feel that I perfectly understand why you gave the permission at this
particular moment," he continued, anxious to excuse her to herself and
to himself.

"Why?" Hermione said, sharply.

"Wasn't it because of Peppina?"

"Peppina?"

"Yes; didn't you--"

He looked into her face and saw at once that he had made a false step,
that Vere had not told her mother of Peppina's outburst.

"Didn't I--what?"

He still looked at her.

"What?" she repeated. "What has Peppina to do with it?"

"Nothing. Only--don't you remember what you said to me about not keeping
Vere in cotton-wool?"

She knew that he was deceiving her. A hopeless, desperate feeling
of being in the dark rushed over her. What was friendship without
sincerity? Nothing--less than nothing. She felt as if her whole body
stiffened with a proud reserve to meet the reserve with which he treated
her. And she felt as if her friend of years, the friend whose life she
had perhaps saved in Africa, had turned in that moment into a stranger,
or--even into an enemy. For this furtive withdrawal from their beautiful
and open intimacy was like an act of hostility. She was almost dazed for
an instant. Then her brain worked with feverish activity. What had Emile
meant? Her permission to Vere was connected in his mind with Peppina.
He must know something about Vere and Peppina that she did not know.
She looked at him, and her face, usually so sensitive, so receptive, so
warmly benign when it was turned to his, was hard and cold.

"Emile," she said, "what was it you meant about Peppina? I think I have
a right to know. I brought her into the house. Why should Peppina have
anything to do with my giving Vere permission to read your books?"

Artois' instinct was not to tell what Vere had not told, and therefore
had not wished to be known. Yet he hated to shuffle with Hermione. He
chose a middle course.

"My friend," he said quietly, but with determination, "I made a mistake.
I was following foolishly a wrong track. Let us say no more about
it. But do not be angry with me about the books. I think my motive in
speaking as I did to Vere was partly a selfish one. It is not only that
I wish Vere to be as she is for as long a time as possible, but that
I--well, don't think me a great coward if I say that I almost dread
her discovery of all the cruel knowledge that is mine, and that I have,
perhaps wrongly, brought to the attention of the world."

Hermione was amazed.

"You regret