h, and descried the lone house
of the Deanes in the light of the Red Cow furnaces and of the moon, the
worship of May Deane seemed suddenly very precious to him, and he could
not bear to think that any stupidity of his should have impaired it.
Then he saw May Deane walking slowly across the field, close to an
abandoned pit-shaft, whose low protecting circular wall of brick was
crumbling to ruin on the side nearest to him.
She stopped, appeared to gaze at him intently, turned, and began to
approach him. And he too, moved by a mysterious impulse which he did not
pause to examine, swerved, and quickened his step in order to lessen the
distance between them. He did not at first even feel surprise that she
should be wandering solitary on the hill at that hour. Presently she
stood still, while he continued to move forward. It was as if she drew
him; and soon, in the pale moonlight and the wavering light of the
furnaces, he could decipher all the details of her face, and he saw that
she was smiling fondly, invitingly, admiringly, lustrously, with the old
undiminished worship and affection. And he perceived a dark
discoloration on her right cheek, as though she had suffered a blow,
but this mark did not long occupy his mind. He thought suddenly of the
strong probability that her father would leave a nice little bit of
money to each of his three children; and he thought of her beauty, and
of her timid fragility in the tight black dress, and of her immense and
unquestioning love for him, which would survive all accidents and
mishaps. He seemed to sink luxuriously into this grand passion of hers
(which he deemed quite natural and proper) as into a soft feather-bed.
To live secure in an atmosphere of exhaustless worship; to keep a fount
of balm and admiration for ever in the house, a bubbling spring of
passionate appreciation which would be continually available for the
refreshment of his self-esteem! To be always sure of an obedience blind
and willing, a subservience which no tyranny and no harshness and no
whim would rouse into revolt; to sit on a throne with so much beauty
kneeling at his feet!
And the possession of her beauty would be a source of legitimate pride
to him. People would often refer to the beautiful Mrs. Woolley.
He felt that in sending May Deane to interrupt his highly emotional
conversation with May Lawton Providence had watched over him and done
him a good turn. May Lawton had advantages, and striking adv
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