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He was flushed； excited； a trifle irritated。
〃Evidently；〃 I said； 〃you have read your letter。〃
〃It is proper I should tell you what is in it；〃 he answered。 〃When I
gave it to you a month ago； I did my friends injustice。〃
〃You called it a 'summons；' I remember。〃
〃I was a great fool！ It's a release！〃
〃From your engagement？〃
〃From everything！ The letter； of course； is from Mr。 Vernor。 He
desires to let me know at the earliest moment that his daughter；
informed for the first time a week before of what had been expected
of her； positively refuses to be bound by the contract or to assent
to my being bound。 She had been given a week to reflect； and had
spent it in inconsolable tears。 She had resisted every form of
persuasion！ from compulsion； writes Mr。 Vernor； he naturally shrinks。
The young lady considers the arrangement 'horrible。' After accepting
her duties cut and dried all her life； she pretends at last to have a
taste of her own。 I confess I am surprised； I had been given to
believe that she was stupidly submissive； and would remain so to the
end of the chapter。 Not a bit of it。 She has insisted on my being
formally dismissed； and her father intimates that in case of non…
compliance she threatens him with an attack of brain fever。 Mr。
Vernor condoles with me handsomely； and lets me know that the young
lady's attitude has been a great shock to his nerves。 He adds that
he will not aggravate such regret as I may do him the honour to
entertain； by any allusions to his daughter's charms and to the
magnitude of my loss； and he concludes with the hope that； for the
comfort of all concerned； I may already have amused my fancy with
other 'views。' He reminds me in a postscript that； in spite of this
painful occurrence； the son of his most valued friend will always be
a welcome visitor at his house。 I am free； he observes； I have my
life before me； he recommends an extensive course of travel。 Should
my wanderings lead me to the East； he hopes that no false
embarrassment will deter me from presenting myself at Smyrna。 He can
promise me at least a friendly reception。 It's a very polite
letter。〃
Polite as the letter was； Pickering seemed to find no great
exhilaration in having this famous burden so handsomely lifted from
his spirit。 He began to brood over his liberation in a manner which
you might have deemed proper to a renewed sense of bondage。 〃Bad
news；〃 he had called his letter originally； and yet； now that its
contents proved to be in flat contradiction to his foreboding； there
was no impulsive voice to reverse the formula and declare the news
was good。 The wings of impulse in the poor fellow had of late been
terribly clipped。 It was an obvious reflection； of course； that if
he had not been so stiffly certain of the matter a month before； and
had gone through the form of breaking Mr。 Vernor's seal； he might
have escaped the purgatory of Madame Blumenthal's sub…acid
blandishments。 But I left him to moralise in private； I had no
desire； as the phrase is； to rub it in。 My thoughts； moreover； were
following another train； I was saying to myself that if to those
gentle graces of which her young visage had offered to my fancy the
blooming promise； Miss Vernor added in this striking measure the
capacity for magnanimous action； the amendment to my friend's career
had been less happy than the rough draught。 Presently； turning
about； I saw him looking at the young lady's photograph。 〃Of course；
now；〃 he said； 〃I have no right to keep it！〃 And before I could ask
for another glimpse of it； he had thrust it into the fire。
〃I am sorry to be saying it just now；〃 I observed after a while； 〃but
I shouldn't wonder if Miss Vernor were a charming creature。〃
〃Go and find out；〃 he answered； gloomily。 〃The coast is clear。 My
part is to forget her；〃 he presently added。 〃It ought not to be
hard。 But don't you think；〃 he went on suddenly； 〃that for a poor
fellow who asked nothing of fortune but leave to sit down in a quiet
corner； it has been rather a cruel pushing about？〃
Cruel indeed； I declared； and he certainly had the right to demand a
clean page on the book of fate and a fresh start。 Mr。 Vernor's
advice was sound； he should amuse himself with a long journey。 If it
would be any comfort to him； I would go with him on his way。
Pickering assented without enthusiasm； he had the embarrassed look of
a man who； having gone to some cost to make a good appearance in a
drawing…room； should find the door suddenly slammed in his face。 We
started on our journey； however； and little by little his enthusiasm
returned。 He was too capable of enjoying fine things to remain
permanently irresponsive； and after a fortnight spent among pictures
and monuments and antiquities； I felt that I was seeing him for the
first time in his best and healthiest mood。 He had had a fever； and
then he had had a chill； the pendulum had swung right and left in a
manner rather trying to the machine； but now； at last； it was working
back to an even； natural beat。 He recovered in a measure the
generous eloquence with which he had fanned his flame at Homburg； and
talked about things with something of the same passionate freshness。
One day when I was laid up at the inn at Bruges with a lame foot； he
came home and treated me to a rhapsody about a certain meek…faced
virgin of Hans Memling； which seemed to me sounder sense than his
compliments to Madame Blumenthal。 He had his dull days and his
sombre moodshours of irresistible retrospect； but I let them come
and go without remonstrance； because I fancied they always left him a
trifle more alert and resolute。 One evening； however； he sat hanging
his head in so doleful a fashion that I took the bull by the horns
and told him he had by this time surely paid his debt to penitence；
and that he owed it to himself to banish that woman for ever from his
thoughts。
He looked up； staring； and then with a deep blush〃That woman？〃 he
said。 〃I was not thinking of Madame Blumenthal！〃
After this I gave another construction to his melancholy。 Taking him
with his hopes and fears； at the end of six weeks of active
observation and keen sensation； Pickering was as fine a fellow as
need be。 We made our way down to Italy and spent a fortnight at
Venice。 There something happened which I had been confidently
expecting； I had said to myself that it was merely a question of
time。 We had passed the day at Torcello； and came floating back in
the glow of the sunset； with measured oar…strokes。 〃I am well on the
way；〃 Pickering said； 〃I think I will go！〃
We had not spoken for an hour； and I naturally asked him； Where？ His
answer was delayed by our getting into the Piazzetta。 I stepped
ashore first and then turned to help him。 As he took my hand he met
my eyes； consciously； and it came。 〃To Smyrna！〃
A couple of days later he started。 I had risked the conjecture that
Miss Vernor was a charming creature； and six months afterwards he
wrote me that I was right。
End