Having lived so long in a fool's paradise, she could not realise that her world was coming down about her ears.
"We'll have to be proper in future," he said.

"I've had the most fiendish run of bad luck lately, and it's just as well there never was any engagement between us.

It would have had to come to nothing." She drew back, and looked at him with frightened eyes.

He had great power over her--this big, masterful man, whom she had looked upon as her lover; and she could not believe that a little trouble about money could really make any difference to him.

She believed him able to overcome any such difficulty as that of earning a living for her and himself.
"But, Gavan," she said, "what have I done ?" "Done, little girl?
you've done nothing.