She owes everything to you. For four
years she's lived on your charity. She was only able to be here because
you gave her money to carry out a foolish whim, and the very clothes on
her back were paid for by you.'
'I can't help it if she didn't love me,' he cried desperately.
'You know just as well as I do that she pretended to love you. Oh, she's
behaved shamefully. There can be no excuse for her.'
He looked at Susie with haggard, miserable eyes.
'How can you be so cruel? For God's sake don't make it harder.'
There was an indescribable agony in his voice. And as if his own words of
pain overcame the last barrier of his self-control, he broke down. He hid
his face in his hands and sobbed. Susie was horribly conscience-stricken.
'Oh, I'm so sorry,' she said. 'I didn't mean to say such hateful things.
I didn't mean to be unkind. I ought to have remembered how passionately
you love her.'
It was very painful to see the effort he made to regain his self-command.
Susie suffered as much as he did. Her impulse was to throw herself on her
knees, and kiss his hands, and comfort him; but she knew that he was
interested in her only because she was Margaret's friend.
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