“It would have done no good. Besides he would have thought me jealous.” There was something pitiful in the terrible control exercised by the woman. Even Ellen forgot suddenly the strange sense of enmity. She kept silent and it was Sabine who spoke.
“Besides,” she said. “You never spoke of him or of Mrs. Callendar to Madame de Cyon. That made me think you might have seen him.”
“It would only have made complications,” replied Ellen. “If you knew Madame de Cyon, you would understand.” Her voice suddenly grew cold. “Did you think,” she asked, “that he had brought me to Paris? Did you think I was carrying on an affair ... secretly?”
The more they talked, the clearer grew the likeness of the one to the other. They were in both the same restraint, the same watchfulness, the same determination that the world should not hurt her.
When Ellen looked at her visitor again she saw that she had been weeping, silently; she was putting a handkerchief, stealthily, to her eyes, ashamed clearly that she should have so revealed her unhappiness.
“I have been wretched all day,” she said. “You see little Thérèse and I ... that’s my little daughter, she’s three years old ... found a starving kitten yesterday. It had fleas and we washed it with carbolic soap. It’s sick. I’m afraid we’ve hurt it and it may die. Little Thérèse is very fond of it.”
Then, quite silently, the tears began to stream down her face. It was the only sign she gave. She did not sob. Her hands did not tremble. She simply wept.
It was a terrible sight, because Ellen understood plainly that the kitten had nothing to do with the tears.
Presently, after she had had a glass of port, Sabine took Ellen’s hand and murmured, “You must forgive me. I was spiteful and rude ... and unjust too. But you see there were so many things. You knew my husband a little, so you can guess perhaps something of the story.”
Then pressing her hand to her head, she was silent for a time. “You see I have had a child ... a daughter ... and I can never have another. Mrs. Callendar and Richard want a son ... I know that.... The old woman wants some one to care for all her money. You see, he’s no good at it. They’ve never said anything, but I know she wants me to divorce him so that he can marry again. I can feel all their will working against me.... It’s horrible. It’s sinister. It’s always concealed by smiles and smooth words. I can’t do that.... I can’t.... Not yet ... perhaps some day.” The tears began to flow again, for even Sabine could not keep from pitying herself. “And I know there are other women.... I think I am a little mad to behave in this fashion ... to come to you, like this.” She coughed nervously. “You were always so strong and so independent. So was I ... once.”