ant to rest somewhere, and be
quiet."

"Then come home with me."

"Dare you take me?"

"There's no question of daring. Come with me, if you wish to."

They walked to the house almost in silence. It was noon; Mallard was
busy in his studio. Having spoken a word with him, Miriam rejoined her
brother in the sitting-room. He had thrown himself on a couch, and
there he lay without speaking until luncheon-time, when Mallard's
entrance aroused him. The artist could not be cordial, but he exercised
a decent hospitality.

In the afternoon, brother and sister again sat for a long time without
conversing. When Reuben began to speak, it was in a voice softened by
the influences of the last few hours.

"Miriam, there's one thing you will tell me; you won't refuse to. Is
she still living alone?"

"Yes."

"Then there is still hope for me. I must go back to her, Miriam.
No--listen to me! That is my one and only hope. If I lose that, I lose
everything. Down and down, lower and lower into bestial life--that's my
fate, unless she saves me from it. Won't you help me? Go and speak to
her for me, dear sister, you can't refuse me that. Tell her how
helpless I am, and implore her to save me, only out of pity. I don't
care how mean it makes me in your eyes or hers; I have no self-respect
left, nor courage--nothing but a desire to go back to her and ask her
to forgive me."

Miriam could scarcely speak for shame and distress.

"It is impossible, Reuben. Be man enough to face what you have brought
on yourself. Have you no understanding left? With her, there is no hope
for you. She and you are no mates; you can only wreck each other's
lives. Surely, surely you know this by now! She could only confirm your
ruin, strive with you as she might; you would fall again into hateful
falsity. Forget her, begin a life without thought of her, and you may
still save yourself--yourself; no one else can save you. Begin the
struggle alone, manlike. You have no choice but to do so."

"I tell you I can't live without her. Where is she? I will go myself--"

"You will never know from me. What right have you to ask her to sink
with you? That's what it means. There are people who think that a
wife's obligation has no bounds, that she _must_ sink, if her husband
choose to demand it. Let those believe it who will. What motive should
render such a sacrifice possible to her? You know she cannot love you.
Pity? How can she pity you in such a sense as to degra