But if he did this with her it would tie them in a bond that would be wrong to break. If he gave her what she wanted and then left, it would hurt her, might even kill her.
He took a step backward, then another. His legs felt as if they were made of wood; he could barely move them.
Nancy let him go, put her hands to her face and sobbed, kneeling between the rows of corn.
He stood there a moment, feeling helpless. Then he went to her, took her arms and helped her to stand up.
"I do love you, Nancy," he said. "But if I knew you as Adam knew Eve, I would still have to leave you. And it would hurt both of us much more."
Sobs still shook her body. He did not even know if she heard him. But she let him lead her out of the cornfield, around the locked and silent church, and back to the wagon where his trunk lay. As they walked she pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve, wiped her face and blew her nose.
His heart felt heavy as lead. Sure as he was that this was the right thing to do, he was almost as sure it was wrong.
When they got to the wagon, he was still holding her arm. Gently she pulled free of him.
"You're a good man, Auguste. I'm afraid I'll always love you. Whether you want me to or not."
"Are you all right?" he asked. He wanted to make her happy, and he felt terribly helpless.