knowing,while she spoke

"My dear girl," Strefford said, with a resigned glance at hiswatch, "you know we're dining at the Embassy ...."At the Embassy? She looked at him vaguely: then sheremembered. Yes, they were dining that night at the Ascots',with Strefford's cousin, the Duke of Dunes, and his wife, thehandsome irreproachable young Duchess; with the old gamblingDowager Duchess, whom her son and daughter-in-law had come overfrom England to see; and with other English and French guests ofa rank and standing worthy of the Duneses. Susy knew that herinclusion in such a dinner could mean but one thing: it was herdefinite recognition as Altringham's future wife. She was "thelittle American" whom one had to ask when one invited him, evenon ceremonial occasions. The family had accepted her; theEmbassy could but follow suit. 　　"It's late, dear; and I've got to see someone on businessfirst," Strefford reminded her patiently. 　　"Oh, Streff--I can't, I can't!" The words broke from herwithout her knowing what she was saying. "I can't go withyou--I can't go to the Embassy. I can't go on any longer likethis ...." She lifted her eyes to his in desperate appeal. 　　"Oh, understand-do please understand!" she wailed, knowing,while she spoke, the utter impossibility of what she asked. 　　Strefford's face had gradually paled and hardened. From sallowit turned to a dusky white, and lines of obstinacy deepenedbetween the ironic eyebrows and about the weak amused mouth. 　　"Understand? What do you want me to understand," He laughed. 　　"That you're trying to chuck me already?"She shrank at the sneer of the "already," but instantlyremembered that it was the only thing he could be expected tosay, since it was just because he couldn't understand that shewas flying from him. 　　"Oh, Streff--if I knew how to tell you!""It doesn't so much matter about the how. Is that what you'retrying to say?"Her head drooped, and she saw the dead leaves whirling acrossthe path at her feet, lifted on a sudden wintry gust.