‘Yes, sir; I can do no other thing.’
Sebastian rose, and pushed Carrie from him almost with roughness.
‘If you marry this man, Carrie, you part from me; you cannot know all ’twould mean to me. You are too young, you have been ever too happy, even to guess at it. I repeat: Marry Philip Meadowes and part from me, or stay with me and part from him.’
Carrie in her agitation rose and stood beside her father. Then suddenly she flung herself into his arms in her impetuous childish fashion.
‘Oh, sir, I must—I must. I cannot part from Philip; he is grown to be like part of myself,’ she cried in a passion of tears.
Sebastian raised Carrie’s face to his and kissed her.
‘I do not blame you, Carrie—I cannot blame you, for you act too entirely as I would have acted myself. I only bid you good-bye.’
‘Could you never know him and love him, sir?’ asked Carrie timidly.
‘May the Lord forgive me!—no, Carrie; not even for your sake.’
‘ ’Twill half break my heart to leave you, sir,’ said Carrie; ‘but ’twould break quite in two if I left Phil. Oh, what am I to do?’