The younger woman dried her eyes and left the room. We waited in tense silence, our eyes on the door. We heard the sound of footsteps on the stair; a moment, and she was on the threshold.
She came in slowly, listlessly—it gave me a shock to see the pallor of her face. Then she glanced up and saw Royce standing there; she drew in her breath with a quick gasp, a great wave of color swept over her cheeks and brow, a great light sprang into her eyes.
"Oh, John!" she cried, and swayed toward him.
He had her in his arms, against his heart, and the glad tears sprang to my eyes as I looked at them. I glanced at the elder woman, and saw that her eyes were shining and her lips quivering.
"And I have come to take you away, my love," he was saying.
"Oh, yes; take me away," she sobbed, "before the other comes."
She stopped, her eyes on the window-seat, where "the other" lay, and the color died out of her cheeks again.
"He, at least, has paid the penalty," said Royce. "He can trouble you no more, my love."
She was sobbing helplessly upon his shoulder, but as the moments passed she grew more calm, and at last stood upright from him. The younger woman had come back into the room, and was watching her curiously, with no trace of emotion.
"Come, let us go," said the girl. "We must take the first boat home."