Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/460

 "I can imagine nothing you should n't talk to me about," she returned impenetrably enough—impenetrably, that is, to Rowland.

"You're not afraid?"—Roderick pressed her with a sharpness that was, for the few seconds, almost like interest.

She turned away abruptly, with lowered eyes, intensely hesitating. "Anything you think I should hear I 'll hear." And she went back to her place at the window and took up her work.

"I've had a great smashing blow," Roderick pursued. "I was the biggest ass to be seen anywhere, but it does n't make the blow any easier to bear."

"Mr. Mallet, tell me exactly what Roderick means!" said Mrs. Hudson, who had found her voice, in a tone more peremptory than Rowland had yet heard her use.

"He ought to have told you before," Roderick interposed. "Really, Rowland, if you 'll allow me to say so, you ought! You could have given a much better account of all this than I myself; better especially in that it would have been more lenient to me. You ought to have let them down gently; it would have saved them a great deal of pain. But you always want to keep things so uncannily quiet. Allow me to tell you it 's very weak of you."

"Speaking too well of you 's a fault that 's easily mended!" said Rowland with a laugh.

"Oh, what is it, sir; what is this horror?" Mrs. Hudson insistently groaned.

"It 's what Roderick says. He 's a most unexpected failure!" 426