第59章

“Ah——hewasnotwell——youareright。Hewasill——hewasillwhenIcame。”

Therewasnothingmoretodoorsay。Shecroucheddownatthesideofthebed，andFitzpierstookaseat。Thustheyremainedinsilence，andlongasitlastedsheneverturnedhereyes，orapparentlyherthoughts，atalltoherhusband。Heoccasionallymurmured，withautomaticauthority，someslightdirectionsforalleviatingthepainofthedyingman，whichshemechanicallyobeyed，bendingoverhimduringtheintervalsinsilenttears。

Winterborneneverrecoveredconsciousnessofwhatwaspassing；andthathewasgoingbecamesoonperceptiblealsotoher。Inlessthananhourthedeliriumceased；thentherewasanintervalofsomnolentpainlessnessandsoftbreathing，attheendofwhichWinterbornepassedquietlyaway。

ThenFitzpiersbrokethesilence。“Haveyoulivedherelong？”

saidhe。

Gracewaswildwithsorrow——withallthathadbefallenher——withthecrueltiesthathadattackedher——withlife——withHeaven。Sheansweredatrandom。“Yes。Bywhatrightdoyouask？”

“Don’tthinkIclaimanyright。”saidFitzpiers，sadly。“Itisforyoutodoandsaywhatyouchoose。Iadmit，quiteasmuchasyoufeel，thatIamavagabond——abrute——notworthytopossessthesmallestfragmentofyou。ButhereIam，andIhavehappenedtotakesufficientinterestinyoutomakethatinquiry。”

“Heiseverythingtome！”saidGrace，hardlyheedingherhusband，andlayingherhandreverentlyonthedeadman’seyelids，whereshekeptitalongtime，pressingdowntheirlasheswithgentletouches，asifshewerestrokingalittlebird。

Hewatchedherawhile，andthenglancedroundthechamberwherehiseyesfelluponafewdressingnecessariesthatshehadbrought。

“Grace——ifImaycallyouso。”hesaid，“Ihavebeenalreadyhumiliatedalmosttothedepths。Ihavecomebacksinceyourefusedtojoinmeelsewhere——Ihaveenteredyourfather’shouse，andborneallthatthatcostmewithoutflinching，becauseIhavefeltthatIdeservedhumiliation。Butisthereayetgreaterhumiliationinstoreforme？Yousayyouhavebeenlivinghere——

thatheiseverythingtoyou。AmItodrawfromthattheobvious，theextremestinference？”

Triumphatanypriceissweettomenandwomen——especiallythelatter。Itwasherfirstandlastopportunityofrepayinghimforthecruelcontumelywhichshehadborneathishandssodocilely。

“Yes。”sheanswered；andtherewasthatinhersubtlycompoundednaturewhichmadeherfeelathrillofprideasshedidso。

Yetthemomentaftershehadsomightilybeliedhercharactershehalfrepented。Herhusbandhadturnedaswhiteasthewallbehindhim。Itseemedasifallthatremainedtohimoflifeandspirithadbeenabstractedatastroke。Yethedidnotmove，andinhiseffortsatself-controlclosedhismouthtogetherasavice。Hisdeterminationwasfairlysuccessful，thoughshesawhowverymuchgreaterthanshehadexpectedhertriumphhadbeen。PresentlyhelookedacrossatWinterborne。

“Woulditstartleyoutohear。”hesaid，asifhehardlyhadbreathtoutterthewords，“thatshewhowastomewhathewastoyouisdeadalso？”

“Dead——SHEdead？”exclaimedGrace。

“Yes。FeliceCharmondiswherethisyoungmanis。”

“Never！”saidGrace，vehemently。

Hewentonwithoutheedingtheinsinuation：“AndIcamebacktotrytomakeitupwithyou——but——“

Fitzpiersrose，andmovedacrosstheroomtogoaway，lookingdownwardwiththedroopofamanwhosehopewasturnedtoapathy，ifnotdespair。Ingoingroundthedoorhiseyefelluponheroncemore。ShewasstillbendingoverthebodyofWinterborne，herfaceclosetotheyoungman’s。

“Haveyoubeenkissinghimduringhisillness？”askedherhusband。

“Yes。”

“Sincehisfeveredstatesetin？”

“Yes。”

“Onhislips？”

“Yes。”

“Thenyouwilldowelltotakeafewdropsofthisinwaterassoonaspossible。”He