Demorest was fascinated and frightened.
"Then you do not love me ?" he said with a constrained smile, "and I am a fool ?" "Love you!" she repeated.

"Love you," she continued, bowing her brown head over her hanging arms and clasped hands.

"What then has brought me to this?
Oh," she said suddenly, again seizing him by his two arms, and holding him from her with a half-prudish, half-passionate gesture, "why could you not have left things as they were; why could we not have met in the same old way we used to meet, when I was so foolish and so happy?
Why could you spoil that one dream I have clung to?
Why didn't you leave me those few days of my wretched life when I was weak, silly, vain, but not the unhappy woman I am now.

You were satisfied to sit beside me and talk to me then.

You respected my secret, my reserve.