es,thesoundofhervoice,senthalfhisfineintentionsflyingbeforethewind.Helostcommandoverhimself—butonlyforamomenttheoldhabitswerestrong.
"Ibegyourpardon!Ioughtn'ttohavespoken.Don'tbeangrywithmeforwhatI'vesaid.Icouldn'thelpit.YouthoughtmeafoolbecauseIranawayfromyou.ItwasallIcoulddo.Icouldn'thelplovingyou.Youunderstandnow,don'tyou?Iknowthatyouwillneverwishtoseemeagain,andit'sbetterforbothofus.Good-bye."
Hestretchedouthishand.
"Ididn'tknowitwassobadasthat,"shesaid,lookingathimwithkindlyeyes.
"Didn'tyouseemetremblewhenthehemofyourdresstouchedmebyaccident?Didn'tyouhearthatIcouldn'tspeakthewordsweredriedupinmythroat?"Hesankintoachairweaklybutthenimmediatelygatheringhimselftogether,sprangup."Good-bye,"hesaid."Letmegoquickly."
Shegavehimherhand,andthen,partlyinkindness,partlyinmalice,bentforwardandkissedhislips.Jamesgaveacry,asobnowhelostcommandoverhimselfentirely.Hetookherinhisarmsroughly,andkissedhermouth,hereyes,herhair—sopassionatelythatMrs.Wallacewasfrightened.Shetriedtofreeherselfbutheonlyheldhercloser,madlykissingherlips.
"Takecare,"shesaid."Whatareyoudoing?Letmego!"Andshepushedhimaway.
Shewasacautiouswoman,whoneverallowedflirtationtogobeyondcertaindecorouslengths,andshewasusedtoamilderformofphilandering.
"You'vedisarrangedmyhair,yousillyboy!"Shewenttotheglasstoputitinorder,andwhensheturnedbackfoundthatJameshadgone."Whatanoddcreature!"shemuttered.
ToMrs.Pritchard-Wallacetheaffairwasbutanincident,suchasmighthavebeentheloveofPh?drahadsheflourishedinanagewhentheartoflivingconsistsinnottakingthingstooseriouslybutforHippolitusatragedyofonesortoranotherisinevitable.Jameswasnotamanofeasyaffectionshemadetheacquaintanceofpeoplewithafeelingofhostilityratherthanwiththemoreusualsensationoffriendlycuriosity.Hewasshy,andevenwithhisbestfriendscouldnotlessenhisreserve.Somepersonsareabletoformcloseintimacieswithadmirablefacility,butJamesfeltalwaysbetweenhimselfandhisfellowsasortofba