He laid his hand on hers. “I wish you wouldn’t speak of it. It was nothing.”
“It was a great deal.”
He looked down at her, slender and young and infinitely desirable. “You needn’t think I am going to let you go,” he said.
“I’m afraid—you must——”
He flamed suddenly. “I’m more of a One-Woman man than you think. If you won’t marry me, I won’t have anyone else. I’ll go on alone. As for Adelaide——A woman like that doesn’t expect much more than I gave. That’s all I can say about her. She means nothing to me, seriously, and never will. She plays the game, and so do I, but it’s only a game.”
He looked tired and old. “I’ll go abroad to-morrow. When I come back, perhaps you’ll change your mind.”
“I shall never change it,” she said, “never.”
He stood up. “Jane, I could make you happy.” He held her hand as she stood beside him.
She looked at him and knew that he could not. Her dreams had come back to her—of Galahad—of Robin Hood ... the world of romance had again flung wide its gates....