window by the autumn wind, seemed filling the whole world. Then her
lips moved in one of those little, soft hurrying whispers that unhappy
dreamers utter, the words all blurred with their wistful rushing.

And he thought: I, who believe in bravery and kindness; I, who hate
cruelty--if I do this cruel thing, what shall I have to live for; how
shall I work; how bear myself? If I do it, I am lost--an outcast from my
own faith--a renegade from all that I believe in.

And, kneeling there close to that face so sad and lonely, that heart so
beaten even in its sleep, he knew that he could not do it--knew it
with sudden certainty, and a curious sense of peace. Over!--the long
struggle--over at last! Youth with youth, summer to summer, falling leaf
with falling leaf! And behind him the fire flickered, and the plane-tree
leaves tap-tapped.

He rose, and crept away stealthily downstairs into the drawing-room, and
through the window at the far end out into the courtyard, where he had
sat that day by the hydrangea, listening to the piano-organ. Very dark
and cold and eerie it was there, and he hurried across to his studio.
There, too, it was cold, and dark, and eerie, with its ghostly plaster
presences, stale scent of cigarettes, and just one glowing ember of the
fire he had left when he rushed out after Nell--those seven hours ago.

He went first to the bureau, turned up its lamp, and taking out some
sheets of paper, marked on them directions for his various works;
for the statuette of Nell, he noted that it should be taken with his
compliments to Mr. Dromore. He wrote a letter to his banker directing
money to be sent to Rome, and to his solicitor telling him to let the
house. He wrote quickly. If Sylvia woke, and found him still away, what
might she not think? He took a last sheet. Did it matter what he wrote,
what deliberate lie, if it helped Nell over the first shock?

"DEAR NELL,

"I write this hastily in the early hours, to say that we are called
out to Italy to my only sister, who is very ill. We leave by the first
morning boat, and may be away some time. I will write again. Don't fret,
and God bless you.

"M. L."

He could not see very well as he wrote. Poor, loving, desperate child!
Well, she had youth and strength, and would soon have--Oliver! And he
took yet another sheet.

"DEAR OLIVER,

"My wife and I are obliged to go post-haste to Italy. I watched you both
at the dance the other night. Be very gentle