“Yes—that’s it! What would your life be, with a man on whom you couldn’t count—a man you might be ashamed of, at any moment—who can’t even count on himself—a fellow who’s good for nothing on earth, and certainly for nothing in heaven—a failure, like me, who—”
“Stop! You shan’t say any more. I won’t listen! Jack, I shall go away, as I did before—”
“Well—but isn’t it all true?”
“No—not a word of it is true! And if it were true twenty times over, I’d marry you—now, in spite of everybody. I—I believe I’d commit a sin to marry you. Oh, it’s of no use! I can’t live without you—I can’t, indeed! I called you back to tell you so—”
She stopped, and she was pale. He had never seen her as she was now, and she had never looked so beautiful to him.
“For that matter, I couldn’t live without you,” he said, in a rather uncertain voice.
“And you shall not!” she answered, with determination. “Don’t talk to me of sacrifice—what could anything be compared with that—with giving you up? You don’t know what you’re saying. I couldn’t—I couldn’t do it—not if it meant death!”
“But, dear—Katharine dear—if I fail, as I shall, I’m sure—just think—”
“If you do—but you won’t—well, if you should think you had—oh, Jack! If you were the worst man alive, I’d rather die with you than live for any one else! God knows I would—”
“It’s very, very hard!” Ralston twisted his fingers together and bowed his head, still trying to resist her.