Clephane might as well have been in the room, so living was her
presence.
"Madeline," said he, lingeringly freeing her hand, "I hardly know what
to say nor how to say it. I'm embarrassed, frightfully embarrassed; yet
you have been frank with me so I must be frank with you--even though it
hurts. I'm distressed to have been such a bungler, such a miserable
bungler, such a blind fool, indeed. The false impression must be due to
me; assuredly, without the most justifiable cause you would not have
drawn the erroneous inference. And a man who is responsible for that
inference with a woman of your experience and ability, Madeline, must
be more or less a fool, even though his intentions have been absolutely
correct."
"Which leads where, Guy?" she mocked.
"Nowhere," he replied, "I'm trying to say something, and can't say it.
But you know what it is, Madeline. I'm sorry, supremely sorry. Let us
forget this little talk, and go on as though it hadn't occurred--playing
our parts in the present game and besting the other by every means in
our power. I can't accept your offer, because I cannot pay the
consideration. It still must be _a outrance_ with us, Madeline; no
quarter given and no quarter asked."
For a space she looked at him with cold repellence, eyes black as night.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250