"I believe he's right, you know, Peter. I come here radiating sunniness, but I only seem to depress you. Shall I give you up, baby?"
"You think that will make me less depressed?" he asked gloomily.
"I feel I'm a bad habit." Her expression lost its smile and became charged with abrupt neurotic irritability. "You've had more of my time, more of my sweetness——"
"Do you think I don't appreciate that?"
"I ought never to have let you fall in love with me. Mr. Stornaway's quite right. It's all my fault, and the sooner I end it the better. Good-bye, Peter. It was a mistake, but I'm not ungrateful. When I was miserable, when I wanted sweetness——"
Beresford jerked himself erect and caught her arm, as she tried to get up.
"You're not going?" he begged.
"Yes. And I'm never coming back."
"God in Heaven! Sonia! Don't say that!"