should feel that you could come--just once. You don't hate me?"
"Hate you? No."
"I dare not ask you to forgive; but I begin to know and feel what my
action towards you really meant. Jack, see I am on my knees. Forgive
me!"
"I do. I forgive. If I was hard to you; if, as you say, I expected
and exacted too much from you, may God forgive me."
The tears were still raining down Bella's cheeks.
"Kiss me, Jack."
He shrank back. "You must not ask me that. I cannot."
"Is it that you despise me so utterly?"
"No, no; you don't understand. I--"
"Kiss me."
"Why do you make me speak? I am going to be married again. I kissed
her--a young girl--in this room half an hour ago. I could not outrage
her trust in me."
A sort of stung expression came into the face of the kneeling woman
and she staggered to her feet.
"You are going to take another wife! My God! I never thought--I never
dreamt. It seemed so--so--impossible. I hope she will make you
happier than I did."
"Oh, hush, hush!"
"She is one of your own class--a lady? What is her name?"
"I would rather not mention it. Give me your hand and let us part in
peace."
"Tell it me," she pleaded. "What name do you call her by?"
"Ethel."
"Ethel and Bella. Ah, Ethel is far the nicer name. We didn't think
once that you would ever be telling me you were going to be married
to someone else, did we? It feels queer, and it hurts me--a little, I
think. Good-bye, Jack. I see now why you could not kiss me--it would
not be right of you. She is a young girl and she might find it hard
to forgive you if she knew. I am going. You used to have a bell on
your table, I recollect, with a little white knob that you pressed
when Mary was to go to the hall door. Do you use it still? Oh, I see.
Let me press it instead of you, may I? I sha'n't feel so much as if
you were turning me out. Good-bye." She said the word lingeringly,
tenderly. "Say 'Bella' once again, for the sake of old times."
Jack Chetwynd took the slender trembling hand in his with God knows
what of anguish and pity stirring at his heart.
|