“The truth?”
“Yes. I was living in a Fool’s Paradise. I see now that disillusion was bound to have come sooner or later. Instead of the glamour disappearing bit by bit through unhappy years, it has all been torn off at once. Gerard did not love me. He is quite a different being from the man I loved. I prefer realities to shams. I have arrived at the truth, and so I am content.”
“But he shall arrive at the truth, too,” cried Hugh, starting to his feet. “He shall lick the dust before you—for the deadly wrong he wants to inflict on you. I had no idea before I left. If I had seen him yesterday when the news reached me, I should have—Perhaps it is well I didn’t see him. Why did you send me away? Did you know at the time?”
“Yes,” she replied, “I knew. But I wanted to see whether it was merely blind rage or whether time would bring a change. I felt it was better for you two not to meet in hot blood.”
“I could have stopped it, at once. Given you back your happiness.”
“Do you understand me so little?” she asked with an air of reproach.
“I could have convinced him, brought him to your feet. And I shall—to-morrow.”
“For God’s sake don’t,” she exclaimed quickly.
“I must. He shall not drag your name through the mud of the courts. I should be a hound to allow it.”
“What can you do?”