He did not answer, but in her level eyes he saw blue lightning glimmer.
"You did your best," he said. "Your conscience is clear. Nobody can reproach you."
"Do you understand," she said in a low, expressionless voice, "that I am your enemy?"
"Yes. Reason it out, Karen, before you come to such a conclusion."
She said, very quietly: "A woman takes a shorter cut to her conclusions than by reasoning. As I did with you ... when I gave you my friendship ... unasked--" She turned her head swiftly, and sat for a moment while the starting tears dried in her eyes, unshed. They dried slowly while the battle raged within her--combat of mind and heart with every outraged instinct in arms, every emotion, every impulse. Pride, belief, faith, tenderness--all desperately wounded, fought blindly in the assault upon her heart, seeming to tear it to a thousand bleeding fragments.
Perhaps, like the fair body of Osiris, it was immortal--a deathless, imperishable thing--or that what had come into it had become indestructible. For, after her heart lay in burning fragments within her, she turned and looked at him, and in her eyes was all the tragedy of her sex--and all its never-ending mystery to men.
"I must end what I have begun," he said gently.
"I don't know, Karen. I have no choice--even when your hatred threatens me.... I suppose it will be that, when I unlock your satchel."
He picked it up and fitted the key to the lock. As he opened it, a faint fresh fragrance came from it, as though he was violating the delicate intimacy of this young girl herself.
But he set his jaws; she saw the cheek muscles tighten; and he drew from the satchel two flat envelopes. One contained the forged passports, and he placed these in his breast pocket, then looked steadily at her.
"Our friendship breaks with those seals," she said unsteadily.
"Yes, you can help it.... Kervyn!... Wait! I will--will say--that it is more than friendship that breaks--" She caught her breath and her lip quivered--"I--I have the courage to say it--if it means anything to you--if it will help----"
His face reddened, then it grew pallid and expressionless.
"Even that," he said, "must stand aside.... Karen, from the moment I saw you I have been--in love with you."