Mackinnonwasobligedtodeclarethathethoughthiswifewouldobject；andfromthattimeforthheandMrs。Talboysceasedtobeverycloseintheirfriendship。ShestillcametothehouseeverySundayevening，stillrefreshedherselfatthefountainsofhisliteraryrills；butherspecialpropheciesfromhenceforthwerepouredintootherears。AnditsohappenedthatO\'Briennowbecameherchiefally。Idonotrememberthatshetroubledherselfmuchfurtherwiththecherubangelsorwiththeirmother；andIaminclinedtothinkthat，takingupwarmly，asshedid，thestoryofO\'Brien\'smatrimonialwrongs，sheforgotthelittlehistoryoftheBrowns。Bethatasitmay，Mrs。TalboysandO\'Briennowbecamestrictlyconfidential，andshewouldenlargebythehalf-hourtogetheronthemiseriesofherfriend\'sposition，toanyonewhomshecouldgettohearher。
\"I\'lltellyouwhat，Fanny，\"Mackinnonsaidtohiswifeoneday，tohiswifeandtomine，forwewerealltogether；\"weshallhavearowinthehouseifwedon\'ttakecare。O\'BrienwillbemakinglovetoMrs。Talboys。\"
\"Nonsense，\"saidMrs。Mackinnon。\"Youarealwaysthinkingthatsomebodyisgoingtomakelovetosomeone。\"
\"Somebodyalwaysis，\"saidhe。
\"She\'soldenoughtobehismother，\"saidMrs。Mackinnon。
\"WhatdoesthatmattertoanIrishman？\"saidMackinnon。\"Besides，I
doubtifthereismorethanfiveyears\'differencebetweenthem。\"
\"Theremustbemorethanthat，\"saidmywife。\"IdaTalboysistwelve，Iknow，andIamnotquitesurethatIdaistheeldest。\"
\"IfshehadasonintheGuardsitwouldmakenodifference，\"saidMackinnon。\"Therearemenwhoconsiderthemselvesboundtomakelovetoawomanundercertaincircumstances，lettheageoftheladybewhatitmay。O\'Brienissuchaone；andifshesympathiseswithhimmuchoftener，hewillmistakethematter，andgodownonhisknees。Yououghttoputhimonhisguard，\"hesaid，addressinghimselftohiswife。
\"Indeed，Ishalldonosuchthing，\"saidshe；\"iftheyaretwofools，theymust，likeotherfools，paythepriceoftheirfolly。\"
AsaruletherecouldbenosoftercreaturethanMrs。Mackinnon；butitseemedtomethathertendernessneverextendeditselfinthedirectionofMrs。Talboys。
Justatthistime，towardstheend，thatis，ofNovember，wemadeapartytovisitthetombswhichliealongtheAppianWay，beyondthatmostbeautifulofallsepulchres，thetombofCeciliaMetella。Itwasadeliciousday，andwehaddrivenalongthisroadforacoupleofmilesbeyondthewallsofthecity，enjoyingthemostlovelyviewwhichtheneighbourhoodofRomeaffords，lookingoverthewondrousruinsoftheoldaqueducts，uptowardsTivoliandPalestrina。OfalltheenvironsofRomethisis，onafairclearday，themostenchanting；andhereperhaps，amongaworldoftombs，thoughtsandalmostmemoriesoftheold，olddayscomeupononewiththegreatestforce。ThegrandeurofRomeisbestseenandunderstoodfrombeneaththewallsoftheColiseum，anditsbeautyamongthepillarsoftheForumandthearchesoftheSacredWay；butitshistoryandfallbecomemorepalpabletothemind，andmoreclearlyrealised，outhereamongthetombs，wheretheeyesrestuponthemountainswhoseshadeswerecooltotheoldRomansastous，thananywherewithinthewallsofthecity。HerewelookoutatthesameTivoliandthesamePraeneste，glitteringinthesunshine，emboweredamongthefar-offvalleys，whichweredeartothem；andthebluemountainshavenotcrumbledawayintoruins。WithinRomeitselfwecanseenothingastheysawit。
Ourpartyconsistedofsomedozenorfifteenpersons，andasahamperwithluncheoninithadbeenleftonthegrassyslopeatthebaseofthetombofCeciliaMetella，theexpeditionhadinitsomethingofthenatureofapicnic。Mrs。Talboyswasofcoursewithus，andIdaTalboys。O\'Brienalsowasthere。ThehamperhadbeenpreparedinMrs。Mackinnon\'sroom，undertheimmediateeyeofMackinnonhimself，andtheythereforewereregardedasthedominantspiritsoftheparty。MywifewasleaguedwithMrs。Mackinnon，aswasusuallythecase；andthereseemedtobeageneralopinionamongthosewhowerecloselyinconfidencetogether，thatsomethingwouldhappenintheO\'Brien-Talboysmatter。Thetwohadbeeninseparableonthepreviousevening，forMrs。TalboyshadbeenurgingontheyoungIrishmanhercounselsrespectinghisdomestictroubles。SirCresswellCresswell，shehadtoldhim，washisrefuge。\"Whyshouldhissoulsubmittobondswhichtheworldhadnowdeclaredtobeintolerable？Divorcewasnotnowtheprivilegeofthedissoluterich。Spiritswhichwereincompatibleneednolongerbecompelledtofretbeneaththesamecobbles。\"Inshort，shehadrecommendedhimtogotoEnglandandgetridofhiswife，asshewould，withalittleencouragement，haverecommendedanymantogetridofanything。Iamsurethat，hadshebeenskilfullybroughtontothesubject，shemighthavebeeninducedtopronounceaverdictagainstsuchligaturesforthebodyascoats，waistcoats，andtrowsers。Heraspirationsforfreedomignoredallbounds，and，intheory，therewerenobarrierswhichshewasnotwillingtodemolish。
PoorO\'Brien，asweallnowbegantosee，hadtakenthematteramiss。HehadofferedtomakeabustofMrs。Talboys，andshehadconsented，expressingawishthatitmightfindaplaceamongthosewhohaddevotedthemselvestotheenfranchisementoftheirfellow-
creatures。Ireallythinkshehadbutlittleofawoman\'scustomarypersonalvanity。Iknowshehadanideathathereyewaslightedupinherwarmermomentsbysomespecialfire，thatsparksoflibertyshoneroundherbrow，andthatherbosomheavedwithgloriousaspirations；butallthesefeelingshadreferencetoherinnergenius，nottoanyoutwardbeauty。ButO\'Brienmisunderstoodthewoman，andthoughtitnecessarytogazeintoherface，andsighasthoughhisheartwerebreaking。IndeedhedeclaredtoayoungfriendthatMrs。Talboyswasperfectinherstyleofbeauty，andbeganthebustwiththisidea。Itwasgraduallybecomingcleartousallthathewouldbringhimselftogrief；butinsuchamatterwhocancautionaman？
Mrs。Mackinnonhadcontrivedtoseparatetheminmakingthecarriagearrangementsonthisday，butthisonlyaddedfueltothefirewhichwasnowburningwithinO\'Brien\'sbosom。Ibelievethathereallydidloveher，inhiseasy，eager，susceptibleIrishway。Thathewouldgetoverthelittleepisodewithoutanyseriousinjurytohisheartnoonedoubted；butthen，whatwouldoccurwhenthedeclarationwasmade？HowwouldMrs。Talboysbearit？
\"Shedeservesit，\"saidMrs。Mackinnon。
\"Andtwiceasmuch，\"mywifeadded。Whyisitthatwomenaresospitefultoeachother？
EarlyinthedayMrs。Talboysclambereduptothetopofatomb，andmadealittlespeech，holdingaparasoloverherhead。Beneathherfeet，shesaid，reposedtheashesofsomebloatedsenator，somegluttonoftheempire，whohadswallowedintohismawtheprovisionnecessaryforatribe。OldRomehadfallenthroughsuchselfishnessasthat；butnewRomewouldnotforgetthelesson。Allthiswasverywell，andthenO\'Brienhelpedherdown；butafterthistherewasnoseparatingthem。ForherownpartshewouldsoonerhavehadMackinnonatherelbow。ButMackinnonnowhadfoundsomeotherelbow。
\"Enoughofthatwasasgoodasafeast，\"hehadsaidtohiswife。
AndthereforeMrs。Talboys，quiteunconsciousofevil，allowedherselftobeengrossedbyO\'Brien。