"I never knew you felt like that. I never knew you COULD feel that
way," she said, in a colorless voice. "But you made a terrible
mistake."
"Do you mean to say you don't love him?"
"No, I have loved him for a long time--I can't remember when it
began." She spoke very listlessly, looking past him as if at a
long-familiar picture which she was tired of contemplating. "I
never knew what love was before; I never even dreamed. I'd give my
life right now--to undo what you have done, just for his sake, for
he is innocent. Oh, don't sneer; it's true. He loves the Garavel
girl, and wants to marry her."
"I know all that. I overheard you in the parlor below."
"Listen, please! I don't remember what I said then, and it doesn't
matter; you took too much for granted. We must talk plainly now,
before"--she pressed her palms to her temples as if they were
bursting--"before it becomes impossible. I never lied to you,
Stephen. Is that true?"
"I used to think so."
"I'm going to tell you the whole truth now without sparing myself.
It began, I think, at Taboga, that night when he kissed me. It was
the only time he ever did such a thing. It was dark, we were
alone, I was frightened, and it was purely impulse on his part.
But it woke me up, and all at once I knew how much he meant to me.
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