When at length she succeeded in telling him faintly that if he refused this opportunity he must fall lower and lower and lose even the desire for good, she found that her words had no longer any power to influence.  He had passed beyond into some region of outer darkness, where the things of sense did not seem to penetrate, and where, if the actions of his body were the expression of his soul, there was literally “wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

But Susannah hovered over him, not so much angry as pitiful, her own agony of mere physical sympathy increasing.  Terrified to be near him, too compassionate to withdraw, she watched till at last the veins in his hands and his face became swollen and knotted.  She was unwilling to lose the hope of her sole influence over him, and yet was about to call for help, when almost suddenly he seemed to become conscious of his surroundings again and shake himself free from the distress.

In a little while he was sitting on one of the chairs, wiping his purple face and swollen eyes with the large silken pocket-handkerchief that was one of the signs of his recent opulence.  She saw the large ring on his swollen finger gradually loosen, and the hand return to its normal shape and colour.  She felt convinced that his pulses had gone back to their common flow, because his whole volition had returned peacefully to its low ambitions and self-indulgence.  She knew instinctively that it was not thus opulent and fierce that he would have looked had he come out on the other side of his temptation.  She stood, outwardly patient, waiting helpless till he should speak.

“Sit down, sister,” he panted condescendingly.  He was fanning himself with the handkerchief now, as a man might who felt injured by undue heat in the atmosphere.

Her refusal was concise and severe.

He looked at her boldly, with no apprehension now in his eyes, not even the former conciliatory desire to receive her with fair words.  She felt appalled.  Could it be that his angel in deserting him had deserted her?  Was there a devil strong enough to give her to him?  It was perhaps only his belief which overshadowed hers, it was perhaps only, as she thought, a sickness of nerve but the impression that unseen personalities had been contending here was stronger upon her even than her anger and fear.

Smith got up and went to the window.  His horses and buggy were still parading.

“I guess I’ve changed my mind,” he said.  He did not care, it seemed, to delude her, but he must still deceive himself.  “I couldn’t go against the voice of the church council to that extent; it wouldn’t be safe for you or me; and besides, ’tisn’t the Lord’s will that you should go.”

She recoiled, looking at him in steady reproach.

“Well, as I said before, I guess you can think it over for a few days.”  This was his easy answer to her look, and he went out, slamming the door.