InthisironicalestimateoftheirrelationGlennardfoundhimselfstrangelyrelievedofallconcernastohiswife’sfeelingsforFlamel。FromanOlympianpinnacleofindifferencehecalmlysurveyedtheirinoffensiveantics。Itwassurprisinghowhischeapeningofhiswifeputhimateasewithhimself。Farasheandshewerefromeachothertheyyethad，inasense，thetacitnearnessofcomplicity。Yes，theywereaccomplices；hecouldnomorebejealousofherthanshecoulddespisehim。Thejealousythatwouldoncehaveseemedabluronherwhitenessnowappearedlikeatributetoidealsinwhichhenolongerbelieved……
Glennardwaslittlegiventoexploringtheoutskirtsofliterature。Healwaysskippedthe\"literarynotices\"inthepapersandhehadsmallleisurefortheintermittentpleasuresoftheperiodical。Hehadthereforenonotionoftheprolongedreverberationswhichthe\"AubynLetters\"hadawakenedintheprecinctsofcriticism。Whenthebookceasedtobetalkedabouthesupposedithadceasedtoberead；andthisapparentsubsidenceoftheagitationaboutitbroughtthereassuringsensethathehadexaggerateditsvitality。Theconviction，ifitdidnoteasehisconscience，atleastofferedhimtherelativereliefofobscurity：
hefeltlikeanoffendertakendownfromthepilloryandthrustintothesoothingdarknessofacell。
Butoneevening，whenAlexahadlefthimtogotoadance，hechancedtoturnoverthemagazinesonhertable，andthecopyoftheHoroscope，towhichhesettleddownwithhiscigar，confrontedhim，onitsfirstpage，withaportraitofMargaretAubyn。Itwasareproductionofthephotographthathadstoodsolongonhisdesk。Thedesiccatingairofmemoryhadturnedherintothemereabstractionofawoman，andthisunexpectedevocationseemedtobringhernearerthanshehadeverbeeninlife。Wasitbecauseheunderstoodherbetter？Helookedlongintohereyes；littlepersonaltraitsreachedouttohimlikecaresses——thetireddroopofherlids，herquickwayofleaningforwardasshespoke，themovementsofherlongexpressivehands。Allthatwasfeminineinher，thequalityhehadalwaysmissed，stoletowardhimfromherunreproachfulgaze；andnowthatitwastoolatelifehaddevelopedinhimthesubtlerperceptionswhichcoulddetectitineventhispoorsemblanceofherself。Foramomenthefoundconsolationinthethoughtthat，atanycost，theyhadthusbeenbroughttogether；thenafloodofshamerushedoverhim。Facetofacewithher，hefelthimselflaidbaretotheinmostfoldofconsciousness。Theshamewasdeep，butitwasarenovatinganguish；hewaslikeamanwhomintolerablepainhasrousedfromthecreepinglethargyofdeath……
HerosenextmorningtoasfreshasenseoflifeasthoughhishourofmutecommunionwithMargaretAubynhadbeenamoreexquisiterenewaloftheirearliermeetings。Hiswakingthoughtwasthathemustseeheragain；andasconsciousnessaffirmeditselfhefeltanintensefearoflosingthesenseofhernearness。Butshewasstillclosetohim；herpresenceremainedthesolerealityinaworldofshadows。Allthroughhisworkinghourshewasre—livingwithincredibleminutenesseveryincidentoftheirobliteratedpast；asamanwhohasmasteredthespiritofaforeigntongueturnswithrenewedwondertothepageshisyouthhasploddedover。Inthislucidityofretrospectionthemosttrivialdetailhaditssignificance，andtheraptureofrecoverywasembitteredtoGlennardbytheperceptionofallthathehadmissed。Hehadbeenpitiably，grotesquelystupid；andtherewasironyinthethoughtthat，butforthecrisisthroughwhichhewaspassing，hemighthavelivedonincomplacentignoranceofhisloss。Itwasasthoughshehadboughthimwithherblood……