"I'd do anything to save him. But I can't."
"You can't. And you mustn't try to. It would be the best thing that could happen to him."
"Oh no, not to Jerry."
"Yes. To Jerry. If he's ever to be any good. You don't want him to be a moral invalid, do you?"
"No… Oh Eliot, that's Uncle Robert's door."
Upstairs the door opened and shut and Adeline came to the head of the stairs.
"Oh Eliot, come quick——"
Eliot rushed upstairs. And Anne heard Adeline sobbing hysterically and crying out to him.
"I can't—I can't. I can not bear it!"
She saw her trail off along the gallery to her room; she heard her lock herself in. She had every appearance of running away from something. From something she could not bear. Half an hour passed before Eliot came back to Anne.