If you ever loved any one
yourself, Miss Bawn, you'd know."
"I do know, Nora," I said. I knew that if Anthony Cardew lifted his
finger to me I would follow him over the world. "I do know. But it can
only end in misery, unless Mr. Dawson were willing to marry you."
"He has never said a word about marriage. But you mustn't think he's
bad, Miss Bawn. 'Tis my own fault, for I love him so much, and he can't
help seeing it. But he's never said a word he mightn't say to a lady.
There's the kissing----"
"Yes, there's the kissing. It oughtn't to be, Nora." As I said it I felt
what a poor hypocrite I was, for I could never have resisted Anthony
Cardew if he had wished to kiss me, never, never, no matter what trouble
or misery it involved. "You ought to go away, Nora, out of the reach of
temptation. There is no one dependent on you; no one for whose sake you
need dread to go. The only thing would be to go away."
"I've thought of it, Miss Bawn, but sure, if he wanted me I'd only have
to come back."
There was something in her voice that frightened me; it sounded so
hopeless, so without any capacity for resistance.
"My aunt is own maid to Lady Garmoy," she went on.
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