Edith Wharton

“ You can't really love him!--And yet," the girl suddenly added, "you must, or you'd be more sorry for me!"
"I'm very sorry for you," Anna said, feeling as if the iron band about her heart pressed on it a little less inexorably.
"Then why won't you hear me? Why won't you try to understand? It's all so different from what you imagine!"
"I've never judged you."
"I'm not thinking of myself. He loves you!"
"I thought you'd come to speak of Owen."
Sophy Viner seemed not to hear her. "He's never loved any one else. ”

“ If things had been different I think I could have made Owen happy. You were all so good to me--I wanted so to stay with you! I suppose you'll say that makes it worse: my daring to dream I had the right...But all that doesn't matter now. I won't see Owen unless you're willing. I should have liked to tell him what I've tried to tell you; but you must know better; you feel things in a finer way. Only you'll have to help him if I can't. He cares a great deal...it's going to hurt him..."
Anna trembled. "Oh, I know! What can I do?" ”

“ So that Owen shall never know you've followed him." Sophy's clasped hands reached out urgently. "And you can send for Mr. Darrow--bring him back. Owen must be convinced that he's mistaken, and nothing else will convince him. Afterward I'll find a pretext--oh, I promise you! But first he must see for himself that nothing's changed for you."
Anna stood motionless, subdued and dominated. The girl's ardour swept her like a wind. ”