“You go too far,” said Bernard. “To what position does your extraordinary proposal relegate your wife?” Gordon turned his pleading eyes on his old friend without a ray of concession; but for a moment he hesitated. “Don’t speak to me of my wife. I have no wife.” “Ah, poor girl!” said Angela, springing up from the sofa. “I am perfectly serious,” Gordon went on, addressing himself again to her. “No, after all, I am not crazy; I see only too clearly--I see what should be; when people see that, you call them crazy. Bernard has no right--he must give you up. If you really care for him, you should help him. He is in a very false position; you should n’t wish to see him in such a position. I can’t explain to you--if it were even for my own sake. But Bernard must have told you; it is not possible that he has not told you?” “I have told Angela everything, Gordon,” said Bernard. “I don’t know what you mean by your having done me a wrong!” the girl exclaimed. “If he has told you, then--I may say it! In listening to him, in believing him.” “But you did n’t believe me,” Bernard exclaimed, “since you immediately went and offered yourself to Miss Vivian!” “I believed you all the same! When did I ever not believe you?” “The last words I ever heard from Mr. Wright were words of the deepest kindness,” said Angela. She spoke with such a serious, tender grace, that Gordon seemed stirred to his depths again. “Ah, give me another chance!” he moaned. The poor girl could not help her tone, and it was in the same tone that she continued-- “If you think so well of me, try and be reasonable.” Gordon looked at her, slowly shaking his head. “Reasonable--reasonable? Yes, you have a right to say that, for you are full of reason. But so am I. What I ask is within reasonable limits.” “Granting your happiness were lost,” said Bernard--“I say that only for the argument--is that a ground for your wishing to deprive me of mine?” “It is not yours--it is mine, that you have taken! You put me off my guard, and then you took it! Yours is elsewhere, and you are welcome to it!” “Ah,” murmured Bernard, giving him a long look and turning away, “it is well for you that I am willing still to regard you as my best friend!” Gordon went on, more passionately, to Angela.