She averted her gaze, and her eyes began to well with tears.
"No, you have known the thing to happen before, and therefore you were the more readily convinced that it had happened again. You had no faith because your faith had been cruelly broken. But, believe me, although I did this action this morning chiefly on your account and Leonetta's, and partly also on account of a great friend of mine whom you do not yet know, I swear I should never have undertaken it if I had dreamt for an instant that it was going to cost you as much as a single tear."
The girl put her handkerchief to her eyes. "I'm afraid I don't understand," she said. "It all seems so mysterious. I only know that, one after another, you all seem to go the same way."
Lord Henry sighed. "Come," he said, offering her his arm again; "let me make myself clear to you."
But she was too convulsed with sobs to move. The situation was certainly difficult.
He waited, and looked for a while away from her.
"Besides," she cried at last, "you don't really know what I wanted to do, otherwise—otherwise—Oh! it's too dreadful!"
He swung round. "I know everything," he rejoined.
"You can't really want to keep me beside you then."
He smiled sadly. "And why not, in all conscience!"