“Oh, do you defend a man for such beastliness, by that stale old plea of blame on both sides?” demanded Halleck, indignantly.
“No; but I should like to know what she had said or done to provoke it, before I excused her altogether.”
“You would! Imagine the case reversed.”
“It isn't imaginable.”
“You think there is a special code of morals for women,—sins and shames for them that are no sins and shames for us!”
“No, I don't think that! I merely suggest that you don't idealize the victim in this instance. I dare say she hasn't suffered half as much as you have. Remember that she's a person of commonplace traditions, and probably took a simple view of the matter, and let it go as something that could not be helped.”
“No, that would not do, either,” said Halleck.
“You're hard to please. Suppose we imagine her proud enough to face you down on the fact, for his sake; too proud to revenge her disgrace on you—”
“Oh, you come back to your old plea of magnanimity! Atherton, it makes me sick at heart to think of that poor creature. That look of hers haunts me! I can't get rid of it!”
Atherton sat considering his friend with a curious smile. “Well, I'm sorry this has happened to you, Halleck.”