"I can guess," he said in a tone of constraint.
She was standing slightly above him. She placed her hand shyly on his shoulder. "And you won't hate it so very badly?" she urged softly. "It is in a good cause, isn't it?"
"I hope so," he said.
He seemed unaware of her hand upon him. She pressed a little.
"Burke!"
"Yes?" He still stood without looking at her.
She spoke nervously. "I—I shan't forget—ever—that I am married.
You—you needn't be afraid of—of anything like that."
He turned with an odd gesture. "I thought you were going to forget it—that you had forgotten it—for good."
His voice had a strained, repressed sound. He spoke almost as if he were in pain.
She tried to smile though her heart was beating fast and hard. "Well, I haven't. And—I never shall now. So that's all right, isn't it? Say it's all right!"
There was more of pleading in her voice than she knew. A great tremor went through Burke. He clenched his hands to subdue it.