could diminish the force of this new impression.
Possibly, she was of the kind that do not easily fall in love, for she
had met during the past two years more than one man whom many a girl of
her age and bringing up might have fancied. Some of them might have
fallen in love with her, if she had allowed them, or if she had felt the
least spark of interest in them and had shown it. But she had not. Her
manner was cold and over-dignified for her years, and she had very
little vanity together with much pride--too much of the latter, perhaps,
to be ever what is called popular. For "popular" persons are generally
those who wish to be such; and pride and the love of popularity are at
opposite poles of the character-world. Proud characters set love high
and their own love higher, while a vain woman will risk her heart for a
compliment, and her reputation for the sake of having a lion in her
leash, if only for a day. Clare Bowring had not yet been near to loving,
and she had nothing of her own to contrast with this experience in which
she had been a mere spectator. It at once took the aspect of a
generality. This man and this woman were probably not unlike most men
and women, if the truth were known, she thought. And she had seen the
real truth, as few people could ever have seen it--the supreme crisis of
a love-affair going on before her very eyes, in her hearing, at her
feet, the actors having no suspicion of her presence. It was, perhaps,
the certainty that she could not misinterpret it all which most
disgusted her, and wounded something in her which she had never defined,
but which was really a sort of belief that love must always carry with
it something beautiful, whether joyous, or tender, or tragic. Of that,
there had been nothing in what she had seen. Only the woman's face came
back to her, and hurt her, and she felt her own heart go out to poor
Lady Fan, while it hardened against Brook with an exaggerated hatred, as
though he had insulted and injured all living women.

It was probable that she was to see this man during several days to
come. The idea struck her when she was almost asleep, and it waked her
again, with a start. It was quite certain that he had stayed behind,
when the others had gone down to the yacht, for she had heard the voices
calling out "Good-bye, Brook!" Besides he had said repeatedly to the
lady in white that he must stay. He was expecting his people. It was
quite certain that Clare must see him dur