"The Sacred Fount" is a classic novel by Henry James. It is a short one published in 1901.
The story takes
place at a weekend party in an English country house, at Newmarch. The main character is a nameless
narrator who develops the theory of the "sacred fount" when he observes that his hostess, Grace Brissenden, is much older than her husband, Guy, yet after a few years of marriage seems to be the more youthful and energetic. Further, the narrator thinks that Guy is the "fount" from which his wife draws her energies and vitality, leaving him devitalized.
The narrator also applies his theory to another pair of guests, Gilbert Long and May Server. He puts forward his argument that the passage of vital force from May, who appears to be emotionally disturbed, to Gilbert, who once seemed dull but is now a witty man of the world. Very interesting speculations by the narrator. He further decides that Gilbert and Grace, being the dominant
partners in their respective marriages, are drawn closer together, and likewise the weaker partners, May and Guy, are also drawn together.
Grace then tells the narrator that he has been imagining the whole thing. The author, Henry James, leaves the reader to decide whether the narrator has invented the whole idea or Grace is telling a lie.