They passed up the Pool with only a word or two spoken between them, searching the water when the fishes jumped, listening to the creatures pushing through the undergrowth, staying to look at strips of water starred with white lilies. Her sober mood passed away as they went on. Wantonly she dropped to her knees and gathered up twigs to cast into the water. He heard her laughter in the dark like a peal of low bells. Then he found they had reached the end of the Pool, and the hut was far away.
"Molly, this is the end. The water finishes here. I have something to tell you. Are you listening, Molly? It only takes a moment to say. Good-bye. That's a strange word, isn't it? Have you heard it before? Well, to-night we are saying good-bye."
Until the word was spoken he felt he might never need to say it; but now it was said, and the night had turned deaf ears on his call for mercy. He saw her plainly in the dark standing before him petrified, in all her wonderful beauty, alert as though about to flee, with her great eyes wide open looking at him. She had clasped her hands together in front of her.
"What's took you now, Mr. Power? No, stay there. I can hear where I am."
"Don't start, Molly ... I have something to tell you.... I didn't mean to tell you. But why not tell you?"
"Stay there, Mister. Don't look like that. I don't want to know. Let's go home. Don't look like that. You——"
"Stop your sweet chatter, Molly. Listen, I say. I love you. I am starving for want of you. Feel my hand, Molly. It trembles like the hand Of a man in fever. Feel it, I say."
"Mister!"
"I am burning. I am burning inside and out. Let me touch your hand. Give me your hand a moment to cool me. Give it to me, I say."