He looked at her in amazement and drew slowly away from her side, walking to the fire-place and resting his forehead on his arm.
"I—don't … I don't understand what's the matter," he murmured at length. "Last night … You did it of your own free will, Babs.… And unless you wanted to hurt me more completely and ingeniously than you've ever succeeded in doing before——"
The girl winced and covered her face with her hands.
"I wouldn't hurt you for the world!" she whispered. "Ah! God! I wish I'd never met you, I wish I'd never been born! Don't you see that I couldn't go on taking, taking, taking with both hands—all your sweetness and gentleness, everything—and giving you nothing in return? When you said that I'd spoiled your work … Didn't I see that I'd already ruined your health and made you miserable? I tried to make amends, but it wasn't in my power. I ought never to have given you that promise!"
"Don't you love me any more, Babs?"
"Oh, yes."
"Well, what have I done since last night?"
"You haven't done anything.… It was a letter.… You remember about Jim Loring's ball just before the war——"
Eric drew her head on to his shoulder and kissed her.
"My darling, that's all so long ago! Why distress yourself with it now?"