I'll swear to
do it if you want me to."
Then Linda raised her eyes to his face.
"Oh, Peter, you dear!" she cried. "Peter, I'll just kneel and
kiss your hands if you can fix this for me."
Peter set his jaws and continued his meditations on shoe leather.
"Make it snappy!" he said tersely. "The sooner your troubles are
out of your system the better you'll feel. Whose letters are
those, and why are you crying over them?"
"Oh, Peter," quavered Linda, "you know how I love Marian. You
have seen her and I have told you over and over."
"Yes," said Peter soothingly, "I know."
"I have told you how, after years of devotion to Marian, John
Gilman let Eileen make a perfect rag of him and tie him into any
kind of knot she chose. Peter, when Marian left here she had
lost everything on earth but a little dab of money. She had lost
a father who was fine enough to be my father's best friend. She
had lost a mother who was fine enough to rear Marian to what she
is. She had lost them in a horrible way that left her room for a
million fancies and regrets: 'if I had done this,' or 'if I had
done that,' or 'if I had taken another road.' And when she went
away she knew definitely she had lost the first and only love of
her heart; and I knew, because she was so sensitive and so fine,
I knew, better than anybody living, how she COULD be hurt; and I
thought if I could fix some scheme that would entertain her and
take her mind off herself and make her feel appreciated only for
a little while--I knew in all reason, Peter, when she got out in
the world where men would see her and see how beautiful and fine
she is, there would be somebody who would want her quickly.
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