She saw that she was putting him to the torture. He could not defend himself without exposing his father; but she meant that he should defend himself, that he should if possible stand clear.
"Yes. He hadn't seen you. He wouldn't go back on his bargain, and I couldn't make him. God knows I tried hard enough!
"Did you think you could do anything by trying?"
"I thought I could do a good deal. I had a hold on him, you see. I happen to be extremely useful to him in this branch of his business. I was trained for it; in fact, I'm hopelessly mixed up with it. Well, he can't do very much without me, and I told him that if he didn't give up the library I should give him up. It wasn't a nice thing to have to say to your father—"
"And you said it?" Her face expressed both admiration and a certain horror.
"Yes. I told him he must choose between me and his bargain."
"That must have been hard."
"He didn't seem to find it so. Anyhow, he hasn't chosen me."
"I meant hard for you to have to say it."
"I assure you it came uncommonly easy at the moment."