Gillian met his harshly cynical glance with one of brave defiance.
“I don’t think God’s mills have anything to do with it,” she said swiftly. “He’d understand all the excuses and allowances that should be made for her better even than I do. And I shouldn’t want to punish Magda. I’d make her—happy. She’s never known what it means to be really happy. Success and gaiety aren’t happiness.”
“And you?” he asked quickly.
There was a soft and wonderful shining in the brown eyes that were lifted to his.
“I had one year of utter happiness,” she answered gently. “And I’ve got Coppertop—so I can’t ever be quite unhappy.”
“If there were more women like you——” he began abruptly.
She shook her head.
“No, no,” she said, smiling a little. “If there were more men like Tony! You men are so hard—so cruelly hard.”
He looked at her very directly.
“Haven’t I the right to be?” he demanded bitterly.