Part 41 (2/2)
MARGOT: ”Oh, yes, I could! You don't know me”
THE LADY: ”I love hi in the world I would not do for him! No pain I would not suffer and no sacrifice I would not make”
MARGOT: ”What could you do for him that would help him?”
THE LADY: ”I would leave ht aith him”
I felt as if she had stabbed me
”Leave your children! and your husband!” I said ”But how can ruining them and yourself help Peter Flower? I don't believe for aso vile”
THE LADY: ”You think he loves you too nation): ”Perhaps I hope he cares tooup excitedly): ”What do you know about love? I have had a hundred lovers, but Peter Flower is the only man I have ever really cared for; and ive hi him up; he is free, I tell you ”
THE LADY: ”I tell you he is not! He doesn't consider himself free, he said as much to me this afternoonwhen he wanted to break it all off”
MARGOT: ”What do you wish me to do then? ”
THE LADY: ”Tell Peter you don't love hiht way, that you don't intend to marry him; and then leave him alone”
MARGOT: ”Do you ht way?”
THE LADY: ”Don't ask stupid questionsI shall kill ivesht to do what he liked and that I had neither the will nor the power to influence his decision; that I was going abroad with my sister Lucy to Italy and would in any case not see him for several weeks; but I added that allhiht sort of man to marry and that all hers would of necessity lie in the opposite direction Not knowing quite how to say good- bye, I began to fingermy intention, she said:
”Just wait one ood as Peter always tells me you are; don't answer till I see your eyes ”
She took two candles off the chimneypiece and placed them on the table near round; I looked at her wonderful wild eyes and stretched out my hands towards her
”Nonsense!” I said ”I a atup abruptly): ”For God's sake don't pityover the situation in the calm of my room, I had no qualms as to either the elope towards Peter His lack of nation and purpose, his intractability in all that was serious and his incapacity to ih unconscious division between us for years; and I deterood-bye to him
A few days later, Lord Dufferin caot,” he said, ”why don't youyou so well if you go on treating it like this As an old friend who loves you, let ive you one word of advice You shouldin love, but never because of it”
Before I went away to Italy, Peter and I, with passion-lit eyes and throbbing hearts, had said goodbye to each other for ever
The relief of our friends at our parting was so suffocating that I clung to the shelter of er of that House of Commons dinner