Jo reflected.
"But it will kill her," she said half-heartedly, "the strangeness. And what may happen."
"It will cure her," Law went on; "no matter what happens. She's part of it all; she must bear what is hers."
"Mr. Law——"
"Ah! Mam'selle," and here Anderson Law took Jo's hand, "there is so little, after all, that we older ones can do for them. May I have Donelle?"
"Yes. God help us all, Mr. Law." And poor Jo bowed her head.
"Thank you, Mam'selle. The conventions have all crumbled, we're all stripped down to our bare souls. We cannot afford to waste time looking forward or back. Keep that fire burning on the opened hearth, Mam'selle. Some of us will come back to you, God willing, soon. We must hurry. See! there is the child coming up the Right of Way, Nick clinging to her skirt. Donelle!"
Law called to her and went to meet her.
"Child, I'm going to take you to the States with me. Norval needs you!"
Just for an instant the white face twitched and the yellow eyes darkened.