He related with some detail the formation of his creed of conduct in the
dawn on Lake Champlain, and showed her that according to its tenets he was
permitted a kind of action that in other men might be reprehensible. He
came to the story of Evie last of all, and allowed her to see how
dominating a part Fate, or Predestination had played in evolving it.
"So you see," he ended, "it was too late then to do anything--but to
yield."
"Or withdraw," she added, softly.
He stared at her a moment, his body bent slightly forward his elbows
resting on the arms of his chair. As a matter of fact, he was thinking
less of her words than of her beauty--so much nobler in type than he
remembered it.
"Yes," he returned, quietly, "I can see that it would strike you in that
way. So it did me--at first. But I had to look at the subject all round--"
"I don't need to do that."
He stared at her again. There was a decision in her words which he found
hard to reconcile with the pity in her eyes and the gentle softness of her
smile.
"You mean that you don't want to take my--necessities--into
consideration."
"I mean that when I see the one thing right to do, I don't have to look
any further.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253