She looked up at me, her face drawn and tear-stained.
"Poor old Nokomis!" was all she could say.
I took her hand and helped her up, then led her gently away, as I had led Edna away only yesterday. It was the same hand I took, but it was so cold and weak! It was the same face I saw, but it was so shadowed with sadness! It was the same voice I heard, but then it had been proud and careless—now it was so tremulously stricken!
"To think that I should have killed Nokomis!" she said.
"It wasn't you, dear!"
"How do I know? If I could be sure!" was her doubting answer.
Then she wheeled about and faced me. She put both her hands on my shoulders and clung desperately to me.
"Chester," she cried, "take me, if you will—if you dare! I don't know any more what's right and what's wrong. The White Cat is blind! I must have you—I want you! I can't live without your help! I'll give it all up, now, and let you act; for I shall die anyway, if such a thing as this should happen again. Next time it may be Leah—it may be even you! If you can save me, I'll marry you. I consent to the engagement—I'll say 'yes' with all my heart, with all gratitude and all love. It's wrong and cowardly, I'm afraid, but you and Leah are all I have."
I kissed her on the lips, and put on her finger the little old seal ring I wore.
"Then we must be married," I said.