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“She must have grounds for that, mustn’t she?”

“She may believe she has grounds for it.” She paused for a moment, “And would you never forgive a woman for a...a fault—a sin if you like—of that sort? Has your life been altogether free from...from any moments of...of passion?”

“A man and a woman are different.”

“You’re mistaken,” she answered swiftly. “A woman has her temptations as well as a man. They may not be as many or as frequent—the penalty for giving way is greater. That is a safeguard in many cases. But a woman is as likely to be swept away by physical feelings as a man—she’s only a human being just as he is. I’ve known one man who might have...have influenced me in this way, though I had no affection, no real admiration for him.”

“You’re making it worse.”

“I’m trying to be honest. Because I know that about myself, I’m at least more charitable to other women. And I’d want the man I married not to have one standard of morality for himself, and another for me.”

“Are you making excuses for yourself?”

She shook her head.

“No, there’s no need. I haven’t been guilty of this...this sort of error. I mean to remain what men call...straight.”

“But you've admitted———”

“I’ve admitted nothing beyond the fact that Mrs. Holmes is bringing this action. She is...mistaken, that’s all.”

“That night at Tirau———”

“I went into Mr. Holmes’s room because I saw his shadow on the blind, and he held a revolver in