verysingularexpressionwhich，asitwere，detainedhimforamoment。Inordertocoverhisembarrassment，hemadesomeinaneremarkontheweather，uponwhich，insteadofreturninganotherinaneremarkaccordingtothetacitrulesofthegame，sheonlygavehimasmileofunfathomablemeaning。Nothingcouldhavebeenmoresingular。Thegood-lookingyounggentlemanofquestionableappearancetooknottheslightestnoticeofhiminthehall。Noservantwastobeseen。Helethimselfoutpullingthedoortobehindhimwithacrashas，inamanner，hewasforcedtodotogetitshutatall。
Whentheechoofithaddiedawaythewomanonthelandingleanedoverthebanisterandcalledoutbitterlytothemanbelow”Don’tyouwanttocomeupandsaygood-bye。”Hehadanimpatientmovementoftheshouldersandwentonpacingtoandfroasthoughhehadnotheard。Butsuddenlyhecheckedhimself，stoodstillforamoment，thenwithagloomyfaceandwithouttakinghishandsoutofhispocketsransmartlyupthestairs。Alreadyfacingthedoorsheturnedherheadforawhisperedtaunt:”Come！Confessyouweredyingtoseeherstupidlittlefaceoncemore，”——towhichhedisdainedtoanswer。
FloradeBarral，stillseatedbeforethetableatwhichshehadbeenwordingonhersketch，raisedherheadatthenoiseoftheopeningdoor。Theinvadingmanneroftheirentrancegaveherthesenseofsomethingshehadneverseenbefore。Sheknewthemwell。Sheknewthewomanbetterthansheknewherfather。Therehadbeenbetweenthemanintimacyofrelationasgreatasitcanpossiblybewithoutthefinalclosenessofaffection。ThedelightfulCharleywalkedin，withhiseyesfixedonthebackofhergovernesswhoseraisedveilhidherforeheadlikeabrownbandabovetheblacklineoftheeyebrows。Thegirlwasastoundedandalarmedbythealtogetherunknownexpressioninthewoman’sface。Thestressofpassionoftendisclosesanaspectofthepersonalitycompletelyignoredtillthenbyitsclosestintimates。Therewassomethinglikeanemanationofevilfromhereyesandfromthefaceoftheother，who，exactlybehindherandovertoppingherbyhalfahead，kepthiseyelidsloweredinasinisterfashion——whichinthepoorgirl，reached，stirred，setfreethatfacultyofunreasoningexplosiveterrorlyinglockedupatthebottomofallhumanheartsandoftheheartsofanimalsaswell。Withsuddenlyenlargedpupilsandamovementasinstinctivealmostastheboundingofastartledfawn，shejumpedupandfoundherselfinthemiddleofthebigroom，exclaimingatthoseamazingandfamiliarstrangers。”Whatdoyouwant？”
Youwillnotethatshecried:Whatdoyouwant？Not:Whathashappened？ShetoldMrs。Fynethatshehadreceivedsuddenlythefeelingofbeingpersonallyattacked。Andthatmusthavebeenveryterrifying。Thewomanbeforeherhadbeenthewisdom，theauthority，theprotectionoflife，securityembodiedandvisibleandundisputed。
Youmayimaginethentheforceoftheshockintheintuitiveperceptionnotmerelyofdanger，forshedidnotknowwhatwasalarmingher，butinthesenseofthesecuritybeinggone。Andnotonlysecurity。Idon’tknowhowtoexplainitclearly。Look！Evenasmallchildlives，playsandsuffersintermsofitsconceptionofitsownexistence。Imagine，ifyoucan，afactcominginsuddenlywithaforcecapableofshatteringthatveryconceptionitself。Itwasonlybecauseofthegirlbeingstillsomuchofachildthatsheescapedmentaldestruction；that，inotherwordsshegotoverit。
Couldoneconceiveofhermoremature，whilestillasignorantasshewas，onemustconcludethatshewouldhavebecomeanidiotonthespot——longbeforetheendofthatexperience。Luckily，people，whethermatureornotmature(andwhoreallyisevermature？)areforthemostpartquiteincapableofunderstandingwhatishappeningtothem:amercifulprovisionofnaturetopreserveanaverageamountofsanityforworkingpurposesinthisworld……””Butwe，mydearMarlow，havetheinestimableadvantageofunderstandingwhatishappeningtoothers，”Istruckin。”Oratleastsomeofusseemto。Isthattooaprovisionofnature？Andwhatisitfor？Isitthatwemayamuseourselvesgossipingabouteachother’saffairs？Youforinstanceseem——””Idon’tknowwhatIseem，”Marlowsilencedme，”andsurelylifemustbeamusedsomehow。Itwouldbestillaveryrespectableprovisionifitwereonlyforthatend。Butfromthatsameprovisionofunderstanding，therespringsinuscompassion，charity，indignation，thesenseofsolidarity；andinmindsofanylargenessaninclinationtothatindulgencewhichisnextdoortoaffection。
Idon’tmeantosaythatIaminclinedtoanindulgentviewofthepreciouscouplewhichbrokeinuponanunsuspectinggirl。Theycamemarchingin(it’stheveryexpressionsheusedlaterontoMrs。
Fyne)butathercrytheystopped。Itmusthavebeenstartlingenoughtothem。Itwaslikehavingthemasktornoffwhenyoudon’texpectit。Themanstoppedforgood；hedidn’toffertomoveastepfurther。But，thoughthegovernesshadcomeintherefortheverypurposeoftakingthemaskoffforthefirsttimeinherlife，sheseemedtolookuponthefrightenedcryasafreshprovocation。”Whatareyouscreamingfor，youlittlefool？”shesaidadvancingaloneclosetothegirlwhowasaffectedexactlyasifshehadseenMedusa’sheadwithserpentinelockssetmysteriouslyontheshouldersofthatfamiliarperson，inthatbrowndress，underthathatsheknewsowell。Itmadeherloseallherholdonreality。
ShetoldMrs。Fyne:”Ididn’tknowwhereIwas。Ididn’tevenknowthatIwasfrightened。IfshehadtoldmeitwasajokeIwouldhavelaughed。IfshehadtoldmetoputonmyhatandgooutwithherIwouldhavegonetoputonmyhatandgoneoutwithherandneversaidasingleword；IshouldhavebeenconvincedIhadbeenmadforaminuteorso，andIwouldhaveworriedmyselftodeathratherthanbreatheahintofittoheroranyone。ButthewretchputherfaceclosetomineandIcouldnotmove。DirectlyIhadlookedintohereyesIfeltgrownontothecarpet。”
ItwasyearsafterwardsthatsheusedtotalklikethistoMrs。
Fyne——andtoMrs。Fynealone。Nobodyelseeverheardthestoryfromherlips。Butitwasneverforgotten。Itwasalwaysfelt；itremainedlikeamarkonhersoul，asortofmysticwound，tobecontemplated，tobemeditatedover。AndshesaidfurthertoMrs。
Fyne，inthecourseofmanyconfidencesprovokedbythatcontemplation，that，aslongasthatwomancalledhernames，itwasalmostsoothing，itwasinamannerreassuring。Herimaginationhad，likeherbody，goneoffinawildboundtomeettheunknown；
andthentohearafterallsomethingwhichmoreinitstonethaninitssubstancewasmerevenomousabuse，hadsteadiedtheinwardflutterofallherbeing。”ShecalledmealittlefoolmoretimesthanIcanremember。I！A
fool！Why，Mrs。Fyne！IdoassureyouIhadneveryetthoughtatall；neverofanythingintheworld，tillthen。Ijustwentonliving。Andonecan’tbeafoolwithoutonehasatleasttriedtothink。ButwhathadIevertothinkabout？””Andnodoubt，”commentedMarlow，”herlifehadbeenamerelifeofsensations——theresponsetowhichcanneitherbefoolishnorwise。
Itcanonlybetemperamental；andIbelievethatshewasofagenerallyhappydisposition，achildoftheaveragekind。Evenwhenshewasaskedviolentlywhethersheimaginedthattherewasanythinginher，apartfromhermoney，toinduceanyintelligentpersontotakeanysortofinterestinherexistence，sheonlycaughtherbreathinonedrysobandsaidnothing，madenoothersound，madenomovement。Whenshewasviciouslyassuredthatshewasinheart，mind，mannerandappearance，anutterlycommonandinsipidcreature，sheremainedstill，withoutindignation，withoutanger。Shestood，afrailandpassivevesselintowhichtheotherwentonpouringalltheaccumulateddislikeforallherpupils，herscornofallheremployers(theducaloneincluded)，theaccumulatedresentment，theinfinitehatredofalltheseunrelievedyearsof——Iwon’tsayhypocrisy。Thepracticeofperfecthypocrisyisareliefinitself，asecrettriumphofthevilestsort，nodoubt，butstillawayofgettingevenwiththecommonmoralityfromwhichsomeofusappeartosuffersomuch。No！Iwillsaytheyears，thepassionate，bitteryears，ofrestraint，theiron，admirablymanneredrestraintateverymoment，inanever-failingperfectcorrectnessofspeech，glances，movements，smiles，gestures，establishingforherahighreputation，animpressiverecordofsuccessinhersphere。Ithadbeenlikelivinghalfstrangledforyears。
Andallthistorturefornothing，intheend！Whatlookedatlastlikeapossibleprize(oh，withoutillusions！butstillaprize)
brokeninherhands，falleninthedust，thebitterdust，ofdisappointment，sherevelledinthemiserablerevenge——prettysafetoo——onlyregrettingtheunworthinessofthegirlishfigurewhichstoodforsomuchshehadlongedtobeabletospitvenomat，ifonlyonce，inperfectliberty。Thepresenceoftheyoungmanatherbackincreasedbothhersatisfactionandherrage。Buttheveryviolenceoftheattackseemedtodefeatitsendbyrenderingtherepresentativevictimasitwereinsensible。Thecauseofthisoutragenaturallyescapingthegirl’simaginationherattitudewasineffectthatofdense，hopelessstupidity。Anditisafactthattheworstshocksoflifeareoftenreceivedwithoutoutcries，withoutgestures，withoutaflowoftearsandtheconvulsionsofsobbing。Theinsatiablegovernessmissedthesesignsexceedingly。
Thispitifulstoliditywasonlyafreshprovocation。Yetthepoorgirlwasdeadlypale。”Iwascold，”sheusedtoexplaintoMrs。Fyne。”Ihadhadtimetogetterrified。Shehadpushedherfacesonearmineandherteethlookedasthoughshewantedtobiteme。Hereyesseemedtohavebecomequitedry，hardandsmallinalotofhorriblewrinkles。I
wastooafraidofhertoshudder，tooafraidofhertoputmyfingerstomyears。Ididn’tknowwhatIexpectedhertocallmenext，butwhenshetoldmeIwasnobetterthanabeggar——thattherewouldbenomoremasters，nomoreservants，nomorehorsesforme——I
saidtomyself:Isthatall？IshouldhavelaughedifIhadn’tbeentooafraidofhertomaketheleastlittlesound。”
ItseemedthatpoorFlorahadtoknowallthepossiblephasesofthatsortofanguish，beginningwithinstinctivepanic，throughthebewilderedstage，thefrozenstageandthestageofblanchedapprehension，downtotheinstinctiveprudenceofextremeterror——
thestillnessofthemouse。Butwhensheheardherselfcalledthechildofacheatandaswindler，theverymonstrousunexpectednessofthiscausedinherarevulsiontowardslettingherselfgo。Shescreamedoutallatonce”Youmustn’tspeaklikethisofPapa！”
Theeffortofituprootedherfromthatspotwhereherlittlefeetseemeddugdeepintothethickluxuriouscarpet，andsheretreatedbackwardstoadistantpartoftheroom，hearingherselfrepeat”Youmustn’t，youmustn’t”asifitweresomebodyelsescreaming。Shecametoachairandflungherselfintoit。Thereuponthesomebodyelseceasedscreamingandshelolled，exhausted，sightless，inasilentroom，asifindifferenttoeverythingandwithoutasinglethoughtinherhead。
Thenextfewsecondsseemedtolastforeversolong；ablackabyssoftimeseparatingwhatwaspastandgonefromthereappearanceofthegovernessandthereawakeningoffear。Andthatwomanwasforcingthewordsthroughhersetteeth:”YousayImustn’t，I
mustn’t。Alltheworldwillbespeakingofhimlikethisto-morrow。
Theywillsayit，andthey’llprintit。Youshallhearitandyoushallreadit——andthenyoushallknowwhosedaughteryouare。”
Herfacelightedupwithanatrocioussatisfaction。”He’snothingbutathief，”shecried，”thisfatherofyours。AstoyouIhaveneverbeendeceivedinyouforamoment。Ihavebeengrowingmoreandmoresickofyouforyears。Youareavulgar，sillynonentity，andyoushallgobacktowhereyoubelong，whateverlowplaceyouhavesprungfrom，andbegyourbread——thatisifanybody’scharitywillhaveanythingtodowithyou，whichIdoubt——”
Shewouldhavegoneonregardlessoftheenormouseyes，oftheopenmouthofthegirlwhosatupsuddenlywiththewildstaringexpressionofbeingchokedbyinvisiblefingersonherthroat，andyethorriblypale。Theeffectonherconstitutionwassoprofound，Mrs。Fynetoldme，thatshewhoasachildhadaratherprettydelicatecolouring，showedawhitebloodlessfaceforacoupleofyearsafterwards，andremainedalwaysliableattheslightestemotiontoanextraordinaryghost-likewhiteness。Theendcameintheabominationofdesolationofthepoorchild’smiserablecryforhelp:”Charley！Charley！”comingfromherthroatinhiddengaspingefforts。Herenlargedeyeshaddiscoveredhimwherehestoodmotionlessanddumb。
Hestartedfromhisimmobility，ahandwithdrawnbrusquelyfromthepocketofhisovercoat，strodeuptothewoman，seizedherbythearmfrombehind，sayinginaroughcommandingtone:”Comeaway，Eliza。”Inaninstantthechildsawthemclosetogetherandremote，nearthedoor，gonethroughthedoor，whichsheneitherheardnorsawbeingopenedorshut。Butitwasshut。Ohyes，itwasshut。
Herslowunseeingglancewanderedallovertheroom。Forsometimelongersheremainedleaningforward，collectingherstrength，doubtingifshewouldbeabletostand。Shestoodupatlast。
Everythingaboutherspunroundinanoppressivesilence。Sherememberedperfectly——asshetoldMrs。Fyne——thatclingingtothearmofthechairshecalledouttwice”Papa！Papa！”AtthethoughtthathewasfarawayinLondoneverythingaboutherbecamequitestill。Then，frightenedsuddenlybythesolitudeofthatemptyroom，sherushedoutofitblindly。
Withthatfataldiffidenceinwelldoing，inherentinthepresentconditionofhumanity，theFynescontinuedtowatchattheirwindow。”It’salwayssodifficulttoknowwhattodoforthebest，”Fyneassuredme。Itis。Goodintentionsstandintheirownwaysomuch。
Whereasifyouwanttodoharmtoanyoneyouneedn’thesitate。Youhaveonlytogoon。Noonewillreproachyouwithyourmistakesorcallyouaconfounded，clumsymeddler。TheFyneswatchedthedoor，theclosedstreetdoorinimicalsomehowtotheirbenevolentthoughts，thefaceofthehousecruellyimpenetrable。Itwasjustasonanyotherday。TheunchangeddailyaspectofinanimatethingsissoimpressivethatFynewentbackintotheroomforamoment，pickedupthepaperagain，andranhiseyesovertheitemofnews。
Nodoubtofit。Itlookedverybad。HecamebacktothewindowandMrs。Fyne。Tiredoutasshewasshesatthereresoluteandreadyforresponsibility。Butshehadnosuggestiontooffer。Peopledofeararebuffwonderfully，andallheraudacitywasinherthoughts。
Sheshrankfromtheincomparablyinsolentmannerofthegoverness。
Fynestoodbyherside，asinthoseold-fashionedphotographsofmarriedcoupleswhereyouseeahusbandwithhishandonthebackofhiswife’schair。Andtheywereaboutasefficientasanoldphotograph，andasstill，tillMrs。Fynestartedslightly。Thestreetdoorhadswungopen，and，burstingout，appearedtheyoungman，hishat(Mrs。Fyneobserved)tiltedforwardoverhiseyes。
Afterhimthegovernessslippedthrough，turningroundatoncetoshutthedoorbehindherwithcare。Meantimethemanwentdownthewhitestepsandstrodealongthepavement，hishandsrammeddeepintothepocketsofhisfawnovercoat。Thewoman，thatwomanofcomposedmovements，ofdeliberatesuperiormanner，tookalittleruntocatchupwithhim，anddirectlyshehadcaughtupwithhimtriedtointroduceherhandunderhisarm。Mrs。Fynesawthebrusquehalfturnofthefellow’sbodyasoneavoidsanimportunatecontact，defeatingherattemptrudely。Shedidnottryagainbutkeptpacewithhisstride，andMrs。Fynewatchedthem，walkingindependently，turnthecornerofthestreetsidebyside，disappearforever。
TheFyneslookedateachothereloquently，doubtfully:Whatdoyouthinkofthis？Thenwithcommonaccordturnedtheireyesbacktothestreetdoor，closed，massive，dark；thegreat，clear-brassknockershininginaquietslantofsunshinecutbyadiagonallineofheavyshadefillingthefurtherendofthestreet。Couldthegirlbealreadygone？Sentawaytoherfather？Hadsheanyrelations？NobodybutdeBarralhimselfevercametoseeher，Mrs。
Fyneremembered；andshehadtheinstantaneous，profound，maternalperceptionofthechild’sloneliness——andagirltoo！Itwasirresistible。And，besides，thedepartureofthegovernesswasnotwithoutitsencouraginginfluence。”Iamgoingoveratoncetofindout，”shedeclaredresolutelybutstillstaringacrossthestreet。
Herintentionwasarrestedbythesightofthatawful，sombrelyglisteningdoor，swingingbacksuddenlyontheyawningdarknessofthehall，outofwhichliterallyflewout，rightoutonthepavement，almostwithouttouchingthewhitesteps，alittlefigureswathedinahollandpinaforeuptothechin，itshairstreamingbackfromitshead，dartingpastalamp-post，pasttheredpillar-
box……”Here，”criedMrs。Fyne；”she’scominghere！Run，John！
Run！”
Fyneboundedoutoftheroom。Thisishisownword。Bounded！Heassuredmewithintensifiedsolemnitythathebounded；andthesightoftheshortandmuscularFyneboundinggravelyaboutthecircumscribedpassagesandstaircasesofasmall，veryhighclass，privatehotel，wouldhavebeenworthanyamountofmoneytoamangreedyofmemorableimpressions。ButasIlookedathim，thedesireoflaughteratmyverylips，Iaskedmyself:howmanymencouldbefoundreadytocompromisetheircherishedgravityforthesakeoftheunimportantchildofaruinedfinancierwithanugly，blackcloudalreadywreathinghishead。Ididn’tlaughatlittleFyne。I
encouragedhim:”Youdid！——verygood……Well？”
Hismainthoughtwastosavethechildfromsomeunpleasantinterference。Therewasaporterdownstairs，pageboys；somepeoplegoingawaywiththeirtrunksinthepassage；arailwayomnibusatthedoor，white-breastedwaitersdodgingabouttheentrance。
Hewasintime。Hewasatthedoorbeforeshereacheditinherblindcourse。Shedidnotrecognizehim；perhapsshedidnotseehim。Hecaughtherbythearmassheranpastand，verysensibly，withouttryingtocheckher，simplydartedinwithherandupthestairs，causingnoendofconsternationamongstthepeopleinhisway。Theyscattered。Whatmighthavebeentheirthoughtsatthespectacleofashamelessmiddle-agedmanabductingheadlongintotheupperregionsofarespectablehotelaterrifiedyounggirlobviouslyunderage，Idon’tknow。AndFyne(hetoldmeso)didnotcareforwhatpeoplemightthink。Allhewantedwastoreachhiswifebeforethegirlcollapsed。Foratimesheranwithhimbutatthelastflightofstairshehadtoseizeandhalfdrag，halfcarryhertohiswife。Mrs。Fynewaitedatthedoorwithherquiteunmovedphysiognomyandherreadinesstoconfrontanysortofresponsibility，whichalreadycharacterizedher，longbeforeshebecamearuthlesstheorist。Relieved，hismissionaccomplished，Fyneclosedhastilythedoorofthesitting-room。
ButbeforelongbothFynesbecamefrightened。AfteraperiodofimmobilityinthearmsofMrs。Fyne，thegirl，whohadnotsaidaword，toreherselfoutfromthatslightlyrigidembrace。Shestruggleddumblybetweenthem，theydidnotknowwhy，soundlessandghastly，tillshesankexhaustedonacouch。Luckilythechildrenwereoutwiththetwonurses。ThehotelhousemaidhelpedMrs。FynetoputFloradeBarraltobed。Shewasasifgonespeechlessandinsane。Shelayonherback，herfacewhitelikeapieceofpaper，herdarkeyesstaringattheceiling，herawfulimmobilitybrokenbysuddenshiveringfitswithaloudchatteringofteethintheshadowysilenceoftheroom，theblindspulleddown，Mrs。Fynesittingbypatiently，herarmsfolded，yetinwardlymovedbytheriddleofthatdistressofwhichshecouldnotguesstheword，andsayingtoherself:”Thatchildistooemotional——muchtooemotionaltobeeverreallysound！”Asifanyonenotmadeofstonecouldbeperfectlysoundinthisworld。Andthenhowsound？Inwhatsense——
toresistwhat？Forceorcorruption？Andeveninthebestarmourofsteeltherearejointsatreacherousstrokecanalwaysfindifchancegivestheopportunity。
GeneralconsiderationsneverhadthepowertotroubleMrs。Fynemuch。Thegirlnotbeinginastatetobequestionedshewaitedbythebedside。Fynehadcrossedovertothehouse，hisscruplesovercomebyhisanxietytodiscoverwhatreallyhadhappened。Hedidnothavetolifttheknocker；thedoorstoodopenontheinsidegloomofthehall；hewalkedintoitandsawnooneabout，theservantshavingassembledforafatuousconsultationinthebasement。Fyne’supliftedbassvoicestartledthemdownthere，thebutlercomingup，staringandinhisshirtsleeves，verysuspiciousatfirst，andthen，onFyne’sexplanationthathewasthehusbandofaladywhohadcalledseveraltimesatthehouse——MissdeBarral’smother’sfriend——becominghumanelyconcernedandcommunicative，inamantomantone，butpreservinghistrainedhigh-classservant’svoice:”Ohblessyou，sir，no！Shedoesnotmeantocomeback。
Shetoldmesoherself”——heassuredFynewithafaintshadeofcontemptcreepingintohistone。
Asregardstheiryoungladynobodydownstairshadanyideathatshehadrunoutofthehouse。Hedaredsaytheyallwouldhavebeenwillingtodotheirverybestforher，forthetimebeing；butsinceshewasnowwithhermother’sfriends……
Hefidgeted。Hemurmuredthatallthiswasveryunexpected。Hewantedtoknowwhathehadbetterdowithlettersortelegramswhichmightarriveinthecourseoftheday。”LettersaddressedtoMissdeBarral，youhadbetterbringovertomyhoteloverthere，”saidFynebeginningtofeelextremelyworriedaboutthefuture。Themansaid”Yes，sir，”adding，”andifalettercomesaddressedtoMrs……”
Fynestoppedhimbyagesture。”Idon’tknow……Anythingyoulike。””Verywell，sir。”
ThebutlerdidnotshutthestreetdoorafterFyne，butremainedonthedoorstepforawhile，lookingupanddownthestreetinthespiritofindependentexpectationlikeamanwhoisagainhisownmaster。Mrs。Fynehearingherhusbandreturncameoutoftheroomwherethegirlwaslyinginbed。”Nochange，”shewhispered；andFynecouldonlymakeahopelesssignofignoranceastowhatallthismeantandhowitwouldend。
Hefearedfuturecomplications——naturally；amanoflimitedmeans，inapublicposition，histimenothisown。Yes。Heownedtomeintheparlourofmyfarmhousethathehadbeenverymuchconcernedthenatthepossibleconsequences。ButashewasmakingthisartlessconfessionIsaidtomyselfthat，whateverconsequencesandcomplicationshemighthaveimagined，thecomplicationfromwhichhewassufferingnowcouldnever，neverhavepresenteditselftohismind。Slowbutsure(forIconceivethattheBookofDestinyhasbeenwrittenupfromthebeginningtothelastpage)ithadbeencomingforsomethinglikesixyears——andnowithadcome。Thecomplicationwasthere！Ilookedathisunshakensolemnitywiththeamusedpitywegivethevictimofafunnyifsomewhatill-naturedpracticaljoke。”Ohhangit，”heexclaimed——innologicalconnectionwithwhathehadbeenrelatingtome。Neverthelesstheexclamationwasintelligibleenough。
Howeveratfirsttherewere，headmitted，nountowardcomplications，noembarrassingconsequences。ToatelegraminguardedtermsdispatchedtodeBarralnoanswerwasreceivedformorethantwenty-
fourhours。ThiscertainlycausedtheFynessomeanxiety。Whentheanswerarrivedlateontheeveningofnextdayitwasintheshapeofanelderlyman。Anunexpectedsortofman。Fyneexplainedtomewithprecisionthatheevidentlybelongedtowhatismostrespectableinthelowermiddleclasses。Hewascalmandslowinhisspeech。Hewaswearingafrock-coat，hadgreywhiskersmeetingunderhischin，anddeclaredonenteringthatMr。deBarralwashiscousin。Hehastenedtoaddthathehadnotseenhiscousinformanyyears，whilehelookeduponFyne(whoreceivedhimalone)withsomuchdistrustthatFynefelthurt(thepersonactuallyrefusingatfirstthechairofferedtohim)andretortedtartlythathe，forhispart，hadNEVERseenMr。deBarral，inhislife，andthat，sincethevisitordidnotwanttositdown，he，Fyne，beggedhimtostatehisbusinessasshortlyaspossible。Themaninblacksatdownthenwithafaintsuperiorsmile。
Hehadcomeforthegirl。HiscousinhadaskedhiminanotedeliveredbyamessengertogotoBrightonatonceandtake”hisgirl”overfromagentlemannamedFyneandgiveherhouse-roomforatimeinhisfamily。Andtherehewas。Hisbusinesshadnotallowedhimtocomesooner。Hisbusinesswasthemanufactureonalargescaleofcardboardboxes。Hehadtwogrown-upgirlsofhisown。Hehadconsultedhiswifeandsothatwasallright。Thegirlwouldgetawelcomeinhishome。Hishomemostlikelywasnotwhatshehadbeenusedtobut，etc。etc。
AllthetimeFynefeltsubtlyinthatman’smanneraderisivedisapprovalofeverythingthatwasnotlowermiddleclass，aprofoundrespectformoney，ameansortofcontemptforspeculatorsthatfail，andaconceitedsatisfactionwithhisownrespectablevulgarity。
WithMrs。FynethemanneroftheobscurecousinofdeBarralwasbutlittlelessoffensive。Helookedatherratherslylybuthercold，decideddemeanourimpressedhim。Mrs。Fyneonhersidewassimplyappalledbythepersonage，butdidnotshowitoutwardly。NotevenwhenthemanremarkedwithfalsesimplicitythatFlorrie——hernamewasFlorriewasn’tit？wouldprobablymissatfirstallhergrandfriends。Andwhenhewasinformedthatthegirlwasinbed，notfeelingwellatallheshowedanunsympatheticalarm。Shewasn’taninvalidwasshe？No。Whatwasthematterwithherthen？
AnextremedistasteforthatrespectablememberofsocietywasdepictedinFyne’sfaceevenashewastellingmeofhimafteralltheseyears。HewasaspecimenofpreciselytheclassofwhichpeopleliketheFyneshavetheleastexperience；andIimaginehejarredonthempainfully。Hepossessedallthecivicvirtuesintheirverymeanestform，andthefinishingtouchwasgivenbyalowsortofconsciousnesshemanifestedofpossessingthem。Hisindustrywasexemplary。Hewishedtocatchtheearliestpossibletrainnextmorning。Itseemsthatforsevenandtwentyyearshehadnevermissedbeingseatedonhisoffice-stoolatthefactorypunctuallyatteno’clockeveryday。HelistenedtoMrs。Fyne’sobjectionswithundisguisedimpatience。Whycouldn’tFlorriegetupandhaveherbreakfastateightlikeotherpeople？Inhishousethebreakfastwasateightsharp。Mrs。Fyne’spolitestoicismovercamehimatlast。Hehadcomedownataverygreatpersonalinconvenience，heassuredherwithdispleasure，buthegaveuptheearlytrain。
ThegoodFynesdidn’tdaretolookateachotherbeforethisunforeseenbutperfectlyauthorizedguardian，thesamethoughtspringingupintheirminds:Poorgirl！Poorgirl！Ifthewomenofthefamilywerelikethistoo！……Andofcoursetheywouldbe。
Poorgirl！Butwhatcouldtheyhavedoneeveniftheyhadbeenpreparedtoraiseobjections。Thepersoninthefrock-coathadthefather’snote；hehadshownittoFyne。Justarequesttotakecareofthegirl——ashernearestrelative——withoutanyexplanationorasingleallusiontothefinancialcatastrophe，itstonestrangelydetachedandinitsverysilenceonthepointgivingoccasiontothinkthatthewriterwasnotuneasyastothechild’sfuture。
Probablyitwasthatveryideawhichhadsetthecousinsoreadilyinmotion。Menhadcomebeforeoutofcommercialcrasheswithestatesinthecountryandacomfortableincome，ifnotforthemselvesthenfortheirwives。Andifawifecouldbemadecomfortablebyalittledexterousmanagementthenwhynotadaughter？Yes。Thispossibilitymighthavebeendiscussedintheperson’shouseholdandjudgedworthactingupon。
ThemanactuallyhintedbroadlythatsuchwashisbeliefandinfaceofFyne’sguardedrepliesgavehimtounderstandthathewasnotthedupeofsuchreticences。ObviouslyhelookedupontheFynesasbeingdisappointedbecausethegirlwastakenawayfromthem。They，byadiplomaticsacrificeintheinterestsofpoorFlora，hadaskedthemantodinner。Heacceptedungraciously，remarkingthathewasnotusedtolatehours。Hehadgenerallyabitofsupperabouthalf-pasteightornine。However……
Hegazedcontemptuouslyroundtheprettilydecorateddining-room。
Hewrinkledhisnoseinapuzzledwayatthedishesofferedtohimbythewaiterbutrefusednone，devouringthefoodwithagreatappetiteanddrinking(”swilling”Fynecalledit)gallonsofgingerbeer，whichwasprocuredforhim(instonebottles)athisrequest。
ThedifficultyofkeepingupaconversationwiththatbeingexhaustedMrs。Fyneherself，whohadcometothetablearmedwithadamantineresolution。Theonlymemorablethinghesaidwaswhen，inapauseofgorginghimself”withtheseFrenchdishes”hedeliberatelylethiseyesroamoverthelittletablesoccupiedbypartiesofdiners，andremarkedthathiswifedidforamomentthinkofcomingdownwithhim，butthathewasgladshedidn’tdoso。”Shewouldn’thavebeenatallhappyseeingallthisalcoholabout。
Notatallhappy，”hedeclaredweightily。”Youmusthavehadacharmingevening，”IsaidtoFyne，”ifImayjudgefromthewayyouhavekeptthememorygreen。””Delightful，”hegrowledwith，positively，aflashofangerattherecollection，butlapsedbackintohissolemnityatonce。AfterwehadbeensilentforawhileIaskedwhetherthemantookawaythegirlnextday。
Fynesaidthathedid；intheafternoon，inafly，withafewclothesthemaidhadgottogetherandbroughtacrossfromthebighouse。HeonlysawFloraagaintenminutesbeforetheyleftfortherailwaystation，intheFynes’sitting-roomatthehotel。ItwasamostpainfultenminutesfortheFynes。TherespectablecitizenaddressedMissdeBarralas”Florrie”and”mydear，”remarkingtoherthatshewasnotverybig”there’snotmuchofyoumydear”inafamiliarlydisparagingtone。ThenturningtoMrs。Fyne，andquiteloud”She’sverywhiteintheface。Why’sthat？”TothisMrs。Fynemadenoreply。Shehadputthegirl’shairupthatmorningwithherownhands。Itchangedherverymuch，observedFyne。He，naturally，playedasubordinate，merelyapprovingpart。AllhecoulddoforMissdeBarralpersonallywastogodownstairsandputherintotheflyhimself，whileMissdeBarral’snearestrelation，havingbeenshoulderedoutoftheway，stoodby，withanumbrellaandalittleblackbag，watchingthisproceedingwithgrimamusement，asitseemed。Itwasdifficulttoguesswhatthegirlthoughtorwhatshefelt。Shenolongerlookedachild。ShewhisperedtoFyneafaint”Thankyou，”fromthefly，andhesaidtoherinverydistincttonesandwhilestillholdingherhand:”Praydon’tforgettowritefullytomywifeinadayortwo，MissdeBarral。”ThenFynesteppedbackandthecousinclimbedintotheflymutteringquiteaudibly:”I
don’tthinkyou’llbetroubledmuchwithherinthefuture；”withouthoweverlookingatFyneonwhomhedidnotevenbestowanod。Theflydroveaway。
CHAPTERFIVE——THETEA-PARTY”Amiablepersonality，”IobservedseeingFyneonthepointoffallingintoabrownstudy。ButIcouldnothelpaddingwithmeaning:”Hehadn’tthegiftofprophecythough。”
Fynegotupsuddenlywithamuttered”No，evidentlynot。”Hewasgloomy，hesitating。Isupposedthathewouldnotwishtoplaychessthatafternoon。Thiswoulddispensemefromleavingmyroomsonadaymuchtoofinetobewastedinwalkingexercise。AndIwasdisappointedwhenpickinguphiscapheintimatedtomehishopeofseeingmeatthecottageaboutfouro’clock——asusual。”Itwouldn’tbeasusual。”Iputaparticularstressonthatremark。Headmitted，afterashortreflection，thatitwouldnotbe。No。Notasusual。Infactitwashiswifewhohoped，rather，formypresence。Shehadformedaveryfavourableopinionofmypracticalsagacity。
ThiswasthefirstIeverheardofit。IhadneversuspectedthatMrs。Fynehadtakenthetroubletodistinguishinmethesignsofsagacityorfolly。Thefewwordswehadexchangedlastnightintheexcitement——orthebother——ofthegirl’sdisappearance，werethefirstmoderatelysignificantwordswhichhadeverpassedbetweenus。
IhadfeltmyselfalwaystobeinMrs。Fyne’sviewherhusband’schess-playerandnothingelse——aconvenience——almostanimplement。”Iamhighlyflattered，”Isaid。”Ihavealwaysheardthattherearenolimitstofeminineintuition；andnowIamhalfinclinedtobelieveitisso。ButstillIfailtoseeinwhatwaymysagacity，practicalorotherwise，canbeofanyservicetoMrs。Fyne。Oneman’ssagacityisverymuchlikeanyotherman’ssagacity。Andwithyouathand——”
Fyne，manifestlynotattendingtowhatIwassaying，directedstraightatmehisworriedsolemneyesandstruckin:”Yes，yes。Verylikely。Butyouwillcome——won’tyou？”
IhadmadeupmymindthatnoFyneofeithersexwouldmakemewalkthreemiles(thereandbacktotheircottage)onthisfineday。IftheFyneshadbeenanaveragesociablecoupleoneknowsonlybecauseleisuremustbegotthroughsomehow，Iwouldhavemadeshortworkofthatspecialinvitation。Buttheywerenotthat。Theirundeniablehumanityhadtobeacknowledged。AtthesametimeIwantedtohavemyownway。SoIproposedthatIshouldbeallowedthepleasureofofferingthemacupofteaatmyrooms。
Ashortreflectivepause——andFyneacceptedeagerlyinhisownandhiswife’sname。AmomentafterIheardtheclickofthegate-latchandtheninanecstasyofbarkingfromhisdemonstrativedoghisseriousheadwentpastmywindowontheothersideofthehedge，itstroubledgazefixedforward，andthemindinsideobviouslyemployedinearnestspeculationofanintricatenature。Oneatleastofhiswife’sgirl-friendshadbecomemorethanamereshadowforhim。I
surmisedhoweverthatitwasnotofthegirl-friendbutofhiswifethatFynewasthinking。Hewasanexcellenthusband。
Ipreparedmyselffortheafternoon’shospitalities，callinginthefarmer’swifeandreviewingwithhertheresourcesofthehouseandthevillage。Shewasahelpfulwoman。ButtheresourcesofmysagacityIdidnotreview。ExceptinthegrossmaterialsenseoftheafternoonteaImadenopreparationsforMrs。Fyne。
Itwasimpossibleformetomakeanysuchpreparations。Icouldnottellwhatsortofsustenanceshewouldlookforfrommysagacity。
AndastotakingstockofthewaresofmymindnooneIimagineisanxioustodothatsortofthingifitcanbeavoided。Avaguelygrandiosestateofmentalself-confidenceismuchtooagreeabletobedisturbedrecklesslybysuchadelicateinvestigation。PerhapsifIhadhadahelpfulwomanatmyelbow，adear，flatteringacute，devotedwoman……Thereareinlifemomentswhenonepositivelyregretsnotbeingmarried。No！Idon’texaggerate。Ihavesaid——
moments，notyearsorevendays。Moments。Thefarmer’swifeobviouslycouldnotbeaskedtoassist。ShecouldnothavebeenexpectedtopossessthenecessaryinsightandIdoubtwhethershewouldhaveknownhowtobeflatteringenough。Shewasbeinghelpfulinherownway，withanextraordinaryblackbonnetonherhead，agoodmileoffbythattime，tryingtodiscoverinthevillageshopsapieceofeatablecake。Thepluckofwomen！Theoptimismofthedearcreatures！
Andshemanagedtofindsomethingwhichlookedeatable。That’sallIknowasIhadnoopportunitytoobservethemoreintimateeffectsofthatcomestible。Imyselfnevereatcake，andMrs。Fyne，whenshearrivedpunctually，broughtwithhernoappetiteforcake。Shehadnoappetiteforanything。Butshehadathirst——thesignofdeep，oftormentingemotion。Yesitwasemotion，notthebrilliantsunshine——morebrilliantthanwarmasisthewayofourdiscreetself-repressed，distinguished，insularsun，whichwouldnotturnarealladyscarlet——notonanyaccount。Mrs。Fynelookedevencool。
Sheworeawhiteskirtandcoat；awhitehatwithalargebrimreposedonhersmoothlyarrangedhair。Thecoatwascutsomethinglikeanarmymess-jacketandthestylesuitedher。Idaresaytherearemanyyouthfulsubalterns，andnottheworst-lookingtoo，whoresembleMrs。Fyneinthetypeofface，inthesunburntcomplexion，downtothatsomethingalertinbearing。ButnotmanywouldhavehadthataspectbreathingareadinesstoassumeanyresponsibilityunderHeaven。ThisisthesortofcouragewhichripenslateinlifeandofcourseMrs。Fynewasofmatureyearsforallherunwrinkledface。
Shelookedroundtheroom，toldmepositivelythatIwasverycomfortablethere；towhichIassented，humbly，acknowledgingmyundeservedgoodfortune。”Whyundeserved？”shewantedtoknow。”Iengagedtheseroomsbyletterwithoutaskinganyquestions。Itmighthavebeenanabominablehole，”Iexplainedtoher。”Ialwaysdothingslikethat。Idon’tliketobebothered。Thisisnogreatproofofsagacity——isit？SagaciouspeopleIbelieveliketoexercisethatfaculty。Ihaveheardthattheycan’tevenhelpshowingitintheveriesttrifles。Itmustbeverydelightful。ButIknownothingofit。IthinkthatIhavenosagacity——nopracticalsagacity。”
Fynemadeaninarticulatebassmurmurofprotest。IaskedafterthechildrenwhomIhadnotseenyetsincemyreturnfromtown。Theyhadbeenverywell。Theywerealwayswell。BothFyneandMrs。Fynespokeoftherudehealthoftheirchildrenasifitwerearesultofmoralexcellence；inapeculiartonewhichseemedtoimplysomecontemptforpeoplewhosechildrenwereliabletobeunwellattimes。Onealmostfeltinclinedtoapologizefortheinquiry。Andthisannoyedme；unreasonably，Iadmit，becausetheassumptionofsuperiormeritisnotaveryexceptionalweakness。AnxioustomakemyselfdisagreeablebywayofretaliationIobservedinaccentsofinterestedcivilitythatthedeargirlsmusthavebeenwonderingatthesuddendisappearanceoftheirmother’syoungfriend。HadtheybeenputtinganyawkwardquestionsaboutMissSmith。Wasn’titasMissSmiththatMissdeBarralhadbeenintroducedtome？
Mrs。Fyne，staringfixedlybutalsocolouringdeeperunderhertan，toldmethatthechildrenhadneverlikedFloraverymuch。Shehadn’tthehighspiritswhichendeargrown-upstohealthychildren，Mrs。Fyneexplainedunflinchingly。Florahadbeenstayingatthecottageseveraltimesbefore。Mrs。Fyneassuredmethatsheoftenfounditverydifficulttohaveherinthehouse。”Butwhatelsecouldwedo？”sheexclaimed。
Thatlittlecryofdistressquitegenuineinitsinexpressiveness，alteredmyfeelingtowardsMrs。Fyne。Itwouldhavebeensoeasytohavedonenothingandtohavethoughtnomoreaboutit。Mylikingforherbeganwhileshewastryingtotellmeofthenightshespentbythegirl’sbedside，thenightbeforeherdeparturewithherunprepossessingrelative。ThatMrs。FynefoundmeanstocomfortthechildIdoubtverymuch。Shehadnotthegeniusforthetaskofundoingthatwhichthehateofaninfuriatedwomanhadplannedsowell。
Youwilltellmeperhapsthatchildren’simpressionsarenotdurable。That’strueenough。Buthere，childisonlyamannerofspeaking。Thegirlwaswithinafewdaysofhersixteenthbirthday；
shewasoldenoughtobematuredbytheshock。TheveryeffortshehadtomakeinconveyingtheimpressiontoMrs。Fyne，inrememberingthedetails，infindingadequatewords——oranywordsatall——wasinitselfaterriblyenlightening，anageingprocess。Shehadtalkedalongtime，uninterruptedbyMrs。Fyne，childlikeenoughinherwonderandpain，pausingnowandthentointerjectthepitifulquery:”Itwascruelofher。Wasn’titcruel，Mrs。Fyne？”
ForCharleyshefoundexcuses。Heatanyratehadnotsaidanything，whilehehadlookedverygloomyandmiserable。Hecouldn’thavetakenpartagainsthisaunt——couldhe？Butafterallhedid，whenshecalleduponhim，take”thatcruelwomanaway。”Hehaddraggedheroutbythearm。Shehadseenthatplainly。Sherememberedit。Thatwasit！Thewomanwasmad。”Oh！Mrs。Fyne，don’ttellmeshewasn’tmad。Ifyouhadonlyseenherface……”
ButMrs。Fynewasunflinchinginherideathatasmuchtruthascouldbetoldwasdueinthewayofkindnesstothegirl，whosefateshefearedwouldbetoliveexposedtothehardestrealitiesofunprivilegedexistences。Sheexplainedtoherthattherewereintheworldevil-minded，selfishpeople。Unscrupulouspeople……
Thesetwopersonshadbeenafterherfather’smoney。Thebestthingshecoulddowastoforgetallaboutthem。”Afterpapa’smoney？Idon’tunderstand，”poorFloradeBarralhadmurmured，andlaystillasiftryingtothinkitoutinthesilenceandshadowsoftheroomwhereonlyanight-lightwasburning。ThenshehadalongshiveringfitwhileholdingtightthehandofMrs。
Fynewhosepatientimmobilitybythebedsideofthatbrutallymurderedchildhooddidinfinitehonourtoherhumanity。ThatvigilmusthavebeenthemoretryingbecauseIcouldseeverywellthatatnotimedidshethinkthevictimparticularlycharmingorsympathetic。Itwasamanifestationofpurecompassion，ofcompassioninitself，sotospeak，notmanywomenwouldhavebeencapableofdisplayingwiththatunflinchingsteadiness。Theshiveringfitover，thegirl’snextwordsinanoutburstofsobswere，”Oh！Mrs。Fyne，amIreallysuchahorridthingasshehasmademeouttobe？””No，no！”protestedMrs。Fyne。”Itisyourformergovernesswhoishorridandodious。Sheisavilewoman。IcannottellyouthatshewasmadbutIthinkshemusthavebeenbesideherselfwithrageandfullofevilthoughts。Youmusttrynottothinkoftheseabominations，mydearchild。”
Theywerenotfitforanyonetothinkofmuch，Mrs。Fynecommentedtomeinacurtpositivetone。Allthathadbeenverytrying。Thegirlwaslikeacreaturestrugglingunderanet。”ButhowcanIforget？shecalledmyfatheracheatandaswindler！
DotellmeMrs。Fynethatitisn’ttrue。Itcan’tbetrue。Howcanitbetrue？”
Shesatupinbedwithasuddenwildmotionasiftojumpoutandfleeawayfromthesoundofthewordswhichhadjustpassedherownlips。Mrs。Fynerestrainedher，soothedher，inducedheratlasttolayherheadonherpillowagain，assuringherallthetimethatnothingthiswomanhadhadthecrueltytosaydeservedtobetakentoheart。Thegirl，exhausted，criedquietlyforatime。ItmaybeshehadnoticedsomethingevasiveinMrs。Fyne’sassurances。Afterawhile，withoutstirring，shewhisperedbrokenly:”Thatawfulwomantoldmethatalltheworldwouldcallpapatheseawfulnames。Isitpossible？Isitpossible？”
Mrs。Fynekeptsilent。”Dosaysomethingtome，Mrs。Fyne，”thedaughterofdeBarralinsistedinthesamefeeblewhisper。
AgainMrs。Fyneassuredmethatithadbeenverytrying。Terriblytrying。”Yes，thanks，Iwill。”SheleanedbackinthechairwithfoldedarmswhileIpouredanothercupofteaforher，andFynewentouttopacifythedogwhich，tiedupundertheporch，hadbecomesuddenlyveryindignantatsomebodyhavingtheaudacitytowalkalongthelane。Mrs。Fynestirredherteaforalongtime，drankalittle，putthecupdownandsaidwiththatairofacceptingalltheconsequences:”Silencewouldhavebeenunfair。Idon’tthinkitwouldhavebeenkindeither。Itoldherthatshemustbepreparedfortheworldpassingaveryseverejudgmentonherfather……””Wasn’titadmirable，”criedMarlowinterruptinghisnarrative。”Admirable！”AndasIlookeddubiouslyatthisunexpectedenthusiasmhestartedjustifyingitafterhisownmanner。”Isayadmirablebecauseitwassocharacteristic。Itwasperfect。
Nothingshortofgeniuscouldhavefoundbetter。Andthiswasnature！Astheysayofanartist’swork:thiswasaperfectFyne。
Compassion——judiciousness——somethingcorrectlymeasured。Noneofyourdishevelledsentiment。Andright！Youmustconfessthatnothingcouldhavebeenmoreright。Ihadamindtoshout”Brava！
Brava！”butIdidnotdothat。ItookapieceofcakeandwentouttobribetheFynedogintosomesortofself-control。Hissharpcomicalyappingwasunbearable，likestabsthroughone’sbrain，andFyne’sdeeplymodulatedremonstrancesabashedthevivaciousanimalnomorethanthedeep，patientmurmuroftheseaabashesaniggerminstrelonapopularbeach。Fynewasbeginningtoswearathiminlow，sepulchraltoneswhenIappeared。Thedogbecameatoncewildlydemonstrative，halfstranglinghimselfinhiscollar，hiseyesandtonguehangingoutintheexcessofhisincomprehensibleaffectionforme。Thiswasbeforehecaughtsightofthecakeinmyhand。Aseriesofverticalspringshighupintheairfollowed，andthen，whenhegotthecake，heinstantlylosthisinterestineverythingelse。
Fynewasslightlyvexedwithme。Askindamasterasanydogcouldwishtohave，heyetdidnotapproveofcakebeinggiventodogs。
TheFynedogwassupposedtoleadaSpartanexistenceonadietofrepulsivebiscuitswithanoccasionaldry，hygienic，bonethrownin。
Fynelookeddowngloomilyattheappeasedanimal，Itoolookedatthatfool-dog；and(youknowhowone’smemorygetssuddenlystimulated)Iwasremindedvisually，withanalmostpainfuldistinctness，oftheghostlywhitefaceofthegirlIsawlastaccompaniedbythatdog——desertedbythatdog。Ialmostheardherdistressedvoiceasifonthevergeofresentfultearscallingtothedog，theunsympatheticdog。Perhapsshehadnotthepowerofevokingsympathy，thatpersonalgiftofdirectappealtothefeelings。IsaidtoFyne，mistrustingthesupineattitudeofthedog:”Whydon’tyoulethimcomeinside？”
Ohdearno！Hecouldn’tthinkofit！Imightindeedhavesavedmybreath，IknewitwasoneoftheFynes’rulesoflife，partoftheirsolemnityandresponsibility，oneofthosethingsthatwerepartoftheirunassertivebuteverpresentsuperiority，thattheirdogmustnotbeallowedin。Itwasmostimpropertointrudethedogintothehousesofthepeopletheywerecallingon——ifitwereonlyacarelessbachelorinfarmhouselodgingsandapersonalfriendofthedog。Itwasoutofthequestion。Buttheywouldlethimbarkone’ssanityawayoutsideone’swindow。Theywerestrangelyconsistentintheirlackofimaginativesympathy。Ididn’tinsistbutsimplyledthewaybacktotheparlour，hopingthatnowayfarerwouldhappenalongthelaneforthenexthourorsotodisturbthedog’scomposure。
Mrs。Fyneseatedimmovablebeforethetablechargedwithplates，cups，jugs，acoldteapot，crumbs，andthegenerallitteroftheentertainmentturnedherheadtowardsus。”Yousee，Mr。Marlow，”shesaidinanunexpectedlyconfidentialtone:”theyaresoutterlyunsuitedforeachother。”
AtthemomentIdidnotknowhowtoapplythisremark。IthoughtatfirstofFyneandthedog。ThenIadjustedittothematterinhandwhichwasneithermorenorlessthananelopement。Yes，byJove！
Itwassomethingverymuchlikeanelopement——withcertainunusualcharacteristicsofitsownwhichmadeitinasenseequivocal。WithamusedwonderIrememberedthatmysagacitywasrequisitionedinsuchaconnection。Howunexpected！Butweneverknowwhattestsourgiftsmaybeputto。Sagacitydictatedcautionfirstofall。I
believecautiontobethefirstdutyofsagacity。Fynesatdownasifpreparinghimselftowitnessajoust，Ithought。”Doyouthinkso，Mrs。Fyne？”Isaidsagaciously。”Ofcourseyouareinaposition……”Iwascontinuingwithcautionwhenshestruckoutvivaciouslyforimmediateassent。”Obviously！Clearly！Youyourselfmustadmit……””But，Mrs。Fyne，”Iremonstrated，”youforgetthatIdon’tknowyourbrother。”
Thisargumentwhichwasnotonlysagaciousbuttrue，overwhelminglytrue，unanswerablytrue，seemedtosurpriseher。
Iwonderedwhy。Ididnotknowenoughofherbrotherfortheremotestguessatwhathemightbelike。Ihadneverseteyesontheman。Ididn’tknowhimsocompletelythatbycontrastIseemedtohaveknownMissdeBarral——whomIhadseentwice(altogetheraboutsixtyminutes)andwithwhomIhadexchangedaboutsixtywords——fromthecradlesotospeak。Andperhaps，Ithought，lookingdownatMrs。Fyne(Ihadremainedstanding)perhapsshethinksthatthisoughttobeenoughforasagaciousassent。
Shekeptsilent；andIlookingatherwithpoliteexpectation，wentonaddressinghermentallyinamoodoffamiliarapprovalwhichwouldhaveastonishedherhaditbeenaudible:Youmydearatanyrateareasincerewoman……””Icallawomansincere，”Marlowbeganagainaftergivingmeacigarandlightingonehimself，”Icallawomansincerewhenshevolunteersastatementresemblingremotelyinformwhatshereallywouldliketosay，whatshereallythinksoughttobesaidifitwerenotforthenecessitytosparethestupidsensitivenessofmen。
Thewomen’srougher，simpler，moreuprightjudgment，embracesthewholetruth，whichtheirtact，theirmistrustofmasculineidealism，everpreventsthemfromspeakinginitsentirety。Andtheirtactisunerring。Wecouldnotstandwomenspeakingthetruth。Wecouldnotbearit。Itwouldcauseinfinitemiseryandbringaboutmostawfuldisturbancesinthisrathermediocre，butstillidealisticfool’sparadiseinwhicheachofusliveshisownlittlelife——theunitinthegreatsumofexistence。Andtheyknowit。Theyaremerciful。ThisgeneralizationdoesnotapplyexactlytoMrs。Fyne’soutburstofsincerityinamatterinwhichneithermyaffectionsnormyvanitywereengaged。That’swhy，maybe，sheventuredsofar。
Forawomanshechosetobeasopenasthedaywithme。Therewasnotonlytheformbutalmostthewholesubstanceofherthoughtinwhatshesaid。Shebelievedshecouldriskit。Shehadreasonedsomewhatinthisway；there’saman，possessingacertainamountofsagacity……”
Marlowpausedwithawhimsicallookatme。Thelastfewwordshehadspokenwiththecigarinhisteeth。Hetookitoutnowbyanamplemovementofhisarmandblewathincloud。”Yousmile？Itwouldhavebeenmorekindtosparemyblushes。ButasamatteroffactIneednotblush。Thisisnotvanity；itisanalysis。We’llletsagacitystand。Butwemustalsonotewhatsagacityinthisconnectionstandsfor。Whenyouseethisyoushallseealsothattherewasnothinginittoalarmmymodesty。Idon’tthinkMrs。Fynecreditedmewiththepossessionofwisdomtemperedbycommonsense。AndhadIhadthewisdomoftheSevenSagesofAntiquity，shewouldnothavebeenmovedtoconfidenceoradmiration。Thesecretscornofwomenforthecapacitytoconsiderjudiciouslyandtoexpressprofoundlyameditatedconclusionisunbounded。Theyhavenousefortheseloftyexerciseswhichtheylookuponasasortofpurelymasculinegame——gamemeaningarespectableoccupationdevisedtokilltimeinthisman-arrangedlifewhichmustbegotthroughsomehow。Whatwomen’sacutenessreallyrespectsaretheinept”ideas”andthesheeplikeimpulsesbywhichouractionsandopinionsaredeterminedinmattersofrealimportance。Forifwomenarenotrationaltheyareindeedacute。
EvenMrs。Fynewasacute。Thegoodwomanwasmakinguptoherhusband’schess-playersimplybecauseshehadscentedinhimthatsmallportionof’femininity，’thatdropofsuperioressenceofwhichIammyselfaware；which，Igratefullyacknowledge，hassavedmefromoneortwomisadventuresinmylifeeitherridiculousorlamentable，Iamnotverycertainwhich。Itmattersverylittle。
Anyhowmisadventures。ObservethatIsay’femininity，’aprivilege——
not’feminism，’anattitude。Iamnotafeminist。ItwasFynewhooncertainsolemngroundshadadoptedthatmentalattitude；butitwasenoughtoglanceathimsittingononeside，toseethathewaspurelymasculinetohisfinger-tips，masculinesolidly，densely，amusingly，——hopelessly。
Ididglanceathim。Youdon’tgetyoursagacityrecognizedbyaman’swifewithoutfeelingtheproprietyandeventheneedtoglanceatthemannowandagain。SoIglancedathim。Verymasculine。Somuchsothat”hopelessly”wasnotthelastwordofit。Hewashelpless。Hewasboundanddeliveredbyit。AndifbytheobscurepromptingsofmycompositetemperamentIbeheldhimwithmaliciousamusement，yetbeinginfact，bydefinitionandespeciallyfromprofoundconviction，aman，Icouldnothelpsympathizingwithhimlargely。Seeinghimthusdisarmed，socompletelycaptivebytheverynatureofthingsIwasmovedtospeaktohimkindly。”Well。Andwhatdoyouthinkofit？””Idon’tknow。How’sonetotell？ButIsaythatthethingisdonenowandthere’sanendofit，”saidthemasculinecreatureasbluntlyashisinnatesolemnitypermitted。
Mrs。Fynemovedalittleinherchair。Iturnedtoherandremarkedgentlythatthiswasacharge，acriticism，whichwasoftenmade。
Somepeoplealwaysask:Whatcouldheseeinher？Otherswonderwhatshecouldhaveseeninhim？Expressionsofunsuitability。
Shesaidwithalltheemphasisofherquietlyfoldedarms:”IknowperfectlywellwhatFlorahasseeninmybrother。”
Ibowedmyheadtothegustbutpursuedmypoint。”Andthenthemarriageinmostcasesturnsoutnoworsethantheaverage，tosaytheleastofit。”
Mrs。Fynewasdisappointedbytheoptimisticturnofmysagacity。
SherestedhereyesonmyfaceasthoughindoubtwhetherIhadenoughfemininityinmycompositiontounderstandthecase。
Iwaitedforhertospeak。Sheseemedtobeaskingherself；Isitafterall，worthwhiletotalktothatman？Youunderstandhowprovokingthiswas。Ilookedinmymindforsomethingappallinglystupidtosay，withtheobjectofdistressingandteasingMrs。Fyne。
Itishumiliatingtoconfessafailure。Onewouldthinkthatamanofaverageintelligencecouldcommandstupidityatwill。Butitisn’tso。Isupposeit’saspecialgiftorelsethedifficultyconsistsinbeingrelevant。DiscoveringthatIcouldfindnoreallytellingstupidity，Iturnedtothenextbestthing；aplatitude。I
advanced，inacommon-sensetone，that，surely，inthematterofmarriageamanhadonlyhimselftoplease。
Mrs。Fynereceivedthiswithouttheflutterofaneyelid。Fyne’smasculinebreast，asmighthavebeenexpected，waspiercedbythatold，regulationshaft。Hegruntedmostfeelingly。Iturnedtohimwithfalsesimplicity。”Don’tyouagreewithme？””TheverythingI’vebeentellingmywife，”heexclaimedinhisextra-manlybass。”Wehavebeendiscussing——”
AdiscussionintheFynemenage！Howportentous！Perhapstheveryfirstdifferencetheyhadeverhad:Mrs。Fyneunflinchingandreadyforanyresponsibility，Fynesolemnandshrinking——thechildreninbedupstairs；andoutsidethedarkfields，theshadowycontoursofthelandonthestarrybackgroundoftheuniverse，withthecrudelightoftheopenwindowlikeabeaconforthetruantwhowouldnevercomebacknow；atruantnolongerbutadownrightfugitive。
Yetafugitivecarryingoffspoils。Itwastheflightofaraider——
oratraitor？Thisaffairofthepurloinedbrother，asIhadnamedittomyself，hadaverypuzzlingphysiognomy。Thegirlmusthavebeendesperate，Ithought，hearingthegravevoiceofFynewellenoughbutcatchingthesenseofhiswordsnotatall，excepttheverylastwordswhichwere:”Ofcourse，it’sextremelydistressing。”
Ilookedathiminquisitively。Whatwasdistressinghim？Thepurloiningofthesonofthepoet-tyrantbythedaughterofthefinancier-convict。Oronly，ifImaysayso，thewindoftheirflightdisturbingthesolemnplacidityoftheFynes’domesticatmosphere。Myincertitudedidnotlastlong，forheadded:”Mrs。FyneurgesmetogotoLondonatonce。”
Onecouldguessat，almostsee，hisprofounddistasteforthejourney，hisdistressatadifferenceoffeelingwithhiswife。
WithhisseriousviewofthesublunarycomedyFynesufferedfromnotbeingabletoagreesolemnlywithhersentimentashewasaccustomedtodo，inrecognitionofhavinghadhiswayinonesupremeinstance；
whenhemadeherelopewithhim——themostmomentousstepimaginableinayounglady’slife。Hehadbeenreallytryingtoacknowledgeitbytakingtherightnessofherfeelingforgrantedoneveryotheroccasion。Ithadbecomeasortofhabitatlast。Anditisneverpleasanttobreakahabit。Themanwasdeeplytroubled。Isaid:”Really！TogotoLondon！”
Helookeddumblyintomyeyes。Itwaspatheticandfunny。”Andyouofcoursefeelitwouldbeuseless，”Ipursued。
Heevidentlyfeltthat，thoughhesaidnothing。Heonlywentonblinkingatmewithasolemnandcomicalslowness。”Unlessitbetocarrytherethefamily’sblessing，”Iwenton，indulgingmychaffinghumoursteadily，inarathersneakingfashion，forIdarednotlookatMrs。Fyne，tomyright。Nosoundormovementcamefromthatdirection。”Youthinkverynaturallythattomatchmeregood，soundreasons，againstthepassionateconclusionsofloveisawasteofintellectborderingontheabsurd。”
HelookedsurprisedasifIhaddiscoveredsomethingveryclever。
He，dearman，hadthoughtofnothingatall。
HesimplyknewthathedidnotwanttogotoLondononthatmission。
Meremasculinedelicacy。Inamomenthebecameenthusiastic。”Yes！Yes！Exactly。Amaninlove……Youhear，mydear？Hereyouhaveanindependentopinion——””Cananythingbemorehopeless，”IinsistedtothefascinatedlittleFyne，”thantopitreasonagainstlove。ImustconfesshoweverthatinthiscasewhenIthinkofthatpoorgirl’ssharpchinIwonderif……”
MylevitywastoomuchforMrs。Fyne。Stillleaningbackinherchairsheexclaimed:”Mr。Marlow！”
AsifmysteriouslyaffectedbyherindignationtheabsurdFynedogbegantobarkintheporch。Itmighthavebeenatatrespassingbumble-beehowever。Thatanimalwascapableofanyeccentricity。
Fynegotupquicklyandwentouttohim。IthinkhewasgladtoleaveusalonetodiscussthatmatterofhisjourneytoLondon。A
sortofanti-sentimentaljourney。He，too，apparently，hadconfidenceinmysagacity。Itwastouching，thisconfidence。Itwasatanyratemoregenuinethantheconfidencehiswifepretendedtohaveinherhusband’schess-player，ofthreesuccessiveholidays。
Confidencebehanged！Sagacity——indeed！Shehadsimplymarchedinwithoutashadowofmisgivingtomakemebackherup。Butshehaddeliveredherselfintomyhands……”
InterruptinghisnarrativeMarlowaddressedmeinhistonebetweengrimjestandgrimearnest:”Perhapsyoudidn’tknowthatmycharacterisuponthewholerathervindictive。””No，Ididn’tknow，”Isaidwithagrin。”That’sratherunusualforasailor。Theyalwaysseemedtometheleastvindictivebodyofmenintheworld。””H’m！Simplesouls，”Marlowmutteredmoodily。”Wantofopportunity。Theworldleavesthemaloneforthemostpart。Formyselfit’stowardswomenthatIfeelvindictivemostly，inmysmallway。Iadmitthatitissmall。Butthentheoccasionsinthemselvesarenotgreat。MainlyIresentthatpretenceofwindingusroundtheirdearlittlefingers，asofright。Notthattheresulteveramountstomuchgenerally。Therearesoveryfewmomentousopportunities。ItistheassumptionthateachofusisacombinationofakidandanimbecilewhichIfindprovoking——inasmallway；inaverysmallway。Youneedn’tstareasthoughIwerebreathingfireandsmokeoutofmynostrils。Iamnotawomen-
devouringmonster。Iamnotevenwhatistechnicallycalled”abrute。”Ihopethere’senoughofakidandanimbecileinmetoanswertherequirementsofsomereallygoodwomaneventually——someday……Someday。Whydoyougasp？Youdon’tsupposeIshouldbeafraidofgettingmarried？Thatsuppositionwouldbeoffensive……””Iwouldn’tdreamofoffendingyou，”Isaid。”Verywell。ButmeantimepleaserememberthatIwasnotmarriedtoMrs。Fyne。Thatlady’slittlefingerwasnoneofmylegalproperty。
Ihadnotrunoffwithit。ItwasFynewhohaddonethatthing。
Lethimbewoundroundasmuchashisbackbonecouldstand——orevenmore，forallIcared。Hisrushingawayfromthediscussiononthetransparentpretenceofquietingthedogconfirmedmynotionoftherebeingaconsiderablestrainonhiselasticity。IconfrontedMrs。Fyneresolvednottoassistherinhereminentlyfeminineoccupationofthrustingastickinthespokesofanotherwoman’swheel。
Shetriedtopreservehercalm-eyedsuperiority。Shewasfamiliarandolympian，fencedinbythetea-table，thatexcellentsymbolofdomesticlifeinitslighterhouranditsperfectsecurity。Inafewseverelyunadornedwordsshegavemetounderstandthatshehadventuredtohopeforsomereallyhelpfulsuggestionfromme。Tothisalmostchidingdeclaration——becausemyvindictivenessseldomgoesfurtherthanabitofteasing——IsaidthatIwasreallydoingmybest。Andbeingaphysiognomist……””Beingwhat？”sheinterruptedme。”Aphysiognomist，”Irepeatedraisingmyvoicealittle。”A
physiognomist，Mrs。Fyne。Andontheprinciplesofthatscienceapointedlittlechinisasufficientgroundforinterference。Youwanttointerfere——doyounot？”
Hereyesgrewdistinctlybigger。Shehadneverbeenbanteredbeforeinherlife。Thelatesubtlepoet’smethodofmakinghimselfunpleasantwasmerelysavageandabusive。Fynehadbeenalwayssolemnlysubservient。WhatothermensheknewIcannottellbutI
assumetheymusthavebeengentlemanlycreatures。Thegirl-friendssatatherfeet。Howcouldsherecognizemyintention。Shedidn’tknowwhattomakeofmytone。”Areyouseriousinwhatyousay？”sheaskedslowly。Anditwastouching。Itwasasifaveryyoung，confidinggirlhadspoken。I
feltmyselfrelenting。”No。Iamnot，Mrs。Fyne，”Isaid。”Ididn’tknowIwasexpectedtobeseriousaswellassagacious。No。ThatscienceisfarcicalandthereforeIamnotserious。It’struethatmostsciencesarefarcicalexceptthosewhichteachushowtoputthingstogether。””Thequestionishowtokeepthesetwopeopleapart，”shestruckin。
Shehadrecovered。Iadmiredthequicknessofwomen’swit。Mentalagilityisarareperfection。Andaren’ttheyagile！Aren’tthey——
just！Andtenacious！Whentheyoncegetholdyoumayuprootthetreebutyouwon’tshakethemoffthebranch。Infactthemoreyoushake……Butonlylookatthecharmofcontradictoryperfections！
Nowondermengivein——generally。Iwon’tsayIwasactuallycharmedbyMrs。Fyne。Iwasnotdelightedwithher。Whataffectedmewasnotwhatshedisplayedbutsomethingwhichshecouldnotconceal。Andthatwasemotion——nothingless。Theformofherdeclarationwasdry，almostperemptory——butnotitstone。Hervoicefalteredjusttheleastbit，shesmiledfaintly；andaswewerelookingstraightateachotherIobservedthathereyeswereglisteninginapeculiarmanner。Shewasdistressed。AndindeedthatMrs。Fyneshouldhaveappealedtomeatallwasinitselftheevidenceofherprofounddistress。”ByJoveshe’sdesperatetoo，”I
thought。Thisdiscoverywasfollowedbyamovementofinstinctiveshrinkingfromthisunreasonableandunmasculineaffair。Theywereallalike，withtheirsupremeinterestarousedonlybyfightingwitheachotheraboutsomeman:alover，ason，abrother。”Butdoyouthinkthere’stimeyettodoanything？”Iasked。
Shehadanimpatientmovementofhershoulderswithoutdetachingherselffromthebackofthechair。Time！Ofcourse？Itwaslessthanforty-eighthourssinceshehadfollowedhimtoLondon……I
amnogreatclerkatthosemattersbutImurmuredvaguelyanallusiontospeciallicences。Wecouldn’ttellwhatmighthavehappenedto-dayalready。Butsheknewbetter，scornfully。Nothinghadhappened。”Nothing’slikelytohappenbeforenextFridayweek，——ifthen。”
Thiswaswonderfullyprecise。Thenafterapausesheaddedthatsheshouldneverforgiveherselfifsomeeffortwerenotmade，anappeal。”Toyourbrother？”Iasked。”Yes。Johnoughttogoto-morrow。Nineo’clocktrain。””Soearlyasthat！”Isaid。ButIcouldnotfinditinmyhearttopursuethisdiscussioninajoculartone。Isubmittedtoherseveralobviousarguments，dictatedapparentlybycommonsensebutinrealitybymysecretcompassion。Mrs。Fynebrushedthemaside，withthesemi-consciousegoismofallsafe，established，existences。
Theyhadknowneachothersolittle。Justthreeweeks。Andofthattime，tooshortforthebirthofanyserioussentiment，thefirstweekhadtobededucted。Theywouldhardlylookateachothertobeginwith。FlorabarelyconsentedtoacknowledgeCaptainAnthony’spresence。Goodmorning——goodnight——thatwasall——absolutelythewholeextentoftheirintercourse。CaptainAnthonywasasilentman，completelyunusedtothesocietyofgirlsofanysortandsoshyinfactthatheavoidedraisinghiseyestoherfaceatthetable。Itwasperfectlyabsurd。Itwaseveninconvenient，embarrassingtoher——Mrs。Fyne。AfterbreakfastFlorawouldgooffbyherselfforalongwalkandCaptainAnthony(Mrs。FynereferredtohimattimesalsoasRoderick)joinedthechildren。Buthewasactuallytooshytogetontermswithhisownnieces。
ThiswouldhavesoundedpatheticifIhadn’tknowntheFynechildrenwhowereatthesametimesolemnandmalicious，andnursedasecretcontemptforalltheworld。Noonecouldgetontermswiththosefreshandcomelyyoungmonsters！Theyjusttoleratedtheirparentsandseemedtohaveasortofmockingunderstandingamongthemselvesagainstalloutsiders，yetwithnovisibleaffectionforeachother。
