"You know that he hasn't!"
"I know that he has," Norton persisted with rising wrath. "It's a waste of breath for you to talk to me about this thing"—he turned on her fiercely:
"Why do you wish to go back there? To grin and hint the truth to your friends?"
"You know that I'd cut my tongue out sooner than betray you. I'd like to scream it from every housetop—yes. But I won't. I won't, because you smile or frown means too much to me. I'm asking this that I may live and work for you and be your slave without money and without price——"
"I understand," he broke in bitterly, "because you think that thus you can again drag me down—well, you can't do it! The power you once had is gone—gone forever—never to return——"
"Then why be afraid? No one there knows except my mother. You hate me. All right. I can do you no harm. I'll never hate you. I'll just be happy to serve you, to love your boy and help you rear him to be a fine man. Let me go back with you and open the old house again——"
He lifted his hand with a gesture of angry impatience:
"Enough of this now—you go your way in life and I go mine."
"I'll not give her up except on my conditions——"
"Then you can keep her and go where you please. If you return home you'll not find me. I'll put the ocean between us if necessary——"