“Yes.”
“Do you know what it is to be a mother?”
“No, but I can partly imagine what happiness it must be.”
“Are you separated from your husband?”
“Yes, by circumstances and against our will. We were separated before we had cohabited together.”
“Is he at London?”
“No, he is far away, but please don’t say anything more about it.”
“Only tell me whether my loss will be his gain.”
“Yes, and I promise not to leave you till I have to leave England—that is, unless you dismiss me—and I shall leave this happy island to be happy with the husband of my choice.”
“But I, dear Pauline, will be left unhappy, for I love you with all my heart, and am afraid to give you any proof of my love.”