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accompany her from church； and； after her parents had retired；
spend a blissful half…hour alone with her。 With what a mingling of
fear and childish curiosity she used to accept his equally timid
caresses！ Yes； he would go and fetch her； and he would recall it
to her in a whisper while they were there。
Filled with this idea； when he changed his clothes again he put on
a certain heavy beaver overcoat； on whose shaggy sleeve her little；
hand had so often rested when he escorted her from meeting； and he
even selected the gray muffler she had knit for him in the old
ante…nuptial days。 It was lying in the half…opened drawer from
where she had not long before taken her disguising veil。
It was still blowing in sudden； capricious gusts； and when he
opened the front door the wind charged fiercely upon him； as if to
drive him back。 When he had finally forced his way into the
street； a return current closed the door as suddenly and sharply
behind him as if it had ejected him from his home for ever。
He reached the fourth house quickly； and as quickly ran up the
steps； his hand was upon the bell when his eye suddenly caught
sight of his wife's pass…key still in the lock。 She had evidently
forgotten it。 Here was a chance to mischievously banter that
habitually careful little woman！ He slipped it into his pocket and
quietly entered the dark but perfectly familiar hall。 He reached
the staircase without a stumble and began to ascend softly。
Halfway up he heard the sound of his wife's hurried voice and
another that startled him。 He ascended hastily two steps； which
brought him to the level of the half…opened transom of the kitchen。
A candle was burning on the kitchen table； he could see everything
that passed in the room； he could hear distinctly every word that
was uttered。
He did not utter a cry or sound； he did not even tremble。 He
remained so rigid and motionless； clutching the banisters with his
stiffened fingers； that when he did attempt to move； all life； as
well as all that had made life possible to him； seemed to have died
from him for ever。 There was no nervous illusion； no dimming of
his senses； he saw everything with a hideous clarity of perception。
By some diabolical instantaneous photography of the brain； little
actions； peculiarities； touches of gesture； expression and attitude
never before noted by him in his wife； were clearly fixed and
bitten in his consciousness。 He saw the color of his friend's
overcoat； the reddish tinge of his wife's brown hair； till then
unnoticed； in that supreme moment he was aware of a sudden likeness
to her mother； but more terrible than all； there seemed to be a
nameless sympathetic resemblance that the guilty pair had to each
other in gesture and movement as of some unhallowed relationship
beyond his ken。 He knew not how long he stood there without
breath； without reflection； without one connected thought。 He saw
her suddenly put her hand on the handle of the door。 He knew that
in another moment they would pass almost before him。 He made a
convulsive effort to move； with an inward cry to God for support；
and succeeded in staggering with outstretched palms against the
wall； down the staircase； and blindly forward through the hall to
the front door。 As yet he had been able to formulate only one
ideato escape before them； for it seemed to him that their
contact meant the ruin of them both； of that house； of all that was
near to hima catastrophe that struck blindly at his whole visible
world。 He had reached the door and opened it at the moment that
the handle of the kitchen…door was turned。 He mechanically fell
back behind the open door that hid him； while it let the cruel
light glimmer for a moment on their clasped figures。 The door
slipped from his nerveless fingers and swung to with a dull sound。
Crouching still in the corner； he heard the quick rush of hurrying
feet in the darkness； saw the door open and Demorest glide outsaw
her glance hurriedly after him； close the door； and involve herself
and him in the blackness of the hall。 Her dress almost touched him
in his corner； he could feel the near scent of her clothes； and the
air stirred by her figure retreating towards the stairs； could hear
the unlocking of a door above and the voice of her mother from the
landing； his wife's reply； the slow fading of her footsteps on the
stairs and overhead； the closing of a door； and all was quiet
again。 Still stooping； he groped for the handle of the door；
opened it； and the next moment reeled like a drunken man down the
steps into the street。
It was well for him that a fierce onset of wind and sleet at that
instant caught him savagelystirred his stagnated blood into
action； and beat thought once more into his brain。 He had
mechanically turned towards his own home； his first effort of
recovering will hurried him furiously past it and into a side
street。 He walked rapidly； but undeviatingly on to escape
observation and secure some solitude for his returning thoughts。
Almost before he knew it he was in the open fields。
The idea of vengeance had never crossed his mind。 He was neither
a physical nor a moral coward； but he had never felt the merely
animal fury of disputed animal possession which the world has
chosen to recognize as a proof of outraged sentiment； nor had North
Liberty accepted the ethics that an exchange of shots equalized a
transferred affection。 His love had been too pure and too real to
be moved like the beasts of the field； to seek in one brutal
passion compensation for another。 Killingwhat was there to kill？
All that he had to live for had been already slain。 With the love
that was in himin themalready dead at his feet； what was it to
him whether these two hollow lives moved on and passed him； or
mingled their emptiness elsewhere？ Only let them henceforth keep
out of his way！
For in his first feverish flow of thoughtthe reaction to his
benumbed will within and the beating sleet withouthe believed
Demorest as treacherous as his wife。 He recalled his sudden and
unexpected intrusion into the buggy only a few hours before； his
mysterious confidences； his assurance of Joan's favorable reception
of his secret； and her consent to the Californian trip。 What had
all this meant if not that Demorest was using him； the husband； to
assist his intrigue； and carry the news of his presence in the town
to her？ And this boldness； this assurance； this audacity of
conception was like Demorest！ While only certain passages of the
guilty meeting he had just seen and overheard were distinctly
impressed on his mind； he remembered now； with hideous and terrible
clearness； all that had gone before。 It was part of the disturbed
and unequal exaltation of his faculties that he dwelt more upon
this and his wife's previous deceit and manifest hypocrisy； than
upon the actual evidence he had witnessed of her unfaithfulness。
The corroboration of the fact was stronger to him than the fact
itself。 He understood the coldness； the uncongeniality nowthe
simulated increase of her aversion to Demoresther journeys to
Boston and Hartford to see her relatives； her acquiescence to his
frequent absences； not an incident； not a characteristic of her
married life was inconsistent with her guilt and her deceit。 He
went even back to her maidenhood： how did he know this was not the
legitimate sequence of other secret schoolgirl escapades。 The
bitter worldly light that had been forced upon his simple ingenuous
nature had dazzled and blinded him。 He passed from fatuous
credulity to equally fatuous distrust。
He stopped suddenly with the roaring of water before him。 In the
furious following of his rapid thought through storm and darkness
he had come； he knew not how； upon the bank of the swollen river；
whose endangered bridge Demorest had turned from that evening。 A
few steps more and he would have fallen into it。 He drew nearer
and looked at it with vague curiosity。 Had he come there with any
definite intention？ The thought sobered without frightening him。
There was always THAT culmination possible； and to be considered
coolly。
He turned and began to retrace his steps。 On