"
Bernard shook his head.
"That won't do--you don't mean it. You never cared--you were too proud
to care; and when I spoke to you about my fault, you did n't even know
what I meant. You might have told me, therefore, that my remorse
was idle, that what I said to Gordon had not been of the smallest
consequence, and that the rupture had come from yourself."
For some time Angela said nothing, then at last she gave him one of the
deeply serious looks with which her face was occasionally ornamented.
"If you want really to know, then--can't you see that your remorse
seemed to me connected in a certain way with your affection; a sort of
guarantee of it? You thought you had injured some one or other, and
that seemed to be mixed up with your loving me, and therefore I let it
alone."
"Ah," said Bernard, "my remorse is all gone, and yet I think I love you
about as much as ever! So you see how wrong you were not to tell me."
"The wrong to you I don't care about. It is very true I might have told
you for Mr. Wright's sake. It would perhaps have made him look better.
But as you never attacked him for deserting me, it seemed needless for
me to defend him."
"I confess," said Bernard, "I am quite at sea about Gordon's look in
the matter.
Pages:
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285