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