He looks at her.
"You are honest, at all events," says he bitterly; then, after a moment, "You approve, then, on the step you are taking?"
Tita makes a gesture of impatience.
"What will you have?" says she. "What do you find fault with now? Have I not behaved well? Have I not behaved beautifully? I stayed with you as long as I had any money—the money for which you gave me your—title. I cannot flatter myself that you gave me more than that for it. Probably you gave me too much. And so now, when the money is gone, the bargain is off, and"—with a shrug of her shoulders, and the saucy glance of a naughty child from under her long lashes—"I am off too! Isn't that being good?"
"Have you no charity?" says he. A dark red flush has crimsoned his forehead. "What a character you give me! Do you think I have no heart?"
"Oh, your heart!" says she gaily. "I don't think you need to be unhappy about it. It will do. You say I am honest, and one thing honestly I do regret, that I should have unwittingly tempted you to marry me because of my money—when now it has all dropped overboard. If I had only known how you regarded it, I——"
"That infernal money!" says he violently.
There is almost a groan in his voice. His eyes are fixed upon her; he is wondering at her. What a child she looks in her pretty frock! What an unreasonable child! But what a charm in the angry eyes of her, the defiance of her whole air! There is something that maddens him in the scornful shrug of her dainty shoulders.
"Oh yes—yes—of course!" says she, bringing the little disdainful shrug into full requisition now. "No wonder you abuse it, poor thing! But for that 'infernal money,' you would never have dreamed of marrying me, and now that it is gone—gone——" She pauses. "Oh," sharply, "I am glad it is gone! It opens for me a way to leave you!"
Rylton strides forward, and seizes her by both her arms.