which was now but an occupation for his powers, while the aim of his life
was at the giving and taking of simple enjoyment. In spite of his fits
of unreasonableness in the means--and the woman loving him could trace
them to a breath of nature--his gentle good friendly innocent aim in life
was of this very simplest; so wonderful, by contrast with his powers,
that she, assured of it as she was by experience of him, was touched,
in a transfusion of her feelings through lucent globes of admiration and
of tenderness, to reverence. There had been occasions when her wish for
the whole world to have proof and exhibition of his greatness, goodness,
and simplicity amid his gifts, prompted her incitement of him to stand
forth eminently: 'lead a kingdom,' was the phrase behind the curtain
within her shy bosom); and it revealed her to herself, upon reflection,
as being still the Nataly who drank the cup with him, to join her fate
with his.

And why not? Was that regretted? Far from it. In her maturity, the
woman was unable to send forth any dwelling thought or more than a flight
of twilight fancy, that cancelled the deed of her youth, and therewith
seemed to expunge near upon the half--of her term of years. If it came
to consideration of her family and the family's opinion of her conduct,
her judgement did not side with them or with herself, it whirled, swam to
a giddiness and subsided.

Of course, if she and Victor were to inhabit a large country-house,
they might as well have remained at Craye Farm or at Creckholt; both
places dear to them in turn. Such was the plain sense of the surface
question. And how strange it was to her, that he, of the most quivering
sensitiveness on her behalf; could not see, that he threw her into
situations where hard words of men and women threatened about her head;
where one or two might on a day, some day, be heard; and where, in the