She continued staring at him, and then seated herself by his side.
“You—threw him overboard?” she whispered again.
“We were standing side by side on the poop deck far aft, watching the tramp steamer on that night; the yacht was rolling—he slipped—I gave him a push.... I have lost my soul for love of you, and you think the sacrifice worthless.”
“Oh, it is too horrible—too terrible!” she said. “For me—for me!”
He was silent. So was she. They sat together side by side for an hour. His terrible confession had dazed her. She was the first to break the silence.
“Terrible—it is terrible!” she murmured. “Who could have told me that there was any love such as this in the world?”
“It is my love for you,” he said quietly. “It is the love that dares all—all the powers of time and eternity. I tell you that I would do it again; I would kill any other man who came between us. But my crime has been purposeless; we are to part for ever at Sydney in two days.”
“Yes,” she said. “It is better that we should part.”
She gave him her hand. He held it tightly for a moment, then dropped it suddenly, and left her standing alone on the deck.
“Was there ever such love in the world?” she murmured. “But it is terrible—terrible!”