And then quite suddenly her strength went from her;
she hung powerless, almost fainting in his grasp.
She scarcely knew what happened next, save that the fierceness went out
of his hold like the passing of an evil dream. He lifted and held her
while the darkness surged around.... And then presently she heard his
voice, very low, amazingly tender, speaking into her ear. "Dinah! Dinah!
What has come to you? Don't you know that I love you? Didn't I tell you
so only last night?"
She leaned against him palpitating, unstrung, piteously distressed.
"That's what makes it--so dreadful," she whispered. "I wish I were dead!
Oh, I do wish I were dead!"
"Nonsense!" he said. "Nonsense!" He put his hand upon her head, pressing
it against his breast. "Little sweetheart, what has happened to you? Tell
me what is the matter!"
That was the hardest to face of all, that he should subdue himself,
restrain his passion to pour out to her that which was infinitely greater
than passion; she made a little sound that seemed to come straight from
her heart.
"Oh, I can't tell you!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "I can't think how
I ever made such a terrible mistake. But if only--oh, if only--you could
marry Rose instead! It would be so very much better for everybody."
"Marry Rose!" he said. "What on earth made you think of that at this
stage?"
"I always thought you would--in Switzerland," she explained rather
incoherently.
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