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'I am not married： you are。'
She did not contradict him； as she might have done。 'Christopher；'
she said at last； 'this is how it is： you knew too much of me to
respect me； and too little to pity me。 A half knowledge of
another's life mostly does injustice to the life half known。'
'Then since circumstances forbid my knowing you more； I must do my
best to know you less； and elevate my opinion of your nature by
forgetting what it consists in；' he said in a voice from which all
feeling was polished away。
'If I did not know that bitterness had more to do with those words
than judgment； Ishould bebitter too！ You never knew half about
me； you only knew me as a governess； you little think what my
beginnings were。'
'I have guessed。 I have many times told myself that your early life
was superior to your position when I first met you。 I think I may
say without presumption that I recognize a lady by birth when I see
her； even under reverses of an extreme kind。 And certainly there is
this to be said； that the fact of having been bred in a wealthy home
does slightly redeem an attempt to attain to such a one again。'
Ethelberta smiled a smile of many meanings。
'However； we are wasting words；' he resumed cheerfully。 'It is
better for us to part as we met； and continue to be the strangers
that we have become to each other。 I owe you an apology for having
been betrayed into more feeling than I had a right to show； and let
us part friends。 Good night； Mrs。 Petherwin； and success to you。
We may meet again； some day； I hope。'
'Good night；' she said； extending her hand。 He touched it； turned
about； and in a short time nothing remained of him but quick regular
brushings against the heather in the deep broad shadow of the moor。
Ethelberta slowly moved on in the direction that he had pointed out。
This meeting had surprised her in several ways。 First； there was
the conjuncture itself； but more than that was the fact that he had
not parted from her with any of the tragic resentment that she had
from time to time imagined for that scene if it ever occurred。 Yet
there was really nothing wonderful in this： it is part of the
generous nature of a bachelor to be not indisposed to forgive a
portionless sweetheart who； by marrying elsewhere； has deprived him
of the bliss of being obliged to marry her himself。 Ethelberta
would have been disappointed quite had there not been a comforting
development of exasperation in the middle part of his talk； but
after all it formed a poor substitute for the loving hatred she had
expected。
When she reached the hotel the lamp over the door showed a face a
little flushed； but the agitation which at first had possessed her
was gone to a mere nothing。 In the hall she met a slender woman
wearing a silk dress of that peculiar black which in sunlight
proclaims itself to have once seen better days as a brown； and days
even better than those as a lavender； green； or blue。
'Menlove；' said the lady； 'did you notice if any gentleman observed
and followed me when I left the hotel to go for a walk this
evening？'
The lady's…maid； thus suddenly pulled up in a night forage after
lovers； put a hand to her forehead to show that there was no mistake
about her having begun to meditate on receiving orders to that
effect； and said at last； 'You once told me； ma'am； if you
recollect； that when you were dressed； I was not to go staring out
of the window after you as if you were a doll I had just
manufactured and sent round for sale。'
'Yes； so I did。'
'So I didn't see if anybody followed you this evening。'
'Then did you hear any gentleman arrive here by the late train last
night？'
'O no； ma'amhow could I？' said Mrs。 Menlovean exclamation which
was more apposite than her mistress suspected； considering that the
speaker； after retiring from duty； had slipped down her dark skirt
to reveal a light； puffed； and festooned one； put on a hat and
feather； together with several pennyweights of metal in the form of
rings； brooches； and earringsall in a time whilst one could count
a hundredand enjoyed half…an…hour of prime courtship by an
honourable young waiter of the town； who had proved constant as the
magnet to the pole for the space of the day and a half that she had
known him。
Going at once upstairs； Ethelberta ran down the passage； and after
some hesitation softly opened the door of the sitting…room in the
best suite of apartments that the inn could boast of。
In this room sat an elderly lady writing by the light of two candles
with green shades。 Well knowing； as it seemed； who the intruder
was； she continued her occupation； and her visitor advanced and
stood beside the table。 The old lady wore her spectacles low down
her cheek； her glance being depressed to about the slope of her
straight white nose in order to look through them。 Her mouth was
pursed up to almost a youthful shape as she formed the letters with
her pen； and a slight move of the lip accompanied every downstroke。
There were two large antique rings on her forefinger； against which
the quill rubbed in moving backwards and forwards； thereby causing a
secondary noise rivalling the primary one of the nib upon the paper。
'Mamma；' said the younger lady； 'here I am at last。'
A writer's mind in the midst of a sentence being like a ship at sea；
knowing no rest or comfort till safely piloted into the harbour of a
full stop； Lady Petherwin just replied with 'What；' in an occupied
tone； not rising to interrogation。 After signing her name to the
letter； she raised her eyes。
'Why； how late you are； Ethelberta； and how heated you look！' she
said。 'I have been quite alarmed about you。 What do you say has
happened？'
The great； chief； and altogether eclipsing thing that had happened
was the accidental meeting with an old lover whom she had once
quarrelled with； and Ethelberta's honesty would have delivered the
tidings at once； had not； unfortunately； all the rest of her
attributes been dead against that act； for the old lady's sake even
more than for her own。
'I saw a great cruel bird chasing a harmless duck！' she exclaimed
innocently。 'And I ran after to see what the end of it would be
much further than I had any idea of going。 However； the duck came
to a pond； and in running round it to see the end of the fight； I
could not remember which way I had come。'
'Mercy！' said her mother…in…law； lifting her large eyelids； heavy as
window…shutters； and spreading out her fingers like the horns of a
snail。 'You might have sunk up to your knees and got lost in that
swampy placesuch a time of night； too。 What a tomboy you are！
And how did you find your way home after all！'
'O； some man showed me the way； and then I had no difficulty； and
after that I came along leisurely。'
'I thought you had been running all the way； you look so warm。'
'It is a warm evening。 。 。 。 Yes； and I have been thinking of old
times as I walked along；' she said； 'and how people's positions in
life alter。 Have I not heard you say that while I was at Bonn； at
school； some family that we had known had their household broken up
when the father died； and that