"Lady Loring wants to get her off to sleep," I explained. "You and the
child between you have rather excited her. If you will take my advice,
you'll go back to Melton by the first train to-morrow. The two of you
are wearing each other out. I'll do whatever's necessary here."
"But I can't leave her yet."
"You can and must. You've got your work to do. O'Rane, you may remember
that I've advised you a good many times to face facts and end this
business. In your greater wisdom you've always refused----"
"You never seemed to appreciate that I loved Sonia."
"Indeed I did. But I thought we agreed that there were some tests which
the greatest love in the world couldn't survive."
He took up his stand by the fireplace, smiling to himself and rocking
gently from heel to toe with his hands in his pockets.
"I thought so, too. But wouldn't it be a fair-weather love? I treated
Sonia badly, and she treated me worse. Until I married, I always thought
that marriage was an easy, straightforward business; you just fell in
love, and there was an end of it. If I spoiled her life because _I_
hadn't the imagination, the consideration.... I'm sorry, Stornaway, I
can't discuss it. One's pride is rather involved. I always _said_ that I
loved her more than a man had ever loved a woman before; if I can't
prove it.... But I'm boring you."
"I'm only tired. So are you, so's everyone. We'd better all go to bed.
Promise me one thing. If you go in to say good-night to--your wife,
don't stay more than a moment."