world;
he felt that he was condemned to a life of unceasing obscurity.

The only thing she could do was look at him; merely look at him.

He became tired of having her look at him; a fresh, vigorous remark
would have served his purpose much better, he thought.

She measured her work and his not in terms of reward; she did not seek
for connection of any kind between privation and hope; nor did she
measure Daniel's love in terms of tender expressions and embraces. She
waited for him with much patience. In time her patience irritated him.
"A little bit more activity and insistence would not hurt you," he said
one day, and thrust her timid, beseeching hands from him.

He saw himself cared for: He had a home, a person who prepared his
meals, washed his clothes, and faithfully attended to his other
household needs. He should have been grateful. He was, too, but he could
not show it. He was grateful when he was alone, but in Gertrude's
presence his gratitude turned to defiance. If he was away from home, he
thought with pleasure of his return; he pictured Gertrude's joy at
seeing him again. But when he was with her, he indulged in silent
criticism, and wanted to have everything about her different.

The judge's wife on the first floor complained that Gertrude did not
speak to her. "Be kind to your neighbours," he remarked with the air of
a professional scold. The next Sunday they took a walk, on which they
met the judge's wife. Gertrude spoke to her: "Well, you don't need to
fall on her neck," he mumbled. She thought for a long while of how she
might speak to people without offending them and without annoying
Daniel. She was embarrassed; she was afraid of Daniel's criticism.

On such days she would put too much salt in the soup, everything went
wrong, and in her diligent attempt to be punctual she lost much time.
She was fearfully worried when he got up from the table and went to his
room without saying a word. She would sit perfectly still and listen;
she was frightened when he went to the piano to try a motif. When he
again entered her room, she looked into his face with the tenseness of a
soul in utter anguish. Then it suddenly came about that he would sit
down by her side and caress her. He told her all about his life, his
home, his father, his mother. If she could only have heard each of his
words twice! If she could only have drunk in the expression in his eyes!
They were filled with peace; his nervous hands lay in