“Then, thank God for what has come,” said Richard, hoarsely, wiping from his forehead the great drops that had broken out upon it.

“No!” I cried with a fresh burst of weeping.  “No, I cannot thank God, for I want him back again. I want him.  I had rather die than be separated from him.  I cannot thank God for taking him away from me.  Oh, Richard, what shall I do?  I loved him, loved him so.  Don’t look so stern; don’t turn away from me.  You used to love me.  Could you thank God for taking me away from you, out of your arms, warm, and strong, and living, and making me cold, and dumb, and stiff, like that?”

“Yes, Pauline, if it had been to save us both from sin.”

“You don’t know what love is, if you say that.”

“I know what sin is, better than you do, maybe.  Listen, Pauline.  I’ve loved you ever since I saw you; men don’t often love better than I have loved you; but I’d rather drag you, to-night, to that black river there, and hold you down with my own hands till the breath left your body, than see you turn into a sinful woman, and lead the life of shame you tell me you had it in your heart to lead, to-day.”

“Is it so very awful?” I whispered with a shiver, my own emotion stilled before his.  “I only loved him!”

“Forget you ever did,” he said, rising, and pacing up and down the room.

I put my hands before my face, and felt as if I were alone in the world with sin.  If this unspoken, passionate, sweet thought, that I had harbored, were so full of danger as to force God to blast me with such punishment, as to drive this tender, generous, loving man to wish me dead, what must be the blackness of the sin from which I had been saved, if I were saved?  If there were, indeed, anything but shocks of woe and punishment, and deadly despair and darkness, in this strange world in which I found myself.  There was a silence.  I rose to my feet.  I don’t know what I meant to do or where to go; my only impulse was to hide myself from the eyes of my companion, and to go away from him, as I had hidden myself from all others, since I was smitten with this chastisement.

“Forgive me, Pauline,” he said, coming to my side.  “It is the second time I have been harsh with you this dreadful day.  This is what comes of selfishness.  I hope you will forget what I have said.”

I still turned to go away, feeling afraid of him and ashamed before him.  He put out his hand to stop me.

“Pauline, remember, I have been sorely tried.  I would do anything to comfort you.  I haven’t another wish in my heart but to be of use to you.”

“Oh, Richard,” I cried, bursting into tears afresh, and hiding my eyes, “if you give me up and drive me away from you, I am all alone.  There isn’t another human being that I love or that cares for me.  Dear Richard, do be good to me; do be sorry for me.”

“I am sorry for you, Pauline; you know that.”