YouknowIloveyouwithallmyheartandsoul.YouknowI'velovedyoupassionatelyfromthefirstdayIsawyou.Didn'tyoufeel,evenwhenwewereseparated,thatmylovewasinextinguishable?Didn'tyoufeelitalwayswithyou?Oh,mydear,mydear,youmusthaveknownthatdeathwastooweaktotouchmylove!Itriedtocrushit,becauseneitheryounorIwasfree.Yourhusbandwasmyfriend.Icouldn'tdoanythingblackguardly.Iranawayfromyou.Whatafoolyoumusthavethoughtme!AndnowIknowthatatlastwewerebothfree,Imighthavemadeyouloveme.IhadmychanceofhappinessatlastwhatI'dlongedfor,cursingmyselffortreachery,hadcometopass.ButIneverknew.InmyweaknessIsurrenderedmyfreedom.OGod!whatshallIdo?"
Hehidhisfaceinhishandsandgroanedwithagony.Mrs.Wallacewassilentforawhile.
"Idon'tknowifitwillbeanyconsolationforyou,"shesaidatlast"you'resuretoknowsoonerorlater,andImayaswelltellyounow.I'mengagedtobemarried."
"What!"criedJames,springingup."It'snottrueit'snottrue!"
"Whynot?Ofcourseit'strue!"
"Youcan't—oh,mydearest,bekindtome!"
"Don'tbesilly,there'sagoodboy!You'regoingtobemarriedyourselfinamonth,andyoureallycan'texpectmetoremainsinglebecauseyoufancyyoucareforme.Ishouldn'thavetoldyou,onlyIthoughtitwouldmakethingseasierforyou."
"Younevercaredtwostrawsforme!Iknewthat.Youneedn'tthrowitinmyface."
"Afterall,Iwasamarriedwoman."
"Iwonderhowmuchyoumindedwhenyouheardyourhusbandwaslyingdeadontheveldt?"
"Mydearboy,hewasn'thediedoffeveratDurban—quitecomfortably,inabed."
"Wereyousorry?"
"OfcourseIwas!Hewasextremelysatisfactory—andnotatallexacting."
Jamesdidnotknowwhyheaskedthequestionstheycametohislipsunbidden.Hewassickatheart,angry,contemptuous.
"I'mgoingtomarryaMr.Bryant—but,ofcourse,notimmediately,"shewenton,occupiedwithherownthoughts,andpleasedtotalkofthem.
"Whatishe?"
"Nothing!He'salandedproprietor."Shesaidthiswithacertainpride.
Jameslookedatherscornfullyhisloveallthroughhadbeenmingledwithc