"Because it never occurred to me before that there might be a special reason."
"Well, there is one."
"Has it anything to do with me?"
She backed away from him slightly, to the side curve of the window, where it joined the straight line of the wall. In this position she had him more directly in view.
"I said there was a reason," she answered, after some hesitation. "I didn't say I would tell you what it was."
"No, but you will, won't you?"
"I don't see why you should want to know."
"Is that quite true?" he queried, with a somewhat startling fixing of his eyes upon her. "Don't you see? Can't you imagine?"
"I don't see why—in such circumstances as these—any man should want to know what a woman doesn't tell him."
"Then I'll explain to you. I want to know, because ... I think ... you're marrying Conquest ... when you don't love him ..."