The Rake's Progress

arl, closing the door; then he saw his wife as she s

as complete silence;

the withdrawing-room, mad

wered q

select a book to distract me, not kn

y, and the readiness o

to his wife, and then down at the blank sheet of paper

Marius?" he asked,

ter,

in her own defence, b

st sternly; then he t

will remember, my lord-she hath come down here to ask me to leave her hou

eavily into the cha

cried stormily, twisting

eautiful mouth. He was silent, gazing wit

forced himself i

ntess. She could have understood anything but that. Her husband had never been re

ed the room," said my lord. "Tragedy on the heels of

ons on to a level that she could understand, but for the second

between us was some folly that might have been everything and was nothing-too small a

oo. He leant rather heavily against the mantelshe

t understand," he said, and

d her, that they spoke a language she could not

ctly addressed her husband. "

ir from her face, and her l

ave her o

are my wif

ful colour beat in her che

make a scene, to have a chance of expressing her own inarticulate passion; so had she wished to bring Marius t

e?" she cr

wered my lord. "What of yo

ature of another world, and the q

if she denounced him. "What do you care where my affecti

m that I go to London on the instant because once my lady thought too highly of me." He held his head proudly, though his lips t

cate gallantry of the speech had for her no meaning. S

I had not forgotten,"

t get within the

swear that you remember very well. It makes no difference to what

s came roun

ek to put me o

ghtened himself aga

is matter? You speak too late. This should have come some mont

r hands together and pr

thing-of her youth, her freedom, her lover,

you say, too late." She loosened her hands and grasped the edge of th

ment, and the candle-light

a tone of rage and

, to preach at me, for you have the

t he would never forgive, and through her wrath she fel

reath, and turned his back on

dangerous eyes, "bought what your father most desired, and what I thoug

e answered fiercely. "Bought!

he passion she had longed to evoke

y name as a gift," he said. "What should

in his gaze

te with them. But it is not a degradation you can estimate, nor, by God, is there an

r lips were dry, and her limbs trembled as

me forward, domi

is or any other subject. I do not love dissension in

He could turn on his brother now. Surely he would dignify

is back to her, lookin

d!" she said

My lord crossed to th

hamber, madam? I desire

that she hated him also-ah, bitterly!-and that

red. She dared no

stay," she said,

om the door, and she p

ft the room. As he closed the heavy door he gave a

d his voice had chang

man turned s

ord," he said wil

sadly. "I am sorry for it, Marius. God kno

en," continued my lord. "Sh

d seated himself before the blank

it," whisp

e desk further away from him, a

me, Marius; I think in no case

nd the window; they had never been intimate, nor had either often been in the other's thoughts, but now the

id my lord. "There is nothing for you to do here,

me up to

l go, sir-o

l pushed back his c

strained to a frown; he appeared piteously young to

say?" asked hi

t-Mr. Hilton's money-her money;" he seemed to choke over

er man's troubled countenance, "and she shamed herself, not us-what is she but a boarding-

"I do not love to know things are like this-'tis as if I sa

icked up the quill in his fine

breathing heavily, "it was no

om the idle pen and gave on

nd Aspasia y

ur deepened in h

ght, might think, but she was never more than gracious-we onl

tly, and the Earl sa

ut honoured by homage

uffed candles cast a strong fluttering light over the two quiet f

containing himself by an extreme

do?" he said gallantly. "

in his charming low voice,

rius. "I would not have it so," his eyes were p

droop, but under them his glance was keenly on his broth

ket on a blue ribbon, "her picture"-he unfastened the ribbon and lai

" said my lord, never lowering

ous attempt to speak quietly; "will you tell them that I have gone to Lo

Earl

y good-bye to my lady or

r with which he ever approached things, and which showed

to you or to any, God knows; but since there are only two of us in the world-we

of vast unhappiness troubled his deep ey

ough I cannot speak," he

nst the back of the chai

ight,"

l not see you in the morning

thi

," this fro

ndon, soon; till then

ell, m

ately silent room with the ticking of the patient clock, the onl

aved as he had expected-it afforded him some bitter amusement to contrast her with Selina Boyle. How would she have acted in th

well have left it altogether and found amid

picked up the miniature Marius had

n window, turned the candles into smoky torches and stirred the pomaded curl

eyond thoughts as thoughts are beyond words; he made a quick moveme

e candles

a sigh escaped him, then he bitterly sm

had said, there was nothing to do but to go o

ht and went in search of Susa