You look surprised." Heyton swiftly withdrew his eyes, in which astonishment, amazement, and something nearly approaching contempt, had shown, and Dene laughed with bitter scorn.
"You can't understand that a man who has once loved a woman loves her for always----" He paused; for, at that moment, it was not the face of his old love, the woman who had jilted him for a better match, that rose before him, but that of the girl at Brown's Buildings who had stepped in between him and death, talked him back to reason, given him her last five-pound note.
"-- And that even if he has ceased to love her, he'll stand a lot to save her from trouble; that he'll make any kind of sacrifice to keep disgrace and shame from her.

That's how I feel towards Miriam.

I thought of you being dragged off by a couple of bobbies to quod, and of how she would suffer; and I remembered--which was a precious lucky thing for you--that there was no one to suffer on my account.

I thanked God--for the first time--I'd no one belonging to me.

That thought made it easier for me to do what I am doing." He tossed the end of the cigarette into the fire.
"I am going to make a bolt for it; and I looked in just to say a few words to you, Heyton.