"Tied? I?" She spoke bravely, for it would have been a deadly cruelty not to contradict him. "It is for you," she went on. "You must not think of me as tied to you, dear, as you call it! I did it gladly, of my own free will, and I knew what I was doing."
"Ah no!" he answered sadly. "You could not have known what you were doing, then. Your whole life has only saved half of mine."
A chill of fear shot through Veronica's heart.
"Dear," she said anxiously and nervously. "Have I done anything to make you talk like this?"
"Yes, love, you have done much," he answered, with a tender, regretful look. "No—do not start! I am sorry that you did not understand. It is because you do so much, because you give your whole life for my wretched existence, because I know what my hours of happiness cost you now and will cost you hereafter. That is why I say these things. It would have been so much easier and simpler if I had died with my hand in yours, that day, when Don Teodoro married us. Veronica—tell me—did he say all the words? I fainted, I think."
"Yes," answered Veronica, still pale. "He said all the words."
"And did he give us the benediction?"
"Yes, he gave us the benediction."
Gianluca sighed.
"Then it cannot be undone, dear," he said softly. "You must forgive me."