I don't want you to answer. I don't
want to think of it. I just want to forget--and to plan. You
understand how I feel?" She faced him with eyes bright and
lustrous, her red lips parted in a smile. She was a very beautiful
woman, Kirk realized--a very compelling, unusual woman, and one
whose capabilities seemed unbounded. He began dimly to perceive
that all women have great capabilities for good or evil, depending
largely upon the accident of their environment, and with this
thought came the feeling that he must speak frankly now or prove
himself worse than base. If only she were of the weakly feminine
type his task would be far easier. But it was hard to strike her,
for the very reason that he knew she would take the blow bravely
and meet its full force.
"I must answer," he said. "I don't want to pretend; I'm not good
at lying. I can't go through with any such arrangement as you
suggested. Why, the very idea is positively--fierce. You've been
awfully nice to me, but I had no idea of--this. Besides,
Cortlandt's an awfully decent chap, and--and, well," he concluded,
lamely, "there are lots of reasons."
"Oh no! There is only one reason; all the others count for
nothing." She spoke in a voice that he could scarcely hear.
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