“And yet I cannot blame you for it, I cannot. No, you are right! Every
thing is against me; every thing bears witness against me. Yes, I must
appear a very wicked girl in your eyes. If you knew the truth, however,
Daniel--if I could, if I dared, tell you all!”
She drew nearer to him, all trembling; and then continued in a still
lower tone of voice, as if she feared to be overheard,--
“Do you not understand yet that I am no longer my own? Unfortunate as
I am, they have taken me, bound me, fettered me. I have no longer the
right to have a will of my own. If they say, ‘Do this!’ I must needs do
it. What a life I lead! Great God! Ah, if you had been willing, Daniel!
If you were willing even now!”
She became excited almost to exaltation; her eyes, moist with tears,
shone with matchless splendor; passing blushes colored her face; and her
voice had strange, weird vibrations.
Was she forgetting herself? Was she really about to betray her secret?
or was she merely inventing a new falsehood? Why should he not let her
go on?
“That is no answer, Miss Brandon,” at last said Daniel. “Will you
promise me to protect Henrietta?”
“Do you really love her so dearly, your Henrietta?”
“Better than life!”
Miss Brandon turned as white as the lace on her dress; a flash of
indignation shot through her eyes; and, drying her tears, she said
curtly,--
“Oh!”