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　more　tender　organism　than　the　body；　and　it　shrinks　from　the　prospect　of　being　subjected　to　violence。　　Violencespiritual　violence　was　what　our　luxurious　hero　feared；　and　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　as　he　lingered　there　by　the　sea；　late　into　the　night；　while　the　gurgitation　of　the　waves　grew　deeper　to　his　ear；　the　prospect　came　to　have　an　element　of　positive　terror。　The　two　faces　of　his　situation　stood　confronting　each　other；　it　was　a　rigid；　brutal　opposition；　and　Bernard　held　his　breath　for　a　while　with　the　wonder　of　what　would　come　of　it。　He　sat　a　long　time　upon　the　beach；　the　night　grew　very　cold；　but　he　had　no　sense　of　it。　　Then　he　went　away　and　passed　before　the　Casino　again；　and　wandered　through　the　village。　The　Casino　was　shrouded　in　darkness　and　silence；　and　there　was　nothing　in　the　streets　of　the　little　town　but　the　salt　smell　of　the　sea；　a　vague　aroma　of　fish　and　the　distant　sound　of　the　breakers。　Little　by　little；　Bernard　lost　the　feeling　of　having　been　startled；　and　began　to　perceive　that　he　could　reason　about　his　trouble。　Trouble　it　was；　though　this　seems　an　odd　name　for　the　consciousness　of　a　bright　enchantment；　and　the　first　thing　that　reason；　definitely　consulted；　told　him　about　the　matter　was　that　he　had　been　in　love　with　Angela　Vivian　any　time　these　three　years。　This　sapient　faculty　supplied　him　with　further　information；　only　two　or　three　of　the　items　of　which；　however；　it　is　necessary　to　reproduce。　　He　had　been　a　great　foolan　incredible　fool　not　to　have　discovered　before　this　what　was　the　matter　with　him！　Bernard's　sense　of　his　own　shrewdnessalways　tolerably　acute　had　never　received　such　a　bruise　as　this　present　perception　that　a　great　many　things　had　been　taking　place　in　his　clever　mind　without　his　clever　mind　suspecting　them。　But　it　little　mattered；　his　reason　went　on　to　declare；　what　he　had　suspected　or　what　he　might　now　feel　about　it；　his　present　business　was　to　leave　Blanquais…les…Galets　at　sunrise　the　next　morning　and　never　rest　his　eyes　upon　Angela　Vivian　again。　　This　was　his　duty；　it　had　the　merit　of　being　perfectly　plain　and　definite；　easily　apprehended；　and　unattended；　as　far　as　he　could　discover；　with　the　smallest　material　difficulties。　　Not　only　this；　reason　continued　to　remark；　but　the　moral　difficulties　were　equally　inconsiderable。　He　had　never　breathed　a　word　of　his　passion　to　Miss　Vivian　quite　the　contrary；　he　had　never　committed　himself　nor　given　her　the　smallest　reason　to　suspect　his　hidden　flame；　and　he　was　therefore　perfectly　free　to　turn　his　back　upon　her　he　could　never　incur　the　reproach　of　trifling　with　her　affections。　Bernard　was　in　that　state　of　mind　when　it　is　the　greatest　of　blessings　to　be　saved　the　distress　of　choiceto　see　a　straight　path　before　you　and　to　feel　that　you　have　only　to　follow　it。　Upon　the　straight　path　I　have　indicated；　he　fixed　his　eyes　very　hard；　of　course　he　would　take　his　departure　at　the　earliest　possible　hour　on　the　morrow。　　There　was　a　streak　of　morning　in　the　eastern　sky　by　the　time　he　knocked　for　re…admittance　at　the　door　of　the　inn；　which　was　opened　to　him　by　a　mysterious　old　woman　in　a　nightcap　and　meagre　accessories；　whose　identity　he　failed　to　ascertain；　and　he　laid　himself　down　to　resthe　was　very　tiredwith　his　attention　fastened；　as　I　say；　on　the　ideaon　the　very　imageof　departure。

On　waking　up　the　next　morning；　rather　late；　he　found；　however；　that　it　had　attached　itself　to　a　very　different　object。　　His　vision　was　filled　with　the　brightness　of　the　delightful　fact　itself；　which　seemed　to　impregnate　the　sweet　morning　air　and　to　flutter　in　the　light；　fresh　breeze　that　came　through　his　open　window　from　the　sea。　He　saw　a　great　patch　of　the　sea　between　a　couple　of　red…tiled　roofs；　it　was　bluer　than　any　sea　had　ever　been　before。　　He　had　not　slept　long　only　three　or　four　hours；　but　he　had　quite　slept　off　his　dread。　The　shadow　had　dropped　away　and　nothing　was　left　but　the　beauty　of　his　love；　which　seemed　to　shine　in　the　freshness　of　the　early　day。　He　felt　absurdly　happyas　if　he　had　discovered　El　Dorado；　quite　apart　from　consequenceshe　was　not　thinking　of　consequences；　which　of　course　were　another　affairthe　feeling　was　intrinsically　the　finest　one　he　had　ever　had；　andas　a　mere　feelinghe　had　not　done　with　it　yet。　The　consideration　of　consequences　could　easily　be　deferred；　and　there　would；　meanwhile；　be　no　injury　to　any　one　in　his　extracting；　very　quietly；　a　little　subjective　joy　from　the　state　of　his　heart。　He　would　let　the　flower　bloom　for　a　day　before　plucking　it　up　by　the　roots。　　Upon　this　latter　course　he　was　perfectly　resolved；　and　in　view　of　such　an　heroic　resolution　the　subjective　interlude　appeared　no　more　than　his　just　privilege。　　The　project　of　leaving　Blanquais…les…Galets　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　dropped　lightly　from　his　mind；　making　no　noise　as　it　fell；　but　another　took　its　place；　which　had　an　air　of　being　still　more　excellent　and　which　consisted　of　starting　off　on　a　long　walk　and　absenting　himself　for　the　day。　Bernard　grasped　his　stick　and　wandered　away；　he　climbed　the　great　shoulder　of　the　further　cliff　and　found　himself　on　the　level　downs。　Here　there　was　apparently　no　obstacle　whatever　to　his　walking　as　far　as　his　fancy　should　carry　him。　　The　summer　was　still　in　a　splendid　mood；　and　the　hot　and　quiet　dayit　was　a　Sunday　seemed　to　constitute　a　deep；　silent　smile　on　the　face　of　nature。　The　sea　glistened　on　one　side；　and　the　crops　ripened　on　the　other；　the　larks；　losing　themselves　in　the　dense　sunshine；　made　it　ring　here　and　there　in　undiscoverable　spots；　this　was　the　only　sound　save　when　Bernard；　pausing　now　and　then　in　his　walk；　found　himself　hearing　far　below　him；　at　the　base　of　the　cliff；　the　drawling　murmur　of　a　wave。　　He　walked　a　great　many　miles　and　passed　through　half　a　dozen　of　those　rude　fishing…hamlets；　lodged　in　some　sloping　hollow　of　the　cliffs；　so　many　of　which；　of　late　years；　all　along　the　Norman　coast；　have　adorned　themselves　with　a　couple　of　hotels　and　a　row　of　bathing…machines。　He　walked　so　far　that　the　shadows　had　begun　to　lengthen　before　he　bethought　himself　of　stopping；　the　afternoon　had　come　on　and　had　already　begun　to　wane。　The　grassy　downs　still　stretched　before　him；　shaded　here　and　there　with　shallow　but　windless　dells。　　He　looked　for　the　softest　place　and　then　flung　himself　down　on　the　grass；　he　lay　there　for　a　long　time；　thinking　of　many　things。　　He　had　determined　to　give　himself　up　to　a　day's　happiness；　it　was　happiness　of　a　very　harmless　kind　the　satisfaction　of　thought；　the　bliss　of　mere　consciousness；　but　such　as　it　was　it　did　not　elude　him　nor　turn　bitter　in　his　heart；　and　the　long　summer　day　closed　upon　him　before　his　spirit；　hovering　in　perpetual　circles　round　the　idea　of　what　might　be；　had　begun　to　rest　its　wing。　　When　he　rose　to　his　feet　again　it　was　too　late　to　return　to　Blanquais　in　the　same　way　that　he　had　come；　the　evening　was　at　hand；　the　light　was　already　fading；　and　the　walk　he　had　taken　was　one　which　even　if　he　had　not　felt　very　tired；　he　would　have　thought　it　imprudent　to　attempt　to　repeat　in　the　darkness。　He　made　his　way　to　the　nearest　village；　where　he　was　able　to　hire　a　rustic　carriole；　in　which　primitive　conveyance；　gaining　the　high…road；　he　jogged　and　jostled　through　the　hours　of　the　evening　slowly　back　to　his　starting…point。　It　wanted　an　hour　of　midnight　by　the　time　he　reached　his　inn；　and　there　was　nothing　left　for　him　but　to　go　to　bed。

He　went　in　the　unshaken　faith　that　he　should　leave　Blanquais　early　on　the　morrow。　　But　early　on　the　morrow　it　occurred　to　him　that　it　would　be　simply　grotesque　to　go　off　without　taking　leave　of　Mrs。　Vivian　and　her　daughter；　and　offering　them　some　explanation　of　his　intention。　　He　had　given　them　to　understand　that；　so　delighted　was　he　to　find　them　there；　he　would　remain　at　Blanquais　at　least　as　long　as　they。　He　must　have　seemed　to　them　wanting　in　civility；　to　spend　a　whole　bright　Sunday　without　apparently　troubling　his　head　about　them；　and　if　the　unlucky　fact　of　his　being　in　love　with　the　girl　were　a　reason　for　doing　his　duty；　it　was　at　least　not　a　reason　for　being　rude。　　He　had　not　yet　come　to　that　to　accepting　rudeness　as　an　incident　of　virtue；　it　had　always　been　his　theory　that　virtue　had　the　best　manners　in　the　world；　and　he　flattered　himself　at　any　rate　that　he　could　guard　his　integrity　without　making　himself　ridiculous。　　So；　at　what　he　thought　a　proper　hour；　in　the　course　of　the　morning；　he　retraced　his　steps　along　the　little　lane　through　which；　two　days　ago；　Angela　Vivian　had　shown　him　the　way　to　her　mother's　door。　At　this　humble　portal　he　knocked；　the　windows　of　the　little　chalet　were　open；　and　the　white　curtains；　behind　the　flower…pots；　were　fluttering　as　he　had　seen　them　before。　　The　door　was　opened　by　a　neat　young　woman；　who　informed　him　very　promptly　that　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　had　left　Blanquais　a　couple　of　hours　earlier。　　They　had　gone　to　Parisyes；　very　suddenly；　taking　with　them　but　little　luggage；　and　they　had　left　her　she　had　the　honor　of　being　the　femme　de　chambre　of　ces　dames　to　put　up　their　remaining　possessions　and　follow　as　soon　as　possible。　On　Bernard's　expressing　surprise　and　saying　that　he　had　supposed　them　to　be　fixed　at　the　sea…side　for　the　rest　of　the　season；　the　femme　de　chambre；　who　seemed　a　very　intelligent　person；　begged　to　remind　him　t