You mustn't twist that
into a virtue. It was the only course open to me. I knew that it would
lift her out of misery to have you, and--naturally--I wished it too."
She nodded. "It was just like you. And I--I ought to have remembered that
it couldn't last. It has been such a comfort to--to have my darling to
love and care for. But oh, the blank when she is gone!"
Scott was silent.
"It's wrong to want to keep her, I know," Dinah went on wistfully. "She
has got so wonderfully happy of late; and I know it is the thought of
nearing the end of the journey that makes her so. And when I am with her,
I feel happy too for her sake. But when I am away from her--it--it's
all so dreary. I--feel so frightened and--alone."
"Don't be frightened!" Scott said gently. "You never are alone."
"Ah, but life is so difficult," she whispered.
"It would be," he answered, "if we had to face it all at once. But, thank
God, that is not so. We can only see a little way ahead. We can only do a
little at a time."
"Do you think that is a help?" she said. "I would give
anything--sometimes--to look into the future."
"I think the burden would be greater than we could bear," Scott said.
"Oh, do you? I think it would be such a relief to know." Dinah uttered a
sharp sigh. "It's no good talking," she said. "Only one thing is certain.
I'm not going to break with Billy of course, but I'll never go back to
Perrythorpe again, never as long as I live!"
There was a quiver of passion in her voice.
Pages:
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512