o whatever you say, wait as long as you say. No, no! Listen!
Don't break away from me. You don't hate me as you do the cat. I
haven't been running under your feet all the time, have I, dear?
Listen. See here, my arms are strong now. They can hold you forever,
just like this. I've been thinking of you and dreaming of you and
loving you through these years. You have never been out of my mind nor
out of my heart. I've kept the little housewife you made me and bound
with your cherry-colored hair ribbon until it is in rags, but I love
it still. I love it. They took everything I had about me at the
prison; but this--they gave back to me. It was the only thing I begged
them to leave me."

Poor little Betty! She tried to speak and tried again, but she could
not utter a word. Her mouth grew dry and her knees would not support
her. Richard was so big and strong he did not feel her weight, and
only delighted in the thought that she resigned herself to him.
"Darling little Betty! Darling little Betty! You do understand, don't
you? Won't you tell me you do?"

But she only closed her eyes and lay quite still. She longed to lift
her arms and put them about his neck, and the effort not to do so
only crushed her spirit the more. Now she knew she was bad, and
unworthy such a great love as this. She had let Peter Junior kiss her,
and she had told him she loved him--and it was nothing to this. She
was not good; she was unworthy, and all the angels in heaven could
never bring her comfort any more. She was so still he put his cheek to
hers, and it seemed as if she moaned, and that without a sound.

"Have I hurt you, Betty, dear?"

"Oh, no, Richard, no."

"Do you love me, sweet?"

"Yes, Richard, yes. I love you so I could die of loving you, and I
can't help it. Oh, Richard, I can't help it."

"It's asking too much that you should love me so, and yet that's what
my selfish, hungry heart wants and came here for."

"Take your face away, Richard; stop. I must talk if it kills me. I
have been so bad and wicked. Oh, Richard, I can't tell you how wicked.
Let me stand by myself now. I can." She fought back the tears and
turned her face away from him, but when he let go of her, in her
weakness she swayed, and he caught her to him again, with many
repeated words of tenderness.

"If you will take me to the steps, Richard, and bring me a glass of
water, I think I can talk to you then. You remember where things are
in this house?"

Did he re