The man.  No fear!  What’s a blighter like that to old Fritz’s shells?  We didn’t shift when they was comin’.  If you’ll go, I’ll go; not else.

     [Again she shakes her head.]

The girl.  Jim, do you love me true?

     [For answer the man takes her avidly in his arms.]

I ain’t ashamed—­I ain’t ashamed.  If ’e could see me ’eart.

The man.  Daisy!  If I’d known you out there, I never could ’a stuck it.  They’d ’a got me for a deserter.  That’s how I love you!

The girl.  Jim, don’t lift your hand to ’im!  Promise!

The man.  That’s according.

The girl.  Promise!

The man.  If ’e keeps quiet, I won’t.  But I’m not accountable—­not always, I tell you straight—­not since I’ve been through that.

The girl. [With a shiver] Nor p’raps he isn’t.

The man.  Like as not.  It takes the lynch pins out, I tell you.

The girl.  God ’elp us!

The man. [Grimly] Ah!  We said that a bit too often.  What we want we take, now; there’s no one else to give it us, and there’s no fear’ll stop us; we seen the bottom of things.

The girl.  P’raps he’ll say that too.

The man.  Then it’ll be ’im or me.

The girl.  I’m frightened: 

The man. [Tenderly] No, Daisy, no!  The river’s handy.  One more or less.  ’E shan’t ’arm you; nor me neither. [He takes out a knife.]

The girl. [Seizing his hand] Oh, no!  Give it to me, Jim!

The man. [Smiling] No fear! [He puts it away] Shan’t ’ave no need for it like as not.  All right, little Daisy; you can’t be expected to see things like what we do.  What’s life, anyway?  I’ve seen a thousand lives taken in five minutes.  I’ve seen dead men on the wires like flies on a flypaper.  I’ve been as good as dead meself a hundred times.  I’ve killed a dozen men.  It’s nothin’.  He’s safe, if ’e don’t get my blood up.  If he does, nobody’s safe; not ’im, nor anybody else; not even you.  I’m speakin’ sober.

The girl. [Softly] Jim, you won’t go fightin’ in the sun, with the birds all callin’?

The man.  That depends on ‘im.  I’m not lookin’ for it.  Daisy, I love you.  I love your hair.  I love your eyes.  I love you.

The girl.  And I love you, Jim.  I don’t want nothin’ more than you in all the world.

The man.  Amen to that, my dear.  Kiss me close!