ght of the window waiting for me. Her face
was pale but steady, there was a proud light in her fathomless eyes, a
slight smile parted her lips, and she carried her head like a queen.
'Come in,' she said. 'You need not fear to tell me. I saw him ride home.
He has not failed, thank God! I am proud of him; I knew he would be
true. He loves me'--she drew in her breath sharply, and a faint colour
tinged her cheek--'but he knows love is not all--ah, love is not all!
Oh! I am glad and proud!'
'Glad!' I gasped, amazed.
'You would not have him prove faithless!' she said with proud defiance.
'Oh, it is high sentimental nonsense,' I could not help saying.
'You should not say so,' she replied, and her voice rang clear. 'Honour,
faith, and duty are sentiments, but they are not nonsense.'
In spite of my rage I was lost in amazed admiration of the high spirit
of the woman who stood up so straight before me. But, as I told how worn
and broken he was, she listened with changing colour and swelling bosom,
her proud courage all gone, and only love, anxious and pitying, in her
eyes.
'Shall I go to him?' she asked with timid eagerness and deepening
colour.
'He is sleeping. He said he would come to you,' I replied.
'I shall wait for him,' she said softly, and the tenderness in her tone
went straight to my heart, and it seemed to me a man might suffer much
to be loved with love such as this.
In the early afternoon Graeme came to her. She met him with both hands
outstretched, saying in a low voice--
'I am very happy.'
'Are you sure?' he asked anxiously.
'Oh, yes,' she said, but her voice was like a sob; 'quite, quite sure.'
They talked long together till I saw that Craig must soon be coming, and
I called Graeme away. He held her hands, looking steadily into her eyes
and said--
'You are better even than I thought; I'm going to be a better man.'
Her eyes filled with tears, but her smile did not fade as she answered--
'Yes! you will be a good man, and God will give you work to do.'
He bent his head over her hands and stepped back from her as from a
queen, but he spoke no word till we came to Craig's door. Then he said
with humility that seemed strange in him, 'Connor, that is great, to
conquer oneself. It is worth while. I am going to try.'
I would not have missed his meeting with Craig. Nelson was busy with
tea. Craig was writing near the window. He looked up as Graeme came in,
and nodded an easy good-ev
|