"You may be right," he said, "though I think it would have been better
for everyone if you had not interfered. Hope, I am going. If you cannot
bring yourself to tell me the whole truth without reservation, there can
be nothing further between us. I fear that, after all, I spoke too soon.
I can enter upon no compact that is not based upon absolute
confidence."
He spoke coldly, decidedly, without a trace of feeling; and, having
spoken, he went deliberately to the window. There he stood for a few
seconds with his back turned upon the room; then, as the silence
remained unbroken, he quietly lifted the catch and let himself out.
In the room he left not a word was spoken for many tragic minutes.
XIII
THE CURSE OF THE VALLEY
Hope had some difficulty in persuading Ronnie to attend mess that night,
though, as a matter of fact, she was longing for solitude.
He went at last, and she was glad, for a great restlessness possessed
her to which it was a relief to give way. She wandered about the veranda
in the dark after his departure, trying to realize fully what had
happened. It had all come upon her so suddenly. She had been forced to
act throughout without a moment's pause for thought.
Pages:
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105