What he saw there he never clearly knew; but, whatever it
was, it seemed to suddenly change his relations to her, to the room, to
his wife, to the world without. It was a glimpse of a world of which
he knew nothing. He had looked frankly and admiringly into the eyes of
other pretty women; he had even gazed into her own before, but never
with this feeling. A sudden sense that what he had seen there he had
himself evoked, that it was an answer to some question he had scarcely
yet formulated, and that they were both now linked by an understanding
and consciousness that was irretrievable, came over him. He rose
awkwardly and went to the window. She rose also, but more leisurely and
easily, moved one of the books on the table, smoothed out her skirts,
and changed her seat to a little sofa. It is the woman who always comes
out of these crucial moments unruffled.
"I suppose you will be glad to see your friend Mr. Demorest when you
go back," she said pleasantly; "for of course he will be at Hymettus
awaiting you."
He turned eagerly, as he always did at the name. But even then he felt
that Demorest was no longer of such importance to him. He felt, too,
that he was not yet quite sure of his voice or even what to say. As he
hesitated she went on half playfully: "It seems hard that you had to
come all the way here on such a bootless errand. You haven't even seen
your wife yet.
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