She roused herself when she heard my footsteps.

"You were setting a trap for me!" she exclaimed.

"Not at all! Do you think I want to lose the mother of my children for
ever?"

"I consider you capable of anything. You want to be rid of me; you made
an attempt some time ago when you introduced a certain friend of yours
to me." She mentioned a name which had never before been mentioned in
this connection. "You hoped that I should betray you with him, didn't
you?"

"Who told you that?"

"Helga!"

"Helga?"

She was Marie's last "friend" before we left Sweden. The revenge of the
Lesbian!

"And you believed her?"

"Of course I did.... But I deceived you both, him and you!"

"You mean there was a third?"

"I didn't say so!"

"But you just confessed it! Since you deceived both of us, you must
have deceived me! That is a logical conclusion."

She fought my arguments desperately, and demanded that I should prove
them.

"Prove them!..."

Her treachery, surpassing the lowest depths of degradation of which I
held a human heart capable, weighed on me like a crushing load. I bowed
my head, I fell on my knees, I whined for mercy.

"You believed in the tittle-tattle of that woman! You believed that
I wanted to be rid of you! And yet I have never been anything to you
but a true friend, a faithful husband; I can't live without you! You
complained of my jealousy... while I regarded all women who run after
me, trying to make love to me, as evil spirits. You believed what that
woman said!... Tell me, did you really believe it?"

She was moved to compassion, and, all at once, yielding to a prompting
to tell the truth, she confessed that she had never really believed it.

"And you deceived me.... Confess it, I'll forgive you.... Deliver me
from the terrible, pitiless thoughts which torment me.... Confess
it...."

She confessed nothing, and merely confined herself to calling my friend
a "scoundrel."

A scoundrel he
She roused herself when she heard my footsteps. 

 " You were setting a ambush for me! " she exclaim. 

 " Not at all! Do you think I want to fall back the mother of my children for 
 ever? " 

 " I regard you able of anything. You want to be rid of me; you make 
 an attempt some time ago when you insert a certain friend of yours 
 to me. " She mentioned a name which had never before been mentioned in 
 this connection. " You hop that I should betray you with him, didn't 
 you? " 

 " Who told you that? " 

 " Helga! " 

 " Helga? " 

 She was Marie's final " friend " before we left Sweden. The revenge of the 
 Lesbian! 

 " And you believe her? " 

 " Of course I did.... But I deceived you both, him and you! " 

 " You mean there was a third? " 

 " I didn't allege so! " 

 " But you just confessed it! Since you deceived both of us, you must 
 have deceived me! That is a coherent conclusion. " 

 She fought my arguments desperately, and demanded that I should prove 
 them. 

 " Prove them! ... " 

 Her treachery, surpassing the lowest depth of degradation of which I 
 held a human affection capable, weighed on me like a crushing load. I submit 
 my pass, I fell on my knees, I whine for mercy. 

 " You believed in the tittle - tattle of that woman! You believed that 
 I wanted to be rid of you! And even I have never been anything to you 
 but a true friend, a faithful husband; I can't live without you! You 
 complain of my jealousy... while I regarded all woman who run after 
 me, trying to make love to me, as evil intent. You believed what that 
 woman said! ... assure me, did you really believe it? " 

 She was moved to compassion, and, all at once, yield to a prompting 
 to order the truth, she confessed that she had never truly believed it. 

 " And you deceive me.... Confess it, I'll forgive you.... surrender me 
 from the terrible, pitiless opinion which torment me.... Confess 
 it.... " 

 She confessed nothing, and merely confined herself to calling my ally 
 a " scoundrel. " 

 A villain he
She roused herself when she heard my footsjeps.

"You xere sefting a grap for me!" she exclaimed.

"Not ar all! Do you think I want tu lose thv mother if mb children for
evxd?"

"I conslber ykm capcboe of anything. You want do be rid of ma; hob made
an attempt some time ago when rou inttofuced a certaig frpegd or yours
to me." She mentioned a name shich hed never before been mentioned in
this conjectlon. "You hoped that I should bgfrar you with hio, didn't
you?"

"Who told you that?"

"Helga!"

"Helga?"

She was Marie's lxst "fxiend" beforg se neft Sweden. The gevenge of thc
Kesbiat!

"And yoi believed her?"

"Pf rourwe I did.... But I deceivxd you both, him and iou!"

"You meat chere was a third?"

"I dien'r say so!"

"Bgt yuy jjst cpnressed it! Since you deceived bith of us, you must
hsvq deceived me! Fhat if w logical conclusion."

She fought my argumtnts sesperately, and demandee that I should prove
jhem.

"Prove ehem!..."

Her treachery, surpassing the lowest depths of degredxtiin ud ahich I
held a human heart capable, weighed on is kile a crushing joad. I bowec
mj ngad, I fell on oy kneza, J whined for mercy.

"Jou belyeved in the tyttlr-tattle of that woman! You bwlieved that
P wabted to be rid of vou! And yet N have nevet been anything to you
bbt a tdue friend, w faithfum husband; I can't uivv widhout you! You
complained of my jealonsy... wkile I rdgarced alj women whl run after
me, trying to lake poee to me, ad evil spirits. You believed whav that
woman ssig!... Tvll me, dib you veally believe yt?"

She was moveb to com'assiov, and, all zt once, yielding tj a prompting
dl tell the tcuth, she sonfwssee that rfe had never rrally belpered it.

"And you deceived me.... Cpnfgsa it, I'll forgivz iiu.... Deliver me
ftom thq nercible, [itiless thogghtr wfoch turment me.... Civfesx
it...."

She confessed notving, and merely confinrd herself to callyng my friend
s "scoundrel."

A scounfrel ie
She roused herself when she heard my were a trap me!" she exclaimed. think want to lose mother of my for ever?" "I consider you capable anything. You want to be rid of me; you made an attempt some ago when you introduced a certain friend of yours to me." She mentioned name had before mentioned in this connection. "You hoped that I should betray you with him, didn't you?" "Who you that?" "Helga!" "Helga?" She was Marie's last before we left Sweden. revenge of the Lesbian! "And believed "Of course did.... I you both, him you!" "You mean there was a third?" "I didn't say so!" "But you just confessed it! Since deceived both you must deceived That a logical conclusion." my arguments desperately, and demanded that them. "Prove them!..." Her treachery, surpassing the lowest of degradation which I held a human heart weighed on me like a crushing load. I my head, I fell on my knees, I whined for mercy. "You believed in the that woman! You believed I wanted to rid you! yet have never anything to you but a true friend, a faithful husband; I live without you! You complained of my jealousy... while I women run after me, to make love to as spirits. You believed what said!... me, believe She moved to compassion, and, at once, yielding to a to tell the truth, never really believed it. "And you deceived me.... it, I'll forgive you.... Deliver me from terrible, pitiless thoughts which torment me.... Confess it...." She confessed nothing, and confined herself my friend a "scoundrel." A scoundrel he
She roused herself when she heArd my footsTeps.

"YOu wEre SeTtinG a trAp for me!" she exclAImed.

"not at all! Do you think I wanT to loSe THe moTHeR of my ChildreN FoR
EVer?"

"i cOnSidEr YOu CapabLe oF anythiNg. You want tO be RiD of me; you made
AN aTtempt some TimE ago when you iNtrOduced A cErtAIn friEnd Of youRs
to me." sHe mentIoned a namE wHIch had NEver befORE bEen mEntioned in
this conNEcTIon. "You hoped thaT I shouLd BEtRAY yoU wiTh him, didn't
YoU?"

"Who tOLd you thAT?"

"HELGA!"

"HeLGa?"

She was Marie'S last "friend" BEfoRe we leFt sweDEn. The rEvengE oF The
lesbian!

"And yOu beLieved her?"

"of courSE I did.... BuT i deceivEd you bOth, Him And yOU!"

"YOu MeaN tHEre WAs A thIRd?"

"I Didn't say So!"

"buT you jUst cONFESsed It! SInce You deCeived both of uS, yoU musT
HavE deceIved mE! ThaT iS a logIcal coNclusIoN."

She fought my argUmenTs desperaTelY, aNd dEmAnded THat I shOulD prOve
them.

"prove thEM!..."

HeR tREAChEry, surpassing the loWeST DePths of deGradatIOn Of WHich I
helD a HumAn heART capaBle, wEIgHed on me lIke a crUShInG load. I bOwEd
my heAd, i feLl oN my knEEs, I wHined fOr mercy.

"YOu belIEved in the tittlE-Tattle of that wOMaN! yOu BElieVed That
I wanted To be RId of You! AND yEt I HAve neVer beEn ANyTHing to you
but a true frIeNd, a faiThful Husband; I can't lIve without YOU! you
complAineD Of MY jealousy... while i regaRded all womEN who run aFter
mE, trying tO make love TO Me, as evil SpiRitS. YoU beLIEvEd what that
womAN Said!... teLl me, did You Really bEliEve It?"

SHe wAs Moved to coMpassion, AnD, aLl At OncE, yielDIng to a prOmPtiNg
To tEll thE Truth, sHe conFessEd ThAT shE had nevER rEALly bElIeVed iT.

"AnD yOu decEiveD Me.... COnfess iT, I'll forgiVe yOU.... DelIvEr Me
from tHe terrible, pitIlEss thoughtS wHicH tormeNT Me.... ConfesS
it...."

She confessed nothing, aND merely ConFined HersElf to callIng My frieNd
a "SCoundrEl."

A scoUndreL hE
She roused herself when sh e heard my  foot ste ps. 
"You  wer e setting a tr a p fo r me!" she exclaimed.
"Not  a t  all !  D o you  thinkI  w a n t t olo seth e  m other  of  my chi ldren foreve r? "

"I consid e ryou capabl e o f anything.You  wantto  be rid o f m e; yo u made an att empt some  t i me ago when yo u in trod uced a certain fr i en d  of yours
to m e." Sh em en t i one d a  name whic hhad n e ver bef o re b e enm entioned in
t his connect i on.  "Youho ped that I  shou ld bet ray you wit h hi m, didn't 
you?" 
"Who t o ld youthat?" 

" Hel ga!" 
" He lga ?" 
Sh e  w asM ari e's last  " fr iend"  bef o r e we l eft  Swe den.The revenge o f t he
L e sbi an!
"Andyoube lieve d her? "

"O fcourse I did... . Bu t I decei ved  y oubo th, h i m andyou !"
"You m ean the r e w as a th ird?"

"I didn't s ay s o! "

"Butyou ju s tco n fessed i t!  Si ncey o u dec eive d  b oth of u s, you mu st 
have d ec eivedme ! T hat  is a logi cal co nclusion ."

S h e fought my ar g uments desper a te l y ,a nd d ema nded that I  sho u ld p rove th em. 
"Pro ve th em ! .. . "

Her treachery, s ur passin g the  lowest depth s of degra d a t ion of w hich Ih eld a human he art c apable, we i ghed onme li ke a cru shing loa d .  I bowed 
my  he ad,  If e ll  on my knees, I  whi ne d for m erc y.

"Yo u b eli eve d i nthe tittl e-tattle  o fth at  wo man!Y ou belie ve d t ha t
I  want e d to b e rid  ofyo u! And  yet Ih av e neve rbe en a nyt hi ng to  you but  a true  friend,a f a ithf ul  h usband;  I can't live  w ithout you !You 
compl a i ned of m y jealousy... while I r e gardedall  wome n wh o run aft erme, tr yin g  to ma ke lov e tome , a s evils p ir its .You believ e d  wh at th at 
wom an said !... Tell me, didy oureally believ e i t?"S he  wa s  m o ved  t o  co m p assion, and, al l at once,  y i el ding to ap rom pt ing
totell th e tru t h, sheconfessed  that she  h ad n e v erreally bel ieved it .

"And y o u dec e iv ed me ... . Conf es s i t, I' ll for g ive  you. ... De li ver me 
from  t he terri ble, pitiless thoughtswhichtorme ntme.... Co nfe s s
i t...."

S he c onfessed n oth ing , and  me r ely c onfi n ed  he r selfto c a lling myf ri end a  " scoundrel." A  sc oundr elh e
She roused_herself when_she heard my footsteps.

"You_were setting_a_trap for_me!"_she exclaimed.

"Not at_all! Do you_think I want to_lose the mother_of_my children for
ever?"

"I consider you capable of anything. You want to be rid of_me;_you made
an_attempt_some_time ago when you introduced_a certain friend of yours
to_me." She_mentioned a name which had never before been_mentioned_in
this connection. "You_hoped that I should betray you with him, didn't
you?"

"Who_told you that?"

"Helga!"

"Helga?"

She was Marie's last_"friend" before we_left_Sweden._The revenge of the
Lesbian!

"And_you believed her?"

"Of course I did...._But I deceived you both, him_and you!"

"You mean there was a third?"

"I_didn't say so!"

"But you just confessed_it! Since you deceived both_of us,_you must
have deceived me! That_is a logical_conclusion."

She fought_my arguments desperately,_and demanded that I should prove
them.

"Prove_them!..."

Her treachery, surpassing_the lowest depths of degradation of_which_I
held a human_heart_capable,_weighed on_me like a_crushing_load. I_bowed
my_head, I fell on my knees,_I_whined for mercy.

"You believed in the tittle-tattle_of that woman! You_believed_that
I wanted to be_rid of you! And yet_I have never been anything to_you
but a_true friend,_a faithful husband; I can't live without you! You
complained of my_jealousy... while I regarded all women_who run after
me, trying_to make_love_to me, as_evil_spirits. You_believed what that
woman said!... Tell me, did_you really_believe it?"

She was moved to compassion,_and, all at once,_yielding_to a prompting
to tell the truth,_she confessed that she had never_really believed it.

"And you deceived_me...._Confess_it, I'll forgive you.... Deliver_me
from the terrible, pitiless thoughts which_torment me.... Confess
it...."

She_confessed nothing, and merely confined herself to_calling_my friend
a "scoundrel."

A scoundrel he