That she should have so basely
conspired to throw William and Marion at each other and, by
misrepresentations, lies and every kind of deception, brought about the
match, utterly appalled me. Everything suddenly became clear. William
had married through a misplaced sense of chivalry--offered himself up
as a sacrifice as it were. I understood then why Marion had written so
much about luggage and nothing about connubial bliss--the union was
bound to turn out a ghastly failure under such circumstances. Worst of
all, I, quite unconsciously, had aided and abetted the whole
disgraceful scheme.
'Elizabeth!' I exclaimed at last in dismay, 'you shameless, intriguing
creature, I will never forgive you for this. You have ruined two
lives, and I am involved in it as well. The only thing to do is to
explain the whole situation to Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings when they come
to-day.'
She changed colour. 'You'd never do that, 'm.'
'I shall tell them everything. It will, at any rate, help them to
begin life on a different understanding.'
'But what good will that do, 'm? It'll upset everything an' lead to
goodness knows wot.'
'It may lead to a judicial separation, of course,' I replied, 'but my
duty in this case is perfectly clear. There is only one thing to be
done.'
I have never seen the girl so genuinely distressed. 'I wouldn't do it,
if I wos you, I wouldn't indeed.
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