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perceptible。 Though indoors with Edward or Adelaide nearly the
whole of the afternoon； nothing more than monosyllabic replies could
be drawn from him。 Edward continually discovered him looking
fixedly at the wall or floor； quite unconscious of another's
presence。 At supper he ate just as usual； but quite mechanically；
and with the same abstraction。
4。 DECEMBER THE THIRD
The next morning he was in no better spirits。 Afternoon came： his
son was alarmed； and managed to draw from him an account of the
conversation with the steward。
'Nonsense； he knows nothing about it；' said Edward vehemently。
'I'll see Miss Aldclyffe myself。 Now promise me； father； that
you'll not believe till I come back； and tell you to believe it；
that Miss Aldclyffe will do any such unjust thing。'
Edward started at once for Knapwater House。 He strode rapidly along
the high…road； till he reached a wicket where a footpath allowed of
a short cut to the mansion。 Here he leant down upon the bars for a
few minutes； meditating as to the best manner of opening his speech；
and surveying the scene before him in that absent mood which takes
cognizance of little things without being conscious of them at the
time； though they appear in the eye afterwards as vivid impressions。
It was a yellow； lustrous； late autumn day； one of those days of the
quarter when morning and evening seem to meet together without the
intervention of a noon。 The clear yellow sunlight had tempted forth
Miss Aldclyffe herself； who was at this same time taking a walk in
the direction of the village。 As Springrove lingered he heard
behind the plantation a woman's dress brushing along amid the
prickly husks and leaves which had fallen into the path from the
boughs of the chestnut trees。 In another minute she stood in front
of him。
He answered her casual greeting respectfully； and was about to
request a few minutes' conversation with her； when she directly
addressed him on the subject of the fire。 'It is a sad misfortune
for your father' she said； 'and I hear that he has lately let his
insurances expire？'
'He has； madam； and you are probably aware that either by the
general terms of his holding； or the same coupled with the origin of
the fire； the disaster may involve the necessity of his rebuilding
the whole row of houses； or else of becoming a debtor to the estate；
to the extent of some hundreds of pounds？'
She assented。 'I have been thinking of it；' she went on； and then
repeated in substance the words put into her mouth by the steward。
Some disturbance of thought might have been fancied as taking place
in Springrove's mind during her statement； but before she had
reached the end； his eyes were clear； and directed upon her。
'I don't accept your conditions of release；' he said。
'They are not conditions exactly。'
'Well； whatever they are not； they are very uncalled…for remarks。'
'Not at allthe houses have been burnt by your family's
negligence。'
'I don't refer to the housesyou have of course the best of all
rights to speak of that matter； but you； a stranger to me
comparatively； have no right at all to volunteer opinions and wishes
upon a very delicate subject； which concerns no living beings but
Miss Graye； Miss Hinton； and myself。'
Miss Aldclyffe； like a good many others in her position； had plainly
not realized that a son of her tenant and inferior could have become
an educated man； who had learnt to feel his individuality； to view
society from a Bohemian standpoint； far outside the farming grade in
Carriford parish； and that hence he had all a developed man's
unorthodox opinion about the subordination of classes。 And fully
conscious of the labyrinth into which he had wandered between his
wish to behave honourably in the dilemma of his engagement to his
cousin Adelaide and the intensity of his love for Cytherea；
Springrove was additionally sensitive to any allusion to the case。
He had spoken to Miss Aldclyffe with considerable warmth。
And Miss Aldclyffe was not a woman likely to be far behind any
second person in warming to a mood of defiance。 It seemed as if she
were prepared to put up with a cold refusal； but that her
haughtiness resented a criticism of her conduct ending in a rebuke。
By this； Manston's discreditable object； which had been made hers by
compulsion only； was now adopted by choice。 She flung herself into
the work。
A fiery man in such a case would have relinquished persuasion and
tried palpable force。 A fiery woman added unscrupulousness and
evolved daring strategy； and in her obstinacy； and to sustain
herself as mistress； she descended to an action the meanness of
which haunted her conscience to her dying hour。
'I don't quite see； Mr。 Springrove；' she said； 'that I am altogether
what you are pleased to call a stranger。 I have known your family；
at any rate； for a good many years； and I know Miss Graye
particularly well； and her state of mind with regard to this
matter。'
Perplexed love makes us credulous and curious as old women。 Edward
was willing； he owned it to himself； to get at Cytherea's state of
mind； even through so dangerous a medium。
'A letter I received from her' he said； with assumed coldness；
'tells me clearly enough what Miss Graye's mind is。'
'You think she still loves you？ O yes； of course you doall men
are like that。'
'I have reason to。' He could feign no further than the first
speech。
'I should be interested in knowing what reason？' she said； with
sarcastic archness。
Edward felt he was allowing her to do； in fractional parts； what he
rebelled against when regarding it as a whole； but the fact that his
antagonist had the presence of a queen； and features only in the
early evening of their beauty； was not without its influence upon a
keenly conscious man。 Her bearing had charmed him into toleration；
as Mary Stuart's charmed the indignant Puritan visitors。 He again
answered her honestly。
'The best of reasonsthe tone of her letter。'
'Pooh； Mr。 Springrove！'
'Not at all； Miss Aldclyffe！ Miss Graye desired that we should be
strangers to each other for the simple practical reason that
intimacy could only make wretched complications worse； not from lack
of lovelove is only suppressed。'
'Don't you know yet； that in thus putting aside a man； a woman's
pity for the pain she inflicts gives her a kindness of tone which is
often mistaken for suppressed love？' said Miss Aldclyffe； with soft
insidiousness。
This was a translation of the ambiguity of Cytherea's tone which he
had certainly never thought of； and he was too ingenuous not to own
it。
'I had never thought of it；' he said。
'And don't believe it？'
'Not unless there was some other evidence to support the view。'
She paused a minute and then began hesitatingly
'My intention waswhat I did not dream of owning to youmy
intention was to try to induce you to fulfil your promise to Miss
Hinton not solely on her account and yours （though partly）。 I love
Cytherea Graye with all my soul； and I want to see her happy even
more than I do you。 I did not mean to drag her name into the affair
at all； but I am driven to say that she wrote