"
"That has nothing to do with you. As long as I treat her--"
"Bah!"
"Will you be good enough to let me finish what I am trying to
say? She's safe with me. When I say that I mean it. She will not
go away from here with you or with any one else if I can prevent
it. And if you care enough about her to try to keep her happy
you'll not let her know you have been here. I've got a woman
coming to take Anna's place. That ought to satisfy you."
"Dr. Jennings?"
"Yes."
"She'll not come. Mrs. Boyer has been talking to her. Inside of
an hour the whole club will have it--every American in Vienna
will know about it in a day or so. I tell you, Byrne, you're
doing an awful thing."
Peter drew a long breath. He had had his bad half-hour before
McLean came; had had to stand by, wordless, and see Harmony
trying to smile, see her dragging about, languid and white, see
her tragic attempts to greet him on the old familiar footing.
Through it all he had been sustained by the thought that a day or
two days would see the old footing reestablished, another woman
in the house, life again worth the living and Harmony smiling up
frankly into his eyes. Now this hope had departed.
"You can't keep me from seeing her, you know," McLean persisted.
"I've got to put this thing to her. She's got to choose."
"What alternative have you to suggest?"
"I'd marry her if she'd have me."
After all Peter had expected that.
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