th hesitation still that he said: 'Then you betrayed me?'
'Percy! I had not a suspicion of mischief.'
'You went straight to this man?'
'Not thinking . . .'
'You sold me to a journalist!'
'I thought it was a secret of a day. I don't think you--no, you did not
tell me to keep it secret. A word from you would have been enough. I was
in extremity.'
Dacier threw his hands up and broke away. He had an impulse to dash from
the room, to get a breath of different air. He stood at the window,
observing tradesmen's carts, housemaids, blank doors, dogs, a beggar
fifer. Her last words recurred to him. He turned: 'You were in extremity,
you said. What is the meaning of that? What extremity?'
Her large dark eyes flashed powerlessly; her shape appeared to have
narrowed; her tongue, too, was a feeble penitent.
'You ask a creature to recall her acts of insanity.'
'There must be some signification in your words, I suppose.'
'I will tell you as clearly as I can. You have the right to be my judge.
I was in extremity--that is, I saw no means . . . I could not write: it
was ruin coming.'
'Ah?--you took payment for playing spy?'
'I fancied I could retrieve . . . Now I see the folly, the baseness. I
was blind.'
'Then you sold me to a journalist for money?'
The intolerable scourge fetched a stifled scream from her and drove her
pacing, but there was no escape; she returned to meet it.
The room was a cage to both of them, and every word of either was a
sting.
'Percy, I did not imagine he would use it--make use of it as he has
done.'
'Not? And when he paid for it?'
'I fancied it would be merely of general service--if any.'
'Distributed; I see: not leading to the exposure of the communicant!'
'You are harsh; but I would not have you milder.'
The meekness of such a mischief-doer was revolting and called for the
lash.
'Do me the favour to name the sum. I am curious to learn what my
imbecility was counted worth.'
'No sum was named.'
'Have I been bought for a song?'
'It was a suggestion--no definite . . . nothing stipulated.'
'You were to receive money!'
'Leave me a bit of veiling! No, you shall behold me the thing I am.
Listen . . . I was poor . . .'
'You might have applied to me.'
'For money! That I could not do:
'Better than betraying me, believe me.'
'I had no thought of betraying. I hope I could have died rather than
consciously betray.'
'Money! My whole fortune was at you
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