2
　　Buttheprofoundimpossibilityofourrelationwasnowbecomingmoreandmoreapparenttous。Wefoundourselvesseekingjustification，clingingpassionatelytoasituationthatwascoldly，pitilessly，impossibleandfated。Wewantedquiteintenselytolivetogetherandhaveachild，butalsowewantedverymanyotherthingsthatwereincompatiblewiththesedesires。Itwasextraordinarilydifficulttoweighourpoliticalandintellectualambitionsagainstthoseintimatewishes。Theweightskeptalteringaccordingasonefoundoneselfgraspingthisvaluedthingorthat。Itwasn'tasifwecouldthroweverythingasideforourlove，andhavethataswewantedit。Lovesuchasweboreoneanotherisn'taltogether，orevenchiefly，athinginitself——itisforthemostpartavaluesetuponthings。Ourlovewasinterwovenwithallourotherinterests；
　　togooutoftheworldandliveinisolationseemedtouslikekillingthebestpartsofeachother；welovedthesightofeachotherengagedfinelyandcharacteristically，wekneweachotherbestasactivities。Wehadnodelusionsaboutmaterialfacts；wedidn'twanteachotheraliveordead，wewantedeachotherfullyalive。Wewantedtodobigthingstogether，andforustotakeeachotheropenlyanddesperatelywouldleaveusnothingintheworldtodo。
　　Wewantedchildrenindeedpassionately，butchildrenwitheveryhelpfulchanceintheworld，andchildrenborninscandalwouldbehandicappedateveryturn。Wewantedtoshareahome，andnotasolitude。
　　Andwhenwewereatthisstageofrealisation，begantheintimationsthatwewerefoundout，andthatscandalwasafootagainstus……
　　IheardofitfirstfromEsmeer，whodeliberatelymentionedit，withthatsteadygreyeyeofhiswatchingme，asaninstanceofthepreposterousfalsehoodspeoplewillcirculate。ItcametoIsabelalmostsimultaneouslythroughamarriedcollegefriend，whomadeitherbusinesstodemandeitherconfirmationordenial。Itfilledusbothwithconsternation。InthesurpriseofthemomentIsabeladmittedhersecret，andherfriendwentoff"reservingherfreedomofaction。"
　　Discoverybrokeoutineverydirection。Friendswithgravefacesandanatmosphereofinfinitetactinvadedusboth。Otherfriendsceasedtoinvadeeitherofus。Itwasmanifestwehadbecome——weknewnothow——aprivatescandal，asubjectforduologues，anamazement，aperplexity，avividinterest。InafewbriefweeksitseemedLondonpassedfromabsoluteunsuspiciousnesstoachatteringexaggerationofitsknowledgeofourrelations。
　　Itwasjustthemostinappropriatetimeforthatdisclosure。ThelongsmoulderingantagonismtomyendowmentofmotherhoodideashadflaredupintoanactivecampaignintheEXPURGATOR，anditwouldbealtogetherdisastroustousifIshouldbeconvictedofanypersonalirregularity。ItwasjustbecauseofthemanifestandchallengingrespectabilityofmypositionthatIhadbeenabletocarrythethingasfarasIhaddone。Nowsuddenlymyfortuneshadsprungaleak，andscandalwaspouringin……Itchanced，too，thatawaveofmoralintolerancewassweepingthroughLondon，oneofthosewavesinwhichthebitternessoftheconsciouslyjustfindsanallyinthepanicoftheundiscovered。AcertainFatherBlodgetthadbeenpreachingagainstsocialcorruptionwithextraordinaryforce，andhadrousedtheChurchofEnglandpeopletoakindofcompetitionindenunciation。TheoldmethodsoftheAnti-Socialistcampaignhadbeenrenewed，andhadofferedfartoowideascopeandtootemptinganopportunityforprivateanimosity，toberestrictedtotheprivateaffairsoftheSocialists。Ihadintimationsofanextensivecirculationof"privateandconfidential"letters……
　　Ithinktherecanbenothingelseinlifequiteliketheunnervingrealisationthatrumourandscandalareafootaboutone。Abruptlyone'sconfidenceinthesolidityoftheuniversedisappears。Onewalkssilencedthroughaworldthatonefeelstobefullofinaudibleaccusations。Onecannotchallengetheassault，getitoutintotheopen，separatetruthandfalsehood。Itslinksfromyou，turnsasideitsface。Oldacquaintancessuddenlyevadedme，madeextraordinaryexcuses；menwhohadpresumedonthevergeofmyworldandpesteredmewithanintrusiveenterprise，nowtooktheboldstepofflatrepudiation。Ibecamedoubtfulaboutthereturnofanod，retractedallthosetentaclesofeasycivilitythatIhadhithertospreadtotheworld。IstillgrowwarmwithamazedindignationwhenIrecallthatEdwardCrampton，meetingmefullonthestepsoftheClimaxClub，cutmedead。"ByGod！"Icried，andcamenearcatchinghimbythethroatandwringingoutofhimwhatofallgooddeedsandbad，couldheartenhim，ayoungermanthanIandemptybeyondcomparison，todaretoplaythejudgetome。AndthenIhadanopenslightfromMrs。Millingham，whomIhadcountedonasonecountsuponthesunrise。Ihadnotexpectedthingsofthatsort；theyweredisconcertingbeyondmeasure；itwasasiftheworldweregivingwaybeneathmyfeet，asthoughsomethingfailedintheessentialconfidenceoflife，asthoughahandofweticehadtouchedmyheart。SimilarthingswerehappeningtoIsabel。Yetwewentonworking，visiting，meeting，tryingtoignorethisgatheringofimplacableforcesagainstus。
　　ForatimeIwasperplexedbeyondmeasuretoaccountforthiscampaign。ThenIgotaclue。ThecentreofdiffusionwastheBaileyhousehold。TheBaileyshadneverforgivenmemyabandonmentoftheyoungLiberalgrouptheyhaddonesomuchtoinspireandorganise；theirdinner-tablehadlongbeenasceneofhostiledepreciationoftheBLUEWEEKLYandallitsallies；weekafterweekAltioraproclaimedthatIwas"doingnothing，"andfoundothercausesforourbye-electiontriumphs；IcountedChambersStreetadangerousplaceforme。Yet，nevertheless，Iwasastonishedtofindthemusingaprivatescandalagainstme。Theydid。IthinkHanditchhadfilledupthemeasureoftheirbitterness，forIhadnotonlyabandonedthem，butIwassucceedingbeyondeventheirpowerofmisrepresentation。AlwaysIhadbeenawaspintheirspider'sweb，difficulttoclaimasatool，uncritical，antagonistic。Iadmiredtheirworkanddevotionenormously，butI
　　hadneverconcealedmycontemptforacertainchildishvanitytheydisplayed，andforthefrequentpuerilityoftheirpoliticalintrigues。Isupposecontemptgallsmorethaninjuries，andanyhowtheyhadmenow。Theyhadme。Bailey，Ifound，waswarningfathersofgirlsagainstmeasa"recklesslibertine，"andAltiora，flushed，roguish，anddishevelled，wassittingonherfendercurbafterdinner，andpledginglittlepartiesoffiveorsixwomenatatimewithinfinitegustonottoletthemattergofurther。Ourcellwasopentotheworld，andableak，distressfuldaylightstreamingin。
　　IhadagleamofamoreintimatemotiveinAltiorafromthereportsthatcametome。IsabelhadbeendoingaseriesoffiveorsixarticlesinthePOLITICALREVIEWinsupportofourcampaign，thePOLITICALREVIEWwhichhadhithertobeenloyallyBaileyite。Quiteherbestwritinguptothepresent，atanyrate，isinthosepapers，andnodoubtAltiorahadhadnotonlytoreadherinthoseinvadedcolumns，butlistentoherpraisesinthemouthsofthetactlessinfluential。Altiora，likesomanypeoplewhorelyongestureandvocalinsistenceinconversation，writesapoorandslovenlyproseandhandlesanargumentbadly；IsabelhasherUniversitytrainingbehindherandwrotefromthefirstwiththestarkpowerofaclear-
　　headedman。"Nowweknow，"saidAltiora，withjustagleamofmaliceshowingthroughherbrightness，"nowweknowwhohelpswiththewriting！"
　　Sherevealedastonishingknowledge。
　　ForatimeIcouldn'tforthelifeofmediscoverhersources。I
　　had，indeed，adesperateintentionofchallengingher，andthenI
　　bethoughtmeofayoungsternamedCurmain，whohadbeenmysupplementaltypistandsecretaryforatime，andwhomIhadsentontoherbeforethedaysofourbreach。"Ofcourse！"saidI，"Curmain！"Hewasatall，drooping，sidelongyouthwithsandyhair，alittleforwardhead，andalongthinneck。Hestolestamps，and，Isuspected，rifledmyprivateletterdrawer，andIfoundhimonedayonaturnofthestairslookingguiltyandruffledwithaprettyIrishhousemaidofMargaret'smanifestlyinastateofhotindignation。Isawnothing，butIfelteverythingintheairbetweenthem。Ihatethispesteringofservants，butatthesametimeIdidn'twantCurmainwipedoutofexistence，soIhadpackedhimoffwithoutunnecessarydiscussiontoAltiora。Hewasquickandcheapanyhow，andIthoughthergeneralausterityoughttoredeemhimifanythingcould；theChambersStreethousemaidwasn'tforanyman'skissingandshowedit，andthestampsandprivateletterswerelookedafterwithanefficiencyaltogethersurpassingmine。AndAltiora，I'venodoubtleftnowwhatever，pumpedthisyoungundesirableaboutme，andscentingastory，hadhimtodinneraloneoneeveningtogettothebottomofthematter。Shegotquitetothebottomofit，——itmusthavebeenaqueerduologue。ShereadIsabel'scareless，intimateletterstome，sotospeak，bythisproxy，andshewasn'tashamedtousethisinformationintheserviceofthebitternessthathadsprungupinhersinceourpoliticalbreach。Itwasessentiallyapersonalbitterness；ithelpednopublicpurposeoftheirstogetridofme。Mydownfallinanypublicsensewassheerwaste，——thelossofaman。Sheknewshewasbehavingbadly，andso，whenitcametoremonstrance，shebehavedworse。She'dgotnamesanddatesandplaces；theefficiencyofherinformationwasirresistible。Andshesettoworkatitmarvellously。Neverbefore，inallherpursuitofefficientideals，hadAltioraachievedsuchlevelsofefficiency。Iwroteaprotestthatwasperhapsill-advisedandangry，Iwenttoherandtriedtostopher。Shewouldn'tlisten，shewouldn'tthink，shedeniedandlied，shebehavedlikeanaughtychildofsixyearsoldwhichhasmadeupitsmindtobehurtful。Itwasn'tonly，Ithink，thatshecouldn'tbearourpoliticalandsocialinfluence；shealso——I
　　realisedatthatinterviewcouldn'tbearourloving。Itseemedtoherthesickliestthing，——athingquiteunendurable。Whilesuchthingswere，thevirtuehadgoneoutofherworld。
　　I'vethevividestmemoryofthatcallofmine。She'djustcomeinandtakenoffherhat，andshewasgreyanddishevelledandtired，andinabusiness-likedressofblackandcrimsonthatdidn'tsuitherandwasmuddyabouttheskirts；she'dacoldinherheadandsniffedpenetratingly，sheavoidedmyeyeasshetalkedandinterruptedeverythingIhadtosay；shekeptstabbingfiercelyatthecushionsofhersofawithalonghat-pinandpretendingshewasoverwhelmedwithgriefattheDEBACLEshewasdeliberatelyorganising。
　　"Thenpart，"shecried，"part。Ifyoudon'twantasmashingup，——
　　part！Youtwohavegottobeparted。You'vegotnevertoseeeachotherever，nevertospeak。"Therewasazestinhervoice。"We'renotcirculatingstories，"shedenied。"No！AndCurmainnevertoldusanything——CurmainisanEXCELLENTyoungman；oh！aquiteexcellentyoungman。Youmisjudgedhimaltogether。"……
　　IwasequallyunsuccessfulwithBailey。IcaughtthelittlewretchintheLeagueClub，andhewriggledandlied。Hewouldn'tsaywherehehadgothisfacts，hewouldn'tadmithehadtoldanyone。WhenI
　　gavehimthenamesoftwomenwhohadcometomeastonishedandincredulous，heattemptedabsurdlytomakemethinktheyhadtoldHIM。HedidhishorriblelittlebesttosuggestthathonestoldQuackett，whohadjustleftEnglandfortheCape，wastherealscandalmonger。Thatstruckmeasmean，evenforBailey。I'vestilltheoddvividimpressionofhisflutingvoice，excusingtheinexcusable，hisbig，shiftyfaceevadingme，hisperspiration-
　　beadedforehead，theshruggingshoulders，andthewould-beexculpatorygestures——Houndsditchgestures——ofhisenormousuglyhands。
　　"Icanassureyou，mydearfellow，"hesaid；"Icanassureyouwe'vedoneeverythingtoshieldyou——everything。"……
　　3
　　Isabelcameafterdinneroneeveningandtalkedintheoffice。Shemadeawhite-robed，duskyfigureagainstthedeepbluesofmybigwindow。IsatatmydeskandtoreaquillpentopiecesasI
　　talked。
　　"TheBaileysdon'tintendtoletthisdrop，"Isaid。"TheymeanthateveryoneinLondonistoknowaboutit。"
　　"Iknow。"
　　"Well！"Isaid。
　　"Dearheart，"saidIsabel，facingit，"it'snogoodwaitingforthingstoovertakeus；we'reatthepartingoftheways。"
　　"Whatarewetodo？"
　　"Theywon'tletusgoon。"
　　"Damnthem！"
　　"TheyareORGANISINGscandal。"
　　"It'snogoodwaitingforthingstoovertakeus，"Iechoed；"theyhaveovertakenus。"Iturnedonher。"Whatdoyouwanttodo？"
　　"Everything，"shesaid。"Keepyouandhaveourwork。Aren'tweMates？"
　　"Wecan't。"
　　"Andwecan't！"
　　"I'vegottotellMargaret，"Isaid。
　　"Margaret！"
　　"Ican'tbeartheideaofanyoneelsegettinginfrontwithit。
　　I'vebeenwincingaboutMargaretsecretly——"
　　"Iknow。You'llhavetotellher——andmakeyourpeacewithher。"
　　Sheleantbackagainstthebookcasesunderthewindow。
　　"We'vehadsomegoodtimes，Master；"shesaid，withasighinhervoice。
　　Andthenforalongtimewestaredatoneanotherinsilence。
　　"Wehaven'tmuchtimeleft，"shesaid。
　　"Shallwebolt？"Isaid。
　　"Andleaveallthis？"sheasked，withhereyesgoingroundtheroom。
　　"Andthat？"AndherheadindicatedWestminster。"No！"
　　Isaidnomoreofbolting。
　　"We'vegottoscrewourselvesuptosurrender，"shesaid。
　　"Something。"
　　"Alot。"
　　"Master，"shesaid，"itisn'tallsexandstuffbetweenus？"
　　"No！"
　　"Ican'tgiveupthework。Ourwork'smylife。"
　　Wecameuponanotherlongpause。
　　"Noonewillbelievewe'veceasedtobelovers——ifwesimplydo，"
　　shesaid。
　　"Weshouldn't。"
　　"We'vegottodosomethingmorepartingthanthat。"
　　Inodded，andagainwepaused。Shewascomingtosomething。
　　"IcouldmarryShoesmith，"shesaidabruptly。
　　"But——"Iobjected。
　　"Heknows。Itwasn'tfair。Itoldhim。"
　　"Oh，thatexplains，"Isaid。"There'sbeenakindofsulkiness——
　　But——youtoldhim？"
　　Shenodded。"He'sratherbadlyhurt，"shesaid。"He'sbeenagoodfriendtome。He'scuriouslyloyal。Butsomething，somethinghesaidoneday——forcedmetolethimknow……That'sbeenthebeastlinessofallthissecrecy。That'sthebeastlinessofallsecrecy。Youhavetospringsurprisesonpeople。Buthekeepson。
　　He'ssteadfast。He'dalreadysuspected。Hewantsmeverybadlytomarryhim……"
　　"Butyoudon'twanttomarryhim？"
　　"I'mforcedtothinkofit。"
　　"Butdoeshewanttomarryyouatthat？Takeyouasapresentfromtheworldatlarge？——againstyourwillanddesire？……Idon'tunderstandhim。"
　　"Hecaresforme。"
　　"How？"
　　"Hethinksthisisafearfulmessforme。Hewantstopullitstraight。"
　　Wesatforatimeinsilence，withimaginationsthatobstinatelyrefusedtotakeuptherealitiesofthisproposition。
　　"Idon'twantyoutomarryShoesmith，"Isaidatlast。
　　"Don'tyoulikehim？"
　　"Notasyourhusband。"
　　"He'saverycleverandsturdyperson——andverygenerousanddevotedtome。"
　　"Andme？"
　　"Youcan'texpectthat。Hethinksyouarewonderful——and，naturally，thatyououghtnottohavestartedthis。"
　　"I'veacuriousdisliketoanyonethinkingthatbutmyself。I'mquitereadytothinkitmyself。"
　　"He'dletusbefriends——andmeet。"
　　"Letusbefriends！"Icried，afteralongpause。"Youandme！"
　　"Hewantsmetobeengagedsoon。Then，hesays，hecangoroundfightingtheserumours，defendingusboth——andforceaquarrelontheBaileys。"
　　"Idon'tunderstandhim，"Isaid，andadded，"Idon'tunderstandyou。"
　　Iwasstaringatherface。Itseemedwhiteandsetinthedimness。
　　"Doyoureallymeanthis，Isabel？"Iasked。
　　"Whatelseistheretodo，mydear？——whatelseistheretodoatall？I'vebeenthinkingdayandnight。Youcan'tgoawaywithme。
　　Youcan'tsmashyourselfsuddenlyinthesightofallmen。I'dratherdiethanthatshouldhappen。Lookwhatyouarebecominginthecountry！Lookatallyou'vebuiltup！——mehelping。Iwouldn'tletyoudoitifyoucould。Iwouldn'tletyou——ifitwereonlyforMargaret'ssake。THIS……closesthescandal，closeseverything。"
　　"Itclosesallourlifetogether，"Icried。
　　Shewassilent。
　　"Itneveroughttohavebegun，"Isaid。
　　Shewinced。Thenabruptlyshewasonherkneesbeforeme，withherhandsuponmyshoulderandhereyesmeetingmine。
　　"Mydear，"shesaidveryearnestly，"don'tmisunderstandme！Don'tthinkI'mretreatingfromthethingswe'vedone！OurloveisthebestthingIcouldeverhavehadfromlife。Nothingcaneverequalit；nothingcouldeverequalthebeautyanddelightyouandIhavehadtogether。Never！Youhavelovedme；youdoloveme……
　　NoonecouldeverknowhowtoloveyouasIhavelovedyou；noonecouldeverlovemeasyouhavelovedme，myking。Andit'sjustbecauseit'sbeensosplendid，dear；it'sjustbecauseI'ddieratherthanhaveatitheofallthiswipedoutofmylifeagain——forit'smademe，it'sallIam——dear，it'syearssinceIbeganlovingyou——it'sjustbecauseofitsgoodnessthatIwantnottoendinwreckagenow，nottoendinthesmashingupofallthebigthingsI
　　understandinyouandloveinyou……
　　"Whatisthereforusifwekeeponandgoaway？"shewenton。"Allthebiginterestsinourliveswillvanish——everything。Weshallbecomespecialisedpeople——peopleovershadowedbyasituation。Weshallbeanelopement，aromance——allourbreadthandmeaninggone！
　　Peoplewillalwaysthinkofitfirstwhentheythinkofus；allourworkandaimswillbewarpedbyitandsubordinatedtoit。Isitgoodenough，dear？Justtospecialise……Ithinkofyou。
　　We'vegotacase，apassionatecase，thebestofcases，butdowewanttospendallourlivesdefendingitandjustifyingit？Andthere'sthatotherlife。IknownowyoucareforMargaret——youcaremorethanyouthinkyoudo。Youhavesaidfinethingsofher。I'vewatchedyouabouther。Littlethingshavedroppedfromyou。She'sgivenherlifeforyou；she'snothingwithoutyou。Youfeelthattoyourmarrowallthetimeyouarethinkingaboutthesethings。Oh，I'mnotjealous，dear。Iloveyouforlovingher。Iloveyouinrelationtoher。Butthereitis，anaddedweightagainstus，anotherthingworthsaving。"
　　Presently，Iremember，shesatbackonherheelsandlookedupintomyface。"We'vedonewrong——andparting'spaying。It'stimetopay。Weneedn'thavepaid，ifwe'dkepttothetrack……YouandI，Master，we'vegottobemen。"
　　"Yes，"Isaid；"we'vegottobemen。"
　　4
　　IwasdriventotellMargaretaboutoursituationbymyintolerabledreadthatotherwisethethingmightcometoherthroughsomestupidandclumsyinformant。ShemightevenmeetAltiora，andhaveitfromher。
　　IcanstillrecallthefeelingofsittingatmydeskthatnightinthatlargestudyofmineinRadnorSquare，waitingforMargarettocomehome。Itwasoddlylikethefeelingofadentist'sreception-
　　room；onlyitwasformetodothedentistrywithclumsy，cruelhands。Ihadleftthedooropensothatshewouldcomeintome。
　　Iheardhersilkenrustleonthestairsatlast，andthenshewasinthedoorway。"MayIcomein？"shesaid。
　　"Do，"Isaid，andturnedroundtoher。
　　"Working？"shesaid。
　　"Hard，"Ianswered。"WherehaveYOUbeen？"
　　"AttheVallerys'。Mr。Eveshamwastalkingaboutyou。Theywerealltalking。Idon'tthinkeverybodyknewwhoIwas。JustMrs。
　　MumbleI'dbeentothem。LordWardenhamdoesn'tlikeyou。"
　　"Hedoesn't。"
　　"Buttheyallfeelyou'reratherbig，anyhow。ThenIwentontoParkLanetohearanewpianistandsomeothermusicatEva's。"
　　"Yes。"
　　"ThenIlookedinattheBrabants'forsomemidnightteabeforeI
　　cameonhere。They'dgotsomewriters——andGrantwasthere。"
　　"YouHAVEbeenflyinground……"
　　Therewasalittlepausebetweenus。
　　Ilookedatherpretty，unsuspectingface，andattheslendergraceofhergolden-robedbody。Whatgulfstherewerebetweenus！
　　"You'vebeenamused，"Isaid。
　　"It'sbeenamusing。You'vebeenattheHouse？"
　　"TheMedicalEducationBillkeptme。"……
　　Afterall，whyshouldItellher？She'dgottoawayoflivingthatfulfilledherrequirements。Perhapsshe'dneverhear。ButallthatdayandthedaybeforeI'dbeenmakingupmymindtodothething。
　　"Iwanttotellyousomething，"Isaid。"Iwishyou'dsitdownforamomentorso。"……
　　OnceIhadbegun，itseemedtomeIhadtogothroughwithit。
　　Somethinginthequalityofmyvoicegaveheranintimationofunusualgravity。Shelookedatmesteadilyforamomentandsatdownslowlyinmyarmchair。
　　"Whatisit？"shesaid。
　　Iwentonawkwardly。"I'vegottotellyou——somethingextraordinarilydistressing，"Isaid。
　　Shewasmanifestlyaltogetherunaware。
　　"Thereseemstobeagooddealofscandalabroad——I'veonlyrecentlyheardofit——aboutmyself——andIsabel。"
　　"Isabel！"
　　Inodded。
　　"Whatdotheysay？"sheasked。
　　Itwasdifficult，Ifound，tospeak。
　　"Theysayshe'smymistress。"
　　"Oh！Howabominable！"
　　Shespokewiththemostnaturalindignation。Oureyesmet。
　　"We'vebeengreatfriends，"Isaid。
　　"Yes。AndtomakeTHATofit。Mypoordear！Buthowcanthey？"
　　Shepausedandlookedatme。It'ssoincredible。Howcananyonebelieveit？Icouldn't。"
　　Shestopped，withherdistressedeyesregardingme。Herexpressionchangedtodread。Therewasatensestillnessforasecond，perhaps。
　　Iturnedmyfacetowardsthedesk，andtookupanddroppedahandfulofpaperfasteners。
　　"Margaret，"Isaid，"I'mafraidyou'llhavetobelieveit。"
　　5
　　Margaretsatverystill。WhenIlookedatheragain，herfacewasverywhite，andherdistressedeyesscrutinisedme。Herlipsquiveredasshespoke。"Youreallymean——THAT？"shesaid。
　　Inodded。
　　"Ineverdreamt。"
　　"Inevermeantyoutodream。"
　　"Andthatiswhy——we'vebeenapart？"
　　Ithought。"Isupposeitis。"
　　"Whyhaveyoutoldmenow？"
　　"Thoserumours。Ididn'twantanyoneelsetotellyou。"
　　"Orelseitwouldn'thavemattered？"
　　"No。"
　　Sheturnedhereyesfrommetothefire。Thenforamomentshelookedabouttheroomshehadmadeforme，andthenquitesilently，withachildishquiveringofherlips，withasortofdismayeddistressuponherface，shewasweeping。Shesatweepinginherdressofclothofgold，withherbareslenderarmsdroppedlimpoverthearmsofherchair，andhereyesavertedfromme，makingnoefforttostayorstaunchhertears。"Iamsorry，Margaret，"I
　　said。"Iwasinlove……Ididnotunderstand……"
　　Presentlysheasked："Whatareyougoingtodo？"
　　"Yousee，Margaret，nowit'scometobeyouraffair——Iwanttoknowwhatyou——whatyouwant。"
　　"Youwanttoleaveme？"
　　"Ifyouwantmeto，Imust。"
　　"LeaveParliament——leaveallthethingsyouaredoing，——allthisfinemovementofyours？"
　　"No。"Ispokesullenly。"Idon'twanttoleaveanything。Iwanttostayon。I'vetoldyou，becauseIthinkwe——IsabelandI，Imean——
　　havegottodrivethroughastormofscandalanyhow。Idon'tknowhowfarthingsmaygo，howmuchpeoplemayfeel，andIcan't，I
　　can'thaveyouunconscious，unarmed，opentoanyrevelation——"
　　Shemadenoanswer。
　　"Whenthethingbegan——IknewitwasstupidbutIthoughtitwasathingthatwouldn'tchange，wouldn'tbeanythingbutitself，wouldn'tunfold——consequences……Peoplehavegotholdofthesevaguerumours……Directlyitreachedanyoneelsebut——butustwo——Isawithadtocometoyou。"
　　Istopped。IhadthatdistressfulfeelingIhavealwayshadwithMargaret，ofnotbeingaltogethersuresheheard，ofbeingdoubtfulifsheunderstood。IperceivedthatonceagainIhadstruckatherandshatteredathousandunsubstantialpinnacles。AndIcouldn'tgetather，tohelpher，ortouchhermind！Istoodup，andatmymovementshemoved。Sheproducedadaintylittlehandkerchief，andmadeanefforttowipeherfacewithit，andheldittohereyes。
　　"Oh，myHusband！"shesobbed。
　　"Whatdoyoumeantodo？"shesaid，withhervoicemuffledbyherhandkerchief。
　　"We'regoingtoendit，"Isaid。
　　SomethinggrippedmetormentinglyasIsaidthat。Idrewachairbesideherandsatdown。"YouandI，Margaret，havebeenpartners，"
　　Ibegan。"We'vebuiltupthislifeofourstogether；Icouldn'thavedoneitwithoutyou。We'vemadeaposition，createdawork——"
　　Sheshookherhead。"You，"shesaid。
　　"Youhelping。Idon'twanttoshatterit——ifyoudon'twantitshattered。Ican'tleavemywork。Ican'tleaveyou。Iwantyoutohave——allthatyouhaveeverhad。I'venevermeanttorobyou。
　　I'vemadeanimmenseandtragicblunder。Youdon'tknowhowthingstookus，howdifferenttheyseemed！Mycharacterandaccidenthaveconspired——We'llpay——inourselves，notinourpublicservice。"
　　Ihaltedagain。Margaretremainedverystill。
　　"Iwantyoutounderstandthatthethingisatanend。Itisdefinitelyatanend。We——wetalked——yesterday。Wemeantoenditaltogether。"Iclenchedmyhands。"She's——she'sgoingtomarryArnoldShoesmith。"
　　Iwasn'tlookingnowatMargaretanymore，butIheardtherustleofhermovementassheturnedonme。
　　"It'sallright，"Isaid，clingingtomyexplanation。"We'redoingnothingshabby。Heknows。Hewill。It'sallasright——asthingscanbenow。We'renotcheatinganyone，Margaret。We'redoingthingsstraight——now。Ofcourse，youknow……Weshall——weshallhavetomakesacrifices。Givethingsupprettycompletely。
　　Verycompletely……Weshallhavenottoseeeachotherforatime，youknow。Perhapsnotalongtime。Twoorthreeyears。Orwrite——orjustanyofthatsortofthingever——"
　　Somesubconsciousbarriergavewayinme。Ifoundmyselfcryinguncontrollably——asIhavenevercriedsinceIwasalittlechild。I
　　wasamazedandhorrifiedatmyself。Andwonderfully，Margaretwasonherkneesbesideme，withherarmsaboutme，minglingherweepingwithmine。"Oh，myHusband！"shecried，mypoorHusband！Doesithurtyouso？Iwoulddoanything！Oh，thefoolIam！Dear，Iloveyou。Iloveyouoverandawayandaboveallthesejealouslittlethings！"
　　Shedrewdownmyheadtoherasamothermightdrawdowntheheadofason。Shecaressedme，weepingbitterlywithme。"Oh！mydear，"
　　shesobbed，"mydear！I'veneverseenyoucry！I'veneverseenyoucry。Ever！Ididn'tknowyoucould。Oh！mydear！Can'tyouhaveher，mydear，ifyouwanther？Ican'tbearit！Letmehelpyou，dear。Oh！myHusband！MyMan！Ican'tbeartohaveyoucry！"Foratimesheheldmeinsilence。
　　"I'vethoughtthismighthappen，Idreamtitmighthappen。Youtwo，Imean。Itwasdreamingputitintomyhead。WhenI'veseenyoutogether，sogladwitheachother……Oh！Husbandmine，believeme！believeme！I'mstupid，I'mcold，I'monlybeginningtorealisehowstupidandcold，butallIwantinalltheworldistogivemylifetoyou。"……
　　6
　　"Wecan'tpartinaroom，"saidIsabel。
　　"We'llhaveonelasttalktogether，"Isaid，andplannedthatweshouldmeetforahalfadaybetweenDoverandWalmerandtalkourselvesout。Istillrecallthatdayverywell，recalleventhecuriousexaltationofgriefthatmadeourmentalatmospheredistinctiveandmemorable。Wehadseensomuchofoneanother，hadbecomesointimate，thatwetalkedofpartingevenaswepartedwithasenseofincredibleremoteness。Wewenttogetherupoverthecliffs，andtoaplacewheretheyfalltowardsthesea，pastthewhite，quaint-lanternedlighthousesoftheSouthForeland。There，inakindofnichebelowthecrest，wesattalking。Itwasaspaciousday，serenelyblueandwarm，andonthewrinkledwaterremotelybelowablacktenderandsixhoodedsubmarinescamepresently，andengagedinmysteriousmanoeuvers。Shriekinggullsandchatteringjackdawscircledoverusandbelowus，anddivedandswooped；andaskerryofweedy，fallenchalkappeared，andgraduallydisappearedagain，asthetidefellandrose。
　　Wetalkedandthoughtthatafternoononeveryaspectofourrelations。Itseemstomenowwetalkedsowideandfarthatscarcelyanissueinthelifebetweenmanandwomancanarisethatwedidnotatleasttouchupon。LyingthereatIsabel'sfeet，I
　　havebecomeformyselfasymbolofallthisworld-wideproblembetweendutyandconscious，passionatelovetheworldhasstilltosolve。Becauseitisn'tsolved；there'sawronginiteitherway……Thesky，thewidehorizon，seemedtoliftusoutofourselvesuntilweweresomethingrepresentativeandgeneral。Shewaswomanhoodbecomearticulate，talkingtoherlover。
　　"Iought，"Isaid，"nevertohavelovedyou。"
　　"Itwasn'tathingplanned，"shesaid。
　　"Ioughtnevertohaveletourtalksliptothat，nevertohaveturnedbackfromAmerica。"
　　"I'mgladwedidit，"shesaid。"Don'tthinkIrepent。"
　　Ilookedather。
　　"Iwillneverrepent，"shesaid。"Never！"asthoughsheclungtoherlifeinsayingit。
　　Irememberwetalkedforalongtimeofdivorce。Itseemedtousthen，anditseemstousstill，thatitoughttohavebeenpossibleforMargarettodivorceme，andformetomarrywithoutthescandalousanduglypublicity，thetaintandostracismthatfollowsuchareadjustment。Wewentontothewholeperplexingriddleofmarriage。Wecriticisedthecurrentcode，howmuddledandconventionalisedithadbecome，howmodifiedbysubterfugesandconcealmentsandnewnecessities，andtheincreasingfreedomofwomen。"It'salllikeBromsteadwhenthebuildingcame，"Isaid；
　　forIhadoftentalkedtoherofthatearlyimpressionofpurposedissolvingagainintochaoticforces。"Thereisnoclearrightintheworldanymore。TheworldisByzantine。Thejustestmanto-daymustpractiseataintedgoodness。"
　　Thesequestionsneeddiscussion——amagnificentfranknessofdiscussion——ifanystandardsareagaintoestablishaneffectiveholduponeducatedpeople。Discretions，asIhavesaidalready，willneverholdanyoneworthholding——longerthantheyheldus。
　　Againstevery"shaltnot"theremustbea"whynot"plainlyput，——
　　the"whynot"largestandplainest，thelawdeducedfromitspurpose。"YouandI，Isabel，"Isaid，"havealwaysbeenalittledisregardfulofduty，partlyatleastbecausetheideaofdutycomestoussoill-clad。Oh！Iknowthere'sanextravagantinsubordinatestraininus，butthatwasn'tall。Iwishhumbugswouldleavedutyalone。Iwishalldutywasn'tcoveredwithslime。That'swheretherealmischiefcomesin。Passioncanalwayscontrivetoclotheitselfinbeauty，stripsitselfsplendid。Thatcarriedus。Butforallitsmeanassociationsthereisthisduty……
　　"Don'twecomeratherlatetoit？"
　　"Notsolatethatitwon'tbeatrociouslyhardtodo。"
　　"It'squeertothinkofnow，"saidIsabel。"Whocouldbelievewedidallwehavedonehonestly？Well，inamannerhonestly。Whocouldbelievewethoughtthismightbehidden？Whocouldtraceitallstepbystepfromthetimewhenwefoundthatacertainboldnessinourtalkwaspleasing？Wetalkedoflove……Master，there'snotmuchforustodointhewayofApologiathatanyonewillcredit。Andyetifitwerepossibletotelltheveryheartofourstory……
　　"DoesMargaretreallywanttogoonwithyou？"sheasked——"shieldyou——knowingof……THIS？"
　　"I'mcertain。Idon'tunderstand——justasIdon'tunderstandShoesmith，butshedoes。Thesepeoplewalkonsolidgroundwhichisjustthinairtous。They'vegotsomethingwehaven'tgot。
　　Assurances？Iwonder。"……
　　Thenitwas，orlater，wetalkedofShoesmith，andwhatherlifemightbewithhim。
　　"He'sgood，"shesaid；"he'skindly。He'severythingbutmagic。
　　He'stheveryimageofthedecent，sober，honourablelife。Youcan'tsayathingagainsthimorI——exceptthatsomething——somethinginhisimagination，somethinginthetoneofhisvoice——failsforme。Whydon'tIlovehim？——he'sabettermanthanyou！Whydon'tyou？ISheabettermanthanyou？He'susage，he'shonour，he'stherightthing，he'sthebreedandthetradition，——agentleman。
　　You'reyourerring，incalculableself。Isupposewewomenwilltrustthissortandloveyoursorttotheveryendoftime……"
　　Welaysidebysideandnibbledatgrassstalksaswetalked。Itseemedenormouslyunreasonabletousthattwopeoplewhohadcometothepitchofeasyandconfidentaffectionandhappinessthatheldbetweenusshouldbeobligedtopartandshunoneanother，ormurderhalfthesubstanceoftheirlives。Wefeltourselvescrushedandbeatenbyanindiscriminatingmachinewhichdestroyshappinessintheserviceofjealousy。"Themassofpeopledon'tfeelthesethingsinquitethesamemanneraswefeelthem，"shesaid。"Isitbecausethey'redifferentingrain，oreducatedoutofsomeprimitiveinstinct？"
　　"It'sbecausewe'veexploredlovealittle，andtheyknownomorethanthegateway，"Isaid。"Lustandthenjealousy；theirsimpleconception——andwehavegonepastallthatandwanderedhandinhand……"
　　Irememberthatforatimewewatchedtwoofthatlargersortofgull，whosewingsarebrownish-white，circleandhoveragainsttheblue。Andthenwelayandlookedatabandofwatermirrorclearfarouttosea，andwonderedwhythebreezethatrippledalltherestshouldleaveitsoserene。
　　"AndinthisStateofours，"Iresumed。
　　"Eh！"saidIsabel，rollingoverintoasittingpostureandlookingoutatthehorizon。"Let'stalknomoreofthingswecanneversee。
　　Talktomeoftheworkyouaredoingandallweshalldo——afterwehaveparted。We'vesaidtoolittleofthat。We'vehadourredlife，andit'sover。ThankHeaven！——thoughwestoleit！Talkaboutyourwork，dear，andthethingswe'llgoondoing——justasthoughwewerestilltogether。We'llstillbetogetherinasense——throughallthesethingswehaveincommon。"
　　Andsowetalkedofpoliticsandouroutlook。Wewereinterestedtothepitchofself-forgetfulness。Weweighedpersonsandforces，discussedtheprobabilitiesofthenextgeneralelection，thesteadydriftofpublicopinioninthenorthandwestawayfromLiberalismtowardsus。ItwasverymanifestthatinspiteofWardenhamandtheEXPURGATOR，weshouldcomeintothenewGovernmentstrongly。Thepartyhadnooneelse，alltheyoungmenwereformallyorinformallywithus；Esmeerwouldhaveoffice，LordTarvrille，I……andveryprobablytherewouldbesomethingforShoesmith。"Andformyownpart，"Isaid，"IcountonbackingontheLiberalside。Forthelasttwoyearswe'vebeenforcingcompetitioninconstructivelegislationbetweentheparties。TheLiberalshavenotbeenlonginfollowingupourEndowmentofMotherhoodlead。They'llhavetogivevotesandlipserviceanyhow。HalfthereadersoftheBLUEWEEKLY，theysay，areLiberals……
　　"IremembertalkingaboutthingsofthissortwitholdWillersley，"
　　Isaid，"eversomanyyearsago。ItwassomeplacenearLocarno，andwelookeddownthelakethatshoneweltering——justasnowwelookoverthesea。AndthenwedreamtinanindistinctfeaturelesswayofallthatyouandIaredoingnow。"
　　"I！"saidIsabel，andlaughed。
　　"Well，ofsomesuchthing，"Isaid，andremainedforawhilesilent，thinkingofLocarno。
　　Irecalledoncemorethelargeness，thereleasefromsmallpersonalthingsthatIhadfeltinmyyouth；statecraftbecamerealandwonderfulagainwiththememory，thegigantichandlingofgiganticproblems。Ibegantotalkoutmythoughts，sittingupbesideher，asIcouldnevertalkofthemtoanyonebutIsabel；begantorecoveragainthepurposethatlayunderallmypoliticalambitionsandadjustmentsandanticipations。IsawtheState，splendidandwideasIhadseenitinthatfirsttravelofmine，butnowitwasnomeredistantprospectofspiresandpinnacles，butpopulouswithfine-trained，bold-thinking，bold-doingpeople。ItwasasifIhadforgottenforalongtimeandnowrememberedwithamazement。
　　Atfirst，Itoldher，IhadbeenaltogetheratalosshowIcoulddoanythingtobattleagainsttheaimlessmuddleofourworld；Ihadwantedaclue——untilshehadcomeintomylifequestioning，suggesting，unconsciouslyilluminating。"ButIhavedonenothing，"
　　sheprotested。Ideclaredshehaddoneeverythingingrowingtoeducationundermyeyes，inreflectingagainuponalltheprocessesthathadmademyself，sothatinsteadofabstractionsandblue-booksandbillsanddevices，Ihadrealisedtheworldofmankindasacrowdneedingbeforeallthingsfinewomenandmen。We'dspoiltourselvesinlearningthat，butanyhowwehadourlesson。BeforeherIwasinanineteenth-centurydarkness，dealingwiththenationasifitwereacrowdofselfishmen，forgetfulofwomenandchildrenandthatshywildthingintheheartsofmen，love，whichmustbedrawnuponasithasneverbeendrawnuponbefore，iftheStateistolive。Isawnowhowitispossibletobringtheloosefactorsofagreatrealmtogether，tocreateamindofliteratureandthoughtinit，andtheexpressionofapurposetomakeitself-
　　consciousandfine。Ihaditallclearbeforeme，sothatatascoreofpointsIcouldpresentlybegin。TheBLUEWEEKLYwasacentreofforce。AlreadywehadgivenImperialismacriticism，andleavenedhalfthepressfromourcolumns。Ourmovementconsolidatedandspread。Weshouldpresentlycomeintopower。Everythingmovedtowardsourhands。Weshouldbeabletogetattheschools，theservices，theuniversities，thechurch；enormouslyincreasetheendowmentofresearch，andorganisewhatwassorelywanted，acriticismofresearch；contriveaclosercontactbetweenthepressandcreativeintellectuallife；fosterliterature，clarify，strengthenthepublicconsciousness，developsocialorganisationandasenseoftheState。Menwerecomingtouseveryday，brilliantyoungpeerslikeLordDentonhill，writerslikeCarnotandCresswell。
　　Itfilledmewithpridetowinsuchmen。"Westandforsomuchmorethanweseemtostandfor，"Isaid。Iopenedmyhearttoher，sofreelythatIhesitatetoopenmyhearteventothereader，tellingofprojectsandambitionsIcherished，ofmyconsciousnessofgreatpowersandwideningopportunities……
　　IsabelwatchedmeasItalked。
　　Shetoo，Ithink，hadforgottenthesethingsforawhile。ForitiscuriousandIthinkaverysignificantthingthatsincewehadbecomelovers，wehadtalkedverylittleofthebroaderthingsthathadoncesostronglygrippedourimaginations。
　　"It'sgood，"Isaid，"totalklikethistoyou，togetbacktoyouthandgreatambitionswithyou。Therehavebeentimeslatelywhenpoliticshasseemedthepettiestgameplayedwithmeantoolsformeanends——andnonethelesssothatthehappinessofthreehundredmillionpeoplemightbetouchedbyourfollies。Italktonooneelselikethis……AndnowIthinkofparting，IthinkbutofhowmuchmoreImighthavetalkedtoyou。"……
　　Thingsdrewtoanendatlast，butafterwehadspokenofathousandthings。
　　"We'vetalkedawayourlasthalfday，"Isaid，staringovermyshoulderattheblazingsunsetskybehindus。"Dear，it'sbeenthelastdayofourlivesforus……Itdoesn'tseemlikethelastdayofourlives。Oranyday。"
　　"Iwonderhowitwillfeel？"saidIsabel。
　　"Itwillbeverystrangeatfirst——nottobeabletotellyouthings。"
　　"I'veasuperstitionthatafter——afterwe'veparted——ifeverIgointomyroomandtalk，you'llhear。You'llbe——somewhere。"
　　"Ishallbeintheworld——yes。"
　　"Idon'tfeelasthoughthesedaysaheadwerereal。Hereweare，hereweremain。"
　　"Yes，Ifeelthat。AsthoughyouandIweretwoimmortals，whodidn'tliveintimeandspaceatall，whonevermet，whocouldn'tpart，andherewelieonOlympus。Andthosetwopoorcreatureswhodidmeet，poorlittleRichardRemingtonandIsabelRivers，whometandlovedtoomuchandhadtopart，theypartandgotheirways，andweliehereandwatchthem，youandI。She'llcry，poordear。"
　　"She'llcry。She'scryingnow！"
　　"Poorlittlebeasts！Ithinkhe'llcrytoo。Hewinces。Hecould——
　　fortuppence。Ididn'tknowhehadlachrymalglandsatalluntilalittlewhileago。Isupposeallloveishysterical——andalittlefoolish。Poormites！Sillylittlepitifulcreatures！Howwehaveblundered！ThinkhowwemustlooktoGod！Well，we'llpitythem，andthenwe'llinspirehimtostiffenupagain——anddoaswe'vedeterminedheshalldo。We'llseeitthrough，——wewholiehereonthecliff。They'llbemeanattimes，andhorridattimes；weknowthem！Doyouseeher，apoorlittlefineladyinagreathouse，——
　　shesometimesgoestoherroomandwrites。"
　　"ShewritesforhisBLUEWEEKLYstill。"
　　"Yes。Sometimes——Ihope。Andhe'sthereintheofficewithabitofhercopyinhishand。"
　　"Isitasgoodasifshestilltalkeditoverwithhimbeforeshewroteit？Isit？"
　　"Better，Ithink。Let'splayit'sbetter——anyhow。Itmaybethattalkingoverwasrathermixedwithlove-making。Afterall，love-
　　makingisjoyratherthanmagic。Don'tlet'spretendaboutthateven……Let'sgoonwatchinghim。Idon'tseewhyherwritingshouldn'tbebetter。IndeedIdon't。See！TherehegoesdownalongtheEmbankmenttoWestminsterjustlikearealman，forallthathe'ssmallerthanagrainofdust。Whatisrunningroundinsidethatspeckofaheadofhis？LookathimgoingpastthePolicemen，speckstoo——selectedlargeonesfromthecountry。I
　　thinkhe'sgoingtodinnerwiththeSpeaker——someoldthinglikethat。Ishisfaceharderorcommonerorstronger？——Ican'tquitesee……Andnowhe'supandspeakingintheHouse。Hopehe'llholdontothethread。He'llhavetoplanhisspeechestotheveryendofhisdays——andlearntheheadings。"
　　"Isn'tsheupinthewomen'sgallerytohearhim？"
　　"No。Unlessit'sbyaccident。"
　　"She'sthere，"shesaid。
　　"Well，byaccidentithappens。Nottoomanyaccidents，Isabel。
　　Neveranymoreadventuresforus，dear，now。No！……Theyplaythegame，youknow。They'vebegunlate，butnowthey'vegotto。
　　Youseeit'snotsoveryhardforthemsinceyouandI，mydear，areherealways，alwaysfaithfullyhereonthiswarmcliffofloveaccomplished，watchingandhelpingthemunderhighheaven。Itisn'tsoVERYhard。Rathergoodinsomeways。SomepeopleHAVEtobebrokenalittle。CanyouseeAltioradownthere，byanychance？"
　　"She'stoolittletobeseen，"shesaid。
　　"Canyouseethesinstheyoncecommitted？"
　　"Icanonlyseeyouherebesideme，dear——forever。Forallmylife，dear，tillIdie。Wasthat——thesin？"……
　　Itookhertothestation，andaftershehadgoneIwastodrivetoDover，andcrosstoCalaisbythenightboat。Icouldn't，Ifelt，returntoLondon。WewalkedoverthecrestanddowntothelittlestationofMartinMillsidebyside，talkingatfirstinbrokenfragments，forthemostpartofunimportantthings。
　　"Noneofthis，"shesaidabruptly，"seemsintheslightestdegreerealtome。I'vegotnosenseofthingsending。"
　　"We'reparting，"Isaid。
　　"We'reparting——aspeoplepartinaplay。It'sdistressing。ButI
　　don'tfeelasthoughyouandIwerereallynevertoseeeachotheragainforyears。Doyou？"
　　Ithought。"No，"Isaid。
　　"Afterwe'vepartedIshalllooktotalkitoverwithyou。"
　　"SoshallI。"
　　"That'sabsurd。"
　　"Absurd。"
　　"Ifeelasifyou'dalwayshethere，justaboutwhereyouarenow。
　　Invisibleperhaps，butthere。We'vespentsomuchofourlivesjogglingelbows。"……
　　"Yes。Yes。Idon'tintheleastrealiseit。IsupposeIshallbegintowhenthetraingoesoutofthestation。Arewewantinginimagination，Isabel？"
　　"Idon'tknow。We'vealwaysassumeditwastheotherwayabout。"
　　"Evenwhenthetraingoesoutofthestation——！I'veseenyouintosomanytrains。"
　　"Ishallgoonthinkingofthingstosaytoyou——thingstoputinyourletters。Foryearstocome。HowcanIeverstopthinkinginthatwaynow？We'vegotintoeachother'sbrains。"
　　"Itisn'treal，"Isaid；"nothingisreal。Theworld'snomorethanafantasticdream。Whyareweparting，Isabel？"
　　"Idon'tknow。Itseemsnowsupremelysilly。Isupposewehaveto。
　　Can'twemeet？——don'tyouthinkweshallmeetevenindreams？"
　　"We'llmeetathousandtimesindreams，"Isaid。
　　"Iwishwecoulddreamatthesametime，"saidIsabel……"Dreamwalks。Ican'tbelieve，dear，Ishallneverhaveawalkwithyouagain。"
　　"IfI'dstayedsixmonthsinAmerica，"Isaid，"wemighthavewalkedlongwalksandtalkedlongtalksforallourlives。"
　　"NotinaworldofBaileys，"saidIsabel。"Andanyhow——"
　　Shestoppedshort。Ilookedinterrogation。
　　"We'veloved，"shesaid。
　　Itookherticket，sawtoherluggage，andstoodbythedoorofthecompartment。"Good-bye，"Isaidalittlestiffly，consciousofthepeopleupontheplatform。Shebentaboveme，whiteanddusky，lookingatmeverysteadfastly。
　　"Comehere，"shewhispered。"Nevermindtheporters。Whatcantheyknow？Justonetimemore——Imust。"
　　Sherestedherhandagainstthedoorofthecarriageandbentdownuponme，andputhercold，moistlipstomine。
　　CHAPTERTHETHIRD
　　THEBREAKINGPOINT