Пробный камень
VIII
Hewouldnothavecaredtoowntohimselfthathecountedonthedullingofhissensibilities:hepreferredtoindulgethevaguehypothesisthatextraneouscircumstanceswouldsomehoweffacetheblotuponhisconscience.Inhisworstmomentsofself-abasementhetriedtofindsolaceinthethoughtthatFlamelhadsanctionedhiscourse.Flamel,attheoutset,musthaveguessedtowhomtheletterswereaddressed;yetneitherthennorafterwardhadhehesitatedtoadvisetheirpublication.ThisthoughtdrewGlennardtohiminfitfulimpulsesoffriendliness,fromeachofwhichtherewasasharperreactionofdistrustandaversion.WhenFlamelwasnotatthehouse,hemissedthesupportofhistacitconnivance;whenhewasthere,hispresenceseemedtheassertionofanintolerableclaim.
EarlyinthewintertheGlennardstookpossessionofthelittlehousethatwastocostthemalmostnothing.ThechangebroughtGlennardtheimmediatereliefofseeinglessofhiswife,andofbeingprotected,inherpresence,bythemultipliedpreoccupationsoftownlife.Alexa,whocouldneverappearhurried,showedthesmilingabstractionofaprettywomantowhomthesocialsideofmarriedlifehasnotlostitsnovelty.Glennard,withtherecklessnessofamanfreshfromhisfirstfinancialimprudence,encouragedherinsuchlittleextravagancesashergoodsenseatfirstresisted.Sincetheyhadcometotown,heargued,theymightaswellenjoythemselves.
