"You don't care whether you make _me_ suffer?"
"I want to save you from the far greater suffering that would come."
"As I told you before, I'll take care of that," said Paul. "You needn't
be so much concerned about what my feelings will be after you are my
wife--I know what they will be. Women are fools about that sort of
thing--what the future husband may or may not feel, may or may not
think; when he has got the woman he loves, he doesn't _think_ about her
at all; he thinks about his business, his affairs, his occupations,
whatever he has to do in the world. As to what he _feels_, he knows. And
she too. There comes an end to all her fancies, and generally they're
poor stuff." Drawing her to him, he kissed her. "That's better than a
fancy! Now we will walk back to the house; there is a good deal to do if
we are to be married this afternoon--as we certainly shall be; by this
time to-morrow it will be an old story to you--the being my wife. And
now listen, Eve, let me make an end of it; Ferdie was everything to me,
I don't deny it; he was the dearest fellow the world could show, and I
had always had the charge of him. But he had that fault from boyhood.
The time came when it endangered Cicely's life and that of her child;
then you stepped forward and saved them, though it was sure to cost you
a lifetime of pain. I honor you for this, Eve, and always shall. Poor
Ferdie has gone, his death was nobody's fault but his own; and it wasn't
wholly his own, either, for he had inherited tendencies which kept him
down. He has gone back to the Power that made him, and that Power
understands his own work, I fancy; at any rate, I am willing to leave
Ferdie to Him. But, in the meantime, we are on the earth, Eve, we
two,--and we love each other; let us have all there is of it, while we
are about it; in fact, I give you warning, that I shall take it all!"
Two hours later, Paul came back from the mainland, where he had been
making the necessary arrangements for the marriage, which was to take
place at five o'clock; so far, he had told no one of his intention.
A note was handed to him. He opened it.
"It is of no use. In spite of all you have said, I feel sure that
in time you could not help remembering. And it would make you
miserable beyond bearing.
"Once your wife, I should not have the strength to leave you--as I
can now.