"I don't care if she had ten children and I never had one. It's got nothing to do with it. She had you for—two years, wasn't it?"
"Two years, Kitty."
"Poor thing; and I shall have you all my life."
"Yes. And so, if you don't mind, dear, I'd rather you didn't talk about that again."
"I'm sorry. I won't ever again."
She sat silent for a moment in a sort of penitential shame. Then she burst out—
"I'm not jealous. But, Robert, if you were to leave me for another woman it would kill me. I daren't say that to any other man if I cared for him. It would just make him go and do it. But I believe somehow you'd think twice before you killed me."
He only smiled at this, and spoke gently.
"Yes, Kitty, you're right. I believe I would think twice about it."