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           WhatcanIdo,howcanIpossiblymakereparation?Idoloveher!AndifIloveher,ithastobebecauseofthewaysheisnow,notbecauseofajuvenilewaystationalongherroad.It’swomanlythingsI’vealwayslovedinher;thebearingoftheburden.So,RalphdeBricassart,takeoffyourblinkers,seeherasshereallyis,notasshewaslongago.Sixteenyearsago,sixteenlongincredibleyears…Iamforty-fourandsheistwenty-six;neitherofusisachild,butIambyfarthemoreimmature.

           YoutookitforgrantedtheminuteIsteppedoutofRob’scar,isn’tthatso,Meggie?YouassumedIhadgiveninatlast.AndbeforeyouevenhadtimetogetyourbreathbackIhadtoshowyouhowwrongyouwere.Irippedthefabricofyourdelusionapartasifithadbeenadirtyoldrag.Oh,Meggie!WhathaveIdonetoyou?HowcouldIhavebeensoblind,soutterlyself-centered?I’veaccomplishednothingincomingtoseeyou,unlessitistocutyouintolittlepieces.Alltheseyearswe’vebeenlovingatcross-purposes.

           Stillshewaslookingintohiseyes,herownfillingwithshame,humiliation,butastheexpressionsflewacrosshisfacetothefinaloneofdespairingpitysheseemedtorealizethemagnitudeofhermistake,thehorrorofit.Andmorethanthat:thefactthatheknewhermistake.

           Go,run!Run,Meggie,getoutofherewiththescrapofpridehe’sleftyou!Theinstantshethoughtitsheactedonit,shewasupoutofherchairandfleeing.