Page:The Golden Bowl (Scribner, New York, 1909), Volume 2.djvu/259

THE PRINCESS feeling that she had in advance, in her delays and uncertainties, much exaggerated the difficulty. The difficulty was small, and it grew smaller as her adversary continued to shrink; she was not only doing as she wanted, but had by this time effectively done it and hung it up. All of which but deepened Maggie's sense of the sharp and simple need now of seeing her through to the end. "'If' you've been mistaken, you say?"—and the Princess but barely faltered. "You have been mistaken."

Charlotte looked at her splendidly hard. "You're perfectly sure it's all my mistake?"

"All I can say is that you've received a false impression."

"Ah then—so much the better! From the moment I had received it I knew I must sooner or later speak of it—for that, you see, is systematically my way. And now," Charlotte added, "you make me glad I've spoken. I thank you very much."

It was strange how for Maggie too with this the difficulty seemed to sink. Her companion's acceptance of her denial was like a general pledge not to keep things any worse for her than they essentially had to be; it positively helped her to build up her falsehood—to which accordingly she contributed another block. "I've affected you evidently—quite accidentally—in some way of which I've been all unaware. I've not felt at any time that you've wronged me."

"How could I come within a mile," Charlotte enquired, "of such a possibility?"

Maggie, with her eyes on her more easily now, 249