I nodded.
"A great deal of money," she went on.
"For him—no," I said. "For me—well, yes."
"Eight or nine hundred dollars," she said.
"Those are about the figures," I returned. "Call it nine hundred."
"Oh, how could you! How could you!" she exclaimed.
I remained silent. In fact I did not know what to say.
"Don't you see the position you're putting yourself in?" she said.
"Position?" I repeated. "What position?"
"It's horrible, it's ignoble," she broke out. "I have always admired you for the way you kept yourself clear of such an ambiguous relation—you've known to the fraction of an inch what to take, what to refuse—to preserve your self-respect—my respect—unimpaired. And here I see you slipping into degradation. Oh, Hugo! I can't bear it."