There was some truth in her accusation.

It was neither honest nor manly to make so much of her fibs when he had something very different in his mind.

She appealed to his candor--she should not do so in vain.
"It was not a pretext," he said, and forced himself to look into her face that seemed turning to stone, "but a prompting cause.

You ask for the truth, and you shall have it, for I owe it you.

Well then, things cannot remain as they are.