There was so much suffering in his voice that Anne understood that there had been a quarrel. At that moment all seemed suddenly to have become clear to her, and she felt that she was a very experienced person. “What foolishness!” she exclaimed to herself.
“Why should they have quarrelled?” And she decided to persuade Grandison to turn back.
“Why do you want to leave them?” she asked gently. She was preparing to reason with him sympathetically, and softly to lead him back to Richard. For a moment Grandison sat silent, and something in his sullen expression, his trembling lip and the way in which he opened and then shut his hand, moved her very much.
“I must explain,” he repeated. “Ever since I met you at the station I have been madly in love with you.”
Anne felt cold all over as she heard these words; she shivered and gazed at Grandison with frightened eyes, asking herself if she had heard what he had said aright; a suspicion crossed her mind that he was playing a joke on her, a heartless practical joke. She gazed at him in terror, but he went on without turning his head to look at her: “It has been awful. I could not speak to you while I was still living in Richard’s studio. I think Ginette guessed but Richard did not suspect until I told him after you went yesterday. I did not think it would upset him so much or that it would upset me so much.”
“I don’t understand why he should be upset or why he dislikes me, but I feel he does. There has never been anything between Richard and me,” said Anne. She stopped, feeling that she had said something foolish.
“I know, but there has been a great deal between Richard and me,” answered Grandison. “Just now he hates you, though it is not your fault that I am in love with you, and he knows that.”
“He has got Ginette,” said Anne.
“Oh, my God!” cried Grandison, making the most awful face. “Ginette was my mistress. Surely you knew that?”
Anne gazed at the cuff of Grandison’s coat: a check material with a little wavy thread of purple running among the fawns and greys. She was overcome with shame and confusion at her ignorance and her stupidity. There was a long silence.