As to Frank, no doubt ever approached him. He was intoxicated, and
beside himself. He had been brought up in a clean household, knowing
nothing of the vice by which so many young men are overcome, and
woman hitherto had been a mystery to him. Suddenly he found himself
the possessor of a beautiful creature, whose lips it was lawful to
touch and whose heartbeats he could feel as he pressed her to his
breast. It was permitted him to be alone with her, to sit on the
floor and rest his head on her knees, and he had ventured to capture
one of her slippers and carry it off to London, where he kept it
locked up amongst his treasures. If he had been drawn over Fenmarket
sluice in a winter flood he would not have been more incapable of
resistance.
Every now and then Clara thought she discerned in Madge that she was
not entirely content, but the cloud-shadows swept past so rapidly and
were followed by such dazzling sunshine that she was perplexed and
hoped that her sister's occasional moodiness might be due to parting
and absence, or the anticipation of them. She never ventured to say
anything about Frank to Madge, for there was something in her which
forbade all approach from that side. Once when he had shown his
ignorance of what was so familiar to the Hopgoods, and Clara had
expected some sign of dissatisfaction from her sister, she appeared
ostentatiously to champion him against anticipated criticism. Clara
interpreted the warning and was silent, but, after she had left the
room with her mother in order that the lovers might be alone, she
went upstairs and wept many tears. Ah! it is a sad experience when
the nearest and dearest suspects that we are aware of secret
disapproval, knows that it is justifiable, throws up a rampart and
becomes defensively belligerent. From that moment all confidence is
at an end. Without a word, perhaps, the love and friendship of years
disappear, and in the place of two human beings transparent to each
other, there are two who are opaque and indifferent. Bitter, bitter!
If the cause of separation were definite disagreement upon conduct or
belief, we could pluck up courage, approach and come to an
understanding, but it is impossible to bring to speech anything which
is so close to the heart, and there is, therefore, nothing left for
us but to submit and be dumb.