"I—I don't think I'm there yet," he whispered. "Say it all over again, will you? Sonia's left you? She used to say she was going to, but that was only to tease you."
O'Rane's lips were quivering, and his voice trembled.
"I'm afraid it's all grim earnest," he said.
"She's left you? O'Rane, she couldn't! She loved you so much! I—I often thought you didn't treat her properly, you were frightfully unsympathetic sometimes, but there was nothing you could do to force her to this!"
Bertrand roused himself to control the excitement of Beresford's voice, which was beginning to react on O'Rane.
"Deal with realities, young man," he grunted. "The facts are as stated."
Beresford disregarded him and turned to O'Rane.
"But where is she?"
"We don't know."
"You don't know who she's with?" His face became suddenly more hopeful. "You've no proof that she's with anyone? She went away once before, remember."