human
Anne, he said,
gpt
Forgive you! she repeated.
human
But why?
gpt
I have no right to practise the black arts in your presence, he said,
human
I don't understand, she answered rather piteously.
gpt
I am only thankful that you are not hurt.
human
That's good of you, he said, and she heard no irony in his voice. He leaned his arms upon the rail beside her, and stared down in silence for several moments into the dark water.
gpt
If this had happened a week--less than a week--ago, he said at length, speaking very quietly,
human
I would have let the fellow knife me with the utmost pleasure. I should even have been grateful to him. And --he turned very slightly towards her--
gpt
I don't understand,
human
I am going to make you understand, he said,
gpt
He paused a moment, and she saw his grim features relax very slightly.
human
I was caught in my own net, he said.
gpt
I believe there is magic in you. You captured me anyway. I did homage to you--in spite of myself. After that night the relish went out of everything for me. I wanted only you.
human
But you kept me at a distance, he said,
gpt
I needn't go into what happened then, he said.
human
You saw me at my worst, and--you conquered me. You drove me out of your stronghold, and you locked the door. I don't know even now how you did it. None but a good woman would have dared. Do you know, when I came to my senses and knew what I had done, knew that I'd insulted you, killed your trust--your love, made you despise me, I nearly shot myself? It was Dot who kept me from that. She guessed, I suppose. And I went away--I went right away into the Rockies--and fought my devils there. I came back saner than you have ever known me, to hear that you were free. Can you believe that I actually told myself that you were mine--mine for the winning? I stretched out my hands to you across half the world, and I felt as if wherever you were I had somehow managed to reach and touch you. It was exactly a year from the day I had first met you.
gpt
Ah, I remember!
human
And then I came to you. And--I found--I found Luke--in possession. Well, that was the end of everything for me. I couldn't help knowing that it was the best thing that could possibly happen to either of you. And I--well, I was just out of it. I would have gone again that night, but Luke wouldn't have it. He suspected from the first, though I lied to him--I lied royally. But I couldn't keep it up. He was too many for me. He wouldn't let me drop out, but neither would I let him. I fought every inch. I wouldn't let him die. I held him night and day--night and day. I knew what it meant to you too, and I knew you would help me afterwards to drop out. My whole soul was in it, but even so, I couldn't hold on for ever. I had to slacken at last, and he--he slackened too. I knew it directly, felt him losing hold. That was two days before he died. And I pulled myself together and grabbed him again. I think he knew. He tried to wake up, said he'd get well, made me let go of him, made me explain things to you. And then--well, I guess he thought his part was done--so he just--let go.
gpt
That's all, he said.
human
But if Tawny had taken it into his fool brain to make an end of me a little sooner--as I meant him to--I know very well Luke would have hung on--somehow--for your sake. Oh, I wish to heaven he had! he burst out fiercely.
gpt
I'm not fit to speak to you, not fit to touch your hand. You--you--I believe you'd be kind to me if I would let you. But I won't--I won't! I'm going away. It rests with me now to protect you somehow, and there is no other way.