. The very dust that blow in his face
was cold. Now cold is a powerful ally of the commonplace, and
imagination therefore was not very busy in the bosom of Godfrey Wardour
as he went to find Letty Helmer, which was just as well, in the
circumstances. He was cool to the very heart when he walked up to the
door indicated by Mary, and rung the bell: Mrs. Helmer was at home:
would he walk up stairs?

It was not a house of ceremonies; he was shown up and up and into the
room where she sat, without a word carried before to prepare her for
his visit. It was so dark that he could see nothing but the figure of
one at work by a table, on which stood a single candle. There was but a
spark of fire in the dreary grate, and Letty was colder than any one
could know, for she was at the moment making down the last woolly
garment she had, in the vain hope of warming her baby.

She looked up. She had thought it was the landlady, and had waited for
her to speak. She gazed for a moment in bewilderment, saw who it was,
and jumped up half frightened, half ready to go wild with joy. All the
memories of Godfrey rushed in a confused heap upon her, and overwhelmed
her. She ran to him, and the same moment was in his arms, with her head
on his shoulder, weeping tears of such gladness as she had not known
since the first week of her marriage.

Neither spoke for some time; Letty could not because she was crying,
and Godfrey would not because he did not want to cry. Those few moments
were pure, simple happiness to both of them; to Letty, because she had
loved him from childhood, and hoped that all was to be as of old
between them; to Godfrey, because, for the moment, he had forgotten
himself, and had neither thought of injury nor hope of love,
remembering only the old days and the Letty that used to be. It may
seem strange that, having never once embraced her all the time they
lived together, he should do so now; but Letty's love would any time
have responded to the least show of affection, and when, at the sight
of his face, into which memory had called up all his tenderness, she
rushed into his arms, how could he help kissing her? The pity was that
he had not kissed her long before. Or was it a pity? I think not.

But the embrace could not be a long one. Godfrey was the first to relax
its strain, and Letty responded with an instant collapse; for instantly
she feared she had done it all, and disgusted Godfrey. But he led her
gently to the sofa, a