'But that is no reason,' she pursued, 'why we should become strangers. You are still so young a man; life must be so full of possibilities for you. This year has been wasted, but when you leave Exeter'——
An impatient movement of Godwin's checked her.
'You are going to encourage me to begin the struggle once more,' he said, bitterly. 'Where? How? It is so easy to talk of "possibilities".'
'You are not without friends—I mean friends whose sympathy is of real value to you.'
Saying this, she looked keenly at him.
'Friends,' he replied, 'who perhaps at this moment are laughing over my disgrace.'
'How do they know of—what has happened?'
'How did your brother get his information? I didn't care to ask him.—No, I don't even wish you to say anything about that.'
'But surely there is no reason for keeping it secret. Why may I not speak freely? Buckland told me that he had heard you spoken of at the house of people named Moxey.'
She endeavoured to understand the smile which rose to his lips. 'Now it is clear to me,' he said. 'Yes, I suppose that was inevitable, sooner or later.'