l'on vous a trahi, ce n'est pas la trahison qui importe; c'est
le pardon qu'elle a fait naitre dans votre ame. . . . Mais si la
trahison n'a pas accru la simplicite, la confiance plus haute,
l'etendue de l'amour, on vous aura trahi bien inutilement, et vous
pouvez vous dire qu'il n'est rien arrive.--MAETERLINCK.

Rachel and Hester were sitting in the shadow of the church-yard wall
where Hester had so unfortunately fallen asleep on a previous occasion.
It was the first of many clandestine meetings. Mr. and Mrs. Gresley did
not realize that Hester and Rachel wished to "talk secrets," as they
would have expressed it, and Rachel's arrival was felt by the Gresleys
to be the appropriate moment to momentarily lay aside their daily
avocations, and to join Hester and Rachel in the garden for social
intercourse. The Gresleys liked Rachel. Listeners are generally liked.
Perhaps also her gentle, unassuming manner was not an unpleasant change
after the familiar nonchalance of the Pratts.

The two friends bore their fate for a time in inward impatience, and
then, not without compunction, "practised to deceive." Certain obtuse
persons push others, naturally upright, into eluding and outwitting
them, just as the really wicked people, who give _viva voce_
invitations, goad us into crevasses of lies, for which, if there is any
justice anywhere, they will have to answer at the last day. Mr. Gresley
gave the last shove to Hester and Rachel by an exhaustive harangue on
what he called socialism. Finding they were discussing some phase of it,
he drew up a chair and informed them that he had "threshed out" the
whole subject.

"Socialism," he began, delighted with the polite resignation of his
hearers, which throughout life he mistook for earnest attention.
"Community of goods. People don't see that if everything were divided up
to-day, and everybody was given a shilling, by next week the thrifty man
would have a sovereign, and the spendthrift would be penniless.
Community of goods is impossible as long as human nature remains what it
is. But I can't knock that into people's heads. I spoke of it once to
Lord Newhaven, after his speech in the House of Lords. I thought he was
more educated and a shade less thoughtless than the idle rich usually
are, and that he would see it if it was put plainly before him. But he
only said my arguments were incontrovertible, and slipped away."

It was after this conversation, or rather