He turned away and walked into the adjoining room with a sense of sickening helplessness.

In a few moments he came back and found that Mr.Leavenworth had departed--presumably in a manner somewhat portentous.

Roderick was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
Rowland made one more attempt.

"You decline to think of what I urge ?" "Absolutely." "There's one more point--that you shouldn't, for a month, go to Mrs.
Light's." "I go there this evening." "That too is an utter folly." "There are such things as necessary follies." "You are not reflecting; you are speaking in passion." "Why then do you make me speak ?" Rowland meditated a moment.

"Is it also necessary that you should lose the best friend you have ?" Roderick looked up.