He stood quietly watching her.
“Now, proud man, you see me humbled,” she exclaimed.
He smiled compassionately. There was certainly not a trace of humility either in her tone or her attitude.
“I don’t think that any one ever suffered so much,” she said suddenly stopping and clasping her hands. “I—to be so disgraced, so unspeakably debased—oh, it is hard to bear!” and dropping on one of the white couches in the room she burst into passionate crying.
“Poor little girl,” said Armour pityingly coming to stand over her.
“Go away,” she cried, flinging herself into an upright position. “Why did you come up here? I do not wish to see you. Do you forget my odious designs upon you?”
“Silly gossip,” he said, stooping down to stroke her hair.
At his touch she immediately became calm. “Mr. Armour,” she said pleadingly, “may I leave here to-morrow?”
“Yes,” he said soothingly, “any time you will.”
“I will go away with Stargarde,” she murmured. “Do not——”