Page:The Prussian officer, and other stories, Lawrence, 1914.djvu/219

 “I never thought there was any need.”

“Well, then, you should think.”

He stood with expressionless, almost childlike set face, revolving many thoughts, whilst his heart was mad with anguish.

Suddenly she added:

“And I saw him to-day,” she said. “He is not dead, he’s mad.”

Her husband looked at her, startled.

“Mad!” he said involuntarily.

“A lunatic,” she said. It almost cost her her reason to utter the word. There was a pause.

“Did he know you?” asked the husband, in a small voice.

“No,” she said.

He stood and looked at her. At last he had learned the width of the breach between them. She still squatted on the bed. He could not go near her. It would be violation to each of them to be brought into contact with the other. The thing must work itself out. They were both shocked so much, they were impersonal, and no longer hated each other. After some minutes he left her and went out.