dictatedsomeletterstoherandsodiscoveredshehadpretty，soft-lookinghandswithpinknails。Onceortwice，meetingcasually，welookedoneanotherfortheflashofasecondintheeyes。
Thatwasall。Butitwasenoughinthemysteriousfree-masonryofsextosayessentialthings。Wehadasecretbetweenus。
OnedayIcameintoRaggettStreetatlunchtimeandshewasalone，sittingatherdesk。SheglancedupasIentered，andthenbecameverystill，withadowncastfaceandherhandsclenchedonthetable。Iwalkedrightbyhertothedooroftheinneroffice，stopped，camebackandstoodoverher。
Weneitherofusspokeforquiteaperceptibletime。Iwastremblingviolently。
“Isthatoneofthenewtypewriters？”Iaskedatlastforthesakeofspeaking。
Shelookedupatmewithoutaword，withherfaceflushedandhereyesalight，andIbentdownandkissedherlips。Sheleantbacktoputanarmaboutme，drewmyfacetoherandkissedmeagainandagain。Iliftedherandheldherinmyarms。Shegavealittlesmotheredcrytofeelherselfsoheld。
NeverbeforehadIknownthequalityofpassionatekisses。
Somebodybecameaudibleintheshopoutside。
Westartedbackfromoneanotherwithflushedfacesandbrightandburningeyes。
“Wecan’ttalkhere。”Iwhisperedwithaconfidentintimacy。
“Wheredoyougoatfive？”
“AlongtheEmbankmenttoCharingCross。”sheansweredasintimately。“Noneoftheothersgothatway。”
“Abouthalf-pastfive？”
“Yes，half-pastfive。”
Thedoorfromtheshopopened，andshesatdownveryquickly。
“I’mglad。”Isaidinacommonplacevoice，“thatthesenewtypewritersareallright。”
Iwentintotheinnerofficeandroutedoutthepaysheetinordertofindhername——EffieRink。Anddidnoworkatallthatafternoon。Ifrettedaboutthatdingylittledenlikeabeastinacage。
WhenpresentlyIwentout，Effiewasworkingwithanextraordinaryappearanceofcalm——andtherewasnolookformeatall。
Wemetandhadourtalkthatevening，atalkinwhisperswhentherewasnonetooverhear；wecametoanunderstanding。ItwasstrangelyunlikeanydreamofromanceIhadeverentertained。
Icamebackafteraweek’sabsencetomyhomeagain——achangedman。IhadlivedoutmyfirstrushofpassionforEffie，hadcometoacontemplationofmyposition。IhadgaugedEffie’splaceintheschemeofthings，andpartedfromherforatime。
ShewasbackinherplaceatRaggettStreetafteratemporaryindisposition。Ididnotfeelinanywaypenitentorashamed，I
know，asIopenedthelittlecast-irongatethatkeptMarion’sfrontgraderandPampasGrassfromthewanderingdog。Indeed，ifanything，IfeltasifIhadvindicatedsomerightthathadbeeninquestion。IcamebacktoMarionwithnosenseofwrong-doingatallwith，indeed，anewfriendlinesstowardsher。Idon’tknowhowitmaybepropertofeelonsuchoccasions；thatishowIfelt。
Ifollowedherinourdrawing-room，standingbesidethetalllamp-standthathalffilledthebayasthoughshehadjustturnedfromwatchingformeatthewindow。Therewassomethinginherpalefacethatarrestedme。Shelookedasifshehadnotbeensleeping。Shedidnotcomeforwardtogreetme。
“You’vecomehome。”shesaid。
“AsIwrotetoyou。”
Shestoodverystill，aduskyfigureagainstthebrightwindow。
“Wherehaveyoubeen？”sheasked。
“EastCoast。”Isaideasily。
Shepausedforamoment。“IKNOW。”shesaid。
Istaredather。Itwasthemostamazingmomentinanylife。
“ByJove！”Isaidatlast，“Ibelieveyoudo！”
“Andthenyoucomehometome！”
Iwalkedtothehearthrugandstoodquitestillthereregardingthisnewsituation。
“Ididn’tdream。”shebegan。“Howcouldyoudosuchathing？”
Itseemedalongintervalbeforeeitherofusspokeanotherword。
“Whoknowsaboutit？”Iaskedatlast。
“Smithie’sbrother。TheywereatCromer。”
“ConfoundCromer！Yes！”
“Howcouldyoubringyourself“
Ifeltaspasmofpetulantannoyanceatthisunexpectedcatastrophe。
“IshouldliketowringSmithie’sbrother’sneck。”Isaid。
Marionspokeindry，brokenfragmentsofsentences。“You。I’dalwaysthoughtthatanyhowyoucouldn’tdeceiveme。Isupposeallmenarehorrid——aboutthis。”
“Itdoesn’tstrikemeashorrid。Itseemstomethemostnecessaryconsequence——andnaturalthingintheworld。”
Ibecameawareofsomeonemovingaboutinthepassage，andwentandshutthedooroftheroom，thenIwalkedbacktothehearthrugandturned。
“It’sroughonyou。”Isaid。“ButIdidn’tmeanyoutoknow。
You’venevercaredforme。I’vehadthedevilofatime。Whyshouldyoumind？”
Shesatdowninadrapedarmchair。“IHAVEcaredforyou。”shesaid。
Ishruggedmyshoulders。
“Isuppose。”shesaid，“SHEcaresforyou？”
Ihadnoanswer。
“Whereisshenow？”
“Oh！doesitmattertoyou？。Lookhere，Marion！This——thisI
didn’tanticipate。Ididn’tmeanthisthingtosmashdownonyoulikethis。But，youknow，somethinghadtohappen。I’msorry——sorrytothebottomofmyheartthatthingshavecometothisbetweenus。Butindeed，I’mtakenbysurprise。Idon’tknowwhereIam——Idon’tknowhowwegothere。Thingstookmebysurprise。Ifoundmyselfalonewithheroneday。Ikissedher。
Iwenton。Itseemedstupidtogoback。Andbesides——whyshouldIhavegoneback？WhyshouldI？Fromfirsttolast，I’vehardlythoughtofitastouchingyou。Damn！”
Shescrutinisedmyface，andpulledattheball-fringeofthelittletablebesideher。
“Tothinkofit。”shesaid。“Idon’tbelieveIcanevertouchyouagain。”
Wekeptalongsilence。Iwasonlybeginningtorealiseinthemostsuperficialwaytheimmensecatastrophethathadhappenedbetweenus。Enormousissueshadrusheduponus。Ifeltunpreparedandaltogetherinadequate。Iwasunreasonablyangry。
Therecamearushofstupidexpressionstomymindthatmyrisingsenseofthesupremeimportanceofthemomentsavedmefromsaying。Thegapofsilencewideneduntilitthreatenedtobecomethevastmemorablemarginofsomeoneamongathousandtrivialpossibilitiesofspeechthatwouldvexourrelationsforever。
Ourlittlegeneralservanttappedatthedoor——Marionalwayslikedtheservanttotap——andappeared。
“Tea，M’m。”shesaid——andvanished，leavingthedooropen。
“Iwillgoupstairs。”saidI，andstopped。“Iwillgoupstairs“
Irepeated，“andputmybaginthespareroom。”
Weremainedmotionlessandsilentforafewseconds。
“Motherishavingteawithusto-day。”Marionremarkedatlast，anddroppedtheworriedendofball-fringeandstoodupslowly。
Andso，withthisimmensediscussionofourchangedrelationshangingoverus，wepresentlyhadteawiththeunsuspectingMrs。
Ramboatandthespaniel。Mrs。Ramboatwastoowelltrainedinherpositiontoremarkuponoursomberpreoccupation。Shekeptathintrickleoftalkgoing，andtoldus，Iremember，thatMr。
Ramboatwas“troubled“abouthiscannas。
“Theydon’tcomeupandtheywon’tcomeup。He’sbeenroundandhadanexplanationwiththemanwhosoldhimthebulbs——andhe’sveryheatedandupset。”
Thespanielwasagreatbore，begginganddoingsmalltricksfirstatoneandthenattheotherofus。Neitherofususedhisname。YouseewehadcalledhimMiggles，andmadeasortoftriointhebaby-talkofMutneyandMigglesandMing。
