Page:The Fruit of the Tree (Wharton 1907).djvu/268

Rh any scruple of probity restrained him: in trifling matters he recognized the usefulness of such counters in the social game; but when he was with Justine he always felt the obscure need of letting his real self be seen.

“I was stupid enough not to telegraph,” he said, “and I am afraid my wife will think me negligent: she often has to reproach me for my sins of omission, and this time I know they are many.”

The girl received this in silence, less from embarrassment than from surprise; for she had already guessed that it was as difﬁcult for Amherst to touch, even lightly, on his private affairs, as it was instinctive with his wife to pour her grievances into any willing ear. Justine’s ﬁrst thought was one of gratiﬁcation that he should have spoken, and of eagerness to facilitate the saying of whatever he wished to say; but before she could answer he went on hastily: “The fact is, Bessy does not know how complicated the work at Westmore is; and when I caught sight of you just now I was thinking that you are the only one of her friends who has any technical understanding of what I am trying to do, and who might consequently help her to see how hard it is for me to take my hand from the plough.”

Justine listened gravely, longing to cry out her comprehension and sympathy, but restrained by the sense that the moment was a critical one, where impulse must [ 252 ]