CHAPTER XXVIII

beendonetoher,butitwasdonelongbeforeherday.Shestruggledagainstthefeeling.ShetoldherselfthatMrs.Wilcox’swrongwasherown.Butshewasnotabarrentheorist.Assheundressed,heranger,herregardforthedead,herdesireforascene,allgrewweak.Henrymusthaveitasheliked,forshelovedhim,andsomedayshewoulduseherlovetomakehimabetterman. Pitywasatthebottomofheractionsallthroughthiscrisis.Pity,ifonemaygeneralise,isatthebottomofwoman.Whenmenlikeus,itisforourbetterqualities,andhowevertendertheirliking,wedarenotbeunworthyofit,ortheywillquietlyletusgo.Butunworthinessstimulateswoman.Itbringsoutherdeepernature,forgoodorforevil. Herewasthecoreofthequestion.Henrymustbeforgiven,andmadebetterbylovenothingelsemattered.Mrs.Wilcox,thatunquietyetkindlyghost,mustbelefttoherownwrong.Tohereverythingwasinproportionnow,andshe,too,wouldpitythemanwhowasblunderingupanddowntheirlives.HadMrs.Wilcoxknownofhistrespass?Aninterestingquestion,butMargaretfellasleep,tetheredbyaffection,andlulledbythemurmursoftheriverthatdescendedallthenightfromWales.Shefeltherselfatonewithherfuturehome,colouringitandcolouredbyit,andawoketosee,forthesecondtime,OnitonCastleconqueringthemorningmists.