Page:The Inheritors, An Extravagant Story.djvu/245

 at that moment; struck me convincingly—more than any array of facts could have done.

"Oh—as for what he is—" she said, and paused. "I know . . ." and then suddenly she began to speak very fast.

"Don't you see?—can't you see?—that I don't marry Gurnard for what he is in that sense, but for what he is in the other. It isn't a marriage in your sense at all. And . . . and it doesn't affect you . . . don't you see? We have to have done with one another, because . . . because . . ."

I had an inspiration.

"I believe," I said, very slowly, "I believe . . . you do care . . ."

She said nothing.

"You care," I repeated.

She spoke then with an energy that had something of a threat in it. "Do you think I would? Do you think I could? . . . or dare? Don't you understand?" She faltered—"but then . . ." she added, and was silent for a long minute. I felt the throb of a thousand pulses in my head, on my temples. "Oh, yes, I care," she said slowly, "but that—that makes it all the