She wished she could shed tears.  There was no cause for it, surely none, save a physical need.  Such a feeling was very strange to her.

They had luncheon; then, as his custom was, Mr. Newthorpe went apart to rest for a couple of hours.  Mrs. Ormonde was coming to dine; the hour of the meal would be early, to allow of Egremont’s return to town.  In the meantime the latter obtained Annabel’s consent to a walk.  They took the road ascending to Beachy Head.

‘You still have opportunity of climbing,’ Egremont said.

’On a modest scale.  But I am not regretting the mountains.  The sea, I think, is more to me at present.’

They were not quite at ease together.  Conversation turned about small things, and was frequently broken.  The day was not very bright, and mist spoiled the view landwards.  The sea was at ebb, and sluggish.

Annabel of her own accord reverted to Lambeth.

‘You must have had many pleasures arising from your work,’ she said, ’but one above all I envy you.  I mean that of helping poor Mr. Grail so well.’

‘Yes, that is a real happiness,’ he answered, thoughtfully.  ’The idea of making him librarian came to me almost at the same moment as that of establishing the library.  I didn’t know then all that it would mean to him.  I was fortunate in meeting that man, one out of thousands.’

‘He must be deeply grateful to you.’

’We are good friends.  I respect him more than I can tell you.  I don’t think you could find a man, in whatever position, of more sterling character.  His love of knowledge touches me as something ideal.  It is monstrous to think that he might have spent all his life in that candle factory.’

Annabel reflected for a moment.  Then a look of pleasure fighted her face, and she spoke with a revival of the animation which had used to appeal so strongly to his sympathies.

’See what one can do!  You become a sort of providence to a man.  Indeed, you change his fate; you give him a new commencement of life.  What a strange thought that is?  Do you feel it as I do?’

’Quite, I think.  And can you understand that it has sometimes shamed me?  Just because I happen to have money I can do this!  Isn’t it a poor sordid world?  Not one man, but perhaps a hundred, could be raised into a new existence by what in my hands is mere superfluity of means.  Doesn’t such a thought make life a great foolish game?  Suppose me saying, ’Here is a thousand pounds; shall I buy a yacht to play with, or—­shall I lift a living man’s soul out of darkness into light?’’

He broke off and laughed bitterly.  Annabel glanced at him.  She noticed that thoughts of this cast were now frequent in his mind, though formerly they had been strange to him.  He used to face problems with simple directness, in the positive spirit or with an idealist’s enthusiasm; now he leaned to scepticism, though it was his endeavour to conceal the tendency.  She was struck with the likeness of this change in him to that which she herself was suffering; yet it did not touch her sympathies, and she was anxious forthwith to avoid coincidence with him.