Her heart beat wildly against his.... And she loved him more than all the world, and loved God more because of him.
But he released her almost immediately, and Tessibel sank back, sighing. She was no longer nervously eager to divulge her secret. She waited almost mechanically, as one waits for an advancing joy—as a hungry man watches abundant preparation for the appeasing of his hunger. Hearing him groan, she turned troubled eyes up to his.
"Daddy always says for to tell bad things quick!"
But this only served to call forth another deep breath of misery. After a lapse of what seemed ages to the waiting girl, Frederick gathered courage, and began,
"Tess, I've told you how very ill my mother is, haven't I?"
"Yes, an' I air awful sorry, dearie," she murmured.
The compassion he aroused subdued her voice to a whisper.
"And she's asked me to do something for her and I've—got to do it, Tessibel," faltered Frederick.
"Sure ye have," Tess agreed.
"I didn't decide to do it, honey,"—Frederick was avoiding the vital part—"until I saw how I could not let it make any difference to us. It won't make any difference, dear heart!"