'You can disprove the charges, and of course you must, I know you hesitate--for my sake--to bring an action and expose the writer.

But you must, and I don't think,' she lowered her eyes to the ground, 'you would hurt me by doing that.' For a moment she was silent.

Drake made no answer, and she raised her eyes again to his face.

'You can disprove it--oh, of course,' she said, with a little anxious laugh.
'That depends,' he answered slowly, 'upon how much the _Meteor_ knows.' Clarice drew back and caught at the table to steady herself.

Once or twice she pressed her hand across her forehead.