human
I have told him all, he said.
gpt
Your words told him only half, and yet too much. You were never my wife, as you know, and never will be, though the Law may make you take my name. Cruel and heartless woman! to gratify an insensate jealousy you have destroyed your husband.
human
Is he--is he--dead?
gpt
No; he is not dead; he is struck with some fit. He cannot speak. Learn, now, that your jealousy was without foundation. Phillis will marry Dunquerque. As for me, I can never marry, as you know.
human
He is not dead! she echoed, taking no notice of the last words. Indeed, Phillis was quite out of her thoughts now.
gpt
Does he wish to see me?
human
No; you must not, at present, attempt to see him.
gpt
What will they do to me, Lawrence? she asked again.
human
What can they do? I did not mean him to hear. It was all to frighten you.
gpt
To frighten me! What they can do, Mrs. Cassilis, is to put you in the prisoner's box and me in the witness box. What he wants to do, so far as we can yet understand, is to keep silence.
human
What is the good of that? He will cry his wrongs all over the town, and Phillis will tell everybody.
gpt
Phillis will tell no one, no one--not even Agatha. It was lucky that Agatha heard nothing; she was upstairs, lying down after her party. Will you keep silence?
human
Of course I shall. What else is there for me to do?
gpt
For the sake of your husband; for the sake of your boy----
human
It is for my own sake, Lawrence,
gpt
I beg your pardon. I ought to have known by this time that you would have acted for your own sake only. Victoria, it was an evil day for me when I met you; it was a worse day when I consented to a secret marriage, which was no marriage, when there was no reason for any secrecy; it was the worst day of all when I answered your letter, and came here to see you. Every day we have met has produced more recrimination. That would not have mattered, but for the mischief our meeting has wrought upon your husband. I pray that we may never in this world meet again.