“Doubtless. As good a reason as you had for not marrying her.”
“You talk insidiously. I had a good one—a miserably good one!”
Smith’s anxiety urged him to venture one more question.
“Did she not love you enough?” He drew his breath in a slow and attenuated stream, as he waited in timorous hope for the answer.
“Stephen, you rather strain ordinary courtesy in pressing questions of that kind after what I have said. I cannot understand you at all. I must go on now.”
“Why, good God!” exclaimed Stephen passionately, “you talk as if you hadn’t at all taken her away from anybody who had better claims to her than you!”
“What do you mean by that?” said Knight, with a puzzled air. “What have you heard?”
“Nothing. I too must go on. Good-day.”
“If you will go,” said Knight, reluctantly now, “you must, I suppose. I am sure I cannot understand why you behave so.”
“Nor I why you do. I have always been grateful to you, and as far as I am concerned we need never have become so estranged as we have.”