“I’ll tell you what I understood,” Leland said. “I understood what she told me, when she got around to it, when she was able to speak of it. Palmer might have been ‘perfect,’ but I don’t feel badly now about the rough time he had because he happens to be dead. I don’t think that way. I’m sorry he died young. That’s too bad, but it doesn’t alter my contempt for what he did with his life.

“And just to straighten you out, she never vindicated any judgment of mine. When I left Port Smith I hoped that I could get her the hell away from me. She wanted to wreck herself and I’m sure your friend saw it as well as I did, but he was a willing participant in it.”

“He couldn’t help himself. He really couldn’t.”

“He had a hell of a lot less to lose than she did. He saw that. Of course he did. But he put her in terrible jeopardy every time he met with her.”

“That’s not true. They knew you. You never went to an attorney, never called Jerry Palmer at the University. You could have had him fired at any time. The kind of man you are had a lot to do with what happened—what she did, the way he conducted himself. He knew that as long as you held your ground, she would never ask for a divorce. When you went to Manitou she believed that you were leaving the door open—she could go after you, but on your terms. Jerry saw that if anything, you had tightened your hold on her. He didn’t die well, as they say. He was bitter and in anguish. He vented it on you.”

Leland was horrified. “Too damned bad. You’re forgetting that they got started while I was in Europe. He never gave me a thought. I’m not going to start worrying about him now.” He stood up. “Too damned bad for him. I’m sorry to sound childish about it, but it’s the way I have to feel. I kept myself under control for years—and I was right and he was wrong, by dumb luck. She’s all right now, I think, and maybe I did help her a little, but he didn’t, for sure. He was only a small part of what was bothering her—that’s enough. That’s all I’m going to say to you. Where’s my coat?”

“On the chair behind you.”