No money from his uncle; no power of advancement; but a bondage with a

woman whose disparity of years, though immaterial just now, would operate

in the future as a wet blanket upon his social ambitions; and that

content with life as it was which she had noticed more than once in him

latterly, a content imperilling his scientific spirit by abstracting his

zeal for progress.

It was impossible, in short, to blind herself to the inference that

marriage with her had not benefited him. Matters might improve in the

future; but to take upon herself the whole liability of Swithin's life,

as she would do by depriving him of the help his uncle had offered, was a

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fearful responsibility. How could she, an unendowed woman, replace such

assistance? His recent visit to Greenwich, which had momentarily revived

that zest for his pursuit that was now less constant than heretofore,

should by rights be supplemented by other such expeditions. It would be

true benevolence not to deprive him of means to continue them, so as to

keep his ardour alive, regardless of the cost to herself.

It could be done. By the extraordinary favour of a unique accident she

had now an opportunity of redeeming Swithin's seriously compromised

future, and restoring him to a state no worse than his first. His

annuity could be enjoyed by him, his travels undertaken, his studies

pursued, his high vocation initiated, by one little sacrifice--that of

herself. She only had to refuse to legalize their marriage, to part from

him for ever, and all would be well with him thenceforward. The pain to

him would after all be but slight, whatever it might be to his wretched

Viviette.

The ineptness of retaining him at her side lay not only in the fact

itself of injury to him, but in the likelihood of his living to see it as

such, and reproaching her for selfishness in not letting him go in this

unprecedented opportunity for correcting a move proved to be false. He

wished to examine the southern heavens--perhaps his uncle's letter was

the father of the wish--and there was no telling what good might not

result to mankind at large from his exploits there. Why should she, to

save her narrow honour, waste the wide promise of his ability?

That in immolating herself by refusing him, and leaving him free to work

wonders for the good of his fellow-creatures, she would in all

probability add to the sum of human felicity, consoled her by its breadth

as an idea even while it tortured her by making herself the scapegoat or

single unit on whom the evil would fall. Ought a possibly large number,

Swithin included, to remain unbenefited because the one individual to

whom his release would be an injury chanced to be herself? Love between

man and woman, which in Homer, Moses, and other early exhibitors of life,

is mere desire, had for centuries past so far broadened as to include

sympathy and friendship; surely it should in this advanced stage of the

world include benevolence also. If so, it was her duty to set her young

man free.




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