And, catching up another stone, he threw it into the beck with a passion which made the clash of it, as it struck upon a rock, echo through the ghyll. There was something magnificent in the gesture, and a movement, half thrill, half shudder, ran through the wife's delicate frame. She clasped her hands round his arm, and drew close to him.
'John!--are you going to leave baby and me behind?'
Her voice, as she pressed towards him, her face upraised to his, rose from deep founts of feeling; but she kept the sob in it restrained. Fenwick felt the warmth and softness of her young body; the fresh face, the fragrant hair were close upon his lips. He threw both his arms round her and folded her to him.
'Just for a little while,' he pleaded--'till I get my footing. One year! For both our sakes--Phoebe!'
'I could live on such a little--we could get two rooms, which would be cheaper for you than lodgings.'
'It isn't that!' he said, impatiently, but kissing her. 'It is that I must be my own master--I must have nothing to think of but my art--I must slave night and day--I must live with artists--I must get to know all sorts of people who might help me on. If you and Carrie came up--just at first--I couldn't do the best for myself--I couldn't, I tell you. And of course I mean the best for _you_, in the long run. If I go, I must succeed. And if I can give all my mind, I _shall_ succeed. Don't you think I shall?'
He drew away from her abruptly--holding her at arm's length, scrutinising her face almost with hostility.
'Yes,' said Phoebe, slowly, 'Yes, of course you'll succeed--if you don't quarrel with people.'
'Quarrel,' he repeated, angrily. 'You're always harping on that--you're always so _afraid_ of people. It does a man no harm, I tell you, to be a bit quick-tempered. I shan't be a fool.'
'No, but--I could warn you often. And then you know,' she said, slowly, caressing his shoulder with her hand--'I could look after money. You're dreadfully bad about money, John. Directly you've got it, you spend it--and sometimes when you borrow you forget all about paying it back.'
He was struck dumb for a moment with astonishment; feeling at the same time the trembling of the form which his arm still encircled.