"Oh,"he said,"I can't.I'm done--I'm spent--I'm smashed."Silence in the room.The fashion-book fell to the floor with a quick rustle of leaves.Elsa sat forward,her hands clasped in her lap;a strange light shone in her eyes,a red colour stained her mouth.
Then she spoke very quietly.
"Come over here and explain yourself.I don't know what on earth you are talking about.""You do know--you know far better than I.You've simply played with Victor in my presence that I may feel worse.You've tormented me--you've led me on--offering me everything and nothing at all.It's been a spider-and-fly business from first to last--and I've never for one moment been ignorant of that--and I've never for one moment been able to withstand it."He turned round deliberately.
"Do you suppose that when you asked me to pin your flowers into your evening gown--when you let me come into your bedroom when Victor was out while you did your hair--when you pretended to be a baby and let me feed you with grapes--when you have run to me and searched in all my pockets for a cigarette--knowing perfectly well where they were kept--going through every pocket just the same--I knowing too--I keeping up the farce--do you suppose that now you have finally lighted your bonfire you are going to find it a peaceful and pleasant thing--you are going to prevent the whole house from burning?"She suddenly turned white and drew in her breath sharply.
"Don't talk to me like that.You have no right to talk to me like that.Iam another man's wife."