Part 20 (2/2)
”Lovely! You are a very dear old Prince Charlie. I think if I couldn't marry you I wouldn't marry anybody. I am sorry for all the other little girls that can't marry you. You know lots of little girls, don't you?”
”Yes. But then you are my real sweetheart, you know.”
”I'm glad. 'Cos you can't marry more than one, can you? I hope the other little girls won't cry, all the same.”
”I don't think they will. Some of them are bigger than you; have given up crying.”
”Oh, big little girls cry! But they don't make a noise, and they don't like you to see. I've seen mamma cry!”
Prince Charlie was silent; he too had seen the mother's tears. The child prattled on:
”We shall have to go all the way to Heaven when we are married, shan't we?”
He wondered what childish idea could prompt such a question; asked:
”What makes you think that, darling?”
”When we went to church last Sunday--no, it was the Sunday before; the man in the white dress said so.”
”Did he?”
”Yes; he did really. I heard him quite plainly. He said 'marriages are made in heaven.' Is heaven very, very beautiful, Prince Charlie?”
”Much more beautiful than we can even think it is, darling.”
”All the good little girls go there, don't they?”
”Yes. Most certainly.”
”When doctors come to people they are ill, aren't they? And they die sometimes when they are ill, don't they?... If I die now shall I go right straight to heaven, Prince Charlie?”
The woman kneeling by the bedside turned away her head. The trembling hand found her throat and helped to stifle the sob bursting there. Life and death were fighting for conquest. Contemplation of the battle is ever sad; sadder because the watchers can do nought to turn the tide of victory. Time was arbiter; yet the little one was speaking as if the Grim One's victory were a.s.sured.
There was a little quaver, just a little huskiness, in Masters' voice, as he said:
”Don't talk of dying, Gracie.”
”Oh, I am not going to die yet.”
The child's attempt at a laugh was pitiful, by reason of the lack of mirth in it; she continued:
”I shouldn't be able to marry you till you got to heaven if I did, should I? How full it must be up there of little boys and girls, Prince Charlie.”
”Yes, darling.”
He acquiesced aloud; truthfully. Then added, under his breath:
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