Page 565 - swanns-way

if at first his punishment was not more severe.
‘My darling,’ he began again, ‘it’s all over now; was it
with anyone I know?’
‘No, I swear it wasn’t; besides, I think I exaggerated, I
never really went as far as that.’
He smiled, and resumed with: ‘Just as you like. It doesn’t
really matter, but it’s unfortunate that you can’t give me any
name. If I were able to form an idea of the person that would
prevent my ever thinking of her again. I say it for your own
sake, because then I shouldn’t bother you any more about it.
It’s so soothing to be able to form a clear picture of things ir
one’s mind. What is really terrible is what one cannot imag-
ine. But you’ve been so sweet to me; I don’t want to tire you.
I do thank you, with all my heart, for all the good that you
have done me. I’ve quite finished now. Only one word more:
how many times?’
‘Oh, Charles! can’t you see, you’re killing me? It’s all ever
so long ago. I’ve never given it a thought. Anyone would say
that you were positively trying to put those ideas into my
head again. And then you’d be a lot better off!’ she conclud-
ed, with unconscious stupidity but with intentional malice.
‘I only wished to know whether it had been since I knew
you. It’s only natural. Did it happen here, ever? You can’t
give me any particular evening, so that I can remind my-
self what I was doing at the time? You understand, surely,
that it’s not possible that you don’t remember with whom,
Odette, my love.’
‘But I don’t know; really, I don’t. I think it was in the
Bois, one evening when you came to meet us on the Island.

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