“But the if exists, nevertheless. He did make the change; and, once for all, I will not have my conscience burdened with what is not my own. Earle, on the twentieth of next November I shall deposit in the First National Bank of this city ten thousand dollars, with a year’s interest, to your credit,” she asserted, resolutely. “Meanwhile,” she added, “Mr. Felton told me to say to you that he thought he could arrange some way for you to keep your head above board, if you will go to him.”
“I thank Mr. Felton, but I think the term ‘self-willed’ may be applied to some one else besides myself,” Earle answered, smilingly.
“Earle,” cried the lovely girl, turning suddenly upon him, and, with something of her old girlish impulse, laying one white hand on his, “if you won’t do as I wish for your own sake, won’t you for mine? and”—the color mounting to her forehead as she made the delicate offer—“until the year expires, won’t you please go to Mr. Felton and get whatever you need?”
If Earle was ever impatient and rebellious in his life he was at that moment at the cruel fate that kept him from reaching out and clasping his beautiful beloved in his arms, and telling her all the love of his great heart.
How delicately she had worded her proposition! She had not coarsely offered to give him money from her own income, feeling that his proud spirit would recoil from coming to her, a woman, for help; but she had made Mr. Felton the medium through which all his needs might be supplied until he could establish himself in business.
He ventured to take that small hand and press it gratefully.
“Editha,” he said, striving to control the quiver in his tones, “to both of your requests I must repeat the inevitable ‘No;’ and for the first, I entreat you not to tempt me, for I cannot tell you how hard it is to refuse anything you ask me, and particularly in that way. As for the other there will be no need, I trust, for I have enough for all my present wants, and before that is gone I hope to be in a way to supply all future needs.”
Editha sighed, but saw that his decision was unalterable, and so let the matter drop for the time.
They chatted for an hour on various topics, and then Earle rose to take his leave.
She longed to ask him to come again on the morrow to dine, as she had planned, knowing how lonely he would be when everybody else was so gay; but she knew that it would be no pleasure for him to meet Mr. Dalton in his present mood; but she did ask him to call whenever he was at liberty, and she added, with one of her charming smiles: