"Isn't there a shred of gratitude in you?" he cried out, aghast at her unyielding front.
"I'm not ungrateful, Claude," she said, gravely. "Living with you has been a liberal education. I've learned the truth about marriage without binding myself for life; I've also learned the difference between affection and infatuation without breaking either your heart or mine. Can I ever repay this? If every girl could have some experience in living with a man or two before she made a permanent choice, I believe marriage would be far more popular."
"Confound your opinions," he shouted, in an agony of rage.
With a wild movement, he seized both her arms and furiously lifted her to her feet.
"Look here. Do you think you can calmly turn your back on me after what I've put up with, after all I've suffered on your account? Exactly why do you want to go away at the very moment that I'm marooned in this infernal town? You've got to tell me straight! Is it sheer insanity, or a craze for romantic adventure?"
With cheeks glowing and lips quivering, she said:
"I'm leaving you because we have nothing in common except our physical attraction. And that is mostly physical repulsion now, as you see."
"Haven't you one spark of love for me left?"
"Claude, with all your faults I love you still," she replied, smiling, as she rallied her self-command.
He relapsed into his seat, utterly overwhelmed.