"You love the child—Nibbetts's child?"
"Because he lives again in her. It's a shadowy love, you see. I shall never love another man."
"They say you'll marry this Andrews chap when the year is up."
"I suppose they do."
"But you won't?"
"I may."
"I hope so. That will be the beginning of the new life. And you'll love him, too."
"No," she insisted. "I sha'n't love him—not as he deserves to be loved. For he is very good—oh, worlds and worlds too good for this fate he craves—and deserves a younger woman—one that is not world-worn as I am! Agnes adores him. If he would only wait for her she'd—"
The duke spilled some crumbs of seed-cake on the floor.
"He's a very sensible chap, Andrews is. He don't want an infant. Donty Down says you've changed, and I believe him. You're different. You've developed. You're more desirable now than ever before. Marry Andrews. That's what I advise. You'll make him very happy."