For a moment after the words were uttered, only the clock's ticking broke the silence; then, with an obvious effort, the man roused himself, as if breaking away from some benumbing force that held him.
"Alice, I don't need to tell you, after what I said the other night, that I loved Billy Neilson.

That was bad enough, for I found she was pledged to another man.

But to-day I discovered something worse: I discovered that I loved Billy _Henshaw_--another man's wife.

And--I ran.
But I've come back.

I'm going to face the thing.