"Will that do?" she asked calmly, holding it out to me with a
firm hand.
Brave Le Mire! I took the dagger and placed it in my pocket,
and, looking at Harry, exchanged with him a nod of understanding.
No words were necessary.
"But I must confess I am a coward," said Desiree. "When the time
comes I--I could not bear to see--to wait--"
I looked at her and said simply: "You shall be first," and she
gave me a smile of thanks that spoke of a heart that would not
fail when the final moment arrived. And in my admiration of her
high courage I forgot the horror of the task that must be mine.
It was a relief to have admitted the worst and discussed it
calmly; there is no torment like suspense, and ours was at an
end. A load was lifted from our hearts, and a quiet sympathy
created between us, sincere as death itself. And it was in our
power to choose for ourselves the final moment--we were yet
masters of our fates.
All action seems useless when hope is dead, but certain things
needed to be done, and Harry and I bestirred ourselves. We
extinguished the flame in all the urns but one to save the oil,
not caring to depart in darkness.
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