r trap. "If I were to let her come," he said to
himself, "I should have to let her go again." And that was not to be
imagined.

But he saw the shadow of the lashes on her wet cheek, and wavered.

"After all," he began again, "we have lives of our own.... There's no
use attempting the impossible. You're so unprejudiced about some
things, so used, as you say, to looking at the Gorgon, that I don't
know why you're afraid to face our case, and see it as it really
is--unless you think the sacrifice is not worth making."

She stood up also, her lips tightening under a rapid frown.

"Call it that, then--I must go," she said, drawing her little watch
from her bosom.

She turned away, and he followed and caught her by the wrist. "Well,
then: come to me once," he said, his head turning suddenly at the
thought of losing her; and for a second or two they looked at each
other almost like enemies.

"When?" he insisted. "Tomorrow?"

She hesitated. "The day after."

"Dearest--!" he said again.

She had disengaged her wrist; but for a moment they continued to hold
each other's eyes, and he saw that her face, which had grown very pale,
was flooded with a deep inner radiance. His heart beat with awe: he
felt that he had never before beheld love visible.

"Oh, I shall be late--good-bye. No, don't come any farther than this,"
she cried, walking hurriedly away down the long room, as if the
reflected radiance in his eyes had frightened her. When she reached
the door she turned for a moment to wave a quick farewell.

Archer walked home alone. Darkness was falling when he let himself
into his house, and he looked about at the familiar objects in the hall
as if he viewed them from the other side of the grave.

The parlour-maid, hearing his step, ran up the stairs to light the gas
on the upper landing.

"Is Mrs. Archer in?"

"No, sir; Mrs. Archer went out in the carriage after luncheon, and
hasn't come back."

With a sense of relief he entered the library and flung himself down in
his armchair. The parlour-maid followed, bringing the student lamp and
shaking some coals onto the dying fire. When she left he continued to
sit motionless, his elbows on his knees, his chin on his clasped hands,
his eyes fixed on the red grate.

He sat there without conscious thoughts, without sense of the lapse of
time, in a deep and grave amazement that seemed to suspend life rather
than quicken it. "This was what had to be, then ..