“I can’t judge you,” she replied. “There are feelings independent of intellectual judgment.”
“But hear me,” he pleaded.
“I can guess it all,” she said.
“I shall have to tell it soon. Why not now? You can’t guess all. Every minute’s delay is widening the gulf between us, dear.”
“It seems to be infinitely wide already,” she answered. “Why did you deceive me, Hugh? I trusted you so——”
“Because I loved you.”
“Love is perfect trust,” she said.
“It is also protection. You committed a crime punishable at law for my sake. I did the same for yours.”
“Do you suppose I would have let anything stand in the way of our union?” she said.
“I knew that you would not, dear. But I also knew that such unions are hard for the woman. I wanted to lighten your lot, not make it heavier.”