She turned upon him, her eyes and cheeks glowing, her hands clenched. “You unspeakable _cad_,” she said, and choked, stamped her little foot, and stood panting. “Unspeakable cad! My dear girl! Possible I _am_ an unspeakable cad. Who wouldn’t be—for you?” “‘Dear girl!’ How _dare_ you speak to me like that? _You_—” “I would do anything—” “_Oh!_” There was a moment’s pause. She looked squarely into his face, her eyes alight with anger and contempt, and perhaps he flushed a little. He stroked his moustache, and by an effort maintained his cynical calm. “Let us be reasonable,” he said. “Reasonable! That means all that is mean and cowardly and sensual in the world.” “You have always had it so—in your generalising way. But let us look at the facts of the case—if that pleases you better.” With an impatient gesture she motioned him to go on. “Well,” he said,—“you’ve eloped.” “I’ve left my home,” she corrected, with dignity. “I left my home because it was unendurable. Because that woman—” “Yes, yes. But the point is, you have eloped with me.” “You came with me. You pretended to be my friend. Promised to help me to earn a living by writing. It was you who said, why shouldn’t a man and woman be friends? And now you dare—you dare—” “Really, Jessie, this pose of yours, this injured innocence—” “I will go back. I forbid you—I forbid you to stand in the way—” “One moment. I have always thought that my little pupil was at least clear-headed. You don’t know everything yet, you know. Listen to me for a moment.” “Haven’t I been listening? And you have only insulted me. You who dared only to talk of friendship, who scarcely dared hint at anything beyond.” “But you took the hints, nevertheless. You knew. You _knew_. And you did not mind. _Mind!_ You liked it. It was the fun of the whole thing for you. That I loved you, and could not speak to you. You played with it—” “You have said all that before. Do you think that justifies you?” “That isn’t all. I made up my mind—Well, to make the game more even. And so I suggested to you and joined with you in this expedition of yours, invented a sister at Midhurst—I tell you, I _haven’t_ a sister! For one object—” “Well?” “To compromise you.” She started. That was a new way of putting it. For half a minute neither spoke. Then she began half defiantly: “Much I am compromised. Of course—I have made a fool of myself—”