His face was almost grey, and the tortured expression of his eyes seemed to hurt her like the stab of a knife.
"You must try to forgive me," he said, speaking very low and rapidly.

"I had no earthly right to tell you that I cared, because--because I can't ask you to marry me.

I told you once that I had forfeited my claim to the good things in life.

That was true.

And, having that knowledge, I ought to have kept away from you--for I knew how it was going to be with me from the first moment I saw you.