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128 ARIADNE." No! since He never kept her from you —No!"" Who shall keep the womanfrom the man ? ""said he, with a sortof scorn. Nature will not;andit is Nature alone that is strong."" Iblame not your love;Iam no puritan;whatIcurse in you is your bitter coldness ofsoul, your deception, your faithlessness, yourcruelty, your abandonment;how could you leaveher, once havingloved her — how ? "" I neverloved her,"he said, wearily. " Whatsaid Anakreon hi your dream ? Instead of Erositis Philotes. It is abitter truth."Igroaned aloud.The clay that she had spent her force on inher delirium inParis, was morereal,moreworthyworship,than this phantom of passion, whichhadled her on to perish!" I am ashamed — Iregret! " he mutteredhurriedly, with a true contrition for the moment"inhis voice. Why didyou ask me to leave heralone? And then one saw that Maryx loved her:that was a temptation the more. DoIseembase to you? Men always do whenever they