Part 32 (1/2)
”Good God, no!” he answered vehemently ”At least,” he added, sadly doubtful, ”that depends on yourself”
The colour came back to her face and her eyes lit up, sweetly, radiantly
”Depends onin the world can part us--nothing!”
”Are you sure?”
”Nothing Nothing,” she reiterated ”Alaric, , you have not been yourself of late There is so to tell ht?”
He nodded Then, after a pause--
”Tellthat could separate us, anything I ainst yourself, mind!--in this orld that could cause you to shrink from me? Is there? Think it out”
”Why, of course not,” she answered, boldly serene now that the whole question lay in her own hands, al full well she was on the verge of soic
”But--what if I have killed a man?”
”What if you have killed twentyabout it”
He looked hard at her
”Yes; but what if I have--what the law calls--committed murder?”
Now she looked hard at him, then shook her head
”You have not murdered _me_--nor father”
There spake the natural woman in Verna Halse He had not injured her or hers, consequently who ever thisto her
In all probability he was justified in so doing, certainly was, in that in her eyes he could do no wrong
”But do you quite understand, Verna?” he said gently ”I aer of--of the rope”
”Are you? Well, we shall er passes off Why, there are places about here where you could hide for years Listen, Alaric”--suddenly waxing grave, while a passion of tenderness caoodness knohy, to loveto shrink fronorant sort of girl, but I have seen so of one side of life, at any rate, and the power does not exist--law or anything else--that shall take you from me
But, tell me all about it”
”I will, Verna You re you things? I said there was one thing I hadn't told you, but that I ht some day This was it”
She nodded
”You re it was to feel quite easy in one's mind, and that I had not always been able to by any ravely attentive now Her quick ether; wherefore his next remark caused her little if any surprise
”That beastly thing young Stride sprung upon us the other day was an exact likeness of the erated his villainous expression He's dead now; but what I suffered at that blackood God! Verna; when I think of it I could wish he ain”
Then a new experience caly self-possessed, upon whonity sat so well, had suddenly becolowed and his features were set