“AndIthoughtyou——aprig，“sherecollected。“No；that’snotquiteit。
　　Thereweretheantswhostolethetongue，andIthoughtyouandSt。Johnwerelikethoseants——verybig，veryugly，veryenergetic，withallyourvirtuesonyourbacks。However，whenItalkedtoyouIlikedyou——“
　　“Youfellinlovewithme，“hecorrectedher。“Youwereinlovewithmeallthetime，onlyyoudidn’tknowit。“
　　“No，Ineverfellinlovewithyou，“sheasserted。
　　“Rachel——whatalie——didn’tyousitherelookingatmywindow——
　　didn’tyouwanderaboutthehotellikeanowlinthesun——？“
　　“No，“sherepeated，“Ineverfellinlove，iffallinginloveiswhatpeoplesayitis，andit’stheworldthattellstheliesandItellthetruth。Oh，whatlies——whatlies！“
　　ShecrumpledtogetherahandfuloflettersfromEvelynM。，fromMr。Pepper，fromMrs。ThornburyandMissAllan，andSusanWarrington。
　　Itwasstrange，consideringhowverydifferentthesepeoplewere，thattheyusedalmostthesamesentenceswhentheywrotetocongratulateheruponherengagement。
　　Thatanyoneofthesepeoplehadeverfeltwhatshefelt，orcouldeverfeelit，orhadeventherighttopretendforasinglesecondthattheywerecapableoffeelingit，appalledhermuchasthechurchservicehaddone，muchasthefaceofthehospitalnursehaddone；
　　andiftheydidn’tfeelathingwhydidtheygoandpretendto？
　　Thesimplicityandarroganceandhardnessofheryouth，nowconcentratedintoasinglesparkasitwasbyherloveofhim，puzzledTerence；
　　beingengagedhadnotthateffectonhim；theworldwasdifferent，butnotinthatway；hestillwantedthethingshehadalwayswanted，andinparticularhewantedthecompanionshipofotherpeoplemorethaneverperhaps。Hetookthelettersoutofherhand，andprotested:
　　“Ofcoursethey’reabsurd，Rachel；ofcoursetheysaythingsjustbecauseotherpeoplesaythem，butevenso，whatanicewomanMissAllanis；youcan’tdenythat；andMrs。Thornburytoo；she’sgottoomanychildrenIgrantyou，butifhalf-a-dozenofthemhadgonetothebadinsteadofrisinginfalliblytothetopsoftheirtrees——
　　hasn’tsheakindofbeauty——ofelementalsimplicityasFlushingwouldsay？Isn’tsheratherlikealargeoldtreemurmuringinthemoonlight，orarivergoingonandonandon？Bytheway，Ralph’sbeenmadegovernoroftheCarrowayIslands——theyoungestgovernorintheservice；verygood，isn’tit？“
　　ButRachelwasatpresentunabletoconceivethatthevastmajorityoftheaffairsoftheworldwentonunconnectedbyasinglethreadwithherowndestiny。
　　“Iwon’thaveelevenchildren，“sheasserted；“Iwon’thavetheeyesofanoldwoman。Shelooksatoneupanddown，upanddown，asifonewereahorse。“
　　“Wemusthaveasonandwemusthaveadaughter，“saidTerence，puttingdowntheletters，“because，letalonetheinestimableadvantageofbeingourchildren，they’dbesowellbroughtup。“
　　Theywentontosketchanoutlineoftheidealeducation——
　　howtheirdaughtershouldberequiredfrominfancytogazeatalargesquareofcardboardpaintedblue，tosuggestthoughtsofinfinity，forwomenweregrowntoopractical；andtheirson——heshouldbetaughttolaughatgreatmen，thatis，atdistinguishedsuccessfulmen，atmenwhoworeribandsandrosetothetopsoftheirtrees。
　　HeshouldinnowayresembleRacheladdedSt。JohnHirst。
　　AtthisTerenceprofessedthegreatestadmirationforSt。JohnHirst。
　　Dwellinguponhisgoodqualitieshebecameseriouslyconvincedofthem；
　　hehadamindlikeatorpedo，hedeclared，aimedatfalsehood。
　　Whereshouldweallbewithouthimandhislike？Chokedinweeds；
　　Christians，bigots，——why，Rachelherself，wouldbeaslavewithafantosingsongstomenwhentheyfeltdrowsy。
　　“Butyou’llneverseeit！“heexclaimed；“becausewithallyourvirtuesyoudon’t，andyouneverwill，carewitheveryfibreofyourbeingforthepursuitoftruth！You’venorespectforfacts，Rachel；
　　you’reessentiallyfeminine。“Shedidnottroubletodenyit，nordidshethinkgoodtoproducetheoneunanswerableargumentagainstthemeritswhichTerenceadmired。St。JohnHirstsaidthatshewasinlovewithhim；shewouldneverforgivethat；
　　buttheargumentwasnotonetoappealtoaman。
　　“ButIlikehim，“shesaid，andshethoughttoherselfthatshealsopitiedhim，asonepitiesthoseunfortunatepeoplewhoareoutsidethewarmmysteriousglobefullofchangesandmiraclesinwhichweourselvesmoveabout；shethoughtthatitmustbeverydulltobeSt。JohnHirst。
　　Shesummedupwhatshefeltabouthimbysayingthatshewouldnotkisshimsupposinghewishedit，whichwasnotlikely。
　　AsifsomeapologywereduetoHirstforthekisswhichshethenbestoweduponhim，Terenceprotested:
　　“AndcomparedwithHirstI’maperfectZany。“
　　Theclockherestrucktwelveinsteadofeleven。
　　“We’rewastingthemorning——Ioughttobewritingmybook，andyououghttobeansweringthese。“
　　“We’veonlygottwenty-onewholemorningsleft，“saidRachel。
　　“Andmyfather’llbehereinadayortwo。“
　　However，shedrewapenandpapertowardsherandbegantowritelaboriously，“MydearEvelyn——“
　　Terence，meanwhile，readanovelwhichsomeoneelsehadwritten，aprocesswhichhefoundessentialtothecompositionofhisown。
　　ForaconsiderabletimenothingwastobeheardbutthetickingoftheclockandthefitfulscratchofRachel’spen，assheproducedphraseswhichboreaconsiderablelikenesstothosewhichshehadcondemned。Shewasstruckbyitherself，forshestoppedwritingandlookedup；lookedatTerencedeepinthearm-chair，lookedatthedifferentpiecesoffurniture，atherbedinthecorner，atthewindow-panewhichshowedthebranchesofatreefilledinwithsky，heardtheclockticking，andwasamazedatthegulfwhichlaybetweenallthatandhersheetofpaper。Wouldthereeverbeatimewhentheworldwasoneandindivisible？EvenwithTerencehimself——howfaraparttheycouldbe，howlittlesheknewwhatwaspassinginhisbrainnow！Shethenfinishedhersentence，whichwasawkwardandugly，andstatedthattheywere“bothveryhappy，andgoingtobemarriedintheautumnprobablyandhopetoliveinLondon，wherewehopeyouwillcomeandseeuswhenwegetback。“
　　Choosing“affectionately，“aftersomefurtherspeculation，ratherthansincerely，shesignedtheletterandwasdoggedlybeginningonanotherwhenTerenceremarked，quotingfromhisbook:
　　“Listentothis，Rachel。’ItisprobablethatHugh’he’sthehero，aliteraryman，’hadnotrealisedatthetimeofhismarriage，anymorethantheyoungmanofpartsandimaginationusuallydoesrealise，thenatureofthegulfwhichseparatestheneedsanddesiresofthemalefromtheneedsanddesiresofthefemale……Atfirsttheyhadbeenveryhappy。ThewalkingtourinSwitzerlandhadbeenatimeofjollycompanionshipandstimulatingrevelationsforbothofthem。Bettyhadprovedherselftheidealcomrade……Theyhadshouted_Love__in__the__Valley_toeachotheracrossthesnowyslopesoftheRiffelhorn’andsoon，andsoon——I’llskipthedescriptions……’ButinLondon，aftertheboy’sbirth，allwaschanged。Bettywasanadmirablemother；butitdidnottakeherlongtofindoutthatmotherhood，asthatfunctionisunderstoodbythemotheroftheuppermiddleclasses，didnotabsorbthewholeofherenergies。Shewasyoungandstrong，withhealthylimbsandabodyandbrainthatcalledurgentlyforexercise……’Inshortshebegantogivetea-parties。……’CominginlatefromthissingulartalkwitholdBobMurphyinhissmoky，book-linedroom，wherethetwomenhadeachunloosenedhissoultotheother，withthesoundofthetraffichumminginhisears，andthefoggyLondonskyslungtragicallyacrosshismind……hefoundwomen’shatsdottedaboutamonghispapers。Women’swrapsandabsurdlittlefeminineshoesandumbrellaswereinthehall……Thenthebillsbegantocomein……Hetriedtospeakfranklytoher。Hefoundherlyingonthegreatpolar-bearskinintheirbedroom，half-undressed，fortheywerediningwiththeGreensinWiltonCrescent，theruddyfirelightmakingthediamondswinkandtwinkleonherbarearmsandinthedeliciouscurveofherbreast——
　　avisionofadorablefemininity。Heforgaveherall。’Well，thisgoesfrombadtoworse，andfinallyaboutfiftypageslater，Hughtakesaweek-endtickettoSwanageand’hasitoutwithhimselfonthedownsaboveCorfe。’……Herethere’sfifteenpagesorsowhichwe’llskip。Theconclusionis……’Theyweredifferent。
　　Perhaps，inthefarfuture，whengenerationsofmenhadstruggledandfailedashemustnowstruggleandfail，womanwouldbe，indeed，whatshenowmadeapretenceofbeing——thefriendandcompanion——
　　nottheenemyandparasiteofman。’
　　“Theendofitis，yousee，Hughwentbacktohiswife，poorfellow。
　　Itwashisduty，asamarriedman。Lord，Rachel，“heconcluded，“willitbelikethatwhenwe’remarried？“
　　Insteadofansweringhimsheasked，“Whydon’tpeoplewriteaboutthethingstheydofeel？“
　　“Ah，that’sthedifficulty！“hesighed，tossingthebookaway。
　　“Well，then，whatwillitbelikewhenwe’remarried？Whatarethethingspeopledofeel？“
　　Sheseemeddoubtful。
　　“Sitonthefloorandletmelookatyou，“hecommanded。
　　Restingherchinonhisknee，shelookedstraightathim。
　　Heexaminedhercuriously。
　　“You’renotbeautiful，“hebegan，“butIlikeyourface。
　　Ilikethewayyourhairgrowsdowninapoint，andyoureyestoo——
　　theyneverseeanything。Yourmouth’stoobig，andyourcheekswouldbebetteriftheyhadmorecolourinthem。ButwhatIlikeaboutyourfaceisthatitmakesonewonderwhatthedevilyou’rethinkingabout——itmakesmewanttodothat——“Heclenchedhisfistandshookitsonearherthatshestartedback，“becausenowyoulookasifyou’dblowmybrainsout。Therearemoments，“hecontinued，“when，ifwestoodonarocktogether，you’dthrowmeintothesea。“
　　Hypnotisedbytheforceofhiseyesinhers，sherepeated，“Ifwestoodonarocktogether——“
　　Tobeflungintothesea，tobewashedhitherandthither，anddrivenabouttherootsoftheworld——theideawasincoherentlydelightful。
　　Shesprangup，andbeganmovingabouttheroom，bendingandthrustingasidethechairsandtablesasifshewereindeedstrikingthroughthewaters。Hewatchedherwithpleasure；sheseemedtobecleavingapassageforherself，anddealingtriumphantlywiththeobstacleswhichwouldhindertheirpassagethroughlife。
　　“Itdoesseempossible！“heexclaimed，“thoughI’vealwaysthoughtitthemostunlikelythingintheworld——Ishallbeinlovewithyouallmylife，andourmarriagewillbethemostexcitingthingthat’severbeendone！We’llneverhaveamoment’speace——“
　　Hecaughtherinhisarmsasshepassedhim，andtheyfoughtformastery，imaginingarock，andtheseaheavingbeneaththem。
　　Atlastshewasthrowntothefloor，whereshelaygasping，andcryingformercy。
　　“I’mamermaid！Icanswim，“shecried，“sothegame’sup。“
　　Herdresswastornacross，andpeacebeingestablished，shefetchedaneedleandthreadandbegantomendthetear。
　　“Andnow，“shesaid，“bequietandtellmeabouttheworld；
　　tellmeabouteverythingthat’severhappened，andI’lltellyou——
　　letmesee，whatcanItellyou？——I’lltellyouaboutMissMontgomerieandtheriverparty。Shewasleft，yousee，withonefootintheboat，andtheotheronshore。“
　　Theyhadspentmuchtimealreadyinthusfillingoutfortheotherthecourseoftheirpastlives，andthecharactersoftheirfriendsandrelations，sothatverysoonTerenceknewnotonlywhatRachel’sauntsmightbeexpectedtosayuponeveryoccasion，butalsohowtheirbedroomswerefurnished，andwhatkindofbonnetstheywore。
　　HecouldsustainaconversationbetweenMrs。HuntandRachel，andcarryonatea-partyincludingtheRev。WilliamJohnsonandMissMacquoid，theChristianScientists，withremarkablelikenesstothetruth。
　　Buthehadknownmanymorepeople，andwasfarmorehighlyskilledintheartofnarrativethanRachelwas，whoseexperienceswere，forthemostpart，ofacuriouslychildlikeandhumorouskind，sothatitgenerallyfelltoherlottolistenandaskquestions。