He fell silent. His eyes left her face. Power seemed to leave him.
"That tears it," he said. "That does for me." He was so utterly disconcerted that she could have pitied him.
"So that's why he didn't want to hear me! No wonder. But—why didn't he tell me that he knew it? I taunted him with not knowing." He turned towards her; his eyes were bright with fever. "If you know, perhaps you'll tell me."
Lucy said proudly, "I believe I know. He didn't want to change your thoughts of me." He received that in silence.
Then he said, "By George, he's a better man than I am."
Lucy said, "Yes, he is." Her head was very fixed, her neck very stiff. She was really angry, and Urquhart had sense enough to see it. She got up to leave him, really angry, but unwilling to appear so. "You must forget all this," she said, "and get well. Then you will do wonderful things."
He said, "I've been a blackguard; but I meant something better."
"Oh, I am sure you did," she said warmly.
"I won't see Macartney, if he doesn't mind. Tell him from me that he's a better man than I am."
"He won't believe you," said Lucy.