y stood facing each other in the entry, which was lighted
only by the fan-light over the door, Cynthia with her back against the
wall. He spoke her name again, his voice thick with the passion which had
overtaken him like a flood at the sight of her--a passion to seize her in
his arms, and cherish and comfort and protect her forever and ever. All
this he felt and more as he looked into her face and saw the traces of
her great sorrow there. He had not thought that that face could be more
beautiful in its strength and purity, but it was even so.

"Cynthia-my love!" he cried, and raised his arms. But a look as of a
great fear came into her eyes, which for one exquisite moment had yielded
to his own; and her breath came quickly, as though she were spent--as
indeed she was. So far spent that the wall at her back was grateful.

"No!" she said; "no--you must not--you must not--you must not!" Again and
again she repeated the words, for she could summon no others. They were a
mandate--had he guessed it--to herself as to him. For the time her brain
refused its functions, and she could think of nothing but the fact that
he was there, beside her, ready to take her in his arms. How she longed
to fly into them, none but herself knew--to fly into them as into a
refuge secure against the evil powers of the world. It was not reason
that restrained her then, but something higher in her, that restrained
him likewise. Without moving from the wall she pushed open the door of
the sitting room.

"Go in there," she said.

He went in as she bade him and stood before the flickering logs in the
wide and shallow chimney-place--logs that seemed to burn on the very
hearth itself, and yet the smoke rose unerring into the flue. No stove
had ever desecrated that room. Bob looked into the flames and waited, and
Cynthia stood in the entry fighting this second great battle which had
come upon her while her forces were still spent with that other one.
Woman in her very nature is created to be sheltered and protected; and
the yearning in her, when her love is given, is intense as nature itself
to seek sanctuary in that love. So it was with Cynthia leaning against
the entry wall, her arms full length in front of her, and her hands
clasped as she prayed for strength to withstand the temptation. At last
she grew calmer, though her breath still came deeply, and she went into
the sitting room.

Perhaps he knew, vaguely, why she had not followed him at once.