CHAPTER XXV

thone’sfriends.” “Nonsense,”Denhamrepliedabruptly. “Why‘nonsense’?”sheinquired. “Becauseyoudon’tmeanwhatyousay,”heexpostulated. “You’reverypositive,”shesaid,laughingandlookingathim.Howarbitrary,hot-tempered,andimperioushewas!HehadaskedhertocometoKewtoadvisehimhethentoldherthathehadsettledthequestionalreadyhethenproceededtofindfaultwithher.HewastheveryoppositeofWilliamRodney,shethoughthewasshabby,hisclotheswerebadlymade,hewasillversedintheamenitiesoflifehewastongue-tiedandawkwardtothevergeofobliteratinghisrealcharacter.Hewasawkwardlysilenthewasawkwardlyemphatic.Andyetshelikedhim. “Idon’tmeanwhatIsay,”sherepeatedgood-humoredly.“Well—?” “Idoubtwhetheryoumakeabsolutesincerityyourstandardinlife,”heansweredsignificantly. Sheflushed.Hehadpenetratedatoncetotheweakspot—herengagement,andhadreasonforwhathesaid.Hewasnotaltogetherjustifiednow,atanyrate,shewasgladtorememberbutshecouldnotenlightenhimandmustbearhisinsinuations,thoughfromthelipsofamanwhohadbehavedashehadbehavedtheirforceshouldnothavebeensharp.Nevertheless,whathesaidhaditsforce,shemusedpartlybecauseheseemedunconsciousofhisownlapseinthecaseofMaryDatchet,andthusbaffledherinsightpartlybecausehealwaysspokewithforce,forwhatreasonshedidnotyetfeelcertain. “Absolutesincerityisratherdifficult,don’tyouthink?”sheinquired,withatouchofirony. “Therearepeopleonecreditsevenwiththat,”herepliedalittlevaguely.Hewasashamedofhissavagewishtohurther,andyetitwasnotforthesakeofhurtingher,whowasbeyondhisshafts,butinordertomortifyhisownincrediblyrecklessimpulseofabandonmenttothespiritwhichseemed,atmoments,abouttorushhimtotheuttermostendsoftheearth.Sheaffectedhimbeyondthescopeofhiswildestdreams.Heseemedtoseethatbeneaththequietsurfaceofhermanner,whichwasalmostpatheticallyathandandwithinreachforallthetrivialdemandsofdailylife,therewasaspiritwhichshereservedorrepressedforsomereasoneitheroflonelinessor—coulditbepossible—oflove.WasitgiventoRodneytoseeherunmasked,unrestrained,unconsciousofherduties?acreatureofuncalculatingpassionandinstinctivefreedom?Noherefusedtobelieveit.ItwasinherlonelinessthatKatharinewasunreserved.“IwentbacktomyroombymyselfandIdid—whatIliked.”Shehadsaidthattohim,andinsayingithadgivenhimaglimpseofpossibilities,evenofconfidences,asifhemightbetheonetoshareherloneliness,themerehintofwhichmadehisheartbeatfasterandhisbrainspin.Hecheckedhimselfasbrutallyashecould.Hesawherredden,andintheironyofherreplyheheardherresentment. Hebeganslippinghissmooth,silverwatchinhispocket,inthehopethatsomehowhemighthelphimselfbacktothatcalmandfatalisticmoodwhichhadbeenhiswhenhelookedatitsfaceuponthebankofthelake,forthatmoodmust,atwhatevercost,bethemoodofhisintercoursewithKatharine.Hehadspokenofgratitudeandacquiescenceintheletterwhichhehadneversent,andnowalltheforceofhischaractermustmakegoodthosevowsinherpresence. She,thuschallenged,triedmeanwhiletodefineherpoints.ShewishedtomakeDenhamunderstand. “Don’tyouseethatifyouhavenorelationswithpeopleit’seasiertobehonestwiththem?”sheinquired.“ThatiswhatImeant.Oneneedn’tcajolethemone’sundernoobligationtothem.Surelyyoumusthavefoundwithyourownfamilythatit’simpossibletodiscusswhatmatterstoyoumostbecauseyou’reallherdedtogether,becauseyou’reinaconspiracy,becausethepositionisfalse—”Herreasoningsuspendeditselfalittleinconclusively,forthesubjectwascomplex,andshefoundherselfinignorancewhetherDenhamhadafamilyornot.Denhamwasagreedwithherastothedestructivenessofthefamilysystem,buthedidnotwishtodiscusstheproblematthatmoment. Heturnedtoaproblemwhichwasofgreaterinteresttohim. “I’mconvinced,”hesaid,“thattherearecasesinwhichperfectsincerityispossible—caseswherethere’snorelationship,thoughthepeoplelivetogether,ifyoulike,whereeachisfree,wherethere’snoobligationuponeitherside.” “Foratimeperhaps,”sheagreed,alittledespondently.“Butobligationsalwaysgrowup