CHAPTER XXIII

ledoubts,unanswerablequestionsaccumulated,whichhemustlaybeforeKatharine,forshealonecouldhelphimnow.Unlesshecouldseeheralone,itwouldbeimpossibleforhimevertosleep,ortoknowwhathehadsaidinamomentofmadness,whichwasnotaltogethermad,orwasitmad?Henoddedhishead,andsaid,nervously,“Yes,yes,”andlookedatKatharine,andthoughthowbeautifulshelookedtherewasnooneintheworldthatheadmiredmore.Therewasanemotioninherfacewhichlentitanexpressionhehadneverseenthere.Then,ashewasturningovermeansbywhichhecouldspeaktoheralone,sherose,andhewastakenbysurprise,forhehadcountedonthefactthatshewouldoutstayDenham.Hisonlychance,then,ofsayingsomethingtoherinprivate,wastotakeherdownstairsandwalkwithhertothestreet.Whilehehesitated,however,overcomewiththedifficultyofputtingonesimplethoughtintowordswhenallhisthoughtswerescatteredabout,andallweretoostrongforutterance,hewasstrucksilentbysomethingthatwasstillmoreunexpected.Denhamgotupfromhischair,lookedatKatharine,andsaid: “I’mgoing,too.Shallwegotogether?” AndbeforeWilliamcouldseeanywayofdetaininghim—orwoulditbebettertodetainKatharine?—hehadtakenhishat,stick,andwasholdingthedooropenforKatharinetopassout.ThemostthatWilliamcoulddowastostandattheheadofthestairsandsaygood-night.Hecouldnotoffertogowiththem.Hecouldnotinsistthatsheshouldstay.Hewatchedherdescend,ratherslowly,owingtotheduskofthestaircase,andhehadalastsightofDenham’sheadandofKatharine’sheadneartogether,againstthepanels,whensuddenlyapangofacutejealousyovercamehim,andhadhenotremainedconsciousoftheslippersuponhisfeet,hewouldhaverunafterthemorcriedout.Asitwashecouldnotmovefromthespot.AttheturnofthestaircaseKatharineturnedtolookback,trustingtothislastglancetosealtheircompactofgoodfriendship.Insteadofreturninghersilentgreeting,Williamgrinnedbackatheracoldstareofsarcasmorofrage. Shestoppeddeadforamoment,andthendescendedslowlyintothecourt.Shelookedtotherightandtotheleft,andonceupintothesky.ShewasonlyconsciousofDenhamasablockuponherthoughts.Shemeasuredthedistancethatmustbetraversedbeforeshewouldbealone.ButwhentheycametotheStrandnocabsweretobeseen,andDenhambrokethesilencebysaying: “Thereseemtobenocabs.Shallwewalkonalittle?” “Verywell,”sheagreed,payingnoattentiontohim. Awareofherpreoccupation,orabsorbedinhisownthoughts,RalphsaidnothingfurtherandinsilencetheywalkedsomedistancealongtheStrand.Ralphwasdoinghisbesttoputhisthoughtsintosuchorderthatonecamebeforetherest,andthedeterminationthatwhenhespokeheshouldspeakworthily,madehimputoffthemomentofspeakingtillhehadfoundtheexactwordsandeventheplacethatbestsuitedhim.TheStrandwastoobusy.Therewastoomuchrisk,also,offindinganemptycab.Withoutawordofexplanationheturnedtotheleft,downoneofthesidestreetsleadingtotheriver.Onnoaccountmusttheypartuntilsomethingoftheverygreatestimportancehadhappened.Heknewperfectlywellwhathewishedtosay,andhadarrangednotonlythesubstance,buttheorderinwhichhewastosayit.Now,however,thathewasalonewithher,notonlydidhefindthedifficultyofspeakingalmostinsurmountable,buthewasawarethathewasangrywithherforthusdisturbinghim,andcasting,asitwassoeasyforapersonofheradvantagestodo,thesephantomsandpitfallsacrosshispath.Hewasdeterminedthathewouldquestionherasseverelyashewouldquestionhimselfandmakethemboth,onceandforall,eitherjustifyherdominanceorrenounceit.Butthelongertheywalkedthusalone,themorehewasdisturbedbythesenseofheractualpresence.Herskirtblewthefeathersinherhatwavedsometimeshesawherasteportwoaheadofhim,orhadtowaitforhertocatchhimup. Thesilencewasprolonged,andatlengthdrewherattentiontohim.FirstshewasannoyedthattherewasnocabtofreeherfromhiscompanythensherecalledvaguelysomethingthatMaryhadsaidtomakeherthinkillofhimshecouldnotrememberwhat,buttherecollection,combinedwithhismasterfulways—whydidhewalksofastdownthissidestreet?—madehermoreandmoreconsciousofapersonofmarked,thoughdisagreeable,forcebyherside.Shestoppedand,lookingroundherforacab,sightedoneinth