“Whose?--Whose? Oh, you do not know even so much. Listen. Nearly a year ago I fancied that I was in love with Ernest Clifton. At any rate he told me that he was in love with me and I admired him so much for the way he had worked himself up from the humblest of positions--I suppose that’s the best explanation of the matter--I agreed to marry him, and he also persuaded me to keep my engagement secret from all the world: he knew that my father would not sanction it until at least he had a seat in Parliament. Well, it was kept a secret; but I gradually so came to see that I was acting wrongly--the whole business so weighed upon me that I was conscious of my whole character--my whole nature changing, and I insisted on his releasing me from my engagement.” “And he did so? It would not matter to me whether he did so or not; but I suppose he was wise enough to do so.” “After some time, and a letter or two, he said that he released me; and then--this was what made me angry--he said, ‘Between you and me there is no need for the formality of an engagement. I have implicit faith in you and I know that you have implicit faith in me. We can trust each other.’ Now don’t you see how despicably clever he was? Don’t you see that while he released me with one hand he was holding me to him with the other? Don’t you see that in listening to you here to-day--in admitting to you that it is you and none other whom I love, I have acted dishonestly--shamefully, if you insist on it.” “I don’t insist on it. I am glad that I came here when I did, taking you by surprise. I see clearly that if I had not taken you by surprise I might never have had a chance of hearing the truth from you--the truth which has made a new man of me.” “I don’t agree with you. I feel that when he trusted me--cannot you see that he made it a question of honour with me? Haven’t you heard of a soldier’s _parole?_ I have broken my _parole_. That’s what I feel.” “My dearest girl, do you fancy that _parole_ can be a one-sided agreement? Is your sense of honour to be entrapped by sophistry? Talk of _parole_--a man to whom you consider yourself bound by a promise releases you from the consequence of this promise, and then tells you that though you promised not to run away, and though he releases you from that promise he trusts in your honour not to run away. What sophistry is this? It might do well enough for a political juggler, but it is not for such people as you or I. You didn’t say to him, did you?--‘I agree to be bound to you by the faith which we have in each other.’” “He took care to give me no chance of replying to him one way or another.” “Then cannot you perceive that he had no claim on you?”