"Only let us part quietly--with dignity," she said, "for we have been happy together for six years." Then she said rapidly: "I want you to know that I shall do nothing to dishonor your name. I am not going to him. That is ended." An immense curiosity came to him to learn the reason of this strange avowal. But he realized it would never do for him to ask it. "Good-by, Jackie," she said, having waited a moment. "I shall not see you again." He watched her leaving with the same moving grace with which she had come. All at once he found a way of evasion. "Why don't you go to him?" he said harshly. She stopped but did not turn. "No," she said, shaking her head. And again she dared to continue toward the door. "I shall not stand in your way," he said curtly, fearing only that she would leave. "I will give you a divorce. I don't deny a woman's liberty." She turned, saying: "Do you allow a woman liberty to know her own mind?" "What do you mean?" She came back until he almost could have touched her, standing looking into his eyes with a wistful, searching glance, clasping and unclasping her tense fingers. "Jack," she said, "you never really cared." "So it is all my fault!" he cried, snapping his arms together, sure now that she would stay. "Yes, it is." "What!" he cried in a rage--already it was a different rage--"didn't I give you anything you wanted, everything I had, all my time, all--" "All but yourself," she said quietly; "you were always cold." "I!" "You were! You were!" she said sharply, annoyed at the contradiction. But quickly remembering herself, she continued with only a regretful sadness in her voice: "Always cold, always matter-of-fact. Bob of the head in the morning, jerk of the head at night. When I was happy over a new dress or a new hat you never noticed it--until the bill came in. You were always matter-of-fact, absolutely confident I was yours, body and soul." "By George, that's too much!" he cried furiously. "That's a fine one. I'm to blame--of course I'm to blame!" She drew a step away from him, and said: "Listen! No, listen quietly, for when I've told you I shall go." Despite himself, his anger vanished at her quiet command. "If I listen," he thought, "it's all over." He still believed he was resisting, only he wanted to hear as he had never wanted anything else--to learn why she was not going to the other man.