to marry her if she could get a divorce.
It was horrible, and I never dreamt of such things, but I heard it. And
then you were tired of her, I suppose, and you changed your mind, and
calmly told her that it was all a mistake. Do you expect any woman, who
has seen another treated in that way, to forget? Oh, I saw her face, and
I heard her sob. You broke her heart for your amusement. And it was only
a fortnight ago!"

She had the upper hand now, and she turned from him with a last
scornful glance, and looked over the low wall at the sea, wondering how
he could have held her with his eyes a moment earlier. Brook stood
motionless beside her, and there was silence. He might have found much
in self-defence, but there was not one word of it which he could tell
her. Perhaps she might find out some day what sort of person Lady Fan
was, but his own lips were closed. That was his view of what honour
meant.

Clare felt that her breath came quickly, and that the colour was deep in
her cheeks as she gazed at the flat, hot sea. For a moment she felt a
woman's enormous satisfaction in being absolutely unanswerable. Then,
all at once, she had a strong sensation of sickness, and a quick pain
shot sharply through her just below the heart. She steadied herself by
the wall with her hands, and shut her lips tightly.

She had refused him as well as accused him. He would go away in a few
moments, and never try to be alone with her again. Perhaps he would
leave Amalfi that very day. It was impossible that she should really
care for him, and yet, if she did not care, she would not ask the next
question. Then he spoke to her. His voice was changed and very quiet
now.

"I'm sorry you heard all that," he said. "I don't wonder that you've
got a bad opinion of me, and I suppose I can't say anything just now to
make you change it. You heard, and you think you have a right to judge.
Perhaps I shouldn't even say this--you heard me then, and you have heard
me now. There's a difference, you'll admit. But all that you heard then,
and all that you have told me now, can't change the truth, and you can't
make me love you less, whatever you do. I don't believe I'm that sort of
man."

"I should have thought you were," said Clare bitterly, and regretting
the words as soon as they were spoken.

"It's natural that you should think so. At the same time, it doesn't
follow that because a man doesn't love one woman he can't possibly love
another."

"That's