"You—you must n't wait. There 's nothing to wait for."
She saw his arms tighten; saw his lips grow hard.
"Nothing?" he exclaimed. "Don't make me believe that, because—then there would n't be anything."
She grew suddenly afraid.
"There would be everything else in the world for you—everything except me," she trembled. "And I count for so little. That's what I want you to learn. That's what, in a little while, you will learn. That's what you must learn. If you'll only hold on until to-morrow—until the next day and I'm gone—"
"Gone?"
He sprang to his feet.
"Monte!" she warned.
In terror she struggled to her own feet. The white light of the stars bathed their faces. In the distance he heard the notes of a trumpet sounding taps. It roused him further. It was as though the night were closing in upon him—as though life were closing in on him.
He turned and seized her.