Quite suddenly she burst
into tears.
"It IS my business," she sobbed. "It is no good pretending
otherwise; but I can do nothing."
CHAPTER XXII. THE SECOND CONSIGNMENT
Who has lost all hope has also lost all fear.
Among others, it was a strange thing that Jocelyn felt no surprise
at meeting the name of Millicent Chyne on the lips of another man.
Women understand these things better than we do. They understand
each other, and they seem to have a practical way of accepting human
nature as it is which we never learn to apply to our fellowmen.
They never bluster as we do, nor expect impossibilities from the
frail.
Another somewhat singular residue left, as it were, in Jocelyn's
mind when the storm of emotion had subsided was a certain indefinite
tenderness for Millicent Chyne. She felt sure that Jack Meredith's
feeling for her was that feeling vaguely called the right one, and,
as such, unalterable. To this knowledge the subtle sympathy for
Millicent was perhaps attributable. But navigation with pen and
thought among the shoals and depths of a woman's heart is hazardous
and uncertain.
Coupled with this--as only a woman could couple contradictions--was
an unpardoning abhorrence for the deceit practised. But Jocelyn
knew the world well enough to suspect that, if she were ever brought
face to face with her meanness, Millicent would be able to bring
about her own forgiveness.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218