Hefollowedher，shutthedoor——whichshesomehowhadhopedhewouldleaveopen——andplacingachairforher，satdown。TheconcernwhichGracefeltatthedevelopmentofthesecommonplaceincidentswas，ofcourse，mainlyowingtothestrangeeffectuponhernervesofthatviewofhiminthemirrorgazingatherwithopeneyeswhenshehadthoughthimsleeping，whichmadeherfancythathisslumbermighthavebeenafeintbasedoninexplicablereasons。
Sheagainprofferedthenotes；heawokefromlookingatherasatapieceoflivestatuary，andlisteneddeferentiallyasshesaid，“Willyouthenreconsider，andcancelthebondwhichpoorGrammerOliversofoolishlygave？”
“I’llcancelitwithoutreconsideration。Thoughyouwillallowmetohavemyownopinionaboutherfoolishness。Grammerisaverywisewoman，andshewasaswiseinthatasinotherthings。Youthinktherewassomethingveryfiendishinthecompact，doyounot，MissMelbury？Butrememberthatthemosteminentofoursurgeonsinpasttimeshaveenteredintosuchagreements。”
“Notfiendish——strange。”
“Yes，thatmaybe，sincestrangenessisnotinthenatureofathing，butinitsrelationtosomethingextrinsic——inthiscaseanunessentialobserver。”
Hewenttohisdesk，andsearchingawhilefoundapaper，whichbeunfoldedandbroughttoher。Athickcrossappearedininkatthebottom——evidentlyfromthehandofGrammer。Graceputthepaperinherpocketwithalookofmuchrelief。
AsFitzpiersdidnottakeupthemoney(halfofwhichhadcomefromGrace’sownpurse)，shepusheditalittlenearertohim。
“No，no。Ishallnottakeitfromtheoldwoman。”hesaid。“Itismorestrangethanthefactofasurgeonarrangingtoobtainasubjectfordissectionthatouracquaintanceshouldbeformedoutofit。”
“Iamafraidyouthinkmeuncivilinshowingmydisliketothenotion。ButIdidnotmeantobe。”
“Ohno，no。”Helookedather，ashehaddonebefore，withpuzzledinterest。“Icannotthink，Icannotthink。”hemurmured。
“Somethingbewildersmegreatly。”Hestillreflectedandhesitated。“LastnightIsatupverylate。”heatlastwenton，“andonthataccountIfellintoalittlenaponthatcouchabouthalfanhourago。AndduringmyfewminutesofunconsciousnessI
dreamed——whatdoyouthink？——thatyoustoodintheroom。”
Shouldshetell？Shemerelyblushed。
“Youmayimagine。”Fitzpierscontinued，nowpersuadedthatithad，indeed，beenadream，“thatIshouldnothavedreamedofyouwithoutconsiderablethinkingaboutyoufirst。”
Hecouldnotbeacting；ofthatshefeltassured。
“Ifanciedinmyvisionthatyoustoodthere。”hesaid，pointingtowhereshehadpaused。“Ididnotseeyoudirectly，butreflectedintheglass。Ithought，whatalovelycreature！Thedesignisforoncecarriedout。NaturehasatlastrecoveredherlostunionwiththeIdea！MythoughtsraninthatdirectionbecauseIhadbeenreadingtheworkofatranscendentalphilosopherlastnight；andIdaresayitwasthedoseofIdealismthatIreceivedfromitthatmademescarcelyabletodistinguishbetweenrealityandfancy。IalmostweptwhenIawoke，andfoundthatyouhadappearedtomeinTime，butnotinSpace，alas！”
AtmomentstherewassomethingtheatricalinthedeliveryofFitzpiers’seffusion；yetitwouldhavebeeninexacttosaythatitwasintrinsicallytheatrical。Itoftenhappensthatinsituationsofunrestraint，wherethereisnothoughtoftheeyeofcriticism，realfeelingglidesintoamodeofmanifestationnoteasilydistinguishablefromrodomontade。Aveneerofaffectationoverliesabulkoftruth，withtheevilconsequence，ifperceived，thatthesubstanceisestimatedbythesuperficies，andthewholerejected。
Grace，however，wasnospecialistinmen’smanners，andsheadmiredthesentimentwithoutthinkingoftheform。Andshewasembarrassed：“lovelycreature“madeexplanationawkwardtohergentlemodesty。
“Butcanitbe。”saidhe，suddenly，“thatyoureallywerehere？”
“IhavetoconfessthatIhavebeenintheroomoncebefore。”
falteredshe。“Thewomanshowedmein，andwentawaytofetchyou；butasshedidnotreturn，Ileft。”
“Andyousawmeasleep。”hemurmured，withthefaintestshowofhumiliation。
“Yes——IFyouwereasleep，anddidnotdeceiveme。”
“Whydoyousayif？”
“Isawyoureyesopenintheglass，butastheywereclosedwhenI
lookedrounduponyou，Ithoughtyouwereperhapsdeceivingme。
“Never。”saidFitzpiers，fervently——“nevercouldIdeceiveyou。”
Foreknowledgetothedistanceofayearorsoineitherofthemmighthavespoiledtheeffectofthatprettyspeech。Neverdeceiveher！Buttheyknewnothing，andthephrasehaditsday。
Gracebegannowtobeanxioustoterminatetheinterview，butthecompellingpowerofFitzpiers’satmospherestillheldherthere。
Shewaslikeaninexperiencedactresswho，havingatlasttakenupherpositionontheboards，andspokenherspeeches，doesnotknowhowtomoveoff。ThethoughtofGrammeroccurredtoher。“I’llgoatonceandtellpoorGrammerofyourgenerosity。”shesaid。
“Itwillrelieveheratonce。”
“Grammer’sanervousdisease，too——howsingular！”heanswered，accompanyinghertothedoor。“Onemoment；lookatthis——itissomethingwhichmayinterestyou。”
Hehadthrownopenthedoorontheothersideofthepassage，andshesawamicroscopeonthetableoftheconfrontingroom。“Lookintoit，please；you’llbeinterested。”herepeated。
Sheappliedhereye，andsawtheusualcircleoflightpatternedalloverwithacellulartissueofsomeindescribablesort。“Whatdoyouthinkthatis？”saidFitzpiers。
Shedidnotknow。
“That’safragmentofoldJohnSouth’sbrain，whichIaminvestigating。”
Shestartedback，notwithaversion，butwithwonderastohowitshouldhavegotthere。Fitzpierslaughed。
“HereamI。”hesaid，“endeavoringtocarryonsimultaneouslythestudyofphysiologyandtranscendentalphilosophy，thematerialworldandtheideal，soastodiscoverifpossibleapointofcontrastbetweenthem；andyourfinersenseisquiteoffended！”
“Ohno，Mr。Fitzpiers。”saidGrace，earnestly。“Itisnotsoatall。Iknowfromseeingyourlightatnighthowdeeplyyoumeditateandwork。Insteadofcondemningyouforyourstudies，I
admireyouverymuch！”
Herface，upturnedfromthemicroscope，wassosweet，sincere，andself-forgetfulinitsaspectthatthesusceptibleFitzpiersmorethanwishedtoannihilatethelinealyardwhichseparateditfromhisown。Whetheranythingofthekindshowedinhiseyesornot，Graceremainednolongeratthemicroscope，butquicklywentherwayintotherain。
CHAPTERXIX。
InsteadofresuminghisinvestigationofSouth’sbrain，whichperhapswasnotsointerestingunderthemicroscopeasmighthavebeenexpectedfromtheimportanceofthatorganinlife，Fitzpiersreclinedandruminatedontheinterview。Grace’scurioussusceptibilitytohispresence，thoughitwasasifthecurrentsofherlifeweredisturbedratherthanattractedbyhim，addedaspecialinteresttohergeneralcharm。Fitzpierswasinadistinctdegreescientific，beingreadyandzealoustointerrogateallphysicalmanifestations，butprimarilyhewasanidealist。Hebelievedthatbehindtheimperfectlaytheperfect；thatrarethingsweretobediscoveredamidabulkofcommonplace；thatresultsinanewanduntriedcasemightbedifferentfromthoseinothercaseswheretheconditionshadbeenpreciselysimilar。
Regardinghisownpersonalityasoneofunboundedpossibilities，becauseitwashisown——notwithstandingthatthefactorsofhislifehadworkedoutasorryproductforthousands——hesawnothingbutwhatwasregularinhisdiscoveryatHintockofanaltogetherexceptionalbeingoftheothersex，whofornobodyelsewouldhavehadanyexistence。
OnehabitofFitzpiers’s——commonerindreamersofmoreadvancedagethaninmenofhisyears——wasthatoftalkingtohimself。Hepacedroundhisroomwithaselectivetreaduponthemoreprominentbloomsofthecarpet，andmurmured，“ThisphenomenalgirlwillbethelightofmylifewhileIamatHintock；andthespecialbeautyofthesituationisthatourattitudeandrelationstoeachotherwillbepurelyspiritual。Sociallywecanneverbeintimate。Anythinglikematrimonialintentionstowardsher，charmingassheis，wouldbeabsurd。Theywouldspoiltheetherealcharacterofmyregard。And，indeed，Ihaveotheraimsonthepracticalsideofmylife。”
Fitzpiersbestowedaregulationthoughtontheadvantageousmarriagehewasboundtomakewithawomanoffamilyasgoodashisown，andofpursemuchlonger。Butasanobjectofcontemplationforthepresent，asobjectivespiritratherthancorporealpresence，GraceMelburywouldservetokeephissoulalive，andtorelievethemonotonyofhisdays。
Hisfirstnotion——acquiredfromthemeresightofherwithoutconverse——thatofanidleandvulgarflirtationwithatimber-
merchant’sprettydaughter，gratedpainfullyuponhimnowthathehadfoundwhatGraceintrinsicallywas。Personalintercoursewithsuchasshecouldtakenolowerformthanintellectualcommunion，andmutualexplorationsoftheworldofthought。Sincehecouldnotcallatherfather’s，havingnopracticalviews，cursoryencountersinthelane，inthewood，comingandgoingtoandfromchurch，orinpassingherdwelling，werewhattheacquaintancewouldhavetofeedon。
