Part 26 (1/2)

”Where have you been?” she asked.

”East Coast,” I said easily.

She paused for a moment. ”I KNOW,” she said.

I stared at her. It was the most amazing moment in any life....

”By Jove!” I said at last, ”I believe you do!”

”And then you come home to me!”

I walked to the hearthrug and stood quite still there regarding this new situation.

”I didn't dream,” she began. ”How could you do such a thing?”

It seemed a long interval before either of us spoke another word.

”Who knows about it?” I asked at last.

”Smithie's brother. They were at Cromer.”

”Confound Cromer! Yes!”

”How could you bring yourself”

I felt a spasm of petulant annoyance at this unexpected catastrophe.

”I should like to wring Smithie's brother's neck,” I said....

Marion spoke in dry, broken fragments of sentences. ”You... I'd always thought that anyhow you couldn't deceive me... I suppose all men are horrid--about this.”

”It doesn't strike me as horrid. It seems to me the most necessary consequence--and natural thing in the world.”

I became aware of some one moving about in the pa.s.sage, and went and shut the door of the room, then I walked back to the hearthrug and turned.

”It's rough on you,” I said. ”But I didn't mean you to know. You've never cared for me. I've had the devil of a time. Why should you mind?”

She sat down in a draped armchair. ”I HAVE cared for you,” she said.

I shrugged my shoulders.

”I suppose,” she said, ”SHE cares for you?”

I had no answer.

”Where is she now?”

”Oh! does it matter to you?... Look here, Marion! This--this I didn't antic.i.p.ate. I didn't mean this thing to smash down on you like this.

But, you know, something had to happen. I'm sorry--sorry to the bottom of my heart that things have come to this between us. But indeed, I'm taken by surprise. I don't know where I am--I don't know how we got here. Things took me by surprise. I found myself alone with her one day.

I kissed her. I went on. It seemed stupid to go back. And besides--why should I have gone back? Why should I? From first to last, I've hardly thought of it as touching you.... d.a.m.n!”