ZOE was the first to speak, or rather to gasp. "Why do you come here?""Because _you_ are here."
"And how dare you come where I am?--now your falsehood is found out and flung into my very face!""I have never been false to you. At this moment I suffer for my fidelity."_"You_ suffer? I am glad of it. How?"
"In many ways: but they are all light, compared with my fear of losing your love.""I will listen to no idle words," said Zoe sternly. "A lady claimed you before my face; why did you not stand firm like a man, and say, 'You have no claim on me now; I have a right to love another, and I do?' Why did you fly?--because you were guilty.""No," said he, doggedly. "Surprised and confounded, but not guilty. Fool!
idiot! that I was. I lost my head entirely. Yes, it is hopeless. You _must_ despise me. You have a right to despise me.""Don't tell me," said Zoe: "you never lose your head. You are always self-possessed and artful. Would to Heaven I had never seen you!" She was violent.
He gave her time. "Zoe," said he, after a while, "if I had not lost my head, should I have ill-treated a lady and nearly killed her?""Ah!" said Zoe, sharply, "that is what you have been suffering from--remorse. And well you may. You ought to go back to her, and ask her pardon on your knees. Indeed, it is all you have left to do now.""I know I ought."
"Then do what you ought. Good-by."
"I cannot. I hate her."
"What, because you have broken her heart, and nearly killed her?""No; but because she has come between me and the only woman I ever really loved, or ever can.""She would not have done that if you had not given her the right. I see her now; she looked justice, and you looked guilt. Words are idle, when Ican see her face before me still. No woman could look like that who was in the wrong. But you--guilt made you a coward: you were false to her and false to me; and so you ran away from us both. You would have talked either of us over, alone; but we were together: so you ran away. You have found me alone now, so you are brave again; but it is too late. I am undeceived. I decline to rob Mademoiselle Klosking of her lover; so good-by."And this time she was really going, but he stopped her. "At least don't go with a falsehood on your lips," said he, coldly.