You have no heart, you have
only sentiment and imagination. No--no, you could not be true. You could
never know how."
Suddenly a tempest of fire seemed to burn in his eyes, in his whole
being. His face flushed: his eyes gleamed; his hands were thrust out with
passion.
"Will you not understand that were I as foul as hell, a woman like you
would make me clean again? The wild sin of our youth has eaten into the
soul of my life. You think I have been indifferent to you and to our boy.
No, never-never! That I left you both to yourselves was the best proof I
was not neglectful. I was sorry, with all my soul, that you should have
suffered through me. In the first reaction, I felt that nothing could put
me right with you or with eternal justice. So I shrank away from you. You
thought it was lust satisfied. I tell you it was honour shamed. Good God!
You thought me just the brazen roue, who seized what came his way, who
ate the fruit within his grasp, who lived to deceive for his own selfish
joy.
"Did you think that? Then, if you did, I do not wonder you should be glad
to see my son fighting me. It would seem the horrible revenge Destiny
should take." He took a step nearer to her. His face flamed, his arms
stretched out.
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