IV + 

From the moment she encountered Mr.¬†Gavin on the turnpike until the tragedy which occurred two days later, life at Pentlands appeared to lose all reality for Olivia. When she thought of it long afterward, the hours became a sort of nightmare in which the old enchantment snapped and gave way to a strained sense of struggle between forces which, centering about herself, left her in the end bruised and a little broken, but secure. + 

The breathless heat of the sort which from time to time enveloped that corner of New England, leaving the very leaves of the trees hanging limp and wilted, again settled down over the meadows and marshes, and in the midst of the afternoon appeared the rarest of sightsвБ†вАФthe indolent Sabine stirring in the burning sun. Olivia watched her coming across the fields, protected from the blazing sun only by the frivolous yellow parasol. She came slowly, indifferently, and until she entered the cool, darkened drawing-room she appeared the familiar bored Sabine; only after she greeted Olivia the difference appeared. + 

She said abruptly, вАЬIвАЩm leaving day after tomorrow,вАЭ and instead of seating herself to talk, she kept wandering restlessly about the room, examining Horace PentlandвАЩs bibelots and turning the pages of books and magazines without seeing them. + 

вАЬWhy?вАЭ asked Olivia. вАЬI thought you were staying until October.вАЭ + 

вАЬNo, IвАЩm going away at once.вАЭ She turned and murmured, вАЬIвАЩve hated Durham always. ItвАЩs unbearable to me now. IвАЩm bored to death. I only came, in the first place, because I thought Th√©r√®se ought to know her own people. But itвАЩs no good. SheвАЩll have none of them. I see now how like her father she is. TheyвАЩre not her own people and never will be.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I donвАЩt imagine Durham will ever see either of us again.вАЭ + 

Olivia smiled. вАЬI know itвАЩs dull here.вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, I donвАЩt mean you, Olivia dear, or even Sybil or OвАЩHara, but thereвАЩs something in the air.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ IвАЩm going to Newport for two weeks and then to Biarritz for October. Th√©r√®se wants to go to Oxford.вАЭ She grinned sardonically. вАЬThereвАЩs a bit of New England in her, after allвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ this education business. I wanted a femme du monde for a daughter and God and New England sent me a scientist who would rather wear flat heels and look through a microscope. ItвАЩs funny how children turn out.вАЭ + 

(вАЬEven Th√©r√®se and Sabine,вАЭ thought Olivia. вАЬEven they belong to it.вАЭ) + 

She watched Sabine, so worldly, so superbly dressed, so hardвБ†вАФsuch a restless nomad; and as she watched her it occurred to her again that she was very like Aunt CassieвБ†вАФan Aunt Cassie in revolt against Aunt CassieвАЩs gods, an Aunt Cassie, as John Pentland had said, вАЬturned inside out.вАЭ + 

Without looking up from the pages of the Nouvelle Revue, Sabine said, вАЬIвАЩm glad this thing about Sybil is settled.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes.вАЭ + 

вАЬHe told you about his mother?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou didnвАЩt let that make any difference? You didnвАЩt tell the others?вАЭ + 

вАЬNo.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Anything I had to say would have made no difference.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou were wise.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I think Th√©r√®se is right, perhapsвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ righter than any of us. She says that nature has a contempt for marriage certificates. Respectability canвАЩt turn decay into lifeвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and Jean is alive.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ So is his mother.вАЭ + 

вАЬI know what you are driving at.вАЭ + 

вАЬCertainly, my dear, you ought to know. YouвАЩve suffered enough from it. And knowing his mother makes a difference. SheвАЩs no ordinary light woman, or even one who was weak enough to allow herself to be seduced. Once in fifty years there occurs a woman who canвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ how shall I say it?вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ get away with a thing like that. You have to be a great woman to do it. I donвАЩt think itвАЩs made much difference in her life, chiefly because sheвАЩs a woman of discretion and excellent taste. But it might have made a difference in JeanвАЩs life if he had encountered a mother less wise than yourself.вАЭ + 

вАЬI donвАЩt know whether IвАЩm being wise or not. I believe in him and I want Sybil to escape.вАЭ + 

Olivia understood that for the first time they were discussing the thing which none of them ever mentioned, the thing which up to now Sabine had only touched upon by insinuation. Sabine had turned away and stood looking out of the window across the meadows where the distant trees danced in waves of heat. + 

вАЬYou spoiled my summer a bit, Olivia dear, by taking away my Irish friend from me.вАЭ + 

Suddenly Olivia was angry as she was angry sometimes at the meddling of Aunt Cassie. вАЬI didnвАЩt take him away. I did everything possible to avoid himвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ until you came. It was you who threw us together. ThatвАЩs why weвАЩre all in a tangle now.вАЭ And she kept thinking what a strange woman Sabine Callendar really was, how intricate and unfathomable. She knew of no other woman in the world who could talk thus so dispassionately, so without emotion. + 

вАЬI thought IвАЩd have him to amuse,вАЭ she was saying, вАЬand instead of that he only uses me as a confidante. He comes to me for advice about another woman. And that, as you know, isnвАЩt very interesting.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

Olivia sat suddenly erect. вАЬWhat does he say? What right has he to do such a thing?вАЭ + 

вАЬBecause IвАЩve asked him to. When I first came here, I promised to help him. You see, IвАЩm very friendly with you both. I want you both to be happy andвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ besides I can think of nothing happening which could give me greater pleasure.вАЭ + 

When Olivia did not answer her, she turned from the window and asked abruptly, вАЬWhat are you going to do about him?вАЭ + 

Again Olivia thought it best not to answer, but Sabine went on pushing home her point relentlessly, вАЬYou must forgive me for speaking plainly, but I have a great affection for you bothвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and IвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ well, I have a sense of conscience in the affair.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou neednвАЩt have. ThereвАЩs nothing to have a conscience about.вАЭ + 

вАЬYouвАЩre not being very honest.вАЭ + 

Suddenly Olivia burst out angrily, вАЬAnd why should it concern you, SabineвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ in the least? Why should I not do as I please, without interference?вАЭ + 

вАЬBecause, hereвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and you know this as well as I doвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ here such a thing is impossible.вАЭ + 

In a strange fashion she was suddenly afraid of Sabine, perhaps because she was so bent upon pushing things to a definite solution. It seemed to Olivia that she herself was losing all power of action, all capacity for anything save waiting, pretending, doing nothing. + 

вАЬAnd IвАЩm interested,вАЭ continued Sabine slowly, вАЬbecause I canвАЩt bear the tragic spectacle of another John Pentland and Mrs.¬†Soames.вАЭ + 

вАЬThere wonвАЩt be,вАЭ said Olivia desperately. вАЬMy father-in-law is different from Michael.вАЭ + 

вАЬThatвАЩs true.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬIn a wayвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ a finer man.вАЭ She found herself suddenly in the amazing position of actually defending Pentlands. + 

вАЬBut not,вАЭ said Sabine with a terrifying reasonableness, вАЬso wise a oneвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ or one so intelligent.вАЭ + 

вАЬNo. ItвАЩs impossible to say.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬA thing like this is likely to come only once to a woman.вАЭ + 

(вАЬWhy does she keep repeating the very things that IвАЩve been fighting all along,вАЭ thought Olivia.) Aloud she said, вАЬSabine, you must leave me in peace. ItвАЩs for me alone to settle.вАЭ + 

вАЬI donвАЩt want you to do a thing you will regret the rest of your lifeвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ bitterly.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou mean.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, I mean simply to give him up.вАЭ + 

Again Olivia was silent, and Sabine asked suddenly. вАЬHave you had a call from a Mr.¬†Gavin? A gentleman with a bald head and a polished face?вАЭ + 

Olivia looked at her sharply. вАЬHow could you know that?вАЭ + 

вАЬBecause I sent him, my dearвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ for the same reason that IвАЩm here nowвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ because I wanted you to do somethingвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ to act. And IвАЩm confessing now because I thought you ought to know the truth, since IвАЩm going away. Otherwise you might think Aunt Cassie or Anson had done itвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and trouble might come of that.вАЭ + 

Again Olivia said nothing; she was lost in a sadness over the thought that, after all, Sabine was no better than the others. + 

вАЬItвАЩs not easy to act in this house,вАЭ Sabine was saying. вАЬItвАЩs not easy to do anything but pretend and go on and on until at last you are an old woman and die. I did it to help youвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ for your own good.вАЭ + 

вАЬThatвАЩs what Aunt Cassie always says.вАЭ + 

The shaft went home, for it silenced Sabine, and in the momentвАЩs pause Sabine seemed less a woman than an amazing, disembodied, almost malevolent force. When she answered, it was with a shrug of the shoulders and a bitter smile which seemed doubly bitter on the frankly painted lips. вАЬI suppose I am like Aunt Cassie. I mightnвАЩt have been, though.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I might have been just a pleasant normal personвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ like Higgins or one of the servants.вАЭ + 

The strange speech found an echo in OliviaвАЩs heart. Lately the same thought had come to her again and againвБ†вАФif only she could be simple like Higgins or the kitchen-maid. Such a state seemed to her at the moment the most desirable thing in the world. It was perhaps this strange desire which led Sabine to surround herself with what Durham called вАЬqueer people,вАЭ who were, after all, simply people like Higgins and the kitchen-maid who happened to occupy a higher place in society. + 

вАЬThe air here needs clearing,вАЭ Sabine was saying. вАЬIt needs a thunderstorm, and it can be cleared only by acting.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ This affair of Jean and Sybil will help. We are all caught up in a tangle of thoughts and ideasвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ which donвАЩt matterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ You can do it, Olivia. You can clear the air once and for all.вАЭ + 

Then for the first time Olivia thought she saw what lay behind all this intriguing of Sabine; for a moment she fancied that she saw what it was Sabine wanted more passionately than anything else in the world. + 

Aloud she said it, вАЬI could clear the air, but it would also be the destruction of everything.вАЭ + 

Sabine looked at her directly. вАЬWell?вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and would you be sorry? Would you count it a loss? Would it make any difference?вАЭ + 

Impulsively she touched SabineвАЩs hand. вАЬSabine,вАЭ she said, without looking at her, вАЬIвАЩm fond of you. You know that. Please donвАЩt talk any more about thisвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ please, because I want to go on being fond of youвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and I canвАЩt otherwise. ItвАЩs our affair, mine and MichaelвАЩsвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and IвАЩm going to settle it, tonight perhaps, as soon as I can have a talk with him.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I canвАЩt go on any longer.вАЭ + 

Taking up the yellow parasol, Sabine asked, вАЬDo you expect me for dinner tonight?вАЭ + 

вАЬOf course, more than ever tonight.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ IвАЩm sorry youвАЩve decided to go so soon.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ ItвАЩll be dreary without you or Sybil.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou can go, too,вАЭ said Sabine quickly. вАЬThere is a way. HeвАЩd give up everything for youвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ everything. I know that.вАЭ Suddenly she gave Olivia a sharp look. вАЬYouвАЩre thirty-eight, arenвАЩt you?вАЭ + 

вАЬDay after tomorrow I shall be forty!вАЭ + 

Sabine was tracing the design of roses on Horace PentlandвАЩs Savonnerie carpet with the tip of her parasol. вАЬGather them while you may,вАЭ she said and went out into the blazing heat to cross the meadows to Brook Cottage. + 

Left alone, Olivia knew she was glad that day after tomorrow Sabine would no longer be here. She saw now what John Pentland meant when he said, вАЬSabine ought never to have come back here.вАЭ + 