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He laid the book aside upon the grass； sat up； and mournfully looked about him。 Effort was usually needed to withdraw his mind from those low…down shadowy centuries over into which of late by means of the book； as by means of a bridge spanning a known and an unknown land； he had crossed； and wonder…stricken had wandered； but these words brought him swiftly home to the country of his own sorrow。 Unstable love！ feebleness of nature！ one blast of a cutting winter wind and lo！ green summer defaced： the very phrases seemed shaped by living lips close to the ear of his experience。 It was in this spot a few weeks ago that he had planned his future with Amy： these were the acres he would buy； on this hill…top he would build； here； home…sheltered； wife…anchored； the warfare of his flesh and spirit ended； he could begin to put forth all his strength upon the living of his life。 Had any frost ever killed the bud of nature's hope more unexpectedly than this landscape now lay blackened before him？ And had any summer ever cost so much？ What could strike a man as a more mortal wound than to lose the woman he had loved and in losing her see her lose her loveliness？ As the end of it all； he now found himself sitting on the blasted rock of his dreams in the depths of the greening woods。 He was well again by this time and conscious of that retightened grasp upon health and redder stir of life with which the great Mother…nurse； if she but dearly love a man； will tend him and mend him and set him on his feet again from a bed of wounds or sickness。 It had happened to him also that with this reflushing of his blood there had reached him the voice of Summer advancing northward to all things and making all things common in their awakening and their aim。
He knew of old the pipe of this imperious Shepherd； sounding along the inner vales of his being； herding him toward universal fellowship with seeding grass and breeding herb and every heart…holding creature of the woods。 He perfectly recognized the sway of the thrilling pipe； he perfectly realized the joy of the jubilant fellowship。 And it was with eyes the more mournful therefore that he gazed in purity about him at the universal miracle of old life passing into new life； at the divinely appointed and divinely fulfilled succession of forms； at the unrent mantle of the generations being visibly woven around him under the golden goads of the sun。 〃 。。。for like as herbs bring forth fruit and flourish in May； in likewise； every heart that is in any manner a lover spingeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds。〃 。 。 。 But all this must come； must spend itself； must pass him by； as a flaming pageant dies away from a beholder who is forbidden to kindle his own torch and claim his share of its innocent revels。 He too had laid his plans to celebrate his marriage at the full tide of the Earth's joy； and these plans had failed him。
But while the school…master thus was gloomily contemplating the end of his relationship with Amy and her final removal from the future of his life； in reality another and larger trouble was looming close ahead。 A second landscape had begun to beckon not like his poor little frost…killed field； not of the earth at all； but lifted unattainable into the air； faint； clear； elusivethe marriage of another woman。 And how different she！ He felt sure that no winter's rasure would ever reach that land； no instability； no feebleness of nature awaited him there； the loveliness of its summer； now brooding at flood； would brood unharmed upon it to the natural end。
He buried his face guiltily in his hands as he tried to shut out the remembrance of how persistently of late； whithersoever he had turned； this second image had reappeared before him； growing always clearer； drawing always nearer； summoning him more luringly。 Already he had begun to know the sensations of a traveller who is crossing sands with a parched tongue and a weary foot； crossing toward a country that he will never reach； but that he will stagger toward as long as he has strength to stand。 During the past several daysfollowing his last interview with Amyhe had realized for the first time how long and how plainly the figure of Mrs。 Falconer had been standing before him and upon how much loftier a level。 Many a time of old； while visiting the house； he had grown tired of Amy； but he had never felt wearied by her。 For Amy he was always making apologies to his own conscience； she needed none。 He had secretly hoped that in time Amy would become more what he wished his wife to be； it would have pained him to think of her as altered。 Often he had left Amy's company with a grateful sense of regaining the larger liberty of his own mind； by her he always felt guided to his better self； he carried away her ideas with the hope of making them his ideas； he was set on fire with a spiritual passion to do his utmost in the higher strife of the world。
For this he had long paid her the guiltless tribute of his reverence and affection。 And between his reverence and affection and all the forbidden that lay beyond rose a barrier which not even his imagination had ever consciously overleaped。 Now the forbidding barrier had disappeared； and in its place had appeared the forbidden bondhe knew not how or when。 How could he？ Love； the Scarlet Spider； will in a night hang between two that have been apart a web too fine for either to see； but the strength of both will never avail to break it。
Very curiously it had befallen him furthermore that just at the time when all these changes were taking place around him and within him； she had brought him the book that she had pressed with emphasis upon his attention。 In the backwoods settlements of Pennsylvania where his maternal Scotch…Irish ancestors had settled and his own life been spent； very few volumes had fallen into his hands。 After coming to Kentucky not many more until of late： so that of the world's history he was still a stinted and hungry student。 When；therefore； she had given him Malory's 〃LeMorte D'Arthur；〃 it was the first time that the ideals of chivalry had ever flashed their glorious light upon him； for the first time the models of Christian manhood； on which western Europe nourished itself for centuries； displayed themselves to his imagination with the charm of story； he heard of Camelot； of the king； of that company of men who strove with each other in arms； but strove also with each other in grace of life and for the immortal mysteries of the spirit。 She had said that he should have read this book long before but that henceforth he would always need it even more than in his past： that here were some things he had looked for in the world and had never found； characters such as he had always wished to grapple to himself as his abiding comrades： that if he would love the best that it loved； hate what it hated； scorn what it scorned； it would help him in the pursuit of his own ideals to the end。 Of this and more he felt at once the truth； since of all earthly books known to him this contained the most heavenly revelation of what a man may be in manliness； in gentleness； and in goodness。 And as he read the nobler portions of the book； the nobler parts of his nature gave out their immediate