CHAPTERXXVIII
Likeastrainofmusic，theeffectofKatharine\'spresenceslowlydiedfromtheroominwhichRalphsatalone。Themusichadceasedintheraptureofitsmelody。Hestrainedtocatchthefaintestlingeringechoes；foramomentthememorylulledhimintopeace；butsoonitfailed，andhepacedtheroomsohungryforthesoundtocomeagainthathewasconsciousofnootherdesireleftinlife。Shehadgonewithoutspeaking；abruptlyachasmhadbeencutinhiscourse，downwhichthetideofhisbeingplungedindisorder；felluponrocks；
flungitselftodestruction。Thedistresshadaneffectofphysicalruinanddisaster。Hetrembled；hewaswhite；hefeltexhausted，asifbyagreatphysicaleffort。Hesankatlastintoachairstandingoppositeheremptyone，andmarked，mechanically，withhiseyeupontheclock，howshewentfartherandfartherfromhim，washomenow，andnow，doubtless，againwithRodney。Butitwaslongbeforehecouldrealizethesefacts；theimmensedesireforherpresencechurnedhissensesintofoam，intofroth，intoahazeofemotionthatremovedallfactsfromhisgrasp，andgavehimastrangesenseofdistance，evenfromthematerialshapesofwallandwindowbywhichhewassurrounded。Theprospectofthefuture，nowthatthestrengthofhispassionwasrevealedtohim，appalledhim。
ThemarriagewouldtakeplaceinSeptember，shehadsaid；thatallowedhim，then，sixfullmonthsinwhichtoundergotheseterribleextremesofemotion。Sixmonthsoftorture，andafterthatthesilenceofthegrave，theisolationoftheinsane，theexileofthedamned；atbest，alifefromwhichthechiefgoodwasknowinglyandforeverexcluded。
Animpartialjudgemighthaveassuredhimthathischiefhopeofrecoverylayinthismystictemper，whichidentifiedalivingwomanwithmuchthatnohumanbeingslongpossessintheeyesofeachother；