he had been but too probably spoiled for native, for
insular use. On which, not unnaturally, she insisted
the more, assuring him, without mitigation, that if
he was complicated and brilliant she wouldn't for
the world have had him any thing less; so that he
was reduced in the end to accusing her of putting
the dreadful truth to him in the hollow guise of
flattery. She was making out how abnormal he was
in order that she might eventually find him im
possible; and, as she could fully make it out but
with his aid, she had to bribe him by feigned de
light to help her. If her last word for him, in the
connection, was that the way he saw himself was
just a precious proof the more of his having tasted
of the tree and being thereby prepared to assist her
to eat, this gives the happy tone of their whole
talk, the measure of the flight of time in the near
presence of his settled departure. Kate showed,
however, that she was to be more literally taken
when she spoke of the relief Aunt Maud would draw
from the prospect of his absence.

"Yet one can scarcely see why," he replied,
"when she fears me so little."

His friend weighed his objection. " Your idea
is that she likes you so much that she ll even go so
far as to regret losing you?"

Well, he saw it in their constant comprehensive
way. " Since what she builds on is the gradual
process of your alienation, she may take the view
that the process constantly requires me. Mustn't

[[105]]

p104 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p105w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p106

v?