The little irritabilities which degrade humanity only prolong their
mischievous existence, while the surface of life stagnates in calm.
Their annihilation follows when strong emotion stirs in the depths, and
raises the storm. The estrangement of the day before passed as
completely from the minds of the husband and wife--both strongly
agitated--as if it had never existed. All-mastering fear was busy at
their hearts; fear, in the woman, of the unknown temptation which had
tried the man; fear, in the man, of the tell-tale disturbance in him,
which might excite the woman's suspicion. Without venturing to look at
him, Iris said: "I am afraid you have heard bad news?" Without
venturing to look at her, Lord Harry answered: "Yes, at the newspaper
office." She knew that he was deceiving her; and he felt that she knew
it. For awhile, they were both silent.
From time to time, she anxiously stole a look at him.
His mind remained absorbed in thought. There they were, in the same
room--seated near each other; united by the most intimate of human
relationships--and yet how far, how cruelly far, apart! The slowest of
all laggard minutes, the minutes which are reckoned by suspense,
followed each other tardily and more tardily, before there appeared the
first sign of a change.
Pages:
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367