“Forget!—What?—each other?”
“Yes.”
The word was almost inaudible. She prayed with all her strength that Peter would not come to her across the road and take her in his arms. His words she could fight, but not his arms....
“Stella—you’re not telling me that you’re going away to forget me?”
“I must, Peter. And you’ll forget me, too. Then we’ll be able to live instead of just—loving.”
“But my love for you is my life—all the life I’ve got.”
“No—you’ve got Vera, and soon you’ll have your child. When I’ve gone you can go back to them.”
“I can’t—you don’t know what you’re talking about. If you think I can ever feel again for Vera what I felt when I was fool enough——”
“Oh, don’t....”
“But I will. Why should you delude yourself, and think I’m just being unfaithful to my wife? It’s to you I’ve been unfaithful. I was unfaithful to you with Vera—and now I’ve repented and come back.”