She hid her pallid young face. “Alexis doesn’t. He wants me to get a divorce.”
He reddened with anger. “That doesn’t prove anything! These artistic people must be the devil to live with. Why don’t you give him a divorce if he wants one? What is the use of staying together if you aren’t happy?”
“I can’t—you don’t understand——” her voice came muffled from within the pillow.
He looked down upon the small dark head with compassion.
“Oh, yes, I understand all right. You think you love him and all that. Women like you always fall for the brutes. But it really isn’t love, you know. An obvious case of masochism. My advice is to divorce and forget him. He isn’t worth all these tears. There are plenty of men in the world who would be proud and happy in your love. I’m sorry this had to come up when you’re not in the best condition for it. But now that it has, you might as well face the music.”
Her great eyes chided him reproachfully. “He is not bad, poor Alexis. You misjudge him. It is not his fault that he doesn’t love me.”
He looked incredulous.
“Why did he marry you, then? Isn’t he responsible for his actions?”
She shook her head. “He couldn’t help himself. I was literally thrust down his throat!”
“You can’t make me believe that he didn’t know what he was doing! Of course he is obviously a neurotic. An arrant egotist. The sooner you’re rid of him the better. He is taking advantage of your inexperience. And now you think you’ve got to pay for it the rest of your life. Why, you haven’t lived one-third of it yet. Give him up. Let him go to the devil his own way. Don’t allow him to drag you down with him. You are beautiful, appealing——”