But he always reserved
himself for Miriam. With Clara, however, his brow cleared, and he
was gay again. She treated him indulgently, as if he were a child. He
thought he did not mind. But deep below the surface it piqued him.
Sometimes Miriam said:
"What about Clara? I hear nothing of her lately."
"I walked with her about twenty minutes yesterday," he replied.
"And what did she talk about?"
"I don't know. I suppose I did all the jawing--I usually do. I think I
was telling her about the strike, and how the women took it."
"Yes."
So he gave the account of himself.
But insidiously, without his knowing it, the warmth he felt for Clara
drew him away from Miriam, for whom he felt responsible, and to whom he
felt he belonged. He thought he was being quite faithful to her. It was
not easy to estimate exactly the strength and warmth of one's feelings
for a woman till they have run away with one.
He began to give more time to his men friends. There was Jessop, at the
art school; Swain, who was chemistry demonstrator at the university;
Newton, who was a teacher; besides Edgar and Miriam's younger brothers.
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