Whatcouldfourteendayshavedonetobringherfromthatstatetothis？
Torealisewhattheymeantbysayingthatshehadachanceoflifewasbeyondhim，knowingashedidthattheywereengaged。Heturned，stillenvelopedinthesamedrearymist，andwalkedtowardsthedoor。
Suddenlyhesawitall。Hesawtheroomandthegarden，andthetreesmovingintheair，theycouldgoonwithouther；shecoulddie。
Forthefirsttimesinceshefellillherememberedexactlywhatshelookedlikeandthewayinwhichtheycaredforeachother。
Theimmensehappinessoffeelingherclosetohimmingledwithamoreintenseanxietythanhehadfeltyet。Hecouldnotletherdie；
hecouldnotlivewithouther。Butafteramomentarystruggle，thecurtainfellagain，andhesawnothingandfeltnothingclearly。
Itwasallgoingon——goingonstill，inthesamewayasbefore。
Saveforaphysicalpainwhenhisheartbeat，andthefactthathisfingerswereicycold，hedidnotrealisethathewasanxiousaboutanything。WithinhismindheseemedtofeelnothingaboutRacheloraboutanyoneoranythingintheworld。Hewentongivingorders，arrangingwithMrs。Chailey，writingoutlists，andeverynowandthenhewentupstairsandputsomethingquietlyonthetableoutsideRachel’sdoor。ThatnightDr。Lesageseemedtobelesssulkythanusual。
Hestayedvoluntarilyforafewmoments，and，addressingSt。JohnandTerenceequally，asifhedidnotrememberwhichofthemwasengagedtotheyounglady，said，“Iconsiderthatherconditionto-nightisverygrave。“
Neitherofthemwenttobedorsuggestedthattheothershouldgotobed。
Theysatinthedrawing-roomplayingpicquetwiththedooropen。
St。Johnmadeupabeduponthesofa，andwhenitwasreadyinsistedthatTerenceshouldlieuponit。Theybegantoquarrelastowhoshouldlieonthesofaandwhoshouldlieuponacoupleofchairscoveredwithrugs。St。JohnforcedTerenceatlasttoliedownuponthesofa。
“Don’tbeafool，Terence，“hesaid。“You’llonlygetillifyoudon’tsleep。“
“Oldfellow，“hebegan，asTerencestillrefused，andstoppedabruptly，fearingsentimentality；hefoundthathewasonthevergeoftears。
Hebegantosaywhathehadlongbeenwantingtosay，thathewassorryforTerence，thathecaredforhim，thathecaredforRachel。
Didsheknowhowmuchhecaredforher——hadshesaidanything，askedperhaps？Hewasveryanxioustosaythis，butherefrained，thinkingthatitwasaselfishquestionafterall，andwhatwastheuseofbotheringTerencetotalkaboutsuchthings？
Hewasalreadyhalfasleep。ButSt。Johncouldnotsleepatonce。
Ifonly，hethoughttohimself，ashelayinthedarkness，somethingwouldhappen——ifonlythisstrainwouldcometoanend。
Hedidnotmindwhathappened，solongasthesuccessionofthesehardanddrearydayswasbroken；hedidnotmindifshedied。
Hefelthimselfdisloyalinnotmindingit，butitseemedtohimthathehadnofeelingsleft。
Allnightlongtherewasnocallormovement，excepttheopeningandshuttingofthebedroomdooronce。Bydegreesthelightreturnedintotheuntidyroom。Atsixtheservantsbegantomove；
atseventheycreptdownstairsintothekitchen；andhalfanhourlaterthedaybeganagain。
Neverthelessitwasnotthesameasthedaysthathadgonebefore，althoughitwouldhavebeenhardtosayinwhatthedifferenceconsisted。
Perhapsitwasthattheyseemedtobewaitingforsomething。
Therewerecertainlyfewerthingstobedonethanusual。Peopledriftedthroughthedrawing-room——Mr。Flushing，Mr。andMrs。Thornbury。
Theyspokeveryapologeticallyinlowtones，refusingtositdown，butremainingforaconsiderabletimestandingup，althoughtheonlythingtheyhadtosaywas，“Isthereanythingwecando？“andtherewasnothingtheycoulddo。
Feelingoddlydetachedfromitall，TerencerememberedhowHelenhadsaidthatwheneveranythinghappenedtoyouthiswashowpeoplebehaved。
Wassheright，orwasshewrong？Hewastoolittleinterestedtoframeanopinionofhisown。Heputthingsawayinhismind，asifoneofthesedayshewouldthinkaboutthem，butnotnow。
Themistofunrealityhaddeepenedanddeepeneduntilithadproducedafeelingofnumbnessalloverhisbody。Wasithisbody？
Werethosereallyhisownhands？
ThismorningalsoforthefirsttimeRidleyfounditimpossibletositaloneinhisroom。Hewasveryuncomfortabledownstairs，and，ashedidnotknowwhatwasgoingon，constantlyintheway；
buthewouldnotleavethedrawing-room。Toorestlesstoread，andhavingnothingtodo，hebegantopaceupanddownrecitingpoetryinanundertone。Occupiedinvariousways——nowinundoingparcels，nowinuncorkingbottles，nowinwritingdirections，thesoundofRidley’ssongandthebeatofhispacingworkedintothemindsofTerenceandSt。Johnallthemorningasahalfcomprehendedrefrain。
Theywrestledup，theywrestleddown，Theywrestledsoreandstill:
Thefiendwhoblindstheeyesofmen，Thatnighthehadhiswill。
Likestagsfullspent，amongthebentTheydroppedawhiletorest——
“Oh，it’sintolerable！“Hirstexclaimed，andthencheckedhimself，asifitwereabreachoftheiragreement。AgainandagainTerencewouldcreephalf-wayupthestairsincasehemightbeabletogleannewsofRachel。Buttheonlynewsnowwasofaveryfragmentarykind；
shehaddrunksomething；shehadsleptalittle；sheseemedquieter。
Inthesameway，Dr。Lesageconfinedhimselftotalkingaboutdetails，saveoncewhenhevolunteeredtheinformationthathehadjustbeencalledintoascertain，byseveringaveininthewrist，thatanoldladyofeighty-fivewasreallydead。Shehadahorrorofbeingburiedalive。
“Itisahorror，“heremarked，“thatwegenerallyfindintheveryold，andseldomintheyoung。“Theybothexpressedtheirinterestinwhathetoldthem；itseemedtothemverystrange。Anotherstrangethingaboutthedaywasthattheluncheonwasforgottenbyallofthemuntilitwaslateintheafternoon，andthenMrs。Chaileywaitedonthem，andlookedstrangetoo，becausesheworeastiffprintdress，andhersleeveswererolledupaboveherelbows。Sheseemedasobliviousofherappearance，however，asifshehadbeencalledoutofherbedbyamidnightalarmoffire，andshehadforgotten，too，herreserveandhercomposure；shetalkedtothemquitefamiliarlyasifshehadnursedthemandheldthemnakedonherknee。
Sheassuredthemoverandoveragainthatitwastheirdutytoeat。
Theafternoon，beingthusshortened，passedmorequicklythantheyexpected。OnceMrs。Flushingopenedthedoor，butonseeingthemshutitagainquickly；onceHelencamedowntofetchsomething，butshestoppedasshelefttheroomtolookataletteraddressedtoher。Shestoodforamomentturningitover，andtheextraordinaryandmournfulbeautyofherattitudestruckTerenceinthewaythingsstruckhimnow——assomethingtobeputawayinhismindandtobethoughtaboutafterwards。Theyscarcelyspoke，theargumentbetweenthemseemingtobesuspendedorforgotten。
Nowthattheafternoonsunhadleftthefrontofthehouse，Ridleypacedupanddowntheterracerepeatingstanzasofalongpoem，inasubduedbutsuddenlysonorousvoice。Fragmentsofthepoemwerewaftedinattheopenwindowashepassedandrepassed。
PeorandBaalimForsaketheirTemplesdim，Withthattwicebatter’dGodofPalestineAndmoonedAstaroth——
Thesoundofthesewordswerestrangelydiscomfortingtoboththeyoungmen，buttheyhadtobeborne。Astheeveningdrewonandtheredlightofthesunsetglitteredfarawayonthesea，thesamesenseofdesperationattackedbothTerenceandSt。Johnatthethoughtthatthedaywasnearlyover，andthatanothernightwasathand。
TheappearanceofonelightafteranotherinthetownbeneaththemproducedinHirstarepetitionofhisterribleanddisgustingdesiretobreakdownandsob。ThenthelampswerebroughtinbyChailey。
SheexplainedthatMaria，inopeningabottle，hadbeensofoolishastocutherarmbadly，butshehadbounditup；itwasunfortunatewhentherewassomuchworktobedone。Chaileyherselflimpedbecauseoftherheumatisminherfeet，butitappearedtohermerewasteoftimetotakeanynoticeoftheunrulyfleshofservants。
Theeveningwenton。Dr。Lesagearrivedunexpectedly，andstayedupstairsaverylongtime。Hecamedownonceanddrankacupofcoffee。
“Sheisveryill，“hesaidinanswertoRidley’squestion。
Alltheannoyancehadbythistimelefthismanner，hewasgraveandformal，butatthesametimeitwasfullofconsideration，whichhadnotmarkeditbefore。Hewentupstairsagain。
Thethreemensattogetherinthedrawing-room。Ridleywasquitequietnow，andhisattentionseemedtobethoroughlyawakened。
Saveforlittlehalf-voluntarymovementsandexclamationsthatwerestifledatonce，theywaitedincompletesilence。
Itseemedasiftheywereatlastbroughttogetherfacetofacewithsomethingdefinite。
Itwasnearlyeleveno’clockwhenDr。Lesageagainappearedintheroom。
Heapproachedthemveryslowly，anddidnotspeakatonce。
HelookedfirstatSt。JohnandthenatTerence，andsaidtoTerence，“Mr。Hewet，Ithinkyoushouldgoupstairsnow。“
Terenceroseimmediately，leavingtheothersseatedwithDr。Lesagestandingmotionlessbetweenthem。
Chaileywasinthepassageoutside，repeatingoverandoveragain，“It’swicked——it’swicked。“
Terencepaidhernoattention；heheardwhatshewassaying，butitconveyednomeaningtohismind。Allthewayupstairshekeptsayingtohimself，“Thishasnothappenedtome。Itisnotpossiblethatthishashappenedtome。“
Helookedcuriouslyathisownhandonthebanisters。Thestairswereverysteep，anditseemedtotakehimalongtimetosurmountthem。
Insteadoffeelingkeenly，asheknewthatheoughttofeel，hefeltnothingatall。WhenheopenedthedoorhesawHelensittingbythebedside。Therewereshadedlightsonthetable，andtheroom，thoughitseemedtobefullofagreatmanythings，wasverytidy。
Therewasafaintandnotunpleasantsmellofdisinfectants。
Helenroseandgaveupherchairtohiminsilence。Astheypassedeachothertheireyesmetinapeculiarlevelglance，hewonderedattheextraordinaryclearnessofhiseyes，andatthedeepcalmandsadnessthatdweltinthem。Hesatdownbythebedside，andamomentafterwardsheardthedoorshutgentlybehindher。
HewasalonewithRachel，andafaintreflectionofthesenseofreliefthattheyusedtofeelwhentheywereleftalonepossessedhim。
Helookedather。Heexpectedtofindsometerriblechangeinher，buttherewasnone。Shelookedindeedverythin，and，asfarashecouldsee，verytired，butshewasthesameasshehadalwaysbeen。
Moreover，shesawhimandknewhim。Shesmiledathimandsaid，“Hullo，Terence。“
Thecurtainwhichhadbeendrawnbetweenthemforsolongvanishedimmediately。
“Well，Rachel，“herepliedinhisusualvoice，uponwhichsheopenedhereyesquitewidelyandsmiledwithherfamiliarsmile。
Hekissedherandtookherhand。
“It’sbeenwretchedwithoutyou，“hesaid。
Shestilllookedathimandsmiled，butsoonaslightlookoffatigueorperplexitycameintohereyesandsheshutthemagain。
“Butwhenwe’retogetherwe’reperfectlyhappy，“hesaid。
Hecontinuedtoholdherhand。
Thelightbeingdim，itwasimpossibletoseeanychangeinherface。
AnimmensefeelingofpeacecameoverTerence，sothathehadnowishtomoveortospeak。Theterribletortureandunrealityofthelastdayswereover，andhehadcomeoutnowintoperfectcertaintyandpeace。Hismindbegantoworknaturallyagainandwithgreatease。Thelongerhesattherethemoreprofoundlywasheconsciousofthepeaceinvadingeverycornerofhissoul。
Onceheheldhisbreathandlistenedacutely；shewasstillbreathing；
hewentonthinkingforsometime；theyseemedtobethinkingtogether；
heseemedtobeRachelaswellashimself；andthenhelistenedagain；
no，shehadceasedtobreathe。Somuchthebetter——thiswasdeath。
Itwasnothing；itwastoceasetobreathe。Itwashappiness，itwasperfecthappiness。Theyhadnowwhattheyhadalwayswantedtohave，theunionwhichhadbeenimpossiblewhiletheylived。
Unconsciouswhetherhethoughtthewordsorspokethemaloud，hesaid，“Notwopeoplehaveeverbeensohappyaswehavebeen。
