“I shall pray Heaven to let me die when my hour of trial comes, for if I lived he would hate my child for its mother’s sake.”
Wisely and gravely he tried to dissuade her from such wild prayers, preached love and patience to the sore heart until he won her promise that she would still try in spite of scorn and rebuffs to win Cecil back. Then he left her calmed and quieted, and went out to make preparations for his return that night to Paris.
CHAPTER XXXV.
When he came back several hours later to bid her farewell she was lying quiet with her eyes shut. Phebe whispered cautiously:
“She is asleep!”
The dark eyes opened quickly.
“I am not asleep. I was only thinking,” she said.
Then she met her brother-in-law’s kind eyes fixed on her full of pity.
She drew him down to her and whispered:
“I have been thinking of what I promised you, but I’m afraid it will be useless to try, for how can I win him back if I never see him?”