She raised her eyes from the thoughtful contemplation of her painted
fan. "You appear to have no idea of the difficulties."

"Should I have asked your help if I had not had an idea of them?"

"But you are still confident that with my help you can surmount
them?"

"I can't believe you have come here to take that confidence from
me?"

She leaned back, smiling at him through her lashes. "And all this I
am to do for your _beaux yeux?_"

"No--for your own: that you may see with them what happiness you are
conferring."

"You are extremely clever, and I like you." She paused, and then
brought out with lingering emphasis: "But my family will not hear of
a divorce."

She threw into her voice such an accent of finality that Durham, for
the moment, felt himself brought up against an insurmountable
barrier; but, almost at once, his fear was mitigated by the
conviction that she would not have put herself out so much to say so
little.

"When you speak of your family, do you include yourself?" he
suggested.