‘But you’ll come back? You’ll come back, Roddy?’
He was silent, utterly silent.
‘I can’t. I can’t,’ he said at last.
‘I’ll wait, Roddy. I don’t care how long I wait. I shall never want anyone else. I’ll wait years.’ There was no answer; and after a while she added in a small laboured whisper: ‘If you love me a little.’
‘Oh!’ He threw up his head with a sort of groan. ‘Yes. Yes. Yes.’
‘You love me?’
He must, he must say it.
‘Yes, I love you.’ The words came out on a groaning breath. She put her lips on his, and stood silent, drinking in her bliss.
He tossed his head suddenly, as if waking up.
‘Oh, Judy, we must go back, we must go back.’