Play fair with

[Johnyxxx]

Hello.

Can anybody explain to me in what sense the phrase "play fair with" is used in the text below? Then what I do not understand is why she tells him to leave her if he wishes to but then she suddenly says, "Promise me you will never again attempt tu cut my hair and I will forgive you." Does the word "leave" refers only to their temporary separation, not a definite breaking up? Or did she really meant to tell him to leave her if he wants to but then she changed her mind?


He had loved the dank chill of her hair, cold strands that burned like creeping living fire; and a curious, pagan fascination lay in that queer gesture, so like an archaic, dimly remembered ritual, with which Marian would toss the great braids about her back and shoulders, where they clung and twined.
"Win," continued Marian, "have you changed, or have I? Leave me if you wish. You needn't stay. I'll play fair with you if you wish to leave me. Only , . , promise me you'll never again attempt to cut my hair. Promise me, and I'll forgive you. And if you can ... try to remember."
Bardwell remembered, and promised. And that night, and many nights thereafter, Bardwell held stony-eyed communion with bottles branded with three stars marked with the name of Martel.


Medusa, Royal W. Jimerson, 1928.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Tdol]

If he wants to leave her, she won't try to take revenge, etc.

 

[jutfrank]

She doesn't really expect him to leave her. She's just saying that she doesn't want him to feel obliged to stay with her.

 

[Tdol]

She cares more about her hair, which he tried to cut before, than him.

 

[Johnyxxx]

Thank you very much for helping me. By the way, does the sentence "And if you can ... " refer to "promise me" or "try to remember?"

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you very much for helping me. By the way, does the sentence "And if you can ... " refer to "promise me" or "try to remember?"

It's connected to "try to remember". If it were connected to "promise me", it would come before those words.