I kept an arm around her, and many times managed to give assistance.
We talked as we slowly neared the trees—talked of many things that concerned us, for there were to be no longer any secrets between those whom Heaven had so miraculously reunited; both of us were ashamed of the past, we each tried to shoulder most of the blame, and ended by mutual forgiveness.
I had to stop and ratify the contract with a few fond kisses, while her face grew luminous with delight.
Strange how selfish human nature is. There we could talk of happiness when perchance our friends lay upon the fatal beach, cheated out of even life itself. But what could you expect of an almost helpless wayfarer who had been kept out of paradise for years? To such a man there is excuse for many things when an angel opens the gate and invites him in.
Now and again I could see Hildegarde look pained, and I knew what brought the shadow upon her face; she remembered Diana, the coquettish beauty, for whom her last gleam of jealousy had gone forth, and the thought of the cruel fate that had come upon the bride of a year hurt her cruelly.
I did not dare allow myself to think upon the matter at all—time enough for self-reproaches and bitter regrets when she was in safety; until then my every faculty belonged to her.
At length we reached the trees.
I saw that Hildegarde suffered on account of the weight of her soaked garments, and I insisted on carrying her the last hundred yards, despite her protests. Finding me obdurate she gave in, and as if to make the burden as light as possible locked her hands around my neck.
Ye gods! such was the fierce happiness that gave me artificial strength I could have staggered a full mile thus; it was as though I had partaken of a magic elixir that nerved me to wonderful deeds of valor, for love works amazing things.
Once under the trees I set her down on a grassy knoll, and proceeded to gather many of the dead leaves from the palmetto.