Headvancedafewsteps，andstopped。Absorbedinherself，Annefailedtohearhim。Shenevermoved。
“Ihavecome，asyoumadeapointofit，“hesaid，sullenly。
“But，mindyou，itisn’tsafe。“
Atthesoundofhisvoice，Anneturnedtowardhim。Achangeofexpressionappearedinherface，assheslowlyadvancedfromthebackofthesummer-house，whichrevealedalikenesstohermother，notperceivableatothertimes。Asthemotherhadlooked，inby-gonedays，atthemanwhohaddisownedher，sothedaughterlookedatGeoffreyDelamayn——withthesameterriblecomposure，andthesameterriblecontempt。
“Well？“heasked。“Whathaveyougottosaytome？“
“Mr。Delamayn，“sheanswered，“youareoneofthefortunatepeopleofthisworld。Youareanobleman’sson。Youareahandsomeman。Youarepopularatyourcollege。YouarefreeofthebesthousesinEngland。Areyousomethingbesidesallthis？
Areyouacowardandascoundrelaswell？“
Hestarted——openedhislipstospeak——checkedhimself——andmadeanuneasyattempttolaughitoff。“Come!“hesaid，“keepyourtemper。“
Thesuppressedpassioninherbegantoforceitswaytothesurface。
“Keepmytemper？“sherepeated。“Do_you_ofallmenexpectmetocontrolmyself？Whatamemoryyoursmustbe!HaveyouforgottenthetimewhenIwasfoolenoughtothinkyouwerefondofme？andmadenoughtobelieveyoucouldkeepapromise？“
Hepersistedintryingtolaughitoff。“Madisastrongishwordtouse，MissSilvester!“
“Madistherightword!Ilookbackatmyowninfatuation——andI
can’taccountforit；Ican’tunderstandmyself。Whatwastherein_you_，“sheasked，withanoutbreakofcontemptuoussurprise，“toattractsuchawomanasIam？“
Hisinexhaustiblegood-naturewasproofevenagainstthis。Heputhishandsinhispockets，andsaid，“I’msureIdon’tknow。“
Sheturnedawayfromhim。Thefrankbrutalityoftheanswerhadnotoffendedher。Itforcedher，cruellyforcedher，torememberthatshehadnobodybutherselftoblameforthepositioninwhichshestoodatthatmoment。Shewasunwillingtolethimseehowtheremembrancehurther——thatwasall。Asad，sadstory；butitmustbetold。Inhermother’stimeshehadbeenthesweetest，themostlovableofchildren。Inlaterdays，underthecareofhermother’sfriend，hergirlhoodhadpassedsoharmlesslyandsohappily——itseemedasifthesleepingpassionsmightsleepforever!Shehadlivedontotheprimeofherwomanhood——andthen，whenthetreasureofherlifewasatitsrichest，inonefatalmomentshehadflungitawayonthemaninwhosepresenceshenowstood。
Wasshewithoutexcuse？No：notutterlywithoutexcuse。
Shehadseenhimunderotheraspectsthantheaspectwhichhepresentednow。Shehadseenhim，theherooftheriver-race，thefirstandforemostmaninatrialofstrengthandskillwhichhadrousedtheenthusiasmofallEngland。Shehadseenhim，thecentralobjectoftheinterestofanation；theidolofthepopularworshipandthepopularapplause。_His_werethearmswhosemusclewascelebratedinthenewspapers。_He_wasfirstamongtheheroeshailedbytenthousandroaringthroatsastheprideandflowerofEngland。Awoman，inanatmosphereofred-hotenthusiasm，witnessestheapotheosisofPhysicalStrength。Isitreasonable——isitjust——toexpecthertoaskherself，incoldblood，Whatmorallyandintellectuallyisallthisworth？——andthat，whenthemanwhoistheobjectoftheapotheosis，noticesher，ispresentedtoher，findshertohistaste，andsinglesheroutfromtherest？No。Whilehumanityishumanity，thewomanisnotutterlywithoutexcuse。
Hassheescaped，withoutsufferingforit？
Lookatherasshestandsthere，torturedbytheknowledgeofherownsecret——thehideoussecretwhichsheishidingfromtheinnocentgirl，whomsheloveswithasister’slove。Lookather，boweddownunderahumiliationwhichisunutterableinwords。Shehasseenhimbelowthesurface——now，whenitistoolate。Sherateshimathistruevalue——now，whenherreputationisathismercy。Askherthequestion：Whatwastheretoloveinamanwhocanspeaktoyouasthatmanhasspoken，whocantreatyouasthatmanistreatingyounow？yousoclever，socultivated，sorefined——what，inHeaven’sname，could_you_seeinhim？Askherthat，andshewillhavenoanswertogive。Shewillnotevenremindyouthathewasonceyourmodelofmanlybeauty，too——thatyouwavedyourhandkerchieftillyoucouldwaveitnolonger，whenhetookhisseat，withtheothers，intheboat——thatyourheartwasliketojumpoutofyourbosom，onthatlateroccasionwhenheleapedthelasthurdleatthefoot-race，andwonitbyahead。Inthebitternessofherremorse，shewillnotevenseekfor_that_excuseforherself。Istherenoatoningsufferingtobeseenhere？Doyoursympathiesshrinkfromsuchacharacterasthis？Followher，goodfriendsofvirtue，onthepilgrimagethatleads，bysteepandthornyways，tothepureratmosphereandthenoblerlife。Yourfellow-creature，whohassinnedandhasrepented——youhavetheauthorityoftheDivineTeacherforit——isyourfellow-creature，purifiedandennobled。Ajoyamongtheangelsofheaven——oh，mybrothersandsistersoftheearth，haveInotlaidmyhandonafitcompanionforYou？
Therewasamomentofsilenceinthesummer-house。Thecheerfultumultofthelawn-partywaspleasantlyaudiblefromthedistance。Outside，thehumofvoices，thelaughterofgirls，thethumpofthecroquet-malletagainsttheball。Inside，nothingbutawomanforcingbackthebittertearsofsorrowandshame——andamanwhowastiredofher。
Sherousedherself。Shewashermother’sdaughter；andshehadasparkofhermother’sspirit。Herlifedependedontheissueofthatinterview。Itwasuseless——withoutfatherorbrothertotakeherpart——tolosethelastchanceofappealingtohim。Shedashedawaythetears——timeenoughtocry，istimeeasilyfoundinawoman’sexistence——shedashedawaythetears，andspoketohimagain，moregentlythanshehadspokenyet。
“Youhavebeenthreeweeks，Geoffrey，atyourbrotherJulius’splace，nottenmilesfromhere；andyouhaveneveronceriddenovertoseeme。Youwouldnothavecometo-day，ifIhadnotwrittentoyoutoinsistonit。IsthatthetreatmentIhavedeserved？“
Shepaused。Therewasnoanswer。
“Doyouhearme？“sheasked，advancingandspeakinginloudertones。
Hewasstillsilent。Itwasnotinhumanendurancetobearhiscontempt。Thewarningofacomingoutbreakbegantoshowitselfinherface。Hemetit，beforehand，withanimpenetrablefront。
Feelingnervousabouttheinterview，whilehewaswaitingintherose-garden——nowthathestoodcommittedtoit，hewasinfullpossessionofhimself。Hewascomposedenoughtorememberthathehadnotputhispipeinitscase——composedenoughtosetthatlittlematterrightbeforeothermatterswentanyfarther。Hetookthecaseoutofonepocket，andthepipeoutofanother。
“Goon，“hesaid，quietly。“Ihearyou。“
Shestruckthepipeoutofhishandatablow。Ifshehadhadthestrengthshewouldhavestruckhimdownwithitonthefloorofthesummer-house。
“Howdareyouusemeinthisway？“sheburstout，vehemently。
“Yourconductisinfamous。Defenditifyoucan!“
Hemadenoattempttodefendit。Helooked，withanexpressionofgenuineanxiety，atthefallenpipe。Itwasbeautifullycolored——ithadcosthimtenshillings。“I’llpickupmypipefirst，“hesaid。Hisfacebrightenedpleasantly——helookedhandsomerthanever——asheexaminedthepreciousobject，andputitbackinthecase。“Allright，“hesaidtohimself。“Shehasn’tbrokenit。“Hisattitudeashelookedatheragain，wastheperfectionofeasygrace——thegracethatattendsoncultivatedstrengthinastateofrepose。“Iputittoyourowncommon-sense，“hesaid，inthemostreasonablemanner，“what’sthegoodofbullyingme？Youdon’twantthemtohearyou，outonthelawnthere——doyou？Youwomenareallalike。There’snobeatingalittleprudenceintoyourheads，tryhowonemay。“
Therehewaited，expectinghertospeak。Shewaited，onherside，andforcedhimtogoon。
“Lookhere，“hesaid，“there’snoneedtoquarrel，youknow。I
don’twanttobreakmypromise；butwhatcanIdo？I’mnottheeldestson。I’mdependentonmyfatherforeveryfarthingIhave；
andI’monbadtermswithhimalready。Can’tyouseeityourself？
You’realady，andallthat，Iknow。Butyou’reonlyagoverness。
It’syourinterestaswellasminetowaittillmyfatherhasprovidedforme。Hereitisinanut-shell：ifImarryyounow，I’maruinedman。“
Theanswercame，thistime。
“Youvillainifyou_don’t_marryme，Iamaruinedwoman!“
“Whatdoyoumean？“
“YouknowwhatImean。Don’tlookatmeinthatway。“
“Howdoyouexpectmetolookatawomanwhocallsmeavillaintomyface？“
Shesuddenlychangedhertone。Thesavageelementinhumanity——letthemodernoptimistswhodoubtitsexistencelookatanyuncultivatedmannomatterhowmuscular，womannomatterhowbeautiful，orchildnomatterhowyoung——begantoshowitselffurtivelyinhiseyes，toutteritselffurtivelyinhisvoice。Washetoblameforthemannerinwhichhelookedatherandspoketoher？Nothe!Whathadtherebeeninthetrainingof_his_lifeatschooloratcollegetosoftenandsubduethesavageelementinhim？Aboutasmuchastherehadbeeninthetrainingofhisancestorswithouttheschoolorthecollege
fivehundredyearssince。
Itwasplainthatoneofthemmustgiveway。Thewomanhadthemostatstake——andthewomansettheexampleofsubmission。
“Don’tbehardonme，“shepleaded。“Idon’tmeantobehardon_you。_Mytempergetsthebetterofme。Youknowmytemper。IamsorryIforgotmyself。Geoffrey，mywholefutureisinyourhands。Willyoudomejustice？“