"About my pretending that I was the one. It was my own notion."
"Then you will tell her," he ordained with chill command, "as soon as she is well enough to hear it. If she gets well enough," he added.
"If? Bobs! You don't think there's any real danger——"
"Of course there is danger. What do you think fever means in such a case? You take things into your own hands, perpetrate a piece of criminal folly——"
"Bobs! I couldn't have stopped her."
"You could have told me the truth and let me handle the situation. She would never have dared if she knew that I knew. Now, if Dee dies——"
"Don't, Bobs!"
"It will be your lie that killed her."
For once the reckless soul of Pat shrunk back upon itself in awed remorse. "You've never spoken to me that way in your life," she whimpered.
"I've never felt toward you before as I feel now."