Then she went to the man and laced her arms about him—
"Promise me..." she said, "you will not ... let go of me ... when the time comes."
"I promise you," the man answered, very huskily.
"May I call you ... Maurice ... before we die?" she asked, and her voice faltered at this.
"Please..." he begged her; and she said "Maurice" a time or two.
"Hold me ... Maurice," she said. "I may ... turn coward ... at the end ... but hold me. Don't let me go. I want to die with you."
"I will hold you," he answered, and their arms tightened.
And again the sea thundered, and this time something swirled about their feet. Then they asked forgiveness of each other for inasmuch as they had offended, and received the sacrament of each other's pardon.
And there being nothing else to do, they stood and waited for death.
CHAPTER XLII