II + 

It was over! the plunge was taken! There was unpleasantness of course. Uncle Sydney was furious; not, Vernon was forced to confess, without reason. There were scenes with his motherтБатАФtearsтБатАФrecriminations. A dozen times, he was on the point of giving way, and yet, somehow or other, he didnтАЩt. + 

He had a curious sense of desolation all the time. He was alone in this thing. Nell, because she loved him, agreed to all he said, but he was uncomfortably conscious that his decision had grieved and disturbed her, and might even shake her faith in the future. Sebastian thought the move premature. For the time being, he would have advised making the best of two worlds. Not that he said so. Sebastian never gave advice to anybody. Even the staunch Joe was doubtful. She realized that for Vernon to sever his connection with the Bents was serious, and she had not the real faith in VernonтАЩs musical future which would have made her heartily applaud the step. + 

So far, in his life, Vernon had never had the courage to set himself definitely in opposition to everybody. When it was all over, and he was settled in the very cheap rooms which were all he could afford in London, he felt as one might who had overcome invincible odds. Then, and not till then, he went a second time to see Jane Harding. + 

He had held boyish imaginary conversations with her in his mind. + 

тАЬI have done what you told me.тАЭ + 

тАЬSplendid! I knew you had the courage really.тАЭ + 

He was modest, she applauded. He was sustained and uplifted by her praise. + 

The reality, as always, fell out quite differently. His intercourse with Jane always did. He was always holding imaginary conversations with Jane in his mind, and the reality was always totally different. + 

In this case, when he announced, with due modesty, what he had done, she seemed to take it as a matter of course, with nothing particularly heroic about it. She said: + 

тАЬWell, you must have wanted to do it or you wouldnтАЩt have done it.тАЭ + 

He felt baffled, almost angry. A curious sense of constraint always came over him in JaneтАЩs presence. He could never be wholly natural with her. He had so much he wanted to sayтБатАФbut he found it difficult to say it. He was tongue-tiedтБатАФembarrassed. And then suddenly, for no reason, it seemed, the cloud would lift and he would be talking happily and easily, saying the things that came into his head. + 

He thought: тАЬWhy am I so embarrassed with her? SheтАЩs natural enough.тАЭ + 

It worried him. From the first moment he had met her, he had felt disturbedтБатАФafraid. He resented the effect she had on him and yet he was unwilling to admit how strong that effect was. + 

An attempt to bring about a friendship between her and Nell failed. Vernon could feel that behind the outward cordiality that politeness dictates, there was very little real feeling. + 

When he asked Nell what she thought of Jane, she answered: тАЬI like her very much. I think sheтАЩs most interesting.тАЭ + 

He was more awkward approaching Jane, but she helped him. + 

тАЬYou want to know what I think of your Nell? She is lovelyтБатАФand very sweet.тАЭ + 

He said, тАЬAnd you really think youтАЩll be friends?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, of course not. Why should we?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, butтБатАФтАЭ + 

He stammered, taken aback. + 

тАЬFriendship is not a kind of equilateral triangle. If A likes B and loves C, then C and B, etcetera, etcetera.тБатАКтБатАж WeтАЩve nothing in common, your Nell and I. She, too, expects life to be a fairy story, and is just beginning to be afraid, poor child, that it maynтАЩt be, after all. SheтАЩs a Sleeping Beauty waking in the forest. Love, to her, is something very wonderful and very beautiful.тАЭ + 

тАЬIsnтАЩt it that to you?тАЭ + 

He had to ask. He wanted to know so badly. So often, so often, heтАЩd wondered about Boris Androv, about those five years. + 

She looked at him with a face from which all expression had died out. + 

тАЬSome dayтБатАФIтАЩll tell you.тАЭ + 

He wanted to say, тАЬTell me now,тАЭ but he didnтАЩt. He said instead: + 

тАЬTell me, Jane, what is life to you?тАЭ + 

She paused a minute and then said: тАЬA difficult, dangerous, but endlessly interesting adventure.тАЭ + 