His ignorance of the ways of what is, after all, an indifferent, self-centered world exaggerated them.
"You know what it means ?" he said tonelessly.
"If I didn't, should I be here ?" He made one last effort to persuade her to take Zora into her confidence.
His nature abhorred deceit, to say nothing of the High Treason he was committing; a rudiment of common sense also told him that Zora was Emmy's natural helper and protector.

But Emmy had the obstinacy of a weak nature.
She would die rather than Zora should know.

Zora would never understand, would never forgive her.

The disgrace would kill her mother.
"If you love Zora, as you say you do, you would want to save her pain," said Emmy finally.
So Septimus was convinced.

But once more, what was to be done?
"You had better go away, my poor Septimus," she said, bending forward listlessly, her hands in her lap.