"
She blanched till she looked like death itself, and put her hands to
her heart as though she had been stabbed.
"The Squire told me so himself," he went on, keeping his eyes
remorselessly fixed upon her face. She leaned forward and he thought
that she was going to faint, but she did not. By a supreme effort she
recovered herself and drank a glass of sherry which was standing by
her side.
"I expected it," she said in a low voice.
"You mean that you dreaded it," answered Mr. Quest quietly. He rose
and locked the door and then came and stood close to her and spoke.
"Listen, Belle. I know all about your affair with Edward Cossey. I
have proofs of it, but I have forborne to use them, because I saw that
in the end he would weary of you and desert you for some other woman,
and that would be my best revenge upon you. You have all along been
nothing but his toy, the light woman with whom he amused his leisure
hours."
She put her hands back over her heart but said no word and he went on.
"Belle, I did wrong to marry you when you did not want to marry me,
but, being married, you have done wrong to be unfaithful to your vows.
I have been rewarded by your infidelity, and your infidelity has been
rewarded by desertion. Now I have a proposal to make, and if you are
wise you will accept it.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296