stinguished myself, I should have been humbled to the dust. But
I cannot be humbled by any success which may result from your
success. I did not know my wonderful Margaret then." Wilbur kissed
his wife's hands. He was almost ridiculous, but it was horribly
tragic for Margaret.

She longed as she had never longed for anything in her life, for the
power to scream, to shout in his ears the truth, but she could not.
She was bound hard and fast in the bands of her own falsehood. She
could not so disgrace her husband, her children. Why had she not
thought of them before? She had thought only of herself and her own
glory, and that glory had turned to stinging bitterness upon her
soul. She was tasting the bitterest medicine which life and the whole
world contains. And at the same time, it was not remorse that she
felt. That would have been easier. What she endured was
self-knowledge. The reflection of one's own character under unbiased
cross-lights is a hideous thing for a self-lover. She was thinking,
while she listened to Wilbur's rhapsodies. Finally she scarcely heard
him. Then her attention was suddenly keenly fixed. There were
horrible complications about this which she had not considered.
Margaret's mind had no business turn. She had not for a moment
thought of the financial aspect of the whole. Wilbur was different.
What he was now saying was very noble, but very disconcerting. "Of
course, I know, darling, that all this means a pile of money, but one
thing you must remember: it is for yourself alone. Not one penny of
it will I ever touch and more than that it is not to interfere in the
least with my expenditures for you, my wife, and the children.
Everything of that sort goes on as before. You have the same
allowance for yourself and the children as before. Whatever comes
from your book is your own to do with as you choose. I do not even
wish you to ask my advice about the disposal of it."

Margaret was quite pale as she looked at him. She remembered now the
sum which Annie had told her she was to receive. She made no
disclaimer. Her lips felt stiff. While Wilbur wished for no
disclaimer, she could yet see that he was a little surprised at
receiving none, but she could not speak. She merely gazed at him in a
helpless sort of fashion. The grapes which hung over her friend's
garden wall were not very simple. They were much beside grapes.
Wilbur returned her look pityingly.

"Poor girl," he said, kissing her hands agai