"Not at all, except for the fact that it is naturally a grief to me,—to us both; for, as you see, we can never marry."
Mrs. Bright was entirely astray. When other girls were convicted of being in love with married men, it had always sounded so immoral! But no one could think of Honor as such. She was plainly an upright and honourable girl.
"Yet you encouraged his writing, and answered his letters! You meet, to all appearances, as if nothing is wrong. What am I to make of it?"
"That we are very much to be pitied. Writing and meeting openly are all that are left to us."
"He should have gone away—severed his connection with Muktiarbad. Not have stayed to fan the flame!"
"Life is too short for needless sacrifices, Mother darling. Having made the greatest, we refuse to suffer more than we need. Sometimes, if you are starving for food, a bare crust will keep you alive. We are subsisting on bare crusts and are grateful."
"I consider Captain Dalton has not behaved at all well. He knew his position and went out of his way to make you care!"
"Ah, no!—it just happened!" said Honor, her eyes suddenly flooded with tears.
Mrs. Bright looked at her daughter's white and sorrowful face, and away again. She could not bear to see the suffering there. All the traditions of her life caused her to stand aghast at the idea of dalliance with a sin so subtle and alluring as this. It should be the root-and-branch method. Nothing else would suffice to save her child! Yet her own eyes overflowed in sympathy.
"Oh, my poor little Honey!" She held out her arms and Honor took refuge in them to weep unrestrainedly. "We are trying to be so good!" she cried.