Something
here"--she pressed her hand to her heart--"something here tells me that
your day of battle is yet to come." Her eyes were brimming and full of
excitement. "We must all help you." She gained courage with each word.
"You must not fight alone. You work for civilisation; you must have
civilisation behind you." Her hands clasped nervously; there was a catch
in her throat. "You remember then, that I said I would call to you one
day, as your Uncle Benn did, and you should hear and answer me. It shall
not be that I will call. You--you will call, and I will help you if I
can. I will help, no matter what may seem to prevent, if there is
anything I can do. I, surely I, of all the world owe it to you to do what
I can, always.
"I owe so much--you did so much. Oh, how it haunts me! Sometimes in the
night I wake with a start and see it all--all!"
The flood which had been dyked back these years past had broken loose in
her heart.
Out of the stir and sweep of social life and duty, of official and
political ambition-heart-hungry, for she had no child; heart-lonely,
though she had scarce recognised it in the duties and excitements round
her--she had floated suddenly into this backwater of a motionless life in
Hamley.
Pages:
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384