If it was all to do over again, perhaps I--But life was
so dreadful! If you judge me, remember--"
"I do not judge you."
"--remember that everything has been against me. Everything! From the
very beginning, I never had anything I wanted, I thought I was going
to be happy, but each time I wasn't. Until I had David. And now you
will take him. Oh, what a miserable failure life has been! I wish I
could die. But it seems you can't even die when you want to!"
For a moment she covered her face with her hands. Then she said: "I
suppose I might as well tell you. Mr. Pryor is not--.... After my baby
died, I left my husband. Lloyd loved me, and I went to live with him."
"You went to live with your brother?" Dr. Lavendar repeated perplexed.
"He is not my brother."
There was silence for a full minute. Then Dr. Lavendar said quietly,
"Go on."
She looked at him with hunted eyes. "Now, you will take David away.
Why did you make me tell you?"
"It is better to tell me." He laid his old hand on hers, clenched upon
the table at her side. The room was very still; once a coal fell from
the grate, and once there was the soft brush of rain against the
window,
"It's my whole life. I can't tell you my whole life, I didn't even
want to be wicked; all I wanted was to be happy, And so I went to
Lloyd. It didn't seem so very wrong. We didn't hurt anybody. His wife
was dead.
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