"It wouldn't, for in that case we shouldn't have deceived you. I should have told you straight and left you." "Why didn't you tell me, Jerrold? Why didn't you tell me in the beginning?" "We were afraid. We didn't want to hurt you." "As if that mattered." "It did matter. We were going to tell you. Then you were ill and we couldn't. We thought you'd die of it, with your poor little heart in that state." "Oh, my dear, did you suppose I'd hurt you that way?" "That was what we couldn't bear. Not being straight about it. That was why we gave each other up. It never happened again. Anne's going away so that it mayn't happen.... Maisie--you _do_ believe me?" "Yes, I believe you. I believe you did all you knew." "We did. But it's my fault that Anne's going. I lost my head, and she was afraid." "If only you'd told me. I shouldn't have been hard on you, Jerry. You knew that, didn't you?" "Yes. I knew." "And you went through all that agony rather than hurt me." "Yes." "The least I can do, then, is to let you go." "Would you, Maisie?" "Of course. I married you to make you happy. I must make you happy this way, that's all. But if I do you mustn't think I don't care for you. I care for you so much that nothing matters but your happiness." "Maisie, I'm not fit to live in the same world with you." "You mustn't say that. You're fit to live in the same world with Anne. I suppose I could have made this all ugly and shameful for you. But I want to keep it beautiful. I want to give you all beautiful to Anne, so that you'll never go back on it, and never feel ashamed." "You made me ashamed every time we thought of you." "Don't think of me. Think of each other." "Oh--you're adorable." "No, I'm doing this because I love you both. But if I didn't love you I should do it for myself. I should hate myself if I didn't. I can't think of anything more disgusting and dishonourable than to keep a man tied to you when he cares for somebody else. I should feel as if I were living in sin." "Maisie--will you be awfully unhappy?" "Yes, Jerrold. But not so unhappy as if I'd kept you." "We'll go away somewhere where you won't have to see us." "No. It's I who'll go away." "But I want you to have the Manor and--and everything. Colin'll look after the estate for me." "Do you think I could stay here after you'd gone?... No, Jerry, I can't do that for you. You can't make it up that way." "I wasn't dreaming of making it up. I simply owe you everything, everlastingly, and there's nothing I can do. I only remembered that you liked the garden." "I couldn't bear it. I should hate the garden. I should hate the whole place." "I've done that to you?" "Yes, you've done that to me. It can't be helped." "But, what will you _do_, Maisie?" "I shall go back to my own people. They happen to care for me." That was her one reproach. "Do you think _I_ don't?" "Oh no. I've done the only thing that would make you care. Perhaps that's what I did it for."