A smile dawned on her tired face.
"I want so much! I always have.... Oh, I know you despise me, and you're quite right. I despise myself. But I must be loved, I can't get on without it. And I've been, oh! so lonely!"
She gave a little sob. I felt a hand on my arm and turned to find Lady Loring shaking her head and pointing to the door.
"Tell me anything I can do to help you, Sonia," I said, "and I'll do it. Now good-night. You've got to go to sleep, and I shan't let David even say good-night to you."
I met O'Rane in the passage and carried him off to the library.
"Lady Loring wants to get her off to sleep," I explained. "You and the child between you have rather excited her. If you will take my advice, you'll go back to Melton by the first train to-morrow. The two of you are wearing each other out. I'll do whatever's necessary here."
"But I can't leave her yet."
"You can and must. You've got your work to do. O'Rane, you may remember that I've advised you a good many times to face facts and end this business. In your greater wisdom you've always refused——"
"You never seemed to appreciate that I loved Sonia."
"Indeed I did. But I thought we agreed that there were some tests which the greatest love in the world couldn't survive."