Part 33 (2/2)
An arc light faintly shone upon Lorison's face. An illumination from within also pervaded it. The girl saw the rapt, ascetic look; it was the face either of Sir Galahad or Sir Fool.
”Quite starlike,” she said, ”is this unapproachable angel. Really too high to be grasped.”
”By me, yes.”
She faced him suddenly. ”My dear friend, would you prefer your star fallen?” Lorison made a wide gesture.
”You push me to the bald fact,” he declared; ”you are not in sympathy with my argument. But I will answer you so. If I could reach my particular star, to drag it down, I would not do it; but if it were fallen, I would pick it up, and thank Heaven for the privilege.”
They were silent for some minutes. Norah s.h.i.+vered, and thrust her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket. Lorison uttered a remorseful exclamation.
”I'm not cold,” she said. ”I was just thinking. I ought to tell you something. You have selected a strange confidante. But you cannot expect a chance acquaintance, picked up in a doubtful restaurant, to be an angel.”
”Norah!” cried Lorison.
”Let me go on. You have told me about yourself. We have been such good friends. I must tell you now what I never wanted you to know.
I am--worse than you are. I was on the stage . . . I sang in the chorus . . . I was pretty bad, I guess . . . I stole diamonds from the prima donna . . . they arrested me . . . I gave most of them up, and they let me go . . . I drank wine every night . . . a great deal . . . I was very wicked, but--”
Lorison knelt quickly by her side and took her hands.
”Dear Norah!” he said, exultantly. ”It is you, it is you I love!
You never guessed it, did you? 'Tis you I meant all the time. Now I can speak. Let me make you forget the past. We have both suffered; let us shut out the world, and live for each other. Norah, do you hear me say I love you?”
”In spite of--”
”Rather say because of it. You have come out of your past n.o.ble and good. Your heart is an angel's. Give it to me.”
”A little while ago you feared the future too much to even speak.”
”But for you; not for myself. Can you love me?”
She cast herself, wildly sobbing, upon his breast.
”Better than life--than truth itself--than everything.”
”And my own past,” said Lorison, with a note of solicitude--”can you forgive and--”
”I answered you that,” she whispered, ”when I told you I loved you.”
She leaned away, and looked thoughtfully at him. ”If I had not told you about myself, would you have--would you--”
”No,” he interrupted; ”I would never have let you know I loved you. I would never have asked you this--Norah, will you be my wife?”
She wept again.
”Oh, believe me; I am good now--I am no longer wicked! I will be the best wife in the world. Don't think I am--bad any more. If you do I shall die, I shall die!”
While he was consoling, her, she brightened up, eager and impetuous.
”Will you marry me to-night?” she said. ”Will you prove it that way.
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