He sat thinking for a while, his white, care-worn face framed between
his gloved hands.
"Your friends," he said in a low voice, "know you as a devout woman.
You adhere very strictly to your creed. Is there nothing in it that
teaches forbearance?"
"There is nothing in it that teaches me to compromise with evil," she
retorted; and her small cupid-bow mouth, grew pinched.
"If you honestly believe that this young girl is really my mistress,"
he said, "would it not be decent of you, if it lies within your power,
to permit me to regularise my position--and hers?"
"Is it any longer my affair if you and she have publicly damned
yourselves?"
"Yet if you do believe me guilty, you can scarcely deny me the chance
of atonement, if it is within your power."
She lifted her eyes and coolly inspected him: "And suppose I do not
believe you guilty of breaking your marriage vows?" she inquired.
He was silent.
"Am I to understand," she continued, "that you consider it my duty to
suffer the inconvenience of divorcing you in order that you may
further advertise this woman by marrying her?"
He looked into her close-set eyes; and hope died. She said: "If you
care to affix your signature to the agreement which my attorneys have
already drawn up, then matters may remain as they are, provided you
carry out your part of the contract. If you don't, I shall begin
action immediately and I shall name the woman on whose account you
seem to entertain such touching anxiety."
"Is that your threat?"
"It is my purpose, dictated by every precept of decency, morality,
religion, and the inviolable sanctity of marriage."
He laughed and gathered up his hat and stick: "Your moral suasion, I am afraid, slightly resembles a sort of
sanctimonious blackmail, Winifred. The combination of morality,
religion, and yourself is too powerful for me to combat.... So if my
choice must be between permitting morality to publicly besmirch this
young girl's reputation, and affixing my signature to the agreement
you suggest, I have no choice but to sign my name."
"Is that your decision?"
He nodded.
"Very well. My attorneys and a notary are in the next room with the
papers necessary. If you would be good enough to step in a moment--"
He looked at her and laughed again: "Is there," he said, "anything
lower than a woman?--or anything higher?"