupwarmly，asshedid，thestoryofO'Brien'smatrimonialwrongs，sheforgotthelittlehistoryoftheBrowns。Bethatasitmay，Mrs。TalboysandO'Briennowbecamestrictlyconfidential，andshewouldenlargebythehalf-hourtogetheronthemiseriesofherfriend'sposition，toanyonewhomshecouldgettohearher。
　　"I'lltellyouwhat，Fanny，"Mackinnonsaidtohiswifeoneday，tohiswifeandtomine，forwewerealltogether；"weshallhavearowinthehouseifwedon'ttakecare。O'BrienwillbemakinglovetoMrs。Talboys。"
　　"Nonsense，"saidMrs。Mackinnon。"Youarealwaysthinkingthatsomebodyisgoingtomakelovetosomeone。"
　　"Somebodyalwaysis，"saidhe。
　　"She'soldenoughtobehismother，"saidMrs。Mackinnon。
　　"WhatdoesthatmattertoanIrishman？"saidMackinnon。"Besides，I
　　doubtifthereismorethanfiveyears'differencebetweenthem。"
　　"Theremustbemorethanthat，"saidmywife。"IdaTalboysistwelve，Iknow，andIamnotquitesurethatIdaistheeldest。"
　　"IfshehadasonintheGuardsitwouldmakenodifference，"saidMackinnon。"Therearemenwhoconsiderthemselvesboundtomakelovetoawomanundercertaincircumstances，lettheageoftheladybewhatitmay。O'Brienissuchaone；andifshesympathiseswithhimmuchoftener，hewillmistakethematter，andgodownonhisknees。Yououghttoputhimonhisguard，"hesaid，addressinghimselftohiswife。
　　"Indeed，Ishalldonosuchthing，"saidshe；"iftheyaretwofools，theymust，likeotherfools，paythepriceoftheirfolly。"
　　AsaruletherecouldbenosoftercreaturethanMrs。Mackinnon；butitseemedtomethathertendernessneverextendeditselfinthedirectionofMrs。Talboys。
　　Justatthistime，towardstheend，thatis，ofNovember，wemadeapartytovisitthetombswhichliealongtheAppianWay，beyondthatmostbeautifulofallsepulchres，thetombofCeciliaMetella。Itwasadeliciousday，andwehaddrivenalongthisroadforacoupleofmilesbeyondthewallsofthecity，enjoyingthemostlovelyviewwhichtheneighbourhoodofRomeaffords，lookingoverthewondrousruinsoftheoldaqueducts，uptowardsTivoliandPalestrina。OfalltheenvironsofRomethisis，onafairclearday，themostenchanting；andhereperhaps，amongaworldoftombs，thoughtsandalmostmemoriesoftheold，olddayscomeupononewiththegreatestforce。ThegrandeurofRomeisbestseenandunderstoodfrombeneaththewallsoftheColiseum，anditsbeautyamongthepillarsoftheForumandthearchesoftheSacredWay；butitshistoryandfallbecomemorepalpabletothemind，andmoreclearlyrealised，outhereamongthetombs，wheretheeyesrestuponthemountainswhoseshadeswerecooltotheoldRomansastous，thananywherewithinthewallsofthecity。HerewelookoutatthesameTivoliandthesamePraeneste，glitteringinthesunshine，emboweredamongthefar-offvalleys，whichweredeartothem；andthebluemountainshavenotcrumbledawayintoruins。WithinRomeitselfwecanseenothingastheysawit。
　　Ourpartyconsistedofsomedozenorfifteenpersons，andasahamperwithluncheoninithadbeenleftonthegrassyslopeatthebaseofthetombofCeciliaMetella，theexpeditionhadinitsomethingofthenatureofapicnic。Mrs。Talboyswasofcoursewithus，andIdaTalboys。O'Brienalsowasthere。ThehamperhadbeenpreparedinMrs。Mackinnon'sroom，undertheimmediateeyeofMackinnonhimself，andtheythereforewereregardedasthedominantspiritsoftheparty。MywifewasleaguedwithMrs。Mackinnon，aswasusuallythecase；andthereseemedtobeageneralopinionamongthosewhowerecloselyinconfidencetogether，thatsomethingwouldhappenintheO'Brien-Talboysmatter。Thetwohadbeeninseparableonthepreviousevening，forMrs。TalboyshadbeenurgingontheyoungIrishmanhercounselsrespectinghisdomestictroubles。SirCresswellCresswell，shehadtoldhim，washisrefuge。"Whyshouldhissoulsubmittobondswhichtheworldhadnowdeclaredtobeintolerable？Divorcewasnotnowtheprivilegeofthedissoluterich。Spiritswhichwereincompatibleneednolongerbecompelledtofretbeneaththesamecobbles。"Inshort，shehadrecommendedhimtogotoEnglandandgetridofhiswife，asshewould，withalittleencouragement，haverecommendedanymantogetridofanything。Iamsurethat，hadshebeenskilfullybroughtontothesubject，shemighthavebeeninducedtopronounceaverdictagainstsuchligaturesforthebodyascoats，waistcoats，andtrowsers。Heraspirationsforfreedomignoredallbounds，and，intheory，therewerenobarrierswhichshewasnotwillingtodemolish。
　　PoorO'Brien，asweallnowbegantosee，hadtakenthematteramiss。HehadofferedtomakeabustofMrs。Talboys，andshehadconsented，expressingawishthatitmightfindaplaceamongthosewhohaddevotedthemselvestotheenfranchisementoftheirfellow-
　　creatures。Ireallythinkshehadbutlittleofawoman'scustomarypersonalvanity。Iknowshehadanideathathereyewaslightedupinherwarmermomentsbysomespecialfire，thatsparksoflibertyshoneroundherbrow，andthatherbosomheavedwithgloriousaspirations；butallthesefeelingshadreferencetoherinnergenius，nottoanyoutwardbeauty。ButO'Brienmisunderstoodthewoman，andthoughtitnecessarytogazeintoherface，andsighasthoughhisheartwerebreaking。IndeedhedeclaredtoayoungfriendthatMrs。Talboyswasperfectinherstyleofbeauty，andbeganthebustwiththisidea。Itwasgraduallybecomingcleartousallthathewouldbringhimselftogrief；butinsuchamatterwhocancautionaman？
　　Mrs。Mackinnonhadcontrivedtoseparatetheminmakingthecarriagearrangementsonthisday，butthisonlyaddedfueltothefirewhichwasnowburningwithinO'Brien'sbosom。Ibelievethathereallydidloveher，inhiseasy，eager，susceptibleIrishway。Thathewouldgetoverthelittleepisodewithoutanyseriousinjurytohisheartnoonedoubted；butthen，whatwouldoccurwhenthedeclarationwasmade？HowwouldMrs。Talboysbearit？
　　"Shedeservesit，"saidMrs。Mackinnon。
　　"Andtwiceasmuch，"mywifeadded。Whyisitthatwomenaresospitefultoeachother？
　　EarlyinthedayMrs。Talboysclambereduptothetopofatomb，andmadealittlespeech，holdingaparasoloverherhead。Beneathherfeet，shesaid，reposedtheashesofsomebloatedsenator，somegluttonoftheempire，whohadswallowedintohismawtheprovisionnecessaryforatribe。OldRomehadfallenthroughsuchselfishnessasthat；butnewRomewouldnotforgetthelesson。Allthiswasverywell，andthenO'Brienhelpedherdown；butafterthistherewasnoseparatingthem。ForherownpartshewouldsoonerhavehadMackinnonatherelbow。ButMackinnonnowhadfoundsomeotherelbow。
　　"Enoughofthatwasasgoodasafeast，"hehadsaidtohiswife。
　　AndthereforeMrs。Talboys，quiteunconsciousofevil，allowedherselftobeengrossedbyO'Brien。