This, perhaps, is only the infernal afterglow.
"As for me, I am, as you are, all at sea, self-confidence gone, self-faith lost--a very humble person, without conceit, dazed, perplexed, but still attempting to steer through toward that safe anchorage which I dared lately to recommend to you.
"And it is really there, Alixe, despite the fool who recites his creed so tritely.
"All this in attempt to bring order into my own mental confusion; and the result is that I have formulated nothing.
"So now I end where I began with that question which answers yours without the faintest suspicion of reproach: What can you think of such a man as I am?
And in the presence of my _second_ failure your answer must be that you now think what you once thought of him when you first realised that he had failed you, PHILIP SELWYN." That very night brought him her reply: "Phil, dear, I do not blame you for one instant.

Why do you say you ever failed in anything?
It was entirely my fault.

But I am so happy that you wrote as you did, taking all the blame, which is like you.

I can look into my mirror now--for a moment or two.
"It is brave of you to be so frank about what you think came over us.

I can discuss nothing, admit nothing; but you always did reason more clearly than I.Still, whatever spell it was that menaced us I know very well could not have threatened you seriously; I know it because you reason about it so logically.