"I will try—with your help."
"How can I help you? Tell me."
"By letting me love you—as wisely as I can—in my own fashion. By letting me learn more of you—more about men. I don't understand men. I thought I did—but I don't. By letting me find out what is the wisest and the best and the most unselfish way to love you. For I don't know yet. I don't know. All I know is that I am married to the man I loved—the man I still love. But how I am going to love him I—I don't yet know."
He was silent; the hot flush on his face did not seem to warm her cheek where it rested so coldly against his.
"I want to hold you because it is best for us both," she said, as though speaking to herself.
"But—you need make no effort to hold me, Jacqueline!" e protested, amazed.
"I want to hold you, Jim," she repeated. "You are my husband. I—I must hold you. And I don't know how I am to do it. I don't know how."
"My darling! Who has been talking to you? What have they said?"
"It has got to be done, somehow," she interrupted, wearily. "I must learn how to hold you; and you must give me time, Jim——"
"Give you time!" he repeated, exasperated.