no
longer able to rest upon his face.

There was a pause during which neither of them said a word, or saw
each other. As far as Adela was concerned, immediate speech was
impossible. She neither cried, nor sighed, nor sobbed, nor became
hysterical. She was simply dumb. She could not answer this little
announcement of her neighbour's. Heretofore, when he had come to her
with his sorrows, she had sympathized with him, and poured balm into
his wounds. But she had no balm for him now--and no sympathy. There
they sat, mute; he poking the while at the carpet, while she did not
even move a limb.

And then it gradually came home to both of them that this utter
silence, this prostration of all power of self-management, told
to each the secret of the other. Each felt that every moment of
prolonged silence committed both of them the deeper. Why should not
Adela be able to speak when thus informed of her neighbour's intended
celibacy? Why should he sit like a fool before her merely because he
had told her that on which he had long decided?

But it was clearly Wilkinson's duty to have disembarrassed the lady
as soon as possible. It was almost unmanly in him to be put thus
beyond the power of speech or action. But still he poked the carpet
and said nothing. It was Adela who first broke that tell-tale
silence; and grievous was the effort which it cost her to do so.

"But you will have your mother and sisters with you, Mr. Wilkinson;
and so, perhaps, you won't mind that."

"Yes, I shall have them," said he; and then there was another
silence, which seemed about to be equally dangerous and equally
difficult. But Adela, who was fully aware of the error which she had
already committed, strove hard to save herself from repeating it.

"You will have a family round you; and if, as you say"--but the
ground that she approached was so hot that she could not walk on it.
She could not get further in that direction, and therefore merely
added: "I am sure I hope you will always be happy."

At length Arthur shook himself, positively shook himself, as though
that were the only mode by which he could collect his faculties; and
then getting up from his chair, and standing with his back against
the wall, he spoke out as follows:--

"Perhaps, Adela, there was no necessity for me to have mentioned this
subject. At least, I am sure there was no necessity. But you have
ever been such a friend to me, have so understood my feelings when
no one else