He rose again, seizing one of her hands as it fell from his head. “But what is, Rhoda, except that we love each other with such strength that God who made us must have meant us to be husband and wife? What else is there that matters, beside that?”
“I’ve told you so often, dear, what it is that matters!”
“What do you want me to do, dear heart? I’ll free my slaves, if you wish, and pay them wages.”
Her face lighted and she smiled wistfully at him, but shook her head. “It’s deeper than that, Jeff, deeper than just the ownership of a few slaves. I knew you would do that, for my sake. I told myself so—” she broke off, smiled fondly upon him, then laid her free hand upon the two already clasped.
“Listen, Jeff, let me tell you—I didn’t intend to, but perhaps it’s best. After I sent you that last letter, I had a sudden fear that I had put in the sheet I didn’t mean you to see. It was only a second, and then I felt sure I had burned it. But for a little while I—I almost wished I had, and in my heart I said I would give up and that I would write you to come. It seemed as if you would know anyway, and as if you were coming, without my telling you. And for three or four days I sat at my window and watched for you and dreamed about our love, and about our life together at beautiful Fairmount—” she hesitated an instant and blushed faintly, but the true woman in her sent her on—“with our children growing up around us, and we so happy and growing old together— Oh, Jeff, it was such a beautiful dream!”
“Not half so beautiful or happy as the reality would be, sweetheart! Oh, Rhoda, won’t you make it true!”
“We’d be happy for a while, dear, but we’d wake up, sooner or later, just as I did, and then we’d find out that there was no true marriage between us, and our happiness would end.”
Denial was in his face and voice as he quickly answered: “Never, Rhoda! I can’t believe it! Why should we waken? Why did you?”
“It was the Dred Scott decision.”
He smiled incredulously. “I suppose I would have anyway, after a little,” she went on, “if you hadn’t got here first—” and she smiled up at him ingenuously.