How did Lionel pass it? Wakeful and watchful as Tynn. He went to bed;
but sleep, for him, there was none. His wife, by his side, slept all
through the night. Better, of course, for her that it should be so; but,
that her frame of mind could be sufficiently easy to admit of sleep, was
a perfect marvel to Lionel. Had he needed proof to convince him how
shallow was her mind, how incapable she was of depth of feeling, of
thought, this would have supplied it. She slept throughout the night.
Lionel never closed his eyes; his brain was at work, his mind was
troubled, his heart was aching. Not for himself. His position was
certainly not one to be envied; but, in his great anxiety for his wife,
self passed out of sight. To what conflict might she not be about to be
exposed! to what unseemly violence of struggle, outwardly and inwardly,
might she not expose herself! He knew quite well that, according to the
laws of God and man, she was Frederick Massingbird's wife; not his. He
should never think--when the time came--of disputing Frederick
Massingbird's claim to her. But, what would she do?--how would she act?
He believed in his heart, that Sibylla, in spite of her aggravations
shown to him, and whatever may have been her preference for Frederick
Massingbird in the early days, best cared for him, Lionel, now. He
believed that she would not willingly return to Frederick Massingbird.
Or, if she did, it would be for the sake of Verner's Pride.
He was right. Heartless, selfish, vain, and ambitious, Verner's Pride
possessed far more attraction for Sibylla than did either Lionel or
Frederick Massingbird. Allow her to keep quiet possession of that, and
she would not cast much thought to either of them. If the conflict
actually came, Lionel felt, in his innate refinement, that the proper
course for Sibylla to adopt would be to retire from all social ties,
partially to retire from the world--as Miss West had suggested she
should do now in the uncertainty. Lionel did not wholly agree with Miss
West. He deemed that, in the uncertainty, Sibylla's place was by his
side, still his wife; but, when once the uncertainty was set at rest by
the actual appearance of Frederick Massingbird, then let her retire. It
was the only course that he could pursue, were the case his own. His
mind was made up upon one point--to withdraw himself out of the way when
that time came. To India, to the wilds of Africa--anywhere, far, far
away. Never would he remain to be an eye-sore to Sibylla or Frederick
Massingbird--inhabiting the land that they inhabited, breathing the air
that sustained life in them. Sibylla might rely on one thing--that when
Frederick Massingbird did appear beyond doubt or dispute, that very hour
he said adieu to Sibylla. The shock soothed--and he would soothe it for
her to the very utmost of his power--he should depart. He would be no
more capable of retaining Sibylla in the face of her husband, than he
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