Sudden revelations, sudden realizations, were
unsteadying me. Was Selwyn really some one I did not know? Was his
life less single than I believed it? Hateful, ugly, disloyal
questions surged tumultuously for a half-minute; then reason
returned, and shame that I should insult him with doubt, cooled the
flame in my face.
"It's too late to go to the Binkers. We'd better go home. We'll go
there some other afternoon."
I turned from Bettina's amazed eyes. My tone of voice a moment
before was still perplexing her, and unblinkingly she was searching
my face. Hitherto her directness, her frankness of speech and use of
words, had amused me, and I had permitted, perhaps, too great an
exercise of her gift of comment; but applied personally it was a
different matter.
"We'll go to the corner and turn there," I said. "That will be the
nearest way home."
"But don't you want to see who she is?" Scarborough Square customs
were those most familiar to Bettina, and they exacted understanding
of doubtful situations. "Don't you want to see what--what she looks
like?"
"Why should I? Mr.
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