I feel it deeply; and I tell you plainly, I shall
never forget it!'
'What?'
'Your behaviour at that meeting in the family vault, when I told
you we were going to be married. Deception, dishonesty,
everywhere; all the world's of a piece!'
Stephen did not much like this misconstruction of his motives,
even though it was but the hasty conclusion of a friend disturbed
by emotion.
'I could do no otherwise than I did, with due regard to her,' he
said stiffly.
'Indeed!' said Knight, in the bitterest tone of reproach. 'Nor
could you with due regard to her have married her, I suppose! I
have hoped--longed--that HE, who turns out to be YOU, would
ultimately have done that.'
'I am much obliged to you for that hope. But you talk very
mysteriously. I think I had about the best reason anybody could
have had for not doing that.'
'Oh, what reason was it?'
'That I could not.'
'You ought to have made an opportunity; you ought to do so now, in
bare justice to her, Stephen!' cried Knight, carried beyond
himself. 'That you know very well, and it hurts and wounds me
more than you dream to find you never have tried to make any
reparation to a woman of that kind--so trusting, so apt to be run
away with by her feelings--poor little fool, so much the worse for
her!'
'Why, you talk like a madman! You took her away from me, did you
not?'
'Picking up what another throws down can scarcely be called
"taking away.
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