only too common in our time, women who cultivate
the intellect at the expense of the moral nature, who abandon religion
and think they have found a substitute for it in the so-called
humanitarianism of the day. Strong-minded women, you will hear them
called; in truth, they are the weakest of their sex. Let their energies
be submitted to any unusual strain, let their nerves (they are always
morbid) be overwrought, and they snap!" He illustrated the catastrophe
with his hands. "Unaided by religion, the female nature is
irresponsible, unaccountable." Mr. Vialls had been severe of late in
his judgment of women. "Mrs. Quarrier, poor creature, was the victim of
immoderate zeal for worldly ends. She was abetted by her husband and by
Mrs. Wade; they excited her to the point of frenzy, and in the last
moment she--snapped! Mrs. Wade's hysterical display is but another
illustration of the same thing. These women have no support outside
themselves--they have deliberately cast away everything of the kind."

"Let me exhibit my meaning from another point of view. Consider, Mr.
Blenkinsop"----

Quarrier, in the meantime, was very far from suspecting the accusation
which hostile ingenuity had brought against him. Decency would in any
case have necessitated his withdrawal for the present from public
affairs, and, in truth, he was stricken down by his calamity. The
Liversedges had brought him to their house; he transacted no business,
and saw no one beyond the family circle. At the funeral people had
thought him strangely unmoved; pride forbade him to make an exhibition
of grief, but in secret he suffered as only a strong man can. His love
for Lilian was the deepest his life would know. Till now, he had not
understood how unspeakably precious she was to him; for the most part
he had treated her with playful good-humour, seldom, if ever, striking
the note of passion in his speech. With this defect he reproached
himself. Lilian had not learnt to trust him sufficiently; she feared
the result upon him of such a blow as Northway had it in his power to
inflict. It was thus he interpreted her suicide, for Mrs. Wade had told
him that Lilian believed disaster to be imminent. Surely he was to
blame for it that, at such a pass, she had fled _away_ from him instead
of hastening to his side. How perfectly had their characters
harmonized! He could recall no moment of mutual dissatisfaction, and
that in spite of conditions which, with most women, woul