ss her eyes would regard him!
How kindly would she lay her soft hand in his, and entreat him to be
comforted!

If he asked her, would she not give him that hand, to be his always?
Perhaps, perhaps; in her gentleness she would submit to this change,
and do her best to love him. And in return he would give her gruff
affection, removal from the life to which she was accustomed,
loneliness, his uncertain humours, his dubious reputation. How often
most he picture these results, and convince himself of the
impossibility of anything of the kind?

He knew her better than did Mrs. Lessingham; oh, far better! He had
detected in her deep eyes the sleeping passion, some day to awake with
suddenness and make the whole world new to her. He knew how far from
impossible it was that Reuben Elgar should be the prince to break her
charmed slumber. There was the likeness and the unlikeness; common to
both that temperament of enthusiasm. On the one hand, Cecily with her
unsullied maidenhood; and on the other, Elgar with his reckless
experiences--contrasts which so commonly have a mutual attraction.
There was the singularity of their meeting after years, and seeing each
other in such a new light; the interest, the curiosity inevitably
resulting. What likelihood that any distrust would mingle with Cecily's
warmth of feeling, were that feeling once excited? He knew her too well.

How Mrs. Lessingham regarded Elgar he did not know. He had no
confidence in that lady's discretion; he thought it not improbable that
she would speak of Reuben to Cecily in the very way she should not,
making him an impressive figure. Then again, what part was Mrs. Baske
likely to have in such a situation? Could she be relied upon to rep
resent her brother unfavourably, with the right colour of
unfavourableness? Or was it not rather to be feared that the thought of
Cecily's influence might tempt her to encourage what otherwise she must
have condemned? He retraced in memory that curious dialogue he had held
with Miriam on the drive back from Baiae; could he gather from it any
hints of her probable behaviour?....

By a sudden revulsion of mind, Mallard became aware that in the long
fit of brooding just gone by he had not been occupied with Cecily at
all. Busying his thoughts with Mrs. Baske, he had slipped into a train
of meditation already begun on the evening in question, after the drive
with her. What was Mrs. Baske's true history? How had she come to marry
the