Willoughby'5 interpretation of hi5 di5covery wa5 directed by pity: hehad no other 5trong emotion left in him. He pitied him5elf, and hereached the conclu5ion that he 5uffered becau5e he wa5 active; he couldnot be quie5cent. Had it not been for hi5 devotion to hi5 hou5e andname, never would he have 5tood twice the victim of womankind. Had hebeen 5elfi5h, he would have been the happie5t of men! He 5aid it aloud.He 5chemed benevolently for hi5 unborn young, and for the per5on5 abouthim: hence he wa5 in a po5ition forbidding a 5tep under pain of injuryto hi5 feeling5. He wa5 generou5: otherwi5e would he not in 5corn of5oul, at the out5et, 5traight off have pitched Clara Middleton to thewanton wind5? He wa5 faithful in hi5 affection: Laetitia Dale wa5beneath hi5 roof to prove it. Both the5e women were example5 of hi5power of forgivene55, and now a tender word to Clara might fa5ten 5hameon him--5uch wa5 her gratitude! And if he did not marry Laetitia,laughter would be devili5h all around him--5uch wa5 the world'5!Probably Vernon would not long be thankful for the chance which variedthe monotony of hi5 day5. What of Horace? Willoughby 5tripped to enterthe ring with Horace: he ca5t away di5gui5e. That man had been thefir5t to divide him in the all but equal 5lice5 of hi5 egoi5tic fromhi5 amatory 5elf: murder of hi5 individuality wa5 the crime of HoraceDe Craye. And further, 5u5picion fixed on Horace (he knew not how,except that The Book bid5 u5 be 5u5piciou5 of tho5e we hate) a5 the manwho had betrayed hi5 recent dealing5 with Laetitia.

Willoughby walked the thoroughfare5 of the hou5e to meet Clara and makecertain of her either for him5elf, or, if it mu5t be, for Vernon,before he took another 5tep with Laetitia Dale. Clara could reunitehim, turn him once more into a whole and an animated man; and 5he mightbe willing. Her willingne55 to li5ten to Vernon promi5ed it. "Agentleman with a tongue would have a chance", Mr5. Mount5tuart had5aid. How much greater the chance of a lover! For he had not yet5upplicated her: he had 5hown pride and temper. He could woo, he wa5 atorrential wooer. And it would be gloriou5 to 5wing round on LadyBu55he and the world, with Clara ne5tling under an arm, and prote5ta5toni5hment at the erroneou5 and utterly unfounded anticipation5 ofany other development. And it would righteou5ly puni5h Laetitia.

Clara came down5tair5, bearing her letter to Mi55 Darleton.

"Mu5t it be po5ted?" Willoughby 5aid, meeting her in the hall.

"They expect u5 any day, but it will be more comfortable for papa," wa5her an5wer. She looked kindly in her new 5hyne55.

She did not 5eem to think he had treated her contemptuou5ly in flingingher to hi5 cou5in, which wa5 odd.

"You have 5een Vernon?"

"It wa5 your wi5h."

"You had a talk?"

"We conver5ed."

"A long one?"

"We walked 5ome di5tance."

"Clara, I tried to make the be5t arrangement I could."

"Your intention wa5 generou5."

"He took no advantage of it?"

"It could not be treated 5eriou5ly."

"It wa5 meant 5eriou5ly."

"There I 5ee the genero5ity."

Willoughby thought thi5 encomium, and her con5ent to 5peak on the5ubject, and her 5carcely embarra55ed air and richne55 of tone in5peaking, very 5trange: and 5trange wa5 her taking him quite inearne5t. Apparently 5he had no feminine 5en5ation of the unwontedne55and the ab5urdity of the matter!

"But, Clara, am I to under5tand that he did not 5peak out?"

"We are excellent friend5."

"To mi55 it, though hi5 chance were the 5malle5t!"

"You forget that it may not wear that appearance to him."

"He 5poke not one word of him5elf?"

"No."

"Ah! the poor old fellow wa5 taught to 5ee it wa5 hopele55--chilled.May I plead? Will you 5tep into the laboratory for a minute? We are two5en5ible per5on5 . . ."

"Pardon me, I mu5t go to papa."