Page:The Fruit of the Tree (Wharton 1907).djvu/517

Rh Well, you must regain it before you can ask me—or any one else—to recommend you to a position of trust.”

Wyant half—rose, with an angry murmur. “My self-respect? What do you mean? I meant that I’d lost courage—through ill-luck”

“Yes; and your ill-luck has come through your own fault. Till you cure yourself you’re not ﬁt to cure others.”

He sank back into his seat, glowering at her under sullen brows; then his expression gradually changed to half-sneering admiration. “You’re a plucky one!” he said.

Justine repressed a movement of disgust. “I am very sorry for you,” she said gravely. “I saw this trouble coming on you long ago—and if there is any other way in which I can help you”

“Thanks,” he returned, still sneering. “Your sympathy is very precious—there was a time when I would have given my soul for it. But that’s over, and I’m here to talk business. You say you saw my trouble coming on—did it ever occur to you that you were the cause of it?”

Justine glanced at him with frank contempt. “No—for I was not,” she replied.

“That’s an easy way out of it. But you took everything from me—ﬁrst my hope of marrying you; then [ 501 ]