hat he
wanted to do and find out what she could do.
CHAPTER XI
This night passed without additional scenes, though as it stood it was
the most astonishing and tremendous in all Eugene's experience. He had,
not up to the time Angela walked into the room, really expected anything
so dramatic and climacteric to happen, though what he did expect was
never really very clear to him. At times as he lay and thought now he
fancied that he might eventually have to give Suzanne up, though how, or
when, or why, he could not say. He was literally crazed by her, and
could not think that such a thing could really be. At other moments he
fancied that powers outside of this visible life, the life attested by
the five senses, had arranged this beautiful finish to his career for
him so that he might be perfectly happy. All his life he had fancied
that he was leading a more or less fated life, principally more. He
thought that his art was a gift, that he had in a way been sent to
revolutionize art in America, or carry it one step farther forward and
that nature was thus constantly sending its apostles or special
representatives over whom it kept watch and in whom it was well pleased.
At other times he fancied he might be the sport or toy of untoward and
malicious powers, such as those which surrounded and accomplished
Macbeth's tragic end, and which might be intending to make an
illustration of him. As he looked at life at times, it seemed to do this
with certain people. The fates lied. Lovely, blandishing lures were held
out only to lead men to destruction. He had seen other men who seemed to
have been undone in this way. Was he to be so treated?
Angela's unexpected and peculiar announcement made it look that way.
Still he did not believe it. Life had sent Suzanne across his path for a
purpose. The fates or powers had seen he was miserable and unhappy.
Being a favorite child of Heaven, he was to be rewarded for his
sufferings by having her. She was here now--quickly, forcefully thrust
into his arms, so to speak, so that perhaps he might have her all the
more quickly. How silly it seemed to him now to have brought her into
his own apartment to make love to her and get caught, and yet how
fortunate, too, the hand of fate! No doubt it was intended. Anyhow, the
shame to him, the shame to Angela and Suzanne, the terrific moments and
hours that each was enduring now--these were things which were
unfortunately involved in any neces
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