"I can understand that what I told you about
--about Mr. Cardiff must have been a shock. For the moment
I became an animal, and turned upon you--upon you who
had been to me the very soul of kindness. I have hated
myself for it--you may be sure of that."
Janet Cardiff had a moment's inward struggle, and yielded.
She would let Elfrida believe it had been that. After
all it was partly true, and her lips refused absolutely
to say the rest.
"Yes, it must have hurt you--more, perhaps, than I can
guess." Elfrida's eyes grew wet and her voice shook. "But
I can't understand your retaliating that way, if you
didn't believe what you said. And if you believed it,
what more is there to say?"
Janet felt herself possessed by an intense sensation of
playing for stakes, unusual, exciting, and of some personal
importance. She did not pause to regard her attitude from
any other point of view; she succumbed at once, not
without enjoyment, to the necessity for diplomacy. Under
its rush of suggestions her conscience was only vaguely
restive. To-morrow it would assert itself; unconsciously
she put off paying attention to it until then. Elfrida
must come back to her. For the moment the need was to
choose her plea.
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