Every moment Sabine was attracting him more deeply--and bringing certain memories more vividly before him with maddening tantalization.
But did she love Henry?
Of that he could not be sure.

If she did, he certainly must divorce her at once.

If she did not--why was she wishing to marry him?
Henry was an awfully good fellow, far better than he--but after all, she was his wife--even though he had forfeited all right to call her so, and if she did not love Henry, no friendship toward him ought to be allowed to stand in the way of their reunion.

It is astonishing how civilization controls nature! If we put as much force into the controlling of our own thoughts as we put into acting up to a standard of public behavior, what wonderful creatures we should become! Here were these two human beings--young and strong and full of passion, playing each a part with an art as great as any displayed at the Comedie Francaise! And all for reasons suggested by civilization!--when nature would have solved the difficulty in the twinkling of an eye! Michael spent a breakfast hour in purgatory.

It was plain to be seen that Henry expected him to show some desire to go fishing, or to want some other sport which required solitude, or only the company of Madame Imogen--and his afternoon looked as if it were not going to be a thing of joy.