sometimestheyboredmefearfully。Butyouweresuchaverycuriouscaseof——whatshallIcallit？——ofsincerity，thatIdeterminedtotakegoodandbadtogether。Iwantedtomakeyoucommityourselfunmistakably。Ishouldhavepreferrednottobringyoutothisplace;butthattoowasnecessary。OfcourseIcan’tmarryyou;I
candobetter。Socanyou，forthatmatter;thankyourfateforit。
Youhavethoughtwondersofmeforamonth，butyourgood—humourwouldn’tlast。Iamtoooldandtoowise;youaretooyoungandtoofoolish。ItseemstomethatIhavebeenverygoodtoyou;Ihaveentertainedyoutothetopofyourbent，and，exceptperhapsthatI
amalittlebrusquejustnow，youhavenothingtocomplainof。I
wouldhaveletyoudownmoregentlyifIcouldhavetakenanothermonthtoit;butcircumstanceshaveforcedmyhand。Abuseme，curseme，ifyoulike。Iwillmakeeveryallowance！\"Pickeringlistenedtoallthisintentlyenoughtoperceivethat，asifbysomesuddennaturalcataclysm，thegroundhadbrokenawayathisfeet，andthathemustrecoil。Heturnedawayindumbamazement。\"Idon’tknowhowIseemedtobetakingit，\"hesaid，\"butsheseemedreallytodesire—
—Idon’tknowwhy——somethinginthewayofreproachandvituperation。
ButIcouldn’t，inthatway，haveutteredasyllable。Iwassickened;Iwantedtogetawayintotheair——toshakeheroffandcometomysenses。’Haveyounothing，nothing，nothingtosay？’shecried，asifsheweredisappointed，whileIstoodwithmyhandonthedoor。’Haven’tItreatedyoutotalkenough？’IbelievedIanswered。
’Youwillwritetomethen，whenyougethome？’’Ithinknot，’saidI。’Sixmonthshence，Ifancy，youwillcomeandseeme！’’Never！’
saidI。’That’saconfessionofstupidity，’sheanswered。’Itmeansthat，evenonreflection，youwillneverunderstandthephilosophyofmyconduct。’Theword’philosophy’seemedsostrangethatIverilybelieveIsmiled。’Ihavegivenyouallthatyougaveme，’shewenton。’Yourpassionwasanaffairofthehead。’’Ionlywishyouhadtoldmesoonerthatyouconsidereditso！’Iexclaimed。AndIwentmyway。ThenextdayIcamedowntheRhine。Isatalldayontheboat，notknowingwhereIwasgoing，wheretogetoff。Iwasinakindofagueofterror;itseemedtomeIhadseensomethinginfernal。AtlastIsawthecathedraltowershereloomingoverthecity。Theyseemedtosaysomethingtome，andwhentheboatstopped，Icameashore。Ihavebeenhereaweek。Ihavenotsleptatnight——
andyetithasbeenaweekofrest！\"
Itseemedtomethathewasinafairwaytorecover，andthathisownphilosophy，iflefttotakeitstime，wasadequatetotheoccasion。AfterhisstorywasoncetoldIreferredtohisgrievancebutonce——thatevening，later，aswewereabouttoseparateforthenight。\"SuffermetosaythattherewassometruthinHERaccountofyourrelations，\"Isaid。\"Youwereusingherintellectually，andallthewhile，withoutyourknowingit，shewasusingyou。Itwasdiamondcutdiamond。Herneedswerethemoresuperficial，andshegottiredofthegamefirst。\"Hefrownedandturneduneasilyaway，butwithoutcontradictingme。Iwaitedafewmoments，toseeifhewouldremember，beforeweparted，thathehadaclaimtomakeuponme。Butheseemedtohaveforgottenit。
Thenextdaywestrolledaboutthepicturesqueoldcity，andofcourse，beforelong，wentintothecathedral。Pickeringsaidlittle;
heseemedintentuponhisownthoughts。Hesatdownbesideapillarnearachapel，infrontofagorgeouswindow，and，leavinghimtohismeditations，Iwanderedthroughthechurch。WhenIcamebackIsawhehadsomethingtosay。ButbeforehehadspokenIlaidmyhandonhisshoulderandlookedathimwithasignificantsmile。Heslowlybenthisheadanddroppedhiseyes，withamixtureofassentandhumility。Idrewforthfromwhereithadlainuntouchedforamonththeletterhehadgivenmetokeep，placeditsilentlyonhisknee，andlefthimtodealwithitalone。
HalfanhourlaterIreturnedtothesameplace，buthehadgone，andoneofthesacristans，hoveringaboutandseeingmelookingforPickering，saidhethoughthehadleftthechurch。Ifoundhiminhisgloomychamberattheinn，pacingslowlyupanddown。IshoulddoubtlesshavebeenatalosstosayjustwhateffectIexpectedtheletterfromSmyrnatoproduce;buthisactualaspectsurprisedme。
Hewasflushed，excited，atrifleirritated。
\"Evidently，\"Isaid，\"youhavereadyourletter。\"
\"ItisproperIshouldtellyouwhatisinit，\"heanswered。\"WhenI
gaveittoyouamonthago，Ididmyfriendsinjustice。\"
\"Youcalledita’summons，’Iremember。\"
\"Iwasagreatfool！It’sarelease！\"
\"Fromyourengagement？\"
\"Fromeverything！Theletter，ofcourse，isfromMr。Vernor。Hedesirestoletmeknowattheearliestmomentthathisdaughter，informedforthefirsttimeaweekbeforeofwhathadbeenexpectedofher，positivelyrefusestobeboundbythecontractortoassenttomybeingbound。Shehadbeengivenaweektoreflect，andhadspentitininconsolabletears。Shehadresistedeveryformofpersuasion！fromcompulsion，writesMr。Vernor，henaturallyshrinks。
Theyoungladyconsidersthearrangement’horrible。’Afteracceptingherdutiescutanddriedallherlife，shepretendsatlasttohaveatasteofherown。IconfessIamsurprised;Ihadbeengiventobelievethatshewasstupidlysubmissive，andwouldremainsototheendofthechapter。Notabitofit。Shehasinsistedonmybeingformallydismissed，andherfatherintimatesthatincaseofnon—
complianceshethreatenshimwithanattackofbrainfever。Mr。
Vernorcondoleswithmehandsomely，andletsmeknowthattheyounglady’sattitudehasbeenagreatshocktohisnerves。HeaddsthathewillnotaggravatesuchregretasImaydohimthehonourtoentertain，byanyallusionstohisdaughter’scharmsandtothemagnitudeofmyloss，andheconcludeswiththehopethat，forthecomfortofallconcerned，Imayalreadyhaveamusedmyfancywithother’views。’Heremindsmeinapostscriptthat，inspiteofthispainfuloccurrence，thesonofhismostvaluedfriendwillalwaysbeawelcomevisitorathishouse。Iamfree，heobserves;Ihavemylifebeforeme;herecommendsanextensivecourseoftravel。ShouldmywanderingsleadmetotheEast，hehopesthatnofalseembarrassmentwilldetermefrompresentingmyselfatSmyrna。Hecanpromisemeatleastafriendlyreception。It’saverypoliteletter。\"
Politeastheletterwas，Pickeringseemedtofindnogreatexhilarationinhavingthisfamousburdensohandsomelyliftedfromhisspirit。Hebegantobroodoverhisliberationinamannerwhichyoumighthavedeemedpropertoarenewedsenseofbondage。\"Badnews，\"hehadcalledhisletteroriginally;andyet，nowthatitscontentsprovedtobeinflatcontradictiontohisforeboding，therewasnoimpulsivevoicetoreversetheformulaanddeclarethenewswasgood。Thewingsofimpulseinthepoorfellowhadoflatebeenterriblyclipped。Itwasanobviousreflection，ofcourse，thatifhehadnotbeensostifflycertainofthematteramonthbefore，andhadgonethroughtheformofbreakingMr。Vernor’sseal，hemighthaveescapedthepurgatoryofMadameBlumenthal’ssub—acidblandishments。ButIlefthimtomoraliseinprivate;Ihadnodesire，asthephraseis，torubitin。Mythoughts，moreover，werefollowinganothertrain;Iwassayingtomyselfthatiftothosegentlegracesofwhichheryoungvisagehadofferedtomyfancythebloomingpromise，MissVernoraddedinthisstrikingmeasurethecapacityformagnanimousaction，theamendmenttomyfriend’scareerhadbeenlesshappythantheroughdraught。Presently，turningabout，Isawhimlookingattheyounglady’sphotograph。\"Ofcourse，now，\"hesaid，\"Ihavenorighttokeepit！\"AndbeforeIcouldaskforanotherglimpseofit，hehadthrustitintothefire。
\"Iamsorrytobesayingitjustnow，\"Iobservedafterawhile，\"butIshouldn’twonderifMissVernorwereacharmingcreature。\"
\"Goandfindout，\"heanswered，gloomily。\"Thecoastisclear。Mypartistoforgether，\"hepresentlyadded。\"Itoughtnottobehard。Butdon’tyouthink，\"hewentonsuddenly，\"thatforapoorfellowwhoaskednothingoffortunebutleavetositdowninaquietcorner，ithasbeenratheracruelpushingabout？\"
Cruelindeed，Ideclared，andhecertainlyhadtherighttodemandacleanpageonthebookoffateandafreshstart。Mr。Vernor’sadvicewassound;heshouldamusehimselfwithalongjourney。Ifitwouldbeanycomforttohim，Iwouldgowithhimonhisway。
Pickeringassentedwithoutenthusiasm;hehadtheembarrassedlookofamanwho，havinggonetosomecosttomakeagoodappearanceinadrawing—room，shouldfindthedoorsuddenlyslammedinhisface。Westartedonourjourney，however，andlittlebylittlehisenthusiasmreturned。Hewastoocapableofenjoyingfinethingstoremainpermanentlyirresponsive，andafterafortnightspentamongpicturesandmonumentsandantiquities，IfeltthatIwasseeinghimforthefirsttimeinhisbestandhealthiestmood。Hehadhadafever，andthenhehadhadachill;thependulumhadswungrightandleftinamannerrathertryingtothemachine;butnow，atlast，itwasworkingbacktoaneven，naturalbeat。HerecoveredinameasurethegenerouseloquencewithwhichhehadfannedhisflameatHomburg，andtalkedaboutthingswithsomethingofthesamepassionatefreshness。
OnedaywhenIwaslaidupattheinnatBrugeswithalamefoot，hecamehomeandtreatedmetoarhapsodyaboutacertainmeek—facedvirginofHansMemling，whichseemedtomesoundersensethanhiscomplimentstoMadameBlumenthal。Hehadhisdulldaysandhissombremoods——hoursofirresistibleretrospect;butIletthemcomeandgowithoutremonstrance，becauseIfanciedtheyalwayslefthimatriflemorealertandresolute。Oneevening，however，hesathanginghisheadinsodolefulafashionthatItookthebullbythehornsandtoldhimhehadbythistimesurelypaidhisdebttopenitence，andthatheowedittohimselftobanishthatwomanforeverfromhisthoughts。
Helookedup，staring;andthenwithadeepblush——\"Thatwoman？\"hesaid。\"IwasnotthinkingofMadameBlumenthal！\"
AfterthisIgaveanotherconstructiontohismelancholy。Takinghimwithhishopesandfears，attheendofsixweeksofactiveobservationandkeensensation，Pickeringwasasfineafellowasneedbe。WemadeourwaydowntoItalyandspentafortnightatVenice。TheresomethinghappenedwhichIhadbeenconfidentlyexpecting;Ihadsaidtomyselfthatitwasmerelyaquestionoftime。WehadpassedthedayatTorcello，andcamefloatingbackintheglowofthesunset，withmeasuredoar—strokes。\"Iamwellontheway，\"Pickeringsaid;\"IthinkIwillgo！\"
Wehadnotspokenforanhour，andInaturallyaskedhim，Where？HisanswerwasdelayedbyourgettingintothePiazzetta。Isteppedashorefirstandthenturnedtohelphim。Ashetookmyhandhemetmyeyes，consciously，anditcame。\"ToSmyrna！\"
Acoupleofdayslaterhestarted。IhadriskedtheconjecturethatMissVernorwasacharmingcreature，andsixmonthsafterwardshewrotemethatIwasright。