He drew me to a corner of the room
"All of them! All the letters written her by—Uncle James."
"And we are going to look over them together—you and I are going to read these love-letters—before we burn them?" I asked, quick joy making my voice tremulous.
For a moment there was silence in the old room, then he turned away from the secretary, and came very close.
"Why burn them—now?" he asked, his own strong voice of a sudden more tremulous than mine. "Why burn them, now, darling? Why not—hand—them—down?"
Then—in that instant—I knew what life was going to mean to me. And I felt as if I had the great joy of the world—hugged close—in a circle of radiance—like the Madonna della Sedia!
"I can be good—a very good woman—if I have your face before me," I told him.
After a while he smiled, then took my hand and drew me to a shadowy corner of the room.