thought i have seemed to myself lately he said to belong to that vast band of men by the virtuous � the men called it me when i think of it i have not been conscious of it or of any wrong doing towards you whom i love more than myself yet i am one of those men i wonder if any other of them are the same sim pie creatures as i yes that s what i am i you you were a distinct type � a refined creature intended by nature to be left but i couldn t leave you alone no no she said quickly don t reproach yourself with you are not if anybody is to blame it is i i supported you in your resolve to leave and without me perhaps you wouldn t have urged him to let you go i should have just the same as to ourselves the fact of our not having entered into a legal contract is the saving feature in our union we have thereby avoid at again ed insulting as it were the solemnity of our first marriages solemnity looked at her with some surprise and grew conscious that she was not the sue of their earlier time yes she said with a little quiver in her words i have had dreadful fears a dreadful sense of my own insolence of action i have thought � that i am still his wife whose richard s good god dearest � why oh i can t explain only the thought comes to me it is your a sick fancy without reason or meaning don t let it trouble you sue sighed uneasily as a set off against such as these there had come an improvement in their pecuniary position which earlier in their experience would have made them cheerful had quite unexpectedly found good employment at his old trade almost directly he arrived the summer weather his fragile constitution and outwardly his days went on with that monotonous which is in itself so grateful after people seemed to have forgotten that he had ever shown any awkward and he daily mounted to the and of he could never enter and renewed the crumbling of windows he would never look from as if he had known no wish to do otherwise a there was this change in him � that he did not often go to any service at the churches now one thing troubled him more than any other that sue and himself had mentally travelled in opposite directions since the tragedy events which had enlarged his own views of life laws customs and had not in the same manner on sue s she was no longer the same as io the obscure in the independent days when her intellect played like lightning over and which he had at that time respected though he did not now on a particular sunday evening he came in rather late she was not at home but she soon returned when he found her silent and meditative what are you thinking of little woman he asked curiously oh i can t tell clearly i have thought that we have been selfish careless even in our courses you and i our life has been a vain attempt at self delight but self is the higher road we should the flesh � the terrible flesh � the curse of adam sue he murmured what has come over you we ought to be continually sacrificing ourselves on the altar of duty but i have always to do what has pleased me i well deserved the i have got i wish something would take the evil right out of me and all my monstrous errors and all my sinful ways sue � my own too suffering dear � there s no evil woman in you your natural instincts are perfectly healthy not quite so impassioned perhaps as i could wish but good and dear and pure and as i have often said you are absolutely the most ethereal least woman i ever knew to exist without why do you talk in such a changed way we have not been selfish except when no one could profit by our being otherwise you used to say that human nature was noble and long suffering not vile and corrupt and at last i thought you spoke truly and now you seem to take such a much lower view i want a humble heart and a mind and i have never had them yet you have been fearless both as a and as a and you deserved more admiration than i gave i was too full of narrow at that time to see it don t say that i wish my every fearless word at again and thought could be rooted out of my history � that s everything i cannot myself too much i should like to myself all over with pins and out the that s in me hush he said pressing her little face against his breast as if she were an infant it is that has brought you to this such remorse is not for you my sensitive plant but for the wicked ones of the earth � who never feel it i ought not to stay like this she murmured when she had remained in the position a long while why not it is indulgence still on the same tack but is there anything better on earth than that we should love one another yes it depends on the sort of love and yours � ours � is the wrong i won t have it sue come when do you wish our marriage to be signed in a she paused and looked up uneasily never she whispered not knowing the whole of her meaning he took the objection serenely and said nothing several minutes elapsed and he thought she had fallen asleep but he spoke softly and 