“He is a man, with human weaknesses. What do we know of his life, outside of his visits here? We do not know how or where he spends his time, nor who are his associates. He does not see you very frequently.”
“You will hint next that he is deceiving me,” was her hot answer. “He visits me as often as he can, and I have perfect faith in his love and his honesty.”
“I cannot help doubting him, Jennie,” he replied.
“Doubt him!” she cried. “And is a mere doubt warrant enough for you to take such action, to injure and disgrace him, to wound me so deeply? You doubt him! If you had seen your goods in his possession it would not have given you the right to doubt him without further proof.”
“They were found in his possession,” he replied, hotly as herself. “He was found making presents of them. And as for further proof we have it in his silence. If he is innocent why does he refuse to clear himself?”
“I don’t know. He has good reasons for it. If guilty why did he give me that silk, and so bring it directly before your eyes?”
“I did not consider that,” he said, thoughtfully.
“You did not consider anything,” was her bitter reply. “You acted as hastily as if he had been an utter stranger, and caught in the act of robbery.”
“I think we had better close this conversation,” he mildly answered. “You are hot and passionate now. When you are cooler you can better appreciate my action.”
“I appreciate it now,” she replied, more hotly still. “Not content with having him seized as a felon you must enter my room, search among my things, carry off that miserable bow, make me a party to this base persecution of my lover. Why did you not ask me for the silk?”