He had lit a cigar and was smoking quietly, standing. A waiter came in with the breakfast. She ate a mouthful without speaking and drank a cup of tea.
"Have you breakfasted?" she asked.
"Yes."
They were silent again and she went on eating.
"And shall we have a talk now?" he asked, still standing up, smoking.
"Very well."
"I won't speak about your running off as you did," he said. "My first intention was to give you a regular flaying, for it was a damned silly trick...."
She said nothing. She merely looked up at him; and her beautiful eyes were filled with a new expression, one of gentle resignation. He fell silent again, evidently restraining himself and seeking his words. Then he resumed:
"As I say, I won't speak about that any more. For the moment you didn't know what you were doing and you weren't accountable for your actions. But there must be an end of that now, for I wish it. Of course I know that according to the law I have not the least right over you. But we've discussed all this; and I told it you in writing. And you have been my wife; and, now that I am seeing you again, I feel very plainly that, in spite of everything, I regard you as my wife and that you are my wife. And you must have retained the same impression from our meeting here, at Nice."
"Yes," she said calmly.