"That's rubbish," she said. "I don't believe it."
Gabrielle jumped to her feet and faced her again, blazing with pride and anger and amazingly beautiful.
"You don't believe me? How dare you? I've told you that we didn't know.
I don't tell lies. You're insulting me…."
She was so passionate that Mrs. Payne was almost convinced. She softened for a moment. "After all, you ought to have known," she said. "You're a married woman."
"Married …" Gabrielle repeated. "Yes … but I didn't know. I've told you I didn't. That's enough."
"Well, if you didn't know, I did," said Mrs. Payne with a laugh.
"How? Tell me how?"
"It wasn't difficult to see."
"I can't imagine it. But I know nothing of love. Only once…" and
Gabrielle relapsed into her dream, standing with her hand on the bedpost
gazing towards the window. After a second she turned again quickly.
"Then, if you knew, was that why you invited me here?"
Mrs. Payne said: "Yes——"