Пробный камень
II
Herdressneverseemedapartofher;allherclotheshadanimpersonalair,asthoughtheyhadbelongedtosomeoneelseandbeenborrowedinanemergencythathadsomehowbecomechronic.Shewasconsciousenoughofherdeficienciestotrytoamendthembyrashimitationsofthemostapprovedmodels;butnowomanwhodoesnotdresswellintuitivelywilleverdosobythelightofreason,andMrs.Aubyn’splagiarisms,toborrowametaphorofhertrade,somehowneverseemedtobeincorporatedwiththetext.
Geniusisofsmallusetoawomanwhodoesnotknowhowtodoherhair.ThefamethatcametoMrs.AubynwithhersecondbookleftGlennard’simaginationuntouched,orhadatmostthenegativeeffectofremovingherstillfartherfromthecircleofhiscontractingsympathies.Weareallthesportoftime;andfatehadsoperverselyorderedthechronologyofMargaretAubyn’sromancethatwhenherhusbanddiedGlennardfeltasthoughhehadlostafriend.
Itwasnotinhisnaturetobeneedlesslyunkind;andthoughhewasintheimpregnablepositionofthemanwhohasgivenawomannomoredefinableclaimonhimthanthatoflettingherfancythathelovesher,hewouldnotfortheworldhaveaccentuatedhisadvantagebyanybetrayalofindifference.Duringthefirstyearofherwidowhoodtheirfriendshipdraggedonwithhaltingrenewalsofsentiment,becomingmoreandmoreabanquetofemptydishesfromwhichthecoverswereneverremoved;thenGlennardwenttoNewYorktoliveandexchangedthefadedpleasuresofintercourseforthecomparativenoveltyofcorrespondence.
