owerfully attracted her. She
had feared an attraction that appeared unjustified by the man's
character. But now the fascination had begun to take a stronger grip, as
the pre-occupying ideas of her life had been chased from their places.
It had insensibly crept in to fill the empty throne. So long as she had
cherished hope, so long as she was still struggling, this insidious
half-magnetic influence had been easily resisted. Now, she was set
adrift; her anchor was raised; she lay at the wind's mercy,
half-conscious of the peril and not caring.

Professor Theobald had an acute perception of the strange and confused
struggle that was going on in her mind. But he had no notion of the
peculiar reasons, in her case, for an effect that he knew to be far from
rare among women; he did not understand the angry, corroding action of a
strong artistic impulse that was incessantly baulked in full tide. The
sinister, menacing voices of that tide had no meaning for him, except as
expressing a _malaise_ which he had met with a hundred times before. He
put it down to an excess of emotional or nervous energy, in a nature
whose opportunities did not offer full scope to its powers. He had
grasped the general conditions, but he had not perceived the particular
fact that added tenfold to the evil which exists in the more usual, and
less complicated case.

He thought but little of a musical gift, having no sympathy with music;
and since he had never known what it was to receive anything but help
and encouragement in the exercise of his own talents, the effect upon
the mind and character of such an experience as Hadria's, was beyond the
range of his conceptions. He understood subtly, and misunderstood
completely, at one and the same time. But to Hadria, every syllable
which revealed how much he did understand, seemed to prove, by
implication, that he understood the whole. It never occurred to her that
he was blinder than Henriette herself, to the real centre and heart of
the difficulty.

It has been said that what the human being longs for above all things,
is to be understood: that he prefers it infinitely to being over-rated.
Professor Theobald gave Hadria this desired sensation. His attraction
for her was composed of many elements, and it was enhanced by the fact
that she had now grown so used to his presence, as to cease to notice
many little traits that had repelled her, at the beginning. Her critical
instincts were lulled. Thus had come