"Life is a wonderful thing, Claire."
She was still too shaken to do aught but gaze at him.
"What now?" she asked at last, falteringly.
He heard the fear, half anguish and half hope, in her voice, and suddenly he caught her to him and cried buoyantly: "What now? Life, Claire, life! We have the whole world before us. It was my life or his. I am glad it was not mine." He smiled. "Well, we have staged the great animal stunt. I have fought for the possession of life."
She let her head fall on his shoulder.
"Then—then I am not repulsive to you?" she choked.
"Repulsive! Why?" His voice was full of wonder.
"I—I thought of murdering him," she whispered.
"Claire," he answered tenderly, "human beings think many things they don't and can't do. That is part of our old heritage. But let's get away from here, Claire. Staying here won't do either of us any good. What is done is done. We cannot help it. Very well, then the best thing to do is to forget it. Shall we start?"
She stepped back and looked at him. He was all energy, clear-countenanced, free, frank, and normal.