Пробный камень
VIII
Thewordswereuncalculated;butinaninstanthesawthattheyhadstrangelybridgedthedistancebetweenhiswifeandhimself.Hefelthercloseonhim,likeapantingfoe;andheranswerwasaflashthatshowedthehandonthetrigger.
“Iseem,”shesaidfromthethreshold,“tohavedonebothingivingmyreasontoyou.”
ThefactthattheywerediningoutthateveningmadeiteasyforhimtoavoidAlexatillshecamedownstairsinheropera-cloak.Mrs.Touchett,whowasgoingtothesamedinner,hadofferedtocallforher,andGlennard,refusingaprecariousseatbetweentheladies’draperies,followedonfoot.Theeveningwasinterminable.ThereadingattheWaldorf,atwhichallthewomenhadbeenpresent,hadrevivedthediscussionofthe“AubynLetters”andGlennard,hearinghiswifequestionedastoherabsence,felthimselfmiserablywishingthatshehadgone,ratherthanthatherstayingawayshouldhavebeenremarked.Hewasrapidlylosingallsenseofproportionwherethe“Letters”wereconcerned.Hecouldnolongerhearthemmentionedwithoutsuspectingapurposeintheallusion;heevenyieldedhimselfforamomenttotheextravaganceofimaginingthatMrs.Dresham,whomhedisliked,hadorganizedthereadinginthehopeofmakinghimbetrayhimself—forhewasalreadysurethatDreshamhaddivinedhisshareinthetransaction.
Theattempttokeepasmoothsurfaceonthisinnertumultwasasendlessandunavailingaseffortsmadeinanightmare.Helostallsenseofwhathewassayingtohisneighborsandoncewhenhelookeduphiswife’sglancestruckhimcold.
