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Icometothemostevasiveanddifficultpartofmystory，whichistotellhowIsabelandIhavemadeacommonwreckofourjointlives。
Itisnotthetellingofonesimpledisastrousaccident。Therewasaveininournaturesthatledtothiscollapse，graduallyandatthispointandthatitcrepttothesurface。Onemayindeedseeourdestruction——forindeedpoliticallywecouldnotbemoreextinctifwehadbeenshotdead——intheformofacatastropheasdisconnectedandconclusiveasameteoricstonefallingoutofheavenupontwofriendsandcrushingthemboth。ButIdonotthinkthatistruetooursituationorourselves。Wewerenottakenbysurprise。Thethingwasinusandnotfromwithout，itwasakintoourwayofthinkingandourhabitualattitudes；ithad，forallitsimpulsiveeffect，acertainnecessity。Wemighthaveescapednodoubt，astwomenatahundredyardsmayshootateachotherwithpistolsforaconsiderabletimeandescape。Butitisn\'tparticularlyreasonabletotalkofthecontrarietyoffateiftheybothgethit。
IsabelandIweredangeroustoeachotherforseveralyearsoffriendship，andnotquiteunwittinglyso。
Inwritingthis，moreover，thereisaverygreatdifficultyinsteeringmywaybetweentwoequallyundesirabletonesinthetelling。InthefirstplaceIdonotwanttoseemtoconfessmysinswithapenitenceIamverydoubtfulifIfeel。NowthatIhavegotIsabelwecannodoubtcountthecostofitandfeelunquenchableregrets，butIamnotsurewhether，ifwecouldbeputbacknowintosuchcircumstancesaswewereinayearago，ortwoyearsago，whetherwithmyeyesfullyopenIshouldnotdooveragainverymuchasIdid。AndontheotherhandIdonotwanttojustifythethingswehavedone。Wearetwobadpeople——ifthereistobeanyclassificationofgoodandbadatall，wehaveactedbadly，andquiteapartfromanyotherconsiderationswe\'velargelywastedourownverygreatpossibilities。Butitispartofaqueerhumourthatunderliesallthis，thatIfindmyselfslippingagainandagainintoasentimentaltreatmentofourcasethatisasunpremeditatedasitisinsincere。WhenIamalittletiredafteramorning\'swritingIfindthefaintsuggestiongettingintoeveryothersentencethatourblundersandmisdeedsembodied，afterthefashionoftheprophetHosea，profoundmoraltruths。Indeed，IfeelsolittleconfidenceinmyabilitytokeepthisaltogetheroutofmybookthatIwarnthereaderherethatinspiteofanythinghemayreadelsewhereinthestory，intimatinghowevershylyanesotericandexaltedvirtueinourproceedings，theplaintruthofthisbusinessisthatIsabelandIwantedeachotherwithawantentirelyformless，inconsiderate，andoverwhelming。AndthoughIcouldtellyoucountlessdelightfulandbeautifulthingsaboutIsabel，werethisabookinherpraise，Icannoteitheranalysethatwantoraccountforitsextremeintensity。