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be a disappointed man if you don't。 You will be moody； wretched；
andand unmarried if you don't。〃
Gertrude's cheeks flushed at the word jealous； and again at his
mention of Agatha。 〃And if I do；〃 she said bitterly； 〃what then？〃
〃If you do； Agatha's mind will be at ease； Erskine will be happy；
and you！ You will have sacrificed yourself； and will have the
happiness which follows that when it is worthily done。〃
〃It is you who have sacrificed me；〃 she said； casting away her
reticence； and looking at him for the first time during the
conversation。
〃I know it；〃 he said； leaning towards her and half whispering the
words。 〃Is not renunciation the beginning and the end of wisdom？
I have sacrificed you rather than profane our friendship by
asking you to share my whole life with me。 You are unfit for
that； and I have committed myself to another union； and am
begging you to follow my example； lest we should tempt one
another to a step which would soon prove to you how truly I tell
you that you are unfit。 I have never allowed you to roam through
all the chambers of my consciousness； but I keep a sanctuary
there for you alone； and will keep it inviolate for you always。
Not even Agatha shall have the key； she must be content with the
other roomsthe drawing…room； the working…room； the dining…room；
and so forth。 They would not suit you； you would not like the
furniture or the guests； after a time you would not like the
master。 Will you be content with the sanctuary？〃 Gertrude bit
her lip； tears came into her eyes。 She looked imploringly at him。
Had they been alone； she would have thrown herself into his arms
and entreated him to disregard everything except their strong
cleaving to one another。
〃And will you keep a corner of your heart for me？〃
She slowly gave him a painful look of acquiescence。 〃Will you be
brave； and sacrifice yourself to the poor man who loves you？ He
will save you from useless solitude； or from a worldly
marriageI cannot bear to think of either as your fate。〃
〃I do not care for Mr。 Erskine；〃 she said； hardly able to control
her voice； 〃but I will marry him if you wish it。〃
〃I do wish it earnestly； Gertrude。〃
〃Then； you have my promise；〃 she said； again with some
bitterness。
〃But you will not forget me？ Erskine will have all but thata
tender recollectionnothing。〃
〃Can I do more than I have just promised？〃
〃Perhaps so； but I am too selfish to be able to conceive anything
more generous。 Our renunciation will bind us to one another as
our union could never have done。〃
They exchanged a long look。 Then he took out his watch； and began
to speak of the length of their journey； now nearly at an end。
When they arrived in London the first person they recognized on
the platform was Mr。 Jansenius。
〃Ah！ you got my telegram； I see；〃 said Trefusis。 〃Many thanks for
coming。 Wait for me whilst I put this lady into a cab。〃
When the cab was engaged； and Gertrude； with her maid； stowed
within； he whispered to her hurriedly：
〃In spite of all； I have a leaden pain here〃 （indicating his
heart）。 〃You have been brave； and I have been wise。 Do not speak
to me； but remember that we are friends always and deeply。〃
He touched her hand； and turned to the cabman； directing him
whither to drive。 Gertrude shrank back into a corner of the
vehicle as it departed。 Then Trefusis； expanding his chest like a
man just released from some cramping drudgery； rejoined Mr。
Jansenius。
〃There goes a true woman；〃 he said。 〃I have been persuading her
to take the very best step open to her。 I began by talking sense；
like a man of honor； and kept at it for half an hour； but she
would not listen to me。 Then I talked romantic nonsense of the
cheapest sort for five minutes； and she consented with tears in
her eyes。 Let us take this hansom。 Hi！ Belsize Avenue。 Yes； you
sometimes have to answer a woman according to her womanishness；
just as you have to answer a fool according to his folly。 Have
you ever made up your mind； Jansenius； whether I am an unusually
honest man； or one of the worst products of the social
organization I spend all my energies in assailingan infernal
scoundrel； in short？〃
〃Now pray do not be absurd；〃 said Mr。 Jansenius。 〃I wonder at a
man of your ability behaving and speaking as you sometimes do。〃
〃I hope a little insincerity； when meant to act as chloroformto
save a woman from feeling a wound to her vanityis excusable。
By…the…bye； I must send a couple of telegrams from the first
post…office we pass。 Well； sir； I am going to marry Agatha； as I
sent you word。 There was only one other single man and one other
virgin down at Brandon Beeches； and they are as good as engaged。
And so
〃'Jack shall have Jill； Nought shall go ill； The man shall have
his mare again； And all shall be well。'〃
APPENDIX
LETTER TO THE AUTHOR FROM MR。 SIDNEY TREFUSIS。
My Dear Sir： I find that my friends are not quite satisfied with
the account you have given of them in your clever novel entitled
〃 An Unsocial Socialist。〃 You already understand that I consider
it my duty to communicate my whole history； without reserve； to
whoever may desire to be guided or warned by my experience； and
that I have no sympathy whatever with the spirit in which one of
the ladies concerned recently told you that her affairs were no
business of yours or of the people who read your books。 When you
asked my permission some years ago to make use of my story； I at
once said that you would be perfectly justified in giving it the
fullest publicity whether I consented or not； provided only that
you were careful not to falsify it for the sake of artistic
effect。 Now； whilst cheerfully admitting that you have done your
best to fulfil that condition； I cannot help feeling that； in
presenting the facts in the guise of fiction； you have； in spite
of yourself； shown them in a false light。 Actions described in
novels are judged by a romantic system of morals as fictitious as
the actions themselves。 The traditional parts of this system are；
as Cervantes tried to show； for the chief part； barbarous and
obsolete； the modern additions are largely due to the novel
readers and writers of our own centurymost of them
half…educated women；rebelliously slavish； superstitious；
sentimental； full of the intense egotism fostered by their
struggle for personal liberty； and； outside their families； with
absolutely no social sentiment except love。 Meanwhile； man；
having fought and won his fight for this personal liberty； only
to find himself a more abject slave than before； is turning with
loathing from his egotist's dream of independence to the
collective interests of society； with the welfare of which he now
perceives his own happiness to be inextricably bound up。 But man
in this phase （would that all had reached it！） has not yet
leisure to write or read novels。 In noveldom woman still sets the
moral standard； and to her the males； who are in full revolt
against the acceptance of the infatuation of a pair of lovers as
the highest manifestation of the social instinct； and against the
restriction of the affections within the narrow circle of blood
relationship； and of the political sympathies within frontiers；
are to her what she calls heartless brutes。 That is exactly what
I have been called by readers of your novel； and that； indeed； is
exactly what I am； judged by the fictitious and feminine standard
of morality。 Hence some critics have been able plausibly to
pretend to take the book as a satire on Socialism。 It may； for
what I know； have been so intended by you。 Whether or no； I am
sorry you made a novel of my story； for the effect has been
almost as if you had misrepresented me from beginning to end。
At the same time； I acknowledge that you have stated the facts；
on the whole； with scrupulous fairness。 You have； indeed；
flattered me very strongly by representing me as constantly
thinking of and for other people； whereas the rest think of
themselves alone； but on the other hand you have contradictorily
called me 〃unsocial；〃 which is certainly the last adjective I
should have expected to find in the neighborhood of my name。 I
deny； it is true； that what is now called 〃society 〃 is society
in any real sense； and my best wish for it is that it may
dissolve too rapidly to make it worth the while of those who are
〃 not in society 〃to facilitate its dissolution by violently
pounding it into small pieces。 But no reader of 〃An Unsocial
Socialist 〃 needs to be told how； by the exercise of a certain
considerate tact （which on the outside； perhaps； seems the
opposite of tact）； I have contrived to maintain genial terms with
men and women of all classes； even those whose opinions and
political conduct seemed to me most dangerous。
However； I do not here propose to go fully into my own position；
lest I should seem tedious； and be accused； not for the first
time； of a propensity to lecture a reproach which comes
naturally enough from persons whose conceptions are never too
wide to be expressed within the limits of a sixpenny telegram。 I
shall confine myself to correcting a few misapprehensions which
have； I am told； arisen among readers who from inveterate hab