LUCY.
But you"ll kill my love for you. The doubt which lurked at the bottom of my soul now fills me. How can you let me suffer such maddening torture?
ALEC.
I thought you trusted me.
LUCY.
I"ll be satisfied if you"ll only tell me one thing: only tell me that when you sent George on that expedition you didn"t know that he"d be killed. [ALEC _looks at her steadily_.] Only say that, Alec. Say that"s not true, and I"ll believe you.
ALEC.
[_Very quietly._] But it is true.
[LUCY _does not answer, but stares at him with terrified eyes_.
LUCY.
Oh, I don"t understand. Oh, my dearest, don"t treat me as a child. Have mercy on me! You must be serious now. It"s a matter of life and death to both of us.
ALEC.
I"m perfectly serious.
LUCY.
You knew that you were sending George into a death-trap? You knew he couldn"t escape alive?
ALEC.
Except by a miracle.
LUCY.
And you don"t believe in miracles?
ALEC.
No.
LUCY.
Oh, it can"t be true. Oh, Alec, Alec, Alec! Oh, what shall I do?
ALEC.
I tell you that whatever I did was inevitable.
LUCY.
Then if that"s true, the rest must be true also. Oh, it"s awful. I can"t realise it. Haven"t you anything to say at all?
ALEC.
[_In a low voice._] Only that I"ve loved you always with all my soul.
LUCY.
You knew how much I loved my brother. You knew how much it meant to me that he should live to wipe out my father"s dishonour. All the future was centred on him, and you sacrificed him.
ALEC.
[_Hesitatingly._] I think I might tell you this. He had committed a grave error of judgment. We were entrapped by the Arabs, and our only chance of escape entailed the almost certain death of one of us.
[_An inkling of the truth seizes_ LUCY, _and her face is suddenly distorted with horror. She goes up to him impulsively. Her voice trembles with emotion._
LUCY.
Alec, Alec, he didn"t do something--unworthy? You"re not trying to shield him?
ALEC.
[_Hoa.r.s.ely._] No, no, no!
LUCY.
[_With a gasp of relief, almost to herself._] Thank G.o.d! I couldn"t have borne that. [_To_ ALEC, _hopelessly_.] Then I don"t understand.
ALEC.
It was not unjust that he should suffer for the catastrophe which he had brought about.
LUCY.
At those times one doesn"t think of justice. He was so young, so frank.
Wouldn"t it have been n.o.bler to give your life for his?
ALEC.
Oh, my dear, you don"t know how easy it is to give one"s life. How little you know me! Do you think I should have hesitated if my death had been sufficient to solve the difficulty? I had my work to do. I was bound by solemn treaties to the surrounding tribes. It would have been cowardly for me to die. I tell you, my death would have meant the awful death of every man in my party.
LUCY.
I can only see one thing, that you took George, George of all others.
ALEC.