The quiver in her voice took out all the anger from my heart, and before I knew I had pledged myself to do all I could to help him.
But when I came upon him that night, sitting in the light of his fire, I saw he must be let alone. Some battles we fight side by side, with comrades cheering us and being cheered to victory; but there are fights we may not share, and these are deadly fights where lives are lost and won. So I could only lay my hand upon his shoulder without a word. He looked up quickly, read my face, and said, with a groan—
‘You know?’
‘I could not help it. But why groan?’
‘She will think it right to go,’ he said despairingly.
‘Then you must think for her; you must bring some common-sense to bear upon the question.’
‘I cannot see clearly yet,’ he said; ‘the light will come.’
‘May I show you how I see it?’ I asked.
‘Go on,’ he said.
For an hour I talked; eloquently, even vehemently urging the reason and right of my opinion. She would be doing no more than every woman does, no more than she did before; her mother-in-law had a comfortable home, all that wealth could procure, good servants, and friends; the estates could be managed without her personal supervision; after a few years’ work here they would go east for little Majorie’s education; why should two lives be broken?—and so I went on.