(The eyes of both go to Jean's door.)
Stonor (angrily). My conscience is clear. I know—and so do you—that most men in my position wouldn't have troubled themselves. I gave myself endless trouble.
Miss L. (with wondering eyes). So you've gone about all these years feeling that you'd discharged every obligation.
Stonor. Not only that. I stood by you with a fidelity that was nothing short of Quixotic. If, woman like, you must recall the Past—I insist on your recalling it correctly.
Miss L. (very low). You think I don't recall it correctly?
Stonor. Not when you make—other people believe that I deserted you. (With gathering wrath.) It's a curious enough charge when you stop to consider—— (Checks himself, and with a gesture of impatience sweeps the whole thing out of his way.)
Miss L. Well, when we do—just for five minutes out of ten years—when we do stop to consider——
Stonor. We remember it was you who did the deserting! Since you had to rake the story up, you might have had the fairness to tell the facts.
Miss L. You think "the facts" would have excused you! (She sits.)