As Adam had anticipated, no matter what strength of will, what sense of secrecy bound this woman’s lips, she had been victim to the sound of her own voice, which, liberated by his sympathy, had spoken, and a word, as it were, had led to a full, deep, passionate utterance.
“True. All too terribly true,” replied Adam. “And for a woman—for you—these feelings will grow more intense.... I beg of you, at least let me move your camp back out of danger.”
“No! Not a single foot!” she blazed, as if confronted with something beyond his words. After that she hid her face in her hands. A long silence ensued. Adam, watching her, saw when the tremble and heave of her breast subsided. At length she looked up again, apparently composed. “Perhaps I talked more than I should have. But no matter. It was necessary to tell you something. For you came here to help an unknown woman. Not to anyone else have I breathed a word of the true state of my feelings. My husband watches me like a hawk, but not yet does he know my fears. I’ll thank you, when you speak to him, if you stay here so long, not to tell him anything I’ve said.”
“Mrs. Virey, I’ll stay as long as you are here,” said Adam, simply.
The simplicity of his speech, coupled with the tremendous suggestion in the fact of his physical presence, his strength and knowledge to serve her despite her bitter repudiation, seemed again to knock at the heart of her femininity. In the beginning of human life on the earth, and through its primal development, there was always a man to protect a woman. But subtly and inevitably there had been in Adam’s words an intimation that Magdalene Virey stood absolutely alone. More, for with spirit, if not with body, she was fighting Death Valley, and also some terrible relation her husband bore to her.
“Sir—you would stay here—on a possible chance of serving me?” she whispered.
“Yes,” replied Adam.
“Virey will not like that.”
“I’m not sure, but I suspect it’ll not make any difference to me what he likes.”
“If you are kind to me he will drive you away,” she went on, with agitation.