Eve remained mute, her head bent.
"What about your friend and you in the future? Are you bound to this friend in any irredeemable way?"
"No—I am not," she answered, with emotion.
"There's nothing between you but—let us call it mere friendship."
"Nothing—nothing!"
"So far, so good." He looked keenly into her face. "But how about the future?"
"There will never be anything more—there can't be."
"Let us say that you think so at present. Perhaps I don't feel quite so sure of it. I say again, it's nothing to me, unless I get drawn into it by you yourself. I am not your guardian. If I tell you to be careful, it's an impertinence. But the money; that's another affair. I won't help you to misery."
"You will be helping me out of misery!" Eve exclaimed.
"Yes, for the present. I will make a bargain with you."