illimitable tranquility, the release from all triviality, of an honesty
beyond equivocation or assault. Fanny, in her way, possessed it; but
that, he saw, was made vulnerable, open to disaster, through her love
for him. It was necessary, for complete safety, to be entirely
insulated from the humanity of emotions. That condition he
instinctively put from his thoughts as being as undesirable as it was
beyond realization. Lee, with all his vitality, drew away from a
conception, a figure, with the cold immobility of death. After all, he
reassured himself, he had never essentially lied to Fanny; he had
merely suppressed some unnecessary details in order to make their
existence smoother. The welcome collapse of his small affair with
Anette proved the wisdom of avoiding the exaggeration and difficulty of
explanations.

"Lee," Fanny said, changing the direction of their thoughts, "I don't
want to bother you, but I am uneasy about Claire and Peyton. He hasn't
left Mina Raff a minute this evening. And he has such an unhappy
expression, not at all as though he were enjoying himself."

"I noticed that," Lee agreed; "but it will do him no good with Mina--
she's a cold potato, career's the only thing in her head." Then he
remembered what Mina Raff had told him about her individuality, her
personal desire; and he repeated it to his wife.

"I don't think Claire is entirely wise," she went on; "but you can't
tell her a thing. She listens as sweetly as possible and then says that
she won't interfere with Peyton. Well, someone else will. Claire has
too much reserve, she is too well-bred and quietly superior. You wait
and see if I am not right; life is very vulgar, and it will take
advantage of her."