“And you expect to drift on until that light comes?”
A halt, long enough for second thought or renewal of a decision. “I can’t do otherwise. There’s no other way. It’s inevitable.”
“‘Inevitable!’” Roberts shrugged impatiently. “I don’t like the word. It belongs in the same class with ‘chance’ and ‘predestination’ and ‘luck.’ There are few things inevitable except death.”
“This is one—that I must wait.”
“And you can’t even take me into your confidence, about the reason why? Mind, I don’t ask it unless you voluntarily desire. I merely suggest.”
“No,” steadily; “I can’t tell you the reason. I’ve got to decide for myself—when light comes.”
Roberts’ great shoulders squared significantly.
“But if I know it already,” he suggested evenly, “what then?”
No answer, although the other waited half a minute. 293
“I repeat: what if I know it already?”