"You seem to harp on that.
But what you ask, you surely must realize is frankly impossible. I
don't wish to be responsible for a child."
"You needn't be responsible," she said eagerly. "You need never see
it. You've been generous enough to me in what you've given me. I
shan't ask for a penny more--I shan't use the child to extract money
from you. You'll never hear from me again. After all, you have loved
me," she said piteously. "You did love me once."
He turned angrily away. "My God!" he exclaimed. "You talk as if you
were out of your mind! If I did have a child, I should want to see
it. I shouldn't want to be ashamed of it; I shouldn't want to disown
it, as you'd have me do."
"Well, then, you might see it as often as you wished."
He strode to the door. She must have it now. He had meant to say
nothing, wishing to save her feelings; but she must have it now.
"Then I'm engaged to be married," he said firmly. "Do you see now
that it's impossible?"
She dropped into a chair, staring strangely at his face.
"You--married?" she whispered.
"Yes; and I've no desire to have things cropping up in my life
afterwards, just in the way that this Mrs.
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