the Spell Seems Broken
te of rooms opening into eac Park s and floeen couples tendant parents and guardians. t forion of to one end ion of maturity, tty sitting- room ory attac as an occasional cool retreat. Lucy, ime and ty slimness set off by an abundant dress of s ties, including no member of any aristocracy of St Oggs, and stretco treme limits of commercial and professional gentility. Maggie at first refused to dance, saying t sten all t is ill dancing . But at lengt in orry o try and persuade s dance anyt a country dance, but o for t y, meaning only to be complimentary ervals t it bore t s z - o z at last it urn of t of vanity and t of merriment in it, and Maggie quite forgot roublous life in a c of t ic ro banisentious etiquette. S quite cably toorry, as fire of young joy in t if it can find t breato fan it; and s bit of black lace, seemed like tting of a jewel.
Step yet asked o dance - yet paid y. Since yesterday, t in of like a blot: ttac bet ttac on epold o resist ttraction t inually tening to overpo a certain savage resistance, and at anot a so trusion of P made it a neement to rusoo do t aloof from o Lucy. But noo kick young torry out of take ed to end t get rid of ner. ty t oo so possess . But even noing in ting still to t, ther.
Step automatic ies of politeness in terval, until ed alone again, at toz, and e of all ts t . ill brig to joy and tenderness: - even t seem bitter - so as a part of life, for life at t seemed a keen vibrating consciousness poised above t nig expand unrestrainedly in t, ting ts of t and ture.
`to z again, said Stepo speak to glance and tone of subdued tenderness o tones bring try o a room t is ifling ation.
`to z again: it is rato look on and t a little?
ook o tting-room, reion of visitors to look at t no visitors . to tory.
`range and unreal trees and flos among to an enced land, and hey were all made of jewels.
S tier of geraniums as sep a supreme poet blend ligo one, calling darkness mute, and lig? Sometrangely po of Step made Maggies face turn to and look up it - slo tness. And teadily on, feeling t t feeling anyt t long grave mutual gaze o all deep t t and e confession more intense in its rapture.
But tory, and o pause and turn. t brougo Maggie: surned ao smell tepood motionless and still pale.
`O may I get t effort to say somete trievable confession. `I te o gatill t left.
Stepe: ting a sentence toget tle upo tracted felt ty of a ions of tenderness t lie in tly lessening curves doo te s tiniest, almost imperceptible nicks in tness. A ouc sculptor t an image of it for till as it clasps lovingly time- ints of life.
A mad impulse seized on Steped to, clasping t.
But t moment Maggie snatc from ion.
` rigo insult me?
Sed from o ting and trembling.
A reaco Lucy, to Po ter soul. t momentary ten - a leprosy: Step more lighan he did of Lucy.
As for Step tory, dizzy of passions - love, rage and confused despair: despair at of self-mastery, and despair t he had offended Maggie.
t feeling surmounted every oto be by reat forgiveness ive for been seated more tes, ter rage .
`Leave me to myself, if you please, suous iness, `and for ture avoid me.
Stepurned a ty of going back into to be conscious of t. t so s a time t z ended.
Maggie, too, long before sered. All ture ung into activity: teful s and temptations of t monto an unvisited co allure y ered till ed brig defied anyto agitate o dance again, but salked quite readily and calmly nig, almost exulting in t reaco gentle, unsuspicious sister.
t morning Maggie did not set off to Basset quite so soon as sed. o accompany be despatcily by Mrs tulliver. So Maggie, ing, equipped for ts for t Basset, and some alarm lest Lucy s Stepo o be Stephen.
But presently tor came out into ted Stephen.
`e can just catcips of tc, said Philip.
taken eac Maggie e revival of tionate smile t encouraged.
`Yes, sen look at t on tems again. But I once - to ther.
`I inually, said P t to live upon.
A keen remembrance and keen pity impelled Maggie to put en walked hand in hand!
`I remember all ts - just icular tiful stories t I had never heard of before.
`You you, Maggie? said Pting timid and tremulous. `thers home again.
`Yes - but I s be t told you, perhaps?
`ture o t again, Maggie? - t book is quite closed?
t en looked up at reating ruggling ray of th her large sincere gaze.
`t book never ies of t. But tie to my brotrongest. I can do not will divide me always from him.
`Is t t for ever, Maggie? said Pe determination to e answer.
`t. At t moment s as if ted cup o tionary excitement t gave ery subsided, and s ture h a sense of calm choice.
t looking at eaces: in Maggies mind t scenes of love and parting tual moment, and s Phe Red Deeps.
P t to ans as a rock-pool. tisfied of an omniscience t ect tlest fold of t.