sionless voice.

"You don't say that as if you were wildly enthusiastic."

"Why did you remind me?" cried James. "I was so happy. Oh, I hate her!"

"Then why on earth are you marrying her?"

"I can't help it; I must. You've brought it all back. How could you be
so cruel! When I came back from the Cape, I broke the engagement off. I
made her utterly miserable, and I took all the pleasure out of my poor
father's life. I knew I'd done right; I knew that unless I loved her it
was madness to marry; I felt even that it was unclean. Oh, you don't
know how I've argued it all out with myself time after time! I was
anxious to do right, and I felt such a cad. I can't escape from my
bringing-up. You can't imagine what are the chains that bind us in
England. We're wrapped from our infancy in the swaddling-clothes of
prejudice, ignorance, and false ideas; and when we grow up, though we
know they're all absurd and horrible, we can't escape from them; they've
become part of our very flesh. Then I grew ill--I nearly died; and Mary
nursed me devotedly. I don't know what came over me, I felt so ill and
weak. I was grateful to her. The old self seized me again, and I was
ashamed of what I'd done. I wanted to make them all happy. I asked her
again to marry me, and she said she would. I thought I could love her,
but I can't--I can't, God help me!"

Jamie's passion was growing uncontrollable. He walked up and down the
room, and then threw himself heavily on a chair.

"Oh, I know it was weakness! I used to pride myself on my strength of
mind, but I'm weak. I'm weaker than a woman. I'm a poor
reed--vacillating, uncertain, purposeless. I don't know my own mind. I
haven't the courage to act according to my convictions. I'm afraid to
give pain. They all think I'm brave, but I'm simply a pitiful
coward...."

"I feel that Mary has entrapped me, and I hate her. I know she has good
qualities--heaps of them--but I can't see them. I only know that the
mere touch of her hand curdles my blood. She excites absolute physical
repulsion in me; I can't help it. I know it's madness to marry her, but
I can't do anything else. I daren't inflict a second time the
humiliation and misery upon her, or the unhappiness upon my people."

Mrs. Wallace now was serious.

"And do you really care for anyone else?"

He turned savagely upon her.

"You know I do. You know I love you with all my heart and soul. You know
I've loved you passionately from the first day