Part 35 (1/2)
Something in her tone discouraged him, but in a moment he recovered himself. ”Have you still some kindness for me, then?”
”I don't know why you have come here to ask me such things!”
Catherine exclaimed.
”Because for many years it has been the desire of my life that we should be friends again”
”That is impossible.”
”Why so? Not if you will allow it.”
”I will not allow it!” said Catherine.
He looked at her again in silence. ”I see; my presence troubles you and pains you. I will go away; but you must give me leave to come again.”
”Please don't come again,” she said.
”Never?--never?”
She made a great effort; she wished to say something that would make it impossible he should ever again cross her threshold. ”It is wrong of you. There is no propriety in it--no reason for it.”
”Ah, dearest lady, you do me injustice!” cried Morris Townsend. ”We have only waited, and now we are free.”
”You treated me badly,” said Catherine.
”Not if you think of it rightly. You had your quiet life with your father--which was just what I could not make up my mind to rob you of.”
”Yes; I had that.”
Morris felt it to be a considerable damage to his cause that he could not add that she had had something more besides; for it is needless to say that he had learnt the contents of Dr. Sloper's will. He was nevertheless not at a loss. ”There are worse fates than that!” he exclaimed, with expression; and he might have been supposed to refer to his own unprotected situation. Then he added, with a deeper tenderness, ”Catherine, have you never forgiven me?”
”I forgave you years ago, but it is useless for us to attempt to be friends.”
”Not if we forget the past. We have still a future, thank G.o.d!”
”I can't forget--I don't forget,” said Catherine. ”You treated me too badly. I felt it very much; I felt it for years.” And then she went on, with her wish to show him that he must not come to her this way, ”I can't begin again--I can't take it up. Everything is dead and buried. It was too serious; it made a great change in my life.
I never expected to see you here.”