It would not
make her treachery so intolerable if he could persuade himself that Haddo
had qualities which might explain her infatuation. But as his enemy stood
before his fancy, monstrously obese, vulgar, and overbearing, a shudder
passed through him. The thought of Margaret in that man's arms tortured
him as though his flesh were torn with iron hooks.
'Perhaps it's not true. Perhaps she'll return,' he cried.
'Would you take her back if she came to you?' asked Susie.
'Do you think anything she can do has the power to make me love her less?
There must be reasons of which we know nothing that caused her to do all
she has done. I daresay it was inevitable from the beginning.'
Dr Porhoet got up and walked across the room.
'If a woman had done me such an injury that I wanted to take some
horrible vengeance, I think I could devise nothing more subtly cruel than
to let her be married to Oliver Haddo.'
'Ah, poor thing, poor thing!' said Arthur. 'If I could only suppose she
would be happy! The future terrifies me.'
'I wonder if she knew that Haddo had sent that telegram,' said Susie.
Pages:
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234