Hers was one of those rare natures in which the passion that we know by the generic term of love, approached as near perfection as is possible in our human hearts.  For there are many sorts and divisions of love, ranging from the affection, pure, steady, and divine, that is showered upon us from above, to the degrading madness of such a one as George Caresfoot.  It is surely one of the saddest evidences of our poor humanity that, even among the purest of us, there are none who can altogether rid the whiteness of the love they have to offer of its earthly stain.  Indeed, if we could so far conquer the promptings of our nature as to love with perfect purity, we should become like angels.  But, just as white flowers are sometimes to be found on the blackest peak, so there do bloom in the world spirits as pure as they are rare—­so free from evil, so closely shadowed by the Almighty wing, that they can almost reach to this perfection.  Then the love they have to give is too refined, too holy and strong, to be understood of the mass of men:  often it is squandered on some unequal and unanswering nature; sometimes it is wisely offered up to Him from whom it came.

We gaze upon an ice-bound river, and there is nothing to tell us that beneath that white cloak its current rushes to the ocean.  But presently the spring comes, the prisoned waters burst their fetters, and we see a glad torrent sparkling in the sunlight.  And so it was with our heroine’s heart; the breath of Arthur’s passion and the light of Arthur’s eyes had beat upon it, and almost freed the river of its love.  Already the listener might hear the ice-sheets crack and start; soon they will be gone, and her deep devotion will set as strong towards him as the tide of the torrent towards its receiving sea.

“Fine writing!” perhaps the reader will say; but surely none too fine to describe the most beautiful thing in this strange world, the irrevocable gift of a good woman’s love!

However that may be, it will have served its purpose if it makes it clear that a crisis is at hand in the affairs of the heart of two of the central actors on this mimic stage.

CHAPTER XXVI

One Saturday morning, when May was three-parts gone, Philip announced his intention of going up to London till the Monday on business.  He was a man who had long since become callous to appearances, and though Arthur, fearful lest spiteful things should be said of Angela, almost hinted that it would look odd, his host merely laughed, and said that he had little doubt but that his daughter was quite able to look after herself, even when such a fascinating young gentleman as himself was concerned.  As a matter of fact, his object was to get rid of Angela by marrying her to this young Heigham, who had so opportunely tumbled down from the skies, and whom he rather liked than otherwise.  This being the case, he rightly concluded that, the more the two were left together, the greater probability there was of his object being attained.  Accordingly he left them together as much as possible.