How should she begin? What should she say? As she essayed to think, the suffocating feeling arose again in her throat; again the large heavy tears dropped one by one; but her face was turned full on her husband now, his eyes on hers, yet she knew it not; knew not that his book had been laid down long ago, and that he was watching eagerly the various emotions flitting over face.
As the tears sprung from her eyes, he said, hastily reaching out his hand,
"Come here, Amy! Come nearer to me."
She saw him then. Their eyes met, and that one glance told him his wife's love was his; told her she was trusted and forgiven. In another moment she had tottered forward and was gathered to his heart, her tears falling like rain on his breast.
"Oh! Robert! Robert!" she wailed.
But loving words poured impetuously in her ears, loving arms were round her.
"My wife! my own! My darling Amy. Hush! hush, love!"
But she could not hush; but lay weeping, weeping passionately, nestled close to him; clasped tightly in his arms, as though he feared to lose her.
He thought those tears would never cease, and almost grew frightened at their intensity, but they stopped at last, subsiding into sobs; and presently they were gone altogether, and she rested gently and quietly in his arms while she told him the tale that had nearly broken her heart and his; and if he thought her to blame, as without doubt she was, he forgave her now from his heart, and bitterly accused himself of being hard and cruel indeed; and thanked God he had not been too late in breaking down the wall that had severed them, and nearly buried them both in its ruins.
Mrs. Elrington came in, but was moving softly away again when Robert called her back.