She felt his tone and it spurred her to frankness.
"George," she said gently, "I hope it will not hurt you to know that I am engaged."
Great as had been the shock of Will's death, it was slight compared to the awfulness of her revelation. Of late he had felt himself on surer grounds. He hoped to win Edith. Now by one fell stroke, when his keen fine nature was vibrating with tragic sympathy, his own hopes were dashed to the ground.
And Edith herself had struck the blow!
Pale and drawn he looked at her with acute misery depicted in every strong feature.
"Edith! it's all over then—gone forever!" he exclaimed tensely.
Edith's violet eyes suffused with ready tears.
"O, George, don't! don't! I never dreamed that you would take it so to heart! We shall always, always be the same old friends."
"Friends!" he returned bitterly. "What a mockery! But you are right—we will always be the same—you a friend, and I"—he paused and swept her with a glance of passionate admiration—"and I, your abject lover!"
"But, George," she began pleadingly.