"I don't," she said shortly; "only of yours. Will you swear to me that you love her?"
"Willingly," he answered, "if you're unwise enough to ask."
"To ask for an oath which would have no meaning?"
"None whatever," he replied. "What would you expect?"
"The truth!" she said. "Isn't it due to me?"
"Yes," he admitted, "and you've had it; though it hasn't been easy. Consider if a man is likely to relish the sort of confession that I've made to you?"
"You couldn't very well avoid it," she reminded him.
"Oh, yes, I could," he said. "I might have quarrelled with you—you're uncommonly easy to quarrel with—and then ... when you heard of my engagement you'd have put it down to pique."
"You thought of doing that?" she asked distrustfully.
"Yes, I thought of that and of a dozen other ways of—well, of taking you in," he admitted, "and of getting out of it myself."