"Yes, it does pain me," she said. "But I don't despair. We are not married, you and I, Mr. Archdale, and I wish Katie would throw aside her nonsensical scruples. What matter whether Mr. Harwin was a minister? Why will she not let it go that it was all fun, and marry you? I think she ought."
"I think so, too," he said. He did not add his suspicions that Katie was acting upon the covert suggestions of his father which had so disturbed her conscience that she declared she must be satisfied that the whole thing was a falsehood of Harwin's.
"I wish we could find him," said Elizabeth.
"So do I", answered Archdale under his breath. She looked at him quickly and away again, feeling that her last wish had not been a wise one. "Yet" pursued Archdale, "you see that if Harwin's story is false, the whole matter drops there, and that would make it simpler, to say the least of it. Katie does not like the idea of having the court obliged to decide about it. She says it seems like a divorce."
Elizabeth flushed.
"Do I like it?" she said. "But anything is better than this."
"Yes," he answered, then seemed as if he would like to take back his frank confession. She smiled at him.
"Don't try to soften it, Mr. Archdale. We both mean that. You speak honestly because you are honest and understand what I want, too; because you are wise enough to believe in the absurdity of this whole affair."
"You did not think it absurd at first," he answered.
"I was overwhelmed. I had no time to consider."