'Of course I felt it. I did not then know what was before me.'
When he said this she sank immediately back upon her seat. 'I was
wretched enough. I had lost a limb and could not walk; my eyes,
and must always hereafter be blind; my fitness to be among men,
and must always hereafter be secluded. It is so that a man is
stricken down when some terrible trouble comes upon him. But it is
given to him to retrick his beams.'
'You have retricked yours.'
'Yes;--and the strong man will show his strength by doing it
quickly. Mabel, I sorrowed for myself greatly when that word was
spoken, partly because I thought that your love could be so easily
taken from me. And, since I have found that it has not been so, I
have sorrowed for you also. But I do not blame myself, and I will
not submit to have blame even from you.' She stared at him in the
face as he said this. 'A man should never submit to blame.'
'But if he has deserved it?'
'Who is to be the judge? But why should we contest this? You do
not really wish to trample on me!'
'No;--not that.
Pages:
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047