Roy bent down and stroked her hair and kissed her. She did not seem to know. "Shall we go away, too? All of us, mother? Would you rather be alone—with father?"
"Yes," she said feebly. "I will be alone always, alone now, always alone—alone!"
"No, no, mother, you will have all of us—all—all—but him. We will——"
"Go away! go away, for a while," she said, and flung herself on her knees beside the couch. "Oh, Griffith, Griffith! What was it all for? All our suffering and trials and hopes and life? What was it all for at last?" she moaned with her arms about his lifeless form. "What did it all mean? What was it all for, if this is the end? Oh, Griffith, Griffith! what was the use? What was the use—with this for the end! I felt so safe about you, darling, now that you were here! I did not even think of you! I did not fear it was you! Oh, Griffith, Griffith! this is the end of all things! This is the end! This is the end! I do not care what else comes—I do not care—I do not care! What is a country? What are sons to me now? I do not care! I do not care! This is the end!"
Roy had heard her voice and her sobs. He opened the door softly and saw her with her head on the breast of her dead and the long sobbing sighs coming with the silences between.
He closed the door noiselessly again, and took his young wife in his arms. His voice was choked and broken.
"Emma, my darling, perhaps if you were to go to her—perhaps she would know that you can understand—perhaps you could comfort her, if—"
"No, no, Roy, she would hate me if I were to go in there now—I who have you! I who am so happy and so blest! I know! I know, darling. Let her alone—for awhile. Oh, Roy. If it were you! If—if—it were I in there, with—with you dead! Oh, Roy!"
They clung to each other in silence. Both understood. At last he said, holding his wife to his heaving breast: "And we cannot help her! Not even God can help her now—if there be a God—not even He can help her now! He would be too late to undo His own cruelty! Ah, love and death! Love and death! how could a good God make both!"
The young wife shuddered and was silent. Her faith could not compass that situation. Love was too new and too strong. Doubt entered the door Love had swung open for these two, and took up his seat at their fireside forever.