I am not afraid." To Durrance it seemed that in all his experience nothing so horrible had ever occurred as this outburst by the woman who was Ethne's friend, nothing so unforeseen.
"Ethne wrote to you at Wadi Halfa out of pity," she went on, "that was all.

She wrote out of pity; and, having written, she was afraid of what she had done; and being afraid, she had not courage to tell you she was afraid.

You would not have blamed her, if she had frankly admitted it; you would have remained her friend.

But she had not the courage." Durrance knew that there was another explanation of Ethne's hesitations and timidities.

He knew, too, that the other explanation was the true one.