seriously thought of a
profession for which you are so evidently cut out.'

Godwin kept silence; his face had darkened, and he seated himself with
sullen weariness.

'Tell me what you've been doing,' resumed Moxey. 'Why haven't I heard
from you?'

'I should have come in a day or two. I thought you were probably out of
town.'

'Her husband is ill,' said the other, by way of reply. He leaned
forward with his arms upon the table, and gazed at Godwin with eyes of
peculiar brightness.

'Ill, is he?' returned Godwin, with slow interest. 'In the same way as
before?'

'Yes, but much worse.'

Christian paused; and when he again spoke it was hurriedly, confusedly.

'How can I help getting excited about it? How can I behave decently?
You're the only man I ever speak to on the subject, and no doubt I both
weary and disgust you; but I _must_ speak to some one. My nerves are
strung beyond endurance; it's only by speaking that I can ease myself
from the intolerable strain.'

'Have you seen her lately?'

'Yesterday, for a moment, in the street. It's ten months since the last
meeting.'

'Well,' remarked Godwin, abruptly, 'it's probable the man will die one
of these days, then your trials will have a happy end. I see no harm in
hoping that his life may be short--that's a conventional feeling. If
two people can be benefited by the death of a single person, why
shouldn't we be glad in the prospect of his dying? Not of his
suffering--that's quite another thing. But die he must; and to curtail
the life of a being who at length wholly ceases to exist is no injury.
You can't injure a nonentity. Do you think I should take it ill if I
knew that some persons were wishing my death? Why, look, if ever I
crush a little green fly that crawls upon me in the fields, at once I
am filled with envy of its fate--sincerest envy. To have passed so
suddenly from being into nothingness--how blessed an extinction! To
feel in that way, instinctively, in the very depths of your soul, is to
be a true pessimist. If I had ever doubted my sincerity in pessimism,
this experience, several times repeated, would have reassured me.'

Christian covered his face, and brooded for a long time, whilst Godwin
sat with his eyes on vacancy.

'Come and see us to-morrow,' said the former, at length.

'Perhaps.';

'Why do you keep away?'

'I'm in no mood for society.'

'We'll have no one. Only Marcella and I.'

Again a long silence.

'Marcella is going i