as, and must
be, irresistible. But as he had thought his fair neighbour somewhat
interested in the subject, he wondered at the apparent impassiveness
with which she replied to his questions.

In the meantime he found, as he had often done before, that the more his
mind was troubled, the more Madeira he could drink without disordering
his head.

CHAPTER XXVII

LOVE IN MEMORY

Il faut avoir aime une fois en sa vie, non pour le moment ou
l'on aime, car on n'eprouve alors que des tourmens, des
regrets, de la jalousie: mais peu a peu ces tourmens-la
deviennent des souvenirs, qui charment notre arriere
saison:... et quand vous verrez la vieillesse douce, facile
et tolerante, vous pourrez dire comme Fontenelle: L'amour a
passe par-la.
--Scribe: La Vieille.

Miss Gryll carefully avoided being alone with Mr. Falconer, in order not
to give him an opportunity of speaking on the forbidden subject. She was
confident that she had taken the only course which promised to relieve
her from a life of intolerable suspense; but she wished to subject her
conduct to dispassionate opinion, and she thought she could not submit
it to a more calmly-judging person than her old spinster friend, Miss
Ilex, who had, moreover, the great advantage of being a woman of the
world. She therefore took an early opportunity of telling her what had
passed between herself and Mr. Falconer, and asking her judgment on the
point.

_Miss Ilex._ Why, my dear, if I thought there had been the slightest
chance of his ever knowing his own mind sufficiently to come to the
desired conclusion himself, I should have advised your giving him a
little longer time; but as it is clear to me that he never would have
done so, and as you are decidedly partial to him, I think you have taken
the best course which was open to you. He had all but declared to you
more than once before; but this 'all but' would have continued, and you
would have sacrificed your life to him for nothing.

_Miss Gryll._ But do you think you would in my case have done as I did?

_Miss Ilex._ No, my dear, I certainly should not; for, in a case
very similar, I did not. It does not follow that I was right. On the
contrary, I think you are right, and I was wrong. You have shown true
moral courage where it was most needed.

_Miss Gryll._ 1 hope I have not revived any displeasing recollections.

_Miss Ilex._ No, my dear, no; the recollections are not disp