were danger of my faltering.«
    »But you love him.«
    »I do: and because I love him I will not let him be fettered to me.«
    »You will see him.«
    »Do not imagine that his persuasions undermined your Tony. I am subject to
panics.«
    »Was it your husband?«
    »I had a visit from Lady Wathin. She knows him. She came as peacemaker. She
managed to hint at his authority. Then came a letter from him - of supplication,
interpenetrated with the hint: a suffused atmosphere. Upon that, unexpected by
me, my - let me call him so once, forgive me! - lover came. Oh! he loves me, or
did then. Percy! He had been told that I should be claimed. I felt myself the
creature I am - a wreck of marriage. But I fancied I could serve him: - I saw
golden. My vanity was the chief traitor. Cowardice of course played a part. In
few things that we do, where self is concerned, will cowardice not be found. And
the hallucination colours it to seem a lovely heroism. That was the second time
Mr. Redworth arrived. I am always at crossways, and he rescues me; on this
occasion unknowingly.«
    »There's a divinity ...« said Emma. »When I think of it I perceive that
Patience is our beneficent fairy godmother, who brings us our harvest in the
long result.«
    »My dear, does she bring us our labourers' rations, to sustain us for the
day?« said Diana.
    »Poor fare, but enough.«
    »I fear I was born godmotherless.«
    »You have stores of patience, Tony; only now and then fits of desperation.«
    »My nature's frailty, the gap in it: we will give it no fine names - they
cover our pitfalls. I am open to be carried on a tide of unreasonableness when
the coward cries out. But I can say, dear, that after one rescue, a similar
temptation is unlikely to master me. I do not subscribe to the world's decrees
for love of the monster, though I am beginning to understand the dues of
allegiance. We have ceased to write letters. You may have faith in me.«
    »I have, with my whole soul,« said Emma.
    So the confession closed; and in the present instance there were not any
forgotten chambers to be unlocked and ransacked for addenda confessions.
    The subjects discoursed of by the