What I have told you is true,
you see."
It was an odd way of wooing, but this man rarely made a mistake.
There are many women who, like Mathilde Sebastian, are readier to
love success than console failure.
"See," he said, after a moment's hesitation, opening another drawer
in his writing-table, "before I went away I had intended to ask you
to remember me."
As he spoke he drew a jewel-case from under some papers, and slowly
opened it. He had others like it in the drawer; for emergencies.
"But I never hoped," he went on, "to have an opportunity of seeing
you thus alone--to ask you never to forget me. You permit me?"
He clasped the diamonds round her throat, and they glittered on the
poor, cheap dress, which was the best she had. She looked down at
them with a catching breath, and for an instant the glitter was
reflected in her eyes.
She had come asking for reassurance, and he gave her diamonds; which
is an old tale told over and over again. For in human love we have
to accept not what we want, but what is given to us.
"No one in Dantzig," he said, "is so glad to hear that your father
has escaped as I am."
And, with the glitter still lurking in her dark-grey eyes, she
believed him. He drew her cloak round her, and gently brought her
hood over her hair.
"I must take you home," he said tenderly, "without delay. And as we
go through the streets you must tell me how it happened, and how you
were able to come to me.
Pages:
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110