“My dear man,” I said, “don’t you see the uselessness of prolonging
this?”
“Yes, I do,” he answered abruptly; and before I could forestall his
movement he rose and walked out of the room.
There was a long silence, measured by the lessening reverberations of
his footsteps down the wooden floor of the corridor.
When they ceased I approached Mrs. Amyot, who had sunk into her chair.
I held out my hand and she took it without a trace of resentment on her
ravaged face.
“I sent his wife a seal-skin jacket at Christmas!” she said, with the
tears running down her cheeks.