"I do not know, but if I killed him, it was because I revolted from the
proposals he made to me. I--" He paused, for the look on her face was
painful to see, and her body was as that of one who had been struck by
lightning. It had a crumpled, stricken look, and all force seemed to be
driven from it. It had the look of crushed vitality. Her face was set
in paleness, her eyes were frightened, her whole person was, as it were,
in ghastly captivity. His heart smote him, and he pulled himself
together to tell her all.
"Go on," she said. "I want to hear. I want--to know all. I ought to
have known--long ago; but that can't be helped now. Continue--please."
Her words had come slowly, in gasps almost, and her voice was so frayed
he could scarcely recognize it. All the pride of her nature seemed
shattered.
"If I killed him," he said presently, "it was because he tried to tempt
me from my allegiance to the Crown to become a servant of France, to--"
He stopped short, for a cry came from her lips which appalled him.
"My God--my God!" she said with bloodless lips, her eyes fastened on his
face, her every look and motion the inflection of despair.
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