"’MargaretAubyn’sLetters。’Twovolumes。Outto—day。Firsteditionoffivethousandsoldoutbeforeleavingthepress。
Secondeditionreadynextweek。THEBOOKOFTHEYEAR……"
Helookedupstupidly。Hiswifestillsatwithherheadthrownback，herpureprofiledetachedagainstthecushions。Shewassmilingalittleovertheprospecthislastwordshadopened。
Behindherheadshiversofsunandshaderanacrossthestripedawning。Arowofmaplesandaprivethedgehidtheirneighbor’sgables，givingthemundividedpossessionoftheirleafyhalf—acre；
andlife，amomentbefore，hadbeenliketheirplotofground，shutoff，hedgedinfromimportunities，impenetrablyhisandhers。
Nowitseemedtohimthateverymaple—leaf，everyprivet—bud，wasarelentlesshumangaze，pressingcloseupontheirprivacy。Itwasasthoughtheysatinabrightlylitroom，uncurtainedfromadarknessfullofhostilewatchers……Hiswifestillsmiled；
andherunconsciousnessofdangerseemed，insomehorribleway，toputherbeyondthereachofrescue……
Hehadnotknownthatitwouldbelikethis。Afterthefirstodiousweeks，spentinpreparingthelettersforpublication，insubmittingthemtoFlamel，andinnegotiatingwiththepublishers，thetransactionhaddroppedoutofhisconsciousnessintothatunvisitedlimbotowhichwerelegatethedeedswewouldrathernothavedonebuthavenonotionofundoing。FromthemomenthehadobtainedMissTrent’spromisenottosailwithheraunthehadtriedtoimaginehimselfirrevocablycommitted。Afterthat，heargued，hisfirstdutywastoher——shehadbecomehisconscience。
ThesumobtainedfromthepublishersbyFlamel’sadroitmanipulationsandopportunelytransferredtoDinslow’ssuccessfulventure，alreadyyieldedareturnwhich，combinedwithGlennard’sprofessionalearnings，tooktheedgeofcompulsionfromtheirwayofliving，makingitappeartheexpressionofagracefulpreferenceforsimplicity。Itwasthemitigatedpovertywhichcansubscribetoareviewortwoandhaveafewflowersonthedinner—
table。AndalreadyinasmallwayGlennardwasbeginningtofeelthemagneticqualityofprosperity。Clientswhohadpassedhisdoorinthehungrydayssoughtitoutnowthatitborethenameofasuccessfulman。Itwasunderstoodthatasmallinheritance，cleverlyinvested，wasthesourceofhisfortune；andtherewasafeelingthatamanwhocoulddosowellforhimselfwaslikelytoknowhowtoturnoverotherpeople’smoney。
Butitwasinthemoreintimaterewardofhiswife’shappinessthatGlennardtastedthefullflavorofsuccess。Comingoutofconditionssonarrowthatthoseheofferedherseemedspacious，shefittedintohernewlifewithoutanyofthosemanifesteffortsatadjustmentthatareassoretoahusband’sprideasthecriticalrearrangementofthebridalfurniture。Shehadgivenhim，instead，thedelicatepleasureofwatchingherexpandlikeasea—creaturerestoredtoitselement，stretchingouttheatrophiedtentaclesofgirlishvanityandenjoymenttotherisingtideofopportunity。Andsomehow——inthewindowlessinnercellofhisconsciousnesswhereself—criticismcowered——Glennard’scourseseemedjustifiedbyitsmerelymaterialsuccess。Howcouldsuchacropofinnocentblessednesshavesprungfromtaintedsoil？
Nowhehadtheinjuredsenseofamanentrappedintoadisadvantageousbargain。Hehadnotknownitwouldbelikethis；
andadullangergatheredathisheart。Angeragainstwhom？
Againsthiswife，fornotknowingwhathesuffered？AgainstFlamel，forbeingtheunconsciousinstrumentofhiswrong—doing？
Oragainstthatmutememorytowhichhisownacthadsuddenlygivenavoiceofaccusation？Yes，thatwasit；andhispunishmenthenceforthwouldbethepresence，theunescapablepresence，ofthewomanhehadsopersistentlyevaded。Shewouldalwaysbetherenow。Itwasasthoughhehadmarriedherinsteadoftheother。
Itwaswhatshehadalwayswanted——tobewithhim——andshehadgainedherpointatlast……
Hesprangup，asthoughinanimpulseofflight……Thesuddenmovementliftedhiswife’slids，andsheasked，intheincuriousvoiceofthewomanwhoselifeisenclosedinamagiccircleofprosperity——"Anynews？"
"No——none——"hesaid，rousedtoasenseofimmediateperil。Thepaperslayscatteredathisfeet——whatifsheweretoseethem？
Hestretchedhisarmtogatherthemup，buthisnextthoughtshowedhimthefutilityofsuchconcealment。Thesameadvertisementwouldappeareveryday，forweekstocome，ineverynewspaper；howcouldhepreventherseeingit？Hecouldnotalwaysbehidingthepapersfromher……Well，andwhatifshedidseeit？Itwouldsignifynothingtoher，thechanceswerethatshewouldneverevenreadthebook……Assheceasedtobeanelementoffearinhiscalculationsthedistancebetweenthemseemedtolessenandhetookheragain，asitwere，intothecircleofhisconjugalprotection……Yetamomentbeforehehadalmosthatedher!……Helaughedaloudathissenselessterrors……Hewasoffhisbalance，decidedly。
"Whatareyoulaughingat？"sheasked。
Heexplained，elaborately，thathewaslaughingattherecollectionofanoldwomaninthetrain，anoldwomanwithalotofbundles，whocouldn’tfindherticket……Butsomehow，inthetelling，thehumorofthestoryseemedtoevaporate，andhefelttheconventionalityofhersmile。Heglancedathiswatch，"Isn’tittimetodress？"
Sherosewithserenereluctance。"It’sapitytogoin。Thegardenlookssolovely。"
Theylingeredsidebyside，surveyingtheirdomain。Therewasnotspaceinit，atthishour，fortheshadowoftheelm—treeintheangleofthehedge；itcrossedthelawn，cuttheflower—borderintwo，andranupthesideofthehousetothenurserywindow。Shebenttoflickacaterpillarfromthehoney—suckle；then，astheyturnedindoors，"IfwemeantogoontheyachtnextSunday，"shesuggested，"oughtn’tyoutoletMr。Flamelknow？"
Glennard’sexasperationdeflectedsuddenly。"OfcourseIshalllethimknow。YoualwaysseemtoimplythatI’mgoingtodosomethingrudetoFlamel。"
Thewordsreverberatedthroughhersilence；shehadawayofthusleavingonespaceinwhichtocontemplateone’sfollyatarm’slength。Glennardturnedonhisheelandwentupstairs。Ashedroppedintoachairbeforehisdressing—tablehesaidtohimselfthatinthelasthourhehadsoundedthedepthsofhishumiliationandthatthelowestdregsofit，theverybottom—slime，wasthehatefulnecessityofhavingalways，aslongasthetwomenlived，tobeciviltoBartonFlamel。
VI
THEweekintownhadbeensultry，andthemen，intheSundayemancipationofwhiteflannelandduck，filledthedeck—chairsoftheyachtwiththeiroutstretchedapathy，following，throughamistofcigarette—smoke，theflittinginconsequencesofthewomen。
Thepartwasasmallone——Flamelhadfewintimatefriends——butcomposedofmoreheterogeneousatomsthanthelittlepoolsintowhichsocietyusuallyruns。ThereactionfromthechiefepisodeofhisearlierlifehadbredinGlennardanuneasydistasteforanykindofpersonalsaliency。Clevernesswasusefulinbusiness；
butinsocietyitseemedtohimasfutileastheshamcascadesformedbyastreamthatmighthavebeenusedtodriveamill。Helikedthecollectivepointofviewthatgoeswiththecivilizeduniformityofdress—clothes，andhiswife’sattitudeimpliedthesamepreference；yettheyfoundthemselvesslippingmoreandmoreintoFlamel’sintimacy。Alexahadonceortwicesaidthatsheenjoyedmeetingcleverpeople；butherenjoymenttookthenegativeformofasmilingreceptivity；andGlennardfeltagrowingpreferenceforthekindofpeoplewhohavetheirthinkingdoneforthembythecommunity。
Still，thedeckoftheyachtwasapleasantrefugefromtheheatonshore，andhiswife’sprofile，serenelyprojectedagainstthechangingblue，layonhisretinalikeacoolhandonthenerves。
Hehadneverbeenmoreimpressedbythekindofabsolutenessthatliftedherbeautyabovethetransienteffectsofotherwomen，makingthemostharmoniousfaceseemanaccidentalcollocationoffeatures。
Theladieswhodirectlysuggestedthiscomparisonwereofakindaccustomedtotakesimilarriskswithmoregratifyingresults。
Mrs。Armigerhadinfactlongbeenthetriumphantalternativeofthosewhocouldn’t"see"AlexaGlennard’slooks；andMrs。
Touchett’sclaimstoconsiderationwerefoundedonthatdistributionofeffectswhichisthewonderofthosewhoadmireahighlycultivatedcountry。ThethirdladyofthetriowhichGlennard’sfancyhadputtosuchunflatteringuses，wasboundbycircumstancestosupporttheclaimsoftheothertwo。ThiswasMrs。Dresham，thewifeoftheeditoroftheRadiator。Mrs。
Dreshamwasaladywhohadrescuedherselffromsocialobscuritybyassumingtheroleofherhusband’sexponentandinterpreter；
andDresham’sleisurebeingdevotedtothecultivationofremarkablewomen，hiswife’sattitudecommittedhertothepubliccelebrationoftheirremarkableness。Fortheconceivabletediumofthisduty，Mrs。DreshamwasrepaidbythefactthattherewerepeoplewhotookHERforaremarkablewoman；andwhointurnprobablypurchasedsimilardistinctionwiththesmallchangeofherreflectedimportance。Astotheotherladiesoftheparty，theyweresimplythewivesofsomeofthemen——thekindofwomenwhoexpecttobetalkedtocollectivelyandtohavetheirquestionsleftunanswered。
Mrs。Armiger，thelatestembodimentofDresham’sinstinctfortheremarkable，wasaninnocentbeautywhoforyearshaddistilleddulnessamongasetofpeoplenowself—condemnedbytheirinabilitytoappreciateher。UnderDresham’stutelageshehaddevelopedintoa"thoughtfulwoman，"whoreadhisleadersintheRadiatorandboughtthebooksherecommended。Whenanewnovelappeared，peoplewantedtoknowwhatMrs。Armigerthoughtofit；
andayounggentlemanwhohadmadeatripinTourainehadrecentlyinscribedtoherthewide—marginedresultofhisexplorations。
Glennard，leaningbackwithhisheadagainsttherailandaslitoffugitivebluebetweenhishalf—closedlids，vaguelywishedshewouldn’tspoiltheafternoonbymakingpeopletalk；thoughhereducedhisannoyancetotheminimumbynotlisteningtowhatwassaid，thereremainedalatentirritationagainstthegeneralfutilityofwords。
Hiswife’sgiftofsilenceseemedtohimthemostvividcommentaryontheclumsinessofspeechasameansofintercourse，andhiseyeshadturnedtoherinrenewedappreciationofthisfinerfacultywhenMrs。Armiger’svoiceabruptlybroughthometohimtheunderratedpotentialitiesoflanguage。
"You’vereadthem，ofcourse，Mrs。Glennard？"heheardherask；
and，inreplytoAlexa’svagueinterrogation——"Why，the’AubynLetters’——it’stheonlybookpeoplearetalkingofthisweek。"
Mrs。Dreshamimmediatelysawheradvantage。"YouHAVEN’Treadthem？Howveryextraordinary!AsMrs。Armigersays，thebook’sintheair；onebreathesitinliketheinfluenza。"
Glennardsatmotionless，watchinghiswife。
"Perhapsithasn’treachedthesuburbsyet，"shesaid，withherunruffledsmile。
"Oh，DOletmecometoyou，then!"Mrs。Touchettcried；"anythingforachangeofair!I’mpositivelysickofthebookandIcan’tputitdown。Can’tyousailusbeyonditsreach，Mr。Flamel？"
Flamelshookhishead。"Notevenwiththisbreeze。Literaturetravelsfasterthansteamnowadays。Andtheworstofitisthatwecan’tanyofusgiveupreading；it’sasinsidiousasaviceandastiresomeasavirtue。"
"IbelieveitISavice，almost，toreadsuchabookasthe’Letters，’"saidMrs。Touchett。"It’sthewoman’ssoul，absolutelytornupbytheroots——herwholeselflaidbare；andtoamanwhoevidentlydidn’tcare；whocouldn’thavecared。Idon’tmeantoreadanotherline；it’stoomuchlikelisteningatakeyhole。"
"Butifshewanteditpublished？"
"Wantedit？Howdoweknowshedid？"
"Why，Iheardshe’dlefttheletterstotheman——whoeverheis——
withdirectionsthattheyshouldbepublishedafterhisdeath——"
"Idon’tbelieveit，"Mrs。Touchettdeclared。
"He’sdeadthen，ishe？"oneofthemenasked。
"Why，youdon’tsupposeifhewerealivehecouldeverholduphisheadagain，withtheselettersbeingreadbyeverybody？"Mrs。
Touchettprotested。"Itmusthavebeenhorribleenoughtoknowthey’dbeenwrittentohim；buttopublishthem!Nomancouldhavedoneitandnowomancouldhavetoldhimto——"
"Oh，come，come，"Dreshamjudiciallyinterposed；"afterall，they’renotlove—letters。"
"No——that’stheworstofit；they’reunlovedletters，"Mrs。
Touchettretorted。
"Then，obviously，sheneedn’thavewrittenthem；whereastheman，poordevil，couldhardlyhelpreceivingthem。"
"Perhapshecountedonthepublictosavehimthetroubleofreadingthem，"saidyoungHartly，whowasinthecynicalstage。
Mrs。ArmigerturnedherreproachfullovelinesstoDresham。"Fromthewayyoudefendhim，Ibelieveyouknowwhoheis。"
EveryonelookedatDresham，andhiswifesmiledwiththesuperiorairofthewomanwhoisinherhusband’sprofessionalsecrets。
Dreshamshruggedhisshoulders。
"WhathaveIsaidtodefendhim？"
"Youcalledhimapoordevil——youpitiedhim。"
"AmanwhocouldletMargaretAubynwritetohiminthatway？OfcourseIpityhim。"
"ThenyouMUSTknowwhoheis，"criedMrs。Armiger，withatriumphantairofpenetration。
HartlyandFlamellaughedandDreshamshookhishead。"Nooneknows；noteventhepublishers；sotheytellmeatleast。"
"Sotheytellyoutotellus，"Hartlyastutelyamended；andMrs。
Armigeradded，withtheappearanceofcarryingtheargumentapointfarther，"ButevenifHE’SdeadandSHE’Sdead，somebodymusthavegiventheletterstothepublishers。"
"Alittlebird，probably，"saidDresham，smilingindulgentlyonherdeduction。
"Alittlebirdofpreythen——avulture，Ishouldsay——"anothermaninterpolated。
"Oh，I’mnotwithyouthere，"saidDresham，easily。"Thoselettersbelongedtothepublic。"
"Howcananylettersbelongtothepublicthatweren’twrittentothepublic？"Mrs。Touchettinterposed。
"Well，thesewere，inasense。ApersonalityasbigasMargaretAubyn’sbelongstotheworld。Suchamindispartofthegeneralfundofthought。It’sthepenaltyofgreatness——onebecomesamonumenthistorique。Posteritypaysthecostofkeepingoneup，butonconditionthatoneisalwaysopentothepublic。"
"Idon’tseethatthatexoneratesthemanwhogivesupthekeysofthesanctuary，asitwere。"
"WhoWAShe？"anothervoiceinquired。
"Whowashe？Oh，nobody，Ifancy——theletter—box，theslitinthewallthroughwhichtheletterspassedtoposterity……"
"Butshenevermeantthemforposterity!"
"Awomanshouldn’twritesuchlettersifshedoesn’tmeanthemtobepublished……"
"Sheshouldn’twritethemtosuchaman!"Mrs。Touchettscornfullycorrected。
"Ineverkeepletters，"saidMrs。Armiger，undertheobviousimpressionthatshewascontributingavaluablepointtothediscussion。
Therewasagenerallaugh，andFlamel，whohadnotspoken，said，lazily，"Youwomenaretooincurablysubjective。Iventuretosaythatmostmenwouldseeinthoselettersmerelytheirimmenseliteraryvalue，theirsignificanceasdocuments。Thepersonalsidedoesn’tcountwherethere’ssomuchelse。"
"Oh，weallknowyouhaven’tanyprinciples，"Mrs。Armigerdeclared；andAlexaGlennard，liftinganindolentsmile，said："I
shallneverwriteyoualove—letter，Mr。Flamel。"
Glennardmovedawayimpatiently。Suchtalkwasastediousasthebuzzingofgnats。Hewonderedwhyhiswifehadwantedtodraghimonsuchasenselessexpedition……HehatedFlamel’scrowd——
andwhatbusinesshadFlamelhimselftointerfereinthatway，standingupforthepublicationofthelettersasthoughGlennardneededhisdefence？……
GlennardturnedhisheadandsawthatFlamelhaddrawnaseattoAlexa’selbowandwasspeakingtoherinalowtone。Theothergroupshadscattered，strayingintwosalongthedeck。ItcameoverGlennardthatheshouldneveragainbeabletoseeFlamelspeakingtohiswifewithoutthesenseofsickmistrustthatnowloosenedhisjoints……
Alexa，thenextmorning，overtheirearlybreakfast，surprisedherhusbandbyanunexpectedrequest。
"Willyoubringmethoselettersfromtown？"sheasked。
"Whatletters？"hesaid，puttingdownhiscup。Hefelthimselfashelplesslyvulnerableasamanwhoislungedatinthedark。
"Mrs。Aubyn’s。Thebooktheywerealltalkingaboutyesterday。"
Glennard，carefullymeasuringhissecondcupoftea，said，withdeliberation，"Ididn’tknowyoucaredaboutthatsortofthing。"
Shewas，infact，notagreatreader，andanewbookseldomreachedhertillitwas，sotospeak，onthehomestretch；butshereplied，withagentletenacity，"IthinkitwouldinterestmebecauseIreadherlifelastyear。"
"Herlife？Wheredidyougetthat？"
"Someonelentittomewhenitcameout——Mr。Flamel，Ithink。"
Hisfirstimpulsewastoexclaim，"WhythedevildoyouborrowbooksofFlamel？Icanbuyyouallyouwant——"buthefelthimselfirresistiblyforcedintoanattitudeofsmilingcompliance。"Flamelalwayshasthenewestbooksgoing，hasn’the？
Youmustbecareful，bytheway，aboutreturningwhathelendsyou。He’srathercrotchetyabouthislibrary。"
"Oh，I’malwaysverycareful，"shesaid，withatouchofcompetencethatstruckhim；andsheadded，ashecaughtuphishat："Don’tforgettheletters。"
Whyhadsheaskedforthebook？WashersuddenwishtoseeittheresultofsomehintofFlamel’s？ThethoughtturnedGlennardsick，buthepreservedsufficientluciditytotellhimself，amomentlater，thathislasthopeofself—controlwouldbelostifheyieldedtothetemptationofseeingahiddenpurposeineverythingshesaidanddid。HowmuchFlamelguessed，hehadnomeansofdivining；norcouldhepredicate，fromwhatheknewoftheman，towhatusehisinferencesmightbeput。TheveryqualitiesthathadmadeFlamelausefuladvisermadehimthemostdangerousofaccomplices。Glennardfelthimselfagropeamongalienforcesthathisownacthadsetinmotion……
Alexawasawomanoffewrequirements；butherwishes，evenintrifles，hadadefinitenessthatdistinguishedthemfromthefluidimpulsesofherkind。Heknewthat，havingonceaskedforthebook，shewouldnotforgetit；andheputaside，asanineffectualexpedient，hismomentaryideaofapplyingforitatthecirculatinglibraryandtellingherthatallthecopieswereout。
Ifthebookwastobeboughtithadbetterbeboughtatonce。Helefthisofficeearlierthanusualandturnedinatthefirstbook—shoponhiswaytothetrain。Theshow—windowwasstackedwithconspicuouslyletteredvolumes。"MargaretAubyn"flashedbackathiminendlessrepetition。Heplungedintotheshopandcameonacounterwherethenamereiterateditselfonrowafterrowofbindings。Itseemedtohavedriventherestofliteraturetothebackshelves。Hecaughtupacopy，tossingthemoneytoanastonishedclerkwhopursuedhimtothedoorwiththeunheededoffertowrapupthevolumes。
Inthestreethewasseizedwithasuddenapprehension。WhatifheweretomeetFlamel？Thethoughtwasintolerable。Hecalledacabanddrovestraighttothestationwhere，amidthepalm—leaffansofaperspiringcrowd，hewaitedalonghalf—hourforhistraintostart。
Hehadthrustavolumeineitherpocketandinthetrainhedarednotdrawthemout；butthedetestedwordsleapedathimfromthefoldsoftheeveningpaper。TheairseemedfullofMargaretAubyn’sname。Themotionofthetrainsetitdancingupanddownonthepageofamagazinethatamaninfrontofhimwasreading……
AtthedoorhewastoldthatMrs。Glennardwasstillout，andhewentupstairstohisroomanddraggedthebooksfromhispocket。
Theylayonthetablebeforehimlikelivethingsthathefearedtotouch……Atlengthheopenedthefirstvolume。Afamiliarlettersprangoutathim，eachwordquickenedbyitsglaringgarboftype。Thelittlebrokenphrasesfledacrossthepagelikewoundedanimalsintheopen……Itwasahorriblesight……
Abattueofhelplessthingsdrivensavagelyoutofshelter。Hehadnotknownitwouldbelikethis……
Heunderstoodnowthat，atthemomentofsellingtheletters，hehadviewedthetransactionsolelyasitaffectedhimself：asanunfortunateblemishonanotherwisepresentablerecord。HehadscarcelyconsideredtheactinrelationtoMargaretAubyn；fordeath，ifithallows，alsomakesinnocuous。Glennard’sGodwasagodoftheliving，oftheimmediate，theactual，thetangible；allhisdayshehadlivedinthepresenceofthatgod，heedlessofthedivinitieswho，belowthesurfaceofourdeedsandpassions，silentlyforgethefatalweaponsofthedead。
VII
Aknockrousedhimandlookinguphesawhiswife。Hemetherglanceinsilence，andshefalteredout，"Areyouill？"
Thewordsrestoredhisself—possession。"Ill？Ofcoursenot。
TheytoldmeyouwereoutandIcameupstairs。"
Thebookslaybetweenthemonthetable；hewonderedwhenshewouldseethem。Shelingeredtentativelyonthethreshold，withtheairofleavinghisexplanationonhishands。Shewasnotthekindofwomanwhocouldbecountedontofortifyanexcusebyappearingtodisputeit。
"Wherehaveyoubeen？"Glennardasked，movingforwardsothatheobstructedhervisionofthebooks。
"IwalkedovertotheDreshamsfortea。"
"Ican’tthinkwhatyouseeinthosepeople，"hesaidwithashrug；adding，uncontrollably——"IsupposeFlamelwasthere？"
"No；heleftontheyachtthismorning。"
AnanswersoobstructingtothenaturalescapeofhisirritationleftGlennardwithnomomentaryresourcebutthatofstrollingimpatientlytothewindow。Ashereyesfollowedhimtheylitonthebooks。
"Ah，you’vebroughtthem!I’msoglad，"sheexclaimed。
Heansweredoverhisshoulder，"Forawomanwhoneverreadsyoumakethemostastoundingexceptions!"
Hersmilewasanexasperatingconcessiontotheprobabilitythatithadbeenhotintownorthatsomethinghadbotheredhim。
"Doyoumeanit’snotnicetowanttoreadthebook？"sheasked。
"Itwasnotnicetopublishit，certainly；butafterall，I’mnotresponsibleforthat，amI？"Shepaused，and，ashemadenoanswer，wenton，stillsmiling，"Idoreadsometimes，youknow；
andI’mveryfondofMargaretAubyn’sbooks。Iwasreading’PomegranateSeed’whenwefirstmet。Don’tyouremember？Itwasthenyoutoldmeallabouther。"
Glennardhadturnedbackintotheroomandstoodstaringathiswife。"Allabouther？"herepeated，andwiththewordsremembrancecametohim。HehadfoundMissTrentoneafternoonwiththenovelinherhand，andmovedbythelover’sfatuousimpulsetoassociatehimselfinsomewaywithwhateverfillsthemindofthebeloved，hadbrokenthroughhishabitualsilenceaboutthepast。RewardedbytheconsciousnessoffiguringimpressivelyinMissTrent’simaginationhehadgoneonfromoneanecdotetoanother，revivingdormantdetailsofhisoldHillbridgelife，andpasturinghisvanityontheeagernesswithwhichshereceivedhisreminiscencesofabeingalreadyclothedintheimpersonalityofgreatness。
Theincidenthadleftnotraceinhismind；butitsprangupnowlikeanoldenemy，themoredangerousforhavingbeenforgotten。
Theinstinctofself—preservation——sometimesthemostperilousthatmancanexercise——madehimawkwardlydeclare——"Oh，Iusedtoseeheratpeople’shouses，thatwasall；"andhersilenceasusualleavingroomforamultiplicationofblunders，headded，withincreasedindifference，"Isimplycan’tseewhatyoucanfindtointerestyouinsuchabook。"
Sheseemedtoconsiderthisintently。"You’vereadit，then？"
"Iglancedatit——Ineverreadsuchthings。"
"Isittruethatshedidn’twishtheletterstobepublished？"
Glennardfeltthesuddendizzinessofthemountaineeronanarrowledge，andwithitthesensethathewaslostifhelookedmorethanastepahead。
"I’msureIdon’tknow，"hesaid；then，summoningasmile，hepassedhishandthroughherarm。"Ididn’thaveteaattheDreshams，youknow；won’tyougivemesomenow？"hesuggested。
ThateveningGlennard，underpretextofworktobedone，shuthimselfintothesmallstudyopeningoffthedrawing—room。Ashegathereduphispapershesaidtohiswife："You’renotgoingtositindoorsonsuchanightasthis？I’lljoinyoupresentlyoutside。"
Butshehaddrawnherarmchairtothelamp。"Iwanttolookatmybook，"shesaid，takingupthefirstvolumeofthe"Letters。"
Glennard，withashrug，withdrewintothestudy。"I’mgoingtoshutthedoor；Iwanttobequiet，"heexplainedfromthethreshold；andshenoddedwithoutliftinghereyesfromthebook。
Hesankintoachair，staringaimlesslyattheoutspreadpapers。
Howwashetowork，whileontheothersideofthedoorshesatwiththatvolumeinherhand？Thedoordidnotshutherout——hesawherdistinctly，feltherclosetohiminacontactaspainfulasthepressureonabruise。
Thesensationwaspartofthegeneralstrangenessthatmadehimfeellikeamanwakingfromalongsleeptofindhimselfinanunknowncountryamongpeopleofalientongue。Weliveinourownsoulsasinanunmappedregion，afewacresofwhichwehaveclearedforourhabitation；whileofthenatureofthosenearestusweknowbuttheboundariesthatmarchwithours。Ofthepointsinhiswife’scharacternotindirectcontactwithhisown，Glennardnowdiscernedhisignorance；andthebafflingsenseofherremotenesswasintensifiedbythediscoverythat，inoneway，shewasclosertohimthaneverbefore。Asonemayliveforyearsinhappyunconsciousnessofthepossessionofasensitivenerve，hehadlivedbesidehiswifeunawarethatherindividualityhadbecomeapartofthetextureofhislife，ineradicableassomegrowthonavitalorgan；andhenowfelthimselfatonceincapableofforecastingherjudgmentandpowerlesstoevadeitseffects。
Toescape，thenextmorning，theconfidencesofthebreakfast—
table，hewenttotownearlierthanusual。Hiswife，whoreadslowly，wasgiventotalkingoverwhatsheread，andatpresenthisfirstobjectinlifewastopostponetheinevitablediscussionoftheletters。Thisinstinctofprotectionintheafternoon，onhiswayuptown，guidedhimtotheclubinsearchofamanwhomightbepersuadedtocomeouttothecountrytodine。TheonlymanintheclubwasFlamel。
Glennard，asheheardhimselfalmostinvoluntarilypressingFlameltocomeanddine，feltthefullironyofthesituation。TouseFlamelasashieldagainsthiswife’sscrutinywasonlyashadelesshumiliatingthantoreckononhiswifeasadefenceagainstFlamel。
Hefeltacontradictorymovementofannoyanceatthelatter’sreadyacceptance，andthetwomendroveinsilencetothestation。
Astheypassedthebookstallinthewaiting—roomFlamellingeredamomentandtheeyesofbothfellonMargaretAubyn’sname，conspicuouslydisplayedaboveacounterstackedwiththefamiliarvolumes。
"Weshallbelate，youknow，"Glennardremonstrated，pullingouthiswatch。
"Goahead，"saidFlamel，imperturbably。"Iwanttogetsomething——"
Glennardturnedonhisheelandwalkeddowntheplatform。Flamelrejoinedhimwithaninnocent—lookingmagazineinhishand；butGlennarddarednotevenglanceatthecover，lestitshouldshowthesyllableshefeared。
Thetrainwasfullofpeopletheyknew，andtheywerekeptaparttillitdroppedthematthelittlesuburbanstation。Astheystrolleduptheshadedhill，Glennardtalkedvolubly，pointingouttheimprovementsintheneighborhood，deploringthethreatenedapproachofanelectricrailway，andscreeninghimselfbyaseriesofreflexadjustmentsfromtheimminentriskofanyallusiontothe"Letters。"Flamelsufferedhisdiscoursewiththeblandinattentionthatweaccordtotheaffairsofsomeoneelse’ssuburb，andtheyreachedtheshelterofAlexa’stea—tablewithoutaperceptibleturntowardthedreadedtopic。
Thedinnerpassedoffsafely。Flamel，alwaysathisbestinAlexa’spresence，gaveherthekindofattentionwhichislikeabeaconinglightthrownonthespeaker’swords：hisanswersseemedtobringoutalatentsignificanceinherphrases，asthesculptordrawshisstatuefromtheblock。Glennard，underhiswife’scomposure，detectedasensibilitytothismanoeuvre，andthediscoverywaslikethelightning—flashacrossanocturnallandscape。Thusfarthesemomentaryilluminationshadservedonlytorevealthestrangenessoftheinterveningcountry：eachfreshobservationseemedtoincreasethesum—totalofhisignorance。
Hersimplicityofoutlinewasmorepuzzlingthanacomplexsurface。Onemayconceivablyworkone’swaythroughalabyrinth；
butAlexa’scandorwaslikeasnow—coveredplainwhere，theroadoncelost，therearenolandmarkstotravelby。
Dinnerover，theyreturnedtotheveranda，whereamoon，risingbehindtheoldelm，wascombiningwiththatcomplaisanttreearomanticenlargementoftheirborders。Glennardhadforgottenthecigars。Hewenttohisstudytofetchthem，andinpassingthroughthedrawing—roomhesawthesecondvolumeofthe"Letters"
lyingopenonhiswife’stable。Hepickedupthebookandlookedatthedateofthelettershehadbeenreading。Itwasoneofthelast……heknewthefewlinesbyheart。Hedroppedthebookandleanedagainstthewall。Whyhadheincludedthatoneamongtheothers？Orwasitpossiblethatnowtheywouldallseemlikethat……？
Alexa’svoicecamesuddenlyoutofthedusk。"MayTouchettwasright——itISlikelisteningatakey—hole。IwishIhadn’treadit!"
Flamelreturned，intheleisurelytoneofthemanwhosephrasesarepunctuatedbyacigarette，"Itseemssotous，perhaps；buttoanothergenerationthebookwillbeaclassic。"
"Thenitoughtnottohavebeenpublishedtillithadbecomeaclassic。It’shorrible，it’sdegradingalmost，toreadthesecretsofawomanonemighthaveknown。"Sheadded，inalowertone，"StephenDIDknowher——"
"Didhe？"camefromFlamel。
"Heknewherverywell，atHillbridge，yearsago。Thebookhasmadehimfeeldreadfully……hewouldn’treadit……hedidn’twantmetoreadit。Ididn’tunderstandatfirst，butnowIcanseehowhorriblydisloyalitmustseemtohim。It’ssomuchworsetosurpriseafriend’ssecretsthanastranger’s。"
"Oh，Glennard’ssuchasensitivechap，"Flamelsaid，easily；andAlexaalmostrebukinglyrejoined，"Ifyou’dknownherI’msureyou’dfeelashedoes……"
Glennardstoodmotionless，overcomebythesingularinfelicitywithwhichhehadcontrivedtoputFlamelinpossessionofthetwopointsmostdamagingtohiscase：thefactthathehadbeenafriendofMargaretAubyn’s，andthathehadconcealedfromAlexahisshareinthepublicationoftheletters。ToamanoflessthanFlamel’sastutenessitmustnowbecleartowhomtheletterswereaddressed；andthepossibilityoncesuggested，nothingcouldbeeasierthantoconfirmitbydiscreetresearch。Animpulseofself—accusaldroveGlennardtothewindow。WhynotanticipatebetrayalbytellinghiswifethetruthinFlamel’spresence？Ifthemanhadadropofdecentfeelinginhim，suchacoursewouldbethesurestmeansofsecuringhissilence；andaboveall，itwouldridGlennardofthenecessityofdefendinghimselfagainsttheperpetualcriticismofhiswife’sbeliefinhim……
Theimpulsewasstrongenoughtocarryhimtothewindow；butthereareactionofdefiancesetin。Whathadhedone，afterall，toneeddefenceandexplanation？BothDreshamandFlamelhad，inhishearing，declaredthepublicationoftheletterstobenotonlyjustifiablebutobligatory；andifthedisinterestednessofFlamel’sverdictmightbequestioned，Dresham’satleastrepresentedtheimpartialviewofthemanofletters。AstoAlexa’swords，theyweresimplytheconventionalutteranceofthe"nice"womanonaquestionalreadydecidedforherbyother"nice"
women。Shehadsaidtheproperthingasmechanicallyasshewouldhaveputontheappropriategownorwrittenthecorrectformofdinner—invitation。Glennardhadsmallfaithintheabstractjudgmentsoftheothersex；heknewthathalfthewomenwhowerehorrifiedbythepublicationofMrs。Aubyn’sletterswouldhavebetrayedhersecretswithoutascruple。
Thesuddenloweringofhisemotionalpitchbroughtaproportionaterelief。Hetoldhimselfthatnowtheworstwasoverandthingswouldfallintoperspectiveagain。HiswifeandFlamelhadturnedtoothertopics，andcomingoutontheveranda，hehandedthecigarstoFlamel，saying，cheerfully——andyethecouldhavesworntheywerethelastwordshemeanttoutter!——"Lookhere，oldman，beforeyougodowntoNewportyoumustcomeoutandspendafewdayswithus——mustn’the，Alexa？"
VIII
Glennardhad，perhapsunconsciously，countedonthecontinuanceofthiseasiermood。Hehadalwaystakenprideinacertainrobustnessoffibrethatenabledhimtohardenhimselfagainsttheinevitable，toconverthisfailuresintothebuildingmaterialsofsuccess。Thoughitdidnotevennowoccurtohimthatwhathecalledtheinevitablehadhithertobeenthealternativehehappenedtoprefer，hewasyetobscurelyawarethathispresentdifficultywasonenottobeconjuredbyanyaffectationofindifference。Somegriefsbuildthesoulaspacioushouse——butinthismiseryofGlennard’shecouldnotstandupright。Itpressedagainsthimateveryturn。Hetoldhimselfthatthiswasbecausetherewasnoescapefromthevisibleevidencesofhisact。The"Letters"confrontedhimeverywhere。Peoplewhohadneveropenedabookdiscussedthemwithcriticalreservations；tohavereadthemhadbecomeasocialobligationincirclestowhichliteratureneverpenetratesexceptinapersonalguise。
Glennarddidhimselfinjustice。itwasfromtheunexpecteddiscoveryofhisownpettinessthathechieflysuffered。Ourself—esteemisapttobebasedonthehypotheticalgreatactwehaveneverhadoccasiontoperform；andeventhemostself—
scrutinizingmodestycreditsitselfnegativelywithahighstandardofconduct。Glennardhadneverthoughthimselfahero；
buthehadbeencertainthathewasincapableofbaseness。Wealllikeourwrong—doingstohaveabecomingcut，tobemadetoorder，asitwere；andGlennardfoundhimselfsuddenlythrustintoagarbofdishonorsurelymeantforameanerfigure。
Theimmediateresultofhisfirstweeksofwretchednesswastheresolvetogototownforthewinter。Heknewthatsuchacoursewasjustbeyondthelimitofprudence；butitwaseasytoallaythefearsofAlexawho，scrupulouslyvigilantinthemanagementofthehousehold，preservedtheAmericanwife’susualaloofnessfromherhusband’sbusinesscares。Glennardfeltthathecouldnottrusthimselftoawinter’ssolitudewithher。Hehadanunspeakabledreadofherlearningthetruthabouttheletters，yetcouldnotbesureofsteelinghimselfagainstthesuicidalimpulseofavowal。Hisverysoulwasparchedforsympathy；hethirstedforavoiceofpityandcomprehension。Butwouldhiswifepity？
Wouldsheunderstand？Againhefoundhimselfbroughtupabruptlyagainsthisincredibleignoranceofhernature。Thefactthatheknewwellenoughhowshewouldbehaveintheordinaryemergenciesoflife，thathecouldcount，insuchcontingencies，onthekindofhighcourageanddirectnesshehadalwaysdivinedinher，madehimthemorehopelessofherenteringintothetorturouspsychologyofanactthathehimselfcouldnolongerexplainorunderstand。Itwouldhavebeeneasierhadshebeenmorecomplex，morefeminine——ifhecouldhavecountedonherimaginativesympathyorhermoralobtuseness——buthewassureofneither。Hewassureofnothingbutthat，foratime，hemustavoidher。
Glennardcouldnotridhimselfofthedelusionthatbyandbyhisactionwouldceasetomakeitsconsequencesfelt。Hewouldnothavecaredtoowntohimselfthathecountedonthedullingofhissensibilities：hepreferredtoindulgethevaguehypothesisthatextraneouscircumstanceswouldsomehoweffacetheblotuponhisconscience。Inhisworstmomentsofself—abasementhetriedtofindsolaceinthethoughtthatFlamelhadsanctionedhiscourse。
Flamel，attheoutset，musthaveguessedtowhomtheletterswereaddressed；yetneitherthennorafterwardhadhehesitatedtoadvisetheirpublication。ThisthoughtdrewGlennardtohiminfitfulimpulsesoffriendliness，fromeachofwhichtherewasasharperreactionofdistrustandaversion。WhenFlamelwasnotatthehouse，hemissedthesupportofhistacitconnivance；whenhewasthere，hispresenceseemedtheassertionofanintolerableclaim。
EarlyinthewintertheGlennardstookpossessionofthelittlehousethatwastocostthemalmostnothing。ThechangebroughtGlennardtheimmediatereliefofseeinglessofhiswife，andofbeingprotected，inherpresence，bythemultipliedpreoccupationsoftownlife。Alexa，whocouldneverappearhurried，showedthesmilingabstractionofaprettywomantowhomthesocialsideofmarriedlifehasnotlostitsnovelty。Glennard，withtherecklessnessofamanfreshfromhisfirstfinancialimprudence，encouragedherinsuchlittleextravagancesashergoodsenseatfirstresisted。Sincetheyhadcometotown，heargued，theymightaswellenjoythemselves。Hetookasympatheticviewofthenecessityofnewgowns，hegaveherasetoffursatChristmas，andbeforetheNewYeartheyhadagreedontheobligationofaddingaparlour—maidtotheirsmallestablishment。
ProvidencetheverynextdayhastenedtojustifythismeasurebyplacingonGlennard’sbreakfast—plateanenvelopebearingthenameofthepublisherstowhomhehadsoldMrs。Aubyn’sletters。Ithappenedtobetheonlylettertheearlyposthadbrought，andheglancedacrossthetableathiswife，whohadcomedownbeforehimandhadprobablylaidtheenvelopeonhisplate。Shewasnotthewomantoaskawkwardquestions，buthefelttheconjectureofherglance，andhewasdebatingwhethertoaffectsurpriseatthereceiptoftheletter，ortopassitoffasabusinesscommunicationthathadstrayedtohishouse，whenacheckfellfromtheenvelope。Itwastheroyaltyonthefirsteditionoftheletters。Hisfirstfeelingwasoneofsimplesatisfaction。Themoneyhadcomewithsuchinfernalopportunenessthathecouldnothelpwelcomingit。Beforelong，too，therewouldbemore；heknewthebookwasstillsellingfarbeyondthepublisher’sprevisions。
Heputthecheckinhispocketandlefttheroomwithoutlookingathiswife。
Onthewaytohisofficethehabitualreactionsetin。Themoneyhehadreceivedwasthefirsttangiblereminderthathewaslivingonthesaleofhisself—esteem。Thethoughtofmaterialbenefithadbeenovershadowedbyhissenseoftheintrinsicbasenessofmakingthelettersknown；nowhesawwhatanelementofsordidnessitaddedtothesituationandhowthefactthatheneededthemoney，andmustuseit，pledgedhimmoreirrevocablythanevertotheconsequencesofhisact。Itseemedtohim，inthatfirsthourofmisery，thathehadbetrayedhisfriendanew。
When，thatafternoon，hereachedhomeearlierthanusual，Alexa’sdrawing—roomwasfullofagayetythatoverflowedtothestairs。
Flamel，forawonder，wasnotthere；butDreshamandyoungHartly，groupedaboutthetea—table，werereceivingwithresonantmirthanarrativedeliveredintheflutteredstaccatothatmadeMrs。
Armiger’sconversationliketheejaculationsofastartledaviary。
ShepausedasGlennardentered，andhehadtimetonoticethathiswife，whowasbusiedaboutthetea—tray，hadnotjoinedinthelaughterofthemen。
"Oh，goon，goon，"youngHartlyrapturouslygroaned；andMrs。
ArmigermetGlennard’sinquirywiththedeprecatingcrythatreallyshedidn’tseewhattherewastolaughat。"I’msureI
feelmorelikecrying。Idon’tknowwhatIshouldhavedoneifAlexahadn’tbeenhometogivemeacupoftea。Mynervesareinshreds——yes，another，dear，please——"andasGlennardlookedhisperplexity，shewenton，afterponderingontheselectionofasecondlumpofsugar，"Why，I’vejustcomefromthereading，youknow——thereadingattheWaldorf。"
"Ihaven’tbeenintownlongenoughtoknowanything，"saidGlennard，takingthecuphiswifehandedhim。"Whohasbeenreadingwhat？"
"ThatlovelygirlfromtheSouth——Georgie——Georgiewhat’shername——Mrs。Dresham’sprotegee——unlessshe’sYOURS，Mr。Dresham!
Why，thebigball—roomwasPACKED，andallthewomenwerecryinglikeidiots——itwasthemostharrowingthingIeverheard——"
"WhatDIDyouhear？"Glennardasked；andhiswifeinterposed：
"Won’tyouhaveanotherbitofcake，Julia？Or，Stephen，ringforsomehottoast，please。"Hertonebetrayedapolitesatietyofthetopicunderdiscussion。Glennardturnedtothebell，butMrs。
Armigerpursuedhimwithherlovelyamazement。
"Why，the"AubynLetters"——didn’tyouknowaboutit？Thegirlreadthemsobeautifullythatitwasquitehorrible——Ishouldhavefaintedifthere’dbeenamannearenoughtocarrymeout。"
Hartly’sgleeredoubled，andDreshamsaid，jovially，"Howlikeyouwomentoraiseashriekoverthebookandthendoallyoucantoencouragetheblatantpublicityofthereadings!"
Mrs。Armigermethimmorethanhalf—wayonatorrentofself—
accusal。"ItWAShorrid；itwasdisgraceful。Itoldyourwifeweoughtalltobeashamedofourselvesforgoing，andIthinkAlexawasquiterighttorefusetotakeanytickets——evenifitwasforacharity。"
"Oh，"herhostessmurmured，indifferently，"withmecharitybeginsathome。Ican’taffordemotionalluxuries。"
"Acharity？Acharity？"Hartlyexulted。"Ihadn’tseizedthefullbeautyofit。ReadingpoorMargaretAubyn’slove—lettersattheWaldorfbeforefivehundredpeopleforacharity!WHAT
charity，dearMrs。Armiger？"
"Why，theHomeforFriendlessWomen——"
"Itwaswellchosen，"Dreshamcommented；andHartlyburiedhismirthinthesofa—cushions。
WhentheywerealoneGlennard，stillholdinghisuntouchedcupoftea，turnedtohiswife，whosatsilentlybehindthekettle。"Whoaskedyoutotakeaticketforthatreading？"
"Idon’tknow，really——KateDresham，Ifancy。Itwasshewhogotitup。"
"It’sjustthesortofdamnablevulgarityshe’scapableof!It’sloathsome——it’smonstrous——"
Hiswife，withoutlookingup，answeredgravely，"Ithoughtsotoo。
ItwasforthatreasonIdidn’tgo。ButyoumustrememberthatveryfewpeoplefeelaboutMrs。Aubynasyoudo——"
Glennardmanagedtosetdownhiscupwithasteadyhand，buttheroomswungroundwithhimandhedroppedintothenearestchair。
"AsIdo？"herepeated。
"ImeanthatveryfewpeopleknewherwhenshelivedinNewYork。
Tomostofthewomenwhowenttothereadingshewasamerename，tooremotetohaveanypersonality。Withme，ofcourse，itwasdifferent——"
Glennardgaveherastartledlook。"Different？Whydifferent？"
"Sinceyouwereherfriend——"
"Herfriend!"Hestoodupimpatiently。"Youspeakasifshehadhadonlyone——themostfamouswomanofherday!"Hemovedvaguelyabouttheroom，bendingdowntolookatsomebooksonthetable。
"Ihope，"headded，"youdidn’tgivethatasareason，bytheway？"
"Areason？"
"Fornotgoing。Awomanwhogivesreasonsforgettingoutofsocialobligationsissuretomakeherselfunpopularorridiculous。
Thewordswereuncalculated；butinaninstanthesawthattheyhadstrangelybridgedthedistancebetweenhiswifeandhimself。
Hefelthercloseonhim，likeapantingfoe；andheranswerwasaflashthatshowedthehandonthetrigger。
"Iseem，"shesaidfromthethreshold，"tohavedonebothingivingmyreasontoyou。"
ThefactthattheywerediningoutthateveningmadeiteasyforhimtoavoidAlexatillshecamedownstairsinheropera—cloak。
Mrs。Touchett，whowasgoingtothesamedinner，hadofferedtocallforher，andGlennard，refusingaprecariousseatbetweentheladies’draperies，followedonfoot。Theeveningwasinterminable。ThereadingattheWaldorf，atwhichallthewomenhadbeenpresent，hadrevivedthediscussionofthe"AubynLetters"andGlennard，hearinghiswifequestionedastoherabsence，felthimselfmiserablywishingthatshehadgone，ratherthanthatherstayingawayshouldhavebeenremarked。Hewasrapidlylosingallsenseofproportionwherethe"Letters"wereconcerned。Hecouldnolongerhearthemmentionedwithoutsuspectingapurposeintheallusion；heevenyieldedhimselfforamomenttotheextravaganceofimaginingthatMrs。Dresham，whomhedisliked，hadorganizedthereadinginthehopeofmakinghimbetrayhimself——forhewasalreadysurethatDreshamhaddivinedhisshareinthetransaction。
Theattempttokeepasmoothsurfaceonthisinnertumultwasasendlessandunavailingaseffortsmadeinanightmare。Helostallsenseofwhathewassayingtohisneighborsandoncewhenhelookeduphiswife’sglancestruckhimcold。
Shesatnearlyoppositehim，atFlamel’sside，anditappearedtoGlennardthattheyhadbuiltaboutthemselvesoneofthoseairybarriersoftalkbehindwhichtwopeoplecansaywhattheyplease。
Whilethereadingwasdiscussedtheyweresilent。TheirsilenceseemedtoGlennardalmostcynical——itstrippedthelastdisguisefromtheircomplicity。Athrobofangerroseinhim，butsuddenlyitfell，andhefelt，withacurioussenseofrelief，thatatbottomhenolongercaredwhetherFlamelhadtoldhiswifeornot。
TheassumptionthatFlamelknewaboutthelettershadbecomeafacttoGlennard；anditnowseemedtohimbetterthatAlexashouldknowtoo。
Hewasfrightenedatfirstbythediscoveryofhisownindifference。Thelastbarriersofhiswillseemedtobebreakingdownbeforeafloodofmorallassitude。Howcouldhecontinuetoplayhispart，tokeephisfronttotheenemy，withthispoisonofindifferencestealingthroughhisveins？Hetriedtobracehimselfwiththeremembranceofhiswife’sscorn。Hehadnotforgottenthenoteonwhichtheirconversationhadclosed。Ifhehadeverwonderedhowshewouldreceivethetruthhewonderednolonger——shewoulddespisehim。Butthislentanewinsidiousnesstohistemptation，sincehercontemptwouldbearefugefromhisown。Hesaidtohimselfthat，sincehenolongercaredfortheconsequences，hecouldatleastacquithimselfofspeakinginself—defence。Whathewantednowwasnotimmunitybutcastigation：hiswife’sindignationmightstillreconcilehimtohimself。Thereinlayhisonehopeofregeneration；herscornwasthemoralantisepticthatheneeded，hercomprehensiontheonebalmthatcouldhealhim……
Whentheyleftthedinnerhewassoafraidofspeakingthatheletherdrivehomealone，andwenttotheclubwithFlamel。
IX
HErosenextmorningwiththeresolvetoknowwhatAlexathoughtofhim。Itwasnotanchoringinahaven，butlyingtoinastorm——
hefelttheneedofatemporarylullintheturmoilofhissensations。
Hecamehomelate，fortheywerediningaloneandheknewthattheywouldhavetheeveningtogether。Whenhefollowedhertothedrawing—roomafterdinnerhethoughthimselfonthepointofspeaking；butasshehandedhimhiscoffeehesaid，involuntarily：
"Ishallhavetocarrythisofftothestudy，I’vegotalotofworkto—night。"
Aloneinthestudyhecursedhiscowardice。Whatwasitthathadwithheldhim？Acertainbrightunapproachablenessseemedtokeephimatarm’slength。Shewasnotthekindofwomanwhosecompassioncouldbecircumvented；therewasnochanceofslippingpasttheoutposts；hewouldnevertakeherbysurprise。Well——whynotfaceher，then？Whatheshrankfromcouldbenoworsethanwhathewasenduring。Hehadpushedbackhischairandturnedtogoupstairswhenanewexpedientpresenteditself。Whatif，insteadoftellingher，heweretoletherfindoutforherselfandwatchtheeffectofthediscoverybeforespeaking？Inthiswayhemadeovertochancetheburdenoftherevelation。
Theideahadbeensuggestedbythesightoftheformulaenclosingthepublisher’scheck。Hehaddepositedthemoney，butthenoticeaccompanyingitdroppedfromhisnote—caseasheclearedhistableforwork。ItwastheformulausualinsuchcasesandrevealedclearlyenoughthathewastherecipientofaroyaltyonMargaretAubyn’sletters。ItwouldbeimpossibleforAlexatoreaditwithoutunderstandingatoncethatthelettershadbeenwrittentohimandthathehadsoldthem……
Hesatdownstairstillheheardherringfortheparlor—maidtoputoutthelights；thenhewentuptothedrawing—roomwithabundleofpapersinhishand。Alexawasjustrisingfromherseatandthelamplightfellonthedeeprollofhairthatoverhungherbrowliketheeavesofatemple。Herfacehadoftenthehighsecludedlookofashrine；anditwasthistouchofaweinherbeautythatnowmadehimfeelhimselfonthebrinkofsacrilege。
Lestthefeelingshoulddominatehim，hespokeatonce。"I’vebroughtyouapieceofwork——alotofoldbillsandthingsthatI
wantyoutosortforme。Somearenotworthkeeping——butyou’llbeabletojudgeofthat。Theremaybealetterortwoamongthem——nothingofmuchaccount，butIdon’tliketothrowawaythewholelotwithouthavingthemlookedoverandIhaven’ttimetodoitmyself。"
Heheldoutthepapersandshetookthemwithasmilethatseemedtorecognizeintheserviceheaskedthetacitintentionofmakingamendsfortheincidentofthepreviousday。
"AreyousureIshallknowwhichtokeep？"
"Oh，quitesure，"heanswered，easily——"andbesides，noneareofmuchimportance。"
Thenextmorningheinventedanexcuseforleavingthehousewithoutseeingher，andwhenhereturned，justbeforedinner，hefoundavisitor’shatandstickinthehall。ThevisitorwasFlamel，whowasintheactoftakingleave。
Hehadrisen，butAlexaremainedseated；andtheirattitudegavetheimpressionofacolloquythathadprolongeditselfbeyondthelimitsofspeech。BothturnedasurprisedeyeonGlennardandhehadthesenseofwalkingintoaroomgrownsuddenlyempty，asthoughtheirthoughtswereconspiratorsdispersedbyhisapproach。
Hefelttheclutchofhisoldfear。WhatifhiswifehadalreadysortedthepapersandhadtoldFlamelofherdiscovery？Well，itwasnonewstoFlamelthatGlennardwasinreceiptofaroyaltyonthe"AubynLetters。"……
AsuddenresolvetoknowtheworstmadehimlifthiseyestohiswifeasthedoorclosedonFlamel。ButAlexahadrisenalso，andbendingoverherwriting—table，withherbacktoGlennard，wasbeginningtospeakprecipitately。
"I’mdiningoutto—night——youdon’tmindmydesertingyou？JuliaArmigersentmewordjustnowthatshehadanextraticketforthelastAmbroseconcert。Shetoldmetosayhowsorryshewasthatshehadn’ttwo——butIknewYOUwouldn’tbesorry!"SheendedwithalaughthathadtheeffectofbeingastrayedechoofMrs。
Armiger’s；andbeforeGlennardcouldspeakshehadadded，withherhandonthedoor，"Mr。FlamelstayedsolatethatI’vehardlytimetodress。Theconcertbeginsridiculouslyearly，andJuliadinesathalf—pastseven——"
Glennardstoodaloneintheemptyroomthatseemedsomehowfullofanironicalconsciousnessofwhatwashappening。"Shehatesme，"
hemurmured。"Shehatesme……"
ThenextdaywasSunday，andGlennardpurposelylingeredlateinhisroom。Whenhecamedownstairshiswifewasalreadyseatedatthebreakfast—table。Sheliftedherusualsmiletohisentranceandtheytookshelterinthenearesttopic，likewayfarersovertakenbyastorm。Whilehelistenedtoheraccountoftheconcerthebegantothinkthat，afterall，shehadnotyetsortedthepapers，andthatheragitationofthepreviousdaymustbeascribedtoanothercause，inwhichperhapshehadbutanindirectconcern。HewonderedithadneverbeforeoccurredtohimthatFlamelwasthekindofmanwhomightverywellpleaseawomanathisownexpense，withoutneedoffortuitousassistance。Ifthispossibilityclearedtheoutlookitdidnotbrightenit。Glennardmerelyfelthimselfleftalonewithhisbaseness。
Alexaleftthebreakfast—tablebeforehimandwhenhewentuptothedrawing—roomhefoundherdressedtogoout。
"Aren’tyoualittleearlyforchurch？"heasked。
Sherepliedthat，onthewaythere，shemeanttostopamomentathermother’s；andwhileshedrewonhergloves，hefumbledamongtheknick—knacksonthemantel—pieceforamatchtolighthiscigarette。
"Well，good—by，"shesaid，turningtogo；andfromthethresholdsheadded："Bytheway，I’vesortedthepapersyougaveme。ThosethatIthoughtyouwouldliketokeepareonyourstudy—table。"
Shewentdownstairsandheheardthedoorclosebehindher。
Shehadsortedthepapers——sheknew，then——sheMUSTknow——andshehadmadenosign!
Glennard，hehardlyknewhow，foundhimselfoncemoreinthestudy。Onthetablelaythepackethehadgivenher。Itwasmuchsmaller——shehadevidentlygoneoverthepaperswithcare，destroyingthegreaternumber。Heloosenedtheelasticbandandspreadtheremainingenvelopesonhisdesk。Thepublisher’snoticewasamongthem。
X
Hiswifeknewandshemadenosign。Glennardfoundhimselfinthecaseoftheseafarerwho，closinghiseyesatnightfallonascenehethinkstoputleaguesbehindhimbeforeday，wakestoaport—
holeframingthesamepatchofshore。Fromthekindofexaltationtowhichhisresolvehadliftedhimhedroppedtoanunreasoningapathy。Hisimpulseofconfessionhadactedasadrugtoself—
reproach。Hehadtriedtoshiftaportionofhisburdentohiswife’sshouldersandnowthatshehadtacitlyrefusedtocarryit，hefelttheloadtooheavytobetakenupagain。
Afortunateintervalofhardworkbroughtrespitefromthisphaseofsterilemisery。HewentWesttoargueanimportantcase，wonit，andcamebacktofreshpreoccupations。Hisownaffairswerethrivingenoughtoengrosshiminthepausesofhisprofessionalwork，andforovertwomonthshehadlittletimetolookhimselfintheface。Notunnaturally——forhewasasyetunskilledinthesubtletiesofintrospection——hemistookhistemporaryinsensibilityforagradualrevivalofmoralhealth。
Hetoldhimselfthathewasrecoveringhissenseofproportion，gettingtoseethingsintheirtruelight；andifhenowthoughtofhisrashappealtohiswife’ssympathyitwasasanactoffollyfromtheconsequencesofwhichhehadbeensavedbytheprovidencethatwatchesovermadmen。HehadlittleleisuretoobserveAlexa；butheconcludedthatthecommon—sensemomentarilydeniedhimhadcounselledheruncriticalacceptanceoftheinevitable。Ifsuchaqualitywasapoorsubstituteforthepassionatejustnessthathadonceseemedtocharacterizeher，heacceptedthealternativeasapartofthatgeneralloweringofthekeythatseemsneedfultothemaintenanceofthematrimonialduet。
Whatwomaneverretainedherabstractsenseofjusticewhereanotherwomanwasconcerned？PossiblythethoughtthathehadprofitedbyMrs。Aubyn’stendernesswasnotwhollydisagreeabletohiswife。
Whenthepressureofworkbegantolessen，andhefoundhimself，inthelengtheningafternoons，abletoreachhomesomewhatearlier，henoticedthatthelittledrawing—roomwasalwaysfullandthatheandhiswifeseldomhadaneveningalonetogether。
Whenhewastired，asoftenhappened，shewentoutalone；theideaofgivingupanengagementtoremainwithhimseemednottooccurtoher。Shehadshown，asagirl，littlefondnessforsociety，norhadsheseemedtoregretitduringtheyeartheyhadspentinthecountry。Hereflected，however，thathewassharingthecommonlotofhusbands，whoproverbiallymistaketheearlyardorsofhousekeepingforasignofsettleddomesticity。Alexa，atanyrate，wasrefutinghistheoryasinconsideratelyasaseedlingdefeatsthegardener’sexpectations。Anundefinablechangehadcomeoverher。Inonesenseitwasahappyone，sinceshehadgrown，ifnothandsomer，atleastmorevividandexpressive；herbeautyhadbecomemorecommunicable：itwasasthoughshehadlearnedtheconsciousexerciseofintuitiveattributesandnowusedhereffectswiththediscriminationofanartistskilledinvalues。Toadispassionatecritic（asGlennardnowratedhimself）
theartmayattimeshavebeenalittletooobvious。Herattemptsatlightnesslackedspontaneity，andshesometimesraspedhimbylaughinglikeJuliaArmiger；buthehadenoughimaginationtoperceivethat，inrespectofthewife’ssocialarts，ahusbandnecessarilyseesthewrongsideofthetapestry。