However, perceptibly silence was doing the work of a scourge, and he said:  ’I have been thinking I may have—­and I don’t mind fighting hard to try it before I leave England on Tuesday or Wednesday—­some influence with Lady Charlotte Eglett.  She is really one of the true women living, and the heartiest of backers, if she can be taught to see her course.  I fancy I can do that.  She ’s narrow, but she is not one of the class who look on the working world below them as, we’ll say, the scavenger dogs on the plains of Ilium were seen by the Achaeans.  And my failure would be no loss to you!  Your name shall not be alluded to as empowering me to plead for her help.  But I want your consent, or I may be haunted and weakened by the idea of playing the busy-body.  One has to feel strong in a delicate position.  Well, you know what my position with her has been—­one among the humble; and she has taken contradictions, accepted views from me, shown me she has warmth of heart to an extreme degree.’

Aminta slightly raised her hand.  ’I will save you trouble.  I have written to Lord Ormont.  I have left him.’

Their eyes engaged on the thunder of this.  ‘The letter has gone?’

‘It was posted before my swim:  posted yesterday.’

‘You have fully and clearly thought it out to a determination?’

‘Bit by bit—­I might say, blow by blow.’

‘It is no small matter to break a marriage-tie.’

‘I have conversed with your mother.’

‘Yes, she! and the woman happiest in marriage!’

’I know.  It was hatred of injustice, noble sympathy.  And she took me for one of the blest among wives.’

’She loved God.  She saw the difference between men’s decrees for their convenience, and God’s laws.  She felt for women.  You have had a hard trial Aminta.’

‘Oh, my name!  You mean it?’

‘You heard it from me this morning.’

’Yes, there!  I try to forget.  I lost my senses.  You may judge me harshly, on reflection.’

’Judge myself worse, then.  You had a thousand excuses.  I had only my love of you.  There’s no judgement against either of us, for us to see, if I read rightly.  We elect to be tried in the courts of the sea-god.  Now we ’ll sit and talk it over.  The next ten minutes will decide our destinies.’

His eyes glittered, otherwise he showed the coolness of the man discussing business; and his blunt soberness refreshed and upheld her, as a wild burst of passion would not have done.

Side by side, partly facing, they began their interchange.

‘You have weighed what you abandon?’

‘It weighs little.’

‘That may be error.  You have to think into the future.’

‘My sufferings and experiences are not bad guides.’

‘They count.  How can you be sure you have all the estimates?’

‘Was I ever a wife?’

‘You were and are the Countess of Ormont.’