Status Updates From House of Mirth

She looked at him gently. 'Do you remember what you said to me once? That you could help me only by loving me? Well—you did love me for a moment; and it helped me. It has always helped me. But the moment is gone—it was I who let it go. And one must go on living. Goodbye.'

Once again, Lily had withdrawn from an ambiguous situation in time to save her self-respect, but too late for public vindication.