mes became almost invisible with the flood of
late autumn sunlight that poured in. "Shall I come round to you?" he
asked, her back being towards him.

"No," she replied.

"Why not?"

"Because I am crying, and I don't want to see you."

He stood a moment irresolute, and regretted that he had killed the
rosy, passionate lamplight by opening the curtains and letting in
garish day.

"Then I am going," he said.

"Very well," she answered, stretching one hand round to him, and
patting her eyes with a handkerchief held in the other.

"Shall I write a line to you at--"

"No, no." A gentle reasonableness came into her tone as she added, "It
must not be, you know. It won't do."

"Very well. Good-by." The next moment he was gone.

In the evening, with listless adroitness, she encouraged the maid who
dressed her for dinner to speak of Dr. Fitzpiers's marriage.

"Mrs. Fitzpiers was once supposed to favor Mr. Winterborne," said the
young woman.

"And why didn't she marry him?" said Mrs. Charmond.

"Because, you see, ma'am, he lost his houses."

"Lost his houses? How came he to do that?"

"The houses were held on lives, and the lives dropped, and your agent
wouldn't renew them, though it is said that Mr. Winterborne had a very
good claim. That's as I've heard it, ma'am, and it was through it that
the match was broke off."

Being just then distracted by a dozen emotions, Mrs. Charmond sunk into
a mood of dismal self-reproach. "In refusing that poor man his
reasonable request," she said to herself, "I foredoomed my rejuvenated
girlhood's romance. Who would have thought such a business matter
could have nettled my own heart like this? Now for a winter of regrets
and agonies and useless wishes, till I forget him in the spring. Oh! I
am glad I am going away."

She left her chamber and went down to dine with a sigh. On the stairs
she stood opposite the large window for a moment, and looked out upon
the lawn. It was not yet quite dark. Half-way up the steep green
slope confronting her stood old Timothy Tangs, who was shortening his
way homeward by clambering here where there was no road, and in
opposition to express orders that no path was to be made there. Tangs
had momentarily stopped to take a pinch of snuff; but observing Mrs.
Charmond gazing at him, he hastened to get over the top out of hail.
His precipitancy made him miss his footing, and he rolled like a barrel
to the bottom, his snuffbox rolling in