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‘D’you want to quarrel with me?’ he asked mildly.
‘No, but I don’t see why you should treat me as if I was I
don’t know what.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I just wanted to
talk things over quietly. We don’t want to make a mess of
them if we can help it. I saw you were attracted by him and
it seemed to me very natural. The only thing that really
hurts me is that he should have encouraged you. He knew
how awfully keen I was on you. I think it’s rather shabby of
him to have written that letter to you five minutes after he
told me he didn’t care twopence about you.’
‘If you think you’re going to make me like him any the
less by saying nasty things about him, you’re mistaken.’
Philip was silent for a moment. He did not know what
words he could use to make her see his point of view. He
wanted to speak coolly and deliberately, but he was in such
a turmoil of emotion that he could not clear his thoughts.
‘It’s not worth while sacrificing everything for an infatu-
ation that you know can’t last. After all, he doesn’t care for
anyone more than ten days, and you’re rather cold; that sort
of thing doesn’t mean very much to you.’
‘That’s what you think.’
She made it more difficult for him by adopting a cantan-
kerous tone.
‘If you’re in love with him you can’t help it. I’ll just bear
it as best I can. We get on very well together, you and I, and
I’ve not behaved badly to you, have I? I’ve always known
that you’re not in love with me, but you like me all right,
and when we get over to Paris you’ll forget about Griffiths.

Of Human Bondage