He was beside her: "Rachel, why--why didn't you let me know?"
"Let you know what?" and she stood back against the wall, striving to repell him with her eyes.
"That you were in want--in need. You could have written--" he floundered helplessly; then swept on almost in tears--"Didn't you know that I would help you gladly--thankfully? Oh where were my eyes! And you have been struggling!--Oh God, forgive me." He drew her bended wrist against his breast, and the shudders of his frame went to hers.
She tried to withdraw the hand. "I don't understand."
"So thin--" he continued, perusing her face, "so thin; almost starved. And no one to help you--not anyone. And I left you; I didn't even write--"
He did not finish the sentence. He was on his knees, kissing the hem of her dress.
She stared at him in a trance of amazement and at that moment a voice sounded from the room across the passage.
"Rachel, be that ye? Why don't ye come in here?"
Simon Hart rose to his feet. "Let me help you, Rachel."
She moved her lips, though no sound passed them. He threw his hands on her shoulders and his eyes into the depths of hers. "I ask nothing that you cannot give," he said with mournful softness. "I know that you do not--love me--but later, if you became my wife--"
She shook her head, trying to twist free.
"If you were my future wife," he amended, "I could give your grandfather every care."
Perceiving it, desperately he followed up his advantage. Later he would feel shame, but not now with her frightened breath on his face and her lips so close. His gentleness was transformed into boldness. Love wrought madness in him who had never before known its mystery or its power.--"He should lack for nothing."
At that moment her grandfather's voice, high-pitched, querulous, sounded from the other room.
"I hear ye, Rachel--both of ye; why don't ye come in here?"
Slowly her frozen look gave place to one of tense questioning. "He shall lack for nothing? you promise it?"
"Very well, then;" and all the life and youth dropped from her voice.
"Shall I go in to him?" he asked, stunned by his victory.
He moved to the door. Then retracing his steps, he passed his arms about her and pressed her to him. "You shall never regret this, Rachel. Oh, how I love you!" he muttered, with his lips on her head.