She stood by the table, not offering to sit down. Her eyelids

were dropped half over her eyes; her teeth were shut, not

compressed; her lips were just parted over them, allowing the

white line to be seen between their curve. Her slow deep

breathings dilated her thin and beautiful nostrils; it was the

only motion visible on her countenance. The fine-grained skin,

the oval cheek, the rich outline of her mouth, its corners deep

set in dimples,--were all wan and pale to-day; the loss of their

usual natural healthy colour being made more evident by the heavy

shadow of the dark hair, brought down upon the temples, to hide

all sign of the blow she had received. Her head, for all its

drooping eyes, was thrown a little back, in the old proud

attitude. Her long arms hung motion-less by her sides. Altogether

she looked like some prisoner, falsely accused of a crime that

she loathed and despised, and from which she was too indignant to

justify herself.

Mr. Thornton made a hasty step or two forwards; recovered

himself, and went with quiet firmness to the door (which she had

left open), and shut it. Then he came back, and stood opposite to

her for a moment, receiving the general impression of her

beautiful presence, before he dared to disturb it, perhaps to

repel it, by what he had to say.

'Miss Hale, I was very ungrateful yesterday--' 'You had nothing to be grateful for,' said she, raising her eyes,

and looking full and straight at him. 'You mean, I suppose, that

you believe you ought to thank me for what I did.' In spite of

herself--in defiance of her anger--the thick blushes came all

over her face, and burnt into her very eyes; which fell not

nevertheless from their grave and steady look. 'It was only a

natural instinct; any woman would have done just the same. We all

feel the sanctity of our sex as a high privilege when we see

danger. I ought rather,' said she, hastily, 'to apologise to you,

for having said thoughtless words which sent you down into the

danger.' 'It was not your words; it was the truth they conveyed,

pun-gently as it was expressed. But you shall not drive me off

upon that, and so escape the expression of my deep gratitude,

my--' he was on the verge now; he would not speak in the haste of

his hot passion; he would weigh each word. He would; and his will

was triumphant. He stopped in mid career.

'I do not try to escape from anything,' said she. 'I simply say,

that you owe me no gratitude; and I may add, that any expression

of it will be painful to me, because I do not feel that I deserve

it. Still, if it will relieve you from even a fancied obligation,

speak on.' 'I do not want to be relieved from any obligation,' said he,

goaded by her calm manner. Fancied, or not fancied--I question

not myself to know which--I choose to believe that I owe my very

life to you--ay--smile, and think it an exaggeration if you will.

I believe it, because it adds a value to that life to think--oh,

Miss Hale!' continued he, lowering his voice to such a tender

intensity of passion that she shivered and trembled before him,

'to think circumstance so wrought, that whenever I exult in

existence henceforward, I may say to myself, "All this gladness

in life, all honest pride in doing my work in the world, all this

keen sense of being, I owe to her!" And it doubles the gladness,

it makes the pride glow, it sharpens the sense of existence till

I hardly know if it is pain or pleasure, to think that I owe it

to one--nay, you must, you shall hear'--said he, stepping

forwards with stern determination--'to one whom I love, as I do

not believe man ever loved woman before.' He held her hand tight

in his. He panted as he listened for what should come. He threw

the hand away with indignation, as he heard her icy tone; for icy

it was, though the words came faltering out, as if she knew not

where to find them.




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