Part 85 (1/2)

”Why, my promise to--to Mr. Rivers.”

”D--n Mr. Rivers!” growled Brooke, turning away.

”That,” said Talbot, mildly, ”is not an answer to my question.”

”But how do I know?” said Brooke, in a voice like a wailing child.

”But how can I? how can I?” cried Talbot. ”And when _you_ are here--_you_, Brooke, who know all my heart! Can I give you up? I cannot! You may give me up, if you like.”

”Why don't you say, if I _can_?” said Brooke.

”Oh--any way,” said Talbot, wearily.

There was another silence.

”Marry _him_!” cried Talbot, at last, breaking the silence with vehement abruptness. ”I cannot! I cannot! It would be wicked. I should desecrate the holy sacrament. I could not utter that vow before the holy altar.

Never! Yet I can't stay here where _he_ is. He will be wis.h.i.+ng to see me.

He will be coming soon--he may be coming now. I will not see him. I will _not_ speak with him again. I will write to him. I will leave this place, and at once.”

”Leave this place!” repeated Brooke. ”Where can you go?”

”Why, I'll go home,” said Talbot, firmly.

”Home?”

”Yes.”

”How can you? You don't know the way.”

”I know one place where I can go--to that tower--that sweet tower; it is not far away; it must be easy to get there. I will go there--there, Brooke, where I first became acquainted with you; and then--”

Here Talbot paused, and turned away her head.

”But you can't live there,” said Brooke, in a harsh voice.

”I can find my way back to the road,” said Talbot, in a tremulous tone--”to the road where I first met you, Brooke; and then--why, then I shall be no worse off than when you found me and a.s.sisted me.”

”It's all nonsense,” said Brooke; ”you can't go alone.”

”Yes, I can.”

”You'll be taken prisoner.”

”I don't care.”

”Or, if not, you'll die of starvation.”

”Very well,” said Talbot, in a calm voice, and looking at Brooke out of serene eyes, with a face from which all traces of emotion had departed--”very well; I have already showed that I am not afraid of death; and death by starvation is not more terrible than death by bullets.”