I could not speak.
"The Earl—Colonel Goff—they let me see him to-day. It hurt me more than my own hurt to see the poor man suffer so in the blame he puts upon himself for the accident. He won't see, Jack,—he can't—that it was God's way of settling it—God's way. For He alone knew how foolish I was—how wicked to sell myself as I did—and how my heart, though I did not know it till that day, Jack—has always been yours!"
I took her in my arms, my face pressed against her cheek.
She lay still, patting my face with her hand and saying: "I am—it is—well, it seems also to be one of God's ways:
'We look before and after
And pine for what is not.'"
I heard her try to laugh in her old, brave way. She was looking again into my eyes, and I sat holding her hand.
"But Colonel Goff," she went on, "gentleman that he is, thinks he must settle the account for his blundering ride, and begs me to marry him anyway; I, a cripple for life. He forgets that God balanced it when he stopped me from the sin of selling my heart for—for—his bauble—
"I have sent him away satisfied, Jack. I believe he would love me truly," and she smiled, "now that he sees that I cannot ride. Love me for myself and not for my riding; but I shall love only you, Jack, till I die—the old crippled woman."
She was silent for a moment. "And the compensation for my admitting it—you know it is costing me something—you don't know how hard it is for me to say it first, Jack; but the compensation I claim, will you give it to your little lame girl? It is this, and now nod your head, say 'yes' Jack. I've seen—Elsie loves you, and you must—you must marry the child. She is everything you want, and you half-way love her already. It will be easy now, Jack, promise it; for your sake—for both your sakes, I'm asking. Promise me, Jack, I want to see you happy."
She had my hand against her cheek, fondling it. Her eyes had never seemed so beautiful.