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would　have　been　too　plebeian　for　you　since　they　had　to　lead；　to



suffer　with；　to　understand　the　commonest　humanity。　　No；　you　are



merely　of　the　topmost　layer；　disdainful　and　superior；　the　mere　pure



froth　and　bubble　on　the　inscrutable　depths　which　some　day　will　toss



you　out　of　existence。　　But　you　are　you！　　You　are　you！　　You　are　the



eternal　love　itself　…　only；　O　Divinity；　it　isn't　your　body；　it　is



your　soul　that　is　made　of　foam。〃







She　listened　as　if　in　a　dream。　　He　had　succeeded　so　well　in　his



effort　to　drive　back　the　flood　of　his　passion　that　his　life　itself



seemed　to　run　with　it　out　of　his　body。　　At　that　moment　he　felt　as



one　dead　speaking。　　But　the　headlong　wave　returning　with　tenfold



force　flung　him　on　her　suddenly；　with　open　arms　and　blazing　eyes。



She　found　herself　like　a　feather　in　his　grasp；　helpless；　unable　to



struggle；　with　her　feet　off　the　ground。　　But　this　contact　with　her；



maddening　like　too　much　felicity；　destroyed　its　own　end。　　Fire　ran



through　his　veins；　turned　his　passion　to　ashes；　burnt　him　out　and



left　him　empty；　without　force　…　almost　without　desire。　　He　let　her



go　before　she　could　cry　out。　　And　she　was　so　used　to　the　forms　of



repression　enveloping；　softening　the　crude　impulses　of　old　humanity



that　she　no　longer　believed　in　their　existence　as　if　it　were　an



exploded　legend。　　She　did　not　recognise　what　had　happened　to　her。



She　came　safe　out　of　his　arms；　without　a　struggle；　not　even　having



felt　afraid。







〃What's　the　meaning　of　this？〃　she　said；　outraged　but　calm　in　a



scornful　way。







He　got　down　on　his　knees　in　silence；　bent　low　to　her　very　feet；



while　she　looked　down　at　him；　a　little　surprised；　without



animosity；　as　if　merely　curious　to　see　what　he　would　do。　　Then；



while　he　remained　bowed　to　the　ground　pressing　the　hem　of　her　skirt



to　his　lips；　she　made　a　slight　movement。　　He　got　up。







〃No；〃　he　said。　　〃Were　you　ever　so　much　mine　what　could　I　do　with



you　without　your　consent？　　No。　　You　don't　conquer　a　wraith；　cold



mist；　stuff　of　dreams；　illusion。　　It　must　come　to　you　and　cling　to



your　breast。　　And　then！　　Oh！　　And　then！〃







All　ecstasy；　all　expression　went　out　of　his　face。







〃Mr。　Renouard；〃　she　said；　〃though　you　can　have　no　claim　on　my



consideration　after　having　decoyed　me　here　for　the　vile　purpose；



apparently；　of　gloating　over　me　as　your　possible　prey；　I　will　tell



you　that　I　am　not　perhaps　the　extraordinary　being　you　think　I　am。



You　may　believe　me。　　Here　I　stand　for　truth　itself。〃







〃What's　that　to　me　what　you　are？〃　he　answered。　　〃At　a　sign　from　you



I　would　climb　up　to　the　seventh　heaven　to　bring　you　down　to　earth



for　my　own　…　and　if　I　saw　you　steeped　to　the　lips　in　vice；　in



crime；　in　mud；　I　would　go　after　you；　take　you　to　my　arms　…　wear　you



for　an　incomparable　jewel　on　my　breast。　　And　that's　love　…　true



love　…　the　gift　and　the　curse　of　the　gods。　　There　is　no　other。〃







The　truth　vibrating　in　his　voice　made　her　recoil　slightly；　for　she



was　not　fit　to　hear　it　…　not　even　a　little　…　not　even　one　single



time　in　her　life。　　It　was　revolting　to　her；　and　in　her　trouble；



perhaps　prompted　by　the　suggestion　of　his　name　or　to　soften　the



harshness　of　expression；　for　she　was　obscurely　moved；　she　spoke　to



him　in　French。







〃ASSEZ！　　J'AI　HORREUR　DE　TOUT　CELA；〃　she　said。







He　was　white　to　his　very　lips；　but　he　was　trembling　no　more。　　The



dice　had　been　cast；　and　not　even　violence　could　alter　the　throw。



She　passed　by　him　unbendingly；　and　he　followed　her　down　the　path。



After　a　time　she　heard　him　saying：







〃And　your　dream　is　to　influence　a　human　destiny？〃







〃Yes！〃　she　answered　curtly；　unabashed；　with　a　woman's　complete



assurance。







〃Then　you　may　rest　content。　　You　have　done　it。〃







She　shrugged　her　shoulders　slightly。　　But　just　before　reaching　the



end　of　the　path　she　relented；　stopped；　and　went　back　to　him。







〃I　don't　suppose　you　are　very　anxious　for　people　to　know　how　near



you　came　to　absolute　turpitude。　　You　may　rest　easy　on　that　point。



I　shall　speak　to　my　father；　of　course；　and　we　will　agree　to　say



that　he　has　died　…　nothing　more。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Renouard　in　a　lifeless　voice。　　〃He　is　dead。　　His　very



ghost　shall　be　done　with　presently。〃







She　went　on；　but　he　remained　standing　stock　still　in　the　dusk。　　She



had　already　reached　the　three　palms　when　she　heard　behind　her　a



loud　peal　of　laughter；　cynical　and　joyless；　such　as　is　heard　in



smoking…rooms　at　the　end　of　a　scandalous　story。　　It　made　her　feel



positively　faint　for　a　moment。















CHAPTER　XI















Slowly　a　complete　darkness　enveloped　Geoffrey　Renouard。　　His



resolution　had　failed　him。　　Instead　of　following　Felicia　into　the



house；　he　had　stopped　under　the　three　palms；　and　leaning　against　a



smooth　trunk　had　abandoned　himself　to　a　sense　of　an　immense



deception　and　the　feeling　of　extreme　fatigue。　　This　walk　up　the



hill　and　down　again　was　like　the　supreme　effort　of　an　explorer



trying　to　penetrate　the　interior　of　an　unknown　country；　the　secret



of　which　is　too　well　defended　by　its　cruel　and　barren　nature。



Decoyed　by　a　mirage；　he　had　gone　too　far　…　so　far　that　there　was　no



going　back。　　His　strength　was　at　an　end。　　For　the　first　time　in　his



life　he　had　to　give　up；　and　with　a　sort　of　despairing　self…



possession　he　tried　to　understand　the　cause　of　the　defeat。　　He　did



not　ascribe　it　to　that　absurd　dead　man。







The　hesitating　shadow　of　Luiz　approached　him　unnoticed　till　it



spoke　timidly。　　Renouard　started。







〃Eh？　　What？　　Dinner　waiting？　　You　must　say　I　beg　to　be　excused。　　I



can't　come。　　But　I　shall　see　them　to…morrow　morning；　at　the　landing



place。　　Take　your　orders　from　the　professor　as　to　the　sailing　of



the　schooner。　　Go　now。〃







Luiz；　dumbfounded；　retreated　into　the　darkness。　　Renouard　did　not



move；　but　hours　afterwards；　like　the　bitter　fruit　of　his



immobility；　the　words：　　〃I　had　nothing　to　offer　to　her　vanity；〃



came　from　his　lips　in　the　silence　of　the　island。　　And　it　was　then



only　that　he　stirred；　only　to　wear　the　night　out　in　restless



tramping　up　and　down　the　various　paths　of　the　plantation。　　Luiz；



whose　sleep　was　made　light　by　the　consciousness　of　some　impending



change；　heard　footsteps　passing　by　his　hut；　the　firm　tread　of　the



master；　and　turning　on　his　mats　emitted　a　faint　Tse！　Tse！　Tse！　of



deep　concern。







Lights　had　been　burning　in　the　bungalow　almost　all　through　the



night；　and　with　the　first　sign　of　day　began　the　bustle　of



departure。　　House　boys　walked　processionally　carrying　suit…cases



and　dressing…bags　down　to　the　schooner's　boat；　which　came　to　the



landing　place　at　the　bottom　of　the　garden。　　Just　as　the　rising　sun



threw　its　golden　nimbus　around　the　purple　shape　of　the　headland；



the　Planter　of　Malata　was　perceived　pacing　bare…headed　the　curve　of



the　little　bay。　　He　exchanged　a　few　words　with　the　sailing…master



of　the　schooner；　then　remained　by　the　boat；　standing　very　upright；



his　eyes　on　the　ground；　waiting。







He　had　not　long　to　wait。　　Into　the　cool；　overshadowed　garden　the



professor　descended　first；　and　came　jauntily　down　the　path　in　a



lively　cracking　of　small　shells。　　With　his　closed　parasol　hooked　on



his　forearm；　and　a　book　in　his　hand；　he　resembled　a　banal　tourist



more　than　was　permissible　to　a　man　of　his　unique　distinction。　　He



waved　the　disengaged　arm　from　a　distance；　but　at　close　quarters；



arrested　before　Renouard's　immobility；　he　made　no　offer　to　shake



hands。　　He　seemed　to　appraise　the　aspect　of　the　man　with　a　sharp



glance；　and　made　up　his　mind。







〃We　are　going　back　by　Suez；〃　he　began　almost　boisterously。　　〃I　have



been　looking　up　the　sailing　lists。　　If　the　zephirs　of　your　Pacific



are　only　moderately　propitious　I　think　we　are　sure　to　catch　the



mail　boat　due　in　Marseilles　on　the　18th　of　March。　　This　will　suit



me　excellently。　。　。　。〃　　He　lowered　his　tone。　　〃My　dear　young



friend；　I'm　deeply　grateful　to　you。〃







Renouard's　set　lips　moved。







〃Why　are　you　grateful　to　me？〃







〃Ah！　　Why？　　In　the　first　place　you　might　have　made　us　miss　the　next



boat；　mightn't　you？　。　。　。　I　don't　thank　you　for　your　hospitality。



You　can't　be　angry　with　me　for　saying　that　I　am　truly　thankful　to



escape　from　it。　　But　I　am　grateful　to　you　for　what　you　have　done；



and　…　for　being　what　you　are。〃







It　was　difficult　to　define　the　flavour　of　that　speech；　but　Renouard



received　it　with　an　austerely　equivocal　smile。　　The　professor



stepping　into　the　boat　opened　his　parasol　and　sat　down　in　the



stern…sheets　waiting　for　the　ladies。　　No　sound　of　human　voice　broke



the　fresh　silence　of　the　morning　while　they　walked　the　broad　path；



Miss　Moorsom　a　little　in　advance　of　her　aunt。







When　she　came　abreast　of　him　Renouard　rai