She turned her swimming eyes on him and said: "How you must despise me!" Camors, half kneeling on the carpet near her, kissed her hand indifferently and half raised his shoulders in sign of denial.

"Is it not so ?" she repeated.

"Answer me, Louis." His face wore a strange, cruel smile--"Do not insist on an answer, I pray you," he said.
"Then I am right?
You do despise me ?" Camors turned himself abruptly full toward her, looked straight in her face, and said, in a cold, hard voice, "I do!" To this cruel speech the poor child replied by a wild cry that seemed to rend her, while her eyes dilated as if under the influence of strong poison.

Camors strode across the room, then returned and stood by her as he said, in a quick, violent tone: "You think I am brutal?
Perhaps I am, but that can matter little now.
After the irreparable wrong I have done you, there is one service--and only one which I can now render you.

I do it now, and tell you the truth.