Even though the girl had rejected him again
and again, he felt a hateful sense of disloyalty. He was ashamed to
confess it to himself, and he vowed, hotly, that he must be wrong,
that he would not believe. He would still worship her, fight for her,
and force her to care for him.
Mrs. Warriner and her daughter were to sail on the morrow, and that
night they met Corbin at dinner for the last time. After many days--
although self-accused--he felt deeply conscious of his recent lack of
faith, and, in the few hours still left him, he determined to atone
for the temporary halt in his allegiance. They had never found him
more eager, tactful, and considerate than he was that evening. The
eyes of Mrs. Warriner softened as she watched him. As one day had
succeeded another, her admiration and liking for him had increased,
until now she felt as though his cause was hers--as though she was
not parting from a friend, but from a son. But the calmness of her
daughter was impenetrable; from her manner it was impossible to learn
whether the approaching separation was a relief or a regret.
To Edouard the return of the beautiful girl to the restaurant
appeared not as an accident, but as a marked favor vouchsafed to him
by Fate.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242