me,
so much as he wanted to convince me. He didn't know it, and I didn't tell
him that I knew it, but I got him to let me drop the subject. He seems to
have been left over from a time when people didn't reason about their
beliefs, but only argued. I didn't think there was a man like that to be
found so late in the century, especially a young man. But that was just
where I was mistaken. If there was to be a man of that kind at all, it
would have to be a young one. He'll be a good deal opener-minded when
he's older. He was conscientious; I could see that; and he did take the
Russian's death to heart as long as he was dead. But I'd like to talk
with him ten years from now; he wouldn't be where he is."

Clementina was still silent, and she walked up the church steps from the
gondola without the power to speak. She made no show of interest in the
pictures and statues; she never had really cared much for such things,
and now his attempts to make her look at them failed miserably. When they
got back again into the boat he began, "Miss Clementina, I'm afraid I
oughtn't to have spoken as I did of that Mr. Gregory. If he is a friend
of yours--"

"He is," she made herself answer.

"I didn't mean anything against him. I hope you don't think I wanted to
be unfair?"

"You were not unfair. But I oughtn't to have let you say it, Mr. Hinkle.
I want to tell you something--I mean, I must"--She found herself panting
and breathless. "You ought to know it--Mr. Gregory is--I mean we are--"

She stopped and she saw that she need not say more.

In the days that followed before the time that Hinkle had fixed to leave
Venice, he tried to come as he had been coming, to see Mrs. Lander, but
he evaded her when she wished to send him out with Clementina. His
quaintness had a heartache in it for her; and he was boyishly simple in
his failure to hide his suffering. He had no explicit right to suffer,
for he had asked nothing and been denied nothing, but perhaps for this
reason she suffered the more keenly for him.

A senseless resentment against Gregory for spoiling their happiness crept
into her heart; and she wished to show Hinkle how much she valued his
friendship at any risk and any cost. When this led her too far she took
herself to task with a severity which hurt him too. In the midst of the
impulses on which she acted, there were times when she had a confused
longing to appeal to him for counsel as to how she ought to behave toward
him.