'I will bless you and pray for you while I
live, but I can never be your wife. You are mad to think of me. Some day
you will be glad I refused to listen to you, and grateful to me for what
I have done.'
'Grateful!' he cried. 'To be grateful I must learn to hate you. I'll go
an' learn that lesson.'
He turned from her and strode towards the gate, but there he paused with
his arm upon the bar, and presently he moved back to her side.
'I can't go like that, dear,' he said, seizing her hand again, 'nothing
on earth can ever make me anything but your lover, an' nothing can make
me believe you lied when you said you loved me. Your kisses were not
lies. Speak to me--say that you did love me a little!'
'Good-bye, Harry,' she said in the same constrained tone.
'For God's sake be fair to me, Chris.'
'I am fair to you. Go; learn to love someone who will bring you
happiness. Good-bye.'
'There is one woman who could bring me happiness, an' she stabs me to the
heart. I won't give you up, I won't forget, I won't say good-bye. When
this misery's gone from you, you will be your old self again, an' we'll
be happy together.'
'Do not think that, Harry; you must put me out of your heart.'
'Never--never while I live!'
He looked into her strong pale face for a moment, and lifting her
yielding hand to his lips kissed it.
'Good-night,' he said gently.
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