“Fear? And what have I to fear? My body is beyond the fear of death, as my soul is beyond the hope of life. If it were to be done again I should be weak. I know I should. If you could know half of what the doing cost! But let that alone. I did it, and he is waiting for you. Will you come?”
“If I only knew it to be true——”
“How hard you make it. Yet, it was hard enough.”
Beatrice touched her arm, more gently than before, and gazed into her eyes.
“If I could believe it all I would not make it hard. I would forgive you—and you would deserve better than that, better than anything that is mine to give.”
“I deserve nothing and ask nothing. If you will come, you will see, and, seeing, you will believe. And if you then forgive—well then, you will have done far more than I could do.”
“I would forgive you freely——”
“Are you afraid to go with me?”
“No. I am afraid of something worse. You have put something here—a hope——”
“A hope? Then you believe. There is no hope without a little belief in it. Will you come?”