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Once more on the boat, and in the presence of others, Archer felt a tranquillity of spirit that surprised asto any current valuation, had been a rather ridiculous failure; he had not so much as touched Madame Olenska's hand with his lips, or extracted one word froave promise of farther opportunities Nevertheless, for afor an indefinite period from the object of his passion, he felt hily calm and comforted
It was the perfect balance she had held between their loyalty to others and their honesty to themselves that had so stirred and yet tranquillized him; a balance not artfully calculated, as her tears and her falterings showed, but resulting naturally from her unabashed sincerity It filled hier was over, and made hi a part before sophisticated witnesses, had tempted hiood-bye at the Fall River station, and he had turned away alone, the conviction re much more than he had sacrificed
He wandered back to the club, and went and sat alone in the deserted library, turning and turning over in his thoughts every separate second of their hours together It was clear to hirew more clear under closer scrutiny, that if she should finally decide on returning to Europe--returning to her husband--it would not be because her old life teo only if she felt herself beco a temptation to Archer, a temptation to fall away from the standard they had both set up Her choice would be to stay near hi as he did not ask her to come nearer; and it depended on himself to keep her just there, safe but secluded
In the train these thoughts were still with hih which the faces about hi that if he spoke to his fellow-travellers they would not understand what he was saying In this state of abstraction he found hi to the reality of a stifling Septe train streah the saolden blur; but suddenly, as he left the station, one of the faces detached itself, came closer and forced itself upon his consciousness It was, as he instantly recalled, the face of the youngout of the Parker House, and had noted as not confor an American hotel face