"Yes. I did not intend to say it. But it is true. _I_ know--I know--I
know. Do not ask me how."
Rosalie flung her arms round her waist and for a moment hid her face.
"YOU! YOU!" she murmured, but stopped herself almost as she uttered the
exclamation. "I will not ask you," she said when she spoke again. "But
now I shall not be so ashamed. You are a beauty and wonderful, and I am
not; but if you KNOW, that makes us almost the same. You will understand
why I broke down. It was because I could not bear to think of what will
happen. I shall be saved and taken home, but Nigel will wreak revenge on
HIM. And I shall be the shame that is put upon him--only because he was
kind--KIND. When father comes it will all begin." She wrung her hands,
becoming almost hysterical.
"Hush," said Betty. "Hush! A man like that CANNOT be hurt, even by a man
like Nigel. There is a way out--there IS. Oh, Rosy, we must BELIEVE it."
She soothed and caressed her and led her on to relieving her long
locked-up misery by speech. It was easy to see the ways in which her
feeling had made her life harder to bear. She was as inexperienced as a
girl, and had accused herself cruelly. When Nigel had tormented her with
evil, carefully chosen taunts, she had felt half guilty and had coloured
scarlet or turned pale, afraid to meet his sneeringly smiling face.
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