human
I don't _wish_ it, he said at length.
gpt
What--what else is possible?
human
You can say good-bye to her,
gpt
Desert her, you mean?
human
It's hardly the word I should have chosen, but we needn't go into that. Colonel Grayle, neither you nor I want a scandal. By the mercy of God, there's only one man outside this room who knows what's been taking place all these months. We've agreed that my wife's happiness is the thing that we're both unselfishly seeking, we won't bandy rights and wrongs or grievances or justifications--we won't even try to put our love for her into a scale. If you give me your word of honour that you'll never see or speak to my wife again, I will take no further steps; I'm not trying to steal her away from you so that I may get her back myself--she must determine her own happiness. You and I can at least spare her the unhappiness, the vulgarity, the morbid, sniggering curiosity of a public scandal. She can live in another part of the house, live away from me, let it be known confidentially that we somehow didn't manage to get on very well together.... Are you prepared to make that sacrifice for her happiness?
gpt
You're begging the question, he said at length.
human
I know what will make her _un_happy. That's good enough as a negative definition.
gpt
I've said I'm ready to face everything and everybody,
human
But, please God! you don't know what you're facing! O'Rane cried with an outburst of emotion which he was no longer able to contain.
gpt
Grayle, you _say_ you love her! If you care a snap of the fingers for her, if you've any humanity, any decent feeling in the whole of your composition, if you hope for mercy in this world or the next, you've got your opportunity now! The one thing you can do for her abiding happiness is to take my hand and swear you'll never see her again. You know it is! You can walk out of this house and leave her so that no one will dare to say a word against her for fear of being thrashed within an inch of his life. If she doesn't get on well with me, if we part by common consent, that's my fault; everyone will say that I was always eccentric, that she was a fool to marry me, that I've spoiled her life.... Will you do that, Grayle? Will you shew that what you call your love for her means something?
human
It was only the taximan, he explained, as he came back.
gpt
He's got a train to catch at Victoria, so I paid him off. We can telephone for another one when it's wanted.
human
I _wish_ you hadn't done that, George, she cried petulantly.
gpt
It was pouring when we came, and now we shall probably have to walk home.... I don't see that there's anything more to be said. It's very kind of everyone to take so much trouble about me, but, if I'm prepared to go through with it, that ends the matter.
human
Perhaps I understand better than you think, she answered.
gpt
It's just conceivable that Vincent and I both thought about the consequences beforehand. Good-bye.