.«
    They had turned into a broader thoroughfare, which, however, was little
frequented at this hour. Reardon, his hands thrust into the pockets of a shabby
overcoat and his head bent forward, went on at a slow pace, observant of
nothing. For a moment or two he delayed reply, then said in an unsteady voice:
    »Your way of talking has always been to glorify success, to insist upon it
as the one end a man ought to keep in view. If you had talked so to me alone, it
wouldn't have mattered. But there was generally someone else present. Your words
had their effect; I can see that now. It's very much owing to you that I am
deserted, now that there's no hope of my ever succeeding.«
    Jasper's first impulse was to meet this accusation with indignant denial,
but a sense of compassion prevailed. It was so painful to see the defeated man
wandering at night near the house where his wife and child were comfortably
sheltered; and the tone in which he spoke revealed such profound misery.
    »That's a most astonishing thing to say,« Jasper replied. »Of course I know
nothing of what has passed between you and your wife, but I feel certain that I
have no more to do with what has happened than any other of your acquaintances.«
    »You may feel as certain as you will, but your words and your example have
influenced my wife against me. You didn't intend that; I don't suppose it for a
moment. It's my misfortune, that's all.«
    »That I intended nothing of the kind, you need hardly say, I should think.
But you are deceiving yourself in the strangest way. I'm afraid to speak
plainly; I'm afraid of offending you. But can you recall something that I said
about the time of your marriage? You didn't like it then, and certainly it won't
be pleasant to you to remember it now. If you mean that your wife has grown
unkind to you because you are unfortunate, there's no need to examine into other
people's influence for an explanation of that.«
    Reardon turned his face towards the speaker.
    »Then you have always regarded my wife as a woman likely to fail me in time
of need?«
    »I don't care to answer a question put in that way. If we are no longer to
talk with the old friendliness, it's far better we shouldn
