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Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924

"Chance"

They have no call to interfere."
She walked with her hand resting lightly on his arm. He had offered it
to her on coming out of the Registry Office, and she had accepted it
silently. Her head drooped, she seemed to be turning matters over in her
mind. She said, alluding to the Fynes: "They have been very good to me."
At that he exclaimed:
"They have never understood you. Well, not properly. My sister is not a
bad woman, but . . . "
Flora didn't protest; asking herself whether he imagined that he himself
understood her so much better. Anthony dismissing his family out of his
thoughts went on: "Yes. Everything is yours. I have kept nothing back.
As to the piece of paper we have just got from that miserable
quill-driver if it wasn't for the law, I wouldn't mind if you tore it up
here, now, on this spot. But don't you do it. Unless you should some
day feel that--"
He choked, unexpectedly. She, reflective, hesitated a moment then making
up her mind bravely.
"Neither am I keeping anything back from you."
She had said it! But he in his blind generosity assumed that she was
alluding to her deplorable history and hastened to mutter:
"Of course! Of course! Say no more.


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