"But I do ... I do. You say his body's part of you--belongs to you.
I'll give you that. But this soul ... his new soul ... is mine. That's
part of our love. Ours and nobody else's...."
Mrs. Payne choked back her emotion. "I don't grudge it you," she said,
"I only thank God for it gratefully ... gratefully."
"But you don't see what I mean," said Gabrielle slowly. "Arthur has
changed because he loves me. He's ceased to be cruel because he knows
that for him to be cruel pains me. He's learned to see things just as I
see them. And now you want to separate us ... even after what I have
promised you. Can't you see what I'm afraid of?"
She paused, and Mrs. Payne was silent. Gabrielle quickly pressed her
advantage.
"If you separate us, if you try to destroy our love, you'll be taking
away from him the thing that's saved him. How do you know that he won't
slip back again? You can take his body from me ... I know that ... but
you may lose more than you get."
Mrs. Payne stood staring straight in front of her.
"Then you will know what you are worth to him." Gabrielle's tone was
almost scornful. "You see how it stands," she continued. "We both of us
want him for ourselves, we want him as he is to-day ... and we can't
either of us have him without the other's consent. You hold his body,
and I hold his soul. Let's be reasonable. Let's compromise. I'm ready
to do my part. Oh, I beg you to be reasonable!"
"You're a devil, not a woman," said Mrs. Payne.
"But you see that I'm right?" Gabrielle persisted.