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 and you, now. The one thing to do was not to make a fuss over it."

"I'd not make a fuss over her. But I could have done something. I love her so, David. Oh, I love her so."

"She doesn't want anything done."

Fidelia touched him; her fingers closed on his wrist as she appealed, "But now, now they're using your money, David!" And at this, he had to shake his head.

Her hand unclasped and drew from him. "Now they will, David. I can do that for her; now he'll take your money, for I'm going away."

She half turned from him, with her hand at the bosom of her dress and he saw that she was pulling at the snaps. For an instant, he imagined that she meant to dress for the street and to go at once; but when she dropped off her dress she went on preparing for bed. She offered no physical act for him to oppose; she merely prepared for bed in their room, as she had always done; and when she had braided her hair and was in her nightdress, she stepped to him and kissed him: "Good night, David," she said and she got into her own bed.

He did not undress. He sat on his bed and gazed sometimes at Bolton's wife; after she was in bed, he switched off the light and raised the blind and the window.

A cool, damp wind blew in off the lake. The rain was over and the lightning had become faint and distant; it flashed very far away and the thunder was merely an echo out of the blackness over the water