‘No, it doesn’t look pretty,’ she responded slowly. ‘But it _is_ loaded! I took care of that before you came in! I don’t want to injure either you or myself; but I swear to you that if you come closer to me by one step, presume to offer me such an insult as your caress would be to me _now_, I will kill you!’ Her white figure was firm as that of some menacing fate carved in marble; her pale face, with the violet eyes set in it like flashing stars, had a marvellous power and passion imprinted on its every line, and despite himself he fell back startled and in a manner appalled. ‘I have gone mad, you think?’ she went on. ‘If I had, would it be wonderful? To have one’s dearest hopes ruined, one’s heart broken, one’s life made waste—is that not something of a cause for madness? But I am not mad; I am simply resolved that your lips, which have bestowed their kisses on “la Marina,” shall never touch mine again; that your arms, which have embraced her, shall never embrace me, and that, come what will, I will keep my self-respect if I die for it! Now you know my mind, you will go your way; I mine. I cannot divorce you; for though you have murdered my very soul in me, brutally and pitilessly, you have not been “cruel” according to legal opinion. But I can separate from you—thank God for that! I cannot marry again. Heaven forbid that I should ever desire to do so! Neither can you; but you will not wish for that unless you meet with an American heiress with several millions, which you may have the chance of doing when I am dead—someone who has inherited her money and has not _worked_ for it as I have,—honestly,—thereby becoming “unsexed!”’ He stood silent for a minute. ‘You actually mean to say you want a judicial separation?’ he inquired at last, sullenly. She bent her head in the affirmative. ‘Well, you can get that, of course. But I must say, Delicia, of all the ungrateful, heartless women, you are the very worst! I should never have thought it of you! I imagined you had such a noble nature! So sweet and loving and forgiving! Good heavens! After all, what have I done? Just had a bit of fun with a dancing girl! Quite a common amusement with men of my class!’ ‘I have no doubt of it,’ she answered; ‘Very common! All the same, I do not choose to either tolerate it or pay for it. Ungrateful, heartless “unsexed”! This is my character, according to your estimate of me. I thank you! Poor Love’s last breath went in that final blow from the rough fist of ingratitude! I will not detain you any longer; in truth, you need not have stayed so long. I merely wished to let you know my decision. I had no intention to either upbraid you or condemn. Reproaches or complaints, however just, could leave no impression on a temperament like yours. I will see my lawyers to-morrow, and in a very short space of time you will be free of my company for ever. Shall we say good-bye now?’