That is not true," said William. By his determined rattling he had
now collected the animated attention of some half-dozen apes. Either
to propitiate them, or to show his consideration for their feelings, he
proceeded to offer them the apple which he held.

The sight, unfortunately, was so comically apt in its illustration of
the picture in her mind, the ruse was so transparent, that Katharine was
seized with laughter. She laughed uncontrollably. William flushed red.
No display of anger could have hurt his feelings more profoundly. It was
not only that she was laughing at him; the detachment of the sound was
horrible.

"I don't know what you're laughing at," he muttered, and, turning,
found that the other couple had rejoined them. As if the matter had been
privately agreed upon, the couples separated once more, Katharine and
Denham passing out of the house without more than a perfunctory glance
round them. Denham obeyed what seemed to be Katharine's wish in thus
making haste. Some change had come over her. He connected it with her
laughter, and her few words in private with Rodney; he felt that she had
become unfriendly to him. She talked, but her remarks were indifferent,
and when he spoke her attention seemed to wander. This change of
mood was at first extremely disagreeable to him; but soon he found it
salutary. The pale drizzling atmosphere of the day affected him, also.
The charm, the insidious magic in which he had luxuriated, were suddenly
gone; his feeling had become one of friendly respect, and to his great
pleasure he found himself thinking spontaneously of the relief of
finding himself alone in his room that night. In his surprise at the
suddenness of the change, and at the extent of his freedom, he bethought
him of a daring plan, by which the ghost of Katharine could be more
effectually exorcised than by mere abstinence. He would ask her to come
home with him to tea. He would force her through the mill of family
life; he would place her in a light unsparing and revealing. His family
would find nothing to admire in her, and she, he felt certain, would
despise them all, and this, too, would help him. He felt himself
becoming more and more merciless towards her. By such courageous
measures any one, he thought, could end the absurd passions which were
the cause of so much pain and waste. He could foresee a time when his
experiences, his discovery, and his triumph were made available for
younger brothers who fou