"Ah," said Nature gently.
"I have the right to love her!" he cried. "I shall seek her out and tell her everything."
"Ah," said Nature softly.
"Yes," the man cried. "I shall tell her everything about my poor Marianne's death. She has a great heart and a noble mind. She will understand. My beautiful love——"
"Ah," said Nature tenderly. "I can safely leave him now—conquered and renewed."
And yet she paused for a moment, fearful to leave his side until she was certain that the child whom she had always loved had reached a firm foothold of healthy human instincts.
"My beautiful love!" he cried. "You understood from the very beginning, and came to warn me of Mrs Stanhope's slanderous tongue. I little guessed what she was capable of saying to my boy; but you knew, and did not shrink from me."
Then, as his thoughts turned to Mrs Stanhope, anger and indignation took possession of him.
"I will go and find her now," he cried. "I will find my way over the mountains somehow, and see her face to face."
"Ah," said Nature, smiling, "I can leave him now in the safe keeping of human love and healthy human anger."