CHAPTERVI
HORTENSIA\'SRETURN
Mr。Caryllneedsexplainingashewalksthereinthemoonlight；thatis，ifweareatalltounderstandhim-amatterbynomeanseasy，consideringthathehasconfessedhedidnotunderstandhimself。Didevermanmakeasinceredeclarationofsuddenpassionasflippantlyashehaddone，orinterms-bettercalculatedtoalienatetheregardhesoughttowin？Didevermanchoosehistimewithlessdiscrimination，orhiswordswithlessdiscretion？Assuredlynot。TosupposethatMr。Caryllwasunawareofthis，wouldbetosupposehimafool，andthathemostcertainlywasnot。
Hismoodwasextremelycomplex；itsanalysis，Ifear，maybaffleus。Itmusthaveseemedtoyou-asitcertainlyseemedtoMistressWinthrop-thathemadeamockofher；thatintruthhewastheimpudent，fleeringcoxcombshepronouncedhim，andnothingmore。Notso。Mockhemostcertainlydid；
buthismockerywasallaimedtostrikehimselfontherecoil-himselfandthesentimentswhichhadsprungtobeinginhissoul，andtowhich-namelessashewas，pledgedashewastoataskthatwouldmostlikelyinvolvehisruin-heconceivedthathehadnoright。Hegaveexpressiontohisfeelings，yetchoseforthemtheexpressionbestcalculatedtorenderthembarrenofallconsequencewhereMistressWinthropwasconcerned。Whereanotherwouldhavehiddenthoseemotions，Mr。Caryllelectedtoflauntthemhalf-derisively，thatHortensiamighttramplethemunderfootinsheerdisgust。