She knew that--she--! "When did you find it out?" he asked.
"The morning we were married," she replied.
"And you--you, Christine, you married me, a thief!" She nodded again.
"What difference could it make?" she asked. "I wouldn't have been happy
if I hadn't married you. And I loved you!"
"Look here, Christine," he said, "that five thousand dollars is not for
you or for me. You will be safe enough if anything should happen to me;
your people would look after you, and you have some money in your own
right. But I've a sister, and she's lame. She never had to do a stroke
of work in her life, and she can't do it now. I have shared with her
anything I have had since times went wrong with us and our family. I
needed money badly enough, but I didn't care very much whether I got it
for myself or not--only for her. I wanted that five thousand dollars for
her, and to her it shall go; not one penny to you, or to me, or to any
other human being. The Rebellion is over: that money wouldn't have
altered things one way or another. It's mine, and if anything happens to
me--"
He suddenly stooped down and caught her hands, looking her in the eyes
steadily.
"Christine," he said, "I want you never to ask me to spend a penny of
that money; and I want you to promise me, by the name of the Virgin Mary,
that you'll see my sister gets it, and that you'll never let her or any
one else know where it came from.
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