Robert Kimberly

"That is irrevocable?"

"Yes."

"I have kept my word-that you should havehis message as straight as I could carry it."

"I believe you have. He certainly could not, whatever his intentions, have paid you a highertribute than to entrust you with one for me."

"Then he does not and never can stand betweenyou and me, Alice?"

"He never can."

The expression of his eyes would have frightenedher at a moment less intense. Slightly paler thanshe had been a year earlier and showing in hermanner rather than in her face only indefinabletraces of the trouble she had been through, Alicebrought each day to Kimberly an attraction thatrenewed itself unfailingly.

He looked now upon her eyes-he was alwaysasking whether they were blue or gray-and uponher brown hair, as it framed her white forehead. Helooked with tender fondness on the delicate cheeksthat made not alone a setting for her frank eyesbut for him added to the appeal of her lips. He satdown again, catching her hand to bring her close.

"Come," he urged, relaxing from his intensity,"sit down. By Heaven, I have suffered to-day!But who wouldn't suffer for you? Who but forthe love of woman would bear the cares andburdens of this world?"

Alice smiled oddly. "We have to bear them, you know, for the love of man." She sat down onthe bench beside him. "Tell me, how have yousuffered to-day?"

"Do you want to know?"

"Of course, I want to know. Don't you alwayswant to know how I have suffered? Though Iused to think," she added, as if moved byunpleasant recollections, "that nobody cares when awoman suffers."

"The man that loves her cares. It is one oflove's attributes. It makes a woman's sorrow andpain his, just as her joy and happiness are his.Pleasure and pain are twins, anyway, and youcannot separate them. Alice!" He looked suddenlyat her. "You love me, don't you?"

Her face crimsoned, for she realized he was benton making her answer.

"Let us talk about something else, Robert."

He repeated his question.

"Don't make me put it into words yet, Robert,"she said at last. "You have so long known theanswer-and know that I still speak as his wife. DoI love you?" She covered her face with her hands.

"Alice!" His appeal drew her eyes back tohis. They looked speechless at each other. Themoment was too much. Instinctively she sprangin fear to her feet, but only to find herself caughtwithin his arm and to feel his burning lips on herlips. She fought his embrace in half-deliriousreproach. Then her eyes submitted to his pleadingand their lips met with her soft, plunging pulsebeating swiftly upon his heart.

It was only for an instant. She pushed himaway. "I have answered you. You must spareme now or I shall sink with shame."

"But you are mine," he persisted, "all mine."

She led him up the path toward the house.

"Sometimes I am afraid I shall swallow you up,as the sea swallows up the ship, in a storm ofpassion."

"Oh no, you will not."

"Why not?"

"Because I am helpless. Was there more toyour story?"

"You know then I haven't told it all."

"Tell me the rest."

"When he had finished, I told him I, too, hadsomething to say. 'I shall deliver your messageto Alice,' I said. 'But it is only fair to say to youI mean to make her my wife if she will accept me, and her choice will lie between you and me, MacBirney.'

"You should have seen his amazement. Thenhe collected himself for a stab-and I tried not tolet him see that it went deep. 'Whatever theoutcome,' he said, 'she will never marry you.'

"'You must recollect you have not been in herconfidence for some time,' I retorted. He seemedin no way disconcerted and ended by disconcertingme. 'Remember what I tell you, Mr. Kimberly,'he repeated, 'you will find me a good prophet.She is a Catholic and will never marry you or anyother man while I live.'

"'You may be right,' I replied. 'But if Alicemarries me she will never live to regret it for onemoment on account of her religion. I have noreligion myself, except her. She is my religion, she alone and her happiness. You seem toinvoke her religion against me. What right haveyou to do this? Have you helped her in itspractice? Have you kept the promises you madewhen you married a Catholic wife? Or have youmade her life a hell on earth because she tried topractise her religion, as you promised she shouldbe free to do? Is she a better Catholic becauseshe believed in you, or a worse because to live inpeace with you she was forced to abandon thepractice of her religion? These are questionsfor you to think over, MacBirney. I will giveher your message-'

"'Give her my message,' he sneered. 'Youwould be likely to!'

"'Stop!' I said. 'My word, MacBirney, isgood. Friend and foe of mine will tell you that.Even my enemies accept my word. But if I couldbring myself to deceive those that trust me I wouldchoose enemies to prey upon before I chose friends.I could deceive my own partners. I could playfalse to my own brother-all this I could do andmore. But if I could practise deceits a thousandtimes viler than these, I could not, so help meGod, lie to a trusting girl that I had asked to bemy wife and the mother of my children! Whateverelse of baseness I stooped to, that word shouldbe forever good!'

"Alice, I struck the table a blow that madethe inkstands jump. My eye-glasses went with acrash. Nelson and McCrea came running in;MacBirney turned white. He tried to stretch hislips in a smile; it was ghastly. Everybody waslooking at me. I got up without a word to anyone and left the room."

Alice caught his sleeve. "Robert, I am proudof you! How much better you struck than youknew! Oh," she cried, "how could I help loving you?"

"Do you love me?"

"I would give my life for you."

"Don't give it for me; keep it for me. Youwill marry me; won't you? What did the curmean by saying what he did, Alice?"

"He meant to taunt me; to remind me of howlong I tried to live in some measure up to thereligion that he used every means to drive mefrom-and did drive me from."

"We will restore all that."

"He meant I must come to you without itsblessing."

He looked suddenly and keenly at her. "Shouldyou be happier with its blessing?"

"Ah, Robert."

"But should you?"

She gazed away. "It is a happiness I have lost."

"Then you shall have it again."

"I will trust to God for some escape from mydifficulties. What else can I do? My husband!"she exclaimed bitterly-"generous man to remindme of religion!"

Kimberly spoke with a quick resolve. "I amgoing to look into this matter of where you standas a wife. I am going to know why you can'thave a chance to live your life with me. If Igive you back what he has robbed you of, ourhappiness will be doubled."

CHAPTER XXXIII

When Kimberly reached The Towers it wasdusk. Brother Francis was walking onthe terrace. Kimberly joined him. "How isUncle John to-day, Francis?"