"I am not sure if it was not you who held me back from those shining
gates."
"What do you mean?"
"When you held my hand through that long night, I thought but for your
firm grasp I should drift out of reach of life altogether."
"I tried to pray that night, Medoline, as I had never done before; I
believe my prayers were answered."
"Then you have found that the Bible is true?" I asked, looking up eagerly
into his face.
"Yes, every day more clearly."
"Then it was well worth all the weariness and pain I endured to have you
say this; but have you fully forgiven me, Mr. Winthrop, and may we take
up our friendship as before?"
"Must we take it up as before, Medoline? I have found I cannot be
satisfied with your friendship only?"
"I do not understand you."
"You drove me away, and you have forced me to return--must I leave again?
I cannot remain near you any longer with our relation to each other
unchanged. I must have your love or nothing. Friendship between us, and
nothing more, is out of the question. Can you not learn to love me,
Medoline?"
I turned and placed both my hands in his.
"Does this mean love instead of fear? Remember you told me not long ago
you were afraid of me; answer me truly, little one; do hand and heart go
together?"
"If you care to have them," I murmured softly, "but, have you forgotten
Mrs. Le Grande?"
"Long ago I ceased to think of her, only as one may remember a brief
surrender to an ignoble passion. The mistake I made was in measuring
womanhood generally by her standard--you have taught me, my darling, that
angels have not yet ceased to visit our poor earth.
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