II + 

Anson was not to be reached all the morning at the office; he had gone, so his secretary said, to a meeting of the Society of Guardians of Young Working Girls without Homes and left express word that he was not to be disturbed. But Aunt Cassie heard the news when she arrived on her morning call at Pentlands. Olivia broke it to her as gently as possible, but as soon as the old lady understood what had happened, she went to pieces badly. Her eyes grew wild; she wept, and her hair became all disheveled. She took the attitude that Sybil had been seduced and was now a woman lost beyond all hope. She kept repeating between punctuations of profound sympathy for Olivia in the hour of her trial, that such a thing had never happened in the Pentland family; until Olivia, enveloped in the old, perilous calm, reminded her of the elopement of Jared Pentland and Savina Dalgedo and bade her abruptly to stop talking nonsense. + 

And then Aunt Cassie was deeply hurt by her tone, and Peters had to be sent away for smelling-salts at the very moment that Sabine arrived, grinning and triumphant. It was Sabine who helped administer the smelling-salts with the grim air of administering burning coals. When the old lady grew a little more calm she fell again to saying over and over again, вАЬPoor Sybil.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ My poor, innocent little SybilвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ that this should have happened to her!вАЭ + 

To which Olivia replied at last, вАЬJean is a fine young man. IвАЩm sure she couldnвАЩt have done better.вАЭ And then, to soften a little Aunt CassieвАЩs anguish, she said, вАЬAnd heвАЩs very rich, Aunt CassieвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ a great deal richer than many a husband she might have found here.вАЭ + 

The information had an even better effect than the smelling-salts, so that the old lady became calm enough to take an interest in the details and asked where they had found a motor to go away in. + 

вАЬIt was mine,вАЭ said Sabine dryly. вАЬI loaned it to them.вАЭ + 

The result of this statement was all that Sabine could have desired. The old lady sat bolt upright, all bristling, and cried, with an air of suffocation, вАЬOh, you viper! Why God should have sent me such a trial, I donвАЩt know. YouвАЩve always wished us evil and now I suppose youвАЩre content! May God have mercy on your malicious soul!вАЭ And breaking into fresh sobs, she began all over again, вАЬMy poor, innocent little Sybil.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ What will people say? What will they think has been going on!вАЭ + 

вАЬDonвАЩt be evil-minded, Aunt Cassie,вАЭ said Sabine sharply; and then in a calmer voice, вАЬIt will be hard on me.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I wonвАЩt be able to go to Newport until they come back with the motor.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou!вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ You!вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ began Aunt Cassie, and then fell back, a broken woman. + 

вАЬI suppose,вАЭ continued Sabine ruthlessly, вАЬthat we ought to tell the Mannering boy.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes,вАЭ cried Aunt Cassie, reviving again. вАЬYes! ThereвАЩs the boy she ought to have married.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd Mrs.¬†Soames,вАЭ said Sabine. вАЬSheвАЩll be pleased at the news.вАЭ + 

Olivia spoke for the first time in nearly half an hour. вАЬItвАЩs no use. Mr.¬†Pentland has been over to see her, but she didnвАЩt understand what it was he wanted to tell her. She was in a dazeвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ only half-consciousвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and they think she may not recover this time.вАЭ + 

In a whisper, lost in the greater agitation of Aunt CassieвАЩs sobs, she said to Sabine, вАЬItвАЩs like the end of everything for him. I donвАЩt know what heвАЩll do.вАЭ + 

The confusion of the day seemed to increase rather than to die away. Aunt Cassie was asked to stay to lunch, but she said it was impossible to consider swallowing even a crust of bread. вАЬIt would choke me!вАЭ she cried melodramatically. + 

вАЬIt is an excellent lunch,вАЭ urged Olivia. + 

вАЬNoвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ noвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ donвАЩt ask me!вАЭ + 

But, unwilling to quit the scene of action, she lay on Horace PentlandвАЩs Regence sofa and regained her strength a little by taking a nap while the others ate. + 

At last Anson called, and when the news was told him, the telephone echoed with his threats. He would, he said, hire a motor (an extravagance by which to guage the profundity of his agitation) and come down at once. + 

And then, almost immediately, Michael telephoned. вАЬI have just come down,вАЭ he said, and asked Olivia to come riding with him. вАЬI must talk to you at once.вАЭ + 

She refused to ride, but consented to meet him halfway, at the pine thicket where Higgins had discovered the foxcubs. вАЬI canвАЩt leave just now,вАЭ she told him, вАЬand I donвАЩt think itвАЩs best for you to come here at the moment.вАЭ + 

For some reason, perhaps vaguely because she thought he might use the knowledge as a weapon to break down her will, she said nothing of the elopement. For in the confusion of the day, beneath all the uproar of scenes, emotions and telephone-calls, she had been thinking, thinking, thinking, so that in the end the uproar had made little impression upon her. She had come to understand that John Pentland must have lived thus, year after year, moving always in a secret life of his own, and presently she had come to the conclusion that she must send Michael away once and for all. + 

As she moved across the meadow she noticed that the birches had begun to turn yellow and that in the low ground along the river the meadows were already painted gold and purple by masses of goldenrod and ironweed. With each step she seemed to grow weaker and weaker, and as she drew near the blue-black wall of pines she was seized by a violent trembling, as if the sense of his presence were able somehow to reach out and engulf her even before she saw him. She kept trying to think of the old man as he stood beside her at the hedge, but something stronger than her will made her see only MichaelвАЩs curly black head and blue eyes. She began even to prayвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ she (Olivia) who never prayed because the piety of Aunt Cassie and Anson and the Apostle to the Genteel stood always in her way. + 

And then, looking up, she saw him standing half-hidden among the lower pines, watching her. She began to run toward him, in terror lest her knees should give way and let her fall before she reached the shelter of the trees. + 

In the darkness of the thicket where the sun seldom penetrated, he put his arms about her and kissed her in a way he had never done before, and the action only increased her terror. She said nothing; she only wept quietly; and at last, when she had gained control of herself, she struggled free and said, вАЬDonвАЩt, MichaelвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ please donвАЩtвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ please.вАЭ + 

They sat on a fallen log and, still holding her hand, he asked, вАЬWhat is it? What has happened?вАЭ + 

вАЬNothing.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ IвАЩm just tired.вАЭ + 

вАЬAre you willing to come away with me? Now?вАЭ And in a low, warm voice, he added, вАЬIвАЩll never let you be tired againвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ never.вАЭ + 

She did not answer him, because it seemed to her that what she had to tell him made all her actions in the past seem inexplicable and cheap. She was filled with shame, and tried to put off the moment when she must speak. + 

вАЬI havenвАЩt been down in three days,вАЭ he was saying, вАЬbecause thereвАЩs been trouble in Boston which made it impossible. IвАЩve only slept an hour or two a night. TheyвАЩve been trying to do me inвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ some of the men I always trusted. TheyвАЩve been double-crossing me all along and I had to stay to fight them.вАЭ + 

He told her a long and complicated story of treachery, of money having been passed among men whom he had known and trusted always. He was sad and yet defiant, too, and filled with a desire to fight the thing to an end. She failed to understand the story; indeed she did not even hear much of it: she only knew that he was telling her everything, pouring out all his sadness and trouble to her as if she were the one person in all the world to whom he could tell such things. + 

And when he had finished he waited for a moment and then said, вАЬAnd now IвАЩm willing to chuck the whole dirty business and quitвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ to tell them all to go to hell.вАЭ + 

Quickly she answered, вАЬNo, you mustnвАЩt do that. You canвАЩt do that. A man like you, Michael, darenвАЩt do such a thing.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ For she knew that without a battle life would mean nothing to him. + 

вАЬNoвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I mean it. IвАЩm ready to quit. I want you to go with me.вАЭ + 

She thought, вАЬHe says thisвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and yet he stayed three days and nights in Boston to fight!вАЭ She saw that he was not looking at her, but sitting with his head in his hands; there was something broken, almost pitiful, in his manner, and it occurred to her that perhaps for the first time he found all his life in a hopeless tangle. She thought, вАЬIf I had never known him, this might not have happened. He would have been able to fight without even thinking of me.вАЭ + 

Aloud she said, вАЬI canвАЩt do it, Michael.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ ItвАЩs no use. I canвАЩt.вАЭ + 

He looked up quickly, but before he could speak she placed her hand over his lips, saying, вАЬWait, Michael, let me talk first. Let me say what IвАЩve wanted to say for so long.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ IвАЩve thought.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ IвАЩve done nothing else but think day and night for the past three days. And itвАЩs no good, Michael.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ ItвАЩs no good. IвАЩm forty years old today, and what can I give you that will make up for all you will lose? Why should you give up everything for me? No, IвАЩve nothing to offer. You can go back and fight and win. ItвАЩs what you like more than anything in the worldвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ more than any womanвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ even me.вАЭ + 

Again he tried to speak, but she silenced him. вАЬOh, I know itвАЩs trueвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ what I say. And if I had you at such a price, youвАЩd only hate me in the end. I couldnвАЩt do it, Michael, becauseвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ because in the end, with men like you itвАЩs work, itвАЩs a career, which is first.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ You couldnвАЩt bear giving up. You couldnвАЩt bear failure.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ And in the end thatвАЩs right, as it should be. ItвАЩs what keeps the world going.вАЭ + 

He was watching her with a look of fascination in his eyes, and she knewвБ†вАФshe was certain of itвБ†вАФthat he had never been so much in love with her before; but she knew, too, from the shadow which crossed his face (it seemed to her that he almost winced) and because she knew him so well, that he recognized the truth of what she had said. + 

вАЬItвАЩs not true, Olivia.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ You canвАЩt go back on me nowвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ just when I need you most.вАЭ + 

вАЬIвАЩd be betraying you, Michael, if I did the other thing. ItвАЩs not me you need half so much as the other thing. Oh, I know that IвАЩm right. What you should have in the end is a young womanвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ a woman who will help you. It doesnвАЩt matter very much whether youвАЩre terribly in love with her or notвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ but a woman who can be your wife and bear your children and give dinner parties and help make of you the famous man youвАЩve always meant to be. You need someone who will help you to found a family, to fill your new house with childrenвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ someone whoвАЩll help you and your children to take the place of families like ours who are at the end of things. No, MichaelвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ IвАЩm right.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Look at me,вАЭ she commanded suddenly. вАЬLook at me and youвАЩll know that itвАЩs not because I donвАЩt love you.вАЭ + 

He was on his knees now, on the carpet of scented pine-needles, his arms about her while she stroked the thick black hair with a kind of hysterical intensity. + 

вАЬYou donвАЩt know what youвАЩre saying, Olivia. ItвАЩs not true! ItвАЩs not true! IвАЩd give up everything.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I donвАЩt want the other thing. IвАЩll sell my farm and go away from here forever with you.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, Michael, you think that today, just nowвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and tomorrow everything will be changed. ThatвАЩs one of the mean tricks Nature plays us. ItвАЩs not so simple as that. WeвАЩre not like Higgins andвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ the kitchen-maidвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ at least not in some ways.вАЭ + 

вАЬOliviaвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Olivia, do you love me enough to.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

She knew what he meant to ask. She thought, вАЬWhat does it matter? Why should I not, when I love him so? I should be harming no oneвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ no one but myself.вАЭ + 

And then, abruptly, through the mist of tears she saw through an opening in the thicket a little procession crossing the meadows toward the big house at Pentlands. She saw it with a terrible, intense clarityвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ a little procession of the gardener and his helper carrying between them on a shutter a figure that lay limp and still, and following them came Higgins on foot, leading his horse and moving with the awkward rolling gait which afflicted him when his feet were on the ground. She knew who the still figure was. It was John Pentland. The red mare had killed him at last. And she heard him saying, вАЬThere are some things which people like us, Olivia, canвАЩt do.вАЭ + 

What happened immediately afterward she was never able to remember very clearly. She found herself joining the little procession; she knew that Michael was with her, and that there could be no doubt of the tragedy.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ John Pentland was dead, with his neck broken. He lay on the shutter, still and peaceful, the bitter lines all melted from the grim, stern face, as he had been when she came upon him in the library smelling of dogs and woodsmoke and whisky. Only this time he had escaped for good.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ + 

And afterward she remembered telling Michael, as they stood alone in the big white hall, that Sybil and Jean were married, and dismissing him by saying, вАЬNow, Michael, it is impossible. While he was living I might have done it.вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I might have gone away. But now itвАЩs impossible. DonвАЩt ask me. Please leave me in peace.вАЭ + 

Standing there under the wanton gaze of Savina Pentland, she watched him go away, quietly, perhaps because he understood that all she had said was true. + 