But I might have
known he was right. She wouldn't risk--my following her. She wanted to
be--free."
"Why? Is she afraid of you then?" Fielding's voice was stern.
Dick threw up his head with the action of a goaded animal. "Yes."
"Then you've given her some reason?"
"Yes. I have given her reason!" Fiercely he flung the words. "You want to
know--you shall know! This evening she found out something about me which
even you don't know yet--something that made her hate me. I was going to
tell her some day, but the time hadn't come. She said if she had known of
it she would never have married me. I didn't realize then--how could
I?--how hard it hit her. And I made her understand that having married
me--it was irrevocable. That was why she ran away with Saltash. She
didn't--trust me--any longer."
"But, my good fellow, what in heaven's name is this awful thing that even
I don't know?" demanded the squire. "Don't tell me there has ever been
any damn trouble with another woman!"
"No--no!" Dick broke into a laugh that was inexpressibly painful to hear.
"There has never been any other woman for me. What do I care for women?
Do you think because I've made a blasted fool of myself over one woman
that I--"
"Shut up, Dick!" Curtly the squire checked him.
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