第14章

Thereplywasunexpected。Thereporterinformedhisquestionerthatinreturningfromthetheatricals，atwhichhewaspresent，hesharedaflywithagentlemanwhoassuredhimthatsuchanalliancewascertain，soobviouslydiditrecommenditselftoallconcerned，asameansofstrengtheningbothfamilies。Thegentleman"sknowledgeofthePowerswassoprecisethatthereporterdidnothesitatetoaccepthisassertion。Hewasamanwhohadseenagreatdealoftheworld，andhisfacewasnoticeablefortheseamsandscarsonit。

SomersetrecognizedPaula"suncleintheportrait。

Hostilities，then，werebeginning。Theparagraphhadbeenmeantasthefirstslap。Takingherabroadwasthesecond。

BOOKTHEFOURTH。SOMERSET，DAREANDDESTANCY。

I。

TherewasnopartofPaula"sjourneyinwhichSomersetdidnotthinkofher。HeimaginedherinthehotelatHavre，inherbriefrestatParis；herdrivepastthePlacedelaBastilletotheBoulevartMazastotakethetrainforLyons；hertediousprogressthroughthedarkofawinternighttillshecrossedtheisothermallinewhichtoldofthebeginningofasouthernatmosphere，andonwardstotheancientbluesea。

Thus，betweenthehoursdevotedtoarchitecture，hepassedthenextthreedays。Onemorninghesethimself，bythehelpofJohn，topractiseonthetelegraphinstrument，expectingamessage。Butthoughhewatchedthemachineateveryopportunity，orkeptsomeotherpersononthealertinitsneighbourhood，nomessagearrivedtogratifyhimtillafterthelapseofnearlyafortnight。Thenshespokefromhernewhabitationninehundredmilesaway，inthesemeagrewords:——

"Aresettledattheaddressgiven。Cannowattendtoanyinquiryaboutthebuilding。"

Thepointedimplicationthatshecouldattendtoinquiriesaboutnothingelse，breathedoftheveritablePaulasodistinctlythathecouldforgiveitssauciness。Hisreplywassoondespatched:——

"Willwriteparticularsofourprogress。Alwaysthesame。"

Thelastthreewordsformedthesentimentalappendagewhichshehadassuredhimshecouldtolerate，andwhichhehopedshemightdesire。

Hespenttheremainderofthedayinmakingalittlesketchtoshowwhathadbeendoneinthecastlesinceherdeparture。

Thishedespatchedwithaletterofexplanationendinginaparagraphofadifferenttenor:——

"IhavedemonstratedourprogressaswellasIcould；butanothersubjecthasbeeninmymind，evenwhilstwritingtheformer。Askyourselfifyouusemewellinkeepingmeafortnightbeforeyousomuchassaythatyouhavearrived?

TheonethingthatreconciledmetoyourdeparturewasthethoughtthatIshouldhearearlyfromyou:myideaofbeingabletosubmittoyourabsencewasbasedentirelyuponthat。

"ButIhaveresolvednottobeoutofhumour，andtobelievethatyourschemeofreserveisnotunreasonable；neitherdoI

quarrelwithyourinjunctiontokeepsilencetoallrelatives。

IdonotknowanythingIcansaytoshowyoumoreplainlymyacquiescenceinyourwish"nottogotoofar"(inshort，tokeepyourselfdear——bydearImeannotcheap——youhavebeendearintheothersensealongtime，asyouknow)，thanbynoturgingyoutogoasingledegreefurtherinwarmththanyouplease。"

Whenthiswaspostedheagainturnedhisattentiontoherwallsandtowers，whichindeedwereadumbconsolationinmanywaysforthelackofherself。Therewasnonookinthecastletowhichhehadnotaccessorcouldnoteasilyobtainaccessbyapplyingforthekeys，andthispropinquityofthingsbelongingtoherservedtokeepherimagebeforehimevenmoreconstantlythanhismemorieswouldhavedone。

Threedaysandahalfafterthedespatchofhissubduedeffusionthetelegraphcalledtotellhimthegoodnewsthat"Yourletteranddrawingarejustreceived。Thanksforthelatter。Willreplytotheformerbypostthisafternoon。"

Itwaswithcheerfulpatiencethatheattendedtohisthreedraughtsmeninthestudio，orwalkedabouttheenvironsofthefortressduringthefiftyhoursspentbyherpresumablytendermissiveontheroad。Alightfleeceofsnowfellduringthesecondnightofwaiting，invertingthepositionoflong-

establishedlightsandshades，andloweringtoadingygreytheapproximatelywhitewallsofotherweathers；hecouldtracethepostman"sfootmarksasheenteredoverthebridge，knowingthembythedotofhiswalking-stick:onenteringtheexpectedletterwaswaitinguponhistable。Helookedatitsdirectionwithgladcuriosity；itwasthefirstletterhehadeverreceivedfromher。

"HOTEL——，NICE，Feb。14。

"MYDEARMR。SOMERSET"(the"George，"then，towhichshehadsokindlytreatedhiminherlastconversation，wasnottobecontinuedinblackandwhite)，——

"Yourletterexplainingtheprogressofthework，aidedbythesketchenclosed，gavemeasclearanideaoftheadvancemadesincemydepartureasIcouldhavegainedbybeingpresent。I

feeleveryconfidenceinyou，andamquitesuretherestorationisingoodhands。Inthisopinionbothmyauntandmyunclecoincide。Pleaseactentirelyonyourownjudgmentineverything，andassoonasyougiveacertificatetothebuildersforthefirstinstalmentoftheirmoneyitwillbepromptlysentbymysolicitors。

"YoubidmeaskmyselfifIhaveusedyouwellinnotsendingintelligenceofmyselftillafortnightafterIhadleftyou。

Now，George，don"tbeunreasonable!Letmeremindyouthat，asacertainapostlesaid，thereareathousandthingslawfulwhicharenotexpedient。Isaythis，notfromprideinmyownconduct，buttoofferyouaveryfairexplanationofit。Yourresolvenottobeoutofhumourwithmesuggeststhatyouhavebeensorelytemptedthatway，elsewhyshouldsucharesolvehavebeennecessary?

"Ifyouonlyknewwhatpassesinmymindsometimesyouwouldperhapsnotbesoreadytoblame。ShallItellyou?No。

For，ifitisagreatemotion，itmayaffordyouacruelsatisfactionatfindingIsufferthroughseparation；andifitbeagrowingindifferencetoyou，itwillbeinflictinggratuitousunhappinessuponyoutosayso，ifyoucareforme；

asISOMETIMESthinkyoumaydoALITTLE。"

("O，Paula!"saidSomerset。)

"Pleasewhichwaywouldyouhaveit?ButitisbetterthatyoushouldguessatwhatIfeelthanthatyoushoulddistinctlyknowit。Notwithstandingthisassertionyouwill，Iknow，adheretoyourfirstprepossessioninfavourofpromptconfessions。Inspiteofthat，Ifearthatupontrialsuchpromptnesswouldnotproducethathappinesswhichyourfancyleadsyoutoexpect。Yourheartwouldwearyintime，andwhenoncethathappens，good-byetotheemotionyouhavetoldmeof。Imaginesuchacaseclearly，andyouwillperceivetheprobabilityofwhatIsay。AtthesametimeIadmitthatawomanwhoisONLYacreatureofevasionsanddisguisesisverydisagreeable。

"DonotwriteVERYfrequently，andneverwriteatallunlessyouhavesomerealinformationaboutthecastleworkstocommunicate。IwillexplaintoyouonanotheroccasionwhyI

makethisrequest。Youwillpossiblysetitdownasadditionalevidenceofmycold-heartedness。Ifsoyoumust。

Wouldyoualsomindwritingthebusinessletteronanindependentsheet，withaproperbeginningandending?

Whetheryouincloseanothersheetisofcourseoptional——

Sincerelyyours，PAULAPOWER。"

Somersethadasuspicionthatherordertohimnottoneglectthebusinessletterwastoescapeanyinvidiousremarksfromheruncle。Hewishedshewouldbemoreexplicit，sothathemightknowexactlyhowmattersstoodwiththem，andwhetherAbnerPowerhadeverventuredtoexpressdisapprovalofhimasherlover。

Butnotknowing，hewaitedanxiouslyforanewarchitecturaleventonwhichhemightlegitimatelysendheranotherline。

Thisoccurredaboutaweeklater，whenthemenengagedindiggingfoundationsdiscoveredremainsofoldoneswhichwarrantedamodificationoftheoriginalplan。Heaccordinglysentoffhisprofessionaladviceonthepoint，requestingherassentorotherwisetotheamendment，windinguptheinquirywith"Yoursfaithfully。"Onanothersheethewrote:-

"Doyousufferfromanyunpleasantnessinthemannerofothersonaccountofme?Ifso，informme，Paula。Icannototherwiseinterpretyourrequestfortheseparatesheets。

WhileonthispointIwilltellyouwhatIhavelearntrelativetotheauthorshipofthatfalseparagraphaboutyourengagement。Itwascommunicatedtothepaperbyyouruncle。

Wasthewishfathertothethought，orcouldhehavebeenmisled，asmanywere，byappearancesatthetheatricals?

"IfIamnottowritetoyouwithoutaprofessionalreason，surelyyoucanwritetomewithoutsuchanexcuse?Whenyouwritetellmeofyourself。ThereisnothingIsomuchwishtohearof。Writeagreatdealaboutyourdailydoings，formymind"seyekeepsthosesweetoperationsmoredistinctlybeforemethanmybodilysightdoesmyown。

"Yousaynothingofhavingbeentolookatthechapel-of-easeItoldyouof，theplansofwhichImadewhenanarchitect"spupil，workinginmetresinsteadoffeetandinches，tomyimmenseperplexity，thatthedrawingsmightbeunderstoodbytheforeignworkmen。Gothereandtellmewhatyouthinkofitsdesign。Icanassureyouthateverycurvethereofismyown。

"HowIwishyouwouldinvitemetorunoverandseeyou，ifonlyforadayortwo，formyheartrunsafteryouinamostdistractedmanner。Dearest，youentirelyfillmylife!ButI

forget；wehaveresolvednottogoVERYFAR。ButthefactisIamhalfafraidlest，withsuchreticence，youshouldnotrememberhowverymuchIamyours，andwithwhatadoggedconstancyIshallalwaysrememberyou。Paula，sometimesI

havehorriblemisgivingsthatsomethingwilldivideus，especiallyifwedonotmakeamoredistinctshowofourtruerelationship。TruedoIsay?ImeantherelationshipwhichI

thinkexistsbetweenus，butwhichyoudonotaffirmtooclearly——Yoursalways。"

Awaysouthwardliketheswallowwentthetenderlines。Hewonderedifshewouldnoticehishintofbeingreadytopayheraflyingvisit，ifpermittedtodoso。HisfancydweltonthatfurthersideofFrance，theverycontoursofwhoseshorewerenowlinesofbeautyforhim。Heprowledinthelibrary，andfoundinterestinthemustiestfactsrelatingtothatplace，learningwithaestheticpleasurethatthenumberofitspopulationwasfiftythousand，thatthemeantemperatureofitsatmospherewas60degreesFahrenheit，andthatthepeculiaritiesofamistralwerefarfromagreeable。

Hewaitedoverlongforherreply；butitultimatelycame。

Aftertheusualbusinesspreliminary，shesaid:——

"Asrequested，Ihavevisitedthelittlechurchyoudesigned。

Itgavemegreatpleasuretostandbeforeabuildingwhoseoutlineanddetailshadcomefromthebrainofsuchavaluedfriendandadviser。"

("Valuedfriendandadviser，"repeatedSomersetcritically。)

"Ilikethestylemuch，especiallythatofthewindows——EarlyEnglisharetheynot?IamgoingtoattendservicetherenextSunday，BECAUSEYOUWERETHEARCHITECT，ANDFORNOGODLY

REASONATALL。Doesthatcontentyou?Fieforyourdespondency!RememberM。Aurelius:"Thisisthechiefthing:

Benotperturbed；forallthingsareofthenatureoftheUniversal。"IndeedIamalittlesurprisedatyourhavingforebodings，aftermyassurancetoyoubeforeIleft。Ihavenone。Myopinionisthat，tobehappy，itisbesttothinkthat，aswearetheproductofevents，eventswillcontinuetoproducethatwhichisinharmonywithus……Youaretoofaint-hearted，andthat"sthetruthofit。Iadviseyounottoabandonyourselftoidolatrytooreadily；youknowwhatI

mean。ItfillsmewithremorsewhenIthinkhowveryfarbelowsuchapositionmyactualworthremovesme。

"Ishouldliketoreceiveanotherletterfromyouassoonasyouhavegotoverthemisgivingyouspeakof，butdon"twritetoosoon。IwishIcouldwriteanythingtoraiseyourspirits，butyoumaybesoperversethatif，inordertodothis，Itellyouoftheraces，routs，scenery，gaieties，andgamblinggoingoninthisplaceandneighbourhood(intowhichofcourseIcannothelpbeingalittledrawn)，youmaydeclarethatmywordsmakeyouworsethanever。Don"tpassthelineI

havesetdowninthewayyouweretemptedtodoinyourlast；

andnottoomanyDearests——atleastasyet。Thisisnotatimeforeffusion。Youhavemyverywarmaffection，andthat"senoughforthepresent。"

Asalove-letterthismissivewastantalizingenough，butsinceitsformwassimplyacontinuationofwhatshehadpractisedbeforesheleft，itproducednounduemisgivinginhim。Farmorewasheimpressedbyheromittingtoanswerthetwoimportantquestionshehadputtoher。First，concerningheruncle"sattitudetowardsthem，andhisconductingivingsuchstrangeinformationtothereporter。Second，onhis，Somerset"s，payingheraflyingvisitsometimeduringthespring。Sinceshehadrequestedit，hemadenohasteinhisreply。Whenpenned，itraninthewordssubjoined，which，incommonwitheverylineoftheircorrespondence，acquiredfromthestrangenessofsubsequentcircumstancesaninterestandaforcethatperhapstheydidnotintrinsicallypossess。

"Peoplecannot"(hewrote)"beforeveringoodspiritsonthisgloomysideoftheChannel，eventhoughyouseemtobesoonyours。However，thatIcanabstainfromlettingyouknowwhethermyspiritsaregoodorotherwise，Iwillproveinourfuturecorrespondence。Iadmireyoumoreandmore，bothforthewarmfeelingtowardsmewhichIfirmlybelieveyouhave，andforyourabilitytomaintainsidebysidewithitsomuchdignityandresolutionwithregardtofoolishsentiment。

SometimesIthinkIcouldhaveputupwithalittlemoreweaknessifithadbroughtwithitalittlemoretenderness，butIdismissallthatwhenImentallysurveyyourotherqualities。IhavethoughtoffiftythingstosaytoyouoftheTOOFARsort，notoneofanyother；sothatyourprohibitionisveryunfortunate，forbyitIamdoomedtosaythingsthatdonotrisespontaneouslytomylips。Yousaythatourshut-upfeelingsarenottobementionedyet。Howlongistheyettolast?

"But，tospeakmoresolemnly，mattersgrowveryseriouswithus，Paula——atleastwithme:andtherearetimeswhenthisrestraintisreallyunbearable。Itispossibletoputupwithreservewhenthereservedbeingisbyone"sside，fortheeyesmayrevealwhatthelipsdonot。Butwhensheisabsent，whatwaspiquancybecomesharshness，tenderrailleriesbecomecruelsarcasm，andtacitunderstandingsmisunderstandings。Howeverthatmaybe，youshallneverbeabletoreproachmefortouchiness。Istillesteemyouasafriend；Iadmireyouandloveyouasawoman。ThisIshallalwaysdo，howeverunconfidingyouprove。"

II。

Withoutknowingit，Somersetwasdrawingneartoacrisisinthissoftcorrespondencewhichwouldspeedilyputhisassertionstothetest；buttheknowledgecameuponhimsoonenoughforhispeace。

Hernextletter，datedMarch9th，wastheshortestofallhehadreceived，andbeyondtheportiondevotedtothebuilding-

worksitcontainedonlythefollowingsentences:——

"Iamalmostangrywithyou，George，forbeingvexedbecauseI

amnotmoreeffusive。WhyshouldtheverbalILOVEYOUbeeverutteredbetweentwobeingsofoppositesexwhohaveeyestoseesigns?Duringthesevenoreightmonthsthatwehaveknowneachother，youhavediscoveredmyregardforyou，andwhatmorecanyoudesire?Wouldareiteratedassertionofpassionreallydoanygood?Rememberitisanaturalinstinctwithuswomentoretainthepowerofobligingamantohope，fear，pray，andbeseechaslongaswethinkfit，beforeweconfesstoareciprocalaffection。

"IamnowgoingtoowntoaweaknessaboutwhichIhadintendedtokeepsilent。Itwillnotperhapsaddtoyourrespectforme。Myuncle，whominmanywaysIlike，isdispleasedwithmeforkeepingupthiscorrespondencesoregularly。Iamquiteperverseenoughtoventuretodisregardhisfeelings；butconsideringtherelationship，andhiskindnessinotherrespects，Ishouldprefernottodosoatpresent。Honestlyspeaking，Iwantthecouragetoresisthiminsomethings。HesaidtometheotherdaythathewasverymuchsurprisedthatIdidnotdependuponhisjudgmentformyfuturehappiness。Whetherthatmeantmuchorlittle，Ihaveresolvedtocommunicatewithyouonlybytelegramsfortheremainderofthetimewearehere。Pleasereplybythesamemeansonly。There，now，don"tflushandcallmenames!Itisforthebest，andwewantnononsense，youandI。DearGeorge，IfeelmorethanIsay，andifIdonotspeakmoreplainly，youwillunderstandwhatisbehindafterallIhavehinted。Icanpromiseyouthatyouwillnotlikemelessuponknowingmebetter。Hopeever。Iwouldgiveupagooddealforyou。Good-bye!"

ThisbroughtSomersetsomecheerfulnessandagooddealofgloom。Hesilentlyreproachedher，whowasapparentlysoindependent，forlackingindependenceinsuchavitalmatter。

Perhapsitwasmeresex，perhapsitwaspeculiartoafew，thatherindependenceandcourage，likeCleopatra"s，failedheroccasionallyatthelastmoment。

Onecuriousimpressionwhichhadoftenhauntedhimnowreturnedwithredoubledforce。HecouldnotseehimselfasthehusbandofPaulaPowerinanylikelyfuture。Hecouldnotimagineherhiswife。Peoplewereapttorunintomistakesintheirpresentiments；butthoughhecouldpictureherasqueeningitoverhim，asavowingherloveforhimunreservedly，evenascompromisingherselfforhim，hecouldnotseeherinastateofdomesticitywithhim。

Telegramsbeingcommanded，tothetelegraphherepaired，when，aftertwodays，animmediatewishtocommunicatewithherledhimtodismissvagueconjectureonthefuturesituation。Hisfirsttelegramtookthefollowingform:——

"Igiveuptheletterwriting。Iwillpartwithanythingtopleaseyoubutyourself。Yourcomfortwithyourrelativeisthefirstthingtobeconsidered:notfortheworlddoIwishyoutomakedivisionswithindoors。Yours。"

Tuesday，Wednesday，Thursdaypassed，andonSaturdayatelegramcameinreply:——

"Icanfear，grieveat，andcomplainofnothing，havingyournicepromisetoconsidermycomfortalways。"

Thiswasverypretty；butitadmittedlittle。Suchshortmessageswereinthemselvespoorsubstitutesforletters，buttheirspeedandeasyfrequencyweregoodqualitieswhichthelettersdidnotpossess。Threedayslaterhereplied:——

"Youdonotoncesaytome"Come。"Wouldsuchastrangeaccidentasmyarrivaldisturbyoumuch?"

Sherepliedratherquickly:——

"Iamindisposedtoansweryoutooclearly。Keepyourheartstrong:"tisacensoriousworld。"

ThevaguenessthereshownmadeSomersetperemptory，andhecouldnothelpreplyingsomewhatmoreimpetuouslythanusual:——

"Whydoyougivemesomuchcauseforanxiety!Whytreatmetosomuchmystification!Sayonce，distinctly，thatwhatI

haveaskedisgiven。"

Heawaitedfortheanswer，oneday，twodays，aweek；butnonecame。ItwasnowtheendofMarch，andwhenSomersetwalkedofanafternoonbytheriverandpoolinthelowerpartofthegrounds，hisearnewlygreetedbythesmallvoicesoffrogsandtoadsandothercreatureswhohadbeentorpidthroughthewinter，hebecamedoubtfulanduneasythatshealoneshouldbesilentintheawakeningyear。

Hewaitedthroughasecondweek，andtherewasstillnoreply。

Itwaspossiblethattheurgencyofhisrequesthadtemptedhertopunishhim，andhecontinuedhiswalks，to，fro，andaround，withascloseaneartotheundertonesofnature，andasattentiveaneyetothecharmsofhisownart，asthegrandpassionwouldallow。Nowcamethedaysofbattlebetweenwinterandspring。Ontheseexcursions，thoughspringwastotheforwardduringthedaylight，winterwouldreassertitselfatnight，andnotunfrequentlyatothermoments。Tepidairsandnippingbreezesmetontheconfinesofsunshineandshade；

tremblingraindropsthatwerestillakintofrostcrystalsdashedthemselvesfromthebushesashepursuedhiswayfromtowntocastle；thebirdswerelikeanorchestrawaitingforthesignaltostrikeup，andcolourbegantoenterintothecountryround。

Buthegaveonlyamodicumofthoughttotheseproceedings。

Heratherthoughtsuchthingsas，"Shecanaffordtobesaucy，andtofindasourceofblithenessinmylove，consideringthepowerthatwealthgiveshertopickandchoosealmostwhereshewill。"Hewasboundtoown，however，thatoneofthecharmsofherconversationwasthecompleteabsenceofthenoteoftheheiressfromitsaccents。That，otherthingsequal，herinterestwouldnaturallyinclinetoapersonbearingthenameofDeStancy，wasevidentfromheravowedpredilections。Hisoriginalassumption，thatshewasapersonificationofthemodernspirit，whohadbeendropped，likeaseedfromthebillofabird，intoachinkofmediaevalism，requiredsomequalification。Romanticism，whichwillexistineveryhumanbreastaslongashumannatureitselfexists，hadasserteditselfinher。Venerationforthingsold，notbecauseofanymeritinthem，butbecauseoftheirlongcontinuance，haddevelopedinher；andhermodernspiritwastakingtoitselfwingsandflyingaway。Whetherhisimagewasflyingwiththeotherwasaquestionwhichmovedhimallthemoredeeplynowthathersilencegavehimdreadofanaffirmativeanswer。

Foranothersevendayshestoicallyleftinsuspensionallforecastsofhispossiblygrimfateinbeingtheemployedandnotthebeloved。Theweekpassed:hetelegraphed:therewasnoreply:hehadsuddenfearsforherpersonalsafetyandresolvedtobreakhercommandbywriting。

"STANCYCASTLE，April13。

"DEARPAULA，——Areyouillorintrouble?ItisimpossibleintheveryunquietstateyouhaveputmeintobyyoursilencethatIshouldabstainfromwriting。Withoutaffectation，yousorelydistressme，andIthinkyouwouldhardlyhavedoneitcouldyouknowwhatadegreeofanxietyyoucause。Why，Paula，doyounotwriteorsendtome?WhathaveIdonethatyoushouldtreatmelikethis?Dowrite，ifitisonlytoreproachme。Iamcompelledtopassthegreaterpartofthedayinthiscastle，whichremindsmeconstantlyofyou，andyeteternallylacksyourpresence。Iamunfortunateindeedthatyouhavenotbeenabletofindhalf-an-hourduringthelastmonthtotellmeatleastthatyouarealive。

"Youhavealwaysbeenambiguous，itistrue；butIthoughtI

sawencouragementinyoureyes；encouragementcertainlywasinyoureyes，andwhowouldnothavebeendeludedbythemandhavebelievedthemsincere?Yetwhattendernesscantherebeinaheartthatcancausemepainsowilfully!

"Theremay，ofcourse，besomedeliberateschemingonthepartofyourrelationstointerceptourletters；butIcannotthinkit。Iknowthatthehousekeeperhasreceivedaletterfromyourauntthisveryweek，inwhichsheincidentallymentionsthatallarewell，andinthesameplaceasbefore。HowthencanIexcuseyou?

"Thenwrite，Paula，oratleasttelegraph，asyouproposed。

OtherwiseIamresolvedtotakeyoursilenceasasignaltotreatyourfairwordsaswind，andtowritetoyounomore。"

III。

Hedespatchedtheletter，andhalf-an-hourafterwardsfeltsurethatitwouldmortallyoffendher。Buthehadnowreachedastateoftemporaryindifference，andcouldcontemplatethelossofsuchatantalizingpropertywithreasonablecalm。

IntheinterimofwaitingforareplyhewasonedaywalkingtoMarkton，when，passingMyrtleVilla，hesawSirWilliamDeStancyamblingabouthisgarden-pathandexaminingthecrocusesthatpalisadeditsedge。SirWilliamsawhimandaskedhimtocomein。Somersetwasinthemoodforanydiversionfromhisownaffairs，andtheyseatedthemselvesbythedrawing-roomfire。

"Iammuchalonenow，"saidSirWilliam，"andiftheweatherwerenotverymild，sothatIcangetoutintothegardeneveryday，Ishouldfeelitagreatdeal。"

"Youalludetoyourdaughter"sabsence?"

"Andmyson"s。Strangetosay，IdonotmisshersomuchasI

misshim。Sheofferstoreturnatanymoment；butIdonotwishtodepriveheroftheadvantagesofalittleforeigntravelwithherfriend。Always，Mr。Somerset，giveyoursparetimetoforeigncountries，especiallythosewhichcontrastwithyourownintopography，language，andart。That"smyadvicetoallyoungpeopleofyourage。Don"twasteyourmoneyonexpensiveamusementsathome。Practisethestrictesteconomyathome，tohaveamarginforgoingabroad。"

Economy，whichSirWilliamhadneverpractised，buttowhich，afterexhaustingallotherpractices，henowraisedanaltar，astheAtheniansdidtotheunknownGod，wasatopiclikelytoprolongitselfonthebaronet"slips，andSomersetcontrivedtointerrupthimbyasking——

"CaptainDeStancy，too，hasgone?Hastheartillery，then，leftthebarracks?"

"No，"saidSirWilliam。"ButmysonhasmadeuseofhisleaveinrunningovertoseehissisteratNice。"

ThecurrentofquietmeditationinSomersetchangedtoabusywhirlatthisreply。ThatPaulashouldbecomeindifferenttohisexistencefromasenseofsuperiority，physical，spiritual，orsocial，wasasufficientlyironicalthing；butthatsheshouldhaverelinquishedhimbecauseofthepresenceofarivallentcommonplacedrearinesstohercruelty。

SirWilliam，notingnothing，continuedinthetoneofcleverchildishnesswhichcharacterizedhim:"Itisverysingularhowthepresentsituationhasbeenleduptobyme。Policy，andpolicyalone，hasbeentheruleofmyconductformanyyearspast；andwhenIsaythatIhavesavedmyfamilybyit，IbelievetimewillshowthatIamwithinthetruth。Ihopeyoudon"tletyourpassionsoutrunyourpolicy，assomanyyoungmenareapttodo。Betterbepoorandpolitic，thanrichandheadstrong:that"stheopinionofanoldman。

However，IwasgoingtosaythatitwaspurelyfrompolicythatIallowedafriendshiptodevelopbetweenmydaughterandMissPower，andnoweventsareprovingthewisdomofmycourse。Strawsshowhowthewindblows，andtherearelittlesignsthatmysonCaptainDeStancywillreturntoStancyCastlebythefortunatestepofmarryingitsowner。Isaynothingtoeitherofthem，andtheysaynothingtome；butmywisdomliesindoingnothingtohindersuchaconsummation，despiteinheritedprejudices。"

Somersethadquitetimeenoughtoreinhimselfinduringtheoldgentleman"slocution，andthevoiceinwhichheansweredwassocoldandrecklessthatitdidnotseemhisown:"ButhowwilltheylivehappilytogetherwhensheisaDissenter，andaRadical，andaNew-light，andaNeo-Greek，andapersonofredblood；whileCaptainDeStancyisthereverseofthemall!"

"Ianticipatenodifficultyonthatscore，"saidthebaronet。

"Myson"sstarliesinthatdirection，and，liketheMagi，heisfollowingitwithouttriflingwithhisopportunity。Youhaveskillinarchitecture，thereforeyoufollowit。Mysonhasskillingallantry，andnowheisabouttoexerciseitprofitably。"

"MaynobodywishhimmoreharminthatexercisethanIdo!"

saidSomersetfervently。

AstagnantmoodinessofseveralhourswhichfollowedhisvisittoMyrtleVillaresultedinaresolvetojourneyovertoPaulatheverynextday。HenowfeltperfectlyconvincedthattheinvitingofCaptainDeStancytovisitthematNicewasasecondstageintheschemeofPaula"suncle，theprematureannouncementofhermarriagehavingbeenthefirst。Theroundnessandneatnessofthewholeplancouldnotfailtorecommendittothemindwhichdelightedinputtinginvolvedthingsstraight，andsuchamindAbnerPower"sseemedtobe。

Infact，thefelicity，inapoliticsense，ofpairingthecaptainwiththeheiressfurnishednolittleexcuseformanoeuvringtobringitabout，solongasthatmanoeuvringfellshortofunfairness，whichMr。Power"scouldscarcelybesaidtodo。

Thenextdaywasspentinfurnishingthebuilderswithsuchinstructionsastheymightrequireforacomingweekortendays，andindroppingashortnotetoPaula；endingasfollows:——

"Iamcomingtoseeyou。Possiblyyouwillrefusemeaninterview。Nevermind，Iamcoming——Yours，G。

SOMERSET。"

Themorningafterthathewasupandaway。BetweenhimandPaulastretchedninehundredmilesbythelineofjourneythathefounditnecessarytoadopt，namely，thewayofLondon，inordertoinformhisfatherofhismovementsandtomakeoneortwobusinesscalls。Theafternoonwaspassedinattendingtothesematters，thenightinspeedingonward，andbythetimethatnineo"clocksoundednextmorningthroughthesunlessandleadenairoftheEnglishChannelcoasts，hehadreducedthenumberofmilesonhislistbytwohundred，andcutofftheseafromtheimpedimentsbetweenhimandPaula。

OnawakeningfromafitfulsleepinthegreydawnofthemorningfollowinghelookedoutuponLyons，quietenoughnow，thecitizensunarousedtothedailyroundofbread-winning，andenvelopedinahazeoffog。

Sixhundredandfiftymilesofhisjourneyhadbeengotover；

therestillintervenedtwohundredandfiftybetweenhimandtheendofsuspense。Whenhethoughtofthathewasdisinclinedtopause；andpressedonbythesametrain，whichsethimdownatMarseillesatmid-day。

Hereheconsidered。BygoingontoNicethatafternoonhewouldarriveattoolateanhourtocalluponherthesameevening:itwouldthereforebeadvisabletosleepinMarseillesandproceedthenextmorningtohisjourney"send，soastomeetherinabrighterconditionthanhecouldboastofto-day。Thisheaccordinglydid，andleavingMarseillesthenextmorningabouteight，foundhimselfatNiceearlyintheafternoon。

NowthathewasactuallyatthecentreofhisgravitationheseemedevenfurtherawayfromafeasiblemeetingwithherthaninEngland。Whileafaroff，hispresenceatNicehadappearedtobetheonethingneedfulforthesolutionofhistrouble，buttheveryhousefrontsseemednowtoaskhimwhatrighthehadthere。Unluckily，inwritingfromEngland，hehadnotallowedhertimetoreplybeforehisdeparture，sothathedidnotknowwhatdifficultiesmightlieinthewayofherseeinghimprivately。Beforedecidingwhattodo，hewalkeddowntheAvenuedelaGaretothepromenadebetweentheshoreandtheJardinPublic，andsatdowntothink。

Thehotelwhichshehadgivenhimasheraddresslookedrightoutuponhimandtheseabeyond，andherestedtherewiththepleasinghopethathereyesmightglancefromawindowanddiscoverhisform。Everythinginthescenewassunnyandgay。

Behindhiminthegardensabandwasplaying；beforehimwasthesea，theGreatsea，thehistoricalandoriginalMediterranean；theseaofinnumerablecharactersinhistoryandlegendthatarrangedthemselvesbeforehiminalongfriezeofmemoriessodiverseastoincludebothAEneasandSt。Paul。

Northerneyesarenotpreparedonasuddenfortheimpactofsuchimagesofwarmthandcolourasmeetthemsouthward，orforthevigorouslightthatfallsfromtheskyofthisfavouredshore。Inanyothercircumstancesthetransparencyandserenityoftheair，theperfumeofthesea，theradianthouses，thepalmsandflowers，wouldhaveacteduponSomersetasanenchantment，andwrappedhiminareverie；butatpresentheonlysawandfeltthesethingsasthroughathickglasswhichkeptouthalftheiratmosphere。

Atlasthemadeuphismind。Hewouldtakeuphisquartersatherhotel，andcatchechoesofherandherpeople，tolearnsomehowiftheirattitudetowardshimasaloverwereactuallyhostile，beforeformallyencounteringthem。Underthiscrystallinelight，fullofgaieties，sentiment，languor，seductiveness，andready-maderomance，thememoryofasolitaryunimportantmaninthelugubriousNorthmighthavefadedfromhermind。Hewasonlyherhireddesigner。Hewasanartist；buthehadbeenengagedbyher，andwasnotavolunteer；andshedidnotasyetknowthathemeanttoacceptnoreturnforhislaboursbutthepleasureofpresentingthemtoherasalove-offering。

Sooffhewentatoncetowardstheimposingbuildingwhitherhislettershadprecededhim。Owingtoapressofvisitorstherewasamoment"sdelaybeforehecouldbeattendedtoatthebureau，andheturnedtothelargestaircasethatconfrontedhim，momentarilyhopingthatherfiguremightdescend。Herskirtsmustindeedhavebrushedthecarpetingofthosestepsscoresoftimes。Heengagedhisroom，orderedhisluggagetobesentfor，andfinallyinquiredforthepartyhesought。

"TheyleftNiceyesterday，monsieur，"repliedmadame。

Wasshequitesure，Somersetaskedher?

Yes，shewasquitesure。Twoofthehotelcarriageshaddriventhemtothestation。

Didsheknowwheretheyhadgoneto?

ThisandotherinquiriesresultedintheinformationthattheyhadgonetothehotelatMonteCarlo；thathowlongtheyweregoingtostaythere，andwhethertheywerecomingbackagain，wasnotknown。HisfinalquestionwhetherMissPowerhadreceivedaletterfromEnglandwhichmusthavearrivedthedaypreviouswasansweredintheaffirmative。

Somerset"sfirstandsuddenresolvewastofollowonafterthemtothehotelnamed；buthefinallydecidedtomakehisimmediatevisittoMonteCarloonlyacautiousreconnoitre，returningtoNicetosleep。

Accordingly，afteranearlydinner，heagainsetforththroughthebroadAvenuedelaGare，andanhouronthecoastrailwaybroughthimtothebeautifulandsinisterlittlespottowhichthePowerandDeStancypartyhadstrayedincommonwiththerestofthefrivolousthrong。

Heassumedthattheirvisitthitherwouldbechieflyoneofcuriosity，andthereforenotprolonged。Thisprovedtobethecaseinevengreatermeasurethanhehadanticipated。Oninquiryatthehotelhelearntthattheyhadstayedonlyonenight，leavingashorttimebeforehisarrival，thoughitwasbelievedthatsomeofthepartywerestillinthetown。

InastateofindecisionSomersetstrolledintothegardensoftheCasino，andlookedoutuponthesea。Thereitstilllay，calmyetlively；ofanunmixedblue，yetvariegated；hushed，butarticulateeventomelodiousness。Everythingaboutandaroundthiscoastappearedindeedjaunty，tuneful，andatease，reciprocatingwithheartinesstheraysofthesplendidsun；everything，excepthimself。Thepalmsandflowersontheterracesbeforehimwereundisturbedbyasinglecoldbreath。

Themarbleworkofparapetsandstepswasunsplinteredbyfrosts。Thewholewaslikeaconservatorywiththeskyforitsdome。

ForwantofotheroccupationhewentroundtowardsthepublicentrancetotheCasino，andascendedthegreatstaircaseintothepillaredhall。Itwaspossible，afterall，thatuponleavingthehotelandsendingontheirluggagetheyhadtakenanotherturnthroughtherooms，tofollowbyalatertrain。

Withmorethancuriosityhescannedfirstthereading-rooms，onlyhowevertoseenotafacethatheknew。Hethencrossedthevestibuletothegaming-tables。

IV。

Herehewasconfrontedbyaheatedphantasmagoriaofsplendourandahighpressureofsuspensethatseemedtomaketheairquiver。Alowwhisperofconversationprevailed，whichmightprobablyhavebeennotwronglydefinedasthelowestnoteofsocialharmony。

Thepeoplegatheredatthisnegativepoleofindustryhadcomefromallcivilizedcountries；theirtongueswerefamiliarwithmanyformsofutterance，thatofeachracialgrouportypebeingunintelligibleinitssubtlervariations，ifnotentirely，totherest。Butthelanguageofmeumandtuumtheycollectivelycomprehendedwithouttranslation。Inahalf-

charmedspell-boundstatetheyhadcongregatedinknots，standing，orsittinginhollowcirclesroundthenotoriousovaltablesmarkedwithfiguresandlines。TheeyesofallthesesetsofpeoplewerewatchingtheRoulette。Somersetwentfromtabletotable，lookingamongtheloungersratherthanamongtheregularplayers，forfaces，oratleastforoneface，whichdidnotmeethisgaze。

Thesuggestivecharmwhichthecenturies-oldimpersonalityGaming，ratherthangamesandgamesters，hadforSomerset，ledhimtoloiteronevenwhenhishopeofmeetinganyofthePowerandDeStancypartyhadvanished。Asanon-participantinitsprofitsandlosses，feversandfrenzies，ithadthatstageeffectuponhisimaginationwhichisusuallyexercisedoverthosewhobeholdChancepresentedtothemwithspectacularpiquancywithoutadvancingfarenoughinitsacquaintancetosufferfromitsghastlyreprisalsandimpishtricks。Hebeheldahundreddiametricallyopposedwishesissuingfromthemurkyintelligencesaroundatable，andspreadingdownacrosseachotheruponthefigureddiagramintheirmidst，eachtoitsownnumber。Itwasanetworkofhopes；whichattheannouncement，"Sept，Rouge，Impair，etManque，"disappearedlikemagicgossamer，tobereplacedinamomentbynew。Thatallthepeoplethere，includinghimself，couldbeinterestedinwhattotheeyeofperfectreasonwasasomewhatmonotonousthing——thepropertyofnumberstorecuratcertainlongerorshorterintervalsinamachinecontainingthem——inotherwords，theblindgropingafterfractionsofaresultthewholeofwhichwaswellknown——wasonetestimonyamongmanyofthepowerlessnessoflogicwhenconfrontedwithimagination。

Atthisjunctureourloungerdiscernedatoneofthetablesaboutthelastpersonintheworldhecouldhavewishedtoencounterthere。ItwasDare，whomhehadsupposedtobeathousandmilesoff，hangingaboutthepurlieusofMarkton。

Darewasseatedbesideatableinanattitudeofapplicationwhichseemedtoimplythathehadcomeearlyandengagedinthispursuitinasystematicmanner。SomersethadneverwitnessedDareandDeStancytogether，neitherhadheheardofanyengagementofDarebythetravellingpartyasartist，courier，orotherwise；andyetitcrossedhismindthatDaremighthavehadsomethingtodowiththem，oratleasthaveseenthem。ThispossibilitywasenoughtoovermasterSomerset"sreluctancetospeaktotheyoungman，andhedidsoassoonasanopportunityoccurred。

Dare"sfacewasasrigidanddryasifithadbeenencrustedwithplaster，andhewaslikeoneturnedintoacomputingmachinewhichnolongerhadthepoweroffeeling。HerecognizedSomersetasindifferentlyasifhehadmethiminthewardofStancyCastle，andreplyingtohisremarksbyawordortwo，concentratedonthegameanew。

"Areyouherealone?"saidSomersetpresently。

"Quitealone。"Therewasasilence，tillDareadded，"ButI

haveseensomefriendsofyours。"Heagainbecameabsorbedintheeventsofthetable。Somersetretreatedafewsteps，andponderedthequestionwhetherDarecouldknowwheretheyhadgone。HedislikedtobebeholdentoDareforinformation，buthewouldgiveagreatdealtoknow。WhilepausinghewatchedDare"splay。Hestakedonlyfive-francpieces，butitwasdonewithanassiduityworthyoflargercoin。Ateveryhalf-

minuteorsoheplacedhismoneyonacertainspot，andasregularlyhadthemortificationofseeingitsweptawaybythecroupier"srake。Afterawhilehevariedhisprocedure。Heriskedhismoney，whichfromthelookofhisfaceseemedrathertohavedwindledthanincreased，lessrecklesslyagainstlongoddsthanbefore。Leavingoffbackingnumbersenplein，helaidhisventureacheval；thentriedituponthedozens；thenupontwonumbers；thenuponasquare；and，apparentlygettingnearerandnearerdefeat，atlastuponthesimplechancesofevenorodd，overorunder，redorblack。

Yetwithafewfluctuationsinhisfavourfortuneboresteadilyagainsthim，tillhecouldbreastherblowsnolonger。HerosefromthetableandcametowardsSomerset，andtheybothmovedontogetherintotheentrance-hall。

Darewasatthatmomentthevictimofanoverpoweringmaniaformoremoney。HispresenceintheSouthofEuropehaditsorigin，asmaybeguessed，inCaptainDeStancy"sjourneyinthesamedirection，whomhehadfollowed，andtroubledwithpersistentrequestformorefunds，carefullykeepingoutofsightofPaulaandtherest。HisdreamofinvolvingPaulaintheDeStancypedigreeknewnoabatement。ButSomersethadlighteduponhimataninstantwhenthatidea，thoughnotdisplaced，wasoverwhelmedbyarageforplay。InhopeofbeingabletocontinueitbySomerset"saidhewaspreparedtodoalmostanythingtopleasethearchitect。

"Youaskedme，"saidDare，strokinghisimpassivebrow，"ifI

hadseenanythingofthePowers。Ihaveseenthem；andifI

canbeofanyusetoyouingivinginformationaboutthemI

shallonlybetooglad。"

"Whatinformationcanyougive?"

"Icantellyouwheretheyaregoneto。"

"Where?"

"TotheGrandHotel，Genoa。Theywentontherethisafternoon。"

"Whomdoyourefertobythey?"

"Mrs。Goodman，Mr。Power，MissPower，MissDeStancy，andtheworthycaptain。Heleavesthemtomorrow:hecomesbackhereforadayonhiswaytoEngland。"

Somersetwassilent。Darecontinued:"NowIhavedoneyouafavour，willyoudomeoneinreturn?"

Somersetlookedtowardsthegaming-rooms，andsaiddubiously，"Well?"

"Lendmetwohundredfrancs。"

"Yes，"saidSomerset；"butononecondition:thatIdon"tgivethemtoyoutillyouareinsidethehotelyouarestayingat。"

"Thatcan"tbe；it"satNice。"

"WellIamgoingbacktoNice，andI"lllendyouthemoneytheinstantwegetthere。"

"ButIwantithere，now，instantly!"criedDare；andforthefirsttimetherewasawiryunreasonablenessinhisvoicethatfortifiedhiscompanionmorefirmlythaneverinhisdeterminationtolendtheyoungmannomoneywhilstheremainedinsidethatbuilding。